It does not appear that Rob Porter and White House chief of staff John Kelly have the same story about Porter's resignation.

Courtesy of Axios:  

White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter is telling associates that some senior White House officials strongly encouraged him to "stay and fight," and claims he "never misrepresented anything" to Chief of Staff John Kelly. 

Why it matters: This White House has a culture problem, starting at the top. The natural instinct is to defend/deny and show scant, if any, concern for the women alleging misconduct and harm. And when the going gets tough internally, the other natural instinct is to blame everyone but yourself. 

It should be noted that Trump himself offered this reaction when asked about Porter's resignation:  

"I found out about it recently and I was surprised by it," Trump said. "We certainly wish him well. It's obviously a very tough time for him. He did a very good job while he was in the White House." 

"We hope that he will have a wonderful career," Trump added. 

Trump said "it was very sad when we heard about it." 

Trump focused on Porter's denial of the allegations that he struck his two-ex-wives while they were married. "He says he's innocent, and I think you have to remember that," Trump said. 

"He said very strongly yesterday that he's innocent, but you'll have to talk to him about that."

So essentially Trump was insinuating that the women were liars, and seems very defensive about losing Porter.

But that is NOT the story that Kelly wants told about his reaction:

According to the member of Congress, giving the most detailed Kelly version of events so far: 

In Kelly’s telling, Porter misrepresented to him that the Daily Mail story would be about a messy marriage and divorce, with allegations of verbal and emotional abuse. 

Kelly specifically asked Porter about physical abuse of both ex-wives and girlfriends, and Porter denied that. 

Upon Porter’s denials, Kelly allowed the White House press team to write a statement giving a wholehearted endorsement of Porter as a man of great integrity. (This was Kelly’s initial statement.) 

Kelly is telling associates that only when the Daily Mail story published online on Tuesday night did he learn the real story. 

Kelly says he immediately took action: he confronted Porter, told him he had to resign, then called President Trump to inform him of his decision. This is what Kelly means when he tells colleagues he acted quickly and settled the matter within 40 minutes.

However it should be remembered that this was what Kelly said right after the story of Porter's spousal abuse became public:

"Rob Porter is a man of true integrity and honor and I can't say enough good things about him … I am proud to serve alongside him."

That does not sound like a man who "acted quickly" when he learned that his trusted subordinate had a history of beating the shit out of the women in his life.

By the way even some of Kelly's White House aides are calling bullshit on his version of events.

This Trump White House is almost literally bulging with habitual liars so it is almost impossible to discern who might be telling the truth at any given time.

But in this case I am thinking that Kelly is simply in CYA mode right now, and is lying his ass off to keep his job.

Top White House aide resigns after his two ex-wives come forward with allegations of physical abuse. #MeToo

Senior White House aide Rob Porter physically assaulted two ex-wives, they tell @theintercept. Full story to come in the morning.

His first wife, Colbie Holderness, provided these photos from a vacation they took together in Florence, Italy: pic.twitter.com/tl3TbyGA8Y

— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) February 7, 2018

Courtesy of Politico: 

White House staff secretary Rob Porter, a mostly unknown but deeply influential aide who spends almost every day by President Donald Trump’s side, said Wednesday he plans to resign following abuse allegations from his ex-wives. 

In a pair of reports published by the Daily Mail, Porter’s two ex-wives detailed episodes of verbal and physical abuse. The Daily Mail published a copy of a protective order obtained by Porter’s second wife in 2010, and later published photographs of Porter’s first wife with a black eye she said came from Porter punching her. 

“These outrageous allegations are simply false. I took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago and the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described,” Porter said in a statement on Wednesday announcing his plans to leave the White House. “I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign.” 

Porter said he would delay his departure “to ensure a smooth transition.”

Axios has more:

Porter's first wife, Colbie Holderness, alleged in an interview published Wednesday by the Daily Mail that he kicked her on their honeymoon, progressing to choking and punching her in the face. She provided pictures that were published with the story. 

Porter's second wife, Jennifer Willoughy, told the Daily Mail earlier this week that he pulled her naked from the shower shortly after their first anniversary, and that he was verbally abusive. The Daily Mail also obtained a police complaint from 2010 of Porter allegedly punching the glass on a door at their home, which led to her filing a temporary protective order. 

Willoughy told the Daily Mail that the FBI had interviewed her, along with Holderness. The Daily Mail claimed sources told them that Porter's "dark past" was the reason for his failure to secure security clearances.

Apparently White House chief of staff john Kelly wanted Porter to "stay and fight" and had this to say about him when this news broke:  

"Rob Porter is a man of true integrity and honor and I can't say enough good things about him. He is a friend, a confidante and a trusted professional. I am proud to serve alongside him," Kelly said in a statement.

Yeah a man of true integrity, you know when he's not beating the shit out of one of his wives that is.

By the way guess who Porter has been sleeping with lately.

That's right, Hope Hicks.

Damn, does this girl have seriously bad taste in men!

By the way now that the #MeToo movement has reached this far into the White House, how much longer do we think it will be before it comes for Donald Trump?

Radar Online has learned that Track Palin threatened to shoot his new baby mama in the head.

Track "I abuse women" Palin

Courtesy of Radar Online:  

As Radar reported, Track’s ex-girlfriend and baby mama Jordan Loewe filed for custody of the former couple’s newborn son, Charlie, earlier this month, claiming she was “concerned” about her “safety or the safety of her children.” 

But then, she filed for a restraining order against Track, unleashing a barrage of horrifyingly specific allegations: 

On December 3, she writes in court documents obtained by Radar, “I had brought my son over to visit Track and we started arguing and Track pushed me against the wall while I had our 3 month old son in my arms.” 

Just weeks later on December 22, “He put his hand on my head and squeezed as hard as he could while our son was in the room,” she claims. “He also hawked a giant ball of spit in my face.” 

On on January 8, she alleges, “Track had our son for a couple of hours, then asked me to come get him. When I was on my way he found out I was bringing a girlfriend of mine so there was a third party there – He got angry and told me he was going to ‘put a bullet through my head’ and put us both in the ground.” 

But wait, there's more.

“I had my son in my car driving off his property, and he threw rocks at my car, then got in his truck and followed me,” she writes. 

“He was driving recklessly trying to run me off the road – almost causing an accident multiple times.” In describing her injuries, Loewe says, “I had hand prints (and) red marks on my face (and) head.”

Loewe is asking that Track be kept from communicating with her or her son "in any way." And says she is not after money but only concerned with the her child's safety.

And seriously, who could blame her?

I have to point out that Radar Online could ONLY get this information if somebody leaked it to them .

Remember Track's attorney Kimberlee Colbo filed to keep all of these documents confidential.

I certainly cannot get my hands on them, so somebody clearly sent them to Radar.

Which is a VERY smart move for Loewe's team.

As I have said repeatedly, the Palins cannot stand having their personal shit exposed in the press and they will buckle like an under trained boxer in the first round if they keep trying this thing in the court of public opinion.

I should also point out that these stories completely fit in with the stories I have heard about Track over the years.

He is an angry, woman abusing bully, and he should NEVER be allowed to have a firearm in his possession.

New ad released by Donald Trump prominently features Sarah Palin. Update!

For those who have been saying that Palin invited herself to Iowa and that Trump is making distance, I think this ad proves otherwise.

Clearly Trump thinks that Palin is a plus positive for his campaign despite all of the baggage that she brings with her.

Speaking of baggage here is a little of the coverage that Palin's meltdown on the Today Show received thus far.

The New York Daily News: 

The one-time vice presidential candidate flipped out on live TV as soon as the interview went off script — circling back to bizarre campaign trail comments she made about her son’s PTSD.

People Magazine:

Palin appeared on the Today show on Monday in her first live interview since endorsing Donald Trump. But the 51-year-old seemed caught off guard – and irritated – when asked about her statements suggesting that Obama is to blame for her oldest son, Track's, PTSD. 

Raw Story:

The “Today” show’s co-anchors made Sarah Palin squirm by asking her to explain why she appeared to blame President Barack Obama for her son’s domestic violence arrest.

The Daily Beast:   

Sarah Palin Freaks Out on ‘Today Show’ Over PTSD Question 

Donald Trump's highest-profile endorser had a meltdown Monday morning. 

Sarah Palin doesn't like being asked questions about questionable things she has said.

Gawker:   

Just a week after blaming President Obama for her son’s domestic violence arrest, Sarah Palin went on the Today Show to deny ever blaming President Obama for her son’s domestic violence arrest.

TV Newser:  

Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, in Iowa to campaign for Donald Trump, was clearly unhappy with a question from Today co-host Savannah Guthrie about her son’s recent arrest, accusing the show of breaking a promise to stick to politics.

The Hill:  

Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin went after members of the media on the "Today" show Monday after her interview drifted toward questions about her son's arrest and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Well so much for Sarah Palin bringing that evangelical credibility to the Trump campaign.

Still I doubt, as usual, that this will cause any damage to the Donald's chances of winning Iowa.

As for Palin's reputation however?

Well you've heard the term "death by a thousand cuts?"

This is yet another one.

Update: Here is Palin accusing Ted Cruz surrogate Steve "Calves like cantaloupes" King of huffing ethanol.

I don't usually give a lot of credibility to reports that Palin is drunk. But take a listen to this and tell me if that is not the first thing you suspect.

Couple claim 6 year old son possessed by demon, mistreat him horribly.

Edward and Krystal Everett.

Courtesy of the Daily Mail: 

An Oklahoma couple was arrested last week after authorities found their 6-year-old son covered in burns and bruises and locked in a bedroom with no furniture other than an egg crate for the boy to sleep on in what the local sheriff has described as one of the worst cases of child abuse he'd ever seen. 

When asked why they allegedly abused the boy, 28-year-old Edward Everett and 32-year-old Krystal Everett told authorities they believed he was possessed by a demon. 

The Canadian County Sheriff's Office says it received a call alerting them to the conditions in which the 6-year-old boy was living at the El Reno home he shared with his parents as well as three other children. 

The boy's relationship to the other children found in the home is unclear. 

When authorities went to the Everetts' El Reno home, they found the young boy wearing nothing but his underwear and laying in the fetal position in the small, locked room that had no furniture other than a tiny, foam egg crate. 

Apparently the parents only fed this child once a day, and used a belt and cattle prod on him to discipline him and control his behaviors.

The child had two black eyes, and was covered in bruises and burns.

This article does not go into the religious beliefs of the parents, however if they immediately thought "demonic possession" rather than mental illness, chances are they were indeed members or believers in a fundamentalist type religion.

Hearing voices and self harm are as common to mental health professionals as near sightedness is to an eye doctor. There is nothing supernatural about them, and they are often easily treated with medication and therapeutic interventions.

What happened to this child is disgusting, and undoubtedly makes every parent, nay every human being, who reads this feel overwhelmed with anger at the ignorance of the parents and sympathy for this innocent six year old.

One of the reasons that I rail against fundamentalist religion so aggressively is that it promotes disrespect for science, and foments distrust in its ability to solve problems.

What happened to this child, happened in the 21st Century, and that should shame all of us.

Alaska's not so secret shame, and how it is happening at an alarming rate right in Sarah Palin's backyard.

Sarah Palin, helping to destroy women's progress in this country with every appearance.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:  

An ongoing study by the University of Alaska Justice Center has once again shown us what for years no one wanted to talk about openly: that violence visited upon women in Alaska far more often than we may realize or want to accept. 

The latest results from the Alaska Victimization Survey show that one in two women living in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or both. In the last year alone, 2,687 women in this populous region north of Anchorage experienced it. Of the some 30,000 women that live there, 16,033 have been subjected to it in their lifetime. The numbers show that more than six women per day in the Mat-Su experience intimate partner violence, while more than two per day experience sexual violence, according to the survey. 

“Just one victim is one too many. As a community we are concerned,” Mat-Su Borough Manager John Moosey said. “We want a liveable, safe community, especially for women.” 

The statistics, released Tuesday by the Justice Center, are an interesting contrast to a different study measuring people's perception about the Mat-Su. Each year, the Justice Center and the Mat-Su Borough conduct a community survey, and awareness about sexual assaults and rape is one of the questions. For 2011, of the 1,159 people that participated in the survey, less than two percent replied that a rape or sexual assault had taken place in their neighborhood in the last six months. 

But this difficult task – reconciling perceptions with personal experiences – may cause Alaskans to confront an uncomfortable reality. For the 1,159 people in the Mat-Su who were generally unaware of sexual violence in their neighborhood, another 1,190 – the number polled for the victimization survey – revealed a different story. 

“There is a tremendous amount of stigma associated with disclosing domestic and sexual violence. As a result, few people disclose, even to their closest friends and family members. As a result, few people are aware of how common these forms of violence are,” explained Dr. Andre Rosay, Director of the Justice Center at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, the group that conducted the survey. “While people don't perceive that domestic and sexual violence are severe problems in our communities, our survey results show that many women have experienced these forms of violence and many are suffering in silence.”

You know every once in awhile I get into pensive mood and I take a moment to reflect on the the Governor Sarah Palin who could have been.

As the very first female Governor in the state's history she could have been an incredibly powerful and inspiring voice against sexual and physical assault. She could have brought women together from all over the state, and they would finally have felt they had a powerful champion to stand up for them and a person who they could trust to understand their pain and shame.

Instead they got a self serving, overly ambitious social climber who could no more relate to the suffering of other women in her state, than she could to the suffering of any other group who she felt could not help her career.

There was an amazing opportunity for a real female leader in Alaska. An opportunity and a challenge that still remains to this day.

But until we find somebody willing to tackle this incredibly tough issue in an honest and aggressive manner, I fear the number of women hiding black eyes behind their sunglasses or bruises under their clothing will remain unchanged.

Sometimes those who play heroes in television and movies are equally heroic off the screen. It is my pleasure to present to you Sir Patrick Stewart.

This is incredibly emotional story comes from the blog of a young woman who is a HUGE Star Trek fan as well as the survivor of domestic abuse. She happened to get the opportunity to ask her hero Jean Luc Picard a question during a comic book convention.

THIS is the amazing response:

I went to Comicpalooza this weekend and I was full of nervous energy as I was standing in line to ask Sir Patrick Stewart a question at his panel. I first had to thank him for a speech he had given at amnesty international about domestic violence towards women . I had only seen it a few months ago but I was still dealing with my own personal experience with a similar issue, and I didn’t know what to call it. After seeing Patrick talk so personally about it I finally was able to correctly call it abuse, in my case sexual abuse that was going to quickly turn into physical abuse as well. I didn’t feel guilty or disgusting anymore. I finally didn’t feel responsible for the abuse that was put upon me. I was finally able to start my healing process and to put that part of my life behind me. 

After thanking him I asked him “Besides acting, what are you most proud of that you have done in you life (that you are willing to share with us)?”. Sir Patrick told us about how he couldn’t protect his mother from abuse in his household growing up and so in her name works with an organization called Refuge for safe houses for women and children to escape from abusive house holds. Sir Patrick Stewart learned only last year that his father had actually been suffering from PTSD after he returned from the military and was never properly treated. In his father’s name he works with an organization called Combat Stress to help those soldiers who are suffering from PTSD. 

They were about to move onto the next question when Sir Patrick looked at me and asked me “My Dear, are you okay?” I said yes, and that I was finally able to move on from that part of my life. He then passionately said that his mother had done nothing to provoke his father and that even if she had, violence was never, ever a choice a man should make. That it is in the power of men to stop violence towards women. The moderator then asked “Do you want a hug?” 

Sir Patrick didn’t even hesitate, he smiled, hopped off the stage and came over to embrace me in a hug. Which he held me there for a long while. He told me “You never have to go through that again, you’re safe now.” 

I couldn’t stop thanking him. His embrace was so warm and genuine. It was two people, two strangers, supporting and giving love. And when we pulled away he looked strait in my eyes, like he was promising that. He told me to take care. And I will.

Here is the video of their exchange. On it you can hear the passion with which this amazing gentleman discusses the importance for young men to recognize that it is up to THEM to stop the violence against women.

That is a very powerful message coming from an iconic figure who deserves every bit of the admiration and love that he receives from his fans.

We need many more just like him.