occupydemocrats--2020-01-07--Justice Dept. abruptly reverses course and recommends jail for Trump’s Mike Flynn

Former General Michael Flynn , one of the first members of the Trump administration to be brought down by the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election , has had his fortunes reversed multiple times since he was initially appointed National Security Advisor by Donald Trump at the very beginning of his term .
Now Flynn has seen his fate reversed yet again with the announcement that federal prosecutors in the Justice Department were changing their recommendation of probation for Flynn ’ s guilty plea to one count of giving false testimony to the FBI when he was being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve up to six months in prison .
The first fateful turn in Flynn ’ s life came when he was fired by a Trump administration that immediately found itself enmeshed in an FBI investigation into its suspicious ties with Moscow — ties that Flynn was intimately involved with .
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump .
Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial !
His tenure as the shortest-serving National Security Advisor in American history officially came to an end just 24 days after assuming the office , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Vice President Mike Pence about the nature and content of his communications with Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak during the transition period before Trump ’ s inauguration .
Flynn ’ s next turn came after he had been additionally accused of working as an undeclared foreign lobbyist for both Russsian and Turkish interests and was facing serious legal jeopardy .
At that point , he made the decision to cooperate with the special counsel Robert Mueller — who by then had been appointed to take over the FBI investigation into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plea bargain that would exchange leniency in the single count of lying to the FBI for his continued cooperation with Muller ’ s team of investigators .
Whatever information that Flynn then provided to the Special counsel ’ s investigation , it was sufficient to lead to the offer of a probation recommendation rather than prison time for the disgraced former general .
Yet Flynn ’ s own subsequent actions led to yet another turn of events .
The fired National Security Advisor began attacking the FBI , saying that he had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misconduct in the investigation into his case .
He switched legal representation and echoed Trump ’ s accusations of a “ deep state ” conspiracy to bring down the administration in what many saw as a transparent attempt to seek a pardon from the president .
The judge in Flynn ’ s case was so skeptical of Flynn ’ s assertions that he offered to postpone Flynn ’ s sentencing until after his cooperation with Prosecutors had been completed in order to give him more time to prove that his cooperation warranted leniency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backed down from his accusations of entrapment and FBI misbehavior , the judge categorically rejected his claims in December .
The surprising reversal of the Justice Department ’ s previous call for leniency in his sentencing comes despite the Department ’ s head , Attorney General William Barr ’ s previous record of protecting the administration at all legal junctures .
The new sentencing recommendations come just a few weeks before Flynn is scheduled to be sentenced on January 28th .
Whether the president will intervene and offer his former advisor pardon remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once again toeing Trump ’ s line and endorsing his conspiratorial views of the “ deep state , ” it ’ s now all that separates Flynn from the hoosgow .
Original reporting by Spencer S. Hsu and Rachel Weiner at The Washington Post .
What do you think ?

Former General Michael Flynn, one of the first members of the Trump administration to be brought down by the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, has had his fortunes reversed multiple times since he was initially appointed National Security Advisor by Donald Trump at the very beginning of his term.
Now Flynn has seen his fate reversed yet again with the announcement that federal prosecutors in the Justice Department were changing their recommendation of probation for Flynn’s guilty plea to one count of giving false testimony to the FBI when he was being questioned and now were advocating that Flynn serve up to six months in prison.
The first fateful turn in Flynn’s life came when he was fired by a Trump administration that immediately found itself enmeshed in an FBI investigation into its suspicious ties with Moscow — ties that Flynn was intimately involved with.
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
His tenure as the shortest-serving National Security Advisor in American history officially came to an end just 24 days after assuming the office, ostensibly because he lied to the FBI and Vice President Mike Pence about the nature and content of his communications with Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak during the transition period before Trump’s inauguration.
Flynn’s next turn came after he had been additionally accused of working as an undeclared foreign lobbyist for both Russsian and Turkish interests and was facing serious legal jeopardy.
At that point, he made the decision to cooperate with the special counsel Robert Mueller — who by then had been appointed to take over the FBI investigation into the administration — in exchange for a plea bargain that would exchange leniency in the single count of lying to the FBI for his continued cooperation with Muller’s team of investigators.
Whatever information that Flynn then provided to the Special counsel’s investigation, it was sufficient to lead to the offer of a probation recommendation rather than prison time for the disgraced former general.
Yet Flynn’s own subsequent actions led to yet another turn of events.
The fired National Security Advisor began attacking the FBI, saying that he had been entrapped and that there had been prosecutorial misconduct in the investigation into his case. He switched legal representation and echoed Trump’s accusations of a “deep state” conspiracy to bring down the administration in what many saw as a transparent attempt to seek a pardon from the president.
The judge in Flynn’s case was so skeptical of Flynn’s assertions that he offered to postpone Flynn’s sentencing until after his cooperation with Prosecutors had been completed in order to give him more time to prove that his cooperation warranted leniency for his crimes.
“Arguably, you sold your country out,” U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan told Flynn at the time.
While Flynn never backed down from his accusations of entrapment and FBI misbehavior, the judge categorically rejected his claims in December.
The surprising reversal of the Justice Department’s previous call for leniency in his sentencing comes despite the Department’s head, Attorney General William Barr’s previous record of protecting the administration at all legal junctures.
“It is within the government’s sole discretion to determine whether the defendant has ‘substantially assisted’ the government,” prosecutor Brandon Van Grack said in his 33-page court filing. “In light of the complete record, including actions subsequent to December 18, 2018, that negate the benefits of much of the defendant’s earlier cooperation, the government no longer deems the defendant’s assistance ‘substantial.’ ”
The new sentencing recommendations come just a few weeks before Flynn is scheduled to be sentenced on January 28th.
Whether the president will intervene and offer his former advisor pardon remains to be seen, but with Flynn once again toeing Trump’s line and endorsing his conspiratorial views of the “deep state,” it’s now all that separates Flynn from the hoosgow.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Spencer S. Hsu and Rachel Weiner at The Washington Post.
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--2020-01-07--McConnell whines Pelosi is being “unfair” while moving to block new witnesses

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made it abundantly clear over and over again just how little he cares about his sacred Constitutional responsibilities .
He ’ s a cynical operative serving at the whims of the ultra-wealthy whose lasting legacy will be packing our courts with underqualified , regressive right-wing fanatics and enabling the worst president in American history .
In order to accomplish the former , he happily does the latter , which is why he has already announced that he intends to work closely with the White House to undermine impeachment once it reaches the Senate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ juror .
This is a political process .
There is not anything judicial about it .
Impeachment is a political decision , ” McConnell admitted just last month .
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump .
Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial !
Always a shrewd tactician , Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has held off on sending the articles of impeachment passed by the House to the Senate for trial just yet .
Instead , she is pushing for assurances that it will be a fair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last month , she explained that the Founding Fathers didn ’ t envision a nightmare scenario in which the country would have a “ rogue president and rogue leader in the Senate at the same time.
” Once more details about the trial are made available , Pelosi said Democrats will be able to appoint their House managers for the case .
McConnell , a shameless man who seems to delight in hypocrisy , attacked Pelosi today for her approach .
He referred to it as “ the most rush , least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and accused Democrats of getting “ cold feet ” on impeachment .
The man who has already stated that he intends to approach impeachment as a partisan went on to call it “ inappropriate ” and “ embarrassing ” for Democrats to proceed with a “ partisan basis.
” The Senate Majority Leader also accused Pelosi of treating impeachment like a “ political toy ” right after seemingly accidentally referring to her as “ Madam President.
” “ House Democrats say they ’ re waiting for some mythical leverage .
I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is .
Apparently , this is their proposition : if the Senate does not agree to break with our own unanimous bipartisan precedent from 1999 and agree to let Speaker Pelosi hand-design a different procedure for this Senate trial then they might not ever drop this mess in our lap , ” said McConnell , completely misrepresenting the Democrats ’ requests .
“ One cynical political game right on top of another , ” McConnell added , providing a far more apt description for his own modus operandi than Pelosi ’ s behavior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s part comes even as he and his Republican stooges in the Senate are working to ensure that no new evidence or witnesses are brought forward in the Senate trial .
Their efforts to shield Trump and conceal the truth of his behavior from the public could not be more transparent .
Pelosi is right to stand up against the shame trial promised by McConnell .
The American people have a right to hold their president accountable for betraying his oath of office .
By refusing to allow it , Republicans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s acceptable for presidents to coerce foreign leaders into helping their reelection efforts .
Such a precedent , if unchallenged , could very well be the death knell of our democracy .
McConnell and his craven ilk have got to go .
What do you think ?

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made it abundantly clear over and over again just how little he cares about his sacred Constitutional responsibilities. He’s a cynical operative serving at the whims of the ultra-wealthy whose lasting legacy will be packing our courts with underqualified, regressive right-wing fanatics and enabling the worst president in American history. In order to accomplish the former, he happily does the latter, which is why he has already announced that he intends to work closely with the White House to undermine impeachment once it reaches the Senate.
“I’m not an impartial juror. This is a political process. There is not anything judicial about it. Impeachment is a political decision,” McConnell admitted just last month.
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
Always a shrewd tactician, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has held off on sending the articles of impeachment passed by the House to the Senate for trial just yet. Instead, she is pushing for assurances that it will be a fair process rather than a Republican whitewashing effort.
Last month, she explained that the Founding Fathers didn’t envision a nightmare scenario in which the country would have a “rogue president and rogue leader in the Senate at the same time.” Once more details about the trial are made available, Pelosi said Democrats will be able to appoint their House managers for the case.
McConnell, a shameless man who seems to delight in hypocrisy, attacked Pelosi today for her approach. He referred to it as “the most rush, least thorough and most unfair” process possible and accused Democrats of getting “cold feet” on impeachment.
The man who has already stated that he intends to approach impeachment as a partisan went on to call it “inappropriate” and “embarrassing” for Democrats to proceed with a “partisan basis.” The Senate Majority Leader also accused Pelosi of treating impeachment like a “political toy” right after seemingly accidentally referring to her as “Madam President.”
“House Democrats say they’re waiting for some mythical leverage. I’ve had difficulty figuring out where the leverage is. Apparently, this is their proposition: if the Senate does not agree to break with our own unanimous bipartisan precedent from 1999 and agree to let Speaker Pelosi hand-design a different procedure for this Senate trial then they might not ever drop this mess in our lap,” said McConnell, completely misrepresenting the Democrats’ requests. “One cynical political game right on top of another,” McConnell added, providing a far more apt description for his own modus operandi than Pelosi’s behavior.
All of this complaining on McConnell’s part comes even as he and his Republican stooges in the Senate are working to ensure that no new evidence or witnesses are brought forward in the Senate trial. Their efforts to shield Trump and conceal the truth of his behavior from the public could not be more transparent.
Pelosi is right to stand up against the shame trial promised by McConnell. The American people have a right to hold their president accountable for betraying his oath of office. By refusing to allow it, Republicans are tacitly signaling that they think it’s acceptable for presidents to coerce foreign leaders into helping their reelection efforts. Such a precedent, if unchallenged, could very well be the death knell of our democracy. McConnell and his craven ilk have got to go.
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-07--Mike Pompeo crashes and burns when reporters make him justify reckless Iran killing

It ’ s almost fun to watch Trump administration officials try to justify the lunatic behavior and wilful lies of the president .
The extremes to which they must bend the fabric of reality to match the rantings of their boss provide for a simultaneously amusing and terrifying sight to behold .
Take , for example , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
Mind you , even without a connection to Donald Trump , this rapture-anticipating Christian Zionist is horrifying to contemplate in his current position since the idea that he is using the levers of American diplomacy to advance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imminent chills one to the very core .
Still , in today ’ s screwed up world , one can derive a small pleasure in watching Secretary Pompeo squirm as he is forced to walk back the worst of Trump ’ s tweeted excesses while trying not to seem to contradict his boss .
Pompeo couldn ’ t wiggle his way out during a morning press conference today when a reporter pressed him on the details of the “ imminent threat ” posed by Iran that led to Trump ’ s decision to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader of Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guards .
The existence of such an imminent threat is the only thing that prevents the clear classification of the purposeful murder of a foreign official as an international war crime and a violation of U.S. law , as well .
As the reporter urged Pompeo to give the specific details of the nature of the Iranian threat and exactly how imminent it actually was , the Secretary of State struggled to find an answer that wouldn ’ t lead anyone with an ounce of awareness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invented ex post facto to cover up the president ’ s impulsive and lawless decision .
Pompeo certainly tried , saying that there were “ multiple pieces of information ” presented to Trump that justified his fatal decision and that there were “ continuing efforts on behalf of this terrorist to build out a network of campaign activities that were going to lead potentially to the death of many more Americans.
” OK , but what exactly were those supposed pieces of information ?
How real is the potentiality of which the Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts ” any different than what Iran has been doing since Trump unilaterally torpedoed the Iran nuclear deal hammered out by his predecessor President Obama along with our European allies ?
And , most importantly , where is the evidence that any new attack was actually imminent ?
In the end , Pompeo didn ’ t provide answers to any of those highly pertinent questions .
Instead , he pointed back to actions likely carried out by Iranian proxy-forces at the end of December that led to the death of an American civilian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best the administration can come up with to justify the president ’ s decision to violate all accepted rule of law in this situation , then the Trump family had better start booking rooms at The Hague for the anticipated International Court of Justice war crimes trial .
Pompeo ’ s remarks led Congressman Don Beyer to take to Twitter to point out the administration ’ s seeming abandonment of its earlier claims of specific , credible , and , yes , imminent threats that forced Trump ’ s hand in making his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that can be derived from watching Pompeo squirm as the public scrutiny of the president ’ s actions forces him into uncomfortable contortions is mitigated by the knowledge that in the end neither he nor Donald Trump gives a rodent ’ s posterior about what the public thinks .
When you believe that the presidency gives you unlimited and unrestrained power not subject to review by Congress or the rule of international law — and when you believe that the heavens will shortly be opening up to bring you to the rapture that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can do whatever you want without the fear of consequences .
Unless , of course , enough of the public wake up and demand that Congress put an end to this presidency in Trump ’ s Senate impeachment trial .
What do you think ?

It’s almost fun to watch Trump administration officials try to justify the lunatic behavior and wilful lies of the president.
The extremes to which they must bend the fabric of reality to match the rantings of their boss provide for a simultaneously amusing and terrifying sight to behold.
Take, for example, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
Mind you, even without a connection to Donald Trump, this rapture-anticipating Christian Zionist is horrifying to contemplate in his current position since the idea that he is using the levers of American diplomacy to advance the biblically-predicted apocalypse that he believes is imminent chills one to the very core.
Still, in today’s screwed up world, one can derive a small pleasure in watching Secretary Pompeo squirm as he is forced to walk back the worst of Trump’s tweeted excesses while trying not to seem to contradict his boss.
Pompeo couldn’t wiggle his way out during a morning press conference today when a reporter pressed him on the details of the “imminent threat” posed by Iran that led to Trump’s decision to assassinate Major General Qassim Suleimani, the leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards.
The existence of such an imminent threat is the only thing that prevents the clear classification of the purposeful murder of a foreign official as an international war crime and a violation of U.S. law, as well.
As the reporter urged Pompeo to give the specific details of the nature of the Iranian threat and exactly how imminent it actually was, the Secretary of State struggled to find an answer that wouldn’t lead anyone with an ounce of awareness to conclude that the entire excuse was invented ex post facto to cover up the president’s impulsive and lawless decision.
Pompeo certainly tried, saying that there were “multiple pieces of information” presented to Trump that justified his fatal decision and that there were “continuing efforts on behalf of this terrorist to build out a network of campaign activities that were going to lead potentially to the death of many more Americans.”
OK, but what exactly were those supposed pieces of information? How real is the potentiality of which the Secretary speaks? How are those “continuing efforts” any different than what Iran has been doing since Trump unilaterally torpedoed the Iran nuclear deal hammered out by his predecessor President Obama along with our European allies?
And, most importantly, where is the evidence that any new attack was actually imminent?
In the end, Pompeo didn’t provide answers to any of those highly pertinent questions. Instead, he pointed back to actions likely carried out by Iranian proxy-forces at the end of December that led to the death of an American civilian contractor.
“We know what happened at the end of last year in December, ultimately leading to the death of an American. If you are looking for immanence, you need look no further than the days that led up to the strike,” Pompeo said, confusing the future inherent in the word “imminent” with the past actions that suggest an illegal retaliatory motive for Trump’s actions.
If that’s the best the administration can come up with to justify the president’s decision to violate all accepted rule of law in this situation, then the Trump family had better start booking rooms at The Hague for the anticipated International Court of Justice war crimes trial.
Pompeo’s remarks led Congressman Don Beyer to take to Twitter to point out the administration’s seeming abandonment of its earlier claims of specific, credible, and, yes, imminent threats that forced Trump’s hand in making his murderous decision.
The Administration appears to be completely abandoning their previous claim that the killing was ordered to prevent specific attacks about which they had intelligence. https://t.co/cMBfhxy86y — Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) January 7, 2020
Unfortunately, any pleasure that can be derived from watching Pompeo squirm as the public scrutiny of the president’s actions forces him into uncomfortable contortions is mitigated by the knowledge that in the end neither he nor Donald Trump gives a rodent’s posterior about what the public thinks.
When you believe that the presidency gives you unlimited and unrestrained power not subject to review by Congress or the rule of international law — and when you believe that the heavens will shortly be opening up to bring you to the rapture that will leave all the sinners behind — you can do whatever you want without the fear of consequences.
Unless, of course, enough of the public wake up and demand that Congress put an end to this presidency in Trump’s Senate impeachment trial.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by David Badash at RawStory.
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--2020-01-08--Trump bewilders nation by tweeting “all is well” and “so far so good” after Iran’s missile strike

On Tuesday evening , a series of Iranian missiles slammed into the United States and Iraqi Army ’ s al-Asad airbase in western Iraq .
It appears that the missiles did not target the American side of the base and casualties on the Iraqi side were thankfully light , but the strike represented a terrifying escalation of the growing crisis in the Middle East that was triggered by the Trump administration ’ s decision to launch airstrikes against an Iraqi militia and the subsequent assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani .
As cellphones buzzed across the country and news alerts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq was attacked , Americans naturally looked to the President for some kind of clarity and with deep trepidation over what the response would be .
They would get none , however ; the President ’ s planned address to the nation was abruptly canceled .
Instead , Trump took to Twitter to tell everyone that everything was cool and he ’ s going to deal with it in the morning .
While it is a relief to see that he hasn ’ t furiously ordered a nuclear strike on Tehran , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far so good ” and “ I ’ m gon na deal with it tomorrow ” is not exactly the response that the world really wants to hear , given everything that ’ s at stake .
What this really is at its heart is a show of absolute cowardice and apathy from a president who has found himself in yet another serious crisis because of impulsive and ill-thought-out decisions that he himself made — and his refusal to take any kind of responsibility for it .
Social media was not impressed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?

On Tuesday evening, a series of Iranian missiles slammed into the United States and Iraqi Army’s al-Asad airbase in western Iraq. It appears that the missiles did not target the American side of the base and casualties on the Iraqi side were thankfully light, but the strike represented a terrifying escalation of the growing crisis in the Middle East that was triggered by the Trump administration’s decision to launch airstrikes against an Iraqi militia and the subsequent assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.
As cellphones buzzed across the country and news alerts informed the public that an airbase in Iraq was attacked, Americans naturally looked to the President for some kind of clarity and with deep trepidation over what the response would be. They would get none, however; the President’s planned address to the nation was abruptly canceled.
All three officials and Vice President Pence just left the White House. The White House now says Trump will NOT address the nation tonight. https://t.co/OEaGIpUzpc — Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 8, 2020
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
Instead, Trump took to Twitter to tell everyone that everything was cool and he’s going to deal with it in the morning.
All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2020
While it is a relief to see that he hasn’t furiously ordered a nuclear strike on Tehran, “all is well” and “so far so good” and “I’m gonna deal with it tomorrow” is not exactly the response that the world really wants to hear, given everything that’s at stake.
What this really is at its heart is a show of absolute cowardice and apathy from a president who has found himself in yet another serious crisis because of impulsive and ill-thought-out decisions that he himself made — and his refusal to take any kind of responsibility for it.
Social media was not impressed with his response:
After Trump’s allies and members of Congress spent all night issuing somber statements and dire warnings, Trump starts with “All is well!” and “So far, so good!” https://t.co/czHpwBokDC — Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 8, 2020
It is actually insane that the American people have to tune into a partisan cable news channel to get anything close to a briefing on the president’s thinking as the nation fumbles toward a war with Iran. — Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) January 8, 2020
“All is well”???? A US president stating that the world is good as missiles were launched at our troops. This is why draft dodgers shouldn’t start wars. You never risked anything did you Donald? https://t.co/bjc2ApmdgK — Randy Bryce (@IronStache) January 8, 2020
Only a complete moron would tweet "all is well" after Iran fires more than a dozen missiles on a US base. And to the US official who told MSNBC there are "very few if any" casualties. Are there casualties or not? How many? https://t.co/FkEXWPMmsB — Don Winslow (@donwinslow) January 8, 2020
All is well, apparently, just some more dead Iraqis. — Michael Hanna (@mwhanna1) January 8, 2020
All is well! i yell from my gold plated panic room https://t.co/DRcHoYi9co — lvl 45 chao$ potu$ (@thetomzone) January 8, 2020
Trump: All is well. Me: EVERYBODY PANIC!!!! — Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) January 8, 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--2020-01-08--Republican Senator furiously rips into Trump team for giving “worst” military briefing he’s seen

Donald Trump ’ s reckless game of brinksmanship with Iran seems to have settled down for the time being after the Iranian missile strikes launched yesterday in retaliation for the assassination of Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani resulted in zero casualties .
That said , it can not be stressed enough how dangerous Trump ’ s unilateral assassination order was and how this entire terrifying crisis highlights how uniquely unfit for office he is .
Earlier today , the Senate was briefed on Trump ’ s target killing of Soleimani and at least one Republican is deeply unpleased about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R-UT ) told reporters that he went into the meeting still undecided as to whether or not to support a Democratic War Powers Resolution aimed at curtailing the president ’ s ability to escalate militarily against Iran without the express approval of Congress .
Unfortunately for Trump , the Soleimani briefing has pushed Lee over the fence and he is now in favor of the resolution .
“ That briefing is what changed my mind .
I ’ m now going to support it , ” said the senator .
The way in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and demeaning ” to the office of every serving senator Lee said before explaining the historic and legal power of Congress to oversee and approve war .
Perhaps most damningly , Lee said at one point that the meeting was “ probably the worst briefing , at least on a military issue , I ’ ve seen in nine years I ’ ve been here.
” McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump .
Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial !
Lee had plenty more to say .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the briefing were repeatedly told that the Soleimani strike was necessary and that they must throw their support behind it because according to the briefers “ We can ’ t have division , we can ’ t have dissension within our ranks , within our government or else it sends the wrong signal to the Iranians.
” Lee said he believes this assessment to be “ completely wrong.
” When pressed to explain what kind of development or scenario would prompt the White House to ask Congress for a declaration of war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefers were evasive .
“ At one point I believe one of the briefers said something along the lines of ‘ I ’ m sure we could think of something .
But they struggled to identify anything !
” said Lee .
The senator says numerous hypotheticals were lobbed at the briefers and “ not once ” did they say that a given situation would require Congressional approval for military action .
“ At one point one of the briefers said something like ‘ Don ’ t worry we ’ ll consult you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well , with history as our guide , consultation isn ’ t necessarily the same thing as authorization for the use of military force .
A declaration of war or an AUMF is what the Constitution requires and drive-by notification or after-the-fact lame briefings like the one we just received aren ’ t adequate , ” he went on .
Lee wasn ’ t done there .
He said that the briefers held back on some details , claiming that it wasn ’ t safe to discuss them despite the fact that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with electronic devices checked at the door .
“ I find that really upsetting , ” said Lee .
Hopefully , more Republicans add their voices to Senator Lee ’ s .
Trump ’ s powers must be checked by Congress before his instability and incompetence result in needless war and bloodshed .
For elected officials to just stand idly by and hope things turn out okay represents a profound dereliction of duty and abject moral cowardice .
What do you think ?

Donald Trump’s reckless game of brinksmanship with Iran seems to have settled down for the time being after the Iranian missile strikes launched yesterday in retaliation for the assassination of Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani resulted in zero casualties. That said, it cannot be stressed enough how dangerous Trump’s unilateral assassination order was and how this entire terrifying crisis highlights how uniquely unfit for office he is.
Earlier today, the Senate was briefed on Trump’s target killing of Soleimani and at least one Republican is deeply unpleased about what he heard. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) told reporters that he went into the meeting still undecided as to whether or not to support a Democratic War Powers Resolution aimed at curtailing the president’s ability to escalate militarily against Iran without the express approval of Congress. Unfortunately for Trump, the Soleimani briefing has pushed Lee over the fence and he is now in favor of the resolution.
“That briefing is what changed my mind. I’m now going to support it,” said the senator. The way in which it was handled was “insulting and demeaning” to the office of every serving senator Lee said before explaining the historic and legal power of Congress to oversee and approve war.
Fox News cut away from Republican Sen. Mike Lee as he excoriated the Trump admin’s Soleimani briefing as “probably the worst briefing at least on a military issue I’ve seen.” pic.twitter.com/736Qtd6bWZ — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 8, 2020
Perhaps most damningly, Lee said at one point that the meeting was “probably the worst briefing, at least on a military issue, I’ve seen in nine years I’ve been here.”
MIKE LEE calls Soleimani briefing “worst I’ve seen, at least on a military issue, in 9 years I’ve served in the Senate,” adds: “What I found so distressing is one of the messages was do not discuss, do not debate appropriateness of further military intervention against Iran.” pic.twitter.com/sRCiJAqfsa — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 8, 2020
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
Lee had plenty more to say. He explained that he and the other attendees at the briefing were repeatedly told that the Soleimani strike was necessary and that they must throw their support behind it because according to the briefers “We can’t have division, we can’t have dissension within our ranks, within our government or else it sends the wrong signal to the Iranians.” Lee said he believes this assessment to be “completely wrong.”
When pressed to explain what kind of development or scenario would prompt the White House to ask Congress for a declaration of war or authorization of military force, the briefers were evasive.
“At one point I believe one of the briefers said something along the lines of ‘I’m sure we could think of something. But they struggled to identify anything!” said Lee. The senator says numerous hypotheticals were lobbed at the briefers and “not once” did they say that a given situation would require Congressional approval for military action.
“At one point one of the briefers said something like ‘Don’t worry we’ll consult you,'” Lee said. “Well, with history as our guide, consultation isn’t necessarily the same thing as authorization for the use of military force. A declaration of war or an AUMF is what the Constitution requires and drive-by notification or after-the-fact lame briefings like the one we just received aren’t adequate,” he went on.
Lee wasn’t done there. He said that the briefers held back on some details, claiming that it wasn’t safe to discuss them despite the fact that the meeting took place inside as security facility with electronic devices checked at the door. “I find that really upsetting,” said Lee.
Republican senator Mike Lee blasts the Trump administrations post-Iran briefing, says they were told they could not dissent from Trump, couldn't debate it, and if Trump needed justification to go to war "I'm sure we could think of something" pic.twitter.com/bfyPqoSf8c — Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) January 8, 2020
….fox decided to cut away from the press conference pic.twitter.com/etOlcFJ3iP — Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) January 8, 2020
Hopefully, more Republicans add their voices to Senator Lee’s. Trump’s powers must be checked by Congress before his instability and incompetence result in needless war and bloodshed. For elected officials to just stand idly by and hope things turn out okay represents a profound dereliction of duty and abject moral cowardice.
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-08--War hero Tammy Duckworth: my diaper-wearing infant has better impulse control than Trump

After Donald Trump made his shakey , slurring , “ garbled ” — as The Washington Post described it — address to the nation in the aftermath of the weekend ’ s exchange of hostilities with Iran , Democrats continued to condemn the president for creating the crisis to begin with by ordering his unsanctioned and clearly illegal assassination of Iran ’ s top general .
Perhaps no other Democratic politician has had the direct experience with Middle East conflict entitling her to criticize the president for his lack of strategic thinking and his impulsive blundering as credibly as Senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot who was wounded during combat in Iraq and lost both her legs as a result of her injuries , posted a video clip on Twitter and Your Tube with her comments on what she sees as one of the president ’ s primary flaws as a leader — his malleability by the leaders of “ hostile regimes.
” McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump .
Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial !
Decrying the easy manipulation of Trump by “ tyrants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despots in Moscow and Ankara ” while “ our allies laugh — literally laugh at him behind his back , ” Senator Duckworth accused the president of being “ as easy to control as a toddler.
” Duckworth identified one of the most flagrant deficiencies in the president ’ s character and personality by pointing out that Trump acts not out of an ordered process of rational thought and deliberation , but purely on instinct , impulse , and self-interest , using her infant daughter as a point of comparison that was decidedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referenced the famous incident where Trump stared directly into the sun during a solar eclipse against all scientific and medical advice to exemplify both his stupidity and gullibility before pivoting to a plea to her Republican colleagues to join her and her fellow Democrats in discussing measures to prevent the president from taking further unilateral military action without the constitutionally required congressional approval .
Saying that “ Donald Trump will never willingly cut the puppet strings that the likes of Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un are using to make him dance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legislation that Congress passed back in the Bush-era that authorized the use of military force in the region in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks .
If Trump bothers to reply at all to the Senator ’ s blistering putdown , the response from a bone-spur-claiming draft dodger to a certified war hero will likely lack credibility with anyone beyond the president ’ s base of unquestioning supporters .
With Senator Duckworth managing to capture the very essence of Donald Trump ’ s unsuitability for office in a few short words , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleagues have the wisdom to heed her call and limit the further damage that this toddler-in-chief can do in a fit of impulsiveness .
What do you think ?

After Donald Trump made his shakey, slurring, “garbled” — as The Washington Post described it — address to the nation in the aftermath of the weekend’s exchange of hostilities with Iran, Democrats continued to condemn the president for creating the crisis to begin with by ordering his unsanctioned and clearly illegal assassination of Iran’s top general.
Perhaps no other Democratic politician has had the direct experience with Middle East conflict entitling her to criticize the president for his lack of strategic thinking and his impulsive blundering as credibly as Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).
Duckworth, a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot who was wounded during combat in Iraq and lost both her legs as a result of her injuries, posted a video clip on Twitter and Your Tube with her comments on what she sees as one of the president’s primary flaws as a leader — his malleability by the leaders of “hostile regimes.”
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
Decrying the easy manipulation of Trump by “tyrants in Pyongyang and Riyadh” and “despots in Moscow and Ankara” while “our allies laugh — literally laugh at him behind his back,” Senator Duckworth accused the president of being “as easy to control as a toddler.”
“Sweet talk him or thump your chest, issue a few schoolyard threats and you’ve got him. He’ll fall for it every time,” the combat-hardened veteran observed.
Duckworth identified one of the most flagrant deficiencies in the president’s character and personality by pointing out that Trump acts not out of an ordered process of rational thought and deliberation, but purely on instinct, impulse, and self-interest, using her infant daughter as a point of comparison that was decidedly unfavorable to the president.
“I wish this weren’t true,” Duckworth lamented, “but my diaper-wearing 20-month-old daughter has better impulse control than this President.”
Dictators of hostile regimes have all realized the same thing: the President of the United States is as easy to control as a toddler. I wish this weren’t true, but my diaper-wearing 20-month-old daughter has better impulse control than this President. pic.twitter.com/YuzFHS33ZX — Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) January 8, 2020
The Senator referenced the famous incident where Trump stared directly into the sun during a solar eclipse against all scientific and medical advice to exemplify both his stupidity and gullibility before pivoting to a plea to her Republican colleagues to join her and her fellow Democrats in discussing measures to prevent the president from taking further unilateral military action without the constitutionally required congressional approval.
Saying that “Donald Trump will never willingly cut the puppet strings that the likes of Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un are using to make him dance,” Senator Duckworth urged a revision of the legislation that Congress passed back in the Bush-era that authorized the use of military force in the region in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“Until then, small time dictators will continue to have access to the world’s most powerful marionette, and we will all suffer the consequences,” Duckworth concluded.
If Trump bothers to reply at all to the Senator’s blistering putdown, the response from a bone-spur-claiming draft dodger to a certified war hero will likely lack credibility with anyone beyond the president’s base of unquestioning supporters.
With Senator Duckworth managing to capture the very essence of Donald Trump’s unsuitability for office in a few short words, let’s hope that her Senate colleagues have the wisdom to heed her call and limit the further damage that this toddler-in-chief can do in a fit of impulsiveness.
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


occupydemocrats--2020-01-08--ex-National Security Adviser Susan Rice torches Trump for “despicable lies” about Obama giving funds

ex-National Security Adviser Susan Rice torches Trump for “despicable lies” about Obama giving funds to Iran

On Wednesday morning , President Trump took to the podium at the White House to finally address the Iranian missile attacks on America ’ s al-Asad airbase in western Iraq .
The president ’ s speech was bland and predictable , consisting mostly of forced bravado , empty posturing , and a seemingly inevitable partisan attack on his predecessor .
After single-handedly creating this crisis by tearing up President Barack Obama ’ s historic nuclear peace deal with Iran and then assassinating their highest military general , President Trump had the gall to try to blame President Obama for Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the munitions were paid for with funds “ made available by the last administration : ” “ Iran ’ s hostility substantially increased after the foolish Iran nuclear deal was signed in 2013 , and they were given $ 150 billion not to mention $ 1.8 billion in cash… Then Iran went on a terror spree funded by the money from the deal and created hell in Yemen , Syria , Lebanon , Afghanistan and Iraq .
The missiles fired last night at us and our allies were paid for with the funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Obama ’ s former National Security Advisor Susan Rice went on MSNBC this afternoon and fired back at the president : “ This is another series of despicable lies by President Trump .
The fact that … three years after taking office he remains obsessed with President Obama , just shows President Trump ’ s extreme weakness and insecurity.
” McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump .
Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial !
Rice went on to make it clear that the current crisis is entirely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation that President Obama worked tirelessly to prevent a conflict like this from breaking out : “ The facts about the Iran nuclear deal are that it effectively halted and rolled back Iran ’ s nuclear program .
In the years since the signing of the deal in 2015 up until President Trump ’ s unilateral withdrawal , abandoning our allies against the advice of his advisers , there were no proxy attacks by Iranian proxies on U.S. personnel in Iraq .
There were no efforts by Iran to attack our drones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ Everybody , including the American intelligence community , validated that it was being upheld and our forces and our presence in the region was secure .
President Trump decided , recklessly , to withdraw unilaterally from the nuclear deal and impose so-called maximum pressure , crippling sanctions , and it was in the wake of that that we found ourselves in this escalatory cycle that ’ s led to where we are today , a very dangerous moment.
” The “ $ 150 billion ” is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about President Obama and the nuclear peace deal and has been a constant theme in the president ’ s rhetoric .
The $ 150 billion in question does not exist and is entirely a figment of the president ’ s imagination .
The $ 1.8 billion payment did occur but was the reimbursement of funds that had been paid by the Shah of Iran to the United States in the 1970s — some $ 400 million — for fighter jets that were never delivered after the Iranian Revolution deposed the US-installed dictator .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , President Obama arranged for that money to be repaid , along with the $ 1.3 billion in interest it had accrued over the past 40 years .
For Trump to try to pass off the blame for this self-inflicted crisis is an appalling show of cowardice that wrongfully demeans the one man who heroically did everything he could to try to strike peace .
President Obama put everything on the line in his efforts to try and make sure this kind of crisis would never happen , bravely taking on the hordes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neocon extremists in Congress and coming out victorious — and now that it ’ s all been undone by Trump , for him to put the blame on him is truly the lowest of the low .
What do you think ?

On Wednesday morning, President Trump took to the podium at the White House to finally address the Iranian missile attacks on America’s al-Asad airbase in western Iraq. The president’s speech was bland and predictable, consisting mostly of forced bravado, empty posturing, and a seemingly inevitable partisan attack on his predecessor.
After single-handedly creating this crisis by tearing up President Barack Obama’s historic nuclear peace deal with Iran and then assassinating their highest military general, President Trump had the gall to try to blame President Obama for Iran’s missile strike by arguing that the munitions were paid for with funds “made available by the last administration:”
“Iran’s hostility substantially increased after the foolish Iran nuclear deal was signed in 2013, and they were given $150 billion not to mention $1.8 billion in cash… Then Iran went on a terror spree funded by the money from the deal and created hell in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq. The missiles fired last night at us and our allies were paid for with the funds made available by the last administration.”
President Obama’s former National Security Advisor Susan Rice went on MSNBC this afternoon and fired back at the president: “This is another series of despicable lies by President Trump. The fact that … three years after taking office he remains obsessed with President Obama, just shows President Trump’s extreme weakness and insecurity.”
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
Rice went on to make it clear that the current crisis is entirely the fault of President Trump and reminded the nation that President Obama worked tirelessly to prevent a conflict like this from breaking out:
“The facts about the Iran nuclear deal are that it effectively halted and rolled back Iran’s nuclear program. In the years since the signing of the deal in 2015 up until President Trump’s unilateral withdrawal, abandoning our allies against the advice of his advisers, there were no proxy attacks by Iranian proxies on U.S. personnel in Iraq. There were no efforts by Iran to attack our drones in the Persian Gulf or attack shipping,” she said. “Everybody, including the American intelligence community, validated that it was being upheld and our forces and our presence in the region was secure. President Trump decided, recklessly, to withdraw unilaterally from the nuclear deal and impose so-called maximum pressure, crippling sanctions, and it was in the wake of that that we found ourselves in this escalatory cycle that’s led to where we are today, a very dangerous moment.”
The “$150 billion” is one of the right-wing’s favorite lies about President Obama and the nuclear peace deal and has been a constant theme in the president’s rhetoric. The $150 billion in question does not exist and is entirely a figment of the president’s imagination.
The $1.8 billion payment did occur but was the reimbursement of funds that had been paid by the Shah of Iran to the United States in the 1970s — some $400 million — for fighter jets that were never delivered after the Iranian Revolution deposed the US-installed dictator. As a show of goodwill towards Iran, President Obama arranged for that money to be repaid, along with the $1.3 billion in interest it had accrued over the past 40 years.
For Trump to try to pass off the blame for this self-inflicted crisis is an appalling show of cowardice that wrongfully demeans the one man who heroically did everything he could to try to strike peace. President Obama put everything on the line in his efforts to try and make sure this kind of crisis would never happen, bravely taking on the hordes of jackal pundits and defense lobbyists and neocon extremists in Congress and coming out victorious — and now that it’s all been undone by Trump, for him to put the blame on him is truly the lowest of the low.
Watch her remarks here:
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--2020-01-08--Fed up Stephen King offers to pay $75,000 for Trump’s Press Secretary to do her job

The Trump administration ’ s long-demonstrated hostility towards the media has led to a discontinuation of the daily White House press briefings that have long been a regular feature of previous presidencies .
The current Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham has never held a daily press briefing since she assumed the position last June , and the last of the infrequent briefings by her predecessor Sarah Huckabee Sanders was held on March 11th of last year .
Even before the disastrous White House media response to the Iran crisis — where more information was delivered to the public through Twitter than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pertinent questions of government and military officials — people were wondering exactly why their tax dollars were being used to pay for the salary of a White House Press Secretary who appeared to be shirking the main responsibilities of her position .
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump .
Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial !
Now , in the wake of the Oval Office ’ s confused and inadequate media response to Iran ’ s retaliatory attacks on a U.S. military base in Iraq , Grisham is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inadequate and unqualified for her role as Donald Trump ’ s primary spokesperson .
Yesterday , when CNN reported that Trump was preparing to make an evening address to the nation about the attacks and the status of our hostilities with Iran , Grisham — rather than providing further information about the rapidly developing situation — chose instead to lash out at the cable news network for reporting inaccurate information .
The response to the Press Secretary ’ s statement was brutal with calls for Grisham to do her job and communicate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than playing gotcha games with media over the White House ’ s shifting plans .
Two noted authors — Stephen King and Don Winslow — were so outraged by the bunglings and inadequacies of Grisham ’ s performance during this time of crisis that they each offered to give $ 75 , 000 to charity in her name if she would simply do her job and hold a press briefing for the full White House press corps this week .
Winslow — the best selling , Raymond Chandler Award-winning crime and mystery novel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the offer .
After Winslow ’ s taunting tweet , the renowned master of horror and supernatural fiction Stephen King offered to match his fellow author ’ s bounty .
At the time of the writing of this article , Grisham has neither responded to the author ’ s challenge nor held a press conference , although Trump did manage to sniff his way through a 10-minute televised address to the nation about the current situation with Iran .
Typically , he took no questions from the press afterward .
What do you @ @

The Trump administration’s long-demonstrated hostility towards the media has led to a discontinuation of the daily White House press briefings that have long been a regular feature of previous presidencies.
The current Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham has never held a daily press briefing since she assumed the position last June, and the last of the infrequent briefings by her predecessor Sarah Huckabee Sanders was held on March 11th of last year.
Even before the disastrous White House media response to the Iran crisis — where more information was delivered to the public through Twitter than through a forum where journalists could ask pertinent questions of government and military officials — people were wondering exactly why their tax dollars were being used to pay for the salary of a White House Press Secretary who appeared to be shirking the main responsibilities of her position.
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
Now, in the wake of the Oval Office’s confused and inadequate media response to Iran’s retaliatory attacks on a U.S. military base in Iraq, Grisham is coming under even heavier criticism as being inadequate and unqualified for her role as Donald Trump’s primary spokesperson.
Yesterday, when CNN reported that Trump was preparing to make an evening address to the nation about the attacks and the status of our hostilities with Iran, Grisham — rather than providing further information about the rapidly developing situation — chose instead to lash out at the cable news network for reporting inaccurate information.
“This is not true – was never true – & no one even attempted to confirm with the press office before tweeting. In a race to be first to break news, the public once again falls victim to irresponsible ‘reporting’ by CNN,” Grisham said of CNN‘s reporting.
The response to the Press Secretary’s statement was brutal with calls for Grisham to do her job and communicate to the press what was actually happening rather than playing gotcha games with media over the White House’s shifting plans.
Two noted authors — Stephen King and Don Winslow — were so outraged by the bunglings and inadequacies of Grisham’s performance during this time of crisis that they each offered to give $75, 000 to charity in her name if she would simply do her job and hold a press briefing for the full White House press corps this week.
Winslow — the best selling, Raymond Chandler Award-winning crime and mystery novel writer — was the first to make the offer.
Dear @PressSec, It has been 301 days since The White House held a press briefing. I will donate $75,000 to @StJude in your name if you will hold a one hour press conference *this week* with the full White House Press Corps. What are you afraid of Stephanie? Best,
Don Winslow — Don Winslow (@donwinslow) January 8, 2020
After Winslow’s taunting tweet, the renowned master of horror and supernatural fiction Stephen King offered to match his fellow author’s bounty.
I’ll match that, making $150,000. But full press corps. https://t.co/ToewY1Qr5J — Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 8, 2020
At the time of the writing of this article, Grisham has neither responded to the author’s challenge nor held a press conference, although Trump did manage to sniff his way through a 10-minute televised address to the nation about the current situation with Iran.
Typically, he took no questions from the press afterward.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Bob Brigham at RawStory.
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--2020-01-08--Social media explodes after Trump sniffles and snorts his way through Iran presser

President Trump addressed the nation today in response to the Iranian missile attacks launched at bases housing American troops in Iraq yesterday .
It turns out that no one was killed or injured in the bombardment , which was carried out in retaliation for Trump ’ s targeting killing of Iranian Quds Force Qasem Soleimani last week .
Luckily , it seems the Iranian attack was designed mainly to save face at home and it appears the Trump administration will not be escalating further .
Despite the fact that things might turn out relatively all right—a genuine relief given how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be remembered that Trump ’ s reckless behavior is what brought us to the precipice in the first place .
As president , he had a responsibility to use his remarks today to project confidence and assuage concerns that the United States is hurtling towards violent catastrophe with a madman at the wheel .
Instead , he slurred and sniffed his way through his boilerplate comments about protecting America and the announcement of new sanctions on Iran .
His bizarre delivery didn ’ t go unnoticed , and soon # Adderall was trending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explain his weird manner of speaking and his odd nose tic .
The presumption that his behavior was due to drug use traces back to the claim from a former Celebrity Apprentice staffer that Trump is a “ speed freak ” .
“ He crushes up his Adderall and he sniffs it because he can ’ t read and he gets really nervous when he has to read cue cards .
I ’ m not kidding .
This is true .
I had a 24-page NDA , non-disclosure agreement .
I didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Noel Casler , the former-staffer-turned-comedian .
After today ’ s speech , people are clearly giving the Adderall theory another look .
One Twitter user compiled a video of all of Trump ’ s little sniffs .
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump .
Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial !
Countless other Twitter users agreed with the assessment .
While it ’ s impossible for us to know for sure at this point , it ’ s telling that so many people find it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a drug addict .
The man is incredibly erratic and the last person in the world who should be overseeing something as delicate and potentially disastrous as U.S.-Iran relations .
What do you think ?

President Trump addressed the nation today in response to the Iranian missile attacks launched at bases housing American troops in Iraq yesterday. It turns out that no one was killed or injured in the bombardment, which was carried out in retaliation for Trump’s targeting killing of Iranian Quds Force Qasem Soleimani last week. Luckily, it seems the Iranian attack was designed mainly to save face at home and it appears the Trump administration will not be escalating further.
Despite the fact that things might turn out relatively all right—a genuine relief given how close to war we seemed yesterday—it must be remembered that Trump’s reckless behavior is what brought us to the precipice in the first place. As president, he had a responsibility to use his remarks today to project confidence and assuage concerns that the United States is hurtling towards violent catastrophe with a madman at the wheel.
Instead, he slurred and sniffed his way through his boilerplate comments about protecting America and the announcement of new sanctions on Iran. His bizarre delivery didn’t go unnoticed, and soon #Adderall was trending on Twitter as countless people rushed to explain his weird manner of speaking and his odd nose tic. The presumption that his behavior was due to drug use traces back to the claim from a former Celebrity Apprentice staffer that Trump is a “speed freak”.
“He crushes up his Adderall and he sniffs it because he can’t read and he gets really nervous when he has to read cue cards. I’m not kidding. This is true. I had a 24-page NDA, non-disclosure agreement. I didn’t know then he was becoming president,” said Noel Casler, the former-staffer-turned-comedian.
After today’s speech, people are clearly giving the Adderall theory another look. One Twitter user compiled a video of all of Trump’s little sniffs.
for those that couldn’t tune in pic.twitter.com/c3uIGc82NS — Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) January 8, 2020
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
Countless other Twitter users agreed with the assessment. While it’s impossible for us to know for sure at this point, it’s telling that so many people find it easy to believe that Donald Trump is a drug addict. The man is incredibly erratic and the last person in the world who should be overseeing something as delicate and potentially disastrous as U.S.-Iran relations.
"Slurring," "Adderall" and #TrumpSpeech are trending. Sounds like it went really well. — Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) January 8, 2020
seriously: our slurring, out-of-breath, pasty-faced, adderall-addicted, dazed-and-confused president is cracking under the strain. 25th amendment, anyone? — Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) January 8, 2020
Trump is on drugs, whether we want to face it or not, he is an Adderall addict and has been addicted to speed for decades. Benzo’s figure in as well as the UK Sudafed he takes to control those sniffles and for the buzz. This was NO secret in TV Production. @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/2du3zp6i0t — NoelCaslerComedy (@CaslerNoel) January 8, 2020
"Adderall," slurring," and "Teleprompter" are all in the top 20 Twitter trends in the US. It's almost like people are waking up to the fact that something is seriously off about the president's affect, cognition, and communication. — Mike Rothschild (@rothschildmd) January 8, 2020
Whoever mixes his morning cocktail of Adderall and Xanax went way too heavy on the Xanax. — Picassokat (@Picassokat) January 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/maydaymindy9/status/1214957605128421380?s=20
Teleprompter, slurring, and Adderall are all trending in case you didn’t know that Trump gave a speech today. — The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) January 8, 2020
I’m not a doctor or a diplomat, but in a perfect world, a slurring, sniffing Adderall junkie wouldn’t have the nuclear codes. #TrumpSpeech — Bryan Behar (@bryanbehar) January 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/twmentality1/status/1214968440353628160
https://twitter.com/Blkandproud365/status/1214977925755355140
https://twitter.com/twmentality1/status/1214968440353628160?s=20
Trump sniffs crushed Adderall, imports UK Sudafed and huffs meth… https://t.co/lJW87xrH3z — GenerationX (@realGenerationX) January 8, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-08--Trump accuses Obama of giving Iran the money that paid for missile attack, without evidence

On Wednesday morning , President Trump took to the podium at the White House to finally address the Iranian missile attacks on America ’ s al-Asad airbase in western Iraq .
The president ’ s speech was bland and predictable , consisting mostly of forced bravado , empty posturing , and a seemingly inevitable partisan attack on his predecessor .
After single-handedly creating this crisis by tearing up President Barack Obama ’ s historic nuclear peace deal with Iran and then assassinating their highest military general , President Trump had the gall to try to blame President Obama for Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the munitions were paid for with funds “ made available by the last administration : ” “ Iran ’ s hostility substantially increased after the foolish Iran nuclear deal was signed in 2013 , and they were given $ 150 billion not to mention $ 1.8 billion in cash… Then Iran went on a terror spree funded by the money from the deal and created hell in Yemen , Syria , Lebanon , Afghanistan and Iraq .
The missiles fired last night at us and our allies were paid for with the funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The “ $ 150 billion ” is one of the right-wing ’ s favorite lies about President Obama and the nuclear peace deal and has been a constant theme in the president ’ s rhetoric .
The $ 150 billion in question does not exist and is entirely a figment of the president ’ s imagination .
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump .
Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial !
The $ 1.8 billion payment did occur but was the reimbursement of funds that had been paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States in the 1970s — some $ 400 million — for fighter jets that were never delivered after the Iranian Revolution deposed the US-installed dictator .
As a show of goodwill towards Iran , President Obama arranged for that money to be repaid , along with the $ 1.3 billion in interest it had accrued over the past 40 years .
There is no evidence this money was spent on missiles , and even if it was , what they spent it on is none of our business .
To chastise them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States spends more than the next seven countries combined on its military budget is outrageous hypocrisy ; to criticize them for wanting to defend themselves after we unilaterally tore up a peace treaty and murdered a beloved government official is irrational and unfair .
For Trump to try to pass off the blame for this self-inflicted crisis is an appalling show of cowardice that wrongfully demeans the one man who heroically did everything he could to try to strike peace .
President Obama put everything on the line in his efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of crisis would never happen , bravely taking on the hordes of jackal pundits and defense lobbyists and neocon extremists in Congress and coming out victorious — and now that it ’ s all been undone by Trump , for him to put the blame on him is truly the lowest of the low .
What do you think ?

On Wednesday morning, President Trump took to the podium at the White House to finally address the Iranian missile attacks on America’s al-Asad airbase in western Iraq. The president’s speech was bland and predictable, consisting mostly of forced bravado, empty posturing, and a seemingly inevitable partisan attack on his predecessor.
After single-handedly creating this crisis by tearing up President Barack Obama’s historic nuclear peace deal with Iran and then assassinating their highest military general, President Trump had the gall to try to blame President Obama for Iran’s missile strike by arguing that the munitions were paid for with funds “made available by the last administration:”
“Iran’s hostility substantially increased after the foolish Iran nuclear deal was signed in 2013, and they were given $150 billion not to mention $1.8 billion in cash… Then Iran went on a terror spree funded by the money from the deal and created hell in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq. The missiles fired last night at us and our allies were paid for with the funds made available by the last administration.”
The “$150 billion” is one of the right-wing’s favorite lies about President Obama and the nuclear peace deal and has been a constant theme in the president’s rhetoric. The $150 billion in question does not exist and is entirely a figment of the president’s imagination.
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
The $1.8 billion payment did occur but was the reimbursement of funds that had been paid by the Shah of Iran to the United States in the 1970s — some $400 million — for fighter jets that were never delivered after the Iranian Revolution deposed the US-installed dictator. As a show of goodwill towards Iran, President Obama arranged for that money to be repaid, along with the $1.3 billion in interest it had accrued over the past 40 years.
There is no evidence this money was spent on missiles, and even if it was, what they spent it on is none of our business. To chastise them for spending money on military hardware when the United States spends more than the next seven countries combined on its military budget is outrageous hypocrisy; to criticize them for wanting to defend themselves after we unilaterally tore up a peace treaty and murdered a beloved government official is irrational and unfair.
For Trump to try to pass off the blame for this self-inflicted crisis is an appalling show of cowardice that wrongfully demeans the one man who heroically did everything he could to try to strike peace. President Obama put everything on the line in his efforts to try and make sure this kind of crisis would never happen, bravely taking on the hordes of jackal pundits and defense lobbyists and neocon extremists in Congress and coming out victorious — and now that it’s all been undone by Trump, for him to put the blame on him is truly the lowest of the low.
Trump just tried to blame the Obama administration for Iran's strike against U.S. military assets in Iraq pic.twitter.com/xaVvrtWsxc — NowThis (@nowthisnews) January 8, 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--2020-01-09--Trump cheerleader Matt Gaetz abruptly defies him, votes to take away Iran war powers

Just a few short days ago , the world seemed poised upon the brink of what would surely have been a truly disastrous war .
Driven by his own impulsiveness and desire to appear as a strongman regardless of the consequences , Trump had Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani killed in a targeted strike inside Iraq .
While Soleimani was a blood-soaked sponsor of terrorism and indiscriminate violence , he was also the Islamic Republic ’ s top military official .
The assassination represented a drastic escalation between the United States and Iran , and the latter responded with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American troops which luckily resulted in no casualties .
Even though the White House now appears to be stepping back from the idea of all-out war , the crisis emphatically underlined how uniquely unfit Donald Trump is to serve as commander-in-chief .
Recognizing that , Democrats have introduced a War Powers Resolution which would prevent the president from launching further drastic military action against Iran without Congressional approval .
Trump , probably seeing it as a direct assault on his fragile masculinity , hates the resolution .
This morning , he took to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it but it appears a whiny tweet won ’ t be enough to save him .
Even some Republicans are realizing that an unfettered President Trump could stumble us headfirst into another war .
Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R-FL ) , one of Trump ’ s most obsequious , fanatical minions stated that he intends to vote for the resolution .
The move is sure to enrage Trump despite the fact that Gaetz spent much of his announcement speech on the topic fawning over Trump in nauseating fashion .
Gaetz followed through on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few Republicans to vote for the resolution , which has officially passed the House .
This was the right decision from Gaetz , even if he is still one of the most odious public servants in American political life .
It ’ s telling that even a MAGA maniac as diehard as Gaetz sees the threat posed by Trump having complete , unilateral military power .
Apparently , even a broken clock is right twice a day .
What do you think ?

Just a few short days ago, the world seemed poised upon the brink of what would surely have been a truly disastrous war. Driven by his own impulsiveness and desire to appear as a strongman regardless of the consequences, Trump had Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani killed in a targeted strike inside Iraq.
While Soleimani was a blood-soaked sponsor of terrorism and indiscriminate violence, he was also the Islamic Republic’s top military official. The assassination represented a drastic escalation between the United States and Iran, and the latter responded with a missile strike against military bases housing American troops which luckily resulted in no casualties.
Even though the White House now appears to be stepping back from the idea of all-out war, the crisis emphatically underlined how uniquely unfit Donald Trump is to serve as commander-in-chief. Recognizing that, Democrats have introduced a War Powers Resolution which would prevent the president from launching further drastic military action against Iran without Congressional approval.
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
Trump, probably seeing it as a direct assault on his fragile masculinity, hates the resolution. This morning, he took to Twitter to urge Republicans to vote against it but it appears a whiny tweet won’t be enough to save him. Even some Republicans are realizing that an unfettered President Trump could stumble us headfirst into another war.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), one of Trump’s most obsequious, fanatical minions stated that he intends to vote for the resolution. The move is sure to enrage Trump despite the fact that Gaetz spent much of his announcement speech on the topic fawning over Trump in nauseating fashion.
I represent more troops than any other member of this body. I buried one of them earlier today at Arlington. If our servicemembers have the courage to fight and die in these wars, Congress ought to have the courage to vote for or against them. I’m voting for this resolution. pic.twitter.com/cSCBG7CmIm — Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) January 9, 2020
Gaetz followed through on his promise and was one of the few Republicans to vote for the resolution, which has officially passed the House. This was the right decision from Gaetz, even if he is still one of the most odious public servants in American political life. It’s telling that even a MAGA maniac as diehard as Gaetz sees the threat posed by Trump having complete, unilateral military power. Apparently, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
House approves resolution to limit Trump war powers in Iran, 224-194.
GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz, Thomas Massie and Francis Rooney vote in favor while Reps. Max Rose, Ben McAdams, Anthony Brindisi, Joe Cunningham, Elaine Luria, Josh Gottheimer, Kendra Horn and Stephanie Murphy vote no — Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 9, 2020
It’s a good reminder that even the worst elected representatives are dependent on their district’s voters if they want to keep their jobs, and taking action to speak out and pressure them to do the right thing can and does work.
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-09--Ilhan Omar fires back after cruel Republicans mock her childhood war refugee trauma

The casual inhumanity and racist cruelty of modern Republicans was put on full display this week when Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana decided to bully his fellow Rep. Ilhan Omar ( D-MI ) for publicly stating that the crisis in Iran had triggered her post-traumatic stress disorder .
Incapable of feeling any empathy for a Muslim woman of color and determined to erase her suffering for a cheap bit of asinine “ but what about muh troooops ” wankery , Banks told her she was “ a disgrace ” and said that it was offensive to our veterans that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and spent her formative years in a refugee camp might have some residual trauma .
Banks was immediately joined by right-wing white supremacist media jackal Laura Ingraham , who mocked her pain and piled on with wildly racist ( and false ) accusations that Omar supported terrorists .
For Republicans to try to discredit a war survivor ’ s PTSD in ostensible defense of “ our veterans ” makes it clear once again that our veterans and their suffering mean absolutely nothing to them but a convenient pawn for them to trot out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disguise their racism and their monstrous lack of empathy .
It is impossible for most Americans to conceive of what millions of people like Ilhan Omar had to go through as a child , and it is beyond repulsive to see our elected officials responding to efforts to talk about mental trauma this way .
Unfazed , Ilhan Omar and other Democrats were quick to fire back , calling out Ingraham and Banks for their appalling smears and putting them in their place .
They were even joined by war veterans who spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who suffer from PTSD .
What do you think ?

The casual inhumanity and racist cruelty of modern Republicans was put on full display this week when Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana decided to bully his fellow Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MI) for publicly stating that the crisis in Iran had triggered her post-traumatic stress disorder.
Incapable of feeling any empathy for a Muslim woman of color and determined to erase her suffering for a cheap bit of asinine “but what about muh troooops” wankery, Banks told her she was “a disgrace” and said that it was offensive to our veterans that a woman who grew up in a warzone and spent her formative years in a refugee camp might have some residual trauma.
Rep. Ilhan Omar complained she’s “stricken with PTSD” because of recent events in the Middle East. This is a disgrace and offensive to our nation’s veterans who really do have PTSD after putting their life on the line to keep America safe. pic.twitter.com/twhZDuUDu0 — Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) January 8, 2020
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
Banks was immediately joined by right-wing white supremacist media jackal Laura Ingraham, who mocked her pain and piled on with wildly racist (and false) accusations that Omar supported terrorists.
Call the medic! @IlhanMN says she feels “ill a little bit” with all this talk of conflict with Iran. Well, I’m sure her dismissive talk of al Qaeda and 9/11 made a lot of Americans feel way more ill (and angry). https://t.co/JGaKAeonCt — Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) January 8, 2020
For Republicans to try to discredit a war survivor’s PTSD in ostensible defense of “our veterans” makes it clear once again that our veterans and their suffering mean absolutely nothing to them but a convenient pawn for them to trot out and use like a political hood to disguise their racism and their monstrous lack of empathy.
It is impossible for most Americans to conceive of what millions of people like Ilhan Omar had to go through as a child, and it is beyond repulsive to see our elected officials responding to efforts to talk about mental trauma this way.
Unfazed, Ilhan Omar and other Democrats were quick to fire back, calling out Ingraham and Banks for their appalling smears and putting them in their place.
Hi Jim, I survived war as a child and deal with post-traumatic stress disorder—much like many who have served or lived through war. It’s shameful that you as a member of Congress would erase the PTSD of survivors. pic.twitter.com/QdDBKDSOCS — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 8, 2020
War trauma never leaves you. Engaging in armed conflict never creates stability. It only costs lives and futures. — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 9, 2020
8 yrs old. That’s how old @IlhanMN was when she fled for her life as her home was decimated by war I know you think war’s a for profit video game @IngrahamAngle but you’d be wise to take a seat and take your cues from folks like Ilhan who actually know what they’re talking about pic.twitter.com/9a0XfFPfwP — Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) January 8, 2020
They were even joined by war veterans who spoke out in her defense and in defense of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who suffer from PTSD.
Dear @RepJimBanks, This is a tremendously ignorant thing to say. Veterans like us know that people wearing uniforms aren’t the only ones impacted by war.@Ilhan is a refugee. We stand with her against hawkish elites like you. #VetsForIlhan #EndForeverWar https://t.co/oIE3iWZGK9 — Common Defense (@commondefense) January 8, 2020
On the house floor we have heard our white female colleagues talk about their PTSD from domestic violence. It’s odd that you never called them out. https://t.co/lKp55FeoOv — Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) January 9, 2020
Rep. Banks, You and I spent a few months in Afghanistan. Rep. Omar grew up in war-torn Somalia before spending years in a Kenyan refugee camp on the Somali border. It’s not up to us to decide who is and is not “worthy” of PTSD. Trauma is trauma. A uniform is not required. https://t.co/1IPpKviNrE — Jason Kander (@JasonKander) January 9, 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--2020-01-09--Trump brags he’s “good at names” and proposes changing NATO to NATOME

Assessing how much damage Donald Trump has done to American democratic institutions and our broader standing in the world is a bit like trying to getting a sense of a hurricane ’ s devastation while standing in the middle of it .
Only after he has left office will we as a country get a second to step back , catch our breath , and tally up the staggering cost of electing a psychopathic reality TV star to the presidency .
One thing that is certain is that Trump ’ s successor will have a herculean effort ahead of him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our country ’ s international relationships .
It ’ s as if every time Trump opens his mouth he alienates one of our allies or pushes us closer to war with one of our longtime adversaries .
Constant attacks on NATO have been one of the trademarks of his rhetoric and so his new push for the historic western alliance to take a larger role in the Middle East came as a surprise to many .
Earlier today , he expanded on this new idea of his to reporters .
Trump claimed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg about the topic and that he thinks Stoltenberg is “ excited ” about the idea .
Ridiculously , the president who feels the need to leave his stamp on everything even if it ’ s a cosmetic change devoid of any material alterations suggested a new name for NATO .
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump .
Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial !
“ And I actually had a name .
NATO , right ?
And then you have ME , Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NATOME .
I said ‘ What a beautiful name.
’ NATOME , ” Trump blathered .
Nobody seems to have pointed out to the president that NATOME is a gibberish acronym since it breaks down to “ North Atlantic Treaty Organization Middle East.
” Once he got started patting himself on the back for his naming skills , he couldn ’ t stop .
“ I ’ m good at names right ?
” Trump went on .
“ USMCA ?
Like the song YMCA .
Nobody could remember USMCA .
I said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everybody says it .
They don ’ t remember the previous name of a bad deal okay ?
Commonly known as NAFTA , ” Trump bragged before returning to the topic of NATO .
“ No , if you add the two words Middle East at the end of it because that ’ s a big problem , that ’ s a big source of problems and NATOME , doesn ’ t that work beautifully John ?
Think of that .
NATO plus me , ” rambled Trump before sketching out his incoherent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alliance would function .
NATO will most likely pretend to humor Trump and then ignore his suggestion .
Or perhaps the president ’ s infamously short attention span will get the better of him and he ’ ll drop this weird renaming fetish before moving on to something else .
In any case , it should be clear to everyone now that we are in dire need of a leader who takes our national security and alliances seriously .
We need someone who will focus on the important details and mission of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name .
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump .
Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial !
What do you think ?

Assessing how much damage Donald Trump has done to American democratic institutions and our broader standing in the world is a bit like trying to getting a sense of a hurricane’s devastation while standing in the middle of it. Only after he has left office will we as a country get a second to step back, catch our breath, and tally up the staggering cost of electing a psychopathic reality TV star to the presidency.
One thing that is certain is that Trump’s successor will have a herculean effort ahead of him or her as they work to repair our country’s international relationships. It’s as if every time Trump opens his mouth he alienates one of our allies or pushes us closer to war with one of our longtime adversaries. Constant attacks on NATO have been one of the trademarks of his rhetoric and so his new push for the historic western alliance to take a larger role in the Middle East came as a surprise to many.
Earlier today, he expanded on this new idea of his to reporters. Trump claimed that he had a “great conversation” with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg about the topic and that he thinks Stoltenberg is “excited” about the idea. Ridiculously, the president who feels the need to leave his stamp on everything even if it’s a cosmetic change devoid of any material alterations suggested a new name for NATO.
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
“And I actually had a name. NATO, right? And then you have ME, Middle East? You’d call it NATOME. I said ‘What a beautiful name.’ NATOME,” Trump blathered. Nobody seems to have pointed out to the president that NATOME is a gibberish acronym since it breaks down to “North Atlantic Treaty Organization Middle East.”
Once he got started patting himself on the back for his naming skills, he couldn’t stop.
“I’m good at names right?” Trump went on. “USMCA? Like the song YMCA. Nobody could remember USMCA. I said think of the song YMCA, now everybody says it. They don’t remember the previous name of a bad deal okay? Commonly known as NAFTA,” Trump bragged before returning to the topic of NATO.
“No, if you add the two words Middle East at the end of it because that’s a big problem, that’s a big source of problems and NATOME, doesn’t that work beautifully John? Think of that. NATO plus me,” rambled Trump before sketching out his incoherent vision for how this updated version of the alliance would function.
NATO will most likely pretend to humor Trump and then ignore his suggestion. Or perhaps the president’s infamously short attention span will get the better of him and he’ll drop this weird renaming fetish before moving on to something else. In any case, it should be clear to everyone now that we are in dire need of a leader who takes our national security and alliances seriously. We need someone who will focus on the important details and mission of NATO instead of pointlessly fussing over its name.
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-09--Trump begs Republicans to not take away his war powers and whines he’s being harassed

Thankfully , tensions between the United States and Iran seem to be settling down for the time being .
President Trump ’ s decision to kill Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani in a targeted strike prompted the Iranians to launch a missile attack on bases in Iraq housing American troops which luckily resulted in zero casualties .
Since no one was killed , Trump seems to be backing down from the brink of war now and claiming victory .
Even with this ideal outcome , every American should be deeply disturbed by how close our impulsive president came to stumbling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prudence , intellect , and frankly attention span to be trusted with such deadly power .
It ’ s clear that Congress must pass the new War Powers Resolution to ensure that Trump requires Congressional approval to escalate his military actions against Iran any further .
Not surprisingly , the president doesn ’ t agree .
Trump took to Twitter today to urge every Republican in the house to vote against “ Crazy Nancy Pelosi ’ s War Powers Resolution.
” Since there is no good reason for them to do that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relying simply on partisan pressure to keep them in line .
So far , that doesn ’ t seem to be working and one Republican senator has already signaled his intention to sign the legislation if it passes in the House .
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump .
Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial !
The president also got in one of his usual complaints about the impeachment process and slammed Pelosi for declining to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate just yet .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear that she ’ s waiting until Senate Majority Mitch McConnell agrees to hold a fair impeachment trial , a dubious prospect given his own admission that he intends to coordinate with the White House to protect the president .
The tweet amounted to nothing more than vain thrashing , including one of his trademark complaints about “ Presidential Harassment.
” Trump is powerless to stop the House from proceeding with the War Powers Resolution and he can do nothing more than cross his fingers over impeachment .
The inability to affect his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind and one would be forgiven for taking some degree of joy in his obvious displeasure .
What do you think ?

Thankfully, tensions between the United States and Iran seem to be settling down for the time being. President Trump’s decision to kill Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani in a targeted strike prompted the Iranians to launch a missile attack on bases in Iraq housing American troops which luckily resulted in zero casualties. Since no one was killed, Trump seems to be backing down from the brink of war now and claiming victory.
Even with this ideal outcome, every American should be deeply disturbed by how close our impulsive president came to stumbling us into another war. He lacks the prudence, intellect, and frankly attention span to be trusted with such deadly power. It’s clear that Congress must pass the new War Powers Resolution to ensure that Trump requires Congressional approval to escalate his military actions against Iran any further. Not surprisingly, the president doesn’t agree.
Trump took to Twitter today to urge every Republican in the house to vote against “Crazy Nancy Pelosi’s War Powers Resolution.” Since there is no good reason for them to do that, Trump provided none and is instead relying simply on partisan pressure to keep them in line. So far, that doesn’t seem to be working and one Republican senator has already signaled his intention to sign the legislation if it passes in the House.
McConnell admitted coordinating impeachment with Trump. Add your name to demand he recuse himself from the trial!
The president also got in one of his usual complaints about the impeachment process and slammed Pelosi for declining to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate just yet. For her part, Pelosi has made it clear that she’s waiting until Senate Majority Mitch McConnell agrees to hold a fair impeachment trial, a dubious prospect given his own admission that he intends to coordinate with the White House to protect the president.
The tweet amounted to nothing more than vain thrashing, including one of his trademark complaints about “Presidential Harassment.” Trump is powerless to stop the House from proceeding with the War Powers Resolution and he can do nothing more than cross his fingers over impeachment. The inability to affect his fate is clearly poisoning his already toxic mind and one would be forgiven for taking some degree of joy in his obvious displeasure.
Hope that all House Republicans will vote against Crazy Nancy Pelosi’s War Powers Resolution. Also, remember her “speed & rush” in getting the Impeachment Hoax voted on & done. Well, she never sent the Articles to the Senate. Just another Democrat fraud. Presidential Harassment! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts