MONEY TALKS

There has never been a campaign so driven by Big Money

https://politicalwire.com/2015/12/30/koch-brothers-machine-much-bigger-than-gop/
Koch Brothers Machine Much Bigger Than GOP 

More: http://prospect.org/article/2016-year-billionaire
2016: The Year of the Billionaire

It's fascinating how little time the GOP candidates spend telling us why they want to be president and what they would actually do -- and how much time they spend tearing down whoever seems to be in the lead

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/12/30/ted-cruzs-opponents-try-to-sabotage-him-with-iowas-evangelicals/
Ted Cruz’s opponents try to sabotage him with Iowa’s evangelicals
 
More: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/social-conservative-plot-against-cruz-in-iowa.html
Iowa Intrigue: Huckabee and Santorum Backers Reportedly Plotting to Help Rubio Against Cruz

Meanwhile

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/12/marco_rubio_is_running_a_highly_flawed_campaign_for_president.html
Marco Rubio Isn’t Running Like a Winner

This won't help: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/whipe-rubio-helped-ex-con-brother-in-law.html
As GOP Whip, Rubio Helped Ex-Con Brother-in-Law Get Real Estate License

The Rich Guy's very busy year

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/all-the-people-donald-trump-insulted-in-2015/2015/12/30/6b5364ee-af57-11e5-b281-43c0b56f61fa_video.html
All the people Donald Trump insulted in 2015

More: https://politicalwire.com/2015/12/30/trump-claims-supporters-who-arent/
Trump Claims Supporters Who Aren’t 

So, the Rich Guy's story seems to be something like this. All the times he complimented the Clintons in the past mean nothing, because he was just being "a good businessman" (ie, a good businessman lies constantly about what he really thinks in order to curry favor with people). But now that he is a political candidate, he is telling us what he really thinks. Uh-huh.

The lesson here is that nothing he says ever really means anything, except as a kind of performance
 
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/12/does-donald-trump-have-any-friends
One of the things that kind of fascinates me about Donald Trump is the fact that he doesn't even pretend that his attacks are real. His latest 2-minutes hate has been directed at Bill Clinton, and he's pretty much admitted that he doesn't really believe the stuff he's saying. . . [read on]

More: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/qotd-yeah-him-again.html 

Doesn't this make you feel better?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/30/1464818/-Donald-Trump-is-all-in-favor-of-a-woman-president-someday
Donald Trump is all in favor of a woman president 'someday'

Why fact checking Trump doesn't work

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/12/fact_checking_trump_can_backfire_due_to_motivated_reasoning.html
Supporters’ “confidence only grew as Trump’s alleged gaffes and mistakes were laid out,” wrote Weigel. For months, Luntz and other members of the Republican establishment have failed to deflate Trump. “Normally, if I did this for a campaign,” Luntz said, “I’d have destroyed the candidate by this point.”  

Luntz may not understand why Trump’s supporters are so persistently devoted, but their behavior is similar to what I’ve seen from people who are committed to anti-science beliefs. . . . [read on]

A look ahead to the 2016 Senate races

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2015_12/the_2016_senate_race059123.php
This time the odds favor Democrats. That becomes obvious when we take a look at Hotline’s list of the of the 12 Senate seats most likely to flip. . . . [read on]

The mythical "war on cops"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/30/its-official-there-never-was-a-war-on-cops/

Islamophobia in the U.S. media -- the year in review

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/30/10690120/islamophobia-fox-news-cnn-2015

Bonus item: It's a Trump parody video -- but his supporters take it seriously!

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/video-mocking-trump-hit-trump-supporters

***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 sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

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.***

FAIR WEATHER FRIEND

Yesterday we noted the many kind and complimentary things the Rich Guy had to say in the past about both Clintons -- his "good friends." Now?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/12/29/donald-trump-chalks-up-past-support-for-the-clintons-to-being-a-world-class-businessman/
Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his past support for Bill and Hillary Clinton were part of his efforts to be a good businessman, and he pledged to continue attacks on the former president over his extramarital affairs as long as Hillary Clinton continues to accuse him of sexism. . . . [read on]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/30/us/politics/ex-ally-donald-trump-now-heaps-scorn-on-bill-clinton.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Ex-Ally Donald Trump Now Heaps Scorn on Bill Clinton

https://politicalwire.com/2015/12/30/an-end-to-the-clinton-trump-friendship/
An End to the Clinton-Trump Friendship 

More: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/qotd-villager.html
[Digby] Yes, I'm talking about Ruth Marcus and her inane column today in which she says that Bill Clinton's past is fair game --- a column that is being eagerly shared by every villager in Washington who wants to experience the thrilling freedom of talking about blow jobs in the office all day long without anyone getting mad.  Here's the specific quote that really says it all:      

Sexism isn't the precise word for his predatory behavior toward women or his inexcusable relationship with a 22-year-old intern. Yet in the larger scheme of things, Bill Clinton's conduct toward women is far worse than any of the multiple offensive things that Trump has said. [read on]

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/12/bill_clinton_s_extramarital_affairs_are_fair_game_but_unlikely_to_be_effective.html
Of Course Bill Clinton’s Extramarital Affairs Are “Fair Game” . . . But that doesn’t mean anyone will care.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/can-trump-clinton-scandal-revival-hurt-hillary.html
Can Trump’s Clinton-Sex-Scandal Revival Hurt Hillary?

What did Bill do?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/12/30/a-guide-to-the-allegations-of-bill-clintons-womanizing/

Trump spokeswoman comes on tv with a bullet necklace

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/trump-spokeswoman-appears-cnn-bathed

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/29/why-is-cnn-asking-a-donald-trump-spokeswoman-about-her-fashion-choice/

What do Trump voters want?

https://politicalwire.com/2015/12/29/trump-voters-want-revenge/

Former Trump advisor: he has no chance

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/30/former-trump-aide-he-s-doomed.html

How much is Trump hurting the GOP?

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/30/10685276/gop-optimism

Ted Cruz - the "reasonable" alternative to Trump? 

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/inexperience-at-top-of-field-big-gift-to-cruz.html
In a Normal Year, Ted Cruz Would Be Considered Laughably Unqualified to Run for President. It’s Not a Normal Year.

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/29/1464473/-Ted-Cruz-s-biggest-constituency-The-House-maniacs
Ted Cruz's biggest constituency: The House maniacs 

Rand Paul's collapse

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/30/what-went-wrong-with-rand-paul.html
 
A Jeb W Bush comeback at this point would be historic 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/29/if-jeb-bush-ever-actually-comes-back-it-would-be-one-for-the-record-books/ 

Some statistics on birth and abortion

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/12/heres-whole-bunch-interesting-facts-and-figures-about-births-and-babies
Here's a Whole Bunch of Interesting Facts and Figures About Births and Babies

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/29/10683610/tv-lying-abortion-demographics
Abortion plot lines on American television aren't quite as rare as you might think, according to a new report, at least in the last decade. From 2005-2014, researchers with the University of California, San Francisco, group Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health identified 78 plot lines where a character considered abortion, including 40 where a woman had one.  

But the researchers also found that the characters who do have abortions on TV, and their reasons for doing so, are wildly unrepresentative of reality — which could affect how people see women who have abortions. . . .

There's a reason why they call it climate SCIENCE

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/hillary-clinton-republicans-not-scientists
During a town hall event on Tuesday in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton bashed Republican lawmakers who are in "denial" about climate change and refuse to enact policies to address environmental issues.  

Clinton noted that when asked if human activity contributes to climate change, many Republican lawmakers respond by saying, "I'm not a scientist."  

"The answer to that is, 'Go talk to one,'" Clinton said. . . 

In Fox World, being the SECOND most admired man is big news

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/fox-nation-skips-over-obama-report-second
You have to read it twice to see the absurdity. The headline reads that Donald Trump ties Pope Francis for the second most popular man in the world. There's no mention anywhere in the headline whom is the most popular man . . .

By the way: https://politicalwire.com/2015/12/29/clinton-most-admired-again/
Gallup finds Hillary Clinton is the most admired woman in America for the 14th year in a row, her 20th time to get that honor.

Bonus item: "Darth Trump" (very, very funny - thanks to KH for the link)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU_Jdts5rL0&app=desktop
Made with 100% all natural Trump sound bites . . .

***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 sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

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.***

REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST

The guy with a very short memory decides to take on Bill Clinton

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/12/28/donald-trump-accuses-bill-clinton-of-a-terrible-record-of-women-abuse/
Donald Trump accuses Bill Clinton of a ‘terrible record of women abuse’

Unfortunately for him, there is a long record of quotes otherwise

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/29/donald-trump-hillary-clinton_n_1387680.html
"Hillary Clinton, I think, is a terrific woman. I mean I'm a little biased because I've known her for years. I live in New York, she lives in New York, I've known her and her husband for years and I really like them both a lot."

http://www.politico.com/story/2012/03/trump-gambling-on-hillary-in-2016-074636
“I just like her. I like her and I like her husband. … He is a really good guy and she’s a really good person and woman.”

Many more examples we will hear about if there is ever a Trump-Clinton contest: https://newdayforamerica.com/news/new-day-for-america-responds-to-trumps-comments-on-hillary-clinton/ 

Another example

Now: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/qotd-who-else.html
"Wages in are country are too low, good jobs are too few, and people have lost faith in our leaders. We need smart and strong leadership now!" [read on]

Before: http://theweek.com/speedreads/561052/trump-2004the-economy-does-better-under-democrats
"I've been around a long time. And it just seems the economy does better under the Democrats than under Republicans." 

Another example

Now: http://www.detroitnewstime.com/regional/115226-donald-trump-rips-trey-gowdy-as-a-benghazi-loser-over-marco-rubio-endorsement.html
Donald Trump rips Trey Gowdy as a 'Benghazi loser' over Marco Rubio endorsement

Before: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/28/scorned-trump-team-turns-on-man-they-once-loved.html
In fact, just a few months ago Trump and his spokeswoman Katrina Pierson were fawning over Gowdy and his leadership abilities. . . .

And another

Now: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/12/28/donald-trump-attacks-new-hampshires-largest-newspaper-and-its-preferred-candidate-chris-christie/
Using words like "low life," "useless" and "sleazebag," Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump lashed out Monday night at the publisher of New Hampshire's largest newspaper for comparing him to a movie bad-guy and for endorsing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. . . .

Before: https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/532282613869056000
Looking forward to seeing Joe McQuaid . . . and my many friends in the Granite State! . . .

Could Trump actually win?

http://prospect.org/article/democracy-trumped

Anyway, get ready, here comes the Big Dog

http://nymag.com/thecut/2015/12/bill-clinton-leather-jacket.html
Bill, You Might Be First Husband Someday. Time to Step It Up.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/12/28/bill-clinton-hillarys-not-so-secret-weapon-will-hit-the-campaign-trail-in-new-hampshire/
Bill Clinton, Hillary’s ‘not-so-secret weapon,’ to hit the campaign trail in NH

Key phrase: "so far"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/2016-gop-campaign-moments_56815fb5e4b0b958f659e6e6
The Most Jaw-Dropping Moments Of The 2016 GOP Race (So Far)

More: https://politicalwire.com/2015/12/28/a-deep-and-growing-ideological-divide/

How the GOP uses "political correctness" to deflect criticism

http://prospect.org/article/why-republican-candidates-are-obsessed-political-correctness
The truth is that what conservatives call political correctness is often better described as "people telling you not to be such a jerk." But for today's Republican, if people think you're a jerk then you must be doing something right, and the political correctness charge has become an all-purpose answer to criticism of any sort. . . . [read on]

The return of Al Qaeda

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/30/us/politics/as-us-focuses-on-isis-and-the-taliban-al-qaeda-re-emerges.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Bonus item: I'm not sure these are "THE best" -- let's just call it a sampler of some of the best political humor of the year

http://www.salon.com/2015/12/28/the_17_best_moments_in_political_comedy_this_year_partner/ 
The 17 best moments in political comedy this year 

[NB: If you don't watch any others, do see the John Oliver piece on televangelists. Wow.]

***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 sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

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.***

DOUBLESPEAK

Orwell foresaw it all

http://tiny.cc/hlfn7x
When an entire field of candidates tend to thrive on bullshit (especially the current front-runners), it is not at all surprising that they have certain reliable terms that vilify critics of their bullshit and shut down debate. The truth is, Republicans have long utilized a manipulative phraseology, full of euphemisms and doublespeak, used either to shut down criticism and debate, as shown above, or to acerbate the listener’s emotional state — think “baby parts” and “death panels” — or provide a positive light on something that is generally frowned upon. (Ergo: Tax-avoiding billionaires become “job-creators.”) The GOP has become truly masterful at distorting political discussion through language . . . [read on]

A look ahead

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/28/get-ready-why-2016-will-be-totally-nuts.html
Get Ready: Why 2016 Will Be Totally Nuts

More: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/28/opinion/doubling-down-on-w.html
 
The GOP's hopeless foreign policy

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/cruz-rubio-gop-foreign-policy.html

More: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/28/what-the-gop-gets-wrong-about-isis.html

A history lesson

http://www.salon.com/2015/12/28/these_5_charts_prove_that_the_economy_does_better_under_democratic_presidents/
These 5 charts prove that the economy does better under Democratic presidents 

Guns sales at a record level

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/27/10636484/gun-sales-record

What a wuss

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/trump-whines-fox-about-clinton-playing
Trump Whines To Fox About Clinton 'Playing The Woman Card'

More: https://twitter.com/mintimm/status/681202855760367617
[Mini Timmaraju] "'She’s playing the woman card,' Trump said (You know the woman card, an all-powerful card worth 78.3% of a regular card)."

Trump lets the secret slip out about what the Benghazi investigation has all been for

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/donald-slams-trey-gowdys-endorsement-marco
"His hearings were a disaster. Everybody was looking forward to something that was going to be really productive. And he didn't win with those hearings. It was a total not-good for Republicans and for the country"

Bonus item: Stranger than fiction

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/stephen-colbert-trump-hes-my-old-character
Stephen Colbert On Trump: 'He's My Old Character With $10 Billion'

***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 sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

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.***

THE OVERTON WINDOW

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/12/republican-debate-wild-ideas-donald-trump-213463#ixzz3vS9SCFba
It might be natural for an opposition party to sound bombastic during primary season, especially when its front-runner is blessed with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of bombast, but the debate transcripts read like a Democratic opposition researcher’s dream.  

The good news for Republicans, arguably, is that their rhetoric has been so consistently over-the-top that it has started to sound routine; academics call this “shifting the Overton window,” the range of what’s considered politically acceptable. I’ve watched all the debates as well as the undercards live, but when I reviewed the transcripts, I was amazed how many radical statements had slipped under my radar. Ted Cruz called for putting the United States back on the gold standard. Marco Rubio accused President Barack Obama of destroying the U.S. military. Huckabee said Bernie Madoff’s rip-offs weren’t as bad as what the government has done to people on Social Security and Medicare. Lindsey Graham said his administration would monitor all “Islamic websites,” not just jihadist ones. I had even forgotten Trump’s claim that vaccines caused autism in a 2-year-old girl he knew.  

Vaccines do not cause autism. Goldbuggery is crackpot economics. The U.S. military is still by far the strongest in the world. And what the government has done to people on Social Security and Medicare is give them pensions and health care. But none of those statements drew any pushback from the other Republican candidates, or, for that matter, the media moderators. Neither did Ben Carson’s assertion that if the United States had set a goal of oil independence within a decade, moderate Arab states would have “turned over Osama bin Laden and anybody else you wanted on a silver platter within two weeks,” which is wackadoodle on multiple levels.  

After the first Trump-obsessed debate in August, I wrote about how the Republicans were racing to the right to try to attract the scraps of attention that weren’t going to Trump. My favorite example that night was Bobby Jindal’s promise to sic the IRS and the Justice Department on Planned Parenthood on his first day as president—basically, an impeachable crime. But that didn’t turn out to be an isolated incident. In fact, Cruz made the same promise in a later debate, except for the IRS part, presumably because he also vowed to abolish the IRS . . .

More on the causes of Trump's rise

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2015_12/american_hustle_1059085.php
Earlier this week, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman noted that the rise of Donald Trump is the logical consequence of what he regards as the right-wing effort to dumb down the United States . . .

More: http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/12/no-donald-trump-garden-variety-right-winger

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/sam-seder-predicts-well-see-lot-more-trump
I'm not sure just how many more things have to come out of the man's mouth that make it painfully obvious that he doesn't have temperament or the judgment to be President of the United States . . . 

Clinton Derangement Syndrome, alive and well 

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/trump-defenders-claim-going-after-bill
Trump Defenders Claim Going After Bill Clinton To Attack Hillary Is A 'Brilliant Strategy' 

Just a coincidence, I'm sure: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/bill-clinton-arkansas-birthplace-set-fire-early-friday-article-1.2476742?cid=bitly
Bill Clinton’s Hope, Arkansas childhood home set on fire in suspected arson attack 

Digby

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-most-under-covered-story-of-month.html
The most under-covered story of the month is the fury at Paul Ryan from the right wing. It's pretty much all they can talk about.

The U.S. Senate

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/27/the-us-senate-the-world-s-whitest-deliberative-body.html
The World’s Whitest Deliberative Body 

Reflections on the Paris climate deal

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2015_12/deal_or_no_deal_1059084.php 

More: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2015_12/perfect_ten059086.php 

Everybody is worried about GMO's -- but no one even knows for sure what they are 

http://www.vox.com/2015/12/26/10653372/gmos-definition 

The Sunday talk show line-ups 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/27/1463487/-Sunday-Talk-The-schlong-and-winding-road
NBC Meet The Press: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT); DNC Chair/Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL); Former U.S. Undersecretary of State for Diplomatic Affairs Wendy Sherman; Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul; Director Spike Lee; Roundtable: Helene Cooper (New York Times), Matt Bai (Yahoo News), Amy Walter (Cook Political Report) and Michael Gerson (Washington Post).

CBS Face the Nation: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT); Idiot Savant Dr. Ben Carson (R); Late Show Host Stephen Colbert; NASA Commander Scott Kelly; Roundtable: Jeanne Cummings (Wall Street Journal), James Bennet (The Atlantic), David Rohde (Reuters) and Ben Domenech (The Federalist).

ABC This Week: Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R); Raging Narcissist Donald Trump (R); Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer; Roundtable: "Independent" Strategist Matthew Dowd, LZ Granderson (ESPN), Bill Kristol (Weekly Standard) and Democratic Strategist Hilary Rosen.

Bonus item: Sorry

http://www.salon.com/2015/12/26/donald_trump_wasnt_the_only_awful_thing_this_year_the_6_worst_moments_in_u_s_politics_of_2015/

The 6 worst moments in U.S. politics of 2015 

More: http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/worst-2015-year-ref-swallowed-his-whistle

***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 sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

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.***

LIVING IN DREAMLAND

See? For all their howling about him, the so-called Republican Establishment is busily trying to convince themselves that Trump might not be so terrible after all

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/12/24/weary-and-wary-trump-top-republicans-don-rule-out-backing-him-nominee/2qJbfrAEQ45SYGYZblVQRK/story.html 
Donald Trump has broken many of the rules of presidential politics: He’s insulted war heroes and minority groups, eschewed New Hampshire’s tradition of retail politics, and phoned in interviews to networks while other candidates jockey for facetime.  

But for all the precepts Trump has ignored during this campaign, his fellow Republicans are grappling with a traditional one: partisan loyalty. Few top Republicans — even those who denounce his comments and policies — appear ready to swear off supporting him in a general election. . . .

More: https://politicalwire.com/2015/12/25/were-about-to-find-out-if-trump-is-the-real-deal/
We’re About to Find Out If Trump Is the Real Deal 

Trump's tweets

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/trump-warns-clinton-shed-better-be-nice.html
If you don't follow Trump's twitter feed you are missing out. Even his speeches don't match the dada-esque quality of his tweets. It's mostly whining about how badly he's being treated by everyone. But lately he's been issuing threats. . . . [read on] 

The limits of fact checking

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/12/the-limits-of-the-fact-checker-213461#ixzz3vI7pA0pt
Without the fact-checkers, the lying lies of politicians and others would go uncorrected and then where would we be? Well, we’d probably be right where we are, with one of the biggest documented liars in modern political times—Donald J. Trump—leading the Republican polls for the presidential nomination by a large margin.  

That Trump fills the sky with lies cannot be denied. Last week, Politifact crowned him the winner of its 2015 Lie of the Year award, noting that the competition wasn’t even close. Of the 77 Trump statements Politifact checked, 76 percent were determined to fall in the lie category. Sixteen were deemed Pants on Fire!—the highest rating on Politifact’s sliding scale of fibs, far more than for any other candidate.  

The Post’s Fact Checker, which rates lies on a sliding scale of one to four Pinocchios, gave Trump 11 four-Pinocchio scores, many more than any other candidate. Meanwhile, Factcheck.org calls Trump the King of the Whoppers in its year-end tally. “In the 12 years of FactCheck.org’s existence, we’ve never seen his match,” the site proclaimed.  It would stand to reason that the documentation of Trump’s lies—not to mention his rudeness and crudeness—would hobble his candidacy. Yet it appears to have had little to no effect.  

What to conclude from this?  . . . 

Is Jeb W Bush funny?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/26/us/politics/hear-the-one-about-jeb-bushs-humor-you-have-to-listen-closely.html?partner=rss&emc=rss 

Not a record to celebrate

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/at-least-60-people-charged-with-terrorism-linked-crimes-this-year--a-record/2015/12/25/0aa8acda-ab42-11e5-8058-480b572b4aae_story.html
At least 60 people charged with terrorism-linked crimes this year — a record

Sorry, but Christmas IS a secular holiday

http://www.salon.com/2015/12/25/putting_the_war_on_christmas_to_rest_fox_news_sorry_to_break_it_to_you_but_its_always_been_a_secular_holiday/

More: http://www.vox.com/2015/12/25/10663946/in-defense-of-secular-christmas

Bonus item: Top search items of 2015

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/25/1461232/-Top-searches-of-2015-and-what-they-didn-t-include

***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 sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

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.***

THEY MADE HIM

It's starting to annoy me that the GOP keeps trying to dismiss Donald Trump as a strange aberration that has beset their party. In fact he is the apotheosis of all they have been aiming toward for years: the abandonment of any serious policy discussion or agenda; the replacement of deliberation with macho rhetoric; the dog-whistle appeals to racism, nativism, and sexism; the clownish buffoonery that they think represents "talkin' to ordinary folks" -- all of these have been on constant display in Republican presidential politics for a long time. This is the party that thought Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Mike Huckabee, and Ben Carson were serious candidates, that highlighted Pat Buchanan at a national convention, that thought Sarah Palin would make a just dandy president. One could go on. The point is that Trump is just the slightly more exaggerated version of a character we have seen all too often. And they're stuck with a voter base whose atavistic sentiments they have been inciting for a long time, and who are now rising up behind a candidate who truly does speak for them. They made him, now they're stuck with him

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/24/1463421/-George-Will-unpleasant-disagreeable-needy-insecure-Trump-will-destroy-the-GOP
George Will: 'unpleasant,' 'disagreeable,' 'needy,' 'insecure' Trump will destroy the GOP 

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/plenty-presidential.html
VAN SUSTEREN: Donald, you’re likeable but I tell you, I sort of gasp when I hear you sort of making bathroom jokes about Secretary Clinton. Or anyone. And that’s why I wonder… should you get the nomination, are you going to change your language a bit and appear what I call more presidential?  

TRUMP:"I think I’m presidential and I think I’ve done what I call presidential work. You know I built an incredible company. I’ve made great deals, I’ve had tremendous success.”
 
Well, Jeb is trying, I'll give him that

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/24/1463387/--The-problem-with-the-Confederate-flag-isn-t-the-Confederacy-Jeb-gets-it-half-wrong-half-right
'The problem with the Confederate flag isn't the Confederacy.'

More: http://www.salon.com/2015/12/24/jeb_bush_the_problem_with_the_confederate_flag_is_what_it_began_to_represent_later_we_have_to_avoid_to_heal_those_wounds/

Rubio's slip-sliding away

https://politicalwire.com/2015/12/24/rubio-dips-in-year-end-polls/

Dr. Magoo has had his moment, now it appears to be over

http://www.salon.com/2015/12/24/behold_the_ben_carson_shambles_once_a_gop_frontrunner_his_campaign_is_collapsing_and_flailing/
Behold the Ben Carson shambles: Once a GOP frontrunner, his campaign is collapsing and flailing 

More: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/ben-carson-campaign-shakeup-217110#ixzz3vDADoQRm

Huckabee's dishonest attack against Cruz

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/24/huckabee-swings-and-misses-at-cruz-on-marriage/

How immigration is about to become an uncomfortable issue for the Democratic candidates

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/12/24/a-political-bomb-is-about-to-blow-up-in-the-democrats-faces/

Ya gotta defend yourself 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/23/1455178/-Chicago-shop-owner-finally-allowed-to-defend-himself-shoots-everyone-but-the-robber-GunFAIL-CLXX
Freedom-loving Chicagoans are surely excited to finally be able to carry concealed firearms, especially folks with a particularly pressing need to protect themselves. Like the cell phone store owner who, defending himself from an armed robber, sprang into action to put a bullet in the chest of an innocent 27-year-old man at the bus stop across the street, and another through the wall of the apartment of a nearby family of five (and into their TV set). Take that, knave! Whoever you are, that is. Because he left the scene, unharmed.  . . . 

Fox World is having a lousy Christmas. And it's probably YOUR fault

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/24/1463212/-Fox-News-wants-you-all-to-stop-sucking-the-joy-out-of-Christmas
Fox News wants you all to stop sucking the joy out of Christmas

More: http://www.salon.com/2015/12/24/fox_news_hosts_radical_islam_is_filling_the_void_left_behind_when_they_suck_the_joy_out_of_christmas/

Bonus item: On the naughty list

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/open-thread-coal-one

***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 sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

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.***