Lynna is your curator. How are you all holding up, America? Not well, I guess, since this is the hardest working thread ever. The frenzy is growing!
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Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
Trump claims he doesn’t know Prince Andrew, but once called him “a lot of fun.”
NBC News link
ProPublica – “Inside the Cell Where a Sick 16-Year-Old Boy Died in Border Patrol Care.”
I remember in the last few months of the 2016 campaign, there was some discussion of the harassment of and threats to Jewish journalists and commentators across the political spectrum coming from Trump supporters. This is what people are facing three years later.
WaPo Opinion:
Democrats are debating a dangerous false choice on impeachment
By Laurence H. Tribe
Dec. 5, 2019
From Rudy Giuliani:
Translation: Yes, when Trump and his cronies use the word “corruption” in reference to Ukraine they mean “Biden.” And yes, any failure to investigate the Bidens “will be a major obstacle to the US assisting Ukraine,” (will be a major obstacle to the release of funds for military assistance). Got it? And, if I say “compelling evidence,” I mean a totally bonkers conspiracy theory that Russian intelligence operatives pulled out of my ass.
From Jon Chait:
Trump used unsecured telephones to talk to Rudy Giuliani while Giuliani was abroad. From the Washington Post:
Commentary:
Link
Mark Sumner comments on Rudi Giuliani:
Link
Guardian – “‘If you saw her body, you will never sleep again’: despair as India rape crisis grows”:
Bloomberg Claims “Nobody Asked” Him About Stop and Frisk Until He Ran for President. That’s a Lie.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/12/bloomberg-lie-stop-and-frisk/
Beware those fake social media accounts:
Link
Nancy Pelosi was right to push back hard when a reporter insinuated that she and other Democrats were investigating Trump only because they “hate Trump.”
Yes, that’s the propaganda that rightwing media is pushing.
Link
The extraordinary danger of being pregnant and uninsured in Texas
The state’s system for helping the uninsured thwarts women at every turn and encourages subpar care.
The article tells the story of Rosa Diaz, who died. See the link for details.
From Maddow last night – “Russian transgressions met with increasingly weak US response”: “Rachel Maddow looks at examples of Russia wildly overstepping its bounds in the past five[] years and how the U.S.-led international response to those violations have [sic] grown weaker under Donald Trump.”
She also said during an interview that a Senate Intel report debunking the Ukraine election interference story has been with the DNI for classification for months and that he’s been sitting on it. Later, I believe she said reports are that it will be released soon.
About Trump’s “orange” skin:
More on this important and earth-shaking mystery:
Link
The reference to Fahrenthold is funny. He’s the reporter who dug into many of Trump’s financial shenanigans. Arguably more important than makeup.
From Wonkette, “Trump Was Holding Up California’s OWN MONEY For The Homeless So Gavin Newsom Told Him To Get Bent.”
“Chilean anti-rape anthem becomes international feminist phenomenon”:
The original performance is linked in the article. This is the incredible Santiago one.
Lynna @ #15, his appalling actions towards California should be included in an article of impeachment dealing with abuse of power.
“Nikki Haley says the Confederate flag was about ‘service, and sacrifice, and heritage’ until Dylan Roof ‘hijacked’ it.”
Video at the link. This was pretty much the only subject on which people thought she wasn’t terrible, so of course it turns out she was really terrible all along on this as well.
“BREAKING: A member of the Saudi military training at US Naval Air Station in Pensacola is the suspected shooter in Friday’s incident, according to five US defense officials and another person familiar with the investigation.”
Three of the victims have died, and several more have been injured. The FBI has taken over the investigation.
Also from Maddow last night – “Failures Of Torture Program Unexplained, Abu Zubaydah Still Uncharged”: “Mark Denbeaux, attorney for Abu Zubaydah, talks with Rachel Maddow about the failures of the U.S. torture program designed specifically for Zubaydah and the lack of accountability for how so many false conclusions were drawn.”
19 House Republicans have announced that they will not run for re-election to Congress. Three additional Republican House members are leaving Congress to run for a state office.
In other news, here is an excerpt from the report of Dr. Beverly Woo, a physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, who examined Elizabeth Warren:
Washington Post link
WaPo:
50 members of Congress have visited a Trump property since impeachment inquiry launched, watchdog group says
By John Wagner
House Democrats passed a bill to restore the Voting Rights Act after the Supreme Court’s Republican majority decision gutted it in 2013.
Link
Wow – CNN – “Senior British diplomat in US quits with tirade over Brexit ‘half-truths'”:
(Sorry, it’s tangential, but how is her name Hall Hall?)
A followup, of sorts, to comment 23.
Republicans have embraced a strategy of trying to gaslight the nation instead of legislating.
Link
MMFA – “Joseph diGenova and Victoria Toensing have vanished from Fox”:
“Tucker Carlson straight up says we shouldn’t be giving Ukraine any aid.”
Video clip atl.
Adam Serwer re the video @ #18 above: “Roof’s actions were completely consistent with the cause of that flag and all the ‘service, sacrifice and heritage’ associated with it. The Confederate flag represents treason in defense of human bondage and white supremacy, it always has, and always will.”
Tweet o’ the day.
What a little scaredypants Johnson is.
WaPo:
Three GOP chairmen seek information on unfounded Ukrainian effort to undermine Trump
Maybe they can re-do Benghazi at the same time.
So I think this is in about 20 minutes – BBC – “General election 2019: Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn in TV debate”:
I assume it will be liveblogged at the Guardian.
Sometimes it’s just too much.
From the G liveblog (linked @ #31):
“If Labour gets in there will be chaos.”
Chris Hayes’s interview last night with Denny Heck, a Democratic representative who’s resigning, is worthwhile.
Sorry – he’s retiring.
Super interesting and enlightening article in Jewish Currents: “Understanding Labour’s Antisemitism Crisis.”
“NEWS: Rep. DUNCAN HUNTER (R-CA) says he will resign ‘after the holidays’.”
#24: The clerk was a little deaf.
Dahlia Lithwick in Slate – “The Women Who Still Speak Up”:
Kip Williams @ #38, I’m so flummoxed by the name that I honestly don’t know if you’re joking. I was about to type “LOL,” but I haven’t been able to come up with anything much more plausible.
Andrew Desiderio, Politico:
SC… @ # 24: …how is her name Hall Hall?
I dunno, and a quick search showed only that it’s not a marriage-to-one-of-same-name fluke (her husband’s name is Daniel Twining).
We can only hope a university campus or other facility will name a major hall after her.
“Viktor Orban hired Connie Mack to lobby against Fiona Hill
recall Connie Mack’s fake 2017 Congressional hearing, he seems to have been on the bad guys’ gravy train for a while”
Pierce R. Butler @ #42, literally LOL.
This asshole: “Asked about criticism over Bloomberg News not being able to investigate Democrats, @MikeBloomberg says employees ‘just have to learn to live with some things’.
‘They get a paycheck. But with your paycheck comes some restrictions and responsibilities’.”
JFC Southwest.
Karen Attiah:
“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has issued a temporary (or ‘administrative’) stay of the congressional subpoenas to Deutsche Bank & Capital One for long enough to allow the full #SCOTUS to consider whether to freeze the subpoenas pending consideration of @realDonaldTrump’s appeal:
[order atl]
This is a pretty routine procedural move in a case like this, and comes from Ginsburg because she’s the ‘Circuit Justice’ for the Second Circuit (where this case came from). Folks should not read anything substantive into this order.”
Through next Friday.
If I was right about the origin of the double surname, it was by sheer coincidence. I’m as flummoxed as anyone, just in a phlegmatic way that passes for calmness.
Stephanie Hofeller:
This is unbelievable.
“White House refuses participate in the impeachment inquiry in a two-paragraph missive by Trump’s attorney.”
Letter atl.
George Conway: “It’s an utter embarrassment that any member of the bar, let alone the White House counsel, would write, sign, or send this letter.”
Bizarre letter, bizarre signature, bizarre all around.
OK, evidently that’s Cipollone’s standard bizarre signature. It just looks extra bizarre here because the letter is so short.
“Princeton University can confirm the release of its graduate student, Xiyue Wang, from Iran. We are working with his family and the U.S. government to ensure his safe and speedy return to the United States. Fuller statement coming shortly.”
“Statement of Hua Qu, wife of Xiyue Wang:
Our family is complete once again. Our son Shaofan and I have waited three long years for this day and it’s hard to express in words how excited we are to be reunited with Xiyue. We are thankful to everyone who helped make this happen.”
“NEW: Top Russian diplomat Sergei Lavrov to visit Washington next week in first visit since 2017 Oval Office controversy, officials say. Pompeo meeting expected. White House mum on a possible Trump meeting.”
The visit is scheduled for Tuesday (the 10th).
From Maddow last night – “Report Suggests Possible Intimidation Of IRS Whistleblower”: “Rachel Maddow points out a new CNN report that the IRS whistleblower who flagged potential inappropriate efforts to influence the mandatory audit program of a president’s tax returns was informed by an official that providing taxpayer information to the Senate Finance Committee could be a violation. This is not true, according to whistleblower law, raising questions about who misinformed the whistleblower and why.”
I recently read the new book by Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch, Crime in Progress: The Secret History of the Trump-Russia Investigation. McConnell and Graham tend to get more attention, but Chuck Grassley is a straight-up villain.
AP Exclusive: 629 Pakistani girls sold as brides to China
Guardian – “India rape victim dies after being set alight on her way to court”:
Marina Hyde in the Guardian – “The Tories want to keep Johnson – and their scary manifesto – away from scrutiny”:
AOC on responding to rightwing attacks.
Angela Merkel speaking at Auschwitz yesterday.
Kyiv Post vs. Sun.
Indirect link to the Sun monstrosity.
LA Times – “Editorial: We’ve seen enough. Trump should be impeached.”:
Guardian – “Evo Morales heads to Cuba amid talk of an eventual comeback”:
What?!: “NYT: Six other Saudi nationals were detained for questioning near the scene of the shooting, including three who were seen filming the entire incident, according to a person briefed on the initial stages of the investigation.”
Tweet (thread) o’ the day.
More re Lynna’s #23 above: “A reminder of what we are facing: Yesterday, every GOP House member save one voted against voting rights. Voting rights. The mask is off. No Dem is akin to this. None.”
The 2020 census is facing cost overruns—and potentially dire security concerns
From the readers comments:
Jerry Nadler:
Catherine Rampell:
Re self-described “country lawyer” Rudy Giuliani,
You just know someone is a scheming big money lawyer when they assume everyone knows the difference between scheming big money lawyers and ordinary wholesome “country lawyers”.
Guardian – “Tories investigate three candidates over alleged antisemitism”:
AP – “Official: Base shooter watched shooting videos before attack”:
There are reports that Alshamrani was angry about US policy re Israel.
“Olga Tokarczuk’s Nobel speech will not be broadcast on Polish state television because she might say something that will irritate the nationalist-populist government.”
From the article linked at the link:
Let’s go to the circus!
WaPo:
Trump: Giuliani will report to Justice Department, Congress on his investigations in Ukraine
Here come the clowns!
“Yes. I now am told it is a new policy: no speakers to be sponsored by the State Department if they have been critical of the President: I plead guilty to that, but think the guilt should be on the other side.”
“Trump announces Saudi King and MBS will make cash payments to victims for the shooting thing.
‘The King will be involved in taking care of families and loved ones. He feels very strongly. He is very, very devastated by what happened, what took place. Likewise the Crown Prince’.”
“Calls grow to stop Boris Johnson with tactical voting as race tightens”:
Vote tactically (and donate to the Guardian)!
From Senator Kamala Harris:
In other news:
From Sam Greisman:
Link
Trump brought some killers he had pardoned to a fundraiser/Republican rally.
Link
Skeevy doofuses all in the same place … members of the same scam/cult gathered to raise money from the gullible and/or the ill-informed.
From Wonkette:
From Jennifer Rubin: “It has come to this: Ted Cruz is Putin’s stooge.”
Washington Post link
I don’t know where to put this, but boy-howdy someone is making a Jesus and priest simulator games.
Today is the House Judiciary impeachment hearing where the staff counsels will present the evidence to the committee. Begins at 9 ET (in about a half hour). Will be televised.
“Putin arrives at the meeting in his Aurus Senat armored limousine specially flown in from Russia.
Zelenskiy arrives in a Renault minivan.”
CNBC – “Amazon blames Trump for losing $10 billion JEDI cloud contract to Microsoft”:
“Thanks to @RepDougCollins for the shoutout! You can listen to ‘The Report’—@lawfareblog’s podcast on the Mueller report—here: [link atl]”
I recommend this podcast series. It was much more engrossing than I’d expected. It and several of the books I’ve read about these events (including the one by Simpson and Fritsch @ #57 above) all point to two key aspects: First, Trump has a distinct pattern and toolkit of behaviors he uses in his schemes and cover-ups. These behaviors occur again and again. Second, read removed from their immediate context and with the distance of time, Trump’s tweets and other statements are thoroughly insane.
CNN – “Christopher Steele told additional information about him will be made public with DOJ IG report”:
“Attorney General Barr’s party didn’t happen last night at the Trump hotel. I’m still not sure what happened. Politico has corrected a Barr story to say it was ‘rescheduled’.”
This is a preview of what to expect from this court on abortion cases.
Supreme Court rejects challenge to Kentucky abortion ultrasound law
By Ariane de Vogue, CNN Supreme Court Reporter
Updated 10:46 AM ET, Mon December 9, 2019
CNN
“Let this sink in: To date – Trump administration has not complied with any subpoenas, Daniel Goldman the House Intel Committee attorney says.”
Business Insider – Protester from the conspiracy site InfoWars interrupted the latest impeachment as soon as it began, shouting ‘Trump is innocent!’
Oh, this guy looks like the picture of sanity.
“DANIEL GOLDMAN: ‘The president’s scheme is quite simple and the facts are not seriously in dispute. It can be boiled down to four key takeaways’.”
Video at the link.
Here’s a link to today’s Guardian US-politics liveblog.
@ 93
One thing that continues to aggravate me is the reluctance to use Congress’ inherent contempt powers to have these people dragged into testify or jailed if they refuse.
From Wikipedia:
Come on, guys! They aren’t going to come in willfully no matter often you ask nicely.Take the kid gloves off already!
Dean Obeidallah at CNN – “Trump is trafficking in anti-Semitic tropes. It must stop.”:
Update to #56 – TPM – “Trump And Pompeo Will Meet With Russia’s Foreign Minister”:
Seems possible that the WH can’t confirm because Trump is getting his instructions that the meeting will take place from TV.
Castor isn’t faring well under Berke’s questioning, so the Republicans are having a collective tantrum.
Brad Heath:
“Inspector general finds that Steele Dossier did not lead to opening of FBI probe into Trump campaign.”
Holy shit, MSNBC, you’re actually breaking into this exchange between Berke and Castor and Goldman to talk about the DoJ IG report?
Link to the IG report.
Barr being Barr: “From Atty Gen Barr on I.G. report on FBI probe of Trump Campaign and Russia: He says it ‘now makes clear that the FBI launched an intrusive investigation of a U.S. presidential campaign on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken’.”
From the IG report: “We did not find documentary or testimonial evidence that political bias or improper motivation influenced the FBI’s decision to seek FISA authority on Carter Page.”
“there’s a reason Republican members of the committee are repeatedly jumping in like this….”
There sure is.
SC @103, OMFG. I mean, I expected Barr to do that, but actually seeing that he did just gaslight the American people AGAIN … well, it shocks me. What the hell can be done with a man so manifestly lacking in ethics? The biggest, and perhaps the most powerful, Trump Toady is William Barr.
At long last:
Wild:
“NEW: John Durham says they ‘do not agree with some of the report’s conclusions as to predication and how the FBI case was opened’.”
That statement sure doesn’t sound pressured at all.
In related news, “NEW: Sen. Judiciary Chairman @LindseyGrahamSC holding 4p news conference on DOJ IG report.”
Details concerning another addition to Trump’s swamp, and another instance of “all the best people” being dangerous.
Link
Ha.
This hurts my head … so not right:
Re #109: “It doesn’t speak well of Durham–who, recall, closed the CIA investigations w/o public explanation–that he agreed to put out this conclusory p.r. release today. He should let his work speak for itself–but now, in contrast to Horowitz, he’s made himself look like a Barr stooge.”
An exclusive report from Talking Points Memo:
More at the link.
The protestor who yelled, “Trump is innocent,” at the Congressional impeachment hearing is the same guy who called for Barack Obama to be lynched.
Link
“The Attorney General of the United States is a senior disinformation official.
Barr’s statement to accompany the independent findings of the Inspector General report is a case of up is down, black is white, and don’t believe your eyes.
Demonstrably—and laughably—false.”
Barr’s statement also claimed that “It is also clear that, from its inception, the evidence produced by the investigation was consistently exculpatory.”
Warren discloses pay for decades of legal work and the media’s double standard goes into overdrive.
Link to Barr’s full statement in all its appalling splendor.
House Judiciary counsel Ashley Callen is quesioning Castor and, wow, neither one is very impressive.
Re #119: “This is SO odd. It’s like two people complaining over martinis at a bar. WTF”
From Jeremy Schulman, “The Republican Impeachment Counsel Just Made a Blatantly False Claim.”
Castor keeps saying the Intelligence majority report “relied on” Sondland 600 times because he found Sondland’s name in it 600 times. How is this guy a lawyer?
EU gets another female leader with 34-year-old Finnish PM
Now all of the leaders of parties in Finland’s ruling coalition are women.
Callen and Castor now totally going after Sondland, who’s still the US ambassador to the EU.
Followup to SC’s comments 93 and 95.
From Daniel Goldman:
“Castor: morrison told us he did not know why sondland trying to show up to pence zelensky meeting in warsaw sept. 1.
Callen: and Hill said concerned sondland counterintel risk?
Castor: she did…”
Susan Hennessey: “Thus far I’d say FBI officials are 95% vindicated by this, Carter Page is ~30% vindicated, and Trump is not vindicated one iota. And Papadopoulos is vindicated negative 10%. (Applying obviously highly scientific vindication metrics). In short, no wonder Bill Barr is so bummed.”
Followup to comment 117.
From Wonkette:
Tweets o’ the day.
Collins is a ridiculous disgrace.
“News: House Ethics Committee finds that Rep. Duncan Hunter improperly spent thousands of campaign dollars on personal expenses including ~$9,200 for a trip to Italy and $625 to fly a pet rabbit (you read that right).”
Trump himself is now saying that the IG report shows that what happened to him was “far worse than I ever would have imagined.”
Pam Bondi is spinning the IG report to pretend that the FBI went after Trump without proper predication. The report says the opposite.
“Michael R. Bromwich, counsel to Andrew McCabe on DOJ IG report: ‘The OIG’s review found an ample factual basis for the launching of the Russia investigation. It also found unanimity — among FBI and DOJ personnel at every level — that the investigation needed to be opened’.”
“The low level FBI lawyer altering an email to cover for his own carelessness is bad. But if that is the only basis for Durham’s criminal predication it’s some seriously weak stuff (and makes initial reporting that Durham was now criminal probe really look like planted spin.)”
“President Trump, who has publicly accused his predecessor of trying to sabotage his campaign and the FBI of a politically motivated coup, says the inspector general report finding no evidence to support those claims is ‘far worse than I ever thought possible’.”
“@JeffreyToobin: ‘Let’s be clear about what happened today. For years and years, Donald Trump has said the FBI and the deep state was involved in an illegal conspiracy … and now after years of investigation, the inspector general said, ‘Not true. Didn’t happen’.”
“Chris Wallace on Fox News on the DOJ IG report: ‘The headline is that they didn’t find the things that Bill Barr and Donald Trump alleged’.”
Videos at both links.
“Once again. In line with Horowitz’s other work. All of the accusations and conspiracy theories are debunked. But Horowitz finds every opportunity to tsk tsk in President Trump’s favor. Entirely predictable. Don’t lie about the big facts but pleasure Trump as much as possible. [Ew.]”
Guardian – “Russia banned from Tokyo Olympics and football World Cup”:
It’s rarely noted how much damage years of this stuff can do to athletes’ bodies.
“House Dems: @danielsgoldman has already convincingly laid out your case. Don’t use your Member questions lobbing him softballs. Go right at the GOP witness and expose how weak the defenses are.”
Endorse.
Jim Comey: “FYI: I offered to go on Fox & Friends to answer all questions. I can’t change their viewers on Donald Trump but hoped to give them some actual facts about the FBI. They booked me for tomorrow at 8 am. They just cancelled. Must have read the report.”
Gross:
Video atl.
Hahaha – MSNBC had gone back to the impeachment hearing, but just zipped back out of it when it was Gaetz’s turn for questioning. Nicolle Wallace is interviewing Comey.
“Fox News spokesperson disputes @Comey: ‘James Comey was not booked and was never confirmed to appear on Fox & Friends’.”
Chris Hayes re #107: “Funny how [Sarah Isgur] didn’t invite reporters in to DOJ to read these and disseminate them anonymously!”
“New: A senior admin official confirms Trump will meet with Lavrov tomorrow:
‘President Trump will meet with Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia tomorrow to discuss the state of the bilateral relationship’.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray’s Response to Inspector General Report:
HuffPo – “Kamala Harris Leads Senators In Demanding ‘Immediate Removal’ Of Stephen Miller”:
List of signers atl.
Clip from Nicolle Wallace’s Comey interview.
Daily Beast – “A Perennial Congressional Candidate Beloved by Trump World Was Just Arrested on Stalking Charges”:
More at the link.
Daily Beast – “A Perennial Congressional Candidate Beloved by Trump World Was Just Arrested on Stalking Charges”:
More at the link.
“JUST IN: Feds seek one more day to propose sentence for Rick Gates. Will move for a departure from sentencing range, but how low will they go?
There’ll also be a secret filing about his continuing cooperation in ongoing investigations.”
Document atl.
Shimon Prokupecz, CNN: “Rep. Eliot Engel told us that there will be an announcement TOMORROW – likely 9a – to lay out the articles of impeachment. He wouldn’t say how many articles there are, what’s in there and whether Mueller evidence will be in there.”
That Christopher Steele and Ivanka Trump were friends and that he “once gifted a family tartan from Scotland to [her]” is not something I saw coming. What on earth.
“Trump/Lavrov meeting in the Oval office will be ‘closed press’.”
@ #151
According to WaPo there will be 2 articles. One on abuse of power, the other on obstruction of Congress.
Akira, #96
Because Democrats.
I mean they also sent a letter to Trump asking him to fire Stephen Miller, lol.
Andrew Lawrence, MMFA:
Daniel Trilling in the Guardian re #s 63 and 64 above – “Why did the Sun publish a far-right conspiracy theory?”:
Here’s a link to today’s Guardian general election liveblog.
Also, Marina Hyde – “Boy on the floor photo prompts Boris to add larceny to mendacity”:
The responses are a hing of beauty.
TPM – “The Top Five ‘Deep State’ Conspiracy Theories Debunked By The DOJ IG.”
“FBI Director Christopher Wray: ‘We have no information that indicates that Ukraine interfered with the 2016 presidential election… as far as the [2020] election itself goes, we think Russia represents the most significant threat’.”
CNN – “Former top FBI lawyer: I want Trump ‘to apologize to me'”:
“Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office officially announces 9 a.m. presser to discuss next steps in the impeachment inquiry.
Sources say lawmakers will be detailing at least two articles of impeachment against President Trump– abuse of power and obstructing Congress.
Buckle up, folks.”
Ari Melber:
Just two days to go before the UK election, and although there has been a slight fall in the Tory poll lead, they are still shown as around 10 points ahead. This is enough for a secure majority even if there’s considerabl tactical voting, although of course on a minority of the vote – even adding in the Farageists, now down to around 3%, just about all the polls indicate a majority will vote for parties opposed to Brexit without a fresh referendum. The dire prospect of five years of our very own Trump Mini-Me in power looms. He will continue to follow Trump’s example of corruption, lies, appeals to bigotry, vote suppression, and undermining the rule of law, and any institution which fails to lick his feet. And just as in the USA, most of the media allows him to get away with blatant lies, and will become still more toadying if he’s in for five years.
In Scotland the SNP will do well, although probably more at the expense of Labour and perhaps the LibDems than that of the Tories. Sturgeon will ask for permission to hold a new independence referendum next year, which will be refused. It’s not clear she has any plan for what to do after that, aside from making the refusal the central issue in the 2021 elections to the Scottish Parliament – always provided the latter has not been abolished, as the UK Parliament has the power to do. But in the early part of next year, the former SNP leader, Alex Salmond, will be tried on charges including two of attempted rape (what reports I’ve seen indicate that there’s strong evidence against him in a pattern of sexually harrassing and abusive behaviour – I’ve seen nothing to back claims made by some in the independence movement that the trial is a political stitch-up). At best this is going to be bad for the SNP, but I think they’ll weather it unless evidence comes out that the current leader, Nicola Sturgeon, failed to keep a proper distance from the investigation – I’ve seen suggestions this will happen. Sturgeon was Salmond’s protege, although they have apparently fallen out. If she has to go, her loss would be a great blow to the SNP and the wider independence movement – although it might give more space for voices outwith the SNP, including the radical left of the movement.
Update to #143 – Keith Urbahn: “Hi Ben [Domenech]. I know this is isn’t a lie because I booked the @foxandfriends interview for 8 am tomorrow, and it was abruptly pulled while we were awaiting car and final hit time. Will you correct? Or apologize yourself?”
“Everyone on @Morning_Joe really getting into hating on Warren, when Steve Schmidt gives this warning speech about how Warren’s ‘serial dishonesty’ makes her essentially the left’s Trump. That was finally a bit much for some of them who went into, ‘well, she’s not THAT bad’ mode.”
I caught a few minutes of this – changed the channel in a rage before Schmidt really got going, but saw enough of Heilemann claiming that people were starting to ask questions about Warren – “Is she who she says she is? Is she a fraud? Is she a phony?” He wasn’t saying she was any of those things, even after listing dishonest claims purporting to establish her phoniness, but, you know, people were wondering about it, and her campaign totally knows it’s a vulnerability for her. (This is not remotely a pre-existing widespread narrative about Warren – they’re trying to make it one.) It’s sickeningly reminiscent of what they did to Hillary Clinton, and it’s shameful that Claire McCaskill participated in it. They should prepare for a backlash this time.
How is it possible that the parliamentary report on Russian election interference hasn’t leaked before the election?
!!! – Independent – “Boris Johnson book depicts Jews as controlling the media”:
TPM – “Trump Lashes Out At Own FBI Chief For Not Drinking ‘Deep State’ Kool-Aid”:
From Trump’s tweet: “I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me….” Which once again leads me to wonder if they’re showing him faked documents. He’s meeting with Lavrov this afternoon, too, which is extra special.
Chuck Schumer:
Jake Tapper:
The Pelosi/chairs press conference has begun.
Nadler is describing the articles of impeachment. As expected: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Schiff now will explain the evidence underlying the two articles.
Tweet o’ the day.
Schiff says the argument that they should wait for repeated obstruction attempts to make their way through the courts amounts to asking them to let Trump cheat in one more election.
Frank Figliuzzi on MSNBC is pointing out how House Democrats are emphasizing that Trump is a threat to national security and democracy.
Thread by Aaron Rupar livetweeting the press conference, with video clips.
“Schiff: Ben Franklin said it’s a republic, if you can keep it.
The president and his men say you can’t keep it, and get over it.”
“Cipollone initial lawless screed calling impeachment ‘constitutionally invalid and a violation of due process’ will be prime exhibit in Obstruction of Congress count.”
Peter Jukes at Byline Times – “TROLLS, SOCK PUPPETS &
USEFUL IDIOTS: An Anatomy of an Election Disinformation Campaign”:
Carole Cadwalladr, responding to Kuenssberg’s “apology”:
Former DoJ IG Michael Bromwich:
Guardian – “Pro-choice activists launch abortion initiative in Poland”:
Neal Katyal: “Very glad to hear the obstruction Article will focus on White House Counsel Cippillone’s letter. As I say in IMPEACH, the letter is an absolute constitutional disgrace, and Congress absolutely must make clear no President from either party can act this way.”
“Another GOP retirement. Rep Ted Yoho R-FL will not run in 2020.
Yoho’s retirement means 32 House members are now not running for their seats again in 2020.
23 Republicans, 9 Democrats.”
Text of the articles of impeachment.
“Dems don’t explicitly reference Mueller in these articles but say: ‘These actions were consistent with President Trump’s previous efforts to undermine United States government investigations into foreign interference in United States elections’.”
From the Guardian GE liveblog (linked @ #159):
Just outright shameless lying from House Republicans.
re SC @190: from that thread:
True Dat!!
“Chris Steele’s attorneys have just released a lengthy statement responding to the IG report and the outstanding points of dispute:…”
Statement atl. Very interesting.
From WaPo Opinion:
Democrats ditch ‘bribery’ and Mueller in Trump impeachment articles. But is that the smart play?
By Aaron Blake
Not according to this writer.
What he left out is that the leadership caved in to moderate Dems in Trump-leaning districts who feared that wider charges would hurt them in the next election. This shouldn’t have been the deciding factor. IMO, much broader charges, showing the real pattern of corruption, would be more effective. The outcome in the Senate won’t change anyway.
re tomh @193:
And THAT is the biggest crime of them all.
@ 194
That’s just reality. Just as nothing will affect Trump’s base is reality. The purpose of impeachment, as far as I can tell, is to convince everyone else, so that Trump is left with nothing but his base. That won’t win him the election.
MSNBC is airing a Pete Williams interview with Bill Barr and it’s just one lie after another, and Williams is just letting them pass right by. I’m speechless.
And he’s doing this propaganda preview about how Durham can talk to all of these people and agencies and “private individuals,” which is starting to have a very Giuliani ring to it. Despicable. More people need to stand up to his bullshit claims about the investigations, including Mueller’s, being based on a “totally bogus narrative.” He’s driving the covert propaganda campaign Trump tried to get Zelenskyy to participate in, doing the Kremlin’s bidding.
Ken Dilanian: “Pete Williams just interviewed Attorney General William Barr. It’s a doozy. Watch it soon on @MSNBC. You will not want to miss it.”
Counterpoint: I very much wish I’d missed it.
“Last week, DOJ said that Horowitz had done ‘excellent work’ and that his “investigation was a credit to the Department of Justice.”
Now, suddenly, Barr isn’t so glowing about the IG’s conclusions.”
“Wow. AG Barr says ‘greatest danger to our free system’ is the Obama admin used ‘the law enforcement agencies and the intelligence agencies, both to spy on political opponents, but also to use them in a way that could affect the outcome of the election’.”
“Just utterly shocking bad faith by the Attorney General. Once upon a time, this was the kind of thing that would spark high-level resignations in protest at the Department and Bureau.”
Albany Times Union:
Court rules New York school vaccination rule is constitutional
“NEW U.S. prosecutors recommend no prison time for former senior Trump campaign official Rick Gates, citing ‘extraordinary assistance’ — which remains ongoing — in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s Russia investigation.”
re tomh @195: I only hope that he drags down a bunch of the republicans that have tied themselves to him as well. Q: What’s a democratic-majority House and Senate as well as the presidency? A: An optimistic wish and a good start.
“NEW: Attorney General Barr says that U.S. Attorney John Durham’s review of the Russia investigation will likely be concluded in the late spring or early summer. He says he hasn’t decided if there will be a report, in interview with @PeteWilliamsNBC”
You can be sure Barr will be there with the “principal conclusions” at a moment coordinated with the Trump campaign. Terrible, devious man.
Press release from the New York AG – “Donald J. Trump Pays Court-Ordered $2 Million For Illegally Using Trump Foundation Funds”:
“Two interesting things from the government’s sentencing memorandum for Rick Gates:
– He’s providing info for ‘a number of different ongoing matters’.
– He was pressured not to cooperate with the government, ‘including assurances of monetary assistance’.”
“Remember, the IG audit is the legally authorized review of DOJ actions. Under law. And it’s done.
Barr is adding his own process, saying he appointed a prosecutor to separately investigate the investigation, but a US Atty probe would typically be for crimes, not a DOJ audit.”
One of the MSNBC shows yesterday had a nice montage of Trump and his sycophants at Fox and elsewhere endlessly hyping the IG report, which was predicted to bring down Comey and the rest. Now, they don’t like its findings and it only took them a minute to shift to hyping this Durham thing.
Shimon Prokupecz: “Can’t imagine what FBI staff listening to Barr today thinks. Not sure how the FBI recovers from these continued attacks.”
WaPo 10:30 a.m.
Centrist Democrats skittish on impeachment consider voting down obstruction article
By Rachael Bade
John Harwood:
tomh @ #207, those fuckers.
@ 209
Exactly. Another reason they shouldn’t have been catered to when drawing up the articles.
Weirdness from Tulsi Gabbard:
More madness and weirdness to come: Trump is holding a campaign rally in Hershey, Pennsylvania tonight.
And here is an “oh, for fuck’s sake” moment from Trump:
So, Trump is describing Wray as the “current Director,” which is probably a threat.
And Trump wants us to believe he read the 434-page report from the Justice Department inspector general’s office. Laughable.
“The Russian foreign minister has now done one more press briefing on US soil than @PressSec”
He’s now arrived at the WH. Imagine being Zelenskyy and watching this.
Guardian editorial – “The Guardian view on general election 2019: A fleeting chance to stop Boris Johnson in his tracks”:
I certainly don’t agree with all of it, but share their broad view.
“Lisa Page[] sues the Department of Justice and FBI for violations of the Privacy Act. Her complaint is worth reading. It alleges shocking and egregious behavior by DOJ officials, specifically Rod Rosenstein and Sarah Flores.”
Link to Lawfare post with document atl.
What Trump actually said about the report from Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz on the origins of the investigation into the Russia scandal:
In other words, black is white and up is down. And, as noted earlier, the people who brief Trump may be lying to him.
Horowitz’s report debunks in a very literal way Trump’s conspiracy theories.
From Steve Benen:
WaPo editorial – “The case for impeachment”:
An essay from Paul Waldman, (writing for the Washington Post), about lying, and about Republicans’ addiction to lying:
About the revised trade deal the U.S. negotiated with Canada and Mexico:
Link
From Lisa Page’s lawsuit (see #214 above), which is well worth reading:
“Disclosure of the text messages before Rosensein’s hearing would serve multiple goals: it would protect the Deputy Attorney General from criticism during his testimony; it would show that the Department was addressing matters of concern to the President; and it would dominate coverage of the hearing, which otherwise could be unfavorable for the Department. And the Department could achieve all of this at the relatively low cost (in the Department’s view) of the privacy of two FBI employees: Ms. Page, a longtime DOJ and FBI attorney, and Mr. Strzok, a career FBI agent.”
(It would also provide Trump, however briefly, with another target for his vengeful and destructive impulses.)
“On information and belief, the Department provided the messages to reporters to influence the public reception of Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein’s December 13 testimony and to ingratiate Attorney General Sessions and DOJ with the President, among other improper and impermissible purposes.”
“On information and belief, the officials gave this instruction [not to identify the DOJ as the source of the messages] so that the Department could pretend that the reporters had obtained the messages from Congress and plausibly deny having invited reporters to the Department to view them. This explicit directive to reporters to suppress the facts of the disclosure demonstrates the determination of senior DOJ officials to violate not only agency policy but core values of honesty and candor in order to achieve their political goals. The instruction also shows that senior DOJ officials attempted to conceal their conduct because they knew the disclosure of the messages to reporters was wrong.”
LOL.
“NEW Rudy Giuliani says @realDonaldTrump asked him to brief Justice Department and GOP senators on his Ukraine findings ..”
WaPo link atl.
BBC – “Citizenship Amendment Bill: India’s new ‘anti-Muslim’ law causes uproar”:
AP – “World trade without rules? US shuts down WTO appeals court”:
“White House says ‘President Trump warned against any Russian attempts to interfere in United States elections’.
In meeting with Lavrov. Lavrov just now: ‘No, we haven’t even discussed elections’.”
And of course even if he did bring it up they would have no reason to treat it as anything other than a mutual joke.
Hahahahahahahahaha.
Here’s the full report from #225 – CNN – “McConnell says Senate to take up trade deal after impeachment trial”:
Much of Twitter (and the media) spent the morning attacking Pelosi for allegedly handing Trump a “victory” in the midst of impeachment. Then she gives a press conference, after which it was revealed that she’d privately told her caucus that they’d eaten the Republicans’ lunch in negotiations and the AFL-CIO came out endorsing the negotiated agreement. Now Republicans are openly expressing their disappointment, undercutting Trump’s propaganda, and Moscow Mitch is postponing taking it up until after the impeachment trial.
WTF: “President Trump will sign an executive order defining Judaism as a nationality, not just a religion, thus bolstering the Education Department’s efforts to stamp out ‘Boycott Israel’ movements on college campuses.”
NYT link atl.
“My first thought on any executive order aiming to ‘define Judaism’ in some specific way is that it seems completely normal and untroubling.”
Joy Reid’s thread on the trade deal.
Reid: “So to review, Republicans’ core talking point is that Democrats are ignoring the job of governing for the people in order to impeach Trump, and yet while Speaker Pelosi can manage to get a trade bill done during impeachment, Mitch McConnell can’t. Got it.”
Once Trump sees the pushback on the trade deal from people like Toomey, what are the chances he says he never agreed to it in the first place. Pretty good, I’d say.
No words.
tomh @ #231:
Well, the WH is already trumpeting it and everyone is responding to the thing as it stands. And he’s doing a rally tonight in which he’ll be at a loss to find anything else to try to brag about. And if he tries to back out now, Pelosi can point to the agreement, and if he denies it, the evidence that he’s a liar will be clear. Whatever eventually happens with the deal, he got played.
Josh Marshall: “Reading through that interview transcript, Bill Barr is one dark, malicious downright evil lying dude. Hard to imagine a more dangerous figure to have running the Justice Department.”
WaPo:
Federal judge blocks Trump plan to spend $3.6 billion in military funds on border wall
By Nick Miroff
Dec. 10, 2019 at 4:53 p.m. PST
Person of the year
Aaron Rupar’s livetweeted thread, with video clips, of Trump’s Hershey, PA, rally last night, which he calls “one of his ugliest and most troubling performances in recent memory.”
“Tucker Carlson guest says that @AOC’s district is dirty and the reason it’s so dirty is bc it’s ‘one of the least American districts in the country … it is occupied by relatively few American citizens’.”
Video atl.
In a few minutes, DoJ IG Horowitz will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Tonight at 7 PM ET, markup on the articles of impeachment will begin in the House.
Both are public.
At his rally last night, Trump claimed he’d “heard” that Lisa Page had to take out a restraining order on Peter Strzok.
Page just tweeted:
This is the guy the Republicans are praising, lying for, destroying careers and institutions to protect. Trump promised his followers everything on the campaign trail, and now the entirety of the Republican Party has been enlisted to enrich and defend this guy and his family.
Lindsey Graham is making his opening statement at the Horowitz hearing. He’s reading from the Page-Strzok text messages about Trump, and keeps repeating how “a lot of people believe(d?) that.” I don’t think it’s having the effect he wants, especially given that he said similar things publicly at the time – he believed that!
Here’s a link to today’s Guardian general election liveblog. The election is tomorrow.
And here’s a link to the Guardian US-politics liveblog.
SC @237, thanks for that link.
Here are some excerpts:
SC @234, thanks for posting that. I’ll repeat it for emphasis.
Josh Marshall: “Reading through that interview transcript, Bill Barr is one dark, malicious downright evil lying dude. Hard to imagine a more dangerous figure to have running the Justice Department.”
Furthermore, as you already noted, Pete Williams interviewed Barr and gave him a platform from which Barr lied repeatedly without being called on the lies!
Axios:
Trump Jr. blasts Time for choosing Greta Thunberg as Person of the Year
ProPublica/WNYC – “Donald Trump Jr. Went to Mongolia, Got Special Treatment From the Government and Killed an Endangered Sheep”:
@ 243
Crude, rambling, and demonstrably false… but effective. Sadly, Trump knows how to appeal to his audience, a skill that the Democrats have yet to learn.
Follow-up to quotetheunquote’s #236 and Lynna’s #245 – also from Time – “Guardians of the Year: The Public Servants”. Long article about all of the government employees who spoke up and testified in the Ukraine scandal (the whistleblower, Yovanovitch, Taylor, Vindman, Hill, Sandy, Williams, and others).
@ 245
As if you care about either, Junior.
“Over Trump’s objections, [the Senate] Foreign Relations Committee overwhelmingly passes Menendez-Risch comprehensive bill to sanction Turkey.”
Sen. Schatz re #227: “My nationality is American.”
Trump is considering another corporate tax cut, or at least the promise of yet another corporate tax cut as part of his plan to win a second term as
presidentTyrant Toddler.From MarketWatch:
Commentary from Steve Benen:
What Trump said last week:
What happened? Nothing.
From Bloomberg News:
Commentary:
Lindsey Graham opens Judiciary Committee hearing with what could be the worst defense of Trump ever
“Horowitz: ‘Whistleblowers have a right to expect complete, full confidentiality’.”
OMG.
Link
Details regarding one of the latests gun battles:
Link
Quoted in Lynna’s #254:
He did. I’m not sure if he realized how many times he referred to a lot of other people sharing Page’s and Strzok’s sentiments, if it was unconscious, or what, but it was noticeable.
From Jeremy Stahl:
Link
In the end, with obviously the biggest fraud/criminal to ever occupy the WH, the Democrats end up with the smallest impeachment ever. The “moderates” run the show.
NYT:
Seeking Unity on Impeachment, Democrats Decided Against Mueller Charges
By Nicholas Fandos
So to avoid making moderates uncomfortable, they sign off on obvious crimes by Trump.
Very intersting exchanges during Leahy’s questioning. He asks Horowitz about leaks (including to Giuliani) from the FBI New York field office. Horowitz says they’re still investigating it. He says what’s complicated is determining the content of the communications with reporters or individuals like Giuliani, but do have evidence of communications, which are illegal when not authorized.
Graham’s public statements about Trump in 2015 and 2016.
Details regarding Tucker Carlson’s attacks on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez:
Link
Smug, racist dunderheads.
From David Corn: “William Barr’s War on Reality, Truth, and the Law”:
Link
More at the link.
Wonkette’s Doktor Zoom commented on Trump’s executive order defining Judaism as a nationality.
From Rabbi Emily Cohen:
From Peter Gleick:
More from Wonkette:
It’s fascinating how Trump and the American Right walk a fine line between their historical anti-Semitic bigotry and their rabid support for Israel.
Akira MacKenzie@266
I think there isn’t actually much of a contradiction here. They’re rabidly in support of another country, waaayyyy over there, where all the Jews can be nice and separate from the rest of us. It’s like how white nationalists in general repeat the phrase “Africa for the Africans, Asia for the Asians, Europe for everyone” (or whatever it is). The existence of an explicitly Jewish state actually benefits them as a place to put all the people they don’t want in their own neighborhood.
Huh? If criticism of Israel can be construed as “discrimination”, wouldn’t it be already targeting a national origin, namely people from Israel, without ludicrously stretching the definition of who originates from Israel? I guess what’s happening here is one or both of the following:
a) You need someone to sue the institutions for discrimination, and US Zionist groups haven’t been able recruit Israeli exchange students for that purpose, so they want their own members to be able to sue.
b) While this is ostensibly a bone thrown for said Zionist groups, it also seeks to validate the common rightwing idea of Jews as foreign aliens who only belong in Israel, if anywhere.
Chris J @ 267
That, and there is the whole Evangelical Christian Israel-must-exist-for-Jesus-to-return angle.
You have to love how the Republicans have been reduced to repeating arguments like
“Is the absence of evidence necessarily evidence of absence?”
“Whatever evidence you’ve seen, can you say unequivocally, with absolute certainty, that no one involved had improper motives?”
“Isn’t the lack of evidence of improper motives really itself evidence of improper motives?”
CNN – “Whistleblower’s team preparing for possibility of Senate testimony”:
Al-Monitor – “White House persuades Congress to ease up on Saudi Arabia”:
Guardian – “First men go on trial under Nigeria’s anti-homosexuality laws”:
British Journalism Awards – “Winner of the Comment Journalism award is @MarinaHyde of @guardian who the judges described as ‘clever, innovative and on consistently on the ball’.”
Here’s Hyde today on fridgegate: “Fridge-hiding, the final frontier in election WTF-ery.”
Ian Dunt at Politics.co.uk – “The last days of hope”:
This could be written about the US with only the details changed.
“NEW: Schiff has sent Jennifer Williams’ supplemental testimony — which remains classified — to Nadler for Judiciary’s consideration.
Schiff asked VP Pence last week to declassify it, but Schiff hasn’t received a response.”
See #41 above for background.
“#BREAKING: Israeli parliament has been officially dissolved and for the 3rd time, in less then a year, elections will be held.”
So today’s WH Hanukkah party featured the lighting of a menorah candle even though Hanukkah doesn’t start for 11 days and “Four more years!” chants, and was addressed by an evangelical pastor who’s said Jews are going to hell and Alan Dershowitz. Sounds about right.
Tweet o’ the week.
“NEW: U.S. prosecutors asked a judge to return Lev Parnas, a Giuliani associate indicted on campaign finance charges, to jail for lying about his income and concealing a $1 million payment he got from Russia in September, a month before he was charged.”
Jason Stanley: “India is in the throes of Gleichschaltung, which was the Nazification of Germany’s institutions. Once secular liberal institutions from the courts to the army are becoming transformed into Hindu nationalist ones. The world’s largest democracy is no more.”
“SCOOP: The Trump administration DELETED a section in its own annual report on #regulation showing the benefits of public protections outweigh the costs by up to 11 times.
Screenshot of the deleted text from the draft report:…”
Video: “Rep. @RepSlotkin asking the Secretary of Defense @EsperDoD about the situation of the Syrian Kurdish allies after the withdrawal decision of President Trump”
Shorter Esper: “Hey, we just said we’re your allies in a fight that saw thousands of you die. We never promised we wouldn’t abandon you without warning or that we’d protect you from ethnic cleansing. I guess we’ll have to spell out going forward.”
Kurdistan 24 – “Syrian Kurdish leader calls on US, Russia to prevent ethnic cleansing by Turkey”:
THIS.
During the House Judiciary impeachment-articles markup:
“GOHMERT just named the person alleged to be the whistleblower as someone Republicans think should testify.
No other lawmakers have done this.”
“Meet @medwar93. He worked for Jaguar Land Rover for 30 years so is an expert why Brexit won’t harm the car industry.
He’s also an A&E nurse so is an expert on why Brexit won’t harm the NHS & how that pic was fake.
Amazing guy.”
Tweets atl.
General Election Day!
Guardian links:
“General election 2019: nation faces ‘historic’ choice – polling day live news.”
“What time will we know who won? Hour-by-hour election night guide.”
Most recent post on the G liveblog:
Detailed resource for voting results.
Maddow last night – “Impeachment Raises Questions About Secret Stash Of Trump Records”: “Rachel Maddow looks at the collection of reports of records of Donald Trump’s interactions with foreign leaders being made accessible to only a very limited number of people, a practice exposed by the I.C. whistleblower whose report ultimately led to the Donald Trump impeachment inquiry.”
I’m not sure why the clip doesn’t start at the beginning, but this is the Guardian report about Trump suggesting moving Seoul – “Trump called for Seoul evacuation at height of North Korea tensions, new book says”: “Donald Trump called for the population of Seoul to be moved during an Oval Office meeting when tensions between the US and North Korea were at their height, according to a new book about the president’s relations with the US military….”
Also, Colbert’s monologue last night:
Part 1
Part 2
NBC – “Pentagon watchdog plans to review award of $400M border wall contract to firm touted by Trump”:
NBC – “House Republicans’ Trump impeachment strategy was simple: Distract, deceive and yell”:
I recommend mocking them gently – “Do you need to lie down, maybe?” “I’m just concerned about your blood pressure” – or calling it out as performative. It’s white-male fragility on display – manipulation through loud shows of rage.
Impeachment markup in the House Judiciary Committee is happening now. Democrats are beautifully shutting down Republican lies. It’s good.
GAH. Will ONE of the Democrats bring up that the claim that Trump released the aid because he was satisfied that Zelenskyy wasn’t corrupt is ludicrous in light of the fact that he’s never cared about corruption anywhere that claims of corruption don’t serve him politically, #203 above which happened the other fucking day, the emoluments suits, his refusal to release his tax returns, the $25 million fraud settlement during the transition, the ongoing fraud suit, the multiple instances of fraud in his administration?! Enter the NY AG press release into the record, FFS!
Hahaha! I had typed #295 but hadn’t yet hit “post,” and Raskin is running through the list! Finally!
From the G liveblog:
The irony of the Polish and Hungarian right wing is that the British right wing wants to “preserve national sovereignty and identity” in part against immigrants from Poland and Hungary.
SC @ 295
No, of course they won’t. That would make them look too “partisan” and “divisive” and the moderate Democrats want this to be a nice and friendly impeachment proceeding the whole family can enjoy.
WaPo:
House Democrats brace for some defections among moderates on impeachment of Trump
By Rachael Bade and Mike DeBonis
Appeasement never works. If they’re going to defect anyway, why not bring the full slate of charges.
Old-style politics doesn’t work either.
Be prepared for Trump crowing about ‘bipartisan opposition’ to the hoax.
Akira, #298
Also, are they going to give a reason for why they didn’t enforce those subpoenas?*
I’m sure Republicans would have done so in the blink of an eye if this were an Obama impeachment.
I’m joking because of course we know the real reason
Akira MacKenzie @ #298, but they did! Almost everything I had on my list. (They could have also talked about Trump’s emoluments hotels, including the recent attempt to have the G7 at his Florida property, Bill Barr’s party scheduled at the DC hotel, and the amounts of money flowing to these properties from foreign governments; or about Trump’s daughter and son-in-law working in the WH despite their business interests and failure to get security clearances….)
They should be doing better at responding to the lies, since it’s a standard playbook of lies they’ve been using over and over. There’s a ton of evidence that the Ukrainians knew about the aid hold, including on the day of the call, for example. They could use as much time as the Republicans to go back through the actual evidence, helped by staff counsel.
My problem with the moderates is that their decision to vote against these two articles of impeachment can only be based on cynical and selfish considerations. I’ve been so annoyed with the pundits recommending that the Republicans move away from their current tactics and arguments and say that what Trump did was wrong and improper but doesn’t rise to the level of impeachment which would allegedly be a reasonable and respectable position.
It absolutely would not. These are very plainly impeachable offenses, as anyone who looks at this honestly will recognize. As some of the public testimony and Katyal’s book have pointed out, behavior like this is exactly the reason impeachment exists. It’s just off the charts abuse of power and obstruction – I still haven’t quite absorbed the extent of the crimes, and it’s been several months. It’s trite what people have said, but true: if this isn’t impeachable, what is? And to vote not to impeach on these charges is to condone the behavior. I respect people truly voting their conscience, but no genuine conscience-based position could lead someone to vote no on these two articles. And if these Democrats can’t explain it to their constituents, or stand their ground when they’re attacked for doing the right thing, then they’re moral cowards who don’t deserve to lead.
Update to #66 – Morales is now in Argentina. (More at the Guardian link.)
The Rethugs have painted themselves into a corner. Anyone who understands the law understands that Darth Cheeto committed bribery–and bribery is actually called out in the Constitution as something that might get one impeached.
More to the point, anyone in Congress has to see DJT’s actions as a serious challenge of and encroachment on the prerogatives of Congress as a co-equal branch of government. They should be outraged, and they should be attacking the Executive with all the fury they can muster in their spineless, weak little bodies. However, they know that after 3 years DJT is their creature. They are wed. And if they do anything but deny, scream and challenge the validity of the entire process, then they will have to at some point engage on the facts. They know that they cannot do this, because the facts are against them. No reasonable person can defend DJT’s actions, so they will refuse to engage based on the facts and instead engage with the Straw-Man rationale of their own–and Russia’s–creation.
What we have to do is use that dereliction of duty against them. They have shown that they fail to govern in the nation’s interest. How can we ever trust them with government again?
Weird stuff.
Politico – “Watchdog report a ‘roadmap’ for Russian spooks, intel vets say”:
It seems to me that Steele and his sources have been mistreated by a number of people and organizations.
Deranged and pathetic.
SC, so I’m going to propose that when DSM6 comes out that they include illustrations, and this one can go alongside the text for narcissistic personality disorder:
https://news.yahoo.com/trump-team-photoshops-face-over-125106420.html
I wish I were making this up, but he and his team really did photoshop his butt ugly visage over that of Greta Thunberg. Hey Xtians, here’s your President!
Video of #296: “WATCH as Rep. Raskin rips apart the Republican’s line that Donald J. Trump is an ‘anti-corruption crusader’.”
Then shortly after, another Dem mentioned the Trump U. fraud settlement and others.
USA Today – “Senate recognizes Armenian genocide over objections of Trump and Turkish government”:
a_ray @ 304
It’s not people like me you’re going to have to convince. You’ve got to reach the anti-government rank-and-file Rethuglicans who cheer the prospect of a government shutdown. To them, dereliction of duty when the “duty” is governing is supposed to be a good thing,
Nice little bit of Canadian political news:
Andrew Scheer, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, the Official Opposition, is resigning after being caught using Party funds to pay for his kids private-school tuition.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-andrew-scheer-resigns-as-conservative-leader/
I’m sure they will replace him with someone equally repugnant, but for now…
Good riddance Scheer!!
Here’s a link to the Guardian election-results liveblog. I believe the exit poll results will be out in about a half hour – 10 PM there, 5 PM ET here in the US.
Dave, ex-Kwisatz Haderach, @ #312, that is good news!
Alex Wickham, BuzzFeed:
Tweet o’ the day.
From the G:
Ian Dunt: “Ok well that’s easily the most fucking terrible thing I’ve seen in my life.”
Guardian: “This result, should the exit polls prove accurate, would represent a ‘phenomenal victory’ for the Tories and would leave Boris Johnson feeling vindicated, the former Speaker of the Commons John Bercow has said.
He told Sky News it would be an ‘absolutely dramatic victory’ that would allow Johnson to get ‘phase one’ of the Brexit process through by the end of January.”
“The very worst political behaviour is being given a mandate. It’s being vindicated. Tonight is going to be heart breaking.”
Josh Marshall: “It’s hard. But it’s really important for Democrats to annoyingly, methodologically, constantly repeat the sworn testimony because Republicans keep claiming things that the sworn witnesses said over and over were not true.”
“Andy Beshear just signed an executive order restoring voting rights of many people with completed sentences!
Massive expansion: It affects 4% of KY’s adult population!! But ≈100K with completed sentences remain disenfranchised.
Also, a part of HUGE movement in 2019.
See:…”
More atl.
“We’re about to experience the most right wing nativist government of our lifetime. Hard Brexit. Attacks on the Human Rights Act and judicial review. The nationalist culture war with a base in Downing Street.”
“But more than that: the attitude. Lies. Division. Attacks on the media. Hatred of immigrants. All vindicated.”
“Be horrified. Be depressed. It’s fair enough to take the weekend and be sorrowful. But after that, we’re going to fight.”
“…Every day, relentlessly, with commitment. No going gently. No defeatism.
The people who are most vulnerable to this assault can’t afford to have their allies give up. We fight this shit all the way. And eventually, we will reverse it.”
I want to laugh at this but I’m just wrecked atm.
“Dark day for minorities in the UK. Especially for British Muslims who watched as a man who said ‘Islam was the problem’, mocked veiled Muslim women, & also turned a blind eye to massive anti-Muslim hatred in his party, was just given a landslide majority by their fellow Britons.”
For anyone who thought they knew how low Republicans could go, I give you ex-gov Bevin of Kentucky.
WaPo:
Defeated GOP governor pardoned violent criminals in a spree lawyers are calling an ‘atrocity of justice’
World War III, but this time with US and UK as Axis Powers.
I only hope that the citizens of the US look at what happened in the UK and realize that we damn well better get the vote out for the democratic candidate in November 2020 or we will be facing the same fate.
.
re Saad @331: Yes. We are the baddies.
What the high-holy motherfuck is happening?
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/axe-body-spray-school-bus-evacuation-florida_n_5df31be0e4b04bcba18214c7?ncid=%20edlinkusaolp00000029
.
I have always considered that stuff toxic. Seems this nearly proves that.
@ 323
Or, maybe those of us who prefer democracy, secularism, racial-sexual equality, and sane government really are in the minority.
Corbyn is stepping down.
Ian Dunt in Politics.co.uk – “The future of British Europeanism.”
In a few minutes, the House Judiciary Committee will begin the hearing to vote on the articles of impeachment.
(Somehow it brings me joy that the most viewed article this morning at the Guardian is “Eagle v octopus: Canadians rescue bird locked in battle with giant mollusc” and the most shared is “Thousands of ‘penis fish’ appear on California beach.”)
Guardian – “Sardines squeeze into Italian cities for biggest anti-Salvini protests yet”:
The House Judiciary Committee has approved both articles of impeachment on a party-line vote. (Ted Lieu isn’t present to vote because he had a stent put in the other day.)
“Jamal Khashoggi: US spy chief given deadline to name Saudi writer’s killers”:
If the bill contains “language requiring the director of national intelligence (DNI) to present a formal determination within 30 days on who was responsible” and they’ve determined MBS was responsible and Maguire doesn’t include this in the formal determination, he’s not walking a fine line. He’s lying to the public, and Riedel shouldn’t be making excuses for it.
“Moscow Mitch has just announced he will conduct the Senate trial in coordination with the WH. So much for Fairness & Impartiality. So much for Checks & Balances. So much for our 243 year Democratic Experiment.”
#MoscowMitchMcConnell is trending on Twitter.
re SC @341: Well, we knew that the fix was in from the start, but why the fuck would the White House have any say in how the trial is conducted since the WH is on trial? That is not how fair trials are conducted. Oh, that’s right. Moscow Mitch has no intention for even the illusion of a fair trial.
Brett McGurk:
It’s because he knows he’s not accountable to anyone and the response from the public can be ignored.
^ that was about McConnell, but you may choose to apply it to any number of current trending politicians
Politico – “Democrats face post-impeachment dilemma: What if Trump offends again?”:
Meanwhile,… – USA Today – “President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, was seen entering the White House Friday, just as the House Judiciary Committee was taking a historic series of votes to approve articles of impeachment against the president….”
“McConnell confirmed as many circuit court judges this week as he did the entire last two years of Obama’s presidency.
It’s no accident that Trump inherited so many vacancies. All part of their plan to stack the courts with lifetime judges who’ll roll back our rights for decades.”
From text quoted by SC in comment 346:
I definitely disagree. Trump has no shame, no moral compass, and a very limited capacity to learn. He will continue to be a repeat offender, or walking crime spree.
Marshall Cohen, CNN:
Ken Vogel (which, ugh, but whatever): “NEW: TRUMP allies pushed for Ukraine to name as ambassador to DC [Andrii Telizhenko], who worked with @RudyGiuliani to push claims re: the BIDENS & Ukrainians helping @HillaryClinton in 2016.
Zelensky named someone else, but the WH delayed agr[ee]ment for 2 mos.”
From Steve Benen:
In other news, Trump took credit for a Democratic Party initiative:
Link
Trump lied about Nancy Pelosi:
Link
From Joan McCarter:
Link
From Mark Sumner:
Link
A federal judge is taking the Trump administration to task over the handling of document requests and other procedural matters related to the case concerning adding about a citizenship question to the 2020 census.
Link</>
Trump dreams about Buttigieg?
Link
Megan Rapinoe announces endorsement of Warren with video on Instagram
Amid impeachment, Trump and Giuliani are still coordinating on anti-Biden dirt
Giuliani actually admitted it on a phone call.
From Wonkette:
Trump may refuse to debate his 2020 opponent:
Link
Republicans in denial:
Followup to comment 359.
Trump is so anxious to receive fresh smears of the Bidens from Rudy Giuliani, he called Rudy while the plane was on the runway. The plane was still taxiing after landing.
More Ukraine-related fuckery from Trump and Giuliani: they want Ukraine to swap out their current ambassador for Andrei Telizhenko, “a 29-year-old former Ukrainian diplomat who popped up in 2017 to claim that the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, D.C. colluded with the Democratic Party to undermine Trump’s campaign.” Yep. The two dotard dunderheads are still pursuing “proof” for a debunked conspiracy theory.
Link
Telizhenko only worked in D.C. for a few weeks.
From Paul Krugman:
NY Times link
Another excerpt from the article:
Voter suppression in Wisconsin:
Link
From Tony Evers:
https://twitter.com/Tony4WI/status/1205629927804022785
From Eric Holder:
https://twitter.com/EricHolder/status/1205689155998683136
Methane ‘super emitters’ releasing massive plumes after Trump rolled back environmental regulations
Trump has succeeded in lobbying some of the members of the jury (Congress critters) who will vote on his impeachment:
Link
UN climate talks in Madrid have stalled. Countries are blaming the US.
Negotiations over the Paris climate agreement are now in overtime.
From Wonkette: “New York Times Drops Another Load Of ‘Both Sides’ BS About Impeachment”
Link
From Jay Rosen:
https://twitter.com/jayrosen_nyu/status/1205865866291810309
See the Twitter link above for the list of the offensive both-sides phrasing the New York Times used, including “both sides engaged in a kind of mutually assured destruction.”
More from Wonkette:
Elizabeth Warren Gets Off the Mat
Warren delivered her most direct response yet to skeptics, and to Buttigieg.
From William Saletan:
Link
Watch Trump Tell Same Story Four Times, Each Time Naming a Different Jewish Friend
See also: https://twitter.com/thefix/status/1205559401223901185
Appeals court blocks Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban
From Josh Marshall:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/terrible-terrible-terrible
From former FBI chief Jim Comey:
Trump whines:
Tiny violins for the Orange Toddler who is throwing a fit.
“Commiecast” is a new insult from Trump. It is weird that he sometimes sounds like my aging grandmother, who has a brain tumor and who reverts frequently to being obsessed with “commies” taking over the USA.
From the readers comments:
https://twitter.com/wsavalexb/status/1203372986948112391
Here’s a Fox News Poll Trump Definitely Won’t Be Tweeting About Today
Link
The Growing List of Damning Newspaper Editorials Demanding Trump’s Impeachment
More at the link.
Link to an article discussing Saturday Night Live’s cold open, featuring fictional American families discussing Trump’s impeachment.
Video at the link.
Kate McKinnon, playing Greta Thunberg, also makes an appearance: “So Merry maybe-our-last-Christmas to all. And Donald Trump — step to me and I’ll come at you like a plastic straw comes at a turtle.”
From NBC News:
Link to PDF of Schumer’s complete letter.
Excerpt from an interview conducted by CNN’s Jake Tapper:
Yes, Trump did commit crimes—actual crimes according to federal statutes.
TPM link
More details, plus the full “Impeachment of Donald J. Trump President of the United States” report, are available at the link.
Lynna, #383
I’m just dying to know what Russia has on all of them.
There is probably an “Impeach & Remove” or “Nobody is Above the Law” event near you.
https://www.impeach.org/event/impeach-and-remove-attend/search/
From Barack Obama:
Cartoon by Tom Tomorrow. It’s a good summary of how Trump thinks, and of what he has said about impeachment.
From Wonkette: “Obamacare Website Crashes On Final Enrollment Day, Total Coincidence, Nothing To See”
From Elizabeth Warren:
More from Wonkette:
https://www.wonkette.com/obamacare-deadline-website-glitch
Projection episode from Trump:
From Representative David Cicilline, a democrat from Rhode Island:
Corporations paid, on average, an 11.3 percent tax rate last year. That is a steep drop in the percent rate of taxes paid by corporations, and that drop occurred under Trump’s tax law.
Washington Post link
Celebrated former FBI, CIA chief sees ‘dire threat’ from Team Trump.
Link
From Josh Marshall:
Will Moscow Mitch do the right thing on drug prices? No, because it does not benefit him.
Link
I could really benefit from legislation that lowers prescription drug prices. If I lived in Kentucky, I vote Mitch McConnell out of office.
Some Republicans think Trump doesn’t have a leg to stand on when he ignores House subpoenas.
Link
Those twenty former Republican lawmakers disagree with William Barr, and with Trump.
From Wonkette:
Link
From Wonkette:
A few newsy updates from Steve Benen:
That labor dispute that was threatening to block the next Democratic presidential primary debate has been resolved. The Democratic candidates all said that they would not cross a picket line. Now, the debate at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles will be held on schedule, (Thursday).
In other news, Trump will like this bogus poll result:
I think the Russians are trying to turn Tulsi Gabbard into a third party candidate.
Washington Post link
Another excerpt from the letter:
$12.5 million for research funds may not sound like much, but this is still a victory for Democrats.
From the Washington Post:
Followup to comment 382.
McConnell shot down Schumer’s requests.
TPM link
House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff was interviewed by Set Meyers:
Link
Rick Gates was sentenced to 45 days in jail and three years of probation.
Link
Gates is obligated to continue to cooperate with prosecutors. In a sentencing memo, prosecutors noted that Gates “worked assiduously” to cooperate and provided “substantial assistance in the investigation and prosecution of others.”
From the readers comments:
The House Rules Committee met to consider rules for the final House vote on articles of impeachment.
Link
More to come on this story. The meeting continues.
From Mark Sumner:
Link
A CT scan costs $1,100 in the US — and $140 in Holland
Charts are available at the link.
A summary of some of the factors contributing to high prices in the USA:
Washington Post link to “Mormon Church has misled members on $100 billion tax-exempt investment fund […]”
Despite $1 Million From Oligarch Firtash, Judge Allows Parnas To Stay Free
Trump threw another temper tantrum. This time, he committed the tantrum to paper, in the form of writing a letter to Nancy Pelosi. The written rant was so bad that even Trump’s lawyers refused to sign it, presumably. Only Trump’s signature is appended to the screed.
Link
I wish media outlets would stop describing Trump’s letter as “scathing.” It is laughable. It is a schoolyard-level missive from a bully who accuses his perceived enemies of doing everything he himself has done, and is doing.
Link to The Hill webpage where you can read the entire letter, (Trump’s “strongest and most powerful protest,” yada yada).
Followup to comment 410.
“Donald Trump throws the Republican Senate a boat anchor in the form of a six-page tantrum,” by Mark Sumner.
Followup to comment 411.
From the reader’s comments:
Followup to comment 409.
From Josh Marshall:
Link
Another reaction to Trump’s six-page temper tantrum, (from Kate Riga):
Link
The letter itself is available at the link.
From The New Yorker, “The Ukrainian prosecutor behind Trump’s impeachment.”
That last sentence above clears up a few things for me. Trump made the call in a effort to make up for Giuliani’s and Lutsenko’s failures.
More at the link.
Followup to comment 415.
Here is another particularly telling excerpt from that article:
That’s some high quality work done by Giuliani. /sarcasm
Followup to comments 415 and 416.
Here is the part of the article that shows that even Lutsenko came to think that Giuliani and his cohorts were running a scam:
Ukraine scandal fallout?
NBC News link
Uh-oh:
Wall Street Journal link
Peter Thiel cannot be trusted.
Trump TV:
https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/1206928018645618688
WaPO;
Paul Manafort’s fraud case in New York was dismissed, blocking local prosecutors’ effort to undercut a potential Trump pardon
By Shayna Jacobs
Dec. 18, 2019
Regarding tomh’s comment 421: Manafort is now in a prison hospital. Apparently, he has some kind of heart disease. I wonder if he will die before Trump can pardon him … or before Trump refuses to pardon him because that would be politically bad for Trump.
In other news:
Followup to comments 410, 411 and 414.
Trump’s thoughts on impeachment:
Link
Trump refuses, once again, to take any responsibility for his actions:
Link
Followup to comments 410, 411, 414, and 423.
Trump issued his temper-tantrum letter … and then he tweeted, “I’m not worried.” Yeah, right.
I noted earlier that media outlets characterizing Trump’s letter as “scathing” bothered me. Such a laughable letter is not really scathing. Steve Benen wrote:
From Kevin M. Kruse, a historian:
It doesn’t help when the Senate Republicans have stated that they intend to acquit Trump even before the trail begins.
re Lynna @423:
Do these fuckers even know what “impeachment” is? They just cannot get over the fact that a black man was president. Deranged just does not even begin to describe them.
re Akira MacKenzie @426:
Which violates the oath that they will take before the trial, and should be grounds for recusal. I mean, we all know what the outcome will be, but to have it so blatantly mashed into our faces violates every norm and code of conduct known. Especially when the republicans almost assuredly hate The Orange Toddler-Tyrant as much as we do, but stand behind him just to abuse the power of the office.
Here is a live blog of the debate that precedes the House vote on impeachment. See the Talking Points Memo website.
From the White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham:
Ten minutes later, Trump tweeted about the proceedings in the House, which he apparently was watching.
Here is an excerpt from Nancy Pelosi’s comments on the House floor:
Six hours have been allotted for debate. This will be hard to bear at times. Take, for example, this excerpt from Republican Doug Collins:
Democrats gave Nancy Pelosi a standing ovation. Republicans remained seated, but their silent protest was less effective since many Republican members of the house left right after the procedural vote opening the debate.
Several Republicans who stayed to speak harped on the idea that Democrats “hate President Trump,” and “they’ve been trying to impeach him for three years.” “This is about hate.” “Every president in our future will be impeached!” And so forth.
House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff commented on Trump’s temper-tantrum letter:
And who’s going to make them recuse themselves? No one. The entire trial is going to be illegitimate.
Happy Impeachment Day, everyone! I’ve been so busy with Christmas things I haven’t been around much lately, but this is a big day!
Here’s a link to today’s Guardian US-politics liveblog.
re Lynna @429:
So we want to start with one from the past!!
re Akira @431: Which is exactly why I said that we already know what the outcome will be. I mean, the fucking head juror is coordinating with the accused about how to run the trial. That is a blatant violation, but the republicans DO NOT CARE.
Oh blissful dream.
So sad: Trump family ‘has been hurt’ by impeachment, White House press secretary laments.
Akira, #431
Precisely. They’re not accountable to anyone. Turns out our system doesn’t really work if someone just chooses to shrug and go, “what are you gonna do about it?”
Trump personally forced Congress to slash Puerto Rico’s Medicaid funding in spending bill.
Link
Ah, a new conspiracy from the rightwing nutjobs:
See Hillary Clinton’s response:
https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1207347271244931072
@ #427 johnson catman
It is actually possible to impeach former federal officials, including a president. Since the only penalties for impeachment conviction in the Constitution are removal from office and prohibiting the individual from holding federal office again, maybe they’re worried that Obama will somehow run again.
There is precedent–Grant’s Secretary of War had impeachment articles written up, but before they could be voted on he resigned. The House went ahead and impeached him unamimously anyway, and the Senate, after agreeing he could be impeached, held a trial with over 40 witnesses (corruption and bribery were the charges.) They failed to reach a 2/3 majority, however.
Is Trump worried?
Link
Lynna @ #435, I don’t think the press should relay any statements from Grisham unless and until they reinstitute regular WH press briefings. They shouldn’t be allowed to trample the norms that allow for real press scrutiny, set new terms of engagement favorable to themselves, and still be allowed to get their inane message out via the press. Especially since they’ve turned the office into part of the Trump campaign/grift when they’re paid by the public and supposed to serve the public.
johnson catman @ 433
I’m beginning to think there are some flaws–just a few, mind you–in the way our government is set up.
SC @441, I agree. Grisham gets to spout that nonsense without any bothersome reporters questioning her. That’s not right.
In other news, protesters have arrived in the Capitol to support impeachment of Trump. This is in addition to the more than 600 protests that were held across the nation yesterday.
Link
From Wonkette:
From the Washington Post, more details regarding the composition of Trump’s temper-tantrum letter:
Uh … all that work and the unhinged letter is their finished product?
And this is an interesting, and I think true, take on the relatively stable poll numbers concerning impeachment:
From the article’s conclusion:
“OUT NOW: Latest @MilitaryTimes poll shows half of service members disapprove of Trump as commander in chief. Continues the decline we have seen among troops in recent years.”
Link and more information atl.
Current Salem, Massachusetts Mayor Kim Driscoll responded to Trump:
From CNN’s Jamie Ehrlich:
Tweet o’ the day.
From the G liveblog: “Republican congressman Barry Loudermilk just made a comparison between the Trump impeachment inquiry and the trial of Jesus in the Bible, shockingly arguing Jesus received more rights than the president.”
From Mark Sumner:
Link
From Hillary Clinton:
Justin Amash is getting some backup:
OMG, another Trump rally in Michigan! And on impeachment day no less. Sheesh. If the Trump temper-tantrum letter is any indication, that’s going to be one batshit crazy rally.
More from the article by Tax Axelrod:
Link
Daniel Dale at CNN – “Fact check: Trump’s wild letter to Pelosi is filled with false and misleading claims”:
The article was entered into the congressional record in today’s hearing.
In response to Republican Doug Collins’ remarks on the house floor today:
From Connie Schultz:
From Adam Wren:
From Michael Avenatti:
From Akbar Shahid Ahmed:
Trump in 2008: “I’m very impressed by Pelosi. I like her a lot. But I was surprised that she didn’t do more in terms of going after Bush and impeaching Bush to get him out of office. Which personally I think would have been a wonderful thing.”
Thanks for that link in comment 452, SC.
Here is just a portion of that factchecking article by Daniel Dale:
Bolding is mine. I just wanted to emphasize a particularly telling lie from Trump’s letter. That lie is so characteristic of Trump.
More from Daniel Dale’s article:
Links embedded in the article itself lead to further details that back up the fact checks.
“Don’t miss this: US and South Korea have failed to agree on the division of cost for US troops stationed in South Korea after two days of negotiations, says South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The current agreement expires at the end of 2019. New talks in January.”
More re #454 – Wolf Blitzer: “Check out this exchange I had with then private citizen @realDonaldTrump on Oct. 15, 2008. We spoke about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and he then offered his thoughts about impeachment.”
Video clip atl.
WaPo:
Some House Democrats push Pelosi to withhold impeachment articles, delaying Senate trial
By Mike DeBonis
Dec. 18, 2019 at 11:44 a.m. PST
Sen. Murphy:
Adam Schiff quoting and talking about Hamilton in the impeachment hearing. It’s lovely.
“Shout out to all the freshman House Democrats in swing districts who are voting for impeachment today knowing it may cost them their seats next election.
Shout out for knowing that your job was never just to keep your job, but to seek justice.
We’ll fight for you….”
Here’s a link to donate to Swing Left for 14 first-term Dem representatives voting for impeachment. Slotkin and the others have shown themselves to be courageous and principled.
Katelyn Polantz at CNN – “Judge while sentencing Trump campaign aide: ‘If people don’t have the facts, democracy doesn’t work'”:
“A senior Democratic aide says that Rep. Justin Amash has asked for time to speak, and will be given two minutes to talk on the impeachment debate and will speak soon.”
Amash gave a decent speech. Symbolically significant.
Matthew Miller: “Watching the impeachment debate in the House all day really drives home that Donald Trump is not an anomaly in the Republican Party but a perfect representation of it.”
SC @459, yes, Trump is inordinately proud of that letter to Pelosi.
From Vanity Fair:
Link
There is no proof that the previous administration spied on his campaign. We do have proof of the opposite, according to the recent report from the Inspector General.
Power brooch.
From text quoted by SC in comment 464:
Exactly. The longer I watched this one-sided debate (the Democrats are debating the issues, the Republicans are not), the more horrified I was at the low quality of the speeches given by Republicans. One member even claimed that the Democratic policy of killing unborn children made them unfit to judge a president.
https://twitter.com/SenBlumenthal/status/1207392328392069120
Video of Amash’s speech.
Video of Schiff’s speech.
Lynna @ #468, from the responses:
“I hope my taxpayer dollars did not pay for that!”
“Of course they did.
Merry Griftmas!”
Link
Followup to comment 471.
From Wonkette:
Guardian – “Brazil: homes of Bolsonaro associates raided in sweeping anti-corruption operation”:
WaPo:
Appeals court rules ACA’s individual mandate unconstitutional, asks lower court to decide whether rest of law can stand without it
By Washington Post Staff
Dec. 18, 2019 at 2:25 p.m. PST
Hahaha – Billy Long is speaking and someone must have advised him to remove the wad of cash or scarf with cash pattern from his jacket pocket.
Guardian – “China cuts ‘freedom of thought’ from top university charters”:
Betsy Swan in the Daily Beast – “Trump Administration Battles New Sanctions on Russia”:
That last bit is transparent nonsense – it’s obviously easy enough to say whether there’s evidence of interference or not.
Yes, the Russians helped to oust the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine:
Washington Post link
Medium – “”:
Signed by over 1,500 historians to date.
I Watched OAN’s Unhinged Ukraine Impeachment Special So You Don’t Have To
Lindsey Graham consoles Trump:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/graham-trump-impeachment-vote
Sorry – the title of #479 is “HISTORIANS’ STATEMENT ON THE IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT TRUMP.”
So, yes, Trump has been impeached. Both articles of impeachment passed the House.
The issue now goes to the Senate, where a trial of sorts will take place to decide if Trump is removed from office or not. Mitch McConnell plans to coordinate/collude with the lawyers of defendant Trump in order to make sure that Trump is not removed from office. Weirdness still to come.
Tulsi Gabbard did not vote yes or no. She voted “present.” She did not vote to impeach Trump. Scratch that women off your list of candidates for president. She does not deserve your vote.
Lawmakers voted 230 to 197 on the resolution accusing Trump of abusing his power, with all Republicans opposed and only two Democrats — Reps. Collin Peterson (Minn.) and Jefferson Van Drew (N.J.) […]
Link
Here is one example of the attack line you can expect from Republicans:
From TPM:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/house-impeaches-trump
Tulsi Gabbard should get the fuck out of the Democratic race. It’s one thing for some minor Demoracts to not vote to impeach but another thing for a Democratic candidate to abstain from voting. Be prepare for the Republican propaganda machine to jump on this opportunity. Fucking hell.
Yeah, it’s already at the Fox News front page. Well done Tulsi.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tulsi-gabbard-votes-present-trump-impeachment-articles
And her reasoning is so fucking bullshit too.
Yeah, right, guess whose fault was that? Republicans are corrupt, immoral, and shameless. They all knew what Trump did was wrong and so they decided to complain about the “process” and “Democrats” as a form of distraction. Then they decided to add Russian propaganda to the mix and lie to their followers. Heck Davin Nunes is even involved with the scandal.
I like the idea of holding it up, not sending it to the Senate for a while. After all, there’s no obligation to send it at all. When it goes to the Senate it will be voted down in two weeks, in two months it will be ancient history. Let it hang over Trumps head for a couple of months, maybe some court cases will play out, keep investigating, as we watch Trump go completely off the rails. I don’t see any downside.
It is done.
(I could give a laundry-list of things I’d want to see happen right. Whoever, I don’t want to ask the right inquiries lest the wrong people are looking. I’ll leave that to your imaginations, which I hope are as infrared as mine.)
Aww, come on, guys. Don’t be so hard on Tulsi. She hadn’t gotten explicit instructions from the Kremlin on how to vote!
MSNBC is reporting that Mark Meadows won’t be running for re-election. He might even leave before the end of his term. To go work directly for Trump or some such.
Daniel Dale’s livetweeting of Trump’s Michigan rally last night.
Here’s his vile rant about John and Debbie Dingell.
Debbie Dingell is being interviewed on CNN and making me cry.
“NEWS: Acting amb to Ukraine Bill Taylor was instructed by a top Pompeo aide to hand over responsibilities for his post just days before Pompeo planned to visit Kyiv, allow Pompeo to avoid meeting or being photographed with him.”
WSJ link atl.
Debbie Dingell tweeted last night in the wake of Trump’s sick remarks: “Mr. President, let’s set politics aside. My husband earned all his accolades after a lifetime of service. I’m preparing for the first holiday season without the man I love. You brought me down in a way you can never imagine and your hurtful words just made my healing much harder.”
Summary of Trump’s remarks (full transcript @ #493): “Trump goes after Rep. Debbie Dingell for voting for impeachment after he lowered flags for her late husband and longtime Rep. John Dingell. Then makes a joke at J. Dingell’s expense, saying ‘maybe he’s looking up’ instead of looking down. Crowd reaction was not great.”
There were expressions of disapproval from a Trump rally crowd.
Response from Rep. Dingell’s office checking Trump’s lies last night.
Michigan representatives:
Slotkin:
Amash:
Upton (Republican):
Getting closer to him getting booed at one of his rallies. I look forward to that happening.