Michael Bennet has more than a good chance in finding favor with constituents across the country.

Colorado has felt the bite of the climate crisis, but, it also is a state that took control of it's funding and launched into the legalization of marijuana. It will be interesting to see how the country responds to his candidacy.

February 28, 2019
By Justin Wingerter

Aaron Lehman leads Colorado Democratic Senator Michael Bennet and his neighbors for a look around the Lehman Farm before a discussion of the needs of the Iowa farmers Feb. 23, 2019, in Polk City, Iowa.

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (click here) signed onto legislation Thursday that would end a federal prohibition on marijuana, effectively legalizing the drug nationwide.

The bill, championed by New Jersey senator and Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker, was first introduced in 2017 and failed to gain traction in the Republican-controlled Senate. Bennet, a Colorado Democrat, was not a co-sponsor of that bill but has joined the effort this year.

“This long-overdue change will help bring our marijuana laws into the 21st century,” Bennet said in a statement Thursday. “It’s past time we bring fairness and relief to communities that our criminal justice system has too often left behind.”

The Booker bill is popular with senators seeking the Democratic nomination for president in 2020. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Kamala Harris of California, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont are co-sponsors. Bennet also is considering a run for president, making his first trip to Iowa as a possible candidate last weekend....

Emmet Flood is a communist like his boss. It is a shame how Republicans scandalize every aspect of the US Constitution in order to raise a fuss. Trump has to submit to Congressional oversight.

No wonder the US House won Clinton's impeachment, he had a communist that can't read as a lawyer.

The only reason Trump wants to invoke Executive Privilege after cooperating with the Special Council is that he had reasonable control of the outcome with his Attorney General, ie: Barr.

Now, because the US House is FINALLY conducting oversight after two years of Republican neglect, Trump is scared of the fact the US House has power over him. So, now he is playing with the USA Constitution again hoping his boy, Kavanaugh will pull a rabbit out of his hat.

Maybe Flood doesn't understand the US House is a branch of the legislature and represents the USA people. Far different than the Special Council that is a branch of the Executive Branch. In the Executive Branch the DOJ can pull strings from within it's authority to cover up the wrong doing of the Trump administraiton.

The people represented by the US House have a right to oversight, including receiving the report of the Special Council AS PRESCRIBED by the law that formed the Special Council. Even Former Director Mueller, in his letter to Barr, recognized the Special Council law AND the right of the people to read the report. 

Just because Trump is a communist with his best friend in Moscow and he wants to manipulate the USA Constitution at every turn to suit his agenda doesn't mean it is lawful. Trump's obstruction, as in this case, has no standing at all.

Special Council Report from DOJ website (click here)

May 2, 2019
By Cristino Lima

Emmet Flood, (click here) the veteran D.C. lawyer replacing Ty Cobb on President Donald Trump's legal team, is no stranger to highly publicized legal bouts involving the White House.

Flood, a current partner at the firm Williams & Connolly, has represented several top government officials in different administrations, including former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton and former Vice President Dick Cheney.

He most notably represented Clinton during the impeachment proceedings brought against the former president by the House of Representatives and tried before the Senate.

During Bush's second term, Flood served for two years as the lead lawyer for the White House's counsel office in handling inquiries from congressional investigators....

On page 9 of the report the law is clearly stated.

28 C.F.R. § 600.8(c) (click here)

The law quoted in the Mueller letter to Bar dated March 27, 2019 (click here) 
is 28 C.F.R. 209(c) (click here).

(c) The Attorney General may determine that public release of these reports would be in the public interest, to the extent that release would comply with applicable legal restrictions. All other releases of information by any Department of Justice employee, including the Special Counsel and staff, concerning matters handled by Special Counsels shall be governed by the generally applicable Departmental guidelines concerning public comment with respect to any criminal investigation, and relevant law.

In his letter to Barr, the Former Director Mueller clearly states the public needs the release of the report. In other words, it is in the best interest of the public discourse regarding their country if the public had access to the document. In lieu of the document, the Former Director stated at least release the executive summaries which the Former Director supplied to Barr with appropriate redactions. 

It is understood that the current AG likes to redact more than the Former Director of the FBI. I trust Mueller. He doesn't lie. We know he is a loyal American.

The fact of the matter is CLEAR. The US House, which has the powers of impeachment within THEIR AUTHORITY has a RIGHT to the Special Council report unredacted and all the supporting EVIDENCE.

The pleadings to the Supreme Court is inappropriate and yet again another obstruction of justice.

"Dealing" with Trump and his administration is very demoralizing to the people that love the USA.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has lost weight since the State of the Union address.

The Democratic leadership needs to take better care of themselves. Eat well, drink sufficient amounts of water, spend some times with friends, smile, laugh and enjoy the company of others.

She is right, dealing with Trump's demoralizing behavior and priorities is not worth it.

The US House has the heaviest burden in that they are handling the country's budget and two years of oversight neglect. 

Take time to smile. There is a marked difference in Speaker Pelosi's weight and smile since the State of the Union address. How are the grandchildren, Nanc?

Read and eat well, sweetheart. Yes, Speaker Pelosi is a sweetheart. She is not a cast iron dictator in the US House. As a result assaults against the country she loves hits her hard. She is and always has been a great Speaker that has a heart of gold.

Whoever thought the battle for the USA would continue and the battlefield would be within the US House? It is real and the battlefield has returned and it is cyber. When cyberspace became available in the USA it was fun. Lots and lots of fun. It was helpful. It was a place where incredible papers could be written and communication with peers completed with ease. Today? It is very different and a hostile place.

The battles will be won, just ask Ruth Ginsberg.

The House Ranking member Collins had a hissy fit. My, my. Does he need medication or can't he afford it?

Chairman Nadler is absolutely correct. He needs to compel the Executive Branch to speak the US House. Trump's afraid of the US House. Obviously.

Maybe I just need to read the report and register it here online.

Chairman Nadler is correct, the DOJ is setting ridiculous circumstances for the US House to read and take notes from the unredacted copy of the report. He is treating the members of the US House as unable to conduct a secure environment for the report within their possession.

I am quite sure the US House realizes there are ongoing Grand Juries, which brings me to the question that no one has answered; did this report surface because the Special Council was told to wind up the investigation? I can't imagine Robert Mueller relinquishing to control of the Grand Juries overseeing this investigation. Perhaps it was a personal decision, but, if that is the case who then is handling the continuing investigation. I really think the US House needs to have the entire Special Council for hearings.

Hillary Clinton has never looked better. She is amazing. She is correct, whenever the Republicans want to pump up their base they simply speak her name. She may be too gracious about this mess. She lost the presidency of 2016 because of the wrongful influence of Russia. 

Let me propose this. If She had won a presidential race and it was realized there hacking of the opponent and the chances that the opponent would have won short of the foreign influence; I believe: she would have pursued that infraction into an election without mercy. I believe, even if it was proven in that investigation that she won because of the foreign influence in that campaign she would seek justice for the other candidate.

There would be no hiding anything and the pursuit of justice by the Hillary Clinton administration would be merciless to remove any such occurrence from happening again. Why? Because it was about the country and the security of our allies.

I just have no doubt Hillary Clinton is patriot and loves this country. I have no doubt in her and her abilities to protect the USA without reservation. There would be no nuclear capacity jets sitting on a tarmac in Venezuela either. All that conflict would have been settled a long time ago and before it became this hot. 

William Barr stumped by Kamala Harris' question (click here for the DOJ posting of the Special Council Report - thank you)

I was impressed by the questions of the members of the panel, however, the questions of Senator Booker and Senator Harris are notable. The questions by Senator Harris are extremely telling from a legal point of view, which of course, is the focus of the Special Council.

I have to agree with her in that as AG Barr went through the report of 488 pages he didn't ever once look at the supporting documents that accompanied the report. While the report is voluminous, it also has considerable findings that have resulted in trials, convictions and guilty pleas. Those findings are a result of evidence found by the Special Council.

To my way of thinking and I can't speak for Senator Harris, how can anyone proclaim the findings by the Special Council as non-chargable if there was no examination of the evidence that lead to the finding of clearly ten times obstruction of justice by President Trump? I would not expect Congress to make any allegations about law breaking by the president without first examining the evidence that lead the Special Council to their conclusions. I would not expect any judge to simply accept the Special Council report as primary evidence. What do you tell a jury? Does a prosecutor tell a jury that they trust the Special Council Report and therefore the defendant is guilty. No one would tell a jury that. Yet, Bill Barr proclaimed himself judge and jury and made decisions without examining the evidence of the conclusions stating ten counts of obstruction of justice.

I believe Senator Harris' focus is correct. These are my words and not hers, but, Barr's decision making is very sloppy and not supported by evidence.

''

Bill Barr's career decisions have always erred on the side of corruption.

Bill Barr was responsible for these pardons. He asked President George H. W. Bush to pardon them. These things still bother people because it goes against the grain of the Rule of Law. No one in this country is supposed to be above the law. Regardless of our economic station in life, the law is supposed to be blind and equitable. People don't like this level of corruption. 

Doppelt, Jack. "NO LONGER NEWS: The Trial of the Century That Wasn't."
ABA Journal 79, no. 1 (1993): 56-59. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27832773.

The citation above is from a law journal that describes Barr's actions regarding these pardons and why Iran-Contra never made it to trial.

I think Barr seeks to be slick. He chronically complains there is no reason to believe any charges that would be brought are "beyond a reasonable doubt." He has a very poor way of finding ANY success in prosecution and in the case of the Iran-Contra Affair, he simply moved to have the defendants pardoned.

I think his career credibility is very poor.

December 24, 2018
By Andrew Glass

With his term soon to expire, (click here) on this day in 1992, President George H.W. Bush pardoned Caspar Weinberger, the former secretary of Defense, and five others, absolving them from any further punishment for their illegal dealings in the Reagan-era Iran-Contra scandal.

During President Ronald Reagan’s second term, senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran, which was under an arms embargo. The administration sought to use the proceeds of the arms sale to fund the Contras in Nicaragua, an insurgent group engaged in a guerrilla war against the anti-American regime. Congress had precluded any further funding of the Contras by the administration....

Give James Comey a platform in the US House. He wants to be heard.

Speaker Pelosi should have a conversation with James Comey as two Americans to determine the best formate for his grievance. He is not going to stop. I would also be very vigilant of his safety. He needs his own bodyguards.

There is a New York Times Op-Ed.

There is something very wrong, otherwise, he wouldn't be so determined to bring forth his understanding of events regarding Trump. He is worried for the country and we know he was wrongfully fired from his position as Director.

May 1, 2019
By James Comey

People have been asking me hard questions. (click here) What happened to the leaders in the Trump administration, especially the attorney general, Bill Barr, who I have said was due the benefit of the doubt?

How could Mr. Barr, a bright and accomplished lawyer, start channeling the president in using words like “no collusion” and F.B.I. “spying”? And downplaying acts of obstruction of justice as products of the president’s being “frustrated and angry,” something he would never say to justify the thousands of crimes prosecuted every day that are the product of frustration and anger?

How could he write and say things about the report by Robert Mueller, the special counsel, that were apparently so misleading that they prompted written protest from the special counsel himself?

How could Mr. Barr go before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday and downplay President Trump’s attempt to fire Mr. Mueller before he completed his work?...

I have witnessed the abuse that is Donald Trump. At one time Vice President Pence who is President of the US Senate, was leading Republicans. He identified Donald Trump as unqualified to lead and he is right. But, after Trump realized Pence was leading on his own there was a change in Pence's demeanor, speech and behavior. No one knows what was said between them, except perhaps some staff within hearing distance, but, it was obvious Pence changed. I don't know why Pence lost his backbone. He was elected and Trump can't fire him. He might not choose him as a running mate for 2020, but, is that worth selling your soul? 

There are issues with people working with Trump. There seems to be a capitulation of self-will. It is very troubling. That is abuse, plain and simple. As a matter of fact, verbal abuse is among the worst forms of abuse. 

The lawsuit filed by The Trumps to Deutsche Bank and Capital One is a bargaining chip. They are hoping the can cause enough obstruction to bring someone or some entity to it's knees. They know they can't stop the information in the long game, but, they are hoping there will be immunity granted for any wrong doing they have engaged in.

There is plenty of wrong doing. But, the bargaining with the Trumps has to stop. It is obvious from the Special Council report there has been bargaining with the Trumps/Kushners to bring truth telling. That has to stop.

We know the Trumps break the law. They have to be held accountable for it, otherwise, their idea of justice will result in more problems not less.

They strategize their law breaking.

No more.

There was no reason for the Special Council to include the Steele Dossier in their findings.

Is that understood and why?

Robert Mueller is exceptionally good at his job. He can carry out all the investigation no differently than Christopher Steele could. There would be no reason for anyone on the Special Council to take for granted the findings of the Steele Dossier.

The fact there are cross references in footnotes that MIRROR the findings of Christopher Steele should not be a surprise. The repeated information about the PEE TAPE in the Steele Dossier and from text messages of Michael Cohen VALIDATES the existence of the tape and gives credible standing to the Steele Dossier.

The tape exists. Steele was an excellent investigator and one that was turning up the same information as Mueller, but, from different sources.

The Steele Dossier is validated. I don't know where Coryn gets his information.

That brings the Steele dossier (click here)— yes, this is the document alleging the existence of a “pee tape” that the Russians may have used to blackmail Trump — to a strange point. Its origins of liberal hopes of exposing a massive conspiracy that would bring Trump down have led to its current status as the center of a conservative conspiracy theory that’s supposed to bring Robert Mueller down.

The Steele Dossier is validated by a conversation Michael Cohen had with a Russian.

Republicans can't read.

The PEE TAPE was first brought to the public in the Steele Dossier and then again in the Special Council's report. The references are completely different. The Special Council did not quote the Steele Dossier in the footnote. The Special Council quoted a text message exchange between Michael Cohen and a Russian.

The fact there are Russians in the report doesn't invalidate the concrete evidence. Of course, there are going to be Russians in any report whereby intelligence is engaged in findings of such activity. A counterintelligence investigation about Russia is going to have references to Russians.

Republicans can't only read, they are flat out stupid.

There ya go. I came to a conclusion about Republicans by the evidence and it's use of Russians.

It is ridiculous to believe Russia does not compile any and all information it can to compromise the leaders of any Western Country. 

The Russians have a file on Trump. That file and the promise of wealth results in compromised behavior by the president and compromise of the USA's national security. What is the question? Is there a file to seek to compromise Hillary Clinton? You betcha there is. However, that has never effected her abilities to carry out any of her responsibilities in any office or capacity she has held.

(Click here)

The Special Council's report is about the investigation into the activities about Russia, it's intelligence agencies and any other Russian capacity leveraged to put Donald Trump into office. There is nothing that leveraged Hillary Clinton in her campaign of 2016. She wasn't pursuing lucrative deals with banks that use "pass through" monies from Russia nor was she seeking influence in the Russian real estate market. Of course, there aren't references to Hillary Clinton being compromised by Russia BECAUSE SHE WASN'T!

Barr lied to Congress. There is nothing else to know. Republicans can't conflate that to anything in the Special Council report.

The Mueller report documents at least 77 specific instances where President Donald Trump's campaign staff, administration officials and family members (committed lies and falsehoods).

Now there is another one and he can join the rest of them in prison. It seems the Guardian has the hearing today live.

And the killing continues thanks to Republicans abuse of the Second Amendment as a campaign issue.

To save his own job, the Campus Police Chief was bragging about the system they use to secure the campus with the push of one button that locks everything down and saved lives. He claims it saved lives and allowed the police to concentrate on the location of the violence. He also said the gunman was not in the library. 

UNC-Charlotte Students run from library amid active shooter on campus (click here)

It seems as though there is a threat against job security if such incidents happen in schools. I am glad the button worked for the campus police, but, honestly, there is no real reason to expect to be fired from a job because a hate filled person brought a gun to the campus and used it. Being able to read the mind of an attacker on a sizeable campus is not in the job description. Good police work is in the job description and everyone expects that took place and the human beings that are campus police did their level best.

April 30, 2019
By Richard Gonzales

Updated at 11:58 p.m. ET

Two people died and another four were wounded, three critically, in a shooting at the University of North Carolina's Charlotte campus on Tuesday.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department announced in a tweet that a suspect, Trystan Andrew Terrell, 22, was in custody with charges pending.

Earlier, the department had signaled the end of the crisis with the announcement: "Scene secure. One in custody. No reason to believe anyone else involved. CMPD and UNCC going room by room on campus to identify any students, faculty or others who may be sheltering in place."

Campus Police Chief Jeff Baker said police were on the scene quickly enough to find and disarm the suspect in the same room where the shootings happened.

He said two people were found dead at the scene, and three others were hospitalized in critical condition, while the fourth person suffered less serious injuries....

This is an enemy country that effected elections. The country and it's rule of law doesn't matter? If not today, it will.

"Trying to have it both ways?"

"Trying to have it both ways?"

Robert Mueller?

Barr committed fraud in his four page letter. Fraud about a Special Council report demands a letter from Robert Mueller.

Republican spin is unbelievable they conflate the fraud and the redacted report as if it is the same thing and finds a way to dismiss an attack by Barr against the country.

What does the media do? Oh, that is great spin, "Thanks, Congressman." Amazing.

Bill Barr committed fraud with his 4 page letter and he lied to Congress. How many people affiliated with Trump, his campaign and administration have been prosecuted for lying to Congress. Barr is not above the law!

The Special Council clearly spelled out issues with the president and others in his report. The Special Council will have to testify before Congress and set the record straight. Obviously, the media is only interested in ratings and exploitation of Republican rhetoric.

The big lie losers like Trump believes as fact is that Russia has a lot of laundered money and once businesspersons like Trump bring prosperity to Russia, they will see the benefits of democracy and freedom. Trump believes businessmen in North Korea are going to turn the key for the USA and allies. Businessmen and women will never be the deciding factor in choosing between communism and democracy and China is an example of that.

Believe it or not when Nixon open diplomatic relations with China it wasn't to have cheap labor and a Chinese consumer base that is the USA, it was to allow China to begin to grow it's own consumer base and bring freedom to the Chinese people which would increase quality of life. That was over 40 years ago and Wall Street turned it's back on democracy and instead enslaved the Chinese people AND the American people. Same thing with Mexico. All these initiatives that the USA tried, in good faith, have been nothing but a disaster to the American people and let's not forget 2008.

I think Robert Mueller needs to appear in an interview on FOX News and set the right wing on it's buttocks for the lousy talk that comes out of it.

Maduro sold his country to Russia.

Can't claim victory over a coup if there was no coup. Maduro reminds me of the reincarnation of Castro. He has no power and yet he remains in power.

There is about 15 people at the table where Maduro is sitting. That is about the only people still loyal to him in the entire country. Maduro needs to leave Venezuela. When a leader sells his soul to Russia there is no going back. The demons from Russia will reside there forever.

Today, May 1st, is Workers Day in communist Russia. They better work hard.

D

Barr will show up, continue to lie and obstruct. It wins more time for a man who realizes his best chances will be in an impeachment hearing rather than arrest for ultimately ignoring a subpoena. The Trump administration is not about governing, it is about obstruction while they use the power of the USA for their own purposes. Those purposes are not benign to the sovereignty of the USA. The Former Special Council Robert Mueller knows that, too. That is why he wrote Barr immediately after the fraudulent 4 page letter. I can't believe that letter had to be leaked a month later in order to save the US Constitution from potential demise.

Maduro was prevented from leaving Venezuela by Russia? That figures. Russia has it's own agenda for Venezuela. Additionally, the new president would expect to return all the Russian jets and munitions with a full refund of a trillion dollars from Russia.

Maduro needs to authorize another country's jet to land and transport him anywhere he wants to go. The alternative is to allow Maduro to travel by land to another South American country. He needs to pack now.

I am confident there is another South American country that can provide Maduro with a safe haven until a permanent place can be arranged.

Idi Amin ultimately was exiled to Saudi Arabia where he was provided comfortable accommodations and a subsidy to allow him a comfortable life with his family. The condition was that he would not return to politics.

$2,000,000,000,000 for infrastructure?

That is $36,363,636,363.60 per state and territory. 

Maybe words will make more sense. 

Thirty-six billion, three hundred and sixty-three million, six hundred and
thirty-six thousand, three hundred and sixty-three dollars and sixty cents.

For roads and bridges?

The USA has 614,387 bridges in the country. About 40 percent are older 
than 50 years old. In 2016 less than 10 percent were found to be structurally
unsound.

Check the infrastructure for each state here: (click here)

All that funding won't mean a thing if the infrastructure is not assessed for the climate crisis. It will be a waste of money otherwise. I see only USA companies receiving the contracts.

Puerto Rico has to be at the top of the list.

That kind of money also needs to be completely accounted for as it leaves the US Treasury.

Infrastructure Supermap. (click here)

These two sites were organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

That amount of money beats the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. What happened to the private-public infrastructure bank?

The $2 trillion has to be paid for by elite taxes. The Middle Class is not to be burdened with additional deficit spending.

This is how ridiculously two faced Russia is.

In the USA, their hackers and KGB activists will seek to raise the sphere of hate between African American men and the police by stating unarmed African Amerian men are being shot in the USA. Fair enough. There are plenty of Americans making those statements so there is no need for Russians to do that.

But, Russia will back a regime in Venezuela armed with all kinds of Russian manufactured weapons to use them on unarmed people. 

There is no consistency to the Russian message to the world, except, brinkmanship all the time.

Russians on the internet as agents for the Russian government seek only control of people and governments, not human rights.

Venezuelan opposition leader Guaidó calls for coup against Maduro (click here for additional facts - thank you)

Maduro is not a good president. He had no insight to understand the oil market and it's crash and what that meant to a mono-economy relying on only one commodity to buoy the economy. The socialism practiced by him failed with the collapse of oil. Even Saudi Arabia saw this coming.

The people of Venezuela have always lived with the idea their leader was in control of government power. As long as the life in Venezuela was still orderly, sufficient and allowed their belief system, they were okay. Not necessarily living the exact life they wanted, but, they were okay. Then the unthinkable happened their mono-economy collapsed. There was no insight to such collapes, everything had gone along as it always had and then one day it was all different and the leadership was in chaos.

Maduro didn't go to the United Nations to plead his case, he didn't look for other regional countries to find example of what was working for them. He reached out foolishly to Russia as has Cuba and this is the result. From that time to today, the circumstances of the Venezuelan people have only gotten worse. What did Russia expect? Oh, yeah, I forgot they always expect times to get worse and then real Russian leadership demands using military might against unarmed people. ie: Ukraine.

Is there any wonder the Venezuelan people are turning away from Maduro more and more. The demonstrations today only continue to say the people of this beautiful country completely reject Maduro and his strong man tactics. There is no reason for the Maduro government to use military humvees and bullets against the people. The people are not violent. They are upset their lives are not respected. They have no munitions and only seek to be heard. They want a change of leadership and it is completely reasonable they do.

The Venezuelan people need food, clothing, clean water and medical care. They want their electricity to be reliable so they alone can move their economy forward by building it from the ground up. They can do this. They are great people. They know their own minds. They know their own hearts. Maduro needs to stop trying to control people that he doesn't even feed or provide a reliable electrical grid for their ambitions.

The world is watching and I profoundly hope the world realizes the wayward leadership that results from Russian profit-taking by providing war machines rather than humanitarian aid and economic guidance. Venezuela needs allies. It needs allies that will come as tourists and not soldiers.

''