Category: Media

Media, Politics

DONALD J. TRUMP — AMERICA’S 45TH PRESIDENT

donald_trump_president-elect_portrait_croppedAs I discussed in my column yesterday, I stayed at home today to watch the inauguration with my kids and to celebrate America’s 71st time that a democratically elected president has taken the oath of office (and our 58th formal inauguration). While my brother and family from Chicago went to the Mall to protest, we raised a toast to the country and the new president for the future. On this day, we celebrate a constitutional system that has weathered wars, depression, social unrest and every type of national crisis. Yet, it (and we) remain. There are many constitutions that are more poetic in language or detailed in powers, but none has the record of this amazing document. It is the common article of faith of a free people and today’s ceremony represented our commitment to a nation governed by a free people.

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Columns, Constitutional Law, Media, Politics, Society

WHY I WILL NOT BE JOINING THE PROTESTS AGAINST PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

donald_trump_president-elect_portrait_croppedBelow is today’s column in USA Today on the protests against President-Elect Donald Trump and why, despite having a house full of family members and friends who have come to protest Trump, I will not be joining them. Instead, I will be home with my kids as we have been in every inauguration – celebrating the peaceful transfer of power in our democracy and wishing the newly elected president (and our country) the best with an inaugural toast. I criticized Trump (and Hillary Clinton) during the campaign (and I will not hesitate to criticize Trump again for policies or actions that I disagree with). However, I find the claims of illegitimacy and attacks this week to be highly disturbing. I totally respect the right of people to come to protest Trump and his policies. However, there appears to be a concerted effort to delegitimize his presidency and create a type of political mythology about this election.

In this column I discuss that mythology and, more importantly, the meaning of the day of inauguration for many of us. Regardless of my criticism of both Trump and Clinton, I always knew that on January 20th I would raise a glass to the 45th President of the United States and wish him or her . . . and us . . . the best of luck in the coming years. It is a time when we reaffirm our commitment not so much to a politician but to each other. We reaffirm a common article of faith that, despite our disagreements and divisions, we remain one country joined by our belief in democratic transition and government. There is much to celebrate this week as a glance around the world at places like Gambia will readily confirm. Donald Trump will be the 45th President. Our President.
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Bizarre, Media, Politics

CNN Analyst Denounces Black Celebrities Meeting With Trump As “Mediocre Negros”
200px-Cnn.svgCNN analyst Marc Lamont Hill is under fire after attacking a fellow panelist on Monday for working with President-Elect Donald Trump as part of his National Diversity Coalition.  Hill referred to Bruce LeVell as a “mediocre Negro” being used by Trump.
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Media, Politics, Society

Polls Show Obama At A 58 Percent Popularity And Trump Down To 40 Percent
President_Barack_Obama495px-Donald_Trump_by_Gage_SkidmoreThere are an interesting set of polls out this week. President Barack Obama appears to be leaving office with one of the highest exiting polls of American presidents at 58 percent while President-elect Donald Trump has hit the lowest at 40 percent.  Polls change and Trump has already attacked the polls as rigged against him.  However, these polls can have a pronounced impact among members of the GOP who may be uncertain about the degree to which they will follow the lead of the White House on changes to taxes, immigration and other areas.  With a developing conflict over tax reform, the polls (whether accurate or not) could complicate problems for the new White House.
Academia, Free Speech, Media, Society

Protesters Succeed In Preventing Conservative Speakers From Appearing At The University of California At Davis

the_university_of_california_davis-svgWe have been discussing the largely successful efforts by students and faculty to prevent certain conservative speakers like Milo Yiannopoulos from being able to speak on campuses. The latest such example is University of California at Davis where protesters succeeded in preventing fellow students and faculty from hearing Yiannopoulos. There is one promising element to the story however. Unlike school administrators who have either supported or yielded to the “heckler’s veto,” Interim Chancellor Ralph Hexter denounced the effort to not only silence an opposing voice but to deny the right of others to hear that voice on campus. While the school professes “let there be light” on its seal, the school is now cloaked in a forced silence after the ignoble victory of protesters in curtailing the exercise of free speech.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, International, Media, Politics, Religion

Turkish Marriage Guide Encourages Beating Wives Who Do Not “Beautify” Themselves And Supports Marriage Of Girls As Young As 10

Flag of TurkeyWe have previously discussed the plight of women and girls subject to Sharia law and extreme Muslim traditions of marriage. The nightmare faced by many women was captured in a horrific guide being distributed by in Turkey by former religious affairs department employee Hasan Caliskan. The guide supports the beating of women who do not “beautify” themselves, supports the marriage of 10-year-old girls, and advances absurd notions like the danger of having a stuttering child if a woman talks during sex.

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Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Media, Politics, Society, Torts

New York Judge Dismisses Defamation Lawsuit Against Donald Trump

495px-Donald_Trump_by_Gage_SkidmoreTwitter LogoNew York State Supreme Court Judge Barbara Jaffe has dismissed the defamation case against against President-elect Donald Trump brought by political strategist and TV pundit Cheryl Jacobus. Trump slammed Jacobus during the campaign and said that she “begged him for a job” at one time. Jaffe, however, held that such tweets are manifestly opinion and not facts for the purposes of defamation law. It is perhaps fitting that the first major ruling related to Trump would be over the character of tweets. If upheld, this could be a major new rule. As if on cue, Trump make more headlines today in the wake of the decision on Twitter with a tweet attacking the intelligence agencies saying “Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to “leak” into the public. One last shot at me.Are we living in Nazi Germany?” That is clearly opinion and hyperbole but the scope of Jaffe’s decision certainly adds a layer of protection not just for Trump but other regular tweeters.

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Bizarre, Media, Politics

“I’m With You”: David Brock Pledges Allegiance To Sanders

images-1David Brock is nothing if not morally and politically flexible. He started as a conservative muckraker who was widely denounced for his unrelenting attacks on Hillary Clinton. He then announced a change of heart and became an attack dog for Hillary — becoming extremely wealthy as the head of shadowy Clinton PAC that investigated and attacked any Democrat or Republican who stood against her. In this election, Clinton was attacked for her association with Brock who was viewed as reaching a new level of sleazy and vicious work. You may recall Bernie Sanders denouncing Clinton for her continued alliance with Brock and use of his controversial PAC organizations. Sanders referred to Brock as simple “scum” but Clinton refused to denounce Brock or to discourage Democrats from working with or contributing to his PACs. As we discussed, it turns out that even Clinton aides were disgusted by Clinton’s refusal to cut off Brock or to denounce his work. In the latest batch of Wikileaks, Neera Tanden, the President of Center for American Progress, allegedly emailed John Podesta that “I hope Hillary truly understands now how batshit crazy David Brock is.”

Now Brock is ready for his next transformation. After leading attacks on Sanders, Brock has apologized in a public letter that he was wrong and now wants an alliance with Sanders as his attack dog. It brings to mind Sam Houston’s description of a contemporary of having “every quality of a dog except loyalty.” In a statement that is enough to force most politicians into a fetal position, Brock has written to Sanders to say “I’m with you.” The effort to play the Prodigal Son is likely to be lost on Sanders. After all the original Prodigal Son did not first try to kill the father, burn his farm to the ground and poison his livestock.

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Academia, Bizarre, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics

Better Red Than Dead: Chinese Professor Fired After Criticizing Mao In Commentary

130px-Mao_Zedong_portraitimagesThe Chinese communist regime reminded the world of its unwavering fear of independent thought and analysis for any kind. The latest victim is Deng Xiaochao, 62, an art professor at Shandong Jianzhu University in central China who was fired for a commentary that criticizing Chairman Mao Zedong. Of course, Mao has been dead for 40 years and he was a brutal, moronic dictator. However, this is this 123rd birthday and various people in China still revere a man who killed millions directly in the cultural revolution or indirectly through idiotic policies of centralized planning and controls. One of the best things that ever happened to China was the passing of Mao on September 9, 1976 but many still believe the decades of propaganda on the founder of Communist China,

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Bizarre, Congress, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, Media, Politics, Society

Missouri Congressman Calls For Criminal Charges Against California Congressman In Removal Of Painting Depicting Police As Pigs

wm-_lacy_clay_official_photo_2009hshotthumbThere is an interesting controversy brewing on Capitol Hill where Missouri Rep. Lacy Clay, D-Mo., wants California Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Ca) criminally charged after Hunter took down a painting by one of Clay’s constituents that contains insulting images of police as pigs and other animals. The question is what the crime might be in such a circumstance since the painting was not damaged. It is analogous to the recent controversy at the University of Pennsylvania where students pulled down a portrait of William Shakespeare and replaced it with a portrait of a black feminist author. The painting (as in this case) was brought undamaged to the office. Of course, this is the removal of art from a Capitol building.

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Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Media, Politics, Society

FAREWELL NAT HENTOFF

It is with profound personal sadness that I share the passing of one of the true great commentators of our generation. I have known Nat for decades. I knew him before he knew me. When I started to write as a columnist, Nat recognized a kindred spirit and reached out to me. I was floored to be getting a call from a man who I had so long admired. We kept up the communications on hot button sides. Nat didn’t use email (indeed he continued to use a typewriter). You would just get a call out of the blue with that unique gravely voice on the other end. He would immediately delve into something he read of mine or some idea that he had. I cherished every call. Nat was a mentor and a friend. With his passing goes one of the most authentic and brilliant minds of our generation. Many of us lost a friend but more importantly this country lost something that is becoming far, far more rare and precious: an honest voice. Nat was 91

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Bizarre, Media, Politics, Society

U.S. Intelligence Report Contradicts Donna Brazile In Email Scandal

220px-donna_brazile_1We discussed earlier how Donna Brazile, the interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, denied the legitimacy of emails that showed her leaking a question to Hillary Clinton that would be asked verbatim at the CNN downhill event. The media has largely declined to investigate the claim, including confirming the receipt of the earlier email from the Clinton staffer. Now additional emails allegedly show Brazile secretly feeding information to the Clinton campaign. Again, there has been relatively little media attention to the story and CNN initially issued a remarkably weak response that it was “uncomfortable” with the new disclosures on Brazile’s actions while a CNN commentator. While CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker later called Brazile’s actions “disgusting” and others have denounced her actions and later contradictions, the DNC stuck with Brazile even praising her post-scandal appearance before staffers (with one notable exception). More importantly, despite the ease of simply questioning the other recipients to confirm or disprove Brazile’s claims, reporters have done little to confirm whether Brazile lied or told the truth about the emails (a significant story during the campaign). Now, the declassified intelligence report appear to directly dispute what Brazile has said but it is unclear if anyone in the media is willing to pursue the story against one of the most powerful figures in Washington Democratic circles.

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Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Media

CNN Apologizes And Retracts Statement That Julian Assange Is A Pedophile After Threat Of Lawsuit

200px-Cnn.svg230px-Julian_Assange_20091117_Copenhagen_1_cropped_to_shouldersCNN has issued an apology after one of its on-air pundit called Julian Assange a Pedophile. Wikileaks threatened to sue for what would be clear defamation if untrue. However, that might not be the end of possible litigation. Another guest appears to have made the same allegation and the first pundit, Philip Mudd, a former CIA agent and CNN counterterrorism analyst, could still be sued in his own right.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, International, Media, Society

Apple Takes Down App For New York Times In China After Being Denounced As “Fake News”

130px-Mao_Zedong_portrait125px-Apple-logoWe have been discussing the crackdown on “fake news,” including my view that this has become the latest rationale for various countries to rollback on free speech, including most recently top lawyers in Italy. This includes the question yesterday of whether newspaper like the Washington Post could be charged as the purveyors of “fake news.” Now that speculation appears to be reality in China where Apple took down the App for the New York Times, a move assumed to be part of China’s transparent campaign against what it deems “fake news” — which obviously means real news revealing truths about the authoritarian regime. Critics have charged that Apple has agreed to be the agent of censorship in order to pursue business in China. In the meantime, government controlled newspapers have invited the New York Times to “reflect” on it being barred from the App store. Not surprisingly, the Obama Administration’s effort to limit free speech has not gone unnoticed by the Chinese, who are citing the Obama policies (and new propaganda office) as support for its own legitimacy as an authoritarian system.

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Criminal law, Media, Society

Controversies Erupt Over Coverage of Chicago Torture Videotape

200px-Cnn.svgWhile the criminal acts are clear on the horrific videotapes showing the torture of disabled man in Chicago, the response to the videotape has been more unexpected. That includes the bizarre spin given initially by a ranking police officer that the torture could just been the type of “stupid decisions” made by “young adults.” CNN host Don Lemon is under fire for his response to the horrific videotapes from Chicago of a white disabled man being tortured by four black assailants. After a guest says quite understandably that the torture of the disabled man was “evil,” Lemon insists that it was not necessarily “evil” as opposed to “bad home training.” Millions of people were legitimately confused how torturing a disabled man, forcing him to drink from a toilet, and betraying his friendship with a former school mate could in any universe be just “bad home training.”

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