Category: Republicans

The GOP Is the True Anti-Business Party

GOP elephant
GOP elephant
Source: Republican Party (US), via Wikimedia Commons.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the Republican Party cares only about the Republican Party. The party, which once stood in opposition to slavery, now stands in favor only of the next election cycle.

Consider this, from Paul Krugman:

Republican politicians are at odds with corporate America on crucial issues. It’s not just vaccines. Corporate interests also want serious investment in infrastructure and find themselves on the outs with Republican leaders who don’t want to see Democrats achieve any policy successes. Basically, the G.O.P. is currently engaged in a major campaign of sabotage — its leaders want to see America do badly, because they believe this will redound to their political advantage — and if this hurts their corporate backers along the way, they don’t care.

Just to be clear, corporations aren’t being good guys. They support vaccine mandates and infrastructure investment because they believe that both would be good for their bottom lines. They’re still for the most part opposed to the rest of the Biden agenda, including — unforgivably — efforts to fight climate change, because they don’t want to pay higher taxes.

Still, the conflict between the G.O.P. and corporations is a striking new turn in American politics. And I wonder if some corporate leaders find themselves asking, in the privacy of their own minds, “My God, what have we done?”

And that’s the big question: What have they done? Corporations are quickly realizing they have little to no voice now in the party they bankrolled for generations.

When will donors to the GOP finally jump ship and side with the Dems? Like them or not, the Dems listen to everyone.


Republican Group Airs Ad Slamming Trump: “Corruption Won’t Make America Great Again”

Just watch:

The group is Republicans for the Rule of Law and you might want to check them out.


The Trump Administration’s Plan to Dismantle Climate Science

melting glacier in Greenland

The Trump Administration is not only trying to confuse the truth of climate change; the administration is actively working to dismantle the actual science behind the reality of climate change.

This is a deadly endeavor by men, coal lobbyists, oil lobbyists, who will not be alive in a couple of decades as the worst continues to hit.

Essentially, do no projections that go further than 40 years or so. This is akin to what totalitarian regimes put out statistics.

And people laugh when these regimes put out these stats.

Are we laughing?

From Michael Barbaro at the New York Times:

From Day 1, the Trump administration has tried to dismantle regulations aimed at curbing climate change. Now officials are attempting to undermine the very science on which such policies rest. Guest: Coral Davenport, who covers energy and environmental policy for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Background reading:Parts of the federal government will no longer fulfill what scientists say is one of the most urgent jobs of climate science studies: reporting on the future effects of a rapidly warming planetHere is a breakdownof the 1,656-page report released last fall that warns of a damaged environment and shrinking economy.

Here’s The Daily on this topic:


GOP Senator Wants to Take Away Health Coverage So People Find God

Mark Green, Tennessee, Medicaid, poverty, health care
Mark Green, Tennessee, Medicaid, poverty, health care
Tennessee state senator Mark Green opposes Medicaid expansion because it keeps people from knowing God. (Screengrab)

GOP State Senator Mark Green of Tennessee needs a Congress “Come to Jesus” talk. His radical, perverted, and twisted preference is for Tennessee to reject medicaid expansion because health care somehow prevents people from finding God.

Poor people, at least. I don’t see Mr. Green volunteering to give up his own medical coverage so he can get closer to Jesus.

That’s what he said. And Mr. Green now wants to go to congress. His opponent, Democrat Justin Kanew, shared this video where Green confesses to his death-panel mentality, sharing his desire to deny the people of Tennessee health coverage because the federal expansion of Medicaid would keep people from finding Jesus.

Disgusting.

From Justin Kanew:

NEW VIDEO: My opponent Mark Green explains the radical religious views behind his decision to reject billions of our federal Medicaid expansion dollars – which caused many rural hospitals to close and 300,000 Tennesseans to go without health coverage, including 30,000 veterans.

Here’s what Green says in the video:

… every person who came to Christ came to Christ with a physical need… People go to God because of a physical need and they walk away with a spiritual need met. That’s the story of the Gospels. And so government has stepped in, at least in this country, and done all the work for the church. And so the person who’s in need — they look to the government for the answer. Not God. And I think, in that way, government has done an injustice that’s even bigger than just the entitlement — creation of an entitlement welfare state. I think it’s even bigger. And in this setting, I’ll share the story… I think it interrupts the opportunity for people to come to a saving knowledge of who God is…

How easy it is for some of those who have to deny those who have not.


Synagogue Vandalized with Anti-Semitic Symbols: Will Donald Trump Tell Us There Are “Good People on Both Sides?”

vandalized synagogue, Nazi symbols, Indiana

vandalized synagogue, Nazi symbols, Indiana

Congregation Shaarey Tefilla in Carmel, Indiana, was targeted by vandals who spray painted a Nazi flag and other symbols on the property.

A synagogue outside Indianapolis was vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti was discovered over the weekend.

From the IndyStar:

According to the Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council, the vandalism occurred at Congregation Shaarey Tefilla in the 3000 block of West 116th Street in Carmel. The vandalism occurred late Friday or early Saturday and was discovered Saturday morning.

The crime scene remained intact and surrounded in yellow police tape Sunday morning. The graffiti, which comprised a pair of Nazi flags and iron crosses, was spray painted on two walls of a brick shed that surrounds the property’s garbage bin.

On the grass in front of one of the Nazi flags, there are apparent burn marks in two places, and a portion of the graffiti bears a black burn mark, too.

Will Donald Trump tell us there are “good people on both sides” again? Will Sarah Huckabee Sanders tell us, “Look, obviously the president disapproves of vandalism of any kind,” when, in fact, nothing is obvious about this president at all?

Except that he never comes right out and condemns Nazis.

Except that he “dog whistles” to the racists all the time.

Except that we honestly don’t know where he stands on race and racism, except that we do.

We know exactly where Donald J. Trump stands on racism. He tells us every time a brown child is separated from her parents, stripped from her parents, as they come to America seeking asylum.

Donald Trump has told us repeatedly where he stands on racism.

He stands with Fox News. He stands with Steve Bannon.

He stands as one of the leaders of the Alt-Right in America.

From the Human Rights Watch:

Claiming the “animals” comment is just about MS-13 is a semantic trick – don’t buy it. Trump’s policies put immigrants in the crosshairs; he is increasing deportations of deeply-rooted, hardworking people away from their homes, families, and communities. While claiming to protect us from dangerous gangsters, he makes it US policy to rip children from the arms of their parents in order to criminalize migrants and asylum seekers and break families apart through massive deportations. Americans should see through this ploy and reject the inhumane policies that Trump’s rhetoric serves.

We should see through all of his ploys. He is a dangerous, dangerous man.

We must #resist.


Insulter-In-Chief Can’t Do Simple Math

Donald Trump mocks disabled reporter

Donald Trump smug smile

Donald Trump, willfully ignorant.

Donald Trump flaunts his ignorance.

In Illinois, state representatives used to say that former-now-disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich governed by press conference. He would rarely speak with legislators as people, rarely talk policy. Instead, he would talk about legislators to the press, in the press.

He lived for interviews.

Donald Trump governs — if you could call it– that, by insult.

His latest, attacking Dems. All Dems, I guess, everywhere. But focusing on Congress this time.

First, Trump has a penchant to randomly capitalize words. And only he understands why and what he is trying to emphasize.

Here, he says:

Democrats in Congress must no longer Obstruct [sic] – vote to fix our terrible Immigration Laws [sic] now. I  am watching what is going on from Europe — it would be soooo simple to fix. Judges run the system and illegals and traffickers know how it works. They are just using children!

Let’s consider how un-presidential this word salad sounds. The New York Whiner hasn’t a clue — or willfully ignores — the facts. Many, many people trying to enter this country are asking for asylum, these “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Kyle Griffin of MSNBC’s @TheLastWord captures a portion of Trump’s willful ignorance:

Democrats don’t control Congress. The House voted on two immigration bills in June — neither had majority Republican support.

But, hey, why should math bother this President? Why get bogged down with facts when incendiary charges work so much better.


Giuliani Makes Up Date Mueller Probe Will End

Rudy Guiliani

Rudy Guiliani

Rudy Guiliani

The president’s “lawyer” Rudolph W. Giuliani said the special counsel plans to wrap up its investigation of whether President Trump obstructed the Russia inquiry by September 1.

Guillani made his remarks Sunday, according to the New York Times, saying “that waiting any longer would risk improperly influencing voters in the midterm elections in November.”

Somehow I don’t believe Rudy Guiliani, nor do I believe that Robert Mueller’s primary concern is the midterm elections.

Rudy doesn’t pass the smell test, again.

How did he come up with the date of September 1? Likely he said it many times during the “negotiations” with Mueller’s team, finally convincing himself that the special counsel’s office agreed to that date.

In short, he made it up.

The NYTimes reports:

The office of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, shared its timeline about two weeks ago amid negotiations over whether Mr. Trump will be questioned by investigators, Mr. Giuliani said in an interview. A spokesman for the special counsel’s office declined to comment.

Mr. Giuliani’s comments were an apparent attempt to publicly pressure Mr. Mueller amid their interview negotiations.

Most relevant from this report?

“A spokesman for the special counsel’s office declined to comment.”

That’s all we need to know. Guiliani runs at the mouth every time he gets before a camera or microphone. No doubt this time he is simply playing parrot to what President Trump would like to be true. Mr. Mueller works in a political void — so it seems to me. Let his work continue until it has reached its natural conclusion, and a real report can be prepared.

Bring on the midterms.


North Korea Is Pulling Out: How Will Trump Trump Obama’s Nobel Now?

Crazy Donald Trump

Crazy Donald TrumpThe talks between North and South Korea have collapsed.

The summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un are collapsing as we write.

How will Donnie T. trump President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize now?

It’s all going up in smoke.

For a while, I was thinking, “Only Nixon could go to China. Maybe only Trump can go to North Korea.” Except that appears less and less likely as time goes on.

From the New York Times:

North Korea threw President Trump’s planned summit meeting with its leader, Kim Jong-un, into doubt on Wednesday, threatening to call off the landmark encounter if the United States insisted on “unilateral nuclear abandonment.”

The statement, made by the North’s disarmament negotiator, came hours after state media warned that the summit meeting might be canceled to protest a joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea that began this week.

The warnings caught Trump administration officials off guard and set off an internal debate over whether Mr. Kim was merely posturing in advance of the meeting in Singapore next month or was erecting a serious new hurdle.

Sic transit gloria mundi.

And I didn’t even know Gloria was sick. (h/t Mel Brooks)


Donald Trump’s Dangerous Reality Show

Rex Tillerson

Rex Tillerson, official portrait.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is the latest to find himself outside the revolving door of the Trump White House. CIA Director Mike Pompeo will replace Tillerson, according to reports.

Trump treats his White House as a reality TV show. He treats national security as a TV reality show. The number of firings, resignations, etc., of the “best people” is staggering. The number of positions not yet filled, numbering in the hundreds, is very troubling.

The federal government employs 2 million civilian workers nationwide, but many positions at the top of the food chain remain empty a year into the Trump presidency. Of more than 600 key jobs filled by presidential nomination, more than half of them are currently vacant awaiting confirmation or have no nominee.

We are in crisis. Our government is in crisis. Our national security is in crisis. The man at the top thinks he is running a TV reality show.

I must say it again. I have no other explanation. He thinks this is all about him.

And we are suffering, will suffer, for this.


Round And Round: The Web Spins ‘Round Trump

Nick gates to change plea

Nick Gates will change his plea to guilty, testify against Paul Manafort.

The web spins ever more tightly, creeping closer and closer to Donald Trump.

From the LA Times:

A former top aide to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign will plead guilty to fraud-related charges within days — and has made clear to prosecutors that he would testify against Paul Manafort, the lawyer-lobbyist who once managed the campaign.

The change of heart by Trump’s former deputy campaign manager Richard Gates, who had pleaded not guilty after being indicted in October on charges similar to Manafort’s, was described in interviews by people familiar with the case.

Gates will change his plea to guilty within the next few days, according to the report.

And this:

Gates, 45, who is married with four children, does not appear to be well positioned financially to sustain a high-powered legal defense.

“He can’t afford to pay it,” said one lawyer who is involved with the investigation. “If you go to trial on this, that’s $1 million to $1.5 million. Maybe more, if you need experts” to appear as witnesses.