Monday, September 23, 2019

Spotted in the Senate basement at 655pm: Jeff Sessions!


One summer. 26 mass shootings. Countless lives cut short. We cannot go on like this. It’s past time we take on the @NRA, pass common-sense gun safety legislation, and end our gun violence epidemic.


Atkinson testified last year that he would consider resigning if he were prevented from pursuing an investigation he found significant. But he indicated that it would be a last resort. “If I felt strongly enough and it really went to a core principle, yes, I would consider” it.


Jon Karl schools Meghan McCain: Actually, it’s "very easy to understand" why Trump’s Ukraine call is "bad"


NEWS: Sen. Mitt Romney tells me Trump “should make available the whistleblower complaint that has been deemed to be credible and urgent. I think it'd be very helpful to get the bottom of the facts. If they don't, it will be up to the House to decide how to proceed.”


The memo mocks attempts to "invent" a "new presidential 'tax return privilege.'" Citing fact that every U.S. president since Jimmy Carter voluntarily disclosed them, the Assistant DAs write: "Again, there is no 'immunity from scrutiny' of this sort in the law."


A massive Facebook Page called "I Love America" — which has 1.1 million followers — is actually run by Ukrainians Recently, the page has started pushing caustic pro-Trump propaganda It's the tip of the iceberg



Judd Legum
@JuddLegum
UPDATE: 8 hours after this report was published, Facebook took "I Love America" and all the other pages in this piece down. This is the power of independent accountability journalism.  
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Looks like @realDonaldTrump now gets very stressed when he is questioned about his demand, made 8 times, that the Ukrainian leader investigate Trump's political opponent. Trump's mind must be in a dark, dangerous place if he is talking about the electric chair


Dear Media: Please stop getting this story wrong. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF THERE WAS A QUID PRO QUO. THE REQUEST ITSELF IS THE IMPEACHABLE CONDUCT. Thank you for coming to my Ted shouting at the top of my lungs Talk


This was taken at the UN.... I’m not going to say anything else


Greta is all of us.


The FBI has arrested a U.S. soldier who allegedly discussed plans to bomb a major American news network and planned to travel to Ukraine to fight with a violent far-right group, ABC News reports. He also allegedly suggested targeting Beto O'Rourke.


#Russia's state TV host Olga Skabeeva says that since #Ukraine took the money from the U.S., it is now obligated to deliver the kompromat on Biden. Panelist asks her: "Are you on Trump's or Russia's side, Olga?" Skabeeva responds: "We elected him!"


Nor do we need to care about the format of the transcript. What we need is the substance of the whistleblower complaint. What were the MULTIPLE ISSUES that raised concern? What was the "promise" made?


Trump refers to the beginning of his presidency as "when I took over the United States."


Hey, do we all remember when Misha Flynn & Mike Flynn Jr went to Sergei Kislyak's house in DC on Dec 2nd 2015? This was before the infamous RT dinner in Moscow. Seems pertinent with all this talk of Ukraine right about now


Trump on the Ukraine call transcript: “Perhaps you’ll see it, perhaps you won’t see that. It depends on what we want to do.”


POTUS declared war on the free press. That's why briefings were canceled. Because we asked questions that held him accountable. The administration is merely telling another set of lies in trying to explain why the administration is not accountable.


President Trump revived his beef with the selection committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize today, claiming that the process is rigged against him


Ummmm. Mattis is so “political” he is afraid to say the truth. We are embarrassed for him.


Republican National Committee paid over $160,000 to law firm defending Corey Lewandowski a month before his House testimony


Trump at UN attacks Biden and son as “corrupt..” adding “if a Republican ever did what Joe Biden did, If a republican ever said what Joe Biden said. They'd be getting the electric chair right now.”


Inbox: Chairmen Engel, Schiff, and Cummings have sent a letter demanding Mike Pompeo immediately begin producing docs the State Dept. has withheld relating to efforts by Trump and Giuliani "to solicit the help of a foreign power to interfere in the 2020 Presidential Election."


Former U.S. Attorney calls for treason charges against Trump and garners more than 200 'likes' in an hour..!


Just incredible. The U.S. President is questioning where the government whistleblower comes from and suggests that reporting suspected abuses by a President is anti-American.


GOP rival Bill Weld says Trump has committed ‘treason, pure and simple’


The former head of Danske Bank’s branch in Estonia, which is at the center of a vast money-laundering scandal, has gone missing


Trump unexpectedly shows up at UN climate summit after criticism


BREAKING: A group of 16 children, including Swedish activist @GretaThunberg, have filed a legal complaint with the UN, accusing five countries of not doing enough to combat climate change.


Actually, the bigger concern IS the president extorting an ally that Russia invaded, pressuring them to interfere in the American democratic process. If proven, that should lead to impeachment. But the underlying act is bigger and unlike any ever committed by a US president.


Confessin’ to impeachable crimes on social media. Is this part of Trump’s insanity defense?


Pence: "We discussed America’s support for Ukraine and the upcoming decision the President will make on the latest tranche of financial support in great detail... I mean, to invest additional taxpayer in Ukraine, the President wants to be assured..."


President Trump: "It's very important to talk about corruption. If you don't talk about corruption, why would you give money to a country that you think is corrupt?...It's very important that on occasion you speak to somebody about corruption."


"why would you give money to a country that you think is corrupt"—seems like Trump is admitting that $$ to Ukraine was on the table during that call, in which he asked Zelensky to investigate Biden.


With an election year approaching, many top Republicans on Capitol Hill are more quickly circling the wagons than they did during past Trump scandals. Borrowing from the Roy Cohn playbook, they're trying to play offense by making lots of baseless claims.


Reminder that we sued months ago over Trump and Kushner’s failure to keep records of their meetings with Putin, Saudis and Kim Jong Un


“Everybody does it." Trump just now on Ukraine call.


White House press secretary noncommittal about releasing transcript of Trump call with Ukrainian president. "We’ll see what happens."


If you want to know why Dems in the House aren't *all in* on impeachment this list is why. This is a list of *moderate* Dems who haven't come out in support because they don't think the issue is electorally urgent. They need to hear from us and they won't act until they do.


Climate activist Greta Thunberg to world leaders at #UNGA summit: "People are dying, entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are at the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairytales of eternal economic growth. How dare you"


Sen. Lindsey Graham this morning repeatedly encouraged President Trump to release further details of his July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky


Under Trump, we’ve finally become part of the Ukrainian swamp, writes


Alleged Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre said that Epstein’s life “revolved around abuse”—and that he had plenty of people helping him get a steady supply of underage girls


Egypt broadens crackdown on anti-government protests, arresting hundreds


Fmr. Obama W.H. Counsel Bob Bauer: Mike Pompeo and Steve Mnuchin became Trump's "political spokespeople. And that's completely consistent with what the president has tried to do here, which is put his office to use in the service of his political goals."


Joe Biden tells reporters in Kansas to focus on Donald Trump’s ‘violation of the constitution’ after reports that Trump repeatedly asked Ukraine’s president to investigate whether Biden misused his position when he was vice president


In 2012, Parscale described himself as struggling: “I have 6 employees. … I’m living in an $80,000 house, driving a Dodge Charger.” But actually, he had a 30 person staff, lived in a $500,000 home with a swimming pool on a golf course and drove a Lexus.


At least 24 civilians were killed Monday during a raid conducted by Afghan special forces on Taliban hideouts in Helmand province, officials said


Ukraine official says any investigation would be transparent: report


A 6-year-old threw a tantrum in class. She was arrested for battery.


"My reaction is one of absolute shock and amazement that apparently within hours or days of the Mueller testimony, the president is on the telephone putting American foreign policy in hock while he extorts the leader of another country to Russia's advantage..."


Saudi Arabia is the nexus between Trump’s personal corruption and his flailing, incoherent foreign policy.


Proof that Rupert Murdoch may In fact actually be president


Imagine a country that we do hundreds of billions of dollars of business with that also runs a concentration camp and “re-education” system against a marginalized religious group. That country is China.


This is bad @TinaSmithMN. Why are you giving federal land to Putin’s favorite company Glencore? @RWPUSA is right to call you out. You need replacing. No Trump puppets in @SenateDems


We are now in my judgment entering a period of Presidential defiance of the Constitution and Federal law. This will NOT be decided by Congress. The 2020 election and the Supreme Court are the the arbiters of our future.


Opinion: Begin impeachment hearings now


A leaked letter shows the Trump administration is attempting to rally other U.N. member countries against abortion rights


Dear America, POTUS is unhinged - all lies. A reminder from me that when Trump was told Mueller had been appointed he slumped back in his chair and said, “Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I’m f*****.” This is the reaction of a GUILTY crook


If facts show that Trump is engaging in extortion and bribery with Ukraine, then Giuliani is the bagman. Also known as co-conspirator.


'Off the charts': White House turnover is breaking records


China has made similar deals in more than a few places in order to secure port access (and other useful infrastructure for projecting global power) all over the world. These acquisitions have not been scrutinized or systematically catalogued.


Alleged ‘CIA spy’ Smolenkov put on missing persons list


Former Minnesota Governor @GovArne exposes corrupt efforts of Putin friendly Glencore to open the PolyMet sulfide mine in the Lake Superior watershed — an ecological disaster. Where is Governor @Tim_Walz? Somebody wake him up!


In public and in private, many Dems said the evidence from the whistleblower complaint and the Trump admin stonewalling of attempts by Congress to learn more, were changing their calculations about whether to charge Trump with articles of impeachment.


"Trump is obviously, monstrously unfit to be president. But he will not be removed from office and that’s not the fault of Democrats. It’s the fault of Senate Republicans, who we know would never vote to convict him even if the Democrats do impeach."


Donald Trump’s lawyers insist they don’t need to form an impeachment defense team. Yet here’s what they have: At least 30 White House & DOJ attorneys working on related issues, several personal lawyers dealing w/ the subject.


Opinion: Why Trump gets away with everything


The State Department's top official for arms control will depart her post next month after months of controversy, triggered by the revelation that she had not disclosed a close relationship she once had with the former boyfriend of Russian agent Maria Butina.


A Young Man Set To Attend a US University Was Beheaded In Saudi Arabia under orders of Trump’s best friend MBS. His only crime: once attending a pro democracy rally. He was among 37 people beheaded in Saudi Arabia's largest mass execution in 3 years.


The Press Is Embracing False Equivalence—Again


As world leaders gather in New York City for the United Nations Climate Action Summit, a UN report warns climate change is accelerating — with the Earth on track for the warmest 5-year period on record


Two years ago the US was the largest exporter of soybeans into the Chinese market. Today we export no soybeans to China. Russia has taken our place.


This is perhaps not the best messaging strategy that the administration is rolling out here. Why is it ok for the president's children to have international business dealings but not the vice president's son? The secretary won't answer that.


Remember, the goal of disinformation campaigns is not to win the argument, but to suggest that there is no truth. Putin perfected this strategy. Many around the world, including in the US, are now using Putin’s playbook. The only defense — facts, evidence, data.


I’ve defended Mattis before for not speaking out but I can’t defend this.


You can bring your questions to me, but please remember that I am intentionally walled off from Mark’s representation (with @AndrewBakaj) of the IC whistleblower. I cannot comment on the substance of the representation.


We committed felonies so Joe Biden would stop making Eastern Europe corrupt. Mmkay, bro.


Trump’s personal driver for 25 years sues for what he claims is 3,300 hours of unpaid overtime


At $28 billion so far, the farm rescue is more than twice as expensive as the 2009 bailout of Detroit’s Big Three automakers, which cost taxpayers $12 billion


Actually, the Nazis had already retreated from Tallinn the day before so there really wasn't much for the #RedArmy to do other than arrest and shoot the hitherto underground Estonian government.


"Banks with more than $47 trillion in assets, or 1/3 of the global industry, adopted new U.N.-backed 'responsible banking' principles to fight climate change that would shift their loan books away from fossil fuels."


“He is the president of the United States, and he is a threat to virtually everything that the United States should stand for.” -


Thanks @realDonaldTrump for popularizing the best selfie spot right at the border! Nothing like some elevation for a good photo. Build no walls of exclusion, but just build opportunities of inclusion at both sides of the border! Make the World A Better Place.....


Trump is going to get away with it. What’s “it”? “It” is everything. Anything and everything he does. No one will stop him


Former Federal Prosecutors: Rudy Giuliani Should Be Disbarred


Every DC reporter should be asking every Republican in Congress whether they think Trump should #ReleaseTheTranscript of his call with the president of Ukraine. PUT THEM ON THE RECORD!!


#Russia's state TV host Vladimir Soloviev, who has a special access to the Kremlin/close relationship w/ Putin, cites reporting that Trump believes "the Russians should be our friends, who cares about the Ukrainians?” and surmises Russia should have taken much more than #Crimea.


The anti-corruption plan of @ewarren would prohibit conflicts of interest of presidents and members of congress. Now the members of congress who have the most financial conflicts of interest are the ones who won't impeach Trump


This sentence is incredibly important -- "Shokin was not aggressively pursuing investigations into Mr. Zlochevsky or Burisma." End of story. To add, everyone concerned about corruption in Ukraine at the time was pushing for Shokhin's ouster, not just Biden. EVERYONE


FBI veteran Clint Watts: Whistleblowers are the nation's last line of defense


The US is being fooled that it needs to rescue its ally in the Middle East. The Saudis always get others to fight for them.


Here's a foreign head of state being clapped onto stage for essentially a political rally that he is holding in Texas by a line of senators and congressman, and he was also joined by POTUS. I mean what is happening? Are people that eager for stadiums full of cheering people?


.

Trump Admits Ukraine Whistleblower Complaint Is True, But Top Senate Republican Refuses To Believe It


.@MittRomney, are you demanding a full Senate inquiry?


Trump: “Me? I never talk to my sons. Believe me.”


Honestly, this scandal goes far and wide. Here are some basic questions that need to be answered off the top of my head: 1. What is Pompeo’s involvement? What did he know? When did he know it? 2. Who in OMB held up Ukraine’s money? Who in White House told them to?


#Russia's state media


Remember this? "Trump registered eight companies in Saudi Arabia during campaign: report"


Reminder ; this Trump sycophant was a business partner with Len Blavatnik who had significant business partnerships with Putin's favorite Oligharch Viktor Vekselberg


Big news breaking from Israel. The Joint List, Israel's Arab-majority bloc, has announced it will endorse Benny Gantz for prime minister in order to bring about the fall of Benjamin Netanyahu. Only Arab precedent for this is when they backed Rabin in '92.


.@SecPompeo, you need to retract this misleading statement and apologize to @JoeBiden. Conflating these 2 stories -- Biden's son business in Ukraine & exposure of Manafort corruption in Ukraine have NOTHING to do with each other. You know it; walk it back


The @WSJ explains how: 1/ Biden’s anti-corruption efforts led to firing the prosecutor who actually “hampered” the investigation into the company connected to Hunter; 2/ Western institutions like the IMF were united in the belief the firing was necessary to clean up Ukraine.


Unbelievable. A sitting president solicits a foreign government to go after his currently leading rival for the 2020 election—a fact he doesn't deny—and, rather than calling all hands on deck to blow open this unprecedented treachery, they amplify his debunked justification.


Demonized by Netanyahu, Israel's Arabs could be the ones to finally oust him


"Let Susan Collins, let Thom Tillis, let them all vote to keep in power someone who has acknowledged going to a foreign government and pressing them to give up dirt on their opponent." .@JRubinBlogger on how GOP senators would vote in an impeachment


Why won't you authorize the release the transcript of the call, and why are you counting on your DOJ and DNI to keep the whistleblower's complaint from getting to Congress?


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