The political news thread

The whiny, petulant, thin-skinned, self-centered Tweeter-In-Chief was in fine form this morning, spewing his usual rants about "fake news," the "illegal investigation," "Trump haters" and "angry Democrats" and claiming once again that there was "no obstruction." CNN's Chris Cillizza exposes Trump's many false statements and points out that Trump could have told his side of things to Robert Mueller but chose not to. Trump feared a "perjury trap." Of course there is no perjury if one tells the truth – but Trump does not know how to do that.

Donald Trump sent 3 tweets on the Mueller probe this morning. He got (at least) 6 facts wrong.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/25/polit...ter/index.html

I hope Democrats will heed this advice from US News & World Report editor Robert Schlesinger, who says removing Trump from office should be achieved at the ballot box, not by impeachment:

Impeaching Trump won't change our dysfunctional political system – but it will ensure his re-election
The erosion of political norms and the rise of hyperpartisanship make impeachment a useless remedy for Trumpism, as well as counterproductive.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinio...-it-ncna998701

Rosenstein said he didn't want to be "fired on Twitter." Golly gee, who in the world would fire someone via a tweet? *Cough, cough*

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein submits resignation letter
Rosenstein will leave May 11, ending a tumultuous two years as Justice Department's No. 2 official.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/deputy-...er-11556572633

Alt-right wackos – the same ones who spread fake stories about the murder of Seth Rich and fake stories about Robert Mueller – spread a fake story about Pete Buttigieg. And our Fake President continues to call real news "fake" while believing all the fake stories spread by alt-right "news" sites. Welcome to Trumpworld.

Anatomy of a smear: How far-right websites spread a fake story about Pete Buttigieg

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/05/media...ory/index.html

I'm sure Republicans and the NRA, who value guns above human life, will be quick to denounce Booker's proposal and trot out their usual arguments about "gun grabbers" seeking to take away everyone's "Second Amendment rights." But hey, they offer "thoughts and prayers" after every mass shooting. They don't beed to do anything more, right?

Cory Booker proposes national license for all gun owners
The Associated Press, May 6 2019 7:40 AM

Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker is proposing that all gun owners be licensed by the federal government, a process that would include an interview and safety training. National licensing is one of more than a dozen specific proposals in a sweeping gun control agenda the US Senator from New Jersey released today. No such national gun license program currently exists. Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have enacted some form of licensing or permit rules before people can buy guns. "I am sick and tired of hearing thoughts and prayers for the communities that have been shattered by gun violence. It is time for bold action," Booker said in a statement.

https://www.latimes.com/nation/natio...506-story.html

This one-shot comic from Devil's Due Comics will go on sale May 15. I think an AOC comic is a good idea, especially when you consider we already have a cartoon character in the White House. An orange one, at that.

As a result of Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods, Americans are paying higher prices for steel, aluminum, appliances, solar panels and other goods. Trump's latest round of tariffs will drive up the price of clothing, shoes, toys, computers and thousands of other products. Economists say Trump's idiotic trade war could cost nearly a million American jobs over the next three years.

Chinese tariffs could cost the average US familiy of four $800 a year

https://www.khon2.com/news/local-new...800/1995963217

The wealthiest Americans to whom Trump gave huge tax cuts will not have to worry about a few hundred dollars in higher costs. The rest of us, however.......

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow acknowledges consumers in US, not China, pay for tariffs

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...s-not-n1004756

Yes sir, Republicans are the best politicians money can buy. Just ask the banks and the NRA.

Michigan GOP legislator indicted for allegedly soliciting money from labor union in exchange for favorable vote

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-w...-for-bribes-in

When White House lap dog Sarah Sanders is caught in a lie, she never admits to lying. She says she simply "misspoke." Barry Hovis is now using the same word to explain away his outrageous assertion that some rapes are consensual.

Republican lawmaker in Missouri says he misspoke when he referred to 'consensual rapes' during abortion debate

https://www.chicagotribune.com/natio...517-story.html

Glen Casada claimed his racist and sexually explicit texts were just "locker room talk." Yeah, the same excuse Donald Trump used for bragging about grabbing women by the pussy. Neither Casada nor Trump is a high-school student. That excuse doesn't work.

Tennessee GOP House leader to resign amid scandal over inappropriate text messages

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/05/21/pol...ign/index.html

REO – "real estate owned" – refers to houses, condos and/or land that have been foreclosed upon and are now owned by a bank or other lender. Our Housing secretary did not know that. He's obviously one of those "very best people" that the President said he surrounds himself with.

HUD Secretary Ben Carson was asked about REOs in a Congressional hearing. He thought the question was about Oreo cookies.

https://www.businessinsider.com/ben-...ongress-2019-5

The biggest disaster devastating our nation is the gradual destruction of our democracy by Trump and the Republicans.

$19.1 billion disaster aid bill stalled after Texas Republican blocks house vote

https://www.npr.org/2019/05/24/72660...cks-house-vote

One of Emperor Trump's goals is to undo everything President Obama did – everything from the DACA program to the Affordable Care Act. Here we go again. Trump doesn't care about anyone other than himself and wealthy white Republican men.

Trump is gutting healthcare protections for transgender people and those who have had abortions

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article...discrimination

In Carl Sandburg's 1936 poem The People, Yes, a little girl watching a military parade says, "Sometime they'll give a war and nobody will come." The sentiment became a popular anti-war slogan in the latter half of the 1960s. Well.....what if they give a Ku Klux Klan rally and only nine people come? It happened today.

Nine people showed up for a KKK rally in Dayton, Ohio. They were drowned out by 600 protestors.

http://time.com/5596103/kkk-rally-dayton-ohio/

Emperor Trump says the Chinese pay for his punitive tariffs. They do not. Americans do. Now we can start paying for his Mexican tariffs, too. A 5% tariff will take effect June 10 and increase by 5% every month, up to 25%, unless, as Emperor Trump says, Mexico does something about illegal immigration. His childish trade wars and punitive tariffs are hurting every American.

Trump says US will hit Mexico with 5% tariffs on all goods

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/u...o-tariffs.html

Trump's Mexico tariffs could decimate the auto industry

https://www.axios.com/mexico-tariffs...043412bae.html

GOP senators warn Trump's Mexico tariffs could blow up trade deal

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/...e-deal-1494055

Emperor Trump's tariffs are hurting farmers, American consumers and American manufacturers. Emperor Trump doesn't care. And it's getting worse.

Avocados, beer and flat-screen TVs: How much Trump's Mexican tariffs could cost you

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/31/how-...-cost-you.html

Emperador Trump va a destruir la economía de los Estados Unidos. El es un maniaco peligroso y no debería estar en la Casa Blanca.

'Mayhem,' 'Crippling': Trump's threatened tariffs on Mexico
would spur chaos, Wall Street warns

https://www.businessinsider.com/trum...-stocks-2019-5

Two maps show how every US state's economy could be
affected by Trump's proposed Mexico tariffs

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-...tariffs-2019-5

Pompous, childish, bullying, egotistical, narcissistic Emperor Trump called Khan a "stone cold loser" who is doing a "terrible job" as Mayor and – boo-hoo – was "foolishly nasty" in his criticism of Trump. I wonder what nasty names Trump will say to Queen Elizabeth II after she fails to curtsy to him.

Trump calls London Mayor Sadiq Khan a 'stone cold loser' as he lands in Britain

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...-idUSKCN1T40XE

Emperor Trump likes Fox News because their hosts seldom say anything negative about him. Trump denounces all the other news outlets, as well as several major newspapers, as "liars," "fake news" and "the enemy of the American people." He just can't accept that the news outlets, with the exception of Fox, don't worship him as much as he worships himself. The whiny, petulant, pompous, egotistical, narcissistic, thin-skinned blowhard is now calling for a boycott of CNN's parent company to force CNN to make "big changes." Emperor Trump has absolutely no regard for the Constitution and First Amendment rights. Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Mao, Idi Amin and Saddam Hussein would be proud of him.

Trump calls for a boycott of AT&T to force 'big changes' at subsidiary CNN: 'It is so unfair with such sad Fake News!'

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/03/trum...es-at-cnn.html