There’s a Private Security Force in the White House…?

So… Trumplethinskin is apparently using his own private security force

President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t seem to tire of setting new precedents. Despite being provided with a newly bolstered Secret Service detail after the election, the president-elect has retained his own private security and intelligence force, breaking with tradition and creating operational and potentially legal problems.

That article was written on January 20th. On February 3rd, we found out that Trumpligula fired Secret Service managers and had them escorted from White House grounds:

At least two manager level Secret Service officials were fired and escorted from the White House complex, according to a report by reporter Steve Clemons.

The Secret Service has been accused of slow-walking an investigation of an agent based in Denver who publicly stated she would not ‘take a bullet’ for President Donald Trump.

[Read more…]

From Melanie Mallon at Skepchick: Bannon And The National Security Council’s Secret “Kill List”

This is a rather terrifying article. As the title suggests, it’s about the NSC’s kill list, and the fact that Steven Bannon now has control over it.

The fact that the NSC has a kill list is bad enough. But now Bannon has a hold of it?

Things really do just keep getting worse…

While the United States and the world was in an uproar over Donald Trump’s executive order (EO) on immigration that even conservative sources view as unconstitutional and illegal, Trump reorganized the National Security Council (NSC), adding his chief strategist Steven Bannon and decreasing the participation and status of the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, currently General Joseph Dunford, as well as the director of national intelligence (DNI), a position that remains vacated until a Trump nominee, currently Dan Coats, can be confirmed.

Although various national security and intelligence experts have spoken out against the president’s memorandum, the news has been all but swallowed up by the chaos surrounding the immigration EO.

Meanwhile, a specific and particularly terrifying possibility has been making the rounds on social media—that Bannon could have a role in a secretive NSC panel with the authority to place suspected terrorists, including Americans, on a kill or capture list and to make decisions to kill or capture without due process or any information or justification provided to the public.

[Read more…]

From Tony at The Progressive Pub – This can all be traced back to the Civil War

I want to share this post with you, written by Tony at his Progressive Pub, a part of The Orbit network.

It’s a very good, very informative post about where we are today, and where it comes from. It’s both devastating and hopeful.

I’m going to quote just a bit of it (from the middle, not the beginning) below the fold, but please… click on the link and read the entire thing. Thank you…

[Read more…]

So Why am I So Pissed About the Moralizing Over a Nazi Getting Punched in the Face?

Okay okay… I guess maybe I need to explain myself. I’ve been throwing barbs at people whining about a Nazi getting punched in the face all morning.

To be honest, I am really, truly livid at everyone doing this. I honestly thought that this post would be cathartic, but it somehow only made me angrier.

I know it’s going to be hard to believe, but I am, actually, a pacifist. War scares me like you wouldn’t believe, I abhor guns with a passion (I really think they should all be banned, bar none; they had fucking muskets when the 2nd amendment was written; so you know what?… I’ll bend on allowing 18th-century muskets), and I actually do think that, in theory, violence should be a last resort.

But this is not theory.

We are not in a place where we can hold Vulcan-academic discussions about it all. This shit is not just some ivory tower discussion about something that might happen.

This shit is actually happening, in real life, right now.

[Read more…]

Trump is Slashing Federal Funding to Sanctuary Cities… But You’re Mad That a Nazi Got Punched in the Face?

Another thing the Bone-In Ham occupying the White House has done is target sanctuary cities, slashing their funding.

On Wednesday, Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at cracking down on so-called “sanctuary cities,” which limit cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration agents. It follows through on his campaign-trail promise to withhold federal dollars from such cities, which might jeopardize support for services including education, health care, and housing for millions of American citizens.According to the executive order, dubbed “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States,” cities that do not comply with federal immigration enforcement agents “are not eligible to receive Federal grants, except as deemed necessary for law enforcement purposes by the Attorney General or the Secretary.” It also notes that the director of the Office of Management and Budget will be responsible for obtaining and providing “relevant and responsive information on all Federal grant money that currently is received by any sanctuary jurisdiction.” It is not clear, however, which grants are at jeopardy.

Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said at the daily press briefing: “We’re going to strip federal grant money from the sanctuary states and cities that harbor illegal immigrants. The American people are no longer going to have to be forced to subsidize this disregard for our laws.”

[Read more…]

Trump Outright Lied About the Existence of Voter Fraud and “Plans” to “Combat” It… But You’re Mad That a Nazi Got Punched in the Face?

In case you forgot, the Failed-Steak-Salesman-in-Chief is an out-and-out bald-faced liar. And at least one of his lies will have devastating effects for citizens of the United States:

After His Claim of Voter Fraud, Trump Vows ‘Major Investigation’

President Trump intends to move forward with a major investigation of voter fraud that he says cost him the popular vote, White House officials said Wednesday, despite bipartisan condemnation of his allegations and the conclusion of Mr. Trump’s own lawyers that the election was “not tainted.”

In his first days in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump has renewed his complaint that millions of people voted illegally, depriving him of a popular-vote majority. In two Twitter posts early Wednesday morning, the president vowed to open an inquiry to reveal people who are registered to vote in multiple states or who remain on voting rolls long after they have died.

[Read more…]

Muslims Are Banned in the United States and 5-Year-Olds Are Being Arrested… But You’re Mad That a Nazi Got Punched in the Face?

Since, apparently, some people insist on crying crocodiles tears over the fact that Nazi Richard Spencer got punched in the face, I’m just gonna start posting some perspective.

Warning… this series of posts will be maddening…

Trump’s latest executive order: Banning people from 7 countries and more

With just a few quick strokes of the pen, President Donald Trump on Friday banned — temporarily, for now — roughly 218 million people from entering the United States.

Trump barred citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US for at least the next 90 days by executive order, which a senior White House official said later Friday is likely just a first step toward establishing a broader ban.

[Read more…]

You’re Mad Because a Nazi Got Punched in the Face?

Let me just round up where we are in this country right now…

Let’s start with the fact that a Texas mosque went up in flames right after Agent Orange signed an executive order restricting migration from Muslim countries.

Then you should know that racist and anti-Semite Steve Bannon is now on the National Security Council.

As a reminder, the Dakota Access and Keystone XL Pipelines are now going ahead.

Also as a reminder, “progressive heroes” Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown voted to approve Ben Carson for HUD secretary.

Oh! And another reminder! Our Cheeto-In-Chief has decided to start publishing a weekly list of crimes committed by immigrants.

And again… he wants to build actual fucking concentration camps.

But you’re pissed because a Nazi got punched in the face?

[Read more…]

When They Go Low, We Go High – Part 2

(You got the sugar… now here’s the medicine…)

First, I need to say this:

I really like Michelle Obama. And yeah, I loved it when she said “when they go low, we go high”. So she is not the one I’m mad it. She is not the one who made this bullshit. It’s everyone else. People have twisted this statement in the same way white people like to twist MLK to use him against, for example, Black Lives Matter protesters.

When Michelle Obama said it, she was talking about being better than Donald Trump. We had the moral high ground. And for an election, it was a great soundbite that probably contributed to Hillary Clinton’s 3-million popular-vote win.

But the thing is, His Lowness, the Cheeto Fascist, Agent Orange of Fake-Tan-Landia, won the electoral college.

And “going high” is costing us way too much.

[Read more…]

When They Go Low, We Go High – Part 1

You know, I really debated making this part of my Self Care series. It really should be, because it’s just so… so… satisfying. In the end, I decided not to for two reasons:

My Self Care series is on a set schedule: every day at noon. Today’s Self Care post has already gone up, and I want to put this up today.

Also, this is going to be the sugar to a spoonful of medicine I plan on dropping shortly about the whole “when they go low, we go high” bullshit.

So…

If you want, consider this part of the Self Care series. I know I do.

And what is it I’m talking about?

Neo-Nazi Richard Spencer getting punched in the face:

[Read more…]