Within Treason:  It Takes Two (The Impeachment Inquiry, Part 13)  

Link to previous thread for reference:

That's a fantastic photo.

I wish the fucking courts would move on his tax returns

^ seriously

That's what Patriots look like.

Somebody just needs to march into the White House and arrest the old grifter. it would be a thing of beauty.

Amen, r6

It just occurred to me that this impeachment is worth it just for the daily trolling of Trump, even if we can't hope the the Senate impeaches and removes. Even if it doesn't sway voters. It's a daily DEEP troll of Trump. Perhaps could have a narcissistic implosion.

The MSNBC shows are celebrating like it's 1999. Why? Based on a few obtuse he said/she saids?

I doubt if even all of the Democrats will vote for an impeachment.

Trump says he chooses his words very carefully. This may be laughable, but observe how he never comes out and asks Zelensky- point blank- to investigate Joe Biden or determine if some server in the Ukraine was responsible for 2016 hacks. He 'suggest' 'implies' 'intimates' 'hints at'. Has his underlings (including his kids) do his dirty work so he comes out squeaky clean.

No collusion! No obstruction! Catch me if you can!

just pissing off and distracting Trump is probably a help, but all this testimony does make ya wonder, what other countries is he extorting or trying to bribe or trying to solicit bribes from or ... well, you get it.

hhhhh

The trolls are out in force tonight to make us doubt Pres Bone Spurs is going down to impeachment.

When the trolls come out, they are worried.

My moderate cousin who never votes but when he does he votes GOP has recently said this impeachment hearing has turned him off the GOP for the foreseeable future. He said if and when he votes he will vote Dem.

yup, yup, yup, but the important thing, what the hell are you hearing these days FCI?

I don't understand why some are saying these hearings have been a failure. Democrats and liberals always seem so fucking self-defeating. You turn on Fox or listen to repub surrogates and they're mostly celebrating this as an impeachment flop. I don't see it as a flop

we just had the final (at least for now public hearing today). Who knows how polling might change next week

newspapers all over the country are putting it on the cover. Even people who don't buy papers see the headlines waiting in line at grocery stores. People see headlines on their phones from twitter and it's not good news for Trump

I agree it's tough not having all the documents or big name witnesses but this is not "a failure"

r14, First of all...why are you watching FOX?

I told you that shit would rot your brain.

[quote] observe how he never comes out and asks Zelensky- point blank- to investigate Joe Biden

Mob bosses operate the same way. Doesn't mean that their guilt isn't clear as day. Doesn't mean that they won't be convicted in a trial if the jury has the guts to do it.

actually I agree with you r14. we need to stop giving up in advance. We need to start framing this as what it is: Trump is obviously guilty of serious crimes and the Republicans in the Senate don't give a fuck.

That David Holmes... my kinda diplomat ;)

did the polls bounce back in the Nixon era? or once they started going up for impeachment, they kept going up?

"Abuse of power" - not sure everyone sees this as a crime. Many see this as immoral and deplorable. Some see this is as doing business. Also I'm not sure "bribery" fits. But whatever. I don't care how they stick it to Trump as long as they do.

and that is the difference between us and the Republicans, r20. They never give a shit WHAT people think is immoral or deplorable. They MAKE them care. This is where the fun begins. We need to start winning the messaging war, now.

The only thing anyone will remember from this is: "Joe Biden fired prosecutor who was going after his ne'er-do-well son, brags about it".

only if that is what we let them remember r22. why do we always give up in advance? why is that?

What I am hearing is Dem reps in swing districts are hearing great things from constituents. Very positive. Whatever polls the trolls dig up and whatever talking point they are pushing to make this seem like it is going the GOP's way is laughable and not reflective of reality on the ground. The reality on the ground is he has lost the middle class suburbs, his support among moderate conservatives is cratering and more voters are not only voting Dem more often but actually considering themselves Dems.

that is interesting FCI. Do the Republicans get that, or is it just the usual full steam ahead, always protect Trump, never do anything else?

fCI any info if some congressional repubs behind the scenes are talking to their Democratic peers agreeing Trump should be impeached?

R25 They all feel their donors will save them. Dark money to the rescue. Fox to the rescue. Yet, the midterms has many of them shitting their pants. They're worried but feel they have nothing to lose to go full steam ahead.

R26 Yes they want to and some might but it always changes when donors start throwing money at them. Or threatening them.

Add to that, many of the Republicans left are complete crooks who are neck deep in all the corruption and know full well elections are hacked.

Oh and internal polls for House Dems show dramatic increases in white, upper-middle class college educated support.

Polls showing record GOP support for Pres Bone Spurs is because all the ones who don't support him are leaving the party. In droves.

Repubs are aggressive, have zero conscience or culpability and have a ton of power and wealth behind them. If Trump goes down it will do major damage to their party. They will fight like hell for him to be punished as little as possible (if at all.)

I wish we had a candidate that was smart, charismatic and clean. Out of all the United States -- this is the best we could come up with? They all have (what are perceived to be) negative aspects to them.

I hope that is true R24. He still has a lot of supporters. I remember election night 2016. I was stunned. I just could not believe that there were that many people that took him seriously.

Yes, I am being defeatist but the Dems never seem to go mercilessly for blood like the Republicans do. We hear many people say "they'll hold their nose and vote for whoever the Democratic candidate turns out to be." Is that really the best we can do at this crucial time in our country?

so let's all game this out. Impeachment, obvs. then acquittal, or whatever you call it in the Senate. Then, does the Democratic Party actually get their shit together for the first time in 50 years and seriously start selling that this was a huge miscarriage or justice, or do we all do the usual dicking around, making no sense, throwing up a lot of bullshit hoping it makes sense, or what?

R29 DUDE! This isn't 2016. He was perceived as new, fresh, out of the box. Many voters just took a chance even though he was so plainly a conman loser grifter. We now have 3 years of constant negative, nasty, nutso, lying, gaslighting. Voters are sick of him. They rolled the dice and most admit they were wrong about him. If you are looking at our candidates and getting depressed you need a swift slap. We will never have perfect candidates. Ever. Get over that. We need to sell sell sell who we get. The trolls will be out in droves to push a negative narrative about them that will make what they did to Hillary look tame. Think Deep Fakes. My sources say they have been getting a lot of intel on them being used in 2020.

Alexander Skarsgård To play David Holmes in the movie.

and now I need to wonder. do Democrats get this? Does anyone, well I know Nancy does, but in general do Democrats get that this is not a game and nobody needs to pretend that this is all above board and okay. Do the Democrats get what kind of fight they are in?

things I wonder, FCI. do you, and the rest of your friends get what kind of knife fight you are in? Do you know this is for all the marbles? You are not going to go all Obama let's be friends on this shit are you?

I think trump might get removed by the Senate.

They know that their party will keep the White House until at least 2020.

It means that they will have some time to recover before the 2020 election.

Alternately, Trump will hang on like an albatross around their necks during the 2020 election.

Some of them will vote against Trump out of disgust

And most of them hate Trump, personally and will be happy to dump him.

I think some Republicans will just skip the ballot, so they can’t be attacked for voting yes or no. That isn’t as good as a vote to convict, but it helps.

you make them sound like independent actors, r35. they ain't. they are whores and slaves in a cult. there is no independence. they cannot act independently. there is a cult, and they are in it, or they are not in it. that is the only choice. and most Republicans vote with the cult.

R34 Yes, yes they do more than ever.

FCI, if so many know (or at least believe) about election hacking and changing of tallies, why don't we hear more about it? Why is it allowed to go on behind the scenes? I believe Malcolm Nance wrote about it in his books, and I've seen a couple pundits discuss it on MSNBC, (but only on the weekend shows!). I would think it merely a conspiracy theory concocted by the far left if I didn't wholly believe it myself.

You discuss it like it's common knowledge around DC, like Lindsay Graham's sexuality. So I don't get it. Why has it never been a top news story and investigation?

I've been doing my part to hound the rethugs I've been stuck with.

Calling them. Demanding they impeach and remove the traitor. Telling them they are complicit in treason if they continue to support this shit. And I don't want to hear a peep out of their lying mouths when a Democrat does the same thing.

Fuck treasonous rethugs! With rusty chainsaws!

Jared Kushner is just going to hit 'repeat' and the same computation that hacked the voting machines in '16 will happen again: Michigan, Wisconsin, etc. No one will question it because, like, that's what happened before!

What I don't get is who is trying to push some narrative that Dems and people on these threads have given up and aren't excited after today's hearings.

The only people who have said anything negative and have "given up," are trolls making their obvious comments.

[quote]I think trump might get removed by the Senate.

Are you high?

Has that imbecilic cunt Susan Collins voiced her concerns yet?

The GOP counts on Putin to hack the election give them and Trump the win. That's why they fight against cyber security. They are all Putin's bitches, because they are addicted to power and it made them do very bad things and they can't turn back now and they know have to stick with Trump and his master, Putin.

Sorry, and they have to stick with Trump and his master, Putin.

Many of them are LITERALLY compromised: by Russian $$, hacked e-mails, dirty picture (lookin’ at you, Sénatrice).

Remember when we thought releasing the pee tapes would actually do something?

The Repuglians often describe the "Steele Dossier" with double-negative adjectives. Like 'repudiated false' and 'fake dispelled'. They really hate it.

Much of it was true, but we'll never hear from it again.

This was nice

^^and why hasn't the Nunes story gotten more coverage? Shouldn't it be huge??

Republicans aren't going to vote to impeach Trump. They don't have any choice now but to follow him off the cliff. They're in too deep.

For crissakes, what is "FCI"? Thank you in advance.

Fox is Republican trash-shit propaganda. And CNN is still doing these opinionated "both sides" panel discussions and silly debates as if there is equivalency. MSNBC is generally better, but they have Chuck Todd at a prime hour being dimissive of what their own reporters spent many hours conveying earler, along with the constant equivocating and the fake devil's advocate commentaries.

At a time when the corporate media, especially the TV part, needs to stand-up for decency and morality, they are allowing too much 'infotainment' to interference. Sell those ads!

We know the Senate will never do the right thing but is it possible that Mitch and Lindsay will be fired next year...are they up for reelection?

^interfere, not interference

Trump is guilty of so many crimes...he needs to be hung by his neck until dead.

If I were on the fence about this--not sure how that's possible, but---I would be majorly turned off by how the Republicans are treating the witnesses. They're being excessively hostile with no impartiality. I mean...at this point in Trump's administration, where there's smoke, there HAS to be fire.

wow something happened to my happy surprise! The local news here which often gives a neutral both-sides narrative of political issues had this as 1 of the 4 top headlines: FIONA HILL ASKS REPUBS TO STOP SPREADING CONSPIRACY THEORIES SHE SAYS ARE RUSSIAN TALKING POINTS

I actually jumped for joy because no way did I expect something like this. So many local people now have surely seen it too. Anyone here check their own local news headlines? Did they get anything as amazing as that?

The more that even local news links repubs with conspiracy theories, the better

R52, FCI stands for “Former Congressional Intern,” one of our posters.

The takedown of MOOnes by Eric Swalwell at R49 was a delight to watch.

I can't give any Republican the benefit of the doubt. Even if they aren't all compromised by Putin's money, they certainly know that that rot in their party goes beyond Trump (and Rohrabacher, as McCarthy said). They're all complicit in the selling of American sovereignty and the erosion of American constitutional government. Anthony Kennedy, Citizens United, and the whole plutocratic ethos have a lot to answer for.

I also think the Republicans in the Senate will vote to replace.

We've talked about this before. If the Republican Senators vote to let him off the hook, then they are sending the message that any president - Democrat or Republican - can engage in self-dealing. The American people are not going to be okay with that.

And the re-election ads write themselves - Donald Trump was busted trying to bribe a foreign government to interfere in our elections. BUSTED. But Republican Senator [fill in the name] voted to let Trump off scot free. Would you or I have gone scot free? No - but we're not Republican fat cats protecting each other. Vote out the lawless Republican fat cats... yadda, yadda.

There are a bunch of Republican Senators who are in trouble at home - this will kill their re-election chances. Then there are a handful of Republican Senators who have actually expressed some unease at Trump's conduct. Between those two groups, that's about 13 Senators. All we need are seven more who are ready to see this shit-show come to an end, so the Republicans can regroup and recover before 2020. It's entirely doable. Then throw in some rich billionaire - hint, hint - buying ad time on Fox, running ads that highlight Trump's guilt, breaking through the wall of misinformation - voila, done deal.

And as long as we're talking about re-election campaigns.... there are a lot of creative people on the internet. Why not start creating mock-ups of what the advertising would look like: Republican [Name] voted that it was okay for Trump to bribe a foreign government... do you think that's okay? If you don't think that's okay, vote out Republican [Name]. [Obviously, I am not a creative.]

The Republicans will immediately mirror the tactic. But that's okay - the controversy will guarantee media coverage, and the Republican Senators will be forced to put out statements that they respect the rule of law and bribery is not okay.

R19 They didn't do polls back then like they do now.

Claire McCaskill was saying ...this was yesterday..that she called around the Hill to her friends in the Senate but so far nobody has shifted. With the exception of those who may be inclined to vote for impeachment. Maybe Murkowski, Gardner, Collins. Even if we could get 3 I'd be happy. But they probably won't even show up to vote!

Love the title OP. I wasn’t the person who requested song lyrics in the last thread, but that song makes me happy and hopeful, as does the intelligence and patriotism of the House Democrats.

Love the title OP. I wasn’t the person who requested song lyrics in the last thread, but that song makes me happy and hopeful, as does the intelligence and patriotism of the House Democrats.

[quote]The trolls are out in force tonight to make us doubt Pres Bone Spurs is going down to impeachment.

I don't know why they bother, since every Republican that's gotten in front of a TV camera the last month has acknowledged that Trump's going to be impeached.

He's just not going to be removed from office (by the Senate, that is - voters better damn well do the right thing in 2020).

r23, r22 is a troll; please learn to recognize one.

Thanks.

Miss Lindsey launches Senate probe of the Bidens and Burisma

If the Senate subpoenas Hunter Biden, I’d love it if he told them that he doesn’t have to go and that they can go fuck themselves.

NYT:

Trump Attacks Impeachment Inquiry and Accuses a Witness of Lying

^ It's Fake Melania, I tell you!

Keep in mind there are Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Though in the minority, Democrats will assure Miss Lindsey will get exposed on her motive. There will be blowback. Here's Kamala Harris' reaction on Colbert:

Of course the hearings will not change the minds of the people involved (McConnell, Graham, Nunes, etc.). A Deplorable will not change his mind, because of what happens in the hearings, because he's under the GOP's witch-hunt brainwashing spell.

This is about the public seeing that the Democratic Party is doing its job and drawing a line in the sand (Team Democracy vs. Team Putin and his puppet Trump).

It's cost-benefit analysis. As hard as they work to clean up after him Trump just keeps shitting his pants. Do the Republicans really want five more years of this? Unless my worst nightmares are true and Putin really does have absolute control over them via bribes and kompromat.

AP:

AG Barr: Epstein’s death was a ‘perfect storm of screw-ups’

r77, Perfectly designed and implemented.

The Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee need a more aggressive ranking member. Dianne Feinstein was OK in working with Chuck Grassley who is very partisan GOP member, but would approach proceedings more systematically and inclusively, by rules, the old-school way. Graham has already broken procedural committee/Senate rules in railroading through a pro-Trump matter. Graham is sneaky, controlled externally, shows a long pattern of being a submissive, political sycophant to even an older man, and is a showman who craves attention and the media spotlight. He is condescending with women, and has hissyfits when things don't go his way or when he demands out of anger to nullify a level of resistance.

Have à Democratic ranking member who is energetically strong, cognitively sharp, and will take on Graham and company without reservation or undue deference.

When you are countering someone, metaphorically and symbolically speaking, behaving as some kind of incestuous daughter, you don't hold back in explaining the drive behind such behavior. When the current "daddy" and his foreign master is allegedly holding "dirt" over the subject, don't facilitate in keeping the perceptive, though unexplained and perhaps flawed, scenario being suppressed.

Politico: Democratic establishment reaches boiling point with Tulsi Gabbard

Her performance at Wednesday’s debate earned an attaboy from the Trump War Room. And some rank-and-file Democrats are at wit's end with the congresswoman who Hillary Clinton called “the favorite of the Russians.”

Politico:

Trump denies rumors he could replace Pence with Nikki Haley on 2020 ticket

Yahoo: Trump says Kellyanne 'must have done some bad things' to George Conway

Kellyanne is great but she's married to a total wack job," Trump said. "She must've done some number on him, Ainsley. I don't know what Kellyanne did to that guy because I don't even know him. I met him for a second. He's got to be some kind of a nutjob because she must have done some bad things to him because that guy is crazy."

Trump is the last person who should be calling people nutjobs.

Harris should lead it.

[quote]If the Republican Senators vote to let him off the hook, then they are sending the message that any president - Democrat or Republican - can engage in self-dealing. The American people are not going to be okay with that.

Please. Most of the rabid conservative "freedom and guns" "patriots" are MORE than OK with it.

Trump had the possible traitor GOP senators to lunch at the WH the other day and listened to everything they wanted and they are all doing more quid pro quos. I kid you not!

Unfortunately a lot of people in this country have no idea about international diplomacy. They either are stone ignorant, or they have the cynical views expressed by Mulvaney: "it's all quid pro quo so get over it." They think the deal making, the bullying, the way Trump conducts all his business is just the way it is in politics.

So these hearings are very valuable. Because we have seen real diplomats. Trained foreign service and intelligence, and National Security experts testifying, answering questions, explaining why it's important, and how it's supposed to work. When you see partisan hacks or jerks like Morrison and Sondland, they stand out from the rest, Vindman, Yovanovich, Hill, Holmes, etc. even Williams who worked on Pence's team. We have seen ethical, intelligent professionals who adhere to the law, the Constitution and the mission which is to protect our national security.

We even realize that the new President of Ukraine resisted Trump's extortionate pressure, and felt it was wrong to get involved in American domestic politics for as long as he could, in spite being in the middle of a war. I found that alone to be pretty remarkable. So IMO, these hearings are incredibly valuable, not just for their expressed purpose of gathering evidence, but also for the exposure it gives the American people to what real diplomacy looks like, and how important it is to have talented, committed people who have experience, good judgment and a clear understanding of how to conduct it.

Sondland came across as a real clueless asshole. And the patriotism, bravery and loyalty of our civil servants was very reassuring. The fact that they pushed back took a lot of courage. McConnell and the GOP led Senate can privately scheme and discuss their strategy, and pull every trick in the book, but they are going to look very bad in the eyes of the public, not just Americans, but people all over the world who are following this. If they were smart, they would force Trump to resign before they have to vote, because they are fucked.

I agree with r75. The Democrats are fighting the good fight here. This impeachment inquiry had to be done not only because it was the right thing to do, but also to send a message to Trump, and teach the American public what a president can and cannot get away with.

I'm still under no illusion that the Senate will convict him though. The GOP senators are in far too deep. They're corrupt up to their eyeballs. Trump will take them all down too if they vote to convict, because he knows where the bodies are buried. As we've seen over the past few years, he immediately throws anybody who turns against him right under the bus.

So the options are as follows: you lie and stonewall and hope enough idiots believe you so that you win in 2020, or you go down in defeat in 2020 and say that voters made a choice. If you vote to convict Trump, he exposes all your crimes and you go to jail. I don't think a good portion of them are even motived by the 2020 election. Like Lindsey Graham, they're motivated by keeping their asses out of prison.

I agree with the foreign service part, r87.

It's been an education to hear about how things are supposed to work with foreign diplomacy.

I had an idea how it was supposed to work but hearing everyone testify made me realize how many people are involved to prevent this shit from happening.

And, damn! We have some whip-smart people working for us and representing us abroad.

[quote]Trump is the last person who should be calling people nutjobs.

Or the first as we know his particular mental illness requires him to project on to others the exact thing he is. Constantly.

R90 Yep. “No puppet. No puppet. YOU’RE the puppet.”

[quote] AG Barr: Epstein’s death was a ‘perfect storm of screw-ups’

It was perfect!

Re: the Politico article linked at R80: did Clinton explicitly call Gabbard "the favorite of the Russians," or was that just a (correct) inference from her words? I seem to remember the latter.

Lindsey runs away from veteran talking to him about why Trump needs to be impeached

IIRC, Hillary said a certain female candidate was a favorite of the Russians.

She never said Gubbard’s name.

I believe the hoo-ha was the republicans bitching that Hillary said Gubbard was being groomed by/a favorite of the GOP, which she never said.

Barr should step down or be investigated for Epstein's mishandling (among other things Barr has fucked up)

Josh Marshall posted this possible Senate trial scenario by a former federal prosecutor. They think Dems may be able to get testimony and documents from Bolton, Mulvaney, etc. Still so many unanswered questions.

Graham serves no one but himself. What a coward.

His choice to kowtow to Trump and Putin is HIS choice and his alone.

Hope that vet clip goes viral.

Here you go, R93

I’ll hunt for the Repugs bullshit pretzel response to Hillary’s comments.

What a piece of shit Mz. Lindz is. Can’t stand up and defend his position.

Also, he looks like an old man, stooped over.

R54 Moscow McConnell and Leningrad Lindsay are up for re-election. Jamie Harrison is running against Leningrad and Amy Mc Grath is running against Moscow.

R79 probably also endlessly whined about how Nancy Pelosi was just too old and we should put AOC in charge of everything! Feinstein was the one who when everyone said, "We can't release that transcript!" replied with, "Watch me!" and then did it. These old women kick ass and take names. Learn your lesson well.

All the old men on the other hand..."Please, Herr Drumpf, may we crawl further up your ass?!"

What matters to smart people:

[quote]HILL on Sondland: "He was being involved in a domestic policy errand, and we were being involved in national security/foreign policy. And those two things had just diverged."

What matters to stupid people:

[quote]He doesn't give a shit about Ukraine.

We'll have to see where that leaves us with the Senate.

[quote]IIRC, Hillary said a certain female candidate was a favorite of the Russians.

[quote]She never said Gubbard’s name.

Gabbard was very helpful in this instance by immediately responding along the lines of 'I'm not a Russian puppet! Not a puppet! You're the puppet!" thereby confirming exactly that everyone, including Gabbard herself, knew right away who Hillary was talking about when she claimed someone seemed to smell a little too much like borscht.

I do declare, Miss Lindsey is getting the vapors!

Miss Lindsey has an immense re-election war chest from corporate and other special interests donors, including amounts disguised from foreign stuff channeled into pacs Most of it is from outside South Carolina that doesn't have a huge and wealthy electorate He and McConnell lead in contributions Both can be beaten, but Democratic and independent voters, particularly AAs, must show way above normal turnout at the polls

As much as Graham shows her ass, local newspapers and local TV news and radio coverage, show very little confrontation of Lindsey's antics

After the early Democratic primary, South Carolina is largely forgotten on the national stage.

^Don't know why the periods didn't show. Odd.

Yeah, Hillary never named names, Tulsi outed herself. How's that lawsuit of hers going? The one where she's trying to make Hillary read off a script that says that Hillary admires Tulsi?

And frankly, I think there are SEVERAL candidates that Russia is artificially bumping up support for, and not just female.

r92, and so conveeeeeeenient......

Ah do declare! Mr. Joseph Biden and his son have proven themselves to be first class scoundrels which is why I've opened an investigation into them! (Also, they turned down requests to be my latest gentleman callers)

Speaking of Miss Lindsey, Joe But den has responded to her.

Miss Linsey have regrets, Joe? She has thrown all old friends under the bus who are not part of the Trump cartel. She even betrayed her close "pal", John McCain, during his last months of earthly life.

Biden camp is flinging and he shit back at Miss Lindsey & Trump.

[quote]Joe Biden’s presidential campaign accused Sen. Lindsey Graham of having “forfeited his conscience” for requesting State Department records concerning the former vice president’s efforts to oust a corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor in 2016.

[quote]The broadside against Graham signaled a new phase of the Biden campaign’s counterattack against President Donald Trump — whose attempts to have Biden and his son investigated in Ukraine have led to his looming impeachment — by pointing out that congressional Republicans saw no scandal regarding the Bidens until it became a political issue for Trump.

Mz. Lindz has no shame. La Senatrice sold whatever meager amount of dignity that she may have once had to the highest bidder — or the one with the most damaging photos.

NYT:

Russia Inquiry Review Is Said to Criticize F.B.I. but Rebuff Claims of Biased Acts

NYT:

Charges of Ukrainian Meddling? A Russian Operation, U.S. Intelligence Says

Hunter Biden should leak some pictures of Lindsey servicing male hustlers

From FUX: Kellyanne Conway's husband says she's an 'enabler' of 'criminal' Trump

George Conway, the husband of top White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, said on Friday that his wife was an "enabler" and "cheerleader" for President Trump, who George Conway has repeatedly described as mentally ill and accused of criminal conduct.

When someone tweeted those labels about his wife, George Conway responded: "she's both."

The Twitter user was responding to George Conway's previous tweet predicting that people would come to see Trump as both a "psychologically unwell man" and a "criminal."

Kellyanne Conway did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.

The tweets were the latest in a series indicating tension between one of the president's top advisers and her husband.

George Conway was responding to President Trump's Friday appearance on "Fox & Friends." During that appearance, Trump said: "Kellyanne is great but she's married to a total whack job." Although the pair's marriage has come up multiple times in the press, Friday's interview included some of the most direct remarks by the president and George Conway on his marriage.

Trump, for example, suggested to Fox News that Kellyanne Conway was responsible for her husband's alleged mental instability.

"She must have done some number on him ... I don't know what Kellyanne did to that guy because I don't even know him ... She must have done some bad things to him because that guy is crazy."

HuffPost:

Over 20 Democratic Senators Call On Stephen Miller To Resign White House Post

^

Of the 53 Republican senators contacted by HuffPost regarding Miller’s white nationalism, only one responded directly.

“I’m unfamiliar with the whole issue,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said. His office did not respond to subsequent HuffPost emails asking whether Cramer would bother to make himself familiar with how a white nationalist helps shape America’s immigration policy.

The office of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) did not respond to a HuffPost request for comment, even though the leaked emails show Miller holding a particular animus for the Cuban-American lawmaker.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), responding to a question from a HuffPost reporter in Washington, said he would like Miller to “more fully describe his involvement with that movement.”

“I know the president gets to choose who’s around him, but I don’t think that reflects as well as it might,” he said in the interview.

The White House did not respond to a HuffPost request for comment on this story.

Marco Rubio is the most spineless politician this side of Ted Cruz. How can he defend Miller when Miller targeted him?

CNN:

Trump administration seizing border wall land

CNN:

Biden: Lindsey Graham will 'regret his whole life' doing Trump's bidding on Ukraine

This is all softening me towards Biden and I don't want to like Biden, I don't like his political history, I don't like many of his middling positions, I don't like him as a candidate. But the combination of the stuttering article with this, yes, witch hunt against him and his rational kindness towards Graham is fucking making me like him.

Yeah, doesn’t mean he’d be a good President, R123.

Miss Thang has not been on Twitter today That is unusual. Her last Twitter correspondence was yesterday, advertising her Hannity appearance that afternoon. She's a near daily Fox News guest with Hannity and she appears often with Martha MacCallum and Maria Bartiromo.

Miss Thang is hiding since her flamboyant declarations yesterday. She thought wrong that she would escape negative press.

The kompromat must be weighing heavy on her. Her popularity in SC is declining. It wasn't ever great.

Trump would be terrified to debate Buttigieg. Insults roll off him and his quick comebacks are piercing.

The only advantage Trump could have is height. But his obesity, orange skin, fox-tail hair, and facial scowl, will counter anything positive physically.

So you'd take Trump instead if Biden is the nominee, R124?

And yet just 4 years ago Miss Lindsey could get choked up while praising Joe Biden.

USA Today:

Shepard Smith decries 'press vilification' in first speech since leaving Fox News

If the Senate fails to convict and Trump wins a second term, could the House impeach him again on new charges? You know there will be some.

Cheeto turns Camp David into "adult playground" to woo GOP lawmakers during impeachment inquiry

r130, Actually, yes.

But l'd rather just kick him out of the White House next fall through the ballot box.

R132 So would I, but it makes me feel better that we wouldn’t have to put up with 4 more years.

That of course also assumes the Democrats keep the House, which I think they will.

[quote]How can he defend Miller when Miller targeted him?

Are you joking? Look at how many continue to support Dotard after he straight up targeted all of them during the primaries, including Rubio!

Daily News:

Giuliani associate Lev Parnas claims to have 'hard evidence' of wrongdoing for Trump impeachment inquiry

[quote]Are you joking? Look at how many continue to support Dotard after he straight up targeted all of them during the primaries, including Rubio!

Is there anyone more pathetic than Ted Cruz, who continued to suck up to Trump after Dotard called Ted's wife ugly and suggested that his father had been involved in the Kennedy assassination?

Interesting R137. There is no honor among thieves. I hope Parnas spills all the tea on Devin Nunes.

Im sure hes looking for some sort of Immunity to cooperate.

Trump said on TV today...

“A lot of it had to do, they say, with Ukraine. It’s vey interesting, very interesting. They have the server, right, from the DNC, THE Democratic National Committee.

(Who has the server?)

The FBI went in, and they said ‘get out of here, we’re not giving it to you. They give the server to Crowdstrike, or whatever it’s called, which is a company owned by a very wealthy Ukrainian. And I still want to see that sever. You know the FBI has never gotten that server. That’s a big part of this whole thing. Why did they give it to a Ukrainian company?

(Are you sure they did?)

Well, that’s what the word is...”

Trump is completely delusional.

Trump wants to pull out of NATO. He’s obviously working for Putin. How can there be any doubt at this point?

Trump is insane but for some reason, the whole Republican party has lost their minds. They have turned our whole future into trash. I hate the voters who support him.

Trump is insane but for some reason, the whole Republican party has lost their minds. They have turned our whole future into trash. I hate the voters who support him.

[quote] R29: Yes, I am being defeatist but the Dems never seem to go mercilessly for blood like the Republicans do.

I think the just-concluded intelligence committee hearings should qualify as “mercilessly for blood”.

This is Off topic, but today is Friday November 22nd. Fifty-six years ago on this day,Friday November 22nd,President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, which was,at that time a hotbed of Extreme Right political turbulence. It was a more innocent time. an exceptional And I think we can have a real appreciation of The Presidency when it was a respected institution. I'm not talking about what we now think we know about JFK or LBJ. I'm talking about then, in 1963. I decided to watch one of the best movies I've ever seen about the event. If you get Amazon Prime, it's free with Prime. The movie is called, "Parkland." I think it is extremely well done.

[quote] R62: there are a lot of creative people on the internet. Why not start creating mock-ups of what the advertising would look like:

TRUMP - REPEAL and REPLACE

It bothers me that I heard on the news that Washington leaders are "waiting to hear public opinion" on the Ukranian matter. MOST OF OUR COUNTRY DOES NOT EVEN VOTE! They are not lawyers, they are not experts in foreign relations/security, and most haven't even read the Constitution.

Even if a lot of the public isn't outraged, or doesn't see this sort of bribery as a problem, doesn't mean it's not a MAJOR VIOLATION!

[quote] R69, Miss Lindsey launches Senate probe of the Bidens and Burisma.

Its time we “launch” an investigation of Sen. Lindsey.

[italic]LOCK 'ER UP!

Could this Nunes thing be a turning point? Finally? Seems pretty indefensible - and outrageous. Plus Parnas probably has a lot more info.

NYT is now reporting that Senators and their aides have recently been briefed by intelligence officials that the Ukraine 2016 election meddling story was definitely created by Russia. No word on whether House members received the same briefing, but if so then Nunes, Jordan, etc have been knowingly spreading Russian propaganda.

NYT is now reporting that Senators and their aides have recently been briefed by intelligence officials that the Ukraine 2016 election meddling story was definitely created by Russia. No word on whether House members received the same briefing, but if so then Nunes, Jordan, etc have been knowingly spreading Russian propaganda.

They have been anyway r153. You really think Nunes, Jordan and the others don't realize this Ukraine thing is complete bullshit?

Especially Nunes; did you see what that reporter on Cuomo's show tonight just revealed?

Seems like old Devin might have been up to his old sneaky tricks once again.

My prediction is that Trump will become more and more delusional and destructive as the process continues. I can also see him starting a conflict with a weaker country, to try to stir-up domestic support.

Hitler, (like Trump), also required an oath of allegiance to him personally, not to the German people nor German nation. He refused to surrender, and at the end, he blamed the German people for failing him, personally, and who deserved all the hardship they get. I can see Trump doing something similar.

r155, If Trump starts doing anything like that then it is time to invoke the 25th Amendment and get him out of office in anyway possible.

The problem is of course, that PENCE has to be the one to start that ball rolling; you think there's any chance that he will?

We would be well and truly fucked.

They are talking about the Nunes bombshell on "The Last Word" right now on MSNBC.

Nunes meeting with Shokin in Vienna?

Is Vienna the nexus between Moscow and DC?

The best thing the GOP could do for themselves is to get rid of Trump as quickly as possible. They’ll still have Pence and the Presidency, until the next election, if not longer. Then they have a year of President Pence to wipe the stench off the WH.

If Pence gets removed, too, and it sounds like he should, that’s another matter.

[quote] R154: Especially Nunes; did you see what that reporter on Cuomo's show tonight just revealed?

What was said? Do you have a clip?

A few random thoughts as I try to catch up with the news:

General consensus: Schiff did a spectacular job with these hearings.

What everybody else said about the witnesses. Encouraging to see such honest, sharp people working for our govt.

I'm about to enter Thanksgiving week coping with several family Trumpanzees, which has put me in an awful mood. Hearing how public winds are shifting lifts my spirits.

The Josh Marshall news about Congress possibly using the impeachment trial to compel testimony is interesting. If Cheeto starts to ignore sc rulings, however...

The Nunes stuff sounded a lot sexier on Cuomo than it did on The Last Word.

Sexier ?.....really ?

R160, this is probably what was discussed: Les Parnas is revealing more about his travels with Devin.

MOOOOOOO

Oh wow! MSNBC reporting State Dept is releasing documents in response to a FOIA request.

SHIFTING WINDSH LIFT MY SHPIRITSH TOO!

[quote]Oh wow! MSNBC reporting State Dept is releasing documents in response to a FOIA request.

If Pompeo is allowing it, it's something filled with edits, redactions, and lies.

Was Trump paying Giuliani legal fees for his extended involvement in the ongoing Ukraine discussions?

Mr. Giuliani represents and advocates for his client, not the U.S.

You know the more information that comes out and the more people implicated, and connect this to what's happening in Europe and other countries, this shit is way bigger than Trump. We have to get the Republicans out of office, root and stem, all of them. and we need to take a hard look at some of the democrats. We also need to pass laws to deal with the fake news and the propaganda, and look at the way money has corrupted politics. At this point I'm in favor of expanding the SCOTUS too. And we certainly need to address the corruption of our institutions. When you have a corrupt motherfucker like Barr running DoJ and his cockeyed version of the law that kind of shit can't stand There has to be a mechanism for getting someone like him out. Impeachment of cabinet officials is too cumbersome. And Damn we have to deal with the voter suppression and gerrymandering, cyber security, ballot security, etc. Our government has become so porous we were like the proverbial "birdnest on the ground." It's as if this has been in the works for years, we were set up like pieces on a chessboard. The FCC was deregulated, and viola' Fox News. Citizens United and Dark Money floods politics. No regulation on social media and we have foreign bots manipulating people. No educational requirements to understand government or American History, or the Constitution. It's terrible. Reagan used to talk about the good old days. Well there are some things that used to work dammit. We need them back.

One hundred documents released to American Oversight from the State Dept linking Giuliani & Mike Pompeo & WH assistant Westerhouser. They are expecting to get even more.

Per MSNBC: American Oversight: Ukraine Info "Reveals a Clear Paper Trail" From Giuliani to the White House.

A smoking gun? Finally?

[quote]The FCC was deregulated, and viola' Fox News.

Don't bring me into this bullshit! Fuck a bunch of Fox News!

There are dozens of FOIA applications still pending! Court has ordered State Dept to respond and they are.

Thank God for the FOIA.

You know the fuckin' Republicans want to get rid of that one next.

Especially now...hee

"Thank God for the FOIA."

I'm working on legislation to get rid of the FOIA- perhaps as soon as Christmas.

Madeleine Westerhout IS Rose Mary Woods!

r175, not true. Judicial Watch, the evil wealthy endowed version has used FOIA to crawl up the asses of the Clintons and many other Democrats.

They will never get rid of FOIA because of Judicial Watch's malevolent use of the law.

When you have time, watch this doc. on Trump/Russia and what they have planned. It's possible Russia started grooming Trump to be POTUS as far back as the 90s.

American Oversight - This is the watchdog org that got the documents, but their website keeps crashing.

r180, Because everybody is trying to download the documents.

Well if the website is crashing it could also mean it is being crashed deliberately. You know that's the next thing that will happen. Actively blocking our access to information.

Well, obviously Congress will be able to obtain all the docs that are released. Too bad they weren’t in time for the hearings.

r183, they are in time for the Oversight and Judiciary investigations, prior to Judiciary writing the Impeachment Articles.

Bret Stephens, NYT: Trump should be impeached and removed

[quote]r185 Bret Stephens, NYT: Trump should be impeached and removed

I thought this said [bold]Brett Somers

From article at r185

[quote]We’ve been living in a country undergoing its own dismal process of Ukrainianization: of treating fictions as facts; and propaganda as journalism; and political opponents as criminals; and political offices as business ventures; and personal relatives as diplomatic representatives; and legal fixers as shadow cabinet members; and extortion as foreign policy; and toadyism as patriotism; and fellow citizens as “human scum”; and mortal enemies as long-lost friends — and then acting as if all this is perfectly normal. This is more than a high crime. It’s a clear and present danger to our security, institutions, and moral hygiene.

[quote]One hundred documents released to American Oversight from the State Dept linking Giuliani & Mike Pompeo & WH assistant Westerhouser. They are expecting to get even more.

Even with the FOIA order, I think the fact that they complied at all without trying to fight it to the Supreme Court like they've done with everything else, means that they've concluded that the only defense they have is that there was nothing wrong done here. They'll point to the fact that they gave these documents to show that they obviously have nothing to hide. The Repug echo chamber will coalesce around those soundbites. "Well, of course this was done. Standard operating procedure. Nothing to see here. You can tell because we gave you the documents that prove that it was all done in an official manner. It's the president's choice how to conduct foreign policy. Blahblahblah." We'll see if it works.

Personally, I wish there was something more easily understandable by the dunces in America. They hear "Ukraine" and check out. They don't care what Trump did to some "forners".

Cuomo’s editorial about the impeachment:

R179 [" It's possible Russia started grooming Trump to be POTUS as far back as the 90s."]

It's not possible, it's factual.

Hannity Dominates Thursday Night Primetime, Netting Well Over 4 Million Viewers After 5th Day of Impeachment Hearings

According to Nielsen data, Hannity saw 4.607 million viewers overall and 666,000 viewers in the coveted adults aged 25-54 demographic. Fellow Fox News host Tucker Carlson was not far behind with 3.968 million viewers overall and 643,000 viewers in the demo for Tucker Carlson Tonight.

Over on MSNBC, Rachel Maddow’s program netted 3.645 million overall viewers and 640,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo. The shows followed the day’s testimony of Fiona Hill and David Holmes’ testimony, who are the last witnesses currently scheduled to testify publicly in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.

[quote] One hundred documents released to American Oversight from the State Dept linking Giuliani & Mike Pompeo & WH assistant Westerhouser. They are expecting to get even more.

This release was not approved by the White House or the Attorney General. It was a direct Federal Court order to produce them and the State Dept complied.

From Twitter - BREAKING: @TheDemCoalition just filed a House Ethics complaint against @RepDevinNunes for abuse of office which violates House Rule XXIII (1), following reports that he met with a Ukrainian prosecutor to get dirt on @JoeBiden during an official overseas trip.

When I worked in local government, long ago in another century, I was on the staff of some project that the top guy screwed up. He was our boss, a political appointment. Anyway, the newspapers got wind of it and were investigating and eventually they filed a FOIA request. Our boss thought he could ignore it. THey he cited some special circumstance about them being "working documents" and not available for press review and comment. Anyway, the news papers sued, he went to court, the judge ruled against us. For a while it looked like he was going to throw three of us under the bus even though we had no power to make decisions. So when he directed us to prepare the documents for the news media, in file boxes, (three years worth) I made sure to slip into the box his personal files which were in another cabinet. Hah! he got busted and had to resign. Gross incompetence implicated by his own papers. He bitched about how his f iles could have possibly gotten mixed with the project files, and "no one knew." For a minute I thought he was going to fire all of us. But he was the one who got fired.

R192 and R193 are great news. It’s exactly how you take out a corrupt despot. One leak after another. With time, it will become a landslide of damning evidence against Trump and his fascist regime.

[quote]Hannity Dominates Thursday Night Primetime, Netting Well Over 4 Million Viewers After 5th Day of Impeachment Hearings

Why is this headline followed by an accounting of him getting about the same numbers as Maddow, especially considering that about 50% of his audience is sleeping, mouth agape, in their easy chairs with their hands in their high waistbands while Faux News blares in the background, unheard because they turned their hearing aides off?

This:

Yesterday, Fiona Hill warned Congress about popularizing the false Russian narrative that it was Ukraine that interfered with the 2016 election, when in fact it was the Russians.

Today, Trump repeated the same old conspiracy theories. He even thinks that Hillary’s server was in Ukraine. He should be removed from office just for this stupidity. (If you don’t already know, you can destroy a server in Chappaqua NY if that’s your goal. You don’t ship it across the world.)

Speaking of servers, what ever happened to that one in the basement of Trump Tower with a direct line to Alfa Bank, aka Russia?

R32 Joel Kinnaman looks more like him.

Swalwell made the move to the next level in exposing the corruption of Trump supporters.

Nunes first, whose next?

My dream is for a high-speed chase ala O.J. Simpson resulting in Trump's arrest, conviction, forced into an orange jumpsuit, and rot in jail for the rest of his life. Is that too much to ask?

The DoJ is in turmoil. Barr has turned it into a mess.

Bumbling Rudy and Bone Spurs, beyond disgustingly corrupt, are extraordinarily inept in orchestrating a sinister plot. These old farts will be held in disgrace for the ages.

Even in the deepest of red States, anyone think any streets or elementary schools will be named in honor of Trump?

These two are NYC characters. Name the city dump after Giuliani and Trump.

Udder Treason, oh my....

Bravo, r194! Well done!

Some things are just too onerous to overlook

Speaking of Dem senators with a backbone, I never heard reference to the WH blocking subpoenas while I was watching the hearings.

Was that ever referenced?

George Conway

Who she be talking to?

@Tedlieu: The @StateDept documents recently released to American Oversight further confirms Ambassador Sondland's testimony that "everybody knew what we were doing and why."

Giuliani was not freelancing. Sondland was not freelancing. They were executing what @realDonaldTrump wanted.

@Tedlieu: The @StateDept documents recently released to American Oversight further confirms Ambassador Sondland's testimony that "everybody knew what we were doing and why."

Giuliani was not freelancing. Sondland was not freelancing. They were executing what @realDonaldTrump wanted.

Sorry, that posted twice- I got an error message.

Nunes is a direct, active part of the scan. Is Kevin McCarthy going to remove him from the Oversight Committee and anything else pertaining to the investigation? Pelosi needs to demand it from McCarthy.

Both the Nunes story & the documents release will help keep people’s attention on the impeachment. Drip, drip, drip.

Do you guys know what consequences Nunes could face from this ethics complaint? Some article said he violated some rule, but what are the consequences? Could he be forced to resign or will he only get a warning or something like that? Also, were any of those meetings illegal or could he face criminal charges?

And the ranking member of a committee that investigates foreign interference was on his own mission to dig up dirt on the president's opponent. He was sitting in all these hearings and was spreading his lies and false narrative while he already knew that CNN was investigating the story and asked him multiple times for comment. It's unbelievable how corrupt these people are and without an ounce of shame. You really can't make this shit up. It's like watching a bad political thriller about corrupt politicians in Washington - but this is actually real life.

Really R216! Talk about the fox watching the henhouse! It is all so fucked and corrupt!

It horrifies me to think what they will do if they win in 2020. We can't allow it. Every state is a separate election. We have to put excessive pressure on our state legislatures and our governors, secretaries of state and attorneys general. ALL of them. And we have to be scary and relentless. Every where they go. find the groups in your state who are working on Ballot security, and ballot issues and join them, support them. States are purging hundreds of thousands of voters from their voter rolls, so get going. I know the ACLU is raising hell and so is MoveOn and Indivisible.

I assume that Tucker Carlson's 3.968 million viewers were also among Hannity's 4.607 million viewers. Still, a sad commentary on our misinformed public.

To add to R188: the administration is going to dig in, implicitly confessing to crimes so that when he's acquitted by the Senate, it will seem an exoneration and de facto legalization of this corruption. They're gambling on having enough of a mindless, conscienceless deplorable base that it won't get (much) blowback at the polls.

[quote]And yet just 4 years ago Miss Lindsey could get choked up while praising Joe Biden.

Scott Conroy, the man who conducted that interview:

I barely mentioned Biden's name, and he just went off like this, almost entirely unprompted. I'd never been around a politician speaking in such a heartfelt, obviously genuine way about another politician--let alone a politician from another party.

I spent a lot of time with Lindsey during his presidential campaign (which , again, was an actual thing), and let me assure you: Lindsey Graham thinks that Donald Trump is a bully, demagogue, clown, a national joke. It's another thing he'd bring up frequently, unprompted.

I've spent a lot of time wondering how someone with any integrity could beclown themselves so fully by boosting a President they know is a dangerous buffoon. And the most reasonable answer is the simplest: He wants to feel powerful/important, as he's said himself. That's it.

Lindsey's been a politician for essentially his whole adult life and he cannot imagine doing anything else. He likes when people call him "Senator." He likes riding on Air Force 1. He likes sitting on a golf cart with the big, doughy man. That's the reason. It's sad but true.

Or the Russians have him by the throat.

[quote]Les Parnas is revealing more about his travels with Devin.

Breitbart reports that Nunes will sue CNN and Daily Beast for reporting this news.

That's in addition to his ongoing lawsuits against Twitter, the McClatchy media group, journalist Ryan Lizza, Esquire Magazine, the nonprofit Center for Accountability, Republican strategist Liz Mair, @DevinCow and @DevinNunesMom.

[quote]Do you guys know what consequences Nunes could face from this ethics complaint? Some article said he violated some rule, but what are the consequences? Could he be forced to resign or will he only get a warning or something like that?

The full House can vote to expel him.

The president is spending another weekend working 'round the clock to better the lives of the American people.

SO LET'S SEE SHALL WE:.. your boss insults your husband every day, says that YOU must have done bad things to him for him to be a nutjob and your still staying in your job kellyanne? is that how it works in a marriage?...

all the repubs in the cult? nearly all of them HAD careers before they ran for office, nearly all of them have degrees of some sort, which means ALL OF THEM COULD COULD IF THEY WANTED TO leave politics and make money and have careers in the public or private sector! and YET? they stay? WHY?...

it's one thing to truly not have any career or job opportunities if they would leave political office, but this is NOT the case, so what sane reason could it be for them to be in a cult and stay in it?... unless yes they are compromised, blackmailed or simply bad human beings in various ways..

If democracy is really on fire, why are Barack, George, Bill and Jimmy so quiet? We know the convention that an ex President shouldn't criticize the current one, or each other, but THERE IS AN EMERGENCY. Maybe it's just not as bad as people are feeling it is.

Jimmy hasn't been that quiet. George is still a Republican asshole.

R226: i'm wondering why obama and hillary havent' sued him for slander and libel yet? the things he has said and continues to say about them! maybe their waiting until he leaves office by any means and then they'll do it?.. i don't know..

R226 is right, they should complain more, but they’re obviously trying not to get personal attacks on themselves and their families. Trump would attack every one of them, including the Republicans, if they spoke against him. And then a bunch of old guys would get death threats. The Secret Service would be hard put to protect every spouse and family member from all the threats.

And no, R226, it’s actually worse than it seems. A lot worse. Stuff is coming out every day. My guess is once even one or two of these additional witnesses comes forward, the logjam will break and more will come forward. If Bolton says stuff on twitter, for example, other people who were there may elaborate.

R228, it’s really hard for a public figure to sue about slander. The rules are different. And they don’t want to get into it in an election year. “Poor little Trumpy, those mean Dems are suing him.”

Trump couldn't get Ukraine to announce an investigation against the Bidens, so his GOP is stepping up.

Reuters: The Republican chairmen of two U.S. Senate committees have asked the Treasury Department, in a letter, for possible reports of money laundering or fraud on the business dealings of former Vice President Joe Biden’s son with a Ukraine energy firm.

It was unclear if any such reports exist regarding Hunter Biden, the former vice president’s son. There letter gave no evidence that Hunter Biden engaged in suspicious activity that would have been covered by such reports.

[quote]Is Vienna the nexus between Moscow and DC?

Vienna is the European DC - notorious spy central throughout the Cold War to this day.

Also, a lot of ex-communist apparatchiks turned 'businessmen' had 'companies' and went to reside there, and the oligarchs followed.

I think the best option for Republicans is to vote to impeach and remove BOTH Trump and Pence (who has been implicated in this mess). The resulting right-wing outrage with President Pelosi would result in Republicans sweeping everything in 2020, since Democratic and Independent turnout would return to its usual mediocre levels in 2020 ( you know, because they would just assume that everything was fine again).

Looks like the Repugs are planning some strategic personnel changes:

"In recent weeks, they have put the weight of the presidency behind an effort to persuade Georgia’s governor to appoint Representative Doug Collins, currently the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, to the state’s soon-to-be vacant Senate seat.

Mr. Collins has actively jockeyed for the appointment, which would not only put a reliable defender of the president into a key Senate position before a trial, but could allow someone like Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio or Representative John Ratcliffe of Texas, pugnacious faces of Mr. Trump’s impeachment defense so far, to replace Mr. Collins on the House Judiciary Committee as the impeachment process shifts there.

The ascension of Mr. Jordan or Mr. Ratcliffe would also create another vacancy that Republican leaders could fill with a defender of the president like Representative Mark Meadows of North Carolina."

[quote] Bumbling Rudy and Bone Spurs, beyond disgustingly corrupt, are extraordinarily inept in orchestrating a sinister plot. These old farts will be held in disgrace for the ages.

The funny thing is that they only hire inept people to execute their inept schemes, because a) only inept assholes, starstruck to be in Trump's inner circle are willing to work with him (since the smart ones won't come even near that shit show and b) guys like Trump are terrified of smart people, who are willing to work with them, pushing them off their thrones and taking the leader position.

They demand loyalty but throw those loyal servants under the bus when it's convenient. They demand submission, obedience and the assurance that their blind ambition stops right before trying to overthrow them.

Trump is a bad role model and the people he attracts, or who worship him, show that they don't believe they deserve better.

I'm feeling so much schadenfreude right now. Devin Nunes is a piece of shit.

Not that anything will come of it.

Well, at least we know Nunes surely wants his hearing in the open and not in some secret bunker downstairs and behind closed doors.

[quote]Do you guys know what consequences Nunes could face from this ethics complaint?

I suspect it would have more weight coming from someone besides the Democratic Coalition and "Resistance grifter" Scott Dworkin.

Besides an imaginary cow, Nunes is now also suing CNN and Daily Beast for spreading fake news.

I bet they're terrified.

Washington Post:

How Trump keeps making it tougher for his GOP impeachment defenders

USA Today:

Trump: Park rangers will patrol Mexican border, arrest migrants

What’s this Camp David Adult Playground about?! More bribery?

NYT:

Pollsters Missed ‘Shy Trump’ Voters in 2016. Will They Find Them This Time?

Washington Post:

In Trump’s Washington, the rogue actors are the real players — and the experts are increasingly irrelevant

WSJ:

How Facebook's Embed in the Trump Campaign Helped the President Win

NBC: Giuliani associate willing to testify Nunes met with ex-Ukrainian official, attorney says

Joseph A. Bondy, an attorney for Lev Parnas, the indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer, confirmed that his client was willing to testify before Congress that Nunes met with Shokin.

"I can confirm that Victor Shokin told Lev Parnas that he had met with Nunes in Vienna in late 2018, and that Derek Harvey informed that they were investigating the activities of Joe and Hunter Biden related to Burisma," Bondy told NBC News.

In a statement to Breitbart News on Friday night, Nunes called the CNN and Daily Beast reports "demonstrably false and scandalous."

Who the fuck uses MSN as a news source? Are you Russian? Did you just get out of a 30 year prison sentence? There is so much amazingly good online journalism and you're citing MSN?????

was it nunes twin who was going to the white house late at night to give trump the latest scoop on the mueller investigation too?..

What sires do you recommend, R248?

Sires = sites!

To ads to R249. Can someone explain to me why Nunes was allowed to run the hearings after these obviously partisan and corrupt shenanigans? I just kept asking, "Everyone knows he's a part of this. Why the fuck is he up there???" And then the story comes out of his meeting with Parnes. Big fucking surprise!!!!

R248, people use MSN simply as a portal to pages that are otherwise often behind a paywall. The story linked at R247 is from NBC News.

Thank you, r253. r248 seems to be in need of Compoz. That's C-O-M...P-O-Z.

R248, people often use MSN to post articles from sources that are otherwise behind paywalls. A lot of the "MSN" postings are actually articles from the NY Times and WaPo.

R252, Nunes's association with Parnas (which ties him into Russia's disinformation campaign) came out just before the last day of the hearing. Note that Nunes and his staff traveled to Vienna, where the oligarch who helped to originate the Biden smear is being held pending extradition to the US.

Miss Blackburn weighs in....(per the Tennessean)

Marsha Blackburn defends 'Vindictive Vindman' tweet on Fox News, says he's 'going after' Trump

During an interview with Fox News’ Shannon Bream on Friday night, Blackburn said she stood by the tweet and insisted it was justified because Vindman “defied his chain of command” and was “going after” the president.

"Vindman had a problem with the president," Blackburn said. "The president wasn’t taking his advice. He didn’t like that. And he wanted the president to take his advice. And so what did he do? He defied that chain of command. He talked to somebody in the intel community. He then would not answer that question when he was asked if he had given this information to someone who was the whistleblower. And of course this is something that should cause everybody concern."

"Look, you honor someone for their service to the country, and certainly we honor the service that he gave to the country,” Blackburn continued. “But, Shannon, I’ve got to tell you, when you are defying your chain of command, when your direct supervisor says you have a problem with judgment and a problem with defying that chain of command and you are going after, not just a colleague, you are going after the commander in chief, and it is over a policy disagreement. And then, look at where we find ourselves.”

[quote] In Trump’s Washington, the rogue actors are the real players — and the experts are increasingly irrelevant.

Actually the experts are threat to Trump's and the GOP's own (cover-up) narrative which is based on full on lies and criminal activities.

I fucking HAAAAAAATE Marsha Blackburn. She is Satan in the body of a Karen.

[quote] Who the fuck uses MSN as a news source?

R248, we have specifically asked people who are posting articles from the NYT, WaPo, and other paywall sites to use the MSN link. If an occasional NBC article or some other non-paywall site is included, no big deal.

#MoscowMarsha

^Not r248, but how is it legal to post the full articles on MSN, when the original article is behind a paywall? Is MSN paying a fee to publish these articles? I'm just wondering how MSN is allowed to do this.

AND HOW THE FUCK WOULD BLACKMAN KNOW ANY OF THIS AND IT BEING TRUE?!???!!

ONCE AGAIN (LIKE THE LEAKING ANALOGY) IT'S NOT WHAT COMES OUT, IT'S HOW DARE IT COME OUT!...

Why would you want to question it when it's to our benefit, r262?

NYT:

Analysis: A Split Decision From Congress Will Leave Voters With Final Say on Trump

#MoscowMarha trends.

Another politician loyal to Pootin via Bone Spurs.

Washington Post:

In Virginia, and elsewhere, gun supporters prepare to defy new laws

R248/R262 is really fucking annoying and a troll-y little fuck, too.

R248 is another schizophrenic Datalounger who sees Russians everywhere.

Citing MSN is smart because they literally copy sites like NYT, which are behind a paywall, word for word. Chill out, Dumbass.

let' see shall we: blackburn and other repubs are blocking any bills on foreign contributions transparency to u.s. campaigns

they are blocking bills on cybersecurity on presidential elections because??? oh, that's right, it should be up to the states, each state to do it, and that is the reasoning! LIKE ANYONE IN THE UNITED STATES GIVES A RAT'S ASS WHO DOES IT AS LONG AS IT'S DONE!!!!!...

JUST THESE 2 SIMPLE TRUTHS, WHY AREN'T THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA SCREAMING THIS EVERYDAY AS WE GET CLOSER TO 2020?!

STFU, MRS. B.A. IN HOME ECONOMICS, FORMER BEAUTY QUEEN AND RIGHT WING SHILL KISS UP FOR YEARS MOVING UP TO GET YOUR POSITION NOW!..

[Quote]Why would you want to question it when it's to our benefit, [R262]?

I'm not questioning it, I just asked a question bc, as you have stated, we are usually no longer allowed nice, free stuff.

Why are you always shouting r270? We are equally disgusted but screaming at your fellow DLers doesn't change anything.

Shattered deplorable at the news of Nunes' betrayal of country:

[quote]And Barr is very hot for the federal government to get busier at the job of killing people. However, a federal judge threw the brakes on that Wednesday night.

If Bone Spurs gets a second term, will vindictive political executions follow? This stuff is scary.

R272, sorry if you think i'm "shouting" with my use of all caps. Never thought of it that way, just thought i was being passionate and driving home certain points more forcefully.

r264 = Donald Dump

Oh, it’s OK to break the law when it’s for your own benefit, okay, sure, hypocrite. Get outta this thread til you develop an ethical core.

I wonder if Giuliani had dirt on from Trump before the election. Trump wouldn't appoint Giuliani to be Secretary of State the way that Giuliani wanted, but Trump made Giuliani the shadow Secretary of State, maybe as a way to appease him?

GOPP= Grand OLD Putin Party.

It is stunning, sickening and bewildering to have Republican elected officials actively spreading Russian created conspiracy theories. Then again, anybody who believed the GOP ever truly held patriotic convictions or principles was duped.

Trump is not the idiot he appears to be. He knew if RG became SOS, then everything he wanted to do would be public. Trump is a criminal...he has to always have plausible deniability and no way to pin anything directly on him through the use of scapegoats. Hes like Putin in that regard....its everyone else but him.

When I was interning, I knew and often hung out with interns or aides from the other side of the aisle. More often than not, they would say their Rep only cared about money, rich donors and getting resources in the Middle East. There was very little, if any, concern about their constituents. This was in stark contrast to the Dem side.

Noose tightening around criminal traitor Nunes.

What law are we breaking, r276?

R239 Resistance Grifting. I didn't need to learn this exists. How fucking dismal.

R282 = Vlad

Who is the idiot claiming MSN is breaking laws by publishing articles on their site? Are you insane? I think the entire media establishment can take care of themselves legally, you dimwitted troll.

John McCain, reduced to the level of VFW Post 7401 named in his honor. You'd think McCain was as big as Eisenhower they way everyone brought their best pomp and majesty when he croaked.

[quote]Oh, it’s OK to break the law when it’s for your own benefit, okay, sure, hypocrite. Get outta this thread til you develop an ethical core.

Moron, MSN pays for the content, just as other media providers pay for AP content. No laws are being broken. Get a grip. And a life.

I don’t think it is any secret that MSN is republishing articles fro m the NYT or WaPo. I’m sure both of them know and have been rewarded handsomely by MSN.

R277, In New York, Trump and Rudy were a gruesome twosome for decades. I bet that there isn't anything that Rudy doesn't know about his good buddy, and vice versa. I just wonder who will stab who in the back first? The only thing I believe Rudy on, is that he has "insurance" against his good friend Donald.

Most. Citizens have no idea why the fucker is even being impeached. Reagan created this overly ignorant population. Remember when Trump said if he ran for president it would be as a Republican, because they will believe anything.

R290 I think that was debunked as a lie but there is no doubt he thought it and there is no doubt only someone like him could win on the GOP side.

Following Trump's jab at Kellyanne, Matt Gaetz is criticizing her as a clueless 'boomer'. Are they trying to push Kellyanne out of the WH?

George has ramped up his piercing tweets on Trump.

Perhaps KAC is Annonymous and Trump was told such?

Kellyanne is tight with Rebekah Mercer, Pence, Steve Bannon, and supposedly Melania. Jared wants to get rid of her.

Something is up.

Poor Rudy. He should have retired after all the America's Mayor hype

I'd love if Kellyanne was the one to bring the government down. Unlikely, but damn it would be a nice twist. I was just thinking of Omarasa the other day. I imagine she'd have some juicy information to share or was that all in the book that nobody was interested in. She seems to have disappeared.

Omarosa sure did disappear. I wonder why?

Omarosa just suggested teasers and never delivered on anything substantive. The media got tired of wasting their time with her.

#BoycottMSNBC is trending on Twitter because his supporters don't think he got enough airtime at the debate. I didn't see the entire debate so don't know if this is true, but damn, boycotting MSNBC....damn. The Repugs must be laughing their asses off.

Yes and R279 all the acting Secretaries are just their because he can get away with more shit!

Matt Gaetz should get zero press. He is the embodiment of congressional click bait.

Oops I meant to say that Andrew Yang's supporters don't think he was given adequate airtime at the airtime. They're also asking people to boycott MSNBC's biggest sponsors.

Kellyanne is booked to be one of the guests on CBS Face the Nation tommorow (Sunday).

CBS is not going to get anything out of her except spin and propaganda including yapping attacks on HRC, Obama, Adam Schiff, Pelosi, and of course, the Bidens.

Foolish for CBS for giving her time for the nonsense she espouses. However, she is probably the only WH employee willing to show. And she probably kept her distance from the Ukraine scandal, but knows the dirt which she will not reveal beyond what is commonly known.

I'm sure most of the other Democrats running for President are laughing their asses off as well, R297/300.

NYT reports that the secretary of the Navy and the admiral who leads the SEALs have threatened to resign or be fired if plans to expel a commando from the elite unit in a war crimes case are halted by President Trump.

The Navy is proceeding with the disciplinary plans against Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, the convicted-of-misconduct commando Trump granted clemency to this past week.

If only a Republican member of Congress could muster even half the integrity of these military officers.

matt gaetz shouldn't have ANY JOB! literally! he's had what 7 dui's? on what planet can someone with that history have a job as a state representative, no matter if his area is 100% deplorables??!!!

Matt Gaetz, learn some math. Kellyanne was born in 1967, she's not old enough to be a "Boomer."

And that will be the FIRST and ONLY time I will ever come to the rescue of Kellyanne Conway.

R305, maybe he was drunk when he was doing the math, no, not even math, but arithmetic on kellyanne.

Surely the Republicans will take the high road and stand behind the Navy Admirals. Right? Right? Anyone? Bueller?

Washington Post:

House Democratic infighting subsides as party focuses on push to impeach Trump

CNN:

Seven hours in the air with Sondland after he implicated Trump in his impeachment testimony

Thanks R308. Well, I guess even the SQUAD members can manage to get over themselves for the common good...for now.

But wait - if Bernie doesn't get the nomination (and he won't), you can bet AOC and Omar will be tweeting up a "righteous" storm, especially if Biden is the nominee.

Yang is annoying and does these silly antics such as $1,000 giveaways for attention. Of course automation is impacting, but he offers no real substance on the topic beyond throwing the term out there. Such is to be addressed by the educational system, industry re-training, and job placement initiatives.

Matt Gaetz's use of "boomer" is presumably some lame, misplaced attempt to take over the younger generation's critique of conservative fogeys.

Here, r303....

Navy Is Said to Proceed With Disciplinary Plans Against Edward Gallagher

Bloomberg:

Giuliani Says Biden Documents to Be Released ‘If I Disappear’

I thought Trump's comments against Kellyanne were just Trump being a misogynist pig, the kind who always takes the man's side in any divorce.

[quote] R201: Swalwell made the move to the next level in exposing the corruption of Trump supporters.

I can just imagine the Dems drawing straws for who would get to reveal that article on TV, as it raises their profile. It’s a gutsy thing to do: with Nunes in the room.

R314, that's genuinely funny. "I have all of these incriminating, incredibly important documents but I just can't bring myself to release them."

Shit

AP: Ginsburg hospitalized for treatment of chills and fever

Junior Mint tweets something he thinks is funny, in trying to demean Shift and testimony from witnesses.

Junior is a total nitwit. Those witnesses are PhDs, military officers, foreign service officials, ambassadors, etc.

Junior is a POS. Even his dad views him as stupid.

Come on RBG, hang in there until Jan 20, 2021!

Schiff

I love RBG, but she really should have retired during Obama's administration.

mean 319 gezz

mean 319 gezz

So Ruby Julie has evidence on Biden yet doesn't release it?

Sure, girl, sure.

How soon before Lev Parnas "accidentally" falls out of a window?

Utterly, utterly.....

R314,that is so ridiculous. If we're to believe that Rudy has incriminating evidence against Biden, then why would it take him "disappearing" for it to be released? Isn't that what he's been running to Ukraine trying to do all this time. If he had anything on Biden, he would have spilled it by now.

Has anyone explained to Trump that John Roberts would run the trial in the Senate, and that he would not permit the Bidens to be called as witnesses, as they have no relevant testimony to offer?

Does Kimberly Guilfoyle (Pooh Bear), Junior Mint's gf, think she's going to be the spouse of a future President? Fox got rid of her. She's a deplorable tweeter.

She would receive some appreciation if she shared her rolodex of dick pics on DL.

Eva Braun for the Kardashian generation.

[quote]No wonder he looks so slouchy in the video: it’s hard to stand up straight with no spine.

------------------------------

To be fair, many among us have been slouchy after some rough spit-roasted, barebacking. it happens.

NYT:

New Documents Reveal Details of Pompeo’s Role in Ukraine Affair

I can't find the thread, Justice RBG has been hospitalized with fever etc, she's gonna die! And orange turd gets to appoint another one, we are so fucked!!!

Kevin McCarthy, as minority leader in the House has the right to make assignments to committees. If he wanted Nunes he got him. Nunes was under investigation for ethics violations before, when Ryan was Speaker because of his machinations running back and forth to the White House, leaking Intel info and strategizing. If we get a paper trail or electronic confirmation, some kind of proof that confirms what Parnas is alleging, then Pelosi can pressure McCarthy into removing him or sanctioning him or even expelling him.

Putin's enemies just seem to... disappear.

I'm sure it's just an unfortunate coincidence. Russia is a wild 'n wooly place.

Rudy's mythical Biden documents are in a safe right next to Obama's Indonesian birth certificate.

Oh that wacky Kevin McCarthy.....

I think Giuliani's message about Biden was code and he really meant Trump. Why the hell would Biden make him disappear??

Excellent article.

[quote]r338 Oh that wacky Kevin McCarthy.....

It's distracting to me that Kevin McCarthy is also the name of an actor. He was Montgomery Clift's best friend.

#ChangeIt,Please

R330, Guilfoyle has been grooming Junior Asshole for his eventual role as POTUS in 2024, probably with Trump Sr's approval. Ivanka was supposed to be the chosen one, but she has failed to light the world on fire as expected and, to Daddy's disappointment, is very unpopular with the masses, as is her charisma-deprived husband. The possibility of her becoming the first female president is a longshot at this stage, so enter Ms. Guilfoyle, who has political and media experience, to work on Junior. She has been raising his profile, getting him out there and more involved in public events and even got a ghostwriter to write a book in his name. She also accompanies him everywhere to keep an eye on him, like a mother-hen taking care of her chick. Do not underestimate what this ambitious cougar will do to get her stilettos into the WH. She is ruthless to the core.

Ruby Julie just tweeted something or other incomprehensible

Rudy, Bolton, etc., boast of all this shocking information they possess that purports to justify their own respective behaviors, but refuse to supply to and testify before Congress. Letters to Lindsey are grossly inadequate. Rudy, you were caught.

R291 Trump did say something like that, I believe in a radio broadcast back in the 90s. But I thought he said it as Republicans were so dumb, they'd believe anything. I recall his hesitation for just a moment when the interviewer asked what he would run as (they may have asked specifically Democrat or Republican, but I'm not 100% on that). I heard the interview replayed during his campaign for the presidency (in late 2015 or early 2016....it could have been a tv interview, but I believe it was radio because I only heard it). I just checked online and someone has done a good job of getting obscure websites to report everyone was saying it was from a People Magazine interview and that the meme was not true, thus it is disproved.

Sure, Rudy's damning evidence about Biden is right next to Obama's long form birth certificate that proves that he was born in Kenya!

R246 And Melania's legal immigration papers.

^^Sorry R346

[quote] NYT reports that the secretary of the Navy and the admiral who leads the SEALs have threatened to resign or be fired if plans to expel a commando from the elite unit in a war crimes case are halted by President Trump.

Nope.

Spencer denied threatening to resign at a defense conference in Halifax, Canada, on Saturday, according to reporters present.

“I’m still here, I did not threaten to resign, we’re here to talk about external threats and Eddie Gallagher is not one of them,” Spencer said during a panel on the Arctic. Spencer told reporters he works at the pleasure of the president.

"The president of the United States is the commander in chief, he’s involved in every aspect of government and he can make decisions and do things and give orders as he deems appropriate," he said.

Spencer said that if he receives official orders -- not in the form of a tweet -- the disciplinary process against Gallagher will cease.

Can’t the SEALs just send him on a suicide mission?

I love this board. Somebody out there always has a witty comment perfect for the situation.

R337 my thoughts exactly. I believe he is speaking in code.

Lá Sénatrice, we are so disappointed in you. The slouching and cussing is so unbecoming. There is help.

Try Lottie's Finishing School or another of stellar reputation.

Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo:

[quote]Based on a near to completed story we’ve been working on for a few weeks I think I know just what Rudes is talking about and good lord if you thought Rudes was a grenade till this point just wait.

From r343....

‏

@DadRock2020 22h22 hours ago

Replying to @RudyGiuliani @LindseyGrahamSC @realDonaldTrump

How do you sleep?

***

Homer@doubleOsnork 20h20 hours ago

Upside down

I have some questions about the trial in the Senate. My understanding is that the House “prosecutes,” the Chief Justice presides, and the Senate acts as jury (I.e. just watches). Hoping you can help me figure these things out.

1. Who presents the defense?. The president and his attorneys? Are they White House attorneys or private attorneys? 2. Can the defense call people like Hunter Biden as part of their defense? Does the Chief Justice rule on witnesses they can bring? Because to me the guilt/innocence of the Bidens has absolutely nothing to do with the actual crimes of the case. 3. Can the House compel non-cooperative witnesses (Mulvaney, Pompeo, etc.) to finally testify? Does Chief Justice Roberts make that call? If so, how would he compel them?

USA Today:

'I don't know him': The many times Donald Trump's acquaintances suddenly became strangers

Good questions R356. I'd like to understand this process, too. And if the Republicans are going to call Hunter Biden and Adam Schiff like they threatened, then I suppose the Democrats can call Devin Nunes , Lindsey Graham and Rudy. So maybe the Republicans would like to rethink their strategy of putting the Biden's on trial to create a circus.

That letter at R343 shows Rudy is huffing some serious paint thinner.

Bloomberg:

Trump Inquiry Won’t End With Impeachment Report, Schiff Says

From FUX:

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., on Sunday slammed the House’s impeachment inquiry into President Trump for chasing after a "red herring" when trying to determine whether the president tied foreign aid to Ukraine to an investigation into his political rivals, and he attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for making impeachment proceedings a “political weapon.”

Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” Kennedy dodged a question by Chris Wallace on whether Trump was asking Ukraine to investigate corruption or to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, and instead called out Pelosi for politicizing the impeachment process.

“Speaker Pelosi is acting in a manner that is insincere, even by the standards of Congress,” Kennedy said. “She is turning impeachment into a routine political weapon.”

Kennedy went on to criticize House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff’s move to bar Republicans from calling witnesses in the impeachment inquiry and “not allowing the president to defend himself.”

A number of Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee have commented that the president is welcome to testify before the committee during the impeachment hearings.

^This is why I’m not seeing my Deplorable family members at Thanksgiving this year. They can’t keep their yaps shut.

NYT:

New Documents Reveal Details of Pompeo’s Role in Ukraine Affair

Kennedy's arguments are just dumb...and so is he. He looks like a hillbilly grandma.

R356: 1. Who presents the defense?. The president and his attorneys? Are they White House attorneys or private attorneys? 2. Can the defense call people like Hunter Biden as part of their defense? Does the Chief Justice rule on witnesses they can bring? Because to me the guilt/innocence of the Bidens has absolutely nothing to do with the actual crimes of the case. 3. Can the House compel non-cooperative witnesses (Mulvaney, Pompeo, etc.) to finally testify? Does Chief Justice Roberts make that call? If so, how would he compel them?

1. The President’s lawyers. I don’t know if they are WH or private lawyers.

2. The defense can call whomever they want. The Chief Justice can block them for the reasons you state, but the prosecution might want them to testify anyway, to avoid Deplorable allegations that this was the Deep State at work. It’s a quandary.

3. The House can compel whomever they want via subpoena.

The Clinton impeachment resulted in at least one Republican, in leadership’s, resignation, so a lot of unexpected things can happen.

Thanks, r365! Re the subpoenas, we’ve seen Republicans ignore them in the impeachment hearing. My question was more asking they can ignore them if called in the impeachment trial itself. Does Justice Roberts have any recourse if these witnesses refuse to cooperate? Can he have them detained until they agree to testify?

Uncooperative witnesses can be arrested by the Sargent at Arms. These are the rules of procedure for impeachment trials in the Senate. It’s seems clear that the parties can be represented by counsel of their choice.

R367, I will join you in asking, Impeachment is a rarity, so it isn’t well-precidented.

If anyone ignores a subpoena, I would expect it to be obstruction of Congress, and obstruction of justice, which are crimes themselves. I expect they can appear and take the 5th, not a crime.

Some of talking about censure. I don’t think the Dems will accept this. The facts are too clear. He deserves removal.

NBC:

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg released from hospital after possible infection

USA Today:

As Trump officials target California's homeless crisis, state officials brace for fight

The Notorious RBG is back on the case, fellas!

All bow down before she decides to cut a bitch!

A confidential White House review of President Trump’s decision to place a hold on military aid to Ukraine has turned up hundreds of documents that reveal extensive efforts to generate an after-the-fact justification for the decision and a debate over whether the delay was legal, according to three people familiar with the records.

The research by the White House Counsel’s Office, which was triggered by a congressional impeachment inquiry announced in September, includes early August email exchanges between acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and White House budget officials seeking to provide an explanation for withholding the funds after President Trump had already ordered a hold in mid-July on the nearly $400 million in security assistance, according to the three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal White House deliberations.

One person briefed on the records examination said White House lawyers are expressing concern that the review has turned up some unflattering exchanges and facts that could at a minimum embarrass the president. It’s unclear if the Mulvaney discussions or other records pose any legal problems for Trump in the impeachment inquiry, but some fear they could pose political problems if revealed publicly.

People familiar with the Office of Budget and Management’s handling of the holdup in aid acknowledged the internal discussions going on during August, but characterized the conversations as calm, routine and focused on the legal question of how to comply with the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Act, which requires the executive branch to spend congressionally appropriated funds unless Congress agrees they can be rescinded.

“There was a legal consensus at every step of the way that the money could be withheld to conduct the policy review,” said OMB spokeswoman Rachel K. Semmel. “OMB works closely with agencies on executing the budget. Routine practices and procedures were followed, not scrambling.”

The hold on the military aid is at the heart of House Democrats’ investigation into whether the president should be removed from office for allegedly trying to pressure Ukraine into investigating his political rivals in exchange for the U.S. support that President Volodymyr Zelensky desperately wanted in the face of Russian military aggression.

In the early August email exchanges, Mulvaney asked acting Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought for an update on the legal rationale for withholding the aid and how much longer it could be delayed. Trump had made the decision the prior month without an assessment of the reasoning or legal justification, according to two White House officials. Emails show Vought and OMB staffers arguing that withholding aid was legal, while officials at the National Security Council and State Department protested. OMB lawyers said that it was legal to withhold the aid, as long as they deemed it a “temporary” hold, according to people familiar with the review.

A senior budget lawyer crafted a memo on July 25 that defended the hold for at least a short period of time, an administration official said.

[quote]NYT reports that the secretary of the Navy and the admiral who leads the SEALs have threatened to resign or be fired if plans to expel a commando from the elite unit in a war crimes case are halted by President Trump.

[quote]Nope.

[quote]Spencer denied threatening to resign at a defense conference in Halifax, Canada, on Saturday, according to reporters present.

The Times stands by its reporting. And something caused Trump to stand down and let the Navy go forward with its actions against the commando, so I'm taking that denial with a very large grain of salt.

R361, I'd describe him as....Jane Darwell's doppelganger.

No paywall.....

CBS:

Himes: Nunes pushed "fantastical conspiracy theories" at hearings

R377, so apparently there’s nothing that DOESN’T implicate the WH in illegal behavior.

Sean Ono Lennon is helping Tulsi Gabbard raise funds to make the next debate.

Fox News is running a story promoting Tulsi and highlighting Sean's support. I will not link Fox though.

Tulsi Gabbard, when push comes to shove, is just a Fox validator. Anyone who appears on Tucker Carlson's and Hannity's shows is only reinforcing white nationalism and other extremist ideologies. She's a Democrat only by opportunism. Sean Lennon is as big a flake as we've always thought he was.

Washington Post:

Pentagon chief asks for Navy secretary’s resignation over private proposal in Navy SEAL’s case

ABC:

Before Giuliani, Ukrainian official hired Trump-linked lobbyist to relay Biden claims

The Damage Report: US Navy Turns On Donald Trump

R384: Damn, Trump disgusts me.

L.A. Times:

California's Nunes, impeachment inquisitor, dodges question over alleged meeting with Ukrainian ex-prosecutor

Politico:

Forget the Oval. The real Trump action is in the residence.

[quote]The real Trump action is in the residence.

Pics please.

BREAKING!!! - Looks like Adam Schiff has the reciepts! Giulani's Russian mobster pal has gone state's evidence and handed over recordings and videos of him Trump and Ghoulani!

The link at R387 is a NYT-level exercise in normalizing autocracy. He should have been impeached and removed the first time he called a foreign leader on his private line.

Matt "Sweaty Betty" Whitaker: Abuse of power is not a crime

Richard Spencer's resignation letter: "The Rule of Law is what sets us apart from our adversaries"

[R389] WOW.

Mr. Parnas! Mr. Parnas! This is Suzanne Sugarbaker! I suggest you get yourself a good black wig and get the hell outta Dodge!

There’s a cancer in the Presidency.

R389 And now John Bolton for the K.O. I predict he resigns like Nixon: )

Parnas is no dummy...he knows that to be the first to flip, that he will get the sweetheart deal. He also knows Trump is unreliable, unstable, and will through him under the bus to save his own ass....as will Giuliani.

^^^throw...damn autocorrect.^^^

Why do I feel like shit is falling apart for Trump faster and faster

Good.

Let this entire pathetic sham of a presidency collapse like a cake in the rain.

R399, because it is. Not fast enough, but it is.

R391, as I sit here thinking about all this,I realize the water is SO cold.

If the audio sounds totally sleazy... It could convince some undecided people.

I just hope there is audio and video of Trump and not just still pics. Pics won't accomplish anything.

Fox News/NewsCorp has been destructive for American democracy. Those Murdochs have been delivering trouble for decades.

Fox News/NewsCorp has been destructive for American democracy. Those Murdochs have been delivering trouble for decades.

Murdochs have been tearing apart freedom all over the world.

Wow! All these guys have tapes, audio and videos of each other. Seems like none of them trust each other and they all have "insurance" just in case one of them decides to throw someone under the bus. There's no honor among thieves. Ha Ha!

I hope Trump's response is, "Tapes! You want tapes? I have the best tapes. They're the biggest and longest tapes!"

At which point, the entire staff of the West Wing immediately resigns and the laughter of Pelosi and Schiff can be heard reverberating all the way to Virginia.

That is huge news, R389. Let’s hope that it pans out. If Parnas turned over audio recordings that included tRump that raises the stakes and has the potential for changing minds against Cheatolini. It would be somewhat surprising, Given how access in the WH is so restricted, but with this crowd nothing is really shocking. (Hell, it could have been tRump on a cell phone, out on the golf course.)

On the other hand, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if they have Rudy on tape. He is such a bumbling, fumbling idiot that getting rolled by these thugs seems par for the course.

You know, for having been the SDNY US Attorney, who has praised himself as being such an integral part of dismantling organized crime in NYC, he sure didn’t learn much.

Will thee tapes reveal more than Rudy's adventures in butt-dialing?

[quote]If Parnas turned over audio recordings that included tRump that raises the stakes and has the potential for changing minds against Cheatolini. It would be somewhat surprising, Given how access in the WH is so restricted...

This is Trump. The idiot who let Russian agents into the Oval without restriction and with electronic devices while keeping American media out.

Giuliani said he has "insurance" also...you know hes shitting his pants right now because his tapes are probably the same tapes Parnas has....only Parnas caved first.

Rudy's "insurance" is in a safe next to Obama's Indonesian birth certificate.

Lindsey has kept a low-profile with the media this weekend.

"If the audio sounds totally sleazy... It could convince some undecided people."

You mean rape, emoluments violations, bribery, forgery, witness tampering, lying (under oath and otherwise), threats, cruel tweets, general incompetence (Syria, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, The Wall, Immigration) treason, colluding, money laundering... haven't swayed them yet?

"The real Trump action is in the residence."

The onley action he get is with he's write hand !

Rick Perry thinks God sent Trump to do great things

Rick Perry clearly wants some of that Republican cash now that he's leaving office.

One would hope that hearing the tapes would sway the American people, but I have no faith in that.

I don't call him President Pussy-Grabber for nothing. Billy Bush suffered more severe consequences over that than Cheeto did. Billy got fired, Dump became President.

The Repugs in the Senate and House won't give a shit unless it starts looking like they may be unseated in 2020.

"Rick Perry thinks God sent Trump to do great things."

The Republicans have crafted the beast through Fox News. They can't control it. So they have their core, diehard base that rabidly believes what appears on Fox - which has been injected into them over the last fifteen years. They can't "do what's right" and keep their seats, so they will do nothing and continue with the monster they've created. Fox News/Fox Business, and the hosts on Fox News and Fox Business, are what control the base and have set the tone for Republican politics.

Rush Limbaugh and talk radio used to have a lot of power, but not so much any longer - it's passed to Fox News and the Fox News hosts.

Trump took advantage of this, took control of Fox News, and bent it all to his will. Of course, Republicans will go along with it, because he's using the beast they created, and he can use it against them enough to make it really hurt.

If the Murdochs cared at all about the Republic they would have started preparing their audience for life after Trump. But they haven't. And until they do, the Republicans will not do anything out of lockstep because they know they'll lose their cushy positions.

Parnas caved because he is being prosecuted by the SDNY - Trump can't pardon him.

Recording people these days is easy, all you need is a cell phone.

"The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a federal district court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses the counties of New York (Manhattan), Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan in the state of New York." That being said, the SDNY is the most independent and aggressive federal offices in the system.

One more time, convictions through the New York Attorney General, Letitia James, and the Manhattan District Attorney, Cy Vance, Jr., are beyond Trump's pardons.

Also, Trumps pardons can be undone if they are complicit with crimes.

Any possibility that while Parnasp is throwing Trump under the bus, Rudy is collateral damage on those recordings and emails?

If he is, Rudy’s got about one day to cut a deal. Once it’s on TV, it’s too late.

I do think even those Fox cultists would tend to believe Rudy throwing Trump under the bus more than any other person doing it.

Parnasp is probably terrified for his life. Russia. Is he being held where Epstein was killed?

I think the reason that Parnas made it known that he was offering damning information is to try to get Trump or the Justice Department involved for fear of what he'd reveal. It seemed more like a threat than anything else.

Barr will be visiting that prison. As with Epstein.

R418, we are in the "Worship of the Golden Calf" portion of this endless movie.

Yaaas, Queen @415! Love her. She's like listening to a new Tennessee Williams play in your most favorite silk kimono waiting for the coffee to be finishing dripping on a easy Sunday Morning once the last night's trade had finally got the hint it's time to go.

R428, the House committee already has the tapes so it would be pointless going after Parnas now.

If Trump came out and said, "Same-sex marriage is the law of the land and I respect that. Whether you like it or not, it is here to stay and I will do everything in my power to uphold that"... the Deplorables would drop him like a hot potato. My paranoid belief is that they voted for him to- at best- put LGBTQ people in death camps. At the very least, to win them "religious freedom" so they don't have to recognize same-sex unions.

Uh, R432, he already pretty much said that. Said it was settled. Abortion is where the religionuts are at with Trump.

Nunes now claims that he can’t possibly explain what he was doing in his travels with Parnas because there is “a criminal investigation” going on. He also claims that he’s totally going to sue CNN and the Daily Beast for printing falsehoods about him (just like he sued that cow).

If gays think the right is ok with same sex rights being "settled" then you have a rude awakening soon. And Pres Bone Spurs said it is so? Oh yes, lets believe him because he always tells the truth and never changes his mind.

Perry saying that is so sacrilegious it is breath taking. God using an imperfect person is one thing- God using the antithesis of a Christian is Anti-Christian. The Right Wing would absolutely welcome the Devil if he gave them right wing judges and tax cuts for the rich (and he would).

That should send chills down any normal voters spine.

No, r425. Rudy would simply be regarded as the revealed Judas.

R418, Rick Perry doesn't believe any such thing. What he knows is that there are Americans ignorant enough to vote for him if he says such twaddle.

Chaucer's Summoner and Pardoner, along with their gulls, are ever with us.

As much as I hope Nunes goes down, I'm not sure it'll happen. Is what he did corrupt? Absolutely. Is it illegal? not sure

and I saw Raskin on a show Sunday and he implied they probably wouldn't waste time chasing down everyone who's done wrongdoing. Their focus is on impeachment

but I hope all the damaging info in the world comes out to expose Nunes at the very least. I want his career crippled

[quote] The Repugs in the Senate and House won't give a shit unless it starts looking like they may be unseated in 2020.

They get their marching orders from high up, like McConnell. When he says they are supposed to stick with Trump, or else ... They will stick with Trump. Their survival instinct is to stay united (united "we" are strong ... that's why they think "divide & conquer" is such a good strategy to win the war) and, preferably, succeed. I am sure McConnell assures them that Vladimir Putin has their backs and will fuck with the election and give them landslide wins nobody will dare to dispute. I am certain McConnell is as much of a Putin asset as Trump and follows Putin's orders.

So Moo-nes travels to Ukraine in support of a Russian Intelligence conspiracy theory that is central the the investigation that he is a ranking member on? Sounds very shady and unethical. He should be removed and forced to resign.

[quote]BREAKING: @TheDemCoalition just filed a House Ethics complaint against @RepDevinNunes for abuse of office

Politico's John Bresnahan:

Please note - The House Ethics Cmte has 5 Democrats & 5 Republicans. So to investigate a member - say GOP Rep. Devin Nunes - Rs would have to go along with the investigation. Which means it isn’t “likely” or anything like that at this point. May not even happen. We’ll see.

Anyone can file a complaint with the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, which can investigate Nunes. But that will take a while. OCE can’t force Nunes to comply & the Ethics Cmte would still have to agree to any sanctions of Nunes, another lengthy process.

why isn't MOO-nes suing swalwell for bringing it up at the hearing, since the cow is so sue happy!

r442, That's a good question. I'm surprised that Nunes didn't try to shout Swalwell down when he did say it at the hearing.

Instead he just lowed his head, like he was ashamed.

[quote]Instead he just lowed his head, like he was ashamed.

Impossible. All GOP lawmakers must submit to surgical removal of their shame regulators before they're allowed to run for office.

Twitter and Facebook. The Scylla and Charybdis of social media.

R435, Rudy is in even worse trouble. He used this guy to broker a deal with oligarchs to get help with investigation into Biden and promised them connections to the Justice Department to help with their issues in the United States.

The guy has tapes.

Rudy is going down and in his effort to defend himself he will just confess to it all.

[quote] why isn't MOO-nes suing swalwell for bringing it up at the hearing, since the cow is so sue happy!

Congressional immunity.

[quote] Congressional immunity rests on Art. I, Sec. 6 of the Constitution, which declares senators and representatives privileged from arrest during attendance at sessions, and provides that “for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place”. This guarantee had long been recognized as an essential right and was in line with the separation of powers and non-interference by the Executive and Judicial branches with the Legislature. Carried over from British practice, it had already been embodied in the Articles of Confederation and in state constitutions before the Philadelphia Convention met in 1787.

[quote] In England the right of members of the Commons to say what they pleased, and particularly to criticise the king, was asserted and reasserted, occasionally acknowledged and repeatedly challenged, throughout the long struggle for parliamentary government. The privilege was affirmed in the British Bill of Rights of 1689 which declared that “the freedom of speech and debates in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament”.

[quote]The Right Wing would absolutely welcome the Devil if he gave them right wing judges and tax cuts for the rich (and he would).

Don't remember if I saw it here or somewhere else but it bears repeating:

Imagine if in the 2020 election the candidates are Satan (R) and Jesus Christ (D), guess who the Rethugs and MAGAts will vote for while "praising God".

Reuters:

Trump ordered Pentagon to let Navy SEAL keep Trident pin

More distraction. Fuck that Orange Clown.

Bloomberg:

Impeachment Reaches Decision Stage as Democrats Review Evidence

Washington Post:

White House review turns up emails showing extensive effort to justify Trump’s decision to block Ukraine military aid

CNN:

Ruling on test of White House witness immunity claims coming Monday

NYT:

Why Giuliani Singled Out 2 Ukrainian Oligarchs to Help Dig Up Dirt

"The Navy has revoked 154 Trident pins since 2011."

Bad seals!

Rudy sends a text message to New York Magazine's Olivia Nuzzi:

“Garbage your publication cannot be counted on to report fairly on this salacious stupidity,” he wrote. “I am a high functioning human being able to outwork people half my age. Compared to Biden and Pelosi, I’m a phenom.”

Wow, even a right wing site like Mediaite is recognizing that Giuliani is nuts

The GOP capitulation to Trump, a tale told in Rick Perry headlines:

Miss "I got a case of Kompromat" is blasting away on Twitter today.

LOL, r458. Priceless. I’m sure they could do the same with Cruz, Rubio, Miz Lindsey, etc.

Senator Coons rips into Miz Lindzey.

Not sure if this was shared here but it's very interesting and comforting. Makes me hopeful that things will work out well.

Once again, the comments to Mz. Lindz’s Twitter feed are just wonderful. Drag that closeted hypocrite’s fat ass all day and all night.

We need to start talking about real bread and butter issues, and not Globull Warming crap all the time. Income disparity, healthcare. This is what voters care about.

[quote]Globull Warming crap

Oh, dear.

Isn’t “An election’s coming, let the PEOPLE decide” properly translated:

“An election’s coming, let RUSSIA decide”?

Conservative-leaning lawyers criticize Barr.

R465 That line is on par with their BS about gun control conversations aren’t the right time after a mass shooting.

R464 - Truth!

R465 - Shadd up Mary.

Boris is trolling today pushing anti-climate change.

I noticed that as well, r471. It's times like this that we get heavier infestations. Time for....

The Examiner:

‘Tremendous value’: White House began storing texts last year, creating evidence cache for Democrats

Washington Post:

The latest Ukraine revelation spotlights a major gap in Trump’s defense

Politico:

Graham defends requesting Biden docs: 'That’s the way it works in politics'

Daily Beast:

The Chronicles of Nunes: How His Impeachment Speeches Created an Alternate Reality for GOP

R475, you can always count on Linz for dazzling logic . . .

I wonder if Miss Lindsey is obsessed with Hunter Biden because he has a crush. Hunter is HOT

Devin Nunes translates into Dmitri Nemov.

Nunes looks like he has loud and explosive farts. Often.

Four years ago Grahama Lindsey was tearfully paying tribute to Joe Biden, now he's done a 180 on Biden. He hated Trump in 2016, and he did another 180. He's 64, never been married or had a partner (that we know of). I think Trump has the goods on him with kids.

the way Nunes was looking down when Swalwell brought up his misdeed in the impeachment hearing was very telling. Innocent people don't look down with shame. He wasn't even surprised it came up either

he really is bottom of the barrel trash

have to say I'm surprised that Stefanik reps an area of NY that borders Vermont. I was thinking she'd be more to the center or west upstate

[R480] Nunes IS a loud and explosive fart.

Stefanik reps that area because her parents have a vacation home there that she claims is her primary address. In reality she lives in DC. I believe her family owns or owned at one time a summer camp.

It;s also convenient for her because it's a low-population area out of the public spotlight that she can ignore without too much concern that anyone outside of that area will ever hear how much the locals think she fucking sucks. Which they do.

R484 right but I mean Vermont is such a liberal state I would have thought the border with NY would be liberal too. I looked at election history and they were blue until 2014 when she got elected. Hopefully next year she's out but it's odd they trended red

Her being voted in was something of an upset - she has a high energy level and was seen as a fresh face and I think that's what pushed her over the top. But she's been an absentee landlord of sorts ever since with no public accountability. That pisses people off.

Sometimes the master has to keep his subject's mouth shut.

WSJ:

Federal Subpoenas Seek Information on Giuliani's Consulting Business

LINDZ & SPURS

the McGahn ruling is due today, right?

My goodness, Rick Perry

R479

Washington Post:

Mired in trench warfare, Trump makes up poll numbers that show him winning handily

Will Hurd gave the GOP cover. I guess lying about a blow job is bad but withholding legal Congressional approved aide to an ally unless they investigated a domestic political rival. And lets not forget the 10 counts of Obstruction Of Justice in the Mueller report they love to ignore!

John King calls Nunes' answer "horseshit" on CNN.

[Quote]It would appear that cable news anchors have had quite enough. First there was Nicolle Wallace calling Republican pundits "chickenshit" and now we have CNN's John King calling Devin Nunes' silly excuses for not answering a straightforward yes or no question "horseshit."

[quote]When asked by Maria Bartiromo whether he did or didn't meet with the corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor, Nunes answered by saying, "I think you can understand that I can't compete by trying to debate this out with the public media when 90% of the media are totally corrupt."

NYT: Who Is Edward Gallagher, the SEAL the Navy Wants to Expel?

The Navy and President Trump have been in a tug of war over Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, the Navy SEAL at the center of a highly publicized war crimes case. The Navy prosecuted Chief Gallagher and wanted to expel him from the SEALs, but the president, as commander in chief, has repeatedly intervened in the sailor’s favor.

Since his arrest last fall, his supporters, including conservative lawmakers and media outlets, have portrayed Chief Gallagher as a valiant SEAL who was being unfairly second-guessed and prosecuted over heat-of-the-moment decisions in a combat zone. But his critics, including some fellow SEALs, have said he had become a rogue operator and poor military role model, and had committed heinous acts of unnecessary violence.

SEALs from the platoon that Chief Gallagher led during a deployment to Mosul, Iraq, in 2017 told military officials that they saw the chief fatally stab a wounded ISIS captive. Navy investigators said while several SEALs were providing medical aid to the fighter, Chief Gallagher took out a handmade hunting knife and stabbed the captive, a teenager, several times in the neck and torso.

The chief was also accused of firing a sniper rifle at civilians, striking a girl wearing a flower-print hijab as she walked along a riverbank and an old man carrying a water jug. Several SEALs broke the group’s code of silence and testified against Chief Gallagher in a military trial.

Washington Post:

Pentagon chief says he was ‘flabbergasted’ by Navy secretary’s attempt to make a private deal with Trump

[quote]John King calls Nunes' answer "horseshit" on CNN.

"Cowshit" would've been funnier.

R490, yes, the McGahn decision is still expected today.

If you think Devin Nunes is a corrupt asshole, please donate to his opponent, Phil Arballo

Stefanik claiming a vacation home as her primary residence is a joke and I can't believe people actually vote for someone who has obviously no interest in that area or the people. She moved to Washington after graduating from college and has lived there ever since. Never lived there, refuses to do town hall meetings, but claims she knows what her constituents want. Sad thing is she will probably be rewarded with a job in Trump's administration or the GOP if people vote her out next year since she is the "new star of the Republican party" now. I hope her opponent tells everyone in NY21 that Stefanik is only a vacation home owner and not a resident who ever lived there.

I was just thinking, one year ago in October/November there was news of thousands of people in caravans heading for the border, Trump sending troops to the border, it was called a crisis at the border and it was an election year.

This year, no caravans, no troops, no crisis at the border and not an election year.

I will bet you anything, next year October/November there will be talk of caravans, troops, crisis at the border because it will be an election year. Some people are just never smart enough to know when they are being manipulated.

NUNES WAS ON FOX BEING ASKED THIS QUESTION, SO HOW WOULD HIM SAYING YES OR NO TO THE ANSWER AFFECT HIM AND HAVE TO DO WITH THE "90% OF THE REST OF THE MEDIA" spinning his answer??

The Hill:

Rising GOP star thrust into spotlight with Trump defense

Why can you go to jail for using an address you don’t live at so your kid can go to a good school, but politicians can do it to run for office?

Politico:

Democracies on the verge of a nervous breakdown

Amazing what passes for a star in their world. You can pretty much be a light bulb with a broken filament and be a start with those low IQ idiots

That's a very good question, r505.

Thanks a lot, Katie Hill.

R509...It was reported that her "scandal" was a right wing hitjob...apparently Papadopolous was tweeting about it a day or two before it became public.

Spotlight:

The GOP's unsubstantiated Ukraine conspiracy theory

Daily Beast: When It Comes to Ukraine, Why Are Republicans So Anxious to Play Putin’s Game?

When Senator John N. Kennedy of Louisiana went with a group of fellow Republican lawmakers to celebrate the Fourth of July in Moscow (yes, Moscow) last year, they met with Russian counterparts in what the Russian press described as a “secret room.” Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of Russia's Foreign Affairs Committee, said that Sen. Kennedy had promised to deliver a "tough message" about Russia’s interference in U.S. elections, but when it was his turn to speak, “he had absolutely nothing to say.”

Now the Republicans have plenty to say, and most of it benefits the Kremlin. Indeed, the Republicans of Donald Trump’s regime and the Russians of Vladimir Putin’s often sing in amazing harmony.

When Kennedy was interviewed Sunday by Chris Wallace on Fox News he gave us a striking example of synchronicity. Kennedy, who was educated at Vanderbilt, the University of Virginia and Oxford University’s Magdalen College, and ought to know better, readily echoed a fable spawned by the Russian security services.

“Who do you believe was responsible for hacking the DNC [Democratic National Committee] and [Hillary] Clinton campaign computers, their emails?” Wallace asked. “Was it Russia or Ukraine?” To which Kennedy replied, “I don’t know, nor do you, nor do any others.”

Wallace fired back: “Let me just interrupt to say the entire intelligence community says it was Russia.” Kennedy wobbled: “Right, but it could also be Ukraine.”

The situation with the elections in Hong Kong and the apparent surprise of the Chinese government to realize that things were indeed, that bad, reminds me of the Republicans in the Fox News echo chamber and other right wing talk. Basically, Republicans believe their own propaganda, and don't see signs it isn't true, due to the way the machine is set up.

[quote]According to a report by the South China Morning Post, part of the blame lies in the labyrinthine and uncoordinated methods employed by Beijing to conduct research on the ground in Hong Kong, with multiple channels of people reporting different information to the top. Another reason is that the people it employs to gather information tend to devote more attention to more loyalist voices in the city, rather than to opposition or younger voices—even personal contacts that might expand its worldview are limited, for example by excluding more fervent pro-democracy figures from events featuring visiting Chinese leadership. Meanwhile officials at the top levels of the Hong Kong government are themselves almost studiously out of touch: In public remarks made earlier this month, Hong Kong’s number two official Matthew Cheung said that he wasn’t sure why people were so angry at the government.

[quote]Indeed, in a political system that has grown to be intolerant of any dissent, it’s hard to imagine how the Chinese Communist Party could avoid receiving bad intelligence on Hong Kong—or any other issue, for that matter. Trapped in an echo chamber of its own making, Beijing has, at every juncture, doubled down on its hardline rhetoric that the protesters represent an independence movement committing acts of terrorism, with the support of overseas governments and Western media. While the strategy played well to a nationalism-fueled domestic audience, especially as protests escalated in violence over months, in practice it leaves little room for the party to climb down, and find new and flexible ways of engaging with the genuine demands of the movement which include greater democratic representation and an investigation into police brutality.

And he looks like such a kindly old grandma!

[quote] Navy investigators said while several SEALs were providing medical aid to the fighter, Chief Gallagher took out a handmade hunting knife and stabbed the captive, a teenager, several times in the neck and torso.

He was tried and found NOT guilty on that charge. He was convicted of posing for a photo with a dead terrorist.

The man who actually did the killing was given immunity, raising strong questions about the selective prosecution's legitimacy.

r515 they gave him a lesser charge because of his service and record. It's basically a plea bargain.

Reuters:

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg back at court after hospital stay

Neocons like R515 are why we end up in wars that never should've happened. He shot civilians for sport, you fucking savage. Why did you leave that part out?

WSJ: Subpoenas issued to people with ties to Rudy Giuliani and his associates indicate a broad federal investigation into possible:

• Obstruction

• Money Laundering

• Conspiracy to defraud the U.S.

• False statements to the feds

• Failing to register as a foreign agent

• Donating funds from foreign nationals

• Making contributions in the name of another person

• Mail & wire fraud

Among the entities named in the subpoenas are Giuliani Partners, a firm founded by Giuliani in 2002 that had multiple foreign clients, including a city in Ukraine.

I can't see how Rudy doesn't do prison time over this. He's done a LOT of shit.

BTW, it should come as no surprise that R515 is a Trump supporter if you saw his other posts. Scumbag.

McGahn MUST testify.

[quote] He shot civilians for sport, you fucking savage. Why did you leave that part out?

Because the court martial also left it out. He was not convicted of anything of the sort. Just the photo. And yes, I am savage.

Reuters:

U.S. Supreme Court extends block on Trump financial records dispute

[quote]Because the court martial also left it out. He was not convicted of anything of the sort. Just the photo. And yes, I am savage.

You're also a terrorist. He was in a country killing people who hadn't done anything to us. Drop dead. Neocon parasite.

but Trump's lawyers will appeal the McGahn decision so who knows how long it will take before we get a final outcome. It should be pretty fucking easy as no one is above the law but who knows

if any court rules McGahn doesn't have to testify, then we would have a new precedent that every American must answer a subpoena EXCEPT those who work in the White House. That's simply not fair.

Hopefully if the case is taken on appeal the judge will maintain the law

R525 That poster is just trying (poorly) to get a rise out of posters. He is furiously jacking off at home waiting for replies.

Conservatives are addicted to anger and outrage. Their whole machine is based on the addiction model.

R526, if he appeals, the court he’s appealing to would have to issue a stay. His lawyer has said they’ll comply if a stay isn’t issued.

The Hill:

Trump defends intervening in war-crimes cases

The Hill:

Sarah Sanders defends Trump: He reads 'more than anybody I know'

When pressed by Fox News' Steve Hilton about how she would describe Trump and his leadership style, she said "he's very decisive" and added that's one of the perceptions she doesn't believe readers will get from the book.

"I think it's the opposite of how they lay it out. He takes information from a number of people, very quickly processes it, makes a decision and moves forward," she said. "I mean, I've watched this process play out so many times, sat in hundreds of meetings with the president, and the idea that he can only take in one or two bullets is absurd."

Hopefully, Schiff will slap warmonger mcmustache with a subpoena since he was looking to this ruling regarding his ability to testify.

it's ironic how Trump is claiming he's defending war heroes while in reality, a MILITARY COURT is the one that found Gallagher guilty of posing with a dead enemy combatant. Trump is doing ANOTHER disservice to the military by undermining a just ruling against someone who had broken their code of conduct.

This will only put our military at further risk in the future. Enemies will be less inclined to treat them with decency

This will also put regular Americans at greater peril should they be kidnapped in a foreign country

but oh this sells well on Fox so it's a great idea...

Politico:

Don McGahn must testify about time as White House lawyer, judge rules

[quote]All GOP lawmakers must submit to surgical removal of their shame regulators before they're allowed to run for office.

Not to mention their lips.

The MSM (especially WAPO) is now racheted up to a level of overt anti-Trump hysteria that we have never seen.

You sound really concerned, R535.

Really, r536. I think a nice cup of tea and a lie down would be in order.

[quote] The MSM (especially WAPO) is now racheted up to a level of overt anti-Trump hysteria that we have never seen.

Well, it’s about damn time. Perhaps if they had exhibited a fraction of their current concern three years ago we wouldn’t be in this mess right now.

The "Talking Lindsey", the new craze for the holidays.

[quote]The MSM (especially WAPO) is now racheted up to a level of overt anti-Trump hysteria that we have never seen.

Hysteria? Is that what it is?

“Vote Right To The Bottom!” has a certain ring to it, r539.

Are these the drug dealers?

If by anti-Trump hysteria, you mean exposing truth to power, exposing Trump's lies, his crimes and the cover-ups, then I'm all in.

so now are we going to have an "acting Navy Secretary" too? Yet ANOTHER institution this fucking bastard has disrupted. Are we going to end up with a corrupt Navy now? I mean WTF

Trump & Fox are just politicizing and weaponizing EVERY fucking thing about our country. Just despicable. And FUCK the piece of shit brainless brain washed dumbasses who support Trump & Fox

"Boris is trolling today pushing anti-climate change.'

Russia wants the planet to warm-up because it will melt the tundra (increased agriculture, fossil fuel exploration) and increase shipping lanes for them around the Arctic- which were previously too dangerous with ice.

John Kennedy = Hope Emerson

SERIOUS QUESTION: IF MCGAHN or anyone WANTS to testify how can they be stopped? isn't this the right of every american citizen??

kennedy from weezy-ana is simply a moron and a whore! one can be the most educated person alive, but if they are INHERENTLY a p.o.s. as a human THAT is what rules their lives and rules their decision making in every aspect of life. He wants to have a political career and attention hence why he acts and says what he said.

[quote]John Kennedy = Hope Emerson

Nah, too butch.

[quote]Sarah Sanders defends Trump: He reads 'more than anybody I know'

Hey fatass, I work alone. Go terrorize a Golden Corral.

LOL, r550!

NYT:

Donald McGahn Must Testify to Congress, Judge Rules; Administration Will Appeal

NYT: Her Battles With the Press Corps Behind Her, Sanders Plans a Political Future

“There are two types of people who run for office,” Ms. Sanders said over breakfast tacos at a diner in downtown Little Rock last week. “People that are called and people that just want to be a senator or governor. I feel like I’ve been called.”

*

She presided over punishing Jim Acosta of CNN by suspending his White House access. She phased out the daily press briefings that in recent history have been the main way presidents answer to the public. Her legacy would be “defending the indefensible and not being truthful with the American people,” David Axelrod, a former top adviser to President Barack Obama and a CNN contributor, once said.

But those clashes have now become the icebreaker in the speech she gives to Arkansas audiences.

“I’m just excited to have people clap when I come up to a podium,” she said at a Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinner in Hot Springs one night last week. “It’s very different from what I’m used to. All I can say is thank God I’m back in Arkansas.”

Ms. Sanders’s relationship with reporters reached a nadir in April after it was revealed that she had admitted under oath to investigators working for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, that her claim at a press briefing that “countless members of the F.B.I.” told her they had lost confidence in the bureau’s director, James B. Comey, was a “slip of the tongue” that was not based on any facts.

In Hot Springs, the crowd was hardly dwelling on the incident.

“The main thing I like about her is her honesty,” said Carla Shelton, a small-business owner who brought her daughter to hear Ms. Sanders speak. “She got a bad rap because people are offended that she does tell the truth. I’m 100 percent behind her.”

John Kennedy joins Miss Lindz in the "old Southern men who look like lesbians" club

McGahn was WH council when Trump submitted his mendacious written replies to Mueller.

Mueller knows Trump lied and that it was McGahn who wrote the replies.

This is a reason that the Mueller interviews have not been released. McGahn needs to go to jail but Barr...

SANDERS "CALL/CALLING" WAS 911!

WHO WITH HALF A BRAIN whose spent any REMOTE attention to sanders and whose english was their first and native language would think she was "honest"!...

Bette knew how to deal with the Carla Sheltons of the world, r556.....

well if she runs for a seat in Arkansas she'll likely win it sadly

So, I was reading that Trump wants to campaign with the convicted war criminal that he pardoned.

Can you imagine being a Republican Senator, and Trump shows up at your event with a convicted war criminal, who you will be expected to warmly welcome? I'm not quite sure that's the kind of media attention that they will want.

R559 the deplorables will love it. They don't care if someone in the military breaks the code of conduct. it'll give them a chance to again falsely assert ownership over the military even though they have no issues disparaging veterans who testify the truth if it's harmful to Trump (like with Vindman and his treatment on Fox)

This just proves that Dump loves the Military and loves Murica!

[quote]Pelosi: "The Courts have been clear: the President's insistence that he is above the law is an offense to our Constitution ... Today's ... decision in the McGahn case is yet another resounding ruling that the Admin's claim of 'absolute immunity' ... has no basis in the law."

Nancy just need to take away his phone and send him this room without supper.

Subpoena indicates federal investigators interested in Giuliani's business

John Bolton is so very much a typical war hawk: talks a good game, all about going to war with rogue nations, but a craven underneath it all when it comes to his own duties.

Barr must be investigated by the DOJ in the next administration. His crimes must be brought to light.

I wish Miss Conan had taken a dump in the Oval Office.

Barr is above the law. No one is going to investigate him!

National Enquirer company chief David Pecker talking with New York prosecutors

[quote]Before we get too excited, McGahn/DOJ can appeal, so nothing happens immediately & the judge ruled McGahn must show up but may still assert privilege & decline to answer some questions. Expect more litigation.

I so wanted that dog, Conan, to jump up and attack Trump. Wouldn't it have been funny if Trump had attempted to pet him and the dog would have snapped at his hand? He would have smelled the fear.

Like this?

Gross.

Katie Hill never should have vacated.

Agreed. There was no reason for her to when Rethugs continue to do all the crap they do.

Sadly, he could do well out in that district. Full of Rethugs out there.

Yeah, apparently Katie was a big deal since she took the seat from Rethugs holding it for decades.

Is he even from that District?

Her new campaign posters:

Link to new thread for when this one maxes out:

Unbelievable.

Shucksabee has never looked better than in those drawings. Her real face would scare children.

Do they wrestle in the navy?

Link to new thread for when this one maxes out:

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