monitoring Trump and relevant contemporary events

QED

And Reince Priebus tries to pull it off with Fox's Chris Wallace
TPM
Kudos to Wallace here.

As a side-note: the British historian Timothy Garton Ash has been named the recipient of Germany‘s prestigious Charlemagne Prize for 2017 for contributing to the debate over norms and values in Europe.
"He champions the fact that democracy and its principles, a liberal and open culture of debate as well as the defence of truth against lies, will survive in communication", the foundation said. "Garton Ash defies the populists and the simplifiers of our time and develops ideas of how we should behave in the globalized world."
The prize is awarded for special merit in supporting European unity, a tradition since 1950.

Yesterday's memory hole exercise:
TPM

Is Europe Disintegrating?

"Alternative facts" just brought to mind Kellyann's admonition to look into Trump's heart, not what he says. It makes you wonder how this woman was a successful lawyer.

Yes. This lady is a classic in the Goebbels' mode.

From Michael Gerson
WP

The reasons why he got that prize aren't translated on the official website momentarily, as far as I noticed, but the prize committee referred to that report as well (International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen)

The problem with always letting other Leftist writers do your thinking for you is, when all the Leftists in the world simultaneously lose their grip on reality, all you are left with is a bunch of delusional nonsense. That's why it is better to think for yourself the way I do. (I realize that you aren't the sort of person who thinks for himself, but I just thought I'd point out the drawbacks of never thinking.)

Anyway, in regards to the Leftist delusional nonsense that I quoted above, we DO have a once in a generation political talent whose understanding of emerging media helps him to beat the demagogues at their own game. His name is Donald Trump.

What you delusional Leftists need to realize is that the political revolution of this generation has happened, and your demented ideology was on the wrong side of that revolution. Go stick a fork in yourselves. You're done.



It's going to keep the Republicans in the White House for the next 20 years.

And even after 20 years, the Democrats won't be returning to power until a new generation of Democrats decides that it is time to purge all the wacky extremists from the Democratic Party, and then does so.

Righties have lost all credence with their threat of repealing ACA. They're now in backtrack mode like most of their threats. It's really comical to watch; make threats, then back off. They now have control of congress and the admin. They look silly with their new power. They're gridlocking their own policies.

There's a really wonderful piece on the womens' march at the New Yorker. Read it if you can. But here's a sign the author saw which I'll share:


link here[url]

I have to admit, I keep hoping Trump will just chuck the presidency as too much trouble, not sure where that will leave us with Pence and the cabinet picks still there...

Datum of note. The thousands of pink hats worn in the march yesterday...



were made in America (in Los Angeles)

Nice wish, but not gonna happen. The narcissist loves the title too much. BUT, there's a chance he can be impeached. His ego is bound to create problems for him.

The FIRST press announcement is demonstrable bullshit?

This is what a friend posted elsewhere. I fear they are correct:

" People have heard me voicing similar themes to these in shorter comments, but this gets to the heart of it. Trump and his press attachés aren't being found out, caught in the act or making mistakes: it is quite deliberate strategy with historical precedents.

"If you are puzzled by the bizarre "press conference" put on by the White House press secretary this evening (angrily claiming that Trump's inauguration had the largest audience in history, accusing them of faking photos and lying about attendance), let me help explain it. This spectacle served three purposes:

1. Establishing a norm with the press: they will be told things that are obviously wrong and they will have no opportunity to ask questions. That way, they will be grateful if they get anything more at any press conference. This is the PR equivalent of "negging," the odious pick-up practice of a particular kind of horrible man (e.g., Donald Trump).

2. Increasing the separation between Trump's base (1/3 of the population) from everybody else (the remaining 2/3). By being told something that is obviously wrong—that there is no evidence for and all evidence against, that anybody with eyes can see is wrong—they are forced to pick whether they are going to believe Trump or their lying eyes. The gamble here—likely to pay off—is that they will believe Trump. This means that they will regard media outlets that report the truth as "fake news" (because otherwise they'd be forced to confront their cognitive dissonance.)

3. Creating a sense of uncertainty about whether facts are knowable, among a certain chunk of the population (which is a taking a page from the Kremlin, for whom this is their preferred disinformation tactic). A third of the population will say "clearly the White House is lying," a third will say "if Trump says it, it must be true," and the remaining third will say "gosh, I guess this is unknowable." The idea isn't to convince these people of untrue things, it's to fatigue them, so that they will stay out of the political process entirely, regarding the truth as just too difficult to determine.

This is laying important groundwork for the months ahead. If Trump's White House is willing to lie about something as obviously, unquestionably fake as this, just imagine what else they'll lie about. In particular, things that the public cannot possibly verify the truth of. It's gonna get real bad."

What is this Conway woman? I heard her attempting to shout down and threaten an ABC reporter asking why the first press release from the White House was a lie. The caption said she was trump's "counsellor"

Does anyone know what that means?

If Americans are that gullible, we deserve everything Trump throws at us.
However, don't forget that Trump's approval rating starts in the basement.

Yes, I agree with this friend of a friend of friend named Dlowan.

I'm taking today off from worryworting. The USfootball playoffs discussed in an a2k thread are going on for the rest of the afternoon, and I feel like cooking up some pasta and fresh spinach and garlic and butter and with dollops of ricotta, an old recipe lounging somewhere on a2k. I'm a spicy food type, so there will be some of that too. Comfort food for a grump.

As blatham said, "This lady is a classic in the Goebbels' mode."

I forget for the minute what her official title is, but yes, a counsellor, spokesperson type. (ay, chihuahua!)