Thursday Reads: Wacky Politics, Right and Left
Posted: March 3, 2016 Filed under: morning reads, U.S. Politics | Tags: Bernie Sanders, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Elizabeth Warren, wacky politics 36 Comments
Good Morning!!
It’s another wacky news day in the battles for the major party presidential nominations. In the Republican race, Donald Trump basically has already won; and now that it’s too late, some GOP leaders are trying to stop him. Today it’s 2012 Republican candidate Mitt Romney, who plans to denounce Trump today in a speech in Utah.
The Washington Post: Mitt Romney: ‘Trump is a phony, a fraud’ who is ‘playing the American public for suckers.’
In a forceful, top-to-bottom indictment of Trump, Romney will call on fellow Republicans to reject the billionaire businessman’s candidacy in an election “that will have profound consequences for the Republican Party and more importantly, for the country.”
“Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud,” Romney will say, according to a speech prepared for delivery Thursday at the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics. “His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He’s playing the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat.” ….
Several of Romney’s friends, allies and former donors are involved in efforts to stop Trump, launching and funding super PACs airing ads against the businessman, in Florida, Ohio and elsewhere….
According to Romney’s Thursday remarks, Trump’s “domestic policies would lead to recession. His foreign policies would make America and the world less safe. He has neither the temperament nor the judgement to be president. And his personal qualities would mean that America would cease to be a shining city on a hill.”
Trump, Romney is expected to say, “relishes any poll that reflects what he thinks of himself. But polls are also saying that he will lose to Hillary Clinton.”
Naturally, Trump hit back. From the LA Times:
Trump, in turn, dismissed Romney as “a stiff” who “didn’t know what he was doing” as the party’s candidate in 2012 and blew a chance to beat President Obama. “People are energized by what I’m saying” in the campaign and turning out in remarkable numbers to vote, Trump told NBC’s “Today.”
In ratcheting up the rhetoric, Romney cast his lot with a growing chorus of anxious Republican leaders — people many Trump supporters view as establishment figures — in trying to slow the New York real estate mogul’s momentum.
But it was unclear what effect his words would have with voters deeply frustrated by their party’s leaders. Trump questioned whether the party rank and file would listen to “a failed candidate” for whom “nobody came out to vote.”
Unfortunately for the Republican “establishment,” the Koch brothers aren’t going to help them bring Trump down, according to a Reuters exclusive: Koch brothers will not use funds to try to block Trump nomination.
The Koch brothers, the most powerful conservative mega donors in the United States, will not use their $400 million political arsenal to try to block Republican front-runner Donald Trump’s path to the presidential nomination, a spokesman told Reuters on Wednesday.
The decision by the billionaire industrialists is another setback to Republican establishment efforts to derail the New York real estate mogul’s bid for the White House, and follows speculation the Kochs would soon launch a “Trump Intervention.”
“We have no plans to get involved in the primary,” said James Davis, spokesman for Freedom Partners, the Koch brothers’ political umbrella group. He would not elaborate on what the brothers’ strategy would be for the Nov. 8 election to succeed Democratic President Barack Obama.
Three sources close to the Kochs said the brothers made the decision because they were concerned that spending millions of dollars attacking Trump would be money wasted, since they had not yet seen any attack on Trump stick.
The Koch brothers are also smarting from the millions of dollars they pumped into the failed 2012 Republican presidential bids of Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, the sources said.
On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders supporters are attacking Elizabeth Warren and threatening to primary her because she didn’t endorse their candidate before the Massachusetts primary.
TBogg at Raw Story: Elizabeth Warren fails to endorse Bernie and his fans freak the hell out on her Facebook page.
After Sanders of Vermont secured a primary win in the neighboring state of New Hampshire, progressives turned their starstruck eyes to Progressive Goddess Warren figuring she could seal the deal for Bernie in her home state primary with a Bernie endorsement.And then she didn’t. In fact, she stayed silent.
Cue Progressive Rageface
So they expressed their extreme dissatisfaction with Warren on her Facebook page on a perfectly anodyne post celebrating the appearance of the Fisk Jubilee Singers who performed “traditional spiritual and black American religious music” at Boston’s Symphony Hall back on Feb. 21.Whatever, stupid singers. Facebook is made for ranting.
And rant they did, ripping into the implicit heresy of Warren’s failure to endorse Sanders by letting her know in no uncertain terms that they are really really really REALLY disappointed. And worse.
As in:
Your unwillingness to endorse Bernie prior to Super Tuesday indicates to me that your fear of pressure from Hillary friends on Capitol Hill “trumps” your commitment to the progressive cause. I have lost faith in you and the DNC.
Elizabeth – is there ANY reason on God’s green earth that you’re sitting quiet in the corner while Bernie is awaiting your endorsement? Am I missing something here???
Is she really part of the establishment? How can she, as a representative of the people, as a self proclaimed progressive, not publicly endorse Bernie Sanders? Do you think she owes Clinton some political favors? hmmmm.
Read more lovely examples of Bernie-discourse at the Raw Story link.
As if that wasn’t enough, yesterday a Sanders supporter from Chicago posted a petition on Change.org to have former U.S. President Bill Clinton arrested for . . . something. More than 80,000 angry Bernie fans have signed it so far.
The Boston Globe: Did Bill Clinton violate election rules in Mass.?
Bill Clinton’s presence inside a polling location in Boston on Super Tuesday raised concerns about whether the former president violated state rules on election campaigning.
While stumping for his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton entered a polling station at the Holy Name Parish School’s gymnasium in West Roxbury early Tuesday.
It was there that he spoke with workers, bought a cup of coffee, and apparently took a photo with one woman, according to press pool reports.
A video clip showing Bill Clinton shaking hands with election clerks at Holy Name, alongside Mayor Martin J. Walsh, had some people on Twitter questioning the former president’s appearance indoors.
“Aren’t there rules about electioneering at the polling location?” one person wrote on Twitter, after seeing the video.
Hmmm . . . should the mayor be arrested too? He endorsed Hillary. Of course Secretary of State Maura Healy did too. Oh the unfairness of it all!
“He can go in, but he can’t approach voters,” Galvin said. “We just took the extra precaution of telling them because this is not a usual occurrence. You don’t usually get a president doing this.”
According to the Election Day Legal Summary on Galvin’s website, certain activities on Election Day are prohibited within polling locations and within 150 feet of polling places, including the “solicitation of votes for or against, or any other form of promotion or opposition of, any person or political party.”
Of course Bill wasn’t actively campaigning. He probably shouldn’t have done this, but he was accompanied by mayors in the places where it happened. Presumably, the mayors are the ones who brought Clinton inside. Maybe Bernie bros should make a citizens’ arrest. Or alternatively, maybe Sanders should just run a better campaign. Just a thought.
There’s another Republican debate tonight in Detroit, and we’ll of course have a live blog for discussion. The event begins at 9PM and will be hosted by Fox News. Moderators will be Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace.
More stories to check out, links only:
The Guardian: Donald Trump releases his healthcare plan in campaign statement.
The Washington Post: Pandemonium in the GOP: Some embrace Trump while others rush to stop him.
The New York Times: Debate Prep: Fact-Checking the GOP Candidates on Health Care.
Peter Beinart at The Atlantic: The Violence to Come: With Donald Trump on the brink of the GOP nomination, America is hurtling toward a schism unlike anything since the 1960s.
This is a great article by David Cay Johnston on Donald Trump’s income, wealth, and what might be in his tax returns: 9 Key Points About Trump’s Income Taxes (And Many More Questions).
Fortune: Why Donald Trump’s Tax Returns May Prove He’s Not That Rich.
Time: White House May Be Vetting Appeals Judge for Supreme Court Vacancy.
Christopher D. Benson at the Chicago Tribune: In ‘Spotlight,’ a lesson on covering race.
Shakesville: Hillary Sexism Watch Part Wev in an Endless Series.
Ugly story out of Boston:
The Boston Globe: US to investigate racial allegations at Boston Latin and Family of student threatened with lynching wants consequences in the case.
What stories are you following today?
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
mablue2
Mama Lopez
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
Mitt Romney speaking right now.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/03/politics/mitt-romney-stop-trump-at-convention/index.html
This first NYT article on Hitler was going around Twitter yesterday. Seems relevant to media failure to deal with Trump adequately.
Vox: The New York Times’ first article about Hitler’s rise is absolutely stunning
http://www.vox.com/2015/2/11/8016017/ny-times-hitler
I fear that we haven’t been able to reply on most U.S. media to vet any candidate or topic adequately for a while.
Then again, all that’s necessary for evil to triumph is for good men (sic) to do nothing. Trump appeals to bullies and to those who want to feel better about themselves by taking it out on others. Unfortunately there are a lot of mean people. I don’t know how representative of what % of the US Trump’s supporters are. Only a small number of voters turn out for primaries. Yet if this continues … I don’t want to think his supporters would increase significantly. But they could.
Very good point to bring up bb
From that Fortune article:
Ahhaha! No, I don’t assume that!
I don’t think that Trump will get the nomination, but obviously I could be wrong on this. I think that his votes the other night showed some weakness, and that he will further decline to at least some extent. I think that Kasich is going to start to emerge as a viable threat, as he can win some of those norhern states. I do not want Kasich to get the nomination; he is a very right-wing social darwinist who simply appears less threatening, just like Rubiio. I am worried about a media adulation of any Republican who can beat Trump.
I certainly am aware of the very real and frightening dangers of a Trump presidency. But I am very confident that Hillary would beat him, and maybe by a very large margin. The Republicans do not hate Trump because they are moral people with worthwhiile principles, they hate him because they think he will lose, and embarrass them. Domestically, there is nothing that Trump stands for that they do not, except for the overt immigrant bashing, which they prefer to do mnre subtly.
Romney called Trump a phony and a fraud! Sheesh! He’s got no pull with the cretins that support Trump
There is another debate tonight? Gawd will the torture ever end…
It should. But it won’t.
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/trump-won-super-tuesday-because-america-is-racist_b_9367650.html
Good commentary on institutional racism.
http://www.salon.com/2016/03/03/american_psycho_for_prez_donald_trumps_sons_epitomize_the_80s_style_yuppie_villainy_of_his_campaign/
Amanda Marcotte …you’ll love this BB
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/how-clinton-saved-her-campaign-220165
This really is a nice read for Tiger Beat on the Potomac.
Something that jumped out at me and I read it somewhere before is the part that said Sanders had 200 paid operatives in SC and spent 2 million on TV ads there. He’s just burning through the money. In SC of all places he didn’t stand a chance and if he thought he was in it for the long haul, he wouldn’t have wasted so much money there.
Romney’s speech is extraordinary. I’ve been a politics junky my entire life and I do not recall anything quite like it. Unbelievable.
As far as the Kochs not putting up any money to stop Trump, it doesn’t surprise me at all. Trump as the Republican nominee is their wet dream. They’ve spent hundreds of millions of dollars dismantling our democracy and laying the foundation for fascism and now they have their fascist. I have no doubt that they are delighted with this buffoon.
I wasn’t to happy about his comments about Hillary, but he was quite efficient at ripping tRump a new one. Still, I don’t know why the GOP thinks this will work, nothing else has.
I only saw clips and read the article in the NYT so I wasn’t aware that he took shots at Hillary. No surprise.
The GOP can’t get through any sort of speech without taking a shot at Hillary. He said something to the effect that the “Clinton’s were at the intersection of Crony Capitalism and Washington” paraphrasing. Then he swiped at her over Benghazi and her explanation to the families of those killed. Basically cheap shots that mirror what their playbook will be in the General. No surprises.
They need a petition to stop Bill Clinton from working on the campaign trail, they can just send this guy in.
One of the funniest scenes in the entire run of a very funny show! I have to YouTube this now!!! Thanks,
http://www.salon.com/2016/03/03/scary_single_ladies_rebecca_traister_explains_why_single_women_frighten_the_hell_out_of_the_gop/
Good article.
This essay by John Shelby Spong explains how we got here. Unfortunately, the link just takes you to the site and not to the essay. You have to subscribe to get to it.
http://johnshelbyspong.com/2016/03/03/the-sources-of-political-gridlock-and-anger
In essence, the case he makes it: the US was founded as a republic, not a democracy; originally, only white males of property were eligible to vote. Next, un-propertied white males were extended the franchise, but they were easily manipulated. After the civil war, black men became eligible, but their franchise was easily negated with Jim Crow rules and intimidation. When women gained the vote after WWI, men feared they would cause the election of ‘unsuitable’ candidates, but, since women overwhelmingly voted the way of their husbands, this point was moot. Immigration quotas ensured that UK/European arrivals dominated. Only when those quotas were dropped did the demographics start to change. And then, in 1996, women ‘defied’ their men and caused the re-election of Bill Clinton.
The rise of the Civil Rights, LGBT Rights and Women’s Rights have changed the landscape and the old white dudes (a.k.a. the GOP) have freaked out big time. The Citizens United decision really was based on ‘originalist’ ideology! (What about all those amendments??)
Anyway, a very sane read in a very crazy-making time.
Trump just finally shut up – he was raving like an escaped mental patient. I am speechless.
His manner of speaking is so disjointed and fragmented that he sounds like a man who is mentally deranged.
Mouse so good to see you.
Hi, JJ!!!! 🙂
RMoney is the same slime bag he was in 2012. Here are the exact words Mitt Romney used against Hillary today
“On Hillary Clinton’s watch at the State Department, America’s interests were diminished in every corner of the world. She compromised our national secrets, dissembled to the families of the slain, and jettisoned her most profound beliefs to gain presidential power.”
“For the last three decades, the Clintons have lived at the intersection of money and politics, trading their political influence to enrich their personal finances. They embody the term “crony capitalism.” It disgusts the American people and causes them to lose faith in our political process. A person so untrustworthy and dishonest as Hillary Clinton must not become president.”
That’s pretty much word for word what I see among the sexist lefties. The good thing is that this makes it even easier to say, “You get your talking points from Mittens?”
Lol.
Great rebuttal! Thanks.
Three polls released 3/2 & 3/3. Michigan & Mississippi votes 3/8/16
Louisiana Democratic Presidential Primary Magellan Strategies (R) Clinton 61, Sanders 14 Clinton +47
Michigan Democratic Presidential Primary FOX 2 Detroit/Mitchell Clinton 61, Sanders 33 Clinton +28
Mississippi Democratic Presidential Primary Magellan Strategies (R) Clinton 65, Sanders 11 Clinton +54
Trump released it with good timing and his health plan is going to give a lot of republicans something to chew on. Don’t discount this man.
Susan Sarandon, last seen bullying Dolores Huerta, says Hollywood people are secretly for Sanders but are afraid to come out publicly.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/271722-susan-sarandon-hollywood-stars-afraid-of-backing-sanders
That is bullshit!!!!
A list of Actors & Comedians who have publicly endorsed Hillary. Here is the link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hillary_Clinton_presidential_campaign_endorsements,_2016#Actors_and_comedians
Uzo Aduba, actress[479]
Ben Affleck, actor[704]
Dianna Agron, actress[705]
Jessica Alba, actress[319]
Erika Alexander, actress[706]
Jaimie Alexander, actress[707]
Judd Apatow, actor[708]
Tichina Arnold, actress[74]
Tom Arnold, actor and comedian[709]
Brad Armstrong, actor and director[710]
Katie Aselton, actress[711]
Sean Astin, actor and director[712]
Alimi Ballard, actor[713]
Elizabeth Banks, actress[714]
Drew Barrymore, actress[715]
Giulio Base, actor[716]
Angela Bassett, actress[668]
Meredith Baxter, actress[603]
Aisling Bea, comedienne[717]
Garcelle Beauvais, actress[718]
Joy Behar, comedienne[719]
Beth Behrs, actress[720]
Candice Bergen, actress[721]
Emily Bergl, actress[722]
Sandra Bernhard, comic and actress[723]
Matt Besser, comedian[724]
Viva Bianca, actress[725]
Mike Birbiglia, comic[726]
Sierra Boggess, actress[727]
Lindy Booth, actress[728]
Elayne Boosler, comic[729]
Jesse Borrego, actor[730]
Zach Braff, actor[654]
Lisa Brenner, actress[731]
Yvette Nicole Brown, actress[732]
Tara Buck, actress[733]
Betty Buckley, actress[734]
David Burtka, actor[735]
David Campbell, performer[736]
Amy Carlson, actress[737]
Lynda Carter, actress[738]
Kristy Cates, actress[739]
Vicki Chase, actress[740]
Ambyr Childers, actress[654]
George Clooney, actor[741]
Michelle Clunie, actress[463]
Claire Coffee, actress[742]
Chris Colfer, actor[603]
Michelle Collins, comedienne[743]
Bryan Cranston, actor[744]
Wilson Cruz, actor and advocate[745]
Valorie Curry, actress[746]
Jamie Lee Curtis, actress[747]
Matt Damon, actor[748]
Kevin Daniels, actor[749]
Ted Danson, actor[750]
Geena Davis, actress[603]
Robert De Niro, actor[751]
Ellen DeGeneres, comedienne[750]
Jonathan Del Arco, actor and activist[752]
Majandra Delfino, actress[753]
Kat Dennings, actress[479]
Guillermo Díaz, actor[754]
Michael Douglas, actor[603]
Lena Dunham, actress[755]
Nora Dunn, actress and comedienne[756]
Jesse Eisenberg, actor[757]
Cary Elwes, actor[758]
Cameron Esposito, comic[759]
Dakota Fanning, actress[585]
Mia Farrow, actress and activist[760]
Corey Feldman, actor[761]
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, actor[762]
Will Ferrell, actor and comedian[763]
America Ferrera, actress[720]
Sally Field, actress[750]
Scott Foley, actor[764]
Vivica A. Fox, actress[765]
Jamie Foxx, actor[766]
Morgan Freeman, actor[767]
Soleil Moon Frye, actress[603]
Josh Gad, actor[768]
Johnny Galecki, actor[677]
Jennifer Garner, actress[603]
Ana Gasteyer, actress and comedienne[769]
Jason George, actor[108]
Richard Gere, actor[770]
Peri Gilpin, actress [771]
Ilana Glazer, comedienne and actress[772]
GloZell, comedienne[773]
Joanna Going, actress[774]
Tony Goldwyn, actor[775]
Nancy Lee Grahn, actress[776]
Allie Grant, actress[761]
Kathy Griffin, comedian[777][778]
Melanie Griffith, actress[603]
Mamie Gummer, actress[779]
Lukas Haas, actor[603]
Tom Hanks, actor and director[780]
Genevieve Hannelius, actress[781]
Hill Harper, actor[769]
Steve Harvey, actor and comedian[782]
Anne Hathaway, actress[783]
Salma Hayek, actress[784]
Marg Helgenberger, actress[785]
Dustin Hoffman, actor[750]
Katie Holmes, actress[654]
Kate Hudson, actress[654]
Helen Hunt, actress[786]
Cheyenne Jackson, actor[787]
Samuel L. Jackson, actor[788]
Abbi Jacobson, comedienne and actress[762]
Lenny Jacobson, actor[789]
Ron Jeremy, actor[740]
Scarlett Johansson, actress[790]
Natalie Joy Johnson, actress[739]
Ashley Judd, actress and activist[791]
Maya Kazan, actress[792]
Zoe Kazan, actress[793]
Harvey Keitel, actor and producer[794]
Laura Michelle Kelly, actress[795]
Michael Kelly, actor[796]
Sean Kent, comic[797]
Andy Kindler, comedian[798]
Jaime King, actress[799]
Jemima Kirke, actress[692]
Diane Kruger, actress[762]
Lisa Kudrow, actress[704]
Mila Kunis, actress[800]
John Leguizamo, actor and comedian[721]
Heather Lind, actress[801]
Eva Longoria, actress[750]
Katie Lowes, actress[692]
Jane Lynch, actress[802]
Alicia Machado, actress[803]
Tobey Maguire, actor[656]
Mara Marini, actress[804]
Eddie Marsan, actor[805]
Marlee Matlin, actress[806]
Andrea McArdle, actress[739]
Audra McDonald, actress and singer[807]
Mary McDonnell, actress[808]
Rose McGowan, actress[809]
Kate McKinnon, comedienne[810]
Debra Messing, actress[811]
Lauren Miller, actress[812]
Helen Mirren, actress[813]
Fawzia Mirza, actress[814]
Arian Moayed, actor[815]
Janet Montgomery, actress[816]
Julianne Moore, actress[817]
Chloë Grace Moretz, actress[818]
Julian Morris, actor[819]
Matthew Morrison, actor and singer[626]
Patrick Muldoon, actor[820]
Emma Myles, actress[821]
Kathy Najimy, actress and comedienne[822]
Lucas Neff, actor[823]
Jack Nicholson, actor[750]
Rosie O’Donnell, comedienne[824]
Rory O’Malley, actor[318]
Ed O’Neill, actor[650]
Ashley Olsen, actress[825]
Mary-Kate Olsen, actress[825]
Ana Ortiz, actress[826]
Mary-Louise Parker, actor[769]
Sarah Jessica Parker, actress[827]
Jim Parsons, actor[591]
Viveca Paulin, actress[505]
Heather Peace, actress and singer[828]
Josh Peck, actor[762]
Christine Pedi, actress[739]
Wendell Pierce, actor[603]
Ryan Piers Williams, actor and director[829]
Aubrey Plaza, actress and comedienne[830]
Amy Poehler, actress and comedienne[762]
Dascha Polanco, actress[831]
Natalie Portman, actress[750]
Markie Post, actress[832]
Rachel Potter, actress and singer[833]
Greg Proops, comedian[834]
Zachary Quinto, actor[835]
Andrew Rannells, actor[479]
Retta, actress and comic[692]
Kim Rhodes, actress[836]
Christina Ricci, actress[837]
Lisa Rinna, actress[838]
Holly Robinson-Peete, actress[74]
Sebastian Roché, actor[839]
Chris Rock, comedian and actor[840]
Gina Rodriguez, actress[692]
Emmy Rossum, actress[841]
Meg Ryan, actress[721]
Katey Sagal, actress[603]
Amy Schumer, comedienne and actress[842]
Charles Shaughnessy, actor[843]
Rickey Smiley, comic[844]
Hal Sparks, actor[845]
Kylie Sparks, actress[846]
Octavia Spencer, actress[603]
Mary Steenburgen, actress[750][780]
Sharon Stone, actress[847]
Carolyn Stotesbery, actress[848]
George Takei, actor[849]
Amber Tamblyn, actress[692]
Molly Tarlov, actress[850]
Iqbal Theba, actor[851]
Charlize Theron, actress[603]
Marlo Thomas, actress[852]
Sean Patrick Thomas, actor[853]
Bella Thorne, actress[708]
Sarah Thyre, actress[854]
Michelle Trachtenberg, actress[855]
John Travolta, actor[856]
Bitsie Tulloch, actress[857]
Kathleen Turner, actress[858]
Liv Tyler, actress[859]
Wilmer Valderrama, actor[784]
William Valdés, actor[860]
Amber Valletta, actress and model[603]
Nia Vardalos, actress[861]
Alexa Vega, actress[862]
Natalia Villaveces, actress[863]
Kate Walsh, actress[864]
Kerry Washington, actress[479]
Ming-Na Wen, actress[865]
Audrey Whitby, actress[866]
Bradley Whitford, actor[677]
Vivicca Whitsett, actress[867]
Olivia Wilde, actress[868]
Rebel Wilson, actress[708]
Rita Wilson, actress[780]
Reese Witherspoon, actress[585]
Anna Wood, actress[869]
D. B. Woodside, actor[870]
Jeffrey Wright, actor[720]
Constance Wu, actress[692]
😀