"The Apprentice" Insiders: Trump's Misogyny Rampant

We know, we know.  Neo- fascist misogynist Donald "Rump" Trump is a serial sexist horndog (Presidential!).  But, as he mounts his smarmy, old- news attacks on the marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton, it's more than fair to point out what a miserable sack of sh*t he is in his objectification and demeaning of women (warning: you may want to don a Hazmat suit before reading):

NEW YORK (AP) — In his years as a reality TV boss on "The Apprentice," Donald Trump repeatedly demeaned women with sexist language, according to show insiders who said he rated female contestants by the size of their breasts and talked about which ones he'd like to have sex with. 

The Associated Press interviewed more than 20 people — former crew members, editors and contestants — who described crass behavior by Trump behind the scenes of the long-running hit show, in which aspiring capitalists were given tasks to perform as they competed for jobs working for him. 

The staffers and contestants agreed to recount their experiences as Trump's behavior toward women has become a core issue in the presidential campaign. Interviewed separately, they gave concurring accounts of inappropriate conduct on the set.

Eight former crew members recalled that he repeatedly made lewd comments about a camerawoman he said had a nice rear, comparing her beauty to that of his daughter, Ivanka. [snip] 

Randal Pinkett, who won the program in December 2005 and who has recently criticized Trump during his run for president, said he remembered the real estate mogul talking about which female contestants he wanted to sleep with, even though Trump had married former model Melania Knauss earlier that year: "He was like 'Isn't she hot, check her out,' kind of gawking, something to the effect of 'I'd like to hit that.' "  [snip] 

Former producer Katherine Walker said Trump frequently talked about women's bodies during the five seasons she worked with him and said he speculated about which female contestant would be "a tiger in bed." 

A former crew member who signed a non-disclosure agreement and asked not to be identified, recalled that Trump asked male contestants whether they would sleep with a particular female contestant, then expressed his own interest. 

"We were in the boardroom one time figuring out who to blame for the task, and he just stopped in the middle and pointed to someone and said, 'You'd f... her, wouldn't you? I'd f... her. C'mon, wouldn't you?'"  (our emphasis)

So, meanwhile, Rump and his loathesome surrogates (a.k.a., The Philandering Five) take up the attack on the Clintons. As Bakari says,

Trump, Bannon, Giuliani, Gingrich, and Ailes want to talk about affairs.

That's it. That's the joke.

— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) September 28, 2016

(Photo: Rump with then- teenage Ivanka - with whom he compares all potential bedmates.)

Today's Cartoon Twofer - Two Of A Kind

(click on images to enlarge)


(David Horsey, Los Angeles Times)


(Steve Sack, Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

Quote Of The Day - Trump, Ailes And The Media

Charles P. Pierce on one of the many unsavory advisers to neo- fascist Donald "Rump" Trump, the abhorrent Roger "Jabba the Nut" Ailes:

There were Mongol chieftains who treated women better than this tawdry tub of goo. It is here where we should remind ourselves that this unseemly blob of encrusted hormones is a trusted adviser to the current Republican presidential nominee. Of course, Huma Abedin, e-mails, Anthony Weiner, private server, optics, narrative.

The latest outstanding piece of real journalism by The New Yorker's Gabriel Sherman on Ailes' depravity goes largely missing in the media mosh pit.  Ailes is a man thing in Rump's inner circle, providing media and debate advice, but the easily- connectable dots aren't being connected. Why? Well, it doesn't contribute to the media's primal urge to tear down Hillary Clinton and get the horserace their bottom line demands.

In this or any other week where Rump's ongoing sleazy evasiveness in releasing his tax returns and medical records, his hiring of the lowest bottom-feeder in the political sewer (David Bossie), his stonewalling on his wife's immigration status, his "model" agency's violations of immigration laws, his pay- for- play scandals, as well as the backdrop of his racist alt- right and Russian oligarch support, any of which could be the focus of honest investigative journalism and headlining stories, instead we get ... well, Charlie already said it, and at this point, we're just beating a dead horse (giving us an excuse to use that gif).

BONUS:  Right --

Imagine if Ailes sex scandal broke in 2012 & Romney hired Ailes for debate advice. It would be page A story for weeks.

— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 3, 2016

BONUS II:  Be sure to read Josh Marshall on the political reporters hacks at the effing New York Times continuing efforts to bring down the Clintons.

BONUS III:  Paul Waldman wants you to guess which of two -- a scandal and a non-scandal -- will get the most sustained media play. (Updated here.)

Guess Who's Giving Trump Debate Advice (Allegedly!)?

We'll let the tweets speak for themselves:

"Show more leg." https://t.co/5SWPituMsa

— Bob Schooley (@Rschooley) August 16, 2016

Maybe Trump can also get debating tips from Bill Cosby, Woody Allen, Roman Polanski & Jian Ghomeshi. https://t.co/EexFhURoTG

— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) August 16, 2016

i just wish Chris Farley were still around to play Ailes in the SNL skit where he and Trump prep for debate https://t.co/pacn8LX1GZ

— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) August 16, 2016

Of course, the Trump camp is denying that serial sexual harasser (allegedly!) Roger "Jabba the Nut" Ailes is helping them in any way.  Trump's doing fine with women voters without Jabba's help, thank you!

BONUS:  Then there's this from a Republican flak:

I don't know what's more unbelievable. That Roger Ailes is doing debate prep with Trump or that Trump is doing debate prep.

— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) August 16, 2016

Exposing The Sexual Torturers And Enablers At Fox "News"

Gabriel Sherman continues his pursuit of the despicable Roger "Jabba the Nut" Ailes and others at Fox "News" who enabled Jabba's perverse sexual pursuits over the last two decades.  It's an eye- popping look at the ugly, seedy culture that persists to this day at this propaganda arm of the Republican Party.  Here are a few snippets (skipping over the smarmy details of the harassment):

The morning after Fox News chief Roger Ailes resigned, the cable network’s former director of booking placed a call to the New York law firm hired by 21st Century Fox to investigate sexual-harassment allegations against Ailes. Laurie Luhn told the lawyers at Paul, Weiss that she had been harassed by Ailes for more than 20 years, that executives at Fox News had known about it and helped cover it up, and that it had ruined her life. “It was psychological torture,” she later told me. [snip] 

In late 2010 or early 2011, Luhn said, she wrote a letter to Fox lawyer Dianne Brandi saying she had been sexually harassed by Ailes for 20 years. Brandi did not acknowledge receipt of the letter, but, according to a source, she asked Ailes about the sexual-harassment allegations, which he vehemently denied. Ailes, according to the source, told Brandi to work out a settlement. Luhn hired an attorney to negotiate her exit from Fox.

Luhn settled with Fox for $3.15 million, with accompanying extensive nondisclosure agreements.

There's so much to digest in Sherman's reporting that you should really try to read the whole piece. For example, in addition to Dianne Brandi's role in protecting Jabba, Fox executive and possible Jabba successor Bill Shine was also reported to be an active enabler of the harassment and cover up.

Think of this for a moment:  beyond what Jon Stewart aptly called the "bullshit mountain" that is Fox's on- air identity, there's a behind- the- scenes culture that is as corrupt and perverted as what you see on- air.  This is as vile an organization as exists in America today, and no amount of "house cleaning" is going to remove the stench and stain.

Report: Roger Ailes To Resign Or Be Fired From Fox "News"

From Gabriel Sherman:

Roger Ailes's tenure as the head of Fox News may be coming to an end. Rupert Murdoch and sons Lachlan and James — co-chairmen and CEO, respectively, of parent company 21st Century Fox — have settled on removing the 76-year-old executive, say two sources briefed on a sexual-harassment investigation of Ailes being conducted by New York law firm Paul, Weiss. After reviewing the initial findings of the probe, James Murdoch is said to be arguing that Ailes should be presented with a choice this week to resign or face being fired. Lachlan is more aligned with their father, who thinks that no action should be taken until after the GOP convention this week. Another source confirms that all three are in agreement that Ailes needs to go. 

Roger "Jabba the Nut" Ailes has been a cancer on American life for far too long.  But the cancer didn't start there -- it started decades ago with vile coot Rupert "Aargh" Murdoch's use of his media empire to spread hateful and malicious propaganda for the Republican/ New Confederate/ Stupid/ Shooter's Party.  Jabba was just the COO of the operation, and they'll just replace him with a younger Jabba, Jr., version.

Republican Sex Blotter: Fox "News" Edition (UPDATED)

It would be fair and balanced to say that Fox "News" stool pile Roger "Jabba The Nut" Ailes is having a bad day (couch turd Steve "The Deuce" Doocy, too):

Former “Fox & Friends” co-host Gretchen Carlson alleged in an explosive lawsuit filed Wednesday that Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes fired her for rebuffing his sexual advances and challenging a sexist newsroom culture.

Carlson, who spent 11 years at the network, described being ostracized and marginalized by Fox News for pushing back against condescending treatment. After seven and a half years as a co-host on “Fox & Friends,” the top-rated cable morning news show, Carlson was reassigned in 2013 to an early afternoon time slot. Fox News terminated her employment on June 23.

In the suit, Carlson claims she tried addressing what she considered to be discriminatory treatment during a September 2015 meeting with Ailes, who allegedly responded that their problems could have been better solved if they had a sexual relationship.

“I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then you’d be good and better and I’d be good and better,” Ailes told Carlson, according to the suit.  

In the suit, Carlson accused Ailes, one of the most powerful figures in media and Republican politics, of engaging in persistently sexist behavior. She said he ogled her in his office, asked her to turn around to view her backside, and commented repeatedly on her outfits and her legs.

She also said “Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy engaged in a “pattern and practice of severe and pervasive sexual harassment” that included “mocking her during commercial breaks, shunning her off air, refusing to engage with her on air, belittling her contributions to the show.” 

Carlson said she complained about Doocy creating a hostile work environment back in September 2009.  (our emphasis)

The lawsuit can be viewed at the link above.

It's not the first time Jabba has been accused of sexual harassment.  New York Magazine writer Gabriel Sherman's biography of Jabba, "The Loudest Voice in the Room," provides some anecdotes of other possible transgressions, as The New York Times reported:

"In one anecdote, a television producer, Randi Harrison, told Mr. Sherman that while negotiating her salary with Mr. Ailes at NBC in the 1980s, he offered her an additional $100 each week 'if you agree to have sex with me whenever I want.'"

This time, it's a high- profile former star of Fox "News" making the allegations in court.  With the already (reportedly) hostile sons of owner Rupert "Aargh" Murdoch overseeing Jabba, this could be their best opportunity to get rid of about 300 pounds of ugly sexist weight.

As a side note, dumping Jabba would also remove leverage that neo- fascist extortionist Donald "Rump" Trump reportedly holds over Jabba, and therefore Fox "News."

UPDATE:  Open the floodgates!

(Image:  Roger Ailes or a close likeness.)

"#NeverTrump" Becoming "#EventuallyTrump"

Paul Waldman argues what many of us assumed would be the case all along:   that Republican media and political grifters leaders would, as Republicans always do, fall in line behind the likely nominee.  Unfortunately for them, that would be neo- fascist fartbag Donald "Rump" Trump.

It's started with someone you wouldn't necessarily have thought would be able to swallow Rump:

Fox News and Donald Trump are reaching a detente at last; yesterday Megyn Kelly went to Trump Tower for an hour-long meeting she described as allowing “a chance to clear the air,” after which Trump went to the Fox offices to have lunch with network chief Roger Ailes. This comes after Kelly had the temerity to ask Trump about sexist remarks he had made in the past, which led him to unleash a months-long campaign of insults at her (The Donald doesn’t like to be challenged, especially by a woman).

The time had obviously come for Kelly to make nice, and more importantly, Fox needed to smooth over any conflict with Trump, given that he’s likely to be the Republican nominee for president soon.

Who else do we have waving the white flag?  Why none other than "Bush's brain" (hahahaha), American Crossroads' Karl "Turdblossom" Rove:

... Politico reports today that while Rove has been criticizing Trump in public, behind the scenes he and American Crossroads, the super PAC he helped found, are telling donors that Trump can beat Hillary Clinton, so everyone needs to be prepared to get behind him. Now why might that be?

If your guess as to why Turdblossom might be willing to eventually tolerate the Rump involves the phrase "grifting the rubes," you are a winner!

... If Trump is the nominee and American Crossroads said, “Forget about this election — we won’t support Trump,” where would that leave them? On the sidelines, with no role to play (at least in the presidential race), no contributions coming in, no salaries for their staff, no commissions for their consultants, and no influence. When there’s a presidential election going on, the last thing political players like them want is to be left out of the game.

That's why Waldman, correctly in our view, thinks the usual suspects will return to the fold because, darn it, there are sheep to be shorn and money to be made!  And if mercenary considerations weren't enough, a deep, abiding hatred of the "Democrat" Party (magnified a hundredfold by the Clintons and Obama) will keep them from staying on the sidelines for long.

That's why in the weeks and months ahead of the July convention, you'll see more of these unprincipled professional grifters like Rove lining up behind Rump:

Rove defects from #NeverTrump to #EventuallyTrump https://t.co/Fz5zgGSncA

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) April 14, 2016

Today's Cartoon - "It's Alive!"

(click on image to enlarge)



(Ruben Bolling, via Daily Kos)

Fox "News" Roger "Dr. Frankenstein" Ailes and his creation.  He's adorable!  And fearless and brash!  Let the makeover begin!

Pope Roger And His Church Of Republican Crazy

Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog points to the source of the unrestrained ignorance and bigotry spewing out of Republican candidates' mouths, and why, contrary to the fervid fantasy of the "mainstream media," it's not some recent, unexpected phenomenon:

The Republican Party has a pope. His name is Roger Ailes. He's the guy who gave us the "Ground Zero mosque" controversy. He's the guy who gave Donald Trump a regular platform to hold forth on politics starting in 2011, when Trump was fixated on President Obama's birth certificate and, implicitly, his true allegiance to Islam. He's the guy who allows rabid Islamophobe Pam Geller to make regular appearances on Fox.  [snip]

Perhaps, according to the men [NY Times' Jonathan] Martin quotes, Roger Ailes is a "warlord" because he's not an elected officeholder, Cabinet member, or party official. But in that case, the GOP has been turning its leadership responsibilities over to "warlords" for a generation: Drudge, Coulter, Limbaugh, Breitbart and his heirs.

A simpler explanation: these people are the hierarchy of the GOP. They're the cardinals. Ailes is the pope. What we're seeing now isn't what the GOP has temporarily become in the absence of a leader -- it's what the GOP is today under the well-established, stable leadership of Pope Roger.

As we watch in disgust at the continuing demonization by Republicans of Muslims, Hispanics, Asians, non-heterosexuals, liberals, government, Planned Parenthood, Pope Francis himself, etc., we agree with Steve's assessment that the media isn't going to recognize what has been trending for 40 years or more:  that the un-American ugliness isn't an aberration, but an integral part of the Republican Party's DNA, encouraged and sanctified by "Pope Roger" and his "cardinals."

BONUS:  More from Steve M. on the radicalism of the Republican base.

(Image:  "Pope" Roger Ailes, a.k.a., Jabba the Nut.)

Fox "News'" Bullshit Mountaineer Roger Ailes Takes A Tumble

Do we dare to think there's a glimmer of hope that things might be changing at Fox "News" given this report about their chairman and man with his own grease trap Roger "Jabba The Nut" Ailes (spoiler alert: not really):

For much of the past 15 years, Roger Ailes has operated with virtual impunity inside Rupert Murdoch’s media empire. Nothing, it seemed, could induce Murdoch to rebuke Ailes publicly, even if Ailes forced Murdoch to choose between him and his sons. Such was Ailes’s power that he has been able to run a right-wing political operation under the auspices of a news channel.

This week, for the first time, there are signs that this remarkable era may be entering its twilight. Yesterday, 21st Century Fox announced that Ailes would be reporting to Lachlan and James Murdoch. For Ailes, it was a stinging smack-down and effectively a demotion.

And, why is this anything more than inside- "Bullshit Mountain"- baseball?

Ailes and James have maintained a distant, if frosty, relationship. James is an environmentalist who led News Corp's campaign to be a carbon-neutral company. His wife once worked for the Clinton Foundation. Ailes, a fierce climate-change denier, openly badmouthed James to friends and colleagues. He's called him a "fucking dope" and "Fredo," according to sources.

No one I spoke to in the hours after the news broke could remember a time when Ailes has been so publicly diminished. "History was made," a longtime Ailes associate told me. "It is terrible for Roger," said another. "It is a public contradiction. Roger takes these things personally. Worse, it shows that Rupert did not give him a heads-up of the management change in advance. That alone was a slight to his ego."

"Jabba The Nut" Ailes' contract with Fox expires in 2016.  Maybe he'll be offered an early buyout.

(Image:  Approximate visualization of Roger Ailes.)

Another Blind Squirrel Finds An Acorn

"[T]he Republican Party is being run out of News Corp. headquarters masquerading as a cable news channel."  -  CNN President Jeff Zucker, at a news conference Friday, responding to Fox "News' " Roger "Jabba the Nut" Ailes' assertion that CNN was "out of the news business." 

Right-Wing Media Follies

Among the primary reasons political discourse in this country has been reduced to the dissemination of lies --  very loudly -- is the ubiquitous right-wing Rethuglican media and its handmaidens in the "both sides do it" / President Grampypants McCain  Rethuglican - wired press.  We want to show you just three recent examples of the way the right-wing media works to amplify its false and destructive messaging.

If they can't hear you, they can't hear you:  Fox "News'" Roger Ailes doesn't like it when one of his hired hands gets off-message.  They love to be absolutist on the Second Amendment, but on the First?  Not so much.

Go ahead and smear, the truth will never catch up:  Obama Derangement Syndrome sufferer and frothing sociopath Charles "Kraphammer" Krauthammer would like you to know that the Kenyan Usurper has ordered his minions to deliver maximum sequester pain to John Q. Public, except, uh, not so much.

Don't worry about innocent people when you have a political ax to grind:   Fox "News" contributor and right-wing hate radio bimbo Andrea "Assy" Tantaros thinks it's appropriate to drag Malia Obama into the Plan B contraception issue - with a bonus bank shot on the Obama girls' recent Spring break vacation.  Stay classy, Assy!

And we're not even going into the miasma of lies, distortions and slander that the right is pumping out of its media orifices concerning gun control.

The inbred courtier Beltway media?  Good luck with those dumbasses.

Is it surprising, then, that so many Americans who get their hate-fix from these nasty people think it's perfectly reasonable to contemplate armed rebellion against the elected government of the United States?

Quote of the Day

In non-Pope, non-SOTU news, Fox "News" CEO Roger "Jabba the Nut" Ailes makes it clear who he really is working for (no surprise here):

“The fact is, we have a lot — Republicans have a lot more opportunity for them [Hispanics]... If I’m going to risk my life to run over the fence to get into America, I want to win. I think Fox News will articulate that.”

Let's review. "We" equals "Republicans" who have "a lot more opportunity" for Hispanics, and Fox "News" will be sure to flog "articulate that." No, no se puede.

(Image: We can't confirm those images aren't switched.)

"Socialism!"

Jon Stewart hits Fox "News" (fat) head Roger "Jabba the Nut" Ailes and the Rethuglicans' selective application of their favorite recent "Boo!" word. Watch it all, please.

Fairly Unbalanced

Porcine Fox "News" CEO Roger Ailes has a lot of bizarre, but not out of character, comments on President Obama in his interview with Howie "Get Another Job?" Kurtz in the Daily Beast. We like Think Progress' take (with links) on the fat f**k's Obama Derangement Syndrome symptoms (Obama's a "socialist," with a "different belief system" than most Americans, and "got kicked from Mumbai to South Korea" - Q. Why does Ailes hate America?). He also had a few choice words for Press Secretary Robert Gibbs (and former Bush Press Sec. Scott McClellan) to which Gibbs provided a brief rejoinder (spoiler alert: he wasn't surprised by Ailes' "thoughts").

(Photo: Roger Ailes' belief system includes a belief in the all-you-can-eat buffet.)