Politics

“Alternative Facts” – Maryann Conway

January 23, 2017 by The Staff Leave a Comment

The Atlantic, “One of the many things that is remarkable about the Trump administration is its devotion, even in its first days, to a particular variety of pointless falsehood.”[1]

The Atlantic also shows an amazing shot of almost empty reviewing stands during the Presidents motorcade.[1]

NBC News, “Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump, said the White House press secretary gave “alternative facts” when he inaccurately described the inauguration crowd as “the largest ever” during his first appearance before the press this weekend.”[2]

CNN, “This issue started back on Saturday, when the notoriously thin-skinned Trump visited the CIA and, while standing in front of the wall that pays tribute to CIA agents who sacrificed their lives for our nation, bragged about the size of the crowd that had attended his inauguration. Trump, after first trashing the media, told the audience of CIA employees that, “it looked like a million, million and a half people” were standing in the crowd cheering for him.
The only problem with Trump’s statement at the CIA is these pesky things called facts. No one can say with any certainty what the crowd size was, plus objective metrics — such as use of Washington’s mass transit — indicated that Trump’s crowd was much smaller.”[3]

References:

The Atlantic, January 22, 2017, David A. Graham – ‘Alternative Facts’: The Needless Lies of the Trump Administration – If the president and his aides will tell easily disproven falsehoods about crowd sizes and speeches, what else will they be willing to dissemble about?
NBC News, January 22, 2017, Alexandra Jaffe – Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump, said the White House press secretary gave “alternative facts” when he inaccurately described the inauguration crowd as “the largest ever” during his first appearance before the press this weekend.
CNN, January 23, 2017, Dean Obeidallah – Dear team Trump,’alternative facts’ are lies

Michael Flynn May Not Be The Person You Really Know

January 20, 2017 by The Staff Leave a Comment

Donald Trump has picked retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn for national security advisor. A decision that concerns many due to Flynn’s track record of questionable conduct and history of false statements. Here five things you need to know about Michael Flynn.[1][2]

References:

YouTube, See Progress, January 19, 2017 – Five Things You Need to Know About Michael Flynn
Center for American Progress, January 19, 2017, Aki Suzuki, Andrew Satter, Carolyn Kenney – 5 Things You Should Know About Michael Flynn

Protests Plague the Trump Presidency

January 20, 2017 by The Staff Leave a Comment

Pushback, “As Donald Trump takes the oath of office on January 20, progressives will not be accepting this new administration with open arms. Americans from across the nation will be coming to Washington D.C. to resist the spread of hate, racism, sexism, and xenophobia that has followed the Trump campaign and administration-to-be.”[1]

References:

Pushback, January 12, 2017, Chelsea Coatney – Progressive Power: Rally And Organize Over Inauguration Weekend

Robert Jeffress at Trump Inauguration Inflames Muslims, Mormons, Catholics and Gays

January 20, 2017 by The Staff Leave a Comment

CNN, “A pastor with a long history of inflammatory remarks about Muslims, Mormons, Catholics and gays is scheduled to preach at a private service for President-elect Trump and his family on Friday, shortly before Trump takes the oath of office.”[1]

Robert Jeffress ordains himself and mocks the whole act of ordination. [2]

References:

CNN, January 20, 2017, Daniel Burke – CNN Exclusive: Inflammatory pastor scheduled to preach to Trump before inauguration
D Magazine, January 2012, Michael J. Mooney – Jeffress Ordained Himself to Lead America – He says that Mormonism is a cult and gays are “filthy.” But he says it because he really, truly doesn’t want you to go to Hell.

SNL Sketch – Trump Press Conference

January 17, 2017 by The Staff Leave a Comment

As usual, Trump then tweeted (he must be watching every episode):

.@NBCNews is bad but Saturday Night Live is the worst of NBC. Not funny, cast is terrible, always a complete hit job. Really bad television!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2017

Several hundred negative tweets followed:

@realDonaldTrump Donald, the jokes aren’t for you anymore – you are the joke.

— Brendan Maclean (@macleanbrendan) January 15, 2017

@realDonaldTrump @NBCNews BTW, while you are complaining about SNL, thousands of Americans are rallying today to #SaveACA #saveourhealthcare pic.twitter.com/7z4IoLZova

— Kristina Wong ❄️ (@mskristinawong) January 15, 2017

Does Trump Display A Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

January 14, 2017 by The Staff Leave a Comment

Wikipedia, “Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a long-term pattern of abnormal behavior characterized by exaggerated feelings of self-importance, an excessive need for admiration, and a lack of understanding of others’ feelings. People affected by it often spend a lot of time thinking about achieving power or success, or about their appearance. They often take advantage of the people around them. The behavior typically begins by early adulthood, and occurs across a variety of situations.[1]

References:

Wikipedia – Narcissistic personality disorder

Trump Fires Head of DC National Guard

January 14, 2017 by The Staff Leave a Comment

Long time head of DC’s National Guard has been ousted by the Trump administration right in the middle of the inauguration.

The Washington Post, “The Army general who heads the D.C. National Guard and has an integral part in overseeing the inauguration said Friday that he will be removed from command effective at 12:01 p.m. Jan. 20, just as Donald Trump is sworn in as president. Maj. Gen. Errol R. Schwartz’s departure will come in the middle of the presidential ceremony — classified as a national special security event — and while thousands of his troops are deployed to help protect the nation’s capital during an inauguration he has spent months helping to plan. “The timing is extremely unusual,” Schwartz said in an interview Friday morning, confirming a memo announcing his ouster that was obtained by The Washington Post.”[1]

References:

The Washington Post, January 13, 2017, Peter Hermann, Aaron C. Davis – Head of D.C. National Guard to be removed from post in middle of inauguration

The Emoluments Clause and Trump’s Violations

January 13, 2017 by The Staff Leave a Comment

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:

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
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.

OMG! House Republicans Vote to Close the Independent Ethics Office

January 3, 2017 by The Staff Leave a Comment

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:

New York Times, January 2, 2017, Eric Lipton – With No Warning, House Republicans Vote to Gut Independent Ethics Office
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.