Damn. While most of us were sleeping last night, text messages between Trump administration diplomats and a senior Ukrainian aide were released in unison by several House committees. They show, without any question, that the Trump administration’s refusal to advance relations between Ukraine and the United States was tied to a demand on the part of Donald Trump that President Zelensky’s government initiate an investigation into Joe Biden and his family. [This, again, as we’ve discussed before, is a criminal act.]
“AS I SAID ON THE PHONE, I THINK IT’S CRAZY TO WITTHOLD SECURITY ASSISTANCE FOR HELP WITH A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.” https://t.co/PsHOsJtHBz
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) October 4, 2019
I’d encourage you to read the texts, which were just made public by the House Committees on Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Oversight, and then say a “big thank” you to Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine, who appears, based on the transcript, to be the only person in the administration who, in the words of Julia Davis, “genuinely care(s) about doing what’s right and about Ukraine defending itself from Russia.”
“As I said on the phone,” Taylor wrote in one of his texts, “I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign.”
And how about this from U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker, who, by the way, testified before Congress for ten hours yesterday, behind closed doors?
As Ben Rhodes observed earlier this morning on Twitter, “These texts confirm that Trump fully attached US foreign relations – diplomacy, security assistance, and high level contacts – with a nation invaded by Putin to a bizarre scheme to investigate his political opponents. This is a betrayal of everything America has stood for.”
If this is where we’re at one week into impeachment, I can’t imagine where we’ll be in another month. This is absolutely insane.
33 Comments
STRING HIM UP! STRING HIM UP! STRING HIM UP! STRING HIM UP!
It’s up to the American people to decide if they care about type if law when it applies to powerful people. History tells us we don’t.
And yet I have a hard time imagining Trump will be re-elected when the October surprise turns out to be totally undeniably legitimate impeachment.
Important to remember that no one thought Nixon was guilty either, and most republicans and citizens objected to the Watergate hearings at first.
* rule of not ‘type if’
While we are all focused on the unraveling of the Trump administration, we have issues here locally as it looks like Mayor Bashert is busy purging folks from various city commissions. This growing issue (scandal ?) may not be as sexy as Chinagate, but could be more significant. Unless you actually attend City Council meetings, it is almost impossible to find out news about our local city government—We will all feel the loss of Pete Murdock.
for some background
http://whatsleftypsi.com/2019/black-commissioners-not-reappointed-by-new-mayor/
Evidently at Tuesday’s city council meeting Mayor Bashert fired the head of Ypsilanti’s Human Rights Commission.
wobblie, also the UAW strikers. Our Local gave UAW Local 174 a nice sized Meijer gift card yesterday for supplies. But they need DRY firewood and its getting cold this weekend. And none of that damn ruskie wood, good ole grown in America wood please.
It is vital to not become overwhelmed with the constant barrage of bad news. Yes, support our striking UAW workers. Yes, hold Ypsilanti City Council member accountable. And YES hold the criminal in the white house accountable, IMPEACH. And support your candidate in the primary the nominee in the general election.
Welp, if Bill Taylor has a concern then…
…So interesting the other guy was like “Nahhhh, you have the wrong idea.”
The other guy gave catastrophic testimony yesterday and he was the first to be interviewed. He also quit immediately after Rudy started doing television interviews about the situation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/03/us/politics/trump-ukraine.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
Can’t wait for Ms. Yovanovitch’s turn.
“…So interesting the other guy was like “Nahhhh, you have the wrong idea.”
Yeah it’s almost like he knew asking for foreign help in a US election was wrong if true and felt a need to deflect.
Here is what the Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Action Center says about current US ‘anti-corruption’ efforts: https://twitter.com/kurteichenwald/status/1180261163659091968?s=21
Trump is a truly stupid person, as are his children and close staffers. Are they at least smart enough to recognize that they will be remembered as being a part of the worst presidential legacy in the history of the United States? How about the fact that they will be fighting legal battles long after the Donald is dead and gone? The late term abortion administration.
You are wasting your breath, Jean. HW is hopeless. He can’t see our wisdom in basing our judgments on neutral and legitimate news sources. What do you expect? HW is practically a one man anti-anti-corruption action center (Antac) all by himself.
We could literally inform HW that Joe Biden said “Hunter did nothing wrong” and HW would be like: “Duh, I’m not sure if I should take Joe’s word for it because he was like one of the allegedly corrupt parties alluded to when Trump was talking to the Ukrainian Prez.”
Don’t you get it yet, HW?
Legitimate news sources and what not.
Even this super smart guy from Twitter sees the wisdom:
Replying to @kurteichenwald
Wow. That’s a decisive rebuke from Ukraine. And saying that the United States is the moral equivalent of Russia is really something. We have a lot of work to do after we get rid of these thugs in the White House.
What part of “Wow. That’s a decisive rebuke from Ukraine” does HW not get?
Smart people saying stuff on the internet FROM UKRAINE and what not.
Qgoggles are off bitches. Watching re-runs of Rachel Maddow and then I am going to power through the Mueller Report. Don’t tell me how this Russia collusion stuff ends. I am at the part where the walls are closing in on Trump. Wow!!!
This is awesome Jean. Thank you for telling me about the cult I was in!
FF— does any part of you realize how rejecting main stream new sources— and so journalistic standards of two person verification etc as well as broader accountability— serves your confirmation bias and closes out conflicting information.
For my part, I think that standard news sources generally get the facts they write correct, but they by no means reflect the whole story or get ALL the facts right.
I’m just unwilling to reject expert analysis and journalism out of hand because it doesn’t tell me what I want to hear.
You are a great sponsor Jean.That is exactly what I needed to hear . Now that I have escaped HW’s cult I need to re-embrace all the expert analysis I have missed out on. It will be a slow deprogramming process. Binge-watching back episodes of Rachel Maddow is getting me back into the groove.
Keep sharing truth from Twitter! It helps me stay on track when I start to feel myself relapsing into old habits.
#protruth
#anticorruption
#centered
Can I get some 2 party verification, from the mm.com community, that this is actually Joe Biden speaking? I want to do some expert analysis on Joe Biden’s non-use of the white power symbol at 3:35.
First Trump tried taking him out. Next up: SPLC and ADL are going to take Joe out so they can choose the candidate THEY want just like Joe is saying.
https://youtu.be/w0mFzwrm8Jc
I just find it hilarious that hardcore Trumpons are outraged over some potential business interests of the son of a former vp, while the actual president and every member of his family have used the White House as an illegal ATM for the past three years. A level of scummy, personal financial self interest that has never been seen by any member of government before.
Reporter: How is it not a conflict of interest?
Biden: It’s not a conflict of interest. There has been no indication of any conflict of interest from Ukraine or anywhere else. Period. I am not going to respond to that. Let’s focus on the problem. FOCUS ON THE MAN. WHAT HE IS DOING. THAT NO PRESIDENT HAS EVER DONE. NO PRESIDENT.
Reporter: (inaudible question)
Biden: I have no idea whether it was or not.
Reporter: You are saying you are only going to talk about the facts right? What is going to prevent this from being a burden to your candidacy? Everybody here is talking about. It is going to follow you around.
Biden: Because the irony of all ironies is you press people are doing your job. You’re pointing out when he is flat lying.Where this no evidence. None.
(WHITE POWER!)
#noirony
Volker to House 10/3/19
Click text in link to expand
https://endchan.net/.media/92881c3646dac05cd6add37a9ea31286-imagejpeg.jpg
FF I don’t warxgvor particularly like Rachel Maddoe it anyone at MSNBC
’I don’t watch or particularly like Rachel Maddow or anyone at MSNBC.’
Why? Chris Hayes is probably doing the best, least histrionic journalism on television.
BREAKING NEWS: Genius mastermind Rick Perry made him do it.
Bob– I find MSNBC overbearing and far too partisan. I can only stand it for a half hour or if news is breaking. Even then, its hard to deal with. They are spin doctors like FOX. They are more committed to facts than FOX but the constant promotion of Dom talking points is too much. They are firmly Team Warren this go around and last time they were firmly Team HRC. I would think that alone would have turned you off.
When I watch TV News it’s PBS Newshour.
“Bill Clinton, the last impeached president, earned a reputation for political jujitsu — being able to co-opt his opponents’ issues to further his own political priorities. Trump employs a darker art, impugning his critics and adversaries with his own sins, mortal and venal.
He’s so brazen about it that one sometimes can’t quite believe it. But the truth is he is just as bad as he would have you believe his enemies seem to be, or worse. He’d have you believe it’s a feature, not an impeachable offense. It’s the con-in-chief’s big grift”
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-s-impeachment-hinges-his-war-again-biden-s-also-ncna1063216
Rematch! Clinton vs. Trump II: The first go round was rough and tough. This time it’s gory as shit.
HW and all the other conspiracists here as well as their apologists are putty in Putin’s hands. Stooges. Fuck, Putin and co probably invented Q too.
https://www.businessinsider.com/former-troll-russia-disinformation-campaign-trump-2017-10?fbclid=IwAR0qW_Gwc2bZ1A6qfQrQNDjWHsgEPANiObr1ysPZ0X6z7ssrmU3Ni_OC2Fs
“As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!). They must, with Europe and others, watch over…”
– Donald Trump
They infiltrated the articles of Business Insider and their astute readership so they could reveal the Truth about all their lies. It created division amongst all Americans except the clever Swalwellites. Seriously, HW join us so you can listen to the liars tell the truth about their lies. It’s pretty cool to share the inside scoop with Mark, Jean and Chris Hayes.
Swal-Wellian
“great and unmatched wisdom”
WTF?
Ruskie…stooge….. Try it. Flows off the tongue like black market caviar.
In #civilwar2 news the private ads for cheaper AR15s all but dried up with impeachment inquiry of the Great Pumpkin. Prices and gun sales will benefit from his inevitable downfall. Can we libtards avoid the genocide fantasy of so many of agent oranges domestic terrorist base?
I know right-
Great and unmatched wisdom –
Threatening to destroy a NATO economy?
Mayor Pete would never behave like that.