Uh Oh, Trump lied about his plan to defeat ISIS too....

For the last year Trump has bragged about his secret plan to defeat ISIS. He gave details of that secret plan in front of rowdy crowds of supporters, not realizing ISIS was listening, but oh well...

Trump: "I'd bomb the shit out of 'em. I would just bomb those suckers."

THIS JUST IN... Trump's gotta plan to defeat ISIS again, meaning he didn't really have a plan before. Well, it's not exactly his plan this time either, but he will demand that his "top generals" come up with a plan within 30 days, because that's how you fight wars - on deadline. See, it's that easy:

Donald Trump ... will ask his top military officials to formulate a plan for defeating ISIS within his first 30 days in office.

“We are going to convey my top generals and give them a simple instruction. They will have 30 days to submit to the oval office a plan for soundly and quickly defeating ISIS. We have no choice."

Huh, what..."We have no choice?" Anyway...Trump lied about having a plan, because clearly he hasn't asked his "top generals" yet.

And Trump's plan to deter world conflicts? Spend, spend, spend on the military because heaven knows we don't need it help our own country:

"We want to deter, avoid and prevent conflict through our unquestioned military strength."

Instilling Confidence? I don't Think So: For a party that bashed Obama for his lack of experience despite years in politics and community organizing, Republicans are okay with a novice and complete corporate egomaniac, learning on the fly:

Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, (said), "I do believe that Donald Trump is growing in his understanding of these issues and I think that he's beginning to get more and more people around him that have a depth of understanding as to the complexities and I'm watching this evolve. We'll all make our assessments.".

I think Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake said it best about his party's candidate for president:

"What Trump has been willing to do is say terrible things about women, mock the disabled, disparage minorities, impugn the character of POWs, and go after the Gold Star parents of a fallen U.S. soldier."

Crooked Trump/Bondi Pay Off Hits the Fan....

Just a short recap, before getting into the latest paid to play revelation. This isn't just gotcha politics, it's caughtcha politics. He's so crooked:

This latest revelation (below) adds to the “pay-to-play” rumors swirling around Trump’s foundation’s Sept. 2013 donation to a political committee backing Bondi’s reelection. The gift, which Bondi personally solicited, was granted just four days after she announced that she might join the New York state attorney general’s fraud probe into the now-defunct Trump University. She ultimately declined to pursue the investigation, though Florida residents had complained about being scammed by Trump’s real estate programs since 2011, two years before Bondi took office.

Q: So what were you hoping to get out of that donation?

Trump: I’ve just known Pam Bondi for years. I have a lot of respect for her. Never spoke to her about that at all. And just have a lot of respect for her as a person. And she has done an amazing job as attorney general of Florida. She is very popular.

Trump went on to say that he “never spoke to [Bondi]” about the donation. This appears to be contradicted by a statement from a Bondi aide named Marc Reichelderfer. The Associated Press reported in June that, according to Reichelderfer, Trump made the donation after receiving a personal phone call from Bondi.

Here are a few of Trump's tell-it-like-it-is admissions about donating campaign money:

-I’ve given to Hillary, I’ve given to everybody. Because that was my job. I got to give to them. Because when I want something I get it. When I call, they kiss my ass. It’s true. They kiss my ass.

-I will tell you that our system is broken. I gave to many people. Before this, before two months ago, I was a businessman. I give to everybody. When they call, I give. And you know what? When I need something from them, two years later, three years later, I call them. They are there for me. And that’s a broken system.

-These are not people that are doing it because they like the color of his hair, believe me. These are highly sophisticated killers. And when they give $5 million or $2 million or a $1 million to Jeb, they have him just like a puppet. They’ll do whatever they want. He is their puppet. Believe me.

 LATEST: Coincidence? Well, here's another coincidence....TPM:

Donald Trump not only donated $25,000 to the Florida attorney general weighing whether to investigate Trump University, but held a lavish fundraiser for her at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, according to a Huffington Post report … and he charged the Florida GOP just $4,855.65 for use of the resort. He has charged his own presidential campaign $140,000 to host events at Mar-a-Lago.

Whoa. Can you say "thank you" in any bigger way than that? Plus, you might have also noticed how Trump is making money from his own campaign spending...that's so presidential.

Total donations from the Trumps to Bondi’s re-election efforts include the $25,000 gift from his foundation, $500 checks to her campaign from both Ivanka and Donald Trump in the fall of 2013, and, in the spring of 2014, a total of $125,000 from Ivanka and Donald Trump to the Florida GOP, which was Bondi’s primary source of campaign funds.

Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell both offered this coverage:

Republican shakedown UW, demand Conservative Speakers in exchange for Funding!!!

It’s budget time again, and Republicans are gearing up to extort the UW system again. But really, this is friggin over the top:

Now that's what I call BIG GOVERNMENT Republican meddling. 

Yes, the super majority Republicans and governor are worried that there aren’t enough young malleable minds receiving their specific kind of indoctrination. It's simple too; use a few “trigger” words that set off the wondering conservative mind; Black lives Matter, I hate Scott Walker, Food Stamps, Tax Cuts, Big Government, Climate Change…etc. and your done converting the few low information voters in the class caught drooling.

One problem, and it's well documented, paranoid conservative speakers require heavy security that most colleges just can't afford to provide. They fear being questioned. 

But that won't stop Rep. Robin Vos from inserting government bureaucracy into the funding formula for the UW System. Can you say extortion?

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is calling on the UW System to invite more conservative guest speakers to its campuses. Vos' remarks come as another contentious state budget debate looms in 2017, which again could put UW System funding on the chopping block. 

For Robin Vos, free speech means forcing certain conservative speakers on campus...wait, I'm sorry, "extorting" is a even a better word: 

In an op-ed for the website Right Wisconsin titled "A Free Speech Challenge to the UW System," Vos praises the UW Board of Regents for passing a resolution affirming "its commitment to the principle of freedom of expression." But a look at who is invited speak on UW campuses contradicts the system's call for protecting diverse viewpoints, Vos said ... conservatives are "noticeably absent" from a list of top-paid recent guest speakers at UW campuses.

But who the hell is Vos to make this call, in a blatant effort to stuff UW money into the pockets of a few "top-paid" national speakers begging for a handout at the Capitol.

"Perhaps what could be most worrisome about going to college these days is the plague of political correctness that creates an environment that ends up stifling free speech," Vos wrote. "I challenge the UW System this school year to find more ways, beyond a two-page policy statement, to ensure that all perspectives, including conservative ones, are present in the classroom." Vos said his office obtained records on speakers at four-year UW System schools in 2015 who were paid with taxpayer dollars.

Vos isn't the only one guiding the academic and social direction of our state university, remember Sen. Steve Nass:

Sen. Steve Nass says a new diversity outreach program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is "sinister" …  "they never lack money for advancing new and more sinister ways of liberal indoctrination of students."

This is only the beginning, just wait till we find out what strings Scott Walker has attached to his results based funding idea:

The process of crafting the next state budget ramps up next week when state agencies submit their budget requests to Gov. Scott Walker. The UW system, which sustained a $250 million funding cut in the 2015-17 state budget, this time is asking Walker and lawmakers for a $42.5 million funding increase in the next budget.

Private College ITT closes 130 campuses, stranding 35,000 students because it mislead students about "quality" programs, and pushing students into risky loans. Damn government regulation.

With the push for educational savings accounts to pay for private K-12 schools, you'd think people would be more wary about this whole scheme after seeing overnight closings and mismanagement every week in the headlines.

Well take a good look at a similar private system in higher education if you want to see how this privatization model will play out. It's an idea owned lock, stock and barrel by the Republican Party (ALEC). The party of "ideas" has a private bridge to sell you...and the taxpayers will be on the hook:

AP: The for-profit college chain ITT Technical Institute is shutting down all 130 of its U.S. campuses, (stranding) 35,000 students, saying Tuesday it can't survive recent sanctions by the U.S. Department of Education.

You'd think they would have been considerate enough not to waited until school started?

ITT Educational Services announced that campuses won't open for the fall term that was scheduled to begin Sept. 12, leaving students scrambling for last-minute options since many U.S. colleges already have started fall classes. ITT also cut more than 8,000 jobs immediately.

Ouch, damn big government bureaucracy's red tape and burdensome regulations...or not:

The chain was banned Aug. 25 from enrolling new students who used federal financial aid, because the company had become a risk to students and taxpayers. The department also ordered ITT to pay $152 million within 30 days to help cover student refunds and other liabilities if the chain closed.

Why not leave these private schools alone for gods sake, you know, the free market?

Days before those sanctions were announced, ITT's accreditor reported the chain had failed to meet several basic standards … It had also been investigated by state and federal authorities who accused ITT of pushing students into risky loans and of misleading students about the quality of programs.

Acting surprised after all the investigations and warnings, the CEO whined of course about the very regulation that caught him:

ITT Educational Services CEO Kevin Modany told reporters ITT was the victim of a "regulatory assault" and never had the chance to defend itself. Modany added ITT had offered to "wind down" its operations gradually … Department Undersecretary Ted Mitchell however said ITT never made a formal proposal.

Republicans love the old saying, buyer beware, because someone makes a lot money, and someone like everyday Americans, will lose a lot of money. Misleading school advertising and no accountability fostered all this. That's capitalism, and that's coming your way with private K-12: 

Under President Barack Obama, the Education Department has led a crackdown on for-profit colleges that have misled students or failed to deliver the results they promise. The now-defunct Corinthian College chain agreed to sell or close more than 90 U.S. colleges in 2014 amid a fraud investigation over advertising practices. The department is also deciding whether to cut ties with the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, the group that accredited ITT and Corinthian.

The private school horror is affecting ITT students and instructors right here in Madison. WISC:

Ryan the "Pot," calling the Kettle Black!!!

Really, after all of the document dumps we've seen under Scott Walker and every other politician looking to con the voters, Paul Ryan is angry the FBI did a doc dumb on Hillary Clinton's emails. Gee, and there was so much there...might as well complain anyway:

Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday morning blasted the FBI for releasing documents from its probe of Hillary Clinton’s email arrangement just as people were skipping town for a long Labor Day weekend last Friday ... 

Aw, poor baby, that's never happened before. 

On WRJN Wisconsin radio, host Glenn Klein suggested the FBI has become “an arm of the Clinton campaign.” Ryan concurred with his outrage.

“Yeah… I can’t believe that they would do what is such a patently political move. It makes them look like political operatives instead of law enforcement officers.”

Liar Trump's Bribery Scandal over Florida AG's called off investigation into Trump U.

Can you say really corrupt? Wow, for a guy trying to pan for gold in the Hillary emails that still haven't turned up anything, this isn't just gotcha politics, it's caughtcha politics:

Q: So what were you hoping to get out of that donation?

Trump: I’ve just known Pam Bondi for years. I have a lot of respect for her. Never spoke to her about that at all. And just have a lot of respect for her as a person. And she has done an amazing job as attorney general of Florida. She is very popular.

Trump went on to say that he “never spoke to [Bondi]” about the donation. This appears to be contradicted by a statement from a Bondi aide named Marc Reichelderfer. The Associated Press reported in June that, according to Reichelderfer, Trump made the donation after receiving a personal phone call from Bondi.

Trump’s sudden change in perspective is convenient in light of the controversy surrounding the Trump Foundation’s illegal donation. Convenient, but not particularly convincing.

Let's take a look at Trump's open admission campaign money pays for favors...like dropping the Trump University investigation of scamming students. Here's a short history:

I’ve given to Hillary, I’ve given to everybody. Because that was my job. I got to give to them. Because when I want something I get it. When I call, they kiss my ass. It’s true. They kiss my ass.

_____________________________________________

I will tell you that our system is broken. I gave to many people. Before this, before two months ago, I was a businessman. I give to everybody. When they call, I give. And you know what? When I need something from them, two years later, three years later, I call them. They are there for me. And that’s a broken system.

_____________________________________________

These are not people that are doing it because they like the color of his hair, believe me. These are highly sophisticated killers. And when they give $5 million or $2 million or a $1 million to Jeb, they have him just like a puppet. They’ll do whatever they want. He is their puppet. Believe me.

Veteran's at King fooled again...when WDVA's Scocos got his job back, thanks to Scott Walker.

Scott Walker isn't about to come to the rescue, or be rightly critical of the veterans home in King, since he intentionally hired the guy who mismanaged the department the first time around out of political spite.

In a shocking display of outright denial, missed irony, and out of control projection, Republican Sec. of Veterans Affairs John Scocos defended his mismanagement of the Veterans Home at King. Let's count the excuses down:

King water okay for Vets, safe to drink.

1. “Cherry picked photographs from a small number of disgruntled individuals and politicians do not tell an accurate story,” wrote Scocos. “WDVA's accomplishments are incontrovertible.”

2. “Over the past several months the Veterans Home at King has been the target of increasing political attacks,”

3. “It is a terrible shame and a reflection of the state of our state politics that some individuals are using our cherished Heroes as political weapons,”

4. Scocos visited the King home, holding a meeting with employees, veterans service groups and some residents … Jim Partridge, 82, a Marine Corps veteran (said) “The people who should have been there didn’t know about it … said that when someone in the audience asked Scocos who talked to a reporter about concerns at King, he said the agency would “eventually find out who did it.” “They are going to find excuses and innocent people are going to get hurt or fired,” he said. Partridge said many residents at King are scared to come forward and voice concerns about their lives there.

The fact that Scocos is high on retribution and playing the blame game, because nothing is ever his fault, Scott Walker saw Scocos as a kindred spirit. So Walker hired Scocos back after he got tossed out in 2009:

Click to enlarge violation of Lead law

Nearly two years after John Scocos, a Republican and U.S. Army Reserve colonel was fired as state veterans secretary, Gov. Scott Walker has reappointed him to his old job.

Let's look at why Scocos was fired back in November of 2009, and why hiring him back was an in your face political decision by Walker; Scocos' management style is amazingly similar to Walker's according to Disabled American Veterans, who laid it out in a press release: 

1. “former Secretary Scocos is an extremely polarizing figure who raises extreme passion in the veterans community.  He is not a unifying force, but a disruptive one with a profound number of enemies.

2. Former Secretary Scocos had 11 years to organize WDVA into a smoothly running professional agency.  Instead he went the other way. He took an organization that performed admirably under his predecessor, Secretary Ray Boland, and planted the seeds of dysfunction and acrimony.

3. He demonstrated no ability to administer, manage or lead.  DAV received reports that he did not coordinate the activities of his department managers in a positive manner, but instead his poor management style pitted them against one another.

4. Scocos wasted valuable time attacking perceived enemies.  Some DAV officials, when making suggestions to better the lives of veterans, felt his wrath instead of his gratitude.

Concealed Carry hasn't made Wisconsin any safer, as promised!!! Oh well, looks like everyone needs a gun now.

Who didn't see this coming?

More homicides were recorded in Milwaukee in August than in any other month over the past 25 years ... total of 24 homicides in August was the highest since July 1991 ... the city’s per capita rate was even higher than that of Chicago.

Chief Edward Flynn (said) police have recorded a slight increase in domestic violence homicides this year “But the biggest driver of our homicides is arguments and fights and retaliation among people with criminal records.

Oh wait, this doesn't count, because it's the city of Milwaukee, "the anchor holding back the ship of state," or so says Republicans Rep. Bob Gannon:

Gannon focused his comments on problems with unemployment and crime ... and said the city is "the anchor holding back the ship of state as far as jobs is concerned ... if only our largest city would clean up the murder and mayhem on their streets ... Could one make a connection between employment opportunities and the level of crime on those same streets? What employer will build or expand when they fear muggings, car jackings, attempted murder, or other serious criminal threats to their employees?"

Republicans under Scott Walker washed their hands of Milwaukee a long time ago, and in fact, have done everything they could to shut down any chance the city had for economic expansion. By adding guns to the American way of life there it's not to surprising that fire arms are now being used to settle all kinds of disputes:

Concealed Carry Killers is an on-line VPC resource that tallies news reports of killings by concealed handgun permit holders ... “It is now commonplace for mass shooters to be licensed to carry concealed handguns. It is clear that the licensing systems are completely ineffective at weeding out applicants who are likely to kill in anger rather than self-defense.

Of the 125 incidents in 28 states that resulted in the 213 deaths, in more than half (71 incidents) the concealed handgun permit holder has already been convicted, committed suicide after the incident, or was killed in the incident. Of the 54 cases still pending, the vast majority (44) of concealed handgun permit holders have been charged with criminal homicide, two were deemed incompetent to stand trial, two incidents were unintentional shootings, and six incidents are still under investigation.

After posting this, I received this typically racist Republican response...what's that, liberals are racist...right:

From a July 2013 post on concealed guns, Mayor Barrett and I saw this coming:

My conservative friend called me and told me how mad he was two concealed carry owners had a very public shootout. He said it makes them all look bad. I told him it’s not just that dangerous shootout, but the now casual way people are using weapons. We've opened a Pandora’s Box.

No one is safe anymore from a supposedly perfectly legal and “responsible” gun owner. Right now, we’re all sitting ducks.

jsonline: Two Milwaukee men — each with a state permit to carry a concealed weapon — traded dozens of shots in a rolling shootout through two sides of town and down a freeway, the kind of scenario concealed-carry opponents feared would turn road rage incidents deadly. Eric Adamany, 27 (one of the shooters) estimated people in the other vehicle fired 50 to 100 rounds at his car. The gunfight is bound to spark more debate over concealed carry.

It didn't. Pointing out the new mindset we’re seeing with gun violence in Milwaukee:

Mayor Tom Barrett said "This has always been one of my concerns (with the concealed-carry law) — that things like road rage could turn out like the wild, wild West," he said. "Here we are."

But hey, actual concealed carry owners would never do that, unless of course only the irresponsible ones do it. That's what gun nut Nik Clark says:

Nik Clark, president of Wisconsin Carry Inc., a gun rights advocacy group, said both Adamany and Scott's actions fell well outside of any kind of responsible gun owner training.

Ya think:

But he also said their irresponsible gun use is outweighed by at least five instances … "The fact that we now have a single instance where a CCL holder may have broken the law doesn't change the reality that concealed carry works," Clark said.

Losers like Nik Clark continue to downplay the significance of this development with contradictory excuses and lies. It wasn't the only case:

In another recent case, a concealed-carry license holder was charged in a shooting … the two men got into a fight after visiting taverns together … told police he fired when he feared Banks was about to attack him again.

CNN sets up "rock bottom expectations" for Trump in Debates.

Greg Sargent's Morning Plum couldn't help but point out how the media appears hypnotized by the Trump phenomenon, a monster they had a hand in creating.

After a few months of what seemed like career ending missteps, seemingly hour after hour, the Incredible Trump was still standing. The ploy is a familiar one used by Republicans everywhere; throw so much shit into the fan, the media just can't keep up trying to cover it all. And since there's no way they can focus long enough on any one topic, a lot of the big ones get away:

Get ready for news organizations to grade Trump’s debate performance on a massive curve.Here is a depressing harbinger of what’s coming, from CNN today:

In front of a vast television audience, the GOP nominee could reshape perceptions of his character and readiness — if he can avoid being drawn into gaffes and personality clashes by Clinton. He will benefit from rock-bottom expectations, given controversies whipped up by his tempestuous personality and the vast gulf in experience between Trump and Clinton.

In other words, if Trump doesn’t try to urinate in Clinton’s direction or manages not to vomit all over his podium, he will have “defied expectations.” So presidential! In saying these types of things, news orgs and commentators never allow that they are the ones who decide whether the supposed defiance of expectations in question actually should lead us to lower the bar for a candidate or otherwise factor in to how we judge his or her performance. It shouldn’t.

There will be a lot of pressure on the news orgs not to play this game, but it’s reasonably possible that we’ll see a lot of it, anyway. This is going to be infuriating, so prepare your medicine of choice right now.

Trump to "assimilate," make immigrants "love us," make people become American, and promote American Pride and Patriotism in our Schools.

The Borg "use a process called assimilation to force other species into the Collective." Boy, that's sound freedom and liberty like, doesn't it? The Borg "symbolized in popular culture any juggernaut against which "resistance is futile." 

Which brings me to the Incredible Trump. Framed the way it only can be framed, MSNBC laid down the marker below, and we have ourselves to blame for not heeding this warning.

In the words of Sinclair Lewis, "When Fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." 

Trump: "We'll be united by our common culture, values and principles, becoming one American nation. One country, under one Constitution, saluting one American flag. And always saluting it."

NJ Republican candidate tells reporter, "Hope. You. Get. Raped. By. A. Syrian. Refugee. :)"

Republicans really think like this...all the time (see picture below). This is the rhetoric I get from numerous blog trolls, hitting on multiple points all at once, pretending they somehow relate.

This directly ties in with a previous post where former reporter Soledad O'Brien accused the media of "normalizing" white supremacy and bigotry. Her comments should stop the news media in its tracks, forcing a change. Yea, like that'll happen:

Mike Krawitz, a New Jersey Republican who is running for a spot on the West Deptford Township Committee this fall, told Daily Beast reporter Olivia Nuzzi on Facebook that he hopes she gets raped by a Syrian refugee.

But that's not all, Krawitz seems to have an unhealthy admiration for...another man, Trump. I think Martin Freeman is an incredible actor, but you won't find one picture of him on my Facebook page, much less a bizarre collage like the one below:

A look at Krawitz’s Facebook page shows that — surprise! — he’s a really big fan of Donald Trump. In fact, his Facebook photos section consists almost exclusively of Trump-related pictures:

Soledad O'Brien on Media unwittingly Normalizing White Supremacy, based on "what seems fair!!!"

Conservatives I've talked to are no longer held back by the appearance of blatant racism anymore, because the right wing has reworded the terminology in a way that makes it an acceptable condition. How many times have you heard conservatives claim, "we're all racists now?" And just like that, it's okay.

Republicans deserve all the credit for successfully selling the American public on the oldest school yard taunt, "I know you are but what am I?"

Until now. I'm hoping Soledad O'Brien's recent comments below ring out, exposing one of the most important issues of the presidential campaign; the media's inability to understand how it is "normalizing white supremacy." Raw Story:

Former CNN host Soledad O’Brien blasted the cable news business for profiting off the hate speech that has fueled Donald Trump’s political rise. According to O’Brien, the media had gone through “contortions to make things seem equal all the time” when comparing Trump to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

“If you look at Hillary Clinton’s speech where she basically pointed out that what Donald Trump has done — actually quite well — has normalized white supremacy. I think she made a very good argument, almost like a lawyer. Here is ways in which he has actually worked to normalize conversations that many people find hateful.

I’ve seen on-air, white supremacists being interviewed because they are Trump delegates. And they do a five minute segment, the first minute or so talking about what they believe as white supremacists. So you have normalized that.

And then Donald Trump will say, ‘Hillary Clinton, she’s a bigot.’ And it’s covered, the journalist part comes in, ‘They trade barbs. He said she’s a bigot and she points out that he might be appealing to racists.’ It only becomes ‘he said, she said.’ When in actuality, the fact that Donald Trump said she’s a bigot without the long laundry list of evidence, which if you looked at Hillary Clinton’s speech, she actually did have a lot of really good factual evidence that we would all agree that are things that have happened and do exist. They are treated as if they are equal.”

Soledad again has to spell out where the problem is:

"That’s where journalists are failing: the contortions to try to make it seem fair.”

Disappearing Unions mean disappearing Wages.

Republicans rule by pure ideological theory, thinking whatever does go wrong can be explained by blaming outside liberal policies. And there will never come a time when Republicans won’t find some way to find, even create, something that sounds horribly liberal.

It works wonders for Republicans; they made failure and hard times a plus that gets them votes. That oddly makes their constituents end up resenting the actual victims of free market GOP policy.

Scott Walker even said the sharp bitter public divide over policy makes us better and stronger. He wasn’t kidding if you're a Republican trolling for votes and a lifetime in office.

Act 10 and right-to-work promises to feed the resentment and detachment people feel over government policy, keeping wages low or lower, all the while helping Republicans stay in power. The fact that wages are stagnant at the same time Republicans brag RTW is actually raising pay is all you need to know about the lack of critical thinking on the right. It's all BS.

The Economic Policy Institute’s latest report: “Union decline lowers wages of nonunion workers: The overlooked reason why wages are stuck and inequality is growing,” tells us what Democrats have been saying all along. "Key findings from our report include the following:"

1. For nonunion private-sector men, weekly wages would be an estimated 5 percent ($52) higher in 2013 if private-sector union density (the share of workers in similar industries and regions who are union members) remained at its 1979 level. For a year-round worker, this translates to an annual wage loss of $2,704. For the 40.2 million nonunion private-sector men the loss is equivalent to $2.1 billion fewer dollars in weekly paychecks, which represents an annual wage loss of $109 billion.

2. For nonunion private-sector men without a bachelor’s degree or more education (non–college graduates), weekly wages would be an estimated 8 percent ($58) higher in 2013 if union density remained at its 1979 levels. For a year-round worker, this translates to an annual wage loss of $3,016. As a benchmark, consider that the wage loss from increased trade with low-wage nations (Bivens 2013) among non–college graduates is estimated to be 5 percent.

3. For nonunion private-sector men with a high school diploma or less education, weekly wages would be an estimated 9 percent ($61) higher if union density remained at its 1979 levels. For a year-round worker, this translates to an annual wage loss of about $3,172.

4. For 32.9 million full-time nonunion women working in the private sector, weekly pay would be a total of $461 million more (and roughly $24.0 billion more per year) in 2013 if unions had remained as strong as they were in 1979.

5. Union decline has exacerbated wage inequality in the United States ... Earlier research (Western and Rosenfeld 2011) shows that union erosion can explain about one-third of the growth of wage inequality among men and about one-fifth of the growth of wage inequality among women from 1972 to 2007. 

6. At least for middle-wage men, the impact of the erosion of unions on the wages of both union and nonunion workers is likely the largest single factor underlying wage stagnation and wage inequality.

For everyone but Republicans, our vanishing union presence is bad news for a U.S. economy that is 70% dependent on consumer demand:

That presence has vanished throughout much of the private sector, rendering unions unable to exert the same political, economic, and cultural influence over the working lives of average Americans, union and not.

Here are a few easy to read charts, just click to enlarge:

Did Florida AG solicit campaign contribution from Trump to drop Trump U Scam investigation...does it "raise questions?"

Trump went beyond “raising questions,” appearing to have kill an investigation of Trump U in Florida by donating money to the states AG. Has anyone doggedly pursued this? Nope.

Look, after finding out Clinton emails did not have “Confidential” stamped on the top of them like

you see in the movies, but did have an unexplained confusing parenthetical “c” included in the text, it does “raise questions” about why we're still talking about this.

Conservative author Norm Ornstein took a closer look at this, after a Trump pay-to-play story just hit the fan in Florida. It appears Trump’s problems, often much bigger than Clinton’s, never seem to raise the same kind of questions. WaPo:

Whenever some new piece of information emerges about Hillary Clinton or people close to her, we’re told that it “raises questions” of some kind … stories about Donald Trump that don’t have to do with the latest appalling thing that came out of his mouth don’t “raise questions” in the same way.
 Judicial Watch, which is an organization established in the 1990s to destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton, latest “revelation:” email exchanges between Doug Band, an executive at the Clinton Foundation, and Hillary Clinton’s aide Huma Abedin, when Clinton was secretary of state.

The New York Times reported … A top aide to Hillary Clinton at the State Department agreed to try to obtain a special diplomatic passport for an adviser to former President Bill Clinton in 2009 … (but) the State Department never issued the passport. Mrs. Clinton has long denied that donors had any special influence at the State Department.

And this story proves Clinton's claim, no question, right? The NY Times continues to think it "raises questions."  

I hope your sitting down, because Trump’s latest questionable actions are jaw dropping. But will they "raise questions," along with months of investigative journalism? Probably not, since this about a simple "clerical error?" The WaPo article continued:

Yesterday we learned that Donald Trump paid the IRS a $2,500 penalty over a contribution his foundation made to a PAC affiliated with Florida attorney general Pam Bondi. Does this story “raise questions”? Does it ever.

In 2013, Bondi’s office received multiple complaints from Floridians who said they had been cheated out of thousands of dollars by a fraudulent operation called Trump University. While Bondi’s office was looking into the claims to determine if they should join New York State’s lawsuit against Trump University, Bondi called Donald Trump and asked him for a contribution to her PAC.

Now let’s pause for a moment to savor the idea that Bondi, the highest-ranking law enforcement official in the state, would solicit a contribution from someone her office was in the process of investigating. She did solicit that contribution, and Trump Foundation came through with $25,000, which is an illegal contribution.

Trump’s people say this was just a clerical error … But days before getting the check, Bondi’s office announced that they were considering whether to go after Trump University, and not long after the check was cashed, they decided to drop the whole thing.

Outrageous right? But does it “raise questions?” 

Here are a few questions this story raises: How many Floridians were scammed by Trump University? When Bondi and Trump spoke, did Trump University come up? What was the basis on which Bondi decided not to join New York’s lawsuit? Why didn’t she recuse herself from the decision? Are there any other attorneys general Trump has given money to, and had any of them received complaints about Trump University, the Trump Institute, the Trump Network, or any of Trump’s other get-rich-quick scams that were so successful in separating ordinary people from their money?

Hillary's Taco Trucks on every Corner?

It was an amazing moment in Trump campaign history:

The founder of Latinos for Trump, Marco Gutierrez, on Thursday warned that if his candidate loses, America faces an uncertain future in which Mexican food is far too easily available.

“My culture is a dominant culture, and it’s imposing and it’s causing problems. If you don’t do something about it, you’re gonna have taco trucks [on] every corner.”

Yup, taco trucks on every corner. Joy Reid struck gold.

It wasn't long before the idea took off:

Trump's Economic Trade Adviser Embarrassed, Exposed by PBS NewsHour Reporter!!!

Trump's only economic adviser with a PHd is Peter Navarro. He's the go to guy helping guide what could be U.S. next trade policy under Trump.

A funny thing happened the other night, PBS Newshour's economic reporter Paul Solman completely obliterates Navarro's doom and gloom opinion of our current trade policy...with his smart phone. Would I kid you?

After making Navarro's plan look ridiculous, Solman went on to expose Trump's own outsourcing deal that'll take your breath away:

PETER NAVARRO: This is the big kahuna. This is what Donald Trump understands. This is the trade deficit. We run a trade deficit of close to $800 billion a year. And so this directly subtracts from this. This is why we’re stuck in low-growth mode.

PAUL SOLMAN: Well, maybe. The job of a journalist, however, is to ask questions.What is U.S. GDP 2016?

SIRI: Checking on that.

PAUL SOLMAN: Happily, there’s now Siri to answer them.

SIRI: It looks like the answer is about 18.2 trillion U.S. dollars per year.

PAUL SOLMAN: Thank you, Siri. In that case, GDP is something like $18 trillion, right? And you’re saying that the trade deficit is — well, it’s less than $1 trillion, right? So, this can’t be a major factor in total GDP, the size of the economy.

PETER NAVARRO: Yes, but when we run these big trade deficits and send our jobs offshore, we hold our wages down and our income down. That feeds right back into the biggest part of this whole equation, consumption. This drags GDP down as well.

PAUL SOLMAN: Or so this story goes.

But we can't ignore the Republican efforts to lower wages for manufacturing jobs with right-to-work and union busting via ACT 10:

Wisconsin Manufacturing Wages Declining: Citizen Action of Wisconsin looked at thelatest federal data, and found a startling decline in manufacturing wages in every Wisconsin metro area.

Real wages (adjusted for inflation) are going down for manufacturing workers in every Wisconsin metro area. On average, annual wages declined $1,430 between 2010 and 2015 - Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Republican Scheme: Outsource Jobs, Lower Wages in Manufacturing, Create a Slow Recovery to bash Democrats in Election.

Amazing, Scott Walker's approval rating actually went up in the latest Marquette Poll, even after the bad news about jobs came out in Wisconsin.  

Walker Outsources Work: He's not stopping the jobs from leaving, that's for sure. It looks like his CEO friend forgot to mention their plans to outsource: 

Citizen Action of Wisconsin: Data kept by the U.S. Department of Labor shows that at least 11,331 Wisconsin workers have had their jobs outsourced to other countries the last five years since Governor Walker’s scandal ridden jobs agency, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), was launched July 1, 2011. This is a very low end estimate … It does not account for outsourcing to other states, or downsizing where it is not possible to prove the jobs landed in a foreign country or were impacted by global trade deals.

Walker is hoping for a Renaissance of Manufacturing with ACT 10 and right-to-work supply of Low Wage Workers: No, Democrats weren't just making this stuff up. In fact, here's Trump from 2011 on lowering wages with RTW:

Wisconsin Manufacturing Wages Declining: Citizen Action of Wisconsin looked at thelatest federal data, and found a startling decline in manufacturing wages in every Wisconsin metro area. 

Real wages (adjusted for inflation) are going down for manufacturing workers in every Wisconsin metro area. On average, annual wages declined $1,430 between 2010 and 2015 - Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin: “Declining wages damage small business because workers have less to spend at the local grocery store, supper club, coffee shop, and dry cleaner. The result is less employment, and a further drag on local economies.” 

This data also directly challenges Governor Walker’s constant assertion that a co-called “skills gap” is the cause of Wisconsin’s economic woes. If manufacturers were really having problems finding skilled manufacturing workers, they would be raising wages, not lowering them.

The state also lead the way in the largest drop in the middle class of all states. 

Walker Blames Obama for Slow National Economic Recovery? But can't because sabotaging the recovery was the Republican plan all along. Now voters are mad, shouting for Trump. As you can see, past presidents spent a lot more and experienced big recoveries:

A little-noticed report from the Economic Policy Institute earlier this month should have been national news … The recovery since 2009 has been historically slow, and the disappointing pace can be explained entirely by the fiscal austerity imposed by Republicans in Congress.

“Had government spending during Obama’s tenure behaved the same way it did during Reagan’s, government spending would currently be roughly one trillion dollars higher than it is,” The Week‘s Jeff Spross explained.

Since the Stimulus ended, the kind of good jobs that come from construction or public investment and are readily available to Americans who don’t have college degrees have dried up — purposely. They’ve done it to increase economic anxiety, which they know will increase resentment of all sorts, including the racial resentment that has driven much of the resistance to Obama.

The Ugly Racist Trump Republican Underbelly Exposed in Kaepernick Rant.

It's almost comical when our great defenders of the 1st Amendment, Republicans, boldly defend that right by attacking and belittling critics who actually speak out.

Like 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who was just protesting inequality by refusing to stand for the national anthem. He has a First Amendment right without a doubt...but how ungrateful is it that he would do something like that? With his kind of money, what's he complaining about, since, according to Tami Lahern:

1. "It is this country, the one Kaepernick has so much disdain for, that allows him to do speak out..."

2. "...protecting his right to be a whiny, indulgent, attention seeking cry baby."

So what's the beef?

With a call for Kaepernick to leave the country, right wing Blaze host Tami Lahern spews every resentful, angry and racist rationalization constructed to deny her own deep seeded hatred for minorities. All of this of course grew out of Republican efforts to delegitimize America's first black president.

My conservative friend in Milwaukee called and said he didn't understand why Kaepernick was complaining, since he's filthy rich and is in no way oppressed. I think this incredibly ironic line from Lahern's own rant answers that:

"What's your message to black kids, to people of color, that their biggest contribution to justice and self fulfillment is to parade around with a chip on their shoulder like a victim?" 

There's not a shred of self awareness left on the alt-right.

Hand it too Tami Lahren for pretty much cutting open the festering right wing cyst oozing racism and resentment toward anyone not marching in lockstep to our Borg-like Republican leaders. Snarky hate filled racist name calling like below is what conservatives now call "debate:"

Sen. Steve "I'm not racist" Nass threatens UW for proposing New Cultural Center to increase Opportunities for Black Students.

Republicans either think it’s funny or a good idea to appoint fellow legislators to public policy they hate the most. And so it is with Sen. Steve Nass, the bigoted racist overseeing our state universities.

He's not what I would call a great defender of the 1st Amendment. Remember these violations?

1. In a news release Rep. Steve Nass stated protesters feel "entitled" to take action without serious consequences in the capital city.

2. He expressed cutting funding of a UW-Madison center because its studies were "too far to the left."

3. State Sen. Steve Nass blasted a UW-Madison economics professor ... calling the academic's report on right-to-work legislation "partisan, garbage research."

4. Republican Rep. Steve Nass has gotten the UW’s School for Workers to cancel an “Art in Protest” exhibit that had been scheduled for next month. “The problem with it is that it would be funded with taxpayer dollars and that’s through the Extension.” Nass charges the exhibit would have provided a one-sided view of last year’s protests at the Capitol, with UW Extension taking the side of protesters. “I did indicate to Extension that … any problems that arise from that, or any misbehavior by the protesters – which I certainly would expect, it would probably be very despicable … and I will be watching.”

5. Postcrescent: Nass called on a state Justice Department lawyer to resign for sending an email offering legal advice to Democratic state senators after they fled the state in February.

6. Rep. Stephen Nass is calling for the review that could result in a possible removal from Tubbs' position as Capitol Police Chief. Nass said, "By not doing anything, by treating them with kid gloves, that made it worse. If they'd done more, we would not be seeing what we're seeing today." Nass said, "If they were arrested vigorously, I believe that would slow them [protesters]."

He also co-wrote a bill that would amend statutes allowing the use of race-based nicknames, logos, mascots and team names by school boards. A swell racist guy.

Race Relations Sinister Liberal Plot: Nass is Mr. Big Government himself, micromanaging and threatening the university systems at every turn with defunding, if they don't "voluntarily" back down. WPR:

Sen. Steve Nass says a new diversity outreach program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is "sinister" … made the comments Thursday in reaction to UW-Madison announcing its plans to improve the experiences of minorities on the flagship campus.

That’s right, improving our social differences with ethnic studies is considered something liberals do, which by itself a scorching indictment of the rot, hate and racism growing within the Wisconsin Republican Party. What else would explain having a tantrum over a new cultural center and increased ethnic studies:

The plan calls for having new students discuss social differences, a new cultural center for black students and increased opportunities to take ethnic studies courses.

Nass is carrying out the will of his districts voters though, and they must be proud. Yes, he was so good in the assembly that they made him a senator, just so he could battle against those sinister liberal enemies of American exceptionalism:

Nass said university leaders "constantly complain about lacking money" but "they never lack money for advancing new and more sinister ways of liberal indoctrination of students."

And as we all know, students always react well to being told how to think and act:

He said the initiative isn't about advancing critical thinking, but about "telling students to think and act in ways approved by the liberal leadership of our universities."

Trump told crowd Immigration speech is "outlined above," and said US is the "Big Bully that keeps getting beat up."

The one thing about Trump's ridiculous immigration speech, a retread of everything flip flop he's repeat before, is how he was able to milk as much TV time as possible repeating and re-repeating everything over and over. And the media given up, playing along, tired and numb from pointing out the lies and misinformation.

Ann Coulter said Trump's speech was "the most magnificent speech ever given."

Conservative talker Hugh Hewitt called Trump's speech "sophisticated."

I'm sure Coulter and Hewitt might have been referring to this now classic moment about not letting other countries refuse returning immigrants:

Trump: "Hard to believe, with the power we have, hard to believe. We're like the big bully that keeps getting beat up, you ever see that?"

That's right, America is that bully? Wow.



Or perhaps Coulter and Hewitt liked it when Trump directed the crowd to remember "the immigration system I have outlined above." Like it's written somewhere above their heads floating around the room? Nice teleprompter induced mistake:



Or perhaps they were knocked out by Trump's grotesque exploitation of "Angel Moms," making his ruthless play to the military:



I'm sure cable news will spend days analyzing Trump's empty drivel, gives him more credibility. The world was watching this embarrassingly sick reality show huckster and gasped. But the crowd cheered him on with "USA, USA."

My conservative friend in Milwaukee even called after getting jacked up from Trump's speech, shouting something about "illegal" sanctuary cities and building the wall above and below ground.

Tom Tomorrow's This Modern World nailed it some time back...

Trump's authoritarian dictatorial style of speaking appeals to his rabid followers, who are panting for a leader and government who will tell them what to do. They hate Black Lives Matter but don't know anything about them. They want to "make America great again" but couldn't name historically when that was. This is what they're told, and that's good enough for them.