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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Big Lie on Deck

Big Lie on Deck

by Betty Cracker|  September 16, 20169:58 am| 311 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Politics, Republican Stupidity, Assholes

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Trump is supposed to make a “major announcement” on his racist birther campaign at 10 AM ET. You can watch it live here.

Josh Barro thinks Trump is about to step on a landmine:

If his story is "Hillary invented birtherism and I'm the one who debunked it," that's an obvious lie, not unusual for Trump. But.

— Josh Barro (@jbarro) September 16, 2016

Please proceed, racist goon.

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Reader Interactions

311Comments

  1. 1.

    Sean Farnsworth

    September 16, 2016 at 10:00 am

    Why do we think any media will call him out this time? Why would this be any different than the literal thousands of other times he’s lied? If anything, they paper it over and agree, Hillary created birtherism. That’s where the media is now.

  2. 2.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 10:01 am

    HRC giving a pretty good speech in the meantime.

  3. 3.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 10:03 am

    What can Trump possibly say on the birther topic? He can’t flat state he believes Obama was born in America. What would his racist goon supporters do after that?

  4. 4.

    ruemara

    September 16, 2016 at 10:03 am

    What does it matter? Seriously. I think I’m supposed to commit seppuku in September because poll. Sheesh.

  5. 5.

    chopper

    September 16, 2016 at 10:04 am

    the only thing crazier than trump claiming what barro thinks he will is that the press will run with it.

  6. 6.

    Hildebrand

    September 16, 2016 at 10:05 am

    @Corner Stone: This is Pivot 2.0 – Trump can always find a way to convince the marks that he is not actually saying anything different.

  7. 7.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 10:05 am

    HRC speech just now was GREAT. Her final stretch speech is sounding very good, with an effective mix of what she will do and who Trump is.

    Prediction about Trump will say: “Hillary started it, I finished it, America is grateful I got to the bottom of whether Obama is American.”

  8. 8.

    scav

    September 16, 2016 at 10:06 am

    At this point, I’d imagine he’s just doing it to watch everyone scramble into place at his feet and look up expectantly either with love or horror, no matter. It’s all a choke-chain and he’s got the lead.

  9. 9.

    Gin & Tonic

    September 16, 2016 at 10:07 am

    Trump is goddamn Lucy with the football and the “reporters” are too fucking dumb to see it. They fall for this stupid trick *every fucking time.*

  10. 10.

    Hildebrand

    September 16, 2016 at 10:07 am

    @Trentrunner: I hope the Clinton campaign has a statement ready to go debunking the whole ‘Hillary started it’ knavery.

  11. 11.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 10:09 am

    @Hildebrand: I’m seeing reasonably decent press pushback on the “Hillary started it” lie.

    For instance, last night’s NYT said Trump “falsely” claimed that.

  12. 12.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 10:10 am

    @Hildebrand: HRC will have a speech for every possible bullshit thing he might say. If he says Obama is an American they will say “you can’t erase history”. If he says HRC started it I am sure they have something cutting to say. If he doesn’t say anything directly on point this could be a hilarious Friday.

  13. 13.

    waspuppet

    September 16, 2016 at 10:11 am

    I dunno. He might actually mostly-apologize. And the Chuck Todds of the world will absolutely melt.

  14. 14.

    Amir Khalid

    September 16, 2016 at 10:11 am

    I don’t see why anyone should believe what Trump has to say now about his birtherism. He’s already changed his story again and again. Whatever he says today, just wait a week and he’ll say something different.

  15. 15.

    Tokyokie

    September 16, 2016 at 10:12 am

    There is one, and only one, issue in this campaign: Will the United Stares elect a full-throated fascist president. And our elite and overpaid news media can”t see it.

  16. 16.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 10:12 am

    @Corner Stone: IMHO, Hillary’s campaign has been flawless. Agile, hard-hitting, prepared, and willing to call out Trump for what he is. I’ve been impressed.

  17. 17.

    TS

    September 16, 2016 at 10:12 am

    @Trentrunner:

    HRC speech just now was GREAT

    Shame the media doesn’t cover it with the same intensity it will cover every word uttered by Trump.

  18. 18.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 10:13 am

    Trump is going to say some mealy mouthed shit and the press will dutifully write it down and then never mention this topic ever, ever again.

  19. 19.

    Bokonon

    September 16, 2016 at 10:13 am

    @Corner Stone: Hillary can give all the good speeches she want … but my frustration is that the media talking heads don’t show them, or talk right over them (i.e., “Why is Hillary so secretive about her health? What character issues does it raise? Panel discussion next!”)

  20. 20.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 10:13 am

    @chopper:
    But that’s what his minions have been saying since the Costa story came out. They are claiming that Trump performed a great service for the country be forcing the release of the birth certificate. America should be grateful to him, now move along America, nothing to see here.

  21. 21.

    Tilda Swinton's Bald Cap

    September 16, 2016 at 10:14 am

    It’s an article of faith among some on the “left” that Hillary did invent birtherism.

  22. 22.

    Tokyokie

    September 16, 2016 at 10:14 am

    @Amir Khalid: I don”t think anybody can trust anything he says about anything.

  23. 23.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 10:15 am

    @Trentrunner: I was impressed when they did not back off after the media hit the fainting couches about “deplorables”. HRC’s speech today was very direct and very about her support for women, black women, their families and communities.
    To me, and I may be wrong, but it seemed she was saying we’re not going to sit for this racist bullshit and it’s well past time we have your back.

  24. 24.

    BR

    September 16, 2016 at 10:16 am

    @Corner Stone: Live stream anywhere?

  25. 25.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 10:16 am

    @TS: It was on MSNBC and right now HRC has an enthusiasm gap. So if nothing else, a great HRC speech revs up the troops.

  26. 26.

    BR

    September 16, 2016 at 10:17 am

    Also, morning reminder: if you haven’t signed up for at least one volunteer event, so so now. Only will take 30 seconds. Best cure for birtherism blues.

  27. 27.

    Tilda Swinton's Bald Cap

    September 16, 2016 at 10:18 am

    Also, fuck Jimmy Fallon, he is a hack with zero talent.

  28. 28.

    Hildebrand

    September 16, 2016 at 10:18 am

    @hovercraft: For reasons I simply cannot fathom, it seems the press yearns for Trump to become something other than what he is, but won’t actually call him out on being such a vile creature. They want the Trump redemption arc.

  29. 29.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 10:18 am

    From The Guardians live blog of the big event:

    50s ago 10:15
    Preemptive fact-check: Clinton did not start ‘birther’ movement

    While we wait for Trump. He may say that Hillary Clinton started the “birther” movement (his campaign said that last night). That’s not the case. Don’t take our word for it.

    Consult Politifact:

    There is no record that Clinton herself or anyone within her campaign ever advanced the charge that Obama was not born in the United States. A review by our fellow fact-checkers at Factcheck.org reported that no journalist who investigated this ever found a connection to anyone in the Clinton organization.

    Consult the Washington Post:

    This is simply not true. Clinton’s campaign, one of the most thoroughly dissected in modern history, never raised questions about the future president’s citizenship. The idea that it did is based largely on a series of disconnected actions bysupporters of Clinton, mostly in the months between Obama’s reaction to the Jeremiah Wright story and the Democratic National Convention. I know, because I spent/wasted quite a lot of time covering this stuff.

    Consult factcheck.org:

    But none of those stories suggests any link between the Clinton campaign, let alone Clinton herself, and the advocacy of theories questioning Obama’s birth in Hawaii.

    We report, you decide. That’s the line, isn’t it?

  30. 30.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 10:19 am

    @BR:
    Tpm

  31. 31.

    TS

    September 16, 2016 at 10:20 am

    @Trentrunner: Was it on any other outlet? Trump is on all of them all of the time.

    No complaints about Hillary riving up the troops – just doubt that her message is reaching anyone other than the dem base.

  32. 32.

    The Dangerman

    September 16, 2016 at 10:20 am

    I think we need the Daily Double for Donald:

    1) Where was Obama born?

    2) Do you think Obama’s a Muslim?

    OK, make it a Triple Play: Taxes, Motherfucker.

  33. 33.

    Enhanced Voting Techinques

    September 16, 2016 at 10:21 am

    It’s sounds hilariously stupid – but consider this: Trump’s big problem is his own base. As we saw with Powel, even the Right considers him a racist clown. Now thanks the MSM utter degeneracy everyone gets their news from trusted sources. Trump realizes he can lie like a sack of bovine end product and get away with, provided none of these news sources trusted by the right calls him on it. So claiming Hilary is the true racist birther here is a win – win for Trump since he gets to make the right more comfortable with their racism and he gets them stroked up by punching a hippie.

    Of course pissing off the other side won’t win him the election, but that kind of thinking seems to be alien to conservatives now

  34. 34.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 10:21 am

    @Tilda Swinton’s Bald Cap: I agree with “fuck him.” I can’t agree Fallon has “zero” talent. He’s a cringey obsequious sycophant as a host and interviewer, but he is an astoundingly good musical mimic.

    But fuck Fallon for normalizing Trump. Remember that time Fallon had Hitler on and combed his mustache with a tiny comb? HILARIOUS.

    ETA: SNL also deserves to be in this basket for letting Trump host AN ENTIRE EPISODE.

  35. 35.

    Joe Falco

    September 16, 2016 at 10:22 am


    Time to double down on the racism.

  36. 36.

    Uncle Cosmo

    September 16, 2016 at 10:23 am

    O/t, but is anybody/everybody else getting inundated with e-mails from the mostly-worthless DCCC? I’d heard nothing from any of the Party organizations before last Wednesday, since then half a dozen mostly-mendacious attempts to foster panic & drum up $$$ for the DCCC. I filed twice to unsubscribe but since they ignored the request I had to block them.

  37. 37.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 10:24 am

    MSNBC is beating up on Trump pretty good (using Trump’s own content) while waiting for him to start his announcement.

  38. 38.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 10:24 am

    @TS: Didn’t check to see if HRC’s speech was on CNN.

    I’m really not worried about HRC getting sufficient coverage between now and 11/8. Three debates, et al.

  39. 39.

    MomSense

    September 16, 2016 at 10:24 am

    @Corner Stone:

    Well I again ranted at my radio like a crazy person yesterday because they were discussing the Oz health reveal like it was in any way legitimate. We don’t know what those two pieces of paper were. Were they signed, official, on letterhead, or with a physician name we could verify? If you listen carefully to Oz he said there were test results but the only thing he dated to last week were lab results. So were they old test results? Was it the full lab result? What was tested? The whole thing is such a sham and it would not be opinion for journalists to say that it was a sham reveal. One more one weird trick from Oz only this time it was settle half assed calls for something approximating a health report from the media.

  40. 40.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 10:24 am

    @BR:
    Also you can almost always find either the livestream or the recorded event at c-span.

  41. 41.

    BR

    September 16, 2016 at 10:24 am

    @hovercraft:

    Not Trump, Clinton’s live stream.

  42. 42.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 10:25 am

    It’s entirely up to him and I don’t know if it’s “Presidential” but the person who can rebut Trump on birtherism most credibly is Obama. He was the target of the smear.

    I think it’s completely fair for the target of the smear to respond to Trump’s bullshit press conference, but I’m sure media will faint with outrage if Obama steps in. Not that he has to care what they think at this point.

    We know they won’t cover Clinton, but they’ll cover Obama.

  43. 43.

    Gin & Tonic

    September 16, 2016 at 10:26 am

    So according to the Twitter, Trump is 20 minutes late so far. Of course he is, it’s a dominance display. Stupid fucks in the media fall for it.

  44. 44.

    NorthLeft12

    September 16, 2016 at 10:26 am

    @hovercraft: The lack of any direct evidence linking Hillary’s 2008 campaign with the birther movement will just throw another shadow over her current campaign and demonstrate her lack of transparency.

    If only she would hold a press conference and admit to everything she has been accused of, then we could all move on. Amirite?

  45. 45.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 10:27 am

    @Corner Stone:
    I can’t wait for your girl (and mine), Tamron to come on at 11, and beat up whatever flack Trump sends out to spin this conference. I can’t wait for Joy’s show tomorrow, she will tear him a new one, and whoever draws the short straw for that better be ready. Good times.

  46. 46.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 10:27 am

    @Kay: I’m pretty confident Obama will mention it as some point, if only to twist the knife he put in at the 2011 Correspondents’ Dinner.

    It would indeed be delicious karma if Trump’s birtherism proved a key part of his undoing, given that his desire to run was born out of that 2011 humiliation by Obama.

  47. 47.

    The Dangerman

    September 16, 2016 at 10:28 am

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Of course he is, it’s a dominance display.

    True, but add in he’s doing this in his brand new hotel in DC (as I understand it) so he’s still working on the MarCom about how great the place is (i.e., this will be part commercial for the Hotel, just watch).

  48. 48.

    NorthLeft12

    September 16, 2016 at 10:29 am

    @Kay: I think president Obama has demonstrated that he is more than ready to jump in and support Sec. Clinton. He has every reason and every right to land a few body blows to Deadbeat Donald.
    I mean verbally, not physically.

  49. 49.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 10:30 am

    @Trentrunner:

    Obama could pull it off, too. He’s charming. He’ll have just the right mix of scorn and seriousness :)

    Trump’s a coward. He’ll be unable to respond to Obama directly so he’ll go on FOX and trash him, like he did with the lady preacher. He’s a coward. She humiliated him.

  50. 50.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 10:31 am

    And, amazingly, a H/T to Luke Russert’s twitter feed, let’s never ever forget this:
    Romney doesn’t back away from ‘birther’ Trump
    :Mitt Romney said Monday he wasn’t concerned about Donald Trump’s commitment to the “birther” conspiracy, one day before the GOP presidential candidate hosts a fund-raiser alongside the celebrity business magnate.”
    “You know, I don’t agree with all the people who support me and my guess is they don’t all agree with everything I believe in,” Romney said. “But I need to get 50.1% or more and I’m appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people.”

  51. 51.

    Michael Bersin

    September 16, 2016 at 10:32 am

    @Bokonon:

    “…Hillary can give all the good speeches she want … but my frustration is that the media talking heads don’t show them, or talk right over them…”

    This.

    Media narrative? What media narrative?

    “….I got photos (just barely) of Hillary Clinton, no thanks to a CNN crew (reporter, producer, and cameraman) on the front row of the riser putting up a light in my line of sight to the podium to do a live stand up while Hillary was speaking. Blocking me yet again. I freakin’ kid you not….”

  52. 52.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 10:32 am

    What I’m seeing from journos (across the political spectrum) on Twitter is that Trump accepting Obama was born here will NOT etch-a-sketch the issue. This includes the OpEd of the NY Post.

  53. 53.

    NorthLeft12

    September 16, 2016 at 10:32 am

    @The Dangerman: They probably doubled the price of the drinks at the bar in the hotel and Deadbeat Donald is just trying to maximize the reporters’ bar tabs before he puts on his usual clown show of lies and insults.

  54. 54.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 10:33 am

    @NorthLeft12:

    Right, but it’s personal to Obama. Trump attacked him personally. The subtext of birtherism was always that Obama is a liar. If Obama wasn’t born where he said he was born then Obama’s a liar on a truly massive scale. In fact, Trump’s the liar.

  55. 55.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 10:33 am

    If anyone wants to get a feel for Hillary’s speech earlier, the link I posted at #29 has the Guardians live blog of the speech if you scroll down.

  56. 56.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 10:34 am

    Another yuge advantage for HRC in all this, is that Trump is making sure this birther controversy is part of the debates–the first one is just 10 days away, folks.

  57. 57.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 10:34 am

    @BR:
    I’m looking for the speech right now, but no one seems to have the tape yet.

  58. 58.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 10:34 am

    @Corner Stone:

    Oh, they were all terrible on it. It’s the first time they folded to Trump. A precursor of the massive surrender that was to follow. Birtherism is central to this. It’s the origin.

  59. 59.

    randy khan

    September 16, 2016 at 10:34 am

    I drove past the Trump hotel – it’s in a lovely old building that used to be the main D.C. Post Office, by the way – on the way to work and saw the news trucks outside. I was wondering if they were doing some kind of opening event, but I guess we have The Donald in person. Whoopee.

  60. 60.

    Seanly

    September 16, 2016 at 10:35 am

    @Corner Stone:

    Yeah, I stuck around the house to finish watching the speech. Clinton talked about giving people something to vote for versus something to vote against. She also called Trump a liar several times (or mentioned lying). This is good. If Clinton talks about Trump as a liar then the media has to discuss it. While we’ve seen posts about how NPR or NYT can’t/won’t state the fact that Trump is a liar then they would at least have to say Clinton says Trump is lying which puts it out there.
    Also, is ti me or does Clinton seem a lot more lively? Her voice sounds good and her color looks good. I know the whole pneumonia thing didn’t play well in the media, but she seems rejuvenated. Hope she’s good for the next 53 days.

  61. 61.

    BR

    September 16, 2016 at 10:36 am

    @hovercraft:

    Looks like it’s up on c-span.

  62. 62.

    Jeffro

    September 16, 2016 at 10:36 am

    @Hildebrand:

    I hope the Clinton campaign has a statement ready to go debunking the whole ‘Hillary started it’ knavery.

    I truly hope the extent of her statement about anything Donald Trump says is, “He’s a bullshit artist, everybody knows he’s a bullshit artist, let’s move on and lemme tell you about how I’d like to bring folks together and move this country forward”. Full stop.

  63. 63.

    NorthLeft12

    September 16, 2016 at 10:37 am

    @Kay:

    Trump’s a coward.

    Yes, it is amazing that his supporters don’t recognize that as well as all his other poor qualities.

    Slightly off topic but I don’t believe I have ever seen a public figure without a sense of humour. I mean, at all. Until Deadbeat Donald.

  64. 64.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 10:39 am

    Something to watch for in this Trump speech: The press have been cordoned off 4-6 rows back. Will the press shout out questions? If they do, that’s significant. Another indication they’ve had it with the bullshit (or at least this bullshit on this day). The press are NOT supposed to shout out questions when Trump has an event like this. (He’s had a few like this a MaraLago.)

  65. 65.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 10:40 am

    @NorthLeft12:

    I don’t believe I have ever seen a public figure without a sense of humour.

    There’s another measure, and it’s the effect a person has on the people in his orbit. Trump’s shit sticks to all the Trumpsters, to everything he touches. No one looks better as a result of an association with him- they always look worse. People get worse the longer they have contact with him. It’s why he doesn’t have any friends.

  66. 66.

    BR

    September 16, 2016 at 10:41 am

    @NorthLeft12:

    There’s got to be some way to convey his cowardice to men who would otherwise support him. I bet Biden can figure out how to do it.

  67. 67.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 10:42 am

    @NorthLeft12: YES! In all the video of Trump, has anyone EVER seen him actually LAUGH? Not smirk, fake-smile, but actually laugh. I haven’t.

  68. 68.

    Patricia Kayden

    September 16, 2016 at 10:43 am

    @Trentrunner: But non-racist Americans never questioned President Obama’s birth place. Never gave it a thought. So if Trump claims he got to the bottom of that non-issue, he’s lying, as usual.

  69. 69.

    NorthLeft12

    September 16, 2016 at 10:44 am

    @Kay: I agree. The whole premise of the birther movement is a nasty, ugly, and racist attack on President Obama. Of course it is personal.
    I’m amazed that Pres. Obama is able to keep his cool as well as he does. I would probably be ordering a drone strike on Trump Tower.

  70. 70.

    Calouste

    September 16, 2016 at 10:44 am

    @Seanly: Probably just being in the same place for a few days and take it easy to recover from the pneumonia also refreshed her spirits. Presidential campaigning is a pretty hard slog.

  71. 71.

    TS

    September 16, 2016 at 10:45 am

    @randy khan:

    I was wondering if they were doing some kind of opening event, but I guess we have The Donald in person. Whoopee.

    And the media are critical of “conflict of interest” with the Clinton Foundation – never a mention of Trump’s conflict in regard to his business interests. If anyone deserves to lose at the end of this it is the political media. I hope Pres Clinton disbands the WHPC.

  72. 72.

    eric

    September 16, 2016 at 10:45 am

    question for trump: “did you feel humiliated at the Correspondents dinner when Obama made fun of you?”

  73. 73.

    eric

    September 16, 2016 at 10:46 am

    @NorthLeft12: well, he has been president for two terms, michelle and his children, AND scalia s dead. that is way more than glass half full stuff

  74. 74.

    The Ancient Randonnuer

    September 16, 2016 at 10:47 am

    Something all us wihite folks have to accept is that a majority of us are willing to support a racist xenophobe. Someone may have linked to this in another thread but here is a list of Trump’s birther tweets.

  75. 75.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 10:48 am

    @eric:
    Mommy….

  76. 76.

    eric

    September 16, 2016 at 10:49 am

    @hovercraft: the one with the “great boobs”?

  77. 77.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 10:50 am

    Per our discussion above about Obama responding, just now from Jon Karl:

    I asked @POTUS about Trump camp acknowledging he was born in US. “I never had any doubt about where I was born”

    Perfect. :)

  78. 78.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 10:50 am

    @eric:
    Well those boobs do offer him a nice soft place to seek comfort and hide.

  79. 79.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 10:51 am

    @Trentrunner:
    So droll.

  80. 80.

    MomSense

    September 16, 2016 at 10:54 am

    @Trentrunner:

    He also managed to sneak in a big diss on the media saying he was surprised the press would ask him this at a time when there were so many serious issues and then sort of smirked and said actually he wasn’t surprised.

  81. 81.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 10:55 am

    @hovercraft: Just saw the video feed. Obama also said he was shocked/not shocked to get the question, and that he hopes the presidential campaign gets back to addressing serious issues facing the country, etc.

  82. 82.

    Cacti

    September 16, 2016 at 10:55 am

    From Bernie:

    My dad was born in Poland. Do you know how many people ever asked me whether or not I was born in America? Nobody ever asked me that.

  83. 83.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 10:56 am

    Trump on whether Obama born in US: “I’ll answer that question at the right time. I just don’t want to answer it yet”

    He tells them to fuck off every day and for some reason they admire it. It’s like some kind of horrible codependency thing.

  84. 84.

    The Other Chuck

    September 16, 2016 at 10:57 am

    @MomSense: Because that’s what Trump really needs to be doing: pissing off the media more. They might even start factually reporting on him if he keeps that up.

    edit: ah, it was Obama getting in a dig. Something to be said for having no fucks left to give, I guess.

  85. 85.

    BR

    September 16, 2016 at 10:58 am

    @Kay:

    It’s dominance politics like Josh Marshall likes to say. I think Clinton can turn this on its head if she prepares right in the debates, because Trump is a coward and if she talks down to him he will go crazy but won’t be able to punch back (and will whine on Twitter later).

  86. 86.

    MattF

    September 16, 2016 at 10:58 am

    For all you Philistines who think you can get along without the New York Times– here’s a review of an 18-karat gold toilet at the Guggenheim.

  87. 87.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 10:59 am

    General Flynn now introducing Trump.

    (LOL I just realized I’m liveblogging this. No one asked me to!)

  88. 88.

    Aunt Kathy

    September 16, 2016 at 10:59 am

    Didn’t read thru’ all the comments to see if it was already posted, but Kurt Eichenwald was on C-Span this morning, and you could tell that after just a couple Trump-supporter calls, he was screaming internally, OMGOMGOMGOMG.
    Poor man actually thought Trump voter cared about facts. I really do think he was kinda shocked, lol.
    https://www.c-span.org/video/?414822-4/washington-journal-kurt-eichenwald-presidential-candidates-financial-ties

  89. 89.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 11:00 am

    @The Other Chuck:
    It’ll never happen he’s this elections squirrel, they won’t get bored with him until it’s way too late for us. Then just like with Iraq, they’ll hide behind no one knew all this crap about him, and we didn’t realize he was certifiably insane, how were we supposed to know. He was entertaining, unlike the boring Hitlery.

  90. 90.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 11:01 am

    Nooo! NOO!! NOOOOAAAAHHHHH!!!

  91. 91.

    artem1s

    September 16, 2016 at 11:02 am

    @The Ancient Randonnuer:
    wow, Trump was still running the birther shit in late 2014. that’s just a few months before declaring his candidacy. let that sink in for awhile. It wasn’t 5 years ago, it was part of the prep for running for the WH.

  92. 92.

    Joseph Nobles

    September 16, 2016 at 11:03 am

    This just in: Neo Nazis laud Hitler for ending any further attempt to kill the Jews.

  93. 93.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 11:03 am

    @Corner Stone:
    What ?

  94. 94.

    shomi

    September 16, 2016 at 11:03 am

    @Hildebrand: Oh just STFU panstwetter wannbe presidential campaign advisor. They know what they are doing and you have no clue wtf you are talking about.

  95. 95.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 11:04 am

    Here we go…Donald entering the room.

  96. 96.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 11:05 am

    Trump: “Nice hotel.” “Under budget and ahead of schedule.” (It’s his new hotel.)

  97. 97.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 11:05 am

    @artem1s:
    Actually there was an article on September 20, 2015 where he’s still casting doubt, on the birth certificate at the Huffington Post. So really up until a year ago.

  98. 98.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:05 am

    “Nice hotel.” Says he brought in ahead of time and under budget. Uh huh.

    Are there steaks on the dais too?

  99. 99.

    Mike J

    September 16, 2016 at 11:06 am

    Trump’s entire campaign is based on strength an dominance. Keeping that in mind, imagine the press reaction if Clinton apologized or back down from anything. It would be seen as a sign of weakness.

    Trump go into politics because of birtherism, and if he tries to walk it back it will be taken by the media to be a sign that finally he’s a serious candidate.

  100. 100.

    MomSense

    September 16, 2016 at 11:06 am

    @Trentrunner:

    He’s bragging about his hotel!

  101. 101.

    Miss Bianca

    September 16, 2016 at 11:06 am

    @BR: thank you for your reminders, I am taking the new phone banking software out for a spin tonight!

  102. 102.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 11:06 am

    Still talking about his hotel…

  103. 103.

    p.a.

    September 16, 2016 at 11:07 am

    After weeks of emails and health, CNN this am was all Birther Donnie. Sound was off, but chyrons seemed to paint birtherism as nuts. Finally.

    Open thread question: Yesterday I was diagnosed w a small (3mm) brain aneurysm. Still waiting to hear from neuro-whatever my pcp referred me to. Online info makes it seem it’s something to be watched but not necessarily acted on. Non-smoker, no family history, bp under control. Anybody out there have some experience with this?

  104. 104.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:07 am

    Thank you, CNN, for giving Trump national cable to publicize his new hotel.

    “The best hotel in Washington.”

    Did they cover Hillary’s speech? I don’t know that they did.

    Now he’s talking that the room is stacked with generals and leaders.

  105. 105.

    Felonius Monk

    September 16, 2016 at 11:07 am

    Trump may have an orange face, but he truly has a Yellow Belly. A fact that should be exploited by the Dems far more than it is. He is a COWARD. A point that needs to be emphasized over and over.

  106. 106.

    MomSense

    September 16, 2016 at 11:08 am

    @Elizabelle:

    I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.

  107. 107.

    raven

    September 16, 2016 at 11:08 am

    Never mind.

  108. 108.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:08 am

    Now covering himself in the glory of being surrounded by military veterans. And widows.

    CNN is covering all of this. Thank you, CNN.

  109. 109.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 11:08 am

    @MomSense:
    That’s his strategy, use every event to market his properties, the media is there to here his “mea culpa” which won’t be real, but he can force them to carry this Ad for his new hotel on live TV, for free.

  110. 110.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 11:09 am

    @hovercraft: No Tamron Hall today. Peter Alexander is sitting in for her and while he’s a pretty good looking guy and all…I mean come the F on MSNBC!
    What a sucky way to wrap this week up.
    ***sobs***

  111. 111.

    raven

    September 16, 2016 at 11:10 am

    What a fucking moron.

  112. 112.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:10 am

    @MomSense: It’s shameful. CNN should pull away until Trump gets to the birther stuff. He’s just grandstanding.

    Did CNN cover Hillary’s speech today? Asking because I don’t know.

  113. 113.

    Emma

    September 16, 2016 at 11:10 am

    @MomSense: I gave up on sane a while ago.I’ve retreated into my historian persona. Though I will say, living in the last days of an empire is not all that it’s cracked up to be.

  114. 114.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    September 16, 2016 at 11:11 am

    @MomSense:

    I watched part of The Dr. Oz Show yesterday—as much as I could stand—and they did show both documents on screen: the letter from Trump’s doctor and a page detailing his test results. (And they were easily readable.)

  115. 115.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 11:12 am

    It’s difficult to listen to this gentleman.

  116. 116.

    Calouste

    September 16, 2016 at 11:12 am

    Despite all the complaining about CNN, according to TPM, this was how they started the hour:

    Here’s how CNN’s John Berman led off the top of the 11 o’clock hour (ET):

    All right. John Berman with Kate Bolduan. Remarkable moment in the history of presidential politics. Want to show you live pictures from Washington, D.C. We believe a presidential candidate is about to stage a grand event in a hotel ballroom to essentially declare the sky is blue, water is wet and the sun rises in the east. We are told that today, for the first time, Donald Trump will–might– admit that fact is fact and he wants credit for it. At least in one conspiracy theory that he has flirted with for five years. We think, we think that Donald Trump might say that he now thinks that President Obama was born in the United States of America.

  117. 117.

    Glennis

    September 16, 2016 at 11:13 am

    So the US political press is covering an extended advertisement for Trumps hotel. What’s the in-kind value of that?

  118. 118.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 11:14 am

    More old vets talking. Basically: “Get off my lawn, bureaucrats. Trump will fire all of you.”

  119. 119.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:15 am

    Now this jackal is talking about all the bureaucrats in Washington DC, and how the country is not as good as it was.

    When the problem is the obstructionist jackholes in Congress.

    Remembering why I have not been watching so little TV news this year. They’re normalizing the Big Lie.

  120. 120.

    raven

    September 16, 2016 at 11:15 am

    @Trentrunner: After 17 years working for the cluster fuck VA!

  121. 121.

    Peale

    September 16, 2016 at 11:15 am

    @Calouste: And the fact that we know that is thanks to his efforts! We need to thank him for being stupid and leading other people to be just as dumb!

  122. 122.

    The Dangerman

    September 16, 2016 at 11:15 am

    I got money Trump doesn’t say shit about the birther thing this morning.

    ETA: It was all about eyeballs and the hotel.

  123. 123.

    MomSense

    September 16, 2016 at 11:15 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet):

    Well that is encouraging I suppose. Ugh I hate this election.

  124. 124.

    wormtown

    September 16, 2016 at 11:16 am

    weird. Aren’t the old vets Vietnam? He’s a f*ing draft dodger! I just don’t get it. I am a “gold-star sister” – oldest brother was killed in Vietnam.

  125. 125.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:16 am

    @Calouste: They did indeed say that in the intro.

    And then turned the cameras over for an infomercial on Trump. They should have skipped all this crap until Trump gets around to the birther comments, whatever they turn out to be.

  126. 126.

    raven

    September 16, 2016 at 11:17 am

    @wormtown: They don’t give a fuck, they support any puke running against a Democrat.

  127. 127.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 11:17 am

    @Glennis:

    So the US political press is covering an extended advertisement for Trumps hotel. What’s the in-kind value of that?

    I hope the Trump family brand is toxic after this. Couldn’t happen to a better group of people, poverty.

  128. 128.

    MomSense

    September 16, 2016 at 11:17 am

    @Elizabelle:

    It was on MSNBC. I’m home this morning with a puking kid.

  129. 129.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 11:18 am

    @Corner Stone:
    No comparison. But I appreciate her no bs here attitude more than her looks, which are great. I guess I have to wait for Joy. Though on this I expect Tweety to be ruthless, it’s his hobby horse, he likes Trump, but this sticks in his craw, and unless he repudiates this for real, Tweety won’t let it go.

  130. 130.

    Miss Bianca

    September 16, 2016 at 11:18 am

    @p.a.: OMG, no, I don’t have any experience with this. Hoping your prognosis is good, tho’!

  131. 131.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:18 am

    This person is praising Trump’s intellectual curiousity and his temperament, fit for the White House.

    I feel like the White Rabbit will be making an appearance. Any moment now.

  132. 132.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 11:19 am

    Jesus Christ, 20 minutes in, and we’re on vet speaker no. 5 or 6…what is this event?

  133. 133.

    randy khan

    September 16, 2016 at 11:19 am

    If he doesn’t actually get to the birther stuff, it may be worse for him than if he did. They will be very unhappy that they didn’t get their red meat.

  134. 134.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:20 am

    @MomSense: Hope the kid is better.

    Just MSNBC isn’t good enough, when CNN is on air on just about every cable system.

    Now this retired military guy joked about “deplorable as we are.”

    And Hillary is only on MSNBC.

  135. 135.

    singfoom

    September 16, 2016 at 11:20 am

    Every time that Trump and birtherism is mentioned, you should remember Colbert’s offer to Trump:

    Colbert Offers his balls to Trump

    We all know the people who bring up Trumps birtherism are the real birthers.

  136. 136.

    MomSense

    September 16, 2016 at 11:20 am

    @hovercraft:

    Oh god this is terrible. How is it good for the troops to have a president who threatens to start WWIII over a gesture?

    Oh and we’re all deplorables now.

  137. 137.

    Villago Delenda Est

    September 16, 2016 at 11:20 am

    @Tilda Swinton’s Bald Cap: The fun thing is that Paulistas invented it, and aimed it at John McCain.

  138. 138.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 11:20 am

    @Calouste:
    That is shocking, the media actually mocking the orange one as he most assuredly deserves to be mocked. Now if only they can keep up that level of disdain for the next 48 hours, they will have done their jobs for once.

  139. 139.

    Glennis

    September 16, 2016 at 11:20 am

    I can’t bear to watch – I can’t stand to listen to the man, my blood pressure can’t take it. But from the live-blog at the Guardian, this is nothing but a love-fest – a buncha guys talking about how great Trump is, and him basking in the praise.

    What a freaking narcissist!

  140. 140.

    raven

    September 16, 2016 at 11:21 am

    @Trentrunner: It’s a vets event.

  141. 141.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:22 am

    I turned it off.

    Cannot watch. They can’t cover a Hillary speech, but let Trump wrap himself in the flag, and then are likely to just talk about the birther stuff after giving Trump national airtime for a campaign appearance.

    I know this is old hat to you guys, but I had purposely avoided it, and it’s worse than I remembered.

  142. 142.

    MomSense

    September 16, 2016 at 11:22 am

    @p.a.:

    No experience but just want to send my best health wishes to you.

  143. 143.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 11:23 am

    @wormtown:
    He says he loves them and he’s going to spend money on the military. Jack Jacobs said that people who enter the military are more conservative from the get go, and the culture tends to make them even more so. So that on top of people generally becoming more conservative as they age….

  144. 144.

    CONGRATULATIONS!

    September 16, 2016 at 11:23 am

    The press in this country are a bunch of submissives, betas if you’re using dog terminology, who roll over and wet themselves when bitch-slap Donnie comes in the room, They crowd around, begging for their own blows that they can take home and tenderly nourish, as those blows came from the hand of the man who treats them the way they’ve always wanted to be treated. The press aren’t carrying Trump’s water – they’re worshiping him. Like a god.

    Donnie does alpha very well for an obese broke-ass loser who would fold at the slightest hint of real physical violence. Says a lot about most of our press that they just lick up whatever he leaves them and beg for more.

  145. 145.

    Villago Delenda Est

    September 16, 2016 at 11:24 am

    @shomi: HODOR!

  146. 146.

    singfoom

    September 16, 2016 at 11:24 am

    Jesus. Do you think these old vets really believe the shit they’re saying? Have they not read about how Trump dicked over the veteran’s charities? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills as well. What act, just one single act that Donald Trump has ever taken contains an ounce of honor? What has he ever done for someone OTHER than himself?

    Anybody? Buehler?

  147. 147.

    Calouste

    September 16, 2016 at 11:24 am

    @Kay: The Trump brand already has problems due to the shitgibbon’s candidacy:

    Foot traffic at Donald Trump hotels and casinos plunges, data shows

    Donald Trump’s hateful politics are affecting his bottom line.

    Foot traffic to hotels, casinos and golf courses bearing the Republican candidate for President’s name have dropped by 14% compared to 2015, according to a new analysis of Foursquare data.

    The drop in visitors is even more severe in blue states, where the bombastic billionaire has the majority of his properties.

    Trump locales in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Hawaii saw a 20% drop in visitors in July compared to the same month last year.

  148. 148.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:24 am

    @p.a.: No experience, but sending you best wishes. It’s probably just watch and wait, and in that case, better to know. Best to you!

  149. 149.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 11:24 am

    @Elizabelle:

    Once again Trump manages to guarantee live cable coverage of a promotion for his new hotel

    Yup. He screwed them again.

  150. 150.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 11:25 am

    Guardian says that Trump has Rickrolled the media.

  151. 151.

    Tilda Swinton's Bald Cap

    September 16, 2016 at 11:25 am

    I volunteered to work for the local Dems, doing data entry and driving folks to the polls for early voting. As BR says, volunteer, it will make you feel less helpless.

  152. 152.

    raven

    September 16, 2016 at 11:25 am

    @singfoom: THEY DON’T FUCKING CARE.

  153. 153.

    maya

    September 16, 2016 at 11:26 am

    Did he mention that his new hotel is located close to all Capitol buildings and would make a great, nay, super great place for congressmen to take their mistresses or masseurs to on their evenings off while drawing special attention to the Trump D.C. hotel’s ironclad non-disclosure clause?

  154. 154.

    raven

    September 16, 2016 at 11:26 am

    @hovercraft: Especially the honkies.

  155. 155.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 11:26 am

    I’ve no experience, but I’d like to wish you my best. I hope it all works out well.
    EDIT to clarify.

  156. 156.

    Tilda Swinton's Bald Cap

    September 16, 2016 at 11:27 am

    @raven: Hey Raven, is Pat Lang threatening to re-fight the Civil War if Hillary gets elected?

  157. 157.

    Iowa Old Lady

    September 16, 2016 at 11:28 am

    This is so bad that people in attendance have started amusing themselves in other ways:

    Pema Levy
    ✔ ‎@pemalevy

    As cable networks give Trump a free hotel ad, I’ll note that the women’s bathrooms here have no hooks to hang your purse. Annoying! Sad!

  158. 158.

    raven

    September 16, 2016 at 11:28 am

    @Tilda Swinton’s Bald Cap: Oh yea.

  159. 159.

    Amir Khalid

    September 16, 2016 at 11:28 am

    @hovercraft:
    I notice how Republican politicians speak of spending money on the military, never of spending money on military personnel and families. Don’t military people notice this too?

  160. 160.

    Tilda Swinton's Bald Cap

    September 16, 2016 at 11:28 am

    @maya: Interesting fact, the hotel is located right behind the main IRS building.

  161. 161.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 11:28 am

    CNN and Fox finally cut away (vet #8 or 9 speaking). MSNBC still carrying.

    ETA: MSNBC now cutting away.

  162. 162.

    singfoom

    September 16, 2016 at 11:29 am

    I wasn’t aware that the US Military needed “rebuilding”. Our Navy can currently defeat all of the other navies in this world combined no problem. Trump is the monster in the upside down and he’s dragged all of these people with him.

    Found some phonebanking events around me, I do hope it will help.

  163. 163.

    The Dangerman

    September 16, 2016 at 11:29 am

    How do you transition from a massive Veteran’s event to talking about birtherism?

    ETA: Is it really over?

  164. 164.

    Iowa Old Lady

    September 16, 2016 at 11:30 am

    @Trentrunner:

    CNN and Fox finally cut away

    Excellent!

  165. 165.

    Tilda Swinton's Bald Cap

    September 16, 2016 at 11:30 am

    @singfoom: Shit, one nuclear sub can destroy the world.

  166. 166.

    MomSense

    September 16, 2016 at 11:30 am

    We’re going to break away from all these heroes who support der Trump – after 20 fucking minutes – until he gets around to the current topic.

    Oh my dog

  167. 167.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 11:31 am

    30 minutes in, Trump finally speaking again.

  168. 168.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:31 am

    @Trentrunner: Good to hear re CNN cutting away. (My TV set is off.) Took them too damn long, though. Why cover when Trump himself isn’t even speaking yet.

    Awful. CNN just contributed millions in campaign advertising to Donald J. Trump, fit to serve and friend to the US military.

  169. 169.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 11:32 am

    I guess he’s finally up again?

  170. 170.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:32 am

    @MomSense: I am going to call CNN about that. Horrible news judgment.

    Of course, they are CNN…

  171. 171.

    Tee

    September 16, 2016 at 11:32 am

    @p.a.: my sister had one. It depends where in brain it is whether they can go in and clip it. She had some residual speech problems that resolved with therapy and time. Sometimes still struggles with ataxia (unable to find words) but monitors bp and scan every five years. Increase chance of stroke as she gets older. No known cause. Good wishes to you.

  172. 172.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 11:33 am

    OMG. I was kidding upthread, but Trump literally just said: “Hillary started it in 2008, but I finished it. President Obama was born in the United States. Period.” Then walks off.

  173. 173.

    MomSense

    September 16, 2016 at 11:34 am

    He finished the birther controversy? We all know what he means?

  174. 174.

    singfoom

    September 16, 2016 at 11:34 am

    Here we go, Hillary’s 2008 started the birther movement. He ended it. That’s his statement.
    Wow. What a goon.

  175. 175.

    Enhanced Voting Techinques

    September 16, 2016 at 11:34 am

    @wormtown:

    weird. Aren’t the old vets Vietnam? He’s a f*ing draft dodger! I just don’t get it. I am a “gold-star sister” – oldest brother was killed in Vietnam.

    I am waiting for Trump to claim he wasn’t able to serve in Vietnamn because he was a POW.

    Anyway, there are a lot of idiot vets out there. The USS Hornet has this swine who spends the tour ranting about Ted Kenedy. As one of my conservative friends put it, you can see why the Navy made this a guy a barber.

  176. 176.

    Central Planning

    September 16, 2016 at 11:35 am

    Be great if a reporter shouted out “You lie!”

  177. 177.

    Steeplejack

    September 16, 2016 at 11:36 am

    I am stroking out over this Trump event. What a load of bullshit! And Trump himself finally starts speaking at 11:30.

  178. 178.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:36 am

    @singfoom: The goons are CNN, who gave Donald Trump an infomercial for his hotel and his fitness to serve.

    He knows how to punk them, got to give him credit for that.

    CNN: “We just got played.” That was John King.

    Ya think?

  179. 179.

    Glennis

    September 16, 2016 at 11:36 am

    So cite for me evidence to show how badly our military has been “depleted”? Unless he’s talking about the effects of the sequester, for which blame can be laid on the Republicans.

  180. 180.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 11:36 am

    That was brutal. This may actually not end here.

  181. 181.

    West of the Cascades

    September 16, 2016 at 11:37 am

    WaPo out with breaking news headline that calls Trump a liar – more of this, please: “Trump admits Obama born in U.S. but falsely blames Clinton for starting rumors”
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/16/trump-admits-obama-born-in-u-s-but-falsely-blames-clinton-for-starting-rumors/

    ETA: even better would simply be “Trump Lies About Birther Controversy.” I’m not holding my breath, but I would love to see a MSM outlet post that headline.

  182. 182.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:37 am

    Jake Tapper: those are two factually false statements.

    Thank you, Jake. About time.

  183. 183.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 11:37 am

    A “racial arsonist”. Ha! I like this guy!

  184. 184.

    scav

    September 16, 2016 at 11:38 am

    Dance Media Dance! And the Big Orange Daddy thinks you’re so cute when you smile.

    ETA: and suddenly, now that it’s their hide getting publicly scorched live and on da big screen high-def teevees, facts and even opinions are suddenly safe to talk about?

  185. 185.

    Iowa Old Lady

    September 16, 2016 at 11:38 am

    Apparently what Trump is talking about is that in 2008, Mark Penn wrote a memo saying Obama’s “exotic” background might work against him. No mention of birthplace, and according to Josh Marshall, birtherism was already bubbling away. So no, neither Clinton nor anyone in her campaign EVER suggested Obama was not born in the US.

  186. 186.

    AnderJ

    September 16, 2016 at 11:38 am

    @Corner Stone: For whom?

  187. 187.

    Amir Khalid

    September 16, 2016 at 11:38 am

    @Central Planning:
    In this Trump guy’s case, I too think that would be great. But it would get the reporter fired, alas.

  188. 188.

    randy khan

    September 16, 2016 at 11:39 am

    @Trentrunner:

    I would be shocked, but it’s S.O.P. for him.

    This probably isn’t a good idea, but if I were working for Clinton, I’d want to tweet a link to a YouTube video of Obama at the White House Correspondents Dinner, and have no other response.

    And if asked by reporters about Trump’s statement, they should say “You know that’s not true.” (And if pressed about what parts, say “everything but the part about the President having been born here.”

  189. 189.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 11:40 am

    @AnderJ: I think Trump may actually have to come back to the birther topic more times. I don’t think he could have ratfucked himself any harder than he did with that BS performance.

  190. 190.

    The Sheriff's A Ni-

    September 16, 2016 at 11:40 am

    Maybe, juuuuust maybe, we just had our ’47℅’ moment.

  191. 191.

    singfoom

    September 16, 2016 at 11:41 am

    @Glennis: It’s all fucking projection. “EVERYTHING IS HORRIBLE AND I CAN FIX IT” is his core message. Sure, we’ve got a lot of veterans from Iraq (which was a goddamn boondoggle that never needed to happen) and Afghanistan suffering mental and physical wounds, but I think our military is quite strong.

    The funny thing is that I don’t get how they don’t see it as an insult to our national pride to claim that the military needs “rebuilding”. They’re insulting our currently serving members of all the different services when they make this claim. Yet, somehow making the claim is ‘patriotic’. I try try try to hope for my countrymen/women who somehow think this man is not a dangerous clown, but every day brings more evidence that a large number of us are quite unable to see basic facts and/or are deranged. SAD!

    Like other people have said, find an event near you: HRC Events

  192. 192.

    Steeplejack

    September 16, 2016 at 11:41 am

    Holy shnikeys! And the entirety of Trump’s statement on the putative topic of this event is:

    Now, not to mention her in the same breath, but . . . Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. I finished it. I finished it—you know what I mean. President Barack Obama was born in the United States. Period. Now we all want to get back to making America strong and great again.

    And scene.

  193. 193.

    Enhanced Voting Techinques

    September 16, 2016 at 11:42 am

    @hovercraft:

    That is shocking, the media actually mocking the orange one as he most assuredly deserves to be mocked.

    Are you kidding – free inforcomerical off a cable company? I am sure CNN execs are raging over the lost add revenue.

  194. 194.

    MomSense

    September 16, 2016 at 11:43 am

    Tur is saying this was billed as a news conference and they would get to ask questions.

  195. 195.

    AnderJ

    September 16, 2016 at 11:43 am

    @Corner Stone: I hope he will be forced to do so. But given the attention span of the press in re Trump (look here’s a shiny object…)…

  196. 196.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 11:43 am

    I guess Trump is in my head.

    Me, over an hour ago:

    Prediction about Trump will say: “Hillary started it, I finished it, America is grateful I got to the bottom of whether Obama is American.”

    What Trump actually said:

    “Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 starter the birther campaign. I finished it. President Barack Obama was born in the United States. Period.”

  197. 197.

    Cacti

    September 16, 2016 at 11:43 am

    Snookered into carrying a free ad for Trump’s new hotel.

    Well played, librul media.

  198. 198.

    Calouste

    September 16, 2016 at 11:44 am

    I wonder what the reaction of Trump’s white supremacist supporters is going to be to this. They’ll probably hang in there, but there must be some sense of betrayal that Trump is legitimizing the, in their eyes, illegitimate President.

  199. 199.

    Jinchi

    September 16, 2016 at 11:44 am

    How is it possible that no journalist has asked Donald Trump for his long-form birth certificate, yet?

  200. 200.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 11:45 am

    @Steeplejack:

    He’s really a psychopath. I have no idea what happens next. It’s not like psychopaths are always rejected- they have relationships, jobs, etc. They’re running around like everyone else.

  201. 201.

    Steeplejack

    September 16, 2016 at 11:46 am

    At least the MSNBC talking heads are reaming Trump. One just said that Trump said two false things—that Clinton started it and that he finished it—and one true thing—that Obama was born in the United States.

  202. 202.

    CONGRATULATIONS!

    September 16, 2016 at 11:46 am

    Press fucking deserved that. And so much more. Maybe they can find their collective testicles and express some outrage over getting played like a fancy-ass fiddle.

    What are the odds? Zero? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

  203. 203.

    p.a.

    September 16, 2016 at 11:46 am

    Thanks for your thoughts. Appreciate it.

  204. 204.

    SFAW

    September 16, 2016 at 11:46 am

    “Mr. Trump: you claimed you ‘finished’ the ‘birther’ thing, so I have a couple of questions:
    1) Does refusing to say that President Obama was born in the US until 30 seconds ago, combined with your playing-up of ‘birtherism,’ mean that you were lying for the last four-plus years? Or that you’re lying now?
    2) Since there has never been any evidence of ANY KIND WHATSOEVER that the ‘birther thing’ started with Hillary Clinton, is there anything else you want us to accept as fact, such as lizard people controlling Congress, or that the moon landing was faked, or that Elvis is alive on a secret island?
    3) Since you have a habit of claiming credit for things you did not do, are you planning to sue Al Gore, because you want credit for ‘inventing the Internet’? How about the cure for cancer you want to claim that you developed? Or, more relevant to the current campaign: all the ‘donations’ you claim you gave, but none of the non-Trump organizations you claim to have donated to have any record of it?

    Finally, Mr. Trump: do your campaign statements offer definitive proof that there is no such thing as a just God — because if there were, he would have struck you with lightning by now?

    Take as much time as you want to lie some more — I mean, to answer the questions.”

    ETA: “Oh, yeah, I almost forgot: Mr. Trump, where are your fucking tax returns? And please don’t try to bullshit me and America with the ‘audit’ thing’ — that’s bullshit and you know it. So, what are you trying to hide? That you’re broke? That you’re a bought-and-paid-for stooge of Putin or Deutsche Bank?”

  205. 205.

    Iowa Old Lady

    September 16, 2016 at 11:46 am

    Projection. It’s always projection.

    He wants to back away so he says, it was her, not me. I never!

  206. 206.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 11:46 am

    @Jinchi:

    I always thought it was the best intro to a tax return demand.

  207. 207.

    liberal

    September 16, 2016 at 11:46 am

    @Elizabelle:

    Trump’s intellectual curiousity

    That’s one quality he (along with Bush 43) has a complete lack of.

  208. 208.

    The Dangerman

    September 16, 2016 at 11:46 am

    It wasn’t a RickRoll, it was a DickRoll, and the media got played; we know how Fox will react (duh) but the rest of them might be pissed.

  209. 209.

    The Ancient Randonnuer

    September 16, 2016 at 11:47 am

    WaPo headline: Trump admits Obama born in U.S. but falsely blames Clinton for starting rumors

  210. 210.

    bystander

    September 16, 2016 at 11:47 am

    @Trentrunner: Obama also gave Karl a few nice face slaps that were great. “I can’t believe this is the most substantive point you morons could be discussing.”

  211. 211.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 11:47 am

    @CONGRATULATIONS!:

    They don’t even have to put up with the hotel advertisements. If they refused to cover the events in his hotels he would hold them somewhere else.

  212. 212.

    MomSense

    September 16, 2016 at 11:47 am

    @Trentrunner:

    Wow. I guess the prediction model is whatever is the most cynical, arrogant, and self congratulatory option.

    And now he is apparently taking members of the media on a tour of his new hotel.

  213. 213.

    TriassicSands

    September 16, 2016 at 11:47 am

    Trump: “Hillary Clinton invented lying. I’ve just perfected it.”

  214. 214.

    SFAW

    September 16, 2016 at 11:47 am

    @The Sheriff’s A Ni-:

    Maybe, juuuuust maybe, we just had our ’47℅’ moment.

    Good luck with that.

  215. 215.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 11:48 am

    @Enhanced Voting Techinques:
    I was referring to the setup for the segment, not the bullshit propaganda they were airing, as I posted up thread they got Rickrolled.

  216. 216.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 11:48 am

    I wonder if anyone will ever ask Trump Jr about how badly the media treats his dad after yet another free 30 minute infomercial for his brand?

  217. 217.

    JPL

    September 16, 2016 at 11:48 am

    @Trentrunner: Journos are pissed, so maybe his statement will finally get stop with the false equivalence.

  218. 218.

    Uncle Cosmo

    September 16, 2016 at 11:48 am

    @Trentrunner: Easy to build “under budget” when your business plan is to stiff the small contractors & dare them to sue you.

  219. 219.

    singfoom

    September 16, 2016 at 11:48 am

    Every single reporter that talks to Trump should ask him about his offer to Obama for 500K to produce the documents from 2012.

    I think he confused the words “finish” and “continued to keep alive in the news for months”.

    I doubt the villagers will challenge him on it, but maybe a couple of them will.

  220. 220.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 11:49 am

    Harry Reid. All right!

    “What a liar. You know, he never questioned the citizenship of anyone else running for president. What a phony.”

    And brings up no income tax returns out yet. Says he sent his kids out.

    “One of the most unbelievable (immoral?) people I have ever heard.”

  221. 221.

    SenyorDave

    September 16, 2016 at 11:49 am

    I think Hillary should call a press conference and say “I appreciate the fact that the lying, racist, scumbag Donald Trump has finally accepted that the president was born in the US. She could then explain why she called him a lying, racist scumbag. Lying and racist are statements of fact, scumbag is part opinion, part fact.

  222. 222.

    burnspbesq

    September 16, 2016 at 11:49 am

    @maya:

    Did he mention that his new hotel is located close to all Capitol buildings and would make a great, nay, super great place for congressmen to take their mistresses

    The Willard has had that market niche covered for over 100 years.. Remember the shack-up scene between Alan Alda and Meryl Streep in “The Seduction of Joe Tynan?’

  223. 223.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 11:50 am

    Trump is touring his hotel with cameras, no reporters who cover campaign…because this is not actually a campaign event. It’s a promo.

    I mean, come on. They don’t have to go along with this. It’s not fair to their viewers to allow this.

  224. 224.

    Nick

    September 16, 2016 at 11:50 am

    @Calouste:

    They are going to love this — it’s ju-jitsu. You can’t just replace the lie, you have to make them actually blame Clinton for the lie. It wasn’t their fault! She tricked them . . . Trump is brilliant for trying this, the only question is whether the rest of the country is stupid enough to let him get away with it.

  225. 225.

    Villago Delenda Est

    September 16, 2016 at 11:51 am

    @Kay: I wonder how much the Trump Organization charged the campaign for the use of the facility?

  226. 226.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 11:52 am

    @Calouste:
    They know it’s just to get the PC crowd on his side, and that he doesn’t really believe it, so they’ll be good with it. They ‘know’ that once he’s elected he can declare Obama illegitimate and expunge these last eight years from American history, Trump will be the 44th president of these United States.

  227. 227.

    Enhanced Voting Techinques

    September 16, 2016 at 11:52 am

    @The Dangerman:

    It wasn’t a RickRoll, it was a DickRoll, and the media got played; we know how Fox will react (duh) but the rest of them might be pissed.

    Fox might be pissed too when they think about it, free infocomerial isn’t going to be popular with the old bean counters there

  228. 228.

    JPL

    September 16, 2016 at 11:53 am

    This is from @Maggienyt
    A source says Trump broadcast pool just erased tape of his tour of the hotel in protest of bait-and-switch w no editorial access

    good

  229. 229.

    SFAW

    September 16, 2016 at 11:54 am

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    I wonder how much the Trump Organization charged the campaign for the use of the facility?

    However much he needed to pay for another tire-swing event to flatter the courtiers of the MSM, probably

  230. 230.

    Calouste

    September 16, 2016 at 11:55 am

    @Steeplejack:

    At least the MSNBC talking heads are reaming Trump. One just said that Trump said two false things—that Clinton started it and that he finished it—and one true thing—that Obama was born in the United States.

    That’s charitable towards Trump. It really is two lies and one admission that he has been lying for 8 years.

  231. 231.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 11:55 am

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    JOHN KING: “We just got played. We just got played. And voters can decide what to make of that.”

    Can I just suggest that all of these media people relying on the debates to do the work they haven’t done in the last 18 months may be unrealistic? They’re now saying this will come up in the debates, which is what they say every time he tells them to fuck off.

    It’s scary. It’s like everyone saying “it’s not MY job, it’s not MY JOB either!”

    These better be some 5 hour long-ass debates. They have a lot of ground to cover. Everything that wasn’t covered the last 18 months. It just isn’t going to work out like that.

  232. 232.

    Nick

    September 16, 2016 at 11:55 am

    Amanda Marcotte had an article on Salon comparing Trump’s campaign to GamerGate. This is a very apt comparison . . . and I think that we can look to GamerGate to evaluate Trump’s approach to discourse, debate, and intellectual honesty.

  233. 233.

    D58826

    September 16, 2016 at 11:56 am

    According to C. Clizza of the WAPO independents are moving toward Trump. Another article has the millennials so disgusted with the political process that they will either stay home or vote 3rd party thus tipping the election to Trump. A third article has ‘raising concerns about Hillary’s’ health. And a fourth article declaring that since everyone knows Trump is a poor debater, no matter how well Hillary presents herself and her policies, Trump will be declared the winner just by showing up.,

    And then we have Trump’s latest event. If his numbers don’t tank after this then there is nothing he can do that will hurt his campaign. Up to and including having sex with a 5 year old on live TV. Even if Hillary wins he has let something evil out of the nation ‘id’ that should never ever have seen the light of day. And one way or another the American people, or at least a big subset, having let this clown get this far is responsible for the consequences. .
    I really wish I had printed off the article that listed a bunch of small uninhabited islands for sale. They all were going for less than a million bucks.

  234. 234.

    ? Martin

    September 16, 2016 at 11:56 am

    @Nick:

    the only question is whether the rest of the country is stupid enough to let him get away with it.

    Its been working so far…

  235. 235.

    MomSense

    September 16, 2016 at 11:56 am

    BTW , der Trump that neon pink stripe around the ceiling in your hotel is tacky. Russian billions can’t buy taste.

  236. 236.

    Central Planning

    September 16, 2016 at 11:57 am

    @JPL:

    A source says Trump broadcast pool just erased tape of his tour of the hotel in protest of bait-and-switch w no editorial access

    So they erased evidence that they were rickrolled?

  237. 237.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 11:57 am

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    What about other hotels? They have to pay for advertising while the lucky heir promotes his tacky shit for free?

  238. 238.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 11:58 am

    Hadas Gold
    ✔
    @Hadas_Gold

    BREAK – Trump TV pool voted to pull the camera from Trump hotel tour and not air footage

  239. 239.

    randy khan

    September 16, 2016 at 12:00 pm

    @Uncle Cosmo:

    My wife knows a contractor who got stiffed by Trump on this very project. And, yes, he got offered 20 cents on the dollar and told that was all he was going to get.

  240. 240.

    SenyorDave

    September 16, 2016 at 12:02 pm

    @D58826: I really wish I had printed off the article that listed a bunch of small uninhabited islands for sale. They all were going for less than a million bucks.

    I’m too lazy to help with infrastructure, but put me on the list for a two bedroom with an oceanview once development starts. And I want a close economic relationship with the EU.

  241. 241.

    Cacti

    September 16, 2016 at 12:02 pm

    I actually have a glimmer of hope from this.

    The press have been dupes for Trump’s hucksterism for a long time now, but today, he completely rubbed their faces in it. They seem pissed, so they might do some actual journalism for a few days.

  242. 242.

    piratedan

    September 16, 2016 at 12:03 pm

    I’m positive now that DT has effectively ended the controversy for us all, that we can stop talking about character and pivot to policy… ///////////

  243. 243.

    Amir Khalid

    September 16, 2016 at 12:03 pm

    @Kay:
    I’ve read that Trump can’t run this new hotel at a profit unless he charges about twice the local going rate for a fancy-hotel room. He’ll need all the free promos he can get, and then some.

  244. 244.

    randy khan

    September 16, 2016 at 12:03 pm

    Based on the sirens outside my office, Trump just left the hotel. I guess when they stopped filming the tour, he decided it was time to go.

  245. 245.

    scav

    September 16, 2016 at 12:05 pm

    Still, to the true believers, the media getting into a snit is also energizing and proof that they’re being done out of their due and thus they need to take their bat, all the baseball bats, they’re theirs, theirs, theirs! home. The media is hated by a solid cross-section. The Orange Infomercial will miss the personal play, free minutes and constant attention (if it comes to that for more than 5 minutes), but if his presidential hobby plays true to type, he’s playing to that base and not the parts easily influenced by the trad media.

  246. 246.

    Patricia Kayden

    September 16, 2016 at 12:05 pm

    @SFAW: You should tweet those questions to him. You know how much he LOVES Twitter.

    @SenyorDave: She really should do that. She should do a press conference every day right up through November. That way she keeps the spotlight on her instead of allowing the media to fawn and jump whenever Trump’s toupee waves in the wind.

  247. 247.

    Ruckus

    September 16, 2016 at 12:06 pm

    @The Ancient Randonnuer:
    I will easily accept that a shit ton of my fellow white olds are racist. It isn’t hard to do that at all because it’s true. If you are an old white you know a racist. You might even be friends with them. You can not avoid them all. There are too many of them.
    But, and it’s a big, firm, round but, not all of us are, not even close to all.

  248. 248.

    Steeplejack

    September 16, 2016 at 12:06 pm

    So we had a waiting period of an hour, followed by a commercial for Trump’s new hotel, then a parade of (Vietnam era) war heroes and retired generals, all old and white except for one Tío Taco (old and brown) who distinguished himself by saying that Trump was going to come to Washington and clean out the bureaucrats—moments after he proudly said that he had worked for the V.A. for 17 years (but presumably not as a “bureaucrat”). Then Trump finally started speaking 90 minutes after the event was supposed to start and was done in just under 2½ minutes (actual timing from DVR).

    What a load of bullshit. My only hope is that this (finally!) ignites some sort of fire in the media and they start going after Trump. The MSNBC peeps seem a little riled up right now, but who knows how long it will last.

  249. 249.

    SenyorDave

    September 16, 2016 at 12:07 pm

    @Cacti: The press have been dupes for Trump’s hucksterism for a long time now, but today, he completely rubbed their faces in it. They seem pissed, so they might do some actual journalism for a few days.

    This is snark, right? I can’t decide if I can no longer realize sarcasm when I see it.

  250. 250.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 12:07 pm

    @Amir Khalid:

    We already know whether Donald Trump can separate his business interests from his potential Presidency- we knew it months ago and he shows them every day. He can’t and he won’t. If he’s not doing it now it won’t be better after he’s elected- it will be worse.

    If we get this guy we get what we deserve. You can’t be this dumb and survive. It’s a shame but that’s just the way it is.

  251. 251.

    Matt McIrvin

    September 16, 2016 at 12:08 pm

    @Tilda Swinton’s Bald Cap: Hillary supporters, of the sort who probably became PUMAs, did promote birtherism after conservative Freepers invented it. There’s no evidence that Hillary or her campaign had anything to do with it, but Obama 2008 stalwarts who hold grudges for a long time (and I know a few people who supported Bernie Sanders specifically for that reason) may have lingering suspicions.

  252. 252.

    Barbara

    September 16, 2016 at 12:09 pm

    @D58826: Cilizza has been in the bag for Trump all year.

  253. 253.

    Amir Khalid

    September 16, 2016 at 12:10 pm

    The Graun’s liveblog is reporting that the backdrop for Trump’s press event has just collapsed. I hope the media will show pictures and video of that.

  254. 254.

    Recharging

    September 16, 2016 at 12:11 pm

    Whatever we want to attribute it too, it is clear the polls are tightening and that Trump has a real shot of being POTUS.

  255. 255.

    Matt McIrvin

    September 16, 2016 at 12:13 pm

    @Nick:

    Amanda Marcotte had an article on Salon comparing Trump’s campaign to GamerGate. This is a very apt comparison . . . and I think that we can look to GamerGate to evaluate Trump’s approach to discourse, debate, and intellectual honesty.

    To some extent Trump’s campaign literally is GamerGate. There’s some overlap of personnel.

  256. 256.

    p.a.

    September 16, 2016 at 12:16 pm

    @Matt McIrvin: Calvinball?

  257. 257.

    Kay

    September 16, 2016 at 12:16 pm

    Whatever happens, however this ends, it’s sometimes really nice to be so unequivocally on the right side.

    My son takes private music lessons from a young music teacher at the public school. I just love him, Austin, we hit it off immediately. They took the summer off on private lessons so I haven’t seen him since June and he came yesterday to the house and saw my Hillary sign- he said “oh, thank God” in a way that made me laugh.

    Two sides, this one. No gray areas.

  258. 258.

    Ruckus

    September 16, 2016 at 12:17 pm

    @Trentrunner:
    At the VA the other day one vet was loudly complaining about the wait. Started asking questions of the clerk about how long she’s worked there, how much she makes, why isn’t she doing something about the wait to see the doc. Then his best line, when he becomes the head of the VA they are all going to be fired. I swear I almost asked him if he was DT. Just in case you wondered, old fat, white guy who takes up the space of 3 people sprawling in his chair and for a while snoring loudly. It was a delightful display of white assholyness.

  259. 259.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 12:17 pm

    @Barbara: Chris Cilizza is why I dropped my WaPost sub, and why I am reluctant to renew it. (Although I will.)

    Chris Cilizza is most of what’s wrong with political journalism.

  260. 260.

    Glennis

    September 16, 2016 at 12:18 pm

    The backdrop to his event collapsed. Fitting.

  261. 261.

    Steeplejack

    September 16, 2016 at 12:19 pm

    Okay, Andrea Mitchell has appeared like a wizened daytime vampire to village-splain how Clinton is doing it wrong, so off goes the TV before I get a nosebleed.

  262. 262.

    singfoom

    September 16, 2016 at 12:19 pm

    Olivianuzzi: reporters shouting, “Mr. Trump, why did it take so long!?”

    Link to tweet

    So, at least one journalist was doing their job. For a couple seconds. I wonder if others might be inspired by their example. Evidently the press were kept in the ballroom for an extended period after the event so they couldn’t run after Drumpf.

  263. 263.

    mapaghimagisk

    September 16, 2016 at 12:20 pm

    #ShutUpDonnie

    Other than that, I got nothing.

  264. 264.

    SFAW

    September 16, 2016 at 12:20 pm

    @Patricia Kayden:

    If I were on Twitter, I might consider it. Of course, with his hordes of flying monkeys ready to attack anyone who dares question der Trumpenfuehrer, not sure I’d be up for the bile and psychosis that would head my way.

  265. 265.

    singfoom

    September 16, 2016 at 12:20 pm

    Olivianuzzi: reporters shouting, “Mr. Trump, why did it take so long!?”

    Her tweet

    So, at least one journalist was doing their job. For a couple seconds. I wonder if others might be inspired by their example. Evidently the press were kept in the ballroom for an extended period after the event so they couldn’t run after Drumpf.

  266. 266.

    Glennis

    September 16, 2016 at 12:21 pm

    It was just pipe and drape, nothing serious. But still funny. Maybe he stiffed the event rental company.

  267. 267.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 16, 2016 at 12:22 pm

    @Amir Khalid:

    Let’s hope it’s a perfect metaphor.

  268. 268.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 12:23 pm

    No idea how long it will last, but the press is PISSED at Trump, across the spectrum.

  269. 269.

    Elizabelle

    September 16, 2016 at 12:24 pm

    @Kay: Hillary will win. Despite the headwinds provided by the media.

    She will owe them nothing. She will owe us, who will work hard for her on GOTV, everything.

    I just worry about this being the first presidential election since the Roger B. Taney Roberts court overturned voting protections. Clearly, they were needed.

    About another month for voter registration.

  270. 270.

    jonas

    September 16, 2016 at 12:25 pm

    @singfoom:

    Jesus. Do you think these old vets really believe the shit they’re saying?

    They’re angry white men first, veterans second.

  271. 271.

    Shell

    September 16, 2016 at 12:25 pm

    The MSNBC peeps seem a little riled up right now, but who knows how long it will last.

    As someone else put it to the MSM, “How long before you get tired of being asked to kick Lucy’s football?”

  272. 272.

    The Sheriff's A Ni-

    September 16, 2016 at 12:25 pm

    @Cacti: The difference is that he didn’t Gish gallop his way through a dozen different lies. He outright held a hotel ad / campaign event masquerading as a media event to blatantly lie.

  273. 273.

    Amir Khalid

    September 16, 2016 at 12:26 pm

    @Glennis:
    I’d hope that those who do business with the Donald would know by now to demand payment in advance.

  274. 274.

    Archon

    September 16, 2016 at 12:26 pm

    I have no love for the press but I do think they were generally embarrassed by the fact that the President felt compelled to show his papers like he was a runaway slave because of Trump pressing the issue in the media.

    I’ve been shocked and dismayed at the media coverage of this election but I don’t think the press will just let Trump end his birther slander with that perfunctory statement.

  275. 275.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 12:27 pm

    @The Sheriff’s A Ni-: This is a good point. The media can focus on this because its just TWO definite lies (Hillary started it, I finished it).

  276. 276.

    Ruckus

    September 16, 2016 at 12:27 pm

    @wormtown:
    It is about the racism. Always about the racism. That is the basis of Trump’s entire campaign. Those old vets, white, am I right? It’s always about the racism. Never, ever leave racism out of the equation, your results will be false if you do. The people who support him know it’s about the racism, that is the main reason they support him. Of course it doesn’t hurt for them that he is a he and she isn’t, but that’s secondary. Every one of them can regale you with stories about some black man or a woman who got something, or someplace that they should have gotten, because they were entitled to that job or promotion or seat at the table or……. It’s racism. I’m an older white guy, believe me I’ve heard the stories. See my post at #254, just heard this one Wed.

  277. 277.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 16, 2016 at 12:28 pm

    Do you think Bannon and Conway thought this was a good idea?

  278. 278.

    bemused

    September 16, 2016 at 12:29 pm

    Didn’t watch but sounds like a total shit show. Some or perhaps many reporters are pissed off they’ve been had yet again. But what about the network heads? I remember how giddy Moonves was about Trump coverage being a cash cow for the network. I can’t picture networks pulling back much, not with money involved. The hell with the country. They already lost integrity long ago.

  279. 279.

    Villago Delenda Est

    September 16, 2016 at 12:29 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: I’m sure they told Teh Donald it was a great idea when Teh Donald said this is what I’m going to do.

  280. 280.

    Feathers

    September 16, 2016 at 12:30 pm

    Deliciously cable free, but has anyone brought up the yuuuuge conflict of interest in his combining campaign and business events? And what the plan is for the running of the Trump businesses should he win office? I remember the fainting over the businesses of (non-Bush) siblings.

    Also – why is there no talk of conflict of interest, or appearance thereof, with Trump and NBC. He made huge money for the network and now they’ve got Fallon and Lauer going nice and easy on him? Stinks like yesterday’s diapers.

  281. 281.

    Lurking Canadian

    September 16, 2016 at 12:31 pm

    @Cacti: I’m back to thinking he’s throwing it on purpose. What the hell could he have been thinking? The media running interference for him is all he’s got by way of a campaign. They don’t even need to get serious or critical or call him nasty names.

    They can just turn off the cameras and stop raising “clouds of suspicion” or whatever about Clinton and he’ll disappear.

    So he whips his dick out and slaps them with it? The trick to keeping your boot lickers happy is not to make them face what they are. Pissing them off deliberately? What did he hope to accomplish? Has he forgotten he’s not actually Stalin yet? You need to have absolute power before you can start disappearing the first person who stops clapping.

  282. 282.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 12:32 pm

    @Trentrunner:
    True but our trusted newspaper of record is still useless. Their headline right now:

    Trump: Obama ‘Was Born in the United States, Period’

    By ALAN RAPPEPORT, NICK CORASANITI and MAGGIE HABERMAN 37 minutes ago

    They do go on to say he ‘falsely’ claims that Hillary started it in the first paragraph, so there’s that at least.

  283. 283.

    Svensker

    September 16, 2016 at 12:33 pm

    @p.a.:

    No experience. But sending you lots of well wishes. Take care of yourself!

  284. 284.

    Corner Stone

    September 16, 2016 at 12:33 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Do you think Bannon and Conway thought this was a good idea?

    IMO that was part of why the delay was so pronounced before he left his plane. I think there was a fight to the last minute on how to do this.

  285. 285.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 12:34 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: I think Conway (no idea about Bannon, likely a birther himself) thought it was ripping-the-bandaid-off time. They REALLY need white suburban women to come back to have any viable shot.

  286. 286.

    Amir Khalid

    September 16, 2016 at 12:35 pm

    @Feathers:

    has anyone brought up the yuuuuge conflict of interest in his combining campaign and business events?

    That must be one of the things the American media has been numbed to by overexposure. Like frontpager Kay says #247, the Donald has shown again and again and again that he can’t and won’t.

  287. 287.

    Brachiator

    September 16, 2016 at 12:37 pm

    Been in meetings, then saw something about a Trump announcement, but the comments here indicate it was a bunch of nothing. Anything else? Some subtlety missed?

    At this point, I think the only announcement from Trump that might be interesting would be his saying “I’m withdrawing from the race. I just wanted to see if the GOP was stupid enough to back me.”

    Otherwise, it’s get out the vote time. I think I saw on Maddow that NC had started to receive some mail-in ballots. The race is on.

  288. 288.

    Peale

    September 16, 2016 at 12:37 pm

    @D58826: Couple of points on this.

    In every election there are lots of articles about typical Democrat and Republican base voters who have reservations that then get projected out into “Campaign is in trouble because I found these people” stories. Most of the time it is the eqivalent of those bi-annual New York Time’s stories about how Millenials are finally fed up with NYC and fleeing to the sub-urbs to have friends just like their parents did – and then you realize that the entire trend is based on the fact that some young reporter has as few friends who are leaving town and has written a trend story.

    In the case of the polls, when we point out that Obama fell behind at this time in 2008 and 2012 I also remember that Gore fell behind at this time (and was never actually ahead) and then closed in. This always gives us the sense that Dems are failing at this juncture when all this tightening is is Republican leaning Independents coming home. For some reason, and I don’t know why, Democrat leaning independents take longer to do this and they do so every single presidental cycle. It is good that she once had a lead because she should get some of that back. She’s not catching up like Kerry or Gore had to do.

    In terms of the voters staying home, I do worry about that, though, but I’m not certain what to do about it. The Obama coalition has quite a few groups, in the young and especially a large part of the Latino community that are low participation voters in general and aren’t in the habit yet of voting because its time to vote and that’s what you do. It is a challenge and I do worry about that – that say, we’d win the Latino vote by +60, but fewer Latinos actually voted than in 2012.

    I do think Hillary needs to turn the topic away from racism and immigration. That’s not her fault really because Trump gets to set the agenda. We’d like to think that immigration brings out Latino voters in droves, but if you look at mid-terms in places where immigration is a central issue, it actually doesn’t push them out to the polls in sufficient numbers to make much of a dent in Republican wave voting. I think there’s less support for deporting everyone than there was in 2010 (when 70% of those surveyed nation though HB 1070 was the bees knees – you don’t get those numbers without a significant number of Democrats supporting those measures. It’s our wedge issue, not theirs).

    She’ll get this, but it will be close. Not certain how to motivate the democrat leaning young people, though. They stay so on the fence for so long.

  289. 289.

    catclub

    September 16, 2016 at 12:40 pm

    @hovercraft:

    They do go on to say he ‘falsely’ claims that Hillary started it in the first paragraph, so there’s that at least.

    I think there has actually been a lot of progress in the ‘moderate’ press calling out (still nicely, but clearly) his lies.
    NPR the other night, after Trump said ‘She was so nervous’, the NPR reporter who was there said, no, that was not the case at all.
    Trump said that ‘people wanted to hear me out’, NPR reporter said, no, they were heckling him about his real estate company being racist.

    That chyron directly contradicting him will carry weight.

  290. 290.

    Archon

    September 16, 2016 at 12:40 pm

    @Peale:

    If running against racism and nativism can’t win this election, then that says MUCH MORE about this country then it does about Hillary Clinton’s campaign strategy.

  291. 291.

    Amir Khalid

    September 16, 2016 at 12:40 pm

    @hovercraft:
    Let’s try rewriting the headline.

    Trump repeats false claim that Clinton started birtherism

    Hmm. I can see an editor saying the other headline is “newsier”, on the grounds that Trump finally renouncing birtherism is something actually new. (If Trump has indeed done that, because with him you never know.)

  292. 292.

    Ruckus

    September 16, 2016 at 12:41 pm

    @Nick:

    the country is stupid enough to let him get away with it.

    At least 40% are.

  293. 293.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 16, 2016 at 12:43 pm

    @Trentrunner:

    Sorry, I wasn’t at all clear in my question. I think you’re right about just the “birther” issue, but I was thinking more the entire infomercial billed as a press conference (which didn’t happen), with the come-on a promise of “huge breaking news”

    I mean, someone on his team has to know that the reporters would be (rightly) purely pissed about that bait-and-switch. Yes, of course Trump insults the media all the time in his rallies, but this level of disparagement strikes me as qualitatively different, and I would think one of his senior staffers might have been able to anticipate that.

  294. 294.

    D58826

    September 16, 2016 at 12:43 pm

    I don’t know if this will maker a bit of difference to the general public. If they don’t know what he is by now then nothing will make the famous light-bulb go off. The media on the other hand may change it’s tune. He has been playing them for 18 months but today he played them, s*t on them, rubbed it in and all on national TV. Before he was just making public fools of other politicians or other citizens today he did it to the media in the full light of day. Now it’s become personal.

  295. 295.

    CONGRATULATIONS!

    September 16, 2016 at 12:43 pm

    This is a man who knows how to use the Bully Pulpit.

    @srv: Sure does. Shame it collapsed.

  296. 296.

    Villago Delenda Est

    September 16, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    @jonas: DING DING DING DING DING

    Probably all had something lower than a “1” in their “Supports EO/AA” block of their evaluations.

  297. 297.

    Villago Delenda Est

    September 16, 2016 at 12:45 pm

    @srv: HODOR!

  298. 298.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 16, 2016 at 12:47 pm

    @Corner Stone:

    Nice observation, speculative though it is. Makes me wonder if there could be any more staff shakeups between now and November.

  299. 299.

    Ruckus

    September 16, 2016 at 12:48 pm

    @Glennis:

    Maybe he stiffed the event rental company.

    You think? Maybe?

  300. 300.

    Svensker

    September 16, 2016 at 12:48 pm

    @Shell: :How long before you get tired of being asked to lick Lucy’s football?”

    Fixed that for ya.

  301. 301.

    hovercraft

    September 16, 2016 at 12:48 pm

    @catclub:
    Yes most are finally getting a little better, but compared to many other outlets who are putting the ‘false’ in the headline, the Times isn’t.
    Eg. HuffPo – TRUMP SPREADS NEW BIRTHER LIE
    Washington Post
    Trump acknowledges Obama was born in U.S., falsely blames Clinton for rumors

    EDIT For clarity

  302. 302.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 16, 2016 at 12:49 pm

    @CONGRATULATIONS!:

    W͙I͙N͙!

  303. 303.

    different-church-lady

    September 16, 2016 at 12:53 pm

    @D58826:

    Even if Hillary wins he has let something evil out of the nation ‘id’ that should never ever have seen the light of day.

    Best case scenario: we can see the boil and get it lanced.
    Worst: it’s not a boil, it’s a tumor.

  304. 304.

    catclub

    September 16, 2016 at 12:55 pm

    @hovercraft: This one was pretty good, too.

    Trump Lies in Walking Back His Birther Lies
    U.S. News & World Report – ‎7 minutes ago‎

  305. 305.

    Fair Economist

    September 16, 2016 at 1:04 pm

    @Matt McIrvin:

    Hillary supporters, of the sort who probably became PUMAs, did promote birtherism after conservative Freepers invented it.

    A lot of PUMAs were false-flagged conservatives, as are a lot of the BernieBros (probably most of the ones left).

  306. 306.

    Brachiator

    September 16, 2016 at 1:04 pm

    @D58826:

    Even if Hillary wins he has let something evil out of the nation ‘id’ that should never ever have seen the light of day.

    Unfortunately, it’s nothing that has not always been around.

  307. 307.

    Trentrunner

    September 16, 2016 at 1:13 pm

    Hillary’s Twitter feed is on fire. She’s tweeting so fast I can’t copy here. :)

  308. 308.

    Villago Delenda Est

    September 16, 2016 at 1:18 pm

    @Fair Economist: Paulista scum, the lot of them.

  309. 309.

    D58826

    September 16, 2016 at 1:24 pm

    @Brachiator: Oh it has always been around but with some success we have kept it it the dark upper room. Trump has put it out on the front porch for all to see.

  310. 310.

    Ruckus

    September 16, 2016 at 1:46 pm

    @D58826:
    Part of the problem with keeping it in the dark upper room or letting the boil just fester is that it never ever goes away. So do we try to make it better or do we keep our heads in the sand hoping it will be OK? At some point you have to fix it or it can kill you. Something that seems simple can kill you. Because you did nothing. Is it time now to do something? No it’s way past time to do something, this has festered for literally a couple of hundred years. It’s time.

  311. 311.

    Matt McIrvin

    September 16, 2016 at 2:09 pm

    @Fair Economist: Quite possible. I think Larry “whitey tape” Johnson was just a complete fool, though.

    (I remember realizing that as a result of another story of his that was actually an attack on George W. Bush: he claimed that that plane that accidentally carried live nuclear bombs across the US was actually preparing for an impending strike on Iran, an assertion that anyone with subject matter knowledge could tell was nonsense, and when he was called on it he just doubled down over and over.)

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