Read me >>> sharing illuminating journalism

[Scott G.]

We should all know much more about Amazon:

Is Amazon Unstoppable? | The New Yorker

Then read, different enough to be worthwhile.

Jeff Bezos’s Master Plan - The Atlantic

[ides1056]

Opinion | Gordon Sondland Provided the Smoking Gun - The New York Times

[BBB]

A quid pro quo is one thing, but Trump using his nut job lawyer to run around overseas to try and pave the way for the quid pro quo is truly bizarre. There's one word these various high level government people should have been using and that is no. No Donnie, Rudy is not going overseas to pursue a parallel foreign policy and a stop has been placed on his passport. No Donnie, this quid pro quo idea is not good policy and will likely land you in trouble. No, Donnie, stop screaming and shouting, this is not the school yard.

[Dallas Tex]

LOL. Ya’ll are almost as worked up over this silliness as you were over the Mueller report. How’d that work out for you ?

[guido]

LOL. Ya’ll are almost as worked up over this silliness as you were over the Mueller report. How’d that work out for you ?

Screwed over by a corrupt AG. The voters will remember. Just like they will remember each Senator that enables Trump's malfeasance.

[Walter Sobchak]

Mueller did not score a touchdown. He very methodically moved the ball downfield. He certainly read the play.

Regarding Russian interference he said, “They’re doing it as we sit here, and they expect to do it in the next campaign.”

“We have underplayed to a certain extent that aspect of our investigation.”

“[A foreign government’s efforts to pervert elections has done] long-term damage to the United States that we need to move quickly to address.”


He said that his report is “our living message to those who come after us, so that they don’t let this problem continue to linger.”

He warned us that more countries are planning to do the same, emboldened by Russia’s success. In the context of trump’s campaign interacting with Russians who offered dirt on their opponent, he said “I hope this is not the new normal, but I fear it is.”

And the very next day, our so-called president got caught shaking down the President of Ukraine like the two-bit conman that he is.

Sorry the old man wasn’t a stage winner. But he was a goddamn good domestique. Consider that metaphor mixed, dude.

[jclay]

LOL. Ya’ll are almost as worked up over this silliness as you were over the Mueller report. How’d that work out for you ?

You read the Mueller Report and concluded that Trump didn't know what his organization was doing vis-a-vis trying to get dirt on Hillary from Russia, and that his subsequent actions didn't constitute obstruction? I hope not. I read it. The notion that he wouldn't have known is laughable. That he obstructed justice was in plain view. Or are you just keeping score? If so, how it "worked" is unfortunate but not unexpected; and Trump's guilty as hell. The electorate needs to know that even if many are in denial. Good thing he wasn't accused of being born in Kenya! Game over.

As to Ukraine and conditioning aid to attempts for personal political gain it seems that the Rs require that Trump say it's quid pro quo for the actions to be quid pro quo; or that it's inconceivable that he'd ejaculate "it's not quid pro quo" in an attempt to pre-exonerate himself while he pursues exactly that tack in the real world. That's silliness. We're adults, there is a mountain of evidence and as adults we're supposed to have real-world-seasoned judgement. And from his public behavior, gee, that of which he's accused is totally consistent with his public behavior. It's quacking, looks like a duck and walks like a duck. Guess what...it's a duck.

[mjbabcock]

LOL. Ya’ll are almost as worked up over this silliness as you were over the Mueller report. How’d that work out for you ?

At some level, do you look at a pile of evidence and infer a plausible story, or propose a story of innocence, and then try to interpret the evidence in ways that align with your pre-determined story line.

The guy is not worth defending. Not morally, pragmatically, theologically, or politically. It’s a devil’s bargain, and the devil usually wins out on those ones.

[Mabouya]

The guy is not worth defending. Not morally, pragmatically, theologically, or politically. It’s a devil’s bargain, and the devil usually wins out on those ones.

No matter what they might say, in their hearts Trump's supporters know that he's bad - otherwise, the cognitive dissonance would have caused their brains to explode long ago.

[Dallas Tex]

.......and then try to interpret the evidence in ways that align with your pre-determined story line..

Seriously? This ‘impeachment’ began before he even took office with a pre-determined storyline of removing an elected president at all costs because the ‘everyone gets a trophy’ generation’s choice lost the election

It’s never been about what he did or didn’t do, it is about finding something, anything to get him out of office. THAT has been the pre-determined storyline from day one.

This tactic of using investigations to impede or remove a president wasn’t right when used by republicans against Clinton and Obama and it isn’t right now. Let me give you some free advice, if you want Trump gone try voting him out in the next election. It’s not that far away.

[Saab2000]

Seriously? This ‘impeachment’ began before he even took office with a pre-determined storyline of removing an elected president at all costs because the ‘everyone gets a trophy’ generation’s choice lost the election

It’s never been about what he did or didn’t do, it is about finding something, anything to get him out of office. THAT has been the pre-determined storyline from day one.

This tactic of using investigations to impede or remove a president wasn’t right when used by republicans against Clinton and Obama and it isn’t right now. Let me give you some free advice, if you want Trump gone try voting him out in the next election. It’s not that far away.

I think this statement is largely true. That said, the guy is a crooked weasel of a human being and I'm always astonished at people who will support him no matter what. He's a cult figurehead. No more. No less. Cult figureheads don't last forever and their downfall is usually ugly. I don't think this cult figurehead's tenure will end well for him.

I don't believe his presidency is legitimate because of outside interference in the process.

That said, I too believe these are very dangerous waters in regards to impeachment. Is this how we will deal with future presidents? Don't like them? Remove them from office. That's not representative democracy any more than accepting outside help is representative democracy.

This toxicity goes back decades and more recently I lay the blame on Newt Gingrich for his terrible actions as Speaker of the House and Rupert Murdoch and BS fake Fox "News" channel. Those are watershed moments/events/elements in my eyes. This said, even though I feel Republicans are grossly overrepresented in government due to grotesque money and gerrymandering, the Democrats have no better reputation in my eyes. They're just other fingers of the same hand and would gladly reverse roles if they could find a way to grab power.

The current field of candidates is a mess for the most part and the current occupant of the White House is illegitimate to me. I am not hopeful for the future except that the nation seems to work OK in spite of this clown show.

Sorry for the lack of journalistic links. This is my contribution to the Op/Ed page......

[mjbabcock]

The idea that some have been trying to impeach the president since inauguration, and the idea that he did something worthy of impeachment, are not mutually exclusive.

What is rough for me, is the multiple counter-narratives offered up by allies to try to simultaneously justify actions in Ukraine, while saying those actions never happened. Nunez’s “you can see why he would be frustrated with the Ukrainians” line of reasoning offered up yesterday seemed to justify actions that are self-interested by the president. Jordan goes on to say that, “don’t worry about what a president ‘was trying’ to do...cause it didn’t happen”, ignoring a timeline in which a whistleblower called his bluff. I will also offer up, that the failure to cooperate with investigations is undemocratic. Investigations into Benghazi and “Fast and furious” lasted years, were politically charged, but I seem to remember Holder and Clinton sitting in front of congress.

So, yeah, some people don’t like the guy. He is an ignorant SOB with a history of deception who relies on bullying, nepotism, and cronyism. His actions on Ukraine sure look to run counter to everything that Republicans espoused for decades with regards to national defense and the rule of law. You can chalk that up to some “everyone gets a trophy” millennial/snowflake assumptions about the character of folks questioning Trump’s actions, but folks like Mattis and Kelly and Tillerson and Bolton and McCain (RIP) would seem to disagree. Those folks used to be the heart and moral compass of the party...what the fuck happened?

[guido]

Seriously? This ‘impeachment’ began before he even took office with a pre-determined storyline of removing an elected president at all costs because the ‘everyone gets a trophy’ generation’s choice lost the election

It’s never been about what he did or didn’t do, it is about finding something, anything to get him out of office. THAT has been the pre-determined storyline from day one.

This tactic of using investigations to impede or remove a president wasn’t right when used by republicans against Clinton and Obama and it isn’t right now. Let me give you some free advice, if you want Trump gone try voting him out in the next election. It’s not that far away.

There has been a good case for impeachment of this president since before he was sworn in. His persistent pattern of high crimes and misdemeanors, corruption and disregard for the rule of law is a disgrace. Funny how conservatives get all worked up about the constitution except when it is their boy is violating it.

[jclay]

I think this statement is largely true. That said, the guy is a crooked weasel of a human being and I'm always astonished at people who will support him no matter what. He's a cult figurehead. No more. No less. Cult figureheads don't last forever and their downfall is usually ugly. I don't think this cult figurehead's tenure will end well for him.

I don't believe his presidency is legitimate because of outside interference in the process.

That said, I too believe these are very dangerous waters in regards to impeachment. Is this how we will deal with future presidents? Don't like them? Remove them from office. That's not representative democracy any more than accepting outside help is representative democracy.

This toxicity goes back decades and more recently I lay the blame on Newt Gingrich for his terrible actions as Speaker of the House and Rupert Murdoch and BS fake Fox "News" channel. Those are watershed moments/events/elements in my eyes. This said, even though I feel Republicans are grossly overrepresented in government due to grotesque money and gerrymandering, the Democrats have no better reputation in my eyes. They're just other fingers of the same hand and would gladly reverse roles if they could find a way to grab power.

The current field of candidates is a mess for the most part and the current occupant of the White House is illegitimate to me. I am not hopeful for the future except that the nation seems to work OK in spite of this clown show.

Sorry for the lack of journalistic links. This is my contribution to the Op/Ed page......

I agree with the thrust of your Op/Ed but it's worth noting that, 1) evidence of meaningful wrong doing was apparent very early on, 2) Pelosi resisted impeachment for quite a while and 3) yes, Newt and people like him saw the demographic writing on the wall and did a masterful job of using wedge issues and demagoguery to their advantage.

But it started quite a while before that (Powell memo sort of stuff).

"meaningful wrong doing" = actions that actually relate to the integrity of our democratic institutions, as opposed to "being born in Kenya", hating 'merica and lying to Congress about consensual sex between adults.

And yes, these are very dangerous waters.

There has been a good case for impeachment of this president since before he was sworn in. His persistent pattern of high crimes and misdemeanors, corruption and disregard for the rule of law is a disgrace. Funny how conservatives get all worked up about the constitution except when it is their boy is violating it.

Bingo.

[guido]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlo...that-anywhere/

[HorsCat]

LOL. Ya’ll are almost as worked up over this silliness as you were over the Mueller report. How’d that work out for you ?

If we have the exact same facts that we do now, only with a "President Barack Obama," can you say - with a straight face - you'd have the same "nothing to see, much ado about nothing" attitude as you have now?

Speaking only for myself in this hypothetical, and as someone who voted for Obama twice, I believe I would think he deserved to be removed from office.

Let me give you some free advice, if you want Trump gone try voting him out in the next election. It’s not that far away.

All fine and dandy except for the fact that he cheated the fuck out of the last election and is going to out-do himself on the next one.

Is this how we will deal with future presidents? Don't like them? Remove them from office. That's not representative democracy any more than accepting outside help is representative democracy.

What's going on now is exactly how our Constitutional Republic is designed. Trump is not being impeached because he isn't 'liked'; he is being impeached because he is a criminal who has committed a criminal act while in office in service of himself.

[Saab2000]

What's going on now is exactly how our Constitutional Republic is designed. Trump is not being impeached because he isn't 'liked'; he is being impeached because he is a criminal who has committed a criminal act while in office in service of himself.

I don't disagree. It's also a highly partisan affair. It seems that each party finds a partisan victory more important than truth or justice. I'm disappointed in one party because of their deliberate silence in the face of obvious misconduct and abuse of power and the other for creating a circus. Neither side makes me proud of the state of American democracy.

[sine]

Like Trump, Justin Trudeau ‘Lost the Popular Vote’ - WSJ

[HorsCat]

I don't disagree. It's also a highly partisan affair. It seems that each party finds a partisan victory more important than truth or justice. I'm disappointed in one party because of their deliberate silence in the face of obvious misconduct and abuse of power and the other for creating a circus. Neither side makes me proud of the state of American democracy.

IMO, it is "highly partisan" only because the Republican party has no remaining shred of honor, integrity, decency, principle or higher purpose other than the agglomeration of power for its own sake and in service of American oligarchs. This should not be interpreted as my defense of the Democratic Party except to the extent that I believe it is moving forward with impeachment at this point because that is the right thing to do based on the available evidence, and with all the attendant political risks that arguably augur in favor of Trump's reelection. Nancy Pelosi, the "Democratic leadership" and fair minded left-leaning citizens (in whose company I place myself) would all - IMO - have preferred up to the point of l'Affaire Ukraine that Trump gets removed by losing an election.

[Sbti]

Impeachment, it's not just for blow jobs anymore.

I'm hoping that Vindman, if they don't retract their bullshit, sues Fux News and that feckless **** Laura Ingraham after that despicable display with John "torture" Yoo and Alan "Epstein pedophile" Dershowitz.

"At long last, have you left no sense of decency? Nope, no low low enough for that lying sack of orange putrid pus.