Tom Cotton Sends Cease and Desist Letter to Constituents. What Happened to Democracy?
By Thom Hartmann A...
When young people or anybody goes to speak to their Republican members of the House or Senate, they generally don't get through. These guys aren't holding town hall meetings any more at all. Tomthunkit tweeted this...
"BREAKING: Senator Tom Cotton, a man who claims to represent his constituents, literally has sent a cease and desist order to his own constituents, ordering them not to call or write him, This is the man who lied about Trump's "s***hole" comment."
By the way, Tom Cotton is the guy who was in the meeting where Donald Trump made the "s***hole" remark about African countries and Tom Cotton went on camera and lied about it.
The letter on the headline Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas - United States Senate and it says...
"This letter is immediate notification that all communication must cease and desist immediately with all offices of US Senator Tom Cotton.
All other contact will be deemed harassment and will be reported to the United States Capitol Police."
So this is the Republican war on America, frankly, on the United States. And right now they're hysterical about the guns because Richard Burr took 6.9 million dollars from the NRA, Roy Blunt took 4.5 million dollars from the NRA, Tom Tillis took 4.4 million dollars from the NRA, Cory Gardner 3.8 million, Marco Rubio 3.3 million, Joni Ernst 3.1 million, Rob Portman 3 million, Todd Young 2.8 million, Bill Cassidy 2.8 million. This is just from the last election cycle, because all these senators were up for re-election.
So you can bet your sweet patootie that right now the NRA is pouring that kind of money into the campaigns of the Senators and members of the House who are up for re-election right now.
For example, these are their names and their tweets after the Vegas shooting...
Roy Blunt: "saddened by the tragic loss of life". Senator Roy Blunt gets money from the NRA.
Virginia Congresswoman Barbara Comstock gets money from the NRA: "I am heartbroken by the mass murder."
North Carolina Senator Richard Burr gets money from the NRA: "My heart is with the people"
Colorado Congressman Mike Coffman gets money from the NRA: "My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the victims"
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley gets money from the NRA: "Praying for the victims + their families"
Texas Congressman Will Hurd receives money from the NRA: "I'm deeply saddened by the tragic shooting"
New York Congressman John Katko got $9,900 from the NRA: "Robin and I are heartbroken by the horrific acts of violence"
Rand Paul gets money from the NRA: "Tragic news out of Las Vegas this morning. Kelley and I send our prayers"
Maine Congressman Bruce Poliquin gets money from the NRA: "My thoughts are with all those effected"
Ohio Senator Rob Portman gets money from the NRA: "Jane & I mourn the loss of innocent lives"
Florida Senator Marco Rubio gets money from the NRA: "I'm praying for all the victims, their families, and our first responders"
New York Congressman Lee Zeldin gets money from the NRA: "All Americans extend our deepest sympathies & prayers"
North Dakota Senator John Hoeven gets money from the NRA: "Mikey & I are praying for victims of last night's terrible shooting "
Iowa Congressman Rod Blum gets money from the NRA: "Unspeakably tragic night"
Virginia Congressman Bob Goodlatte gets money from the NRA: "Praying for the victims"
Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson gets money from the NRA: "Heartbreaking attack in #LasVegas last night. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this heinous act."
And on it goes.
Comments
#2
#1 - So! The point is?
Eleven grand... peanuts
What did the NRA pay for Trump?
Circa 30 million
#3
#1 - It was like ~25 odd years ago... incidentally!
#4
#1 - Did you get this bit... FYI
More than 98% of the contributions went to Republicans.
Can't possibly imagine where the 2% went... can you?
#5
Forget them Hephaestus. Chronic lying must be a prerequisite to get nominated and supported.. Oh! Oh, and they have to LOVE money!! Remember, birds of a feather flock together. So then you get a big liars club. The "right" voters. The "right" candidate.. The "right" interest group$$$. For those um. dirty jobs.
#6
Reminds me of when I was a kid in the '50s and my mother caught our New York City councilman blatantly lying about his use of city funds for contracts. Not proven to be corruption exactly, but he was favoring some businesses. She called him on it, and immediately caught him in a lie. His response: He hung up. This is the same thing, writ large.
#7
Tom,
You need to do some fact checking.
I don't know about your entire article, but the $3.3 m that Rubio took from the NRA has been over his entire political career which started in 2000.
I'm still on your team... 'Rebel with a KOZ'
#8
Jeff: Regarding your question from the last blog.....I don't live in N.C. but have leftist friends living way off the grid near Asheville. I can't even contact them, they contact me from anonymous public places like libraries etc. Saves them money, who knows? ...but I no longer travel to red states!
#9
Reynolds: Looks like you're a member of the misinformed/clueless minority that doesn't admire Bernie, the by far most popular politician in the country, that even with the corpse media blackout of him. Do yourself a favor and google Democratic Socialism and get back to me on which part of it you disagree with.
#10
LOOK UP IN THE SKY! IT'S A BIRD! IT'S A PLANE! No, it's Super Trump. Stops bullets with his tiny bare hands. Rushes in to schools and singlehandedly wrestles down armed assault rifle carrying mass murderer! And, who disguised as illegitimately elected President of the United States...five time bone spur draft dodger, leaps over grieving and wounded students to play another round of golf and down a few Big Macs! It's SUPER TRUMP!!!!!
When are you fucking rightwing greedy bigot morons gonna wake up to who this insane, lowlife, conman, grifter, piece of shit really is? Never if history is any indication! Never!
Of course, the "tax cut," his only real legislative accomplishment, was a classic example of pedigree rightwing pit bull obedience. While Trump was waving the bright and shiny "tax cut" in his lefthand, he was busy picking their pockets with his righthand…and the tail-wagging conservative lapdogs were eating it up. All the while, ecstatically trying to hump the legs of liberals in a pathetic attempt to prove their delusional fantasy of dominance.
Just how crazy does this fucking insane asshole have to get before you conservatives wake up?
By all means, lets arm the teachers. And when one of them "goes postal" and wipes out a bunch of students? Then what next? What kinda of fucking insanity is this?
I apologize if I didn't offend anyone. I'll try harder next time.
#11
BTW stopgap, your comment about Obama on the last blog struck a nerve with me. I too blame Obama for falling short , but for a different reason. Why didn't he ever speak out and explain to America how hope and change got derailed by the Fascists? Trump sure has no problem tweeting and blurting out bloated faced lies. Obama simply needed to blurt out the truth....things like, Fox News is fake news, the Kochs are purchasing our democracy in order to destroy it, anti-american McConnell has with a record number of filibusters obstructed the will of the vast majority, loudly summarize Ryan's budget plans to the entire country, etc etc. He had the bully pulpit yet never used it.
#12
I admire your consistent irreverence stopgap. If you want to see someone else with like minded deep feelings for Trump, google MOJO Nixon, " Trump can s...... my d....." Good little tune, just skip to the middle of the song if you prefer.
#13
Yes 10K, I agree with you in principle, but actions speak louder than words. Obama had the chance to stop the fascist Republicans in their tracks, and accountability was the means of doing it. At that nexus of history, that is what the majority of Americans craved more than anything else. That included the Democratic base, independents and crossover voters. Everyone but the most extreme rightwing Republicans.
Even more than bailing out the banks, resurrecting the auto industry, restoring the economy, enacting healthcare reforms, and ending the mortgage crisis; the American public wanted to know that no one was above the law and that justice was equal for all. They wanted those that lied us into war, lied us into the mortgage crisis and bank failures, would be indicted and brought in front of the American public to answer for their crimes .
But, Obama almost immediately turned his back on what the American people most longed for. And as a result, history was doomed to repeat itself. As one saying goes, "the past is the future." By not dealing with the crimes and treasonous excesses of the Bush administration. The oligarchs, bank-sters and corrupt politicians, cynically accepted their get out of jail free cards, and declared open warfare on their emancipator. And the wave of enthusiasm that carried Obama to the White House quickly ebbed.
Don't get me wrong, I still think that in many ways, Obama was a great president and there are many things about him that I find honorable and laudable: His intelligence, his diplomacy, his wit, his work ethic, his oratory skills, his calm-rational demeanor, his temperament and so on. He certainly deserves credit for leading the country out of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and bringing healthcare to millions, rescuing the auto industry and many many other important achievements. All while the Republicans that weren't running for cover, were conspiring to bring down his administration.
But, in my mind, his failure to exact accountability of the Bush administation will forever haunt his legacy. The nagging question remains, why? Why he chose, as he said, to "look forward" and not address the past? But the Republican past is a cancer that is destroying the country from within.
Yes, Obama had an enormous amount on his plate at the time of his inauguration. Yet, he neglected an integral part of the oath, "to defend against all enemies foreign and DOMESTIC." He neglected to defend against our domestic enemies. I can't help but think that there has to be more to his answer that we should concentrate on the future and not be distracted by the past. There has to be an answer more plausible.
#14
I don't know how much longer everyone will realize we need a new government. The US government will no longer work for you. That why I made the 7C Constitution @ bit.ly/7C32PDF The petition is https://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/950/334/918/
Why does everyone keep pining for failed solutions in the past. It will never get any better. Just look at the 7C Constitution, made by and for the people only, and compare what we have now. We need all the help we can get.
#15
WOW Stopgap,
That's the most honest comment I've seen you write!
#16
It would have been Congress that would have had to bring charges against Bush/Cheney. But Congress voted for war in Iraq so what were they going to charge them with?
Obama even went on Fox and defended his policies. The truth is softer than lies. The problem is this stupid population that keeps electing Republicans into office. Any office.
Here is a problem. NRATV. Another mass media brainwasher. Google, Amazon and Apple are broadcasting it:
#17
Testing..123
#18
Legend, I'm perfectly willing to be enlightened on the Obama administration's reasons for not seeking accountability, but Obama, after his inauguration, signaled right away that his administration was not going to dwell on the past, but focus on the future. As I've said here before, the one thing that Republicans are good at, is campaigning on the public dime via bogus congressional hearings, panels, investigations and sham congressional votes like repealing Obamacare, Benghazi, etc.
True, it's up to the congress to bring charges, but Obama had leverage to call for hearings and congressional investigations and could direct his attorney general, to peruse indictments. Eric Holder made little, if any efforts, regarding seeking accountability.
I realize that Democrats only had the majority for a relatively short time, a much shorter time than the 2 years that Republicans like to claim. But Obama had made his course of action clear and accountability regarding the previous administration was not part of that agenda
The vote on the second Iraq war was more complex than was obvious. Democrats were between a rock and a hard place regarding their support for going to war. Considering what happened after their unwillingness to support the first Iraq war, resulting in wholesale loses by many progressive Democrats in the following elections. History, all but guaranteed that to oppose the second Iraq war, would have been devastating to the Democratic party, virtually placing the country into the hands of the Republicans without any restraints.
Not that I agree with that assessment, but it is understandable how the Democratic party would come to that conclusion. I believe that the decision was made that those that were in safe districts and states could oppose the war. Otherwise, it would be political suicide for themselves and the party for candidates in purple states and districts not to support the war.
None the less, the build up to the Iraq war by the Bush White House was built on lies about weapons of mass destruction, yellowcake uranium, resulting in the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame, and any number of other bogus excuses that deserved congressional investigations. Nothing in the Obama administration suggested any appetite for bringing anyone to task for the lies and disinformation campaign that led to the decision to go to war. Nor was there much of an appetite for directing Eric Holder to peruse indictments regarding the banking industry and Wall Street.
Again, I give Obama all the credit in the world for much of his presidency. BUT, the unwillingness to peruse accountability, thereby allowing the failures and crimes of the Bush administration and the Republican party to fade from the memory of the American public, was in my opinion, a critical mistake that left the door open for the Republican insanity that we are now stuck with.
But, I could be wrong!
#19
With Congressional approval of the Iraq war you could not charge Bush. If anything could have been charged it would have been torture. After 9/11 I do not think that would have flew. Granted they lied to get the votes, they got the votes.
This once great country always has Fox News pumping the Republican agenda. Now we have NRATV to go along with it. I also heard that Sinclair (described as worse than Fox) recently purchased a local TV station nearby.
Obama had the House and Senate for 72 days.
#20
Don't forget stopgap, that they had Obama under a micro - Make that a nanoscope because he was BLACK. So shutting down the looney banks and taking charge of them would make him out to be a Hitler in their right wing (blind) eyes. ALSO, in that "window " that the Democrats had. Obama not only passed healthcare, he passed a record number of bills that did good for us average folks.
#21
Warning signs?
“Sycophantic, bigoted, sexual abusing, pathological lying, greedy, heartless, sociopathic traitors of the Republican party, rightwing child fuckers, these fucking idiots, Nazi nimrods, delusional, sycophantic lemmings, bigoted, sexual abusing, pathological lying, greedy, heartless sociopathic traitors and child-fucking abettors!, pathological lying, con-man thug and his sycophantic ass kissers, pussy-grabbing , thin-skinned, egomaniacal blowhard, bigot sycophant supporters. When are you fucking rightwing greedy bigot morons gonna wake up to who this insane, lowlife, conman, grifter, piece of shit really is? Just how crazy does this fucking insane asshole have to get before you conservatives wake up? at the fingertips of a paranoid, schizophrenic, seriously deranged, delusional, thin-skinned, corrupt thug, fucking gun nuts, lying, oxycontin drug-addled dope fiend stack of shit and Dominican Republic viagra sex junketeer known as Rush Limbaugh, toxic pus-ball, Rush Limbaugh.
With respect to bernie, I love the guy. He put Trump in the White House.
In Bernie's defense I'm pretty sure some real estate agent realized a nice commish on the sales of his 3 homes or some accountant was paid handsomely so Bernie could exploit loopholes so he didn't have to pay his fair share of taxes. Oh, I almost forgot, he must also be paying some attorneys well to get him and his bride out of trouble with the govt investigation of his financial dealings. Closet capitalists are the worst.
#22
Lets not forget..
While Obama did use Keynesian economics ( not enough, the "Fed. Reserve was actually more responsible for staving off disaster) to help lift the economy out of a near catastrophic economic collapse...the reality is; that he actually bought into the Friedman - Greenspan, Supply side economics.
As much of his policies showed..
Dont get me wrong. He was still worlds above anything the republicans offered!!
#23
Reynolds
You rant and rave like a maniac!
Take a " chill pill".. Or heed your own advice, light up and smoke some "doobie"!!
#24
#21 References????
#25
Stopgap, Regarding Obama, I don't disagree with anything you said. I just feel strongly that he needed to call press conferences to communicate truth and warn the American people about by fascists like the Kochs and Putin. The way I see it, the most pressing problem is this lack of commuication of the truth....message control, with election engineering a close second. The Fascists have almost total control of our corpse media with outlets like Foxanganda. Until we figure out how to warn and convince our fellow citizens like Reynolds, that they're drinking the 1920's German Kool Aid, I have little hope things will change. Obama had the opportunity to speak out and warn the nation, but he didn't.
#26
Reynold's..what the hell was that all about? Take Jeff's advice....or mine, go for a long slow run...or both. Regarding Bernie's and his wife's home ownership, you just made my case, you're drinking the Kool Aid. Tell me why you think the Fascists fear Bernie and Democratic Socialism.....put some effort into it.
#27
DeathRey likes to confuse my fact-stating about Republicans with name calling. Now for instance, if I called DeathRey, a shithead, rotten, scumbag…that would be name calling and improper. But mostly, I have just described what are factual observations about Republican actions and conditions. Yes, there is an occasional example of name calling, like toxic pus-ball. But, in that case, I was talking about the king of name calling, Rush Limbaugh.
#28
Watch some of these. By the way Republicans will only go on Fox News.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=obama+o%27reilly+
#29
Diane lives in a very small world, where fact and history are not allowed. She rants about Senator Sanders having some real estate in his home state. McCain could not even count how many homes he owned. It is interesting that she claims that Sanders had a tax lawyer that snuck this through. He released his taxes. Trump, who she voted for, never did.
https://www.politico.com/story/2008/08/mccain-unsure-how-many-houses-he-...
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/aug/22/barack-ob...
#30
I would like to see us...
go back to paper ballots
return to Glass Segal
get rid of citizens united
outlaw lobbist.
#31
Since D-Rey kindly sacrificed valuable time to list many of the words that I've used to describe Trump and his supporters. Let's review the list:
Sycophants, even Trump agrees with this, "I could shoot someone on 5th avenue and they ( my supporters) would still vote for me."
How many here doesn't think that Trump and many of his supporters are bigoted?
How many here doesn't think that Trump and a number of Republican politicians are sex abusers?
How many here doesn't think that Trump and those in his administration are pathological liars?
How many here doesn't think that Trump and most Republicans are greedy?
How many here doesn't think that Trump and most Republicans are sociopathic traitors?
How many here doesn't think that Trump and many Republicans are abetting child fuckers?
Ok, 'fucking idiots" was name calling and I apologize!
How many here doesn't think that Trump and his many Republicans are Nazis?
Nimrods - name calling, I apologize!
How many here doesn't think that Trump and his supporters are delusional?
I'll skip the repeated comments.
How man here doesn't think that Trump is a con-man thug?
How many here doesn't think Trump is a "thin-skinned corrupt thug?"
How many here doesn't think that most Republicans are "fucking (name calling, I apologize) gun nuts?
How many here doesn't think that Rush is a "lying, oxycontin drug-addled dope fiend?"
How many here doesn't remember that Rush was busted for cooing back into the country with 29 hits of viagra that weren't prescribed to him?
The real "Warning signs" are that any Republican can still support Trump!
I could go on about D-Rey repeatedly calling me a "birdbrain idiot, etc. and Doorknobs essentially calling me an asshole and F-word (homosexual) in Spanish. But, sticks and stones….
#32
Well said stopgap!
And another thing l still find amazing is how many women actually did vote for ( and still support) that sexist, womanizing, "pussy grabbing"sexual molester n chief!!
Obviously Reynolds is one of them..
#33
Also Diane is on Medicare which has been drastically cut. When she gets cancer chemo will probably not be available on the cost plan. Also Social Security has had huge cuts. She votes against her own interests.
#34
I disagree,
because it's so repetitave. Constant negitive bombardment.
just reminds people of the similar actions on the dems part.
Hardens the position of people you say you want to get thru to.
Solves nothing.
#35
Info about Reynolds l was not privy to. Yes legend, she's obviously a hypocrite...
#36
Hotcoffee #30
Yes, l don't think you will get a disagreement from most of us posting here on that particular post of yours.
#37
From my e mail today...
“Have you pledged to use your office to restore fair and free elections?" That's the question Americans across the country are asking their elected officials and candidates ahead of the 2018 midterm election.
oops wrong link
#38
An example of why some of the left is so discouraged with the dems
One has to wonder what San Francisco, which has some of the wealthiest citizens in the nation, is doing with all their money. After all, the major tenet of liberalism, which San Francisco declares is its guiding public policy, is to help the disadvantaged and poor.
a snip...
In order to understand the lack of financial commitment to helping the homeless, it may be helpful to review the salaries of San Francisco County "public servants." Their jobs, and their professed mission, is to devote themselves to helping the needy. There is no shortage of money, but there appears to be a shortage of commitment to allocating public taxes to helping the homeless.
The money goes to those who are dedicated to helping the homeless. There are many examples of salary extravagance. For example, according to the website TransparentCalifornia. com, Madonna P. Valencia, the manager of the Dept. of Public Health, had a salary of $275,395.65 in 2016. In addition to that, she received benefits of $65,154.15 in that year for a total compensation package of $340,549.80. Another manager of public health, Theresa A. Dentoni, received $276,109.42 in 2016 and benefits of $64,073.87 for a total of $340,183.73. And this in a city that cannot afford to make portable toilets available to residents.
The assistant medical examiner, Harminder S. Niarula, another person in public health, had a total salary in 2016 of $336,000. Stephen C. Wu, a senior physician specialist, earned $336,000 in 2016. Another supervising physician specialist, Catherine T. James, collected $333,000. And nursing supervisor Patricia Carr got $333,000.
more
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2018/02/the_politics_of_san_fra...
#39
What cracks me up most about Reynolds and the other Kochbaggers posting here is that they seem oblivious to how pissed off those of us who are aware of current socioeconomic realities really are. These same trolls helped create the mess we're in by voting for Putin's and Koch's asswipes, and then they expect us to be polite and respectful of their verbal attacks on us.... yeah right. Boo Hoo! Maybe just sticking to their neo-nazi sites would be the answer.
#40
2950-10k
My friend I thought this was a neo-nazi site. Anyone with a differing opinion is perscuted and belittled. Where is the tolerance, love and compassion?
#41
2950,
When wasn't there socioeconomic inequity?
How does going thru life pissed off help anything....how's your health?
I've heard being pissed off all the time isn't good for you, doesn't hurt anyone else
just boomarangs back on you.
Cheer up! Enjoy life.
#42
Right on HotCoffee
@#40 Worn out door knobs,
If you come here and expect any sort of support, you are required to come in as a malcontent leftie/socialist as for the most part, as that is the only language that is allowed to be spoken here. This is the place happiness goes to die and it reminds me of an old movie where the trestle bridge has been blown up and the long train never stops, allowing car after car to drop into the abyss.
On a positive note, it is comprised by a tiny number of sleep deprived unhappy people who seem fixated on the other guy’s money and how they are entitled to take some because it’s “fair” and their “right” so there is no danger, just comedy.
Bringing up the fact that most of their liberal darlings do the same thing they accuse the rightwing of doing just enrages them all the more. Go figure.
Look at it this way, this is low level entertainment at its finest and Christmas is delivered every day of the year in the form of two or three of them going totally off the rails in a world class hate filled rage.
Don’t question it, just sit back and enjoy the parade.
As someone wisely once said,
"If you don't want people touching your critters,
Don't make your barn look look like a petting zoo."
#43
DianeR,
The pendulem keeps swinging back and forth....Dem, Repub,Dem, Repub...
Guess aprox 1/2 the country could be angry 1/2 of their life.
As for me I believe happiness is a choice and I ain't going to spend 1/2 my life in a political rage.
Enjoy your day!
#44
@#43
I choose to do the same. My best to you.
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WTF?
"How the National Rifle Association helped get Bernie Sanders elected"
BURLINGTON, Vt. — A few days before Election Day in 1990, the National Rifle Association sent a letter to its 12,000 members in Vermont, with an urgent message about the race for the state’s single House seat.
Vote for the socialist, the gun rights group said. It’s important.
“Bernie Sanders is a more honorable choice for Vermont sportsmen than Peter Smith,” wrote Wayne LaPierre, who was — and still is — a top official at the national NRA, backing Sanders over the Republican incumbent.
That was odd. Sanders was the ex-hippie ex-mayor of Burlington, running as an independent because the Democrats weren’t far enough left. He had never even owned a gun.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-the-nra-helped-put-bernie-sanders-in-congress/2015/07/19/ed1be26c-2bfe-11e5-bd33-395c05608059_story.html?utm_term=.a4300cfcf87f
But, there may be more!!
Did Bernie really accept $11,129 from the NRA?
"ON UPDATE: In the same year that Bernie was accepting direct donations from the NRA, he slammed Hillary for attending a fundraiser held by Jeff Forbes, a lawyer who had (till 2015) included the NRA among his lobbying clients. He said: "Hillary should stop taking NRA lobbyist money" at the same time that he was taking money directly from the NRA."
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210257890
"The only non-Republican in the top 25: Bernie Sanders, a Senate independent whose state, Vermont, has a strong hunting tradition. He accepted $11,129 in cash. Sanders, of course, challenged Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party’s presidential nod."
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/lawmakers-who-take-the-most-money-from-the-gun-rights-lobby-2017-10-03