Anything Smart: September 2016

Thursday, September 29, 2016

After 126 Years Backing Republicans Arizona Newspaper Endorses Hillary!

How bad is Trump really? This bad: The conservative Arizona Republic, which is the largest newspaper in the state, was founded in 1890 and since then has always supported Republican candidates for President – 126 years. Until now.

After more than a century of unbroken Republican support the Arizona Republic is endorsing a Democrat for the first time ever.

The paper attacks Trump's claim to be a conservative: "Trump’s conversion to conservatism is recent and unconvincing. There is no guarantee he will name solid conservatives to the Supreme Court...." It also describes Trump's "stunning lack of human decency, empathy and respect."

The conservative Arizona Republic thinks Hillary is our best chance in 2016. She can heal our "rancor and incivility." And, in spite of Trump's bragging about how tough he is, the newspaper gives the title to Hillary: "Clinton retains her composure under pressure. She’s tough. She doesn’t back down.“

Even major conservative newspapers can't support Trump anymore. That's how bad Trump is. Time to DUMP TRUMP!

https://www.yahoo.com/news/arizona-republic-endorses-hillary-clinton-173827174.html

***
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Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Trump is a Bully Who Called a Miss Universe "Fat" and "Ugly"

Trump wants people to think he is a great leader. But great leaders don't treat people the way Trump treated Alicia Machado.

After Alicia won the Miss Universe contest in 1996 when she was just 18 years old Trump claimed she gained a "huge" amount of weight and it was a "problem."

His response to this "problem" was to publicly humiliate her by calling reporters to photograph her working out, call her names like "Miss Piggy," call her "fat," and "ugly," and yell at her. Machado says the experience led to eating disorders that plagued her for years.

All of this is a disgraceful way to treat a young woman. It is certainly not great leadership. Great leadership does not tear people down, great leadership builds people up.

Trump is a cruel bully who tears people down. Time to DUMP TRUMP!

http://uproxx.com/news/hillary-clinton-ad-alicia-machado/

Monday, September 26, 2016

Get Your Trump Fact-Check Sheet for the First Presidential Debate

Trump lies constantly. I heard one journalist say Trump lies so frequently the press just can't keep up. Trump has admitted to using "truthful hyperbole" in business. That is a euphemism for what most of us call lying.

We hear that Trump is not preparing much for Monday night's debate. Why would he? If you are just going to make stuff up you don't need much preparation.

Hilariously Fox News asked Trump if the debate moderators should do any fact checking during the debate and Trump thought that was a bad idea. Of course! Fact checking would take away Trump's only real weapon in a debate: lies.

Hillary just made a great move by releasing 19 pages of Trump's fact checked lies over the course of the campaign. I hope at least some citizens will read this and be prepared to identify Trump's lies as they occur during the debate.

Even more important, journalists will have this information available to them so as they write or speak about the debate they will be able to identify Trump's lies for what they are.

This document lists dozens and dozens of Trump lies with links to their debunking. Take a look.

https://www.hillaryclinton.com/briefing/factchecks/2016/09/23/clinton-campaign-trump-cannot-pass-debate-test-if-he-repeats-these-debunked-lies/

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Trump Wants to Return to Unconstitutional Stop-and-Frisk Policing

If you think Trump will defend the Constitution consider his recent call for a return to "stop-and-frisk" tactics. This is where police stop and search people on the streets even when there is no evidence a crime has been committed.

Trump specifically referred to the system of "stop-and-frisk" used in New York City which was declared unconstitutional in 2013.

By the way, since "stop-and-frisk" was stopped in New York City the crime rate has continued to drop dramatically.

So ignorant Trump is now advocating an ineffective, discredited, and unconstitutional practice. That's fine if your a celebrity billionaire. Not good at all if you are running for President.

Maybe Trump has never read the 4th amendment that seems to rule out "stop-and-frisk." Please share this with him if you run into him:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/trump-implement-nationwide-stop-frisk-policing-article-1.2801136

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Trump Says African-Americans are Worse Off Than Ever. Ever, Ever, Ever!

In one of the most bizarre moments of one of the most bizarre campaigns in American history Trump said Tuesday "We're going to rebuild our inner cities because our African-American communities are absolutely in the worst shape that they've ever been in before. Ever. Ever. Ever."

This is either an example of gross ignorance or a sociopathic disregard of historical truth that almost everyone else knows.

To say something like this Trump has to disregard, or not know about, 250 years of slavery when human beings were sold like cattle, families were divided, and African-Americans were tortured or murdered at will. He has to disregard the 100 years after the Civil War when African-Americans where prevented from voting, terrorized by the KKK, lynched by white communities to keep them "in their place," denied educational opportunities, denied medical treatment, denied service in restaurants and hotels, and denied many forms of employment.

Why would Trump tell a lie this monstrous and this obvious? Clearly, he thinks his followers are too stupid to notice, or too immoral to care.

This is what cunning tyrants have done since the beginning of time. They create a fantasy world of confusion and chaos and fear where they are the only hero and the only hope and they try to find enough ignorant people to give them power.

Trump always says what he thinks will benefit him. Truth is not a concept he even understands. He has proved it yet again with this incredibly ignorant and false and deceptive comment.

Let's DUMP TRUMP before it's too late.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/20/african-americans-are-in-the-worst-shape-theyve-ever-been-trump-says-in-north-carolina/

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Conservative Peter Wehner Calls Trump the "Repudiation" of Lincoln

Peter Wehner was one of the first conservatives to bravely and intelligently oppose Trump. In the article linked to below he calls Trump the "repudiation" of Lincoln. In a sense Trump is the anti-Lincoln. Lincoln has come to represent everything good in American history, Trump represents everything bad.

Wehner talks about the terrible things liberals say about Republicans and how he always defended the GOP and "Then along came Donald J. Trump, who seemed to embody every awful charge made against the Republican Party."

Wehner realizes that that there are "repulsive elements" in the Republican Party and those elements grew too strong and are now running free to wreak their damage on America and make millions of good Republicans look bad.

He says, "But it is fair to say that there existed in the Republican Party repulsive elements, people who were attracted to racial and ethnic politics and moved by resentment and intolerance rather than a vision of the good. This group was larger than I ever imagined, and at important moments the Republican Party either overlooked them or played to them. Some may have been hoping to appeal to these elements while also containing and moderating them, to sand off the rough edges, to keep them within the coalition but not allow them to become dominant. But the opposite happened. The party guests took over the party."

My dream is to have a good Republican party and a good Democratic party, both led by moderate and rational human beings who put the good of the country and the good of its citizens in the forefront and argue only about the details of policy, not about whether or not we should remain the COUNTRY of Lincoln.

The first step to making this happen is to DUMP TRUMP!

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/latest-columns/20160718-peter-wehner-gop-can-we-find-our-way-back-to-the-party-of-lincoln.ece

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Trump is NOT a Republican OR a Conservative!

Peter Wehner is a conservative who worked for Reagan and BOTH of the Presidents Bush. He also works at the conservative think tank Ethics and Public Policy Center. Peter dumped Trump a long time ago and has carefully explained why.

If you are a conservative STILL supporting Trump please consider what Peter Wehner wrote back in July 2015.

First, on Trumps childish and bullying behavior:

'As for political discourse, Mr. Trump is insulting and witless. His critics are “losers,” “jerks” and “dummies.” These kinds of taunts are usually found in schoolyards rather than presidential campaigns.'

Second, on Trump's politics:

'For starters, Mr. Trump, though he claims to be a conservative, is nothing of the sort. He’s barely even a Republican. For most of the last decade, he was a registered Democrat. It wasn’t that long ago that most of his political contributions went to Democrats, including Senators Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton. Before he discovered his Republican roots, Mr. Trump favored a single-payer health care system and proposed a large “net worth tax” on wealthy individuals. He once declared himself “strongly pro-choice” and favored drug legalization. He is a vehement protectionist. Earlier this year he even accused Republicans running for president of “attacking” Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Why would conservatives find him the least bit appealing?'

Here again we see the great con-game Trump is playing on the American people.

First, he's pretending to be a Republican and a Conservative to get their support. In reality he is a BAD Democrat.

Second, he says he will work for the benefit of the United States even though all the evidence we have, from his whole life, is that he will work only for his own good, and to increase profits from his global enterprises.

Read Wehner's essay here:

www.nytimes.com/2015/07/08/opinion/peter-wehner-president-donald-trump-just-say-no.html?_r=0

If conservative Peter Wehner spotted Trump's con-game 14 months ago... what is taking the rest of America so long?

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Hillary Protected the Families of Heroes by Fighting for Increased Survivor Benefits

Every Presidential candidate promises to do a good job taking care of veterans. I think we should vote for someone who has already started.

The link below leads to a speech by Jamie Dorff at the Democratic National Convention. Jamie and her husband Pat and her little girl lived in Leander, Texas until tragedy struck.

Pat served in Iraq and died when his helicopter crashed during a search and rescue mission in 2004.

At that time, survivor benefits for veteran's families were only $12,000. According to Ms. Dorff, Hillary “worked across party lines” to get those benefits increased to $100,000. As Ms. Dorff reminds, us that extra money can make all the difference to a family struggling to survive and move on after one of their loved ones has given his life for our country.

Every Presidential candidate promises to take care of veterans. One candidate already has.

Vote for Hillary!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp7IDBL9xD0

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Ryan Moore says Hillary "Really Cares"

So many people dislike Hillary but I've noticed that people who know her, people who've known her for a long time, seem to like her a LOT.

Ryan Moore met Hillary when he was just seven years old back in 1994. He was suffering from a form of dwarfism that would subject him to a lifetime of hospital visits and surgeries. Hillary was the First Lady of the United States trying to reform the national health care system.

According to Ryan, the First Lady didn't just talk to him once and forget him. She has kept in touch over the years.

According to Ryan she is thoughtful and compassionate. Before he has major surgeries Hillary still sends him encouraging notes. He says when you meet Hillary in person she "makes you feel like the most important person in her day."

Based on Ryan Moore's decades of experience with Hillary he believes that "she really cares."

If people who have never met Hillary decide they don't like her that's fine. But shouldn't they at least listen to people who DO know her first?

You can listen to Ryan speak here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sr6eWSScrM

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Hillary Rodham Clinton by Karen Blumenthal

Good biography of Hillary. I recommend this book. It seems balanced to me. It doesn't make her out to be a saint or a criminal, just the most successful woman ever in the difficult and dangerous world of U.S. politics.

In the introduction the author gives quotes from Hillary's concession speech in 2008, when she realized Obama would be the Democratic candidate rather than her.

Based on everything I have learned about Hillary over the last few months, these words ring true:

"...I have an old-fashioned conviction that public service is about helping people solve their problems and live their dreams."

"Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been."

"Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. And when you stumble, keep faith. And when you're knocked down, get right back up, and never listen to anyone who says you can't or shouldn't go on."

After a bruising loss - after a huge disappointment - at what might have been the end of her political career, Hillary didn't make excuses, she didn't blame anyone else, she didn't accuse the other side of cheating, and she didn't resort to vulgar insults. She just tried to inspire others by saying GET UP and GO ON!

That's the kind of President I want. I hope that's the kind of President America will get in November.

***
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Friday, September 9, 2016

Will Trump become the American Putin?

Trump made several alarming statements at the recent Commander-in-Chief forum. Among others were these:

He said our Generals have been reduced to “rubble“ and hinted that many would be fired if he becomes President. This cannot be comforting to career military officers coming from a man who claims to know more about ISIS than they do and who also claims to have a secret plan to defeat ISIS that he won't tell anyone about.

At the forum Trump was reminded of a 2013 tweet he sent saying that there are sexual assaults in the military because men and women are put together. He said 'That is a correct tweet.“ He spoke more about the need to punish perpetrators of sexual assault but there still seems to be a strong suggestion in his remarks that women should not serve with men.

Once again Trump lied about opposing the Iraq War from the beginning. This is a documented lie but the host of the forum let it slide.

Trump also discussed top secret briefings he has received and said he could tell from the body language of the briefers that Obama has not accepted their recommendations. There are at least a couple of problems with this:

Trump should not be discussing top secret briefings
The briefers don't make policy recommendations at all. They present facts to policy makers.

Finally, Trump continued making favorable remarks about Putin, the thuggish ruler of Russia. Instead of praising Washington or Jefferson or Lincoln, Trump praised Putin. Again. He REALLY likes foreign dictators.

Read more about Trump's performance here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-veterans_us_57d16e09e4b03d2d4598a87f

After the forum, Trump's running mate, Pence, made a VERY alarming statement about Trump and Putin:

"I think it’s inarguable that Vladimir Putin has been a stronger leader in his country than Barack Obama has been in this country,” the GOP vice presidential nominee told CNN. “And that’s going to change the day that Donald Trump becomes president.”

Think hard about this. Of course a dictator like Putin, ruling a dictatorship like Russia, is going to be a "stronger leader" than a democratically elected President of a free country! But that's going to change when Trump becomes President? HOW is it going to change? How is Trump going to become as "strong" as Putin without becoming a dictator?

For many years Republicans have advocated smaller and weaker government. Now it seems they want a government as strong as a Russian dictatorship. Pence did say that Trump is not calling for a dictatorship. In that case we need a lot more explanation. How is Trump going to be as strong as Putin without becoming an American Putin?

Think long. Think hard. And then DUMP TRUMP!

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Hillary Came to the Aid of 911 Victims

Powerful support for Hillary from Lauren Manning at the Democratic National Convention.

Lauren Manning was terribly injured in the 9/11 attacks - burned over 82% of her body.

She says,
"I fought as hard as I could so the terrorists would not get ONE MORE."

About Hillary she says,
"Hillary stood with me.
Hillary showed up.
She took my bandaged hand into her own.
For years she visited, called, and continues to check in.
I trusted her when my life was on the line and she came through.
She had my back.

This is not the kind of story you hear from Hillary's enemies.
This is the kind of story you hear from the many people Hillary has helped over the years.
It is because of stories like this that Americans have chosen Hillary twenty times as the most admired woman in the world.

Time to vote for Hillary.

Watch Lauren's comments about her struggle, and about Hillary's help, here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy2x0_haKlM

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Did Trump Bribe a State Attorney General?

Remember when Trump bragged about bribing politicians? I wrote about it in my book.

According to this article, he said last January, in his usual classy way, "I've got to give [campaign contributions] to them, because when I want something I get it. When I call, they kiss my ass!"

One of those contributions was $25,000 to a Pam Bondi PAC on September 17, 2013. Three days before, according to a spokesman, Bondi's Florida attorney-general's office was investigating the Trump Institute to decide whether or not there should be prosecution.

Then she asked Trump for a donation! Then she got a donation! Then she decided - within four days according to MSNBC last night - that no prosecution was warranted.

A former Trump employee said, "All we had to do is stroke a check to the committee to re-elect [the state attorney general]. And the problems went away."

This certainly looks more like a bribe than anything I have seen about the Clinton Foundation. This needs to be investigated.

Turns out the donation was illegal for another reason - it was made by a charity. Trump had to pay a $2500 fine for that "mistake." AND the donation was incorrectly documented by the Trump organization. In Trump records the donation was originally recorded as going to a charity in Kansas! Maybe they had some reason to keep this donation hidden?

Whenever you hear people talking about Hillary being corrupt, please share this with them.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-pam-bondi-trump-university_us_57cf2c6ce4b0a48094a64854

Monday, September 5, 2016

Hillary Came to the Aid of 9/11 First Responders

You can hear Hillary attacked by political enemies every single day.

But 21 year NYPD veteran Joe Sweeney doesn't attack her.

According to Sweeney when 9/11 first responders needed help Hillary “had our back.”

When the EPA and Mayor Giuliani falsely said the air at ground zero was safe Hillary was “there every step of the way.”

Hillary got a bill passed to get help for first responders. She held hearings that forced the EPA to admit they had been wrong about the dangers of the air at ground zero.

Sweeney says that even “10 years later Hillary was still our toughest champion.”

This is the kind of President I want. Someone who sees where help is needed and never gives up until that help is given.

Listen to Joe Sweeney thank Hillary for her service here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3rwUdGWTnU

Intellectual History

If I could only study one subject for the rest of my life it would be intellectual history. That's kind of cheating because when you study intellectual history you still reserve the right to poke your nose into almost everything human beings have ever done.

You take anything that people know, or think they know, and trace the steps by which that knowledge was gained. You take any idea and study how that idea was first glimpsed and how it developed, over years or over centuries, and how it interacted with, supported, or conflicted with, other ideas.

What do we believe? Where did those beliefs come from? How did they come to be accepted? How have they influenced individual lives and societies for better or worse? How well supported are the beliefs that people live by and die for and argue about on Facebook?

That's my favorite subject....

***
[Peter Watson's book "Modern Mind" is one of the great works of Intellectual History. This is a college education in one book!

If you want to support "Anything Smart" just click on book links like the one below to buy your books. "Anything Smart" will receive a commission. Thanks!]

***

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Blinded by the Right #1

This is a fascinating story of one man's career as a right wing "hit man." This is how bare knuckles politics works behind the scenes. Both parties do it so don't feel superior!

My top rule of political conflict is "never lie." Make the best case you can FOR your side and make the best case you can AGAINST the other side, but NEVER LIE!

People who lie are dishonest - morally corrupt. People who lie in intellectual debate are out of ideas - unworthy of respect. People who lie in political debate are interfering with the ability of citizens to make good choices, undermining Democracy itself - traitors to fundamental American beliefs.

There is nothing wrong with making your case and making it HARD but don't cross the line into flat-out lying! Present FACTS and LINK to supporting evidence.

Anyway, here is how Brock starts: "This is a terrible book. It is about lies told and reputations ruined. It is about what the conservative movement did, and what I did, as we plotted in the shadows, disregarded the law, and abused power to win even greater power."

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[Check out Brock's great book on how politics really gets done.

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Trump Hires the Sleaze Master

Remember David Bossie?

He's a famous right-wing "hit man" who started attacking the Clintons way back in 1992 before they even got into the White House.

One of his projects was trying to prove that a pregnant suicide victim named "Susan Coleman" had been having an affair with Bill Clinton. He never proved that, but in the effort to do so he once, notoriously, interrogated the girls mother in a hospital room where her husband was recovering from a stroke!

***
[Take a look at my book "Top 25 Reasons to Dump Trump." If you find it useful in persuading other people to reject Trump please leave a review.

If you want to support "Anything Smart" just click on book links like the one below to buy your books. "Anything Smart" will receive a commission. Thanks!]

***
One of his other projects was called "the kind of sleaze that diminishes the political process" by candidate George H.W. Bush in 1992.

Later he worked for the rabid Clinton hater Dan Burton. Other staffers quit saying that Bossie's "unrelenting, self-promoting actions" were too much to bear.

Burton later had to apologize for releasing tapes of Webster Hubbell that seemed to incriminate Hillary in a phony billing scheme. Turns out the tapes were actually exculpatory for Hillary but had been edited to make her seem guilty. Bossie resigned over this unethical attack.

Anyway, this is the kind of sleaze Trump loves. He's bringing Bossie back as his Deputy Campaign Manager! Get ready for a heated Fall!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-just-hired-the-captain-ahab-of-clinton-haters/2016/09/02/2b5f45b0-713f-11e6-8365-b19e428a975e_story.html?utm_term=.f998fd32dc65

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Hillary Worked to Help at Risk Youth in New York City

Here is another interesting clip from the Democratic National Convention that I don't remember seeing at the time. This is also another reason to vote for Hillary.

Eagle Academy began in 2004 to help boys and young men in the toughest neighborhoods in New York City. According to Principal David C. Banks, 75% of the prison population in New York came from just seven neighborhoods in New York City. Eagle Academy was created to give opportunity and hope to young men from these neighborhoods.

According to David C. Banks, Senator Hillary Clinton was a supporter of this project from the very beginning in 2004 and she spoke at the first graduation in 2008.

This is the kind of President I want. Someone who sees problems and helps to create innovative institutions that can improve people's lives.

Watch the Convention clip here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e241K9XUzE

Don't make your decision about Hillary by listening to her enemies. Do your own research and find out why she has been selected 20 times through Gallup Polls as the most admired woman of the year! There must be a reason for that!

Read more about Eagle Academy from this 2015 article:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/eagle-academy-for-young-men-public-education-success-story-for-inner-city-kids/