Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Nadler raises Giuliani's role in Ukraine


Sen. Menendez appearing on CNN says some Republican Senators are getting up and leaving the chamber for extended periods during the presentation.


During the July 25 call, President Trump never once raised legitimate corruption concerns with Ukraine. Instead, he viciously maligned Ambassador Yovanovitch, a distinguished anti-corruption advocate, whom he abruptly removed because she was seen as an obstacle to his scheme.


Religious conservatives asked the Supreme Court to overturn 38 state constitutional amendments and require taxpayers to fund religious schools


Opinion: This poll underscores the risk the GOP is taking on a sham trial


disruption in the senate chamber followed by apparently spontaneous citation of Psalms 37:28 by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. “For the LORD loves justice and will not abandon His faithful ones.”


Kushner's FBI interviews to be held for review, Justice Department says


Telling Americans homosexuality is caused by "the devil' is now a function of our government. Pence attends homophobic sermon streamed on White House YouTube channel


The Democrats are winning the argument even though they’ll lose the Senate trial,


In the middle of the night, Senator Collins voted ten times along party lines to refuse to allow witness and evidence in the impeachment trial. We need – and we deserve – a fair trial in the United States Senate. Support our campaign if you agree:


Trump appears open to overhauling Social Security and Medicare, in break from 2016 campaign pledge


‘CBS News just lost all credibility’: network slammed for hiring Reince Priebus as a political analyst


You may not agree with me - but I’m pleased that the House Managers are literally using a lot of videos For example this is one that Chairman @RepAdamSchiff played during his 2.25+hour long oral arguments


44.7% of Ohio voters said they “almost certain” to vote against Trump no matter who the Dems nominate, over 10% more than the 34.6% who almost certainly would vote to re-elect him. See more eye-opening results in 4 key Midwest states here


NEW: Saudi officials close to MBS tell WSJ they were aware of a plan to hack Bezos' phone, but not of any attempt to blackmail him. Qahtani was involved in the hacking effort as part of a broader intimidation campaign against Khashoggi, officials said.


Imagine looking at the federal budget and thinking to yourself: Let's gut Medicare and slash Social Security so we can buy more tanks we don't need and make the rich even richer.


1. The notion the most corrupt POTUS in modern history has good faith concerns about corruption is absurd, & pushing it means you're an unserious person. 2. POTUS could investigate using domestic agencies, but instead he secretly tried to extort a vulnerable foreign govt.


Thread: Today’s list of insanely dumb Senate GOP conceits


As a former attorney, @SenWhitehouse understands the importance of relevant witnesses. The Senate impeachment trial needs to be a fair one. WATCH:


Memorable from Schiff: "The House believes that an impartial juror ... will find that the Constitution demands [Trump's] removal ... That will be for you to decide, with the weight of history upon you, and, as Pres. Kennedy once said, 'a good conscience your only sure reward.'"


Canada is officially banning military-style rifles and assault weapons


My favorite is when Trump just confesses to the criming.


"This trial is a travesty. It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham!" And how bananas is it that he boasts about obstruction- the very thing he's accused of?


Donald Trump felt that Ukraine owed him. His main focus before releasing the aid was what he would get in return. But it's not his money. It's yours. It's the American people's money, appropriated by Congress to aid our ally's defense and strengthen our own national security.


Rep. Adam Schiff quotes from Alexander Hamilton at the start of House impeachment managers' opening arguments in the trial of Pres. Donald Trump.


Somewhere, POTUS is going apesh*t that Schiff has been talking about his dereliction of duty and attempted thuggery for 2.5 hours without anyone interrupting him about the Clinton-Soros-Uranium space aliens


In an incredible exchange at Davos, @realdonaldtrump admits he is comfortable with the status of the impeachment trial because the White House is withholding evidence. "Honestly, we have all the material. They don't have the material." As always, he says the quiet part out loud.


Just counted 21 empty seats on the GOP side of the Senate, 2 on the Dem side, a couple hours into Schiff's presentation. Some are just stretching their legs, but most are not in the chamber. Some of them have been out of there for a while.


#Flynn Defense filing alleges US attorney suborned perjury. Lawyer Sidney Powell “This entire “investigation” and prosecution is a grotesque abuse of power...while (FBI DOJ) still hide the original (interview) that shows Flynn told the truth.” Powell calls 4 probation not jail.


The White House Correspondents' Association (@WHCA), which does *NOT* make credentialing decisions, confirms to me that the White House credentialed the anti-Semitic TruNews. WHCA says it is raising this issue with the WH.


As Schiff hits 2-hour mark, more than a dozen GOP senators have left Senate chamber & are in cloakroom. All Dems, I believe, remain in the chamber. Sen. Bennet gestures w his hand as if to say, what's with that? Rules require senators to be at their desks for entirety of trial


The Founders Would Have Wanted John Roberts to Assert Himself in the Impeachment Trial


UPDATE: When reached for comment on Wednesday morning about the lawsuit, Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill said: "That's ridiculous."


. @SenSusanCollins, do your job or Maine will find someone who will. You’re no Independent. You're protecting @realdonaldtrump


Trump Inaugural Committee ‘Grossly’ Overpaid Trump Hotel, Lawsuit Says


Schiff, two hours into his argument alleging abuse of power by the president, turns to the second article of impeachment: obstruction of Congress. “The House has yet to receive a single document from executive branch agencies pursuant to its subpoenas.”


Schiff: "If the president was fighting corruption, if he wanted Europeans to pay more, why would he hide it from us? Why would he hide it from Ukrainians? Why would he hide it from the rest of the world? ... Because, of course, it wasn't true."


Uggghhh... U.S. screenings for the coronavirus expanded to airports in Atlanta and Chicago


The Pentagon made $35 trillion in accounting adjustments last year alone—a total that’s larger than the entire U.S. economy


Trump’s impeachment defense is designed to destroy guardrails on presidential power


Under Donald Trump’s presidency, the world’s trust in the U.S. has dropped by more than 50% since 2016 — the sharpest drop of any country assessed in the 2020 “Best Countries In The World” report


UK to tackle coronavirus with separate arrival area at Heathrow


"A lawyer does not stand in front of the chief justice of the Supreme Court and lie. And Cipollone said the following: 'Not even Mr. Schiff's Republican colleagues were allowed into the SCIF.' That is a flat lie. A demonstrable lie."


“Senators should plan to be in attendance at all times during the proceedings.”


Members of white supremacist group arrested before Richmond rally wanted to start a civil war. Planned to execute police, steal their gear, kill people at will, poison water supplies, derail trains. Packed 3-5 months food to sustain them.


Saudi Arabia is denying reports that Amazon chief Jeff Bezos’ phone was hacked when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent him a video file loaded with spyware over WhatsApp


Fox & Friends downplays the impeachment trial


So when the Republicans vote this down, it’ll basically be them casting aspersions on the impartiality of Chief Justice Roberts.


Nearly four years ago we discovered an illegal $25,000 donation from the Trump Foundation to support Pam Bondi while her office was reportedly investigating Trump U. She never took action against Trump U. Now she's defending Trump at his impeachment trial.


And just like that, Trump lays out how Social Security and Medicare might be on the table. Now, 2020 Democrats: go after Trump, not each other.


BREAKING: Hong Kong reports first case of the new strand of coronavirus


Thread: Republican Strategist Rick Wilson

ICYMI  Thread: 

Great idea. There was a respected Washington Post columnist who i would love to have investigate the matter but you killed him — Jake Tapper


Senators voted along party lines to block attempts to subpoena acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney in President Trump’s


Impeachment Trial: Watch LIVE Senate Impeachment trial of President Donald Trump day one


Schiff: “I guess how you drain the swamp is you have all your people go to jail.” LOL Schiff is the G.O.A.T.


#BREAKING First US case of Corona virus confirmed in Washington state.


Trump in Davos asked about coronavirus: “We have it totally under control. It's one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It's—going to be just fine.”


🔹What is a #coronavirus ? 🔹Where do they come from? 🔹 How can I protect myself? Watch this Q&A from @WHO for the answers.


Some history on Sekulow-Trump lawyer's firm steered millions in donations to family members, files show


Why Belarus? Because Trump's gifts to Putin will never end. cc @thespybrief Reports: U.S. Planning To Add Belarus, Kyrgyzstan To Travel Ban List


This really isn't complicated. Trump considers a travel ban on Belarus as Putin attempts to isolate Belarus from the West. Pompeo also recently canceled his planned visit to Belarus. Putin wants Belarus. Trump is helping him make that happen.


The U.S. administration considers adding Belarus and Kyrgyzstan to its travel ban list, along with four African countries, according to media reports.


Trump dismissed climate activists as misguided “pessimists” in Davos, clashing with the consensus on climate change held by pretty much everyone else there


Voted well beyond Midnight on amendments to McConnell sham trial resolution. Party line votes prevented the Senate from requesting any documents or witnesses that President Trump blocked the House from considering. Not a good day/night for the Senate. — Sen. Patrick Leahy


Susan Collins Takes Hours to Decide on Lunch Before Ordering Exactly What Mitch McConnell Is Having | The New Yorker


The President’s legal position disrespects the American people and is also just stupid. For example, @POTUS has the power to order an air strike. But can he abuse that power & order an air strike on 5th Avenue in New York? No. Because abuse of power is one of the highest crimes.


Sekulow has lost whatever credibility he had by saying Mueller cleared the President of obstruction of Justice. An absurd and inaccurate statement.


"If they could do it to you they could do it to any American citizen," says Pat Cipollone. Yup. If any US citizen tries to blackmail a foreign country into helping him politically and then stonewalls government attempts to get at the truth, he would face major consequences.


MSNBC and @clairecmc McCaskill reporting Senate Republicans have been so “bombarded” by phone calls that it is causing GOP fraction. The phone calls appear to be working — #Coverup 202-224-3121.


A new coronavirus in China that has killed nine people is adapting and mutating, underscoring the challenges for health authorities in controlling the outbreak


This will snowball. The world is watching Senate Rs enact a #Coverup for donald's crimes & extortion. They'll then find cameras & create forever footage of themselves, repeating coverup lies. And then, this story will break as another shakedown tale. And it's got a bonesaw in it


Hey, another lie — Bondi says Republicans weren’t allowed to call witnesses. @HouseIntel called multiple Republican witnesses, just not ridiculous ones like Hunter Biden and the IC whistleblower.


Ten years ago today, the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United unleashed hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate and special-interest money into U.S. elections. The next president should propose a constitutional amendment to overturn the decision. — Hillary Clinton


NEW: Saudi crown prince implicated in hack of Jeff Bezos’s phone, U.N. report will say


We have a cover up. The senators who are voting against documents, those who wish to hide witnesses, those who are content whistling past the truth they surely know, have made their bargain with their conscience. The question is where the conscience of the nation will fall.


We have a cover up. The senators who are voting against documents, those who wish to hide witnesses, those who are content whistling past the truth they surely know, have made their bargain with their conscience. The question is where the conscience of the nation will fall.


Bad faith arguments delivered with sneering condescension. Definitely scans that Pat Cipollone used to work for Bill Barr.


Every Republican must be on the record on Trump. Silence is not an option. You either support what he stands for, or you don’t. Right now. And when he’s gone, you can’t walk away from where you stood on Trump. Right now. You can’t walk it back. We won’t let you.


Make sure on your way to work you leave TV on impeachment trial. Car radio too. Let them know we are watching. Remember, he's all about ratings. We must do what we can to shake #GOP


Lawrence on 'high crimes and misdemeanors'


Impeachment trial is a 'dynamic' situation for GOP senators


BREAKING: Two minutes before midnight, OMB released 192 pages of Ukraine-related records to American Oversight, including emails that have not been previously released.


Trump abused his power for personal and political gain. And Republicans in Washington are covering up the truth. #GOPCoverup Pass it on. — Nancy Pelosi


Oil prices fall as concerns over China's coronavirus outweigh fears of supply disruptions in the Middle East


CNN’s @acosta catches up with @IvankaTrump at #Davos


If Trump is removed, @VP becomes president, as the 2016 election determined. What’s your beef with Pence? It’s not like he attacked your wife.


Per @Acosta: According to a senior White House official, Trump received “periodic” updates from the impeachment team throughout the day and the WH is prepared for the possibility of witnesses (such as John Bolton) testifying in a closed setting.


Trump sold nuclear tech to Saudis in secret after Khashoggi killing


Trump threatens Europe with fresh tariffs in Davos, deepening a rift with longtime U.S. allies ⁦


Public Relations Maven Compares Bad Press Over Her Jeffrey Epstein Ties to the Holocaust


If Sara Gideon and John Hickenlooper don’t have ads up tomorrow on today’s votes by Collins and Gardner they will be missing a huge opportunity. senators are on the record against docs and witnesses until they vote for them. And now they have to wait at least a week.


It's 1:30 am in Washington, D.C. + @RepAdamSchiff had 57 minutes left. Sekulow thought he'd yield it back. But Schiff is standing right there using it as a closing argument. Standing for fairness. Standing for due process for the American people.


U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with 'forever chemicals': report


A. You heard it here first; B. Don't do that; C. You're gonna trust a deal with MoscowMitch? C'mon man.


BREAKING: #Shooting reported with multiple casualties in Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas. GUN VIOLENCE IN 2020: Deaths: 2,227 Injured: 1,544 Mass Shootings: 14 That includes 172 kids shot. We need to raise the standard for gun ownership. NOW.


Americans are not stupid. Most understand that fair trials require witnesses and evidence. Hell, I learned that in 3rd grade watching Perry Mason ! Please Senators, don't take us for fools. Im ok with Senators voting for acquittal; Im not ok with obstructing the rule of law.


All those docs belong to the U.S. government - not Trump, Pompeo or anyone else. The stakes couldn't be higher for Trump in this election. If he 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔, he loses control over those documents. He loses the cover of Barr. He's totally exposed. He'll do 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 to win.


After 3 amendments, every GOP senator has voted: ❌No on subpoenas for White House documents ❌No on subpoenas for State Dept documents ❌ No on subpoenas for OMB documents This is a sham trial.


“greatest deliberative body in the world” is denying witnesses and documents in the @POTUS #ImpeachmentTrial but a few comments are the problem? Get some perspective!!!


Republicans are really going to just keep voting as a block to kill this whole thing, aren't they?


Chief Justice John Roberts admonishes both parties for using uncivil language addressing the senate, which he calls “the greatest deliberative body in the world.”


FOR THE RECORD: Susan Collins has gone on record voting against the admission of witnesses and documents in the Trump Impeachment Trial. She has lied to us-again. We now MUST do everything in our power to replace her in November. She. Is. Done.


.@RepJerryNadler touched a nerve. The @SenateGOP is on trial. That's how the Framers planned it. It's all politics and the Dems look to be poised to hammer the @GOP in November. @JaySekulow is making it easy. Watch the polls. I bet @POTUS & @SenateGOP both start to plummet.


How many GOP senators have accepted Putin blessed bribes?


If he’s just going to sit and read what he’s handed, seems like Chief Justice Roberts could just call over an acolyte from church, and head home. The kid does have a robe.


So in their first official acts of doing "impartial justice," @SenatorCollins, @SenatorRomney and @lisamurkowski voted that it was good and proper to allow President Trump to hide evidence of cheating to win this year's election? Do I have that right?


If Trump gets a second term, good luck stopping him.


NEW: Some Senate Dems privately mull Biden-for-Bolton trade in impeachment trial, w/ interest in calling the GOP's bluff on "witness reciprocity" percolating behind closed doors.


Schumer’s 11th amendment (empowering the Chief Justice to make evidentiary rulings) will be the last of the night. That’s probably good since Schiff seems to be on the verge of losing his voice.


The defector on the scheduling amendment was reportedly Collins.


SCHIFF: “The House is given the sole power of impeachment. - not the President.” “They would like you not to know; if it’s abstract it’s a generic thing... not the detailed personal notes.” “They say they will disclose ... but their when is never.”


Opinion: History is watching, but not the way Democrats believe


The Senate kills, 53-47, Dem amendment seeking subpoena of Pentagon records. Now, the Senate will debate subpoena for WH aide Robert Blair and OMB aide Michael Duffey. It will fail along party lines


GOP tweets sound like they’re comin’ from the alternate dimension where the Nazis won the war.


Rep. Schiff on why John Bolton suddenly signaled his willingness to testify: "Maybe it's because he has a book coming out."


They aren’t making legal arguments. They’re stringing together political soundbites for later use on Fox News.


Senator @MittRomney now has more power than he has ever had in his life. This is what he’ll be remembered for. This is his place in history.


Also just a reminder: In the current context of the war in Ukraine, where we do not allow Ukraine to deploy the javelins to the front, the javelins were to provide Ukraine a symbolic deterrent and that deterrent is totally erased by POTUS's instrumentalizing of Ukraine


Schiff says that some intelligence agencies have "stopped cooperating" with the ongoing investigation in the House, possibly "on the instruction of others."


"According to Gallup, the 82-point partisan gap between Republican approval of the job Trump is doing (89%) and Democratic approval (7%) is the largest in the 74-year history of the poll."


This. 70% of American people want witnesses. Over 50% of people want Trump removed from office. His hardcore base is still only 25-30% If the GOP refuses to play ball, we get to vote them *all* out in less than a year.


Wow. I thought a well-credentialed attorney like Pat Cipollone would be at least be able to make an attempt at an argument for his client without blatantly lying. Clearly I was wrong.


I don't think the GOP will cease to exist. I mean only that it will cease to exist as a party that represents anything, a kind of vessel of convenience for politicians who will grab a few more terms in DC from the votes of angry rural whites, until time finally runs out.


Another new low. White House Counsel for President of United States on the floor of Senate engaging in disinformation. Repeating false claim that Schiff “manufactured a false version of that call.” The call transcript was ALREADY PUBLIC, Schiff was obviously paraphrasing it.


Knowingly lying in a Senate trial seems like conduct with real consequences. Patty Chipotle is a dumbo.


If you're a member of any bar that Cipollone is a member of don't you need to report him or you're likely in violation of the rules? Does that apply to all @TheJusticeDept attorneys? See you in 2021


Rep. Schiff on McConnell's road map for impeachment trial: "It's not a fair trial. It's a mockery of a trial. This is not an appeal from a trial." [To the senators] "You are not appellate court judges." [Turns to Chief Justice Roberts] "Well, one of you is."


Tell both of your senators to vote against this #GOPCoverup NOW! Just send a text message with the phrase "Remove Trump" to 50409 and you can send @TheDemCoalition’s petition to both of your home state senators.


CONTEXT ALERT: While @tribelaw & @AlanDersh both taught law at @Harvard, Dershowitz is not widely regarded as an expert on constitutional law. Tribe, however, literally wrote the book on it. His “American Constitutional Law” is widely used as a standard law school textbook.


"It was with these words that we called for an opportunity to solve the problems of Iraq, Kosovo, the Arab Spring, Syria and many other world crises." Pompeo says Libya should be resolved without external interference, which ignores the Kremlin has been all over Libya for years


Nothing says innocent like not letting anyone testify.


McConnell wants everyone to fall asleep and dream there was a fair trial.


Pam Bondi just defended President Trump at his impeachment trial. Remember when we filed a criminal bribery complaint against Trump and Bondi? We remember when we filed a criminal bribery complaint against Trump and Bondi.


“I'm sad to say, I see a lot of senators voting for a coverup. Voting to deny witnesses and obviously a treacherous vote," Nadler said. WH counsel Pat Cipollone: "The only one who should be embarrassed, Mr. Nadler, is you...You're not in charge here."


We should’ve been in the streets over the Garland stunt. But we let @senatemajldr pull it off without anything more stinging than a pointed op-ed & thus created the #MidnightMoscowMitch of today ...a Godless, ethically bankrupt strategist for whom only money & raw power matter.


President Obama gave his first State of the Union just days after the decision, and one of the most talked about moments after the speech was Justice Alito shaking his head in disagreement when Obama referenced how the decision might open the door to foreign influence