As it turns out President Obama also demanded a loyalty pledge from US Attorneys.

The first time President Obama met with his US Attorneys, he told us, “I appointed you but you don’t serve me. You serve the American people. And I expect you to act with independence & integrity.” None of us ever forgot that.

— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) December 29, 2017

Courtesy of the Daily Kos: 

Trump demanded government employees (appointed or not) give their sole loyalty and service to him. President Obama demanded loyalty and service be given to the American people. There lies the difference between self-serving—and selflessness. There lies the difference between self-importance—and greatness.

Barak Obama is what a real leader looks like, and he is dearly missed. 

Oh did I not mention that the loyalty Obama demanded was to the American people and the Constitution?

Because of course it was.

Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore is now fundraising off of allegations that he is a pedophile.

Roy Moore is out with a fundraising appeal that seems to relate to the WaPo story pic.twitter.com/oPNCthae9c

— Erica Werner (@ericawerner) November 9, 2017

Courtesy of the Daily Kos:

What’s an uber-conservative God-fearing Republican politician to do faced with careful, detailed reporting that, as a man in his 30s, he abused his position as an assistant district attorney to prey on teenage girls? If you’re Alabama’s Roy Moore, you fundraise off of it. That’s right, Moore is out with a fundraising email claiming that “The Obama-Clinton Machine’s liberal media lapdogs just launched the most vicious and nasty round of attacks against me I’ve EVER faced.” 

"Vicious and nasty round of attacks" is Republican-speak for "People are telling the truth about me again."

You have to admit it takes some balls to actually send out a fundraising email that cites allegations of pedophilia.

And it appears that there are many who will continue to support this pig, and will likely send money to benefit his campaign.

Top Alabama Republican responds to Moore allegations: I'd trust Putin over Washington Post https://t.co/QhRXF8U1ma pic.twitter.com/mVWUwE6wpb

— The Hill (@thehill) November 10, 2017

One Alabama state representative even suggested that it was the women who should face prosecution:

“If they believe this man is predatory, they are guilty of allowing him to exist for 40 years. I think someone should prosecute and go after them. You can’t be a victim 40 years later, in my opinion,” Henry said. 

I think that pretty much sums up some of the thinking in Alabama.

Donald Trump's intelligence and mental health are now being openly questioned.

Courtesy of Newsweek: 

Government watchdog groups are pressing the Trump administration to release documents that would shed light on whether President Donald Trump’s cabinet is covering up his mental state. 

On Thursday the campaign group Free Speech For People filed the first of a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking details about whether senior officials have concerns the president is a moron or an imbecile. 

The group, which bills itself as nonpartisan, says it is trying to “determine whether Cabinet members are attempting to cover up the diminished mental capacity of a President who is unfit to serve.” Similar requests are being submitted to the Departments of State, Homeland Security, and Defense.

Could I answer that last question? Because I am pretty sure I know it.

And I am not the only one who knows it.

Courtesy of Tonic:

On Saturday, the group Duty to Warn will host town halls in 13 cities, including New York, Washington DC, and Chicago. Each will feature multiple mental health experts, academics, and doctors, plucked from places such as Yale and the American Civil Liberties Union who will speak about the Trump-shaped elephant in the room. The speakers will also voice their support for a bill that would allow Congress to create a committee to assess a president's mental and physical health. The group's argument, also made in an accompanying book and in a documentary that will be screened at the events, is simple, if controversial: Donald Trump should be impeached by Congress under the 25th Amendment, which calls for removal if a president is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office." 

In the group's view, echoed in a letter sent to every member of Congress earlier this August by some of its members, Trump's alleged "severe emotional impediments" make him a danger to both himself and the country at large. Elsewhere, others have increasingly gotten vocal in pointing to the drastic changes in Trump's speaking style in recent years as well as his frequent memory and concentration flubs as a sign of cognitive decline. To pick one recent example, Trump nearly forgot to sign an executive order he had issued Thursday, which he had also done in March.

I work in the mental health community, and I can attest to the fact that Trump's mental health is a topic that comes up with some frequency.

As does his intelligence.

Courtesy of the Daily Kos:  

Late Professor William T. Kelley taught Marketing at Wharton School of Business and Finance, University of Pennsylvania, for 31 years, ending with his retirement in 1982. Dr. Kelley, who also had vast experience as a business consultant, was the author of a then-widely used textbook called Marketing Intelligence -- The Management of Marketing Information (originally published by P. Staples, London, 1968). Dr. Kelley taught marketing management to both undergraduate and graduate students at Wharton. Dr. Bill was one of my closest friends for 47 years when we lost him at 94 about six years ago. Bill would have been 100 this year. 

Donald J. Trump was an undergraduate student at Wharton for the latter two of his college years, having been graduated in 1968.

Professor Kelley told me 100 times over three decades that “Donald Trump was the dumbest goddam student I ever had.” I remember his emphasis and inflection — it went like this — “Donald Trump was the dumbest goddam student I ever had.” Dr. Kelley told me this after Trump had become a celebrity but long before he was considered a political figure. Dr. Kelley often referred to Trump’s arrogance when he told of this — that Trump came to Wharton thinking he already knew everything. 

Stupid and possibly insane, THAT is who almost sixty three million voters thought was a better choice than the woman who had served two terms as a United States Senator as well as the Secretary of State. 

And now look where we are.

CEO William Browder explains why repealing the Magnitsky Act is so important to Vladimir Putin.

Courtesy of the Daily Kos:

Browder: Vladimir Putin, I believe him to be the richest person in the world, I believe him to be worth 200 billion dollars. That money is held in banks all over the world, in America and all over. The purpose of Putin’s regime has been to commit terrible crimes to get that money, and he doesn’t want to lose that money by having it frozen. So he personally is at risk of the Magnitsky Act. It’s a very personal, venal issue which is why, the first reason, he’s so upset. 

The second reason is that in order to get that $200 billion, he has had to instruct people working for him—let’s say ten thousand people working for him—to do terrible things: to arrest, kidnap, torture, and kill to take people's property away. And as a result, the only way to get people to do such terrible things, is to say, if you do them, there will be no consequence. You will enjoy absolute impunity. 

As a result of the Magnitsky Act, he can no longer guarantee absolute impunity, because all-of-a-sudden, we have created consequences in the West. I would not understate the value of the Magnitsky Act in terms of the consequences, because not only does it freeze the assets that are held in America, but the moment you get put on the Magnitsky List, you get put on the OFAC Sanctions List—which is a Treasury sanctions list. No bank in the world wants to be in violation of Treasury actions. And therefore, any bank, even if it is in South Korea or Dubai, if they see somebody on the Treasury sanctions list, [they] will close their account that day. And as a result, you basically become a financial pariah, and so it’s a real consequence. 

This may be the sole reason that Putin helped Trump win this election.

While he may have wanted ALL of the sanctions lifted, this is the one that impacted his ability to accumulate obscene amounts of money most directly.

Remember THIS was the topic of that meeting between Trump Junior and that Russian lawyer, that was also attended by Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner.

Even before Vladimir Putin put his puppet in place he started pulling his strings.

But sadly there is now interference in the master plan coming from these investigations, so of course Putin, Trump, and the Republicans want them to end.

So why isn't the media covering the biggest political scandal in American history?

Courtesy of Mother Jones: 

The biggest election-related scandal since Watergate occurred last year, and it has largely disappeared from the political-media landscape of Washington. 

According to the consensus assessment of US intelligence agencies, Russian intelligence, under the orders of Vladimir Putin, mounted an extensive operation to influence the 2016 campaign to benefit Donald Trump. This was a widespread covert campaign that included hacking Democratic targets and publishing swiped emails via WikiLeaks. And it achieved its objectives. But the nation's capital remains under-outraged by this subversion. The congressional intelligence committees announced last month that they will investigate the Russian hacking and also examine whether there were any improper contacts between the Trump camp and Russia during the campaign. (A series of memos attributed to a former British counterintelligence officer included allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.) Yet these behind-closed-doors inquiries have generated minimum media notice, and, overall, there has not been much outcry. 

Certainly, every once in a while, a Democratic legislator or one of the few Republican officials who have bothered to express any disgust at the Moscow meddling (namely Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Marco Rubio) will pipe up. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi days ago called on the FBI to investigate Trump's "financial, personal and political connections to Russia" to determine "the relationship between Putin, whom he admires, and Donald Trump." Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), responding to Trump's comparison of the United States to Putin's repressive regime, said on CNN, "What is this strange relationship between Putin and Trump? And is there something that the Russians have on him that is causing him to say these really bizarre things on an almost daily basis?" A few weeks ago, Graham told me he wanted an investigation of how the FBI has handled intelligence it supposedly has gathered on ties between Trump insiders and Russia. And last month, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) pushed FBI Director James Comey at a public hearing to release this information. Yet there has been no drumbeat of sound bites, tweets, or headlines. In recent days, the story has gone mostly dark.

I would disagree with David Corn that this is the biggest election scandal since Watergate.

I think this is MUCH bigger than Watergate.

And because of that fact he is exactly right that it is not receiving anywhere near the amount of coverage that it deserves.

Remember that for awhile we all suffered through almost 24 hour coverage of Benghazi, which pales in comparison to this story by every metric imaginable.

Here is Fox News coverage alone.

 Here is a short list of what we already know about the connection between the Trump campaign and Russia courtesy of the Daily Kos: 

• Trump’s campaign manager worked directly for Russia to subvert the government of the Ukraine, and was paid millions of dollars to generate “spontaneous demonstrations” in which US Marines were attacked in order to give Putin an excuse to seize Crimea. 

• The Russian assistant ambassador is on record saying that, despite numerous denials, Russia was in contact with the Trump campaign on a regular basis. 

• The only item where the Trump campaign forced a change in the Republican platform—the only item—was in modifying a plank to weaken the party’s stance on opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And Trump representatives said that concern came from Trump personally. 

And yes, out there is a supposed folio of kompromat containing items that Russia feels it can use to put pressure on Trump and his team. But even if every disgusting item in that secret file is just a fantasy, how is it possible that this story has completely disappeared?

And just yesterday we learned this about Trump's new National Security Adviser:

A U.S. intelligence official briefed on the matter confirmed to NBC News that National Security Advisor Mike Flynn discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador before Flynn took office, contrary to denials from Vice President Mike Pence, White House spokesman Sean Spicer and others.

So yes, this story needs to be the top story leading EVERY broadcast until we all get the answers that we deserve to know about our new president and his ties to that cold blooded murderer in Russia.

Open letter from millennial voter to President Obama. You're probably gonna need a tissue.

Courtesy of the Daily Kos:  

Dear Mr. President, 

As your final term is almost over, I would like to reach out to you to show you my deepest gratitude and appreciation. Although I was too young to vote for you in 2008 and 2012, your presidency has greatly inspired me and I recently casted my first presidential ballot for Madam Clinton. 

I was brought up in a conservative Christian, Republican household. I have seen the hatred, mud-slinging, disgusting, and downright deplorable comments thrown your way by Republicans like Trump. I remember the obstruction that Republicans have played to destroy your presidency and ruin your legacy. Through it all, you have remained dedicated, calm, gracious, courageous, and have not given up on your goals and vision for this country. 

Your presidency has inspired me to continue my education and aim for the highest, in spite of my difficulties, disabilities, and obstacles. By watching your presidency, I have learned how to properly dialogue with those with whom I disagree with politically. Finally, your presidency has given me the freedom to marry by future partner, whoever he will be. 

I wish you the best in retirement and looking forward to seeing the great things you accomplish! I will certainly miss you. 

Sincerely, 

David P. Neff

I swear that every time I consider the fact that we are losing this amazing man as the leader of our country I feel a wave of emotion that makes my heart ache.

Yes I think that Hillary Clinton will make a fine President, I really do.

But there are some people who are one of a kind, and we just spent the last eight years honored to have just such a one of kind individual as our Commander-in-Chief.

Another very powerful Hillary Clinton ad using Donald Trump's own words against him. Update!

Courtesy of the Daily Kos:

The ad begins with words on the screen: “He really believes this.” What does he believe? Trump is shown saying that “Putting a wife to work is a very dangerous thing.” And: “When I come home and dinner’s not ready, I go through the roof.” (Implicit message to married white suburban women who usually vote Republican: Donald Trump is every awful husband you’ve ever known.) 

Then the subject changes from how Trump treats wives to his creeping and assault. ”He really said this,” the words remind viewers, before a clip of the “grab them by the pussy” (bleeped in the ad) video plays. Lester Holt says “More accusers coming forward to say they were sexually assaulted by Donald Trump.” Then Trump: “I’ll go backstage before a show, and everyone’s getting dressed.” A reporter: “Donald Trump walked into the dressing room while contestants—some as young as 15—were changing.” Trump: “Standing there with no clothes. You see these incredible-looking women.” 

Then the subject changes yet again. Now it’s women Trump hates and thinks are ugly. “I’d look her right in that fat, ugly face of hers.” “She ate like a pig.” “A person who’s flat-chested is very hard to be a 10.” Question: “So you treat women with respect?” Answer: “I can’t say that either.”

I swear these just keep getting better and better.

And the great thing about them is that it does not involve somebody suggesting that there MIGHT be something troubling about this candidate, the candidate tells you there is something troubling about him in his own words.

In other news, somewhat related, the woman who accused Donald Trump of raping her when she was thirteen years old cancelled her press conference today after receiving threats.

Courtesy of Raw Story: 

Attorney Lisa Bloom abruptly cancelled a press conference scheduled on Wednesday where a woman who has accused GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump raped her when she was 13, pulled out after being threatened. 

With a full contingent of reporters on hand, Bloom said the young woman, identified in court documents as “Jane Doe,” is now living in fear for her life. 

“Jane Doe has received numerous threats today, as have all the Trump accusers that I have represented,” Bloom explained. “She is living in fear, she has decided that she’s too afraid to show her face.” 

“She has been here all day, ready to do it, but unfortunately she is in terrible fear,” she continued. “So we are going to have to reschedule. I apologize to all of you who came today for this inconvenience.”

Gee I wonder WHO would be threatening her?

Update: The lawyer for Trump's rape victim had her firm's website hacked.

Our firm's website was reportedly hacked today, as well as emails. Anonymous claims responsibility. https://t.co/KA6R4Xvpb7

— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) November 3, 2016

Could this be the Russians perhaps once again working to protect their favorite presidential candidate?

Not so crazy of a thought actually. 

It is appears that there is little to no chance that the Bernie Sanders backed candidate will defeat Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Florida. And that's not all. Update!

Courtesy of the Washington Post:  

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz — the former head of the Democratic Party — appears to be leading by about 10 points in her primary against progressive challenger Tim Canova. 

Canova was backed by Bernie Sanders in a Miami area district that overwhelmingly voted for Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary. Some progressives say the fact that the race is even that close is a win of sorts for their movement. (Thought not, as of now, an actual win, in the sense of receiving more votes.)

Oddly enough while Schultz has had both Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden out campaigning with her, Sanders has not bothered to show up to support Canova.

And though former aides to Bernie Sanders did work on the campaign for a short time, they all left abruptly with no reason given as to why.

As I have said in the past I am not exactly a huge fan of Wasserman Schultz, but neither am I terribly critical of her time as head of the DNC.

Ultimately I think it is good for the Democrats that Schultz wins this race and that it sends the kind of message which I am sure the Republican party would have liked to have sent to the Tea Party back in 2010.

The last thing the Democratic party needs right now is their own version of a grass roots revolution challenging their every decision and playing the obstructionist when the party needs to negotiate of compromise with the Republicans in order to move forward.

In other news it appears that Sanders has no intention of giving up his mailing list, even though it could greatly benefit the party which graciously allowed him to run in their primary.

Courtesy of Roll Call: 

Despite his plan to help the Senate Democrats win a majority, Sanders still intends to draw the line on support somewhere: He will not turn his donor list over to the DSCC. 

Instead, according to a source, he will send his own fundraising pitches on behalf of candidates.

So clearly Sanders wants to "help," but only so much, and only those candidates who pass his litmus test.

He clearly has no intention of giving away his bargaining power.

Another recent event in the world of Bernie Sanders was the release of a study which claims to show that he would have won the primary by a landslide if not for Targeted voter suppression, Registration tampering, Illegal voter purges, voting machine tampering, and unsecured voting machines.

Now if your bullshit meter started pinging, good for you, because as the folks at Daily Kos and Reddit quickly pointed out the poll was conducted by unqualified individuals, with no experience, and with a very obvious agenda.

From one Daily Kos visitor put it:  

Wow, I just did some searching on Election Justice USA (which appears to have been established in April 2016), and found it’s staff had some VERY impressive credentials. One of the main authors of the report is Lulu Fries’dat, who’s claims she is an “Investigative Journalist”, but who’s IMDB page lists her as an editor, who’s many contributions to investigative journalism include: 

“In 2004, she developed, directed and edited a series of voter registration public service announcements for VH1 featuring Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. “ 

Seems legit! 

I love the smell of bullshit propaganda in the morning... 

Do you think 3 months is enough time to do an analysis of primary elections in all 50 states for a new unknown organization? Hmm…. I doubt it.

The problem with this, besides the sloppy methodology, is that it perpetuates the same myth which the Republicans are pushing, and that is that the Democratic party is corrupt and Hillary Clinton cheated to win the nomination, and will cheat again to win the general.

While in fact we are seeing in real time the Russian government attempting to cheat on Trump's behalf, and the Republicans resorting to every dirty trick in the book.

So these never say die Bernie supporters, whether they know it or not, are essentially working in tandem with the Republican party and the Russian government to undermine American democracy.

If we really want to keep this country moving towards progressive goals we need to work together to fight against foreign hackers and GOP merry tricksters to keep Donald Trump out of the White House.

If there are liberals who do not yet understand that cold hard fact, they might want to go up to the nearest mirror and ask themselves who they really are, and what they really believe.

Update: Schultz has won her primary.

So apparently nobody is feeling the Bern in Florida.

This is what it would look like if every woman in the country would refuse to vote for Donald Trump.

Courtesy of Daily Kos:

From Nate Silver: Exclusive @FiveThirtyEight projection on what the Electoral College would look like if women refuse to vote Trump.

Boy do I suddenly feel completely unnecessary. 

I swear that if the women actually did this, and even turned Alaska blue, that I would be their slave forever. 

Not that I haven't always been but still.

Donald Trump and Sarah Palin sell snake oil in front of a dwindling crowd while outside protests turn violent.

Picture courtesy of the Daily Kos: 

As you all settle down for the long weekend, here’s a picture that speaks a thousand words. From MileHighBrendan’s Twitter via Red State (that those guys hate DJT even more than Kossacks do is just another confirmation of how truly bizarre this election is). 

“I can hardly see with the bright lights, but this is a tremendous crowd, wow!"

Oh yeah, "tremendous."

Of course this appearance at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver did make news but mostly because of the ignorant word salad spewed by a certain Wasilla Wendigo.

Courtesy of Biz Pac Review: 

Calling the #NeverTrump crowed “threatened,” Palin said, “That gang, they call themselves Never hashtag, whatever, I just call ‘em Republicans Against Trump, or RAT for short.” 

In answering the question of why Trump is winning, Palin quipped, “And you know it was really funny, to me, the ‘splodey heads keep ‘sploding over this movement because it seems so obvious. [Colorado Republican Senate candidate] Darryl [Glenn] wins, Trump wins, America will win because voters are so sick and tired of being betrayed. Politicians campaign one way and they govern another and that’s become the status quo.” 

The #NeverTrump people “want to take their [Denver] Nuggets ball home and stay home instead of vote because their guy didn’t win this time around. Now, you know, I shouldn’t call them thumbsuckers because they’re not all bad … I’m kidding. They are. And Hillary thanks them because she cannot win without them.”

I think the higher altitude always makes her especially hyperbolic.

Who am I kidding, she is always like this.

In other news the crowd outside the convention center was a little livelier than the one inside: 

Anti-Trump protests outside the Colorado Convention Center turned violent as presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump spoke inside to a crowd at the Western Conservative Summit. 

At least three people were arrested after protesters began pushing and shoving outside the venue, home of the three-day conservative conference, according to 9News Denver. 

Jeff Hunt, director of the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University, warned attendees about the melee after Mr. Trump spoke to the gathering inside for about an hour. 

“I do want to make a very important announcement about what is happening outside right now,” Mr. Hunt said. “There are protesters out there, there are arrests, there are fights taking place. I want you to be very careful.”

Speaking to mostly empty venues while the crowds outside call for your oddly coiffed head. 

Yep, things are going great for the Republican party right now.

Elizabeth Warren, doing what Elizabeth Warren does so well.

Courtesy of the Daily Kos:

You know, we don’t actually know what Donald Trump pays in taxes because he is the first presidential nominee in 40 years to refuse to disclose his tax return. 

(Video shows Mitt Romney, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio saying there’s a ‘bombshell’ in his taxes.) 

Maybe he’s just a lousy businessman who doesn’t want you to find out he’s worth a whole lot less than he claims. We really can’t know for sure. Here’s what we do know. The last time Donald Trump’s taxes were made public, it turned out Donald Trump paid nothing in federal taxes. Zero. Zero taxes before and for all we know, zero taxes today. And he’s proud of it. 

A few weeks ago he said that he’s more than happy to dodge taxes, because he doesn’t want to throw his money down the drain. Yeah, Trump likes being a billionaire. But he doesn’t think the rules that apply to everyone else should apply to him. 

But let’s be clear. Donald Trump didn’t get rich on his own. His businesses relied on roads and bridges that the rest of us paid for. His businesses relied on workers that the rest of us paid to educate, and on the police force and brave fire fighters the rest of us pay to support. Donald Trump and his businesses are defended by a world-class military that defends us abroad, keeps us safe and the rest of us pay to support. 

When anyone builds something terrific, they should be able to keep a big hunk of it, but they should also pay a fair share forward so the next kid and the next kid and the next kid to come along will get their chance to build something too. 

That’s how we build a future that works for everyone. And that goes double for Donald Trump, because we know how he got rich. He inherited a fortune from his father, and kept it going by scamming people, declaring bankruptcy and skipping out on what he got. 

Nurses, teachers, dock workers—they pay their fare share for the services that keep Trump’s business’s going. Programmers, and engineers and small business owners—they pay their fair share to support courageous first responders. 

Donald Trump thinks that supporting them is throwing money down the drain. I say we just throw Donald Trump down the drain. Donald Trump is a fraud, a cheapskate and a bully. 

And look. He’s probably going to come up with a bunch of lame new nicknames for me just for filming this video. You know why he does that? He does that to intimidate, to threaten, to make us shut up. But you and I know how to beat him. We don’t back down. 

So here’s what we need to do. Whatever Donald Trump says, whatever scam he tries to pull, whatever disgusting thing he thinks he can say because he’s “Donald Trump,” speak out. Talk to the person behind you in the grocery store, talk to the person pumping gas next to you. And yeah, share this video with your friends. Ask your Fox News-loving uncle, “Why do you pay your taxes, but Donald Trump doesn’t?” 

If Donald Trump doesn’t even believe in paying his fair share for government, we shouldn’t put him in charge of the government. 

If we’re going to build a future that’s not just for the rich and powerful, but a future that’s for everybody, then it’s time for all of us to fight back.”

I swear nobody kneecaps Trump nearly as effectively as Elizabeth Warren.

With the Bernie Sanders campaign now defined by anger, frustration, and defiance many feel it is doing more harm than good to Democratic hopes in 2016.

First CNN would like to clear something up about the aggression shown by Sanders' supporters in Nevada. It was planned: 

Sanders officials say that the Democratic Party should embrace the senator's supporters, not repel them. While they say they don't condone the behavior of some of their supporters at the Nevada convention, they blame leaders of the Nevada Democratic Party for shutting out Sanders' backers, prompting the chaos. 

But new audio obtained by CNN shows a senior Sanders aide -- on the eve of the Nevada convention -- encouraging the senator's supporters try to "take over" the convention, change party rules and continue the "revolution" that Sanders has long campaigned on. 

"You should not leave," Joan Kato, the national delegates director, told Sanders supporters in a meeting last week at the Rumor Boutique Hotel. "I'm going to repeat that, unless you are told by someone from the campaign ... that you can leave, you should not leave."

I am not sure what the Sanders' campaign thought would happen when they instruct their supporters to "take over" and refuse to leave, but clearly they should have expected anger, disruption, and death threats directed at the party chair. Because that is what happened.

Josh Marshall over at TPM now realizes that the problem with the Sanders campaign come from the top:

For months I'd thought and written that Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver was the key driver of toxicity in the the Democratic primary race. Weaver has been highly visible on television, far more than campaign managers tend to be. He's also been the one constantly upping the tension, pressing the acrimony and unrealism of the campaign as Sanders actual chances of winning dwindled. 

But now I realize I had that wrong. 

This should have been obvious to me. The tone and tenor of a campaign always come from the top. It wasn't obvious to me until now.

If you think that losing a staunch liberal like Josh Marshall is bad get a load of what Markos Moulitsas wrote over on the Daily Kos yesterday: 

Bernie Sanders lost the delegate battle at the Nevada State Democratic convention this past weekend, which only makes sense since he lost the state when voters voted. However, that didn’t stop one of the biggest explosions of outright crazy in Democratic politics in … forever.

Moulitsas then goes on to list all of the harassment directed at   State Democratic Party Chair Roberta Lange by Sanders supporters and sums the whole thing up thusly: 

This is no longer a presidential campaign. I don’t know what it is, but that moment has passed. 

They say when, as a liberal, you lose Kos. You have pretty much lost your progressive credibility.

But not to worry Bernie has at least somebody on his side.

Bernie Sanders is being treated very badly by the Democrats - the system is rigged against him. Many of his disenfranchised fans are for me!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2016

Oh yeah Donald Trump is LOVING this constant talk of the Democratic party being unfair and claims of corruption coming from the Sanders supporters. He could not have asked for a better scenario going into the general.

I think it is now obvious to just about everybody who is not a rabid Sanders supporter that the campaign is over and whatever Bernie hoped to accomplish has now been tainted.

In fact the campaign itself seems to have recognized the writing on the wall as well, they just don't want to the people who are still blindly following them and sending them their beer money.

Courtesy of Politico:

A handful of high-level staffers have left Bernie Sanders’ campaign in recent days, including his director of technology and three of the four members of his original senior leadership team in California — a state his team has said is critical to his bid for the Democratic nomination. 

The moves come at a time of contraction for the campaign, which let go of hundreds of field staffers earlier this month amid slowed fundraising. 

There are ways to end a political campaign with some dignity, but it really seems at this point that moment has passed for Bernie Sanders.

Which is too bad because I really feel that many of the issues that Sanders brought up were very important to have been included in this campaign season. However they have now been discussed, the Democratic party has taken note, and Hillary has included some of them in her platform.

So for Bernie Sanders to drag this out until the July convention, where his supporters will undoubtedly disrupt the proceedings and cause mayhem, seems completely unnecessary and even potentially harmful.

No the Clinton campaign will NOT call for Sanders to end his campaign, they can't since it would scandalize his supporters and likely anger them into skipping the November elections entirely.

But he needs to.

And do you know what? On some level I think he knows that.

Well, at least he should.

Elizabeth Warren may turn out to be Hillary Clinton's most effective surrogate in 2016.

The Daily Kos recently gathered a few recent Warren quotes concerning Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Here they are:

• “Donald Trump clearly feels threatened by Secretary Clinton’s qualifications to be president so he’s attacking Hillary Clinton for being a woman” 
• “That’s what weak men do.” 
• It is an old story, and I don’t think the American voters will fall for it.” 
• “I hoped you were going to ask me if I thought he was a sexist,” Warren said. “That’s like asking if he has bad hair,” she said. “He wears the sexism out front for everyone to see.” 
• “We need someone in the White House who isn’t afraid to fight for equal rights for women,” said Warren. “That person is not Donald Trump.”

 I have to say that I enjoy the fact that Elizabeth Warren appears to be so scholarly and refined but when somebody starts throwing elbows she is more than willing to jump into the scrum.

Now I'm not going to bore you once again with my fantasy ticket (Clinton/Warren 2016) but I would like to say that no matter who Hillary picks (Hills and Liz 2016) that I think she will find Elizabeth Warren to be an effective and willing advocate for her campaign (Clinton and Warren, because haven't the men screwed things up enough?) moving forward.

And hopefully this will finally shut up those idiots trying to convince everybody that there is animosity between Hillary and Elizabeth, when Warren has said repeatedly expressed her admiration for Clinton. 

Extra bonus points if you can guess in which state this woman is running for a seat on the Board of Education.

Answer beneath the fold.

I don't think that Ted Cruz's campaign staff are doing him any favors.

Take a moment and Google "TRUS."

Here I'll do it for you:

A transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) is an ultrasound technique that is used to view a man's prostate and surrounding tissues. The ultrasound transducer (probe) sends sound waves through the wall of the rectum into the prostate gland, which is located directly in front of the rectum.

So essentially the ad suggests that we anally probe Ted Cruz.

Which if you think about it makes perfect sense, because I am pretty sure that is where his ideas originate.

(H/T to the Daily Kos.)

Brave Willow firefighter loses home to the very fire he is fighting to stop.

Neighbor walks one of Leo Lashock's dogs by what remains of Lashock's home.

So last night somebody sent me an e-mail with a Daily Kos link attached and asked me to please post something about this story.

I don't usually take requests, but this time it was my pleasure.

Courtesy of the Daily Kos: 

A valiant and unselfish fire captain in the town of Willow Alaska has been fighting fire, without end, since Sunday. Sometime during the week he realized the smoke he saw in the distance was his own home.... his truck.. his dog trailer. Everything. 

Thanks to neighbors, his 17 dogs were rescued, and were returned to their owner today amid the smoldering ruins of the rest of his belongings. 

His name is Leo Lashock. He's 51. He's a fire Capt , a recreational dog musher. And a hero. If you have a few bucks to send his way, he could use them. And he deserves them. His mailing address (PO Box) is readily available on Zabasearch. To read more about Leo, the Sockeye Fire and the brave firefighters battling it, go to ADN.com. This was posted without Mr. Lashock's knowledge or permission. Thank you. This is the best thing you'll do today. 

As it turns out Lashock's mailing address is not "readily available" however there is a Facebook page for the Willow Dog Musher's Association which has information for those wishing to help out.  

And here is the Alaska Dispatch story about Lachock for those who want to know more.

The poor guy really did lose just about everything, except 17 of his dogs who were rescued before the flames arrived. (Three are still missing.)

I don't often suggest that people send money, and you can respond however you want to here.

However I will say that these people are being devastated by these fires, and it seems especially unfair that a man who has been on the front line since the day they started should return home to find virtually everything he owns destroyed.

In response to Stephen Colbert's generous gift to South Carolina teachers, others have started donating money for teacher supplies as well.

So on Thursday I posted about Colbert's startling generosity, along with DonorsChoose.org, to the South Carolina teachers by funding all of their requests for supplies and equipment for their classrooms.

Apparently his largesse inspired others to follow suit, especially on Reddit, and according to the Daily Kos these projects have now been fully funded:

- FL Kindergarten teacher needs a carpet $147 to go 
- NC Middle School Teacher needs calculators $169 to go 
- NYC ESL teacher needs basic supplies $195 to go 
- MO teacher needs basic supplies $128 
- Louisiana teacher needs copies of "Of Mice and Men" $298 to go 
- NC teacher needs basic supplies $92 to go 
- NY teacher needs industrial pencil sharpener $168 to go 
- MA teacher needs STEM activities $193 to go 
- NYC teacher needs calculators $99 to go 
- NYC teacher needs basic supplies $175 to go 
- Las Vegas teacher needs copies of Dr. Suess $122 to go 
- IN teacher needs roll down maps $179 to go 
- TX teacher needs a rocket launcher $337 to go 
- Louisiana teacher needs a microscope $131 to go 
- Chicago teacher needs music for band $235 to go 
- NC Math teacher needs basic supplies $507 to go 
- NC middle school teacher needs science lab materials $484 to go 
- CA teacher needs AP Bio supplies $1279 to go 
- NYC teacher needs basic supplies $121 to go 
- Philly teacher needs basic supplies $233 to go 
- NC teacher needs copies of "To Kill a Mockingbird" $476 to go 
- TX teacher needs basic phys ed supplies $444 to go 
- FL teacher needs recess supplies $145 to go 
- Philly teacher needs copy paper $203 to go 
- MI teacher needs a set of Hardy Boy Books $189 to go 
- OR mobile library for special needs students needs books $130 to go 
- NYC teacher needs STEM books $310 
- NYC teacher needs first grade books $299 
- OH Preschool teacher to deaf students needs educational toys $158 to go 
- WA teacher needs play equipment $324 to go 
- CA special ed teacher needs playdoh $118 to go. 
- Baltimore teacher needs drums $134 to go 
- NC teacher needs Dr. Suess books $146 to go 
- IN teacher needs glue and markers $98 to go 
- MS teacher needs basic supplies $73 to go 
- WA teacher needs basic supplies $186 to go 
- CA teacher needs basic art supplies $171 to go 
- FL teacher needs basic supplies $149 to go 
- NM teacher needs basic supplies $172 to go 
- TN teacher needs crayons $119 to go 
- NJ teacher needs carpet squares $137 to go 
- TX teacher needs math tools $172 to go 
- KY teacher needs STEM materials $91 to go 
- AR teacher needs a xylophone $288 to go 
- NC teacher needs copies of "I am Malala" $400 to go. 
- CA teacher needs copies of "Frankenstein" $546 to go 
- PA teacher needs copies of Romeo and Juliet $290 to go 
- TX teacher needs a world map rug $321 to go 
- CA school librarian needs manga $201 to go 
- CT teacher needs basic art supplies and heaphones $221 
- NY librarian needs graphic novels $210 to go 
- Philly teacher needs art supplies $522 to go 
- MO teacher needs a carpet $362 to go 
- CA teacher needs student microscopes $195 to go 
- IN teacher needs basic supplies $222 
- CA teacher needs a rocket launcher $468 to go (it's not just Texas that likes to launch rockets) 
- Chicago special ed teacher needs math toys $264 to go 
- MN teacher needs math tools $195 to go 
- IN teacher needs pencil sharpener $78 to go

Like I said before, Stephen Colbert is a man certainly worthy of idol worship. 

Michelle Bachmann claims that she defeated her liberal foes using "evidence based arguments." Wait, what?

Courtesy of Raw Story:

Bachmann told World Net Daily, which referred to her as a “GOP legend” in the headline, that she had become a media target because she had basically outsmarted her liberal foes. 

“I took them on, and their agenda, and I went to the heart of whatever it was they wanted to advance, and tried to take it apart through evidence-based arguments, and they don’t like that,” Bachmann said. “When the left argues, they argue from emotionalism.” 
  
“That’s the best way to defeat them, by the way — defeat them with evidence and defeat them with their false premises, and I did that,” she said.

“The Republican Party always gets a bad rap because there are not as many women that are in elective office, but it’s a tough business,” Bachmann said. “It is public humiliation, public ridicule, constant criticism when you’re in public office – if you take on the left.”

Yeah, I don't think the ridiculing had anything to do with her gender.

Let's revisit some of Michelle Bachmann's "evidenced-based arguments" shall we?

These are courtesy of the Daily Kos:

Accusing members of Congress of being "anti-American:

The news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would, I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out are they are pro-America or anti-America. 

Claiming that the Obama Administration was going to be forcing Americans to attend re-education camps:

The real concerns is that there are provisions for what I would call re-education camps for young people, where young people have to go and get trained in a philosophy that the government puts forward and then they have to go to work in some of these politically correct forums. 

Claiming that actor John Wayne was from Waterloo, Iowa, when instead it was serial killer John Wayne Gacy:

What I want them to know is just like John Wayne was from Waterloo, Iowa, that's the spirit that I have too. It's really about not being ashamed of America. It's embracing America. 

Terrifying parents by relaying an unsubstantiated story from an anti-vaxxer:

There’s a woman who came up crying to me tonight after the debate. She said her daughter was given [the HPV] vaccine. She told me her daughter suffered mental retardation as a result. There are very dangerous consequences. 

Claiming that earthquakes and hurricanes are messages from God about reining in big government:

I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?' Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we've got to rein in the spending.

There are more, in fact the Daily Kos lists 40 altogether, but I think we get the point. 

That my friends is the kind of "logic" that Michelle Bachmann used to "defeat" us.

Gosh, I guess we never had a chance.

After being mocked mercilessly by local radio station in Kentucky, Mitch McConnell calls in. Not his best move.

Here is how this whole thing came to pass, courtesy of the Daily Kos:

Some background is needed. The show was Kentucky Sports Radio operated by Matt Jones. Jones is a Duke-trained lawyer who is fascinated with Kentucky basketball. In Kentucky that does not make him very unique. His show which runs from 10-12 every day is easily the most-listened to radio program in the Commonwealth. Runs on 30 statewide affiliates. It is a big deal. It mostly deals with Kentucky sports, but Jones makes forays into whatever interests him which some days is Ebola. Or whatever else is in the news. 

Earlier this year Jones asked Alison Lundergan Grimes and McConnell to debate on his show. She said sure. McConnell's people said he'd come on alone. 

A few weeks ago Grimes came on for a few hours. Jones is liberal but was fair. Asked her fair questions. 

Following his interview with Grimes, McConnell's people stop returning calls from Jones. No emails. No texts. 

Jones goes on the radio and explains he's upset McConnell's people lied. Said he would. Now he won't. 

McConnell is silent for eighteen days in a row. Jones is beating him up. 

Then this week on Monday a reliable poll drops and Grimes is up 46-44. McConnell gets beat up on the radio by Jones again on Monday and Tuesday. 

So FINALLY the McConnell camp has had enough, and they tell the station that they will allow a telephone interview giving the hosts only five minutes to prepare. The station pushed back a little to get ten minutes to preparative, but that was all McConnell and his staff were willing to provide.

The ambush really did not help them much.

And here are some of the highlights of the actual interview courtesy of Raw Story: 

Later, Jones pressed McConnell on his stance regarding global warming, asking if he believed in the phenomenon. 

“What I have said repeatedly is, I’m not a scientist,” McConnell said. “But what I can tell you is, even if you thought that was important — and there’s some scientists that do, and some scientists who don’t — but even if you thought that was important, the United States doing this by itself is going to have zero impact—” 

“But senator, that’s a yes or no question,” Jones replied, before repeating his question. “Do you believe in global warming?” 

“No it isn’t a yes or no question,” McConnell said again. “It is not a yes or no question. I am not a scientist. I know there are scientist who think it’s a problem, and scientists who think it isn’t a problem. And I know that George Will wrote recently that back in the ’70s we thought we were heading into the ice age. So there are differences of opinion among scientists. My job is to try to protect jobs in Kentucky — now. Not speculate about science in the future.”

Yeah that's bullshit. The idea that nothing should be done because not every other country is willing to work to reduce the man made impact, is cowardly and short sighted.

Here McConnell attempts to skirt the issue of same sex marriage: 

Jones and McConnell also sparred when the senator refused to say anything on marriage equality besides stating that his opinion was “that marriage should be between one man and one woman.” 

“But you base that on what?” Jones asked. 

“The courts are dealing with this issue and you’re citing things that are the result of court decisions,” McConnell said. “I’m giving you my opinion, and my opinion is marriage should be between one man or one woman.” 

“I understand that, and I’m not saying you’re wrong,” Jones replied. “I just want to know, where does that come from? Is that your Biblical belief?” 

“It is my belief that marriage is between one man and one woman,” McConnell said again.

If you listen to the interview from the beginning you will hear that McConnell was incredibly combative from his very first response, and attempted to dismiss Jones as an Obama supporter right off the bat so as to minimize the importance of his opinion.

McConnell actually seemed to blame almost everything on Obama in one way or another.

Seriously if you did not think that McConnell was a douchenozzle before you really cannot help thinking he is one after hearing this audio.

I hope Grimes mops the floor with his ass.

Creationist's opinion of Atheists. Must be read to be believed.

This comes from a Daily Kos post about Ray Comfort. Or as we refer to him here on IM the Banana Man.

This is how Comfort responded to a question posed to one of his followers about Atheists.


For an atheist, a starving child is no big deal, because it's just evolution's “survival of the fittest” in action. 

I have never met and Atheist who thinks like this. However when we do provide help it is in the form of actual money and food, and not Bibles and attempts to "save their soul."

Starvation, poverty, disease and death are evidences that the Bible is right when it says that we live in a fallen creation. 

There has NEVER been a time in human history when all of those things have not been part of  our existence on this planet.

We are the guilty party, and yet sinful atheists (in the ultimate gesture of a delusion of grandeur) stand in moral judgment over Almighty God—when they have no real basis for any morality. 

There are plenty of very ethical and moral Atheists. And I would argue that our morality is superior because it is based on a real desire to do the right thing and to help others, and not based on a fear of eternal damnation or the reward of eternal life. Using the system of reward and punishment is a method used to train dogs to stay off the furniture, not how to instill a sense of morality in human beings.


The Bible says we are to love our neighbor (others) as much as we love ourselves. Instead of doing that, most secular governments spend billions of dollars each year creating weapons to kill people. 

The country that spends the largest sum of money on weapons of war is America, a country that Fundamentalists claim is a Christian nation. And when our many wars are waged, among the first to sign up are Jesus worshiping Christians.

A plane hits severe turbulence. Flight attendants quickly take to their seats before getting food to the hungry passengers at the back of the plane. The atheist is like a man who sees those hungry people, makes an insane leap of logic, and says, “Those people are hungry. Therefore no one made this plane.” Atheism believes that nothing created everything. It is a quiet form of intellectual insanity.

I don't even have an answer for this last one.  That is literally too stupid to deserve a response.

It never fails to amaze me how little these people understand non-deists.

In their minds morality comes from God or it does not exist at all. Therefore they see everything in black and white, where they see themselves as good and everybody else as consorting with the Devil.

There is simply no reasoning with a mindset like that. And sadly Ray Comfort is not alone when it comes to those delusions.

Fortunately for all of us they are being chased further into the shadows by the shining brilliance of the new enlightenment.