Shakesville: I Fart in Donald Trump's General Direction

Showing posts with label I Fart in Donald Trump's General Direction. Show all posts

Showing posts with label I Fart in Donald Trump's General Direction. Show all posts

Subpoena Issued for Flynn Documents

Yesterday evening, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence issued a subpoena to Mike Flynn for documents relating to the Russia investigation. The announcement was made jointly by committee chair Republican Richard Burr of North Carolina, and vice-chair Mark Warner, Democrat from Virginia. The announcement notes:

The Committee first requested these documents in an April 28, 2017 letter to Lieutenant General Flynn, but he declined, through counsel, to cooperate with the Committee’s request.

NBC's Frank Thorpe reports that this is the first subpoena issued by the Senate Intel Committee since the 9/11investigation.

This is in addition to the subpoena issued by a grand jury for Flynn's Russia-related documents (as reported by CNN, auto-play at link). As Alex Whiting explained at Newsweek (another auto-play at link), this is not a sign that charges are imminent, and such subpoena orders are a normal part of the grand jury's investigative function. Nevertheless, it signals the investigation is not closing anytime soon.

By contrast, Senate and Congressional committees more often ask for voluntary cooperation first. The fact that Burr and Warner have publicly called out Flynn for his non-cooperation is not a good sign for him. (That's probably why Roger Stone is babbling about how he will voluntarily cooperate, while also whining about how he has been disparaged and also Comey was bad, blah blah blah. My advice would be to stop talking, dude, except that actually I hope you will incriminate yourself, so DO PROCEED, Mr. Stone.)

That doesn't mean that Burr or any other Republicans are abandoning Trump; possibly they hope they can scold Flynn as a scapegoat and be done with it. But I doubt any good of this comes for Flynn--and that's good for the rest of the country.

Of course, that may be complicated by Trump's alleged continued loyalty to Flynn. As reported by Kimberly Dozier, Asawin Suebsaeng, and Lachlan Markay at the Daily Beast, staffers are having to practically sit on Trump to keep him from contacting Flynn. That would be witness tampering, of course, which helped bring Nixon down. So again, if I'm giving advice--go for it, Don! Call him, text, send a note on ruled paper covered in hearts and elaborately folded into a small rectangle! By all means, incriminate yourself!

Just another day of these fucking guys.

Whoooops Your Bigly Billions, Donald!

How rich is Donald Trump? Well, he's the richest, obviously.

That's why he is struggling to pay members of his transition team. According to a report from a Trump supporter, Congressman Chris Collins, Team Donald will be sending Kellyanne Conway to fundraise for him in New York next week:

“Mr. Trump held a fundraiser down in New York City a few weeks back and did raise some money, but they have – I would use the word – ‘struggled’ to raise the private funds needed to pay these individuals who are working on behalf of the taxpayers but not being paid by the government,” said Congressman Chris Collins, who has been an advocate for Trump since early in his presidential campaign.

Of course, Donald Trump has been hounded by questions about his true wealth for quite some time, and his shady accounting is no secret. And considering that dissing his wealth was his one forbidden joke at his 2011 roast, we know he's very, very sensitive about the suggestion that he isn't as rich as he claims.

So how about it, Donald? Surely, for a man as rich as you, a man who self-funded his campaign (except when he didn't) and who is refusing to take a presidential salary ( except he probably can't), this is all chump change, right? I mean, there's no possible way that you're lying about your wealth, lying about your independence from big donors, and lying about your financial genius, right?

(Except that of course you are.)

The American Cult of Pluto, the worship of those with wealth as somehow smarter and more capable than the rest of us, has always been stupid. But it's never looked dumber than when applied to a dude like Donald, whose only real business gifts seem to be abuse, a stunning lack of self-awareness, and an amazing ability to lie. Have fun with your fundraising, Donald. I'm sure there are still a few folks out there who haven't noticed that you aren't wearing any clothes. Too bad the American public is stuck with your tailoring bill.

In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

RIP Janet Reno: "Janet Reno, who rose from a rustic life on the edge of the Everglades to become attorney general of the United States—the first woman to hold the job—and whose eight years in that office placed her in the middle of some of the most divisive episodes of the Clinton presidency, died on Monday at age 78. She died at her home in Miami-Dade County, Fla., from complications of Parkinson's disease, according to her sister, Margaret Hurchalla." My condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues.

Nope, nope, and more nope: "Donald Trump's cabinet-in-waiting is taking shape in the final days of the race, as aides eye a number of Trump loyalists for major posts should he win on Tuesday. Among the names being considered, according to conversations with three campaign advisers who requested anonymity to speak freely: Rudy Giuliani for attorney general, Newt Gingrich for secretary of state, retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn for defense secretary or national security adviser, Trump finance chairman Steve Mnuchin for Treasury secretary, and Republican National Committee finance chair Lew Eisenberg for commerce secretary." That entire list is terrifying, but Rudy Giuliani as AG?! ABSOLUTELY NOT.

"The Justice Department announced today that its Civil Rights Division plans to deploy more than 500 personnel to 67 jurisdictions in 28 states for the Nov. 8, 2016, general election." Good.

This is a moving piece about EMILY's List on the cusp of electing (fingers crossed!) the first female president.

Here's a thing I wrote for Shareblue today: "Clinton's massive ground game reaches 14.5 million people in final weekend." Whoa, right?!

And finally! Please enjoy this video of a small dog dressed as a panda!

What have you been reading?

In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

Please read this beautiful piece by my Shareblue colleague Matthew Chapman: "As a man on the spectrum, Clinton's support of autism rights means so much to me."

"The Paris agreement to combat climate change became international law Friday. The landmark deal aims to tackle global warming amid growing fears that the world is becoming hotter even faster than scientists expected. ...United Nations Secretary General Ban-Ki moon commemorated the event, talking with nongovernmental groups at U.N. headquarters in New York to hear their concerns and visions for the future. 'This is an emotional moment for me. It is a credit to all of you. And it is historic for the world,' Ban said in his opening remarks."

[Content Note: Misogyny; body policing] Damn, this piece in the NYT: "Nearly half the girls say Mr. Trump's comments about women have affected the way they think about their bodies." Seethe.

Welp: "Jury Finds Bridgegate Defendants Guilty on All Counts." This does not bode well for Chris Christie! (Good.)

Uhhhhh: "Giuliani says he was leaked information about emails days in advance of Comey letter: 'You're darn right I heard about it.'"

It's a pretty alarming commentary on the state of political punditry that this policy-for-policy analysis of the issues by "Hamilton" star Daveed Diggs is better than anything I've seen by the optics-centered garbage media this entire cycle.

[CN: Rape culture] This is unsurprising but deeply infuriating: "Data Suggests D.C. Prosecutors Pursue Cases That Conform to Rape Myths."

[CN: Misogyny] Wow: "Harvard University has suspended its men's soccer team for the remainder of the season because of sexual comments made about members of the women's soccer team. University president Drew Faust said in a statement on Thursday night that an investigation into the 2012 team found their 'appalling' actions were not isolated to one year or the actions of a few, but appeared to be more widespread across the team and continued through the current season."

If you'd like to hear a song to celebrate Hillary Clinton, here you go!

What have you been reading?

"I’m with her, and I’m categorically not with him."

[Content Note: Misogyny; abuse.]

I've got a new essay at Shareblue about how I, and lots of other women, will be casting a vote for Hillary Clinton and everything she stands for, and against Donald Trump and everything he stands for.

Each vote is an opportunity to vote for Clinton, the first female, feminist presidential candidate, who has spent her career advocating for women's equality; who said that "human rights are women's rights, and women's rights are human rights, once and for all."

Each vote is also an opportunity to vote against Trump, an unrepentant misogynist who has admitted groping women; who represents a toxic masculinity against which every woman must struggle in her life.

Yes, it is a vote against his policies, his fearmongering, his bigotry, his incompetence, his unfitness for the office. It can also be — and will be, for millions of women — a vote against a man who has become an avatar for every man who has unleashed prejudice and/or harm against us.

The strangers who groped us on the subway. The bosses who passed us over for promotion. The salesmen who answered our questions by speaking to our husbands. The coworkers who leered at us. The teachers who would not listen to us. The men who shouted at us from passing cars. The boyfriends who raped us.

Every man who has endeavored in big and small ways to deny us equality and esteem, whose retrograde views on women's ability and worth are embedded in and amplified by Trump's every sneering comment and gross behavior toward women.

When I cast my vote on Tuesday, I will be casting my vote for Hillary Clinton, because she is the most qualified candidate. I will also be casting a vote for women's equality; for my own equal rights, autonomy, agency, and right of consent. For my own value.

There is, as always, more at the link!

The truth is, I've been with her for this reason ever since a boy first pulled my pigtails. And I don't believe I'm alone on that.

Please Take to Your Fainting Couches

Because this is some news that will SHOCK you! The New York Times reports: "Donald Trump's Income Isn't Always What He Says It Is, Records Suggest."

OH MY STARS AND GARTERS! Trump has been less than forthcoming about his finances?! Someone get me a mint julep before I develop a debilitating case of the vapors!

image of a fainting couch

Call me when Donald Trump has been honest about something. That will be news.

In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

Oh my heart: "I got to vote for a woman for president!"

I've got two new pieces at Shareblue: "The worst leaks about Clinton are better than the best tweets by Trump" and "Hillary Clinton's new ad about children is why she should be president."

What is even going on? "The FBI has launched an internal investigation into one of its own Twitter accounts. The account at issue, @FBIRecordsVault, had been dormant for more than a year. Then on October 30 at 4 a.m., the account released a flood of documents, including one describing Donald Trump's father Fred Trump as a 'philanthropist.' But it wasn't until two days later, when the account tweeted documents regarding President Clinton's controversial pardon of Marc Rich that the account began to attract significant attention. The account has not been active since that tweet. ThinkProgress has learned that the FBI's Inspection Division will undertake an investigation of the account."

[Content Note: Refugee crisis; death] Oh dear: "At least 240 people are feared to have drowned in the southern Mediterranean, bringing the annual total to 4,220—the highest in the Mediterranean on record. About 100 people drowned when an inflatable dinghy capsized shortly after leaving the Libyan coast on Wednesday, some of the 29 survivors told the UN refugee agency. A further 140 are thought to have drowned in a second incident in another rubber boat early on Thursday morning. Only two people appear to have survived the second tragedy." Heartbreaking. We have to do better than this for refugees. We must.

[CN: White supremacy; antisemitism; violent rhetoric] David Duke, currently running for the US Senate in Louisiana, spent a debate there last night railing against Jewish people and engaging in violent rhetoric against Hillary Clinton: "In defending some unsavory remarks about Jews, Duke said 'I'm not opposed to all Jews... There is a problem in America with a very strong, powerful, tribal group that dominates our media and dominates our international banking.' He also accused such groups of controlling the reins of American foreign policy, citing the civil war in Syria while attempting to draw parallels between those groups and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. 'The lady should be getting the electric chair, being charged with treason,' Duke said." Good lord.

Meanwhile: Six people were arrested protesting Duke's appearance.

Mysterious! Who could it be? "[A leaked casting notice obtained by Fox News] says that it's looking to hire people for an 'up-and-coming conservative media network currently in development,' although it doesn't specify who is doing the developing. More specifically, the casting notice says that it wants on-air hosts and reporters who are 'knowledgeable about conservative viewpoints, current events and the presidential election,' and who also look 'upscale and intelligent' and are 'outspoken and energetic.' The audition also specifies that the network's content will be streamed over the web, which suggests it might not be a traditional cable news network."

Hello, ma'am! "Wonder Woman Is Here to Save the World in New Trailer."

Blub: "Senior Dog Shows Up to Family's Home and REFUSES to Leave Until She's Adopted."

What have you been reading?

ELECTION UPDATE!!!

1. Hillary Clinton believes that women's rights are human rights and gay rights are human rights and trans kids are lovable and Black lives matter and disabled people are valuable. She sent and received some emails.

2. Donald Trump doesn't care about anyone but himself. Never has. Never will. And, frankly, I'm not even sure he's too keen on himself when he looks in the mirror, which is why he relentlessly projects his flaws onto other people. He has assaulted multiple women. But, you know, both sides.

3. Our national media is garbage.

4. Tim Kaine continues to be very delightful and also makes good and serious points about how Donald Trump is a terrible candidate. I hope he's never sent or received any emails or started a foundation that has saved millions of lives or coughed or sat on a stool or felt faint from a combination of heat and pneumonia or rested against a pillow or SUSPICIOUSLY wore his purse on a different shoulder than usual one day or changed his hairstyle or worn something unflattering or told a joke about Pokémon Go or carried hot sauce in his bag or misremembered something. Although it probably doesn't matter, because he's a dude.

5. Mike Pence continues to be the absolute fucking worst.

Five more days of this shit.

That about sums it up! Discuss.

In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Violence; death; guns; racism; domestic violence. Video may autoplay at second link.] Two police officers in Des Moines, Iowa, were ambushed and fatally shot yesterday. My sincerest condolences to their family, friends, and colleagues. Immediately, a number of people presumed it was an attack by a Black activist, but it turned out to be a white man with a history of racist confrontations and domestic violence.

YES: "President Obama criticized the decision by his F.B.I. director to alert Congress on Friday about the discovery of new emails related to the Hillary Clinton server case, implying that it violated investigative norms and trafficked in innuendo. 'We don't operate on incomplete information,' Mr. Obama said in an interview with NowThis News, broadcast Wednesday. 'We don't operate on leaks. We operate based on concrete decisions that are made.'"

[CN: Racism] "Barack Obama has suggested the Dakota Access pipeline could be rerouted around sacred Native American lands in comments that are the president's first on the controversial oil project since police arrested hundreds of indigenous protesters during violent clashes. ...Asked about the high-profile demonstrations against the $3.8bn pipeline, Obama told news website NowThis: 'We're monitoring this closely and I think as a general rule, my view is that there is a way for us to accommodate sacred lands of Native Americans, and I think that right now the army corps is examining whether there are ways to reroute this pipeline.'" Good.

[CN: White male privilege; classism; racism; patriarchy] Stacey Patton for Dame Magazine: "Why I Have No Sympathy for Angry White Men."

[CN: Bigotry] Ana Marie Cox for MTV: "Me of Little Faith: How the Threat of a Trump Presidency Threatens My Faith in God."

[CN: Misogyny] Eric Boehlert for MediaMatters: "How the Media's Email Obsession Obliterated Clinton Policy Coverage."

[CN: Voter disenfranchisement; carcerality] Chelsea Manning for the Guardian: "I can't vote. If you can, you must."

[CN: Video may autoplay at link] "Hillary Clinton is nothing if not prepared. And part of her preparation for the three presidential debates this year involved anticipating the actions of her 'aggressive' and unpredictable opponent—and mastering her 'listening woman' face. ...'It is something that I really was conscious of because this is the first time a woman had ever been on a debate stage in a general election,' she says. ...Clinton credits her campaign staff with getting into Trump's head and helping her shadowbox her opponent. 'I had a team of people who were relentless, totally in the head of what Trump might do,' she says."

LOVE: "Emergency Doctor Uses CPR on Stray Cat to Save Her Life; Adopts Her Afterwards."

What have you been reading?

Words and More Words

[Content Note: Misogyny; disablism.]

Clinton vs Trump in one word, according to Trump voters. https://t.co/ST4JpVMFp6 pic.twitter.com/5ojPgvVrid
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) November 1, 2016

Clinton vs Trump in one word, according to Clinton voters. https://t.co/ST4JpVMFp6 pic.twitter.com/K3jsH59Mxr
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) November 1, 2016

In case you can't view them, the images in the above tweets show four word clouds: Trump supporters describing Clinton (1) and Trump (2) in one word, and Clinton supporters describing Trump (3) and Clinton (4) in one word. The most prominent three words in each are, respectively: Liar, corrupt, and criminal; patriot, leader, and strong; narcissist, asshole, and dangerous; qualified, smart, and presidential. Each of those words are then surrounded by lots of other descriptive words.

There are a lot of things I find interesting (a word hovering between the ends the spectrum from awesome to distressing) about these word clouds.

Foremost, I find really fascinating the difference between the positive descriptions: "Patriot" vs. "Qualified."

I'm also intrigued by how many fewer words Trump supporters use to describe Hillary. That word cloud is observably smaller than the others, which means the same words were repeated over and over. Which, of course, is an indication that people are much more likely to be repeating talking points and internalized biases than they are offering individual, thoughtfully considered assessments of her.

Anyway! There's a lot to explore here, and I could honestly spend another three hours picking these things apart, but I won't be greedy, lol. Have at it in comments!

Three Things

[Content Note: Racism; white supremacy; arson; intimidation.]

Three things I read nearly back-to-back this morning:

1. Greg Sargent in the Washington Post: "Here's the Election Day Nightmare Scenario That Should Terrify You."

But plainly, the race is tightening, and it's increasingly possible we'll see a very close finish. Which means that it's time to start pondering an Election Day nightmare scenario that is made up of two parts. First, the tight finish produces an outcome that is contested well beyond Election Day, with Trump (should he lose) claiming the results are rigged. Second, Trump supplements his claim about the rigged outcome by continuing to point to the FBI's latest discovery of emails as proof of an ongoing cover-up of Hillary Clinton's criminality.

This morning, election rules expert Michael McDonald argues in USA Today that if the outcome is close, the election could very well "go into overtime," adding that "in this environment," this could "rip this country apart."

2. Ben Schreckinger in Politico: "White Nationalists Plot Election Day Show of Force."

Neo-Nazi leader Andrew Anglin plans to muster thousands of poll-watchers across all 50 states. His partners at the alt-right website "the Right Stuff" are touting plans to set up hidden cameras at polling places in Philadelphia and hand out liquor and marijuana in the city's "ghetto" on Election Day to induce residents to stay home. The National Socialist Movement, various factions of the Ku Klux Klan and the white nationalist American Freedom Party all are deploying members to watch polls, either "informally" or, they say, through the Trump campaign.

The Oath Keepers, a group of former law enforcement and military members that often shows up in public heavily armed, is advising members to go undercover and conduct "intelligence-gathering" at polling places, and Donald Trump ally Roger Stone is organizing his own exit polling, aiming to monitor thousands of precincts across the country.

Energized by Trump's candidacy and alarmed by his warnings of a "rigged election," white nationalist, alt-right and militia movement groups are planning to come out in full force on Tuesday, creating the potential for conflict at the close of an already turbulent campaign season.

"The possibility of violence on or around Election Day is very real," said Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center. "Donald Trump has been telling his supporters for weeks and weeks and weeks now that they are about to have the election stolen from them by evil forces on behalf of the elites."

3. Morgan Howard at MS News Now: "Greenville Church Burned; Spray Painted 'Vote Trump'."

Tuesday night sometime after 11 p.m. authorities responded to a call about a church burning.

Local Black church Hopewell M.B. Church was not only burned but also vandalized with the words "Vote Trump" spray painted on the side of the building.

I'm extremely worried about this election. I'm very worried about the safety of marginalized people during and after this election. I'm worried for Hillary Clinton's safety. I'm worried about the future of this nation. I wish that were hyperbole.

ELECTION UPDATE!!!

1. Hillary Clinton is the most qualified person ever to run for president in the history of the nation. She's made some mistakes during her four-decade career, of varying degrees of magnitude, and has meaningfully apologized for them. She is clearly a person who learns and evolves. She really likes listening to people and turning their needs into policy initiatives. She is imperfect, but pretty damn great. Therefore, she must be stopped by the Republican Party, the media, the FBI, and Russia, just to name a few of the bigger players. She is also a woman. FYI.

2. Donald Trump doesn't know shit about shit. He has never served a day in public office, has no interest in policy, and has used his presidential campaign to personally enrich himself. He never apologizes and never learns. Therefore, let's elect him! At least he's not a woman!

3. Our national media is garbage.

4. Tim Kaine continues to be very delightful and also makes good and serious points about how Donald Trump is a terrible candidate. I hope he's never sent or received any emails or started a foundation that has saved millions of lives or coughed or sat on a stool or felt faint from a combination of heat and pneumonia or rested against a pillow or SUSPICIOUSLY wore his purse on a different shoulder than usual one day or changed his hairstyle or worn something unflattering or told a joke about Pokémon Go or carried hot sauce in his bag. Although it probably doesn't matter, because he's a dude.

5. Mike Pence continues to be the absolute fucking worst.

Six more days of this shit.

That about sums it up! Discuss.

Two Stories

This stuff is so far outside my areas of expertise that I don't even know how to begin to comment on them, to be absolutely frank. But they are certainly important, and I strongly recommend reading both of them in their entirety.

1. Franklin Foer at Slate: "Was a Trump Server Communicating with Russia?"

2. David Corn at Mother Jones: "A Veteran Spy Has Given the FBI Information Alleging a Russian Operation to Cultivate Donald Trump."

What I can say is this: Donald Trump is unfit to be President of the United States. His connections to Russia, whatever they are, is just another on the laundry list of disqualifiers.

ELECTION UPDATE!!!

1. Hillary Clinton, I don't know if you've heard, made a bad decision, though a decision entirely in keeping with standard practice at the time, about an email server. She has apologized for it, on approximately eleventy occasions, but she's a known liar, so.

2. Donald Trump is a bigot and a sexual predator and a compulsive liar and a fraud who exploits and harasses and abuses people on a basis so frequent it's tough to keep on top of all the incidents of his harm. He also has no viable policies, and the temperament of a rabid wolverine, but he's entertaining, so.

3. Our national media is garbage.

4. Tim Kaine continues to be very delightful and also makes good and serious points about how Donald Trump is a terrible candidate. I hope he's never sent or received any emails or started a foundation that has saved millions of lives or coughed or sat on a stool or felt faint from a combination of heat and pneumonia or rested against a pillow or SUSPICIOUSLY wore his purse on a different shoulder than usual one day or changed his hairstyle or worn something unflattering or told a joke about Pokémon Go. Although it probably doesn't matter, because he's a dude.

5. Mike Pence continues to be the absolute fucking worst.

One more week of this shit.

That about sums it up! Discuss.

In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

ThinkProgress' Ian Millhiser makes "The case for firing James Comey" because "Americans have rights. Even if they are Hillary Clinton."

[Content Note: Video may autoplay at link] And another important one from Kurt Eichenwald: "Donald Trump's Companies Destroyed Emails in Defiance of Court Orders." Of course they did.

Also not a surprise, but nonetheless infuriating, comes this news from Matea Gold at the WaPo: "Donald Trump is refusing to pay his campaign pollster three-quarters of a million dollars." The guy has paid himself and his family members millions from his campaign coffers, but can't pay his pollster. Just like he's been stiffing contractors his entire life.

My Shareblue colleague Tommy Christopher on the brilliant Hillary Clinton ad that features the "Daisy Girl" from Lyndon Johnson's 1964 ad.

[CN: Environmental harm; child abuse] Awful, awful, awful: "About 300 million children in the world are living in areas with outdoor air so toxic—six or more times higher than international pollution guidelines—that it can cause serious health damage, including harming their developing brains, a new United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) report has revealed. 'Pollutants don't only harm children's developing lungs—they can actually cross the blood-brain barrier and permanently damage their developing brains—and, thus, their futures,' said UNICEF's Executive Director Anthony Lake in a news release today announcing the agency's new report 'Clear the Air for Children'."

[CN: Transphobia] "The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday to take up the case of Gavin Grimm, a transgender high school student who sued Gloucester County School Board over its policy prohibiting the 17-year-old from using the boys' bathroom during his senior year at his high school." GOOD. Now let us fervently hope they make the right decision.

I #StandWithGavin because trans rights are human rights and human rights are trans rights, once and for all.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) October 28, 2016

The Transgender Law Center has more.

Interesting: "Dear Science: Why do people like scary movies and haunted houses?"

"The male wine-throated hummingbird has an impressive courtship display." That's pretty much how Iain courted me. Except instead of fuchsia plumage, it was an elaborate display of treating me like an equal human being.

What have you been reading?

All of This Sounds About Right

David Fahrenthold has done some of the most important investigative reporting on Donald Trump during this election. Over the weekend, the Washington Post published his account of months of research into Trump's claims of charitable giving. It is an absolutely extraordinary piece, and I highly recommend taking the time to read the entire thing: "Trump boasts about his philanthropy. But his giving falls short of his words."

It is, at once, totally unsurprising, given everything we already know about Trump, and utterly breathtaking, seeing it all compiled in one place like this.

Donald Trump is, truly, the most brazen liar to have ever run for the office of the United States presidency.

That is abundantly clear.

An Observation

[Content Note: Bigotry; threats of violence.]

There were more incidents of threats, bigotry, and other ugliness at Donald Trump events over the weekend. Reporters were abused with anti-Semitic taunts; a Black Trump supporter was mistaken for a protester and called (by Trump himself) a "thug" and kicked him out; a warm-up speaker at a rally fantasized about the deaths of Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin; there were more anti-Clinton shouts and plenty of folks wearing t-shirts emblazoned with gross anti-Clinton text and imagery.

This is concerning for a number of reasons, and this is right at the top of the list: If Trump wins, his supporters are going to be terrifying because they have been empowered. If Trump loses, his supporters are going to be terrifying because they feel disempowered.

And that has been precisely his goal. It's no wonder he feels like he's winning no matter what the polls say.

His candidacy has been ruinous for this nation.

I am very nervous about what happens on November 8th, but I am even more nervous about what happens on November 9th. And the days after.

Quote of the Day

“We should just cancel the election and just give it to Trump,” Donald Trump remarks https://t.co/UYpqI3w42L https://t.co/D8pyd326Yx
— CNN (@CNN) October 27, 2016

"I'm thinking to myself right now: We should just cancel the election and just give it to Trump, right? What are we even having it for? What are we having it for?"—Donald Trump.

Once again, I will point out it was HILLARY CLINTON—who's out there working to earn every vote and campaigning like she's behind in the polls—who was accused of feeling "entitled" to the presidency.

For months. And months. And months and months.

And now that Trump is literally suggesting that we should just do away with the democratic process altogether, and "just give" the presidency to him, where is the commentary that he feels entitled?

Crickets.

Meet the "Top Scot" Who Took on Trump

[Content Note: Bullying; intimidation.]

I've got a new piece at Shareblue about Michael and Molly Forbes, the Scottish farmer and his mom who took on Donald Trump when he tried to force them off their land for a golf resort:

For nearly a decade, Scotsman Michael Forbes and his mother Molly fought a battle against Donald Trump, who used every means possible to try to get his hands on their farmland as part of a golf resort project in Aberdeenshire.

When they refused to be bought, Trump threatened to try to use a compulsory purchase order to forcibly remove Forbes and his mother from their own property.

And when that didn't work, Trump started a media blitz against Forbes, saying he lives in "disgusting" and "slum-like" conditions, asserting that he is "not a respected man among the people that he lives with," and sneering that he "lives in a pig-like atmosphere; it's disgusting."

There is more at the link. It's simultaneously the most Trump story ever (in a bad way), and the most Scottish story ever (in a good way).

Yet another on an endless list of reasons that this guy should never be our president.

In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Bigotry; voter suppression; video may autoplay at link] This Bloomberg piece, "Inside the Trump Bunker, with 12 Days to Go," is incredible. There is a lot there, but this passage in particular is notable: "Instead of expanding the electorate, Bannon and his team are trying to shrink it. 'We have three major voter suppression operations under way,' says a senior official. They're aimed at three groups Clinton needs to win overwhelmingly: idealistic white liberals, young women, and African Americans."

Ted Cruz is still awful: "'You know, I think there will be plenty of time for debate on that issue,' said Cruz, when he was asked whether a Republican-controlled Senate should hold votes on a President Hillary Clinton's nominees. 'There is certainly long historical precedent for a Supreme Court with fewer justices. I would note, just recently, that Justice Breyer observed that the vacancy is not impacting the ability of the court to do its job. That's a debate that we are going to have.'" Just a Republican Senator, threatening to indefinitely prevent Democratic presidents from filling Supreme Court vacancies.

Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings "offered a sobering assessment of the GOP's willingness to undermine a Hillary Clinton White House, indicating that impeachment was already on the table."

[CN: Sexual assault; misogyny] This is a very, very good piece by Amber Tamblyn: "The Frame That Holds the Big Picture: How Mothers and Daughters Can Change the Way We Talk About Being Women."

[CN: Animal harm; image of poached elephant at link] Fucking hell: "World on track to lose two-thirds of wild animals by 2020, major report warns: Living Planet Index shows vertebrate populations are set to decline by 67% on 1970 levels unless urgent action is taken to reduce humanity's impact."

Noelia Garella is Argentina's first nursery school teacher with Downs syndrome. She said: "I adore this. Ever since I was little, I have always wanted to be a teacher, because I like children so much." And so, despite resistance, she became a teacher! And a good one, too, who is loved by her students and their parents. There's a great video (which autoplays) about Noelia here.

Hahahaha: "Gay News Anchor Has the Best Possible Joke About Victoria Secret's 'Fantasy Bra'."

[CN: Moving gif at link] OMG CATS. That is all.

What have you been reading?