News Round-Up: July 31, 2015

Felippe and Marlon on the streets of Sao Paulo

Some news stories you may have missed:

• Sexy Brazilian couple Felippe & Marlon expose homophobia by exposing themselves via a nighttime nude photo shoot in Sao Paulo.

• Donald Trump joins the deniers on climate change: “It’s weather. You’re going to have bad weather. I don’t happen to believe it’s manmade.”

• The Republican Party scores it’s lowest approval rating in decades.

• The White House announces expansion to HIV strategy over the next five years that includes full access to pre-exposure prophylaxis services.

• The parents of a Texas gay man have filed a lawsuit against the Galveston police department after he was allegedly denied his anxiety medication, suffered seizures and eventually died while in custody.

• Right wing nut and U.S. Congressman Louie Gohmert of Texas thinks he can prove a point by dropping four gay couples on one island and four straight couples on another. Not sure what it would prove, but I know which island I’d pick.

Henry Rollins: Bend Over America, Here Comes President Trump

I’ve written before about the very smart, very articulate writing of Black Flag front man Henry Rollins.

He recently wrote an essay for LAWeekly that completely captures the cynical zeitgeist of GOP politics regarding Donald Trump.

I encourage you to read the entire piece, but here’s just a sample.

In a nation of hundreds of millions of people, there is one man born to lead. A man who stands head and shoulders above the rest. A lone alpha who burns incandescent in a vast wasteland of darkness.

When asked to serve in Vietnam, he said no and took a deferment. He took a few of them, actually, because he is his own man.

He got married. The merger didn’t work. She was fired. So was the next one. It’s business, not personal — like America!

He has overcome adversity. Like bankruptcy. And with an almost Michelangelo-like genius, he conquered the K2 challenge of his hair.

He is what America needs. A man with so much self-confidence that, if you put him in the Oval Office, some of it will no doubt trickle down to you.

Who is this man who will put all other world leaders in their place? The same man who just read a cellphone number, allegedly Lindsey Graham’s private line, out loud so the world could hear. (Hey, I laughed.) This man is America.

So bend over, relax and hold onto something solid, because here he comes — here comes Donald Trump 2016. And when he puts it in, you’ll know who your daddy is.

Donald Trump Would “Love” To Have Sarah Palin Be Part Of His (Never Gonna Happen) Administration

Appearing on The Palin Update (yes, there is such a “show”), Donald Trump lauded the former half-term governor of Alaska for being “tough” and “smart.”

This is really all you need to know about a fictitious Trump administration, via Right Wing Watch:

Host Kevin Scholla asked the GOP presidential candidate, “If there is a Trump administration, could you see picking up the phone, giving the governor a call and picking her brain on some things, or perhaps having her along in some official capacity.”

“I’d love that,” Trump replied. “Because she really is somebody who knows what’s happening and she’s a special person, she’s really a special person and I think people know that.”

“Everybody loves her,” he added. Trump went on to say that unlike the former half-term Alaska governor, his current Republican rivals are “weak” and “ineffective” leaders “to a degree that’s actually almost hard to believe.”

Voters, Trump explained, “like the Sarah Palin kind of strength, you just don’t see very much of it anymore.”

I will agree Trump hits it on the head when he describes Palin as a “special” person.

Trump has criticized “quitters’ in the past, so I’m not sure how her resignation after only two years in office as governor of Alaska sits with the Donald.

Trump on Palin: “She’s tough and smart…”

Oh, my sides….

Donald Trump’s “Special Counsel” Threatens Reporter

Donald Trump’s special counsel Michael Cohen out loud to a reporter

The Daily Beast reported today on Donald Trump’s use of the word “rape” in recent weeks referring to Mexican immigrants. It turns out the Donald has something of a history with the word.

The Daily Beast went back to Trump’s 1990 divorce from his ex-wife Ivana, where she alleged in court documents that he violently assaulted her on one occasion and forced her to have sex invoking the word “rape.”

Michael Cohen, special counsel at The Trump Organization, defended his boss, saying, “You’re talking about the front-runner for the GOP, presidential candidate, as well as private individual who never raped anybody. And, of course, understand that by the very definition, you can’t rape your spouse.”

“I will make sure that you and I meet one day while we’re in the courthouse. And I will take you for every penny you still don’t have. And I will come after your Daily Beast and everybody else that you possibly know,” Cohen said. “So I’m warning you, tread very fucking lightly, because what I’m going to do to you is going to be fucking disgusting. You understand me?”

“You write a story that has Mr. Trump’s name in it, with the word rape, and I’m going to mess your life up… for as long as you’re on this frickin’ planet… you’re going to have judgements against you, so much money, you’ll never know how to get out from underneath it,” he added.

Interesting that a lawyer in New York state would be ignorant of the law regarding spousal rape.  At one time, there was a so-called “marital rape exemption” to the law, but it was struck down in 1984.

In addition, there were other times when the Donald weighed in on cases of alleged rape over the years. Read the story over at The Daily Beast.

In any case, it’s fascinating that this is who a man running for “president” would dispatch to speak for him.

Is Michael Cohen going to threaten heads of state who may not agree with a (never gonna happen) Trump administration?

Todd Starnes: Americans Want Leaders With “Big Man-Parts”

Fox News’ Todd Starnes via Twitter:

“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked a vote to defund Planned Parenthood’s Killing Fields. That sort of emasculated, chicken-hearted leadership is why Donald Trump is surging in the polls. Americans want leaders with man-parts big enough to do the right thing.”

I’m sorry, but I’m just a little embarrassed for even a semi-straight guy like Starnes to write the words “man-parts.” If you’re going to go for the big dick metaphor, go for it.

And I’m guessing Starnes has some “insider” knowledge about the size of Trump’s penis?

(h/t JMG)

2016 – Polls, polls, and more polls

Two new NBC/Marist polls show Donald Trump continues to sit dominate the current GOP nominating process for 2016 presidential nominee.

In New Hampshire, Trump beats second placer Jeb Bush by 7 points.

Donald Trump – 21%
Jeb Bush – 14%
Scott Walker – 12%
John Kasich – 7%
Chris Christie – 6%
Ben Carson – 6%
Marco Rubio – 5%
Ted Cruz – 5%

Recently announced Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker leads in Iowa, but with Trump only 2 points behind him.

Scott Walker – 19%
Donald Trump – 17%
Jeb Bush – 12%
Ben Carson – 8%
Mike Huckabee – 7%
Rand Paul – 5%

Additionally, a new CNN/ORC poll shows 52% of Republicans want Donald Trump to stay in the race for the GOP nomination. Thirty-three percent want Trump to drop out, and 15% would like to see him make an independent run for president in 2016.

Over on the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton continues strong leads in both states, although Sen. Bernie Sanders has gained some ground in New Hampshire.

In Iowa, Hillary holds strong with a 29 point lead over Sanders.

Hillary Clinton – 55%
Bernie Sanders – 26%
Martin O’Malley – 4%
Jim Webb – 2%

In New Hampshire, Sanders fares better (Sanders currently serves as U.S. senator from neighboring Vermont) but Hillary stays in the lead.

Hillary Clinton – 47%
Bernie Sanders – 34%
Martin O’Malley – 5%
Lincoln Chaffee – 2%

News Round-Up: July 25, 2015

Some news stories you may have missed:

• Celebrating the upcoming 4th season of Where The Bears Are, here’s some bears to celebrate!

• There’s a new book by Dr. Seuss – What Pet Should I Get? – for the first time in 25 years.

• This is the gayest workout I’ve ever seen – and I’ve seen some seriously gay things in my life.

• Donald Trump secures the highly coveted endorsement of Dennis Rodman.

• Big surprise! The Louisiana shooter was a fan of Hitler, the Tea Party and hated black people.

• John Cena’s performance in box office hit Trainwreck is a revelation.

Rick Perry Turns Up The Heat On Donald Trump’s Inflammatory Remarks

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry turned up the volume of his attacks on Donald Trump’s inflammatory statements today during a speech at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C.:

“He offers a barking carnival act that can be best described as Trumpism: a toxic mix of demagoguery, mean-spiritedness and nonsense that will lead the Republican Party to perdition if pursued.

“Let no one be mistaken: Donald Trump’s candidacy is a cancer on conservatism, and it must be clearly diagnosed, excised and discarded.”

“Donald Trump, the reality television star, is a great generator of ratings. But Donald Trump the candidate is a sower of division, wrongly demonizing Mexican-Americans for political sport.”

“He has piqued the interest of some Republican voters who have legitimate concerns about a porous border and broken immigration system. But instead of offering those voters leadership or solutions, he has offered fear and sound bites. This cannot stand.”

Donald Trump Threatens Third Party Presidential Run

In an interview with The Hill, Donald Trump made clear he would seriously consider a third party run at the presidency should he not secure the GOP nomination.

“The RNC has not been supportive. They were always supportive when I was a contributor. I was their fair-haired boy,” the business mogul told The Hill in a 40-minute interview from his Manhattan office at Trump Tower on Wednesday. “The RNC has been, I think, very foolish.”

Pressed on whether he would run as a third-party candidate if he fails to clinch the GOP nomination, Trump said that “so many people want me to, if I don’t win.”
“I’ll have to see how I’m being treated by the Republicans,” Trump said. “Absolutely, if they’re not fair, that would be a factor.”

Recent polls involving Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush and Trump indicate Hillary winning with 46%, Bush 30% and Trump 20%.

Go Donald!

(via The Hill)show