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You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Friday Evening Open Thread: Lie-bral Media Mutual Aid

Friday Evening Open Thread: Lie-bral Media Mutual Aid

by Anne Laurie|  September 4, 20206:40 pm| 33 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Military, Open Threads, Republican Venality, Trump Crime Cartel

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Hats off to the Atlantic and Washington Post for saving Stars & Stripes.

— Zeddy (@Zeddary) September 4, 2020

Top ‘Trending – Political’ story on the Twitter sidebar:

Trump says Stars and Stripes, the military’s independent newspaper, will not be shuttered
On Friday morning, news broke that the Pentagon had ordered the closure of the 160-year-old Stars and Stripes newspaper at the end of September. President Trump Tweeted that his administration “will NOT be cutting funding” for the publication.

‘Course, now we have to hold the bastid to it…

Note: The slashing of Stars and Stripes funding was proposed earlier this year in *Trump's own budget request to Congress* https://t.co/UDT50dcJ11

— Paul Sonne (@PaulSonne) September 4, 2020

I suspect the release of those articles in the Atlantic and the Washington Post just *might* not be serendipity…

Story indicates this can’t happen without Congress agreeing, and lawmakers are lining up against it. But still, what a message for the Trump administration to send to the troops. https://t.co/hqfU1p1R74

— Nahal Toosi (@nahaltoosi) September 4, 2020



Backstory:

JUST IN: In a heretofore unpublicized recent memo, Pentagon delivers order to shutter @starsandstripes, a newspaper that has been a lifeline and a voice for American troops since the Civil War. Last publication (in all forms) will be Sept. 30. https://t.co/5DLHalA3Ew @kathykiely

— Evan Rosenfeld (@Evan_Rosenfeld) September 4, 2020

The Pentagon is shutting down the revered 160-year-old newspaper, Stars and Stripes, in order to save $15.5 million

Reminder: just four Trump trips to Mar-a-Lago in 2017 cost taxpayers $13.6 million (per @USGAO)

Important piece from @kathykiely https://t.co/pmd50vOluo

— Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44) September 4, 2020

I read Stars and Stripes extensively when I served on active duty in Guam, as did many military members and their families. Why are @EsperDoD and @realDonaldTrump hurting our military again?

Also, when is @POTUS going to condemn Putin for paying the Taliban to kill US troops? https://t.co/2NnfDA1vqy

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) September 4, 2020

I read Stars and Stripes on a mountain in Afghanistan when I was a 19 year old aspiring journalist. Now I work there. This doesn’t stop the journalism. I’m juggling 3 future news stories today. https://t.co/z9ZEHWa7mW

— Steve Beynon (@StevenBeynon) September 4, 2020

…there's never been a better way. At least, there wasn't in the big war years. The Baghdad embassy, there's wifi, sometimes, for those lucky enough to have something to access it with. At FOB whatever, maybe. At COP so-an-so, good luck.

— Kevin Baron (@DefenseBaron) September 4, 2020

Trump has taken over VOA, Radio Free Europe, etc… planting loyalists, firing critical journalists. He can't do that with Stripes so he's just… zeroing out the budget. Congress didn't act, didn't take Trump/Esper's attacks on Stripes seriously, just shook their fists.

— Kevin Baron (@DefenseBaron) September 4, 2020

A bipartisan group of 15 senators urged Defense Secretary Mark Esper in a letter Wednesday to maintain support for Stars and Stripes, which could be forced to stop publishing by the end of the month without Defense Department funding. https://t.co/RssPEzqgag

— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) September 3, 2020

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Reader Interactions

33Comments

  1. 1.

    lamh36

    September 4, 2020 at 6:44 pm

    Soooo…AP (2x), WashPo, and now Fox News all confirming the “losers” and “suckers” quotes from Chump

    And of course Chump’s strategy is to step on his own defense?

    @kylegriffin1

    Reporter asks about Trump saying McCain wasn’t a war hero: Do you regret saying that, is that something you wish you had not said? Trump: “Look, I say what I say. I never got along with John McCain … I wasn’t a fan. I disagreed with many of his views … I think I was right.”

    5:25 PM · Sep 4, 2020

    Or trying to insult Kelly to…uh…shutting up..or something?

    @kaitlancollins

    “I know John Kelly. He was with me. He had no temperament,” Trump says when asked why his former chief of staff hasn’t denied the Atlantic story. Trump says Kelly was “unable to function” and “exhausted” by the time he left. “He was unable to handle the pressure of this job.”

    5:12 PM · Sep 4, 2020

    And uh…doesn’t this just confirm the Chump said it and Kelly is the likely source?

    @rebeccaballhaus

    Trump says John Kelly, his former chief of staff, “could have been” a source on the Atlantic story on him calling fallen soldiers “losers” and “suckers.” He says Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, “got eaten up in this world, he was unable to function.”

    5:13 PM · Sep 4, 2020

  2. 2.

    trollhattan

    September 4, 2020 at 6:45 pm

    Seems like Donny got his box of Diamond brand kitchen matches for Christmas, like he asked from Santa. Get here quick November, you’re our only hope.

  3. 3.

    trollhattan

    September 4, 2020 at 6:46 pm

    @lamh36:

    For every administration member, a bus. Except Miller, he’s golden.

  4. 4.

    Baud

    September 4, 2020 at 6:47 pm

    So…Stars and Stripes forever?

  5. 5.

    planetjanet

    September 4, 2020 at 6:51 pm

    @lamh36:Head ** smacks ** desk

  6. 6.

    kindness

    September 4, 2020 at 6:52 pm

    It just shows Putin is a lousy tutor to Trump’s authoritarianism.

  7. 7.

    Leto

    September 4, 2020 at 6:54 pm

    @Baud: Wasn’t that the alternate B-side to Strawberry Fields?

    @lamh36: I’m surprised he’s able to step on something so small, but eternally glad he’ll keep doing it.

  8. 8.

    lamh36

    September 4, 2020 at 6:55 pm

    Saw clips of Biden’s news conference today, Biden was on FIYAH!

    So Chump war room put out the spin that Biden is an expert debater and Chump will try to stump him…but wait…weren’t they saying Biden has dementia?

    The dementia angle was never a good one anyway.

    As for the debates, when Biden debates one on one, his is dynamite.

    A debate stage full of people is one thing, but just Biden and one other person, no audience, no boos, applause, heckling…

    Trump is the one who needs the crowd not Biden

    It’s like folks forget Biden coined the phrase in reference to Guiliiani “a noun, a verb, & 9/11”. neutralized Guilliani on 9/11 in just one short debate clip…LOL

    https://youtu.be/mPOAKXBi9Pw

    It’s one of the reasons Guilliani focuses on the Bidens so much.

  9. 9.

    Aleta

    September 4, 2020 at 6:56 pm

    NY Daily News

    … FEMA has helped New York and other states cover the costs of coronavirus-fighting efforts — from disinfecting schools and government buildings to stocking up on personal protective equipment for public employees.

    But FEMA snuck in a rules change this week to say “the operation of schools and other public facilities” are no longer considered “emergency protective measures eligible for reimbursement,” declaring, “These are not immediate actions necessary to protect public health and safety.”

    …

    According to (Senator) Schumer, the new rule means city and state governments will no longer be able to receive FEMA reimbursements for sanitizing buses, subway cars, schools, public housing complexes and courthouses, among other facilities.

    …
    A Trump memo — most likely headed straight for court — specifically names New York as one of the cities the president wants to punish in retaliation for local leaders refusing to let his administration send in federal law enforcement to crack down on racial justice protests.

    …

  10. 10.

    Calouste

    September 4, 2020 at 7:00 pm

    @lamh36: Uh, does he realize that the helicopter he gets on regularly on called Marine 1? Not of course that I expect the Marines serving at the White House to behave anything less than with the utmost professionalism. I even expect them to go above that and do things beyond the call of duty, like spend some extra time polishing the steps of the stairs going into Marine 1.

  11. 11.

    White & Gold Purgatorian

    September 4, 2020 at 7:00 pm

    I saw part of Trump’s presser. He looked and sounded awful, but then I haven’t seen him in at least 6 months. Does anyone know what this big pot of money (did he say $300 million?) is that he wants to distribute to the American people as soon as Congress gives a simple “one sentence “ okay? And he could probably send the checks out without Congressional approval but he doesn’t want to do it that way.

  12. 12.

    germy

    September 4, 2020 at 7:00 pm

    Oh 👀 pic.twitter.com/VrybRJAmbt— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 4, 2020

    Has fox news flipped?

  13. 13.

    germy

    September 4, 2020 at 7:03 pm

    Kayleigh: *runs away* pic.twitter.com/odhay6Xrz3— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 4, 2020

    No questions.

  14. 14.

    Leto

    September 4, 2020 at 7:03 pm

    @lamh36:  That was an extremely good presser. I especially liked where he acknowledged he was getting worked up and had to stand down from it, a reporter later asked him about it, and responded: a president should set the standard. This rang out like a clarion call for me because it’s the same thing I tried to practice as an NCO. You have to model the behavior you expect from your followers. A fucking plus, Joe!

  15. 15.

    Leto

    September 4, 2020 at 7:07 pm

    Apparently during Trumpov’s presser he gave about an hour ago, he said Lou Holtz is going to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Best response:

    David Leavitt@David_Leavitt

    ·
    19m

    Receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from @realDonaldTrump is almost as worthless as receiving a degree from Trump University

  16. 16.

    trollhattan

    September 4, 2020 at 7:10 pm

    @germy:

    So much as “I will never lie to you.”

  17. 17.

    prostratedragon

    September 4, 2020 at 7:10 pm

    @Calouste:  Changing the corps motto from “Semper Fidelis” to “Shiny Ramps,” perhaps?

  18. 18.

    🐾BillinGlendaleCA

    September 4, 2020 at 7:29 pm

    @Leto:

    @Baud: Wasn’t that the alternate B-side to Strawberry Fields?

    Yeah, that crappy Penny Lane won out.

  19. 19.

    Alison Rose

    September 4, 2020 at 7:38 pm

    @kindness: Putin’s probably a great teacher, so long as the student has two brain cells to rub together. Trump sadly comes up short there.

  20. 20.

    Alison Rose

    September 4, 2020 at 7:39 pm

    @lamh36: That really was a classic line, on the “You’re no Jack Kennedy” level.

  21. 21.

    lumpkin

    September 4, 2020 at 7:40 pm

    I’ll just add that every administration has tried to or threatened to fuck with Stripes, cut its budget.

    This just doesn’t seem like something Obama would have done. I’m not a fanboi but I’m going to choose not to believe this until there’s something to back it up.

  22. 22.

    Ken

    September 4, 2020 at 7:43 pm

    @Calouste: Uh, does he realize that the helicopter he gets on regularly on called Marine 1?

    Yeah, but it’s not a good helicopter. It can’t fly in the rain, remember?

  23. 23.

    John Revolta

    September 4, 2020 at 8:09 pm

    @🐾BillinGlendaleCA: Well actually, Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields were BOTH the A side!

  24. 24.

    John Revolta

    September 4, 2020 at 8:11 pm

    @germy: No questions and how. She was off stage before she was finished talking!

  25. 25.

    Amir Khalid

    September 4, 2020 at 8:15 pm

    –Dr Fauci’s voice sounds better, so much less hoarse, since his vocal chord surgery, doesn’t it?

  26. 26.

    Uncle Cosmo

    September 4, 2020 at 8:19 pm

    @Baud: Come next January, for recently-unemployed members of the current Misadministration, it’ll be The Bars And Stripes Forever. (Lifted from a Rocky & Bullwinkle episode from the era before orange jumpsuits.)

  27. 27.

    Bill Arnold

    September 4, 2020 at 8:29 pm

    @Calouste:

    I even expect them to go above that and do things beyond the call of duty, like spend some extra time polishing the steps of the stairs going into Marine 1.

    Laughed out loud. :-)

  28. 28.

    catclub

    September 4, 2020 at 9:53 pm

    John O. Brennan

    @JohnBrennan

    Last year, a former four star general & colleague who worked directly for Trump said to me, “Donald Trump is the most loathsome individual I ever met.” Trump’s attitudes & behavior toward America’s heroes are repugnant. Vote him out, resoundingly.

    But still nobody with a name and rank on the record.

  29. 29.

    Another Scott

    September 4, 2020 at 11:58 pm

    In other news, https://thehill.com/policy/defense/515206-pentagon-reaffirms-decision-to-award-multi-billion-jedi-contract-to-microsoft

    The Pentagon on Friday reaffirmed its decision earlier this year to award a $10 billion cloud-computing contract to Microsoft over Amazon.

    The Defense Department said in a statement that it had completed a review of the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure competition and determined that Microsoft’s proposal represents “the best value to the Government.”

    The release added that contract performance will not begin immediately because of a federal court injunction issued in February that is still to be cleared up, but that the Pentagon is “eager to begin delivering this capability to our men and women in uniform.”

    The Defense Department in October 2019 awarded the lucrative military contract to Microsoft, though Amazon the very next month filed a lawsuit seeking to halt or overhaul the deal, claiming the process was improperly influenced by “unmistakable bias” from the Trump administration.

    President Trump has publicly and privately indicated that he did not want the contract to go to Amazon, which is owned by Jeff Bezos, a frequent target of the president’s criticism.

    […]

    Amazon’s protest prompted a Pentagon’s watchdog investigation into the matter. The resulting report, released in April, said that the Defense Department was not able to “definitively determine” whether the White House influenced the department’s decision to award the contract to Microsoft over Amazon.

    In a twist, however, the department’s inspector general said it was unable to rule on the issue because the Pentagon’s general counsel instructed witnesses not to answer questions about conversations between the White House and Pentagon because of “the assertion of a ‘presidential communications privilege.’”

    […]

    “This is fine.”

    Grr…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  30. 30.

    ...now I try to be amused

    September 5, 2020 at 12:28 am

    @catclub:

    But still nobody with a name and rank on the record.

    Two words: Alexander Vindman.

  31. 31.

    Another Scott

    September 5, 2020 at 12:34 am

    @…now I try to be amused: Yes, but retired 4-stars don’t need to worry about retribution.

    Goldberg said on NPR this evening that he expects more people to be willing to speak on the record in the near future.

    And that makes sense – this story will do the most damage to Donnie by staying in people’s minds, and that means that “new” elements have to keep appearing to force coverage and to force Donnie and his minions to respond.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  32. 32.

    Mike G

    September 5, 2020 at 2:30 am

    Classic Trump. Cause a problem, then grandly announce he’s going to save us from it.

  33. 33.

    Kayla Rudbek

    September 5, 2020 at 7:12 am

    @Leto: if anyone had told me in the 1990s that in 2020 I would find Pete Carroll more admirable than Lou Holtz, I would have asked them what kind of crack they were smoking…

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