Everyone should read the latest article in The New Yorker about David Pecker, the CEO of American Media (which owns The National Enquirer), and his personal relationship with Trump. It's both interesting and demoralizing.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...rvor-for-trump

Can't wait to read that, I wonder if Joe cheated on 2 of his wives publicly and bragged about trying to cheat on the third one while she was pregnant.

Right. Trump is getting guidance from some of the most powerful and well-connected lobbyists on the planet. He doesn't have to come up with any of this stuff personally. Hell, he probably didn't even come up with the idea for Jeff Sessions--that was probably Bannon or something. But you can see how Jeff Sessions plays into all of the fascist ideals of the GOP right now in a rich and textured way. Trump didn't have to come up with that idea himself, he just had to be "smart" enough to take it from his biggest advisor and run with it.

Apparently the Enquirer is now our state media, our TASS.

That's the most unfortunately-named person I've seen since yesterday when I found out the guy handling our port-o-potty account is named Taylor Schlitt.

I mean if that's not an Abuse of Power article of impeachment then there is no such thing (and there is such a thing)

I've pretty much concluded that there's literally nothing that the GOP Congress could ever impeach Trump for. They've come too far at this point.

You could say they're POT-COMMITTED to fascism. Hyuk hyuk.

If you have a guy who will unthinkingly sign his name to literally any piece of paper you put in front of him you can overlook a few hateful tweets and collusion with Russia here and there

Plus to his hardcore fans, the hateful tweets and collusion with Russia are features, not bugs. As well as his continued dismantling of democracy.

Pretty much. Dems must at least do serious damage in 2018. I'll try to focus on California not sending any Rs to congress. We have a shot at flipping 7 districts.

http://www.latimes.com/politics/esse...htmlstory.html

If any Rs in congress ever turn on Trump for reals, it'll be with Koch approval and that only happens if they see Trump as undoing their work.

There is only such a thing if John McCain will vote for it.

Anyway, I say let Trump start the trade war. That is something that is at least immediately reversible if Democrats ever take power again, and the short term damage it does to the country will be pretty visible, perhaps moreso than a bunch of dead poor people.

Meh. NASCAR driver Dick Trickle will always have the WOAT name.

But this stuff with the Enquirer is no joke. According to the New Yorker article, there is a chance that Pecker eventually will gain control of non-tabloid weeklies, like Time.

https://twitter.com/McJesse/status/880542468651053058

State borders are not gerrymandered they have been in place for 100+ years. This means:

1 - Senate elections are not gerrymandered

2 - Governor elections are not gerrymandered

3 - Presidential elections using states as electoral districts are not gerrymandered

4 - the Dems have won 2 of the last 3 Presidential elections, the Dems have won 4 of the last 7 Presidential elections, clearly they can win when they sell themselves well.

Let's be honest, the problem you have is not with democracy, you have a problem with the fact that Democrats have not done well in selling themselves to the American people recently. The Democrats have failed you, not the process. You lost badly in 2014 and 2016 in the Senate, Governors and President. The only honest fix is to fix the Democratic Party and do better in 2018 and 2020.

But you take the whiners way out instead and blame the process. And you deserve to be called out on it.

Good post poco.

I would still be watching West Wing reruns if they were in my cable package.

No, I'm calling you out for destroying our democracy. You pass these discriminatory Voter ID laws and then you expect us to just be all meek and **** after you cheat your way to power. No. We're not stupid. We're not your toys to be played with.

Yeah it's a very good read I recommend it

It really is staggering how many people cannot accept the fact that our democracy is no longer legitimate. I guess that's to be expected, after all the propaganda that our system was perfect and its checks and balances could defeat anything. But it really is time to face the music at this point.

Poconder,

That pretty much explains how the Ds and Rs are about equal in the POTUS and the Senate while the Rs crush the House and the state legislatures even in some blue/purple states.

Also in regards to one of Einbert's points, there's no arguing that the GOP didn't steal the SCOTUS.

Supreme Court seat--stolen.

Executive Branch--stolen through Russian collusion, stolen through refusal of Congress to hold Trump accountable (won't impeach for Obstruction of Justice).

Legislative Branch--the House and Senate were stolen through gerrymandering and discriminatory Voter ID laws.

Dems have won the popular vote in six of the past seven elections, but yeah, they just suck at selling themselves to the Anerican people.

Pol Pot-committed

gerrymandering that does exist tho. you kinda left that out.


murder by gunshot defense:

• defendant did not have a knife
• defendant did not have a club
• defendant did not drop a piano
• defendant did not have plutonium