The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age

    Donald Trump Attacks Civil Rights Legend John C. Lewis.

    By rmrd0000 on Sat, 01/14/2017 - 9:04pm |

    Representative John C. Lewis does not view Donald Trump as a legitimate President.Lewis believes that Russia and other forces aided Trump's victory. Trump responded with a predictable, insulting tweet condemning Lewis for being all talk and no action. Trump also told Lewis to work on improving the poor, black, and crime-infested neighborhood that the Civil Rights icon represents. Trump has no idea about the location of Lewis', Trump operates from racial bias. Lewis's district includes wealthy areas like Buckhead, the airport, and Georgia Tech. Trump cannot envision a black man representing a wealthy community. Trump is a racist.

    Trump supporters reject the notion that Trump is a racist. They point to Omarosa and Ben Carson as proof that Trump cannot be racist. Black support for Trump means that Trump is not a racist. It is important to remember that Barry Goldwater who ran on State's Rights and had support of white supremacists, garnered 6% of the black vote. Goldwater did not believe that Martin Luther King Jr.'s public protests were appropriate. Despite the racial baggage, Goldwater had black support. Trump's 8% of the black vote is not surprising.

    Trump has a very limited view of black life. Trump knows celebrities, he does not know the depth of black people. Blacks have come to Trump Towers to talk with Donald Trump. Kanye West discussed community issues with Trump. Ray Lewis and Jim Brown discussed programs targeting the black community. Steve Harvey, a comedian with radio and television shows, has been offered a job as a spokesman for HUD. Trump knows black athletes and entertainers. Trump does not know black educators, engineers, experts in housing, etc. Once Trump gets beyond celebrities, his contact with blacks is limited. Trump is able to contact eager black pastors willing to act as messengers for Trump, unfortunately. 

    Trump was dumb enough to begin Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend with an attack on a Civil Rights icon. Their are protests planned for D.C. this weekend. More protests are planned for the inauguration and the day after the inauguration. Trump wants a battle, a the battle will be joined.

     

     

    Comments

    Trump proves again he can never be a legitimate President for real Americans.

    A real President and national leader would have said "I respect Mr. Lewis opinion which he has a right to express, and particularly on this MLK weekend, I pledge I will work hard to change the opinion of Americans who doubt my dedication to be their President."

      Trump is a vile bully.  He has always been a vile bully.  He will never be anything else but a vile bully.

    I would add:

    Due to his and the GOP's anathema to taxes on the wealthiest Americans, the action this past week by Donald Trump's GOP will give tax breaks to the 400 richest American households unearned investment income that equals the entire ACA health care subsidies to over 800,000 American families in 20 states.

    Repeal and replace is a GOP bait and switch scam.

    The GOP could do what is normally done, amend or strike portions of a law to make it better or 'fantastic' leaving the sections that are OK, as they have said on preexisting conditions or covering children.

    If ACA was amended section by section it would become crystal clear that eliminating the taxes, all on the upper 2% of incomes, was in fact their primary objective.


    by NCD on Sat, 01/14/2017 - 11:40pm

    Thanks for the number. It puts things in perspective. 

    I agree that Trump is a vile human being. He believes that celebrities like Jim Brown, Ray Lewis, and Steve Harvey will be able to hoodwink the black community into accepting his sham programs. There are a host of community activists who have actually built lost cost housing and worked on bringing business into low income areas. Instead of searching for experts in these communities, he finds people to shuck and jive to his tune.

     


    by rmrd0000 on Sun, 01/15/2017 - 12:10am

    Did you hear that the "three-deep in disposable, dead-eyed, lying zombies" that the gold bunkered el douche has running things tried to backtrack on firing Gen Schwartz, DC National Guard CO? Schwartz told them it's too late and he will retire as el douche takes the oath on 1/20 as they had ordered.

    Schwartz is in charge of 5000 NG on Inauguration day and since he is a Presidential appointee (he was appointed by GWB in 2008) and since the lying Trump zombies were having fun firing ALL presidential appointees at 12:01 1/20 he was too ....even though he was in charge of inauguration security. WaPo broke the story on this firing, highlighting what power drunk idiots the Trump 'team' consists of.


    by NCD on Sun, 01/15/2017 - 1:14am

    If these folks are that incompetent, I fear for the safety of the country.

    BTW

    Residents of Lewis district are posting pictures of where they live. It is not what Trump imagined

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/john-lewis-donald-trump-crime-infest...

    ​Trump is an illegitimate president.


    by rmrd0000 on Sun, 01/15/2017 - 11:37am

    On this MLK weekend with Trump's inauguration on Friday, it is good to reflect on the words of Martin Luther King Jr, regarding white supremacy.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/this-mlk-quote-sums-up-the-rise-of-w...

    Malcolm X expressed similar feelings

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/malcolm-x-predicted-how-black-people...

    ​Only a small number of Republicans acknowledge why blacks fear the GOP. Black Republicans only gain favor by demonizing the black community

     http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/why-arent-there-more-bla...

    Edit to add:

    Trump canceled a photo-op scheduled at the National Museum of African-American History on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

    http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/314385-trump-no-longer-expected-to-...


    by rmrd0000 on Sun, 01/15/2017 - 1:42pm

    Ignoring Trump's birtherism, Reince Priebus wants Obama to vouch for Trump's legitimacy. You can't make this stuff up.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/reince-priebus-obama-legitimacy_us_5...


    by rmrd0000 on Sun, 01/15/2017 - 2:26pm

    It's insane and precisely the kind of move we should not be doing on our side.


    by Peter Schwartz on Sun, 01/15/2017 - 3:05pm

    Where's Waldo? Going, going, gone...


    by PeraclesPlease on Mon, 01/16/2017 - 6:34am

    This guy is pathetic. Martin Luther King Day is a good time to make a vow to oppose Pepe Trump.


    by rmrd0000 on Mon, 01/16/2017 - 9:06am

    Representative John C. Lewis does not view Donald Trump as a legitimate President.Lewis believes that Russia and other forces aided Trump's victory.

    MRM, I agree entirely with what you've said above, however, I don't think there's sufficient evidence--that I've seen--to support John Lewis's statement above (not that he's the only one to have said it). If, by "legitimate," we mean duly elected according our legal process for electing presidents.

    Even if it could be shown that the Russian hacking into the DNC made a definitive difference in the outcome of the election, I think we'd have to show that Trump or his people played a role in it. Thus far, I think we can say that the hacking probably played some, hard to determine, which isn't enough to disqualify Trump legally, and we have even less evidence that Trump played a role in it.

    Aside from the technicalities of this question, there is an important reason to stick to the facts, which is what Lewis should've done in his original statement. Hoping to get Trump impeached out of the gate, or otherwise delegitimized without sufficient evidence is not an effective way to block his administration. It's too easy, in a way.

    Democrats need to do a LOT of organizing from the grass roots up for local, state, and congressional offices to become a viable force in American politics again. We shouldn't raise hopes that we can simply get rid of Trump through "technical fouls" and other sorts of maneuvers. Also, when we do that, we breed ill will among Trump voters by depriving them of their vote when we actually need them to turn against Trump and his policies and get back into our column.


    by Peter Schwartz on Sun, 01/15/2017 - 3:03pm

    Just to be clear, I'm NOT advocating that the IG or anyone else stop investigating the Russian angle and any role Trump may have played in it. I just don't think we have the evidence yet to say what Lewis said--assuming that he means that Trump shouldn't be sworn in as President because of illegal actions, etc.


    by Peter Schwartz on Sun, 01/15/2017 - 3:07pm

    John Lewis gave his opinion. His protest consists not attending Trump's inauguration. There is sometimes a tendency on the Left to feel the need to exaggerate what harm comes from protest. Many of us plan to protest by writing and calling our representatives in Congress. John Lewis led a sit-in in Congress to protest GOP inaction on gun control. He is not a rabid radical. Some on the Left criticize others on the Left in an almost reflex fashion. I do not understand this reflex.

    Jon Lewis faces responses to his comments from Donald Trump, Reince Priebus, and Rand Paul. Those on the Left don't have to pile on.

    http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/15/politics/rand-paul-john-lewis-partisan/ind...

    Lewis states what I and other Americans believe about Donald Trump. We do not expect a Republican Congress to ever begin impeachment proceedings against Trump. There will be lawful protests by citizens of the United States during the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, prior to the inauguration, during, and after the inauguration. Those protests will change few minds regarding Donald Trump, but it will make it clear that many citizens of the United States feel that Trump, who did not win the popular vote, is a steaming pile of fecal material. 


    by rmrd0000 on Sun, 01/15/2017 - 3:28pm

    MRM...my comment wasn't directed to protesting. I'm protesting on the 21st in D.C.

    I'm talking about whether it is factually true to say that Trump didn't win the election legally by our established processes and thus is "illegitimate."

    When the right was trying to delegitimize Obama, one way they did it was to push the idea that, factually, legally, he was not a legitimate president because of his extra-constitutional status. They were wrong on all fronts.

    I'm suggesting we not make that mistake, and not say he's "illegitimate" unless and until we know we're factually right. It may seem like a nitpick, but it's important, I think.

    I'm certainly not trying to pile on Lewis whom I support 100%.

    EDIT TO ADD: I'm trying to be specific here. I have no problem with anyone skipping the inauguration. Protesting in this or any other legal fashion. I'm protesting for all the reasons you've outlined. I'm talking about the question of legitimacy.


    by Peter Schwartz on Sun, 01/15/2017 - 3:56pm

    Perhaps some on  the Left overthink the problem. Trump lost the popular vote. Some in Trump's campaign were in contact with officials in Russia. Leave it up to the Trump administration to address those facts. I think Trump needs to apologize for the comments made about Lewis' district. Trump made Obama present a long form birth certificate. Trump needs to produce evidence that he is not a Russian puppet. Note that birther Trump is President-elect.


    by rmrd0000 on Sun, 01/15/2017 - 4:20pm

    If, by "legitimate," we mean duly elected according our legal process for electing presidents.

    I suppose that's really the question, isn't it?  Charles Blow might have what I consider to be quite the correct and nuanced answer in his piece today -

    I guess for me, it comes down to a rather profound semantic question: Does ‘legitimate’ refer here to the meaning in law or principle?

    It is true that Donald Trump is, by all measures of the law, the legitimate president-elect and will legitimately be inaugurated our 45th president on Friday, no matter how much it pains me to write that or pains you to read it. There simply is no constitutional or statutory mechanism to nullify the installation of an elected president based on election influencing, even by a hostile state actor. The framers of the Constitution had no way of anticipating digital warfare being used in a propaganda attack. The Constitution was ratified before electric lights were invented.

    But there is another way of considering legitimacy, another test that his election doesn’t meet: That is when legitimacy is defined as “conforming to recognized principles or accepted rules and standards.”

     


    by barefooted on Mon, 01/16/2017 - 6:10pm

    Martin Luther King III came to Trump Tower to present a list of issues Trump needs to address. Among those.issues was a request to make it easier for people to vote. When he exited the building he avoided falling into the trap of being directly pulled in to Trump's conflict with Trump. King's son, in response to a question about Trump's tweet about Lewis, King III noted that things are often said in the heat of anger. King then said that both he and John Lewis were bridge builders. Omarosa was standing in the background, ready to report to her master if anything was said that would embarrass Trump. There was, but Omarosa was not bright enough to hear the message.

    There is a difference when a man (or woman) comes to Trump with a background in dealing with issues. I wouldn't call a plumber for an electrical problem. I want someone who understands how government works and has expertise in economics, housing, healthcare etc. to deal with serious issues. It is insulting for Trump to ignore black expertise and call on athletes and entertainers to provide solutions.

    D.L. Hughley, an entertainer, actually realizes the problem.

    http://www.vibe.com/2017/01/d-l-hughley-to-donald-trump-fck-you-now-and-...

    Edit to add:

    Link to article about Trump's meeting with MLK III

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-meets-with-martin-luther-k...


    by rmrd0000 on Mon, 01/16/2017 - 11:13pm

    Trump’s ignorance is a strength among his supporters. The ability to deny reality is a political strength for him.


    by Danny Cardwell on Wed, 01/18/2017 - 7:17am

    I won't watch the inauguration. There s nothing that Trump can say in a speech that will counter his previous words and actions. He was the birther-in-chief, he was sued for housing discrimination, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions will be AG, and now he insults JohnnLewis. Trump will never be my President. 

    Trump has help from the media in denying reality.  There is a cloud over his election. It could partially relieved by releasing his taxes. There is no persistent pressure from the media to force him to provide this information. I agree with John Lewis that Trump is not a legitimate President. I support the Democratic members of the House boycotting the inauguration..


    by rmrd0000 on Wed, 01/18/2017 - 8:51am

    Yeah it is Danny.

    But the good news is that the polls keep going down for Trump.

    At least to me that is good news.

    His base shall never give up, but his base is in entropy.

    hahahahah

    You see, the good news is that some sort of reality still exists.


    by Richard Day on Wed, 01/18/2017 - 10:07pm