Month: August 2019

In case you missed it, the DOJ Inspector General’s report on Comey’s memos released today, and in typical DC fashion, it’s being cherrypicked by literally everyone to meet their respective agendas.

How We Got Here:

To put this in context, it’s important to understand the time period we’re talking about. Pretend for a moment that you’re James Comey on January 6, 2017. That would have put you at Trump Tower in Manhattan, and it would make you one of a few people in the entire country that knew the President-elect and/or his closest associates were under investigation. You just had a totally bonkers meeting with the man who will be the President of the United States in a few short weeks, part of which involved informing him that the Russian government might be planning to blackmail him with videotapes of Russian hookers peeing on his bed in Moscow. The conversation is off-the-wall enough that you want to make sure you remember it, so you create a memo immediately upon returning to your vehicle.

Then, shortly after inauguration, you have dinner with the President. He reminds you that he was definitely not, under any circumstances, involved with any hookers in Moscow. Buuuuut, just in case he’s misremembering, he might ask you to investigate it to disprove the allegations… you know, for Melania’s peace of mind. Yeah, that’s it. For Melania. Oh, and then he tells you that he expects loyalty from the people who work for him, because he has no idea that your real duty is to The Constitution and to the American people.

Then, in February, Trump tells you that Putin told him that Russia had the most beautiful hookers in the world, but reminded you that he (Trump) would know *nothing* about that. Then he fires Michael Flynn, after two weeks of knowing that he was a serious risk for blackmail – for both himself and his administration, including the Vice President – because he had been lying to the American people since before the inauguration. The next day, Trump clears the Oval Office and asks you to “let Flynn go.”

There are more phone calls, more Trump asking you to “lift the cloud” and tell the American people that he wasn’t under investigation. Then, you get fired.

So, what’s in the IG report?

The IG report starts off by highlighting the fact that there were a total of 7 memos created by Comey that were directly related to Trump. All quotes below can be found in the full IG Report:

“Comey, who had original classification authority as FBI Director, marked a small amount of information in Memo 1 as classified at the time that he wrote it. Comey also believed that Memo 3 contained classified information when he wrote it, but did not mark the document as classified. Comey kept signed originals of Memos 2, 4, 6, and 7 in a personal safe in his home and, following his May 2017 removal as FBI Director, provided his personal attorneys with copies of Memos 2, 4, and 6, and a redacted version of Memo 7; Comey never took copies of Memos 1, 3, and 5 to his home, and never shared these Memos with anyone outside the FBI.“

So, the three memos that Comey deemed to contain classified information, he never took outside the bureau OR shared with anyone. Let’s continue.

“In June 2017, following Comey’s removal as FBI Director, the FBI reviewed the Memos to determine if any of the Memos contained classified information. The FBI determined that Memos 1 and 3 contained information classified at the “SECRET” level, and that Memos 2 and 7 contained small amounts of information classified at the “CONFIDENTIAL” level. The FBI designated Memos 4, 5, and 6 as unclassified, “For Official Use Only.”

FOUO is not *really* a classification, but still shouldn’t be disseminated outside the appropriate channels. Comey, for his part, was unaware of the new classification review of the memos after his departure, prior to him receiving them back for his Congressional testimony on June 7th. Their decision to not seek prosecution is probably heavily based on this; it’s kind of hard to prosecute someone for something that was changed retroactively.

It looks as if Comey did a good job not taking or sharing memos 1 and 3, because those contained information classified at the “SECRET” level.

Quick note on classification:

“Confidential” is the lowest level of classification for matters of national interest. The release of confidential information “could” damage national security. “Secret” is next, and carries the potential for “serious damage” to national security if released. “Top Secret” is the highest clearance most people hear about. Information at the top secret level has the potential to cause “grave damage” to national security if released inappropriately. There’s also SCI or “secure compartmented information” also known as “code word intelligence.” SCI is generally the most highly-guarded information in our possession. When you hear about someone being “read in” to something on movies, or in the media, this is usually what they’re talking about. This is the kind of stuff you go to jail for a long long time for sharing, unless of course you’re the President of the United States and bragging to Russians in the Oval Office.

Back to the IG Report

“On May 14, 2017, Comey used his personal scanner and private email account to provide electronic copies of Memos 2, 4, 6, and 7 to one of his personal attorneys. Three days later, on May 17, that attorney provided, via a personal email account, copies of these four Memos to two other attorneys, who were also part of Comey’s legal team. Of the Memos Comey shared with his attorneys, Memo 2 contained six words that the FBI determined in June 2017 to be classified at the “CONFIDENTIAL” level;3 Memos 4 and 6 contained information that the FBI determined in June 2017 to be “For Official Use Only,” but did not contain classified information; and Memo 7 was redacted by Comey before transmission, which obscured the information in Memo 7 that the FBI determined in June 2017 to be classified. Comey did not seek authorization from the FBI before providing Memos 2, 4, 6, and 7 to his attorneys.”

“On May 16, 2017, Comey provided a separate copy of Memo 4 to Richman, who was one of Comey’s attorneys and also a close personal friend. Richman also had served as a Special Government Employee at the FBI during a portion of the time that Comey was FBI Director. Comey sent photographs of both pages of Memo 4 to Richman via text message from Comey’s personal cell phone. Comey instructed Richman to share the contents of Memo 4, but not the Memo itself, with a specific reporter for The New York Times. Comey did not seek FBI authorization before providing the contents of Memo 4, through Richman, to a reporter. As noted above, the FBI later marked Memo 4 “For Official Use Only” and determined that it did not contain classified information. We found no evidence that Comey or his attorneys released any of the classified information contained in any of the Memos to members of the media.“

If you read the footnotes on the page that offers the above information, you’ll see that four of the six words that the FBI is calling “confidential” were the names of countries. The argument from the IG is that they should have been marked CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN, which means they could have had an impact on foreign relations. The rest of the IG quibbles appear to be with two words that aren’t mentioned. If that seems extraordinarily picky to you, welcome to the club.

They do, however, admit that Comey appropriately classified and/or redacted everything else.

Conclusions

The IG faulted Comey for several of his actions that were taken during his 5 months in the Trump administration. Some of it was justified, and some of it was, frankly, bureaucratic BS.

The classification process is – and always has been – exceedingly onerous. As the FBI Director, Comey had original classification authority. Retroactively second-guessing the decisions he made and finding *six* words that should have been classified is extraordinarily petty on the part of the IG.

The IG’s primary argument is that “Comey had several other lawful options available to him to advocate for the appointment of a Special Counsel, which he told us was his goal in making the disclosure. What was not permitted was the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive investigative information, obtained during the course of FBI employment, in order to achieve a personally desired outcome.”

That’s a bunch of crap. I saw it explained on Twitter really well earlier, so I’m going to borrow it (with attribution, of course):

Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller): The IG has basically faulted Comey for speeding on his way to tell the village that a fire was coming. Such a narrowly-scoped view of the world.

Pretty much.

To be fair, Comey did break policy by keeping 4 of the memos. They were compiled during the course of his official duties, so they were by definition FBI property. He should have, at the very least, notified the FBI that he still had them – and we should all be glad that he didn’t: without Comey skirting DOJ regulations here, we wouldn’t have gotten a special counsel, and the country wouldn’t understand the depths to which this administration has gone in an attempt to hide their perfidy.

Comey took steps to ensure that the information didn’t fall into the wrong hands. I’ve seen Republicans comparing him Snowden, and that’s absolutely asinine. He didn’t release *any* memos that contained classified information, and he only shared his memos with his attorneys and with a personal friend who had previously worked for the FBI, and therefore had the appropriate clearance to view them even if they *were* classified.

Regulations absolutely exist for a reason, but they are also able to be broken in extreme circumstances. If the President of the United States potentially being a Russian asset doesn’t qualify as an extreme circumstance, I don’t know what does.

GSA official had sex with White House staffer on roof of agency HQ

<Insert Blinking Guy Gif>

“A former top-ranking General Services Administration manager admitted to having sex on the roof of the agency’s headquarters building and drinking alcohol in the office, according to an inspector general report made public this week.

Brennan Hart, a former associate administrator and acting chief of staff at the GSA, admitted to GSA Inspector General investigators that in the summer of 2017, he had sexual relations with an official from the White House on the roof of the building.

Hart said he made the unidentified White House staffer and himself drinks with vodka he kept in his office and they had sexual activity that began in administrative suite area and ended with oral sex on the rooftop of the building. The name of the White House staffer was redacted in the report released by the GSA. Hart also acknowledged drinking alcohol in the building, but only after business hours.

Investigators attempted to interview the White House staffer but they declined to be interviewed, saying any such interview would need to be approved by the White House counsel, according to the report. The staffer never contacted the agents to follow up, the report states.” via CNN

Yep. I don’t really have anything to add here.

Trump court pick denounced feminism, gay rights groups, and diversity efforts.

“A White House aide nominated by President Donald Trump for a federal appeals court seat has a history of denouncing women’s marches against sexual assault, dismissing education about multicultural awareness and accusing a major LGBTQ group of exploiting the brutal murder of a gay student for political ends.

Steven Menashi, a Stanford-trained lawyer who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, wrote dozens of editorials and blog posts in the late 1990s and early 2000s for a number of college and professional publications decrying “leftist multiculturalism” and “PC orthodoxy.” He complained about “gynocentrists,” wrote that the Human Rights Campaign “incessantly exploited the slaying of Matthew Shepard for both financial and political benefit” and argued that a Dartmouth fraternity that held a “ghetto party” wasn’t being racist.

He attacked academic multiculturalism as “thoroughly bankrupt” and, in 2002, defended then-Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi amid a worldwide controversy over comments asserting the superiority of Western civilization over Islamic culture — for which Berlusconi himself ultimately apologized.” via CNN

Only the best people, right? Trump has had some pretty deplorable picks in general, but this one is particularly vile. It’s like nominating Stephen Miller to the bench. Yuck.

Drama in the South China Sea

“The United States on Thursday sharpened its criticism of China’s activities in disputed areas of the South China Sea, slamming an “escalation” in efforts to intimidate other claimants” such as Vietnam.

hina redeployed a government-owned survey vessel — with armed escorts — into the waters off Vietnam earlier this month, the US said.

Hanoi says those waters are part of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The move could reignite a spat between Beijing and Vietnam over rights to the resource-rich waters in the South China Sea. Other countries in Southeast Asia also have claimed parts of the sea.” via MSN

While I too have serious concerns about the militarization of the South China Sea, short of military strikes, it’s too late to *really* do anything about it.

Much like with North Korea, we spent a lot of time kicking the can down the road, and now we’re out of road.

The United States will continue our freedom of navigation operations. China will continue to complain. Unless Trump wakes up in a really bad mood one day, neither side really wants it to escalate further than that, so nothing changes.

Trump invited himself to Denmark

…then cancelled because they wouldn’t sell him Greenland.

“Speaking to reporters on the White House’s South Lawn in late July, President Donald Trump revealed that he was “looking at” a stop in Denmark after an upcoming trip to Poland to attend a World War II commemorative ceremony.

For officials in Copenhagen, the comment came as a surprise. Although it is customary in Denmark for there to be a standing invitation for the U.S. president—and though officials in both countries had been discussing the possibility of an American delegation visiting—no formal invitation had actually been extended to Trump, according to two senior Danish officials and an individual who works closely with the Trump administration in Copenhagen.

By the next day, Queen Margrethe II had issued the invite, and the White House had officially announced the president’s plans to visit the country.” via The Daily Beast

If nothing else encapsulates the total clusterf*** that is this Presidency, here we are. He’s alienated allies on random whims, and the GOP is too afraid of mean Tweets to do anything about it.

Nadler asks House committees probing Trump to share docs for its impeachment investigation

“House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler on Thursday asked four House panels investigating President Donald Trump to share documents and other information to aid his committee’s investigation into whether to file articles of impeachment against the president.

In a letter to the chairs of four key investigative committees, Nadler (D-N.Y.) asked for “documents and testimony, depositions, and/or interview transcripts” that might be relevant to the Judiciary Committee’s ongoing impeachment probe.

The letter — addressed to the leaders of the House Intelligence, Financial Services, Oversight and Reform, and Foreign Affairs panels — also references the Judiciary panel’s recent pronouncement in various court filings that it is considering whether articles of impeachment are warranted, a decision that came without a formal vote of the House or the committee itself.

Together, all five committees have launched investigations, interviewed witnesses and subpoenaed documents relating to the president’s conduct, foreign business ties, presidential campaign, hush-money payments and personal finances. The Intelligence Committee also has dozens of transcripts from its 2017-18 investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election that may become relevant to the Judiciary Committee probe.” via Politico

Spoiler alert: there’s no “if” the Judiciary Committee files articles of impeachment, only a “when”

Trump is reeling from scandals and from his increasingly-diminished mental state, and the Democrats are about to pounce. If I were a betting man, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a couple primary challengers announced around the same time as the articles of impeachment.

Speaking of:

Joe Walsh Primary Bid?

“Joe Walsh, the flame-throwing conservative radio show host and former Illinois congressman, is moving toward challenging President Donald Trump in a Republican primary, calling the president an “unfit divider in chief” and claiming the party is craving an alternative.

Walsh told POLITICO on Wednesday he is confident he could secure the resources and support to mount a challenge against the president, and that if he ran, he would announce in short order. While Walsh would not confirm he would enter the primary, two sources who spoke to him said he was privately confirming he would announce his presidential bid this weekend.

“If I’m to do it, it’s going to happen soon,” Walsh told POLITICO on Wednesday. “I’ve been really surprised by the amount of anxiousness from people across the spectrum who want this president to have a challenge, because there’s just a real concern that he’s absolutely unfit.” via Politico

This is an unfortunate situation. I didn’t like Joe Walsh – nor would I have supported his Presidential bid – even when I was a Republican. Now, I’d support someone’s pet goldfish over Trump.

To be clear, I’m voting Democrat no matter who gets the nomination; I just never thought I’d be in a position to *want* to cheer Joe Walsh on. Strange times.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders to join Fox News as a contributor

“Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will join Fox News as a contributor, the network announced Thursday, with her first official appearance set to come on “Fox & Friends” during its next live audience show Sept. 6.” via Politico

Whew, I was just starting to think they were running out of wholly unqualified sycophants to lie to the American people.

DOJ Sent Racist Material to Immigration Court Employees

“A Justice Department email sent to all immigration court employees this week featured an article on a white nationalist website that used “racial and ethnically tinged slurs” against sitting judges, BuzzFeed News reports. In a Monday morning news briefing email, the DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) linked to a VDare article that included anti-Semitic language towards judges. More specifically, the label “Kritarch” was used for the judges—reportedly referencing a time in ancient Israel when a system of judges ruled.

National Association of Immigration Judges union chief Ashley Tabaddor said the link to VDare made many judges angry. “Publication and dissemination of a white supremacist, anti-Semitic website throughout the EOIR is antithetical to the goals and ideals of the Department of Justice,” Tabaddor wrote in a letter to EOIR director James McHenry.

EOIR Assistant Press Secretary Kathryn Mattingly told The Daily Beast the morning news briefings were “compiled by a contractor and the blog post should not have been included. The Department of Justice condemns Anti-Semitism in the strongest terms.” via The Daily Beast

Uh huh. A “contractor.” Sure. We *all* believe you.

Fox News dropped as sponsor by largest Latino journalists’ organization

“The largest organization of Latino journalists in the United States disinvited Fox News from its national conference, taking place in San Antonio next month.

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) published a letter written by Hugo Balta, the association’s president, announcing the decision on Thursday afternoon.

“Today I am announcing the decision to rescind the invitation of Fox News as a sponsor for NAHJ at the upcoming Excellence In Journalism (EIJ19) conference,” said Balta, who is also a senior producer at MSNBC.

The decision was made after Fox News Radio Host, Todd Starnes, used “prejudiced language directed against Latino immigrants as opinionated commentary,” just two weeks after 22 people were killed during a mass shooting in El Paso targeting Mexican-Americans and Mexicans, Balta wrote.” via NBC News

Tucker Carlson is also hemorrhaging advertisers. It’s almost like being racist is bad for business. Weird.

Alleged Russian agent Maria Butina sentenced to 18 months in prison on conspiracy charge

“A federal judge sentenced Russia national Maria Butina to 18 months in prison on Friday, after she pleaded guilty to trying to infiltrate conservative political circles and promote Russian interests before and after the 2016 presidential election.

She is the first Russian citizen convicted of crimes relating to the 2016 election, though her efforts to infiltrate Republican circles appeared to be separate from the Kremlin’s sweeping election-meddling campaign detailed in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.

The 30-year-old gun rights enthusiast has been incarcerated since her arrest in July and will receive credit for the nine months previously served. She will be deported to Russia after serving her sentence.” via CNN

Something tells me that she’s probably not surviving that trip back to Russia.

Thank you!

I get tons of DMs and comments on Twitter every day. I read them all, but I don’t always have time to respond. Several of you have asked if there’s a way to help support my work on the blog and/or Twitter. If that’s something you’re interested in, you can do so right here on Patreon. All of my content is posted ad-free on Patreon. I know some people are on tight budgets, so I don’t paywall any of my written work, but there are some Patron only benefits – including Patron-only chat sessions/AMAs -that you can read about on the site. Big thank you to everyone who has already chipped in!

Donald Trump’s latest conspiracy theory target? Fox News.

Before he boarded Air Force One to fly back to Washington on Sunday afternoon, President Donald Trump was asked about a recent Fox News poll that showed him in serious trouble vis a vis the 2020 election. Trump, as he is wont to do, went off at length on his once-favorite network.

The poll showed Trump’s approval rating in the low 40s and had him losing by six or more points to Democratic 2020 rivals Sens. Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden.

Unsurprisingly, Trump didn’t like that. Here’s the key bit:

“Well, Fox has always given me — I’ll tell you, Fox is a lot different than it used to be, I can tell you that. … Fox has changed. And my worst polls have always been from Fox. There’s something going on at Fox, I’ll tell you right now. And I’m not happy with it.” via CNN

Trump also went on to say that Fox is making a big mistake, because he calls the shots when it comes to the debates in 2020.

Pushing wild conspiracy theories against the one network that gives you favorable coverage because they accurately reported the results of a poll probably isn’t the play I’d make, but you do you, boo.

I still maintain that Trump isn’t going to make it to 2020 in office, and if by some miracle he does, I seriously doubt he will show up to get trounced in a debate by any of the Dem frontrunners.

Top Admin Officials Eye Payroll Tax Cut

“Several senior White House officials have begun discussing whether to push for a temporary payroll tax cut as a way to arrest an economic slowdown, three people familiar with the discussions said, revealing growing concerns about the economy among President Trump’s top economic aides.

The talks are still in their early stages and have included a range of other tax breaks. The officials also have not decided whether to formally push Congress to approve any of these measures, these people said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to disclose internal discussions. But the White House in recent days has begun searching for proposals that could halt a slowing economy.

Even though the discussions within the White House had begun, the White House released a statement disputing that the payroll tax idea was actively under “consideration.” via The Washington Post

The economy has thus far been the life raft keeping this administration afloat with the GOP, both in Congress and out; if we see a significant economic downturn, that’s the ballgame.

I would expect the administration will do everything they can to prevent that from happening. If the indicators get much worse, Trump will probably declare victory with China and remove the tariffs.

Trump’s OTHER New Conspiracy Theory

“President Trump is back at the White House on Monday, after a week spent mostly at his private golf club in New Jersey. In short order, he was back to his typical routine at the executive mansion. Meaning, of course, that he spent some part of the morning watching cable news.

Shortly before noon, Fox Business aired a segment discussing testimony offered to the Senate last month. Robert Epstein, a psychologist who at one point was editor in chief of Psychology Today, told senators on July 17 that his research suggested Google had given millions of votes to Trump’s opponent Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. A guest on Fox Business named Oz Sultan, who worked with Trump’s 2016 campaign, looped that claim back into the broader, ongoing criticism of social-media companies that’s currently in vogue among conservatives.

Trump, though, quickly picked out — and exaggerated — the claim about Clinton votes.” via The Washington Post

Hillary already barbecued Trump for this on Twitter, so I don’t feel the need to add to it. Suffice to say, this is asinine, and false.

On a related note:

FEC Chair Refutes Trump’s BS

“The chairwoman of the Federal Election Commission pushed back against President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claim of voter fraud in 2016, saying that there is no evidence of fraud and statements like that are “damaging to our democracy.”

Ellen Weintraub, who is a Democrat, said Monday that no one has found any evidence of “rampant voter fraud,” despite assertions that that effect from Trump.

“There is no evidence of rampant voter fraud in 2016 or really in any previous election,” Weintraub said in an interview with CNN.

“People have studied this. Academics have studied this. Lawyers have studied this. The government has studied this. Democrats have studied this. Republicans have studied this,” she continued. “And no one can find any evidence of rampant voter fraud either historically or particularly in the 2016 elections.” via MSN

I hope we can all agree that it’s a sad day for America when the FEC chair has to go on cable television to push back on propaganda being spread by the President of the United States.

Epstein Signed Will Days Before Death

“Jeffrey Epstein signed a will two days before his death, according to The New York Post, which obtained the document. The will was dated August 8 — two days before Epstein was found dead by suicide in a federal jail in New York, according to The Post.

Court papers list assets of about $577 million. Court papers indicate Epstein’s brother, Mark, is the only heir. Among the assets, the will lists more than $56 million in cash and another $14 million in fixed income investments.

Epstein’s cause of death was suicide by hanging, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Friday.” via CNN

I hate to be *that* guy, but I’m going to have to be that guy for a second. It’s going to take some pretty compelling evidence to convince me that Epstein wasn’t “suicided”

Making Arms Races Great Again

“The United States has tested a land-launched cruise missile surpassing a limit set by a decades-old deal with Russia since scrapped by President Donald Trump’s administration.

In a press release published Monday, the Pentagon announced that the previous day it “conducted a flight test of a conventionally-configured ground-launched cruise missile at San Nicolas Island, California.” Notably, it stated that the “test missile exited its ground mobile launcher and accurately impacted its target after more than 500 kilometers of flight” or roughly 310 miles, a range once restricted by the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed by Washington and Moscow.

The U.S. has accused Russia of first violating the treaty through the development of its own land-based cruise missile, known as the Novator 9M729. Moscow has denied the charge, accusing Washington of having broken the agreement with defense systems suspected of being able to be used offensively as well.” via MSN

I’ve done plenty of INF ranting on Twitter, so I’m not going to go super detailed in this either, but this does 2 things:

1. Puts money into the pockets of defense contractors.
2. Makes our allies in Europe and Asia less safe.

The United States doesn’t NEED this capability. It’s redundant. Russia, on the other hand, DOES need this capability. Withdrawing from the INF plays directly into their hands. Shocker, I know.

The Biggest Impeachment Endorsement Yet

Rep. Ben Ray Lujan became the highest-ranking Democrat to call for impeachment to date. Lujan is the Assistant Speaker of the House, and the number 4 Democrat in the House.

Lujan’s full statement:

“I support moving forward with an impeachment inquiry, which will continue to uncover the facts for the American people and hold this president accountable. 

“This is not a position I’ve reached lightly. 

“The Trump presidency is creating grave national security concerns. Our country’s intelligence agencies have confirmed that the Russian government attacked America during the 2016 elections. Numerous experts have warned that these attacks are ongoing to this day. And when faced with this evidence from his own government, President Trump has failed to act. Not only has he ignored the warnings that our Democracy is being targeted, but he has also actively encouraged Russian interference.

“When Special Counsel Mueller released his report, I read it in full. I was alarmed by the Trump campaign and the Trump White House’s brazen disregard for the rule of law. The report detailed sustained and frequent attempts by the Trump campaign to establish ties to the Russian government and an eagerness to benefit from hacked information stolen from our fellow Americans. The Special Counsel also detailed ten different attempts by President Trump to obstruct justice during the investigation. This would be unacceptable behavior from any president.

“President Trump’s lack of action is jeopardizing our elections, national security, and Democracy.

“What is evident is that President Trump is abdicating his responsibility to defend our nation from Russian attacks and is putting his own personal and political interests ahead of the American people.”

You can also bet this wasn’t done without Pelosi’s blessing. We’re not far away now, folks.

AIPAC splits with Trump

“The prominent pro-Israel group American Israel Public Affairs Committee suggested Thursday it opposed a move by Israel — and supported by President Donald Trump — to bar Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering the country.

AIPAC, which advocates for a staunch alliance between the US and Israel, has frequently sided with Trump administration policies that have supported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, making its opposition especially notable.

“We disagree with Reps. Omar and Tlaib’s support for the anti-Israel and anti-peace BDS movement, along with Rep. Tlaib’s calls for a one-state solution. We also believe every member of Congress should be able to visit and experience our democratic ally Israel firsthand,” AIPAC tweeted early Thursday afternoon.” via CNN

I won’t say the MOST, but calling for Israel to ban Tlaib and Omar from the country was one of the more disgusting things Trump has done as President. It’s also a move that feels a lot more like autocracy than democracy.

Fox News poll said WHAT?

“As political Washington mulls what — if anything — to do legislatively to address the latest in a long line of mass murders committed with guns, a new Fox News poll has a number in it that is an absolute stunner.

That number is 67%, which reflects respondents who told pollsters that they support a ban on assault weapons. For you non-math majors out there, that’s two-thirds of the American public!” via CNN

This is a pretty surprising, but also a very encouraging poll.

A little background on me:

Most of you know by now that I’m a gun owner, but I support commonsense legislation to help remedy this epidemic. I still shoot competitively sometimes, and I’ve trained with and/or carried firearms for the majority of my adult life. That’s not relevant anymore. The Second Amendment was one of my issues, so I never thought I’d be at this point, but here we are.

If the shooting in Philadelphia yesterday taught us nothing else, it’s that the “good guy with a gun” is no longer a persuasive argument, and it probably never was, to be honest. (Sidebar: This is a big step for me; carrying a gun most-likely kept me alive a several years ago. Being purposefully vague: I didn’t fire a shot, but I did draw my concealed pistol in a self-defense situation and diffused something that was about to go really bad for a bunch of people.)

Thirty (30) police officers discharged their weapons yesterday, and didn’t take down a single gunman. 6 police officers were also shot during the hours-long standoff.

It’s imperative that we elect a Democrat in 2020, not just to fix all the stuff Trump has broken, but we *need* significant action on gun control, and we need it now.

Inauguration Subpoenas

“The former adviser to first lady Melania Trump, who has come under fire for the cost of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, was among the event planners who raised concerns about excessive spending in the weeks before the events, according to documents obtained by CNN.

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former friend of Melania Trump, has emerged as a witness for investigators and received a subpoena last month by Washington DC’s attorney general.

The 10-page subpoena, which has been seen by CNN, asks Wolkoff to hand over a variety of information, including any evidence of inaugural-related expenditures that were “wasteful, mismanaged, and/or improperly provided private benefit.”

It asks for communications between the inaugural committee and several business entities connected to President Trump or his family, as well as communications between Wolkoff and a number of Trump family members, including Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.” via CNN

There are about five different ongoing investigations that are related to Trump’s inauguration and the exorbitant amount of money that was spent on it. Should be interesting to see how this plays out.

In other inauguration news:

Prosecutors are examining “tens of thousands of documents”

“Federal prosecutors in New York are scrutinizing tens of thousands of documents relating to Donald Trump’s inauguration in a sign that the investigation into the committee’s finances is advancing.

The President’s Inaugural Committee handed over the cache of documents over the course of several weeks in response to a wide-ranging subpoena seeking documents, records, and communications concerning the inaugural’s finances, vendors, and donors sent in February by the US attorney’s office with the Southern District of New York. The last set of documents was produced within the last month, people familiar with the matter said.

The end of the document production indicates the investigation is moving into the next stage. Authorities are investigating whether any of the record $107 million in donations for the inaugural was misspent, used to improperly benefit certain individuals, or came from foreign donors in violation of campaign finance laws that prohibit foreign money in US elections, people familiar with the inquiry said.” via CNN

Warren leapfrogs Bernie in the polls

“Sen. Elizabeth Warren has leapfrogged Sen. Bernie Sanders for second place nationally in the Democratic presidential primary, according to a new poll out Thursday.

The new Fox News poll of registered voters who say they plan to participate in the Democratic primary or caucus in their state shows that although Warren still trails former Vice President Joe Biden, pulling in 20 percentage points to his 31, she posted an 8-point gain over the previous survey conducted last month. Sanders dropped 5 points in the poll, good for third place with 10 percent support.

The poll shows remarkable growth for Warren over the last five months — she has gained 16 points since March — while Biden has remained somewhat steady over the same period.

Sanders’ second-place lead has diminished steadily over the same period, with Thursday’s survey the first in which he dropped into third place. He has dropped 13 points since May. Sen. Kamala Harris is not far behind him in fourth place, with 8 percent.” via Politico

This is some of the best news I’ve seen all week. If you’ve followed me for awhile, you know I’m not a Bernie fan. I’ll vote for him if he gets the nod, but he’s not even in my top 5, and I’m a big fan of Warren.

GAO: Trump’s first 4 trips to Mar-a-Lago cost taxpayers $13.6 Milllion

“President Donald Trump’s first four visits to his Mar-a-Lago resort after Inauguration Day cost American taxpayers $13.6 million, according to a report released Tuesday by the US Government Accountability Office.

According to the report, some $10.6 million was spent between February and March 2017 on “operating costs of government aircraft and boats” and $3 million went toward “temporary duty costs of government personnel supporting the President’s travel, including transportation, lodging, and meals and incidental expenses.” Some $60,000 of that was paid directly to Trump’s Florida club.” via CNN

Most of this money came from the military and

Trump accuses media of trying to crash the economy

“President Donald Trump on Thursday baselessly accused the press of trying to tank the American economy, shrugging off any blame for a prospective economic slowdown and possible recession heading into his reelection next year.

“The Fake News Media is doing everything they can to crash the economy because they think that will be bad for me and my re-election,” he said in a tweet. “The problem they have is that the economy is way too strong and we will soon be winning big on Trade, and everyone knows that, including China!” via Politico

This is absolutely asinine, and I feel kind of bad for whatever reporter actually had to refute that garbage. Something tells me that blaming the media for his awful economic policies probably isn’t a winning strategy.

Periodic reminder that there’s no bottom

“The mayor of El Paso said after he corrected President Trump about crime statistics in his city, the president called him a “RINO,” a pejorative nickname that means “Republican in Name Only.”

Mayor Dee Margo told PBS’s “Frontline” in an interview published Wednesday that Trump made those comments in a private conversation they had while the president was in El Paso last week to pay respects after a mass shooting that killed 22 people and injured dozens more.

“He said, ‘You’re a RINO,’ and I said, ‘No sir, I’m not a RINO, I simply corrected the misinformation you were given by our attorney general, and that’s all I did’,” Margo recounted.

Earlier this year, Margo, who was elected El Paso’s mayor in 2017 after winning a runoff against another Republican, pushed back against claims made by Trump to justify his border wall demands. Trump, during the State of the Union in February, said El Paso had one of the highest rates of violent crime in the country but that after construction of border fencing it was now one of the safest.” via The Washington Post

These “no bottom” reminders are starting to feel more constant than periodic.

Trump takes credit for another Obama accomplishment

“In a speech on Tuesday at Royal Dutch ethane cracker plant northwest of Pittsburgh, President Donald Trump claimed he was the sole president responsible for the plant’s existence.

“It was the Trump administration that made it possible. No one else. Without us, you would never have been able to do this,” he said.

Trump was taking far too much credit.

Facts First: Shell made its final decision to build the plant in June 2016, during Barack Obama’s presidency. A federal regulatory commission chaired by a Trump appointee did approve a pipeline that will feed ethane to the plant.” via CNN

Most of his accomplishments can – and should – be credited to Obama, so this is no surprise, really.

Administration refused DHS request to make domestic terrorism a priority

“White House officials rebuffed efforts by their colleagues at the Department of Homeland Security for more than a year to make combating domestic terror threats, such as those from white supremacists, a greater priority as specifically spelled out in the National Counterterrorism Strategy, current and former senior administration officials as well as other sources close to the Trump administration tell CNN.

“Homeland Security officials battled the White House for more than a year to get them to focus more on domestic terrorism,” one senior source close to the Trump administration tells CNN. “The White House wanted to focus only on the jihadist threat which, while serious, ignored the reality that racial supremacist violence was rising fast here at home. They had major ideological blinders on.” via CNN

Because of course they did. It’s much easier to fear monger and talk about the scary brown people than it is to focus on the real national security threats at home.

We should be able to walk and chew gum; jihadist remain a serious threat to national security, but lone wolf attacks are currently *the* most pressing danger to the United States mainland.

House Dems go to court over McGahn

“The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday filed suit to compel former White House counsel Don McGahn’s testimony, arguing that the committee needs to hear from him to determine whether it should consider articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

The lawsuit alleges that McGahn’s testimony is essential to the committee’s investigation, calling McGahn the “most important witness,” and it outlines exactly how the Judiciary Committee might use McGahn’s testimony in an impeachment proceeding.

“The Judiciary Committee is now determining whether to recommend articles of impeachment against the President based on the obstructive conduct described by the Special Counsel. But it cannot fulfill this most solemn constitutional responsibility without hearing testimony from a crucial witness to these events: former White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn II,” the lawsuit says.” via CNN

McGahn and Hope Hicks have been considered the most damning witnesses to the administration for quite awhile now. If they win this lawsuit – and they should – the road to impeachment grows immediately shorter.

Deported Iraqi man dies

“A 41-year-old Detroit man deported to Iraq in June died Tuesday, according to the American Civil Liberties Union and two people close the man’s family.

The man, Jimmy Aldaoud, spent most of his life in the U.S., but was swept up in President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration enforcement efforts.

Edward Bajoka, an immigration attorney who described himself as close to Aldaoud’s family, wrote on Facebook that the death appeared to be linked to the man’s inability to obtain insulin in Baghdad to treat his diabetes.
Aldaoud was an Iraqi national, but he was born in Greece and came to the U.S. as a young child, his family friend said. He had never lived in Iraq and did not speak Arabic, according to Bajoka.” via Politico

The cruelty is the point. This man had lived in the US for decades, and was deported to a country he didn’t even know because he “wasn’t a US citizen.”

Now he’s dead because he couldn’t obtain the lifesaving medications that he became accustomed to in the US.

White House exploring solutions to social media “bias”

“The White House is circulating drafts of a proposed executive order that would address allegations of anti-conservative bias by social media companies, according to a White House official and two other people familiar with the matter — a month after President Donald Trump pledged to explore “all regulatory and legislative solutions” on the issue.

None of the three would describe the contents of the order, which one person cautioned has already taken many different forms and remains in flux. But its existence, and the deliberations surrounding it, are evidence that the administration is taking a serious look at wielding the federal government’s power against Silicon Valley.

“If the internet is going to be presented as this egalitarian platform and most of Twitter is liberal cesspools of venom, then at least the president wants some fairness in the system,” the White House official said. “But look, we also think that social media plays a vital role. They have a vital role and an increasing responsibility to the culture that has helped make them so profitable and so prominent.” via Politico

Translation: someone read Trump the 1984 SparkNotes and he wants to make that reality.

“Warren has built a monster”

“Kamala Harris hired a dream team of operatives. Joe Biden has solid establishment support. Bernie Sanders heads a volunteer army. And Julián Castro is seen as a “sleeper.”

“Elizabeth Warren just has a gigantic campaign,” said Laura Martin, executive director of the social justice organization Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. “There are counties all over rural areas where some campaigns are just doing tours, but she has staff there. And that was a strategy President Obama had in 2008 when he won Nevada.”

But of the two dozen Democrats running for president, none matches Elizabeth Warren when it comes to the size of her campaign operation, the crowds at her rallies and the buzz among activists and operatives in Nevada.

Another Democratic operative put it more bluntly: “Warren has built a monster.” via Politico

I’ve been really impressed with Warren’s campaign efforts so far. She’s building a massive apparatus – which is almost a necessity in today’s political climate – and she’s also doing really well on the debate stage.

It’s still early, but she’s definitely in my top 4 to watch. I can’t wait to see who (if anyone) Obama endorses for the primaries.

Tucker Carlson: White Supremacy a Hoax

As the country reels from a devastating weekend that left more than 30 dead in two separate mass shootings, white supremacy has again sparked conversation after one of the shooters allegedly published an anti-Hispanic screed. 

Fox News host Tucker Carlson addressed the subject during “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Tuesday, saying white supremacy is “not a real problem” in the United States.

“This is a hoax. Just like the Russia hoax, it’s a conspiracy theory used to divide the country and keep a hold on power,” the Fox News host said. via USA TODAY

I said it on Twitter, I’ll say it again here: if Trump wants to declare ANTIFA a terrorist organization, I’m all for it – as long as he does Fox News too.

It’s a real shame that their opinion crew is absolute racist garbage, because there are a few great, right down the middle REAL reporters on Fox.

The saddest thing I’ve ever read

Amnesty International issued a global warning to those traveling to the United States after violence left 31 people dead in two mass shootings last weekend.

The travel advisory, issued Wednesday afternoon, calls for visitors to “exercise caution and have an emergency contingency plan when traveling throughout the USA.”

It warns travelers to remain vigilant at all times and to avoid places where large groups congregate, including places of worship, schools or nightclubs, all locations that have been targeted recently. 

“Depending on the traveler’s gender identity, race, country of origin, ethnic background, or sexual orientation, they may be at higher risk of being targeted with gun violence, and should plan accordingly,” the advisory adds.

The human rights groups issued the travel warning in midst of “high levels of gun violence,” which Amnesty International referred to as a human rights crisis.” via USA Today

You certainly can’t blame them, but this is profoundly sad to me. The United States is usually the one issuing these kind of warnings, and they’re typically reserved for countries run by terrible despots.

Oh. Makes more sense, now.

US Stocks Face Worst Day of the Year

“A dramatic escalation of the trade war between the United States and China sparked a worldwide sell-off in markets on Monday. The Dow closed down 767 points, and the Nasdaq Composite — a proxy for the technology companies that will be most harmed by a trade war — suffered its longest losing streak since November 2016.

The Chinese government devalued the yuan to fall below its 7-to-1 ratio with the US dollar for the first time in a decade Monday. A weaker currency could soften the tariff blow the United States has dealt China.” via CNN

Trade wars are good and easy to win, right?

At its worst, the Dow was down 961 points for the day.

In addition to devaluing the yuan, China announced today that its companies are going to stop purchasing US agricultural products. Then we declared them a currency manipulator.

This all but guarantees that a trade deal isn’t going to happen anytime soon, and doesn’t bode well for either of our economies.

Obama Speaks Out

Obama released a statement on Twitter today that I’m going to copy in its entirety – partially because the world needs to hear it, and partially because I miss having a coherent President.

“Michelle and I grieve with all the families in El Paso and Dayton who endured these latest mass shootings. Even if details are still emerging, there are a few things we already know to be true:

First, no other nation on Earth comes close to experiencing the frequency of mass shootings that we see in the United States. No other developed nation tolerates the levels of gun violence that we do. Every time this happens, we’re told that tougher gun laws won’t stop all murders; that they won’t stop every deranged individual from getting a weapon and shooting innocent people in public places. But the evidence shows that they can stop some killings. They can save some families from heartbreak. We are not helpless here. And until all of us stand up and insist on holding public officials accountable for changing our gun laws, these tragedies will keep happening.

Second, while the motivations behind these shootings may not yet be fully known, there are indications that the El Paso shooting follows a dangerous trend: troubled individuals who embrace racist ideologies and see themselves obligated to act violently to preserve white supremacy. Like the followers of ISIS and other foreign terrorist organizations, these individuals may act alone, but they’ve been radicalized by white nationalist websites that proliferate on the internet. That means that both law enforcement agencies and internet platforms need to come up with better strategies to reduce the influence of these hate groups.

But just as important, all of us have to send a clarion call and behave with the values of tolerance and diversity that should be the hallmark of our democracy. We should soundly reject language coming out of the mouths of any of our leaders that feeds a climate of fear and hatred or normalizes racist sentiments; leaders who demonize those who don’t look like us, or suggest that other people, including immigrants, threaten our way of life, or refer to other people as sub-human, or imply that America belongs to just one certain type of people. Such language isn’t new – it’s been at the root of most human tragedy throughout history, here in America and around the world. It is at the root of slavery and Jim Crow, the Holocaust, the genocide in Rwanda and ethnic cleansing in the Balkans. It has no place in our policies and our public life. And it’s time for the overwhelming majority of Americans of goodwill, of every race and faith and political party, to say as much – clearly and unequivocally.”

Thank you, Mr. President. Some people will be frustrated that Obama didn’t mention Trump by name, but he didn’t have to; I think this was perfect.

Republican State Senator Condemns Party

“A Republican state representative is speaking out against what he believes is his own party’s complicity in “enabling white supremacy,” and says history won’t judge his fellow Republicans kindly.

Nebraska state legislator Rep. John McCollister tweeted Sunday night, “The Republican Party is enabling white supremacy in our country. As a lifelong Republican, it pains me to say this, but it’s the truth.” via CNN

I shared this thread on Twitter last night, but it’s a real shame that none of the folks at the national level can find a way to say this.

Trump Exploring Executive Action on Guns

“President Donald Trump is exploring ways to use regulatory power and executive action to curb gun violence after a pair of deadly shootings over the weekend — a move driven by his aides’ belief that Congress is incapable of coalescing around consensus legislation in a heated 2020 election cycle.

White House officials on Monday said Trump and U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr are “resolved” to take action after the shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. The administration is exploring solutions “that actually make an impact,” as opposed to “things that feel good,” said one Trump aide.” via Politico

This is almost the exact language Trump used after the Stoneman Douglass shooting, “things that work, not what feels good.”

The trouble is, they did exactly nothing in response to any of it. Action was taken to ban bump stocks well after the shooting in Vegas, but nothing substantive has been done since.

While we’re talking Trump and guns, if people (looking at you, media) could quit handing him awards for reading (badly) from a teleprompter, that would be fantastic. I keep seeing headlines like “Trump changes tone on guns,” which would be great if it were true, but it’s not:

He stood at a podium for a few minutes, didn’t even get the name of the city one of the shootings took place in correct, and then essentially said, “golly gee, hope someone can do something about this!” – all AFTER he blamed the media for the shooting, and tried to use the gun control momentum to push his racist immigration platform that caused one of the shootings in the first place. This is a vile, vile man.

Nadler: Judiciary panel could recommend articles of impeachment by late fall

“House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said Monday that his panel could recommend articles of impeachment by late fall, sketching a rough timeline for potential efforts to remove President Donald Trump just days after a majority of House Democrats signaled their willingness to support an impeachment inquiry.

“If we decide to report articles of impeachment, we could get to that late in the fall, in the latter part of the year,” Nadler said on MSNBC.

Nadler is petitioning a federal judge to get lawmakers access to grand jury evidence collected by former special counsel Robert Mueller, and his committee is preparing to sue former White House counsel Don McGahn to compel his testimony in the committee’s ongoing investigation into potential abuses of power by Trump.

“I think that we will probably get court decisions by the end of October, maybe shortly thereafter. We’ll have hearings in September and October with people we don’t — witnesses who are not dependent on the court proceedings,” Nadler said.” via Politico

That seems like a reasonable timeframe considering all the delay in the courts and the obstruction from the White House. It also puts Trump and the Republicans on their heels as 2020 approaches, which has been Pelosi’s goal all along.

Graham Looking at “Red Flag” Laws

“Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday he will propose bipartisan legislation to encourage more states to adopt “red flag” laws after a pair of horrific mass shootings.

The South Carolina Republican’s announcement came soon after President Donald Trump also called for such laws, which allow police and family members to request that a court temporarily restrict the access to firearms of people who may pose an imminent threat to themselves or others.

“I spoke with the President this morning about this proposal and he seems very supportive,” Graham said in a statement. “Many of these shootings involved individuals who showed signs of violent behavior that are either ignored or not followed up. State Red Flag laws will provide the tools for law enforcement to do something about many of these situations before it’s too late.” via Politico

At this point, I’m supportive of anything that might make a difference. The mental health aspect of this issue is important, but let’s not ignore what this really is: Republicans doing as little as humanly possible in an attempt to claim victory and not piss of the NRA.

Judge Signals Interest in Removing Mueller Report Redactions

“A federal judge signaled Monday he’s considering removing the Mueller report’s redactions.

During more than two hours of oral arguments in Washington, District Judge Reggie Walton appeared on several occasions to side with attorneys for BuzzFeed and the nonprofit Electronic Privacy Information Center, which are seeking to remove the black bars covering nearly 1,000 items in former special counsel Robert Mueller’s final 448-page final report.

Walton didn’t issue an opinion from the bench on the case, which centers on a pair of consolidated lawsuits filed against the Justice Department under the Freedom of Information Act. But the judge, an appointee of President George W. Bush, sounded increasingly skeptical of the government’s arguments pressing him to leave the redactions untouched.

“That’s what open government is about,” Walton said during one exchange, citing the resolution of a 2008 sex crimes case against financier Jeffrey Epstein as an example of how obfuscating the reasons behind not prosecuting high-profile people generates public distrust in the country’s criminal justice system.” via Politico

North Korea Launches More Missiles

“North Korea fired more projectiles off its east coast on Monday, according to South Korean military officials. 

Monday’s action marks the North Korean regime’s fourth such launch in less than two weeks – a series of provocations that highlight the stalled denuclearization negotiations between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. 

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not immediately identify the projectiles, but said they were fired from South Hwanghae Province, according to a statement carried by Yonhap News Agency. 

The launches come as the U.S. and South Korea prepare to conduct joint military exercises. North Korea sees those planning drills as provocative war games.” via USA Today

They also released two separate statements all but demanding that Trump cancel the US/ROK joint military drills that kick off today. We’ll see if he caves.

In other North Korea news, a confidential UN report released today revealed that North Korea has stolen upwards of $2 billion dollars in their many cyber operations – money that is being funneled directly to their weapons programs.

Majority of House Democrats now support impeachment inquiry

“The impeachment dam has broken.

More than half of House Democrats say they would vote to launch impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, a crucial threshold that backers said will require Speaker Nancy Pelosi to reconsider her steadfast opposition.

Though Pelosi has given no indication that even a significant majority of House Democrats embracing impeachment proceedings would shift her view, supporters of an inquiry argue that crossing the halfway mark among the caucus is a symbolic boost that could shift the political dynamic.” via Politico

The big moves on impeachment were always going to be made after Mueller spoke publicly. As desperately as Trump is trying to spin week’s Congressional testimonies as a win for himself, they weren’t by any stretch of the imagination.

I’ve long advocated for Mueller to speak publicly, even if he just read his report. His words are already showing up in ads attacking the President, and I imagine they’ll be used in similar attack ads targeting vulnerable Republican Congresscritters as we get closer to the election.

McConnell staffers pushed Russian deal

“Two former top staffers to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have lobbied Congress and the Treasury Department on the development of a new Kentucky aluminum mill backed by the Russian aluminum giant Rusal, according to a new lobbying disclosure.

The disclosure comes as Democrats are pushing the Trump administration to review Rusal’s $200 million investment in the Kentucky project — concerned that the mill will supply the Defense Department — and as McConnell weathers criticism for helping block a congressional effort to stop the investment.” via Politico

Keep in mind that this aluminum mill investment is only possible because of sanctions relief that was pushed by McConnell and Rand Paul.

For those of you who didn’t know, or don’t remember, the parent company for this mill is owned by none other than Oleg Deripaska. Deripaska is one of the wealthiest oligarchs in Russia and has close ties to Putin.

Moscow Mitch, indeed.

Trump Org subpoenaed… .again

“The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office sent a subpoena to the Trump Organization as part of an investigation into the hush money paid to two women who alleged affairs with President Donald Trump, according to a lawyer for the company.

Marc L. Mukasey, attorney for the Trump Organization, said on Thursday, “This is a political hit job. It’s just harassment of the President, his family and his business, using subpoenas and leaks as weapons. We will respond as appropriate.

“The subpoena, which was sent on Thursday, is seeking communications between the company and representatives for Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, the women who alleged they had affairs with Trump more than a decade ago, according to a person familiar with the matter.” via CNN

I’m sure Trump and his allies will fight this for as long as possible, but it’s good to see them being held accountable.

Hearing date set in fight over Trump’s New York tax returns

“A U.S. judge will hear arguments on Aug. 29 in a lawsuit that President Donald Trump filed to block a U.S. House of Representatives committee from obtaining his New York state tax returns, according to a court filing.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington said the hearing later this month would focus on whether he has jurisdiction over New York officials named as defendants in Trump’s lawsuit.” via Reuters

I was hoping for a quicker resolution here, but it appears this is a court battle Trump is poised to lose.

While we’re talking taxes, several of you have asked my thoughts on California mandating that all Presidential candidates submit their taxes before they appear on a ballot in California:

I think it’s a great move, but California individually won’t matter to Trump; he was never going to win there anyway. If we start seeing swing states do this, we’ll really be cooking.

This isn’t even just a good practice for 2020 – it’s a good for the future of our nation. Hopefully, as an electorate we’ve learned not to put our faith in shady demagogues, but I somehow doubt it – mandating the release of tax returns will help solve some of those problems.

JEDI Program delayed

“The Pentagon is slamming the brakes on its mega-competition to award a $10 billion cloud computing contract after President Donald Trump suggested the Defense Department might have rigged the contest in favor of Amazon, a frequent target of his criticism.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who assumed his post July 23, is now reviewing accusations of unfairness in the fiercely fought competition, the Pentagon announced Thursday, marking the president’s latest incursion into the arcane world of Defense Department contracting. Oracle has reportedly waged an aggressive lobbying campaign to push back on the competition, now pitting Amazon against Microsoft, including talking with members of Congress and preparing a graphic that made its way to the president’s desk.

“Secretary Esper is committed to ensuring our warfighters have the best capabilities, including Artificial Intelligence, to remain the most lethal force in the world, while safeguarding taxpayer dollars,” Elissa Smith, a Pentagon spokesperson, said in a statement Thursday. “Keeping his promise to Members of Congress and the American public, Secretary Esper is looking at the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) program. No decision will be made on the program until he has completed his examination.” – Politico

This is asinine. I have some of the same concerns with the Amazon monopoly as many other people do, but let’s not pretend like that’s what this is about; this is nothing more than Donald Trump’s vendetta against Bezos.

Personal feelings aside, the unfortunate truth is that Amazon is best-suited to meet DoD’s needs at the moment.

Thousands of troops might be leaving Afghanistan

“The Trump administration is preparing to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan in exchange for concessions from the Taliban, including a cease-fire and a renunciation of al-Qaeda, as part of an initial deal to end the nearly 18-year-old war, U.S. officials say.

The agreement, which would require the Taliban to begin negotiating a larger peace deal directly with the Afghan government, could cut the number of American troops in the country from roughly 14,000 to between 8,000 and 9,000, the officials said. That number would be nearly the same as when President Trump took office.

The plan has taken shape after months of negotiations between the Taliban and Zalmay Khalilzad, an Afghan-born American diplomat who was appointed by the Trump administration last year to jump-start talks. Officials said an agreement could be finalized ahead of the Afghan presidential election in September, though they cautioned that Taliban leaders could delay and that significant challenges remain.” via Washington Post

I still have friends deployed to Afghanistan and Syria to this day. I hope they can find a way to actually make this happen, but I’m skeptical.

Trade war, take 9

In a new, desperate bid for attention, Trump announced more tariffs on China today.

“President Trump moved Thursday to impose import tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods starting Sept. 1, effectively taxing every product that Americans buy from China and prompting American businesses to warn of a rising economic toll at home.

The president said the tariffs — on products such as cellphones, televisions, toilet seats and pillows — would initially be set at 10 percent but could rise to 25 percent or higher.

“Until such time as there is a deal, we’ll be taxing them,” he told reporters before leaving the White House for a political rally in Ohio.” via Washington Post

I hope everyone realizes this for what it is:

1. a distraction
2. a bid to try and handcuff the Fed into cutting interest rates more
3. the policy of a deranged moron

North Korea launches more missiles

In case you missed it, North Korea launched more missiles earlier this afternoon. This is the third launch in eight days, and worryingly, this one seems to have caught the US/RoK almost completely by surprise.

Trump signs EO imposing sanctions on Russia for Skripal attack in UK

…only a year late, but I guess we’ll take it?