Trump Continues Tearing America Apart-- Who Profits?

SWAMP!

We've been hearing about the "religious right" for decades. I'm sure you know there are also Christians who take Jesus and his message seriously. That would be the religious left. One of the leaders-- a progressive with zero affinity for Trumpism-- is John Pavloviz, who served as a pastor at at megachurch in Charlotte, NC, the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church. He does a lot of writing these days and this week he dealt with being labeled a "radical leftist. "I just thought I was normal, ordinary, usual. I thought equity was important to everyone. I imagined America was filled with people who took that Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness stuff seriously-- for all people. I thought the Golden Rule was actually mainstream. Recently I took an inventory of my positions, screening for the extremism."

He didn't find anything that isn't mainstream. He did find a lot though, that the religious right abhors.

• I believe in full LGBTQ rights.
• I believe we should protect the planet.
• I believe everyone deserves healthcare.
• I believe all religions are equally valid.
• I believe the world is bigger than America.
• I believe to be “pro-life,” means to treasure all of it.
• I believe whiteness isn’t superior and it is not the baseline of humanity.
• I believe we are all one interdependent community.
• I believe people and places are made better by diversity.
• I believe people shouldn’t be forced to abide by anyone else’s religion.
• I believe non-American human beings have as much value as American ones.
• I believe generosity is greater than greed, compassion better than contempt, and kindness superior to derision.
• I believe there is enough in this world for everyone: enough food, enough money, enough room, enough care-- if we use our creativity and unclench our fists.

"I’m not sure," he wrote, "how these ideas became radical, though it seems to have happened in the last few years. I grew up being taught they were just part of being a decent human being. I grew up believing that loving my neighbor as myself, meant that I actually worked for their welfare as much as my own. I was taught that caring for the least in the world, was the measure of my devotion to God. I thought that inalienable rights of other people were supposed to be a priority as a decent participant in the world. I don’t think I’m alone... I think most people want more humanity, not less. I think the vast middle is exhausted by the cruelty of these days... I suppose humanity feels radical to inhumane people. In that case, I’ll gladly be here in my extremism."

This is what Trump has done to our country. And now that he's corned, his sense of grievance is going to grow-- and so is his savage nature. And with it so will that of the "religious right," virtually the only segment of the non-billionaire populace that still embraces him. "Victimhood," wrote McKay Coppins yesterday, "is at the core of the president’s identity-- and it’s likely to shape his approach to the coming impeachment battle." He's already wallowing in his own victimhood.

In the story Trump tells himself, he is a man continually besieged by a cabal of jealous insiders determined to destroy him. This conspiracy of saboteurs has taken different forms over the course of his career. When he was an outer-borough real-estate scion trying to make it in Manhattan, the bad guys were the city’s sneering blue bloods, who didn’t invite him to their parties and rolled their eyes at his theatrics. Then it was the bankers who refused to lend him money, and the media snobs who made fun of his short fingers, and the party hacks who refused to support his presidential-primary bid, and the “deep-state” bureaucrats who tried to subvert his administration.

MAGA! by Chip Proser

These “haters,” as he likes to call them, loom large in Trump’s imagination. Every failure he suffers is their fault; every success he enjoys is in spite of them. And nothing-- not even his initiation into America’s most exclusive fraternity-- can seem to ease his fear that there exists an even more elusive inner sanctum where his enemies are plotting to keep him shut out.

This odd form of presidential status anxiety gnaws at Trump even in the best of times. As I’ve written before, he tends to lash out most dramatically in moments of triumph, when he feels he’s being denied the respect and acclaim he’s owed. After formally accepting the Republican nomination in 2016, he embarked on a bizarre and bitter feud with Khizr and Ghazala Khan, Gold Star parents who had criticized Trump’s treatment of Muslim Americans. After being sworn in as president, he descended into a seething obsession over the size of his inauguration crowd. (“You just won the biggest trophy in the world—who cares how many people were standing there to watch you get it?” one former Obama-administration official said to me at the time.) And as he approached his 100th day in office, Trump sent White House officials scrambling to manufacture a last-minute legislative achievement he could cite.

As his presidency has progressed, the victories have become fewer and farther between while the din of disapproval has grown louder. Still, for Trump, the threat of impeachment represents a new frontier in haterdom—and it seems likely to deepen his sense of personal grievance. If history is any guide, Americans can expect even more volatile behavior from a president already prone to volatility.

But that volatility doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll lose in 2020. Much of Trump’s political success has come from his ability to translate a lifetime of personal snubs and slights into something that sounds like populism on the stump. He has a knack for turning his own hurt feelings at the hands of “the elites” into base-rallying war cries that resonate with the MAGA faithful. Already, it appears his campaign is experimenting with ways to capitalize on Trump’s impeachment-related insecurities.

On Tuesday evening, Trump tweeted a slickly packaged video featuring an array of prominent Democrats talking about impeachment. At the end of the ad, the screen fades to black as an all-caps (and apostrophe-free) message appears: "While Democrats 'Sole Focus' Is Fighting Trump, President Trump Is Fighting For You."

Really? Do you think he's fighting for you? For your family? Or just for himself and his own family? He doesn't even really care about his own donors of supporters. Most conservatives do though-- them and no one else. Kim Williams is taking on wretched Blue Dog Jim Costa in California's Central Valley. He's a lot like a Republican is as much as he's all about the money. He super-serves wealthy donors and ignores the real problems of his own hard-pressed consituents, "Disparities in wealth ultimately lead to disparities in power," Kim told us this afternoon, "which is why our system is currently bending towards the will of the wealthy. They write the campaign checks and buy up advertising and news outlets to elevate their own voices while silencing others. We can hear their talking points in the press and in blue dog political speeches. Jim Costa, who claims that the campaign contributions he receives from billionaire growers and major polluters does not influence his votes, is remarkably active when it comes down to the needs of those in power. But his record on every matter of significance for the majority of his constituents is appalling. We have the dirtiest air in America and some of the highest poverty rates in the country. And where is he when we need a representative to introduce bills to address a multitude of crises in our district? More likely than not, he's at a fundraiser with the same wealthy individuals who want to maintain the status quo. This district, like much of America, is in dire need of corrective action and if billionaires would spare as much money for their employees as they spend on campaign contributions and ad buys, we wouldn't be in such an extreme place. Fortunately, more and more Americans aren't buying it. They are following the money, demanding change, and showing up at the polls. Costa and his rich allies know this, which is why he is rebranding himself as a progressive, and his donors are using more alarmist language in defense of their policy positions."

Trump The Victim? Or Trump The All Powerful Monarch? Whichever Works

Miss McConnell is being pummeled over his self-proclaimed Grim Reaper role that has him blocking dozens of bills passed by the House to promote good government and policies to help working families-- many of them with bipartisan support. But the epidemic of NRA/GOP massacres over the summer just cracked the old queen. McConnell, during an interview yesterday with right-wing radio host Hugh Hewitt, tossed the hot potato to Trumpanzee. He told Hewitt that the Orange Orangutan's regime "is in the process of studying what they're prepared to support, if anything" and that if His Highness "is in favor of a number of things that he has discussed openly and publicly and I know that if we pass it, it will become law, I'll put it on the floor."

This apparently was inspired by a careful reading of a version of the Constitution that was rejected by the Founding Fathers in 1787 after it was sent over to the colonists by King George III. James Madison took one look at it and turned to Benjamin Franklin and, giggling, said "what fool in his right mind would even pay the slightest attention to a system where a king tells the legislature what to consider nd what not to consider? This must be a joke."

Writing for NBC News' website at the same time, Jonathan Allen noted that-- in contrast-- Señor Trumpanzee "prefers to portray himself as a martyr" rather than as The Decider. It's gaslighting at its manipulative worst:

Trump says he's been beset on all sides by sinister forces that are oppressing him and depriving him of the authority he needs to deliver on his vision for America.

Often, the villains in his narratives work for him.

First, it was the CIA and the FBI, then Democrats, members of his Cabinet and Robert Mueller. Lately, his enemies list includes his hand-picked Federal Reserve chairman, Jay Powell, and Fox News. The cable network "isn't working for us anymore," Trump declared in a tweet last week, a few days after calling Powell an "enemy" of the United States.

A random 2 hours of insanity from Trumpanzee This Morning

Trump's persecution complex is an essential part of his brand-- one that resonates deeply with a political base that believes anti-Trump liberals run the federal government and the news media. But as he seeks re-election in 2020, Trump is banking heavily on his ability to blend it into a coherent narrative with a version of his presidency in which he's been a commanding force, steamrolling adversaries to get things done.

"This election is not merely a verdict on the amazing progress we've made," Trump said when he kicked off his re-election campaign in Orlando, Florida, in June. "It's a verdict on the un-American conduct of those who tried to undermine our great democracy, and undermine you."

When he's less scripted, Trump sometimes speaks or tweets in terms that are more personal, such as when he describes himself as the target of "presidential harassment."

These two halves of Trump-- victim and conqueror-- fit together snugly for his campaign.

"It definitely is something that he and the campaign talk about," said Tim Murtaugh, communications director for Trump's re-election campaign. "There is no question he can still run against Washington based on the outspoken and unprecedented obstruction he has faced. And despite all of this, he has still accomplished everything that he has on behalf of the country."

...Democrats say Trump's case requires a cognitive dissonance that is too much to bear.

"Playing the victim card in politics is pretty tough when you're president of the United States," said Chris Kofinis, a Democratic strategist and message-testing expert who has worked on presidential campaigns. "You can’t have it both ways. You either have control over the destiny of the country or you don’t. I think it’s that simple."

The Washington Trump is running against, critics note, is filled with people he appointed to run agencies that are under his control. The Senate has been in Republican hands throughout his presidency. And the Supreme Court has a conservative majority featuring two justices he appointed.

...[The sentiments of the relative handful of persuadable voters will be critical to determining his fate.

"They look at him as the architect of destruction and dysfunction, and they are going to be negative toward any leader, whether it's Trump or anyone else who makes excuses about their actions," Kofinis said.

But Michael Caputo, a Republican strategist and Trump ally who worked on the president's 2016 campaign, said that there is a clear "connective tissue" between the two elements of Trump's argument and that he needs those swing voters not only to regard him as effective but as embattled.

"You'd have to be dead or near dead not to understand that Donald Trump has been attacked at every turn of his presidency like no president in modern times," Caputo said. "Part of victory for Donald Trump will be convincing the middle that he hasn’t gotten fairly treated by Washington."

Democrats say that the premise of Trump being uniquely under siege-- despite long investigations into his campaign's ties to Russia and possible obstruction of justice-- is faulty.

"It’s an absurd argument," Joe Lockhart, who served as press secretary for President Bill Clinton, said in a direct message exchange. "Trump has had no congressional oversight for the majority of his term. His administration has repeatedly violated the law and had courts stop him. And let’s not forget Clinton had dozens of investigations and was impeached."

Midnight Meme Of The Day!

by Noah

There are billions of victims in this world and Donald Jackass Trump is not one of them. He just loves playing the victim on social media, at his Neo-Nazi rallies, at his impromptu press meet ups, etc. He sits on his golden bowl in the wee hours of the morning and tweets his anger and his sick perception that he is the number one victim in the universe. He's not a victim. He is a victimizer. He's a sadist. He was a sadist when he placed that ad calling for the death penalty for the innocent Central Park Five. He was a sadist when he ordered children to be torn from the arms of their parents and put in cages. He was a sadist when he wanted to just let Puerto Rico die. Even the act of throwing them paper towels was an act of sadistic mockery. He was also a sadist when he stripped away protections for our environment and endangered animals. He thinks of the long term deaths that he can effect. That's why he shrugs, smirks, and lies about climate change. He even jokes about his pals sexually abusing young girls and he even supported one's candidacy for the United States $enate and will again. If Donald Jackass Trump was just some loner loser living in the suburbs, chances are that, sooner or later, state and local police would be digging in the crawl space under his house.

Now, Donald Jackass is calling for the removal of emissions standards, a move that even the auto companies are balking at. Same with Big Oil (Exxon and Dutch Shell) who don't think it's a good idea to increase the amount of methane allowed to be poured into the air that we breathe due to its heat trapping effect. Yes, the motivations of Big Oil in this are suspect since they know it'll likely bounce back to them and bite them in their fat butts, but, Trump doesn't give a shit. He does all of this while a mega hurricane is bearing down on millions of people who mean absolutely nothing to him. He is the worst comic book villain come to life. He's an angry, severely mentally ill little man who, for whatever reason going back to his childhood, has it in for everything that lives on this Earth. He is a sadist with a ton of power and, to date, no one in the media will label him what he really is. His protectors on Wall Street and in the Capitol Building are even worse.

Trump knows he is fully enabled and unchecked. It's so bad that he's playing God now, the worst kind of Old Testament God. He's been trying to force death sentences on sick patients in our hospitals, even ones who were invited to our country by our medical research community in order to try and cure not only them but to better the lives and save the lives of future patients with the same diseases, rare and not so rare. Research be damned. Lives be damned. He has given the patients 30 days to leave the country and "go back where they came from" and only a huge public uproar is getting in his way. Without the continued care they've been getting, the patients he wants to deport will soon die and die horribly. Without the things our medical people could discover and learn about these patients and the diseases they are suffering from, so will Americans. The republican war on healthcare wasn't enough to satisfy the lust for pain and death held dear by Trump and his supporters and proud boy staff. They tried to sneak this through during one of the deadest weeks of the year. "Everyone's on vacation. They won't notice." Well, thanks to WBUR in Boston, we did, but the evil coming from the White House knows no bounds and it will only get worse because our so-called representatives do nothing. Pelosi, McConnell, and all of their go along to get along happy-faced henchmen and henchwomen have more blood on their grimy money grubbing paws than before. Same with all of the CEOs and other scum here and abroad who bribe them and back them.

So, Trump as victim? Yeah right. To date, humanity has been way, way too kind to Trump. The fact that he is not locked away in a rat-infested, karmic payback black mold paradise of a dungeon is proof of that. No, Trump is no victim, and the only time he will be is in the unlikely event that he is ever brought to justice. At that point, he would be a victim of his own actions.

Unending Kavanaugh Saga Sputtering To A Conclusion... For Now

Friday morning-- AGAIN-- the battle over Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation completely dominated the news. The blockbuster NY Times investigation into Trump's history as a fraudster seems to have disappeared entirely from the headlines without a trace. These were the top xxx headlines on Memeorandum on Friday morning. Don't choke:

• Wall Street Journal: I Am an Independent, Impartial Judge by Brett M. Kavanaugh
• Washington Post: We Were Brett Kavanaugh's Drinking Buddies. We Don't Think He Should Be Confirmed by Charles Ludington, Lynne Brookes and Elizabeth Swisher
• Wall Street Journal: Friend of Dr. Ford Felt Pressure to Revisit Statement by Natalie Andrews, Rebecca Ballhaus and Sadie Gurman
• Washington Post: editorial Vote No On Kavasaugh
• Axios: We Don't Have 50 by Mike Allen
• New York Times: A Complete National Disgrace by David Brooks
• Axios: GOP nervous ahead of Kavanaugh vote: “We don't have 50 right now”  by Jonathan Swan
• New York Times: editorial How Brett Kavanaugh Failed
• Fox 13News: Man Threatened To Kill Members Of Congress Over Kavanaugh Vote, Deputies Say by Aaron Mesmer
• USA Today: Democrats' big miscalculation: Conservative women like me won't abandon Brett Kavanaugh by Stephanie Gutmann
• The Hill: GOP senator may miss Kavanaugh vote for daughter's wedding by Tal Axelrod
• Palm Beach Post: Retired Supreme Court Justice: Kavanaugh does not belong on high court by Lulu Ramadan
• USA Today editorial: Vote no on Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation
• Politico: GOP leaders all but guarantee Kavanaugh confirmation
• Slate: Christine Blasey Ford Changed Everything by Christina Cauterucci
• WDAY-TV: EXCLUSIVE: Heitkamp reveals Kavanaugh vote and reasoning to WDAY News by Kevin Wallevand
• Salt Lake Tribune editorial: Hatch attack on alleged witness is despicable
• NY Post editorial: End the farce and confirm Kavanaugh
• Raw Story: Trump supporter arrested for threatening to slaughter senators and their families for not supporting Brett Kavanaugh by Sarah Burris

Meanwhile the top story at Google News was an NPR piece, Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court Nomination Passes Key Senate Vote. McConnell shut down debate 51-49.



Back to the opinion pieces above: Yalies Charles Ludington, Lynne Brookes and Elizabeth Swisher, classmates of Kavanaugh wrote that Kavanaugh "lied to the Senate by stating, under oath, that he never drank to the point of forgetting what he was doing. We said, unequivocally, that each of us, on numerous occasions, had seen Brett stumbling drunk to the point that it would be impossible for him to state with any degree of certainty that he remembered everything that he did when drunk."

David Brooks' was correct when he wrote that "What we saw in these hearings was the unvarnished tribalization of national life. At the heart of the hearings were two dueling narratives, one from Christine Blasey Ford and one from Brett Kavanaugh. These narratives were about what did or did not happen at a party 36 years ago. There was nothing particularly ideological about the narratives, nothing that touched on capitalism, immigration or any of the other great disputes of national life." But he got it wrong when he wrote that "There is no corroborating evidence either way." There is. Trump and McConnell just made sure it would never come to light. Brooks can't be that stupid. Can he be?

Trump couldn't do it alone-- remember Ted Cruz and Dean Heller at the polls next month