crooksandliars--2020-02-03--Congressional Candidate Tomas Ramos Creates First Ever Technological HUB Inside Of A NYCHA Community

Congressional Candidate Tomas Ramos Creates First Ever Technological HUB Inside Of A NYCHA Community Center

July 2016 , that was the first time that I entered Bronx River Community Center -- while I was excited about the prospects of being a community educator and organizer , little did I realize that this moment would alter the rest of my life .
As I toured the center , I was in awe of this beautiful space that was located in the middle of one of the largest public housing developments in the Bronx .
I had an immediate vision , to combine my interest and love of technology to transform the center itself .
I envisioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many families and youth that I provided services to .
Just as I was once inspired by technology , this was to be the impetus of how I would give back , through technology itself .
Bronx River Houses is home to over 5,000 residents , it is a small representation that is the melting pot of the Bronx , a large and complex community with various ethnicities -- Puerto Rican , Dominican , African-American , central American and a multitude of others .
While the residents ’ cultures may separate them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in common , they bear the brunt of poverty .
My goal to combat this poverty is to use technology as a tool that would become the great equalizer for this culturally rich and diverse community .
My initial thoughts were “ it is possible for us to create sustainable programming to help break the cycle of poverty through innovative educational structures.
” When I expressed this vision to DYCD ( the city agency that funded my program ) , they thought I was insane .
I spoke in depth about retrofitting Bronx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a community center where young people would have the opportunity to learn coding ( for video games and web design ) , create applications , learn about software and engineering , just to name a few .
This was going to be the space where ‘ Google meets Apple ’ , more importantly though this was going to be the place where people of color ( from the housing projects , nonetheless ) were going to get the necessary training skills they needed to succeed in the corporate tech world .
All children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equal access to resources .
In NYCHA ( New York City Housing Authority ) communities though , the overwhelming majority of our youth are marginalized , they do not have the same access points to resources in order to appropriately navigate the world .
That is why I made it my goal to create the infrastructure and implement the much needed technology that would make it possible for the next generation of Elon Musk ’ s and Bill Gates ’ s to come out from the Bronx River projects .
My vision , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of the governing agencies whether it be DYCD , NYCHA , DOE ( Department of Education ) , etc .
But it seemed to be out of reach to the resident stakeholders as well .
My battle was twofold , I found myself being discouraged by the varying levels of city , state and federal bureaucracy to implement my ideas , however , I often found myself trying to convince the community at large ( as well ) that this vision would be actualized .
Rather than being discouraged I fomented a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me achieve my vision .
Through this collaboration , two other Directors ( from the Sotomayor and Soundview NYCHA Community Centers ) and I began to lay the framework for using our centers as alternative spaces for educational learning as it pertains to technology .
Specifically , each Director had a very specific niche , which we reasoned could be leveraged across all three centers - Sotomayor would specialize on multimedia/video editing ; Soundview would focus on computer programming/coding .
And , Bronx River since it was one of the birthplaces of hip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ music production .
We were then going to create a peer to peer system across all three sites where classes would be taught electronically and where folks would be able to access the record for any class that was conducted .
Our conclusion was simple , rather than relying solely on the DOE to create opportunities we would use our community centers to fill the stop gaps in education .
However , we would also be able to attract the most marginalized youth , those who did not see education as a real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to create opportunities for them to re-enter the educational system in a non-conventional space , our NYCHA Community Centers .
We began to use our extended networks to attempt to locate additional funds that would provide the needed capital to purchase the equipment .
Finally , there was an opportunity with the Bronx Borough President ’ s office that would provide a one-time grant that was in line with our vision of technology .
However , I understood that in order to truly eradicate poverty my approach has to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor from Lehman College who had written a National Science Foundation ( NSF ) grant to pioneer an innovative effort -- college professors would teach college level courses at Bronx River Community Center .
Again , the center was at the precipice of piloting a much larger initiative .
The NSF grant would provide college level courses at the community center which would fit in line with the idea of educating in non-conventional spaces .
The pilot program would allow students to enroll in a three credit course on music production .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point to possibly seeking higher education which could create a pipeline for full time college enrollment .
We also focused on diversifying the classes by offering courses such as : architectural design and graphic design , SAT prep , GED prep , software development and engineering were among the many others .
The final part of the strategy was to establish partnerships with tech companies to create a pipeline of skilled workers for high paying jobs .
We submitted the proposal and received our award letters toward the latter end of Spring 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on July 1 , 2017 .
Our expectation was that we would receive the monies in the of Fall of 2017 -- just in time for after-school programming .
In the meantime , my coalition and I incorporated a nonprofit organization .
Our plan was to create , implement and sustain technology ( and its infrastructure ) and programming to the NYCHA centers in the Bronx and then slowly expand , citywide .
We were going to rely on our pilot sites as examples of our success .
That was not the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incapable of releasing the funds , the bureaucratic foundation of the agency was devoid of providing any solution to the problem .
During the Summer of 2018 the coalition and I started a petition and acquired over 1,000 signatures .
It gained enough traction which some politicians wanted to endorse , a press conference was held .
However , the politicians were unable to apply the needed pressure to NYCHA , in short there was no viable solution .
After another year and a half of petitions and working the levers of bureaucracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference which was the final nail in the coffin as we were granted the funds to purchase our technology .
A few of the items include : iMacs , 3D Printers , 4K Video Cameras , Apple and Smart TV ’ s , which are all connected by wireless connectivity .
The entire Community Center is Wi-Fi capable and connected to a single network .
The flat smart TV ’ s allow parents and youth to view upcoming programming content , as well as pictures and videos from past events .
The computer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maker space to create 3D printing objects .
The classrooms are fully equipped with an iMac with a smart TV and apple TV attached to it .
Our make-shift recording studio is now complete with state of the art engineering software and a fully soundproof booth .
Parts of my vision have been realized , while we can live stream workshops , and residents can watch it from the comfort of their homes .
While Bronx River is fully automated , it is somewhat perplexing to think that in 2020 this is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City with this type of technology and programming .
This just goes to show the enormous challenges that marginalized communities are faced with .
Automation is the wave of the future , with each passing day , jobs are being phased out in favor of speed and efficiency .
Because the workplace now requires highly skilled individuals with a vast array of skill sets .
More often than not lower income communities of color are unable to access the same resources as their wealthier white counterparts .
Without basic access to technology , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our communities will be further marginalized .
Coupled with harsh living conditions and with the lack of opportunity for upward mobility it makes the cycle of generational poverty inevitable and that much more difficult to eradicate .
As I begin my quest to the House of Representatives one of my key advocacy points will focus on technology and the infrastructure for it to be installed in as many community centers in my district , as well as the rest of New York City and beyond .
We live in the capital of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world , our families deserve better , the time is now !

Guest post by Tomas Ramos
candidate for Congress, NY-15
July 2016, that was the first time that I entered Bronx River Community Center-- while I was excited about the prospects of being a community educator and organizer, little did I realize that this moment would alter the rest of my life. As I toured the center, I was in awe of this beautiful space that was located in the middle of one of the largest public housing developments in the Bronx. I had an immediate vision, to combine my interest and love of technology to transform the center itself. I envisioned a technological hub that would inspire the many families and youth that I provided services to. Just as I was once inspired by technology, this was to be the impetus of how I would give back, through technology itself.
Bronx River Houses is home to over 5,000 residents, it is a small representation that is the melting pot of the Bronx, a large and complex community with various ethnicities-- Puerto Rican, Dominican, African-American, central American and a multitude of others. While the residents’ cultures may separate them, there is one thing that they have in common, they bear the brunt of poverty. My goal to combat this poverty is to use technology as a tool that would become the great equalizer for this culturally rich and diverse community.
My initial thoughts were “it is possible for us to create sustainable programming to help break the cycle of poverty through innovative educational structures.” When I expressed this vision to DYCD (the city agency that funded my program), they thought I was insane. I spoke in depth about retrofitting Bronx River with high end technology and designing a community center where young people would have the opportunity to learn coding (for video games and web design), create applications, learn about software and engineering, just to name a few. This was going to be the space where ‘Google meets Apple’, more importantly though this was going to be the place where people of color (from the housing projects, nonetheless) were going to get the necessary training skills they needed to succeed in the corporate tech world.
All children, regardless of their socio-economic status deserve equal access to resources. In NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority) communities though, the overwhelming majority of our youth are marginalized, they do not have the same access points to resources in order to appropriately navigate the world. That is why I made it my goal to create the infrastructure and implement the much needed technology that would make it possible for the next generation of Elon Musk’s and Bill Gates’s to come out from the Bronx River projects.
My vision, often times was far-fetched and incomprehensible to all of the governing agencies whether it be DYCD, NYCHA, DOE (Department of Education), etc. But it seemed to be out of reach to the resident stakeholders as well. My battle was twofold, I found myself being discouraged by the varying levels of city, state and federal bureaucracy to implement my ideas, however, I often found myself trying to convince the community at large (as well) that this vision would be actualized.
Rather than being discouraged I fomented a coalition of dedicated stakeholders who would help me achieve my vision. Through this collaboration, two other Directors (from the Sotomayor and Soundview NYCHA Community Centers) and I began to lay the framework for using our centers as alternative spaces for educational learning as it pertains to technology. Specifically, each Director had a very specific niche, which we reasoned could be leveraged across all three centers - Sotomayor would specialize on multimedia/video editing; Soundview would focus on computer programming/coding. And, Bronx River since it was one of the birthplaces of hip hop, was going to focus on music production. We were then going to create a peer to peer system across all three sites where classes would be taught electronically and where folks would be able to access the record for any class that was conducted.
Our conclusion was simple, rather than relying solely on the DOE to create opportunities we would use our community centers to fill the stop gaps in education. However, we would also be able to attract the most marginalized youth, those who did not see education as a real means of upward mobility. We would be able to create opportunities for them to re-enter the educational system in a non-conventional space, our NYCHA Community Centers.
We began to use our extended networks to attempt to locate additional funds that would provide the needed capital to purchase the equipment. Finally, there was an opportunity with the Bronx Borough President’s office that would provide a one-time grant that was in line with our vision of technology.
However, I understood that in order to truly eradicate poverty my approach has to be a multi-pronged strategy. We partnered with a professor from Lehman College who had written a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to pioneer an innovative effort-- college professors would teach college level courses at Bronx River Community Center. Again, the center was at the precipice of piloting a much larger initiative. The NSF grant would provide college level courses at the community center which would fit in line with the idea of educating in non-conventional spaces. The pilot program would allow students to enroll in a three credit course on music production. This would allow the marginalized youth an access point to possibly seeking higher education which could create a pipeline for full time college enrollment.
We also focused on diversifying the classes by offering courses such as: architectural design and graphic design, SAT prep, GED prep, software development and engineering were among the many others. The final part of the strategy was to establish partnerships with tech companies to create a pipeline of skilled workers for high paying jobs.
We submitted the proposal and received our award letters toward the latter end of Spring 2017. The monies was released to NYCHA on July 1, 2017. Our expectation was that we would receive the monies in the of Fall of 2017-- just in time for after-school programming. In the meantime, my coalition and I incorporated a nonprofit organization. Our plan was to create, implement and sustain technology (and its infrastructure) and programming to the NYCHA centers in the Bronx and then slowly expand, citywide. We were going to rely on our pilot sites as examples of our success. That was not the case.
After a year, NYCHA was incapable of releasing the funds, the bureaucratic foundation of the agency was devoid of providing any solution to the problem. During the Summer of 2018 the coalition and I started a petition and acquired over 1,000 signatures. It gained enough traction which some politicians wanted to endorse, a press conference was held. However, the politicians were unable to apply the needed pressure to NYCHA, in short there was no viable solution.
After another year and a half of petitions and working the levers of bureaucracy we were able to hold another press conference which was the final nail in the coffin as we were granted the funds to purchase our technology. A few of the items include: iMacs, 3D Printers, 4K Video Cameras, Apple and Smart TV’s, which are all connected by wireless connectivity.
The entire Community Center is Wi-Fi capable and connected to a single network. The flat smart TV’s allow parents and youth to view upcoming programming content, as well as pictures and videos from past events. The computer lab has 20 iMac computers with a maker space to create 3D printing objects. The classrooms are fully equipped with an iMac with a smart TV and apple TV attached to it. Our make-shift recording studio is now complete with state of the art engineering software and a fully soundproof booth. Parts of my vision have been realized, while we can live stream workshops, and residents can watch it from the comfort of their homes.
While Bronx River is fully automated, it is somewhat perplexing to think that in 2020 this is the first NYCHA Community Center in New York City with this type of technology and programming. This just goes to show the enormous challenges that marginalized communities are faced with.
Automation is the wave of the future, with each passing day, jobs are being phased out in favor of speed and efficiency. Because the workplace now requires highly skilled individuals with a vast array of skill sets. More often than not lower income communities of color are unable to access the same resources as their wealthier white counterparts. Without basic access to technology, such as broadband and internet access, our communities will be further marginalized. Coupled with harsh living conditions and with the lack of opportunity for upward mobility it makes the cycle of generational poverty inevitable and that much more difficult to eradicate.
As I begin my quest to the House of Representatives one of my key advocacy points will focus on technology and the infrastructure for it to be installed in as many community centers in my district, as well as the rest of New York City and beyond.
We live in the capital of the world, and in the wealthiest country in the world, our families deserve better, the time is now!


crooksandliars--2020-02-03--Twitter LOLs Over Trump's Congrats To The Chiefs For 'Representing The Great State Of Kansas'

What a game , huh ?
No matter which team you were rooting for , that game was fun from start to end with both sides battling it out with all their hearts .
And we all know that the San Francisco 49ers are a California team and the Kansas City Chiefs are a Missouri team .
Right ?
RIGHT ?
One of us does n't .
This was Donald Effing Trump 's congratulatory tweet at the end of the game ( now deleted for obvious reasons ) : Yeah , that 's right .
The `` Great State of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the Kansas City Chiefs are a Missouri team .
And of course , Twitter had some thoughts .
Many , actually .
Point well taken here : And a couple of LOLs just because : It 's funny , and it 's not funny .
For a guy who has been president of ALL these United States for 3 years now , but especially for the states in the Midwest where he pretends to be a `` man of the people , '' is there really any excuse for this ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and again that he is not fit for the office .
Period .

What a game, huh? No matter which team you were rooting for, that game was fun from start to end with both sides battling it out with all their hearts.
And we all know that the San Francisco 49ers are a California team and the Kansas City Chiefs are a Missouri team. Right? RIGHT?
One of us doesn't. This was Donald Effing Trump's congratulatory tweet at the end of the game (now deleted for obvious reasons):
Yeah, that's right. The "Great State of Kansas" might enjoy taking the credit, but the Kansas City Chiefs are a Missouri team.
And of course, Twitter had some thoughts. Many, actually.
That thing when you spend millions of dollars on a Super Bowl TV ad and then one tweet blows up your entire investment because you’re a fucking moron. — Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) February 3, 2020
It’s Missouri you stone cold idiot. pic.twitter.com/O1cAAOFsJ6 — Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) February 3, 2020
By tomorrow morning Senate Republicans will be asserting that Kansas City is, in fact, in Kansas. — Sydra (@sydrasmith) February 3, 2020
"Missouri does not exist, Comrade, and it never has." - right wing media tomorrow — Jay McKenzie (@JamesFourM) February 3, 2020
Point well taken here:
Had they not changed this, how many Republican Senators and Reps would have rushed to cameras by morning to insist that the Chiefs DO play in Kansas, and only the people should decide if that's untrue? https://t.co/XO8CDFZnfe — Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) February 3, 2020
And a couple of LOLs just because:
Condolences to 48ers fans everywhere. pic.twitter.com/WLNFEeaLvN — Philippe Reines (@PhilippeReines) February 3, 2020
At least they still have their 409Ks — George Conway (@gtconway3d) February 3, 2020
It's funny, and it's not funny. For a guy who has been president of ALL these United States for 3 years now, but especially for the states in the Midwest where he pretends to be a "man of the people," is there really any excuse for this? It's pathetic and just proves again and again that he is not fit for the office. Period.


crooksandliars--2020-02-03--Midnight Revelation: The OMB Has Been Hiding Emails That Explicitly Show Trump's Motives On Ukraine

A midnight court filing on Friday night revealed that the White House is refusing to release at least two dozen emails directly related to Donald Trump ’ s withholding of military assistance from Ukraine .
The filing , authored by an attorney from the Office of Management and Budget , described the until now hidden documents as communications by Trump or his immediate advisers “ regarding Presidential decision-making about the scope , duration , and purpose of the hold on military assistance to Ukraine . ''
In other words , the idea that Trump withheld military assistance to Ukraine because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need for more “ burden sharing ” — as Trump ’ s defense team has stated throughout hearings in the House and the trial in the Senate — could be directly revealed by an examination of these documents .
Which they will not share .
As CNN reports , the Department of Justice withheld the existence of these emails until just hours after the Senate had made it ’ s vote to not subpoena any further witnesses or documents in Trump ’ s impeachment trial .
This appears to be another staggering example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power of the executive branch to paper over his actions , block access to key information , and simply prevent the release of the truth .
The argument from the DOJ is that the collection of emails are privileged because they include “ discussions regarding Presidential decision-making.
” Which is , of course , exactly the thing that makes them valuable .
And exactly the kind of claim that shows how ridiculous it is to suggest that executive privilege can be broadly applied in an impeachment trial .
These documents are directly on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They obviously speak exactly the the motivation behind Trump ’ s action — something that Trump ’ s defense team , including Ukraine plot participant Pat Cipollone have been insisting can not be known .
They are collected , available … and hidden for no purpose other than to preserve the lies that have been told to disguise Trump ’ s actual reasoning .
The nature of these documents , and the timing of their release , speaks more than ever to the point that the entire executive branch is enlisted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Making it impossible to have a fair trial unless the Senate will consider that cover-up worthy of impeachment .

A midnight court filing on Friday night revealed that the White House is refusing to release at least two dozen emails directly related to Donald Trump’s withholding of military assistance from Ukraine. The filing, authored by an attorney from the Office of Management and Budget, described the until now hidden documents as communications by Trump or his immediate advisers “regarding Presidential decision-making about the scope, duration, and purpose of the hold on military assistance to Ukraine."
In other words, the idea that Trump withheld military assistance to Ukraine because of concerns over corruption, or the need for more “burden sharing” — as Trump’s defense team has stated throughout hearings in the House and the trial in the Senate — could be directly revealed by an examination of these documents. Which they will not share.
As CNN reports, the Department of Justice withheld the existence of these emails until just hours after the Senate had made it’s vote to not subpoena any further witnesses or documents in Trump’s impeachment trial. This appears to be another staggering example of how Trump has used the full power of the executive branch to paper over his actions, block access to key information, and simply prevent the release of the truth.
The argument from the DOJ is that the collection of emails are privileged because they include “discussions regarding Presidential decision-making.” Which is, of course, exactly the thing that makes them valuable. And exactly the kind of claim that shows how ridiculous it is to suggest that executive privilege can be broadly applied in an impeachment trial.
These documents are directly on the subject of Trump’s impeachment. They obviously speak exactly the the motivation behind Trump’s action — something that Trump’s defense team, including Ukraine plot participant Pat Cipollone have been insisting can not be known. They are collected, available … and hidden for no purpose other than to preserve the lies that have been told to disguise Trump’s actual reasoning.
The nature of these documents, and the timing of their release, speaks more than ever to the point that the entire executive branch is enlisted in support of Trump’s cover-up. Making it impossible to have a fair trial unless the Senate will consider that cover-up worthy of impeachment.
Published with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-02-03--Senate Republicans Were On Trial. They Chose To Betray America

If watching Senate Republicans turn a blind eye to duty , truth , their oaths of office , public opinion , and the well-being of the republic left you with a pit in your stomach this week , then rest assured that you are not alone .
But while most of this blog 's readers knew the fix was in before the Senate charade ever started , many Americans likely did not .
In poll after poll after poll , voters told pollsters that they wanted and in some polls expected to hear from witnesses .
For starters , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trials include witnesses , and historically every single impeachment trial until now has also included witness testimony .
Making matters worse for Senate Republicans , Donald Trump 's defenders in the House had whined relentlessly about `` second- , third- , fourth- , and fifthhand '' witnesses .
They made firsthand witnesses indispensable and suggested America would never know the truth without them .
Even Trump spent a good portion of the fall and winter clamoring for witnesses once the impeachment inquiry reached the Senate , where finally things would be fair .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared : former White House national security adviser John Bolton .
He was a West Wing insider with direct access to Trump and a veteran of every Republican administration dating back to Ronald Reagan .
He was a conservative stalwart and rock-ribbed defense hawk with sterling cred among GOP lawmakers .
Even better , progressives typically despised him , making him among the most trustworthy of witnesses among Republicans .
And lo and behold , unlike other Trump officials , he was willing to talk and even said so in a statement issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work in the New Year .
What luck !
Now just imagine America 's surprise as the perfect firsthand witness went untapped for weeks on end .
After months of Trump hyping all that witness testimony in the Senate , he suddenly went cold on the idea .
When his attorneys began to argue their case , the nation was told that House managers had utterly failed to prove Trump 's guilt on one hand but that further inquiry was verboten on the other .
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell even tried to kill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trial ever started , but he was ultimately reduced to making handwritten adjustments in the margins of his resolution so that calling witnesses could be considered after both impeachment teams had made their case .
Apparently , even some members of McConnell 's caucus did n't see how they could sell that preemptive gag order back home .
As the trial ground on , suspense built with headlines emerging about what Bolton had committed to paper in his forthcoming book .
First , the public learned Trump had told Bolton directly he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until the country 's top officials started investigations into Democrats and , more specifically , the Bidens .
Next , Bolton 's manuscript expressed his distress over Trump granting personal favors to autocratic leaders in his view .
Finally , as the trial headed toward that crucial vote on witness testimony Friday , another morning jolt brought news that White House counsel Pat Cipollone—Trump 's lead attorney at the trial—had witnessed Trump ordering Bolton to help with his pressure campaign by facilitating a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Rudy Giuliani .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , news also broke Friday that Giuliani associate Lev Parnas was prepared to detail the entire conspiracy in testimony , front to back , with receipts .
As former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance noted on MSNBC , `` This is a prosecutor 's dream , right ?
You 've actually got Lev Parnas and John Bolton in a bidding war over who gets to be your star witness . ''
Wow , how could Republicans possibly pass up the wealth of information beating down the doors to the Senate chamber ?
And yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do late Friday .
In the face of polls showing nearly three-quarters of the country agreed on the need for witnesses , Senate Republicans turned their backs on America .
Sure , they 're public servants who 've been entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the Constitution .
But when the time came to take a principled stand , they saluted to Individual 1 , circled the wagons , and deep-sixed testimony for the remainder of the trial .
All that 's left of the Senate proceeding is a bunch of self-gratifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their cowardice in acceptable terms .
The cover-up is complete .
And it was n't just helpful to Trump , it was an absolute necessity .
If Bolton had testified , he would have implicated multiple Trump officials in Trump 's scheme , including Cipollone , Trump 's chief defense attorney .
Just to be clear , most legal scholars were aghast that anyone from the White House counsel 's office was defending Trump in the first place .
It 's a taxpayer-funded position charged with representing the Office of the President , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we know now is that he was n't just protecting Trump , he was protecting himself , serving himself—on the taxpayers ' dime .
Trump 's Ukraine conspiracy was a global effort among his top advisers .
Everyone knew , even the White House counsel ( who , by the way , is supposedly leading an inquiry into who put the transcript of Trump 's July 25th call with President Volodymyr Zelensky into the super secret server . )
Or as Gordon Sondland said repeatedly , `` Everyone was in the loop .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ top advisers , only one person is willing to talk .
As a matter of civic service , the nation could have benefited from hearing Bolton 's truth during the Senate trial .
Some Americans who had not followed the House hearing closely enough to see how corrosive Trump 's actions were would have walked away better informed about the unimaginable danger he poses to the nation .
But politically speaking , this proceeding was never about putting Trump on trial—everyone who had been paying attention knew the outcome in advance , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the GOP-led Senate on trial .
That 's why Pelosi held the articles of impeachment for nearly a month , so she could frame the proceeding as a referendum on Senate Republicans .
And guess what ?
They failed spectacularly in a disgraceful show of craven hubris .
They could n't even fake impartiality long enough to allow for witnesses to be heard .
In the end , they offered America no justice—no feeling of finality—just a hollow sense of being wronged with no recourse .
But here 's the silver lining : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention of most Americans and when polling consistently showed that voters overwhelmingly craved resolution , Senate Republicans exposed themselves a nothing short of tools of Trump 's regime .
They no longer serve the people , they serve him and him only .
Pundits across spectrum smelled trouble for Senate Republicans .
`` I think ( McConnell ) underestimates the backlash to this vote , '' conservative radio host Charlie Sykes told MSNBC .
`` I think people are going to be a lot more angry about this vote on the witnesses than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it really does put the Senate in play . ''
Former GOP operative Nicolle Wallace called the vote “ political suicide , ” adding , “ I hope they take it . ''
They did .
So as we enter the start of the Democratic nomination contest in earnest on Monday , bundle up all that rage and take it to the polls .
Let it drive your engagement and participation throughout the rest of the year until Election Day .
`` Never stop being a prisoner of hope , '' Sen. Cory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dark moment , invoking the resolve shown throughout history after the Battle of Bunker Hill , the Birmingham Church bombing , and the showdown at Stonewall .
`` This election is about so much more now than a choice between a Democrat and Republican president . ''

If watching Senate Republicans turn a blind eye to duty, truth, their oaths of office, public opinion, and the well-being of the republic left you with a pit in your stomach this week, then rest assured that you are not alone. But while most of this blog's readers knew the fix was in before the Senate charade ever started, many Americans likely did not. In poll after poll after poll, voters told pollsters that they wanted and in some polls expected to hear from witnesses. For starters, it was common sense. Everyone knows that trials include witnesses, and historically every single impeachment trial until now has also included witness testimony.
Making matters worse for Senate Republicans, Donald Trump's defenders in the House had whined relentlessly about "second-, third-, fourth-, and fifthhand" witnesses. They made firsthand witnesses indispensable and suggested America would never know the truth without them. Even Trump spent a good portion of the fall and winter clamoring for witnesses once the impeachment inquiry reached the Senate, where finally things would be fair.
And almost magically, the star witness appeared: former White House national security adviser John Bolton. He was a West Wing insider with direct access to Trump and a veteran of every Republican administration dating back to Ronald Reagan. He was a conservative stalwart and rock-ribbed defense hawk with sterling cred among GOP lawmakers. Even better, progressives typically despised him, making him among the most trustworthy of witnesses among Republicans. And lo and behold, unlike other Trump officials, he was willing to talk and even said so in a statement issued right as the Senate got back to work in the New Year. What luck!
Now just imagine America's surprise as the perfect firsthand witness went untapped for weeks on end. After months of Trump hyping all that witness testimony in the Senate, he suddenly went cold on the idea. When his attorneys began to argue their case, the nation was told that House managers had utterly failed to prove Trump's guilt on one hand but that further inquiry was verboten on the other. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell even tried to kill the mere prospect of witness testimony before the trial ever started, but he was ultimately reduced to making handwritten adjustments in the margins of his resolution so that calling witnesses could be considered after both impeachment teams had made their case. Apparently, even some members of McConnell's caucus didn't see how they could sell that preemptive gag order back home.
As the trial ground on, suspense built with headlines emerging about what Bolton had committed to paper in his forthcoming book. First, the public learned Trump had told Bolton directly he wanted to continue withholding aid to Ukraine until the country's top officials started investigations into Democrats and, more specifically, the Bidens. Next, Bolton's manuscript expressed his distress over Trump granting personal favors to autocratic leaders in his view. Finally, as the trial headed toward that crucial vote on witness testimony Friday, another morning jolt brought news that White House counsel Pat Cipollone—Trump's lead attorney at the trial—had witnessed Trump ordering Bolton to help with his pressure campaign by facilitating a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Rudy Giuliani.
As if all that wasn't enough, news also broke Friday that Giuliani associate Lev Parnas was prepared to detail the entire conspiracy in testimony, front to back, with receipts. As former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance noted on MSNBC, "This is a prosecutor's dream, right? You've actually got Lev Parnas and John Bolton in a bidding war over who gets to be your star witness." Wow, how could Republicans possibly pass up the wealth of information beating down the doors to the Senate chamber?
And yet, that's exactly what they voted to do late Friday. In the face of polls showing nearly three-quarters of the country agreed on the need for witnesses, Senate Republicans turned their backs on America. Sure, they're public servants who've been entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the Constitution. But when the time came to take a principled stand, they saluted to Individual 1, circled the wagons, and deep-sixed testimony for the remainder of the trial. All that's left of the Senate proceeding is a bunch of self-gratifying speechifying as Senate Republicans try to recast their cowardice in acceptable terms.
The cover-up is complete. And it wasn't just helpful to Trump, it was an absolute necessity. If Bolton had testified, he would have implicated multiple Trump officials in Trump's scheme, including Cipollone, Trump's chief defense attorney. Just to be clear, most legal scholars were aghast that anyone from the White House counsel's office was defending Trump in the first place. It's a taxpayer-funded position charged with representing the Office of the President, not the president him/herself. But what we know now is that he wasn't just protecting Trump, he was protecting himself, serving himself—on the taxpayers' dime. Trump's Ukraine conspiracy was a global effort among his top advisers. Everyone knew, even the White House counsel (who, by the way, is supposedly leading an inquiry into who put the transcript of Trump's July 25th call with President Volodymyr Zelensky into the super secret server.) Or as Gordon Sondland said repeatedly, "Everyone was in the loop." Yet, among Trump's looped-in top advisers, only one person is willing to talk.
As a matter of civic service, the nation could have benefited from hearing Bolton's truth during the Senate trial. Some Americans who had not followed the House hearing closely enough to see how corrosive Trump's actions were would have walked away better informed about the unimaginable danger he poses to the nation.
But politically speaking, this proceeding was never about putting Trump on trial—everyone who had been paying attention knew the outcome in advance, including Nancy Pelosi. It was about putting the GOP-led Senate on trial. That's why Pelosi held the articles of impeachment for nearly a month, so she could frame the proceeding as a referendum on Senate Republicans. And guess what? They failed spectacularly in a disgraceful show of craven hubris. They couldn't even fake impartiality long enough to allow for witnesses to be heard. In the end, they offered America no justice—no feeling of finality—just a hollow sense of being wronged with no recourse.
But here's the silver lining: During a time when Washington commanded the attention of most Americans and when polling consistently showed that voters overwhelmingly craved resolution, Senate Republicans exposed themselves a nothing short of tools of Trump's regime. They no longer serve the people, they serve him and him only.
Pundits across spectrum smelled trouble for Senate Republicans. "I think (McConnell) underestimates the backlash to this vote," conservative radio host Charlie Sykes told MSNBC. "I think people are going to be a lot more angry about this vote on the witnesses than folks in Washington really understand. And it really does put the Senate in play."
Former GOP operative Nicolle Wallace called the vote “political suicide,” adding, “I hope they take it." They did.
So as we enter the start of the Democratic nomination contest in earnest on Monday, bundle up all that rage and take it to the polls. Let it drive your engagement and participation throughout the rest of the year until Election Day.
"Never stop being a prisoner of hope," Sen. Cory Booker told MSNBC this week at a dark moment, invoking the resolve shown throughout history after the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Birmingham Church bombing, and the showdown at Stonewall. "This election is about so much more now than a choice between a Democrat and Republican president."
Published with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-02-02--GOP Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel Slams Her Uncle Mitt On Trump's Behalf: 'You Are Helping A Democrat'

Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel said on Sunday that President Donald Trump had `` strengthened '' the GOP by after pro-Trump conservatives launched an attack on her uncle , Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) .
During an interview on CBS , host Margaret Brennan noted that Trump allies had run attack advertisements against the Utah senator because he voted to allow witnesses in the president 's impeachment trial .
`` The Conservative Political Action Conference has disinvited [ Mitt Romney ] from an upcoming meeting , '' Brennan explained .
`` They put this ad online , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do you think this is proper political retaliation ? ''
`` The president has strengthened our party , '' McDaniel insisted .
`` I 'm not sure if you saw the ad but it was you uncle 's face , '' Brennan observed .
`` I have n't seen the ad , '' McDaniel admitted .
`` That 's the grassroots part of our party and their upset when people are n't supporting the president and are not supporting our party .
They think if you are n't supporting him , you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Okay , '' Brennan said .
`` I understand you do n't want to comment on your uncle . ''

Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel said on Sunday that President Donald Trump had "strengthened" the GOP by after pro-Trump conservatives launched an attack on her uncle, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT).
During an interview on CBS, host Margaret Brennan noted that Trump allies had run attack advertisements against the Utah senator because he voted to allow witnesses in the president's impeachment trial.
"The Conservative Political Action Conference has disinvited [Mitt Romney] from an upcoming meeting," Brennan explained. "They put this ad online, there are TV ads against him. Do you think this is proper political retaliation?"
"The president has strengthened our party," McDaniel insisted.
"I'm not sure if you saw the ad but it was you uncle's face," Brennan observed.
"I haven't seen the ad," McDaniel admitted. "That's the grassroots part of our party and their upset when people aren't supporting the president and are not supporting our party. They think if you aren't supporting him, you are helping a Democrat get elected."
"Okay," Brennan said. "I understand you don't want to comment on your uncle."


crooksandliars--2020-02-02--NBC's Glenn Kirschner: Adam Schiff Must 'Move For A Mistrial' So Republicans Can't Acquit Trump

NBC legal analyst Glenn Kirschner on Sunday addressed the possibility that Chief Justice John Roberts could declare a mistrial before Republicans in the Senate acquit President Donald Trump on impeachment charges on Wednesday .
Kirshner argued that House Impeachment Manager Adam Schiff could call for a mistrial even though such a move is not contemplated in Senate rules .
`` I wish Schiff WOULD make a motion for a mistrial based on , among other things , the revelation of [ Pat ] Cipollone ’ s grossly unethical conduct/conflicts of interest , '' Kirshner wrote on Twitter , referring to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential high crimes .
`` The Senate rules may not contemplate/authorize a mistrial motion , '' he admitted . '
I would argue the rules as adopted NEVER contemplated the president ’ s lawyers would have hidden from the Senate , the Chief Justice and the American people such egregious , disqualifying information ( as recently disclosed by John Bolton ) . ''
Kirshner concluded : `` Cipollone perpetrated a unimaginable fraud on the Senate and the American people and the Dems should not go quietly into that dark acquittal .
Move for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice says . ''

NBC legal analyst Glenn Kirschner on Sunday addressed the possibility that Chief Justice John Roberts could declare a mistrial before Republicans in the Senate acquit President Donald Trump on impeachment charges on Wednesday.
Kirshner argued that House Impeachment Manager Adam Schiff could call for a mistrial even though such a move is not contemplated in Senate rules.
"I wish Schiff WOULD make a motion for a mistrial based on, among other things, the revelation of [Pat] Cipollone’s grossly unethical conduct/conflicts of interest," Kirshner wrote on Twitter, referring to allegations that the president's attorney witnessed presidential high crimes.
"The Senate rules may not contemplate/authorize a mistrial motion," he admitted. 'I would argue the rules as adopted NEVER contemplated the president’s lawyers would have hidden from the Senate, the Chief Justice and the American people such egregious, disqualifying information (as recently disclosed by John Bolton)."
Kirshner concluded: "Cipollone perpetrated a unimaginable fraud on the Senate and the American people and the Dems should not go quietly into that dark acquittal. Move for a mistrial and see what the Chief Justice says."
Many have asked if the House managers can move for a mistrial. Here are my quick thoughts: I wish Schiff WOULD make a motion for a mistrial based on, among other things, the revelation of Cipollone’s grossly unethical conduct/conflicts of interest. I wouldn’t be deterred that... https://t.co/F7UVx7lCUM — Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) February 2, 2020
the Senate rules may not contemplate/authorize a mistrial motion. I would argue the rules as adopted NEVER contemplated the president’s lawyers would have hidden from the Senate, the Chief Justice and the American people such egregious, disqualifying information (as recently — Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) February 2, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-02-02--Just Before Trump's Super Bowl Hit, Bloomberg Exposes 'Pathological Lies' About Obesity And 'Spray-o

Just Before Trump's Super Bowl Hit, Bloomberg Exposes 'Pathological Lies' About Obesity And 'Spray-on Tan'

Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg 's campaign took a shot at President Donald Trump 's history of lying just hours before both candidates were set to air advertisements during Super Bowl LIV .
While America watched the pre-game show , a video clip was released of Trump attacking Bloomberg over his height .
`` I just think of little , '' Trump said during an interview that is expected to air during the Super Bowl .
`` You know , now he wants a box for the debates to stand on .
OK .
It 's OK .
There 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Why should he get a box to stand on .
He wants a box for the debates .
Why should he be entitled ?
Does that mean everyone else gets a box . ''
Trump also accused the Democratic Party of cheating to allow Bloomberg to participate in debates .
`` The president is lying , '' Bloomberg campaign spokesperson Julie Wood replied in a statement .
`` He is a pathological liar who lies about everything : his fake hair , his obesity , and his spray-on tan . ''
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each on competing Super Bowl ads .

Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg's campaign took a shot at President Donald Trump's history of lying just hours before both candidates were set to air advertisements during Super Bowl LIV.
While America watched the pre-game show, a video clip was released of Trump attacking Bloomberg over his height.
"I just think of little," Trump said during an interview that is expected to air during the Super Bowl. "You know, now he wants a box for the debates to stand on. OK. It's OK. There's nothing wrong. You can be short. Why should he get a box to stand on. He wants a box for the debates. Why should he be entitled? Does that mean everyone else gets a box."
Trump also accused the Democratic Party of cheating to allow Bloomberg to participate in debates.
"The president is lying," Bloomberg campaign spokesperson Julie Wood replied in a statement. "He is a pathological liar who lies about everything: his fake hair, his obesity, and his spray-on tan."
Trump and Bloomberg are spending $10 million each on competing Super Bowl ads.


crooksandliars--2020-02-03--You're Damn Right The Super Bowl Half-Time Show Was Political

J-lo came out with the U.S flag then turned it around to reveal the Puerto Rican flag while her daughter @ @ @ @ @ USA ” , with millions watching on fox .
the POWER .
The MESSAGE .
@ @ @ @ @ .
Don ’ t forget us .
Listen to us .
# SuperBowl # HalftimeShow @

J-lo came out with the U.S flag then turned it around to reveal the Puerto Rican flag while her daughter sang “born in the USA”, with millions watching on fox. the POWER. The MESSAGE. Puerto Ricans are U.S citizens. Don’t forget us. Listen to us. #SuperBowl #HalftimeShow pic.twitter.com/z8Udmm0kwC
— Salty spoonie♿ (@nonotyoshi) February 3, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-02-03--Chuck Todd Suggests 'Empathy' With GOP For Enabling Trump

We are now on the eve of Republicans basically anointing Trump as a dictator who is free to do anything he wants so long as he declares his actions are in the national interest .
And despite all evidence to the contrary , US Senators are making ridiculous explanations for their defense of Trump .
Top examples include the likes of Lamar Alexander and Marco Rubio , both of whom admitted Trump is guilty , but nonetheless are unwilling to do anything about it .
MSNBC 's Chuck Todd asked Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet whether he can `` empathize '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear of pouring gasoline on a culture war fire . ''
Really , Chuck .
Can you ever stop being both siderist for five seconds ?
Chuck is begging his audience to consider if can you blame veteran Republican US Senators for being terrified of the monster both of them have helped to create , a.k.a .
their right-wing base and the Dear Leader they worship , if either of them dared to step out of line and do the right thing for the country .
Bennet , thankfully , had a dose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
TODD : You were very thoughtful about the current situation in this country , the sort of the cold civil war at times , that we feel like ... do you at all sort of empathize with the comments of Lamar Alexander and Marco Rubio , who both really grounded their decisions in the fear of pouring gasoline on a culture war fire ?
BENNET : I do n't think showing the American people the evidence or the facts is pouring gasoline on anything .
It 's doing our job .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think it 's up to the American people to decide what they 're going to do with those facts .
It 's not up to Senators to patronize the American people and say somehow they ca n't handle the facts .
The vote last week was not a vote to acquit Donald Trump , although that 's obviously the effect of it .
The vote was on whether the American people are going to have the benefit of this evidence from Bolton and others and these Senators said no , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision that they made .

We are now on the eve of Republicans basically anointing Trump as a dictator who is free to do anything he wants so long as he declares his actions are in the national interest.
And despite all evidence to the contrary, US Senators are making ridiculous explanations for their defense of Trump. Top examples include the likes of Lamar Alexander and Marco Rubio, both of whom admitted Trump is guilty, but nonetheless are unwilling to do anything about it.
MSNBC's Chuck Todd asked Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet whether he can "empathize" with either of them for "the fear of pouring gasoline on a culture war fire."
Really, Chuck. Can you ever stop being both siderist for five seconds?
Chuck is begging his audience to consider if can you blame veteran Republican US Senators for being terrified of the monster both of them have helped to create, a.k.a. their right-wing base and the Dear Leader they worship, if either of them dared to step out of line and do the right thing for the country.
Bennet, thankfully, had a dose of reality for Chuck Todd in response.
TODD: You were very thoughtful about the current situation in this country, the sort of the cold civil war at times, that we feel like... do you at all sort of empathize with the comments of Lamar Alexander and Marco Rubio, who both really grounded their decisions in the fear of pouring gasoline on a culture war fire? BENNET: I don't think showing the American people the evidence or the facts is pouring gasoline on anything. It's doing our job. It's fulfilling our constitutional responsibility. And I think it's up to the American people to decide what they're going to do with those facts. It's not up to Senators to patronize the American people and say somehow they can't handle the facts. The vote last week was not a vote to acquit Donald Trump, although that's obviously the effect of it. The vote was on whether the American people are going to have the benefit of this evidence from Bolton and others and these Senators said no, and I think they're going to regret the decision that they made.
Michael Bennet tells reporters of the Senate right now: "I'm legitimately worried that this place is being run by @seanhannity and what's going on on Twitter" — Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) January 29, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-02-03--Hannity/Trump: Most Embarrassing Of All Super Bowl POTUS Interviews

Over the last two decades or so United States presidents have been interviewed on each network except for when the Super Bowl has been on Fox .
Twice President Obama was interviewed not by their top news anchor like a Bret Baier , or Chris Wallace , but the odious pervert known as Bill O'Reilly .
In 2018 Trump refused to be interviewed by NBC .
In 2017 Trump was interviewed by Bill O'Reilly .
His `` good friend . ''
In most cases no matter who the interviewees were , they discussed some matters of public and foreign policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was just a solid stream of spiteful Trump state-sponsored TV , hosted by his more recent best friend Sean Hannity .
Vox writes , `` Trump ’ s Super Bowl interview was 8 minutes of pettiness and empty braggadocio '' Sean 's role was to set up Trump with only questions that focused on his whining about his political opponents .
He Was a Bud Abbott to an utterly unfunny Lou Costello .
Trump was offered plenty of time to continue to call all investigations into his immoral behavior as `` hoaxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how his poor family suffered so much at the hands of the Democrats .
Then Hannity turned to the `` lightning round , '' which Hannity ' used to let Trump level unfettered attacks on all his political rivals .
It was pathetic and moronic , and once again the American people are left with no information about how their government is actually serving US interests .
There were people in this country who actually wanted to hear about Trump 's Middle East peace initiative or the situation in Iran ( war or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Korea ... but instead was served up only red meat and childish nicknames .
Trump , as usual , claimed he was the greatest president of all time while claiming Bloomberg wanted to stand on a box to debate him , which the former New York mayor 's campaign quickly refuted by saying , `` The president is lying .
He is a pathological liar who lies about everything : his fake hair , his obesity , and his spray-on tan .
”

Over the last two decades or so United States presidents have been interviewed on each network except for when the Super Bowl has been on Fox.
Twice President Obama was interviewed not by their top news anchor like a Bret Baier, or Chris Wallace, but the odious pervert known as Bill O'Reilly.
In 2019, "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan interviewed Trump.
In 2018 Trump refused to be interviewed by NBC.
In 2017 Trump was interviewed by Bill O'Reilly. His "good friend."
In most cases no matter who the interviewees were, they discussed some matters of public and foreign policy. But for eight minutes yesterday, it was just a solid stream of spiteful Trump state-sponsored TV, hosted by his more recent best friend Sean Hannity.
Vox writes, "Trump’s Super Bowl interview was 8 minutes of pettiness and empty braggadocio"
Sean's role was to set up Trump with only questions that focused on his whining about his political opponents. He Was a Bud Abbott to an utterly unfunny Lou Costello.
Trump was offered plenty of time to continue to call all investigations into his immoral behavior as "hoaxes" and "witch-hunts" and whine how his poor family suffered so much at the hands of the Democrats.
Then Hannity turned to the "lightning round," which Hannity' used to let Trump level unfettered attacks on all his political rivals.
It was pathetic and moronic, and once again the American people are left with no information about how their government is actually serving US interests. There were people in this country who actually wanted to hear about Trump's Middle East peace initiative or the situation in Iran (war or peace? Ya think?) or North Korea... but instead was served up only red meat and childish nicknames.
Trump, as usual, claimed he was the greatest president of all time while claiming Bloomberg wanted to stand on a box to debate him, which the former New York mayor's campaign quickly refuted by saying, "The president is lying. He is a pathological liar who lies about everything: his fake hair, his obesity, and his spray-on tan.”
#Presidementia Super Bowl (1) w/Sean: As predicted, this is not an interview, no give & take. Despite preparation & edits, Trump recycles the old tapes & simple words: witch hunt, disgrace, name calling, Bidens, etc. Hannity does a one word association thing —> (more) — John M. Talmadge, MD (@JohnMTalmadgeMD) February 2, 2020
#Presidementia Super Bowl (2) ... tossing out a name/word so Trump can give a one word response! Ex: “Biden,” “Sleepy.” The clip is as embarrassing as it is feckless & shallow. Alarming. This is cognitive decline & #MalignantEnabling on display worldwide. https://t.co/WC8UBvHQiK — John M. Talmadge, MD (@JohnMTalmadgeMD) February 2, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-02-03--WATCH LIVE:  Senate Impeachment Trial For Monday February 3

Sen. Michael Bennet pushes back when asked if he can `` empathize '' with Alexander and Rubio and their decision @ @ @ @ @ witnesses or evidence in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump because they supposedly do n't @ @ @ @ @

Can you help us out?
For 18 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but now Facebook is drowning us in an ocean of right wing lies. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.


crooksandliars--2020-02-03--John Avlon's Reality Check: Is It Okay For Trump To Keep Lying?

`` Is it now okay to lie because the president does it ?
Because that 's what Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley asked when he voted to remove Bill Clinton from office .
And it 's still a relevant question .
President Trump and his lawyers have said this from the beginning : The president has done absolutely nothing wrong .
`` But to block witnesses , GOP senators like Lamar Alexander had to give that argument the Heisman . ''
LAMAR ALEXANDER : I think it was wrong .
Inappropriate .
The question for me was , do I need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did what he did ?
And I concluded , no .
`` In other words , even some of the president 's defenders now admit that the president did do something wrong .
They should know President Trump is not going to change .
The man is routinely at war with the truth .
so the impulse to cover up is constant .
From big things to small , it goes way back .
If you take the self-styled stable genius at his word , you wonder why he wo n't let anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direct witness . ''
MICHAEL COHEN : I 'm talking about a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school school , his colleges , and college board to never release his grades or S.A.T .
scores .
`` This extends to his health .
Remember the doctor note he released during the campaign , saying his physical strength and stamina is extraordinary and he would be the healthiest person elected to the presidency .
It turns out Trump dictated that note to his doctor .
And the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his medical files seized .
Of course the candidate who argued he was so rich he could n't be bought , said he wanted to release this tax returns , has gone to extraordinary lengths to block said tax returns .
Even taking it all the way to the Supreme Court .
Saying he does n't watch cable news or pay attention to the stock market , '' Avlon said .
`` No one should be surprised .
He tried to block all witnesses and evidence in the trial .
Even hours after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been hiding two dozen emails .
This is n't a credibility gap .
It 's a chasm .
And still many republicans seem afraid to say the obvious , let alone clearly condemn .
Here 's Iowa 's Joni Ernst .
But if the president actually cared about corruption , he would n't have tried to cut the budget to combat corruption by billions -- including a cut for Ukraine .
Would n't have called a global anti-bribery law horrible and would n't have started calling out Biden .
It 's still not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
And it 's not okay to normalize those lies just because it 's a president from your political party .
And that 's your reality check . '

Today, John Avlon did a reality check on Trump's lies.
"Is it now okay to lie because the president does it? Because that's what Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley asked when he voted to remove Bill Clinton from office. And it's still a relevant question. President Trump and his lawyers have said this from the beginning:
The president has done absolutely nothing wrong.
"But to block witnesses, GOP senators like Lamar Alexander had to give that argument the Heisman."
LAMAR ALEXANDER: I think it was wrong. Inappropriate. The question for me was, do I need more evidence to conclude that the president did what he did? And I concluded, no.
"In other words, even some of the president's defenders now admit that the president did do something wrong. They should know President Trump is not going to change. The man is routinely at war with the truth. so the impulse to cover up is constant. From big things to small, it goes way back. If you take the self-styled stable genius at his word, you wonder why he won't let anyone see his grades. Here's a direct witness."
MICHAEL COHEN: I'm talking about a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school school, his colleges, and college board to never release his grades or S.A.T. scores.
"This extends to his health. Remember the doctor note he released during the campaign, saying his physical strength and stamina is extraordinary and he would be the healthiest person elected to the presidency. It turns out Trump dictated that note to his doctor. And the doctor said his office was raided and his medical files seized. Of course the candidate who argued he was so rich he couldn't be bought, said he wanted to release this tax returns, has gone to extraordinary lengths to block said tax returns. Even taking it all the way to the Supreme Court. Saying he doesn't watch cable news or pay attention to the stock market," Avlon said.
"No one should be surprised. He tried to block all witnesses and evidence in the trial. Even hours after blocking evidence, they admitted they'd been hiding two dozen emails. This isn't a credibility gap. It's a chasm. And still many republicans seem afraid to say the obvious, let alone clearly condemn. Here's Iowa's Joni Ernst.
REPORTER: Do you think it was inappropriate and wrong? ERNST: I think going for corruption is the right thing to do. Now, if he was tying it to other things, that's the president.
But if the president actually cared about corruption, he wouldn't have tried to cut the budget to combat corruption by billions -- including a cut for Ukraine. Wouldn't have called a global anti-bribery law horrible and wouldn't have started calling out Biden. It's still not okay to lie because a president does it. And it's not okay to normalize those lies just because it's a president from your political party. And that's your reality check.'


crooksandliars--2020-02-03--Trump's SuperBowl Weekend Cost Us An Estimated $3.4 Million

Did you shell out more a few bucks to entertain friends and family at a SuperBowl party yesterday ?
Trump billed us much , much more -- an estimated $ 3.4 million .
Via Huffington Post : The president ’ s official schedule shows him spending two and a half hours Sunday evening at a “ Super Bowl LIV watch party ” at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach .
Tickets sold for $ 75 each , but were only available to members of the club — the initiation fee for which reportedly runs about $ 450,000 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars more .
“ Well , obviously there are no TVs in the White House , so what alternative did he have ?
” quipped Robert Weissman , president of the liberal group Public Citizen .
“ He could have saved money by chartering a plane and flying club members to watch the game at the White House.
” In response to a query , White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham defended Trump ’ s trip and attacked HuffPost : “ The premise of your story is ridiculous and false , and just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president never stops working , and that includes when he is at the Winter White House.
” [ ... ] On Saturday , for example , Trump appeared at a dinner at Mar-a-Lago arranged by the “ Trumpettes , ” a group of his female supporters .
The dinner did not appear on the president ’ s publicly released schedule , and in any case was a campaign event , not an “ official ” one .
When a pool reporter asked the White House on Saturday what work Trump did over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had calls and “ meetings with staff.
” The president did not attend a rally on Saturday for Venezuelan leader Juan Guaido , whom the United States and other governments have recognized as the legitimate president of that country .
That rally began while Trump was still at his golf course , and attending it could have made him late for the start of the Trumpettes ’ dinner .

Did you shell out more a few bucks to entertain friends and family at a SuperBowl party yesterday? Trump billed us much, much more -- an estimated $3.4 million. Via Huffington Post:
The president’s official schedule shows him spending two and a half hours Sunday evening at a “Super Bowl LIV watch party” at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. Tickets sold for $75 each, but were only available to members of the club — the initiation fee for which reportedly runs about $450,000, with annual dues costing several thousands of dollars more.
“Well, obviously there are no TVs in the White House, so what alternative did he have?” quipped Robert Weissman, president of the liberal group Public Citizen. “He could have saved money by chartering a plane and flying club members to watch the game at the White House.”
In response to a query, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham defended Trump’s trip and attacked HuffPost: “The premise of your story is ridiculous and false, and just more left-wing media bias on display. The president never stops working, and that includes when he is at the Winter White House.”
[...] On Saturday, for example, Trump appeared at a dinner at Mar-a-Lago arranged by the “Trumpettes,” a group of his female supporters. The dinner did not appear on the president’s publicly released schedule, and in any case was a campaign event, not an “official” one.
When a pool reporter asked the White House on Saturday what work Trump did over the weekend, the reply was that he had calls and “meetings with staff.” The president did not attend a rally on Saturday for Venezuelan leader Juan Guaido, whom the United States and other governments have recognized as the legitimate president of that country. That rally began while Trump was still at his golf course, and attending it could have made him late for the start of the Trumpettes’ dinner.


crooksandliars--2020-02-04--Rep. Schiff: Acquittal Vote Will Tie Senators To Trump With 'Cord Of Steel'

There were so many — so many — memorable performances from the House Managers throughout the impeachment trial of Donald Trump .
The House Managers , led by Rep. Adam Schiff , were a team to be reckoned with in terms of experience , scholarship , legal depth , and multi-faceted diversity .
After over a week of putting their hearts and souls into attempting to convince their Senate colleagues to hold a trial that resembled any attempted good-faith justice , and getting spat upon in return with a partisan 53-47 vote against allowing witnesses and evidence , no one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chamber today dejected and uninspired .
For their closing arguments , though , they were anything but .
The final closing remarks were reserved for Rep. Schiff .
It 's hard to imagine him outdoing himself from previous days ' impassioned remarks , but he did just that .
History will not be kind to Donald Trump .
I think we all know that .
Not because it will be written by Never-Trumpers , but because whenever we have departed from the values of our nation we have come to regret it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pages of our history .
If you find that the House has proved its case and still vote to acquit , your name will be tied to his with a cord of steel and for all of history .
But if you find the courage to stand up to him , to speak the awful truth to his rank falsehood your place will be among the Davids who took on Goliath .
If only you will say , `` Enough ! ''
When we look at the sweep of history , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the world have moved with a seemingly irresistible force of freedom , to practice our faith and to tolerate the faith of others , love whom we would and choose love over hate , more free societies , walls tumbling down , nations reborn .
But then like a pendulum approaching the end of its arc the outward movement begins to arrest .
The golden globe of freedom reach it is zenith and starts to retreat .
It recedes into a dark unknown .
How much further it will travel in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extinction wished before it turns back , we can not say but what we do here in this moment will affect its course and its correction .
Every single vote , even a single vote by a single member can change the course of history .
It is said that a single man or woman of courage makes a majority .
Is there one among you who will say , `` Enough ? ''
America believes in a thing called truth .
She does not believe we are entitled to our own alternate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread falsehoods .
To her , truth matters .
There is nothing more corrosive to the democracy than the idea that there is no truth .
America also believes there is a difference between right and wrong .
And right matters here .
But there is more .
Truth matters .
Right matters .
But so does decency .
Decency matters .
When the president smears a public servant like Marie Yovanovitch , we recoil .
Because decency matters here .
And when the president tries to coerce an ally to help him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it up , we must say , `` Enough !
Enough ! ''
He has betrayed our national security and he will do so again .
He 's compromised our elections and he will do so again .
You will not change him .
You can not constrain him .
He is who he is .
Truth matters little to him .
What 's right matters even less , and decency matters not at all .
I do not ask you to convict him because truth or right or decency matters nothing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our case and it matters to you .
Truth matters to you .
Right matters to you .
You are decent .
He is not who you are .
It may be midnight in Washington , but the sun will rise again .
I put my faith in the optimism of the founders .
You should , too .
They gave us the tools to do the job , a remedy as powerful as the evil it was meant to constrain .
Impeachment .
They meant it to be used rarely but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason .
For a man who would sell out his country for a political favor , for a man who would threaten the integrity of of our elections , invite foreign interference in our affairs , for a man to undermine our national security and that of our allies , for a man like Donald J. Trump .
They gave you a remedy and they meant for you to use it .
They gave you an oath , and they meant for you to observe it .
We have proven Donald Trump guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
I yield back .

There were so many — so many — memorable performances from the House Managers throughout the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. The House Managers, led by Rep. Adam Schiff, were a team to be reckoned with in terms of experience, scholarship, legal depth, and multi-faceted diversity. After over a week of putting their hearts and souls into attempting to convince their Senate colleagues to hold a trial that resembled any attempted good-faith justice, and getting spat upon in return with a partisan 53-47 vote against allowing witnesses and evidence, no one would have blamed them for entering the chamber today dejected and uninspired. For their closing arguments, though, they were anything but. The final closing remarks were reserved for Rep. Schiff. It's hard to imagine him outdoing himself from previous days' impassioned remarks, but he did just that.
History will not be kind to Donald Trump. I think we all know that. Not because it will be written by Never-Trumpers, but because whenever we have departed from the values of our nation we have come to regret it. And that regret is written all over the pages of our history. If you find that the House has proved its case and still vote to acquit, your name will be tied to his with a cord of steel and for all of history. But if you find the courage to stand up to him, to speak the awful truth to his rank falsehood your place will be among the Davids who took on Goliath. If only you will say, "Enough!"
[...]
When we look at the sweep of history, there are times when our nation and the rest of the world have moved with a seemingly irresistible force of freedom, to practice our faith and to tolerate the faith of others, love whom we would and choose love over hate, more free societies, walls tumbling down, nations reborn. But then like a pendulum approaching the end of its arc the outward movement begins to arrest. The golden globe of freedom reach it is zenith and starts to retreat. It recedes into a dark unknown. How much further it will travel in its direction, how many more freedoms extinction wished before it turns back, we cannot say but what we do here in this moment will affect its course and its correction.
Every single vote, even a single vote by a single member can change the course of history. It is said that a single man or woman of courage makes a majority. Is there one among you who will say, "Enough?" America believes in a thing called truth. She does not believe we are entitled to our own alternate facts. She recoils at those that spread falsehoods. To her, truth matters. There is nothing more corrosive to the democracy than the idea that there is no truth.
America also believes there is a difference between right and wrong. And right matters here. But there is more. Truth matters. Right matters. But so does decency. Decency matters. When the president smears a public servant like Marie Yovanovitch, we recoil. Because decency matters here. And when the president tries to coerce an ally to help him cheat in our elections and then covers it up, we must say, "Enough! Enough!"
He has betrayed our national security and he will do so again. He's compromised our elections and he will do so again. You will not change him. You cannot constrain him. He is who he is. Truth matters little to him. What's right matters even less, and decency matters not at all. I do not ask you to convict him because truth or right or decency matters nothing to him, but because we have proven our case and it matters to you. Truth matters to you. Right matters to you. You are decent. He is not who you are.
[...]
It may be midnight in Washington, but the sun will rise again. I put my faith in the optimism of the founders. You should, too. They gave us the tools to do the job, a remedy as powerful as the evil it was meant to constrain. Impeachment. They meant it to be used rarely but they put it in the Constitution for a reason. For a man who would sell out his country for a political favor, for a man who would threaten the integrity of of our elections, invite foreign interference in our affairs, for a man to undermine our national security and that of our allies, for a man like Donald J. Trump.
They gave you a remedy and they meant for you to use it. They gave you an oath, and they meant for you to observe it. We have proven Donald Trump guilty. Now do impartial justice and convict him. I yield back.


crooksandliars--2020-02-04--Sen. Joe Manchin Tries To Split The Trump Baby With Censure

Donald Trump is all but acquitted , with the only step left being the totally predictable and predetermined outcome set in place months ago , but Joe Manchin has another idea .
A dumb idea .
A really dumb idea .
He wants to CENSURE Donald Trump .
Censure is basically a motion in Congress that has the same weight as a sharply worded tweet from Susan Collins expressing her `` concern '' .
It means nothing .
So Manchin , who thus far has not made it public whether he would vote to remove or acquit , is trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to try to convince the Republicans to censure .
In a speech on the Senate floor on Monday , Manchin said that he believes that `` a bipartisan majority of this body would vote to censure President Trump ...
Censure would allow this body to unite across party lines and as an equal branch of government to formally denounce the President 's actions and hold him accountable ...
The most dangerous , the most troubling to me , is the false claim that the President can do no wrong , that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's good for the reelection of the President that it 's good for our country .
That is simply preposterous . ''
In order for this motion to pass , it would only require a majority of the Senate , ie 51 ( or just 4 Republicans ) .
But , before the motion could be put up for a vote , Mitch McConnell would have to approve it .
And he wo n't .
Because Donald Trump has him in a headlock .
This is a coward 's attempt at finding an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote to remove , even though he does n't face any electoral peril and has the room to show some courage .
Donald Trump used Congressionally appropriated taxpayer funds to pressure a foreign country to conduct an investigation into a political opponent .
This is not something that requires a formal reprimand .
This requires a vote to remove him from office .
Anything less would be a pathetic and weak move .
Manchin needs to be better than this .
But can he be ?
Or is he the Susan Collins of @ @

Donald Trump is all but acquitted, with the only step left being the totally predictable and predetermined outcome set in place months ago, but Joe Manchin has another idea. A dumb idea. A really dumb idea.
He wants to CENSURE Donald Trump.
Censure is basically a motion in Congress that has the same weight as a sharply worded tweet from Susan Collins expressing her "concern". It means nothing.
So Manchin, who thus far has not made it public whether he would vote to remove or acquit, is trying to walk the middle ground. He wants to try to convince the Republicans to censure. In a speech on the Senate floor on Monday, Manchin said that he believes that "a bipartisan majority of this body would vote to censure President Trump...Censure would allow this body to unite across party lines and as an equal branch of government to formally denounce the President's actions and hold him accountable...The most dangerous, the most troubling to me, is the false claim that the President can do no wrong, that he is above the law and if it's good for the reelection of the President that it's good for our country. That is simply preposterous."
In order for this motion to pass, it would only require a majority of the Senate, ie 51 (or just 4 Republicans). But, before the motion could be put up for a vote, Mitch McConnell would have to approve it. And he won't. Because Donald Trump has him in a headlock.
This is a coward's attempt at finding an offramp because he is too scared to vote to remove, even though he doesn't face any electoral peril and has the room to show some courage. Donald Trump used Congressionally appropriated taxpayer funds to pressure a foreign country to conduct an investigation into a political opponent. This is not something that requires a formal reprimand. This requires a vote to remove him from office. Anything less would be a pathetic and weak move.
Manchin needs to be better than this. But can he be? Or is he the Susan Collins of Democrats?


crooksandliars--2020-02-04--Iowa Caucuses Open Thread

Iowa Caucuses Open Thread


crooksandliars--2020-02-04--Domestic Terrorist Chris Hasson's Sentence Sends A Message To 'Lone Wolf' Wannabes

In his own mind at least , Christopher Hasson was going to be a right-wing avenger , like the # MAGABomber before there was a # MAGABomber : taking down the enemies of Donald Trump through violence , including Jews and George Soros , key media figures , and certain congressional leaders .
Except that he would be competent .
Hasson , as it turned out , wasn ’ t any more competent than Cesar Sayoc ( whose mailed pipe bombs turned out not to work ) .
A Coast Guardsman who collected a lethal arsenal and engaged in “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Hasson—as his sentencing today , in which he received more than 13 years ’ prison time , further revealed—was only caught because he engaged in drug deals on the campus of the Coast Guard national headquarters in Maryland .
A police search revealed not just his arsenal ( six handguns , seven rifles , two shotguns , over 1,000 rounds of ammo ) , but computers full of plans to commit mass killings .
Friday ’ s sentence , issued by U.S. District Judge George Hazel in Baltimore , was considerably lighter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but much tougher than the immediate release sought by his defense team .
Most significantly , it was nonetheless a tough signal to would-be white-nationalist terrorists about how the courts would approach these difficult cases in which would-be “ lone wolves ” are caught preemptively .
Judge Hazel found that even though Hasson was not charged with terrorism ( mainly because the federal statutes don ’ t exist ) , the law not only permitted him to apply a terrorism enhancement to Hasson ’ s sentence for weapons and drug convictions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ He is not being sentenced for his views , ” Hazel said .
“ He is being sentenced for the actions I feel he was planning to take.
” Speaking from the bench , Hazel observed that “ white supremacist ideology is deeply embedded in the soul of this country .
The seeds were planted in 1619 , ” according to courtroom observer Molly Conger .
“ Those seeds have grown and produced dangerous fruit .
Mr. Hasson is but one leaf that has fallen from that tree.
” Hasson ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate release for time served , claiming he was “ ready to put this chapter behind him , ” primarily because prosecutors chose not to pursue terrorism or other charges against Hasson .
An expert hired by the defense , Stephen Hart , wrote a report claiming there was “ no plausible scenario ” in which Hasson might “ threaten public safety or public order.
” Prosecutors took the opposite view .
“ The defendant—inspired by racist murderers—stockpiled assault weapons , studied violence , and intended to exact retribution on minorities and those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diligent actions of multiple federal law enforcement agencies , we now would be counting bodies of the defendant ’ s victims instead of years of the defendant ’ s prison time , ” Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom explained .
Court papers released to the public this week featuring some of prosecutors ’ key exhibits in Hasson ’ s case file underscored the realities of Hasson ’ s interests and motivations .
In interviews with prosecutors , he had acknowledged having been an active racist “ skinhead ” in the 1990s , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the late ‘ 90s and become an upstanding citizen instead .
Those claims ran headlong into evidence that Hasson had remained active as a white-nationalist radical right up to the time of his arrest , including a letter on his computer , drafted in 2017 , to the late Harold Covington , a Pacific Northwest-based neo-Nazi who died the next year at age 64 .
“ How long can we hold out there and prevent niggerization of the Northwest until whites wake up on their own or are forcibly made to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ die or wake up on their own remains to be seen , ” Hasson wrote Covington in a 2017 draft letter .
He also boasted that he “ has made a good many contacts of normal white people as well as the ‘ alt right ’ and enjoys ‘ red pilling ’ them to our cause.
” Hasson apparently never sent the letter .
[ Warning : Offensive contents . ]
A glimpse at some of Christopher Hasson ’ s computer searches .
His Internet searches on his Coast Guard work computer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reading : Hasson searched for “ george soros lives where , ” “ most liberal senators , ” followed by “ where do senators live in dc.
” At one point , he appears to have wanted to target MSNBC ’ s Morning Joe co-host , Joe Scarborough , a former Republican congressman : Hasson searched for “ where is morning joe filmed ” and conducted a Google map search to locate Scarborough ’ s personal residence .
On his home computer , he was even less discreet , searching for “ race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as “ please god let there be a race war ” .
He conducted a search for the residence of Rep. Maxine Waters , a frequent Trump critic and target .
He searched for the home residences of Supreme Court justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor .
And then there was the search for the “ best n -- -r killing gun ” .
Like a number of other would-be American domestic terrorists—most notably the leader of the neo-Nazi group The Base , exposed in a recent Guardian piece by Jason Wilson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently living in Russia—there is a powerful undercurrent of fervent Russian nationalism in Hasson ’ s searches .
Several pages are devoted to such searches as “ russian far right , ” “ russian nationalist movement , ” and “ Why are more Americans moving to Russia ?
” The prosecutors , Robert Hur and Thomas Windom , laid out the stakes for the judge ’ s sentencing in the Wednesday filing : The Court should be aware that this case is a rare one in which there is no question that general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the eyes of many await this Court ’ s sentence .
The law-abiders await .
The potential victims await .
And white supremacists intending to perpetrate violent acts await , to see exactly how much federal time they may be looking at in assessing whether and how to act on their violent beliefs .

In his own mind at least, Christopher Hasson was going to be a right-wing avenger, like the #MAGABomber before there was a #MAGABomber: taking down the enemies of Donald Trump through violence, including Jews and George Soros, key media figures, and certain congressional leaders. Except that he would be competent.
Hasson, as it turned out, wasn’t any more competent than Cesar Sayoc (whose mailed pipe bombs turned out not to work). A Coast Guardsman who collected a lethal arsenal and engaged in “red-pilling” young recruits into white nationalism, Hasson—as his sentencing today, in which he received more than 13 years’ prison time, further revealed—was only caught because he engaged in drug deals on the campus of the Coast Guard national headquarters in Maryland. A police search revealed not just his arsenal (six handguns, seven rifles, two shotguns, over 1,000 rounds of ammo), but computers full of plans to commit mass killings.
Friday’s sentence, issued by U.S. District Judge George Hazel in Baltimore, was considerably lighter than the 25-year term sought by prosecutors, but much tougher than the immediate release sought by his defense team. Most significantly, it was nonetheless a tough signal to would-be white-nationalist terrorists about how the courts would approach these difficult cases in which would-be “lone wolves” are caught preemptively.
Judge Hazel found that even though Hasson was not charged with terrorism (mainly because the federal statutes don’t exist), the law not only permitted him to apply a terrorism enhancement to Hasson’s sentence for weapons and drug convictions, it was fully warranted in this case.
“He is not being sentenced for his views,” Hazel said. “He is being sentenced for the actions I feel he was planning to take.”
Speaking from the bench, Hazel observed that “white supremacist ideology is deeply embedded in the soul of this country. The seeds were planted in 1619,” according to courtroom observer Molly Conger. “Those seeds have grown and produced dangerous fruit. Mr. Hasson is but one leaf that has fallen from that tree.”
Hasson’s attorneys had been asking for his immediate release for time served, claiming he was “ready to put this chapter behind him,” primarily because prosecutors chose not to pursue terrorism or other charges against Hasson. An expert hired by the defense, Stephen Hart, wrote a report claiming there was “no plausible scenario” in which Hasson might “threaten public safety or public order.”
Prosecutors took the opposite view. “The defendant—inspired by racist murderers—stockpiled assault weapons, studied violence, and intended to exact retribution on minorities and those he considered traitors. But for the diligent actions of multiple federal law enforcement agencies, we now would be counting bodies of the defendant’s victims instead of years of the defendant’s prison time,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom explained.
Court papers released to the public this week featuring some of prosecutors’ key exhibits in Hasson’s case file underscored the realities of Hasson’s interests and motivations. In interviews with prosecutors, he had acknowledged having been an active racist “skinhead” in the 1990s, but claimed to have shed his white-supremacist views by the late ‘90s and become an upstanding citizen instead.
Those claims ran headlong into evidence that Hasson had remained active as a white-nationalist radical right up to the time of his arrest, including a letter on his computer, drafted in 2017, to the late Harold Covington, a Pacific Northwest-based neo-Nazi who died the next year at age 64.
“How long can we hold out there and prevent niggerization of the Northwest until whites wake up on their own or are forcibly made to make a decision whether to roll over and die or wake up on their own remains to be seen,” Hasson wrote Covington in a 2017 draft letter.
He also boasted that he “has made a good many contacts of normal white people as well as the ‘alt right’ and enjoys ‘red pilling’ them to our cause.” Hasson apparently never sent the letter.[Warning: Offensive contents.] A glimpse at some of Christopher Hasson’s computer searches.
His Internet searches on his Coast Guard work computer, compiled as evidence, make for chilling reading: Hasson searched for “george soros lives where,” “most liberal senators,” followed by “where do senators live in dc.” At one point, he appears to have wanted to target MSNBC’s Morning Joe co-host, Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman: Hasson searched for “where is morning joe filmed” and conducted a Google map search to locate Scarborough’s personal residence.
On his home computer, he was even less discreet, searching for “race war” on multiple occasions, as well as “please god let there be a race war”. He conducted a search for the residence of Rep. Maxine Waters, a frequent Trump critic and target. He searched for the home residences of Supreme Court justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. And then there was the search for the “best n---r killing gun”.
Like a number of other would-be American domestic terrorists—most notably the leader of the neo-Nazi group The Base, exposed in a recent Guardian piece by Jason Wilson as Rinaldo Nazzaro, an American man currently living in Russia—there is a powerful undercurrent of fervent Russian nationalism in Hasson’s searches. Several pages are devoted to such searches as “russian far right,” “russian nationalist movement,” and “Why are more Americans moving to Russia?”
The prosecutors, Robert Hur and Thomas Windom, laid out the stakes for the judge’s sentencing in the Wednesday filing:
The Court should be aware that this case is a rare one in which there is no question that general deterrence is a strong consideration, because the eyes of many await this Court’s sentence. The law-abiders await. The potential victims await. And white supremacists intending to perpetrate violent acts await, to see exactly how much federal time they may be looking at in assessing whether and how to act on their violent beliefs.
Judge Hazel delivered a clear signal on Friday.


crooksandliars--2020-02-04--About Tonight's State Of The Union

About Tonight's State Of The Union

“ Trump plans to present a vision of ‘ relentless optimism , ’ as one aide put it , and to summon lawmakers from both parties to work together on economic policies and other issue areas .
But the traditionally presidential tone previewed by the White House has been belied by the president ’ s own messages of discord and disunity , and his vow to seek retribution on the Democrats he feels wronged him by searing his impeachment into history.
” On the Sunday Talkies Republican cultists Alexander and Ernst explain that The Russian Usurper is a changed man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this weekend , Sens .
Lamar Alexander ( R-Tenn. ) and Joni Ernst ( R-Iowa ) indicated that Trump mishandled the Ukraine situation .
But they both also said they believed Trump won ’ t make the same mistake again .
Ernst appeared on CNN ’ s State of the Union and strained to avoid directly criticizing Trump .
Eventually she said it was “ probably not something that I would have done ” and that “ he did it maybe in the wrong manner.
” But she said he had learned his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knows now that , if he is trying to do certain things—whether it ’ s ferreting out corruption there , in Afghanistan , whatever it is—he needs to go through the proper channels , ” Ernst said .
Alexander has been more direct that Trump ’ s actions were “ inappropriate , ” and even as he decided not to call new witnesses such as former national security adviser John Bolton or to remove Trump , he essentially said the president did exactly what Democrats have accused him of .
He was asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether Trump might see his upcoming acquittal , though , as an exoneration and a license to do it all again .
“ I don ’ t think so , ” Alexander said .
“ I hope not .
I mean , enduring an impeachment is something that nobody should like , even the president said he didn ’ t want that on his résumé .
I don ’ t blame him .
So if a call like that gets you an impeachment , I would think you would think twice before you @ @ @ @ @

Keep eff’ing that chicken:
“Trump plans to present a vision of ‘relentless optimism,’ as one aide put it, and to summon lawmakers from both parties to work together on economic policies and other issue areas. But the traditionally presidential tone previewed by the White House has been belied by the president’s own messages of discord and disunity, and his vow to seek retribution on the Democrats he feels wronged him by searing his impeachment into history.”
On the Sunday Talkies Republican cultists Alexander and Ernst explain that The Russian Usurper is a changed man:
Appearing on the Sunday news shows this weekend, Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) indicated that Trump mishandled the Ukraine situation. But they both also said they believed Trump won’t make the same mistake again. Ernst appeared on CNN’s State of the Union and strained to avoid directly criticizing Trump. Eventually she said it was “probably not something that I would have done” and that “he did it maybe in the wrong manner.” But she said he had learned his lesson. “I think that he knows now that, if he is trying to do certain things—whether it’s ferreting out corruption there, in Afghanistan, whatever it is—he needs to go through the proper channels,” Ernst said.
Alexander has been more direct that Trump’s actions were “inappropriate,” and even as he decided not to call new witnesses such as former national security adviser John Bolton or to remove Trump, he essentially said the president did exactly what Democrats have accused him of. He was asked on NBC’s Meet the Press whether Trump might see his upcoming acquittal, though, as an exoneration and a license to do it all again. “I don’t think so,” Alexander said. “I hope not. I mean, enduring an impeachment is something that nobody should like, even the president said he didn’t want that on his résumé. I don’t blame him. So if a call like that gets you an impeachment, I would think you would think twice before you did it again.”