Posts Tagged ‘DAILY KOZ’
2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, ABC NEWS, ALTERNET, ANDREW MCCABE FBI, AP, BARACK OBAMA, BORDER PATROL, BUZZFEED, CALEXICO, CBS NEWS, CNN, CROOKS AND LIARS, DAILY KOZ, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, DONALD TRUMP, ELAINE DUKE, FACEBOOK, FEDERAL JUDGES, JAMES COMEY, JAMES ROBART, JEFF SESSIONS, JOHN ROBERTS, JOHN TIGAR, KEITH KELLOGG, KRISJEN NIELSEN, MEXICO, MOTHER JONES, MOVEON, MSNBC, NBC NEWS, NEWSWEEK, NINTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS, NPR, PBS NEWSHOUR, POLITICO, PREET BAHARA, RACHEL BRAND, RAW STORY, REUTERS, RICHARD M. NIXON, ROB JOYCE, ROBERT P. HAYES, ROBERT S. MUELLER, RUDOLPH “TEX” ALLES, RUSSIA, SALLY YATES, SALON, SEATTLE TIMES, SLATE, STEPHEN MILLER, THE ATLANTIC, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE DAILY BEAST, THE GUARDIAN, THE HILL, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NATION, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, THOMAS HOMAN, TIME, TWITTER, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE, UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT, UPI, USA TODAY, WILLIAM BARR
In Bureaucracy, History, Law, Law Enforcement, Politics, Social commentary on April 10, 2019 at 12:15 am
A President plays many roles. Among these:
- Chief of State – An inspiring example to the American people.
- Commander-in-Chief – Of America’s armed services: Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.
- Chief Diplomat – Decides what will be the foreign policy of the United States.
- Chief Executive – The highest-ranking employee of the Federal Government and the boss of millions of those who work in the executive branch.
- Chief Law Enforcement Officer – Ensures that Federal laws are faithfully administered and the orders of Federal judges obeyed.
It’s with his role as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer that Donald J. Trump has jeopardized his continued role as President of the United States.
Since taking office on January 20, 2017, Trump has fired:
- Preet Bharara – U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York
- Sally Yates – Assistant United States Attorney General
- James Comey – FBI Director
- Andrew McCabe – FBI Deputy Director
- Jeff Sessions – United States Attorney General
- Randolph “Tex” Alles – Director of the United States Secret Service
Among those law enforcement officials he has forced to resign:
- Krisjen Nielsen – Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
- Rob Joyce – Deputy Homeland Security Advisor
- Elaine Duke – Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
- Robert P. Hayes – Under Secretary of Homeland Security (Intelligence and Analysis)
- Thomas Homan – Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Rachel Brand – Associate United States Attorney General
In addition, Trump has ruthlessly attacked members of the judiciary who have dared rule against him:
- He has repeatedly attacked Seattle U.S. District Judge James Robart, who halted Trump’s first travel ban.
- In one tweet, Trump claimed: “Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!”
- When Judge John Tigar of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ordered the administration to accept asylum claims regardless of where migrants entered the country, Trump called the decision “a disgrace” and attacked Tigar as “an Obama judge.”
- At Trump’s bidding, White House aide Stephen Miller attacked the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals: “We have a judiciary that has taken far too much power and become, in many cases, a supreme branch of government.”
Donald Trump
And as recently as April 5, Trump once again demonstrated his notorious contempt for rule-by-law—and his desire to replace it with “rule-by-Trump.”
This occurred during his visit to Calexico, on the border of California and Mexico. He was there to inspect a section of fencing for his still-uncompleted border wall between the United States and Mexico.
He also attended a briefing on immigration and border security hosted by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
As part of this, he read a statement addressed to Central American migrants wanting to enter the United States:
“It’s a colossal surge and it’s overwhelming our immigration system, and we can’t let that happen. So, as I say, and this is our new statement: The system is full. Can’t take you anymore. Whether it’s asylum, whether it’s anything you want, it’s illegal immigration….Our country is full….So turn around. That’s the way it is.”
Illegal aliens entering the United States
Nor did Trump have any use for those claiming asylum:
“Asylum—you know, I look at some of these asylum people; they’re gang members. They’re not afraid of anything. They have lawyers greeting them. They read what the lawyer tells them to read. They’re gang members. And they say, ‘I fear for my life. I…’ They’re the ones that are causing fear for life. It’s a scam. Okay? It’s a scam.”
That was for public consumption. What was not were words Trump spoke in a private meeting with Border Patrol agents.
According to CNN, “the President told border agents to not let migrants in.”
That, in fact, is illegal, especially if they are seeking asylum. And Secretary of Homeland Security Krisjen Nielsen had told Trump so two weeks earlier.
“Tell them we don’t have the capacity,” said Trump, reported CNN. “If judges give you trouble, say, “‘Sorry, judge, I can’t do it. We don’t have the room.'”
This was clearly an order for Federal law enforcers to break the law.
It also qualifies as “obstruction of justice”—an article of impeachment filed against President Richard Nixon in 1974.
Once the President left the room, read the CNN report, “agents sought further advice from their leaders, who told them they were not giving them that direction and if they did what the President said they would take on personal liability. You have to follow the law, they were told.”
Attending that meeting was Nielsen. Early on, she thanked Trump “always for coming out to the field to listen to the men and women. We greatly appreciate your support.”
Krisjen Nielsen
Two days later, she would be ousted by Trump as Secretary of Homeland Security.
Trump had won election in 2016 partly on promises to build a border wall and crack down on illegal immigrants. For his base, that remains the overriding issue. If Trump can’t make good on his promise, he’s unlikely to be re-elected by that base.
And Trump didn’t believe that Nielsen had been ruthless enough in stemming the tide of legal and illegal immigration from Central American countries.
ABC NEWS, ALTERNET, AP, BILL CLINTON, BILL O'REILLY, BUZZFEED, CALLISTA BISEK, CBS NEWS, CNN, CROOKS AND LIARS, DAILY KOZ, DONALD TRUMP, FACEBOOK, FBI, FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, FOX NEWS, GODFATHER'S PIZZA, HERMAN CAIN, JEROME POWELL, JESSICA LEEDS, MONICA LEWINSKY, MOTHER JONES, MOVEON, MSNBC, NATASHA STOYNOFF, NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, NBC NEWS, NEWSWEEK, NEWT GINGRICH, NPR, PBS NEWSHOUR, POLITICO, RAW STORY, REUTERS, ROBERT PORTER, ROGER AILES, RUSH LIMBAUGH, SALON, SEATTLE TIMES, SHARON BIALEK, SLATE, THE ATLANTIC, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE DAILY BEAST, THE GUARDIAN, THE HILL, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NATION, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, TIME, TWITTER, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, UPI, USA TODAY
In Bureaucracy, History, Law, Politics, Social commentary on April 9, 2019 at 12:20 am
Donald Trump feels comfortable with men who abuse women.
One was Roger Ailes, chairman and CEO of Fox News from 1996 to 2016. He resigned in disgrace after seven women publicly accused him of extorting sexual favors from them and other Fox employees.
Immediately after leaving Fox, he became an adviser to Trump’s presidential campaign, assisting with debate preparation.
When Trump learned that Ailes was facing a sexual harassment lawsuit by former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson, he stated: “I think they are unfounded just based on what I’ve read. Totally unfounded, based on what I read.”
Roger Ailes
Ninian Reid [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D
Another Trump buddy was Robert Porter, who served as White House staff secretary from January 20, 2017, until February 7, 2018. Then his two former wives accused him publicly of battery—and he resigned his position.
It meant nothing to Trump that an FBI background check found the allegations credible and unearthed a restraining order. As far as he was concerned, Porter–not his two battered ex-wives—was the victim:
“He also, as you probably know, says he’s innocent, and I think you have to remember that. He said very strongly yesterday that he’s innocent, so you have to talk to him about that.”
Then there’s former Fox News host Bill O”Reilly.
In April, 2017, the New York Times revealed that O’Reilly and Fox News had settled five sexual harassment lawsuits totaling $13 million. Embarrassed, Fox News then fired O’Reilly.
Trump’s response? “He is a good person.” Calling O’Reilly “a person I know well,” Trump said he shouldn’t have settled: ‘“I don’t think Bill did anything wrong.”
Donald Trump
This is hardly surprising.
By October, 2016—less than a month from Election Day—no fewer than 12 women had publicly accused Trump himself of making sexually inappropriate advances toward them.
Trump’s reaction: “Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign. Total fabrication. The events never happened. Never.”
For “proof,” he attacked their physical appearance.
Of one accuser, Natasha Stoynoff, he said: “Take a look. You take a look. Look at her. Look at her words. You tell me what you think. I don’t think so. I don’t think so.”
Of another accuser, Jessica Leeds, Trump said: “Believe me, she would not be my first choice, that I can tell you. Whoever she is, wherever she comes from, the stories are total fiction. They’re 100% made up. They never happened.”
In short: They were too ugly for Trump to consider them worth sexually harassing.
And he threatened: “All of these liars will be sued after the election is over.”
To date, Trump has not filed a single lawsuit for defamation.
As of April, 2019, the total number of women accusing Trump of making improper advances has risen to 23.
So there’s no reason to be surprised at his choice of businessman Herman Cain for a seat on the Federal Reserve Board. During Cain’s short-lived run for the Presidency in 2011, he was accused by multiple women of making aggressive and unwanted sexual advances.
Herman Cain
Yet Cain was not without his supporters. Among these: Rush Limbaugh, the Right-wing radio propagandist.
On November 7, 2011, Limbaugh attacked Sharon Bialek, one of Cain’s accusers. Calling Bialek a “babe” and “the blonde bombshell,” he joked about Cain’s attempt to extort sexual favors via her need for a job.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha,” laughed Limbaugh. “That’s it. Cain decided to provide her with his idea of a ‘stimulus package.’”
But Limbaugh wasn’t through: “Get this now. I have been wrong in pronouncing the fourth Cain accuser’s name as “Be-allek.” Gloria Allred [Bialek’s attorney] says that her name is pronounced ‘Bye-a-lick,’ as in ‘Buy a Lick.’”
To drive home his point, he made crude slumping noises over the microphone.
Rush Limbaugh
Actually, the woman’s name is pronounced “By-a-Lek.”
But even the venom of America’s most toxic Right-wing broadcaster couldn’t save Cain.
Cain’s longtime wife, Gloria, chose to stand by him. But millions of female voters chose other candidates to vote for.
On December 3, 2011, he dropped out of the race, before any actual votes were cast.
Another Rightist who had only praise for Cain was the notorious serial adulterer, Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House of Representatives.
In 1998, while he was railing against the “immorality” of President Bill Clinton’s tryst with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, Gingrich was having his own fling. His being married to his second wife didn’t prevent him from committing adultery with Callista Bisek, who would become his third.
Gingrich was himself running for President in 2012 So he hoped to inherit Cain’s supporters, not alienate them. Thus, as soon as Cain dropped out, Gingrich offered this salute: “I am proud to know Herman Cain and consider him a friend and I know he will continue to be a powerful voice for years to come.”
The endorsement didn’t help Gingrich; he lost the 2012 Republican nomination to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Who lost the election to President Barack Obama.
While Cain and Trump share an affinity for abusing women, they also share mega-watt egos that demand constant attention. Thus, the odds of Cain’s long remaining a part of the Trump administration remain highly unlikely.
ABC NEWS, ALTERNET, AP, BILL CLINTON, BILL O'REILLY, BUZZFEED, CALLISTA BISEK, CBS NEWS, CNN, CROOKS AND LIARS, DAILY KOZ, DONALD TRUMP, FACEBOOK, FBI, FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, FOX NEWS, GODFATHER'S PIZZA, HERMAN CAIN, JEROME POWELL, JESSICA LEEDS, MONICA LEWINSKY, MOTHER JONES, MOVEON, MSNBC, NATASHA STOYNOFF, NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, NBC NEWS, NEWSWEEK, NEWT GINGRICH, NPR, PBS NEWSHOUR, POLITICO, RAW STORY, REUTERS, ROBERT PORTER, ROGER AILES, RUSH LIMBAUGH, SALON, SEATTLE TIMES, SHARON BIALEK, SLATE, THE ATLANTIC, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE DAILY BEAST, THE GUARDIAN, THE HILL, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NATION, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, TIME, TWITTER, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, UPI, USA TODAY
In Bureaucracy, History, Law, Politics, Social commentary on April 8, 2019 at 12:06 am
SLEAZE ME
(To be sung to the tune of “Mama’s Got a Squeeze Box”)
Herman’s got a big hand
He slips up your dress.
And when he’s feeling his oats
You’ll never get any rest.
‘Cause he likes his girls white
When he’s leaning to the Right.
Herman’s got a boner,
Girl, you’ll never sleep tonight.
President Donald Trump is considering Herman Cain, the former CEO of “Godfather’s Pizza,” for a seat on the Federal Reserve Board.
Cain would fill one of two open seats on the board.
A second seat would be manned by Stephen Moore, a long-time Trump supporter.
Herman Cain
This would give Trump two political loyalists on the board of a central bank that has often crossed him. Trump has repeatedly attacked Jerome Powell, his own appointee as Federal Reserve chairman, for raising interest rates. Trump has even discussed firing him.
In September, 2018, Cain co-founded a pro-Trump super-political action committee, America Fighting Back, whose avowed purpose is: “We must protect Donald Trump and his agenda from impeachment.”
That seems to be Cain’s primary qualification for the position.
Or maybe it’s just that Trump likes to surround himself with men who share his “grab-em’-by-the-pussy” view of women.
It was a series of scandalous accusations against him by at least four women that led Cain to abort a short-lived campaign for President in 2011.
He’s got a big booming voice
And a floppy pimp hat.
It doesn’t matter to him
If you’ve never done that.
‘Cause he delivers all night
When his wife is out of sight.
Herman’s got a boner,
Girl, you’ll never sleep tonight.
One of these was Sharon Bialek, a former employee of the National Restaurant Association (NRA) where Cain served as CEO. On November 7, 2011, she gave a press conference where she recounted the following:
In mid-July 1997, she asked Cain for help in finding a new job or getting her old one back. S he had been let go from her job with the educational foundation of the NRA.
Sharon Bialek
Cain offered to help her and she traveled to Washington to meet him.
“I met Mr. Cain in the lobby of the bar at the Capitol Hilton at around 6:30 p.m.. We had drinks at the hotel, and he asked how I liked my room…and I said I was very surprised.
“I said, ‘I can’t believe it, I’ve got this great suite, it’s gorgeous.’ Mr. Cain kind of smirked, and then said, ‘I upgraded you.’”
Cain then took her to an Italian restaurant for dinner.
“While we were driving back to the hotel, he said that he would show me where the National Restaurant Association offices were. He parked the car down the block. I thought that we were going to go into the offices so that he could show me around.
“At that time I had on a black pleated skirt, a suit jacket and a blouse. He had on a suit with his shirt open. But instead of going into the offices, he suddenly reached over and put his hand on my leg under my skirt and reached for my genitals.
“He also grabbed my head and brought it toward his crotch. I was very, very surprised and very shocked.
‘Cause he likes his girls white
And you know he’s far-Right.
Herman’s got a boner,
Girl, you’ll never sleep tonight.
“I said, ‘What are you doing? You know I have a boyfriend. This isn’t what I came here for.’
“Mr. Cain said, ‘You want a job, right?’
“I asked him to stop and he did. I asked him to take me back to my hotel which he did, right away.”
Of course, Bialek never got her job back—or help from Cain in finding another one.
But, as Herman Cain himself would assure you, that was all her fault. She didn’t meet the stringent employment requirement he laid down: Suck me or stay unemployed.
Bialek was the fourth woman to come forward to accuse Cain of making improper sexual advances toward her. And it was her testimony that sealed his fate as a Presidential candidate.
But that didn’t mean Cain lacked Right-wing supporters—such as Right-wing radio propagandist Rush Limbaugh.
On October 31, 2011, Limbaugh blamed “the Left’s racist hit job” for Cain’s faltering campaign: “The racial stereotypes that these people are using to go after Herman Cain, what is the one thing that it tells us?
“It tells us who the real racists are, yeah, but it tells us that Herman Cain is somebody. Something’s going on out there. Herman Cain obviously is making some people nervous for this kind of thing to happen.”
And on November 7, Limbaugh offered another “defense” for Cain’s behavior: Calling Bialek a “babe” and “the blonde bombshell,” he joked about Cain’s attempt to extort sexual favors via her need for a job.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha,” laughed Limbaugh. “That’s it. Cain decided to provide her with his idea of a ‘stimulus package.’”
He goes, “Squeeze me,
Come on and tease me.
Come on and sleaze me for a job.
Just act like I’m your God.”
Herman’s got a boner,
Girl, you’ll never sleep tonight.
ABC NEWS, ADOPTIONS, ALTERNET, AP, BUZZFEED, CBS NEWS, CNN, CROOKS AND LIARS, DAILY KOZ, DONALD TRUMP JUNIOR, FACEBOOK, HILLARY CLINTON, JARED KUSHNER, JAY SEKULOW, MAGNITSKY ACT, MOTHER JONES, MOVEON, MSNBC, Natalia NATALIA VESELNITSKAYA, NBC NEWS, NEWSWEEK, NPR, PAUL MANAFORT, POLITICO, RAW STORY, REUTERS, RINAT AKHMETSHIN, ROBERT MUELLER, RUDOLPH GIULIANI, RUSSIA, RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE, SALON, SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, SEATTLE TIMES, SERGEI MAGNITSKY, SLATE, THE ATLANTIC, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE DAILY BEAST, THE GUARDIAN, THE HILL, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NATION, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, TIME, TRUMP TOWER, TWITTER, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, UPI, USA TODAY, USA TODAY DONALD TRUMP, VLADIMIR PUTIN
In Bureaucracy, History, Law, Politics, Social commentary on April 5, 2019 at 12:17 am
On March 24, Attorney General William Barr released a four-page summary of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller’s “Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election.”
According to Barr: “The Special Counsel did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in these efforts, despite multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.”
Really?
Then consider the infamous meeting at Trump Tower on June 9, 2016.
Among its attendees:
- Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr.;
- His son-in-law, Jared Kushner;
- His then-campaign manager Paul Manafort;
- At least two lobbyists with ties to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, including Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya; and
- Rinat Akhmetshin, a former Soviet counterintelligence officer suspected of “having ongoing ties to Russian Intelligence.”
A year later, when The New York Times broke the story, the Trump team scrambled to explain it in as innocent a way as possible.
July 8, 2017: Donald Trump, Jr., issued the statement: “It was a short introductory meeting. I asked Jared and Paul to stop by. We primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children that was active and popular with American families years ago and was since ended by the Russian government, but it was not a campaign issue at the time and there was no follow up.
“I was asked to attend the meeting by an acquaintance, but was not told the name of the person I would be meeting with beforehand.”
Donald Trump, Jr. [Gage Skidmore photo]
July 9: He added: “No details or supporting information was provided or even offered.”
July 9: The New York Times reported that, at the meeting, Trump Jr. was promised damaging information about Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
July 9: Trump Jr. issued a new statement: “After pleasantries were exchanged, the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Ms. Clinton.
“Her statements were vague, ambiguous and made no sense. No details or supporting information was provided or even offered. It quickly became clear that she had no meaningful information. She then changed subjects and began discussing the adoption of Russian children and mentioned the Magnitsky Act.”
[This is a bipartisan bill passed by Congress in 2012, to punish Russian officials responsible for the torture and death of a Russian tax accountant, Sergei Magnitsky, in a Moscow prison in 2009.]
“It became clear to me that this was the true agenda all along and that the claims of potentially helpful information were a pretext for the meeting.”
Trump Tower
(By Jorge Láscar from Australia)
July 11: Trump, Jr., tweeted: “The information they suggested they had about Hillary Clinton I thought was Political Opposition Research. I first wanted to just have a phone call but when that didn’t work out, they said the woman would be in New York and asked if I would meet.
“I decided to take the meeting. The woman, as she has said publicly, was not a government official. And, as we have said, she had no information to provide and wanted to talk about adoption policy and the Magnitsky Act.”
July 16: Trump’s lawyer, Jay Sekulow, went on “Meet the Press” to announce: “Let me say this—but I do want to be clear—that the President was not involved in the drafting of the statement and did not issue the statement. It came from Donald Trump Jr.”
July 31: The Washington Post broke the news that Trump himself “personally dictated” the July 8 statement issued by his son.
Donald Trump
August 1: White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said: “[President Trump] certainly didn’t dictate [the statement] but he—like I said, he weighed in, offered suggestion like any father would do.”
June 2, 2018: Trump’s lawyers drafted a memo to Special Counsel Robert Mueller: “You have received all of the notes, communications and testimony indicating that the President dictated a short but accurate response to the New York Times article on behalf of his son, Donald Trump, Jr.
“His son then followed up by making a full public disclosure regarding the meeting, including his public testimony that there was nothing to the meeting and certainly no evidence of collusion.”
June 3, 2018: Trump attorney Rudolph Giuliani said on “Meet the Press”: “I think [Sekulow] was uninformed at the time just like I was when I came into the case. He was just in the case. This is a point that maybe wasn’t clarified in terms of recollection and his understanding of it.”
June 15, 2018: Trump, in a White House press conference, said: “It’s irrelevant. It’s a statement to the New York Times—the phony, failing New York Times…That’s not a statement to a high tribunal of judges.”
Almost two months later, on August 5, Trump tweeted: “Fake News reporting, a complete fabrication, that I am concerned about the meeting my wonderful son, Donald, had in Trump Tower. This was a meeting to get information on an opponent, totally legal and done all the time in politics – and it went nowhere. I did not know about it!”
Thus, by Donald Trump’s own admission, a secret meeting “about the adoption of Russian children” has become “a meeting to get information on an opponent.”
ABC NEWS, ALTERNET, AP, BABYSITTING, BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, BUZZFEED, CBS NEWS, CNN, COLLEGE EDUCATION, CROOKS AND LIARS, DAILY KOZ, EMPLOYMENT, FACEBOOK, JOB INTERVIEWS, JOB RECRUITERS, MARY POPPINS, MOTHER JONES, MOVEON, MSNBC, NANNYS, NBC NEWS, NEWSWEEK, NPR, PBS NEWSHOUR, PLUTOCRACY, POLITICO, RAW STORY, RESUMES, REUTERS, SALON, SEATTLE TIMES, SLATE, THE ATLANTIC, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE DAILY BEAST, THE GUARDIAN, THE HILL, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NATION, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, TIME, TUITION COSTS, TWITTER, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, UPI, USA TODAY
In Bureaucracy, Business, History, Law, Politics, Social commentary on April 4, 2019 at 12:41 am
June is fast approaching. And with it, an annual rite of passage for tens of thousands of college students: Graduation.
That occasion when young innocents formally leave the academic nest to make their way into the harsh realities of the workplace.
Among those harsh realities: The average college graduate faces a debt loan of more than $29,400.
Click here: Student loan debt tops $30,000 per borrower – Oct. 18, 2016
But wait! There’s something even more demoralizing awaiting these “heirs of tomorrow.”
The discovery that, for all the “we hire only the brightest” rhetoric by employers, having a college degree actually means little to most CEOs.
A new report from the Center for College Affordability and Productivity concludes that nearly half of the nation’s recent college graduates hold jobs that don’t require a degree.
In short, many of the jobs they hold aren’t worth the price of that diploma.
From that report:
Increasing numbers of recent college graduates are ending up in relatively low-skilled jobs that, historically, have gone to those with lower levels of educational attainment. This study examines this phenomenon in some detail, concluding:
- About 48% of employed U.S. college graduates are in jobs that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) suggests requires less than a four-year college education. Eleven percent of employed college graduates are in occupations requiring more than a high-school diploma but less than a bachelor’s, and 37% are in occupations requiring no more than a high-school diploma;
- The proportion of over-educated workers in occupations appears to have grown substantially; in 1970, fewer than one percent of taxi drivers and two percent of firefighters had college degrees, while now more than 15% do in both jobs;
- About 5,000,000 college graduates are in jobs the BLS says require less than a high-school education;
Click here: Underemployment of College Graduates
But the future isn’t completely bleak—at least not for women willing to transform themselves into glorified babysitters for obscenely-rich families.
Consider a post on Facebook by AC Connections, which describes itself as “a nanny and household placement agency.”
Under the headline, “Growing Nanny Industry Is Enticing More College Graduates,” the ad/article begins:
“As more college graduates leave school and struggle to find work, they’re turning to the nanny industry.
“Many working moms love the idea of a highly-educated, experienced nanny providing individualized care for their children in their own homes. But it can come with a substantial price tag.
“In this challenging economic climate, more college graduates are finding a little spoonful of sugar in the burgeoning nanny industry.
“These ‘modern day Mary Poppinses’ are educated, experienced, and in increasingly high demand.”
The International Nanny Association claims that the average salary is about $16 an hour.
The ad asserts that “highly qualified and educated nannies in certain locations can make $100,000 or more each year. It’s not uncommon for nannies to start out with salaries comparable to entry-level finance careers.”
“Modern-day Mary Poppins”: College Graduates Embrace Nannying as Career https://nbcnews.to/2K82vk7
Besides the money, says the ad, there are other reasons for becoming a nanny:
“Many love working with children, want a chance to use their college education, or enjoy the role of caretaker.”
“A chance to use their college education”? As in cleaning up spills, changing diapers and feeding baby food to infants. Not to mention all the exciting intellectual exchanges they’ll have with five- and six-year-olds.
So if you’re a college graduate who can’t convince an employer within your chosen profession—such as pharmacy or engineering—to hire you, there’s always the Mary Poppins option.
Or some similar menial “career” that caters to the indulgences of the American plutocracy, for whom $16 an hour amounts to a Snicker’s candy bar for the fast-disappearing middle class.
It should be enough to make you hesitate before signing up for a loan to cover the average $57,000 cost of a public college education.
Or an even larger loan to cover the $132,000 cost of a private college education.
But if you’re still thinking that “employers really respect that degree,” consider this: Job recruiters spend exactly six seconds examining your resume.
According to The Ladders research, recruiters spend an average of “six seconds before they make the initial ‘fit or not fit’ decision” to interview you.
Not hire you—just meet you. You’ll still have plenty of chances to get shot down during or after the interview.
According to the study, when scanning a resume, recruiters looked at the following items:
-
Your name
- Current title and company
- Current position start and end dates
- Previous title and company
- Previous position start and end dates
- Education
That’s it.
Forget about your expertise.
Forget about the time and experience you spent to gain that expertise.
Above all, forget about the fortune you owe in debt to gain an education.
Fortunately, there is a solution to this despicably unfair situation.
American employers should be legally required to show as much responsibly for hiring as college students are expected to demonstrate in pursuing an education.
Until this happens, those young men and women thinking of committing a big chunk of their time and going into massive debt to pursue a college degree should think twice before doing so.
ABC NEWS, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, ADAM SCHIFF, ALTERNET, ANDREW MCCABE, AP, BUZZFEED, CBS NEWS, CIA, CNN, CROOKS AND LIARS, DAILY KOZ, DONALD TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP JUNIOR, EGOMANIA, ELAINE CHAO, ERIC SALWELL, FACEBOOK, FBI, FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, HILLARY CLINTON, JAMES COMEY, JEFF SESSIONS, JERRY NADLER, JOHN BRENNAN, JOSEPH STALIN, LINDSEY GRAHAM, MIKE PENCE, MOTHER JONES, MOVEON, MSNBC, NBC NEWS, NEWSWEEK, NPR, PBS NEWSHOUR, POLITICO, PURGE, RAW STORY, REUTERS, RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, RICK PERRY, ROBERT MUELLER, RUDOLPH GIULIANI, RUSSIA, SALON, SEATTLE TIMES, SLATE, THE ATLANTIC, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE DAILY BEAST, THE GUARDIAN, THE HILL, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NATION, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, TIME, TOM PEREZ, TOM PRICE, TWITTER, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, UPI, USA TODAY
In Bureaucracy, History, Law, Politics, Social commentary on April 3, 2019 at 12:10 am
For Donald Trump, American history begins and ends with himself. To hear him tell it:
- “It is much easier to act presidential than what we are doing here tonight, believe me. With the exception of the late, great Abraham Lincoln, I can be more presidential than any president that’s ever held this office.”
- “Almost everyone agrees that my administration has done more in less than two years than any other Administration in the history of our Country. I’m tough as hell on people & if I weren’t, nothing would get done. Also, I question everybody and everything—which is why I got elected!”
- “Never has there been a President with few exceptions—case of FDR, he had a major Depression to handle—who has passed more legislation and who has done more things than what we’ve done.”
President Donald Trump
- “The amazing thing is that you have certain people who are conservative Republicans that if my name weren’t Trump, if it were John Smith, they would say I’m the greatest president in history and I blow Ronald Reagan away,”
- “How do you impeach a President who has won perhaps the greatest election of all time, done nothing wrong (no Collusion with Russia, it was the Dems that Colluded), had the most successful first two years of any president, and is the most popular Republican in party history 93%?”
Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin couldn’t tolerate criticism or dissent. He dubbed those who disagreed with him “enemies of the people.” And for 30 years, he unleashed a series of purges that slaughtered 20-25 million of his fellow Russians.
Joseph Stalin
President Donald Trump also can’t abide disagreement or criticism. He’s repeatedly called the media who report his crimes and follies “the enemy of the people.” And he’s used insults, lawsuits and threats of violence to intimidate and/or injure his perceived enemies.
Now Trump may be moving on to a new and even more dangerous phase.
Trump has repeatedly claimed to be “cleared” by the report of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. This despite the fact that it’s been seen only by William Barr, his handpicked Attorney General.
Trump is now acting like a king who feels himself the victim of a failed overthrow. In fact, he has said as much:
“There are a lot of people out there that have done some very, very evil things, very bad things—I would say treasonous things against our country. Those people will certainly be looked at. I’ve been looking at them for a long time.”
And: “This was an illegal takedown that failed and hopefully somebody’s going to be looking at the other side.”
On March 25, Trump’s re-election campaign sent a memo to television producers instructing them to “employ basic journalistic standards when booking” six current or former government officials that the campaign accused of making “outlandish, false claims, without evidence” about Trump’s collusion with Russia while on air.
Specifically:
- Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut)
- Representative Jerry Nadler (D-New York), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee
- Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez
- John Brennan, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency
- Representative Adam Schiff (D-California), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee
- Representative Eric Swalwell (D-California), who has indicated he might run for President
Rudolph Giuliani, Trump’s private attorney and a former Federal prosecutor, offered a chilling threat: “If there are people who contrived this investigation, who made up this collusion, maybe they themselves should be investigated.”
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) warned: “I believe that Donald Trump got scrutiny like nobody else in the history of the presidency, since Nixon probably ….To those who were abusive of the process in 2016 on the other side, you haven’t had much scrutiny, but that’s coming.”
And since Graham heads the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees the Justice Department, that is no idle threat.
Lindsey Graham
Hurling an insult and threat at Adam Schiff, Donald Trump, Jr., tweeted: “#fullofSchiff has been flagrantly lying to the American people & slandering POTUS & me for years for airtime. Should he not face any repercussions for the lies?”
There was, of course, nothing illegal about a legitimate Justice Department investigation of proven links between Russian Intelligence agents and members of Trump’s 2016 Presidential campaign.
What is almost certainly coming is an illegal purge worthy of Joseph Stalin.
And Americans who believe “it can’t happen here” also once couldn’t imagine that:
- Trump would demand that FBI Director James Comey pledge his loyalty to Trump. When he refused, Trump fired him.
- Andrew McCabe, the FBI’s deputy director, would open an investigation to determine if Trump “had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests.” When this became known, Trump forced him out of the Bureau.
- Trump would repeatedly demand that then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions prosecute his former Presidential rival, Hillary Clinton, although the FBI had not found her guilty of a crime.
Trump commands the FBI and the Justice Department, and is backed by a compliant Republican Senate. He has appointed 92 Federal judges—and can expect at least some of them to uphold convictions against his real and imagined enemies.
In short: Trump is poised to “get even” with his critics in the media—and Congress.
2016 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, ABC NEWS, ADAM SCHIFF, ALTERNET, AP, BUZZFEED, CBS NEWS, CNN, CROOKS AND LIARS, DAILY KOZ, DONALD TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP JUNIOR, FACEBOOK, FBI, GRU (RUSSIAN MILITARY INTELLIGENCE), HILLARY CLINTON, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, JARED KUSHNER, JULIUS CAESAR, JULIUS CAESAR (PLAY), KELLEYANNE CONWAY, KEVIN MCCARTHY, LINDSEY GRAHAM, MARCUS BRUTUS, MARK ANTONY, MIKE CONAWAY, MOTHER JONES, MOVEON, MSNBC, MUELLER REPORT, NBC NEWS, NEWSWEEK, NPR, PAUL MANAFORT, PBS NEWSHOUR, POLITICO, RAW STORY, REPUBLICANS, REUTERS, ROBERT MUELLER, RONNA MCDANIEL, RUSSIA, SALON, SEATTLE TIMES, SLATE, SUBVERSION, THE ATLANTIC, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE DAILY BEAST, THE GUARDIAN, THE HILL, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NATION, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, TIME, TREASON, TWITTER, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, UPI, USA TODAY, WIKILEAKS, WILLIAM BAR, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
In Bureaucracy, Entertainment, History, Law, Politics, Social commentary on April 2, 2019 at 12:10 am
On March 24, 2019, Attorney General William Barr received the long-awaited report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller about Russian efforts to subvert the 2016 Presidential election.
According to Barr, the report—which no one else in the government has seen—showed no evidence that President Donald Trump had colluded with Russian Intelligence agents.
And now House Republicans—acting entirely on that claim—suddenly went on the offensive.
On March 28, all nine Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence demanded in a letter that Representative Adam Schiff (D-California) resign as its chairman.
On the same day, President Donald Trump tweeted: “Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress!”
Other Republicans quickly joined the chorus:
- House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California): Schiff owes “an apology to the American public” and should step down from his post as head of the Intelligence committee.
- Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel: “They [Schiff and House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-New York] should be removed from their chairmanships. They owe the American people an apology. They owe this President an apology, and they have work to do to heal this democracy because this is our country we are talking about.”
- South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham: “He’s getting into conspiracy land and he’s acting like an Oliver Stone type figure. That to me is not helpful to him but I’m not going to ask him to resign from Congress.”
- White House Adviser Kelleyanne Conway: “He’s been on every TV show 50 times a day for practically the last two years, promising Americans that this President would either be impeached or indicted. He has no right, as somebody who has been peddling a lie, day after day after day, unchallenged. Unchallenged and not under oath. Somebody should have put him under oath and said, ‘You have evidence, where is it?’”
On March 28, Schiff—speaking in a firm and controlled voice—addressed his critics in the House and beyond.
It was a speech worthy of that given by Mark Antony at the funeral of Julius Caesar.
Adam Schiff
“My colleagues may think it’s okay that the Russians offered dirt on the Democratic candidate for President as part of what was described as ‘the Russian government’s effort to help the Trump campaign.’ You might think that’s okay.
“My colleagues might think it’s okay that when that was offered to the son of the President, who had a pivotal role in the campaign, that the President’s son did not call the FBI, he did not adamantly refuse that foreign help. No, instead that son said that he would ‘love’ the help of the Russians. You might think it’s okay that he took that meeting.
“You might think it’s okay that Paul Manafort, the campaign chair, someone with great experience running campaigns, also took that meeting.
“You might think it’s okay that the President’s son-in-law also took that meeting.
“You might think it’s okay that they concealed it from the public.
“You might think it’s okay that their only disappointment after that meeting was that the dirt they received on Hillary Clinton wasn’t better. You might think that’s okay.![]()
![]()
![]()
“You might think it’s okay that when it was discovered a year later that they’d lied about that meeting and said it was about adoptions, you might think it’s okay that the President is reported to have helped dictate that lie. You might think that’s okay. I don’t.
![]()
“You might think it’s okay that the Presidential chairman of a campaign would offer information about that campaign to a Russian in exchange for money or debt forgiveness. You might think that’s okay. I don’t.
“You might think it’s okay that campaign chairman offered polling data, campaign polling data to someone linked to Russian intelligence. I don’t think that’s okay.
“You might think it’s okay that the President himself called on Russia to hack his opponent’s emails, ‘if they were listening.’
“You might think it’s okay that later that day, in fact, the Russians attempted to hack a server affiliated with that campaign. I don’t think that’s okay.
“You might think that it’s okay that the President’s son-in-law sought to establish a secret back channel of communications with the Russians through a Russian diplomatic facility. I don’t think that’s okay.
“You might think it’s okay that an associate of the President made direct contact with the GRU [the Russian military Intelligence agency] through Guccifer 2 and Wikileaks, that is considered a hostile Intelligence agency.
“You might think that it’s okay that a senior campaign official was instructed to reach that associate and find out what that hostile Intelligence agency had to say, in terms of dirt on his opponent.
“You might think it’s okay that the National Security Adviser-Designate [Mike Flynn] secretly conferred with the Russian ambassador about undermining U.S. sanctions, and you might think it’s okay he lied about it to the FBI. You might say that’s all okay.
“You might say that’s just what you need to do to win, but I don’t think it’s okay. I think it’s immoral. I think it’s unethical. I think it’s unpatriotic. And yes, I think it’s corrupt and evidence of collusion.”
Not one Republican dared challenge even one accusation Schiff had made.
2016 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, ABC NEWS, ADAM SCHIFF, ALTERNET, AP, BUZZFEED, CBS NEWS, CNN, CROOKS AND LIARS, DAILY KOZ, DONALD TRUMP, FACEBOOK, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, JULIUS CAESAR, JULIUS CAESAR (PLAY), MARCUS BRUTUS, MARK ANTONY, MIKE CONAWAY, MOTHER JONES, MOVEON, MSNBC, MUELLER REPORT, NBC NEWS, NEWSWEEK, NPR, PBS NEWSHOUR, POLITICO, RAW STORY, REPUBLICANS, REUTERS, ROBERT MUELLER, RUSSIA, SALON, SEATTLE TIMES, SLATE, SUBVERSION, THE ATLANTIC, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE DAILY BEAST, THE GUARDIAN, THE HILL, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NATION, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, TIME, TWITTER, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, UPI, USA TODAY, WILLIAM BAR, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
In Bureaucracy, Entertainment, History, Law, Politics, Social commentary on April 1, 2019 at 12:07 am
“Friends, Romans, countrymen—lend me your ears!”
It’s the opening line of a speech once widely memorized by schoolboys in English literature classes. It’s from William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” and it’s a far more sophisticated piece of writing than most people realize.
Mark Antony, addressing a crowd of Romans at the funeral of his former patron, Julius Caesar, faces a serious problem.
Caesar has been murdered by a band of conspirators who feared he intended to make himself king. The chief conspirator, Marcus Brutus, is one of the most honored men in ancient Rome. And he has just addressed the same crowd.
As a result, they are now convinced that the assassination was fully justified. They assume that Antony intends to attack the conspirators. And they are ready to attack him—maybe physically—if he does.
But Antony is too smart to do that—at least initially.
Instead, he assures the crowd: “I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.”
And he praises the chief conspirator: “The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious. If so, it was a grievous fault—and grievously hath Caesar answered it.”
Then he introduces a line he will repeat with great effectiveness throughout the rest of his speech: “For Brutus is an honorable man—so are they all, all honorable men.”
The “Death of Julius Caesar,” as depicted by Vincenzo Camuccini.
For Antony, the line is ironic. But it serves his purpose to appease the crowd. Later, he will wield it like a sword against the same conspirators.
“He was my friend, faithful and just to me.” And then: “But Brutus says he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honorable man.”
Antony then goes on to extol Caesar as the foremost Roman of his time:
- As a military victor: “You all do know this mantle. I remember the first time ever Caesar put it on. ‘Twas on…that day he overcame the Nervii.”
- As a humanitarian: “When that the poor hath cried, Caesar hath wept.”
And then, as if against his better judgment, he says: “But here’s a parchment with the seal of Caesar. I found it in his closet—’tis his will. Let but the commons hear this testament—which, pardon me, I do not mean to read—and they would go and kiss dead Caesar’s wounds.”
This inflames the crowd’s curiosity and greed: What has Caesar left them? And Antony’s refusing to read the alleged will only makes them determined to hear it.
Now the crowd is entirely at Antony’s disposal. They hurl abuse at the conspirators: “They were traitors!” “They were villains, murderers!”
So Antony, claiming to read Caesar’s will, pronounces: “To every Roman citizen he gives…seventy-five drachmas.”
Marlon Brando as Mark Antony in the 1953 film, “Julius Caesar”
Is this truly Caesar’s will? And, if so, does it really make this bequest? No one knows.
In addition, claims Antony, Caesar has left his fellow citizens “his private arbours and new-planted orchards on this side Tiber. He hath left them you, and to your heirs forever, common pleasures, to walk abroad, and recreate yourselves.”
By now the crowd is fired up—against the conspirators.
“Here was a Caesar!” cries Antony. “When comes such another?”
A citizen shouts: “We’ll burn [Caesar’s] body in the holy place. And with the brands fire the traitors’ houses.”
The crowd disperses—to pay fiery homage to Caesar and burn the houses of Brutus and the other conspirators.
Caesar’s assassins flee Rome for their lives. In time, they will face the legions of Antony and Octavian, the young nephew of Caesar—and choose suicide over capture and execution.
Apparently Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California) is familiar with Shakespeare’s play.
Because, on March 28, he used the same repetitive technique in addressing his “Republican colleagues” on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Days earlier, Attorney General William Barr had claimed to summarize the long-awaited report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller about Russian efforts to subvert the 2016 Presidential election.
According to Barr, the report—which no one else in the government has seen—showed no evidence that President Donald Trump had colluded with Russian Intelligence agents.
And now House Republicans—acting entirely on that claim—were going on the offensive.
On March 28, Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) and all other eight Republicans on the Committee demanded in a letter that Schiff resign as its chairman.
“Mr. Chairman,” the letter read, “since prior to the inauguration of President Trump in January 2017, you’ve been at the center of a well-orchestrated media campaign claiming, among other things, that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government.
“On March 24, 2019, the special counsel delivered his findings to the Department of Justice….The special counsel’s investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 election….
“Despite these findings, you continue to proclaim to the media that there is ‘significant evidence of collusion.’
“The findings of the Special Counsel conclusively refute your past and present conclusions and have exposed you as having abused your position to knowingly promote false information, having damaged the integrity of this Committee, and undermined faith in U.S. Government institutions.”
101 CALIFORNIA SHOOTINGS, ABC NEWS, ADAM LANZA, ADAM WINKLER, ALTERNET, AP, BUZZFEED, CBS NEWS, CENTURY 16 THEATER SHOOTINGS, CNN, COLUMBINE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, CONNECTICUT SUPREME COURT, CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS, CRIME, CROOKS AND LIARS, DAILY KOZ, FACEBOOK, GUN CONTROL, JOSH KOSKOFF, M1-16 ASSAULT RIFLE, MARTIN LUTHER KING, MEDICAID, MENTAL ILLNESS, MIKE MOORE, MOTHER JONES, MOVEON, MSNBC, NANCY LANZA, NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION, NBC NEWS, NEWSWEEK, NPR, PBS NEWSHOUR, POLITICO, PROTECTION OF LAWFUL COMMERCE IN ARMS ACT, RAW STORY, REMINGTON AR-15 BUSHMASTER RIFLE, REMINGTON OUTDOOR COMPANY, REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS SHOOTING, REPUBLICANS, REUTERS, ROBERT F. KENNEDY, SALON, SAN YASIDRO MACDONALD’S SHOOTINGS, SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MASSACRE, SEATTLE TIMES, SECOND AMENDMENT, SELF-DEFENSE, SLATE, STAND-YOUR-GROUND LAWS, THE ATLANTIC, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE DAILY BEAST, THE GUARDIAN, THE HILL, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NATION, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, TIME, TOBACCO COMPANY LAWSUITS, TWITTER, U.S. CONSTITUTION, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, UCLA LAW SCHOOL, UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT, UPI, USA TODAY, VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTINGS, WRONGFUL-DEATH LAWSUITS
In Bureaucracy, History, Law, Law Enforcement, Military, Politics, Social commentary on March 27, 2019 at 12:13 am
“The victims of the violence are black and white, rich and poor, young and old, famous and unknown. They are, most important of all, human beings whom other human beings loved and needed. No one—no matter where he lives or what he does— can be certain who will suffer from some senseless act of bloodshed. And yet it goes on and on.”
–Robert F. Kennedy, April 4, 1968
Senator Robert F. Kennedy announcing the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
What should the surviving victims of gun massacres do to seek redress?
And how can the relatives and friends of those who didn’t survive seek justice for those they loved?
As far back as 2012, this writer posed those questions. And offered the following solution.
But only now has a court—the Connecticut Supreme Court—made this remedy possible.
First, don’t count on politicians to support a ban on assault weapons.
Politicians—with rare exceptions—have only two goals:
- Get elected to office, and
- Stay in office.
And too many of them fear the economic and voting clout of the National Rifle Association (NRA) to risk its wrath.
Consider Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney and then-President Barack Obama.
Both rushed to offer condolences to the surviving victims of the massacre at the Century 16 Theater in Aurora, Colorado, on July 20, 2012.
And both steadfastly refused to even discuss gun control—let alone support a ban on the type of assault weapons used by James Holmes, leaving 12 dead and 58 wounded.
Second, those who survived the massacre—and the relatives and friends of those who didn’t—should file wrongful death, class-action lawsuits against the NRA.
There is sound, legal precedent for this.
- For decades, the American tobacco industry peddled death and disability to millions and reaped billions of dollars in profits.
- The industry vigorously claimed there was no evidence that smoking caused cancer, heart disease, emphysema or any other ailment.
- Tobacco companies spent billions on slick advertising campaigns to win new smokers and attack medical warnings about the dangers of smoking.
- Tobacco companies spent millions to elect compliant politicians and block anti-smoking legislation.
- From 1954 to 1994, over 800 private lawsuits were filed against tobacco companies in state courts. But only two plaintiffs prevailed, and both of those decisions were reversed on appeal.
- In 1994, amidst great pessimism, Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore filed a lawsuit against the tobacco industry. But other states soon followed, ultimately growing to 46.
- Their goal: To seek monetary, equitable and injunctive relief under various consumer-protection and anti-trust laws.
- The theory underlying these lawsuits was: Cigarettes produced by the tobacco industry created health problems among the population, which badly strained the states’ public healthcare systems.
- In 1998, the states settled their Medicaid lawsuits against the tobacco industry for recovery of their tobacco-related, health-care costs. In return, they exempted the companies from private lawsuits for tobacco-related injuries.
- The companies agreed to curtail or cease certain marketing practices. They also agreed to pay, forever, annual payments to the states to compensate some of the medical costs for patients with smoking-related illnesses.
The parallels with the NRA are obvious:
- For decades, the NRA has peddled deadly weapons to millions, reaped billions of dollars in profits and refused to admit the carnage those weapons have produced: “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” With guns.
- The NRA has bitterly fought background checks on gun-buyers, in effect granting even criminals and the mentally ill the right to own arsenals of death-dealing weaponry.
- The NRA has spent millions on slick advertising campaigns to win new members and frighten them into buying guns.
- The NRA has spent millions on political contributions to block gun-control legislation.
- The NRA has spent millions attacking political candidates and elected officials who warned about the dangers of unrestricted access to assault and/or concealed weapons.
- The NRA has spent millions pushing “Stand Your Ground” laws in more than half the states, which potentially give every citizen a “license to kill.”
- The NRA receives millions of dollars from online sales of ammunition, high-capacity ammunition magazines, and other accessories through its point-of-sale Round-Up Program—thus directly profiting by selling a product that kills about 30,288 people a year.
- Firearms made indiscriminately available through NRA lobbying have filled hospitals with casualties, and have thus badly strained the states’ public healthcare systems.
It will take a series of highly expensive and well-publicized lawsuits to significantly weaken the NRA, financially and politically.
The first ones will have to be brought by the surviving victims of gun violence—and by the friends and families of those who did not survive it. Only they will have the courage and motivation to take such a risk.
As with the cases first brought against tobacco companies, there will be losses. And the NRA will rejoice with each one.
But, in time, state Attorneys General will see the clear parallels between lawsuits filed against those who peddle death by cigarette and those who peddle death by armor-piercing bullet.
And then the NRA—like the tobacco industry—will face an adversary wealthy enough to stand up for the rights of the gun industry’s own victims.
Only then will those politicians supporting reasonable gun controls dare to stand up for the victims of these needless tragedies.
101 CALIFORNIA SHOOTINGS, ABC NEWS, ADAM LANZA, ADAM WINKLER, ALTERNET, AP, BUZZFEED, CBS NEWS, CENTURY 16 THEATER SHOOTINGS, CNN, COLUMBINE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, CONNECTICUT SUPREME COURT, CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS, CRIME, CROOKS AND LIARS, DAILY KOZ, FACEBOOK, GUN CONTROL, JOSH KOSKOFF, M1-16 ASSAULT RIFLE, MARTIN LUTHER KING, MEDICAID, MENTAL ILLNESS, MIKE MOORE, MOTHER JONES, MOVEON, MSNBC, NANCY LANZA, NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION, NBC NEWS, NEWSWEEK, NPR, PBS NEWSHOUR, POLITICO, PROTECTION OF LAWFUL COMMERCE IN ARMS ACT, RAW STORY, REMINGTON AR-15 BUSHMASTER RIFLE, REMINGTON OUTDOOR COMPANY, REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS SHOOTING, REPUBLICANS, REUTERS, ROBERT F. KENNEDY, SALON, SAN YASIDRO MACDONALD’S SHOOTINGS, SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MASSACRE, SEATTLE TIMES, SECOND AMENDMENT, SELF-DEFENSE, SLATE, STAND-YOUR-GROUND LAWS, THE ATLANTIC, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE DAILY BEAST, THE GUARDIAN, THE HILL, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NATION, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, TIME, TOBACCO COMPANY LAWSUITS, TWITTER, U.S. CONSTITUTION, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, UCLA LAW SCHOOL, UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT, UPI, USA TODAY, VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTINGS, WRONGFUL-DEATH LAWSUITS
In Bureaucracy, History, Law, Military, Politics, Social commentary on March 26, 2019 at 12:11 am
Weapons manufacturers are the only companies in the United States that cannot be sued for the deaths and injuries their products cause.
This is because The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, or PLCAA, immunizes the American firearms industry against lawsuits by victims of mass shootings and gun violence.
Rammed through a Republican-dominated Congress in 2005 by the National Rifle Association (NRA), it was signed into law by President George W. Bush.
But on March 15, 2019, the Supreme Court of Connecticut ruled that families of schoolchildren gunned down in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre could sue Remington Outdoor Co Inc., over its marketing of military-style Bushmaster weapons to civilians.
The Court ruled that the victims’ families had the right to sue Remington under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA).
Among the ads that Remington ran to promote its military-style AR-15 Bushmaster rifle:
- “Truly the most versatile and adaptive rifle ever conceived, it was born of a collaborative effort between Bushmaster, Magpul and Remington to create the ultimate military combat weapons system.”
- A photo of a Bushmaster with its barrel facing the reader, with the caption: “CONSIDER YOUR MAN CARD REISSUED.”
- A photo of a Bushmaster, alongside the slogan: “Forces of opposition, bow down. You are single-handedly outnumbered.”
- “ONE RIFLE. MANY MISSIONS. THE REVOLUTIONARY, FULLY MODULAR REMINGTON ACR (ADAPTIVE COMBAT RIFLE).”
Remington AR-15 Bushmaster
“The defendants knowingly marketed, advertised, and promoted the XM15-E2S for civilians to use to carry out offensive, military style combat missions against their perceived enemies,” alleges the Newtown lawsuit.
And the Justices ruled that, “such use of the XM15-E2S, or any weapon for that matter, would be illegal, and Connecticut law does not permit advertisements that promote or encourage violent, criminal behavior.
“We are confident… that, if there were credible allegations that a firearms seller had run explicit advertisements depicting and glorifying school shootings, and promoted its products in video games, such as ‘School Shooting,’ that glorify and reward such unlawful conduct, and if a troubled young man who watched those advertisements and played those games were inspired thereby to commit a terrible crime like the ones involved in the Sandy Hook massacre, then even the most ardent sponsors of PLCAA would not have wanted to bar a consumer protection lawsuit seeking to hold the supplier accountable for the injuries wrought by such unscrupulous marketing practices.”
Connecticut Supreme Court Building
Said David Wheeler, father of a Sandy Hook victim: “There is a reason why this particular consumer product is the one that is used by people who want to inflict the most damage, and we have seen it time and time again since my son and his classmates were killed. That reason very likely potentially resides in the documents that we have been unable to look at until now.”
“The families’ goal has always been to shed light on Remington’s calculated and profit-driven strategy to expand the AR-15 market and court high-risk users, all at the expense of Americans’ safety,” said Josh Koskoff, one of the lawyers for the victims’ families, “Today’s decision is a critical step toward achieving that goal.”
“This is a landmark and potentially historic ruling,” said Adam Winkler, a UCLA Law School professor who specializes in constitutional law. “While all this decision does is allow a case to go forward, in broader terms it really opens up a new avenue for holding gunmakers responsible.”
More importantly, the ruling could spur similar suits in other states. “This could prompt further such suits not only for cases of mass shootings, but individual ones as well,” Winkler said.
The decision by the Connecticut Supreme Court wasn’t unanimous. Three of its seven justices dissented.
The case now goes back to the lower court for further proceedings and a possible trial.
Opinion remains divided over its chances for success.
According to National Public Radio: “The suit is a high-stakes challenge to gun companies, which have rarely been held liable for crimes committed with their products, and could mark a new front in the battle over gun regulations and corporate accountability.
“An eventual ruling against Remington could establish legal precedent, opening doors for more lawsuits against gun manufacturers, and expose the company’s communications about its marketing plans.”
Noted The Root: “While federal judges remain split on which laws apply to firearm manufacturers, Connecticut judges have drawn a line in the sand. While U.S. Supreme Court intervention on behalf of Remington is a distinct possibility, Connecticut’s decision could inspire lawmakers and lawyers to take a hard look at PLCAA.”
“The larger implications of this are that the Connecticut Supreme Court has just blown a giant hole in the PLCAA and in federal immunity for firearms manufacturers,” said Timothy Lytton, a law professor at Georgia State University.
Lytton predicted that the United States Supreme Court would be likely to take up the case: “What we’re talking about here is the interpretation of a federal statute and that falls squarely in the jurisdiction of the [United States] Supreme Court.”
A spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association declined to comment.
Bureaucracybuster's Blog 
2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, ABC NEWS, ALTERNET, ANDREW MCCABE FBI, AP, BARACK OBAMA, BORDER PATROL, BUZZFEED, CALEXICO, CBS NEWS, CNN, CROOKS AND LIARS, DAILY KOZ, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, DONALD TRUMP, ELAINE DUKE, FACEBOOK, FEDERAL JUDGES, JAMES COMEY, JAMES ROBART, JEFF SESSIONS, JOHN ROBERTS, JOHN TIGAR, KEITH KELLOGG, KRISJEN NIELSEN, MEXICO, MOTHER JONES, MOVEON, MSNBC, NBC NEWS, NEWSWEEK, NINTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS, NPR, PBS NEWSHOUR, POLITICO, PREET BAHARA, RACHEL BRAND, RAW STORY, REUTERS, RICHARD M. NIXON, ROB JOYCE, ROBERT P. HAYES, ROBERT S. MUELLER, RUDOLPH “TEX” ALLES, RUSSIA, SALLY YATES, SALON, SEATTLE TIMES, SLATE, STEPHEN MILLER, THE ATLANTIC, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE DAILY BEAST, THE GUARDIAN, THE HILL, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NATION, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, THOMAS HOMAN, TIME, TWITTER, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE, UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT, UPI, USA TODAY, WILLIAM BARR
TRUMP: THE NATION’S CHIEF LAWBREAKER
In Bureaucracy, History, Law, Law Enforcement, Politics, Social commentary on April 10, 2019 at 12:15 amA President plays many roles. Among these:
It’s with his role as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer that Donald J. Trump has jeopardized his continued role as President of the United States.
Since taking office on January 20, 2017, Trump has fired:
Among those law enforcement officials he has forced to resign:
In addition, Trump has ruthlessly attacked members of the judiciary who have dared rule against him:
Donald Trump
And as recently as April 5, Trump once again demonstrated his notorious contempt for rule-by-law—and his desire to replace it with “rule-by-Trump.”
This occurred during his visit to Calexico, on the border of California and Mexico. He was there to inspect a section of fencing for his still-uncompleted border wall between the United States and Mexico.
He also attended a briefing on immigration and border security hosted by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
As part of this, he read a statement addressed to Central American migrants wanting to enter the United States:
“It’s a colossal surge and it’s overwhelming our immigration system, and we can’t let that happen. So, as I say, and this is our new statement: The system is full. Can’t take you anymore. Whether it’s asylum, whether it’s anything you want, it’s illegal immigration….Our country is full….So turn around. That’s the way it is.”
Illegal aliens entering the United States
Nor did Trump have any use for those claiming asylum:
“Asylum—you know, I look at some of these asylum people; they’re gang members. They’re not afraid of anything. They have lawyers greeting them. They read what the lawyer tells them to read. They’re gang members. And they say, ‘I fear for my life. I…’ They’re the ones that are causing fear for life. It’s a scam. Okay? It’s a scam.”
That was for public consumption. What was not were words Trump spoke in a private meeting with Border Patrol agents.
According to CNN, “the President told border agents to not let migrants in.”
That, in fact, is illegal, especially if they are seeking asylum. And Secretary of Homeland Security Krisjen Nielsen had told Trump so two weeks earlier.
“Tell them we don’t have the capacity,” said Trump, reported CNN. “If judges give you trouble, say, “‘Sorry, judge, I can’t do it. We don’t have the room.'”
This was clearly an order for Federal law enforcers to break the law.
It also qualifies as “obstruction of justice”—an article of impeachment filed against President Richard Nixon in 1974.
Once the President left the room, read the CNN report, “agents sought further advice from their leaders, who told them they were not giving them that direction and if they did what the President said they would take on personal liability. You have to follow the law, they were told.”
Attending that meeting was Nielsen. Early on, she thanked Trump “always for coming out to the field to listen to the men and women. We greatly appreciate your support.”
Krisjen Nielsen
Two days later, she would be ousted by Trump as Secretary of Homeland Security.
Trump had won election in 2016 partly on promises to build a border wall and crack down on illegal immigrants. For his base, that remains the overriding issue. If Trump can’t make good on his promise, he’s unlikely to be re-elected by that base.
And Trump didn’t believe that Nielsen had been ruthless enough in stemming the tide of legal and illegal immigration from Central American countries.
Share this: