Thursday, May 2, 2019

New Column on Barr Testimony: The GOP’s Just a Racket Now, and Trump Is Its Godfather, Barr Its Wartime Consigliere


JUST IN: Trump indicates he will block McGahn from testifying about Mueller report


Butina's notes on her activities/meetings with Torshin around the 2017 National Prayer Breakfast in DC were just filed, with plenty of redactions:


Lindsey Graham says he will call Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and ask him to look into the use of the FISA court in the 2016 election. He said he wants to preserve FISA and right now "Trump is down on FISA" because he thinks it was used to spy on his campaign.


Why did @WhiteHouse release this letter today? Because they know @TheJusticeDept Bill Barr was terrible yesterday & his empty chair today looked really bad for him. That's why White House wants to change the subject, because #Barr is becoming a liability.


JUST IN: Klobuchar calls on Mueller to turn over any copies of Trump's taxes team reviewed


SCOOP: Trump administration to give Border Patrol agents authority to decide asylum claims on the spot: Sources


Rep. Jerry Nadler: "I am certain there is no way forward for this country that does not a reckoning with this clear and present danger to our constitutional order."


"The Trump administration has weakened offshore drilling safeguards put in place after a 2010 explosion on the BP Deepwater Horizon oil platform killed 11 workers and triggered the largest ocean spill in U.S. history."


Opinion: Trump is already set to use the government to destroy the Democratic nominee


Petr Aven cooperated with Mueller, it’s also likely Deripaska provided info to FBI. Wouldn’t that put Barr in conflict? Is that reason to recuse from his baby?


Are Trump & Giuliani corruptly pushing AG Barr to weaponize DOJ against the Biden family over matters in Ukraine? Looks like it to me. Unending abuse of power . . .


“Attorney General Bill Barr is now one of the most dangerous men in Washington D.C.,” Rep. @tedlieu says after Barr skips House hearing on the Mueller report.


Labor Secretary Alex Acosta: "We do not support a change in the federal minimum wage at this time” The last time the federal minimum wage was raised was in 2007 using a series of steps ending in 2009 to raise the minimum to $7.25 an hour


House Votes to Stop US Withdrawal From Paris Climate Agreement


READ: White House letter to Barr on Mueller report


Nancy Pelosi: "[Barr] lied to Congress. If anybody else did that, it would be considered a crime. Nobody is above the law. Not the President of the United States and not the attorney general."


NEW: WH sent a letter to Barr accusing Mueller of playing politics with the investigation and wildly straying from his mission. WH says Mueller ignored the regs, abdicated his role as a prosecutor by punting on obstruction.


Sen. Richard Blumenthal: "I see no innocent explanation for [Barr's] answer. whether the remedy of perjury is applicable, clearly he lied to Congress and he lied under penalty of perjury."


JUST IN: Trump creates new religious protections for health care workers who don't want to perform abortions


Pelosi accuses Barr of lying to Congress, paints him as a symbol of far-right special interests. Will those special interests push Barr to resign? Nancy’s strategery is on point.


Less than three hours ago, Moore told Bloomberg News that he and the White House were both “all in” on his nomination


Steve Moore, a great pro-growth economist and a truly fine person, has decided to withdraw from the Fed process. Steve won the battle of ideas including Tax Cuts....


Pelosi just explained why Barr defied the subpoena to appear before House Judiciary. She says he committed 18 U.S. Code 1001 in the Senate. Lindsay Graham is unlikely to make a criminal referral. Barr would likely have lied to Nadler, who WOULD make a criminal referral.


It’s time to begin impeachment proceedings against AG Barr. He prejudged the report, falsely accused the FBI of spying, lied to Congress, and missed a subpoena deadline. At every step he has acted as Trump’s lawyer, when he’s sworn to be America’s. He must go.


I called this. @realDonaldTrump will call for criminal investigation of all potential opponents in 2020. Next up for @JoeBiden : "lock him up" chants.


An American man has been sentenced to death in China over an alleged drug trafficking plot


Nancy Pelosi: "[Barr] lied to Congress. If anybody else did that, it would be considered a crime. Nobody is above the law. Not the President of the United States and not the attorney general."


Barr connected to Alfa Bank? this why there was NOTHING about the Alfa Bank Server connection to Trump Tower & Spectrum Health (DeVos) servers in Volume 1 of the report? It seems a glaring omission...even if only to debunk it


.@RepCohen places a glass chicken in place of AG Barr


New Evidence Emerges of Steve Bannon and Cambridge Analytica’s Role in Brexit


Now is the the time for all good people to come to the aid of their country. Clarion call.


Russia's trying the same crap on in Venezuela as they did in Syria, with the same rhetoric. Trump ought to put down Twitter and actually concentrate on what's going on. Forlorn hope I know


Rep. Steve Cohen brings a big bucket of KFC and rubber chicken to Bill Barr's no-show hearing


Why does the MSM seldom want to discuss the unpleasant details of important espionage cases, even ones involving very important Americans? Asking for a friend


WATCH LIVE: Lawmakers speak outside House Judiciary hearing


Rep. Jerry Nadler said Attorney General William Barr "has failed to check the president's worst instincts," adding that we have "no choice but to move quickly to hold the attorney general in contempt if he stalls or fails to negotiate in good faith."


Nadler adjourns hearing, GOP furious. Matt Gaetz tries to talk but his mic gets cut off


JUST IN: Trump Justice Dept offers first arguments to strike down ObamaCare


Jerry Nadler: "If he does not provide this committee with the information it demands, and the respect it deserves, Mr. Barr's moment of accountability will come soon enough."


House Democrats are calling Attorney General William Barr out for not showing up to today's hearing before the Judiciary Committee. Rep. Steve Cohen brought a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken to suggest that Barr is afraid to testify


Israel comes to a standstill with a two-minute siren wailing across the country in remembrance of the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust.


Sister of jailed Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul tells @france24 top crown prince MBS aide Saoud Al Qahtani told her:"I'll kill you, cut you into pieces, throw you in the sewage and no one will know it.Before that, I'll rape you'


Jerry Nadler: "Ladies and gentlemen, the challenge we face is that the President of the U.S. wants desperately to prevent Congress, a co-equal branch of government, from providing any check whatsoever to even his most reckless decisions. He is trying to render Congress inert."


The Chmn of the House Judiciary and the empty chair for the Attorney General. “He is trying to render congress inert as a separate and coequal branch of government” - @RepJerryNadler on Trump.


This is extraordinary and confirms what we have said for weeks. There was a cover-up and Mueller called out AG Barr for it. This will lead to impeachment but it should include everyone involved in the administration and transition including @VP Pence.


Jerry Nadler opening statement: "Given the attorney general's lack of candor before other congressional committees, I believe my colleagues and I were right to insist on the extended questioning."


Colorado Senator Michael Bennet announces 2020 presidential bid


The Cowardly Attorney General


Judge slams insurance company's "immoral and barbaric" refusal to cover life-saving treatment


The House Judiciary chairman slammed Barr as “trying to blackmail” Democrats by refusing to testify


“Get Out While You Can” Once notorious for her racist and bigoted tweets, Katie McHugh saw the dark insides of the white nationalist movement.


New: Stephen Moore has continued underpaying his alimony bills for years, even after he was found in contempt of court, leaving his ex-wife short by tens of thousands of dollars


William Barr torched by Harvard Professor, legal scholars over "indefensible" Mueller summary: AG "must be impeached"


Election security push stumbles amid White House resistance


It’s almost as if Giuliani, like Stone before him, has a direct line into the NYTimes - and it comes with some form of unseen leverage. Or something..


Good morning, here’s what Fox & Friends has in store for viewers today.


Sen. Patrick Leahy: "Mr. Barr, I feel that your answer was purposely misleading, and I think others do, too."


Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is invited by Trump for a "working meeting" on May 13


Today, #WeRemember the 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and the millions more who lost their lives because of an ideology built on hate. Let’s redouble our focus to combat antisemitism and white supremacy in every form


St Lucia quarantines US cruise ship over measles case

Anti Vax movement is Russian active measure.

The candidates who focus on the economy rather than divisive social issues are the ones @realDonaldTrump is most afraid of.@ewarren is one of them. President Donald Trump, on Boston radio show, calls for Sen. Elizabeth Warren to resign


Bolton and his Latin America policy aide Mauricio Claver-Carone are pushing hard for military options in Venezuela, clashing with Pentagon officials who oppose intervention.


Just incredible reporting from @RosieGray on how white nationalists have infiltrated conservative media, including, at least four people who worked for Carlson's Daily Caller


BREAKING: Trump files a brief today going further than ever before to dismantle the ACA in entirety.


Spicy Files! FTA meets IRS meets John Doe(s)


Bill Barr has set America on the "road to tyranny," says Hillary Clinton


No prosecutor worth their salt would make a decision about whether the President of the United States obstructed justice without reviewing the evidence. Attorney General Barr lacks all credibility.


Judge sentences Palm Beach sex trafficker to 5 life terms


New filing in Trump et al v. Deutsche Bank and Capital One: Order on Motion for Miscellaneous Relief


Did House Speaker's office attempt to frame activist? DA asks for special prosecutor to investigate Casada's chief of staff: 'Black people are idiots'


The Attorney General is afraid to be questioned by House staff attorneys. The. Attorney. General.


Trump's stonewall is cracking. Too many cases are proceeding for him to keep them all suppressed all the way through 2020


Joe Biden calls on A.G. Barr to resign and says the American people have "lost confidence" in Barr.


Sen. Dianne Feinstein: "You still have a situation where a president essentially tries to change the lawyers account in order to prevent further criticism of himself. " Bill Barr: "Well, that's not a crime."


Three Branches: Separate but Equal. The framers selected the Senate as jury in impeachment trials rather than SCOTUS Judges. The reason: the impeached may still face criminal prosecution after impeachment and no-one should face the same court twice.


This is going to sound like my typical shtick given the events of today but seriously in the middle of the Barr testimony they were in court TRYING TO TAKE AWAY YOUR HEALTH CARE


Navy sailors were instructed to 'clap like we're at a strip club' for Mike Pence’s arrival


Why does Congress need to review Barr’s call notes? Check Article I of the U.S. Constitution.


Out-of-pocket costs for Americans with neurologic conditions have risen so rapidly over 12 years that doctors need better access to drug price information "to minimize patient financial burden," a new study says


Inside the back and forth between DOJ, Congress and Barr. What's next for Mueller. Plus, what the White House really thinks about today's hearing.


Oh. “The U.S. State Department allowed at least 7 foreign governments to rent luxury condominiums in New York's Trump World Tower in 2017 without approval from Congress...”


It’s not a difficult question: did the White House ever ask Attorney General Barr to investigate anyone? It seems like something he should be able to answer.


Complete exchange between @senkamalaharris and Attorney General William Barr.


We are descending to a place where nothing matters. And that’s the place where autocrats thrive and democracies die.


Perspective: How Franklin Graham betrayed his father’s legacy


William Barr and his horrible hearing


Barr ensures Congress can't stop Trump now: “Trump now has an attorney general, like a human block of granite, who sees few limits on presidential power and is willing to obfuscate and execute blocking movements on his behalf.”


"We actually heard the Attorney General of the United States of America say that the POTUS could shut down an investigation if he thought that he was wrongly accused. This is Nixon saying the law is what the president says the law is."


The Post's Editorial Board: William Barr torched his reputation. His testimony compounded the damage.


Special Counsel found that Kellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act twice last year. She also plugged Ivanka Trump's clothing line and has made the same mistakes with comments about Biden recently. She will keep doing it until she has incentive to stop.


Fox's Levin rips into Chris Wallace over jab at network's "opinion people": "You make no sense"


Sexual assaults in the military jumped to 20,500 last year — a rise of almost 38% from 2018 — Pentagon survey results show


My take on Barr’s testimony today. Short version - not impressed: “a master class in obfuscation, backtracking and blame-shifting.”


Barr should be asked if Trump has offered him a Presidential Pardon should his conduct as AG lead to a conviction.


The real story in this story: Trump + his team are STILL seeking dirt in political opponents from foreign governments. Of course this is not in the story until paragraph ten. Let alone in the headline.


Hi @RepJeffries, since we're both on @HouseJudiciary, can you help explain something to me. Does Bill #Barr have any special powers or an exemption in the law that gives him as Attorney General the right to lie to Congress and the American people?


Fox News' Chris Wallace: Some opinion people who appear on this network who might be pushing a political agenda don't think the Mueller letter is a big deal. But we have to deal in facts -- the fact is this letter was a clear indication that Mueller was very upset w/ Barr.


Attorney General Barr admits to @SenBlumenthal that there are notes of his conversations with Mueller. But he refuses to turn them over to congress. What are they hiding?


Joe Biden backed NAFTA and the TPP. Sanders and Trump plan to make him pay


What the hell, Lindsey??


this is a song comprised entirely of @LindseyGrahamSC saying the words, "trump is a fucking idiot".


Barr knew the consequences. He was warned to tell the truth, or someone would. Instead, he doubled down, likely committing crimes in the process. That warning still stands.


I’ve read just about every word Bob Mueller has ever said publicly or published. He’s written precisely one letter like the angry one he sent to Barr: It excoriated Scotland for letting the Pan Am 103 bomber out of prison.


How conservatives rationalize their surrender to Trump


Are you better off than you were before Trump?


President Trump's decision to let U.S. citizens file lawsuits over property confiscated in Cuba during the 1959 revolution risks stoking political tension between the EU and the U.S


Clinton: "China, if you’re listening, why don’t you get Trump’s tax returns?


A teen girl was coerced into sex and held in a "dog cage." Her captor will serve no prison time.


American voters say two-to-one — 57-28% — that Trump committed crimes before he became president, according to a new Quinnipiac poll.


More than 30 million people are under a flash flood watch from Texas to Illinois


'The Mueller Report' debuts at No. 1 on The New York Times' nonfiction best sellers list


"Barr reminds Mueller: If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog"


How Shinzo Abe is outsmarting Trump on trade


JUST IN: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange tells London court he does not want to be extradited to the United States


JUST IN: Extradition case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange adjourned until May 30 for a procedural hearing; more substantive hearing planned for June 12


With the below quote, Barr has positioned himself as Mueller’s opponent/adversary/nemesis. In the fight for justice, I know who my money’s on.


“[Republicans] sit there today… They have sold their souls, sold their political lives… They sit there and look at a guy like Bob Mueller… Every Republican on that Committee would have been in the charter fan club of Bob Mueller 5 years ago”


BREAKING: Trump files a brief today going further than ever before to dismantle the ACA in entirety.


This is Riley Howell. He was one of the shooting victims at UNCC who died. He died a hero. He jumped on the shooter to try & stop him & was shot & killed in the process. Pass this on in honor of Riley Howell.


JUST IN: Trump accuses Kamala Harris of being "very nasty" to Barr


Warning: watching this video or retweeting it could upset Lindsey Graham. A lot.


The Attorney General continues to lie to the American people and I would like to hear the truth from Mueller himself. When people like William Barr enter the moral dead zone of @realDonaldTrump’s White House, this is what you get. These are not normal times.


Wild from Barr: If the president feels a proceeding is unfounded, "the president does not have to sit there constitutionally and allow it to run its course. The president could terminate the proceeding and it would not be a corrupt intent because he was being falsely accused."


Preet Bharara says there's a "reasonable likelihood" Trump will get indicted after he leaves office


Hillary Clinton calls Lindsey Graham a disgrace.


Chairman Schiff: A.G. Barr deliberately misled the Congress


Katyal: America is a lot stronger than Barr


Lawrence's Last Word: Kellyanne Conway breaks the law again


Here is Hillary Clinton's hypothetical about a candidate calling on China to hack Trump's taxes, and why Republicans putting partisanship over national security is a dangerous thing.


EXPLAINER: Venezuela crisis puts Trump policy to the test. Here are the U.S. president's challenges and remaining options


Maine just became the first state to ban Styrofoam


Barr testified today that all a president needs if he wants to end an investigation into his own criminal conduct is a belief that he’s innocent. That suffices to clear him of all charges of obstructing justice. No kidding. No wonder Barr didn’t need to read the Mueller evidence!


A 16-Year-Old Unaccompanied Immigrant Boy Has Died In US Government Custody


Biden tells reporters he thinks Barr should resign


Julian Assange’s U.S. extradition fight begins today in a London court. Indications are that it will be a short and procedural affair, but you never know. #WikiLeaks’ founder is expected to appear by video link only


Democrats are fighting back, but you haven't responded yet: Do you approve of Mitch McConnell?


On @NewsHour: “We want the unredacted Mueller report...” & want to know why Barr sat on Mueller’s letter so long. @RepTedLieu tells @JudyWoodruff that the “Attorney General goes on to lie to Congress..” and that he’s “misled the American people.”


Today Lindsey Graham admitted that he has not read the full Mueller report. Yet he proclaimed that “it’s over” and refused to call Mueller to testify.


New complaint filed in SDNY this week: Former Trump Assoc Felix Sater Accused of Laundering Millions Through Real Estate Projects Linked to President


Barr's lies are so extreme that @MSNBC just had to cut in AGAIN to fact check.@NicolleDWallace: "I'm not going to dance around this. He's lying. He's lying about what the Mueller report finds around one of the critical flash points in the obstruction investigation."