I think people are changing their minds. Trumps tweets are getting increasingly nutty and cnn at least has been reporting in this nuttiness. Stories like ^ are going to make it difficult for McConnell to stop those people from testifying.

You have to keep in mind most people are lurkers. Obviously anyone vocal on trump now has their minds made up but the quiet people aren’t as dogmatic.

12/30/2019 10:05:24 PM

IRL lurkers

I like it

12/30/2019 10:32:15 PM

Exclusive: Unredacted Ukraine Documents Reveal Extent of Pentagon’s Legal Concerns

https://www.justsecurity.org/67863/exclusive-unredacted-ukraine-documents-reveal-extent-of-pentagons-legal-concerns/

Quote :

"“Clear direction from POTUS to continue to hold.” This is what Michael Duffey, associate director of national security programs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), told Elaine McCusker, the acting Pentagon comptroller, in an Aug. 30 email, which has only been made available in redacted form until now. It is one of many documents the Trump administration is trying to keep from the public, despite congressional oversight efforts and court orders in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation. Earlier in the day on Aug. 30, President Donald Trump met with Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss the president’s hold on $391 million in military assistance for Ukraine. Inside the Trump administration, panic was reaching fever pitch about the president’s funding hold, which had stretched on for two months. Days earlier, POLITICO had broken the story and questions were starting to pile up. U.S. defense contractors were worried about delayed contracts and officials in Kyiv and lawmakers on Capitol Hill wanted to know what on earth was going on. While Trump’s national security team thought withholding the money went against U.S. national security interests, Trump still wouldn’t budge. Thanks to the testimony of several Trump administration officials, we now know what Trump was waiting on: a commitment from Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. "

Quote :

"What is clear is that it all came down to the president and what he wanted; no one else appears to have supported his position. Although the pretext for the hold was that some sort of policy review was taking place, the emails make no mention of that actually happening. Instead, officials were anxiously waiting for the president to be convinced that the hold was a bad idea. And while the situation continued throughout the summer, senior defense officials were searching for legal guidance, worried they would be blamed should the hold be lifted too late to actually spend all of the money, which would violate the law. "

Quote :

"McCusker followed up in an email to OMB asking if this had gone through the Defense Department’s general counsel, indicating an early concern about the legality of these actions. When it released this email to the Center for Public Integrity, the Justice Department redacted this simple question from McCusker."

Quote :

"The next day, July 26, John Rood, head of policy at the Defense Department, sent his boss, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, a readout from the “Ukraine Deputies Small Group” meeting. This is the meeting convened by the National Security Council where we know, thanks to Cooper’s congressional testimony, that the national security community voiced its “unanimous support” for resuming the funding and Cooper raised the Defense Department’s concern about the urgency of the matter due to the legal requirement to spend all of the money by the end of the fiscal year. "

Quote :

"In an Aug. 21 email to her DOD colleagues, McCusker notes that members of the House Appropriations Committee traveled to Ukraine earlier that month and sent the Pentagon a request for information regarding the funding. On Aug. 26, Duffey let McCusker know that the funding hold was being extended again. McCusker responded, “What is the status of the impoundment paperwork?” To which Duffey, replied, “I am not tracking that. Is that something you are expecting from OMB?” McCusker: “Yes, it is now necessary — legal teams were discussing last week.” The Justice Department redacted McCusker’s side of this exchange. "

Quote :

"“Recognizing the importance of decision space, but this situation is really unworkable made particularly difficult because OMB lawyers continue to consistently mischaracterize the process — and the information we have provided. They keep repeating that this pause will not impact DOD’s ability to execute on time.” (emphasis added)"

Quote :

". The entirety of the one-page letter was redacted in the emails released to CPI. Here are the key sections: “As you know, in a series of footnotes to its apportionment documents, the Office of Management and Budget has directed the Department to pause its obligation of USAI funding temporarily, pending completion of an ‘interagency process to determine the best use of such funds.’ These footnotes make the affected funding legally unavailable for obligation during the period of the directed pause. As a result, we have repeatedly advised OMB officials that pauses beyond Aug. 19, 2019 jeopardize the Department’s ability to obligate USAI funding prudently and fully, consistent with the Impoundment Control Act. The latest OMB-directed pause ended on August 26, 2019, and has not been extended. Accordingly, the Department is resuming its obligation of USAI funding. We believe that OMB’s imposition of any further delays in obligating USAI funding will trigger the ICA’s requirement to transmit to Congress a special message proposing rescission or deferral of funding for the USAI.” "

Quote :

"Talking points were hashed out and Paoletta, the OMB general counsel, forwarded them around. The final talking point read: “No action has been taken by OMB that would preclude the obligation of these funds before the end of the fiscal year.” When McCusker read this, she wrote to Duffey, “I don’t agree to the revised TPs — the last one is just not accurate from a financial execution standpoint, something we have been consistently conveying for a few weeks.” Her reaction to the talking points was redacted in the FOIA release last month:"

Quote :

"Duffey, adding OMB and Pentagon lawyers to the recipients list, and in a formal and lengthy letter that was quite different from the way he’d addressed McCusker all summer, chastised her and the Defense Department for dropping the ball, saying that if and when the hold is lifted, and DOD finds itself unable to obligate the funding, it would be DOD’s fault. “As you know, the President wanted a policy process run to determine the best use of these funds, and he specifically mentioned this to the SecDef the previous week. OMB developed a footnote authorizing DoD to proceed with all processes necessary to obligate funds. If you have not taken these steps, that is contrary to OMB’s direction and was your decision not to proceed. If you are unable to obligate the funds, it will have been DoD’s decision that cause any impoundment of funds.” Essentially: You guys screwed up. Not us. McCusker responded: “You can’t be serious. I am speechless.”"

1/2/2020 10:24:44 AM

Those are some seriously ridiculous redactions.

1/2/2020 1:21:50 PM

I love the smell of cover up in the new year!

If we're lucky, the House will pull the string on those redactions.

1/2/2020 2:03:25 PM

Bolton to testify if subpoenaed. Thats good

1/6/2020 12:07:48 PM

New 538 poll has over 50% think evidence warrants removal

1/6/2020 12:12:27 PM

Quote :

" "former White House officials and people close to Mr. Bolton have indicated that his testimony would likely be damning to Mr. Trump and put additional pressure on moderate Republicans to consider convicting him.""

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/us/politics/bolton-testify-impeachment-trial.html

Im actually thinking a movie about the trump era is still going to be riveting to watch with twists like this.

1/6/2020 7:32:20 PM

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/01/06/gop-congressman-tweeted-fake-image-obama-with-iranian-president-they-never-met/

Quote :

"Rep. Paul A. Gosar, an Arizona Republican whose history of inflammatory social media posts has made him Internet infamous, tweeted a doctored picture of President Barack Obama shaking hands with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in an apparent effort to criticize the former U.S. leader’s Iran policy. The tweet, sent Monday afternoon, is captioned: “The world is a better place without these guys in power.” It features a fake photo that was debunked more than four years ago. In the falsified image, Obama and Rouhani are posing, hands clasped and smiling, in front of two American flags and a poorly altered Iranian one. But Obama and Rouhani never met in person, and, while Obama left office in 2017, Rouhani is still in power. The real photo was taken at a 2011 meeting between Obama and then-Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh."

1/6/2020 10:23:13 PM

^^Especially if the writers have half the creativity of those at the NYT

1/6/2020 10:43:15 PM

I still don't see Bolton testifying.

1/6/2020 10:45:37 PM

Why not?

1/6/2020 11:09:54 PM

well, I guess I am just not familiar with the rules in this case. Is it up to the Senate to issue a subpoena? Will the GOP be able to block that request?

1/7/2020 1:13:50 AM

The house or senate could subpoena him

1/7/2020 8:55:03 AM

They won't

1/7/2020 9:50:01 AM

Nancy is saying she'll send the articles of impeachment over to the senate next week, which will be just in time to drag Warren and Sanders off the campaign trail 2 weeks before the Iowa Caucus.

1/10/2020 1:00:34 PM

The House Intelligence Committee released these Lev Parnas documents:

https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/20200114_-_hpsci_transmittal_letter_to_hjc_-_new_evidence_attachment.pdf

1/14/2020 6:11:43 PM

Um.

At best, they were actively surveilling a State diplomat. At worst, they were... discussing a mob style hit??? And let us not forget State essentially ordered her evacuated overnight with zero notice.

Uhhhhh... no wonder why Trumps team is actively trying to bury every document available.

1/14/2020 6:58:25 PM

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/14/politics/robert-hyde-marie-yovanovitch/index.html

Here's Trump's friends discussing what sounds awfully close to a hit attempt on a U.S. Ambassador.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ukraine-prosecutor-offered-information-related-to-biden-in-exchange-for-ambassadors-ouster-newly-released-materials-show/2020/01/14/cc45d19e-371e-11ea-9541-9107303481a4_story.html

[Edited on January 14, 2020 at 11:19 PM. Reason : a]

1/14/2020 10:58:49 PM

What I find baffling is how all these criminals, Russian-mob connected and bad people keep showing up in the Presidents orbit. Just really, really bad luck I guess.

1/15/2020 8:32:34 AM

But he hires the best people! Haha. I didn't think that when he said he'd drain the swamp that he'd drain it into the White House.

1/15/2020 8:43:07 AM

Impeachment managers selected:
- Adam Schiff
- Jerry Nadler
- Zoe Lofgren
- Val Demings
- Hakeem Jeffries
- Sylvia Garcia
- Jason Crow

1/15/2020 10:28:18 AM

Remember when people thought Pelosi would get to set the rules by wasting time but then she proceeded without being able to set the rules? Good times.

1/15/2020 10:43:18 AM

no one thought that.

1/15/2020 10:45:37 AM

^

1/15/2020 10:55:57 AM

She was ever only holding the articles so that Sanders and Warren would be off the campaign trail right before the front-running primary states got to the ballot box. Gotta look out for your fellow establishment Dems!

1/15/2020 10:59:01 AM

is Fox News saying anything about Parnas and Robert Hayes talking about assassinating a US ambassador?

[Edited on January 15, 2020 at 11:19 AM. Reason : parnas]

1/15/2020 11:18:11 AM

Literally no one, anywhere is because our horse-race driven media is fundamentally broken.

1/15/2020 11:19:05 AM

looking at coverage online it looks like no media is willing to point out that hayes was asking about assassination even though it's very obvious

1/15/2020 11:22:15 AM

Just like no media has ever really examined just how deep Trumps ties have always been with both American and Russian mobs. It’s uncomfortable stuff to look at a sitting President about.

I actually think this Hyde guy is a nutcase who is full of shit but how the hell is he obviously in the loop with the presidents personal lawyer. It’s insane.

1/15/2020 11:32:00 AM

https://www.wral.com/yovanovitch-calls-for-investigation-into-disturbing-surveillance-as-ex-diplomats-outraged-over-her-treatment/18887394/

1/15/2020 11:48:01 AM

^^^ it's the disbelief that Trump and his team could be so heinous. People are still projecting the idea that Trump is a normal politician just a little quirky onto Trump, rather than seeing what he really is.

I've seen lots of twitter commentators calling this out, and 1 article calling the documents "explosive" but every other article is just "new documents in impeachment" or focus on Giuliani's involvement...

1/15/2020 12:37:20 PM

^^^ Hyde was once involuntarily committed by the state of Florida (let that sink in for a moment).

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/01/new-figure-in-ukraine-scandal-was-taken-into-police-custody-at-trump-resort-last-year/

1/15/2020 12:39:01 PM

Where have you guys been? Tons of Pelosicrats were yass queening her and calling her genius for holding the articles claiming she would get her way or drive Trump crazy by sitting on them.

Quote :

"After nearly a month of dithering, Nancy Pelosi is finally accepting defeat in her standoff with Mitch McConnell over impeachment. Despite insisting as recently as Thursday that she would wait to transmit the articles of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate until she was confident that the trial in the upper chamber would proceed on terms favorable to her party, she quietly backed down on Friday morning. Her letter to Democratic colleagues in the House announced that the articles would be sent next week even though McConnell has made it clear that none of her demands — testimony from additional witnesses, for example — would be honored or even considered."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/nancy-pelosi-lost-impeachment-standoff-203540199.html

Quote :

"America is the midst of an imaginary impeachment standoff between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "Both have drawn firm lines in the sand. Someone's got to give," one reporter recently declared. There is, of course, nothing to "give." Pelosi has no standing to dictate the terms of a Senate trial; no constitutional right or political leverage. Why she has put herself in a position that will ultimately end, one way or another, with her surrendering to McConnell is perplexing."

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/01/10/pelosis_embarrassing_impeachment_blunder_142115.html

Quote :

"Which left Pelosi hung out to dry. The leverage she imagined she possessed to get McConnell to accede to her wishes didn't exist. McConnell was perfectly happy waiting while Pelosi held on to the articles of impeachment, probably believing rightly that these sorts of delaying tactics would look like just more Washington funny business to the average person. "

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/14/politics/nancy-pelosi-mitch-mcconnnell/index.html

[Edited on January 15, 2020 at 1:06 PM. Reason : obviously, the real reason was the one stated by exiled]

1/15/2020 12:50:08 PM

wHeRe hAvE yOu GuYs bEeN?!

1/15/2020 12:52:52 PM

https://www.npr.org/2020/01/15/796593183/new-lev-parnas-documents-suggest-u-s-ambassador-was-under-surveillance-in-ukrain

1/15/2020 1:13:20 PM

It sure sounds like an intention to kill the ambassador to me. Honestly this news is far more important than last night's debate. Trump will still be acquitted in the Senate but holy shit!

1/15/2020 1:52:09 PM

My man posted a Chris Cilizza article unironically.

1/15/2020 2:46:57 PM

Just like I post some right wing stuff unironically. Its called a bias check. I read things fromand expose myself to all perspectives.

1/15/2020 4:25:41 PM

bIaS cHeCk

1/15/2020 4:27:51 PM

I find it very hard to believe that somebody plotting to kill a sitting US diplomat would communicate about said plan via WhatsApp. Especially since one of those guys is know for taking copious notes using pen and paper. That's just bizarre.

1/15/2020 6:02:47 PM

Quote :

"the truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand"

1/15/2020 6:08:03 PM

Quote :

"but how the hell is he obviously in the loop with the presidents personal lawyer. It’s insane."

I am far more concerned that he knew where she was and what she was doing.

1/15/2020 6:30:34 PM

I don’t have cable but the clips coming out of this parnas interview are very damning. Nunes has been incrementally lying about this all the way. I can’t believe he hasn’t been indicted yet.

1/15/2020 9:34:35 PM

So parnas is saying trump was willing to get the doj to drop an extradition request for firtash if firtash could help release info on Biden that he supposedly had.

Firtash is wanted by the doj for bribery and some other crimes. Wow.

Parnas is also claiming a little incredulously that Hyde was just drunk texting when he said he could take care of yavanovutch

[Edited on January 15, 2020 at 9:58 PM. Reason : ]

1/15/2020 9:57:15 PM

Quote :

"The former Marine who suggested he was tracking a US ambassador disliked by Trump was involuntarily committed last year, 9 days after bowling at the WH. He’s also subject to a restraining order for stalking a woman at Trump’s hotel. "

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/gop-figure-who-said-he-tracked-us-ambassador-was-previously-involuntarily-committed-records-show/2020/01/15/5fcd8b08-37c1-11ea-9541-9107303481a4_story.html

1/16/2020 12:30:00 AM

Parnas is a criminal, sideshow, liar and utterly uncredible and untrustworthy. We should trust nothing he says that doesn’t have documentary evidence to back it up.

In other words, exactly like the president. Which is why it’s so crucial that Justice Roberts allows and demands witnesses and documents to be presented. And also why he won’t allow it.

1/16/2020 8:08:47 AM

looks like trump/guilliani finally got ukraine to open an investigation:

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/christopherm51/ukraine-impeachment-lev-parnas-marie-yovanovitch

1/16/2020 10:18:14 AM

Parnas would tell the truth now because he wants to save his own ass having been indicted. Also:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/ukraine-aid-hold-violated-law-government-accountability-office-n1117031

The Trump administration violated the law by withholding military aid to Ukraine, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a decision released Thursday.

"In the summer of 2019, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) withheld from obligation funds appropriated to the Department of Defense (DOD) for security assistance to Ukraine," the government watchdog's ruling said.

"Faithful execution of the law does not permit the President to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law. OMB withheld funds for a policy reason, which is not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act (ICA). The withholding was not a programmatic delay. Therefore, we conclude that OMB violated the ICA."


There is just too much corruption to keep track of. I don't know anyone at this point can think of Trump as a stand up guy.

1/16/2020 10:46:31 AM

I agree entirely with being skeptical about Parnas (in fact I think I mentioned pages ago or in another thread). But so far the evidence is indicating he's being truthful about something.

1/16/2020 12:11:34 PM