thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-14--Biden stands to benefit from Sanders-Warren feud

DES MOINES , Iowa — With tensions rising between 2020 Democratic rivals Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren , what started as a good week for Joe Biden could get better .
On Sunday , reports surfaced that the Sanders campaign had been instructing its staffers to tell Iowa Democrats that Massachusetts Sen. Warren was incapable of building a broad coalition of voters to beat President Trump in a general election .
Warren , 70 , responded by saying she was “ disappointed to hear that Bernie is sending his volunteers out to trash me . ''
The following day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told Warren in a 2018 meeting that a woman could n't win the White House .
Sanders , 78 , denied such a conversation took place , and those close to his campaign accused Warren of leaking the story in an act of desperation amid her lagging poll numbers .
Warren stuck by her guns , insisting the meeting had occurred and all but guaranteed that the issue would n't be put to rest .
`` Bernie and I met for more than two hours in December 2018 to discuss the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and our shared goals : beating Donald Trump , taking back our government from the wealthy and well-connected , and building an economy that works for everyone , '' she said in a statement .
That same day , a new poll of likely Iowa caucus-goers found Biden , a two-term vice president and Delaware senator for 36 years , leading his rivals by six points .
The Monmouth University survey showed him at 24 % support , while Sanders placed second with 18 % , former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren at 15 % .
Biden had also just announced the endorsement of Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller , who is the longest-serving attorney general in the nation 's history at ten terms .
During a Monday campaign stop at a campaign field office in Des Moines , Biden joked to his young volunteers that they were smiling because of his rising poll numbers .
Following his brief remarks with Miller , Biden turned to the press in anticipation of answering some questions .
When the Washington Examiner asked if Sanders should apologize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned around and exited the event in a signal that this was n't a battle he saw a benefit in participating .
Liberal groups fretted that the fighting between the two candidates risks destroying any chance of creating a unified front against Biden 's candidacy .
Even the Progressive Campaign Change Committee , which works closely with Warren , released a statement urging a detente .
“ A back-and-forth about this private meeting is counterproductive for progressives , ” said Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor , founders of the group .
“ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progressives must work together to defeat Donald Trump and prevent a less-electable establishment candidate like Joe Biden from getting the nomination.
” Individuals close to the Sanders campaign told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that they believed the entire controversy was merely a creation by the media — in a move to deescalate tensions before the night 's debate , where both candidates will surely be asked to comment on the controversy .
The escalating feud between Warren and Sanders is reminiscent of the 2004 Democratic primary when establishment favorite Sen. John Kerry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his rivals succumbed to negative campaigning .
In that race , former Vermont Gov .
Howard Dean ran on a liberal , anti-war message that energized the base and launched him to first in Iowa polls .
A desperate Democratic Rep. Dick Gephardt , a former House leader who aggressively courted the union vote and banked that his 1988 Iowa primary win could be replicated , relentlessly attacked Dean in the months leading up to the caucuses .
In January of that year , Gephardt called Dean a `` weather-vane Democrat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But that strategy backfired .
The two candidates ended up placing in third and fourth place in that contest , while Kerry enjoyed a decisive win in the Iowa caucuses , setting him up for the Democratic nomination that summer .

DES MOINES, Iowa — With tensions rising between 2020 Democratic rivals Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, what started as a good week for Joe Biden could get better.
On Sunday, reports surfaced that the Sanders campaign had been instructing its staffers to tell Iowa Democrats that Massachusetts Sen. Warren was incapable of building a broad coalition of voters to beat President Trump in a general election. Warren, 70, responded by saying she was “disappointed to hear that Bernie is sending his volunteers out to trash me."
The following day, CNN reported Sanders, a Vermont senator, told Warren in a 2018 meeting that a woman couldn't win the White House. Sanders, 78, denied such a conversation took place, and those close to his campaign accused Warren of leaking the story in an act of desperation amid her lagging poll numbers.
Warren stuck by her guns, insisting the meeting had occurred and all but guaranteed that the issue wouldn't be put to rest.
"Bernie and I met for more than two hours in December 2018 to discuss the 2020 election, our past work together, and our shared goals: beating Donald Trump, taking back our government from the wealthy and well-connected, and building an economy that works for everyone," she said in a statement.
That same day, a new poll of likely Iowa caucus-goers found Biden, a two-term vice president and Delaware senator for 36 years, leading his rivals by six points. The Monmouth University survey showed him at 24% support, while Sanders placed second with 18%, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 17%, and Warren at 15%.
Biden had also just announced the endorsement of Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, who is the longest-serving attorney general in the nation's history at ten terms. During a Monday campaign stop at a campaign field office in Des Moines, Biden joked to his young volunteers that they were smiling because of his rising poll numbers.
Following his brief remarks with Miller, Biden turned to the press in anticipation of answering some questions. When the Washington Examiner asked if Sanders should apologize for his alleged remarks, Biden promptly turned around and exited the event in a signal that this wasn't a battle he saw a benefit in participating.
Liberal groups fretted that the fighting between the two candidates risks destroying any chance of creating a unified front against Biden's candidacy. Even the Progressive Campaign Change Committee, which works closely with Warren, released a statement urging a detente.
“A back-and-forth about this private meeting is counterproductive for progressives,” said Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor, founders of the group. “In this pivotal moment of the campaign, progressives must work together to defeat Donald Trump and prevent a less-electable establishment candidate like Joe Biden from getting the nomination.”
Individuals close to the Sanders campaign told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that they believed the entire controversy was merely a creation by the media — in a move to deescalate tensions before the night's debate, where both candidates will surely be asked to comment on the controversy.
The escalating feud between Warren and Sanders is reminiscent of the 2004 Democratic primary when establishment favorite Sen. John Kerry won the Iowa caucuses after his two of his rivals succumbed to negative campaigning. In that race, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean ran on a liberal, anti-war message that energized the base and launched him to first in Iowa polls.
A desperate Democratic Rep. Dick Gephardt, a former House leader who aggressively courted the union vote and banked that his 1988 Iowa primary win could be replicated, relentlessly attacked Dean in the months leading up to the caucuses. In January of that year, Gephardt called Dean a "weather-vane Democrat," and accused him of dishonesty.
But that strategy backfired. The two candidates ended up placing in third and fourth place in that contest, while Kerry enjoyed a decisive win in the Iowa caucuses, setting him up for the Democratic nomination that summer.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-14--Ralph Nader, seen as 2000 election spoiler, scolds 'squabbling' Warren and Sanders

Longtime environmental and consumer protection activist Ralph Nader warned Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders that their feud over whether Sanders made a sexist remark will only benefit their common rival in the Democratic presidential field .
`` It does n't help the progressive cause for Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to be squabbling , '' Nader , 85 , tweeted Tuesday .
`` The Democratic Party corporatists want nothing more than divide and rule , so that their candidate Joe Biden reaps the benefits . ''
Warren , a Massachusetts senator , on Monday accused Sanders , 78 , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman could not win the presidency in 2020 .
`` Among the topics that came up was what would happen if Democrats nominated a female candidate .
I thought a woman could win ; he disagreed , '' Warren , 70 , said in a statement Monday , confirming earlier reports .
Sanders , a Vermont senator , has denied that he made the statement .
Nader was the Green Party 's nominee for president in 2000 and received nearly 3 % of the popular vote .
Some blame his third-party run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee Al Gore votes in the razor-thin election that ended with Republican George W. Bush in the White House .
Democratic presidential candidates entrepreneur Andrew Yang and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard have also weighed in on the dispute , with Yang calling the fight `` upsetting '' and Gabbard saying that Sanders `` showed me the greatest respect '' in a meeting before she announced her presidential bid .

Longtime environmental and consumer protection activist Ralph Nader warned Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders that their feud over whether Sanders made a sexist remark will only benefit their common rival in the Democratic presidential field.
"It doesn't help the progressive cause for Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to be squabbling," Nader, 85, tweeted Tuesday. "The Democratic Party corporatists want nothing more than divide and rule, so that their candidate Joe Biden reaps the benefits."
Warren, a Massachusetts senator, on Monday accused Sanders, 78, of saying in a private December 2018 that a woman could not win the presidency in 2020.
"Among the topics that came up was what would happen if Democrats nominated a female candidate. I thought a woman could win; he disagreed," Warren, 70, said in a statement Monday, confirming earlier reports. Sanders, a Vermont senator, has denied that he made the statement.
Nader was the Green Party's nominee for president in 2000 and received nearly 3% of the popular vote. Some blame his third-party run for splitting liberal support and costing Democratic nominee Al Gore votes in the razor-thin election that ended with Republican George W. Bush in the White House.
It doesn't help the progressive cause for Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to be squabbling. The Democratic Party corporatists want nothing more than divide and rule, so that their candidate Joe Biden reaps the benefits. -R — Ralph Nader (@RalphNader) January 14, 2020
Democratic presidential candidates entrepreneur Andrew Yang and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard have also weighed in on the dispute, with Yang calling the fight "upsetting" and Gabbard saying that Sanders "showed me the greatest respect" in a meeting before she announced her presidential bid.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-14--Warren wields intersectionality against Sanders: Will the revolution devour its own?

When it was Brett Kavanaugh 's neck on the line , the Left laughed — we were supposed to `` believe all women , '' regardless of any lack of evidence or credibility on the part of the accuser .
Now Elizabeth Warren , who famously appropriated Native American identity to advance her career , is trying desperately to play the intersectionality card to take Bernie Sanders down with her own failing campaign .
To be clear , if Warren waffles even slightly tonight on whether Sanders actually told her that a woman can not win the presidency , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her entire political career , toast .
But if Warren manages to generate and ride a wave of ire from former Hillary Clinton fans , once more inflamed by the perceived sexism of Bernie and his bros , it could become a murder-suicide situation .
At an instinctive level , Democrats know that Warren 's lies have fundamentally undercut her credibility .
They know you are n't actually supposed to `` believe all women '' unless it 's to hurt Republicans .
They know that even if Sanders actually said what he 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ logical extension of their own three-year fantasy that Clinton lost because of sexism and Vladimir Putin .
But their thought leaders ca n't just say that publicly .
Sure , the Very Online Bernie Bros have already pounced on Warren 's credibility , but will the New York Times ?
Will the Center For American Progress ?
Will Obama-land ?
Tonight 's debate is do-or-die for both Warren and Sanders , because only one of them will make it out alive .
Tonight will determine to what lengths the backward laws of intersectionality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patriarch of the Left .

When it was Brett Kavanaugh's neck on the line, the Left laughed — we were supposed to "believe all women," regardless of any lack of evidence or credibility on the part of the accuser.
Now Elizabeth Warren, who famously appropriated Native American identity to advance her career, is trying desperately to play the intersectionality card to take Bernie Sanders down with her own failing campaign.
To be clear, if Warren waffles even slightly tonight on whether Sanders actually told her that a woman cannot win the presidency, it will make her candidacy, if not her entire political career, toast. But if Warren manages to generate and ride a wave of ire from former Hillary Clinton fans, once more inflamed by the perceived sexism of Bernie and his bros, it could become a murder-suicide situation.
At an instinctive level, Democrats know that Warren's lies have fundamentally undercut her credibility. They know you aren't actually supposed to "believe all women" unless it's to hurt Republicans. They know that even if Sanders actually said what he's accused of, it's just a logical extension of their own three-year fantasy that Clinton lost because of sexism and Vladimir Putin.
But their thought leaders can't just say that publicly. Sure, the Very Online Bernie Bros have already pounced on Warren's credibility, but will the New York Times? Will the Center For American Progress? Will Obama-land?
Tonight's debate is do-or-die for both Warren and Sanders, because only one of them will make it out alive. Tonight will determine to what lengths the backward laws of intersectionality can be manipulated to backfire on the patriarch of the Left.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-14--Warren braces for ‘Pocahontas’ attack from embattled Sanders

Elizabeth Warren should be ready for Democratic critics to dredge up her claims of Native American heritage — if not on stage then at least online during the closing weeks of the primary .
Less than three weeks out from the first-in-the-nation caucuses on Feb. 3 , the Democratic race ’ s once collegial tone has deteriorated into dirtier mudslinging .
The transition coincides with the top four candidates for the 2020 presidential nomination , Joe Biden , Pete Buttigieg , Bernie Sanders , and Warren , swapping the lead in a slew of recent polls coming out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentality became evident this week when Warren , 70 , and Sanders , 78 , pushed aside their nonaggression pact .
The Massachusetts senator dished on a private conversation she had with her senatorial colleague from Vermont , once an ideological ally , in 2018 .
She asserted he told her he didn ’ t believe a woman could win the presidency .
He described the story as “ lies.
” Liberal groups are to avoid a center-left contender becoming the party ’ s next standard-bearer .
But , however unlikely , Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Sanders to respond in kind with an attack line pedaled by his supporters on social media .
“ Here ’ s Bernie Sanders saying clearly that a woman could be elected president .
This is in 1988 , when Warren was still busy lying about being Native America so she could get into elite schools & was still busy voting for a Republican President who laughed about people dying of AIDS , ” author Ashok Kumar tweeted with a video of Sanders .
Warren last year released DNA results revealing she had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generations ago .
The move was an attempt to counter criticism , perpetuated by President Trump ’ s “ Pocahontas ” moniker , that she professionally benefited from claiming to have Cherokee and Delaware Tribe of Indians lineage based on family folklore .
The Boston Globe reported last September that Harvard University and Warren 's other former law school employers didn ’ t factor her minority status into their decisions to hire her .
The offensive plays into Warren ’ s record of weaving slightly shifting stories on the campaign trail , similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gore in 2000 .
Other than her Native American assertions , which she ’ s been defending since her inaugural Senate race in 2012 , she ’ s faced scrutiny this cycle for allegations she was fired from her first teaching job because she was and for giving different reasons for why she applied to law school , but then didn ’ t practice law .
Questions have also been raised about a # MeToo anecdote involving a University of Houston colleague , retelling how he lunged at her during a wake for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Democratic strategist , said Warren 's discrepancies might become an issue as the party weighs her electability against Trump .
`` It might put a chink in her armor in the primary , '' he told the Washington Examiner , adding “ a larger concern ” was whether she was “ too much 'big government liberal ' to beat Trump .
Obviously , people care about the impact the top of the ticket has in November , which is huge.
” Yet other Democrats are calling for a ceasefire before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Des Moines .
“ Look , there will be harsh disputes as the primary heats up .
My entire focus is on electing principled progressives at the national and state level .
The future depends on building a massive progressive wave .
Any Dem sabotaging that needs to think twice , ” strategist Peter Daou tweeted .

Elizabeth Warren should be ready for Democratic critics to dredge up her claims of Native American heritage — if not on stage during the Iowa debate, then at least online during the closing weeks of the primary.
Less than three weeks out from the first-in-the-nation caucuses on Feb. 3, the Democratic race’s once collegial tone has deteriorated into dirtier mudslinging. The transition coincides with the top four candidates for the 2020 presidential nomination, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, and Warren, swapping the lead in a slew of recent polls coming out of the state .
The “open season” mentality became evident this week when Warren, 70, and Sanders, 78, pushed aside their nonaggression pact. The Massachusetts senator dished on a private conversation she had with her senatorial colleague from Vermont, once an ideological ally, in 2018. She asserted he told her he didn’t believe a woman could win the presidency. He described the story as “lies.”
Liberal groups are desperately trying to mend fences to avoid a center-left contender becoming the party’s next standard-bearer. But, however unlikely, Tuesday night’s debate provides a platform for Sanders to respond in kind with an attack line pedaled by his supporters on social media.
“Here’s Bernie Sanders saying clearly that a woman could be elected president. This is in 1988, when Warren was still busy lying about being Native America so she could get into elite schools & was still busy voting for a Republican President who laughed about people dying of AIDS,” author Ashok Kumar tweeted with a video of Sanders.
Here’s Bernie Sanders saying clearly that a woman could be elected president. This is in 1988, when Warren was still busy lying about being Native America so she could get into elite schools & was still busy voting for a Republican President who laughed about people dying of AIDS https://t.co/GSOkTEOa8I — UNITED SNAKES OF AMERICA (@broseph_stalin) January 13, 2020
Warren last year released DNA results revealing she had one Native American ancestor six to 10 generations ago. The move was an attempt to counter criticism, perpetuated by President Trump’s “Pocahontas” moniker, that she professionally benefited from claiming to have Cherokee and Delaware Tribe of Indians lineage based on family folklore. The Boston Globe reported last September that Harvard University and Warren's other former law school employers didn’t factor her minority status into their decisions to hire her.
The offensive plays into Warren’s record of weaving slightly shifting stories on the campaign trail, similar to the narrative that formed around Al Gore in 2000.
Other than her Native American assertions, which she’s been defending since her inaugural Senate race in 2012, she’s faced scrutiny this cycle for allegations she was fired from her first teaching job because she was "visibly pregnant” and for giving different reasons for why she applied to law school, but then didn’t practice law . Questions have also been raised about a #MeToo anecdote involving a University of Houston colleague, retelling how he lunged at her during a wake for a colleague in 1997.
Gary Pearce, a Democratic strategist, said Warren's discrepancies might become an issue as the party weighs her electability against Trump.
"It might put a chink in her armor in the primary," he told the Washington Examiner, adding “a larger concern” was whether she was “too much 'big government liberal' to beat Trump. Obviously, people care about the impact the top of the ticket has in November, which is huge.”
Yet other Democrats are calling for a ceasefire before the six qualifying hopefuls take the debate stage in Des Moines.
“Look, there will be harsh disputes as the primary heats up. My entire focus is on electing principled progressives at the national and state level. The future depends on building a massive progressive wave. Any Dem sabotaging that needs to think twice,” strategist Peter Daou tweeted.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-14--Liberal group asks Sanders and Warren to call a truce

A key liberal activist group asked Sens .
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to halt hostilities that have flared between the Democratic primary contenders with voting set to begin in less than three weeks in Iowa .
Democracy for America , fretting that the Sanders-Warren feud could empower President Trump and boost Joe Biden or other perceived centrist Democrats , urged the two liberal senators to stand down .
The group ’ s ask is a tall order .
Sanders of Vermont and Warren of Massachusetts are proposing related agendas , and both appeal to similar Democratic blocs .
Winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ split the left-wing vote , a factor driving apart these erstwhile allies .
“ @ BernieSanders and @ ewarren , you both are progressive champs & our movement needs to see you working together to defeat your corporate Dem opponents — not attack each other , ” Democracy for America tweeted on Monday .
“ Progressives will win in 2020 , but only if we don ’ t let the corporate wing or Trump divide us.
” Neil Sroka , a spokesman for Democracy for America , said in a press release that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Sanders and Warren in the coming days .
The group was founded by Howard Dean , former Vermont governor , 2004 Democratic presidential candidate , and ex-chairman of the Democratic National Committee .
Sanders , 78 , a socialist , and Warren , 70 , maintained a nonaggression pact for most of the Democratic campaign , saving their attacks for Biden , the former vice president , and Pete Buttigieg , former mayor of South Bend , Indiana — both liberal but viewed by many as centrists .
But less than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders-Warren detente has collapsed .
The Sanders campaign ordered grassroots volunteers to criticize Warren when contacting voters .
Warren responded by revealing a private conversation she had with Sanders in 2018 , accusing him of telling her that a woman can not win the presidency .
Before Warren herself issued a statement , the news had been leaked , presumably by her campaign , and was initially reported by CNN .
Even as some establishment Democrats are worried that Sanders might win the nomination , left-wing activists are concerned that centrists will profit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on each other .
In recent polls out of Iowa and New Hampshire , which holds the first traditional primary contest and votes second , Biden , Buttigieg , Sanders , and Warren are bunched near the top .

A key liberal activist group asked Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to halt hostilities that have flared between the Democratic primary contenders with voting set to begin in less than three weeks in Iowa.
Democracy for America, fretting that the Sanders-Warren feud could empower President Trump and boost Joe Biden or other perceived centrist Democrats, urged the two liberal senators to stand down.
The group’s ask is a tall order. Sanders of Vermont and Warren of Massachusetts are proposing related agendas, and both appeal to similar Democratic blocs. Winning the nomination could prove impossible if they split the left-wing vote, a factor driving apart these erstwhile allies.
“@BernieSanders and @ewarren, you both are progressive champs & our movement needs to see you working together to defeat your corporate Dem opponents — not attack each other,” Democracy for America tweeted on Monday. “Progressives will win in 2020, but only if we don’t let the corporate wing or Trump divide us.”
Neil Sroka, a spokesman for Democracy for America, said in a press release that the group would have more to say about Sanders and Warren in the coming days. The group was founded by Howard Dean, former Vermont governor, 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, and ex-chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Sanders, 78, a socialist, and Warren, 70, maintained a nonaggression pact for most of the Democratic campaign, saving their attacks for Biden, the former vice president, and Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana — both liberal but viewed by many as centrists. But less than a month before the Iowa caucuses, the Sanders-Warren detente has collapsed.
The Sanders campaign ordered grassroots volunteers to criticize Warren when contacting voters. Warren responded by revealing a private conversation she had with Sanders in 2018, accusing him of telling her that a woman cannot win the presidency. Before Warren herself issued a statement, the news had been leaked, presumably by her campaign, and was initially reported by CNN.
Even as some establishment Democrats are worried that Sanders might win the nomination, left-wing activists are concerned that centrists will profit as he and Warren turn their fire on each other. In recent polls out of Iowa and New Hampshire, which holds the first traditional primary contest and votes second, Biden, Buttigieg, Sanders, and Warren are bunched near the top.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--Giuliani associate Lev Parnas documents point to surveillance of US ambassador to Ukraine

A recently released trove of documents from Lev Parnas , an indicted associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani , provides a glimpse inside the former New York City mayor ’ s murky efforts in Ukraine on the president ’ s behalf .
The dozens of pages of texts and other records , provided to congressional investigators by the Soviet-born Floridian and naturalized United States citizen , were released by the Democrat-led House Intelligence Committee on Monday evening , the day before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to transmit the Ukraine-related articles of impeachment alleging abuse of power and obstruction of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial .
Parnas is currently in jail , along with another Giuliani associate , Igor Fruman , for his alleged role in an illicit scheme to funnel foreign funds to U.S. politicians .
The new texts reveal 2019 efforts by Giuliani and Parnas to remove the then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine , Marie Yovanovitch , from her post in Kyiv .
The ousted diplomat testified during House impeachment hearings last year that she was removed from her perch after a successful smear campaign by Giuliani and other Trump allies .
A set of texts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congressional candidate Robert Hyde seem to suggest Hyde knew people who were willing and able to surveil Yovanovitch inside Ukraine .
“ They know she ’ s a political puppet .
They will let me know when she ’ s on the move , ” Hyde told Parnas .
“ Guess you can do anything in Ukraine with money.
“ Numerous texts between Parnas and Giuliani show they were in communication about reaching out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to have him announce investigations related to allegations of corruption against Hunter Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a leading 2020 Democrat .
Hunter Biden held a lucrative position on the board of a Ukrainian energy company , Burisma Holdings .
Communications in Russian also reveal Parnas was talking to former Ukrainian prosecutors Viktor Shokin and Yuriy Lutsenko , who have both made a series of allegations about Biden-related malfeasance .
The former vice president has bragged about successfully pressuring Ukraine ’ s previous president to fire Shokin .
Biden critics have said he did so for nefarious reasons , while Biden ’ s defenders point to a wide agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU , the International Monetary Fund , and even within Ukraine that Shokin was corrupt .
Lutsenko took over for Shokin , and he was removed from the job last year .
A photograph of alleged meeting notes taken by Parnas on stationary from the Ritz Carlton in Vienna detail Giuliani ’ s plan to `` get [ Zelensky ] to announce that the Biden case will be investigated . ''
The notes also reveal a plan to force Ukrainian oligarch and gas tycoon Dmitryo Firtash to fire longtime Clinton ally and Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting efforts by the Justice Department to extradite him to the U.S. from the Austrian capital for a long time .
Davis worked for Firtash for years but was fired recently , and the oligarch is currently represented by conservative husband-and-wife legal duo Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing .
The notes show a plan to “ get rid of Lanny Davis ( nicely ) ” and for “ Joe/Victoria ” to “ cut deal or get dismissed ” in a likely reference to the DOJ ’ s foreign bribery case against Firtash .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , released a statement to NBC News on Monday night calling these revelations “ disturbing.
” “ Needless to say , the notion that American citizens and others were monitoring Ambassador Yovanovitch ’ s movements for unknown purposes is disturbing , ” Yovanovitch ’ s lawyer said .
“ We trust that the appropriate authorities will conduct an investigation to determine what happened .
”

A recently released trove of documents from Lev Parnas, an indicted associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, provides a glimpse inside the former New York City mayor’s murky efforts in Ukraine on the president’s behalf.
The dozens of pages of texts and other records, provided to congressional investigators by the Soviet-born Floridian and naturalized United States citizen, were released by the Democrat-led House Intelligence Committee on Monday evening, the day before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to transmit the Ukraine-related articles of impeachment alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress to the Republican-led Senate for a trial.
Parnas is currently in jail, along with another Giuliani associate, Igor Fruman, for his alleged role in an illicit scheme to funnel foreign funds to U.S. politicians.
The new texts reveal 2019 efforts by Giuliani and Parnas to remove the then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, from her post in Kyiv. The ousted diplomat testified during House impeachment hearings last year that she was removed from her perch after a successful smear campaign by Giuliani and other Trump allies.
A set of texts between Parnas and Trump donor and GOP congressional candidate Robert Hyde seem to suggest Hyde knew people who were willing and able to surveil Yovanovitch inside Ukraine.
“They know she’s a political puppet. They will let me know when she’s on the move,” Hyde told Parnas. “Guess you can do anything in Ukraine with money.“
“LOL,” Parnas texted back.
Numerous texts between Parnas and Giuliani show they were in communication about reaching out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to have him announce investigations related to allegations of corruption against Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading 2020 Democrat. Hunter Biden held a lucrative position on the board of a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma Holdings.
Communications in Russian also reveal Parnas was talking to former Ukrainian prosecutors Viktor Shokin and Yuriy Lutsenko, who have both made a series of allegations about Biden-related malfeasance. The former vice president has bragged about successfully pressuring Ukraine’s previous president to fire Shokin. Biden critics have said he did so for nefarious reasons, while Biden’s defenders point to a wide agreement among leaders in the U.S., the EU, the International Monetary Fund, and even within Ukraine that Shokin was corrupt. Lutsenko took over for Shokin, and he was removed from the job last year.
A photograph of alleged meeting notes taken by Parnas on stationary from the Ritz Carlton in Vienna detail Giuliani’s plan to "get [Zelensky] to announce that the Biden case will be investigated."
The notes also reveal a plan to force Ukrainian oligarch and gas tycoon Dmitryo Firtash to fire longtime Clinton ally and Democratic lawyer Lanny Davis. Firtash has been fighting efforts by the Justice Department to extradite him to the U.S. from the Austrian capital for a long time. Davis worked for Firtash for years but was fired recently, and the oligarch is currently represented by conservative husband-and-wife legal duo Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing. The notes show a plan to “get rid of Lanny Davis (nicely)” and for “Joe/Victoria” to “cut deal or get dismissed” in a likely reference to the DOJ’s foreign bribery case against Firtash.
Yovanovitch’s attorney, Lawrence Robbins, released a statement to NBC News on Monday night calling these revelations “disturbing.”
“Needless to say, the notion that American citizens and others were monitoring Ambassador Yovanovitch’s movements for unknown purposes is disturbing,” Yovanovitch’s lawyer said. “We trust that the appropriate authorities will conduct an investigation to determine what happened.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--WATCH: Trump holds campaign rally in Milwaukee

President Trump will be holding a `` Keep America Great '' rally on Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST in Milwaukee @ @ @ @ @ overlap the Democratic presidential debate that is being held from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ Des Moines , Iowa .
The debate will be the last one before the Iowa @ @ @ @ @

President Trump will be holding a "Keep America Great" rally on Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST in Milwaukee. The rally will partially overlap the Democratic presidential debate that is being held from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. EST at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. The debate will be the last one before the Iowa caucus on Feb. 3.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--2020 Democrats embrace Barbara Lee, only member of Congress to oppose striking 9/11 terrorists

DES MOINES , Iowa — Seeking to solidify their anti-war bona fides , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and businessman Tom Steyer praised the 2001 vote of the only member of Congress to oppose military action against al Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks .
In Tuesday night 's Democratic primary debate , the pair praised Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee , representing Berkeley , California , for her lone opposition to the war in Afghanistan .
When asked about his vocal opposition to the Iraq War during the Bush administration , Sanders , 78 , went a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force which effectively launched the Afghanistan War .
Lee , the only member of Congress who opposed retaliating against the Taliban and al Qaeda for the 9/11 attacks , was seen as a fringe figure at that time of bipartisan consensus on foreign policy .
During a question about Iran , Steyer , 62 , also mentioned Lee 's standalone vote .
The former hedge fund manager also argued caution against any further military engagement in Iran , after the recent killing of top Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee , now 73 , was often painted as the sole coward in a sea of courageous legislators .
Because of her opposition to the the military force authorization , she faced a number of death threats — so much so that she received Capitol Police protection .
She was seen by party chiefs as a far-Left embarassment .
But her views are now mainstream among 2020 Democrats .
In the past , Sanders has voiced his regret for voting in favor of the Afghanistan War .
During the December Democratic debate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote in favor of the war .
`` Well , only one person , my good friend , Barbara Lee , was right on that issue , '' said Sanders .
`` She was the only person in the House to vote against the war in Afghanistan .
She was right .
I was wrong .
So was everybody else in the House . ''

DES MOINES, Iowa — Seeking to solidify their anti-war bona fides, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and businessman Tom Steyer praised the 2001 vote of the only member of Congress to oppose military action against al Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
In Tuesday night's Democratic primary debate, the pair praised Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee, representing Berkeley, California, for her lone opposition to the war in Afghanistan.
When asked about his vocal opposition to the Iraq War during the Bush administration, Sanders, 78, went a step further and praised Lee's vote against the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force which effectively launched the Afghanistan War. Lee, the only member of Congress who opposed retaliating against the Taliban and al Qaeda for the 9/11 attacks, was seen as a fringe figure at that time of bipartisan consensus on foreign policy.
During a question about Iran, Steyer, 62, also mentioned Lee's standalone vote. The former hedge fund manager also argued caution against any further military engagement in Iran, after the recent killing of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.
In 2001, Lee, now 73, was often painted as the sole coward in a sea of courageous legislators. Because of her opposition to the the military force authorization, she faced a number of death threats — so much so that she received Capitol Police protection. She was seen by party chiefs as a far-Left embarassment.
But her views are now mainstream among 2020 Democrats.
In the past, Sanders has voiced his regret for voting in favor of the Afghanistan War. During the December Democratic debate, Sanders said he "was wrong" to vote in favor of the war.
"Well, only one person, my good friend, Barbara Lee, was right on that issue," said Sanders. "She was the only person in the House to vote against the war in Afghanistan. She was right. I was wrong. So was everybody else in the House."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--Steyer on Warren handshake snub of Sanders: 'You could see it's an awkward moment'

Tom Steyer crashed an intense conversation between Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders when the Warren appeared to decline to shake Sanders 's hand after the January Democratic debate .
But Steyer , a billionaire businessman , could not reveal details about the conversation .
`` They were talking about getting together or something , I did n't hear , '' Steyer , 62 , said on CNN after Tuesday 's debate .
`` You could see it 's an awkward moment . ''
`` Look , I was just going up to say 'Good night , ' '' he added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OK , I feel like something 's going on . ''
Steyer also addressed the moment while speaking to MSNBC in the spin room .
`` I do n't know what they were saying , '' Steyer said .
`` All I was trying to say was , to both Sen. Warren and Sen. Sanders , was , 'Great to see you , thank you for participating in this . '
'' `` Whatever they were going on between each other , I was trying to get out of the way as fast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During the debate the two senators were asked to address Warren 's allegation that Sanders told her in a 2018 private meeting that he did not think a woman could win the presidency in 2020 .
`` Well , as a matter of fact , I did n't say it .
Anybody who knows me knows that it 's incomprehensible that I do not believe a woman could not become president of the United States , '' Sanders , 78 , said on the debate stage .
“ This is what Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I disagreed , ” she said .
`` Can a woman beat Donald Trump ?
Look at the men on stage .
Collectively , they have lost 10 elections .
The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they 've been in are the women .
Amy and me , ” she said , referring to Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar , 59 .

Tom Steyer crashed an intense conversation between Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders when the Warren appeared to decline to shake Sanders's hand after the January Democratic debate.
But Steyer, a billionaire businessman, could not reveal details about the conversation.
"They were talking about getting together or something, I didn't hear," Steyer, 62, said on CNN after Tuesday's debate. "You could see it's an awkward moment."
"Look, I was just going up to say 'Good night,'" he added, "and I felt like, OK, I feel like something's going on."
Steyer also addressed the moment while speaking to MSNBC in the spin room.
"I don't know what they were saying," Steyer said. "All I was trying to say was, to both Sen. Warren and Sen. Sanders, was, 'Great to see you, thank you for participating in this.'"
"Whatever they were going on between each other, I was trying to get out of the way as fast as possible,” Steyer added.
Steyer on that Warren-Bernie non-handshake: “whatever they were talking about I was trying to get out of the way as fast as possible” https://t.co/XKwHimaMrT pic.twitter.com/mOrPUAh3uU — Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) January 15, 2020
During the debate the two senators were asked to address Warren's allegation that Sanders told her in a 2018 private meeting that he did not think a woman could win the presidency in 2020.
"Well, as a matter of fact, I didn't say it. Anybody who knows me knows that it's incomprehensible that I do not believe a woman could not become president of the United States," Sanders, 78, said on the debate stage. “This is what Donald Trump and some of the media want.”
Warren, 70, gave a different version of events.
“I disagreed,” she said. "Can a woman beat Donald Trump? Look at the men on stage. Collectively, they have lost 10 elections. The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they've been in are the women. Amy and me,” she said, referring to Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 59.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--The impeachment trap: Endangered Senate Republicans face peril whether they support Trump or not

Senate Republicans vulnerable to a Democratic challenge this year are facing a kind of political Catch-22 as the impeachment trial looms : Voting against President Trump risks the wrath of GOP primary voters , but voting for him ensures renomination but could cost them their careers in November .
Sens .
Susan Collins of Maine , Cory Gardner of Colorado , and Martha McSally of Arizona are under the most pressure , and not just on whether to acquit or convict Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
The Senate will vote on whether to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minefield .
Senate Democrats want testimony from people who could impugn Trump , such as former White House national security adviser John Bolton .
Many Republicans , in response , want to subpoena Hunter Biden , son of leading Democratic contender Joe Biden .
These and other decisions , amounting to a litmus test on support or opposition to Trump , are fraught with peril for Collins , Gardner , and McSally .
Republicans in their states are fiercely loyal to Trump and would not brook dissent .
It could be the exact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swept Maine in 2018 , leaving Collins as the only Republican elected to major office .
Colorado is practically a blue state at this point , and Arizona , dominated by suburban voters , is drifting from the GOP orbit .
“ The only reason Sen. Schumer is interested in these votes at all is trying to make it difficult for the members who are in heavily contested reelection situations , ” said Roy Blunt of Missouri , the No .
4 ranking Senate Republican .
He was referring to Senate Minority Leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has discussed the political opportunity to flip Republican seats he sees in forthcoming impeachment trial votes .
Sen. Todd Young of Indiana , chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee , the Senate GOP campaign arm , said Democrats are shamelessly using the impeachment trial to undermine his most politically endangered colleagues .
The NRSC ’ s counterpart , the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee , has for months used impeachment to target Republicans .
The DSCC is circulating public opinion polls that show impeachment could be an albatross for exposed Senate Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue could pose to their reelection campaigns .
Senate Republicans have softened previously ironclad opposition to witnesses during the trial .
Collins revealed she is having informal discussions with colleagues to ensure there are at least 51 votes to subpoena testimony after House Democratic prosecutors and the White House team deliver arguments .
But that is not enough for Democrats , who called for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to guarantee their witnesses are called .
“ Every senator has a responsibility to secure a fair hearing , but Senate Republicans are refusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or new evidence will be admitted , ” DSCC spokeswoman Lauren Passalacqua told the Washington Examiner .
Senate Republicans are indicating that they will take their chances with Trump , especially with GOP primary season fast approaching .
The president ’ s approval numbers have remained consistent throughout the impeachment process , and congressional Republicans figure sticking with him and taking their chances in the general election is the safer bet .
In the midterm elections , battleground Republicans who sought political separation from Trump lost , an outcome the party has internalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political process , ” Tillis said .
“ So , I ’ m going in , most likely viewing this as the continuation of a political process in the House and , as a result , there ’ s no way I can see any path ” to conviction .

Senate Republicans vulnerable to a Democratic challenge this year are facing a kind of political Catch-22 as the impeachment trial looms: Voting against President Trump risks the wrath of GOP primary voters, but voting for him ensures renomination but could cost them their careers in November.
Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Cory Gardner of Colorado, and Martha McSally of Arizona are under the most pressure, and not just on whether to acquit or convict Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate will vote on whether to call witnesses at trial, another political minefield.
Senate Democrats want testimony from people who could impugn Trump, such as former White House national security adviser John Bolton. Many Republicans, in response, want to subpoena Hunter Biden, son of leading Democratic contender Joe Biden. These and other decisions, amounting to a litmus test on support or opposition to Trump, are fraught with peril for Collins, Gardner, and McSally.
Republicans in their states are fiercely loyal to Trump and would not brook dissent. It could be the exact opposite with the broader electorate. Democrats swept Maine in 2018, leaving Collins as the only Republican elected to major office. Colorado is practically a blue state at this point, and Arizona, dominated by suburban voters, is drifting from the GOP orbit.
“The only reason Sen. Schumer is interested in these votes at all is trying to make it difficult for the members who are in heavily contested reelection situations,” said Roy Blunt of Missouri, the No. 4 ranking Senate Republican. He was referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of the New York, who has discussed the political opportunity to flip Republican seats he sees in forthcoming impeachment trial votes.
Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Senate GOP campaign arm, said Democrats are shamelessly using the impeachment trial to undermine his most politically endangered colleagues.
The NRSC’s counterpart, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, has for months used impeachment to target Republicans. The DSCC is circulating public opinion polls that show impeachment could be an albatross for exposed Senate Republicans and are unapologetic about publicizing obstacles the issue could pose to their reelection campaigns.
Senate Republicans have softened previously ironclad opposition to witnesses during the trial. Collins revealed she is having informal discussions with colleagues to ensure there are at least 51 votes to subpoena testimony after House Democratic prosecutors and the White House team deliver arguments. But that is not enough for Democrats, who called for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to guarantee their witnesses are called.
“Every senator has a responsibility to secure a fair hearing, but Senate Republicans are refusing to guarantee that witnesses will be heard or new evidence will be admitted,” DSCC spokeswoman Lauren Passalacqua told the Washington Examiner.
Senate Republicans are indicating that they will take their chances with Trump, especially with GOP primary season fast approaching. The president’s approval numbers have remained consistent throughout the impeachment process, and congressional Republicans figure sticking with him and taking their chances in the general election is the safer bet.
In the midterm elections, battleground Republicans who sought political separation from Trump lost, an outcome the party has internalized.
“I view this as a political process,” Tillis said. “So, I’m going in, most likely viewing this as the continuation of a political process in the House and, as a result, there’s no way I can see any path” to conviction.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--'Consistent, strong, emphatic': David Axelrod declares Warren the debate winner

Former Obama strategist David Axelrod hailed the performance of Sen. Elizabeth Warren after the first Democratic presidential debate this year @ @ @ @ @ , strong , emphatic . ''
Warren received the most speaking time of all the @ @ @ @ @ Democrat 's biggest moment might have happened after the debate when she refused to shake @ @ @ @ @ Sanders .
The two have gone head-to-head after a leaked campaign memo showed Sanders blasting @ @ @ @ @ accused the Vermont independent of telling her in a private meeting in 2018 that a @ @ @ @ @ presidency .
Sanders was forced to defend himself in the debate , where he claimed @ @ @ @ @ woman could not win the presidency .

Former Obama strategist David Axelrod hailed the performance of Sen. Elizabeth Warren after the first Democratic presidential debate this year, calling her "consistent, strong, emphatic."
Warren received the most speaking time of all the candidates, but the Massachusetts Democrat's biggest moment might have happened after the debate when she refused to shake the hand of Sen. Bernie Sanders. The two have gone head-to-head after a leaked campaign memo showed Sanders blasting Warren.
(Screenshot/New York Times)
Warren has since accused the Vermont independent of telling her in a private meeting in 2018 that a woman could not win the presidency. Sanders was forced to defend himself in the debate, where he claimed that he never said a woman could not win the presidency.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--Warren declines to shake hand of Sanders after debate

At the end of the Democratic presidential debate , while candidates exchanged pleasantries , Bernie Sanders reached out to shake Elizabeth Warren 's hand .
The Massachusetts senator declined , keeping her hands to her chest .
The two exchanged some words for about 15 seconds until Sanders , a Vermont senator , put his hands up and turned away .
Videos of the moment , captured after the last Democratic presidential debate before the first votes are cast in the Democratic presidential primary , did not include sound of what the candidates said .
Businessman Tom Steyer was caught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I do n't know what they were saying , '' Steyer said in the spin room later .
`` Whatever they were going on between each other , I was trying to get out of the way as fast as possible.
” The post-debate moment came after the two left-wing firebrands were forced to confront , in person , Warren 's allegation that Sanders told her in a 2018 private meeting that he did not think a woman could win the presidency in 2020 .
`` Well , as a matter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Anybody who knows me knows that it 's incomprehensible that I do not believe a woman could not become president of the United States , '' Sanders , 78 , said on the debate stage .
“ This is what Donald Trump and some of the media want.
” “ I disagreed , ” she said .
`` Can a woman beat Donald Trump ?
Look at the men on stage .
Collectively , they have lost 10 elections .
The only people on this stage who have won every single election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women .
Amy and me , ” she said , referring to Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar , 59 .

At the end of the Democratic presidential debate, while candidates exchanged pleasantries, Bernie Sanders reached out to shake Elizabeth Warren's hand.
The Massachusetts senator declined, keeping her hands to her chest.
The two exchanged some words for about 15 seconds until Sanders, a Vermont senator, put his hands up and turned away. Videos of the moment, captured after the last Democratic presidential debate before the first votes are cast in the Democratic presidential primary, did not include sound of what the candidates said.
Businessman Tom Steyer was caught in the middle of the conversation.
"I don't know what they were saying," Steyer said in the spin room later. "Whatever they were going on between each other, I was trying to get out of the way as fast as possible.”
The post-debate moment came after the two left-wing firebrands were forced to confront, in person, Warren's allegation that Sanders told her in a 2018 private meeting that he did not think a woman could win the presidency in 2020.
"Well, as a matter of fact, I didn't say it. Anybody who knows me knows that it's incomprehensible that I do not believe a woman could not become president of the United States," Sanders, 78, said on the debate stage. “This is what Donald Trump and some of the media want.”
Warren, 70, gave a different version of events.
“I disagreed,” she said. "Can a woman beat Donald Trump? Look at the men on stage. Collectively, they have lost 10 elections. The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they've been in are the women. Amy and me,” she said, referring to Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 59.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--CNN wants to elect ‘President Elizabeth Warren’

“ President Elizabeth Warren ” began trending on Twitter during the Democratic debate on Tuesday night , and CNN all but made it happen .
The liberal media is all-in for Warren , and that 's been true for some time .
But it was even more evident at the latest Democratic debate , during which moderators largely refrained from challenging Warren on her policy proposals , choosing instead to target her rival Bernie Sanders .
On Monday , CNN reported an apparent leak from the Warren campaign claiming that Sanders told the Massachusetts senator that a woman could n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders vs. Warren as the showdown to watch on Tuesday , but CNN 's moderators did n't even permit a fair fight .
After Sanders denied that he 'd ever made the supposedly sexist comment , CNN debate moderator Abby Phillip asked for a response from Warren .
Instead of referring to the comment as an allegation , Phillip said , `` Sen. Warren , what did you think when Sen. Sanders told you a woman could not win the election ? ''
Warren delivered her reply , and Phillip concluded : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you the final word . ''
That could be a good summary of CNN 's editorial ambitions .
It 's not interested in giving other candidates a fair hearing .
CNN is all-in for Warren .

“President Elizabeth Warren” began trending on Twitter during the Democratic debate on Tuesday night, and CNN all but made it happen.
The liberal media is all-in for Warren, and that's been true for some time. But it was even more evident at the latest Democratic debate, during which moderators largely refrained from challenging Warren on her policy proposals, choosing instead to target her rival Bernie Sanders.
On Monday, CNN reported an apparent leak from the Warren campaign claiming that Sanders told the Massachusetts senator that a woman couldn't win the presidency. That set up Sanders vs. Warren as the showdown to watch on Tuesday, but CNN's moderators didn't even permit a fair fight.
After Sanders denied that he'd ever made the supposedly sexist comment, CNN debate moderator Abby Phillip asked for a response from Warren. Instead of referring to the comment as an allegation, Phillip said, "Sen. Warren, what did you think when Sen. Sanders told you a woman could not win the election?"
Warren delivered her reply, and Phillip concluded: "Sen. Warren, I want to give you the final word."
That could be a good summary of CNN's editorial ambitions. It's not interested in giving other candidates a fair hearing. CNN is all-in for Warren.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--2020 Democrats' 'Medicare for some' is just 'Medicare for all' in disguise

If Tuesday night ’ s debate felt like a scene out of Groundhog Day to you , you ’ re not alone .
Democratic moderates Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden tried to , for what must be the hundredth time , differentiate themselves from the socialist wing of their party with the same old talking points about `` Medicare for all '' and the supposedly moderate `` Medicare for some . ''
Viewers were indulged with the same old reassurances : this new and improved proposal would give Americans a “ choice ” between a private and public option .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ near , voters would do well to realize that this “ choice '' is a deception .
`` Medicare for some '' is a Trojan horse for single-payer healthcare .
Private insurers are in the business to make a profit , whereas our government seems most apt at running up trillions of dollars in debt .
`` Medicare for some '' would be no different : perpetually in the red , and heavily subsidized by taxpayer dollars .
It would provide exorbitant benefits at a price lower than any private insurer could afford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an insurance company to compete profitably with a government option .
As Lewis Carroll put it in the Red Queen ’ s race : it would take “ all the running you can do just to keep in the same place.
” Insurance is , above all , a numbers game .
With its generous subsidies , `` Medicare for some '' would siphon customers away from private insurers , driving up the prices for those left in the private market , and also driving up the bill for taxpayers .
If funded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for some '' would soon enough become `` Medicare for all . ''
Moreover , public hospitals in the United States ( the vast majority of hospitals ) legally can not refuse patients with public insurance ( like Medicare and Medicaid ) .
The Obamacare expansion more than doubled the number of people on Medicaid , which has already sent many hospitals into financial turmoil because the program reimburses doctors and hospitals much less than do other insurers .
Government insurance is a monopoly bleeding hospitals dry .
If the much more ambitious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare hostage with coercive , subpar reimbursements , it could spell disaster .
We ’ d not only be running up our debt but also exacerbating our projected 122,000 physician shortage .
`` Medicare for some '' may seem the more palatable , consensual proposal for healthcare reform from Democrats .
It ’ s not .
`` Medicare for some '' is just `` Medicare for all '' with extra steps .
For the 71 % of people who appreciate their current private insurer , `` Medicare for some '' would , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ option .
America is a nation founded on choice and competition , and government insurance would inherently stifle competition and deprive patients , doctors , and hospitals of choice .
Nobody will end up with better healthcare if their insurer is forced out of the market and their doctor is forced to see patients .
Voters in Iowa and across the country should keep in mind that our upcoming vote may be the last choice in healthcare we ever get to make .

If Tuesday night’s debate felt like a scene out of Groundhog Day to you, you’re not alone. Democratic moderates Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden tried to, for what must be the hundredth time, differentiate themselves from the socialist wing of their party with the same old talking points about "Medicare for all" and the supposedly moderate "Medicare for some." Viewers were indulged with the same old reassurances: this new and improved proposal would give Americans a “choice” between a private and public option.
However, as the Iowa Caucuses draw near, voters would do well to realize that this “choice" is a deception. "Medicare for some" is a Trojan horse for single-payer healthcare.
Private insurers are in the business to make a profit, whereas our government seems most apt at running up trillions of dollars in debt. "Medicare for some" would be no different: perpetually in the red, and heavily subsidized by taxpayer dollars. It would provide exorbitant benefits at a price lower than any private insurer could afford.
There would be no way for an insurance company to compete profitably with a government option. As Lewis Carroll put it in the Red Queen’s race: it would take “all the running you can do just to keep in the same place.”
Insurance is, above all, a numbers game. With its generous subsidies, "Medicare for some" would siphon customers away from private insurers, driving up the prices for those left in the private market, and also driving up the bill for taxpayers. If funded as the Democrats propose, "Medicare for some" would soon enough become "Medicare for all."
Moreover, public hospitals in the United States (the vast majority of hospitals) legally cannot refuse patients with public insurance (like Medicare and Medicaid). The Obamacare expansion more than doubled the number of people on Medicaid, which has already sent many hospitals into financial turmoil because the program reimburses doctors and hospitals much less than do other insurers. Government insurance is a monopoly bleeding hospitals dry.
If the much more ambitious "Medicare for some" similarly took healthcare hostage with coercive, subpar reimbursements, it could spell disaster. We’d not only be running up our debt but also exacerbating our projected 122,000 physician shortage.
"Medicare for some" may seem the more palatable, consensual proposal for healthcare reform from Democrats. It’s not. "Medicare for some" is just "Medicare for all" with extra steps.
For the 71% of people who appreciate their current private insurer, "Medicare for some" would, in due time, deprive them of that option.
America is a nation founded on choice and competition, and government insurance would inherently stifle competition and deprive patients, doctors, and hospitals of choice. Nobody will end up with better healthcare if their insurer is forced out of the market and their doctor is forced to see patients.
Voters in Iowa and across the country should keep in mind that our upcoming vote may be the last choice in healthcare we ever get to make.
Adam Barsouk (@ABarsouk) is a medical student, cancer researcher, and health policy graduate.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--POLL: Who won the January Democratic presidential debate?

In the most narrow field yet , six Democratic candidates faced off in Iowa .
The debate is the seventh @ @ @ @ @ last one before the Feb. 3 Iowa caucus .
Who stood out among the winnowed @ @ @ @ @ questions all related to foreign policy , who would make the best commander in chief @ @ @ @ @ to face President Trump later this year ?
Vote now for who you felt showed @ @ @ @ @ Democratic Party in the 2020 election .

In the most narrow field yet, six Democratic candidates faced off in Iowa. The debate is the seventh since last year and the last one before the Feb. 3 Iowa caucus. Who stood out among the winnowed field? The first few questions all related to foreign policy, who would make the best commander in chief? Who looked most poised to face President Trump later this year?
Vote now for who you felt showed they could truly lead the Democratic Party in the 2020 election.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--Giddy campaign staff put Bloomberg's face on a meatball and batteries in his mouth

Michael Bloomberg 's presidential campaign is making up for his absence on the debate stage by staging a series of eccentric social media jokes .
In a `` Mike Bloomberg does not approve this message '' stunt , the campaign 's Twitter page tweeted `` fun stuff '' instead of highlighting flattering debate moments Bloomberg , 77 , might have had .
Most notably , it changed the campaign profile image to a picture of Bloomberg 's face photoshopped onto a meatball .
Bloomberg , the former mayor of New York City and financial services company founder , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Democratic presidential debate , because he is not accepting campaign donations , thereby unable to meet the Democratic National Committee 's threshold of 225,000 individual donors .
He is using his massive personal fortune to self-fund his presidential campaign , and since his campaign launch in late November , has spent nearly $ 200 million on campaign ads and hired about 1,000 staff members nationwide .
Another tweet pokes fun at Bloomberg 's pledge to change the White House West Wing layout into an open floor plan .
Bloomberg has no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and kept an open floor plan for his staff at City Hall when he was mayor .
`` WHAT OTHER CHANGE SHOULD MIKE IMPLEMENT ? ''
it asked , suggesting a `` Situation Room Omelet Bar '' and a `` Treadmill Desk in the Oval Office . ''
One of the tweets , however , appeared to go too far for the campaign and has since been deleted .
`` When choosing your candidate , remember…Mike can fit nine D batteries in his mouth at one time , '' the deleted tweet read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night , it 's now up to 11 , '' a subsequent tweet continued .
Bloomberg 's personal Twitter account acknowledged the stunt .
`` I see everyone at campaign HQ is hard at work , '' he said .
Last month , a parody video created by a comedy group showing would-be Bloomberg supporters dancing to a Maroon 5 song duped many observers .
The Bloomberg campaign did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner 's inquiry about its tweets .

Michael Bloomberg's presidential campaign is making up for his absence on the debate stage by staging a series of eccentric social media jokes.
In a "Mike Bloomberg does not approve this message" stunt, the campaign's Twitter page tweeted "fun stuff" instead of highlighting flattering debate moments Bloomberg, 77, might have had. Most notably, it changed the campaign profile image to a picture of Bloomberg's face photoshopped onto a meatball.
Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City and financial services company founder, who is worth $58 billion, is not in the Democratic presidential debate, because he is not accepting campaign donations, thereby unable to meet the Democratic National Committee's threshold of 225,000 individual donors.
He is using his massive personal fortune to self-fund his presidential campaign, and since his campaign launch in late November, has spent nearly $200 million on campaign ads and hired about 1,000 staff members nationwide.
Another tweet pokes fun at Bloomberg's pledge to change the White House West Wing layout into an open floor plan. Bloomberg has no personal office in his company's headquarters and kept an open floor plan for his staff at City Hall when he was mayor.
"WHAT OTHER CHANGE SHOULD MIKE IMPLEMENT?" it asked, suggesting a "Situation Room Omelet Bar" and a "Treadmill Desk in the Oval Office."
The campaign also tweeted "#BloombergFacts."
One of the tweets, however, appeared to go too far for the campaign and has since been deleted.
"When choosing your candidate, remember…Mike can fit nine D batteries in his mouth at one time," the deleted tweet read. "UPDATE: as of last night, it's now up to 11," a subsequent tweet continued.
Bloomberg's personal Twitter account acknowledged the stunt. "I see everyone at campaign HQ is hard at work," he said.
The Bloomberg campaign did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner's inquiry about its tweets.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--Warren avoids saying 'Medicare for all' in Democratic debate

Elizabeth Warren avoided using the phrase `` Medicare for all '' in Tuesday night 's Democratic presidential debate , shortly after facing backlash for the price tag and details of her healthcare plan .
Warren , a senator from Massachusetts , took a nosedive in the polls in December when she released a detailed , $ 26 trillion `` Medicare for all '' spending proposal along with a follow-up transition plan .
During Tuesday night 's debate in Des Moines , Iowa , she avoided saying `` Medicare for all , '' instead saying : `` I 've got a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also did n't get into specifics about how it would work .
Rather , she promised to `` provide healthcare to all of our people '' and noted that millions of people in the United States struggle to afford prescription drugs .
`` We have got to get as much help to as many people as quickly as possible , '' she said .
Warren 's plan would abolish private health insurance in favor of a single , government plan , and the left-leaning Urban Institute has estimated that it would raise national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , adding $ 34 trillion to the government 's tab .
It would let the government negotiate drug prices and cover all medical care , including prescription drugs , long-term care , doctor visits , and hospital care .
It would be far more generous than universal coverage systems in other countries .
When Warren released her plan , she received criticism that she vastly underestimated the costs of `` Medicare for all . ''
Her transition plan , which would have first made a government plan optional , opened her up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Medicare for all '' purist .
Warren avoided the phrase `` Medicare for all '' even after being pressed by more centrist rivals , including Pete Buttigieg , the former South Bend , Indiana , mayor , and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota .
Warren shot back at Buttigieg 's healthcare proposal and others from centrists such as Joe Biden , which would let people buy into a government plan , by saying they were much less extensive than her own .
`` They are a small improvement , which is why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .

Elizabeth Warren avoided using the phrase "Medicare for all" in Tuesday night's Democratic presidential debate, shortly after facing backlash for the price tag and details of her healthcare plan.
Warren, a senator from Massachusetts, took a nosedive in the polls in December when she released a detailed, $26 trillion "Medicare for all" spending proposal along with a follow-up transition plan. During Tuesday night's debate in Des Moines, Iowa, she avoided saying "Medicare for all," instead saying: "I've got a plan to expand healthcare."
She also didn't get into specifics about how it would work. Rather, she promised to "provide healthcare to all of our people" and noted that millions of people in the United States struggle to afford prescription drugs.
"We have got to get as much help to as many people as quickly as possible," she said.
Warren's plan would abolish private health insurance in favor of a single, government plan, and the left-leaning Urban Institute has estimated that it would raise national healthcare spending $7 trillion over 10 years, adding $34 trillion to the government's tab. It would let the government negotiate drug prices and cover all medical care, including prescription drugs, long-term care, doctor visits, and hospital care. It would be far more generous than universal coverage systems in other countries.
When Warren released her plan, she received criticism that she vastly underestimated the costs of "Medicare for all." Her transition plan, which would have first made a government plan optional, opened her up to accusations that she was not a "Medicare for all" purist.
Warren avoided the phrase "Medicare for all" even after being pressed by more centrist rivals, including Pete Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
Warren shot back at Buttigieg's healthcare proposal and others from centrists such as Joe Biden, which would let people buy into a government plan, by saying they were much less extensive than her own.
"They are a small improvement, which is why they cost so much less," she said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--Biden lied: Iran was not adhering strictly to nuclear deal before Trump came along

It was not 11 minutes before a 2020 Democratic primary candidate told the first big lie of the seventh debate Tuesday evening at Drake University in Des Moines , Iowa .
The lie came courtesy of former Vice President Joe Biden , who claimed Iran adhered strictly to its 2015 nuclear agreement with the United States before President Trump came along and ruined everything .
Iran most certainly violated the terms of the deal prior to Trump leaving it .
Biden ’ s lie came in response to a question that was asked initially of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ In the wake of the Iran crisis , Iran ’ s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has again called for all U.S. troops to be pulled out of the Middle East , something you [ Sen. Sanders ] have called for as well.
” “ Yet , ” Blitzer continued , “ when American troops last left Iraq , [ the Islamic State ] emerged and spread terror across the Middle East and indeed around the world .
How would you prevent that from happening again ?
” Sanders responded .
When the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question to Biden .
“ I was part of that deal to get the nuclear agreement with Iran , bringing together the rest of the world , including some of the folks who aren ’ t friendly to us , ” said the 2020 Democratic front-runner .
He added , “ And it was working .
It was working ; it was being held tightly ; there was no movement on the part of the Iranian government to get closer to a nuclear weapon.
” Please enjoy the following news headlines published between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House agreed to deal with Iran , and 2018 , the year Trump scuttled the deal : • CNN : “ German intelligence : Iran may have tried to violate nuclear deal.
” • L.A. Times : “ Iran says military sites are off-limits for nuclear inspections despite U.S. pressure.
” Also , as the Washington Examiner laid out in a Jan. 8 editorial , it is important to note that the since-scuttled deal ’ s greatest flaw was that even if Tehran adhered strictly to the agreement , it did nothing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The Iran deal was not disastrous merely because Obama accepted a ludicrously weak inspections protocol , although he did .
It was awful because , even if the deal were followed to the letter , it still enabled the regime to become a more powerful conventional threat by providing the mullahs with the money to pursue terrorism and the freedom to develop ballistic missiles , ” the editorial reads .
“ Furthermore , restrictions imposed by the deal would have started to sunset after 10 years , meaning the terror state still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapons.
” For obvious reasons , Biden does not want to admit any of this .
He certainly does not want to admit it on a debate stage , which makes sense .
After all , it is savvier to lie and claim everything was good and fine before Trump came along than admit to having brokered a disastrously weak nuclear deal with the No .
1 state sponsor of terrorism .

It was not 11 minutes before a 2020 Democratic primary candidate told the first big lie of the seventh debate Tuesday evening at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
The lie came courtesy of former Vice President Joe Biden, who claimed Iran adhered strictly to its 2015 nuclear agreement with the United States before President Trump came along and ruined everything.
Iran most certainly violated the terms of the deal prior to Trump leaving it.
Biden’s lie came in response to a question that was asked initially of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer said, “In the wake of the Iran crisis, Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has again called for all U.S. troops to be pulled out of the Middle East, something you [Sen. Sanders] have called for as well.”
“Yet,” Blitzer continued, “when American troops last left Iraq, [the Islamic State] emerged and spread terror across the Middle East and indeed around the world. How would you prevent that from happening again?”
Sanders responded. When the senator finished, Blitzer posed the same question to Biden.
“I was part of that deal to get the nuclear agreement with Iran, bringing together the rest of the world, including some of the folks who aren’t friendly to us,” said the 2020 Democratic front-runner.
He added, “And it was working. It was working; it was being held tightly; there was no movement on the part of the Iranian government to get closer to a nuclear weapon.”
Not quite.
Please enjoy the following news headlines published between 2015, the year the Obama White House agreed to deal with Iran, and 2018, the year Trump scuttled the deal:
Reuters : “Iran once again exceeds a nuclear deal limit: IAEA report.”
: “Iran once again exceeds a nuclear deal limit: IAEA report.” Reuters : “Iran's October missile test violated U.N. ban: expert panel.”
: “Iran's October missile test violated U.N. ban: expert panel.” CNN: “German intelligence: Iran may have tried to violate nuclear deal.”
L.A. Times: “Iran says military sites are off-limits for nuclear inspections despite U.S. pressure.”
Also, as the Washington Examiner laid out in a Jan. 8 editorial, it is important to note that the since-scuttled deal’s greatest flaw was that even if Tehran adhered strictly to the agreement, it did nothing to address Iran as a conventional threat.
“The Iran deal was not disastrous merely because Obama accepted a ludicrously weak inspections protocol, although he did. It was awful because, even if the deal were followed to the letter, it still enabled the regime to become a more powerful conventional threat by providing the mullahs with the money to pursue terrorism and the freedom to develop ballistic missiles,” the editorial reads. “Furthermore, restrictions imposed by the deal would have started to sunset after 10 years, meaning the terror state still maintained its long-term ability to develop nuclear weapons.”
For obvious reasons, Biden does not want to admit any of this. He certainly does not want to admit it on a debate stage, which makes sense. After all, it is savvier to lie and claim everything was good and fine before Trump came along than admit to having brokered a disastrously weak nuclear deal with the No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--Modern-day John Dean: How Lev Parnas went from Giuliani crony to Democratic impeachment hero

An indicted friend of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani has become central to the Democratic impeachment of President Trump , carrying echoes of the role of former White House counsel John Dean , who turned against President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal .
Parnas , 47 , along with another Giuliani associate , Igor Fruman , was criminally charged over an alleged scheme to funnel foreign money to Republican politicians .
The Soviet-born naturalized U.S. citizen with a checkered business history burst into the headlines on Tuesday night when House Democrats released a trove of texts and documents related to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yovanovitch from her post in Kyiv .
Now poised to become a hero to Democrats who yearn for a modern-day Dean , Parnas will appear on liberal favorite Rachel Maddow ’ s show on MSNBC Wednesday night .
Parnas was born in Cold War-era Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union , but his family moved to the United States when he was three years old , and he grew up in Brooklyn , New York .
Parnas attended college in New York and became a real estate agent before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founded a number of debt-ridden brokerage outfits .
In recent years , Parnas used large political donations to ingratiate himself with numerous Republicans .
Parnas and Fruman hired Giuliani for one of their joint ventures in 2018 , and Giuliani then used the duo to help with his foray into Ukraine .
Parnas bounced from job to job in southern Florida in the 1990s and 2000s , including working at two firms that were shut down for fraud before he bought his own .
One company purchased by Parnas , a technology firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of millions of dollars on paper before swiftly crashing .
He then went on to found Fraud Guarantee , which prosecutors said he named in an attempt to improve his personal online search results after being accused of fraud in 2011 .
Court records show Parnas has a history of unpaid debts , some totaling in the hundreds of thousands of dollars .
The new Parnas documents were made public shortly before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi planned to give the Ukraine-related articles of impeachment alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her decision to delay handing over the articles for weeks during a Wednesday speech and pointed to the new allegations stemming from the Parnas records .
“ Time has been our friend in all of this because it has yielded incriminating evidence , more truth , into the public domain , ” Pelosi said , adding that the evidence was obtained by Democrats as a result of a congressional subpoena .
“ Lev Parnas — you know who that is , an associate of Rudy Giuliani — that further proves the president was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure Ukraine for his own benefit in the 2020 election.
” Pelosi reportedly got the idea to delay handing over the articles from a December television appearance by John Dean on CNN , where he is a regular commentator .
Considered by some to be the `` hero of Watergate '' and by others to be a shameless opportunist , the man known by the FBI as “ the master manipulator of the cover-up ” has spent the subsequent decades deeming scandals in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan , George W. Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than Watergate ” — including the Ukraine saga .
Dean , 81 , was embroiled in the Watergate scandal during the early 1970s .
He turned on his co-conspirators in exchange for a plea deal and a short prison stint , becoming the star witness in the impeachment proceedings that forced Nixon to resign .
Parnas , through his attorney Joseph Bondy , pushed for weeks to get permission from the courts to hand over records .
Bondy mounted a social media campaign to allow his client to take the spotlight and share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dean tweeted about Parnas in December , pointing to his contributions to Republicans and hinting at a sinister Russian conspiracy .
“ Lev Parnas is a contributor to Kevin McCarthy — looks like the Minority Leader is in the Ukraine loop , ” Dean wrote .
“ When will Rudy show up in his phone records ?
It is as if Putin has taken control of the GOP .
What in hell are they doing ?
Will a reporter please ask him ?
” Parnas ’ s lawyer has used his rapidly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ client ’ s desire to share what he knows , employing the hashtags # LetLevSpeak and # LevRemembers , as he says Parnas `` remains committed to testifying as to all the actions he took in Ukraine on behalf of President Trump.
” Bondy has released viral videos trolling Trump , his family , and other Republicans with guilt by association .
Neal Katyal , the acting solicitor general during the Obama administration , wrote in the Washington Post on Wednesday that “ these new documents demolish at least three key defenses to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinging : that he was really fighting corruption when he pressured Ukraine on matters related to the Biden family ; that Hunter Biden should be called as a witness at the Senate impeachment trial ; and that there ’ s no need for a real , honest-to-goodness trial in the Senate.
” Prosecutors say that in 2018 , Parnas and Fruman falsely claimed that hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions came from General Energy Partners , purportedly a natural gas energy company .
In reality , the money was funneled through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The duo gave $ 325,000 to America First Action , a pro-Trump super PAC .
Prosecutors claimed that “ these contributions were made for the purpose of gaining influence with politicians so as to advance their own personal financial interests and the political interests of Ukrainian government officials.
” The charges relate to a conspiracy to obstruct the Federal Election Commission , a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. , making false statements to investigators , and the creation of a false entity to obstruct an investigation .
A newly released photograph of alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Ritz Carlton in Vienna , Austria , detail Giuliani ’ s plan to `` get [ Zelensky ] to announce that the Biden case will be investigated . ''
Prosecutors revealed Parnas received a $ 1 million loan from Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash , who is mentioned in the new document .
Firtash has fought the Justice Department 's efforts to extradite him to the U.S. from Vienna for years .
Parnas was arrested in October at Dulles Airport with a ticket to the Austrian capital .

An indicted friend of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani has become central to the Democratic impeachment of President Trump, carrying echoes of the role of former White House counsel John Dean, who turned against President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal.
Parnas, 47, along with another Giuliani associate, Igor Fruman, was criminally charged over an alleged scheme to funnel foreign money to Republican politicians. The Soviet-born naturalized U.S. citizen with a checkered business history burst into the headlines on Tuesday night when House Democrats released a trove of texts and documents related to efforts to remove then-Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch from her post in Kyiv.
Now poised to become a hero to Democrats who yearn for a modern-day Dean, Parnas will appear on liberal favorite Rachel Maddow’s show on MSNBC Wednesday night.
Parnas was born in Cold War-era Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union, but his family moved to the United States when he was three years old, and he grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Parnas attended college in New York and became a real estate agent before moving to Florida. There, he founded a number of debt-ridden brokerage outfits. In recent years, Parnas used large political donations to ingratiate himself with numerous Republicans. Parnas and Fruman hired Giuliani for one of their joint ventures in 2018, and Giuliani then used the duo to help with his foray into Ukraine.
Parnas bounced from job to job in southern Florida in the 1990s and 2000s, including working at two firms that were shut down for fraud before he bought his own. One company purchased by Parnas, a technology firm called Edgetech, reached a valuation worth hundreds of millions of dollars on paper before swiftly crashing. He then went on to found Fraud Guarantee, which prosecutors said he named in an attempt to improve his personal online search results after being accused of fraud in 2011. Court records show Parnas has a history of unpaid debts, some totaling in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The new Parnas documents were made public shortly before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi planned to give the Ukraine-related articles of impeachment alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress to the Republican-led Senate.
Pelosi defended her decision to delay handing over the articles for weeks during a Wednesday speech and pointed to the new allegations stemming from the Parnas records.
“Time has been our friend in all of this because it has yielded incriminating evidence, more truth, into the public domain,” Pelosi said, adding that the evidence was obtained by Democrats as a result of a congressional subpoena. “Lev Parnas — you know who that is, an associate of Rudy Giuliani — that further proves the president was an essential player in the scheme to pressure Ukraine for his own benefit in the 2020 election.”
Pelosi reportedly got the idea to delay handing over the articles from a December television appearance by John Dean on CNN, where he is a regular commentator. Considered by some to be the "hero of Watergate" and by others to be a shameless opportunist, the man known by the FBI as “the master manipulator of the cover-up” has spent the subsequent decades deeming scandals in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Trump including the “worse than Watergate” — including the Ukraine saga.
Dean, 81, was embroiled in the Watergate scandal during the early 1970s. He turned on his co-conspirators in exchange for a plea deal and a short prison stint, becoming the star witness in the impeachment proceedings that forced Nixon to resign.
Parnas, through his attorney Joseph Bondy, pushed for weeks to get permission from the courts to hand over records. Bondy mounted a social media campaign to allow his client to take the spotlight and share information in the upcoming Senate impeachment trial.
Dean tweeted about Parnas in December, pointing to his contributions to Republicans and hinting at a sinister Russian conspiracy.
“Lev Parnas is a contributor to Kevin McCarthy — looks like the Minority Leader is in the Ukraine loop,” Dean wrote. “When will Rudy show up in his phone records? It is as if Putin has taken control of the GOP. What in hell are they doing? Will a reporter please ask him?”
Parnas’s lawyer has used his rapidly growing social media platform to proclaim his client’s desire to share what he knows, employing the hashtags #LetLevSpeak and #LevRemembers, as he says Parnas "remains committed to testifying as to all the actions he took in Ukraine on behalf of President Trump.” Bondy has released viral videos trolling Trump, his family, and other Republicans with guilt by association.
Neal Katyal, the acting solicitor general during the Obama administration, wrote in the Washington Post on Wednesday that “these new documents demolish at least three key defenses to which Trump and his allies have been clinging: that he was really fighting corruption when he pressured Ukraine on matters related to the Biden family; that Hunter Biden should be called as a witness at the Senate impeachment trial; and that there’s no need for a real, honest-to-goodness trial in the Senate.”
Prosecutors say that in 2018, Parnas and Fruman falsely claimed that hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions came from General Energy Partners, purportedly a natural gas energy company. In reality, the money was funneled through the company to conceal foreign donors. The duo gave $325,000 to America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC.
Prosecutors claimed that “these contributions were made for the purpose of gaining influence with politicians so as to advance their own personal financial interests and the political interests of Ukrainian government officials.” The charges relate to a conspiracy to obstruct the Federal Election Commission, a conspiracy to defraud the U.S., making false statements to investigators, and the creation of a false entity to obstruct an investigation.
A newly released photograph of alleged meeting notes taken by Parnas on stationary from the Ritz Carlton in Vienna, Austria, detail Giuliani’s plan to "get [Zelensky] to announce that the Biden case will be investigated." Prosecutors revealed Parnas received a $1 million loan from Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash, who is mentioned in the new document. Firtash has fought the Justice Department's efforts to extradite him to the U.S. from Vienna for years. Parnas was arrested in October at Dulles Airport with a ticket to the Austrian capital.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--WATCH: Pelosi announces impeachment managers

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is announcing the congressional Democrats who have been selected to be impeachment managers .
The event @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated the Senate trial for President @ @ @ @ @ .

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is announcing the congressional Democrats who have been selected to be impeachment managers. The event begins at 10 a.m. EST on Wednesday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated the Senate trial for President Trump could start next Tuesday.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--Documents from Giuliani associate Lev Parnas point to surveillance of US ambassador to Ukraine


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-15--Democrats seek to force Secret Service to divulge cost of protecting Trump and family during travel

Democrats , intent on finding a way to obtain Secret Service costs for protecting President Trump and his family during their travels over the past three years , are demanding the agency itself divulge the cost .
Rep. Bennie Thompson , chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee , requested on Wednesday that the Secret Service release how many millions of dollars it has incurred guarding Trump and his family on domestic and international travel since January 2017 .
`` In order to assess the agency ’ s forthcoming Fiscal Year 2021 budget request , I am seeking information on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support the travel of President Trump and his family throughout his time in office , '' the Mississippi lawmaker wrote in a letter to Secret Service Director James Murray .
Thompson 's request comes in the middle of a fight between congressional Democrats and the Trump administration over who will run the organization .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Republican senators hope to pass a bill that would move the Secret Service , now under the Department of Homeland Security , back to the Treasury Department , where it was housed prior to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sept. 11 terrorist attacks .
Democrats asked that the bill mandate within 120 days of its passage that the Secret Service share information on the cost of Trump 's trips .
Thompson said no full analysis or total has been released by the Trump administration .
Last January , the Government Accountability Office released some numbers on the costs of individual trips .
The Secret Service spent $ 1.6 million on four trips Trump took to his Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach , Florida , in his first two months in office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family during three vacations abroad in January and February 2017 .
`` Although GAO has provided analysis on this topic , its review was focused on a select number of individual trips , '' Thompson said .
`` The large number of protectees in the Trump family and their frequency of travel has already strained the Secret Service ’ s budget , making it important that this Committee fully understand the resources required of the Secret Service to protect the First Family . ''
Thompson asked the Secret Service , as a congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide information on all trips over the past 36 months , including the date , location , expenses by category , and costs incurred by Trump-owned properties , by Feb. 3 .

Democrats, intent on finding a way to obtain Secret Service costs for protecting President Trump and his family during their travels over the past three years, are demanding the agency itself divulge the cost.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, requested on Wednesday that the Secret Service release how many millions of dollars it has incurred guarding Trump and his family on domestic and international travel since January 2017.
"In order to assess the agency’s forthcoming Fiscal Year 2021 budget request, I am seeking information on the expenses your office has incurred to support the travel of President Trump and his family throughout his time in office," the Mississippi lawmaker wrote in a letter to Secret Service Director James Murray.
Thompson's request comes in the middle of a fight between congressional Democrats and the Trump administration over who will run the organization. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Republican senators hope to pass a bill that would move the Secret Service, now under the Department of Homeland Security, back to the Treasury Department, where it was housed prior to the creation of the DHS after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Democrats asked that the bill mandate within 120 days of its passage that the Secret Service share information on the cost of Trump's trips.
Thompson said no full analysis or total has been released by the Trump administration. Last January, the Government Accountability Office released some numbers on the costs of individual trips. The Secret Service spent $1.6 million on four trips Trump took to his Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida, in his first two months in office. It spent $390,000 protecting his family during three vacations abroad in January and February 2017.
"Although GAO has provided analysis on this topic, its review was focused on a select number of individual trips," Thompson said. "The large number of protectees in the Trump family and their frequency of travel has already strained the Secret Service’s budget, making it important that this Committee fully understand the resources required of the Secret Service to protect the First Family."
Thompson asked the Secret Service, as a congressional request apart from the bill, to provide information on all trips over the past 36 months, including the date, location, expenses by category, and costs incurred by Trump-owned properties, by Feb. 3.