The Evening Blues - 4-23-18



eb1pt12


The day's news roundup + tonight's musical feature: Tampa Red

Hey! Good Evening!

This evening's music features blues singer and slide guitarist Tampa Red. Enjoy!

Tampa Red - This Ain't No Place For Me

“If I want to knock a story off the front page, I just change my hairstyle.”

-- Hillary Rodham Clinton


News and Opinion

The DNC’S Lawsuit Against WikiLeaks Poses a Serious Threat to Press Freedom

... The DNC’s suit, as it pertains to WikiLeaks, poses a grave threat to press freedom. The theory of the suit — that WikiLeaks is liable for damages it caused when it “willfully and intentionally disclosed” the DNC’s communications — would mean that any media outlet that publishes misappropriated documents or emails (exactly what media outlets quite often do) could be sued by the entity or person about which they are reporting, or even theoretically prosecuted for it, or that any media outlet releasing an internal campaign memo is guilty of “economic espionage.” ... Some of the most important stories in contemporary journalism have come from media outlets obtaining and publishing materials that were taken without authorization or even in violation of the law. Both the New York Times and Washington Post published thousands of pages from the top-secret Pentagon Papers after Daniel Ellsberg took them without authorization from the Pentagon — and they won the right to publish them in the U.S. Supreme Court. ...

What the DNC is counting on is that contempt for WikiLeaks and Julian Assange is so intense in official Washington that it will drown out the obvious menace this lawsuit poses to basic press freedom, or that journalists will be afraid to object out of fear that it will look like they are siding with a despised-in-Washington organization that has been accused by Trump CIA officials (without evidence) of being “a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia.” But just as one should object to torture and the denial of due process for Guantánamo detainees — even if some of the people detained there are actually terrorists who have killed people — one’s personal feelings about Assange and WikiLeaks should be totally irrelevant to recognizing and sounding the alarm about how dangerous the DNC’s legal theory is.

Nor does it matter at all whether one views WikiLeaks as “real journalists” — whatever that might mean. The First Amendment’s guarantee of a free press is not just for media corporations; it is not applicable only to a select group of people called “journalists,” but rather operates to protect an activity when engaged in by anyone. It protects everyone who wishes to publish information that informs the public on matters of public interest. Even WikiLeaks’ most devoted critics and enemies are constrained to acknowledge that WikiLeaks’ publications in general — and its disclosure of at least some of the DNC and Podesta emails, in particular — informed the public about matters legitimately in the public interest. That’s why literally every major media outlet reported on their contents, why those documents forced the resignation of five top DNC officials and the firing of a CNN commentator, and why the DNC itself believes, as evidenced by this lawsuit, that it changed perceptions of Hillary Clinton. ...

No media outlet can function, indeed journalism cannot function, if it becomes illegal to publish secret materials taken by a source without authorization or even illegally. The Obama DOJ — which was not exactly a bastion of press freedom protection, and which despised Assange as much as anyone — wisely recognized this fact, when it decided that it could not prosecute WikiLeaks for publishing stolen materials without severely endangering press freedoms. The DNC, unfortunately, is not nearly as wise — nor nearly as worried — about destroying press freedom in the U.S. The theory it embraced today to sue WikiLeaks for publishing documents is a far more serious menace than any of Donald Trump’s insulting tweets about Chuck Todd. It deserves condemnation and scorn by anyone who actually cares about press freedom.


Cure Worse Than Disease: Bill to Restrict Trump’s War Powers Would Actually “Endorse a Worldwide War on Terror”

On Monday, three Republican and three Democratic senators, led by Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., released a draft of a new “authorization for use of military force,” or AUMF. This AUMF would repeal the AUMF passed on September 14, 2001. ... It would also nullify the October, 2002 AUMF. ...

That sounds good. But the actual language of the Corker-Kaine bill appears to do almost the opposite of what its authors claim. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, it may be “far broader and more dangerous than even current law.” The ACLU’s Christopher Anders calls it “a monumental shift that will amp up war everywhere.”

First, [the bill] discards the language in the 2001 AUMF which declares that force could only be used against those involved the 9/11 attacks — because “the nature of the ongoing armed conflict … has evolved to include numerous non-state terrorist groups.” Now, the president would be explicitly authorized to wage war against “the Taliban, al Qaeda, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and designated associated forces.” The bill specifies five designated associated forces: Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula; Shabab; Al Qaeda in Syria; the Haqqani Network; and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. This would essentially give the executive branch post hoc approval for the ways presidents have used the 2001 AUMF to date. But what’s worse, the bill gives the president functionally unlimited power to add additional “associated forces” at will.

These associated forces can be anyone that “the President determines,” as long as the president claims they are “a co-belligerent” with our previously named enemies, or were once a part of them. They also can be located in any country that the president names — meaning that once the president adds them to the list, any amount of force can be used there, from drones to all-out war. In theory, Congress would have the power to rescind the president’s designation, but of course, this would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers to override an inevitable presidential veto — so, in practice, it would never happen. Like the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs, it has no time limit.

Finally, the bill doesn’t even attempt to restrict the other legal justification that Trump has already used for the use of force, and will certainly use again in the future.

"It seems Trump is using Macron as one of his characters for celebrity apprentice"

Macron to put 'Trump whisperer' skills to test on state visit

They call him the Trump whisperer. France’s President Emmanuel Macron – who believes his diplomacy, persuasion and personal charm can sway the thinking of his US counterpart, Donald Trump – arrives in Washington on Monday for the deeply symbolic first state visit by a foreign leader since Trump came to power. The stakes are high, with Macron expected to raise future plans on Syria after the recent joint missile strikes, as well as France’s determination to preserve the Iran nuclear deal which Trump wants to quit. Macron said last week that he had convinced Trump to keep troops in Syria for the long term but was quickly rebuffed by the White House.

But Elysée officials said the highly choreographed visit, including an intimate dinner with the Trumps at Mount Vernon, was aimed foremost at cementing what they called an “intense, close relationship built on trust”, underlined by Macron and Trump’s daily phone conversations over Syria strikes. Macron’s drive for influence in Washington is built on a surprisingly close relationship forged between two men who would appear polar opposites. ...

The intellectual French president is the same age as Trump’s eldest son, Donald Jr, and believes a head of state should read literature or philosophy every night lest they lose touch with reality. US observers wonder if Trump can finish a book. And yet Macron, driven by a keen sense of pragmatism, has built up perhaps the closest personal relationship to Trump of any world leader.

Award Winning Journalist Debunks Douma Gas Attack w/Carla Ortiz

Saudi-led coalition strike kills at least 20 at wedding in Yemen

An airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition hit a wedding party in northern Yemen, killing at least 20 people, health officials said, as harrowing images emerged on social media of the deadly bombing, the third to hit Yemeni civilians since the weekend.

Khaled al-Nadhri, the top health official in the northern province of Hajja, told the Associated Press that most of the dead were women and children who were gathered in one of the tents set up for the wedding party in the district of Bani Qayis. He said the bride was among the dead. The hospital chief, Mohammed al-Sawmali, said the groom and 45 of the wounded were brought to the local hospital. Health authorities appealed for people to donate blood.

Ali Nasser al-Azib, the deputy head of al-Jomhouri hospital, said 30 children were among the wounded, some in critical condition with shrapnel wounds and severed limbs.

Footage that emerged from the scene of the airstrike shows scattered body parts and a young boy in a green shirt hugging a man’s lifeless body, screaming and crying. Health ministry spokesman Abdel-Hakim al-Kahlan said ambulances were initially unable to reach the site of the bombing for fear of subsequent airstrikes as the jets continued to fly overhead after the initial strike.

South Korea just silenced the speakers broadcasting K-pop over the DMZ

South Korea Monday pulled the plug on the infamous loudspeakers that throw a daily din of propaganda and K-pop over the demilitarized zone and into North Korea.

Killing the high-decibel speakers that have broadcast on-and-off since the early 1960s is part of a wider rapprochement by Seoul toward their neighbor.

Pyongyang’s speakers, which hurl patriotic songs and praise for leader Kim Jong Un in the opposite direction, will also be silenced, Yonhap news agency reported.

The move comes a few days ahead of an historic summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae In.

Kim Jong Un says North Korea has suspended its nuclear missile testing

North Korea has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and will shut down a nuclear testing facility, the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, announced Saturday.

“We no longer need any nuclear test or test launches of intermediate- and intercontinental-range ballistic missiles,” Kim said in a statement, according to North Korean state media. “Because of this, the northern nuclear test site has finished its mission.”

Denouncing Pompeo's 'Disturbing' Pro-War Record, Grassroots Groups Pressure Democrats to Unite Against His Confirmation

With the Senate Foreign Relations Committee expected to vote against recommending President Donald Trump's Secretary of State pick Mike Pompeo to the full Senate on Monday, 50 grassroots organizations sent a letter (pdf) to Democratic senators denouncing Pompeo's "disturbing" record of warmongering and urging them to block his confirmation when it reaches the floor for a final vote as early as this week.

"Pompeo has claimed all Muslims are 'potentially complicit' in terrorism. He has pushed for war over diplomacy with Iran," reads the letter, which was signed by Peace Action, CodePink, Win Without War, and dozens of other progressive groups. "During his tenure in the House of Representatives, he evangelized for torture."

The organizations also called on the Senate to reject Trump's pick to replace Pompeo as CIA chief, Gina Haspel, whose Senate hearing is scheduled for May 9.

"The confirmation of Haspel or Pompeo would normalize torture, jeopardize human rights, increase the likelihood of war and of war crimes—and empower the worst impulses of Trump and [national security adviser John] Bolton," the groups argue. "We already know Trump is a danger to our democracy; we should not heighten that danger by giving him willing tools who have demonstrated a disregard for the rule of law and all that we hold dear."

The groups' letter was delivered as hopes of Democratic unity against Pompeo diminished further on Monday, after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) became the second Democrat to announce that he will vote to confirm Pompeo. The first Democrat to back Pompeo, as Common Dreams reported last week, was Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), whose declaration of support for the "committed Islamophobe" was denounced by progressives as "disgusting."

Even if Pompeo is rejected on Monday by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—where every Democrat is expected to join Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in voting "no"—Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) can still bring him to the floor for a full vote. Pompeo will likely only need one Democratic vote to make it through the full Senate. "If confirmed, Pompeo would become the first nominee to win a Cabinet post without a committee endorsement since 1945," the Washington Post's John Wagner noted on Monday.


Finland to end basic income trial after two years

Europe’s first national government-backed experiment in giving citizens free cash will end next year after Finland decided not to extend its widely publicised basic income trial and to explore alternative welfare schemes instead.

Since January 2017, a random sample of 2,000 unemployed people aged 25 to 58 have been paid a monthly €560 (£475) , with no requirement to seek or accept employment. Any recipients who took a job continued to receive the same amount. The government has turned down a request for extra funding from Kela, the Finnish social security agency, to expand the two-year pilot to a group of employees this year, and said payments to current participants will end next January.

It has also introduced legislation making some benefits for unemployed people contingent on taking training or working at least 18 hours in three months. “The government is making changes taking the system away from basic income,” Kela’s Miska Simanainen told the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. The scheme – aimed primarily at seeing whether a guaranteed income might incentivise people to take up paid work by smoothing out gaps in the welfare system – is strictly speaking not a universal basic income (UBI) trial, because the payments are made to a restricted group and are not enough to live on.

Economic Update: Struggling Against the System

Georgia Bus Drivers Joined the School Uprising and Paid a Price

The red-state school uprising is spreading to educators around the country, with teachers in Colorado and Arizona now planning walkouts to demand better treatment from state and county governments. But the widespread public support that has helped carry the teachers to victories so far has been less present for blue-collar workers following in their footsteps. In Georgia, bus drivers who organized their own work stoppage last week were met with public condemnation and immediate firings.

On Thursday, the same day that the votes in favor of a walkout were tallied in Arizona, nearly 400 school bus drivers in DeKalb County, Georgia, stayed home from work, staging a “sickout” to protest their low salaries and meager benefits.

Whether the school bus drivers can succeed in winning their demands and maintaining broad popular support remains to be seen, but the protest provides an important test case on whether these teacher movements will lead to a broader working-class uprising or stay limited to organizing among a narrower band of white-collar professionals. The bus drivers are not building their case around the idea that their unique talents merit greater monetary reward, but that they simply need and deserve to be treated more fairly. ...

While the teachers strikes in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arizona have boasted the vocal support of local school boards and superintendents, the school district leadership in DeKalb County has offered no such solidarity to the school bus drivers. In fact, seven bus drivers were fired on Thursday, identified as “sickout ringleaders.” ...

In the red states where teachers movements have erupted, school bus drivers have helped support the educators protesting their working conditions. In Oklahoma, for example, while teachers walked off their jobs to protest at the state capitol for nine days, bus drivers prepared and drove free meals to more than 100 designated pick-up points to make sure that students were not left hungry. Some school bus drivers even helped transport teachers to the state capitol.



the horse race



The Supreme Court could make it easier for Trump to fire Mueller

President Donald Trump can’t directly fire Bob Mueller, the man overseeing the investigation into his campaign’s ties with Russia. (Everyone except the president seems to know that.) So if Trump wants to rid himself of the probe he calls a “witch hunt,” he needs to find someone who can. The only person with the power, right now, to fire Mueller is Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. And he’s said he won’t pink-slip the special counsel without “good cause,” as federal regulation requires. If Rosenstein refuses and Trump fires him, then the assignment could fall next in line at the Justice Department is Solicitor General Noel Francisco.

Francisco hasn’t addressed whether he’d fire Mueller, but he’s a Republican Trump appointee who’s already accused the FBI of overreaching. He’s also taken what experts called a “bizzare” position in a case against the SEC that the Supreme Court will hear on Monday. The decision could ultimately affect his — and Trump’s — ability to fire Mueller by watering down the “good cause” standard. The case, Lucia v. SEC, considers how certain judges who preside over SEC regulation are appointed. But seemingly out of left field, Francisco asked the Supreme Court to expand the scope of the case and consider if the law that requires these judges only be removed “for cause” is constitutional. Anyone with the power to fire Mueller would be held to the same standard.

Francisco later not only asked the Supreme Court to dilute that regulation but also argued that Congress doesn’t have the power to limit the president’s, or one of his appointees’, ability to fire officers, like Mueller. “If the solicitor general gets this judicial ruling that ‘for cause’ really means any reason related to job performance, then that gives some support for a Rosenstein successor to discharge Mueller,” said Harold Krent, a professor at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, who filed an amicus brief in the case.



the evening greens


Flint activists still waiting as governor escapes fallout of water crisis

The lead poisoning crisis that swept Flint was, for a time, expected to fell Rick Snyder, the governor of Michigan. But the start of criminal trials of those deemed responsible for the disaster has stirred outrage in Flint at the prospect that the governor will pay no price for what happened on his watch. Neither Snyder, nor any of his closest aides, are among the 15 people identified by Michigan attorney general Bill Schuette as being criminally responsible for allowing lead to leech into Flint’s drinking water in April 2014 and failing to deal with its deadly consequences.

Wednesday will be four years since Flint’s water switched to the Flint river, without lead corrosion controls, prompting the public health crisis. “No one is above the law, not on my watch,” Schuette, who is running to replace term-limited Snyder this year, has vowed. But no crime has been been established against the governor, Schuette stressed.

As it stands, Snyder will be able to round off his eight-year tenure in January and return to the private sector, where he forged a sizable personal fortune via venture capital and technology before he ran for office. The technocratic Republican, whose Twitter handle is @onetoughnerd, would exit with little worse than some gloomy approval ratings. “I don’t think the governor is going to get what he deserves,” said Gina Luster, an activist with Flint Rising. Laura MacIntyre, a sociologist at University of Michigan-Flint, is more descriptive: “He deserves to be tarred and feathered.”

At the apex of the crisis, in 2015 and 2016, it appeared that Snyder would, at least politically, be toppled by the outrage. He faced a humbling congressional hearing in March 2016 where, sipping a bottle of water held with trembling hands, he told lawmakers “I kick myself every day” over what happened in Flint. “Career bureaucrats” in his administration had deceived him. “I get so mad, I should’ve never believed them,” Snyder said. The governor was jeered by Flint activists and residents, some wearing “Flint Lives Matter” T-shirts, and got little respite from his interlocutors. “I’ve had enough of your false contrition and apologies,” said congressman Matt Cartwright. “You sit there dripping with guilt.” As he was shielded out of the hearing by his security detail, Snyder’s political end seemed nigh.

It wasn’t to be. “You don’t roll up in a ball, you don’t walk away,” Snyder said, explaining his unwillingness to resign. ... The criminal legal action, now starting to hit the courts, has so far focused on the sort of “career bureaucrats” Snyder blamed for the Flint crisis, rather than their ultimate boss. “They started with the low hanging fruit and we weren’t happy, we thought ‘really?’” Karen Weaver, Flint’s mayor, told the Guardian. “People are waiting to see if the governor will be involved and, if the evidence points that way, he should be involved. “We want everyone to be held accountable. What happened was inexcusable. People ask how I can work with the governor. Well, he’s in office. He has power. He has resources we need.”

Pruitt promised polluters EPA will value their profits over American lives

[T]he Daily Caller recently reported that at a gathering at the fossil fuel-funded Heritage Institute, Pruitt announced that the EPA and federal government will soon end two important science-based practices in evaluating the costs and benefits of regulations.

When the EPA regulates pollutants, the practice often yields what are called “co-benefits.” For example, limiting allowable mercury pollution can force dirty coal power plants to install pollution-control equipment or shut down. Since coal plants produce other pollutants like soot, the regulations not only reduce mercury levels, but also particulate matter in the air. The latter isn’t an intended consequence of the regulations, but creating cleaner air and healthier Americans are unintended “co-benefits” of limiting another pollutant.

In doing cost-benefit analyses, the EPA accounts for all direct benefits and indirect co-benefits of its regulations. Certain industry groups and conservative pundits don’t like that approach, because they care more about polluter profits than they do about clean air and healthy Americans. However, during the George W. Bush administration in 2003, the Office of Management and Budget issued a guidance saying that it’s important to consider co-benefits:

Your analysis should look beyond the direct benefits and direct costs of your rulemaking and consider any important ancillary benefits and countervailing risks. An ancillary benefit is a favorable impact of the rule that is typically unrelated or secondary to the statutory purpose of the rulemaking (e.g., reduced refinery emissions due to more stringent fuel economy standards for light trucks)…

Pruitt wants to disregard this Bush-era guidance and instead consider only the costs and benefits of regulating the “targeted pollutant” (mercury, in our example). They want to ignore the lives saved by also incidentally reducing particulate matter pollution. To be blunt, this makes no sense, unless your goal is to protect polluters at the expense of public and environmental health.

As a backup argument, industry groups argue that the EPA overestimates these co-benefits because particulate matter (specifically, PM2.5) isn’t harmful to human health below a certain threshold value. Not coincidentally, Pruitt’s EPA hired a scientist who has argued that American air is “a little too clean for optimum health.”

Scott Pruitt is the target of no less than 10 federal investigations

The feds are really, really curious about what Scott Pruitt’s been up to.

As the controversies surrounding the EPA chief have mounted in recent weeks, so have the federal investigations. Now, the EPA’s internal watchdog has lots of questions for Pruitt, as does the top federal ethics watchdog, and the House Oversight Committee, led by Republican Trey Gowdy.

There are at least 10 federal investigations focused on Pruitt’s first-class travel, unusually large security detail, frequent association with lobbying interests, pay raises for staffers, and, somehow, more. The mounting appearance of misconduct and corruption at the EPA has started to attract not just the attention of Democrats — 170 of whom have called for Pruitt’s resignation — but Republicans, too.


Also of Interest

Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.

To Defeat ISIS, the U.S. Helped Turn Old Mosul Into Rubble — but Won’t Help Rebuild It

Another Dodgy British Dossier: the Skripal Case

Gina Haspel's CIA appointment will delight torturers around the globe

Republicans Have Found a Nuclear Option to Kill Regulations

Trump Scores Major North Korea Points; Dems Sue WikiLeaks For Telling The Truth

The Media War On Truthful Reporting And Legitimate Opinions

Controversial Contractor Was Behind Island-Wide Blackout, as Puerto Rico Debates Full Privatization


A Little Night Music

Tampa Red and Chicago Five - You Got To Learn To Do It

Tampa Red - Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Tampa Red - I Ain't Fur It

Tampa Red & Black Bob - Crazy With The Blues

Tampa Red and Georgia Tom - Voice Of The Blues

Tampa Red and The Chicago Five - She Said It

Tampa Red - King Fish Blues

Tampa Red - What Is That Tastes Like Gravy ?

Tampa Red - Let Me Play With Your Poodle

Tampa Red - So Crazy About You Baby


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OLinda's picture

The DNC’S Lawsuit Against WikiLeaks Poses a Serious Threat to Press Freedom

Is it just me? Sounds like Glenn is saying even if Julian is scum, the DNC lawsuit is bad. I would have preferred to see a little support for Julian. A little fighting back, not this weasely-worded stuff.

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snoopydawg's picture

@OLinda

What the DNC is counting on is that contempt for WikiLeaks and Julian Assange is so intense in official Washington that it will drown out the obvious menace this lawsuit poses to basic press freedom

This is how some people feel about Assange, not Glenn. I see comments that say "he raped two women and others in that vein. ToP is full of people who say this and worse things about him because they believe that he was working with Putin. This is another side benefit of Russia Gate.

Of course they loved him when he was releasing stuff about Bush and Cheney, but they started hating him when he released stuff about Obama. Their hatred went astronomical when he posted Hillary's and the DNC files that showed how they rigged the primary against Bernie.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

joe shikspack's picture

@OLinda

i don't think greenwald means it quite that way; i think a fairer way of saying it is that personal characteristics are irrelevant and the principles at issue are what matters.

i don't have any evidence at hand, but my memory is that greenwald and assange have sometimes made some testy comments about each other at times. on the other hand, greenwald has been supportive of assange lately, posting a recent article calling out those campaigning to silence him.

so while perhaps they aren't the best of friends, there is mutual respect in evidence.

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@joe shikspack At times some strange things, but can you imagine what risks he has taken?

And what service he has provided?

The billionaires have corrupted politics around the globe, along with dictators, and much of the corporate media is aligned with the establishment.

Which is more ethical?

1. wikileaks

2. FBI

3. CIA

4. congress

5. supreme court

6. rest of courts

7. corporate media

8. US military

9. corporations

10. drug companies

Now that you have looked at that list, is it clear that there is a price on Julian's head?

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mimi's picture

[video:https://youtu.be/NLoSQuxBtiU]

Good Evening, I am still listening in to the video. Makes some things clear to me.

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@mimi Have you heard about it?

Sure you have, but now you have a name for it

Offshore

They are disconnected from the earth and from governments and from ...

How about a new TV Show "Adventures in the Billionaires Offshore Land"

I can't vouch for a TV show because I seldom watch it.

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joe shikspack's picture

@mimi

thanks for the vid. i saw that and another gerald horne vid over at trnn that i mean to watch but haven't had time to yet.

have a great evening!

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OLinda's picture

Denouncing Pompeo's 'Disturbing' Pro-War Record, Grassroots Groups Pressure Democrats to Unite Against His Confirmation

"...where every Democrat is expected to join Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in voting "no"—..."

Paul changes his mind:

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joe shikspack's picture

@OLinda

i guess the war cabinet will be assembled without challenge. not that it wasn't likely due to there being so many democrat warmongering jackasses anyway.

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@OLinda
He plays the role the Koch Brothers give him but at crunch time he's pro-oligarch / anti-American.

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Beware the bullshit factories.

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joe shikspack's picture

@gjohnsit

well, not much of a surprise there, bloodthirsty establishment dems circle the wagons to fight of challenge from left.

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@gjohnsit that was a clear signal that he was an establishment dem

And heard rumors that he didn't share his list of supporters with other dems because he did some strange stuff to get his lists. Using Facebook or something else to gather people on social media.

I sure as hell hope that Dianne is defeated. A few more progressives can go along way, now that there are so many issues that building walls and bombing are not going to help.

How many people in government or corporations are criminals?

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snoopydawg's picture

@gjohnsit

“From the earliest days of her career as one of California’s most devoted public servants, Senator Feinstein has been a stalwart supporter of the LGBTQ community,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “As Donald Trump and Mike Pence attempt to undo our progress and drag our country backwards, Senator Feinstein is standing up to this administration’s dangerous attacks on LGBTQ people and fighting for the equal dignity of all Americans. HRC is proud to endorse Senator Feinstein’s bid for reelection and we look forward to continuing to work with her to secure full federal equality.”

I asked hrc if human rights count for people in other countries? Or asked them if they remembered that she doesn't think we need universal health care in this country. Or if she had addressed the poverty, the 19 million children who are food insecure or about the increasing number of people who are homeless in California alone?

Just wow.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Horror of horrors. I heard that surprise guests will be at the state dinner: Boris and Natasha Badenov and they are bringing the entertainment: The Soup Formerly Known as Borscht.

Traitors.

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joe shikspack's picture

@MrWebster

heh, trump just envies putin and macron because they have big military parades. Smile

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The Aspie Corner's picture

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRjFaxQYjdA]

Let's just call this shit what it is: A spat between different factions of the bourgeoisie for dominance. No matter who wins, WE will lose.

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Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.

Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.

NCTim's picture

@The Aspie Corner

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The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -

joe shikspack's picture

@The Aspie Corner

i'm looking on the bright side and thinking about the comedic potential of the discovery phase of this debacle should it ever find its way into a court.

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snoopydawg's picture

After all they are not only killing many children they are starving them too. If killing children is unacceptable to those countries, then justice should administered justly. I hate hypocrites!

Yay for blue dogs! They must be voted for because they give the democrats a majority. This is the thinking on ToP. Don't criticize them for voting to roll back banking regulations, to let car loans be higher for minorities, for voting to appoint people who have tortured people, for not protecting net neutrality and gawd knows what other horrible issues they vote for.

Isn't what Pruitt doing against congressional law? Congress passed the EPA and what the regulations are supposed to protect. It should be unconstitutional because we have those rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Poisoning our country definitely goes against those things.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

@snoopydawg It seemed like where ever the crown prince went to, he came bearing gifts of frankincense, myrrh and a ton of money. I thought it odd that so many icons would meet with him. Then I realized he was offering ton of money and deals and financing for whatever. I wonder if Oprah got on him about women's rights? Don't seem like it. It is like not one person he met had any clue to what the Saudis were doing to Yemen.

Time to break out the O'Jays.

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snoopydawg's picture

@MrWebster

When one says that they will not tolerate children being killed by chemical weapons and then they stay silent on children being killed by bombs, the press and others need to call them out on it. I would have liked one person ask Trump if he had to punish Assad for what he was accused of doing then why wasn't he calling out the Saudis for dropping cluster bombs on children in Yemen?

But no, the pressitute media in this country are cowards. Putting money over their humanity is cowardly. Did anyone hear what Rachel said about the Syrian bombing or was she silent too on that? I'd write her and ask her myself, but she has ignored all my other emails. And I've written quite a few to her.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

orlbucfan's picture

@MrWebster @MrWebster Have either one of you heard anything recently from bobswern? BTW, rec'd!! Smile

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Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.

joe shikspack's picture

@orlbucfan

it's been a while since i've heard from bobswern, but that's not unusual. he is a pretty busy fellow.

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joe shikspack's picture

@snoopydawg

saudi arabia is too useful to fukus for it to bomb them. it's probably not going to happen anytime soon, and they will continue to be able to get away with murder.

if it wasn't for the blue dogs, a bunch of democrats who pretend to be progressives would have to become neoliberals.

what pruitt is doing certainly violates some law (like the clean air act and the clean water act). however, since a majority in the legislature (including some democrats like joe manchin) are in favor of profits regardless of pollution, there is little chance that he will be held to account by congress. the slow-moving court system might eventually force him to uphold some laws and stop him from slashing regulations that support the standards that he is supposed to uphold.

if pruitt is held to account by congress, it will be for his administrative failures (overspending, rules violations, etc.) which congress cares about far more than a clean environment.

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Odd that a "news organization" would pitch an investment firm. Well, seems odd to me. Kos used TOP to springboard to other types of investments like building a sports site, and now some polling for a fee place.

Just looking for Dore video, and this came up:

Did a simple search on the company and this came up on Aspiration:

Aspiration Bank and the Private Healthcare industry
https://www.reddit.com/r/theyoungturks/comments/6mwdi9/aspiration_bank_a...

https://www.highya.com/aspiration-reviews

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@MrWebster TYT got some big investments, $20 million.

I found it in a search

Jeffrey Katzenberg’s WndrCo Invests in TYT Network as Part of $20 Million Round

They were touting how many viewers they have and all the great things that they are going to do.

I watched them during Bernie's campaign but only look at them once per month, if that

Jimmy Dore does much better, and there are others like the Real News Network.

Does TYT want to become an entertainment company?

It looks too flashy to me

On the other hand I trust Bernie and he is setting up a network. He has been doing the same things for 40 years and continues full speed ahead.

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@DonMidwest I think that Rush Limberger didn't believe a word hes said. He saw that he could make his act being one of a right wing blowhard, and he has been successful at it.

The Young Turks seemed progressive and from what I saws supported Bernie. But after they endorsed Clinton, it seemed they went DNC-lite. Their coverage of Russia is absolutely horrid and ultra reactionary and crosses over to xenophobic conspiracies. One segment just went into homophobic slurs to describe Trump and Putin.

But from potentially a financial point of view, very smart that shit on Russia. Maddow, TOP, and major outlets have made money off Russiagate hysteria.

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joe shikspack's picture

@MrWebster

that doesn't come as a big surprise to me.

some lefties go the grassroots route to building an audience and funding their infrastructure needs. others go the more traditional route of soliciting corporate funding - all while swearing it won't affect their content... not one bit!

insert something about a bridge for sale.

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@joe shikspack You know, I understand if like Joe's Local Progressive Car Repair had some sponsorship, but in the shadow of Sanders and OWS, to align with even what might be a righteous investment firm, no, does not work for me.

But then again, during the primaries we learned that Hillary was absolutely immune to the power of money. The first time I read that, I went to the window, pulled open the curtains, and sure enough--a star in the East.

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joe shikspack's picture

@MrWebster

i see a big difference between a progressive who does car repair for a living having a corporate entity invest in his business and a businessman who is progressive for a living having a corporate entity invest in his business.

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Their dirty deeds are coming to the surface

A budget bill that is a give away to the billionaires

Trash the environment

Attack SS, medicare, medicade, education, etc

lie and lie and lie

trash science -- for a couple hundred years science was at the top of the heap. Suprised they have pulled this off. I don't suppose they want to treat their own medical conditions but will rely on doctors. But not rely on environmentalists ...

Don't know what the time frame for carrying out the Shock Doctrine

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joe shikspack's picture

@DonMidwest

it's not just the republicans. the democrats are in on this, too. trump is following in the footsteps of barack "hamilton project" obama, who followed in the footsteps of dubya... etc.

trump's certainly been very successful in pushing the neoliberal agenda, more successful in many ways than some of his predecessors could have dreamed of, but he's certainly not out of the mainstream of american politics except in his behavior.

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divineorder's picture

Reminds me of when we first moved to Austin in '76 we met a long blond haired bus driver who helped organize EyoresBithdayParty each spring and was a labor advocate as well.

Thanks for the news. Ah sh't, Ellison, 'what were they thinking dot com.'

More kids dead in the middleast. No words, just gld groups are pushing back on the war on terrah expansion.

Hoo, well , here jakkalbessie and I sit oat a picnic table overlooking Russian Gulch and the Pacific. BTW we finally were able to convey your wave to the whales today. They waved back wth their tail as they sounded toward the bottom.

Wildflowers in NorCal are taking off. jb was trying for a macro shot and we reminisced about the fine ones we saw from joanneleon and yourself 'back in the day.' Here's a shot from the Russian Gulch SP headlands area took with my S8 phone while we whale watching this am.
20180423_120939-2268x3024.jpg

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

joe shikspack's picture

@divineorder

that's a beautifully composed shot! and the subject is pretty nice looking to boot. it's pretty impressive quality for a cellphone camera. Smile

thanks for saying hello to the whales. it's been a long time since i've seen them, too long, really.

i hope that you guys are well and having a wonderful time!

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how is this not news?

The Yemeni Houthis have captured 19 oil tankers and are keeping them from entering the Hodeidah port, according to reports from Saudi media quoting the Kingdom’s ambassador in Yemen.
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joe shikspack's picture

@gjohnsit

it would certainly seem to be news, though one might wonder if the advantage to the houthis of stopping oil imports.

perhaps the lack of certainty is causing media to hold off reporting?

However, the only media sources reporting the tanker seizure are Saudi sources and there has been no confirmation from an external source that the Houthis have indeed seized any tankers yet. No details have been disclosed as to the origin of the vessels, either.

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MarilynW's picture

At 1:30 pm Eastern time, a white van rushed down Toronto's busiest street. It was a warm, sunny spring day after a cold winter, many people were out walking, on their lunch hour, shopping. Ten people were killed, 16 injured, \

25 Minutes of Horror on Yonge Street:
How the Toronto Van Attack Unfolded

https://www.theglobeandmail.com

I watched a video of the aftermath, it had warnings, but I watched. When I saw the first responders trying to pump air into the limp bodies, I just began to cry. I should have listened to the warning.

And the sight of the bus shelter completely demolished It's just devastating. Then there's the video of the cop yelling at the murderer to get down, coming forward after the murderer warns "I have a gun in my pocket." The cop kept coming and didn't shoot and the monster backed down.

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To thine own self be true.

joe shikspack's picture

@MarilynW

i'm so sorry to hear that the madness that has pretty much become a regular feature of life in the u.s. has happened again in canada. i hope that canada, being a somewhat more reasonable place than the u.s., will come up with a smart and compassionate plan to make their society less likely to experience these events.

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MarilynW's picture

@joe shikspack
These killings are terrible no matter where they happen. We have to find a way to make renting and using trucks and vans as murder weapons a thing of the past - a way to deal with people who harbour a murderous rage.

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To thine own self be true.