Scattershots – 21jan20 (updated 27jan20)

George Rebane

RL Crabb is prominent in today’s (21jan20) Union lambasting AB5, the latest socialist outrage from Sacramento. (more here)  This piece of dreadful anti-work legislation has finally caught enough of our liberal artsy-fartsy crowd to also get them squawking – less known, AB5 impacts at least as many of California's high-tech STEM consultants and freelancers.  Our cartoonist friend Bob Crabb’s distress (here) puts paid on what most of us have known about his true ideological colors – for shur he ain’t no middle-roader.  Regardless of his ire against the state’s Democrats – it’s akin to my ire against the state’s Republicans, but I don’t pretend to be a mid-roader – he cannot countenance the other side, even in the face of AB5.  “I also do not agree with those who want to steer clear of partisan politics. This bill is 100% Democrat. It was written by an assemblywoman who curses like a sailor and dismisses us as whiners who are too dense to understand how fortunate we are to have her party looking out for our well-being.  It passed on a straight party line vote. It was signed by a governor who just dedicated millions of dollars to enforcing it.  California Democrats believe they have little to fear from the riffraff at the bottom tier of workers. We are, after all, musicians, journalists, community theaters, and cartoonists. What are we going to do? Vote for Republicans? Ha ha ha!”  As you can see, regardless of the years of collectivist crap flowing from our Democrat legislature, Bob would not change his vote to give us bottom tier riffraff a chance to sell our services as we choose – a few eggs have yet to be cracked and sacrifices have to be made.

California leavin’ should be the title of a new musical lament for all those folks heading out of state.  But there’s enough of us disgruntled Golden Staters to take and remake the places where we land and put down new stakes.  An example is Star, Idaho, a small town near where one of our dear departed California expats and RR readers now lives.  Star’s population has more than doubled in the last ten years as couples like JT and Mary Jo Turnipseed (their real name, honest!) left SoCal and moved in to experience small town living at its best.  Well, no more.  “Now Star is grappling with some of the same problems the Turnipseeds left California to escape. The town’s main drag, where ranchers once drove their cattle, is clogged with traffic during rush-hour commutes. Sprawling subdivisions have sprouted up around farmland, as have new chain stores. The median home price has more than doubled to nearly $400,000 since 2010.” (more here)  The most amazing thing to me is still the utter blindness of our states overwhelming population of leftwing loonies who deny that any of this exodus is going on.  It mirrors exactly their grossly distorted perception of the realworld which is their daily drink from the lamestream.  For them, another sip of that Kool-Aid, and all’s right with the world.

[22jan20 update]  Today at lunch with a longtime friend of, shall we say, a different socio-political persuasion, we discussed the “overwhelming” evidence which the Dems proclaimed to the nation in support of their case to convict President Trump of ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’, and get him out of 1600 Pennsylvania before he trounces them at the polls this November.  My friend strongly argued the prosecution’s call for additional witnesses and documents, with which to catalyze the evidence developed during the weeks of House impeachment hearings that, it now appears, did not overwhelm anyone and will not overwhelm anyone in the Senate chamber.  The Dems’ evidence is essentially limp and ludicrous on arrival, and needs at least another fishing expedition launched to prop it up and give it some, any, substance before the president is summarily acquitted.  But calling for witnesses is really a bluff by the Dems on which Majority Leader McConnell may well call Team Nancy and lead to a sanitary problem in multiple shorts.  My prognosis is that the Dems will do nothing which results in any Biden taking the witness stand, let alone requiring Mr Lead Prosecutor Adam Schiff to also raise his hand and swear to tell the truth for a change.

[23jan20 update]  The unmitigated hatred of Trump by our Left is on full display in ‘Time for Trump to go’ by local leftwinger Nancy Eubanks in the 23jan20 Union.  There the newspaper gives the lady the entire prime-spot left panel to lambaste the president.  And she does not hold back, spewing unsupported allegation after allegation and obvious lie after lie, all the while calling Trump the nation’s consummate liar whose lies average “over 10 times every day according to several nonpartisan fact checkers.”  Has anyone ever asked how many lies about Trump come out daily from Team Nancy, the multitude of lamestream news outlets, the countless campuses across the country, the Dems’ impeachment brigade (Schiff’s speech yesterday on the Senate floor was a doozy - more here), and the entertainment media’s daily dose of films and TV programs??

[24jan20 update]  Irrefutable proof that stupid is contagious.  The Dems are proposing to make California’s horrendously stupid AB5 the law of the land.  This proposal has now been endorsed by their top presidential candidates Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg.  Talk about a slate of ignorant?cynical anti-Americans wanting to become chief executive – they are all extreme leftwingers.  Today this law is causing chaos in the state’s employment markets, and is even being opposed by liberals whose jobs are in peril or already history.  In desperation the Sacramento stupidos are trying to do a workaround with a growing pile of special interest carve-outs before they accelerate California’s calamitous worker exodus, indigent immigrations, shrinking tax base, economic contraction, and most importantly, voter defections. (more here and here) Perhaps the passage of such destructive legislation, that is finally a shot into our socialists’ shorts, will help Republicans to launch a resurgence of sanity in California.

[27jan20 update]  That Democrats are now the anti-American party is confirmed by three things which uniquely identify them – 1) ALL of them are willing to risk the US economy through massive tax increases to buy votes needed to stay in power through directed wealth redistribution – moderate Democrats are a myth, 2) NONE of them have any social policies save to remove President Trump from office before the November election (H/T to reader who posted the latest VDH piece on the topic), 3) ALL are globalists first, prepared and pursuing means to reduce US sovereignty and hegemony in favor of submitting to globalist organizations in economics, trade, governance, and world order.

Comments

[Paul Emery]

The pathetic California Republican Party is to blame for the lack of organized resistance to AB5. You can thank Trump for that.

[fish]

Posted by: Paul Emery | 21 January 2020 at 10:15 AM

But we're blue….BLUE I tell you!

#putz

[Scott O]

You beat me to it, George - I was going to post something about poor old Star. Star is just 6 miles to our east. Sully's Pub is our go-to for really good lunches and dinner as well as a great selection of adult beverages on tap. It sits square in the middle of 'downtown' Star and parking is getting to be a problem.
The whole state is ruined, I tell ya. If you want to leave Cali, look elsewhere for your new Eden.
We're full up, scram.
Shoo - go away!

[George Rebane]

PaulE 1015am - Amazing how you liberals are able to be either 1) blind to the ruins of socialism, or 2) blaming the Right for all the ills wrought by the Left. What a great solution; sweet.

ScottO 1120am - Yes, Jo Ann and I were thinking of you both up there being followed by the hordes. The only hopeful consolation is that your new immigrants aren't of the kind that bring their 'San Francisco values' with them. Such people are both dedicated and dense, they have no idea what caused the problems that made them move, and they'll attempt to equally soil their new homes. Arizona is a posterchild of this happening right now. Socialism is a social disease.

[Todd Juvinall]

Paul Emery | 21 January 2020 at 10:15 AM
Oh my, now that is something new from the lib. Your ilk has been in charge of the legislature all my life except 1996. All these laws RL and you now are impacted by are your party's making. Republicans have clean hands. Since you stole another seven Con seats in 2018 and have had a supermajority for the last few years, the voters can now see what we have been saying will happen if you all got the reigns. And it all came true. Now poor RL gets some blowback from his preferred politicians and it is not pretty. As a contractor, I had to deal with all this over many years. Now the lib artsy-fartsy types get a taste.

[Paul Emery]

George

In my view AB5 was a really poor piece of legislation and had no effective opposition. I blame the Republicans for that because they claim to be our so called protectors from Liberal dominance. Remember, I am a Green Libertarian not a Democrat so I don't necessarily support everything they do.

[Rcross]

Amazing how you conservatives are able to be either 1) blind to the ruins of corporate capitalism , or 2) blaming the Left for all the ills wrought by the right.

there are two sides to every coin

[Scott O]

Rcross 12:23 - "...blind to the ruins of corporate capitalism..."
You obviously just started to read George's blog today or you would realize how idiotic that sounds. Conservatives have complained about corporatism for years.

"...or 2) blaming the Left for all the ills wrought by the right."
Now - why am I not surprised you can't come up with one single example of that?
Another rock thrower.
Next!

[George Rebane]

Rcross 1223pm - Perhaps, but not to this coin. RR has always opposed corporatism (perhaps your reading skills have denied you this knowledge). And the record of open markets capitalism over the last two centuries has been and continues to be the biggest QoL blessing for all of humanity. The only ones who have been denied its benefit are those who lived under the heel of the Left, and those who continue to do so today. You and your ilk are doing your best today to return us to the days of autocratic collectivism in any and all of its forms. We all know that your ideology is the one that has to be imposed by the government gun; while enterprise, entrepreneurship, and individual initiative are the natural endeveavors which are immediately undertaken by free peoples everywhere. That's why proscribing freedoms is always job one of socialism.

PaulE 1218pm - I will have to take the time some day to explain to you and yours why that is the most perverse piece of reasoning ever. But it does explain the thought products of liberal thinking. 'It's your fault we continue to do shitty things, because you didn't stop us.'

[Paul Emery]

George

Can you name a few countries and eras that have benefited from the open market capitalism that you touted as the "blessing for all of humanity?

[George Rebane]

PaulE 108pm - You forget that we've circled this barn more times than I can count. Please read my previous answers, and the list of countries is too long. But the concept of open market capitalism cannot be grasped by 'all or nothing minds'.

[Gregory]

Punchy 1218pm is back punching in as a "Green Libertarian", a non-existent political party, apparently because of AB5.

Wonders will never cease.

I would suggest to RL Bozo to vote LIB if he can't stomach voting REP, but he's made it clear he can't tell the difference.

[Gregory]

Here's a Green "somebody stop me" for Punch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91YS3fNegmE

[Bill Tozer]

@ 1:22 pm

Very Green, indeed.
After reading recently the words of Greta, AOC, Bernie, the Women’s March, Ilhan Omar, and the entire Blame America grievance crowd (Lefties), one thing is clear above all other issues. It’s a War on Capitalism. All issues can be solved it they just cut off the head of Capitalism. That includes the GND, social justice, inequalities, and inequality.

Capitalism must be stopped. Utopia and Capitalism cannot co-exist.

[Scott O]

OK - here it is folks - the video you need to watch and pass the link to ALL of your friends so they can watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ku_kBrkvDk
Don't come here - it's really awful. I mean really, really awful.
I'd leave now if I could.
Honest.
Don't move here.

[scenes]

Paulie: "Can you name a few countries and eras that have benefited from the open market capitalism that you touted as the "blessing for all of humanity?"

The Roman Republic.

[Bill Tozer]

Great video Scott O. Oh, you should have heard what they were saying about Californians up in the stock stack in the 70’s and early 80’s. Whatever you do, tell them you are from Washington or Colorado...anywhere but CA.

[rl crabb]

Yeah, you're right, George. I still won't vote for the party of limp weasels like Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell,and The Donald. Most likely I'll go with the Libertarians, not that it will make any difference. Between the idiots on the left and the morons on the right, this country will be lucky to last another twenty years.

[Walt]

Well Crabby,( Sasquatch here,😁) the nation has done VERY well with Trump at the helm... Has it not? Yet the ones you back here in Kalifornia, just stabbed ya' in the back and gives it a good twist. As they say,, "with friends like that,,,,"
Trump and the Repubs have been out to remove regulations for the working class.. And what has your team Commie done for ya' here in Ca? Oh... You just griped about it. As it's said,, you deserve the government you voted for. So... Just what are you going to do about it?

[Scott O]

Crabby - "Most likely I'll go with the Libertarians, not that it will make any difference."
By golly - there's the attitude that made our country great!

"Between the idiots on the left and the morons on the right, this country will be lucky to last another twenty years."
Actually - it's the morons and idiots in the vast middle that seem to vote for all the trouble.
Maybe Crabb and Emery, et al could just maybe write a few lines about something positive that they believe could advance our country.
And no - just saying "we want what's just and fair and happy" won't cut it. Details will be needed.
Not holding my breath.

[rl crabb]

Walt, your skull must be made of solid bone, because you're not hearing me. Voting Libertarian, as I have since the turn of the century, is hardly "my team commie".

[Todd Juvinall]

Hey since there is not one libertarian in the Assembly or Senate maybe RL can explain his support for their ridding him of his AB5?

[George Rebane]

Ever since Rousseau cum Marx with the counter of Adam Smith and Bastiat (our interstitial Founders included), the world has had the binary choice of global collectivism or distributed open market capitalism. That is the cold reality which countenances no middle ground compromises for the simple reason that no one has put forth a believable and feasible middle ground. Today you're either fighting for distributive individuality or marching in lockstep to the central planners and controllers. The mid-roaders simply don't matter.

Since I never say never (I'm a Bayesian who doesn't believe in certain priors), I invite anyone to step up and posit any feasible road to a stable middle. BTW, the autocracy of the central planners is a much more stable destination than that of freedom and distributed enterprise, that in the system sciences is know as a state of conditional stability, ever liable to upset and which has come to be summarized by 'the price of freedom is eternal vigilance'.

[Scott O]

Todd 2:55 - Crabb already said that he realized voting Libertarian wouldn't do any good.
Crabby sez: "I still won't vote for the party of limp weasels like Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell,and The Donald."
Of course those folks aren't running in CA but hate is the main deal with these "middle of the road" types.
OK fine - don't vote for the 'limp weasels'.
But don't be surprised if AB5 is only the beginning of the fun.

[Scott O]

George 5:59 - The whole sticking point between the left and the right is the idea of what you want a govt to do.
I'm painting with a very broad brush here, but it boils down to one group that believes that a govt should guarantee equal opportunity and the other believes that govt should guarantee equal outcomes.
One side wants the govt to be the guardians of our rights and the others believe the govt should be the grantors of our goods.
It's freedom vs free stuff.
History shows one works better than anything else and the other never works.
Pointing to Europe and Scandinavia doesn't even work anymore. It looked good for a while, but now the debts are coming due and the natives are getting a little more than restless.
This country is actually extremely socialistic in many regards and it's going to bite us in the ass pretty soon. Our govt made a boat load of promises and put most of the cost on the natl debt credit card.

[Bill Tozer]

Dr Rebane @ 1:04 pm and Scott O @ 5:33 pm

Crony Capitalism.

Another billion dollars down the sink hole.

**Taxpayers Eat Another Solar Energy Flop**

“when governments pick winners, politics usually rears its ugly head. Official investigations and reporters dug into the story and found that, as the Washington Post reported, 'Obama’s green‐​technology program was infused with politics at every level… Political considerations were raised repeatedly by company investors, Department of Energy bureaucrats and White House officials.'

The family funds of Oklahoma billionaire George Kaiser, a big Obama fundraiser, owned a third of Solyndra. As the company was failing, Kaiser wrote to a Solyndra board member, 'Why don’t you pursue your contacts with the WH?' Two months later the board member wrote Kaiser, 'The DOE really thinks politically before it thinks economically.' Solyndra’s lobbyists met at least three times with an aide to top White House official Valerie Jarrett.

Government subsidies can bring any business into existence. But apparently even subsidies can’t ensure the production of something useful.“

https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/article/taxpayers-eat-another-solar-energy-flop

[Gregory]

OK... RL sez he's been voting LIB for 20 years.

RL, this is for you:

What happens IF and when a LIB wins... and whoever is in power pulls the same crap against them that was pulled against Trump during the campaign and afterwards? The innuendo, the spying?

Refusing his or her exercise of constitutionally mandated authority and powers?

What then, Bob?

[Bonnie M]

Posted by: Paul Emery | 21 January 2020 at 10:15 AM
You’re wrong Paul. If you don’t like anything going on in California you can blame our Democrat dictator government and those illegal and legal voters that keep it in power. Like it or not it’s reality. Don’t blame others for bad choices. Been watching this and the finger pointing for a long time.

[Walt]

Well Crabbster. Keep doing the same damned thing and expecting a different result. How's that been working for ya'?

Good thing Trump has been doing a fantastic job. Yet you despise that, and will never vote to keep that going.

It really sucks what the LIBcrats did to your line of work.
Welcome to the club. Now get a good taste of what they have done to mine. Over and over. Mining, logging and the construction industry.
So.. Do what you told me to do years ago.. Find another damned job.

[Bill Tozer]

Learn to code

[Paul Emery]

Deep thinking from our Idiot in Chief:
Trump quote

"You know, we have to protect Thomas Edison, and we have to protect all of these people that, uh, came up with, originally, the light bulb and the wheel, and all of these things.”

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/01/trump-makes-bizarre-statement-about-protecting-the-inventor-of-the-wheel-in-rambling-interview/

[odlaw]

Sandbox Post by: @the real Robert Cross | 22 January 2020 at 06:44 PM

,,,yes Cross,,,Conservos are in full-blown denial. This is not the first time Trump has admitted to obstruction of Congress in real time, and on the international stage no less...

"We have all the documents", Trump brags. Implied is the fact that there is something in the docs that prove he is a liar and cheat...but he has refused to release them.

Does the Trump Sucker contingent disagree???

An innocent man would gladly provide proof. Trump does not because he knows he is guilty.

He won't release his income tax statements either. Why???

He won't allow witnesses to testify. Why???

He did not tell AG Barr to direct DOJ, FBI, NSA to open investigations into Ukraine hacking, Biden illegal activities, Crowdstrike? Why???

AG Barr is implicated in UkraineGate but has not recused himself. Why???

You've got some 'splainin' to do!!!

[Todd Juvinall]

No such thing as "Obstruction of Congress" simply a political disagreement.

[George Rebane]

Only the judicial branch can tell whether ‘Obstruction of Congress’ or ‘Obstruction of the Executive’ violate any laws and therefore constitute an illegal act. Until then, as ToddJ writes, all such claims by either party are political.

[Bill Tozer]

Because the unhinged are screaming that Hunter or Joe Biden should not be called as witnesses and they have nothing to do anything, that is all the more reason to grill Hunter. After all, Hunter is the crux to the motivation behind the President’s call (the last part of the call), is he not?

Grill Hunter and Joe, and grill them good.

[fish]

Posted by: odlaw | 23 January 2020 at 08:25 AM

Obstruction of Congress (especially this one) is an unalloyed good!

[Bill Tozer]

Shiffilis.

Schiff may have mischaracterized Parnas evidence, documents show

“The most charitable view of the situation is that [Schiff’s] staff committed the equivalent of
Congressional malpractice by not looking more than an inch deep to determine the facts before foisting this erroneous information on his colleagues and the American public,” said one senior GOP aide.

“But given the selective redactions and contextual clues, it seems as though Chairman Schiff sought to portray an innocuous meeting with Ukrainian oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky as an insidious one with the President of Ukraine simply because both of their surnames start with the letter Z.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/21/schiff-parnas-trump-evidence-101832

Translation 1: Schiff mischaracterized Parnas evidence. Strike “may have”.

Translation 2: How many times does the California congressman who spearheaded the Democrats’ impeachment effort — and is prosecuting the case in the Senate — have to mislead the public before the press stops cutting him so much slack? The press is on Schiff’s team. The press is his public relations arm.

[odlaw]

,,,as usual the Roundtable Boys are dancing around the technicalities of phrases like '''obstruction of Congress''' in an obvious attempt to avoid answering the underlying ethical and moral issues of right and wrong and self dealing...

None of you have explained why Trump and the Conservos are not interested answering the questions and laying out the documents before the American public...

And I think I know why...

Conservos always imagine they hold the high ground even when faced with overwhelming evidence and official testimony against them...

If the evidence fits, you must convict!!!

[Walt]

What "evidence" Dougy? The cops had more against you.

[Bill Tozer]

“,,,as usual the Roundtable Boys are dancing around the technicalities of phrases like '''obstruction of Congress''' in an obvious attempt to avoid,,,,,,”

Gee, since Obstruction of Congress is one of the Articles of Impeachment, it is not just a phrase we dance around. An Article of Impeachment is pretty serious, And the answer is always the same: Obstruction of Congress is not a crime like Obstruction of Justice. Obstruction of Justice is a real crime.

Seeking the Judicial Branch to rule on such high Constitution matters of Separation of Powers is not a crime. Seeking legal counsel is not a crime...in fact the 6th Amendment takes it so seriously, that the defense is always afforded any counsel they choose, but no such protections for the prosecution.

By seeking the courts to address grievances and disputes is not only proper, it is the method our Founders laid out as the way we should conduct our affairs.

I suppose under Shiff-Odlaq-Scummer’s reasoning, a man accused of bank robbery is obstructing the police by seeking and obtaining counsel and seeking redress in the courts.

[fish]

Posted by: Bill Tozer | 23 January 2020 at 09:55 AM

But Bill…..Veruca Keachie wants her conviction……and she wants it NOW!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pqsy7V0wphI

[George Rebane]

My, my, my - "the technicalities of phrases like 'obstruction of Congress' is an obvious attempt ..." This is a juicy example of the Left's desperation to make something, anything stick from their repertoire of empty and ever-changing allegations dressed to impersonate evidence. (see also Mr Tozer's 955am)

[Paul Emery]

Well George Trump is on record as supporting the impeachment of Bush for lying us into war in Iraq. Here's direct quotes comment about Pelosi being Speaker and supporting the impeachment of Buch. Trumpis your guy George so here it is.

.

"When she first got in and was named speaker, I met her. And I'm very impressed by her. I think she's a very impressive person. I like her a lot. But I was surprised that she didn't do more in terms of Bush and going after Bush. It was almost -- it just seemed like she was going to really look to impeach Bush and get him out of office, which personally I think would've been a wonderful thing," Trump told Blitzer in the interview.
"Impeaching him?" Blitzer asked.

"Absolutely. For the war. For the war," said Trump, referring to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. "Well, he lied. He got us into the war with lies, and I mean, look at the trouble Bill Clinton got into with something that was totally unimportant and they tried to impeach him, which was nonsense. And yet Bush got us into this horrible war with lies. By lying. By saying they had weapons of mass destruction. By saying all sorts of things that turned out not to be true."

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/19/politics/donald-trump-impeachment-nancy-pelosi-george-w-bush/index.html

[George Rebane]

PaulE 1033am - there is no evidence that Bush2 lied. And Trump has changed his mind about Pelosi ;-)
https://rebaneruminations.typepad.com/rebanes_ruminations/2011/10/lies-and-lying.html

[Walt]

TDS flairs up as BDS. Don't recall any Bush impeachment.
But facts are in play that "O" should be jailed.

[Paul Emery]

George

It was clearly Trumps opinion that Bush lied and should be impeached and he has never refuted that.

Here's another one for your consideration from Lindsey Graham stating you don't have to be convicted of a crime to be impeached and describing his criteria for impeachment.

"You don’t even have to be convicted of a crime to lose your job in this constitutional republic if this body determines that your conduct as a public official is clearly out of bounds in your role. Impeachment is not about punishment. Impeachment is about cleansing the office. Impeachment is about restoring honor and integrity to the office. "

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/lindsey-graham-crime-impeach/

[Paul Emery]

What exactly should "O" be jailed for Walt?

[Paul Emery]

Also Walt it was your guy Trump that called for the impeachment of Bush not mine. Do you deny that Trump said that?

[Todd Juvinall]

Obama and Biden should be jailed for corruption. Very clearly they are dorrupt. Same for Hillary. Pay to play.

[odlaw]

,,,My, my, my - "the technicalities of phrases like 'obstruction of Congress' is an obvious attempt ..." This is a juicy example of the Left's desperation to make something, anything stick from their repertoire of empty and ever-changing allegations dressed to impersonate evidence. (see also Mr Tozer's 955am)

Posted by: George Rebane | 23 January 2020 at 10:20 AM

,,,and,,,as expected, George et al. will not answer the underlying questions such as...Did Trump do anything he should not have?...Why he won't testify?...why he won't let his associates testify?...why did he direct DOJ to withhold documents?...and what does Trump mean when he braggs, '''We hold all the documents'''???

[Paul Emery]

Can you be specific about what Obama did that he should be jailed for? Why is there no investigation into him now that the Repubs control the DOJ?

[Paul Emery]

11:14 was for Todd

[Don Bessee]

The people are speaking by changing the channel -

https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2020/01/23/impeachment-hearings-lose-millions-of-viewers-as-senate-trial-opens/

;-)

[Walt]

He KNEW Emery!! HE KNEW!! And did nothing about it. Remember Emery? HE allowed the Ruskys to meddle. His watch Emery,

WOW!! getting mighty defencive of your boy "O".

And claiming "exec. privilege" for Holder..( Schitt for brains don't like exec. privilege today)
Don't think giving guns to MEX cartels ain't a crime? It got Americans killed.

But that's just a Repub conspiracy theory.. Right Emery?
It's OK when your Proggys did it.
I'm sure you believe your boy "O" has immunity by now... It's all good.

[Bill Tozer]

Before BDS gets out of control, I see no one is watching the WH counsel destroy all the Lefty arguments as I write this.

I look at the bigger picture. That picture is one of the Dems attacking and shredding the Constitution and the irreparable harm this is doing to our country. . It will forever change the meaning of impeachment and how it is used. A power grab by one body of the House. To be brief, the crime against the Constitution is being played out in the process. The process is where the threat to our Constitution lies.

Since acquittal seems certain at this point (gotta get 20 R senators to flip) and none have been picked off to date (including Romney), the Dems are already working on the next Articles of Impeachment. That is the danger here. As soon as the next Democrat is sworn in, the R’s will start writing articles of Impeachment that hour, if not before.

Like 9/11 changed everything, so does the process of removing a President is forever changed after Trump.

PS: i would not lean too heavy on Lindsey Graham, Punch, if I were you. You would not like what he has been saying yesterday and the video rants he is spewing at the witch-hunt...and the Democrats’ farce. Perhaps you should quote someone on what they say on Jan 20, 2020 or 21st

PS PS: What a politician or lawyer or anyone says at one moment in time is not written in tables of stone to follow, for ever and ever, Amen.

[odlaw]

'''Russian efforts to influence the 2016 US presidential election represent the most recent expression of Moscow’s longstanding desire to undermine the US-led liberal democratic order, but these activities demonstrated a significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort compared to previous operations.

We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgments.

We also assess Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help President-elect Trump’s election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him. All three agencies agree with this judgment. CIA and FBI have high confidence in this judgment; NSA has moderate confidence.'''

https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Assessing_Russian_Activities_and_Intentions_in_Recent_US_Elections/Key_Judgments

[George Rebane]

PaulE 1058am - Why circle that barn? No one has said you need to have committed a crime to be impeached. Impeachment is a political decision and act, and requires no criminality for such a process to be executed by the House. Don't you understand that????

odlaW 1111am - You're again missing my answers due to your reading skills or cynicism. Once more, I don't know what Trump has done wrong if anything. No one has yet been able to prove any criminality or even tried to prove such. I know 1) he is protecting the Office of the President, and 2) he's pissed at the Dems for their years of lying, fraudulent witchhunts, and their cynical interference with his administrative duties.

The Dems admit that impeachment is their intent to bypass the will of Americans expressed in the last and through the coming election. A direct quote by Adam Schiff, "This can't be decided at the ballot box." This is part and parcel of the kind of fundamental transformation of our country that the Left is doing all it can to achieve by any means possible. They've even whipped Chief Justice Roberts into shape, witnessed by his 'even handed' chastisement of both sides for the clearly uncivil behavior of only the Dems - totally out of his reputed character of calling it as it is.

[odlaw]

Posted by: George Rebane | 23 January 2020 at 11:51a

,,,Ridiculous answer George...you are obviously not paying attention to the impeachment proceedings, and or merely parroting the process arguments of team Trump...

2) he's pissed at the Dems for their years of lying, fraudulent witchhunts, and their cynical interference with his administrative duties.

The above is also a ridiculous characterization...

Dem witch-hunts??? Crowdstrike, Birtherism, Ukraine election meddling, hidden Dem servers, Benghazi, Pizzagate...

[odlaw]

,,,Ex-Trump adviser: The best way to self-impeach is to hire Rudy Giuliani
Former Trump homeland security adviser Tom Bossert said on ABC's "This Week" that the conspiracy theory that Ukraine hacked the Democratic National Committee in 2016 has been "debunked," and he condemned Rudy Giuliani for continuing to push it with President Trump.,,,

https://www.axios.com/tag/tom-bossert/

[fish]

Dem witch-hunts??? Crowdstrike, Birtherism, Ukraine election meddling, hidden Dem servers, Benghazi, Pizzagate...

dugsKKKi hangs out at all the cool democrat conspiracy sites!

Qanon told me to say that.......

[odlaw]

,,,fish joins TeamClueless...

[Walt]

Tell it like it is Dougy, He's being impeached because he ate a ham sandwich, which pissed off your Muslim friends. That's the REAL reason. Deep state said so.

[Walt]

Well,, told you so. You don't go into the Senate and start accusing the Senate.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/impeachment-backfire-key-gop-senator-offended-by-nadler-charge-as-trial-tests-patience-and-stamina
"Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a moderate member of the conference, said she was offended by House manager Rep. Jerrold Nadler’s assertion that GOP members voting against allowing new testimony and evidence were engaged in a “cover-up.” "

[fish]

Posted by: odlaw | 23 January 2020 at 12:32 PM

You should be more frantic and spastic dugsKKKi.......that would be thuper!

[Walt]

Now the LIBS think "they" set policy?
No... The President does. Not abuse of power..

[Paul Emery]

RE George 10:58

Fair enough viewpoint. Then why did you make such a point to emphasize that Trump broke no laws in the Ukraine fiasco?

[Walt]

Tell us Emery,, just what laws do you think he broke? Be specific now. Schiff needs your help.

[Bill Tozer]

Oh Oddball @ 2:21 pm, where do I start to waste my time?

Ukraine election meddling? Easy one. The Ukrainians held an internal inquiry through what we here would call a circuit court and the ruling was yes indeed, Ukrainian members of government interfered in the 2016 US elections. One was a member of parliament and someone else via the US Embassy in Kiev.

Now, did a US VP (at the time) Joe Biden interfere with the legal proceedings of a foreign sovereign government’s own legal affairs and stop the investigation/ prosecution of Burmisa dead in their tracks and threaten to withhold over a billion dollars in much needed aide to the near insolvent government if they do not cease and desist ASAP investigating Burmisa, Hunter, and a Soros funded NGO, among others? Long question, answer is short. Yes.

During the House impeachment hearings, did not the ambassador to Ukraine admit as much of our interference by stating the ‘list of do not prosecute’ she submitted to the previous Ukrainian government was very reala d not fake news or a conspiracy theory? Yes.

Did not the US State Department under John Kerry raised serious concerns of Biden’s conflict of interests in Ukraine? Did not the US ambassador to Ukraine under Obama receive training and instructions of what to say if the “Biden Problem” was raised in her Senate Confirmation hearings? Yes.

Whether the previous fired prosecutor was corrupt or not, I do not know. We know the previous President was corrupt through and through as he and his wife left office looting 6-7 billion from the Treasury after he and his government cronies passed a law giving ex-officials immunity from prosecution for bribery, theft, high crimes, and misdemeanors, lol.

Did not the new President (the one Trump talked to) run and win on platform of draining the swamp, i. e., anti-corruption? Did not the new President of Ukraine repeal the law granting ex-government officials immunity from prosecution as one of his first acts in office? Yes.

With the word ‘corruption’ synonymous with ‘Ukraine’, is it not our President’s duty to make sure millions of taxpayers dollars are used in Ukraine as intended? Is it not our President’s duty to make sure that the corruption problem in Ukraine is looked into before aid is given out automatically like candy and with no restrictions? Nay, it would be a breach of his oath of office and dereliction of duty to not make sure millions of US taxpayer dollars are not throwing pearls before swine? Yes.

Did not Trump mention to the new President Joe Biden’s words and video bragging about twisting the Ukrainian government’s arm to interfere in their investigation of Hunter’s employer, an employer whose home they had raided a month before? Is it not fair to have the new President of Ukraine look into that corruption and blackmail to insure that Ukraine is on the right path to their anti-corruption goals??

To say Hunter has nothing to do with one of the two Articles of Impeachment (which deals specially with Ukraine and Ukraine’s internal investigations) does not hold water. Simply ridiculous. The whole Ukrainian affair has everything to do with Joe and Hunter Biden. They should be witnesses number three and four, after Schiff’s staff and the whistleblower. The American people have a right to know.

What is Biden and Schiff trying to hide? If they were innocent, Biden would agree to testify and prove his innocence, right bucko?

[George Rebane]

PaulE 112pm - Because no one has shown that he broke any such laws. And can you explain to odlaW (1211pm) that there just may be tens of millions of Americans who do not see my 1151am as a "ridiculus characterization". The man? seems to think he has the only allowable take on the matter - a burden indeed when trying to communicate.

[Walt]

How those that will vote see it.
"Cotton, R-Ark., made the comment on Thursday, adding that if House Democrats “had strong evidence though, I think they’d simply present that evidence and let it speak for itself, but they don't."
"That's why what we heard yesterday were repetitive arguments over and over again based on little more than hearsay, and the House Democrats' objections to Donald Trump being the president,” he continued.

Yup,, that's going to get him tossed from office.

[Paul Emery]

Start here Walt

G.A.O. Report Says Trump Administration Broke Law in Withholding Ukraine Aid

As the Senate prepared for the impeachment trial, the Government Accountability Office said the White House violated a law that limits a president’s power to withhold money allocated by Congress.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/16/us/politics/gao-trump-ukraine.html

[Walt]

See? LIBS above the law.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/01/23/dianne-feinstein-left-impeachment-trial-hour-early-wednesday-night/

[Bill Tozer]

Oh Olaq @ 12:21 pm

My, what slight of hand. The Ukrainian government said they interfered in the US election to help Hillary, ROFLMA. Take it up with the Ukrainian officials, not Rudy.

Saying a country interfered (or tried to) in our 2016 election is one thing. Russia, Ukraine, China, North Korea, even an ally or two come to mind. But, to say that Ukraine interfered in our 2016 election means nobody else did is plumb stupid. To make the leap of faith that because Ukraine interfered in our 2016 election (to help Hillary) means they also hacked the DNC Server, the HRC campaign server, and the DCCC’s server and not the Rooskies is a leap of faith not even Rudy would make.

To the gulag with you. Dot connection fail. And Rudy has turned over his findings to the FBI first and foremost, lol.

[Walt]

Back to that Emery? Nice try. That dog don't hunt.
You still have yet to show the penalty for breaking that law.
You were asked that the first time. You sent the crickets in with your answer.

[Walt]

Again I ask Emery,, how many times did your boy "O" brake that same law? (examples given the last time)
Funny,, you always run and hide.

[Bill Tozer]

Back to moi 11:31 am: The Process

They are not just simply trying to tie up Trump. They want to impeach Trump, Pence, AG Barr, and Sec of State Mike Pompeo. The aim is to cut off the head of the entire current government and take over all the power. That’s their goal. Already subtle juicy tidbits are being dropped trying to tie Pence to Ukraine. Barr is a no-brainer as he can’t be pushed around or threatened. He is definitely a major threat to their power structure. And Pompeo, one of the good stand up guys, part of the Trump government, so he has to be destroyed.

That is why the process being skewed via impeachment is so vitally important. They are gunning for the 1st Amendment, the 2nd, the 6th, the 4th, the 10th, and even the 11th.

Impeachment is but a vehicle to assualt our Constitution. The left and especially the Left Leadership is power hungry and power mad, be it AOC or Nancy or Chucky or Schiffilis.

They are like actors in a play reciting their lines on cue and waiting for applause...the applause they so desperately crave. They want to be in control...of everything. Only the Constitution stands in their way...for now.

[Don Bessee]

Jerry the nads screws up again amid a room of bored senators -

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/01/23/fact-check-jerry-nadler-forgets-george-mason-proposal-was-defeated/

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/01/23/richard-burr-distributes-fidget-spinners-colleagues-before-impeachment-trial/

;-)

[scenes]

BillT: "They are not just simply trying to tie up Trump. They want to impeach Trump, Pence, AG Barr, and Sec of State Mike Pompeo. "

Strictly speaking, I suppose you just need to knock off Trump and Pence. Follow that by stuffing in acting executive branch positions, no approval needed really.

Just think about what's at stake though. If Trump isn't disposed of, the Earth's temperature will go up by 50 degrees and all plants and animals will die, children will stay in cages, Central Americans will have to stay put, men won't get to use the women's restroom. Armageddon. An overthrow of the Presidency is doing God's Own Work Assuming You Believed In God.

Look how seriously our local Blue Mob takes all of this. It's as if their personal lives were upended in the last three years.

[Bill Tozer]

@2:26 pm
Don’t know if they have time to knock off Pence before 2020 Election Day, but it would put the power crazed Botox Queen exactly where she demands to be. Probably appoint Hillary as her VP. Better watch your back, Nancy. Image Schiffilis as DOJ. Oh my. Probably put Amy Schummer in as some cabinet member as a professional courtesy to Chucky.

[Bill Tozer]

Pence has a big target on his back, so don’t discount their hatred for him. He is a devote Christian and that is intolerable in this day and age. Totally unacceptable. Perhaps a Keith Ellison would be a nice fit.

[scenes]

@2:37
I think that Hank Johnson is a shoo-in for SecDef. Hunter Biden for Secretary of Energy.

[Bill Tozer]

How timely

A WORD FROM LINDSEY GRAHAM

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/01/a-word-from-lindsey-graham.php

[Walt]

That's right, impeach because he didn't listen to minions.
"Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) told the Senate impeachment trial Thursday that President Donald Trump should be removed from office because he did not obey the talking points prepared by bureaucrats who work for him."
https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2020/01/23/adam-schiff-remove-trump-because-he-didnt-follow-talking-points/

Like I said.. Just make up crimes.

[Bill Tozer]

Walt, you are going to love this!

Trump Trolls Schiff With Road Runner Cartoon, Schiff As Wile E. Coyote

https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-trolls-schiff-with-road-runner-cartoon-schiff-as-wile-e-coyote

Beep, beep

[Bill Tozer]

Despite the excitement among the nimrods in the Democratic Party-press, the House Democrat managers are bombing. Repetition, emotion, and partisanship in support of a fabricated, unconstitutional impeachment is utterly fatigue-inducing. Americans are tuning out. Maybe Schiff and his comrades should be given an entire week to argue their “case.” Then no American will be left who gives a damn.,--Mark Levin

[Walt]

Emery's "he broke the law" sure sent Emery to points elsewhere.
Don't bring up what you can't defend. Yet he never seems to grasp the concept of that.

[Walt]

Bill. By the time Ren and Stimpy get done, even the DEMs in the senate will vote to acquit.

[Walt]

WE got one upped!! Priceless....
https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-campaign-adam-schiff-looney-tunes

[Paul Emery]

What are you talking about Walt? Can you translate for our readers?

[Walt]

The old standby line from Emery. Live up to "the ponytail of ignorance". You have that covered.

[Paul Emery]

Walt

According to the GAO Walt Trump broke the law. Do you deny they contend that??

[Walt]

You deny your boy "O" did Emery? The very same law?
YES OR NO!!! (you didn't answer the last time either.)
Name the penalty Emery!!! (Oh,,, you can't. Got it. Thanks)
"O" broke that law many times over. (not that you give a tinker's damn.) Evidence given the last time. (Dementia is bliss)
Only a week since you brought it up the last time, and you have forgotten so soon.
Yet your boy "O" let the Russian and Ukrainians mess with the elections. Remember? No big deal since they were helping Hillary to win.

[Walt]

Here you go Emery, This are tough for Proggycrats like yourself.
"Despite the GAO, Mr. Trump Broke No Rule"
https://www.wsj.com/articles/despite-the-gao-mr-trump-broke-no-rule-11579726123
"The GAO’s conclusions that the Office of Management and Budget violated the law are misleading at best. The Impoundment Control Act recognizes the authority of the president to defer congressional spending, but directs the president to report such a deferral to Congress (2 USC §685) and give the reasons for it. Deferrals are permitted if they are consistent with legislative policy and authorized by law (2 USC §684). The act recognizes that a president (for whatever reasons) might fail to send the required message to Congress (2 USC §686) and contains a specific remedy for such a reporting omission by the executive. The remedy is that the GAO comptroller general “shall” make a report to Congress about the deferral (2 USC §686). The act also authorizes the comptroller general to bring a civil suit to require that the deferred funds be spent (2 USC §686)."

Sucks to be you.

[Gregory]

Walt, 544pm absolutely correct.

Plus, the GAO is a Congressional orifice. Not Justice, not Executive.

[Walt]

Now let's add a little insult to Emery's injury.

https://bongino.com/flashback-seven-times-the-gao-said-the-obama-administration-broke-federal-law/
"seven times that the GAO found the Obama administration to have broken the law"

Yaa,,, Emery,, those pesky facts.. You never seem to have any.

[Don Bessee]

The pony tail of ignorance don't need no stinkin factses. LOL

;-)

[Don Bessee]

Thanks schiff for brains and all you socialist dems for MAGA for 4 more years! -

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/01/23/florida-poll-president-trump-leads-top-democrats-in-head-to-head-matchups/

;-)

[Walt]

Emery is scoring just about as bad as Ren and Stimpy.
That's what eating what the Proggy Press feeds ya' will get ya'.

[Paul Emery]

What you posted Walt was a letter responding to an editorial. Just one persons opinion