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Branch Trumpvidians 3: Too Many Deplorables


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I am sure she's a BT: "‘Think of the mothers of sons’: Notre Dame mom begs female students to stop wearing leggings, sparking protests"

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While attending Mass at the University of Notre Dame last fall, Maryann White saw something that horrified her: leggings.

A group of young women, all clad in clingy Spandex and short tops, were sitting directly in front of her and her family.

“I thought of all the other men around and behind us who couldn’t help but see their behinds,” the self-described Catholic mother of four sons wrote in a letter to the editor that was published by the Observer, Notre Dame’s student newspaper, on Monday. “My sons know better than to ogle a woman’s body — certainly when I’m around (and hopefully, also when I’m not). They didn’t stare, and they didn’t comment afterwards. But you couldn’t help but see those blackly naked rear ends. I didn’t want to see them — but they were unavoidable. How much more difficult for young guys to ignore them.”

Begging female students to “think of the mothers of sons the next time you go shopping and consider choosing jeans instead,” White said in her letter, adding that she hopes leggings eventually will go out of style. Maybe, she proposed, Notre Dame women could start a trend by simply choosing not to wear the wildly popular stretchy pants.

Her plea appears to have had the opposite effect: By way of responding to her complaints, more than 1,000 students at the private Catholic University in South Bend, Ind., indicated that they planned to wear leggings to class this week.

Debates about whether it’s appropriate to wear casual, form-fitting yoga pants outside of the gym have been raging for years. Numerous high schools have courted controversy by banning leggings in recent years, claiming that they are “distracting” for male students and teachers. But college campuses, for the most part, have remained a haven for those who choose to wear comfortable Lycra or Spandex bottoms to class, meals and campus activities.

In her letter, titled “The legging problem,” White described the pants as “a problem that only girls can solve.” She claimed that the depiction of women in movies, video games and music videos made it harder for Catholic mothers to “teach their sons that women are someone’s daughters and sisters” and should be treated with respect. Although she acknowledged the main reason college students like to wear leggings — namely, they’re extremely comfortable — White went on to imply that it wasn’t too different from walking around without any clothes on at all.

“We don’t go naked because we respect the other people who must see us,” she said, adding, “I’m fretting both because of unsavory guys who are looking at you creepily and nice guys who are doing everything to avoid looking at you.”

That line of argument didn’t go over too well on campus.

“Join in our legging wearing hedonism!” one student wrote on Facebook, informing the “legging lovers of the Notre Dame community” that Tuesday would be “Love Your Leggings Day” at the university. “Or not, because what you wear is completely your own choice!”

A student group, Irish 4 Reproductive Health, similarly declared Tuesday to be “Leggings Pride Day.” On Facebook, the group explained that White’s letter, although well-intentioned, “perpetuates a narrative central to rape culture” by implying that women’s clothing choices are to blame for men’s inappropriate behavior. People of all genders were invited to “make a conscious choice to wear leggings and thus affirm your right and ability to do so,” then post photos on social media.

Although more than 1,000 people responded to the group’s Facebook event, it’s unclear exactly how many took part. Dani Green, a PhD student in English at Notre Dame and a founding member of the group, told The Washington Post in a Twitter message that it had been “a little difficult to tell what was protest and what was everyday legging-wear,” in part because the two aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive.

Yet another informal demonstration took place Wednesday, the Observer reported. Named “The Legging Protest,” it was organized by Kaitlyn Wong, a senior who wrote, in parody of White’s letter, “I’m just a Catholic woman who feels the need for one specific type of pant that provides utmost comfort: leggings.” She asked people of all genders to express their solidarity by wearing their favorite pair of leggings that day. Again, more than 1,000 people expressed interest.

“Unfortunately,” one participant wrote, “I could not find Maryann on [Facebook] to invite her and her four sons to ogle us on Wednesday.”

Wong told the paper that she had organized the event in hopes that it would lead to a larger campus discussion about White’s comments, which she had found troubling. “You know, we were having these conversations in my class, but I wanted this to be a more widespread conversation,” she said. “Even if it’s not a ‘protest,’ having people talk about it is better than sitting around and doing nothing.”

The Post was unable to locate White or her sons for comment on Wednesday night.

Although some online commenters suggested that the letter could have been the work of a troll trying to stir up outrage, or an early April Fools’ Day joke, Green told The Post that it was “unfortunately . . . kind of on brand” for the campus community. She pointed to a 2011 letter to the editor titled, “Ladies, be decent,” in which a then-junior man railed against an unnamed woman who supposedly displayed a “lack of class and common sense” by wearing a skintight outfit to the dining hall. “If a woman apparently doesn’t respect herself enough to present herself in a non-risqué manner in everyday life, I cannot trust her to respect me,” the letter said. “I’d be wary about pursuing anyone like that.”

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But those views evidently don’t represent the majority of the 12,393 students who attend Notre Dame. Several male students told the Observer that they thought that White’s letter had unfairly maligned men, while others wrote rebuttals arguing that college students should know how to behave and be capable of treating women with respect, regardless of what they’re wearing.

“To my female classmates, wear what you want,” Shane Combs, a senior at the university, wrote in a letter to the editor that was published Wednesday. “How you dress for Mass is not a reflection of your character, nor does it disqualify you from dignified and respectful treatment from the rest of us.”

Amid the flurry of letters condemning White’s views, two freshmen did spring to her defense, arguing that her complaints about leggings were simply representative of a generational divide, and not an indication that she thinks that women who wear revealing clothing are asking to be sexually assaulted.

“Custody of the eyes and chastity of thought are difficult to accomplish for any man,” Maria Keller and William Gentry wrote. “We members of the Notre Dame community have obligations of love to one another, which includes being our brothers’ keepers. It is no assault on women’s rights to suggest that we ought to dress modestly to help our brothers out, just as we should consider what we eat around our Muslim friends when they are fasting for Ramadan."

Meanwhile, another Notre Dame mother, Heather Piccone, questioned whether White’s sons had ever taken their shirts off at the beach.

“Women find male chests and abs attractive like men find women’s legs attractive,” she wrote in a letter published Tuesday. “By her own definition and logic, any male out playing on a sunny day at the park with his friends should be ashamed of himself, and as a mother she should have properly raised her son not to tempt my daughter with his body.”

 

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She claimed that the depiction of women in movies, video games and music videos made it harder for Catholic mothers to “teach their sons that women are someone’s daughters and sisters” and should be treated with respect

She wants to teach her sons that men are "someones" and women are men's daughters and sisters and worthy of respect not because they're people but because they're related to males?

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16 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Amid the flurry of letters condemning White’s views, two freshmen did spring to her defense, arguing that her complaints about leggings were simply representative of a generational divide, and not an indication that she thinks that women who wear revealing clothing are asking to be sexually assaulted

Sweetheart,  I'm old enough to be your mom and I don't care in the slightest if women wear leggings. Fashion is cyclical, and I wore them back in the early 90s.

Try again.

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32 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

First of all, I'm appalled and livid about this horrible things spray painted on the sidewalk.

Due to recent events though, I thought the Democrats were being portrayed as the ones who are anti Jew, and that Trump was touting that young Jewish woman's opinion that the Jews were going to leave the Democratic party and vote Republican. I also thought it was the Republicans who claim to love Israel so much.

Edited by Audrey2
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2 hours ago, Audrey2 said:

First of all, I'm appalled and livid about this horrible things spray painted on the sidewalk.

Due to recent events though, I thought the Democrats were being portrayed as the ones who are anti Jew, and that Trump was touting that young Jewish woman's opinion that the Jews were going to leave the Democratic party and vote Republican. I also thought it was the Republicans who claim to love Israel so much.

Antisemitism takes many forms, as most disgusting bigotry does. I know it's weird to think of anything about bigotry being subtle, but there are lots of variables.

Assholes on the right who are prejudiced against non-whites are often prejudiced against Jews. Some keep their mouths shut about it due to wanting the prophecies they believe about Israel (which often  include Jews having the choice to convert or die, so it's not like those ideas are actually respectful of non-Christian beliefs) to come true.

Some far-right conspiracy theorists believe the old crap about a cabal of Jews who control everything secretly. The suspicion about George Soros is based on that nonsense.

Tied into that, some just glorify anything the Nazis believed. Don't forget the "Jews will not replace us" chants in Charlottesville. I suspect the fuckers who left that graffiti are of that ilk.

Some, like Trump himself, tolerate Jews who are on their side of things politically, but I don't see real respect in that. I always think they are seeing "Jews I can use." I imagine that their form of bigotry is the "those people are good with money and figures and have no morals, so they can do our financial dirty work" type.

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1 hour ago, thoughtful said:

I imagine that their form of bigotry is the "those people are good with money and figures and have no morals, so they can do our financial dirty work" type.

Don't forget the "I'll let one marry my daughter and so we can pool our resources to do bigly real estate scamming together but I still hate 'em" types. 

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26 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

Don't forget the "I'll let one marry my daughter and so we can pool our resources to do bigly real estate scamming together but I still hate 'em" types. 

That too. As usual, Trump is a multi-level offender. He'll do anything he thinks will lead to a profit and/or attention for himself.

Who knows what he actually thinks of Jared, or Jared's background and beliefs (if he even bothers to do so)?

 

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I had to go see how this whole thing started with Denise and Yashar:

Can someone please tell me what in the hell does Yashar Ali's sex life have to do with Denise's husband treating her like an unruly child?  She does know that not all gay men have anal sex, and that some straight men prefer it to vaginal sex, right?!? Or are "real men" only allowed to have sex with their blushing brides in the missionary position with the lights off?

:head-desk:

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Who Would Jesus Clip, Pat? 

 

 

And I hope this fuck stick who threatened Rep Swalwell spends a very long tine as a guest of the United States government.

 

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Rep. Eric Swalwell: I'm not afraid of this guy. I'm not afraid of the NRA. I'm not afraid. No fear. #EndGunViolence

Maybe Eric isn't afraid, but I am. This is the kind of wing nut who shows up at your door or in DC with a loaded rifle with a serious intent to kill.  The caller might also have been stupid enough to call from his own phone, which hopefully can be traced. 

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Y'all remember Sebastian "Seb, The Dragon of Budapest" Gorka, right? Pompous ass, barely disguised White Nationalist, Bannon sycophant, Breitbart editor, Islamaphobe, couldn't get a security clearance and who, courtesy of John Kelly,  got a boot in the ass from the West Wing, that Seb Gorka?  The one who, according to the NYT in Aug 2017, 

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said that in fighting terrorism, white supremacists should not be a concern.

Well, turns out that back in 2017, wife and fellow traveler, Katie Gorka, snagged a job at DHS, where (in exact alignment with her husband's views) she's pretty sure that Antifa were the REAL actual threat and not, you know, those wholesome "Jew will not replace us!" White Nationalists.  An FOIA request brought some of Katie's actions and emails into the scorching light of a very bright day: 

Trump Homeland Security Official Suggested Antifascists Were ‘The Actual Threats’ Here’s what Katie Gorka has been up to at work.

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Katie Gorka, a Trump administration political appointee in the Department of Homeland Security, suggested in a July 2017 email that the agency, which had just canceled funding for a group dedicated to deradicalizing white supremacists, redirect its efforts to focus on the real threat: anti-fascists.

 
Unroll of twitter thread about this: 

 

Edited by Howl
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Another fuck stick domestic terrorist who needs to go away for a long time

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A 55-year-old New York man has been arrested and charged with threatening to murder Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar.

Patrick W. Carlineo Jr., of Addison, New York, may face 10 years in prison or a $250,000 fine, or both, U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement on Friday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey is handling the case.

The arrest stems from a March 21 phone call received by one of Omar's staffers in which a man later identified as Carlineo allegedly said, "Do you work for the Muslim Brotherhood? Why are you working for her, she's a [expletive] terrorist. I’ll put a bullet in her [expletive] skull.”

The threatening call was referred to Capitol Police, who investigated in coordination with the FBI.

 

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I’m surprised some of the more Branch Trumpvidian Catholic Bishops haven’t taken to wearing miters with fuck face’s name on them. Of course Francis would smack them around for doing that.

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11 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

And who's paying for that lawsuit exactly? 

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6 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

And who's paying for that lawsuit exactly? 

I'm guessing some Russian oligarch.

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43 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

I'm guessing some Russian oligarch.

I believe you're right, if he's suing as a private citizen. But I'm afraid that if he's suing in his capacity as Congressman, that it could be the American taxpayer. Or doesn't it work that way? Can he sue as Congressman, or only as private citizen?

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9 hours ago, fraurosena said:

I believe you're right, if he's suing as a private citizen. But I'm afraid that if he's suing in his capacity as Congressman, that it could be the American taxpayer. Or doesn't it work that way? Can he sue as Congressman, or only as private citizen?

Actually, I don't know. I'll have to do some research tomorrow. One thing is for sure: he'd never spend a penny of his own money.

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"Inside the (semi-)secret society for young Trump staffers"

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On the first Wednesday evening in February, Anthony Scaramucci entertained a packed house of like-minded souls at Rewind, a retro diner off Dupont Circle.

There, the former White House communications director fielded friendly questions and made cracks about his intra-Trump world vendettas against rivals like Steve Bannon, Sean Spicer and Reince Priebus.

The occasion was a meetup of the 45 Club, a private group reserved exclusively for President Donald Trump’s current and former staffers.

The club, an informal gathering that provides solidarity and networking opportunities in a hostile Washington, is open to what it calls “the Team” — Trump administration appointees as well as alumni of the campaign, transition and inaugural committee. Members wear a lapel pin fashioned after the butt end of a .45 caliber bullet casing and attend semi-regular gatherings that often feature remarks by better-known Trump-world figures such as Brad Parscale, Corey Lewandowski and Scaramucci.

Its operations, described here for the first time, offer insight into how the anonymous foot soldiers of Trump’s Washington have organized their social lives: discreetly, with an eye toward exclusivity and the aspirational lifestyle that has always marked the Trump brand.

Not quite a secret society, the club nonetheless goes to some lengths to fly under the radar: Public hints of its existence are scarce, and the locations of its events are withheld from attendees until they RSVP, all the better to evade the notice of pesky activists and nosy reporters. “In this political climate, there’s a lot of people who would not have pure intentions of coming to network,” explained a former campaign staffer familiar with the club. “They may be trying to infiltrate.”

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While it is common for veterans of presidential campaigns and administrations to form alumni groups, the 45 Club has taken on an outsized role as a refuge for junior operatives and appointees who have few connections in the capital. Barack Obama’s young staffers were the toast of Washington, and George W. Bush rode into town with a clubby, multi-generational political network that was heavy on the GOP establishment. But, in a reflection of his outsider campaign, Trump’s hires often came from outside the traditional feeding grounds of Republican politics. And in a city that has largely shunned them — dating app profiles here often declare an unwillingness to meet Trump’s supporters, let alone his aides — Trump’s young aides have formed an insular social scene.

“When you’ve kept the Washington Illuminati at a distance, I think you’re more likely to form groups of your own,” explained one club member.

Of course, because this is the Trump administration, there has been infighting: The 45 Club has been the subject of internecine sniping over charges that it is run by hangers-on bent on exploiting their tenuous connections to the president.

“They’re trying to create an exclusive club because they’ve been banned from every other exclusive club in D.C.,” sniped one former campaign staffer.

“Ironically enough, the two guys who started it were never on the campaign, never in the administration,” lamented Kevin Chmielewski, a member of the campaign’s advance team who went on to serve at the Environmental Protection Agency. “We were all kind of pissed about it, because it’s like, ‘Who are you to do that?’”

Nicholas Johns, a co-founder of the club who agreed to answer questions over email, took issue with such critiques. “It’s counterproductive to say that people that worked in one period or organization versus another are the ‘true loyalists,’” said Johns, who staffed the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

The group's other co-founders are Paul Gates and Ryan O’Dwyer, according to a June 2017 email invite obtained by POLITICO. Gates, the younger brother of former Trump deputy campaign manager and Paul Manafort associate Rick Gates, was involved with the convention and Trump's inaugural committee. O’Dwyer is a principal at Turnberry Solutions, a lobbying firm that Lewandowski recently joined. He was a senior advance representative on the Trump campaign before working for USDA. O'Dwyer is no longer involved with the club, according to a person familiar with its operations, and Gates has not been seen at recent events, according to another.

The group has no official status and its founders took care not to use “Trump” in the club’s name, instead alluding to his status as the 45th president. Nor is it clear whether the president is aware of its existence. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on that front. The group is not to be confused with the “45 Club” designation awarded by the Republican National Committee for donors who bundle $45,000, or with a monthly Tuesday night meet-up of Trump supporters in the lobby of the Trump Hotel.

The group’s emails to members list a mailing address on E St. in Southeast, but a visit to the neighborhood reveals that no such address exists. Johns, who declined to say whether the club has been incorporated, said the address listing was a mistake, and that the emails should instead list a P.O. box.

In many ways, the club is more Toastmasters than Skull & Bones. It does not require any sort of initiation rituals (“having survived the Trump campaign was hazing enough,” explained one member), and is used largely for networking.

The group — whose membership skews young and male — has held gatherings at the upscale Morton’s steakhouse near the White House and thrown a Christmas Party at the Capital Yacht Club at the Wharf, a neighborhood popular among young Trump staffers.

But despite the air of exclusivity, the club’s activities are constrained by members’ junior-level government salaries. Most events are free to attend, with a cash bar. When the group organized its “45 Club Island Takeover” — a weekend retreat on the privately owned Saint Catherine’s Island, about 50 miles south of Washington — last June, members could book a room to stay overnight for a reasonable $85.

Events offer opportunities for drinking and schmoozing, in addition to remarks by well-known Republican guests. Anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist, who spoke at one of the group’s events, praised the club for adding “a patina of intellectual something” to its gatherings.

Sometimes, members plot to advance the president’s agenda, as they did at a gathering called last fall at Morton’s to discuss how they could get involved in his 2020 reelection campaign.

When the club formed in early 2017, Trump’s disorderly transition to power had left many campaign veterans unsure whether they would land jobs in the administration, and they flocked to the group, using it as an unofficial jobs bank. Early events drew hundred-plus crowds.

Chmielewski’s first impression of the group came at a sub rosa gathering at a private dining room in the basement of P.J. Clarke’s, a saloon near the White House. “The first one was kind of cool,” he recalled. “There was kind of an element of secrecy.”

Since then, as the novelty has waned, and the mad dash for administration appointments subsided, attendance at its gatherings has fallen off. “It is likely that two years on, people have a strong friend group of their own, demanding professional lives, and other family commitments,” Johns said.

But the club continues to hold events, and for those Trump loyalists who still show up, it still offers a warm bastion in a cold world.

“It’s like being a Yankee in Yankee stadium,” recalled Scaramucci of the friendly reception he received from the club. “When I’m on CNN, it’s like being a Yankee in Fenway Park.”

 

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