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

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)

Congrats Mike!!! Wonderful to see another Asian American on the federal bench! https://t.co/xZlJrvG2hT
— Andy Grewal (@AndyGrewal) May 9, 2019

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

"There are 22 Senate Republicans up for re-election next year, but only two of them are in Democratic-leaning states ... Mitch McConnell may cripple a Democratic presidency from the start."

[The House, unfortunately, may be taking us in this direction.] https://t.co/uImqEKxSrt
— Andy Grewal (@AndyGrewal) May 11, 2019

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 ]

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

Top Diaries

Ireland 13 South Africa 8

UNGA: West Censors the South and East

EU VDL State of the Union -- Managing Decay

Rugby World Cup 2023 Week 1 review

Reactionary Visions and eNtiTiES

Sovereignty 2040

Recent Diaries

Canada's Trudeau Honoring an Ukrainian Nazi Collaborator

Ireland 13 South Africa 8

UNGA: West Censors the South and East

A Tale by Benjamin Franklin

Fail in Democracy Return to Authoritarianism

Yemen From Ceasefire to Peace Talks?

Huge Cost Proxy War of Choice

EU VDL State of the Union -- Managing Decay

Reactionary Visions and eNtiTiES

Top Military War Planning Under Joe Biden - Ukraine

Rugby World Cup 2023 Week 1 review

Joe's Fuck the EU -- Showdown

Modi G20 One Earth, One Family, One Future

Conflict In Syria's Deir Ezzor Province

Sovereignty 2040

Some September Food/Ag Events

September 2023

The Leading International Pariah State

Energy (and Other) Events Monthly - September 2023

BREAKING: The Free State of Gabon

Occasional Series