Category: Not My President

Children of the Damned

We badly want to understand Trump, to grasp him. It might give us some sense of control, or at least an ability to predict what he will do next. But what if there's nothing to understand? What if there is no there there?" ~ David Roberts, writing for Vox. 

It's called "Spot the Deplorable."

From Salon.com:

We've reached a magical time in the great story unfolding before us, the time when everybody knows that Trump is guilty, but the verdict is not yet in. I remember exactly how it happened in the Watergate story, when everybody knew Nixon was guilty of ordering the break-in at the DNC headquarters at the Watergate hotel and office complex and supervised the cover-up, but evidence sufficient to prove his guilt wasn't yet available. Guilty men lie, and lie repeatedly. Their early lies beget later lies; their little lies beget bigger lies; their implausible lies beget extraordinary lies; they tell more and more outrageous lies as their day of reckoning closes in. It was true of Nixon and now it's true of Trump. The lies multiply, they become ever more far-fetched, and finally the day arrives when lying doesn't work anymore. We're there with Trump. He lies practically every time he takes a breath, but his lies aren't working anymore. He's choking from lack of oxygen. He's a dead man lying.

(continue)

…it will work out the same way for him.

…of the legitimacy of what this article is reporting. It was forwarded to me last night by a friend and I'm unfamiliar with the particular source, so it could be nothing more than some fever-fantasy (one that, admittedly, is shared by millions of my fellow Americans), or it could be truth. I don't like spreading idle gossip on this here blog thingie, but this idle gossip made my heart flutter a little and gave me hope that our national nightmare may be coming to an end.

From Patribotics:

Several sources familiar with the matter say that Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah is being given security briefings to prepare him for the Presidency.

Sources close to the legal community indicate that matters are proceeding rapidly in the forthcoming proceedings to remove Donald Trump from office, and to indict the co-conspirators around him.

Sources with links to the intelligence community described a sense of both inevitability and urgency over the unraveling of the Trump-Pence administration over their attempts to obstruct justice. "Trump's presdidency ended May 9th," said one source, referring to the overtly politicized dismissal of FBI Director James Comey.

Donald Trump and Mike Pence have both violated their oaths of office in plain sight over the unconstitutional dismissal of Director Comey, these sources say, and elements of the Judicial Branch are asserting the separation of powers described in the Constitution. This matter is separate from, and additional to, the substantive charges of collusion with the Russian state, and of money-laundering, sedition, violation of the Logan Act, and other crimes with which both Trump and Pence may be charged. As I exclusively reported earlier this week, Speaker Paul Ryan, normally third in the line of succession, will be excluded as the intelligence community has an intercept in which Ryan openly admits that he knew Sergei Kislyak was washing Russian money into the GOP. This will convict Ryan on RICO charges; as I have also exclusively reported this week, a RICO case exists against the GOP as a body. The raids earlier this week on a data and consulting firm close to Paul Manafort formed part of evidence gathering in this RICO case.

Some of the violations committed this week by Pence and Trump include, but are not limited to, lying that Director Comey told Mr. Trump he was not being investigated; explicitly connecting Trump's firing of Comey to the investigation of his connections with Russian hacking; using White House spokesmen knowingly to lie to the public, for example, Sarah Sanders Huckabee claiming Comey "committed atrocities"; having the Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, involve himself on a matter on which he was recused; explicitly stating that the White House wishes a new FBI Director to bring the Russia investigation to a conclusion; and witness tampering with threats to Director Comey.

As a result, sources say, steps are being taken by aspects of the Judicial Branch to preserve the constitutional Separation of Powers and these steps include ensuring a smooth transition of power. In order that Senator Hatch, the fourth in line, be ready to assume the duties of the office he will shortly be undertaking, several separate sources with links to the matter, report that the Senator is receiving copies of security briefings he will need upon becoming President.

There will be further reporting on this breaking story later today.

Now admittedly Orrin Hatch would not be my first choice to replace 45, but if this is what is required to remove the rot in the White House, I'm all for it.

In case you haven't seen it…

I don't really have to write anything about the events of the last 24 hours, do I? Y'all know what's going on.

There's a line waiting to tell him exactly the same thing.

Contributing money to the oppositional nominee of the 24 vulnerable Republican representatives out of the 217 who approved this travesty is a way to get them good and scared now, so they won't try any more shenanigans.

This is so incredibly important, because they'll be looking at fundraising, and so will the Senate.

Those 217 House Republicans didn't just tie themselves to a cruel and vindictive bill. They did it to prop up the most widely-despised president in the history of the country. They deserve to be completely and utterly destroyed, and they must be an example to anyone else who would take the same cruel and harmful actions in the future.

It's so early in the election cycle that we don't yet know who every GOP incumbent's Democratic opponent will be. In many cases, no challengers have emerged yet. In others, we can expect primaries. But at some point next year, we'll have our candidates—and we already have a way to make sure they hit the ground well-funded, even if we don't even know their names just yet.

The fantastic folks at ActBlue have created something called "nominee funds" that you can donate to immediately. These funds are organized on a district-by-district basis: You contribute now, and all money is held in escrow until after each state's primary. At that point, the cash is transferred in one fell swoop to the Democratic nominee, who can then start using the money for his or her general election campaign pronto.

The following 24 "yes" votes are among the most endangered Republicans up for re-election next year, so we're adding all of these districts to ActBlue's new slate of nominee funds:

A big surge in donations now would have huge salutary effects right away: It would both terrify Republicans and boost Democratic efforts to recruit good candidates. Of course, it would also help us defeat these Republicans next year. And as it happens, 24 is exactly the number of seats we need to take back the House.

So make them pay: Donate $1 right now to each of the Democratic nominee funds targeting vulnerable House Republicans who voted to destroy access to health care.

Not to realize that Romney was just an opening act.

Profile of a Sociopath

• Glibness and Superficial Charm
• Manipulative and Conning
  They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
• Grandiose Sense of Self
  Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."
• Pathological Lying
  Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
• Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
  A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
• Shallow Emotions
  When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
• Incapacity for Love
• Need for Stimulation
  Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.
• Callousness/Lack of Empathy
  Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
• Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
  Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.
• Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
  Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.
• Irresponsibility/Unreliability
  Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.
• Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
  Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.
• Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
  Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.
• Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
  Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.

Source

Imagine the world's biggest frat party, filled with even more closeted former jocks and assholes a plenty. Times by N. That's the current GOP." ~ Oscarlating Wildely

From The Guardian:

Trumpism is a movement built on victimhood. It holds that Americans are unemployed because immigrants stole their jobs. It argues that people of color are diluting the culture of America and that LGBT people having rights is an attack on the traditional family. Its slogan, Make America Great Again, speaks to that victimhood. We were great once. We aren't anymore, because of those people.

Saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" is enough to inspire a meltdown. Nando's, a chicken chain, recently "triggered" multiple Trump supporters by simply handing out "#everyoneiswelcome" posters in their DC stores. The act of simply existing while transgender sends some into a tizzy.

The reality is that, yes, we actually are all unique, no matter our political leanings. Having strong reactions to things does not necessarily imply weakness or fragility, and is not the same thing as being triggered. The phenomenon of living in an ideological bubble where opinions that align with our own are considered good and opinions that challenge your beliefs are considered bad is not unique to either party or any movement. It is also not the same thing as a safe space.

Not every protest is a tantrum. Using speech to criticize speech is not censorship. Dismissing the struggles of marginalized communities as "identity politics" is intellectually lazy. Sometimes, something just is racist or sexist, and if describing it as such is enough to make you have a meltdown, then maybe you're the fragile one. I'm talking to you, Donald.

We cannot allow Pence and the rest of the Trump team to get away with decisions that the right-wing would have burned Hillary Clinton at the stake for – but of course, she would never have made those decisions because Clinton is a true patriot and is not beholden to the oligarchs in the Kremlin." ~ Natalie Dickinson

Trump's Libel Amendment – and his Senate attack – isn't a scheme to silence @nytimes It's a scheme to silence YOU pic.twitter.com/aSHtXc8pVw

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) May 2, 2017

From The Guardian:

A day after Watergate reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward issued a stirring call for the press to hold Donald Trump to account, the president's chief of staff said the White House is actively considering a change to libel laws affecting news reporting.

"I think it's something that we've looked at," said Reince Priebus, appearing on ABC's This Week. "How that gets executed and whether that goes anywhere is a different story."

On the campaign trail last year, Trump responded to reporting on his policies and background by floating the possibility of a change to libel laws. Such a move would in reality require a change to the US constitution, which enshrines freedom of the press in the first amendment, the supreme court having ruled on the issue.