Bill Taylor willing to testify publicly in impeachment probe

The top US diplomat in Ukraine, Bill Taylor, is willing to return to Capitol Hill to testify publicly, according to a source familiar with his thinking, making him a potential key early witness for Democrats as they shift their impeachment inquiry into a public phase.

There has not been a request yet made for Taylor to testify publicly, according to the source. But Democrats privately say that Taylor would be a logical choice for one of the first witnesses when the House begins public impeachment hearings. He meticulously documented how he believed the White House had linked Ukraine’s announcing an investigation that could help the President politically with unfreezing of US security aide and a one-on-one meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.” via CNN

Congress already has the facts they need from him, but having Taylor testify in public would be *huge* for the battle of public opinion.

Bolton invited to testify

“House impeachment investigators on Wednesday summoned John Bolton, President Trump’s former national security adviser, and two other top White House officials for depositions next week, according to a person familiar with the notices. The letters took the form of voluntary requests, rather than subpoenas.

Based on the accounts of witnesses who have already spoken with investigators, Mr. Bolton could be a marquee witness. They have described how he was alarmed in real time about the actions of Mr. Trump’s private lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and other administration officials close to Mr. Trump. Mr. Bolton left his position in September amid disagreements with Mr. Trump.

But it is unclear if Mr. Bolton will appear. As a senior aide to Mr. Trump, the White House could claim that he is absolutely immune from providing testimony from Congress and direct him not to show up. Mr. Bolton, a longtime Republican, would then have to decide whether to defy the White House’s wishes.” via NYT

Bolton has said he wouldn’t testify without a subpoena, which isn’t a problem at all – Congress has been preemptively subpoenaing everyone as an end-around for executive obstruction.

Gabbard stokes fears among Democrats

“Democrats are growing increasingly suspicious of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s (D-Hawaii) political intentions, fearing that she may be considering a third-party bid for the White House in 2020 if she doesn’t win the Democratic presidential nomination.

Gabbard’s announcement last week that she would not seek reelection to her House seat and would instead focus solely on her presidential bid only served to hasten those concerns.

Some party strategists and operatives fear that a third-party bid by the Hawaii congresswoman could fracture parts of the electorate and stir chaos in the 2020 contest, ultimately setting the stage for President Trump’s reelection.

The criticisms are particularly pointed from people in former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s orbit.

“She has absolutely zero path to becoming the Democratic nominee, so what is she doing?” said Adam Parkhomenko, a Democratic strategist and former aide to Clinton, the party’s 2016 presidential nominee. “To say that she’s going to take her campaign all the way to the convention just suggests that she’s trying to create chaos.” via The Hill

Periodic reminder that Tulsi is going to be a spoiler. This was *always* the plan if she didn’t get the nomination.

I’m hoping the extensive media coverage on her planning to be a spoiler will make her reconsider, but I doubt it.

Pelosi seeks broader Syria briefing after secret session on Baghdadi raid

“The House still needs a broader briefing on Syria from the Trump administration after a classified session largely focused on last weekend’s raid that killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday.

Congressional leaders have pressed the administration to brief lawmakers in the days following President Donald Trump’s move to withdraw troops from northern Syria and Turkey’s military assaults against Kurdish forces there, which earned bipartisan scorn.

“We’re privileged to get the briefing on the successful … special forces killing of al-Baghdadi, but … we have yet to get the other briefing,” the California Democrat told reporters at the Capitol.

“We still want the briefing on Syria,” she said.

In separate sessions Wednesday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley and other top administration officials, equipped with some video clips from the Baghdadi raid, briefed members of both the House and Senate.” via Politico

White House national security official set to testify in impeachment inquiry stepping down soon

“Tim Morrison, the top White House official on President Donald Trump’s National Security Council for Europe, will be leaving his job soon, according to a source familiar with decision.

The news comes on the eve of Morrison’s testimony behind closed doors as part of the House impeachment inquiry.

Morrison’s departure had been “planned for some time,” the source added.

Morrison was recruited to join the NSC by former national security adviser John Bolton, and his departure has been expected since Bolton was fired in September.

A number of Bolton’s other allies at the NSC left around the time that he did. Morrison is still finalizing his date for departure but the source says that he will still be a White House employee when he testifies Thursday.

Morrison has been at the NSC for about 15 months. He was initially the senior director of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Biodefense and took the Europe role over the summer.” via CNN

Morrison *has* been planning to leave, but there’s about a zero percent chance you can convince me that this announcement doesn’t have anything to do with his testimony.

Vindman testified he was convinced Ukraine aid became part of Trump’s demand for Biden investigations

“Top White House Ukraine expert Alexander Vindman told congressional investigators he was convinced President Donald Trump was personally blocking $400 million in military aid to Ukraine to force that country to publicly announce an investigation into Joe Biden and his family, two sources present at the deposition told CNN.

Vindman, a decorated Army officer, on Tuesday testified that he was convinced that a quid pro quo existed by July 10, which was before Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call that is now at the heart of the House’s impeachment inquiry. Trump has repeatedly said he did nothing improper on the call and has cited it as the sole reason for the impeachment inquiry.

The sources at the deposition said Vindman believed the existence of a quid pro quo was clear during a July 10 meeting between American and Ukrainian officials. In his opening statement, Vindman wrote that date is when US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland told Ukrainian government officials that they would need to deliver “specific investigations in order to secure the meeting” with Trump that they so desired.

In a separate meeting of US officials immediately afterward, “Sondland emphasized the importance that Ukraine deliver the investigations into the 2016 election, the Bidens, and Burisma,” Vindman testified.

But the fact that the $400 million in aid, including desperately needed military assistance, was also being used by the President didn’t become clear until the next month, Vindman testified.” via CNN

This testimony is absolutely brutal for Trump, and for Sondland. Sondland tried to have it both ways – testify about what Trump did wrong without admitting that he went along with it, and that has backfired spectacularly.

Congress is seriously considering holding him in contempt. Also, fun fact: lying to Congress is a felony and punishable by up to five years in prison.

Former Fox News hosts want out of non-disclosure agreements

“Former Fox News employees are demanding to be released immediately from non-disclosure agreements over sexual harassment claims. Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky are among six former employees reportedly pushing to share their stories publicly. The signed agreements, also known as NDAs, often trade silence for money.

NBC News released former employees from their NDAs last week, which inspired the push at Fox News. In the wake of the Me Too movement, women are calling them unfair silencers that sweep sexual misconduct claims under the rug.

CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan asked the women why they’re pushing for this now.  

“Because I think this is the latest phase in the revolution. We’ve made so much progress over the last three years,” Carlson said.

“We want to speak for ourselves. We had a voice for a very long time,” Roginsky said.” via CBS News

I would be shocked if Fox lets people out of their NDAs – too much dirty laundry over there.

Republicans shoot down White House plan to install Cuccinelli atop DHS

Republican senators are warning President Donald Trump that he cannot legally appoint immigration hard-liner Ken Cuccinelli to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

The White House and DHS lawyers, however, are continuing to work on a controversial end run around a federal law that prohibits Cuccinelli from serving as an acting secretary. It would likely face an immediate court challenge as well as the ire of members of his own party.

“The White House would be well advised to consult with the Senate and senators before they take any decisive action that might be embarrassing to Mr. Cuccinelli or to the White House itself,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who called the attempt to fill the department without Senate confirmations a “concern.” via Politico

The more they break with him, the easier it will ultimately be to impeach/force a resignation.

To be fair, Cuccinelli was a terrible choice and wouldn’t get the votes even if he *was* qualified.

Top State Department Official Confirms Smear Campaign Against Ousted Ukraine Envoy

“John Sullivan, the deputy secretary of state, said on Wednesday that President Trump’s personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani was involved in a smear campaign to oust the ambassador to Ukraine, publicly confirming a key part of the saga behind the impeachment inquiry.

Jumping into an impeachment fight that so far has been waged in the House behind closed doors, Senate Democrats used Mr. Sullivan’s nomination to be President Trump’s next ambassador to Russia to bring the drama into the open. Mr. Sullivan, testifying under oath and on camera before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, corroborated private testimony from one of House Democrats’ central impeachment witnesses, Marie L. Yovanovitch, the former ambassador to Ukraine.

Pressed on whether he believed it was appropriate for the president to demand investigations into domestic political opponents, Mr. Sullivan said, “I don’t think that would be in accord with our values.” via NYT

I’m not sure about you guys, but where I come from, the State Department’s number second in command telling the country that the President’s lawyer is running a shadow government on national television is a really big deal.

Democrats, Once Wary of Partisan Impeachment Inquiry Vote, Unite as Politics Shift

“When Speaker Nancy Pelosi polled Democrats privately about taking a formal floor vote on the impeachment inquiry into President Trump earlier this month, the idea was scuttled by nervous moderates who feared a backlash from voters in their Trump-friendly districts.

But when Ms. Pelosi convened her rank and file behind closed doors on Wednesday morning to lay out plans for a similar vote, now scheduled for Thursday, she met with little dissent.

Representative Colin Allred, a Texas freshman who flipped a Republican seat, said before the meeting that a vote was fine with him. Representative Max Rose of New York, once a vocal opponent of impeachment, said he would most likely back the resolution, which would authorize the House Intelligence Committee to conduct public hearings and produce a report to guide the Judiciary Committee as it considers drafting impeachment articles.” via NYT

This shows a couple things:

1. The Democrats are confident that public opinion has shifted enough to go full-steam ahead. The polling confirms.
2. Pelosi has put on an absolute master class in dealing with this inquiry.

Twitter drops all political ads in shot at Zuckerberg

“Twitter will no longer run political ads, CEO Jack Dorsey announced on Wednesday in a shot across the bow at Facebook, which faces rising heat over its policy of allowing candidates to lie in their campaign messaging.

The move drew quick praise from Democrats including Hillary Clinton, who called it “the right thing to do for democracy in America and all over the world.” But it provoked an immediate rebuke from President Donald Trump’s campaign, which denounced it as “yet another attempt to silence conservatives.”

In a series of tweets, Dorsey portrayed the move as an attempt to protect democracy against moneyed interests engaging in deliberate deception.

“We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought,” Dorsey said in a series of tweets. “While internet advertising is incredibly powerful and very effective for commercial advertisers, that power brings significant risks to politics, where it can be used to influence votes to affect the lives of millions.” via Politico

Annnnnd this is why Twitter is better than Facebook.

National Security Council staffers uneasy, fear Trump backlash

“Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman departed Capitol Hill after dark on Tuesday after spending more than 10 hours detailing his concerns at President Donald Trump’s handling of foreign policy.

The next morning he returned to his desk as Trump’s top Ukraine expert.

The swift return to work for one of the impeachment inquiry’s central witnesses — who the President and his allies decried as a “never-Trumper” with ulterior motives, even as he remains on the President’s National Security Council staff — illustrates the predicament facing staffers as the proceedings advance.

The impeachment crisis that’s consumed the White House is causing new turbulence at the National Security Council, where officials are wondering whether their efforts are being undermined and worry the President could sour on the entire body, ignoring its expert advice as he fumes about its role in the current crisis.

Already a bumpy workplace under Trump, the National Security Council’s career civil servants now find themselves under fresh scrutiny from an already-skeptical President and his inner circle.” via CNN

The people responsible for our national security shouldn’t live in daily fear of reprisal from the President of the United States. It’s disgusting.

$16.8 Million In Campaign Funds Went To Trump Businesses, Latest Records Reveal

Not only have the U.S. and foreign governments spent money at properties owned by Donald Trump, but the president’s own political campaign and affiliated political committees have also spent about $16.8 million at his businesses since he launched his 2016 bid for the presidency, according to an analysis of federal election spending records.

Republican political campaigns and PACs have spent just under $1.8 million at Trump-owned businesses so far this year in the 2020 election cycle, according to the latest examination of spending by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, based on spending reports to the Federal Election Commission.

Most of that has been spent by the Trump campaign ($1.3 million), the Republican National Committee ($123,000) and the Great America political action committee ($104,000), records show, the center reported.” via HuffPost

WE’RE GONNA NEED MORE SWAMP OVER HERE!

After Vindman’s Testimony Went Public, Right-Wing Conspiracies Fired Up

“Prominent right-wing media commentators have sought for weeks to cast aspersions on the House impeachment inquiry into President Trump, echoing the president’s repeated cries of “witch hunt!” and framing the investigation as motivated by political bias.

Now some of those commentators have opened a new front: questioning the patriotism of Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, the White House national security official and decorated Iraq war veteran who was testifying on Tuesday that he had heard Mr. Trump ask Ukraine to investigate his Democratic political rival.

One pundit on Fox News went as far as to suggest that Colonel Vindman had engaged in “espionage” against the United States, prompting an unusual rebuke from a Republican member of Congress.

Colonel Vindman, who received a Purple Heart after he was wounded in Iraq, is a Ukrainian-American immigrant who was 3 years old when his family fled to the United States. On her Fox News program on Monday, the conservative host Laura Ingraham sought to turn his ethnic background against him, noting that Ukrainian officials had recently sought the colonel’s advice about interacting with Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani.” via NYT

The President’s propaganda machine is going full-force character assassination on Vindman, and it’s failing miserably – possibly it’s kind of hard to accuse someone of having dual-loyalties when it’s *literally* in their job description to do what they did.

NSC official’s testimony appears to contradict Rick Perry Ukraine claims

“Testimony from a senior White House official on Tuesday appeared to contradict Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s ardent denials that he ever heard former Vice President Joe Biden or his son Hunter discussed in relation to U.S. requests that Ukraine investigate corruption.

In his opening statement, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a National Security Council official overseeing Ukraine policy, told House impeachment investigators that he objected to EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s comments in a July 10 White House briefing — attended by Perry — requesting that Ukrainian officials investigate the 2016 U.S. election, the Bidens and the Ukrainian energy company Burisma that had employed Hunter Biden.

“I stated to Amb. Sondland that his statements were inappropriate, that the request to investigate Biden and his son had nothing to do with national security, and that such investigations were not something the [National Security Council] was going to get involved in or push,” Vindman’s statement said.

Vindman said in his remarks that after he raised his objections, Fiona Hill, who was a Trump adviser on Russia at the time, entered the room and told Sondland his statements were inappropriate.” via Politico

This is why Sondland wants to come back to the Hill to “clarify” his remarks (read: clean up his lies). His testimony was really bad for Trump as it was, but it looks like he left out a bunch of the juicy stuff that’s now been corroborated by multiple witnesses.

Shouting match erupts in Vindman deposition as Democrats accuse Republicans of trying to out whistleblower

“Democrats and Republicans got into a shouting match behind closed doors on Tuesday while interviewing a witness in the impeachment investigation, with Democrats accusing Republicans of trying to out the anonymous whistleblower who sparked the impeachment inquiry, according to five sources from both parties.

House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff objected to a line of questioning from Republicans during the deposition of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the National Security Council official in charge of Ukraine policy, charging that the GOP questions were part of an effort to out the whistleblower, sources said.

Republicans pushed back, arguing they were simply asking questions about who Vindman might have spoken with — and that it was not an effort to out the whistleblower.

The back-and-forth led to a heated exchange between Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California and GOP Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, according to multiple sources. Other members joined in.” via CNN

If you thought the Republicans couldn’t *possibly* embarrass themselves any more, they’re not done yet! The inevitable hop back to the right side of history is still coming, but I’m not sure how welcoming the right side of history is going to be after this three year circus.

Giuliani associate can be questioned under oath about Republican money transfers, judge says

“Lev Parnas, the indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani, can be questioned under oath in the coming weeks about financial transfers he made to Republican political campaigns, a federal judge in Florida ordered Tuesday.

The court order comes as questions swirl around Parnas’ close ties to Giuliani, efforts to insert himself into Ukrainian interests and Republican politics, and as a criminal proceeding against him continues in New York. The testimony he must provide in Florida could shed new light on the scope of his payments to American campaigns and other Trump-connected entities, as well as other financial dealings.” via CNN

It’s weird how the “rule of law party” keeps losing all these court battles.

Republican Rep. John Shimkus reconsidering retirement

“GOP Rep. John Shimkus is reconsidering his decision to retire now that the top Republican spot on the Energy and Commerce Committee will soon be up for grabs — a welcome reversal for a party that’s faced a string of high-profile retirements this year.

“It’s true, I am at least reconsidering,” Shimkus told reporters on Tuesday, saying lawmakers on the Hill and back in his southeastern Illinois district have asked him to stick around.” via Politico

Abaaaaandon shiiiiiiip!

George Papadopoulos: Disgraced Trump aide runs for Congress

“George Papadopoulos, who served 14 days in prison for lying to the FBI during the Robert Mueller probe, is running for Katie Hill’s California district.

Ms Hill stepped down amid claims of an affair with a Capitol Hill aide.

Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying about his meetings with alleged Kremlin go-betweens.

He filed his paperwork on Tuesday for California’s 25th district with the Federal Election Commission.

He tweeted this week that he was “smelling blood in the water” because of Ms Hill’s resignation.” via BBC

<Insert all the laughing emojis here>

Yep. That’s all I got for this one.

‘Extremely disturbing:’ Top Dems alarmed over Vindman’s testimony on Trump Ukraine call

“Top Democrats at the deposition of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, said his testimony Tuesday was “extremely disturbing” and praised him for appearing despite attacks from the White House.

Acting House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y, told NBC News she found Vindman’s prepared remarks “extremely, extremely, extremely disturbing,” as she left the deposition Tuesday morning. Maloney refused to answer any other questions about Vindman’s testimony.” via NBC News

Being first-hand knowledge, this testimony was always going to be damaging for Trump, but it sounds like it exceeded my expectations. The GOP is rattled and still trying to come up with a defense that will stick. Meanwhile, the Dems smell blood and are playing their hands masterfully.

Trump’s steel tariffs were supposed to save the industry. They made things worse

“When President Trump slapped 25% tariffs on foreign steel in March 2018, panicky U.S. buyers rushed to place new orders ahead of feared supply interruptions, driving prices up sharply.

It was an instant bonanza for domestic steel producers. With much fanfare, some announced ambitious expansion plans. United States Steel Corp. even fired up a pair of long-idled blast furnaces in Granite City, Ill., and Trump seized the occasion to deliver a rousing speech at the plant about the industry’s resurgence.

What a difference a year has made. Benchmark steel prices have fallen well below their level before the tariffs took effect and are now about half their peak in July 2018. The industry has responded with production cutbacks.” via LA Times

Dems detail impeachment probe procedures

This is really, really well done by the Democrats.

First, they’re going to use counsels to question witnesses for up to 45 mins. This has always been proven to be more effective than lawmakers.

Second, they’re giving the minority subpoena power *with* the concurrence of the chair, so the GOP isn’t going to be able to run rampant.

Third, the White House is given rights to cross examine witnesses, but “if the President unlawfully refuses to cooperate with Congressional requests, the Chair shall have the discretion to impose appropriate remedies, including denying specific requests by the President or counsel.”

They also released a really nifty chart that shows Trump is getting all the benefits that Nixon and Clinton got – plus some – to push back on the GOP claims of impropriety and/or procedural violations.

Liz Cheney calls attacks on White House Ukraine expert’s patriotism ‘shameful’

“House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney of Wyoming said on Tuesday that it is “shameful” to question the patriotism of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the White House National Security Council’s top Ukraine expert, who is testifying in the House impeachment inquiry.

“I also want to say a word about something else that’s been going on over the course of the last several hours and last night, which I think is also shameful, and that is questioning the patriotism, questioning the dedication to country of people like Mr. Vindman, Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, who will be coming today, and others who have testified,” Cheney said at a House GOP leadership weekly news conference.

“We need to show that we are better than that as a nation,” Cheney said, adding, “Their patriotism, their love of country, we’re talking about decorated veterans who have served this nation, who have put their lives on the line. It is shameful to question their patriotism, their love of this nation, and we should not be involved in that process.” via CNN

Hey, GOP: if Liz-freaking-Cheney beats you to the right side of history, your legacy is forever and irrevocably ruined, FYI.

Senator Asks Whether Biden Probe Was Linked to China Trade Talks

“A Democratic senator asked the Trump administration to clarify whether U.S. officials sought to inject an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden into trade negotiations with Beijing.

Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate’s trade-focused committee, on Tuesday sent letters to senior administration officials after trade adviser Peter Navarro in a television interview declined to address questions on whether Mr. Biden or his son Hunter Biden have come up in talks with Chinese officials.” via WSJ

Army Officer on White House Staff Reported Concerns on Trump’s Ukraine Dealings

“A White House national security official who is a decorated Iraq war veteran plans to tell House impeachment investigators on Tuesday that he heard President Trump appeal to Ukraine’s president to investigate one of his leading political rivals, a request the aide considered so damaging to American interests that he reported it to a superior.

Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman of the Army, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, twice registered internal objections about how Mr. Trump and his inner circle were treating Ukraine, out of what he called a “sense of duty,” he plans to tell the inquiry, according to a draft of his opening statement obtained by The New York Times.

He will be the first White House official to testify who listened in on the July 25 telephone call between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine that is at the center of the impeachment inquiry, in which Mr. Trump asked Mr. Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.” via The New York Times

He was one of the NSC staffers listening in on the phone call. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call someone with first-hand info, and drastically undercuts *all* of the White House talking points.

He’s also set to say that he feared Trump was going to damage national security.

“He will also testify that he confronted Gordon D. Sondland, the United States ambassador to the European Union, the day the envoy spoke in a White House meeting with Ukrainian officials about “Ukraine delivering specific investigations in order to secure the meeting with the president.”

Even as he expressed alarm about the pressure campaign, the colonel and other officials worked to keep the United States relationship with Ukraine on track. At the direction of his superiors at the National Security Council, including John R. Bolton, then the national security adviser, Colonel Vindman drafted a memorandum in mid-August that sought to restart security aid that was being withheld from Ukraine, but Mr. Trump refused to sign it, according to documents reviewed by the Times. And he drafted a letter in May congratulating Mr. Zelensky on his inauguration, but Mr. Trump did not sign that either, according to the documents.”

Trump defends hitting back at former chief of staff Kelly over impeachment comment

“President Donald Trump on Monday defending hitting back at former White House chief of staff John Kelly, who said over the weekend that he had warned the president that hiring a “yes man” to replace him would lead to impeachment.

Kelly made the comment at a conference in Georgia Saturday, prompting a denial in a written statement from the president.(MORE: Judge rules Justice Department must turn Mueller evidence over to House Committee )

“John Kelly never said that, he never said anything like that,” Trump said in the statement, released by the White House on Saturday. “If he would have said that I would have thrown him out of the office. He just wants to come back into the action like everybody else does.” via ABC News

John Kelly definitely told Trump this – more than once.

Democrats prepare to take impeachment probe public

“House Democrats are moving into a new phase of their impeachment inquiry, with plans to vote this week on a resolution to formalize the next steps of the investigation into President Donald Trump.

The House vote signals Democrats are preparing to take the probe public, and Democratic leaders say it should neutralize GOP attacks on their process — though Republicans quickly pivoted toward new angles to blast the legitimacy of the probe.

The resolution — which Democrats are still finalizing and are expected to introduce Tuesday — will grant investigators authority to sidestep traditional time limits on questioning witnesses in public hearings and spell out specifics of the due process rights Democrats intend to provide Trump and his legal team once the probe moves into the public domain.” via Politico

Delta Force dog returns to duty after being injured in Baghdadi raid

“The dog that accompanied Delta Force soldiers into Syria’s Idlib Province to hunt down Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi this weekend was only “slightly wounded” during the raid and is back on duty, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said today.

“We’re not releasing the name of the dog right now. The dog is still in theater,” Milley told reporters at the Pentagon, adding that the dog was “slightly wounded and fully recovering.” via Politico

Trump admin appeals ruling on Mueller grand jury material

“The Trump administration is appealing a judge’s ruling requiring the Justice Department to give the House Judiciary Committee grand jury materials related to former special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.

The decision Friday from Chief Judge Beryl Howell of U.S. District Court in Washington effectively put the onus on the Justice Department to persuade the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals or, perhaps, the Supreme Court, to reverse her ruling.” via Politico

This is part of the reason the Democrats are going to formalize the vote: it’s going to help reduce the Trump strategy of endless appeals with the sole purpose of delaying the inevitable.

Senate GOP takes credit for forcing House impeachment vote but fears damage to Trump already done

Senate Republicans on Monday both praised and expressed skepticism about the decision by House Democratic leaders to vote on an impeachment resolution, saying they hope it will open up the process and provide fairness to President Donald Trump.

At the same time, some GOP senators strongly doubted that the House Democrats are prepared to do anything short of impeaching him.

“It’s about time,” declared Sen. David Perdue, a Republican from Georgia and close ally of Trump’s who said he wants to study the resolution to see if “it’s really going to provide due process” to the inquiry that’s been underway for several weeks.

Republicans also warned that so much damaging information about Trump has “selectively leaked” out of the closed-door depositions in the House impeachment probe that a “vote now is a bit like un-ringing a bell,” according to Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina.” via CNN

The funny part about this is that the GOP really doesn’t want the House to vote – they don’t want to be put on record with this. This is going to be terrible for them and they know it.

Greg Walden to retire in latest sign of GOP doubts about retaking House

“Rep. Greg Walden, the top Republican on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, will retire at the end of this Congress — the latest sign that Republicans see a struggle to retake the House in 2020.

The 62-year-old Walden, who was first elected in 1998, said he was confident he’d win reelection but decided instead to end his congressional career in Jan. 2021.” via Politico

ABANDON SHIP!

North Carolina’s congressional map is illegal Republican gerrymander, court rules

“A North Carolina court on Monday temporarily blocked the state from using its congressional map in next year’s elections and strongly suggested it would eventually rule the districts were illegally gerrymandered to favor Republicans.

The decision was a victory for Democrats, who have struggled to gain a foothold in both the state legislature and North Carolina’s 13 U.S. congressional districts, in part because of how Republicans drew the electoral lines.

The ruling seems likely to ensure that the state’s 2020 congressional elections will take place under a new map, dealing a blow to Republicans’ hopes of recapturing the U.S. House of Representatives after Democrats swept to power in that chamber last year.” via Reuters

It’s about time.

Officials cringe as Trump spills sensitive details of al-Baghdadi raid

“President Donald Trump painted a vivid picture for the world of the deadly U.S. military raid on ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a raid that only a very small number of people witnessed in real time.

A “beautiful” and “talented” dog got injured. A robot had been on standby to aid in the hunt for al-Baghdadi if needed. U.S. Special Operations Forces arrived in eight helicopters and were on the ground for about two hours. They entered al-Baghdadi’s compound within seconds by blowing holes in the side of the wall. They chased al-Baghdadi into a web of underground tunnels — many of them dead ends — that they already knew existed. Before the U.S. forces left for the 70-minute, “very low and very, very fast” helicopter ride back along the same route from which they arrived, they captured some of al-Baghdadi’s henchmen and seized “highly sensitive material and information” outlining the origin of ISIS and plans for future plots.

A few of the those colorful details were wrong. Many of the rest were either highly classified or tactically sensitive, and their disclosure by the president made intelligence and military officials cringe, according to current and former U.S. officials.” via NBC News

This was my original comment as well. Not only was the announcement a complete joke, he revealed flight times, tactics, techniques, and procedures, including their method of breaching the compound, the fact that we knew there were tunnels in the compound, etc. He’s an intelligence nightmare.

Our enemies are very good at analyzing open-source intelligence as it is. To have the President of the United States giving concrete operational details, such as surveillance methods, infil/exfil routes, etc. on national television is absolutely asinine.

William Barr: ‘I act on behalf of the United States’

“Attorney General William Barr on Monday said that he is not acting as President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, after accusations from Democrats that he’s working in the president’s favor.

“That’s completely wrong and there is no basis for it, and I act on behalf of the United States,” Barr told Fox News.

Barr’s defense comes days after the news that the Justice Department’s investigation into the origins of the Russia probe had transitioned from a management review to a criminal investigation. The U.S. attorney for Connecticut, John Durham, is currently overseeing the investigation, and Barr said he is making progress with the FBI’s help.

“I do want to say that one of the reasons Mr. Durham is able to make the kind of progress he’s making is because Director [Christopher] Wray and his team at the FBI have just been outstanding in support and responsiveness given to Mr. Durham,” Barr said on Monday. “As you know, I’ve said previously that I felt there was a failure of leadership at the bureau in 2016 and part of 2017, but since Director Wray and his team have taken over there’s been a world of change.” via Politico

I really could have quit at “I act on behalf of the United States,” Barr told Fox News, because that pretty much tells you everything you need to know there.

Judge kicks newest impeachment lawsuit into high gear

“A federal judge hearing arguments in a potentially critical impeachment inquiry case wants to hear from lawyers for the Trump White House, the House of Representatives and from impeachment witness Charles Kupperman on Thursday after Kupperman filed a lawsuit asking the federal court to decide whether he would need to testify.

Kupperman’s House testimony had been set for Monday, but Kupperman didn’t show up, citing White House and Justice Department reasoning that he was immune from testifying because of his previous work on the National Security Council.

Leon will meet the parties in court at 3 p.m. on Thursday, “due to the time-sensitive nature of the issues raised in this case,” Judge Richard Leon of the DC District Court wrote Monday night.

Kupperman, who served until last month as deputy national security adviser at the White House, was listening in on the July 25 phone call when, according to a White House transcript, Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden.” via CNN

None of the Trump arguments have resonated with *any* of the Judges they’ve run into, so I suspect this wont’ go well for them, either.

Bannon: Pelosi’s impeachment strategy is ‘winning’

“Steve Bannon, a former White House chief strategist and longtime ally of President Trump, said in a radio interview broadcast Sunday that Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) impeachment strategy is “winning.”

In the interview with John Catsimatidis on AM 970 The Answer in New York, Bannon expressed his deep concern for the president and his administration amid the impeachment inquiry, stating that Pelosi will “impeach the president of the United States on two counts: one, abuse of power; the other, obstruction of justice.”

He went on to say that many of Trump’s supporters are “in shock” that the president is going through this process and that they need to “wake up” to what he says is a campaign of untruths.

Pelosi “is running the most sophisticated political warfare, the most sophisticated political disinformation campaign,” he added.” via The Hill

In case you missed it, Bannon is hosting a podcast to help combat impeachment for Trump. I don’t know how many times he has to be publicly humiliated before he jumps off the Trump train, but I guess as long as he can keep grifting, he’ll be happy.

Moving Closer to Trump, Impeachment Inquiry Faces Critical Test

“House impeachment investigators are speeding toward new White House barriers meant to block crucial testimony and evidence from the people who are closest to President Trump — obstacles that could soon test the limits of Democrats’ fact finding a month into their inquiry.

What has been a rapidly moving investigation securing damning testimony from witnesses who have defied White House orders may soon become a more arduous effort. Investigators are now trying to secure cooperation from higher-ranking advisers who can offer more direct accounts of Mr. Trump’s actions but are also more easily shielded from Congress.

Democrats are likely to face the first such roadblock on Monday, when one of Mr. Trump’s closest advisers is expected to defy a subpoena as he awaits a federal court to determine whether he can speak with impeachment investigators. But others could soon follow, legal experts and lawmakers say, forcing Democratic leaders toward a consequential choice: Try to force cooperation through the courts or move on to begin making an argument for impeachment in public.” via The New York Times

I still maintain that as soon as they hold one person in contempt and actually enforce a subpoena, the whole game comes to an end.

Adam Schiff: John Bolton is ‘key witness’ in impeachment inquiry

“House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said President Trump’s former National Security Adviser John Bolton is a “very important” witness in the House’s ongoing impeachment inquiry into the president.

Speaking on ABC News’ “This Week,” Schiff said Bolton has emerged as a key witness after hearing closed-door testimonies from other administration and government officials.

“Obviously he has very relevant information and we do want him to come in and testify,” Schiff said.

The Democrat, however, noted that the White House probably will put up obstacles to getting Bolton in front of the committee.

“My guess is, they’re going to fight us having John Bolton in,” Schiff added.

Closed-door interviews tentatively have been scheduled with Charles Kupperman, a Bolton deputy, and Tim Morrison, National Security Council’s senior director for Russia and Europe. Kupperman and Bolton have both left the White House.” via Fox News

I suspect Schiff is right and that the White House will be very reluctant to let Bolton speak to Congress about what he knows – but I’m also under the impression that Bolton WANTS to talk to Congress, so we’ll see if he’s wiling to defy a subpoena or not. Rumor is that his lawyers are already in touch with the relevant Congressional Committees.

Giuliani Butt-Dials Reporter, Rants About Bidens and Mentions Money Problem

“President Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, accidentally butt-dialed an NBC News reporter and left him a pair of three-minute voicemails in which he can be heard discussing Bahrain, the need for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and former Vice President Joe Biden.

In an Oct. 16 voicemail, Giuliani reportedly talks to a man named “Charlie,” saying he’s in the midst of “a fraud case ’cause he didn’t do any due diligence.” Another man responds, but is unintelligible. “Let’s get back to business,” Giuliani then says. “I gotta get you to get on Bahrain.” The lawyer then inquires where a man named “Robert” is, and the other man says he’s in Turkey. “The problem is we need some money… We need a few hundred thousand,” Giuliani says.

While most of what the other man says cannot be made out, Giuliani can be heard telling this person he wants “options” on an issue pertaining to Bahrain.” via The Daily Beast

Giuliani directly discussed the investigation the administration was pushing for into Joe Biden on one of these butt-dials. You really can’t make this stuff up.

Feds blow door off safe, issue subpoenas as probe into Giuliani associates escalates

“Federal prosecutors in New York have subpoenaed the brother of one of the recently indicted associates of Rudy Giuliani, according to two people familiar with the matter, as they escalate their investigation in the campaign-finance case.

The subpoena to Steven Fruman is the latest indication of prosecutors’ actions since the rushed arrest two weeks ago of his brother, Igor Fruman, and another defendant, Lev Parnas, at a Washington-area airport. Since then, investigators have doled out multiple subpoenas and conducted several property searches, in one case blowing the door off a safe to access the contents, sources tell CNN.

Federal prosecutors told a judge this week that they are sifting through data from more than 50 bank accounts. In addition, they’ve put a filter team in place as they examine communications obtained via search warrant and subpoena, sensitive to material that could be subject to attorney-client privilege because Giuliani, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, counted Parnas as a client. A filter team is a separate set of prosecutors who are assigned to examine evidence and set aside material that is privileged.” via CNN

FIFTY bank accounts? Blowing the doors off of a safe? Seems like this isn’t going well for Giuliani’s associates. I don’t think it will be long before Rudy finds himself behind bars.

Impeachment Inquiry Is Legal, Judge Rules, Giving Democrats a Victory

“A federal judge handed a victory to House Democrats on Friday when she ruled that they were legally engaged in an impeachment inquiry, a decision that undercut President Trump’s arguments that the investigation is a sham.

The declaration came in a 75-page opinion by Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell of the Federal District Court in Washington. She ruled that the House Judiciary Committee was entitled to view secret grand jury evidence gathered by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III.

Typically, Congress has no right to view such evidence. But in 1974, the courts permitted lawmakers to see such materials as they weighed whether to impeach President Richard M. Nixon. The House is now immersed in the same process focused on Mr. Trump, Judge Howell ruled, and that easily outweighs any need to keep the information secret from lawmakers.

And in a rebuke to the Trump administration, she wrote that the White House strategy to stonewall the House had actually strengthened lawmakers’ case. She cited Mr. Trump’s vow to fight “all” congressional subpoenas and an extraordinary directive by his White House counsel, Pat A. Cipollone, that executive branch officials should not provide testimony or documents to impeachment investigators.” via the New York Times

This is a big deal. We all knew the impeachment inquiry was legal, but a federal Judge recognized that it is indeed an impeachment inquiry, thus negating a key Republican talking point about Democrats needing to vote on it in the House.

Also, the Judge directly saying that Trump’s defense is damaging to his case was beautiful.

Trump owes more than $1 million to U.S. cities for rally expenses

President Donald Trump’s campaign owes more than $1 million in outstanding bills to American cities for rallies he’s hosted within their borders. On Wednesday, the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico became the latest to attempt recouping its lost funds of more than $211,000 in expenses. via Washington Post

This shouldn’t surprise anyone, but it’s pretty gross that we’re not only paying for him to go campaign instead of running the country, but he’s not even paying the cities for the extra security costs, etc.

Russian Agent Maria Butina Returns to Moscow After U.S. Deportation

“The woman convicted of being a covert Russian agent returned to her homeland on Saturday, deported by the United States after serving a prison sentence.

Maria Butina, a gun rights activist who sought to infiltrate conservative U.S. political groups and promote Russia’s agenda around the time that Donald Trump rose to power, was released Friday from a low-security facility in Florida. She had been in custody since her arrest in July 2018.” via Time

Butina reportedly received a “hero’s welcome” when she returned to Russia, which is all fine and dandy until she falls out of a third story window, or shoots herself in the back of the head several times.

Democratic senator: ‘No doubt’ Ukraine ‘felt pressure’

“Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy said Sunday that Ukraine “no doubt” felt pressured to conform to President Donald Trump’s wishes and there is very clear evidence of a quid pro quo arrangement.

The Trump administration has repeatedly dismissed allegations of quid pro quo regarding conversations asking Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. But officials have been making statements under oath that U.S. military aid was made contingent on Ukraine opening such an investigation.

“No doubt they felt pressure. Of course they would feel pressure,” Murphy — a Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “And, of course, Zelensky is going to try to put the best spin on this that he can because he is still in a dependent relationship with the United States.” via Politico

This is a good point from Murphy – nobody who is being extorted by the most powerful nation on the planet is going to tell you that he’s being extorted by the most powerful nation on the planet.

Trey Gowdy: ‘No idea’ about joining Trump legal team

“Former Rep. Trey Gowdy on Sunday said he has “no idea” if he would ever join President Donald Trump’s legal team, despite Trump saying the South Carolina Republican would be free to do so next year.

Gowdy was first floated earlier this month as a new outside lawyer to help the president fight impeachment — an announcement that Trump quickly walked back, citing “lobbying rules and regulations.” via Politico

I told you guys weeks ago this wasn’t happening any time soon. Gowdy isn’t a complete moron.

Welcome to reality

“The stadium greeted him with boos and chants of “Lock him up!” — a nod to the motto his supporters used against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016.

President Donald Trump on Sunday was one of the many spectators at Game 5 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals. He and first lady Melania Trump took their seats alongside several lawmakers, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, Rep. Matt Gaetz and Rep. Kevin McCarthy.” via Politico

After announcing that we killed Baghdadi, Trump probably thought he was going to have a pretty good day. It’s weird what happens when you aren’t paying the crowd, huh?

Baghdadi

“President Donald Trump announced Sunday morning in a televised address at the White House that the “world’s number one terrorist leader” is dead.

ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi “blew himself up” when cornered by US forces who conducted a daring, two-hour nighttime raid on his compound in northern Syria, Trump said, providing a detailed account of the mission.

“Last night was a great night for the United States and for the world. A brutal killer, one who has caused so much hardship and death, has violently been eliminated,” he added.

Baghdadi’s death marks the end of a years-long hunt to find one of the most wanted terrorists in the world and the man who declared a so-called Islamic caliphate in Iraq and Syria in 2014.

It was the most significant announcement of the death of a terror leader since President Barack Obama revealed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had been killed by US Navy Seals in a dramatic late night address in May 2011.” via CNN

I don’t want to make light of what a huge success this was for our special operations forces, intelligence agencies, and the world in general, but MAN, his speech was low-energy and all around awful. It was also full of ridiculous superlatives and is going to be a rallying cry for ISIS fighters around the world.

Joe Biden was rightfully criticized for revealing that it was the SEALs who went to Abbottabad, but to be fair, he gave away far-less operational details than Trump did in his presser today, AND the NYT/Washington Post had both already identified the unit that had carried out the UBL raid the day before Biden spoke.

Regardless, this announcement should have been positive for Trump and the United States as a whole; instead, it just ended up being monumentally embarrassing for all of us.

Bill Taylor testimony ‘reverberating’ among House Republicans, GOP

“The opening statement of Bill Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, is “reverberating” on Capitol Hill among Republicans, according to GOP Hill sources, who told CNN that Taylor’s testimony is a game changer in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.

A senior Republican source on Capitol Hill told CNN that Taylor’s statement was so detailed, so specific and that he is so respected that it is having an impact

.”It points to quid pro quo,” the GOP source told CNN.

There is an ongoing conversation among GOP members on Capitol Hill about the impact of Taylor’s testimony, but it remains a question whether it will move Republicans closer to considering impeachment.” via CNN

This is by far the biggest story of the day. As you saw yesterday with Gaetz and his fellow fratbros of Congress, they’re absolutely panicking. That entire stunt was to change the narrative on Fox News for a few hours. They were actually hoping to be arrested so they could wail about how the Dems process is a sham… while ignoring that dozens of their colleagues GOP are in every deposition.

Needless to say, this isn’t a sustainable defense – or a defense at all, really.

They know he’s done, they’re just stalling at this point.

Top Trump aide suppressed VA whistleblowers, department investigator finds

“A political operator who led an office created by President Donald Trump to expose wrongdoing at the Department of Veterans Affairs used his position to quash whistleblowers and retaliate against foes, according to an inspector general report released Thursday.

The accusations involve Peter O’Rourke, who Trump appointed in 2017 to lead the new Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection, and his successor, Kirk Nicholas.

The inspector general audit said that under O’Rourke and Nicholas, the whistleblower’s office ended investigations into allies of senior officials, failed to consistently report to Congress and refused to honor whistleblowers’ demands for anonymity. The office used unfair and shoddy investigative procedures, and in some cases didn’t interview the subjects of some complaints, the report said.” via Politico

Wait, so Trump lied? The VA isn’t completely fixed? And they’re actively suppressing complaints so he can keep lying to people? Color me shocked.

Elijah Cummings is first African American lawmaker to lie in state at Capitol

“Congress on Thursday bid goodbye to Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the son of sharecroppers who rose to become one of the Democratic Party’s most influential figures at a tumultuous time in American politics.

The late Oversight Committee chairman — who represented his majority-black Baltimore district in the House for two decades — became the first African American lawmaker to lie in state in the Capitol, an honor bestowed to only a few dozen statesmen, presidents and military leaders throughout U.S. history.” via Politico

This one still hurts. I took a much-needed break from Trump’s BS today and listened to all the members of Congress speak about their friend. It reminded me of a Washington DC that existed before Donald Trump, and gives me hope that we’ll get back there when he’s gone.

DeVos held in contempt for violating judge’s order on student loans

A federal judge today held Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in contempt of court and imposed a $100,000 fine for violating an order to stop collecting on the student loans owed by students of a defunct for-profit college.

The exceedingly rare judicial rebuke of a Cabinet secretary came after the Trump administration was forced to admit to the court earlier this year that it erroneously collected on the loans of some 16,000 Corinthian Colleges borrowers despite being ordered to stop doing so.” via Politico

Congress, take notes. Contempt. Fine. Now.

U.S. Justice Department review of origins of Russia probe now a criminal investigation: source

“A U.S. Justice Department review into the origins of the probe into Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election is now a criminal investigation, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The person, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, declined to say whether a grand jury has been convened in the investigation.”

I’m not *really* concerned about this, because the origins of the Russia investigation are on solid ground – this is just more partisan BS, and a shiny thing to try and distract from impeachment.

White House delayed Ukraine trade decision in August, a signal that U.S. suspension of cooperation extended beyond security funds

“The White House’s trade representative in late August withdrew a recommendation to restore some of Ukraine’s trade privileges after John Bolton, then-national security adviser, warned him that President Trump probably would oppose any action that benefited the government in Kyiv, according to people briefed on the matter.

The warning to Robert E. Light­hizer came as Trump was withholding $391 million in military aid and security assistance from Ukraine. House Democrats have launched an impeachment inquiry into allegations that the president did so to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the business activities of former vice president Joe Biden’s son Hunter. As part of the inquiry, lawmakers are closely scrutinizing the White House’s actions between July and September.

The August exchange between Bolton and Lighthizer over the trade matter represents the first indication that the administration’s suspension of assistance to Ukraine extended beyond the congressionally authorized military aid and security assistance to other government programs. It is not clear whether Trump directed Bolton to intervene over Ukraine’s trade privileges or was even aware of the discussion.” via The Washington Post

Ukraine isn’t done by a long shot. I suspect we’ll be hearing about other quid pro quos soon, too, because Trump has been doing this for his entire presidency. If he had Giuliani working on this with Ukraine, what do you think Jared was doing with Saudi Arabia and China?

Democrats say whistleblower’s testimony is unnecessary as other witnesses come forward

“The whistleblower who initially unmasked President Trump’s effort to pressure Ukraine for political favors has moved steadily toward the periphery of the House impeachment inquiry as several Democrats said Thursday they have ample testimony from senior Trump administration officials to back his claims.

Democrats were once prepared to take extraordinary steps to preserve the whistleblower’s identity under questioning, considering him central to their investigation. But over the past month, they have grown cold to the idea of exposing him to additional scrutiny after several witnesses described how Trump leveraged access and military aid to secure a promise from Ukraine to launch investigations that could help his 2020 reelection bid.

“I think it’s quite clear we have a surfeit of evidence that corroborates in full every aspect of what happened and the policy they were pursuing,” said Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), a member of the Oversight and Foreign Affairs committees.” The Washington Post

To be clear, the only reason Republicans want the whistleblower to testify is so they can drag his or her name through the mud in public. Right now, the whistleblower’s account is being corroborated by just about every witness Congress has called, and that’s bad for the GOP – they can’t fight back on the merits, so they want to smear the process as partisan.

They’re also trying to discourage other whistleblowers from coming forward, but rumor is that it’s not going to work.

Summer Zervos shared allegations of Trump’s sexual assault with lawyers in 2011, court filing states

Summer Zervos, the former “Apprentice” contestant who has accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in 2007, presented evidence Thursday in a new court filing to back up her claims.

Zervos contacted lawyers about the allegations in 2011 and reached out to Fox News about the matter in August 2015, according to a new filing from her lawyers.

The California-based restaurant owner, who is a Republican, is suing Trump for defamation after he essentially called her a liar following her public statement in October 2016 about the alleged assault.

“The fact that plaintiff sought legal counsel in 2011 and spoke about this to others including a news organization — years before the events of 2016 at issue in this case — strongly supports the inferences that her core narrative is true,” states the filing from Zervos’ lawyer Mariann Wang. The filing cites emails and calendar entries to back up the claim.” via CNN

It’s pretty disturbing that I’ve now lost count how many people have accused the President of the United States of sexual assault.

Trump National Golf Club in NJ May Have Its Liquor License Revoked Over 2015 Death

“New Jersey may revoke the liquor license for one of President Trump’s golf club over an incident that led to a man’s death in 2015, a letter from the state reads.

The Division of Alcoholic Beverage control sent a letter to the Trump National Golf Club in Colts Neck on Oct. 21, stating they are seeking to take away the club’s liquor license after a man who was “actually or apparently” intoxicated was served alcohol — a violation of the terms of the license.

That man, identified in the letter as Andrew Halder, later pleaded guilty in a fatal drunken driving accident that left his father dead.

Halder was at the Colts Neck club on Aug. 30, 2015, when he was served drinks other than beer from a cart on the golf course. He also appeared to be visibly intoxicated, both of which are grounds for the liquor license to be temporarily suspended, the letter reads.

Halder later caused a car wreck in which his father died, and pleaded guilty last year to vehicular homicide.

The usual penalty for such violations would be a 25-day suspension, but “due to the aggravating circumstances in this case” the state is seeking a complete revocation “based upon the total circumstances.” via NBC New York

Tulsi Gabbard Says She Won’t Seek Re-Election to Congress to Focus on 2020 Election

Tulsi Gabbard announced late Thursday night that she will not seek another term in the House of Representatives.

In a video posted to Twitter, Gabbard said she would instead focus on her campaign for president in the 2020 election. “As president, I will immediately begin work to end the new Cold War and nuclear arms race, end our interventionist foreign policy of being the world’s police, toppling dictators and governments we don’t like, and redirect our precious resources towards serving the needs of the people here at home,” Gabbard said.

“As such, I will not be seeking re-election to Congress in 2020, and humbly ask you for your support for my candidacy for President of the United States.” via The Daily Beast

Translation: She’s going to run third party when she doesn’t secure the party nomination.

She also went on Hannity tonight to criticize the impeachment process, if anyone still thought she might be a Democrat.

Republican protest delays impeachment testimony from Pentagon’s Ukraine expert

“The planned impeachment testimony from a Pentagon official responsible for Ukraine policy was delayed Wednesday after several of President Trump’s congressional allies staged a demonstration against the probe and barged into a secure facility on Capitol Hill.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper was due to speak at 10 a.m. in a closed-door session about the mechanics of U.S. security assistance for Ukraine and the fallout from the White House’s decision to withhold it for several months over the summer. But her session was disrupted as it was about to begin, with members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus refusing to leave the area where impeachment witnesses have met with lawmakers.

The impeachment inquiry’s central question is whether Trump ordered the hold on military aid to pressure Ukraine to launch investigations that would benefit him politically. A career bureaucrat who served in the Pentagon since 2001, Cooper is unlikely to have had many interactions with the president or his inner circle, but she would have played a role in overseeing much of the roughly $391 million in aid at issue in the probe.” via The Washington Post

I’ve been ranting about this on Twitter all morning, so you’ve probably already seen this, but this is way, way worse than just disrupting a deposition.

For those of you who don’t know, these depositions are being held in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF). A SCIF is a “clean” area, typically used to discuss highly-classified information. You aren’t allowed to bring electronics of any kind into a SCIF – there are lockers outside for phones, watches, pagers, etc. No electronics allowed, period.

This is done for security purposes. Even if you aren’t using said electronic inside the SCIF, the device itself could be compromised, giving adversaries the ability to listen to your conversations, or even use your camera for surveillance.

Many Republican lawmakers took their phones inside the SCIF and were apparently live-Tweeting. When a breach like this happens, everything is shut down, the facility has to be swept for bugs, countermeasures have to be re-tested, etc. It’s a big deal with major nation security implications.

This wasn’t just a distraction. It’s illegal. They should have all been arrested and lost their clearances immediately – that’s what would happen to any other member of the Intelligence Community who did the same.

Rep. Robin Kelly has already called for all of the people involved to be stripped of their clearances, and the House Parliamentarian has already ruled that they were in violation of House rules. I’m curious to see how Pelosi handles this matter – she was away from the Capital today at her brother’s funeral, which is, of course, the only reason they had the “courage” to do it today.

These people are disgusting.

Trump lawyer: Trump can’t be prosecuted for shooting someone

“Even if President Donald Trump shot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue, New York authorities could not punish him while he is in office, the president’s lawyers argued Wednesday.

Attorneys for Trump made the claim while arguing before a federal appeals court in their suit against Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, who has subpoenaed Trump’s tax returns.

Trump is fighting the subpoena on the grounds that as president, he has absolute immunity from criminal indictment or investigation. His attorney said that would block Trump from being arrested and charged even if he followed through on his campaign trail claim: “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldn’t lose any voters, okay?”

Attorney William Consovoy argued that New York authorities would have to wait until the president was out of office to arrest and charge him for that crime. The DA’s office argued the claim was a fabrication.

“Once a president is removed from office, any local authority” could prosecute him, Consovoy told a panel of three judges from the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals. “This is not a permanent immunity.”

Judge Denny Chin pressed him on how the crime would be handled while Trump remained in office. “Nothing could be done, that’s your position?” he said.

“That is correct,” Consovoy replied.” via Politico

There’s an impressive amount of stupid in this argument.

Key GOP senator: The “picture coming out” of diplomat’s testimony is “not a good one”

“The second-ranking Republican leader, Sen. John Thune told reporters moments ago that “the picture coming out” of Bill Taylor’s testimony about a quid pro quo “is not a good one.

“The picture coming out of it, based on the reporting that we’ve seen, I would say is not a good one,” he said. “But I would say also that until we have a process that allows for everybody to see this in full transparency, it’s pretty hard to draw an hard and fast conclusions.” via CNN

Ukraine Knew of Aid Freeze by August, Undermining Trump Defense

“To Democrats who say that President Trump’s decision to freeze a $391 million military aid package to Ukraine was intended to bully Ukraine’s leader into carrying out investigations for Mr. Trump’s political benefit, the president and his allies have had a simple response: There could not have been any quid pro quo because the Ukrainians did not know the assistance had been blocked.

Following testimony by William B. Taylor Jr., the top United States diplomat in Ukraine, to House impeachment investigators on Tuesday that the freezing of the aid was directly linked to Mr. Trump’s demand for the investigations, the president took to Twitter on Wednesday morning to approvingly quote a Republican member of Congress saying neither Mr. Taylor nor any other witness had “provided testimony that the Ukrainians were aware that military aid was being withheld.”

But in fact, word of the aid freeze had gotten to high-level Ukrainian officials by the first week in August, according to interviews and documents obtained by The New York Times.” via The New York Times

Well, that’s going to be devastating to Lindsey Graham’s argument about how it just *couldn’t* have been a quid pro quo.

Trump tries to claim a ‘great outcome’ in Syria

“President Donald Trump on Wednesday sought to claim credit for saving tens of thousands of Kurds and accomplishing a “great outcome” in Syria, attempting to spin his tacit approval of Turkey’s deadly invasion and the resulting escape of dozens of Islamic State militants as a political win.

During a televised address from the White House, Trump praised the five-day cease-fire agreement Vice President Mike Pence negotiated last Thursday with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, and announced that officials in Ankara would not direct the Turkish military to resume its assault.

“Early this morning, the government of Turkey informed my administration that they would be stopping combat and their offensive in Syria, and making the cease-fire permanent, and it will indeed be permanent,” Trump said, going on to express skepticism that the violence in the Middle East would indeed come to an end.

“However, you would also define the word ‘permanent’ in that part of the world as somewhat questionable. We all understand that,” he said. “But I do believe it will be permanent.” via Politico

First off, the ceasefire was never permanent. Second, Russia and Turkey have formed a loose-alliance, giving Turkey everything they wanted in Syria, and giving Putin a bigger foothold in the Middle East. Third, over 1,000 ISIS fighters have gone free. It’s hard to imagine this being any more of a disaster.

New York City Bar Calls for US AG William Barr’s Recusal in Ukraine Matter

“The New York City Bar Association in a statement Wednesday called on U.S. Attorney General William Barr to stand aside in any ongoing or future review by the Department of Justice of issues stemming from the Trump administration’s dealings with Ukraine, in which Barr has allegedly involved.

If Barr does not recuse himself, the bar association’s statement said, “he should resign or, failing that, be subject to sanctions, including possible removal, by Congress.” via law.com

Former Pete Sessions staffer to comply with subpoena in federal probe investigating Giuliani, associates

“Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed a longtime aide to former Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) as they seek to examine Rudy Giuliani’s business dealings with Ukraine, including his involvement in efforts to oust the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

Caroline Boothe, who served as the chief of staff to Sessions, the former House Rules Committee chairman, notified House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that she intends to comply with the subpoena, according to her lawyer.

“Ms. Boothe notified the Speaker about the subpoena as she was required to do under House Rules. She fully intends to cooperate with the investigation,” Elliot Berke, a lawyer at Berke Farah LLP, said in a statement.” via The Hill

I love the new Dem “subpoena first” mentality; it’s already prevented a lot of obstruction of Congress, and I suspect that it will continue to do so. Most of these people aren’t willing to be held in contempt for Trump.

Judge orders State Department to release Ukraine records in 30 days

“A federal judge Wednesday gave the State Department 30 days to release Ukraine-related records, including communications between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.

In response to an emergency motion from the watchdog group American Oversight, Judge Christopher Cooper ordered lawyers for the group and the State Department to come together to narrow the scope of the documents in the request — eliminating those that would likely be exempt from release — and produce documents in the next 30 days.

Cooper said that he could not think of a third party exemption that would prevent the release of correspondence between Giuliani and top State Department officials regarding Ukraine.” via CNN

The rule of law wins again. Womp womp.

Nunes protégé fed Ukraine info to Trump

“A protégé of Republican Rep. Devin Nunes was among those passing negative information about Ukraine to President Donald Trump earlier this year, fueling the president’s belief that Ukraine was brimming with corruption and interfered in the 2016 election on behalf of Democrats.

Kashyap Patel, a longtime Nunes staffer who joined the White House in February, was so involved in the issue that at one point Trump thought he was in charge of Ukraine policy for the National Security Council, according to congressional testimony by Fiona Hill, the former senior director for European and Russian Affairs whose portfolio included Ukraine.

Hill’s testimony was described to POLITICO by a person with direct knowledge of her recent deposition, and who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the closed-door hearing. Hill declined to comment.” via Politico

None of Nunes’ hairbrained schemes have come close to succeeding so far, so it’s no real surprise that this one is backfiring spectacularly, too. Though unsurprising, his behavior is definitely disappointing: he’s still a member of the Gang of Eight, and as such, has access to secrets that almost nobody else in the country does. He knows exactly how dangerous Trump is to national security, and he carries his dirty laundry anyway.

Sondland seeks to align himself with Taylor after bombshell testimony

“What did Gordon Sondland know and when did he know it?

The bombshell testimony of veteran diplomat William Taylor, President Donald Trump’s top envoy to Ukraine, has raised a crucial question of whether Trump admitted to Sondland that he was withholding military aid in exchange for an investigation into political rivals. Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the E.U., indicated as much in a phone call between the two in September, Taylor says. Sondland, however, had said previously he didn’t understand until later that Trump had in fact sought a quid pro quo for aid.

Yet an associate familiar with Sondland’s thinking argues the U.S. ambassador to the E.U. and Taylor are more closely aligned than it appears about what occurred and pushed back against Democrats, who suggested Tuesday that Sondland may need to return to Capitol Hill and clarify his remarks.”

It goes without saying, but when you have to “clean up” your comments to make them align with someone else’s, you were lying at least once. That doesn’t bode too well for Sondland.

Indicted Giuliani Associate Ties Case to Trump

“One of the two indicted associates of President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, on Wednesday tied the case to the president himself, saying that some of the evidence gathered in the campaign-finance investigation could be subject to executive privilege.

The unusual argument was raised by a defense lawyer in federal court in Manhattan as the two associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, pleaded not guilty to federal charges that they had made illegal campaign contributions to political candidates in the United States in exchange for potential influence.” via The New York Times

Ah yes, the ole “Executive Privilege for matters that the President is trying to deny having any role in” defense.

Only the best people.

Rudy Giuliani is looking for a defense attorney, sources say

“Rudy Giuliani has been approaching defense attorneys for possible representation, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

The move by Giuliani, who is President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, is notable because last week he said he would not be seeking a new lawyer unless he felt one was needed.

His previous lawyer, John Sale, was helping him deal with congressional inquiries.

“If they take me to court I would then have to get another lawyer,” Giuliani told CNN’s Mike Warren on October 15.

Earlier on Wednesday, Giuliani said he had not heard from the FBI, US attorneys for the Southern District of New York or any other lawyer pertaining to the Ukraine matter.” via CNN

Don’t worry, Rudy – they’ll be in touch soon.

Man, him going to jail is going to be beautiful.

Ambassador testifies he was told “everything” depended on Ukraine announcing investigations

“Acting US Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor said Gordon Sondland told him President Trump wanted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to publicly state he would investigate Bursima and the 2016 election in order to provide the Ukrainians with a meeting and security assistance, according to a copy of Taylor’s opening statement obtained by CNN.

“During that phone call Ambassador Sondland told me that President Trump had told him that he wants President Zelensky to state publicly that Ukraine will investigate Burisma and alleged Urkainian interference in the 2016 US election,” according to the testimony from earlier today.

Sondland, US ambassador to the European Union, told Taylor he’d also made a mistake earlier by telling the Ukrainian officials that a White House meeting with Zelensky “was dependent on a public announcement of the investigations.””In fact, Ambassador Sondland said ‘everything’ was dependent on such an announcement, including security assistance,” Taylor testified.

Taylor testified that Trump wanted Zelensky “in a public box” by making a public statement about ordering the investigations.” via CNN

Angry’s Thoughts: Well, that’s the literal definition of quid pro quo, so it’ll be interesting to see what mental gymnastics the GOP uses to try to justify this.

Taylor is probably the most important witness we’ve had so far, but it’s also important not to discount the other bombshell testimonies we’ve gotten in the last two weeks:

• Kurt Volker handed over the text messages that showed concern about a quid pro quo.
• Marie Yovanovitch said she was targeted by Rudy Giuliani and stood up for foreign service officers.
• Fiona Hill said that her boss, former national security adviser John Bolton, compared the shadow diplomacy being done on President Donald Trump’s behalf to a “drug deal.”
• George Kent, according to The Washington Post, said Trump soured on Ukraine after talking to Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Hungary’s Viktor Orban. He also backed up Yovanovitch and said he lit flares in 2015 about Hunter Biden.
• Gordon Sondland said Trump told him to work with Giuliani on Ukraine.

McConnell refuses to be thrown under the bus

“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said today he never had — or at least doesn’t recall having — a conversation with President Trump in which he told the President that his July call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was perfect.

McConnell was asked about Trump’s assertion, which the President has made publicly many times, at his weekly news conference in the Capitol.

Asked about Trump’s remarks, McConnell said, “We’ve not had any conversations on that subject.”

In a follow up question where he was asked if Trump was “lying” when he said McConnell told him the call was perfect, McConnell responded, “You have to ask him. I don’t recall any conversations with the President about that phone call.”

In the past, McConnell’s staff has declined to verify if Trump’s claims were valid.” via CNN

Angry’s Thoughts: This was always one of Trump’s more dubious claims. As disgusting as McConnell has been, he’s not an idiot. It was hard to imagine him saying anything of the sort about this obviously-impeachable phone call, but I’m also sure Trump never expected McConnell to publicly fact-check him on it.

White House to cancel Times, Post subscriptions after Trump’s ‘Hannity’ comments

The White House said Tuesday it will not be renewing subscriptions to The New York Times and The Washington Post, two papers the president frequently attacks as “fake” and which he suggested canceling the previous night in a TV appearance.

Monday on Fox News’ “Hannity,” President Donald Trump called the Times “a fake newspaper” and said “we don’t even want it in the White House anymore.”

“We’re going to probably terminate that and The Washington Post,” Trump said. “They’re fake.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: I would be shocked if this happens. This is just red meat for the base.

By necessity, every White House consumes a ridiculous amount of news on a daily basis, so it would be unusual to begin with. In this White House, it’s all but unthinkable. Can anyone actually imagine Donald Trump – perhaps the biggest narcissist in history – showing the ability to ignore a news article written about him?

I didn’t think so.

Trump’s quest for vengeance against John Brennan

“President Donald Trump’s obsession with former CIA director John Brennan could be on a collision course with an ongoing Justice Department probe as Attorney General Bill Barr takes a more hands-on approach to examining the intelligence community’s actions in 2016.

Barr has been meeting with the U.S.’ closest foreign intelligence allies in recent months, making repeated overseas trips as part of an investigation he is overseeing into the origins of the Russia probe and whether any inappropriate “spying” occurred on Trump’s campaign.

As part of that investigation, Barr and John Durham, the federal prosecutor he appointed to conduct it, have been probing a conspiracy theory for which there is little if any evidence, according to several people with knowledge of the matter: that a key player in the Russia probe, a professor named Joseph Mifsud, was actually a Western intelligence asset sent to discredit the Trump campaign — and that the CIA, under Brennan, was somehow involved.

Trump, meanwhile, has become “obsessed” with Brennan, who frequently gets under the president’s skin by publicly questioning his mental acuity and fitness for office, according to a former White House official. On Brennan, “it was always, ‘he’s an idiot, he’s a crook, we ought to investigate him,’” this person said, characterizing Trump’s outbursts.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: Trump can investigate Brennan all he wants, but he’s not going to find much there – Brennan is one of the finest public servants we’ve ever had. Having him speak out directly has been one of the few bright points of Trump’s presidency – most people could learn quite a bit from John Brennan.

Anonymous Trump Official Behind Times Op-Ed Is Writing a Book

“An anonymous Trump administration official who published a September 2018 essay in The New York Times, about the active resistance to the president’s agenda and behavior from within his own administration, will publish a book next month.

The author, who has not been publicly identified, created an uproar when he or she wrote in an Op-Ed last year that many of President Trump’s senior officials “are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations,” adding, “I would know. I am one of them.”

The book, titled, “A Warning,” will be published on Nov. 19 by Twelve, a division of the Hachette Book Group. The author is represented by Matt Latimer and Keith Urbahn of Javelin, the literary agency that represents the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey, Senator Martha McSally and the retired United States Navy commander Guy Snodgrass.” via The New York Times

Angry’s Thoughts: Several of you have asked, so I figured I’d address that here: No, this isn’t me! I am looking forward to reading it, though.

ISIS Reaps Gains of U.S. Pullout From Syria

“American forces and their Kurdish-led partners in Syria had been conducting as many as a dozen counterterrorism missions a day against Islamic State militants, officials said. That has stopped.

Those same partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, had also been quietly releasing some Islamic State prisoners and incorporating them into their ranks, in part as a way to keep them under watch. That, too, is now in jeopardy.

And across Syria’s porous border with Iraq, Islamic State fighters are conducting a campaign of assassination against local village headmen, in part to intimidate government informants.

When President Trump announced this month that he would pull American troops out of northern Syria and make way for a Turkish attack on the Kurds, Washington’s onetime allies, many warned that he was removing the spearhead of the campaign to defeat the Islamic State, also known as ISIS.

Now, analysts say that Mr. Trump’s pullout has handed the Islamic State its biggest win in more than four years and greatly improved its prospects. With American forces rushing for the exits, in fact, American officials said last week that they were already losing their ability to collect critical intelligence about the group’s operations on the ground.” via The New York Times

Angry’s Thoughts: I’ve talked about this several times previously. While I understand the desire to not be the “world police,” the only effective way we’ve found to keep terrorism from our shores is by keeping our foot on the gas – when ISIS is worried about their own survival, they have less time to plan and conduct operations abroad.

Now, bad decisions by Trump have allowed thousands of ISIS fighters to be broken out of prison – where they’ve almost certainly been plotting their next moves around the world. We’re going to see an uptick in terrorist activity because of Trump.

McConnell introduces resolution opposing US withdrawal from Syria

“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other top Republican senators introduced a resolution Tuesday in opposition to President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from Syria, warning that his decision has benefited Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, ISIS, Russia and Iran.

“If not arrested, withdrawing from Syria will invite more of the chaos that breeds terrorism and creates a vacuum our adversaries will certainly fill,” McConnell said on the Senate floor.

McConnell said if the President doesn’t halt the withdrawal, Russia “will gain more leverage” in the Middle East, Iran-backed forces could gain greater access to a “strategic corridor that runs all the way from Tehran to the very doorstep of Israel” and the Assad regime will be invited to “reassert its oppressive control” over northeastern Syria.

He also urged Trump to rescind his invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the White House until a “more enduring cease-fire” is struck between Turkish and Kurdish forces.” via CNN

Angry’s Thoughts: Twice in one day? Color me semi-impressed, Mitch.

I know it doesn’t seem like a lot, but the more McConnell pushes back on Trump, the more the GOP will be willing to do so as well. After Taylor’s testimony today, I’m not sure we’ll have to wait much longer for the mass exodus.

Donor who gave $900K to Trump inaugural to plead guilty to illegal contributions

“A California investor who donated cumulative millions to political campaigns and President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee has agreed to plead guilty to making illegal contributions and failing to disclose his lobbying work as a foreign agent.

In a plea agreement and related documents unveiled by federal prosecutors on Tuesday, Imaad Shah Zuberi acknowledged that he promised international clients and representatives of foreign governments that he would be able to mold U.S. foreign policy in ways that would generate profit. He used his venture capital firm Avenue Ventures to generate millions in revenues, much of which he kept for his personal benefit.

“Mr. Zuberi’s multi-faceted scheme allowed him to line his pockets by concealing the fact that he was representing foreign clients, obtaining access for clients by making a long series of illegal contributions, and skimming money paid by his clients,” United States Attorney Nick Hanna said in a statement.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: This won’t be the last person to plead guilty in regards to Trump’s inauguration. The amount of pay for play that went on here is absolutely disgusting.

Court rejects Roger Stone challenge to gag order

“An effort by longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone and his family to overturn the gag order in his criminal case failed Tuesday at a federal appeals court, but the judges left the door open to resurrecting the challenge.

A three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals turned down the petition on technical grounds, holding that Stone missed a deadline to formally appeal the gag order imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is overseeing the case against Stone on charges of lying to Congress and witness tampering.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: At some point, I would expect Stone to realize he’s not going to win any of these challenges, but in the meantime, I’ll continue to enjoy the schadenfreude.

Indicted Giuliani associate Igor Fruman taps Manafort attorney

“Igor Fruman, one of the two associates of President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani who are facing criminal charges in New York, has retained a defense lawyer who is also representing former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Fruman, who is set to be arraigned on campaign-finance-related charges Wednesday in federal court in New York, is expected to be represented by Todd Blanche, a former federal prosecutor.” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: Judging by Manafort’s lengthy prison sentence, this probably isn’t the best plan, but who am I to judge?

Mattis’ former speechwriter writes a book

“Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, “iced out” and blindsided by presidential decisions he disagreed with, grew increasingly wary of President Donald Trump’s leadership, even losing his cool in private meetings and plotting to quit nearly half a year before he finally resigned, according to a new book by a close aide.

“The White House is not to be trusted right now,” Mattis said in a meeting with close aides in his office in March 2018, when Trump appointees such as national security adviser H.R. McMaster, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and White House economic adviser Gary Cohn — the colloquial “adults in the room,” to the president’s detractors — were departing the administration or had been fired. “It’s too undisciplined at the moment.”

Asked in a private meeting in June 2018 whether he thought the commander in chief was strengthening America, Mattis responded: “No, I don’t. I do not think Trump’s policies will make America stronger.” The conversation occurred after the president’s first summit meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and Trump’s subsequent decision to cancel war games with South Korea .” via Politico

Angry’s Thoughts: I never thought I’d say this, but I’m really disappointed in the way Mattis has handled his post-administration life. I thought he would be one of the more vocal ones about how dangerous this President is for national security – his disapproval behind the scenes was well-known. So far, he’s been disappointingly silent, at least in public.

Kirstjen Nielsen says she left DHS because ‘saying no’ wasn’t enough

“Former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Tuesday said she left office because “saying no” and refusing to do things that others in the administration wanted was “not going to be enough.”

“There were a lot of things that, there were those in the administration who thought that we should do, and just as I spoke truth to power from the very beginning, it became clear that saying no, and refusing to do it myself was not going to be enough, so it was time for me to offer my resignation,” she said at FORTUNE Most Powerful Women Summit.

Her comments came towards the end of an intense and brief interview with Amna Nawaz, national correspondent for “PBS NewsHour,” which focused primarily on Nielsen’s controversial role in the separation of families at the border.” via CNN

Angry’s Thoughts: Spare me the Nielson redemption tour. In the same interview, she was asked several times – and declined to give a real answer – whether or not she regretted her role in separating families.

She will forever be tied to those policies, and I hope she never gets a good job again.

Washington Post: Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister disparaged Ukraine to Trump

“President Donald Trump’s urging of Ukraine’s President to investigate political rivals coincided with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban pushing a disparaging view of the country to Trump, The Washington Post reported on Monday.

Citing current and former US officials, the Post reported that Putin and Orban did not explicitly name Ukraine as a potential source of dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden or mentioned the country’s potential role in the 2016 US presidential election. However, the two leaders characterized Ukraine as corrupt and reinforced Trump’s views of the country.

George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, described Putin and Orban’s influence during closed-door testimony to House investigators last week, US officials told the Post. Kent pointed to their efforts as a factor in turning Trump against Ukraine in the months leading up to his controversial call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that prompted a whistleblower complaint and impeachment inquiry, the Post reported.” via CNN

I said from the beginning that I wondered what promises Trump made to – or information he gathered from – Vladimir Putin in regards to Ukraine. It’s not a coincidence that Trump’s entire theory on Ukraine is exculpatory to Russia.

Republicans rip Mick Mulvaney’s ‘rough patch’

“Mick Mulvaney’s two stumbling public appearances over the past week have deepened the president’s Ukraine scandal, undercut a chief GOP talking point and left the party stunned and frustrated as Republican lawmakers look to hold off Democrats’ impeachment drive.

Iowa’s Chuck Grassley, the most senior GOP senator, put it this way: Mulvaney is “probably somebody that didn’t know what they were talking about.”

It’s been a “tough week” and “rough patch for Mick Mulvaney” that has not aided his credibility, said Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) bluntly.

“It’s hard to figure out what led him to make some of those statements last week, both in the initial news conference and then the follow-up. I’m glad they walked some of that stuff back but yeah, it’s hard to explain,” Thune said in an interview. “He’s trying to make amends and correct the record, so to speak, so we’ll see. Ultimately, he serves at the pleasure of the president.”

And if Trump is weighing whether to keep Mulvaney or cut loose the third man who’s held the seemingly impossible job, many Senate Republicans are not likely to offer the embattled aide much support. Trump himself did not answer a question about Mulvaney’s status on Monday and the White House did not return a request for comment for this story.” via Politico

I’d be pretty surprised if Mulvaney lasts another week. Everyone in the administration is pissed at him. He’s managed to spectacularly screw up on national television twice this week. I said it yesterday, but I’m really starting to wonder if some of it was intentional. He’s not the brightest crayon in the box, but this is an impressive blunder even for him.

Trump might expose whistleblower, Schumer tells Intel officials

“As President Donald Trump continued his attacks on the Ukraine whistleblower on Monday, Chuck Schumer is asking the intelligence community what is being done to protect the source from harm.

The Senate Minority leader asked both the acting director of national intelligence and the inspector general on Monday afternoon to outline what “specific steps” they are taking to protect the whistleblower. Schumer said his understanding is the unidentified individual is receiving some security but said that he fears “safety risks may intensify in the event that the whistleblower’s identity is disclosed.”

“In light of the President’s ill-advised statements, his lack of respect for the rule of law and his well-documented habit of condoning violence by his supporters, I am concerned that he may disclose the whistleblower’s identity or cause it to be disclosed by others in the administration,” Schumer wrote in a letter to acting DNI Joseph Maguire and IG Michael Atkinson. “If that were to happen, it will be your responsibility to take immediate action to protect the whistleblower from both workplace reprisal and threats to his or her personal safety.” via Politico

This has been a discussion on the Hill for quite some time now. The Democrats fully expect Trump or one of his Congressional allies to out the whistleblower at some point. Getting it out was a good move by Schumer. I just hope they prosecute the hell out of whichever Congresscritter ends up betraying our country. My money is on Jordan, Nunes, or Gaetz, for what it’s worth.

Trump defends Gabbard after Clinton claims she’s a Russian asset

“President Donald Trump on Monday defended Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard against Hillary Clinton’s accusation that the Democratic congresswoman’s presidential campaign is being bolstered by the Russian government.

“She’s accusing everyone of being a Russian agent,” Trump told reporters of his 2016 general election opponent.

“These people are sick. There’s something wrong with them,” he said, arguing that Clinton’s controversial comments would aid Gabbard’s White House bid.

Republicans in recent days have criticized the former secretary of State and Democratic presidential nominee for remarks she made on a podcast with David Plouffe, former President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign manager.” via Politico

I know some of you might not buy the whole Tulsi is a Russian asset thing, but it’s worth asking the obvious question here: why are Republicans going out of their way to defend Tulsi and support her candidacy?

Her goals and most of her talking points align much more closely with the GOP, Putin, and Assad than they do any of her Democratic colleagues. It’s not out of bounds to ask why that might be.

Trump Rages Over Republican Defections as Democrats Press on Impeachment

“President Trump, increasingly embittered by an impeachment inquiry that Democrats are intensifying by the day, complained on Monday that Republicans were not united enough in defending him against what he called “vicious” adversaries bent on removing him.

Mr. Trump lashed out at Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, the only member of his party who has signaled he may be open to impeaching Mr. Trump, arguing that the senator’s defection showed weakness in the party.

Launching into a series of attacks on Democrats, Mr. Trump said approvingly that they were “vicious and they stick together. They don’t have Mitt Romney in their midst — they don’t have people like that.”

They stick together,” Mr. Trump added, during a lengthy question-and-answer session with reporters at a cabinet meeting. “You never see them break off.”

It was the second time in as many days that Mr. Trump — coming to terms with the fact that he will most likely be impeached by the Democrat-led House within weeks and face a Senate trial immediately after — has complained about a lack of support from Republicans as he faces the greatest threat yet to his presidency.” via The New York Times

If you didn’t witness that Cabinet Meeting, it was absolutely bonkers, even by Trump’s standards. CNN wrote an article titled “The 41 most out-there lines from Donald Trump’s Cabinet meeting“

Having someone be able to pick out 41 lines insane lines from a Cabinet meeting is probably bad enough, but that wasn’t even half of the actual crazy, if we’re being honest. He further stuck his foot in this mouth about the Kurds, openly trashed the Constitution, bashed Mitt Romney, ranted about having to cancel the G7 at Doral, and more.

Translation: it must be Monday.

Israel’s Netanyahu gives up effort to form new government

“Benjamin Netanyahu gave up his effort to form a new government on Monday after failing to secure a majority coalition, creating an opportunity for centrist rival Benny Gantz to replace Israel’s longest serving prime minister.

Netanyahu, who heads the right-wing Likud party, said he had been unable to form a government following an election in September, and was returning the mandate back to Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin. Rivlin said he intends to task Gantz with the job of putting together a new government.” via Reuters

Womp womp.

U.S. mulls leaving some troops in Syria to guard oil: Pentagon

“The Pentagon is considering keeping some U.S. troops near oilfields in northeastern Syria alongside Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to help deny oil to Islamic State militants, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Monday.

U.S. troops are crossing into Iraq as part of a broader withdrawal from Syria ordered by President Donald Trump, a decision that allowed Turkey to launch an offensive against the SDF which for years was a U.S. ally battling Islamic State.” via Reuters

Or, we could have not capitulated to Turkey, stayed in Syria where our mission was succeeding, not abandoned our allies, not released ISIS, and not had any oil to need to protect. Crazy idea, huh?

‘Get tougher’: Trump slams Democrats and chides Republicans as allies criticize his erratic impeachment response

“President Trump lashed out against the impeachment process during a raucous Cabinet meeting Monday, turning the White House gathering into a Trump-run war room as he continues to unnerve many of his Republican allies by insisting on a personal and largely uncoordinated response to his mounting challenges. 

In extemporaneous remarks that lasted more than an hour, Trump railed against what he called a “phony investigation” of his dealings with Ukraine and blasted the “phony emoluments clause” of the Constitution, which played a role in forcing him to scrap plans to host a global summit at his private golf club in Florida. And as Cabinet secretaries looked on, Trump called on Republicans to “get tougher” before making a stream of false allegations about several of his predecessors, from George Washington to Barack Obama.

Behind the scenes, Trump’s erratic and bombastic behavior is causing growing alarm among Republican lawmakers, donors and advisers who have called for a more disciplined impeachment response from the White House.” via The Washington Post

I’ve told you guys that donors were getting nervous for awhile, but it’s reaching a fever pitch at the moment. I wouldn’t be at all shocked to see a pretty big exodus from the Trump train soon – they all realize this isn’t a winning ticket for 2020.

White House Personnel Director Tells Trump Top DHS Picks Are Ineligible

“The White House personnel office chief has told President Trump that his top two picks to fill the Homeland Security secretary job aren’t eligible under a federal law dictating who can fill the role without Senate confirmation, people familiar with the matter said.

Mr. Trump and many of his top immigration advisers favor Ken Cuccinelli or Mark Morgan for the job. Both men have only worked at DHS for the past few months but are ardent defenders of the president’s immigration policies on television. The previous acting secretary, Kevin McAleenan, submitted his resignation this month but will remain on the job through the end of the month.” via WSJ

Only the best people.

House Democrats zero in on ‘abuse of power’ in Trump impeachment inquiry

“House Democrats are zeroing in on a framework for their impeachment case against President Donald Trump that will center on a simple “abuse of power” narrative involving the president’s actions regarding Ukraine, according to multiple people familiar with the deliberations.

As Democrats continue closed-door depositions with critical witnesses and prepare to move to the next phase of public hearings, they are wrestling over which elements and evidence to bring in, which to leave out. The goal is to explain to the public the reasoning and relevance of any eventual impeachment charges.

Democratic House committee chairs and leaders are still debating the need for additional articles or charges that extend beyond the president’s dealings with Ukraine, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been adamant that the case against Trump must be targeted and easy to communicate in order to build public support, according to those familiar with discussions.” via NBC News

This is a good move. They’re also considering obstruction / contempt of Congress, but it’s better to keep it simple at this point – the impeachable offenses are obviously in the open, just explain them to the people and get him out of here.

The court that could decide the future of Trump’s presidency

“Presidents understand the power of this court, and President Donald Trump may come to understand that more than most.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit — known as the DC Circuit and dubbed the country’s “second highest court” — handles a distinctive caseload testing the power of federal regulators and the executive branch.

The DC Circuit’s portfolio has long put it at the center of disputes over potential White House wrongdoing, such as during Watergate in the Nixon years, the Iran-Contra scandal of the Reagan administration and Independent Counsel Ken Starr’s investigation of President Bill Clinton.

Now, it could help determine the fate of legal issues surrounding the House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry and Trump’s desire to withhold personal information and limit his allies from cooperating with investigators.

In its first such case regarding Trump, a three-judge panel earlier this month affirmed the investigatory power of the US House of Representatives and upheld a subpoena for eight years of the President’s financial documents.” via CNN

Trump is going to have a very difficult time finding any court that’s going to side with him on the majority of the issues he’s fighting right now – that’s why I haven’t been too concerned with the few wins he’s gotten, or the amount of judicial nominees he’s appointed. Judges rule against the Presidents who appoint them all the time.

Pelosi leads congressional delegation to Jordan to discuss Middle East and Syria

“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a bipartisan high-level congressional delegation to Jordan this weekend where they discussed Middle East peace and Syria with members of the country’s royal family, her office announced late Saturday.

“This evening, our bipartisan delegation was honored to meet with His Majesty King Abdullah II, Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and senior Jordanian officials,” the California Democrat said in a statement.

“We expressed our continued appreciation for the strategic partnership between the U.S. and Jordan and engaged in a constructive dialogue on regional stability, counterterrorism, security cooperation, Middle East peace, economic development and other shared challenges,” she said.” via CNN

This is a good move by Pelosi. Not only does it show that Congress can do the rest of their job along with impeachment, it going to drive Trump nuts to think that Pelosi is undercutting him on foreign policy.

Mick Mulvaney’s bad week just got worse

“Mick Mulvaney’s week went from bad to worse on Sunday, as he again tried to explain why President Donald Trump and the administration had withheld aid to Ukraine for weeks — one of Democrats’ central questions in their impeachment inquiry.

Mulvaney fumbled during an interview on “Fox News Sunday” when he cited two reasons for the delay, whereas he had listed three during his Thursday news briefing at the White House. He continued to blame reporters for any misunderstanding, a feat that can be tough to pull off when his answers were all delivered on camera and when the host, Chris Wallace, let the tape keep rolling.

And he threw red meat to liberals and Democratic presidential candidates who have long questioned the appropriateness of the Trump family continuing to profit from their business holdings while Trump serves as president.

“At the end of the day, he still considers himself to be in the hospitality business,” Mulvaney told Wallace about Trump’s original decision to hold the next G-7 summit at his resort in Doral, Fla. — a decision he reversed late Saturday.

“I just have to pick up: You say he considers himself in the hospitality business?” Wallace asked. “He’s the president of the United States.” via Politico

At this point, it’s hard to think that Mulvaney isn’t doing this on purpose. To be clear, he’s not smart, but he’s not *this* dumb, either. If you didn’t watch that interview with Chris Wallace, you absolutely should – Wallace barbecued him.

House Intelligence Committee members call on Giuliani to testify

“A Democrat and a Republican on the House Intelligence Committee reiterated Sunday that Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, should testify before Congress, days after he refused to comply with the House’s impeachment inquiry.

In interviews with CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) said that Giuliani was key to understanding pressure the Trump administration placed on the Ukrainian government to investigate Vice President Joe Biden and his family, while Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) said testimony from the former New York mayor would be helpful.

“I would say at the very center of this whole ugly episode of the use of military aid and the White House meeting in an effort to get an investigation into Joe Biden and to get Ukraine to interfere in our election is Rudy Giuliani,” Himes said. “Rudy Giuilani has refused to appear before the committee, but he is at the very core of this question.”

Hurd agreed: “I … want to know who did Rudy Giuliani actually talk to. I think having Mayor Giuliani come and testify is important.”

The president’s lawyer also got some harsh words from retiring GOP Rep. Francis Rooney of Florida, who said recently he would be open to impeachment.

“I don’t buy having an amateur diplomat — quasi diplomat out there — disrupt the work of our paid professionals,” Rooney told Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union.” via Politico

The White House is trying very hard to hunker down and just hope this all blows over as the Democrats get into election season. Fortunately, the Dems have shown the ability to walk and chew gum, and it’s getting worse for the White House by the day.

Defense chief: U.S. troops leaving Syria to go to western Iraq

“Defense Secretary Mark Esper says that under current plans all U.S. troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq and the military will continue to conduct operations against the Islamic State group to prevent its resurgence.

Speaking to reporters traveling with him to the Middle East, Esper did not rule out the idea that U.S. forces would conduct counterterrorism missions from Iraq into Syria. But he said those details will be worked out over time.” via Politico

To be clear, this makes the troop withdrawal that much more asinine; they’re going to keep doing the same mission from a less ideal position. It’s utterly ridiculous and shows off this administration’s unparalleled ignorance when it comes to… well, everything.

DOJ distances itself from Giuliani

“The Justice Department distanced itself on Sunday from Rudolph W. Giuliani, President Trump’s personal lawyer, declaring that department officials would not have met with Mr. Giuliani to discuss one of his clients had they known that federal prosecutors in New York were investigating two of his associates.

Several weeks ago, Brian A. Benczkowski, the head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and lawyers from the division’s Fraud Section met with Mr. Giuliani to discuss a bribery case in which he and other attorneys were representing the defendants.

That meeting took place before the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan publicly charged the two Giuliani associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, with breaking campaign finance laws and trying to unlawfully influence politicians, including former Representative Pete Sessions, Republican of Texas. Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman were part of Mr. Giuliani’s effort to push Ukraine for an inquiry into Democrats.

“When Mr. Benczkowski and fraud section lawyers met with Mr. Giuliani, they were not aware of any investigation of Mr. Giuliani’s associates in the Southern District of New York and would not have met with him had they known,” said Peter Carr, a department spokesman.” via New York Times

Giuliani is about to get thrown directly under the bus by everyone. I don’t think he even realizes that he’s going to be turned on any day, but it’s happening. It’s also worth pointing out that it’s incredibly weird for DOJ to have to make a statement like this, and even more unusual for them to be working personally with the President’s personal attorney.

So much for not commenting on ongoing investigations, huh?

Erdogan’s Ambitions Go Beyond Syria. He Says He Wants Nuclear Weapons.

“Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wants more than control over a wide swath of Syria along his country’s border. He says he wants the Bomb.

In the weeks leading up to his order to launch the military across the border to clear Kurdish areas, Mr. Erdogan made no secret of his larger ambition. “Some countries have missiles with nuclear warheads,” he told a meeting of his ruling party in September. But the West insists “we can’t have them,” he said. “This, I cannot accept.”

With Turkey now in open confrontation with its NATO allies, having gambled and won a bet that it could conduct a military incursion into Syria and get away with it, Mr. Erdogan’s threat takes on new meaning. If the United States could not prevent the Turkish leader from routing its Kurdish allies, how can it stop him from building a nuclear weapon or following Iran in gathering the technology to do so?”

Keep in mind that we still store approximately 50 nukes at Incirlik in Turkey. Reporting over the last several weeks has claimed that Turkey is holding the nukes “hostage,” but I don’t necessarily agree with that – they know we’ll come get them any time we feel like it.

The wisdom in storing nuclear bombs with an “ally” as unpredictable as Turkey is another discussion entirely.

Pompeo’s terrible defense

Pompeo on Sunday said he would leave it to the chief of staff to explain his words: “I’m not going to get into hypotheticals and secondary things based on what someone else has said.”

Stephanopoulos countered, “Except it’s not a hypothetical, we saw the chief of staff —”

“George, you just said, ‘If this happened.’ That is, by definition, a hypothetical.”

“The chief of staff said it did.”

A pause. Then, “George, you asked me if this happened. It’s a hypothetical. I’ve told you what I observed, what I saw the process related to this very funding.”

Pompeo was also cautious in commenting on attorney Rudy Giuliani’s involvement and former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch’s claim that she was removed from her post despite being told she did nothing wrong.

Was Giuliani acting with Pompeo’s blessing and supervision? “I’ve had one consistent policy as the secretary of state, to not talk about internal deliberations inside the administration. I’m not going to change that policy for you here this morning.”

Did Pompeo know what Giuliani was doing? “I don’t talk about internal deliberations inside the administration.”

Why did Pompeo approve Yovanovitch’s removal? “I’m not going to get into personal matters inside the State Department.” via Politico

When your Secretary of State essentially pleads the 5th on national television, it’s probably not a good day for the administration’s defense.

Justice Dept. confirms Trump Jr. and McGahn did not testify to Mueller grand jury

“The Justice Department confirmed Sunday that President Donald Trump’s son Donald Jr. and former White House counsel Don McGahn were never called before a grand jury that heard witnesses called by special counsel Robert Mueller.

The disclosure was set in motion by Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., who ruled last week that Justice Department attorneys had deleted too much information from a court filing last month in an ongoing legal dispute over Attorney General William Barr’s refusal to share with House lawmakers grand jury-related information in Mueller’s final report.” via Politico

This is kind of baffling, but I guess at this point, it really doesn’t matter. Trump has much bigger worries than the Mueller report.

Romney says he’s open to removing Trump from office, if the evidence is there

“In an interview airing Sunday night on “Axios on HBO,” the Utah Republican said “it was shocking” for the president to ask Ukraine and China to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.

Romney is among the most outspoken Republican lawmakers willing to publicly criticize Trump, though he said many share his concerns but are too afraid of voter backlash if they speak out.

“There’s no upside in going on out and attacking the leader of your party, ’cause that’s just gonna let someone come in and primary you on the right. So people want to hang onto their job,” he told Axios. “And they don’t want to do something which makes it more likely for Elizabeth Warren to become president or for us to lose the Senate.”

Romney criticized Trump’s sense of honor and said he most disagrees with how, on divisive issues, the president appears to appeal to racism and misogyny. “Those are the kinds of things I think that have been most, most harmful long term to the foundation of America’s virtuous character,” he said.” via MarketWatch

Romney hit Trump for the Stormy Daniels stuff, and went after him several other times in this interview. He’s also still working behind the scenes to ensure that the votes will be there to remove Trump. He’s encouraging Senators to consider their legacies, and it’s working.

All the President’s Morons

“The FBI’s investigation into Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, includes a previously unknown counterintelligence component that could change the entire nature of the probe.

CNN reported on Wednesday that investigators from the Manhattan US attorney’s office approached Kevin McCallion, an attorney in New York, earlier this year to ask about Giuliani’s link to Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two Soviet-born men who were arrested and charged last week with violating campaign finance laws and trying to funnel foreign money into US political campaigns.

Jeffrey Cramer, a longtime former federal prosecutor who spent 12 years at the Justice Department, told Insider the existence of a counterintelligence probe means investigators are “casting a wide net.”

“Cases like these, and they aren’t common, usually involve multiple schemes and numerous players,” Cramer said. “As such, they touch upon many different possible criminal violations.” via Business Insider

I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Rudy arrested soon. Being under a counterintelligence investigation is bad news for Rudy, and whoever he talks to on the phone. Sucks to be Trump and Sean Hannity about right now.

Sondland Criticizes Trump Over Efforts to Pressure Ukraine

“Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, criticized President Trump over his efforts to enlist Ukraine in investigating a political rival and said he and other U.S. officials were “disappointed” by the president’s directive to work with Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine matters.

Mr. Sondland made the comments in prepared testimony to House committees as part of their impeachment inquiry, which is examining the president, his personal lawyer Mr. Giuliani and top diplomats’ dealings with Ukraine. Democrats have accused the president of abusing the power of his office to pressure a foreign country to pursue investigations that could benefit his re-election campaign. Mr. Trump has dismissed the inquiry as a hoax and denies wrongdoing.

The testimony Thursday, as with other recent witnesses, is taking place in a closed session. The Wall Street Journal viewed a copy of Mr. Sondland’s opening statement to the committees.” via MSN

Sondland tried the “well, I’m an idiot and didn’t realize this was a crime” defense. I agree with him about the first part, but I don’t think it’s going to help him legally. I do appreciate him throwing Trump and Rudy under the bus, though.

Russia says US diplomats approached missile test site, location of radioactive blast

“Russia’s foreign ministry on Thursday said three American diplomats who were briefly detained in northern Russia had approached a closed military test site where a radioactive blast occurred in August.

The U.S. diplomats were reported on Wednesday to have been stopped and removed from a train travelling between the closed port city of Severodvinsk and Nenoksa, a village next to the test site on the White Sea in Russia’s Arctic.

The American embassy confirmed the incident, but said the diplomats had informed Russian authorities of their travel in advance.

Russia’s foreign ministry said the diplomats had told Russian authorities they intended to visit a different city, Arkhangelsk, which isn’t within a restricted zone, but then traveled to the closed area next to the test site.” via ABC News

White House Admits Quid Pro Quo

White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney made a stunning admission Thursday by confirming that President Donald Trump froze nearly $400 million in US security aid to Ukraine in part to pressure that country into investigating Democrats.

Mulvaney insisted that he only knew of a US request to investigate the handling of a Democratic National Committee server hacked in the 2016 election, but text messages between US diplomats show efforts to get Ukraine to commit to an investigation into Burisma, the company on whose board former Vice President Joe Biden’s son sat. There is no evidence of wrongdoing in Ukraine by either Biden.

“That’s why we held up the money,” Mulvaney said after listing the 2016-related investigation and Trump’s broader concerns about corruption in Ukraine.

Mulvaney on shaky ground in wake of whistleblower fallout, sources say. After weeks during which Trump denied the existence of any political quid pro quo in his withholding of security aid to Ukraine, Mulvaney confirmed the existence of a quid pro quo and offered this retort: “Get over it.” via CNN

Mulvaney has since tried to walk this back and claim that the press is misrepresenting his comments. At this point I’m about halfway convinced that Mulvaney wants to get fired and/or wants Trump to be impeached; going on national television to admit to the exact crime that the GOP is saying didn’t exist seems extreme for even someone of Mulvaney’s limited intelligence.

Perry to resign

“Energy Secretary Rick Perry notified President Donald Trump that he plans to resign from his post, two administration officials confirmed to White House reporters on Thursday.

Perry’s resignation comes amid scrutiny over his role in the Trump administration’s dealings with Ukraine. White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney confirmed Thursday that the President asked Perry to work with Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, on policies related to Ukraine, but Mulvaney denied that their work was part of a “shadow foreign policy” effort. Perry was one of the “three amigos” leading US relations with the country, meeting three times with Zelensky.” via CNN

Reports a month ago: Perry to resign soon

Perry a month ago: Fake news!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

DOJ, Roger Stone at odds over showing ‘Godfather’ clip during trial

“The Justice Department and Roger Stone’s attorneys remain in a standoff over whether jurors should be shown a clip from “The Godfather, Part II” during the longtime Donald Trump associate’s upcoming trial.

At issue is a four-minute scene from the 1974 movie in which a character named Frank Pentangeli backtracks from giving Congress damning testimony about the Corleone crime family.

Stone referenced the film scene to a key witness who was about to appear before lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. That makes it a “critical part” of the Justice Department’s case charging Stone with lying to Congress and obstruction of justice, the government said in a filing on Thursday.” via Politico

Can we please just throw this idiot in jail for the rest of his life?

Trump judicial nominee faces another setback

“President Donald Trump’s embattled judicial pick to the powerful Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals faced another setback Thursday, after the Judiciary Committee once again delayed a vote on his nomination.

The latest delay is an ominous sign for Halil Suleyman “Sul” Ozerden, a close friend of White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) did not elaborate on the reason for the delay, but senators suggested it may be because Ozerden was still short of the votes needed to move forward.

Ozerden already faces opposition from Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, and will need some Democratic support to advance. But that Democratic backing is in question after civil rights groups like the NAACP and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights sent letters to senators asking them to oppose Ozerden.

“There is Republican opposition and a number of groups whose input I value have raised some significant concerns,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), who is likely to vote against Ozerden. “I think there’s going to be some efforts over the next week by the judge’s advocates to try and address those concerns but if unsuccessful I suspect the nomination will end up being withdrawn.” via Politico

Only the best people.

Trump picks his Doral resort for G-7 summit

“Openly rebuffing congressional investigators and dismissing political optics, President Donald Trump will hold the G-7 summit of world leaders at one of his family’s resorts in the middle of an election year — shrugging off a House impeachment inquiry into whether he is illegally making money off the presidency.

Trump’s decision to inject millions of dollars into his financially struggling Trump National Doral Miami resort puts him at risk of violating the Constitution and adding momentum to the congressional investigation just as he embarks on his reelection campaign.” via Politico

Imagine being Mulvaney and trying to pretend that this was a fair process in which 12 sites were considered before – surprise – Trump’s property was chosen. It’s also totally a coincidence that the G7 happens to be hosted during Doral’s slowest time of the year.

Mulvaney has about as much of a chance to convince me that this was on the up and up as Putin does making me believe Russia wandered into Crimea by accident.

Turkey agrees with U.S. to pause Syria assault while Kurds withdraw

“Turkey agreed on Thursday to pause its offensive in Syria for five days to let Kurdish forces withdraw from a “safe zone” Ankara had sought to capture, in a deal hailed by the Trump administration and cast by Turkey as a complete victory.

The truce was announced by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence after talks in Ankara with Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan, and was praised by President Donald Trump, who said it would save “millions of lives”.

But if implemented it would achieve all the main objectives Turkey announced when it launched its assault on Oct. 9: control of a strip of Syria more than 30 km (20 miles) deep, with the Kurdish militia, once U.S. allies, obliged to pull out.” via Reuters

This “deal” isn’t a deal at all, but it is somehow even worse than Trump’s negotiations with North Korea. It’s impossible to see this as anything other than a total capitulation to Turkey:

They get the land they wanted. We removed sanctions on them. The Kurds – our best allies in the region – no longer trust us. The five day ceasefire is already breaking down. Oh, and we had to bomb one of our own military bases because Trump ordered an immediate withdrawal and there wasn’t time to scrub the base / remove everything that could be useful to the enemy.

If this is what winning looks like, I don’t want to see losing.

Elijah Cummings

The world lost a giant this morning. There simply isn’t enough room to say all the good things I would like to say about one of our most impressive civil rights icons, but everything felt a little bit sadder today after I heard that Rep. Cummings passed away.

Even when Mr. Cummings and I were on opposite sides of the aisle, I always respected him, and one of his quotes still helps keep me going every day:

“We are so much better than this.”

Indeed we are. Rest easy, sir. We’ve got the watch.

Admiral McRaven

Admiral Bill McRaven wrote one of the most powerful op-eds I’ve ever read in the New York Times today.

“As I stood on the parade field at Fort Bragg, one retired four-star general, grabbed my arm, shook me and shouted, “I don’t like the Democrats, but Trump is destroying the Republic!”

Those words echoed with me throughout the week. It is easy to destroy an organization if you have no appreciation for what makes that organization great. We are not the most powerful nation in the world because of our aircraft carriers, our economy, or our seat at the United Nations Security Council. We are the most powerful nation in the world because we try to be the good guys. We are the most powerful nation in the world because our ideals of universal freedom and equality have been backed up by our belief that we were champions of justice, the protectors of the less fortunate.

But, if we don’t care about our values, if we don’t care about duty and honor, if we don’t help the weak and stand up against oppression and injustice — what will happen to the Kurds, the Iraqis, the Afghans, the Syrians, the Rohingyas, the South Sudanese and the millions of people under the boot of tyranny or left abandoned by their failing states?

If our promises are meaningless, how will our allies ever trust us? If we can’t have faith in our nation’s principles, why would the men and women of this nation join the military? And if they don’t join, who will protect us? If we are not the champions of the good and the right, then who will follow us? And if no one follows us — where will the world end up?

President Trump seems to believe that these qualities are unimportant or show weakness. He is wrong. These are the virtues that have sustained this nation for the past 243 years. If we hope to continue to lead the world and inspire a new generation of young men and women to our cause, then we must embrace these values now more than ever.

And if this president doesn’t understand their importance, if this president doesn’t demonstrate the leadership that America needs, both domestically and abroad, then it is time for a new person in the Oval Office — Republican, Democrat or independent — the sooner, the better. The fate of our Republic depends upon it.”

Trump’s impeachment fight messes with his lead in Texas

“President Donald Trump faces a battle with his own party over Syria, a relentless impeachment fight and the steady loss of independent voters in swing states.

Yet he traveled to this decidedly red state on Thursday to rally an enthusiastic audience and build support for congressional Republicans struggling with brutal 2020 reelection battles shaped by Trump’s wobbly political standing.

The Trump campaign feels confident the president will again win the state in 2020, according to two advisers close to the White House, even as Democrats make inroads in the vast urban areas and among state-held offices. But he could see the slimmest margin of victory for a GOP presidential candidate in generations: In 2016, he won by 9 percentage points, while past Republican presidential candidates including Mitt Romney won the state by over 15 points in 2008.” via Politico

Trump isn’t going to be on the ballot to have a chance to win Texas – or any other state – but with as close as the race between Beto and Cruz was in 2018, I wouldn’t be completely surprised to see the GOP nominee lose Texas.