-
How sad that our country is now so divided that the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Presidential oath of office, the rule of law, the balance of powers and the integrity of our elections have become partisan issues. Democrats support all those things because they care about our nation. Republicans oppose all those things because all they care about is Emperor Trump and their party.
House Intelligence Committee announces 8 additional witnesses for public impeachment hearings
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/1...earings-000327
'A big waste of time': Senate Republicans plan to ignore impeachment hearings
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/1...earings-070347
-
Parnas and Fruman met with Trump at least ten times – and of course Trump lies and says he doesn't know who they are. Yeah, just like he didn't know who Stormy Daniels was and just like Michael Cohen was not his attorney but merely someone who did "a little work" for him. Parnas, Fruman, Trump and Giuliani were "thick as thieves," as the expression goes, and all four wanted Marie Yovanovitch removed from her post as ambassador to Ukraine because she stood in the way of Trump's attempts to pressure a foreign government into investigating the Bidens. Trump has betrayed his oath of office and he has betrayed the United States of America. Он предатель. Запереть его!
Indicted Giuliani associate Lev Parnas says he and business partner Igor Fruman discussed Ukraine with Trump at donor dinner in April 2018, according to people familiar with his story
https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...39d_story.html
-
Emperor Trump held up Congressionally-approved military aid and pressured Ukraine to investigate the Bidens and the completely debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in our 2016 election. In public testimony today, Ambassador Taylor said he was told by Gordon Sondland that "everything" depended upon Ukraine President Zelensky publicly announcing the launch of investigations. "My clear understanding is that Ukraine wouldn't get the money until they agreed to the investigations," Taylor testified.
Adam Schiff noted, "These investigations were not in the national interest of the United States. However, they were in the interest of Donald Trump and they were in the interest of his 2020 re-election campaign." Republicans know they can't defend Trump's actions so instead they're attacking Taylor's credibility. They believe an ambassador would lie while under oath during an impeachment hearing. Of course they do. They would never dare consider Emperor Trump guilty of any wrongdoing.
Ambassador Bill Taylor testifies Trump cared more about investigation of Bidens than Ukraine
https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/11/13/pol...y-1/index.html
-
Alexander Hamilton said "the abuse or violation of some public trust" is an impeachable offense. Withholding military aid and pressuring a foreign government to investigate a political opponent constitutes a severe abuse of power and a violation of the Presidential oath of office.
Republicans at today's impeachment hearing are attacking the inquiry as biased, attacking the witnesses as not credible and arguing over the definition of "quid pro quo" and the date when Ukraine knew aid was being withheld. What Republicans are not doing is acknowledging Trump's abuse of power. They're relying on the familiar Trump playbook: Divert, distract, distort, dispute and disparage. Emperor Trump's actions and motives must never be questioned.
Editorial: The GOP is trying to distract you from key questions about Trump's behavior. Don't let them.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...earings-public
-
Unlike the blindly loyal Republicans whose policy is "See no evil in Trump, hear no evil about Trump, speak no evil about Trump," former White House press secretary Joe Lockhart sees plenty wrong with Trump pressuring another country to interfere in our 2020 election.
Analysis: Devastating statements against Trump
Joe Lockhart, CNN, Nov 13 2019
The opening statements from Bill Taylor and George Kent this morning were devastating to the President because of the two career diplomats' stature and the powerful way in which they delivered their remarks. It's almost impossible to dispute that there was a deal on the table that would trade the release of aid to Ukraine for Ukrainian investigations that would help Trump win the next election. It's indefensible behavior on the part of the President and I doubt Republicans will spend a lot of time trying to defend it.
Perhaps the most significant testimony, though, was about US foreign policy. Both Kent and Taylor warned against abandoning our commitment to Ukraine as an important strategic ally. To do so would be the latest example of the President tilting US foreign policy in the direction of helping Russia at the expense of our traditional allies. Whether it was Trump's servile turn at the Helsinki press conference with Vladimir Putin last year, or his abandonment of our Kurdish allies in Syria or his trying to bully our allies into readmitting Russia to the G-8, the message has been clear. Both Kent and Taylor make the important point that it's not just abuse of power, it's the reorientation of US foreign policy toward Russia and against America's national interests.
https://www.cnn.com/opinions/live-ne...8463d9c987d285
-
The day after Trump asked Ukraine's President for a "favor" – to dig up dirt on his likely 2020 opponent – Ambassador Sondland phoned Trump and told him the Ukrainians were "ready to move forward." US embassy staff member David Holmes overheard the call and will testify Friday before the House impeachment committees. Russian intelligence agents probably heard the call, too, since it was made on an ordinary unencrypted cellphone. But what does Donald Trump care about protocol and national security? His loyalty is to himself, Vladimir Putin and Russia (in that order).
Ambassador Sondland's cellphone call to Trump from a Kyiv restaurant was a stunning breach of security, former officials say
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...say/ar-BBWIh4E
-
The day after Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, Gordon Sondland spoke with Trump via cellphone and informed him Ukraine is "ready to move forward" with investigations. When questioned by reporters yesterday, Trump said he doesn't remember the call, "not at all, not even a little bit." Yesterday we learned David Holmes overheard the call. Today we learn Suriya Jayanti also overheard the call. Holmes and Jayanti remember the call quite well. They won't lie about it like Trump does.
AP source: 2nd US embassy official heard Trump call with Sondland
https://apnews.com/6d318542e50b45dc9e1d4d829ad36c96
-
Sandy signed at least one of the letters authorizing a hold on Congressionally-approved military aid to Ukraine. Under whose orders was he acting? Did he know the reason for the withholding of aid? Sandy will be the first Office Of Management & Budget official to testify before House impeachment investigators. Mike Duffey, Sandy's superior, refused to comply with a subpoena to testify.
Longtime career White House budget official Mark Sandy expected to break ranks, testify in impeachment inquiry
https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-po...hment-inquiry/
-
Former FBI cyberintelligence expert Todd Carroll said "Ukraine is one of the most open areas for intelligence agencies to work in. Both sides. I was told when I was there in 2010, expect all your calls to be monitored." Russian agents regularly intercept phone calls and leak the details whenever the information learned will benefit Russia. It is likely they intercepted the Sondland-Trump call. Vladimir Putin must have been thrilled to learn his BFF Donald was interfering in Ukraine's politics and asking Ukraine to interfere in our politics.
Russian spies likely intercepted Ambassador Sondland's cell phone call with Trump
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/14/polit...rns/index.html
-
Ambassador Sondland conveniently forgot to tell House impeachment investigators about his phone call to Trump. Donald Trump conveniently told reporters he doesn't even remember the call. Sondland and Trump could both be in a lot of trouble for violating security protocol for the sake of boosting Trump's re-election chances – and then for trying to cover up the call. Trump also tried to cover up his phone call to Volodymyr Zelensky. Lies and cover-ups are what doomed Richard Nixon's Presidency. By the way, Donald, Nixon says to tell you hello.
Analysis: Cellphone call from Ukraine could compound Trump's troubles
https://www.latimes.com/politics/sto...rumps-troubles
-
After hearing only one day of public testimony, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham declared, "I'm done with it. It's a joke." He said the inquiry is "fundamentally unfair." (I'm sure Graham would think it's fair if a Democrat was being investigated.) CNN's Don Lemon tonight expressed dismay that Congressional Republicans continue to disregard the facts and insist Trump has done nothing wrong. To believe Trump did nothing wrong, Lemon pointed out, you'd have to ignore a lot of facts.
You'd have to ignore the whistleblower's complaint, which was investigated and found to be "urgent" and "credible." You'd have to ignore the transcript of the July 25 Trump-Zelensky phone call which quotes Trump asking Ukraine to investigate the Bidens and the (false) report of a DNC server in Ukraine. (Trump later claimed he wanted to "root out corruption" but the transcript makes no mention of corruption.) You'd have to ignore the testimony of NSC director and decorated Iraq War veteran Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, who heard the phone call and knew the transcript omitted much of Trump's conversation about the Bidens. He wanted to add the missing passages but was not allowed to do so. Vindman knew it is wrong to seek election help from a foreign government and expressed his concern to NSC higher-ups.
You'd have to ignore the sworn testimony of Ambassador Bill Taylor and State Department official George Kent, who confirmed that Zelensky was being pressured to launch investigations. You'd have to ignore the July 26 phone call between Sondland and Trump, with Sondland saying Ukraine is "ready to move forward" with investigations. Two aides heard that call and both will testify before impeachment investigators. You'd have to ignore the text messages and phone calls between Sondland and Taylor which confirm Trump's quid pro quo offer. You'd have to ignore Mick Mulvaney's admission of military aid being held up in order to pressure Ukraine into investigating the Bidens. You'd have to ignore Trump's October 3 admission that he expected Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. You'd have to ignore the ouster of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, who stood in the way of Trump's demands. You'd have to ignore the "shadow foreign policy" pursued by Rudy Giuliani and his two now-indicted associates.
Unfortunately for our nation, Congressional Republicans do indeed ignore all these facts. They care only about Trump and the Republican party. They do not care about truth, facts, justice, the Constitution, the Presidential oath of office, the rule of law, national security, our system of checks and balances or the integrity of our elections.
Tonight at a rally in Bossier City, Louisiana, Trump told a huge lie to his blindly loyal supporters, who believe every lie he tells them: "Republicans are coming to me and saying, 'Our poll numbers are going through the roof. We love it [the impeachment inquiry]. Let's keep it going.'" Wow. Welcome to Trumpworld, the land of delusions.
-
The Constitution of the United States provides for the removal of a President who has been impeached and convicted on charges of "treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors." Unfortunately, Trump's blindly loyal Republican lackeys in Congress will never vote to remove Trump from office. For reasons I can't begin to understand, they worship him almost as much as he worships himself.
Democrats find key word to describe Trump scandal: Bribery
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi added a new element to the impeachment debate, saying the President already admitted to the offense.
https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/11/14/pol...-14/index.html
-
Emperor Trump and Rudy Giuliani wanted Yovanovitch removed as ambassador to Ukraine because she refused to go along with Trump's demand that Ukraine launch an investigation of Joe Biden. Today, as she testifies before House impeachment investigators, the orange-skinned Tweeter-In-Chief is continuing to attack her. He justifies his attacks by declaring he has "freedom of speech." So does Yovanovitch, Emperor Trump. So does Yovanovitch.
Ousted ambassador Marie Yovanovitch felt threatened; Trump assails her anew
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...new/ar-BBWMA09
Schiff accuses Trump of 'witness intimidation'
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ion/ar-BBWOVo7
-
Yovanovitch was the target of a smear campaign, led in part by Rudy Giuliani, which spread lies and now-debunked conspiracy theories about her. Yes, Fox News presented fake news. I wonder why Trump never criticized Fox News for that.
Yovanovitch says she was alarmed by attacks from Fox News hosts, right-wing media
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/15/media...cks/index.html
-
Twitter could survive just fine without Donald Trump – but Donald Trump could never survive without Twitter. Our dangerous, deranged, delusional, lying, bullying, thin-skinned President has to be able to tweet nasty hateful insults whenever he wants to do so – which is often 40 times a day.
Witness intimidation? More like Trump threw Twitter acid on Marie Yovanovitch’s face
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...ie-yovanovitch
Opinion: Trump helps House Democrats – and weakens his allies – by trash-tweeting Yovanovitch
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...s-intimidation
-
Emperor Trump and his blindly loyal Republican lackeys in Congress have been denouncing the testimony of witnesses in the impeachment inquiry as "hearsay." They like to point out there are "no first-person accounts." Well, today we have a first-person account. David Holmes and two others heard the July 26 Sondland-Trump phone call. Holmes has testified that Sondland told Trump, "Zelensky loves your ass." Trump asked, "So he's gonna do the investigation?" "He'll do anything you ask him to do," Sondland replied. What Trump wanted was for Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. Holmes confirmed that Ukraine's military aid was conditional upon the public announcement of an investigation. That phone call, of course, is the one which Sondland conveniently forgot to mention to House impeachment investigators and which Trump claims to not remember. Trump, of course, is lying.
Former FBI general counsel Jim Baker told CNN today he expects Sondland will take the fifth and refuse to give any more testimony. Baker also questioned why Trump never asked the FBI or the Justice Department to investigate the Bidens but asked Ukraine. Good question!
Embassy official confirms Trump asked about Ukraine investigation
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/u...aine-call.html
David Holmes, aide at US Embassy in Ukraine, confirms diplomat Bill Taylor's testimony on Trump-Sondland call
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-ne...50d06f0bce0f03
-
President Trump had at least ten meetings with Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, the now-indicted associates of Rudy Giuliani who helped carry out his shadow foreign policy in Ukraine, and on several occasions was photographed standing beside them. Trump recently claimed he doesn't know Parnas and Fruman. Trump, of course, is lying. With all the legal troubles Giuliani is facing, eventually Trump will claim he doesn't know Giuliani either.
After private White House meeting, Giuliani associate Lev Parnas said he was on a 'secret mission' for Trump, sources say
https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/11/15/pol...ine/index.html
-
Prior to his April 21 phone call to Ukraine's President, Emperor Trump was given a list of "talking points." Among them was a pledge to work with Zelensky to "strengthen democracy, increase prosperity and root out corruption." Trump never mentioned "corruption" during the call, nor did he mention it during the July 25 call. As we learned from David Holmes' first-hand testimony yesterday, Trump didn't care about corruption or Ukraine but only about an investigation of the Bidens. Ambassador Sondland said the same thing: Trump "doesn't give a s**t about Ukraine." Donald Trump cares only about whatever will benefit Donald Trump. He uses the Presidency of the United States not to serve the American people but to serve himself. Can you say "abuse of power"? I knew you could.
Transcript shows White House made up details of Trump's Zelensky call
https://www.thedailybeast.com/transc...-zelensky-call
Analysis: Trump's core impeachment defense suffers a double blow – including a self-inflicted one
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...one/ar-BBWRyBa
-
Sandy was the acting director of the Office of Management & Budget during Trump's first month in office. On February 16, 2017, he was replaced by Trump appointee Mick Mulvaney. Sandy's signature appears on at least one of the letters authorizing the withholding of Congressionally-approved military aid from Ukraine until Zelensky publicly announced an investigation into the Bidens. Sandy is testifying today before House impeachment investigators. Eight other government officials are expected to testify next week.
Senior OMB official Mark Sandy testifying on Capitol Hill in closed-door deposition in impeachment inquiry
Sandy, who has served under both Republican and Democratic presidents, is the first OMB official to meet with impeachment investigators after others, including OMB director and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, refused.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/16/polit...iry/index.html
Analysis: A day that underscored the corruption swamping the Trump presidency
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/16/polit...ent/index.html
-
So Rudy Giuliani and Gordon Sondland operated in "irregular foreign policy channels"? Everything about the Trump administration is irregular!
Ex-NSC official Tim Morrison agrees with his predecessor that Ambassador Sondland was a 'problem' and operated in irregular foreign policy channels
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/16/polit...pts/index.html
Opinion: You can forget about the predicted political backlash against Democrats for impeachment
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/16/opini...zer/index.html
