Saturday, October 26, 2019

Where in the World is Rudy Giuliani?


                                        Good Day World!

I kind of miss that crazy little bastard Rudy Giuliana.

I know. It's only been a week since we last heard from Trump's personal lawyer. But, I miss his shtick.

His performances on TV news shows were great theatre, and his facial gestures provided mask-makers a new inspiration for Halloween this year.

He's an entertaining cross between a weasel and a snake. His rants have become his trademark. A sad decline compared to when he was once respected and called America's Mayor decades ago.

The talk among political pundits is Rudy is searching for a lawyer because he's going to need one. 

His relationship with corrupt businessmen who have been arrested, Igor Fruman and Lev Parnas is causing waves right up to the White House, which has it's own problems trying to stay above water during the impeachment process.

While the feds were blowing a door off a safe while searching the arrested men's homes, and issuing subpoenas to probe into Giuliani's associates, he's managed to stay out of the public eye.

But for how long?

The feds are building a case against him. 

It's only a matter of time before he's ordered to appear before an investigative committee after a grand jury decides the little weasel was acting badly.

Rudy has options right now, before the men in the dark suits and sunglasses escort him to jail to await a trial that will certainly go badly for him.

1) Rudy can take a page from Forest Gump... and run!

2) Rudy can claim executive privilege or client lawyer confidentially, and stonewall efforts with the hope he'll get away with it.

3) Rudy could suddenly get a conscience (?) after watching Trump sink faster than the Titanic,and turn against him in the Ukraine scandal by cooperating with impeachment investigators.

Ultimately, Rudy could just claim insanity. Who would argue with that?

Related: Rudy Butt-Dials NBC Reporter, Heard Discussing The Need for Cash and Trashing Bidens.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Friday, October 25, 2019

Trump's Alternate Reality Defense Isn't Working This Time


                                         Good Day World!

Let's face it, Trump's use of an alternate reality defense stymied the Democrats when the Mueller report was released.

It was a victory for Trump and his minions. They managed to muddy Mueller's warnings and went into a complete stonewall mode that defused the facts in the report. 

Two days after claiming exoneration, Trump felt so invincible he put the screws on the Ukraine's new president Zelensky, demanding that he conduct a conspiracy investigation against his main Democratic rival for president Joe Biden. 

He also wanted Zelensky to pursue another conspiracy theory over a mysterious server that supposedly had proof Russia didn't interfere with the 2016 election, and that the Ukraine did.

Unfortunately for Trump he went back to the well too soon and found a newly energized Democratic Party. They gathered facts on his latest corruption so fast Trump and his minions haven't been able to mount an effective defense.

When Republican sources said yesterday that diplomat Bill Taylor's testimony was a 'game changer" and points to "quid pro quo," a dark cloud descended on Trump and his minions.

With no organized defense tactics (other than storming into a Congressional closed-door meeting in a highly secure area), Trump's case gets worse by the day.

Thus far, Trump has held his minions in thrall with his alternate universe seemingly working so well in the real world. But like all theatrical performances the curtain comes down in the end.

With evidence and facts hitting the confused Republican Party lawmakers like bricks, the foundation of Trump's reality show has been exposed as a fantasy for the wealthy and white supremacists.

If Trump and his enablers think it's tough going right now they're in for a big shock when the hearings go public in mid-November.

National polls favoring Trump's impeachment and ouster from office are showing a steady increase as the weeks go by. In the matter of one month, 51 percent of all voters think Trump needs to go.

What really stands out about this poll is when the news broke about a whistleblower exactly one month ago today, only 37 percent of voters wanted Trump kicked out of office. 

There's reason to believe more bad news will be coming during the impeachment process revelations in the weeks ahead.

There's also good reason to believe Trump will act crazier than he already has as the investigation gains ground. It's important to remember, these are not normal times.

Trump is not a normal president. His three-year reality show in politics has crippled America's standing in the world community, and his corruption has been like a poison infecting our government and Constitution.

The only thing that could save him is if the Senate decides to let Trump get away with everything. At one time, I would have said there's no way GOP senators would ever turn on Trump.

The times, however, are a changing.

Related: Trump's 'Red Wall' Against Impeachment is Looking Less Stable After Two GOP Senators Said They Were Wavering 

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Unhinged! GOP Lawmakers Obstruct Congressional Hearing


                                       Good Day World!

How desperate are the Republicans who are trying to defend Trump's corruption?

Enough to break every rule in Congress. First by stonewalling a slew of subpoenas, and then yesterday by breaking into a closed door Congressional hearing and disrupting it.

As Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper was sitting down to testify, the roughly two dozen Republicans stormed through three different doors, according to news reports.

GOP Rep. Bradley Byrne was screaming in the committee Chair Adam Schiff's face, but Schiff didn't engage. It quickly turned into a circus as both parties attempted to outshout the other.

One source (as reported by CNN) said, "It was the closest thing I've ever seen around here to mass civil unrest as a member of Congress."

The protesting Congressmen did not belong to any of the committees. 

Despite having equal representation, and the ability to ask questions on every inquiry committee, the Forever Trumpers in the House felt they needed to stage a protest in response to Trump's call for them to defend him more strongly.

Cheez-It crackers and pizza was brought into the room an hour later as the few remaining Republicans continued to stand around like defiant rats, claiming the current impeachment process wasn't fair.

Finally, after five hours, the last unhinged protestor left, warning he "might come back!" 

The protestors violated the Sensitive Compartment Information Facility (SCIF) rules by bringing in their electronics. 

GOP Rep. Mike Conaway, who is on the committee, had to collect them from the protestors led by Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz/aka Trump's most drama-queen defender.

At the very least, every one of those uninvited GOP protestors should be cited for obstruction of justice. Their only goal was to delay the impeachment process because it was becoming too painful to hear.

When Trump called out to Republicans to "get tougher" a few days ago, the Forever Trumpers responded with a dramatic break-in to a classified hearing after meeting with Trump, and presumably getting their marching orders.

What worries me is what are those same GOP members going to do next, as more evidence condemning Trump comes out daily? How far will they go?

Nothing seems off the table for those increasingly worried GOP lawmakers who have decided to flaunt rules, and even laws, to protect Trump.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman, a Florida Democrat who was in the room when the Republicans charged in, put it best, "This investigation clearly has far too much fact for their comfort level, so they have to stop it from moving forward."

It's unclear what will happen next.

In the future it looks like they're going to have to have better security (!) in the SCIF if they don't want these illegal break-ins to continue.

That should be interesting.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

How To Deal With Trump: Don't Take the Bait!

Good Day World!

After three years you'd think the Democrats would have caught on to Trump's race-baiting tweets and not be diverted by them.

But no.

They went bonkers yesterday when Trump referred to the impeachment process against him as a "lynching." 

Just when I thought the Democrats were on track in their impeachment inquiries, I see a headline like the one in the link above. They're still talking about lynching today.

After over 1000 days (and 13,000 lies) later, Trump is still getting away with one of his favorite diversionary tactics: throwing verbal grenades into the mix.

He manages to curtail controversies he stirs up by saying something so outrageous - and off the subject - it demands a response in return, successfully blunting whatever accusations were leveled against him.

It seems to have worked thus far.

The good news is Trump is fighting for his political life right now, and every day brings more bad news for him. Government employees and insiders are speaking out about his corrupt dealings.

As the evidence continues to build up against him, Trump will get more desperate. 

What he did to the Kurds reflects his desperation. He was more worried about his base than what all of his generals told him not to do - pull out and abandon our ally.

It was a classic wag the dog moment.

Instead of diverting attention away from the impeachment accusations however, it only added to the narrative he's out of control and is a threat to the country.

The Democrats need to be focused in their investigations and not get distracted by Trump's stunts. 

The investigation is coming to a turning point - with 55 percent of Americans wanting Trump impeached and ousted from office. But, the numbers have to keep climbing in order to break the Republican firewall in the senate.

For Congress to succeed in impeaching Trump - especially within a certain timeline - they can't waste time censuring and exposing every stunt or racist remark he makes daily.

Just don't take the bait. His grenades are just smoke bombs.

Time for me to walk on down the road... 

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

They're Back! Russian Trolls for Trump Are After Joe Biden


                                       Good Day World!

Putin, who has to be pleased with his trolls work in the 2016 election, has turned them loose again for a repeat in 2020.

Every intelligence agency in the U.S. knew the Russians were coming back. The Mueller report predicted it.

The new target? Joe Biden.

It's an obvious quid pro quo after Trump handed over Syria, and ruined America's relationships with all of our major allies.

Throw in the weakening of Ukraine's democratic status, and it was the least Putin could do for his Donny.

In normal times, if a foreign power was caught meddling in a presidential primary the White House would have immediately responded with a stern warning to Russia or whoever the perpetrator was.


But there was no response from the Trump White House.

The fact is, Trump has corrupted part of our government, and is trying to do away with separation of powers so he can become a king.

Yesterday, our wannabe monarch told the press what he thought about the Constitution by calling the Emoluments Clause "Phony."

Fake news and a phony passage in the Constitution. The only real thing in Trump's world is that he's a stable genius and The Chosen One.

As for the rest of us (the majority of the country), we don't want foreign interference in our elections. Trump has welcomed it from the start. He's probably going to need all the foreign interference he can get in 2020.

There's never been a more unpopular president in American history running for re-election. 

If Trump survives his impeachment trial in the Senate, he'll become the first American president to attempt to be re-elected with that dark cloud over him.

To assure victory, Trump's minions have been conducting a worldwide "find dirt on Joe Biden" campaign, touring the Ukraine, Australia, and Italy seeking to prove a debunked conspiracy theory.

The Russian trolls appearance this early in the game shows how serious they are about keeping Trump in power. And, why not? They've been winning since he slithered into office!

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Monday, October 21, 2019

A Case for Democracy and Democrats on the Far Left

Good Day World!

If Trump is still lumbering around in the White House like a petulant child for the 2020 election, Democrats are going to have to take the kid gloves off and lean to the far left to defeat him.

There's a good chance that despite being impeached, Trump will stay in office thanks to spineless cronies in the senate. If anything, Trump's base will become even more motivated to turn out and vote for him.

Normally, I vote for moderate Democrats in elections. But my concern right now is there's not going to be anything normal about the 2020 election process.

Political gurus all agree that it will be the nastiest election in U.S. history. There will be no rules. Trump thrives in that environment.

Every pol agrees that to beat Trump (even though crippled by Impeachment and record low approval ratings) the Democrats will need a massive turnout. The election needs to be a mandate against Trump's corruption.

Not just a repeat of the successful 2018 elections, but a real tidal wave of blue from energized voters setting an all time voter participant high.

The problem with a moderate approach is it doesn't seem to have the same high energy level the far left has shown thus far, with candidates like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

I like Biden, but I don't believe he would bring the same energized mojo against Trump's crazed base. In these nontraditional times, I predict millions of people will be voting based upon emotion (more than ever) rather than reason or track records.

The far left candidates, with their passionate supporters, will be a more worthy opponent capable of fighting fire-against-fire. Bernie's ground swell campaign support is almost legendary in the 21st century.

Elizabeth Warren's campaign is a nightmare for Wall Street, and Trump's wealthy friends and family, who've been enjoying his graft. 

I also need to point out that another Democrat could emerge as a real challenger for the nomination in the next couple of months. I have no idea who, but there's always that possibility.

As a patriotic American, I have one mission; to make sure Trump doesn't get re-elected. If that means moving my political position further left to have the best chance of doing that... then so be it. 

The Democratic Party of old - mildly liberal but mostly solidly centrist - is a thing of the past. 

How high are the stakes for all Americans today? I'll put it this way; either we'll have a Republic, or a Monarchy, in 2021.

Related: Note to Democrats: Stop Chasing Centrist Suburban Voters

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

A Rare Reversal: Trump's Attempt To Hold Next G-7 was in Foul Territory

Good Day World!

Trump was playing hardball to hold the 2020 G-7 Summit at his failing National Doral Resort... and lost.

Team Trump, led by pitcher Mick Mulvaney, recently announced the best place in the entire United States for the G-7 Summit happened to be Trump's property in Florida.


During a lie-laced press briefing Mulvaney claimed that there were a dozen properties considered for the location of the G-7 Summit.

Mulvaney admitted that it was Trump who suggested his property was the place to go. So much for any vetting of conflict of interest. By passing on all selection norms the game of ethics struck out.

If Mulvaney had steered a federal contract to a business he owned, he'd be sitting in jail right now awaiting arraignment. But, as Team Trump claimed, it's okay for the president because he's (in their view) above the law.

Team Trump press secretary Stephanie Grisham suggested it was absurd (!) to believe that the law could apply to Trump. She also falsely claimed that Trump was no longer involved in the family business.

Fact: Trump's own financial disclosure statements show that he retains ownership of Trump National Doral as well as the Trump Organization that operates it, through a trust he created after winning the 2016 election for which he is the sole trustee.

Trump's frequent visits to his commercial properties in Florida, New Jersey, and other locals have funneled federal dollars into his own coffers ever since he was elected.

However, the other team wasn't just idly sitting by and watching Team Trump.

Actions taken before Trump backed off:

* Democrat's introduce 'THUG Act' to block funding for G-7 at Trump resort 

* Senators are demanding answers on the decision to hold the G-7 Summit at Trump Doral

* Trump invites new emoluments fight with G-7 resort pitch 

* Experts: President's plan to hold G-7 at Trump Resort violates the U.S. Constitution

It appears that the "Chosen One's" swing at an ethics grand slam has fouled out. 

That leaves Trump with two more outs left in the game and Congress is working on them with an expert impeachment bullpen.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Alert! Trump's Lies Have Hit Critical Mass

Good Day World!

Finally... 

With the exception of Trump's hardcore base (the QAnon crowd), no one in the world believes a word Trump says.

Not even the Republicans aka Trumplicans.

The Democrats already knew he was a serial liar. World leaders who have met Trump - or just know of his reputation for seeking flattery - have found him to be as malleable as clay.

When Trump opened the door for Turkey to invade Syria and attack our ally the Kurds, the entire balance of the Middle East was destroyed.

When Pence and Pompeo met with Turkey's strongman all they could come away with was a 5-day cease fire (or as Turkey put it - a "pause").

It took less than 24 hours for that "pause" to be violated. The Turks used chemical weapons against Kurdish civilians yesterday.

The so-called cease fire was a humiliating defeat for America. Our troops in the region are demoralized because of Trump's betrayal of their comrade-in-arms against ISIS.

When I found out that the U.S. has fifty nuclear weapons in Turkey, a sick feeling hit me. The nukes are on (or near) the American air base in Turkey.

It didn't help matters that Trump insulted Turkey's strongman with the stupidest diplomatic letter ever sent by an American president (or diplomat) to another country.

Erdogan responded with a gas attack and a promise of "more to come" in response to the "devil letter" Trump sent.

It appears Trump's actions have hit a critical mass in the Middle East. Russia, Syria, and the Turks (along with their extremist militias) quickly seized the vacuum our retreating troops left.  

In their wake is a growing humanitarian crisis, a resurgence of ISIS, and a strategic victory for Russia and Iran. It was a shameful exit, as our troops were forced to blow up their hastily abandoned bases.

It's a sad reflection of America's waning power overseas, thanks to Trump's alienation of nearly every democratic nation (our allies) on the planet. Selling out the Kurds only proved that.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Friday, October 18, 2019

The Taxman Cometh: Trump Organization Caught Cheating and More

Good Day World!

Trump has steadfastly blocked all attempts to reveal his taxes for nearly three years, but that's changing.

It's been an ugly battle between Congress seeking transparency, and Trump stonewalling all efforts to share his taxes, like the presidents before him have done for almost 50 years.

Trump's stone wall is collapsing

Happening now

The orange ape's real estate business reported different financial figures for two of his Manhattan properties to lenders rather than to New York tax authorities, according to documents obtained by ProPublica.

The scam was simple

The discrepancies made the buildings appear more profitable to the lender - and less profitable to the officials who set the building's property tax. 

As damning as this report is, it's only the tip of the iceberg.

Related: Trump Loses Big and is Ordered to Turn Over 8 Years of Tax returns

Also: Trump Isn't Immune From Demand for Tax Records, Judge Rules

And... Judge Rejects Trump's 'Repugnant' Immunity Claim in Tax-Return Ruling

A gathering consensus among the pols is that Trump's taxes will end up in Congresses hands before next year. Possibly before Christmas.

The Senate will probably be in the midst of the impeachment trial when Trump's taxes are released as evidence of tax fraud and corruption.

Those long-held taxes will just be one of many articles of impeachment that will bring Trump - and his corrupt cronies in government - down.

Trump's biggest nightmare is happening - the taxman is coming for him.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Snake in the Grass: Mulvaney's Vital Part in Ukraine Scandal Revealed


                                       Good Day World!

Today's Ukraine scandal update: Mick Mulvaney worked closely with the "Three Amigos" during the shadow Ukraine policy ordered by Trump.
______________________________

BREAKING NEWS: Mulvaney brashly admits quid pro quo over Ukraine aid as key details emerge
______________________________

In a Washington Post report yesterday, Mulvaney was said to have played a critical role in the unfolding crisis. 

He often met with Sondland and the details of their conversations were kept from then-National Security Adviser John Bolton, and others who had expressed concerns about the White House's efforts to extort the new Ukraine government.

If you wondered who was behind cutting the funds off that Congress had approved for military aid to the Ukraine, look no further than Trump and Mulvaney.

Mulvaney put the hold on nearly $400 million weeks before Trump's now-infamous July 25th phone call to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to The Post.

That phone call triggered the House impeachment investigation.

The article stated Mulvaney told staff that the money to Kiev could be turned on and off without legal repercussions, though some questioned the legality of putting the aid on hold.

The upshot? 

Without snake-in-the-grass Mulvaney's help the shadow campaign could not have been conducted. He played Don the Cons enforcer in the shakedown of Zelensky.

I suspect Mulvaney, and other high-ranking Trump minions involved in this scandal are going to pay a price for their treason.

If they don't... our democracy is officially overturned.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Trump's Lowest Grift Ever Saved for Holy Week

This is a story about how the devil's puppet, aka Donald Trump, mocked Christianity by selling a book combining the Bible, the Constitu...