The political news thread

[Rewind]

"Trump Republicans aid and abet Trump as he shreds the Constitution and tear this country apart," declared five aides resigning from the staff of a Democratic Congressman who met with Trump two days ago and immediately decided to become a Republican and join the Cult of Donald Trump. I wonder if Trump gave him a lot of money as a bribe.

Five aides to Rep. Jeff Van Drew resign as lawmaker prepares to switch parties

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/1...-exodus-085945

[Rewind]

Clean air? Clean water? Global warming? Renewable energy? Emperor Trump doesn't care about those things. He wants to return us to the year 1820 and "Make America Dependent on Coal Again."

Trump scores a win for coal in blow to renewable energy
Changes to electricity sale would raise costs for consumers.

https://news.bloombergenvironment.co...s-power-market

[Rewind]

Shea, a Representative from eastern Washington, is a hateful, racist, bigoted white nationalist just like the President. Shea has ties to white supremacist groups, wants to create a 51st (and all-white) state and helped plan and direct three violent standoffs against the federal government – and he's resisting calls for his resignation. Of course he is.

Republican Matt Shea 'participated in an act of domestic terrorism,' report says

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...n-state-report

[Rewind]

An estimated 36,000,000 Americans receive food stamps through SNAP, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Emperor Trump, who gives huge tax cuts to banks, big corporations and the wealthiest Americans (including himself) but does not care about our nation's middle class or our nation's poor, is making several changes to SNAP. Here is the first:

'A terrible time to be poor': Cuts to SNAP benefits will hit 700,000 low-income Americans

https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/2710146001

[Rewind]

McCabe sued the FBI and the Justice Department in 2018 after he was fired just two days before he was set to retire. The Trump administration is withholding evidence and refusing to hand over materials requested by McCabe's attorney. Adam Schiff, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have a message for McCabe: "Join the crowd!"

Fired FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe says Trump administration is withholding evidence related to his lawsuit

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-...elated-to-his/

[Rewind]

Here is an update from the "Don't do as I do; do as I say" news desk:

Politician who warned about driving drunk is charged with drunk driving
The Associated Press, Jan 2 2020 3:!7 AM

The top Republican in the New York State Assembly was charged New Year’s Eve with driving while intoxicated in his state-issued vehicle, just a week after he wrote a column for the Daily Messenger warning citizens against getting behind the wheel drunk. Brian Kolb, a Republican from Canandaigua who represents a district just outside Rochester, was arrested near his home after what he called a "lapse in judgment." Authorities were called to a crash in Victor just before 10:30 PM after a vehicle ran into a ditch. Kolb was found to be the driver. His blood-alcohol content was over the New York legal limit of 0.08%.

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation...harged-with-it

[Rewind]

In November 2011, Donald Trump tweeted, "In order to get elected, Barack Obama will start a war with Iran." In January 2020, Donald Trump ordered drone strikes that killed an Iranian military leader and his deputy. Donald Trump is also sending 3,000 soldiers to the Middle East to join the 650 who are already there. Ya know what I'm thinkin'? In order to get re-elected, Trump is starting a war with Iran.

US airstrike kills top Iran general Qassem Soleimani at Baghdad airport
Soleimani's death could drastically increase tensions with Iran, which were heightened by the New Year's attacks on the US Embassy compound in Baghdad.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/a...iraqi-n1109821

'Isn't it pathetic?': Trump once accused Obama of plotting Iran attack for political boost
The President struck a very different tone about Iran before he stepped into the Commander In Chief job.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/0...ar-iran-093323

[Rewind]

President Trump ordered the killing of Qassem Suleimani after US intelligence agencies determined Suleimani was plotting attacks on American diplomats, military personnel and US facilities in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. Trump explained, "We took action to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war." However, Trump's action may indeed start a war. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declared, "The great nation of Iran will take revenge for this heinous crime." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned, "Harsh retaliation is waiting for the United States." Oh, joy.

Trump administration warns Congress Iran could retaliate against US 'within weeks'

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/04/polit...rns/index.html

Fox News' Tucker Carlson breaks with colleagues and criticizes Trump's strike that killed Iranian general

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/04/media...ani/index.html

[Rewind]

On November 4, 1979, a group of Iranian college students who supported the Iranian Revolution took over the United States Embassy in Tehran. Sixty-two US diplomats and citizens were taken captive. Fourteen were soon released but 52 were held hostage for 444 days. Trump is now warning that if Iran attacks the US, we will attack 52 Iranian sites. What a bizarre method for formulating a military policy: Launching 52 attacks in 2020 because there were 52 hostages in 1980. And this is the President who brags about being smarter than our nation's generals? Wow.

Trump warns that US has 'targeted 52 Iranian sites'
The President tweets that if Americans or American assets are attacked, Iran will be 'hit very fast and very hard.'

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/04/polit...ets/index.html

[Rewind]

Military officials say Iranian attacks on Americans and American assets were "imminent" and therefore General Qassem Soleimani had to be assassinated. News flash: Someone will take his place. President Rouhani met today with Soleimani's family. Soleimani's daughter asked, "Who will take revenge for my father?" "Everyone will take revenge," Rouhani assured her. "Americans will face the consequences for this criminal act not only today but in the coming years." In the streets of Iran, people are chanting, "Death to America! Death to Israel!" In 1914, the assassination of an Austrian archduke and his wife by a Serbian national led to a World War. Let us hope and pray the assassination of Soleimani doesn't lead to another war.

Skepticism mounts over Trump's claim of an imminent threat
A lack of evidence has fueled doubt about whether the strike on a top Iranian commander was justified.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/04/polit...rns/index.html