2018 - Page 44 of 64

Kelly ‘Fesses Up to Jingoistic, Racist Views

May 11, 2018 Buck Banks

“They’re overwhelmingly rural people. In the countries they come from, fourth-, fifth-, sixth-grade educations are kind of the norm. They don’t speak English; obviously that’s a big thing… They don’t integrate well; they don’t have skills. They’re not bad people. They’re coming here for a reason. And I sympathize with the reason. But the laws are the laws.”

— White House chief of staff John Kelly, in a NPR interview.

Merkel: Europe Can No Longer Count on the U.S.

May 11, 2018 Buck Banks

“It’s no longer the case that the United States will simply just protect us. Rather, Europe needs to take its fate into its own hands. That’s the task for the future.”

— German Chancellor Angela Merkel, saying Europe can no longer count on the U.S. for military protection and must “take its destiny into its own hands,” Bloomberg reports.

ESPN: Putin Scored Five Goals in Exhibition Hockey Game

May 11, 2018 Buck Banks

5

“Russian President Vladimir Putin scored five goals in an exhibition hockey game with former NHL stars on Thursday,” ESPN reports.“Five goals was on the low side by Putin’s standards — he scored eight in the 2015 game and seven last year.”

Two-Thirds of Republicans Believe Trump Is Being Framed by the FBI

May 11, 2018 Buck Banks

61%

A new Economist/YouGov poll finds that 61% of Republicans think President Trump is being framed by the FBI and Justice Department, while just 17% said he is not and 21% said they are not sure. Overall, just 29% said Trump is being set up by the law enforcement agencies, compared to 45% who said he is not being framed and 26% who are not sure.

Thank You for Imprisoning and then Returning Our Citizens!

May 11, 2018 Buck Banks

“We want to thank Kim Jong Un, who really was excellent to these three incredible people.”

— President Trump, quoted by Politico, on the return of three Americans who had been imprisoned by North Korea.

One in Five Americans Has No Religious Affiliation

May 11, 2018 Buck Banks

21%

A new ABC News poll finds the number of adults expressing no religious affiliation has risen from 12% in 2003 to 21% of all adults in 2017. That includes 3% who say they’re atheists, 3% agnostic and 15% who say they have no religion. The largest shifts during this 15-year period include 16-point increases among young adults (age 18 to 29) and political liberals.

Pence Is Actually Worse than Trump

May 11, 2018 Buck Banks

“Donald Trump, with his feral cunning, knew. The oleaginous Mike Pence, with his talent for toadyism and appetite for obsequiousness, could, Trump knew, become America’s most repulsive public figure. And Pence, who has reached this pinnacle by dethroning his benefactor, is augmenting the public stock of useful knowledge. Because his is the authentic voice of today’s lickspittle Republican Party, he clarifies this year’s elections: Vote Republican to ratify groveling as governing. … There will be negligible legislating by the next Congress, so ballots cast this November will be most important as validations or repudiations of the harmonizing voices of Trump, Pence, Arpaio and the like. Trump is what he is, a floundering, inarticulate jumble of gnawing insecurities and not-at-all compensating vanities, which is pathetic. Pence is what he has chosen to be, which is horrifying.”

— Ben Rhodes, former Obama Administration foreign policy advisor, reacting to Trump’s announcement that the United States will no longer participate in monitoring Iran’s nuclear program.

Carbon Dioxide Levels Just Breached Limit Not Experienced in Millions of Years

April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 Jon Ponder

Scientific American: “The world just passed another round-numbered climate milestone. Scientists predicted it would happen this year and lo and behold, it has.

“On Tuesday, the Mauna Loa Observatory recorded its first-ever carbon dioxide reading in excess of 410 parts per million (it was 410.28 ppm in case you want the full deal). Carbon dioxide hasn’t reached that height in millions of years. It’s a new atmosphere that humanity will have to contend with, one that’s trapping more heat and causing the climate to change at a quickening rate.”

— White House chief of staff John Kelly, in a NPR interview.

“It’s no longer the case that the United States will simply just protect us. Rather, Europe needs to take its fate into its own hands. That’s the task for the future.”

— German Chancellor Angela Merkel, saying Europe can no longer count on the U.S. for military protection and must “take its destiny into its own hands,” Bloomberg reports.

5

“Russian President Vladimir Putin scored five goals in an exhibition hockey game with former NHL stars on Thursday,” ESPN reports.“Five goals was on the low side by Putin’s standards — he scored eight in the 2015 game and seven last year.”

61%

“We want to thank Kim Jong Un, who really was excellent to these three incredible people.”

— President Trump, quoted by Politico, on the return of three Americans who had been imprisoned by North Korea.

21%

— George Will

“One tragicomic element of Trump’s presidency is that the more he tries to tear down Obama’s legacy, the bigger he makes Obama look.”

— Ben Rhodes, former Obama Administration foreign policy advisor, reacting to Trump’s announcement that the United States will no longer participate in monitoring Iran’s nuclear program.

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“The man is afraid of the voice of the people and that the people understand and know what he’s doing. He’s trying to stifle the ability of journalists to let the people of America know what’s really going on with their government.”

— “Kamala Harris called President Donald Trump’s ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House ‘absolutely abhorrent,’” The Wrap reports.

“Not one of them is trained in technical skills. Not one research PhD, as opposed to China, where half the cabinet is science and technology PhDs. We’re led by grifters and fools.”

— Columbia professor Jeffrey Sachs, on X, on President Trump’s 35-person cabinet.

“Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far… The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.”

— Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), breaking with President Trump in a direct-to-camera video.

Numerati

1,000

10%

“The unprecedented spate of mid-decade redistricting for the U.S. House has changed the congressional districts for one-tenth of Americans and significantly altered the makeup of at least one-fifth of districts, according to a new study,” the Associated Press reports.

71%

$9.5 billion

“The Trump administration last year spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers as part of its plan to shrink the government and save taxpayers money, according to a new estimate by a congressional watchdog,” CNN reports.

470

Reuters has documented at least 470 targets of retribution under Trump’s leadership – from federal employees and prosecutors to universities and media outlets. The list illuminates the sweeping effort by the president and his administration to punish dissent and reshape the government.