Year: 2017

Categories
Donald Trump

Oppose and Replace

Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump speaks during the Fox Business Network Republican presidential debate at the North Charleston Coliseum, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016, in North Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

I completely understand how you felt Friday at around 12:20, after President Donald Trump (shudder) delivered the last of his vapid, sloganeering, frighteningly insipid and angry remarks after he was sworn in. You don’t recognize the country or its values or the office of the presidency or how the constitution fits into his plans and you wonder how anybody who calls themselves a patriotic, thinking American can vote for…that. Perhaps the best we can say is that James Buchanan, William Henry Harrison and Richard Nixon no longer occupy the bottom spot on any of the presidential rankings. It’s Trump’s spot all alone. And he owns it.

But it’s vitally important to understand that reasoned arguments, references to facts, visits and links to mainstream news sites or paper-based articles dogeared, cut out or copied for relatives will not do any good to win arguments in the political present and the near future. Statistics mean nothing. The fight will be won on emotion and righteousness, patience and repetition, repetition, repetition.

The Women’s Marches on Saturday were an excellent start. More people showed up to the one in Washington than attended the inauguration. Add in the number of marchers in other cities in the United States and around the world and you have a supermajority of people who will not stand to go backwards on civil rights for all people. We will need more of these types of mobilizations and actions to show the Republican administration and Congress that they must pay attention to the words and tone they use, and the laws they attempt to pass.

The rest of this is going to be up to our use of language and messaging. As much as Trump is described as unpredictable, he really won’t be. We already know that he’s concerned with winning every battle. He hates to be criticized. He has no coherent policies. The press needs to ask questions repeatedly and not let Trump or Sean Spicer off the hook. Yes, their antics might play well in precincts where Trump won, but even there, the people want action and they want details about what he’s going to do.  In short, question and oppose everything and let Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan complain about obstruction. Do not apologize. Do not outwardly cooperate. It seems to be the only strategy that works, but with our country at stake, it’s what we need to do.

For more, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives or Twitter @rigrundfest

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Featured

Trump Pays $25 Million to Settle “Trump University” Con job

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally, Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, in Ambridge, Pa. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

Chalk one up for the little guy. The con job Donald Trump pulled on thousands of unsuspecting students at his so-called, “Trump University” backfired, causing the so-called “president-elect” to settle numerous lawsuits against him for $25 million.On Wednesday, two days before he becomes the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump paid what he owes for a chance and sent in the payment.

President-elect Donald Trump made a payment of $25 million on Wednesday to settle three lawsuits filed against his Trump University wealth seminars.

The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative, formerly named Trump University, made the payment on Wednesday according to a CNN Money report that cited plaintiffs’ lawyers.

Out of the settlement, $21 million will go to about 7,000 former Trump University enrollees in two California class action lawsuits and the remaining $4 million will cover a case brought against Trump by New York’s attorney general Eric Schneiderman, according to the report. As part of the deal, Trump University did not admit any wrongdoing or fault.

The Trump Organization did not have an immediate comment to CNN.

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Featured

New Russian Coin – “In Trump We Trust” – Video

It’s fitting. Russia meddled in our election to get Trump elected, so why not show their love for the man they chose as our next president with a coin showing Trump’s image and the words, “In Trump We Trust” engraved on it?

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Featured Racism

Trump’s Adviser Being Sued for Hiring Whites to Beat Up Blacks

Donald Trump was “elected” with the help of people like the KKK, who said that Trump represent the type of things they believed in. And since his “election,” Trump has put in power numerous people of questionable racial beliefs. Among these people is Trump’s new adviser, Reed Cordish, an executive of the Cordish Companies and being sued for hiring white men to beat up black people.

On Wednesday, Trump tapped Reed Cordish as assistant to the president for intergovernmental and technology initiatives. Cordish is an executive of the Cordish Companies, his family’s Baltimore-based real-estate business, and the president of Entertainment Concepts Investors, a subsidiary that owns and manages bars, restaurants, and clubs throughout the U.S.

ECI’s largest holdings are in Kansas City, Missouri, where Cordish partnered with Trump son-in-law and White House adviser Jared Kushner on a building in the city’s Power and Light District.

But the Power and Light District, a half-million-square-foot downtown shopping and entertainment center, has a dark reputation among the city’s black community. Two separate lawsuits against the companies say the area is commonly referred to as the “Power and White District” for its owner’s alleged record of racial discrimination.

In 2014, Dante Combs and Adam Williams sued as the lead plaintiffs in a $5 million class-action racial-discrimination case. Cordish’s business won an initial ruling in a federal district court, but Combs and Williams are appealing the decision.

The two plaintiffs say they were beaten and harassed by white men employed by the Cordish company to “lighten up” its clubs as part of a long-running campaign to keep away black people.

Cordish is the latest Trump pick with an alleged racist past.

Categories
Barack Obama

On the Transition, There is No Comparison

It is inevitable that United States Presidents are compared not only to who served before them, but to those who came after them. If these past few weeks are any guide to the next four years – if Trump can avoid impeachment and conviction – then we can start making room for Barack Obama on Mount Rushmore.

It’s not just the sheer grace, intelligence, humanity, empathy, joy and focus that Obama brought to the office. It’s the way he conducted himself and the way he presented the image of the United States to visitors, other heads of state, and anyone else who still believed that this country can be, and must be, a force for good in the world.

Yes, there were times when I wanted President Obama to be full of righteous anger and to show it. To get a little sweaty under the collar. To yell a little more. To get carried away, But at the end of a speech or press conference, I would usually marvel at how he could make a point forcefully without resorting to histrionics or contrived media moments. And there were no scandals, personal or otherwise, and no need to follow the money or worry about a wiretap. He served as a president we could be proud to have lived under. Anyone who is turning 20 this year can honestly say that they lived their formative years under a president who was a political, moral, and family role model.

And compared to what’s next in our future, Obama will go down in history as one of the great ones. Perhaps he will be remembered as the last of the presidential presidents, who understood that the Commander-In-Chief and head of the Executive Branch had a responsibility to act like a role model and to be aware that others were watching him, and not just as someone commanding a media audience. He might also be remembered as the last president to actually have a plan as to how to run the country, rather than repealing first and worrying about what happens later. Or who used social media to further a positive agenda, not to denigrate, bully, lie, obfuscate or brag.

I will miss Barack Obama as President of the United States. He broke a major barrier and made this country greater. I hope that we can hold on to that greatness in the face of someone who doesn’t recognize that we are great, and have been great for a very long time.

For more, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives or Twitter @rigrundfest

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Donald Trump Featured

Trump Attacks Rep. John Lewis – Worry About Your “Crime Infested” District

Just 24hrs after Civil Rights legend, John Lewis, said he doesn’t believe Donald Trump is “a legitimate president,” Donald Trump resorted to his default 4 year old character and fired back at the congressman.

In a series of tweets, Trump bullied the congressman, Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to……mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk – no action or results. Sad!

The congressman previously said “it will be hard” to work with  the new president because Trump is not “a legitimate president” because of Russia’s influence in the 2016 presidential election.

“I believe in forgiveness. I believe in trying to work with people. It will be hard. It’s going to be very difficult. I don’t see this president-elect as a legitimate president,” Lewis said.

“I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton,” he added.

“I don’t plan to attend the inauguration. It will be the first one that I miss since I’ve been in Congress. You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong, is not right.”

Categories
Politics

VP Joe Biden’s Emotional Response to Receiving Medal of Freedom – Video

Words cannot explain. Watch as President Obama awards his Vice President, Joe Biden with the highest civilian award, The Medal of Freedom. The Vice President could not contain himself.

Video

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Featured

12 Year Old Girl Streams Her Suicide on Facebook

Shame and embarrassment after being sexually abused by a relative most likely caused her deadly decision.The shocking video was broadcast in December.

In the video, Katelyn Nicole Davis claims she was physically and sexually abused by a relative then lets the camera roll as she hangs herself in her back garden.

Katelyn, a student at Cedartown Middle School in Polk County, Georgia, US, broadcast it on social media on December 30 but it was later removed from her page.

It was later posted on other websites, including Facebook.

According to reports, the 20-minute video was filmed in her backyard and played out as a woman’s voice was heard calling her name in the distance.

Polk County police department has been inundated with requests from people as far away as Britain to get versions being shared online taken down.

Police chief Kenny Dodd told Fox5 that he was first contacted about the video by an officer from California who saw it on the night of her death.

He said Polk County cops had contacted several sites and urged them to take it down, but they had refused.

He added: “We want it down as much as anyone for the family and it may be harmful to other kids. We contacted some of the sites.

“They asked if they had to take it down and by law they don’t. But it’s just the common decent thing to do in my opinion.”

 

Categories
Politics

President Obama’s Final Address – “Yes We Can, Yes We Did” – Video

In his final address as president, President Obama gave an emotional speech in Chicago where he mentioned some of his signature accomplishments as president.

“You were the change,” Obama said in front of a Chicago audience. “You answered people’s hopes, and because of you, by almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started.”

He ended his speech with a similar campaign echo: “Yes we can. Yes we did. Yes we can.”

Obama appeared to tear up while thanking his wife and family toward the end of his address, during which he touted the results of his tenure, noting the lower unemployment rate and millions of new recipients of health insurance covered under the Affordable Care Act, among other achievements.

But as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in 10 days, Obama warned of foreign and domestic threats to American democracy, raising the threats of terrorism, economic inequality, and climate change.

“A shrinking world, growing inequality, demographic change, and the specter of terrorism — these forces haven’t just tested our security and prosperity but our democracy as well,” Obama said. “And how we meet these challenges to our democracy will determine our ability to educate our kids, and create good jobs, and protect our homeland.”

Video

Categories
Featured

Kellyanne Conway – Don’t Go By What Comes Out of Trump’s Mouth, “Look at what’s in his heart”

You have to be of a special type of crazy and quite frankly, a special type of stupid to be associated with Donald Trump. And on Monday, Kellyanne Conway proved once again why she is an adviser to the donald.

In an interview on Monday, Conway defended Trump’s mockery of a disabled reporter during his campaign for president. According to Conway, Hillary Clinton was “given the benefit of the doubt” many times during her campaign but Trump, Conway says, was judge by the things he said rather than the things in his heart.

Conway wants the media to report on Trump’s heart rather of the words that come out of his mouth! Pure insanity!

 

“She was given the benefit of the doubt here constantly,” Conway said on CNN, referring to Hillary Clinton. “You can’t give him the benefit of the doubt on this? And he’s telling you what was in his heart. You always want to go by what comes out of his mouth rather than look at what’s in his heart.”

Trump’s apparent mocking of a disabled reporter bubbled back to the surface on Sunday when actress Meryl Streep criticized Trump for it during her Golden Globes speech.

“It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter,” she said. “Someone he outranked in privilege, power and the capacity to fight back. It kind of broke my heart when I saw it, and I still can’t get it out of my head, because it wasn’t in a movie. It was real life.”

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Featured

Sean Hannity Wants All Americans to “Make Russia Great Again” – Tweet

Sean Hannity, a Fox News employee and die-hard supporter of Donald Trump, is apparently a die-hard supporter of Putin and Russia.

Responding to a tweet from @donnielilhands, a tweet that boldly states, “all Americans must join together to MAKE RUSSIA GREAT AGAIN. Teamwork,” received a response from Fox’s Sean Hannity, a response of total support and confirmation that Americans must “make Russia great again.” Hannity responded with the affirmative, “Amen!!”

I always ask this question and I’ll ask it again. Could you imagine the outcry from Fox News and Sean Hannity himself a Democrat had said “Amen!!” to someone calling on all Americans to work towards making Russia great again? Such a person would be hammered daily on Fox News, hung from a window of the Fox building on 6th Ave. and beaten like a pinata!

But it’s Fox News, and it’s Sean Hannity, and as usual they will get yet another free pass from the media and the American people.

Tweet

Categories
Donald Trump Donald Trump election hacking

Post Hack, Ergo Propter Hack

News that the Russians, which means Vladimir Putin, wanted Donald Trump to win the election shouldn’t surprise anyone. They’ve clearly sized him up and see him as the friend that he will turn out to be. They also are taking him seriously when he says that he will support torture and doesn’t care much for getting the United States involved in other country’s affairs. That Trump will help the Russians in Syria is merely icing on the babka. Trump hasn’t a clue as to how to conduct foreign policy and Putin knows that.

But I’m not willing to follow others who say that the Russian effort turned the election. After all, if the point was to get more people to vote for Trump, then the Russians failed miserably, as Hillary Clinton’s 2.7 million vote majority will attest. And it would be a real stretch to conclude that the Russian hackers focused on blue-collar, high-school-educated, former Obama voters in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania because that’s where Trump won the election. Were those voters especially susceptible to fake news? Perhaps some of them went into the last week of the election and weighed the candidate’s positions on jobs and, with the Comey letter, concluded that Hillary was not the person to solve the problem. Let’s not forget that Clinton ran a bad campaign, taking Michigan for granted in the final weeks when the lesson of Bernie Sanders’ shocking performance (or maybe not really shocking) in the primaries should have alerted her team to the potential for an upset.

The real problem with the hacking is that Donald Trump encouraged it as a candidate, and then dismissed it and the professionals who will be advising him once it threatened his fragile hold on his self-esteem. We are now going to be led for the next four years by a classic bully, one who is unsure of himself so he couches his responses in anger, dismissal, disparagement and unthinking emotional outbursts rather than reason and analysis. He’s already shown that when he’s attacked, he goes into survival mode and lives on twitter. As someone who lived through Chris Christie for eight years, I can tell you that this isn’t going to end well.

This strategy has worked to a limited degree when Trump goes after companies that make plans to build plants in Mexico, but it failed miserably with the hacking issue, and it probably won’t serve him as well as he thinks once he takes office (shudder). Eventually, Trump is going to realize that Americans want their president to act a certain way, and tweeting your fears every morning won’t substitute for policy.

For more, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives or Twitter @rigrundfest

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