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6 - 12 May 2019 | 238 comments (238 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
reference
Brookings podcast, Stan Brand on Congressional Subpoenas and Contempt, no transcript
UVA Law Review, Regulating Presitential Powers 2005
Remember PNAC? Bybee and Yoo?
I didn't think so.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Tue May 7th, 2019 at 11:34:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
I certainly remember Project for a New American Century. I had to look up PNAC. Undefined acronyms.


"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Wed May 8th, 2019 at 01:40:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
pee-knack-ers guiding the first unitary executive into a universe of pre-emptive strikes. memorable. exciting. unprecedented. inconceivable.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Wed May 8th, 2019 at 02:19:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 1)
they're getting their mojo back right now. Possibilities for wars all over the place. Trump is really champing at the bit to get his war on, prompting a coup in Venezuala, a carrier group sailing up and down the Iranian side of the the Persian gulf, even annoying the chinese.

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Thu May 9th, 2019 at 08:04:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
Mnuchin rejects Neal's request for Trump tax returns
"Experts tend to side with Neal ..."

reference

archived
CRS | Congressional Access to the President's Tax Returns
Treasury/IRS/keywords: "legislative purpose", Nixon, Obama
Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.)
Thanks, TurboTax!

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Wed May 8th, 2019 at 02:13:04 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
I suspect that the attempt to get both the full text of the Muller report, and the tax returns, would require an actual use of police force at the White Hosue, something that I do not think will actually happen. The ability of the Trump white house to stand brazenly and simply ignore the law when it feels like it seems pretty strong.
by Zwackus on Wed May 8th, 2019 at 07:44:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
International law? Certainly.
US Constitutional law? I don't know about that.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Wed May 8th, 2019 at 06:27:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)


Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Wed May 8th, 2019 at 08:00:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
Timing: tax returns
TurboTax and H&R Block are sued for allegedly keeping Americans from filing taxes for free
As City Atty. Mike Feuer alleges in lawsuits filed Monday against Intuit and H&R Block, the two companies have connived [!] for years to discourage millions of taxpayers from taking advantage of a free, simple online system provided by the Internal Revenue Service
"co-conniver" tricky Dick Neal RICOCHETS off the 8-ball into the DNC side-pocket
The commercial tax-prep firms and the conservative [!] anti-tax lobby share incentives to keep tax filing complicated for most Americans...They've both opposed allowing the IRS to prepare taxpayers' returns for them by sending forms pre-filled with all the information the IRS already has about them. [...] Obama mentioned such a plan during his first presidential campaign, but it died [!] under lobbying assault from the tax-prep companies and anti-tax crusaders.
18 states have bills to make presidential candidates release tax returns.
(representatives of the odious? not yet.)

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Thu May 9th, 2019 at 03:44:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
Dems want Justice IG to investigate Barr
"The Justice Department's Inspector General [IG] declined to comment about the requests from Congress."

archived April 2018
Investigation of Certain Allegations Relating to Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe
report, 39pp

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Wed May 8th, 2019 at 07:27:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
Barr's Testament 28 March: "I don't know whether Bob Mueller supported my conclusion"
Pelosi says Barr 'lied to Congress' and 'that's a crime', 2 May

reference
Literary criticism by Rbt. "Close Advisor to" Mueller addressed to Wm. "Drug Czar" Barr,
27 March, facsimile, unredacted enclosure(s) embargoed from public access
Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, Vol. I-II, redacted, 448pp
House votes AG Eric Holder in contempt, June 2012
resigns Sept 2014, succeeded 2015 by Loretta Lynch
Freud - Complete Works, 5102pp

archived yellow cake
Literary Criticism for Dummies

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Wed May 8th, 2019 at 07:35:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
House Intelligence committee again serves Wm. "Drug Czar" Barr its subpoena for unredacted special council report, all evidence produced by SCO. 15 May deadline.

House Judiciary committee finds, 24-16, Wm. "Drug Czar" Barr in contempt of congress
Committee Report for Resolution

Trump asserts executive privilege over special counsel Robert Mueller's report and its underlying evidence


Roll Call tours Capitol Crypt, although Pelosi says she is 'not for' jailing. She does not rule out impeachment, again.
--
Frankly, since I checked up on house.gov, I'm more alarmed by other items on the committees' agenda. It appears, too, that suspending floor rules on roll call has eased a number of bills' passage without press over the past couple of weeks ...

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Thu May 9th, 2019 at 01:13:36 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
Self-impeach? Talk shifts toward Trump defiance of Congress
"The president is self-impeaching," [Pelosi] told her colleagues last week during a private caucus meeting, echoing comments she also aired in public. "He's putting out the case against himself. Obstruction, obstruction, obstruction. Ignoring subpoenas and the rest." She added, "He's doing our work for us, in a certain respect."


Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Sat May 11th, 2019 at 04:39:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 1)
Timing: executive privilege 2019 Bulletin

"reform" the FBI?

US House Committee on Oversight and Reform  (plaintiff-appellant)
vs.
Wm. "Drug Czar" Barr, in his official capacity as AG (defendant-appellee)


Got that? Current (116th) Oversight Committee (D) inherited 112th-113th session Oversight Committee (R) subpoena denied by AG Eric "Fast & Furious" HOLDER, found in contempt (2012), and sued. 44th president asserts executive privilege to um obstruct production of FBI "evidence", LYNCH succeeds HOLDER (114th); SESSIONS succeeds LYNCH (115th); acting ROSENSTEIN succeeds SESSIONS (116th); BARR succeeds acting ROSENSTEIN. 116th Oversight Committee (D) files motion to dismiss 112th Oversight Committee(R) appeal of court decision affirming executive privilege. Current AG agrees.

116th  Oversight Committee (D) serves current AG subpoena for "evidence", AG denies subpoena, 116th finds contempt, 45th president asserts executive privilege ...

Good! I want you all to know with whom you are dealing.


Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Thu May 9th, 2019 at 04:56:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 1)
tbh we always knew he was agonna be a dictator. He was telling us that in the run-up to the election.

Medium - Sarah Benincasa - Welcome to the Dictator Playbook

When they tell you to rally behind President Trump because we've been hit by evil, remember how gleefully he painted the target.

If you are too young to remember how Bush and Cheney used an act of terror by Saudis and others to create a lie about Iraq, read about it. Trump didn't ban Saudis from coming here. There's a reason for that, and it's not because they didn't constitute the majority of 9/11 hijackers (spoiler: they did).

Friday's actions do not represent a sensible method to buy time to evaluate already-stringent visa procedures. They are grooming you the way a molester grooms a child. The molester tests boundaries first.

This is a test of your boundaries, my fellow American. How far can he push you before you speak up? Will you speak up? Will you fight back? You're not a child. You have some power. Band together with others and you have more.

Trump and Pence are following a well-worn playbook. What does it say?

Blame the immigrants; label dissenters and witnesses as threats; divide.

(And conquer. That's the best part, for guys like this.)



keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Thu May 9th, 2019 at 07:56:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 1)
If only this scene had had any real impact.
by rifek on Thu May 9th, 2019 at 01:31:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 1)
Back in the days when even the American Government pretended to give a shit about the constitution. Back when Ashcorft was dismissing the Geneva Convention as "quaint".

Now it's the Bill of Rights & the Constitution on the "quaint" list. Things we can just ignore as historical anomalies unsuited for the challenges of 21st century plundering governing

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Thu May 9th, 2019 at 02:05:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 1)
The US increasingly reminds me of sicily under the governorship of Verres.

But you now don't even have a court in which to try him, let alone a Cicero to prosecute.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Thu May 9th, 2019 at 02:08:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 1)
In 1972 the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that Nixon was not beyound the subpoena powers of Congress, opinion by Burger, a Nixon appointee.  Today the decision would go 5-4 the other way.  The state of the Rule of Law in Murica.
by rifek on Thu May 9th, 2019 at 02:21:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
current US Circuit Ct. D.C.
Merrick B. Garland was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals in April 1997 and became Chief Judge on February 12, 2013.
Remember him? How about the others? Shame that three of them folded so easily on the settlement, ain't it.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Thu May 9th, 2019 at 09:31:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
Trump is not "winning". He can go to hell and probably will sooner than later. He's a front, not a "dictator". Fact is, the Republican Party are killing it, as the children say. DNC has no plan but packing the House with #%$!@ DINO Biden? That is no path to recovering SCOTUS endgame, much less constitutional "reform". Worse defense evah. WHERE ARE THEIR #%$!@ 2020 SENATE FRESHMEN? People better wise up and uproot those losers. Or pray what's on the bench regresses to mean, when --not if-- a true hard-core conservative dons RBG's robe.

US is so headed for a carnival of broke-ass, sovereign states' wildlife.

archived
advice and consent of the senate
Democratic senators have not impeded confirmation of Trump nominees to date.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Fri May 10th, 2019 at 02:20:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
UNIVERSITY D'OH BULLETIN 11 May


Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Mon May 13th, 2019 at 01:27:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Dictator and The Decider (none / 0)
2017: It's clear to me that this writer's contempt for 45 was passionate and shrouded in fable. I wonder if she's satisfied today "now that the Democrats are in control of the House". I'm thinking of Gabor Mate and also Sema Hernandez, progressive ingenue, recently show-cased by Jimmy Dore. I'm thinking of the sophist Jeff Toobin Esq.
So, after nearly two and a half centuries, Trump will create a new [?] constitutional norm--in which the executive can defy the legislature without consequence. The only likely remedy, therefore, will lie with the voters, next year.
As I read, there are far too many people rehearsing elevator pitches and waving permission slips at their "media" reflections.

US government and its rude, faux frontier nobility have from time to time embraced "dictators" since the inception of their republic. I wonder idly, what children learn in elementary school. Have teachers left off the cherry tree and graceful retirement of His Excellency Geo. Washington from the catechism of model American democracy? I would guess so, considering that "constitutional crisis" case load per term has increased from 1,195 in 1950 to 7,000-8,000 in the 21st century, yet this year, this president, this congress is supposedly different.

Rly?

I count three. John Adams, FDR, GWB. I wouldn't count Trump and his asinine humor, because I pretty certain  Trump has not ushered any legal, or "legitimate," authority into the office that has not already been delegated to his predecessors by the US Congress. But I might be persuade by the four "red scares" that I've counted. Two coincide with "dictator" administrations --his and FDR's. To the administrations of Adams, FDR, and GWH we must admit, however, the most alarming marriage of ideal "national security" privileges and whichever, spectacularly undesirable "aliens" available to each. Sadly, jewish refugees were far down christ Roosevelt's list of "collateral damage", Ms Benincasa.

Again, authority was delegated to the office and endorsed by the US Congress. That's the group of people who cannot be shifted either to review, repeal, or replace their "institutional knowledge," much less overide a presidential veto. That is the group of "representatives," for whom voters take no responsibility. For that would surely, poorly reflect the values of the nation whose civic duty, "turn out," is reduced to one ballot every four years.

"He's doing our work for us, in a certain respect," said the speaker of the House.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Sun May 12th, 2019 at 09:37:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
Table 1: Makeup of Clinton and Trump voters by 2012 presidential vote, based on the 2016 ANES

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Thu May 9th, 2019 at 12:13:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
Yep! I too recall to have voted the winner! What are these stats worth?

Hasbara is a dead language
by Oui (Oui) on Thu May 9th, 2019 at 07:12:05 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The situation here is still pretty psychotic. (none / 0)
22 days ago: Nancy Pelosi: Not Honoring Subpoenas Is Obstruction Of Justice | MSNBC, A/V

13 days ago: "self-impeachment" principle of representative democracy

2 days ago: Distorted video of Nancy Pelosi edited to sound drunk spreading across social media
"Hany Farid, a computer-science professor and digital-forensics expert at University of California, Berkeley, told the Post that there was 'no question' the video had been altered"
-- CSPAN | Speaker Pelosi at CAP Ideas Conference, A/V, transcript

1 day ago: CNBC | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holds weekly news conference - 05/23/2019



Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Fri May 24th, 2019 at 09:11:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]

6 - 12 May 2019 | 238 comments (238 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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