Tuesday, February 28, 2017

INVESTIGATE SCROTUS NOW!!! IMPEACH SCROTUS NOW!!! PROSECUTE SCROTUS NOW!!! And take SESSIONS, too!

SPECIAL ELECTION NOW!!!!!

TRUMP'S ACTIONS ARE UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!

REPUBLICANS' RULE-BREAKING IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!

DEMOCRATS' CAVING IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!

SHUT IT ALL DOWN NOW!!!!!

THIS IS NOT NORMAL
NEVER LET IT BECOME NORMAL
EVER!


DON'T GIVE UP
DON'T GIVE IN
STAY ANGRY

trump voters stayed angry for eight years,
which is why we are having this conversation.

STAY WOKE!!!!!
     
Image may contain: text
NOW!!!!!

***** ***** ***** **** ***** ***** *****

2 March update

Friends, we have a lot to cover this evening, so let's jump right in!

For as much as I hate all the evil that the chump administration is and does, I love it when they get called on the carpet for their lies, misdeeds, and villainy.

This morning, I heard a teeny tiny little sound-bite on NPR regarding Jefferson Beauregard Sessions's illicit, lied-about communications with the Russian ambassador--you know, one of Russia's top spy recruiters--during the campaign, when Sessions was one of chump's earliest and most fervent supporters and surrogates.

To be fair, we can't be sure yet that Sessions actually lied, but it seems awfully likely that he did.

I mean, it-snot like he'd forget having spoken with Kislyak--after all, as The Hill reports, Senate Armed Services Committee members don't meet with ambassadors, and Vox confirms that the other 25 senators on Sessions's committee say they had no contact with the Russian envoy in 2016. Given the sensitivity surrounding Russia's hacking of the DNC and the RNC to interfere with our election, it seems highly unlikely that Sessions could forget having met with Kislyak twice last year.

So I call bullshit on Sessions: methinks he doth protest too much.

But I'm not done yet.

When Senator Al Franken asked Jeff Sessions during his confirmation hearing for Attorney General--which is the people's attorney, NOT chump's attorney--what he'd do in the case of Russian contact with the trump campaign, Sessions REFUSED to answer the question. Instead, he merely replied that he didn't know of any.

Friends, this is a Very Big Deal--Sessions was ON the campaign and CANNOT be impartial. At the very least, he must recuse himself COMPLETELY from ALL investigations regarding his orange overlord and master (so far, he's only promised to do so partially, so, with a nod to Ford Prefect, I don't trust Sessions as far as I could comfortably spit a rat).

Nancy Pelosi rightly called for Sessions to resign. If that lying mofo Jefferson Beauregard Sessions had had an ounce of integrity, he would never have accepter the position as AG. And if Jefferson Beauregard had HALF an ounce of integrity, he WOULD resign. The fact that he won't resign without a huge fight shows that he has no integrity. Same goes for professional piece of shit Paul Ryan and the rest of the Teathuglikkkant chump apologists. Similarly, if chump had ANY integrity, he'd fire Sessions's ass. And the fact that chump won't fire Sessions without a huge fight just confirms what we already knew: chump can't even spell "integrity" and probably can't even read it off a teleprompter.

I dunno about you, but I want a special prosecutor appointed, a full investigation made of the entire trump campaign and administration's ties to Russia--including collusion to hijack OUR election, which I understand constitutes an act of war--and I want to see donald john trump, Michael Flynn, Rex Tillerson, Wilbur Ross, Jeff Sessions, and the rest of the swamp monsters investigated to within an inch of their lives and prosecuted to the full extent of the law if found guilty. LOCK THEM UP! And if they're found guilty of treason--STRING THEM UP!!!!!

I was trying to wrangle a good bad pun about court in Sessions, but alas--I just couldn't get there from here. Your mileage may vary.

Scroll down for moar links to articles.

*****
They call General Mattis
"Mad Dog"
for a reason.
He wanted to invade Iran
while we were still in the thick
of Iraq.
When the administration refused,
Mad Dog got mad...
he picked up his bone and went home.
*****

So.

Braindead Ben Carson and Prick Perry both won easy confirmation to destroy head their respective agencies: Housing and Urban Development and Department of Energy.

Senate DEMOCRATS voted FOR Carson and Perry--both of whom are grossly incompetent and neither of whom has any idea what his respective agency does!

Looks like we'll be PRIMARYING a crap-ton of these fascist DINOs (like MARK WARNER, HEIDI HEITKAMP, and JOE MANCHIN to name a few of the nasties)!!!

I saw a comment on The Guardian, asking Carson and Perry, "How long are you going to wait before eliminating your agency?"

*****
Rep. Barbara Comstock LIED
to her constituents
by claiming that the U.S.
has one of the highest corporate tax rates.
According to The Guardian,
the U.S. isn't even in the top 30
for highest corporate tax rates.
So go suck on that, Babs!
*****
 
STATIC

I've recently started reading "STATIC" by Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now!"--a treasured gift from Dot Calm herself.

As it turns out, the timing could not have been more...appropriate.

Isn't it interesting that that stinking little cockroach George W. Bush came out from under his rock (or was he working on one of the two coloring books in his preznidential liberry?) recently to chide cheeto benito for attacking the media?

of George W. Bush's
Presidential Lie-berry

In his elation to hand off the title of WORST PREZNIT EVAR, chimpie seems to have conveniently forgotten his own adversarial relationship with the media and with the truth.

Remember "embedded" reporters, allowed to tell us only what the government told them to when it came to the invasion of Iraq--a war based entirely on lies?

Remember the Bush junta's desperate efforts to manufacture consent to their little oil raid?

Remember Bush's oh-so-Christlike little tantrum: "If you're not with us, you're against us"?

Remember his decree that the media was verboten to show the steady stream of flag-draped coffins coming home?

Or the devastation and carnage on the ground in Iraq?

Or the failure to investigate all the incompetence and corruption--like when a cool $9 BILLION in cash...that's your and my hard-earned tax money, friends...went missing in Iraq?

The New York Times still hasn't recovered its trust relationship with the American public after shilling for Bush's war for fun and profit.

But then...came Hurricane Katrina...and the media went in and did its actual job, showing dead Black bodies floating, floating, floating...floating along like so many discarded, disregarded logs.

The media showed Black people climbing onto their rooftops, waiting for rescue, trying to survive without food, water, or medical aid...and the failed Bush junta fiddled while New Orleans drowned.

To be fair, in Bush's case, he wasn't pickin' and grinnin'--he was strummin' and grinnin' at a birthday party in California. "Wish you were here"...that's the song chimpie sang and the devout wish to him from every poor and Black person fighting to survive in the storm's deadly aftermath.

Like Cheney avoiding military service in the 1960s, the rest of the failed bush junta had "other priorities," too.

Condo was shoe-shopping for $600 Ferragamos in New York.

Dick Cheney (before he dicks you) was fly-fishing in Montana.

Chertov, who apparently didn't realize he was in charge, stayed home that day, revealing to incredulous reporters that they had better intel on Katrina on the ground than he did!

And who could ever forget failed FEMA chief Michael "Heckuvajob" Brown(ie)!

Apparently, the victims were too Black and too poor for chimpco to give a shit about.

The human tragedy was so horrific and raw that even fellow Republicans were aghast, rebuking chimpco that the disaster wasn't only predictable--it was predicted, and it was predicted days ahead of time.

Instead of, as some wished, Haiti becoming more like New Orleans, thanks to George W. Bush and his administration, New Orleans had become like Haiti!

Just remember that, friends, when that piece of shit chimp comes skulking back into the limelight pretending he was somehow upstanding and accountable.

Let's not forget: chimpco was the first American administration that we know of to use psyops and propaganda against its own citizens...and let's also not forget that it's ILLEGAL for the American government to use propaganda against its own citizens...and let's also not forget their egregious profiteering (cough-Halliburton-cough).

You'd think that at least someone in the chump junta would recognize that, when obvious war criminals like bush and cheney come out and tell you that you're going too far in suppressing the media, then you're really going too far to suppress the media.

It bears repeating: if piece of shit WAR CRIMINALS like bush and cheney are saying "smh" and telling you to tone it down when you attack the media, it's probably in your best interest to think about whether maybe they have a point.

The best chimpie and dickhead could possibly do is reach the trumpkins, like my Tea Party Christian friend, who eat chump's bullshit like it's candy but who think that the chimp was teh Best Preznit Evar.

But do you really think that will happen? Do you really think there's any way to penetrate those poor rubes' thick skulls with actual truth? Ever?

I wish, but I wouldn't bet a plugged nickel.

*****
Remember when
Jefferson Beauregard Sessions
chided Bill Clinton
for lying under oath, citing
principles and rule of law?
chump's job application
for cabinet positions must include
checkboxes:
[ ] Must be ignorant
[ ] Must hate everyone
[ ] Must be criminal scum
[ ] Must be YUGE hypocrite
*****

Friends, I'm apparently doing a fire-resign-investigate Jeff Sessions petition bomb.
Care to join me?

CREDO action
Time for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign
The petition to Congress reads:
“Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied about his ties to Russia during his confirmation hearing. Congress must demand his resignation, demand that his successor immediately appoint a special prosecutor and use all the tools at its disposal to conduct transparent, independent investigations into Sessions’ and other Trump campaign and administration connections to Russia.”
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►

-----

The following sponsored email was sent to you by AlterNet on behalf of DCCC:

Washington Post: Attorney General Jeff Sessions failed to disclose meetings with Russian envoy

-----

From Avaaz

Dear friends,

Attorney General Jeff Sessions secretly met with Russian officials twice while he was a Trump campaign surrogate. Then he lied about it, under oath to the American people and Congress!

As the nation’s top law enforcement officer, Sessions isn’t fit to serve. And if we join together quickly, we can force his resignation!

The White House is scrambling to protect Sessions, but top lawmakers are calling on him to step down right now. We need to act fast while the pressure is exploding. Add your name to the call below with one click -- it will be delivered today!



                                         Demand Sessions resign now: sign the statement

-----

Tom Perriello for Governor


Yesterday, the Washington Post broke the news that Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke with Russian diplomats during the Trump campaign and lied under oath about it.

-----

As Attorney General, Sessions is charged with upholding and enforcing the law. But he isn’t even following the law. Attorney General Sessions has committed a felony, and the American people can no longer trust him to do his job.

To make matters worse, Sessions has said he will not recuse himself from Department of Justice investigations about Russian contacts with Trump campaign officials. It seems he has something to hide.

We deserve to know the truth about Russia’s full influence on our election.

Demand that President Trump tell Sessions: “You’re fired!”

Thank you for all you do to Resist. We are fighting back - and winning.


Regards,

~Diane Russell
Portland, Maine

-----
Leahy for Vermont

Last night, it was revealed that Attorney General Sessions failed to disclose during his confirmation hearings that he had multiple meetings with the Russian ambassador during Trump's presidential campaign.

This is deeply concerning. When Senator Al Franken and I asked him directly, under oath, if he had any contact with Russian officials, he misled the Senate Judiciary Committee and the American people.

While Sessions just announced that he would recuse himself from any investigation into Trump’s presidential campaign, this is not enough. I am calling on Attorney General Sessions to immediately appoint a special prosecutor to fully investigate Russian interference.

We know Russia actively worked to undermine our Presidential election. Now we must have a full accounting of anyone working with or for the Trump campaign who had contact with Russian officials or their affiliates. This may not stop at Attorney General Sessions.

Add your name to call on Sessions to appoint a Special Counsel to conduct a comprehensive investigation of Russian influence and contact with the Trump campaign.

Thank you for taking action today.

Sincerely,

Patrick Leahy
U.S. Senator

-----


Recusal is not good enough. Jeff Sessions must resign as Attorney General. Add your name if you agree:

-----




Breaking -- Attorney General Jeff Sessions just held a press conference where he said that he would recuse himself from any investigations related to the Trump campaign and involvement with Russian officials. That's not good enough. Saying his testimony under oath during his hearing was as "honest and correct as I understood it at the time" isn't good enough. Sessions lied to the Committee. He MUST resign from his post as Attorney General.

-----

We need Attorney General Jeff Sessions... to resign. 
We need it now. - Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Demand Sessions RESIGN >>

-----

From Tom Perez, even if he is a corporate establishment Dem

Join us.

Jeff Sessions must resign as Attorney General. Add your name if you agree:

-----

 
              Jeff Sessions' anti-choice and anti-woman agenda was enough for us to staunchly oppose him from Day One.
Now, explosive new evidence has been released that he may have perjured himself during his confirmation hearings.
So we're renewing our opposition to him and doubling down on what we've always known to be true: Jeff Sessions is unfit to be attorney general.
Sign the petition to demand Jeff Sessions immediately resign as head of the Department of Justice.

-----

Did you hear?

Last night, the news broke that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is the most recent member of the Trump administration to get busted for ties to Russia. And not only that -- he LIED about it during his confirmation hearing!

Sign our petition to DEMAND that Jeff Sessions resign as Attorney General.


-----



Jeff Sessions met with the Russian ambassador twice during Trump's campaign -- and lied about it under oath during his confirmation hearing to become Attorney General.


This is unacceptable. Join Ruben in calling on Sessions to resign >>

-----

Mark Pocan for Congress
 
 
Jeff Sessions, Trump’s attorney general, has lied under oath.

It’s clear now that, during his confirmation hearings, he lied to Congress about his contacts with Russia.

We cannot let this stand. Jeff Sessions must resign. Will you add your name with me to demand that Jeff Sessions resign immediately as attorney general?

-----

From TURNOUTPAC



-----

Kamala Harris


This morning, after learning that Attorney General Jeff Sessions misled Congress during his confirmation hearings about meetings with Russian officials, I called on him to resign his post immediately.
For weeks now, I have been saying that Jeff Sessions should recuse himself from the investigation into Russian connections with the Trump campaign. Based on strong evidence, his official role on the campaign impairs his ability to be impartial on this critical national security matter.
But his offer to recuse himself – “if necessary” – is not even close to enough. Sessions has done irreparable damage to his integrity and it makes him ineligible to serve as our top law enforcement official. We need your voice in this fight:
Faith in our democracy has been fundamentally damaged, and we need a full accounting of the facts. I cannot stress to you enough how important it is to have an honest, unbiased investigation.
Having Jeff Sessions as our Attorney General is a roadblock to that goal. In the best interest of our country and our democracy, he should resign as Attorney General immediately.
No matter who is in the White House, our national security and our sovereignty must never be influenced by partisanship. Thank you for joining me in this critical fight.
Fight on,
Kamala Harris

-----

From BOLDPAC


Demand Jeff Sessions RESIGN immediately >>

-----

VoteVets



-----




Sessions must resign - sign the petition
 
The Washington Post reported last night that Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke with a Russian official TWICE while he was a surrogate for and adviser to the Trump campaign -- something he explicitly denied during his Senate confirmation hearing.
If Sessions lied to the Senate Judiciary Committee he must RESIGN without delay!
PFAW immediately called for Sessions to resign last night. Democratic leaders in Congress including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Elijah Cummings also are calling for Sessions's resignation.
If Sessions lied to senators during his confirmation hearing, his credibility is nonexistent and he cannot continue as the country's top law enforcement official -- period.
During his hearing, Sen. Al Franken asked what Sessions would do if he learned that Trump campaign officials had spoken with the Russian government. Sessions responded:
“I’m not aware of any of those activities. I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.”
The Post also reports that Sessions denied discussing the election with the Russians in written statements to the Judiciary Committee.
We had already called for Sessions to recuse himself from investigations into entanglements between Russia and the Trump campaign/administration. We're now far beyond the need for simple recusal. Sessions must RESIGN.
Thanks for speaking out!
-- Ben Betz, Online Engagement Director

-----

BREAKING >> Jeff Sessions met with Russian officials while advising Trump’s presidential campaign -- then lied to Congress about it. He must resign -- add your name and we’ll deliver it to the Department of Justice next week.

-----


Thursday, March 2, 2017
                         
Breaking news: Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied under oath during his confirmation hearing about communicating with Russia during the election.
 
It’s one more story, one more appointee, that links the Trump administration to Russia. And it keeps getting worse.
In response to a question from Senator Al Franken, Sessions stated, “I have been called a surrogate in that [Trump] campaign...and I did not have communications with the Russians.”
It’s now clear that Sessions was lying. In fact, he spoke with the Russians twice during the 2016 campaign.
Our Attorney General broke the law. President Trump must demand Sessions’ resignation immediately.
As Attorney General, Sessions is charged with upholding and enforcing the law. But he isn’t even following the law. Attorney General Sessions has committed a felony, and the American people can no longer trust him to do his job.
Tell Trump to fire Attorney General Sessions. Sign our petition now!
To make matters worse, Sessions has said he will not recuse himself from Department of Justice investigations about Russian contacts with Trump campaign officials. It seems he has something to hide.
We deserve to know the truth about Russia’s full influence on our election. Demand that President Trump tell Sessions: “You’re fired!”

In solidarity,
Megan Amundson
Executive Director

P.S. Share on Twitter and Facebook!

-----

Here's a reminder from BOLD Democrats to demand a full investigation of trump, too!
-- Dot Calm's shadow

VIRAL PETITION: Demand a Federal Grand Jury investigate CRIMES committed by Trump’s ties to Russia >>

President Trump’s ties with Russia go far deeper than we know.

Join us and demand a federal grand jury investigate Trump’s ties to Russia:

-----

Don't forget to CALL your Senators and demand Sessions's resignation!
-- Dot Calm's shadow
free press action fund

Attorney General Jeff Sessions appears to have committed perjury and lied under oath about meetings with Russian officials, according to a new report in The Washington Post.1

Sessions has got to go. Today’s action is to urge your senator to demand his resignation.

Since taking office, Sessions has attacked the transgender community2 and stated that a recent increase in violent crime stems from increased scrutiny of law enforcement officers, many of whom have been captured on cellphones while engaging in violence against communities of color.3 In his first major speech, he said the Justice Department would “pull back” from Obama-era investigations into these kinds of abuses.4

Thanks for speaking out.

Candace, Sandy and the rest of the Free Press Action Fund team
freepress.net

*****

Moar headlines!

...Choo choo time

The Guardian: Fact-checking Donald Trump's first presidential address to Congress

The Guardian: Junta lite: how generals and billionaires took over Trump's militarized America
...Spoiler: it started before chump, like under chimp.
    
...This article will piss you off. Grrrrr!!!!!
    
...In case you don't feel like paying WaPo's subscription fee.

Vox: Democrats had a bold response to Trump's speech. It was the Spanish version.
...It's almost like they DON'T want to win hearts, minds, or elections...!

The Guardian: Jeff Sessions and the Russia connection: what happened and why does it matter?

The Guardian: How defunding Planned Parenthood could wipe out transgender healthcare
...Friends, this is a serious issue. Trans people have unique health care needs that many doctors are either unprepared or unwilling to deal with. News flash, Republicans: trans people are NOT going to go away, and neither are their allies!

The Guardian: Late-night TV on Trump's tone: 'from unhinged narcissist to hinged narcissist'
...Too busy to watch all the late TV clips on YouTube? This article has some of the best funnehs!

The Guardian: By his own standards, attorney general Jeff Sessions should resign
...There was a Guardian article earlier on Sessions facing calls for his resignation amid claims he lied under oath about Russia, but they seem to have taken it down. Hm. 

The Guardian: Nervous system birth defects 20 times likelier for Zika-hit mothers, study finds
...As the article says, chump wants to cut NIH funding by 10%, and the company licensing the vaccine is likely to price it out of reach of the most vulnerable. And you wonder why I call Republicans cruel, pro-DEATH monsters...
    
...Couldn't happen to a more deserving guy!
    
The Guardian: If the cap fits: Vietnam absentee Donald Trump's military look raises eyebrows
...I wonder how many X's he needed of X...L to fit his fat ass in the jacket...! Now all he needs is to wear his codpiece backwards and stand in front of a "mission accomplished" banner...! One comment really nailed it: the only jacket he should be wearing is a straight jacket!!
    
The Guardian: Sessions takes himself off Russia case … sort of
...Friends, THIS is what I mean when I say that Sessions has NOT recused himself fully and lacks the integrity to do so. Mofo needs his ass fired NOW!!!!!
    
***

...Daily Kos, AlterNet, and Democracy Now!

  • Dan Rather: the fuse it lit and Trump/Russia is about to go BOOM, for Trump AND the GOP


  • Donald Trump Jr. was paid $50,000 for meeting to discuss U.S.-Russia cooperation in Syria


  • Sessions press conference: Instant reactions and analysis


  • Want to fight back against Trump and scare the hell out of congressional Republicans? Chip in $5 to Democrat Jon Ossoff and help win the special election to replace Trump's anti-Obamacare hatchet man in Congress.


  • Al Franken censures AG Sessions: Yeah, about that question on Russia I asked you, Jeff


  • Here are the 30 seconds that may end Attorney General Jeff Sessions' career


  • Sessions has changed his story again and again—and he's clearly still lying


  • Nixon's attorney general was prosecuted, resigned over same thing Sessions did.


  • Call your U.S. Senators and demand a special prosecutor investigate the Trump campaign's ties to Russia. Click here to find a list of all district office phone numbers.


  • Sessions misled the Senate, but some news editors are hedging the truth. That's a disservice.


  • House Intel Cmte. to investigate Russia ties; White House likely gets Russia subpoena


  • Sign if you agree: Jeff Sessions must resign, and a special prosecutor must investigate Trump's ties to Russia


  • Sessions tries to squirm out of perjury allegation: I did not meet with Russians to discuss campaign


  • The ultimate case for a special prosecutor and the eventual resignation of Donald Trump


  • Hey Media, add it all up... you get COVER-UP


  • Only months ago, Sessions demanded Attorney General Lynch recuse herself from Clinton investigations


  • WaPo: AG Sessions TWICE spoke with Russian ambassador during election, didn't disclose under oath


  • Pelosi, Cummings call for Sessions to resign as AG over his lying about contacts with the Russians


  • Trump isn't aware about much with Sessions and Russia, but he has "total" confidence in him

  • Lawmaker who intro'd bill to purge Democratic professors caught in most flaming-hot resume pad ever


  • Al Franken blasts AG Sessions: Yeah, about that question on Russia I asked you, Jeff


  • Major win: Supreme Court reverses ruling that protected Virginia GOP's legislative gerrymander


  • Daily Kos is $578,460.48 away from our March goal. Can you chip in $1 to support the team that brings progressive news to your inbox every day?


  • Rage-filled Tennessee minister is LIVID wicked women are donating to Planned Parenthood in his name


  • Republican calls for Sessions to recuse himself begin


  • Sessions tries to squirm out of perjury allegation: I did not meet with Russians to discuss campaign


  • 'Senior administration official' proves that you can't trust Donald Trump, and also is Donald Trump


  • House maniacs focus on Paul Ryan, start campaigning against 'Ryancare'


  • Republicans launch $1 million attack against Jon Ossoff ... for dressing up as Han Solo in college?


  • Sign now: tell the Senate to vote NO on the GOP's dangerous bills that would hand over our democracy to corporate interests.


  • Software engineer detained for hours at airport while given Googled software engineering test


  • Last moment actions of Obama administration officials saved the information that could stop Trump


  • Nancy Pelosi: AG Jeff Sessions 'unfit to serve' and 'must resign'


  • Pelosi, Cummings call for Sessions to resign as AG over his lying about contacts with the Russians


  • Too much media normalizes Trump's speech


  • WaPo: AG Sessions TWICE spoke with Russian ambassador during election, didn't disclose under oath

  • The surprising victory in a loss in Connecticut last night will make your day


  • Keith Ellison is brilliantly trolling Trump with this move


  • Trump blames Jews for anti-Semitic attacks on cemeteries and elsewhere.


  • Daily Kos is $591,451.20 away from our March goal. Can you chip in $1 to support the team that brings progressive news to your inbox every day?


  • Donald Trump's speech down in audience, down in approval, destroyed by Barack Obama


  • Warren Buffett's letter was a doozy. Dems should take notice!


  • 1. Spicer conducts random "phone checks" to curb leaks. 2. News of phone checks leaked to press.


  • What was UP with that speech?


  • What Sanders said is right: last night was the prelude to the prelude.


  • Add your name to make Trump release his tax returns: Become a co-signer of the Presidential Tax Transparency Act today.


  • That Republican Obamacare repeal plan? Never mind


  • Trump promises: "Civil liberties end when an attack on our safety begins"


  • Good night and good luck: There was fear in the room when they took on another demagogue.


  • Replying to Trump's speech, Sen. Sanders tells resisters to "Keep showing up, keep calling Congress"


  • In a speech brimful of exaggeration and fabrication, Trump tells whoppers on energy and environment


  • Trump adrift on Obamacare repeal: "Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated"

  • What Sanders said is right: last night was the prelude to the prelude.


  • Donald Trump's speech down in audience, down in approval, destroyed by Barack Obama


  • Good night and good luck: There was fear in the room when they took on another demagogue.


  • What was UP with that speech?


  • Trump promises: "Civil liberties end when an attack on our safety begins"


  • Replying to Trump's speech, Sen. Sanders tells resisters to "Keep showing up, keep calling Congress"


  • Add your name to make Trump release his tax returns: Become a co-signer of the Presidential Tax Transparency Act today.


  • Keith Ellison is brilliantly trolling Trump with this move


  • Trump blames Jews for anti-Semitic attacks on cemeteries and elsewhere.


  • Warren Buffett's letter was a doozy. Dems should take notice!


  • Trump adrift on Obamacare repeal: "Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated"


  • The surprising victory in a loss in Connecticut last night will make your day


  • In a speech brimful of exaggeration and fabrication, Trump tells whoppers on energy and environment


  • Jemison, Higginbotham, Wilson, and Cagle. Do you know who they are?


  • Daily Kos is $591,451.20 away from our March goal. Can you chip in $1 to support the team that brings progressive news to your inbox every day?


  • That Republican Obamacare repeal plan? Never mind


  • 1. Spicer conducts random "phone checks" to curb leaks. 2. News of phone checks leaked to press.

  • Fox News Tucker Carlson implodes as Bill Nye The Science Guy schooled him on climate change


  • 86-year-old Arizona woman pushed to floor and good samaritan trying to help her pepper sprayed


  • They had Sean Spicer pegged back in college


  • Want to fight back against Trump and scare the hell out of congressional Republicans? Chip in $5 to Democrat Jon Ossoff and help win the special election to replace Trump's anti-Obamacare hatchet man in Congress.


  • Trump's team ends Black History Month with unbelievable crassness but who's surprised?


  • Over 1,250 advertisers reportedly pull ads to disassociate themselves from Breitbart (SAD!)


  • Donald Trump and his Fox friends believe they know who is secretly coordinating all the protests


  • In Yakla, Yemen, someone ordered SEALs to press attack after they lost element of surprise. Who?


  • Once a grifter always a grifter—Trump uses State of the Union address to raise 2020 campaign money


  • Trump claims Twitter criticism is from 'enemies' (you) and HIS generals are to blame for deadly raid


  • Sign the petition: Elect the president by national popular vote


  • Trump suggests that anti-Semitic bomb threats, vandalism might be a conspiracy to make him look bad


  • In a victory for Democracy, Arizona's House kills Republican-led anti-protest bill


  • Trump brings his special brand of chaos to Republican Obamacare repeal efforts


  • Then-Gov. Pence's Indiana law enforcement used over $400k of federal asset forfeiture to pay salaries


  • The party of (so-called) family values is perfectly okay deporting parents away from their kids

  • Singer Grace Slick licenses song to Chick-fil-A and then donates money to LGBTQ organization


  • Ryan, McConnell decide to go full steam ahead on Obamacare repeal, and damn their own members


  • For Democrats to win back the House in 2018, the first step is believing they can


  • Another day, another Trump cabinet nominee with Russian connections


  • Subversive: How the Black Panthers fed kids for free and set a model for the government


  • George W. Bush on Trump's ties to Russia: 'We all need answers'


  • Rick Santorum calls millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions crooks and grifters


  • Across the heartland, Trump voters are a bit confused as to what the hell they voted for


  • We may need a special prosecutor because the FBI is compromised


  • 'The United States is not safe for refugees'


  • Check out these 'massive' pro-Trump rallies around the country today. Sad!


  • Trump silent on hate crimes, confused on healthcare


  • Vandalism and bomb threats are what happen when an anti-Semite is allowed in the White House


  • As Rick Santorum tries to blame Muslims for Jewish cemetary damage, Muslims shame his hate with BIG love


  • Donald Trump is annoyed at you: 'Resist, resist, they want to resist everything'


  • Want to send shockwaves through Congress and scare the hell out of the GOP? Chip in $5 to Democrat Jon Ossoff and help win the special election to replace Trump's anti-Obamacare hatchet man in Congress.


  • The Koch brothers are pouring millions into defending Trump's extremist Supreme Court pick. Sign on to help defeat Trump and the Kochs.

  • ***
    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Joe Scarborough and company want to know what the White House is hiding. READ MORE»


    By David Ferguson, Raw Story
    The veteran CBS anchor believes it could be the Trump administration's undoing. READ MORE»


    By Ben Norton, AlterNet
    Prizes for winners include a family vacation, a classical guitar and more. READ MORE»


    By Th0rn, The Daily Kos
    His Connecticut College newspaper called him "Sean Sphincter." READ MORE»


    By Taylor Link, Salon
    The high court reverses lower court ruling in case against Virginia State Board of Elections. READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    "You know who also said troubling things in a calm voice? Hannibal Lecter." READ MORE»


    By Janissa Delzo, Medical Daily
    What do people want to know about weed? Google knows.  READ MORE»


    By Tom Tomorrow, AlterNet
    Immerse yourself in a simulated reality of comprehensive, worry-free coverage. READ MORE»
    By Vijay Prashad, AlterNet
    The U.S. spends billions on un-winnable wars, sacrificing our safety. READ MORE»


    By Adele M. Stan, The American Prospect
    Absent his standard percussive delivery, Trump’s hateful rhetoric is even more dangerous. READ MORE»


    By Sarah Lazare, AlterNet
    From Raleigh to Los Angeles, communities on the frontlines are building the movement infrastructure for a coordinated fightback. READ MORE»


    By Jefferson Morley, AlterNet
    The president’s jobs agenda faces strong opposition from campaign allies.  READ MORE»


    By Harvey J. Kaye, BillMoyers.com
    We have endured 40 years of creeping authoritarianism and it now appears that it may run right over democracy. We must resist and act in solidarity. READ MORE»


    By Katie Serena, Salon
    "Trump sees war as a game," a vets group says. READ MORE»


    By Phillip Smith, AlterNet
    There have been hints of a looming crackdown, but there are a lot of potential costs—political and otherwise. READ MORE»


    By Heather Digby Parton, Salon
    The premise has a few flaws: The two arenas have little in common. And Trump has always been terrible at business. READ MORE»


    By Rick Gell, AlterNet
    What could be better than 20 million Americans with health insurance? READ MORE»


    By Sen. Bernie Sanders, AlterNet
    Sanders asks, where do Israelis and Palestinians go from here?  READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    The Metropolitan Museum of Art recently placed 300,000 images in the Creative Commons library. READ MORE»


    By David Edwards, Raw Story
    The president just pissed off the military. READ MORE»


    By Damian Carrington, Jelmer Mommers, The Guardian
    Public information film unseen for years shows Shell had clear grasp of global warming 26 years ago but has not acted accordingly since. READ MORE»


    By Karen Reed, Positive Health Wellness
    Follow these simple rules of thumb when you go food shopping to make sure your diet is a healthy one. READ MORE»
    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    The Vermont senator slammed the president's speech in a video response.  READ MORE»


    By Tom Boggioni, Raw Story
    The documentarian isn't buying the president's latest "pivot" for a second. READ MORE»


    By Julia Carrie Wong, The Guardian
    Travis Kalanick issued a public apology Tuesday night. READ MORE»


    By Robert Reich, RobertReich.org
    He wants us confused and disoriented. That's how he wins. READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    "Let’s be honest — there’s an element of grading on a curve here." READ MORE»


    By Jen Hayden, DailyKos
    The Florida senator could avoid the hassle if he'd only show up to a town hall. READ MORE»


    By Gary Legum, Salon
    The only thing that changed Tuesday night was the venue.  READ MORE»


    By Matt Bors, AlterNet
    Flavor is for cucks.  READ MORE»
    By Les Leopold, AlterNet
    If Democrats are going to be an agent of change that takes the country back from financial and corporate elites, they're going to have to think differently. READ MORE»


    By Ilana Novick, AlterNet
    Resistance is building in red states, as evidenced during the calls for accountability over the congressional recess. READ MORE»


    By Alan Yuhas, The Guardian
    From foreign policy to immigration, the facts and his statements were at odds.  READ MORE»


    By Amanda Marcotte, Salon
    Despicable and unpatriotic tactics. READ MORE»


    By Sarah Lazare, AlterNet
    A new report from Médecins Sans Frontières shows how African migrants are paying far too heavy of a price for looking for new opportunities. READ MORE»


    By Jefferson Morley, AlterNet
    Trump is on shakier ground than it seems. READ MORE»


    By Tony Newman, AlterNet
    If only Sessions could comprehend that any violence is due to prohibition and the absence of legal regulation, not the plant itself. READ MORE»


    By Brad Reed, Raw Story
    The man who bought his way out of military service caused a needless death. READ MORE»


    By Katie Serena, Salon
    Since its Friday premiere, the film has made almost seven times its production budget—and sparked serious conversation about race. READ MORE»


    By Ben Norton, AlterNet
    An Israeli extremist faces 11 years in prison for stabbing a Jew, while attacks on Arabs go virtually unpunished. READ MORE»


    By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
    Funneling money for war at the expense of our people and our planet. READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    She's never experienced anything like this in her 50 years of demonstrating. READ MORE»


    By Henry Fersko-Weiss, Conari Press
    A former hospice social worker reflects on his own father's death and how to add meaning to the last moments of a life. READ MORE»


    By Teesta Setalvad, AlterNet
    Corporate media outlets are fueling oppression and violence during a heated election season. READ MORE»


    By Kayla McDonell, Authority Nutrition
    Added sugar is probably the single worst ingredient in the modern diet. Fortunately, there are healthier alternatives. READ MORE»


    By Dan Bacher, CounterPunch
    The environmental injustice behind the Oroville Dam crisis.  READ MORE»



    ***

    Stories


    The Trump administration is facing a new scandal as the Justice Department has acknowledged Attorney General Jeff Sessions met twice last year with Russia's ... Read More →

    As President Trump vows to deport "bad hombres," we look at the shocking case of an asylum seeker from El Salvador who is being detained as she battles a brain ... Read More →

    The New York Times reports that the Obama administration scrambled during its final days in office to preserve evidence of Russia's collusion with the ... Read More →

    Headlines →


    Stories


    Following President Trump's first address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, Vermont senator and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie ... Read More →

    During President Trump's speech to the joint session of Congress last night, he announced plans to create a new office called VOICE—that's Victims of Immigration ... Read More →

    In his first speech to a joint session of Congress, Donald Trump vowed to greatly expand the Pentagon's budget, to repeal and replace Obamacare, to build a wall along ... Read More →

    During President Trump's speech to Congress last night, he also honored Navy SEAL Ryan Owens, who was killed in a botched raid on a Yemeni village that also left 25 ... Read More →

    On Tuesday night, President Trump suggested the United States should transition to a merit-based immigration system. He also vowed to build a wall ... Read More →

    President Trump has proposed increasing the military budget to just over $600 billion—a 10 percent increase—while deeply slashing the budgets of other agencies, ... Read More →

    Following President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night, many media outlets began to cast his presidency in a new, more moderate light. ... Read More →

    President Trump opened his speech to Congress by condemning the five nationwide waves of bomb threats targeting Jewish community centers, the desecration of ... Read More →

    During his speech before Congress on Tuesday night, Donald Trump called on Congress to address the "imploding Obamacare disaster." "Tonight, I am also ... Read More →

    Headlines →


    *****

    Moar M00bies!







    *****

    And now...a bit of fun!

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    ***** ***** ***** **** ***** ***** *****

    28 February entry

    Greetings, fellow Dot Calm Readers, Freedom Fighters, and Truth Crusaders!
     


    Friends, the Resistance is like singing in the choir: we can't sing the note without breathing, but, if we all breathe at different times, the chorus remains steady and strong. And we all have our parts to sing--strengths and not-so-strengths that complement each other.

    If you've been paying attention, you know that the onslaught of preznit ban'em via orange twAtler has been like standing in front of an overfilled sewer that just burst. The stench and the in-yer-face horror of everything they are doing and are trying to do is so overwhelming and repulsive on so many levels that it's hard to keep one's footing. There are just too many disgusting, insane, un-American things being done to our nation, its citizens, our democracy, and our planet in such a blindingly quick pace that it's impossible to keep up with it all.

    All I can say is do your best, breathe when you have to, and do whatever you have to do to keep running this marathon because--if the people-hating, planet-destroying, money-god-and-gun-humping Teathuglikkkants get their way--great swaths of damage will be wreaked, and it-snot going to be easy or quick to stop the rolling, spreading disaster.

    Especially with fascist DINOs like Mark Warner on "our" side...urk.

    I have some information for y'all today along with a few headlines and a bunch of m00bies, so sit down, strap on in, and get ready to roll...then get angry and GET BUSY!!!

    Vive la Resistance!!!!!!

    *****
    Remember Ike's 90% income tax rate
    on our nation's highest earners?
    THAT was how we built
    the interstates,
    public schools that were
    the envy of the world,
    the space program,
    and a democracy
    that was NOT for sale.
    ***
    Remember unions?
    THAT was how we had
    a strong middle class
    with decent salaries
    where a family of four
    could live on one income,
    vacations,
    weekends and holidays,
    workplace safety,
    and a fighting chance
    for the individual
    to have representation
    against the rich and powerful.
    ***
    Remember how Nixon stood up the EPA
    to battle "smog"?
    THAT was how we returned to
    clean air
    and clean water
    after decades of unchecked
    corporate pollution.
    ***
    Republicans want us to FORGET
    how we could and SHOULD live...
    They don't want us to have nice things.
    They want to keep all the goodies
    for their fat, bloated, greedy, rich
    selves.
    DON'T LET THEM!!!!!
    *****

    Get Active!

    Justice Democrats Update


    Today, with the election of Tom Perez as DNC chair, the DNC establishment chose once again to ignore the political opportunity presented to them to unite a fired up and progressive base.


    What the establishment doesn’t understand is that the momentum is behind our movement. When you look at the millions of people who joined the women’s march and the Bernie Sanders campaign, you can see what we’re talking about.


    As a Democratic Party, we cannot succeed if we continue to marginalize and ignore working people in the interest of pleasing corporate donors. Yet today at the DNC forum, just moments before electing Tom Perez, the establishment voted to keep taking corporate lobbyist cash.


    These are massive blunders — and the American people are watching. Our work at Justice Democrats to overhaul the party is even more important now. We need to run a full slate of progressive candidates to replace the corporate Democrats in charge right now.



    Contribute $27


    The Democratic Party has been limping along for years. They’ve marginalized young voters, silenced progressive voices, catered to the mega-wealthy, and established a platform that is — at times — barely discernable from the Republican Party’s.


    My promise to you is simple: we will fight, ceaselessly, to repair and rebuild this broken party. Justice Democrats will fight tooth and nail to ensure that the working families of this country are represented by their elected officials. Fight with us today:




    Today, the Democratic establishment said loud and clear that they don’t care about the will of the base. Now it’s our turn to send a message back: we will not forget this betrayal.


    In solidarity,


    Corbin Trent
    The Justice Democrats Team

    Contribute

       
    ***

    SOPROUD Update

    The Northern Virginia contingent of the SOPROUD Rapid Response Resistance Team has been busy during Recess Resistance! As you saw last time, our NoVA rapid responder attended Rep. Barbara Comstock's teleconference town hall and provided commentary.

    Here are a few highlights of activity since then (quite the understatement, we hear).

    Today, our rapid responder called Comstock's office, demanding a FULL investigation of orange twAtler, his ties to Russia, his collusion with Russia to rig the election, his debts to Russia, his conflicts of interest--including violations of the Emoluments Clause--AND his TAX RETURNS.

    Our rapid responder also mentioned Ms. Comstock's insane support of moar oil pipelines, reminding the aide that oil pipelines LEAK...it's only a matter of time...and they leave columns of death...dead zones in land and water...WHEN they do. Our responder pointed out that we are at a crossroads regarding clean energy and asked a pointed question: do we take our rightful role as world leader by creating and keeping tens of thousands of long-term, high-paying, clean energy jobs here in the U.S., or do we kiss Big Oil's ass, abdicate our clean energy leadership role to China, and buy sustainable energy technology from them instead of making it here? Our rapid responder also asked whether Comstock is a climate science denier and demanded answers to these questions in writing.

    The aide was polite but clearly not pleased.

    Similarly, our SOPROUD rapid responder contacted Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner.

    Mr. Kaine seems to be aware of his high visibility after having run with Hillary successfully enough to win the popular vote by 3 million; thus, he has been voting against chump's swamp dregs like Rexxon Tillerson, DeVos, Pruitt, Price, and (the latest) Wilbur Ross.

    Mr. Warner, on the other hand, is a fascist DINO who seems eager to be primaried by TRUE Democrats: he voted FOR Rexxon and Ross.

    Our rapid responder reminded the Senators of the same points made to Rep. Comstock's office: pipelines bad, chump investigation good.

    ***
    PEWtin wants to rebuild the USSR,
    but his economy,
    built solely on oil and gas,
    was collapsing.
    trump admired PEWtin
    but had so much debt
    that he wasn't nearly rich enough
    to play in mega-multi-billionaire PEWtin's
    sand-box.
    So PEWtin had to get trump elected
    so that trump would have the power
    PEWtin craved
    to weaken NATO,
    bend America to his will, 
    and push our government
    to turn a blind eye
    if/when PEWtin invades his neighbors.
    But now that word has leaked out,
    PEWtin has to jail, murder, or disappear
    all the operatives
    who brought trump to power in the U.S.
    Hence
    so many dead Russians recently.
    ***
       
    Fer the love of Pete, sign a petition, will ya?!
     
    Leahy for Vermont
     
    We continue to learn more about the disturbing connections between Trump and the Russian government.

    First, it was confirmed that Putin ordered an influence campaign to help Trump win the 2016 election. Then, Trump's National Security Advisor resigned after it was discovered he lied about conversations with Russia's ambassador. Shortly after, it was revealed that multiple Trump staffers had contact with senior Russian intelligence officials throughout the campaign -- and it just recently came to light that the White House attempted to pressure the FBI to suppress news reports of this story in a gross abuse of power.

    The American people must have answers: What is the full extent of Russian influence in the White House today and throughout Trump's campaign for President of the United States?
    I am calling on Attorney General Sessions to step aside and immediately appoint a Special Counsel to mount an independent investigation into the connections between Russia and Trump.

    Add your name to call on Attorney General Sessions to recuse himself and appoint a Special Counsel to investigate Russian influence.
    Our national security demands a full and fair investigation, free of political interest -- and Trump's administration has already demonstrated an alarming commitment to obfuscating the truth.
    The Justice Department's recusal standards on these matters are quite clear:
    "no employee shall participate in a criminal investigation or prosecution if he has a personal or political relationship with ... [a]ny person or organization substantially involved in the conduct that is the subject of the investigation."
    Throughout the campaign, Attorney General, then Senator, Sessions was a central figure in Trump's campaign, vigorously campaigning alongside Trump and shaping his policies. It should be obvious to all that he lacks the necessary independence to impartially investigate the very campaign he was a part of.
    We must all use our voices to call on Sessions to step aside and appoint a Special Counsel -- the integrity of our democracy depends on it.
    Add your name to my petition demanding that Attorney General Sessions recuse himself from investigating Trump's ties to Russia and appoint a Special Counsel.
    Thank you for raising your voice on this important issue.

    Sincerely,
    Patrick Leahy
    U.S. Senator
    ADD YOUR NAME »
     
    ***

    Explore. Enjoy. Protect.

    Right now, the Republican-led Congress and the Trump administration are preparing another big gift for the fossil fuel industry. This one would give oil and gas companies a never-ending pass to pollute our air and waste our tax dollars.

    Tell your Senator, Mark Warner, to side with clean air and public health, not corporate polluters! Call now: 1-888-454-0483.


    Under the Obama administration, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finalized protections last year that would require companies extracting oil and gas from public lands to reduce their methane emissions. These standards are not only a big win for public health and the climate, but also for taxpayer savings and job creation. When companies extract oil and gas from public lands, the BLM collects revenue on the public's behalf. Inefficient practices that allow leaking of gas cost taxpayers revenue that the BLM could be collecting. The installation of technology to plug these leaks can also help to boost US manufacturing and create jobs.

    But now, Congress is using a dangerous and powerful tool to rollback these important protections to satisfy their fossil fuel backers. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) allows Congress to override recently issued rules, going back months under President Obama. The CRA would not only block the current standards, but would also prevent any similar standards to ever be issued -- letting the oil and gas industry off the hook indefinitely.

    The House of Representatives has already voted to overturn these important safeguards. Next, the Senate will be voting this week, which is the final chance to stop this rollback before it heads to the White House for Trump's signature.

    We must speak out to demand our Senators reject this reckless proposal. Urge Senator Warner to vote NO on the Methane CRA, and to stop any further rollbacks on our environmental and public health protections. Call now: 1-888-454-0483.

    Our members of Congress work for the people, not for corporate polluters. It's up to us to remind them of that every day.

    Thank you for making your voice heard,

    Lena Moffitt
    Director, Beyond Dirty Fuels
    Sierra Club


       
    ***

    From Daily Kos STOP TRUMP

    SIGN & SHARE: Denounce these 23 House Republicans for keeping Donald Trump's tax returns hidden.

    Despite overwhelming public support for him to do so, Donald Trump has consistently refused to release his tax returns.

    So one Democratic Congressman (Bill Pascrell) who serves on the House Ways & Means Committee had an idea. Under a 1924 law, members of the Committee can privately examine the President's tax returns to determine if there are conflicts of interest or constitutional violations.

    Pascrell introduced an amendment to request that, but 23 Republicans on the committee voted it down—keeping those taxes hidden, and thwarting the attempt at transparency. These 23 Republicans were:

    Kevin Brady, Sam Johnson & Kenny Marchant of Texas, Pat Tiberi & Jim Renacci of Ohio, Dave Reichert of Washington, Peter Roskam of Illinois, Vern Buchanan & Carlos Curbelo of Florida, Adrian Smith of Nebraska, Lynn Jenkins of Kansas, Erik Paulsen of Minnesota, Diane Black of Tennessee, Tom Reed of New York, Mike Kelly & Pat Meehan of Pennsylvania, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, George Holding of North Carolina, Jason Smith of Missouri, Tom Rice of South Carolina, Dave Schweikert of Arizona, Jackie Walorksi of Indiana.

    SIGN & SHARE: Tell these 23 Republican representatives that the American people want to see Donald Trump's tax returns.

    Keep fighting,
    Paul Hogarth, Daily Kos

        
    ***


    Dear ones,

    Back in September, MUUSJA: The Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance invited the Rev. Karen Van Fossan, minister to the Unitarian Universalist Church & Fellowship of Bismarck/Mandan (UUFCBM), to join us for our monthly statewide Convening Call to speak about the ongoing battle against the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock. At that time, the UU congregation of 60 members and one half-time minister--one of only three in North Dakota, and the only one with professional clergy - had already been building deep relationships with the Water Protectors since April. Rev. Van Fossan spoke of her people’s deep sense of calling in this work of service, followership, and solidarity. At that point they were already offering concrete solidarity by hosting travelers, serving as a through-point for supply donations, and taking a bold public stance with the #NoDAPL movement in a region in which virtually no other religious group would risk speaking out for indigenous people, or the earth that stood to be harmed by the pipeline.  Standing Rock was only beginning to get national media coverage at that point, and the story of our UU kin showing up in such a faithful, prophetic way inspired all of us in Minnesota.

    Shortly following that Convening Call, Rev. Van Fossan and I spoke again about what a broader, nation-wide UU response to Standing Rock might look like--and how we, as a religious people, might better support the congregation in sustaining their faithful support of the Water Protectors as representatives of our entire faith.  More conversations followed, with representatives from the UUA, MidAmerica Region, Standing on the Side of Love, the UU College of Social Justice, and others.  As a result of these collaborations, a broad network of UUs from a wide variety of our organizations and congregations mobilized a nimble, accountable rapid response to directly support the Bismarck congregation, and the Water Protectors. Together, by leveraging our relationships and our institutional resources, we supported hundreds of Unitarian Universalist clergy and lay people traveling to North Dakota to attend nationwide calls for physical presence at the camps.  We schemed together to get the “Interfaith Living yUUrt” transported from Minnesota to Oceti Sakowin camp, and made that space available to both indigenous folks and people of faith who needed a place to stay.  We raised funds to support Rev. Van Fossan’s ministry, and the work of the congregation.  And when the needs shifted and the weather changed, we created the Ministry in Residence Program, sending a series of Unitarian Universalist clergypeople for a week at a time to be with Rev. Van Fossan and the UUs in Bismarck, adding to their capacity and representing our solidarity in an embodied way.

    This work of solidarity continues. Can you support today?

    The seventh Minister in Residence arrives in Bismarck this week. These clergy people, who have come from all over the country, and have volunteered their service without compensation, have been critical to supporting our congregation there in sustaining their direct solidarity work with the Water Protectors. From Rev. Jill Cowie:

    A few weeks after the election I attended a conference  entitled "The Next Four Years: Building our Movements in Dangerous Times."  I left resolved to do what I can to protect our most targeted communities and our most vulnerable activists.  With this pledge in mind, I said "yes" to being the minister in residence to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Church of Bismarck-Mandan for a week.   The "yes" didn't come easily, it meant not meeting commitments I had made.  The beautiful thing is that my supervisor at the hospital for which I was working said, "go, this is important."  My family concurred.

    While there I made over 60 calls to people asking them to help clean up the camp. I helped hang pictures, bulletin boards and organized.  I created flyers, attended the UU women's lunch, and an interfaith meeting to plan a training on multicultural competencies. Everywhere I went, I was a visual reminder that this small congregation was not alone in standing for Standing Rock, though they are the only church to do so in the state.

    On Wednesday, I joined Karen Van Fossan, the congregation's minister at a bond hearing for a water protector who had been in jail since his arrest in September. We both wore our ministerial collars as a visible reminder that  standing up for Standing Rock is a moral issue. The water protector was released because Karen and the congregation found him a local place to live with a couple who agreed to be his sponsor while he awaits his trial.  Tears of joy and gratitude flowed among his family and advocates.  You too were there in spirit for your support of this program enables the ongoing spiritual nurturance and care for Karen and her congregation who may otherwise feel isolated and alone in this important ministry. Thank you for making this ministry possible. - Jill Cowie, minister in residence

    We are grateful to all the congregations and organizations who have blessed their ministers to go and serve in this way.  We are thankful to the Unitarian Universalist Ministers’ Association and the UU College of Social Justice, who have each underwritten a week of this ministry.  And we are also indebted to the UUA, MUUSJA, Standing on the Side of Love, MidAmerica Region, the UUSC, and the UUCSJ, each of which has donated sign ificant staff time and infrastructural support to our solidarity efforts.  

    But now, beloveds, it is the responsibility of our broader faith to support the ongoing Ministry in Residence program at the UUFCBM.  While clergy are not compensated for their time, we provide airfare, lodging, food, and local transportation, which average $1,500-2,000 a week.  Our UU siblings in Bismarck have told us that this ministry is a crucial part of their ability to keep doing solidarity work on behalf of our broader faith, and they have asked us to ensure that it continues as long as it is needed.

    Today, as we write to you, the #NoDAPL struggle is entering a new phase. Several of the camps have been forcibly evacuated since Wednesday, and Water Protectors have been arrested en masse.  New camps are being built farther away from the river.  The legal and spiritual battle is far from over, and our Unitarian Universalist siblings in Bismarck have committed to working in solidarity with the Water Protectors until the fight has been won. As Unitarian Universalists, it is our spiritual and moral obligation to support their ministry, and to do whatever we can to ensure that the UUFCBM can say “yes” to whatever requests come their way from the Water Protectors.  

    Our collective Unitarian Universalist response to Standing Rock is exactly the kind of ongoing, multivalent, nimble response to social, environmental, and spiritual crisis is exactly what will be required of Unitarian Universalists in the coming months and years.  We have deep faith that among us, there is incredible abundance, and that we can adopt a “posture of yes,” knowing we will come up with the money and human resources required to act quickly when we are called upon.  Will you make a donation today to support the UU Ministry in Residence in solidarity with Standing Rock?  And as you do, will you also make a donation to the Women's Council - a grassroots organization that relies solely on public support and primarily assists women, children and elders. Your support will assist with rooms, gas cards, and bus tickets to evacuate remaining people from camp. Donate directly to Melanie Stoneman's paypal using 



    Our UU congregation in Augusta, Maine commissioned their minister Rev. Carie Johnson to serve as minister in residence the Sunday before she left. They said “In sending Rev. Carie to North Dakota we generously share the gifts of ministry with our sister congregation and their minister. In doing so, we are intentionally engaging in the act of shared ministry with the wider Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, with the native and non-native water protectors at Standing Rock, and ultimately with Mother Earth....We celebrate our ability to be a living manifestation of our centuries old covenant: rooted in both the autonomy of our communities and a clear commitment to our congregations supporting one another in concrete ways, as an embodiment of our shared faith and work for justice.”

    We are grateful for your commitment, your faith, and your generosity.
    Mni Wiconi -- Water is Life!

    In faith and solidarity,

    Rev. Ashley Horan, Rev. Elizabeth Nguyen & Nora Rasman
    The Standing Rock Ministry-in-Residence organizing team

    Rev. Marisol Caballero, Austin, TX
    Rev. Julie Taylor, St. Louis, MO
    Rev. Carie Johnson, Augusta, ME
    Rev. Jill Cowie, Boston, MA
     
    ***

    So, ya think petitions don't work?
    WAND says they do!
    -- Dot Calm's shadow



    Saturday, February 25, 2017

    Last week we alerted you to President Trump’s lax information security standards, which were on full display as he responded to North Korea’s latest ballistic missile test from his table in the middle of the packed dining room of his private club, Mar-a-Lago.

    Security experts were quick to note that classified information could have been discussed within earshot of waiters and club members, and that the cell phones White House staffers used as flashlights could have been transmitting information to hackers.

     

    Perhaps most stunning is that not only were high-dollar club members eating dinner next to a seemingly ad hoc Situation Room, but some snapped pictures and posted them to Facebook! One man even posted a picture of himself and the military officer who carries the “nuclear football” -- and included the officer’s name.

     

    Here at WAND, we were horrified to learn about Trump’s gross disregard for securing sensitive information. We quickly put together 19 questions we believed deserved answers and tweeted them rapid-fire to the House Oversight Committee. And we asked you to sign a petition demanding the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), investigate the White House’s security practices. More than 2,500 of you signed the petition immediately.

     

    And you know what?

     

    Within 24 hours Congressman Chaffetz sent a letter to the White House asking for answers to many of the questions we raised.

     

    That’s what I call a win.

     

    As we have seen in the first month of the Trump administration, we have to be able to respond quickly and with strength if we are going to protect the values and security we hold dear. So thank you for stepping up last week -- and thank you in advance for the times you will step up in the future.

     

    Sincerely,

    Ansley Lacitis

    Field Director

    PS: If you want to help us hold Chaffetz’s feet to the fire about this investigation, you can still sign the petition.
        
    ***
    Change.org petition update

    Please, call your representative. Democrat or republican, it's the most important thing you can do.

    Please, call your representative. Democrat or republican, it's the most important thing you can do. Find Your Representative · House.gov http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
     

    Five takeaways from the leaked Republican bill to repeal Obamacare

    Harold Jacobs
    Boca Raton, FL
    Feb 27, 2017 — Five takeaways from the leaked Republican bill to repeal Obamacare

    BY DYLAN SCOTT, STAT February 26, 2017 at 2:14 PM EST


    WASHINGTON — A formal draft of the House Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act leaked out on Friday.

    The final version is likely to be different — how much different, it’s hard to say. The draft obtained by Politico is dated two weeks ago, and rumors have been swirling here that Republicans received an unfavorable analysis from the Congressional Budget Office, the official scorekeepers on the cost and coverage implications of legislation.

    But this is nonetheless an important milestone — real legislative text, prepared with an eye toward the complex parliamentary procedures needed to pass ACA repeal with only Republican votes, and presumably with the endorsement of House leadership.

    Much attention will be paid to the proposed tax credits offered for people to buy health insurance and the changes to the tax treatment of employer-based insurance. Here are five provisions with big implications for health and medicine.

    It would dramatically overhaul Medicaid.

    The bill would phase out by 2020 the Medicaid expansion that has covered millions of people under Obamacare. Instead, states would begin to receive a set dollar amount for each person covered by the program — with variations based on health status; more money would be allocated for the disabled — a change from the open-ended entitlement the program is now.


    These proposals, long a goal of the GOP, have spurred a number of concerns. People with complex medical needs worry that, if spending is capped and states have more flexibility to decide what to cover, they could be at risk. There appear to be very few exclusions from the spending caps — some have theorized that if the plan exempted certain services from the caps, that could help mitigate the risks for high-cost patients.

    The changes could also make it more difficult for the program to afford new breakthrough treatments, a challenge that the current iteration of Medicaid has already faced with the expensive hepatitis C drugs.

    It would repeal Obamacare’s requirements for what health insurance must cover.

    The legislation would repeal the ACA’s essential health benefits requirements, which mandated that health plans cover 10 categories of health care services. It would instead leave decisions about what coverage to require to the states, starting in 2020.

    Among the services that the law required plans to cover were mental health and substance abuse treatment. In the midst of the opioid crisis, recovery advocates in Washington had been hoping to save that provision. It appears that that decision would now be in state officials’ hands, and the fear is plans might look to limit that coverage because people with addiction issues are expensive to treat and therefore cover.


    It would repeal the Prevention and Public Health Fund.

    The bill would repeal this funding stream, intended to support various prevention and public health activities, in 2019. Congress initially provided $15 billion over the fund’s first 10 years, and it was eventually suppose to increase to $2 billion per year in perpetuity.

    The fund has been at perennial risk since its passage in 2010, pilfered at times for other programs, but it nonetheless remains an important source of public health funding. It has become an essential part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s budget — accounting for 12 percent of the agency’s funding by some estimates — and there would be no obvious replacement for those dollars without further congressional action.

    It would repeal the tax on pharmaceutical manufacturers.

    The drug industry has not agitated to have its manufacturer tax repealed, in the same way that the medical device and health insurance industries have. But the Republican bill would nonetheless nix the tax starting in 2017. The industry still had $4 billion to left to pay in 2017, $4.1 billion in 2018, and $2.8 billion per year after that.

    The taxes on medical devices, health insurance plans, and even tanning beds would also be repealed. Those revenue streams help to cover the cost of the ACA. Republicans are instead proposing changing the tax treatment of employer-based health insurance, which is currently not taxed, to pay for their plan. It is an idea popular with economists, but politically perilous. Major employer groups are already aligning against it.

    It loosens restrictions on health plans’ ability to charge older people more.

    One thing the bill doesn’t do is repeal the ACA provision that prohibits health plans from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions. That may be because it would be hard to justify under the procedural rules that Republicans need to use to pass the bill — plus that policy is among the law’s most popular elements and even President Trump has said it should be maintained.

    But another key insurance reform meant to protect sicker people takes a hit: The GOP bill would allow insurers to charge older people five times more than younger people; the ACA had limited the difference to three times as much. The powerful AARP is already mobilizing against such a change, long expected to be part of the plan.

    The bill appears to try to mitigate that change by basing its tax credits for purchasing insurance on age: Older people would receive a bigger tax credit.

    Is that sufficient to keep people covered, as Trump and other Republicans have pledged to do? That’s one of the questions that the scorekeepers at the CBO will be expected to answer.

    This article is reproduced with permission from STAT. It was first published on Feb. 24, 2017. Find the original story here.
    (Editor's note: no link! -- Dot Calm's shadow)
        

    My response from Senator Marco Rubio. , warning cover your clothing not to get it stained from BS.

    My response from the senator is below. PLEASE Call his office to tell them the truth. 202-224-3041. Yes, they'll allow for pre existing conditions, the operative word is "allow", but at what cost. Can you imagine what an insurance company will charge people to buy insurance with a pre existing condition? I can, I've been there. It's not affordable - very, very costly at best. Thank you !...
    Read full update
        
    *****
    Hey, alt-right!
    The trump administration
    thinks you're LEFTist.

    You know what that means...
    They want you
    to vote for DEMOCRATS
    from now on!
    *****

    Headlines

    Choo choo time
         
    Vox: Futura: the font that escaped the Nazis and landed on the moon
    ...Dot Calm, this one's for you, given your career in commercial arts and truly fine typography. Oh, how you loved fonts as an art form uniquely expressive, uniquely their own...thanks to you, I love them, too.
        
    Vox: Trump fans were waving tiny Russian flags until CPAC staff
    ...Lolololololol--photos of grinning trumpkin delegates at CPAC proudly waving red, white, and blue Russian flags with "TRUMP" on them...! So, what's the actual deal here? Who handed out those flags: Teathuglikkants or trollster Democrats? Are the trumpkins so st00pit that they didn't know that the flags were Russian, or are the trumpkins so st00pit that they're proud of being hijacked by a foreign dictator who murders his own people? Either way you slice it, 2+2 = "trumpkins are st00pit."
        
    Vox: We looked at the new national security adviser's writings. Turns out he's the anti-Bannon
      
    ***

    Daily Kos, AlterNet, and Democracy Now!
        
  • Singer Grace Slick licenses song to Chick-fil-A and then donates money to LGBTQ organization



  • Rick Santorum calls millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions crooks and grifters

       

  • Ryan, McConnell decide to go full steam ahead on Obamacare repeal, and damn their own members


  • For Democrats to win back the House in 2018, the first step is believing they can


  • Another day, another Trump cabinet nominee with Russian connections


  • Subversive: How the Black Panthers fed kids for free and set a model for the government


  • George W. Bush on Trump's ties to Russia: 'We all need answers'


  • Rick Santorum calls millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions crooks and grifters


  • Across the heartland, Trump voters are a bit confused as to what the hell they voted for


  • We may need a special prosecutor because the FBI is compromised


  • 'The United States is not safe for refugees'


  • Check out these 'massive' pro-Trump rallies around the country today. Sad!


  • Trump silent on hate crimes, confused on healthcare


  • Vandalism and bomb threats are what happen when an anti-Semite is allowed in the White House


  • As Rick Santorum tries to blame Muslims for Jewish cemetary damage, Muslims shame his hate with BIG love


  • Donald Trump is annoyed at you: 'Resist, resist, they want to resist everything'


  • Want to send shockwaves through Congress and scare the hell out of the GOP? Chip in $5 to Democrat Jon Ossoff and help win the special election to replace Trump's anti-Obamacare hatchet man in Congress.


  • The Koch brothers are pouring millions into defending Trump's extremist Supreme Court pick. Sign on to help defeat Trump and the Kochs.

  • Reince Priebus may have opened the floodgates


  • Dan Rather: This is an emergency—and a moment of judgement for everyone who remains silent


  • Former Nixon counsel knows a cover up when he sees one—and says Trump's doing it


  • Daily Kos is prepared to resist Trump every single day for the next four years and beyond. Can you chip in $1 to support independent, progressive media?


  • Congresswoman claims Women's March participants were 'radical fringe,' signs were 'pornographic'


  • Conservatives believe Trump's travel expenses are a conspiracy against Trump


  • Rumana Ahmed explains why she resigned from the Trump White House. It won't surprise you.


  • Law professors nationwide collectively file misconduct complaint against Kellyanne Conway to DC Bar


  • On Tuesday, House Republicans will betray their oaths, their country, and the American people


  • WaPo: Trump team got help from top intel officials, members of Congress to counter Russia stories


  • O'Reilly interviews fake Swedish 'defense expert' who was arrested for assaulting Virginia police


  • Sign if you agree: Neil Gorsuch is too extreme for the Supreme Court. Block his appointment.


  • Sean Spicer searching his staff's personal phones in attempt to find White House leakers


  • Australia's most beloved children's author detained by US immigration—may not ever return to US


  • Pr*sident Trump bails on White House Correspondents' Association Dinner

  • Leaked tapes reveal Trump's offer to his 'real group'


  • Russian Ambassador dies suddenly in New York
           
       

  • Bigot kicked off Texas flight for being a racist asshat


  • Daily Kos is prepared to resist Trump every single day for the next four years and beyond. Can you chip in $1 to support independent, progressive media?


  • Trump administration halts California's plans for high-speed rail and infrastructure improvements


  • Trump aide and anti-Muslim extremist Sebastian Gorka goes into meltdown over Twitter posts


  • Constituents erupt as Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst flees town hall after only a handful of questions


  • Trump reportedly screamed at CIA Director Pompeo over Intel being withheld


  • This Patriot skipping out on White House visit is playing wack-a-troll on Twitter


  • Sign the petition: Elect the president by national popular vote


  • Media bites back: Newspaper threatens defamation suit for GOP senator calling them 'fake news'


  • Yes, Trump's aide really did throw 'white power' sign


  • Montana Republican abruptly cancels address to legislature due to constituent crowd outside
       

  • It turns out the hunters who said immigrants attacked them while hunting shot themselves


  • Bannon makes stunning threat to media: We're going to make it worse for you every day

  • Wolf Blitzer used video evidence to call out Republican congresswoman's lie


  • The Devil may want payment from Chaffetz sooner than he thinks


  • CIA analyst and NCS director pounds Trump in fiery op-ed describing why he resigned


  • Something strange is happening in Kansas over taxes and Medicaid


  • Donald Trump calls reporting facts 'fake news.' We call it doing our job. Can you chip in $1 to support independent, progressive media?


  • Brilliant troll hands out tiny Trump Russian flags right before Trump's CPAC speech


  • Law professors file misconduct complaint against Conway


  • Sen. Rubio said he was traveling, couldn't hold a town hall—here he is in Miami running from voters


  • Steven Bannon's quest to burn down democracy is going just great


  • Who owns Trump? Congress has the power to review Donald Trump's tax returns, they should use it


  • Illinois' largest union votes to allow their first-ever strike against union-busting Republican


  • Pelosi calls out the White House for 'an outrageous breach of the FBI’s independence'


  • Sign if you agree: Neil Gorsuch is too extreme for the Supreme Court. Block his appointment.


  • The tipping point: Will Trump, Congress, Sessions, Comey all cooperate to bury Russia connections?


  • What Spicer really meant by 'states' rights' is the White House will choose when states have rights


  • Cancer survivors' message to Republicans: 'We literally live and die by insurance'


  • Democrats have gotten the message from their base: Resist. Fight. Don't give in.

  • Bannon admits Trump's cabinet nominees were selected to destroy their agencies


  • Betsy DeVos jokes at CPAC that school lunches should not be free because she's a rich monster


  • Bannon makes stunning threat to media: We're going to make it worse for you every day


  • Daily Kos is prepared to resist Trump every single day for the next four years and beyond. Can you chip in $1 to support independent, progressive media?


  • Donald Trump's mystery billion confuses the Air Force


  • Former Trump campaign chief blackmailed over meeting between Trump and pro-Russian forces in Ukraine


  • Kansas man reportedly yelled 'Get out of my country!' before shooting three men in a crowded bar


  • Famous football-playing rapist Jameis Winston tells elementary school girls to be 'silent'


  • Republican Marsha Blackburn tries to defuse Obamacare repeal anger with bald-faced lies


  • Trump's disgusting 'military operation' tries to deport woman in hospital with brain tumor


  • Sign the petition: Elect the president by national popular vote


  • Not today! In view of cameras, man flies to snatch Confederate flag from protester


  • Trump puts the FBI on his low-life leaker list


  • After Trump calls deportation raids a 'military operation,' the White House tries to walk it back


  • As a Navy SEAL sacrificed his life, President Trump was tweeting about television


  • Trump and transgender students, Ivanka's skewed childcare plan and more


  • Are ALL of Rep. Dave Reichert's constituents marching to his Washington office today?

  • *** 
        
    By Elizabeth Preza, Raw Story
    The Vermont senator already had a clue that health care is not a simple issue.  READ MORE»


    By David Cay Johnston, DC Report
    Deep links between Trump’s commerce secretary and close associates of the Russian president. READ MORE»


    By Chauncey DeVega, Salon
    Any correlation between Trump's rhetoric and the hate crime in Kansas is "absurd," White House says. Really? READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Stewart isn't saying the breakup is going to be easy. READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    “I’m a Leninist,” Bannon reportedly said. “Lenin… wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal too. I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of today’s establishment.” READ MORE»


    By Hunter, DailyKos
    Turns out the racism was real, but the jobs plan wasn't.  READ MORE»


    By Matt Gertz, Media Matters
    Nearly four out of five Republican voters trust President Trump more than the press to tell the truth. READ MORE»


    By Lauren Gambino, The Guardian
    In interview with Fox, president says—without evidence—his predecessor "is behind" demonstrations over travel ban and national security leaks. READ MORE»


    By Dean Baker, Beat the Press
    News that's fit to print: Trump and Ryan are not political philosophers. READ MORE»
    By Joe Conason, AlterNet
    How many illegal acts does it take to finally get rid of this corrupt administration? READ MORE»


    By Jefferson Morley, AlterNet
    When the president "takes the shackles off" ICE and Border Patrol agents, law-abiding Americans pay the price. READ MORE»


    By Sophia Tesfaye, Salon
    "Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated," Trump said Monday in a meeting with health care CEOs. READ MORE»


    By Jeff Bryant, Blog for Our Future
    They aren't going to fool anyone with their plan. READ MORE»


    By Thom Hartmann, AlterNet
    Retaliation against protesters? This is not what democracy looks like. READ MORE»


    By Alex Amend, Jonathon Morgan, Southern Poverty Law Center
    Not idle threats, but language used by those who advocate for violence against minorities and are openly pro-Nazi. READ MORE»


    By Reynard Loki, AlterNet
    A judge orders California to release official documents about cell phone radiation risk that the state tried to suppress. READ MORE»


    By Chris Hedges, Truthdig
    Steve Bannon's fascist yearnings are the cornerstone of Trump's immigration policy.  READ MORE»


    By Annie Waldman, ProPublica
    In scholarly articles, blogs and conferences, professors lend their prestige to the lobbying blitz, without always disclosing their corporate ties. READ MORE»


    By Sarah K. Burris, Raw Story
    His military vision is dangerous and outdated, a better fit for the 1950s than 2017.  READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    "Some of the biggest backers of Donald Trump's presidency were for-profit prison operators."  READ MORE»


    By Tom McCarthy, The Guardian
    Ex-CIA chief John Brennan warns White House to "steer clear" of investigation. READ MORE»


    By Jonathan Cook, AlterNet
    He's not interested in peace. Neither is Netanyahu. READ MORE»


    By Paul Armentano, NORML
    If the Trump administration wants to go to war with weed, it's going to find itself politically isolated. READ MORE»


    By Kate Aronoff, In These Times
    Deployed well, both a robot tax and a basic income could fit comfortably into a redistributive agenda. READ MORE»


    By Brian Whitney, AlterNet
    We should be protecting wilderness, not selling it off to the oil, gas and mining industries as many Republicans want to do. READ MORE»

    By Ilana Novick, AlterNet
    Why deny, when you can plant fake news? READ MORE»


    By Brad Reed, Raw Story
    Residents are upset after the Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested and detained a beloved local Mexican restaurant owner. READ MORE»


    By Ilana Novick, AlterNet
    Will there be an investigation into the botched raid? READ MORE»


    By Matthew Rozsa, Salon
    Trump plans to slash the social safety net. READ MORE»


    By Ilana Novick, AlterNet
    Protest is an essential weapon in the war to save democracy.  READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Now that it's their turn, Republicans are having a pretty tough time coming up with an Obamacare replacement.  READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    His mother offered President Trump a Quran.  READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    "Remember last year, when it seemed like the Oscars were racist?" READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    "La La Land" was awarded Best Picture. The actual winner was "Moonlight."  READ MORE»


    By Keith Knight, AlterNet
    The separation of church and plane. READ MORE»


    By Tom McCarthy, The Guardian
    Ex-CIA chief John Brennan warns White House to ‘steer clear’ of investigation. READ MORE»
    By Don Hazen, Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet
    Preemption allows corporations to boost their profits by suppressing local government power, community groups and citizens. READ MORE»


    By Sarah Lazare, AlterNet
    From strikes to sanctuary campaigns, sustained resistance continues to sweep the country. READ MORE»


    By Peter Schrag, The American Prospect
    February 27 is the anniversary of the fire that destroyed the Reichstag and gave Hitler a pretext to seize total power. Could this happen in the U.S.  READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    "Remember last year, when it seemed like the Oscars were racist?" READ MORE»


    By Patrick Cockburn, CounterPunch
    It will be difficult under a leader who is an international figure of disdain and is often visibly detached from reality. READ MORE»


    By Conor Lynch, Salon
    Pioneering psychologist Erich Fromm explained the rise of Hitler with an analysis that seems way too relevant now. READ MORE»


    By Dawn Foster, The Guardian
    Problems are going to get worse as US housing becomes more unaffordable. READ MORE»


    By Danny Feingold, Capital and Main
    In the wake of the election, Steyer has vowed to spend whatever it takes to fight Trump and advance an alternative progressive vision.  READ MORE»


    By Chauncey DeVega, Salon
    A month in, the bill keeps adding up: Trump voters backed an unqualified demagogue, and the price will be painful. READ MORE»


    By Dr. David Suzuki, AlterNet
    A lot of our work is unnecessary and often destructive, depleting resources and destroying ecosystems. READ MORE»


    By Vijay Prashad, AlterNet
    "Everyone seems to be dying of cancer. Every day one hears about another acquaintance or friend of a friend dying." READ MORE»


    By Janice Williams, International Business Times
    A bill now under consideration would make it so.  READ MORE»


    By Nicola Davis, Mona Chalabi, The Guardian
    Study sheds light on approaches, revealing ‘orgasm gaps’ both between the sexes and those with different sexual orientations. READ MORE»


    By Luke Beardon, The Conversation
    Our president has a dangerous view of the condition.  READ MORE»
    By Kali Holloway, AlterNet
    The GOP is terrible from top to bottom.  READ MORE»


    By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet
    Peter Newsham defends past mass arrests that cost city millions in legal judgments. READ MORE»


    By Sophia A. McClennen, Salon
    Democracy isn't the only thing at risk from this administration.  READ MORE»


    By Douglas Williams, The Guardian
    New executive orders threaten the very future of America's social movements. READ MORE»


    By Jeremy Sherman, AlterNet
    A window into a tempting tendency in human nature. READ MORE»


    By Andrew Burstein, Nancy Isenberg, Salon
    Only by confronting our lies about the past can we hope to meet the challenges of the present. READ MORE»


    By Ronald Hall, The Conversation
    How colorism impacts identity. READ MORE»


    By Vijay Prashad, FRONTLINE
    The age of Trump will be defined by ruthless, inhumane intervention. READ MORE»


    By Jacob Sugarman, AlterNet
    The Breitbart editor had a six-figure book deal and the adoration of the right. It was all undone with a single tweet. READ MORE»


    By Andrew Bacevich, TomDispatch
    David Brooks and his ilk are learning the hard way we are not a beacon of light for the rest of the world. READ MORE»


    By Dominic Rushe, Tom Pietrasik, The Guardian
    After a pitched battle with management, Momentive workers have seen their healthcare and retirement benefits slashed. READ MORE»


    By Leila A. McNeill, The Establishment
    Fear of deportation often causes abuse victims to remain silent. READ MORE»


    By Tom Boggioni, Raw Story
    Malcolm Nance believes the White House is trying to deflect attention away from its ties to the Kremlin. READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    The escort site shuttered its adult section last month following the release of "I Am Jane Doe." READ MORE»


    By Jacky Miller, AlterNet
    Research reveals it's more effective at battling viruses and bacteria than virtually any other substance. READ MORE»


    By Project CBD, Project CBD
    A new research report's claims appear to serve its corporate funders rather than the interests of science. READ MORE»
    By Sarah Lazare, AlterNet
    Many bills advancing at state level along with executive orders are part of Trump "law and order." READ MORE»


    By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet
    ICE reopens the private prisons that Obama’s Justice Department ordered closed. READ MORE»


    By Justin Goodman, AlterNet
    Even puppies are subjected to a wide range of torture, including forced heart attacks. Finally, Congress is seeking answers. READ MORE»


    By Heather Digby Parton, Salon
    Is liberal outrage driving away the "deplorables"? Too bad. To win, we need righteous anger, not compromise. READ MORE»


    By Richard Eskow, Blog for Our Future
    Guidelines for progressives when they hear about (or talk about) Trump and Russia. READ MORE»


    By Brad Reed, Raw Story
    In addition to the attendees waving Russian flags, journalist Sarah Posner reports at least one attendee was spotted wearing a “Make Russia Great Again” t-shirt. READ MORE»


    By Phillip Smith, AlterNet
    And it wasn't even Louie Gohmert or Steve King.  READ MORE»


    By Jacob Sugarman, AlterNet
    The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and several others were all denied access. READ MORE»


    By Leslie Salzillo, Daily Kos
    Bannon doesn't want to change the media. He wants to totally dismantle the media.  READ MORE»


    By Chauncey DeVega, Salon
    More white Obama voters switched to third-party candidates than voted for Trump, yet the media won't let it go. READ MORE»


    By Frida Berrigan, TomDispatch
    For me, resistance is the new patriotism. READ MORE»


    By Talynn Kel , The Establishment
    Oppression doesn’t just happen; it’s all about choice. READ MORE»


    By Les Leopold, AlterNet
    From protesting to marching to finally winning elections.  READ MORE»


    By David L. Phillips, The Huffington Post
    It is time to break up Iraq into three parts, if there is to be a future with peace.  READ MORE»


    By Mandisa Routheni, OtherWords
    Simple genealogy searches don't work for people whose ancestors were treated like property. But some new tools could help. READ MORE»
    By Marty Kaplan, AlterNet
    Our president and his cronies willingly distort the truth for their benefit.  READ MORE»


    By Jeremy Sherman, AlterNet
    There's no simpler, faster way to feel perfectly great about yourself.  READ MORE»


    By Heather Digby Parton, Salon
    The president depicts a failing America that's more like 2009 than 2017—so he can take credit for doing nothing. READ MORE»


    By Adele M. Stan, The American Prospect
    He may not be an ideological conservative, but the movement created him. Now it must own him and the hatred he spews. READ MORE»


    By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet
    The view from a school board member in the city of Oakland, California. READ MORE»


    By Jefferson Morley, AlterNet
    Trying to understand the motives of owner Jeff Bezos. READ MORE»


    By Ben Norton, AlterNet
    The edict comes six years after NATO's "humanitarian" regime change. READ MORE»


    By Arwa Mahdawi, The Guardian
    A panel at the Conservative Political Action Conference suggests America can have walls, gates and extreme vetting because heaven does. Come again? READ MORE»


    By David Edwards, Raw Story
    Our president has the emotional stability of a toddler.  READ MORE»


    By Thom Hartmann, AlterNet
    When Republicans cut taxes, wages go down or stay flat for working people. READ MORE»


    By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
    The proposed law claims to target criminals, but instead impacts law-abiding, tax-paying, innocent people. READ MORE»


    By Jag Davies, AlterNet
    Findings like these force us to rethink our approaches to both addiction and drug prohibition.  READ MORE»


    By Quora Contributor , Medical Daily
    Calm down and look beyond the marketing scams.  READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Ned Price admits he's been horrified to watch the president in action.  READ MORE»
        
    ***
        

    Stories


    President Trump is heading to Capitol Hill tonight and is expected to outline part of his budget plan before a joint session of Congress. On Monday, Trump proposed ... Read More →

    President Donald Trump is slated to give his first presidential address to Congress today. Democratic lawmakers have begun giving their tickets away to ... Read More →

    Are you Muslim? Where did you get your name from? Those were the questions posed by immigration officials to the son of the late boxing legend ... Read More →

    Headlines →


    Stories

    Committee to Protect Journalists: Trump's Attacks on Media Will Be Felt by Journalists Around World
    On Friday, the White House took the unprecedented act of barring The New York Times, CNN, Politico, the Los Angeles Times, the BBC and several other news... Read More →
    Keith Ellison Loses DNC Chair Race After Smear Campaign over His Support for Palestinian Rights
    Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez has been elected to lead the Democratic National Committee, beating out Minnesota Congressmember Keith Ellison in a ... Read More →

    In Philadelphia, some 500 headstones at a Jewish cemetery were toppled or damaged in the second apparent incident of vandalism at a Jewish cemetery in ... Read More →
    Rev. William Barber: The NAACP Will Boycott North Carolina over HB2 & Voter Suppression
    The NAACP has announced it would not hold its convention in North Carolina and urged an international boycott of the state to protest North Carolina's anti-trans ... Read More →
    Rev. William Barber on the "Season of Hate & Political Violence" Under Trump
    The Southern Poverty Law Center recently revealed the number of hate groups in the United States has tripled in the past year in part due to Donald Trump's candidacy ... Read More →

    Headlines →

             
    *****
    SCROTUS and TURDleman
    agree:
    NO SCOTUS for SCROTUS
    because 
    SCROTUS IS CAMPAIGNING!
    Can't obscure the campaign with SCOTUS
    ...or is that SCOTUS with campaign
    ...now can we?!?? 
    *****

    M00bies














     


    *****
    GET ACTIVE, Friends!
    Are you doing all you can
    to stop cheeto benito?
    The democracy...
    and the lives...
    you save may be YOUR OWN!
    *****
       
    Don't forget to read Dot Calm's shadow's favorite independent sources of news and information:
      
    Michael Moore's FB page -- go here first and do whatever activism he suggests
    Daily Kos
    AlterNet
    Democracy Now!
    Democratic Underground
    Boing Boing
    Vox
    Conservatives are Destroying our Future
    Conservative Clown Car
    God, the Good Lord Above
    ...skip the media outlets in the boycott list unless you want trump propaganda. And TELL their advertisers WHY you are boycotting those media outlets!

    On the lighter side:
    McSweeney's Internet Tendency
          
    And check out these great channels:
    ...or, if you just want something mindless and fun, try Tested

    Peas, friends. Take care of yourselves for me. Trust me--you're worth it! And go have a Fireball and some chocolate while you still can, will ya? Time is short now that the mouth of trump hell has opened...
      
    - Dot Calm's shadow

    Consider the preemptive Blogger phuqued-up phormatting disclaimer to be in effect. Grrr.
    -- Dot Calm's shadow
        

           
    *****
    Many people are saying
    donald john trump
    is a Russian agent

    *****
     
    Image may contain: text
     
    ******************************************** 

    SOPROUD: TDL
    (Save Our Planet--Resist Orange Ugly donald: To-Do List)
        
    Until further notice, the purpose of this blog is to provide tools to help protect and preserve our rights, our liberties, and our country from the wrinkled fat orange clusterfuck that is Donald "dickless LOSER" trump. As I track down more information, I will continue to refine these tools.

    If you value my work, please support me on Patreon: just point your browser to https://www.patreon.com/ and type "Dot Calm's shadow" into the search box at the top--thank you! Even a dollar a month from 20 people would really help right now--it would cover part of my Internet. Show me that there's more out there than just a lonely chorus of crickets!
        
    Action List

    PROTECT yourself financially, reproductively, and medically.

    1. If you need a loan, get it NOW--rates have already gone up; they went up at least three times the first week or two after the election. MOVE your retirement out of the stock market and into a stable fund that is guaranteed NOT to lose your principal--if you're not risk averse, keep your money in stocks until after the inauguration...but move it out ASAP afterward because, once chump and the teathuglikkkants deregulate Wall Street, we are in for a bust that makes chimp's Great Recession look like O'Bama's recovery. Thom Hartmann, Randi Rhodes, and their guest speakers agree that the Rethugs and chump will crash the economy by deregulating the stock market so quickly our haids will spin. The boom-bust cycle repeats every 80 years or so--as long as it takes for the last people who remember what a depression was like and fight the greedsters to die off. We're phuqued.

    2. If you're a woman of reproductive age or a man who knows and loves women of reproductive age, stock up on as much "Plan B" (the "morning after" pill) as you can afford NOW. Plan to take one pill either immediately after unprotected sex or the morning after unprotected sex, and plan to take another pill 24 hours later. No matter what else you do, STOCK UP NOW on Plan B because even the best contraceptives fail, and you won't be able to get an abortion once chump and the teathuglikkkants take over. Men, get yourself snipped while you still can, too.

    3. If you're a woman of reproductive age and don't already have an IUD or contraceptive implant, get yours NOW. Mirena has progestin, not estrogen, and can reduce your period; the copper ones without hormones (like Paragard) can cause cramping and heavy bleeding that doesn't go away until the device is removed (think having the second day of your period for a year at a clip). Of these two IUDs, women seem to prefer Mirena, but the device can still fall out. Cosmopolitan has a great discussion on these and other IUDs, what's involved with getting one (not a big deal, but you'll bleed for at least a week afterward), what's involved with having one removed (also not a big deal, but you'll bleed for at least a week after). "Managing Contraception" has an article on Mirena (not scary). If I were you, I'd skip the Skyla--it only lasts 3 years, so you wouldn't even be done with the orange fuckwad's first term if you get one. Planned Parenthood has a video about contraceptive implants and great information about all forms of contraception. And if you think you might need a do-it-yourself abortion some time in the future, go talk to Planned Parenthood NOW and see if you can stock up on mifepristone now--the options for DIY abortions at home using substances like vitamin C seem promising to desperate women but don't have any scientific backing. You can also try womenonwaves.org and womenonweb.org.

    4. Don't take any new drugs approved after 2016 without doing your own research into whether they're safe and effective. Republicans are weakening the FDA to the point that it will no longer be able to verify that new drugs will work and not harm us.

    Now, do your daily actions, make your daily calls, and do the rest...

    DAILY ACTIONS!

    Go to Michael Moore's FaceBook page and do whatever is on his to-do list:
    https://www.facebook.com/mmflint/


    Here's a list of short-term actions you can take right now!

    1. If you can, sign up for the 29 April 2017 People's Climate March. I called into the telecon Monday evening and found it very useful. Two things stuck out: People's Climate Movement is rather new, so it's small and not yet well funded. However, they're working with the other climate organizations to build the movement and fight trump's disastrous Big Oil, Big Destruction, Big Money, Big Death agenda.

    2. If you can't make the climate march but can come out a week earlier--Earch Day, 22 April 2017--then please sign up for the March for Science. The climate telecon had nearly a thousand callers-in, some of whom lamented that it would be really difficult to attend both marches. I know it took me a week to recover from the Women's March, and I'm local. PCM suggested combining with the science march, but the science march wasn't interested, seeing the protection of science as a separate issue. I disagree in the sense that we have trump's disastrous Big Oil, Big Destruction, Big Money, Big Death agenda BECAUSE of all the climate SCIENCE DENIAL. So, I'll be one of the many PCM callers-in contacting the science march people to try to get them to combine with the climate march.

    3. Go help NASA archive their data--wiki wiki! (Read about it here and click through to the links if you're too lazy to check the archive of this blawg for a direct link.)

    4. Go call trump's businesses and make them pass along your comments to him! Here's the link: https://whitehouseinc.org/...have fun, kidz!

    5. Contact Nordstrom's and Neiman Marcus and THANK them for dumping trump! Amazon may be caving, too, to pressure to ditch Breitbart, so keep bugging Amazon and the rest of 'em to do what's in EVERYONE's best interests--not just in the best interests of white supremacists, haters, bigots, and racists--by signing this petition and boycotting the offending advertisers:  https://actions.sumofus.org/a/amazon-stop-investing-in-hate/?source=taf

    6. If you haven't already, go check out the Indivisible guide: https://www.indivisibleguide.com/. As always, the very best thing you can do is GO IN PERSON to your elected officials' offices and TALK to them. Failing that, PHONE them. If you can do neither, then FAX them--better, if it-snot urgent, then WRITE them a personal, signed letter. Failing all of those, then e-mail them. The guide has moar ways to get involved and stop trump the chump!

    DAILY CALLS!

    CALL your U.S. Senators and Representatives DAILY at their LOCAL offices. SHOW UP in person if you can. Call each day with ONE issue--and KEEP CALLING. The staffers track your calls by issue, so don't give in to the temptation of giving them the whole laundry list all at once. Here is our list of demands:

    0. Call your members of Congress now and demand they block trump's cabinet of swamp monsters in its entirety (from The New York Times):







































    Senior Adviser to the President

    Appointed
    A senior member of the White House staff who serves as a confidant in the president’s inner circle.
    Jared Kushner Mr. Trump has named his son-in-law to a senior White House role. The appointment of Mr. Kushner, a major real estate developer in New York who is married to Mr. Trump’s daughter Ivanka, could test anti-nepotism laws. He's being/been pushed out by Alcoholic Steve Ban'em, and we hear he's pretty pissed about being denied the reins of power....       

    Director of National Intelligence

    Requires Senate confirmation
    The person who holds this post is the president’s principal adviser on intelligence and oversees the entire military and civilian intelligence apparatus. The coordination between the intelligence agencies of the military and civilian wings will be vital for the war on the Islamic State.
    Dan Coats Mr. Trump has picked the former Indiana senator. Mr. Coats, who served on the Senate intelligence and armed services committees, would be stepping into a position that some in Mr. Trump’s orbit believe is superfluous.

    U.S. Trade Representative

    Requires Senate confirmation
    The president’s chief trade negotiator will have the odd role of opposing new trade deals, trying to rewrite old ones and bolstering the enforcement of what Mr. Trump sees as unfair trade, especially with China.
    Robert Lighthizer Mr. Trump has chosen the international lawyer who served as a trade official under President Ronald Reagan. Mr. Lighthizer has been harshly critical of China, and in a 2010 Op-Ed article in The New York Times, he presaged some of Mr. Trump’s talk on trade.

    Homeland Security Adviser

    Appointed
    A position that will be equal in status to national security adviser, it will focus on homeland security and counterterrorism.
    Thomas P. Bossert Mr. Trump’s choice was a top national security aide to President George W. Bush. Mr. Bossert runs a risk management consulting firm in Washington and is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council research institution, working on its Cyber Statecraft Initiative.

    Counselor

    Appointed
    A close adviser who will help set the president’s agenda and formulate his message.
    Kellyanne Conway Mr. Trump’s choice is his former campaign manager, confidante and spokeswoman. Ms. Conway also has a pollster background and therefore may rely on this skill set to keep tabs on public sentiment. --Sewer Rat Propaganda Barbie looks like a barely-revived corpse lately...all that lying must be taking a toll on what little is left of her dying humanity....       

    Director of Trade and Industrial Policy

    Appointed
    A new position that will oversee trade and industrial policy in the White House and direct an internal council that will run alongside the National Security Council, the National Economic Council and the Domestic Policy Council.
    Peter Navarro Mr. Trump’s choice is a professor at the University of California, Irvine, who holds a doctorate from Harvard and is the only credentialed economist in Mr. Trump’s inner circle. Mr. Navarro has been a staunch critic of current Chinese economic policies.

    Special Adviser on Regulatory Reform

    Appointed
    This new position will oversee the president’s promised effort to unwind as many regulations on business as he can.
    Carl Icahn Mr. Trump has appointed Mr. Icahn, a billionaire investor and famed “corporate raider” who buys large stakes in companies and then forces policy changes to benefit shareholders. Mr. Icahn, who was an economic adviser during the campaign, is a longtime friend of Mr. Trump.

    Press Secretary and Special Assistant to the President

    Appointed
    The press secretary is the face of the White House and representative for the president, framing messaging, responding to stories of the day and briefing the press.
    Sean Spicer Mr. Trump chose the longtime spokesman for the Republican National Committee and top aide to Reince Priebus, who is the incoming chief of staff and pressed for his selection. While Mr. Spicer will be the face of the communications team, he will work with Jason Miller, director of communications, and Hope Hicks, director of strategic communications. --Spicey Sphincter (owie!) will never live down the fact that we'll only ever think of Melissa McCarthy whenever we see his mug, hehe!     

    Secretary of State

    Requires Senate confirmation
    Whether Mr. Trump picks an ideologue or a seasoned foreign policy hand from past Republican administrations, his challenge will be that the State Department is the centerpiece of the post-1945 experiment of alliance-building and globalism, which Mr. Trump said he would dismantle.
    Rex W. Tillerson Mr. Trump’s choice is the president and chief executive of Exxon Mobil, whose ties with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin may draw scrutiny during the confirmation process. --We MUST PRIMARY Senator Mark Warner and all the other fascist DINOs who voted TO CONFIRM this fascist piece of shit!       

    Interior Secretary

    Requires Senate confirmation
    The Interior Department manages the nation’s public lands and waters. The next secretary will decide the fate of Obama-era rules that stop public land development; curb the exploration of oil, coal and gas; and promote wind and solar power on public lands.
    Ryan Zinke Mr. Trump has selected Montana’s freshman representative, a former Navy SEAL commander who was an early supporter of the president-elect and ran for office largely on a national security platform.

    Energy Secretary

    Requires Senate confirmation
    Despite its name, the primary purview of the Energy Department is to protect and manage the nation’s arsenal of nuclear weapons.
    Rick Perry Mr. Trump has selected the former Texas governor, who in 2011 proposed scrapping the Energy Department while he was seeking the Republican nomination for president. --What a mor00n! Will someone please tell this jerk that glasses do NOT make him c-a-t smart?!?? If you're not abjectly terrified that THIS gormless buffoon is in charge of the nuclear arsenal, you should be!!!!!       

    Labor Secretary

    Requires Senate confirmation
    The Labor Department enforces rules that protect the nation’s workers, distributes benefits to the unemployed and publishes economic data like the monthly jobs report. The new secretary will be in charge of keeping Mr. Trump’s promise to dismantle many Obama-era rules covering the vast work force of federal contractors.
    Andrew F. Puzder Mr. Trump’s expected choice is the chief executive of CKE Restaurants — and a donor to his campaign — who has criticized the Obama administration’s labor policies. HAHA, PUZDER YOU LOSER! We won, you lost! You DON'T get to fuck with American workers and give OUR hard-earned money to your richie-rich asshole buds, Puzder you gutter slime! Too bad you're such a hateful abuser. I'm glad for your ex-wife that she kicked your sorry ass to the curb, asshole. I'm only sorry you felt the need to be such an abusive bully about it, you stinking asswipe shitstain. Good riddance!!!       

    Small Business Administration

    Requires Senate confirmation
    The agency guarantees loans for small businesses, helps them get government contracts and supports their interests on Capitol Hill.
    Linda McMahon Mr. Trump has selected the former chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment to lead the agency. Ms. McMahon, a failed Senate candidate from Connecticut, was with her husband, Vince, one of Mr. Trump’s biggest donors.

    E.P.A. Administrator

    Requires Senate confirmation
    The Environmental Protection Agency, which issues and oversees environmental regulations, is under threat from the president-elect, who has vowed to dismantle the agency “in almost every form.”
    Scott Pruitt Mr. Trump has selected the Oklahoma attorney general, who is a close ally of the fossil fuel industry. --These greedy fucking idiots think that their money will somehow protect them from the wrath of a hurting, angry planet trying to get itself back into balance... 

    Homeland Security Secretary

    Requires Senate confirmation
    The hodgepodge agency, formed after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has one key role in the Trump administration: guarding the United States’ borders. If Mr. Trump makes good on his promises of widespread deportations and building a wall, this secretary will have to carry them out.
    John F. Kelly Mr. Trump has named the retired four-star Marine general, whose son was killed in combat in Afghanistan.

    Defense Secretary

    Requires Senate confirmation
    The incoming secretary will shape the fight against the Islamic State while overseeing a military that is struggling to put in place two Obama-era initiatives: integrating women into combat roles and allowing transgender people to serve openly. Both could be rolled back.
    James N. Mattis Mr. Trump announced at a rally that he had selected General Mattis, who led a Marine division to Baghdad during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and led the United States Central Command from 2010-13. General Mattis, now retired, has been a critic of the Obama administration. He would need a waiver from Congress to lead the Pentagon because he has been out of uniform for less than seven years. --Being arguably the best of a bad lot isn't saying much. Mattis committed WAR CRIMES. They call him "mad dog" for a reason, duh.     

    Treasury Secretary

    Requires Senate confirmation
    The secretary will be responsible for government borrowing in financial markets, assisting in any rewrite of the tax code and overseeing the Internal Revenue Service. The Treasury Department also carries out or lifts financial sanctions against foreign enemies — which are crucial to President Obama’s Iran deal and rapprochement with Cuba.
    Steven Mnuchin Mr. Trump has selected Mr. Mnuchin, who served as his campaign finance chairman. Mr. Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive, has deep roots in Hollywood but no government experience. --Hey, trumpkins--how's that swampy drainy thing working for ya?       

    Transportation Secretary

    Requires Senate confirmation
    The next transportation secretary will oversee Mr. Trump’s campaign pledge to increase infrastructure funding to rebuild America's roads, bridges, airports and transit systems.
    Elaine L. Chao Mr. Trump has selected Ms. Chao, the labor secretary under President George W. Bush. Ms. Chao, who is married to the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, has been a fixture of the Republican establishment in Washington. --Way to bribe/blackmail TURDleman, preznit ban'em--just give his wifey a plum job!       

    Health and Human Services Secretary

    Requires Senate confirmation
    The secretary will help Mr. Trump achieve one of his central campaign promises: to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The department approves new drugs, regulates the food supply, operates biomedical research, and runs Medicare and Medicaid, which insure more than 100 million people.
    Tom Price Mr. Trump has selected Mr. Price, a six-term Republican congressman from Georgia and orthopedic surgeon who has led opposition to the Affordable Care Act. Mr. Price has said the law interferes with the ability of patients and doctors to make medical decisions. --If you ever had any doubt that orange twAtler hates women, sick people, and poor people, Tom Price is your answer. Friends, we MUST PRIMARY ANY Democratic senator who voted to confirm this--or any other--twAtler piece of shit nominee!       

    White House Counsel

    Appointed
    As the president’s adviser on legal matters, the White House counsel may have an unusually daunting job in the Trump administration, given Mr. Trump’s far-reaching business empire and potential conflicts of interest.
    Donald F. McGahn II Mr. Trump has chosen Mr. McGahn, who served as general counsel for the Trump campaign. Mr. McGahn, a Washington lawyer who pushed to deregulate campaign finance and election laws, served on the Federal Election Commission for five years.

    Commerce Secretary

    Requires Senate confirmation
    The Commerce Department has been a perennial target for budget cuts, but the secretary oversees a diverse portfolio, including the census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
    Wilbur Ross Mr. Trump has selected Mr. Ross, an investor whose fortune is estimated by Forbes to be $2.9 billion. Mr. Ross has said the United States must free itself from the “bondage” of “bad trade agreements,” and has advocated threats to impose steep tariffs on China. --PRIMARY Senator Mark Warner and all the other fascist DINOs who voted TO CONFIRM this fascist piece of shit!       

    Education Secretary

    Requires Senate confirmation
    Mr. Trump has said he wants to drastically shrink the Education Department and shift responsibilities for curriculum research, development and educational aid to state and local governments.
    Betsy DeVos Mr. Trump has selected Ms. DeVos, a former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party and an education activist who is a passionate believer in school choice, as his nominee. --If you ever doubted that the BEST way to get a job in cheeto benito's so-called administration is to BUY it and all the Republican senators on the committee, this mor00n is proof. There's a rumor that chump, spicy sphincter, and the rest of the blithering idiots were all home schooled by this brainless god-botherer. No wonder they're all inarticulate and illiterate...no wonder chump can't read! (Hehe!)  For some humor that's almost too true to be funny, go check out...this: https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/betsy-devos-delivers-the-morning-announcements

    U.N. Ambassador

    Requires Senate confirmation
    Second to the secretary of state, the United States ambassador to the United Nations will be the primary face of America to the world, representing the country’s interests at the Security Council on a host of issues, from Middle East peace to nuclear proliferation.
    Nikki R. Haley Mr. Trump has selected Ms. Haley, the governor of South Carolina, as his nominee. The daughter of immigrants from India, she was a prominent and frequent critic of Mr. Trump early in his run.

    Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

    Requires Senate confirmation
    The secretary oversees fair-housing laws, the development of affordable housing and access to mortgage insurance. As a real estate developer, Mr. Trump is attuned to the tax breaks for housing development.
    Ben Carson Mr. Trump has selected the former neurosurgeon and presidential candidate to be his nominee to lead HUD. Mr. Carson had previously said he did not want to work in government. --Good ol' Indiana Carson, who thinks that the biblical Joseph built the pyramids to store grain during the famine and who said himself that he's NOT qualified for a cabinet post! What on FSM's green earth made him think he'd be qualified to be PRESIDENT if he knows he's too st00pit to run a lowly cabinet?!?? Not to mention...Carson's a total hypocrite for denying his JEEzus by acting as if the brain is the seat of thinking and emotion when the bible CLEARLY says that it's the HEART. At least Carson's not a hypocrite in one sense: he's a true Republican in that, once he got HIS help from the system, he now wants to burn the ladder behind him so that no one else who needs such help can get it. Friends, these people are cruel, hateful pieces of shit...no matter how pious they pretend to be.       

    C.I.A. Director

    Requires Senate confirmation
    Mr. Trump takes over at a time of diverse and complex threats to American security. The new C.I.A. director will have to decide whether to undo a C.I.A. “modernization” plan put in place this year by Director John O. Brennan, and how to proceed if the president-elect orders a resumption of harsh interrogation tactics — critics have described the tactics as torture — for terrorism suspects.
    Mike Pompeo Mr. Trump has selected Mr. Pompeo, representative of Kansas and a former Army officer, as his nominee. Mr. Pompeo is a member of the House Intelligence Committee and was a sharp critic of Hillary Clinton during the congressional investigation into the 2012 attack on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.

    Attorney General

    Requires Senate confirmation
    The nation's top law enforcement official will have the authority for carrying out Mr. Trump's “law and order” platform. The nominee can change how civil rights laws are enforced.
    Jeff Sessions Mr. Trump has selected Senator Sessions, of Alabama, as his nominee. Mr. Sessions is a strong proponent of strict immigration enforcement, reduced spending and tough-on-crime measures. His nomination for a federal judgeship in 1986 was rejected because of racially charged comments and actions, which are very likely to become an issue as he faces another set of Senate confirmation hearings. --I wonder what all the actual Blacks who voted for chump think about this. Are they glad that chump was the last vote they'd ever be allowed to make? 

    National Security Adviser

    Appointed
    The national security adviser, although not a member of the cabinet, is a critical gatekeeper for policy proposals from the State Department, the Pentagon and other agencies, a function that takes on more importance given Mr. Trump's lack of experience in elective office.
    Michael T. Flynn Mr. Trump has selected the retired Army lieutenant general and former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. General Flynn has been outspoken about his view of the threat posed by Islamist militancy and was an ardent supporter of Mr. Trump during the campaign. This TRAITOR, who sold America out to PEWtin, was fired/resigned IN SCANDAL and DISGRACE, February 2017!!!       

    White House Chief of Staff

    Appointed
    The chief of staff manages the work and personnel of the West Wing, steering the president's agenda and tending to important relationships. The role will take on outsize importance in a White House run by Mr. Trump, who has no experience in policy making and little in the way of connections to critical players in Washington.
    Reince Priebus Mr. Trump announced on Nov. 13 that he had chosen Mr. Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee. --Some call him "rancid penis." That works. If you're in a more polite mewd, you can call him "blather, reince, repeat."       

    Chief Strategist

    Appointed
    Stephen K. Bannon was also considered for chief of staff, but Mr. Trump instead named him chief strategist and senior counselor in the White House, saying that he and Mr. Priebus would be “working as equal partners” in the administration.
    Stephen K. Bannon Also on Nov. 13, Mr. Trump announced the appointment of Mr. Bannon, a right-wing media executive and the chairman of the president-elect’s campaign. Many have denounced the move, warning that Mr. Bannon represents racist views. --Ah, yes...alcoholic voldemort himself. Many people are saying that ban'em, as the actual acting president, is PEWtin's American puppet master pulling the strings of the fat-assed, loofah-faced orange marionette.       


    1. DEMAND they support Barbara Boxer's bill to ABOLISH the Electoral College--popular vote only. DEMAND paper ballots only, and DEMAND audit trails be published in local papers. DEMAND they LET ALL Americans vote (undo voter roll purges and other Black voter suppression) and MAKE Election Day a national holiday for all. And STOP gerrymandering.

    2. Demand that your elected officials FILIBUSTER ALL trump's SCOTUS appointments. Supporting Citizens United or opposing the rights of women, immigrants, non-whites, non-Christians, LGBTQ+, and the poor are UNACCEPTABLE. This is NON-NEGOTIABLE.

    3. DEMAND trump's impeachment--DEMAND he be investigated NOW for corruption and conflict of interest. DEMAND to see his taxes. trump has already committed impeachable offenses, so DEMAND that he be held accountable NOW.

    4. REMIND them THEY'RE FIRED if they don't obstruct, obstruct, obstruct trump and the Republicans from Day 1. If they resist, REMIND them that Hillary WON the popular vote by nearly 3 million.

    5. DEMAND restoration of the Fairness Doctrine--DEMAND fair, fact-based, accurate media free from the false equivalencies and unchecked free coverage that foisted trump on us.
        
    6. DEMAND that they UPHOLD AND EXPAND on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Dodd-Frank legislation. BRING BACK Glass-Steagall!
     
    7. DEMAND that trump undergo psychological evaluation for fitness for office. Known narcissist, Dr. Sam Vaknin, explains that trump is a narcissist--and that DISQUALIFIES him for the presidency--in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5he5hXp-rU.
        
    8. DEMAND a SPECIAL PROSECUTOR to investigate FBI director James Comey and Donald trump for interfering with the election.
     
    9. DEMAND the Army Corps of Engineers go to Flint to dig up and replace all the poisoned pipes.

    10. PRIMARY ANY AND ALL fascist Democratic DINOs who vote FOR ANY of chump's nominees. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!!

    AND THE REST!!

    SIGN UP for daily headlines from Daily Kos, AlterNet, and "Democracy Now!" SIGN petitions. ATTEND town halls and protests. The Guardian is independent news you can use; Jeremy Scahill's publication "The Intercept" is another high-quality resource of investigative reporting you'd be hard pressed to find elsewhere. GET INFORMED and GET INVOLVED!

    If or when trump really does set up his Muslim registry, SIGN UP! Trevor Noah suggested this to be funny, but it's gone viral because the racist bigoted assholes can't deport us all, now can they? If I can do it as a proud anti-theist atheist, then so can you as whatever religion or lack thereof that you are. Keystone Progress has a page where you can pledge to sign up: Pledge to register as a Muslim if Trump creates a registry.

    VOLUNTEER for and DONATE to all the organizations that D. LOSER trump is targeting. Get on their mailing lists and donate as much time and money as you can to Planned Parenthood, NRDC, American Civil Liberties Union, and causes that matter to you. Change your cell phone carrier to CREDO, which is a Sprint re-seller that supports blue causes. Planned Parenthood is especially important to support right now--women will die if we don't. You can also donate to WomenOnWeb, who help women get safe abortions online.

    ORGANIZE to TAKE OVER the Democratic Party: FIGHT trump and the Republicans, CLEAN UP Democratic Party failures, WIN the midterms, and apologize to Bernie and America for failing. Today, that means signing up for the JUSTICE DEMOCRATS and volunteering and donating whatever time and money you can!

    PROTEST all media that inflicted trump on us--BOYCOTT their advertisers and TELL them why. This includes FUX Noise.

    GRAB the pussy-in-thief by the wallet: BOYCOTT businesses that sell trump products and TELL them why.
       
    JOIN SOPROUD by joining organizations working to protect our future! SIGN UP at http://workingfamilies.org/ and find an emergency meeting near you! DOWNLOAD and FOLLOW the Indivisible Guide for instructions how best to resist trump by interacting with your elected officials in ways that will get their attention.

    And don't forget to SUPPORT those in The Resistance who support YOU (like me)! If we all chip in a buck o' five, WE CAN DO THIS THING!!!!!
        
    *****
        
    Boycott List

    Boycott media!

    Don't bother with these media outlets any more unless you want trump propaganda--these media outlets have whored themselves out to trump for access for the low, low price of "fancy" cocktails and a "fancy" dinner, consisting of Donald's shriveled orange acorn dick, at chump's "fancy" (aka FAKE PLASTIC, just like everything else about trump and his FAKE PLASTIC family) "resort" in Florida. What an upstanding, responsible response to trump's denying press conferences since 27 July 2016...retch. So much for comforting the afflicted, afflicting the comfortable, and speaking truth to power to keep that power reined in and in check...!
    • Axios
    • Bloomberg
    • Breitbart because duh--according to AlterNet, Howard Dean Lends Voice to Consumer Activist Group Hitting Breitbart in the Wallet—And It's Working
    • CNN
    • FOX because of course
    • MSNBC (includes Joe Scarborough, but Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes may still be OK as long as their corporate overlords allow it)
    • NBC (they also have the reality TV show conflict of interest--and they just hired a couple of FUX Noise escapees, so beware a hard swing to the far, far right)
    • POLITICO--their top editor(s) went and paid to party with trump, so now more and more trump propaganda has been showing up there, to my infinite disgust
    Don't forget to contact these media outlets and their ADVERTISERS and TELL them all why you're boycotting them! So what if we spend a little less money overall? The money we save now may give us enough breathing room to jump ship before trump crashes the economy.

    Boycott vendors that support trump, sell trump shit, and otherwise pander to hate!

    Boycott Victoria's Secret--they kick out shoppers who are guilty of shopping while Black!
       
    Here's a twofer: let's save our money for when dump tanks the economy and grab the trumpussy grabber-in-thief where it hurts most--by his wallet!

    Want to boycott trump? There's an app for that!

    And here's a list of trump companies.

    There's also a spreadsheet of trump supporters and vendors that carry trump merch that includes the vendors below.
    Don't forget New Balance, who praised and supported trump: 1 (800) 595-9138.

    Here's the list from Mindy Fischer, featuring 28 vendors that sell trump merchandise. BOYCOTT them all and TELL them why!

    6pm
    Contact info: (888) 676-2660, HQ- (702) 943-7777
    cs@6pm.com

    Amazon--pressure them to DUMP BREITBART, while you're at it!
    Contact info: (888) 280-4331 HQ- (206) 266-1000
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/contact-us/general-questions.html?skip=true

    Belk
    Contact info: (866) 235-5443 HQ- (704) 357-1000
    http://www.belkfeedback.com/(X(1)S(sbbxm3z11e1guxbtctk2wdkc))/Index.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

    Bloomingdale's
    Contact info: (800) 777-0000 HQ- (212) 705-2000
    http://survey.medallia.com/?blm-tuwyt-com

    Bluefly
    Contact info: (877) 258-3359 HQ- (212) 944-8000
    flyrep@bluefly.com

    The Bon-Ton
    Contact info: (800) 233-7626 HQ- (800) 937-5449
    http://investors.bonton.com/contactus.cfm

    Bed Bath and Beyond
    Contact info: (800) 462-3966 HQ- (908) 688-0888
    https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/selfservice/ContactUs?…

    Burlington Coat Factory
    Contact info: (855) 355-2875 HQ- (609) 387-7800
    http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com/contactus.aspx

    Carson's
    Contact info: (800) 945-4438 HQ- (317) 971-6200
    http://investors.bonton.com/contactus.cfm

    Century 21 department store
    Contact info: (877) 350-2121 HQ- (888) 221-2551
    https://www.c21stores.com/contact

    Dillard's
    Contact info: (800) 345-5273 HQ- (501) 376-5200
    http://www.dillards.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContactUs

    DSW Shoes
    Contact info: (866) 379-7463 HQ- (614) 237-7100
    http://www.dsw.com/dsw_shoes/customer_service/send_email.jsp

    Hudson’s Bay
    Contact info: (800) 521-2364 HQ- (800) 521-2364
    https://www.thebay.com/webapp/wcs/stores…

    HSN
    Contact info: (800) 284-3900 HQ- (727) 872-1000
    https://www.hsn.com/cs/email_us/default.aspx

    Jet
    Contact Info: (855) 538-4323 HQ- (844) 538-2255
    help@jet.com

    Joss & Main
    Contact info: (866) 263-8325 HQ- (617) 532-6100
    https://www.wayfair.com/help/faq.php

    Lord & Taylor
    Contact info: (800) 223-7440 HQ- (212) 391-3344
    https://www.lordandtaylor.com/webapp/wcs/stores…

    Macy’s
    Contact info: (800) 289-6229 HQ- (513) 579-7000
    http://survey.medallia.com/?mcy-tuwyt-com

    Marshalls and TJ Maxx
    Contact info: (888) 627-7425 HQ- (508) 390-1000
    https://www.marshallsonline.com/contact-us

    Neiman Marcus WE WON! Needless Mark-up DUMPED TRUMP, w00t!
    Contact info: (888) 888-4757 HQ- (562) 463-9333
    https://www.neimanmarcus.com/assistance/contactUs.jsp

    Nordstrom WE WON! Nordstrom DUMPED TRUMP, w00t!
    Contact info: (888) 282-6060 HQ- (206) 628-2111
    https://nordstrom.custhelp.com/app/ask/incidents.c$sent_queueid/12

    Overstock.com
    Contact info: (800) 843-2446 HQ- (801) 947-3100
    https://help.overstock.com/app/ask

    Perfumania
    Contact info: (866) 557-2368 HQ- (800) 228-3489
    http://perfumaniaholdings.com/contact

    Saks Off Fifth
    Contact info: (877) 551-7257 HQ- (212) 320-4700
    https://www.saksoff5th.com/contactus

    Stein Mart
    Contact info: (888) 783-4662 HQ- (904) 346-1500
    http://ir.steinmart.com/contactus.cfm

    Wayfair
    Contact info: (866) 263-8325 HQ- (617) 532-6100
    https://www.wayfair.com/help/faq.php

    Winners
    Contact info: (514) 788 4949 HQ- (905) 405-8000
    https://www.winners.ca/en/contact

    Zappos
    Contact info: (800) 927-7671 HQ- (702) 943-7777
    https://secure-www.zappos.com/contact

    Zulily
    Contact info: (877) 779-5615 HQ- (206) 724-0500
    http://www.zulily.com/contacts

    OK, friends--let's get busy!