January 7, 2019

All Bollocks, No Strike

January 7, 2019 Buck Banks

Trump has rescinded his appointees’ pay hike,
And there won’t be a raise for Vice President Mike.
But to the 800k
Who are getting no pay,
Trump’s message: It’s not a shutdown, it’s a strike!

More Americans Identify as Independent

January 7, 2019 Buck Banks

42%

Gallup: “Significantly more U.S. adults continued to identify as political independents (42%) in 2018 than as either Democrats (30%) or Republicans (26%). At least four in 10 Americans have been political independents in seven of the past eight years, including a record-high 43% in 2014.”

Short Question, Very Long Answer

January 7, 2019 Buck Banks

“Why does everyone want to impeach me, Nancy?”

— President Trump, quoted by CBS News, to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) at a White House meeting on the government shutdown.

WSJ Slams Trump for Parroting Russian Propaganda About Afghanistan

January 7, 2019 Buck Banks

“We cannot recall a more absurd misstatement of history by an American President.”

— The Wall Street Journal editorial page slamming President Trump’s comments earlier this week which echoed Russian propaganda when he defended the Soviet Union’s 1979 invasion of Afghanistan.

Pelosi Defends Tlaib — Kind of

January 7, 2019 Buck Banks

“I wouldn’t use that language. I don’t — again establish any language standard for my colleagues but I don’t think it’s anything worse than what the president has said.”

— Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), quoted by NBC News, on a viral video of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) saying “we’re going to impeach the motherf**ker.”

U.S. House Still More Christian than General Populace

January 7, 2019 Buck Banks

88%

Pew Research: “The 116th Congress includes the first two Muslim women ever to serve in the House of Representatives and is slightly more religiously diverse overall than the prior Congress. Still, 88% of the members are Christian, compared with 71% of U.S. adults overall.”

New House Optics Bode Ill for GOP

January 7, 2019 Buck Banks

“The visuals of new House should send a shiver through anyone who cares about future of Republican Party. One side looks like America and our future, the other looks like board meeting of a 1950’s corporation. A basic law of politics: be for the future not past.”

Day: January 7, 2019

All Bollocks, No Strike

More Americans Identify as Independent

42%

Gallup: “Significantly more U.S. adults continued to identify as political independents (42%) in 2018 than as either Democrats (30%) or Republicans (26%). At least four in 10 Americans have been political independents in seven of the past eight years, including a record-high 43% in 2014.”

Short Question, Very Long Answer

“Why does everyone want to impeach me, Nancy?”

— President Trump, quoted by CBS News, to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) at a White House meeting on the government shutdown.

WSJ Slams Trump for Parroting Russian Propaganda About Afghanistan

“We cannot recall a more absurd misstatement of history by an American President.”

— The Wall Street Journal editorial page slamming President Trump’s comments earlier this week which echoed Russian propaganda when he defended the Soviet Union’s 1979 invasion of Afghanistan.

Pelosi Defends Tlaib — Kind of

“I wouldn’t use that language. I don’t — again establish any language standard for my colleagues but I don’t think it’s anything worse than what the president has said.”

— Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), quoted by NBC News, on a viral video of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) saying “we’re going to impeach the motherf**ker.”

U.S. House Still More Christian than General Populace

88%

Pew Research: “The 116th Congress includes the first two Muslim women ever to serve in the House of Representatives and is slightly more religiously diverse overall than the prior Congress. Still, 88% of the members are Christian, compared with 71% of U.S. adults overall.”

New House Optics Bode Ill for GOP

“The visuals of new House should send a shiver through anyone who cares about future of Republican Party. One side looks like America and our future, the other looks like board meeting of a 1950’s corporation. A basic law of politics: be for the future not past.”

— GOP strategist Stuart Stevens, on Twitter.

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%

A new Fox News Poll finds 71% of voters think the Trump administration lacks a clear strategy for ending the Iran War, including 95% of Democrats, 83% of independents, and 43% of Republicans. Sixty percent say U.S. military action against Iran was the wrong decision, while just 37% say it was right.

$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.