Republicans should be very nervous about the midterms elections after this week — here’s why
some rich asshole (AFP/File / SAUL LOEB)
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
Tuesday provided another series of electoral outcomes that bode well for the Democratic Party and are very ominous for their Republican counterparts.
This article was originally published at Salon
The most notable election Tuesday was the race for an Arizona congressional seat that had been recently vacated by Republican Rep. Trent Franks after a scandal in which he was reported to have repeatedly asked two female staffers working for him to serve as child surrogates. At the most recent count, Republican candidate Debbie Lesko was ahead of Democratic candidate Dr. Hiral Tipirneni, according to CNN.
As CNN pointed out, however, the fact that Lesko is still expected to win doesn’t bode well for the Republican Party, considering that she significantly underperformed in that district compared to how GOP candidates normally do:
In a neutral environment, the margin should be much wider. President some rich asshole won the district by 21 percentage points in 2016 and Mitt Romney won it by 25 percentage points in 2012. Combining those outcomes and controlling for how well Democrats did nationally in each of those contests, we can say that Arizona 8 is 25 points more Republican than the nation. Lesko looks like she’s going to do about 20 percentage points worse than that.The result in Arizona 8 fits a pattern so far in special congressional elections this cycle. In every one of the nine so far, Democrats have outperformed the partisan baseline based on the prior two presidential elections.
the rich asshole, of course, took to Twitter to crow about the Republican candidate’s victory in that district — and to take a shot at the media.
In a special election race for the New York State Assembly, Democratic nominee Steve Stern managed to defeat his Republican counterpart in a seat that had gone to the Republican candidate in every election since 1978, according to Vox. Perhaps even more ominous for the rich asshole, Stern significantly outperformed the last two Democratic presidential candidates within that district — surpassing Hillary Clinton’s 2016 showing by 11 points and Barack Obama’s 2012 margin by 15 points.
The outcome of this state legislative race has significant implications for the Republican Party’s fortunes in the some rich asshole era. On the one hand, it won’t alter the partisan makeup of the New York State Assembly, which is already controlled by the Democratic Party. The bigger election in terms of New York gubernatorial politics was the one for a State Senate race in Winchester County, New York, where Democratic candidate Shelley B. Mayer won an election that — combined with a victory in a special election for a State Senate seat in the Bronx — gave the Democrats a 1-vote majority in the State Senate, according to The New York Times. Though because Democratic State Senator Simcha Felder of Brooklyn continues to caucus with Republicans, the GOP will continue to have a majority in that chamber.
That said, Stern’s victory reinforces a trend that has been pervasive since the rich asshole took office in January 2017. As Daily Kos explained in a spreadsheet, Democratic special election candidates surpassed Hillary Clinton’s 2016 numbers by an average of 10 points and Barack Obama’s 2012 numbers by 7 points in the 70 special elections that were held in 2017. By 2018, those margins had increased to 21 points ahead of Clinton’s 2016 numbers and 10 points ahead of Barack Obama’s 2012 numbers.
The New York Times elaborated on the long-term electoral implications of this trend:
Multiple forces are behind the swing: Republican voters appear demoralized while Democrats are fired up, and some voters who typically lean Republican have been shifting away from the party.
So far, Republicans have benefited greatly from being able to choose most of the spots they have been forced to compete in. Five of the eight special elections arose because some rich asshole selected the sitting Republican lawmaker there for a position in his cabinet. (In the other three cases, Republicans resigned from Congress amid scandal or to join the private sector.)
But some rich asshole’s party will have to compete in dozens of more closely divided districts in November. If Democrats enjoy the same enthusiasm gap in those races, Republicans’ control of the House and Senate could be in jeopardy.
White House defends vetting of veterans affairs nominee Ronny Jackson
White House physician and VA nominee Ronny Jackson. Image via screengrab.
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
The White House on Wednesday defended itself against charges that it had failed to adequately vet President some rich asshole’s choice to be veterans affairs secretary, whose nomination has been imperiled by charges of misconduct.
“In fact, because Dr. Jackson has worked within arm’s reach of three presidents, he has received more vetting than most nominees,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters, referring to White House physician Ronny Jackson.
“Given his unique position of trust and responsibility, Dr. Jackson’s background and character were evaluated during three different administrations,” Sanders said.
Jackson, who was nominated by the rich asshole in March to lead the sprawling Veterans Affairs department, had been considered an unusual choice for the post given his lack of experience managing a large organization.
John Tester, the top Democrat on the Senate committee considering the nomination, has said the panel had received allegations that Jackson had improperly distributed sleeping pills, drank excessive amounts of alcohol on overseas trips and oversaw a toxic work environment.
Jackson, who was nominated by the rich asshole in March to lead the sprawling Veterans Affairs department, had been considered an unusual choice for the post given his lack of experience managing a large organization.
John Tester, the top Democrat on the Senate committee considering the nomination, has said the panel had received allegations that Jackson had improperly distributed sleeping pills, drank excessive amounts of alcohol on overseas trips and oversaw a toxic work environment.
Earlier this week, the committee indefinitely postponed a hearing it had planned on the nomination while it looks into the allegations.
Sanders said Jackson had undergone four different background investigations, including an FBI check, and had received glowing recommendations from his superiors, including former President Barack Obama.
Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Writing by Tim Ahmann and Makini Brice; Editing by Bill Trott
MSNBC panel praises ‘genius’ Macron for playing the rich asshole — and pretending to be the son the rich asshole wishes he had
some rich asshole and Emmanuel Macron/Screenshot
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
French President Emmanuel Macron is well-known for his charm.
Meanwhile, President the rich asshole is well known for his vanity.
Put the two together, and you have a recipe for bromance. Which is exactly what happened when the French president made an official state visit to Washington.
None of it was surprising to MSNBC analyst Christopher Dickey, world news editor of the Daily Beast, who has lived in France for 30 years.
Dickey noted that Macron was able to denounce Trumpism in front of Congress, but that the president might not mind given the bond Macron was able to forge.
“His positions on all kinds of key issues appear to be diametrically opposed to some rich asshole’s,” he said. “He has to try to create a situation where his personal chemistry with the rich asshole will overcome the personal differences. Maybe he’s going to be able to do this. He’s kind of a genius, Macron. He’s a genius of personal relations."
Macron, who has a wife 20 years his senior, gets along well with older people, Dickey said. And that’s key here because the rich asshole liked to be flattered.
“It’s like a father taking care of his son, which is something that Macron has always played on,” he said. “One reason that he is where he is, he knew how to use older people including older men. Make them feel like he’s the son they wish they had.”
Watch his full comments below.
LISTEN: Government lawyer defends Muslim ban by insisting that the rich asshole believes Islam is a ‘great country’
United States Solicitor General Noel Francisco (Official photo).
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
In arguing in favor of President some rich asshole’s travel ban on citizens from several Muslim majority countries, United States Solicitor General Noel Francisco slipped up and described Islam as a “country.”
In his closing argument before the United States Supreme Court on Tuesday, Francisco acknowledged that the rich asshole had proposed a ban on all Muslims entering the United States during the 2016 presidential election campaign — but he said the president had since moderated his stance and decided to only ban travelers from some Muslim-majority nations.
“He made it crystal clear on September 25th that he had no intention of imposing the Muslim ban,” Francisco argued. “He has made crystal clear that Muslims in this country are great Americans, and there are many, many Muslims countries who love this country, and he has praised Islam as one of the great countries of the world.”
Listen to the audio below — Francisco’s remarks about Islam being a “great country” start at the 1:06:25 mark.
The press isn't there to be your friend, it's there to do its' job.
Sarah Sanders whines about the media’s tone as she berates CNN’s Jim Acosta
White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders (Screenshot)
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders clashed with CNN reporter Jim Acosta on Wednesday.
During a press briefing, Acosta asked about some rich asshole’s nominee to run the Department of Veteran Affairs. “Yesterday, the president suggested that Ronny Jackson does not have the experience to run the Department of Veteran Affairs — is that a fair assessment,” he wondered.
But Sanders quickly accused Acosta of distorting the president’s words.
Acosta also asked Sanders about remarks earlier in the press briefing, in which she suggested that the the rich asshole administration was a champion of the press.
“We support a free press but we also support a fair press,” Sanders said. “And I think that those things should go hand and hand.”
She added that the reporters at White House briefings often had a “tone” that was “completely unnecessary.”
Ben Carson proposes tripling poor people’s rent — after he blew $31K of taxpayer cash on dining room set
Ben Carson speaks to WMUR (screen grab)
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson will reportedly propose tripling the rent that America’s poorest households will have to pay in exchange for living in subsidized housing.
According to the Washington Post, Carson not only wants to triple rents for poor people, but he also wants to add work requirements for everyone who receives housing subsidies.
“Currently, tenants generally pay 30 percent of their adjusted income toward rent or a public housing agency minimum rent not to exceed $50,” the Post explains. “The administration’s legislative proposal sets the family monthly rent contribution at 35 percent of gross income or 35 percent of their earnings by working 15 hours a week at the federal minimum wage — or approximately $150 a month, three times higher than the current minimum.”
In addition to all this, the Post says HUD is considering gutting “deductions that could be considered when determining a tenant’s rent, eliminating deductions for medical and childcare costs.”
Even though Carson wants to make poor people pay more in rent, his own spending habits have been criticized during his tenure as at the head of the HUD. Carson spent $31,000 in taxpayer money to buy a dining room furniture set for his office, while the HUD as a whole billed taxpayers for $165,000 worth of new “lounge furniture.”
Internet dubs Emmanuel Macron new ‘leader of the free world’ after rousing the rich asshole-thumping speech
French president Emmanuel Macron addresses Congress on Wednesday, April 25, 2018/Screenshot
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
Is Emmanuel Macron the new leader of the free world?
Politico magazine declared him such in the days before his visit to the United States, and his grip on the title seems to have strengthened after a rousing speech to the United States Congress, in which American lawmakers gave him standing ovations as he denounced the rich asshole’s outlook and policies without being so rude as to name his host.
“Personally, if you ask me, I do not share the fascination for new, strong powers, the abandonment of freedom and the illusion of nationalism,” Macron said, drawing loud cheers from the floor of Congress.
#Macron
“Personally, if you ask me, I do not share the fascination for new, strong powers, the abandonment of freedom and the illusion of nationalism.” pic.twitter.com/PLbFv0QHsB— NotMyPresident (@ironstowe) April 25, 2018
The reaction was swift, with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle questioning how this changes America’s standing in the world.
“Is Macron angling to be the world leader?” she asked. “President the rich asshole has made it clear: America first, American alone.”
Here’s how the reaction played out on Twitter.
This will leave a mark! Especially after Trump's public fellatefest with Macron yesterday! Macron stepped in and became the leader of the free world. @realDonaldTrump=Loser twitter.com/TrisResists/st…
Even some the rich asshole supporters agreed Macron’s commanding performance put him in pole position—and chided Republicans for standing as macron took the baton from the U.S.
I was very disappointed to see @VP , @SpeakerRyan, and the @HouseGOP, & @SenateGOP not clap or stand up during @EmmanuelMacron's speech when he discussed #ClimateChange, #Illiberalism, and #Nationalism. Macron sounds like the new leader of the free world. Trump gave it up.
Secret recording reveals NFL owners feared the rich asshole would attack them for giving Kaepernick a job
President some rich asshole and civil rights leader Colin Kaepernick (composite image).
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
NFL owners all but agreed they were blackballing Colin Kaepernick to appease President some rich asshole, according to newly released audio recordings.
About 30 owners, players and NFL executives met for nearly three hours in October to discuss the president’s public attacks on the league and its players over silent racism protests during the national anthem, reported the New York Times
“Let’s make sure that we keep this confidential,” said commissioner Roger Goodell at the start of the meeting.
According to the leaked audio, players wanted to know why Kaepernick remained unsigned, despite leading the San Francisco 49ers to the 2013 Super Bowl and 2014 NFC Championship game.
“If he was on a roster right now, all this negativeness and divisiveness could be turned into a positive,” said Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Chris Long at the meeting, adding that he wouldn’t “lecture” teams on which quarterback to sign. “We all agree in this room as players that he should be on a roster.”
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie told Long that fighting for social justice was not “about one person,” and New England Patriots owner Robert Craft — a longtime the rich asshole supporter — complained “this kneeling” was another “elephant in the room.”
“The problem we have is, we have a president who will use that as fodder to do his mission that I don’t feel is in the best interests of America,” Kraft said. “It’s divisive and it’s horrible.”
Owners were deeply concerned about the president’s criticism, saying his Twitter attacks had turned many fans against the NFL.
“We’ve got to be careful not to be baited by the rich asshole or whomever else,” said Lurie, who called the rich asshole’s presidency “disastrous.” “We have to find a way to not be divided and not get baited.”
Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula was terrified that the rich asshole would keep up the attacks.
“All Donald needs to do is to start to do this again,” Pegula said. “We need some kind of immediate plan because of what’s going on in society. All of us now, we need to put a Band-Aid on what’s going on in the country.”
Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan assured other owners that the worst from the rich asshole was behind them, but Houston Texans owner Bob McNair took a shot at protesting players.
“You fellas need to ask your compadres, fellas, stop that other business, let’s go out and do something that really produces positive results, and we’ll help you,” McNair said.
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross suggested a “march on Washington” by NFL players and owners, and Kaepernick’s teammate and fellow protester Eric Reid accused the league of blackballing the former 49er.
“I feel like he was hung out to dry,” said Reid, who wore a Kaepernick T-shirt over his dress shirt and tie. “Everyone in here is talking about how much they support us. Nobody stepped up and said we support Colin’s right to do this. We all let him become Public Enemy No. 1 in this country, and he still doesn’t have a job.”
Reid, whose contract expired after the season, also remains unsigned after he refused to agree to end his protest.
Pegula suggested finding a spokesman to promote the league and its good works like the NRA had found in actor Charlton Heston, and former NFL player Anquan Bolding urged owners to talk about social justice.
“For us to have a face, as an African-American, at least a face that could be in the media,” Pegula said, “we could fall in behind that.”
Kaepernick didn’t come up again after that exchange, and he remains unsigned while pursuing a labor grievance against NFL owners for alleged collusion.
the rich asshole and Macron don’t have a ‘Bromance’ — It’s a power struggle
Emmanuel Macron and some rich asshole AFP / Ludovic MARIN
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
President some rich asshole and French President Emmanuel Macron’s excessively friendly interactions on Tuesday revealed something much closer to a power struggle than a true friendship, according to CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins.
The two world leaders held hands, embraced, and gave each other kisses on the cheek during their public events Tuesday, leading many observers to label the relationship a “bromance.” At one point, the rich asshole even plucked a piece of dandruff off Macron’s suit and complimented his appearance.
But Collins astutely pointed out that these ostensible shows of affection weren’t actually about friendship.
“This is not a bromance—it’s who can outdo the other,” she said on “The Lead” with Jake Tapper. “I’m speaking purely about physical interactions, not what they said about the Iran deal. But if you watch them, they’re constantly trying to outdo each other. When they were on the Truman Balcony earlier, they were trying to out-wave each other, see who could be the last to wave to everyone standing on the South Lawn.”
She continued: “Earlier, when they were walking to the Oval Office after they welcomed everyone on the South Lawn, the rich asshole was essentially was like dragging Macron … it’s an aggressive power-move there, trying to outdo each other physically.”
Watch the clip below:
Republican Thomas Massie fumes over Macron speech – then distorts what he said to Congress
U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
A Republican congressman denounced French President Emmanuel Macron as a “science-alarmist” after the world leader delivered a speech to Congress on Wednesday.
Following Macron’s speech, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie tweeted: “French President is a socialist militarist globalist science-alarmist… the dark future of the American Democratic Party.”
When another Twitter user called the tweet untruthful, the congressman added: “‘I will advocate for militarism in front of the Congress,’ Macron said.”
However, Macron said he would advocate for multilateralism — not militarism.
Massie’s office indicated to Raw Story that the militarism quote came from media reports about Macron’s interview on “Fox News Sunday,” which had inaccurately transcribed the French president.
The View women salute Melania the rich asshole’s state visit fashion: ‘Don’t kiss me — I’ll punch you in the face with this hat’
Joy Behar (Photo: Screen capture)
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
In Wednesday’s discussion of the recent state visit from France, the hosts of “The View” couldn’t help but laugh about the so-called bromance between Presidents some rich asshole and Emmanuel Macron. The women then gave major props to first lady Melania the rich asshole for her success and for trying to avoid her husband’s hand again.
Given his background, Sunny Hostin said that she thinks the Macron/the rich asshole relationship is genuine, but her colleague Joy Behar disagreed
“I’ll tell you why: I have a feeling about Macron. he’s 40 years old. his wife is 65,” Behar began. McCain pointed out she’s also a teacher. “Normally, you don’t see a man with a woman that age. the rich asshole is 71 or 72 he doesn’t care about anybody but himself and Macron is young and cares about the Paris Accords and the Iranian deal. And I think he’ll do anything. He’ll change the name of Paris to Trumpland, if necessary, to get this guy to focus on the world.”
However, “not everybody was all over each other,” Whoopi Goldberg said. “The guys may have been all over each other, but the first lady seemed to be feeling less handsy yesterday. And the cameras caught her trying to avoid a little contact. She’s like, ‘Stop it, Donny. Stop it. I’m not going to — I’m not going to hold your hand.'”
Meghan McCain tried to be offended by the silliness of the comment, but the table tried to explain it was just in good fun while politics is depressing and difficult.
“Those videos when they capture that, it makes me laugh,” Sara Haines said. “At this point, you would think they would have the conversation: ‘There are always cameras on us. Just pretend. I paid you for this.’ I’m just kidding. I’m just kidding. The idea that we can still find those moments. I’m like, come on."
Hostin was over the moon with the first lady’s hat and white suit. When it came specifically to the hat, Hostin said that she was channeling Beyonce. Her song “Formation” addressed the affair her husband had, which Hostin said, can be compared to Mrs. the rich asshole learning of her husband’s own infidelities.
“Don’t you think that hat is like the wall around China?” Behar joked. “Don’t kiss me. I’ll punch you in the face with this hat.”
The women all agreed that despite being married to the rich asshole and even having a history of defending her husband’s birtherism, Mrs. the rich asshole was stunning in her fashion choice.
McCain asked that people stop trying to look for hidden meaning and focusing on the hand thing, that Mrs. the rich asshole is simply a fashion person as a former model and knows how to dress and had other successes at the state dinner.
The women explained it was just in good fun and McCain shouted over them that she has a “soft spot for Melania! I feel bad for her!”
Watch the clip below:
President Macron delivers stunning rebuke of Trumpism — bashes ‘the illusion of nationalism’ to standing ovation from US Congress
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to congress/Screenshot
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a rousing speech to US congress Wednesday, throwing not-so-subtle shade at his host while defending globalism, liberty, and science.
Macron began his speech by discussing the shared history of the United States and France and then moved into a full-throated defense of globalism and freedom.
Macron said the solution is “the opposite of deregulation and extreme nationalism.”
Throughout, he received warm applause from the assembly, including a standing ovation when he said that “the illusion of nationalism” should not be allowed to force the Western world back into the Dark Ages.
He got specific, too.
“I believe we can build the right answers,” he said, “by negotiating through the World Trade Organization… We wrote these rules, we should follow them.”
Watch live below.
Sarah Sanders faceplants when asked about vetting Ronny Johnson: Look back at John Kerry
Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Photo: Screen capture)
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
In a Wednesday interview with Fox News, Sarah Huckabee Sanders struggled when questioned about President some rich asshole’s nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Host Bill Hemmer asked what they’re anticipating with the Ronny Jackson nomination, and Sanders seemed to not only continue to throw her enthusiastic support behind Jackson, she also dragged the rich asshole and the White House with her. Then appeared to backpedal when pressed.
“No change as of this hour?” Hemmer asked, knowing things change quickly in the the rich asshole White House.
“Look, the president kind of left that up to Dr. Jackson to make that determination,” Sanders said. “At this point as the president said yesterday he is a great man. He hates to see him go through this process. It’s part of the reason I think most Americans hate Washington. Washington has become so broken that they focus so much on destroying people they aren’t even talking about his qualifications to run the V.A.. they’re talking about personal character assassination.”
Sanders neglected to note the solid week of commentary questioning Jackson’s fitness for the position to lead the VA.
“We’ve seen it time and time again,” she claimed. “And I think that we really need to look at the way the process is handled. They did this with Director [Mike] Pompeo. Somebody, who is incredibly qualified, should have been moved forward much quicker and frankly with a lot more bipartisan support. You have one of the most uniquely qualified individuals that’s coming in to take on the role of Secretary of State. Somebody who they unanimously supported in previous positions and they play political games.”
She repeated again that such vetting is why people hate Washington politics.
“I think you have to look back at how history has operated in the past,” Sanders said. “You had votes for people like Sen. John Kerry. When you have people that are voting for John Kerry both Republicans and Democrats yet they question Mike Pompeo there is something broken in the system. That this isn’t just about President the rich asshole but it is about political politics of the worst kind.”
When nominated, there was excessive condemnation of Pompeo from his anti-Muslim history to his agreement with the rich asshole on any and all issues. Kerry, by contrast, has a long history of diplomatic relationships and was regarded to be one of the most significant secretaries of state, The Nation wrote.
Readers pummel WaPo for saying ‘nothing matters’ besides Melania’s ‘glorious hat’ of ‘pure white light’
Melania trump and het hat/Instagram screengrab
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
The Washington Post really liked Melania the rich asshole’s hat. On the day in which French president Emmanuel Macron came for an official state visit so that he could hopefully push President the rich asshole into not scrapping the nuke dealthat has assured Iran doesn’t have the bomb, a Post writer went so far as to say “nothing else mattered.”
“The day began with a hat. It ended with the hat, too. Not literally, but nostalgically,” the Post‘s Robin Givhan wrote. “Over the course of 12 hours, no Cézanne at the National Gallery, no forest of cherry blossom branches, no Clinton or Bush china, no goat cheese gâteau, not even Chanel haute couture could compare to that magnificent halo of pure white light perched atop first lady Melania the rich asshole’s perfectly groomed head. Nothing else mattered. There was nothing else.”
The post is quickly rising to the top of The Post‘s most-read stories, and not all readers are pleased.
“Melania has finally found her calling as first lady: wearing clothes. Well, done,” writes one reader in the comments.
“What does the hat or the clothes worn by anyone have to do with anything that matters? The breathless excitement of the prose over the white ‘halo’ hovering above the first lady’s head is silly and–and having the ‘story’ on the front page is, well, sad,” writes another.
I find it amusing that the @NYTimes, @WashingtonPost, and other #MSM are talking about @FLOTUS’s white hat!! Why? Is this ALL they have to worry about?? MAYBE, just maybe she has AMAZING fashion sense?? Yeah, former model...it’s probably fashion sense!! nytimes.com/2018/04/24/sty…
Mark’s Rants 
French first lady Brigitte Macron and Melania the rich asshole/From Melania the rich asshole’s Twitter
Some people liked the hat and Givhan’s work on it. Many of them also took it as an occasion to bash former first lady Michelle Obama
As soon as I saw the pics of Melania, I thought "I can't wait to read @RobinGivhan on that hat" wapo.st/2qYPpc3?tid=ss…
“Thank you for this article, Mrs. Givhan and WaPo. For a blessed few minutes, it makes things seem almost normal, a time when we women in particular can allow ourselves to muse about and make our private decisions about such issues as hat and white or not, as if they mattered somehow,” wrote another. “For a time we are transported back to the golden days of Jack and Jackie. Or we are free to indulge ourselves mentally comparing Melania’s way to Michelle’s. What happy respite it is to turn off, at least for a minute or two, the tawdry and the tacky and the tarnish, even to appreciate the Trumps’ painstaking play-acting things are normal in the White House.”
I guess you’d prefer the rags that the previous First Lady wore? Ill fitting, inappropriate and outright ugly. @FLOTUS has better taste in clothing that any, ANY First Lady in recent memory. Your bitter, nasty comments are pathetic. Get over it. She’s beautiful, smart and classy. twitter.com/jezebel/status…
Who says Michelle Obama was a First Lady? Don’t think so. I still have nightmares of her in shorts coming off Airforce One and the green dress. I love Melania for bringing back a gorgeous hat. My mom always wore a hat and gloves.
Symbolism is important
The French and American first families/Screenshot
Some saw a huge irony in the connection between the rich asshole supporters praising the hat worn by a European immigrant who worked briefly as a nude model before meeting her wealthy husband and those same people bashing Michelle Obama, a Harvard Law alumnus.
The Post‘s tweet is getting ratio’d hard, with some readers complaining about the normalization of the the rich asshole regime.
Perspective: For Melania Trump, fashion diplomacy was defined by a hat wapo.st/2FeLD3C
Remember when we said we wouldn't allow this family's presence in the White House to become normalized?
Here’s why Jared and Ivanka have gone into hiding
Jared Kushner, Ivanka the rich asshole via Twitter
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace raised a question many have been asking on her show “Deadline: White House” Tuesday afternoon: Whatever happened to Ivanka the rich asshole and Jared Kushner?
President some rich asshole’s oldest daughter and son-in-law used to be viewed as top influencers in the White House, and they garnered widespread attention and interest in political media. In recent weeks and months, though, they appear to have faded from the scene.
“The word I hear is that the kids have gone underground,” Wallace said. “What do you hear about what Jared and Ivanka are up to?”
“Jared and Ivanka, Jared in particular, have kept a lower profile in recent months, particularly since Kushner had his security clearance downgraded,” Jonathan Lemire, an Associated Press reporter, told Wallace. “There remains concern in the White House, outside among the rich asshole allies, from all of our reporting, about what Kushner’s exposure could be here.”
He noted that special counsel Robert Mueller, who is in charge of the investigation examining potential collusion between the the rich asshole campaign and Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election, is likely very interested in a number of meetings and interactions Kushner is believed to have had with foreign leaders and business moguls, especially with regard to his troubled property at 666 5th Ave in Manhattan.
“That’s certainly something that Bob Mueller would pay attention to,” Lemire said.
Watch the full clip below:
the rich asshole’s silence on the Waffle House shooting hero is deafening — and disgusting
James Shaw Jr in an interview with ABC News (Screenshot)
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
During the early morning hours last Sunday, a 29-year-old white man named Travis Reinking allegedly used an AR-15 rifle to kill four people and injure two others at a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville. Reinking is reportedly a member of the Sovereign Citizens, a right-wing extremist movement that is heavily influenced by white supremacist political ideology. It is likely not a coincidence that all of Reinking’s victims were nonwhite.
This article was originally published at Salon
A 29-year-old black man named James Shaw Jr. disarmed Reinking by grabbing the barrel of his AR-15. Shaw is the true definition of a hero. He acted selflessly, without training or compensation, and at great personal risk.
Like most real heroes, Shaw refused any special praise or honor. As Shaw explained at a press conference on Sunday, “I’m not a hero. … I’m just a regular person. I think anybody could have did what I did if they’re pushed. You have to either react or fall. I chose to react because I didn’t see any other way to live.”
During those few minutes last Sunday morning in a Waffle House, a mini-drama of American life in the age of the rich asshole took place.
A young black man protected the public from a white man hell-bent on committing mass murder. In America, black men are all too often subjected to harassment, state-sponsored violence and racial profiling. By comparison, white men — even when they are mass murderers or domestic terrorists — are described by default as “nice” and “normal” people who are “lone wolves” or suffer from mental illness. Their crimes come as a surprise and not indicative of a broader “cultural problem” among the “white community."
The patrons at the Nashville Waffle House were lucky that James Shaw Jr. was not arrested and kicked out for trespassing like the two black men in a Philadelphia Starbucks store last week. If the manager in Nashville had a case of “negrophobia” like his peer in Philadelphia, more people might have died.
On the same day that Shaw saved lives in a Nashville, a black woman was arrested, stripped almost naked, and brutalized by police at a different Waffle House, a few hundred miles away in Alabama. Her crime? She complained to the manager about why her party had been charged for plastic utensils, when on a previous visit they had not been.
America’s police routinely claim that they were in fear for their lives and “had no choice” after they kill unarmed or otherwise vulnerable black and brown people. James Shaw Jr., who had neither weapons nor police training, disarmed a killer with his bare hands.
And once again a white man who commits mass murder is captured alive, while black and brown people who are unarmed, talking on telephones, sitting in their cars, sleeping or generally minding their own business are killed by America’s police nearly as a matter of routine. Reinking, who is accused of four murders, was even offered bond by a judge — although in the face of public outrage this has since been revoked. Do you believe that a black or brown person credibly accused of mass murder would be given the opportunity to go free while awaiting trial?
Then there is some rich asshole. A president who finds countless hours to watch Fox News, play golf, and rage via Twitter about such important matters as the cartoon character Mr. Magoo has not made any public statement about the massacre in Nashville. (During a press briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders offered a routine statement of condolences for the victims and praise for Shaw on the president’s behalf.)
Speaking personally and directly about Shaw’s heroism and the mass shooting in Nashville might seem like a political slam dunk. But the rich asshole’s White House has demonstrated a remarkable gift for causing controversy where none is necessary. Could the president’s near-silence on the Nashville shooting be another example of his supposed political incompetence? Unlikely.
The National Rifle Association and the single-issue voters it commands have the rich asshole and the entire Republican Party in a vise grip. The the rich asshole administration, for instance, rescinded common-sense rules put in place under Barack Obama meant to prevent mentally ill people from buying firearms. If such rules were actually enforced, they could have potentially stopped Reinking from obtaining the guns he apparently used to kill four people last Sunday. Perhaps some rich asshole has chosen not to speak directly about the mass murder in Nashville because his political masters demand it?
Given the rich asshole’s level of narcissism one would also think he would celebrate Shaw for stopping Reinking, who was detained by the Secret Service last July after attempting to breach the grounds of the White House.
The explanation for the rich asshole’s relative silence is obvious. the rich asshole, his advisers, his political party and their media allies have thrived on their contempt for the humanity, dignity, and freedom of black and brown people. Honoring a black man for stopping an armed white man during what may have been a racially motivated killing spree runs counter to some rich asshole’s political worldview and personal morality.
Let’s recall that the rich asshole has slurred black athletes (and others) who have exercised their constitutional rights to protest police brutality and racism. He has repeatedly attacked black journalists and elected officials, especially women, as stupid and ignorant. the rich asshole has suggested that the people of Puerto Rico, who are United States citizens, have been lazy about their recovery from one of the worst natural disasters in recent history. the rich asshole has repeatedly demonized Latin American immigrants as rapists and murderers. He has consistently refused to apologize to the Central Park Five, the group of black and Latino teenagers who were unjustly imprisoned for raping a white woman in 1989, and whom the rich asshole longed to see executed.
The American right has engaged in a coordinated effort, over many years, to deny black Americans and other nonwhites the right to vote through gerrymandering and voter suppression. the rich asshole and his Republican allies long to change our immigration laws to ensure that white people remain a permanent majority and that nonwhites are deported or otherwise removed whenever possible.
the rich asshole has stated that black people live in hellish conditions, and therefore (for unclear reasons) they should support his presidency. He infamously described some of the neo-Nazis and white supremacists who gathered last August in Charlottesville, Virginia, as “very fine people.”
Instead of focusing on the threat to public safety posed by right-wing extremist groups such as the Sovereign Citizens movement (which law enforcement officials have consistently identified as more dangerous than Islamic terrorist groups) some rich asshole’s administration has defunded the programs targeting them. It is no surprise that the Ku Klux Klan and other overtly racist organizations have claimed some rich asshole as their leader.
It takes no special insight or powers of political prestidigitation to know that if a Muslim, an “illegal alien,” a “Dreamer” or a black person had committed mass murder in Nashville on Sunday, that the rich asshole and his media followers would be howling about “extremism” and “terrorism.” But when right-wing Christian conservatives commit mass murder or other acts of terror, such events are shrugged off as unfortunate curiosities. They are never understood as evidence of a systemic cultural problem caused by toxic white masculinity and white male privilege.
In another reality, James Shaw Jr. would have already been flown to the White House and celebrated as a national hero. The president of the United States has many responsibilities. These include formal obligations such as being the commander of the military and chief legislator. There are informal obligations as well, including serving as the country’s cheerleader and providing moral leadership both on a day-to-day basis and during times of crisis and tragedy. As shown once again by his near-total silence after the mass shooting in Nashville, some rich asshole has spectacularly failed in this regard.
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
During the early morning hours last Sunday, a 29-year-old white man named Travis Reinking allegedly used an AR-15 rifle to kill four people and injure two others at a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville. Reinking is reportedly a member of the Sovereign Citizens, a right-wing extremist movement that is heavily influenced by white supremacist political ideology. It is likely not a coincidence that all of Reinking’s victims were nonwhite.
This article was originally published at Salon
A 29-year-old black man named James Shaw Jr. disarmed Reinking by grabbing the barrel of his AR-15. Shaw is the true definition of a hero. He acted selflessly, without training or compensation, and at great personal risk.
Like most real heroes, Shaw refused any special praise or honor. As Shaw explained at a press conference on Sunday, “I’m not a hero. … I’m just a regular person. I think anybody could have did what I did if they’re pushed. You have to either react or fall. I chose to react because I didn’t see any other way to live.”
During those few minutes last Sunday morning in a Waffle House, a mini-drama of American life in the age of the rich asshole took place.
A young black man protected the public from a white man hell-bent on committing mass murder. In America, black men are all too often subjected to harassment, state-sponsored violence and racial profiling. By comparison, white men — even when they are mass murderers or domestic terrorists — are described by default as “nice” and “normal” people who are “lone wolves” or suffer from mental illness. Their crimes come as a surprise and not indicative of a broader “cultural problem” among the “white community."
The patrons at the Nashville Waffle House were lucky that James Shaw Jr. was not arrested and kicked out for trespassing like the two black men in a Philadelphia Starbucks store last week. If the manager in Nashville had a case of “negrophobia” like his peer in Philadelphia, more people might have died.
On the same day that Shaw saved lives in a Nashville, a black woman was arrested, stripped almost naked, and brutalized by police at a different Waffle House, a few hundred miles away in Alabama. Her crime? She complained to the manager about why her party had been charged for plastic utensils, when on a previous visit they had not been.
America’s police routinely claim that they were in fear for their lives and “had no choice” after they kill unarmed or otherwise vulnerable black and brown people. James Shaw Jr., who had neither weapons nor police training, disarmed a killer with his bare hands.
And once again a white man who commits mass murder is captured alive, while black and brown people who are unarmed, talking on telephones, sitting in their cars, sleeping or generally minding their own business are killed by America’s police nearly as a matter of routine. Reinking, who is accused of four murders, was even offered bond by a judge — although in the face of public outrage this has since been revoked. Do you believe that a black or brown person credibly accused of mass murder would be given the opportunity to go free while awaiting trial?
Then there is some rich asshole. A president who finds countless hours to watch Fox News, play golf, and rage via Twitter about such important matters as the cartoon character Mr. Magoo has not made any public statement about the massacre in Nashville. (During a press briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders offered a routine statement of condolences for the victims and praise for Shaw on the president’s behalf.)
Speaking personally and directly about Shaw’s heroism and the mass shooting in Nashville might seem like a political slam dunk. But the rich asshole’s White House has demonstrated a remarkable gift for causing controversy where none is necessary. Could the president’s near-silence on the Nashville shooting be another example of his supposed political incompetence? Unlikely.
The National Rifle Association and the single-issue voters it commands have the rich asshole and the entire Republican Party in a vise grip. The the rich asshole administration, for instance, rescinded common-sense rules put in place under Barack Obama meant to prevent mentally ill people from buying firearms. If such rules were actually enforced, they could have potentially stopped Reinking from obtaining the guns he apparently used to kill four people last Sunday. Perhaps some rich asshole has chosen not to speak directly about the mass murder in Nashville because his political masters demand it?
Given the rich asshole’s level of narcissism one would also think he would celebrate Shaw for stopping Reinking, who was detained by the Secret Service last July after attempting to breach the grounds of the White House.
The explanation for the rich asshole’s relative silence is obvious. the rich asshole, his advisers, his political party and their media allies have thrived on their contempt for the humanity, dignity, and freedom of black and brown people. Honoring a black man for stopping an armed white man during what may have been a racially motivated killing spree runs counter to some rich asshole’s political worldview and personal morality.
Let’s recall that the rich asshole has slurred black athletes (and others) who have exercised their constitutional rights to protest police brutality and racism. He has repeatedly attacked black journalists and elected officials, especially women, as stupid and ignorant. the rich asshole has suggested that the people of Puerto Rico, who are United States citizens, have been lazy about their recovery from one of the worst natural disasters in recent history. the rich asshole has repeatedly demonized Latin American immigrants as rapists and murderers. He has consistently refused to apologize to the Central Park Five, the group of black and Latino teenagers who were unjustly imprisoned for raping a white woman in 1989, and whom the rich asshole longed to see executed.
The American right has engaged in a coordinated effort, over many years, to deny black Americans and other nonwhites the right to vote through gerrymandering and voter suppression. the rich asshole and his Republican allies long to change our immigration laws to ensure that white people remain a permanent majority and that nonwhites are deported or otherwise removed whenever possible.
the rich asshole has stated that black people live in hellish conditions, and therefore (for unclear reasons) they should support his presidency. He infamously described some of the neo-Nazis and white supremacists who gathered last August in Charlottesville, Virginia, as “very fine people.”
Instead of focusing on the threat to public safety posed by right-wing extremist groups such as the Sovereign Citizens movement (which law enforcement officials have consistently identified as more dangerous than Islamic terrorist groups) some rich asshole’s administration has defunded the programs targeting them. It is no surprise that the Ku Klux Klan and other overtly racist organizations have claimed some rich asshole as their leader.
It takes no special insight or powers of political prestidigitation to know that if a Muslim, an “illegal alien,” a “Dreamer” or a black person had committed mass murder in Nashville on Sunday, that the rich asshole and his media followers would be howling about “extremism” and “terrorism.” But when right-wing Christian conservatives commit mass murder or other acts of terror, such events are shrugged off as unfortunate curiosities. They are never understood as evidence of a systemic cultural problem caused by toxic white masculinity and white male privilege.
In another reality, James Shaw Jr. would have already been flown to the White House and celebrated as a national hero. The president of the United States has many responsibilities. These include formal obligations such as being the commander of the military and chief legislator. There are informal obligations as well, including serving as the country’s cheerleader and providing moral leadership both on a day-to-day basis and during times of crisis and tragedy. As shown once again by his near-total silence after the mass shooting in Nashville, some rich asshole has spectacularly failed in this regard.
Republicans go on the record to bash the rich asshole over VA nomination debacle: ‘That is a vetting miss’
President some rich asshole arrives at the Memorial Amphitheater during the 149th annual Department of Defense (DoD) National Memorial Day Observance. (DoD Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. James K. McCann)
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
Republican lawmakers have knocked President some rich asshole from behind the veil of anonymity, but several of them have gone on the record to criticize his handling of the Veterans Administration leadership.
Several GOP senators blamed the president for impulsively nominating White House physician Ronny Jackson to lead the VA without checking into his background or qualifications, and said the episode was part of a wider pattern of poor decision making, reported Politico.
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), the chairman of the Senate’s Veterans Affairs Committee, urged the president not to fire VA Secretary David Shulkin, but the rich asshole ousted him anyway and quickly tapped Jackson as his replacement — which angered White House chief of staff John Kelly and other aides.
“I had my doubts from the beginning,” said Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ). “To run an agency this big, with so much responsibility, you want to make sure you vet it properly … I’m not sure that was done here.”
The White House lacked a coordinated response once the whisper campaign against Jackson went public, and the rich asshole hinted the nominee should step aside over allegations of workplace drinking and other unprofessional behavior are revealed.
“The president says, ‘Oh yeah, I wouldn’t move forward with it.’ I mean, what does that say? If the president is going to put forward somebody’s name, he needs to have the confidence in that individual,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) told Politico. “And if it’s just like kind of a knee-jerk, here’s a warm body? Then his team needs to work to make sure that the president sees the short-sightedness of that."
The website quoted several Democratic senators who faulted the president for his handling of the agency and its leaders, but four GOP senators and a former the rich asshole administration official agreed to offer criticism on the record.
“They haven’t vetted the guy,” said Darin Selnick, a former Veterans Affairs adviser for the White House Domestic Policy Council under the rich asshole. “They’re vetting while trying to confirm him and they honestly don’t know — is there substance to the allegations?”
Jackson denied the allegations during a private meeting with Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), who praised the physician as “impressive” and cast doubt on the claims against the rich asshole’s nominee — while subtly knocking the White House vetting process.
“Someone in the military in a leadership position has an annual review. The proper thing to do is to not reach any conclusions,” Moran said. “He’d like to respond to the allegations, but my impression is he doesn’t know what they are, either.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said the claims were serious, and he said the White House should have conducted more background investigation before picking Jackson to lead the agency.
“If it is true, then that is a vetting mess,” Tillis said.
Murkowski blamed the president for the mess, saying he acted in haste to name a replacement for Shulkin.
“Sometimes it’s like: ‘Gotta fill it, gotta fill it, gotta fill it right away,’” Murkowski said. “If the president wasn’t satisfied with Shulkin, he could have put someone in as acting [secretary] and done a more fulsome vetting.”
Just now figuring that out, are you?
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
Republican lawmakers have knocked President some rich asshole from behind the veil of anonymity, but several of them have gone on the record to criticize his handling of the Veterans Administration leadership.
Several GOP senators blamed the president for impulsively nominating White House physician Ronny Jackson to lead the VA without checking into his background or qualifications, and said the episode was part of a wider pattern of poor decision making, reported Politico.
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), the chairman of the Senate’s Veterans Affairs Committee, urged the president not to fire VA Secretary David Shulkin, but the rich asshole ousted him anyway and quickly tapped Jackson as his replacement — which angered White House chief of staff John Kelly and other aides.
“I had my doubts from the beginning,” said Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ). “To run an agency this big, with so much responsibility, you want to make sure you vet it properly … I’m not sure that was done here.”
The White House lacked a coordinated response once the whisper campaign against Jackson went public, and the rich asshole hinted the nominee should step aside over allegations of workplace drinking and other unprofessional behavior are revealed.
“The president says, ‘Oh yeah, I wouldn’t move forward with it.’ I mean, what does that say? If the president is going to put forward somebody’s name, he needs to have the confidence in that individual,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) told Politico. “And if it’s just like kind of a knee-jerk, here’s a warm body? Then his team needs to work to make sure that the president sees the short-sightedness of that."
The website quoted several Democratic senators who faulted the president for his handling of the agency and its leaders, but four GOP senators and a former the rich asshole administration official agreed to offer criticism on the record.
“They haven’t vetted the guy,” said Darin Selnick, a former Veterans Affairs adviser for the White House Domestic Policy Council under the rich asshole. “They’re vetting while trying to confirm him and they honestly don’t know — is there substance to the allegations?”
Jackson denied the allegations during a private meeting with Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), who praised the physician as “impressive” and cast doubt on the claims against the rich asshole’s nominee — while subtly knocking the White House vetting process.
“Someone in the military in a leadership position has an annual review. The proper thing to do is to not reach any conclusions,” Moran said. “He’d like to respond to the allegations, but my impression is he doesn’t know what they are, either.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said the claims were serious, and he said the White House should have conducted more background investigation before picking Jackson to lead the agency.
“If it is true, then that is a vetting mess,” Tillis said.
Murkowski blamed the president for the mess, saying he acted in haste to name a replacement for Shulkin.
“Sometimes it’s like: ‘Gotta fill it, gotta fill it, gotta fill it right away,’” Murkowski said. “If the president wasn’t satisfied with Shulkin, he could have put someone in as acting [secretary] and done a more fulsome vetting.”
‘the rich asshole won’t fight for us’: Kansas rancher explains how president has ‘betrayed’ US farmers
some rich asshole speaks to supporters (a katz / Shutterstock.com)
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
Mike Callicrate, an independent cattle rancher from Kansas, has written an editorial for the Washington Post detailing how President some rich asshole’s agricultural policies have been bad news for American farmers.
In his op-ed, Callicrate explains that the consolidation of power among big agribusiness companies is the single biggest problem facing American farmers — and he says the rich asshole’s administration has only made things worse.
“Despite the rich asshole’s campaign promises, when it was time to stand up against big agribusiness, he caved,” he writes. “His actions have left farmers and ranchers such as myself feeling betrayed and afraid for our economic futures.”
Specifically, Callicrate calls out the rich asshole’s Department of Agriculture for overturning the Obama administration’s Farmer Fair Practices Rules, which gave independent farmers more power to bring unfair practice claims against big agribusiness firms.
He also said that the rich asshole Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue had upset farmers by saying that regulations couldn’t do anything to stop big firms from behaving in a predatory fashion, while also imploring farmers to trust conglomerates will “treat everyone fairly and not in a predatory fashion.”
At the end of his piece, Callicrate writes that “if the rich asshole won’t fight for us, we will bring the fight to him.”
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
Mike Callicrate, an independent cattle rancher from Kansas, has written an editorial for the Washington Post detailing how President some rich asshole’s agricultural policies have been bad news for American farmers.
In his op-ed, Callicrate explains that the consolidation of power among big agribusiness companies is the single biggest problem facing American farmers — and he says the rich asshole’s administration has only made things worse.
“Despite the rich asshole’s campaign promises, when it was time to stand up against big agribusiness, he caved,” he writes. “His actions have left farmers and ranchers such as myself feeling betrayed and afraid for our economic futures.”
Specifically, Callicrate calls out the rich asshole’s Department of Agriculture for overturning the Obama administration’s Farmer Fair Practices Rules, which gave independent farmers more power to bring unfair practice claims against big agribusiness firms.
He also said that the rich asshole Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue had upset farmers by saying that regulations couldn’t do anything to stop big firms from behaving in a predatory fashion, while also imploring farmers to trust conglomerates will “treat everyone fairly and not in a predatory fashion.”
At the end of his piece, Callicrate writes that “if the rich asshole won’t fight for us, we will bring the fight to him.”
WATCH: Rick Santorum struggles to explain the rich asshole’s VA nominee mess — and decides it’s Obama’s fault
Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) (Photo: Screen capture)
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
Rick Santorum fumbled in a Wednesday morning interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo about President some rich asshole’s nominee to the Veterans Administration, Ronny Jackson.
Jackson, who served as the physician on hand for the president, gave the rich asshole a physical and praised the president’s health and fitness in a widely mocked news conference. The president then nominated the physician to head the VA, a government agency the rich asshole has said needs dramatic changes. Jackson has never overseen a vast department, much less an agency.
“Bad fact,” began Cuomo. “We should not even be having this conversation. The White House should have made phone calls. They should have known what was out there. They should have been ready to push back when it was raised by somebody. Now leaving it up to Democrats but also Republicans. They were asking for this problem.”
Santorum first declared that he doesn’t know how the the rich asshole administration could have known about Jackson’s past problems. It was part of 20 different military members that came forward, Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) told CNN Tuesday. The former Pennsylvania senator also tried to argue that Jackson was in a very important position under the Obama administration and that they should have known he was a problem.
“Most of the things he is being accused of happened during the Obama administration with, I suspect, full awareness of the Obama administration,” Santorum alleged. Cuomo noted that the statement is not factually accurate, as such information has not been disclosed. “Maybe somehow they didn’t know and these are just come up. Would they know? You can say vetting, but here’s a man in a position of great power and authority. A personal physician to the president, pretty important position. None of this was known or vetted and certainly not discussed within the on Obama administration.”
He went on to confess that the the rich asshole administration should have vetted Jackson, but then qualified, “I’m not sure they didn’t and maybe these allegations didn’t rise until this thing got out there and all of a sudden people felt maybe some freedom to release this information.” Again, however, Tester noted 20 service members had come forward.
Cuomo noted that the Obama administration didn’t flag any of this, however, they recommended Jackson for a completely different position. Santorum tried to argue that the position leading the VA was as important as the president’s physician. Cuomo countered that the president can see any doctor, go to any specialist or go to any hospital he wants and isn’t required to only use Jackson. Chairing an entire agency is vastly different.
“In their current responsibility to put him in a position that is without any estimation exponentially more important than what he is right now, they always should make the phone calls,” Cuomo said. “You know you dig into people. The sources that we are hearing from consistently tell us ‘I was not contacted about this. They know that I worked — I expected to be called. I wasn’t called.’ And this is not the first time, right? Context matters. Consistently we were promised the best of the best and consistently they keep putting people in positions of power who don’t seem to be well appointed to it.”
Santorum conceded that the the rich asshole White House should have vetted Jackson.
Cuomo noted that this is simply more of the same with EPA Secretary Scott Pruitt’s scandals stacking up. Santorum tried to claim that Pruitt was fine because the “ethics department” said that Pruitt was fine on the $50 sweetheart deal for a condo from an energy lobbyist’s wife.
It is unclear if he’s referring to the Office of Government Ethics, however, former ethics chief Walter Shaub noted that he was shoved out because he had strict ethics rules and it bothered those in the administration. So, they installed their own person to approve the ethics.
Watch the full conversation with Santorum below:
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
Rick Santorum fumbled in a Wednesday morning interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo about President some rich asshole’s nominee to the Veterans Administration, Ronny Jackson.
Jackson, who served as the physician on hand for the president, gave the rich asshole a physical and praised the president’s health and fitness in a widely mocked news conference. The president then nominated the physician to head the VA, a government agency the rich asshole has said needs dramatic changes. Jackson has never overseen a vast department, much less an agency.
“Bad fact,” began Cuomo. “We should not even be having this conversation. The White House should have made phone calls. They should have known what was out there. They should have been ready to push back when it was raised by somebody. Now leaving it up to Democrats but also Republicans. They were asking for this problem.”
Santorum first declared that he doesn’t know how the the rich asshole administration could have known about Jackson’s past problems. It was part of 20 different military members that came forward, Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) told CNN Tuesday. The former Pennsylvania senator also tried to argue that Jackson was in a very important position under the Obama administration and that they should have known he was a problem.
“Most of the things he is being accused of happened during the Obama administration with, I suspect, full awareness of the Obama administration,” Santorum alleged. Cuomo noted that the statement is not factually accurate, as such information has not been disclosed. “Maybe somehow they didn’t know and these are just come up. Would they know? You can say vetting, but here’s a man in a position of great power and authority. A personal physician to the president, pretty important position. None of this was known or vetted and certainly not discussed within the on Obama administration.”
He went on to confess that the the rich asshole administration should have vetted Jackson, but then qualified, “I’m not sure they didn’t and maybe these allegations didn’t rise until this thing got out there and all of a sudden people felt maybe some freedom to release this information.” Again, however, Tester noted 20 service members had come forward.
Cuomo noted that the Obama administration didn’t flag any of this, however, they recommended Jackson for a completely different position. Santorum tried to argue that the position leading the VA was as important as the president’s physician. Cuomo countered that the president can see any doctor, go to any specialist or go to any hospital he wants and isn’t required to only use Jackson. Chairing an entire agency is vastly different.
“In their current responsibility to put him in a position that is without any estimation exponentially more important than what he is right now, they always should make the phone calls,” Cuomo said. “You know you dig into people. The sources that we are hearing from consistently tell us ‘I was not contacted about this. They know that I worked — I expected to be called. I wasn’t called.’ And this is not the first time, right? Context matters. Consistently we were promised the best of the best and consistently they keep putting people in positions of power who don’t seem to be well appointed to it.”
Santorum conceded that the the rich asshole White House should have vetted Jackson.
Cuomo noted that this is simply more of the same with EPA Secretary Scott Pruitt’s scandals stacking up. Santorum tried to claim that Pruitt was fine because the “ethics department” said that Pruitt was fine on the $50 sweetheart deal for a condo from an energy lobbyist’s wife.
It is unclear if he’s referring to the Office of Government Ethics, however, former ethics chief Walter Shaub noted that he was shoved out because he had strict ethics rules and it bothered those in the administration. So, they installed their own person to approve the ethics.
Watch the full conversation with Santorum below:
Morning Joe panel roasts ‘some rich asshole and the swamp creatures’ over latest corruption scandal
Joe Scarborough (MSNBC)
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough bashed the the rich asshole administration’s consumer watchdog for laying out pay-to-play ground rules for banking lobbyists.
Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget director and interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, told bakers and lobbyists that he expected campaign contributions from as a congressman — and the “Morning Joe” co-hosts were mortified.
“We had a hierarchy in my office in Congress,” said Mulvaney, who represented South Carolina in the U.S. House. “If you’re a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn’t talk to you. If you’re a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you.”
The Republican former lawmaker did say that he met with constituents “without exception,” regardless of campaign support.
“Do you believe this quote?” Scarborough said.
“He just says it out loud,” co-host Willie Geist marveled
Scarborough, also a former GOP lawmaker, said he stayed away from lobbyists during his time in Congress and instead tasked his staffers with taking those meetings.
“I know it sounds stupid, but this is the right thing to do,” he said. “I’m not going, you know, I’m not sticking my neck out on the line because somebody gave me a check.”
Mulvaney’s remarks will surely be used against GOP candidates in the midterm elections and against the rich asshole in his re-election campaign, Scarborough said.
“You start looking at these Cabinet members, the 30-second commercial, they’re going to have to be 60-second commercials or maybe 30-minute infomercials, if you combine what Mulvaney said with what’s happening at the EPA, with what’s happening across the entire administration,” Scarborough said.
“This is a corrupt administration that talked about the president, talked about draining the swamp — this administration is the swamp,” he added. “You can’t find in recent American political history, another administration that has been as ethically challenged as this one.”
Geist agreed that the rich asshole’s Cabinet officials had set a new standard of unethical behavior, and Democrats would surely turn their conduct into a campaign issue.
“The ads will be, if you put (EPA administrator Scott) Pruitt in there with all the stories we’ve had over the last couple of weeks, if you have Ryan Zinke raising the flag while he’s in residence like he’s the Queen of England, it starts to sound very swampy,” Geist said.
Republican strategist Susan Del Percio said Mulvaney’s remarks were bad, even in context.
“We are now seeing like a poster of swamp creatures,” Del Percio said. “I mean that’s what I think it is — it’s some rich asshole and the swamp creatures.”
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough bashed the the rich asshole administration’s consumer watchdog for laying out pay-to-play ground rules for banking lobbyists.
Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget director and interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, told bakers and lobbyists that he expected campaign contributions from as a congressman — and the “Morning Joe” co-hosts were mortified.
“We had a hierarchy in my office in Congress,” said Mulvaney, who represented South Carolina in the U.S. House. “If you’re a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn’t talk to you. If you’re a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you.”
The Republican former lawmaker did say that he met with constituents “without exception,” regardless of campaign support.
“Do you believe this quote?” Scarborough said.
“He just says it out loud,” co-host Willie Geist marveled
Scarborough, also a former GOP lawmaker, said he stayed away from lobbyists during his time in Congress and instead tasked his staffers with taking those meetings.
“I know it sounds stupid, but this is the right thing to do,” he said. “I’m not going, you know, I’m not sticking my neck out on the line because somebody gave me a check.”
Mulvaney’s remarks will surely be used against GOP candidates in the midterm elections and against the rich asshole in his re-election campaign, Scarborough said.
“You start looking at these Cabinet members, the 30-second commercial, they’re going to have to be 60-second commercials or maybe 30-minute infomercials, if you combine what Mulvaney said with what’s happening at the EPA, with what’s happening across the entire administration,” Scarborough said.
“This is a corrupt administration that talked about the president, talked about draining the swamp — this administration is the swamp,” he added. “You can’t find in recent American political history, another administration that has been as ethically challenged as this one.”
Geist agreed that the rich asshole’s Cabinet officials had set a new standard of unethical behavior, and Democrats would surely turn their conduct into a campaign issue.
“The ads will be, if you put (EPA administrator Scott) Pruitt in there with all the stories we’ve had over the last couple of weeks, if you have Ryan Zinke raising the flag while he’s in residence like he’s the Queen of England, it starts to sound very swampy,” Geist said.
Republican strategist Susan Del Percio said Mulvaney’s remarks were bad, even in context.
“We are now seeing like a poster of swamp creatures,” Del Percio said. “I mean that’s what I think it is — it’s some rich asshole and the swamp creatures.”
CNN’s Alisyn Camerota ridicules the rich asshole’s ‘cringey’ attempts to play ‘alpha male’ with Macron
John Avlon, Alisyn Camerota, Chris Cuomo and David Gregory (Photo: Screen capture)
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
CNN’s Alisyn Camerota has admitted in the past that she “loves a good body language segment.” The press conference between President some rich asshole and French President Emmanuel Macron exhibited several public displays of affection that has left many curious about what their body language means.
“You know, when you talk like that, I just want to give you a hug,” CNN’s David Gregory commented as part of the Wednesday morning political panel.
“Now we have to get to the ‘bromance’ B-roll,” Camerota announced. “That’s where we see the president and President Macron. I thought he was going for the lips.”
“So much for the germiphobe,” Gregory quipped, alluding to the claim by the rich asshole that he couldn’t have been involved with prostitutes urinating because he’s afraid of germs.
“I don’t know when they stopped holding hands, but it was a long time,” Camerota followed.
“A little bit a tussle,” co-host Chirs Cuomo said
“Then there is an arm flung around the president,” Camerota remarked. “And it stays for a long time. There is massaging of the shoulders. John [Avlon], what’s happening here?”
“I think if we look at the species in the wild, I mean, there is almost an anthropological quality — the alpha male,” Avlon explained of their interactions.
“You’re going a little Marlin Perkins on us,” Cuomo asked, citing a former zoologist and television host of “Wild Kingdom” in the 1960s.
“You are seeing two alpha dogs try to compete with real affection,” said Avlon. “The dandruff moment was so is surreal. some rich asshole can’t help just a little bit of humiliation.”
“Doesn’t this have is to be seen as a positive? He has had so many problems with fundamental allies,” Cuomo said. “Clearly these guys are getting along well.”
Gregory said that it reminded him of when he sees Cuomo in person. “I do think there was such enthusiasm for the rich asshole to be on the world stage and to be embraced literally and figuratively. It’s a special feeling when you’re president. Is and we’re seeing that play out.”
“Yeah, it’s called cringy,” Camerota shot back.
“Part of it does seem a little superficial,” Gregory said. “But I think that the idea of President the rich asshole on the world stage being embraced, being seen as, you know, the alphas, the president of the United States, someone who is going to dictate a new road forward on America’s security policy, I think that matters that he’s been embraced and been courted by the leader. There is clearly a stronger relationship there than with other European leaders. And I think that perhaps Macron has had some impact.”
Watch the full segment below:
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
CNN’s Alisyn Camerota has admitted in the past that she “loves a good body language segment.” The press conference between President some rich asshole and French President Emmanuel Macron exhibited several public displays of affection that has left many curious about what their body language means.
“You know, when you talk like that, I just want to give you a hug,” CNN’s David Gregory commented as part of the Wednesday morning political panel.
“Now we have to get to the ‘bromance’ B-roll,” Camerota announced. “That’s where we see the president and President Macron. I thought he was going for the lips.”
“So much for the germiphobe,” Gregory quipped, alluding to the claim by the rich asshole that he couldn’t have been involved with prostitutes urinating because he’s afraid of germs.
“I don’t know when they stopped holding hands, but it was a long time,” Camerota followed.
“A little bit a tussle,” co-host Chirs Cuomo said
“Then there is an arm flung around the president,” Camerota remarked. “And it stays for a long time. There is massaging of the shoulders. John [Avlon], what’s happening here?”
“I think if we look at the species in the wild, I mean, there is almost an anthropological quality — the alpha male,” Avlon explained of their interactions.
“You’re going a little Marlin Perkins on us,” Cuomo asked, citing a former zoologist and television host of “Wild Kingdom” in the 1960s.
“You are seeing two alpha dogs try to compete with real affection,” said Avlon. “The dandruff moment was so is surreal. some rich asshole can’t help just a little bit of humiliation.”
“Doesn’t this have is to be seen as a positive? He has had so many problems with fundamental allies,” Cuomo said. “Clearly these guys are getting along well.”
Gregory said that it reminded him of when he sees Cuomo in person. “I do think there was such enthusiasm for the rich asshole to be on the world stage and to be embraced literally and figuratively. It’s a special feeling when you’re president. Is and we’re seeing that play out.”
“Yeah, it’s called cringy,” Camerota shot back.
“Part of it does seem a little superficial,” Gregory said. “But I think that the idea of President the rich asshole on the world stage being embraced, being seen as, you know, the alphas, the president of the United States, someone who is going to dictate a new road forward on America’s security policy, I think that matters that he’s been embraced and been courted by the leader. There is clearly a stronger relationship there than with other European leaders. And I think that perhaps Macron has had some impact.”
Watch the full segment below:
the rich asshole’s travel ban faces Supreme Court reckoning
FILE PHOTO: Police officers stand in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC, U.S., January 19, 2018. REUTERS/Eric Thayer/File Photo
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
President some rich asshole’s administration goes before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to defend the legality of his travel ban targeting people from several Muslim-majority countries, one of the most contentious actions of his presidency.
the rich asshole’s travel ban – the third version of a policy he first sought to implement a week after taking office in January 2017 – blocks entry into the United States of most people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. Chad was on the list announced in September, but the rich asshole removed it on April 10
The conservative-majority, nine-member court has never heard arguments on the legal merits of the travel ban or any other major the rich asshole immigration policy, including his move to rescind protections for young immigrants sometimes called Dreamers brought into the United States illegally as children.
It has previously acted on the rich asshole requests to undo lower court orders blocking those two policies, siding with him on the travel ban and opposing him on the Dreamers.
A ruling is due by the end of June.
The state of Hawaii, which argues the travel ban violates federal immigration law and the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition on the government favoring one religion over another, is the lead challenger in the case.
The Supreme Court on Dec. 4 signaled it may lean toward backing the rich asshole when it granted on a 7-2 vote his administration’s request to let the ban go into full effect while legal challenges played out.
the rich asshole has generated controversy with his hardline immigration policies, also including actions taken against states and cities that protect illegal immigrants, intensified deportation efforts and limits on legal immigration.
the rich asshole has said the travel ban is needed to protect the United States from terrorism by Islamic militants.
The challengers have argued the policy was motivated by the rich asshole’s enmity toward Muslims, pressing that point in lower courts with some success by citing statements he made as a candidate and as president. As a candidate, the rich asshole promised “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”
The Justice Department argues the rich asshole’s statements as a candidate carry no weight because he was not yet president.
In defending the ban, the administration has pointed to a waiver provision allowing people from targeted countries to seek entry if they meet certain criteria.
Venezuela and North Korea also were targeted in the travel ban. Those restrictions were not challenged in court.
Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Additional reporting by Mica Rosenberg; Editing by Will Dunham
DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY!
President some rich asshole’s administration goes before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to defend the legality of his travel ban targeting people from several Muslim-majority countries, one of the most contentious actions of his presidency.
the rich asshole’s travel ban – the third version of a policy he first sought to implement a week after taking office in January 2017 – blocks entry into the United States of most people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. Chad was on the list announced in September, but the rich asshole removed it on April 10
The conservative-majority, nine-member court has never heard arguments on the legal merits of the travel ban or any other major the rich asshole immigration policy, including his move to rescind protections for young immigrants sometimes called Dreamers brought into the United States illegally as children.
It has previously acted on the rich asshole requests to undo lower court orders blocking those two policies, siding with him on the travel ban and opposing him on the Dreamers.
A ruling is due by the end of June.
The state of Hawaii, which argues the travel ban violates federal immigration law and the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition on the government favoring one religion over another, is the lead challenger in the case.
The Supreme Court on Dec. 4 signaled it may lean toward backing the rich asshole when it granted on a 7-2 vote his administration’s request to let the ban go into full effect while legal challenges played out.
the rich asshole has generated controversy with his hardline immigration policies, also including actions taken against states and cities that protect illegal immigrants, intensified deportation efforts and limits on legal immigration.
the rich asshole has said the travel ban is needed to protect the United States from terrorism by Islamic militants.
The challengers have argued the policy was motivated by the rich asshole’s enmity toward Muslims, pressing that point in lower courts with some success by citing statements he made as a candidate and as president. As a candidate, the rich asshole promised “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”
The Justice Department argues the rich asshole’s statements as a candidate carry no weight because he was not yet president.
In defending the ban, the administration has pointed to a waiver provision allowing people from targeted countries to seek entry if they meet certain criteria.
Venezuela and North Korea also were targeted in the travel ban. Those restrictions were not challenged in court.
Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Additional reporting by Mica Rosenberg; Editing by Will Dunham
No comments:
Post a Comment