February 8, 2018


News and Views


WHO KNEW WHAT WHEN? WHO CARES? WOMEN DO.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/07/politics/rob-porter-white-house-who-knew/index.html
White House officials knew about Porter's abuse allegations and scrambled to protect him
By Kaitlan Collins, Kevin Liptak and Dan Merica, CNN
Updated 2:29 PM ET, Thu February 8, 2018

(CNN)Senior aides to President Donald Trump knew for months about allegations of domestic abuse levied against top White House staffer Rob Porter by his ex-wives, even as Porter's stock in the West Wing continued to rise, multiple sources told CNN on Wednesday.

Porter denied the allegations but resigned on Wednesday.

A scramble ensued inside the West Wing to defend him when the claims became public this week, the sources said. That effort continues even after his resignation.

Former White House aide's ex-wives detail abuse allegations

Senior White House officials were aware for months of the allegations made against Trump's staff secretary, two sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday after Porter resigned.

Trump himself first learned of the allegations this week, two sources familiar with the matter said. He was upset when shown reports of the abuse, which first emerged on Tuesday. His daughter Ivanka Trump, serving as a White House senior adviser, was also deeply disturbed by the allegations, particularly by photographs of the alleged abuse, the sources said.

Porter's ex-wives detailed the allegations to the FBI over the course of a routine background check, they told CNN's MJ Lee on Wednesday. A year into the administration, Porter does not hold a security clearance.

By early fall, it was widely known among Trump's top aides -- including chief of staff John Kelly -- both that Porter was facing troubles in obtaining the clearance and that his ex-wives claimed he had abused them. No action was taken to remove him from the staff.

Instead, Kelly and others oversaw an elevation in Porter's standing. He was one of a handful of aides who helped draft last week's State of the Union address. He traveled instead of Kelly to the World Economic Forum in Davos last month. And he was one of a select group of aides who shook Chinese President Xi Jinping's hand during a state visit to Beijing in November.

The White House declined to comment on Wednesday when asked about Kelly's knowledge of the allegations against Porter.

CNN obtained this 2005 photo of Colbie Holderness, who is the first ex-wife of White House staff secretary Rob Porter. Porter resigned on Wednesday, February 7.

In a statement released Wednesday evening, Kelly said he was "shocked" by the "new allegations" against Porter.

"There is no place for domestic violence in our society. I stand by my previous comments of the Rob Porter that I have come to know since becoming Chief of Staff, and believe every individual deserves the right to defend their reputation," Kelly said. "I accepted his resignation earlier today, and will ensure a swift and orderly transition."

Colbie Holderness, Porter's first wife, and Jennifer Willoughby, Porter's second wife, both said their ex-husband's consistent abuse was the reason for their respective divorces.

Porter denied the allegations in a statement issued in the wake of his resignation.

"These outrageous allegations are simply false," Porter said in his statement. "I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign."

Intensive defense

White House aide denies abuse allegations but resigns

The appearance of a top aide accused of abusing two ex-wives led to an intensive defense campaign on Tuesday evening, when the reports first emerged in the Daily Mail. Before the allegations first surfaced on Tuesday, the White House prepared a response defending Porter. Hope Hicks, who serves as the White House communications director and has been romantically involved with Porter, helped draft a supportive statement from Kelly, who spent much of Tuesday on Capitol Hill in immigration talks.

"Rob Porter is a man of true integrity and honor and I can't say enough good things about him. He is a friend, a confidante and a trusted professional. I am proud to serve alongside him," the statement from Kelly read. Hicks worked with White House press secretary Sarah Sanders and Josh Raffel, another White House spokesman who is close to Porter, to draft the statement, people familiar with it said.

Top officials remained staunch in their support of Porter on Wednesday. Kelly, who encouraged Porter to remain in his post despite the allegations, did not alter his effusive statement. Trump himself has "full confidence in his abilities and his performance," according to Sanders.

Why Orrin Hatch had two statements* on Rob Porter's resignation

When Hicks and Kelly discussed the matter on Tuesday, both agreed the White House should defend Porter, sources said. But by the next day, it was evident the show of support wouldn't quiet the controversy.

Neither Porter nor Hicks were present in a Wednesday morning senior staff meeting, a White House official said. The White House press office was sent scrambling after more allegations against Porter were made, and several staffers spent the morning preparing to deal with the fallout.

Kelly, who has relied on Porter to execute a strict system of information control to the President, insisted that he'd be able to weather the allegations and remain in his job, according to a White House official. But Porter resigned anyway, over Kelly's objections. Kelly has long insisted that Porter stay in his job, even as he considered approaches from the private sector, including from Uber, according to one administration source. Uber denies it ever reached out to Porter.

A person familiar with West Wing dynamics said Porter has expressed interest in an elevated policy role over the past weeks, beyond the position he currently holds. Last month he told colleagues that he wasn't planning on leaving the White House to take an outside role.

White House responsibilities

As staff secretary, Porter's responsibility was mainly in the flow of paper that crossed Trump's desk, including the wave of executive orders and actions that Trump inked during the first months of his tenure. A lawyer, Porter also participated in the process of legally vetting the myriad documents that require the President's signature.

Porter's role was under-the-radar, and Trump himself remained largely unfamiliar with him for weeks before his role was explained. The President was impressed by Porter's educational credentials -- including degrees from Harvard and Oxford -- a person familiar with the matter said.

When John Kelly replaced Reince Priebus as White House chief of staff, Porter's role expanded. Kelly -- looking to correct an issue that plagued the White House under Priebus -- imposed a strict system of information flow to the President, elevating the importance of Porter's task in managing the documents, news clippings and briefing books that entered the Oval Office.

Many aides in the West Wing described themselves as shocked at the allegations, which they said are not in character with the mild-mannered lawyer they have worked alongside over the past year.

And some expressed dismay that the allegations against Porter weren't acted upon when senior members of Trump's team became aware of them.

Another uncomfortable moment

These women have accused Trump of sexual harassment

It proved another uncomfortable situation for a White House that has been largely out of step with the #MeToo movement that has swept the country. Trump, given the range of sexual harassment and assault allegations against him, has long struggled to respond to the nationwide focus on the mistreatment against women.

During the election, at least 15 women accused Trump of ranging from sexual harassment and sexual assault to lewd behavior around women. They came forward in the wake of a 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape of Trump released in October 2016 caught him saying on a hot mic: "And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything ... Grab them by the p****. You can do anything."

But the White House -- through spokespeople Sarah Sanders and others -- have dismissed all the allegations against him as old news that had been litigated during the 2016 campaign.

Trump told the British broadcaster Piers Morgan in January that he was not a feminist because he was "for everyone."

CNN's Gloria Borger, Dana Bash, Jeff Zeleny, Jeremy Diamond, Jim Acosta and Noah Gray contributed to this report.

This story has been updated.


ORRIN HATCH

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/07/politics/orrin-hatch-rob-porter/index.html
Why Orrin Hatch had two statements on Rob Porter's resignation
Ashley Killough
By Ashley Killough, CNN
Updated 7:39 PM ET, Wed February 7, 2018

(CNN)Moments after Rob Porter resigned from his post as White House staff secretary on Wednesday, reporters received two very different statements from Porter's former boss, Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah.

One statement offered a strong defense of Porter, while another was less robust and carried a sharply different tone as Porter faces allegations of abuse from his two former wives. Prior to working in the White House, Porter served as Hatch's chief of staff.

The Daily Mail first published allegations of physical abuse Tuesday night from Porter's second ex-wife and then later, on Wednesday, published allegations of physical and mental abuse from his first ex-wife.

Not long after the allegations came out Wednesday, Porter resigned -- though he denied the allegations in his own statement -- and the White House handed out multiple statements of support for Porter from various officials and leaders, including Hatch.

The statement from Hatch vigorously defended Porter, saying "it's incredibly discouraging to see such a vile attack on such a decent man."

This same statement also appeared in the Daily Mail's reporting.

Here's the full statement: "It's incredibly discouraging to see such a vile attack on such a decent man. Shame on any publication that would print this—and shame on the politically motivated, morally bankrupt character assassins that would attempt to sully a man's good name. I know Rob. I've known him for years, both as a close friend and as a personal advisor. He is kind and considerate towards all. The country needs more honest, principled people like Rob Porter, which is why I hope that this cynical campaign to discredit his character ultimately fails."

At the same time, Hatch's office blasted out a different statement that said Hatch was "heartbroken" by the allegations. Hatch still described his interactions with Porter as "professional" and "respectful" but said "domestic violence in any form is abhorrent."

Here's the full statement: "I am heartbroken by today's allegations. In every interaction I've had with Rob, he has been courteous, professional, and respectful. My staff loved him and he was a trusted advisor. I do not know the details of Rob's personal life. Domestic violence in any form is abhorrent. I am praying for Rob and those involved."

A source familiar with the two statements said the White House started collecting statements of support for Porter on Tuesday because they knew the allegations were going to be published. Porter himself was involved in asking Hatch's office Tuesday for a statement defending him.

That's how the Daily Mail got a statement from Hatch -- the White House already had one from him.

However, an aide to Hatch said the statement was drafted before the first article came out and Hatch didn't know all the details. His office was only told there was some kind of effort underway to undermine Porter and that it would involve his marriages.

"The statement was prepared before any accusations were printed but with the understanding that his past marital troubles would be used against him," the aide said.

The aide said that after the second article came out Wednesday and Hatch realized the severity of the allegations, Hatch's office drafted the second statement and released it when they heard Porter resigned. Hatch personally dictated both statements, the aide said.

But Hatch's office didn't know that the White House was still going to release their old statement in support of Porter after the resignation, the aide said, so that came as a surprise to them.

Hatch later tweeted his newer statement, just to make sure it went far and wide.

Trump's press secretary, Sarah Sanders, said Hatch was at the White House for a meeting of members of the Senate Finance Committee. Hatch's spokesman confirmed that Hatch spoke to Porter at the White House on Wednesday.

"Senator Hatch spoke to Rob about his next steps and urged him to get help so that he could possibly serve the country in some capacity down the road," Hatch spokesman Matt Whitlock said in a statement. "Whether he takes leave and gets that help now or resigns to focus on making necessary changes will be up to him to work out, of course."

CNN's Dan Merica, Kevin Liptak and Kaitlan Collins contributed to this report.


WHY ACCUSED ABUSER ROB PORTER KEPT HIS JOB

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/02/08/white-house-has-little-say-why-accused-abuser-rob-porter-kept-his-job/319409002/?csp=chromepush
White House has little to say on why accused abuser rob porter kept his job
David Jackson and Gregory Korte, USA TODAY Published 3:55 p.m. ET Feb. 8, 2018

WASHINGTON – White House officials refused to explain Thursday why Chief of Staff John Kelly and others allowed Rob Porter to stay in his high-profile job even after his security clearance was held up over allegations of domestic abuse by two ex-wives.

"His background investigation was ongoing," White House spokesman Raj Shah said of Porter, the former White House staff secretary. "His (security) clearance was never denied, and he resigned."

Shah called the allegations that Porter abused two ex-wives “serious and disturbing” but maintained that Kelly and President Trump were not fully apprised of the details.

Shah would not detail when Kelly and others learned of the allegations, only that they discovered their "full nature" – including pictures of a woman's black eye – on Wednesday.

Shah told reporters the alleged abuse took place long before Porter’s time in the White House, and therefore would have been investigated during the initial part of the background check process.

Porter, meanwhile, was operating on an interim security clearance. “We trust the background check process,” Shah told reporters.

While aides initially said Porter would stay on temporarily for the transition to a new staff secretary, he exited the building on Thursday.

Kelly knew about the allegations in which ex-wives Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby accused Porter of physical and emotional abuse.

More: Questions that need answers after accused wife beater Rob Porter's White House resignation*

More: White House staffer Rob Porter resigns amid abuse allegations

More: Rob Porter scandal, explained: Who is he, why he resigned, what his ex-wives say, more

Kelly issued a supportive statement at the time Porter announced his resignation on Wednesday, calling him "a man of true integrity and honor," and "I am proud to serve alongside him.”

Hours later, after pictures surfaced showing one of the ex-wives with a black eye, Kelly issued a more critical statement saying he "was shocked" by "the new allegations released today" against Porter.

"There is no place for domestic violence in our society," Kelly said. "I stand by my previous comments of the Rob Porter that I have come to know since becoming Chief of Staff, and believe every individual deserves the right to defend their reputation."

In a statement put out by the White House, Porter said "these outrageous allegations are simply false."

Porter acknowledged taking a 15-year-old photos showing one ex-wife with a black eye, but "the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described." He did not explain how.

"I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign," Porter said.

Vice President Pence, traveling in Japan en route to the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in South Korea, declined to discuss the Porter predicament. We'll comment on any issues affecting White House staff when we get back to Washington," Pence told reporters.

While the staff secretary position that Porter held is usually seen as administrative -- controlling the flow of paperwork to the president’s desk – they [sic] also play an important policy role by coordinating with other top aides on recommendations to the president.

After Kelly took over as chief of staff in late July, he tapped Porter to help him re-organize the presidential office, aides said. Porter frequently traveled aboard Air Force with Trump, become a highly influential though low-key aide.

Aides credited Porter as one of the chief architects of Trump’s State of the Union address last week, helping to decide which legislative proposals did or didn’t make it into the speech.

Porter was one of 22 top-tier assistants to the president making the maximum salary of $179,700 last year.

Like all White House jobs, the job requires a security clearance. Porter had been operating on a temporary clearance.

Unlike military and national security officials at the White House, who have a security clearance from the Defense Department or intelligence community, civilian officials receive their security clearances from the White House itself. The Office of Security, a component of the Executive Office of the President, makes the final determination on security clearances based on background investigations conducted by the FBI.

Those investigations aren’t intended as a moral character test, but rather try to determine whether a government official handling state secrets might be susceptible to blackmail or bribery.

Porter’s first wife, Colbee Holderness, said she told the FBI that she believed Porter could be blackmailed, according to the Washington Post.

A Harvard graduate and Rhodes scholar, Porter came recommended to the White House on the strength of a resume that included stints with Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and his two home-state senators, Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch of Utah, also Republicans. His father, Roger Porter, was an economic adviser to President George H.W. Bush and now teaches at Harvard, where he’s a top scholar on presidential decision-making.

Porter also had some early missteps. Trump’s first executive order instituting a travel ban a year ago wasn’t thoroughly vetted with the Department of Homeland Security before the president signed it, leading to widespread confusion when it was implemented. A USA TODAY report last February found that five executive orders the staff secretary sent to the Federal Register for official publication were different from those released to the press – leading to a rare correction of the record.

Staff secretaries are usually low-profile and obscure, but some of them – David Gergen under Reagan, John Podesta under Clinton and Harriet Miers under George H.W. Bush – went on to higher-profile jobs. Porter was unusually visible – in part because of his role in Trump’s frequent signing-ceremony photo opportunities.



"WHEN I TRIED TO GET HELP, I WAS COUNSELED TO CONSIDER CAREFULLY HOW WHAT I SAID MIGHT AFFECT HIS CAREER," SHE WROTE. I KEPT MULLING OVER THIS BECAUSE I WONDERED WHAT IT COULD POSSIBLY REALLY MEAN, AND WHY IT WAS SAID TO HER. MY CONCLUSION IS THAT THIS IS HER WAY OF SAYING, WITHOUT REALLY SAYING, THAT SHE WAS THREATENED EITHER BY HIS LAWYERS OR A WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL TO KEEP SILENT. I CAN’T PROVE THAT, BUT IT MAKES BY FAR THE MOST SENSE THAT I HAVE SEEN YET.

http://www.9news.com/article/news/nation-now/questions-that-need-answers-after-accused-wife-beater-rob-porters-white-house-resignation/465-23a3abcd-49ae-4108-8913-f96cfd103778
NATION-NOW
Questions that need answers after accused wife beater Rob Porter's White House resignation
Questions that need answers after Rob Porter's White House resignation
Author: Jessica Estepa and Ashley May, USA TODAY
Published: 4:15 PM EST February 8, 2018

Photograph -- White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter resigned following abuse accusations from his ex-wifes published in the Daily Mail earlier this week.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP

Following White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter's resignation, questions loom about his ex-wives' allegations of physical and mental abuse and his political career.

Though Porter's last day with the administration was on Wednesday (a new staff secretary will be named soon), here's what we still want to know:

DID DOMESTIC ABUSE COME UP IN THE FBI BACKGROUND CHECK?

In order to work for the administration, he had to undergo an FBI background check.

"Consistent with the practice of past administrations, issues related to an individual's suitability are reviewed through a thorough and lengthy background check process," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. "Background checks involve a complex investigation run by intelligence and law enforcement agencies."

According to White House Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah, the investigation into Shah's background was ongoing. His resignation took place before it could be completed.

"I'm not going to get into the specifics of the investigation itself," Shah said.

DID THE ALLEGATIONS AFFECT HIS SECURITY CLEARANCE?

The ongoing investigation into his background had delayed Porter from receiving a full security clearance, the White House said.

Shah said Porter instead was working with an interim clearance, which allowed him access to certain classified national security information.

As staff secretary, Porter was responsible for the flow of presidential paperwork around the West Wing and to the president's desk. He would have ensured executive orders, decision memos, bills, nominations and other actions were thoroughly vetted before reaching the president.

In this role, Porter is essentially a gatekeeper for the Oval Office with direct access to Trump. He traveled with the president and was among the highest-paid aides in the White House. After John Kelly became chief of staff last summer, Kelly reportedly came to view Porter as a right-hand man.

WHO KNEW ABOUT THE ALLEGATIONS?

Porter's first wife, Colbie Holderness, reportedly told the FBI about her their marriage and shared photos of injuries she received while married to Porter.

And last year, one of Porter's wives, Jennifer Willoughby, wrote about her abusive marriage. She never mentions Porter by name.

"When I tried to get help, I was counseled to consider carefully how what I said might affect his career," she wrote. "And so I kept my mouth shut and stayed."

Given that Porter's service as the staff secretary started on Trump's first day in office, his inability to get a full clearance because of the allegations likely would have been flagged early on.

On Wednesday, Kelly initially defended Porter, saying he was a “man of true integrity and honor.”

Later, he said he was “shocked” by the allegations against Porter, but stood by his previous comments.

“There is no place for domestic violence in our society,” he said. “I stand by my previous comments of the Rob Porter that I have come to know since becoming chief of staff, and believe every individual deserves the right to defend their reputation.”

Shah insisted on Thursday that Kelly and Trump did not become aware of the allegations against Porter until stories about the spousal abuse surfaced this week.


THIS WOMAN TOO CLOSE BEHIND BERNIE SANDERS? SAY IT AIN’T SO!

http://freebeacon.com*/politics/kamala-harris-paid-1-2-million-firm-sparked-sanders-insurgency/
Kamala Harris Paid $1.2 Million to Firm That Sparked Sanders’s Insurgency
BY: Joe Schoffstall
February 8, 2018 5:00 am

Photograph -- Sen. Kamala Harris / Getty Images

Harris, who is floated as potential Democratic presidential candidate for 2020, spent 60 percent of all campaign expenditures on firm

Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) paid $1.2 million last year to the media firm that helped boost Bernie Sanders's national profile during his 2016 Democratic primary run against Hillary Clinton, Federal Election Commission filings show.

A majority of the money sent from Harris's campaign went toward digital web advertisements despite her reelection efforts being years away.

Harris, who is regularly floated as a possible 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, uses Revolution Messaging LLC, a Washington, D.C.-based progressive online media firm that won numerous awards for the work it had done for Sanders, including web advertisements, campaign consulting, videography, and website services.

During the first three quarters of 2017, which spans from Jan. 1 to Sep. 30, Kamala Harris for Senate disbursed $652,704.79 to Revolution Messaging with $567,487.2 of this amount going towards web advertisements, according to records.

Harris also paid the firm $83,000 for campaign consulting, $10,000 for website services, and $1,750 for videography services during this time.

Harris's campaign dramatically increased its expenditures to the firm during the fourth quarter, reporting disbursements of $513,866.60 for digital web ads from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31.

More than $22,000 was put towards campaign consulting while $12,000 went towards website services the last three months of 2017, the campaign's newest disclosures show.

Harris's campaign finished the year by paying Revolution $1,081,353.81 for web ads, $105,467.58 for campaign consulting, and $22,597.04 for website services. The firm pocketed $1.2 million from the campaign throughout the entire year.

In total, Harris's campaign disbursed $2,061,069.45 last year, with the $1.2 million to Revolution Messaging accounting for nearly 60 percent of its expenditures.

"Kamala Harris is dead set on running for president and the fact that she's spending seven figures to grow her name ID nationally puts to rest any speculation to the contrary," a presidential campaign veteran told the Washington Free Beacon. "She knows that there is going to be a crowded Democratic primary in 2020 with figures who have a national presence, so she needs to be spending money now to get her name in front of left-wing activists so she's not an afterthought when the campaign kicks off."

"Given that she doesn't have to run for reelection for Senate again for another five years, the only reason her campaign committee would be spending so much now, instead of building a war chest, would be to boost her ahead of a possible presidential run."

Harris's campaign has also paid thousands for rent on office space from a travel agency located on Capitol Hill, the Free Beacon previously reported. A number of her D.C. Senate staffers are also former Clinton campaign veterans.

Harris's campaign did not return a request for comment on the money spent on the media firm by press time.

Joe Schoffstall Email Joe | Full Bio | RSS
Joe Schoffstall is a staff writer for the Washington Free Beacon. Previously, he spent three years with the Media Research Center and was most recently with the Capitol City Project. He can be reached at Schoffstall@freebeacon.com. His Twitter handle is @JoeSchoffstall.


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Gender Pay Gap in Clinton’s Senate Office?

Attack ad in Georgia special election ties Jon Ossoff to Al Jazeera
7 Hillary Clinton quotes on the Internet that are complete fakes

Overall, we rate the Washington Free Beacon Right Biased on story selection that favors the right and Mixed for factual reporting based on misleading and false claims. (7/19/2016) Updated (1/31/2018)

Source: http://freebeacon.com/



THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A PERSON IN A POSITION OF RESPONSIBILITY AND POWER DELIVERING WHAT I CAN’T HELP CALLING A PREJUDICED JUDGMENT. HIS BIAS, I BELIEVE, IS ANTIFEMINISM. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER CASES IN THE LAST FEW YEARS IN WHICH MEN OF VARIOUS AGES HAVE HAD A TRIAL COURT AND JUDGE REALLY OBVIOUSLY “GO EASY ON THEM” IN A SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE.

I AM CONVINCED THAT THE LACK OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES THAT REALLY HIT THE NEWS, AS THIS ONE ABOUT THE GIRL DID, SHOWS A TENDENCY TO FORGIVE MEN FOR SEXUAL VIOLENCE, AS BEING “THEIR DUE.” ALSO, THERE IS A MOVEMENT AFOOT SPEWING OUT HATRED AND FEAR OF THE “POWER” OF WOMEN TO BRING OUT MALE HATRED, AND THERE ARE ENOUGH ANTIFEMINIST PEOPLE OF BOTH SEXES OUT THERE TO GIVE IT POWER. I THINK FUNDAMENTALIST RELIGION IS OFTEN BEHIND THAT, BOTH IN CHRISTIANITY AND IN ISLAM. IN THE END, THOUGH, IT’S JUST ANOTHER RIGHTIST LIE. THE PETITION TO HAVE JUDGE COPPEDGE REMOVED AND DISBARRED ALREADY HAS 61, 000 SIGNATURES.

SEE THIS VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE ON ANTIFEMINIST FEAR. HTTP://WWW.WEHUNTEDTHEMAMMOTH.COM/2016/01/01/THE-9-MOST-GLORIOUSLY-RIDICULOUS-MENS-RIGHTS-MEMES-OF-2015/COMMENT-PAGE-1/


https://www.yahoo.com/news/thousands-sign-petition-remove-judge-145958189.html
Thousands sign petition to remove judge who sentenced blind child rapist to probation
Alex Lasker
AOL.com • February 7, 2018

A petition to remove an Oklahoma judge who sentenced a convicted child rapist to 15 years of probation is gaining serious momentum online.

Benjamin Lawrence Petty, 36, was recently handed the lenient sentence by Judge Wallace Coppedge for a crime he committed while working as a cook at Falls Creek church camp in June 2016.

Petty, who is blind, allegedly told his 13-year-old victim that he wanted to show her a new type of device he brought to the camp to lure the young girl into his cabin.

Petty then "closed the door to his bedroom, tied [the victim's] hands behind her back, pulled down her jeans, pushed her face down on his bed, and violently raped and sodomized her," court records show.

Petty was arrested following the attack and charged with forcible sodomy, first-degree rape and rape by instrumentation, all three of which he pleaded guilty to in January 2018.

Despite the guilty plea, Judge Coppedge sentenced Petty to just 15 years probation, partially due to his physical disability.

While Petty will have to wear a GPS ankle monitor for two years and register as an aggravated sex offender, he won’t serve any time behind bars for his crime unless he violates that probation, a sentence which has sparked outrage.

In response to the case, Julie Mastrine, a Care2 spokesperson, said her team decided to start a petition to have Judge Coppedge removed from his bench.

"This was one of those kinds of outrageous stories where we thought people are clearly angry about this, so we should get a petition out," Mastrine told KFOR. "It really just shows you that people all over the world want to see justice. Even if it’s not an issue that’s directly tied to their community, they still have big hearts."

Currently, Mastrine's petition has received over 61,000 signatures and is less than 4,000 away from its goal of 65,000.

However, legal expert Joi Miskel told KFOR that takes much more than a widely-supported petition to get a judge ousted from his bench.

"It’s all well and good to file a petition online to get kind of, get some movement going," Miskel told the station. "It's not that easy just to snap your fingers and remove a judge. There's a lot more to it."

Miskel said that in order to get a judge removed, a complaint has to be filed with the state's council on judicial complaints. From there, an investigator will look into the claims and proceed to make recommendations to several different entities, including the state's Supreme Court.

While Miskel said that she does not personally agree with the sentence, she said it's rare for a judge to go against a plea deal when all parties are in agreement.

"In a sense, he was just doing his job," she sad. [sic] "He was going along with what the state and defense agreed upon. However, I think people are upset about the sentence itself. And, he didn't determine that sentence. That was the state of Oklahoma."

This article was initially published on AOL.com: Thousands sign petition to remove judge who sentenced blind child rapist to probation


2,201 reactions
Top Reactions

mike20 hours ago
As the last part says, both sides agreed. I WONDER IF THERE IS MORE TO IT. How could either lawyer or judge, or the girls family for that matter, who hired the lawyer, ever agree to this. Did they look at that poor girl in the eyes and tell her the plea bargain?
ReplyReplies (81)73221

Reality
Reality18 hours ago
The judge COULD have over-ridden the plea deal, but chose not to. Sad.
ReplyReplies (12)51017

Allison Taylor
Allison Taylor9 hours ago
The judge signed off on the plea agreement that the Prosecutor and Defense put together. The judge doesn't have to agree to that - but he did. Sounds like all 3 need to be looked at. What kind of state prosecutor agrees to this and puts it forth to the judge to sign off on?
ReplyReplies (14)4937

Cold
Cold21 hours ago
BEING A JUDGE DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU'RE SMART OR COMPETENT.
ReplyReplies (42)1,20937

Putin it up the tRUMP
Putin it up the tRUMP20 hours ago
THIS JUDGE SHOULD NOT JUST BE REMOVED AND DISBARRED, HE SHOULD BE PROSECUTED FOR MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE.
ReplyReplies (22)64459

Ann Heuser Bajingo
Ann Heuser Bajingo21 hours ago
THEY NEED TO LOOK AT THE JUDGES CASES TO SEE HOW HE WAS PAID OFF!
ReplyReplies (20)64253

Steve
Steve19 hours ago
Sounds like the state prosecutor needs to be scrutinized. Why agree to such a deal?
ReplyReplies (14)6809

Greg
Greg19 hours ago
THERE ARE SO MANY BAD JUDGES THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED!
ReplyReplies (11)47319

Mary Farris
Mary Farris6 hours ago
The rapist is not blind - he is legally blind (and there is a difference). In the United States, any person with vision that cannot be corrected to better than 20/200 in the best eye, or who has 20 degrees or less of visual field remaining, is considered legally blind. He saw well enough to grab the girl and tie her up.
ReplyReplies (2)772

kimmmme
kimmmme8 hours ago
Perhaps that judge needs to spend a few nights in jail with Bubba as his cellmate!
ReplyReplies (1)432


THE ARTICLE ABOVE MADE ME ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A JUDGE? IS JUDGE JUDY REALLY A JUDGE? IS SHE A LAWYER? YOU MIGHT ASK “WHO CARES?” WELL, I CARE. SO MANY THINGS IN OUR SOCIETY ARE BOGUS THAT IT IRRITATES ME JUST A TAD. SEE THE FOLLOWING ON JUDGES AND CORONERS. SO, HOW PROFESSIONAL IS YOUR PROFESSIONAL?


CORONERS

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/post-mortem/things-to-know/how-qualified-is-your-coroner.html

How Qualified Is Your Coroner?

Introduced to the colonies by early settlers, the role of coroner dates back to English common law. King Richard I developed the system in the 12th century, partly to fund the expensive Crusades. "Crowners" as they were then known, conducted inquests on the king's behalf to identify the deceased and investigate how they died, but more importantly, to collect death taxes on their estates.

The more than 2,000 coroner offices across the United States are vestiges of this royal system. Individual state statutes dictate whether death investigations -- which include examining the scene, reviewing medical records, performing autopsies and determining the manner and cause of death -- are conducted by a coroner or a medical examiner. As opposed to coroners, most medical examiner systems operate under the direction of a licensed physician, who is almost always trained in pathology and forensic science.

The Variations From State to State



JUDGES

https://study.com/become_a_judge.html

Should I Become a Judge?

Judges preside over court hearings and trials, supervise legal proceedings and uphold the rights of individuals involved in a legal process. They ensure that trials are conducted according to established rules and procedures, which may include determining how testimony is given and evidence submitted. In non-jury criminal trials, judges decide a defendant's guilt or innocence, and in civil cases rule on liability and compensation.

These professionals can be elected by the public or appointed by governments. Judges often work long hours in preparation for hearings and sometimes must travel for them. They must also be available on call for emergency situations.

Career Requirements

Degree Level Bachelor's degree and Juris Doctorate (required)
Degree Field Undergraduate degrees in political science, history, business or economics are beneficial

Licensure State-specific license to practice law
Experience Lawyer experience generally required
Key Skills Critical thinking, reasoning, decision-making, communication
Salary $126,930 is the median annual salary for judges (2015)
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The median annual salary for judges as of May 2015 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics was $126,930. To become a judge, you first need to earn a Juris Doctorate and you must hold a license to practice law in your state. Experience working as a lawyer is also usually required. The key skills that you need for this career include critical thinking, reasoning, decision-making, and communication.


IS JUDGE JUDY A REAL JUDGE, OR SIMPLY A REALITY TV STAR (LIKE OUR PRESIDENT)? NO WAY. LIKE HER OR NOT, BECAUSE SHE IS SOMETIMES A WITCH, SHE IS ALSO A SMART COOKIE, AND FULLY TRAINED TO BE A JUDGE. SHE IS ALSO OFTEN FUNNY. THE COMPETITION ON THE OTHER CHANNEL, WHICH IS CALLED “HOT BENCH,” IS A PUT-UP-JOB, AND NOT EVEN FUNNY. THAT’S MY PERSONAL VIEW ONLY, OF COURSE.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Sheindlin
Judy Sheindlin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Judith Susan Sheindlin (née Blum; born October 21, 1942), professionally known as Judge Judy, is an American prosecution lawyer, former Manhattan family court judge, television personality, television producer, and author. Since September 1996, Sheindlin has presided over her own successful Daytime Emmy Award–winning Arbitration-based court show series, Judge Judy, produced by Big Ticket Entertainment.[1]

Sheindlin passed the New York state bar examination in 1965 and became a prosecutor in the family court system. In 1982 New York City Mayor Ed Koch appointed her as a judge, first in criminal court, then later as Manhattan's supervising family court judge in 1986.

It was reported in mid-2012 that Sheindlin was the highest-paid television personality, making $123,000 per day,[2] or $45,000,000 annually for the 52 days per year that she tapes her show.[3][4] In October 2013 it was reported that Sheindlin was still the highest paid TV star, earning $47 million per year for Judge Judy.[5]

The series has earned her the honorific of "Court Show Queen". Sheindlin is the longest serving judge or arbitrator in courtroom-themed programming history, a distinction that earned Sheindlin a place in the Guinness World Records.[6]


SPEAKING OF OUR PRESIDENT, SEE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE. MATT BAI IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE NEWS AND COMMENTARY WRITERS. HE’S NOT ONLY VERBALLY CLEVER, BUT AS MY MOTHER USED TO SAY, BUT “A DEEP THINKER,” AS WELL. WE CERTAINLY DO NEED THAT IN OUR WORLD OF NEWS, BECAUSE SO MUCH BS IS AFOOT (AND I’M NOT REFERRING TO A COMMON UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE).

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trumps-parade-will-lead-republicans-cliff-2-100004961.html?soc_trk=gcm&soc_src=dbb2094c-7d9a-37c0-96b9-7f844af62e78&.tsrc=notification-brknews
Why Trump's parade will lead Republicans over a cliff
Matt Bai, Yahoo News • February 8, 2018

Markets are careening all over the place. Congress is struggling, again, to keep the Capitol open. The White House is at war with the FBI, and the special counsel’s investigation into Russian influence is about to touch off a constitutional crisis. If you’re the president, what’s your next bold move?

Related Searches
Trump ParadeTrump Wants ParadeTrump Parade TwitterDonald Trump ParadeTrump Pentagon Parade

A PARADE, OBVIOUSLY.

Not just any parade. What President Trump has in mind — what he has, in fact, ordered the Pentagon to spend weeks of time and millions of dollars planning, if the fake Washington Post can be trusted — is a garish show of military power, with tanks and missiles followed by warriors in full regalia marching up Pennsylvania Avenue for no apparent reason, except I guess that parades are super-fun and often involve things like cotton candy and sparklers, and that’s a hard thing for a grown man to resist.

Actually, Trump got this particular idea in Paris back in July, when he visited Emmanuel Macron and witnessed a similar display. Because you know, when you think about military might, your mind immediately goes to France.

Critics of the president see in this the aspirations of a strongman. They point out that the whole thing has a certain Kim Jong Un feel to it, with Trump and his ruling generals solemnly reviewing the troops as they high-kick it past the White House. It’s a show of force that could only be interpreted as threatening toward adversaries abroad, if not to the investigators working a few miles away.

But I give Trump more credit than that. I don’t actually think he’s motivated by some secret agenda to install himself as a small-handed dictator. I doubt he’s read enough history to understand why a parade like this might make a lot of thinking people nauseous.

No, I think Trump’s real agenda is getting clearer every day, and his silly parade fits in perfectly. His goal is to govern at the dawn of the Cold War, in the 1950s America he knew as a boy, when it wasn’t so uncommon for presidents to march alongside tanks and batteries.

He’s stuck in a moment most Americans can’t remember, and he wants the rest of us stuck there with him.

You can see it in Trump’s approach to foreign policy generally. A year into office, he’s moving to restart the nuclear arms race that darkened the second half of the 20th century, and he’s seeking billions more to ramp up conventional forces, rather than modernize them, in case we have to fight another land war on the Korean Peninsula.

Trump’s personal taunting of the North Korean leader, his boast about the superior size of his “nuclear button,” brings to mind America’s bygone fixation with Khrushchev or Castro. All that’s missing is the black-and-white TV.

About the only way Trump’s foreign policy isn’t lifted directly from the Cold War is that he just can’t summon any real antipathy for the Russians, no matter how menacing they become. Go figure.

You can see it in the way Trump fetishizes the stock market as the only indicator of economic progress, as if we still lived in the moment when the state of General Motors and IBM told you everything you needed to know about the state of the American worker. You can see it in the way he champions protectionism, as if American manufacturers could still subsist without foreign markets.

You can see it in the way he throws around explosive charges of treason and disloyalty, in the mold of Joe McCarthy and Dick Nixon (not to mention Trump’s idol, Roy Cohn). You can see it, not least of all, in the way he baldly mythologizes pre-civil-rights America for the thousands of resentful white men who still wear the red hats at his rallies.

(And just by the way, you can hear it in the way he called Stormy Daniels, his alleged onetime paramour, “honeybunch.” Seriously. The last time someone used that term to refer to something other than breakfast cereal, man hadn’t yet walked on the moon.)

This is, after all, what making America great again was really all about. A MORE PRECISE SLOGAN WOULD HAVE BEEN “MAKE AMERICA EISENHOWER’S AGAIN.” MINUS THE DIGNITY AND STATESMANSHIP.

It amazes me, still, that even now Republicans in Washington can’t seem to grasp the existential peril in all of this time traveling. Make no mistake: They don’t love Trump, and they wouldn’t prefer him as president. They’ve just decided, by and large, that protecting Trump from judgment is the likeliest route to protecting their majorities.

But I wonder if the Devin Nuneses and Paul Ryans of the world managed to put down their beers and weenies long enough to watch the Super Bowl last Sunday. If they did, they might have noticed that the companies who advertised to the largest single audience of the year wanted nothing to do with this Trumpian vision of lost greatness.

IF REPUBLICAN LEADERS SAT THROUGH THE COMMERCIALS, THEY WOULD HAVE SEEN AN ALMOST ENDLESS ARRAY OF MULTIRACIAL FACES, UNTRADITIONAL FAMILIES AND NOT-SO-SUBTLE MESSAGES ABOUT SOCIAL PROGRESS AND LEAVING THE PAST BEHIND.

For all the controversy stirred up by that boneheaded ad that had Martin Luther King hawking Dodge trucks, what was lost is that the company was clearly trying to repossess this limited concept of American greatness. However much that spot may have offended King’s admirers, its intended message was a rebuke of Trump’s core appeal.

So I ask you, Washington Republicans: Who do you figure knows more about where American society is headed? Would that be the most sophisticated corporations in America, which spend hundreds of millions of dollars on consumer research, or the president of the United States, whose approval after the customary State of the Union bump barely broke 40 percent?

Why don’t you call all those companies that market-tested the shih tzu puppy out of those Super Bowl ads and ask them whether Cold War nostalgia will be an especially sellable commodity over the next decade of American life?

This is a crisis for modern Republicans. The larger point, though, is that however much Trump’s 1950s fantasy may endanger his party, I fear it endangers his country more.

Every day spent thinking about more tanks and nukes we don’t need is a day closer to the moment when European powers and China are seen as the indispensable peacemakers on the world stage.

Every day spent obsessing over stock prices and tariffs (something plenty of retro Democrats do, too) is another day spent not thinking about how to maintain our influence in global markets or how to retool the social contract so we can compete in this century, rather than the last one.

Everybody loves a parade, right up until the moment it passes you by.

Read more from Yahoo News:

Yahoo News’ Michael Isikoff describes crucial meeting cited in Nunes memo
The neo-Nazi has no clothes: In search of Matt Heimbach’s bogus ‘white ethnostate’
Trump touted conspiratorial ambassador’s ‘marketing’ skills
In wake of church shootings, pastors and worshipers arm themselves to shoot back
Photos: ‘Year One’: A visual reflection of the first year of the Trump presidency


6,773 REACTIONS
TOP REACTIONS

~seeker8 hours ago
Vietnam Vet. Marine Captain, wounded in combat Purple Heart Mueller on the American's side and on the Russian's side Bone Spurs trump. Mueller Ain't Going Away! MAGA!
ReplyReplies (85)762203

George
George8 hours ago
Trump denied any collusion. So - that’s that - right?
Here’s one for all Trump fans.....MAGA= Mueller Ain’t Going Away.
ReplyReplies (52)463144

Chief Squirrel
Chief Squirrel12 hours ago
The Pentagon has denied Trump’s request for a parade, but has approved a bouncy house for his birthday.
Next, he'll be wearing military uniforms with medals.
They will all be ordered to salute when they pass by Trump.
If you don't watch it, it will be treason.
MAGA: Moscow Agent Governing America.
Trump will lead the parade driving one of those tiny cars the Shriners use in their parades.
TRUMP 2020!!!
20 years for treason
20 years for tax evasion

Movis13 hours ago
Instead give the money to the active service members and vets for; education, career transition programs, homeless vets, more healthcare, improved military family support programs, improved equipment to protect and better comfort those who serve, etc - I would rather thank them personally by directly giving them what's deserved, rather than what Trump "wants".
ReplyReplies (262)2,946372

reaper
reaper13 hours ago
A military parade for draft dodging bone spurred Trump!!! God bless those Vietnam vets who gave their lives when Trump wouldn't!!!
ReplyReplies (356)3,248799

Mysterious
Mysterious9 hours ago
Isn't this the same guy who said that Senator John McCain isn't a war hero because he was capture? And Trump doesn't like people who were capture?
ReplyReplies (34)601111

HumphreyBeauxregardOglethorpe3
HumphreyBeauxregardOglethorpe312 hours ago
Trump missed his opportunity to march in Vietnam due to debilitating bone spurs, so this is his big chance!
ReplyReplies (107)1,548351

Roadster
Roadster8 hours ago
If conman Trump was a military veteran instead of a sleazy draft dodger, he might think of spending for something useful, like help for disabled and homeless veterans.
ReplyReplies (41)638110

mike
mike11 hours ago
I think a much smaller parade down Pennsylvania Avenue might work, start it off some FBI, followed by Trump in an orange jumpsuit, then some other members of his staff, and end it with Melania jumping for joy.
ReplyReplies (111)1,568329

pickle boat willy
pickle boat willy8 hours ago
And….Trump is going to make France pay for it !!!
ReplyReplies (12)31040

Gig in the Sky
Gig in the Sky10 hours ago
What's next? I pledge allegiance to the Trump?
ReplyReplies (45)642152

Cathy M
Cathy M11 hours ago
Trump wants soldiers to march for him, when he wouldn’t march with them!! Shame!!
ReplyReplies (31)1,033168

Qwill
Qwill8 hours ago
Where does Trump thinks this money comes from? 1.5 Trillion for infrastructure, 25 Billion for the border wall, 1 Trillion in tax cuts for the wealthy, 10 million so far for his trip to Florida to golf, and now 8 million for a pointless parade so he can show off and feel important? Well, I guess since he is familiar with bankruptcy proceedings, he thinks that he can spend whatever he wants without consequences.
ReplyReplies (31)26942


IF STOCK MARKET INSTABILITY IS A SIGN OF LOWERING CONFIDENCE IN THE NATION’S OVERALL HEALTH, GIVEN WHAT WE’VE SEEN SINCE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TOOK OVER, THIS IS NOT SURPRISING. HE IS NOT ONLY PROVING TO BE AN ERRATIC PRESIDENT, BUT A GENUINELY RADICAL REPUBLICAN AS WELL, AND THAT MAKES PEOPLE NERVOUS. A FALLING STOCK MARKET SHOULD BE EXPECTED.

MY FATHER’S BELIEF WAS THAT “REPUBLICANS CAUSE DEPRESSIONS,” MEANING FOR BOTH THE AVERAGE AMERICAN CITIZEN AND EVENTUALLY EVEN FOR THE MEGA-BUSINESSES. I BELIEVE IN THE SIMPLE FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT SOLUTION: DON’T “LOWER TAXES ON BUSINESSES” (AGAIN), BUT INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE POCKETS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS AS A WHOLE BY PRODUCING JOBS WITHOUT BRINGING IN LOW-COST IMMIGRANT LABOR TO TAKE THOSE JOBS. NOW THAT WOULD BE “AMERICA FIRST,” AND “MAGA WOULD BE THE NATURAL RESULT OF IT. LIKEWISE, WE SHOULD BE DECREASING THE USE OF ROBOTIC PRODUCTION. ECONOMISTS CALL SUCH HUMAN LABOR SUBSTITUTES “EFFICIENT,” BUT IF EFFICIENCY DESTROYS THE INCOME FOR AMERICAN CITIZENS, IT DOES NOT AID OUR COUNTRY IN ANY WAY. IT ONLY AIDS THE BUSINESSMAN.

LEAVING THOSE AUTOMATED JOBS TO BE TAKEN BY AMERICANS, AND FOR A LIVING WAGE, ALLOWS OUR PEOPLE TO SPEND A DECENT AMOUNT, RATHER THAN HAVING TO CONSTANTLY SAVE, SAVE, SAVE TO THE POINT THAT THEIR LIFE IS DEPRESSING AND HOPELESS. THE AVERAGE CITIZEN’S EXPENDITURES THEN WILL INCREASE MAGICALLY, AS WILL THE FLOW OF MONEY THROUGH THE WHOLE ECONOMY, AND THEREFORE THE INCOME OF BUSINESSES, SO THAT THEY THEN INVEST IN EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYEE REMUNERATION RATHER THAN ONLY THEIR OWN PROFITS.

THERE IS A FUNCTION FOR PROFIT IN AN ECONOMY, AND THAT IS TO SUPPORT BOTH THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE AND THE HEALTH OF THE BUSINESSES. PEOPLE WHO HAVE A DECENT INCOME FROM WORK WON’T HAVE TO LIVE ON SOCIAL SERVICES, SO THAT SAVES MONEY FOR THE GOVERNMENT. WE WILL STILL NEED A “SOCIAL SAFETY NET,” BUT NOT SO MANY PEOPLE WILL BE LIVING ON IT.

THOSE HAPPILY EMPLOYED WORKERS WILL HELP THEIR KIDS PURSUE A REASONABLY PRICED UNIVERSITY EDUCATION WITH THE AID OF TUITION FREE STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AND THEY WILL IN TURN GET A JOB AS A TEACHER, HEALTH CARE WORKER, PSYCHOLOGIST, LAWYER, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL POSITION – A WRITER, PERHAPS – RATHER THAN WORKING IN A CARWASH OR FAST FOOD SERVICE ALL OF THEIR LIVES.

THAT, OF COURSE, IS THE DEMOCRAT’S IDEA OF A HEALTHY ECONOMY AND THE ROLE OF BUSINESS. BUSINESSES SHOULD MAKE A PROFIT, BUT THEIR CEO’S DON’T HAVE TO GET PAID AT A THOUSAND TIMES THE RATE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES. THAT IS IMMORAL, HIGHLY UNETHICAL, EVEN CRIMINAL; AND SHOULD RESULT IN THE CLOSING OF THE BUSINESS AND JAILING OF THE CEO IN QUESTION. THAT WAY WE COULD ALL HAPPILY SHOUT, “LOCK ‘EM UP!” CEOS SHOULD BE HAPPY WITHOUT OWNING THREE YACHTS AND AS MANY MANSIONS, A GARAGE FULL OF HIGH END AUTOMOBILES, THREE PRIVATE JETS, A COLLECTION OF LARGE PRECIOUS JEWELS, SEVERAL RACE HORSES, A GOLD MINE, ETC., ETC., ETC. BY THE WAY, IT’S NOT MONEY THAT I HATE, BUT WHAT IT DOES TO THE HUMAN SOUL.

IF THE AVERAGE JOE AMERICAN CAN BUY THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, THEN THE CEOS CAN EXPAND THEIR BUSINESSES IN EVERY WAY. IF THERE IS A MARKET TO SELL THEIR GOODS, THEY WILL PRODUCE THE GOODS. AS A RESULT, THE WORKERS WILL BE MORE CONFIDENT AND MORE LIKELY TO INVEST IN STOCKS. THE ECONOMY WILL PROSPER OVERALL. DONALD TRUMP WILL LOOK BETTER RATHER THAN WORSE.

MILLIONS OF JOBS -- THIS HAS BEEN THE PROMISE OF DONALD TRUMP (WITH THE WINK-WINK IMPLICATION THAT THE WORKERS WILL BE WHITE AMERICANS), BUT THOUGH HIS INFRASTRUCTURE PLANS HAVE BEEN MENTIONED FREQUENTLY, I HAVEN’T SEEN MANY STORIES ABOUT ALL THAT EXPANSION ACTUALLY OCCURRING YET, AND WE REALLY DO NEED IT.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2018/02/08/dow-plunges-more-than-1-000-points-falls-into-correction-territory/321107002/?csp=chromepush
Dow plunges more than 1,000 points, falls into correction territory
Adam Shell, USA TODAY Published 4:16 p.m. ET Feb. 8, 2018

Photograph -- The good times can’t last forever. After the stock market was on a tear in 2017, it now appears that “volatility” lies ahead. USA TODAY

The Dow Jones industrial average plunged 1,033 points Thursday, its second-worst drop in history, extending its losses in the recent selloff to more than 10% and putting it officially into correction territory.

The blue-chip stock average’s recent drubbing, which follows its record 1,175-point drop Monday, has been fueled by fears that a long period of low interest rates and tame inflation that have boosted the economy and fueled a rapid rise in stock prices may be nearing an end as economic conditions improve.

“The Dow has been hit by a tsunami of volatility,” says Paul Schatz, president of Woodbridge, Conn.-based investment management firm Heritage Capital. “The market is repricing in a lot of factors at once. And rates have run up fast. The market always has a tough time when things happen in a linear fashion.”

The Standard & Poor's 500 stock market, a broader market gauge that is a core holding in 401(k) plans, also fell into correction terrritory. It's 10.2% drop since its Jan. 26 record high is its biggest since a 14.2% decline ending in February 2016.

The double-digit percentage stock decline has occurred even though Wall Street stresses that the health of the economy, labor market and U.S. businesses remain strong.

On Thursday, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note again ticked up to a recent four-year high of 2.88%, sparking fears that rates could quickly top the key 3% level.

The stock market has also been upended by an unwinding of a popular trade that relied on market volatility to remain calm. But that trade has turned bad amid wild price swings that have turned suddenly violent since the market's peak.

Sparking the turbulence was a report released last week showing that hourly wage growth rose at its fastest pace since 2009. That strong pay data sparked fears of coming wage inflation, which intensified worries that the Federal Reserve could hike rates more often this year than the three times they have originally signaled.

“The market has undergone a psychological change,” says Doug Ramsey, chief investment officer at The Leuthold Group in Minneapolis. “The mystery now is what level on the 10-year Treasury will, if not break the bull market’s back, at least knock it back a few steps.”

While Wall Street has been calling for a correction for some time, given the market’s euphoric rise, the fall has been more violent and quicker than anticipated.


BERNIE SANDERS IS IN THE NEWS AGAIN TODAY IN A VERMONT ELECTION. PROGRESSIVE POLITICAL ACTIVITY IS STILL INCREASING. THIS CAN’T BE A BAD SIGN, EXCEPT FOR REPUBLICANS, OF COURSE. THE GOOD PROGRESSIVES ARE USING THE INTERNET AND THE NEWS SERVICE FOR THEIR PUBLICITY IT SEEMS, TOO. GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF TIME AMERICANS SPEND ON THE INTERNET, THEY ARE AS LIKELY IF NOT MORE SO TO WIN THE ELECTION HANDS DOWN THAN IF THEY TOOK THAT KOCH BROTHERS MONEY AND PAID IT OUT TO KEY LEGISLATORS FOR THEIR “HELP” IN THE CAMPAIGN, OR TO THE ADVERTISING WORLD AS A KILLER ATTACK AD. PEOPLE, IF I AM A GOOD EXAMPLE, REALLY HATE THOSE ADS.

ANOTHER THING IN THIS ARTICLE THAT I’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE: “TOWN MEETING DAY.” EVERY MUNICIPALITY AND RURAL AREA SHOULD HAVE SUCH A DAY. WE DON’T TALK ABOUT ISSUES NEARLY AS MUCH AS WE SHOULD IN THIS COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY SOCIAL ISSUES BEYOND TAXES. IF WE DISCUSSED THINGS MORE, WE WOULD PROBABLY READ UP ON THINGS MORE, HENCE BECOMING A BETTER EDUCATED POPULACE. ON “TOWN MEETING DAY,” SEE ALSO BELOW.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2018/02/07/mayoral-money-weinberger-outraises-opponents-driscoll-turns-bernie-sanders/315831002/
Mayoral money: Weinberger outraises opponents, Our Revolution fundraises for Driscoll
Jess Aloe, Free Press Staff Writer Published 1:52 p.m. ET Feb. 7, 2018 | Updated 1:51 p.m. ET Feb. 8, 2018

News Video -- BURLINGTON WILL CHOOSE A MAYOR ON TOWN MEETING DAY

Candidates Driscoll and Culcleasure Q&A at Progressive caucus | 16:42
Other videos are also available here.

Independent mayoral candidates Carina Driscoll and Infinite Culcleasure answer questions as they seek the endorsement of the Burlington Progressive Party caucus on Wednesday, November 6, 2017.

Clarification: Driscoll did not ask, or give permission, for Our Revolution to send out a fundraising email on her behalf. She did ask for their endorsement. The headline has been updated to better reflect this relationship.

Burlington mayoral candidate Carina Driscoll received a fundraising boost this week from Our Revolution, the nationwide organization started by her stepfather, Sen. Bernie Sanders, shortly after campaign finance disclosures showed incumbent Democratic Mayor Miro Weinberger had raised tens of thousands of dollars more than his opponents.

The Our Revolution email blast, which asked recipients to chip in $5, makes no mention of Driscoll's familial relationship to Sanders. Our Revolution, a "social welfare" organization, endorsed Driscoll earlier this year.

In a sponsored social media post last week, Driscoll describes herself as "Bernie's daughter, and one of thousands of people inspired by Bernie to lead during this challenging time."

GET READY FOR TOWN MEETING DAY:

Town Meeting Day: Meet your Burlington City Council candidates
5 questions for Burlington's mayoral candidates
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger: My work isn't finished yet
Mayoral candidate Infinite Culcleasure: I'm running to activate disconnected voters
Mayoral candidate Carina Driscoll: Burlington is not for sale
F-35 petitioners prevail in getting their version on the Burlington ballot
Burlington adds regional dispatch, smoking age, climate change to March ballot

When Driscoll kicked off her run last year, Sanders said he was proud of his stepdaughter but respected her desire to run a campaign on her own.

Mayor Miro WeinbergerBuy Photo
Mayor Miro Weinberger (Photo: RYAN MERCER/FREE PRESS)

Driscoll's campaign finance report, filed this past weekend, showed her with $32,854 in contributions, including a $10,000 loan she gave herself to kick off her run. Weinberger drew $80,774, including some donations from local businesses. The corporate donations sparked the Progressive Party, who has endorsed Driscoll, to criticize Weinberger on social media.



TOWN MEETING DAY, THIS IS A VERMONT STATE HOLIDAY, AND A GREAT IDEA.

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/town-meeting-day-vermont

Vermont's Town Meeting Day gives the state's residents the chance to speak their minds in a public forum on the first Tuesday of March. This event is also the anniversary of Vermont’s admission to the union as the 14th state in 1791.

image of a classic American town hall meeting

Town Meeting Day in Vermont gives residents a chance to voice their opinions in a public forum.
©iStockphoto.com/P_Wei

WHAT DO PEOPLE DO?

Town Meeting Day marks a special event in which residents meet in about 40 towns across Vermont, in the United States. They discuss the business of their town and any issue is open to debate. They also elect local officials, approve a budget for the following year, and conduct other local business. It is a time for neighbors to discuss the civic issues of their community, state, and nation.

Vermont town meetings (with one exception) are the practice of direct democracy. That is, eligible citizens of the town may vote on specific issues that are announced through a warning. The town meeting warning tells people when and where town meeting will be held, and it lists all of the articles (topics) that are going to be discussed and voted on at the meeting. The warning must be posted at least 30 days before the meeting.

Public Life

Vermont law makes Town Meeting Day a holiday for state government employees. The law also gives any worker (private employees) the right to take unpaid leave from work to attend his or her annual town meeting, subject to the essential operation of the business or government.

Students who are over 18 years also have the right to attend town meeting, unless the student is in state custody at a secure facility. According to law, these students may not be treated as truants for missing school to attend town meetings.

Background

For more than 200 years, Town Meeting Day has been an important political event that sees local officers being elected and budgets being voted. It is a tradition dating back to before there was a Vermont. The first town meeting was held in Bennington, Vermont, in 1762, which was 15 years before Vermont was created.

In the late 1700s, people held meetings to address the problems and issues they faced collectively. Popular legislation matters in earlier town meetings included whether or not to let pigs run free or if smallpox vaccinations should be allowed in the town (some people were against vaccinations). Voters also decided what goods or labor could be used as payment for taxes.

Like past town meetings, the meetings that occur on Town Meeting Day in modern times also serve as a social function by bringing people together, strengthening social ties within a town and helping people work together to tackle community problems.