Sunday, December 29, 2019
Let's start the New Year with transparency for the good of our democracy.
This past week US Senator John Kennedy was a whistleblower. He openly stated he personally know of other Republican Senators that will not vote at the impeachment hearing regardless of any oath. I think it is time for him to reveal who those Senators are so their constituency can identify traitors to the USA Constitution. It is the right thing to do.
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Senator Lisa Murkowski is a very important Senator.
November 17, 2010
By Yereth Rosen
Anchorage - Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski (click here) Wednesday became the first U.S. senator in more than 50 years to win an election with a write-in campaign as she established an unassailable lead over conservative Tea Party movement favorite Joe Miller.
The result of the last undecided Senate race of the November 2 congressional elections does not alter the makeup of the chamber, where Republicans picked up six seats but the Democrats retained their majority.
Murkowski had a lead of about 10,000 votes with only 752 ballots left to be counted, a state election official said on Wednesday. According to the latest figures from the state’s division of elections, Murkowski has 100,868 votes to Miller’s 90,468....
I thank her for her statements about the impeachment of the president. She stated basically, "...McConnell's statement...only confuses the process further..."
To begin with, this statement appears to be said on December 25th. That surprises me. She must have felt some pressure to make her statements if it occurred on this particular holiday. I would not expect that at all.
December 25, 2019
By Katie Mettler and Diana Paul
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) — a key potential Republican swing vote (click here) — told an Anchorage TV station that she was “disturbed” by the Senate majority leader’s statement last week that the verdict in President Trump’s upcoming impeachment trial was already determined....
...The majority leader also promised “total coordination” with the White House and Trump’s defense team.
Murkowski told NBC affiliate KTUU that she believes there should be distance between the Senate, which will serve as the jury for Trump’s impeachment trial, and the White House. McConnell’s comments, she said, have “further confused the process.”
“To me, it means we have to take that step back from being hand in glove with the defense,” Murkowski said...
I consider Senator Murkowski a very special circumstance in her 2010 election. The Republicans took many seats across the spectrum of government that year. To the surprise of the people, many Republicans were primaried that year and replaced with extremists. This occurred in 2010 because the right-wing media lied and deceived Americans about the Affordable Care Act. Nearly a decade later Americans are fully aware of the important impact of any aspect of the ACA. At the time in 2010, the Republicans successfully frightened Americans about losing their doctors and quality care. Somehow the fear in Alaska ran so deep it unseated Senator Murkowski in a primary.
She decided she could serve Alaska better than any other candidate for Senator.
She didn't receive big money from the Republican Party or other prominent Republican donors, but, she proved to be a better candidate for the people of Alaska. Perhaps, it is because she didn't receive big money, but, instead appealed to the "good common sense" of Alaskans that she was re-elected to her Senate seat.
Kindly realize there is no way she should have won that seat if one believes money buys power within the USA government. I find that more interesting today than ever before.
Senator Murkowski answers, without reservation to powerful special interests, to the Alaskan people. When she realized the level of corruption within the words of McConnell, the Republican leader in the US Senate, she felt strongly enough about it to speak about it. She did so on Christmas when people feel deeply about their faith, truth and morality.
She is not making a statement about her vote in any impeachment hearing. She is stating clearly the predetermined outcome of the impeachment hearing is very corrupt (my words, not hers). One of the articles is abuse of power which lends itself to corruption. The other article is the obstruction of Congress. How is the USA Constitution supposed to be protected from corruption if the Congress is not allowed to operate freely in obtaining all necessary information?
The US Senate has to realize the degree of which the US Constitution is compromised under this president. There is no information provided to the US House in order to prevent corruption by the president or any of his staff. The president is prohibiting DISCOVERY. In the Special Counsel's report, it was information obtained that carried forth successful prosecution of many close to Donald J. Trump in his campaign, inaugural funding and as president. The information the US House was pursuing was vital to determine the brevity of circumstances impacting the US Constitution. Now, Americans just don't know if their US Constitution is safe.
I and others have stated over and over the impeachment of Donald J. Trump is not political, it is about the US Constitution. I thank Senator Murkowski for placing the US Constitution first. I am confident the people of Alaska are proud of her clear priorities and honesty. I am grateful at this point in time and history, she fought for her place in the US Senate in 2010. Her voice is just that important.
By Yereth Rosen
Anchorage - Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski (click here) Wednesday became the first U.S. senator in more than 50 years to win an election with a write-in campaign as she established an unassailable lead over conservative Tea Party movement favorite Joe Miller.
The result of the last undecided Senate race of the November 2 congressional elections does not alter the makeup of the chamber, where Republicans picked up six seats but the Democrats retained their majority.
Murkowski had a lead of about 10,000 votes with only 752 ballots left to be counted, a state election official said on Wednesday. According to the latest figures from the state’s division of elections, Murkowski has 100,868 votes to Miller’s 90,468....
I thank her for her statements about the impeachment of the president. She stated basically, "...McConnell's statement...only confuses the process further..."
To begin with, this statement appears to be said on December 25th. That surprises me. She must have felt some pressure to make her statements if it occurred on this particular holiday. I would not expect that at all.
December 25, 2019
By Katie Mettler and Diana Paul
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) — a key potential Republican swing vote (click here) — told an Anchorage TV station that she was “disturbed” by the Senate majority leader’s statement last week that the verdict in President Trump’s upcoming impeachment trial was already determined....
...The majority leader also promised “total coordination” with the White House and Trump’s defense team.
Murkowski told NBC affiliate KTUU that she believes there should be distance between the Senate, which will serve as the jury for Trump’s impeachment trial, and the White House. McConnell’s comments, she said, have “further confused the process.”
“To me, it means we have to take that step back from being hand in glove with the defense,” Murkowski said...
I consider Senator Murkowski a very special circumstance in her 2010 election. The Republicans took many seats across the spectrum of government that year. To the surprise of the people, many Republicans were primaried that year and replaced with extremists. This occurred in 2010 because the right-wing media lied and deceived Americans about the Affordable Care Act. Nearly a decade later Americans are fully aware of the important impact of any aspect of the ACA. At the time in 2010, the Republicans successfully frightened Americans about losing their doctors and quality care. Somehow the fear in Alaska ran so deep it unseated Senator Murkowski in a primary.
She decided she could serve Alaska better than any other candidate for Senator.
She didn't receive big money from the Republican Party or other prominent Republican donors, but, she proved to be a better candidate for the people of Alaska. Perhaps, it is because she didn't receive big money, but, instead appealed to the "good common sense" of Alaskans that she was re-elected to her Senate seat.
Kindly realize there is no way she should have won that seat if one believes money buys power within the USA government. I find that more interesting today than ever before.
Senator Murkowski answers, without reservation to powerful special interests, to the Alaskan people. When she realized the level of corruption within the words of McConnell, the Republican leader in the US Senate, she felt strongly enough about it to speak about it. She did so on Christmas when people feel deeply about their faith, truth and morality.
She is not making a statement about her vote in any impeachment hearing. She is stating clearly the predetermined outcome of the impeachment hearing is very corrupt (my words, not hers). One of the articles is abuse of power which lends itself to corruption. The other article is the obstruction of Congress. How is the USA Constitution supposed to be protected from corruption if the Congress is not allowed to operate freely in obtaining all necessary information?
The US Senate has to realize the degree of which the US Constitution is compromised under this president. There is no information provided to the US House in order to prevent corruption by the president or any of his staff. The president is prohibiting DISCOVERY. In the Special Counsel's report, it was information obtained that carried forth successful prosecution of many close to Donald J. Trump in his campaign, inaugural funding and as president. The information the US House was pursuing was vital to determine the brevity of circumstances impacting the US Constitution. Now, Americans just don't know if their US Constitution is safe.
I and others have stated over and over the impeachment of Donald J. Trump is not political, it is about the US Constitution. I thank Senator Murkowski for placing the US Constitution first. I am confident the people of Alaska are proud of her clear priorities and honesty. I am grateful at this point in time and history, she fought for her place in the US Senate in 2010. Her voice is just that important.
Sunday, December 22, 2019
By Thomas Maresca
Nurses Margaritha Pissarek (L) and Marianne Stoeger (R) treat a patient with Hansen's disease on Sorok Island.
The sound of music (click here) rings out from a modest home on this tiny island, not much bigger than New York's Central Park, off the southwestern coast of South Korea.
The setting is an idyllic one, with pine trees, beaches and clear water glinting under a crisp blue late-autumn sky. But for 73-year-old Chung Bong-up, coming to Sorok Island in 1975 was a fate that seemed worse than death.
The island, called Sorokdo in Korean, was at that time a colony for sufferers of Hansen's disease (leprosy), a dehumanizing prison where patients were exiled by a society that still deeply stigmatized the illness.
"I felt like I lost everything in my life," Chung said of being sent here. "It felt like the sky was falling down."...
...Stories abound on Sorokdo of the kindness of the blue-eyed nurses who kept their clinic door open at all times and held birthday parties for their patients, all while working tirelessly to remove the shame and fear surrounding Hansen's disease.
Stoeger, now 85, and Pissarek, 84, returned to Austria in 2005. They have received several awards from the South Korean government and were made honorary South Korean citizens in 2016.
Now a movement aims to give them the highest accolade of all: a Nobel Peace Prize....
Saturday, December 21, 2019
First Day of Winter
I am traveling on the 22 December under cloudy skies, but, the road conditions are supposed to be okay. Then visiting with family. Hope everyone will be having a great holiday and very safe travel. Arrive alive.
What? Mar-a-lago isn't going to be purchased by the library fund?
December 20, 2019
A plan being pushed by a Briny Breezes resident would sell the 43-acre town for $1 billion to Donald Trump as a potential site for a presidential library.
Briny Breezes - A Palm Beach County trailer park (click here) could be the site of a future Donald J. Trump presidential library.
That’s the vision of James Arena, a real estate broker and resident of Briny Breezes, the 43-acre coastal town just south of Boynton Beach that’s made up entirely of a mobile home park.
Arena, an avid Trump supporter, says he thinks he can convince the president to buy the land and turn it into a personal monument. Arena said he has the ball rolling by reaching out to his friend, rapper and Palm Beach County resident Vanilla Ice, who is close to the Trump family.
“Vanilla Ice ran it by Donald Jr.,” Arena said of the president’s eldest son. “He called me back and said, ‘Man, I think they’re really into it.’”...
8:30 entry - thank you.
Trump finds anger a method to energize voters.
Ivanka finds anger as a method to benefit the president. It doesn't bring the country together, it separates Americans into camps. I agree wholeheartedly with John Harwood.
Trump's pursuit of the "Deep State" serves the growth of a violent revolution.
By Scott Shane and Mark Mazetti
President Obama, who Monday named John O. Brennan, right, as his choice for C.I.A. director, also chose Chuck Hagel, left, to be his next defense secretary.
Washington - President Obama’s nomination (click here) on Monday of John O. Brennan as director of the Central Intelligence Agency puts one of his closest and most powerful aides in charge of an agency that has been transformed by more than a decade of secret wars.
Working closely with the president, Mr. Brennan oversaw the escalation of drone strikes in Pakistan in 2010 and was the principal architect of the administration’s secret counterterrorism operations in Yemen. He became a prominent public spokesman for the administration, appearing on television after foiled terrorist plots and giving speeches about the legality and morality of targeted killing.
The question that now faces Mr. Brennan, if he is confirmed by the Senate, is whether the C.I.A. should remain at the center of secret American paramilitary operations — most notably drone strikes — or rebuild its traditional espionage capabilities, which intelligence veterans say have atrophied during years of terrorist manhunts....
...Another Senate Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, said Mr. Brennan’s possible role in disclosing information to the news media should also get scrutiny. “John Brennan has not been absolved of responsibility for the slew of high-level security leaks that have characterized this White House,” Mr. Cornyn said in a statement....
Former Director Brennan was vetted extensively before he was Director of the CIA. There is no doubt his methods were different than Pompeo, but, that doesn't make him a problem or his time at the CIA.
Trump's ranting and raving about the deep state serve as loyalty of his base to build a revolution to overthrow the government. Trump with Barr's assistance makes real the idea the USA is on a wrongful path from it's constitution. Everyone that opposes Trump is the Deep State including judges. He does this for votes. He could not care less about the people that actually act against the government, but, the storyline is useful to Donald J. Trump. This is not politics, it is an ages-old movement based in White Supremacy/Nationalism.
By David Gutman, Jim Brunner and and Joseph O. Sullivan
State Rep. Matt Shea (click here) planned and participated in domestic terrorism against the United States before and during the armed takeover at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, an investigation commissioned by the Washington state House found.
The 108-page report found that beginning in November 2015, Shea, working with militia leader Ammon Bundy, helped “in the planning and preparation” of the Malheur takeover, a six-week conflict in which dozens of armed protesters occupied the refuge in rural Eastern Oregon. The standoff ended after one protester was shot and killed and dozens were arrested.
“Representative Shea, as a leader in the Patriot Movement, planned, engaged in and promoted a total of three armed conflicts of political violence against the United States Government in three states outside the state of Washington over a three-year period,” according to the report released Thursday. “In one conflict Representative Shea led covert strategic pre-planning in advance of the conflict.”...
The US Senate, under Moscow Mitch McConnell, needs to get the rules of the impeachment hearing right without dog whistles.
They called it chaos. I call it undermining the USA Constitution.
December 24, 2018
By Julie Pace and Zeke Miller
Washington - Last year, (click here) during one particularly frenetic stretch in Donald Trump’s presidency, a top Republican senator said there were three men guarding the country from chaos: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, White House chief of staff John Kelly and then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Within weeks, not one will be left in the administration.
Mattis’ abrupt resignation Thursday marks the end of the “contain and control” phase of Trump’s administration — one where generals, business leaders and establishment Republicans struggled to guide the president and curb his most disruptive impulses. They were branded in Washington as the “troika of sanity,” the “axis of adults” and the “committee to save America.”...
Friday, December 20, 2019
Evidently there are plea deals between the State and the EPA people responsible for Flint.
It appears from this reporting the plea deal includes the continued cooperation in reporting facts and possibly as witnesses.
December 18, 2019
By Zahra Ahmad
January 26, 2016 (click here) - Elizabeth Tramble worries about how the lead in Flint's drinking water will affect her children.
Flint - Criminal charges (click here) against two of the three remaining Flint water crisis cases were dismissed Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Judge David Goggins dismissed charges against Steven Busch and Michael Prysby, two former state environmental officials, after reviewing their cases. The two former officials worked for Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and had oversight responsibility for Flint’s water system after it began using the Flint River as its water source in 2014 and 2015.
Both men took plea deals with former special prosecutor Todd Flood a year ago, pleading no contest to misdemeanors that were to be reviewed and potentially dismissed a year later.
Molly Kettler, special assistant to the attorney general, said the men will have no lasting legal consequences because of the plea deals made by the former prosecution team. Kettler was assigned by Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud to replace the former prosecution team led by Flood and to hold government officials accountable for Flint’s water crisis.
“I must say, in all candor to the court and to everyone here, in well over 25 years of practicing law I’ve never seen anything like this,” Kettler said. “These pleas were taken when the prior prosecuting authority brought the defendants here to court the day after Christmas without making any announcements so the victims could be here or so that the public was aware of it.”
After Flood was fired as special prosecutor by Hammoud, pending criminal cases against eight defendants were dismissed and the unresolved plea agreements with Busch, Prysby and another DEQ official -- Liane Shekter-Smith -- were left in limbo....
It doesn't sound as though the state is dismissing RESPONSIBILITY for the water poisoning, so much as reassessing the entire dynamics. It seems as though more prosecutions will be forthcoming.
Criminal charges (click here) were filed against two Michigan Department of Environmental Quality regulators, Mike Prysby and Stephen Busch, and a former Flint water treatment plant supervisor, Mike Glasgow—the result of an investigation that began in January (3). Prysby and Busch face several charges, including: tampering and conspiracy, misconduct, and violating state water treatment and monitoring laws. Prysby was an engineer with the MDEQ who reportedly approved the water switch despite the treatment plant’s deficiencies. Glasgow, accused of altering lead water-monitoring results, was charged with tampering with evidence and “willful neglect of duty as a public servant”(4), however he has now reached a plea agreement. Glasgow agreed to plead no contest to the charge of willful neglect of duty (the tampering charge will be dropped) in exchange for his cooperation with the prosecutor’s ongoing investigation (6).
Prysby, Busch and Glasgow were all privy to emails that discussed water quality and the challenges they faced with the switch....
...Are they the sole culprits in this tragic series of events?While the process to remove lead pipes continues to move at a snail’s pace, the lead will remain a constant threat. In fact, one of Flint’s highest readings yet (22,905 ppb!) was recorded in a house as recently as April 2016(7). The federal Lead and Copper rule sets the legal threshold at 15 ppb. The EPA acknowledges that the pipe replacement is a “long-term goal,” thus the rallying cry to #FlushforFlint was born—calling on residents to flush their pipes for 5 minutes every morning for 14 days (8). This story is far from over. There will unfortunately be an enduring need for health and educational interventions for anyone with lead exposure....
December 19, 2019
By Steve Carmody
Two third graders (click here) at Neithercut Elementary in Flint play checkers on a tablet. Neveah Wilson (left) and Elizabeth Dexter are both bright, outgoing leaders in their classroom. But teaching often gets interrupted to deal with behavior issues, especially toward the end of the day. The school district has seen a steady increase in special needs since the water crisis, and is now nearing 28% special education, according to the superintendent.
State prosecutors (click here) are still not saying when to expect new criminal charges in the Flint water crisis probe.
Thursday evening, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley in cutting a ribbon officially opening the department’s new office in Flint. The office will handle multiple jobs. But its highest profile mission is related to the investigation into Flint’s water crisis.
The switch of Flint’s drinking water source exposed city residents to high levels of lead and other contaminants. The county also experienced a spike in cases of Legionnaires Disease. At least 12 people died.
Under the previous state Attorney General, more than a dozen government officials were criminally charged. About half reached plea deals with prosecutors in exchange for their cooperation, but no one spent a day in jail.
Six months ago, Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud dropped criminal charges against a half dozen government officials. The decision meant restarting the investigation from scratch. She blames the previous investigative team for the need to start over from square one...
...Next April will mark the sixth anniversary of Flint’s drinking water switch.
From the article of Neithercut Elementary:
...Rising rate of special needs post-water crisis
Five years ago, during the water crisis, the kids currently in Flint’s kindergarten and elementary classrooms were babies and toddlers, the population most vulnerable to lead exposure. Some may have spent their infancy drinking formula mixed with lead-tainted tap water, month after month.
Even low levels of childhood lead exposure have been linked to decreases in IQ. Elevated lead levels in the blood may raise the risk for ADHD and developmental delays. Numerous studies say it can also increase aggression and reduce impulse control, and according to the CDC, some researchers have found a “direct association between BLLs [blood lead levels] and poorer performance on tasks requiring focused attention, cognitive flexibility, and inhibition of automatic response.”
Flint’s superintendent, Derrick Lopez, says that’s what’s happening in these schools....
By Zahra Ahmad
January 26, 2016 (click here) - Elizabeth Tramble worries about how the lead in Flint's drinking water will affect her children.
Flint - Criminal charges (click here) against two of the three remaining Flint water crisis cases were dismissed Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Judge David Goggins dismissed charges against Steven Busch and Michael Prysby, two former state environmental officials, after reviewing their cases. The two former officials worked for Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and had oversight responsibility for Flint’s water system after it began using the Flint River as its water source in 2014 and 2015.
Both men took plea deals with former special prosecutor Todd Flood a year ago, pleading no contest to misdemeanors that were to be reviewed and potentially dismissed a year later.
Molly Kettler, special assistant to the attorney general, said the men will have no lasting legal consequences because of the plea deals made by the former prosecution team. Kettler was assigned by Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud to replace the former prosecution team led by Flood and to hold government officials accountable for Flint’s water crisis.
“I must say, in all candor to the court and to everyone here, in well over 25 years of practicing law I’ve never seen anything like this,” Kettler said. “These pleas were taken when the prior prosecuting authority brought the defendants here to court the day after Christmas without making any announcements so the victims could be here or so that the public was aware of it.”
After Flood was fired as special prosecutor by Hammoud, pending criminal cases against eight defendants were dismissed and the unresolved plea agreements with Busch, Prysby and another DEQ official -- Liane Shekter-Smith -- were left in limbo....
It doesn't sound as though the state is dismissing RESPONSIBILITY for the water poisoning, so much as reassessing the entire dynamics. It seems as though more prosecutions will be forthcoming.
Criminal charges (click here) were filed against two Michigan Department of Environmental Quality regulators, Mike Prysby and Stephen Busch, and a former Flint water treatment plant supervisor, Mike Glasgow—the result of an investigation that began in January (3). Prysby and Busch face several charges, including: tampering and conspiracy, misconduct, and violating state water treatment and monitoring laws. Prysby was an engineer with the MDEQ who reportedly approved the water switch despite the treatment plant’s deficiencies. Glasgow, accused of altering lead water-monitoring results, was charged with tampering with evidence and “willful neglect of duty as a public servant”(4), however he has now reached a plea agreement. Glasgow agreed to plead no contest to the charge of willful neglect of duty (the tampering charge will be dropped) in exchange for his cooperation with the prosecutor’s ongoing investigation (6).
Prysby, Busch and Glasgow were all privy to emails that discussed water quality and the challenges they faced with the switch....
...Are they the sole culprits in this tragic series of events?While the process to remove lead pipes continues to move at a snail’s pace, the lead will remain a constant threat. In fact, one of Flint’s highest readings yet (22,905 ppb!) was recorded in a house as recently as April 2016(7). The federal Lead and Copper rule sets the legal threshold at 15 ppb. The EPA acknowledges that the pipe replacement is a “long-term goal,” thus the rallying cry to #FlushforFlint was born—calling on residents to flush their pipes for 5 minutes every morning for 14 days (8). This story is far from over. There will unfortunately be an enduring need for health and educational interventions for anyone with lead exposure....
By Steve Carmody
Two third graders (click here) at Neithercut Elementary in Flint play checkers on a tablet. Neveah Wilson (left) and Elizabeth Dexter are both bright, outgoing leaders in their classroom. But teaching often gets interrupted to deal with behavior issues, especially toward the end of the day. The school district has seen a steady increase in special needs since the water crisis, and is now nearing 28% special education, according to the superintendent.
State prosecutors (click here) are still not saying when to expect new criminal charges in the Flint water crisis probe.
Thursday evening, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley in cutting a ribbon officially opening the department’s new office in Flint. The office will handle multiple jobs. But its highest profile mission is related to the investigation into Flint’s water crisis.
The switch of Flint’s drinking water source exposed city residents to high levels of lead and other contaminants. The county also experienced a spike in cases of Legionnaires Disease. At least 12 people died.
Under the previous state Attorney General, more than a dozen government officials were criminally charged. About half reached plea deals with prosecutors in exchange for their cooperation, but no one spent a day in jail.
Six months ago, Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud dropped criminal charges against a half dozen government officials. The decision meant restarting the investigation from scratch. She blames the previous investigative team for the need to start over from square one...
...Next April will mark the sixth anniversary of Flint’s drinking water switch.
From the article of Neithercut Elementary:
...Rising rate of special needs post-water crisis
Five years ago, during the water crisis, the kids currently in Flint’s kindergarten and elementary classrooms were babies and toddlers, the population most vulnerable to lead exposure. Some may have spent their infancy drinking formula mixed with lead-tainted tap water, month after month.
Even low levels of childhood lead exposure have been linked to decreases in IQ. Elevated lead levels in the blood may raise the risk for ADHD and developmental delays. Numerous studies say it can also increase aggression and reduce impulse control, and according to the CDC, some researchers have found a “direct association between BLLs [blood lead levels] and poorer performance on tasks requiring focused attention, cognitive flexibility, and inhibition of automatic response.”
Flint’s superintendent, Derrick Lopez, says that’s what’s happening in these schools....
Putin states the USA Impeachment of Trump is phoney. Taken right out of the Republican playbook.
I am fairly certain the idea the USA House of Representative drummed up evidence for impeachment is not endorsed by allies. The Republicans need to realize who their international friends are; they should not be bragging about a political dogma Russia believes to be the best way out of the truth.
There is only one way to settle a peace in Ukraine and that is for Russia to LEAVE!
19 December 2019
Russian President Vladimir Putin (click here) has defended the pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, calling for direct talks between them and the Kyiv government to help restore peace.
He said Ukraine had accepted the rebel leaders' signatures on the 2015 Minsk ceasefire deal, so recognising them.
The separatists launched a Russian-backed insurgency in April 2014, seizing most of the Donbas region.
Ukraine denounced the rebels' claim to independence as an illegal revolt.
Ukraine and Russia agree to implement ceasefire
Will a deal with Russia bring peace to Ukraine?
Vladimir Putin: 20 years in 20 photos
Mr Putin was speaking at his annual wide-ranging, marathon press conference, broadcast live on all major TV channels.
Could Putin stay on beyond 2024?
There is much speculation about who might succeed Mr Putin to the presidency in 2024. He is currently in his fourth presidential term, though he had a break in between, serving as prime minister....
There is only one way to settle a peace in Ukraine and that is for Russia to LEAVE!
The /cartoonist's homepage, https://www.courier-journal.com
MARC MURPHY, (LOUISVILLE, KY.) COURIER JOURNAL
19 December 2019
Russian President Vladimir Putin (click here) has defended the pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, calling for direct talks between them and the Kyiv government to help restore peace.
He said Ukraine had accepted the rebel leaders' signatures on the 2015 Minsk ceasefire deal, so recognising them.
The separatists launched a Russian-backed insurgency in April 2014, seizing most of the Donbas region.
Ukraine denounced the rebels' claim to independence as an illegal revolt.
Ukraine and Russia agree to implement ceasefire
Will a deal with Russia bring peace to Ukraine?
Vladimir Putin: 20 years in 20 photos
Mr Putin was speaking at his annual wide-ranging, marathon press conference, broadcast live on all major TV channels.
Could Putin stay on beyond 2024?
There is much speculation about who might succeed Mr Putin to the presidency in 2024. He is currently in his fourth presidential term, though he had a break in between, serving as prime minister....
It reminds me of the Romney 47 percent statement.
29 December 2019Pete Buttigieg (click here) faced pushback on the debate stage Thursday night for a recent lavish fundraiser in California's Napa Valley. The private event in what's known as a "wine cave" included a chandelier studded with 1,500 Swarovski crystals and $900 bottles of wine — items Senator Elizabeth Warren was quick to point out as being out of reach for voters of more humble means.
Wine caves are meant to age and store wines and are used worldwide in the industry. What's less common is the Hall Rutherford caves functioning as a venue for high-paying donors to support Buttigieg's presidential aspirations....
Senator Warren is correct, who is doing this? There is only one reason to dive into lavish affairs where enormous amounts of money is coming out of a few people in a room and that is because there aren't enough small money donors.
It takes a lot of backbone to say no to money and it's power, but, she is saying no and there is a lot to be said for Senator Warren to call this out for what it is for a candidate for president, inappropriate.
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Let's cull every tax in the USA federal, state and local that is not to protected by an Amendment to the US Constitution.
December 18, 2019
By Richard Wolf
The federal appeals court in New Orleans (click here) struck down a major part of the Affordable Care Act on Wednesday, a decision that eventually could jeopardize health insurance for millions of Americans and set up an election-year showdown at the Supreme Court.
The 2-1 ruling against the law's requirement that people buy insurance, rendered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, represents the latest legal threat to former President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy achievement since it was enacted in 2010....
By Richard Wolf
The federal appeals court in New Orleans (click here) struck down a major part of the Affordable Care Act on Wednesday, a decision that eventually could jeopardize health insurance for millions of Americans and set up an election-year showdown at the Supreme Court.
The 2-1 ruling against the law's requirement that people buy insurance, rendered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, represents the latest legal threat to former President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy achievement since it was enacted in 2010....
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
That is a magnificent picture of her. She is the power of the US House. Thank you.
...The woman in charge (click here), Madam Speaker, arrived on the House floor wearing a black sheath with bracelet sleeves and matching pumps. The dress’s funnel neckline opened slightly for a little breathing room. It was a style that would have been appropriate for a funeral and reflected Pelosi’s grave remarks: “Our founders’ vision of a republic is under threat from actions from the White House,” Pelosi said. “That is why today, as speaker of the House, I solemnly and sadly open the debate on the impeachment of the president of the United States. If we do not act now, we would be derelict in our duty.”
As she spoke, it was impossible to miss the large golden mace brooch pinned to the left side of her chest. It is an eagle with its wings spread, perched on a pearl mounted on a sheath of gilded rods.
Left - The Mace fo the Republic
This Ann Hand brooch, which exudes majesty and power and old Washington style, was inspired by the mace of the House of Representatives. The original artifact, created in 1841, sits in the House chamber and serves as a symbol of the sergeant at arms’ authority as well as his or her role in maintaining decorum. The historic mace is composed of an eagle atop a silver globe on which the world’s continents are etched. The central shaft is actually 13 bundled rods representing the original colonies, along with the idea that we are stronger together than we are individually....
Donald John Trump is impeached today.
Thank you, Speaker Pelosi and all her Chairpersons that provided steadfast belief in our country.
Thank you. We are a more proud people for the love of our country expressed today.
Speaker Pelosi is a great Speaker of the US House. I am very proud of her steadfast belief in what happened today and being sure the US Senate respects the outcome today. She is great.
1220
Does Collins have to yell? That is all he ever does.
Senator Johnson in the IG hearing states there was 125 leaks in the first 126 days of Trump's administration and it appears he is holding the FBI responsible for them. He believes the Russian investigation was propelled to the forefront of concern by the country by a media that was complicit or dupped. Leaks are the US Senate Republicans defense to what caused the investigation into Russia's invasion into the USA elections. THAT IS ALL A LIE.
This hearing appears to be run today to hide the falsehoods the Republicans are introducing to the committee hearing today. Not one question of the IG has taken place that validates these falsehoods.
Review of FOUR FISA Applications and Other Aspects of the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane Investigation (click here)
Senator Johnson intends to continue the investigation of Crossfire Hurricane ad nauseam. This is the "Deep State" propaganda campaign the Republicans want. It is another Benghazi issue no different than when Hillary Clinton was chronically harassed by Republicans.
I don't need to hear political propaganda stated in the US Senate over and over. The report is in and the recommendations made.
House Republicans such as Mr. Rogers is stating the end justifies the means. Trump has broken the law and the Republicans raise in defense that the Stock Market is having fun.
The only King that actually matters in the USA.
A House Democrat (click here) who represents a Trump district in Maine said he plans to split his votes Tuesday on the two articles of impeachment against the president.
Rep. Jared Golden said he’ll vote for the abuse of power article but against obstruction of Congress.
Steven King, Maine's most famous resident, has stated he will do everything in his power to remove Golden from his seat if he only votes for one of the impeachment articles.
Speaker Pelosi spent two years telling her caucus "He isn't worth it," and resisted any impeachment proposals. This act by Trump against a sitting president in Ukraine demanded impeachment and she decided it was too egregious to turn away.
The Special Counsel found obstruction of justice 10 times by Trump during the investigation to Russian interference in the 2016 elections. The foreign intelligence regarding that interference is extensive in the Special Counsel report. I thought I'd know the names of the Russian spy organizations, the IRA (Internet Research Agency) and the GRU (Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation).
1408
Tell me Loudermilk did not invoke Jesus. Trump already believes he is the chosen one, perhaps Loudermilk does, too.
Does Collins have to yell? That is all he ever does.
Senator Johnson in the IG hearing states there was 125 leaks in the first 126 days of Trump's administration and it appears he is holding the FBI responsible for them. He believes the Russian investigation was propelled to the forefront of concern by the country by a media that was complicit or dupped. Leaks are the US Senate Republicans defense to what caused the investigation into Russia's invasion into the USA elections. THAT IS ALL A LIE.
This hearing appears to be run today to hide the falsehoods the Republicans are introducing to the committee hearing today. Not one question of the IG has taken place that validates these falsehoods.
Review of FOUR FISA Applications and Other Aspects of the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane Investigation (click here)
Senator Johnson intends to continue the investigation of Crossfire Hurricane ad nauseam. This is the "Deep State" propaganda campaign the Republicans want. It is another Benghazi issue no different than when Hillary Clinton was chronically harassed by Republicans.
I don't need to hear political propaganda stated in the US Senate over and over. The report is in and the recommendations made.
House Republicans such as Mr. Rogers is stating the end justifies the means. Trump has broken the law and the Republicans raise in defense that the Stock Market is having fun.
A House Democrat (click here) who represents a Trump district in Maine said he plans to split his votes Tuesday on the two articles of impeachment against the president.
Rep. Jared Golden said he’ll vote for the abuse of power article but against obstruction of Congress.
Steven King, Maine's most famous resident, has stated he will do everything in his power to remove Golden from his seat if he only votes for one of the impeachment articles.
Speaker Pelosi spent two years telling her caucus "He isn't worth it," and resisted any impeachment proposals. This act by Trump against a sitting president in Ukraine demanded impeachment and she decided it was too egregious to turn away.
The Special Counsel found obstruction of justice 10 times by Trump during the investigation to Russian interference in the 2016 elections. The foreign intelligence regarding that interference is extensive in the Special Counsel report. I thought I'd know the names of the Russian spy organizations, the IRA (Internet Research Agency) and the GRU (Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation).
1408
Tell me Loudermilk did not invoke Jesus. Trump already believes he is the chosen one, perhaps Loudermilk does, too.
The Republican strategy for opposing the impeachment of Donald John Trump is half-truths and lying about procedural processes.
Tom Cole speaking half-truths. The wrongdoing of Donald John Trump resulted in the resignation of a Congressman from the Republican Party. That member belonged to the Freedom Caucus. His voting record on legislation hasn't changed, but, the wrongdoing is so egregious he changed his status to being an Independent. I suppose Cole is technically correct in that this is not a bipartisan impeachment, but, if the Republicans continue down this path they could cull any chance of bipartisanship.
The lead up to this impeachment had an extensive effort in time and content. No Republican has a right to complain, yet, Cole complains exactly of that.
The lead up to this impeachment had an extensive effort in time and content. No Republican has a right to complain, yet, Cole complains exactly of that.
H.Res.660 (click here) - Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes.
H.Res 755 (click here) - Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
The Republicans proposed legislation that was to obstruct democracy. They know better than this. The Trump Republicans are attempting to impugn the USA Constitution. The Republicans need to stop implicating themselves in assaultive priorities of their caucus to answer to the president they went to every length to protect him and maintain his power in office.
Shown Here:
Shown Here:
Passed House (10/31/2019)
This resolution directs the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committees on Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, the Judiciary, Oversight and Reform, and Ways and Means to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House to impeach President Trump.
When does it end, especially considering Trump states there is no right to investigate him?
The resolution authorizes (1) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to conduct investigative proceedings, and (2) the chair of any committee having custody of materials relating to the inquiry to transfer the materials to the Committee on the Judiciary.
The House authorizes the Committee on the Judiciary to conduct proceedings relating to the impeachment inquiry. The committee shall report to the House such resolutions, articles of impeachment, or other recommendations as it deems proper.
HR Res. never passed into law and I am surprised it made it's way out of committee. This assaults Due Process.
SEC. 2. OPEN AND TRANSPARENT INVESTIGATIVE PROCEEDINGS BY THE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE.
For the purpose of continuing the investigation described in the first section of this resolution, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (referred to in this resolution as the “Permanent Select Committee”) is authorized to conduct proceedings pursuant to this resolution as follows:
(1) The chair of the Permanent Select Committee shall designate an open hearing or hearings pursuant to this section.
This assaults the national security of the USA. Congress is allowed to carry out closed sessions for the protection of the country while processing grievances that have lead to this impeachment. This directly assaults the Whistleblower Law.
How did this piece of junk make it out of committee?
(2) Notwithstanding (in spite of) clause 2(j)(2) of rule XI (click here) (the original rule was written in 2007. It's been fine up to now.) of the Rules of the House of Representatives, upon recognition by the chair for such purpose under this paragraph during any hearing designated pursuant to paragraph (1), the chair and ranking minority member of the Permanent Select Committee shall be permitted to question witnesses for equal specified periods of longer than five minutes, as determined by the chair. The time available for each period of questioning under this paragraph shall be equal for the chair and the ranking minority member. The chair may confer recognition for multiple periods of such questioning, but each period of questioning shall not exceed 90 minutes in the aggregate. (Amazing. So the Chair and Ranking Member would have no more than 90 minutes per question to pass on to their members to carry out obstruction of forward movement of hearings. The gall involved in this proposal cannot be understated.) Only the chair and ranking minority member, or a Permanent Select Committee employee if yielded to by the chair or ranking minority member, may question witnesses during such periods of questioning. At the conclusion of questioning pursuant to this paragraph, the committee shall proceed with questioning under the five-minute rule pursuant to clause 2(j)(2)(A) of rule XI.
I am convinced the Republican Party is completely compromised by the president and his hideous and unconstitutional demands to protect his own interests. The resolve available to them is for Republican members have is to leave the party. That is not a democracy. It is very concerning to realize the extent elected members of the party will carry out an assault against the USA Constitution. The American people knew what they were voting for in 2018.
continued...
The resolution authorizes (1) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to conduct investigative proceedings, and (2) the chair of any committee having custody of materials relating to the inquiry to transfer the materials to the Committee on the Judiciary.
The House authorizes the Committee on the Judiciary to conduct proceedings relating to the impeachment inquiry. The committee shall report to the House such resolutions, articles of impeachment, or other recommendations as it deems proper.
HR Res. never passed into law and I am surprised it made it's way out of committee. This assaults Due Process.
SEC. 2. OPEN AND TRANSPARENT INVESTIGATIVE PROCEEDINGS BY THE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE.
For the purpose of continuing the investigation described in the first section of this resolution, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (referred to in this resolution as the “Permanent Select Committee”) is authorized to conduct proceedings pursuant to this resolution as follows:
(1) The chair of the Permanent Select Committee shall designate an open hearing or hearings pursuant to this section.
This assaults the national security of the USA. Congress is allowed to carry out closed sessions for the protection of the country while processing grievances that have lead to this impeachment. This directly assaults the Whistleblower Law.
How did this piece of junk make it out of committee?
(2) Notwithstanding (in spite of) clause 2(j)(2) of rule XI (click here) (the original rule was written in 2007. It's been fine up to now.) of the Rules of the House of Representatives, upon recognition by the chair for such purpose under this paragraph during any hearing designated pursuant to paragraph (1), the chair and ranking minority member of the Permanent Select Committee shall be permitted to question witnesses for equal specified periods of longer than five minutes, as determined by the chair. The time available for each period of questioning under this paragraph shall be equal for the chair and the ranking minority member. The chair may confer recognition for multiple periods of such questioning, but each period of questioning shall not exceed 90 minutes in the aggregate. (Amazing. So the Chair and Ranking Member would have no more than 90 minutes per question to pass on to their members to carry out obstruction of forward movement of hearings. The gall involved in this proposal cannot be understated.) Only the chair and ranking minority member, or a Permanent Select Committee employee if yielded to by the chair or ranking minority member, may question witnesses during such periods of questioning. At the conclusion of questioning pursuant to this paragraph, the committee shall proceed with questioning under the five-minute rule pursuant to clause 2(j)(2)(A) of rule XI.
I am convinced the Republican Party is completely compromised by the president and his hideous and unconstitutional demands to protect his own interests. The resolve available to them is for Republican members have is to leave the party. That is not a democracy. It is very concerning to realize the extent elected members of the party will carry out an assault against the USA Constitution. The American people knew what they were voting for in 2018.
continued...
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Note to Congress: For children, Paparazzi are dangerous to their mental health.
An inconvenient truth about Lisa Page is that she never did anything wrong in her professional capacity. What happens between husbands, wives and lovers is no one's business. Lisa Page was used to create the idea of an FBI that was indeed a "Deep State." It was and is all a lie.
Below are a few sentences from a study about the tabloid press. The country is Great Britain, but, I think the conclusions outline a phenomena in the USA as well. Why is that important? Because in order to put forward the concept of "Deep State" it has to be a side note in tabloids that specialize in salacious accounts. One of the best friends of Donald J. Trump is David Pecker (click here) from the National Enquirer.
...Although the Sun and the Mirror (click here) are mainstream news discourse in terms of their circulation, and occupy a central place in British popular culture, their reception was framed by distancing from other kinds of printed news sources and from major social and political institutions. Rather than conjuring up an image of tabloid reading as a product of a ‘free’ choice from a range of media, simply representing ‘what readers want’, a key finding of this research is instead how social structures impact on reading choices and experiences. The social context of the readers becomes a vital factor to consider in understanding tabloid reading....
The methodology of tabloids is to create a sense of discovery of a mystery about authority. Flying Saucers that the government knows exist and have evidence of in Area 54. Hillary Clinton and birth of a Martian. Etc. Etc. Etc.
The salacious content of celebrities is vital to the viability of the tabloid. I hope my implication here is not too abstract. I am saying definitely that Lisa Page was used as a salacious icon that would create a sleazy feeling about the FBI so people can accept the idea of "Deep State" more easily. It was necessary for Trump to be able to create the "Deep State."
E-mails are another jargon issue for Republican politics. George W. Bush would not have an email account for fear he would mistakenly hit "reply all." Or something like that.
The discovery of a set of lovers working within the Special Counsel office was simply too good to be true and Trump's administration saw it as a gift that had to be exploited. Lisa Page and Peter Strozk, no matter how absurd the accusation would become was going to be used to promote a disease within the FBI. Any legislator that stood against these people were saintly and acting to protect the people from a runaway "Deep State."
Trump nurtured the idea of a "Deep State" and since it's emergence as a political strategy uses it chronically to discredit charges against him. Lisa Page and Peter Strozk were helpless victims to Trump's plans. They were discussing aspects of investigation and in some light-hearted moments jokingly states they would not let Trump serve as president. It was all Stupid Talk that carried no brevity what so ever at all.
The person cited by the Inspector General as having mixed political ideology with his work product was never mentioned by any Congressional persons. Lisa Page and Peter Strozk were not reported as mixing business with pleasure when it comes to FISA warrants, etc. The US Congress laid bare emails between TWO FBI AGENTS. Like, what? There was absolutely no reason for this to ever occur, but, they were the icons that the National Enquirer and other tabloids could use to back Trump's faux "Deep State."
This is probably meaningless to them, but, I apologize for the meat grinder Lisa Page and Peter Strozk got caught up in and I am furious the USA has lost not only highly qualified Directors and Acting Directors to the FBI, but, well qualified and dedicated agents. The Congress needs to be held responsible for the LEAK and proper ethics investigations needs to go forward.
I wish both former FBI agents well and hope their families are safe and sound. The Congress, DOJ or Trump had no right to do what they did to them.
Lisa Page, who exchanged anti-Trump text messages with Peter Strzok, her FBI agent lover, was seen for the first time on Wednesday
The woman who exchanged anti-Trump text messages (click here) with her FBI lover, who was dismissed from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, has been photographed for the first time since news of her affair was revealed.
Lisa Page, a lawyer for the FBI, looked somber in DailyMail.com's exclusive photos as she was spotted leaving the home that she shares with her husband and children in Washington D.C. on Wednesday.
The 38-year-old registered Democrat wore all black and her hair was still wet when she left the residence carrying two bags moments after her husband Joseph Burrow, 40, pulled his hood over his head and left the house with their son.
On Saturday, Page was exposed as being the lover of Peter Strzok, deputy head of counterintelligence at the FBI, after it was discovered they exchanged anti-Trump text messages, which led him to be reassigned to the FBI's human resources department in August....
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