monitoring Trump and relevant contemporary events

Citizens United enabling Koch brothers to take over America?

Noncitizens, Voting Violations and U.S. Elections

Mass immigration has had a significant effect on American electoral politics. Despite the fact that it is a crime for aliens to vote in federal elections, noncitizens and illegal aliens are counted when apportioning congressional districts. This means that areas with large numbers of illegal alien residents gain additional representatives in Congress.

The United States does not currently issue any general-use document intended to confirm both identity and citizenship. While a U.S. passport may be used for both these purposes, it is a travel document. Most people seek a passport when planning a trip and only a relatively small proportion of the population holds a passport at any given time.

As a result, the preferred form of documentary identification in the United States is the drivers’ license. Drivers’ licenses are issued by the states, pursuant to a widely varying body of state-specific laws and regulations. Currently, twelve states and the District of Columbia allow illegal aliens to obtain a drivers’ license.

Alien voting is easy. In states without ID requirements, the only check against noncitizens registering to vote is a box on the application form asking registrants to confirm they are U.S. citizens. Given the fact that this affirmation is rarely verified and few violators are ever prosecuted, it is a pointless exercise that does nothing to deter voter fraud. In states with voter ID requirements, the lack of a single, standardized document that demonstrates both identity and citizenship makes voter fraud all too easy.

How can you tell the difference between the media simply presenting a story, "Here's what this guy says", and the media presenting the same story as if we are expected to believe the story is factual, "Here's what this guy says and you should believe it"?
He said Trump knew. End of story.

He talked about it a week before.

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's lavish lifestyle was front-and-center during opening arguments in his fraud trial Tuesday afternoon, as prosecutors said he lied to put his money ahead of the law.

In making their opening remarks in the trial in Alexandria, Va., prosecutors spent more than twenty minutes outlining expensive purchases they said Manafort made with money he earned doing work for Ukrainian oligarchs and the Ukrainian government, including Yanukovych.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye told the jury that Manafort considered himself above the law as he funneled tens of millions of dollars through offshore accounts to pay for personal expenses such as a $21,000 watch and a $15,000 jacket made of ostrich.

"All of these charges boil down to one simple issue: that Paul Manafort lied," Asonye said. "Manafort placed himself and his money over the law."

But Judge T.S. Ellis III interjected to remind jurors that wealth alone is not criminal, and he rebuked Asonye in front of the jury for saying that the "evidence will show" Manafort's guilt.

"It isn't a crime to have a lot of money and be profligate in your spending," Ellis said.

FISA documents reveal FBI collusion

Trump’s unorthodox presidency has been a great gift. It has exposed the corruption in our government, and the betrayal of the American public by so much of the press.

What a smarmy asshole he is.

What a smarmy asshole he is.

Wealthy people in this country are completely removed from ordinary experience. President George Bush made headlines by having no concept of the cost of a gallon of milk.

They live on a different planet.