126 Comments

Trump just betrayed his own staffers and the Gold Star families they talked into participating in the Trump campaign stunt:

https://x.com/RedTRaccoon/status/1829459701823664175

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I refuse to use X - could you post a summary please?

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Substack won't let me post a screenshot or a link to the TikTok video. You'll have to visit X, unfortunately.

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https://nitter.poast.org/RedTRaccoon/status/1829459701823664175

It is pretty standard, "I am the best and did nothing wrong, but if I did it was someone else fault."

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OMG what a piece of crap that man is. Sorry, but it's the truth. I am appalled.

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What is astonishing is that there’s a single American willing to vote for that piece of crap.

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They are mostly angry anarchists. They resent being told their choice is fascist, and support tRumPutin as a way of saying a big F@CK YOU to everyone who is trying to make our country better for everyone, including them.

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Paula--he claims the whole thing was a set-up orchestrated by Biden and Harris to make him look bad, which means he's accusing the Gold Star families who invited him of being in on it, which means that all they get for their trust and generosity is probably a flood of death threats from his deranged supporters to accompany the loss of their child. Maybe some of the Sandy Hook parents can reach out and give them some tips on how to empty his pockets of whatever change he still has in them after paying the nearly $500M and counting he already owes various parties.

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Thank you Tom.

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(My comment to an article in The Washington Post)

Dana Bash and wannabe interviewers are not genuinely interested in answers about policy. They ask about this only to generate headlines that attempt to raise controversy, or indicate daylight between Kamala Harris’ positions and those of Joe Biden, or her current stance and her stance in 2020 or earlier.

Hillary Clinton had very detailed policy positions that she tried to highlight in 2016. The New York Times and most of the rest of the news media would have none of it; they eclipsed policy discussions with their monomanic focus on "but her emails".

Similarly in 2020. Elizabeth Warren published extremely detailed policy positions. Tragically, these received very little attention.

Sadly, CNN, WaPo and NYT, and most of the news media, have degenerated into an infotainment industry where the reigning currency is viewers and clicks and profits. (Who cares whether that’s bad for America as long as it’s good for the owners and publishers.)

I do wish the news media would start asking more intelligent questions, and treat both Harris and Trump equally with regard to fact-checking and tough follow-up questions. Likewise with their choices of headlines. That is not happening – and the disparity is strikingly unprofessional.

There is plenty of good news media to be had, but you have to search for them. Let me mention just a few: Talking Points Memo, Bolts Magazine, The American Prospect, The Philadelphia Inquirer, historian Heather Cox Richardson, Timothy Snyder, Brian Tyler Cohen…

.

PS. How I wish CNN’s interview had instead been conducted by Christiane Amanpour, a truly professional reporter with integrity!

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Totally agree with you about Amanpour. I subscribe to her YouTube channel. It is terrific.

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Yes! You’ve probably seen it: Amanpour interviewed historian Heather Cox Richardson. It was really great – with insightful questions as well as answers.

Update: Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1BOEW7zfnQ&t=5s

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Thanks!

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Brilliant choice! How do we make that happen?

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Perhaps CNN can make up for last night by assigning Christiane Amanpour to interview Trump. (To be clear, I wouldn’t bet money on David Zaslav ever allowing that to happen!)

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David Rothkopf, Deep State Radio, is another excellent source. He also has a Substack.

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WELL DONE!

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I’ve got a small team sending postcards to voters in NJ-7 where Sue Altman is running. So great to hear this interview which I just sent to the team. Thanks Simon. This will help motivate them. “Worry less Do more”. Jim H

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My Dad (75): did you watch the CNN interview last night?

Me: I watched parts of it...

My dad: CNN is trash now. They did an absolutely awful job and Harris was very very good. She'll be a good President.

https://www.threads.net/@patchmonkey/post/C_S3RbNRSER

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Your dad is a wise person.

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Love it :)

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Happy to be part of last night's great Winning the House Zoom to support Josh Riley in NY-19. Finished my first 10 postcards for Josh and just ordered another 10 addresses. Reminder you can learn more about the program or order more addresses for any of the Hopium-backed House candidates by visiting www.WinningTheHouse.com. For specific questions, email winningthehouse2024@gmail.com.

Looking forward to watching your interview with Sue Altman. I love the concept of competing from joy and confidence. Let's stay on offense daily as Trump and his MAGA friends attempt to defend the indefensible. Excited to get to 55 in November, which more and more seems possible if we keep doing the work!

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founding

I got 200! Going to AZ. 50 left! Will have to get s part time job to pay for the stamps though, kidding. This has been so much fun and gives me joy, and a sense accomplishment. 75 and retired. 💙💙💙

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"And for this new outrage, for trampling on our fallen heroes for his own political gain, and assaulting an employee of the United States Amy, we should throw the fucking book at him with everything we got. No letting up on this one people."

Absolutely, Simon. When will the suck-up one-sidesing press, the complicit Republicons and sycophants' stop all this giving of free passes to tRump? The Overton window is friggin' smashed with this freak and we all need to continue to shine the brightest blazing friggin' Klieg lights on this bastard. And Kamala appears to be doing just that. I hope people begin to see that she seems to be willing to go after the freak in ways that Biden never would have. Madame President, you rock!

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The deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said the Department of Defense is “aware of the statement that the Army issued, and we support what the Army said.” Hours later, Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita reposted the offending video on X and, tagging the official account for Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, said he was “hoping to trigger the hacks” in her office. Threats to public servants appalling!

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That guy has a history of abusing women and he needs to be in prison.

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Well - they do want to dismantle schedule F and make all the military swear allegiance to the president instead of the constitution.

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Aug 31·edited Aug 31

I'd suggest Swift Boating him but he's not important enough to spend the time on, and never will be. Besides, maybe he's already done it to himself; my guess is that the vast majority if vets and active service members believe there's a special place in hell for veterans who make a living by disparaging the service of others (in his case Kerry, Walz, the whole Army, the Arlington employee, and who knows how many others in his career as a political insultant). I also think the fact that a bottom-feeding scumbag like LaCivita is so conspicuously sticking his head up is a pretty good sign that he knows he's losing bigly. Reminds me a little of Rove's anchor desk meltdown a few years back.

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I hope that the ANC employee who was assaulted will change their mind and press to have charges filed for the assault! When bullies are not held accountable for breaking the law, they diminish the rule of law for everyone and are embolden to break more laws! If the employee is attacked by maga morons, law enforcement and the Justice Department must step in to protect them!

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Doesn’t her employer owe her its backing? Shouldn’t they be the ones who press charges so she is not out there on her own (especially with the violence associated with the perpetrators)?

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There is no case unless she testifies, and, for obvious reasons, she refuses to put herself at risk. However,

Couldn’t DOJ launch an indictment anyway? What is the fine for this? $10K? I can’t imagine it being much more. It wouldn’t be heard before the election. Maybe after the election this shit dies down.

Too political? I think not. This is not something they’re hiding. They’re proud of it! “Witch Hunt” hardly applies here.

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I understand why she wouldn't want to be harassed and terrified, but I hate that everyone took it as a matter of course. What has happened to us. She def needs to be protected.

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I couldn't agree more. Where is the outrage over that, MSM? Are you'all seriously going to normalize witness intimidation, too? Have you no shame, at long last?

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author

The filming and use of the use of the video in their campaign broke federal law. The physical assault of the ANC employee is a separate matter. The President of the United States has an obligation to pursue this as he is the steward of Arlington, and this staffer works for him.

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Thanks for your clarity.

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Thank you, Simon for sending us into the holiday weekend with such fantastic, ever-more-positive news about polling and our ticket!!!! And the CNN interview…if all they have to grill Kamala and Tim on is a few minor grammar issues and policy changes from five years ago (centuries in politics time), that speaks so well of us and so terribly of them. It looked petty and ridiculous, as if no one in politics has ever spoken imprecisely or changed their minds before. I hope Kamala memorizes all your data so she can school the media on their amazing accomplishments over the past four years. Anyway, I’ve written 400 postcards so far and just got 400 more, and I am psyched, as this will be a working Labor Day for me, and I am proud to be part of our labor!!!!! 💙

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Example: Bash immediately accused Walz of using a different fertilization treatment like IVF instead of IVF itself---oh my God, Governor, what a terrible political error???? And he once said he carried his gun in battle when he was stationed overseas but it wasn't actually in battle? Throw the bum out; he only served our country for 24 years and enlisted when he was 17! Add to those ridiculous accusations (not questions) when did you become Black was repeating a racist trope---Shame on Dana Bash and CNN!

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My wife and I went through two rounds of IVF last year (she is now 25 weeks pregnant). Tim Walz hit the nail on the head with how brutal and emotionally draining a process it is. I don't care if it's IVF or IUI, infertility sucks and anybody who has made it through it is a champion!

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Congratulations!

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I’m wondering whether you think we should all call our reps and senators to tell them that Trump needs to be held accountable for breaking the law through his behavior at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday…and asking them to write a letter to Merrick Garland about this, or hold hearings, or do something to hold him accountable! What do you think is the best way to push for accountability?

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The CNN interview was disappointing but I was impressed at Harris and Walz’s ability to gracefully navigate press questions—ridiculous as some of them were. It gave me more confidence but they probably don’t need to do more of these.

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No they do not.

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Well, they could insist any future interview by the legacy news media be conducted by a quality journalist. For instance, Ezra Klein of The New York Times, Jennifer Rubin of The Washington Post, and Jon Ralston of the Nevada Independent might be good choices.

That said, I would love to see Kamala Harris and Tim Walz ignore the mainstream news media and instead give interviews to the likes of Amy Goodman, Brian Tyler Cohen, Robert Kuttner and David Dayen of The Prospect, Heather Cox Richardson, Rolling Stone Magazine...

I hear Teen Vogue has been doing some stellar political reporting.

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Lawrence O'Donnell should do any remaining interviews of Kamala!

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Brian Tyler Cohen gives the best interviews AND current information on the campaign. His interview with Joe Biden was just perfect 👌

AND I highly recommend his book "Shameless"! I can actually hear his voice as I read, and the way he lays out his points - clearly and concisely, as his videos are.

Heather Cox Richardson is my #1 source for how history shapes current events. A true genius.

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I bought the book as soon as I saw it on the NY Times best seller list. It is number #1. As a former history instructor I love how he shows step-by-step the slow disintegration of the Republican party which has now devolved into MAGA. His writing is succinct and at times, humorous. Less than 200 pages. I recommend this as a quick read for this long weekend and it may give you more talking points!

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Have you seen the video of Brian T C getting the news on a phone call that his book hit No.1? I teared up.

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No. I would tear up as well if my books hit #1 in the bookstore in my town! Good job, Brian!

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I'm generally with you, AS, but I'd vote no on Klein, for at least two reasons (1) He claimed earlier this year that "one thing Simon Rosenberg won't tell you is that 2022 polling was one of the most accurate in recent history." "Recent" and "one of" are carrying a LOT of weight in that statement--having reviewed 6,000 polls done in the 3 weeks before the election from 1998-2020, I can say with confidence that what's implied by his statement is wrong, particularly in the races that really counted, ie the equivalents to the swing state polling everyone judges pollsters on in presidential years.

(2) When things were most dire for us this summer, he brightly informed us and everyone else that he'd been hearing from senior Democrats that they really don't consider Trump to be an existential threat to democracy.

So, as Kamala might say, I think we deserve better ;)

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This I did not know. Thanks for sharing this rather concerning information.

I have at times strongly disagreed with Ezra Klein’s take on things. Nonetheless, all in all, I have found him one of the better interviewers – and for a long time, I thought vox.com one of the most interesting news sources out there. Of course, he did leave that behind and head to the NYT.

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From Newsweek:

"Kari Lake Handed Bad Sign as Poll Shows Her Down Double Digits"

Please let this be true. If there's one thing that unsettled me about politics today, it's seeing aggressively unfit politicians like Lake with any popular support. If she does lose by double digits, I'd like to think it's a sign we're returning to normal.

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Reuben has it by double digits!

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It's true. She's doing even worse than Mark Robinson in NC, who is also getting crushed, just like Simon predicted :) Jacky Rosen up double digits in NV, too.

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The headline today should literally be:

Leading Candidates for High Office Offer Legacy Media Opportunity to Be Relevant; Legacy Media Fails

Jesus, they are so out of touch with their traditional journalistic mission

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Sadly nothing will be done. DOJ DGAF.

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I love the video with Sue Altman (NJ-7) ! I look forward to writing postcards when it's her Thursday night.

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Sue Altman rocks!

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Sue Altman could inspire nationwide! I know she's a "local" politician, but nationally, she could help keep us on fire!! She's terrific. Everyone, support her!!!!

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Now you see why we New Jerseyans have been pushing so hard to see her interviewed by Simon. I am thrilled!

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Can you get her interviewed by one of the moderators at NPR or MSNBC?

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