Sarah Huckabee Sanders Version of Covfefe

[onekidanddone]

On 12/12/2017 at 7:23 PM, Cartmann99 said:

Her eyes look dead to me in this video:

 

Hard to look alive when you have no soul

[fraurosena]

1 hour ago, GrumpyGran said:

We need a "I'm bored with this bitch" emoji.

You mean this one?

[onekidanddone]

 

Edited January 3, 2018 by onekidanddone

[JMarie]

She's having a tough time at today's press conference.  She wants to talk about immigration reform and other important stuff, but the press keeps asking questions about The Book.

[GreyhoundFan]

We should start calling SHS a carousel, since she's always spinning: "White House: It's 'disgraceful and laughable' to question Trump's mental fitness"

Spoiler

Washington (CNN)White House press secretary Sarah Sanders faced questions Thursday for the second day in the row about President Donald Trump's mental fitness to serve as president.

"It's disgraceful and laughable. If he was unfit, he probably wouldn't be sitting there, wouldn't have defeated the most qualified group of candidates the Republican Party has ever seen," Sanders said, before praising Trump as an "incredibly strong" leader.

The questions come in the wake of the chaotic picture painted of the President in Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House."

CNN has not independently verified all the details in Wolff's book.

Sanders disparaged the book, calling it "complete fantasy" and characterizing it as "sad" and "pathetic."

When asked about examples of falsehoods, Sanders said she couldn't go through every page but pointed specifically to the claim that Trump didn't know who former House Speaker John Boehner.

Sanders called the book "complete fantasy and "full of tabloid gossip."

She also claimed that basic information is wrong, pointing to ages of employees, which Sanders said would have been "super easy to check."

"...probably wouldn't be sitting there..." Yeah, way to qualify your answer.

[GreyhoundFan]

"Sarah Huckabee Sanders kills irony dead, once and for all"

Spoiler

For the second straight day Thursday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders fought back against Michael Wolff's Trump tell-all. And in doing do, she may have finally killed off what's left of irony in the White House briefing room.

“The president,” Sanders told reporters, “believes in making sure that information is accurate before pushing it out as fact, when it certainly and clearly is not.”

Yes, we all know what a stickler Trump is for making sure what he says is accurate before he says it. It may be his defining trait.

In all seriousness, it's not just the nearly 2,000 false and misleading things Trump has said as president. It's that the White House and Trump himself have acknowledged that Sanders's standard doesn't really apply to them.

A little more than a month ago, after Trump retweeted anti-Muslim videos pushed by a leader of a fringe political group in Britain, Sanders made almost precisely the opposite argument about the veracity of the videos; she said that didn't really matter. “Whether it's a real video, the threat is real,” Sanders said. “His goal is to promote strong border security and strong national security.”

Trump disproved Sanders's Thursday comment shortly after being inaugurated. At a White House news conference, he was confronted with his repeated claim that he had registered “the biggest electoral college win since Ronald Reagan” — one of many factually incorrect claims Trump has made about his 2016 win. Trump said in response, “I was given that information, I don’t know.” A fact too good to check, apparently!

During the 2016 campaign, Trump at one point alluded to a National Enquirer story suggesting that the father of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) may have been involved in the John F. Kennedy assassination. His defense? Not that it was true or even plausible but that Cruz's campaign never denied it (even though it actually had). “I have no control over anything,” Trump said. “I might have pointed it out, but they never denied — did anybody ever deny that it was the father? They're not saying, 'Oh, that wasn't really my father.'" So here, the standard seems to be not whether something is accurate but whether someone has denied it.

Then there was the time Trump suggested that a protester who had rushed the stage at one of his rallies was affiliated with the Islamic State. When NBC's Chuck Todd pointed out that this was an Internet hoax, Trump didn't back down. “I don’t know what they made up,” he said in March 2016. “All I know is what’s on the Internet.”

But perhaps the most telling Trump comments about this kind of thing came in a March interview with Time magazine. While talking about his baseless claim that millions of people voted illegally in the 2016 election, Trump was asked why he said such things without factual evidence.

“I’m a very instinctual person,” he said, “but my instinct turns out to be right.”

That's a far cry from “I believe in making sure that information is accurate before pushing it out as fact.” And whatever you think about Wolff's book — and there's plenty to be skeptical of — the White House long ago forfeited the moral high ground when it comes to pre-fact-checking.

In addition to irony, she has also killed integrity, honesty, competence, civility, and so many other things.

[JMarie]

The book was supposed to be released next week.  The publisher is moving that up to tomorrow.  Can't wait to see what SHS says tomorrow.

[GreyhoundFan]

So, here's an article about the woman we can thank for SHS' awful makeup. Bonus: we pay her salary. "The Mooch’s gift to Trump staff: A taxpayer-funded stylist"

Spoiler

She may be the most lasting legacy of Anthony Scaramucci’s 11-day stint in the White House.

Professional stylist Katie Price, who previously worked as a hair and makeup artist for Russia Today and CNN, is now a full-time White House official with a desk in the press office and the title of production assistant, which includes her daily duties getting press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, counselor Kellyanne Conway and other White House staffers coiffed and camera-ready.

That position was created for her last fall, thanks, in part, to public praise from “the Mooch” for Price’s briefing room stylings, which include loose curls and dark eye shadow on the women and what appear to be heavy layers of pancake makeup heaped on the men.

In his brief moment in the spotlight, the smooth-talking Long Island financier went on CNN last July to give Price's work his seal of approval. “Sarah, if you're watching, I loved the hair and makeup person we had on Friday,” Scaramucci said during an interview two days after taking on the role of communications director. “So I'd like to continue to use the hair and makeup person.”

The White House dropped Scaramucci but kept Price, placing her on the government payroll. Officials declined to reveal her salary, though it will become public next summer as part of an annual release of the salaries of all West Wing staff.

Having a makeup artist on staff 24/7 isn’t unique to President Donald Trump’s White House. But in an administration in which the man at the top is obsessed with television and appearances — often gravitating toward people he believes look like they were sent over from “central casting” — the question of who dolls up the staff has become a subject of fascination for regular cable news viewers, glued to the drama being played out daily by a shiny-haired, lip-glossed cast of characters.

On Friday, Price declined to speak to a reporter who spotted her in the shared cubicle she occupies in the cramped area known internally at the White House as “lower press,” where junior press aides work tucked away behind the briefing room.

But from there, Price is on call for any White House official with a public-facing role, with some notable exceptions: She doesn’t touch the president or other members of the Trump family, even though Ivanka Trump is technically a government staffer who makes television appearances from “Pebble Beach,” a gravel area in front of the White House where TV news cameras are permanently stationed. First lady Melania Trump pays out of pocket for her own stylist when she relies on professional help, her spokeswoman said. Price most often works with the communications team, including Raj Shah, Mercedes Schlapp and Hogan Gidley. She has glossed up the vice president on at least one occasion.

Before joining the White House, Price had a bridal business, NOVAbelles, which included a “belle of the ball” package with hair, makeup and eyelash extensions clocking in at $1,100. On the now-defunct site, she listed Meredith Vieira as one of her celebrity clients. Other freelance clients included TV networks like Russia Today, which she listed working for on LinkedIn in February 2017.

“Katie is a great addition to the team,” said Sanders. “It’s a combination of her talent and her support of what we’re doing. You don’t want someone who doesn’t support what we’re doing or want to be here.”

Indeed, Price — who deleted her business website and LinkedIn bio after POLITICO started making inquiries about her background — appears to be enjoying the unique position in which she has found herself. On social media, she often posts portraits of herself attending public events in the Rose Garden, often filed under hashtags like #LoveMyJob, #TaxCuts and #Blessed.

Price arrives on the White House campus early every morning to help get Sanders camera-ready, usually working in time carved out after Sanders’ first round of morning meetings.

“She’s definitely made my life easier,” said Sanders, who said she was paying out of pocket for a stylist to come in on a freelance basis until the White House made the decision to place a full-time makeup artist on staff. (Sanders’ predecessor, Sean Spicer, used to apply his own makeup ahead of television appearances.)

The addition of a makeup artist to the government payroll is a change from the Obama administration, which never employed one, according to four former officials — but which also never employed a female press secretary.

When a senior adviser like Valerie Jarrett needed to be done up, they would pay out of pocket, the former officials confirmed. But the setup with Price — who also answers phones and emails, escorts members of the press around the White House campus and handles wrangling duties with other press assistants — is similar to the system the George W. Bush administration set up when it came into office.

Lois Cassano, a makeup artist who had previously worked for NBC, ABC and "PBS NewsHour," was hired on Day One of the Bush administration in 2001 to apply makeup for the press secretary, the president, the vice president, the first lady, visiting heads of state, Cabinet secretaries and any senior administration officials appearing on television to represent the administration.

“In addition to those things,” recalled former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer, “Lois handled all clearances for the press. She established the computerized system, answered phones, helped with paperwork and was treated like any member of my press staff.”

Cassano worked in the Bush administration for a full eight years, and by the end was considered a core member of the press team.

But former officials recalled a debate around bringing on a taxpayer-funded makeup artist — and justifying it by making sure there were other duties involved in the job outside of applying a powder brush to shiny foreheads.

“I’m a little bit of a purist on personnel,” said Anita McBride, a former chief of staff to first lady Laura Bush and a former director of White House personnel under Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. “In any position on the White House staff, you have to ask if it’s a taxpayer-funded need, if it’s a legitimate function, and look at it through the lens of essential versus non-essential personnel.”

When the George W. Bush White House decided to bring Cassano in-house, McBride recalled, “we tried to figure out if there were other functions in the office that need to be filled, that this person could do — because the day is not filled putting on makeup.”

Cassano also did not travel with the president. Instead, former Bush aides remember press secretary Dana Perino applying powder to the president’s face ahead of television interviews abroad.

Price has yet to accompany the Trump team on any trips, Sanders said.

Before the advent of on-staff White House makeup artists, the Republican National Committee would pay for Nancy Reagan’s hair and makeup routine, McBride said.

There was also no makeup artist on call or payroll for staffers in the Clinton White House, when the 24/7 cable culture was still in its infancy and the daily press briefing was, for the first time, becoming a televised event.

But one former Clinton White House official said she would have been happy for the help. “I wish we could have done the same,” the official said. “If you expect people to be available for on-air interviews, then it’s only reasonable to give them the tools to succeed.”

McBride agreed that in the televised age that politics lives in today, the makeup artist now passes her “essential personnel” litmus test. “This is the modern age we live in,” she said. “When you have staff members starting the morning shows at 7 a.m. on camera, this has evolved to be a relevant function. I don’t envy anyone who has to be on camera there now. It is constant scrutiny.”

She really needs to lighten up on SHS' makeup, it's far too severe, especially paired with her lip-curling snarls.

[GrumpyGran]

13 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

So, here's an article about the woman we can thank for SHS' awful makeup. Bonus: we pay her salary. "The Mooch’s gift to Trump staff: A taxpayer-funded stylist"

  Reveal hidden contents

She may be the most lasting legacy of Anthony Scaramucci’s 11-day stint in the White House.

Professional stylist Katie Price, who previously worked as a hair and makeup artist for Russia Today and CNN, is now a full-time White House official with a desk in the press office and the title of production assistant, which includes her daily duties getting press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, counselor Kellyanne Conway and other White House staffers coiffed and camera-ready.

That position was created for her last fall, thanks, in part, to public praise from “the Mooch” for Price’s briefing room stylings, which include loose curls and dark eye shadow on the women and what appear to be heavy layers of pancake makeup heaped on the men.

In his brief moment in the spotlight, the smooth-talking Long Island financier went on CNN last July to give Price's work his seal of approval. “Sarah, if you're watching, I loved the hair and makeup person we had on Friday,” Scaramucci said during an interview two days after taking on the role of communications director. “So I'd like to continue to use the hair and makeup person.”

The White House dropped Scaramucci but kept Price, placing her on the government payroll. Officials declined to reveal her salary, though it will become public next summer as part of an annual release of the salaries of all West Wing staff.

Having a makeup artist on staff 24/7 isn’t unique to President Donald Trump’s White House. But in an administration in which the man at the top is obsessed with television and appearances — often gravitating toward people he believes look like they were sent over from “central casting” — the question of who dolls up the staff has become a subject of fascination for regular cable news viewers, glued to the drama being played out daily by a shiny-haired, lip-glossed cast of characters.

On Friday, Price declined to speak to a reporter who spotted her in the shared cubicle she occupies in the cramped area known internally at the White House as “lower press,” where junior press aides work tucked away behind the briefing room.

But from there, Price is on call for any White House official with a public-facing role, with some notable exceptions: She doesn’t touch the president or other members of the Trump family, even though Ivanka Trump is technically a government staffer who makes television appearances from “Pebble Beach,” a gravel area in front of the White House where TV news cameras are permanently stationed. First lady Melania Trump pays out of pocket for her own stylist when she relies on professional help, her spokeswoman said. Price most often works with the communications team, including Raj Shah, Mercedes Schlapp and Hogan Gidley. She has glossed up the vice president on at least one occasion.

Before joining the White House, Price had a bridal business, NOVAbelles, which included a “belle of the ball” package with hair, makeup and eyelash extensions clocking in at $1,100. On the now-defunct site, she listed Meredith Vieira as one of her celebrity clients. Other freelance clients included TV networks like Russia Today, which she listed working for on LinkedIn in February 2017.

“Katie is a great addition to the team,” said Sanders. “It’s a combination of her talent and her support of what we’re doing. You don’t want someone who doesn’t support what we’re doing or want to be here.”

Indeed, Price — who deleted her business website and LinkedIn bio after POLITICO started making inquiries about her background — appears to be enjoying the unique position in which she has found herself. On social media, she often posts portraits of herself attending public events in the Rose Garden, often filed under hashtags like #LoveMyJob, #TaxCuts and #Blessed.

Price arrives on the White House campus early every morning to help get Sanders camera-ready, usually working in time carved out after Sanders’ first round of morning meetings.

“She’s definitely made my life easier,” said Sanders, who said she was paying out of pocket for a stylist to come in on a freelance basis until the White House made the decision to place a full-time makeup artist on staff. (Sanders’ predecessor, Sean Spicer, used to apply his own makeup ahead of television appearances.)

The addition of a makeup artist to the government payroll is a change from the Obama administration, which never employed one, according to four former officials — but which also never employed a female press secretary.

When a senior adviser like Valerie Jarrett needed to be done up, they would pay out of pocket, the former officials confirmed. But the setup with Price — who also answers phones and emails, escorts members of the press around the White House campus and handles wrangling duties with other press assistants — is similar to the system the George W. Bush administration set up when it came into office.

Lois Cassano, a makeup artist who had previously worked for NBC, ABC and "PBS NewsHour," was hired on Day One of the Bush administration in 2001 to apply makeup for the press secretary, the president, the vice president, the first lady, visiting heads of state, Cabinet secretaries and any senior administration officials appearing on television to represent the administration.

“In addition to those things,” recalled former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer, “Lois handled all clearances for the press. She established the computerized system, answered phones, helped with paperwork and was treated like any member of my press staff.”

Cassano worked in the Bush administration for a full eight years, and by the end was considered a core member of the press team.

But former officials recalled a debate around bringing on a taxpayer-funded makeup artist — and justifying it by making sure there were other duties involved in the job outside of applying a powder brush to shiny foreheads.

“I’m a little bit of a purist on personnel,” said Anita McBride, a former chief of staff to first lady Laura Bush and a former director of White House personnel under Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. “In any position on the White House staff, you have to ask if it’s a taxpayer-funded need, if it’s a legitimate function, and look at it through the lens of essential versus non-essential personnel.”

When the George W. Bush White House decided to bring Cassano in-house, McBride recalled, “we tried to figure out if there were other functions in the office that need to be filled, that this person could do — because the day is not filled putting on makeup.”

Cassano also did not travel with the president. Instead, former Bush aides remember press secretary Dana Perino applying powder to the president’s face ahead of television interviews abroad.

Price has yet to accompany the Trump team on any trips, Sanders said.

Before the advent of on-staff White House makeup artists, the Republican National Committee would pay for Nancy Reagan’s hair and makeup routine, McBride said.

There was also no makeup artist on call or payroll for staffers in the Clinton White House, when the 24/7 cable culture was still in its infancy and the daily press briefing was, for the first time, becoming a televised event.

But one former Clinton White House official said she would have been happy for the help. “I wish we could have done the same,” the official said. “If you expect people to be available for on-air interviews, then it’s only reasonable to give them the tools to succeed.”

McBride agreed that in the televised age that politics lives in today, the makeup artist now passes her “essential personnel” litmus test. “This is the modern age we live in,” she said. “When you have staff members starting the morning shows at 7 a.m. on camera, this has evolved to be a relevant function. I don’t envy anyone who has to be on camera there now. It is constant scrutiny.”

She really needs to lighten up on SHS' makeup, it's far too severe, especially paired with her lip-curling snarls.

So, just to have someone put war paint on Slanders, we now have someone on the payroll who also wanders the halls doing odd jobs. No, we're not using an assistant or lower-level staffer who knows a bit about make-up. We expressly brought in a make-up person. For her. She should think about that.

It might not be so bad if this woman weren't making Slanders look like she's about to go out on K Street to pick up some extra cash. If you threw a fur scarf around her neck she'd be Cruella DeVille.

[AmazonGrace]

On 5.1.2018 at 12:05 AM, GreyhoundFan said:

We should start calling SHS a carousel, since she's always spinning: "White House: It's 'disgraceful and laughable' to question Trump's mental fitness"

  Hide contents

Washington (CNN)White House press secretary Sarah Sanders faced questions Thursday for the second day in the row about President Donald Trump's mental fitness to serve as president.

"It's disgraceful and laughable. If he was unfit, he probably wouldn't be sitting there, wouldn't have defeated the most qualified group of candidates the Republican Party has ever seen," Sanders said, before praising Trump as an "incredibly strong" leader.

The questions come in the wake of the chaotic picture painted of the President in Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House."

CNN has not independently verified all the details in Wolff's book.

Sanders disparaged the book, calling it "complete fantasy" and characterizing it as "sad" and "pathetic."

When asked about examples of falsehoods, Sanders said she couldn't go through every page but pointed specifically to the claim that Trump didn't know who former House Speaker John Boehner.

Sanders called the book "complete fantasy and "full of tabloid gossip."

She also claimed that basic information is wrong, pointing to ages of employees, which Sanders said would have been "super easy to check."

"...probably wouldn't be sitting there..." Yeah, way to qualify your answer.

I love it that the Republican primary candidates are so awesome now but Trump has called them losers and worse

[GrumpyGran]

59 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

I love it that the Republican primary candidates are so awesome now but Trump has called them losers and worse

Historical negationism. Haha, can you imagine what genius Dump would do with that word? I love for someone to ask him what he thinks of the trend toward negationism in the country and then see the blank look on his face.

[Cartmann99]

17 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

She really needs to lighten up on SHS' makeup, it's far too severe, especially paired with her lip-curling snarls.

There was an infomercial years ago for this makeup kit and videos that were supposed to make ordinary women look really glamorous. The WH makeup artist's style reminds me of the more dramatic looks that were possible from the kit.

 

[WiseGirl]

Just crossed my mind, as I was flipping her off as she was on television this morning, does she ever get tired of lying? How as a woman can you sell your soul to work for this racist pig? And then I had my coffee and came to my senses.....

[GrumpyGran]

1 hour ago, WiseGirl said:

Just crossed my mind, as I was flipping her off as she was on television this morning, does she ever get tired of lying? How as a woman can you sell your soul to work for this racist pig? And then I had my coffee and came to my senses.....

Does her good "Christian" father ever get tired of watching his child lie on national TV? Can you imagine sitting around the Huckabee family table for a meal, offering up grace and then discussing how to effectively deflect and deceive to protect your boss?

[GreyhoundFan]

Gee, SHS lied, what a shocker...NOT: "Polls show ‘no one’ cares about the Russia investigation, White House press secretary said. That’s not true."

Spoiler

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said President Trump will not address the ongoing investigation into collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia because no Americans care about the issue.

At Monday's White House briefing, Sanders said: “We spend more time on that than we do any other topic despite the fact that time and time again, poll after poll says that frankly no one cares about this issue, and it's certainly not the thing that keeps people up at night.”

Sanders did not cite a poll showing that “no one” cares about the Russia investigation. It is highly unlikely that a reliable poll exists with results showing that zero people care about the Russia investigation.

It was also surprising, if not inconsistent, to see Sanders point to polls as proof that Americans don't care about the Russia probe despite how often Trump surrogates dismiss polls when they do not paint the Trump White House in a favorable light.

When asked last fall about Trump's constantly low approval ratings in a Fox News poll, Sanders said: “The numbers that we’re focused on are the ones that actually impact day-to-day life for all Americans. That’s what we’re focused on, certainly not silly polls that frankly weren’t much use to us in the election and certainly I don’t think are now.”

What is of much use now is a recent Washington Post-ABC poll showing just how interested the American people are in the Russia investigation.

The poll found that nearly half — 49 percent — of Americans believe Trump tried to interfere with the Russia investigation in a way that amounts to obstruction of justice. And about a quarter — 26 percent — of Americans believe there is “solid evidence” supporting their belief.

Half of Americans believe the Trump campaign colluded with Russia, according to the poll.

That's not quite “no one.”

The poll was released the week The Post confirmed that Trump wanted to fire Robert S. Mueller III, who is leading the Russia probe, in June after news reports that the special counsel was investigating potential obstruction of justice. The president only backed off after White House Counsel Donald McGahn threatened to resign in protest.

Those more likely to agree with Sanders may assume that these Americans are among those who voted against Trump in 2016 or disapprove of his current job performance.

But sizable percentages of the demographic groups that helped elect Trump think Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia, including:

• More than a quarter — 27 percent — of Americans who identify as “conservative”
• More than 1 in 10 — 14 percent — of Republicans, and nearly 1 in 5 — 17 percent — of those who lean Republican
• More than a third — 36 percent — of white non-college Americans
• More than 4 in 10 — 43 percent — of Americans 65 and older believe Trump interfered
• More than a third — 36 percent — of white men believe he interfered

One of the reasons so many Americans want to know about Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election is that there is concern from both sides of the aisle that Russia could interfere in future elections. Also, a high rate of disapproval for Trump's job performance among the majority of Americans could be connected to concerns about the integrity of the president's campaign.

While White House officials may believe that the Trump campaign did not collude with Russia, they have some work to do to convince millions of Americans that there was no interaction between Trump's team and the team of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

I guess those of us here in the politics forum of FJ are considered "no one" by SHS. Yeah, I have no trouble imagining that.

[GreyhoundFan]

Why is this woman still a spokesperson for anything? "Sarah Huckabee Sanders: The media endangers national security"

Spoiler

The Rob Porter scandal is at least four-fold: Why did White House officials allow the now-former staff secretary to stay on board after they received early warnings about him? Why did they stand up for his integrity and honor, even after the allegations that he’d physically abused two wives? Why did they give conflicting accounts of their decision-making in parting ways with Porter last Wednesday? And why-oh-why did they allow the White House staff secretary — who deals with some of the country’s most sensitive documents — to execute his duties without a permanent security clearance?

At Monday’s White House press briefing, NBC News’s Kristen Welker pushed White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on that last question: “Once again, that’s a question that the FBI and other intelligence communities — they make that determination, that’s not something that’s decided by the White House.”

That weak response merited a return volley, so Welker asked if the White House could guarantee the protection of classified information in light of the Porter revelations. “I think we’re doing and taking every step we can to protect classified information,” said Sanders, just getting started. “I mean, frankly, if you guys have such concern with classified information, there’s plenty of it that’s leaked out of the Hill, that’s leaked out of other communities, well beyond the White House walls. If you guys have real concerns about leaking out classified information, look around this room. You guys are the ones that publish classified information and put national security at risk,” said Sanders.

If you’re in a corner, always, always blame the media. That’s the premier rule for any press secretary under President Trump. Especially if, in the same breath, you raise questions about the media’s patriotism. There’s an audience for just this sort of content, too. Cable-news producers know exactly what they’re doing when they persist in broadcasting live just about every minute of these press briefings. Which is to say, people will witness the beatdowns:

For the record, yes, news organizations do occasionally publish leaks of classified information. That’s part of a duty to the American public, which has a right to know when its money is being used for unworthy purposes. One example can be seen in American cinemas: The Pentagon Papers, a secret history of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. “Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government,” declared Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black in New York Times v. United States.

Another good example unfolded about a year ago, when news outlets published details about then-national security adviser Michael Flynn’s contacts with Sergey Kislyak, who was the Russian ambassador to the United States during the presidential transition. “I thought it was against the law to disseminate classified information. Is it?” asked Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) at a congressional hearing with top administration officials. Trumpites were outraged by the Flynn-oriented leaking.

As it turned out, Flynn later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversation with the Russian ambassador. He also allegedly misled his own colleagues in the White House. What was it Black said about rooting out deception? It’s an imperative that, with this White House, is more critical than ever.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

More from the Spinning Sourpuss: "Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s amazing spin on Trump wishing Rob Porter well: ‘He hopes for the best for all American citizens’"

Spoiler

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was tasked Monday with explaining President Trump's sympathetic comments about alleged spouse abuser Rob Porter. It went about as well as might be expected.

Sanders beat back one question after another about why Trump has suggested that Porter might be innocent but has said nothing about the domestic violence of which Porter stands accused. Then she was asked why Trump opted to go even a step further and wish Porter success in his career — a comment that seemed odd given that this is a man accused of horrible things.

Behold the spin:

“I think the president of the United States hopes that all Americans can be successful in whatever they do,” Sanders said. “And if they've had any issues in the past — I'm not confirming or denying one way or the other — but if they do, the president wants success for all Americans.”

She concluded: “He was elected to serve all Americans, and he hopes for the best for all American citizens across the country.”

By this logic, here is a list of people for whom Trump has only the best wishes:

• Larry Nassar
• Harvey Weinstein
• Bowe Bergdahl
• Bill Cosby
• Martin Shkreli
• Hillary Clinton

I'm being facetious here, but that is technically the argument that Sanders is making. She is arguing that Trump wants good things to happen to you — simply because you happen to be an American. It doesn't appear to matter whether you've inflicted horrible things upon people or might have committed crimes.

Porter has been convicted of no crimes, of course, but wishing someone well inherently suggests that you think they are worthy of good things in the future. Trump didn't say, “I wish Rob Porter well if he didn't actually beat his wives.” Instead, the president just came out and said he hoped Porter would find success. “Well, we wish him well,” Trump said Friday. “He worked very hard. I found out about it recently, and I was surprised by it. But we certainly wish him well.” Trump added of Porter that “hopefully he will have a great career ahead of him.”

Trump then seemed to lament in a tweet over the weekend that people like Porter have their careers upended by “a mere allegation.”

... < the dumb due process tweet from twitler >

The problem with Trump's comments here is that they seem to preclude the possibility that Porter may actually be guilty of what he's accused of. When Trump wishes Porter well, it sure seems as if he thinks this is all much ado about nothing.

And the idea that Trump — who ran as the law-and-order president —  wants good things to happen even to bad people doesn't really add up. This is the guy who talked about putting his opponent in jail, after all. It's about as far from being on-brand as you can get.

But then, how else could you explain Trump's comments?

 

[JMarie]

On 1/8/2018 at 2:08 PM, Cartmann99 said:

There was an infomercial years ago for this makeup kit and videos that were supposed to make ordinary women look really glamorous. The WH makeup artist's style reminds me of the more dramatic looks that were possible from the kit.

 

I remember there was an awful frosted lipgloss that got slathered on top of every woman's lipstick.  Watching wretched infomercials like this were my punishment for working the overnight shift and actually getting an occasional night off.  This, the Cher infomercial with the shampoo, and the steam rollers that used just a pinch of table salt.  I should have drank more in the '90s, so I'd have better memories.

[Gobsmacked]

On 13 January 2018 at 1:16 PM, WiseGirl said:

Just crossed my mind, as I was flipping her off as she was on television this morning, does she ever get tired of lying? How as a woman can you sell your soul to work for this racist pig? And then I had my coffee and came to my senses.....

Carousel Slanders sounds like a porn star name.

I mutter at the screen when she is appearing also. 

Edited February 13, 2018 by Gobsmacked
Spell

[GreyhoundFan]

12 hours ago, JMarie said:

  This, the Cher infomercial with the shampoo, and the steam rollers that used just a pinch of table salt.  I should have drank more in the '90s, so I'd have better memories.

Hey, I still have, and use, my Caruso steam rollers! They are the only thing that will force my bone-straight hair into curls.

 

I agree with Jennifer Rubin: "Sarah Huckabee Sanders is starting to remind us of Sean Spicer"

Spoiler

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Monday sounded more like the hapless Sean Spicer as she twisted and turned trying to explain away the administration’s reaction to Rob Porter’s alleged physical abuse of two ex-wives. Since the White House has not agreed upon one narrative, she hemmed and hawed trying to untangle the series of events:

Sanders: Look, we learned of the extent of the situation involving Rob Porter last Tuesday evening, and within 24 hours, his resignation had been accepted and announced.

We announced a transition was going to happen, and within hours, it did. The president and the entire administration take domestic violence very seriously and believe all allegations need to be investigated thoroughly. Above all, the president supports victims of domestic violence and believes everyone should be treated fairly and with due process.

We’ve addressed this situation extensively, and we have nothing more to add at this time on that topic.

Reporter: The allegations that were raised against him would make him a prime candidate for blackmail, which would leave any responsible person at the FBI to come to the White House to say, “Just want to let you know, this person will likely never get a permanent security clearance.” Was that concern ever raised to anyone here at the White House?

Sanders: As I know [White House spokesman Raj Shah] addressed last week, we let the process play out. It was ongoing, hadn’t been completed. And beyond that, and the statement I just gave you, I don’t have anything else to add.

Notice that the time it took John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, to act on the photos depicting one of Porter’s abused wives went from 40 minutes to 24 hours. The reporters tried again later in the press briefing with no success:

Reporter: Tuesday night, when the initial story came out, the White House praises Rob Porter. Wednesday morning, photos come out. The White House stands by its statement. Wednesday afternoon, the White House continues to praise Rob Porter. And Chief of Staff John Kelly says he acted 40 minutes within knowing the allegations. Can you explain that?

Sanders: As I said — and I’m going to repeat what I said earlier — that we had learned of this situation involving Rob Porter last Tuesday evening, and within 24 hours, his resignation had been accepted and announced. We announced a transition was going to happen, and within hours, it did.

And in terms of timeline, I don’t have anything else to add.

Reporter: The chief of staff said 40 minutes. I don’t understand that. Can you explain that?

Sanders: I can tell you that a conversation took place within 40 minutes. And beyond that, I really don’t have anything else to add.

 

Sanders had even less success trying to explain why President Trump always takes the side of the accused male (e.g., Roy Moore, Mike Tyson, Bill O’Reilly, Corey Lewandowski and Porter). Sanders and the reporters went round and round. Why doesn’t he say something definitive himself about abuse? Why does he never seem to recognize the impact on the victim, just on the accused? Sanders tried platitudes, evasion and dissembling:

Reporter: Does the president still wish Rob Porter well? Does he still believe that he wants him to have a great career ahead of him? Because that would seem —

Sanders: I think the president of the United States hopes that all Americans can be successful in whatever they do. And if they’ve had any issues in the past — I’m not confirming or denying one way or the other — but if they do, the president wants success for all Americans, and that he was elected to serve all Americans, and he hopes for the best for all American citizens across the country. Jim?

Reporter: What about the president’s tweet over the weekend? “People’s lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation.” It seems like the president was believing Mr. Porter as opposed to his alleged victims. Why did the president tweet that over the weekend? Why is he seemingly defending Mr. Porter publicly? Is it because he has faced his own allegations? Is there some sensitivity there? Is that why that is?

Sanders: Look, as I just said, and I’ll repeat it again, the president and the entire administration take domestic violence very seriously, and believe all allegations need to be investigated thoroughly. He certainly supports the victims of domestic violence above all else, and believes that everyone should be treated fairly and with due process. . . . The president is simply saying that there should be a due process that should be followed and looked at.

Reporter: The vice president said he was appalled by the allegations. Why did the president not use this as an opportunity to say something like that? Why does he have to speak through you?

Sanders: The president has been clear multiple times, through myself and others within the administration, that we condemn domestic violence in all forms.

Reporter: He has not said it. Why has he not said it?

Sanders: I’m the spokesperson for the White House and for the president, and I’m saying it to you right now.

Trump doesn’t say anything because he either thinks people will start believing his accusers, or because he thinks women are liars, or because he can never admit he backed or hired or befriended an abuser (actually, an alarming number of them). Maybe it’s all three.

 

The worst part of Sanders’s performance was the effort to blame the media for the administration’s own actions in endangering national security. Asked why so many people are allowed access with no official clearance, Sanders came up with this: “We take every precaution possible to protect classified information and certainly to protect national security. It’s the president’s number one priority, is protecting the citizens of this country. It’s why we spend every single day doing everything we can to do that. And I think if anyone is publishing or putting out publicly classified information it’s members of the press, not the White House.”

That, even for her, is beyond the pale. It’s the White House that has the obligation to protect secrets (not only so they aren’t publicly released but because they might be secretly passed to our enemies). If it’s all on the press, why have a clearance process at all?

Most of all, this bit reeks of hypocrisy. As my colleague Philip Bump writes, “This is a president who was elected specifically on criticisms of his opponent’s handling of classified material. Remember ‘lock her up’? Hillary Clinton was disparaged by Trump and his allies above all else because of their criticisms of her handling of material she received as secretary of state. ” At least Hillary Clinton never gave code-word top-secret information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in the Oval Office.

All in all, the White House’s handling of this debacle, which has dragged on for nearly a week, demonstrates that, if anything, the White House under Kelly is no more honest, disciplined and coherent than it was under Reince Priebus. We’ve given up expecting honesty from this White House, but at least, staff members should get on the same page so as to stop humiliating themselves.

 

[Howl]

I caught a glimpse of Ms. Covfefe last night on CNN.  Her dress looked like a funeral director and a Shirley Temple contest had a baby.  I hate to be mean, but she could use some design help. 

But here's the deal.  The Trumpulicans, since day one, have a coordinated message and they STAY ON TOPIC with various mouthpieces reiterating that SAME MESSAGE with absolute conviction.  For example, Kellyanne and Sarah both seamlessly pivoted from Trump supporting abusive spouses to "but he really DOES respect women, because look at these hundreds of thousands of jobs he created so women can work and have a better life."

They are always prepped with the spin du jour for the base and are never, ever caught out and we're foolish to overlook how incredibly powerful this message is for the base.  Although we despise them with heat of a billion suns, we're foolish to think that Sarah H. or Kellyanne are stupid women; they are very very bright and incredibly effective at what they do in their ability to amplify the Trump branding and spin machine. 

I just wish that Democrats could get a handle on this and be able to convey the Democratic message like these women do for Trump.  What are the Democratic talking points, you ask?  Good question. I don't know either. 

Edited February 13, 2018 by Howl

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

39 minutes ago, Howl said:

I caught a glimpse of Ms. Covfefe last night on CNN.  Her dress looked like a funeral director and a Shirley Temple contest had a baby.  I hate to be mean, but she could use some design help. 

I don't want to fall too heavily into BEC territory, but yeah, it wasn't great. I think this is the one we both mean?

Spoiler

Spoiler

It reminded me of the choir dress my mom made me in 1983, except mine had tiny purple flowers and was much, much cuter. 

Edited February 13, 2018 by WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?
Added spoilers

[GrumpyGran]

1 hour ago, WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? said:

I don't want to fall too heavily into BEC territory, but yeah, it wasn't great. I think this is the one we both mean?

  Hide contents

  Hide contents

It reminded me of the choir dress my mom made me in 1983, except mine had tiny purple flowers and was much, much cuter. 

It's like the dress realizes it needs to shut her up and so it's trying to cover her head with ruffles.

[Howl]

Yup, that's the dress.  It's just a big....odd. 

[Cartmann99]

6 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Hey, I still have, and use, my Caruso steam rollers! They are the only thing that will force my bone-straight hair into curls.

Was this one of those "six to eight weeks for delivery" items? These days, I'm pissed if my stuff isn't here in less than a week, but I vividly remember waiting and waiting for stuff from infomercials to arrive.

5 hours ago, Howl said:

I caught a glimpse of Ms. Covfefe last night on CNN.  Her dress looked like a funeral director and a Shirley Temple contest had a baby.  I hate to be mean, but she could use some design help.

Heh, just saw the pictures that @WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? posted. Is there some reason why I never see Sarah and Kellyanne wearing suits?