DAFUQ? Giuliani Blames Clinton For Trump’s Birther Bullsh*t (VIDEO)

Posted by on September 4, 2016 at 4:00 pm. 15 Comments :

There is a toxic tendency among conservatives to persistently believe the most ridiculous lies about Hillary Clinton. Even after they’ve been thoroughly debunked, the right clings to them like ideological life preservers. This makes it hard for any of these crackpot notions to mercifully die.

Giuliani

One of the stickiest Hillary mythologies is the charge that she created the Birther movement. The fact that there are still people who believe that President Obama is a native Kenyan is puzzling and sad. But even worse are the loons who insist that Clinton started it all.

Donald Trump, of course, anointed himself as the Chief Birther years ago. He claimed to have sent an investigative team to Hawaii to get to the bottom of it. Later, he declared that the world “will be amazed” at what they found. Unfortunately, Trump’s “investigators” must have been swallowed up by a lava flow because they have never been heard from again. In the interim, Trump has refused to even talk about it. Amazing.

Additionally, Trump is also a vocal proponent of the theory that Clinton birthed Birtherism. Before he dropped it from his repertoire it was a regular part of his anti-Clinton spiel. For example, see this tweet from last September:

No it wasn’t, and no she wasn’t. For the record. neither Hillary Clinton, nor her campaign, had any part of the Birther business. In fact, she explicitly called it “ludicrous.” Every fact-checking organization refuted the allegation. PolitiFact wrote a detailed response declaring it “False” and concluding that:

“There is no record that Clinton herself or anyone within her campaign ever advanced the charge that Obama was not born in the United States.”

To its shame, the media has allowed Trump to evade questions on his Birther fetish. They have inexplicably honored his pronouncement that he doesn’t talk about it anymore. Just because he wants to put it aside doesn’t mean that responsible journalists have to comply. And this morning CNN’s Jake Tapper proved why it is still important to raise the issue. Tapper brought it up with respect to Trump’s recent efforts to pander to minority voters. He asked Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani to comment:

Jake Tapper: I have to say, in interviews many African-Americans say they are still troubled by Mr. Trump having suggested over and over, falsely, that the first African-American president was born in Africa and, thus, ineligible to be president.

Giuliani began to respond by asserting that “the first one that made that claim was Hillary Clinton.” Tapper interrupted to say that it wasn’t Clinton herself, but people around her. But even that isn’t correct. It was a group of fringe supporters who were unaffiliated with her campaign. Giuliani’s exchange with Tapper continued:

Tapper: It was resolved in 2011 when he released his birth certificate. Donald Trump talking about this as recently as February of last year at CPAC saying that he thinks the birth certificate is false. Should he just apologize for this to let – if he really wants to reach out to minority voters?

Rudy Giuliani: You know, if everybody apologized for all the things they said in politics, all we would be doing on television shows is apologizing. Maybe a lot of the Democrats should apologize for calling Donald Trump a racist and calling him all kinds of terrible names and? – it gets a little silly.

First of all, if all he would be doing on TV is apologizing for things he said, he is saying way too much bullcrap. Which, of course, in his case is true. More to the point, Giuliani’s suggestion that Democrats apologize for telling the truth about Trump is totally absurd. And lying about Obama’s citizenship is overtly racist and blaming Clinton for it just makes it worse. His refusal to apologize is evidence that he and Trump aren’t sorry about expressing their bigotry.

The rush to hang Birtherism on Clinton is not a new phenomenon. Saturday on CNN Trump surrogate Scottie Nell Hughes also falsely claimed that Clinton was the source of Birtherism. Much of last year Fox News pushed this nonsense. Many of their top personalities joined in, including Megyn Kelly, Sean Hannity, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Steve Doocy.

By continuing to spread these lies, Giuliani, Trump, Fox News, and all of their cohorts, are demonstrating an open aversion to the truth. They are embracing racism. In addition, they are effectively admitting that they haven’t got a single factual criticism to make about Clinton. Otherwise, why would they have to keep pounding away on one that they surely know is false? And if it’s their intention to keep Birtherism alive, then Trump should be forced to face questions about it whether he wants to or not.

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

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Trump’s Black Outreach Colorfully Crushed As ‘Nothing But A Scam’ (VIDEO)

Posted by on September 3, 2016 at 5:24 pm. 1 Comments :

On Friday Donald Trump went to Detroit to speak at the Great Faith Ministries Church. It was billed by the campaign as an attempt to reach out to African-American voters. However, most Americans saw it as a disingenuous political stunt aimed at making white voters more comfortable with a candidate who is widely perceived as racist. The speech itself was brazenly solicitous and devoid of sincerity.

Donald Trump

The first problem with Trump’s address was his opening assertion that he “meant it from the heart”. Which was difficult to believe considering the awkward way he read it from the script he was holding. The entire speech was prepared for him in advance. And much of his delivery sounded like he was reading it for the first time.

Trump recited an array of platitudes with little substance behind them. He talked about the African-American church being “the conscience of our country” and having the “spirit of charity and unity that binds us all together.” Astonishingly, he also said that “those who seek office do not do enough to step into the community and learn what is going on.” This from a candidate who just made his first foray into a minority community. What’s more, he only did so after being castigated for giving black themed speeches to majority white audiences.

Trump also spoke about the economy and jobs. He lamented that “When I see wages falling, people out of work, I know the hardships this inflicts.” Oh really? How does he know that? He has never suffered from low wages or unemployment. Perhaps he knows as a result of observing the people his bankrupt businesses have thrown into poverty. Or maybe he’s seen families whose jobs were eliminated when he moved his manufacturing operations to China, Bangladesh, and Mexico.

Among those who saw Trump’s speech was Wendell Anthony, the president of the Detroit chapter of the NAACP. Anthony appeared on CNN to respond to the insipid cliches Trump disgorged. He began by noting that Trump’s rhetoric “is doing no more than dividing this nation.” From there he rattled off many of the examples of Trump’s long record of bigotry. From lawsuits for racially discriminating against prospective black tenants, to his impractical and unlawful approach to immigration. Anthony reminded viewers that Trump said he didn’t want black people counting his money (only Jews). He also mentioned Trump’s opposition to livable wages. He railed against Trump’s campaign of deception saying:

“This is tantamount to a wolf coming to the farmhouse and asking the sheep to ‘let me lead you to greener pastures.’ When the pastures you’re gonna lead us to have no water, have nothing but weeds and dandelions in them, and do not increase us, but yet they diminish us. It’s nothing but a ruse. It’s nothing but a scam.”

Given that Trump’s support among African-Americans is hovering between two percent and zero, Anthony’s views are likely widely held. But he wasn’t finished. Past Republican strategy is visible in Trump’s current game plan. Anthony recognized the tactics of Lee Atwater that brought Nixon and Reagan and Bush to power. It’s the old southern strategy, he said, updated to 2016. And he wouldn’t let Trump’s obsession with President Obama’s birth certificate go unnoticed. Trump is one of the most persistent purveyors of the racist birther theories.

Most prominent in Anthony’s remarks was his view that Trump’s campaign rhetoric can’t be trusted. He continually changes what he says to conform to his audience or to escape ridicule when he says something stupid (i.e. daily). So it becomes impossible to predict which Trump will show up on any given occasion. And because Trump so often contradicts himself, Anthony wisely refuses to take him at face value saying that:

“You cannot determine the nature of a tree by the bark that it wears or but the fruit that it bears. Donald Trump has borne bad fruit. There are worms in it. And when you eat it you get sick. And when you go to the hospital, he doesn’t even want you have ObamaCare.”

He paints a pretty picture, doesn’t he? Here is Anthony’s whole segment on CNN. If Trump truly believes what he said about listening to the black community, he ought to watch this video. It is more representative than anything he’ll hear from the sycophants in his campaign.

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


Fox News Debate Moderator’s Ex-Boss Is Prepping Trump For The Debates

Posted by on September 2, 2016 at 8:31 pm. 1 Comments :

The 2016 presidential debates are now set with dates and moderators. They will be the most influential campaign events in the final two months of this election cycle. How they are produced and managed can have an impact nearly as significant as the performance of the candidates.

Baby Trump

For the past few weeks Donald Trump has been whining about the debate formats and moderators. Unlike Hillary Clinton, he has still not officially accepted the invitation to participate. To the contrary, he has been threatening to ditch the whole affair. He tweeted that the debates as scheduled were “Unacceptable,” and that “Hillary & the Dems are trying to rig the debates.” Furthermore, in an attempt to work the refs, he told Time Magazine that “certain moderators would be unacceptable, absolutely.”

Well, Donald Trump’s tantrums may have yielded some results (much like they did throughout the GOP primary debates). The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) just released their list of moderators. Lester Holt of NBC will host the first debate on September 26. The second will feature CNN’s Anderson Cooper and ABC’s Martha Radditz in a town hall format. The final debate will be moderated by Chris Wallace of Fox News.

The CPD managed to select journalists with reputations for fair, if bland, reporting for the first two debates. The problem comes in the third debate with Chris Wallace. Until a few weeks ago Wallace reported to Roger Ailes, the disgraced ex-CEO of Fox News who was ousted following multiple charges of sexual harassment. Prior to his exit, Wallace defended Ailes vigorously, and they remain close friends.

Ailes is now working for the Trump campaign, specifically helping to prep him for the debates with Clinton. The close relationship between Ailes and Wallace is unseemly at best. Will Ailes try to influence his pal on the topics or questions that will be asked? Will Wallace show favor to the candidate employing his friend and former boss?

While these questions can’t be answered with any certainty, the mere suggestions create enough of a conflict to have disqualified Wallace from moderating. Imagine the Republican howling that would ensue if a Clinton aide had a similar relationship with a debate moderator. Trump himself would throw fits of outrage at the bias and corruption of the system. Yet there has been nary a peep from anyone in the campaigns or the press about this blatant favoritism.

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

The presence of Wallace on the debate stage sets a low standard for fairness that will be difficult to overcome. Only time will tell if he has any interest in doing so. But the most revealing aspect of this development is what has not occurred. Donald Trump has not (as yet) complained about the lineup. That’s a pretty good indicator that he feels he got what he wanted. Too bad the voters who will be watching won’t be able to say the same thing.


Sorry GOP Haters: Clinton Foundation Given Top Rating By Charity Watchdog

Posted by on September 1, 2016 at 5:22 pm. 3 Comments :

Republicans have an obsessive compulsion to viciously denigrate anything associated with Democrats, and especially Hillary Clinton. Their derangement reached a pinnacle when they decided to go after the Clinton Foundation. It was a repugnant political tactic that could have a devastating impact on the life-saving work of the organization. Republicans, however, are more concerned with smearing Clinton than saving lives.

Hillary Clinton

Today their strategy of demonizing the Clinton’s hit a snag. Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, completed an analysis of the Clinton Foundation that resulted in awarding it their highest rating. The Associated Press reports that:

“The Clinton Foundation received four out of four stars — the highest rating that Charity Navigator gives after a close look at a charity’s finances. The rating is based on annual federal tax documents and an objective algorithm.”

Rightist critics have been blasting the Clinton Foundation for unfounded charges of providing access to Clinton when she served as Secretary of State. To date they have produced no evidence that there were any favors or special treatment given to Foundation donors. So they re-aimed their rancor at the Foundation’s operations with charges of corruption. They alleged that the Foundation was negligent in funding worthy causes. That specific charge was refuted in by another non-profit evaluator:

“According to its 2014 consolidated tax report, the Clinton Foundation spends about 12 percent of its budget on running the foundation. Another watchdog, Charity Watch, previously gave the Clinton Foundation an “A” rating on a scale of A-F.”

Despite these glowing reviews, the GOP continues to slander the Foundation. Fox News, of course, pulled out all the stops to advance these lies. Bill O’Reilly complained that Clinton was “Using a charity for private gain.” Charles Krauthammer called it a “gigantic slush fund.” Jeanine Pirro and Monica Crowley both said it was a “money-laundering operation.” None of these charges had any evidence to back them up. Not to be left out, Donald Trump himself has taken a leading role in the obviously coordinated attacks. He alleged that the Foundation was a “vast criminal enterprise run out of the State Department.” Which begs the quest: Why did he donate $100,000 to the Foundation through his own foundation?

Speaking of which, the Trump Foundation contrasts very poorly with the admirable work done by the Clintons. Vanity Fair described it as a sham:

“Publicly available records for the Trump Foundation show that the real estate mogul has donated very little of his own money to his charity. Even more damning is the fact that few of those donations have gone to legitimate charitable causes, unless you count Trump’s own social interests and society galas as charities.”

Just this week additional proof of Trump’s corruption was exposed when it was reported that he paid a fine for making an illegal political donation with his foundation’s money. Even worse, the gift appears to be an attempt to buy off a prosecutor who was investigating him for fraud:

“Donald Trump paid a $2,500 fine to the IRS this year after it was discovered that the mogul’s namesake charity had illegally made a $25,000 political contribution, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.

“The Donald J. Trump Foundation gave the money to a group called ‘Justice for All,’ which was supporting Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s campaign. At the time, Bondi was weighing whether to pursue an investigation into allegations of fraud that had been leveled against Trump University. She eventually declined to bring charges.”

All of this makes it rather remarkable that Trump and his Republican cronies are condemning Clinton without any factual basis. While at the same time his reputation is in tatters and the damage is fully documented. The stellar ratings awarded to Clinton’s Foundation prove that her family has been operating their Foundation with integrity and transparency. Hopefully this news will break through the media clutter of Trump’s hate speech and phony Clinton scandals. The more we share this good news, the more good it will do come November.

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


Fox News ‘Psycho’ Analyst Lauds Donald Trump’s Crank Yanking

Posted by on September 1, 2016 at 12:57 pm. 3 Comments :

I want to apologize in advance for writing this article. I tried my best to avoid it but, in the end, this was too important to pass up. In just two months America will be deciding who will lead this nation and this fundamental issue needs to be on the record.

Fox News Ablow

The “Curvy Couch” potatoes of Fox & Friends were stirred up after hearing that Hillary Clinton was “consulting psychologists about Trump’s biggest insecurities to bait him into making mistakes on the debate stage.” So they brought in “Dr.” Keith Ablow, a member of the Fox News Medical A-Team, to give his professional psychiatric opinion about Clinton’s debate prep.

Ablow’s response briefly touched on the subject, but quickly diverted to another area that was more closely associated with his specialty – exalting perverts. Ablow inexplicably swerved off into a discourse on the courage Donald Trump showed by bragging about his manhood:

“I have to say, when the small hands issue was raised during the debate, this supposedly got the Clinton campaign very excited. They thought, ‘Man, he’s off his game.’ He wasn’t off his game at all. Freud would have been standing up, like applauding, standing ovation. To be able to address such an intensely personal issue and say, ‘Listen, there’s no problem in that department,’ to me that showed an incredible degree of psychological strength.”

Of course. The first indication of psychological strength is when someone is so insecure about themselves that they have to convince twenty million strangers how well endowed they are. It’s particularly admirable when such boasting is done in pursuit of the presidency. In Ablow’s mind democracy will be perfected when debates are replaced with dick measuring contests (sorry Hillary).

Ablow can add this to his other political diagnoses that found merit in the most repulsive character flaws. For instance, he recently praised Trump’s narcissism as “exactly what America needs.” He declared that Newt Gingrich was honorable for being unfaithful to multiple wives. And he even praised the Unabomber’s sociopathic philosophy.

All of these actually apply to Trump pretty well. He has obsessive penis envy; he is a textbook narcissist; he has also cheated on multiple wives; and his approach to public service is rife with sociopathic tendencies. These are the key components of the Cult of Trump.

So thank you, Dr. Ablow, for once again revealing your ignorance of the human mind. A few months ago Trump insulted his own followers by saying they were so stupid they would continue to support him even if he shot someone on Fifth Avenue. Apparently Ablow is among that glassy-eyed assembly of disciples. If Trump confessed to being a crack addict or a pedophile Ablow would praise his commitment to stick to unpopular positions. No matter what horrific personality disorder Trump displays, Ablow will spin it into a virtue. And Fox News will give him a platform to spread his nauseating psychobabble.

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


Trump Campaign Linked To Russian Hacking Of DNC, FBI Asked To Investigate

Posted by on August 31, 2016 at 10:34 am. NO Comments :

In the days leading up to the Democratic National Convention reports that the party’s computer networks were hacked threatened to derail the entire affair. Stolen emails were timed for release in a deliberate attempt to harm the party’s prospective nominee, Hillary Clinton. It wasn’t long before Russian operatives were identified as the likely perpetrators.

Donald Trump Vladimir Putin

The notion that Russians were attempting to interfere with American elections was not especially significant. The KGB has done this sort of thing before. However, their interest in advancing the campaign of Donald Trump ought to have raised red flags. What would motivate them to go to these lengths to get Trump into the White House? And who else would have an incentive to achieve that goal? There’s an obvious answer to the latter question and it may have been revealed in this article in The Hill:

“The ranking members of four House committees have asked the FBI to investigate whether officials from Donald Trump’s campaign had any role in recent cyberattacks on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).”

There are legitimate reasons to suspect that the Trump camp is connected to the hacking of Democratic networks. The Democrats, including House Oversight Committee member Elijah Cummings, have genuine concerns that they are asking FBI Directer James Comey to investigate. They want to know whether “connections between Trump campaign officials and Russian interests may have contributed” to the cyberattacks. As The Hill article notes:

“The five-page letter lists a number of press reports detailing an apparent relationship between Trump aides and Russia, including foreign policy adviser Carter Page’s reported dealings with Russian energy firm Gazprom and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s ties to a pro-Russian official in Ukraine.”

That’s just the beginning. Trump’s affection for Russian President Vladimir Putin has been well established, along with myriad political and financial connections. He frequently praises Putin’s leadership. And who can forget Trump’s explicit request for the Russians to hack into Hillary Clinton’s email? That’s a naked call for foreign adversaries to commit crimes against an American candidate for president.

In addition, Trump has articulated policies that are favorable to the Russians. Most notably his willingness to abandon the NATO Treaty and allow Putin to annex parts of Ukraine and the Baltic states. What’s more, Trump and his associates are deeply intertwined with Russian financiers who hold significant amounts of his debt. Time Magazine recently reported that:

“…as major banks in America stopped lending him money following his many bankruptcies, the Trump organization was forced to seek financing from non-traditional institutions. Several had direct ties to Russian financial interests in ways that have raised eyebrows.”

The cumulative affect of these facts make it all the more critical that a full investigation is conducted. The integrity of our elections are stake. Republicans will howl, but this is not the sort of partisan hustle that typifies GOP efforts to slander Democrats.

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

The Republican Congress spent eight years twisting the nation’s legislative branch into a private investigative arm of the GOP. They held dozens of hearings on everything from Benghazi to Planned Parenthood. And in every case the only purpose was to harass Democrats and waste taxpayers’ money. Yet for all their trouble they never proved a single misdeed by the Democrats they sought to defame. By contrast, the abundant and sordid details evident here make the Democrats’ request for an investigation into Trump’s possible role in Russian hacks appropriate and necessary.

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‘Fair And Balanced’ My Ass! Fox News Goes Full Propaganda Factory For Donald Trump

Posted by on August 30, 2016 at 12:32 pm. 10 Comments :

Fox News was never “fair and balanced” and was never meant to be. The slogan itself is a backhanded slap at every other media outlet that implies they are neither. It’s the same type of messaging that cults use to insure that their disciples believe only their dogma and reject all others as deceivers.

Fox News

So the debate over whether Fox News is biased ended before it even began. However, there is a much more interesting debate over who is in charge of the Republican Party. Is the GOP running its own show, or are they merely a vehicle to carry out the agenda of Fox News? Several years ago former Bush speechwriter David Frum recognized a power shift and wrote that “Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us, and now we are discovering we work for Fox.” This question became even more complicated when Donald Trump’s campaign was taken over by Breitbart News (Fox-on-Steroids).

One thing that is unmistakable is that Fox News devotes all of its resources to pushing the conservative Republican political agenda. Throughout their broadcast day they provide vigorous support for right-wing candidates and policies. Their most prominent anchors are personal friends of Donald Trump, and Sean Hannity has even endorsed him on the air. And now they are literally creating pro-Trump memes to boost his campaign on social media. These are graphic advertisements that are either promoting Trump or bashing Hillary Clinton. Their are no pro-Clinton memes at all. Have a look (Slideshow):

Fox News Memes

Could this be any more brazenly partisan? Fox News is hyping some of the most ridiculous attacks on Clinton and many are purely opinions that have no basis in fact. In other words, it isn’t remotely news, it’s propaganda. When they resort to quoting Larry the Cable Guy saying that “Hillary will be the end of the country,” it’s safe to say they have crossed a line into the surreal.

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

Fox News has created a pro-Trump meme factory to spew GOP talking points in support of their chosen candidate. The fact that they are creating these graphics with only a single, ultra-rightist point of view should satisfy any lingering doubts about the partisan objectives of Fox News and their management. Continuing to pretend that there is an independent Republican Party is a fool’s exercise. There is now only Fox News and their political subsidiary that is marketing a racist, misogynist demagogue to its glassy-eyed congregation.


Donald Trump’s Disgustingly Sexist Reaction To The Anthony Weiner Affair

Posted by on August 29, 2016 at 7:19 pm. 6 Comments :

The media today is all abuzz about recidivist sexter Anthony Weiner. Clearly this guy has an addiction that is driving him into self-destructive behavior. There is a temptation among many in the press to make a joke of it, but the consequences have proven to be profoundly serious. His wife, Huma Abedin, announced that they will be separating. There is nothing funny about a broken family with an infant child. What’s funny is that the media gets more heated about quirky behavior that hurts no one, than they do about the sexual harassment by former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, who left a trail of victims.

Trump/Weiner

In response to this marital misery, Donald Trump has lived down to expectations and found a way to take the low road as usual. Rather than express his condolences, or any concern for the child, Trump seemed overcome with glee for what he perceives to be a positive development. One that is ripe with political opportunity. His first response to the sad news was that:

“”Huma is making a very wise decision. I know Anthony Weiner well, and she will be far better off without him.”

That is an utterly disingenuous comment. Donald Trump has absolutely no idea what is best for Huma or anyone else in that family. What’s more, he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about them. He regards Huma as a traitor with allegiances to the Muslim Brotherhood. She is also an accomplice to the imagined crimes of Hillary Clinton in his conspiratorial mind. It it simply absurd for him to suddenly pretend that he has her best interests at heart. But he had more to say that just made things even worse:

“I only worry for the country in that Hillary Clinton was careless and negligent in allowing Weiner to have such close proximity to highly classified information. Who knows what he learned and who he told? It’s just another example of Hillary Clinton’s bad judgment. It is possible that our country and its security have been greatly compromised by this.”

Try to follow Trump’s logic here. He asserts that Clinton “allowed” Weiner to have access to classified information. Weiner would have gotten that information from his wife, Huma, who is also a close aide to Clinton. So Trump believes that Huma, who has high-level security clearances from the government, is blabbing state secrets to her libidinous hubby.

The assumption Trump has to make to arrive at that conclusion is pure, unadulterated sexism. It is insulting to all women. He thinks that women who work in sensitive government jobs are untrustworthy gossips who divulge secrets in pillow talk. In his mind women are undisciplined chatterboxes with no sense of duty or patriotism. Would he be similarly worried for the country about Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann spilling the beans to their spouses?

The obvious contempt Trump has for the integrity of women is appalling. You would never hear him say anything similar about a man sharing government secrets with his wife. And if he does think that that is a credible risk, then you have to wonder what classified info he would be yakking to Melania?

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

It’s no surprise that the the media is getting its thrills from the tabloid sexcapades of a fallen congressman who has no power or position. But we should be far more concerned with the misogyny of the Republican nominee for president. If Donald Trump doesn’t think women can serve the nation honorably, then he has no business asking for their votes. Or for that matter, the votes of their husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons.


Fox News Desperately Lashes Out At Hillary With Fake ‘Endorsement’ By Hate Leader

Posted by on August 28, 2016 at 12:11 pm. 1 Comments :

Desperation is often best measured by the ludicrous lengths one will go to in order to attack an opponent. And by that measure Fox News is off the charts desperate. They appear to have made the calculation that Hillary Clinton’s prospects for beating the pants off of Donald Trump are so great that there is no depth too low for them to sink to. Case in point, the story they posted Saturday on their Fox Nation website: “KKK Grand Dragon Endorses Hillary Clinton.”

Fox Nation

Fox Nation has never been known for honest reporting (see the ebook Fox Nation vs. Reality that catalogs their blatant lies). And this story affirms their shameful reputation. It was published just as Trump is vainly attempting to deflect the racism that is central to his campaign. His futile strategy has been to try to turn the tables by calling Clinton a bigot. Never mind that her support among African-Americans is over eighty percent compared to his in the low single digits.

Fox Nation’s article was sourced to a posting by Gateway Pundit Jim Hoft, aka the Dumbest Man on the Internet (serioulsy, Google it)). The epic wrongness of it is readily apparent to anyone with an IQ higher than their age.

First of all, Hoft had to reach back to a story that was published almost six months ago. The original story was about a confrontation between Ku Klux Klan members in Anaheim, CA, with Klan protesters and police. There was no current event that might have justified reprising the story. It was essentially just a memory he felt like revisiting. So of course Fox links to it as if it were breaking. The only commentary attached to it was an excerpted exchange between a professor who videotaped the affair and the leader of the tiny Klan chapter that organized it.

In that video Prof. Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and
Extremism at California State University in San Bernardino, asked Grand Dragon Will Quigg who he was supporting for president. Quigg answered simply “Hillary Clinton.” And on the basis of that, Hoft and Fox News composed headlines that proclaimed the Klan’s endorsement of Clinton.

However, much was left out of Fox’s reporting. For instance, the Huffington Post published an article last March on this wherein they got a more complete explanation of Quigg’s alleged endorsement. He said at the time that he believes Clinton has a secret agenda that is aligned with his white supremacist hate group:

“She is telling everybody one thing, but she has a hidden agenda,” said Quigg. “She’s telling everybody what they want to hear so she can get elected, because she’s Bill Clinton’s wife, she’s close to the Bushes. Once she’s in the presidency, she’s going to come out and her true colors are going to show. Border policies are going to be put in place. Our Second Amendment rights that she’s saying she’s against now, she’s not against. She’s just our choice for the presidency.”

Sounds like Quigg is describing Trump’s platform perfectly. Where he got the idea that Clinton is a Klan double agent is a mystery that is confined to his diseased brain. However, Prof. Levin, an expert on racial hate groups, had something to say about Quigg’s “endorsement” that was also missing from Fox’s reporting:

“It’s not true,” Levin said. “His recent publicized change of heart stands in sharp contrast to his consistent and effusive support over the last six months for Mr. Trump. I just totally don’t buy it. Quigg is playing everybody. […] These guys play the press all the time. Quigg is just pivoting. He’ll get some attention and he knows it’ll take a little heat off Trump.”

Further analysis holds that Quigg is distancing himself from a Klan rival, David Duke, who has endorsed Trump. Additionally, Quigg may be trying to avoid undermining Trump while simultaneously tarnishing Clinton. He knows that the Klan’s support would hurt whomever receives it, so he is doling it out strategically. However, he has been expressing his devotion to Trump for over a year, as evidenced by this tweet:

https://twitter.com/GrandDragonCa/status/644557280336154624

This isn’t the first time that Fox has tried to draw the dishonest connection between Clinton and the Klan. Just a couple of days ago Fox Nation posted an article with this headline: “Flashback: Hillary Clinton Praised Former KKK Member Robert Byrd as ‘Friend and Mentor'” That was another retread that was just as deceptive. It referenced a six month old column in the ultra-rightist Daily Caller that itself referenced a video from 2010 of Clinton offering condolences following the death of Sen. Byrd. Conservatives frequently try to smear the late senator despite the fact that he renounced his youthful Klan membership decades ago. In no uncertain terms he apologized and condemned racism and the groups that espouse it. He was honored by the NAACP in a letter after he died as a “Champion for Civil Rights and Liberties.”

In light of the above, it’s clear that Fox News is frantically trying to defame Clinton by inventing an utterly false association with a despised organization. It’s a far-fetched effort, particularly since many other Klan groups have already pledged their allegiance to Donald Trump. Many white supremacists are actively campaigning for him. And no amount of lies and race-baiting by Fox can erase the stain of Trump’s bigotry that has been so much a part of his campaign for the past year.

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


Trump Is ‘Incredibly Grateful’ For Adviser Who Said Hillary Should Be ‘Shot For Treason’ (AUDIO)

Posted by on August 27, 2016 at 11:41 am. NO Comments :

Thursday Hillary Clinton delivered a scathing address that castigated Donald Trump for his affiliations with right-wing extremists. She fully documented her allegations and often used his own words for confirmation. Subsequently, Trump and his allies struck back with baseless accusations that Clinton was a bigot. He insisted that he was being unfairly maligned and that there was nothing untoward about his political views or relationships. But less than twenty-four hours later, Trump is already proving his extremist bona fides.

Baldasaro

The latest instance began a few weeks ago when a Trump adviser went ballistic (so to speak) on Hillary Clinton during Jeff Kuhner’s talk radio show. New Hampshire state representative Al Baldasaro, who co-chairs the Trump campaign’s national veterans coalition, began ranting about Benghazi. Not surprisingly, he blamed Clinton for the whole thing:

“She is a disgrace for the lies that she told those mothers about their children that got killed over there in Benghazi. She dropped the ball on over 400 emails requesting back up security. Something’s wrong there. I wish they’d made the documents public on why Anderson was – the Ambassador Anderson – because in my mind I want to think were they moving guns? Were they doing something there? How did they know he was even there?”

First of all, the ambassador to Libya was Chris Stevens, something a veterans adviser ought to know. Secondly, accusing a murdered diplomat of unlawfully running guns, without any evidence, is beyond reprehensible. But Baldasaro wasn’t finished:

“This whole thing disgusts me. Hillary Clinton should be put in the firing line and shot for treason.”

That grotesque comment earned Baldasaro a visit from the U.S. Secret Service. You’ll notice that he never said that she should be tried or convicted. It’s the sort of hateful discharge that has become all too common among Trump’s associates. And for that matter, Trump himself. Recall his conjecture that only the “second amendment people” could stop Hillary Clinton from nominating Supreme Court justices.

Flash forward to the present. Trump gave an interview to Paul Steinhauser of New Hampshire’s NH1 News, and the subject came up again. It led to the following exchange (Video: Segment begins at 1:54):

Steinhauser: One of your good friends and one of your biggest supporters here in New Hampshire, state Rep. Al Baldasaro, he’s here today. He said some controversial things over the last month or two about Hillary Clinton, suggesting she should be put in front of a firing squad for treason. What do you think about his comments? Do you condone them?

Trump: Well, I didn’t know that but I will tell you he’s a very fine person. He is a person that loves the military and loves the veterans. He is a man that, as far as veterans and veterans affairs goes, I don’t think anybody knows more than Al. He loves the veterans and what I really know about him is that nobody wants to take care of the veterans of this country, who have been treated horribly, more than Al. So that’s what I do know.

Steinhauser: But you don’t condone any comments?

Trump: I don’t know what he said. You’d have to show me what he said.

Trump’s awkward response was an obvious attempt to dodge the question. He seemed to think that if he said “veterans” enough (five times) the reporter would become hypnotized and unable proceed with the interview. That plan failed, and when asked again Trump feigned ignorance. He claimed that he needed to know what Baldasaro said, even though Steinhauser had just told him. The only principled response to such a question is “I do not condone any calls for violence of any kind.” It isn’t really that hard if you have principles.

What makes this even worse is that Trump lied about not knowing what Baldasaro said. When the comment was originally made in July, Trump was asked to respond. His campaign spokesperson, Hope Hicks, told NH1 News that “We’re incredibly grateful for his support, but we don’t agree with his comments.” So apparently Trump did know about Baldasaro’s repugnant comments and instructed Hicks to renounce them. Unless his spokesperson is putting words in his mouth without consulting him. Neither of those options represent the qualities necessary for national leadership. And why is he refusing to renounce the same comments now? Is he afraid of offending his friends in the alt-right?

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

Trump’s supporters have a history of expressing their views about Clinton with overtly violent overtones. For example, the Riverside County GOP tweeted a photo of an executioner with the caption “Ready for Hillary.” Ted Nugent shared a video on Facebook of Clinton being shot by Bernie Sanders. The death threats aimed at Clinton frequently come from notable Republicans, rather than from anonymous Internet trolls. And Trump’s response to these incidents is clearly encouraging this abhorrent behavior.