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by Bjinse on Mon Mar 5th, 2018 at 09:53:56 PM EST
Former Trump Aide Will Refuse to Comply with Subpoena, Dares Mueller to Arrest Him
::
Did you know not all rules of Monopoly® are alike? My child taught me this, when she refused to pay to "get out of jail", but was content to collect rents from me while my piece went around and around the board.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Tue Mar 6th, 2018 at 05:49:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Just watch him squeal when he IS arrested. Anyway, he's small fry.  I hope you taught your child the realities of capitalism (before Trump)...


Index of Frank's Diaries
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Tue Mar 6th, 2018 at 06:03:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Why, yes, Frank, I have taught my child the realities of capitalism. We are "black." I would be an irresponsible parent were I not to forewarn, cultivate, and arm her with the courage of her convictions.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Tue Mar 6th, 2018 at 07:08:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ah yes, but did you teach her that rules have to be obeyed and contracts have to be honoured?  Trump seems to be a bit of a game changer in that regard. I don't think declaring bankruptcy to avoid paying bills, threatening suppliers with ruinous legal bills if they pursued a debt, or putting your property in Chapter 11 protection was part of the Monopoly set I grew up with, and you couldn't collect rent while in jail...

Index of Frank's Diaries
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Tue Mar 6th, 2018 at 07:26:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Disney® Edition Monopoly® rules did not stipulate a jailed player must return to play. Nor did it prohibit collection of rent by a jailed player. It simply is not in the rule pamphlet. So. I found she indeed had observed the rules and undertook a negotiated settlement.

And, yes, Frank. She has received tuition from several members of our family besides myself, and she has learned from experience the meaning of trust and ethics in a variety of private and public "contexts". I can recall many humorous and poignant episodes of trial and error, aged 4 - 19.

"The First Lie,"
"The Responsibility Chart and the Lady Bug Purse",
"Common Courtesy (Because you can),"
"Free-riders in Group Assignments," and
"Resting Bitch Face" immediately come to mind, because these produced the greatest volume of tears from her.


Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Tue Mar 6th, 2018 at 08:26:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Sounds like she had a really good education in things that matter but which are not always on the formal school curriculum. I think you could write quite a good children's text/story book illustrating your concepts with the consequences such oft explored strategies can lead to. Like "How to make a bitch face  and what can happen when you do in five easy lessons..."

Index of Frank's Diaries
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Tue Mar 6th, 2018 at 08:47:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"Disney® Edition Monopoly® rules did not stipulate a jailed player must return to play. Nor did it prohibit collection of rent by a jailed player. It simply is not in the rule pamphlet."

Typical Disney. As the kids used to say in LA in '67 "That is so mouse!" Disney taints everything it touches. Walt showed genius back in the '30s and recruited people with real genius. But he had some pretty hard limits. He could not understand why the NCAA didn't want him to release 'Song of the South' in Atlanta and why blacks might be offended. Zippedy-do-dah, zipidey-a.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Wed Mar 7th, 2018 at 03:02:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Sam Nunberg and Last Night's NASCAR Press Pileup [Updated]
"In the meantime, Nunberg has made himself into the Martha Mitchell of the Trump era."
< wipes tears >
My mom thought Martha was the funniest thing going back in the day.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Tue Mar 6th, 2018 at 09:36:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Your mom is right. I remember her. One of he worst 'loose cannon' ever to appear in Republican Presidential politics. A southern girl with a caustic mouth when she drank, which was most of the time. Fortunately she was too often dismissed.


"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sat Mar 10th, 2018 at 03:21:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]
dKos had a play by play on Monday, it was hysterical. Even the TV people were feeling sorry for him, "mate, you got to put the phone down".

Seems like he has something on Cohen, something ver' bad. Which means Cohen is gonna have to cough up something good.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Wed Mar 7th, 2018 at 07:21:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
That was Martha Mitchell's --Mrs John Mitchell's-- claim to fame, too.
"Lush" was the epithet my mom ascribed to her public appearances and incredible innuedo, true though they might have been found. I don't remember if Martha later got the Betty Ford treatment by the press. I guess not.

Anyway, in one week US press has rallied around Cohn's moral rectitude. And whatever Mueller says Nunberg says in his deposition is ... laughable.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Fri Mar 9th, 2018 at 05:43:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Kellyanne Conway found to have violated Hatch Act

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Tue Mar 6th, 2018 at 08:41:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I'm SHOCKED, I tell you, SHOCKED

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Wed Mar 7th, 2018 at 07:23:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Donald Trump falls 200 places on Forbes rich list after $400m drop in wealth
another blow to emoluments lawsuits

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Tue Mar 6th, 2018 at 09:55:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
re: media celebrity, presidential "legacy"

Obamas reportedly in talks with Netflix about developing a series
who didn't see this coming?

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Fri Mar 9th, 2018 at 05:25:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Americans' Identification as Independents Back Up in 2017
42% I, 29% D, 27% R.
Think about that the next time you "consume" a US opinion poll purporting to predict uniparty nominees and election results.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Sat Mar 10th, 2018 at 12:16:08 AM EST
[ Parent ]
VOA | Reports:Trump Plans to Replace Secretary of State with CIA Chief 17 DEC 2017
"Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis also weighed in when asked, saying, 'I make nothing of it. There's nothing to it.' "
FT | Trump secures appointment of Mike Pompeo as CIA director 24 JAN 2018
"On Monday Mr Pompeo formally became CIA director, with the Senate approving his selection 66 to 32, after a debate that stretched into the evening."
Trump fires top diplomat Tillerson, taps CIA's Pompeo 13 MAR 2018
"Tillerson had developed a strong relationship with Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, and the two were seen as a moderating influence on some of Trump's policies."

RLY?

Verified Voting a/o FEB 2018
Push to bolster election security stalls in Senate
"Lankford's amendment, provided to The Hill by an aide, aimed to improve the flow of information between federal officials and state officials involved in administering elections."
The CIA Democrats: I, II, III

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Tue Mar 13th, 2018 at 07:51:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

SRSLY?

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Tue Mar 13th, 2018 at 07:59:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Trump's New CIA Director Oversaw Torture in 'Black Sites'
and Jose Rodriguez, remember him?
New CIA deputy director is 1st career female officer in the post
31-year-career --how many adminstrations izzat?
German NGO seeks arrest warrant for Donald Trump's deputy CIA director
"The ECCHR first pressed charges against unknown CIA operatives in December 2014, after the US Senate Select Committee published its report on the CIA's detention and interrogation program."

This one needs a whisper list booth AND a podium at the Summit

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Wed Mar 14th, 2018 at 12:37:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]
No FIFTH WAVE kudos for Haspel.
Why Gina Haspel, the Queen of Torture, Was Able to Rise to the Top of the CIA
Haspel's ascension [SIC] illuminates what happens when there is no accountability, no truth, and no justice for torture. Because of the power and influence of the United States, this lack of accountability, truth, and justice undermines the power of international law and the strength of the anti-torture norm globally. Moreover, letting officials of past administrations get away with torture does nothing to deter the possibility of a future administration attempting to do it again. For these reasons, all possible pressure must be brought to bear on Congress to vote down Haspel's nomination. This won't right the wrongs of the past, but it would be an important political victory against Trump [?] and the torture enthusiasts [?] who live among us.
Interesting. Now, here's the "process explanation" of accountability, truth, and justice:
42 U.S. Code § 2000dd-1 - Protection of United States Government personnel engaged in authorized interrogations, as amended 2009,
and the pertinent ACLU lawsuits implicating Haspel supervision are SULEIMAN ABDULLAH SALIM, et  al. v Mitchell and Jensen | ACLU Settles Lawsuit Against Architects of CIA Torture Program
and
France 24 | ECCHR brief on behalf of Zubaydah.

So much for The Nation correction.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Sun Mar 18th, 2018 at 02:44:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Case Number: GBA 3 ARP 100/14-4 (EN), updated June 2017, based on findings of the US Senate Intelligence Committee Report on CIA's Detention and Interrogation Program (9 Dec 2014), pp 712

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Sun Mar 18th, 2018 at 03:02:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Paul vows to filibuster Pompeo, Haspel
"Paul called on others to support him, including California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein."

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Sun Mar 18th, 2018 at 10:45:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I almost forgot summer of '17.

WIRED | TRUMP WANTS ALL YOUR VOTER DATA. WHAT COULD GO WRONG? JUNE
dilettant
CNN | Forty-four states and DC have refused to give certain voter information to Trump commission JULY
"other channels"
Texas judge blocks state from handing over voter info to Trump commissionOCT
"The lawsuit was brought by the NAACP and the League of Women Voters of Texas against Texas' secretary of state, the state's election administrator. A second hearing is scheduled for Oct. 16."
Legal Actions Taken Against Trump's "Voter Fraud" Commission DEC
-- Appeals court rejects challenge to Trump voter fraud panel
"The group is 'not a voter' and represents no voters, and therefore had no standing to sue, Williams wrote."

NEW script! Places everyone!
Democrats want $300 million to fight possible Russia election tampering FEB 2018
&tc.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Tue Mar 13th, 2018 at 10:57:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Researcher Takes Heat for Study at Heart of Voter ID Trial
"Dale Ho, lead attorney for the ACLU, questioned the credibility of Richman's work and noted some of it consisted of sample sizes with as few as 37 people."

go. dems. find those commies!

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Tue Mar 13th, 2018 at 11:26:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
USAToday | OpEd | Election hacking is going to happen. Here's what we can do now to protect our votes.
The first ballots of the 2018 mid-term elections will soon be cast, but many Americans will exercise this constitutional right without much confidence that their votes will be fairly and securely counted. Partisanship in Congress and bureaucratic delays have left voting even more vulnerable to the attacks that top intelligence officials say will accelerate in 2018. Meanwhile, irrefutable evidence has revealed that Russia engaged in a multifaceted attack on the 2016 election through information warfare, and that hackers also scanned or penetrated state election infrastructure in ways that could lead to manipulation of voter registration data -- and possibly change vote totals in 2018. We propose two stopgap measures that can be immediately implemented without waiting for funding or new legislation.

front page lede HTML TITLE "www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/15/trump-sanctions-russia-following-poisoning-british- spy/427464002/"

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Thu Mar 15th, 2018 at 06:12:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
https:/www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/15/trump-sanctions-russia-following-poisoning-b ritish-spy/427464002 :U.S. sanctions Russia for 2016 election interference and other cyber activity

https:/www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/03/15/russian-election-hacking-what-we-can-do-now-protec t-democracy-buell-demillo-hoke-column/393565002 :Election hacking is going to happen. Here's what we can do now to protect our votes.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Thu Mar 15th, 2018 at 06:17:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
More election interference.
The election official was commenting on an article titled "Five Strategies of Protest Behavior at the Russian Presidential Elections," which was posted on the Russian-language website of German public news corporation Deutsche Welle (DW).

The article advised Russian voters to spoil their ballots, to take them home instead of casting them, or to shun the polls altogether. The authors also suggested that voters should apply to vote remotely and then not avail of the option, as well as voting for a candidate "that causes less negative emotions" in order to decrease the eventual winner's margin of victory.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Thu Mar 15th, 2018 at 06:18:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
crafty.

We ALL KNOW what happened to "spoiled" ballots, "hanging chads," provisional ballots, absentee ballots, and little ol' black church ladies in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 --don't we?

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Thu Mar 15th, 2018 at 07:42:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Trump cabinet: billionaires -1, military +1 (Pompeo was once an army captain and appears to have been a founding partner of a small MIC company.)

Bannon and his alt-right flunkies are out, now goes the billionaires. And left standing is the military.

by fjallstrom on Wed Mar 14th, 2018 at 01:15:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I have given up a long time ago to search for any sanity in that shining city on top of the Hill. Exceptional pur sang, unfortunately a majority in both houses of Congress.

Tillerson was the last man standing having a moderate voice on foreign policy and diplomacy. It appears the man sitting behind that oak desk in the Oval Office has been encapsulated. The military and intelligence, which had a major voice under a clean Obama, must now have the goods that could ruin Trump Empire financially.

The force will be towards Russia for its protection of Syria under Assad and the Shia alliance with Iraq's majority and Iran. The newly formed alliance of Israel with the Emirates and young crown prince Salman of the KSA will put further pressure on its archenemy the Shia state of Iran.

Tillerson has been blamed by Trump for opposing the shredding of the nuclear pact with Iran. Watch the Ides of May. May as in the calender month and Theresa "sanctions" May. It's just all too convenient.

After the anthrax deaths of September 2011, how many months/years did it take to determine it originated in a lab of the U.S. Army in Fort Detrick?  The person who caused the anthrax scare was never found. At one time the FBI pointed at a deceased person.

Porton Down has evidence of the origin and perpetrators of the Salisbury attack within days???

Amnesia and Gaza Genocide

by Oui on Wed Mar 14th, 2018 at 03:47:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

disciplinary action, administrative law, executive branch, US gov

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Sat Mar 17th, 2018 at 06:40:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

"FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR FIRED 2 DAYS BEFORE RETIREMENT: Rachel Bade, CNN Political Analyst:'He spoke to my colleague a couple of weeks ago...'"

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Sat Mar 17th, 2018 at 07:10:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
OPM | FERS | "if you leave your Government job before becoming eligible for retirement:..."

FERS is the name of McCabe's "defined contribution" retirement fund, or US gov 401(k) plan(s). Plan distribution conforms with IRS rules for this instrument. CSRS is the name of the "defined benefit" retirement fund offered all US federal graded employees until 1986. It distributes annuity payments to retired employees hired before 1986. My father collected from CSRS. My brother will collect from FERS.

McCabe is affiliated with the Republican Party. He became a federal employee in 1996, according to wikipedia.

McCabe has not been tried or even convicted of any crime. Neither his nor Comey's "pension" is in jeopardy because he has been fired. McCabe has been fired --involuntarily separated from his employment by his US gov supervisor-- given unsatisfactory "performance" of his duties, found by the Justice Dept OIG. OIG authority:

OIG initiates investigations based on information received from a variety of sources, including: OIG's fraud, waste and abuse hotline; Departmental, GAO, and DOJ referrals; Congressional requests; and referrals from OSC regarding whistleblower disclosures. While anonymous complaints are accepted, they often present the greatest difficulty to investigate as there is not a person for OIG to contact for allegation particulars.
The vast majority of GS and SE employees fired by their US gov supervisors are subject to arbitration under the US Merit System Protection Board, a semi-autonomous, byzantine bureau of the executive and judiciary branches. OIG does not routinely audit their complaints. Like them should McCabe unexpectedly find himself denied FERS distribution in violation of law or inclined to pursue unlawful separation claim, eg. retaliation, he will need to file his complaint with both MSPB and a US District Court.

To answer the CNN "analyst" questions, Does McCabe have any recourse? Yes, unlike so many non-farm civilian "workers." Because, yanno, this travesty of justice and democracy all about McCabe's "pension"; and, no, details of the OIG forthcoming report cannot help CNN reportage.


Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Sat Mar 17th, 2018 at 08:27:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
reference: public laws
Introduction
Under a provision in federal retirement law commonly referred to as the "Hiss Act," Members of Congress and other officers and employees of the federal government forfeit their federal employee retirement annuities if they are convicted of certain designated federal crimes relating to disloyalty or involving national security or national defense-related offenses against the United States. In addition, under legislation passed in 2007, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, P.L. 110-81, 121 Stat. 735 (September 14, 2007), and amended by the STOCK Act in 2012, P.L. 112-105, 126 Stat. 301-303 (April 4, 2012), Members of Congress will lose their service credit toward their federal pensions for all of the time they serve in Congress if convicted for conduct engaged in while in Congress that violates one of several criminal provisions of federal law concerning corruption in public office.
[...]
The original Hiss Act provisions on forfeiture of annuities were enacted before the adoption of the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS), and the Hiss Act provisions were not specifically amended to expressly address the new retirement provisions of FERS.12 Although the Hiss Act was not itself amended, the FERS legislation expressly provides that upon a forfeiture of annuities under the Hiss Act, an employee also forfeits the government contributions, and all the earnings attributable to such contributions, in the employee's Thrift Savings Plan.13 This would indicate that under the current operation of law, employees and Members convicted of offenses under the Hiss Act who lose their annuity and lose the government contributions and earnings from those contributions in the Thrift Savings Plan, are allowed to receive back their own contributions and all the earnings attributable to those voluntary contributions in the Thrift Savings Plan.

Spouse and Dependent Beneficiaries
Under provisions of current law, when a Member of Congress or other federal officer or employee forfeits his or her federal annuity/pension because of a conviction for one of the offenses covered under the Hiss Act provisions of federal retirement law, that pension is not paid even to an "innocent" spouse or dependent of the Member, officer, or employee, except under special circumstances for a "cooperating spouse." Federal law now provides that the spouse of a Member, officer or employee who forfeits his or her pension under the Hiss Act shall be eligible for "spousal pension benefits" if the Attorney General "determines that the spouse fully cooperated with Federal authorities in the conduct of a criminal investigation and subsequent prosecution of the individual which resulted in such forfeiture."14
[...]
Amendments in STOCK Act
The pension forfeiture provisions originally placed in the law by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (HLOGA) were amended in 2012 by the provisions of the so-called "Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act," (STOCK Act). The STOCK Act amended the pension forfeiture provisions in two ways. Initially, the law added numerous other federal criminal laws relating generally to public corruption, election law violations, and misconduct in office, for which a final felony conviction would result in losing creditable service as a Member of Congress for federal pension purposes.21

Secondly, the STOCK Act expanded the potentially relevant time period in which conviction of one of the listed offenses would result in loss of creditable service.

index

What message are CNN "analysts" attempting to communicate in the claim that McCabe may likely lose his "pension"?

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Sat Mar 17th, 2018 at 09:24:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
McCabe is `considering all options' after firing
"Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is reportedly 'considering all options' after getting a number of job offers from Democrats to ensure he gets his full retirement benefits."

mmm hmm

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Sun Mar 18th, 2018 at 10:52:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
McCabe, a lifelong Republican ...

Serves him right ... a long life of mistakes! ;-)

Amnesia and Gaza Genocide

by Oui on Mon Mar 19th, 2018 at 05:32:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
McCabe is in swampy company. The pension story is sinking under the weight of Brennan's torturous opprobium, Schiff's equivoccal loyalty to him, gallant employment offers, and the facts of the matter --McCabe is 50, and he hasn't lost his pension. He lost a luxury few Americans working the private-sector will every have, an option to cash out early and a book deal (forthcoming, probably). An anthology of memos-to-self, perhaps. It's a growth market.

"lured"? puhleeze.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Tue Mar 20th, 2018 at 05:42:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

University of d'Oh BULLETINS
You're Not Really Following @BarackObama on Twitter
Barack Obama and the Facebook Election
"The Crawl, Walk, Run Strategy of Social Media"
The Geeks Behind Obama's Web Strategy
His e-campaign included not only MyBO, of course, but also the powerful leveraging of everything from text-messaging to YouTube video propagation to supporter networks on platforms like Facebook -- and on a scale that dwarfed what was achieved by Hillary Clinton or John McCain (for example, Obama had more than 3.4 million Facebook supporters, six times McCain's number).
and and without a Hubspot 10-profile dashboard!


Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Tue Mar 20th, 2018 at 06:06:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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