US Politics, November 2019: These people are truly sick.

so why hasn't Schiff subpoena'd Bolton? There's no way Bolton's gonna get his court ruling in time for the public hearings.

Looks like Schiff has a system?

BREAKING: SCHIFF details questions that witnesses must speak to in order to be considered relevant to impeachment hearings.

This is meant to guide which GOP witnesses they're willing to call. The questions: pic.twitter.com/lzVxZcbUcj

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) November 7, 2019

they’re expecting a favorable ruling any day on the issue of the subpoena of McGahn from last April, hoping that will clear up the constitutional dispute, I guess

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bolton-willing-to-defy-white-house-and-testify-if-court-clears-the-way-according-to-people-familiar-with-his-views/2019/11/07/dd72d73c-00aa-11ea-9518-1e76abc088b6_story.html

oh c'mon that will just get appealed to the Supreme Court

the article doesn't lay it all out, but maybe they think if the lower court clarifies the constitutional issue to Bolton's satisfaction he will be willing to defy the white house order not to appear

it would be the funnest denial of cert ever (which won't happen, but dreaming is free).xp

from the WP article:

"“It would not be appropriate for a private citizen, like Dr. Kupperman, to unilaterally resolve this momentous constitutional dispute between the two political branches of our government,” Cooper wrote in a letter to House committee chairs.

In a court hearing last week, Cooper made clear that if Bolton is subpoenaed, he would probably join Kupperman in the lawsuit.

At Kupperman’s request, U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon in Washington fast-tracked the case, ordering that final arguments be held Dec. 10.

But on Wednesday afternoon, the House withdrew its subpoena of Kupperman and asked for the suit to be dropped.

House lawyers said that in the interest of speed, they would rely on another case that is further along in judicial proceedings — one involving a subpoena to McGahn, whose testimony was first sought in April after the release of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report.

That case raises similar issues of whether the White House can bar high-ranking administration officials from testifying.

U.S. District Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson in Washington heard oral arguments in the McGahn case last week and said she would probably issue an opinion before the end of November."

oh so that's why

House Democrats have signaled they are moving on from their efforts to obtain testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton after they say a lawyer for Bolton threatened to file a lawsuit if their client was subpoenaed.

xps

guess I shouldn't be surprised by Bolton being a cowardly shitbag

Lipmerkin gonna Lipmerkin

I'd heard about Trump using charity $ to buy a painting of himself, but hadn't heard this part:

... Trump bid $10,000 of foundation money on a portrait of himself at a charity auction benefiting the Unicorn Foundation. Trump Organization attorney, Alan Futerfas told the court Trump only donated to start the bidding, but when no one else would bid, the Donald J. Trump Foundation was stuck with the painting.

lolololololololol

Trump Organization attorney, Alan Futerfas

I've seen this name a time or two, and my brain always turns it into Alan Futterwacken

In hindsight, perhaps they should have been a little more insistent that Mr. Trump keep his pants on while posing.

in my big Ledger of Human Deaths, this checks out

you love to see it

A Republican PAC is out with a new ad Thursday slamming former Attorney General Jeff Sessions as a “traitor” as he prepares to announce that he’s running for his old Alabama Senate seat.

“The attorney general said, ‘I’m going to recuse myself,’ and I said, ‘Why the hell didn’t he tell me that before I put him in?’ He’s bad. He’s a bad, bad guy,” President Trump says in the ad, which was put out by GRIT PAC.

“Time for Jeff to hang up the cleats. Say ‘no’ to traitor Jeff Sessions,” a narrator adds at the end of the 15-second clip.

GRIT PAC is an independent expenditure committee associated with former Auburn University head football coach Tommy Tuberville, who is one of several Republicans running for the chance to challenge Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) next year.

hang up the cleats? was js a high school cornerback or something?

it's a "running for office" metaphor

they called him Shutdown Sessions

time for jess simsins to THROW IN THE TOWEL on this fandango!!!!!

Christ Tommy Tuberville.

that's an example of being willing to let your enemies fight til some gets choked out, regardless of "standards." NB- if tuberville polls better against jones, intervene if u can.

I got a mailing yesterday from Melania Trump (yeah, right) on behalf of the RNC. On the envelope was written: Check enclosed. As I suspected, the check was made out to The Republican National Committee, not to me. You'd think a cheap stunt like that would irritate the recipients when they eagerly opened it hoping for money. But what surprised me even more was that it was made out for a paltry $45. Why not shoot for the moon, guys?

$45 as in.....45.

Ah, it's symbolism! No, on second thought, it's numerology!

It’s faith

For 45 days and 45 nights, ye shall make a contribution of at least $1. The you shall be invited into the group of people who touch each other’s shoulders as they pray

To the surprise of no one.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/book-by-anonymous-describes-trump-as-cruel-inept-and-a-danger-to-the-nation/2019/11/07/b6b6c6f2-0150-11ea-8bab-0fc209e065a8_story.html

It's OK with me I guess that yet another insider book exposes Trump to full view as cruel, inept and a danger to the nation. It might erode his support by another half percent. But obviously what we're going to do about it is what really merits our attention, not a bunch more anecdotes showing what a repellent person he is. We know.

When in doubt, become the victim and/or plead insanity...

The investigation I conducted concerning 2016 Ukrainian collusion and corruption, was done solely as a defense attorney to defend my client against false charges, that kept changing as one after another were disproven.

— Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) November 6, 2019

guess I shouldn't be surprised by Bolton being a cowardly shitbag

― Οὖτις, Thursday, November 7, 2019

I wonder if any of them will ever suffer consequences from ignoring subpoenas

Mick Mulvaney was just subpoenaed tonight

We changed the cover of Don Jr's book to make it a little more honest and put them up in Barnes and Noble. You're welcome, Junior! pic.twitter.com/ZZqfRP6Jhj

— Jason Selvig (@jasonselvig) November 7, 2019

We really are going to be seeing Don Jr's face on our TV sets for the next 40 years, aren't we

There's no way junior can continue this way without going to jail at some point

to visit his dad and uncle Rudy?

Nah, you're never going to see Don Jr again after Trump is out of office. He has nothing to offer the MAGA chuds once Daddy's out of power/dead.

I think that's extremely wishful thinking.

He is going to try and milk this for everything it's worth, and he has enough connections to make it happen. Meghan McCain is on television, and what has she got to offer anyone? But I still assume he is going to jail sooner rather than later.

Any trump will be toxic outside of conservative media after this presidency is over. You wouldn’t see jr or ivanka on the view imo

Ivanka is an entirely different ball of wax. She'll figure out a way to slither out of the slime, to the chagrin of everyone who's paying any actual attention rn.

She's blonde and has perfect teeth. She'll come out of this just fine.

same

According to the book, the president shouted at an aide who was scribbling in a notebook during a meeting, “What the (expletive) are you doing?” He added, “Are you (expletive) taking notes?” The aide apologized and closed the notebook...

well we can at least be certain Anonymous has seen The Wire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBdGOrcUEg8

Trump on the South Lawn tells reporters that he will release a second transcript, @HansNichols reports

— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) November 8, 2019

but the first one was so perfect

lmao

The call was perfect. The transcript is being revised (read: set in Comic Sans) to meet that level of perfection.

I'm going to guess that he won't actually release anything and MSNBC hosts will be asking why for months

Needs more Sharpie

Any trump will be toxic outside of conservative media after this presidency is over. You wouldn’t see jr or ivanka on the view imo

― treeship., Friday, November 8, 2019 7:59 AM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

I really can't predict which way this thing is gonna go. My gut is that Trumpism has activated/inflamed a significant bloc of the GOP base that is not easily going to embrace "reasonable" conservatism anytime soon. The whole project of conservatism for these people is owning libs and culture wars and macho posturing. They're gonna call anyone less vitrolic than Trump a cuck. Maybe the party can't find someone to capably fill that void but there's going to be a wide open lane for another insane carnival barker.

More likely is that the GOP, with its usual prestidigitation, will embrace Trumpism while pretending, like with Bush II, he never existed.

the Beltway press, with its usual cynicism, will help the party put its mask on.