June 19, 2019

Tucker Carlson Privately Advising Trump on Iran

I hear there's an opening in the defense department. Nothing would surprise me.

https://politicalwire.com/2019/06/19/tucker-carlson-privately-advising-trump-on-iran/

Tucker Carlson Privately Advising Trump on Iran
June 19, 2019 at 2:45 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard

June 19, 2019

The Rude Pundit: Random Shit from Trump's Dumb, Weird Interview on ABC

The Rude Pundit
Proudly lowering the level of political discourse
6/17/2019
Random Shit from Trump's Dumb, Weird Interview on ABC


snip//

It might be Trump's response when Stephanopoulos is talking to him about whether he can trust North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Trump says, "Almost of any undeveloped country anywhere in the world, that country has the chance to be economically a behemoth." Stephanopoulos brings up how Kim is "imprisoning" and "starving" the people there. Trump scoffs, "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about from an economic standpoint. He's between China, Russia...It's all in the oceans. It's phenomenal. It's-- it's a phenomenal location. That country can be so rich. And he knows that." You hear that and you gotta think that our motherfucking president is talking to Kim about building a fucking hotel there, enslaved and tortured people be damned.

It might be when Trump goes full Mamet talking about the fact that he was trying to get a Trump Tower built in Moscow. Stephanopoulos says that Trump was "pursuing it," which leads to this line that could be out of Hell's dinner theatre version of Glengarry Glen Ross: "Excuse me, excuse me. Pursuing, what does pursuing mean? You know because someone walks in, says, 'Hey we’re looking at...' Do you know that I don’t even think they had a site? I don’t even think they knew who was going to do the deal. It was a concept of a deal, more of a concept than anything else. It was a concept of a deal someplace in Russia, probably in Moscow." Yeah, motherfucker, that's "pursuing." Words have meaning. Or maybe they don't anymore. Who fuckin' knows.

It might be one of the many times that Trump loses his shit and spouts legitimate insanity about the Mueller report, about Robert Mueller, about James Comey, about anyone he perceives is trying to get him. He says, "Did nothing wrong, George. Did nothing wrong. There was no collusion. You don't even hear Russia mentioned anymore...There was no collusion. You don't even hear Russia mentioned anymore. Russ- Russia's not mentioned. Now, it's all about obstruct-- obstruction of what? They built up a phony crime. They hired a man that hated Trump. He hired 18 people that were Democrats that hated Trump. Some of them contributed to Clinton's campaign. A couple of them worked for Clinton. I mean, what kind of a rigged deal is this? And then on top of it, after two years and after being the most transparent in history, I gave them 1.5 million pages of documents, right? I gave them four or five hundred witnesses." Trump didn't "give them" witnesses. That's how many were interviewed. Trump sees himself as controlling every fucking thing. And goes to paranoia-land rather than just shut the fuck up, which he totally could do about this. "No comment" is an answer. Not this self-aggrandizing prick. He's like Nixon on Adderall.

Beyond the dictator worship and the mob boss/tough guy bullshit and the refusal to believe that words have definitions beyond what he gives them, one consistent thread through the interview is Trump being so goddamn arrogant about what he knows. "I know more about prosecutors than you'll ever know," he tells Stephanopoulos. "People don't understand tariffs, but I understand them," he tells Stephanopoulos right after demonstrating that he doesn't understand tariffs. And, of course, his complete knowledge of America's past: "There's never been a time in the history of our country where somebody was so mistreated as I have been." This doesn't even get into the multiple times that Trump says the Mueller report exonerates him on "collusion" with Russia, which Stephanopoulos challenges him on every single time, and Trump insists that he's read the report, which, you know, c'mon.

Yet my favorite moment might be when Trump insists that Article II of the Constitution gives him the broad power to fire whoever he wants, obstruction be damned. He tells Stephanopoulos to "Read it for your audience" as Stephanopoulos insists he knows what's in it and tries to question Trump about Article II. Trump interrupts a question that was no doubt going to require actual knowledge of Article II and not just an idiot's insistence that he read it. He says, "You know what? Let's get onto another subject." Yeah, maybe let's not talk about the Constitution with the Rhodes scholar who worked in the White House for four years.

It was just one obscene degradation of the presidency and the country after another, worse than most Trump appearances because he was so obviously faking it, so obviously lying about shit he's lied about over and over, so obviously relying on a moron's bullying bravado to get him through it, so impressed by the smell of his own shit that he couldn't help himself from shitting more.

more...

http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2019/06/random-shit-from-trumps-dumb-weird.html

June 18, 2019

Panicky Trump Brothers Seek Podiatrist Notes After Dad Sends Troops to Middle East

Panicky Trump Brothers Seek Podiatrist Notes After Dad Sends Troops to Middle East
2:42 P.M.


WASHINGTON —In a state of panic after their father dispatched troops to the Middle East, Eric Trump and Donald Trump, Jr., have both sought medical notes from a Manhattan podiatrist.

According to an official statement from Donald Trump, Jr.,’s spokesperson, John Barron, Jr., the two Trump boys obtained the medical notes “out of an abundance of caution.”

The podiatrist’s notes, which were made public by Barron, paint a picture of two otherwise healthy young men with foot problems that can only be described as dire.

According to the podiatrist, Eric Trump is unable to operate his feet while chewing gum, while one of Donald Trump, Jr.,’s feet appears to be permanently lodged in his mouth.


























https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/panicky-trump-brothers-seek-podiatrist-notes-after-dad-sends-troops-to-middle-east?fbclid=IwAR2xCEQny0sIZKYY6UZM-Q61BHzv-ahH3hC02lbd-g6aiYyc3Ym9Rt-CD-I

June 18, 2019

Trump Set to Live-Tweet Democratic Debates

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/campaign-wire-election-2020/card/1560859018?mod=rsswn&fbclid=IwAR1lokBpFhDs7uhUVVwx8dcIuSs4kvRqN_0SyCBUF5ob0PFQ90L73ISW2G4


Jun 18, 2019 at 7:56 am ET
Trump Set to Live-Tweet Democratic Debates


President Trump's political advisers wanted to keep the president off of Twitter during the Democratic debates next week, arguing that there was an advantage in letting potential challengers attack one another without distraction.

Now, there’s a new strategy.

The president, who has spent years embracing social media for his political advantage, is tentatively planning to live-tweet the debates on June 26-27, according to people familiar with the planning.

Mr. Trump, even from a remove, always promised to be the most important figure at the debate. Regardless of the specific debate questions, many Democratic voters will be listening for how each candidate plans to take down Mr. Trump.

Interacting in real time on Twitter would make Mr. Trump’s presence more tangible by directly inserting himself into the political conversation unfolding on stage. His posts could provide instant responses as well as insights into which attacks he feels most acutely.

Political advisers warned that planning for debate night remains fluid, and that Mr. Trump can change his mind. A campaign spokesman declined to comment.

Political advisers have long wanted Mr. Trump to tap the brakes on attacking Democratic presidential rivals, concerned that the president’s reactions would elevate contenders and provide some shield from what otherwise could be a bruising primary battle. Mr. Trump’s broadsides against former Vice President Joe Biden, for example, have coincided with polls that increasingly show voters view Mr. Biden as the most likely to deny the president a second term.

But as Mr. Trump repeatedly attacks Mr. Biden, the president's campaign has followed suit. Last week, after Mr. Trump’s criticisms of Mr. Biden ran the gamut from his appearance to his policy, Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale posted three critical messages of Mr. Biden on Twitter. He previously had only ever mentioned Mr. Biden once on Twitter.

June 18, 2019

Trump To Sell His Family As The New Kennedys At Reelection Launch

Get your waders ready...

https://www.politicususa.com/2019/06/18/trump-kennedys-reelection.html

Posted on Tue, Jun 18th, 2019 by Jason Easley
Trump To Sell His Family As The New Kennedys At Reelection Launch
Trump will be continuing his push to sell his family to America as the new Kennedys at his reelection campaign launch in Florida.


Trump to drag his whole family to Florida

ABC News reported, “Donald Trump’s official campaign kickoff on Tuesday night in Orlando, Florida, will showcase the president and Vice President Mike Pence, along with Trump’s adult children, campaign officials told ABC News. Amid flourishes, such as a convention-style balloon drop, there will be the implicit message that what’s being sold is not just Trump, but his family. First lady Melania, Ivanka, her husband Jared Kushner, Don. Jr. and Eric are their own political celebrities now — visiting royalty in the United Kingdom and part of the package that the president is offering up for a second term.”

Trump thinks that the Trumps are the new Kennedys

Trump proclaimed his wife Melania to be the “new Jackie O.” during an interview on Fox News. It has been reported that the Trump kids went on the trip to the UK because the president is trying to package his family as American royalty like the Kennedys. Trump isn’t JFK. Melania isn’t Jackie O., and his children will never be held in the same regard as the Kennedys.

No one is going to buy a family that is so cold and distant from one another to be the Kennedys. The Trumps will never be beloved. They will never be liked. The American people can smell deceit and corruption a mile away, and the Trumps may be the most criminal family unit to ever occupy the White House.

Most Americans don’t like Trump’s family, so trying to rebrand them as the new Kennedys is a sick joke that is only going to make the majority of the country dislike them more.

June 18, 2019

Opinion: SCOTUS Ruling All But Guarantees State Criminal Charges For Trump

Opinion: SCOTUS Ruling All But Guarantees State Criminal Charges For Trump
Posted on Tue, Jun 18th, 2019 by Adalia Woodbury


On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 (Justices Ginsburg and Gorsuch dissenting) to uphold the “dual sovereignty” doctrine. That means that state law is separate and independent from federal law in relation to “double jeopardy,” that is, being putting on trial twice for the same act. Which means in turn that Trump loyalists charged and convicted under state law can’t be pardoned by Trump.

As many court watches noted, Monday was a bad day for Paul Manafort, because this ruling means Trump will not be able to pardon Manafort on convictions under State law. It was also a bad day for Donald Trump because it means his pardon power is smaller than he thought, and it’s very likely that he could face criminal charges under State law.

There’s a special sprinkling of karma in the fact that it was Justice Alito, a Federalist Society pick, who wrote the opinion that would uphold the dual sovereignty doctrine.

He went on to outline why the rule also applies to reversed circumstances, as was the basis for argument in Gamble vs. The United States.

The court rejected Gamble’s argument that the practice is a departure from the Constitution’s original understanding, describing the evidence supporting that argument as “feeble; pointing the other way are the Clause’s text, other historical evidence, and 170 years of precedent.”

more...

https://www.politicususa.com/2019/06/18/opinion-scotus-ruling-all-but-guarantees-state-criminal-charges-for-trump.html

June 18, 2019

Overzealous police officers score absolutely bonkers victory over Fourth Amendment

Overzealous police officers score absolutely bonkers victory over Fourth Amendment
Let's talk about Ferguson, again.
Ian Millhiser
Jun 18, 2019, 10:29 am

snip//

You and a friend are walking peacefully down a residential street in the middle of the day, when a police car pulls next to you and orders you to “get the fuck on the sidewalk.” After you walk a few steps more, the cop suddenly puts his car into reverse and maneuvers it in front of you to block your path — stopping the car just inches from your friend.

The cop then opens the car door and slams it into your friend. He grabs your friend and threatens to shoot him. As your friend struggles to free himself, the cop shoots twice, hitting him once in the arm. Fearing for your life, you flee, as the cop continues to fire his gun at you.

You live. Your friend dies.

Now, ask yourself this: as this series of events played out, would you believe throughout the entire experience that the cop was merely instructing you to move to the sidewalk, or would there come a point where you felt that the cop expected you to stay put? If you paused, as the cop blocked your path and assaulted your friend, did you do so because you were calmly deciding where else to go — or did you freeze because you believed that the cop was demanding your submission?


snip//

Yet, in the process of arguing that Johnson was free to go, Judge Wollman deploys some simply astounding reasoning. Reasoning like this:



Think about that for a second. This is a federal appellate judge, joined by five other federal appellate judges, arguing that Johnson was free to leave the scene because he managed to flee with his life while he and his friend were under gunfire from a cop.

more...

https://thinkprogress.org/overzealous-cops-score-victory-fourth-amendment-ferguson-06309033dfca/

June 18, 2019

Trump to Kick Off 2020 Campaign in a City That Loathes Him

Trump to Kick Off 2020 Campaign in a City That Loathes Him
The president’s supporters were lined up outside the Amway Center more than 40 hours before his official campaign kickoff in Orlando, but street demonstrators were also preparing.
Asawin Suebsaeng
White House Reporter
Published 06.18.19 5:30AM ET

snip//

The Trump campaign and its allies have explicitly staked out Florida as perhaps the key to keeping the White House in Republican hands come 2021 and have already pledged massive planning and resources to making sure the Sunshine State stays in the electoral tank for Trump. Orlando, however, is hardly Trump country. The city, as well as the Orange County area surrounding it, leans heavily liberal, though flanked by neighboring counties that are decidedly redder and Trump-ier.

And when the president arrives on Tuesday, he’ll also be met just a few blocks from the Amway Center by street demonstrators and a progressive opposition telling him to go to hell and get out of their city. At 5 p.m. ET, three hours before the president is scheduled to take the stage, organizers and activists are set to stage their own “Win With Love” protest and counter-programming outside of Stonewall Bar Orlando, a gay bar named after the historic Stonewall Inn in New York City. The roster of anti-Trump speakers and performers includes activists from marginalized and minority communities, a transgender individual barred by Trump from serving in the U.S. military, a mariachi band, and a drag performer. The “Baby Trump” balloon is also expected to make an appearance.

On the rainy Monday evening before Trump’s big day, organizers for the protest hosted a sign-making party on the second floor of Stonewall Orlando, with placards ranging from railing against Trump’s family separation policy to dinging the president for the size of the deficit. The party featured Brandon Wolf, a Pulse nightclub survivor and activist who helped organize Tuesday’s event. At the bar, Wolf discussed his best friend, Drew Leinonen, 32, who died in the attack on Pulse in June 2016, and how his memory has helped inform Wolf’s political activism in the Trump era.

“I always tell this story, which is from the night of the Pulse shooting: The last words my best friend said to me were ‘You know what the world doesn’t say enough is that we love each other,’” Wolf said. “And that’s stayed with me in the years since, and that’s what I hope to see tomorrow—people coming out and loving and supporting one another, and showing solidarity.”

Leinonen, Wolf said, was a “big Hillary Clinton supporter” and donor before he was murdered that night. Wolf described himself as more politically apathetic before the Pulse massacre but said he was moved to start working for liberal and social justice causes in its wake. He said he hadn’t started regularly watching cable news until after the shooting and was appalled by how cable news channels would “often talk and Hillary and Trump, but not about the people affected in the community by the massacre.”

Shortly after the shooting, then-candidate Trump tweeted that the mass murderer’s slaughter of 49 people at the gay nightclub in Orlando proved he was right all along about the threat of Muslim terrorists. It’s one of many reasons Wolf considers Trump a “monster” today, three years after that horrific night.

more...

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-to-kick-off-2020-presidential-re-election-campaign-in-orlando-florida-a-city-that-loathes-him?ref=home

June 18, 2019

Trump Supporters Line Up Early for Rally

Flori-DUH. And I live here. With this 'booming economy', why aren't they working?

https://politicalwire.com/2019/06/18/trump-supporters-line-up-early-for-rally/

Trump Supporters Line Up Early for Rally
June 18, 2019 at 6:08 am EDT By Taegan Goddard

CNN: Trump seeks 2016 magic as he kicks off 2020 bid.

June 18, 2019

Justice Thomas just admitted he wants to burn down the very idea that courts should obey precedent

Justice Thomas just admitted he wants to burn down the very idea that courts should obey precedent
Arson, but for the rule of law.
Ian Millhiser
Jun 17, 2019, 1:15 pm


Justice Clarence Thomas has long approached the law the same way that Heath Ledger’s Joker approaches urban peace. He’s suggested that federal child labor laws and the ban on whites-only lunch counters are unconstitutional, written opinions that would blow up multiple federal agencies, and argued that high school students lack First Amendment rights because 17th century self-help books told parents to be cruel to their children.

Yet, on Monday — after nearly three decades on the Supreme Court — Thomas finally articulated his approach to stare decisis, the principle that courts should generally follow the rules announced in past decisions.

And, oh boy, is Thomas’ opinion in Gamble v. United States a doozy.

Though Thomas dresses up his concurring opinion in Gamble with a few paragraphs that seem to soften his conclusion, the rule he ultimately articulates would give his court free reign to burn down any decision that five of its members do not like. It’s the kind of judicial arson one might expect from a justice who, after spending much of his career writing lone dissents that had little impact on his colleagues, now thinks he may have the votes to do things his way.



more...

https://thinkprogress.org/clarence-thomas-stare-decisis-gamble-precedent-supreme-court-01db0676d84b/