http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/trump-fears-secret-british-memo-kim-darroch.html?fbclid=IwAR0kn5JYdlbSz0BONwrqNTWqb-FuXGk4VpTUS0YvgcCCHeqG9K0D-M5vVuw
"The weekend leak of a British diplomatic cable savaging President Trump was a minor event by Trump-era standards. That’s in part because it came via the British press on an American holiday weekend, but also because the memo’s author, British ambassador Kim Darroch, didn’t break new ground in assessing the president and his administration. Trump, he wrote, is dim-witted (“you need to make your points simple, even blunt”), susceptible to flattery (“you need to start praising him for something that he’s done recently”), lies constantly, potentially compromised by Russia (“the worst cannot be ruled out”), and generally incompetent (“we don’t really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable; less faction riven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept”). We knew all that already. What’s more, we knew that the world (whose diplomatic strategy with the 45th president mixes delicate flattery with low-grade bribes ) knew it already. Even many members of Trump’s own administration know this. Yet Trump’s reaction to the story indicates that he regards it as especially offensive and even dangerous."
News And Opinion About The Republican War On Women And Issues Important To Women
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Let’s Shut Down the Authoritarian Machine
https://truthout.org/articles/lets-shut-down-the-authoritarian-machine/
"What is different about Trump is that he basks in his role and is unapologetic about enacting policies that further enable the looting of the country by the ultrarich (including him) and by megacorporations. Trump represents a reemergence of a past that should terrify us. Trump’s ultranationalism, racism, policies aimed at social cleansing, his love affair with some of the world’s most heinous dictators and his hatred of democracy echo a period in history when the unimaginable became possible, when genocide was the endpoint of dehumanizing others, and the mix of nativist and nationalist rhetoric ended in the horrors of the concentration camp."
"What is different about Trump is that he basks in his role and is unapologetic about enacting policies that further enable the looting of the country by the ultrarich (including him) and by megacorporations. Trump represents a reemergence of a past that should terrify us. Trump’s ultranationalism, racism, policies aimed at social cleansing, his love affair with some of the world’s most heinous dictators and his hatred of democracy echo a period in history when the unimaginable became possible, when genocide was the endpoint of dehumanizing others, and the mix of nativist and nationalist rhetoric ended in the horrors of the concentration camp."
Trump’s Dictator Envy Isn’t Funny Anymore
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/06/trump-g20-osaka-putin-mbs-kim-ivanka.html?fbclid=IwAR0TgtY9VR0PmIa0dTjwdTb72kT2p5VTf8gvgRVZi-TQHMyVTe_M33FbndA
"Trump may think his move toward authoritarianism will embellish America’s power too, but it’s having the opposite effect. The rest of the world is laughing, though in some cases nervously. It was Macron’s press office that publicly released the embarrassing video of Ivanka trying to act like one of the leaders. Putin must be thanking whatever god he worships whenever Trump pops him a wink and a grin. China’s President Xi Jinping is slowly, patiently, moving the trade talks in his favor—and nudging America’s allies, who are regarding Washington’s security guarantees with growing skepticism, to cuddle up with Beijing instead. So, yes, laugh or sigh at those tweets and outbursts that illustrate, yet again, Trump’s crudeness or cluelessness. But watch more closely what he’s doing, which drifts he’s following, and the effect he’s having on what our country is becoming and—as a result of that—our place in the world. That’s the main show."
"Trump may think his move toward authoritarianism will embellish America’s power too, but it’s having the opposite effect. The rest of the world is laughing, though in some cases nervously. It was Macron’s press office that publicly released the embarrassing video of Ivanka trying to act like one of the leaders. Putin must be thanking whatever god he worships whenever Trump pops him a wink and a grin. China’s President Xi Jinping is slowly, patiently, moving the trade talks in his favor—and nudging America’s allies, who are regarding Washington’s security guarantees with growing skepticism, to cuddle up with Beijing instead. So, yes, laugh or sigh at those tweets and outbursts that illustrate, yet again, Trump’s crudeness or cluelessness. But watch more closely what he’s doing, which drifts he’s following, and the effect he’s having on what our country is becoming and—as a result of that—our place in the world. That’s the main show."
Trump’s G20 Trip Was a Victory for Dictators
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/trump-g20-victory-for-dictators.html?fbclid=IwAR1cYUGilwnUyJsYEfPHgQgcb8GXoW035APoEjFNgSmYENyjHCQ-PuG2_0s
"In his statements and meetings on the sidelines of the summit, he gave explicit cover and support to authoritarian leaders, made concessions to adversaries, and threatened to tear up decades-old agreements with longstanding allies."
"In his statements and meetings on the sidelines of the summit, he gave explicit cover and support to authoritarian leaders, made concessions to adversaries, and threatened to tear up decades-old agreements with longstanding allies."
Monday, July 8, 2019
WH Blocked Key Mueller Witness From Testifying More Than 200 Times
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/annie-donaldson-house-transcript?fbclid=IwAR3PVgNxLCxMxVnJBXaTZAzhgHQEFu0PD9EQDAeCcVuGEn6kaI8hLn8AS7U
"Annie Donaldson, the former chief of staff to White House counsel Don McGahn and a crucial witness in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, found herself blocked from replying to questions from a House panel more than 200 times because of “constitutionally-based Executive Branch confidentiality interests.” The 55-page list of responses from Donaldson records 212 separate assertions of the clunky phrase, which appears to demand confidentiality without formally asserting executive privilege."
"Annie Donaldson, the former chief of staff to White House counsel Don McGahn and a crucial witness in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, found herself blocked from replying to questions from a House panel more than 200 times because of “constitutionally-based Executive Branch confidentiality interests.” The 55-page list of responses from Donaldson records 212 separate assertions of the clunky phrase, which appears to demand confidentiality without formally asserting executive privilege."
In 869 days, President Trump has made 10,796 false or misleading claims
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/?utm_term=.3a64517c18ff
"The Fact Checker’s ongoing database of the false or misleading claims made by President Trump since assuming office."
"The Fact Checker’s ongoing database of the false or misleading claims made by President Trump since assuming office."
President Trump has made 10,796 false or misleading claims over 869 days
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/06/10/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-over-days/?utm_term=.f4c50a366be0
'The president crossed the 10,000 threshold on April 26, and he has been averaging about 16 fishy claims a day since then. From the start of his presidency, he has averaged about 12 such claims a day."
'The president crossed the 10,000 threshold on April 26, and he has been averaging about 16 fishy claims a day since then. From the start of his presidency, he has averaged about 12 such claims a day."
Conflicts surrounding Jared Kushner "have only grown more distressing with time": Harvard professor
https://www.salon.com/2019/06/10/conflicts-surrounding-jared-kushner-have-only-grown-more-distressing-with-time-harvard-professor/?fbclid=IwAR1Ho4VRerBX-Dfj9-nPet3Mu5uc7bFJJ4FVcaJNNb_wdbViDuLQqzFe2JE
"The mysterious nature of these conflicts makes it impossible for American citizens to determine what drives the decisions being made in the White House, according to Tribe. "The point of these conflicts, hidden and otherwise, is that they make it impossible for the American people to know which recommendations Jared whispers into the ears of his ill-informed father-in-law — who happens to be president of the United States — are driven by loyalty to the interests of the United States, and which are driven instead by loyalty to the Trump-Kushner criminal enterprise — a phrase I use reluctantly and sadly, but advisedly." As Tribe revealed, this is not the first time that Kushner's fitness to serve as a foreign policy aide has been called into question. In April, it was revealed that Kushner was "Senior White House Official 1" from a memo released by the House Oversight Committee based on a whistleblower's report, which pulled back the curtain on how national security clearances were granted at the White House."
"The mysterious nature of these conflicts makes it impossible for American citizens to determine what drives the decisions being made in the White House, according to Tribe. "The point of these conflicts, hidden and otherwise, is that they make it impossible for the American people to know which recommendations Jared whispers into the ears of his ill-informed father-in-law — who happens to be president of the United States — are driven by loyalty to the interests of the United States, and which are driven instead by loyalty to the Trump-Kushner criminal enterprise — a phrase I use reluctantly and sadly, but advisedly." As Tribe revealed, this is not the first time that Kushner's fitness to serve as a foreign policy aide has been called into question. In April, it was revealed that Kushner was "Senior White House Official 1" from a memo released by the House Oversight Committee based on a whistleblower's report, which pulled back the curtain on how national security clearances were granted at the White House."
The Nepotism Might Finally Be Too Much to Ignore
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/06/trump-nepotism-too-obvious-to-ignore-elitism.html?fbclid=IwAR2CqXYLdXUUr86brI8q_fYuizylET6L0HYUYKKQVcVAFYUo-4GQ6mM9tqk
"Even in these tortured times, it is worth devoting a small sliver of outrage to the fact that Jared Kushner—whose only qualification to senior-advise the president on policy is that he is married to the president’s daughter—seems to have taken, per the Guardian, $90 million in foreign funding since 2017 from an “opaque offshore vehicle.” This influx comes via a stake he kept in a real estate company after assuming his government post, and given that the cash has come in via the Cayman Islands (via Goldman Sachs), we have no idea who is actually enriching this public official who is meant to be working for us. Wherever that lovely money is coming from, we would also do well to remember that Kushner was initially refused a security clearance by career White House staff vetting him for precisely these reasons. But never mind. We are meant to feel only gratitude to the unqualified family members who step in to serve. He has surely accomplished many, many things from his high perch, things that not one person alive can yet name. Somehow nepotism seems to rankle more than grift alone. Steve Mnuchin’s jet-setting trip to view an eclipse from Fort Knox at taxpayer expense was exponentially more annoying because his wife hitched a ride. Elaine Chao would be front-page public corruption news in any moment other than this, for having brazenly directed resources overseen by her office, the Department of Transportation, to the state in which her husband, Mitch McConnell, holds office (perhaps this one isn’t making a bigger splash only because McConnell’s shamelessness knows no bounds). And then there’s the unfortunate news that Yale Law School’s Amy Chua, who insisted that Brett Kavanaugh will be great for feminism because he has been great to her daughter, has now secured for her daughter the selfsame clerkship for which this transaction was crafted."
"Even in these tortured times, it is worth devoting a small sliver of outrage to the fact that Jared Kushner—whose only qualification to senior-advise the president on policy is that he is married to the president’s daughter—seems to have taken, per the Guardian, $90 million in foreign funding since 2017 from an “opaque offshore vehicle.” This influx comes via a stake he kept in a real estate company after assuming his government post, and given that the cash has come in via the Cayman Islands (via Goldman Sachs), we have no idea who is actually enriching this public official who is meant to be working for us. Wherever that lovely money is coming from, we would also do well to remember that Kushner was initially refused a security clearance by career White House staff vetting him for precisely these reasons. But never mind. We are meant to feel only gratitude to the unqualified family members who step in to serve. He has surely accomplished many, many things from his high perch, things that not one person alive can yet name. Somehow nepotism seems to rankle more than grift alone. Steve Mnuchin’s jet-setting trip to view an eclipse from Fort Knox at taxpayer expense was exponentially more annoying because his wife hitched a ride. Elaine Chao would be front-page public corruption news in any moment other than this, for having brazenly directed resources overseen by her office, the Department of Transportation, to the state in which her husband, Mitch McConnell, holds office (perhaps this one isn’t making a bigger splash only because McConnell’s shamelessness knows no bounds). And then there’s the unfortunate news that Yale Law School’s Amy Chua, who insisted that Brett Kavanaugh will be great for feminism because he has been great to her daughter, has now secured for her daughter the selfsame clerkship for which this transaction was crafted."
Asked about Russian interference, Kushner offers discouraging answer
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/asked-about-russian-interference-kushner-offers-discouraging-answer?fbclid=IwAR3VrKaJETTogYhqqCegRhnqnf-qOS1EFhYr7WZhMZJxIvYDvxCmqXuz_Kc
"Kushner did, after all, receive an email with a subject line that read, “FW: Russia - Clinton - private and confidential.” He nevertheless spent the next minute downplaying the significance of the email and the infamous Trump Tower meeting he attended with Russian emissaries. He complained about how busy he was at the time (“Let me put you in my shoes at that time. OK, I’m running three companies, I’m helping run the campaign….”) and the about attitudes of “self-righteous” people who’ve played “Monday morning quarterback.” It led to an important follow-up question: would Kushner call the FBI if Russia again offered assistance to the Trump campaign? “I don’t know,” Kushner replied. “It’s hard to do hypotheticals.” That’s certainly one way to look at it. Alternatively, it’s very easy to do hypotheticals when someone asks you how you’d respond to a foreign adversary offering illegal campaign assistance – for the second time."
"Kushner did, after all, receive an email with a subject line that read, “FW: Russia - Clinton - private and confidential.” He nevertheless spent the next minute downplaying the significance of the email and the infamous Trump Tower meeting he attended with Russian emissaries. He complained about how busy he was at the time (“Let me put you in my shoes at that time. OK, I’m running three companies, I’m helping run the campaign….”) and the about attitudes of “self-righteous” people who’ve played “Monday morning quarterback.” It led to an important follow-up question: would Kushner call the FBI if Russia again offered assistance to the Trump campaign? “I don’t know,” Kushner replied. “It’s hard to do hypotheticals.” That’s certainly one way to look at it. Alternatively, it’s very easy to do hypotheticals when someone asks you how you’d respond to a foreign adversary offering illegal campaign assistance – for the second time."
Jared, Call the FBI
https://www.lawfareblog.com/jared-call-fbi?fbclid=IwAR0KaMqY7YXTLKKpZOX9qHU_yTmbaEgg7DOKfyp3sXb84z2NWuhninPBFO8
"In a remarkable interview with Axios on HBO, Jared Kushner, a senior adviser in the White House (and, coincidentally, the president's son-in-law), made a number of notable statements. Among them is his ambivalence regarding how he might handle a Russian approach (akin to the infamous Trump Tower meeting) if it were to happen again. Asked if he would call the FBI in similar circumstances, Kushner responded: "I don't know. It's hard to do hypotheticals, but the reality is is that we were not given anything that was salacious." Let's be clear—that's the wrong answer. I will limit this discussion to legal obligations; the moral failings are self-evident. Even if Kushner had no legal obligation to report the Russian contacts in 2016 when he was a private citizen, he no longer is. At the direction of the president, he now holds a top-secret (TS) clearance. And with that clearance comes a legal obligation to notify relevant authorities in the FBI and White House regarding suspicious foreign contacts."
"In a remarkable interview with Axios on HBO, Jared Kushner, a senior adviser in the White House (and, coincidentally, the president's son-in-law), made a number of notable statements. Among them is his ambivalence regarding how he might handle a Russian approach (akin to the infamous Trump Tower meeting) if it were to happen again. Asked if he would call the FBI in similar circumstances, Kushner responded: "I don't know. It's hard to do hypotheticals, but the reality is is that we were not given anything that was salacious." Let's be clear—that's the wrong answer. I will limit this discussion to legal obligations; the moral failings are self-evident. Even if Kushner had no legal obligation to report the Russian contacts in 2016 when he was a private citizen, he no longer is. At the direction of the president, he now holds a top-secret (TS) clearance. And with that clearance comes a legal obligation to notify relevant authorities in the FBI and White House regarding suspicious foreign contacts."
Sunday, July 7, 2019
Fox News Reports: William Barr 'Emphatically' Lied To Congress
https://crooksandliars.com/2019/05/fox-news-reports-william-barr-emphatically?fbclid=IwAR2KJ7lucf7hRQb_siNZZdOJfPZfhL2CByoajSHzOTDbEa7fUe9pAAwQLBw
"Robert Mueller's eight-minute statement to the press proved that Trump's newly minted and handpicked attorney general William Barr lied under oath to Congress."
"Robert Mueller's eight-minute statement to the press proved that Trump's newly minted and handpicked attorney general William Barr lied under oath to Congress."
John Dean: Mueller Report Is To Trump What Watergate Report Was To Nixon
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/john-dean-testimony-trump-mueller-report_n_5cfea16ee4b02ee3477b2e7d?fbclid=IwAR3SZxDJAuLHzCkpz4FakKPLTcys4OKSnCG1bqLuSauB41qKRGa5fXgWSdE
"He testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Monday, saying that special counsel Robert Mueller’s report ― which outlines 10 instances of potential obstruction of justice by the president ― is to Trump what the Watergate grand jury report was to Nixon. “In many ways the Mueller report is to President Trump what the so-called ‘Watergate road map’... was to President Richard Nixon,” Dean said. “Mueller has provided this committee with a road map"."
"He testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Monday, saying that special counsel Robert Mueller’s report ― which outlines 10 instances of potential obstruction of justice by the president ― is to Trump what the Watergate grand jury report was to Nixon. “In many ways the Mueller report is to President Trump what the so-called ‘Watergate road map’... was to President Richard Nixon,” Dean said. “Mueller has provided this committee with a road map"."
Amash’s primary rival hasn’t read the Mueller report, either
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/amashs-primary-rival-hasnt-read-the-mueller-report-either?fbclid=IwAR1Ztaj-xqZkwsoovF0kx34jibf1a6dnIUFmvbAwYIOiVuOJ4A-pMFHbqsk
"The Republican state representative hasn’t read the Mueller report, but he’s confident that Trump’s partisan allies must be right about the document’s findings. That’s problematic, of course, not just because it’s evidence of laziness, but also because some of the White House’s allied Republicans – the ones Amash’s rival is counting on to assess the document for him – haven’t read the Mueller report, either. Indeed, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) recently conceded during a congressional hearing that he hadn’t gotten around to reading the report, despite his official responsibilities. Donald Trump, who’s never expressed much of an interest in the written word, also conceded last month that he hadn’t read the Mueller report, either. Now state Rep. Jim Lower wants to run against Justin Amash in a GOP primary because of Amash’s assessment of the Mueller report, which Lower is certain is wrong, despite not having read the document himself."
"The Republican state representative hasn’t read the Mueller report, but he’s confident that Trump’s partisan allies must be right about the document’s findings. That’s problematic, of course, not just because it’s evidence of laziness, but also because some of the White House’s allied Republicans – the ones Amash’s rival is counting on to assess the document for him – haven’t read the Mueller report, either. Indeed, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) recently conceded during a congressional hearing that he hadn’t gotten around to reading the report, despite his official responsibilities. Donald Trump, who’s never expressed much of an interest in the written word, also conceded last month that he hadn’t read the Mueller report, either. Now state Rep. Jim Lower wants to run against Justin Amash in a GOP primary because of Amash’s assessment of the Mueller report, which Lower is certain is wrong, despite not having read the document himself."
Stepping down, Mueller delivers a message Trump didn’t want to hear
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/stepping-down-mueller-delivers-message-trump-didnt-want-hear?fbclid=IwAR1Gi8cICTLhq6T5y7QsrKLDB3aYhLeqo6jc8WvIA1Lp66q-xRNrmRzahIw
"More important, though, is the fact that Mueller specifically framed the evidence in a way that told us exactly what he considers important. And in this case, what Mueller considers important is the fact that Russia attacked our elections; obstruction of justice is a serious crime; Trump hasn’t been cleared; and Trump wasn’t indicted because he can’t be indicted while in office."
"More important, though, is the fact that Mueller specifically framed the evidence in a way that told us exactly what he considers important. And in this case, what Mueller considers important is the fact that Russia attacked our elections; obstruction of justice is a serious crime; Trump hasn’t been cleared; and Trump wasn’t indicted because he can’t be indicted while in office."
Robert Mueller Wishes You’d Read His Report
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/robert-mueller-sticking-facts/590494/?fbclid=IwAR0RD8uvoXY13SWFIMFQDmZqVJ-cddtoiERtmLZJQZDO0l8RTzUntXUWJgU
"First, Mueller was adamant that his team had not exonerated the president of obstruction of justice. “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,” he said rather sternly. Mueller also implicitly rebuked those who dismiss obstruction as a mere “process crime” unworthy of attention, saying that it “strikes at the core of the government’s effort to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable.” If he hoped this notion would take root in the Trump administration, it was in vain; Trump immediately claimed that Mueller found insufficient evidence of obstruction. Second, Mueller seemed concerned that Americans have focused on what Trump did rather than on what Russia did. He described his conclusions about overt Russian interference in the 2016 elections, and closed by repeating that “there were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election and that allegation deserves the attention of every American.” Mueller’s frustration is justified: Russia’s aggressive misconduct seems to have been lost in the shuffle."
"First, Mueller was adamant that his team had not exonerated the president of obstruction of justice. “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,” he said rather sternly. Mueller also implicitly rebuked those who dismiss obstruction as a mere “process crime” unworthy of attention, saying that it “strikes at the core of the government’s effort to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable.” If he hoped this notion would take root in the Trump administration, it was in vain; Trump immediately claimed that Mueller found insufficient evidence of obstruction. Second, Mueller seemed concerned that Americans have focused on what Trump did rather than on what Russia did. He described his conclusions about overt Russian interference in the 2016 elections, and closed by repeating that “there were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election and that allegation deserves the attention of every American.” Mueller’s frustration is justified: Russia’s aggressive misconduct seems to have been lost in the shuffle."
Robert Mueller Just Told Congress to Do Its Damn Job
https://www.thenation.com/article/robert-mueller-congress-impeachment/?fbclid=IwAR2rc9hlrQ-r4gp1adQ3k2ig47s3wMC_3vVV__LGvRkkYETqeLSz56zryyk
"Mueller came as close as possible to saying that he would have indicted Trump for obstruction of justice, if Justice Department policy allowed him to do so. “Charging the president with a crime was not an option we could consider,” he said. But then he delivered the most important information in his 10-minute statement: “If we had confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. We did not.” Respected intelligence analyst Marcy Wheeler tweeted immediately: “Shorter Mueller: That was an impeachment referral, damnit, now act on it"."
"Mueller came as close as possible to saying that he would have indicted Trump for obstruction of justice, if Justice Department policy allowed him to do so. “Charging the president with a crime was not an option we could consider,” he said. But then he delivered the most important information in his 10-minute statement: “If we had confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. We did not.” Respected intelligence analyst Marcy Wheeler tweeted immediately: “Shorter Mueller: That was an impeachment referral, damnit, now act on it"."
Trump's "no collusion" lie is finally falling apart — but will Americans actually notice?
https://www.salon.com/2019/06/18/trumps-no-collusion-lie-is-finally-falling-apart-but-will-americans-actually-notice/?fbclid=IwAR3YfJa6G1oOcHny_rZXG8E0oH8RIefVnYCM88vli4kdNVsX6ZtQpcouPZU
"Mueller added that Trump campaign officials lied to investigators, which “impaired the investigation of Russian election interference.” The lies and the cover-up, drawn from mob tactics, flummoxed Mueller’s work. On page 9, Mueller also writes that “the investigation identified numerous links between individuals with ties to the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump Campaign.” These “links” are roughly more than 100 clandestine meetings between Trump officials and Russians listed and described in Mueller’s report — meetings nearly all of these officials repeatedly lied about. Despite these findings in the report, when asked whether the meetings took place, Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News Sunday, “Of course not. Why would there be any contacts between the campaign?” Whoops. Throughout 2017 and 2018, as we devoured bombshell after bombshell about these meetings, most of us defined what we observed as the non-legal term “collusion.” In fact, it’s a fairly reasonable semantic jump from “links” to “collusion,” especially when we factor in Mueller’s reporting on Paul Manafort’s meetings with reputed former Russian GRU agent Konstantin Kilimnik, during which the men discussed everything from influencing the president to backstop Putin on Ukraine, to delivering proprietary internal polling data on “battleground states” Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin to Kilimnik — the latter being one of the most shocking items in the report, given that those three states tipped the Electoral College in Trump's favor. Again, there are more than 100 documented episodes of campaign officials (mob-style “buffers”) and Russian operatives participating in secret discussions, during which the Trumpers and Russians remained vague and opaque enough for plausible deniability. Many of the most recognizable Trump-affiliated participants serially lied about the meetings, in some cases to the FBI and other cases on federal disclosure forms."
"Mueller added that Trump campaign officials lied to investigators, which “impaired the investigation of Russian election interference.” The lies and the cover-up, drawn from mob tactics, flummoxed Mueller’s work. On page 9, Mueller also writes that “the investigation identified numerous links between individuals with ties to the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump Campaign.” These “links” are roughly more than 100 clandestine meetings between Trump officials and Russians listed and described in Mueller’s report — meetings nearly all of these officials repeatedly lied about. Despite these findings in the report, when asked whether the meetings took place, Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News Sunday, “Of course not. Why would there be any contacts between the campaign?” Whoops. Throughout 2017 and 2018, as we devoured bombshell after bombshell about these meetings, most of us defined what we observed as the non-legal term “collusion.” In fact, it’s a fairly reasonable semantic jump from “links” to “collusion,” especially when we factor in Mueller’s reporting on Paul Manafort’s meetings with reputed former Russian GRU agent Konstantin Kilimnik, during which the men discussed everything from influencing the president to backstop Putin on Ukraine, to delivering proprietary internal polling data on “battleground states” Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin to Kilimnik — the latter being one of the most shocking items in the report, given that those three states tipped the Electoral College in Trump's favor. Again, there are more than 100 documented episodes of campaign officials (mob-style “buffers”) and Russian operatives participating in secret discussions, during which the Trumpers and Russians remained vague and opaque enough for plausible deniability. Many of the most recognizable Trump-affiliated participants serially lied about the meetings, in some cases to the FBI and other cases on federal disclosure forms."
Shorter Mueller: Just Impeach This Guy Already
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/05/robert-mueller-statement?fbclid=IwAR0YoKdx7DkGO6jj8RrrkqKhuyzQcHEL-tVxmODq4ZmxlftPkWw5E7OeM14
"Addressing reporters, Mueller effectively objected to the Attorney General’s description of his findings, specifically Barr’s characterization of the report as exonerating Trump on obstruction. “If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state,” Mueller said Wednesday. “Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment.” In other words, it’s very possible Trump committed a crime. Mueller went on to note that it was the Justice Department’s legal guidance, which prohibits the indictment of a sitting president, that prevented him from accusing Trump as such. He went on to shame the president, though not by name, noting that “When a subject of an investigation obstructs that investigation or lies to investigators, it strikes at the core of their government’s effort to find the the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable.” Perhaps most important, Mueller suggested that if Trump is to be held to account, it must be Congress that takes up the case. “The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing,” he said. In other words: Congress, do your job and impeach."
"Addressing reporters, Mueller effectively objected to the Attorney General’s description of his findings, specifically Barr’s characterization of the report as exonerating Trump on obstruction. “If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state,” Mueller said Wednesday. “Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment.” In other words, it’s very possible Trump committed a crime. Mueller went on to note that it was the Justice Department’s legal guidance, which prohibits the indictment of a sitting president, that prevented him from accusing Trump as such. He went on to shame the president, though not by name, noting that “When a subject of an investigation obstructs that investigation or lies to investigators, it strikes at the core of their government’s effort to find the the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable.” Perhaps most important, Mueller suggested that if Trump is to be held to account, it must be Congress that takes up the case. “The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing,” he said. In other words: Congress, do your job and impeach."
Trump Declares “Case Is Closed” on Russia Investigation. Mueller Just Hinted at the Exact Opposite.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/trump-declares-case-is-closed-on-russia-investigation-mueller-just-hinted-at-the-exact-opposite/?fbclid=IwAR2T4fCnjH2Ut00pHjn4hA4XjuyBpg-KFw992wW1RA6aLCBuTyMcrCMBm9g
"Trump incorrectly claimed that the Mueller report lacked enough evidence to result in criminal charges—an assertion that appeared to directly contradict the remarks Mueller had given moments earlier. In his statement, Mueller specifically referred to the Justice Department’s longstanding policy that protects sitting presidents from being indicted on federal charges, and not any lack of evidence, as the governing reason for why the investigation did not lead to charges against Trump. Mueller repeated a central line from the special counsel’s report that if investigators had had “confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.” The statement, Mueller’s first public remarks in more than two years, rebutted Trump’s persistent claims that the Mueller report was a clear acquittal of his actions and of allegations that he had attempted to obstruct the Russia investigation."
"Trump incorrectly claimed that the Mueller report lacked enough evidence to result in criminal charges—an assertion that appeared to directly contradict the remarks Mueller had given moments earlier. In his statement, Mueller specifically referred to the Justice Department’s longstanding policy that protects sitting presidents from being indicted on federal charges, and not any lack of evidence, as the governing reason for why the investigation did not lead to charges against Trump. Mueller repeated a central line from the special counsel’s report that if investigators had had “confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.” The statement, Mueller’s first public remarks in more than two years, rebutted Trump’s persistent claims that the Mueller report was a clear acquittal of his actions and of allegations that he had attempted to obstruct the Russia investigation."
McConnell Is Blocking Any Plan to Prevent a Russian Election Attack in 2020
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/06/mcconnell-blocking-plans-to-prevent-russian-election-attack.html?fbclid=IwAR1Oy-n_IgPjsxRolEBCSV8qMIUk76IZVKVcBQw6Rz_5a5qTByt54lQrj9I
"There actually are a lot of bills to safeguard the 2020 elections from the next Russian attack. Mitch McConnell is blocking all of them."
"There actually are a lot of bills to safeguard the 2020 elections from the next Russian attack. Mitch McConnell is blocking all of them."
McConnell’s Wife Gave Him a Special Reelection Present: $78 Million in Federal Funding
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/06/mitch-mcconnell-elaine-chao-kentucky?fbclid=IwAR3AjN3xk507Ym1PwdpGq5UH_g1x_InGbV-SunWVct2NDPu1mNFCVbc-wCs
"Last month, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stonewalled a plan to fix the nation‘s roads, bridges, mass transit, and other crumbling infrastructure, despite the urgency of the issue and the outline of the deal receiving rare support from both Democrats and the White House. But, as it turns out, McConnell isn’t opposed to all infrastructure spending. In fact, he’s quite open to it when it‘s flowing specifically to towns in his home state, thanks to a special arrangement with the Transportation Department set up by his Cabinet secretary wife. Politico reports that Elaine Chao, spouse of Mitch, “designated a special liaison to help with grant applications and other priorities from her husband Mitch McConnell’s state of Kentucky, paving the way for grants totaling at least $78 million for favored projects as McConnell prepared to campaign for reelection.” That liaison, Chao’s current chief of staff, Todd Inman, wrote in an email to McConnell’s office that Chao had “personally asked him to serve as an intermediary”—a benefit bestowed on no other state—and that he should be contacted if there were any “Ky-specific issue[s]” that should be flagged for the secretary’s attention."
"Last month, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stonewalled a plan to fix the nation‘s roads, bridges, mass transit, and other crumbling infrastructure, despite the urgency of the issue and the outline of the deal receiving rare support from both Democrats and the White House. But, as it turns out, McConnell isn’t opposed to all infrastructure spending. In fact, he’s quite open to it when it‘s flowing specifically to towns in his home state, thanks to a special arrangement with the Transportation Department set up by his Cabinet secretary wife. Politico reports that Elaine Chao, spouse of Mitch, “designated a special liaison to help with grant applications and other priorities from her husband Mitch McConnell’s state of Kentucky, paving the way for grants totaling at least $78 million for favored projects as McConnell prepared to campaign for reelection.” That liaison, Chao’s current chief of staff, Todd Inman, wrote in an email to McConnell’s office that Chao had “personally asked him to serve as an intermediary”—a benefit bestowed on no other state—and that he should be contacted if there were any “Ky-specific issue[s]” that should be flagged for the secretary’s attention."
The Sack Of Washington
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/epa-trump-pollution-science_n_5d163910e4b082e5536893ee?fbclid=IwAR1L614Nbrq0i77iBuaHi1dZdmCKEbrC2cAxiAcn_xh4bnFesSg9YdUShw4
"While Donald Trump mouthed populist, blue-collar bombast on the campaign trail, once sworn into office, he immediately put old-school commerce chiefs in position to run his empire. For the last two years, these corporate warriors have been chiseling through the barricade of laws, safety rules, and common-sense agreements that protect us from marauding commercial interests. Reader, beware. Barbarians have entered the city. Washington has been sacked! Journalists have rarely captured the perversity of Trump’s willing soldiers. In February, the Los Angeles Times offered a glimpse as it spotlighted Ed Calabrese, a professor of toxicology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst whose work tobacco and other poison-producers have long touted. Calabrese is now helping Trump appointees rewrite public policy to claim that pollution is good for us. Stop and ponder that for a moment: Pollution is good for us."
"While Donald Trump mouthed populist, blue-collar bombast on the campaign trail, once sworn into office, he immediately put old-school commerce chiefs in position to run his empire. For the last two years, these corporate warriors have been chiseling through the barricade of laws, safety rules, and common-sense agreements that protect us from marauding commercial interests. Reader, beware. Barbarians have entered the city. Washington has been sacked! Journalists have rarely captured the perversity of Trump’s willing soldiers. In February, the Los Angeles Times offered a glimpse as it spotlighted Ed Calabrese, a professor of toxicology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst whose work tobacco and other poison-producers have long touted. Calabrese is now helping Trump appointees rewrite public policy to claim that pollution is good for us. Stop and ponder that for a moment: Pollution is good for us."
New Election Security Bills Face a One-Man Roadblock: Mitch McConnell
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/us/politics/election-security-mitch-mcconnell.html?login=smartlock&auth=login-smartlock&fbclid=IwAR0syG5iWYTa66JJnHKeZ2HHdUhrtnhaKhW9Yq-FSNQILrQgpOeQMcdIk1w
"A raft of legislation intended to better secure United States election systems after what the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, called a “sweeping and systematic” Russian attack in 2016 is running into a one-man roadblock in the form of the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky."
"A raft of legislation intended to better secure United States election systems after what the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, called a “sweeping and systematic” Russian attack in 2016 is running into a one-man roadblock in the form of the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky."
Mitch 'The Grim Reaper' McConnell: Meet the Man Who Ruined the Senate
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/06/26/mitch-grim-reaper-mcconnell-meet-man-who-ruined-senate?fbclid=IwAR3abPEm02g8R_YyNmYLlr79vaSH7Stw8kV7GYsajdhw5GFBCVBrbT0RymU
"Senator McConnell built his Senate career and his rise to power on political money — opposing any and all efforts to curb political influence-money while raising massive amounts of campaign funds. During the 1990s, McConnell became his party’s most prolific fundraiser for Senate races. (He remains so today.) This combination of roles placed McConnell on the fast track into the Republican leadership. In 2003, he became Senate Majority Whip. In 2007, he became Senate Minority Leader. And in 2015, he attained the pinnacle of Senate power, becoming Senate Majority Leader. As Senate Minority Leader, McConnell’s use of the filibuster to obstruct Senate action hit full stride during President Obama’s first term. According to The Atlantic, “In 2009, there were a record 67 filibusters in the first half of the 111th Congress — double the number that occurred in the entire 20-year period between 1950 and 1969.” By the time Congress adjourned in December 2010, “the number of filibusters had swelled to 137 for the entire two-year term of the 111th Congress.” According to The Atlantic, during the 111th Congress, “over 400 bills that had been passed by the House of Representatives — many with broad bipartisan support — died in the Senate without ever having been debated or voted on because of the inability to obtain the 60 votes required by Rule XXII.” McConnell turned what in earlier decades had been a little used super majority requirement to end a filibuster into the operating rule for the Senate. A study by the Congressional Research Service in 2013 found that of the 168 cloture motions that had been filed on presidential nominations in all of American history, 82 of them, almost half, were undertaken by McConnell during the Obama presidency. As Majority Leader, McConnell has continued his decades of obstructionism, using his scheduling powers instead of the filibuster rules."
"Senator McConnell built his Senate career and his rise to power on political money — opposing any and all efforts to curb political influence-money while raising massive amounts of campaign funds. During the 1990s, McConnell became his party’s most prolific fundraiser for Senate races. (He remains so today.) This combination of roles placed McConnell on the fast track into the Republican leadership. In 2003, he became Senate Majority Whip. In 2007, he became Senate Minority Leader. And in 2015, he attained the pinnacle of Senate power, becoming Senate Majority Leader. As Senate Minority Leader, McConnell’s use of the filibuster to obstruct Senate action hit full stride during President Obama’s first term. According to The Atlantic, “In 2009, there were a record 67 filibusters in the first half of the 111th Congress — double the number that occurred in the entire 20-year period between 1950 and 1969.” By the time Congress adjourned in December 2010, “the number of filibusters had swelled to 137 for the entire two-year term of the 111th Congress.” According to The Atlantic, during the 111th Congress, “over 400 bills that had been passed by the House of Representatives — many with broad bipartisan support — died in the Senate without ever having been debated or voted on because of the inability to obtain the 60 votes required by Rule XXII.” McConnell turned what in earlier decades had been a little used super majority requirement to end a filibuster into the operating rule for the Senate. A study by the Congressional Research Service in 2013 found that of the 168 cloture motions that had been filed on presidential nominations in all of American history, 82 of them, almost half, were undertaken by McConnell during the Obama presidency. As Majority Leader, McConnell has continued his decades of obstructionism, using his scheduling powers instead of the filibuster rules."
Mitch McConnell making sure that Russia is welcome to screw with the 2020 election
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/6/12/1864253/-Mitch-McConnell-making-sure-that-Russia-is-welcome-to-screw-with-the-2020-election?fbclid=IwAR0X3j05kb263xm5DjGealQRGLMX1rwyItbvk_194_Pq915FCfZ9-avJuoY
"Back in May, Mitch McConnell passed a milestone: over 100 pieces of legislation that were passed by the Democratic-controlled House have been halted by the Senate majority leader before they ever got a vote. McConnell bragged about turning the Senate into a legislative cemetery, and he’s being a good crypt-keeper by making sure that even the most critical bills are dead on arrival. That includes sorely needed legislation that would provide election security for 2020. As The New York Times reports, McConnell is blocking any vote on a bill that would provide funds to secure state and local election facilities against exactly the sort of attack that Russia carried out successfully in 2016."
"Back in May, Mitch McConnell passed a milestone: over 100 pieces of legislation that were passed by the Democratic-controlled House have been halted by the Senate majority leader before they ever got a vote. McConnell bragged about turning the Senate into a legislative cemetery, and he’s being a good crypt-keeper by making sure that even the most critical bills are dead on arrival. That includes sorely needed legislation that would provide election security for 2020. As The New York Times reports, McConnell is blocking any vote on a bill that would provide funds to secure state and local election facilities against exactly the sort of attack that Russia carried out successfully in 2016."
Opinion | Mitch McConnell, Too, Welcomes Russian Interference
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/opinion/mitch-mcconnell-russian-interference.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage&fbclid=IwAR14jGgW68K-cjsry60z6vJoOzdaicX42oWISvlqjLzDAkIx05A3CO03dRo
"McConnell refuses to consider any legislation on election security during this congressional term."
"McConnell refuses to consider any legislation on election security during this congressional term."
Europe Built a System to Fight Russian Meddling. It’s Struggling.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/06/world/europe/europe-russian-disinformation-propaganda-elections.html?action=click&module=Top+Stories&pgtype=Homepage&fbclid=IwAR0XS66tnUx1cfcjM-qEu47jVm0qFocC8WVoKN0lyAlevgdYeA_bGAQhKgs
"Europe’s early struggles offer lessons for other nations, including the United States, where intelligence officials expect Russia to try to interfere in next year’s presidential election. In many ways, the European Union has been more aggressive than Washington in demanding changes from social media companies and seeking novel ways to fight disinformation."
"Europe’s early struggles offer lessons for other nations, including the United States, where intelligence officials expect Russia to try to interfere in next year’s presidential election. In many ways, the European Union has been more aggressive than Washington in demanding changes from social media companies and seeking novel ways to fight disinformation."
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