THE REAL DONALD TRUMP

Trump's crazy day

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/01/trump-civil-war-banks-korea-237859
"It seems to be among the most bizarre recent 24 hours in American presidential history," said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian. "It was all just surreal disarray and a confused mental state from the president." [read on]

More: http://www.salon.com/2017/05/02/lessons-in-history-from-donald-trump-who-has-a-very-good-brain-and-is-one-of-the-smartest-people-anywhere-in-the-world/
Lessons in history from Donald Trump, who has “a very good brain” and is “one of the smartest people anywhere in the world” . . .

Trump attacks his own FBI Director as a way of getting back at Hillary Clinton 

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/trump-attacks-his-own-fbi-director-to-hit-back-at-clinton.html

[NB: Any more of those Electoral College maps to hand out?]

Trump just can't let the Andrew Jackson, Civil War story go -- and keeps making it worse

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/02/1658115/-Donald-Trump-doubles-down-on-the-story-of-Andrew-Jackson-peace-maker
Donald Trump is utterly unable to admit a mistake. It doesn’t matter what the subject is or how egregious the original remark. It doesn’t matter if it’s something he said off the cuff without much, or any, advance thought. Once a statement has squirted from between from his puckered lips, it must be defended. The process starts when Trump hears some couch banter on Fox and Friends, or puzzles through some headlines on Breitbart, mixes up a few “facts” in an already questionable story, then spews. Next—and this is critical—people laugh at Trump. Lots and lots of people. Laugh, laugh, laugh at Donald Trump. At this point Trump squeezes his hands into ping pong ball-sized fists, and doubles down on his original statement. . . .

 

[Donald J. Trump]  President Andrew Jackson, who died 16 years before the Civil War started, saw it coming and was angry. Would never have let it happen!

 

More: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/05/trump_s_belief_that_a_deal_could_have_prevented_the_civil_war_is_as_dangerous.html

It is easy to imagine a President Jackson in 1860 who followed Douglas’ path. Who, in keeping with his sympathies and beliefs about Americans democracy, forestalled war by advancing the interests of slaveholders and Southern elites even further than Douglas proposed, opening new territories to the expansion of slavery, and organizing the nation’s foreign policy around new markets and opportunities for slave-produced commodities. Jackson may well have prevented the war, at the cost of 4 million black Americans, held in bondage. That gets to the rub of it all. Trump isn’t wrong to think there was a deal that could have prevented the Civil War. There was. But the price of that deal was the maintenance of slavery; in fact, the strengthening of a monstrous system of violence and exploitation. . . .

Trump liked the budget deal. Then the Dems bragged that they'd won. Then his people said it was a pretty good deal. Then conservatives savaged it. So Trump said, the hell with it let the government shut down. Trump seems to think that a crisis like a government shutdown might allow him to blame the filibuster, which gives the Dems power, and get it overturned

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/trump-calls-for-government-shutdown-in-september.html
Perhaps predictably, the president of the United States seems to be overreacting to assessments of the stopgap funding bill worked out by Congress over the weekend as a defeat for his own self and his congressional allies. With his signature on the bill barely dry, Trump took to Twitter this morning to attack the deal and suggest that in the next round of appropriations negotiations a government shutdown would be better than a compromise . . .

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-country-needs-shutdown

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mick-mulvaney-good-shutdown-trump-point-dysfunction

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-threatens-democrats-good-government-shutdown

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/gop-senators-reject-trumps-call-to-get-rid-of-filibuster.html
GOP Senators Reject Trump’s Call for Getting Rid of Filibuster

Pissed

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/02/trump-congress-obamacare-agenda-237762
Trump, not a man known for his patience, is starting to flash frustration at the all-GOP Congress’ sluggish pace. He told Fox News last week that he’s “disappointed” that the legislative process “doesn’t go quicker”; on Sunday, the president said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that congressional procedures, particularly those in the Senate, are “unfair.” On Tuesday he called to gut the legislative filibuster or develop a 60-vote majority to steamroll Democrats and suggested the country could use a government shutdown this fall.  Promises from party leaders to open the Trump presidency with a legislative bonanza — repealing and replacing Obamacare, rewriting the tax code and funding Trump’s border wall all before the August recess — have given way to Republican divisions and Democratic resistance. The biggest piece of legislation so far this year is a five-month spending bill that explicitly refuses to fund Trump’s wall.  . . .

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/schumer-trump-budget-cant-always-get-what-you-want
Schumer Taunts Trump’s Budget Fury: ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’

No, Trump's tax plan is not about helping working and middle class Americans. Not at all

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/5/2/15500544/trump-tax-plan-lying
Last week, Donald Trump proposed an enormous deficit-increasing tax cut slanted toward the interests of high-income families. That’s a tough sell at a time when public opinion has tilted sharply against cutting taxes on the rich, and when a low unemployment rate and Federal Reserve interest rate increases have eliminated the case for fiscal stimulus.  But in a series of interviews over the past few days, Trump and his team have made it clear that they have a plan to deal with these challenges. Lie aggressively, lie shamelessly, and lie repeatedly. . . .

More: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/5/2/15500882/trump-corporate-tax-cut-wages-kevin-hassett

The Repubs are at the stage of arm-twisting and bribery to get votes for their lousy health care bill (and, no, it doesn't guarantee coverage for pre-existing conditions)

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/horse-trading-promises-win-over-some-holdouts-on-health-care-bill

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/02/still-dont-have-the-votes-trumpcare-2-0-is-doomed-again-as-republicans-still-cant-get-behind-obamacare-replacement/

More: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/5/2/15515216/republicans-health-bill-rush
Why Republicans are still desperate to pass a health bill absurdly quickly. Their complex legislative strategy falls apart if health reform doesn’t pass very soon. . .

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/05/trumpcare-even-worse-we-thought
TrumpCare Is Even Worse Than We Thought

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/house-goper-move-to-another-state-if-you-have-a-pre-existing-condition
President Donald Trump and GOP leaders are asserting that their bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act will protect people with pre-existing conditions—despite fact that the current bill allows states to waive the protections, giving insurers a green light to jack up the rates of those with a chronic illness or disability. Other rank-and-file lawmakers have been more blunt.  “People can go to the state that they want to live in,” Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC) told reporters . . .

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/5/2/15523262/voxcare-republicans-preexisting-conditions
Why Republicans aren’t winning the argument over preexisting conditions

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/05/republicans-playing-pre-existing-conditions-kabuki
Republicans Are Playing Pre-Existing Conditions Kabuki 

More blaming the Democrats for not working with them on repeal and replace. Of course, they never for an instant reached out to the Dems or tried to include them. And why should the Dems help them demolish Obama's signature achievement? If the GOP wanted to fix Obamacare, they would have gone about this in a totally different way

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/peak-trumpcare-sad-trombone

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/02/1658221/-Pelosi-piles-on-to-Ryan-s-Zombie-Trumpcare-woes-with-a-little-reminder-about-the-missing-CBO-score
Pelosi piles on to Ryan's Zombie Trumpcare woes with a little reminder about the missing CBO score

They're going to try again

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/02/1658236/-D-ja-vu-all-over-again-Ryan-fast-tracks-Zombie-Trumpcare-without-having-votes-nailed-down
The House is under "martial law" again, an effort by Speaker Paul Ryan and team to fast-track Zombie Trumpcare to the floor this week. Without any new hearings on the MacArthur amendment that guts pre-existing condition protections. Without a Congressional Budget Office score. Using a procedure that is normally only used for emergencies . . . Leadership, and the White House, have been mercilessly whipping members to try to get the votes for this. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy suggests that those beatings will continue over the weekend if they have to, to get this done. . . .

More: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/zombie-trumpcare-may-undergo-another-last-minute-change.html
Senior Capitol Hill and White House officials said a new amendment being drafted Tuesday night would address concerns from key moderates about how the legislation treats individuals with pre-existing conditions. Earlier in the day, multiple sources said House leadership floated the idea of adding additional money to high-risk pools aimed at subsidizing more expensive premiums for people with such medical conditions. . . .

Did Jimmy Kimmel just drive a stake through the GOP health care bill?

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/02/watch-jimmy-kimmel-through-tears-reveals-newborn-son-survived-heart-surgery-has-a-pre-existing-condition-protected-under-obamacare/ 

Donald then and now

http://crooksandliars.com/2017/05/congress-allocates-extra-120-million-trump
Then: President @BarackObama's vacation is costing taxpayers millions of dollars----Unbelievable! - 5 Jan 2012  

Now: Congress Allocates Extra $120 Million For Trump Security Costs
 
Obama's fault, I assume

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/05/auto-sales-slumped-badly-april
Auto Sales Slumped Badly in April 

The Cesspool -- family edition

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/02/jared-kushner-failed-to-disclose-conflicts-of-interest-with-goldman-sachs-various-billionaires/
Jared Kushner failed to disclose conflicts of interest with Goldman Sachs, various billionaires  

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/02/1658137/-Jared-Kushner-left-some-things-off-his-disclosure-form-like-a-company-with-1-billion-in-loans
Jared Kushner left some things off his disclosure form—like a company with $1 billion in loans

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/02/ivanka-trump-didnt-consult-with-the-office-of-government-ethics-before-taking-a-white-house-job/
Ivanka Trump didn’t consult with the Office of Government Ethics before taking a White House job  

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/02/ivanka-trumps-new-book-is-being-promoted-on-a-government-funded-website/
Ivanka Trump’s new book is being promoted on a government-funded website 

Getting to know the "real" Ivanka (if that phrase even has any meaning)

http://crooksandliars.com/2017/05/poor-ivanka-has-no-time-massages

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/02/1658146/-Ivanka-is-really-really-trying-you-guys-so-she-shouldn-t-be-held-responsible-for-anything-ever
 
Another one

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/05/02/senate-confirms-wall-street-lawyer-jay-clayton-to-lead-sec/?utm_term=.5638a7f4438a
Senate confirms Wall Street lawyer Jay Clayton to lead SEC

Sebastian Gorka appeals to Trump to keep him on, and succeeds

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/still-gorkin
Because he’s an extremist with a phony degree who was involved in neo-fascist politics in Hungary before he decided to come to America. I suspect he’ll eventually get booted. But President Trump still apparently has his back. At least that’s what Gorka says. . . .

The other shoe drops

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jim-demint-out-as-president-ceo-of-heritage-foundation
Jim DeMint Out As President Of Heritage Foundation

I believe him, don't you?

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/world-news/putin-denies-election-meddling
Putin Denies That Russia Has Ever Participated In Election Meddling In Other Countries

Jeff Sessions has a creepy view of the law

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/5/2/15518574/desiree-fairooz-justice-department
It is hard to believe this is happening, but it’s real: The US Department of Justice is literally prosecuting a woman for laughing at now–Attorney General Jeff Sessions during his Senate confirmation hearing earlier this year. . . .

Trump's first ad for the 2020 election

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/team-trump-flubs-the-first-ad-the-2020-election-cycle

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/cnn-hits-back-trump-100-days-ad-is-false
“The mainstream media is not fake news, and therefore the ad is false,” CNN’s communications team said in a tweeted statement. CNN said that it asked the campaign to remove the “false graphic” impugning the media.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/5/2/15518860/trump-campaign-cnn-censorship
The Trump campaign is accusing CNN of censorship

In what order?

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/clinton-blames-for-2016-loss
Hillary Clinton Blames Misogyny, FBI, Russia, Herself For 2016 Presidential Loss

Colbert: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/02/stephen-colbert-knows-the-real-reason-hillary-clinton-lost
Stephen Colbert Knows the Real Reason Hillary Clinton Lost

Bonus item: I guess some things are even too much for a loving daughter to accept

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ivanka-trump-teared-up-access-hollywood-tape
Ivanka Trump pleaded with her father to issue a vigorous, sincere apology for his notoriously vulgar comments about women on a leaked 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape—and left the room visibly upset when Donald Trump would not take her advice . . .

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JUST SAY NO

More hope and promises about a health care vote this week. It's gotten to the point where passing SOMETHING . . . PLEASE! has become an end in itself, so much so that no one is even asking about what is in the plan or whether it will make people's lives better. Nor are people pointing out the inconvenient fact that the current plan violates Trump's own promises. Nor that the Senate won't touch this garbage with a ten foot pole

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/white-house-obamacare-repeal-vote
White House Thinks It Has The Votes For House O’Care Repeal Vote This Week

https://www.vox.com/2017/5/1/15468538/trump-health-care-bill-vulnerable-republicans
Trump’s health care bid puts moderate Republicans in an impossible situation

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/01/1657944/-Another-big-Republican-defection-on-Zombie-Trumpcare-and-a-not-so-confident-White-House
Another big Republican defection on Zombie Trumpcare, and a not so confident White House

More: http://crooksandliars.com/2017/05/sean-spicer-spins-happy-gop-fairy-tale
Sean Spicer Spins A Happy GOP Fairy Tale About Preexisting Condition Coverage

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/01/1657952/-Did-Trump-just-send-Paul-Ryan-back-to-the-drawing-board-on-Trumpcare
Did Trump just send Paul Ryan back to the drawing board on Trumpcare?

https://www.vox.com/health-care/2017/5/1/15508248/voxcare-trump-ahca-interviews
Trump keeps giving interviews about a health bill that doesn't exist

By the way, when Trump or the GOPers try to say that people with pre-existing conditions will be "covered," that can mean a lot of different things

http://crooksandliars.com/2017/05/gop-rep-says-those-pre-existing-conditions

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/thomas-jefferson-street/articles/2017-05-01/does-trumpcare-cover-pre-existing-conditions

http://www.businessinsider.com/gop-healthcare-bill-pre-existing-conditions-2017-5

The new spending bill has a big increase for NIH funding and a lot of other wins for the Democrats

https://www.vox.com/2017/5/1/15499450/trump-budget-2017-nih-cuts

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-cuck-stops-here

It also has this: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/01/1657827/-Budget-deal-includes-41-million-for-extraordinary-costs-of-indulging-Donald-Trump
Budget deal includes $41 million for 'extraordinary costs' of indulging Donald Trump

Conservatives are furious -- and might block it

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/01/betrayal-beyond-belief-conservatives-cry-foul-after-republicans-reach-budget-deal-to-jettison-all-of-trumps-priorities/

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/house-conservatives-may-revolt-against-spending-deal.html

Sure, let's deregulate Wall Street again -- what could go wrong?

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/5/1/15440408/republicans-wall-street-frank

How the Trump gang is trying to kill the Trump-Russia investigation, behind the scenes

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2017/05/well-there-goes-that-investigation.html

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/01/1657857/-Trump-still-says-he-s-not-sure-Russians-were-involved-in-DNC-hacking-blames-Podesta-Clintons
Trump still says he's not sure Russians were involved in DNC hacking, blames Podesta, Clintons

Trump supporter Bob Corker (R) now says the Russia sanctions bill has to be held up until the "investigations" are complete

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-panel-puts-russia-sanctions-bill-on-hold/2017/05/01/248c3204-2ec0-11e7-9dec-764dc781686f_story.html?utm_term=.e9729c6b1c7a

Trump is frustrated with the Constitutional checks and balances that limit his power -- and talks as if he would like to change them. Good luck with that

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/01/donald-trump-doesnt-like-the-archaic-constitution-its-really-a-bad-thing-for-the-country/
President Donald Trump has already made it clear that he’s upset about how the job of being president isn’t as easy as he thought it would be. Now the president and his chief of staff are outright blaming the Constitution on their remarkably unproductive first 100 days . . .

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/spicer-changing-libel-laws-reince-priebus
White House Doubles Down: Targeting Press With Libel Laws ‘Being Looked Into’

Trump likes to brag about his "unpredictability" -- which is Trumpspeak for "I'm making it up as I go." This is particularly bad in the area of foreign policy, where people look to the U.S. for a steady and consistent commitment to principle and dependability

http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/04/18/trumps-madman-theory-isnt-strategic-unpredictability-its-just-crazy/
On the campaign trail, the media loved Donald Trump’s unpredictability. What would the wacky candidate do next? It was an approach he was keen to wield not only on the political stage but the global one, calling for an “unpredictable” foreign policy. “We are totally predictable. We tell everything. We’re sending troops? We tell them. We’re sending something else? We have a news conference. We have to be unpredictable, and we have to be unpredictable starting now,” he said in an April 2016 speech.  Recent weeks have seen a renewed focus on this pledge, with Trump switching positions almost by the day. Trump declared that NATO, despite his earlier claims, is “no longer obsolete.” He won’t declare China a currency manipulator. Despite months (and even years) of calling for cooperation with Syria and Russia to combat the Islamic State, and for an “America First” doctrine skeptical of the value of international norms, Trump ordered a cruise missile strike on Syria’s Shayrat air base in retaliation for the Bashar al-Assad regime’s apparent use of chemical weapons against civilians. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., now visibly disagree on whether the administration will resume Barack Obama’s policy of demanding Assad’s removal from power.  Reversals and shifts are far from unprecedented. New administrations often adjust their policies to deal with the complex realities of international affairs or with changing tides in domestic politics. But few of these have openly sung the praises of unpredictability or contradicted themselves with such abandon as the Trump administration. . . . But unpredictability isn’t a strength. For a great power such as America, it’s a recipe for instability, confusion, and self-inflicted harm to U.S. interests abroad. . . [read on]

More: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/13/donald-trumps-doctrine-unpredictability-world-edge
Donald Trump's doctrine of unpredictability has the world on edge  

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-promised-an-unpredictable-foreign-policy-to-allies-it-looks-incoherent/2017/04/11/21acde5e-1a3d-11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html?utm_term=.66a7c9e7c772
Trump promised an ‘unpredictable’ foreign policy. To allies, it looks incoherent. 

It's a growing pattern: Trump is overly deferential, or worse, to authoritarian leaders

https://www.vox.com/world/2017/5/1/15502610/trump-philippines-rodrigo-duterte-obama-putin-erdogan-dictators
Trump likes autocrats because of the horrible things they do, not in spite of them

Honored? http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/01/1657878/-Trump-says-he-d-be-honored-to-meet-with-Kim-Jong-un
Trump says he'd be 'honored' to meet with Kim Jong-un

Trump's comments on Andrew Jackson and the Civil War aren't just historically ignorant -- they show yet again that he has no appreciation for difficult or complex issues ("“People don’t ask that question, but why was there the Civil War? Why could that one not have been worked out?”)

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/trumps-civil-war-comment-and-the-limits-of-deal-making.html

More: http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/05/head-scratcher-day-why-was-there-civil-war

https://www.vox.com/world/2017/5/1/15499946/trump-civil-war-slavery

[NB: This is the kind of mentality that assigns Middle East peace to a son-in-law with no experience whatsoever -- he thinks it's "easy" http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-suggests-middle-east-peace-should-be-easy-too]

So now we have to have a national discussion about why the Civil War happened. A national discussion like this

http://crooksandliars.com/2017/05/cnn-conservative-stop-making-civil-war-all
Conservative CNN pundit Ben Ferguson lost his temper with Bakari Sellers for relating the issue of slavery to the Civil War, yelling, "People are getting sick and tired of the race card being thrown around." . . .

The Trump gang has no sense of decency or class. None

http://crooksandliars.com/2017/04/president-carter-wins-award-argentina
Trump Cancels Argentine Award Ceremony Honoring President Carter

More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/05/01/trump-official-freezes-michelle-obamas-plan-to-fight-childhood-obesity/?utm_term=.dcb93f511d89
Trump official freezes Michelle Obama’s plan to fight childhood obesity

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/02/dismantling-michelle-obamas-legacy-donald-trump-targets-the-former-first-ladys-initiatives-aimed-at-children/
Dismantling Michelle Obama’s legacy: Donald Trump targets the former first lady’s initiatives aimed at children 

Trump gets a question he doesn't like about his bogus lie that Obama wiretapped him -- and ends the interview

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-cuts-off-cbs-interview-after-wiretap-claim-question

More: http://www.salon.com/2017/05/02/there-was-no-point-trumps-white-house-is-puzzled-about-his-bizarre-series-of-interviews/
Monday was filled with commentary by President Donald Trump that, even by the standards established during his administration, managed to turn the political world on its head — from claiming that the Civil War may not have happened had Andrew Jackson been around to saying he’d be open to a gas tax and breaking up the big banks.  A new report now suggests that Trump’s own staffers and fellow Republican officials are as confused as the rest of us.  There have been efforts by Trump’s advisers to limit his exposure to the media due to concern that he’ll undermine his own agenda . . .

Another classic know-nothing Trump appointee

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/01/1657908/-Trump-s-pick-to-head-federal-family-planning-program-Contraception-doesn-t-work
Trump's pick to head federal family planning program: 'Contraception doesn't work'

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/julie-kirchner-anti-immigrant-crusader-ombudsman-citizenship-immigration-services
Meet The Anti-Immigrant Crusader Trump Admin Tapped To Assist Immigrants

Wilbur Ross is rapidly becoming one of my least favorite Cabinet members -- and that's saying something

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/wilbur-ross-jokes-syria-strike-was-mar-a-lago-entertainment.html
Wilbur Ross Jokes That Syria Strike Was ‘After-Dinner Entertainment’ at Mar-a-Lago

Time for Sean Spicer to find a new line of work

http://crooksandliars.com/2017/05/sean-spicer-whines-press-play-who-can
Sean Spicer Whines: The Press Play 'Who Can Stump The Chump’ During His Briefings

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/01/1657917/-Spicer-spends-Monday-s-briefing-trying-to-cover-for-a-days-long-deluge-of-Trump-doozies

Another major head falls at Fox World

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/bill-shine-out-at-fox-news-allegations-ailes

What will Hannity do? http://crooksandliars.com/2017/05/confirmed-bill-shine-out-fox-news

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/01/sean-hannity-eyes-fox-news-exit-insiders-say

Elizabeth Warren goes after Barack Obama for his Wall Street speaking fees

http://www.salon.com/2017/05/01/giant-blind-spots-elizabeth-warren-says-barack-obama-does-not-understand-lived-experience-of-most-americans/

More: http://prospect.org/article/liberals-obama-and-wall-street-speaking-fee

This is the number one issue Dems have to face if they ever hope to win a national election again

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/05/01/why-did-trump-win-new-research-by-democrats-offers-a-worrisome-answer/?utm_source=rss_plum-line&utm_term=.74b91243de98
A shockingly large percentage of these Obama-Trump voters said Democrats’ economic policies will favor the wealthy — twice the percentage that said the same about Trump. . . .

Bonus item: Colbert trashes Trump over his insults to John Dickerson

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/01/stephen-colbert-demolishes-trump-for-insulting-face-the-nation-host-john-dickerson

Your turn, Seth: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/01/seth-meyers-savages-donald-trump-s-civil-war-ignorance-clearly-in-over-his-head
 

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THE LONG CON

Trump says health care reform is "on its way" (it's always just around the corner, isn't it?). And blames the Dems for why it hasn't happened already

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-claims-new-health-care-plan-on-its-way

Trump offers up his usual word salad of promises and assurances on health care reform. Look, you CAN'T lower costs, and raise quality, and provide more choice, and cover pre-existing conditions for everyone. And the things he says are in the bill . . . aren't in the bill

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/04/trump-has-no-idea-whats-his-health-care-bill
JOHN DICKERSON: So but in the bill, as it was analyzed, there were two problems. One, and you talked about this with Congressman Robert Aderholt, who brought you the example of the 64-year-old who under Obamacare the premiums--  

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: But that was a long time ago, John.  

JOHN DICKERSON: But has that been fixed?  

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Totally fixed.

JOHN DICKERSON: How?  

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: How? We've made many changes to the bill. You know, this bill is--

JOHN DICKERSON: What kind though?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --very much different than it was three weeks ago.  

JOHN DICKERSON: Help us explain because there are people--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The bill--

JOHN DICKERSON: --out there wondering what kind of changes.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Let me explain. Let me explain it to you.

JOHN DICKERSON: Okay.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: This bill is much different than it was a little while ago, okay? This bill has evolved. And we didn't have a failure on the bill. You know, it was reported like a failure. Now, the one thing I wouldn't have done again is put a timeline. That's why on the second iteration, I didn't put a timeline.  But we have now pre-existing conditions in the bill. We have -- we've set up a pool for the pre-existing conditions so that the premiums can be allowed to fall. We're taking across all of the borders or the lines so that insurance companies can compete--

JOHN DICKERSON: But that's not in--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --nationwide.

JOHN DICKERSON: --this bill. The borders are not in--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Of course, it's in.

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/04/30/1657644/-Trump-on-television-yet-again-displays-ignorance-and-incoherence-And-no-that-s-not-normal
That was only a small part of a stream-of-consciousness discussion that ended, after a very long while, with Trump assuring host John Dickerson that every single healthcare issue Dickerson asked about was going to be solved, no worries, either now or later or whatever. It followed on the heels of a declaration that China was too a "currency manipulator" but that they stopped as soon as Donald Trump took office, because Reasons, and a back-and-forth about North Korea so vapid and airy that it looked as if Trump was in danger of floating away at any moment. . . [read on]  

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-talks-new-health-care-plan-100-days
“This bill is much different than it was a little while ago, okay? This bill has evolved,” he said. “And we didn’t have a failure on the bill. You know, it was reported like a failure. Now, the one thing I wouldn’t have done again is put a timeline.”

In a series of tweets Sunday morning, Trump said that a new plan is “on its way,” but did not specify when.

“So what you’ve just described is the bill that you previously had said you worried wouldn’t help your people,” John Dickerson said.

“No, there were things in the other bill, the first version, which were not as good,” Trump said. “We’re going to drive down premiums. We’re going to drive down deductibles.”

“It’s not going to be left up to the states? Everybody gets pre-existing, no matter where they live?” Dickerson asked. “Guaranteed?”

“No, but the states are also going to have a lot to do with it because we ultimately want to get it back down to the states,” Trump said. “Because if you hurt your knee, honestly, I’d rather have the federal government focused on North Korea, focused on other things, than your knee, okay? Or than your back, as important as your back is.”  

“So I’m not hearing you, Mr. President, say there’s a guarantee of pre-existing conditions,” Dickerson pressed.

“We actually have — we actually have a clause that guarantees,” Trump said.  

“Okay, excellent. We got there,” Dickerson said.

More: http://www.vox.com/2017/4/30/15492354/trump-ahca-interview
An interview suggests Trump doesn't know what's in his health bill. Either the president doesn’t understand the proposal — or isn’t telling the truth about it.

More bad interview technique

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/04/30/this-is-precisely-how-not-to-interview-donald-trump-on-tax-reform/?utm_term=.f7c916f2ed6d
TRUMP: … I’m going to end up paying more than I pay right now in taxes, all right? I will pay more than I pay right now. The reason I’m going to pay more is because I lose all the deductions. They have deductions on top of deductions. They have hundreds and hundreds of pages of deductions

MACCALLUM: Right. So eliminate those, and then it will even out.

TRUMP: … things that you’ve never heard of before. I have great accounting firms. I’m sure you do. They come in, “Well, you’re entitled to a deduction for geese flying over America, you’re entitled to this, you’re entitled to” — by the time they give all these — all of that stuff goes away.  All of it goes away, other than charitable deductions, which we think is important to keep, and interest deductions, which we think is important to keep. But all of the stuff goes away.

MACCALLUM: Yes.

TRUMP: So I predict I will probably pay more than I’m paying right now.

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/04/30/1656646/-Trump-s-tax-plan-is-a-Laffer
Long before it mastered the mass production of “fake news,” the Republican Party propagated its Ur-lie that “tax cuts pay for themselves.” Almost from the moment that Arthur Laffer first sketched his now-famous curve on a napkin in 1974, right-wing pundits, politicians, and propagandists have declared as an article of faith the belief that tax cuts incentivize so much economic growth that revenues to Uncle Sam will be at least as high as they would have been without the reduction in rates. Unfortunately for the American people, four decades of supply-side snake oil have produced only mushrooming national debt and record-high income inequality. Far from paying for themselves, the Reagan and Bush tax cuts delivered a windfall only for the wealthy while unleashing oceans of red ink from the United States Treasury. (Of course, the other objective of draining Washington’s coffers in order to add to the bulging bank accounts of the rich was to get government “down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub.”) It’s no wonder that by 2015 even Keith Hall, the man hand-picked by the Republican majority on Capitol Hill to head the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), acknowledged the obvious: “No, the evidence is that tax cuts do not pay for themselves. And our models that we're doing, our macroeconomic effects, show that."

http://www.salon.com/2017/04/30/watch-mike-pence-admits-trumps-tax-plan-is-likely-to-increase-the-deficit-in-the-short-term/
Mike Pence admits Trump’s tax plan is likely to increase the deficit “in the short term” 

The bragging. The bragging. It never stops

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2017/04/its-beautiful-chocolate-cake-all-time.html
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The relationship I have with China, it's been already acclaimed as being something very special, something very different than we've ever had. [read on]

We've had a number of items about what a bad negotiator Trump is. But one of his main problems is that he loves to make public threats (empty threats), thinking that this will soften up his opponents. It's utterly predictable, he does it all the time, and they are always threats that he can't follow through on -- so they don't actually give him the leverage he wants. Instead, he looks silly

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/priebus-white-house-looked-at-changing-laws-trump-sue-press
Priebus: White House Has ‘Looked At’ Changing Law To Let Trump Sue Press 

More: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/04/30/reince-priebus-we-ve-looked-at-changing-libel-laws

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/priebus-trump-considering-amending-or-abolishing-1st-amendment
Priebus doesn’t discuss changing ‘press laws’ or ‘libel laws’. He specifically says that the White House has considered and continues to consider amending or even abolishing the 1st Amendment because of critical press coverage of President Trump.

The Trump Gang says the Obama admin didn't do a good enough job vetting Michael Flynn. THEY FIRED HIM. Perhaps that should have been a warning to look at him more closely

http://crooksandliars.com/2017/04/trump-transition-team-did-background-check
The White House and President Trump's transition team reportedly did a background check on former national security adviser Michael Flynn in addition to his already approved security clearance. . . "NBC News has learned from sources close to the Trump-Russia investigation that both the Trump transition and the White House did do a background check on Flynn . . . the vetting of Flynn was done and sources close to the investigation tell NBC that it was done 'very casually.'"

Trump cozies up the to murderous head of the Philippines, invites him to WH

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/priebus-defends-trump-call-duterte

http://www.salon.com/2017/04/30/trump-invited-philippines-leader-rodrigo-duterte-to-the-white-house-despite-his-abysmal-human-rights-record/

More: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/30/us/politics/trump-duterte.html
Now, administration officials are bracing for an avalanche of criticism from human rights groups. Two senior officials said they expected the State Department and the National Security Council, both of which were caught off guard by the invitation, to raise objections internally.  

The White House disclosed the news on a day when Mr. Trump fired up his supporters at a campaign-style rally in Harrisburg, Pa. The timing of the announcement — after a speech that was an angry, grievance-filled jeremiad — encapsulated this president after 100 days in office: still ready to say and do things that leave people, even on his staff, slack-jawed.

“By essentially endorsing Duterte’s murderous war on drugs, Trump is now morally complicit in future killings,” said John Sifton, the Asia director of Human Rights Watch. “Although the traits of his personality likely make it impossible, Trump should be ashamed of himself.”

The GOP still needs the Dems

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/deal-fund-government-september
Congressional leaders on Sunday night reached a deal to fund the federal government through September, setting Congress up to vote on the legislation this week and avoid a government shutdown. . . .

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/01/1657757/-Monster-defeat-for-Trump-and-GOP-Budget-deal-funds-Planned-Parenthood-but-has-nothing-for-wall
Budget deal funds Planned Parenthood but has nothing for wall

More: http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/05/new-budget-trump-gets-nothing
 
Goodbye

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/04/reports-sebastian-gorka-to-leave-white-house.html
Sebastian Gorka to Leave White House

"Ombudsman." I think that word doesn't mean what you think it means

https://thinkprogress.org/uscis-ombudsman-877d18a67d97
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is set to announce the appointment of a controversial former leader of an anti-immigrant policy center to be its ombudsman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) . . .

The New Right: a symposium

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/04/beyond-alt-understanding-the-new-far-right.html

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/04/andrew-sullivan-why-the-reactionary-right-must-be-taken-seriously.html

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/04/steve-sailer-invented-identity-politics-for-the-alt-right.html

More: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/04/what-are-the-roots-of-the-new-reactionary-rage.html

Fox World posts some truly shameful lies on Trump's vs Obama's jobs numbers

http://crooksandliars.com/2017/04/fox-news-dishonest-tweets-bring-shstorm

The New York Times hires a columnist to give credence to climate change deniers. Don't ask me why

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2017/04/bret_stephens_first_new_york_times_column_is_classic_climate_change_denialism.html

More: https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/04/30/people-are-furiously-canceling-their-new-york-times-subscription/22062368/
People are furiously canceling their New York Times subscriptions after an op-ed disputing climate change was published

Can the news media regain the public trust?

http://www.truth-out.org/speakout/item/40377-can-journalism-save-democracy-salvaging-the-us-public-s-trust-in-news-media

Bonus item: Things Trump thought would be easy

http://www.care2.com/causes/4-things-trump-incorrectly-and-stupidly-assumed-would-be-easy.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-president-easy_us_57a9f1c1e4b0aae2a5a157f3

https://www.indy100.com/article/donald-trump-obamacare-repealing-easy-paul-ryan-republican-7650446

***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.***