Trump's biggest fibs September 10 build his foundation on sand.

Gullibles' travails.  Eventually, one can only hope outright Trump lies will catch up with the con man. Maybe also, there is something else at work, even if Trump lies. For MAGA, facts are irrelevant. Trump channels his followers' racial rage/ white nationalism/anti-immigrants, misogyny, and self-interest of pro-business segments with low regulation and taxes that appeal more than those who know better and don't care about facts and the end of democracy. This is really dangerous to the foundtation of this country. Trump's lies ignored are like building a house on sand. If the gullible prevails, eventually, the foundation crumbles and collapses when, unfortunately, it is too late to repair the damage.  

(Update 9 16 24.  In defense of the Springfield Haitian dog-eating hoax he had promoted, GOP VP candidate JD Vance said, "It is OK to make stories up to get media attention" because Harris was getting a free ride from the press.  https://www.thhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/15/jd-vance-lies-haitian-immigrantseguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/15/jd-vance-lies-haitian-immigrants.  How very sad that Trump and Vance depend on the gullibility of their most loyal base, who they hope are as easily manipulated and fooled by their lies as they think. )

Aurora, Colorado mayor admits he overstated Venezuelan gang problem in Aurora, Colorado. https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/09/11/aurora-venezuelan-gang-arrests-mike-coffman-danielle-jurinsky

"Migrant crime" is now Trump's shorthand for his anti-immigrant fear and hate platform.  Aside from the substance of the crazy conspiracy theory of Haitians eating family pets in Springfield, Ohio, this is Trump's big dog whistle to the racists and those wanting to get rid of immigrants who are "adulterating our blood."  The pet story excrement was debunked in real-time by the moderators and later by fact-checkers. Trump hit two of his platform planks in one blow: immigrant hatred and fear of black people.

In any case, fact-checkers had a field day on the September 10 debate. It was rich pickings. Looking at the various fact-checking, here are the biggest fibs Trump told in the September debate, and they are fundamental to his pitch to the gullible and others with its racism/immigration, lues about the economy and prices, energy/oil, and national security/male superiority/misogyny.  

Trump's pitch ever since 2016 is that immigrants are bringing crime and are responsible for a crime surge. Fact check: 1) The rate of crime was worse under Trump than now.  2) Illegal immigrants' crime rate is well below the rate for American-born (probably because they do not want to be sent back to what they fled if they get caught). 3) It also appeared to some viewers as a surprise that Trump killed the bi-partisan funding bill this spring, which would have funded more border guards and immigration judges, fentanyl detection equipment, and more of the wall so his supporters' anger about immigration could last through Nov. 5 . 4) Illegal border crossing volume now are lower than  Trump's at the end of his presidency.More on the subject below. Update 9 13 24: More Trump lying BS on immigrants and Venezuelan gangs:  Colorado mayor, police respond to Trump's claims that Venezuelan gang is 'taking over' (msn.com)  

Ukraine and national security: Trump, US taxpayers are losers because we are paying for this war while Europe gets a free ride (paraphrased). 1)Europe's contribution as a whole is nearly two times the US's. Putin's next victim if he is not stopped in Ukraine is Poland. Clever Harris: 800,000 Polish-related Pennsylvania voters in a critical swing state. 2) Misogyny: Harris is a woman, therefore de facto weak. The latter is not a fact-based response. It was the best line of the debate from Harris, given Trump's ego-driven personality flaw making him vulnerable to manipulation and flattery: " Putin will eat you for lunch. " Hawks like Dick Cheney and lists of national security advisors and retired generals are supporting Harris. She's got the cajones.

The big lie: Trump: no," I was just being sarcastic when I admitted I lost the 2020 election by a whisker." This was fact-checked as false by the moderator in real-time in the debate broadcast. Trump was not being sarcastic. It was enough to tick off January 6 mob leader Nick Fuentes, who thought he was a patriot.  So the Big Lie was really a big lie, underlying GOP efforts to keep adversaries from voting with any number of suppression methods and intimidation, including violence and threats by Trump to throw election officials, adversaries of all kinds, in jail if he wins.

Women's health: Trump: babies killed after birth by Roe v Wade. Nope. That's murder anywhere. This is Harris's 100-pound gorilla pitch impact: "The government should not tell women what to do about their own health and bodies, and they can still keep their own personal beliefs." Harris just wants to restore Roe v Wade, which we had for 50 years, and Trump's Court appointees tanked. She would sign that legislation like Roe  Wade sent by Congress. Trump's abortion bans in one-third of our states kill women, cause needless suffering, or make them infertile for lack of medical care in a miscarriage. In the debate, Trump weaseled out of answering (it's a state's rights thing) whether he would sign a nationwide abortion ban, probably because he would lose a large portion of his followers if he said he would not sign a federal ban. On ban details, he changed his position at least four times since March.

Economy and inflation: Trump paraphrased:"Economy: sucks, and I Trump will fix it". Reality check: Yes, grocery prices are too high, but gas at the pump has fallen to more tolerable levels. The inflation rate is now the lowest in three years...under 3%, near normal. Trump keeps hyping his  grievance, with no fix, and even a plan to make inflation worse. However he appeals to an unstated fantasy coddled by low-information voters that he will get them back to nearer pre-COVID prices. Heard on TV from COVID amnesiacs, "I liked the economy better under Trump, so he will do a better job. " With no plan, no how to do it? Keep the faith, MAGA. By the way, wages are up higher than price increases and Harris wants a nationwide minimum wage of $15/hr.  Was the post-COVID -inflation spike all Biden's fault? Nope and nope. Pent-up demand and the supply chain slow gearing up post-COVID equaled too much pent-up demand for too little supply.  Harris has a plan for helping middle-class living be more affordable while inflation rates. Harris's plan will prosecute gougers, deny monopoly price setting, flood the market with cheaper housing that is affordable for first-time buyers and renters, and make health care even cheaper by battling big pharma and financial relief for new parents.

Women's health: Trump: babies killed after birth by Roe v Wade. Nope. That's murder anywhere. This is Harris's 100-pound gorilla pitch impact: "The government should not tell women what to do about their own health and bodies, and they can still keep their own personal beliefs." Harris just wants to restore Roe v Wade, which we had for 50 years, and Trump's Court appointees tanked. Harris would sign that legislation sent by Congress. Trump's abortion bans in one-third of our states kill women, cause needless suffering, or make them infertile for lack of medical care in a miscarriage. In the debate, Trump weaseled out of answering (it's a state's rights thing) whether he would sign a nationwide abortion ban, probably because he would lose a large portion of his followers if he said he would not sign a federal ban. On ban details, he changed his position at least four times since March.https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/trump-has-only-concepts-of-a-plan-to-replace-aca-harris-vows-to-expand-health-law/

Obamacare: Trump tried to kill it.  Has only "concepts' to replace, but one concept is to return to a failed attempts to put all of those with pre-existing conditions put in one pool. It had failed before in som many states where that was tried was the reason Obamacare came to being.  It has to do with an actuarial pool that was so narrow and and so hard to qualify for it failed. The costs required either huge subsidies or raise the premiums so no one could afford to pay them. https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-house-trumpcare-bill-could-be.html

Economy matters and deserves some more details: 

1)The rate of annual price increases (inflation)  is now below 3%, the lowest in 3 years,  and near the historical normal. The bleeding has stopped, but we are stuck with past inflationary prices. That hurts. On average, the good news is wage increases have been more than inflation increases, with Harris bucking for the $15 minimum.. Everyone who wants a job has one with the lowest unemployment rate in 54 years. The Fed is predicted to lower interest rates this month since inflation is licked. 

2)Trump's proposed solution to fund the government (so he can continue to give a tax break to the very rich and keep the rest of us quiet): 10 to 20% on all imports with tariffs. Tariffs are like sales taxes, paid for by importers themselves (not their governments), who raise prices to cover added costs, and the prices are like a rising tide that raises all boats in the entire marketplace while boosting deficit/debt. Nearly all big-time economists agree.

 3) Oil and energy prices at the pump are dramatically down to less than a buck more than in the old days as crude oil has enough supply on hand and unused leases to provide oil for the next 40 years...so drill baby drill makes the unnecessary useless.  Natural gas? Enough forever. 

4) Harris opposed fracking natural gas? Give me a break. Trump, please update this before lying again. She evolved years ago and does not oppose it now. Her energy policy is all of the above, a combination of renewables and traditional sources.  

5) Obamacare? Trump only has a "concept" to improve and/or replace Obamacare (used by over 16  million people), his same old empty promise since 2016. Where's the beef? Next to women's health, this may be the largest sleeper gorilla infecting Trump's hoped-for voter support. 

I mostly drew on ABC and CNN fact-checking post-debate on September 10 and many recent posts on my blogspot. Key word the blog to search sources and posts on my blog.

New sources not cited on my  blog before:

 Ukraine      https://www.ifw-kiel.de/publications/news/europe-has-a-long-way-to-go-to-replace-us-aid-large-gap-between-commitments-and-allocations/   Commitments and actual expenses by Europe are much more than the US's...but not sufficient as a replacement for US assistance. They still need us

.News: Unemployment is at its Lowest Level in 54 years | U.S. Department of Commerce

When the bi-partisn immigration bill was killed by Trump, Biden issued some executive orders.Border crossings are lower now under Biden than when Trump left office.  From:How do Biden, Trump's border policies compare? (newsnationnow.com)Yes, closing the border to all but manageable levels, given our current capacity, got the figures down.( But that is a half done job and subject to legal challenge and existing authorized expenditures.. Border guards are underfunded and understaffed.. Wall unfinished. Fentanyl detection machinery is unfunded. Biden's exec order can be challenged in court because it ignores the intent of federal immigration legislation to provide asylum to all those those qualifying under the law.) Per the article: "last month, Biden signed an executive order shutting down asylum requests at the U.S.-Mexico border once the average number of daily encounters between ports of entry hits 2,500. According to several people familiar with the discussions, the border will reopen only once that number declines to 1,500...After Biden’s executive action went into effect at the southern border, he touted a drop in illegal immigration, saying encounters have gone down over 50% with levels lower than when Trump left office." July 2024.

Overtime pay: Project 2025 would make more workers exempt and deceptively, Trump would not tax overtime pay and tips.   Harris also would exempt tips from taxes, but would not exempt workers from overtime pay. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-warnings-from-democrats-about-project-2025-and-donald-trump

Proved Reserves of Crude Oil and Natural Gas in the United States, Year-End 2022 (eia.gov)

Statement from President Joe Biden on Record ACA Enrollment Numbers | The White House

Trump wants to make us 1930 again while Biden points with pride at the present and Harris represents the future

 Trump's slogan should be revised to MAKE AMERICA 1930 AGAIN.   Trump opines that America is a failure, a stupid country, ignoring that America leads the world under Biden/Harris in economic recovery from COVID-19 and has formulated the strongest alliances since the end of World War II.  Instead, Trump sought a country that would join with Russia and dance to its tune on Ukraine, claiming peace in our time then, just like British PM Chamberlain gave away Czechoslovakia to the Nazis in 1937. Like then, there is a determined aggressor to establish a past greatness opening and publicly stated to establish Russia's boundaries of the old USSR now and to destroy the mutual defense treaties standing in its way. Not only does this mimic the influence of German sympathizers in America, which finally led to US involvement in WWII, but it even parrots the title of the 1930s isolationists, American First. Trump's economic policies also echo the mistakes and policies of the 1930s. In 1930,  tariffs were raised on imports, which kicked the Depression into high gear. Trump's plan to raise tariffs on all imports across the board, as was tried then, per 16 Nobel laureate economists recently, would cause both inflation and recession. Like in the 1930s, right-wingers fought tooth and nail against FDR's New Deal supporting access to health care and social security, while MAGA proposes to cut them both back in the Project 2025 vision. Like in the 1930s, the favored group in governance and policy were racially white, reflecting the faces raised at GOP conventions and Trump rallies. To preserve the JIM Crow era of the 1930s, Trump and his Project 2025 want to stamp out diversity and equity, DEI. in government, and his party schemes how to suppress minority voters' access to the ballot. If he loses the elections, Trump's advocacy of political violence will put January 6 on steroids. Like in the 1930s, women are to be relegated to subservient status. control over their own health decisions, or even birth control in the provisions of Project 2025. Taking this a step further is Trump's VP pick of, JD Vance, who says even abused women should stay in their marriage and take the beatings while eliminating no-fault divorce, just as it was in 1930.

Trump trash talks to convince voters that they should abandon democracy for his autocracy. Biden's reason for passing the torch to Kamala is to preserve the democracy we have had for 250 years, realizing his age was standing in the way of why he ran for president in the first place: to stop Trump. Trump's case: Only he can fix stupid and failing America. This contrasts with what Biden has accomplished in three and a half years.

There is unfinished business, but even despite Trump sabotaging a very conservative bi-partisan immigration reform bill, Biden has managed to reduce illegal migrant crossings to the same level they were when Trump left office.  

 Trump and their supporters are speaking the Kremlin line in contrast with Biden, who is building up alliances from NATO to Asia.  Biden's alliances have boxed in aggressive, expansionist countries like China and Russia. In the 1930's it was the rise of Nazi Germany and we know how that turned out. America Firsters opened appeasing doors to Germany then, and, unable to distinguish friends from enemies, they are at it once again in the face of a Russian land grab. That was as stupid in the 1930's as it is now. Even most of NATO is rearming, adding Sweden and Finland, and increasing defense budgets. Germany, which virtually has no standing army, is now rebuilding its military from the ground up.

 In the aftermath of the pandemic, America is leading the world in economic recovery by every measure, and the trend lines are still improving. We have the highest GDP growth, and inflation is down to manageable levels, as the unemployment level is the best in 50 years, and wages rise, too, for those employed. The predicted post-COVID recession never happened.  https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/the-us-economy-in-global-context

Something is happening to the US economy only seen once before | Daily Mail Online

In the meantime, Trump's convention and stump speeches devolve into Drill Baby Drill (just if oil produces contribute a billion to his campaign.  as gas prices at the pump return to near Trumpian levels) and fears of being electrocuted by electric boats encircled by sharks and windmills killing birds.  Stupid America, stupid DEI, and stupid Kamala are not just dog whistles to racists and sexist misogynists but full-blown trumpets.

Kamala Harris' goals were outlined in recent addresses and will certainly be refined in the coming days,  https://captimes.com/news/elections/kamala-harris-outlines-2025-goals-from-family-leave-to-child-care/article_948a6314-4925-11ef-a44d-23eae6c6cd80.html

  From my June 14 posting:

Trump trashes America; Biden builds it back better.nd convicted of sedition "patriots'; Biden builds our respect better of our fallen warriors at Normandy. He builds up real patriots as role models of patriotism and knows the difference.  https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/09/03/report-trump-disparaged-us-war-dead-as-losers-suckers/

Trump trashes democracy; Biden builds it better by protecting voters' rights and access

Trump trashes justice that does not support him; Biden builds it better with support of justice for all

Trump trashes justice rulings against him; Biden builds better trust in justice even when it rules against his son.

Trump trashes the truth, evidence, and data; Biden builds it better with a policy  based on evidence and data

Trump trashes affordable health care; Biden built it cheaper and better

Trump trashes the military and alliances and appeases foreign dictators; Buiden builds and leads alliances better to protect us from foreign dictators

Trump trashes bipartisanship; Biden builds infrastructure with it.

Trump trashes the rule of law and wants it to be the rule of  by and for Trump; Biden builds it better, supports the rule of by and for the people

Trump trashes the rights of women to control their health care; Biden builds women's control of health choices better by restoring  rights they had in Roe v Wade

 From my readers responding on Facebook sites with their own Trump trashes/Biden builds:

.Trump trashes public health by keeping lead in pipes that carry drinking water; Biden builds public health by funding the massive replacement of lead pipes and drinking water cleanup with his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Trump trashes public lands and rants that he'd allow dumping nuclear waste in rivers; Biden builds public protection by working to restore and protect our Clean Water Act.

• 1h

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Who is the stupid one, looking at where Biden has taken us>

 

FYI. Women's health care and Obamacare are about the economy, voters

 Every recent poll has identified the economy as topping voters' concerns. Instead of speaking in macroeconomic terms like GDP and unemployment figures or the trend lines that inflation is coming down, Biden needs to acknowledge raising families and just keeping up paycheck to paycheck are indeed challenges. He has been there and knows that. He should be empathetic, not trying to convince consumers they are delusional; they don't know what they are feeling. Here is how he is helping with day-to-day struggles and how the GOPTrump would hurt. It's the basics. FYI. Women's health care and Obamacare are about the economy. Women can work if they need to, and families can now afford to be healthy. Women's health and affordable health care for them and their families are critical to a family's finances, and the GOP/Trump agenda wants to take both away from families, self-control over women's reproductive health and banning abortion nationwide, and end Obamacare.  Certain kinds of birth control are also being challenged by extremist anti-choice advocates. The Right to Contraception: State and Federal Actions, Misinformation, and the Courts | KFF    and now the Supreme Court will consider banning medical abortions.   The drug has already been approved as safe by the Food and Drug Administration, is on store shelves, and accounts for more than half of abortions. Medication Abortion Now Accounts for More Than Half of All US Abortions | Guttmacher Institute  US Supreme Court to decide access to abortion pill in major case | Reuters

 Also. family finances depend on how high wages are for both men and women (now rising faster than inflation), and whether they have jobs that appear secure (the low employment figures provide that sense of security).  40 million people can now afford health insurance and avoid bankruptcy, selling their homes, or devastating their savings to care for their health. Many more understand if their finances should worsen or lose jobs, or lose employee insurance, at least they have that reassuring backup. Without access to birth control, reproductive schedules, or to keep from dying during childbirth,  women cannot work or be able to contribute to their family's income. Without affordable access to health care, the preventative nature of low-cost cancer screenings and prescription drug price reductions for those with chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure affects the ability of both men and women to be reliable breadwinners.  Extremists in the GOP are even for restricting access to birth control and non-surgical approaches, and they are in control of the party, too.  

Trump beats his chest, taking responsibility for overturning Roe v Wade, and the extremist elements within the GOP walk in lockstep, dominating the party's agenda. While pinning the negatives on Trump,  an easy target,  there is always the outside possibility that he may not be the GOP candidate and, also down-ballot, stop GOP MAGA loyalists deserve equal condemnation.  The connection must be made that the MAGA-controlled GOP,  the whole party, is in lockstep with Trump and will be on the ballot in 2024.

If the GOP wants to put their eggs in one basket, what happens if the economy improves in the next year? Fed interest rate decision December 2023: Fed holds rates steady, indicates 3 cuts coming in 2024 (cnbc.com)

 

Romney's bad deal for women

Ladies, still conflicted? If you like Mitt Romney's economic plan but also like President Obama's position on women's health, check the fact-checkers.

Mitt Romney is offering you more than a sketchy deal; you are being presented with a bad one. The GOP wants women to trade 40 years of struggle of women to control their own health decisions in return for economic plans that are impossible.

Romney's “clear vision” for the economy is a mirage. Romney's newest proposal promises lowered taxes by 20 percent for all. There has not been a financial analyst, even the six partisan ones Romney cites, who says cutting the wealthy's loopholes will offset the loss in tax revenue of $5 trillion over 10 years.

Both Tampa Bay politifact.com and Annenberg Foundation Factcheck.org agreed with the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center's conclusion that what Romney proposes is “mathematically impossible.” The middle class will then be stuck with either $2,000 per-year per-family in higher taxes or elimination of deductions for mortgages, education, and charity, or the deficit will explode. (Factcheck.org called Romney's claim that Obama would raise middle class taxes by $4,000 “nonsense.”)

Romney proposes another $3 trillion to continue Bush tax cuts for the wealthy and pump up the Pentagon. Financier Steve Rattner (New York Times, 10/14) concluded that to pay for these, 40 percent would have to be cut from a list which includes education, child care, child health coverage, school lunches, Head Start, military pensions, and more.

Washingtonpost/blogs/fact-checker on Oct. 16 gave Romney's five-point plan to add 12 million jobs four “Pinocchios,” called it bait and switch, and said it did not add up. Moody's Analytics predicts 12 million jobs will be created by 2016, no matter who is president. Macroeconomic Advisors also predicted a gain of 12.3 million jobs. Obama will reach the 12 million goal just staying his course.

Romney moans that women have lost more than hundreds of thousands jobs under Obama, but women's unemployment rate was a full percentage below men. FactCheck.org concluded “Romney's figure was six times too high … with the large majority (of jobs) lost before Obama was sworn in.”

The GOP deal? They want to make it harder and more expensive for women to work. If there is one single factor that has enabled women to work, it is control over their reproduction schedule. Romney and the GOP want to repeal Obamacare. Doing so would reinstate high co-pays for mammograms and pap smears and would allow insurance companies to charge women more for health insurance than for men.

Romney supports allowing all employers to refuse insurance to cover birth control.

Mitt Romney is pledged to appointing members to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, making abortion illegal. Romney is committed to defunding Planned Parenthood, the low income service that provides women health services from birth control to cancer screenings. (Federal money is already forbidden by law to fund abortions). Romney endorsed a Mississippi personhood initiative giving fertilized eggs full legal protection, which would have effectively banned some forms of birth control and all abortions.

Women's pay is around 80 cents on the dollar to a man's pay for the same job. The Republicans opposed the Lilly Ledbetter act signed by President Obama to help women sue for such discrimination. In Debate No. 2, Romney avoided supporting it with his infamous “binder full of women” attempt to connect with women, leaving the impression he had never met competent women in his prior career.

I have no desire to see my two daughters and two granddaughters return to the 1950s, but that is what women are being asked to trade off. It is a deal women should refuse.


Also published in the Sky Hi Daily News today

Who is really overreaching into women's lives? Listen up my daughters, grandaughters

Listen up my daughters and granddaughters. The ultra religious right wants to dictate how you live your lives, not just by delivering edicts from the pulpit, but from the legislature and the political podium. They want laws to carry out their religious mission whether you share their particular interpretation of the Bible or not. The result, the freedom to make choices about your lives and health care, the relationship with your doctor, the ability even to have the wherewithal and freedom to make those choices, is in jeopardy.

You have enjoyed freedom to make choices in your life time. You have taken it for granted that freedom is there for you. You have lived in the era of Roe v Wade, Griswold v Connecticut, and a majority of those governing guarding your rights. However, there are those who are determined to roll your lives back to the times of under which those who went before you lived.

No one is telling you to get an abortion or take the pill. You may never ever want to do any of this. Some just want to deny your opportunity and ability to make your own decisions about your health in consultation with your priest, rabbi or minister and/or your doctor. Some want to make it even criminal for doctors to help you make some of these decisions.

Be aware that personhood amendments that define life as beginning at conception put into the laws you must obey could make it illegal for you to get the pill, much less to take any other measures to plan your family.

I have seen you, my daughters, delay mammograms and checkups until you could afford the copays or get a job that provided health insurance. Be aware that health care reform we call Obamacare outlaws treating pregnancy as a pre -existing condition, preventing it to be used as grounds for denying insurance. Obamacare provides that mammograms, colonoscopies, checkups, and contraceptives will be provided to all without co-pays.

Your father/grandfather, an obstetrician-gynecologist,is a doctor whose ethical beliefs have been in synch with Catholic hospital policies in which he has been in attendance. He is furious with these attempts to interfere with his relationships with his patients by restricting his ability to advise what he believes is best to make sure the mothers and the babies he delivers are healthy in mind, body and spirit. The last straw this past month came when it became obvious that there were those who wanted to keep you from getting or affording contraceptives. A purpose of such medication is to help you avoid undertaking even more emotionally and physically painful procedures in the future, including treatment for endometriosis.

Do not fall for the line that health reform legislation is just a big federal government overreach. The most radical overreaches are those laws that restrict your personal choices and are being enacted at the state level, while the Republican dominated House of Representatives echoes some of the same legislative initiatives. Remember, who will be elected President could appoint justices that overturn Roe v Wade. Feed this in your voting decisions , or else in 2013 you may be in for a rude shock.