House of Representatives: Democrats in da house!

[Smash!]

This is a silver lining [emoji3]

Short Seth Abramson thread with his explaination of why Pelosi seems reluctant to impeach.
TL:DR
The dems are strengthening their hand by investigating more impeachable facts than the clear obstruction cases from the Mueller report. Repugs may downplay the seriousness of obstruction, but it will be harder to do so for bribery, money-laundering, aiding and abetting, and conspiracy.

Down the thread he writes something interesting tough not surprising:

[thoughtful]

Hoping for the best. If only there was a way to get Pence out of office at the same time. It's hard to be patient.

[fraurosena]

1 hour ago, thoughtful said:

Hoping for the best. If only there was a way to get Pence out of office at the same time. It's hard to be patient.

Don't worry, @thoughtful, once the dominoes start falling, they're all going to fall.

[fraurosena]

In case anyone doubts the Dems are gearing the country for impeachment:

 

[GreyhoundFan]

"Rashida Tlaib: While Trump spews hate, I continue to do my job"

Spoiler

Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat, represents Michigan’s 13th Congressional District in the U.S. House.

President Trump has found new targets for his harmful distraction through unhinged tweets and speeches: me and some of my colleagues in the U.S. House. You all know what he said: We do not love this country. He told us, in effect, to go back where we came from. (I actually go home to Detroit every week.) He has even gone so far as to call me a “crazed lunatic.”

This behavior is sadly familiar — almost every day, he disgraces his office with rhetoric rooted in hate. He did it again this weekend when he trashed the city of Baltimore. While my colleagues and I work on ways to improve the lives of our constituents, he is focused on a hate agenda for our country.

He also said the values I hold dear are not in line with those of my home state of Michigan. Nothing could be further from the truth. Michigan, especially the 13th Congressional District, is grounded in the values of equity, justice and respect for each other — in short, things he knows nothing about.

I was elected to represent the city of Detroit and Wayne County, where I was born and raised and educated in the Detroit public school system. I was sent to Washington to fight the corporate assault on families, and that includes making sure government is about the people.

It is a remarkable time in our country’s history when the president is hindering our desire for universal health care, lower prescription drug prices, equity in education, and stopping the for-profit schemes that hurt children and communities such as mine. With every hate-fueled tweet, he gets us off track as we try to hold him and his reckless administration accountable.

When this president misleads the American people and doesn’t comply with congressional subpoenas, he undermines our democracy, creating a dangerous precedent that the president is above the law. Who cares about that little thing we call the Constitution? Certainly not this president. I believe that this president has committed multiple impeachable offenses and that the House must begin an impeachment inquiry. As many of you probably remember, I said as much at the start of my term in Congress. I still believe it.

Trump has been running our government in a pay-to-play manner, evident in his Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission’s recent decision to allow the harmful merger of T-Mobile and Sprint. It has been widely reported — I don’t think it’s just a coincidence — that T-Mobile spent close to $200,000 at the Trump International Hotel in D.C. at the same time it was lobbying the Trump administration to approve a merger that will increase cell plan prices and reduce jobs.

Over the past seven months, I have spoken with hundreds of community members, real people, who are sick and tired of high auto insurance premiums (Michigan has the highest), who are paying thousands for their insulin, who are stuck renting their homes because they are drowning in college debt, and who have seen the suffering of our neighbors fighting for clean air and drinking water. Residents want a world where they come before big corporations and billionaires. They want respect and to be able to live with full dignity and quality of life.

So contrary to what the president alleged, I’m guided every day by the values I share with the people of Michigan’s 13th District. It makes me proud to say so. And to make sure I stay rooted in our community, and don’t become numb to their needs or forget why I ran in the first place, I created four district offices I call Neighborhood Service Centers. These outposts have helped residents reduce their prescription drug costs and meet their student loans obligations and address the district’s high auto insurance premiums. Among a host of bills, I’ve introduced the Boost Act, which would cut the poverty rate by 45 percent. There are years of struggle and inaction I can’t take back for my constituents — but I won’t let them wait any longer. They need change today.

While Trump tweets, I will work for the people who sent me here and to ensure they — and all other Americans — have someone who isn’t afraid to speak truth to power. Hateful, bigoted or racist tweets won’t stop me, nor will they stop our democracy.

I will always outwork the hate. My district and country depend on it.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

Info uncovered by the House Oversight Committee. Methinks this is why Cheetolini started screeching about Baltimore:

 

[fraurosena]

Will it pass the Senate though?

 

[GreyhoundFan]

3 hours ago, fraurosena said:

Will it pass the Senate though?

 

Mitch probably won't even let it come up for a vote. Remember, his boss, Putin, also loves MBS.

[fraurosena]

Isn't a watchdog supposed to be for the people?

Watchdog tells Democrats he can't probe White House security clearances until Trump asks

Quote

The Trump administration's intelligence watchdog has declined a request from four top Senate Democrats to investigate how the White House has handled security clearances for Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump and other employees, according to a letter obtained by NBC News.

Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community, meaning the chief internal watchdog for the nation's intelligence agencies, wrote to the senators that he would be happy to conduct such an investigation, but could only do it if President Donald Trump asks him.

"The authority over access to classified information ultimately rests with the President of the United States," Atkinson wrote to Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, and the three other senators. "It is well-established that the President of the United States has broad latitude concerning the process through which security clearances are granted, transferred, or revoked, as well as broad flexibility in determining whom to choose as his advisors and to what extent those advisors may gain access to information, including national security information."

"Given the concerns raised by your letter, the ICIG is available and willing to conduct a review, similar to that suggested in your letter, at the request of the President or his designees," he added.

Click here to read Atkinson's letter.

In response, the senators — Warner, Dianne Feinstein of California, ranking member on the Judiciary Committee; Bob Menendez of New Jersey, ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee; and Jack Reed of Rhoda Island, ranking member on Armed Services — wrote a letter to Trump on Wednesday asking him to order an investigation.

"Over the last two years, public reporting has raised serious concerns about irregularities and questionable decisions related to eligibility determinations for (White House) personnel access to classified information," the letter said.

Click here to read the senators' letter to Trump.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House has previously declined to comment on the security clearances.

The senator's Wednesday letter to Trump points to reports that individuals have been granted temporary access to extremely sensitive intelligence without undergoing a complete background investigation, and that the White House has extended these temporary clearances beyond the usual six-month time frame.

The letter also alludes to NBC News reporting that officials in the White House security office overruled unfavorable adjudication recommendations by career security professionals in more than 30 cases, including that of Kushner and Ivanka Trump, and that officials in the Executive Office of the President have threatened to revoke former officials' eligibility for access to classified information for reasons other than the adjudicative guidelines.

NBC News reported in January that Kushner's application for a top-secret clearance was rejected by two career White House security specialists after an FBI background check raised concerns about potential foreign influence on him — but their supervisor overruled the recommendation and approved the clearance, according to two sources familiar with the matter. NBC News later reported that career officials were also overruled when they balked at giving Ivanka Trump a top-secret clearance.

Kushner's was one of at least 30 cases in which a supervisor overruled career security experts and approved a top-secret clearance for incoming Trump officials despite unfavorable information, the two sources said. They said the number of rejections that were overruled was unprecedented.

The New York Times reported in February that President Trump ordered his chief of staff to grant Kushner a top-secret security clearance.

 

[fraurosena]

Majority of House Democrats now support impeachment inquiry

Quote

The impeachment dam has broken.

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

Though Pelosi has given no indication that even a majority of Democrats embracing impeachment proceedings would shift her view, supporters of an inquiry argue that crossing the halfway mark among Democrats will be a symbolic boost that could shift the political dynamic.

“The President’s repeated abuses have brought American democracy to a perilous crossroads," said Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who announced his support on Tuesday. "Following the guidance of the Constitution – which I have sworn to uphold – is the only way to achieve justice."

Democrats who support impeachment proceedings eclipsed the halfway mark — 118 out of 235 voting members — on Thursday, when Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida announced his support. Deutch was also the 23rd Democratic lawmaker to support impeachment proceedings in the week since former special counsel Robert Mueller testified to Congress, affirming publicly his damning evidence that Trump attempted to obstruct justice.

Mueller's appearance reignited a push for impeachment proceedings among Democrats, who had been slowly gathering momentum for the effort since April. Though his testimony was at times halting, Mueller confirmed to lawmaker his report’s findings that Trump’s 2016 campaign welcomed Russian assistance and that Trump himself repeatedly attempted to undermine the investigation of Russia’s hacking and propaganda operation.

Perhaps more significant than the raw number of Democrats backing an inquiry is the identities of the members themselves. The latest additions include Reps. Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) and Jason Crow (D-Colo.), four freshmen who flipped Republican-held districts in November. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), a member of Pelosi's leadership team, added her name to the list on Friday.

Engel, a veteran lawmaker from New York City, is also one of six committee chairmen tasked by Pelosi with investigating Trump's conduct. He's the second of those committee leaders, along with Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), to publicly demand an impeachment inquiry. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) has privately advocated for one as well.

The level of support for an inquiry, as calculated by POLITICO, does not take into account the positions of the handful of Democrats from Washington D.C. and U.S. territories because they don't get to vote on the House floor — though they do have influence in the Democratic caucus and on committees. On Tuesday, Washington D.C.'s delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, who sits on the oversight committee, voiced her support for an impeachment inquiry. Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.), who left the Republican Party in July shortly after declaring his support for impeaching Trump, also is not reflected in the count.

Trump’s continued attacks on black lawmakers, particularly Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), has ratcheted up the fervor for supporters of impeachment as well. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), who forced a July 17 vote on a measure to impeach the president because of his racist comments about four freshman lawmakers, said simply condemning the president had proven ineffective.

“The President’s shameful comments about Congressman Cummings make it evident that his bigotry is not going away,” Green said on Twitter Sunday. “We can no longer tolerate it and condemnation by the House of Representatives clearly wasn’t enough. We must impeach.”

The lawmakers quietly working to organize support for Trump’s impeachment say there are two important figures to watch in the next few weeks. Assistant speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), who is running for an open Senate seat against a primary opponent who has embraced impeachment proceedings, and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a civil rights icon who has questioned the legitimacy of Trump’s election but so far deferred to Pelosi on impeachment.

Though there’s no indication he’s changing his tune, Luján’s support for impeachment proceedings could help unlock the backing of a slew of freshman Democrats who Luján helped election in 2016, when he ran Democrats’ campaign arm, pro-impeachment lawmakers say. And Lewis’ support would carry significant sway with members of the Congressional Black Caucus who have remained on the fence so far. Lewis has repeatedly been asked for his opinion on impeachment proceedings but has repeatedly indicated that he’s deferring to Pelosi.

Pelosi’s concerns about impeachment proceedings against Trump aren’t simply a math equation. Most Democrats facing serious reelection fights — whose 2018 victories in GOP-held districts helped deliver the House to Democrats — have avoided taking a position or outright opposed impeachment proceedings. In addition, Pelosi is worried that a successful impeachment in the House would send the question to the Republican-controlled Senate, which would ultimately acquit Trump and deliver him a potent weapon for his 2020 reelection campaign.

Rather, Pelosi has urged a more methodical approach, calling for continued House investigations and legal fights to obtain Trump’s personal financial records as well as testimony from some of Mueller’s key witnesses.

In a sign of a shifting dynamic for House Democrats, though, Pelosi last week signed off on a legal argument lodged by the Judiciary Committee to obtain Mueller’s secret grand jury evidence. That argument indicated to a judge that the Judiciary Committee is already seriously weighing whether to recommend articles of impeachment against Trump, obviating the need for a formal declaration of impeachment proceedings.

That announcement, though, hasn’t dampened calls among House Democrats. Four Washington state House Democrats, as well as Washington Sen. Patty Murray — the third-highest ranking Senate Democrat — called for impeachment proceedings against Trump on Sunday. And the Senate Democrat’s No. 4, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, also came out this week to publicly support an impeachment inquiry. 

 

[GreyhoundFan]

"Pelosi says Trump should ask ‘slumlord’ Jared Kushner about Baltimore"

Spoiler

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) denounced President Trump’s recent attacks on Baltimore on Thursday, telling the president to ask his son-in-law, “slumlord” Jared Kushner, about the city.

Pelosi, who was born and raised in Baltimore, made the remarks in an exchange with reporters at the Capitol.

“The president — this comes as no surprise — really doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” she said. “But maybe you could ask his son-in-law, who is a slumlord there, if he wants to talk about rodent infestations.”

Kushner is married to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, and is a senior White House adviser. He owns more than a dozen apartment complexes in Baltimore County that have been cited for hundreds of code violations and, critics say, provide substandard housing to lower-income tenants.

In an investigation by the New York Times and Pro Publica published in 2017, tenants of Kushner properties reported mouse infestations, mold problems and maggots. A private investigator who looked into Kushner’s property management company described the managers as “slumlords.”

Christine Taylor, a spokeswoman for the Kushner firm, asserted at the time that the group was in compliance with all state and local laws. Then-Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said that was “a stretch of truth.”

In recent days, Trump has escalated his attacks on Baltimore and House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), who has been spearheading investigations into Trump’s administration and whose district includes parts of the city. Trump began by tweeting Saturday that Cummings represents a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess” and that “no human being would want to live there.” The president lashed out anew on Tuesday, calling the city “corrupt” and saying its residents are “living in hell.”

Pelosi has pushed back forcefully against Trump’s remarks. Her father, Thomas D’Alesandro Jr., was a U.S. congressman representing parts of Baltimore and later was elected mayor of the city. Pelosi’s brother, Thomas J. D’Alesandro III, also went on to serve as Baltimore’s mayor.

“To see the president demean a great leader like Elijah Cummings shows his own insecurity and his own lack of understanding about what progress really is,” Pelosi told reporters Thursday.

She added that Cummings “is a pride of Baltimore,” and that “it’s always a great source of pride” to go to the city.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

I don't have words to describe how much I despise Liz Cheney:

 

[Dreadcrumbs]

Hmm, maybe the western way of life ought to be destroyed. Look at us.

[fraurosena]

Boom... I guess?

Late fall?

Will that be soon enough, or will it be too late?

[Smash!]

Too late says my pessimistic self. Because it's just an impeachment inquiry. There's a long way to an actual impeachment from there and I'm sure MoscowMitch, Barr and the GOP will find ways to block it.

[formergothardite]

21 hours ago, fraurosena said:

Boom... I guess?

Late fall?

Will that be soon enough, or will it be too late?

IMO, this entire thing will be pretty meaningless.It will never do anything in Congress, the GOP will use it as an excuse to stir up voters and the democratic voters will just be frustrated. 

[GreyhoundFan]

"A man wrote on Facebook that AOC ‘should be shot,’ police say. Now he’s in jail."

Spoiler

An Ohio man was charged with making threats against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, authorities say, after he wrote on Facebook the New York Democrat “should be shot.”

Timothy James Ireland Jr., 41, was indicted in Toledo, accused of making interstate threats in addition to separate counts of being a felon and fugitive in possession of a firearm, the U.S. attorney’s office in the Northern District of Ohio announced Friday. Officials say a concerned citizen reached out to U.S. Capitol Police on July 23 to warn of the threatening Facebook post, which they later confirmed was written by Ireland.

“She should be shot. Can’t fire me, my employer would load the gun for me,” Ireland wrote, according to police. The statement was apparently posted to Facebook along with a news story about the congresswoman.

On Aug. 2, Capitol Police called Ireland after finding his phone number in public records. The man took full responsibility for the statement while speaking with police, adding he was “very proud” of his work, according to a criminal complaint. Ireland also admitted to having firearms that he “always carries concealed,” police say.

An FBI criminal history check revealed Ireland had two outstanding warrants: one was a felony failure to appear in Sarasota County, Fla., after violating probation in a felony case; the other was a misdemeanor failure to appear bench warrant related to a possession of marijuana charge in Cook County, Ga.

Ireland was convicted in 1996 on four felony counts of dealing in stolen property in Sarasota County, according to the criminal complaint.

The man was present when police raided his Toledo home five days after the phone call, the complaint read. He was detained for the active warrants and admitted to having ammunition inside his house. Investigators say they found the ammo in kitchen drawers: three rounds of .32-caliber ammunition, and four rounds for a .45-caliber gun.

“There is absolutely no place in the marketplace of ideas for threats of violence against any person, especially those who are elected to represent the American people,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said in a release. “Disagreement on political issues cannot lead to acts of violence, and if it does, we will seek federal prison time.”

A spokesman for the Department of Justice said Ireland waived his hearing and will remain in custody at least until a bond hearing next week.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

What a disgusting congresscritter:

 

[fraurosena]

I hope his mom and dad are already deceased. How mortifying and humiliating to have to hear this from your own child.

 

[fraurosena]

 

[GreyhoundFan]

16 hours ago, fraurosena said:

I hope his mom and dad are already deceased. How mortifying and humiliating to have to hear this from your own child.

 

I love this response to Steve King (R-Racist):

 

[GreyhoundFan]

"Barstool’s founder threatened to fire employees who talk about unions. Then AOC waded in."

Spoiler

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called out the founder of media company Barstool Sports on Tuesday after he threatened to fire “on the spot” any employee who reached out to a writer offering to chat about unionization.

“If you’re a boss tweeting firing threats to employees trying to unionize, you are likely breaking the law & can be sued, in your words, ‘on the spot.'” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted at Dave Portnoy, whose sports and culture site has a reputation for crass content.

The social media back-and-forth — just the latest of many controversies for Portnoy — began after the Barstool founder reminded his Twitter followers Monday of his distaste for unions. Noting reports that employees at sports and pop culture site the Ringer are considering unionizing, he shared a post from 2015 in which he wrote that he could not wait for Barstool staff to unionize so he could “smash their little union to smithereens."

“No more free water! No more vacation days! I’m gonna dump rats into the walls! You haven’t seen anything yet!” he wrote at the time.

Portnoy’s Monday tweet got a response from Rafi Letzter, a staff writer for the news site Live Science — where employees are represented by the Writers Guild of America East.

“If you work for Barstool and want to have a private chat about the unionization process, how little power your boss has to stop you, and how you can leverage that power to make your life better: my DMs are open,” Letzter tweeted.

That didn’t sit well with Portnoy, who said he would fire anyone who messaged Letzter. He later tweeted that he would fire any Barstool employee who hired a lawyer offering to help employees looking to unionize. Portnoy was rebuked by Ocasio-Cortez, a frequent advocate for workers’ rights who warned in another tweet about the risk of losing labor protections by not teaching the history of the movement that achieved them.

The AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the country, had weighed in earlier to point out that Portnoy’s threats violated the National Labor Relations Act, a 1935 law that lays out worker’s rights and encourages collective bargaining.

“Doubling down on your NLRA violation, I see,” the group later tweeted in response to Portnoy.

The National Labor Relations Board says that violations of the NLRA include threatening to fire those who join a union and questioning staff about their activities in ways that “tend to interfere with, restrain or coerce” them as they exercise their rights to unionization.

The U.S. Department of Labor also weighed in, replying that employees who feel they are being targeted against the law “can call our toll-free hotline, 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365)."

Barstool and Portnoy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But Portnoy responded Tuesday afternoon to Ocasio-Cortez’s criticism with a call for the representative to debate him.

By Tuesday evening, Donald Trump Jr. chimed in and asserted that Ocasio-Cortez had made a big mistake by “picking a fight” with Barstool on Twitter. Portnoy quoted Trump Jr’s tweet, adding, “When will Alexandria O’CRAZIO Cortez @Aoc learn not to tangle with our countries Presidents? @realDonaldTrump."

Barstool has long drawn backlash for its embrace of the crude and uncensored, as The Post’s Ben Strauss reported in February:

Barstool always has trafficked in an aggressive fratiness with none of Deadspin’s hipster smugness. And as Barstool has continued to insist that sports should remain free of all political correctness — one of its slogans is “Saturdays are for the Boys” — the company has grown markedly, netting a $25 million investment from media holding company The Chernin Group.

The Washington Post

Portnoy has a history of stirring up controversy. Last year he refused to apologize after saying a 20-year-old female employee would be too ugly for camera in five years. Others at the company Portnoy founded have come under fire for their statements, too: Barstool Sports fired a writer earlier this year after he wrote an article joking about a missing college student later found dead.

He sounds like a real prince /sarcasm. At least AOC won't back down.

[GreyhoundFan]

 

[AnywhereButHere]

On 8/5/2019 at 5:36 PM, Smash! said:

Too late says my pessimistic self. Because it's just an impeachment inquiry. There's a long way to an actual impeachment from there and I'm sure MoscowMitch, Barr and the GOP will find ways to block it.

I hope not too late, but there is a delicate timing issue, I think. While they most likely have the votes in the House to bring an impeachment, it would then go to the Senate where they most definitely do not (thanks Moscow Mitch - way to be an American. Oh sorry, MURRICAN!). 

If it goes to the Senate too early and gets voted down, then Fuckface gets to run for a second term with a “victory”. “Look! I’m winning! Not guilty! Dems are failures! I know we’ve seen it before, but it does invigorate his base and depresses the Dems. If the Dems time it right though and  are mid impeachment process during the run up and election, then he has to run with the whole impeachment process hanging around his neck. New allegations dropped out strategically, hopefully dragging him and rethuglicans in general down. If they can parley the impeachment process into a loss for him in the election then it won’t matter that the Senate rethuglicans won’t confirm impeachment (and maybe some of them will go down with him), and then, as a private citizen again, we can prosecute the hell out of him.

It infuriates me that it’s all a game, but since it is, I’m hoping my side knows what they’re doing and playing it well. 

 

 

[formergothardite]

5 minutes ago, AnywhereButHere said:

If they can parley the impeachment process into a loss for him in the election then it won’t matter that the Senate rethuglicans won’t confirm impeachment (and maybe some of them will go down with him), and then, as a private citizen again, we can prosecute the hell out of him.

IMO this is the ideal way. Impeaching him isn't going to happen. Everyone needs to accept it. He could be caught watching child porn while selling our national treasures to the highest bidder and the GOP would protect him. The goal needs to be that leading up to the election the news should be constantly about new information on the horrible things Trump has been doing.