sharedvalues
sharedvalues's JournalHow far-right media took over American public debate
In a time where so much is happening, this article does a good job of reminding us how much right wing talk radio, Fox NC, and right wing internet media hurts American society (and prevents investigations, advances Gorsuch, and smears Obama).
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/trolling-scholars-debunk-the-idea-that-the-alt-rights-trolls-have-magic-powers
What Breitbart did, what conspiratorial far-right radio programs did, what Donald Trump himself did (to say nothing of what the silent contributors to the political landscape did), was ensure that what far-right pundits were talking about became what everyone was talking about, what everyone had to talk about, if they wanted to keep abreast of the day's news cycle. Alt-right antagonismstheir "trolling"was one cloud among many in this gathering storm, one roaring towards the mainstream from the far-far right.
Democrats gather in DC this week to plot the resistance
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/03/21/democratic-donors-gather-in-dnc-to-plot-the-resistance.htmlThe Democratic Partys top officials will meet with some of their wealthiest donors in Washington, D.C., this week to plot the Trump resistance, according to documents obtained by The Daily Beast.
The chairs of the Democratic National Committee and the partys House and Senate campaign arms will huddle with activists, operatives, and deep-pocketed Democratic financiers at a biannual conference hosted by the Democracy Alliance, a leading left-wing donor collaborative at Washingtons ritzy Mandarin Oriental hotel.
Donate to Steve King's opponents, not the DCCC? (Blue America email -comments?)
I just got the following email from Blue America. Is this right?!!!?!
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Maybe you got an email filled with outrage over Steve King's latest racist statement this week. The DCCC sent one out, asking for contributions. There's a problem with that though. Steve King isn't just some loud-mouthed crackpot and bigot; he's an actual congressman from western Iowa. And, the DCCC won't use the contributions they solicit to beat Republican Steve King. They'll waste the contributions trying to elect even more Blue Dog and New Dem garbage-crats like Josh Gottheimer (NJ) and Tom O'Halleran (AZ), on whom they spent $3.5 million and $2.6 million, respectively.
"Ive learned that there are great people in the 4th District who are hungry for a representative who will focus on solutions, not division. During my campaign, I talked about ways we can improve the lives of all our neighbors. I know that this battle wont be easy, but deeply believe it is one worth fighting and one that we can win IF I can get the support I need. - Kim Weaver
Last year there was a progressive Democrat running against Steve King, the O'Brien County Democratic Party chairwoman, Kim Weaver. The DCCC collected a lot of money by sending out e-mails telling Democrats how horrible Steve King is back then, too. How much of the money collected for IA-04 did the DCCC give Kim? ZERO. They did absolutely nothing to help her at all.
The thing is, even without any help from the DCCC, Kim earned more votes than Hillary Clinton in every single county in IA-04-- all 39 of them-- and even won the biggest county in the district! It's worth noting here that Kim out-performed Chuck Schumer's handpicked corporate conservative Senate candidate, Patty Judge, in all 39 counties as well.
This year Kim is taking on King again. And what is the DCCC doing? You probably guessed it-- sending out more letters demonizing King and collecting cash to use to elect more conservaDems while offering nothing at all to Kim Weaver. We're sick of it.
Blue America endorsed Kim this week and we're asking our members to contribute directly to her campaign.
Kim told us that "the most disappointing aspect of the campaign was being told time and again that although I was a 'great candidate,' various organizations declined to support me because I wasnt 'viable.' Most organizations didnt even respond to my applications for assistance. Additionally, whenever my opponent would say some new horrific thing, I would get emails after emails from organizations asking for money to 'help defeat Steve King.' Not a single one of those organizations passed along any of that support. King was a big money maker for them, and it appears that he still is."
The DCCC doesn't want to understand that it takes real effort and investment over time to defeat entrenched incumbents like King. It's beyond their scope of endeavor, which is why the House Democrats have hemorrhaged dozens and dozens of members since Rahm Emanuel set his reactionary strategic and tactical ideas into stone.
2018 is the greatest opportunity we have to defeat Republicans in Congress in decades. But, please, when you want to defeat a Steve King, contribute directly to his Democratic opponent, Kim Weaver. And when you want to defeat a Darrell Issa or a Lamar Smith, donate to Doug Applegate or Tom Wakely, and not to a DCCC that will continue to waste those contributions on their own questionable agenda.
(Factchecking!) 'That's not how it works': Trump's grasp of Nato questioned
A brilliant headline from the Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/18/trump-merkel-nato-germany-owe-money-tweet
All US media should use this format for reporting on Trump's distracting tweets.
State the real issue first
Note the distracting tactics
Come back to the real issue.
Here the real issue is that Trump doesn't understand NATO. Thank you, Guardian!!
Pete Sessions (R-TX, Dallas) faces 2,000 angry constituents at town hall
https://www.texastribune.org/2017/03/18/us-rep-pete-sessions-faces-rowdy-town-hall/Addressing over 2,000 people, Sessions was frequently drowned out by boos and angry outbursts from the audience. Many of his answers were not entirely audible due to the crowds reaction as he began to speak.
We are going to make the changes, we are going to pass the bill and we are going to repeal Obamacare, Sessions said at one point, a declaration that gave way to sustained chants of Vote him out!
Ugh. D senators to introduce Gorsuch (!!) -- Colorado residents, speak up
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/neil-gorsuch-scotus-hearing-michael-bennet-cory-gardner-236197"Gorsuch, a Denver native, will be introduced by both Colorado senators Michael Bennet, a Democrat, and Cory Gardner, a Republican before he delivers his opening testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. Its long been tradition that a nominees home-state senators give the introduction during the high-profile confirmation hearings."
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Coloradans, please contact your Senators - this is crazy. As Robert Reich said today
https://twitter.com/RBReich/status/842807973713928193
"Activism works. Here's a portion of an email I received this morning from a Kansas politician who left the Republican Party:
'These town halls are taking a toll on [..] members of congress..."
Please call and send letters! These senators need a backbone.
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And on Gorsuch
http://www.salon.com/2017/03/15/supreme-court-nominee-neil-gorsuch-has-close-ties-to-conservative-megadonor-activist-philip-anschutz/
Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch has close ties to conservative megadonor activist Philip Anschutz
Gorsuch has frequently spoken at Anschultzs lavish retreats at his 60-square-mile Eagles Nest Ranch. Similarly, Gorsuch shares a limited-liability company with two of Anschultzs lieutenants, the Times notes, with the three of them co-owning a 40-acre property in the Colorado mountains.
Maddow's show and tax release tonight is bad for DJT and good for Americans
Yes, not much info was released. But it gets the tax issue back into the news - bigly. It's all anyone will talk about tomorrow. Rachel did a good job explaining how this return was only the tip of the iceberg and we need to know more.
As for distractions -- they don't matter much, I think. Distraction for one news cycle from healthcare isn't a big deal. And the GOP is screwed with the healthcare bill no matter how it turns out.
Taxes may distract from Comey tomorrow, and may distract from the EO aimed at destroying government. But all in all, it's worth it to get the nation talking about taxes again.
Let's just all hope that the broadcast media tomorrow talks about the vital need America has for Trump's detailed tax returns and financial entanglements. If the dominant story tomorrow is about the number of dollars of taxes paid I'm going to despair about our country again.
Breitbart: Paul Ryan will take the fall for Trumpcare
Is Breitbart/Bannon trying to bring down Paul Ryan?
Kevin Drum believes so.
http://m.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/03/i-have-theory-about-steve-bannon-and-ahca
They are pinning the failure of Trumpcare on Ryan.
And Breitbart just released an old recording of Ryan dissing Trump. Why wait till today to release it unless the goal is to damage Ryan?
Too bad Trumpcare is backed by Trump. Trump has been talking about his Trumpy Trumpcare bill and Trumpcare comes from Heritage who Trump is in bed with. Trumpcare Trumpcare Trumpcare. The White House is not going to redirect this bill onto others.
Preet Bharara hints he was investigating Trump when fired
https://twitter.com/PreetBharara/status/841000145630175232Bharara today:
"By the way, now I know what the Moreland Commission must have felt like."
https://twitter.com/DavidCornDC/status/841019736519524353
And David Corn (from Mother Jones):
"Wow. Moreland Commission was created by Cuomo to probe NYS corruption & then disbanded by him. Is Bharara implying he was probing Trump?"
As Josh Marshall said, I'm going to wait for some more meat on this bone. But the only conclusion possible is that Bharara is hinting he was investigating Trump when fired.
Democracy dying - CNN hires Trump aide
Jeff Zucker, CNN CEO, cares only about his bottom line, not America.
If Trump and the GOP will be stopped at all, it will be because the media gets through to the GOP base. The right-wing crazy media is in bed with the GOP. The only hope for America is CNN and the other networks.
And today, CNN showed their true colors. They don't care about the truth, they only care about making nice with the President to keep goosing CNN's ratings.
"Jason Miller, a former top aide to Donald Trumps presidential campaign and his transition team, is joining CNN as a paid contributor, effective today, POLITICO confirmed."
http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2017/03/former-top-trump-aide-joins-cnn-as-contributor-235820
https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/839494323477557248
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I can't think of any more depressing news that I've heard since the inauguration. If you have the ability, go to CNN's offices and protest. This news is vitally important.
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