Welcome 😄 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
Courageous or cowardly? Many of us don't know how to categorize the recent 📰 NY Op-Ed. In case you missed it (what rock do you live under?) here are some paragraphs:
From the White House to executive branch departments and agencies, senior officials will privately admit their daily disbelief at the commander in chief’s comments and actions. Most are working to insulate their operations from his whims. ✂️
It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era, but Americans should know that there are adults in the room. We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do what’s right even when Donald Trump won’t.
I’ll be generous and give the courageous interpretation (others disagree). We’d like to impeach or to invoke the 25th Amendment, but the hurdles in the House and the Senate make both options exceedingly difficult. Too many Republicans in Congress will refuse to vote against Trump, either because they themselves are compromised by the Russkis and/or because they need Trump voters to keep their seats. The individual who wrote the Op-Ed knows this. And the individual is risking his job, because there is a finite chance that his identity will be revealed. And perhaps he (and others) are preventing World War III. Besides, once you are fired or you quit, you lose your ability to make a difference. (There’s also the argument that the staff want to maintain their reputations so that they can find employment in the future.)
The letter is not enough; furthermore, these people have no right to be thwarting the president. Except that the president was not elected fairly and squarely and is actually a raving despot wannabe, and so he has to be thwarted or he might blow up the planet. We can also view this letter as a step towards creating a situation where it’s easier for us to get rid of Trump. This letter was not something written by a “liberal” reporter or a disgruntled former employee; this was not written by someone hoping to make a 💰 pile of money with a tell-all book. This is someone (Republican) who is still working in this administration as I type. Even if you take the most cynical view, that the author(s) is only trying to protect himself in the future, it shows that he expects that this nightmare will soon end. In fact, he is begging us to end it.
However you cast that letter, the Congressional Republicans are corrupt cowards, and the timing of this Op-Ed — as we’re kicking off the final sprint for the mid-terms — proves that the author is willing to get rid of them, too, because they are associated with Trump.
Now Back to Regular Scheduled Programming
No one here is naïve; we are aware of the very bad stuff that is happening. But we are here to read the efforts and the positive results of those (including ourselves) who are working so hard to save our country from those very bad people. Because sometimes the good news, which can be incremental, gets lost in the deluge of the click-bait bad (please save that click-bait bad for other diaries). Because we need to fortify ourselves before returning to the fight. Because we sometimes get ideas about how to fight while here. And also — because we’re a community 💙 ❤️ 💙 — we like to be here.
And, yes, there’s lots of bad news out there — the Republican party is so amazingly nasty, racist, and corrupt — and Trump’s deeds will take a lot of work to undo. But little of it is surprising, at least not surprising on what the bad guys are doing or are trying to do (at least not to us). What has been surprising is the outpouring on our side. We are furious with them for what they are doing and we are letting them know. And you know what? Anger and fury are pretty good motivators, and are reasons that a blue wave is predicted for November.
💚 There are more of us than there are of them.
💛 They are terrified when we organize. THERE IS LOTS OF EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE TERRIFIED!
💔 They want us to be demoralized. We have to keep demoralizing them. Name, blame and shame!
💙 The best way to keep up your spirits is to fight. So, take the time to recharge your batteries, but find ways to contribute to the well-being of our country and our world.
💙 Russia, Russia, Russia 🐻
— and Other Toxic 🍄 Trump Matters
🍄 Mueller subpoenas Roger Stone associate
Another Roger Stone associate, Jerome Corsi, has been subpoenaed by special counsel Robert Mueller, the New York Times reported Wednesday. Corsi’s lawyer told reporters that Mueller will likely ask Corsi about his conversations with Stone.
Mueller appears to be homing in on Stone, a political trickster and one-time adviser to President Donald Trump. Stone exchanged emails with Guccifer 2.0, an online persona alleged by Mueller to be a front for Russia’s hacking operations. Stone also made public statements during the 2016 election that gave the appearance that he had advanced knowledge of information WikiLeaks would publish that had been stolen from Democrats and the Clinton campaign.
Maybe Stone is correct when he says that he needs money for defense! And the Mueller investigation is still going on, no matter what Giuliani says.
💩 Speaking of Rudy Giuliani
Senate Democrats have asked the Justice Department to investigate whether Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s personal lawyer, is violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act by lobbying for foreign interests without registering with the agency.
Seven Democrats wrote Thursday to John Demers, assistant attorney general for the department’s national security division, following news that Giuliani sent a letter in August to Romania’s president attacking an anti-corruption campaign there. Giuliani has acknowledged he was paid to send the letter by a firm run by former FBI director Louis Freeh, who represents one or more wealthy Romanians investigated under the campaign. (Freeh is not registered as a foreign agent.) The former New York mayor’s letter, which contradicts official US policy and drew a rebuke from the State Department, drew attention to what the Democratic senators describe as Giuliani’s “numerous foreign clients and ongoing communications with senior U.S. government officials,” including President Trump. Giuliani has not ended his work for foreign governments, nor has he fully disclosed his client list, even as he advises the president.
Not registering as a foreign agent has gotten a whole bunch of people in trouble lately.
💉 Putin ultimately responsible for poisoning in Britain, says security minister
The security minister Ben Wallace has said that the Russian president Vladimir Putin is “ultimately responsible” for the deadly Salisbury nerve agent attack as a result of his firm grip on the Russian state.
His remarks are the furthest the British government has gone yet in attributing direct blame on Putin for the attempt by two Russian military intelligence officers to murder Sergei and Yulia Skripal with the military grade nerve agent in March.
The fools who want more Russian control are wishing for something very, very dangerous. The rest of the world knows this. Make sure we know this. And remember, D is for Democracy — R is for Russia.
🔎Speculation on where the Trump investigations will go next —
The one person who likely knew as much or more than Weisselberg about recent business, aside from Trump himself, is Ivanka—“she knows a million times more than Don, Jr.,” my source said. Ivanka personally handled many of the most problematic deals. She was the point person, for example, on the Trump project in Azerbaijan and worked closely with the Mammadov family when they were suspected of laundering money for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. She oversaw a licensing deal in Vancouver with a prominent Malaysian whose father was convicted of financial fraud—a deal that government-watchdog groups say may violate the foreign-emoluments clause. The partner in Ivanka’s own jewelry business is now being sued by the Department of Justice for more than sixty million dollars in unpaid tax liabilities. ✂️
I explained to my source that we already know about Weisselberg and, of course, the Trump children, and asked who else might know Trump’s secrets. He then named Rhona Graff, Trump’s longtime executive assistant. She was the interface between Trump and the rest of the world: she answered and made his phone calls, read and wrote his e-mails, ushered people into his office, and scheduled his out-of-office interactions. Graff may not know the details of any particular deal, but she—more than anyone else—could reconstruct Trump’s social, business, and political network.
I think it’s time to put pressure on these women, partly because they know stuff, partly because Ivanka could be Trump’s Achilles’ heel, and partly because it will make Trump look so weak.
XXV Warren calls for 25th Amendment
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Thursday she believes it’s time for White House officials to invoke the 25th Amendment and begin the process of removing President Trump from office. ✂️
"If senior administration officials think the president of the United States is not able to do his job, then they should invoke the 25th Amendment," Warren told CNN.
"The Constitution provides for a procedure whenever the vice president and senior officials think the president can't do his job. It does not provide that senior officials go around the president — take documents off his desk, write anonymous op-eds. ... Every one of these officials have sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States. It's time for them to do their job,” she added.
I agree, that the anonymous op-ed is not enough. But it is a call for help, something that makes it much easier for Warren to make these statements.
🐊 Tales from the Swamp 🐊
🔨 Brothel owner who won a GOP primary being investigated for sexual-assault
Brothel owner Dennis Hof, who is running as a Republican for a a seat in Nevada's state legislature, is being investigated by state authorities following sexual assault allegations.
The Nevada Department of Public Safety said Wednesday that it is investigating Hof following a request from a sheriff in northern Nevada, the Associated Press reported. ✂️
Hof told the outlet that he is cooperating with the investigation but added that he “totally denies that any such incident occurred.” He also told the AP that the accusations are politically motivated.
According to the outlet, Hof has been accused of sexual assault at his brothels at least three times since 2005.
⚠️ Senator Kamala Harris may spring trap on Kavanaugh
Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings dragged on endlessly today (Wednesday), and aside from a few exciting outbursts from protestors, not much happened. But an exchange between Senator Kamala Harris and Kavanaugh brought some real tension to the proceedings.
Harris seemed to imply she knew about a conversation Kavanaugh had with someone working at Trump’s law firm about the Mueller Probe. Kavanaugh appeared caught off guard by the question, and tried to weasel his way out of replying before Senator Mike Lee interrupted with an objection. ✂️
But what was this question about? Harris seemed to be aware of a specific incident but was not willing to name the person or conversation she was referring to, preferring to press Kavanaugh on his memory of the alleged event. “Be sure about your answer, sir,” she said in a vaguely menacing tone.
I think perjury should disqualify all judge appointments, don't you?
😟 Trump admin officials contacted psychiatrist because president is nuts
Officials from the Trump administration reportedly contacted a Yale University psychiatrist last year because President Trump was "scaring" them.
Dr. Bandy Lee told Salon and The New York Daily News on Thursday that two White House officials flagged Trump's behavior last October.
"[They] said that Trump was 'scaring' them, that he was 'unraveling," Lee, who wrote the book, "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President,” told Salon.
💙 Democrats Are Great 🌊
Republicans 🐘 Got Nothing 👎
The polls have looked good all week, so I’ll just mention a smattering:
💚 Devin Nunes’ seat is in striking distance
Polling in the race has been relatively sparse. Leading elections-analysis sites say Nunes is likely to hold onto his seat. The margin may end up being tighter than Nunes is used to, however.
With Election Day 10 weeks away, the latest polling shows Nunes ahead by 5 percentage points, according to a poll conducted in late July of 400 likely voters in the district by Democratic polling company Tulchin Research. It's unclear who paid for the poll; San Francisco-based Tulchin wouldn't identify the funder.
Nunes is a disgusting treasonous Trump toady. And if the poll was late July, it does not reflect the tariffs and the guilty verdicts for Trump’s team.
💙 Michelle Obama will host voter registration rallies in Las Vegas and Miami
Michelle Obama will headline voter registration rallies in Las Vegas and Miami later this month during a week of action to encourage voting for the November elections by a nonpartisan organization she co-chairs, organizers said Wednesday.
The former first lady is hosting the Las Vegas event on Sept. 23 and the Miami rally on Sept. 28, said Stephanie Young, communications director for When We All Vote.
The rallies are technically non partisan, but we know that she is much more likely to motivate Ds.
🎈 Montana GOP Senate candidate stops talking about being a rancher (because he isn't one)
As TPM reported back in May, Rosendale had been leaning more and more heavily into his rancher persona as a candidate throughout the GOP primary, using it in ads and on the campaign trail. But the real estate broker had previously publicly admitted that he leased out his land rather than ranched it himself, and documents obtained then by TPM showed he’d never actually owned any cattle.
In June, shortly after TPM reported about his seeming exaggerations, his campaign’s press releases stopped including their once-regular references to Rosendale as a “Glendive rancher,” referring to his adopted hometown. The campaign also removed the “rancher” description from his website’s tagline that month, according to cached versions of the site.
In July, “rancher” came out of his site’s bio page. In August, it came completely off the website’s homepage.
Good for TPM, outing another dishonest bragging Republican! Nothing like shining a 🔦 on matters.
💛 Maddow Blog Morsels 💙
🐮 Kobach too disgusting for some Republicans
Former Kansas Gov. Bill Graves (R) has never before endorsed a Democrat for any public office, but yesterday, he threw his support to state Sen. Laura Kelly, the Democratic nominee in Kansas' gubernatorial race.
🌴 Florida good news
A Quinnipiac poll released yesterday found Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) with a small lead over Rep. Ron DeSantis (R) in Florida's gubernatorial race, 50% to 47%.
But we need to make this better!
🌽 Good news in Indiana
In Indiana's closely watched U.S. Senate race, a new NBC News/Marist poll finds incumbent Sen. Joe Donnelly (D) leading Mike Braun (R), 49% to 43%.
😭 Also, Republicans planning to punish their own
House Republicans are chewing over a proposal to hold members accountable for not voting along party lines or signing discharge petitions — two acts of rebellion that GOP leadership has had to grapple with this year. ✂️
The resolution would require the Steering Committee to review whether changes should be made to a lawmaker’s committee assignments if they vote against a rule, which sets the stage for floor debate on legislation and is almost always passed along party lines, or if they support a discharge petition, which is a tool to force floor votes with 218 signatures and circumvent leadership.
More evidence of Republicans putting party over country. But let’s make sure there aren't enough House Russicans left for this to matter.
📖 Senator Cory Booker takes a risk and releases documents
Booker released approximately 12 pages of emails tied to discussions Kavanaugh had on racial inequality including one email thread titled "racial profiling."
The documents are marked "committee confidential," meaning they are not supposed to be discussed or released publicly.
But the move comes after Booker said during a heated debate on Kavanaugh's third day before the Judiciary Committee that he would release the email thread.
"I am right now, before your process is finished, I am going to release the email about racial profiling, and I understand the penalty comes with potential ousting from the Senate," Booker said at the hearing.
Compare this to the utter cowardice of, say, Lindsey Graham and Jeff Flake, who both know better but are too spineless to act. A pair of hot-air balloons 🎈 .
🔎 Oh, and here’s a look at 2020 — not good for Trump
GRINNELL, Iowa — A new national poll commissioned by Grinnell College shows President Trump’s chances of re-election in two years are dim … and Americans are excited about that. ✂️ “His numbers with women are on the gloomy side,” J. Ann Selzer, who directed the poll, said about the President’s numbers.
36% support Trump for 2020, which we can translate as 36% approval rating now. But it is a different poll than the others that appeared this week. Nevertheless, it is entirely in line with the others.
📺 In one of the Wednesday segments on O’Donnell’s The Last Word, a panel member (Wendy Sherman) had an interesting theory. If the Democrats get their big blue wave, she speculates that Trump will resign. She doesn't really go deep into this idea, but I’ve thought it a possibility as well. If the House (and the Senate) are controlled by Democrats, then all the stuff about Trumpthinskin is likely to be exposed and that will make him even crazier.
The big blue wave might get some other Republicans to resign as well, because their corruption isn't going to be ignored so readily any more. Isn’t that a nice scenario
🐍 From the Schadenfreude Files 🍎
That Op-Ed is a gold mine for comedy...
🍎 From Colbert’s show (interview with John Kerry)
“When it comes to Trump, whatever you think is happening, is happening,” Stephen Colbert said during his monologue. “Mr. President, they traced the resistance, it’s coming from inside the White House!” he exclaimed. “Get out of there! And stay out of there!” ✂️
When Colbert asked him if he ever had to “steal a treaty” off Obama’s desk when he was working in that administration, Kerry laughed, shook his head and said, “No.”
🐍 Trump’s nightmare: the snakes are everywhere 🐍
President Trump is not just seething about Bob Woodward. He’s deeply suspicious of much of the government he oversees — from the hordes of folks inside agencies, right up to some of the senior-most political appointees and even some handpicked aides inside his own White House, officials tell Axios. ✂️
“I find the reaction to the NYT op-ed fascinating — that people seem so shocked that there is a resistance from the inside," one senior official said. "A lot of us [were] wishing we’d been the writer, I suspect ... I hope he [Trump] knows — maybe he does? — that there are dozens and dozens of us." ✂️
When he was super frustrated about the leaks, he would rail about the 'snakes' in the White House," said a source who has discussed administration leakers with the president.
Leave the White House, Trump! Go visit Putin in Russia, AND DON’T COME BACK!
🍎 Trump was so upset about the inauguration crowds that he demanded editing
A government photographer edited official pictures of Donald Trump’s inauguration to make the crowd appear bigger following a personal intervention from the president, according to newly released documents.
The photographer cropped out empty space “where the crowd ended” for a new set of pictures requested by Trump on the first morning of his presidency, after he was angered by images showing his audience was smaller than Barack Obama’s in 2009.
Trump has been behaving crazy since day one.
📎📎📎 Odds and Ends 📎📎 📎
💜 Latino group launching major voter registration drive
A Latino activist coalition group on Thursday will launch a multi-million effort to register Hispanic people to vote, according to NBC News.
The voter registration drive, which is being launched by a coalition group called Voto Latino, was prompted by President Trump’s previous policy of separating children from parents when families crossed the border illegally, NBC News reported.
Of course these people could vote for Republicans too… but not these days! This is great news (long overdue) because I’ve seen stuff about how their turnout is often less than we would like.
🏈 Some words from an Op-Ed about the Nike ad
Once, it used to be said that conservatives start culture wars and liberals win them. That old dependable has felt … less convincing of late. But for those of us looking for runes to read, Nike signing a major endorsement deal with Colin Kaepernick is surely a positive sign. Nike’s market research department is larger and more sophisticated than the second Death Star, and if their cost-benefit analysis judges Kaepernick the one to back in a fight where the other side includes the US president, then frankly: I’ll take it. No, I don’t need the box. I’m wearing it out of the shop.
It is an absolutely wonderful ad. It is costing them some (when you do something polarizing, you will please some and offend others) but the ad is great.
🌈 Indian supreme court decriminalizes homosexuality
⚡️ World’s largest offshore windfarm opens
⚡️ Scientists 3D print prototype for bionic eye 👀
💙 What You Can Do to Rescue Democracy 💙
This is a marathon, not a sprint, but this is the time to ratchet up our efforts.
Donate to ActBlue
Donate to Swing Left
Send postcards to voters in other districts
Sign up to go door to door in your district
Sign up to drive people to the polls
Find your local Democratic Party and volunteer!
FreewayBlogger
Plus! Check out Yosef 52's diaries, posted daily, full of ideas and links!
🍀 “My experience has been that work is almost
always the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.” 🍀
Eleanor Roosevelt
🔥 If you’re going through hell, keep going! 🔥
Winston Churchill
🌹 🌹 🌹
TRUTH MATTERS. LOVE MATTERS.