Scandalous

UH-OH: There’s a Second Dossier Alleging that Russia has Compromising Materials on Trump

Posted by on January 30, 2018 at 2:44 pm. 1 Comments :

Republicans have been working furiously to discredit a dossier produced by Christopher Steele, a former British spy. The dossier contains information tying Donald Trump and his associates to the Russian government. Some of the material involves salacious activities placing Trump in a Moscow hotel room with Russian prostitutes.

Donald Trump Vladimir Putin

The Steele dossier has been examined thoroughly and some, but not all, of the data has been confirmed. Despite that, Republicans rant incessantly on Fox News and other right-wing media that the dossier is unverified. That is flatly untrue. Which makes their attempt to discredit it all the more difficult. And it isn’t going to get any easier now that, as the Guardian reports, another document that corroborates much of the dossier is currently in the hands of the FBI. According to the Guardian:

The FBI inquiry into alleged Russian collusion in the 2016 US presidential election has been given a second memo that independently set out some of the same allegations made in a dossier by Christopher Steele, the British former spy.

The second memo was written by Cody Shearer, a controversial political activist and former journalist who was close to the Clinton White House in the 1990s.

Unlike Steele, Shearer does not have a background in espionage, and his memo was initially viewed with scepticism, not least because he had shared it with select media organisations before the election.

However, the Guardian has been told the FBI investigation is still assessing details in the ‘Shearer memo’ and is pursuing intriguing leads.

One source with knowledge of the inquiry said the fact the FBI was still working on it suggested investigators had taken an aspect of it seriously.

It raises the possibility that parts of the Steele dossier, which has been derided by Trump’s supporters, may have been corroborated by Shearer’s research, or could still be.

There is still much to uncover with regard to this new document. And the partisan associations of its author need to be taken into consideration. But the gravity with which it has been received by the FBI is sufficient to give Trump and his Republican defenders migraines. They can’t continue to swing so wildly at Steele if his data is backed up by an independent investigation.

What’s more, the Trump brigades’ campaign to smear special counsel Robert Mueller is going to be hampered by new evidence that Trump colluded with Russia and that Vladimir Putin might have damning evidence of it. This new information will compound the allegations against Trump and could lead to serious legal jeopardy for him and others in his administration. And while the GOP will surely try to leap out in front of this news and dismiss it, Mueller is not going to be so easily distracted.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

BUSTED: Fox News Caught Trying to Cover Up Another Sexual Harassment Scandal

Posted by on January 11, 2018 at 3:35 pm. 1 Comments :

The epidemic of revelations regarding men in powerful positions exploiting women for sex continues unabated. Two years ago no one would have imagined that so many high-powered public figures would be unemployed today due to such grossly improper conduct. And while Donald Trump actually admitted to criminal sexual abuse, the repercussions for such misbehavior were generally mild, if any.

Fox News Rupert Murdoch

As the volume and frequency of these scandals escalated, Fox News stood out as a den of iniquity. The network’s CEO, Roger Ailes, was fired for multiple incidents of sexual harassment. Then their biggest star, Bill O’Reilly, was tossed out after the discovery of tens millions of dollars paid to secure the silence of his victims. Fox also jettisoned its president, Bill Shine; host Eric Bolling; Fox Sports President, Jamie Horowitz; and VP of Fox News Latino, Francisco Cortes, all for similarly abhorrent misconduct. Although there were numerous men ousted from prominent positions in a variety of industries, it seemed like Fox News was running an enterprise rife with sexual depravity and predation.

So it was a little peculiar last month when Fox announced that its chief Washington correspondent, James Rosen, was leaving the company after eighteen years. There was no reason given and no further comment. There were no testimonials or teary goodbyes on the air. He was just there one day and gone the next. And it wasn’t until this week that David Folkenflik of NPR discovered what had actually happened:

“According to Rosen’s former colleagues, however, he had an established pattern of flirting aggressively with many peers and had made sexual advances toward three female Fox News journalists, including two reporters and a producer. And his departure followed increased scrutiny of his behavior at the network, according to colleagues.”

Folkenflik’s article goes into detail about Rosen’s deplorable activities. He also noted that Rosen’s affairs were exposed at a time when the network’s owner and CEO, Rupert Murdoch, was trying to play down the scummy state of Fox News. Murdoch told an interviewer at Sky News (which he also has part ownership of), that Ailes was the only problem at Fox, despite the fact that all the people and problems listed above were already known. Following Murdoch’s comments, the women of Fox News let it be known that they weren’t having it.

It appears that Fox News was deliberately attempting to suppress the Rosen story to avoid further embarrassment. And they nearly got away with it. But it makes one wonder how many other sleazebags were quietly shoved out, or how many may still be working for Fox. Sure, there are lots of vile men lurking around the offices of many companies. But is there any one company that has had as many as Fox News? It certainly speaks to the environment that Fox created for its staff and the corporate culture that seems to have tolerated the abuse and oppression of the women at Fox News.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Trump’s Fox News Fetish Could Be Making the Network a Security Risk Exploitable By Russia

Posted by on January 10, 2018 at 6:04 pm. NO Comments :

The relationship between Donald Trump and Fox News has always been problematic. It represents the closest thing to state-run TV that the United States has ever had. The anchors and reporters on Fox serve as dutiful sycophants to the Trump administration, advancing his self-serving agenda and defending his every fault. While Trump repays Fox by promoting the network and its personalities with free advertisements on his Twitter feed and relentless attacks on their competition.

Fox News Commies

However, there may be more worrisome consequences from this political/media marriage of propagandistic convenience. Aki Peritz, a former CIA counterterrorism analyst, just wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post that raises some frightening possibilities that might result from the parasitic combination of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire and the dimwitted White House. The article, headlined “Foreign spies are watching — and probably targeting — Fox News Channel” delves into some reasonable speculation about how hostile foreign intelligence operations might benefit from monitoring – and possibly compromising – Fox News. What follows are some excerpts that provide a taste of how this problem could become a recipe for disaster:

“[I]f I were a spymaster in the employ of a hostile foreign service, I’d devote some significant effort to penetrating one specific private institution: Fox News Channel.”

“It’s no secret that Fox News — specifically, shows such as ‘Hannity,’ ‘Fox & Friends,’ ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ and ‘Justice with Judge Jeanine’ — have outsize influence on the inner workings of how certain policies are carried out by the U.S. government.”

“[H]ostile foreign intelligence services are probably consuming as much Fox News as President Trump does.”

“Trump’s unfiltered Twitter feed provides world intelligence operatives with ‘a real-time glimpse of a major world leader’s preoccupations, personality quirks and habits of mind’ – traits to be exploited in further dealings on the global stage. And what better way to determine what the president thinks – for the price of basic cable — than to watch selected Fox News programming?”

“A truly aggressive intelligence effort would not just monitor what’s being said on the network. It would target the on-air talent, as well as the folks behind the scenes who make the network’s programming possible: producers, bookers, associate producers, production assistants and the like. This might range from opening friendly contacts with these employees to outright recruitment.”

“Compared to government workers, Fox employees would make easy targets. That’s because they aren’t public officials — they’re news and entertainment people. Also, it’s television — full of trade secrets, big personalities and titanic egos. Most wouldn’t expect to be compromised by a hostile intelligence power, especially on American soil. Few, if any, have the sort of counterintelligence training the U.S. government administers to people in sensitive positions, because Fox employees are not the usual targets for intelligence operations. But the president’s continuing, very specific interest in the channel heightens their risk of being approached by a hostile government.”

Peritz specifically mentions the risk posed by covert operations aimed at Fox News staff. For instance, Sean Hannity is known to speak frequently with Trump. So bugging Hannity’s phone or office “could provide real-time intelligence on the American president and his thoughts.” The same could be true for others at Fox News. Trump’s chumminess with people at Fox has resulted in several of them getting jobs in the administration, including K.T. McFarland, Ben Carson, Sebastian Gorka, and Heather Nauert. Two of Fox’s current prime time lineup, Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham, were reported to have been candidates for press secretary.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

The WaPo article is careful not to present this theory as anything more than informed speculation. But given what is known about how Russia conducts its spy operations, it would be prudent for all Fox News employees to be wary, even suspicious, about contacts from friendly strangers. That is, if they aren’t actively seeking out Russians for collusion on behalf of Trump, who is already deeply compromised.

Certified Nutcase Donald Trump Tries His Hand at Psychoanalyzing Steve Bannon

Posted by on January 3, 2018 at 2:04 pm. 4 Comments :

The fate of the world is shifting by the minute. On Tuesday Donald Trump was tweeting threats to Iran, Pakistan, and North Korea, and comparing the size of his “nuclear button” to that of Kim Jong Un. By Wednesday the battle royale was between Trump and his former friend and White House aide, Steve Bannon.

Trump/Bannon

A new book by Michael Wolff, Fire and Fury, presents a revealing look into the Trump White House. Some of the first publicly released excerpts show how Bannon really feels about the president he once served with such apparently fawning loyalty. And it’s not a pretty picture. Bannon is reported to have said that Don Junior’s meetings with Russians were treasonous and that Daddy Trump knew about them, despite his denials.

The book contains many other revelations that expose Trump as a flagrant fool who commanded no respect from those around him. Rupert Murdoch, CEO of Fox News, reportedly called him a “f**king moron.” And an aide tasked with explaining the Constitution described Trump as becoming bored and unwilling to continue past the Fourth Amendment. But it’s the Bannon comments that have caught the attention of Trump and, therefore, the media. Consequently, Trump released an official reply from the White that was as unhinged as anything we have ever seen from this acutely disturbed pseudo-president. He said in part:

“Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my Presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind. Steve was a staffer who worked for me after I had already won the nomination by defeating seventeen candidates. […] Steve was rarely in a one-on-one meeting with me and only pretends to have had influence to fool a few people with no access and no clue.”

This is typical Trumpian behavior that he employs to distance himself from close associates he later turns against. Although the degree of unrestrained anger reflects someone shockingly unglued from rational thought. Often Trump’s wrath is aimed at those he regards as having personally betrayed him. Even when he initiated the break in the relationship as he did in this case by firing Bannon. Shortly after his termination, Trump had this to say about his former senior counselor: “Now Sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone.”

Contrary to Trump’s outburst, Bannon was not merely a “staffer” on the sidelines of his presidency. Bannon was his campaign manager, and later the White House Chief Strategist with a seat on the National Security Council. In other words, the coffee boy. And Trump had a decidedly different opinion on the day that Bannon was released from his White House duties last August:

Just prior to his dismissal, Trump described Bannon in glowing terms calling him “a good person and I think the press treats him frankly very unfairly.” Now Trump asserts that Bannon has “lost his mind.” That’s a subject that Trump can claim some expertise on. Many psychiatric professionals have concluded that Trump is “too mentally ill to serve.” A group of psychiatric doctors and academics who met at Yale University found that Trump displays symptoms of a variety of mental illnesses, including antisocial and narcissistic personality disorders. That assessment agrees with others that found Trump suffering from “malignant narcissism” and an “inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality.” More recently, a doctor writing for The Atlantic noted Trump’s abnormalities in speech and movement that justified implementing routine mental evaluations for presidents.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Trump’s unbridled rage and fluctuating opinions are obvious symptoms of an acute mental disorder. And if something isn’t done about it soon, we can expect it to manifest in ever more perilous ways. That includes the potential for anything from continued soap opera melodrama in the White House to military conflicts and nuclear showdowns. And the more Trump feels threatened, either by former colleagues or special counsel investigations, the more dangerous he will become.

Women at Fox News Blast CEO Rupert Murdoch for Trivializing Sexual Abuse: ‘I’m Sick of This Sh*t’

Posted by on December 16, 2017 at 10:32 am. 4 Comments :

This week Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO of Fox News and 21st Century Fox, made some shocking statements regarding sexual harassment and abuse at Fox News. His brazen distortion of reality was either a deliberate attempt to rewrite the recent and abhorrent history of the network, or signs of acute dementia. But some outraged women who experienced the misogynistic culture of Fox News first hand aren’t sitting still for this bullshit.

Fox News Rupert Murdoch

Murdoch’s comments trivialized, and even downright denied, the actual events that have been documented and admitted in public statements by Fox News. When asked about the charges leveled at Fox personnel and whether they would impact the business, he said that they were…

“All nonsense, there was a problem with our chief executive [Roger Ailes], sort of, over the years, isolated incidents. As soon as we investigated it he was out of the place in hours, well, three or four days. And there’s been nothing else since then. That was largely political because we’re conservative. Now of course the liberals are going down the drain — NBC is in deep trouble. CBS, their stars. I mean there are really bad cases and people should be moved aside. There are other things which probably amount to a bit of flirting.”

Let’s address this heinous commentary in order. First of all, Murdoch conceded that there was a “problem” with Fox News CEO Roger Ailes. But adds “sort of?” Ailes was accused of serial sexual assault by at least eleven women. And an independent review of his actions resulted in his termination. That isn’t “sort of,” a problem. And it isn’t “isolated incidents” either.

Then Murdoch stated that “there’s been nothing else since then.” Can he possibly believe that? The biggest star on his network, Bill O’Reilly was fired after the disclosure of millions of dollars in settlements to victims of his abuse. He personally shelled out $32 million to one victim. Also, numerous other Fox on-air and executive personnel were fired for sexual misconduct. The number of deviants on the Fox payroll points to a serious internal breakdown. The network was even called “a sex-fueled Playboy Mansion-like cult” by a long-time program host and victim.

Finally, Murdoch tried to dismiss the whole subject as being purely political. But in the same breath he conceded that both conservatives and liberals had their share of perverts. So he contradicted his own excuse. However, just trying to make this a partisan issue shows the depths of depravity to which he will sink. He is laser-focused on disparaging liberals in all matters, which was the founding mission of Fox News. And he proved what a despicable old coot he is by tacking on his opinion that sexual harassment and flirting are somehow synonymous.

Which brings us to the reactions of ten women contacted by Yasher Ali of the Huffington Post. Their disgust upon hearing Murdoch’s remarks was expressed with fierce determination and, as one stated, a hunger for justice. Here are some examples of their comments:

  • “I have had to put up with a hostile work environment for years, and now I’m told that it doesn’t exist by a man who doesn’t have to walk these halls every day?”
  • “Hey Rupert – stop with the lies or we’ll go public with the truth. All of it. Including about the talent and executives you still employ who have harassed us and don’t give a damn about workplace respect – only money.”
  • “What kind of company pays close to 100 million dollars to keep ‘flirting’ quiet?”
  • “Sexual harassment has nothing to do with politics. Many of us are conservative and want the truth to come out.”
  • “The harassment was persistent and ongoing. It was personally and professionally devastating for some of my colleagues and me. When the person who signs your paycheck and is responsible for promotions and demotions harasses women who rely on him, it’s more than ‘sort of’ a problem.”
  • “The culture at Fox News won’t change until you publicly accept that it has been a breeding ground for sexual misconduct over the past two decades.”
  • “I’m contacting a lawyer tomorrow. I’m sick of this shit.”

That’s a pretty damning summation of what it’s like to work at Fox News. And considering the broad corroboration among so many women who suffered, and continue to suffer, at Fox, Murdoch’s repulsive remarks ought to be reconsidered and a public apology made ASAP. And you can expect that to occur at around the same time that Donald Trump apologizes for his rampant, sexual predatory assault.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Bill O’Reilly, Fox News Being Sued For Defaming A Woman He Harassed – What About Trump?

Posted by on December 4, 2017 at 3:21 pm. 1 Comments :

When Fox News fired Bill O’Reilly they had already paid out about $45 million dollars to settle charges of sexual harassment and abuse against the blowhard host. Actually, they didn’t fire him until the network’s advertisers fled because they didn’t want to be associated with his revolting deviancy. But the result was the same as Fox News had to part ways with their biggest star.

Bill O'Reilly Donald Trump

Ever since O’Reilly was cast off, he has been proclaiming his innocence and disparaging his accusers as politically motivated liars. Now one of them is fighting back with a lawsuit alleging defamation and breach of contract. The Daily Beast reports that:

“A brand-new federal lawsuit filed Monday in the Southern District of New York claims O’Reilly and Fox have repeatedly defamed ex-Fox News producer Rachel Witlieb Bernstein, and violated the confidentiality terms of their 2002 settlement agreement with her, by making public statements that portrayed her and other O’Reilly accusers as liars and extortionists motivated by politics and greed.”

This is an excellent example of O’Reilly opening his fat mouth and disgorging comments that boomerang back to smack in the face. If he had the intelligence and character to comply with the terms of his own non-disparagement contract there would be no grounds for this lawsuit. But he couldn’t help himself. He had to lash out and call his accusers liars to salve his wounded ego. And he did so expecting that his victims would stay quiet because of the non-disclosure agreements they were forced to sign.

As it turns out, that assumption on O’Reilly’s part was ill-considered. He is now facing a credible complaint that could result in many of his accusers being released from any contractual promise of confidentiality. And he isn’t the only one.

Donald Trump has been accused of sexual harassment by at least sixteen women (See this moving video featuring Trump’s accusers in their own words). He settled some of those complaints with NDAs that imposed silence on the part of his victims. But one of them is challenging the agreement because Trump has spoken of the offenses and called his accusers liars. According to the Huffington Post:

“Summer Zervos, who accused Trump of sexually harassing her, is suing the president for defamation after he repeatedly called her allegations a ‘hoax’ and claimed his presidential opponent Hillary Clinton’s campaign hired her to slander him.”

The legal arguments for both of these lawsuits is that it’s fundamentally unfair for the victims to be muzzled by contract while the abuser is free to defame them. And that’s a point that was made by Bernstein’s lawyer who expanded the scope of reparations to include all such victims:

“They should release all victims from their NDAs and let the truth out. It is cowardly to publicly attack these women knowing they have been subjected to contractual provisions requiring absolute silence.”

Indeed. Men like Bill O’Reilly and Donald Trump are inherently cowards. They hide behind their power and position in order to take advantage of others. But given the recent revelations about sexual harassment in politics, media, and entertainment, they may not be able to get away with it anymore. At least hopefully they won’t. And the worst abuser of them all, who must not be allowed to escape accountability, currently resides in the White House – temporarily.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

WTF? Trump Statement on Flynn Guilty Plea Puts the Blame on – Wait For It – President Obama

Posted by on December 1, 2017 at 12:32 pm. 2 Comments :

Friday morning Donald Trump’s former National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. It’s a charge emanating from the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller. The relative minor infraction suggests the Flynn is fully cooperating with Mueller’s probe and has material evidence to trade for his leniency. In fact, Flynn’s statement explicitly references his “guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the Special Counsel’s Office.”

Donald Trump Michael flynn

However, there is more to his statement and plea bargain that is likely to make things very dicey for Donald Trump. That includes the fact that Flynn’s offenses took place while serving in the administration. Which should make it difficult for Trump to credibly put distance between Flynn and himself. But Trump, being Trump, couldn’t care less about making a rational assessment when it’s much easier for him to float ludicrous implications against his arch enemy, President Obama. The White released the following statement in response to the news of Flynn’s guilty plea:

“Today, Michael Flynn, a former National Security Advisor at the White House for 25 days during the Trump Administration, and a former Obama administration official, entered a guilty plea to a single count of making a false statement to the FBI.

Note the slyly worded attempt at misdirection: “and a former Obama administration official.” Does Trump really think he’s going to get away with this subliminal effort to blame Obama for the Flynn affair? Probably. He is just that nuts. And after all, Trump will have the assistance of Fox News to manipulate the narrative and shift the focus to his predecessor. But most Americans will simultaneously laugh and cringe when they see this transparent act of desperation.

For the record, Obama fired Flynn from his post as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency. So he can hardly be held responsible for Trump later embracing him. What’s more, Obama personally warned then President-Elect Trump not to hire Flynn as his National Security Advisor. But Trump ignored that warning and hired him anyway. Only to push him out less than a month later.

With regard to Flynn’s “resignation,” it was accepted reluctantly by Trump, who continued to praise Flynn on his way out the door. “I don’t think he did anything wrong. If anything, he did something right,” Trump said about Flynn’s discussions with Russian officials. Trump commended Flynn for “doing his job,” and gushed that “I think he’s a fine man.” For Trump to now pretend that it was somehow Obama’s fault that he cozied up to a scoundrel like Flynn is further evidence of his failing mental state.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

The Trump administration is well aware of how flimsy their pivot to Obama is, and they are already floating alternative excuses. One suggests that Flynn’s lies (and by extension Trump’s) are no big deal because “everyone lies in Washington.” That’s the sort of justification that can only be proposed by a pathological liar. Therefore, it’s no big surprise that Trump is proposing it. During his campaign he promised to drain Washington of just this sort of swampiness. Of course, a quick glance at his administration, and his policies, reveal that to be just another one of the profusion of falsehoods he has unleashed since he took office.

POLL: More Republicans Are Totally Cool With Candidates Who Are Sexual Predators

Posted by on November 22, 2017 at 2:05 pm. 1 Comments :

The sudden rash of revelations about men who harass or abuse women is a positive step forward for equality and decency. It doesn’t matter which side of the political aisle the perpetrator is on. Anyone who uses their position or power to commit sexual assaults needs to be called out and suffer appropriate consequences.

Donald Trump

At least that’s the view of Democrats in a new poll by Quinnipiac. When asked whether they would still consider voting for a candidate who has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women, a plurality of Republican respondents (43%) said they would. In other words, they don’t think that it’s a disqualifying factor for a public servant to have committed sexual assaults.

The same survey broke out results for Democrats who have a completely different perspective. Eighty-one percent said that they would not consider voting for a candidate with such a dirty background. So this should put to rest the fallacy that there is no difference between the political parties. The difference, at least so far as this question is concerned, is that one side isn’t bothered by perverts, and the other side is. Which side are you on?

Donald Trump took sides this week when he told reporters that he still backs the pedophile candidate for senate in Alabama, Roy Moore. Like many of his fellow Republicans, Trump cited as a reason for supporting Moore his concern about passing a tax bill that gives corporations and the wealthy a huge break. So having a pervert in the senate is acceptable if he’s a right-wing pervert who will advance the interests of the one percent. Trump’s objection to Moore’s Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, is that he’s a liberal. Which in the view of the President is worse than being a child molester.

Hopefully most Americans don’t share that demented opinion. Particularly those in Alabama who will be voting in three weeks. But we already know that we can’t count on Fox News to exhibit any sense of decency. The network that has ingrained sexual abuse into their corporate culture is predictably behind Moore and praises Trump’s endorsement.

The problem for Trump is that he can’t make a principled condemnation of Moore without it leaking into his own history of sexually predatory behavior. There are at least sixteen women who have made credible accusations against him. Yet even after all of the sleazeballs who have been taken down in recent weeks, Trump is still skating away untouched. If anyone should be driven from office it’s Trump. And if his collusion with Russia, financial corruption, undermining the free press, or being a pathological liar and malignant narcissist aren’t sufficient reasons, then his sexual depravity and criminality should be.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

HUH? WH Press Sec Says Trump’s Sexual Abuse Shouldn’t Be Investigated Because He Denies It

Posted by on November 17, 2017 at 2:25 pm. 5 Comments :

The more Donald Trump and his flagrantly dishonest administration diverge from reality, the harder it is for them to maintain any semblance of coherence. Their lies just keep getting more absurd, which requires ever more ludicrous justifications and defenses. That state of affairs was perfectly illustrated Friday morning when Trump’s press secretary, Sarah Huckabee-Sanders, was asked to comment about the allegations against Sen. Al Franken.

Sarah Huckabee-Sanders

The question put to Huckabee-Sanders sought an explanation for why Trump’s history of sexual harassment and abuse should be dismissed while Franken is being subjected to harsh criticism from all sides. After all, There is just one accuser against Franken, but at least sixteen against Trump. [See all sixteen in this moving video that features Trump’s victims in their own words]. What’s more, the allegations against Franken are closer to bad humor and disrespect than to harassment. The incidents described occurred in public with witnesses and clear, but misguided, comedic intentions. Actual sexual abusers generally seek out privacy to commit their heinous acts.

Trump has been uncharacteristically silent with regard to the allegations against Republican senate candidate Roy Moore. The White House said that he doesn’t have time to respond to every news item. But that excuse didn’t seem to apply when it came to Franken. Trump managed to find the time to tweet this:

Let’s set aside Trump’s typically infantile name-calling, his misspelling of “Frankenstein,” and his baseless assumptions about additional photos. The fact that he could post this message despite his own repugnant record of gross, and potentially criminal, behavior, shows astonishing hypocrisy and self-deception. And that psychological impairment appears to be contagious. Take, for instance, this exchange during Friday’s White House press briefing (video below):

Reporter: If it’s fair to investigate Al Franken in the allegation made by his accuser, is it also fair to investigate this president and the allegations of sexual misconduct made against him by more than a dozen women?
Huckabee-Sanders: Look, I think that this was covered pretty extensively during the campaign. We addressed that then. The American people, I think, spoke very loud and clear when they elected this president.
Reporter: But how is this different?
Huckabee-Sanders: I think in one case specifically, Sen. Franken has admitted wrongdoing and the President hasn’t. I think that’s a very clear distinction.

Indeed, that’s a very clear distinction. But not in the way she thinks. The fact that Franken has admitted wrongdoing and apologized makes the need for an investigation less imperative. Why probe something that isn’t in dispute? Conversely, Trump’s stubborn denials and attacks on his accusers should make an investigation necessary to resolve the discrepancies between Trump’s version of events and those of the sixteen women he allegedly abused. In effect, Huckabee-Sanders just made the case for initiating an investigation of Trump. Thanks, Sarah.

And just for the record, the American people spoke very loud and clear when they gave Hillary Clinton three million more votes than Trump got. And his approval ratings from day one of his presidency have been historically low. Polls even show that a plurality of voters favor impeaching Trump. So there’s that.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

And What About Trump, the Sexual-Predator-in-Chief: This Must-See Video Needs to Go Viral

Posted by on November 16, 2017 at 12:02 pm. 1 Comments :

For several weeks the issue of harassment and abuse of women has taken center stage. It is something that is long overdue. Women have had to suffer in silence and fear as more powerful associates took advantage of them. It’s a big step forward that they are being paid attention to now and that there are consequences for the perpetrators. Well, some of them.

Donald Trump

Harvey Weinstein has lost his job and his company. Kevin Spacey and Louis C.K. are now pariahs in their industry. GOP senate candidate Roy Moore, is still hanging on, but is being abandoned by more of his own supporters everyday. However, there is a notable omission among the ranks of sleazeballs who have grossly abused women who trusted them. Donald Trump appears to be getting away with his despicable and criminal behavior.

Trump’s abusive acts have been well known for some time. He even admitted to criminal sexual assault in the video from Access Hollywood. But he was elected president anyway by so-called “family values” voters who dismissed his contemptible conduct in favor of rank party politics. And he has the full support of Fox News, a network whose corporate culture virtually encourages sexual harassment. Now Brave New Films has produced a video that compiles sixteen of Trump’s accusers describing the acts committed against them. It’s a moving presentation that needs to be seen by as many people as possible:

Brave New Films has a website that hosts this video and makes the point that no one should be excused for such heinous behavior. It occurs by aberrant men in every walk of life, every industry, and every political party. And justice must be served on an equal basis without favoritism. As is pointed out on the website: “[O]ur current president isn’t immune to being held accountable.” That ought to mean that if other perpetrators lose their status and position, so too should Donald Trump.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Allowing Trump to remain in the White House sends a terrible message to all Americans, particularly women and girls. If Trump isn’t impeached for obstruction of justice, collusion with Russia, financial corruption, undermining the free press, or being a pathological liar and malignant narcissist, then his sexual depravity and criminality should be more than reason enough.