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'A good way to unite the country would be to convict and prosecute Donald Trump': watchdog group
January 22, 2021
With public and media attention shifting to President Joe Biden, who was sworn in Wednesday and immediately got to work with a series of executive actions, progressives are reiterating demands for holding his predecessor accountable.
Former President Donald Trump, who threw himself a goodbye ceremony at Joint Base Andrews rather than sticking around for Biden's inauguration, was impeached by House Democrats and 10 Republicans an unprecedented second time last week for inciting a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol with lies about the presidential election.
<p>In addition to facing a trial in the Senate, which as of Wednesday is narrowly controlled by Democrats, Trump could face consequences for allegedly committing <a href="https://www.acslaw.org/projects/the-presidential-investigation-education-project/possible-federal-and-state-crimes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">various </a>state and federal <a href="https://www.needtoimpeach.com/impeachable-offenses/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">crimes</a>, from obstruction of justice and tax fraud to election interference to campaign finance violations.</p><p>Trump's incitement of the Capitol attack—which delayed certification of Biden's electoral victory—provoked a flood of calls for holding him accountable rather than letting him get away with <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/20/even-nixon-didnt-pardon-his-cronies-way-out-trump-grants-clemency-bannon-final-day" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pardoning</a> "his cronies on the way out" then slinking off to Mar-a-Lago, his resort and <a href="https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/trumps-move-to-mar-a-lago-estate-challenged-by-palm-beach-neighbor/2346150/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">contested full-time residence</a> in Florida.</p><p>Biden, in his speech Wednesday, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/20/democracys-day-joe-biden-sworn-46th-president-united-states" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">emphasized</a> the importance of uniting the country, saying that "together we will write an American story of hope, not fear. Of unity not division, of light not darkness. A story of decency and dignity, love and healing, greatness and goodness."</p> <p>"Donald J. Trump is officially a private citizen. He is now vulnerable to criminal prosecution," the advocacy organization Public Citizen <a href="https://twitter.com/Public_Citizen/status/1351938843700707329" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">declared</a> in a Wednesday afternoon tweet.</p><p>"A good way to unite the country would be to convict and prosecute Donald Trump and hold accountable every member of Congress who incited a white supremacist insurrection," the group <a href="https://twitter.com/Public_Citizen/status/1351979361965023234" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">added</a>.</p><p>Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is also calling for accountability by helping constituents email their senators to pressure them to not only convict Trump but "further protect the country from him by disqualifying him from holding office again."</p> <p>Before Trump left office but after the storming of Congress, CREW published a report which found that he finished his four-year term "as the most corrupt president in American history with more than 3,7000 conflicts of interest since assuming the presidency."</p><p>"The twice-impeached president relentlessly promoted and encouraged visits to his properties throughout his time in office, using patronage as a marker of loyalty to him and a key strategy for those wishing to curry favor with him and influence administration policy," CREW said.</p><p>As CREW executive director Noah Bookbinder put it: "For the past four years, the Trump administration has again and again made decisions motivated by the personal, financial, political, and legal interests of the president, rather than the interests of the American people."</p><p>"Starting with his decision not to divest from his business interests while in office, there is no doubt that President Trump at every turn sought to find ways to use the presidency to enrich himself, his family, and his businesses," Bookbinder added. "His efforts from the moment he took office to tailor the presidency to benefit his own personal interests set the stage for the lawlessness, corruption, and assaults on democracy that characterized his four years in power."</p><p>Recent polling shows 57% of U.S. voters think Trump shouldn't be allowed to seek elected office ever again, as <em>Common Dreams</em> <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/19/57-us-voters-want-trump-barred-seeking-office-ever-again-poll" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reported</a> Tuesday. Speaking on the Senate floor a day before he become majority leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/news/press-releases/schumer-floor-remarks-on-the-urgent-needs-on-which-the-senate-needs-to-act-conduct-the-second-impeachment-trial-of-donald-trump-confirm-president-elect-bidens-critical-cabinet-nominees-and-pass-needed-covid-relief-for-the-american-people" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">concurred</a>.</p><p>Referencing Trump's incitement of insurrection, Schumer said that "we need to set a precedent that the severest offense ever committed by a president will be met by the severest remedy provided by the Constitution—impeachment and conviction by this chamber, as well as disbarment from future office."</p><p>Meanwhile, in New York, state Attorney General Letitia James' office is <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/08/24/new-york-attorney-general-sues-trump-organization-accusing-presidents-company" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">investigating</a> how Trump and his company valued assets on financial statements used to get loans and tax benefits, while Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s office recently <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/15/trump-criminal-investigation-manhattan-da-probes-seven-springs-estate.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">expanded</a> its ongoing criminal probe of Trump's company.</p>
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'A big deal': Democrats reintroduce Constitutional amendment to overturn one of the Supreme Court's most damaging rulings
January 22, 2021
In a bid to reverse the outsize influence of corporations and the wealthiest Americans over the nation's electoral process, a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers on Thursday reintroduced a constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling.
The reintroduction of the Democracy for All Amendment in the 117th Congress—led by Reps. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), John Katko (D-N.Y.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.)—occurred on the 11th anniversary of Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, a 5-4 ruling which affirmed that corporations are legal persons and that they, labor unions, and other outside groups could spend unlimited amounts of money to influence the outcome of U.S. elections.
<p>The amendment, which has been <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/07/30/democrats-propose-constitutional-amendment-wipe-clean-dark-stain-citizens-united" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">introduced</a> in every Congress since the 113th, grants the states and the federal government the ability to limit how money is raised and spent in U.S. elections. It also grants the states and Congress the power to differentiate between natural and corporate persons. </p> <p>A separate but related measure, the We the People Amendment, has also been reintroduced in each successive Congress since the 113th, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/03/08/we-people-amendment-aims-fix-crisis-corporate-rule" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">most recently</a> by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) in February 2019. The amendment would preclude artificial entities such as corporations and limited liability companies from enjoying constitutional rights, which would be reserved for natural persons. </p><p>Deutch asserted in a statement released Thursday that <em>Citizens United</em> has "put an unacceptable price of admission on American democracy."</p><p>He wrote: </p> <blockquote>We cannot allow the wealthiest individuals and corporations to flood our elections with cash through complex webs of Super PACs and dark money groups that put special interests above the will of the American people. Americans overwhelmingly support stronger gun laws to keep our communities safe, action on climate change to preserve our planet, and a fair economy that doesn't leave the most vulnerable behind or deny people basic needs like healthcare and a living wage. <br/>Unfortunately, big money in our politics gets in the way time and time again. Limitless campaign spending makes it harder for Washington to solve problems and opens the door to corruption. To ensure that our elections produce a democracy for all, we must overturn <em>Citizens United</em> and get big money out of our elections.<br/> </blockquote> <p>Robert Weissman, president of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, welcomed the amendment, <a href="https://www.citizen.org/news/bipartisan-constitutional-amendment-to-overturn-citizens-united-introduced/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">saying</a> it "unites the American people," who he said "are furious about a rigged political system that responds to the whims of Big Money rather than the needs and desires of regular people."</p><p>"The American people know that <em>Citizens United</em> embodies, perpetuates, and locks in that rigged system," Weissman added. "That's why by overwhelming numbers they favor a constitutional amendment to overturn [it] and related decisions that create an overclass of the wealthy few and consign the rest of us to political serfdom."</p><p>Others are seeking to undo the damage wrought by <em>Citizens United</em> via the legislative route. Senate Democrats led Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/19/senate-democrats-prove-democracy-reform-top-priority-putting-people-act-first" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announced</a> Tuesday that the first bill they will offer will be the <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/For%20the%20People%20Act.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">For the People Act</a> (pdf), which would expand voting rights, limit partisan gerrymandering, strengthen ethics rules, and limit money in politics.</p> <p>The progressive advocacy group Stand Up America on Thursday called for the passage of the For the People Act within President Joe Biden's first 100 days. </p><p>"Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris administration and with a Democratic Congress, we have a tremendous opportunity to undo some of the damage done by the Roberts Court by passing the For The People Act," Stand Up America managing director Christina Harvey said in a statement.</p><p>"Mitigating the damage <em>Citizens United</em> has done to our democracy won't be easy," added Harvey, "but the critical campaign finance reforms in the For the People Act—including creating a small-dollar matching program and requiring super PACs to disclose their donors—are an important first step."</p><p>As expected, outside election spending—which was already increasing before <em>Citizens United</em>—skyrocketed following the ruling. According to the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org, outside spending in the 2020 election cycle by super PACs, political parties, and "dark money" groups, among others, <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">totaled a record $2.9 billion</a>, more than double the amount spent in 2016. That's up from $143.8 million in 2008, the last presidential election year before <em>Citizens United</em>. </p><p><em>Citizens United</em> also flung wide open the floodgates to <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/10/donors-top-2020-10/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">megadonors</a>, who had previously been limited by political action committee caps.<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/10/donors-top-2020-10/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> According to</a> OpenSecrets, Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein gave over $58.3 million to Republicans during the 2020 election cycle, while Thomas and Kathryn Steyer, the top Democratic donors, spent $54.6 million on liberal races. <br/></p>
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'I finally got a fascist nutcase out of my bed': author recounts dumping her MyPillow
January 21, 2021
Thursday morning will forever be remembered as the first time in who knows how long that I woke up without neck pain, back pain and creaky joints. Untold millions may have awakened similarly refreshed, the result of a temporary relief that sanity has been restored the White House and the nuclear football is no longer in the hands of an unpredictable madman.
<p>But I credit this atypically sound night of sleep to an additional factor: I finally got a fascist nutcase out of my bed. In this respect I suppose my household may have something in common with Jane Krakowski.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9164471/MyPillow-CEO-Mike-Lindell-secret-romance-30-Rock-star-Jane-Krakowski.html" target="_blank">a report in The Daily Mail</a>, Krakowski secretly dated <a href="https://www.salon.com/topic/mike-lindell" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mike Lindell</a>, <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/08/22/the-three-amigos-of-scam-artistry-steve-bannon-roy-moore-and-the-my-pillow-guy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donald Trump's weirdo bestie</a> and inventor of the infamous MyPillow, for nine months. <a href="https://pagesix.com/2021/01/21/jane-krakowski-denies-undercover-romance-with-mypillow-ceo-mike-lindell/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A statement from Krakowski's publicist to Page Six</a> denies the story, stating "Jane has never met Mr. Lindell. She is not and has never been in any relationship with him, romantic or otherwise."</p><p>However if the tale turns out to be true at least she kept her alleged lapse in judgment brief; my husband and I have been resting our troubled heads on four MyPillows for the better part of a decade. Our only excuse is sheer laziness. <em>(This paragraph has been updated.)</em></p><p>They were gifted to us by my mother-in-law, a devoted worshipper at the church of "As Seen TV," who first introduced Lindell's bestselling products to us during a hometown visit. Thanks to her, our lives have been blessed with many direct-to-consumer-marketed devices over the years, including but not limited to: one Snuggie, the Clapper, and countless packages of ShamWows.</p><p>Usually she sneaks them in under elaborate Christmas wrapping. In this instance, she secretly replaced the old pillows on her guest room bed with a pair of MyPillows with all the wily verve of an instant coffee taste tester. If memory serves, she asked how we slept, and we must have responded "fine" because she insistently sent us home with the two sacks of open-cell poly foam fill we slept on, shipping two more as presents later.</p><p>We didn't turn her down because our existing pillows were old and crappy, and here were four that perked right back up after a few cycles through the dryer.</p><p>Admittedly for a long time we didn't think our MyPillows were bad, mostly because we barely thought about any of the pillows we purchased before we got these. They were also free, which is a main reason the devil's fun bags lasted in our home for as long as they did despite the fact that they were yellowing, getting flatter and miserably irregular as time trudged on.</p><p>Still, they're also entirely machine washable.</p><p>But then Lindell tried to hawk overthrowing the government with all the slickness and subtlety of Wile E. Coyote trying to tiptoe away from an amateurish trap only to have it snap on his ankle, triggering an anvil to drop on his head. Following the elections he loudly peddled lies about widespread voting fraud involving Dominion machines; in response Dominion fluffed up a legal letter warning of pending litigation.</p><p>Lindell also funded buses to the Jan. 6 attempted insurrection in Washington D.C. And after it went over about as well as a post-taco Tuesday Dutch oven, he popped up at the White House with notions of convincing former president Donald Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act and declare martial law.</p><p>At long last I looked at the offending nap cushions, turned to my husband and said, "I'm sorry, but we really need to get rid of these."</p><p>"I was thinking the same thing," he grimly muttered.</p><p>Could I have sauntered over to some big box store and picked from the replacement options there? Of course. Instead, for the first time in my life I decided to research my purchase instead of throwing my money at some down-stuffed floozy that would eventually make my life worse. More than this, I wanted some level of assurance that the manufacturer wasn't a complete kook. In other words, I decided to treat my pillow selection with more or less the same level of vetting I'd give the people I vote for, with the difference being I intended to sleep with it.</p><p>At the time we acquired our MyPillows neither my mother-in-law nor my husband nor I or suspect most of America had a clue as to the extent of Lindell's depravity. Back then – "then" probably being around 2013 or 2014 – Lindell was mainly known to insomniacs and convenience enthusiasts.</p><p>We placed him in the same category as Billy Mays, Ron Popeil and Vince Offer – fast-talking late night hucksters pushing products of variable usefulness. This one, promoted as "The Most Comfortable Pillow You'll Ever Own!" led Lindell to call himself a "sleep expert" and tout his American-made pillows as the solution to chronic neck and back pain, sleep apnea and an assortment of other bodily nags, ailments and chronic diseases.</p><p>These claims would eventually make him the subject of many lawsuits.</p><p>Anyway, even after Lindell started popping up next to the game-show host-turned-feckless authoritarian, <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/08/19/anderson-cooper-calls-mypillow-ceo-a-snake-oil-salesman-as-he-peddles-coronavirus-miracle-cure_partner/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">even after he tried to sell poison as a snake oil COVID cure</a>, we nervously assured ourselves that the money that funded our pillows was spent long ago and not by us.</p><p>This time the decision I made would be completely on me, so I decided to use a combination of consulting consumer evaluation lists and poking around a few "about us" sections of the recommended companies' sites. I cannot claim this to be anywhere close to a scientific method or on the same level as an investigative report. The only thing I knew is that I wanted those lumpy crimes out of my home, and I didn't want to trade them for a product supporting a company that might be somehow as bad as Lindell or possibly worse . . . but smarter because they remained quiet about it.</p><p>Here's the sad, honest truth: If Lindell hadn't loudly participated in multiple assaults on America's people and its democracy over the course of 2020, it's highly likely I would still be sleeping with the enemy. I am not proud of this.</p><p>Since I spent most of 2020 trying to ignore that crackbrain, several of his other abhorrent acts escaped my notice, <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/11/23/trumps-on-his-way-out-but-leaves-a-lasting-legacy-the-rights-open-embrace-of-terrorism/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">including his assistance in bailing out Kyle Rittenhouse</a>, the 17-year-old charged with gunning down two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin who were protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Yes, I know. I should have trashed the pillows then.</p><p>Let he or she who has <a href="https://www.salon.com/2015/03/03/coca_cola_reminisces_about_the_good_old_times_of_nazi_germany_in_anniversary_video/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">never quenched their thirst with a Coca-Cola or a Fanta</a>; <a href="https://www.salon.com/2016/11/23/ibm-employee-quits-to-protest-companys-overture-to-donald-trump/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">used IBM products</a>; <a href="https://www.salon.com/2015/03/03/coca_cola_reminisces_about_the_good_old_times_of_nazi_germany_in_anniversary_video/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">quoted Coco Chanel </a>or <a href="https://allthatsinteresting.com/major-brands-nazi-collaborators/7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">treated their illness with a drug manufactured by Bayer</a> cast the first stone.</p><p>But capitalism follows some version of the comedy equation of tragedy plus time when it comes to persuading the masses to forget details like Nazi collaboration. Lindell's walrus-mustached face is up in our collective business right now, and at long last some companies are de-platforming him in the same way tech companies banished his messiah.</p><p>Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl's, H-E-B and Wayfair have all dumped Lindell's products; Krakowski allegedly cut him loose last summer, and following a brief search for new bedding options so have I.</p>
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