Senator Jeff Merkley released this statement today regarding Steve Bannon serving in the White House:
“There should be no sugarcoating the truth here: Donald Trump just invited a white nationalist into the highest reaches of the government. Bannon has boasted that he made Breitbart News ‘the platform for the alt-right,’ which is the politically correct term for the resurrection of white nationalism.
“Under Bannon’s leadership, Breitbart News created news sections such as ‘Black Crime’ and compared the work of Planned Parenthood to the Holocaust. Under his leadership, Breitbart News ran this headline following the massacre of nine church-goers at an African American church in Charleston: ‘Hoist it high and proud: The Confederate flag proclaims a glorious heritage.’ He called conservative commentator Bill Kristol a ‘renegade Jew.’ Steve Bannon bears substantial responsibility for the open and disgusting acts of hatred that are sweeping across our nation.
“After running a campaign built on inciting divisions and hate, Donald Trump has claimed he wants to unite America. Yet he has done nothing meaningful to stop the wave of hate crimes and hate speech he has unleashed, and now has brought that strategy right into the Oval Office.
“Donald Trump needs to forcefully denounce the hateful actions and efforts to intimidate people that some of his supporters are undertaking and rescind the appointment of Steve Bannon.”
The more promises Trump breaks, the better. I’m not crossing my fingers, though, with an eager beaver racist misogynist making the day-to-day decisions.
And we thought Halloween was over. Yes, it is good to see Trump is talking about not following through with many of his ridiculous campaign promises. When he doesn’t follow through, it will be interesting to see how many of his supporters remain faithful. He has already broken many laws before taking office, so there is the possibility of impeachment, but VP Pence is even more bizarre than Trump, so that doesn’t seem like a great way to go either.
The GOP has already fallen apart. Trump has an actual conservative for a vice president. The establishment GOP would prefer an established conservative to a loose cannon from which they have no idea what to expect. ( Actually, I don’t think anyone will know what Trump is going to do until he does it, including Trump). So, the GOP would quite likely vote for impeachment, while it is in the Democrats best interest to go with the loose cannon rather than an extremely accurate one that wants everything that they don’t. Would be fun to watch the Democrats side with the establishment GOP to defend Trump.
Retiring conservative talk show host Charlie Sykes complained that after years of bashing from the right wing, the mainstream media no longer could perform their function as reporters, observers, fact dispensers, and even truth tellers, and he said we needed them. Like Goebbels before them, conservatives understood that they had to create their own facts, their own truths, their own reality. They have done so, and in so doing effectively destroyed the very idea of objectivity. Trump can lie constantly only because white America has accepted an Orwellian sense of truth — the truth pulled inside out.
The disorganization in the Democratice Party is sad, and been going on for some time, as Will Rogers noted long before Rob came along. But compared to the destruction Trump brought to the Republicans, and the sad scramble of REpublicans to attempt to show unity behind the dispicable folks Trump is picking to run the show, the “reality show” is one from Stephen King.
And given that Trump will appoint at least two but probably three Supreme Court Justices, this election was “not just another election”. Does that mean that America will swing even further to the right? No. There is little that the right could get from the Supreme Court, regardless of its makeup. For the left, however, it’s a disaster. Many of the rights we hold dear, such as Castle Doctrine, 2nd Amendment, Stand Your Ground, etc, could have been destroyed by a Supreme Court with 6 or 7 liberal justices.
Castle doctrine has long been a part of English common law our legal system is based on; It does not extend beyond one’s castle to include premeditated murder. The second amendment provides for the common defense without depending on potential agents of tyranny such as standing armies, mercenaries, or conscripts; it also prevents wars of aggression. Stand your ground (outside the castle) is the excuse of the bully and has no place in a civilized society.
Liverlips McCracken Premium Member over 7 years ago
Gleefully mooning us all.
Melki Premium Member over 7 years ago
Steve Bannon as Chief Strategist.
I’m guessing David Duke wasn’t available?
Crabbyrino Premium Member over 7 years ago
Bannon is the new Rove. Frightening.
Happy Two Shoes over 7 years ago
Senator Jeff Merkley released this statement today regarding Steve Bannon serving in the White House:
“There should be no sugarcoating the truth here: Donald Trump just invited a white nationalist into the highest reaches of the government. Bannon has boasted that he made Breitbart News ‘the platform for the alt-right,’ which is the politically correct term for the resurrection of white nationalism.
“Under Bannon’s leadership, Breitbart News created news sections such as ‘Black Crime’ and compared the work of Planned Parenthood to the Holocaust. Under his leadership, Breitbart News ran this headline following the massacre of nine church-goers at an African American church in Charleston: ‘Hoist it high and proud: The Confederate flag proclaims a glorious heritage.’ He called conservative commentator Bill Kristol a ‘renegade Jew.’ Steve Bannon bears substantial responsibility for the open and disgusting acts of hatred that are sweeping across our nation.
“After running a campaign built on inciting divisions and hate, Donald Trump has claimed he wants to unite America. Yet he has done nothing meaningful to stop the wave of hate crimes and hate speech he has unleashed, and now has brought that strategy right into the Oval Office.
“Donald Trump needs to forcefully denounce the hateful actions and efforts to intimidate people that some of his supporters are undertaking and rescind the appointment of Steve Bannon.”
Kip W over 7 years ago
The more promises Trump breaks, the better. I’m not crossing my fingers, though, with an eager beaver racist misogynist making the day-to-day decisions.
montessoriteacher over 7 years ago
And we thought Halloween was over. Yes, it is good to see Trump is talking about not following through with many of his ridiculous campaign promises. When he doesn’t follow through, it will be interesting to see how many of his supporters remain faithful. He has already broken many laws before taking office, so there is the possibility of impeachment, but VP Pence is even more bizarre than Trump, so that doesn’t seem like a great way to go either.
Diane Lee Premium Member over 7 years ago
The GOP has already fallen apart. Trump has an actual conservative for a vice president. The establishment GOP would prefer an established conservative to a loose cannon from which they have no idea what to expect. ( Actually, I don’t think anyone will know what Trump is going to do until he does it, including Trump). So, the GOP would quite likely vote for impeachment, while it is in the Democrats best interest to go with the loose cannon rather than an extremely accurate one that wants everything that they don’t. Would be fun to watch the Democrats side with the establishment GOP to defend Trump.
Happy Two Shoes over 7 years ago
Retiring conservative talk show host Charlie Sykes complained that after years of bashing from the right wing, the mainstream media no longer could perform their function as reporters, observers, fact dispensers, and even truth tellers, and he said we needed them. Like Goebbels before them, conservatives understood that they had to create their own facts, their own truths, their own reality. They have done so, and in so doing effectively destroyed the very idea of objectivity. Trump can lie constantly only because white America has accepted an Orwellian sense of truth — the truth pulled inside out.
.
http://billmoyers.com/story/farewell-america/#.WCsoTF6stj2.facebook
Dtroutma over 7 years ago
The disorganization in the Democratice Party is sad, and been going on for some time, as Will Rogers noted long before Rob came along. But compared to the destruction Trump brought to the Republicans, and the sad scramble of REpublicans to attempt to show unity behind the dispicable folks Trump is picking to run the show, the “reality show” is one from Stephen King.
I Quit over 7 years ago
And given that Trump will appoint at least two but probably three Supreme Court Justices, this election was “not just another election”. Does that mean that America will swing even further to the right? No. There is little that the right could get from the Supreme Court, regardless of its makeup. For the left, however, it’s a disaster. Many of the rights we hold dear, such as Castle Doctrine, 2nd Amendment, Stand Your Ground, etc, could have been destroyed by a Supreme Court with 6 or 7 liberal justices.
hippogriff over 7 years ago
Hedgehog
Castle doctrine has long been a part of English common law our legal system is based on; It does not extend beyond one’s castle to include premeditated murder. The second amendment provides for the common defense without depending on potential agents of tyranny such as standing armies, mercenaries, or conscripts; it also prevents wars of aggression. Stand your ground (outside the castle) is the excuse of the bully and has no place in a civilized society.
Kip W over 7 years ago
Is reality reality? I was just wondering about it. If only someone could give me a pat answer.