Thursday Reads: The General Election Campaign Begins
Posted: June 2, 2016 Filed under: just because 52 Comments
John and Yoko
Good Afternoon!!
The insane campaign continues, and we are moving into the general election phase despite Bernie Sanders’ whining.
I just can’t wait until next Tuesday when Hillary will clinch the number of delegates for the nomination. She should get quite a few from Puerto Rico on June 5, and get the rest in New Jersey on June 7, before the California votes are even counted. At that point, perhaps President Obama will endorse Hillary. It appears he is already anxious to get started.
The Boston Globe: Obama wades into election debate with Indiana speech.
ELKHART, Ind. — President Obama on Wednesday forcefully inserted himself into the 2016 presidential campaign, assailing Donald Trump and the Republican Party for peddling economic policies that he said would benefit the rich and connected at the expense of a still-struggling middle class.
Obama framed this year’s presidential contest as a choice between a Democratic Party committed to working families and a Republican Party he said was beholden to China, “big oil,” “big banks,” and the wealthiest Americans. White House aides cast the speech as the president’s first major attempt to influence the race to succeed him.
Patti Smith
“If what you care about in this election is your pocketbook; if what you’re concerned about is who will look out for the interests of working people and grow the middle class,” Obama said in a fiery, campaign-like speech, “if what you’re concerned about is the economy, then the debate is not even close.”
Aides said the president, who is expected to ultimately endorse Hillary Clinton, is eager to jump into the carnival-like political debate between Trump and the Democratic nominee.
Railing against one of Trump’s comments — that he would roll back rules imposed on Wall Street — Obama’s voice grew louder as he declared, “That is crazy!” Sleeves rolled up and his finger wagging, the president asked the supportive crowd, “Have we really forgotten what just happened eight years ago?”
The president said that when he hears that working families are voting for the Republican economic agenda, “I want to have an intervention!”
Naturally, Donald Trump was not happy about being criticized by the president: McClatchy: Donald Trump warns Barack Obama he’ll ‘hit him’ like Bill Clinton. Donald is going to learn that Bill and Barack are a lot tougher than he is.
John Cage
Donald Trump, lashing back at Barack Obama after the president waded forcefully into the presidential campaign, on Wednesday said Obama “doesn’t have a clue” and threatened to turn his attacks on him in retaliation.
“This is a president who doesn’t have a clue,” Trump told supporters in Sacramento. “If he campaigns, that means I’m allowed to hit him, just like I hit Bill Clinton.”
Trump’s remarks followed an appearance by Obama in Elkhart, Ind., on Wednesday, where the president warned against the Republican Party’s economic policies and said the GOP was misleading Americans on the condition of the economy.
Rallying supporters at a hangar at Sacramento International Jet Center, Trump said foreign leaders view Obama as a “total lightweight,” and he said Obama should not involve himself in the campaign.
“He shouldn’t campaign,” Trump said. “He should go out and do the job that he’s supposed to be doing.”
Gee, what’s Don the Con going to do, go birther on Obama again? That didn’t go so well the last time.
Frank Zappa
Trump got more embarrassing news yesterday as the media delved into the court documents on his fraudulent “university.” The Miaimi Herald reports: Golf tournament leaving Trump’s Doral course for Mexico.
Whether desiring more cash or less of Donald Trump, the PGA Tour announced Wednesday it’s yanking its annual star-filled event away from the city of Doral after 55 tournaments.
The new location: Mexico City, in a country Trump once stated sent “rapists” to the United States over a border on which Trump wants to build a wall.
What began in 1962 as the Doral Country Club Invitational and has been the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship since 2011 will be the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship starting in 2017. The PGA doesn’t know which course it’ll use. Only Augusta National, home of the Masters; Pebble Beach; and The Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas, have hosted tournaments for more consecutive years than the Blue Monster, the nickname for Trump National Doral’s Blue course.
In a statement released through The Trump Organization, Trump said, “It is a sad day for Miami, the United States and the game of golf, to have the PGA Tour consider moving the World Golf Championships, which has been hosted in Miami for the last 55 years, to Mexico. No different than Nabisco, Carrier and so many other American companies, the PGA Tour has put profit ahead of thousands of American jobs, millions of dollars in revenue for local communities and charities and the enjoyment of hundreds of thousands of fans who make the tournament an annual tradition. This decision only further embodies the very reason I am running for President of the United States.”
Right. Don the Con is upset because some low-paid service jobs will move to Mexico. How embarrassing would it be to have the Masters Tournament overshadowed by Trump’s ugly racist image? How many companies would want their products associated with his hate speech?
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has been all over TV for the past couple of days talking about Trump’s fraud lawsuits. From CNN: N.Y. attorney general on Trump University: ‘This is straight up fraud.’ Here he is on Good Morning America.
And here he is on Morning Joe today.
This is serious stuff. A little more from CNN:
Trump is currently facing three separate lawsuits — two class action suits filed in California and one in New York by Schneiderman — which argue the program that took in an estimated $40 million, but was mired in fraud and deception.
Schneiderman’s case argues that Trump and Michael Sexton, the former president of the program, engaged in fraudulent, illegal and deceptive conduct, and that although the program promised to offer courses taught by experts personally selected by Trump, the teachers were neither handpicked nor experts.Schneiderman has repeatedly lambasted Trump and his “university,” telling CNN’s Carol Costello Tuesday on “Newsroom” that Trump “defrauded people out of money. They’re entitled to their day in court.”Frida Kahlo
“This is a hugely important case. If you look at the facts of this case, this shows someone who was absolutely shameless in his willingness to lie to people, to say whatever it took to induce them into his phony seminars,” Schneiderman told CNN. “Telling people who are in hard economic times — we’re talking about 2008, 2009 — people desperate to hold onto their homes, to make some money, convincing them that he will teach them his entrepreneurial secrets.” ….“We sued him in 2013. He says it’s a political case. Nobody in August 2013 thought that this guy was going to be the Republican nominee for president,” the attorney general said Thursday. “Thousands of people were bilked out of millions of dollars. Our first priority is to get their money back and to reestablish the legitimacy of educational institutions in New York State.”
Hillary’s campaign was on this yesterday. From the AP via The Boston Globe: Clinton calls Trump University ‘a fraudulent scheme.’
‘‘Trump University was a fraudulent scheme used to prey upon those who could least afford it,’’ Clinton’s campaign wrote on Twitter Wednesday morning.
Clinton aides suggested the likely Democratic nominee would use Trump University as part of a broader effort to cast Trump as a callous businessman who promises Americans ways to get ahead, but is only concerned with enriching himself. As part of that effort, Clinton has previously hammered Trump for appearing to cheer for the collapse of the U.S. housing market and for failing to make good on pledges to donate to veterans until he was pressured to follow through by the media.
‘‘He is pitching voters that he can help improve their lives, but it is all a scam whose only goal is to promote Trump,’’ Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said.
Charles Bukowski
And from Politico: Clinton unloads on ‘fraud’ Donald Trump.
At a Newark, New Jersey, event, Clinton wasted no time diving into an attack on Trump, opening her remarks by bringing up the most recent development in the Trump University lawsuit — unsealed testimony in which former staff described the program as a “fraudulent scheme” and a “total lie.”
“Trump and his employees took advantage of vulnerable Americans,” Clinton said, recounting testimony from Trump University employees suggesting that students were encouraged to make risky financial decisions like maxing out credit cards and emptying retirement accounts. “This is just more evidence that Donald Trump himself is a fraud. He is trying to scam America the way he scammed all those people at Trump U. It’s important that we recognize what he has done because that’s usually a pretty good indicator of what he will do, and on issue after issue, we see someone who is unqualified and unfit to be president of the United States.”
Clinton also attacked Trump for the months-long delay in the delivery of money to veterans charities from a fundraiser he held in January with Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum. Trump attacked the media during a news conference earlier this week for questioning whether the donations had indeed been made, calling one reporter a “sleaze” and deriding another as “a real beauty.”
“Just yesterday we learned the truth about Donald Trump’s big talk about helping veterans,” Clinton said. “It turns out it wasn’t until the press shamed him that he actually made the donations he had promised. For months, it was all just a publicity stunt.”
Pablo Picasso
It’s great to see Hillary ignoring Bernie and seriously focusing on the general election. Here’s how Trump responded:
Donald Trump on Wednesday unleashed a sustained barrage of attacks on Hillary Clinton after the likely Democratic nominee spent the day unloading on the Republican billionaire over his controversy-ridden Trump University.
Trump began by pre-empting Clinton’s next salvo, a foreign policy speech Thursday aimed squarely at Trump, by suggesting the speech is full of “such lies” and capped off his denunciation of the Democrat by insisting Clinton “should not be allowed to run” because of her controversial use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state, which Trump said amounted to a breach of “federal law.”Between those attacks, Trump also called Clinton “a person with no actual talent,” slammed her foreign policy decision-making as secretary of state and recycled an attack previously reserved for his GOP primary opponent, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush: “low energy.”
Pretty weak. Don the Con is going to have to come up with better material that that. Hillary is “low energy?” Give me a break.
I’ll have a few more links in the comment thread. What stories are you following today?
peej
Carissa
bostonboomer
ecocatwoman
mablue2
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
From latest email from Hillary’s campaign:
I like Don the Con!
Someday, I’d like it to stand for Don, the convicted swindler.
Don the Con is from Armando (AKA Big Tent Democrat)
I am so stealing it. I’m sure Armando won’t mind.
When someone says “Dangerous Don,” I’m going to suggest “Don the Con” is a better name.
Amy Fried at Pollways:
These two videos show how Clinton will clinch the Democratic nomination on June 7
http://pollways.bangordailynews.com/2016/05/30/national/clinton-clinch-nomination/
The pictures are amazing! Celebrity Cats! The Trump University thing should land him in jail.The interviews are petty clear that there’s a preponderance of evidence that it was a scam.
I have fallen in love with these pictures. I have lots more.
Some officials worry about briefing Trump, fearing spilled secrets.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-intelligence-idUSKCN0YO24T
Hillary + Girls over at Shakesville. Go. Look now. Here is enthusiasm, and hope! Feel better, we got this.
http://www.shakesville.com/2016/06/hillary-girls.html#disqus_thread
Was just over there – this made me so blubbery (in a good way!).
That is wonderful. Thank you babama.
Oh, yeah! Kids! Girl kids! I love it.
Hillary is destroying Trump in her foreign policy speech. Unreal.
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She most certainly is BB. She’s right you never know what is next when it comes to Trump, and all his signals so far spells “disaster” for this country, like we have never seen it before. How far he will go, his words, his actions, and the republicans who support him and his GET IT ON WAR policies, cannot be disputed.
She put the screws to him today, not just on military/nuclear war, but on his trade war, and his anti-human rights positions, and his lack of understanding of Americans, and about our Great Country. We are beloved throughout the world, with Trump that will no longer be.
We aren’t some gambling casino, this is America, and we are an honorable, and good people.
Exactly. She was perfect.
What a brilliant speech!
It was, BB!! I found myself with tears streaming down my face listening to her, taking in her words, reveling in her confidence and brilliance! I couldn’t wait to come over here and see what everyone thought of her “presidenting.” And she WAS presidenting to the max!
I waited, and waited to hear her. I have family members, who are not doing well, health wise, and my phone has been ringing………….
But I sat down and listened to her word for word.
I already love Hillary, and I was deeply impressed. I’m glad she didn’t hold back on talking about how clueless and dangerous Trump is.
HILLARY CLINTON ROASTS TRUMP: ‘Dangerously incoherent’
http://www.businessinsider.com/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-speech-2016-6
Holy Moly! What a beatdown!!!
Wasn’t it great? I’m so glad you saw it.
That was great. 🙂
BB – you came immediately to mind when she said that! I cracked up – her delivery of that one sentence, the look on her face, the almost eye roll – it was pitch perfect!
The audience loved it. The other one that got a huge reaction is when she described him in the situation room trying to make a decision.
Welcome to the national stage Madame President!
She gave brilliant speech that the could not ever duplicate in his lifetime,
Can you imagine Bernie being able to give a speech like that?
With his finger pointing at the crowd? NO!
lol
Here’s the full transcript of Hillary’s speech.
https://www.hillaryclinton.com/briefing/statements/2016/06/02/transcript-hillary-clinton-delivers-major-national-security-address/
Thank you. I’ve been picking up bits and pieces on twitter and read the transcripts. Awesome speech and well delivered. I was at PT so I missed the original broadcast but wow. Just wow.
Very good speech. I think she picked up converts with that.
Here’s the C-Span video:
http://www.c-span.org/video/?410484-1/hillary-clinton-lays-national-security-priorities
Thank you.
Vox:
http://wapo.st/22BbzN2
Fact checker on speech
Victim’s father attacks convicted East Cleveland serial killer Michael Madison minutes after sentencing
http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2016/06/victims_father_attacks_convict.html
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/top-ten-reasons-to-doubt-trump-is-even-a-billionaire
Josh Marshall
Another endorsement for Hillary. This time it’s Native Tribal Leaders in North and South Dakota.
http://nativenewsonline.net/currents/north-south-dakota-tribal-leaders-endorse-hillary-clinton-president/
Wow. That’s great.
And another first time endorsement from a key gun control advocacy group.
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/hillary-clinton-everytown-gun-safety-endorsement-223855
I heard the speech on Sirius. It was one of the better political speeches I’ve ever heard. She kicked Don the Con’s ass from the beginning to the end. He’s the biggest know-nothing candidate of my lifetime and I’m glad she began the GE contest with a speech designed to take him to task.
https://usatcollege.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/reading-paper.gif?w=605&h=341
Guess who put out a press release attacking Hillary after her speech yesterday? (Hint: You’re wrong if you think it was T-Rump.)
Oh no he didn’t!
https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-statement-foreign-policy/
http://bluenationreview.com/bernie-attacked-hillary-for-her-brilliant-blistering-destruction-of-donald/
In the words of beloved Wife, “Bernie is a prick”.
I no longer think Bernie Sanders is a piece of shit. I am increasingly convinced that Bernie is the shit from which the piece has been taken.
Ron, I believe that Bernie is being undone by Weaver, who sees Bernie as his gravy train. He is no longer a ‘friend’ but rather a leech focused on sucking the life blood out of BS.
That is not to say that Bernie is a senior of whom Weaver is taking advantage – I do however believe that Bernie started with good intentions but somewhere along the way enjoyed the taste of the coolade that Weaver was serving him. The delusion has now become Bernies reality, but it’s still a reality to the rest of the world.
If you watch the Matthews video Weaver exposes his fraudulent pursuits and storytelling that he has used to keep Bernie ‘running’ as long as he can. It’s criminal.
Go home baby hands
What Is Fentanyl? The Drug That Killed Prince Has Killed Thousands of Others
by ALEX JOHNSON
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/what-fentanyl-drug-killed-prince-has-killed-thousands-others-n584961
When my father was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung cancer and decided he wanted to go home to die, the Fentanyl patch was the drug he was given. It is a highly potent medication. I have a family member who has pain issues and is addicted to fentanyl patch who I fear will end up the same way.