Sunday, September 30, 2018

eekend Update: Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford Testify - SNL


PROJECTED: On the New York State Supreme Court Building in Lower Manhattan on Friday night/Saturday morning by @illuminator99.


The guy said on one occasion while drunk, Kavanaugh threw a bottle into another guy’s face who had said something semi-hostile, starting a melee that ended with one of his friends in jail.


This story says Rep. Devin Nunes’ family moved their dairy farm from California to Iowa and are using undocumented labor, which is massively unsurprising, since that’s what a lot of farmers do, even while supporting Trump’s immigration policies


Former Yale classmate of Kavanaugh’s goes on the record to describe him as a belligerent drunk


New: @SenFeinstein asks White House counsel Don McGahn to hand over the written instructions to the FBI regarding the scope of the Kavanaugh investigation.


HOW WE KNOW KAVANAUGH IS LYING


BREAKING: GOP Congress has failed To pass an election security bill That Would have protected U.S. elections from cyber attacks. UNBELIEVABLE That Congress Didn't pass any legislation to secure U.S. voting systems before The midterm elections


Good night to everyone but especially @BetoORourke and @WillieNelson who wrote a brand new song for tonight: “The biggest gun we got/Is called the ballot box/And if you don’t like who’s in there, VOTE ‘EM OUT”


Ted Cruz Says Mark Judge, Alleged Kavanaugh Accomplice, Would Take the Fifth if Called Before Congress


Beto is the real thing!


Shocker. Follow the money folks. NRA says it'll spend at least $1 million on pro-Kavanaugh ads


Opinions Abolish the death penalty


No, this isn’t Woodstock or ACL, it’s a @BetoORourke rally with @WillieNelson at Auditorium Shores


West Virginia poverty gets worse under Trump economy, not better


Kirsten Gillibrand says "partisan attacks" that opened Judge Kavanaugh's testimony at the Senate hearing made her question his fitness for the Supreme Court.


Russian riot police are being equipped with increasingly sophisticated gear to deal with unrest in the country.


Now it’s time to hear from Judge Brett Kavanaugh (Matt Damon).


NEW: FBI interview of Mark Judge will include questions about BOTH Swetnick and Blasey allegations.


This is quite the exhaustive list. "Here's where Kavanaugh's sworn testimony was misleading or wrong."


INBOX: Judiciary Committee Refers Potential False Statements for Criminal Investigation


NBC News incorrectly reported (as usual) that I was limiting the FBI investigation of Judge Kavanaugh, and witnesses, only to certain people. Actually, I want them to interview whoever they deem appropriate, at their discretion. Please correct your reporting!


Trump says this -- earnestly! -- about Kim Jong Un: "We went back and forth, then we fell in love. He wrote me beautiful letters. And they are great letters. We fell in love."


Saturday, September 29, 2018

Opinion: Religious freedom for me, but not for thee


The @realDonaldTrump klan rally returns to West Virginia where the poverty rate has increased since he made America great again.


. @KenDilanianNBC may want to reconsider language that simply restates what the White House claims as if it were true. Unless @FBI says that it is bound by this nonsense, it isn’t “confirmed”, it’s merely a claim. FBI will look at anything they feel the investigation warrants.


Lavrov notes Trump blamed China, not Russia, for U.S. election meddling


While the FBI will examine the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez, the bureau has not been permitted to investigate the claims of Julie Swetnick


If true, this is outrageous. Why are Trump and his cronies in the Senate trying to prevent the American people from learning the truth? Why do they insist on muzzling women with information submitted under penalty of perjury? Why Ramirez but not my client?


NEW: White House limits scope of the FBI's investigation into the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh


What the FBI is doing regarding new background check on Kavanaugh


The support against Kavanaugh’s nomination in this next week must be overwhelming. Jam the phone lines. Flood inboxes. Protest.


Liz Swisher and Lynne Brookes, Kavanaugh's college friends, say they would talk to the FBI, if asked, about his drinking habits. "Of course. I will speak truth." "Absolutely. 100%. I'm very confident in what I've been saying publicly."


This is beyond twisted: The Trump administration is now arguing that the impact of climate change will be so catastrophic that they might as well loosen fuel efficiency standards since our world’s climate fate is already sealed.


The dean of Harvard Law School won't definitely say whether Brett Kavanaugh still has a job, according to HuffPost.


JUST IN: ACLU breaks its own policy, comes out against Kavanaugh nomination


How YouTube facilitates right-wing radicalization


.@ChrisCoons comes home to a standing ovation at a Delaware City town hall after #kavanaugh hearings.


I've thought some more about Kavanaugh's testimony. His lies under oath were not little lies. He specifically lied about "Devil's Triangle" because it was about sex. He specifically lied about "ralphing" because it was about inebriation. He is accused of drunken sexual assault.


Who paid off 6-figures worth of Kavanaugh’s debt just before his nomination?


'Mostly false:' Politifact vets 9 Rick Scott ads, finds all 9 are false


We won't forget


It was hardly a secret. There are hundreds of witnesses. Read this firsthand account, from a writer who saw "lineups" of boys at the parties she went to of D.C. prep school students:


If this was a client of mine & he testified like this before a Grand Jury in his defense, I’d be very concerned about the prosecution bringing perjury charges in addition to the charged crime itself. The amount of provable lies & misleads are remarkable.


Trump has arrived at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, VA, according to the pool report. This is Trump's 208th day at a Trump property as president and his 157th day at a Trump golf club as president.


Please, cut the crap Brett Kavanaugh.— The Late Show

THIS!

Spokesperson for pro-Kavanaugh group says they won’t accept FBI findings in manic rant


The Washington Post latest on the scope of the FBI's investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh


Sarah Palin's Son Just Got Arrested For Assaulting A Woman. Again.


Trump not considering other Supreme Court nominees to replace Kavanaugh


This morning, @SenKamalaHarris and I walked out of the Judiciary Committee markup on Brett Kavanaugh. This Committee and the Republicans have tossed out all rules and norms to push Brett Kavanaugh onto the Supreme Court. We will not be part of this sham

ICYMI

Special counsel Robert Mueller cited more than a century’s worth of presidential scandal on Friday as part of a sweeping legal defense of his own authorities


This is what it looks like when an entire political party is willing to go full Alt-Right troll to get what they want. No matter the consequences.


Mark Judge says (under penalty of felony) that he avoids public speaking engagements due to anxiety, meanwhile his publisher literally lists him as a *public speaker*. Maybe instead of a subpoena the Senate can just book him to speak...


Thrilled that @FrontlinePBS is going to be airing this special on how Wall Street is making billions off retirees’ pensions.


Former Yale classmate of Brett Kavanaugh’s, Liz Swisher, suggests he perjured himself in describing his drinking in his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, adding she is willing to share her knowledge of his college drinking with the FBI.


House intelligence committee votes to release 53 transcripts from closed Russia probe, still withholding a few others.


A Supreme Court Case Could Liberate Trump to Pardon His Associates

Your pay is probably going down next year and your employer is likely hoping you simply won't notice


Opinion: America, we are on our own


Former Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy, whose retirement created the vacancy that produced the no-holds-barred confirmation fight over Brett Kavanaugh, said Friday maintaining civil discourse is critical to democracy’s survival.


Friday, September 28, 2018

"He lied even when he didn't have to lie. He lied in preposterous ways easily disproven by common sense."


CNN legal analyst: "Sickening" that anyone could consider Ford testimony to be false


Jack Posobiec (Roger Stone's boi, mind you) retweeted an account today that claims Christine Ford is a CIA agent. The proof? They tried to dox her, but they can't find much personal information about Dr. Ford on the internet. This is how the Alt-Right/Lite defends Donald Trump.


Senator Whitehouse: I did not find Kavanaugh credible.


NEW: Republicans on intelligence committee block release of Russia-probe interviews with @DanaRohrabacher, whom a source tells me talked about "highly concerning contacts" with Russians during 2016 campaign.


Former FBI agent on @Maddow just advised if ANYONE has information pertaining to #Kavanagh / accusations (et cetera) to go seek out local #FBI office & report.


The lies that senators must tell themselves to support Brett Kavanaugh


"If investigators uncover evidence that Kavanaugh lied to lawmakers during hearings or on his background-check forms, that could spark a criminal investigation in which law enforcement could use the full extent of its legal powers."


Pompeo Evacuates Consulate in Iraq Citing Threats From Iran


Sitting in @SenatorCollins office in Bangor waiting to speak with Sr. staffer. Phones are not ringing here at all .... when calling in it is busy signal or goes straight through to voicemail...that says mailbox full.


Breaking News: Facebook said an attack on its computer network exposed the personal information of about 50 million users


Kavanaugh's critics are using the hashtag "ImpeachKavanaugh," to suggest Congress should remove him from the judiciary, whether or not he makes it to the Supreme Court.


BREAKING: Protesters outside cmte. hearing chanting 'November is coming,' many arrests now underway


NEW: Montgomery County (Md) police chief and prosecutor release letter ".. stand ready to investigate any sexual assault allegation from any victim where the incident occurred in our jurisdiction"


Senator's dramatic demand spurs Trump to order FBI Kavanaugh probe


HHS @SecAzar used his speech to announce that average ACA premium prices were going to fall — and credited Trump for it, mystifying health policy analysts.


"Doesn't this feel like the prequel to the Handmaid's Tale? This is it! You ask yourself how did it get this bad? It didn't happen in the dark. It happened in PLAIN SIGHT. They will take away our rights!"


Will Kavanaugh Be Forced to Recuse Himself From Political Cases After His Charged Remarks?


BIG NEWS: A judge just ruled that congressional Democrats have standing to sue Trump for violating the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution.


I want to point out that Lisa Murkowski has relied on the votes of Alaskan Native women to keep her seat. They face disproportionately high levels of sexual violence and have been watching her closely


The Republican strategy is no longer attack the victim, it is ignore the victim. The entire country is watching how we handle these serious allegations. The Senate has failed a test on how we treat women, especially for women who are survivors of sexual assault.


Statement from Dr. Ford's attorney via NBC News: "Dr. Christine Blasey Ford welcomes this step in the process, and appreciates the efforts of Senators Flake, Murkowski, Manchin and Collins."


Collins backs the FBI investigation


Earlier today, I spoke outside the Supreme Court against Kavanaugh’s nomination. I know this week has been exhausting, but we cannot stop marching and speaking out against this nomination.


The internet wins again


BREAKING: Kavanaugh friend Mark Judge says he'll cooperate with any law enforcement agency that investigates 'confidentially.'


Very glad that after much persistent advocacy the door is now open to further @FBI investigation that I hope will meet the standards of “sincere and thorough” I have advocated


Rachel Mitchell yesterday began to ask Judge Kavanaugh about the July 1 party where Brett Kavanaugh, Mark Judge and PJ Smyth were present. Republican senators then took over questioning Brett Kavanaugh


The dean of Kavanaugh's law school calls for his nomination to be put on hold


#Russia's state TV: Vitaly Milonov, an ultra-conservative lawmaker from Putin’s United Russia party, calls for feminists to be subjected to forced psychiatric treatment or imprisonment. On state television, Milonov argues that feminists are not people, but "monkeys" & "witches."


Read Joe's statement on the Kavanaugh nomination — Senator Joe Donnelly


See the gray-haired guy in the upper left hand corner of this photo? That's Joel Kaplan, VP of Government Relations at Facebook. Next to him are his wife and Cathie Martin, Cheney's former aide who told Scooter Libby about Valerie Plame.


Moments ago I walked out of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Kavanaugh. This hearing is a sham and Dr. Ford and the American people deserve better.


New from @RonanFarrow and me: E-mails Show That Republican Senate Staff Stymied a Kavanaugh Accuser’s Effort to Give Testimony


What we know now: Kavanaugh might not have the judicial temperament for the Supreme Court


Because @realDonaldTrump and the Senate Republicans refuse to allow my client Julie Swetnick to testify, we will be taking her story directly to the American people this weekend. This is about a search for the truth.


A sexual assault survivor just confronted Jeff Flake (who just announced he's voting for Kavanaugh): "Don't look away from me! Look at me and tell me that it doesn't matter what happened to me, that you will let people like that go into the highest court of the land"


If confirmed, Kavanaugh—who was speaking primarily to an audience of one yesterday—will be on the bench when the Supreme Court hears this landmark case that could strengthen Trump’s pardon power.


Thank you @JeffFlake for DELIVERING the UTTER DESTRUCTION of the #SupremeCourt.


@JeffFlake let this happen just now? Him allow himself be filmed be begged by survivors of the sexual assault to no approve the Kavanaugh.


Programming Alert: @NBCNews Special Report at 9:30 a.m. ET, as the Senate Judiciary Cmte. meets on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court.


Bulletin: Flake will vote to confirm Kavanaugh


Awwww look at Dersh


Yesterday, Brett Kavanaugh told Senators that they should listen to the American Bar Association's recommendations


Mark Judge’s ex-girlfriend, who told the New Yorker that Judge told her about taking turns having sex with women in high school, is willing to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee or speak to the FBI.


Day 74 at #KremlinAnnex Kava-nana, kava-nana, hey, hey, hey, goodbye!


Why Brett Kavanaugh’s Hearings Convinced Me That He’s Guilty


Lindsey Graham’s meltdown gives away the GOP game on Kavanaugh


"I would be an excellent judge"


Brett Kavanaugh has 3 Doctors listed on his calendar 📆 Dr Strawberry ENT, Dr Dellatorre Dermatologist and Dr Brian Crowley Psychiatrist⁉️

?

Where did Kavanaughs debt disappear to and who paid it?


What did Brett Kavanaugh witness when he clerked for Judge Alex Kozinski of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 1991-92: 15 women disclosed sexual misbehavior exceeding 30 yrs including unwanted physical touching and invitations by Kozinski to have sex.


Kavanaugh’s sharp criticism of Democrats is unusual for a nominee


Brett Kavanaugh’s best defense: Loud shouting and conspiracy theories


Comey takes a dig at Kavanaugh's testimony: "Small lies matter, even about yearbooks"


Kavanaugh was also a member of the Brooks Brothers riot in Dade County in support of closing down the election office to help George W Bush. Roger Stone planned the riot


Question: Why wouldn’t they ask the FBI to followup with key witnesses for one week? Answer: Because they don’t want to hear what they might say.....The Senate can’t vote on Kavanaugh now


Exclusive: #Russian-American tycoon who donated c.$300K to #Trump was in extensive contact with senior #Kremlin official during summer 2016 - my story with @NBCNews and Dossier Center


Travelers on airplanes cried as they watched it on their seatback TVs. College students streamed it on their phones. TV screens at nail salons, sports bars and hotel lobbies were tuned to nothing else


Tip: If you’re being nominated for a nonpartisan position as a neutral arbiter on the Supreme Court, attacking “the left,” “Democrats,” “the Clintons” and “the media” in your opening statement while noting there will be reprisal for years to come is, well, disqualifying.


I rarely agree with @tribelaw’s politics but this was exactly my take. As for judicial temperament, could a Democrat reasonably hope for for judicial impartiality from the angry, hectoring man we heard yesterday?


Opinion: How is this a victory for America?


Fox News anchor says Kavanaugh case prompted his own daughters to reveal their stories


This matter always should’ve been investigated by @FBI; which would’ve carried the threat of criminal prosecution for lying. After yesterday, there remains substantial reason to postpone the vote for FBI to investigate. Do the right thing,


The Whole Country Just Watched What Happens When Angry, Powerful Men Don't Get Their Way


The Jehovah's Witnesses must pay $35,000,000 to a woman who says the church's national organization ordered clergy members not to report her sexual abuse as a child at the hands of a congregation member, a jury ruled in a verdict


2018 must be the year the Senate stands up and says a man's job promotion is not worth more than a survivor's pain. For too long, we have allowed a culture that diminishes assault, isolates survivors and blames them. This must change.


Kavanaugh said the Renate stuff was nothing to do with sex or sexual conquest. This is the poem one of his pals included in the yearbook: "You need a date / and it's getting late / so don't hesitate / to call Renate"


HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO BRETT KAVANAUGH?


Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh wrongly claims seniors were allowed to have beers because the drinking age in Maryland was 18.


Analysis: 5 takeaways from the Kavanaugh hearing


Imagine struggling this hard to answer whether you've ever been blackout drunk.


That is a felony. 18 USC 1001


He’s yelling at an 85 year old woman and interrupting her.


Amazing: Kavanaugh's calendar backs up Dr Ford's story.


Judge orders Indiana to release emails between ex-governor Pence and Trump over Carrier jobs deal


Georgia demands Russia withdraw troops from breakaway regions


Christine Blasey Ford's GoFundMe campaign is surging, raising more than $200,000 in additional money in the wake of her Kavanaugh-Ford hearing testimony


So here’s the lesson teenage boys: You can drink beer like water, write all sorts damning horribleness in your yearbook and have multiple girls accuse you of sexual assault. But as long as you keep a clean calendar and yell and cry during the interview, you’ll still get the job.


What the hell is wrong with this guy?