The Federal Aviation Administration bans Standing Rock drones

Yes, it's true that the government is violating the first amendment to prevent people from showing what's actually going on at Standing Rock. Why, because drone footage is revealing the criminal activity of the drilling company, as well as the brutal police tactics against the demonstrators. If this is the kind of fascist State we have before Trump, heaven help us.

Warren & Sanders on bigly liar King Swamp's Treasury pick

I guess the bigly lies compensate for his small hands and small whatever. Following up on this post, Senators Warren and Sanders released a joint statement on this pick:

 "During the campaign, Donald Trump told the American people that he was going to change Washington by taking on Wall Street. Donald Trump's choice for Treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, is just another Wall Street insider. That is not the type of change that Donald Trump promised to bring to Washington - that is hypocrisy at its worst. After his bank pocketed billions in taxpayer dollars from the bailout, Mnuchin moved on to make a fortune running another bank that aggressively foreclosed on families still reeling from the crisis. This pick makes clear that Donald Trump wants to cater to the same Wall Street executives that have hurt working families time and again."

MIT faculty and staff on Trump's appointments

See the letter here from the above at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A brief excerpt:

"The President-elect has appointed individuals to positions of power who have endorsed racism, misogyny and religious bigotry, and denied the widespread scientific consensus on climate change. Regardless of our political views, these endorsements violate principles at the core of MIT’s mission."

Update on Standing Rock

From Victory Lonnquist, who is there. This is Selma all over again:

"We are in a blizzard right now. I am unable to get back to camp, along with many. I am getting reports that the Governor has ordered them not to plow the roads to Standing Rock, and has cut off emergency services. It has also been reported that we are not allowed to buy propane as the Governor is "concerned about safety issues". It is reported (but not yet confirmed) that he is sending in the military on December 2nd to Standing Rock on "standby", before the veterans arrive on the 4th. He cut off water to camp long ago. The US Army Corps of Engineers gave us an evict notice December 5, but states they will not forcibly remove us. The Governor however, stated he will. My understanding is that is outside of his jurisdiction, but hey, that hasn't stopped him before. He's in bed with DAPL $$$.

So let's summarize this Governor who is "concerned about our safety and the bad weather so wants us to leave":

- He has cut off emergency services to camp, (but still have full emergency services to the casino 20 min up the road, in contrast). Blatant misuse of power.
- He has blockaded the highway one way with large concrete barriers and razor wire, delaying anyone we are trying to transport to the hospitals ourselves
- There are rumors he will completely close 1806 down, so we could not get in or out, with or without an emergency
- It is reported he is refusing sale of propane to water protectors all the way to Bismarck, our source of heat
- He is imposing up to a $1,000 fine to anyone who donates to the protectors
- Sheriff sprayed innocent people with water in freezing temperatures for 6-7 hours, intending hypothermia
- They have maced, Pepper sprayed, tear gassed, shot, unlawfully arrested and tortured water protectors, put hoods on water protectors (illegal), put knees on the back of necks and chests of water protectors detained and in hand cuffs (illegal, extremely dangerous/potentially lethal). Police intermix with DAPL security, who have showed records of excessive violence against protectors. They have released dogs on peaceful protectors, biting flesh.

THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL US. I have never in my life seen such blatant human rights violations on multiple levels, to all races, all walks of life in one place. All to protect private oil. $$$
Let us not forget that this is a prayer camp! If you know human rights attorneys, members of Congress, senators, anyone who is influential, now is the time to call them.

I am very concerned. We need you back home to do anything in your power to change this. Thank you. Bless you. Love you. - Victory"

#NODAPL #WHEREISOBAMA? #HUMANRIGHTSVIOLATIONS #STANDINGROCK #PRAYSTRONG

Monbiot looks at the people behind the Swamp King

In this article he goes into their history, prelude for what is to come. And it is scared-shitless kind of horrifying. The swamp has been repopulated by a lying Swamp King! The intro:

"Yes, Donald Trump’s politics are incoherent. But those who surround him know just what they want, and his lack of clarity enhances their power. To understand what is coming, we need to understand who they are. I know all too well, because I have spent the past 15 years fighting them.Over this time, I have watched as tobacco, coal, oil, chemicals and biotech companies have poured billions of dollars into an international misinformation machine composed of thinktanks, bloggers and fake citizens’ groups. Its purpose is to portray the interests of billionaires as the interests of the common people, to wage war against trade unions and beat down attempts to regulate business and tax the very rich. Now the people who helped run this machine are shaping the government."

Remember the 14 points of fascism?

It's time to review these, since that's where we are headed under Trump and the GOP. Just look these over and tell me this is not happening right now.

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
   Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
   
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
   Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
   
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
   The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
   
4. Supremacy of the Military
   Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
   
5. Rampant Sexism
   The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
   
6. Controlled Mass Media
   Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
   
7. Obsession with National Security
   Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
   

Synnilingus

In this FB discussion I posted on Bryant's article "For an ethics of the fold." I quoted him: "The minimal unit of being is not the point, but the dyad or fold. [...] A dyadism is not a dualism. [...] A dyadism, by contrast, is a two-in-one, for the continuum is pleated along an edge, such that the pleated is continuous with the topology of that surface" (2-3).

There's also a good discussion of implication and explication, enfolding and unfolding, without the metaphysical underpinnings of kennilingus. Also a good section on language with Derrida's ethics of a 'yet to come' for cunning linguists, aka synnilingus, a syntegral linguistic alternative to kennilingus. Speaking of which, recall the Edwards et al piece on syntegral, especially on the dyad. Also a good discussion of meta(sta)sizing in Bryant's article.

Trump betrays his voters again with Treasury pick

Yes, Trump promised to drain the swamp of Wall Street types and here he picks Steven Mnuchin to head the Treasury Department. Mnuchin is a 2nd generation Goldman Sachs partner who foreclosed on a lot of homeowner after the financial crisis that was intentionally caused by banks like his. They gave home loans to people knowing they couldn't afford them to rack up such loans in junk securities, not only knowing they would crash but betting they would. And you Trump supporters actually believed Trump when he said he'd drain the swamp? Like most of his so-called business success, it was based on lies and manipulation. Also see Robert Reich's FB post on this.

Corporate Jesus

Forget that he chased the money changers out of the Temple. This is the new Jesus, just right for your programmed consumer lifestyle. Besides, Jesus owns controlling shares in many of those companies and will send the profits to God.

Trump wants to strip citizenship from flag burners

Yes, that exactly what he Tweeted. Never mind that the Supreme Court ruled that criminalizing this activity is unconstitutional, and Trump's favorite Justice Scalia was with the majority on it. But Trump also wants to strip someone's citizenship for so doing, again unconstitutional. Let's face it though, the Constitution means nothing to Trump or the GOP, despite their spin to the contrary. Yes, we're headed for some pretty fascist shit. Welcome to Amerika.

Deep Water Horizon and Standing Rock

I just watched the movie Deep Water Horizon, which disaster was directly caused by BP not doing the required tests necessary to ensure safety. Same sort of thing is going on with the Dakota pipeline. This is exactly what we get with big business: profit destroying people, culture and the environment. Sick fucks.

Senator Warren's petition against a Big Pharma Bill

Following up on this post, see Senator Warren's petition to stop the 21st Century Cures Act below.

 We need to invest in medical innovation in America—and Congress has spent years negotiating a pretty decent bill. But in the final days of this Congress, that 21st Century Cures bill has been hijacked by Big Pharma and big Republican donors. And the House of Representatives is likely voting on the bill tomorrow.

Will you join me in calling on my fellow members of Congress to put a stop to this harmful bill that would line the pockets of Big Pharma and put patients' lives at risk?

Stand up to Big Pharma and vote NO on the 21st Century Cures Act until we get a better deal.

From the beginning, I've argued that that any "cures" bill must include substantial new funding for medical research (via the National Institutes of Health), or it's not going to cure anything. Democrats and Republicans had agreed that a medical innovation bill would not go forward without substantially more money for NIH, but the Cures deal has only a tiny fig leaf of funding for NIH.

21st Century Cures doesn't reduce crushing drug prices. It doesn't really expand the invention of new cures. And it doesn't increase access to lifesaving therapies.

What does it do?

• Legalizes fraud: It's against the law for drug companies to market drugs for uses not approved by the FDA. You can't sell a headache pill as a cure for cancer. Drug companies have paid billions in penalties for "off-label marketing." Instead of following the law, they've cozied up to Congress to have the Cures bill shoot holes in it.
  
• Covers up bribery: Currently, drug companies have to disclose the buckets of money, gifts, giveaways, and free trips they give doctors and hospitals as kickbacks to use certain drugs. Once again, drug companies cozied up to Congress to gut that disclosure rule, allowing any gift related to "medical education" to be exempt.
  
• Hands out special deals to GOP donors: A major Republican donor to Mitch McConnell's Super PAC has big business plans to sell dangerous, unproven stem cell treatments before they have been approved by the FDA as safe and effective. Now that donor is collecting on his investment. The Cures bill creates a special deal so people can sell these treatments without meeting the FDA gold standards for protecting patient safety, undermining the integrity of the FDA and the safety of untold numbers of desperate patients.

We must stand up to Big Pharma and say "no" to this destructive bill. Click here to sign my petition to Congress.

Christian Cuevas

My favorite performance on The Voice last night, doing a Gaga song with an arrangement suited to his unique talents.

Olbermann: Trump is dangerously, psychologically imbalanced

Come on, does anyone seriously question that statement? If you do then perhaps you too should get professional help for a terminal case of denial and repression. The evidence continues to mount over Trump's long history.Perhaps social psychologists should also examine the Nation's mental illness in choosing a mentally ill cretin as their President.

PS: See this for example.

Trump says millions voted illegally

Megyn Kelly goes after a Trump spokesperson for trying to rationalize Trump pulling out of his ass that millions voted illegally in the election. It is pathetic the degree to which one will go in support of this excuse for a human being, much less for President. It starts around 2:40 in this video.

Take a bike ride

Join Danny MacASkill in this scenic and exciting bike ride in Scotland.

Senator Warren on the 21st Century Cures Act

In this Senate speech she lays out the details carefully and accurately. While there are bi-partisan provisions in the Bill with which she agrees, the rest of it is atrocious. She said (around 9:00):

"I know the difference between compromise and extortion." [...] Extortion is when "Democrats agree to make it easier for drug companies to commit fraud, to give out kickbacks, and to put patient's lives at risk."

She's right; there should be no compromise on things like that just to get some goodies. Democrats in general need to grow this kind of spine and stay true to progressive and populist ideals. It's what we the people want to see and what we'll vote for. If only the Dem Party understood this.

Sanders' outsourcing Bill

Sanders introduced the Outsourcing Prevention Act in an effort to hold Trump to his campaign promise. Now let's see if Trump will stick to his promise. Nah, we already know the answer on that. Plus the GOP will never go for it. The Act would:

"Prevent companies sending jobs overseas from receiving federal contracts, tax breaks, or other financial assistance; claw back federal subsidies that outsourcing companies received over the past decade; impose a tax of either 35 percent of the company's profits or an amount that equals the money saved by moving jobs overseas, whichever is higher; and imposing stiff tariffs on executive bonuses like golden parachutes, stock options, and other gratuities."

Conservative game show

The post-truth era is upon us, where entertainment imitates politics imitates life.

Alt-right means racist, neo-Nazi and white supremacist

So says the new Associate Press style guidelines. They do not want to sanitize and normalize the 'alt-right' description so define it for what it is. And they recommend other news orgs to do the same instead of avoiding its accurate description. Bravo for a media source dedicated to accurate reporting. And remember, Trump's chief advisor Bannon is as alt-right as it gets. Birds of a feather.

Privatizing Medicare

Speaker Ryan's intentions have been clear on this matter for years, given he has actually made proposals to do exactly that. So for the new Congress he has updated his plan to privatize Medicare. Instead of the current Medicare system, those who qualify would instead be given a voucher to spend with private heath insurance companies. The article fails to mention that once this limited voucher is used up then TFB, no more coverage. What it does mention is that those who use it will have to contribute more of their limited incomes, up to twice as much as is now required. This is mainly because it will cost more for services with private providers than it would if the government pays for them under the current system. But hey, you voted for this people.

Trump picks El Chapo to run the DEA

Borowitz satirizes how all Trump's picks, while claiming to drain the swamp, do exactly the opposite. So why not a drug lord to lead the DEA? It's in keeping with Trump's other hypocritical picks.

NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report)—Just days after picking Betsy DeVos to run the Department of Education, President-elect Donald Trump has tapped another wealthy outsider by naming Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán to head the Drug Enforcement Administration.

In an official statement, Trump said that El Chapo’s “tremendous success in the private sector” showed that he has what it takes to “shake things up” at the D.E.A.

Trump’s appointment of the former drug lord surprised many in Washington, in no small part because acrimony between the two allegedly prompted El Chapo, in 2015, to put a hundred-million-dollar bounty on Trump’s head.

But, appearing on CNN, the Trump surrogate Kellyanne Conway said that the selection of El Chapo should surprise no one. “Mr. Trump always said that he would surround himself with the best people,” she said.

Gary & Susan

Great routine at the US Open, taking 2nd place in the Classic Division. Not only great choreography and execution but changing back and forth from slow to quick rhythms provided clear contrast and control.

Be consistent Senator Warren

Once again Dore makes some good points. Where was Warren when Sanders was running against Clinton in the primary? Sanders was certainly much more of a progressive like Warren and she should have had the courage of her convictions to endorse and support him. We appreciate when Warren goes after Trump for refilling the swamp, but why didn't she go after Clinton when she does the same thing? And why won't Warren release a statement on the Dakota pipeline in support of the demonstrators? She needs to be consistent in her positions when members of her own Party are themselves corporate lackeys. You need to put the people above Party Senator Warren to be consistent and authentic with what you preach.

Slavery is alive and well

And the slave masters continue to fool the general public into voting to maintain their slavery. At the root of wage slavery is the very system of capitalism. Eisler is one among many, including me, who thinks capitalism is a wrong turn based on, among other things, a dysfunctional individualism within a metaphysical system. It is NOT a healthy level on its way to a healthy next level. Rifkin is another who sees an entire hierarchy infected with the premise of a dysfunctional, individualist premise and provides something more like Eisler's evolution based on balanced partnership.

Sanders' diagnosis and framing

Continuing from the last post, this clip discusses Sanders accurate diagnosis of why Clinton lost and expresses the kind of framing necessary to connect to hurting Americans. And the talking heads interviewing Sanders just don't get it.

Tim Ryan on communication

He's making a bid to replace Pelosi as House minority leader. In this interview he said that a key factor in the huge Democratic Party losses was poor communication. What is needed is a robust economic message, obviously rooted in a deep compassion for those who are struggling. And yet he's still caught in policy minutiae and not effective communication. So they recognize the problem but seems like they also refuse to accept the solution: effective framing. The GOP and Trump have been masters of this, hence their success. The Dems keep fighting it like it's just spin, even when it's highly successful for their own team members like Obama, Sanders and Warren. The latter took to heart effective framing of progressive ideals from Lakoff. Will the rest ever learn?

Conversation with a Trump supporter

Very interesting article of a progressive having a conversation with a Trump supporter. The progressive backs up every contention with facts while the Trump supporter not only cannot provide any facts to support her side but thinks facts themselves are just a liberal spin conspiracy. The ignorance is truly astounding but that is who elected our next President. And so it is in a world of  post-truth truthiness.

Sanders on Trump's Wall Street infrastructure giveaway

See his article here. Basically Trump's plan is exactly what he campaigned against: A Wall Street giveaway. Big corps gets Yuuuge tax breaks for investing in infrastructure projects, plus they would only pay a small fraction of the taxes owed from stashed profits overseas. It's just more of the same GOP corporate welfare. Sanders then compares it to his own infrastructure plan, which eliminates those tax loopholes and doesn't turn our infrastructure over to corps that would privatize it with tolls, etc. We can see from this comparison who is truly draining the establishment swamp and who is putting it into overdrive.

Amanpour: "We must fight against the normalization of what is unacceptable"

She received the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. Her speech below was inspiring. A few excerpts:

"[It's time to] recommit to robust, fact-based reporting, without fear or without favor, on the issues."

"I learned a long, long time ago...never to equate victim and aggressor. Never to create a false moral or factual equivalence...So I believe in being truthful, not neutral. And I believe we must stop banalizing the truth. We have to be prepared to fight especially hard right now for the truth."

"I was chilled when [Trump's] first tweet after the election was about professional protesters incited by the media. First the media is accused of inciting, then sympathizing, then associating. And then suddenly they find themselves accused of being full-fledged terrorists and subversives. And then they end up in handcuffs, in cages, in kangaroo courts, in prisons, and then who knows what."

Benji & Nicole

They win the showcase division at the US Open. The dance is as much contemporary as it is west coast swing. Maybe that's why 2 judges gave them warnings?

Ben & Victoria

Their classic routine at the US Open west coast swing dance championships this weekend took first place.

Trump's and Conway's hypocrisy

Just one in a countless array of hypocrisies spewed by the Trump campaign. In this one both Trump and Conway are appalled that a recount is being conducted in Wisconsin. And yet before the election both said that because the election was rigged they would most certainly be in favor of a recount. And these are the people who will lead this country? The road to hell is not paved with good intentions, as these jokers have only the worst of intentions for us.

Seder on the Bernie or Busters

In this clip he tries to figure out this demographic. They said they would vote for Stein to teach the Democratic Party a lesson, yet when the results came in they then deny any culpability. And what is the lesson to be learned by having a fascist as President who will rubber stamp the GOP agenda, which is as antithetical to a progressive agenda as possible, and which will be set back at least a decade if not much longer? Some lesson, cutting off one's nose to spite an entire country.

Trump's big gift to Wall Street

Once again Trump betrays his promises, this time to fight Wall Street corruption. Quite the contrary, he's decided to fellate the Street by repealing the Dodd-Frank Bill, which put reasonable restraints on it to avoid another meltdown. It's elimination will once again allow the same type of speculative fraud that cause the crash and remove consumer protections as well. Pay attention Trump voters. You believed he was going to change the corruption and drain the swamp but instead he's getting into the slime even deeper. He has betrayed you and will only continue to do so. Admit you were wrong and vote better next time in 2018.

Can the Electoral College change the result?

See this article. Technically it could, but whether it will is highly questionable. The College was created though for just such a circumstance as we find ourselves. Given that Clinton won the popular vote by a landslide (2 million votes and counting), that the Russians directly interfered in the election by colluding with the Trump campaign and putting out fake news stories, that FBI Director Comey threw a partisan monkey wrench into it, and that the GOP unquestionably disenfranchised a significant number of Democratic voters with Crosscheck and voter ID laws, there is ample evidence and reason for the College to take a second look at this election.

Norman Vincent Peale and Donald Trump

This article draws a direct connection between Trump and Norman Vincent Peale, i.e., financial success and faith in God and oneself. It's not at all a stretch to integral conscious capitalism with its transcendent yet wealthy Self. Capitalism has been accepted as a normal development. Whereas quite a few have written that it is a regression at best and/or a completely wrong or dysfunctional turn of events. It is a sick ideology lost in a sick individualism.

Trump voter 'logic'

Meaning no logic at all.

Meet your new Secretary of Education

A plus for Trump and the GOP, as she'll further dumb down education and create more uneducated, ignorant Republican voters.

Just plain stupid

Not a special kind at all.

Let me get this straight

Scahill on VP-elect Pence

Starting around 5:35 in the video below Scahill discusses Pence's Christian, militant agenda. When Pence was in Congress he received the most funding from Eric Prince, the founder of Blackwater. The later was a Christian supremacist crusader in line with Pence's agenda against women, the poor, immigrants and LGBTQ people. Pence's agenda is to take us back to Medieval times with all those constituencies, back to theocracy while dumping democracy. I guess that's what they mean by making America white...I mean great... again. See the video for Scahill's usual accurate reporting on Pence's history as a legislator and Governor to support his thesis.

Olbermann on a legal way to oust Trump

In this clip (starting around 3:00) he discusses section 4 of the 25th Amendment, which allows for the VP and the majority of the Cabinet to make the VP the President if the President is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office." He goes into the details and conditions for this to happen. It seems like a virtual impossibility in the case of Trump though but it makes for an interesting Constitutional possibility.

Trump's environmental advisor

And likely to be head of the Environment Protection Agency. It will though have to be renamed to Petroleum Protection Agency, since Myron Ebell thinks climate change is a hoax and has direct ties to the fossil fuel industry, while having zero scientific background. He also thinks harmful pesticides is another hoax. There goes the planet, and with it, us. More swamp creatures drained from the swamp right into our government.

Remembering real Americans & the first undocumented immigrants

How quickly we forget.

Make American poor again

Yep Trump voters, this is what you voted for. I doubt you'll recall this because you are typically uninformed about the real agenda of those you support. Obama signed a rule that any worker making under $47,000 annually had to be paid for overtime when they earned it. Prior to that there was no such requirement and many never received any overtime pay. Well guess what? Trump and the GOP plan to eliminate that rule quickly come January. That means that about 20 million Trump voters will be getting screwed by the people they voted into office. Ignorance is not only not bliss but hell. And you asked for it you ignoramuses.

NYT columnist tells Trump to fuck off

Love this. New York Times Editorial columnist Charles Blow responds to Trump's recent media- bashing meeting with these words. We need more in the media that show such dedication to the responsibility given them by the Constitution. Are you listening Chuck Todd and Joe Scarborough?

"You don’t get a pat on the back for ratcheting down from rabid after exploiting that very radicalism to your advantage. Unrepentant opportunism belies a staggering lack of character and caring that can’t simply be vanquished from memory. You did real harm to this country and many of its citizens, and I will never — never — forget that."
  
"The very idea of sitting across the table from a demagogue who preyed on racial, ethnic and religious hostilities and treating him with decorum and social grace fills me with disgust, to the point of overflowing. Let me tell you here where I stand on your 'I hope we can all get along' plea: Never. You are an aberration and abomination who is willing to do and say anything — no matter whom it aligns you with and whom it hurts — to satisfy your ambitions. I don’t believe you care much at all about this country or your party or the American people. I believe that the only thing you care about is self-aggrandizement and self-enrichment. Your strongest allegiance is to your own cupidity."

Why the Nazis and white nationalists love Trump

This video should leave no doubt about Trump's appeal to these groups because he is one of them. Welcome to Amerika.

Warren on Trump's National Security Advisor pick

See her FB post here. Michael Flynn fears all Muslims and has claimed that Islam is a cancer. Perfect and right in line with Trump's own paranoia. ISIS will no doubt use them both as poster boys for their hatred of America. And instead of making our country safer it will have the exact opposite effect. The swamp goes daily. Thanks Trump voters.

Alt-right feels betrayed by Trump

Following up on this post, now the alt-right feels betrayed that Trump will not press charges against Clinton for her emails. Yes, he promised to do it and put her in jail and he betrayed that promise. Get ready you regressive cave people, it is only the beginning of many betrayals to come. You were fools for believing this man on anything. Live and learn, but I'm doubting that's within your capacity.

The popular vote for President

Clinton now has over a 2 million vote lead in the popular vote. We know that it's the Electoral College that determines the winner. But given the popular vote we can honestly say that Trump is the popular Loser in this election and he does not have any sort of mandate on the issues. The majority of us don't want him in the White House or anywhere near deciding how to "make America great again."

Meyers closer look at Trump's conflicts of interest

Following up on this post, Meyers takes a closer look at how Trump is trading in business favors as President-elect (starting around 3:15). No conflict at all there eh? I guess we'll see if the GOP has any self-respect, or respect for the law, left. Wait, what am I saying? They've lost that years ago and it's been repeatedly reiterated in this election.

Laurie & Val, DWTS champions

Here's their final dance together.

A President can't have a conflict of interest

Yes, Trump actually said that in response to a question about if continuing his business interests in the White House would cause such a conflict. This is of course not only not standard procedure for Presidents but is forbidden by the Constitution. But nothing about Trump has obeyed convention or even law, so I seriously doubt the GOP will challenge him on this Constitutionally treasonous act. 

If you want to keep a free press

See the below from freepress.net and consider signing the petition.

The first sign of a fascist government? The disappearance of a free press. Yesterday, top TV news journalists and network executives met for an “off-the-record” meeting with Donald Trump. While the press expected a conversation about access to a Trump administration, the president-elect spent the time scolding and ridiculing them.¹

Trump's hostility to the media is well-documented. He attacks any reporting that isn't overwhelmingly favorable toward him. He hasn't held a real press conference since July. He's banned reporters from covering events and ditched the White House press pool.

Even more disturbing: This strategy is working. Trump is controlling the narrative and using his tweets and insults of the press to distract from his frightening appointments of white supremacists, his shady business deals and his incessant attacks on our democracy.

Demand to know: What are the TV networks going to do to hold Trump accountable?

Trump betrays his base's trust

In Colbert's monologue last night he addresses Trump trying to repress the press and his Cabinet picks going back to the old South. You remember, the good old days of slavery. But around 4:00 he holds Trump accountable for going back on his pledge to prosecute Clinton and put her in jail. So he's already betraying his base's trust by going back on this word to do so, one of those policies that they demanded obnoxiously: "Lock her up!" You see Trumpholes, you can't trust him and never could. That you thought he'd do all those things he said he would just means that you too, like him, are big losers that do not have the majority support of this country that is our land.

Lakoff on what we must do

See his article here. He goes into his usual astute analysis of cognitive linguistics and how it affected the outcome of the election. But some framing progressives can use to counteract Trump and the GOP are as follows. Keep calling Trump a minority President, because 1) it's true, having lost the popular vote and 2) it will unnerve him time and again, causing him to continue his childish Twitter tirades. Use variations like Mr. Minority or the overall Loser. Call him corrupt and provide factual evidence. When Trump reneges on promises, like he already has and will continue to do, say he has betrayed our trust. And never, ever accept the conservative frame even to criticize it; always frame your values in your own terms. And repeat incessantly in as many media sources as possible. This is a war of words and frames, so fight like hell for your life, for your very life does depend on it.

The first step toward fascism: repression of the press

Yes, in yet another unprecedented move Trump has summoned TV executives and anchors to Trump tower. He continually complained about the bad coverage he's been getting, meaning when the press tells the truth and Trump looks bad then it is their fault. And they better stop it or they won't get access. In the linked story the reporter talked with some in that meeting. The general consensus was that Trump is the same guy who campaigned and continues to be "totally inappropriate" and "fucking outrageous."

Reich's 8-point plan for a new Democratic Party

See this article for the details. Just the bullet points follow.

 Most points are for what the Dem Party has to do to be effective going forward. And if they don't, the last point is that we may need to go outside the Party to effect change. I have serious doubts that the Dems have learned anything from this disastrous election, so am not hopeful they will take any of Reich's advice. That haven't to date and there's no indication they will going forward.

1. Overhaul the DNC
2. Embrace populism
3. Mobilize, energize and educate the base
4. Expose Trump as a fraud

The dark rigidity of fundamentalist rural America

See this article, which turns the narrative of elites not understanding Trump voters on its head. It  reminds me of Harris' FB post here. An excerpt:

"What I understand is rural, Christian, white America is entrenched in fundamentalist belief systems, don’t trust people outside their tribe, have been force fed a diet of misinformation and lies for decades, are unwilling to understand their own situations, truly believe whites are superior to all races. No amount of understanding is going to change these things or what they believe. No amount of niceties is going to get them to be introspective. No economic policy put forth by someone outside their tribe is going to be listened to no matter how beneficial it would be for them. I understand rural, Christian, white America all too well. I understand their fears are based on myths and lies. I understand they feel left behind by a world they don’t understand and don’t really care to. I understand they are willing to vote against their own interest if they can be convinced it will make sure minorities are harmed more. I understand their Christian beliefs and morals are truly only extended to fellow white Christians. I understand them. I understand they are the problem with progress and will always be because their belief systems are constructed against it. The problem isn’t a lack of understanding by 'coastal elites' of rural, Christian, white America. The problem is a lack of understanding why rural, Christian, white America believes, votes, behaves the ways it does by rural, Christian, white America."

Colbert does Trump rap via Hamilton

In Colbert's monologue, after skewering Trump as usual, he devoted a section to Mike Pence's visit to see the Broadway play Hamilton. He criticized Trump's Twitter reactions by performing his own version of a Hamilton rap. It starts around 6:40 in this video.

James & Sharna

The best performance of the night.

Calvin & Lindsay

While I think Calvin is the least qualified dancer of the finalists and should have been the one to get eliminated, nevertheless Lindsay did an excellent job of choreographing this routine to highlight all his strengths and it was quite good.

Jana & Gleb

Here's their freestyle last night on DWTS. It was one of her more moving performances. And it was a great final performance, as she was eliminated last night.

Robert Kennedy Jr. on the Dakota Pipeline

Isn't it curious that there is zero coverage of this in corporate media? The fight goes on and it is covered by alternative media via the internet, but soon that will no longer be available (see previous post).

Anyway, in this interview Kennedy makes clear that Obama could kill the pipeline simply by requiring the corporate builders to perform the required environmental impact study that they've so far failed to do. Even if so thwarted, Trump has already promised to approve this and all pipelines, which is in line with the GOP agenda. (Btw, Trump has a $2 million stake in the DAPL, a direct conflict of interest.) Elections have consequences folks, and in this case many seriously grave ones.

Net neutrality will be killed

Yes, we the people fought back and hard to maintain net neutrality and soon it will be gone. Trump has said "it's an attack on the internet" and we know the GOP wants it gone because it cuts the greedy profiteering of the ISPs who give them bigly payback. And Trump has appointed an anti-net neutrality crusader funded by the telecom industry to the FCC transition team. Even a 3rd-grader (or a Trump voter) should figure out what's next. Get ready to pay out the ass for internet service, and to have your favorite progressive content blocked or disappear altogether. And no, that's not hyperbole.From fightforthefuture.org via email:

BREAKING: The Washington Post is reporting that the Trump transition team is preparing to “dismantle Net Neutrality.” Will you chip in to help save Net Neutrality?

No matter what you think about the election, one thing is clear: Net Neutrality is in the cross hairs.

Donald Trump has called Net Neutrality an "attack on the internet" and a "top down power grab," even though neither of those things is true.[1] Many members of Congress are already making plans to gut the rules we worked so hard to win. 

And now Trump has has put Jeffrey Eisenach, an anti-Net Neutrality crusader funded by Verizon, AT&T, and Clear Channel, in charge of the FCC transition. 

That's why The Washington Post is reporting that Trump is on the verge of "all but erasing” Net Neutrality.[2] 

Ellison on giving Trump a chance

See this interview where he said: "My thing is, yeah, we gave him a chance already. And he put in Bannon, he put in [ret. Lt. Gen. Michael] Flynn, and he put in Jeff Sessions. To me, he's already made it pretty clear where he's going with this thing." Chance over. We need Ellison to head the DNC!

Scahill on Trump's Cabinet and advisors

A basket of neocons, war criminals and white nationalists. He goes into historical details and facts about key picks to back up those adjectives. Yep, swamp drained right into Trumpland, which is now our land. Hail Amerika!

Ontario instituting basic income pilot program

See this article. To alleviate poverty in 2017 they will give a basic income of $1,320 per month to their residents. It's a pilot to see if it's effective in its goal, and to measure other things like if it spurs people to seek out meaningful employment in addition. Does it also reduce healthcare spending? These and other questions are what they seek to answer with this program.

Playing for Time

This is one of the few bands that sound just as good live as they do with a polished studio product. If you're a fan see this link for 48 of their videos.

Will Trump keep his promise on social security?

This article quotes Trump saying during the campaign that "I will do everything within my power not to touch Social Security, to leave it the way it is; to make this country rich again.” And “we will not cut Medicare or Social Security benefits, but protect them both.” So why then did he appoint two members to his social security transition team who are hostile to social security and want to privatize it? It seems inconsistent with Trump's promise to protect the program. So what will he do when (not if) the GOP Congress votes to gut it and/or privatize it? Does anyone out there really think he'll stick to his word?

Olbermann: No, don't give Trump a chance

Resistance is not only not futile (like against the Borg) but necessary. Forget that spineless, politically correct "let's make nice now" attitude, the very attitude that cost progressives the election. We need to fight back and fight back hard for our values and convictions. And all the more so since Trump and the GOP control government. We can't just go along to get along, normalizing Trump or the GOP agenda. They are aberrations and completely antithetical to the very foundations of democracy, something they want to eliminate altogether.

Remember your history, that both America and France literally fought wars to overcome the very same kind of tyranny that has manipulated its way back into power. No, I am not suggesting armed revolt for those government surveillance drones reading this. I am though saying that if those previous patriots could lay their lives on the line for democracy then the least we can do is fight a metaphorical war by getting actively involved in our political process. And work like our lives depended on it (for they do) to get those swamp creatures out of office and elect progressives that actually want to implement the sort of policies most Americans want.

Speaking of walls

It's not a wall that we need

This is your President

Proud of yourselves, are you?

Palast: the election was indeed rigged

By not against Trump but for him and the GOP. Palast describes the measures used in GOP-controlled States to disenfranchise over 1 million voters. One method is called Cross-Check. See his blog post here for more. And his video here. Here are some examples:

Trump victory margin in Michigan:                    13,107
Michigan Crosscheck purge list:                       449,922
Trump victory margin in Arizona:                       85,257
Arizona Crosscheck purge list:                           270,824
Trump victory margin in North Carolina:        177,008
North Carolina Crosscheck purge list:              589,393

The cost of ignorance

In this story Clay County KY overwhelmingly voted for Trump. Medicaid expansion as part of Obamacare expanded health insurance coverage to 60% of residents, up from 30%. Repealing Obamacare will once again plummet that coverage. Did you know this is what you were voting for? I'm guessing not. Good luck with your health now.

Whiskers R' We

Pretty funny SNL skit from last night.

SNL on Trump's fickle mind

More like lying mind, saying anything to get votes. Even using the word 'mind' is being generous. This SNL clip highlights how Trump is already backing out of campaign promises and changing his mind. Or is he? My bet is that he doesn't have any core values beyond making a buck and the reason he keeps shifting his positions is to appease people so that he can rake them over the coals for all he can get. In this case, he got the Presidency. And so many poor suckers actually believed this guy.

Welcome to Trump's Amurica

Yes, intentional misspelling, as if uttered by the sort of ignorant, xenophobic woman in the video below. Also see this story, where the woman in the video is harassing a Christian Assyrian woman on the train. Welcome to Trump's new Amurica everyone. This is what you voted for. And Trump's chief advisor Bannon is of this very ilk, so don't tell me Trump himself isn't the same.

Turnabout is fair play

Time to give the GOP a heavy dose of it's own medicine, especially when we see what their plans are and what they have already done. I only hope the Dems have the courage of their convictions to thwart the GOP like the latter did to Obama. Fuck that 'give him a chance' bullshit. They didn't give any chance to Obama from day one. And it was a winning strategy for them. If only the Dems could learn a lesson, grow some testicular fortitude and stand up for what they believe, then have the courage to fight for it every step of the way. Sanders and Warren will. How about the rest? Remains to be seen.

Trump's CIA swamp creature

Another hideous creature drained from the swamp directly to Trump's Administration. We didn't realize that what he meant by draining the swamp was to then inhabit his team with what came out of it, complete with fresh slime oozing all over us. See Robert Reich's FB post on what this particular monster looks like.

Sanders plan for Democrats

See this article for a video and details. Only the bullet points follow:

1. Work with Trump on trade.
2. Don't sugarcoat the Obama years.
3. Keep racial justice front and center.
4. Hit climate change hard.
5. Ornery is good.

What is pro-life?

Certainly not the Republican position.

Support Obamacare

From Joseph Farley's FB post: I called and got a mailbox full message, but I'll keep trying repeatedly in the next few days. I encourage you to do the same.

"For the millions of you that will lose your insurance if Obamacare is repealed please call Paul Ryan. It took me about two minutes and it literally is life and death for so many people.

Paul Ryan is conducting a phone poll on the ACA (Obamacare), hoping to hear overwhelming popular opposition to it. If you would like to express your support for the Affordable Care Act, call (202) 225-3031. Press 2 to weigh in on the issue. You'll hear a brief recording about HR-3762, Paul Ryan's proposal to gut the ACA, and President Obama's use of his veto power to stop it. Then, you will have a chance to indicate your opinion with the press of a button.

Press 1 if you support Obamacare, 2 if you oppose it. Copy and paste this, don't click share."

Wheel of Democratic excuses

They blame everyone but themselves, the real reason. Hence how can they change if they don't accept the real problem?

Thanks for reading

I've had 10,000 page views in the last month in this blog. Thank you to all who have visited. It helps me to know that my passionate activism is not wasted and I greatly appreciate it.

Stop a climate change denier from being EPA head

Yep, Trump has polluted the swamp with yet another lizard to run the Environmental Protection Agency transition team, and likely the nominee to be its head. The man is not only a climate change denier but proudly proclaims he's a climate criminal. See this petition to try and stop this degenerate appointment. Drain the swamp my ass!

Remember when?

When you forget history you're doomed to repeat it. Oh yeah, Trump and the GOP don't go for that factual shit. They are full of truthiness though. 

Zizek on Trump

Excellent, succinct analysis. I hope he's right that it motives a great awakening, cuz the shit has not only hit the fan but we've collectively been stuffed down the outhouse and it does much more than just stink.

Hayes interview with Ellison on DNC Chair bid

This is exactly what the Party needs if it is sincere in its autopsy that it needs to shift in a progressive direction. We'll see if that sincerity is genuine. I'm hopeful but not holding my breath.

Another GOP swamp example: fuck consumer protection

In this clip TYT examine the GOP intent to either seriously de-fang or destroy the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It was Senator Warren's brainchild and has so far returned nearly $12 billion to 27 million Americans from big business's fraudulent activities. And the GOP wants to do away with it under the bullshit spin that it hurts business? No, it hurts fraudulent business practices. From this we can rightly conclude the GOP wants to maintain the big business fraud model. Just more of the same old swamp.

Colbert on his word 'truthiness'

It's starts around 5:00 of his monologue last night, after he rips Trump repeatedly. Colbert came up with the word 'truthiness' and now Oxford Dictionary's word of the year is 'post-truth,' which means pretty much the same thing. Colbert rightly thinks he's been ripped off here. An example of the word, by the way, is the Trump campaign and the GOP generally.

Why Sanders didn't fight Schumer's Senator minority leadership

This article explains it. Sanders is playing a strategic long-term game to initiate change in the Party. So by so doing he gets on the inside of it with a leadership position. And he's influenced Schumer to support Ellison for DNC Chair, which carries a lot of weight. If (big if) Ellison gets that Chair then Sanders and progressives have made considerable progress.

George Takei and his family were in a US internment camp

An excerpt is below from his article here, his response to Higby's comments on the proposed Muslim registry. A very personal, first-person account of where such ideas have led in the past, and where they certainly can lead in the future, especially under the President-elect and his appointees.

"I was just a child of 5 when we were forced at gunpoint from our home and sent first to live in a horse stable at a local race track, a family of five crammed into a single smelly stall. It was a devastating blow to my parents, who had worked so hard to buy a house and raise a family in Los Angeles. After several weeks, they sent us much farther away, 1,000 miles to the east by rail car, the blinds of our train cars pulled for our own protection, they said. We disembarked in the fetid swamps of Arkansas at the Rohwer Relocation Center. Really, it was a prison: Armed guards looked down upon us from sentry towers; their guns pointed inward at us; searchlights lit pathways at night. We understood. We were not to leave.

Muslim registry, Japanese internment camps & the swamp thing

Following up on this post, here's Kelly's interview with Higby. It speaks for itself, and for Trump's swamp thing agenda.

Reich on Trump's Attorney General pick

See Reich's FB post here, where he links to this article. So Jeff Sessions is going to be the new Attorney General. Sessions was rejected for a federal judgeship because of his racist comments and behavior by a Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee in the Reagan administration. He is a strong critic of the Voting Rights Act. Just one more example in a growing list of Trump's personnel representing his policies. We're regressing back to some dark, dank times, right back into the swamp Trump promised to drain but instead is re-stocking.

Warren on Trump's 'progress' so far

That's our progressive attack dog. Bite into Trump's leg and never let go. She details what Trump has accomplished so far: put a racist in the White House (Bannon); plans to make Muslims register; deport millions of immigrants ripping families apart.  Then of course are Trump's broken promises to drain the establishment swamp while instead stocking it chock full of swamp monsters whose histories she exposes for what they are. She also debunks Pence's so-called commitment to eliminate all lobbyists from the transition team, which is more like a rhetorical re-framing (spin) than anything else. Then she destroys Trump's lame excuse for hiring all the lobbyists when he said he wouldn't, claiming they are the experts he needs. Keep hounding him Senator, all the way out of the White House in 4 years.

Stephen Hawking baffles Trump supporters

Another winner from Borowitz:

LONDON (The Borowitz Report)—The theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking angered supporters of Donald J. Trump on Monday by responding to a question about the billionaire with a baffling array of long words. Speaking to a television interviewer in London, Hawking called Trump “a demagogue who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator,” a statement that many Trump supporters believed was intentionally designed to confuse them.

Moments after Hawking made the remark, Google reported a sharp increase in searches for the terms “demagogue,” “denominator,” and “Stephen Hawking.”

“For a so-called genius, this was an epic fail,” Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, said. “If Professor Hawking wants to do some damage, maybe he should try talking in English next time.”

Later in the day, Hawking attempted to clarify his remark about the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee, telling a reporter, “Trump bad man. Real bad man.”

Sanders on Trump's anti-establishment con

See Sander's article here. Despite all Trump's rhetoric (aka lies) to that effect, "what we are beginning to see is what I feared, and that is a lot of what Mr. Trump said to win votes is not what he intends to do as the president of the United States." Sanders lists as examples the leader of Trump's economic team, a former chief economist at Bear Stearns. The leading candidate for Secretary of Treasury was a Goldman Sachs lobbyist. The guy leading the social security team spent his entire career trying to cut and privatize it. Big Pharma lobbyists are also on the transition team. Trump isn't draining the swamp; he's populating it with some of the same establishment vultures.

Corporate media complicity

In this clip Lee Camp details how corporate media gave Trump $5 billion in free airtime, which was a YUUUUGE factor in electing this fascist. Thank you so much for putting your profits before your country.

Trump reneges on yet another promise

Trump made the outrageous cost of drugs a cornerstone of his campaign, promising to reduce prices. Now Big Pharma lobbyists are part of his transition team and shaping healthcare policy. Did anyone with a brain really believe Trump's promises?

PS. For those without a brain I realize you might have trouble with the word 'renege,'  so it means to go back on one's word. There are several words for those who continue to believe a proven and consistent liar, rube and fool just being some kinder examples.

A Muslim registry?

See this story. Trump surrogate Carl Higbie said there is precedent for such a registry and cited the Japanese internment camps during WWII. The registry was proposed by one of Trump's advisers, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Fortunately Megyn Kelly cut off Higbie several times saying internment camps is a horrific example and we don't need to return to such ideas. Yet Higbie wouldn't back off, saying we need to protect America first. And some naive innocents thought no, a Trump administration couldn't go into fascism. Welcome to Amerika comrades.

Part 2 of the Sanders interview

In this clip he said the Dem Party can no longer be run by the liberal elite. It must be a Party that feels the pain of working class people and be devoted to helping them. Most American people are on the progressive side of the issues so Dems have to learn to genuinely promote those issues. To do that we the people must take a stand and get involved with the political process. That is what Our Revolution is all about.

Sanders with Colbert

In this interview Sanders talks about how Trump tapped into the pain, angst and anxiety of the American people. This is what the pundits missed. It's a large part of the same constituency that supported Sanders too. He and Trump were the only two candidates talking about it. Hence when Sanders was sabotaged by his own Party those voters went to Trump instead of Clinton because the latter and her Party didn't connect with (that is, give a shit about) this voting block.

Dem Party fails first post-election test

Following up on this post, Schumer and not Sanders was elected Senate minority leader. The Dem Party has failed the first test of it changing direction toward representing the working class again. No surprise at all there.

James & Sharna

Another of those WOW moments Monday night. And Sharna was blindfolded throughout.

Jana, Gleb & Alan

There were some breath-taking performances on DWTS Monday night but this was my favorite.

Warren speaks to Wall Street Journal's CEO council

She went into the lion den and spoke truth to power. This is what it takes for a genuine swamp draining, not Trump. This is what we the people really want. And hopefully this is what we will get for President in 2020, as she actually means what she says and her legislative agenda and votes prove it. Trump conned his voters and they will soon learn the painful truth. Unfortunately, there's going to be a lot of pain for 4 years for a lot of people.

Senator Warren hounds Trump

See the report here with a copy of the letter. She told Trump that he's already breaking his promise to drain the swamp in Washington of special interests. His transition team and Cabinet picks are full of exactly those special interests he claimed needed to be drained. Warren said if he doesn't drain them from his staff then she will hound him to the ends of the earth by frequently reporting on his broken promises. And hopefully she will run against him in 2020.

Discussion with LP on the problem & solutions

Following up on this post, LP responded. Part of our dialog follows:

LP: His analysis is perfect for what he is doing but it focuses primarily on a handful of real socioeconomic factors which are amenable to a progressive socialist solution. What other factors are there? Obviously the lack of efficiency in collective intelligence presented by both the general electoral process and the electoral college -- these constrain the set of possible outcomes in a way that permits outcomes of this kind. And might permit them under a diverse set of socioeconomic conditions. Also what I have called the "political shamanism" dimension is untouched in his analysis although it is clear he is instinctively better at this than is Rodham. Entertaining and uncanny nonsense is an ancient and universal signalling system that operates, although in different ways an degrees, under a wide set of social and material conditions. Also the Lakoff type analyses need to be included. And what I might call the McLuhan argument about how the behavior of mass populations is altered by changing technological and media conditions. So those three or four should be added.

Me: Part of some Dem Party criticism, including mine, is that the working Joe doesn't care for elite intelligentsia explanations. So instead of framing it in those terms we might, as you suggest, just DO it instead of framing it that way. Trump succeeded by plain and simple framing counter to the Dem smarty pants explanations. And that's exactly what Sanders does, as he also connects on a deep level with the working class. Hence his messaging in the video stays on that level. And Sanders also strongly criticized the media for not only screwing him over but for building up Trump. But again, in the framing of the common man, which is what is needed.

Integralists and meta-theorists can have fun playing their elite games, but to produce effective electoral results still have to frame it for the working class. Just having meta-theories for the elite class to impose as is on lower levels is not the way to go, for it only serves its own class. See the SuperHuman operating system, for example.

Sanders for Senate minority leader

Following up on this post, forget Schumer; let's get Sanders as minority leader. See this petition to that effect. This office, and the DNC chairmanship, will send a clear message that the Dem Party has learned it's lesson from this election and it's time to get progressive. If the Dem Party hasn't learned and keeps the same corporate Dems in these positions, then it's time to form a new Party.

Privilege talking

The same privilege that didn't see Clinton losing.

Keith Ellison's petition for DNC Chair

Sign his petition here. From his email promotion:

Democrats win when we harness the power of everyday people and fight for the issues they care about. This election cycle, we did not motivate enough people to the ballot box. 

 

Voter turnout hit a 20-year low for presidential elections, following a 70-year voter turnout low in 2014. We must champion the challenges of working families and give voters a reason to show up at the polls in 2018 and beyond. 

Our Party is at its best when people across the country – rank and file DNC members, state chairs and vice chairs, county and local leaders, state legislators, governors, congressional leaders and activists have an active voice. 

 

As a former state legislator, I know that elections are won and lost on the ground in the states, not in DC. As DNC chair I will invest in and empower our state and local parties by creating effective field operations, by maximizing access to an enhanced and advanced voter file, and by promoting collaboration between candidates at every level.

 

Most importantly, I want to be the Chair who brings all Democrats together around our shared values. Growing up in Detroit, Michigan I saw firsthand how families and communities were devastated by job losses. We must reclaim our history as the Party that stands with working people. 

 

I want to re-energize our broad and diverse Democratic coalition and I want to make sure all are represented across our staff and leadership. We will never stop fighting attempts by the Trump White House and Republican-controlled states to roll back affordable health care, worker wages and protections, and a woman's right to choose. We will stand strong against efforts to divide or marginalize our friends and family by race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.

 

In the spirit of a great Democratic leader from Minnesota, Senator Paul Wellstone, I believe that “politics is the art of the possible, and organizing is the art of making more possible.” 

 

Our Party is right. Our values are just. Our future relies on grassroots organizing and an agenda that improves people’s lives throughout our country.  

 

In solidarity, 

 

Keith Ellison 

Warren on Trump selecting Bannon as Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor

See her FB post here. Bannon was head of Breitbart News, one of the most racist, misogynistic, white nationalist, xenophobic rags in the US. Yeah, that's the change America wants Donnie boy. We see where you're going in this Administration.

Also see Reich's comments on this appointment.

This says a lot about Americans

Chuck Schumer to head the Senate minority

In this story Schumer is likely the next Senate minority leader. This is not the right signal of a Party that has learned anything from this election. Schumer is a Wall Street whore for money and paid them back by voting to repeal Glass-Steagall, which caused the financial crisis, then for the bailout, an inevitable result thereof. He thought like Clinton that it was ok to lose some working class Dem votes because the Dems would pick up some moderate Republican votes, Clinton's exact downfall. He wants to slash taxes on multi-nationals. He voted for the Patriot Act and the Iraq War. He is exactly the kind of Democrat that must be purged from the Party. Or maybe just abandon that decrepit Party altogether.