Author: Tod Kelly

Tod Kelly

/// September 29, 2016

Five Random Lessons from Covering the Theranos Debacle

Not one of which is, “You know, that Jim Cramer is really on to something.”

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Tod Kelly

/// September 23, 2016

Journalism vs. Trumpism: On Playing the Gentleman’s Game

This week, the Washington Post’s Charles Lane insisted that the media has done its job this election. He’s wrong.

Tod Kelly

/// September 8, 2016

Sometimes, foresight is also 20/20.

“I think they are unfounded just based on what I’ve read,” said the Republican nominee. “Totally unfounded, based on what I read.”

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Tod Kelly

/// September 7, 2016

Hannity Before There Was Hannity

On meeting Phyllis Schlafly.

Tod Kelly

/// August 15, 2016

Post Removed

A note to the readership.

Tod Kelly

/// August 4, 2016

The Catwalk to Citizenship

A new Politico report presents a perfect test case on the question of why people really rally around litmus-test political issues.

Tod Kelly

/// July 26, 2016

Weep the Revolution

I do not stand with the Bernie-or-Bust crowd. But I am of them.

Tod Kelly

/// July 22, 2016

The Leaguefest PDX Travelogue Extravaganza!

With so much to do, your only regret will be that the city’s Roller Derby team is on the road during Leaguefest.

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Tod Kelly

/// July 20, 2016

When is a Speech More Than Just a Speech?

You shouldn’t judge Melania Trump by the incompetent actions of her husband’s staff. But you sure as hell should judge the staff.

Tod Kelly

/// July 19, 2016

Leaguefest Update & Input Request: Friday & Saturday Evenings

We have a Friday night meeting place and a Saturday Big Dinner restaurant — but we still need your input.

Tod Kelly

/// July 13, 2016

Update on Leaguefest: Attendee Input Needed!

Man, that Donald Trump guy ruins everything!

Tod Kelly

/// June 28, 2016

Updated Info: We Have Dates for Leaguefest 2016!!!

Attending? Thinking of attending?

We have info, and questions for you!

Tod Kelly

/// June 26, 2016

Sunday!

Are there plans to make movie reboots of Matlock, Leave It to Beaver, or the Brady Buch? If so, they should really consider Idris Elba for those.

Tod Kelly

/// June 23, 2016

In Which Our Congressional Leaders Bravely Protest For a Few Hours Until They Get Bored

If you’re a liberal, you should think twice before rewarding the world’s lamest slumber party.

Tod Kelly

/// June 12, 2016

Terror, Community, and Blood — Updated

Thoughts, prayers, and three requests. [Comments are closed.]

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Tod Kelly

/// June 9, 2016

Can We Please Not Spend the Next Five Months Pretending This is Going to Be A Close Election?

Like it or not, the 2016 POTUS race is already over.

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Tod Kelly

/// June 1, 2016

What Comes Out in the Wash

In which two race-bending ads show us how terrible we really are when it comes to discussing the problem of racism.

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Tod Kelly

/// May 26, 2016

The Blue Lives Matter Movement & the Inherent Trouble With (and Need for) Hate Crime Laws

In order for hate crime laws to not succumb to the slippery slope, you need to pick a place to say “No.” The Blue Lives Matter laws are that place.

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Tod Kelly

/// May 22, 2016

WTF Texas?

A serious bleg: Can someone who follows Texas politics explain what’s going on with its state’s GOP platform?

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Tod Kelly

/// May 20, 2016

How To Fix a Broken Elephant: A Recipe for Electoral Health In Six Incredibly Difficult Steps

America desperately needs a disciplined, conservative political party — a thing the GOP has not been for quite some time. Here are the six steps those small-c conservatives of the #NeverTrump variety will have to take if they want to stem the rise of Trumpism in their party.

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Pierre Delecto Breaks the Internet

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Pierre Delecto Breaks the Internet

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[caption id="attachment_321437" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Photo by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons[/caption]

Presented without further commment:

For years, Pierre Delecto’s presence on Twitter largely went unnoticed. Operating a bare-bones account with the handle, “@qaws9876,” the user’s limited activity only revealed an interest in politics — namely supporting Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah). So when “Pierre Delecto” started trending Sunday on the social media platform, people were understandably confused.
“Why are we talking about Pierre Delecto,” one person asked.
“WTH is a Pierre Delecto & why is everyone going crazy about it?” another wanted to know.
On Sunday, Twitter users lost their collective minds when they learned that “Pierre Delecto” wasn’t a bot or a random Romney superfan, but an account run by the Republican senator himself. As Delecto, Romney, who has become one of President Trump’s most vocal GOP critics, used the account to like critical tweets about the president, while also occasionally defending himself against detractors. By early Monday, the unusual pseudonym was a trending moment on Twitter and had been mentioned in more than 47,000 tweets.
The Romney-Delecto connection was first made by Slate’s Ashley Feinberg, who went hunting for the secret account after the senator mentioned its existence to the Atlantic in a profile published Sunday. In a follow-up call with Atlantic reporter McKay Coppins, Romney confirmed that the account, which has since been made private, is his.
“C’est moi,” Romney said after being asked about Delecto.
When reached for comment late Sunday, a spokesperson for Romney responded by emailing The Washington Post a link to a tweet from Coppins that contained Romney’s brief confirmation.
Romney brought up his covert Twitter persona during an interview with the Atlantic as he discussed Trump lashing out at him on social media.

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Tuesday she will not stage a vote on the House floor to officially launch an impeachment inquiry into President Trump.
The decision came after Democratic leaders, returning to Washington following a two-week recess, had reached out to members of their diverse caucus to gauge the party's support for such a vote.
After back-to-back meetings with party leaders and then the full caucus, Pelosi announced that no such vote would take place. Democratic aides emphasized, however, that the process remains fluid and that Pelosi may reverse course and stage such a vote at any point in the future.
"There's no requirement that we have a vote, and so at this time we will not be having a vote," Pelosi told reporters during a last-minute press briefing in the Capitol.Imp

Not with a bang, but a whimper.

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Aaron Dean Charged with Murder in Killing of Atatiana Jefferson

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Aaron Dean Charged with Murder in Killing of Atatiana Jefferson

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[caption id="attachment_321197" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Body camera footage of Aaron Dean moments before the shooting of Atatiana Jefferson[/caption]

The former police officer involved in the killing of Atatiana Jefferson was arrested and charged with murder on the same day he resigned from the Fort Worth Police Department.

Police declined to say whether Dean was arrested by a Fort Worth officer or if he turned himself in. The department's major case and internal affairs units were "working diligently to conclude the criminal administrative investigation" into the shooting, said Sgt. Chris Daniels.
"We value the trust that we've had in our community, we will continue to build that trust," Daniels said. "To the citizens and residents of our city, we feel and understand your anger and disappointment."
Dean was served a written administrative complaint Sunday, placed on detached duty and stripped of his badge and firearm, interim Police Chief Ed Kraus said. He resigned Monday.
"My intent was to meet with him today to terminate his employment with the Fort Worth Police Department. However, the officer tendered his resignation this morning before we met," Kraus said.
If Dean had not resigned, he would have been fired for several policy violations, including the department's use of force and de-escalation policies, and unprofessional conduct, Kraus said.
The department has presented a preliminary case to the FBI to review the officer's actions for possible civil rights violations, Kraus said.
"None of this information can ease the pain of Atatiana's family but I hope it shows the community that we take these incidents seriously," he said.
Dean was hired in August 2017 and commissioned as a licensed officer in April 2018, Kraus said.

Numerous reports state Dean made bail and is awaiting his next court appearance.

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Beto O’Rourke Doubles Down on Revoking Tax-Exempt Status of Churches Opposed to Same-Sex Marriage

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Beto O’Rourke Doubles Down on Revoking Tax-Exempt Status of Churches Opposed to Same-Sex Marriage

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After making controversial statements about gun confiscation, Beto once again grabbed the spotlight at the CNN Equality Town Hall by saying that Churches opposed to Same-Sex Marriage should have their tax-exempt status yanked.

He was asked if he meant this and said that this should also apply to Mosques and Conservative Black Churches as well.

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Two Rudy Giuliani Associates Arrested

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Two Rudy Giuliani Associates Arrested

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[caption id="attachment_319944" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Amazinggena via Wikimedia Commons[/caption]

The plot thickens...

Two Soviet-born donors to a pro-Trump fundraising committee who helped Rudy Giuliani’s efforts to investigate Democrat Joe Biden were arrested late Wednesday on criminal charges stemming from their alleged efforts to funnel foreign money into U.S. elections and influence U.S. politics on behalf of at least one Ukrainian politician.
Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two Florida businessmen, made a brief appearance in federal court in Virginia Thursday, dressed in T-shirts. Both men are U.S. citizens born in former Soviet republics. They were arrested at Dulles Airport on Wednesday while awaiting an international flight with one-way tickets, according to people familiar with the matter, a day before one of them was scheduled to testify before House committees.
Mr. Giuliani said in an interview Thursday that Messrs. Parnas and Fruman were headed to Vienna on Wednesday evening for reasons related to their business. He declined to elaborate on those reasons. He said the two men had also left the country about two weeks ago and had traveled to Vienna between three and six times in the last two months. He said he had been scheduled to meet with the two when they returned to Washington within days.
A federal prosecutor told a judge the government remains concerned that the men will flee. Attorneys on both sides said they would reach an agreement about the conditions of their bail and would return to the judge later Thursday or Friday.
In a 21-page indictment unsealed Thursday, federal prosecutors in Manhattan alleged Messrs. Parnas and Fruman were engaged in political activities in the U.S. on behalf of one or more Ukrainian government officials—including a lobbying campaign, targeted at a Republican congressman, to remove the U.S. ambassador in Kyiv. President Trump ordered the ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch, removed from her post in May, the Journal has reported.

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