New York, N.Y. — May 13, 2016 — A Washington Post story ignited a firestorm Thursday by alleging that presumptive GOP nominee Donald J. Trump impersonated Trump Enterprises public relations officials under false names to paint glowing portraits of himself for reporters. The Post story says that Trump himself called writers from various publications, including People magazine, to extol his own virtues while posing as at least two fictitious Trump Enterprises employees: John Barron and John Miller.
However, emails received by media outlets Friday from Barron and Miller establish that they are in fact actual persons and suggest that the Post story constitutes libel against Trump.
“Donald Trump is a tremendous guy who built a terrific company that employs thousands and thousands of people,” wrote John Barron, who said he is the PR specialist who spoke to the People reporter. “He’s a smart guy who is very rich and went to the very best schools, okay? He will win bigly in November, and then America will win so much you’ll get tired of winning.”
The email from John Barron was sent from a newly created Gmail account registered under the username “bighands1946,” which checks out as legitimate. Seconds after the Barron email was received, media outlets received an email from John Miller, the other publicity specialist mentioned in the Post story.
“Only a low-energy loser would say Donald Trump pretended to be someone else,” Miller said. “Trump is a tremendous person, a self-made man who took a small $1 million loan from his father and built it into a yooodge company. All three of his wives are beauty-full, so forget about it. And his daughter is so hot maybe he’d be banging her if he wasn’t her father, okay?”
The email from Miller emanated from a new Yahoo account registered to user “1946longfingers,” which appears to be a legitimate account.
The communications from Barron and Miller obviously put an end to the controversy The Washington Post article provoked, so responsible news organizations are advised to focus instead on Hillary Clinton’s impending indictment by the FBI and the Obama administration’s ongoing persecution of white people.
Chris
Well, I’m a little impressed that he did it himself. Most CEOs would’ve just passed that duty on to the unpaid interns.
CONGRATULATIONS!
I think you’re my favorite front-pager.
Gin & Tonic
Reportedly this morning he also called in to the morning show that Georgie Snuffleupagus is employed by, and Georgie asked Il Donaldo what his tax rate was, to which Il Donaldo replied “None of your business!” Classy!
MattF
This raises the (likely!) possibility that either Barron or Miller will be Trump’s running mate. ‘Not actually existing’ solves the potential Constitutional question of President and Vice President coming from the same state- since someone who doesn’t exist doesn’t come from any state.
Gin & Tonic
@CONGRATULATIONS!: After E.D. Kain and Freddie the Bore, that is, right?
SarahT
Why didn’t he just have his racist butler call instead ?
Ella in New Mexico
I had read this a while back, and all I could think of is how fucking ironic it was he chose the nym “Barron” for his “spokes-me”.
I mean, did he do it on purpose or is he really that obtuse? Was it the human soul inside his demon possessed body desparately trying to rat him out to the real world, or does Donald just not know a damn thing about history? I’m sure his voters don’t.
Even bigger irony: He apparently LOVES that awesome name so much he gave it to his own kid.
smith
I was just thinking that we’ve moved into the era of imaginary politics, initially revved up by all the crimes of Bill and Hill that it would be irresponsible for respectable journalists not to speculate about, leading into the truthiness of the Bush administration, and thence to the Great Kenyan Imposter destroying all our freedoms with low cost health insurance. This story shows that Trump is a visionary well ahead of his time. Prophetic! Just yoogely prophetic!
rikyrah
You all are hilarious.
starscream
How is it possible that this guy is so close to the presidency? What a fucking stupid country we live in.
Sticking by my prediction that the 2016 map will be the 2012 map, maybe minus Ohio.
Amir Khalid
Has anyone tried calling John Barron and John Miller up on the telephone machine, just to confirm that they exist?
rikyrah
I blame WaPo for even doing the story.
OF ALL the stories they COULD DO on Trump..
they thought that they should waste ink on this?
really?
seriously?
phuck.outta.here.
Turner Hedenkoff
The ex-NY Daily News editor Pete Hamill talked about this in a book called “News is a Verb,” back in the 1990s. Items attributed to “a source close to Trump” were usually from Trump himself, according to Hamill. Guy’s got a long record of blowing himself in the tabloids, which happily went along.
Frankensteinbeck
I would consider this unlikely gossip if this were any candidate but Trump, but he does stuff this petty all the time. Are those quotes real, though? The ones in the original article aren’t quite as bad. Bad, but not ‘only Trump talks like this’ bad.
schrodingter's cat
deleted
Dan Myers
JohnMillerPR has a Twitter account. It’s yoouge.
schrodinger's cat
I am so tired of reading about Trump and his stupid vapid self. Is the Caligula moment of the American experiment.
? Martin
@schrodinger’s cat:
Only if he’s elected. I’m pretty determined to not let that happen.
dedc79
@rikyrah: I respectfully disagree. This is exactly the kind of story that gets under Trump’s skin.
Report that his tax plan makes no sense? It rolls right off him
But embarrass him with something like this? He flips the hell out.
LAO
I’m old enough to remember when constantly complaining and whining made a person look weak, not strong. I miss those days. Sad!
schrodinger's cat
@starscream: The Republican base is irredeemably stupid for electing this base and nasty person to represent them. The general election will decide whether they speak for all of us.
schrodinger's cat
@? Martin: We are in agreement!
JanieM
@MattF: There is no such constitutional question.The Twelfth Amendment says this:
Here is some elaboration. And here’s some more.
schrodinger's cat
@Gin & Tonic: Betty’s the best FPer! bar none.
El Caganer
@schrodinger’s cat: It’s not an exact fit. Caligula wanted to make his horse a consul; the Republican Party is trying to put a horse’s ass into the White House.
ruemara
Until I hit the spokesquotes, I nearly bought it as true. Sitting here waiting to go to the dealership.
schrodinger's cat
@ruemara: Which car did you select? Fit or Yaris. Have you thought of Prius C ? Its really easy to forget your keys in it though!
smintheus
@dedc79: I read through some comment threads this morning at other sites reporting on this story, where typically there are lots of Trump true believers. Virtually none showed up to defend him. It’s the kind of story that makes Trump look like a loser even to his base. That’s why it could matter.
scav
@dedc79: He’s indeed all about the veneer, the pinstriping, the patina of success. Mock that, undermine his yuuuugocity, reveal the thinness of his gilt plating (the shiny brassness of it).
Besides, proving he’s not a politician won’t impact many of his fans: they know that. A subset still believe him a legitimate business success with canny abilities and skills. Discovering a capering loon suddening on stage in his hairpiece. . .
different-church-lady
@Turner Hedenkoff:
Well, you gotta admit it doesn’t get closer than that.
germy
Trump posing as his own public relations staff to talking himself up… It reminded me of this clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icq2KvONMPA
GregB
I fully believe that Trump will end up folding like oragami. He has never had to face the unrelenting attacks he’s being subjected to.
What remains to be seen is if he suffers a full-on Greg Stillson moment.
NR
Another day, another poll showing Hillary and Trump tied nationwide. But of course, the Dems are going to win easily even though they’re nominating the worst candidate since 1972. Just keep saying it and maybe that will make it true.
germy
@NR: Not The One America News Network and Gravis Marketing poll!! We’re doomed….
schrodinger's cat
@germy: Bernie sock puppets will be soon here to trash talk Hillary in 3..2..1…
Kay
Okay, from now on replace all “Trump” in Trump news with “Clinton” and imagine the coverage:
Cermet
So, this may very well be the final battle of our civil war (circa 1860-today.) Why? Because the ONLY reason that buffoon has secured the thug nomination is solely because of the vast number of sick racist (38 – 43% from what I’ve seen in the tRump/Cruz base in the thug party (not that demorats don’t have a not insignificant share of these low life’s.))
Maybe, just maybe both demographics and age will finally knock down enough of those Brown-shirted thugs so this country can finally lay to rest the Confederate’s legacy that STILL dominates our culture!
NR
@starscream:
Because Hillary Clinton is a horrible candidate. She’s Al Gore with less charisma and more legal issues.
Betty Cracker
@NR: What do you make of that recent poll that shows Hillary Clinton absolutely trouncing Bernie Sanders in Oregon? I was surprised — figured Oregon was Sanders country, honestly.
The Other Chuck
I’m sick today, so humor-impaired:
Is this actually for real? “bighands1946” and all?
Because I’m applying for asylum from this fucking idiocracy if so.
Betty Cracker
@The Other Chuck: I made a new “Poe’s Law” category and everything… Feel better!
NR
@germy: Keep unskewing those polls!
bemused
Trump probably has about an average IQ but his ego has total control over any thinking ability. He’s all Id. He stupidly gave an audio interview and phoned reporters believing they wouldn’t recognize his voice and phrasing. What an idiot.
debbie
@Chris:
Too much of a control freak.
ETA: There’s a John Miller who was a NYC NBC reporter and then publicity spokesman for NYPD. I’d buy this guy being “that” guy.
ThresherK (GPad)
@scav: “Donald Trump here to personally invite you to own a piece of YugoCity, where every timeshare comes with a car, and that car is a gold-leaf plated Yugo. It’ll be classier than anything in Vegas!”
Amir Khalid
@NR:
Yes, she’s the horrible candidate with the best CV of anyone in either party who ran for president his cycle. The horrible candidate with the big lead in votes, pledged delegates and super delegates over her last remaining rival, Bernie Sanders. The horrible candidate whom most people expect to be sitting in the Oval Office come next January.
? Martin
@Betty Cracker: In an open race it probably would be. I’m guessing a lot of voters generally happy with either candidate would like to get onto the general now. Sanders may not want to fully accept the math, but most voters will.
Shalimar
@NR: What legal issues does Hillary Clinton have that aren’t total bullshit?
“Oh no, she mishandled her email 10% as badly as Karl Rove. Let’s cut to Karl Rove in the Fox News studio to comment on how horrible this is.”
TaMara (HFG)
OMG, until I clicked through, I thought the original story was a classic Betty Cracker parody post. The rest is Betty gold.
rikyrah
Privatizing VA care on the table for Republicans in 2016
05/13/16 10:40 AM—UPDATED 05/13/16 10:45 AM
By Steve Benen
Following up on a story we’ve been following, it was just four years ago when Mitt Romney chose to float a provocative idea on Veterans’ Day. “Sometimes you wonder,” the Republican asked, “would there be some way to introduce some private sector competition” into veterans’ care?
A spokesperson for Veterans of Foreign Wars very quickly made clear the VFW “doesn’t support privatization of veterans’ health care,” and Romney backpedaled soon after, saying he was just kicking around a hypothetical scenario he didn’t intend to pursue.
A lot has changed since 2012. As Rachel noted on the show last night, privatization of veterans’ care is back as a Republican priority, as this Wall Street Journal report yesterday helped prove.
Donald Trump says the Department of Veterans Affairs’ health-care system is badly broken, and this week his campaign released some guidelines that would steer changes he would implement if he wins the presidency.
While short on details, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee would likely push VA health care toward privatization and might move for it to become more of an insurance provider like Medicare rather than an integrated hospital system, said Sam Clovis, Mr. Trump’s chief policy adviser, in an interview.
Clovis told the newspaper, “We want quality care top to bottom. If that means we have some form of privatization or some form of Medicare, we don’t see anything wrong with that.”
Veterans, however, tend to have a very different opinion on the matter.
starscream
@NR: This is just not at all true. Trump winning the Republican primary gave him a floor of at least 40% in the general regardless of the opponent. The question is how did a major political party get reduced to that – and you want to blame that on Hillary. Got it.
rikyrah
One of the Most Racially Divided States in the Country Just Passed a New Voter-ID Bill
Missouri Democrats filibustered against the GOP-sponsored bill, noting that 5 percent of the electorate—220,000 registered voters—lack a government-issued photo ID.
By Ari Berman
Missouri Republicans have been trying for a decade to enact a strict voter-ID law, and 2016 could finally be their year.
On Thursday, the GOP-controlled legislature passed a new voter-ID bill and a companion ballot initiative changing the state Constitution that must be approved by voters, most likely in November. (Governor Jay Nixon can still veto the bill, but the legislature has a super-majority to override him.)
“It has been a priority for us in the past, but not to the level it has been a priority this year,” said the bill’s sponsor, State Senator Will Kraus.
Voter ID has long been an obsession for Missouri Republicans. They have been blocked on three different occasions from enacting such a law, which is why they are now asking voters to weaken protections for voting rights in the state Constitution to allow it. Writes David Graham of The Atlantic:
? Martin
Obama serving chicken and waffles at Nordic state dinner.
Trump state dinners will only feature overcooked Trump steaks, and he’ll charge them $50 a plate.
NR
@Betty Cracker: You understand that winning the Democratic primary does not make Hillary Clinton “President Clinton,” right? It makes her “nominee Clinton.” There’s still an actual election she has to win. And she does not appear to be doing a very good job at it.
shomi
Lol. This website needs more Betty Crackers and less John Coles.
The only thing I may get more sick of other than hearing about Drumpf between now and Nov, is wrong way Cole posting his stupid “Oh noezzz….Hillary is dropping the ball again” never ending posts. Meanwhile, the guy still thinks the Fat Bastard Christie’s of the world are all awesome even though he will not admit it anymore.
Oh well. he is from W.V and knowing what I know now based on the W. V. primary….I sort of understand why he is so wrong so often about so many things. He is in a state full of morons which must have something to do with it.
NR
@Amir Khalid: President Gore can tell you all about what a CV and a big primary win is worth in the general election.
jsrtheta
@Chris:
“CEO”? Really?
He’s always been a small, family-run (Genovese Family, Gambino Family) scammer, uh, “businessman.” He doesn’t have any interns. Unless you count his sons, and whatever gals he’s banging.
NR
@starscream: Problem is, Trump is above 40% in the polls.
Just One More Canuck
@NR: you really don’t know what unskewing the polls meant, do you?
Amir Khalid
@NR:
Given how many people the Donald is alienating or offending, I would tend to believe that Hillary has at at least an even chance in November. You don’t see entire ethnic communities lining up to register just so they can vote against her, like you see with Donald.
Cacti
@dedc79:
This. The surrogates tasked with kneecapping Trump need to focus on belittling The Donald’s vainglorious image of himself.
He doesn’t care about policy. But tell him he has short fingers, or that he couldn’t make a pro football team succeed, and that just cuts him to the core.
Mai.naem.mobile
Is this post for real or is it a satirical Onion-like piece? I asking seriously.
Betty Cracker
@NR: So, no thoughts on the Oregon poll? Okay then.
Gin & Tonic
@? Martin: I’ve eaten all sorts of food in all sorts of places, but chicken and waffles is a thing I just don’t “get.”
rikyrah
uh huh
uh huh
………………….
Behind the Merrick Garland Blockade
Victoria Bassetti
May 5, 2016
How much is a business-friendly Supreme Court worth? As much as $835 million for at least one company. That’s the amount Dow Chemical agreed to pay in a class action settlement rather than continue an appeal to a Supreme Court in ideological flux after Justice Antonin Scalia’s death.
“With the untimely, unfortunate death of Justice Scalia, it leaves in question the current structure of the court,” Dow spokeswoman Rachelle Schikorra told The Wall Street Journal. “With this changing landscape, the unknowns, we just decided to put this behind us.”
For those wondering how the fight over Scalia’s replacement went to constitutional DEFCON 1, look no further. At least since 1971, business interests have sought to have their way with the American court system. The current standoff over the Merrick Garland nomination is the latest, ugliest chapter in that story.
Within hours of Scalia’s death, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that the Senate would not consider a replacement until after the presidential election. His move was startlingly confrontational, even in these times. McConnell was quickly backed by almost the entire Republican caucus.
………………………………….
The Republican caucus’ decision seemed to be a misfire. McConnell’s pronouncement riled up the Democratic base and the pundit class. It added fuel to public disgust at Congress not doing its job. Polls have shown growing public support for hearings and a vote on the nominee this year, even among Republican voters. And worst of all, it played poorly in swing states where vulnerable Republican Senators are up for reelection. McConnell appeared to have acted impulsively, handing Democrats another issue to help them retake control of the Senate.
But there is another viewpoint. The Garland nomination is one of the few bright spots for the fractured Republican Party. It unites social conservatives with business. Even better, it’s an issue big-dollar donors care about. For some of these groups, maintaining control of the Supreme Court is more important than keeping the majority in the Senate. And they can force vulnerable Republican Senators to walk the plank for them.
NR
@Amir Khalid: So we’ve gone from “Hillary will crush Trump in a massive landslide” to “Hillary has at least an even chance to beat Trump.” Good to know.
shomi
Had to laugh at a WaPo headline I saw the other day. Apparently they found some poll that showed Drumpf winning Ohio against Hillary. Never mind that for every one of those there are probably 10 that show the opposite. That’s not anything anyone is interested in reporting.
Cacti
@NR:
Meanwhile, Presidents Dean and Kucinich can tell you all about the overriding importance of being loved by college kids. As could the late President McGovern.
liberal
Another insufferable Hillary-bot.
singfoom
?
Bigly? Really? Really?
Drumpf is starting to sound like the preacher from Life of Brian:
Can anyone challenge him on his bullshit? Is it possible?
“Mr. Drumpf, yes, you’ve said that your policy will be big and yoouge and classy, but can you get beyond positive adjectives and explain the why behind that?”
I guess the answer is “Well, now you’re being unfair and you’re a loser. Next question.”
Amir Khalid
@NR:
I tend to understate my case. The signs do point to an overwhelming victory for Hillary in at least the Electoral College; maybe the popular vote too, if a conservative third-party candidate runs with the tacit approval of the Republican party — whose support for its own presumptive nominee, the Donald, is lukewarm at best.
rikyrah
Trump on his tax rate: ‘None of your business’
05/13/16 12:50 PM—UPDATED 05/13/16 12:54 PM
By Steve Benen
The controversy surrounding Donald Trump and his hidden tax returns was, at a certain level, stuck. The presumptive Republican nominee could release the materials – as every major-party nominee has done for the last 40 years – but he’s using an audit as an excuse to justify secrecy. In time, he’ll either succumb to pressure or he won’t.
But this morning the story took an unexpected turn. For quite a while, Trump has suggested he’d be comfortable with disclosure – he specifically said this week he’d “like to” disclose the tax documents – but the IRS process is standing in the way. It’s a bogus posture, which he seemed to abandon this morning during an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos:
STEPHANOPOULOS: Yes or no: Do you believe voters have a right to see your tax returns before they make a final decision?
TRUMP: I don’t think they do.
He quickly added that he’s willing to “present” the documents anyway, after “the audit ends.”
When the host asked what tax rate he currently pays, the Republican candidate snapped, “It’s none of your business. You’ll see it when I release. But I fight very hard to pay as little tax as possible.”
There’s no shortage of angles to this – Trump’s hypocrisy, his dishonesty, his reversals from previous commitments – all of which raise questions about what in the world the presumptive GOP nominee is so desperate to hide. For that matter, given how eager Trump is to slash rates for the wealthiest of the wealthy – people like Trump himself – it arguably is our “business” just how big a tax break the Republican candidate intends to give himself.
J.
BRILLIANT. Hey, Betty, you should offer your (PR) services to The Donald.
Cacti
@Amir Khalid:
Our dead end Berniebro also avoids the polls showing Trump trailing in states like North Carolina and Missouri, and running even in Georgia. Gets in the way of the Bernie as savior narrative.
liberal
@rikyrah:
That’s misleading. No one on the current court is business-unfriendly. It’s rather a difference between business-friendly and business-fellating.
Cacti
@rikyrah:
In contrast, Trump handed over his tax info to the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Gaming Commissions to get his casinos licensed.
So, state gaming commissions are entitled to greater transparency than the US electorate.
Cacti
Stuck in moderation hell for using the name for gambling establishment.
Help!
? Martin
@Gin & Tonic: Do not begrudge a culture what makes it theirs. (If it helps, I don’t get horchata – I try, it just doesn’t work for me.)
I know from having gone to college in PA that it’s also a Pennsylvania dutch/Amish meal (though chicken off the bone w/gravy) and likely predates African slavery in this country, and somehow from there made it to Harlem in its own form. So, it’s more widely a thing that was embraced in a particular form.
Done well it’s pretty damn good, IMO.
NR
@Cacti:
Polls from one month ago are so one month ago. Meanwhile, current polling shows Trump ahead in Ohio…. Which I’m sure you’re quite happy about, aren’t you, little Trumpette?
Betty Cracker
Crooks & Liars says Trump is named in the Panama Papers more than 3,500 times. Another reason for the tax returns embargo?
jl
‘Bigly’ again? Well, all the top, best people, who of course all support Trump would talk just like him.
When Perot proved to be an unstable nutjob, it caused problems. What was he raving about by the end of his campaign? Bill Clintion deploying a squad of transvestites to slander his daughters wedding, or something?
Has the country, and our heinously corrupt and incompetent corporate news media devolved to the point that being a fraudster and a nutjob won’t make any difference now. I’m going to listen to some Devo today.
Edit: To be fair to Perot, as far as I know, he wasn’t a fraud, just unstable and prone to nutty ideas when he was under pressure.
scav
@? Martin: Crepes can go both ways, sweet or savory — I’d not rule it out for waffles. Is there a similar batter tweek? There certainly are buckwheat waffles which again echos crepe world.
Ella in New Mexico
@germy: Hilarious! This totally explains why Dumold is always calling it in to media shows–he’s busy back home at the office manning the phones.
So, if I’m right, that clip is pretty much a demonstration of how Trump’s Administration will be run? Him, in the Oval Office now decked out with a YOOOGE switchboard, pretending to be all his Cabinet members and Senior staffers?
Kay (not the front-pager)
@srv: Yes, because Democrats created the TSA in response to 9/11 back in 2002 when they controlled both Houses and the Presidency. Oh wait…
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@NR:
What is your fucking point with all this naysaying? Your lord and savior is millions of votes behind Hillary and will have to stop his grift and figure out how useless or helpful he’s going to be going forward – you know, he and his passive aggressive bro army could actually do something to make sure Hillary wins. Unless you’re a Bernie or Bust over-entitled asshole, in which case fuck off and die.
debbie
@Betty Cracker:
I hope Elizabeth Warren picks up on that and tweets Trump. He won’t be able to ignore her.
Cacti
@NR:
Georgia poll is 5-days old, little Bernfeeler.
Try some Preparation H. I hear its good for Berning sensations that come from your ass.
? Martin
@scav: There is, though the sugar is pretty instrumental in the crisping dynamic for waffles, so you either can’t reduce it too much, or you need to find a substitute, or you need to have pale waffles which are, well, no.
The dutch/amish waffles are regular sweet waffles but it’s not overpowering in any way because of the addition of the gravy. And the dutch/amish have SERIOUSLY mean sweet tooths, so you expect that to be there. I think what throws most people off with soul chicken and waffles is the syrup against the chicken. That definitely throws the dish in a completely different direction. So the waffles are almost immaterial to the sweetness, it’s really just the salty gravy/sweet syrup distinction.
What’s interesting is that if I had never met either meal, I would assign them differently. I’d assume the dutch/amish version was the soul version and the syrup one was the dutch one – in part because when the dutch settled in PA, it was a major maple syrup producer – new england and canada were too cold.
Ridnik Chrome
@rikyrah: If the Republicans really do follow through on their threat to deny Garland a vote, I hope Hillary Clinton nominates Loretta Lynch to take his place. Especially after this week.
bemused
@rikyrah:
This does not surprise me because he goes ballistic every time an article comes out saying he’s considerably less wealthy than he claims to be.
Cacti
@the Conster, la Citoyenne:
He’s a bitter white dude, full of bile that his bitter white dude savior is a dead man walking.
? Martin
@NR: You know, sometimes its difficult to tell when opposition to Clinton intends to help Sanders or Trump. You walk that line quite frequently.
bemused
@jl:
I’ve read he is saying big league but it sounds like bigly to me every time I’ve heard him.
Cacti
@? Martin:
Trump and Sanders are 2 sides of the same coin.
Gin & Tonic
@? Martin:
Um, you know they weren’t Dutch, right?
NR
@Cacti:
And yet you only support one of them. Why is that?
NR
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: I love it. It’s now the Berniebros’ responsibility to win the election for Hillary.
I thought she was the most qualified candidate ever and didn’t need any help? I thought she was going to win a huge landslide?
scav
@? Martin: Thanks, especially for the sugar-crisping reminder (as they’re under gravy, I’d be more worried about the crunch than the pallor). Funny how the sweet-salty combo seems all the rage when it involves caramel and sea salt, but not with chicken and maple syrup. Rather intrigued (especially as I’m not much of a gravy fan but do love salty licorice).
Major Major Major Major
Aaaaand pie’d. Finally.
smith
I see that Trump has re-pivoted on his tremendous tax plan and now won’t change a thing. He’d gotten a couple of right wing economists to pretty it up so it won’t appear on the face of it to blow up the debt by $10 trillion, but apparently he doesn’t really want their help. I guess they were window dressing like the blonde backup singers he always has on stage with him. If he keeps doing this kind of bait-and-switch on the experts, or “experts,” he’s bringing in to make his ideas seem respectable, I wonder how long the nascent consolidation of his support from the R establishment will last.
Patricia Kayden
@MattF: The jokes right themselves, don’t they? The only good thing to come out of Trump’s campaign is all the fodder we now have to ridicule him for decades to come.
jl
The Hillz/Bernie wars have infiltrated Trump posts? Shit.
Cacti
@NR:
Where have I ever supported Trump, other than your fevered imagination?
Post some proof, and I’ll declare Bernie to be my personal savior.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@NR:
It’s everyone’s responsibility to beat Trump. What the everloving fuck is wrong with you?
Dadadadadadada
@Cermet: I agree with the sentiment, but you placed the start date of this Civil War about a hundred years too late. The slavery question very nearly derailed the Continental Congress in 1776, and there had been controversy about it even before that.
Major Major Major Major
@smith: You know, I’d never even considered that right-wing ‘economists’ actually believed their own BS and would have their feelings hurt by being ‘used’ in this way. Perhaps I was giving them too much(?) credit.
Patricia Kayden
@Ella in New Mexico: Your description of Trump manning the White House switchboard deserves an SNL skit. He’s so easily mockable. Secretary Clinton should have fun with her ads.
FlyingToaster
@srv: Like Kay said, TSA is a GOP program.
But actually, what the Port Authority is threatening is to replace the TSA with private security firms, as SF has done. The TSA’s response was hack-handed, as usual, and partially a lie. Their personnel cutbacks have had the greatest impact; passenger preparedness is essentially unchanged from a year ago. Their much-touted PreCheck is seen as useless unless you’re flying every week.
So this isn’t political. And I doubt an article in the NYPost is going to ever “create” a Republican.
scav
@? Martin: ps, And I do remember the wall of Jello, the pre-prepared pie fillings and bulk Froot Loops from the Amish/Mennonite market I went to in Iowa. Only meal I had with our Amish tenants wasn’t memorably sweet, but was certainly sufficient in quantity (great uncle certainly enjoyed their pies).
Patricia Kayden
@jl: This soon will pass.
? Martin
@Gin & Tonic: Of course I do. I lived there for a number of years. Repeatedly saying ‘Pennsylvania’ when you live there is exhausting, so everyone knows what you mean when you just say ‘dutch’. You actually refer more directly to the Amish or Mennonites (there really aren’t any PA Germanic speakers that aren’t either Amish or Mennonite any longer) and refer to the language or the shared cultural elements as dutch. Some of the cultural elements persist outside of the Amish/Mennonite community that aren’t backed up by the language. Its a bit of a tangle but somehow people from there all know what they’re talking about.
germy
@Ella in New Mexico:
Exactly. His gift for mimicry and sound effects will be an asset in his administration.
jl
@smith:
” I wonder how long the nascent consolidation of his support from the R establishment will last. ”
I think you have it wrong. This is Trump going through the motions of consolidating his support from the R establishment. He’s talked out of both sides of his mouth about taxes, going hyper W supply side (we saw how that turned out) and talking in the media about probably increasing taxes on the wealthy should be on the table (probably a futile attempt to lure in significant number of Sanders supporters).
Looks like Moore, one his team of two bogus experts (Kudlow and Moore), wouldn’t bless the plan, and said the numbers are questionable. And Moore is an expert at putting out questionable numbers, so there is that. But that ‘numbers should add up’ nonsense is all smoke and mirrors, so SOP GOP politicking.. No one cares about it, except losers like Krugman and Democratic pols.
Important thing is that Trump seems to be publicly committing himself to the Mother of All Outlandish Supply Side Tax Cuts, which makes him good with the GOP and their money people. And maybe no coincidence that he is doing this as he abandons self-financing, and after his announced plan to get a lot of Sanders style small donor money has disappeared into the mists of time (as far as I know, someone let me know if that ever amounted to anything real). Edit: so apparently he is gong to get big donor money.
different-church-lady
I gotta say at least here at BJ the reality distortion machine only tries to affect a few dozen people. Over at Daily Kos they thought they could affect the actual results of the primary.
ETA: …and they almost pulled it off.
Amir Khalid
@NR:
Would the, ahem, Berniebros rather see President Trump in office?
different-church-lady
@NR:
I’ll keep this in mind next time we see one of those insufferable “HILLARY CAN’T WIN IF YOU GUYS KEEP INSULTING US I’M TAKING MY VOTE AND GOING HOME” comments.
Major Major Major Major
@different-church-lady: Why waste the storage space?
Patricia Kayden
@rikyrah: But if the Senate switches to the Democratic Party, we are going to get Liberal Judges for all federal court vacancies so I don’t see a win for Big Business in delaying the filling of the Scalia vacancy.
? Martin
@scav: They tend to segregate the meals pretty well, which is how I also grew up. It was a bit unacceptable to serve something sweet with a main lunch/dinner entree. You could do it with breakfast, though. But for dessert, all bets were off – a bowl of sugar would be acceptable. Other cultures are more fluid, as are other parts within the US. Jello salads would never have flown in my family on the dinner table, but they did elsewhere easily enough.
But there are exceptions. Amish sometimes serve corn cake which falls along the usual sweet/savory cornbread spectrum, but they’ll put syrup on theirs which I’ve not seen done elsewhere.
different-church-lady
@the Conster, la Citoyenne:
Sixth stage of grief: premature “I told you so!”
different-church-lady
@Major Major Major Major: My brain is cloud-based nowadays…
D58826
OT but the House GOP is determined to impeach someone/anyone in the Obama administration:House Republicans will start considering whether to impeach IRS Commissioner John Koskinen over accusations that he failed to comply with a subpoena and lied to Congress, multiple sources told POLITICO.
The House Judiciary Committee on Friday announced plans for two hearings over the next several weeks to examine the “misconduct” of Koskinen. Republicans on the House Oversight Committee say the commissioner misled Congress about the status of sensitive emails regarding the IRS tea party scandal. Those documents were deleted during their probe of the scandal.
Story Continued Below
.
.
“The fact that officials at the IRS wielded their power to target certain Americans for their political views is both outrageous and contrary to our nation’s values,” Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) said in a statement provided to POLITICO. “Despite repeated congressional efforts to get to the bottom of this matter, Obama Administration officials, including the IRS Commissioner, have consistently undermined the investigation.”
Patricia Kayden
@Amir Khalid: Susan Sarandon has said as much so I would say yes — at least for some of them. I’m not sure what their point is but I didn’t understand PUMAs back in 2008 either.
Major Major Major Major
@Patricia Kayden: I imagine they’re assuming that Dem voters don’t care about the obstructionism. I mean, they haven’t so far?
smith
@jl: I can see that he’s signalling to other 1%ers, but his tax plan is so completely off the rails you’d think that even they would like a smidgen of rationality in the management of our economy. Especially since he’s also signalling that he won’t listen to even right-wing “experts” in doing so. In other words, are the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson really as crazy as he is? Are they really interested in turning him loose to wreak havoc? Their economic well-being depends on living in a somewhat predictable world just as much as ours does.
WaterGirl
The thing is, this doesn’t have to be true. It works if you even just believe that this is something Trump would do, and I completely believe this is not out of the realm of possible for Trump. This man should be nowhere near the presidency.
I have to hope that a whole lot of people are making a statement by saying they will vote for Trump because everything is fucked up, but have absolutely no intention of voting for him. Otherwise, our country is so screwed.
D58826
@El Caganer: Well at least with Caligula’s plan you could ride the beast. What good is a horses………
Major Major Major Major
@smith: I remember reading a somewhat lengthy piece some years ago about a person gradually changing from a rationalist-libertarian mindset to sort of boring centrist liberal. One of the bits in it was about courts and precedent. He was like, why on earth do courts place so much importance on precedent, especially when the precedents are so obviously, demonstrably wrong? It just makes no sense. You’re just perpetuating an idea for its own sake regardless of the merit.
And then, he started a business, and achieved enlightenment.
jl
@smith: I agree, but the current GOP establishment and their big money backers are a combo of nuts and conpeople, so not sure whether they give a fig for arguments such as you give.
Ryan gamed the CBO analysis of his supply-side tax cut plan by dictating the assumptions that they would use to guarantee an analysis that could be passed off as sound in the news. Ryan’s argument for how his plan would not eliminate most of the federal government was literally an asterisk (*) that referred to unspecified cuts that in some unexplained way would not reduce any services. It was a total con. That is what these people do for a living.
Edit: I should be more concise like other better commenters. What I mean to say is that Trump is doing exactly what Ryan has done in the past. The CBO itself called out the con Ryan was running as much as it could without getting in trouble in the very report Ryan requested.
D58826
@NR: I c an understand a poll that gives Bernie a big lead over Hillary. I do not understand why all those folks that are leaning Trump in those polls will suddenly lean to the much more liberal Bernie in November, esp. after the slime machine has 6 months to highlight Bernie’s past.
Chyron HR
@D58826:
What part of “Bernie is Lord” is confusing you?
Germy Shoemangler
http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/05/clinton-campaign-insiders-want-liz-warren-as-vp.html
‘Very Influential People’ in Clinton’s Campaign Want Elizabeth Warren As Vice-President
By Claire Landsbaum
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@Germy Shoemangler:
It’s a stupid idea. Mass. has a Republican governor that would appoint her successor, in the Senate we’re trying to flip. I wish people would just stop – she’s where she should be for her highest and best purpose.
Betty Cracker
@Germy Shoemangler: I’m seeing so many pieces on that lately that I’m wondering if it’s really a thing. It makes sense on some levels, but on others, not so much.
Major Major Major Major
@Germy Shoemangler: I keep saying, it’s gonna be Julian Castro.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@Major Major Major Major:
or Tom Perez.
jl
@Betty Cracker: But are the ‘Very Influential’ also the ‘Best’, ‘Top’ and ‘Terrific’ people?
Edit: Maybe they are the same people who knew Biden would run?
Betty Cracker
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: Another drawback: Warren isn’t much younger than Clinton, and we need a VP who can become a successor or at least a long-term party leader down the road. If the Clinton campaign has to raid the senate, Gillibrand might be a good pick, though she doesn’t have the anti-Wall Street cred Warren does, obviously. I like Gillibrand and was kinda hoping she’d run this year, but she wouldn’t oppose Clinton.
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: Kay and I were talking up Perez before it was cool!
rikyrah
@the Conster, la Citoyenne:
yep
NotMax
re: some of the above.
Only thing I order when go to authentic Pennsylvania Dutch restaurants is the chicken and waffles. Scrumptious combo.
The Harlem-created version? Meh.
Sort of ironic that the Pennsy Dutch aren’t Dutch whereas Harlem was originally named by the Dutch (Haarlem).
Serving chicken and waffles at a White House state dinner is, I guess, a distant echo of FDR serving the British royals hot dogs.
Germy Shoemangler
@Betty Cracker:
I agree. I like here where she is. But I keep seeing stories like this, and I wonder if where there’s smoke there’s possibly fire?
@Major Major Major Major: Julian Castro was on my list here, but I’ve seen doubts expressed about his abilities by commenters here and at LGM.
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: I wonder if Trump will consider Scott Brown as VP?
D58826
@Chyron HR: Sorry I missed the glowing halo. Must have been his bad haircut. But at least it is HIS hair
Bostondreams
@Cacti:
Exactly. And it ignores the fact that if Sanders wins the nomination, there is plenty of stuff out there the Republicans will use to easily attack him. He looks good now only because Clinton has gone easy. No matter who wins, the poll numbers will drop after the primary as the attacks dig in.
glory b
@? Martin: Well, drizzling/dipping fried chicken in honey is also a thing. They don’t offer it anymore, I don’t think, but KFC used to have honey to dip chicken tenders in.
Shell
Ah, Ralph Nader. As useless as ever.
“Ralph Nader, the former Green Party presidential candidate and lifelong consumer activist, says Donald Trump’s dizzying presidential candidacy hasn’t been all bad, while Hillary Clinton is winning the Democratic nomination by “dictatorship.”
El Caganer
@Germy Shoemangler: So they want to take somebody who has profound expertise in financial matters and who currently has a position that makes use of that expertise, and have her move to a job where she’ll do vital things like greeting the sub-assistant prime minister of Graustark at state dinners. Sounds like a plan!
Amir Khalid
@Germy Shoemangler:
Mere speculation. Warren hasn’t definitively said she wants to be anywhere but where she is right now.
Major Major Major Major
Mostly OT, trigger warning: bernie/hillz war:
Good friend of mine just registered to vote in NJ and was chatting with his buddy about it.
Friend: Yep! Registered to vote Dem.
Friend of Friend: Vote Bernie!
F: Eeeew, wait, you’re a Bernie supporter? You can’t be!
FoF: I am supportive of Bernie but I didn’t vote for either in the primary since I wanted to stay registered as an independent.
Now that’s what I call purity! Too pure to even register in a manner that would allow you to vote for His Pureness.
jl
@El Caganer: I had to look up Graustark. Do you mean the fictional country, or does the dead racehorse have a prime minister?
Betty Cracker
@glory b: Popeyes still dispenses honey packs upon request.
NotMax
@? Martin
Cannot speak to today, but when was living in the boonies of Berks county for a while during the 70s, there certainly were.
Major Major Major Major
@Shell: One of my friends on FB shared something with a description starting like “I interviewed Ralph Nader in Florida recently, and here’s his take on the Democratic primary…”
I made it as far as “Ralph Nader in Florida”.
Germy Shoemangler
@El Caganer: As I said, I like her right where she is. I found the article interesting enough to link to.
I disagree that the Warren tweets are an audition, as the article claims.
glory b
@NR: No, we thought that Berniebros actually believed in some of the things he is talking about, like concern for the poor and victimized.
However, you seem fine with letting them get ravaged by the wolves in the Republican party just to make a point about how much we neeeeeed you.
We must all bow to the power of the Bern! How dare we have an opinion that differs from St. Bernard!
Foolish us to believe it was about more than a personality cult, but Bernie would have had us believe that you guys really cared. Oh, well….
D58826
@Germy Shoemangler: @the Conster, la Citoyenne: I was going to make the same point only at the govenors level, where Obama picked Janet Napolitano of Arizona and we got we got the unforgettable Jan Brewer.
El Caganer
@jl: All of them, Katie.
rikyrah
Lol. Trump so rich he’s only self-funded 300k! Rest is loans to campaign. Means GOP donors can now reimburse Trump for whole campaign. Weak!
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) May 13, 2016
Ruemara
OK, help! That 4yr extended warranty for $2500 extra, that’s a rip, no?
low-tech cyclist
Jeez, he could have just hired Mary Rosh, rather than having to create his own alter egos.
El Caganer
@Germy Shoemangler: No, I didn’t think you were endorsing the idea. I’d be really curious to meet somebody who does think it’s a good idea, because I just can’t see any way that such a move would help more than it would hurt.
Major Major Major Major
@Ruemara: Does it cover accidentally bathing the car in a vat of acid?
What about intentionally?
(That’s how I always phrase the question when I’m making a major purchase, at least…)
PaulWartenberg2016
I can’t tell what is fake or real when it comes to the stupid crazy stuff that happens with/for/revolving around Trump.
Is this really a scandal or a satire? Give me real links to real reports please.
Villago Delenda Est
@dedc79: Exactly. Remember that “short fingered vulgarian” is a characterization of Drumpf that he cannot let go of, ever.
Villago Delenda Est
@rikyrah: Sad, too.
The Rethug establishment is getting grifted by The Donald, big time. Idiots.
Gin & Tonic
@Ruemara: Absolutely.
different-church-lady
@Major Major Major Major: Friendly reminder: Facebook is the world’s most perfect alchemy of insipid and evil.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@Germy Shoemangler:
Scott Brown is too pretty to share the stage with Trump. Plus Scotty lost twice, both times to girls, which makes him a loser.
Brachiator
@Villago Delenda Est:
Isn’t it more that he can’t come to grips with it, with his stubby little fingers and all.
Germy Shoemangler
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: I can’t imagine a running mate for der drumpf. Samantha Bee said a stack of maxim magazines would be the SCOTUS pick, so that’s out…
Ruemara
Whew, thanks people. Looks like I’m within budget with a nearly new car. Still working on the deal.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@Brachiator:
His fingers are really really short, and his hands are actually very very tiny.
D58826
anopther piece on how Washington doesn’t work for the rest of us
Seems they have gone to far for even some republicans. Now that is being a vulture
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/vulture-fund-lobbying_us_57350001e4b077d4d6f2a374
Major Major Major Major
@different-church-lady: No, you’re thinking of Twitter.
And hey, I didn’t say I responded… I’m getting better!
Betty Cracker
@PaulWartenberg2016: There’s a link in the first sentence to the real report. I made the rest of that shit up. No matter how obvious I think it is, it’s never obvious enough, so I made a “Poe’s Law” tag.
Marjowil
Many snark-challenged posters on this thread.
jl
@PaulWartenberg2016:
” I can’t tell what is fake or real when it comes to the stupid crazy stuff that happens with/for/revolving around Trump.
Is this really a scandal or a satire? Give me real links to real reports please. ”
Sounds like someone wants a Wonkette link. If Wonkette not reliable enough, you can follow links to rags like the WaPo.
I Don’t Know How To Tell You This, But Donald Trump Might Have Said Something Untrue
http://wonkette.com/601790/i-dont-know-how-to-tell-you-this-but-donald-trump-might-have-said-something-untrue
Villago Delenda Est
@Brachiator: Fair point.
cleek
Sanders can win the whole thing, if just runs on the Green Party ticket!
obviously all the tens of millions of Dems who would’ve voted for Clinton will immediately switch to Sanders once they realize they can vote for the only honest man in the world.
someday, someone needs to figure why Sanders attracted the dumbest of the dumb.
rikyrah
@Villago Delenda Est:
they deserve it.
Germy Shoemangler
@PaulWartenberg2016: You can hear the audio here:
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a44858/donald-trump-own-publicist-reporter-audio/
It’s obviously him.
Germy Shoemangler
@rikyrah: “You Can’t Cheat An Honest Man” (W.C. Fields film)
MCA1
@Germy Shoemangler: They ARE an audition, just for Senate Majority Leader.
The Other Chuck
@Major Major Major Major: My response to That Asshole is zero words, and includes only a single digit extended. That Fucking Sanctimonious Shitbag doesn’t deserve words anymore. Let alone his name ever being mentioned.
Patricia Kayden
@Turner Hedenkoff: Yummy but so bizarre. What a bonanza for comedians.
Emma
Would y’all stop with the waffles? Those are part of the appetizer menu. That above is the actual menu for the dinner. And now I have a yen for short ribs, dammit.
Germy Shoemangler
@MCA1: “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” (to quote Brian Wilson)
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@cleek:
It’s just blinkered entitlement – the promise and lure of free college and free health care for overwhelmingly white millennials, while Sanders and his minions completely ignore the fact that the poorest people in this country are still waiting to reap the benefits of the provisions of the ACA designed to help them, and are being sandbagged by red state legislatures at every opportunity, and there have been zero mentions of how that fact intersects with his pie in the sky proposals, or of any proposals to counter voter suppression in those same states, by Bernie fucking Sanders, “progressive” hero to the white youth of America, whose votes are being suppressed by having to register to vote as a Democrat.
Brachiator
@NR:
Too early to worry about anything.
And even with this poll, one tidbit is interesting:
As “bad” a candidate Clinton may be, I cannot imagine pro-choice voters selecting Trump over her.
Gin & Tonic
@Germy Shoemangler: I need a technical ruling from a ref. Is it a Godwin violation if I just mention Goebbels?
Southern Beale
Forget that the butler is racist and crazy … you’d think even HAVING a butler would disqualify Donald Trump from populist hero status.
Apparently it’s always, ALWAYS okay if you’re a Republican.
Germy Shoemangler
@Gin & Tonic: I am not blowing my whistle. Play on.
jl
Unless they are snarking like Cracker, the HRC/Sander die-hards are truly deranged and obsessed. Sad! Also spouting lots of pure bullshit.
Frankensteinbeck
@NR: and @Cacti:
And President Romney can tell you how important those outlier polls are rather than going with aggregates!
@Shell:
Nader is basically a Republican now. He appears on FOX News to slam Democrats and support conservative rhetoric. Purity ponies fall, but assholes remain assholes.
Major Major Major Major
@Gin & Tonic: You’re good.
The Thin Black Duke
@Southern Beale: Welcome back. It’s been a while.
Southern Beale
@The Thin Black Duke:
Busy time for me. Just doing a drive-by!
gbear
I just read the post and haven’t read down the comments yet, but because of the way Trump has been campaigning, I have absolutely no idea if the story is real or farce. It’s too good to be real – someone had to be making that up.
Major Major Major Major
Wish me luck on my HFA interview!!
Germy Shoemangler
@gbear: I linked to the audio. See comment 181.
Gin & Tonic
@Major Major Major Major: Hillary for America? Homeowners for Armadillos? Housing Finance Administration? The mind reels.
Germy Shoemangler
@Gin & Tonic: Hens From Ab’Bshingh.
Villago Delenda Est
@Major Major Major Major: Lots of luck! Break a leg!
The Lodger
@Southern Beale: Batman has a butler, and he’s still popular among the 99%.
The Lodger
You mean John Barron isn’t a real person? Next thing you know, I won’t be able to believe in the existence of spokespeople Sandy Burners, Celery Hilton, Farley Cioppino, Rafael Torquemada Jr. and Paul Buad-Dib. I’m crushed.
D58826
@cleek:
And if Baud decides that like a true statesperson ‘if nominated he will not run and if elected he will not serve’ I will be more than willing to step into the breech and see that Bernie’s vision is fulfilled and Trump is defeated.
On a serious note there was a tweet from an article on salon that Bernie should continue to campaign because he owns no loyalty to either Hillary or the democratic party.
sm*t cl*de
@Ella in New Mexico:
Bug Fuck Barron.
Dee Loralei
So, on Twitter I just linked to the story about small handed monkeys having the loudest voices, smallest
Ends and lowest spermcount with #Trump2016 and said dude this is describing you WTG! And someone @DonaldTrumpinfo just liked it! Hahahaha dipshit didn’t even read the friggin headline, just my comment !
geg6
@? Martin:
I’ve lived in PA my entire life and never, ever saw chicken and waffles until I went to Atlanta. It’s not a thing here. Really. Plus…disgusting. I can’t imagine why people would eat that combination.
D58826
@geg6: Ah but scrapple – cuisine to die for (or from depending on your point of view)
Davebo
@NR:
I really can’t understand why many people believe a not insignificant segment of Bernie supporters act like 8 year olds.
Davebo
@? Martin:
There’s a little joint near downtown Houston called The Breakfast Klub.
It gets rave reviews all the time and I lived blocks from it for two years. And I’m a big breakfast guy. But I never once tried it because every weekend morning there were always at least 100 people lined up in the parking lot waiting to get in.
MaryRC
@geg6: Chicken paired with something sweet is delicious. If you haven’t tried honey-roasted chicken or fried chicken dipped in a little honey, you don’t know what you’re missing. Same with turkey basted with maple syrup.
J R in WV
@Ruemara:
Probably a rip. I quit buying extended whatchets long ago after reading in CR that they don’t pay off on average, ever.
J R in WV
My Grandpa Henrichs was from PA, PennsyDutch. His sisters wrote my Grandma, from along the Big Sandy River in KY with recipes to remind Grandpa of home.
He was a Blacksmith in farm country,, and came to WV to get a job as a mechanic in the mines. He made his hand tools himself, wish I had them But I never got to know him, he died of black lung in 1951, when I was 10 months old.
CBS evening news had a lead story about Trump pretending to be a spokesman, played the audio, interviewed the reporter he called, 25 years ago. She remembered it like it was just last Tuesday. Sweet!!!
Aleta
@J R in WV:
Do you have the recipes? It would be so cool if you do.
SciNY
I’m taking Trump’s denial of responsibility for the “John Barron” and “John Miller” phone calls at face value, voice analysis be damned. Since he’s telling the truth, it means that he’s also admitting to perjury (lying under oath) when he said the opposite for his deposition. Pretty ironic for a guy whose main line of attack is, “Bill Clinton lied about a blowjob, and Hillary stayed married to him anyway.”