The Sierra Madre Tattler!

A Vacation for The Tattler

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000

I've had a few inquiries, mostly to see if I'm still alive. Which fortunately for me I am. The alternative is not very exciting as far as I've been able to determine.

I'm shutting down the blog for the month of December. Next year should be action packed, but this next month? Not so much. I've never taken any long breaks, but now I am.

I hope everyone has a great Christmas, or whatever holiday you choose to observe. There are lots of them, and they're all nice. All paths lead to the light, as they say. Most religious differences being cultural.

Back at you in January.

The Tattler

Watch: Trump met with loud boos as he pulls up to South Carolina football game

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Mod: They just weren't digging on Benedict Donald at the Palmetto Bowl.

Trump met with loud boos as he pulls up to South Carolina football game (Raw Story link): Donald Trump made a big deal of attending the South Carolina "Palmetto Bowl," where he hoped to show up his GOP rival Nikki Haley at her alma mater, but a video shows the crowd wasn't quite as excited.

Trump teased the appearance on Truth Social, saying hours earlier that he was "getting ready to leave for the Great State of South Carolina, to attend the Palmetto Bowl."

"Will be a terrific game. See you all later!" he wrote.

His appearance itself was a bit of a mixed bag, according to video provided by Fox Carolina Sports Director Beth Hoole. "Former President Donald Trump has arrived ahead of kickoff at Williams-Brice Stadium," she wrote in posting the video.

But social media users including popular conservatives were quick to point out the boos. "Trump was met with a massive amount of boos as his SUV arrived at the Palmetto Bowl in Columbia South Carolina," according to Republicans Against Trump.

A reporter posted, "You can hear the boo's and explicit welcome Trump received as his SUV arrived at Williams-Brice for the Palmetto Bowl."

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

'Never seen a number like this': GOP pollster says Trump is uniquely poised to lose

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Mod: In case you've ever wondered why Trump isn't locked up in jail yet.

'Never seen a number like this': GOP pollster says Trump is uniquely poised to lose (Raw Story link): President Joe Biden's low approval ratings would normally set off major alarm bells for an incumbent president heading into an election year. However, The Atlantic's Ronald Brownstein reports those low approval numbers may not matter so long as Biden's rival is former President Donald Trump.

In fact, veteran Republican pollster Bill McInturff tells Brownstein that he's seen an unprecedented number of voters say their views of Trump would be their most important consideration when they think about a hypothetical Trump-Biden rematch.

“I have never seen a number like this NBC result between an incumbent and ‘challenger,’” McInturff explained. “If 2024 is a Biden versus Trump campaign, we are in uncharted waters.”

Although most polls currently show Biden trailing Trump in a 2024 matchup, Brownstein argues that Trump's polarizing rhetoric, such as his recent comparisons of his domestic opponents to "vermin," may remind swing voters unhappy with Biden of why they chose him in the first place three years ago.

"In the 2022 and 2023 elections, a crucial slice of voters down on the economy and Biden’s performance voted for Democrats in the key races anyway, largely because they viewed the Trump-aligned GOP alternatives as too extreme," he writes. "Eventually, Trump’s excesses could shape the 2024 election as much as Biden’s record will."

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

'More emboldened by the day': Trump's holiday attack on court clerk sparks horror

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Mod: Donald says these things because he thinks it will get him off the hook. Could he be right?

'More emboldened by the day': Trump's holiday attack on court clerk sparks horror (Raw Story link): Donald Trump posted a Thanksgiving greeting that immediately devolved into a tirade against court and law enforcement officials he claims are targeting him for political reasons.

The former president offered a holiday message reminiscent of his infamous Nov. 27, 2013, tweet wishing a "Happy Thanksgiving to all -- even the haters and losers!" but this year's greeting ran on at length in an attack on New York attorney general Letitia James, New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron and his clerk, and President Joe Biden.

"Happy Thanksgiving to ALL, including the Racist & Incompetent Attorney General of New York State, Letitia 'Peekaboo' James, who has let Murder & Violent Crime FLOURISH, & Businesses FLEE; the Radical Left Trump Hating Judge, a 'Psycho,' Arthur Engoron, who Criminally Defrauded the State of New York, & ME, by purposely Valuing my Assets at a 'tiny' Fraction of what they are really worth in order to convict me of Fraud before even a Trial, or seeing any PROOF, & used his Politically Biased & Corrupt Campaign Finance Violator, Chief Clerk Alison Greenfield, to sit by his side on the 'Bench' & tell him what to do; & Crooked Joe Biden, who has WEAPONIZED his Department of Injustice against his Political Opponent, & allowed our Country to go to HELL; & all of the other Radical Left Lunatics, Communists, Fascists, Marxists, Democrats, & RINOS, who are seriously looking to DESTROY OUR COUNTRY," the ex-president posted. "Have no fear, however, we will WIN the Presidential Election of 2024, & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!"

The message puzzled many social media users, who pointed to the post as yet another example of why Trump is unfit to serve again as president.

"If this is your idea of a good Thanksgiving message and you want this authoritarian weirdo to return to power, you might want to log off, go for a walk, and think carefully about your worldview," said author and global politics professor Brian Klaas.

"It seems like, maybe, just maybe, the media as a whole can stop the 'Biden is losing his mind' narrative and, well, maybe look elsewhere," tweeted author and sportswriter Jeff Pearlman.

"Trump discovering semicolons is like velociraptors learning how to open doors," said author and professor Jeff Sharlet.

"Would it be inappropriate to read Trump's Thanksgiving wishes at the dinner table today?" said X user Annie van Leur. "(I'm a guest this year)."

"This man has serious issues," tweeted biology professor Nikole Weisendanger. "He cannot drop the hate even on a day you’re supposed to reflect and be thankful for your life, family, and friends."

"On Thanksgiving, Trump attacks the judge’s clerk in his civil fraud trial by name — a day after the court released some of the deluge of antisemitic threats she’s gotten," said Adam Klasfeld, senior legal correspondent for The Messenger. "In a sworn affidavit, a court officer said these threats spike when he attacks her."

"He becomes more emboldened by the day," replied X user Jeff Droz. "When he was 'impeached' and realized that was nothing more than a word, he realized he is untouchable. And he’s right.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Stephen Miller calls for a boycott of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Mod: This really is bad news. Now I am going to have to watch it.

MAGA Republicans Are Trying To Boycott The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (PoliticusUSA link): Stephen Miller’s MAGA group America First Legal is trying to stage a boycott of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade because they are accusing Macy’s of discriminating against straight white men.

America First Legal claims in its complaint that Macy’s is engaging in racial discrimination through its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies. Macy’s is trying to hold that long discriminated against group of Americans known as straight white men down.

This frivolous complaint is a dog whistle to straight white men from America’s Next Top Incel, Stephen Miller. Trump and his minions know that they have zero chance of returning to power without getting straight white men afraid and angry. The complaint against Macy’s is an attempt to do exactly that.

MAGA was never about economic anxiety or any of the other cover stories. MAGA is a political movement that is trying to stop the demographic progress of American society. MAGA is the wail of scared white men who are afraid that they are going to lose their power. Macy’s joins every black prosecutor that is prosecuting Trump in being accused of racism by MAGA.

Straight white men losing a tiny sliver of the advantage that they had for hundreds of years in the United States isn’t racism. It’s progress, and progress is what terrifies Trump and MAGA the most.

Mod: So which Macy's perfume counter denied Stephen a job?

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Fox News host's '$90 Turkey' claim mocked as prices plunge in 'Thanksgiving miracle'

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Mod: Chaffetz might have been talking about the high priced butterball to the left.

Fox News host's '$90 Turkey' claim mocked as prices plunge in 'Thanksgiving miracle' (AlterNet link): A Fox News host’s claim he spent $90 on a Thanksgiving turkey is getting tremendous pushback and mockery as economists note the price of turkeys, gas, airplane travel, and even complete Thanksgiving Day dinners have all dropped in what one jovially declared a “Thanksgiving miracle.”

“We went to go buy a turkey today — it was $90 for a turkey,” former Republican U.S. Congressman turned Fox News host Jason Chaffetz said Monday (video below).”The price of stamps is up 32% in the last four years. But it’s all a choice by Joe Biden. That is what Bidenomics is.”

Chaffetz was roundly mocked, with many posting ads from their local grocers showing the price of turkeys this Thanksgiving, which CNBC and others report is actually lower than last year. “On average, Americans can expect to pay $35.40 for a 15-pound turkey this year — an average of $2.36 per pound,” FinanceBuzz reports. “At more than $50 per bird ($52.85), Hawaii has the highest average turkey prices of all the states.

In the contiguous U.S., Minnesota and California tie for the highest average price at $41.85.”

“Almost everything on the Thanksgiving menu is lower – prices for cranberries have dropped 18%,” CNBC reports. “But the main reason for the decrease is due to the star of the show — the turkey. This year, a 16-pound turkey is averaging $27.35, down 5.6% from a year ago.” Inflation dropped from 9.1% annually in June of last year to 3.2% annually last month — inflation in the month of October was zero.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

'Moms For Liberty' Pastor Is a Registered Sex Offender - More hypocrisy from the far-right hate group

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Mod: Why of course he is. Now go and burn some books in his honor.

'Moms For Liberty' Pastor Is a Registered Sex Offender (Meidas Touch Network link): Phillip Fisher Jr., a pastor who provides membership outreach to faith communities for the Philadelphia Chapter of the hate group Moms for Liberty, pleaded guilty in 2012 to aggravated sexual abuse of a 14-year-old boy.

Fisher, who leads the Center for Universal Divinity in Olney, Pennsylvania, and grooms local faith leaders for membership in Moms for Liberty, served three years in prison for the felony charge, including 20 months in jail awaiting trial, before he pleaded guilty and was released. He said he was experiencing violence from other inmates. When the news was made public, Fisher resigned from his position in the Philadelphia Republican City Committee where he served as a ward leader.

Fisher was also a volunteer at the Moms for Liberty summit this Summer in Philadelphia, where Trump, Ron Desantis and Nikki Haley all gave speeches. That was the gathering where a co-founder of the group defended an Indiana chapter for posting a Hitler quote on the front of their newsletter.

Both Moms for Liberty and local Republican leaders were said to be shocked at the news. Moms for Liberty founders Tina Descovich and Tiffany Justice told Newsweek in a statement, "We do not condone the actions of anyone who hurts children—ever."

Fisher is listed in the sex offender registry in Illinois where he is from. “I never went out of my way to hide anything,” Fisher said. “I’m in the database. It’s an easy search.”

Moms for Liberty is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Its purpose is to ban books and destroy diversity education in public schools, especially LGBT education, as it targets the LGBT community with hateful rhetoric.

Moms for Liberty backed candidates lost huge in School Board elections nationwide in the off-year election earlier this month.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Trump in Iowa: I Do Not Like 'Golden Showers' from Prostitutes - Gross and depraved speech by Trump raises red flags

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Mod: Meidas Touch offers glimpses into Donald Trump's roiling madness.

Trump in Iowa: I Do Not Like 'Golden Showers' from Prostitutes - Gross and depraved speech by Trump raises red flags (Meidas Touch link): Speaking at a small high school gymnasium in Fort Dodge, Iowa on Saturday, Trump told his supporters what he feels about being urinated on by prostitutes.

To be precise, Trump told those who attended that he doesn’t like “golden showers” from “hookers” because he is a “germaphobe.” Trump went into this depraved and disgusting tirade unprompted as part of his scripted remarks.

Trump then proceeded to brag that the leader of the Taliban was nice to him. Trump said to the tiny crowd in Iowa, “I wonder if [the Taliban leader] calls Biden ‘your excellency.' I don't think so,” Trump proclaimed.

Other notable moments of the speech included when Trump said that he had a disease named after him, praised President Xi and Putin, and mocked Iowa’s two Republican Senators.

Trump’s speech in Iowa where he laid bare his views on “golden showers” was the first major event since his Veterans Day speech in New Hampshire where he echoed Adolf Hitler by saying he will “root out” his political opponents who he referred to as “vermin.”

Mod: Additional content at the link includes video of Trump making these statements.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

You Can Now Legally Call Donald Trump An Insurrectionist

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Mod: Good to see a Court of Law catching up with the popular reality.

You Can Now Legally Call Donald Trump An Insurrectionist (PoliticusUSA link): A court in Colorado found that Donald Trump incited an insurrection against the United States of America, which means you can call Trump an insurrectionist. The Court ruled:

The Court concludes that Trump acted with the specific intent to incite political violence and direct it at the Capitol with the purpose of disrupting the electoral certification. Trump cultivated a culture that embraced political violence through his consistent endorsement of the same. He responded to growing threats of violence and intimidation in the lead-up to the certification by amplifying his false claims of election fraud. He convened a large crowd on the date of the certification in Washington, D.C., focused them on the certification process, told them their country was being stolen from them, called for strength and action, and directed them to the Capitol where the certification was about to take place.

When the violence began, he took no effective action, disregarded repeated calls to intervene, and pressured colleagues to delay the certification until roughly three hours had passed, at which point he called for dispersal, but not without praising the mob and again endorsing the use of political violence. The evidence shows that Trump not only knew about the potential for violence, but that he actively promoted it and, on January 6, 2021, incited it. His inaction during the violence and his later endorsement of the violence corroborates the evidence that his intent was to incite violence on January 6, 2021 based on his conduct leading up to and on January 6, 2021.

Trump was only able to stay on the ballot in Colorado because the Court also found that since the President Of The United States isn’t one of the federal officers listed in Article 14 Section 3 of the Constitution, it does not apply to Trump in this case.

In reality, the courts and state elected officials who supervise elections are very reluctant to establish the precedent of removing candidates from the presidential ballot.

The effort to get Trump disqualified is a long-shot bid that could be better served by waiting until after Trump is potentially convicted of crimes against the United States. The big news is that Trump has been legally found to have incited an insurrection against the United States.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

2024 GOP hopefuls compete for evangelicals’ support at forum RNC warned them not to attend

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 12:30:00 +0000

Mod: Anybody know why Chris Christie wasn't invited? Just these jokers?

2024 GOP hopefuls compete for evangelicals’ support at forum RNC warned them not to attend (Raw Story link): Republican presidential candidates shared personal stories about their faith, their opposition to abortion and their support of Israel at the Family Leader’s Presidential Thanksgiving Forum in Des Moines Friday, hoping to win evangelical Iowans’ support in the 2024 Iowa caucuses.

Three candidates, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, participated in the roundtable discussion. Only two other candidates who were invited did not appear: U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, who dropped out of the race Sunday, and former President Donald Trump.

The former president, who holds a significant lead over his Republican rivals, has skipped the majority of “cattle call” events in Iowa as well as the Republican National Committee’s presidential debates where he would appear alongside other candidates. Instead, he typically holds his own, separate events, and this Saturday he plans to hold a rally in Fort Dodge.

Family Leader President and CEO Bob Vander Plaats, who moderated the forum, asked candidates to avoid attacking other candidates during the discussion — but did bring up the derogatory nicknames and bashing that the presidential hopefuls have faced, referencing Trump’s terms for his opponents like “DeSanctimonious” for DeSantis and “Bird Brain” for Haley. “They’ve called me names and I’m not running for anything,” Vander Plaats said.

As the 2024 nominating cycle draws near, Republicans looking for an alternative to Trump are looking for the field to consolidate with conservatives rallying behind a single candidate. In the most recent Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll, DeSantis and Haley tied with 16% of likely Republican caucusgoers listing them as their first choice in the Jan. 15, 2024 caucuses.

Mod: More at the link.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

The Economist: Donald Trump poses the biggest danger to the world in 2024

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Mod: The Economist comes out with its 2024 "World Ahead" prognosis, and the Orange Rat tops their list.

Donald Trump poses the biggest danger to the world in 2024 (The Economist link): A shadow looms over the world. In this week’s edition we publish The World Ahead 2024, our 38th annual predictive guide to the coming year, and in all that time no single person has ever eclipsed our analysis as much as Donald Trump eclipses 2024. That a Trump victory next November is a coin-toss probability is beginning to sink in.

Mr Trump dominates the Republican primary. Several polls have him ahead of President Joe Biden in swing states. In one, for the New York Times, 59% of voters trusted him on the economy, compared with just 37% for Mr Biden. In the primaries, at least, civil lawsuits and criminal prosecutions have only strengthened Mr Trump. For decades Democrats have relied on support among black and Hispanic voters, but a meaningful number are abandoning the party. In the next 12 months a stumble by either candidate could determine the race—and thus upend the world.

This is a perilous moment for a man like Mr Trump to be back knocking on the door of the Oval Office. Democracy is in trouble at home. Mr Trump’s claim to have won the election in 2020 was more than a lie: it was a cynical bet that he could manipulate and intimidate his compatriots, and it has worked. America also faces growing hostility abroad, challenged by Russia in Ukraine, by Iran and its allied militias in the Middle East and by China across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea. Those three countries loosely co-ordinate their efforts and share a vision of a new international order in which might is right and autocrats are secure.

Because MAGA Republicans have been planning his second term for months, Trump 2 would be more organised than Trump 1. True believers would occupy the most important positions. Mr Trump would be unbound in his pursuit of retribution, economic protectionism and theatrically extravagant deals. No wonder the prospect of a second Trump term fills the world’s parliaments and boardrooms with despair. But despair is not a plan. It is past time to impose order on anxiety.

The greatest threat Mr Trump poses is to his own country. Having won back power because of his election-denial in 2020, he would surely be affirmed in his gut feeling that only losers allow themselves to be bound by the norms, customs and self-sacrifice that make a nation. In pursuing his enemies, Mr Trump will wage war on any institution that stands in his way, including the courts and the Department of Justice.

Mod: More at the link.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

World's Richest Bigot: Elon Musk Tries to Backpedal After Agreeing With Anti-Semitic Tweet – Fails Spectacularly

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Mod: The world's richest man shouldn't also have the world's biggest mouth.

Elon Musk Tries to Backpedal After Agreeing With Anti-Semitic Tweet – and Fails Spectacularly (MediaITE link): Elon Musk, man. This guy. On Wednesday, the billionaire owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, agreed with a blatantly anti-Semitic post on the platform. And no, this wasn’t some faux “anti-Semitism” that criticized Israel’s policies. No, this was actual “unvarnished anti-Semitism,” as CNN’s Jake Tapper called it.

Here’s the initial tweet from a paid blue checkmark with a couple of thousand followers:

Jewish communties [sic] have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.

I’m deeply disinterested in giving the tiniest shit now about western Jewish populations coming to the disturbing realization that those hordes of minorities that support flooding their country don’t exactly like them too much. You want truth said to your face, there it is.

Here is Musk’s reply, which remains up as of this writing:

You have said the actual truth.

That’s right. The guy who owns one of the most influential social media sites in the world publicly agreed with a tweet declaring that Jews push “hatred against whites” while also embracing replacement theory.

Since buying Twitter last year and renaming it X, advertisers have left the platform in droves. This latest thing? It will not help. At this rate, the only advertisers left will be crypto scams and the Hitler Store.

Mod: More at the link.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

What happened to ‘Woke’? How the right’s rallying cry faded away

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Mod: 'Woke' as a MAGA battlecry vanished as quickly as a Donald Trump bucket of hotwings.

What happened to ‘woke’? How the right’s rallying cry faded away (Semafor link): As his presidential campaign sputtered, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., could sound like a candidate unstuck in time.

In June, he spent days responding to a dismissive comment from Barack Obama questioning his commitment to racial justice, saying America was a “land of opportunity, not a land of oppression.” In September, he rolled out an “empower parents” plan by explaining that children “need the ABCs, not CRT.” Wherever he campaigned, he invoked his race and biography as the ultimate rebuke to race-obsessed progressives fixated on a “culture of grievance” instead of personal achievement: “My life disproves their lie.”

Republican primary voters, who liked Scott personally, were unmoved. The conservative backlash to progressive ideas about race and gender — a war on “wokeness” that powered the rise of Gov. Ron DeSantis and boycotts of some major brands — has faded as an issue in an increasingly uncompetitive primary.

In three primetime GOP debates, the word “woke” was mentioned just twice; once as an aside from Nikki Haley, once when Vivek Ramaswamy plugged his book, “Woke, Inc.” DeSantis, whose early speeches focused on his fight against wokeness — “We will fight the woke in our legislature, we will fight the woke in education, we will fight the woke in our businesses” — now mentions it sparingly.

And in last week’s elections, the conservative movement to win control of school boards had more disappointments than victories. Moms for Liberty-backed candidates picked up just 50 seats around the country. In some of their highest-profile races — an Iowa school board whose transgender inclusion policies were opposed by GOP presidential candidates, and another school board in the suburban Virginia county where a 2021 sexual assault powered a political backlash that year — progressives held on to their seats.

The decline of “wokeness” as a catch-all Republican message that spoke to intense fears of progressive ideas taking over institutions had been happening for a while. It faded for three reasons — Trump’s return to the national spotlight, the middling electoral impact of anti-wokeness messaging, and the legislative victories that local Republicans achieved before the presidential race got underway.

In Trump’s case, there were strategic reasons to push “woke” out of the conservative conversation early. The less seriously Republican voters took the concept as a threat, the less tempted they might be to consider a candidate like DeSantis running to protect them from it. At the end of May, DeSantis entered the race, and within two weeks Trump was using a speech in suburban Des Moines to demean his rival’s defining issue.

“I don’t like the term woke, because I hear woke, woke, woke,” Trump told conservatives in Urbandale. “It’s like, just a term they use. Half the people can’t even define it.”

Mod: More on the death of 'Woke' at the link.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

It’s Official: With “Vermin,” Trump Is Now Using Straight-up Nazi Talk

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Mod: The old fool has quite obviously lost his mind.

It’s Official: With “Vermin,” Trump Is Now Using Straight-up Nazi Talk (The New Republic link): We’ve all often wondered whether Donald Trump understands the historical import of what comes out of his mouth. He’s so ill-informed, so proudly ignorant, that it’s easy to think that when he hurls a historical insult, he just doesn’t know.

I feel pretty safe in saying that we can now stop giving him the benefit of that particular doubt. His use—twice; once on social media and then repeated in a speech—of the word “vermin” to describe his political enemies cannot be an accident. That’s an unusual word choice. It’s not a smear that one just grabs out of the air. And it appears in history chiefly in one context, and one context only.

Before we get to that, let’s just record what he wrote and said. On Saturday at 10:25 a.m., he posted on Truth Social: “In honor of our great Veterans on Veteran’s Day, we pledge to you that we will root out the Communists, Marxists, Fascists, and Radical Left Thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country, lie, steal, and cheat on Elections, and will do anything possible, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America, and the American dream.”

Then, at a rally in New Hampshire later that day, he repeated those words essentially verbatim—promising to “root out ... the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country”—and doubled down on it: “The real threat is not from the radical right; the real threat is from the radical left, and it’s growing every day, every single day. The threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous, and grave than the threat from within. Our threat is from within.”

This is straight-up Nazi talk, in a way he’s never done quite before. To announce that the real enemy is domestic and then to speak of that enemy in subhuman terms is Fascism 101. Especially that particular word.

Mod: More at the link.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

RNC Chair: Perfectly 'Appropriate' To Have Convicted Felon As Nominee

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Mod: It seems odd that the "law and order" party is going to nominate a convicted rapist. Not to mention whatever else he'll be sentenced for in the next year.

RNC Chair: Perfectly 'Appropriate' To Have Convicted Felon As Nominee (Crooks & Liars link): RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel told CNN's Dana Bash that "Whoever the voters choose is the appropriate nominee" when asked about the possibility of a convicted felon being their presidential candidate. She also feigned ignorance on Trump's Veteran's Day message, which many critics were likening to Hitler.

Of course, Bash couldn't manage to ask the question without some both-siderist false equivalency, pretending the crazy, unhinged, racist and dangerous crap that comes out of Trump's mouth on a daily basis is in any way, shape or form similar to anything Hillary Clinton has ever said.

And then there was this:

BASH: If those are the issues, if you end up having Donald Trump as your nominee, and if he is convicted of a crime, do you believe that he would be the appropriate nominee for the Republican Party?

MCDANIEL: Whoever the voters choose is the appropriate nominee.

BASH: Even if he's a convicted criminal?

MCDANIEL: I know this is newsworthy, but, as party chair, I'm going to support who the voters choose. And, yes, if they choose Donald Trump -- the voters are looking at this, and they think there is a two-tiered system of justice. They don't believe a lot of the things that are coming out in this. And they're making these decisions. And you're seeing that reflected in the polls.

"Two-tiered system of justice".... DRINK! Just imagine what she'd be saying if the tables were turned and it was Joe Biden who was facing the possibility of all of these convictions?

Mod: There is more at the link.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Biden Drops The Democracy Hammer On Putin Loving House Republicans

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Mod: Congressional MAGA support for Vladimir Putin needs to be called out every day.

Biden Drops The Democracy Hammer On Putin Loving House Republicans (PoliticusUSA link): Politico recently reported: The Biden administration “will not accept a standalone, Israel-only bill that fails to demonstrate America’s commitment to standing up to Putin and his brutal aggression, and that doesn’t provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance.”

Any Israel aid bill that fails to include humanitarian aid and money for Ukraine is a no-go for the White House — an escalation of a stance first sketched out after Speaker Mike Johnson introduced an Israel-only funding package offset by cuts to the IRS. Instead, the White House wants more than $100 billion in aid to be split among Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and border funding.

The anti-Ukraine funding House Republicans are a large group who are a majority of the House majority, but they are not the majority of the entire House. The usual MAGA suspects like Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Andy Biggs are opposed to providing aid to Ukraine.

What is not being said when discussing this issue is that, at its heart, Ukraine funding is a question of whether the United States will support democracy. The actual appropriated funds don’t go to Ukraine. The money is used to replenish the US weapons stockpile to replace weapons that have been sent to Ukraine. A majority of House Republicans are refusing to support a democracy that is literally fighting for its life.

Biden is taking a hard stand because Ukraine funding isn’t about money. It’s about democracy, and Biden is attempting to stop anti-democracy MAGAs from gaining a victory in the United States.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Rick Wilson: Trump is prepared to unleash the 'crazies' on the country

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Mod: I'm not sure how many people understand what they have to lose.

Rick Wilson: Trump is prepared to unleash the 'crazies' on the country (Raw Story link): During an appearance on MSNBC's "The Katie Phang Show," former GOP campaign consultant and current Lincoln Project founder Rick Wilson raised the red flag that a re-elected Donald Trump will plunge the country into chaos if he is re-elected in 2024. Speaking with the host, Wilson noted the former president's recent comments where he suggested he could use the government to go after his political enemies.

"He is going to use the power of the state," Wilson explained. "All my libertarian friends should be paying attention: the power of the state to achieve his personal, political vengeance on people who he believes have wronged him."

According to Wilson, voters who fear Trump should take him at his word. "This is not America, to quote David Bowie," he continued. "This is something much darker and much different and much more dangerous. We have to pay attention to it, we have to listen to it."

"If he's, back he's going to cause enormous damage in this country to individuals, groups, political opponents at every level and every scale," he added. "The people around him this time will not be restrained by grown-ups or adults or establishment Washington types. It going to all be the crazies. They are going to go absolutely wild with this guy, and he's going to let them do it."

Mod: More at the link.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Newsweek: Donald Trump Moves Closer to Losing Mar-a-Lago

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Mod: Maybe he could buy a home in one of those Del Webb retirement communities?

Donald Trump Moves Closer to Losing Mar-a-Lago (Newsweek link): Donald Trump has placed himself at further risk of losing control of properties such as his Mar-a-Lago resort following his testimony in the New York civil fraud trial, according to an attorney. Speaking on a podcast hosted by Mary Trump, niece and frequent critic of the former president, Joe Gallina suggested things "could not have gone worse" for Trump after he answered questions under oath about his financial statements on Monday.

Trump is accused by New York Attorney General Letitia James of filing fraudulent financial records for years which inflated the value of his properties and assets in order to obtain favorable bank loans and tax breaks. Trump denies all wrongdoing in connection to James' $250 million lawsuit.

Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the civil trial in New York, has already ruled that Trump had committed fraud by misrepresenting the value of his properties for years. The civil trial is now considering six remaining allegations in James' lawsuit, as well as the size of the penalty.

Trump faces being banned from doing business in New York state, having his properties removed from his control or being forced to pay a fine totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

During his Monday testimony, Trump admitted that his real estate company, The Trump Organization, submitted financial statements "to induce lending" from companies such as Deutsche Bank—an apparent admission to a key allegation by James' office that the financial statements which inaccurately valued his net worth were done so to receive loans from banks and insurers.

Trump also frequently clashed with Engoron while on the stand, with the former president accusing the judge of being "very hostile" and that he "always rules against me."

Speaking on Mary Trump's podcast, Gallina said that Trump did nothing to help his case with his testimony, and may pay the price of losing his properties, including his Florida home. "From start to finish, every single thing we heard about today could not have gone worse. Whether it be Donald's temperament, whether it be his exchanges with the prosecutors, whether it be his admissions, today was a clusterf*** for the defense," Gallina said.

"Prosecutors say that they're seeking up to at least $250 million as a verdict. And so we're going to see how much of that ends up being true. It could be more, it could be less," he added.

"Usually it's around either what the prosecution asks or less, but we're going to see essentially what happens at that moment would be the property that is owned by The Trump Organization, and that includes Mar-a-Lago, depending on how the fee structures, depending on how much they owe, it's basically liquidated in order to pay back these debts. And that's the big question."

Mod: More at the link.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Newsweek: Republicans' Six Most Painful Election Losses

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Mod: Nothing like a few smashing election victories to dissipate some of the foggier figments of the GOP disinformation cloud.

Republicans' Six Most Painful Election Losses (Newsweek link): Democrats across the country had a successful night in Tuesday's elections, winning a number of competitive races and capitalizing on voters' desire to protect abortion rights.

More than a year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe. vs. Wade, Tuesday's results suggest the issue of abortion rights remains a key priority for voters. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky used it as a wedge issue against his Donald Trump-endorsed challenger, Republican State Attorney General Daniel Cameron, and Ohio voted to add abortion protections to the state constitution.

The success in the November 7 races arrives after abortion restrictions and the influence of Trump were widely blamed for the GOP's poor 2022 midterm performance, in which the party failed to regain control of the Senate and only achieved a narrow margin in the House, as talks of a "red wave" failed to come to fruition.

The results could also ease some pressure on President Joe Biden, who is facing ongoing concerns about his polling numbers against expected Republican presidential nominee Trump heading into 2024.

In a Tuesday night statement, Biden said that voters in Ohio and across the U.S. rejected attempts by "MAGA Republican elected officials" to impose extreme abortion bans. He said this "dangerous agenda is out-of-step with the vast majority of Americans."

Daniel Cameron Loses to Gov. Andy Beshear: The Democratic incumbent managed to win another term in the governor's mansion in Kentucky, beating Cameron by 52.5 points to 47.5 as of early Wednesday morning.

Ohio Enshrines Abortion Rights: A ballot which sought to enshrine abortion protections into Ohio's state's constitution was passed on Tuesday.

Virginia Democrat Gain Full Legislative Control: Also on Tuesday, Democrats in Virginia managed to win control of both the state's chambers of government.

New Jersey Maintains Both Majorities: Democrats in the Garden State were able to retain their majorities in both the Senate and the Assembly.

Increased Pennsylvania Supreme Court Majority: Democrat Daniel McCaffery won the election for the vacant seat in the state Supreme Court on Tuesday against Republican Carolyn Carluccio. The seat opened up following the death of Democratic Chief Justice Max Baer in 2022.

Ohio Votes to Legalize Marijuana: As well as the abortion issue, voters in Ohio also approved a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana use in Tuesday's election.

Mod: Much more at the link.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Ivanka Trump’s Testimony May Turn Out to Be the Death Knell for Her Dad and Brothers (and They Know it)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Mod: Why would she care? They are no longer of any use to her.

Ivanka Trump’s Testimony May Turn Out to Be the Death Knell for Her Dad and Brothers (and They Know it) (Political Flare link): Donald Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka, is scheduled to appear in court under oath on Wednesday, and according to a former US Attorney, her family might not like much of what she has to say.

On Saturday morning, Glenn Kirschner sat with Jonathan Capehart and spoke about the pending testimony. He even threw out an example of another time when Ivanka proved she’s not “one of the boys” when it comes to covering for her father’s crimes.

I’m actually looking forward to something a Trump has to say, but it’s not Donald Trump, it’s Ivanka Trump because I think she presents a real danger zone for her father and her brothers.

The fact that she has been mightily fighting the prospect of having to testify in this case signals that it might be because her testimony is really damaging to her other family members, and then the third point and the most common one Jonathan, is we all saw during the January 6 select committee public hearings, we saw her famously disagree with her father about election fraud.

She was asked, do you agree with your father that there was widespread election fraud undermining the results, or do you agree with Bill Barr that there was no election fraud undermining the results of the election? She answered, I believe, ‘I credit Bill Barr.’ In other words, read between the lines: my father is a liar. That sounds like a signal that Ivanka was sending to her father, and by extension out, maybe to her brothers: do not pull me into this, because I will not comply with your lies. So yes, I’m looking forward to what Ivanka has to say.

That sense of impending doom must feel very real for Donald, Junior, and Eric, because no one knows her better than they do.

And it’s not like they don’t KNOW that they broke the law. They were aware every step of the way. They’re just not used to having to deal with someone — especially a family member — who doesn’t play their little game and help them cover things up.

I am looking forward to Ivanka’s testimony as well. Not because I think she’s some kind of hero at all. I think she’s as shady as the rest of them. But I also think that she’s enough of a coward that she will fully throw the rest of them under the bus.

Mod: As always, The Lincoln Project is all over the situation.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Psychiatrist: Trump is barreling towards 'gross paranoid psychosis' as the walls close in

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Mod: Apparently this particular reality show includes an ex-president who goes mad live on TV.

Psychiatrist: Trump is barreling towards 'gross paranoid psychosis' as the walls close in (Raw Story link): Following Donald Trump's outrageous behavior on the stand on Monday where he testified in the $250 million financial fraud lawsuit brought against him and his Trump Organization by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a noted psychiatrist warned there are warning signs about his mental decline.

In an interview with Salon's Chauncey DeVega, Dr. Lance Dodes, former clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, suggested the pressures of Donald Trump's multitude of legal woes, combined with the possibility his financial fortune could be wiped out, are aggravating his existing mental problems which could lead him to incite a new wave of violence that the country witnessed on Jan. 6.

Asked by DeVega about Trump's "state of mind and resulting behavior these last few weeks," Dodes began by observing, "Donald Trump’s severe narcissistic, antisocial (sociopathic) character disorder means he cannot tolerate or even acknowledge losses or defeats."

Adding that Trump is losing his "grasp of reality," the psychiatrist asserted the former president is unable to deal with anyone who "dares to hold him accountable for his lies." Referring to suggestions that Trump is "decompensating," Dodes explained that appraisal is correct to a degree.

"It would be more precise to say that the decompensation consists of exposing an inability to see reality and violent self-interest that has always been who he is," he explained. "As many have predicted, as pressure on him continues to rise, his claims of greatness, his inability to accept legal constraints or punishments, and his destructive impulses toward all who have limited him, will increase."

That, in turn, he predicted will lead to a further deterioration of Trump's mental state.

"Ultimately, he may decompensate to the point of gross paranoid psychosis with even more obvious incitement to riots and civil war rather than accept the reality that he has been finally held accountable," he warned.

Mod: Do they still use butterfly nets?

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Former Trump advisor Stephen Miller sues NASCAR for being racist against white people

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Mod: America First Legal, led by a former Trump advisor Stephen Miller, claims NASCAR is racist against white men.

Conservative Legal Group Claims NASCAR Is Racist Against White Men (Jalopnik link): It’s getting tough out there for the poor folks who have never faced systemic inequality but desperately want to feel oppressed. That’s why America First Legal — a conservative legal group led by Stephen Miller, a former adviser to former President Trump — is claiming that NASCAR is actually racist against white American men. That’s a first!

America First Legal (AFL) is asking the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate NASCAR and Rev Racing for “illegal discrimination against White, male Americans,” per a Bloomberg Law report.

If you’re unfamiliar with these programs, they’re efforts by America’s leading stock car racing series to offer greater opportunities to members of diverse communities. NASCAR founded something called the Drive For Diversity program back in 2004 where the whole goal has been to offer opportunities to marginalized communities.

In its current form, NASCAR invites about 20 diverse drivers between the ages of 14 and 26 to participate in its “combine,” where NASCAR evaluates the various skills of their competitors, including race craft, physical fitness, communication skills, media aptitude, former experience, and more.

Basically, AFL is asking the EEOC to investigate NASCAR for violations of the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race or sex.

Despite the fact that NASCAR recently changed the language of its diversity programs, claiming to seek people of “diverse backgrounds and experiences” as opposed to directly stating they seek women and people of color, the AFL is really upset that this could mean some mediocre white man may not fail upward into stock car racing.

If the AFL had done really any research whatsoever, it would know that D4D isn’t exactly a well-oiled propaganda machine pumping hordes drivers into the top level of NASCAR competition, the Cup Series. Since the introduction of the program almost two decades ago, exactly three of the countless combine winners actually made it to Cup full time: Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez. A fourth, Paulie Harraka, competed in a single Cup race in 2013.

Mod: More on this burning civil rights controversy at the link.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Elvis Cousin Brandon Presley has Democrats on the Verge of Shock Upset in Mississippi Republican Heartland

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Mod: Is Mississippi getting ready to put on its blue suede shoes?

Democrats on the Verge of Shock Upset in Republican Heartland (Newsweek link): Democrats could be about to pull off a shock upset in Tuesday's Mississippi gubernatorial election, with a recent poll putting their candidate behind by just one point, while a major bookmaker now has him odds-on to win.

Brandon Presley, second cousin of music legend Elvis Presley, is hoping to unseat incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves. It would make him the first Democratic governor of the state for two decades.

The most-recent poll for the Mississippi contest, released by the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) in October, gave Reeves a lead of just one point, putting him on 46 percent of the vote against 45 percent for Presley. This marks a sharp departure from two previous polls, which took place in August and September and gave Reeves leads of 11 percent and 8 percent respectively.

British bookmaker Betfair Exchange is currently forecasting a Presley win. Company spokesperson Sam Rosbottom told Newsweek: "Brandon Presley is the 4/7 odds-on favorite to win the Mississippi governor election, while Tate Reeves is 11/8 to win a second term as the pair hurled insults at each other during a tense debate on Wednesday night."

Presley has substantially outraised Reeves by more than $5 million this year, greatly assisted by $3.75 million that has been given to his campaign by the DGA, a group affiliated with the national Democratic Party.

In 2020, voters in Mississippi overturned a Jim Crow-era law imposed in 1890. It required candidates for statewide office to win a majority of both the popular vote and the 122 state House districts, substantially decreasing the power of mostly Democratic-supporting Black voters.

Charles V. Taylor Jr., who heads the Mississippi state conference of civil-rights group N.A.A.C.P., told the The New York Times this could have a major impact in the state.

Mod: More at the link.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Poll: Most Americans Oppose Speaker Mike Johnson’s Christian Nationalist Views

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Mod: The more people learn about the extreme politics of MAGA Mike, the worse he looks.

Poll: Most Americans Oppose Speaker Mike Johnson’s Christian Nationalist Views (Truthout link): A new poll suggests that most American voters are decidedly opposed to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-Louisiana) far right Christian nationalist viewpoints.

Johnson was voted into the speakership on October 25 after more than three weeks of the House of Representatives having no speaker at all. He was the third person Republicans nominated for the role, after Reps. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) were unsuccessful at securing the support required from their GOP colleagues to take on the role.

Two days after Johnson became speaker, Data for Progress ran a two-day poll in which they asked American voters to describe their feelings on Johnson. A majority (56 percent) said they haven’t heard enough about him to formulate an opinion, while 21 percent said they had a favorable view and 23 percent said they had an unfavorable view.

But while most voters said they didn’t know much about Johnson, the poll also found that, by large margins, voters disagree with a number of his viewpoints.

Johnson, for example, has said that states should be allowed to imprison doctors or sentence them to “hard labor” if they perform abortions, and that abortion should be banned in all U.S. states — an opinion that 66 percent of Americans disagree with, the Data for Progress poll found.

Johnson also wanted to repeal the provision in the Affordable Care Act that protects people with pre-existing conditions from discrimination by insurance companies, which the poll found 58 percent of Americans disagree with. The poll also found that 88 percent of Americans are opposed to cutting Social Security and Medicare, a measure that Johnson has repeatedly called for.

American voters also reject Johnson’s anti-LGBTQ viewpoints, the Data for Progress poll found. Johnson, for example, once pushed to allow states to imprison LGBTQ people for having consentual sex; only 12 percent of voters supported the idea, while 78 percent were opposed, the poll showed.

Johnson also opposes same-sex marriage, once calling the recognition of such unions a “dark harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy that could doom even the strongest republic” — but only 30 percent of Americans believe that same-sex marriage should be banned, according to the Data for Progress poll.

Mod: More at the link.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com

Trump Biographer Warns Ivanka Trump: Prosecutors May ‘Carve Her Up Like A Turkey’

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Mod: So will Donald's most highly prized hostage finally break free from her captor?

Trump Biographer Warns Ivanka Trump: Prosecutors May ‘Carve Her Up Like A Turkey’ (Huffington Post link): Donald Trump biographer Tim O’Brien on Wednesday suggested Ivanka Trump could be carved up “like a turkey” if she’s not careful when she takes the stand in her father Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York next week.

Ivanka Trump will testify after her father and brothers, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, have given evidence in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ $250 million lawsuit. The suit alleges the former president and the Trump Organization inflated the value of assets for years to get loans and score deals.

“This weird kind of psycho-drama that’s playing out in the courtroom now is going to get capped at the end of next week with Ivanka’s testimony,” O’Brien told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell. “And as we all know, Donald Trump has a very perverse, unsettling relationship with his daughter. He’s talked about wanting to date her. He sees her as this sort of trophy he can parade around.”

He continued, “She’s going to have to be very careful that the prosecutors simply don’t carve her up like a turkey if she dissembles and lies about how the Trumps presented their financial statements to banks, insurance companies and other third parties.”

Earlier in the interview, O’Brien said “the reality” is that “lying and dissembling is not a bug in the Trump Organization,” instead it’s “a feature.” The three Trump children are also “as ignorant as their father,” he said.

“They are comically ill-informed about everything under the sun, and that is another reason why they dissemble,” O’Brien added. “And the children’s relationship to their father is a hostage video. All of them are behold to him. They have been since they were children.”

Appeals courts rules that Ivanka Trump must testify (ABC News link): A New York appeals court has denied Ivanka Trump's bid to stop her testimony at her father's civil fraud trial.

Trump's daughter, who is not a defendant in the case, was subpoenaed by the attorney general to testify. She is currently scheduled to testify next week on Wednesday.

sierramadretattler.blogspot.com