Resist: The Downfall of the United States

I know I and millions of Americans are in mourning today. We are in mourning for the contempt, disdain, and utter destruction of Trump and  his racist, homophobic cabinet of multi-millionaires. We are mourning the celebration of sociopathy over compassion and love and the idea of paying it forward. We are mourning the day in history when the world will look back and ask: “why and how did people support Trump?” Today I weep for America.

The old rules of any type of civility are now over and we are now navigating a Trump world of sociopathy. Yes, Trump, Kellyanne Conway, Jeff Sessions, Reince Priebus, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and most of the GOP are now engaged in such mendacity and hypocrisy that the world seems upside down.

How do we resist? We keep vigilant, we continue to protest, we continue to call our members of congress and demand to be heard. I realize this is difficult, given that Paul Ryan seems to have disconnected his phone, as I have been calling his office once every day. We must never normalize this. We must never become people who turn their backs on the poor, the targeted, the registered! We all know that Trump will soon turn Americans against each other and ask that we spy on each other and report people. We know from his behavior that soon news outlets will not be invited to the White House; that he will censure journalists that ask questions; or that he will just stop providing news conferences.

I will challenge myself and all of America to take action! We need to organize, support each other, and change this system. Let us make every effort to mitigate the destruction he has laid out, the shredding of rights he has promised. Stay mobilized and passionate! There are anti-Trump rallies taking place all over the country — people are organizing and taking action. Be part of the movement, the resistance.

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Hero of the Week Award: August 31, Chris Matthews

Hero of the Week

What a pleasant surprise to have another mainstream journalist receive this week’s HWA. Regular TSM readers know that I have little patience for the pablum and apologetics that most networks peddle as news, straining so hard to be “fair” that they invite lunatics and hatemongers to “balance” facts. Lately, however, the media seem to have realized their jobs again, from the many news outlets actually calling out Ryan and Romney for their outright falsehoods to Soledad O’Brien‘s recent refusals to let her interviewees get away with bending the truth.

This week it was MSNBC’s Chris Matthews who stood up to the Republican deception and obfuscation engine. In an on-air conversation with Prince of Darkness, oops! RNC Chair Reince Priebus, Matthews interrupted him to call out his party’s race baiting. Referring to Mitt Romney’s wink-and-nod birtherism during a speech in Michigan, Matthews said,

That cheap shot about “I don’t have a problem with my birth certificate” was awful. You are playing that little ethnic card there. You can play your games and giggle about it, but the fact is your side is playing that card.

Priebus quickly became defensive and tried to move on. When he accused the President of “European” policies — a standard GOP talking point to make Obama seem foreign — Matthews stopped him cold.

You mean the fact that every president we’ve had has tried to offset the economic cycle with stimulus going the other direction is somehow European? […] What does that have to do with Europe and this foreignization of the government? You’re doing it now. Saying that he’s influenced by foreign influences.

After a heated exchange, the interview ended. Priebus later accused Matthews of being an Obama mouthpiece and — ironically — of being “the biggest jerk in the room.” He’s tried hard to paint Matthews as a fool and a bully, not realizing that his rubber and glue game isn’t working. Matthews, in turn, stands by his words.

There come times when the passion should be reflective in the tone. There are a couple issues like peace and war, and race relations — this is, deeply, not something we should be revisiting in the 21st century. It isn’t even covert any more, its overt. Race is the San Andreas Fault in this country, and this is dividing this country along racial lines.

So true, Mr. Matthews. So sadly true. Thank you for calling it out and for refusing to apologize for simply doing your job.

New GOP Chairman: Oregon Bucks the Trend Again

Reasonable Repbulican

This week the Oregon Republican Party selected Allen Alley as their new Chair. After the frightening choices made recently to lead the New Hampshire GOP and the Republican National Committee, it was heartening to see our home state select a voice of reason to lead a major political party. Alley, co-founder of semiconductor company Pixelworks, is a well-spoken, experienced businessman. He has nearly a decade of experince in public service as well, having served in econonmic capacities for Oregon’s last two governors. It is definitely worth noting that both Governors were Democrats; this speaks highly of Alley’s ability to work across partisan divides and focus on what’s good for the state.

Alley is a fiscal conservative who has run for public office twice, losing the race for Treasurer in 2008 and losing the GOP primary for Governor last year. His campaigns have focused heavily on ecomonic growth and fiscal stability. A look at his campaign website from last year’s gubernatorial run shows that he is moderate on hot-button GOP issues, being vocally pro-choice and supporting Oregon’s domestic partnerships for LGBT couples.

As you may remember, Oregon was one of the few states largely untouched by the Republican wave during last November’s midterm elections, re-electing all four Democratic Congressmen, a Democratic Senator, and a returning Democratic Governor. It’s nice to see the Oregon GOP respond by picking someone bright, talented, and reasonable rather than brewing up a cup of bitter tea.

Priebus: Machiavelli? McCarthy? Maggie’s Main Man.

When Reince Priebus broke the Seventh Seal – oops! I mean won the chairmanship of the RNC on the seventh vote – yesterday, most people had probably not heard of him. As this blog noted months ago, he’s a particularly nasty piece of work. He’s a regular practitioner of the Obama/Osama comparisons who actually called for the President’s execution. (He was named Keith Olbermann’s Worst Person as a result.) As outgoing Chairman Michael Steele’s former right-hand man, Priebus’s tactics for winning the vote have earned him comparisons with Machiavelli. As chair of the Wisconsin GOP, his sadly successful effort to unseat Russ Feingold have led people to ask if he wants to return the state to the age of McCarthy.

So what does Reince Priebus want to accomplish as national head of the GOP?

• He believes that all Republican candidates must pass a conservative litmus test to be supported by the RNC.
• He is rabidly anti-choice.
• He is a typical Republican stimulus hypocrite, claiming that the legislation was a costly failure even though he served on a team at his law firm that helped clients compete for stimulus funds.

Gays getting married! Isn't that horrifying?

They must be stopped! God told me so.

Priebus is also extremely anti-gay. When NOM’s Maggie Gallagher interviewed candidates for the RNC post in December, Priebus did a six-minute diatribe promising he will do everything he can to oppose marriage equality.

The selection of Reince Priebus is another clear move in the GOP’s lurch to the intolerant, oppressive right. I shudder to think what kinds of candidates he’ll use post-Citizens United funding to promote.

Reince Priebus: You have got to be kidding…

This is the best the GOP can do?  You thought Michael Steele was horrific, Priebus is a monster!  According to the New York Times, the GOP has just announced that the Republican National Committee has selected Reince Priebus as the next Chairman.  I hope all of you remember Reince Priebus was the one that called for the EXECUTION OF PRESIDENT OBAMA.  Is that not called treason?  This bigot is now the Chair of the RNC?  Wow, that is really sad. Click here to see the full NYT article.

You Should be Very Scared of Me