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Archives for October 2017

Trump Guilty Of Tweeting Premature Vindication

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After yesterday’s much anticipated news about the first indictments in FBI Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia investigation, Donald Trump, no doubt, breathed a sign of relief. Nowhere in the criminal charges against his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and his assistant, Rick Gates, did Trump’s name appear. In fact, the charges had nothing to do with collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia but everything to do with financial crimes.

“Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren’t Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????,” tweeted Trump, adding, “….Also, there is NO COLLUSION!”

Unfortunately for Trump, only hours after the Manafort-Gates bombshell, we also learned of criminal charges brought against a third Trump campaign member, George Papadopoulos. Having been a well-kept secret for over three weeks, Papadopoulos pleaded guilty on October 5 of lying to the FBI about his contacts with people who claimed to have direct connections with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials.

Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign, is cooperating with prosecutors in Mueller’s office as they continue to investigate allegations of collusion between Trump aides and Russian officials looking to influence the U.S. election.

No evidence of collusion between your campaign and Russian officials. Mr. Trump?

According to court documents, Papadopoulos repeatedly tried to arrange a meeting between then-candidate Trump and senior Russian officials in London or in Moscow. The meeting did not take place, but court documents detail an extensive effort by Russian officials to gain access to Trump’s operation.

What is even more troublesome for Trump, the court documents show higher ups in the Trump campaign not only were aware of Papadopoulos’ efforts, but also encouraged them.

So a guy from out of the blue is the first Trump campaign member to plead guilty in the FBI’s Trump-Russia probe … and he is a cooperating witness! If that doesn’t scare the bejesus out of other Trump campaign operatives, I don’t know what.

No matter how much Trump and his surrogates try to downplay the latest news, yesterday could very well mark the beginning of the end of our national nightmare.

After hearing the news of Papadopoulos’ guilty plea and his cooperation with the FBI, I somehow couldn’t get Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” out of my mind.

“And now the end is near, and so I face the final curtain …”

Photo | forums.sailinganarchy.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Drug Makers – Sticking It To The American Consumer Both Coming … and Going

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The American pharmaceutical industry is a multi-billion juggernaut, unparalleled in its marketing prowess. No other commercial enterprise, not even Tech, comes close to creating a need for its products.

For drug companies, if there isn’t an illness that needs “treatment,” they create one, or more precisely, resort to “disease mongering,” where drug companies deliberately enlarge the market for a product by convincing people that they’re sick and need their product.

Does anyone remember the RLS (restless leg syndrome) ads of the early 2000’s?

The United States currently has an opioid abuse problem. Many are pointing the finger at the pharmaceutical industry’s insatiable greed at the expense of public health and safety.

A good number of watchdog groups are saying much of today’s opioid epidemic stems from the aggressive marketing tactics used by pharmaceutical companies over the past two decades. According to the New Yorker, companies such as Endo Pharmaceuticals, Purdue Pharma and Johnson & Johnson centered their marketing campaigns on the use of opioids as all-purpose pain treatment medications, downplaying their addictive nature.

But did you know one of the other side effects of opioid abuse is OIC (opioid-induced constipation)?

Unless you live in a cave or have sworn off TV altogether, you no doubt have seen the ads for Movantik.

You know, the ones featuring Frank, a construction worker who is prescribed opioids after suffering a really bad back injury and whose daily pill popping has caused him to get “backed up, big time.” It’s only after he sees his doctor who asks him “how long have you been holding this in” that he finally gets the relief (release) he needs. Yep, she prescribes Movantik!

Drug companies are notorious for pushing harmful products and paying hefty fines after being caught by regulators. To them, what usually amounts to a slap on the wrist is just the cost of doing business. The big bucks are still there to be made.

It is a well-known fact that abusing painkillers can lead to addiction … and constipation. But at least with Movantik, that “number two” problem is now solved!

American drug makers…solving problems that they helped create. Genius!

With their direct role in the opioid crisis, it seems as if America’s legal drug dealers have the consumer both coming … and going.

Photo | youtube.com

 

Today’s GOP Driven By Greed … And Fear

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As the man currently occupying the White House devolves into a more dangerous, and embarrassing, excuse of a president with each passing day, Republican leaders are refusing to get off the Trump train. Yes, privately they may call him a moron, but publicly they remain loyal supporters. So much so that recently a retired four star general was forced to debase himself by having to defend our empathy-devoid president over inappropriate comments made to the widow of a fallen soldier.

Republican leaders know they need Trump’s pen to enact legislation demanded by their wealthy benefactors. And what is at the top of a billionaire’s wish list? Tax reform, of course! Or more precisely, tax reduction.

Earlier this week, Senate Republicans passed a budget setting the stage for the GOP’s ultimate goal of pushing through “tax reform” later this year.

It doesn’t matter that the measure is estimated to add $1.5 trillion to the deficit over the next 10 years, and contains about $4 trillion in spending cuts.

“We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to replace America’s failing tax codes,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor after the bill was approved.

One thing that can safely be said about Republican billionaires, enough is never enough.

Some political pundits have pointed out that if Republicans removed Trump from office, they would still have the pen of a willing accomplice in President Mike Pence. So why not get rid of the madman in the Oval Office?

This is were the fear comes in.

As much as many Republicans may loathe Trump, they know, as GOP strategist Rick Wilson pointed out, one mean tweet about them could ruin their political careers.

In addition, any attempt to install Pence as president would be met with intense blowback from Trump’s diehard base. The fear of their wrath is just unthinkable for any Republican politician.

It is due to this instinct of self-preservation that you’ll find the only Republicans speaking out against Trump are those who will not be seeking reelection, such as John McCain and Bob Corker.

As sad as it may be for the majority of Americans opposed to Trump, it seems the only way Trump will ever be removed from office is if the Democrats retake the House and Senate in 2018.

Or unless Mueller steps in before then!

Photo | nymag.com

 

 

Trump Fails U.S. Citizenship Test

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According to recent news reports, Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, referred to Trump as a moron.

While Tillerson sought to refute the claim at an impromptu news conference shortly after the story broke, going so far as to refer to his boss as “smart,” he did not specifically deny having called Trump a dumb, stupid moron.

This Tuesday, Trump was quoted by Forbes as saying, “I think it’s fake news, but if he did that, I guess we’ll have to compare IQ tests. And I can tell you who is going to win.”

As of this date, Tillerson has not accepted Trump’s challenge.

Yesterday, a group of recently naturalized citizens issued a challenge of their own to the 45th president of the United States … “Can you pass the U.S. Citizenship Test?”

Trump took the exam and failed miserably, scoring 50% (Six of the ten questions need to be answered correctly to pass).

The self-proclaimed genius has claimed the test was fixed and contained too many trick questions.

Here are the five out of 10 “trick questions” Trump failed to correctly answer:

  1. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? Instead of answering Thomas Jefferson, Trump answered Abraham Lincoln.
  2. What are the three branches of government? Instead of answering legislative, executive and judicial, Trump answered legislative, executive and military.
  3. Which amendment guarantees freedom of speech? Instead of answering the First Amendment, Trump answered the Second Amendment.
  4. What guarantees a citizen’s right to vote? Instead of answering the Constitution, Trump answered state legislators.
  5. What does separation of church and state mean? Instead of answering the government is prevented from officially recognizing or favoring any religion, Trump answered religion and politics cannot be taught in the same classroom.

According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 91% of foreign-born applicants pass the naturalization test. But, in Trump’s defense, they have an unfair advantage … they tend to study.

Photos| tusconsentinal.com, cnn.com

Caution – this could be fake news!

Can you pass the citizenship test? Click here to give it a try.

 

 

 

 

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