Fourteen Senate Democrats joined all but one Senate Republican in confirming Rep. Mike Pompeo as the new CIA director on Monday evening, failing a crucial first test of whether Democrats would present a united front to defend human rights and civil liberties in the Trump era.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the lone member of his party to vote against his confirmation.
Pompeo is a far-right Kansas Republican who has in the past defended CIA officials who engaged in torture, calling them “patriots.” Last week, he left the door open to torture by acknowledging in his written responses to the Senate Intelligence Committee that he would be open to altering a 2015 law prohibiting the government from using techniques not listed in the Army Field Manual.
As a member of Congress, he repeatedly appeared on the radio program hosted by anti-Muslim activist Frank Gaffney, and has portrayed the war on terror as a conflict between Islam and Christianity. He has also claimed that “Islamic leaders across America [are] potentially complicit” in terrorism because they supposedly don’t speak out against it, which is not true.
While Pompeo’s confirmation was opposed by Human Rights Watch, it netted votes from a variety of Senate Democrats, including the caucus’ leader: Chuck Schumer of New York.
In addition to his stances on torture and Islam, Pompeo has also come under fire for his views on surveillance. In a 2016 op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, he attacked a 2015 law that that he voted for, which ended the bulk collection on phone records by the NSA. The op-ed calls on the government to collect “all metadata” and “lifestyle” details on Americans.
The CIA is prohibited by executive order from conducting electronic surveillance inside the United States. But the specific rules and policies governing CIA surveillance are secret and can be reinterpreted without public debate. Despite a push for transparency following the revelations in documents from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, the Obama administration did not declassify a secret legal opinion about the CIA’s collection of financial records. And days before President Trump took office, the Obama administration issued new rules that would allow the CIA to sift through much of the raw data the NSA collects on Americans.
In his confirmation hearing, Pompeo tried to assure Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., that there were “legal boundaries” to compiling dossiers on Americans, but that the government would be “grossly negligent” to ignore “publicly available” information.
On the Senate floor Monday, Wyden called Pompeo “the wrong man for the job.”
“On issue after issue,” Wyden said “the congressman has taken two, three, or four positions, depending on when he says it and who he is talking to. He has done this with surveillance, with torture, with Russia, and a number of other subjects.”
He added: “Congressman Pompeo does not seem familiar with the broad consensus that torture, in addition to being illegal, immoral and contrary to our national values, does not work.”
But Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said on the floor that although he does “not agree with some of the views that Congressman Pompeo” holds, he “convinced me that he will follow the law banning torture.”
Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA, called the confirmation vote “a clear sign that Congress has not done enough ‘extreme vetting’ of President Trump’s nominees’ views on human rights.”
She continued: “While Pompeo sailed through his confirmation hearing, his written answers to the Senate contradict his earlier testimony and could lay the groundwork for the agency to return to torture and secret detention. Torture is a war crime and a grave human rights violation.”
The Democrats who voted to confirm Pompeo were:
- Joe Donnelly of Indiana
- Dianne Feinstein of California
- Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire
- Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota
- Tim Kaine of Virginia
- Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota
- Joe Manchin of West Virginia
- Claire McCaskill of Missouri
- Jack Reed of Rhode Island
- Brian Schatz of Hawaii
- Chuck Schumer of New York
- Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire
- Mark Warner of Virginia
- Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island
Angus King, the independent from Maine who caucuses with Democrats, also voted in favor of Pompeo’s confirmation.
Connecticut Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy did not vote.
Top photo: Pompeo at his confirmation hearing on Jan. 12, 2017, in Washington, D.C.
Thank you so much for listing the name of Dem.s who voted for Pompeo. I wish you could provide their names for other conformations as well. Group of us are trying to keep a record of this people to make sure that they won’t get our votes in 2018. Thx.
Clare McCaskill is no surprise. Neither is Feinstein. Kaine? Well, we all know Hillary’s position. They’re all M/I complex camp following whores
Her public position or her private position?
***
FREE AMERICA
DIRECT DEMOCRACY
***
CA state AG Kamala Harris’ decision not to prosecute Mnuchin’s mortgage banks/lenders that surround these lies has come back to haunt us, and it didn’t take long; the reason being the lack of prosecution after the housing bubble/bank crisis in the first pace that now make this behavior normal.
Speaking of not standing up for something consistently and the perils of compromise for compromise sake: Chelsea Manning highlights the simple reason why Obama’s (and, arguably, the neoliberal Democratic party altogether) has been a failure for progressive policies:
It really is as simple as that – and the Democrats still haven’t learned that lesson.
Ah yes… Tim Kaine. What a great VP.
wow, thats what I thought, fell right in line didnt he???
Time for our WORTHLESS CA Senator Dianne Feinstein of California of CA to be THROWN OUT of office. She is in 100% for spying on everyone but her and Trump. Get ready to VOTE her OUT in 2018. If anyone is starting a campaign against her notify me, I want to work to UNSEAT our TRAITOR! She is now going to be DT’s favorite person. Her husband lets Trump get a Post office in DC that rents for no less than $685 on Friday night. NOW though he is cutting off funding to sanctuary cities and he wants to build a NEW TRUMP HOTEL in San Francisco. Please don’t sell our state out to this man! Jerry Brown what are your views on him using his office for more business? Please tell us?
I totally agree, she’s been a pustule on the Democratic Party for way too long. She only votes for her interests. She coasted into office my capitalizing on Harvey Milk’s death. She’s a parasite and is utterly NOT a true Democrat. I will work to get rid of Feinstein.
Welcome to Corporate America, where you thank your lucky stars if you have a job, and are willing to do anything to keep it, lest you be labeled an ERRORIST.
Trump said his “experts” say torture works. Name ’em, Donnie.
I will be calling Sens. Shah and Hassan.
In Amerkica ,, circa 2017
YOUR ASSHOLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND
The people of CA are looking for a replacement from our alzheimer POS called Dianne Feinstein. This old, out of touch hag has done enough damage, now look at her. I always said she was a Republican in Democrats clothing.
RECALL DIANNE FEINSTEIN CA! Feinstein is NOT a REPRESENTATIVE of CA she is another, bought and paid for by the 1%. Call her office and tell her we need her to step down: Phone: (202) 224-3841
Her husband is a lobbyist for defend industries, what do you expect?
Fuck the small talk- if MICAH LEE would examine how the comment section here is intercepted; where it’s intercepted; and how it’ sintercepted; and who is doing it, how it is done, and where the tracert/ points to, and so on- and how minutes or hours count sometimes- we might have a whole new story.
And that would be an interesting story indeed.
Naaah. Mr. Olmidyar is prolly happy with just his Ukraine ‘thingy’ and cheap Russian ‘brides’- who cares about American free speech- or documenting the subversion of it at the “comment” section.
It must be so hard being a liberal democrat living in the US right now. Courage to you all ! And please do not blame those deplorables….
great.
earlier TI had an article about how the courts needed a warrant for 16 agencies to spy on Americans. That would include the CIA. AFAIK the NSA is just into collecting info. But wait – prezzy OB on his way out decided to allow the NSA to engage in info sharing which nets to a workaround which allows the other 16 agencies to sidestep all that messy warrant paperwork stuff. OK, so now the 17 security agencies in the US can spy on Americans. NO BIG DEAL YOU SAY?
What We Know About the FBI’s Alleged Use of Best Buy Employees as Informants.
EH?
http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/post/heres-what-we-know-about-the-fbis-alleged-use-of-best-buy-employees-as-informants/
Taking the Dem party back is impossible without:
1) alternative crisis PR that is NOT funded by zionist elements and AIPAC.
2) getting the so-called progressive’s back into prison reform and voter’s rights (ex-cons)
3) providing opportunities for low income men beyond jobs training programs that earn just enough to pay child support(wage slavery) and increase opportunities for education in prison
4) sex education that goes beyond the 1960’s Catholic/Jewish detante’ over responsibility, and create a better model
5) re-thinking the deep race and gender propaganda that has ruined public schools (thank you, ADL sponsored curriculum! NOT.)
6) drop the memes about inequality, and focus on building off of what equality has been achieved- and create a dialogue of actual equality (dump the Jessica Valenti’s and the rapeocaustics)
7) And the kicker- as we see the Donald poised to bust the unions- is to address police abuses and the power of the police unions, which will only gain strength under Trump; active strong citizen oversight, accountability, and consequences-maybe we could return the ‘power’ part of policing to the people. That is one union that NEVER gets busted.
Several hundred protesters were outside Amy Klobuchar’s Senate offices today in Minneapolis. Klobuchar, Feinstein, Schumer – all those people with illusions in the Democrats as not COLLABORATORS with the Republicans – more proof that the COLLABORATORS in this class war are in the Democratic Party.
Well, some Dems are mere collaborators, while others are active participants and leaders — and none of them are fighting for the right class.
Chuck Schumer, Leader of the Resistance, Keeps Approving Trump’s Nominees
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/chuck-schumer-leader-of-the-resistance-keeps-approving-trumps-nominees-9601481
Chuck Schumer is behaving exactly as anyone who has paid attention to him and his record should have expected.
https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/824030959725056000
Excelente! I would really like to see what is ulterior score or the others secretaries. In general the kudus don’t say the name she of the the democrats who vote for.
When it first broke that torture was happening at Guantanemo, Dick Durbin and Nancy Pelosi made a secret trip there and watched people being tortured. At one point, Pelosi actually said, can you torture him more?
Really? Can you post an article for that?
Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown both voted to advance Ben Carson’s confirmation for HUD secretary to the entire senate. Carson opposes Constitutional rights for Muslims.
Go Liz. Go Sherrod (my senator, who should know better). Go dems.
They can’t even muster the stones to make purely symbolic votes against this shit show. :-s
The Senate Dems who voted for Carson:
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Jon Tester (D-MT)
Mark Warner (D-VA)
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Heidi Heitcamp (D-ND)
Joe Donnelly (D-IN)
Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
[Oh, ffs, a year’s worth of my famous habanero pepper jelly for a damned preview button already!” -pedinska ]
p`ska
This kat seemed ‘keen’ back in dec, fourteen.. -suav`
Agreee 100 percent. Our comments system is not what it should be, and we’re working on finding a new one. We have great commenters and a great commenting community but the system is not terribly good. It’s a priority item for us to change.
-peter maass
https://theintercept.com/2014/12/19/senior-cia-officer-center-torture-scandals-alfreda-bikowsky/?comments=1#comments
a harpie phone home production
Yes, and private assurances have been offered to various and sundry commenters via email by Ms. Fillion that said comment section upgrade is planned for this year.
Unfortunately, there are still far too many months left in this latest iteration of the TI unit. (h/t Friedman) :-s
S’alright. I’ll keep my jelly. It’s pretty popular around here and I never have enough to go around as it is. ;-}
I wish there was more about Black Site Prisons. If you have a secret prison somewhere, it doesn’t matter what the laws are since no one will know anyway. Another thing is that while it is difficult to hold torturers accountable–since no one will define torture–it should be easy to prosecute those responsible for Black Site Prisons, since they are always illegal under international law.
As far as I know they have never come clean on this issue, the who, where, why and how much. Which essentially makes Congress complicit.
Boycott Everything!
Hold on to your Money and make a CEO Your Bitch!
The Power is in Your Dollar…
Yay Democrats! With “friends” like these, who needs Republicans?
Scum.
O/T:
The Red Scare continues, from Defense One [Ahem!]:
http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2017/01/putins-dnc-hackers-actively-targeting-french-elections/134603/
Ah yes, that “illegal” annexation. And after the Crimeans struggled so long and hard to be free. . . from Ukraine, so they could rejoin Russia, of which they and their peninsula had been an integral part since 1783, when Sevastopol and the Black Sea Fleet were founded under Catherine the Great.
‘Annexations’ are only ‘illegal’ when ‘they’ do it, of course.
You really have to hand it to these Democrats, they have their pompoms out early.
Dems are behind everything bad. I heard they made Trump pick Pompeo.
Also Dems run all the kill shelters for puppies & kittens and are the $$$ behind Big Broccoli. #LapItUp
Someone should ask Glen how he feels voting is working in Brazil !!
go away
“Glen”
—- is not the spelling of Glenn
—- did not write this article
Go Away Stupid Man.
What’s with the understatement, Vic?
Hey Vic,,
I’m not sure what you meant by “Go Away Stupid Man” . So i’ll take a stab at it :
It was a childish attempt on your part to not consider that Glenn Greenwald might have second thoughts about the effectiveness of voting in Brazil .
You used all your adolescent prowess came up with ” Go Away Stupid Man” ,,,, right ?
I think the Democratic voters who elected these 14 neoliberal traitors should ask for their immediate resignations. We can’t afford to wait to vote them out. They need to go NOW!
–including former VP pick Tim Kaine.
And folks wondered why I refused to vote for Clinton/Kaine ticket…
Shame on all who voted for Pompeo!
–including that fellow Tim Kaine. That name sounds vaguely familiar… Wasn’t he running for VP or something?
Kaine and Clinton were all het up behind the CIA Red/Russia baiting, in fact they started it, and for the push for nuclear war. It should come as no surprise that Kaine votes to support the torture-happy, surveillance-happy thug, Pompeo, as head of the organization first in line paving the way for war. And it comes as even less of a surprise that the unutterably vile whiny warmonger and Wall Street sucking Chuck the Fuck Schumer should be in the cockpit with him.
Zaid and Alex, you should start keeping a spreadsheet on these votes. It will be useful to pull it out during the next election cycle because these assholes rely on people having short and/or overwhelmed memories.
https://twitter.com/JonathanCohn/status/823931441482436609
Indeed, it would be quite eye-opening and educational to have that information out there the next time so-called leftists take themselves to the polls.
I’d love to see an interactive of some kind that lists the republican-sponsored vote – whatever it may be, though starting with these confirmation votes would be excellent – and then lists the dems who voted with them.
It wouldn’t have to be terribly complex. Just something that could simplify the ongoing process of filtering out what your own congresscritter is up to when you’re too busy working your three jobs to keep track. :-s
And to what purpose would you put the list ?
I believe I addressed that when I wrote:
Just something that could simplify the ongoing process of filtering out what your own congresscritter is up to when you’re too busy working your three jobs to keep track.
I think people are aware they’re being sold out by their elected officials. The continuing plunge in their favorable ratings shows that. But it takes real effort to keep a running tally of where/when the elected are selling out voter principles. Something that simplifies the process of seeing this when it comes time to vote again would be useful. It might also be useful to motivate people to think about forming new parties.
Or not. Just something to think about. There’s a reason why the process we have is so obscure and laborious. There are reasons why these bills are so lengthy and filled with conflicting language. And there are reasons why voting on bills and the reconciliation processes sometimes take place behind closed doors. Simplifying that in any way will help people become interested again in the process and that’s one way to create change. All you have to do to realize that is see how quickly Cory Booker got fashed for his hypocritical shenanigans.
The spreadsheet is a good idea, but I strongly suspect it won’t give us any clear choices. Compare THIS list, to the one last week for HHS Secy, also with 13 Dems voting in favor. Overall, it seems a different group. It’s as if they’re drawing straws to see who’s taking the heat this week, or just voting according to which lobby contributed most to them?
And this is unfortunately not the first breach of that ‘we’ll fight back’ pledge. What about not ONE Dem senator rising to co-sign a Representative’s objection to confirmation of the Electoral College tally?
Nothing will give us clear choices. The system is not set up to do that for very obvious reasons. But it will give us one more tool, something straightforward to balance out the convoluted stuff, that can contribute to helping people weigh the choices and, if necessary, see early on that agitating for change is an ongoing process.
It’s as if they’re drawing straws to see who’s taking the heat this week,
Yes, hence my (and further down the thread, TallyHoGazehound’s) reference to the article Greenwald wrote on this:
https://www.salon.com/2010/02/23/democrats_34/
Hi Pedinska, we will definitely be trying to track all of the big votes for you all. I’m sure someone will keep a spreadsheet.
Thank you Zaid!
We appreciate the fact that you all are listening to us. :-)
As usual, the f**king cowardly democrats have no intention of going against their masters in the republicrat universe. We’re all screwed.
So Schumer and Feinstein and 12 other Democrats voted for this while Booker and 12 other Democrats voted against Bernie’s amendment to allow importation of lower cost drugs from Canada and elsewhere.
Does Bernie really believe he will get anywhere with the Dem. party – why is he still throwing in his lot with them?
Same reason I marked “Democrat” on my voter registration despite being disgusted with both the sell-out elites and the safe spaces millennials infesting the party: I’m ideologically liberal, and it’s a two party system.
If you keep thinking in the same fashion, then you will keep marking “Democrat” for the rest of your life. And keep feeling disgusted. What can I say? Lol
Old Bernie was made The Offer He Couldn’t Refuse
Straight from the CIA !
He’s nothing more than a JUDAS GOATsince he caved to WA$$IE $HULTZ .
The old buzzard got $575 and about 120 hrs of canvassing out of me .
Can’t blame him though ,, I wonder what I’d do if the CIA made me The Offer I Could Not Refuse
“Does Bernie really believe he will get anywhere with the Dem. party – why is he still throwing in his lot with them? “———-mannt
_______________________________________________
Do you still believe that you can vote your way out of this ??
I’m willing to give one more shot to what primary challenges can do, as organized by Cenk and which I wrote of below.
Using the means made available to you by the ones who control those means will never get rid of the ones who control those means !
I don’t think that is to deep to understand .
It will be very difficult to bring about real change from within – too many of the old guards around to resist the change.
It’s so weird watching this delusion treadmill everyday. We watch as politicians claiming to care about people do the exact opposite, and the public just bickers and whines online about past indiscretions that may or may not have led to said events.
The comments sections on TI articles is very telling. You have intelligent people spending inordinate amounts of time on pseudo-intellectual one-ups-manship just to serve their insecure egos. As if arguing about the past does anything for us now or moving forward. It’s just lazy satire, and not even funny or entertaining satire.
Sure, it’s cathartic to complain online, but armchair activism does absolutely nothing. Awareness doesn’t solve anything. Did awareness stop KONY?
I went to university in the US. I know for a fact awareness activism is just self-aggrandizing masked as charity. They use it to deflect from looking at their own issues or behaviors. It serves the “us vs them” delusion. It’s no surprise college kids are stupid and delusional though, just look at primary school and their parents. They’re set up to fail by bitter old people who still act like they’re 8 years old and live in a delusional fantasy world of “MINE MINE MINE!”
The US is getting exactly what it asked for, and it is deserved. Stupid is as stupid does. Garbage in, garbage out.
Good luck out there.
Unless we get to the bottom of what got us here, there will be ZERO chance of changing trajectory.
From what I’ve seen, by the time you’ve figured out the issue the game has changed and your plan is bogus.
There’s a great saying, “A lie has traveled the world by the time the truth puts on its shoes.” I can’t remember who to credit, but that’s politics in a nut shell.
The game moves too fast for rational wisdom to win. Emotions rule politics.
If voting and gunning for those “Gotcha!” moments fulfills you then cool. A lot of people are waking up to the fact that politics does not and has never served the people. It only serves the people in charge.
I say this, if you vote then you can’t complain because you said you approve of the system and who they chose by voting for someone. Even if you don’t like the choices, your vote says you approve of the system.
The US gets exactly what they ask for because it’s the US people who make these politicians and then vote them into the jobs.
I say this, if you vote then you can’t complain because you said you approve of the system and who they chose by voting for someone. Even if you don’t like the choices, your vote says you approve of the system.
Oh, bulldunky. I voted third party BECAUSE I don’t approve of the system and wanted to raise my tiny middle finger to the duopoly that controls it. And enough of us worked hard and voted for an alternative in the democratic primary to put a big scare into the establishment otherwise they wouldn’t still be trying to blame Sanders/millenials etc for their own failings.
Anyone who didn’t vote – which I perfectly understand, especially if it was for principled reasons – didn’t have any means at all to register their disapproval because there is no “none of the above” choice. It’s really quite simple.
Also, voting is not the end-all, be-all. There are plenty of us who are doing other things in the interim. Just because you – like the blind men feeling up tiny bits of the elephant and describing their bit as if it were the entire creature – can’t see that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Hey, whatever helps you sleep at night. Reading your comment I’m wondering, who are you trying to convince? Me? Or yourself?
Other things ? In the interim ?
Pal if you think this government can be changed by making lists I hope you a
Well let me put it this way :
Madam Defarge’s list was effective because of the guillotine not because of some far fetched idea that it could be used as some sort of political persuasion to change the ruling status quo .
Unrest by the masses is only meaningful when it takes the form of physical action . There has never been a government that surrender peacefully .
All this election and running for office is a bunch of crap .
MIGHT MAKES RIGHT !! Sad but true !
In some circles it goes under the SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST slogan .
One must always remember that humans are animals and will always act accordingly .
HAVE A GREAT YEAR FOLKS See ya’ll in four years !!
You used the system because you don’t approve of the system ?
See how crazy that sounds ?
Loads of people have already figured out how the fork fits into the fork handle. You’ll find many of the huddled together here. But w/o greater awareness one can keep supporting Demorats/Blairite Labour and not affect any change at all. For you that appears good enough, for me not so much. Your own ‘plan’ appears planning to fail.
As long as partisanship and hysteria about Agent Orange prevail NOTHING will change.
Do you actually READ TI’s articles (never mind the comments you so loathe}?
Like most addicts in denial, you just have to let them hit rock bottom before they wake up from their delusional cycle of self-destruction.
I went to university in the US.
So, you don’t live here but feel it appropriate to tell those of us who do how we should act/think/feel. Got it. Please share where you went to school and what degree you received as I’d like to ensure my nieces and nephews – all very bright children – don’t attend any school that dampens their spirit of inquiry, nor teach them to disregard critical thinking.
I also find it fascinating that someone who states As if arguing about the past does anything for us now or moving forward doesn’t seem to understand that all education is, quite literally, based upon studying that which came before. Nor that people who think like you are the ones responsible for an education system that yields the results we’ve been experiencing.
Stupid is as stupid does. Garbage in, garbage out.
Indeed. Thank you for supplying us with a living exhibit of that premise.
Lol, I see my comment triggered your cultural conditioning. You learned that in that wonderful education system you’re recommending to your family.
US schools do not educate. US schools are cultural indoctrination centers tasked with brainwashing the youth into stupid patriotic consumers. And you get the privilege to pay exorbitant amounts of money for a piece of paper to prove how stupid you are. I learned all that outside of college. Oddly enough, you can learn most everything you could want on the Internet for free. Funny how you’re trying to guilt others into feeding a system you’re conditioned to support.
Weird you assume I don’t live in the US either. I do live in the US. You’re very quick to condemn an outside opinion with such vitriol. Your teachers must be proud to have made such a jingoistic reactionary. An exemplary display of critical thinking on your part.
The funny thing about the American Dream is you have to be asleep to believe it.
The funny thing about the American Dream is you have to be asleep to believe it.
If you were properly educated you would have given George Carlin credit for that. At least when I reference him I supply a link.
As for the rest, you give yourself too much credit. You wrote something I had something say about. It’s funny that you think people like me, who went through public schools, don’t understand how the internet works. Or that we’ve stopped learning when you’re the one who thinks the past should be ignored.
you can learn most everything you could want on the Internet for free
Sure, but I bet you wouldn’t want someone taking out your appendix if they hadn’t paid to learn/practice. But go on wit your bad self. :-p
p.s. I actually support eliminating college debt. I don’t think we should subject our youth to debt peonage in service of seeking knowledge. And, if you think millenials and those coming behind are any more brainwashed than usual, you haven’t been paying attention to what they’re saying.
LOL. I’m a degree (practicing) chemist. Try learning that from the Internets. ;>(
Perhaps MS’s comment reflects a ‘degree’ in knitting?
LOL. I’m a degree (practicing) chemist. Try learning that from the Internets.
Yes. I’m sure MS is up on all the current HIV research agenda, the field I’m in. I do so hope he expounds on that so I an benefit from his wisdom. Look forward not back did wonders for us back when we were working out the multi-drug treatment regimens that keep people alive nowadays.
Aw. I sometimes wish I’d chosen a ‘hotter’ field (like yours) but chemistry and physics are my first and last loves.
I actually started in Clinical Microbiology. It was fascinating stuff, always changing, and we were doing work that immediately helped patients which mattered to me. I got to know the Infectious Disease docs because I was good at finding the Cryptococcus that was killing young men with HIV infections who were flooding into ERs with meningitis in the early 80s.
So, when an opportunity to supervise the HIV research lab came up, I jumped. I ended up chairing the lab tech committee of the ACTG/IMPAACT groups. We set up lab procedures necessary for the proposed research protocols. Never a dull moment as the groups expanded the research into third world countries where treatment had never been an option before. I was blessed to be able to meet and work with so many colleagues in places like Africa, India, Thailand, etc.
Even though I’ve stayed in touch with many of them, I miss it very much.
Thank you.
Gert, we couldn’t have done what we did without the chemists. :-)
Who cares how you make your money? I work in research too. It’s a job. Unless you’re one of those “career is purpose” types. In which case, I’ll be sure to never respond to your comments ever again. You’re just another brainwashed kid hoping to impress mommy and teacher.
It’s too bad. I almost thought the Intercept audience was open and thoughtful. You guys are the same as the fascists you claim to hate.
In contrast to your own openness and thoughtfulness, of course.
Ok, you’ve had your ‘fun’, now please bog off.
Lol, wow. I didn’t realize you are so sensitive and insecure. You are projecting a lot right now.
I’m sorry it bothers you I’ve let go of your delusions. I just can’t buy into it anymore. I know I’m a lot happier because of it.
Good luck in finding your happiness.
You’re not making the slightest bit of sense, IMO.
Vitriol? LOL. Maybe it’s you who is being particularly thin skinned?
Full disclosure: I’m neither American, nor live here.
Congrats on the conditions of your birth and your job, I guess. You seem pretty proud of them despite having little to no influence over their happening. But hey, like all of the other commenters, congratulate yourself and keep validating your insecure egos. Sounds like you guys need each other for the support.
How much did you pay for your ‘dime store psychology’ course? Get a refund, if you can.
I earned a BA at a state university where I was mercifully deprogrammed from the superstitions of the oppressive religion in which I was raised. That same education showed me that nationalism, including much that passes as patriotism, is considered idolatry by, e.g., Jehovah’s Witnesses — and that they have a point.
My BA — with majors in religious studies, history and a minor in French — changed my life and mind. I learned so much truth which did, indeed, set me free.
Then law school showed me both the good and bad of the presumption in our legal principles, and that they are often enough influenced by the interests of the influential. Yes, my U.S. education has been of enormous value, and I completed it then knowing how to engage in critical thinking and further self-education, as well as knowing why both are of inestimable importance.
Amen, Sister Pedinksa! And as if Internet writers/commenters/tweeters aren’t our era’s pamphleteers and those orating on soap boxes in the public square.
A helluva lot of us are also found in the streets at the appropriate times and places. Indeed, a lot of us do the organizing. MS truly doesn’t have a clue.
It strikes me as a sort of contrived, ‘edgy’ nihilism.
It strikes me as a sort of contrived, ‘edgy’ nihilism.
About as much ‘edge’ as a nerf ball. As much impact too. :-s
Not a sharp tool in any sense of the word. Rambling no end though…
Never understood why people like MS want to ‘participate’ in threads like these.
My HS critical writing teacher would have had MS’s balls for her earrings. LOL! She was a holy terror to more than a couple of my senior year classmates. She didn’t put up with simplistic thinking in the least. We worked hard, and I credit her with showing me how to examine information and how to evaluate it for facts and how they are manipulated. She was a gem. And she is/was not alone.
I had a teacher like that in HS, and she opened my mind to so many possibilities. Unfortunately, TPTB nowadays would really like to eliminate the teaching of critical thinking and, with Trump and DeVos, will be well on their way to doing so. Like MS above, looking at the past and learning from it is anathema to their way of thinking and their desire for total control.
Why do you guys keep projecting so much of your insecurities onto me? It’s weird, and it proves how scared and desperate for validation you guys are.
I don’t buy into your delusions. Get over it.
That you would believe that your rhetoric has anything at all to do with any insecurities I may or may not have, demonstrates how out of touch with reality you truly are.
Methinks he doth project too much. ;-}
You and the peanut gallery’s reactions to my rhetoric is the revealing thing about yours and their insecurities and behavior.
You outright mock my opinions assuming you’re the smartest in the room, and you all pat each other on the back when you validate each others petty asides. As if snarky comments are a victory lol.
It’s no wonder things are so divisive when supposed mature adults like you and the peanut gallery act like needy children on a playground. I would say “Grow up” but why bother? You’re stuck.
I didn’t mean to mess up your guys safe space. Enjoy your echo chamber.
You’ve expressed no opinions other than “nothing works, nothing will change!!!” Intellectual laziness at its finest. Congratulations.
You may want to read and actually think about my comments before reacting to the first emotions that boil up and responding.
I expressed my opinions and perspectives regarding modern Western institutions. I never stated I was offering solutions. You guys put that on me and your imaginations went wild speculating who I am and what I’m about based on things I didn’t say or you felt I left it out.
I won’t challenge you guys anymore. You’re clearly not ready for it. You guys aren’t even ready to listen. You’re too busy preaching and trying to convert people to your cause. It’s really no surprise nothing will change because nobody wants things to actually change. That would require changing themselves, and everybody already knows they’re perfect.
Good luck out there. You guys are going to need it lol
Feinstein and Schumer, I’m “shocked”.
Yeah ,, so am I . Next thing you know we’ll find out they did it for money !
SHELDON WHITE HOUSE CONTACT # HIS OFFICE # IS 401 453 5295
You all need some cheese to go with all the WHINE? Face it, if it weren’t for self-styled “independents” that voted for the 3rd & 4th party candidates, there would be a woman, a Democrat and a progressive agenda in Washington right now running things. And no doubt a Democrat-controlled Senate. The margin of loss in critical states was easily a function of progressives who had to cling to Sanders long after he transferred his support to HRC. Democrats who thought it was cool, hip and ‘millenial’ to not vote as well as those protest votes for Stein and Johnson enabled Trump to take the election. If you like the idea of Trump running this country, our freedoms and our liberties into the ground , then continue to do nothing. Otherwise, your last chance is 2018. You reap what you sow.
Oh, please, the DNC and Hillary Clinton ran a crooked game in the primaries in collaboration with corporate media – otherwise Bernie Sanders would have won the primary and gone on to win the general election by 10 points. It’s the neoliberal agenda of the Clintonite Democrats that sank the party – and neoliberals aren’t progressives.
Consider a few other facts – Barak Obama’s die-hard support for TPP did more to lose votes in the Rust Belt states than any other factor – so why did he insist on supporting it? Why did Hillary Clinton go with corporate insider Tim Kaine for VP? And then you had Clinton’s psychotic World War III agenda, which is reason enough to celebrate her defeat, even if it means four years of Tumpdom.
I see where The Justice Department is on the verge of filing a lawsuit in New York regarding the over 100,000 voters in Brooklyn who were thrown off the voter lists prior to the primary.
This could be interesting.
Why not advocate a One Party system and be done with it? Oh wait, we’ve already got that!
Clinton, “progressive”? ROFLOL!
“Trump running this country, our freedoms and our liberties into the ground”
The only candidate that cared about “freedom” and “liberty” was Gary Johnson.
Clinton gave no indication whatsoever that she would have dismantled the surveillance state, stopped the drug war, ended drone strikes, stopped the militarization of domestic police or pursued any policy whatsoever to protect or restore civil liberties. Furthermore, she wanted to consider Australia-style gun control. With Trump, we’re going to salvage at least 10% of The Bill of Rights.
Face it, if it weren’t for self-styled “independents” that voted for the 3rd & 4th party candidates, there would be a woman, a Democrat and a progressive agenda in Washington right now running things.
That’s humorous considering how many state democratic parties made sure to exclude the independent vote from participating in free and open voting in their primaries. It was quite obvious that they felt a free and open vote, wherein anyone could vote for the candidate they wished to elect to run in the presidential runoff, threatened Clinton.
“Face it, if it weren’t for self-styled “independents” that voted for the 3rd & 4th party candidates, there would be a woman, a Democrat and a progressive agenda in Washington right now running things.”
Yeah, and Tim Kaine, who has given a green light to Pompeo, would be VP. Somehow I don’t find this reassuring.
Er, actually it was self-styled Democrats and Republicans that kept a progressive agenda (and possibly a woman) from entering the WH. The following bits from NBC polling, broadcast on election night:
/ More than 60% of the people who voted for Trump, didn’t like the fact they were voting for Trump;
/ More than 50% of the people who voted for Clinton, didn’t like the fact they were voting for Clinton.
If the Citizenry was _truly_ upset about the state of the country, they would have at least voted for Johnson (on the ballot in all 50 states & DC), or Stein (on the ballot in 44 states & DC; still enough access to electors & voters to have won).
Claiming that the 6 million votes cast for Johnson & Stein cost Clinton the election is to forget two things: Clinton won the Popular Vote by 3 million votes, and Trump was made POTUS by the Electoral College.
Any word on President Obama’s SCOTUS nomination … it’s been a while.
Yeah ,,, Clarence is tutoring him on the finer points of DA LAW .
Like— ” How duz one revoist de LAW OF GRAVITY ?
Ya simply stand on yo head ,,,,,, STUPID !
Well if this vote doesn’t not confirm that DemocRATS are totally useless, I don’t know what does. I expected Feinstein and Manchin to go fascist, but BOTH female NH Senators? Why? Why on Earth confirm a guy who will likely approve and utilize torture? It is mind boggling.
I fear that the CIA head murderer-torturer will make getting Snowden a high priority, so why would Dems vote for him. Why are they not resisting Trump’s appointments.
The DemocRAT Party is DEAD.
Disillusionment is a painful process,,, eh ?
All your “BELIEFS” down the toilet ,,, eh ?
It’s tantamount to having your skin stripped off ,,, eh !!
Wyden says he had a long chitty-chat with Pomeo and he was convinced that Pompeo will be a straight shooter. (?)
There are so many liberal lawyer groups out there right now waiting for Trump to make one false move (like deleting a tweet which he already did and that is against The Federal Records Act) so they can get the impeachment ball rolling.
The latest one is the “problem” of Trump making money off of foreign hotel guests.
If a case can be made probably the Congressional Never Trumpers will bite their lips and go along.
President Pence would be much more to their liking.
The Democrats no longer exist as the party of the people. Unless we utlilize history as a lesson:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress_of_the_Communist_Party_of_the_Soviet_Union
But the good news is that they still lay the race card every bit as good as they did under the leadership of the Dems in the second and third waves of KKKism.
Not surprisingly, they are upset that the other white meat has used race quite effectively, and usurped the Dems jaded zionist backed, ADL led, NSA informed, racist platform.
I mean- who needs the KKK anymore, when we have the ADL sponsored private junkets to apartheid Israel training American police?
And lynchings are so messy compared to the dossier’s they are compiling on each and every person they deem a threat to world wide bolshevism cum zionism.
Bumping this from Pedinska below.
—————————————————————————————
Greenwald wrote about this back in 2010:
The Democratic Party’s deceitful game
At this point, I doubt they even care anymore about the optics enough to go through the motions of Villain Rotation.
BRAVO!!!
I knew that this staged tactic went on , but I did not know that Glen had written about it . I tried to tell people in my circle about it but I was dismissed as some sort of hallucinating fringe nut .
Do you have a link to his article ?
https://www.salon.com/2010/02/23/democrats_34/
THANKS !
OK ! GOT IT !
https://www.salon.com/2010/02/23/democrats_34/
Pedinska gave it, but it’s embedded in the pretty blue letters.
So ,, does this mean that for years the Republicans have been more honest than than the Democrats wrt to their politics ?
GEEZ !!!
Please……one look at Mitch “Yurtle-the-Turtle” McConnell’s dead fish eyes should disabuse anyone of the notion.
Let’s just say they aspire, which is more than horrific enough. :-s
And before anybody goes nuts .
I HAVE NEVER VOTED FOR A REPUBLICAN
,, knowingly that is !
“Villain Rotation” is simply another name for a political science concept known as “distributive logrolling”, and it applies to specific pieces of legislation, but is also applicable if not roughly analogous in the context of Executive branch appointments.
My problem with votes like this, is that those 14 Democrats (given Democrats as a practical matter can’t stop any Trump appointments with running risk McConnell nukes filibuster) had an opportunity to take a stand against “torture” under any circumstances. It would be the morally correct, and politically correct position to take.
But it is important that Glenn points it out “villain rotation/logrolling” in the context of “centrism” emanating from Democratic party, because it is illustrative of the problem of “centrism” in the Democratic party. If fact it is “the problem”.
And numerically (mathematically, whatever) until the progressives/left in this country can build enough power and force progressive unity from the Democratic party “centrists” auguring toward progressive ends and solidarity, then these are the sorts of votes you will always get.
That’s the problem in a nutshell. That’s why I say progressives need to start by knocking off the head to make an example–take down Schumer, take down Feinstein, take down Kaine, take down Manchin . . . .
And by “take down” I don’t mean necessarily defeat them with a progressive. Of course run a progressive and hope you can get them elected, but be prepared to lose the seat to a Republican until the Democratic party comes to understand that progressive voters will never give their support and consent to a “centrist” which is really someone who is “social liberal” and economically neoliberal. What in the past remotely resembled a relatively sane moderate, or Eisenhower Republican.
But the power dynamic needs to be flipped if the Democratic party is to be viable going forward–from “centrists” holding enough cards, to progressives holding enough cards. Until that dynamic manifests we’re fucked.
I’m all for providing a little cover to incumbent Dems in “redder” states on issues that are largely symbolic, but not on the big stuff that forces the Dems to capitulate on its policy agenda. But first they have to have a coherent policy agenda as a standard.
The Liebermans, Feinsteins, Schumers, Manchins, Nelsons, Lincolns, Webbs should have no place in the party of the working class.
Just my $0.02.
$0.02 ?
GEEZ a nickle pile of that would be about the size of Pluto .
@ Mudbone
That’s what the scroll wheel was invented for, and for my other $0.03 I’m just happy you’ve started refraining from your inappropriate racial slurs against former Pres. Obama.
So we’re all good.
“Villain Rotation” is simply another name for a political science concept known as “distributive logrolling”,
The democratic party has been “distributively logrolling” their turds down on their voters for a very long time and are showing, no ifs ands or buts, that they will continue to do so no matter how loudly their constituents scream not how many of them abandon them at the polls.
Who knows how many more seats they need to lose at the state/federal level before they learn. It’s pretty obvious they’re still willing to pay that price if it means a few withered hands at the top still get to keep their sinecures.
Good thing Hillary picked Tim Kaine, all those voters he brought with him, best running mate choice since Gore picked Lieberman. Centrist Democrats are the only ones who know how to win.
Now, now…those 14 Dems were merely being “pragmatic”. They are not “allowing the perfect to be the enemy of the good”.
They are not even allowing the “good” to be the enemy of the “criminal”.
Probably the two most blatant betrayals of America:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K27oIJlAlA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM9dGr8ArR0
First vid:
C’mon man, Obomba was just being ‘diplomatic’ ;>)
I see our ” Do nothing” Senators Markey and Warren Voted No.
Sad
The Resistance™ to Trump Agenda is playing out as I anticipated, as anyone paying attention to history of Democratic efforts to unite would anticipate. Going to be a long four years.
Reforming the Democratic Party would be very difficult and met with much, er, #Resistance. This tweet storm by a D.C. Dem operative shows just how hard. Two tweets:
Translation: “Forget economic populism, stay focused on superficial identity politics. The Bernie faction is a cult and won’t give any thought to women, African-Americans etc. Bernie is David Koresh and has people in a brainwashed spell.”
Set aside that the lesbian working at Walmart or the black guy delivering pizzas are also the working class in urgent need of income equality and a social safety net every bit as as “Stalinist” as the hellhole of Scandinavia. Progressives can walk and chew gum at the same time, i.e., both stand strong for economic justice as well as the rights of women, LGBTs, blacks, Muslim-Americans and immigrants.
Keep telling the electorate you’re clinging to the oligarchies and Wall Street’s business as usual, and you (properly) sentence the Democratic party to death.
Since I’ve been writing (emailing) letters of disapproval to my Senator, Feinstein; I’ve recievd form letters explaining the Senator’s position on the subject. This time will be no different…
“Damn the ‘alt-left’ and their ‘purity tests'; dirty hands would have kept us in POWER!”.
Well, no.
Albright: no relation to Maddy, I hope?
Albright: no relation to Maddy, I hope?
No clue, but nothing would be surprising. Here’s a bit of what I found out about her:
The author goes on to describe how Ms Albright’s twittering got rolling in this latest free-for-all that ended with the splooge that Mona quotes from above,
Like Zaid and Alex in this article, Sanders took public issue with the dems voting against his amendment and Biiker, in particular, caught a lot of shit for his virtuous posturing. Ms Albright wasn’t happy and unleashed herself on Sanders,
Turns out Albright was fudging on her facts and juggling apples and oranges in order to lay a stinker on Sanders.
The rest can be found here:
https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/01/why-wont-liberals-like-sally-albright-stop-lying-a.html
Suffice it to say, when the dems will hire perky hit women, who have no problem slithering around with Newts if the cash is sufficient, you can be sure they’re not interested in reforming anything wrt the machine that got them that shriveling vestige of power in the first place.
Oh, ffs, a year’s worth of my famous habanero pepper jelly for a damned preview button already!
“Booker”.
“Biiker” sounds like some Scandinavian who would have far more sense than that corporate trash-sucker who’s trying to position his deceitful inspirational-quote-eructing-ass for a run in 2020.
“
It was the first article I read about her, as soon as I saw the name Sally Albright. #1 in google. Good! Let more people read it and study that toadie.
This new CIA director will head an agency which may already be investigating The Donald and his friends for collaborating with the Russian mafia to hide assets of the Russian oligarchs in Trump investments. This gives agents of a foreign government more power over The President than any e-mail leaking ever could. There is a money trail to follow from the oligarchs, to their pals in several Russian agencies, to off-shore accounts and fictional companies to hidden investments in the US and elsewhere. The threat of disclosure of these links and prosecution and/or impeachment is enough to keep The Orange one in line.
“The threat of disclosure of these links and prosecution and/or impeachment is enough to keep The Orange one in line.”
Suuuuuurrre it is. I give you…the banks caught in criminality in 2008.
To be fair, Nete, steve didn’t actually indicate the particular line the CIA might prefer. Needless to say, it will likely be to their benefit. :-s
Some of these Democrats, like Feinstein and Schumer, assimilated themselves into the conservative borg decades ago. Resistance was futile–and didn’t pay nearly as well–so they didn’t resist, and just blended themselves seamlessly into the mix.
And, it’s such a huge shock that Clinton’s running mate, Tim Kaine, is on board with Pompeo, right? Curious that such a progressive would support a man who’s openly considering a return to committing war crimes, or redefining war crimes so that the criminal actions are legalized. But, then, you realize that Kaine, like Clinton, is progressive in posture only. Kaine is who we would have had in the White House, within reach of the presidency, had Clinton won.
Our only chance is with Democratic resistance, any resistance. But, the parties are so close on so many things that it’s hard to tell who’s who anymore or what side anyone is on, so it’s going to be difficult. It’s like blending liquids back and force between two vials, with everything getting mixed and stirred up, and it all looks the same, eventually. That’s how Democrats end up supporting extremists from the other party, like Pompeo. It’s pretty easy for them, as they’re already used to supporting extremists, as they’d done supporting Obama’s own extremist, lying CIA director, John Brennan.
And the beat goes on…
Thanks for comment. It is just wasting time to do anything with Democratic Party. We need a new party. New name. New brand. I gave up supporting any Democrats because I couldn’t tell who good and who was DINO.
At least the neo-liberal wing of the party is DIW, having drowned in its own pool of elitist slime. I don’t think they can make a comeback for awhile, but, never underestimate the power of money, fear-mongering and misinformation. I’m ready for the next phase, too. It has to be something brand new, I agree.
It is this kind of sensationalist headline that causes people like me looking for high quality, fair journalism to reconsider your website. I look to you as a pillar of ethical reporting and then distorted headlines like this disappoint me.
Please explain what part of that headline is a distortion? Fourteen democratic senators voted as stated. And the nominee obfuscated when asked about torture. It’s really quite plainly factual.
Surely the party will be putting one of them up for election in 2020.
…the loss will be an absolute surprise and totally inexplicable…
Typo it’s Joe Donnelly from Indiana. I know because he is my senator. Unfortunately.
The Democratic Party’s main weakness is its freedom. Democrats vote what they like; Republicans do what they are told — or else. Even veteran Arlen Specter was not allowed one vote of dissent without having a stuffed suit put up to replace him. I’m not saying these are great representatives, especially the ones who voted to confirm! But the petulant lobby that tells us to hate the Democrats like the Republicans because the former’s minority splits off to join their forced march — that’s just crazy.
Anyway, what this article lacked was a cross-comparison with the importation vote:
Bennett Booker Cantwell Carper Casey Coons Donnelly Heinrich Heitkamp Menendez Murray Tester Warner were the anti-importers.
Which at my glance leaves Donnelly, Heitkamp, and Warner as the serial offenders.
‘Splain, please?
“The Democratic Party’s main weakness is its freedom.”
that claim doesn’t really sell without the ritual re-naming of a popular food.
I would suggest “Can’t Have It All Hot Sauce”.
Joe Manchin is a Democrat In Name Only. That fucker is really a republican–not enough West Virginians want to vote him out so we’re stuck with him. The whole fucking state is red–the conservative Dems are finally getting around to changing their party to Republican. While WV is a beautiful state, it’s a festering cesspool of nepotism and corruption. Breaks my heart.
WELL YOU CAN ALWAYS MOVE,,,,,,,,,,,,I LIVED IN EASTERN KENTUCKY,,,,,,,SAME SHIT IN THAT STATE,,,,,,,,I JUST MOVED LOL
They don’t raise fighters in Kentucky? Just movers and Shakers?
WV leads the nation in the heroin death rate.
I’m quite aware. I live here.
What, then, does it mean to be a “Democrat”?
A Jackass who wears a suit and tie ?
Take your pick.
For most here at the Intercept Democrat means “those who elected Trump as President.”
Others will say there’s no such thing as Democrats because that assumes two separate parties. They will tell you that the Empire Masters of the Grand Conspiracy Game directs them like pawns on a chessboard.
Others will say Democrats are demonic imps working for George Soros.
I say Democrats are Rachel Corrie and the Republicans an Israeli bulldozer.
My senator is one of those Democrats who voted for Pompeo — to whom I intend to send an angry email later today.
Dang! That’ll teach him. Don’t forget to use good quality paper.
To borrow: Democrats are a wing of the One Party.
Elected reps read and track their calls and letters.
Take action, however small.
One voice is joined by millions.
This sister gets it. Milton not so much…
As someone who didn’t vote for Trump, I have far more credibility than those of you who, like Trump and the entire Republican party, insisted that Hillary Clinton was a crook.
I expect activism and intelligence, you display nihilism and ignorance; I listen and respond to people’s words and ideas rather than insisting my words and ideas are the only valid ones; I believe in the ultimate decency of people while you argue for an ideology that disempowers and trivializes people.
If you don’t believe in a free press, in democracy, in the possibility of a better world or in anything hopeful at all, then what the fuck are you doing here posturing day after day as if you think what you say matters?
This is what I mean by a “boutique” ideology. You and many others here wear your politics as a fashion statement. When things go wrong, you can stand back and pretend your nihilism proved prescient. You’re safe in your cocoon of popular fashion.
Like Trump and many who voted for him, you can insist that the whole system is rigged. It’s a convenient attitude in totalitarian states. You don’t risk anything — after all, your own life is more important than those poor schlubs being arrested, killed or thrown into concentration cages simply because they’re of the wrong complexion. But why should it matter to you — and those in your fashionista circle — you’re not in any immediate danger?
Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump ,,, exactly the same.
And you have the gall to point this out under an article about an explicit advocate for torture named by another explicit advocate for torture to a position of immense and unaccountable power.
You should be ashamed of your ignorance and apathy, and especially ashamed for your country. Yet you want to pretend you’re with the millions of people protesting Trump? But that’s just bullshit. Idle, fashionista childish bullshit.
I’ll prove it with a tiny thought experiment.
Had Clinton won the election, would there have been an anti-Clinton demonstration — much less one involving millions of people across the world?
If the parties and candidates were exactly the same, then of course. What difference would it make demonstrating against Donald Clinton or Hillary Trump? They’re equally vile.
But everyone knows — even the lying sack of shit in the WH — these demonstrations would never have occurred had Clinton won.
Don’t you dare impose your ignorance and apathy on me.
“Had Clinton won the election, would there have been an anti-Clinton demonstration”
No, but it would have been appropriate. Her true believers are just as bit as ignorant as Trump’s and the TeaTards. EVERY. BIT. Except, they could see through her, but not Trump, and the Dems could see through Trump, but not Clinton. Both BLIND.
Clinton’s campaign was based on myth, diversion, distraction and outright lies. She is a cheat, liar and criminal. Like Trump. Maybe bigger though.
But as I said, her followers mistakenly believed that she as former First Lady, Senator, SecState is qualified (married, weak opponent, traded her votes for job), experienced (at grifting), and a woman (true, but a very bad one).
Trump publicly spoke his negativities, Clinton is skilled at hiding them. Ask Berta Caceres. Oh, sorry, you can’t, she’s dead, due to Clinton. As are THOUSANDS of women and children, you know, the ones she CARES about, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria. So tell me who is worse.
In short, I’m absolutely correct … but only because those millions of people (and many, many millions more who voted for her) are blind and deceived “true believers”?
For eleven hours last spring, partisan Republicans were allowed to ask any question they wished of her under oath, demand any document on earth they could imagine and badger her in any way they chose for eleven hours on national television and yet they could not dispel the “myth,” cut through the “diversion,” focus on the issues despite the “distraction,” and remain silent about her outright lies????
Do you truly believe this Republican nonsense?
If so, you’re either a “true believer” or an ignorant fool hornswoggled by the Republican slime machine.
So let’s give you a quick test. We’ll see if you’re a Republican operative or just an idiot.
1. Did Hillary and Bill Clinton invent a real estate scam called Whitewater?
2, Did Hillary and Bill Clinton murder Vince Foster?
3. Did Hillary and Bill Clinton organize and direct a drug smuggling operation at the Mena airport in the 1980s?
4. Is the current refugee crisis in Europe a result of Hillary Clinton ordering Mommar Gadaffi to be killed by sodomy?
5. Did the FBI (Comey) lie when he said there wasn’t sufficient evidence to prosecute Hillary Clinton?
6. Given, as you say, her lying, her cheating, and her criminality do you think she should be charged with a crime? If so, exactly what crime? (Remember, an antagonistic FBI director refused to bring criminal charges for anything.
So go ahead. Spew your Republican slime. See if it makes any sense whatsoever to reasonable people. See if you can make sense of it yourself.
For as long as I can remember, neither the democrats nor the republicans could articulate a set of meaningful principles to which they universally adhere. Meaningful in the sense of having policy implications, not for example being in favor of Mom and apple pie. Their platforms are a joke, PR documents that most people do not even bother to read any more, which are unrelated to the actual functioning of the parties.
In a rational system, all parties would convene and agree on platforms, to which all candidates would pledge support. That is the way things happen in many multi-party democracies. As far as the two branches of the Party are concerned, that is impractical here because in essence both branches’ platforms would be identical: pledging loyalty to their major donors.
The Republicans stacked the Supreme court with Citizen United ideologues. The CU displayed exactly the same partisan divide as all the rest of the Scalia court from Bush v Gore to Selby County v Holder.
CU forced Democrats to play their game of “win by wealth.”
If you don’t like this system of “win by wealth” then you should vote for the people who explicitly want to destroy it rather than the people who brought this monster Citizens United to life.
I don’t understand why this is such a difficult issue:
Can you spot any difference at all between these two headlines in mainstream press? (Google them.)
and
I doubt you’ll see any initiative for repeal from Trump. It’s too good of a con.
Republicans get to enrich themselves while blaming Democrats for the very rules the Republicans established to enrich themselves.
It’s ingenious if you think about it. Evil, too.
I don’t know why so many people keep getting fooled by this two card monte scam.
But I read these responses and I’m disheartened.
Maybe you’re right, though I’d distinguish between the goofy junior-high-popularity-contest dynamics of seeking office and subsequent governance (i.e., advise and consent). With respect to the latter: Sure, the winner is entitle to his crew. But when there’s evidence that a nominee for high office is squishy at best on compliance with the law, it should be only his brain-dead cheerleaders fellating him who say “aye”. With these votes, Democrats yet again show an addiction to self-inflicted head-wounds, all the while wondering, I’m sure, why the they-re-all-the-same refrain keeps echoing. And, yes, both of my senators will be asked what they were thinking with their implicit defense of the execrable.
That’s sure to get results . . . more sternly worded e-mails.
Others say…you.
Some say…Bill O’Reilly.
It means to be a member of a political party that if it were a car, would be driven by Mr. MaGoo.
After much research, I believe the closest synonym for a Democrat is a Republican.
Make no mistake. The destiny of MAGA is now in free fall to bottom of the shameless abyss. To those rubes who voted to leap over the cliff.. enjoy your moment while you have it. History will note the look on your face as your Master disembowels your life.
Hey general ,, the reason the clown won is the DNC insisted on running HRC .
Partly. The other reason the clown won is this country is still using a system designed for stone age Presidential elections. Which btw, was put in place exactly so posterchilds of Narcissistic Sociopaths-R-Us would be purged. Unfortunately, the Founders had no idea of the depth of political party tribal instincts, nor the emergence of the USA as the Dumbest Country on the Planet.
Meanwhile, notwithstanding Piketty’s warning, the .001% are getting real nervous, as they know the repercussions of this event will eventually cause a breakdown of biblical proportions. Unfortunately, they don’t know the date, but they do know they only have 48hrs max to escape once it happens. However, they still haven’t figured out the solution to a massive EMP. ..because there isn’t one.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/30/doomsday-prep-for-the-super-rich
The USA was destined to fail miserably from its inception, created, as it was, by owners of slaves.
The Abraham based religions have a similar bad history, as it is based on a God who, in the Story of Noah, was the world’s first & most prolific mass murderer. It makes devout followers on a par with the followers of Osama Bin Laden.
This vote seems reasonable, as Mr. Pompeo and the CIA seem to be a good fit for one another. It’s not as if the CIA is a bastion of virtue that Mr. Pompeo will corrupt with his unseemly lust for torture. The CIA understands that in many instances, just the threat of torture is sufficient to encourage cooperation. In any case, it is just one of the tools in the tool bag, but receives outsize attention because torture is such a popular preoccupation.
It is true that many Democrats like to strike a virtuous pose on the subject of torture, but they’re only playing a part in a political play and shouldn’t be too harshly criticized. More disturbing to many is that bi-partisanship is being expressed in such an overt manner. But I think it’s more likely these 14 Senators had suppressed their true nature for so long under Mr. Obama’s administration that they absolutely needed an outlet to express their love of torture and so broke the carefully nurtured fiction that there are real differences between the two parties.
quote”But I think it’s more likely these 14 Senators had suppressed their true nature for so long under Mr. Obama’s administration that they absolutely needed an outlet to express their love of torture and so broke the carefully nurtured fiction that there are real differences between the two parties.”
Says one who’s adopted the nom ‘ de plume of one of history’s most bloodthirsty torturers. Speaking of true nature, I’m sure each of these 14 Democrats will appreciate your letter of approval.
btw schmuck, your masquerade of satire is drenched in the blood of those innocent humans of history who were unmercifully tortured by sadistic CIA maggots whom you revere. However, your turn is coming. Just like your namesake. I only hope I witness it.
ps.
quote”It is true that many Democrats like to strike a virtuous pose on the subject of torture, but they’re only playing a part in a political play and shouldn’t be too harshly criticized.”unquote
Political play. Shouldn’t be too harshly criticized right. In my universe these depraved sonsabitches would already be hanged upside down , while burning alive.. just like the real Benito Mussolini.
Speaking of nom ‘ de plumes ,,, what’s with the generalwarrant?
I could be wrong on this but on this occasion BM’s satire may simply be a little too subtle. I doubt strongly that he is any less scornful of the CIA than most others here.
That’s what makes his satire so good, and the clueless reactions some have, as well.
Stay subtle, my friends.
… should have been a clue for even the most hurried of readers.
duuuuhhhhhh…
. . . “But I think it’s more likely these 14 Senators had suppressed their true nature for so long under Mr. Obama’s administration that they absolutely needed an outlet to express their love of torture and so broke the carefully nurtured fiction that there are real differences between the two parties.”. .
Actually not in all cases, Duce. Warner and Feinstein have long been on the Senate Intel committee, and revealed their true character in the wake of the Snowden revelations. Then there is Kaine: I sent him an e-mail at the time demanding that he support the efforts of senators Wyden and Udall. His response was one of complete support for the contrary. [I kept that letter; it is one of the multitude of reasons why I chose not to vote for Clinton-Kaine, and it’s part of reason #2 why I will not vote for any democrats in 2018 or 2020.]
I guess if you’re a politician, you don’t want to piss off the future CIA director.
Do these democrats remember the vote on Merrick Garland?
They seem to forget that rolling over for massage by Republicans is like asking Edward Scissorhands to scratch you back.
It never ends well.
Yet here we are.
Again.
Now enjoying all the good things CrookdClintO did not allow SenSanders to run and get elected. THANK YOU!!!
It is sad – that these people with the best of intentions do not see what they are doing. This is a threat to our democracy. After 200 years of a safe democracy we will collect information on every citizen – to ensure we can control what they do and think. FREEDOM is a thought – they will put under a microscope – which does not protect the country. Beat the slaves harder – they will work harder….they will read what they are told to read…they will learn what they are taught to learn….
They will work – how and when they are told to work…. A completely controlled society -NO DESCENT IS ALLOWED – IT WILL BE RECORDED…deviation is punishable – – – a mind it a terrible thing to waste – it will not be allowed. . . . . HEIL
“best of intentions”?
You sure of that?
Umm. . . OT, but I missed this until just now:
Sheesh.
Sounds like something Clinton could have come up with.
WaPo: Progressives launch ‘Justice Democrats’ to counter party’s ‘corporate’ legislators
uh huh. Trump said he was going to dump TPP on day one and so he did. After having to dismiss the dems for what they did to bernie, after hillary’s revealing emails and objections about the transparency, after the back and forth with the f…b…i… and that tarmac meeting, and after finding out she arranged for the conflict in syria and overthrow in honduras, etcetera…. i just dont trust’m. This justice dems is probably just a trick or schemy insincere device for votes to screw us over, again. Betrayal is not something you can just dismiss with some other bait.
If you prefer Donald Trump and/or the GOP over working on Cenk’s project you are deeply misguided. Rejecting both would be one thing, but not opting for the former over the latter.
of course not
but i remember how msnbc tossed him off
and ed, and keith, and joy, and others
i sooner believe that the dems are trying to hitch their wagon to the better efforts of a 3rd party and will sabotage those efforts as they did Bernie.
i really want a 3rd party win in 2018 and 2020
and i suspect the dems have swallowed too much corporat wallstreet poison to be of any serious net plus.
Here is how stupid the candidates for DNC chair are:
https://news.grabien.com/story-dnc-chair-candidates-bash-white-people-racially-charged-foru
Bashing “white people”….yeah, right… Way to fix the undemocratic mess the DNC created by propping up the most corrupt candidate in American history and destroying the one candidate who had a good chance of beating Trump.
I hope the arrogant DNC leadership picks a real twerp (like the stoopit white woman from Idaho) to lead the party.
If Trump makes any decent progress in the next two years and isn’t sabotaged either by others or his own ego, I hope the mid-terms are the coup de grace of the Democrat Party.
Grabien…ha ha ha ha Ha Ha HA HA HA…
Ah , The Lesser of Two Evils Gambit “
So down to Rejection of the two party system ,, Eh ?
What next ,,, VOTING IS A FRAUD ????
Look babes ,, it’s all over but the crying . And it’s been over since 1947 .That’s when the Missouri Democrat , Harry S. Truman , legitimized the CIA !!!
It’s hard to believe that they’d sabotage themselves so thoughtlessly so often. I mean, I like independent thinkers, but at some point group dynamics here demands collective actions, eh?
Well, they (senators), collectively acted to confirm Pompeo. As per usual, you can be pretty sure that the Democrats who voted for him had reasons based upon individual interest and careerism and that it had been worked out with the leadership in advance.
I know you all get tired of my saying it, but: One Party, two right wings.
I’ll never tire of it. The expression should go viral. If it had, the ‘women’s march’ might have been a useful start of something.
The women’s March is a start, Gert. Quit sitting on your hands and organize. Make it happen instead of bitching about it.
Whores will be whores.
And Demopublicans will be in bed with Republicrats. Shocking, I know.
To purloin a couple of book titles, it’s “A Parliament of Whores” and “A Confederacy of Dunces.”
I dislike comparing politicians to whores. I have more in common with a person trying to make a living, a person who sells her body rather than her soul.
Rather, I think of politicians as dogs. They are eager to please, come when called, rarely bite the hand that feeds and always ready to return to their own vomit.
Grab your puke pails as a #StillwithHer reacts to the above story:
Gawd.
#CluelessAndProud
Heh, Joan Walsh. She’s Queen Hillary’s “groom of the stool.” And if you don’t know what that medieval job was, check it out:
Per Wikipedia: “The Groom of the Stool (formally styled: “Groom of the King’s Close Stool”) was the most intimate of an English monarch’s courtiers, responsible for assisting the king in the performance of the bodily functions of excretion and ablution.”
Her Majesty’s ass-wiper, in other words.
i have always paid attention to the water and plumbing issues in history and am still amazed that nobody ever mentions soap. Historians will tell you that it was a smelly world not so long ago. I cannot imagine having to live without soap.
Walsh is such a moronic dipshit. She’s f**king clueless.
Whoever’s in or out, the Deep State will always have enough willing puppets on both “sides” to get the results they need. It strongly resembles a charade! — Maisie
Indeed. Greenwald wrote about this back in 2010:
The Democratic Party’s deceitful game
https://www.salon.com/2010/02/23/democrats_34/
At this point, I doubt they even care anymore about the optics enough to go through the motions of Villain Rotation.
Ha! I see TallyHoGazehound beat me to this below.
It was a memorable post.
I’ll vote for Democrats again when they act like Democrats again.
The ones in Congress now are just Republicans in Democratic clothing.
I wonder who is running against DiFi next year.
Chuck Schumer is as strong a liberal as he is a strong corporatist, as unprincipled as he is principled.
How do people do that? .
I think Mitch is trying to get Joe Manchin to become #53. Or maybe it’s Pence – as JM is a god-fearing man, also.
She comes up in 2018. California has an open primary system, so if there’s a progressive Democrat running against her it could go to November with a Dem-on-Dem race. That’s how Kamala Harris defeated Rep. Loretta Sanchez in 2016.
Whoever’s in or out, the Deep State will always have enough willing puppets on both “sides” to get the results they need. It strongly resembles a charade!
It was Dianne Feinstein who released the report on the CIA’s torture, for crying out loud. But of course in this Torture Report she declined to suggest any legal action be taken against the abusers or the architects of the program. And now of course Obama has hidden the full version of the report somewhere in a White House closet or something.
Perhaps this will convince people that the Deep State controls both Parties with regard to the all-important, comprehensive and bipartisan corruptions of militarism, corporatism, imperialism and institutionalized oppression – the corruptions which more than any others actually preserve the inequality and moral/planetary ruin of the status quo.
Who am I kidding. People are generally going to ignore that obvious fact, as they always do. People are going to stick to tribalism, or apathy, even if the facts are more obvious than Feinstein’s silly wig!
“..Diane Banker, buttlicker, Margaret Thatcher Feinstein…the Dragon Lady with No fucking heart.”
Surprise, surprise.
Pompeo “has portrayed the War on Terror as a conflict between Islam and Christianity”
So does that mean that the CIA will stop working with Saudi Arabia for regime change in Syria and everywhere else in the Middle East.
Or maybe the war talk about Islam is an influence policy to help the Saudis encourage jihad where ever directed, kind of like in WW1
Pompeo of the desert?
Pompeo Magnus, one of the First Triumvirate, none of whom came to a good end.
Or maybe the eruption of Pompeo in 79 AD. Sad!
AKA Pompey. Marullus’ speech from Julius Caesar, Act I Scene1 will now replay in my head for hours, maybe days.
;^)
Pompey and Circumstance?
You’re beautiful people :-)
Oh, they’ll ignore the brutal Salafist, Wahhabi Islam as practised by our allies, and will probably keep selling them arms and working with them and Israel to overwhelm the Middle East with various agendas and ensuing chaos. When they imply Islam as a general danger they mean largely the ‘other’ Islams of Iran (mostly Shia) and Syria (a mix) that contribute nothing to the West’s Full Spectrum Dominance. And this in spite of the fact that ISIS and al qaeda are actually Wahhabi (just not the kind that revere the House of Saud and its increasing control over the Sunni faith), and have been used occasionally BY the Western alliance.
It’s quite the tangled web, but Zionism and Saudi Arabia will be held as friendly forces as per usual with the new administration. What the Deep State wants, it seems to get.
Of course most media will ignore all these details and simply say Trump is more militaristic than Obama – who left Trump with a paltry 7 wars in predominantly Muslim nations and a destroyed Libya. When people say “Islam” ask them “what kind?” and look at the blank expression on their faces. This is the successful dumbing-down of America in action.
^^^^^Yes.^^^^^
I get what you’re saying as a statement for how things are here but I don’t know why Saudi Arabia as an ally would be tolerant of it being advertised in a way that would be considered quite an insult to them if not something they should ultimately feel threatened by especially considering how closely they’ve worked with the CIA
So I think potentially Islam vs Christianity schtick like saying they’re torture friendly, is potentially a strategy to recruit “jihadists” to fight for what America wants and that looks like to put Saudi Arabia in power in Middle Eastern countries that get regime changed – all the while American gov plays the crude religion vs religion, weapons selling role in public, attempting to wash their hands of the entire disaster. The deception is heavy.
Another liar who can’t tell the difference between right and wrong, and with an arrested intellect to boot. Just the man for the top job at the CIA.
Feinstein. Why does that not surprise me?
Schumer, Kaine, some of the other Dems are from blue states and shouldn’t have gone all Vichy on this vote. Democratic party is still listing to starboard far too much.
Well, DiFi and Mike did have that little spat over the 2014 torture report, but they recently kissed and made up, in private.
Keep a close watch on Hubby Richard’s upcoming contracts with the “intelligence community.”
Dianne Feinstein, what a jaded stone cold military-industrial insider with close ties to the University of California’s Livermore Labs nuclear complex. And Heidi Heitkamp, DAPL promoter and Warren Buffett insider. And the rest of them, a load of Democrats posing as Republicans, they all deserve the boot.
You have to give it up to Rand Paul, agree or disagree with his overall politics.
Those damn libertarians, why don’t they fall in line with the Demopublicans and Republicrats?
I have to go check to see how much overlap there is between this list of senators and those who voted against Sanders/Klobuchar amendment to allow importing cheaper pharmaceuticals from Canada. On the alert for Greenwald’s rotating villains tactic.
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170121/09585636532/cia-slightly-scales-back-domestic-surveillance-powers-first-major-policy-update-over-30-years.shtml
Failing “crucial tests”, moral or legal in the context of mass warrantless surveillance or torture, and failing to ever provide a “unified front” to “defend human rights” unless it involves bombing some poor brown people somewhere on the other side of the globe, “humanitarianly” of course, is what the Democratic party does.
It is a failure of a party because it stands for nothing consistently except the re-election prospects of its incumbents.
Schumer, Feinstein, Kaine, Manchin all are a good place to start cleaning house when they were up for re-election. Not that the other tepid Dems in red states are much better when it comes to the MICC/Intelligence agencies, I just think it works better to chop the head off the snake to send a message.
And yeah I could care less if any of those people lose their next re-election bids and the Dems sink further into the minority column. They need to be taught to stand for something consistently or they shouldn’t expect any consistent progressive/liberal/left support.
Build for the future the right way, or fuck off is what I say. And that means starting by not giving an inch and showing a little party discipline on someone like that fucking hyper-conservative asshat Pompeo.
Why Whitehouse voted for this clown is beyond me. I expect nothing better from the rest, and Hassan is new so I’m going to cut her some one time slack.
Centrist Democrats can suck it and I hope they enjoy being figureheads with a lifetime sinecure, but they shouldn’t expect to ever regain power as far as I’m concerned.
“The man who speaketh the truthest taketh the mosteth risketh”
– Anza de Fono
Amy Klobuchar has me scratching my head. I don’t get her assent for Pompeo at all.
The CIA is prohibited by Executive Order from conducting electronic surveillance inside the United States.
bullcrap!
https://theintercept.com/2017/01/13/obama-opens-nsas-vast-trove-of-warrantless-data-to-entire-intelligence-community-just-in-time-for-trump/
the US gov is completely mad.
did not Adolf also have go-alongers?
does not Netanyahu also have go-alongers?
Obama has been silenced.
That or he supports the decision of his compatriots.
It’s good to have representation that knows what’s good for you.
WIthout dumb&dumbers running the US gov, too few problems to solve.
Says the guy who supported Trump. Too funny barb.
not to worry
russian trump make friend do good make world peace then russia object to israel and israel become afraid of russia and tell US to hate russia for israel fear of russia you know
Whore Hillary not win but try but murder of SETH RICH not solve problem of Hillary the wallstreet 2-faced whore who lose election big time you know. Trump will fix things make good make peace with russia.
Face it sucker, your guy appointed these guys. None of your misdirection changes that.
Now tell us again how zionists killed Jesus. And see if anyone believes you are anti zionist and not anti Jewish.
how is murdering Palestinians for land not genocide?
There’s no awful situation that a Clintonista can’t make worse.
both parties love torture.
The Torture, Surveillance and Dirty Tricks State of America has been bipartisan for a very long time. It has been our core, consistent foreign policy posture since, at least, the early post-war period.
No one should be the least bit surprised.
It appears to me sometimes that the US wants to repeat a 1,000 years of European history but condensed in less than 250 years. Nothing particularly ‘exceptional’ or ‘enlightentend’ about that…
‘enlightened’, of course. My bad.
So, if our current Global War on Terror is analogous to, say, the Hundred Years War, we only have about ten more years to go? Well, that’s a relief. ;^(
Yeah, 10 more years of the War of Terror is nothing to look forward to!
Is ten more years of Terror not worth it? Keeping the lights on and the Vroomvrooms going? You ingrate!
This was a clear chance for Democrats to set themselves apart… and they chose to set themselves up as complicit collaborators in criminality and right wing extremism.
They are not only voting against our Constitution and laws, but against the party platform and the voters who got them elected and were not supporting them to enable a return to Bush era travesties.
#I’mwithHimDemocrats
Fuck the Democrats. Why Bernie Sanders and others who are anti-corporatist, and anti-imperialist and for human rights for all are wasting their time, energy and money still wanting to join or reform that party is beyond me. Well they are well on their way to making sure they lose the mid-terms and the next race in 4 years. As Jill Stein said “you can’t have revolution in a counter-revolutionary party”. Shameful, shameful the Democrats are
Agreed. And my kudos to Sen. Rand Paul for not losing integrity.
Reason #2 why I will not be voting for any democrats in 2018 or 2020. Supporters of the Party’s other candidate should note that their VP candidate was among those who supported Trump’s choice.
INDEPENDENT 2018 and 2020
got to be that way
just because