BIRDS OF A FEATHER

In case there is any doubt, Trump supporters and Russia are right in line with each other on their anti-hacking message: show us the proof! (They know that intelligence agencies can't do that without revealing sources.)

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/show-proof-hacking-stop-talking-143219542.html
Show Proof Of Hacking Or Stop Talking, Says Russia To US Government

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/310526-limbaugh-no-one-can-prove-russia-hacked-election
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh challenged a CIA report that concluded Russia interfered with the 2016 election to sway results in President-elect Donald Trump’s favor.  "Nobody can provide any evidence that the Russians hacked the election," he said on Wednesday . . .

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1612/16/cnr.03.html
[MATT SCHLAPP, AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION] I was a Trump supporter, Carol. You can imagine after seeing this effort to try to influence this vote of the electors which I don't think I have ever seen in my lifetime . . .  I think it's unfortunate that we are politicizing all these questions. And look, I think having a very clear explanation of the facts that we know on the ground from these different agencies from the FBI, from the CIA, from the other important agencies, I think would be very important. I think instead what we're seeing is a lot of people talking about what they've heard people say inside these agencies . . .

Here's a new one from the Repubs: the Russian hackers did the country a FAVOR

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/12/16/1611804/-Republicans-move-from-Russian-denial-to-Russian-apologists
 
Trump defenders tried to make a big deal that different intelligence agencies didn't agree about the motivations behind the Russian election hacking. Well, they agree NOW

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/report-cia-fbi-dni-agree-russia-directed-hacks-to-help-trump
FBI, CIA, DNI Agree That Russia Directed Hacks In Part To Help Trump

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/we-all-knew-this
Stop Pretending. Everyone Knew About Russia. The GOP Didn't Care

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/12/16/trump-has-been-lying-about-the-russian-hack-he-just-accidentally-admitted-it-himself/?utm_source=rss_plum-line&utm_term=.131abc20bdac
Trump has been lying about the Russian hack. He just accidentally admitted it himself.

http://www.salon.com/2016/12/16/kellyanne-conway-should-check-donald-trumps-twitter-history-before-telling-democrats-to-stop-talking-about-the-russia-hacks/
Kellyanne Conway should check Donald Trump’s Twitter history before telling Democrats to stop talking about the Russia hacks 

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/16/13980944/putin-fbi-russia-podesta
Why Team Clinton is linking its criticisms of the FBI to WikiLeaks and Russian hackers

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/obama-defends-his-administration-s-response-to-russian-hacking
Obama Defends His Administration's Response To Russian Hacking 

Think of it: a pro-Russia U.S. administration

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/16/13971322/trump-tillerson-russia

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/obama-reagan-would-roll-over-in-his-grave-over-gop-support-for-russia
Obama: 'Reagan Would Roll Over In His Grave' Over GOP Support For Russia

 

Fun: the evolution of the Trump/Putin bromance

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/16/opinion/trump-and-putin-in-the-barn.html

 

"Allegedly"? ALLEGEDLY!!!???

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/12/16/after-quietly-trying-to-suppress-voting-trump-and-his-fans-applaud-lower-black-turnout/?utm_term=.e328c374737c
After allegedly trying to suppress voting, Trump and his fans applaud lower black turnout 

Too late, man

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/12/16/trump-tries-to-calm-his-vicious-violent-screaming-supporters/?utm_term=.da9b67a96e4e
Trump tries to calm his ‘vicious, violent, screaming’ supporters 

Meet the new US Ambassador to Israel

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-worst-of-the-worst
The Worst of the Worst

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-david-friedman-israel-ambassador

http://www.salon.com/2016/12/16/donald-trumps-new-israel-ambassador-compared-jews-who-criticize-israel-to-jews-who-helped-the-nazis/
Donald Trump’s new Israel ambassador compared Jews who criticize Israel to Jews who helped the Nazis

In his happy place

http://www.salon.com/2016/12/16/trump-lags-predecessors-on-diversity-as-he-picks-cabinet/
Trump's Cabinet makes up the world he's been in his entire life: wealthy, white, male-dominated and business-minded  

Kellyanne Conway decries "the permanent campaign" -- with a candidate who is still holding pep rallies???

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/without-hint-irony-team-trump-decries-the-permanent-campaign 

The Trump gang thought it was a great idea to auction off a coffee klatch with Ivanka. Then they realized what that means

http://www.salon.com/2016/12/16/eric-trump-holds-bidding-war-for-access-to-his-sister-ivanka/
Eric Trump holds bidding war for access to his sister Ivanka 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/12/16/1611712/-So-sad-Auction-selling-a-coffee-date-with-Ivanka-Trump-may-be-cancelled
Gosh, it’s not like they could have anticipated it would be problematic to literally sell access to one of the people closest to the president-elect. . . .

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ivanka-trump-coffee-fundraiser-disappears
'Coffee With Ivanka' Fundraising Page Mysteriously Taken Down After Scrutiny 

No, Trump doesn't have a "mandate"

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/12/16/1611756/-Trump-has-no-legitimate-mandate-from-the-American-people-None
 
Sorry, I just don't believe it

http://www.salon.com/2016/12/16/the-hamilton-electors-dont-have-enough-republicans-to-stop-trump-but-theyre-getting-there/
The Hamilton Electors don’t have enough Republicans to stop Trump — but they’re getting there 

More: http://www.vox.com/2016/12/16/13973774/trump-businesses-constitution-electoral-college 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/12/17/as-electors-finally-meet-donald-trump-s-moment-of-truth-approaches.html
 
The GOP plan

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/16/13967888/freedom-caucus-regulations
House conservatives' sweeping plan for Trump's first 100 days

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/12/15/1611448/-House-Freedom-Caucus-delivers-Trump-wish-list-of-hundreds-of-regulations-to-nix
House Freedom Caucus delivers Trump wish list of hundreds of regulations to nix

Can someone explain to them the meaning of "universal"?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/12/16/1611747/-Republicans-have-an-empty-new-promise-of-universal-access-to-some-degree-or-another
Republicans' new, empty healthcare promise: 'Universal access ... to some degree or another'

Sometimes we say politics is war by other means. And sometimes it's just war

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/north-carolina-republicans-launch-legislative-coup
North Carolina Republicans launch a legislative ‘coup’

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2016/12/ncgop-ruthless-is-as-ruthless-does.html
Ruthless is as ruthless does

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/protests-arrests-north-carolina-special-session
Protesters Arrested At NC Capitol As GOPers Push To Curb Dem Guv's Power

http://www.salon.com/2016/12/16/watch-north-carolinas-newly-elected-governor-fights-back-against-republicans-power-grab-threatens-lawsuit/
North Carolina’s newly elected governor fights back against Republicans’ power-grab, threatens lawsuit

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/12/16/the-gop-coup-in-north-carolina-previews-what-were-going-to-see-everywhere/?utm_source=rss_plum-line&utm_term=.dcfe8be3609f
The GOP coup in North Carolina previews what we’re going to see everywhere

http://crooksandliars.com/2016/12/north-carolina-coup-about-old-timey-white
North Carolina Coup Is About Old Timey White Supremacy

Obama calls out the media for their failings during the campaign -- and they don't like it

Obama: http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/16/13988114/obama-russia-hacking-election

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/12/16/at-year-end-presser-obama-defends-record-lectures-media.html

The response: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/12/16/president-obama-isnt-a-big-fan-of-the-medias-coverage-of-the-2016-campaign/?utm_term=.46ef65023359

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2016/12/nothing-to-see-here-folks-move-along.html

In other news . . .

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/12/bernie-sanders-would-have-lost-election-landslide
Bernie Sanders Would Have Lost the Election in a Landslide

http://www.vox.com/new-money/2016/12/16/13974438/facebook-fact-checking-trump
Fact-checking groups are about to become Facebook’s fake news cops. That won't be easy.

Bonus item: Not a joke -- Sheriff Joe says he now has PROOF that Obama's birth certificate is fake

http://www.salon.com/2016/12/16/donald-trumps-favorite-sheriff-is-still-a-birther-joe-arpaio-says-5-year-investigation-proves-president-obama-birth-certificate-fake/

[NB: Gee, do you think they can force him out of office over this?]

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Thanks for helping to spread the word!

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FRICTION

What we can do to throw sand in the gears of Trump's machine

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DzOz3Y6D8g_MNXHNMJYAz1b41_cn535aU5UsN7Lj8X8/preview
Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda

Here's one good place to start: http://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2016/12/15/13957714/voting-rights-states-ballot-franchise-civil-rights
The voting rights manifesto: a state-by-state plan to defend democracy

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/12/15/1611364/-To-blunt-Trump-Democratic-attorneys-general-ready-to-bring-on-the-lawsuits
If Republicans can do it in red states, then Democrats can do it in blue states: That is, use lawsuits to combat a host of regulatory changes and executive actions that are sure to come from the Trump administration. In fact, the courts will likely provide the best and, in some cases, only line of defense against a bevy of egregious policies that will flow from Trump's team. . . .

It's important to realize that Trump's agenda isn't always the GOP in Congress's agenda, and vice versa. And those career pols aren't going to jeopardize their own futures to back him on crazy stuff 

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/12/has-trump-signed-onto-congressional-budget-plans.html
The GOP’s First Budget Bill Is Going to Be a Big, Big Deal. Are Trump and Ryan on the Same Page?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/12/14/1611083/-GOP-sets-agenda-without-Trump-tax-cuts-for-the-rich-and-taking-away-health-insurance
GOP sets agenda without Trump: tax cuts for the rich and taking away health insurance

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/obamacare-repeal-republicans-replacement-tax-cut

Why The GOP's Obamacare Repeal May Doom Their Replacement

Follow-up on the big news yesterday that Putin personally directed Russian hacking to affect the outcome of the election. First up, Trump doesn't believe it

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/us/politics/russia-hack-election-trump-obama.html

Trump Falsely Says U.S. Claim of Russian Hacking Came After Election

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/team-trump-blasts-obama-white-house-over-hacking-scandal-claims

Donald Trump and his aides aren't outraged by the hacking scandal; they're outraged by the Obama White House talking about the scandal. 

More: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/12/how-can-u-s-respond-to-putins-alleged-election-meddling.html

If Putin Was Personally Involved in Election Meddling, How Can the U.S. Respond?

  
http://www.salon.com/2016/12/16/obama-vows-retaliation-for-suspected-russian-hacking/
President Obama says the U.S. will retaliate against Vladimir Putin for Russian DNC email hack

Let's look at the evidence that Trump KNEW Russia was intervening in the election to help him, and he encouraged it

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/josh-earnest-trump-knew-russia-was-boosting-candidacy

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/12/15/1611318/-Russia-s-involvement-in-US-election-was-personally-headed-by-Putin-and-Trump

More: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2016/12/qotd-paul-begala.html

If Trump doubted Russia was behind Dem hack, why did he call upon Russia specifically to hack HRC emails in July?  

http://www.salon.com/2016/12/15/what-did-donald-trump-know-about-vladimir-putins-attempt-to-hack-the-election-and-when-did-he-know-it/

Throughout this campaign and since the election, Trump has extolled the virtues of Putin, showing none of his usual bellicose bravado or nationalist fervor. He didn’t seem to know that Russia had invaded Ukraine and when corrected said that he believed it was a welcome invasion. When confronted with the fact that Putin stands accused of killing reporters and and political rivals he responded by saying, “Our country does plenty of killing also.” He later joked on the campaign trail about following Putin’s lead and killing journalists himself. He goes out of his way to call the Russian leader “strong,” Trump’s highest compliment. Today Trump says that he and Putin have never met, but in this TV interview taped in Moscow in November 2013, Trump said he has a relationship with the Russian president and that he assumed Putin would be watching. Trump often compliments Putin for his “popularity” . . . Trump’s attitude toward Putin has always been at odds with his usual style and tone. Because of that and the strange circumstances surrounding Trump’s hiring of Paul Manafort, a man with deep connections to Russian allies, the strange behavior of “Trump surrogates” at the Republican platform committee drafting sanctions policy toward Russia and Trump’s dismissive and often cavalier attitude toward evidence that Russia tried to interfere in the presidential election, serious questions are now being raised.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/12/15/we-need-an-independent-public-investigation-of-the-trump-russia-scandal-now/?utm_source=rss_plum-line&utm_term=.52645137ec1d

We need an independent, public investigation of the Trump-Russia scandal. Now.

 

The Cesspool. Did Trump postpone his "blind trust" press conference today because when it comes down to it he doesn't plan to do ANYTHING to avoid his glaring conflicts of interest, but doesn't want to say so until after the electoral college vote is safely settled?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/12/15/1611334/-December-15-was-supposed-to-be-Trump-press-conference-day-until-he-chickened-out

More: http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/facing-conflict-interest-allegations-trump-tries-brazenness

Facing conflict-of-interest allegations, Trump tries brazenness

http://www.vox.com/2016/12/15/13953152/trump-international-hotel-dc-lease-conflict-interest

The Trump DC hotel’s possibly illegal lease and massive ethical problems, explained

SMH

http://www.salon.com/2016/12/15/watch-kellyanne-conway-says-donald-trumps-team-found-an-exception-in-anti-nepotism-law/

Kellyanne Conway says Donald Trump’s team found “an exception” in anti-nepotism law

Apparently Trump didn't choose Giuliani for Sect'y of State because he was concerned about his . . . "stamina"

http://crooksandliars.com/2016/12/one-bathroom-accident-could-be-what-saved

These days Good Lindsey is on display

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/lindsey-graham-rex-tillerson-vote-russia-sanctions
Graham Signals He Won't Vote For Tillerson If He Rejects Russia Sanctions

So Michael Flynn is the go-between for Trump and the intelligence briefers. Problem is, Flynn ALSO doesn't like hearing what he doesn't want to hear

http://washingtonmonthly.com/2016/12/15/let-barney-frank-be-the-presidential-briefer/

Erp!

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/oh-my-trump-s-commerce-nominee-backed-47
This is first reported by CNN, apparently a video originally dug up by American Bridge. Wilbur Ross, Donald Trump's nominee for Commerce Secretary, backed up Mitt Romney's "47%" comments back late in the 2012 campaign

Oh, by the way

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/12/15/1611382/-The-swamp-Trump-was-talking-about-draining-wasn-t-the-one-you-thought
'Trump’s 17 cabinet-level picks have more money than a third of American households combined'

First, K.T. McFarland. Now Trump keeps appointing television personalities to important govt positions

http://crooksandliars.com/2016/12/monica-crowley-conspiracy-theorist

Monica Crowley, Conspiracy Theorist Extraordinaire, To Be Trump’s Deputy National Security Adviser

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/12/15/1611481/-Larry-Kudlow-in-charge-of-the-economy-What-could-go-wrong

Larry Kudlow in charge of the economy. What could go wrong?

Uh, we know Donald, we know

http://www.salon.com/2016/12/15/donald-trump-says-at-tech-meeting-with-children-in-attendance-we-have-no-formal-chain-of-command/
Donald Trump says at tech meeting with children in attendance: “We have no formal chain of command”  

More: http://www.salon.com/2016/12/16/donald-trumps-management-style-may-lead-to-total-chaos-in-the-white-house-and-that-could-be-good-news/
Donald Trump’s management style may lead to total chaos in the White House — and that could be good news 

Vanity Fair runs a negative review of a Trump-owned restaurant and you know what happens next

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/12/15/1611328/-Trump-Grill-gets-a-bad-review-and-Donald-just-can-t-keep-his-Twitter-finger-still

More: http://crooksandliars.com/2016/12/wow-trump-has-time-read-and-tweet-about
Wow, Trump Has Time To Read And Tweet About Restaurant Reviews

Meanwhile, over at Financial Times

http://www.salon.com/2016/12/15/donald-trump-doesnt-read-financial-times-names-him-person-of-the-year-but-he-thinks-its-a-compliment/
Donald Trump doesn’t read: Financial Times names him “person of the year,” but he thinks it’s a compliment  

Fox News poll -- FOX NEWS POLL! 

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/fox-news-poll-trump-presidency-one-of-the-worst
Plurality Of Fox Poll Respondents: Trump Presidency Will Be 'One Of The Worst' 

Don't spend a lot of time hoping the electoral college will change the result

http://www.salon.com/2016/12/15/the-electoral-voters-speak-and-theyre-not-out-for-a-revolt/ 

Furious about the FBI and Comey? read this, you will be

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-unfolding-chronicle-of-wtf

More: http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/12/why-are-democrats-so-damn-timid-about-james-comey-and-fbi

In other news . . .

http://www.vox.com/new-money/2016/12/15/13969764/facebooke-fake-news-plan
This is Facebook's plan to fight fake news

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/12/ronna-romney-mcdaniel-will-be-the-next-rnc-chair.html
Meet Ronna Romney McDaniel, the next head of the Republican National Committee

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/12/15/the-gop-strategy-to-repeal-and-replace-obamacare-is-a-joke/?utm_source=rss_plum-line&utm_term=.20e61629f882
The GOP strategy to ‘repeal and replace’ Obamacare is a joke 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/12/15/1611474/-Delaware-Supreme-Court-re-sentences-entire-death-row-to-life-without-parole
Delaware Supreme Court re-sentences entire death row to life without parole

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/exempt-positions-north-carolina-special-session
What stands as perhaps the most brazen element of the lame-duck North Carolina legislature's last-minute effort to weaken the office of the governor before Democrat Roy Cooper is sworn in involves what we traditionally think of as patronage positions.  This really is something to behold.  Back in 2013, this same legislature dramatically increased the number of what are technically called "exempt positions" under the governor, giving newly elected Republican Gov. Pat McCrory significant new patronage power. The number of political appointees authorized for McCrory exploded from about 500 to 1,500.  Now a new bill introduced in the surprise special session, called yesterday with about two hours notice, cuts the number of political appointees for Cooper from 1,500 down to 300, even fewer than McCrory originally started with. . . .

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/12/15/1611242/-North-Carolina-GOP-shreds-democracy-acts-to-strip-power-from-new-Democratic-governor-and-high-court

Bonus item: Transparency, of a sort

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/15/13966872/trump-lying-daily-show
Donald Trump can be weirdly honest about his lying. The Daily Show gave a few examples.

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sharing its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com) with others via email or social media.

Thanks for helping to spread the word!

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***