occupydemocrats--2020-01-19--“Why are they doing this to me?”: Trump plays impeachment victim to Mar-a-Lago buddies

How dare they disturb Donald Trump ’ s 243rd day of golfing at one of his own resorts during his presidency by forcing him to think about the fact that his impeachment trial is only days away ?
CNN is reporting that Trump is “ distracted ” by his constitutional woes as he spends yet another weekend at his gilded Florida Mar-a-Lago resort on the taxpayer dime and is having trouble understanding why he is being so victimized .
Trump ’ s reported reaction to the reality of his impeachment suggests that even if the terrified Republicans in the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president of the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress by refusing to call witnesses to his misdeeds , the invocation of the 25th Amendment to achieve the same ends by a different means is in order .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
Acosta also explained that the reason Trump is so unnerved by the events surrounding his impeachment relates to the negative coverage that he is getting on cable TV news outlets , with even some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being forced to report impeachment and Iran-related stories that reflect badly on him and his administration .
Apparently the skills that both Starr and Dershowitz have in Trump ’ s mind in relation to their TV appearance navigations , outweigh the negatives that both parties bring to the table as part of his defense team .
Starr , in addition to having brought the last presidential impeachment to a head as the Independent Counsel investigating then-President Bill Clinton , was ousted as president of Baylor University after an investigation found the university mishandled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their football team .
He also commented upon hearing the testimony of Gordon D. Sondland , the ambassador to the European Union , during the House impeachment investigations that the “ bombshell ” testimony would be evidence that “ the president , in fact , committed the crime of bribery.
” Dershowitz , for his part , was a part of the legal defense team of the late sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein and has been accused of participating in the rape of three of Epstein ’ s bevy of underaged victims .
The Harvard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he never met his accusers , although he admits to getting a massage at Epstein ’ s mansion , saying : Yet , even with these two telegenic defenders now on his team , Trump can ’ t keep his mind on his golf game .
Perhaps the opening arguments presented to the Senate by the House impeachment managers today will help explain to the perplexed president exactly why he finds himself in this situation .
“ President Trump ’ s conduct is the Framers ’ worst nightmare , ” the managers wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ J. Trump used his official powers to pressure a foreign government to interfere in a United States election for his personal political gain , and then attempted to cover up his scheme by obstructing Congress ’ s investigation into his misconduct , ” the managers wrote in the brief .
“ The Constitution provides a remedy when the President commits such serious abuses of his office : impeachment and removal .
The Senate must use that remedy now to safeguard the 2020 U.S. election , protect our constitutional form of government , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to America ’ s national security.
” Actually , it ’ s hard to imagine that this opening salvo will do anything to ease the president ’ s mind or that Trump will be any more able to emotionally and intellectually grasp the enormity of his offenses .
His squirming , however , is somewhat satisfying to witness .
What do you think ?

How dare they disturb Donald Trump’s 243rd day of golfing at one of his own resorts during his presidency by forcing him to think about the fact that his impeachment trial is only days away?
CNN is reporting that Trump is “distracted” by his constitutional woes as he spends yet another weekend at his gilded Florida Mar-a-Lago resort on the taxpayer dime and is having trouble understanding why he is being so victimized.
“A source close to the White House who speaks to Donald Trump regularly said the President has appeared ‘distracted’ by the impeachment trial that begins on Tuesday, telling people around him Friday night at Mar-a-Lago that he ‘can’t understand why he is impeached,’” Jim Acosta reported on CNN today. “‘Why are they doing this to me,’ the source quoted Trump as saying repeatedly.”
Trump’s reported reaction to the reality of his impeachment suggests that even if the terrified Republicans in the Senate risk their public credibility by acquitting the president of the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress by refusing to call witnesses to his misdeeds, the invocation of the 25th Amendment to achieve the same ends by a different means is in order.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
Acosta also explained that the reason Trump is so unnerved by the events surrounding his impeachment relates to the negative coverage that he is getting on cable TV news outlets, with even some of his usually reliable Fox News allies being forced to report impeachment and Iran-related stories that reflect badly on him and his administration.
“Trump has been telling associates and allies around him that he wanted a ‘high profile’ legal team that can perform on television, the source said. It’s simply who Trump is, the source continued, adding Trump loves having people who are on television working for him,” Acosta said. “This in part may explain why Kenneth Starr and Alan Dershowitz were added to the legal team representing the President.”
“Why are they doing this to me,” Trump is asking people down at Mar-a-Lago this weekend. Trump wanted TV ready attorneys and was fixated on Dershowitz who needed convincing to join Trump’s trial team. https://t.co/qBId8MQYWK — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 18, 2020
Apparently the skills that both Starr and Dershowitz have in Trump’s mind in relation to their TV appearance navigations, outweigh the negatives that both parties bring to the table as part of his defense team.
Starr, in addition to having brought the last presidential impeachment to a head as the Independent Counsel investigating then-President Bill Clinton, was ousted as president of Baylor University after an investigation found the university mishandled accusations of sexual assault against members of their football team. He also commented upon hearing the testimony of Gordon D. Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, during the House impeachment investigations that the “bombshell” testimony would be evidence that “the president, in fact, committed the crime of bribery.”
Dershowitz, for his part, was a part of the legal defense team of the late sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein and has been accused of participating in the rape of three of Epstein’s bevy of underaged victims. The Harvard Law professor denies the charges, saying he never met his accusers, although he admits to getting a massage at Epstein’s mansion, saying:
“I kept my underwear on during the massage. I don’t like massages particularly.”
Yet, even with these two telegenic defenders now on his team, Trump can’t keep his mind on his golf game.
Perhaps the opening arguments presented to the Senate by the House impeachment managers today will help explain to the perplexed president exactly why he finds himself in this situation.
“President Trump’s conduct is the Framers’ worst nightmare,” the managers wrote in their brief. “President Donald J. Trump used his official powers to pressure a foreign government to interfere in a United States election for his personal political gain, and then attempted to cover up his scheme by obstructing Congress’s investigation into his misconduct,” the managers wrote in the brief. “The Constitution provides a remedy when the President commits such serious abuses of his office: impeachment and removal. The Senate must use that remedy now to safeguard the 2020 U.S. election, protect our constitutional form of government, and eliminate the threat that the President poses to America’s national security.”
Actually, it’s hard to imagine that this opening salvo will do anything to ease the president’s mind or that Trump will be any more able to emotionally and intellectually grasp the enormity of his offenses. His squirming, however, is somewhat satisfying to witness.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-19--Top Russia expert at National Security Council marched out of White House in sudden departure

The momentous events surrounding the historic impeachment of Donald Trump have at times so sucked up the attention of the media that stories that otherwise would have a major impact on the news cycle are being buried and forgotten before the majority of people even learn about them .
Take the news about Andrew Peek , the president ’ s recent appointee as senior director for European and Russian affairs at the National Security Council .
According to Axios , Peek has become the latest Trump appointee to be embroiled in a security clearance-related investigation and has been placed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled to accompany the president to the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland where Trump will be hobnobbing with world leaders and economic titans as his impeachment trial in the Senate is taking place .
Perhaps describing Peek ’ s departure from the White House as administrative leave downplays the seriousness of the undisclosed security investigation being conducted since the latest Russia expert on the National Security Council was reportedly escorted from the White House grounds on Friday , according to Bloomberg News .
Andrew Peek had only been working in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third person to leave that post in less than a year as Trump cycles through people with the required expertise to try to find someone aligned with his own unique views on the relationship the United States should have with a Russian government whose interference in his 2016 election he has strenuously downplayed .
Peek was the successor to two officials who featured prominently in the House impeachment investigations of the Ukraine scandal that has led to the president ’ s upcoming trial .
His immediate predecessor , Tim Morrison , testified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sondland , the American ambassador to the EU , that the Ukranian government would not receive any of the congressionally-allocated military aid unless they opened an investigation into the company that former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s son Hunter was working with , in a confirmation of accusations of a quid pro quo arrangement .
Before Morrison held the position , it was the domain of Russia specialist Fiona Hill who told the House impeachment hearings that Trump ’ s accusations that Ukraine , rather than Russia , meddled in the 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the details of exactly what triggered the security investigation into Andrew Peek still under wraps , it ’ s difficult to speculate why he was escorted out of the White House so expeditiously .
Even more perplexing is how he managed to work on the national security team of Trump administration for three months without raising questions .
Presumably , Peek must have had to undergo a fairly extensive background check in his previous government positions as deputy assistant secretary of State for Iraq and Iran , as a U.S. Army intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national security advisor to two different Republican senators .
Whatever the reasons for Peek ’ s hasty exodus , the personnel issues that the Trump administration is having on its national security team don ’ t bode well for the safety of our nation .
Then again , given that Donald Trump rarely seems to accept advice that contradicts his already-hardened personal opinions , no matter how ill-informed , perhaps it makes little difference what advice comes his way .
Original reporting by Margaret Talev at Axios and by Jennifer Jacobs , Nick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News .
What do you think ?

The momentous events surrounding the historic impeachment of Donald Trump have at times so sucked up the attention of the media that stories that otherwise would have a major impact on the news cycle are being buried and forgotten before the majority of people even learn about them.
Take the news about Andrew Peek, the president’s recent appointee as Senior Director for European and Russian affairs at the National Security Council.
According to Axios, the White House’s new Russia expert has become the latest Trump appointee to be embroiled in a security clearance-related investigation and has been removed from his post just days before he was scheduled to accompany the president to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland where Trump will be hobnobbing with world leaders and economic titans as his impeachment trial in the Senate is taking place.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
The official line from the White House is that Peek is being placed on administrative leave, perhaps an effort to downplay the seriousness of the undisclosed security investigation being conducted since the latest Russia expert on the National Security Council was reportedly escorted from the White House grounds on Friday, according to Bloomberg News.
Andrew Peek had only been working in his position for about three months and was the third person to leave that post in less than a year as Trump cycles through people with the required expertise to try to find someone aligned with his own unique views on the relationship the United States should have with a Russian government whose interference in his 2016 election he has strenuously downplayed.
Peek was the successor to two officials who featured prominently in the House impeachment investigations of the Ukraine scandal that has led to the president’s upcoming trial.
His immediate predecessor, Tim Morrison, testified that he had been told by Gordon Sondland, the American ambassador to the EU, that the Ukranian government would not receive any of the congressionally-allocated military aid unless they opened an investigation into the company that former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter was working with, in a confirmation of accusations of a quid pro quo arrangement.
Before Morrison held the position, it was the domain of Russia specialist Fiona Hill who told the House impeachment hearings that Trump’s accusations that Ukraine, rather than Russia, meddled in the 2016 elections were a “fictional narrative.”
With the details of exactly what triggered the security investigation into Andrew Peek still under wraps, it’s difficult to speculate why he was escorted out of the White House so expeditiously. Even more perplexing is how he managed to work on the national security team of Trump administration for three months without raising questions.
Presumably, Peek must have had to undergo a fairly extensive background check in his previous government positions as deputy assistant secretary of State for Iraq and Iran, as a U.S. Army intelligence officer in Afghanistan, and as a national security advisor to two different Republican senators.
Whatever the reasons for Peek’s hasty exodus, the personnel issues that the Trump administration is having on its national security team don’t bode well for the safety of our nation. Then again, given that Donald Trump rarely seems to accept advice that contradicts his already-hardened personal opinions, no matter how ill-informed, perhaps it makes little difference what advice comes his way.
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Original reporting by Margaret Talev at Axios and by Jennifer Jacobs, Nick Wadhams, and Justin Sink at Bloomberg News.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-19--Rachel Maddow sets new ratings record with bombshell Lev Parnas interview

The concept that the American people are overwhelmed by the constant barrage of impeachment-related news and are simply tuning out as they go about their daily lives was firmly disproved by the ratings garnered by Rachel Maddow ’ s interview with Lev Parnas , the singing canary of the Trump Ukraine scandal , on MSNBC Wednesday evening .
According to the cable news network , The Rachel Maddow Show attracted the highest number of total viewers in the program ’ s history with 4.5 million people tuning in to hear Parnas reveal that “ President Trump knew exactly what was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all my movements.
” The number of people who watched Maddow ’ s historic interview far exceeded those viewing her polar opposite on Fox News , Sean Hannity , who drew more than half a million fewer households to his program that evening .
The Rachel Maddow Show also earned more than three times the ratings of rival CNN in the same time period .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
The spectacular ratings for the interview demonstrate that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not being lessened by the constant exposure the topic has been getting on TV news or by any of Trump ’ s efforts at creating political distractions , whether they be his self-aggrandizing rallies or his militaristic actions towards Iran .
It also bodes well for the idea that a large number of Americans will be tuning into the televised Senate trial , putting any Republican Senators who may hope that any dereliction of their constitutional duties to abandon partisan politics and judge the facts of the charges against Trump fairly and dispassionately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their constituents .
Anyone who missed the revelatory interview — which dropped an avalanche of incriminating accusations against the president just a week before his impeachment trial is scheduled to begin — can read the full transcripts of the two-part interview broadcast here and here .
You can also watch a clip of the interview in the video below .
What do you think ?

The concept that the American people are overwhelmed by the constant barrage of impeachment-related news and are simply tuning out as they go about their daily lives was firmly disproved by the ratings garnered by Rachel Maddow’s interview with Lev Parnas, the singing canary of the Trump Ukraine scandal, on MSNBC Wednesday evening.
According to the cable news network, The Rachel Maddow Show attracted the highest number of total viewers in the program’s history with 4.5 million people tuning in to hear Parnas reveal that “President Trump knew exactly what was going on. He was aware of all my movements.”
The number of people who watched Maddow’s historic interview far exceeded those viewing her polar opposite on Fox News, Sean Hannity, who drew more than half a million fewer households to his program that evening. The Rachel Maddow Show also earned more than three times the ratings of rival CNN in the same time period.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
The spectacular ratings for the interview demonstrate that the interest in Trump’s impeachment is not being lessened by the constant exposure the topic has been getting on TV news or by any of Trump’s efforts at creating political distractions, whether they be his self-aggrandizing rallies or his militaristic actions towards Iran.
It also bodes well for the idea that a large number of Americans will be tuning into the televised Senate trial, putting any Republican Senators — who may hope that any dereliction of their constitutional duties to abandon partisan politics and judge the facts of the charges against Trump fairly and dispassionately will go unseen by the majority of their constituents — on notice.
Anyone who missed the revelatory interview — which dropped an avalanche of incriminating accusations against the president just a week before his impeachment trial is scheduled to begin — can read the full transcripts of the two-part interview broadcast here and here.
You can also watch a clip of the interview in the video below.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Jason Easley at POLITICUSUSA.
Vinnie Longobardo Managing Editor Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-19--Democrats call Trump “the framers worst nightmare” in fiery opening arguments

With the beginning of Donald Trump ’ s Senate impeachment trial scheduled to begin this week , the opening salvos of both the House impeachment managers and the president ’ s defense team took place yesterday when each side presented their initial legal filings in the trial .
The seven Democratic impeachment managers , led by Representative Adam Schiff ( D-CA ) , outlined their case against Trump with a 46-page trial memorandum supplemented with an additional 60-page statement of facts .
The memo tells the now-familiar tale of how the president engaged in an illegal campaign to recruit a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election in his favor , pressuring Ukraine to publicly announce investigations of Joe Biden , his leading rival for the next presidency , by dangling the threat of withholding military aid and then conspiring to hide those actions from public scrutiny .
Calling the refusal to provide evidence and allow testimony from the administration officials involved in the scheme to the House impeachment investigations “ a serious danger to our constitutional checks and balances , ” the Democratic document emphatically declares that “ President Trump ’ s conduct is the framers ’ worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
The formal response by Donald Trump ’ s legal team was considerably shorter than the Democrats ’ detailed indictment at only six pages in length .
Then again when your argument basically consists of “ Yeah ?
So what ?
” , you don ’ t need a lot of excess verbiage to make your point .
Trump ’ s defense doesn ’ t even bother to deny the facts of the case — a smart move given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigations .
Instead , they rely on an argument straight out of the president ’ s Twitter feed — that the entire impeachment exercise is merely a partisan attempt to overturn the results of the 2016 election , ignoring the clear criminality of Trump ’ s withholding of the Ukraine military aid , an act that was confirmed as unlawful by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office earlier this week .
The president ’ s lawyers parrotted Trump ’ s claims that his motivation was merely his altruistic mission to root out corruption in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the powers of his vision of a presidency endowed with unlimited and unrestrained executive control to do whatever the hell he wanted to .
The House impeachment managers were less than impressed with Trump ’ s opening defense claiming that he was just expanding his swamp-draining mission to Ukraine in some version of anti-corruption manifest destiny .
Besides the fact that the Trump administration has been hardly the high-watermark of ethical behavior — given the number of scandal-ridden cabinet members who have been forced to resign due to their corrupt actions — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump was more interested in harming his domestic political rival than cleaning up the Ukraine energy industry is undeniable by anyone outside the president ’ s defense team .
Trump ’ s team still has until noon on Monday to file a more detailed response to the Democrats ’ opening filing , and then the House team will have a day to submit a written rebuttal to that brief .
Unless some procedural maneuvers delay the process , the Democrats will begin to present the case for removing Trump from office beginning on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be uncovered nearly every day — thanks to the decision by Rudy Giuliani associate in Ukraine subterfuge Lev Parnas to cooperate with the impeachment investigation — it remains to be seen whether a sufficient number of GOP senators will find the intestinal fortitude to agree to call witnesses in the trial , a development that the White House is fighting against as hard as it can .
However , even leading Trump acolyte Senator Lindsey Graham now admits that the idea of simply dismissing the House charges without debate or testimony is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday this morning .
For his part , Trump tweeted out a brave declaration of Republican unity on the eve of his momentous trial .
While some may interpret the tweet as a bold and confident prediction of party solidarity that will result in a quick dismissal of the House impeachment charges , others see a desperate plea disguised by a brave face .
Luckily we won ’ t have to wait too long to see which interpretation is correct .
What do you think ?

With the beginning of Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial scheduled to begin this week, the opening salvos of both the House impeachment managers and the president’s defense team took place yesterday when each side presented their initial legal filings in the trial.
The seven Democratic impeachment managers, led by Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA), outlined their case against Trump with a 46-page trial memorandum supplemented with an additional 60-page statement of facts.
The memo tells the now-familiar tale of how the president engaged in an illegal campaign to recruit a foreign government to interfere in the 2020 election in his favor, pressuring Ukraine to publicly announce investigations of Joe Biden, his leading rival for the next presidency, by dangling the threat of withholding military aid and then conspiring to hide those actions from public scrutiny.
Calling the refusal to provide evidence and allow testimony from the administration officials involved in the scheme to the House impeachment investigations “a serious danger to our constitutional checks and balances,” the Democratic document emphatically declares that “President Trump’s conduct is the framers’ worst nightmare.”
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
The formal response by Donald Trump’s legal team was considerably shorter than the Democrats’ detailed indictment at only six pages in length. Then again when your argument basically consists of “Yeah? So what?”, you don’t need a lot of excess verbiage to make your point.
Trump’s defense doesn’t even bother to deny the facts of the case — a smart move given the readily available evidence provided in the House investigations.
Instead, they rely on an argument straight out of the president’s Twitter feed — that the entire impeachment exercise is merely a partisan attempt to overturn the results of the 2016 election, ignoring the clear criminality of Trump’s withholding of the Ukraine military aid, an act that was confirmed as unlawful by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office earlier this week.
The president’s lawyers parrotted Trump’s claims that his motivation was merely his altruistic mission to root out corruption in Ukraine and that he was well within the powers of his vision of a presidency endowed with unlimited and unrestrained executive control to do whatever the hell he wanted to.
“President Trump categorically and unequivocally denies each and every allegation in both articles of impeachment,” wrote White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump’s personal attorney Jay Sekulow.
The House impeachment managers were less than impressed with Trump’s opening defense claiming that he was just expanding his swamp-draining mission to Ukraine in some version of anti-corruption manifest destiny.
Besides the fact that the Trump administration has been hardly the high-watermark of ethical behavior — given the number of scandal-ridden cabinet members who have been forced to resign due to their corrupt actions — the blatant self-interest displayed by the evidence that Trump was more interested in harming his domestic political rival than cleaning up the Ukraine energy industry is undeniable by anyone outside the president’s defense team.
“It is not [an effort to fight corruption],” the Democratic impeachment managers wrote. “Rather it is corruption itself, naked, unapologetic and insidious.”
Trump’s team still has until noon on Monday to file a more detailed response to the Democrats’ opening filing, and then the House team will have a day to submit a written rebuttal to that brief. Unless some procedural maneuvers delay the process, the Democrats will begin to present the case for removing Trump from office beginning on Wednesday.
With new evidence continuing to be uncovered nearly every day — thanks to the decision by Rudy Giuliani associate in Ukraine subterfuge Lev Parnas to cooperate with the impeachment investigation — it remains to be seen whether a sufficient number of GOP senators will find the intestinal fortitude to agree to call witnesses in the trial, a development that the White House is fighting against as hard as it can.
However, even leading Trump acolyte Senator Lindsey Graham now admits that the idea of simply dismissing the House charges without debate or testimony is “dead for practical purposes,” as he told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday this morning.
For his part, Trump tweeted out a brave declaration of Republican unity on the eve of his momentous trial.
I have never seen the Republican Party as Strong and as Unified as it is right now. Thank you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2020
While some may interpret the tweet as a bold and confident prediction of party solidarity that will result in a quick dismissal of the House impeachment charges, others see a desperate plea disguised by a brave face.
Luckily we won’t have to wait too long to see which interpretation is correct.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Michael D. Shear and
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--2020-01-20--George Conway on Trump legal team: “This is what happens when you don’t pay your legal bills”

As a noted Republican lawyer and a professed member of the minuscule anti-Trump faction of his party , George Conway ’ s opinions on Donald Trump ’ s legal defense team for the impeachment trial that Conway is hoping — like so many of us — will result in the president ’ s removal from office are of more than passing interest .
Conway expressed those opinions in an op-ed today in The Washington Post that attempts to explain the recent addition of what he calls “ the legal odd couple of Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth W. Starr ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsels as a consequence of Trump ’ s reputation for being a deadbeat client of major law firms in his chequered litigious past .
With an insider ’ s knowledge of legal industry scuttlebutt , Mr. Conway provides concrete examples of why Trump has had such difficulty in finding quality attorneys to represent him .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
The husband of one of Trump ’ s most trusted and longest-serving political advisors , Kellyanne Conway , adds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impediment that the president faces as prestigious law firms consider whether to represent him , an assignment that they would be crawling over each other to win with any other president .
“ Of course , being cheap wasn ’ t the only reason Trump struck out among the nation ’ s legal elite .
There was the fact that he would be an erratic client who ’ d never take reasonable direction — direction as in shut up and stop tweeting .
Firms also understood that taking on Trump would kill their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ varying political stripes who might be willing , even eager , to join a firm that provides pro bono representation to murderers on death row , want nothing to do with Trump , ” Mr. Conway acidly notes .
Conway enumerates the attorneys currently representing Trump — a motley crew that he refers to as “ a random patchwork of counsel ” — Jay Sekulow , whose specialty is religious liberty cases rather than constitutional impeachment law ; John Dowd , who was reported to have called Trump a “ f—ing liar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something Dowd denies ; and Rudy Giuliani , whose Ukraine antics form much of the basis of the president ’ s impeachment charges .
Conway then contrasts Trump ’ s defense team unfavorably with the legal firepower that then-President Bill Clinton brought on board to fight his own impeachment charges .
He goes on to analyze what the addition of Dershowitz and Starr adds to the mix , and it ’ s not a particularly flattering portrayal .
“ Dershowitz may be a genius in some ways , but he ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side .
Judges have told me they find him condescending in manner and tone — not the approach you want before a court consisting of 100 U.S. senators .
And he ’ s wont to make off-the-wall arguments .
As his former Harvard colleague Professor Laurence Tribe has put it , Dershowitz “ revels in taking positions that ultimately are not just controversial but pretty close to indefensible.
” Dershowitz ’ s recent assertion that the Supreme Court could order the Senate not to conduct an impeachment trial illustrates the point .
Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s also ridiculous , ” Conway says of the man who has worked defending Jeffrey Epstein , OJ Simpson , and Harvey Wenstein .
Of Kenneth Starr , Conway says he knows and likes the man , but “ can ’ t comprehend what he ’ s doing here.
” He compares the prosecution of Bill Clinton for lying about an extra-marital affair as “ a trifle compared with extorting a foreign nation by cutting off federal military funds in an effort to interfere with an upcoming U.S. presidential election.
” Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will square his assertions in the Clinton impeachment trial with the defense of his new client .
Conway displays his years of experience as a high-powered legal representative in the conclusion to his op-ed that summarizes what he thinks of the president ’ s latest legal maneuvering .
If only Trump ’ s intransigent base would learn from the experience of the law firms to which Trump reneged on his promises of payment .
They know that “ once burned , twice shy ” is the prudent model to follow when dealing with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What do you think ?

As a noted Republican lawyer and a professed member of the minuscule anti-Trump faction of his party, George Conway’s opinions on Donald Trump’s legal defense team for the impeachment trial that Conway is hoping — like so many of us — will result in the president’s removal from office are of more than passing interest.
Conway expressed those opinions in an op-ed today in The Washington Post that attempts to explain the recent addition of what he calls “the legal odd couple of Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth W. Starr” to the president’s battery of legal counsels as a consequence of Trump’s reputation for being a deadbeat client of major law firms in his chequered litigious past.
With an insider’s knowledge of legal industry scuttlebutt, Mr. Conway provides concrete examples of why Trump has had such difficulty in finding quality attorneys to represent him.
“In 2017, after Robert S. Mueller III became special counsel, Trump couldn’t find a high-end law firm that would take him as a client. His reputation for nonpayment preceded him: One major Manhattan firm I know had once been forced to eat bills for millions in bond work it once did for Trump. No doubt other members of the legal community knew of other examples,” Conway says about his wife’s employer.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
The husband of one of Trump’s most trusted and longest-serving political advisors, Kellyanne Conway, adds that this isn’t the only impediment that the president faces as prestigious law firms consider whether to represent him, an assignment that they would be crawling over each other to win with any other president.
“Of course, being cheap wasn’t the only reason Trump struck out among the nation’s legal elite. There was the fact that he would be an erratic client who’d never take reasonable direction — direction as in shut up and stop tweeting. Firms also understood that taking on Trump would kill their recruiting efforts: Top law students of varying political stripes who might be willing, even eager, to join a firm that provides pro bono representation to murderers on death row, want nothing to do with Trump,” Mr. Conway acidly notes.
Conway enumerates the attorneys currently representing Trump — a motley crew that he refers to as “a random patchwork of counsel” — Jay Sekulow, whose specialty is religious liberty cases rather than constitutional impeachment law; John Dowd, who was reported to have called Trump a “f—ing liar,” according to journalist Bob Woodward, something Dowd denies; and Rudy Giuliani, whose Ukraine antics form much of the basis of the president’s impeachment charges.
Conway then contrasts Trump’s defense team unfavorably with the legal firepower that then-President Bill Clinton brought on board to fight his own impeachment charges. He goes on to analyze what the addition of Dershowitz and Starr adds to the mix, and it’s not a particularly flattering portrayal.
“Dershowitz may be a genius in some ways, but he’s not necessarily the advocate you want on your side. Judges have told me they find him condescending in manner and tone — not the approach you want before a court consisting of 100 U.S. senators. And he’s wont to make off-the-wall arguments. As his former Harvard colleague Professor Laurence Tribe has put it, Dershowitz “revels in taking positions that ultimately are not just controversial but pretty close to indefensible.” Dershowitz’s recent assertion that the Supreme Court could order the Senate not to conduct an impeachment trial illustrates the point. Not only is that claim indefensible — it’s also ridiculous,” Conway says of the man who has worked defending Jeffrey Epstein, OJ Simpson, and Harvey Wenstein.
Of Kenneth Starr, Conway says he knows and likes the man, but “can’t comprehend what he’s doing here.” He compares the prosecution of Bill Clinton for lying about an extra-marital affair as “a trifle compared with extorting a foreign nation by cutting off federal military funds in an effort to interfere with an upcoming U.S. presidential election.”
Even more perplexing for Conway is how Starr will square his assertions in the Clinton impeachment trial with the defense of his new client.
“Starr argued that Clinton had committed an impeachable offense by blocking witness testimony and documents. Oops,” Mr. Conway points out.
Conway displays his years of experience as a high-powered legal representative in the conclusion to his op-ed that summarizes what he thinks of the president’s latest legal maneuvering.
“Any litigator will tell you that adding to your legal team on the eve of trial most likely will not produce better lawyering but, rather, chaos. In that sense, at least, Trump will be getting the representation he deserves,” Conway archly ends his op-ed.
If only Trump’s intransigent base would learn from the experience of the law firms to which Trump reneged on his promises of payment. They know that “once burned, twice shy” is the prudent model to follow when dealing with a serial conman and feckless financial welsher.
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--2020-01-20--Lev Parnas’ team demands Trump toady AG Bill Barr recuse himself from his trial

Lev Parnas — the Rudy Giuliani associate who brought a major upheaval to the impeachment defense of Donald Trump with his stunning allegations that confirmed the nation ’ s worst fears about the criminality behind the president ’ s attempt to extort Ukraine for his own political gain — has now called on Attorney General William Barr to recuse himself from any involvement in the prosecution of his federal campaign finance violations indictment .
Parnas has requested the recusal in order to “ avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest and to preserve the public trust in the rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter that Parnas ’ attorneys have sent to both the Justice Department and the judge overseeing the case against the now-cooperating witness who has implicated the attorney general as an integral player in the president ’ s impeachable offenses .
During an interview with MSNBC ‘ s Rachel Maddow last week , Parnas claimed that Donald Trump “ knew exactly what was going on ” with the efforts by his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his team of cohorts to shakedown the Ukranian government by withholding much needed military aid until they agreed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice President Joe Biden .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
The Soviet-born entrepreneur also noted that the knowledge of the conspiracy extended beyond just Giuliani and the president .
Parnas noted that the attorney general frequently communicated with Giuliani and speculated that Barr “ had to have known everything , ” confirming suspicions that Barr sees his role more as the president ’ s personal defense lawyer than as the chief official in an impartial Justice Department .
Parnas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already suffered “ actual harm ” due to the attorney general ’ s conflict of interest .
They cite the fact that due to “ delays in the production of discovery in his federal case , ” he was unable to comply with a congressional subpoena in time for House investigators to make use of his evidence and properly assess his value as a potential witness .
His lead attorney Joseph Bondy also says that prosecutors have refused to meet with Mr. Parnas to take delivery of his information regarding the president , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Parnas says were involved in the politically motivated scheme , Fox News regulars Victoria Toensing and Joseph diGenova .
Bondy claims that the information provided by Parnas could potentially benefit his client if he were to be convicted of the campaign finance charges against him , due to the leniency typically afforded defendants who provide crucial information in other , more high profile cases .
While Parnas and his legal team are certainly smart to call for Barr ’ s recusal in his particular legal proceedings , the involvement of the attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scandal alone should be grounds for Barr ’ s own removal from office before he ’ s allowed to further erode the public trust in the rule of law .
What do you think ?

Lev Parnas — the Rudy Giuliani associate who brought a major upheaval to the impeachment defense of Donald Trump with his stunning allegations that confirmed the nation’s worst fears about the criminality behind the president’s attempt to extort Ukraine for his own political gain — has now called on Attorney General William Barr to recuse himself from any involvement in the prosecution of his federal campaign finance violations indictment.
Parnas has requested the recusal in order to “avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest and to preserve the public trust in the rule of law,” according to a letter that Parnas’ attorneys have sent to both the Justice Department and the judge overseeing the case against the now-cooperating witness who has implicated the attorney general as an integral player in the president’s impeachable offenses.
Lev Parnas’ attorney Joseph Bondy filed a motion calling for Attorney General Bill Barr’s recusal and the appointment of a special prosecutor outside @TheJusticeDept for his client’s case. pic.twitter.com/s33qczUcHf — Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) January 20, 2020
During an interview with MSNBC‘s Rachel Maddow last week, Parnas claimed that Donald Trump “knew exactly what was going on” with the efforts by his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his team of cohorts to shakedown the Ukranian government by withholding much needed military aid until they agreed to investigate his potential presidential rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.
“He was aware of all my movements,” Parnas said to Maddow. “I wouldn’t do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani, or the president. I have no intent, I have no reason to speak to any of these officials.”
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
The Soviet-born entrepreneur also noted that the knowledge of the conspiracy extended beyond just Giuliani and the president.
“Attorney General Barr was basically on the team,” Parnas told Maddow.
Parnas noted that the attorney general frequently communicated with Giuliani and speculated that Barr “had to have known everything,” confirming suspicions that Barr sees his role more as the president’s personal defense lawyer than as the chief official in an impartial Justice Department.
Parnas’ attorneys claim that their client has already suffered “actual harm” due to the attorney general’s conflict of interest. They cite the fact that due to “delays in the production of discovery in his federal case,” he was unable to comply with a congressional subpoena in time for House investigators to make use of his evidence and properly assess his value as a potential witness.
His lead attorney Joseph Bondy also says that prosecutors have refused to meet with Mr. Parnas to take delivery of his information regarding the president, Giuliani, and two other right-wing attorneys that Parnas says were involved in the politically motivated scheme, Fox News regulars Victoria Toensing and Joseph diGenova.
Bondy claims that the information provided by Parnas could potentially benefit his client if he were to be convicted of the campaign finance charges against him, due to the leniency typically afforded defendants who provide crucial information in other, more high profile cases.
To be clear, the request is to AG Barr in a letter, and Bondy informed SDNY Judge Oetken of his request in a separate letter. pic.twitter.com/rs1L88qJpm — Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) January 20, 2020
While Parnas and his legal team are certainly smart to call for Barr’s recusal in his particular legal proceedings, the involvement of the attorney general in the machinations of the Ukraine scandal alone should be grounds for Barr’s own removal from office before he’s allowed to further erode the public trust in the rule of law.
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Original reporting by Sky Palma 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--2020-01-20--Trump uses MLK Day to celebrate his inauguration in delusional Twitter brag

While MLK Day offers us the opportunity to reflect on the great man ’ s looming legacy and all he did for Civil Rights and racial justice in this country , it should also be an occasion for taking stock of just how much work we still have left to do as a country if we are ever going to achieve true equality .
Nowhere is this reality more clear than in the current president , a virulent racist who has openly flirted with white nationalism on numerous occasions and whose entire political movement is rooted in xenophobia and racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress to be sure , but it ’ s also the country that voted Donald Trump into office in no small part due to backlash against the first black president .
Republicans continue to deny Trump ’ s obvious racism and he himself loves to tout Black unemployment numbers as some kind of proof that he ’ s not a bigot , which is of course ridiculous .
Job numbers say nothing about Trump ’ s hateful rhetoric and even less about his personal beliefs about race .
In fact , there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cataloging the “ racial views of Donald Trump.
” At this point , he has no plausible deniability left on this issue .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
Earlier today , Trump penned an MLK Day tweet and it was every bit as asinine as one might expect .
The president tried to make the day about himself by pointing out that “ exactly three years ago today ” he was sworn into office .
Absurdly , he added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Martin Luther King Jr. ’ s day of honor falls on the third anniversary of his inauguration because “ African-American Unemployment is the LOWEST ” it ’ s ever been and the “ Poverty , Youth , and Employment ” numbers are the “ best.
” Ignoring the sheer egomania of the tweet , it ’ s telling that Trump has literally one positive talking point when it comes to African-Americans .
Eight out of ten Black voters believe Trump is racist , according to a new poll , so clearly the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s racism from voters .
MLK would have hated everything Trump stands for and would have certainly been one of his most vocal and eloquent critics .
Invoking his memory in this manner is an utter disgrace and a reminder that there is nothing that this president won ’ t try to debase .
What do you think ?

While MLK Day offers us the opportunity to reflect on the great man’s looming legacy and all he did for Civil Rights and racial justice in this country, it should also be an occasion for taking stock of just how much work we still have left to do as a country if we are ever going to achieve true equality. Nowhere is this reality more clear than in the current president, a virulent racist who has openly flirted with white nationalism on numerous occasions and whose entire political movement is rooted in xenophobia and racial animus. The United States has made progress to be sure, but it’s also the country that voted Donald Trump into office in no small part due to backlash against the first black president.
Republicans continue to deny Trump’s obvious racism and he himself loves to tout Black unemployment numbers as some kind of proof that he’s not a bigot, which is of course ridiculous. Today’s unemployment numbers are an extension of the recovery engineered by President Obama and Democrats in the wake of great recession. Just as with his personal wealth, Trump like to tout as a great accomplishment an economy that he happened to inherit.
Furthermore, job numbers say nothing about Trump’s hateful rhetoric and even less about his personal beliefs about race. In fact, there is an extensive Wikipedia page devoted just to cataloging the “racial views of Donald Trump.” At this point, he has no plausible deniability left on this issue.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
Earlier today, Trump penned an MLK Day tweet and it was every bit as asinine as one might expect. The president tried to make the day about himself by pointing out that “exactly three years ago today” he was sworn into office. Absurdly, he added that it is “so appropriate” that Martin Luther King Jr.’s day of honor falls on the third anniversary of his inauguration because “African-American Unemployment is the LOWEST” it’s ever been and the “Poverty, Youth, and Employment” numbers are the “best.”
Ignoring the sheer egomania of the tweet, it’s telling that Trump has literally one positive talking point when it comes to African-Americans. Eight out of ten Black voters believe Trump is racist, according to a new poll, so clearly the unemployment rate is doing nothing to obscure Trump’s racism from voters.
MLK would have hated everything Trump stands for and would have certainly been one of his most vocal and eloquent critics. Invoking his memory in this manner is an utter disgrace and a reminder that there is nothing that this president won’t try to debase.
It was exactly three years ago today, January 20, 2017, that I was sworn into office. So appropriate that today is also MLK jr DAY. African-American Unemployment is the LOWEST in the history of our Country, by far. Also, best Poverty, Youth, and Employment numbers, ever. Great! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-20--Kellyanne argues it was not “MLK’s vision” to drag American through Trump impeachment

White House Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway has achieved a new level of senseless and offensive blather in her defense of Donald Trump on this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday today .
Somehow Conway managed not only to insult the intelligence of people who actually know and care about Dr. King ’ s legacy and philosophy but to also use a double negative to undermine the entirely fallacious point she was trying to make .
NBC News correspondent Geoff Bennett tweeted out the response that the long-serving Trump political advisor gave when he asked her how the president was observing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revered slain civil rights leader .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
The disingenuous message that Conway tries to pass off by saying that Trump agrees with the principles of equality and unity is easily disproven by simply examining the president ’ s actions and behavior from long before he took office until the present — from his repeated “ birther ” claims that President Obama was not a U.S. citizen to his refusal to admit that he was wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his labeling of the neo-Nazi Charlottesville marchers as “ very fine people.
” Perhaps Conway was sending a subtle message when she says she doesn ’ t think that Dr. King ’ s vision included having Americans face a process where Trump is NOT “ going to be removed from office ” and NOT “ charged with bribery , extortion , high crimes and misdemeanors , ” but having , in essence , said that King would have approved of both the charges and the president ’ s removal from office , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through her lips , if only accidentally .
Conway goes on to claim that those who care about “ justice for all ” will appreciate Trump ’ s “ defense on the facts , ” but surely at this point , she ’ s referring to the “ alternative facts ” that she so famously popularized as a synonym for the president ’ s invented reality .
If Conway truly wanted to respect the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Lurther King Jr. , perhaps she should stick to making statements that won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his grave .
What do you think ?

White House Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway has achieved a new level of senseless and offensive blather in her defense of Donald Trump on this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday today.
Somehow Conway managed not only to insult the intelligence of people who actually know and care about Dr. King’s legacy and philosophy but to also use a double negative to undermine the entirely fallacious point she was trying to make.
NBC News correspondent Geoff Bennett tweeted out the response that the long-serving Trump political advisor gave when he asked her how the president was observing the national holiday commemorating the memory of the revered slain civil rights leader.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
The disingenuous message that Conway tries to pass off by saying that Trump agrees with the principles of equality and unity is easily disproven by simply examining the president’s actions and behavior from long before he took office until the present — from his repeated “birther” claims that President Obama was not a U.S. citizen to his refusal to admit that he was wrong about the exonerated Central Park Five to his labeling of the neo-Nazi Charlottesville marchers as “very fine people.”
Perhaps Conway was sending a subtle message when she says she doesn’t think that Dr. King’s vision included having Americans face a process where Trump is NOT “going to be removed from office” and NOT “charged with bribery, extortion, high crimes and misdemeanors,” but having, in essence, said that King would have approved of both the charges and the president’s removal from office, she lets a rare admission of truth pass through her lips, if only accidentally.
Conway goes on to claim that those who care about “justice for all” will appreciate Trump’s “defense on the facts,” but surely at this point, she’s referring to the “alternative facts” that she so famously popularized as a synonym for the president’s invented reality.
If Conway truly wanted to respect the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Lurther King Jr., perhaps she should stick to making statements that won’t inspire him to turn over in his grave.
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--2020-01-20--Trump asks farmers if anyone doesn’t love their “spoiled, rotten brats” in telling rant

President Trump ’ s apparent ( and frankly , understandable ) disgust for his male children is one of the more amusing subplots of a presidency sorely lacking in any kind of levity , especially considering how strenuously Don Jr. and Eric Trump have debased themselves in their desperate efforts to win their father ’ s approval .
No matter how hard they try to publicly defend him and promote his agenda in the media , Trump still treats them with scorn and contempt , most recently seen in the admission from Don Jr. that his dad told him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet he makes is in support of his father .
The president ’ s bizarre relationship with his sons was brought back into public discussion on Monday after video began circulating of Trump speaking at the Farm Bureau Annual Convention and Trade Show in Austin , Texas on Sunday .
On an unprompted and deeply uncomfortable tangent , the President asked whether or not there was anyone in the room who hated their children because they were “ spoiled , rotten brats.
” When nobody raised their hands , he conceded that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people.
” Trump ’ s words are clearly projecting his own internal feelings about his children , who are the very definition of spoiled , rotten brats , though it is wildly ironic for him to complain about his children since he himself was also the very definition of a spoiled , rotten brat .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
Why the president feels such antipathy towards his male kids is unknown .
Perhaps he sees their yearning for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he competed with his father in business and even cheered his father ’ s death because now he had “ got Manhattan all to myself !
” Perhaps he resents them for infringing upon his playboy lifestyle when they were young .
“ There are certain things you do and certain things you don ’ t…It ’ s just not for me ” he said when asked if he ever changed diapers .
“ He wasn ’ t really interested in the children until he could talk business with them…when they turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him and said , ‘ Here ’ s the finished product .
You can take them from here ” said his first wife and one of his alleged sex assault victims , Ivana Trump .
Or perhaps it ’ s that Don Jr. is an imperfect reflection of himself that his ego simply can not tolerate .
Trump infamously reportedly did not want to name his first son after himself in case he turned out to be a “ loser ” and joked that his idiot sons “ were in the back of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brains.
” No matter the reason , it is so telling and so characteristically Trump that he can not even conceive of a parental relationship based on love and broadly assumes that most people dislike their “ rotten brat ” children — and that he is so unwilling to take any responsibility for making them who they are today with his neglect and cruelty .
What do you think ?

President Trump’s apparent (and frankly, understandable) disgust for his male children is one of the more amusing subplots of a presidency sorely lacking in any kind of levity, especially considering how strenuously Don Jr. and Eric Trump have debased themselves in their desperate efforts to win their father’s approval.
No matter how hard they try to publicly defend him and promote his agenda in the media, Trump still treats them with scorn and contempt, most recently seen in the admission from Don Jr. that his dad told him to stop tweeting so much even though every tweet he makes is in support of his father.
The president’s bizarre relationship with his sons was brought back into public discussion on Monday after video began circulating of Trump speaking at the Farm Bureau Annual Convention and Trade Show in Austin, Texas on Sunday.
On an unprompted and deeply uncomfortable tangent, the President asked whether or not there was anyone in the room who hated their children because they were “spoiled, rotten brats.” When nobody raised their hands, he conceded that they were a “pretty good group of people.”
President Trump: "Farmers have a lot of guts. Come on, there's not one person that dislikes their children because they're brats? Because they're spoiled, rotten brats? Ok, well that's a pretty good group of people. That's the farmers for you." pic.twitter.com/nnrCJxqqba — The Hill (@thehill) January 20, 2020
Trump’s words are clearly projecting his own internal feelings about his children, who are the very definition of spoiled, rotten brats, though it is wildly ironic for him to complain about his children since he himself was also the very definition of a spoiled, rotten brat.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
Why the president feels such antipathy towards his male kids is unknown. Perhaps he sees their yearning for his affection as a weakness, seeing as he competed with his father in business and even cheered his father’s death because now he had “got Manhattan all to myself!”
Perhaps he resents them for infringing upon his playboy lifestyle when they were young. “There are certain things you do and certain things you don’t…It’s just not for me” he said when asked if he ever changed diapers. “He wasn’t really interested in the children until he could talk business with them…when they turned 21, I handed them over to him and said, ‘Here’s the finished product. You can take them from here” said his first wife and one of his alleged sex assault victims, Ivana Trump.
Or perhaps it’s that Don Jr. is an imperfect reflection of himself that his ego simply cannot tolerate. Trump infamously reportedly did not want to name his first son after himself in case he turned out to be a “loser” and joked that his idiot sons “were in the back of the room when God was handing out brains.”
No matter the reason, it is so telling and so characteristically Trump that he cannot even conceive of a parental relationship based on love and broadly assumes that most people dislike their “rotten brat” children — and that he is so unwilling to take any responsibility for making them who they are today with his neglect and cruelty.
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--2020-01-20--Trump kicks off MLK Day with whiny rant about the unfairness of his impeachment

It may be the middle of January , but you would think it was springtime given the amount of horse manure that Donald Trump is fertilizing his followers ’ brains with on his Twitter feed .
For Trump , the imminence of his impeachment trial , not the length of the day or the temperature , is the primary motivating factor for his spreading of the smelly droppings , laden with lies .
The President began his social media day with a generic assault on Virginia Democrats who are facing an invasion of their state capitol by a group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NRA propaganda that sensible gun regulations can only be equated with a left-wing attempt to take away their guns .
Trump , naturally , merely repeated the NRA talking point to claim that Democrats are trying to take away American ’ s gun rights and make a Republican campaign pitch .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
Next , the president went even heavier on the fertilizer with an easily disproved lie claiming that House Democrats didn ’ t try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House aides such as former National Security Advisor John Bolton rather than the truth which is that Trump himself blocked them from testifying by claiming a constitutionally suspect right of unlimited executive privilege .
At least he ’ s right that it ’ s not supposed to be that way .
Trump ’ s habit of projection kicks off his next tweet , as he describes Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-NY ) as “ Cryin ’ Chuck ” while wailing like a baby over the perceived unfairness of his impeachment — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a trial who can verify the multiple charges against you is just so unfair !
BWAAA !
Of course , the president neglects to mention that he was invited to have his attorneys participate in the House impeachment hearings and simply refused , but he expects that none of the intended targets of his propagandistic tweets were paying close enough attention to remember that .
After his busy morning of fertilizing the minds of his base , the president needed a palate cleanser to take the smell of the stinking pile of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he decided to pretend he was at an Olympic event cheering on the national team .
Or at least that ’ s the only likely explanation one can think of for his next gratuitous tweet .
This might be a good time to remind people of the definition of the word “ echolalia ” — the meaningless repetition of another person ’ s spoken words as a symptom of psychiatric disorder .
What do you think ?

It may be the middle of January, but you would think it was springtime given the amount of horse manure that Donald Trump is fertilizing his followers’ brains with on his Twitter feed.
For Trump, the imminence of his impeachment trial, not the length of the day or the temperature, is the primary motivating factor for his spreading of the smelly droppings, laden with lies.
The President began his social media day with a generic assault on Virginia Democrats who are facing an invasion of their state capitol by a group of armed gun-rights protestors who somehow believe the NRA propaganda that sensible gun regulations can only be equated with a left-wing attempt to take away their guns.
Trump, naturally, merely repeated the NRA talking point to claim that Democrats are trying to take away American’s gun rights and make a Republican campaign pitch.
The Democrat Party in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia are working hard to take away your 2nd Amendment rights. This is just the beginning. Don’t let it happen, VOTE REPUBLICAN in 2020! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2020
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
Next, the president went even heavier on the fertilizer with an easily disproved lie claiming that House Democrats didn’t try to get the testimony of key White House aides such as former National Security Advisor John Bolton rather than the truth which is that Trump himself blocked them from testifying by claiming a constitutionally suspect right of unlimited executive privilege.
They didn’t want John Bolton and others in the House. They were in too much of a rush. Now they want them all in the Senate. Not supposed to be that way! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2020
At least he’s right that it’s not supposed to be that way.
Trump’s habit of projection kicks off his next tweet, as he describes Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) as “Cryin’ Chuck” while wailing like a baby over the perceived unfairness of his impeachment — because, you know, having witnesses at a trial who can verify the multiple charges against you is just so unfair! BWAAA!
Cryin’ Chuck Schumer is now asking for “fairness”, when he and the Democrat House members worked together to make sure I got ZERO fairness in the House. So, what else is new? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2020
Of course, the president neglects to mention that he was invited to have his attorneys participate in the House impeachment hearings and simply refused, but he expects that none of the intended targets of his propagandistic tweets were paying close enough attention to remember that.
After his busy morning of fertilizing the minds of his base, the president needed a palate cleanser to take the smell of the stinking pile of lies out of his head, so he decided to pretend he was at an Olympic event cheering on the national team. Or at least that’s the only likely explanation one can think of for his next gratuitous tweet.
USA! USA! USA! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2020
This might be a good time to remind people of the definition of the word “echolalia” — the meaningless repetition of another person’s spoken words as a symptom of psychiatric disorder.
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--2020-01-21--Trump lashes out at “stone cold losers” at Washington Post in furious outburst over new book

Our embarrassingly petty commander-in-chief is incensed over a new book from two Washington Post reporters detailing the chaotic reality of the 45th president ’ s administration from the inside .
A Very Stable Genius : Donald J. Trump ’ s Testing of America by Phillip Rucker and Carol Leonnig aims to give the clearest portrait yet of what Donald Trump is really like inside the White House and he ’ s not taking kindly to it .
One of the juicier excerpts to emerge from the book alleges that Trump berated a group of generals by calling them a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had the gall to try to educate him on the basics of the post-WWII world order .
Reportedly , he got so worked up that his breathing became irregular as he spiraled into a rage .
Complimentary , this book is clearly not .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
Over the weekend , he lashed out on Twitter about the “ Fake Book ” and called Rucker and Leonnig “ third rate Washington Post reporters.
” He incorrectly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proven to be inaccurately reported ” and as usual failed to specify what exactly was inaccurate or offer any proof for his claim .
He ’ s gotten so lazy with his defenses now that he just shrieks “ fake ” and makes no effort to actually back it up .
He knows his unhinged fans will believe anything he says and will ignore any news story that cast him in an unflattering light .
Two days later , he ’ s still thinking about the book .
He retweeted his own insulting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters as “ stone cold losers from Amazon WP.
” He further alleged that “ every story in the book is a “ made up lie.
” Those of us not suffering from MAGA-brain know that it ’ s very unlikely the book ’ s anecdotes are untrue .
Both of these writers are Pulitzer Prize winners with long track records steeped in credibility and honest reporting .
Trump , on the other hand , is a pathological liar .
For some reason , Trump also decided to drag House Intelligence Committee Chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his little feud .
Trump reiterated his claim that Schiff “ fraudulently made up ” his call with Ukraine .
Schiff did no such thing .
The chairman recounted the content of the call and broke down the subtext , explaining how Trump tried to coerce the Ukrainian president into opening a sham investigation into Joe Biden .
Schiff didn ’ t lie at any point , he just properly explained the implications of what Trump said in such a way as to make it more easily understood by voters .
Whether or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whines about this particular book remains to be seen , but his agitated response to it is a strong argument to go out and purchase it .
What do you think ?

Our embarrassingly petty commander-in-chief is incensed over a new book from two Washington Post reporters detailing the chaotic reality of the 45th president’s administration from the inside. A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America by Phillip Rucker and Carol Leonnig aims to give the clearest portrait yet of what Donald Trump is really like inside the White House and he’s not taking kindly to it.
One of the juicier excerpts to emerge from the book alleges that Trump berated a group of generals by calling them a “bunch of dopes and babies” because they had the gall to try to educate him on the basics of the post-WWII world order. Reportedly, he got so worked up that his breathing became irregular as he spiraled into a rage. Complimentary, this book is clearly not.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
Over the weekend, he lashed out on Twitter about the “Fake Book” and called Rucker and Leonnig “third rate Washington Post reporters.” He incorrectly stated that the book has “already proven to be inaccurately reported” and as usual failed to specify what exactly was inaccurate or offer any proof for his claim. He’s gotten so lazy with his defenses now that he just shrieks “fake” and makes no effort to actually back it up. He knows his unhinged fans will believe anything he says and will ignore any news story that cast him in an unflattering light.
Another Fake Book by two third rate Washington Post reporters, has already proven to be inaccurately reported, to their great embarrassment, all for the purpose of demeaning and belittling a President who is getting great things done for our Country, at a record clip. Thank you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2020
Two days later, he’s still thinking about the book. He retweeted his own insulting tweet and this time referred to the reporters as “stone cold losers from Amazon WP.” He further alleged that “every story in the book is a “made up lie.” Those of us not suffering from MAGA-brain know that it’s very unlikely the book’s anecdotes are untrue. Both of these writers are Pulitzer Prize winners with long track records steeped in credibility and honest reporting. Trump, on the other hand, is a pathological liar.
For some reason, Trump also decided to drag House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) into his little feud. Trump reiterated his claim that Schiff “fraudulently made up” his call with Ukraine. Schiff did no such thing. The chairman recounted the content of the call and broke down the subtext, explaining how Trump tried to coerce the Ukrainian president into opening a sham investigation into Joe Biden. Schiff didn’t lie at any point, he just properly explained the implications of what Trump said in such a way as to make it more easily understood by voters.
Whether or not this is the last time Trump whines about this particular book remains to be seen, but his agitated response to it is a strong argument to go out and purchase it.
Two stone cold losers from Amazon WP. Almost every story is a made up lie, just like corrupt pol Shifty Schiff, who fraudulently made up my call with Ukraine. Fiction! https://t.co/0Oad0738NG — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-21--MLK’s daughter fires back at Kellyanne’s “incorrect” comments about MLK and impeachment

Every year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day , Republicans try to co-opt the Civil Rights icon ’ s legacy by insisting that he would support one or another of their reactionary policies despite the obvious fact that any reasonable reading of MLK ’ s beliefs indicates he would have opposed everything the racist MAGA movement stands for .
The president himself somehow managed to make the solemn day about his own inauguration , a nauseating reminder that there is nothing Trump won ’ t twist and debase to heap praise upon himself .
On top of that , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MLK Day to assert that impeaching the current president is not in keeping with King ’ s “ vision ” for the country .
While it ’ s difficult to call it a new low for a woman as odious and opportunistic as Conway , it did implicitly make the argument that no one should ever take this woman seriously .
The idea that King would support a vile man like Donald Trump is sadly exactly the kind of birdbrained defense we ’ ve come to expect from the president ’ s surrogates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place in an administration that subsists solely on mendacity and cruelty .
Unfortunately for Trump and his cronies , Martin Luther King Jr. ’ s daughter Bernice King has decided to respond to Conway ’ s ludicrous comments and not surprisingly she strongly disagrees .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
King took to her official Twitter account and retweeted the above video of Conway , commenting that people should keep her father ’ s name and “ incorrect analysis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until they commit to better understanding her father ’ s “ teachings and methodologies.
” It was a succinct rebuttal of Conway ’ s self-serving characterization of MLK ’ s life ’ s work and White House officials would do well to heed it .
This is a president who was elected in large part because of xenophobia and backlash against the first Black president .
Not only does Trump not embody King ’ s fight for racial equality , he actively seeks to undermine it .
Conway ’ s shameless argument to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons why these white nationalist-sympathizing goons needs to be removed from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue next election .
What do you think ?

Every year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Republicans try to co-opt the Civil Rights icon’s legacy by insisting that he would support one or another of their reactionary policies despite the obvious fact that any reasonable reading of MLK’s beliefs indicates he would have opposed everything the racist MAGA movement stands for. The president himself somehow managed to make the solemn day about his own inauguration, a nauseating reminder that there is nothing Trump won’t twist and debase to heap praise upon himself.
On top of that, Trump’s right-hand woman Kellyanne Conway exploited MLK Day to assert that impeaching the current president is not in keeping with King’s “vision” for the country. While it’s difficult to call it a new low for a woman as odious and opportunistic as Conway, it did implicitly make the argument that no one should ever take this woman seriously. The idea that King would support a vile man like Donald Trump is sadly exactly the kind of birdbrained defense we’ve come to expect from the president’s surrogates. Common sense and truth have no place in an administration that subsists solely on mendacity and cruelty.
WATCH: Asked about President Trump observing #MLKDay today, Kellyanne Conway discusses MLK's values and the impeachment effort against President Trump. pic.twitter.com/Tx5q70Yf1d — NBC News (@NBCNews) January 20, 2020
Unfortunately for Trump and his cronies, Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter Bernice King has decided to respond to Conway’s ludicrous comments and not surprisingly she strongly disagrees.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
King took to her official Twitter account and retweeted the above video of Conway, commenting that people should keep her father’s name and “incorrect analysis” out of conversations about current issues until they commit to better understanding her father’s “teachings and methodologies.”
It was a succinct rebuttal of Conway’s self-serving characterization of MLK’s life’s work and White House officials would do well to heed it. This is a president who was elected in large part because of xenophobia and backlash against the first Black president. Not only does Trump not embody King’s fight for racial equality, he actively seeks to undermine it. Conway’s shameless argument to the contrary is just one of countless reasons why these white nationalist-sympathizing goons needs to be removed from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue next election.
Until a person commits to better understanding and then better understands my father’s teachings and methodologies, I REALLY wish they’d keep his name, and incorrect anaylsis, out of their conversations about current issues. #MLKDay #MLK https://t.co/ZoVS89oYNQ — Be A King (@BerniceKing) January 21, 2020
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts


occupydemocrats--2020-01-21--Nobel-winning economist skewers Trump on global stage with fact check of Davos speech

While Donald Trump is by now used to being fact-checked as quickly as possible by the news media after he delivers his falsehood-laden speeches at the pep rallies he holds for his true believers , perhaps the president was expecting a less skeptical reaction to his comments in the cozy confines of the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland surrounded by wealthy business leaders , world leaders , and economic experts .
Yet shortly after Trump gave his somnambulistic speech bragging about his stewardship of the American economy at what amounts to the Super Bowl of international financial leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stiglitz , was handing out a typed rebuttal fact-checking the president ’ s boastful claims to any conference attendee who would take it .
Contradicting Trump ’ s rosy portrayal of the economic effects of his policies on the American financial system , Stiglitz used the facts based on government statistics to give a more realistic picture of the economy as experienced by the average U.S. citizen .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
While the president bragged about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earnings since he took office , Stiglitz pointed out the inconvenient reality that the median wage of a full-time male worker is still 3 % less than what it was 40 years ago according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics .
The Nobel laureate also cited the negative rate of business investment , a less than stellar growth rate in the nation ’ s gross domestic product compared to President Obama ’ s second term , and the soaring levels of the trade deficit and the national debt after Trump ’ s billionaire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical of the effects of Trump ’ s fiscal policies on income inequality , noting that for all of the president ’ s talk of record-low unemployment , 44 % of U.S. workers are working in low-wage jobs that pay median annual wages of just $ 18,000 per year , according to the Brookings Institute .
He also cited figures from the Tax Policy Center that show how when the Republican tax plan is fully implemented over the next seven years , the supposed tax cut will result in increased taxes for 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families .
While Trump supporters will likely denigrate Stiglitz ’ s rebuttal of the president ’ s self-aggrandizing Davos address — an address derided by some attendees as a preelection campaign speech — as the ravings of a biased and cloistered leftist academic with little practical experience in managing an economy , it ’ s worth pointing out that the Columbia University professor is a former senior vice president and chief economist of the World Bank and was chairman of the U.S. president ’ s Council of Economic Advisers under Bill Clinton .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s speech wasn ’ t the only negative reaction that the president received from attendees and observers at Davos .
A quick perusal of Twitter uncovered a host of other critiques of Trump ’ s appearance .
Hopefully , while Trump is hobnobbing with the oligarchs at Davos , the Senate will overcome the plans by Republican leadership to railroad an acquittal of the president in his impeachment trial and the American people will never have to suffer the embarrasment of being represented by a habitual liar and accused war criminal at an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think ?

While Donald Trump is by now used to being fact-checked as quickly as possible by the news media after he delivers his falsehood-laden speeches at the pep rallies he holds for his true believers, perhaps the president was expecting a less skeptical reaction to his comments in the cozy confines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland surrounded by wealthy business leaders, world leaders, and economic experts.
Trump began his speech in Davos by taking credit for everything short of the sun rising pic.twitter.com/UpyHVXxAW0 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 21, 2020
Yet shortly after Trump gave his somnambulistic speech bragging about his stewardship of the American economy at what amounts to the Super Bowl of international financial leaders, a Nobel prize-winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz, was handing out a typed rebuttal fact-checking the president’s boastful claims to any conference attendee who would take it.
Contradicting Trump’s rosy portrayal of the economic effects of his policies on the American financial system, Stiglitz used the facts based on government statistics to give a more realistic picture of the economy as experienced by the average U.S. citizen.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
While the president bragged about the 2.6% increase in real median weekly earnings since he took office, Stiglitz pointed out the inconvenient reality that the median wage of a full-time male worker is still 3% less than what it was 40 years ago according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Nobel laureate also cited the negative rate of business investment, a less than stellar growth rate in the nation’s gross domestic product compared to President Obama’s second term, and the soaring levels of the trade deficit and the national debt after Trump’s billionaire tax cuts.
Stiglitz was even more critical of the effects of Trump’s fiscal policies on income inequality, noting that for all of the president’s talk of record-low unemployment, 44% of U.S. workers are working in low-wage jobs that pay median annual wages of just $18,000 per year, according to the Brookings Institute.
He also cited figures from the Tax Policy Center that show how when the Republican tax plan is fully implemented over the next seven years, the supposed tax cut will result in increased taxes for 70% of the dwindling number of middle-income families.
While Trump supporters will likely denigrate Stiglitz’s rebuttal of the president’s self-aggrandizing Davos address — an address derided by some attendees as a preelection campaign speech — as the ravings of a biased and cloistered leftist academic with little practical experience in managing an economy, it’s worth pointing out that the Columbia University professor is a former senior vice president and chief economist of the World Bank and was chairman of the U.S. president’s Council of Economic Advisers under Bill Clinton.
Stiglitz’s rebuttal of Trump’s speech wasn’t the only negative reaction that the president received from attendees and observers at Davos. A quick perusal of Twitter uncovered a host of other critiques of Trump’s appearance.
„Trump is the enemy… (his) speech was the worst I‘ve ever heard in my entire life“ – The stunned german green party leader Robert Habeck comments the @realDonaldTrump appearance in #Davos / Interview: @KEigendorf @ZDF https://t.co/zYOoRILnvR — Felix Kasten (@sptvmag) January 21, 2020
This is telling:
Pretty much every other leader at #Davos came to talk about cooperation and addressing climate change. Trump is talking about how great his economy is. He's talking solely about America and himself.#WEF50 — Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) January 21, 2020
https://twitter.com/JrMariner77/status/1219705168574337024?s=20
In a cocktail hour with some CEOs, one said "no Trump's or Staff here" Other said " Do you really want to be involved with their criminal enterprises? " @Davos #Davos2020 @CNBCi @cnni @BBCWorld — Larry (Lars) Chaffin (@LarryChaffinCEO) January 21, 2020
Every time Trump goes abroad (he’s now at Davos), he commits gaffes that leave other world leaders shaking their heads and laughing at him. “We need a President who isn’t a laughingstock to the entire World,” Trump tweeted in 2014. He isn’t that leader.https://t.co/H6JQvcTaLr — Max Boot (@MaxBoot) January 21, 2020
Internet Speculates About Trump’s Health After He’s Seen Clutching Podium During Davos Speech https://t.co/SVb4csekWK — #TuckFrump (@realTuckFrumper) January 21, 2020
With his billionaire friends in Davos, Trump claims "America's extraordinary prosperity." Meanwhile, income and wealth inequality explodes, half our people live paycheck to paycheck, and more than 500,000 are homeless. We need "extraordinary prosperity" for workers, not the 1%. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 21, 2020
Hopefully, while Trump is hobnobbing with the oligarchs at Davos, the Senate will overcome the plans by Republican leadership to railroad an acquittal of the president in his impeachment trial and the American people will never have to suffer the embarrasment of being represented by a habitual liar and accused war criminal at an international forum again.
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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--2020-01-21--McConnell bows to pressure, changes impeachment trial rules in huge win for Dems

The fix is in .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) and his lapdog GOP senators want to hold a condensed , sham impeachment trial for Donald Trump in the hopes of exonerating him in the eyes of the American public ahead of the 2020 election .
Earlier today , House Intelligence Committee Chairman and Democratic impeachment manager Adam Schiff slammed McConnell for trying to rig the trial , taking particular issue with McConnell ’ s push to limit impeachment managers to 24 hours over two days to make their cases .
As Schiff explained , the proposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late into the night , ensuring that the public is unable to pay close attention to all the details of the proceedings , an advantageous wrinkle for the Republicans trying to railroad through an acquittal for Trump .
“ And finally they are compressing the time of the trial .
Whereas the Clinton trial managers had six hours a day to present over the course of days , they are now presenting that we double the amount of time each day so that the proceedings can conceivably go well into the night when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not be watching .
This is not a process for a fair trial .
This is the process for a rigged trial , ” said Schiff .
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses .
We demand Trump get a fair trial !
Now , it appears that McConnell has caved .
NBC News reports that McConnell has made some last-minute handwritten changes to the impeachment rules resolution that the Senate is expected to pass today .
The changes would allow three days instead of two for the impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less pressure for those involved to rush through their arguments .
NBC further reports that the sudden shift could be in part because of complaints tendered by some Republicans .
Senator Josh Hawley ( R-MO ) expressed a desire for longer arguments like those used during President Bill Clinton ’ s impeachment .
Senator Susan Collins ( R-ME ) had “ concerns ” with the rules .
“ Collins and others raised concerns about the 24 hours of opening statements in 2 days and the admission of the house transcript is the record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial should follow the Clinton model as much as possible .
She thinks these changes are a significant improvement , ” said a spokesperson for Collins .
Importantly , McConnell also changed the rules so that evidence unearthed during the House ’ s impeachment inquiry will now be automatically admitted into the Senate trial as long as there are no specific objections .
Previously , the rules would have required this evidence to be actively voted into the Senate proceedings .
While the above are certainly welcome changes , one can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minor tweaks aimed at given the trial the appearance of nonpartisanship .
Now , senators like Collins and Hawley can claim that they pushed for a fair impeachment and use that as cover to vote to acquit Trump .
The coming days will reveal the truth of the matter , but the Republican Party ’ s shameful behavior over the past three years engenders little faith that they ’ ll act in the best interests of the United States .
What do you think ?

The fix is in. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and his lapdog GOP senators want to hold a condensed, sham impeachment trial for Donald Trump in the hopes of exonerating him in the eyes of the American public ahead of the 2020 election.
Earlier today, House Intelligence Committee Chairman and Democratic impeachment manager Adam Schiff slammed McConnell for trying to rig the trial, taking particular issue with McConnell’s push to limit impeachment managers to 24 hours over two days to make their cases.
As Schiff explained, the proposed time constraints could mean the trials run late into the night, ensuring that the public is unable to pay close attention to all the details of the proceedings, an advantageous wrinkle for the Republicans trying to railroad through an acquittal for Trump.
“And finally they are compressing the time of the trial. Whereas the Clinton trial managers had six hours a day to present over the course of days, they are now presenting that we double the amount of time each day so that the proceedings can conceivably go well into the night when apparently Senator McConnell hopes the American people will not be watching. This is not a process for a fair trial. This is the process for a rigged trial,” said Schiff.
Add your name to tell McConnell to allow impeachment witnesses. We demand Trump get a fair trial!
Now, it appears that McConnell has caved. NBC News reports that McConnell has made some last-minute handwritten changes to the impeachment rules resolution that the Senate is expected to pass today. The changes would allow three days instead of two for the impeachment managers, meaning that there will be less pressure for those involved to rush through their arguments.
NBC further reports that the sudden shift could be in part because of complaints tendered by some Republicans. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) expressed a desire for longer arguments like those used during President Bill Clinton’s impeachment. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) had “concerns” with the rules.
“Collins and others raised concerns about the 24 hours of opening statements in 2 days and the admission of the house transcript is the record. Her position has been that the trial should follow the Clinton model as much as possible. She thinks these changes are a significant improvement,” said a spokesperson for Collins.
Importantly, McConnell also changed the rules so that evidence unearthed during the House’s impeachment inquiry will now be automatically admitted into the Senate trial as long as there are no specific objections. Previously, the rules would have required this evidence to be actively voted into the Senate proceedings.
While the above are certainly welcome changes, one can’t help but cynically suspect that they are minor tweaks aimed at given the trial the appearance of nonpartisanship. Now, senators like Collins and Hawley can claim that they pushed for a fair impeachment and use that as cover to vote to acquit Trump. The coming days will reveal the truth of the matter, but the Republican Party’s shameful behavior over the past three years engenders little faith that they’ll act in the best interests of the United States.
Staff Report This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney. Latest Posts