I told my readers to "stay tuned for more Saturn Awards coverage" today,
but I didn't say which category. That's because the leading nominees for
Best Hor...
Friday, December 6, 2019
Finally Submitting This Letter
This is kind of an amalgam of two letters. Maybe two are better than one?
I'm writing about Rep. Stefanik and other conspiracy theory
friendly folks in the GOP. I realize she's been all up in Rep. Schiff's grill
over having to follow House rules. As far as I know she hasn't said a word
about Rep. Nunes pushing Russian disinformation at the hearings. That's what
the "DNC server in Ukraine" fairy tale is. She herself said,
"Whether Ukraine had any part in 2016, I think we still haven't gotten to
the bottom fully of the complexity of the meddling in our election in
2016." As far as that country goes, we have. Tom Bossert, President
Trump's former national security adviser, says the idea Ukraine was involved in
the hack, "Has no validity" and "It's not only a conspiracy
theory, its' completely debunked." Senate Intelligence says the same.
Is it worth remaining silent to Russian backed propaganda in
order to be a star in Trump's Republican Party? Fiona Hill testified, "I
would ask that you please not promote politically driven falsehoods that so
clearly advance Russian interests." That didn't slow Rep. Nunes or cause
Rep. Stefanik to push back on it. The people driving the "Ukraine
interfered" story are Vladimir Putin, corrupt former Ukrainian government
officials, President Trump and Rudy Guiliani, a portion of the Republican Party
including Nunes and Senator Kennedy, and most of Fox News. Rep. Stefanik has
appeared on Sean Hannity. Hannity has met few rightwing conspiracy theories he
didn't push. He tormented Seth Rich's family with nonsense about their son
until forced to desist.
Trump publicly asked for Russia's help in 2016. They were
listening. He's asking for foreign help for another fraudulent win in 2020.
Sadly, the writers of the Constitution didn't realize that if you're a star
they let you get away with it.
Thursday, December 5, 2019
President Clownshoes
I'm not necessarily a Biden supporter, but this is a great ad. I'm sure Dear Leader is loving it.
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Letter Draft
I’m responding to Kim Gamache writing, “The Democrats opened a Pandora’s
Box.” If a Democrat is elected president in 2020, how long before impeachment
proceedings begin?” And, “There is an election in less than a year. Let the
people decide.” On the latter, I have to point out that’s the election
President Trump was trying to get Ukraine to influence by extorting them over aid.
On the former, even the RNC realizes the House is going to stay Democratic. And
by voting to condone Trump’s actions Republicans are saying it’s okay to ask
foreign governments to conduct cyberespionage and make up “dirt.” That
includes Rep. Stefanik when she inevitably votes with the rest of her party. If
there’s a President Warren running for re-election in 2024 and wants any sort
of assistance from any country against say, Nikki Haley or Tom Cotton it’s no
problem. Hacked e-mails or texts. Bogus investigations begun. Republicans are
normalizing it by excusing Trump. Vladimir Putin is smiling and saying "Thank God, no one is accusing
us of interfering in the US elections anymore; now they're accusing
Ukraine."
.
I want to mention Stefanik’s standing by while her cohorts push the “Ukraine
interfered” Russian intelligence operation. It’s worth remaining silent to become a “star”
in the GOP. Jim Jordan remained silent at Ohio State for what Joe Paterno lost
his reputation for. Jordan is a folk hero now in today’s Republican party. A
vote with Trump is ignoring his going on Fox and Friends and rambling about
Crowdstrike and the DNC server. Things that can only be understood by those
marinating in rightwing fever swamps. Fiona Hill’s testimony, “In the course of
this investigation, I would ask that you please no promote politically driven
falsehoods that so clearly advance Russian interests.” Rep. Stefanik claims her
party, other than the president who's adopted the Russian line, has not denied that they interfered. Trumps' defenders are certainly working overtime to muddy the water, though.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Couple of Great Letters
Agata Stanford
I really love this line.
Tanya Goldstein
...
Elise Stefanik has voted to strike down the Affordable Care
Act and defund Planned Parenthood. Her disregard for protecting our
environment, or the deception she engaged in when she was allowed to vote
against Trump’s Tax cuts in exchange for whipping the votes for its passing, a
bill that benefited corporations and the 1%, her donors, not her constituents,
or her numerous other assaults against labor, education and our financial and
investment protections are available for anyone with a bit of curiosity to see
by visiting the “Tracking the United States Congress” website. For her fans,
the truth may be painful.
I really love this line.
Since when has corruption been quantified in acceptable
amounts?
...
Tanya Goldstein
Perhaps an analogy will persuade those who are so blind they
will not see. One day I look and see my neighbor (for the sake of argument say
we don't get along) digging in his backyard and burying a large heavy object.
Also, his wife has gone missing. I call the police because something seems
fishy. (I am the whistleblower.) Two police detectives begin to investigate my
tip. One is my friend, one my neighbor's. (That is the congressional inquiry.)
They talk to my neighbor. He says his wife is visiting relatives, and he was
doing some gardening. (Trump and his "perfect" phone call.)
...
"Elise is paying a smirking misogynist slime-ball to
stalk Tedra Cobb!," she tells Pinocchio. "I've seen the creep's
Twitter feed. He's very pleased with himself. He never removes his sunshades.
Is the law after him? What is he hiding? No woman feels safe with a guy like
that following her."
...
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
You Really Believe That?
Overriding the fact that Rep. Stefanik
sees “no quid pro quo” in the president’s statement is that she seems to believe the nonsense Ukraine server conspiracy theory. She says,“Whether Ukraine had any
part in 2016, I think we still haven’t gotten to the bottom fully of the
complexity of the meddling in our election in 2016.” Yes, as far as that
country goes, we have. Tom Bossert, President Trump’s former national security
adviser, says the idea Ukraine was involved in the hack, “Has no validity” and "It’s not only a conspiracy theory, it’s completely debunked.”
In the call to President Zelensky, Trump
says, “ I would like you to do us a favor though because our country has been
through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it… The server, they say Ukraine
has it.” This refers to the theory Bossert spoke of. It goes that the DNC
hacked itself and fabricated the evidence that blames Russia for it. Needless
to say, Russian trolls and bots are keen to push this idea. Why the president
or a representative on House Intelligence is open to it is a mystery. Those who
believe in this alternate reality posit the server is in Ukraine. The founder
of Crowdstrike that investigated the hack, who is a Russian-born American
citizen, becomes Ukrainian. Seth Rich, a DNC staffer killed by random violence,
makes an appearance in some iterations.
I’d really love to see Rep. Stefanik
clarify what she meant by meddling vis a vis Ukraine. We’ve come to expect the
president to take the word of foreign governments over the intelligence
community. I give our congresswoman credit for not taking this nonsense
seriously. Is she just doing a shout out to those who do?
Friday, October 18, 2019
Thursday, October 17, 2019
In Defense of Marie Yovanovich, God Bless Her
I'm writing to recommend the "Opening Statement of Marie Yovanovitch." She started in Foreign Service in 1986 under Ronald Reagan. That's four Republican and two Democratic presidents. She was fired by President Trump to serve the interests of Rudy Guiliani's two recently indicted associates. From her statement, "Individuals who have been named in the press as contacts of Mr. Guiliani may well have believed that their personal financial ambitions were stymied by our anti-corruption policy." She was stymieing the ambitions of Russia in Ukraine, as well. It's a disgrace she isn't still.
Russia is run by Vladimir Putin. He has robbed, with his partners, that economy blind. Elections are a sham. There's no succession and Putin will serve as long as he lives. We hear Trump talking of not stepping down at the end of his presidency, so he seems openly envious of the situation extant in a failed state like Russia. The media there exists only to spread lies and propaganda approved by the government. Mr. Trump says he welcomes the help of foreigners in his campaigns. From Ms. Yovanovitch, "The harm will come when bad actors in countries beyond Ukraine see how easy it is to use fiction and innuendo to manipulate our system. In such circumstances, the only interests that will be served are those of our strategic adversaries, like Russia, that spread chaos and attack the institutions and norms that the U.S. helped create and which we have benefited from." Yovanovitch, George Kent, Fiona Hill and Michael McKinley are all patriots and defenders of democracy. They care deeply about this country and Ukraine both of which continue to be under attack from Russia.
Russia is run by Vladimir Putin. He has robbed, with his partners, that economy blind. Elections are a sham. There's no succession and Putin will serve as long as he lives. We hear Trump talking of not stepping down at the end of his presidency, so he seems openly envious of the situation extant in a failed state like Russia. The media there exists only to spread lies and propaganda approved by the government. Mr. Trump says he welcomes the help of foreigners in his campaigns. From Ms. Yovanovitch, "The harm will come when bad actors in countries beyond Ukraine see how easy it is to use fiction and innuendo to manipulate our system. In such circumstances, the only interests that will be served are those of our strategic adversaries, like Russia, that spread chaos and attack the institutions and norms that the U.S. helped create and which we have benefited from." Yovanovitch, George Kent, Fiona Hill and Michael McKinley are all patriots and defenders of democracy. They care deeply about this country and Ukraine both of which continue to be under attack from Russia.
Monday, October 7, 2019
In Defense of Chairman Schiff, God Bless Him
Responding to Rep. Stefanik's campaign to get Rep. Schiff
replaced as chair of the Intelligence Committee. Regarding the whistleblower
complaint she says, "(Schiff) manipulated this information and played
partisan political games." What exactly does that mean? Does it mean he
helped write it, as the president claims? There's a word he used recently that
I probably can't repeat in this forum. Concerning the paraphrase of the president's
call, Schiff's first sentence reads: "Shorn of its rambling character and
in not so many words, this is the essence of what the president
communicates." Clearly he wasn't quoting. Another question for our
congresswoman, given the opportunity, would be if there was anything in the
chairman's statement that was inaccurate. It seemed to properly convey the gist
of the call.
Ukraine is in a war against Russian revanchism with over
13,000 killed. President Trump needs a more believable explanation than
"concern over corruption" for holding up aid to them. His campaign
chairman, Paul Manafort, helped install that corruption. Despite the cyber
disinformation efforts of Russia there, they have elected a president dedicated
to "draining the swamp," for real. Electorally, their resistance may
have been better than ours. It's recently come to light that the president told
the two Russian officials he met, the day after firing James Comey, that he was
unconcerned about their interference in our elections. Has Rep. Stefanik
commented on that? I know she says she's committed to protecting our elections.
That seems more important than Rep. Schiff's attempts at parody.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
I See You've Got a Brand-New Leopard-Skin Tinfoil Hat
We could've seen our congresswoman was going full Trump with
the juvenile nickname she defamed Tedra Cobb with. Wednesday, she retweeted
Kevin McCarthy's comment, "Chairman Schiff just got caught orchestrating
with the whistleblower before the complaint was ever filed. Democrats have rigged
this process from the start," in response to a NY Times article. Ms.
Stefanik's tweet read, "I'm glad that the question I asked last week has
been answered. As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I'm extremely
concerned with our Chairman's increasingly reckless behavior." We recently
learned the president told two Russian officials, in the Oval Office, he didn't
care about their interference in our election. That something a Republican
politician would've at least called "reckless behavior" in the past.
Not today.
The president's comment on the NYT article was,
"(Schiff) knew long before and helped write it, too." So, he's
accusing Mr. Schiff of helping write the complaint. From the NYT, "The CIA
officer approached a House Intelligence Committee aide with his concerns about
Mr. Trump only after he had had a colleague first convey them to the CIA's top
lawyer. Concerned about how that initial avenue was unfolding, the officer then
approached the House aide." Quoting Mr. Schiff's spokesman, "At no
point did the committee review or receive the complaint in advance."
Schiff's parody of the president's call was wrong, but it
was clearly parody. The scurrilous charges against him are not and display the
same conspiratorial thinking and dishonesty that led the president to send Rudy
Guiliani to Ukraine in the first place.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Another Deplorable Letter
Saturday, I took a walk down Warren Street to experience the
Trump Followers. I only imbibed a short while. Regular readers know my
politics, but if I was a Republican it wouldn't please me to have these folks
as representative of my party. Speaking of representatives, that includes ours.
I saw several Stefanik banners. One wonders if she's proud of this support.
It's hard to say since we hear so little from her. In the brief time, I heard
several profanities and some nonsense about Michelle Obama being a man
projected from a bullhorn. Is this another case of we didn't think we needed a
law against it? So much of that in the Trump era. This likely makes Saratoga a more attractive
destination on a sunny, late summer Saturday.
I've heard the response of the Followers and it's "what
about the protesters arrested at our congresswoman's office." Agree with
them or not, they were arrested at a taxpayer supported facility because they
disagreed with our government's treatment of people fleeing economic hardship.
"Petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances" and all. The
folks that take pride in being deplorable are out there to praise Trump and
trash the people on his enemies list. Such is the hollowness of the Republican
Party. It now stands for Trump, the wall, ad hominem attacks on his opponents
and nothing more. Like or loathe Liz Warren's and AOC's ideas, at least there's
something to discuss. Spare me the socialist epithet unless you can explain how
billions to Midwest farmers is not and how trade wars jibe with free market
principles.
Saturday, August 3, 2019
Deplorables of Northern NY
Link
Seeman said he took issue with comments made in the group’s mission statement that its members feel “bullied” by the left. He does not believe progressive groups have been bullies.
Joe Seeman is referring to this comment from a David Vanscoy.
Link
I'm happy to report that, having walked around a bit at the rally, no progressives were there bullying any of them and no one tried to ram lunacy down their throats. That would've been a relief because they were absolutely not being bullied into silence.
Seeman said he took issue with comments made in the group’s mission statement that its members feel “bullied” by the left. He does not believe progressive groups have been bullies.
Joe Seeman is referring to this comment from a David Vanscoy.
Link
The group was started by a “small group of patriots who are
tired of being bullied into silence by the progressive left,” according to its
mission statement.
David Vanscoy, founding member of the organization, said in
an email the group was started also in response to the calls for impeachment.
Nearly 500 people have followed the Facebook page in over a month.
“We are excited and eager to show our local communities that
it’s OK, and your right, to stand up and push back on the lunacy the
progressive left, backed by the media, tries to ram down our throats,” he said.
I'm happy to report that, having walked around a bit at the rally, no progressives were there bullying any of them and no one tried to ram lunacy down their throats. That would've been a relief because they were absolutely not being bullied into silence.
Great Letters That Are Not Mine
I'd love to take credit for either of them, though.
John Busteed
Apparently he had the same reaction to Hunter Sartwell's line about Elise Stefanik representing the Republican Party that I did.
Earlier this week, Hunter Sartwell stated that Rep. Elise Stefanik represented Republican values. I agree that she does. I spoke with the congresswoman’s office on Thursday (July 25) and Friday (July 26) to see if they had a statement on President Trump’s “Send Her Back” racist chant. Her office said they had no opinion on that. Though they did point out that they vehemently opposed the “Squad.” So it would appear that she supports Trump’s overt racism, a Republican value.
Thank you, Ms. Roberts for the fractured fairy tale about Elise's brother.
Pinocchio writes to Congresswoman Stefanik, his secret sister, from an Adirondack safe-house. He is safe in the north. She will never sell him for pulpwood. She doesn't like to go there. People ask her questions. They put her on the spot. She prefers to lecture empty seats in the House of Representatives. She can read her script, look important, and be on C-Span!
John Busteed
Apparently he had the same reaction to Hunter Sartwell's line about Elise Stefanik representing the Republican Party that I did.
Earlier this week, Hunter Sartwell stated that Rep. Elise Stefanik represented Republican values. I agree that she does. I spoke with the congresswoman’s office on Thursday (July 25) and Friday (July 26) to see if they had a statement on President Trump’s “Send Her Back” racist chant. Her office said they had no opinion on that. Though they did point out that they vehemently opposed the “Squad.” So it would appear that she supports Trump’s overt racism, a Republican value.
Thank you, Ms. Roberts for the fractured fairy tale about Elise's brother.
Pinocchio writes to Congresswoman Stefanik, his secret sister, from an Adirondack safe-house. He is safe in the north. She will never sell him for pulpwood. She doesn't like to go there. People ask her questions. They put her on the spot. She prefers to lecture empty seats in the House of Representatives. She can read her script, look important, and be on C-Span!
Northern NY is about as rightwing as Alabama and Elise Stefanik will likely be re-elected. No sense in her being too comfortable, though.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
If It Walks Like A Racist...
Link
I'd encourage everyone to read Rep. Malinowski's resolution: "Condemning President Trump's racist comments directed at members of Congress." He wrote on Twitter, "Do we embrace President Reagan's vision of an America made stronger by immigrants and refugees, or President Trump's message of fear?" Rep. Stefanik has aligned with the current president in voting against the resolution and has smeared her fellow congresswomen as "far-left socialists." Handing out billions to farmers hurt by ill-advised tariffs seems socialist to me. The four-woman "Squad" is working to confront climate change, income inequality and inhumanity towards people who are simply seeking a better life. It's possible to disagree with their solutions without taunts. If Ms. Stefanik likes labels, she should try out demagogue wherever appropriate. Mr. Trump has lied about Rep. Omar's statements on al-Qaeda whom she has actually called evil and heinous. His followers are now chanting "send her back." Is there any concern about her safety in the GOP?
I'd encourage everyone to read Rep. Malinowski's resolution: "Condemning President Trump's racist comments directed at members of Congress." He wrote on Twitter, "Do we embrace President Reagan's vision of an America made stronger by immigrants and refugees, or President Trump's message of fear?" Rep. Stefanik has aligned with the current president in voting against the resolution and has smeared her fellow congresswomen as "far-left socialists." Handing out billions to farmers hurt by ill-advised tariffs seems socialist to me. The four-woman "Squad" is working to confront climate change, income inequality and inhumanity towards people who are simply seeking a better life. It's possible to disagree with their solutions without taunts. If Ms. Stefanik likes labels, she should try out demagogue wherever appropriate. Mr. Trump has lied about Rep. Omar's statements on al-Qaeda whom she has actually called evil and heinous. His followers are now chanting "send her back." Is there any concern about her safety in the GOP?
It's risible that the president presents himself as a
champion for the Jewish people in this episode. Jonathan Greenblatt of the ADL
writes of the slurs against the four congresswomen that they are "ripped
straight from a white supremacist manifesto" and "the charge that one
can't possibly be accepted as a full-fledged member of society because of who
you are is one that is all too familiar to Jews." Andrew Anglin of Daily
Stormer writes of the tweets, "This is the kind of WHITE NATIONALISM we
elected him for." For a non-racist, racists like him a lot. Oh, and
despite this, no one has forgotten that he's trying to take away our health
insurance.
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Whistling Past the Concentration Camp
Link
Apparently AOC has "educated" herself. Pick up a dictionary, Elise!
While the most common use of “concentration camp” is in reference to the Nazi Germany-era camps where many people were executed, concentration camp is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as any place where “large numbers of people, especially political prisoners or members of persecuted minorities, are deliberately imprisoned in a relatively small area with inadequate facilities, sometimes to provide forced labor or to await mass execution.”
Elise Stefanik took issue with fellow U.S. Rep. Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez referring to migrant detention camps on the country’s southern
border as “concentration camps” last week.
Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, responded by tweeting about a
Holocaust education act she co-introduced and saying the congresswoman from the
Bronx needs to learn the history.
“I think that she needs to educate herself,” Stefanik said
in a phone interview on Thursday. “That was something that I learned in school.
I vividly remember reading Anne Frank’s diary in sixth grade. As we see these
numbers moving globally with lack of education on the Holocaust … frankly it’s
disappointing that clearly in this case the members of Congress themselves
needs to be educated.”
Apparently AOC has "educated" herself. Pick up a dictionary, Elise!
While the most common use of “concentration camp” is in reference to the Nazi Germany-era camps where many people were executed, concentration camp is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as any place where “large numbers of people, especially political prisoners or members of persecuted minorities, are deliberately imprisoned in a relatively small area with inadequate facilities, sometimes to provide forced labor or to await mass execution.”
Many nations before and after Nazi Germany have run
concentration camps.
Friday, June 21, 2019
Mea Culpa
My bad. Rep. Stefanik did come out with a statement critical
of the president's notice that he is open to information from foreign sources.
It is nearly identical to the FEC chair's. What is remarkable is that anyone
has to point out the chief executive that it's illegal. So we can only hope
ignorance of the law is not an excuse in 2020. It's reassuring to see our rep
working to protect the sanctity of American elections.
No such sanctity for congressional oversight. Due to my
inexperience with law, I didn't realize obeying subpoenas was optional. Failure
to comply doesn't mean jail? The same article said our rep "voted against
a procedure that would allow the Judiciary Committee to initiate or intervene
in judicial proceedings to enforce subpoenas." Her rationale is "this
resolution does little to strengthen congressional oversight." Enforcing
subpoenas doesn't strengthen it?
She also says it "only furthers House Democrat’s pro-impeachment
agenda." There is a minority of Democrats in the House calling for
impeachment and Speaker Pelosi has continually tamped it down. I saw recently
that Rep. Stefanik has read the Mueller report. She's not curious why the
president put forth so much effort into obstructing the investigation into
Russian interference in the election? Mr. Trump stated in the Stephanopoulos
interview that Don McGahn lied to the grand jury. He resorted to insulting the
interviewer when it was pointed out he did not answer Mueller's obstruction
questions in his written responses. Seems like enough reason to compel Mr.
McGahn to testify. Still time for Republican congress folks to get on the right
side of history.
Monday, June 17, 2019
In Defense of Government Employees
I'm responding to Carl Thomas' entreaty to "forget
Russia" and focus on the supposed treachery of Barack Obama who apparently
spent 8 years trying to destroy the country. That's when he wasn't busy
rescuing it from the Great Recession and giving access to healthcare to over 20
million Americans. And "collusion investigators were complicit including
Mr. Mueller" in the treachery. Read the report. They didn't investigate
collusion. So, who should I trust: Mueller or Trump? Robert Mueller rehabbed
his knee in order to serve in Vietnam, directed the FBI after 9/11 and has been
married to his wife for 53 years. One wife, same as Obama. Trump? The less said
on all of these and more, the better.
In a recent interview, the president said "there's
nothing wrong with listening" if the Russians offer help. His cleanup
efforts say you still have to look at it. That's after the chair of the Federal
Elections Commission released a statement, "It is illegal for any person
to solicit, accept or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection
with a U.S. election." It's illegal to look at it. The FBI director
concurs.
Rep. Stefanik has legislation targeting Putin and his
minions. Great! But, Trump is inviting all comers to the table and Sen.
McConnell is killing any legislation in the Senate designed to protect
elections. In addition, there are a large number of people trotting out Deep
State conspiracy nonsense about government employees, including former heads of
FBI and CIA. I'd gladly match the patriotism and dedication of any of them
against our president. Let's extend that to journalists, as well. Your silence
implies agreement, congresswoman.
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Stefanik on Barr
Because my rep values my opinion so much.
Awhile back, Rep. Stefanik signed off on a letter to Rep.
Schiff that, "your actions ... are incompatible with your duty of Chairman
of this committee" and "we have no faith in your ability to discharge
your duties in a manner consistent with your Constitutional responsibility and
urge your immediate resignation as Chairman."
More recently, she released a statement on the Mueller
report, "AG Barr was clear that the process was completed with a high
degree of transparency, no executive privilege, limited redactions and resulted
in a report of no collusion." Read the report. Collusion is a cliche, not
a crime.
During AG Barr's testimony to the Senate, he told Sen.
Harris that he'd made the call of no obstruction without looking at underlying
evidence and based on the Mueller report which didn't make a determination one
way or the other. He also couldn't say whether the White House had suggested
investigations for the DOJ to engage in because he was "grappling"
with the meaning of the word "suggest." He also couldn't say if
campaigns should report foreign interference when they see it. The cherry on
top is that, in his opinion, a president can shut down an investigation into
himself if he feels he's being falsely accused.
In late March, Mueller wrote to Barr that his summary letter
"did not capture the context, nature and substance of this office's work
and conclusions." And that it "threatens to undermine ... full public
confidence in the outcome of the investigations." Yet, on April 10 Barr
told Sen. Van Hollen, "I don't know whether Bob Mueller supported my
conclusion." I'm curious if our congresswoman has faith in William Barr
discharging his duties in a manner consistent with the Constitution.
She's such a hack. She was in the paper today, too.
“I have read the report which found that there was no
conspiracy or collusion. However, the report is extremely clear that Russia did
attempt to meddle in our elections and that cannot be ignored,” she said in a
follow-up email.
And
When asked to comment about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s’
comment that Barr had lied during his testimony to Congress, she said she did
not see the testimony because she had committee hearings that day.
Stefanik said she did not reach any conclusions from the
report different from what Barr said in his summary letter.
Link
Monday, April 22, 2019
Stefanik's Response to Mueller Report
I first want to mention Rep. Stefanik's bizarre legislation
requiring the FBI to notify Congress if candidates were under investigation. It
would've been a footrace among Republicans on the Hill to see who could inform
candidate Trump first. His campaign was warned that foreign actors, including Russia,
would try to infiltrate it and that they should, wait for it, tell the FBI.
In the wake of the Mueller report, Rep. Stefanik put out a
statement noting "no collusion between Russia and the Trump
campaign." She's going to focus on "interference in our elections by
Russia and other foreign adversaries." It would've been nice to see some
mention of obstruction to balance that no collusion mantra. Mueller seemed to
say that the only thing preventing those charges were OLC guidelines against
indicting a sitting president and Trump's staff saving him by not following
orders.
A group of writers at Lawfare blog posted that Trump's
campaign, "were aware the Russians sought to help him win. They welcomed
that assistance. Instead of warning the American public, they instead devised a
public relations and campaign strategy that sought to capitalize on Russia's
illicit assistance. In other words, the Russians and the Trump campaign shared
a common goal, and each side worked to achieve that goal with basic knowledge
of the other side's intention. They just didn't agree to work toward that goal
together."
Rudy Guiliani said this weekend, "There's nothing wrong
with taking information from the Russians." It kind of sounds like our
congresswoman agrees with that. They didn't help Donald Trump in order to MAGA.
That's a given. Maybe finding why they did is something she could focus on.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Stefanik Hackery
I’m writing about
Rep. Stefanik joining 8 members of House Intelligence to call on Rep. Schiff to
resign because “the findings of the special counsel conclusively refute your
past and present exertions.” Odd, since they’ve only seen the Barr letter and
not the Mueller report. Rep. Schiff gives rebuttal in which he mentions the
Russians approaching the Trump campaign with “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. Instead
of contacting the FBI, they met with them in Trump Tower and later “lied
about that meeting and said it was about adoptions.” He also brings up Paul
Manafort sending polling data to the Kremlin, Jared Kushner’s attempt to
“establish a secret back channel of communication with the Russians,” Michael
Flynn’s conferring with the Russian ambassador about sanctions before the
inauguration, Donald Trump’s calling on Russia to hack Clinton’s e-mails and
his secret attempt “to consummate a real estate deal in Moscow” all through the
campaign. A reasonable person might see moral collusion, if not legal.
Rep. Stefanik has
said, “Policymakers on both sides of the aisle should respect the findings of
this investigation: There was no collusion between the Trump campaign and the
Russian government.” Does she have as much of a problem with the president
disrespecting the findings by falsely saying he’s exonerated as she does with
Rep. Schiff? Obstruction, anyone?
Some of Mueller’s
investigators say Barr, “Failed to adequately portray the findings of their inquiry
and that they were more troubling for President Trump than Barr indicated.”
They were silent as the tomb during the investigation, but they’re free to
speak now. When they come before House Intelligence, are those who are so
troubled by Rep. Schiff, but not the president, going to attempt to get at the
truth?
286 words
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Complete Schiff Response to Republican Quislings
“My colleagues might think it’s OK that the Russians offered
dirt on the Democratic candidate for president as part of what’s described as
the Russian government’s effort to help the Trump campaign. You might think
that’s OK.
“My colleagues might think it’s OK that when that was
offered to the son of the president, who had a pivotal role in the campaign,
that the president’s son did not call the FBI; he did not adamantly refuse that
foreign help – no, instead that son said that he would ‘love’ the help with the
Russians.
“You might think it’s OK that he took that meeting. You
might think it’s OK that Paul Manafort, the campaign chair, someone with great
experience running campaigns, also took that meeting. You might think it’s OK
that the president’s son-in-law also took that meeting. You might think it’s OK
that they concealed it from the public. You might think it’s OK that their only
disappointment after that meeting was that the dirt they received on Hillary
Clinton wasn’t better. You might think that’s OK.
“You might think it’s OK that when it was discovered, a year
later, that they then lied about that meeting and said that it was about
adoptions. You might think that it’s OK that it was reported that the president
helped dictate that lie. You might think that’s OK. I don’t.
“You might think it’s OK that the campaign chairman of a
presidential campaign would offer information about that campaign to a Russian
oligarch in exchange for money or debt forgiveness. You might think that’s OK,
I don’t.
“You might think it’s OK that that campaign chairman offered
polling data to someone linked to Russian intelligence. I don’t think that’s
OK.
“You might think it’s OK that the president himself called
on Russia to hack his opponent’s emails, if they were listening. You might
think it’s OK that later that day, in fact, the Russians attempted to hack a
server affiliated with that campaign. I don’t think that’s OK.
“You might think it’s OK that the president’s son-in-law
sought to establish a secret back channel of communication with the Russians
through a Russian diplomatic facility. I don’t think that’s OK.
“You might think it’s OK that an associate of the president
made direct contact with the GRU through Guccifer 2.0 and WikiLeaks, that is
considered a hostile intelligence agency. You might think it’s OK that a senior
campaign official was instructed to reach that associate and find out what that
hostile intelligence agency had to say in terms of dirt on his opponent.
“You might think it’s OK that the national security adviser
designate secretly conferred with the Russian ambassador about undermining U.S.
sanctions, and you might think it’s OK that he lied about it to the FBI.
“You might say that’s all OK, that’s just what you need to
do to win. But I don’t think it’s OK. I don’t think it’s OK. I think it’s
immoral, I think it’s unethical, I think it’s unpatriotic and, yes, I think
it’s corrupt – and evidence of collusion.”
“Now I have always said that the question of whether this
amounts to proof of conspiracy was another matter. Whether the special counsel
could prove beyond a reasonable doubt the proof of that crime would be up to
the special counsel, and I would accept his decision, and I do. He’s a good and
honorable man, and he is a good prosecutor.
“But I do not think that conduct, criminal or not, is OK.
And the day we do think that’s OK is the day we will look back and say that is
the day that America lost its way.”
“And I will tell you one more thing that is apropos of the
hearing today: I don’t think it’s OK that during a presidential campaign Mr.
Trump sought the Kremlin’s help to consummate a real estate deal in Moscow that
would make him a fortune – according to the special counsel, hundreds of
millions of dollars. I don’t think it’s OK to conceal it from the public. I
don’t think it’s OK that he advocated a new and more favorable policy towards
the Russians even as he was seeking the Russians’ help, the Kremlin’s help to
make money. I don’t think it’s OK that his attorney lied to our committee.
There is a different word for that than collusion, and it’s called
‘compromise.’
“And that is the subject of our hearing today.”
And one of those quislings is my own rep. Rep. Stefanik. We are so proud of her.
Monday, March 25, 2019
Friday, March 22, 2019
Crying Wolfe Over Trump
This is in response to John Wolfe who seems
upset about alleged criminals being investigated. I appreciate his concern over
former President Clinton. His impeachment was for perjury and obstruction of
justice, not dalliances, though. Can anyone imagine our current president
testifying without perjuring himself?
The Mueller investigation hasn't
cost "nearly $40 million." That's a Trump number. The roughly $27
million it has cost is being recouped from penalties on Paul Manafort due to
his plea bargain. And he's not going to prison for lying or looking at Mueller
"cross-eyed." He was convicted of tax and bank fraud, failure to report
foreign bank accounts, conspiracy and obstruction. I wonder if Trump supporters
believe that, along with lying to the FBI, those shouldn't be crimes either.
Likely when the state of New York finishes, many of those charges will also be
applied to Mr. Trump.
As far as congressmen
pontificating about impeachment, Speaker Pelosi said the president "wasn't
worth it." I await his tweet, "I am too worth impeaching!" It
would be easy to speculate over "collusion" when every person in the
campaign was engaged with Russians. Junior, Kushner and Manafort meeting them
in Trump Tower. Kushner's back channel with them secure from American
intelligence. Manafort sending polling data to the Kremlin. No, not everyone in
Washington is under investigation for lying. There are good reasons for those
who are, though.
Do truth, justice and the
American way mean anything anymore? The president has over 9,000 "false
statements." His supporters attack the American system of justice. Russian
and North Korean dictators are our pals and Canada and Europe our enemies.
Reagan's shining city on a hill is now just a shuttered Trump casino in
Atlantic City.
Friday, March 15, 2019
In Defense of Chuck Schumer
And in response to this:
Link
Link
I'm responding to Rhea Greene's criticism of Sen. Schumer
for being silent on freshman Rep. Omar. Mr. Schumer said, "Rep. Omar's use
of an anti-Semitic stereotype was offensive and irresponsible. This kind of
intolerance has no place in Congress-or anywhere in American society. No one
should invoke anti-Semitic tropes during policy disagreements." It sounds
good to me. I wonder if Ms. Greene has been critical of the silence from
Republicans over Rep. Steve King's 13 years of racism. Yes, they finally worked
up to a quiet censure. Democrats punish their own. Ask former Sen. Franken.
Maybe we should be urging Rep. Stefanik to condemn President
Trump over his recent remarks where he channels Benito Mussolini. "I can
tell you I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the
support of Bikers for Trump-I have the tough people, but they don't play it
tough-until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very
bad."
Awhile back, Maggie Alitz wrote glowingly of Tucker Carlson.
I can't quote much of what Mr. Carlson said on Bubba the Love Sponge's (yes,
really) radio show. So, I won't. I assume neither Ms. Greene nor Ms. Alitz have
much problem with the things he said. I guess many on the right don't, since he
has a very highly rated show on Fox News. But, he's not a Democrat. That's sad,
too.
Saturday, March 2, 2019
Persist
Letter from Clayton Burgess:
As a United Methodist clergyman, I wish to apologize to the LGBT community and to the community as a whole for the disgusting and immoral decision of the United Methodist denomination to not only continue, but strengthen its ban on the ordination of homosexuals and the right of United Methodist clergy to perform marriage services for the gay community. The bottom line ethic of the Christian faith has been, for 2,000 years, love of God and love of neighbor. This action by the United Methodist denomination does not express a love of neighbor and is one more nail in the coffin of a dying church. Young people who have noticed the hypocrisy of the church are staying away in droves. Is this the future of a church that has lost sight of its founder?
As a retired Methodist pastor, I will continue, with many other clergy, to ignore this unholy prohibition. I know the action of the general church does not reflect the attitude and will of most local churches. It took many years to eliminate officially sanctioned segregation from our denomination. The above ban will be eliminated too.
Friday, February 15, 2019
Stefanik Hypocrisy Letter
I'm responding to Rep. Stefanik's call for Rep. Omar to be
removed from the House Foreign Relations Committee. Ms. Omar made the tweet,
"It's all about the Benjamins baby" in reference to AIPAC. I'm
wondering why a freshman member of Congress should be held to a higher standard
than House Minority Leader McCarthy. He tweeted, "We cannot allow Soros,
Steyer and Bloomberg to BUY this election" in November 2018. Anti-Semitic
tropes are acceptable about Jewish liberals, but not lobbyist organizations for
Israel? Ms. Omar has apologized, Mr. McCarthy hasn't. Speaker Pelosi, "A
newcomer to Congress has apologized for her remarks; it took them, what, 13
years to notice Steve King?" Congrats to Republicans for finally mustering
a censure of him.
Slander of George Soros is a cottage industry among
Republicans. President Trump suggested Soros might be funding caravans from
Central America. The shooter at the synagogue in Pennsylvania latched onto
conspiracy theories involving the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and caravans. The
president is only responsible for spreading nonsense, of course. That House
resolution Rep Stefanik supports condemning anti-Semitic hatred is going to be
working overtime in the GOP. Is there one for Native Americans so we can
condemn Mr. Trump for his continual use of "Pocahontas" to refer to
Sen. Warren?
I suggest that our rep focus her efforts on the beam in her
own party's eye. Democrats criticized Rep. Omar and she apologized. Has there
been the slightest contrition ever from a Republican politician? Just crickets there.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Response to Carlton Tucker
Who I keep wanting to refer to as Tucker Carlson.
Link
Link
I'm replying to Carlton Tucker who notes that,
"some...on the left, want to blame the president for the interruption in
government services." I would think that's all of us on the left. And we
call it a shutdown. So does the president. He said he would "shut down the
government" if he didn't get money for his wall, a rare episode of
honesty. In addition to quotes, the internet has videos of campaign rallies
with Mr. Trump asking, "Who's paying for the wall?" The crowds would
call back, "Mexico!" There's not much argument over who's supposed to
be paying.
The president's latest argument for the monument to Trumpism
is that it's going to stop all the drugs from coming in. It won't. The Coast
Guard makes over half the seizures. Here's a quote from Rep. DeFazio (D-
Oregon), "If the president really wants to talk about intercepting drugs,
and he wants to talk about real border security, he should be talking about
giving more resources to the United States Coast Guard, and not stiffing them
on their paychecks, and not making them fly ancient helicopters and use
50-year-old cutters." The president could at least stand up to Ann Coulter
and Rush Limbaugh and end the shutdown so that branch of the military could get
paid.
The $5 billion he wants for the shrine to his presidency
would go a long way toward supporting drug interdiction at sea and providing
customs agents to stop them at legal points of entry where most of the bulk of
them come in. Democrats know that. The president's new chief of staff does,
too. He called the border wall "simplistic" and "absurd and
almost childish."
Monday, January 14, 2019
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Man the Trebuchets!
Just gotta link to this Dana Milbank piece.
Link
"Some have suggested a barrier is immoral," he said, but it's really an expression of "love."
Link
"Some have suggested a barrier is immoral," he said, but it's really an expression of "love."
He has a point. The trouble with the wall isn't that it's
evil, but that it's medieval.
If the plan is to bet the United States' national security
on the siege-warfare technology of the ancient and medieval worlds, which is
what a wall does, then our strategy has to be much more Byzantine.
Lives Well-Lived
I love a good obit. It's sad to see these folks pass, but I do love to read about lives well-lived.
Samuel Snipes
Samuel Snipes, a white lawyer who held off an angry mob while representing the first Black family to move into the all-white development of Levittown, has died. He was 99.
And got 99 well-deserved years. Sounds like that could've gone otherwise.
Howell Begle
His wife, Julie Eilber, said the cause was injuries he
sustained in a skiing accident on Dec. 24.
Way too young, but he lived long enough to untarnish the reputation of lawyers. There are some very nice ones.
Samuel Snipes
Samuel Snipes, a white lawyer who held off an angry mob while representing the first Black family to move into the all-white development of Levittown, has died. He was 99.
Snipes died Dec. 31 at his family farm in Morrisville,
according to family members.
In 1957, he represented Daisy and Bill Myers when the Black
couple and their three young children quietly moved into Levittown.
“He felt they had every right to live there,” said David
Kushner, author of the 2009 book “Levittown” that explored the ordeal. “He
played a pivotal role in helping the first African-American family move into
Levittown and left a really wonderful legacy in that regard, in taking on the
system and doing what was right.”
And got 99 well-deserved years. Sounds like that could've gone otherwise.
Howell Begle
Howell Begle, a Washington lawyer who found a second career
crusading on behalf of underpaid black R&B stars of the 1950s and ’60s,
leading to industrywide royalty reform and the creation of the charitable
Rhythm & Blues Foundation, died on Dec. 30 at a hospital in Lebanon, N.H.
He was 74.
Way too young, but he lived long enough to untarnish the reputation of lawyers. There are some very nice ones.
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
New Year's Obituary
This may be the greatest, most inspiring thing I'll read all year.
Link
And for good measure he lived to be 108.
Link
And for good measure he lived to be 108.
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