Rinse and repeat

Melissa McEwan of Shakesville noted back in July that the nasty guy tweeted that Russia is interfering in the midterm elections to the benefit of Democrats. Yeah, we know how much he cares about the truth. However, the claim made now is a way to “prove” that the midterm elections will be illegitimate. A couple weeks ago the nasty guy was at the United Nations and claimed that China is also interfering in our elections to benefit the Democrats. No evidence is offered, but many news outlets will repeat his claim without vetting it. McEwan explains:

It may even now seem implausible that Trump would or could reject out of hand the results of the midterm elections.

But electoral challenges end up before the Supreme Court, which, you may have heard, he's currently in the process of stacking with flunkies who will reflexively rule in his favor.

So this is no joke. This is a(nother) constitutional crisis in the making, care of our authoritarian president.

McEwan discusses a new policy from the State Department. Diplomats, both American and those coming to America, who are in same-sex relationships must be married to get family benefits and, for partners of those coming here, to get a diplomatic visa.

For a while the auto industry (where I used to work) offered domestic partner benefits. Those ended when same-sex marriage became legal. Want benefits? You can now marry in the same way your heterosexual colleagues can.

So same deal here, right? Diplomats coming here can get married here. No problem!

Big problem. That marriage is likely not recognized in their home country. Only 12% of United Nations countries recognize same-sex marriage. And in a great many other countries (I think I heard over 70%) homosexuality is still a crime and sometimes punished by death.

McEwan adds the nasty guy would be totally uninterested in this sort of policy. It has the “filthy, homophobic fingerprints” of the vice nasty guy all over it.



You may have heard that Canada, Mexico, and America signed a deal for an update of NAFTA, the North America Free Trade Act (except we can’t call it that anymore). This is McEwan’s take on it:

It's a truly remarkable encapsulation of Trump's presidency: He invented a crisis, centered it within a network of lies, screamed endlessly about it, made impossible promises to his base, threw international agreements into chaos, risked our global alliances, struck a deal that was barely significant except that it's worse, rebranded the policy, then bragged that it was the greatest thing that's ever happened.

Rinse and repeat.

In 2014 the National Rifle Association spent $16 on the election. In 2016 it was $31 million on just the presidential campaign.

In 2018 it is $1.6 million.

Why such the huge drop?

They were condemned as the force behind lax gun laws that played a part in the Parkland and Las Vegas mass shootings. They’re also under investigation as the recipient of foreign, especially Russian, money, as well as the general question of where did that $31 million come from. And a Russian gun advocate cozied up to the NRA leadership and is now accused of being a spy.

Their money is drying up. Which is good news.