Category: Domestic Affairs,

Ex-RNC chair rips GOP senators for allowing Trump to lift Russia sanctions: ‘It’s all collusion’

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Media and Culture,Leave a comment

Ex-RNC chair rips GOP senators for allowing Trump to lift Russia sanctions: ‘It’s all collusion’ | TheHill

The time for you to speak out was in the fall of 2106, motherfucker. You didn’t. You chose party over country and you did not speak up. You missed your chance to act with honor and patriotism! Sit down and shut the fuck up, collaborator!

The Trump administration quietly changed the definition of domestic violence.

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,, Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment

The previous definition included critical components of the phenomenon that experts recognize as domestic abuse—a pattern of deliberate behavior, the dynamics of power and control, and behaviors that encompass physical or sexual violence as well as forms of emotional, economic, or psychological abuse. But in the Trump Justice Department, only harms that constitute a felony or misdemeanor crime may be called domestic violence. So, for example, a woman whose partner isolates her from her family and friends, monitors her every move, belittles and berates her, or denies her access to money to support herself and her children is not a victim of domestic violence in the eyes of Trump’s Department of Justice.

The Trump administration quietly changed the definition of domestic violence.

aghhhhhhhhh

The High Stakes of BuzzFeed’s Story on Trump Tower Moscow

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Media and Culture,Leave a comment

The statement, issued by a spokesman, Peter Carr, said: “BuzzFeed’s description of specific statements to the Special Counsel’s Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen’s Congressional testimony are not accurate.”

No further details were provided. In response, BuzzFeed also issued a statement, which said: “we are continuing to report and determine what the special counsel is disputing. We remain confident in the accuracy of our report.”

The High Stakes of BuzzFeed’s Story on Trump Tower Moscow | The New Yorker

hmmmm

Donald Trump Told Michael Cohen To Lie To Congress About Moscow Tower Project

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment

On the campaign trail, Trump vehemently denied having any business interests in Russia. But behind the scenes, he was pushing the Moscow project.

…Trump was even made aware that Cohen was speaking to Russian government officials about the deal. The lawyer at one point spoke to a Kremlin aide as he sought support for the tower.

Trump also encouraged Cohen to plan a trip to Russia during the campaign, where the candidate could meet face-to-face with Putin.

BuzzFeed News has previously reported that text messages and emails show Sater — a real estate developer, convicted stock swindler, and longtime asset for US government intelligence agencies — worked furiously to arrange a trip for Cohen to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he was supposed to meet with top Russian bankers and government officials. Cohen told Sater that to advance the deal, Trump himself would also go to Russia, after the Republican National Convention in July 2016.

…As Trump told the public he had no business deals with Russia, the sources said Trump and his children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., received regular, detailed updates about the real estate development from Cohen, whom they put in charge of the project.

…Cohen acknowledged that the conversations he had about the project with Trump exceeded the three short briefings he testified that he gave the president and that he also held more extensive discussions about it with other members of the Trump family. The sources said Cohen gave Trump’s children “very detailed updates.”

…After the election, the president personally instructed him to lie — by claiming that negotiations ended months earlier than they actually did — in order to obscure Trump’s involvement.

The special counsel’s office learned about Trump’s directive for Cohen to lie to Congress through interviews with multiple witnesses from the Trump Organization and internal company emails, text messages, and a cache of other documents. Cohen then acknowledged those instructions during his interviews with that office.

…It is the first known example of Trump explicitly telling a subordinate to lie directly about his own dealings with Russia.

…Cohen will testify publicly before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Feb. 7.

Donald Trump Told Michael Cohen To Lie To Congress About Moscow Tower Project

hmmm

Elizabeth Warren’s claim to Cherokee ancestry is a form of violence?

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Media and Culture,, Race,, The Americas,Leave a comment

Elizabeth Warren’s claim to Cherokee ancestry is a form of violence — High Country News

Ummm, Nope!

No, it’s not.

If she was claiming Cherokee heritage or identity it would be though.

The issue is this. Other people should not define what it is to be [insert ethnicity, etc. here], only people of that background are able to define their experience.

Another big looming issue is that white people have dominated the narrative for far to long and should not be the arbitrators of what is and what isn’t defined or discussed. That is a wrong that should be righted but if we are to right it as a society we have to be consistent. If for no other reason than being inconsistent is what got us here in the first place….

For example, the people of the Cherokee nation are the only ones who can define what it is to be Cherokee, just like only Jewish people can define what it is to be Jewish.

A member of my father’s ancestry was Jewish. Does that make me Jewish? Hell, no. For one thing it travels down the matrilinear side. For another, I was raised as a mostly-Christian person in a largely Christian community. My experience with Judaism is as an outsider and and an observer.

It does make me someone whose ancestors were Jewish though. Their experiences escaping persecution in Europe and living in the United States are part of how my family (and I!) came to be. Along with the experiences of all my ancestors, they are part of me and who I am. To pretend I had no Jewish ancestry would be to deny those members of my family tree their story and that’s not something I think I should do.

It would be very different if Senator Warren was claiming to BE Cherokee, but she is not. Instead she is just affirming that she has a Cherokee ancestor, an ancestor that she is as proud of (if not more) than she is any of the rest of her forebearers.

And isn’t that the goal here? For people of all background to be able to define themselves as members of their own communities?

Whitewashing and eradication of native cultures in the United State is a horrid injustice. One that deserves to be confronted, stopped, and turned right around. I just don’t think blurring the line between those who claim ancestry and those who claim membership does us any good.