Sunday, January 19, 2020

Former Russia Ambassador Warns of Kremlin Misinformation Tactics As Senate Trial Begins


Starr demanded that Clinton be impeached for lying about sex and interviewed everyone from Lewinsky hairdresser to WH window-washers. Yet he will argue the far more serious accusations against Trump should be dismissed without hearing from any witnesses


Americans are watching, and they overwhelmingly support a fair trial. One that is fair to the President but also fair to the American people. If Senators do not provide a fair trial, with documents and witnesses, history — and their constituents — will judge them harshly. — Adam Schiff


Impeachment puts Collins under scrutiny


Lindsey Graham claims unironically that Trump's biggest concern right now is with the sanctity of the office of the presidency. "The one thing he talks to me constantly about is, what does the next president do after this if this is successful?" Graham says.


Doesn't know him but he is invited to Eric's 5th (?) birthday party?


This is big. Schiff insinuates that Trump is pressuring the Intelligence Community to withhold documents on Ukraine that may incriminate him.


Bernie Twitter operates under the self-righteous guise of being the true progressives of the internet, writes @kurtbardella. But there are times where you really can’t distinguish between the tone of Trump’s #MAGA nation and Sanders’ “Bros:"


Here's how Dershowtiz's quote ran in the Courier Post in New Jersey on November 21, 1974


Trying to sort this out...Daily Caller for Sanders, Ben Shapiro for Sanders, Russian botnets of course all-in for Sanders (see # LyingLiz) and now Hugh Hewitt VOTING for Sanders. So many new Democratic Socialists! That whirling, whirling horseshoe...


Parnas, whatever his legal and moral failings, has shown more guts and moral backbone than former national security adviser John Bolton


Fmr. CIA Director John Brennan: “Donald Trump is the most ignorant as well as incompetent individual who ever has held the office of the presidency.”


"According to the Daily Beast, Firtash has long seethed at Joe Biden. As vice president, Biden vigorously promoted an anti-corruption agenda that included liberating Ukraine’s energy sector from Firtash’s dominance."


This makes no sense. What prosecutor would not want more witnesses and evidence that could buttress his or her case?


Famed celebrity attorney Alan Dershowitz attempted to have it both ways on Sunday morning, arguing on CNN’s State of the Union that while President Donald Trump had tapped him as part of his impeachment legal defense team, he wasn’t really a member.


At least 79 Yemeni soldiers attending prayers at a mosque were killed and 130 others injured in attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, Saudi state-run al-Ekhbariya Television reports


Donald Trump's impeachment team will include Alan Dershowitz, who “revels in taking positions that ultimately are not just controversial but pretty close to indefensible,” one longtime associate at Harvard said.


If, for example, Jared is using his Permanent Security Clearance™ to get intel that would help defend against impeachment rather than for legitimate national security reasons, why, that would be very concerning. It might give the IC, you know, some pause.


This is what Alan Dershowitz said in 1974 about the Nixon impeachment.


The pronunciation of Parnas' name isn't phonetic - most people on TV and news called him Parness and are only now correcting to the proper pronunciation, Par-nass. But Nunes had it perfectly in early December, almost as though he'd learned it from the man himself.


I’ve talked about this concern for awhile. When he leaves office, he’s going to be even more of a national security threat. Cable news won’t be able to resist booking him, and he’ll be spilling all of our secrets for the world to see.


The public must be told Trump and Senate Republicans are hiding critical witnesses and documents.


.@GStephanopoulos: Was it proper for Trump to solicit foreign interference? Sen. Shelby: It hasn't been "proven" Stephanopoulos: "We've seen the president in public ask the Ukrainians to get involved ..." Shelby: "Those are just statements - political"


Get ready for the Trump Senate impeachment trial as partisan farce: Mastio & Lawrence


Just catching up with this: not a Biden supporter, but has to be said it's pretty bad for the Sanders campaign to be pushing a doctored video on Social Security. Here's the Reuters story.


Hey Republicans, Parnas says Trump pushed an extortion scheme. Sondland says there was a quid pro quo. The GAO says it was illegal. When are you going to acknowledge this foul reality?


Republican Sen. Susan Collins has surpassed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as the most unpopular U.S. Senator.#SelloutSusan this takes some doing! Congratulations on being even lower than #MoscowMitchMcTreason


Thread: In other words, Dershowitz will argue the exact opposite of the position of the Framers of the Constitution. — Justin Amash


Maddow breaks all records with Lev Parnas interview. The historic ratings are a warning shot to Senators that the nation is watching, and they will pay a political price if they try to pull off a sham impeachment trial.


Yes, our whole constitutional system is on trial. Impeachment is the guardrail against presidential abuse of power, it is the foundation of how we reckon with an executive who wants to be a king. The Senate trial is the ultimate remedy for that.


DOJ Refuses Court Order to Produce Kushner 302s


The plan to kill Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was months in the making, but the justification appeared to be assembled and reassembled in real-time.


Presidential historian rains hell on National Archives for ‘idiotic’ decision to blur photos to spare Trump’s feelings


Here's a great profile of the president of Ukraine:


Clashes broke out between protesters and police in Hong Kong, cutting short a rally calling for electoral reforms and a boycott of the Chinese Communist Party


Re this Biden/Sanders dust-up re Soc Security: When I worked for Biden, we often talked about its importance. He was/is as staunch a supporter as you'll find, both for econ & political reasons. “We should be increasing, not decreasing, Social Security!”


"Once this is over, we’ll be kings": How Lev Parnas worked his way into Trump’s world — and now is rattling it


Schiff on the Trump argument that he can't be impeached for abuse of power: "That's the argument I suppose you have to make if the facts are so dead-set against you ... You had to go so far out of the mainstream to find someone to make that argument."


Chief Justice John Roberts' impeachment trial role: speak softly, set a good example


Puerto Rico Residents Find Warehouse Full of Unused Aid Two Years After Hurricane Maria


In private, some Republicans have a dark view of Lev Parnas. "This is pretty bad," a prominent Republican close to McConnell said. "Rudy strikes again." "For Trump, Parnas injects uncertainty into a political environment ... he’d seen as tipping his way."


Speaking of university officials who cover up sexual assault, discrimination and retaliation, it’s nice to see that Ken Starr just landed a new job. Trump Defense Team's Ken Starr Was Ousted From Baylor University In 2016 : NPR


Richmond braces for enormous gun-rights rally Monday


When you think about it, the White House's six-page exercise in lies and clownish misdirection in response to the House impeachment managers' brief is basically a formalized statement of the "so what if he did it" defense.


We are beginning to see the effects of Trump’s corruption of the Judiciary. Trump judge Trevor McFadden is clearly trying to keep The House from seeing Trump’s taxes.


Trump’s legal team isn’t just arguing for acquittal. They’re trying to lay groundwork for the inevitable bogus claim by Trump that he wasn’t actually impeached in the first place


Stephanie, genuine question: Why isn’t info provided by the White House on sanctioned briefing calls attributable on the record? The President has literally told Americans not to trust info cited to unnamed sources. I truly cannot understand this practice given Trump’s rhetoric.


Also, former FBI Director Louis Freeh is now working for Alfa Bank founder Mikhail Fridman along with a bunch of other shady Russians and Ukrainians.


The never ending smears by the president’s legal team continue. The whistleblower followed the law. The whistleblower did everything right


111 pages of facts and legal arguments vs. 7 pages of ad hominem attacks and insults. They have never made a factual defense because their is none


Trump’s attorneys filed a fiery, six-page letter arguing that impeachment proceedings are an affront to the Constitution and an “attack” on Americans.


WaPo Editorial Board: The Senate must not ignore the new evidence on Ukraine.


“It’s truly unbelievable he’s in the position that he’s in given the fact that he sat there in these impeachment hearings and was totally compromised because he was part of the truth that was being sought,” Parkhomenko told The Sacramento Bee.


There are 2 lies here. Ukraine doesn’t require visas for Americans and the US embassy doesn’t give visas to visitors in foreign countries!


Oversight Committee Finds Widespread Ethics Issues at EPA


Trump’s EPA is said to cut scientists out of new water policy that threatens New England wetlands


how bout that


Joe diGenova out here saying Giuliani and Toensing canceled their trip to Kyiv because the US embassy threatened to block their visas but Americans don’t need visas to visit Ukraine


Who needs Russians when


This is the president’s response to the global warming crisis: “get your mops & buckets ready.” Pathetic!


@Acosta's reporting: A source close to WH who speaks to Trump regularly says that Trump told people Friday night at Mar-a-Lago that he "can't understand why he is impeached." "Why are they doing this to me," the source quoted Trump as saying repeatedly


"A Very Stable Genius" has been No. 1 on Amazon for days, but this denouncement will give the book even more attention...


VERY IMPORTANT. If Dersh is acting as an expert witness, rather than part of Trump's legal team, he should not be allowed to make an opening statement. He should only be allowed to testify during the witness phase, where he would be under oath and subject to cross-examination


Bernie Sanders’ campaign is using the same tactics of misinformation and distortion that we’d expect from Trump and the GOP. This is shameful and uncalled for. Bernie needs to apologize to Joe Biden immediately.


Awesome. Can the Dems ask her about the $25K donation she got from Trump which he illegally funneled from his foundation (and which was intended for charity) and one of the reasons for dissolving it and requiring his kids to go to remedial financial training? Just wondering.


A.G. Barr briefly attended a meeting at the Justice Department last fall between top criminal prosecutors and Rudy Giuliani. The meeting reveals a previously undisclosed interaction between two men Trump depends on to defend him.


A member of Trump's impeachment team is ** literally ** pre-spinning Trump allowing Russia to retake Alaska as okay.


The @AlanDersh theory, if it’s to be dignified with that label, is that Hamilton was just musing about the nature of impeachable offenses, not actually identifying them. That’s frankly preposterous. In 232 years, no sane historian or constitutional theorist has read it that way.


Since 1978 executive compensation has risen 940 percent. Workers wages have risen 12 percent. The 400 richest Americans pay the lowest tax rate of any group. 100 people paid 10 million dollars last night at Mar a Lago to make sure this never changes.


At a campaign stop in Iowa, Biden said a Sanders adviser has been sharing a clip that seems to suggest Biden agreeing with former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan in wanting to cut Social Security and Medicaid.


Trump Loses Another Russia Adviser, Adding to NSC Turnover


Yes the Bidens are particularly known for putting their name on things in 20ft-high gold letters that sparkle and have flashing lights


The case against the President is simple, and the evidence overwhelming. He abused his power by soliciting foreign interference in our election, withholding military aid from our ally, and Jeopardizing our national security, elections and democracy — Adam Schiff


Why are taxpayers paying Nunes to fly and investigate dirt on Biden. First night time leaks to Donny, then working with Parnas now this and all while suing a fake cow.


John Heilemann suggests Devin Nunes is a Russian agent


HERE is Trump’s Answer to the House’s Articles of Impeachment:


Trump Loses Another Russia Adviser, Adding to NSC Turnover: Andrew Peek has left his post after about three months, was reportedly escorted from the White House grounds on Friday.


I have worked in government for 30 years now and I am shocked how quickly our systems crumbled under authoritarianism. Many didn't even put up a fight and went straight to the dark side. Trump wins re-election we are done. There is no 2024, this is possibly our last election.


Jared Kushner has a file called “Hoax II” in his West Wing office Other file names: FIFA, AEI, To Do’s, Lebanon, Border Infrastructure, Central America Econ Plan, Encryption, POTUS Environment, Mexico Crisis, DJT From @Time video w/ him


Trump told donors that Soleimani was "saying bad things about our country" before the strike, which led to his decision to authorize his killing. “How much of this shit do we have to listen to? How much are we going to listen to?”


Why was Lev Parnas wearing a ‘Presidential Service Badge’ awarded to troops who serve in the White House?


NEW: Mr. Parnas’s phone goes to Washington. How the Joe Pesci of John Deans upended Trump’s world on the eve of the Senate’s impeachment trial.


“It’s just so unfair that American companies aren’t allowed to pay bribes to get business overseas,” Trump is quoted


House Managers respond to Trump's filing: "Rather than honestly address the evidence against him, the President's latest filing makes the astounding claim that pressuring Ukraine to interfere in our election ... is the President's way of fighting corruption. It is not."


Michael Cohen says Trump directed him to pay for poll rigging


Dershowitz’s idea is if the US is physically invaded by a foreign enemy, and the President doesn’t do anything about it, Congress has to sit on its hands, watch the occupying force march around pillaging, and wait to refer the matter to the besieged voters in the next election.


@VP Mike Pence’s recent piece in the @WSJ , “A Partisan Impeachment, a Profile in Courage,” is a total perversion of JFK's legacy and the meaning of courage. As Kennedy's grandson, and a member of the Profiles in Courage Award Committee, I took special interest. THREAD