Release the Mueller Report

[Protesters gather along Michigan Avenue in downtown Ypsilanti to demand that the Mueller report be made public.]

Well, a few significant things have happened since we last talked about Attorney General William Barr’s decision to keep the 400-page Mueller report from Congress, and offer in its place a 4-page letter of his own, declaring not only that Donald Trump had been found innocent of having colluding with the Russians, but that he would not be prosecuted for obstruction of justice. You can follow that last link for the backstory, which includes the fact that Barr was selected for the position of Attorney General after sending an unsolicited letter to the Department of Justice explaining why, in his opinion, Trump could not, under any circumstances, be found guilty of obstruction, but, for right now, I’d like to focus on the following three developments.

1. Members of the Mueller team, who have remained incredibly tight-lipped about the investigation over the past 22 months, have apparently started talking about their displeasure with the way in which Barr has handled the rollout of their report. According to people familiar with the situation, the case for Donald Trump having engaged in obstruction of justice, for instance, was “much more acute than Barr suggested,” with the evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the President being both “alarming and significant.” Furthermore, it would appear that the report, while ultimately reaching the conclusion that Donald Trump could not be successfully prosecuted for having colluded with the Russians to win the 2016 election, does not completely absolve him. According to a story from NBC News today, the Mueller report includes “detailed accounts of Trump campaign contacts with Russia” and depicts a “campaign whose members were manipulated by a sophisticated Russian intelligence operation.” None of this, of course, was mentioned in Barr’s 4-page memo pronouncing the President to be innocent… Trump, for what it’s worth, is suggesting that the New York Times, which broke this most recent story, made it all up, and that people on Mueller’s team really aren’t speaking out.

2. We learned today that the 400-page Mueller report, as submitted to Barr, included non-confidential summaries for each section, which Robert Mueller had intended to be made public. Instead, however, Barr decided to release his own summary of the report, while, at the same time, refusing to release the summaries prepared by the report’s authors to even members of Congress. According to the Washington Post, the Mueller team had prepared these summaries “for the express purpose” of informing the public. As one official told the paper, they’d wanted for the report to be “shared in their own words — and not in the Attorney General’s summary.” And, this afternoon, Congressman Adam Schiff began asking why Barr had interceded. “It’s been my assumption that a 400-page report has an executive summary already,” Schiff said, “and so, of course, it begged the question, ‘Why did Barr feel the need to release his own summary?’” [I think we all know why, right?]

Barr’s office is now saying they couldn’t share Mueller’s non-confidential summaries, as every page of the report contained boilerplate language about confidentially. [You know this is bullshit, right?]

3. Barr, who had been given a deadline of April 2 to get the Mueller report to Congress, did not comply on Tuesday, triggering over 100 protests across the United States today, like the one in Ypsilanti noted above. While we don’t know how all of this will play out, one suspects that our newly emboldened Congress will have no choice but to subpoena Barr soon, as two weeks have already passed since the completion of the Mueller report, and we still don’t have a release date in sight. [There is no reason whatsoever that the report would need to be withheld from members of Congress. It’s true that the report would need to be redacted before being made public, but there is nothing precluding Barr from sharing the report with the members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, for instance. Nothing at all.]

Clearly, as House speaker Pelosi inferred earlier today, they have something to hide, and it’s amazing to me that more people aren’t in the streets… I could go on, but I need to stop thinking about this for a while. Here, though, for those of you who still want more, is a useful summary from Marcy Wheeler.

Now call your elected officials and demand that they fight to make the Mueller report public, OK?

This entry was posted in Politics, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.

99 Comments

  1. iRobert
    Posted April 4, 2019 at 9:52 pm | Permalink

    Pelosi seemed confident today that the full report would be made public.

  2. iRobert
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 5:55 am | Permalink

    Publically, Trump has been saying he wants the full report released. I wonder what he is saying privately to his people. Has there been any indication that he’s actually concerned about the report being released?

  3. Anonymous
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 6:32 am | Permalink

    My guess is that the obstruction case is strong.

    Did you see this from Rudy Giuliani last night?

    “The Mueller anonymous leakers are unscrupulous prosecutors. They conducted an investigation that was a disgraceful overzealous exercise of government coercion. No case of collusion or obstruction. Now they are leaking what they couldn’t prove. They are cowards and liars.”

  4. John Brown
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 7:13 am | Permalink

    Mrs. Brown took our “impeach the puppet” sign with her out to the co-op yesterday. I emailed, for the dozenth time, the Michigan Dem Congressional Caucus members to proceed with impeachment. I’m cautiously optimistic that’s going to happen. My greatest fear is that the Dems have some dumbass rational to let Agent Orange twist in the wind as election strategy. I would love to get a straight answer from a top Dem on how the threat for domestic terror from Agent Orange rebels figures into their calculations. It would be a real shame to let this constitutional travesty stand over concern of political violence – we need to all accept that comes with the territory of stopping fascist takeovers. The pussy Libs and their conviction gap……

  5. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 7:52 am | Permalink

    We have been dealing with the investigation for two years. You can wait for two weeks.

  6. Frosted Flakes
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 8:00 am | Permalink

    My dear Wife, and Children Every one,

    I suppose you have learned before this by the newspapers that two weeks ago today we were fighting for our lives at Harpers Ferry: that during the fight Watson was mortally wounded; Oliver killed, Wm Thompson killed, & Dauphin slightly wounded. That on the following day I was taken prisoner immediately after which I received several Sabre cuts in my head; & Bayonet stabs in my body. As nearly as I can learn Watson died of his wound on Wednesday the 2d or on Thursday the 3d day after I was taken. Dauphin was killed when I was taken; & Anderson I suppose also. I have since been tried, & found guilty of treason, &c; and of murder in the first degree. I have not yet received my sentence. No others of the company with who you were acquainted were so far as I can learn either killed or taken. Under all these terrible calamities; I feel quite cheerful in the assurance that God reigns; & will overrule all for his glory; & the best possible good. I feel no con [s] ciou [s] ness of guilt in the matter: or even mortification on account of my imprisonment; & irons; & I feel perfectly assured that very soon no member of my family will feel any possible disposition to “blush on my account.” Already dear friends at a distance with kindest sympathy are cheering me with the assurance that posterity at least: will do me justice. I shall commend you all together with my beloved; but bereaved daughters in law to their sympathies which I have no doubt will soon reach you. I also commend you all to him “whose mercy endureth for­ever”: to the God of my fathers “whose I am; & whom I serve.” “He will never leave you or forsake you” unless you forsake him. Finally my dearly beloved be of good comfort. Be as it has been consistent with the holy religion of Jesus Christ in which I remain a most firm, & humble believer. Never forget the poor nor think any thing you bestow on them to be lost to you even though they may be as black as Ebedmelch, the Ethiopian eunuch one to whom Phillip preached Christ. Be sure to entertain strangers. . . “Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them.” I am in charge of a jailor like the one who took charge of “Paul & Silas;” & you may rest assured that both kind hearts and kind faces are more or less about me: whilst thousands are thirsting for my blood. “These light allocations which are but for a moment shall work out for us a far more exceeding & eternal weight of glory.” I hope to be able to write you again. My wounds are doing well. Copy this & send it to your sorrow stricken brothers, Ruth; to comfort them. Write me a few words in regard to the welfare of all. God Almighty bless you all: & make you “joyful in the midst of all your tribulations.” Write to John Brown, Charlestown, Jefferson Co, Va, care of Capt John Avis
    Your Affectionate Husband & Father. John Brown

    Nov. 3d 1859

    P.S. Yesterday Nov 2d I was sentenced to be hanged on 2 Decem next. Do not grieve on my account. I am still quite cheerful.

    God bless you all Your Ever J Brown

  7. Kyle Griffin by proxy
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 8:55 am | Permalink

    House Intel member Mike Quigley says that there’s increased urgency to be concerned Mueller’s report may be destroyed, adding, “The best indicator of future activity is past activity.” He said Barr’s “biased” summary was such an indicator.

  8. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 8:59 am | Permalink

    We have a narrative and we can’t let it go.

  9. Frosted Flakes
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 9:41 am | Permalink

    Russia, Russia, Russia… Now that we’ve got a narrative, we can’t let go
    By Mark | July 17, 2017

  10. iRobert
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 9:50 am | Permalink

    FF and HW,

    Do you think there is any chance that the Mueller report will be destroyed?

    What do you think the chances are that it will be released before the end of April?

    I’m assuming it will be released eventually, but with considerable redaction.

  11. MAGA sheriff David Clarke
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 10:07 am | Permalink

    The reason that Pelosi doesn’t believe William Barr’s report is because it is the TRUTH and DEMOCRATS DO NOT RECOGNIZE THE TRUTH. They only believe LIES, DECEIT and FAKE NEWS stories from the @nytimes @CNN @MSNBC @HuffPost and at the Daily YEAST @dailybeast

  12. Frosted Flakes
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 10:31 am | Permalink

    If I was a scheming type anti-trump person and in charge of the Mueller report. I would write a 400 page report that legally required redactions. I would then leak out to the news that my report was written in a way that did not require redactions. I would then demand that the full report be released without redactions. When it is released with redactions I would cause a fuss.

    “Russia, Russia, Russia….Now that we’ve got a narrative, we can’t let go”–Mark

  13. iRobert
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 10:53 am | Permalink

    FF,

    Does that mean you believe Mueller is a “scheming type anti-trump person?”

  14. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 11:03 am | Permalink

    I guess I assumed there is more than one copy hahaha. I mean ‘destroyed’? How?

  15. Frosted Flakes
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 11:14 am | Permalink

    No. I have no idea if Mueller is good or bad. He seems trustworthy but I don’t know. I don’t play the prediction game.

    I am offering my reasons for remaining skeptical.

    What do we know? We know that Mueller took a very long time to investigate and concluded that he found no illegal coordination between the Trump campaign and Russians. Does this mean Trump is totally innocent? No, but Mueller’s conclusion is a significant fact.

  16. iRobert
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 11:14 am | Permalink

    I would assume that too, HW. I would assume Mueller’s office has at least one copy. But the President or Attorney General could order all copies destroyed. I wonder if there is any chance that will happen. Mike Quigley seems to think there is.

  17. wobblie
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 11:35 am | Permalink

    Aloha, I wonder why people still have faith in the Mueller report. If they had been looking for criminal wrong doing, it is clear in the public record that you could indite Trump and the Republican campaign of RICO violations. Barr’s summary dismisses the obstruction of justice allegations because the investigation did not find evidence of an underlying crime. Conspiracy to engage in a Conspiracy with a foreign power might be considered an underlying crime necessary to engage in obstruction. I suspect that when we do see the report we will find that the investigators never asked questions that would have supported a RICO indictment. Why do people put any faith in a Republican investigation into a Republican President. The fact that Mueller punted on the obstruction charge in full knowledge that Barr would not find obstruction should be enough to tell people which way the wind is blowing.

    What is more interesting to me is 1) Trump appoints the war criminal Abrams to lead the regime change effort in Venezuela and then the Mueller investigation ends. 2) The short money is on Trump vetoing the Congressional resolution calling for a cessation of our illegal war in Yemen. Trump will do what ever the war mongers want, they will not turn on him.

    Just as an aside, I remember when we had our first impeach Nixon march in 1971 I think. The war mongers response was to fire bomb my print shop (we gave space to the Impeach Nixon folks). John Browns warnings have a basis in reality.

  18. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 11:42 am | Permalink

    Trump has been see-through transparent all along. How many documents rendered? I don’t see why he would disastrously clam up now. I think it is Obama era people who need to worry about the contents of the report. The original investigation was predicated on a lie. A whole bunch of people have been knowingly lying to try to effect a bloodless coup. That’s some serious shit. “This is not a game.”

  19. iRobert
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 12:10 pm | Permalink

    I certainly have no faith that the Mueller report would change much of anything if it is made public, regardless of what’s in it. I expect it to be significantly redacted, and/or without much “meat” anyway.

  20. wobblie
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 12:47 pm | Permalink

    Aloha, To all the moderate Dems out there who thought Rick “the killer” Snyder was a better choice than Virg “the angry mayor” Bernero, you just keep on giving. Just saw the recent Michigan Supreme Court decision (just issued today) which basically says its ok for the state to illegally fine you, seize your income tax returns, and garnish your wages if you don’t file suit within 6 months of the state starting to do this to you. Some of you may remember how Snyder implemented robot judges in determining Unemployment fraud. And how a Federal audit determined that thousands of fraud determinations were wrong. Well it don’t matter, the state gets to keep your money.

  21. wobblie
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 2:30 pm | Permalink

    Aloha MM, be sure you have plenty of insurance on your building, and that acts of terrorism are not excluded. Reminding myself of my print shop being fire bombed caused me to check out my business insurance policy. There is some thing called the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 which insurance companies can utilize to minimize their risk. I think if you have insurance that covers arson, you will probably be ok.

  22. Jean Henry
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 9:11 pm | Permalink

    Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 8:59 am | Permalink
    We have a narrative and we can’t let it go.

    Using the royal ‘we’ these days, eh, HW?

  23. Jean Henry
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 9:17 pm | Permalink

    “No, but Mueller’s conclusion is a significant fact.”– FF

    Mueller’s conclusion was that there was not enough evidence to prove collusion. He very pointedly did not come to any conclusion about obstruction, which is weird and unusual if not unprecedented. Barr came to the conclusion about obstruction.

    Anyone with any sense will come to know conclusions without the release of the report. I personally expect that to happen and don’t think it’s a possibility that it could be destroyed. I think both sides are playing politics with the ambiguity and we should recognize that and apply many grains of salt.

  24. Frosted Flakes
    Posted April 5, 2019 at 10:07 pm | Permalink

    Yes. Obviously Mueller left open the possibility of obstruction. Even if Trump is guilty of ten other things it does not change the fact that Mueller’s stated conclusion on the question of collusion is a significant fact. There is nothing ambiguous about that one fact.

    I am looking forward to having the report available.

  25. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 6, 2019 at 5:59 am | Permalink

    “Using the royal ‘we’ these days, eh, HW?”

    Didn’t someone use that the other day? Why do you copy other people’s style? It’s what Bark Baynard said about collusion anyway, not me. FF found the exact quote.

  26. John Brown
    Posted April 6, 2019 at 11:08 am | Permalink

    Mimicking Agent Orange recent outrageous statement – “the trump maytards aren’t people, they’re monsters” and therefore unworthy of human rights. See how easily this goes sideways?

  27. Frosted Flakes
    Posted April 6, 2019 at 11:49 am | Permalink

    More comments from the fake John Brown about denying rights? The fake John Brown has said some interesting things in the past about denying Christians voting rights because of their beliefs.

    I offered the John Brown letter above, in part, to pose the question:

    Please, think before you come for the great one.
    Please, who’s a real John Brown and who ain’t one?

  28. Sad
    Posted April 6, 2019 at 4:57 pm | Permalink

    That report is about as relevant as Hillary’s emails.

    In the mean time Mayor Pete is really starting to pull in the young and old!

  29. Sad
    Posted April 6, 2019 at 5:00 pm | Permalink

    The news cycle this week will be Trump doing crazy things and- gearing up for Mayor Pete’s big announcement next Sunday. Whooohooo! Palm Sunday, Pete jumping in the race and Game of Thrones.

  30. John Brown
    Posted April 6, 2019 at 9:10 pm | Permalink

    FF, ya got nothing. Your boy is doing his best Mussolini imitation and you persist at coming back at me? instead of the fascist in America you’ve empowered. That’s all I need to know about you. Fascist and their enablers will not end well.

    Real John Browns are intellectually curious and challenge convention. In modern society there’s no way anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together would be clinging to archaic, ignorant, religiosity.

  31. Anonymous
    Posted April 6, 2019 at 11:48 pm | Permalink

    only an absolute loser would ever support a politician.

  32. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 7:13 am | Permalink

    Good thing Trump is the anti-politician.

  33. Sad
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 8:44 am | Permalink

    HW he’s one of the greatest politicians ever.

    What are you talking about? Did you over do it yesterday?

  34. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 9:00 am | Permalink

    No background in politics? A total outsider? Political wrecking ball? Universally hated by establishment leaders? Yes or no

  35. Sad
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 9:17 am | Permalink

    Accomplishing his goals with a strong following ? Transforming the world order? Redefining the American government?

  36. Sad
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 9:19 am | Permalink

    Do you think the established leadership of the Republican Party is going to abandon Trump?

    He’s their golden ticket politically.

  37. wobblie
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 9:27 am | Permalink

    Aloha, Read this from Jim Hightower this morning. Seems about right.

    “Have you noticed how often Donald Trump prefaces his comments and tweets with phrases like “frankly,” “to tell the truth,” and “believe me”?

    More than a verbal tic, these qualifiers subliminally admit that being frank, truthful, and believable are not normal for him. So, like a carnival flimflammer selling snake oil, he strains to convince us rubes that he’s not flimflamming.

    Among those who’re learning about the “truthy-ness” of The Donald are farmers who voted for him, having bought his campaign promise to restore farm prosperity.

    Once in office, though, he quickly sold them out, throwing a hissy-fit of a trade war with China that ended up slapping U.S. farmers by lowering the already low prices they get for their crops. Instead of prosperity, the average farm profit last year was minus $1,500!

    Trying to smooth over this betrayal of the heartland, Trump tweeted out a message to ag producers in December meant to warm their hearts: “Farmers I LOVE YOU!” he professed. (I’m guessing he offered the same sweet insincerity to Stormy Daniels.)

    Actions speak louder than words, of course, so on March 11 Trump took actions to express his true love for farmers: He whacked $3.6 billion from the safety-net programs that offer a measure of relief to hard-hit producers when crop prices crash. Revealing his plutocratic core, his cuts specifically targeted programs that benefit small farmers — a deliberate manipulation meant to drive more families off the land and increase corporate monopolization of agriculture.

    Not satisfied with intentionally injuring family farmers, Trump added insult by calling the dab of support they get from the government “overly generous.” This from a real estate flimflammer who continues to rake in millions of dollars in government cash and special tax breaks.”

  38. Jean Henry
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 9:32 am | Permalink

    While we were obsessing about Mueller or Trumps vocal tics: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/how-regulators-republicans-and-big-banks-fought-for-a-big-increase-in-lucrative-but-risky-corporate-loans/2019/04/06/08c8cd58-4b1e-11e9-b79a-961983b7e0cd_story.html

  39. Jean Henry
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 9:35 am | Permalink

    Will the next 2008 economic crisis happen just as a Dem is taking office in 2020 or 2024, hobbling all capacity for progress again?

    Meanwhile, humanity hurtles forward to its doom via mass migrations, starvations, violent weather events, food and energy insecurity.

    The things we argue about now will make us look like the true idiots we are.

  40. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 9:40 am | Permalink

    “Accomplishing his goals with a strong following ? Transforming the world order? Redefining the American government?”

    In spite of the politicians

  41. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 9:42 am | Permalink

    “Do you think the established leadership of the Republican Party is going to abandon Trump?
    He’s their golden ticket politically.”

    A whole bunch of them had to leave office it seems. The baby Speaker for one of many. Q let us know they were given the opportunity to walk away and subsequently they did.

  42. wobblie
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 9:46 am | Permalink

    Aloha to all the bacon eaters out there. Your world is about to become much more dangerous.

    https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/4/3/1847489/-Trump-administration-to-slash-USDA-pork-inspections-including-tests-for-salmonella-E-coli?fbclid=IwAR0At6TwyWaLoqWQB6QW_oPbJCJ36RGhj4CeXgh3k-HCkbfe46f_rbNJDhw

  43. Sad
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 9:48 am | Permalink

    pol·i·tics
    /ˈpäləˌtiks/
    noun
    the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.

    He’s so good at it that even the Democrats spend all their time talking about him or reacting to him.

    Luckily in Mayor Pete we have someone who is attempting to help Democrats realize the problem isn’t Trump but the lack of leadership in our own party. We should be talking about what we believe instead of about how bad Trump is. Which is what he’s doing at it seems to be paying off.

  44. Sad
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 9:50 am | Permalink

    Wobblie alone probably has brought up Trump 100 times more than he’s talked about Tulsi.

    Trump is sucking up all the oxygen.

  45. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 10:10 am | Permalink

    So if the stance is against support of politicians but someone becomes President who is…against politicians then does the original assumption apply?

  46. Sad
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 10:16 am | Permalink

    Politics is the art of achieving power. Trump is one of the best.

    The question for history is what does he do with the power?

    Trump has a great story and he tells a great story.

    I don’t like his narrative, I believe it’s false and destructive.

    I want a better story.

    A story that would make me Happy.

  47. wobblie
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 11:31 am | Permalink

    Aloha Sad, When I bring up Trump it is almost always to talk about his policies. That is the problem with Pete, he runs and hides from policy positions. The ones he has seem very tepid. It is not personalities, it is policy.

  48. Sad
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 2:55 pm | Permalink

    My understanding is that more policy positions will be released after he announces that he’s running.

    He seems like a person who would like to consult with experts to help him formulate policy that is possible and reflects his values.

    I can’t imagine that sort of expertise is easily available if you haven’t proven that you’re determined and have the support to pursue the position. Time will tell.

    Wobblie, do you think Tulsi is not out there more because of the media or her campaign? I really thought she would be more out there.

  49. iRobert
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 6:27 pm | Permalink

    I’m waiting for the mayor of Elkhart or Goshen to jump in the race.

  50. John Brown
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 6:28 pm | Permalink

    JH, yes. I’m afraid we are doomed to experience an evolutionary level event. But I’ve come to peace with it. Diminutive brown people with heat adaptation will be fine at the population level, even if individuals suffer mightily. Economic elite will use $ to buy engineered adaptation, which is a short term solution at best. Darwin’s ghost must be giddy with anticipation. Homo sapien thermalis (var).

  51. wobblie
    Posted April 7, 2019 at 8:21 pm | Permalink

    Aloha Sad, don’t know what you mean by ” do you think Tulsi is not out there more because of the media or her campaign? I really thought she would be more out there.” This past weekend she has been fulfilling her National Guard duty. Before that she was doing her job in Congress, had several hearings last week. Before that though she did a major series of events in Los Angles, and before that she was doing events every day in New Hampshire. During all that she flew back to Hawaii to send off some of her fellow Hawaii National Guardsmen who are being deployed to Afghanistan. Anything appearing in the MSM will be negative, so she does not court them. She has been all over the place in alternative media.

  52. Jean Henry
    Posted April 8, 2019 at 6:15 am | Permalink

    John Brown– I suppose that may apply to the wealthy among ‘diminutive brown people” but the rest will suffer greatly. Climate migration will happen largely from the equatorial regions to the north (where there’s more land mass and population centers). How’s that going to go for them. PS There is no significantly different heat adaption capacity from race to race. The difference is geographic and our bodies adapt quickly to greater heat or cold levels when the climate we occupy changes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_and_heat_adaptations_in_humans#cite_note-:2-17

    But our bodies do not adapt quickly to thirst and starvation.

  53. Sad
    Posted April 8, 2019 at 6:36 am | Permalink

    You should write Tulsi and let her know to get out to the MSM. She needs broad supporter not just from a few people who read alternative news sites. I guess she’ll have to really shine in the debates. Aloha.

  54. iRobert
    Posted April 8, 2019 at 7:39 am | Permalink

    We need a president who understands the complexities involved in keeping all the fire hydrants painted like little cartoon characters.

  55. Frosted Flakes
    Posted April 8, 2019 at 6:34 pm | Permalink

    …………………………………………………………
    John Brown
    Posted April 6, 2019 at 9:10 pm | Permalink
    FF, ya got nothing. Your boy is doing his best Mussolini imitation and you persist at coming back at me? instead of the fascist in America you’ve empowered. That’s all I need to know about you. Fascist and their enablers will not end well.

    Real John Browns are intellectually curious and challenge convention. In modern society there’s no way anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together would be clinging to archaic, ignorant, religiosity.
    ……………………………………………………….

    I am glad fake John Brown has set forth on his intellectual journey. First stop on that journey: Something is not nothing.

    Fake John Brown proposed Christians lose their voting rights because they are stupid. Something is not nothing.

    Fake John Brown borrowed his moniker from real John Brown. Real John Brown was a highly religious person. Something is not nothing.

    If you are confused now I am afraid you are really going to be very confused after you absorb that first lesson: Something is not nothing.

  56. Jean Henry
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 6:31 am | Permalink

    Question for Mayor Pete: We know via Pew research etc. that most Trump voters were motivated by racism and sexism not economics, so when you say you are going to appeal to Trump voters, what sacrifices are required to do so?

  57. Frosted Flakes
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 7:04 am | Permalink

    We don’t know that most were motivated by racism and sexism. It is a theory.

  58. Jean Henry
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 7:22 am | Permalink

    It’s a theory backed by a whole lot of data showing racial resentment being much higher among Trump voters v others and economic anxiety being less of a factor. https://www.thenation.com/article/economic-anxiety-didnt-make-people-vote-trump-racism-did/

    PS these findings were consistent in 2018 midterm polling as well

    Luckily these voters are a minority in our country as a whole. My question is really whether it’s a smart bet to throw long time dedicated Dem voters of color under the bus to make Trump WWC voters feel at ease. Maybe Mayor Pete feels that’s not necessary. I would like to hear him speak more on racial inequity and how he plans to serve voters of color and their particular concerns. These concerns become more particular as our country self re-segregates, not just racially but economically as well.

  59. Jean Henry
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 7:23 am | Permalink

    https://www.pnas.org/content/115/19/E4330

  60. Sad
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 7:30 am | Permalink

    Where did Mayor Pete say he was going to appeal to Trump voters? I do think he said he could understand why some Trump voters found the Clinton campaign unappealing.

    Now I did think he said he could appeal to young voters. And we remember what happened in the 2018 midterm.

    I understand most older people are panicked by his youth. That’s fine. That’s why we have the primary. Don’t worry your favorite candidates Bernie and Biden are firmly in the lead with Warren close behind.

    We get it -Pete needs to wait. Just like addressing climate change.

  61. Jean Henry
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 7:35 am | Permalink

    Sad– He has cited his appeal to WWC voters, especially those who voted for Trump repeatedly as his differential. In every interview. Listen again.

    I think Mayor Pete’s appeal to young voters is limited to bros with similar status anxiety. The same ones who surrounded Bernie. He appeals to older voters who like the idea of a young candidate who they think appeals to young voters but really acts and sounds a lot more like older white man.

    Age is just a number. Mayor Pete is an old man in a young meat suit. He’s much farther from AOC than Joe Biden.

  62. Jean Henry
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 7:39 am | Permalink

    I find it amusing that you SAD think that concern about Mayor Pete’s inexperience is ageism. If he had a comparable level of experience as the other candidate or any experience at all, that might fly. It’s a legitimate concern.

    I would love to see the numbers on who Mayor Pete’s core supporters are at this point. My bet is they are predominantly white males over 35.

  63. wobblie
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 7:44 am | Permalink

    Aloha Sad, Tulsi gets it. She has introduced the Off Fossil Fuel Act which would 1) eliminate all subsides for fossil fuel producers. 2)Transition the economy to 100% renewable green technologies by 2035. It uses the money saved in subsides to retrain workers in fossil fuel industries to new jobs in the sustainable energy fields. In addition she is calling for an agricultural revolution with the banning of herbcides and pesticides and the creation of sustainable low carbon producing agricultural practices. I believe she is the only candidate that truly understands the climate catastrophe we face. She is the only candidate who understands the importance of water, and stood with the Standing Rock water protectors.

  64. Sad
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 7:45 am | Permalink

    Already with this attacking candidates?

    Everyone has plenty of time to put their position forward and explain their views.

    Relax.

    Instead of attacking Pete why not tell us why you like Biden so much?

  65. Sad
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 7:47 am | Permalink

    Thank you Wobblie. That’s helpful.

    How would we have mass ag without pesticides or herbicides though? I’ll have to research her plan.

  66. Jean Henry
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 7:51 am | Permalink

    I’m not attacking. I’m critiquing. I have not decided who to vote for. You threw in with Mayor Pete early, based on not much it seems.

    You keep stating a set of assumptions, not based on evidence, about his viability. (His support among young voters in very white Iowa is 22% behind Biden and Sanders right now, but it’s early; we won;t know much more until they start polling southern states )

    I have critiqued pretty much every viable Dem candidate so far for something while praising them for other things. That’s called reasonable assessment. Please spare me the cult of personality BS. They must stand up to criticism. And our assumptions about the candidates must bear criticism as well.

  67. Jean Henry
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 7:53 am | Permalink

    PS I hate Biden. I would vote for him if necessary, and I think it may be necessary in the general. but I really don’t like the guy and haven’t since the Anita Hill hearings. He reminds me of Bill Clinton (who I also disliked) but with even less ability to self-manage.

  68. Sad
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 8:03 am | Permalink

    Well back to my original question.

    Where did a Mayor Pete say he could appeal to Trump voters?

    And he’s not Jesus. He’s definitely flawed. If we don’t support and encourage young people how will they ever flourish? I though we all benefited from more diversity in our party, young and old, black, white, Asian, men, women etc. etc.

    Most people still haven’t even heard of Mayor Pete.

    Relax. He’s basically irrelevant. Bernie and Biden are the big money power guys.

  69. Frosted Flakes
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 8:15 am | Permalink

    Jean,

    I don’t have time to go back and look at those interpretations of data. I looked at with you and Lynne (I think) over a year ago. I remember conclusions being made based upon very vague survey questions about things like “anxiety” and “the direction of the country”…I don’t recall the exact wording of the questions but I do remember their was a leap being made between survey questions and the conclusion of racial resentment. I do not have time to look this stuff up again.

    I find it disturbing that you are now coming to conclusions about Mayor Pete supporters being motivated by some sort of subtle racism. Tulsi and Pete are the only two that do not come off as some combination of corrupt, weak, lying, clown, imo.

    If the dems do not pick someone decent they are going to lose again. Tulsi and Pete seem decent. I doubt liking them has anything to do with subtle racism. But I am sure the publications you like can come up with some data to interpret toward a conclusion that feels good to you

  70. Anonymous
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 8:18 am | Permalink

    FF doesn’t have time for anything except posting ten million wordy comments. What do people here do all day? I would love to see the Richard Scarry version.

  71. Sad
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 8:18 am | Permalink

    Good points FF.

    I like Harris too.

  72. Frosted Flakes
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 8:20 am | Permalink

    Sad,

    I think Jean is right. I took it as a positive but I did hear Pete mention something like we need to look after midwestern working class that voted for Trump because they in part voted for trump because of valid concerns..Pete seems to want to avoid the dirty side of identity politics…Good for him!

  73. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 8:20 am | Permalink

    Biden gropes small children in front of the camera at swearing in ceremonies where the families . Video evidence all over youtube.

    Gillibrand’s dad worked for NXIVM. Hope she doesn’t have ties herself. It’s been said she sat at their table at the Clinton Foundation dinner.

    Harris is personally connected to Smollett and used his “lynching” to pass a federal lynching law. Hope she isn’t part of the FBI investigation into the Smollett affair.

    Is Booker running? I forgot. Personally connected to Smollett and used his “lynching” to pass a federal lynching law. Hope he isn’t part of the FBI investigation into the Smollett affair.

    Beto used to write out his fantasies of running over children with his car hahahaha! Come on. Way too weird.

    Bernie is old and white and male and you know that will be divisive amongst the radicals who ought to be his bread and butter.

  74. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 8:22 am | Permalink

    …ceremonies where the families have to stand for a picture with the vice prez…

  75. Frosted Flakes
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 8:30 am | Permalink

    I already did the work Anonymous–two years ago.

    I always appreciate your time management advice, however. Keep up the good work!

  76. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 8:36 am | Permalink

    Then of course there is Mrs. Falsified Having Significant Native Ancestry…

    Buttigieg has a military intelligence background. He could very well be a white hat candidate. Clean. On the other hand he could be another black hat CIA democrat. If he exposes the other dems and no one can find anything on him then that could be a good white hat indicator.

  77. John Brown
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 8:53 am | Permalink

    JH, please don’t read some racisty sentiment into my evolution comment. All I’m saying is from a scientific POV it’s possible we (future generations) are going to see a species, humans, experience a self induced divergent evolution event. It’s super exciting from an evolutionary biology POV to imagine a species modifying the environment enough to cause it’s own species to split into two! Unprecedented at the planetary level for sure. The haves and the have nots will be the first cut, regardless of initial genetic makeup. “Diminutive brown people” providing the “parent stock” for the new sub species is based on known evolutionary outcomes such as the island effect, or other extreme resource stress effects on a population.

    Getting from here to there will no doubt involve some kind of Margaret Atwood dystopian hellscape. But evolutionary biology doesn’t worry to much about any single individuals experience.

    This is my version of looking on the bright side of climate change…

  78. iRobert
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 9:03 am | Permalink

    Why are we allowing white males to run in the Democratic primary at all?

  79. Anonymous
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 9:16 am | Permalink

    The good thing is that Hyborea will become warmer. Get there before they put up a wall!

  80. wobblie
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 9:19 am | Permalink

    Aloha Sad, Most of our corporate run agriculture is spent raising feed for cattle and other meats. With the Trump administration getting out of the food safety business, ie. letting the meat processors do the safety inspections, starting with the Pork industry in May, you may want to rethink your diet. Most of the world thinks it is insane the way we poison our food here in the US. Our food export markets are primarily those countries that are controlled by US capitalism. Most advanced countries want to keep our food stuff out.
    My family has been involved in farming since the 1830’s. My cousin had a dairy farm until the milk processors and dairies began requiring that he utilize BGH in the production of milk. Now his son runs a small Angus beef herd. Corporatization of agriculture is destroying any basis for family farming. Advanced countries protect their family farms.

  81. Anonymous
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 9:53 am | Permalink

    Most advanced countries was to restrict imports of food because they have a cabal of growers with corrupt connections to government with the aim of keeping food prices high. It isn’t some altruistic protest against US capitalism. It is actually crony capitalism at work.

    Note also that Europe restricts imports from developing countries as well by 1) subsidizing their growers to keep prices artificially low and 2) demanding that developing countries NOT subsidize their food supplies to inflate prices and make them less competitive. European growers are just as corrupt and self interested as US growers.

    Moreover, it is a fiction to assume that “family farms” are nice people in the countryside devoted to feeding the world. They are just as often self interested capitalists bent on using political power and government to maximize profits from their own businesses.

  82. wobblie
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 11:26 am | Permalink

    Aloha Anonymous, so what is your point? Many small producers in my mind is better than monopoly agribusiness. Yes most advanced countries subsidize their food producers in order to further the economic objectives of society. We do as well, it is just that we have a smaller and smaller number of producers, most of whom are now controlled by the processing and marketing entities. Our current agricultural practices are environmentally destructive and not sustainable in the long term. “Family” farming tends to take a generational approach rather than what is best in the next quarter.
    I just don’t believe Conagria, or ADM really give a shit about you or me. My cousin though has children and grandchildren he cares about.

  83. Anonymous
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 11:59 am | Permalink

    That was not my anonymous comment. I think there are at least four or five of us.

    I am all for the reduction of corn subsidies leading to corn eating livestock and corn syrup drinking humans.

  84. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 1:54 pm | Permalink

    Tuesday, April 09, 2019

    The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 53% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Forty-five percent (45%) disapprove.

    The latest figures include 37% who Strongly Approve of the job Trump is doing and 36% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of +1. (see trends).

  85. EOS
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 2:04 pm | Permalink

    Attorney General William Barr said today that he is “reviewing the conduct” of the FBI’s Russia probe during the summer of 2016, and that the Department of Justice inspector general will release a report on the FBI’s use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act process and other matters in the Russia case in May or June.

  86. Anonymous
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 3:33 pm | Permalink

    Attorney General Barr stopped answering questions the moment he was asked about his interactions with the Trump White House.

  87. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 4:16 pm | Permalink

    Comment battle on the Pres’s twitter with the unofficial Qanon twitter account on top at the moment. Usually the Krassenstein brothers are on top of Trump tweet comments. @Jack lost control?

    https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1115716910556090368

  88. Anonymous
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 4:57 pm | Permalink

    The four or five commenters here who post as Anonymous are all assholes. They’re each a different degree of asshole however.

  89. Anonymous
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 5:29 pm | Permalink

    It does help to be able to match each particular stupid comment to the stupid commenter who made it. There’s a lot of stupidity here to keep track of for our records. I do suppose one of the best things about being stupid is the security of blending in with all the other stupid people.

  90. Anonymous
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 5:51 pm | Permalink

    I think we can safely assume the commenter who posted as Anonymous at 9:53 am was a paid Monsanto “influencer.” We can also assume they are bloated from overeating and malnutrition, and will die young from illness unproven to be the result of the poisons in their food and environment.

  91. iRobert
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 7:51 pm | Permalink

    I’m surprised everyone doesn’t post as “Anonymous” here, simply out of shame.

  92. EOS
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 8:24 pm | Permalink

    Judicial Watch FOIA now has the written evidence. We know the date when the bleachbit software was ordered and when it was applied. Hundreds of classified documents were obtained by foreign governments to the detriment of our interests. Comey overruled the FBI lawyers to prevent Clinton’s indictment. Clinton’s emails document the coverup. NSA has every email. The house of cards is collapsing.

  93. iRobert
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 8:27 pm | Permalink

    Provide us some links to read about all this EOS. Has any MSM source run any articles about this stuff?

  94. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 9:08 pm | Permalink

    Hannity just had Tom Fitton on. Are you familiar with Judicial Watch? They obtain government documents using FOIA.

  95. iRobert
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 9:21 pm | Permalink

    Yes, I am familiar with Judicial Watch. I’m also familiar with how much success they had trying to bring the crimes of the Bush Administration to light. So I’m not too hopeful. The problem is the American public. They’re always way more disinterested than anyone expects.

    Also, we’re really lazy here on this comment section. We need links.

  96. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 9:53 pm | Permalink

    I’d say plenty of us are on fire with the info Q has brought and the latest developments from JW are right in line with that. Nunes criminal referrals are iminent, IG report coming, Huber coming…It’s going in the direction I said it would a long time ago. A whole bunch of people have had to eat everything they said about collusion whether they admit it or not. Now it’s time for the real shit. I told you I knew it was hard to believe but true. If I am completely vindicated on everything what are you people going to do? I mean the scale of it is incredible to think of, let alone all the aspects of it.

  97. Sad
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 10:01 pm | Permalink

    I’m gobsmacked!

  98. iRobert
    Posted April 9, 2019 at 10:15 pm | Permalink

    Gob’s just doing what we’d all do given the chance.

  99. Sad
    Posted April 10, 2019 at 2:54 pm | Permalink

    Here’s POCs weighing in on Mayor Pete.

    https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/henrygomez/mayor-pete-buttigieg-south-bend-gentrification

One Trackback

  1. By The Mueller report open thread on April 18, 2019 at 7:55 am

    […] being so roundly criticized for denying Congressional access to the report for almost a month, cherrypicking Mueller’s materials to defend an inappropriate and premature “not guilty&#…, and promoting conspiracy theories about a deep state spying campaign directed at the Trump […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect

BUY LOCAL... or shop at Amazon through this link Banner Initiative Bloody Eye Maynard on the Snake