Has U.S. Democracy Been Trumped?

[jjbrr]

Do we have any christians in this thread?

[y66]

From Strong Performance by Democrat Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania Shakes Trump and G.O.P. by Peter Baker and Michael D. Shear at NYT:

 

LOS ANGELES — President Trump woke up here in the land of earthquakes on Wednesday morning, but he was 2,500 miles away from the tremor that was really shaking his party.

 

While the president hobnobbed on Tuesday night with wealthy donors in the exclusive enclave of Beverly Park, the voters in the suburbs south of Pittsburgh were in revolt, giving the Democratic candidate a narrow victory in a special election in Pennsylvania that was taking on outsize proportions.

 

Just as they did outside Birmingham and Montgomery, Ala., in December, and Richmond, Va., and Washington in November, energized and angry suburban voters were swamping the Trump stalwarts in the more rural parts of those regions, sending a clear message to Republicans around the country.

 

While Republican turnout in a district that Mr. Trump won in 2016 by 20 percentage points was healthy, Democrats showed again that they could tap unions and other traditionally friendly groups to get their voters out in droves. The N.A.A.C.P. helped win Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s former Alabama Senate seat for Doug Jones in December. Organized labor, once seen as fractured and feckless in the Trump era, gave the Democrat Conor Lamb his edge in Pennsylvania.

 

Rick Saccone, the Republican candidate who wrapped himself in Mr. Trump’s cloak and drew the president to his district last weekend in a bid to rescue a faltering campaign, trailed Mr. Lamb, a former Marine seeking to show his party can compete even in red territory. Mr. Lamb held an apparently insurmountable lead of 641 votes on Wednesday, with about only 500 absentee, provisional and military ballots remaining to be counted, according to county election officials.

 

The victory may yet be contested, but whether Mr. Lamb holds on to officially win the House seat matters less than the fact that he was so competitive in the first place. The rebuke of Mr. Trump came from a part of western Pennsylvania that overwhelmingly supported him in 2016 and that typically would not seem likely to turn to a Democrat. The district was seen as so strongly Republican that the Democrats did not even field a candidate in recent years.

 

And while Mr. Saccone carried the most Trump-supporting counties along the West Virginia border, Mr. Lamb made just enough inroads in those rural areas to give the voters in suburban Allegheny County the chance to deliver the Democrat the slimmest of leads.

 

Rarely shy about weighing in on other news of the day, Mr. Trump made no mention of the race on Twitter on Wednesday morning. Instead, he left it to an aide to find the silver lining. Raj Shah, a White House spokesman, told reporters on Air Force One en route to St. Louis that Mr. Trump actually helped the Republican candidate and asserted that the Democrat’s showing was really a validation of the popularity of the president’s policies.

 

“The president’s engagement in the race turned what was a deficit for the Republican candidate to what is essentially a tie,” Mr. Shah said. “Also, the Democrat in the race really embraced the president’s policies and his vision, whereas he didn’t really embrace Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader.”

 

The stinging message could hardly have been more pointed for a Republican president mired in low approval ratings, burdened by investigations and facing the growing likelihood that Democrats may seize power in Congress later this year.

 

Mr. Lamb, 33, defied political geography and appeared on the verge of capturing the state’s 18th District despite a torrent of Republican money and Mr. Trump’s personal intervention. At a rally Saturday, Mr. Trump mocked Mr. Lamb as “Lamb the Sham,” promised that Mr. Saccone would “vote for us all the time,” and rambled about his own achievements as he sought to transfer his own political success to the Republican candidate.

 

In the end, none of it seemed to be enough. Democratic enthusiasm appeared to overwhelm a part of the state that has long been a Republican stronghold. For the president, the vote is an ominous echo of Democratic victories in Virginia and Alabama, where his political efforts were shrugged off or counterproductive.

 

The tally was also a blunt rejection of the president’s political calculation that tax cuts and steel tariffs would persuade voters in a region once dominated by the steel industry to embrace the Trump agenda on behalf of Mr. Saccone. “Steel is back,” he repeatedly said at the rally, apparently to little effect.

 

A Republican victory in Pennsylvania might have helped deflect attention from the continuing collapse of the president’s inner circle, which Tuesday included Mr. Trump’s abrupt firing of Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson and the forced resignation of John McEntee, one of Mr. Trump’s closest personal aides, who is under investigation for financial crimes and was marched out of the White House.

 

Instead, Mr. Saccone’s lackluster performance was a grim bookend for a day in which the president’s trip to the Mexico-California border to view wall prototypes was completely overshadowed by the churning turnovers in his national security team.

Edit: A blunt rejection of Trump? Or an example of how Dems can win back blue-collar whites if they stop speaking about them with contempt? No doubt.

[Winstonm]

FWIW Department

 

I happen to agree with Trump's block for national security reasons of the Broadcom takeover of Qualcomm. I wonder how many of our "markets are always right" brethren concur and how they justify this intrusion into the actions of "the market".

[Al_U_Card]

Do we have any christians in this thread?

Are the lions hungry? ;)

[Al_U_Card]

FWIW Department

 

I happen to agree with Trump's block for national security reasons of the Broadcom takeover of Qualcomm. I wonder how many of our "markets are always right" brethren concur and how they justify this intrusion into the actions of "the market".

The "free" market is anything but when monopolies or cartels operate. Stopping corporate domination of markets is the best way to fight fascism. DT had better put on a 3-piece... the one with the kevlar vest, especially since a head shot might not do enough damage in his case :0

[hrothgar]

Oh look...

 

Another one of those conspiracies about "the Russians"...

This time, folks are alleging that the Russian government carried out a terrorist attack int the British Isles involving weapons of mass destruction!

 

Luckily, we're smart enough to know that this was a Deep State operation involving members of the Illuminati who were burrowed into MI-12

[Winstonm]

The "free" market is anything but when monopolies or cartels operate. Stopping corporate domination of markets is the best way to fight fascism. DT had better put on a 3-piece... the one with the kevlar vest, especially since a head shot might not do enough damage in his case :0

 

I guess he must not be a "real Scotsman". <_<

[Al_U_Card]

Based on the fervor about the election result (paper-thin win for the Dem) should the Dems take back the House (and even the Senate) wouldn't that place Trump in an even more powerful position? Now the Reps can frustrate the Dems but can attempt to lead Trump. If they lose that (those) majority, Trump will be an even more free agent.

I guess things really are "worse than we thought" (to borrow an alarmist phrase) ;)

[johnu]

Based on the fervor about the election result (paper-thin win for the Dem) should the Dems take back the House (and even the Senate) wouldn't that place Trump in an even more powerful position? Now the Reps can frustrate the Dems but can attempt to lead Trump. If they lose that (those) majority, Trump will be an even more free agent.

I guess things really are "worse than we thought" (to borrow an alarmist phrase) ;)

 

If the Democrats win the house and/or senate, they control the committees. Even if legislation grinds to a halt, the committees can do a legitimate review of the administration. If they have the numbers, they would also be able to start impeachment proceedings.

[y66]

Based on the fervor about the election result (paper-thin win for the Dem) should the Dems take back the House (and even the Senate) wouldn't that place Trump in an even more powerful position? Now the Reps can frustrate the Dems but can attempt to lead Trump. If they lose that (those) majority, Trump will be an even more free agent.

I guess things really are "worse than we thought" (to borrow an alarmist phrase) ;)

Lamb won because he was a formidable candidate who took kenberg's advice seriously and because Saccone's Trump wingman wannabe strategy and the Republican strategy of doubling down on their "we did it for you tax reform message" did not go over well. The margin in PA was razor thin relative to 50% but hardly razor thin compared to November 2016. IMO, the message is that even disaffected voters are fed up with the dysfunction in Congress and are ready to listen to politicians who are ready to listen to them and move away from the fringes toward the middle which, ironically, is where Trump stands politically. Politically moderate is one thing. But it's not enough to offset being a pig, a racist, an oligarch, a petty tyrant and an effing moron. The idea that McConnell, Ryan and their ilk or anyone can lead Trump is mind boggling.

[Al_U_Card]

Lamb won because he was a formidable candidate who took kenberg's advice seriously and because Saccone's Trump wingman wannabe strategy and the Republican strategy of doubling down on their "we did it for you tax reform message" did not go over well. The margin in PA was razor thin relative to 50% but hardly razor thin compared to November 2016. IMO, the message is that even disaffected voters are fed up with the dysfunction in Congress and are ready to listen to politicians who are ready to listen to them and move away from the fringes toward the middle which, ironically, is where Trump stands politically. Politically moderate is one thing. But it's not enough to offset being a pig, a racist, an oligarch, a petty tyrant and an effing moron. The idea that McConnell, Ryan and their ilk or anyone can lead Trump is mind boggling.

Perhaps "make use of" would have been a better phrasing?

[Winstonm]

This came out Monday night. On Tuesday morning, Tillerson was fired.

The United States was in touch with our Allies in the United Kingdom ahead of today’s announcement, including in a call between Secretary Tillerson and Foreign Secretary Johnson this morning. We have full confidence in the UK’s investigation and its assessment that Russia was likely responsible for the nerve agent attack that took place in Salisbury last week.

 

Then this happened.

Two U.S. officials told the Associated Press that Steve Goldstein, the undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, was dismissed after he penned a statement that contradicted the official account of why the secretary of state was fired..

 

All of that becomes really interesting when paired with this from Vanity Fair.

The special counsel is expected to indict the Russians who hacked the D.N.C., and the Americans who may have aided them. But some see the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain as a chilling message to witnesses and possible cooperators

.

 

Either the WH is lying or the State Department is lying.

It's hard to tell if this is Watergate or Goodfellows - maybe both times 10.

[RedSpawn]

This came out Monday night. On Tuesday morning, Tillerson was fired.

 

 

Then this happened.

 

 

All of that becomes really interesting when paired with this from Vanity Fair.

.

 

Either the WH is lying or the State Department is lying.

It's hard to tell if this is Watergate or Goodfellows - maybe both times 10.

Mmmm hmmm.

 

http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/09/a-brief-history-of-attempted-russian-assassinations-by-poison/

 

Potentially nothing new under the sun. . .

[Winstonm]

Mmmm hmmm.

 

http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/09/a-brief-history-of-attempted-russian-assassinations-by-poison/

 

Potentially nothing new under the sun. . .

 

Nothing new concerning Putin's blatant aggression. The issue is whether or not Tillerson's firing was connected to his strong criticism of Putin and Russia and Goldstein's firing was related to exposing the WH lies.

[Winstonm]

Would it be possible that Mueller is slow-playing his hand until after the November elections play out?

[Al_U_Card]

Would it be possible that Mueller is slow-playing his hand until after the November elections play out?

Wouldn't he be going as fast as possible B4 he gets shut down?

[Winstonm]

Wouldn't he be going as fast as possible B4 he gets shut down?

 

He won't get shut down.

[hrothgar]

Good article about the McCabe firing

 

https://lawfareblog.com/what-we-know-and-dont-know-about-firing-andrew-mccabe

[Winstonm]

I bet this guy knows more than we do:

 

Congressman Eric Swalwell

 

“Gloat now, but you will be fired soon. And it’s not going to be done cowardly, as you’ve done to so many who’ve served you. There’s a storm gathering, Mr. President, and it’s going to wipe out you and your corrupt organization all the way down to the studs.”

 

...wipe out you and your corrupt organization.

[Winstonm]

Curiouser and curiouser

 

NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/17/us/politics/cambridge-analytica-russia.html

We’ve never worked in Russia,” said Mr. Nix, head of a data consulting firm that advised the Trump campaign on targeting voters.

 

“As far as I’m aware, we’ve never worked for a Russian company,” Mr. Nix added. “We’ve never worked with a Russian organization in Russia or any other country, and we don’t have any relationship with Russia or Russian individuals.”

 

But Mr. Nix’s business did have some dealings with Russian interests, according to company documents and interviews.

 

Mr. Nix is a director of SCL Group, a British political and defense contractor, and chief executive of its American offshoot, Cambridge Analytica, which advised the Trump campaign. The firms’ employees, who often overlap, had contact in 2014 and 2015 with executives from Lukoil, the Russian oil giant.

 

Lukoil was interested in how data was used to target American voters, according to two former company insiders who said there were at least three meetings with Lukoil executives in London and Turkey. SCL and Lukoil denied that the talks were political in nature, and SCL also said there were no meetings in London.

 

The contacts took place as Cambridge Analytica was building a roster of Republican political clients in the United States — and harvesting the Facebook profiles of over 50 million users to develop tools it said could analyze voters’ behavior.

 

Cambridge Analytica also included extensive questions about Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, in surveys it was carrying out in American focus groups in 2014. It is not clear what — or which client — prompted the line of questioning, which asked for views on topics ranging from Mr. Putin’s popularity to Russian expansionism.

[y66]

From Andrew Sullivan's NYT review of IMPEACHMENT A Citizen’s Guide By Cass R. Sunstein and CAN IT HAPPEN HERE? Authoritarianism in America Edited by Cass R. Sunstein:

 

Yet even if that evidence were incontrovertible (and that could still emerge in Mueller’s investigation), impeachment remains a political decision. Which means that unless we experience some kind of unprecedented sea change in the pathological tribalism that now defines our politics, impeachment is a dead letter. What makes Trump immune is that he is not a president within the context of a healthy republican government. He is a cult leader of a movement that has taken over a political party — and he specifically campaigned on a platform of one-man rule. This fact permeates “Can It Happen Here? Authoritarianism in America,” a collection of essays by a number of writers that has been edited by Sunstein, which concludes, if you read between the lines, that “it” already has.

 

No, Trump is not about to initiate a coup, or suspend elections or become a dictator. The more likely model for American authoritarianism is that of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey or the Fidesz party in Hungary. The dismemberment of a public discourse centered on objective truth is a key first step, fomented by unceasing dissemination of outright lies from the very top, metabolized by tribal social media, ever more extreme talk radio and what is essentially a state propaganda channel, Fox News. The neutering of the courts is the second step — and Trump is well on his way to (constitutionally) establishing a federal judiciary whose most important feature will be reliable assent to executive power. Congress itself has far less approval than Trump; its inability to do anything but further bankrupt the country, enrich the oligarchy and sabotage many Americans’ health care leaves an aching void filled by … a president who repeatedly insists that “I am the only one who matters.”

 

I don’t think Trump has a conscious intent to vandalize liberal democracy — he doesn’t even understand what it is. Rather, his twisted, compulsive insecurity requires him to use his office to attack, delegitimize and weaken every democratic institution that may occasionally operate outside his own delusional narcissism. He cannot help this. His tweets are a function of spasms, not plots. But the wreckage after only one year is extraordinary. The F.B.I. is now widely discredited; the C.I.A. is held in contempt; judges, according to the president, are driven by prejudice and partisanship (when they disagree with him); the media produce fake news; Congress is useless (including both Republicans and Democrats); alliances are essentially rip-offs; the State Department — along with the whole idea of a neutral Civil Service — is unnecessary. And the possibility of reasoned deliberation at the heart of democratic life has been obliterated by the white-hot racial and cultural hatreds that Trump was able to exploit to get elected and that he constantly fuels.

 

The Democrats find themselves in opposition a little like Marco Rubio in the primaries. Take the high road and you are irrelevant; take the low road and you cannot compete with the biggest bully and liar on the block. The result is that an unimpeachable president is slowly constructing the kind of authoritarian state that America was actually founded to overthrow.

 

There is nothing in the Constitution’s formal operation that can prevent this. Impeachment certainly cannot. As long as one major political party endorses it, and a solid plurality of Americans support such an authoritarian slide, it is unstoppable. The founders knew that without a virtuous citizenry, the Constitution was a mere piece of paper and, in Madison’s words, “no theoretical checks — no form of government can render us secure.” Franklin was blunter in forecasting the moment we are now in: He believed that the American experiment in self-government “can only end in despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people become so corrupted as to need despotic government, being incapable of any other.” You can impeach a president, but you can’t, alas, impeach the people. They voted for the kind of monarchy the American republic was designed, above all else, to resist; and they have gotten one.

[Winstonm]

From Andrew Sullivan's NYT review of IMPEACHMENT A Citizen’s Guide By Cass R. Sunstein and CAN IT HAPPEN HERE? Authoritarianism in America Edited by Cass R. Sunstein:

 

How is the "talking points" avalanche stopped or controlled? I was watching a little George Stephanopoulos this morning and a Republican spokesman of some sort was repeating the right-wing talking points about the McCabe firing. When that point was challenged by the host, instead of answering or defending his claims, the guest started talking about Comey.

 

The difficulty is that unless you keep yourself well-informed, these misleading sound-bytes are all you hear. It is like what Sullivan's article quoted about Franklin's ideas: "....when the people become so corrupted as to need despotic government, being incapable of any other."

 

We have met the enemy....

[Winstonm]

I rather like this NBC News analysis about the McCabe firing as it takes a larger view and speaks to the motivations:

 

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump had to cheer the firing of former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe to sell the narrative that he is the victim of a bipartisan conspiracy, carried out over two administrations, to deny him the presidency and then discredit him once he won it.

 

For the president's version of events to hold up, the FBI and Justice Department have to be infested with his political enemies, with those so bent on destroying him that they will violate the public trust to do it. It's a case Trump and his allies have been making for so long and with such conviction that condemning the FBI, the Justice Department and special counsel Robert Mueller has become conservative liturgy by now.

 

And it's the predicate to push the case that the Russia probe should end, as Trump's lawyer did Saturday.

 

Oh, look! It's another gigantic conspiracy - most likely Obama's fault - (who isn't, btw, a real American). And yet, there are still those who believe. Reminds me of a song.

 

If I listen long enough to you

I'd find the way to believe that it's all true

Knowing that you lied straight face

While I cried

And still I look

To find a reason to believe

 

Whatever is so necessary to hide from the past that the creation of all this faux ruckus becomes priority...could it be hiding something of a criminal nature...?

[y66]

How is the "talking points" avalanche stopped or controlled?

There's a 12 step program for this. When a guest goes into talking point mode you turn away and walk 12 steps in the other direction. It works for FOX news too.

[Winstonm]

Looks like the AP has Kushner nailed on this.

NEW YORK (AP) — When the Kushner Cos. bought three apartment buildings in a gentrifying neighborhood of Queens in 2015, most of the tenants were protected by special rules that prevent developers from pushing them out, raising rents and turning a tidy profit.

 

But that’s exactly what the company then run by Jared Kushner did, and with remarkable speed. Two years later, it sold all three buildings for $60 million, nearly 50 percent more than it paid.

 

 

Now a clue has emerged as to how President Donald Trump’s son-in-law’s firm was able to move so fast: The Kushner Cos. routinely filed false paperwork with the city declaring it had zero rent-regulated tenants in dozens of buildings it owned across the city when, in fact, it had hundreds.

 

It is shocking to find out that Kushner Cos could have lied or failed to accurately report, isn't it?