November 19, 2017


News and Views


I GUESS THIS STORY IS ABOUT “ALTERNATE FACTS,” ISN’T IT? THE TRUE ONES, AND THE BALD-FACED LIE! LEAVE SHEPHERD SMITH ALONE! IF HE WANTS TO LEAVE THE SIDE OF DARKNESS, A LOGICAL AND HONORABLE CHOICE, HE’LL BE WELCOME HERE, FOR SURE. THE PARTY’S ABOUT TO START.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/shepard-smith-fox-news-hilary-clinton-uranium-scandal-debunk-viewers-demand-firing-reporter-donald-a8060281.html
Fox News viewers demand reporter Shepard Smith be fired for debunking 'Clinton uranium scandal'
Angry viewers called for the anchor to move to CNN for discrediting the conspiracy theory which President Donald Trump has repeatedly touted
Maya Oppenheim @mayaoppenheim
NOVEMBER 17, 2017 58 comments

Fox News viewers are calling for a TV anchor to be fired because he debunked an erroneous conspiracy theory about Hillary Clinton.

Shepard Smith, who has been at Fox for more than two decades, discredited the theory which his own network has branded the Clinton uranium “scandal” in a five-minute segment.

Fox News, as well as President Donald Trump and his allies, have suggested for months that donations to the Clinton Foundation were tied to the approval of a deal by the State Department and the Obama administration which allowed a Russian company to purchase a Canada-based mining group with operations in the US.

President Trump claimed it was “Watergate, modern-age” and former White House advisor Sebastian Gorka said it was equivalent to the Julis and Ethel Rosenberg spying case in the 1950’s which saw the couple convicted of committing espionage for the Soviet Union.

Proponents of the wholly false theory, which has been exposed as incorrect by various fact-checkers, claim that nine people involved in the deal made donations to the Clinton Foundation which add up to more than $140 million. They say Ms Clinton in exchange approved the sale to the Russians – a “a quid pro quo”.

Smith, who has a history of angering Fox's viewers, debunked the conspiracy theories which surround a uranium deal involving the former Democrat presidential candidate. The reporter noted the Clinton State Department did not possess the power to either veto or approve such a transaction.

“The accusation is predicated on the charge that Secretary Clinton approved the sale. She did not,” he said. “A committee of nine evaluated the sale, the president approved the sale, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and others had to offer permits, and none of the uranium was exported for use by the US to Russia.”

Smith also drew attention to the fact the Clinton Foundation donations in question came from Frank Giustra - the founder of the uranium company in Canada.

But Mr Giustra “says he sold his stake in the company back in 2007” three years before the uranium Russia deal and a year and a half before Ms Clinton became secretary of state.

Critics argued Smith, who has been accused of being “anti-Trump” by his Fox News colleague Sean Hannity, should be sacked for his appearance and relocate to CNN or MSNBC.

“Did anyone watch Shep Smith just explain how Hillary Clinton had nothing to do with Uranium deal? What a joke Fox News!!! Send him to CNN,” one angry viewer tweeted.

Another said: “Get Shepard Smith off of Fox. He's arrogant and doing his own spin. Nobody knows how deep the left's conspiracy goes and Shepherd Smith has zero inside info because nobody trusts him. Out!”

“No this is Shepherd Smith that is a lover of CNN especially Don Lemon and hates Trump. Also he’s wrong,” said another.

Lance Buffman @LBuffman
Replying to @FoxNewsInsider and 2 others
@FoxNews Shep Smith needs to be FIRED for his biased reporting!!!!
3:49 PM - Nov 14, 2017

まぁちゃん @rwhairston
@FoxNews
I feel like you are actually CNN (fake news) when Shep Smith is on.
3:44 PM - Nov 14, 2017
17 17 Replies 5 5 Retweets 30 30 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

The conspiracy theory was first floated by Peter Schweizer, the senior editor-at-large of far right publication Breitbart, in his 2015 book Clinton Cash. President Trump repeated the accusations throughout his election campaign.

These accusations, coupled with the problem of Ms Clinton using a private email server while she was secretary of state which was prohibited, sparked Republican crowds to chant “Lock her up” on the campaign trail.

Fox News, who President Trump has granted 19 interviews to since entering the White House, has long been criticised for its overly favourable coverage of the US president and for vilifying Ms Clinton.

The furore comes after several Fox News employees recently complained the channel was beginning to feel "like an extension of the Trump White House” in the wake of its recent political coverage.

A number of TV personalities and senior Fox employees were reportedly aghast by the channel’s stories on the indictment of two former Trump campaign officials. While the indictments dominated coverage on other major channels, they were downplayed by several Fox News hosts.

Instead of reporting on what the majority of news organisations deemed to be the day's biggest political news story, the conservative news outlet instead focused on allegations regarding former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. In a statement, a Fox News representative said the network covered the breaking news "accurately and fairly across both news and opinion programming”.

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MORE ON URANIUM ONE – LOOK AT THE “SIMPLE” CHART AND THEN AT THE TEXAS REPUBLICAN’S CHART. THAT WILL TELL YOU WHY I WILL HAVE NOTHING TO SAY ON THE TRUTH OR FICTION CONTAINED IN THE STORY. IT’S TOTALLY INSCRUTABLE, CHAOTIC AND ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE FACT CHECKERS, DEFINITELY FAKE. FAKE NEWS!!

https://www.vox.com/2017/11/17/16658080/uranium-one-clinton-russia-chart
This simple chart debunks the conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton sold uranium to Russia
When you fix those Uranium One charts, it looks a lot less like a conspiracy.
Updated by Alvin Chang@alv9nalvin@vox.com Nov 17, 2017, 9:20am EST

Republicans are pushing a verifiably fake conspiracy theory that goes something like this: Hillary Clinton approved the sale of American uranium to Russia in exchange for a large donation to the Clinton Foundation. It’s gotten to the point that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is thinking about appointing a special counsel to look into this fake theory.

Journalists ranging from MSNBC’s Joy Reid to Fox News’s Shep Smith have methodically debunked the theory. But one reason it lives on is because it’s so convoluted. It cherry-picks details that make it seem plausible that Clinton gave Russia a huge portion of America’s uranium.

In fact, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) showed us just how complicated the life of a conspiracy theorist can be when he presented this flowchart during a congressional hearing:


First, go cleanse your eyes of this visual catastrophe.

[BEFORE PROCEDING FURTHER IN THIS ARTICLE. GO TO THE WEBSITE TO SEE THE REPUBLICAN TEXAN'S CHART TO WHICH THIS COMMENT REFERS. IT SUPPOSEDLY REPRESENTS THE COMPLEX AND NEFARIOUS NATURE OF THE CLINTON CRIME.][ALSO NOTE THAT JEFF SESSIONS IS SUPPOSEDLY LOOKING INTO SETTING UP A CONGRESSIONAL PROBE ON CLINTON OVER THIS STORY. I WONDER IF TRUMP MAKES ALL THIS STUFF UP BY HIMSELF OR IF HIS SPEECHWRITERS DO IT FOR HIM?]

Are you back? Great.

We decided to clear up the issue by making a simple diagram that shows how the sale of Uranium One worked and then overlaying it with the conspiracy theory that many Republicans have been pushing.

I recommend reading the gray part first and then moving on to the red lines:

There are two very important things to notice here.

The first is that Clinton played little to no part in this approval process because as secretary of state, she headed an agency that was just one of many involved in the approval process — and even then, it was likely a lower-level staffer who handled the approval.

The second is that the person who donated the largest amount of money to the Clinton Foundation, Frank Giustra, didn’t even benefit from the sale. That’s because he said he sold his stake in Uranium One three years before this deal — and more than a year before Clinton began serving as secretary of state.

That’s why PolitiFact debunked this conspiracy theory long ago, but that hasn’t stopped President Trump from tweeting out insinuations like this:

Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump
...New Donna B book says she paid for and stole the Dem Primary. What about the deleted E-mails, Uranium, Podesta, the Server, plus, plus...
6:03 AM - Nov 3, 2017
9,840 9,840 Replies 18,302 18,302 Retweets 72,833 72,833 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

These types of messages push twisted, convoluted narratives that are hard to understand but imply that Clinton made a shady uranium deal with Russia. It ultimately sows uncertainty in our minds; it makes us wonder whether this could have happened. That’s why we won’t see a concise chart like this used to peddle this conspiracy theory.



SOMETHING LIKE CULTURAL HONESTY ABOUT DEEP POVERTY IS EMERGING THESE DAYS. IF THEY’RE POOR, THEY’RE POOR. FEED THEM!! I THINK THE BEST IDEA IS TO HAVE ALL SCHOOL MEALS FOR ALL THE KIDS FREE, THEN THERE’S NO STIGMA. ANY SCHOOL THAT CAN AFFORD THE WASTE OF THROWING A CHILD’S HOT MEAL INTO THE TRASH IN FRONT OF HIM AND ALL THE OTHER KIDS, CAN DARN WELL AFFORD TO GIVE IT TO HIM FREE OF CHARGE. BESIDES, THAT KIND OF THING IS TRULY CRUEL, AND IT DEBASES THIS COUNTRY. IT SURELY ISN’T MAGA!

VIDEO ONLY
https://www.cbsnews.com/videos/expanding-school-lunch-programs/
NOVEMBER 19, 2017, 9:08 AM| Today more than 30 million schoolchildren benefit from the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Truman in 1946. For many students, it may be the only nutritional meal they get - and some kids are still being denied a hot meal because their parents can't afford it. Lee Cowan visits a school district in Indiana where an innovative approach to feeding schoolchildren means no one gets turned away. He also meets a New Mexico legislator who backed a bill to fight "lunch shaming."



https://www.cbsnews.com/news/feeding-the-need-expanding-school-lunch-programs/
CBS NEWS November 19, 2017, 9:09 AM
Feeding the need: Expanding school lunch programs

Thanksgiving is just one day out of every year. FEEDING THE NEED millions of hungry kids feel every school day is the goal of some big-hearted adults and special programs from coast-to-coast. Our Cover Story is reported by Lee Cowan:

In "America's Breadbasket," corn and wheat stretch on into the horizon. But not far from the Midwest's ample harvest live kids who go hungry almost each and every day.

Take Connersville, Indiana, about 60 miles east of Indianapolis. Nearly a quarter of the children in the county are at, or below, the poverty line. More than 60% of them participate in either free- or reduced-price lunch programs.

And those who serve those meals, like Louisa Smithson, say for some kids this may be all they eat. "This gives them a little bit of hope," Smithson said. "If we can offer them some hop, yeah!"

school-lunch-program-lunch-line-620.jpg
To combat food insecurity and "lunch shaming," some schools are helping kids who can't afford lunch by offering free meals to all students. CBS NEWS

Schools have always been the front line in the battle against childhood hunger. It started with the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Truman in 1946, which gave federal money to states to fund school lunches.

Today more than 30 million kids benefit. And yet, by some estimates at least one in six still doesn't know where the next meal is coming from.

school-lunch-program-jennifer-ramo-nm-appleseed-promo.jpg
Jennifer Ramo, executive director of New Mexico Appleseed. CBS NEWS

"School lunch is no longer this Brady Bunch convenience; it is a soup kitchen," said Jennifer Ramo, of the New Mexico anti-poverty group Appleseed.

"It is a place where kids who haven't eaten at night or haven't eaten that weekend, go to get basic nutrition so they can function.

"I think we just have no idea how big the problem is and how many children are suffering. And the best thing to do is just must make sure they're fed."

Back in Indiana that's just what they're trying to do.

"Just providing the three Rs -- reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic -- those days are over," said Fayette County School Superintendent Scott Collins.

school-lunch-program-fayette-county-school-superintendent-scott-collins-promo.jpg
Fayette County School Superintendent Scott Collins. CBS NEWS

"We have children who have food insecurity who come into our doors every day, and we don't always know. A lot of people are proud, [and] they don't want to ask for help."

To make certain no one is missed, every school starts every day offering every child a free breakfast, regardless of family income.

Students eat in the classroom, not in the cafeteria, so as not to take away from instruction time.

At the high school, they offer what's called a "Second Chance Breakfast," to help teens who usually get hungry later in the morning.

Both programs started five years ago. Last year the school district served 345,000 breakfasts, no charge.

"I would like to say that we lead the way here in Fayette County, but I'm partial," laughed Rachel O'Brien, the person in charge of it all. She's with Chartwells, a food service company that not only cooks and serves the food, but also keeps track of the maze of federal programs that pay for it all.

And they're not leaving any money on the table. "No, we look for everything," O'Brien said, "so, we look to make sure we can give our students the best."

school-lunch-programs-breakfast-in-class-620.jpg
Kids in Connersville, Ind., can also receive breakfast in class. CBS NEWS

They're not alone. According to the Department of Agriculture, over 20,000 schools have expanded their free food offerings, including some of the biggest districts: New York City, Chicago and Detroit.

The health benefits are obvious, but there is a psychological one, too; free food for each student means the poor and the hungry aren't singled out, as some have been in the past.

It's a stigma that's come to be known as lunch shaming, and the headlines have been full of incidents of late.

School kitchen manager: I was fired for giving lunches to hungry students (CBS News, 06/02/15)
Pa. school cafeteria worker quits over "lunch shaming" policy (CBS News, 09/20/16)
The heartwarming reason why a N.M. boy asked his mom to pack 2 school lunches (CBS News, 10/17/16)

"You have no money": Schools rethink meal-debt policies (AP, 07/05/17)
Kids unable to pay their meal debt have sometimes been denied food, or had their hot meals thrown away in front them, replaced with a cold lunch in a paper sack.

The School Nutrition Association* says about three-quarters of the nation's school districts are owed money by families that haven't paid for meals.

In response, some parents have started Go Fund Me pages, including one father in Seattle who's trying to raise over half a million dollars to pay off lunch debts that parents owe all across Washington State.

Dad starts campaign to end "lunch shaming," erases debt at 99 schools (CBS News, 05/16/17)
Philando Castile fundraiser wipes out all student lunch debt in St. Paul (CBS news, 10/17/17)
Donors unite nationwide to pay off kids' school lunch debt (AP, 01/31/17)

It's not a new issue: Michael Padilla faced it when he went to school 35 years ago. Growing up in Las Lunas, N.M., he bounced around from foster home to foster home -- and lunch was often a luxury.

"I made very good friends with the lunch ladies, Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Ortiz," he said.

"You still remember their names?" Cowan asked.

"I do, I mean they're wonderful human beings. I would give them a giant hug today if I could. I mean they made sure that I ate lunch!"

school-lunch-programs-michael-padilla-lee-cowan-620.jpg
New Mexico state legislator Michael Padilla sponsored the Hunger-Free Students' Bill of Rights. CBS NEWS

He could eat, they said, but only if he worked off the bill. "I was required to mop the floors and clean the tables, and serve food," Padilla said.

"To pay off your lunch debt?"

"Yeah, I mean, it was just a way for the school to be able to look the other way because I couldn't afford my lunch."

Padilla is now a New Mexico state senator, and this year -- working with Appleseed's Jennifer Ramo -- he sponsored the first anti-lunch shaming law to pass in the country, called the Hunger-Free Students' Bill of Rights.

"We thought we were solving a problem here in New Mexico," Padilla said. "And as it turns out, 32 other states have reached out to me to introduce this legislation in their states."

He touted the legislation during his campaign for New Mexico Lieutenant Governor, although his candidacy is now mired in harassment allegations, which he denies.

The law was the model for a federal lunch shaming bill now pending before Congress. There wouldn't have to be one of those, of course, if everyone ate for free.

And back in Connersville, Indiana, there's one more meal about to be served: the after-school supper program. Elementary school kids get a hot dinner … and a movie while they eat.

school-lunch-program-after-school-supper-620.jpg
After school, in Connersville, Indiana, elementary kids can get a hot dinner, too. CBS NEWS

At the high school, it's more of a grab-and-go situation. No one is turned away. No questions asked. And with that, the hope is no child goes home hungry.

Cowan said, "You really don't have to do this, certainly."

"No," said Superintendent Collins.

"So why do it?"

"Because our kids are our most valuable resource. And they're worth it."

For more info:

Fayette County School Corporation, Connersville, Ind.
New Mexico Appleseed
School Nutrition Association
Senator Michael Padilla, New Mexico Legislature
Hunger-Free Students' Bill of Rights Act (SB. 374)

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



WHAT DOG DOES THE SNA HAVE IN THIS FIGHT? SEE NPR.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/06/11/320753007/behind-the-scenes-of-school-nutrition-fight-big-food-money-flows
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Lobbyists Loom Behind The Scenes Of School Nutrition Fight
June 11, 20145:25 AM ET
Heard on Morning Edition
PETER OVERBY

The School Nutrition Association — what you might call the national organization for lunch ladies (and gents) — says it was trying to improve the healthfulness of school lunches.

But it says the U.S. Agriculture Department didn't help when things got tough, so it went to Congress. House Republicans provided help, but they also put the group in the middle of a partisan battle over what to feed America's school students.

Alabama Republican Rep. Robert Aderholt, who chairs the subcommittee that decides how much money the school nutrition program gets each year, is not a fan of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, as it stands. "This is where the heavy hand of the government is coming down and trying to dictate to local school systems," he said at a meeting of the House Appropriations Committee in May.

As we've reported, he is pushing for a one-year waiver of the new nutrition rules if a district can show the standards cost too much. "It only gives the schools more time to adjust," he says.

But the proposal goes beyond what the School Nutrition Association initially asked for.

Article continues after sponsorship

Under Aderholt's provision, school districts can get a yearlong waiver from all of the standards set by the new standards — even those already in effect.

Democrats say Republicans just want to kill off the nutrition standards next year. During the May committee meeting, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz asked Aderholt if Republicans intended to eliminate the nutrition standards.

"Not in this bill," he said, prompting other lawmakers to laugh. "There are movements out there that would like to change it ... but this does not do that."

Back in 2010, the SNA vigorously supported the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. Now it embraces Aderholt's provision, although president Leah Schmidt, a nutritionist from Kansas City, Mo., says the group only asked for help on four specific issues.

"The waiver was not one of our original asks," she says.

In the past, those issues might have been fixed in talks with the USDA, but the association dismissed a lobbyist with good USDA connections last year. The new lobbyists have good connections with congressional Republicans, and now Schmidt sounds a lot like Aderholt.

"These overprescriptive regulations have made it really difficult for a lot of our members. And we are in this for our members," she says.

As the Environmental Working Group noted Tuesday in a blog post, tax records show that $6.7 million of $10.5 million the School Nutrition Association collected in 2012 came from sponsorship fees from food companies like Schwan's Food Service, a major provider of pizza to schools.

And the SNA may also be getting some corporate lobbying help. Schwan's Food Service reported that it was lobbying on the school nutrition issue. Company officials didn't respond to NPR's phone calls.

Two other big players in school nutrition — ConAgra and the American Frozen Food Institute — tell NPR they're sitting out the fight over the waiver.

The shift in SNA's approach also means it is up against its old liberal-leaning allies who want the nutrition standards to stay, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

"Instead of working cooperatively to try to help those schools that are struggling, SNA is working with a number of conservatives that completely oppose the school nutrition standards and are trying to gut them," says Margo Wootan, the center's director of food policy.

And the pressure is on. First lady Michelle Obama is stepping up her efforts to save the standards, and 19 former presidents of the SNA are asking Congress to reject the waiver.

Correction
June 11, 2014
A previous photo caption stated that the Schwan Food Co. has lately been lobbying on the school nutrition issue in favor of the school waiver. In fact, while the company has lobbied on school nutrition, it says it has not taken a position on the proposed waiver.



I THINK THE TERM “FALSE RELIGIOUS VIRUS” IS A GREAT DESCRIPTION OF WHAT IS GOING ON. FIRST, “BLIND FAITH”, AND OBEDIENCE ARE DEMANDED OF CHURCH MEMBERS, AND THEY ARE TAUGHT TO PROSELYTIZE TO FILL THE CHURCH (BUSINESS) COFFERS. SECOND, THOSE MEMBERS ARE TAUGHT TO FOLLOW ONLY THE MOST RESTRICTIVE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY AS A BASIC PART OF THEIR “CHRISTIANITY,” AND VOTE FOR THE REPUBLICANS. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WHITES MINGLING SOCIALLY WITH BLACKS OR HISPANICS WOULD BE FROWNED UPON, TOO.

IN AMERICA, WE AREN’T SUPPOSED TO HAVE A MARRIAGE BETWEEN RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT, ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION, ESPECIALLY ONE SPECIFIC RELIGION. THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT “RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.” TOO MANY OF THE EVANGELICALS, HOWEVER, TEND TO DISAGREE WITH THAT PRINCIPLE AND OPENLY ADVOCATE MAKING THIS A “CHRISTIAN NATION” – GO TO WIKIPEDIA AND SEARCH THE TERM “DOMINIONISM.” ALSO LOOK UP “CHRISTIAN IDENTITY” CHURCHES.

EVIL POLITICIANS KNOW THAT THE FEAR OF HELL IS THE OVERRIDING INFLUENCE IN THE SINCERE EVANGELICAL MIND, SO THEY MILK IT FOR ALL IT’S WORTH TO GET ELECTED. I WAS IN A NON-EVANGELICAL METHODIST CHURCH IN MY YOUNG DAYS, AND IT WAS ABOUT TRYING TO BE A BETTER PERSON RATHER THAN BEING JUDGMENTAL OF OTHERS. THE SERVICE WAS QUIET AND THE MOOD CONTEMPLATIVE. NO RACE, RELIGION NOR NATIONALITY WAS DEMEANED AND NO PARTY VOTE WAS EVEN RECOMMENDED. POOR PEOPLE “ON WELFARE” WERE NOT MENTIONED UNLESS TO RAISE MONEY TO HELP THEM, THOUGH “MISSIONARY ACTIVITIES" WERE SPONSORED. OH YES. IN THAT CHURCH NOBODY EVER ONCE ASKED ME “ARE YOU SAVED?” IN THAT RELIGIOUS ATMOSPHERE I COULD BREATHE.

THE PEOPLE WERE MIDDLE TO LOWER MIDDLE CLASS WHITES WHO WERE PRETTY LIBERAL, GENTLE AND HUMBLE. IN MY YOUTH THERE WERE VIRTUALLY NO ISLAMIC PEOPLE AROUND, BUT THERE WERE JEWS. STILL, I NEVER HEARD ANYBODY SPEAK AGAINST THEM – IN CHURCH ANYWAY. WE WEREN’T A WEALTHY “SOCIETY” CHURCH. NOBODY WENT THERE TO PROVE THEIR SOCIAL STATUS.

LOOKING BACK FROM THIS TRULY TRAUMATIC POLITICO/RELIGIOUS ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE LIVE TODAY, I DO TEND TO IDEALIZE THEM, OF COURSE, BUT I THINK THAT TO A LARGE DEGREE MY STATEMENTS ARE TRUE. WHAT HAPPENED IN THEIR PRIVATE HOMES OUTSIDE THE CHURCH WALLS, I DON’T KNOW, BUT NO MINISTER RALLIED THE CROWD FOR A CANDIDATE AND I TEND TO THINK THAT THE MEMBERS WERE HONEST IN THEIR BELIEFS. THEY WERE SIMPLY NICE PEOPLE. THAT, TO ME, IS A CHURCH RATHER THAN A CULT OR A POLITICAL PARTY.

I WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, IF THOSE CHURCHES WHO ARE THINLY VEILED FRONTS FOR THE GOP/NRA LOST THEIR TAX-FREE STATUS FOR INVOLVING THEMSELVES IN POLITICS? I’M OF THE OPINION THAT TAX FREE STATUS FOR MOST NON-PROFITS SHOULD BE RECONSIDERED, IN FACT. IT’S MAINLY DONE AS A RATIONALE FOR HAVING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DO EVER LESS AND LESS FOR THE POOR – THAT IS “THE CHURCH’S PROPER ROLE,” AFTER ALL. THAT’S SO THE RICH CAN GET EVER MORE AND MORE OUT OF THE PUBLIC FUNDS. TO THE VICTOR BELONG THE SPOILS.

https://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/32/messages/793.html
To the victor belong the spoils
Posted by Smokey Stover on June 18, 2004

"To the victor belong the spoils. In a war or other contest, the winner gets the booty. The proverb originated in the United States and was first used in 1832 by Senator William Learned Marcy (1786-1857) of New York. 'The victor gets the spoils' and 'To the victor go the spoils' are variations of the proverb." Senator Marcy was quoted as saying, in 1832, "They (Democrats) see nothing wrong in the rule that to the victor belong the spoils of the enemy." From "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" by Gregory Y. Titelman.”


IT IS ENCOURAGING TO NOTE THAT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE MEMBERS OF TABERNACLE BAPTIST CHURCH, MOORE IS BEING SCORNED. THE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE MINISTER SHOWS A BLACK MAN, BUT SOME CHURCHES NOWADAYS ARE NEITHER BLACK NOR WHITE -- OPEN TO ALL, AS THEY SHOULD BE. LOOK AT THIS QUOTATION FROM MOORE IN A RECENT SPEECH:

“THOSE ON STAGE POINTED TO A PHRASE MOORE USED TUESDAY NIGHT AT A REVIVAL MEETING IN JACKSON, ALABAMA. "THEY STARTED CREATING NEW RIGHTS IN 1965," MOORE SAID. "TODAY WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/roy-moore-evangelicals-reject-tabernacle-baptist-church/
By DEAN REYNOLDS CBS NEWS November 18, 2017, 7:53 PM
Roy Moore infected with "false religious virus": Evangelicals reject Moore at Alabama gathering

BIRMINGHAM -- With Alabama's special election just over three weeks away, religious leaders rallied on Saturday against U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore. They took aim at Moore's moral character as he battles several allegations of sexual misconduct.

At the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Birmingham, evangelicals gathered to reject the idea that Roy Moore is their kind of Christian.

Can Alabama's evangelicals carry Roy Moore to victory?

To them, his alleged unwanted advances or assaults against women only add to his unfitness.

"Even before these allegations made national headlines, it was clear that Moore's policy agenda endangered the children of Alabama," said Rev. William Barber. "Moore imagines the struggle for equality in America as a story of loss. Think about this."

reynolds-moore-evangelicals-2017-11-18.jpg
Evangelical leaders gather in Birmingham to reject Roy Moore. CBS NEWS

Those on stage pointed to a phrase Moore used Tuesday night at a revival meeting in Jackson, Alabama.

"They started creating new rights in 1965," Moore said. "Today we've got a problem."


The 1965 Voting Rights Act was designed to lift barriers erected by states and localities to block minority voters.

A woman introduced Moore on Thursday by saying "I present the hero of the day, Judge Roy Moore."

Throughout the week, a different element of the envangelical ministry has championed Moore and demonized his critics.

"I say to them and I'll quote the Ten Commandments, thou shall not bear false witness," said one speaker.

Comments like that, as Rev. Laughton Hicks said Saturday, is the problem.

"Roy Moore is a dedicated servant of and is seriously infected with this false religious virus, this false Christian religious virus as are most white males in Alabama," Hicks said.

Moore hasn't been seen in public since he fled from reporters questions on Thursday, but he has sent out his wife and legal staff to argue his case, which many in the Republican party leadership find unconvincing.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

[NOTE: I TRIED TO FIND A STORY ON MOORE “FLEEING” FROM REPORTERS AND FAILED. MAYBE I JUST MISSED IT. WHETHER HE DID OR NOT, HOWEVER, HE PROBABLY SHOULD, BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE THESE DAYS WHO DON’T BELIEVE A WORD HE SAYS.]



I THINK ALL THIS FRACKING IS PROBABLY A GENIE THAT CAN’T BE PUT BACK INTO THE BOTTLE. MY ONLY JOY IS THAT I DON’T LIVE IN OKLAHOMA. MILE WIDE TORNADOES AND SIX-FOOT RATTLESNAKES, AND NOW EARTHQUAKES. I CAN’T RESIST SAYING, THOUGH, THAT THEY KNEW ABOUT THIS POSSIBILITY BEFORE THEY VOTED TO ALLOW FRACKING. MOST PEOPLE KNEW THAT IT WAS NOT SCIENTIFICALLY APPROVED. BUT THEN, WHAT DO REPUBLICANS CARE ABOUT SCIENCE?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/earthquakes-oklahoma-edmond/
AP November 19, 2017, 11:20 AM
Two earthquakes rattle Oklahoma town

Map -- The U.S. Geological Survey recorded two earthquakes that struck just east of the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond early Sunday. This map shows the location of the second quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 2.9. USGS NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE INFORMATION CENTER

EDMOND, Okla. -- The U.S. Geological Survey has recorded two earthquakes that struck near a central Oklahoma town.

Both temblors hit just east of the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond early Sunday. The first quake had a preliminary magnitude of 3.7 and struck at 2:12 a.m. The second quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 2.9, followed soon after, hitting at 2:20 a.m.

There were no immediate reports of injury or severe damage.

Thousands of quakes have struck Oklahoma in recent years, many linked to the underground injection of wastewater from oil and natural gas production.

Several oil and gas producers have been directed to close some wells and reduce injection volumes in others, including two in the area of the recent temblors.

© 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



ANOTHER WHITE HOUSE GUARD STORY. AND THIS TIME, TRUMP CAN’T BLAME IT ON OBAMA’S LAX TRAINING AND SUPERVISION, CAN HE? I’M GLAD TO SEE THAT THEY WERE ALERT AND CAUGHT HIM. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE JUMPER. WEAPONS? MENTALLY DERANGED? PROBABLY NOT A TRUMP FAN, I GUESS, ANYWAY.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-secret-service-apprehends-attempted-white-house-fence-jumper/
AP November 19, 2017, 10:43 AM
U.S. Secret Service apprehends attempted White House fence jumper

Photograph -- The White House is seen through the North Lawn perimeter fence in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014. AP

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Secret Service says an individual has been taken into custody after attempting to jump a security barrier on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the White House.

President Donald Trump was inside the White House during the Sunday morning incident.

The Secret Service tweeted that at about 8 a.m. Sunday, someone tried to jump a row of metal bike racks that are being used to create a second row of fencing outside the executive mansion.

U.S. Secret Service ✔@SecretService
An individual attempted to jump the bike rack security barrier along the @WhiteHouse North Fence Line. Immediately taken into custody.
8:01 AM - Nov 19, 2017
100 100 Replies 550 550 Retweets 1,371 1,371 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Those racks were installed in response to a series of fence-jumping incidents in recent years, including a man who made it into the White House in 2014.

Pedestrians were briefly barred from walking in front of the White House during Sunday's incident.

U.S. Secret Service ✔@SecretService
Update: Penn Ave reopened.
8:05 AM - Nov 19, 2017
10 10 Replies 45 45 Retweets 145 145 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

The Secret Service is providing no more details.

© 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



IN ONE WAY, THIS IS ALL VERY INTERESTING, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, ITS’ JUST LIKE A HORSE RACE. THE BEST HORSE MAY BE HAVING A BAD DAY, AND IF SO, HE WILL LOSE. TRYING TO PREDICT THE OUTCOME IS USUALLY DOOMED TO FAIL. I DON’T THINK MOORE IS THE “BEST” HORSE, BUT THERE IS SUCH CYNICISM IN POLITICS THAT TEAM SPIRIT IS OFTEN THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR. ALL I KNOW IS, I WANT A DEMOCRAT IN THE SENATE RATHER THAN ANY REPUBLICAN, SO I WANT THAT RIGHTWING PSEUDO-CHRISTIAN TO STAY HOME AND TAKE CARE OF HIS BUSINESS THERE IN ALABAMA. OR BETTER, PERHAPS HE SHOULD BE HELD UNDER HOUSE ARREST FOR MOLESTING 14-YEAR-OLDS MANY TIMES? GROWN MEN WHO PREY ON YOUNG PEOPLE OF EITHER SEX DISGUST AND INFURIATE ME.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/11/11_roy_moore_election_scenario.html#incart_maj-story-1
11 Roy Moore election scenarios: What if he drops out? Write-in win? Can Senate refuse to seat him?
Updated Nov 17; Posted Nov 17
By Leada Gore lgore@al.com

What would happen if Roy Moore dropped out of the race for the U.S. Senate? What if Senator Luther Strange resigned today? What if the state Republican party reversed course and pulled its backing from Moore?

The race for Alabama's seat in the U.S. Senate is full of "what ifs" after Moore was hit with allegations he had improper sexual contact with teenage girls in the 1970s when he was in his 30s. Moore has denied the allegations, but polls show Democrat Doug Jones is now leading the Republican nominee, a scenario almost unimaginable two weeks ago.

Here are the scenarios that could come into play ahead of the Dec. 12 election:

Can Moore be taken off the ballot?

No. Moore's name is already on the ballot and that won't change - Alabama law prevents names being removed from the ballot within 76 days of an election

Moore drops out but gets the most votes in the election

If Moore formally suspended his candidacy before the election yet still received the most votes - "not a majority, a plurality," Secretary of State John Merrill told the "Rick&Bubba" radio show this morning - his candidacy would be disqualified. The election would be declared null and void and the process would start over. Gov. Kay Ivey would select a date for the next election and Sen. Luther Strange, appointed by ex-Gov. Robert Bentley to replace Jeff Sessions after the long-time Senator became U.S. Attorney General, would remain in office until the election.

Moore drops out, but Doug Jones gets the most votes in the election

If Jones receives the most votes in the election - topping Moore and any write-in candidate - he wins the election and goes to Washington as Alabama's next Senator.

And what about a write-in candidate?

If a write-in candidate receives the most votes in the Dec. 12 election they are the winner, whether Moore is officially in the race or not, assuming they meet the other qualifications for office.

Could Luther Strange be the write-in candidate even though he lost the Republican primary to Moore?

Yes, Strange could be a write-in candidate despite what's known as the "sore loser" law that prevents a candidate that failed to win a primary from running as an independent in the general election.

"Sen. Strange could still be a write-in candidate, but he cannot be a candidate whose name appears printed on the ballot, that would be a violation of the sore loser law," Merrill said. "If more people wrote an individual's name in through a write-in campaign someone might initiate, that person would become the U.S. senator."

Moore stays in, but the state GOP pulls its support

If Moore stays in the race but the Alabama GOP pulls its official support but he still receives the plurality of votes, we go back to scenario one and the election is declared null and void and the process starts over.

A Moore exit - either by dropping out or the GOP pulling its support - doesn't automatically send Jones to Washington.

"Only way Doug Jones or a write-in candidate is going to Washington on Dec. 12 is if he gets the most votes. Period," Merrill said.

However, the state Republican Party has given no indication it plans to abandon Moore.

"The ALGOP Steering Committee supports Judge Roy Moore as our nominee and trusts the voters as they make the ultimate decision in this crucial race," State Republican Party Chairwoman Terry Lathan said.

What is [sic] Luther Strange resigned today?

Reports came out earlier this week that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was pushing for Luther Strange to resign in order to trigger a new election and circumvent Moore's candidacy. Even if Strange resigned, however, Merrill said the Dec. 12 election continues as planned.

"Even if Senator Strange elected to resign today or even worse he was no longer able to serve, another temporary senator would be named but it would not interrupt the current election process," Merrill said.

What if Kay Ivey just canceled the entire election?

While the idea of canceling the special election has been floated by some, that's a no-go, according to Ivey.

"The Governor is not considering and has no plans to move the special election for the U.S. Senate," said Josh Pendergrass, communications director for Ivey.

There's another issue when it comes to changing the election date: Absentee ballots. Absentee and overseas voters, such as those in the military, have been casting ballots since Oct. 18, Merrill said.

What if Moore wins but the Senate refuses to seat him?

National Republicans dropped Moore quickly in the wake of the allegations and there has been talk that even if he wins the race, the Senate could refuse to seat him.

That's highly unlikely, however.

The Supreme Court decision Powell vs. McCormack stipulates the Senate can only refuse to seat Moore if he fails to meet the requirements listed in the Constitution: be at least 30 years old; be a citizen for the last nine years; and live in the state they are seeking to represent.

Moore meets those requirements meaning if he wins, the Senate will have little choice but to seat him.

Can the Senate expel Moore?

Moore's future in the Senate is the bigger question. If he wins and is seated, the Senate could vote to expel him. A vote to expel a Senator requires a two-thirds majority and with the Republican hold on the Senate potentially precarious, it's unclear if the GOP would be willing to take a chance by booting Moore.

That isn't deterring some, however.

"If (Moore) refuses to withdraw and wins, the Senate should vote to expel him, because he does not meet the ethical and moral requirements of the United States Senate," Sen. Cory Gardner said.

To expel Moore, it would take the vote of 48 Democrats and independents and 19 Republicans. The last time it was done was 1862.

And if it doesn't expel him?

If Moore wins the race and the Senate doesn't expel him, he will be up for reelection in 2020.



"I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN UNITE DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, BECAUSE I SEEM TO BE OPPOSED BY BOTH."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alabama-editorial-board-urges-voters-to-reject-moore/
By EMILY TILLETT CBS NEWS November 19, 2017, 10:03 AM
AL.com Editorial Board urges voters to "reject" Moore

Photograph -- Judge Roy Moore participates in the Mid-Alabama Republican Club's Veterans Day Program in Vestavia Hills, Ala., on Nov. 11, 2017. REUTERS

Several Alabama newspapers are endorsing Democrat Doug Jones in the state's Senate race amid sexual misconduct allegations against Republican Judge Roy Moore, saying Jones is the only candidate left in the race who is worthy of representing Alabama.

"A vote for Roy Moore sends the worst kind of message to Alabamians struggling with abuse: 'if you ever do tell your story, Alabama won't believe you.' Or, worse, we'll believe you but we just won't care," the Editorial Board of AL.com wrote Sunday.

The board, which made its case in a lengthy piece, urged voters to "reject" Moore and called the accusations against the candidate "horrifying, but not shocking."

"Every day new allegations arise that illustrate a pattern of a man in his 30s strutting through town like the cock of the walk, courting and preying on young women and girls. And though Roy Moore has denied the accusations of these women, his own platform and record is hostile to so many Alabamians," the board wrote.

Members of AL.com's Editorial Board include Tom Bates, who leads Alabama Media Group, which runs AL.com, produces video programming, and publishes The Birmingham News, Birmingham Magazine, Huntsville Times and Mobile's Press-Register; Michelle Holmes, who is vice president of content at Alabama Media Group; and K.A. Turner, who is senior editor of the newspapers published by Alabama Media Group.

The board wrote that as a news organization it has investigated the stories of "several" Alabama women who spoke to the organization, as well as to The Washington Post, "about the abuse they say they suffered at the hands of Roy Moore decades ago."

In a story first reported by The Washington Post earlier this month, four women accused Moore of pursuing them when they were teens and he was in his 30s. One of them said he initiated sexual contact with her when she was 14 years old. Other women have since stepped forward with new allegations.

Moore has denounced the allegations as "fake news," telling supporters at recent campaign events, "I'm the only one that can unite Democrats and Republicans, because I seem to be opposed by both."

On Sunday, the AL.com Editorial Board wrote, "In the American system, proof beyond a reasonable doubt is a consideration for the courtroom, not the ballot box. It is our job as voters to look closely at the candidates and make up our own minds."

"Do not let this conversation be muddled. This election has become a referendum on whether we will accept this kind of behavior from our leaders."

The AL.com Editorial Board wrote that voters have three choices: stay home from the vote, write in a candidate they see fit, or go with Jones, a former U.S. attorney running in one of the most Republican state's in the country.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



THIS IS ONE OF AT LEAST THREE ARTICLES STATING IN A HEADLINE THAT SANDERS “DODGED” RATHER THAN JOINING IN THE MEDIA ASSAULT ON FRANKEN. AS CLINTON SAID A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, FRANKEN IMMEDIATELY ADMITTED IT AND APOLOGIZED. TRUMP AND MOORE HAVE YET TO DO EITHER. AND AS FOR BERNIE STEPPING INTO THEIR PIT TRAP OF A QUESTION, HE’S JUST TOO SMART FOR THAT. SO THERE!! BERNIE GAVE THE GOOD, WELL-THOUGHT OUT ANSWER THAT THE PUBLIC DESERVES, AS HE USUALLY DOES. “THE WORLD HAS CHANGED AND WE HAVE NOT CAUGHT UP ....” WE’RE GETTING THERE, THOUGH.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/bernie-sanders-dodges-when-asked-if-al-franken-should-resign-over-sexual-misconduct-report/article/2641184
Bernie Sanders dodges when asked if Al Franken should resign over sexual misconduct report
by Kyle Feldscher | Nov 19, 2017, 10:29 AM

Photograph -- "My understanding is that Al is a very popular senator. People in Minnesota think that he is doing a good job and his political future will rest with the people of Minnesota." (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders dodged when asked if Sen. Al Franken should resign after being accused of forcibly kissing and groping a woman 10 years ago.

When asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” if he felt the accusations against Franken by Leanne Tweeden, along with a photo showing Franken appearing to grope Tweeden over her flack jacket while on a USO tour in 2006, Sanders demurred.

Al Franken should skip the ethics probe and resign over sexual misconduct
Watch Full Screen

“I think that's a decision for Al Franken and the people of the state of Minnesota,” Sanders said. “My understanding is that Al is a very poplar senator. People in Minnesota think that he is doing a good job and his political future will rest with the people of Minnesota.”

Sanders similarly dodged when he was asked if he felt, like New York Sen, Kirsten Gillibrand does, if then-President Bill Clinton should have resigned from his post during the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the 1990s.

“I don't think that at this point our goal is to look back 20 years or 30 years,” Sanders said. “Our goal is to go forward and our goal is to understand that we have a real crisis in this country today within the political world, within the corporate world, within the media world, where women are being harassed every single day.”

Sanders said more needs to be done by lawmakers in order to bring the country’s sexual harassment and sexual assault laws in line with the place where the culture has moved.

“The world has changed and we have not caught up with that and obviously what has got to happen is women have been to be [sic] treated as equal citizens, have to be comfortable at work and have to be first class citizens in this country, which is now not the case,” he said.