Donald Trump continues to prove that, for him, historical and racial sensitivity is less important than cooking up personal insults on Twitter:
President Trump invoked one of the largest domestic massacres in American history to mock one of his possible 2020 Democratic challengers, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
“If Elizabeth Warren, often referred to by me as Pocahontas, did this commercial from Bighorn or Wounded Knee instead of her kitchen, with her husband dressed in full Indian garb, it would have been a smash!” the president wrote on Twitter Sunday night, sharing a CBS News video of Warren in her kitchen talking to supporters through Instagram Live [Camilo Montoya-Galvez, “Trump Mocks Elizabeth Warren by Citing Wounded Knee Massacre,” CBS News, 2019.01.14].
Trump is acting like such a dolt that even Senators Mike Rounds and John Thune are driven to wish their boss would knock it off:
In an interview, Rounds said of Trump’s tweet: “I do not think he gains any points by using the site of that atrocity in a political speech or a tweet. So I think maybe he should reconsider using that one in the future. That’s not appropriate.”
“I wish he wouldn’t do that. I wish he wouldn’t tweet as much, I’ve said many times in the past,” added Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.). “That’s obviously a very sensitive part of our state’s history. I wish he’d stay away from it” [Seung Min Kim and Mike DeBonis, “Rep. Steve King’s Inflammatory Remarks Roil a GOP Already Struggling on Race,” Washington Post, 2019.01.14].
For just this brief moment, I will wish Rounds and Thune would act a bit more like Donald Trump. Unlike our gentle Senators, Trump recognizes the power of the megaphone he holds. He uses it to denigrate and destroy anyone who challenges him. Rounds and Thune are United States Senators. They have pretty big megaphones of their own. Instead of hand-wringing maybes and reconsiders and wishy wishes, they could walk up to the mic or maybe right up to the Toddler-in-Chief himself and say, “Bad. Stop it.”
And they can’t just say it once and then whimper off to some other topic. They need to repeat this scolding every time their toddler acts up until the toddler changes his behavior. Don’t even try teaching Trump the actual history of Wounded Knee—that’s beyond him. Just focus on straight-up behavior modification to stop his bullying.
Now that Rep Steve Racist King and the Iowa 4th District voters are thrown in the trash can of congress – feckless thune and not-so-rounds should join Mitt Romney in calling for King’s resignation. King’s now worthless to his district, state, and the nation.
People need to recognize that, “South Dakota nice” is a systemic cultural flaw, not an attribute. South Dakota nice is going-along-to-get-along and not standing for any decency, principle, or virtue.
I realize the out-of-state libbies who comprise the bulk of the bloggers here will criticize no matter what and that Mr. Thune could do no right even if he said “bah” in answer to a scrooge question, so instead of me taking a stance of agreement grudznick will pose a question.
Does Messrs. Rounds and Thune saying that Mr. Trump should not tweet about the atrocity at Wounded Knee make you feel you agree with the fine senators from the Great State of South Dakota when they say they wish he wouldn’t tweet about that, or should they be shouting about the atrocity at Wounded Knee to the high clouds and saying “do not hide this, tweet more about it Mr. President?”
To borrow a phrase from a Dr. Newquist’s recent blog, Thune and Rounds are “feckless f***ers”.
The South Dakota senators are playing nice with Trump when they should be kicking the New York snob in the balls.
The two senators feel more loyalty for this racist president then they do for the tribal members of this state.
grudzie … The senators from SD aren’t saying Pres. Trump shouldn’t tweet about Wounded Knee. They’re saying he should be more respectful when tweeting about Wounded Knee. Do you agree with me or do you agree with President Trump?
Grudz,
It seems as if you had a bit of bad gravy with your supper. I know how you feel. My stepson drank my last VooDoo Ranger IPA and replaced it with Grain Belt.
Senator Rounds tweeted the following: “SD, where the Wounded Knee Massacre took place, is currently home to nearly 80k enrolled tribal members. On that day in 1890 more than 200 Lakota men, women and children were killed.
The Wounded Knee Massacre was one of the darkest moments in our history. It should never be used as a punchline.”
That’s what I want them to say every time Trump makes one of his racist comments.
Hear, hear Senator Rounds.
I would just like to point out the bang-up job Melania is doing with her anti-bullying campaign. Thune and Rounds doing their usual limp-dick routine is not unexpected.
I am very disappointed in our Senators, we did not elect them to be puppets of Putin’s puppet,trump. No,his name does not deserve to be capitalized. This government has allowed trump to destroy our world standing,many institutions and these elected officials have stood by and watched. History will not be easy on these enablers, that trumpstain does not wash off!
Thune Rounds Dusty Kristie MUST act today, d. Carrington, Guardian writes today. All new fossil fuel emissions must stop now to preserve a 1.5 C global temperature rise. Last chance.
Not only must they put the brakes on Trump, but his fundamental policies.
Big story. Bigger than Russian collusion.
Cosset, Smithsonian, recently wrote that Indian Agent Watkins, in late 1875, colluded with one of Grant’s generals to declare Indians “hostile” allowing the War Department to begin its pinscher operation to trap them in eastern WY/MT which of course led to Trump’s bigoted tweet storm about Custer’ annialation at Greasy Grass that summer of his attack on Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Cheyenne and other allies.
Trump is nothing more than a pig. Dusty at least has managed to keep too much slopp off with his Butina debacle, and now, finally the other three have a chance to rise up out of the pig sty and change their clothes.
my impression is that Thune really can’t stand Trump and comes as close to letting that show as any Republican who hasn’t already announced they’re leaving office. He bites his tongue till it hurts. Rounds doesn’t like Trump either, but he’s more willing to go with the Trump flow than is Thune.
The Rounds tweet that Kal Lis quoted is very good. Thanks Kal. I am surprised at Rounds because that’s one of the most decent things he’s done in public life.
Of course Imbecilic Orangutan is scum, but we already knew that, so his tweet is not a surprise. It’s just more of his casual brutality.
I so deeply loathe him.
Of course you kid Mr. Rorschach, these two trumpians are nestled close to his ample bosom. trump is doing all the things that republicans have wanted for decades. They love him for the way he treats women and folks of color. The only thing that is biting Number 2 is his shirt, biting his neck so he can stretch into the photo’s with his sugar daddy.
Thune has gotten what he wanted so far, being Number 2. Rounds has gotten to see EPA basically killed and Dirty Johnson got to go to Washington to be with is bestest gal, Butina. All is well in the South Dakotan trump land.
Who just said this? ““Republicans have considered it their duty to make the world safe for banking, while simultaneously prosecuting ever more foreign wars.”
“Anyone who thinks the health of a nation can be summed up in GDP is an idiot,” he scoffed at one point, and later elaborated: “Market capitalism is not a religion. Market capitalism is a tool, like a staple gun or a toaster. You’d have to be a fool to worship it.”
“I’m just saying as a matter of fact,” he told me, “a country where a shrinking percentage of the population is taking home an ever-expanding proportion of the money is not a recipe for a stable society. It’s not.”” You’ll never guess.
https://www.vox.com/2019/1/10/18171912/tucker-carlson-fox-news-populism-conservatism-trump-gop
Who would’ve thunk it. A white wing talker has surpassed our own two knuckle dragger’s in saying the truth.
The “defeated ISIS” just killed at least 4 American soldiers in Syria. The chaotic retreat of American forces in Syria continues.
Dr. David Schulz is a political science prof at both Hamline University in St. Paul and the U of Minnesota. This is part of his comment on Imbecilic Orangutan’s failed attempt, via Wilbur Ross, to put a citizenship question on the census:
“What most struck me about the opinion were two major points. First, and I argued this from day one of the Trump administration, their lack of skill and knowledge about the government (including the Constitution, the law, and process and procedure), would eventually lead to many administrative decisions being struck down in the courts. This is an example of that. The court describes in detail how Ross just ignored the law and thought he was acting like the CEO of a company where he could do whatever he wanted. He ignored the law, reporting requirements, and also sought to cover up decisions.”
Here’s a little more parenting of Imbecilic Orangutan. He is for a fact in violation of the emoluments clause regarding the old post office in DC.
NPR has the story.
https://goo.gl/VA6vga
Help me out. 42 of the Senate GOP voted today (and in Senate world – that is a “majority” because it stopped the other side from getting to 60 votes to “win” a vote) to not block the President’s easing of sanctions toward a Russian oligarch. Where were Thune and Rounds on that vote?
Richard Painter, a Minnesotan, was GWB’s ethics guy and ran, but lost to Sen. Tina Smith last year. He and Leanne Watt wrote a carefully researched paper outlining why they believe several members of Congress, including Chinless Wonder McTurtle and Lyin Ryan, are deeply compromised by Pootie.
This is the title: “Hidden Motives behind Key GOP Leaders’ Cooperation with Trump & Russia: An Evidence-based Examination of Irrational Behaviors & the Republican Congress Members Who Exhibit Them”
It seems like a pretty sound and reasonable article to me, and well worth your time.
https://goo.gl/YVyWSd
Neither Thune nor Rounds are on the list, but neither of them do anything in DC. Thune went to Moscow last July 4 with guilty parties. He’s going to end up in prison.
As I’ve watched the Mueller investigation play out I can’t help but think the GOP hierarchy is knee deep in Putin’s power play.
Questions like why did Paul Ryan leave congress and the speakership at such an early age?
Why did Thune find it necessary to visit the Kremlin during the 4th of July weekend along with other GOP senators that are supporting favorable Russian legislation.
The real eye opener for me has been the $30 million deposited in NRA accounts by Putin and distributed to Trump and the GOP.
I would love nothing more then to read the testimony of Maria Butina’s plea deal and how South Dakota’s own Paul Erickson plays out.
Trump’s own role with Putin is long and likely well documented by Mueller. It is getting to be crunch time for the GOP boys and they know something is about to go down.
I agree Roger. The GOP is going to implode and it’s going to be very ugly. I expect lots of backstabbing, finger pointing, plea deals galore and I doubt either of SD’s senators will survive. Noem might because she doesn’t do anything. I think 1 of MN’s representatives might go down, the recently defeated Lewis. Or maybe none. Both senators are Democrats.
My friends just returned from a week in Riviera Playa, Mexico after three Dead and Co. w/ John Mayer concerts on the beach, at their all inclusive hotel. (dishwashers make $4.00 a day, bathroom custodians make $2.00 a day)
Best sign they saw.
– Hello, USA government workers, here during the shutdown. Welcome to the fun side of the wall. *I just think that’s a really funny Trump stab.
Carry on.
Not so fast, John- http://www.nwestiowa.com/opinion/wagner-people-who-know-steve-king-see-him-differently/article_671db8dc-1b76-11e9-a291-a3ca7464dd22.html
iowa farmers still back Drumpf. Claim they will be stronger in the future.