General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWe need to stop talking about Bannon and start talking about the REAL source of all this.
Steve Bannon is a just another tool of the Mercers.
He is. Conway is, and Trump is. They're tools. To make all of this about him or them is to allow the source of their power to remain largely unknown. Between the perpetual campaigning and Citizens United, we need to shine bright spotlights on the money sources that influence - CONTROL - our government.
After the Russians, this reclusive father-daughter team exercised massive control of the last election. THEY need to be outted widely. Can you say Cambridge Analytica? Can you say Breitbart?
Robert Mercer - father/patriarch
Diane Mercer - mother
Rebekah Mercer - daughter/on-the-ground-face-of-the-family
After bankrolling the Trump campaign's dirty tricks squad, the Mercer's started enjoying what they bought. Big Bux Bob, the dad, put his 42 year old little girl, Rebekah-Friend-Of-Czarina-And-Secretary-Of-Everything, on the Presidential Transition team.
Even the god-fearing set get this:
Know Thy Enemy: Ephesians 6:11-12
So yeah, use their names whenever you want to speak of Bannon, their current field general.
GoCubsGo
(32,061 posts)JHB
(37,130 posts)...mentioned each and every time his name comes up.
Hes more than a mere tool, more like the like-minded public face for that bunch of recluses.
Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)someone who actually TAKES SHOWERS to represent their interests? Bannon NEVER looks clean, Kellyanne always looks hungover. Charming people. Are they trying to take over this country, or the entire world?
dhill926
(16,234 posts)Evil fucks. You can see it in their faces...
Bradshaw3
(7,455 posts)Asshole Magazine
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)NCjack
(10,279 posts)That can be caused by ginnin' out until drunk on the beach with your face exposed to full sun.
KT2000
(20,544 posts)must be delivered or their donations dry up. GOP must deliver even if it means global destruction.
Thank you.
safeinOhio
(32,527 posts)of John Galt.
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)Initech
(99,914 posts)Now they're in the fucking White House.
AmandaRuth
(3,105 posts)trump tanked the health insurance stocks, short sell?
Duppers
(28,094 posts)JHan
(10,173 posts)sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)Billionaires control the GOP.
If we want to fix America we must prevent the legalized corruption that allows billionaires to spend their ill-gotten fortunes to influence politics.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Get the money out of politics, of course. But how do we do that?
I can't even say what I would like done to these people.
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)Tell your friends about GOP voter suppression. Tell them that Fox News lies to help GOP billionaires.
If you want to donate, donate to
https://www.turnoutpac.org (or buy and wear one of their t shirts)
Or Let America Vote
And in your local area, go out and get people registered and turned out to vote.
If we elect Democrats we can stop the GOP billionaire problem. It starts there.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)and votes! There are a number of Latinos that work in my apartment building and the businesses surrounding the area. I am going to make a point to see that they get registered and vote. It is important for everyone to know they are part of the process.
BlueJac
(7,838 posts)they will always vote against themselves. Fox new is the poison in this country, they speak hate and lies to millions of America, that drink it like Kool aide. I know many of these lost souls. Hopeless with Fox news in their ears every day!!!
Volaris
(10,260 posts)It likely will have the added effect that if you're kicking into the kitty, you're more likely to vote. Every Corporation would be EXEMPT, (since they can't vote, anyway) and campaign contributions would be limited to those INDIVIDUALS who CAN vote, and hard-capped.
Everyone on the ballot gets a set amount of campaign cash from the Public Coffers, and if you want more, you do what Bernie did and you go out and ASK for it.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)be a national holiday to get more people out to vote.
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)But only a handful of states, at this time, have a vote-by-mail option.
If places insist on in-person voting, then polls should be open for 3 consecutive days (Saturday through Monday).
And we must combat voter suppression.
Lonestarblue
(9,880 posts)Getting at least some of the money out of elections would help, but how do you get rid of all the PAC money spent to support candidates now that we have Citizens United? Direct contributions could be limited, but PACs could still spend an unlimited amount on advertising.
Volaris
(10,260 posts)I think? no radio a certain number of days before voting starts?
As for PACMoney to campaigns themselves...those PAC are corporations. If they want to pay the elections tax, then I say let them contribute money to candidates at EXACTLY the same amounts as an individual, and not a cent more, but raising money that way is a for-profit enterprise, so they can ALSO pay income taxes on the dirty money they raise...and that should just about solve the problem methinks heh!
onecent
(6,096 posts)coolsandy
(479 posts)Sunlei
(22,651 posts)BadgerMom
(2,766 posts)Thanks, Stinky. I agree times 1000. Or more.
Duppers
(28,094 posts)SeattlePop
(256 posts)You just figured it out?
They_Live
(3,222 posts)chowder66
(9,010 posts)FightingIrish
(2,716 posts)The Mercers, the Koch brothers, the Olins, the Scaifes, the De Vos family and others have systematically dismantled our democracy and left us with a system where our elected representatives seem compelled to ignore the will of the majority. Almost unanimously they are the dysfunctional heirs of robber barons who see government as a necessary evil solely to protect their inherited wealth. They have stacked the courts with judges they groomed to defend their wealth. I recommend reading it followed by a stiff drink or several.
orangecrush
(19,236 posts)Very good description of what we are looking at.
BigmanPigman
(51,430 posts)orangecrush
(19,236 posts)Great o.p.!
Kleveland
(1,257 posts)They are an utter disgrace to humanity, and everything decent that I was raised to respect about humanity, and the good things the United States has created.
Combine their perverted and greedy view of reality, with the nasty $inful actions of the Religiou$/Evangelical right and...
It's like the Inquistion with a touch of Oliver Cromwell, combined with Nazi Germany, all rolled into one evil empire.
I have nightmares about stuff like this, but I usually wake up trying to run away from it all.
Unfortunately, this one is still here, everyday when I wake up.
orangecrush
(19,236 posts)Those are Trump's real clients.
Trump is just a puppet.