occupydemocrats--2020-01-16--Trump snaps at reporter to be “quiet” and disavows Parnas after threat to release photos

The troubles of Donald Trump continue to multiply like little spray-tanned rabbits .
The articles of impeachment were officially signed by Speaker Pelosi and sent to the Senate yesterday , and that ’ s not even the worst of the president ’ s problems right now .
Lev Parnas , an indicted crony of Rudy Giuliani who was sent to Ukraine to dig up dirt on Joe Biden , made an appearance on Rachel Maddow ’ s show last night and promptly shredded some of the president ’ s more important claims .
The interview came in the wake of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress as part of the impeachment proceedings .
Included in the trove were text messages that seemed to implicate him in the possible surveillance of former U.S .
Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch .
While Parnas denied that he was engaged in such an operation , he also refuted Trump ’ s claims that the two men are unacquainted .
“ I don ’ t know those gentlemen , ” President Trump previously stated about Parnas and his associate Igor Fruman , before conceding that he may have taken a photo of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with lots of peoples .
CNN managed to find ten interactions between Trump and Parnas and numerous photographs of them together have emerged .
Clearly , Trump was playing loose and fast with the truth .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
“ President Trump knew exactly what was going on .
He was aware of all of my movements .
I wouldn ’ t do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani or the president , ” claimed Parnas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the issue , Parnas flat out said that Trump “ lied.
” Unfortunately for Trump , Parnas isn ’ t done yet and has now promised to release a new picture of him with Trump every time the president denies knowing him .
During an interview on CNN ’ s New Day , he told Anderson Cooper that he “ loved ” Trump , had a “ shrine ” to the president and was his friend .
Parnas appeared somewhat emotional during the conversation and it appears that Trump ’ s betrayal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
At the same time , Trump ’ s denial was somewhat of a relief because it meant Parnas couldn ’ t simply be swept under the rug .
“ I thought they were going to shut me up , make me look like the scapegoat , and try to blame me for stuff that I wasn ’ t done .
But with God ’ s help and a great legal team that I have beside me , we were able to get the information out and now it ’ s out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say that even more .
Every time he says that I ’ ll show him another picture , ” said Parnas .
Apparently , President Trump either missed Parnas ’ s threat , doesn ’ t believe him , or is convinced that his own followers are so fanatical that they ’ ll believe him over photographic evidence .
Today , he was asked once again today by reporters about his relationship with the Giuliani associate and denied ever knowing him .
“ I don ’ t believe I ’ ve ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to The Wall Street Journal ’ s Rebecca Ballhaus who in turn attributed WSJ ’ s Michael C. Bender .
Trump claimed that Parnas is part of some “ big hoax , ” which is his go-to smear whenever unflattering news breaks about him .
Despite the pile of photos of them together , Trump still insists he doesn ’ t know Parnas “ at all.
” CNN ’ s Jim Acosta tweeted that Trump also denied Parnas ’ s claim that the shenanigans Rudy Giuliani was masterminding in Ukraine were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed him on his ludicrous claim that he doesn ’ t know Parnas and that he just posed for pictures with him Trump told the reporter to be “ quiet.
” Video confirming Acosta ’ s reporting came out soon after .
Trump has made his choice , now it remains to be seen if Parnas will deliver on his threat .
Every time Trump disavows him and a new photo emerges , the president ends up looking guiltier and guiltier .
What little credibility he had left is about to doused in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do you think ?

The troubles of Donald Trump continue to multiply like little spray-tanned rabbits. The articles of impeachment were officially signed by Speaker Pelosi and sent to the Senate yesterday, and that’s not even the worst of the president’s problems right now.
Lev Parnas, an indicted crony of Rudy Giuliani who was sent to Ukraine to dig up dirt on Joe Biden, made an appearance on Rachel Maddow’s show last night and promptly shredded some of the president’s more important claims. The interview came in the wake of Parnas’s delivery of documents to Congress as part of the impeachment proceedings. Included in the trove were text messages that seemed to implicate him in the possible surveillance of former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. While Parnas denied that he was engaged in such an operation, he also refuted Trump’s claims that the two men are unacquainted.
“I don’t know those gentlemen,” President Trump previously stated about Parnas and his associate Igor Fruman, before conceding that he may have taken a photo of them at some point because he takes photos with lots of peoples. CNN managed to find ten interactions between Trump and Parnas and numerous photographs of them together have emerged. Clearly, Trump was playing loose and fast with the truth.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
“President Trump knew exactly what was going on. He was aware of all of my movements. I wouldn’t do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani or the president,” claimed Parnas to Maddow. When she pushed him on the issue, Parnas flat out said that Trump “lied.”
Unfortunately for Trump, Parnas isn’t done yet and has now promised to release a new picture of him with Trump every time the president denies knowing him. During an interview on CNN’s New Day, he told Anderson Cooper that he “loved” Trump, had a “shrine” to the president and was his friend.
Parnas appeared somewhat emotional during the conversation and it appears that Trump’s betrayal and disavowal struck a deep chord with him. At the same time, Trump’s denial was somewhat of a relief because it meant Parnas couldn’t simply be swept under the rug.
“I thought they were going to shut me up, make me look like the scapegoat, and try to blame me for stuff that I wasn’t done. But with God’s help and a great legal team that I have beside me, we were able to get the information out and now it’s out there. So, I welcome him to say that even more. Every time he says that I’ll show him another picture,” said Parnas.
“He’s lying?” asked Cooper.
“He’s lying,” confirmed Parnas.
"He's lying." Lev Parnas, Rudy Giuliani's associate who stands at the center of the impeachment inquiry, says about President Trump's claim that that they have never met.https://t.co/qLwZHVZuBB pic.twitter.com/cI0DCQUK3N — New Day (@NewDay) January 16, 2020
Apparently, President Trump either missed Parnas’s threat, doesn’t believe him, or is convinced that his own followers are so fanatical that they’ll believe him over photographic evidence. Today, he was asked once again today by reporters about his relationship with the Giuliani associate and denied ever knowing him.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever spoken to him,” Trump said, according to The Wall Street Journal’s Rebecca Ballhaus who in turn attributed WSJ’s Michael C. Bender. Trump claimed that Parnas is part of some “big hoax,” which is his go-to smear whenever unflattering news breaks about him. Despite the pile of photos of them together, Trump still insists he doesn’t know Parnas “at all.”
CNN’s Jim Acosta tweeted that Trump also denied Parnas’s claim that the shenanigans Rudy Giuliani was masterminding in Ukraine were “all about 2020.” When Acosta pushed him on his ludicrous claim that he doesn’t know Parnas and that he just posed for pictures with him Trump told the reporter to be “quiet.”
Trump to reporters in Oval Office on Lev Parnas: “I don’t believe I’ve ever spoken to him.” Says Parnas is part of a “big hoax” and that he doesn’t know him “at all” other than taking pictures together, per @MichaelCBender. — Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) January 16, 2020
Just asked Trump about Parnas claim that admin efforts in Ukraine were "all about 2020." Trump insisted he's only posed for photos with Parnas. Kept repeating that defense. Eventually told me to be "quiet." Video coming… More to come… — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 16, 2020
Video confirming Acosta’s reporting came out soon after.
Trump has made his choice, now it remains to be seen if Parnas will deliver on his threat. Every time Trump disavows him and a new photo emerges, the president ends up looking guiltier and guiltier. What little credibility he had left is about to doused in gasoline and set on fire.
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-16--Trump issues furious all-caps outburst after impeachment trial begins

The long-awaited impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump has finally begun with the swearing-in of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and the oaths taken by of all one hundred United States Senators .
While we can expect a significant portion of the Republican Senators to immediately violate their oaths , the moment the entire world has been aching for is finally here — and the president took to Twitter to let us all know how he ’ s feeling about it : The “ perfect phone call ” was made to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to ask him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That favor was for the Ukrainian government to work with the U.S. Attorney General in order to open sham investigations into the conspiracy theory that a Ukrainian company was involved in the 2016 election interference probe and into Hunter Biden over his position on the board at a major natural gas company .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
In the course of the past few months , we have learned that the White House deliberately and illegally withheld millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to cajole them into cooperation .
It appears that the President dispatched his ally Rudy Giuliani and his associates , Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman , to Ukraine in order to set up the sham investigations , the results of which would be used to bolster Trump ’ s 2020 re-election campaign .
Following the October arrest of Parnas and the president ’ s subsequent disavowal of him , Parnas has released a trove of documents that appear to indicate they had arranged an earlier quid pro quo with Ukrainian ex-prosecutor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticize Joe Biden on the condition that a U.S. ambassador critical of his record , Maria Yovanovich , was removed from her position .
Yovanovich was recalled from Ukraine in May 2019 after a smear campaign orchestrated by Parnas , the right-wing media machine , and participation from the president ’ s son Don Jr .
The recall effort was spearheaded by Texas Republican Pete Sessions , who just so happened to have received a seven-figure re-election ad buy from the Trump Super PAC which Parnas had illegally given money too .
Other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congressional candidate close to the Trumps , Robert Hyde , had been surveilling Yovanovich and may even have threatened her .
So it would be appropriate to call it a “ perfect storm of criminality ” rather than a “ perfect call , ” which the president ’ s obsessive and rapidly decaying brain has somehow fixated on as the keyword to his exoneration .
The impeachment case has escalated drastically in the last couple of days , and the acquittal which seemed so certain just a week ago suddenly looks to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you think ?

The long-awaited impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump has finally begun with the swearing-in of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and the oaths taken by of all one hundred United States Senators. While we can expect a significant portion of the Republican Senators to immediately violate their oaths, the moment the entire world has been aching for is finally here — and the president took to Twitter to let us all know how he’s feeling about it:
I JUST GOT IMPEACHED FOR MAKING A PERFECT PHONE CALL! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2020
The “perfect phone call” was made to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to ask him to “do us a favor.” That favor was for the Ukrainian government to work with the U.S. Attorney General in order to open sham investigations into the conspiracy theory that a Ukrainian company was involved in the 2016 election interference probe and into Hunter Biden over his position on the board at a major natural gas company.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
In the course of the past few months, we have learned that the White House deliberately and illegally withheld millions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine in order to cajole them into cooperation. It appears that the President dispatched his ally Rudy Giuliani and his associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, to Ukraine in order to set up the sham investigations, the results of which would be used to bolster Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign.
Following the October arrest of Parnas and the president’s subsequent disavowal of him, Parnas has released a trove of documents that appear to indicate they had arranged an earlier quid pro quo with Ukrainian ex-prosecutor general Yuriy Lutsenko, who would publicly criticize Joe Biden on the condition that a U.S. ambassador critical of his record, Maria Yovanovich, was removed from her position.
Yovanovich was recalled from Ukraine in May 2019 after a smear campaign orchestrated by Parnas, the right-wing media machine, and participation from the president’s son Don Jr. The recall effort was spearheaded by Texas Republican Pete Sessions, who just so happened to have received a seven-figure re-election ad buy from the Trump Super PAC which Parnas had illegally given money too.
Other documents appear to indicate that a Republican congressional candidate close to the Trumps, Robert Hyde, had been surveilling Yovanovich and may even have threatened her.
So it would be appropriate to call it a “perfect storm of criminality” rather than a “perfect call,” which the president’s obsessive and rapidly decaying brain has somehow fixated on as the keyword to his exoneration. The impeachment case has escalated drastically in the last couple of days, and the acquittal which seemed so certain just a week ago suddenly looks to be on much shakier ground.
Colin Taylor Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-16--Lev Parnas threatens to release “another picture” every time Trump denies knowing him

The troubles of Donald Trump continue to multiply like little spray-tanned rabbits .
The articles of impeachment were officially signed by Speaker Pelosi and sent to the Senate yesterday , and that ’ s not even the worst of the president ’ s problems right now .
Lev Parnas , an indicted crony of Rudy Giuliani who was sent to Ukraine to dig up dirt on Joe Biden , made an appearance on Rachel Maddow ’ s show last night and promptly shredded some of the president ’ s more important claims .
The interview came in the wake of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress as part of the impeachment proceedings .
Included in the trove were text messages that seemed to implicate him in the possible surveillance of former U.S .
Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch .
While Parnas denied that he was engaged in such an operation , he also refuted Trump ’ s claims that the two men are unacquainted .
“ I don ’ t know those gentlemen , ” President Trump previously stated about Parnas and his associate Igor Fruman , before conceding that he may have taken a photo of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with lots of peoples .
CNN managed to find ten interactions between Trump and Parnas and numerous photographs of them together have emerged .
Clearly , Trump was playing loose and fast with the truth .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
“ President Trump knew exactly what was going on .
He was aware of all of my movements .
I wouldn ’ t do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani or the president , ” claimed Parnas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the issue , Parnas flat out said that Trump “ lied.
” Unfortunately for Trump , Parnas isn ’ t done yet and has now promised to release a new picture of him with Trump every time the president denies knowing him .
During an interview on CNN ’ s New Day , he told Anderson Cooper that he “ loved ” Trump , had a “ shrine ” to the president and was his friend .
Parnas appeared somewhat emotional during the conversation and it appears that Trump ’ s betrayal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
At the same time , Trump ’ s denial was somewhat of a relief because it meant Parnas couldn ’ t simply be swept under the hrug .
“ I thought they were going to shut me up , make me look like the scapegoat , and try to blame me for stuff that I wasn ’ t done .
But with God ’ s help and a great legal team that I have beside me , we were able to get the information out and now it ’ s out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say that even more .
Every time he says that I ’ ll show him another picture , ” said Parnas .
What do you think ?

The troubles of Donald Trump continue to multiply like little spray-tanned rabbits. The articles of impeachment were officially signed by Speaker Pelosi and sent to the Senate yesterday, and that’s not even the worst of the president’s problems right now.
Lev Parnas, an indicted crony of Rudy Giuliani who was sent to Ukraine to dig up dirt on Joe Biden, made an appearance on Rachel Maddow’s show last night and promptly shredded some of the president’s more important claims. The interview came in the wake of Parnas’s delivery of documents to Congress as part of the impeachment proceedings. Included in the trove were text messages that seemed to implicate him in the possible surveillance of former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. While Parnas denied that he was engaged in such an operation, he also refuted Trump’s claims that the two men are unacquainted.
“I don’t know those gentlemen,” President Trump previously stated about Parnas and his associate Igor Fruman, before conceding that he may have taken a photo of them at some point because he takes photos with lots of peoples. CNN managed to find ten interactions between Trump and Parnas and numerous photographs of them together have emerged. Clearly, Trump was playing loose and fast with the truth.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
“President Trump knew exactly what was going on. He was aware of all of my movements. I wouldn’t do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani or the president,” claimed Parnas to Maddow. When she pushed him on the issue, Parnas flat out said that Trump “lied.”
Unfortunately for Trump, Parnas isn’t done yet and has now promised to release a new picture of him with Trump every time the president denies knowing him. During an interview on CNN’s New Day, he told Anderson Cooper that he “loved” Trump, had a “shrine” to the president and was his friend.
Parnas appeared somewhat emotional during the conversation and it appears that Trump’s betrayal and disavowal struck a deep chord with him. At the same time, Trump’s denial was somewhat of a relief because it meant Parnas couldn’t simply be swept under the hrug.
“I thought they were going to shut me up, make me look like the scapegoat, and try to blame me for stuff that I wasn’t done. But with God’s help and a great legal team that I have beside me, we were able to get the information out and now it’s out there. So, I welcome him to say that even more. Every time he says that I’ll show him another picture,” said Parnas.
“He’s lying?” asked Cooper.
“He’s lying,” confirmed Parnas.
Watch the clip below.
"He's lying." Lev Parnas, Rudy Giuliani's associate who stands at the center of the impeachment inquiry, says about President Trump's claim that that they have never met.https://t.co/qLwZHVZuBB pic.twitter.com/cI0DCQUK3N — New Day (@NewDay) January 16, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-16--Newly released impeachment texts directly shows Don Jr.’s involvement in Ukraine scandal

The House Intelligence Committee just released the second installment of impeachment evidence from the explosive Parnas documents while Speaker Pelosi was busy signing the articles of impeachment and sending them to the Senate for trial .
New text message evidence shows that President Donald J. Trump ’ s namesake eldest son is directly involved in the plot that led to his impeachment by the newly released 390-page document .
( embedded below ) Donald Trump Jr. is a private businessman who is nominally busy with running the Trump Organization while his father is busy mismanaging the Oval Office .
Add @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
Despite Donald Trump ’ s false promise that none of his children would have a White House role soon after his election , these new messages show Don Jr. ’ s vital role as a political messenger for the President .
The first visible record in the new document dump is a message from an official at the Trump-aligned America First Action PAC asking Lev Parnas what he should send to the first son .
Sure enough , just a few days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet arrived .
It was a cornerstone communication in the cabal ’ s public relations campaign against former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch , which later spread to Fox News on Sean Hannity ’ s program , leading to her premature recall from office .
Inside the massive document dump , there is a series of Russian and Ukrainian-language messages between Parnas and high-ranking Ukrainian officials .
One that stands out is from Andriy Yermak , a top advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky , who was plunged into Trump ’ s scheme to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden by an array of the President ’ s men , including Rudy Giuliani and EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland .
Yermak sent Parnas a very stern message , asking Giuliani to delete one of his tweets exposing his personal information to the entire world and admonishing him for sharing confidential communications between them .
Twitter took the rare step of temporarily suspending Rudy Giuliani ’ s account over that message , which he posted on October 3rd , 2019 less than two weeks after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inquiry .
Lastly , the messages from Lev Parnas also contain the complete interview request and advanced question list from John Solomon , a former opinion journalist and Executive Vice President of digital television for The Hill .
While it ’ s not considered the best professional practice for journalists to send all of their questions to a government official in advance , the content of Solomon ’ s questions is both scandalous and wildly ironic .
Days earlier , Ukraine ’ s former prosecutor-general Yuri Lutsenko complained to Parnas that Ambassador Yovanovitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Joe Biden in return for her ouster .
The former Fox contributor ’ s questions arrived to Lutsenko soon thereafter , with the subsequent interview becoming a cornerstone of the misinformation campaign used to justify her removal .
But Solomon ’ s multi-part 4th question to Lutsenko references a letter from former Texas House Republican Pete Sessions asking for the Ambassador ’ s removal after Lev Parnas gave him a substantial political donation .
“ Specifically have any US officials suggested to Ukrainian officials that they can ignore President Trump because he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Parnas for delivery to Lutsenko , “ and what was the Ukrainian reaction ?
” Paradoxically , Solomon ’ s efforts to determine if Ukrainian officials thought they could ignore Trump since he might be impeached last spring ultimately contributed significantly to his later impeachment tonight , the very night these messages have been revealed .
A well-placed anonymous source on Capitol Hill accurately told Occupy Democrats last week that there significant new nonpublic information in the hands of House Democrats is what led Speaker Pelosi to stop delaying the impeachment trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night and tonight ’ s Parnas documents are a substantial new body of evidence , they do not constitute the totality of what that source said is the new , nonpublic information available to the House for Trump ’ s impeachment trial .
Last night ’ s document dump does expose Don Jr. ’ s role as a fact witness in his father ’ s impeachable offenses , reveals the deep dissatisfaction amongst Ukrainian officials with Trump ’ s lawyers and cement Lev Parnas ’ central role as a middle-man in the President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with false information from a foreign government .
Here is the complete set of the second tranche of Parnas Documents : What do you think ?

The House Intelligence Committee just released the second installment of impeachment evidence from the explosive Parnas documents while Speaker Pelosi was busy signing the articles of impeachment and sending them to the Senate for trial.
New text message evidence shows that President Donald J. Trump’s namesake eldest son is directly involved in the plot that led to his impeachment by the newly released 390-page document. (embedded below)
Donald Trump Jr. is a private businessman who is nominally busy with running the Trump Organization while his father is busy mismanaging the Oval Office.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
Despite Donald Trump’s false promise that none of his children would have a White House role soon after his election, these new messages show Don Jr.’s vital role as a political messenger for the President. The first visible record in the new document dump is a message from an official at the Trump-aligned America First Action PAC asking Lev Parnas what he should send to the first son.
Story continues below:
Sure enough, just a few days later, Donald Trump Jr.’s tweet arrived.
It was a cornerstone communication in the cabal’s public relations campaign against former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, which later spread to Fox News on Sean Hannity’s program, leading to her premature recall from office.
Story continues below:
Inside the massive document dump, there is a series of Russian and Ukrainian-language messages between Parnas and high-ranking Ukrainian officials.
One that stands out is from Andriy Yermak, a top advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was plunged into Trump’s scheme to extract a baseless investigation announcement to hurt Joe Biden by an array of the President’s men, including Rudy Giuliani and EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland.
Yermak sent Parnas a very stern message, asking Giuliani to delete one of his tweets exposing his personal information to the entire world and admonishing him for sharing confidential communications between them.
Twitter took the rare step of temporarily suspending Rudy Giuliani’s account over that message, which he posted on October 3rd, 2019 less than two weeks after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced the start of the impeachment inquiry.
Lastly, the messages from Lev Parnas also contain the complete interview request and advanced question list from John Solomon, a former opinion journalist and Executive Vice President of digital television for The Hill.
While it’s not considered the best professional practice for journalists to send all of their questions to a government official in advance, the content of Solomon’s questions is both scandalous and wildly ironic.
Days earlier, Ukraine’s former prosecutor-general Yuri Lutsenko complained to Parnas that Ambassador Yovanovitch had to be removed, offering information on Joe Biden in return for her ouster.
The former Fox contributor’s questions arrived to Lutsenko soon thereafter, with the subsequent interview becoming a cornerstone of the misinformation campaign used to justify her removal.
But Solomon’s multi-part 4th question to Lutsenko references a letter from former Texas House Republican Pete Sessions asking for the Ambassador’s removal after Lev Parnas gave him a substantial political donation.
“Specifically have any US officials suggested to Ukrainian officials that they can ignore President Trump because he might be impeached,” wrote Solomon to Parnas for delivery to Lutsenko, “and what was the Ukrainian reaction?”
Story continues below:
Paradoxically, Solomon’s efforts to determine if Ukrainian officials thought they could ignore Trump since he might be impeached last spring ultimately contributed significantly to his later impeachment tonight, the very night these messages have been revealed.
A well-placed anonymous source on Capitol Hill accurately told Occupy Democrats last week that there significant new nonpublic information in the hands of House Democrats is what led Speaker Pelosi to stop delaying the impeachment trial this week.
Yet, while last night and tonight’s Parnas documents are a substantial new body of evidence, they do not constitute the totality of what that source said is the new, nonpublic information available to the House for Trump’s impeachment trial.
Last night’s document dump does expose Don Jr.’s role as a fact witness in his father’s impeachable offenses, reveals the deep dissatisfaction amongst Ukrainian officials with Trump’s lawyers and cement Lev Parnas’ central role as a middle-man in the President’s plot to harm Joe Biden with false information from a foreign government.
Here is the complete set of the second tranche of Parnas Documents:


occupydemocrats--2020-01-16--Fox host trashes Pelosi for wearing pink to impeachment signing, says it’s not serious enough

Yesterday , Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) officially sent the articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial .
While it seems almost certain that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) will work hand in glove with the White House to “ exonerate ” Trump in a sham trial , Pelosi ’ s decision to hold off on sending the articles was a masterstroke .
She forced news outlets to focus on the Republicans ’ handling of the trial and the delay made more people aware of McConnell ’ s underhanded intentions .
Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enraged by Pelosi ’ s stratagem and want to paint her as some partisan hack instead of the dedicated public servant she so clearly is .
Pelosi didn ’ t undertake impeachment lightly , she went for it only after it became clear that Trump tried to abuse his powers of office to strongarm a foreign country into opening an investigation into Joe Biden and his son in the hopes of hurting the vice president ’ s 2020 prospects .
Now , Republicans are actually whining about the manner in which Pelosi signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & Friends this morning , the hosts slammed the Speaker for having pens with her name at the signing event , as if it were some sign of egomania rather than simply a nice gesture for the attendees .
The criticism is especially rich when one takes into account how breathlessly Fox fawns over the raging narcissist in the White House .
Things only got more absurd from there , as one host zeroed in on Pelosi ’ s attire .
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump .
Add your name to demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You know what ’ s interesting aside from the pens with her name on them ?
” asked Steve Doocy .
“ And keep in mind , what was it ?
When in December , when they voted on the articles of impeachment and she was talking about prayerful it was and how somber it was she was wearing black , and when people started to cheer she shushed them .
Well , yesterday she was wearing pink !
And there was giggling and there was some laughter as well and yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a TV show .
As that woman right there poses with a pen .
Nonetheless , they tried their best to seem like this is a very somber thing , ” he opined .
When conservative pundits are reduced to criticizing the clothing choices of Nancy Pelosi , you know they ’ ve run out of legitimate lines of attack .
Their glorious Republican leader has become just one of three American presidents to be impeached and will carry that stain on his legacy for all of history .
They can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What ’ s more , Pelosi should be proud of herself for masterminding the impeachment of the worst president in American history .
It may be a divisive moment for the Republic , but the alternative was far worse .
Doing nothing as Trump rampages around the world and tears up the supports of our democratic institutions was never an option for patriots like Pelosi .
What do you think ?

Yesterday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) officially sent the articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial. While it seems almost certain that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will work hand in glove with the White House to “exonerate” Trump in a sham trial, Pelosi’s decision to hold off on sending the articles was a masterstroke. She forced news outlets to focus on the Republicans’ handling of the trial and the delay made more people aware of McConnell’s underhanded intentions.
Of course, the president and GOP were enraged by Pelosi’s stratagem and want to paint her as some partisan hack instead of the dedicated public servant she so clearly is. Pelosi didn’t undertake impeachment lightly, she went for it only after it became clear that Trump tried to abuse his powers of office to strongarm a foreign country into opening an investigation into Joe Biden and his son in the hopes of hurting the vice president’s 2020 prospects.
Now, Republicans are actually whining about the manner in which Pelosi signed the articles of impeachment. On Fox & Friends this morning, the hosts slammed the Speaker for having pens with her name at the signing event, as if it were some sign of egomania rather than simply a nice gesture for the attendees. The criticism is especially rich when one takes into account how breathlessly Fox fawns over the raging narcissist in the White House. Things only got more absurd from there, as one host zeroed in on Pelosi’s attire.
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
“You know what’s interesting aside from the pens with her name on them?” asked Steve Doocy. “And keep in mind, what was it? When in December, when they voted on the articles of impeachment and she was talking about prayerful it was and how somber it was she was wearing black, and when people started to cheer she shushed them. Well, yesterday she was wearing pink! And there was giggling and there was some laughter as well and yet, they’re trying… Remember it’s a TV show. As that woman right there poses with a pen. Nonetheless, they tried their best to seem like this is a very somber thing,” he opined.
When conservative pundits are reduced to criticizing the clothing choices of Nancy Pelosi, you know they’ve run out of legitimate lines of attack. Their glorious Republican leader has become just one of three American presidents to be impeached and will carry that stain on his legacy for all of history. They can’t stand that shameful reality. What’s more, Pelosi should be proud of herself for masterminding the impeachment of the worst president in American history. It may be a divisive moment for the Republic, but the alternative was far worse. Doing nothing as Trump rampages around the world and tears up the supports of our democratic institutions was never an option for patriots like Pelosi.
Steve Doocy attacks Nancy Pelosi for wearing pink while singing the impeachment articles, because pink isn't a serious enough color for how "somber" and "prayerful" she said the proceedings were. pic.twitter.com/o1lylElmcK — Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) January 16, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-17--New York Times op-ed section publishes article by senior fellow at extremist hate group

Something extremely disturbing is going on at the New York Times .
While the journalists at the paper continue to churn out ground-breaking news stories with their customary accuracy and diligence , the opinion board is churning out right-wing propaganda at an alarming rate — and now they ’ re even publishing hate groups .
Yesterday , the Times opinion section published an article entitled “ I ’ m a Liberal Who Thinks Immigration Must Be Restricted , ” by Jerry Kramer .
The article attempts to justify Trumpian anti-immigration from the “ pro-labor left , ” duplicitously arguing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the use of illegal immigrant labor by monstrously greedy corporations are the fault of the refugees fleeing violence and chaos in their home countries .
Of course , it ’ s nothing but white supremacist garbage dressed up in a union jacket .
Jerry Kramer is a senior fellow at the “ Center for Immigration Studies , ” which has been classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-immigrant hate group .
Founded in 1985 , the anti-immigration think tank is notorious for promoting white nationalist and anti-Semitic content over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jason Richwine , who earned himself the unenviable distinction of being too racist for the Heritage Foundation .
This is the second time in as many months that the New York Times op-ed board has decided to publish white nationalist race science .
In late December , bedbug enthusiast and insufferable nitwit Bret Stephens published a bizarre column on the intellectual superiority of Jewish people based on a widely debunked paper by Henry Harpending , who the SPLC has classified as a white nationalist .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fair trial !
Of course , Bret Stephens deserves that moniker himself , since he regularly repackages white supremacist ideas into forms more palatable for the NYT ’ s liberal readers .
If you needed any more proof , he ’ s referred to Palestinians as “ psychotic , ” defended Tucker Carlson for saying Iraqis were “ semi-literate primitive monkeys , ” and smeared Arabs for having a “ diseased mind.
” In one of his more particularly repulsive columns , he complained about candidates speaking Spanish at the Democratic debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promote white supremacist narratives about how Democrats are more concerned with caring for Hispanic immigrants than they are for the rest of America .
While the New York Times ’ reporting is still among the finest in the world , serious questions need to be put to opinion editor James Bennet and the owners of the paper itself as to why their op-ed section often looks more like Breitbart than it does Mother Jones .
A diversity of opinion is all well and good , but lines need to be drawn when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the pages of the nation ’ s premier newspaper .
What do you think ?

Something extremely disturbing is going on at the New York Times. While the journalists at the paper continue to churn out ground-breaking news stories with their customary accuracy and diligence, the opinion board is churning out right-wing propaganda at an alarming rate — and now they’re even publishing hate groups.
Yesterday, the Times opinion section published an article entitled “I’m a Liberal Who Thinks Immigration Must Be Restricted,” by Jerry Kramer. The article attempts to justify Trumpian anti-immigration from the “pro-labor left,” duplicitously arguing that the shipping off of American jobs overseas and the use of illegal immigrant labor by monstrously greedy corporations are the fault of the refugees fleeing violence and chaos in their home countries.
Of course, it’s nothing but white supremacist garbage dressed up in a union jacket. Jerry Kramer is a senior fellow at the “Center for Immigration Studies,” which has been classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-immigrant hate group.
Founded in 1985, the anti-immigration think tank is notorious for promoting white nationalist and anti-Semitic content over 2,000 times and for publishing race scientist Jason Richwine, who earned himself the unenviable distinction of being too racist for the Heritage Foundation.
The New York Times, at it again. pic.twitter.com/qIffDaJbmC — David Weiner (@daweiner) January 17, 2020
This is the second time in as many months that the New York Times op-ed board has decided to publish white nationalist race science. In late December, bedbug enthusiast and insufferable nitwit Bret Stephens published a bizarre column on the intellectual superiority of Jewish people based on a widely debunked paper by Henry Harpending, who the SPLC has classified as a white nationalist.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
Of course, Bret Stephens deserves that moniker himself, since he regularly repackages white supremacist ideas into forms more palatable for the NYT’s liberal readers. If you needed any more proof, he’s referred to Palestinians as “psychotic,” defended Tucker Carlson for saying Iraqis were “semi-literate primitive monkeys,” and smeared Arabs for having a “diseased mind.”
In one of his more particularly repulsive columns, he complained about candidates speaking Spanish at the Democratic debate and used it as an excuse to promote white supremacist narratives about how Democrats are more concerned with caring for Hispanic immigrants than they are for the rest of America.
While the New York Times’ reporting is still among the finest in the world, serious questions need to be put to opinion editor James Bennet and the owners of the paper itself as to why their op-ed section often looks more like Breitbart than it does Mother Jones.
https://twitter.com/gaywonk/status/1218288851870982145?s=20
A diversity of opinion is all well and good, but lines need to be drawn when it comes to promoting racism and white supremacy in the pages of the nation’s premier newspaper.
So @nytopinion is now basically publishing white nationalist propaganda. The author of this article, Jerry Kammer, works for @CIS_org, which was founded by John Tanton, a eugenics advocate and white supremacist and is known for publishing racist reports. https://t.co/YyiGZyT1UU — David Gorski, MD, PhD (@gorskon) January 17, 2020
Colin Taylor Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-17--Trump hires impeachment lawyer who he said was a “lunatic” and a “disaster”

The impeached President of the United States Donald J. Trump just made an extremely unexpected new choice of legal counsel for his impeachment trial , which kicks into high gear next Tuesday .
Based on past comments , the president has an especially low opinion of one of his new , key defenders .
Today , Trump introduced two new counsels , first the embattled Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz whose association with Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual misconduct have tarnished the sunset of a lengthy career .
Secondly , and even more bizarrely , the president selected former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently a Fox News contributor and sometimes a harsh public critic of Trump ’ s conduct .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
In the manner of “ how is there always a tweet , ” the phenomenon in which Trump does or says something that is invariably the opposite of some pop culture and political take he gave in the past , footage has emerged from a 1999 interview on CNBC in which the brash New York real estate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wacko.
” In another interview aired on MSNBC today , Donald Trump was even more critical of his new lawyer .
“ I think Ken Starr is a lunatic , ” he said on NBC ‘ s widely watched , flagship morning program The Today Show .
“ I think Ken Starr is a disaster.
” The public hate between Trump and Starr isn ’ t a one-way street .
Just two months ago on Fox , Starr directed a pair of utterly devastating commentaries at Donald Trump during his live opinion narration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On November 15th , the former Independent Counsel opined about Donald Trump ’ s menacing tweet directed at Ambassador Marie Yovanovich during her testimony .
“ Obviously , this is quite injurious , ” said Starr .
It was perhaps the first time any Republican gave a measured and cogent take on the impact of Trump ’ s tweets in his realtime attempt to influence the impeachment proceedings against him in the House Intelligence Committee .
Five days after that , Kenneth Starr—who recently got forced out of a cushy job as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive sexual assault cover-up scandal at the Texas private school—took an even bolder step .
He told Fox News viewers that Senate Republicans should ask for Trump ’ s resignation a-la-Richard Nixon ’ s departure , which he said immediately after EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland admitted under oath to participating in the president ’ s quid pro quo scheme to pressure Ukraine ’ s highest leaders into falsely tarnishing Vice President Joe Biden .
It ’ s entirely possible that the surprise appointment of Kenneth Starr and Alan Dershowitz , who has spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a political advisor to Trump and not his attorney , is due to the strong likelihood that most members of his standing legal team are fact-witnesses to the House ’ s case for impeachment .
A week ago , Occupy Democrats reported that President Trump ’ s lawyers were nearly all fact-witnesses in the scheme he allegedly perpetrated to illegally withhold Congressionally appropriated funds from Ukraine , and it that could conflict with their ability to represent the accused at his Senate trial .
Two days ago , the House Intelligence Committee released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s messenger Lev Parnas as his two-hour interview with Rachel Maddow aired , and that confirmed our reporting that both Jay Sekulow and John Dowd are both fact witnesses .
In particular , Sekulow ’ s loss on Trump ’ s defense team could be a crushing blow , because unlike many of his other private lawyers , he ’ s actually a really good lawyer who has made twelve Supreme Court appearances and walked away with eight wins , mostly in First Amendment cases .
Hiring both Starr and Dershowitz could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mary attempt by Trump to present a reasonable defense of any sort as he heads into a trial which conventional wisdom believes will be decided in his favor on partisan lines , but is taking place as he has split his caucus over starting a war .
Even the conservative Wall Street Journal is running op-editorials saying that the Senate has enough info to remove him from office .
Either way , today ’ s announcement gives President Trump a pair of television lawyers that in some ways strangely meets expectations even more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while simultaneously being shocking in that the two men are longtime critics with truly negative public sex scandal issues who have suddenly joined hands to defend the indefensible in front of the Senate and the nation .
What do you think ?

The impeached President of the United States Donald J. Trump just made an extremely unexpected new choice of legal counsel for his impeachment trial, which kicks into high gear next Tuesday. Based on past comments, the president has an especially low opinion of one of his new, key defenders.
Today, Trump introduced two new counsels, first the embattled Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz whose association with Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual misconduct have tarnished the sunset of a lengthy career.
Secondly, and even more bizarrely, the president selected former Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr, who is currently a Fox News contributor and sometimes a harsh public critic of Trump’s conduct.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
In the manner of “how is there always a tweet,” the phenomenon in which Trump does or says something that is invariably the opposite of some pop culture and political take he gave in the past, footage has emerged from a 1999 interview on CNBC in which the brash New York real estate developer called Ken Starr “a total wacko.”
In another interview aired on MSNBC today, Donald Trump was even more critical of his new lawyer. “I think Ken Starr is a lunatic,” he said on NBC‘s widely watched, flagship morning program The Today Show. “I think Ken Starr is a disaster.”
Story continues below:
Trump slams Ken Starr on @NBC's The Today Show in 1999. pic.twitter.com/TMa8pTLooE — Grant Stern (@grantstern) January 17, 2020
The public hate between Trump and Starr isn’t a one-way street. Just two months ago on Fox, Starr directed a pair of utterly devastating commentaries at Donald Trump during his live opinion narration of the House’s impeachment hearings.
On November 15th, the former Independent Counsel opined about Donald Trump’s menacing tweet directed at Ambassador Marie Yovanovich during her testimony. “Obviously, this is quite injurious,” said Starr. It was perhaps the first time any Republican gave a measured and cogent take on the impact of Trump’s tweets in his realtime attempt to influence the impeachment proceedings against him in the House Intelligence Committee.
Five days after that, Kenneth Starr—who recently got forced out of a cushy job as the President of Baylor University in a massive sexual assault cover-up scandal at the Texas private school—took an even bolder step. He told Fox News viewers that Senate Republicans should ask for Trump’s resignation a-la-Richard Nixon’s departure, which he said immediately after EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland admitted under oath to participating in the president’s quid pro quo scheme to pressure Ukraine’s highest leaders into falsely tarnishing Vice President Joe Biden.
It’s entirely possible that the surprise appointment of Kenneth Starr and Alan Dershowitz, who has spent years publicly claiming that he was only a political advisor to Trump and not his attorney, is due to the strong likelihood that most members of his standing legal team are fact-witnesses to the House’s case for impeachment.
A week ago, Occupy Democrats reported that President Trump’s lawyers were nearly all fact-witnesses in the scheme he allegedly perpetrated to illegally withhold Congressionally appropriated funds from Ukraine, and it that could conflict with their ability to represent the accused at his Senate trial. Two days ago, the House Intelligence Committee released a significant archive of documents from Trump’s messenger Lev Parnas as his two-hour interview with Rachel Maddow aired, and that confirmed our reporting that both Jay Sekulow and John Dowd are both fact witnesses.
In particular, Sekulow’s loss on Trump’s defense team could be a crushing blow, because unlike many of his other private lawyers, he’s actually a really good lawyer who has made twelve Supreme Court appearances and walked away with eight wins, mostly in First Amendment cases.
Hiring both Starr and Dershowitz could also be viewed at as a Hail Mary attempt by Trump to present a reasonable defense of any sort as he heads into a trial which conventional wisdom believes will be decided in his favor on partisan lines, but is taking place as he has split his caucus over starting a war. Even the conservative Wall Street Journal is running op-editorials saying that the Senate has enough info to remove him from office.
Either way, today’s announcement gives President Trump a pair of television lawyers that in some ways strangely meets expectations even more than his prior choices of counsel, while simultaneously being shocking in that the two men are longtime critics with truly negative public sex scandal issues who have suddenly joined hands to defend the indefensible in front of the Senate and the nation.


occupydemocrats--2020-01-17--Parnas crony claims Schiff sent operative to “f*ck with” him in deeply bizarre and paranoid video

Donald Trump has been having a particularly bad week , in large part thanks to Lev Parnas , an associate of Rudy Giuliani who was involved with the efforts in Ukraine to dig up dirt on Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 election .
Trump claims to not know Parnas , Parnas says Trump is lying , and the numerous photos and videos of the two men together indicate the latter is telling the truth .
That said , Parnas was a longterm Trump supporter and MAGAhead so everything he says must be closely scrutinized .
On Rachel Maddow ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that text messages between himself and Trump-donor-turned-Congressional-candidate Robert F. Hyde did not reveal any kind of operation to surveil then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch despite the fact that they seem to indicate just that .
The full truth may yet emerge , but in the meantime , Parnas is tap-dancing all over what ’ s left of Trump ’ s credibility and Hyde is spending his time…releasing unhinged conspiratorial rants .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
Earlier today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ HYDE for U.S. Congress ” Twitter account .
Red-faced and striking a weird posture , Hyde went after Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Rep. Adam Schiff ( D-CA ) for releasing the text messages , saying that he and Parnas were just “ effing around.
” Things then took a turn for the truly weird , as Hyde accused Schiff of sending some kind of operative to “ f*ck with ” him .
Frankly , his paranoid ramblings are a bit difficult to follow but he seems to be alleging that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and someone he alleges was working for Schiff .
What exactly these supposed text messages contain is unclear .
Hyde also implied there was some kind of grand plan to “ set Trump up ” and floated the idea that he could have “ disappeared , died ” or been “ gag-ordered ” to be used as a “ smoking gun.
” Hyde insisted that he has no entanglements in Ukraine and that Adam Schiff is a “ bad character ” and a “ horrible person.
” “ That guy ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Hyde said with a little self-satisfied chuckle .
“ Scumbag !
Look into Adam Schiff .
Ask him for the other side of my text messages since he likes to provide and spy on Americans and provide things .
Ask him for my other side !
Who was I talking to ?
That was providing me this intel ?
Ask him .
Come on Adam Schiff !
Who was providing me that intel of me in Ukraine spying on Marie Yovanovitch ?
Please !
Who !
?
You ’ re a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it and the world ’ s gon na figure it out .
You ’ re nothing but a piece of Schiff , ” Hyde ranted before ambling off to end the recording .
While the allegations might be confusing and muddled , one thing is absolutely clear .
This unhinged loon can never be allowed to become a Congressman .
What do you think ?

Donald Trump has been having a particularly bad week, in large part thanks to Lev Parnas, an associate of Rudy Giuliani who was involved with the efforts in Ukraine to dig up dirt on Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 election.
Trump claims to not know Parnas, Parnas says Trump is lying, and the numerous photos and videos of the two men together indicate the latter is telling the truth. That said, Parnas was a longterm Trump supporter and MAGAhead so everything he says must be closely scrutinized.
On Rachel Maddow’s show this week, Parnas claimed that text messages between himself and Trump-donor-turned-Congressional-candidate Robert F. Hyde did not reveal any kind of operation to surveil then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch despite the fact that they seem to indicate just that. The full truth may yet emerge, but in the meantime, Parnas is tap-dancing all over what’s left of Trump’s credibility and Hyde is spending his time…releasing unhinged conspiratorial rants.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
Earlier today, Hyde shared a video on his “HYDE for U.S. Congress” Twitter account. Red-faced and striking a weird posture, Hyde went after Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) for releasing the text messages, saying that he and Parnas were just “effing around.” Things then took a turn for the truly weird, as Hyde accused Schiff of sending some kind of operative to “f*ck with” him.
Frankly, his paranoid ramblings are a bit difficult to follow but he seems to be alleging that there are unreleased text messages between himself and someone he alleges was working for Schiff. What exactly these supposed text messages contain is unclear. Hyde also implied there was some kind of grand plan to “set Trump up” and floated the idea that he could have “disappeared, died” or been “gag-ordered” to be used as a “smoking gun.”
Hyde insisted that he has no entanglements in Ukraine and that Adam Schiff is a “bad character” and a “horrible person.”
“That guy’s been nothing but a piece of Schiff forever,” Hyde said with a little self-satisfied chuckle. “Scumbag! Look into Adam Schiff. Ask him for the other side of my text messages since he likes to provide and spy on Americans and provide things. Ask him for my other side! Who was I talking to? That was providing me this intel? Ask him. Come on Adam Schiff! Who was providing me that intel of me in Ukraine spying on Marie Yovanovitch? Please! Who!? You’re a scumbag Adam Schiff. The world knows it and the world’s gonna figure it out. You’re nothing but a piece of Schiff,” Hyde ranted before ambling off to end the recording.
While the allegations might be confusing and muddled, one thing is absolutely clear. This unhinged loon can never be allowed to become a Congressman.
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-17--Trump admin announces repeal of Michelle Obama’s school lunch guidelines on her birthday

In another display of how grossly misplaced Republican priorities are , the Trump administration is moving to repeal the school lunch nutrition guidelines that former First Lady Michelle Obama established in her crusade against childhood obesity .
The guidelines were among the First Lady ’ s most important policy victories — and to add insult to injury , the announcement was made on her birthday .
The USDA and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue claimed that they were restoring choice to the schools “ because they know their children best , ” but in reality were handing the junk food industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fruits and vegetables in favor of potatoes and pizza .
The new standards are the next steps for the Trump administration to fully roll back Michelle Obama ’ s lunch standards , a process that began in 2017 and immediately earned condemnation from the American Heart Association .
CEO Nancy Brown argued that Michelle Obama ’ s standards had already shown results and had been applied in 99 % of American schools : “ Improving children ’ s health should be a top priority for the USDA , and serving more nutritious foods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accomplish this goal .
Rather than altering the current path forward , we hope the agency focuses more on providing technical assistance that can help schools get across the finish line , if they haven ’ t done so already.
” Michelle Obama and Sen. Blanche Lincoln ( D-AR ) passed the Healthy , Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 , which was the first significant change to the school lunch program in over thirty years .
The act mandated nutrition standards aimed at providing children with healthier lunches and to help curb the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in five American kids .
The school lunch program is also the only meal that some American children will see all day .
13 million American kids struggle with hunger , and the nutrition in the school lunches is critically important for their growth and development .
But the well-being of children – after they ’ ve been born , that is – has never been a priority for Republicans , who are likely looking for ways to trim the budget so they can use that money to pay for tax breaks for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Michelle Obama ’ s birthday is clearly just an act of spite against a First Family that the President can not stop attacking .
What do you think ?

In another display of how grossly misplaced Republican priorities are, the Trump administration is moving to repeal the school lunch nutrition guidelines that former First Lady Michelle Obama established in her crusade against childhood obesity. The guidelines were among the First Lady’s most important policy victories — and to add insult to injury, the announcement was made on her birthday.
The Trump administration announces plans to roll back Michelle Obama's school lunch healthy rules on her birthday.
Trump Remains Relentlessly Obsessed With Obama. https://t.co/6muT6KXgln pic.twitter.com/zTM7tT74ZP — Rula Jebreal (@rulajebreal) January 17, 2020
The USDA and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue claimed that they were restoring choice to the schools “because they know their children best,” but in reality were handing the junk food industry a huge payday, cutting out healthy fruits and vegetables in favor of potatoes and pizza.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
The new standards are the next steps for the Trump administration to fully roll back Michelle Obama’s lunch standards, a process that began in 2017 and immediately earned condemnation from the American Heart Association. CEO Nancy Brown argued that Michelle Obama’s standards had already shown results and had been applied in 99% of American schools:
“Improving children’s health should be a top priority for the USDA, and serving more nutritious foods in schools is a clear-cut way to accomplish this goal. Rather than altering the current path forward, we hope the agency focuses more on providing technical assistance that can help schools get across the finish line, if they haven’t done so already.”
Michelle Obama and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which was the first significant change to the school lunch program in over thirty years. The act mandated nutrition standards aimed at providing children with healthier lunches and to help curb the epidemic of childhood obesity which affects one in five American kids.
The school lunch program is also the only meal that some American children will see all day. 13 million American kids struggle with hunger, and the nutrition in the school lunches is critically important for their growth and development.
But the well-being of children – after they’ve been born, that is – has never been a priority for Republicans, who are likely looking for ways to trim the budget so they can use that money to pay for tax breaks for the rich. To do it so on Michelle Obama’s birthday is clearly just an act of spite against a First Family that the President cannot stop attacking.
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-17--LSU players grow visibly uncomfortable as Trump turns championship visit into cursing rant

It used to be the case that an invitation to the White House was an honor with few comparisons .
Regardless of which political party held the Oval Office , most Americans had respect for the presidency and jumped at the chance to visit 1600 Pennslyvania Avenue .
Donald Trump has changed that completely .
For reasonable , moral Americans , it ’ s difficult or even impossible to swallow one ’ s partisan leanings to gladhand and take photos with a man who brags about sexually assaults women , locks children in cages , and wages rhetorical war against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t even respect the office of the presidency , how can he expect the rest of us to ?
Today , the Lousiana State University Tigers visited the White House to celebrate their recent coronation as the champions of the national College Football Playoff .
The victorious players stood wordlessly behind the president as he ranted and raved , making the event about himself as usual .
He bragged about how good a president he is and joked about how the Democrats are “ trying to impeach the son of a bitch , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third person as he ’ s often wont to do .
It ’ s an almost pointless comparison at this point , but one can only imagine the kind of meltdown Fox News would have had if President Obama had been caught swearing on camera at some public event .
In every way , at every turn , Donald Trump demeans the office of the president .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
Trump went on to say that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the football team could have “ taken out those terrorists.
” It was a bizarre performance from a deeply diseased mind , but the most interesting part wasn ’ t Trump himself , but the players subjected to his lunacy .
While some players laughed along with the president , a few stood there silently , clearly uncomfortable with Trump and refusing to tacitly endorse his rhetoric with so much as a smile .
They looked like they ’ d rather be just about anywhere else in the world , and who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think ?

It used to be the case that an invitation to the White House was an honor with few comparisons. Regardless of which political party held the Oval Office, most Americans had respect for the presidency and jumped at the chance to visit 1600 Pennslyvania Avenue. Donald Trump has changed that completely.
For reasonable, moral Americans, it’s difficult or even impossible to swallow one’s partisan leanings to gladhand and take photos with a man who brags about sexually assaults women, locks children in cages, and wages rhetorical war against entire minorities. If Trump doesn’t even respect the office of the presidency, how can he expect the rest of us to?
Today, the Lousiana State University Tigers visited the White House to celebrate their recent coronation as the champions of the national College Football Playoff. The victorious players stood wordlessly behind the president as he ranted and raved, making the event about himself as usual. He bragged about how good a president he is and joked about how the Democrats are “trying to impeach the son of a bitch,” weirdly referring to himself in the third person as he’s often wont to do.
It’s an almost pointless comparison at this point, but one can only imagine the kind of meltdown Fox News would have had if President Obama had been caught swearing on camera at some public event. In every way, at every turn, Donald Trump demeans the office of the president.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
Trump went on to say that he “took out those terrorists” and that the football team could have “taken out those terrorists.” It was a bizarre performance from a deeply diseased mind, but the most interesting part wasn’t Trump himself, but the players subjected to his lunacy. While some players laughed along with the president, a few stood there silently, clearly uncomfortable with Trump and refusing to tacitly endorse his rhetoric with so much as a smile. They looked like they’d rather be just about anywhere else in the world, and who can blame them?
Trump ends LSU event by turning it into a rally: “You got a good [POTUS] now – even though they’re trying to impeach the son of a bitch! Can you believe that?… we took out those terrorists like your football team would’ve taken out those terrorists!” Players look uncomfortable pic.twitter.com/5z6PipzB61 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 17, 2020
Get a load of the faces of Joe Burrow and the players next to him (whose names I don’t know) as Trump turns the LSU Tigers White House event into a campaign rally pic.twitter.com/yHhGXaLcC8 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 17, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-18--Pelosi pen madness: Trumpsters’ lies about House Speakers’ impeachment souvenirs are exposed

When the truth about Donald Trump ’ s impeachment hurts too much , some of the president ’ s supporters simply resort to the same tactics that Trump himself regularly employs and go to social media to spread lies about his truth-telling , tormenting Democratic opponents .
The latest falsehood being promulgated by the MAGA-hatted crowd on Facebook and other platforms of mass deception concerns the souvenir pens being handed out by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) after she signed the historic articles of impeachment against the orange-hued desecrator of the office of the president .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Facebook to check the truthfulness of political claims made on its platform ( unless , of course , its a paid political advertisement in question ) — a since-deleted post made last Thursday insisted that the pens that Speaker Pelosi was distributing as keepsakes to folks eager for a memento of this auspicious event coast a whopping $ 2,025 apiece .
The ludicrous claim was shot own when Politifact contacted Pelosi ’ s Deputy Chief of Staff who informed the fact-checkers that the true cost of the souvenir pens was actually under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
The unidentified Trump supporter who posted the phony allegations about the price of the pens was likely inspired by a Twitter post by White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham who — since she has yet to hold since taking over her job a single daily press briefing that until her tenure was the very raison d ’ être of her position — seems to have plenty of time to send malicious tweets about the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , as Politifact points out , “ Republican senators kept pens as souvenirs after signing oaths for then-President Bill Clinton ’ s impeachment trial in 1998.
” While Grisham at least didn ’ t lie about the cost of the pens handed out by Pelosi , leaving that deception to be promoted by others , her continuing to collect a government salary despite failing to accomplish the most basic requirements of her job was archly noted by commentators on her post .
The Republican -induced controversy over Speaker Pelosi ’ s souvenir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s supporters are to direct attention away from the substance of the impeachment charges against him , particularly at a time when new incriminating evidence seems to emerge daily .
Suffice it to say that even a “ Pants On Fire ” rating for the claims about the costs of Pelosi ’ s impeachment pens won ’ t stop Trump ’ s deluded base from continuing to accept the lies being spun by this administration and the political party propping it up .
What do you think ?

When the truth about Donald Trump’s impeachment hurts too much, some of the president’s supporters simply resort to the same tactics that Trump himself regularly employs and go to social media to spread lies about his truth-telling, tormenting Democratic opponents.
The latest falsehood being promulgated by the MAGA-hatted crowd on Facebook and other platforms of mass deception concerns the souvenir pens being handed out by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) after she signed the historic articles of impeachment against the orange-hued desecrator of the office of the president.
According to Politifact — the organization that has partnered with Facebook to check the truthfulness of political claims made on its platform (unless, of course, its a paid political advertisement in question) — a since-deleted post made last Thursday insisted that the pens that Speaker Pelosi was distributing as keepsakes to folks eager for a memento of this auspicious event coast a whopping $2,025 apiece.
“$2,025 per pen,” the now-removed post begins. “Paid for by taxpayers. Is there any doubt Pelosi thinks she’s the Queen? Now we know why she delayed sending the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate… she was waiting for her gold-plated impeachment pens,” Politifact reports that the Facebook page once read.
The ludicrous claim was shot own when Politifact contacted Pelosi’s Deputy Chief of Staff who informed the fact-checkers that the true cost of the souvenir pens was actually under $15 each.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
The unidentified Trump supporter who posted the phony allegations about the price of the pens was likely inspired by a Twitter post by White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham who — since she has yet to hold since taking over her job a single daily press briefing that until her tenure was the very raison d’être of her position — seems to have plenty of time to send malicious tweets about the president’s opposition.
Nancy Pelosi’s souvenir pens served up on silver platters to sign the sham articles of impeachment…She was so somber as she gave them away to people like prizes. https://t.co/RMOiNeoMu0 — Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) January 15, 2020
Grisham seems to have forgotten that, as Politifact points out, “Republican senators kept pens as souvenirs after signing oaths for then-President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial in 1998.”
While Grisham at least didn’t lie about the cost of the pens handed out by Pelosi, leaving that deception to be promoted by others, her continuing to collect a government salary despite failing to accomplish the most basic requirements of her job was archly noted by commentators on her post.
The Republican -induced controversy over Speaker Pelosi’s souvenir pens demonstrates just how desperate the president’s supporters are to direct attention away from the substance of the impeachment charges against him, particularly at a time when new incriminating evidence seems to emerge daily.
Suffice it to say that even a “Pants On Fire” rating for the claims about the costs of Pelosi’s impeachment pens won’t stop Trump’s deluded base from continuing to accept the lies being spun by this administration and the political party propping it up.
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Original reporting by Ciara O’Rourke at Politifact.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-18--Why it sucks to be Devin Nunes right now

The House of Representatives is full of testosterone-fueled GOP congressmen doing their best to scream their angry defenses of Donald Trump at top volume anytime a TV camera is pointed in their direction .
Scoring screen time on Fox News works wonders for their fund-raising efforts and helps propel representatives like Jim Jordan ( R-OH ) and Mark Meadows ( R-NC ) into the headlines and further up the Republican hierarchy as they advance their political standings in the cutthroat world of the right-wing pecking order .
No GOP congressman , however , has been more fervent in his efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farmer from California ’ s Central Valley , Devin Nunes ( R-CA ) .
Now Nunes ’ willingness to ignore the decorum of congressional norms to act as Donald Trump ’ s Praetorian Guard may have helped his name recognition and his electoral fundraising among the big-money donors to oligarchy-defending politicians , but — as the recent revelations from Lev Parnas , the indicted associate of Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani indicate — may also lead to the end of his political career and lead to some serious legal trouble in the weeks ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
The release of a new traunch of documents culled from Parnas ’ mobile devices by Nunes ’ Democratic colleagues in the House last night implicates the California Republican so deeply into the inner workings of the Ukraine scandal that he may soon be on his knees begging for a presidential pardon .
Nunes — who had previously denied remembering ever having a conversation with Parnas , calling it “ very unlikely ” that they had ever spoken — finally admitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Fox News that he had indeed spoken with the Giuliani henchman , walking back his earlier doubts with what the new documents demonstrate are a lame excuse blaming the volume of calls he fields .
“ Yeah , and if you recall , that was brand new when that had come out when I came on your show .
Because I just didn ’ t know the name — this name Parnas , ” Nunes told Fox News ’ Martha MacCallum .
“ So , you know , what I always like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we are dealing with people every day .
We ’ re an oversight committee .
So we have incoming calls that come to my office , to my cell phone , et cetera , et cetera.
” What the documents that Parnas provided to House investigators show , however , is that Nunes would have to have a mental capacity as limited as the president he has gone to such lengths to defend to not recognize the name of a man whom his top aide Derek Harvey was communicating with on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The WhatsApp messages between Parnas and Harvey show how closely Nunes was involved in the efforts by Giuliani and his cronies to dig up Ukranain dirt on Trump ’ s then-most credible rival for the presidency in 2020 , former Vice President Joe Biden .
As early as last March , the Nunes aide was pressing Parnas for evidence that would implicate Biden in Ukrainian corruption related to his son Hunter ’ s employment with the energy company Burisma .
Paernas replied by telling Harvey that he would soon be speaking with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that got fired by Biden , ” as well as Yuriy Lutsenko , the then-current Prosecutor General of Ukraine who has since been implicated in offering an investigation of the Bidens in exchange for the ouster of then-U.S .
Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch .
While it ’ s vaguely conceivable that Derek Harvey was running a rogue operation out of Nunes ’ office without the knowledge of his boss , the fact that Nunes has now confirmed his own direct conversation with Parnas makes that excuse highly dubitable .
The release of Parnas ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lieu into replying to the letter he received from his fellow congressman ’ s attorney with a choice between Nunes putting his money where his mouth is and proceeding with discovery in the suit or an emphatic “ take your letter and shove it.
” Attached is the first page of a five page letter in which the lawyer for @ DevinNunes threatens that Rep Nunes will sue me .
Democrats are already calling for an ethics investigation into a reported meeting between Nunes and the former Ukraine prosecutor , Viktor Shokin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while Lev Parnas has expressed amazement that the congressman was allowed to be involved in the impeachment investigation as the ranking member of the Hosue Intelligence Committee .
“ I was in shock when I was watching the hearings and when I saw Devin Nunes sitting up there , ” Parnas told Rachel Maddow on MSNBC .
He was equally shocked at seeing Derek Harvey on the dais during the congressional investigation .
“ I texted my attorney .
I said , ‘ I can ’ t believe this is happening , ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disbelief stemmed from the fact that “ they were involved in getting all this stuff on Biden.
” Depending on whether Senate Republicans are successful in keeping Trump in office after his Senate trial , Nunes may face his day of reckoning even sooner than when the results of his 2020 reelection bid are announced .
While a GOP victory in the impeachment trial may delay Nunes being held to account for his deceptive treachery , as the truth slowly leaks out , his future seems as polluted as the methane-laden emissions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emissions that stink as much as the congressman ’ s ethical standards .
Original reporting by Jeremy Herb and Manu Raju at CNN .
What do you think ?

The House of Representatives is full of testosterone-fueled GOP congressmen doing their best to scream their angry defenses of Donald Trump at top volume anytime a TV camera is pointed in their direction.
Scoring screen time on Fox News works wonders for their fund-raising efforts and helps propel representatives like Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Mark Meadows (R-NC) into the headlines and further up the Republican hierarchy as they advance their political standings in the cutthroat world of the right-wing pecking order.
No GOP congressman, however, has been more fervent in his efforts to benefit the president than the former farmer from California’s Central Valley, Devin Nunes (R-CA).
Now Nunes’ willingness to ignore the decorum of congressional norms to act as Donald Trump’s Praetorian Guard may have helped his name recognition and his electoral fundraising among the big-money donors to oligarchy-defending politicians, but — as the recent revelations from Lev Parnas, the indicted associate of Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani indicate — may also lead to the end of his political career and lead to some serious legal trouble in the weeks ahead.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
The release of a new traunch of documents culled from Parnas’ mobile devices by Nunes’ Democratic colleagues in the House last night implicates the California Republican so deeply into the inner workings of the Ukraine scandal that he may soon be on his knees begging for a presidential pardon.
Nunes — who had previously denied remembering ever having a conversation with Parnas, calling it “very unlikely” that they had ever spoken — finally admitted earlier this week on the friendly airwaves of Fox News that he had indeed spoken with the Giuliani henchman, walking back his earlier doubts with what the new documents demonstrate are a lame excuse blaming the volume of calls he fields.
“Yeah, and if you recall, that was brand new when that had come out when I came on your show. Because I just didn’t know the name — this name Parnas,” Nunes told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum. “So, you know, what I always like to remind people is, you know, we are dealing with people every day. We’re an oversight committee. So we have incoming calls that come to my office, to my cell phone, et cetera, et cetera.”
What the documents that Parnas provided to House investigators show, however, is that Nunes would have to have a mental capacity as limited as the president he has gone to such lengths to defend to not recognize the name of a man whom his top aide Derek Harvey was communicating with on an encrypted messaging app on a regular basis.
The WhatsApp messages between Parnas and Harvey show how closely Nunes was involved in the efforts by Giuliani and his cronies to dig up Ukranain dirt on Trump’s then-most credible rival for the presidency in 2020, former Vice President Joe Biden.
As early as last March, the Nunes aide was pressing Parnas for evidence that would implicate Biden in Ukrainian corruption related to his son Hunter’s employment with the energy company Burisma.
“Can we get materials?” Harvey asked Parnas on March 29, 2019, referring to documents related to the Bidens.
Paernas replied by telling Harvey that he would soon be speaking with Viktor Shokin, “the general prosecutor that got fired by Biden,” as well as Yuriy Lutsenko, the then-current Prosecutor General of Ukraine who has since been implicated in offering an investigation of the Bidens in exchange for the ouster of then-U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.
On April 17, 2019, Parnas texted Harvey: “Let’s do our call at 12 and we can do the first prosecutor at 1 your time?” “Okay,” Harvey replied. A couple of days later, Harvey took a more cautious approach when he texted Parnas: “Lev. I think we are best served by sending the official letter and receiving documentation before any more interviews.”
The newly released texts also suggest that the Nunes aide attended a May 7, 2019 meeting with Giuliani and right-wing journalist John Solomon who has been publishing anti-Yovanovitch screeds on the political website, The Hill.
While it’s vaguely conceivable that Derek Harvey was running a rogue operation out of Nunes’ office without the knowledge of his boss, the fact that Nunes has now confirmed his own direct conversation with Parnas makes that excuse highly dubitable.
As a congressman who has been litigiously quick to sue any media entity, person, or fake cow who he claims has besmirched his reputation, Nunes even threated to sue one of his House colleagues, fellow California Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) for defamation after Lieu publically stated that Nunes had “worked with Lev Parnas and conspired to undermine our own government.”
The release of Parnas’ electronic communications with Nunes’ aide emboldened Lieu into replying to the letter he received from his fellow congressman’s attorney with a choice between Nunes putting his money where his mouth is and proceeding with discovery in the suit or an emphatic “take your letter and shove it.”
Attached is the first page of a five page letter in which the lawyer for @DevinNunes threatens that Rep Nunes will sue me. Attached is my response. pic.twitter.com/bWAqdRhq97 — Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 17, 2020 Democrats are already calling for an ethics investigation into a reported meeting between Nunes and the former Ukraine prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, in Vienna in December of 2018, while Lev Parnas has expressed amazement that the congressman was allowed to be involved in the impeachment investigation as the ranking member of the Hosue Intelligence Committee. “I was in shock when I was watching the hearings and when I saw Devin Nunes sitting up there,” Parnas told Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. He was equally shocked at seeing Derek Harvey on the dais during the congressional investigation. “I texted my attorney. I said, ‘I can’t believe this is happening,'” Parnas told Maddow, explaining his disbelief stemmed from the fact that “they were involved in getting all this stuff on Biden.” Depending on whether Senate Republicans are successful in keeping Trump in office after his Senate trial, Nunes may face his day of reckoning even sooner than when the results of his 2020 reelection bid are announced. While a GOP victory in the impeachment trial may delay Nunes being held to account for his deceptive treachery, as the truth slowly leaks out, his future seems as polluted as the methane-laden emissions that his cows contribute to the atmosphere, emissions that stink as much as the congressman’s ethical standards.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Jeremy Herb and Manu Raju at CNN.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-19--Twitter tears into Trump after he trashes a “sea wall” as “costly and foolish”

Somehow Donald Trump fails to see the ironic differences in his opinions of the massively expensive , unnecessary , and ineffective border wall he ’ s been attempting to build ever since he assumed the presidency and the proposed sea wall that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is examining as an option to protect New York City from the increasingly frequent climate-emergency-induced superstorms that could wreak havoc on the same areas devastated by superstorm Sandy in 2012 .
The sea wall being studied would be a series of man-made islands with retractable gates stretching from the Rockaways in Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a strip of land in New Jersey south of Staten Island that could prevent a surge of seawater from flooding some of the country ’ s most expensive real estate if it indeed works as proposed .
The idea is based on technology pioneered by the Netherlands to prevent flooding in that notoriously low-lying nation but is controversial because of the environmental changes it caused in the ecologies of estuaries and marshlands there .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter , and — likely since the idea did not originate in his own cranium and wouldn ’ t do anything to prevent non-white immigrants from entering the country — his reaction was not positive , to say the least .
Perhaps , the president ’ s distaste for the new proposal comes from the fact that its budget would dwarf the nearly $ 60 billion that his beloved border wall would cost , and he can ’ t pretend that Mexico will pay for it .
Still , Trump has never asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fend for themselves in the face of the less tangible danger he claims the porousness of the demarcation of the line of nationality presents .
Twitter readers did not fail to notice the difference in the president ’ s attitudes towards a wall not rooted on dry land .
Suffice it to say that sprinkled amongst the snarky replies to the president ’ s hypocritical assessment of the sea wall was a bevy of climate-change-denying Trump supporters who hilariously urged the “ libtards ” to quit believing “ Fake News ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they didn ’ t spell it “ edumacate , ” but they may as well have .
What do you think ?

Somehow Donald Trump fails to see the ironic differences in his opinions of the massively expensive, unnecessary, and ineffective border wall he’s been attempting to build ever since he assumed the presidency and the proposed sea wall that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is examining as an option to protect New York City from the increasingly frequent climate-emergency-induced superstorms that could wreak havoc on the same areas devastated by superstorm Sandy in 2012.
The sea wall being studied would be a series of man-made islands with retractable gates stretching from the Rockaways in Trump’s home borough of Queens to a strip of land in New Jersey south of Staten Island that could prevent a surge of seawater from flooding some of the country’s most expensive real estate if it indeed works as proposed.
The idea is based on technology pioneered by the Netherlands to prevent flooding in that notoriously low-lying nation but is controversial because of the environmental changes it caused in the ecologies of estuaries and marshlands there.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
Trump weighed in on the idea on Twitter, and — likely since the idea did not originate in his own cranium and wouldn’t do anything to prevent non-white immigrants from entering the country — his reaction was not positive, to say the least.
A massive 200 Billion Dollar Sea Wall, built around New York to protect it from rare storms, is a costly, foolish & environmentally unfriendly idea that, when needed, probably won’t work anyway. It will also look terrible. Sorry, you’ll just have to get your mops & buckets ready! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2020
Perhaps, the president’s distaste for the new proposal comes from the fact that its budget would dwarf the nearly $60 billion that his beloved border wall would cost, and he can’t pretend that Mexico will pay for it.
Still, Trump has never asked the residents living along the Southern border to fend for themselves in the face of the less tangible danger he claims the porousness of the demarcation of the line of nationality presents.
Twitter readers did not fail to notice the difference in the president’s attitudes towards a wall not rooted on dry land.
Shorter: Trump admits wall won't work. — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) January 18, 2020
#BREAKING Man Who Doesn't Understand How Toilets Work Doesn't Understand How Climate Change Works — Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) January 18, 2020
Trump asking New Yorkers to get their mops and buckets ready is just like how he asked Californians to rake their forests in the wake of devastating wildfires. It’s a modern version of Marie Antoinette asking starving peasants to eat cake. Trump is golfing while the world burns. — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) January 18, 2020
A fool leading a base of suckers! — Kram Nesnej (@xmarxthespot001) January 19, 2020
Only in handcuffs. — Mcjigganis (@mcjigganis) January 19, 2020
Hes a coward. — Blue Moon (@RoryScholl) January 19, 2020
Paraphrasing, being stupid is like being dead. You are not aware of how it affects those around you. — Starrfire71 (@starrfire71) January 19, 2020
Suffice it to say that sprinkled amongst the snarky replies to the president’s hypocritical assessment of the sea wall was a bevy of climate-change-denying Trump supporters who hilariously urged the “libtards” to quit believing “Fake News” and “educate” themselves. At least they didn’t spell it “edumacate,” but they may as well have.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts