dailykos--2020-01-20--Warren & Sanders shake hands, march arm in arm, laugh, chat together at today's MLK celebration

It warms my heart to see this .
They are both authentic people who wear their emotions on their sleeves , and it ’ s clear from these images how strong and resilient their friendship remains .
Warren and Sanders marching arm in arm to celebrate Martin Luther King ’ s Day reminds us how progressive politics should be .
They are both moving forward and refusing to talk any more about the controversy that the media and Twitter trollbots ginned up to pit them against each other .
We should follow their example .
Fortunately Sanders and Warren seem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disunity the media , trolls , and anti-progressives are trying to sow between them .
Both are refusing to talk any more about the controversy , and instructing their staffers to do the same : They were even joking about it !
Three members of the Sanders campaign also just told the intercept that Sanders had researched whether it would be legal to have Elizabeth Warren be both his Vice-President and his Secretary of the Treasury simultaneously , which seems to be intended to show the high regard he has for her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how fan-fiction-like the concept sounded—why not just have Warren take every other post in Sanders ’ cabinet simultaneously as well while they ’ re at it ?
LOL ! )
, but provided in a low-key unofficial way by anonymous staffers to avoid sounding presumptuous and further fanning the flames of the progressive disunity that neither Warren nor Sanders want .
It looks like the whole affair was created by the media to get clicks and ratings , and hurt progressives : meeting with Sanders at the end of 2018 to discuss her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off-the-record dinner with a number of journalists , according to sources with knowledge of it .
At the dinner , Warren was asked about her meeting with Sanders , and in the course of the discussion , she relayed that Sanders had warned that he didn ’ t believe a woman could beat Trump in 2020 .
Different reporters recalled the comments differently , a mirror image of the dispute between Warren and Sanders over exactly what Sanders said — with Warren saying that Sanders argued a woman couldn ’ t beat Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Trump would weaponize misogyny against a woman , not that it would work .
( The Intercept was not at the dinner .
Most politicians hold informal , off-record dinners or meetings with journalists , though it ’ s not something Sanders is known to do .
Occasionally details from those meetings leak , but it ’ s rare . )
From there , the piece of news entered the journalistic bloodstream , circulating among reporters as gossip but not finding its way into print .
On Monday , it finally did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting that according to four sources — described as “ two people Warren spoke with directly soon after the encounter , and two people familiar with the meeting ” — Sanders had told Warren , according to CNN ’ s paraphrasing , that “ he did not believe a woman could win.
” It was widely assumed in the immediate aftermath of the story that Warren ’ s campaign had planted the story .
Indeed , CNN anchor Erin Burnett said as much on air .
But Burnett was merely making an assumption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sources , two CNN sources told The Intercept .
On Monday , Warren told The Intercept that her campaign did not intentionally plant the CNN story .
That Warren told a number of journalists about the meeting a year ago adds context to that statement .
If Warren had only told her closest advisers about the meeting , then it would be logical to assume that her campaign dictated the timing of the story , dropping it just ahead of a debate , and just weeks before the primary , to undercut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story more broadly to a group of journalists , CNN ’ s sources could have come from outside the campaign .
The revelation does not rule out the possibility that someone in her campaign was a source , but it opens up other possibilities , as well .
In chat groups and in private conversations with people outside the campaign , Warren aides have insisted that they were not the source of the leak , and only learned about it in the midst of debate prep , contributing to the delayed response .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Often , a news story or hashtag will originate with a specific website or person , and then the bots serve almost as middlemen in helping it take off and make it look like a lot of people are talking about it right away , explained Filippo Menczer , a professor of informatics and computer science at Indiana University .
So , for example , a hashtag starts with a specific user , and then the bots start to spread it , and then more actual people pick up on it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up on that and spreads it even further .
“ The bots work as amplifiers , ” said Menczer , who is also the creator of Hoaxy , a tool that tracks how information spreads on social media .
“ They ’ re used to manipulate the platform so that more humans will talk about [ a topic ] .
By the time something goes viral or goes trending , a lot of humans are probably talking about it.
” … .
Online battles like these have ramifications in real life : In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Sanders supporters feel like their conflict is worse than it may actually be .
“ They ’ re being told both implicitly and explicitly that they ’ re in a fight with each other , ” Phillips said .
“ When you ’ re told that you ’ re in a fight , and you ’ re told that you ’ re mad at the other side , it ’ s really easy to fall into that .
It ’ s life imitating the hashtag , basically.
” This is hardly the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cycle .
After the second round of Democratic debates in July , the # KamalaHarrisDestroyed hashtag caused a similar dustup between supporters of Kamala Harris and of Tulsi Gabbard .
Conservative commentator Terrence K. Williams started the hashtag , and as the Wall Street Journal reported , a lot of accounts with “ questionable characteristics ” — probably bots — shared it .
People on Twitter started to see it spreading , and then they started to share it because it struck a nerve with some of them .
The bots are used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ topics , narratives , and hashtags , but they wouldn ’ t work if they weren ’ t evoking a reaction in real people on Twitter .
Even Cenk Uyghur is realizing that this whole controversy was ginned up by anti-progressive media : Warren and Sanders know that they fighting each other will hurt both of them .
They are working to put this behind the stupid media-created controversy behind them and put the focus on the progressive policies they both support .
We should follow their example .

It warms my heart to see this. They are both authentic people who wear their emotions on their sleeves, and it’s clear from these images how strong and resilient their friendship remains. Warren and Sanders marching arm in arm to celebrate Martin Luther King’s Day reminds us how progressive politics should be.
They are both moving forward and refusing to talk any more about the controversy that the media and Twitter trollbots ginned up to pit them against each other. We should follow their example.
x Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren laughs with fellow Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders during the Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day festivities in Columbia, South Carolina. Photo by Sam Wolfe pic.twitter.com/259d0C9CUh — corinne_perkins (@corinne_perkins) January 20, 2020
x Democratic candidates link arms at MLK march; Sanders and Warren shake hands https://t.co/ioopfqOcQn Ã¢ÂÂ Los Angeles Times (@latimes) January 20, 2020
x Let it be. Warren-Sanders reach out for MLK. Together we can oust Trump.#MLKWeekend pic.twitter.com/Y0GK52aTaG Ã¢ÂÂ Kathy Williams (@kwill49) January 20, 2020
x Warren and Sanders have been chatting and occasionally laughing a good portion of their march arm in arm to Dome. pic.twitter.com/QiI9Qah74G Ã¢ÂÂ Laura BarrÃÂ³n-LÃÂ³pez (@lbarronlopez) January 20, 2020
x Warren and Sanders are marching next to each other here in S.C. pic.twitter.com/6XhsG4P9w3 Ã¢ÂÂ Ken Thomas (@KThomasDC) January 20, 2020
x After a week of wall-to-wall coverage about how Warren and Sanders are pissed off at each other, why is the media completely ignoring this picture of them walking arm in arm today?
Who benefits when strife is churned up among progressives?https://t.co/YbTmibsUP3 via @NYTimes — Thom Hartmann (@Thom_Hartmann) January 20, 2020
Fortunately Sanders and Warren seem to now be working together to repair the disunity the media, trolls, and anti-progressives are trying to sow between them. Both are refusing to talk any more about the controversy, and instructing their staffers to do the same:
x Warren responds: Ã¢ÂÂI have no further comment on this. I have no further comment on this...I have been friends with Bernie for a long time. https://t.co/LxrJPVaLXG pic.twitter.com/9pKVV7M2s4 — Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) January 19, 2020
They were even joking about it!
x Sanders and Warren debating Indian food backstage at the #BrownandBlack presidential forum @vicenews https://t.co/cusa3nFTgE pic.twitter.com/8Mf6L4tcNb Ã¢ÂÂ brendan kennedy (@waywaw) January 20, 2020
Three members of the Sanders campaign also just told the intercept that Sanders had researched whether it would be legal to have Elizabeth Warren be both his Vice-President and his Secretary of the Treasury simultaneously, which seems to be intended to show the high regard he has for her (although it made me LOL at how fan-fiction-like the concept sounded—why not just have Warren take every other post in Sanders’ cabinet simultaneously as well while they’re at it? LOL!), but provided in a low-key unofficial way by anonymous staffers to avoid sounding presumptuous and further fanning the flames of the progressive disunity that neither Warren nor Sanders want.
It looks like the whole affair was created by the media to get clicks and ratings, and hurt progressives:
NOT LONG AFTER meeting with Sanders at the end of 2018 to discuss her impending presidential run, Warren hosted an off-the-record dinner with a number of journalists, according to sources with knowledge of it. At the dinner, Warren was asked about her meeting with Sanders, and in the course of the discussion, she relayed that Sanders had warned that he didn’t believe a woman could beat Trump in 2020. Different reporters recalled the comments differently, a mirror image of the dispute between Warren and Sanders over exactly what Sanders said — with Warren saying that Sanders argued a woman couldn’t beat Trump, while Sanders said that he only said Trump would weaponize misogyny against a woman, not that it would work. (The Intercept was not at the dinner. Most politicians hold informal, off-record dinners or meetings with journalists, though it’s not something Sanders is known to do. Occasionally details from those meetings leak, but it’s rare.) From there, the piece of news entered the journalistic bloodstream, circulating among reporters as gossip but not finding its way into print. On Monday, it finally did, with CNN’s M.J. Lee reporting that according to four sources — described as “two people Warren spoke with directly soon after the encounter, and two people familiar with the meeting” — Sanders had told Warren, according to CNN’s paraphrasing, that “he did not believe a woman could win.” It was widely assumed in the immediate aftermath of the story that Warren’s campaign had planted the story. Indeed, CNN anchor Erin Burnett said as much on air. But Burnett was merely making an assumption, and had no inside knowledge of the sources, two CNN sources told The Intercept. On Monday, Warren told The Intercept that her campaign did not intentionally plant the CNN story. That Warren told a number of journalists about the meeting a year ago adds context to that statement. If Warren had only told her closest advisers about the meeting, then it would be logical to assume that her campaign dictated the timing of the story, dropping it just ahead of a debate, and just weeks before the primary, to undercut Sanders. But since Warren told the story more broadly to a group of journalists, CNN’s sources could have come from outside the campaign. The revelation does not rule out the possibility that someone in her campaign was a source, but it opens up other possibilities, as well. In chat groups and in private conversations with people outside the campaign, Warren aides have insisted that they were not the source of the leak, and only learned about it in the midst of debate prep, contributing to the delayed response.
Trollbots then amplified the controversy on Twitter:
www.vox.com/...
Often, a news story or hashtag will originate with a specific website or person, and then the bots serve almost as middlemen in helping it take off and make it look like a lot of people are talking about it right away, explained Filippo Menczer, a professor of informatics and computer science at Indiana University. So, for example, a hashtag starts with a specific user, and then the bots start to spread it, and then more actual people pick up on it. Twitter’s trending algorithm then picks up on that and spreads it even further. “The bots work as amplifiers,” said Menczer, who is also the creator of Hoaxy, a tool that tracks how information spreads on social media. “They’re used to manipulate the platform so that more humans will talk about [a topic]. By the time something goes viral or goes trending, a lot of humans are probably talking about it.”…. Online battles like these have ramifications in real life: In this case, it makes both Warren and Sanders supporters feel like their conflict is worse than it may actually be. “They’re being told both implicitly and explicitly that they’re in a fight with each other,” Phillips said. “When you’re told that you’re in a fight, and you’re told that you’re mad at the other side, it’s really easy to fall into that. It’s life imitating the hashtag, basically.” This is hardly the first time this has happened this election cycle. After the second round of Democratic debates in July, the #KamalaHarrisDestroyed hashtag caused a similar dustup between supporters of Kamala Harris and of Tulsi Gabbard. Conservative commentator Terrence K. Williams started the hashtag, and as the Wall Street Journal reported, a lot of accounts with “questionable characteristics” — probably bots — shared it. People on Twitter started to see it spreading, and then they started to share it because it struck a nerve with some of them. The bots are used to inject, feed, and amplify topics, narratives, and hashtags, but they wouldn’t work if they weren’t evoking a reaction in real people on Twitter.
Even Cenk Uyghur is realizing that this whole controversy was ginned up by anti-progressive media:
x It turns out media sources might have leaked to one another about Warren-Sanders dispute & that didn't come from @ewarren campaign. Anyone still denying national media has hostility toward @BernieSanders campaign is being purposely obtuse. No one hates progressives more than MSM. — Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) January 18, 2020
Warren and Sanders know that they fighting each other will hurt both of them. They are working to put this behind the stupid media-created controversy behind them and put the focus on the progressive policies they both support. We should follow their example.


An MLK Day Irony

Interesting little musing : while social media didn ’ t exist in Martin Luther King ’ s day , it ’ s highly doubtful that he would have spent any time fighting injustice on Twitter .
Or making epic Facebook posts or even haunting comment areas on sites that he agreed with politically to fill the echo chamber .
No , MLK ( and countless others , famous and unknown ) did things the only way they could be done : with action .
What a great irony it is , to see so many ( mainly white ) people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ King and remind us of what he stood and fought for .
It ’ s all done with the conviction of someone putting on a happy face at Christmas and talk about “ what really matters ” in order to get the deed over with and make everyone think you ’ re a great person .
While there ’ s really no cynicism or malice in your words , there is certainly no conviction with the platitude .
It ’ s just something that needs to be performed because it ’ s what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s over , the sooner your regularly scheduled program can resume .
Right as the impeachment trial of the most criminally-minded , incompetent and unfit “ president ” launches , there ’ s no shortage of evidence that it will be a rigged process .
Senate Republicans are openly working with the White House without the slightest pretense of fairness or impartiality .
( What they call ex parte communication if you remember nothing else from “ Law and Order.
” ) The so-called president ’ s defense team is offering up all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bothering to refute the substance of the articles of impeachment passed by the House .
There ’ s no subtlety whatsoever : it ’ s all being done right in front of your faces .
But your reaction ?
Not much by way of something in the real world .
On social media , however , there ’ s lots of hand-wringing , exasperation , anger , disgust and useless appeals to polls .
Yet there certainly isn ’ t anything concrete .
No declarations of a boycott , or a mass protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of that , why should the widely reviled and unpopular Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell be afraid of anything ?
He ’ s paying no price .
And that brings up another MLK Day irony .
The day is often called a “ day of service ” ( mainly by states that hate to have King ’ s name on anything ) but where is the civic service ?
When confronted with the possibility of letting a criminal president get away with well-evidenced crimes in collusion with his corrupt party , well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protest ?
To rise up and make your voices louder than before ?
What is going to happen with this fraudulent Senate trial is a grave injustice , something that King was well acquainted with , especially as a Southerner .
Yet he and others did not declare they would wait for an election to change things and keep going about their business .
No : he and others put their bodies out there , often at great peril , to begin effecting change .
He didn ’ t tell people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pithy bit of advice that excuses 99 percent of the rest to us from actually performing something close to a public good since we ’ re assured something else will bother .
He did things , we mostly shirk away from it .
So what is the point of lauding King if , when confronted with breathtaking dishonesty , criminality and injustice , you ’ re choosing not to do anything ?
Those feel good messages of King ’ s achievement mean nothing outside of patting yourself on the back .
What he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do with being a keyboard warrior , or waiting for the next election .
Yet it appears that no one wants to take that part to heart .
Easier to mutter something and then get back to Netflix .

Interesting little musing: while social media didn’t exist in Martin Luther King’s day, it’s highly doubtful that he would have spent any time fighting injustice on Twitter. Or making epic Facebook posts or even haunting comment areas on sites that he agreed with politically to fill the echo chamber. No, MLK (and countless others, famous and unknown) did things the only way they could be done: with action.
What a great irony it is, to see so many (mainly white) people take to their Twitter feeds to laud King and remind us of what he stood and fought for. It’s all done with the conviction of someone putting on a happy face at Christmas and talk about “what really matters” in order to get the deed over with and make everyone think you’re a great person. While there’s really no cynicism or malice in your words, there is certainly no conviction with the platitude. It’s just something that needs to be performed because it’s what is expected and the sooner it’s over, the sooner your regularly scheduled program can resume.
Right as the impeachment trial of the most criminally-minded, incompetent and unfit “president” launches, there’s no shortage of evidence that it will be a rigged process. Senate Republicans are openly working with the White House without the slightest pretense of fairness or impartiality. (What they call ex parte communication if you remember nothing else from “Law and Order.”) The so-called president’s defense team is offering up all sorts of lies about impeachable offenses without bothering to refute the substance of the articles of impeachment passed by the House. There’s no subtlety whatsoever: it’s all being done right in front of your faces. But your reaction? Not much by way of something in the real world. On social media, however, there’s lots of hand-wringing, exasperation, anger, disgust and useless appeals to polls. Yet there certainly isn’t anything concrete. No declarations of a boycott, or a mass protest on Capitol Hill, nothing. And because of that, why should the widely reviled and unpopular Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell be afraid of anything? He’s paying no price.
And that brings up another MLK Day irony. The day is often called a “day of service” (mainly by states that hate to have King’s name on anything) but where is the civic service? When confronted with the possibility of letting a criminal president get away with well-evidenced crimes in collusion with his corrupt party, well, what other excuse do you need to protest? To rise up and make your voices louder than before? What is going to happen with this fraudulent Senate trial is a grave injustice, something that King was well acquainted with, especially as a Southerner. Yet he and others did not declare they would wait for an election to change things and keep going about their business. No: he and others put their bodies out there, often at great peril, to begin effecting change. He didn’t tell people to “run for something”, that pithy bit of advice that excuses 99 percent of the rest to us from actually performing something close to a public good since we’re assured something else will bother. He did things, we mostly shirk away from it.
So what is the point of lauding King if, when confronted with breathtaking dishonesty, criminality and injustice, you’re choosing not to do anything? Those feel good messages of King’s achievement mean nothing outside of patting yourself on the back. What he stood and fought for had nothing to do with being a keyboard warrior, or waiting for the next election. Yet it appears that no one wants to take that part to heart. Easier to mutter something and then get back to Netflix.


dailykos--2020-01-21--Yet More Recently-Started DK Groups, How to Follow or Post Diaries For Them, & so forth.

This group supports our Democratic candidates and our party against Trump .
We are all committed to support the Democratic nominee no matter who it is .
We believe each and all of our candidates would be better than President Trump .
We invite supporters of all candidates to post positive comments and messages about their candidate .
We discourage attacks on any of the candidates running in our primary as any of them would be far better than Trump .
We encourage contributions that support our party … — Created Tue Mar 12 , 2019 Museums are institutions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the present time there are more than 17,000 museums in the United States .
The Museums Group is dedicated to both photo diaries and discussions of museum-related topics .
— Created Tue nov 27 , 2018 Kosaks not inclined to write for an interesting group can click on the group ’ s follow-heart ♥ at their Diary ( List ) page or Members page or Profile page for automatic ‘ delivery ’ into your activity-stream of all the group ’ s diaries , rather than have to join .
If you want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group banner , ‘ tho ’ , you ’ ll need to request ( nicely ) to join .
( Each group has its own ideas , of course , of when to send an invitation and when to wait and see what kind of work you do . )
So , there are at least two ways to search for groups of particular interest .
One involves using dk ’ s search page - see glen the plumber ’ s 2015 diary : ■ Welcome New Users : Groups ■ Another is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kosak who ’ s written a diary on the topic that interests you , which will take you to the kosak ’ s profile page , and if s/he is in any dk groups associated with those topics , the groups will be listed there , available to click on for more information .
There are many science-related groups in dk —including for various topics in “ space ” — but no index for those groups , many crafts groups in DK but no index for those .
Et Cetera , et cetera @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using a group ’ s Send Message to Group link ▬to ask to join as a contributor writer , request diary reblog , etc▬ will NOT generate a alert at anyone ’ s blogview envelope icon nor in anyone ’ s box .
Getting a reply that way depends on how often admins & editors habitually check their personal or group message page [ s ] .
So , if you send the group a kosmail but it brings no timely reply , or if you ’ re in a rush , find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ topmost paragraph of this diary for how to do that ) and click on one or two admins ( if you ’ d like to join ) or admins or editors ( for reblog requesting ) to see her/his profile page and find out who ’ s commented in the past couple of days — those are yr best bets for speedy contact .
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A kog with no active admins ( or none at all ) can ’ t `` hire '' /add new members ( contributors ) , nor promote contrib ’ rs to editor or eds to admin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then reblogging is possible .
A kog with no active eds or admins can ’ t do much of anything , but names of remaining members still active in DK might be worth clicking on to see if their profile page shows them in similar groups that might meet your interest .

.
This group supports our Democratic candidates and our party against Trump. We are all committed to support the Democratic nominee no matter who it is. We believe each and all of our candidates would be better than President Trump. We invite supporters of all candidates to post positive comments and messages about their candidate. We discourage attacks on any of the candidates running in our primary as any of them would be far better than Trump. We encourage contributions that support our party … — Created Tue Mar 12, 2019
Museums are institutions of education, entertainment, and communication. At the present time there are more than 17,000 museums in the United States. The Museums Group is dedicated to both photo diaries and discussions of museum-related topics. — Created Tue nov 27, 2018
Kosaks not inclined to write for an interesting group can click on the group’s follow-heart ♥ at their Diary (List) page or Members page or Profile page for automatic ‘delivery’ into your activity-stream of all the group’s diaries, rather than have to join. If you want to post diaries you write under the group banner , ‘tho’, you’ll need to request (nicely) to join. (Each group has its own ideas, of course, of when to send an invitation and when to wait and see what kind of work you do.)
So, there are at least two ways to search for groups of particular interest. One involves using dk’s search page - see glen the plumber ’s 2015 diary: ■ Welcome New Users: Groups ■ Another is to click on the name of a kosak who’s written a diary on the topic that interests you, which will take you to the kosak’s profile page, and if s/he is in any dk groups associated with those topics, the groups will be listed there, available to click on for more information.
There are many science-related groups in dk —including for various topics in “space”— but no index for those groups, many crafts groups in DK but no index for those. Et Cetera, et cetera, and so forth.
BTW, using a group’s Send Message to Group link ▬to ask to join as a contributor writer, request diary reblog, etc▬ will NOT generate a New Message alert at anyone’s blogview envelope icon nor in anyone’s Welcome Back box. Getting a reply that way depends on how often admins & editors habitually check their personal or group message page[s]. So, if you send the group a kosmail but it brings no timely reply, or if you’re in a rush, find your way to the members page (see topmost paragraph of this diary for how to do that) and click on one or two admins (if you’d like to join) or admins or editors (for reblog requesting) to see her/his profile page and find out who’s commented in the past couple of days — those are yr best bets for speedy contact. Use the Send Message link at her/his page to send a private kosmail, which will generate a New Message alert to him/her.
If you’re requesting reblogging for a diary that you or someone else posted, word the request courteously (they’re free to not comply, after all) and be sure to paste the diary’s URL (link) into the body of the message.
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dailykos--2020-01-22--Yesterday’s Lesson: Time To Jettison Any Lingering Fantasy Of A Fair Senate Trial

Democrats , media pundits and average citizens who may have held on to some optimism that there just might be a few Republican Senators who could be persuaded to do the right thing .
That at least four of them , who signaled they might vote for witnesses or produce documents , would hear the compelling case presented and come through .
The inclusion of documents and witnesses has occurred in every trial in the history of trials , it ’ s not an exotic request .
What we got to see yesterday was a microcosm of the entire proceedings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given a head fake that their votes were in play , they weren ’ t .
It ’ s time to give up any expectation that this is going to change .
Nothing about yesterday ’ s debate on the Senate floor over the procedural rules for how the impeachment trial process would be conducted was normal .
The amendments put forth by Minority Leader Schumer were DOA , yet I have to think that even he had a slight glimmer of hope that some Republicans would care about the country enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They wouldn ’ t even give an inch on minor procedural amendments or let the Chief Justice be an independent arbitrator on witnesses .
Now Schumer and the managers can adjust their strategy to get the best outcome they can given the reality of the circumstances .
Democratic House Managers made an effective case to the Republican jury members , gave them more than enough to allow for a sliver of daylight of fairness to step in , a modicum of juris prudence that might move these proceedings in to something that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senators might have an opportunity to be enlightened by additional facts and evidence that would help them make a decision as to whether Donald Trump participated in a scheme to coerce a foreign government to interfere in our election .
The case was made , it didn ’ t matter .
We found out yesterday that they really don ’ t care .
Time to move on from that goal .
House managers have to give up on the idea that they will persuade Republicans in the senate to do anything and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impact on public opinion .
Witnesses are never going to be heard from directly in public testimony .
McConnell is not going to let that happen .
Documents will never be collected through subpoena and presented because that process alone would extend the trial for many weeks as they are reviewed and redactions debated .
This is a rigged , unfair proceeding and Democratic House Managers are now tasked with making sure the voters know the full extent of it so that they are more inclined to replace the Republicans in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travesty , this American tragedy .

Democrats, media pundits and average citizens who may have held on to some optimism that there just might be a few Republican Senators who could be persuaded to do the right thing. That at least four of them, who signaled they might vote for witnesses or produce documents, would hear the compelling case presented and come through. The inclusion of documents and witnesses has occurred in every trial in the history of trials, it’s not an exotic request. What we got to see yesterday was a microcosm of the entire proceedings going forward. Some Republicans may have given a head fake that their votes were in play, they weren’t. It’s time to give up any expectation that this is going to change.
Nothing about yesterday’s debate on the Senate floor over the procedural rules for how the impeachment trial process would be conducted was normal. The amendments put forth by Minority Leader Schumer were DOA, yet I have to think that even he had a slight glimmer of hope that some Republicans would care about the country enough to join Democrats in the search for truth. They wouldn’t even give an inch on minor procedural amendments or let the Chief Justice be an independent arbitrator on witnesses. Now Schumer and the managers can adjust their strategy to get the best outcome they can given the reality of the circumstances.
Democratic House Managers made an effective case to the Republican jury members, gave them more than enough to allow for a sliver of daylight of fairness to step in, a modicum of juris prudence that might move these proceedings in to something that resembles a fair trial. One where the Senators might have an opportunity to be enlightened by additional facts and evidence that would help them make a decision as to whether Donald Trump participated in a scheme to coerce a foreign government to interfere in our election. The case was made, it didn’t matter. We found out yesterday that they really don’t care. Time to move on from that goal.
House managers have to give up on the idea that they will persuade Republicans in the senate to do anything and now direct the entire strategy towards maximizing the impact on public opinion. Witnesses are never going to be heard from directly in public testimony. McConnell is not going to let that happen. Documents will never be collected through subpoena and presented because that process alone would extend the trial for many weeks as they are reviewed and redactions debated.
This is a rigged, unfair proceeding and Democratic House Managers are now tasked with making sure the voters know the full extent of it so that they are more inclined to replace the Republicans in the senate who are responsible for this American travesty, this American tragedy.


dailykos--2020-01-23--Do exhausted voters' yearning for rest explain why Biden kept his lead despite not campaigning much?

I ’ ve been surprised at how Biden stayed the in the lead this whole primary season so far despite campaigning less and giving more passive debate performances than the other frontrunners .
Slate has an interesting take on why this is so : What is astounding is how well Biden ’ s passivity has worked .
Normally , a candidate ’ s success depends on energy : an ability to stand out , command eyeballs , drive the narrative .
But in our current political landscape , Biden ’ s lack of reaction—and his staff ’ s rumored efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as much as possible—might accidentally be amounting to something like a superpower .
It ’ s true that Biden ’ s lack of media appearances has been criticized in some quarters .
“ They have him in the candidate-protection program , ” former Obama advisor David Axelrod told Olivia Nuzzi , of the vice-president ’ s handlers .
“ I don ’ t know if you can do that .
I don ’ t know if you can get through a whole campaign that way .
Either he can hack it or he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re worried the candidate can hurt himself talking to a reporter , that ’ s a bad sign.
” This has been the conventional wisdom—exposure gets you votes—but Biden might be proving it wrong .
In a landscape saturated by the furious exhalations of a president who can ’ t stop reacting and responding to every new development , restraint might have its charms for an understudied demographic : the American voter who wants nothing more than to tune out .
What do you think of this explanation ?
And do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a strength for Biden in the general election ?
It makes sense , in a depressing way , but I ’ m skeptical about whether it will remain true in the general election , after the Republican smear machine and trollbots start working full-time on smearing the Democratic nominee .
If our nominee is Biden , will most voters still continue to yawn and continue to favor Biden over Trump because they ’ re tired , and will these tired voters still muster enough energy to go to the polls on election day @

I’ve been surprised at how Biden stayed the in the lead this whole primary season so far despite campaigning less and giving more passive debate performances than the other frontrunners. Slate has an interesting take on why this is so:
What is astounding is how well Biden’s passivity has worked. Normally, a candidate’s success depends on energy: an ability to stand out, command eyeballs, drive the narrative. But in our current political landscape, Biden’s lack of reaction—and his staff’s rumored efforts to keep him away from the press as much as possible—might accidentally be amounting to something like a superpower. It’s true that Biden’s lack of media appearances has been criticized in some quarters. “They have him in the candidate-protection program,” former Obama advisor David Axelrod told Olivia Nuzzi, of the vice-president’s handlers. “I don’t know if you can do that. I don’t know if you can get through a whole campaign that way. Either he can hack it or he can’t hack it. If you’re worried the candidate can hurt himself talking to a reporter, that’s a bad sign.” This has been the conventional wisdom—exposure gets you votes—but Biden might be proving it wrong. In a landscape saturated by the furious exhalations of a president who can’t stop reacting and responding to every new development, restraint might have its charms for an understudied demographic: the American voter who wants nothing more than to tune out.
What do you think of this explanation? And do you think it will continue to be a strength for Biden in the general election? It makes sense, in a depressing way, but I’m skeptical about whether it will remain true in the general election, after the Republican smear machine and trollbots start working full-time on smearing the Democratic nominee. If our nominee is Biden, will most voters still continue to yawn and continue to favor Biden over Trump because they’re tired, and will these tired voters still muster enough energy to go to the polls on election day?


dailykos--2020-01-23--Mr. Schiff Goes To Washington

Mr. Schiff Goes To Washington

We are living through significant events that will be looked upon as a key moment in American history .
We throw around the word “ historic ” all too frequently , but in this case it can be written it in all red caps in a bold font .
It appears that the time Nancy Pelosi gave the House Impeachment team to prepare was well used .
They have put together a cohesive , compelling narrative that clearly walks the public though the actions and events that brought about the public impeachment of Donald J. Trump .
The story is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of graphics that include documents , bullet pointed lists and video testimony from the House impeachment proceedings .
In the millions of words that will be written in books and in law school thesis that will be composed about this impeachment , just as there have been about the impeachment of Richard Nixon ’ s for example , the likely key figure in all of it will be the role and words of Adam Schiff .
I also suspect future law students will be watching videos of his trial presentations before the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and style after his .
We are watching the mastery of the use of argument , persuasion and eloquence that is comparable to any maestro in the arts .
The Senate is filled with lawyers and outsized egos , yet I have to think that they are at least a little impressed , if not occasionally awed , by the oratory skills of Adam Schiff no matter what their reaction might be to the substance of his argument .
To be sure there is a lot of substance , the weight of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s presidency .
The story presented by all the House Managers leaves little doubt that something corrupt was afoot .
The facts are unassailable .
Facts alone can ’ t sway opinion however , it is the ability to engage the emotional state that moves people to change their mind .
This is where Schiff excels .
He has the ability to speak extemporaneously in a modulated tone that reminds me of a skilled jazz musician hitting all the right notes in an improvised composition .
You can tell Schiff feels his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the notes that come out of his instrument .
If this were truly a fair proceeding , free of jury bias , Adam Schiff would win his case .
That is not what he faces however .
The majority of people in the room have a significant stake in not allowing themselves to be persuaded , so they won ’ t .
There will never be an outcome like we saw in the 1939 Jimmy Stewart film Mr. Smith Goes To Washington .
The world presented in that movie , where Congress ultimately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do the right thing , is life as we would like it to be .
One where truth prevails and people will set aside their personal stake and ultimately do the right thing .
In the real world , our most optimistic outcome for this trial is that enough Senators will cross over to allow witnesses and documents .
There won ’ t be a conviction by the Senate .
That was a foregone conclusion before the trial started .
What Schiff is doing masterfully is making it easier for enough Senators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence and testimony in to the public domain .
This surely will flood the proceedings with additional daylight .
If this does happen , we have Adam Schiff and his persuasive skills to thank for it .

We are living through significant events that will be looked upon as a key moment in American history. We throw around the word “historic” all too frequently, but in this case it can be written it in all red caps in a bold font.
It appears that the time Nancy Pelosi gave the House Impeachment team to prepare was well used. They have put together a cohesive, compelling narrative that clearly walks the public though the actions and events that brought about the public impeachment of Donald J. Trump. The story is made easier to digest by the inclusion of graphics that include documents, bullet pointed lists and video testimony from the House impeachment proceedings.
In the millions of words that will be written in books and in law school thesis that will be composed about this impeachment, just as there have been about the impeachment of Richard Nixon’s for example, the likely key figure in all of it will be the role and words of Adam Schiff. I also suspect future law students will be watching videos of his trial presentations before the Senate and model their courtroom manner, cadence and style after his. We are watching the mastery of the use of argument, persuasion and eloquence that is comparable to any maestro in the arts.
The Senate is filled with lawyers and outsized egos, yet I have to think that they are at least a little impressed, if not occasionally awed, by the oratory skills of Adam Schiff no matter what their reaction might be to the substance of his argument. To be sure there is a lot of substance, the weight of which was more than enough to end Trump’s presidency.
The story presented by all the House Managers leaves little doubt that something corrupt was afoot. The facts are unassailable. Facts alone can’t sway opinion however, it is the ability to engage the emotional state that moves people to change their mind. This is where Schiff excels. He has the ability to speak extemporaneously in a modulated tone that reminds me of a skilled jazz musician hitting all the right notes in an improvised composition. You can tell Schiff feels his words, just as that musician feels the notes that come out of his instrument.
If this were truly a fair proceeding, free of jury bias, Adam Schiff would win his case. That is not what he faces however. The majority of people in the room have a significant stake in not allowing themselves to be persuaded, so they won’t. There will never be an outcome like we saw in the 1939 Jimmy Stewart film Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. The world presented in that movie, where Congress ultimately bent to the gravity of the opportunity to do the right thing, is life as we would like it to be. One where truth prevails and people will set aside their personal stake and ultimately do the right thing.
In the real world, our most optimistic outcome for this trial is that enough Senators will cross over to allow witnesses and documents. There won’t be a conviction by the Senate. That was a foregone conclusion before the trial started. What Schiff is doing masterfully is making it easier for enough Senators to find a safe harbor for allowing evidence and testimony in to the public domain. This surely will flood the proceedings with additional daylight. If this does happen, we have Adam Schiff and his persuasive skills to thank for it.


dailykos--2020-01-24--Let's Take a Moment to Fully Appreciate How Badly Republican Senators Have Botched Trump Impeachment

From the beginning , removing Trump from office through a Senate impeachment trial was always a near-impossibility with today ’ s Senate , requiring a two-thirds supermajority .
Yet Republican Senators have still botched nearly every aspect of their involvement in Trump ’ s impeachment .
If they had went with the same mantra of a full and impartial trial as the Democratic Party called for , things may have ended up looking a bit more grim for Trump , but it would have provided enough cover for several GOP senators facing reelection to not have impeachment cause them significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how McConnell declared that he would not be an impartial juror — despite swearing on oath to do just that as required .
But with the supermajority still required even then , this is basically like a # 1 seed basketball team declaring that , faced with the 16th seed team , they would still cheat .
In McConnell ’ s mind , he must feel so politically untouchable at this point that he had no reservations about being so blatant — but still , there was just no reason to be so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blunder by almost any measure .
Then , there is McConnell ’ s decision to be so adamantly opposed to allowing witnesses in the Senate trial .
Setting aside that this became motivation for Speaker Pelosi to withhold the articles of impeachment , which is seemingly by the day looking like a critical move to the Dem Party and the House ’ s benefit .
Setting aside that rather than strengthening his position , drawing all the attention to trying not to call witnesses may be backfiring .
The stance by McConnell to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any sort , screams nothing but GUILT and COVER-UP to anyone with even a passing understanding of how one goes about defending yourself from charges and trials .
Still , even with McConnell calling the shots , and making it blatantly obvious that he is stacking the deck in favor of Trump , practically spitting on the Constitution in the process , this leaves plenty of room for the same individual Senators — again , many seeking re-election this year , and in tough races no less — to put themselves squarely on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and again , with little risk of actually removing Trump .
Yet , instead of being examples of how to remain composed and retain an image of impartiality , these vulnerable Republican Senators are seemingly in a contest to see who can be the King of the shit-rolls-down Hill .
You have Arizona ’ s Martha McSally , who seemingly made a deliberate ploy of calling reporter Manu Raju a “ Liberal hack.
” Which would be an obvious demographic that you don ’ t want to energize , especially when you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same state , to Kyrsten Sinema , a Blue Dog and one of the most conservative Dems in Congress .
So not only did McSally just voluntarily give up one of the most easily-quoted smears to energize the Left , but the state ’ s Conservatives have already shown once before that they consider a Dem a better representative than you .
You have Maine ’ s Susan Collins , whose efforts at coming off as impartial in this impeachment process are about as endearing as the classroom tattletale .
You have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is about as cemented to Trump ’ s bum as one can get , but still manages to bungle it up .
I guess he is trying to sound impartial ?
Like when he inexplicably compliments Schiff ’ s opening statements — who exactly this is meant to convince , I haven ’ t the foggiest .
Perhaps he will make a last-ditch about-face , in the honor of his late friend John McCain .
But , forgive me for not giving Graham even that much credit .
This goes beyond just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind you .
There are many who will soon be up for re-election in the near future , as well .
Senators like Pat Toomey — who literally waited until the dead of night to vote for his own Party ’ s Trump for President .
Senators like Ohio ’ s Rob Portman , who takes supposed principled stands against Trump and then submits to Trump faster than a merry-go-round .
And I bet a lot of these same Senators will frantically point to their records to show how far they are willing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that really compare to a vote defending Trump from impeachment ?
Voting against one or two of Trump ’ s pet projects just does not compare .
Faced with now being solidly involved in McConnell ’ s efforts at a sham trial — unless any take a stand now ( as I ’ m sure many of us here are holding our breaths for ) — these Republican Senators will have no excuses for how they allowed Trump to remain in power .
They will have no choice but to accept the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the likes of Rick Saccone in PA , Kris Kobach in KS , and Matt Bevin in KY , in recent years .
In a best case scenario , McConnell ’ s Republican-controlled Senate could have held Trump to a full accounting of all the evidence and charges against him in the House ’ s case for impeachment , even give vulnerable Senators the choice to vote to remove , if they thought it to be in their best interests — and still come nowhere close to the two-thirds votes required .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take a victory lap all throughout the 2020 campaign season once the Senate dismisses the charged — facing a truly fair and impartial trial from the get-go would have actually lended him a more robust defense .
Now no matter what , Trump ’ s eventual Dem opponent can point to all the stonewalling by McConnell and Co. , of evidence of a cover-up .
While that may not move the needle with Trump ’ s devoted base , it will significantly hurt him with undecideds , and swing voters , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown throughout the midterm races , that they will not be as forgiving of Trump ’ s corruption .
Yet if ever there was any possible worst-case scenarios for McConnell and his Republican-majority Senate , this is probably as closest as they could have gotten , without Trump stepping out in Times Square to shoot someone down .
They have fit every description of accomplices setting up a sham trial .
They have provided almost comically poor efforts of maintaining the role of impartial jurors , acting for the best of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They are feeding fuel to every Dem opponent to play their sound bytes and incriminating tweets in attack ads and stump speeches , until November and beyond .
And even doing their best to ensure a trial tilted in their favor — the # 1 ranked team cheating against the # 16 ranked team , oh and the head referee is on their payroll , to boot — they are still managing to bungle it so bad that Trump ’ s guilt is essentially laid bare to the entire nation by Schiff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s team , while the best the defense can do is scream “ Look how fast their investigation was , they couldn ’ t even get to the tip of the iceberg of how much evidence there is of Trump ’ s guilt !
“ in a catch-22 level defense that would make Doc Daneeka blush .
Because of how poorly McConnell and the rest of the Senate Republicans are composing themselves , even if they manage to dismiss the impeachment trial as everyone predicts , not only have they done significant unforced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but likely their own , as well .

From the beginning, removing Trump from office through a Senate impeachment trial was always a near-impossibility with today’s Senate, requiring a two-thirds supermajority.
Yet Republican Senators have still botched nearly every aspect of their involvement in Trump’s impeachment. If they had went with the same mantra of a full and impartial trial as the Democratic Party called for, things may have ended up looking a bit more grim for Trump, but it would have provided enough cover for several GOP senators facing reelection to not have impeachment cause them significant political pain.
We can start with how McConnell declared that he would not be an impartial juror — despite swearing on oath to do just that as required. But with the supermajority still required even then, this is basically like a #1 seed basketball team declaring that, faced with the 16th seed team, they would still cheat. In McConnell’s mind, he must feel so politically untouchable at this point that he had no reservations about being so blatant — but still, there was just no reason to be so provably blatant about it. A serious blunder by almost any measure.
Then, there is McConnell’s decision to be so adamantly opposed to allowing witnesses in the Senate trial. Setting aside that this became motivation for Speaker Pelosi to withhold the articles of impeachment, which is seemingly by the day looking like a critical move to the Dem Party and the House’s benefit. Setting aside that rather than strengthening his position, drawing all the attention to trying not to call witnesses may be backfiring. The stance by McConnell to oppose witnesses, in a trial of any sort, screams nothing but GUILT and COVER-UP to anyone with even a passing understanding of how one goes about defending yourself from charges and trials.
Still, even with McConnell calling the shots, and making it blatantly obvious that he is stacking the deck in favor of Trump, practically spitting on the Constitution in the process, this leaves plenty of room for the same individual Senators — again, many seeking re-election this year, and in tough races no less — to put themselves squarely on the side of seeking a fair trial — and again, with little risk of actually removing Trump.
Yet, instead of being examples of how to remain composed and retain an image of impartiality, these vulnerable Republican Senators are seemingly in a contest to see who can be the King of the shit-rolls-down Hill.
You have Arizona’s Martha McSally, who seemingly made a deliberate ploy of calling reporter Manu Raju a “Liberal hack.” Which would be an obvious demographic that you don’t want to energize, especially when you just lost your last election, in the same state, to Kyrsten Sinema, a Blue Dog and one of the most conservative Dems in Congress. So not only did McSally just voluntarily give up one of the most easily-quoted smears to energize the Left, but the state’s Conservatives have already shown once before that they consider a Dem a better representative than you.
You have Maine’s Susan Collins, whose efforts at coming off as impartial in this impeachment process are about as endearing as the classroom tattletale.
You have South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham, who is about as cemented to Trump’s bum as one can get, but still manages to bungle it up. I guess he is trying to sound impartial? Like when he inexplicably compliments Schiff’s opening statements — who exactly this is meant to convince, I haven’t the foggiest. Perhaps he will make a last-ditch about-face, in the honor of his late friend John McCain. But, forgive me for not giving Graham even that much credit.
This goes beyond just the Senators facing re-election in 2020, mind you. There are many who will soon be up for re-election in the near future, as well. Senators like Pat Toomey — who literally waited until the dead of night to vote for his own Party’s Trump for President. Senators like Ohio’s Rob Portman, who takes supposed principled stands against Trump and then submits to Trump faster than a merry-go-round. And I bet a lot of these same Senators will frantically point to their records to show how far they are willing to stand against Trump. But will that really compare to a vote defending Trump from impeachment? Voting against one or two of Trump’s pet projects just does not compare.
Faced with now being solidly involved in McConnell’s efforts at a sham trial — unless any take a stand now (as I’m sure many of us here are holding our breaths for) — these Republican Senators will have no excuses for how they allowed Trump to remain in power. They will have no choice but to accept the Trump brand — which did so well for the likes of Rick Saccone in PA, Kris Kobach in KS, and Matt Bevin in KY, in recent years.
In a best case scenario, McConnell’s Republican-controlled Senate could have held Trump to a full accounting of all the evidence and charges against him in the House’s case for impeachment, even give vulnerable Senators the choice to vote to remove, if they thought it to be in their best interests — and still come nowhere close to the two-thirds votes required. And while we all fully expect Trump to take a victory lap all throughout the 2020 campaign season once the Senate dismisses the charged — facing a truly fair and impartial trial from the get-go would have actually lended him a more robust defense.
Now no matter what, Trump’s eventual Dem opponent can point to all the stonewalling by McConnell and Co., of evidence of a cover-up. While that may not move the needle with Trump’s devoted base, it will significantly hurt him with undecideds, and swing voters, and a lot of the same voters who have shown throughout the midterm races, that they will not be as forgiving of Trump’s corruption.
Yet if ever there was any possible worst-case scenarios for McConnell and his Republican-majority Senate, this is probably as closest as they could have gotten, without Trump stepping out in Times Square to shoot someone down. They have fit every description of accomplices setting up a sham trial. They have provided almost comically poor efforts of maintaining the role of impartial jurors, acting for the best of the country — which they are sworn to do. They are feeding fuel to every Dem opponent to play their sound bytes and incriminating tweets in attack ads and stump speeches, until November and beyond. And even doing their best to ensure a trial tilted in their favor — the #1 ranked team cheating against the #16 ranked team, oh and the head referee is on their payroll, to boot — they are still managing to bungle it so bad that Trump’s guilt is essentially laid bare to the entire nation by Schiff and the rest of the House’s team, while the best the defense can do is scream “Look how fast their investigation was, they couldn’t even get to the tip of the iceberg of how much evidence there is of Trump’s guilt!“ in a catch-22 level defense that would make Doc Daneeka blush. Because of how poorly McConnell and the rest of the Senate Republicans are composing themselves, even if they manage to dismiss the impeachment trial as everyone predicts, not only have they done significant unforced damage to Trump’s reelection efforts, but likely their own, as well.


dailykos--2020-01-24--The Birth of the Russian-American Oligarchy

The vote was along party lines .
The Founding Fathers ’ formula for keeping American democracy running , strong , and independently , requires a Senate where differences are sorted out civilly , that works by consensus .
That has been repeatedly shattered by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell , a fellow who will be remembered far less fondly than Benedict Arnold , when historians review the demise of the republic formed as the United States of America .
Rome took thousands of years to devolve to a hopeless level of dysfunctional corruption .
Our experiment with democracy won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Constitution is a broad framework .
Bold on concept .
Light on policy to execute that concept .
It has generally served the founding document of the Republic well , because the men , women , and LGBTQ people , who have served the government of that nation , have understood the importance of their roles , and the fragility of Democracy .
American democracy is only as strong as each generation who defends it .
McConnell is a vile man , but not a stupid one .
He has been around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you do something , in an area of Senate purview , that establishes a way of doing things , that becomes the precedent for future circumstances .
All mechanisms for running the senate , from the filibuster , to what to do in the rare case of an impeachment trial , hinge on precedent .
He has to know , then , that any impeachment proceeding is not about the individual president , or member of Congress , or cabinet official .
If you effectively make Donald John Trump immune from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , Democrat , or Republican , so immune .
If the Senate , under his leadership , abrogates its constitutionally-mandated power over the Executive Branch , that will be for all time .
Why would he , and his conservative senators , marching in blind lockstep behind him , backstop Donald John Trump ?
I ’ m fairly sure , like most Republican politicians , off-the-record , that McConnell personally despises Trump .
Unlike George W. Bush , who also was a simpleton , but was easily controlled by his handler , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of President with an attempt at gravitas , Trump is a bull running amok in the constitutional china shop .
Which causes the media , and many Americans to ask : It ’ s about money , always .
More importantly , it ’ s about tribe .
Tribe , and the sins committed in its name , not Trump , is why Republicans march in zombified lockstep .
It ’ s something that Russia has always understood , and exploited .
As I write , Putin ’ s pimps , and pawns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Northern Hemisphere nations soaked in the mythos of White Power .
That control has been a part of Eurocentric cultures since their founding .
I wrote about the death throes of this white power for Huffington Post , back in 2016 .
The Russians have grafted on to this cancer on the body politic .
They ’ ve poured gasoline on it .
The reason that Republicans have a hard time disavowing Russian hacking , praise Putin , and protect the Manchurian Moron in the White House ?
Conservative white America and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d think .
The Russians , and a handful of old white billionaires , have forged links between their toxic followers .
The bridge is white power , and the ultra-nationalism , and fascism , being branded as “ populism.
” Some of the most rabid anti-Russian , anti-communists , have joined ranks with Vladimir Putin ’ s Russia , which has become the global standard bearer in faux-Christian xenophobia , homophobia , and the gospel of white power .
Russia controls , through its relationships with the Christian Right ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Graham .
The Christian right sees Putin ’ s white purity , homophobic , anti-abortion stances as in-line with their own .
Their sense of tribe blends well with the Russian model of white Christian purity .
The Russians have been co-opting our Republican politicians for a long time .
Late last year , more obvious evidence , like donations from Russian oligarch Igor Fruman , and a Russian investment fund , to the Senator Rick Scott , and Governor Ron Desantis campaigns , reinforced that the Russians put their money in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be overly simplistic to say that Putin has amassed a network whose tentacles reach into Brexit , Trump , etc .
purely to stroke his own vainglorious ego .
Power is always about money .
Just as Republicans march in lockstep on social issues , the reason that they are such huge Global Warming climate deniers , as I documented a few years ago , for Huffington Post , is because there are over $ 132 TRILLION dollars worth of oil reserves held largely by two nations : Two nations foment the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the world ’ s democracies : In the Republican Party , the orbital pull of these titan cash cows has been that the Neocons have traditionally lined up with the House of Saud , and the “ Tea Party/Freedom Caucus/Trump Train ” strain has its roots in the permafrosted soil of Mother Russia .
Putin ’ s kleptocrats and oligarchs , have been funneling money into American politics for decades .
Leading up to their election meddling , it made a hard right turn in 2014-2015 .
That ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crimea .
Obama had responded with harsh sanctions on Russian oil .
The world ’ s democracies followed suit .
Threatening the one lifeblood of the Russian economy , Putin declared war on his enemies in the West .
Think the clown show of Republican candidates in 2015-2016 .
Trump was not the only candidate with Russian money ties .
Think Brexit .
The ultra-nationalist movements in Germany , Sweden , etc .
There is no need for bombs , and sabre-rattling , when you can simply exploit cultural weaknesses : Forge relationships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups ; buy off politicians .
That became far easier , post Citizens United , when most of the massive corporate donations , and slush-fund 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) donations , became legal .
This is the WHY of the death of Democracies .
This is why American whites have more in common with Vladimir Putin .
He is going to protect them from Joe Biden , Elizabeth Warren , Bernie Sanders , and sinking into “ minority white , ” life .
This is why the toxic 39 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and his American politicians .
It is a cancer for which the Democrats have no cure .
The Far Right has been quietly taking over the courts , and gerrymandering its way into control of both the federal and state governments .
This is the new American order .
This is the new World order , in the Northern Hemisphere , at least .
These , then , are the titanic stakes of this impeachment trial , to remove Trump : If Trump is not convicted , the democracy we thought that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate will not defend us , we are done .
Welcome to the kleptocracy that is Russo-America .

Yes, Democracy died Tuesday night.
The vote was along party lines.
The Founding Fathers’ formula for keeping American democracy running, strong, and independently, requires a Senate where differences are sorted out civilly, that works by consensus.
That has been repeatedly shattered by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, a fellow who will be remembered far less fondly than Benedict Arnold, when historians review the demise of the republic formed as the United States of America.
Rome took thousands of years to devolve to a hopeless level of dysfunctional corruption. Our experiment with democracy won’t see three centuries. Why?
Precedent.
The Constitution is a broad framework. Bold on concept. Light on policy to execute that concept. It has generally served the founding document of the Republic well, because the men, women, and LGBTQ people, who have served the government of that nation, have understood the importance of their roles, and the fragility of Democracy.
American democracy is only as strong as each generation who defends it.
McConnell is a vile man, but not a stupid one.
He has been around the Senate long enough to understand precedent. If you do something, in an area of Senate purview, that establishes a way of doing things, that becomes the precedent for future circumstances.
All mechanisms for running the senate, from the filibuster, to what to do in the rare case of an impeachment trial, hinge on precedent.
He has to know, then, that any impeachment proceeding is not about the individual president, or member of Congress, or cabinet official.
If you effectively make Donald John Trump immune from prosecution, you make every other future president, Democrat, or Republican, so immune.
McConnell also understands power.
If the Senate, under his leadership, abrogates its constitutionally-mandated power over the Executive Branch, that will be for all time.
Why would he, and his conservative senators, marching in blind lockstep behind him, backstop Donald John Trump?
It’s not about Trump. He’s expendable.
I’m fairly sure, like most Republican politicians, off-the-record, that McConnell personally despises Trump.
Unlike George W. Bush, who also was a simpleton, but was easily controlled by his handler, Dick Cheney, and played the role of President with an attempt at gravitas, Trump is a bull running amok in the constitutional china shop.
Which causes the media, and many Americans to ask:
WHY?
It’s about money, always. More importantly, it’s about tribe.
Tribe, and the sins committed in its name, not Trump, is why Republicans march in zombified lockstep.
It’s something that Russia has always understood, and exploited. As I write, Putin’s pimps, and pawns, are using it to take command of Northern Hemisphere nations soaked in the mythos of White Power.
That control has been a part of Eurocentric cultures since their founding. I wrote about the death throes of this white power for Huffington Post, back in 2016.
I was terribly wrong.
The Russians have grafted on to this cancer on the body politic. They’ve poured gasoline on it.
The reason that Republicans have a hard time disavowing Russian hacking, praise Putin, and protect the Manchurian Moron in the White House?
Conservative white America and Russia have more in common than you’d think.
The Russians, and a handful of old white billionaires, have forged links between their toxic followers. The bridge is white power, and the ultra-nationalism, and fascism, being branded as “populism.”
Some of the most rabid anti-Russian, anti-communists, have joined ranks with Vladimir Putin’s Russia, which has become the global standard bearer in faux-Christian xenophobia, homophobia, and the gospel of white power. Russia controls, through its relationships with the Christian Right’s leaders in North America, like Franklin Graham. The Christian right sees Putin’s white purity, homophobic, anti-abortion stances as in-line with their own. Their sense of tribe blends well with the Russian model of white Christian purity.
The Russians have been co-opting our Republican politicians for a long time. Late last year, more obvious evidence, like donations from Russian oligarch Igor Fruman, and a Russian investment fund, to the Senator Rick Scott, and Governor Ron Desantis campaigns, reinforced that the Russians put their money in a wide range of Republican politicians.
It would be overly simplistic to say that Putin has amassed a network whose tentacles reach into Brexit, Trump, etc. purely to stroke his own vainglorious ego.
Power is always about money.
Just as Republicans march in lockstep on social issues, the reason that they are such huge Global Warming climate deniers, as I documented a few years ago, for Huffington Post, is because there are over $132 TRILLION dollars worth of oil reserves held largely by two nations:
Russia, and Saudi Arabia.
Two nations foment the majority of global disruptions, and distractions, in the world’s democracies:
Russia, and Saudi Arabia.
In the Republican Party, the orbital pull of these titan cash cows has been that the Neocons have traditionally lined up with the House of Saud, and the “Tea Party/Freedom Caucus/Trump Train” strain has its roots in the permafrosted soil of Mother Russia.
Putin’s kleptocrats and oligarchs, have been funneling money into American politics for decades. Leading up to their election meddling, it made a hard right turn in 2014-2015.
That’s not a random time. Putin had invaded Crimea. Obama had responded with harsh sanctions on Russian oil. The world’s democracies followed suit.
Threatening the one lifeblood of the Russian economy, Putin declared war on his enemies in the West.
Think the clown show of Republican candidates in 2015-2016. Trump was not the only candidate with Russian money ties.
Think Brexit. The ultra-nationalist movements in Germany, Sweden, etc.
There is no need for bombs, and sabre-rattling, when you can simply exploit cultural weaknesses: Forge relationships between politically active religious, and political groups; buy off politicians. That became far easier, post Citizens United, when most of the massive corporate donations, and slush-fund 501(c)(4) donations, became legal.
This is the WHY of the death of Democracies.
This is why American whites have more in common with Vladimir Putin. He is going to protect them from Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and sinking into “minority white,” life.
This is why the toxic 39% of America marches in lockstep with Putin, and his American politicians.
It is a cancer for which the Democrats have no cure.
Mitch McConnell doesn’t fear establishing a precedent that makes Donald John Trump, effectively, “king.”
Republican lobbyist and zombie grower Grover “Tax Pledge” Norquist talked openly about creating a “rubber stamp presidency.”
The Far Right has been quietly taking over the courts, and gerrymandering its way into control of both the federal and state governments.
This is the new American order. This is the new World order, in the Northern Hemisphere, at least.
These, then, are the titanic stakes of this impeachment trial, to remove Trump: If Trump is not convicted, the democracy we thought that we lived in is dead.
If the Senate will not defend us, we are done.
All hail Putin, the great white hope.
Welcome to the kleptocracy that is Russo-America.


dailykos--2020-01-24--What To Expect From Legal Team Trump Starting Saturday

I am hearing some pundits point out the challenges Donald Trump ’ s legal team now faces as they try to defend the President given the mountain of evidence presented by the House Managers that clearly identifies his guilt .
What a bunch of hogwash .
They have a dream jury majority who is rooting for them to provide just a crumb of rationale they can hang their hat on so as to avoid seeking more evidence and ultimately acquit Trump .
Oh , and if they could please provide some political cover to help with their constituents back home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Their strategy will be to deflect , distract , obfuscate and try not to give Republican Senators any reason to call witnesses .
I suspect that there will be a lot of incredulous yelling , pleading , outrage and blaming of Democrats for the unfair process in the house hearings .
They only need to create enough doubt to keep any defectors under the magic number of four .
Do that and everyone can go home .
Trump found some of these people on Fox News as contributors touting his innocence .
Alan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Jay Sekulow should all be very familiar to Republican Senators since between them they have hundreds of appearances on Fox and OAN .
Both Dershowitz and Starr are known to covet a spot on the Supreme Court and probably figure Trump is their only shot .
Pat Cipollone is lead White House Counsel , a position that is supposed to represent the office of the presidency and not be the personal lawyer of the occupant in matters of impeachment .
As we saw from his opening statements where he lied about House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not an honest broker of the facts .
Here is a link to the complete list of Trump ’ s defense team .
www.pbs.org/… What Arguments To Expect From Trump ’ s Lawyers • Adam Schiff is not to be believed • Democrats are trying to undo an election • Democrats have been trying to impeach all along • Obama , Biden and others did the same thing Trumps lawyers have a simple mission , stay with the arguments they have been making on Fox every night .
Give the Republican Senators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audience back any peace of mind that might have been momentarily lost after watching the House Manager ’ s case .
They don ’ t have to duplicate the effort put forth by the managers or answer all the evidence and they won ’ t try to do so .
It ’ s not necessary to their mission .

I am hearing some pundits point out the challenges Donald Trump’s legal team now faces as they try to defend the President given the mountain of evidence presented by the House Managers that clearly identifies his guilt. What a bunch of hogwash. They have a dream jury majority who is rooting for them to provide just a crumb of rationale they can hang their hat on so as to avoid seeking more evidence and ultimately acquit Trump. Oh, and if they could please provide some political cover to help with their constituents back home, that would be much appreciated.
Their strategy will be to deflect, distract, obfuscate and try not to give Republican Senators any reason to call witnesses. I suspect that there will be a lot of incredulous yelling, pleading, outrage and blaming of Democrats for the unfair process in the house hearings. They only need to create enough doubt to keep any defectors under the magic number of four. Do that and everyone can go home.
Trump found some of these people on Fox News as contributors touting his innocence. Alan Dershowitz, Ken Starr, Robert Ray and Jay Sekulow should all be very familiar to Republican Senators since between them they have hundreds of appearances on Fox and OAN. Both Dershowitz and Starr are known to covet a spot on the Supreme Court and probably figure Trump is their only shot.
Pat Cipollone is lead White House Counsel, a position that is supposed to represent the office of the presidency and not be the personal lawyer of the occupant in matters of impeachment. As we saw from his opening statements where he lied about House proceedings from the onset, Mr. Cipollone is not an honest broker of the facts. Here is a link to the complete list of Trump’s defense team. www.pbs.org/…
What Arguments To Expect From Trump’s Lawyers
The House process was unfair
Adam Schiff is not to be believed
Trump’s actions are not impeachable
Democrats are trying to undo an election
Democrats have been trying to impeach all along
Obama, Biden and others did the same thing
Trumps lawyers have a simple mission, stay with the arguments they have been making on Fox every night. Give the Republican Senators some degree of cover and the conservative audience back any peace of mind that might have been momentarily lost after watching the House Manager’s case. They don’t have to duplicate the effort put forth by the managers or answer all the evidence and they won’t try to do so. It’s not necessary to their mission.


dailykos--2020-01-24--Can Trump Supporter Sonja Nichols (R) Beat State Sen. Jeff Jackson (D) in Charlotte?

In a race that could determine which party holds power in the state legislature , incumbent State Senator Jeff Jackson ( D ) will face political newcomer , Republican Sonja Nichols .
Sen. Jeff Jackson is a well-known Democratic voice in the community , having served three terms and made headlines for his stances against racial gerrymandering and his work to get other Democrats elected .
Despite the district ’ s nearly-even political divide , Nichols has begun her campaign by striking soundly conservative notes .
She supports President Trump , particularly his “ economic policies.
” She stated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was struck down by the court for being racially motivated to suppress the votes of African Americans .
She declined to support Medicaid expansion — despite polling in North Carolina that shows support above 70 % — citing “ many nuances that must be considered.
” She declined to support some form of independent redistricting to end racial gerrymandering , which has been used by Republicans to minimize the political influence of African Americans .
By her positions , it appears Nichols is testing whether a purple district will side with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump is on the ballot .
It may be a smart bet .
The President ’ s re-election is certain to drive turn-out among conservatives to record levels , and North Carolina is a state he carried by over 3 % in his last campaign .
Nichols may be a strong conservative running in a moderate district , but by sticking with Trump she can also expect to be the beneficiary of a Republican turn-out machine that will be running full steam to help the President keep North Carolina in his column on @ @ @

In a race that could determine which party holds power in the state legislature, incumbent State Senator Jeff Jackson (D) will face political newcomer, Republican Sonja Nichols.
Sen. Jeff Jackson is a well-known Democratic voice in the community, having served three terms and made headlines for his stances against racial gerrymandering and his work to get other Democrats elected.
Despite the district’s nearly-even political divide, Nichols has begun her campaign by striking soundly conservative notes.
She supports President Trump, particularly his “economic policies.”
She stated, “I support voter ID” after it was struck down by the court for being racially motivated to suppress the votes of African Americans.
She declined to support Medicaid expansion — despite polling in North Carolina that shows support above 70% — citing “many nuances that must be considered.”
She declined to support some form of independent redistricting to end racial gerrymandering, which has been used by Republicans to minimize the political influence of African Americans.
By her positions, it appears Nichols is testing whether a purple district will side with a solidly conservative candidate in a year where Trump is on the ballot.
It may be a smart bet. The President’s re-election is certain to drive turn-out among conservatives to record levels, and North Carolina is a state he carried by over 3% in his last campaign.
Nichols may be a strong conservative running in a moderate district, but by sticking with Trump she can also expect to be the beneficiary of a Republican turn-out machine that will be running full steam to help the President keep North Carolina in his column on election day.


dailykos--2020-01-25--Hey dividers.  I'm a centrist and proud of it.

First let ’ s get this straight .
The way the term “ centrist ” is being applied today as some kind of put down in our party is absolutely ridiculous .
In our nation right now the Overton Window has shifted so far to the right that what used to be mainstream Democratic principles ( which were also shared by more reasonable past Republicans ) are where the political center is now .
While I greatly appreciate and applaud socialistic ideals , they are not a fit for every part of life .
They are however a natural fit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bridges , police and fire departments , education and , ( surprise ) the military .
Every Democrat I know acknowledges that .
But one look at history at attempts to install pure socialist governments where most major businesses are nationalized ALWAYS turned to authoritarianism in the form of communism .
No matter how pure the intents were to completely erase the division of wealth and power , an authoritarian presence would always find its way into the ruling body and govern by fear and intimidation while those very rulers lived lavish lifestyles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I however am a Democrat like many other Democrats and independents that truly appreciate the incredible life I lead because of SOME of the paths of capitalism .
I retired last year and my 401k is robust and will give me comfort and security through my remaining years .
I worked ( and currently do part time ) for businesses that built themselves up in our capitalistic society , some of those businesses like family to me , others more greedy and a target for more regulation .
My own wealth and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those corporations , grew every time .
I was also lucky not to have disaster strike and made the right choices during wild financial swings .
The most successful nations on Earth throughout history ( and correspondingly the ones with the happiest and most secure citizens ) are not pure socialistic empires but a very equal mix of capitalism and socialism ( hey that sounds like centrism ) .
The socialism includes a very healthy safety net and there are strong regulations on the capitalistic side that ensure monopolies don ’ t form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental and safety restrictions are there to protect citizens and workers .
Their corporations are headed up by the same kinds of people as ours but they have evolved to understand that the balance keeps them wealthy and stress free .
In most of those countries , the businesses are free to not have to provide health care and other parts of the social safety net to their employees so more of their resources can go into actually delivering their product .
Their employees are happy and healthy and well educated .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yachts but they certainly have 1 .
That truly centrist nations are the historical model for success is undisputed by anyone that studies economics or history .
We are in this period where our nation has slid so far towards the fascist side of things that the knee jerk reaction is to counter that move with the opposite extreme and demonize the people that are trying their best to return it to that healthy mix .
People think of the ideological spectrum as a line where liberalism/progressivism/socialism exist on the left and conservatism/fascism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the matter is ( and this is firmly backed up by history ) , that spectrum exists as a circle with the extremes of the two sides converging in dictatorial authoritarianism .
I caution the Democrats on this site to stop with this derogatory labeling of people that see the gray in life , that understand that while evil exists in entities like Wall St and major corporations headed by greedy CEO ’ s and board members , there also exists lots of very ethical and hard working people within those entities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the advantage in keeping their customers satisfied , healthy , and educated .
All sides in our debates are guilty of ramping up rhetoric but the nastiest stuff right now is coming from the hard core left purists accusing anyone not working for a socialist nirvana of being complicit with the evil doers .
It ’ s the farthest thing from the truth .
No true centrist I know ( and there are millions of them ) approves of anything coming from the right right now .
They all want some form of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong environmental regulations making our food , water , and air healthy .
They want their taxes going to the finest educational system in the world .
Leaders like Biden , Obama , Clinton , Kennedy , even FDR knew that there was a hybrid relationship that needed to be forged with powerful corporations .
That compromise from our leaders ( and some past Republicans ) helped to make our nation the envy of the world .
We ’ re not right now but the answer doesn ’ t lie in swinging us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historical dangers of that kind of move present themselves .
It merely requires us to set the Overton Window back to normal .

First let’s get this straight. The way the term “centrist” is being applied today as some kind of put down in our party is absolutely ridiculous. In our nation right now the Overton Window has shifted so far to the right that what used to be mainstream Democratic principles (which were also shared by more reasonable past Republicans) are where the political center is now.
While I greatly appreciate and applaud socialistic ideals, they are not a fit for every part of life. They are however a natural fit for health care, building roads and bridges, police and fire departments, education and, (surprise) the military. Every Democrat I know acknowledges that. But one look at history at attempts to install pure socialist governments where most major businesses are nationalized ALWAYS turned to authoritarianism in the form of communism. No matter how pure the intents were to completely erase the division of wealth and power, an authoritarian presence would always find its way into the ruling body and govern by fear and intimidation while those very rulers lived lavish lifestyles far beyond their “equal” citizens.
I however am a Democrat like many other Democrats and independents that truly appreciate the incredible life I lead because of SOME of the paths of capitalism. I retired last year and my 401k is robust and will give me comfort and security through my remaining years. I worked (and currently do part time) for businesses that built themselves up in our capitalistic society, some of those businesses like family to me, others more greedy and a target for more regulation. My own wealth and power however, despite the ethos of those corporations, grew every time. I was also lucky not to have disaster strike and made the right choices during wild financial swings.
The most successful nations on Earth throughout history (and correspondingly the ones with the happiest and most secure citizens) are not pure socialistic empires but a very equal mix of capitalism and socialism (hey that sounds like centrism). The socialism includes a very healthy safety net and there are strong regulations on the capitalistic side that ensure monopolies don’t form such power that they are untouchable and environmental and safety restrictions are there to protect citizens and workers. Their corporations are headed up by the same kinds of people as ours but they have evolved to understand that the balance keeps them wealthy and stress free. In most of those countries, the businesses are free to not have to provide health care and other parts of the social safety net to their employees so more of their resources can go into actually delivering their product. Their employees are happy and healthy and well educated. The CEO’s may not have 3 yachts but they certainly have 1.
That truly centrist nations are the historical model for success is undisputed by anyone that studies economics or history.
We are in this period where our nation has slid so far towards the fascist side of things that the knee jerk reaction is to counter that move with the opposite extreme and demonize the people that are trying their best to return it to that healthy mix.
People think of the ideological spectrum as a line where liberalism/progressivism/socialism exist on the left and conservatism/fascism exist on the right. The truth of the matter is (and this is firmly backed up by history), that spectrum exists as a circle with the extremes of the two sides converging in dictatorial authoritarianism.
I caution the Democrats on this site to stop with this derogatory labeling of people that see the gray in life, that understand that while evil exists in entities like Wall St and major corporations headed by greedy CEO’s and board members, there also exists lots of very ethical and hard working people within those entities that actually care about others and see the advantage in keeping their customers satisfied, healthy, and educated. All sides in our debates are guilty of ramping up rhetoric but the nastiest stuff right now is coming from the hard core left purists accusing anyone not working for a socialist nirvana of being complicit with the evil doers. It’s the farthest thing from the truth. No true centrist I know (and there are millions of them) approves of anything coming from the right right now. They all want some form of socialized health care. They all want strong environmental regulations making our food, water, and air healthy. They want their taxes going to the finest educational system in the world.
Leaders like Biden, Obama, Clinton, Kennedy, even FDR knew that there was a hybrid relationship that needed to be forged with powerful corporations. That compromise from our leaders (and some past Republicans) helped to make our nation the envy of the world. We’re not right now but the answer doesn’t lie in swinging us so far to the left that the historical dangers of that kind of move present themselves. It merely requires us to set the Overton Window back to normal.


dailykos--2020-01-25--Will a Tactical Mistake Lead to a Strategic Failure for Senate Republicans?

We can only hope .
If there is a single , overriding driver for everything that Senate Republicans are bringing to the Impeachment trial , it is the commitment to get it all over with as fast as possible .
Mitch McConnell , at first , wanted to compress proceedings even further than they have been , using 12 hours days for presentment of evidence and arguments .
Before I retired , I spent most of four decades as a lawyer conducting hearings and trials in courtrooms , state and federal , all over the USA .
I never , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and condensed as what I now observe taking place in the U.S. Senate .
We can only assume that the Republicans in charge of the process believe a short trial to be the right tactic , politically .
To the extent that , after the trial is over , Impeachment and a debate , about Trump ’ s removal from office , will no longer be the wall-to-wall news dominating the cycle , I can understand their calculation .
However , by adopting this strategy , Republicans have denied themselves access to meaningful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence and arguments have influenced the voting public .
There hasn ’ t been enough time for the polling and other reactions to these proceedings to inform the Senators , or any of us , regarding how this is playing out in the marketplace of ideas .
If the gavel comes down on the trial early next week and the votes acquitting Trump come down from the GOP majority , we will still be days away from being able to make meaningful judgments about the electorate ’ s reaction to the case that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectively presented in their part of the trial .
I speculate that during the next two weeks or so , sentiment favoring the removal of Donald Trump certainly could and obviously should blossom like red algae on a Tampa beach .
If this proves accurate , purple state Senators who vote shield Trump from removal will see their support slip into free fall , while even red state Senators will , at least , see their popularity sag .
If this transpires , given the dismal GOP Senate map for 2020 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump tactical cover will produce an epic strategic failure that creates a new , blue , Senate Democratic majority .
We can only hope .

We can only hope.
If there is a single, overriding driver for everything that Senate Republicans are bringing to the Impeachment trial, it is the commitment to get it all over with as fast as possible. Mitch McConnell, at first, wanted to compress proceedings even further than they have been, using 12 hours days for presentment of evidence and arguments.
Before I retired, I spent most of four decades as a lawyer conducting hearings and trials in courtrooms, state and federal, all over the USA. I never, once, encountered a situation as abbreviated and condensed as what I now observe taking place in the U.S. Senate.
We can only assume that the Republicans in charge of the process believe a short trial to be the right tactic, politically. To the extent that, after the trial is over, Impeachment and a debate, about Trump’s removal from office, will no longer be the wall-to-wall news dominating the cycle, I can understand their calculation.
However, by adopting this strategy, Republicans have denied themselves access to meaningful feedback about how the House Managers’ evidence and arguments have influenced the voting public. There hasn’t been enough time for the polling and other reactions to these proceedings to inform the Senators, or any of us, regarding how this is playing out in the marketplace of ideas. If the gavel comes down on the trial early next week and the votes acquitting Trump come down from the GOP majority, we will still be days away from being able to make meaningful judgments about the electorate’s reaction to the case that the House Manager’s have so effectively presented in their part of the trial.
I speculate that during the next two weeks or so, sentiment favoring the removal of Donald Trump certainly could and obviously should blossom like red algae on a Tampa beach. If this proves accurate, purple state Senators who vote shield Trump from removal will see their support slip into free fall, while even red state Senators will, at least, see their popularity sag. If this transpires, given the dismal GOP Senate map for 2020, the GOP Senate’s decision to give Trump tactical cover will produce an epic strategic failure that creates a new, blue, Senate Democratic majority.
We can only hope.