Now the historically Republican- supporting San Diego Union-Tribune finds it just can't stomach neo- fascist misogynist Donald "Rump" Trump:
Vengeful, dishonest and impulsive, Trump is no Romney. This is why Hillary Clinton is the safest candidate for voters to choose in a complex world. [snip]
This paper has not endorsed a Democrat for president in its 148-year history. But we endorse Clinton. She’s the safe choice for the U.S. and for the world, for Democrats and Republicans alike. (our emphasis)
The Cincinnati Enquirer. The Dallas Morning News. The Houston Chronicle. The Arizona Republic. Newspapers that have traditionally supported Republicans for President, in several cases for more than a century, are putting country above party, sanity above tribalism, and supporting Hillary Clinton.
As we belatedly noted, Bruce Springsteen celebrated his 67th birthday on September 23. He happened to appear that night with one of our other favorite people, Steven Colbert, and was asked what his top 5 Springsteen songs were:
Well, since, as Colbert said, those are "everybody's top 5" (maybe), let's go with something different. Like "Waitin' On A Sunny Day." (We're hoping that November 9 is a sunny post- election day.)
In the 34-year history of USA TODAY, the Editorial Board has never taken sides in the presidential race. Instead, we’ve expressed opinions about the major issues and haven’t presumed to tell our readers, who have a variety of priorities and values, which choice is best for them. Because every presidential race is different, we revisit our no-endorsement policy every four years. We’ve never seen reason to alter our approach. Until now.
This year, the choice isn’t between two capable major party nominees who happen to have significant ideological differences. This year, one of the candidates — Republican nominee Donald Trump — is, by unanimous consensus of the Editorial Board, unfit for the presidency.
From the day he declared his candidacy 15 months ago through this week’s first presidential debate, Trump has demonstrated repeatedly that he lacks the temperament, knowledge, steadiness and honesty that America needs from its presidents. [snip]
We’ve been highly critical of the GOP nominee in a number of previous editorials. With early voting already underway in several states and polls showing a close race, now is the time to spell out, in one place, the reasons Trump should not be president... (our emphasis)
What follows are reality- based reasons like "He is erratic," "He is ill- equipped to be commander in chief,""He traffics in prejudice," "He's a serial liar," and more.
Unfortunately, while the editorial board was unanimous in its decision to urge readers to vote their consciences, "just not for Trump," it did not have a consensus in favor of endorsing Hillary Clinton -- to which we would only add -- see post below.
Catherine Rampell tells us what most of us already know, but bears repeating, regarding the candidacies of "Scary Gary" Johnson and Dr.! Jill "WiFi" Stein:
...[T]hese third-party options are bad candidates not simply because of their impracticality, or their underdog status, or their lack of exposure, or some nonsense about a rigged political system.
Johnson and Stein are, on their own merits, terrible, unserious choices. They are unfit for office.
Rampell leads you through the reasons why both Johnson and Stein are unfit, then concludes:
These candidates have received relatively little media scrutiny, let alone attacks from competitors. This allows many Americans to think of them as the purer choices for the presidency. If all the mudslinging misses them, their feet of clay go unnoticed.
Which is precisely why they probably haven’t felt the need to do their homework. If you give them your precious vote, you haven’t done yours, either.
Let's say it again: the next President will be either Hillary Clinton or neo- fascist buffoon Donald "Rump" Trump. Voting third party or not voting is tantamount to a vote for installing the authoritarian buffoon in the most powerful office in the world. Would you want that on your conscience for the rest of your life?
Hoo-boy, that neo- fascist con artist Donald "Rump" Trump is burning us out with the steady onslaught of revelations about his shady, illegal doings! Your morning roundup follows (as always, these are excerpts - the entire articles are worth the read).
Donald Trump’s charitable foundation — which has been sustained for years by donors outside the Trump family — has never obtained the certification that New York requires before charities can solicit money from the public, according to the state attorney general’s office.
Under the laws in New York, where the Donald J. Trump Foundation is based, any charity that solicits more than $25,000 a year from the public must obtain a special kind of registration beforehand. Charities as large as Trump’s must also submit to a rigorous annual audit that asks — among other things — whether the charity spent any money for the personal benefit of its officers.
If New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) finds that Trump’s foundation raised money in violation of the law, he could order the charity to stop raising money immediately. With a court’s permission, Schneiderman could also force Trump to return money that his foundation has already raised.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump came under intense scrutiny Thursday for allegations that he knowingly violated the U.S. embargo on Cuba in the 1990s, a report that could hurt him among Cuban Americans in the crucial state of Florida.
A story published in Newsweek said Trump’s firm spent as much as $68,000 on a “foray” exploring business possibilities in Cuba in 1998, which would be a clear violation of the strict embargo in place at the time.
Trump spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway suggested in a television interview Wednesday that Trump had indeed spent money exploring business ventures in Cuba. But Conway later told The Washington Post that she “did not say he broke the law or violated the embargo.”
Last month, Donald Trump appeared to encourage the “Second Amendment people” to shoot Hillary Clinton if she wins this November. Now, the unhinged Republican nominee's jaw-dropping comments appear to be gaining some terrifying traction.
A North Carolina gun-rights group recently announced “The Hillary Clinton Special” — a raffle promising participants the chance to win an AR-15 assault rifle, 1,000 rounds of ammunition and a portrait of Hillary Clinton, which the group claims is “very popular at the range.” (our emphasis)
The flyer announcing the raffle appeared under the header "Grant Gardner, GRNC-PVF Treasurer" (that's "Grass Roots North Carolina-Political Victory Fund"). Just a reminder for goober Gardner and his fellow assassination enthusiasts:
(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully threatens to kill, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm upon - (1) a former President or a member of the immediate family of a former President; (2) a member of the immediate family of the President, the President-elect, the Vice President, or the Vice President-elect; (3) a major candidate for the office of President or Vice President, or a member of the immediate family of such candidate; or (4) a person protected by the Secret Service under section 3056(a)(6); shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both. (18 U.S.C. Sect. 879)
Secretary Clinton comes under (1) and (3), above. Handing out targets with Secretary Clinton's picture seems like a threat to us. Ding-dong, Secret Service calling.
Proceeds from the raffle are going to gun- humping Republican mouth breathers opposing these North Carolina Democrats:
Consider donating to these Democrats and help them win their races. Please go to those links and let's negate some of the money coming from the knuckle- draggers, shall we?
(Image: low caliber North Carolina gun humper -- visual approximation)
[Ed. note: We often hear that progressives recycle the same manner of arguments against neo- fascist pig Donald "Rump" Trump over and over (bo-ring!): that he's a sexist, racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, know- nothing, tax evading, lying, cheating (in more ways than one) sociopath -- and that's the short list. We're no doubt guilty of that on this blog. While we know most of you who visit here share in our revulsion of this orange sh*tgibbon, there's a large segment of the population that will always put party above country and vote for this monster (let's call them "deplorables"). There's also a segment that is unsure or wavering or that plans to throw away their vote on a third party. Our hope is that if any of you who come here know someone in the latter category, please talk to them and make sure they understand what's at stake, and that their vote is either for Rump or Secretary Clinton. Staying home or voting third party is a vote for Rump. We all need to do our part to save this country from a catastrophe. Thirty- nine days until the election.]
People disagree about the ideal traits to have in a leader. But almost no one wants a president who has proven himself an addict to being cruel, mean-spirited, and spiteful. For decades, Trump has been deliberately cruel to others, often in the most public ways.
He behaves this way flagrantly, showing no sign of shame or reflection.
What kind of person still acts that way at 70? A bad person.
It is that simple.
Giving a cruel man power and expecting that he won’t use it to inflict cruelty is madness. To vote for Trump, knowing all of this, is to knowingly empower cruelty.
Trump explained to his supporters that he’d gone easy on Clinton during Monday’s debate because he didn’t want to embarrass her.
“Yes, and it’s true — he did nothing to embarrass her,” Colbert said, pausing ever-so-slightly before the last word. “Trump is always acting like such a gentleman. He holds doors for women, gives them the seat on the bus, does no debate preparation. You might call it the addled ramblings of a delusional demagogue, Trump calls it chivalry.”
Clinton reminded voters that Trump had called a former Miss Universe fat when he owned the beauty pageant, and the Republican doubled down on his insults — which Colbert said might hurt him with the “small special interest group of Americans who gain weight.”
He suggested Trump’s new campaign slogan could be: “Seriously ladies, you could lose a few pounds.”
“That kind of brutal honesty takes courage, because Trump weighs 236 pounds, which at his height is technically obese,” Colbert said.
-- Rump does have his deplorable followers, though, who certainly aren't offended by his cruelty:
Not since Southern segregationist George Wallace’s failed presidential bids in 1968 and 1972 have white nationalists been so motivated to participate in a presidential election.
Andrew Anglin, editor of the Daily Stormer website and an emerging leader of a new generation of millennial extremists, said he had “zero interest” in the 2012 general election and viewed presidential politics as “pointless.” That is, until he heard Trump.
“Trump had me at ‘build a wall,’” Anglin said. “Virtually every alt-right Nazi I know is volunteering for the Trump campaign.” (our emphasis)
One of neo- fascist deadbeat Donald "Rump" Trump's infamous comments in Monday's debate was that, if he didn't pay federal taxes (he doesn't!), it's because they would be "squandered." David Waldman took that ball and ran with it:
Two of Hillary Clinton's most effective campaigners are starting to make their presences felt:
Then President Obama called into the "Steve Harvey Morning Show" to discuss various topics including unfit neo- fascist weaselheaded f*cknugget Donald "Rump" Trump's misogyny and the importance of voting for Secretary Clinton (you can hear the full radio interview here). Here are a few choice takes:
-- "You have somebody who basically insulted women," he said, "And then doubled down in terms of how he talks about them, and talks about their weight, and talks about how they look instead of the content of their character and their capabilities."
-- "[He is] not somebody I want in the Oval Office that my daughters are listening to and that sons are listening to," Obama said. "And so, across the board you’ve got somebody who appears to only care about himself."
-- "If there’s one message I want to deliver to everybody, if you don’t vote that’s a vote for Trump," he said. "If you don’t vote, that’s a vote for Trump."
Somehow, that message has got to get through to these folks in particular. Anything other than a vote for Secretary Clinton is something you'll regret for the rest of your lives.
UPDATE: And here's a clip of Michelle Obama speaking at La Salle University in Philadelphia today, specifically addressing the problem of millennials not voting or voting third party (full speech here):
It's going to be three or four days of much needed rain here (starting already!), so we thought of this 1966 song from The Lovin' Spoonful, "Rain on the Roof" (which is about a "summer shower," but let's not split hairs). Since it's hard to play just one Spoonful song, we're doubling up with another hit from 1967, "Six O'Clock." Hope you enjoy.
Since The Arizona Republic began publication in 1890, we have never endorsed a Democrat over a Republican for president. Never. This reflects a deep philosophical appreciation for conservative ideals and Republican principles.
This year is different.
The 2016 Republican candidate is not conservative and he is not qualified. [Ed.: well, they got "not qualified" right.]
That’s why, for the first time in our history, The Arizona Republic will support a Democrat for president.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton will score another high-powered Republican endorsement on Wednesday, according to a campaign aide: retired senator John Warner of Virginia, a popular GOP maverick with renowned military credentials.
Warner’s decision not to support his party’s nominee, Donald Trump, is intended to send a signal in the five-term senator’s battleground home state and beyond that mainstream, security-minded Republicans should side with Clinton.
It's never smart to assume endorsements sway many voters, but in these instances (as with other endorsements by long- time Republican fixtures like the Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, Cincinnati Enquirer and most of the Republican national security "establishment"), we can hope that they provide enough cover for those Republicans and Republican- leaning independents who simply can't stomach unfit neo- fascist demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump and see Secretary Clinton as the only person capable of stopping him.
Enquiring minds want to know, why was Mr. Sniffy sniffing so much at last night's debate? How much? Thirty-seven times. It didn't sound very healthy to us. It sounded weak and sickly. Not much stamina. Some have even suggested he did some blow. Not Presidential! Perhaps he was just smelling the bullshit coming out of his mouth?
As a postscript, Mr. Sniffy is blaming a "bad mic" for the sniffing. You mean there was blow on the mic, Mr. Sniffy?
There'll be a lot of ads from the Clinton campaign after the debate using neo-fascist misogynist Donald "Rump" Trump's own words and actions (e.g. paying taxes to support the military and vets is for suckers, etc.). Here is former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, whom Secretary Clinton mentioned last night, speaking about her experience with Rump. May this motivate every woman to vote, Latina or not, who has ever been body shamed by a powerful man. Well done.
The Supreme Court, climate change, marriage equality, immigration reform, women's rights, Citizens United, consumer protection -- it's all there, and more, on the ballot this year. Don't for a minute think there's no difference between the parties, or that it doesn't matter.
NBC's Press the Meat host Chuck "Not My Job" Todd was sure up to some expert punditry in the wake of Hillary Clinton's de- balling of neo- fascist bully Donald "Rump" Trump. Feeling the irresistible force of "both sides! false equivalence" tugging at his Van Dyke, Todd came up with these "impressions." First there was this hot take:
.@chucktodd: #debatenight exposed Trump's lack of preparation, but Clinton seemed over-prepared at times.
Because Clinton and Rump were "talking about themselves..." (Hmmm, it's almost like they needed a moderator to ask policy questions and keep things on track!) Also, see the wisdom at the top from Todd, wherein he chafes Clinton for being "over- prepared at times." Now, if Secretary Clinton had spent 100% of her time detailing her policies, you can be damn well sure that Todd would have come back with "She bored us with her over- prepared policy details!" Of course, this creampuff also has a need to do this because one of the Established Media Narratives that must be maintained is "politicians not addressing the needs of the American pipple!!"
Charles Johnson has the appropriate response to that bit of asswhistle Beltway conventional wisdom:
I was wondering if he’d get even worse after that “over-prepared” remark. Yep, he did. https://t.co/3fOKHyUWYV
"Hillary Clinton destroyed Donald Trump Monday night. Not since George Foreman knocked down Joe Frazier six times or Mike Tyson clobbered Michael Spinks in 91 seconds or Katie Ledecky jumped in a pool have we seen a public beatdown quite like this. This was the United States against Grenada; Rome vs. Carthage; the Road Runner vs. Wile E Coyote. If it were a Little League game, the mercy rule would have gone into effect." -- Michael Cohen, op-ed writer for the Boston Globe, in this morning's edition. When neo-fascist buffoon Donald "Rump" Trump had the chance to prepare -- even slightly -- for last night's debate, he declined and it showed...massively. He faded as the debate went on, as Secretary Clinton took notice and drew strength from that. By the end, he was on the ropes as she recalled the latina Miss Universe that he referred to as "Miss Housekeeping," who is now a U.S. citizen and will be voting in November. He could only look down at his lectern, with its empty glass of water, and pout, looking every bit like Wile E. Coyote after an Acme rocket blows up in his face.
Hillary Clinton gave neo- fascist toddler Donald "Rump" Trump a thorough beat-down in last night's debate -- and that's not just our opinion. There's plenty of analysis around that confirms Rump had a gruesome night, and that pinpoints moments when his dark soul was revealed yet again. For now (we'll have more to share later), here are some of our favorite reactions from the Twitter machine and elsewhere:
Donald Trump has given us the worst debate performance by any major-party nominee since the advent of television.
Here are two reads to get in before tonight's half- presidential debate (you know which half is presidential). As usual, these are excerpts; we urge you to read the entire pieces.
Even if Clinton wipes the floor with Trump, the media’s inherent bias is for suspense. The media business model requires capturing and keeping the audience’s attention, so corporations can sell our eyeballs to advertisers. It doesn’t matter how the debates go, or what the polls say; the press will portray the final stretch of this horserace as neck and neck, a photo finish, you won’t want to miss this, stay tuned.
Second, Charles Pierce reminds us of the behavior of the "elite liberal media" during the Bush- Gore race and the various debates featuring Vice President Gore:
At a debate in New Hampshire against Bill Bradley, who opposed him in the Democratic primaries that year, to my everlasting astonishment, the assembled scribes actually booed one of Gore's answers. (Don't come at me. You know you did.) I was struck by this because that behavior would get you kicked out of every press box in the major leagues. I once was severely reprimanded at Fenway for the offense of laughing too loudly at the Cleveland Indians.
This behavior continued throughout the campaign, and the Times coverage was right there in the heart of it. From beat reporter Kit Seelye all the way up to the peak of Bandini Mountain where can be found the castle of Lady Dowd, the Times enslaved itself to a narrative by which Gore was too smart, too snotty, and too…something to be president. If you were not following the redoubtable Bob Somerby at his Daily Howler blog in real time, then this 2007 Vanity Fair postmortem by Evgenia Peretz is as good a precis as there is.
Eight years ago, in the bastions of the "liberal media" that were supposed to love Gore —The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, CNN—he was variously described as "repellent," "delusional," a vote-rigger," a man who "lies like a rug," "Pinocchio." Eric Pooley, who covered him for Time magazine, says, "He brought out the creative-writing student in so many reporters.… Everybody kind of let loose on the guy." [snip]
Building on the narrative established by the Love Story and Internet episodes, Seelye, her critics charge, repeatedly tinged what should have been straight reporting with attitude or hints at Gore's insincerity. Describing a stump speech in Tennessee, she wrote, "He also made an appeal based on what he described as his hard work for the state—as if a debt were owed in return for years of service." Writing how he encouraged an audience to get out and vote at the primary, she said, "Vice President Al Gore may have questioned the effects of the internal combustion engine, but not when it comes to transportation to the polls. Today he exhorted a union audience in Knoxville, Iowa, to pile into vans—not cars, but gas-guzzling vans—and haul friends to the Iowa caucuses on January 24." She would not just say that he was simply fund-raising. "Vice President Al Gore was back to business as usual today—trolling for money," she wrote. In another piece, he was "ever on the prowl for money."
Or, as Brian Beutler summarized the effect of the puerile, amoral media's coverage of that fateful election:
Let's meet a delightful couple from Lawrenceburg, Georgia: Jimmy (of course) and Dami (ditto) Arno. They are supporters of neo-fascist bigot Donald "Rump" Trump who think (and perhaps hope) that if Hillary Clinton is elected, a civil war will break out. Here's "patriot" Jimmy, who's considering joining a militia:
“Should martial law, civil war — whatever — break out in this country, they will uphold the Constitution and rebuild our loss. The war that’s going to break out if Hillary Clinton’s elected, if that happens. Your patriots are going to overthrow the government.” (emphasis added)
We'd bet our homes that Jimmy's never read the Constitution (OK, maybe the comic book version), so he wouldn't be familiar with its definition of "treason*." It's worth noting that, until recently, Jimmy flew a Confederate flag in his front yard, his wife spoke out against Black Lives Matter at a local high school, and they have a portrait of Gen. Robert E. Lee in their living room. Oh, and who does Jimmy blame for the increase in racial tensions? Why that racist usurping Kenyan Muslim Barack Obama! We suppose because he brought all of the racists (like Jimmy) out of the woodwork when he was elected.
Deplorable.
________
*"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort." Article III, Section 3, U.S. Constitution
Even with some in the media belatedly beginning to call a liar a liar, and with more and more editorials warning of the existential danger of a neo- fascist demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump presidency, a disturbingly large segment of the population, both Rump supporters and nominal "undecideds" don't seem to be heeding the blaring horns and flashing lights. Here's why: These people are "the Republican base," and it's come home for Rump. In fact very few of these people seem to care if the demagogue lies, or bashes women, the disabled, Muslims, Hispanic and African Americans, etc. They actually thrill to it and seem to want more threats and violence from their weasel-headed hero. That Rump is in this position is, as Charles Pierce ably put it, a reflection of our poor citizenship:
For the balance of this election cycle, and largely due to the presence in it of this ridiculous man and his ridiculous campaign, the American people have proven themselves profoundly unworthy of being called citizens. [snip]
[On the latest scandal] This likely will occasion another spasm of impotent introspection on the part of our elite political media on the topic of, "Why doesn't any of this stick?" But few of the members of that media will dare to look at the real answer, which is that there is a substantial constituency for what Trump has been peddling and that the elite political media has been pandering to that constituency every day since Trump became a genuine phenomenon. The racism is offensive and the economic insecurity is a dodge. Americans are bored with their democracy and they don't have the democratic energy to do anything about it, so they'll settle for an entertaining quasi-strongman. When they decline, democracies get the dictators they deserve. A country mired in apathy and lassitude gets a dictator who can't even put in the hard work of becoming very good at it. (our emphasis)
In an editorial endorsing Hillary Clinton for President, the Los Angeles Times warns of the "catastrophic" consequences of electing neo- fascist dimwit Donald "Rump" Trump, while also making a strong case for Secretary Clinton. The full editorial is worth a read; a few excerpts here:
American voters have a clear choice on Nov. 8. We can elect an experienced, thoughtful and deeply knowledgeable public servant or a thin-skinned demagogue who is unqualified and unsuited to be president.
Donald J. Trump, a billionaire businessman and television personality, is the latter. He has never held elected office and has shown himself temperamentally unfit to do so. He has run a divisive, belligerent, dishonest campaign, repeatedly aligning himself with racists, strongmen and thugs while maligning or dismissing large segments of the American public. Electing Trump could be catastrophic for the nation.
By contrast, Hillary Clinton is one of the best prepared candidates to seek the presidency in many years. As a first lady, a Democratic senator from New York and secretary of State in President Obama’s first term, she immersed herself in the details of government, which is why her positions on the issues today are infinitely better thought-out than those of her opponent.
She stands for rational, comprehensive immigration reform and an improvement rather than an abandonment of the Affordable Care Act. She supports abortion rights, wants to raise the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour, hopes to reform the sentencing laws that have overcrowded American prisons, would repair the Voting Rights Act and help students to leave college without enormous debt. Abroad she would strengthen America’s traditional alliances, continue the Obama administration’s efforts to “degrade and ultimately defeat” Islamic State and negotiate with potential adversaries such as Russia and China in a way that balances realism and the protection of American interests. Unlike Trump, Clinton accepts the prevailing science on climate change and considers the issue to be “the defining challenge of our time.” [snip]
To be a great president, she will have to struggle to overcome her own weaknesses. But compared with Trump’s infirmities as a candidate, her failings are insignificant. It’s absurd — and perilous — to portray this election, as so many are doing, as a choice of the “lesser of two evils” or to suggest that her flaws are in any way on a level with his. [snip]
Every presidential race is described as “defining” and “historic.” This time, it’s true. Americans must not sit this election out, but cast their votes for Hillary Clinton over her dangerous Republican opponent, Donald Trump.
To which we would add one more point: The Supreme Court!
The editorial also makes quick work of the "Scary Gary" Johnson and Dr.! Jill "WiFi" Stein campaigns, rightly saying that "a vote for either is merely one less vote for the only candidate who can defeat Trump."
Now here stands Mr. Trump, feisty from his runaway Republican primary victories and ready for the first presidential debate, scheduled for Monday night, with Hillary Clinton. It is time for others who are still undecided, and perhaps hoping for some dramatic change in our politics and governance, to take a hard look and see Mr. Trump for who he is. They have an obligation to scrutinize his supposed virtues as a refreshing counterpolitician. Otherwise, they could face the consequences of handing the White House to a man far more consumed with himself than with the nation’s well-being.
Here’s how Mr. Trump is selling himself and why he can’t be believed.
The editorial goes on to expose Rump's so- called "virtues" as the laughable fronts that they are: his prowess in the financial world, his straight- talking, his negotiating skills, his being an agent of change. But the final test is character:
Voters attracted by the force of the Trump personality should pause and take note of the precise qualities he exudes as an audaciously different politician: bluster, savage mockery of those who challenge him, degrading comments about women, mendacity, crude generalizations about nations and religions. Our presidents are role models for generations of our children. Is this the example we want for them?
It's almost beyond belief that this evil demagogue is within striking distance of the Oval Office. Whether he makes it there or not will be a test of civic responsibility and citizenship that Americans will either pass or fail. Forty- two days to go.
As expected, the New York Times is endorsingHillary Clinton, making the case for her, and promising to deal with the "worst nominee put forward by a major party in modern American history" Donald "Rump Trump in a Monday editorial:
In any normal election year, we’d compare the two presidential candidates side by side on the issues. But this is not a normal election year. A comparison like that would be an empty exercise in a race where one candidate — our choice, Hillary Clinton — has a record of service and a raft of pragmatic ideas, and the other, Donald Trump, discloses nothing concrete about himself or his plans while promising the moon and offering the stars on layaway. (We will explain in a subsequent editorial why we believe Mr. Trump to be the worst nominee put forward by a major party in modern American history.)
But this endorsement would also be an empty exercise if it merely affirmed the choice of Clinton supporters. We’re aiming instead to persuade those of you who are hesitating to vote for Mrs. Clinton — because you are reluctant to vote for a Democrat, or for another Clinton, or for a candidate who might appear, on the surface, not to offer change from an establishment that seems indifferent and a political system that seems broken.
Running down the other guy won’t suffice to make that argument. The best case forHillary Clinton cannot be, and is not, that she isn’t Donald Trump.
The best case is, instead, about the challenges this country faces, and Mrs. Clinton’s capacity to rise to them.
There follows a thorough description of the passion, service, temperament, and tenacity Ms. Clinton would bring to the Presidency in these dangerous times (a good read). It concludes with a not- subtle swipe at toddler Rump:
Through war and recession, Americans born since 9/11 have had to grow up fast, and they deserve a grown-up president. A lifetime’s commitment to solving problems in the real world qualifies Hillary Clinton for this job, and the country should put her to work.
"... a grown up president." What a state of affairs we've reached when only one of the candidates running for president can clear that minimal threshold (and, yes, we're including "Scary Gary" Johnson and Dr.! Jill "WiFi" Stein). Luckily, we Democrats have that candidate in Ms. Clinton.
Reports that U.S. intelligence officials are investigating communications between Carter Page, one of neo-fascist demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump's foreign policy advisors, and senior Russian officials should not be a great surprise. After all, Rump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, represented the pro-Kremlin former government of Ukraine, and his military advisor, General Michael Flynn, has close ties to Russia's military leadership. That doesn't even cover Rump's presumed financial entanglement with Russian oligarchs and financiers, or his stated admiration for the Russian autocrat Putin, or Russian intelligence's hacking of the DNC to embarrass Secretary Clinton on the eve of the Democratic convention.
With Page, however, there are reports that he's sought to cut back-channel deals with Russia that would undermine U.S. policy, specifically a promise to lift economic sanctions if Rump were to be elected. Page, who was identified by Rump last March as a member of his "foreign policy team", heads a company that arranges oil and gas deals with Russia and Central Asian countries, and who would financially benefit from warmer relations between Russia and the U.S. On Russian soil, Page has also made critical comments about U.S. foreign policy and had praise for Putin.
Rump's candidacy has been called a "clear and present danger" to this country, and the growing web of his and his aides' connections to our Russian adversaries has to be exposed thoroughly and quickly so that voters can assess the national security calamity that would follow with his election.
(photo: Rump wears another furry animal on his head)
From the (oxymoron alert) principled conservative who said this:
"I'm not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my father," [Sen. Ted] Cruz told members of the Texas delegation. "That pledge was not a blanket commitment that if you go and slander and attack Heidi that I'm going to nonetheless come as a servile puppy dog and say, 'Thank you very much for maligning my wife and maligning my father.'" (our emphasis)
We now have this:
"After many months of careful consideration, of prayer and searching my own conscience, I have decided that on Election Day, I will vote for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump," Cruz wrote in a Facebook post. (our emphasis)
“Well, you know, the republic is under siege by a moron, basically. The whole thing is tragic. Without overstating it, it’s a tragedy for our democracy. When you start talking about elections being rigged, you’re pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it’s a very, very dangerous thing to do.” Bruce Springsteen, celebrating his 67th birthday yesterday slamming neo- fascist "moron" Donald "Rump" Trump. Happy Birthday to The Boss! Keep swinging!
The Cincinnati Enquirer, a conservative paper that for nearly 100 years has only endorsed Republicans for President, broke with that tradition and endorsedHillary Clinton this afternoon:
"The Enquirer has supported Republicans for president for almost a century – a tradition this editorial board doesn’t take lightly. But this is not a traditional race, and these are not traditional times. Our country needs calm, thoughtful leadership to deal with the challenges we face at home and abroad. We need a leader who will bring out the best in all Americans, not the worst. That’s why there is only one choice when we elect a president in November: Hillary Clinton." (emphasis added)
While the editorial expresses issues with Clinton, it absolutely blasts neo-fascist hatemonger Donald "Rump" Trump:
"Trump is a clear and present danger to our country. He has no history of governance that should engender any confidence from voters. Trump has no foreign policy experience, and the fact that he doesn't recognize it – instead insisting that, "I know more about ISIS than the generals do" – is even more troubling. His wild threats to blow Iranian ships out of the water if they make rude gestures at U.S. ships is just the type of reckless, cowboy diplomacy Americans should fear from a Trump presidency." (emphasis added)
The Enquirer joins other conservative papers (most recently the Dallas Morning News) breaking from long histories of supporting Republicans for President to support Secretary Clinton. This endorsement might be especially helpful in a swing state like Ohio, where "undecideds" need to be given a nudge.
Since yesterday was the first day of astronomical autumn, we feel it's incumbent on us to feature Antonio Vivaldi's "Autumn" from "The Four Seasons." This lovely version was shot at the National Botanical Gardens of Wales, and features Julia Fischer on violin accompanied by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Take some time, have a cuppa (or whatevah), relax and enjoy.
This is the latest Clinton ad running in battleground states and on cable:
Trump's got the misogynist vote, as well as that of the racists, Islamophobes, immigrant bashers, homophobes, etc. Will ads like this convince anyone still wavering that Trump would be the most godawful "thing" ever to occupy the Oval Office?
Meanwhile, savetheday.vote has a celebrity- laden spot that encourages registering and voting, but not for Trump. It's had almost 5 million views in two days (language gets a little salty):
“The grievance in their minds – the animus, the anger – they hate white people because white people are successful and they’re not,” said Pittenger, who then went on to criticize people who receive welfare.
“It is a welfare state. We have spent trillions of dollars on welfare, and we’ve put people in bondage, so they can’t be all they’re capable of being.” (our emphasis)
This peckerwood feels unencumbered to vent his un- PC! racism, thanks to neo- fascist hatemonger Donald "Rump" Trump (also "not a racist!"). At any time, it would be appalling. But this sh*tweasel chose to make his incendiary comments while the Charlotte community is trying to tamp down raw emotions and heal after several days of unrest.
(Photo: Pittenger and Trump -- what successful white peckerwoods look like.)
Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/under-the-dome/article103536037.html#storylink=cpy
Yesterday, executives from corporate polluters heard neo-fascist sociopath Donald "Rump" Trump promise that if he's elected, he'll gut environmental protections and open up public lands to their exploitation. Invoking the "America First" slogan originally used by pro-Nazi isolationists in 1930s America, Rump said,
“We need an America-First energy plan. This means opening federal lands for oil and gas production; opening offshore areas; and revoking policies that are imposing unnecessary restrictions on innovative new exploration technologies.”
As a climate change denier, Rump also pledged to the assembled greedheads that he'll trash the signature accomplishments of the Obama Administration dealing with climate change, the Clean Power Plan, and the Climate Action Plan, the latter of which commits the U.S. to meeting carbon reduction goals along with the international community. But Rump didn't stop there. He also pledged to undo the "Waters of the United States Rule," which governs clean water protection in new wetlands and waterways, and which has opposition from corporate agriculture and fossil fuel companies more interested in polluting upstream water resources than protecting them.
Rump's dangerous ignorance about global climate change is on display in the real-world application of environmental protections here in the U.S., and represents yet another reason why he has to be defeated in November.
UPDATE: Next Tuesday, the Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hear arguments from the corporate polluters that the Clean Power Plan should be voided. Appointing Federal Judges that side with the public vs. corporate interests is another example of why voting matters so much.
A recent NBC News/Quinnipiac poll reveals that more than a quarter of young voters—many who had supported the presidential bid of Sen. Bernie Sanders—plan to cast their presidential ballots for Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson.
Gary Johnson? Gary "What's Aleppo?" Johnson? Yeah, the legalizing pot guy. Well, let's see what other "millennial- friendly" positions does the ultra- right Johnson take?
1. He opposes Federal guarantees for student loans.
2. He opposes virtually all forms of gun control.
3. He opposes the minimum wage.
4. He opposes equal pay laws.
5. He opposes collective bargaining for public employees.
6. He proposes cuts to Social Security and "devolving" Medicare and Medicaid to the states.
Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate for president, takes what he calls the "long-term view" of climate change. "In billions of years," he said in 2011, "the sun is going to actually grow and encompass the Earth, right? So global warming is in our future."
The former New Mexico governor did acknowledge that humans are making the world warmer in the near term, too—but he doesn't think the government should do much about it. In the same speech, he denounced "cap-and-trade taxation," said we "should be building new coal-fired plants," and argued that the "trillions" of dollars it would cost to combat climate change would be better spent on other priorities. (our emphasis)
Catherine Rampell cites the Quinnipiac poll and thinks the "crush" some millennials have on Johnson will fade:
[A] tighter race — one, ironically, made tighter largely because of millennial defections from the Clinton camp — changes the calculus. It’s riskier to “throw away” your vote, either by supporting someone who has no chance of winning or by abstaining from the polls altogether.
See, millennials may not adore Clinton, but they really, really hate Trump. Six in 10 young voters view him “strongly” unfavorably, and the same share describe him as “racist.” Don’t be surprised if their third-party crushes start to fade as the prospect of President Trump begins to feel all too terrifyingly real.
We wish we could be so sanguine. The shiny object that is Gary Johnson can turn into the presidency of neo- fascist dimwit Donald "Rump" Trump in a little over a month. Think about that. Think about what Sen. Bernie Sanders said on September 16:
"This is not the time for a protest vote, in terms of a presidential campaign," Sanders said. "I ran as a third-party candidate. I'm the longest-serving independent in the history of the United States Congress. I know more about third-party politics than anyone else in the Congress, okay? And if people want to run as third-party candidates, God bless them! Run for Congress. Run for governor. Run for state legislature. When we're talking about president of the United States, in my own personal view, this is not time for a protest vote. This is time to elect Hillary Clinton and then work after the election to mobilize millions of people to make sure she can be the most progressive president she can be." (our emphasis)
On November 8, the only choice is between Hillary Clinton and Rump. If you think and vote otherwise, it means you're willing to risk an apocalyptic Rump presidency. Period.
UPDATE: If you think this guy is playing with a full deck, watch this clip ("Yippee!"):
All of the warnings that African-American fathers sadly have to give their sons -- if stopped by police, be cooperative and obey their orders, keep your hands up, empty and in full sight, etc. -- go out the window when shootings like the ones in Tulsa and Charlotte occur. The assumption of wrongdoing that shrouds African-American males is resulting in their killing at the hands of police who either lack adequate training in community policing or who view them as disposable and subhuman.
"Well, I just wanted to get on with, you know, we want to get on with the campaign."-- neo-fascist serial liar Donald "Rump" Trump, explaining to a Toledo reporter why he made last Friday's grudging and insincere admission that President Obama was indeed born in the U.S., and by extension, that he'd been pushing the racist birther lie for years. Now, he's signaling to his Alt Right base that he only said what he said "to get on with the campaign," which will allow his birther following to say, "He was just getting everybody off his back. He's still with us." And so he is.
BONUS:
Friday to Wednesday. That's how long Trump could stand it before he had to let his boys know that they made him say that birther crap.
Russian and Syrian warplanes launched the heaviest bombing of rebel-held areas of Aleppo, Syria in months, effectively ending the ceasefire that was already shaken by last Monday's air attack on a column of relief for the city's residents. The bombing reflects a rejection by the Assad regime's Russian allies of pleas by the U.S. and its Western allies to hold to the ceasefire that began some two weeks ago. Despite Monday's attack on the aid convoy, which the U.S. has accused Russia of conducting, the U.N. announced today that it is planning to resume aid convoys to rebel-held areas of Aleppo, following a review of security arrangements. We'll see if that relief effort meets the same fate as Monday's.
The Assad regime exists largely because of the military assistance it receives from Russia. Their mutual strategy is to remove the threat of the Western-backed anti-Assad forces fighting the regime, as the U.S. and its allies take on ISIS in Syria, with Assad eventually being the last man standing. A President Trump, with his cozy relationship with Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin and Russian financiers, would help facilitate Russia's inroads into the Middle East, bringing far greater instability to that region and harm to the U.S.
Jazz pianist Dave Brubeck was a leader in the "cool jazz" movement beginning in the late 1940s, along with Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Quartet. Perhaps best known for his classic "Take Five," Brubeck's compositions featured unusual time signatures and contrasting rhythms. Our song today is written in 7/4 time and has clapping hands providing percussion. If it's somewhat familiar to you, it may be because it was featured in the Oscar-winning film "Silver Linings Playbook." Enjoy.
KARNEI SHOMRON, West Bank — The rabbi hadn’t voted in a U.S. election in 25 years. “Didn’t see the point,” he said. Now Chaim Spring said he was all in for Republican nominee Donald Trump.
The 80-year-old, whose sunny villa in a Jewish settlement was lined with religious tomes, described himself to reporters as “a big Trump supporter” who watches “a lot of Fox News.”
"... watches 'a lot of Fox News.'" That'll certainly help.
The overall story is about how there's a robust "Republicans abroad" effort in Israel trying to turn out the vote for neo- fascist white nationalist Donald "Rump" Trump. We wonder if this would be useful information to Rabbi Spring Schmuck and his fellow travelers:
... According to an investigation by Mother Jones and the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute, since Trump officially announced his bid in June 2015 he has drawn effusive praise and formal backing from some of the country's most virulent neo-Nazis, white supremacists, militia supporters, and other extremist leaders. They include the head of the American Nazi Party, three former Ku Klux Klansmen, four people involved in a recent armed standoff against federal authorities at an Oregon wildlife refuge, and at least 15 individuals affiliated with organizations described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as hate groups.
Trump has disavowed none of them. "We have a wonderful OPPORTUNITY here folks, that may never come again," wrote Rocky J. Suhayda, the head of the American Nazi Party, last fall. "Donald Trump's campaign statements, if nothing else, have SHOWN that 'our views' are NOT so 'unpopular' as the Political Correctness crowd have told everyone they are!" (our emphasis)
The linked article provides a listing of 20 prominent "alt- right" figures who are supporting Rump, including avowed Nazis and other vicious anti- Semites. Those are some really strange bedfellows for Rabbi Schmuck and his fellow Israeli Rump supporters to lie down with. But, perhaps, should Rump and his fellow neo- fascists take over, they can recruit some people of Rabbi Schmuck's persuasion (who are "all in") to help round up and stop and frisk the enemies of Trump the state. Why, there's even an armband they can sport:
(Armband worn by Jewish Ghetto Police who collaborated with Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto)
Leave it to the invaluable Stephen Colbert to rip a new one for the despicable spawn of neo-fascist bigot Donald "Rump" Trump over his Alt Right -inspired comparison of Syrian refugees to Skittles. Here's Colbert last night on Donald Trump, Jr.'s foray into xenophobia:
A Houston man was arraigned Monday afternoon after FBI agents took him into custody when he showed up to retrieve what he believed was a package of explosives he planned to use for a terrorist bombing.
Guesses as to what Muslim country this terrorist emigrated from?
Cary Lee Ogborn, 50, was taken into on Friday after picking up the package believing he had purchased enough explosives to bring down a building, reports KHOU. [snip]
Investigators stated Ogborn tried to order the explosive materials online from an illegal weapons marketplace via an encrypted network which disguised his IP address. Unaware that his online contact was an FBI agent, Ogborn stated in a private message that he planned to use the explosives to blow up a building.
Police arrested an Augusta [Maine] man who they said had a history of violent crimes and who also identifies as a member of a white supremacy group.
Jacob Hastings, 27, was wanted by the Department of Corrections and had made comments about killing police officers if they would attempt to arrest him, Deputy Chief of Police Timothy DeLuca said in a news release. DeLuca said Hastings is a member of the Aryan Nation.
Hmm, another Real 'murican. (Well, maybe he emigrated from New Hampshire!)
Let's try somewhere else. You heard about those stabbings in Minnesota? How about these two; they had to be Muslim immigrants:
In Washington, a 32-year-old white man, described by local authorities as a likely white supremacist, attacked an interracial couple he witnessed engaged in a kiss.
Daniel Rowe stabbed a black man in Olympia, the capital of Washington state, outside of a bar at around 8:30pm after seeing the black man kiss a white woman. The 47-year-old black man and his white girlfriend, who is 35, had left the bar when Rowe approached them with a “weird” smile, according to a probable cause statement filed in court. Without warning, Rowe then yelled a racial slur and lunged with his knife, police say. The blade grazed the woman and went into the man’s hip, according to a news release from Olympia police. [snip]
“He tells them, ‘Yeah, I stabbed them. I’m a white supremacist,’” said Lt. Paul Lower, a police department spokesman. “He begins talking about Donald Trump rallies and attacking people at the Black Lives Matter protest.” [snip]
[T]here was the curious case of the face-eating Florida man who killed two people while wearing signature Trump campaign paraphernalia this week.
According to a newly released 911 call placed by Austin Harrouff’s mother, the 19-year-old who allegedly killed John Stevens II, 59, and his 53-year-old wife, Michelle Mischon, 53, outside their Jupiter, Florida, home before biting pieces of flesh off one of the victim’s face Monday evening was wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.
During the call, Mina Harrouff said her son, a Florida State student and fraternity member, was last seen wearing white shorts, a blue polo and a red “Make America Great Again” hat made famous by Trump. (our emphasis)
Well, the lesson here seems to be that if you're a plain face- eating nut/ white nationalist/ Donald "Rump" Trump supporting right- wing terrorist, you don't get any exposure in the media, while those Muslim immigrants from not-Syria are getting all the ink, taking jobs making mayhem Real 'muricans can do, day after day. How fair is that?!
