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

99% of voters literally don't know how a hearing works, administratively, so they can safely demonstrate their ignorance and pay no price politically

They know exactly how it works. These little tiffs happen only so they can pretend that they are being treated so unfairly by Schiff.

My one complaint about how the Democrats are doing here is that they are not spending enough time focusing in on why exactly Yovanovitch was dismissed, instead leaving it just as a vague whim of the president. They need to show more clearly that she was standing in the way of his cronies' corrupt enrichment.

Counterpoint: the Dems are in rare form today, and Schif has emerged as a poised, tough chair. I can't imagine what might've happened if Nadler (who seems to have yanked offstage by a cane -- even media appearances) had replaced him.

xp

Folks need to keep focused on the question of WHY Yovanovitch was smeared & then removed — to move forward with what Bolton called a “drug deal.” Trump wouldn’t have removed her if she wasn’t getting in the way of their campaign to pressure Ukrainians to investigate Hunter Biden.

— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) November 15, 2019

xp

I think they are doing well, but that particular line is still a bit murky and underdeveloped.

That tweet is only partly correct, I believe it was as much about her standing in the way of sweetheart deals for Giuliani's pals.

lol who is this Eddie Scarry dipshit:
Roger Stone is a casualty of the increasing criminalization of politics
Marie Yovanovitch is sincere, but that doesn't legitimize Trump's impeachment

Nunes, in his closing remarks, worries about the "poor television ratings" from these hearings

I should know better than to ask this by now but: really?

"worries"

Roger Stone is a casualty of the increasing criminalization of politics

Yes, quite right. Roger Stone did 'criminalize politics'. He did so by deliberately committing crimes. And in the end he was a casualty of that choice.

wow applause for Yovanovitch at the end

I think it was as much for Schiff

Happy Friday!

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — New North Carolina congressional map that endangers reelection prospects for 2 Republicans approved by legislature.

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) November 15, 2019

lol you haven't read Eddie Scarry's book: Privileged Victims: How America's Culture Fascists Hijacked the Country and Elevated Its Worst People?

my god the projection

no YOU'RE the projection!

lol you haven't read Eddie Scarry's book: Privileged Victims: How America's Culture Fascists Hijacked the Country and Elevated Its Worst People?

No, but I have read Richard Scarry's book: Privileged Victims: How America's Culture Fascists Hijacked the Country and Elevated Its Worst People? Those fucking squirrels, man.

What Do Fascists Do All Day

God, Guns, and Things That Go "Boom"

“For the millions of Americans viewing today, the two most important facts are the following. Number one, Ukraine received aid, number two, there was in fact no investigation into Biden,” she said.

The conservative-leaning National Review praised her performance as “a concise, coherent, ‘no harm, no foul’ defense stronger than other arguments Trump’s allies have made.”

It's comforting knowing that this is the best defense they can muster. Not so comforting to suspect that this nonsense will nonetheless be seen as valid by millions of voters.

at the very least, it would lead me to ask: ok we have recordings of Trump quid pro quo-ing so here is the counterpart recording or internal directive or whatever where he says nah jk it would be totes corrupt for me to have Ukraine's aid tied to them investigating my political rival, let's call it off??

so WHERE is

lol a "let's call it off" recording would mean it was on in the first place, which I don't think would help Trump's position

oh I know, which is why it should be asked!

I mean shouldn't the "most important fact" be that Trump didn't ever engage in quid pro quo? Whether his quids actually occurred or not is not important at all.

unsuccessful bribery and extortion? how could that a crime?!

“Quo quo it’s magic! you know. Never believe it’s not quo.”

heh

“The president is not staying in the shadows for this bad act, but rather he’s out there today with his fat thumbs tweeting to try to intimidate her real time,” McCaskill told host Nicolle Wallace.

“I’m so proud of her,” the former Missouri Democratic senator continued. “And every woman in America who has fought in a male-dominated career should cheer for this woman today; her guts, her accomplishments and the fact that she’s the one that stood in their way.”

Fat thumbs that are also exceedingly short, I feel compelled to add.

quo quo, it's magic
when i'm with u-

kraine

Today's insane/hilarious email, this one supposedly from Eric Trump:

Bob,

These Impeachment Hearings are a total Snoozefest.

This charade is a PERFECT example of the “political elite” that real Americans hate. The Democrats have turned into disgusting Swamp People and have become totally unrecognizable to the masses.

For as much time as they spent trying to orchestrate this HOAX, they sure have done a terrible job. There’s not a person in America that believes this nonsense, and it’s time that Adam Schiff faces the facts.

MY FATHER DID NOTHING WRONG. READ THE TRANSCRIPT!

That’s why I’m reaching out to you today, Bob. The Left won’t listen to the TRUTH, so it’s up to Patriots like YOU to help DEFEND PRESIDENT TRUMP from this WITCH HUNT.

We’ve already hit our $3 MILLION goal, so President Trump wants to make a HUGE statement by raising the goal to $5,000,000 before MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. Let’s show these Liberals that America isn’t falling for their act and that America will NEVER stop defending OUR President.

This goal is ABSOLUTELY PARAMOUNT in CRUSHING the Left, so President Trump activated another TRIPLE-MATCH on ALL DONATIONS!

Please contribute $5 RIGHT NOW to defend President Trump and your gift will be TRIPLE-MATCHED! >>

DEFEND PRESIDENT TRUMP

CONTRIBUTE $5 = $20

CONTRIBUTE $20 = $80

CONTRIBUTE $15 = $60

CONTRIBUTE $10 = $40

CONTRIBUTE $5 = $20

CONTRIBUTE ANY AMOUNT

The Do Nothing Democrats are like the desperate ex-girlfriend or boyfriend that you want absolutely nothing to do with. All they do is WHINE and make up LIES.

If anything, this Witch Hunt further proves how desperately this Nation needs my father. That’s why it’s going to take all hands on deck to DEFEND PRESIDENT TRUMP so he can WIN BIG AGAIN in 2020.

We’re giving my father a list of Patriots who went above and beyond to stand with him during this critical time. I know he’s expecting to see your name at the very top.

Please contribute $5 TODAY to help us CRUSH our $5 MILLION goal and your gift will be TRIPLE-MATCHED!

My absolute favorite thing about these is the "we're giving Donald Trump a list, and he wants to see your name on it!" bit at the end. Is that supposed to set off a dopamine rush in the MAGA brain? "The God-Emperor knows my name!"

https://media.giphy.com/media/YReNVsx4s1HR6/giphy.gif

he is going to grift every cent he can out of these hopeless true believers before farting his way off to jail to die. it’s probably the most predictable thing about this presidency. king huckster. he really is the king of this shit. he puts evangelicals in the shade!

free roger stone (and paul manafort and michaels flynn and cohen)!

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/significant-supreme-court-decision-on-trumps-tax-returns-could-come-down-sooner-than-expected/

tried a joek earlier today about wanting to play stone in alt reality shit in which trump frees all his felons, but gets imoeached convicted jailed and they visit him. maybe he transmogrifies comes through the glass and kills them.

the joe sank like a Stone

New: David Holmes confirmed he overheard a July 26 phone call b/t Trump & Sondland in which Trump asked if Ukraine would investigate Biden. Sondland said yes.

—>> Holmes was able to hear because Sondland held the phone away from his ear due to how loud Trump was talking. - CNN

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) November 15, 2019

How out of character for Trump.

lol yeah what 72 year old just yells into the phone like that ??

very much looking forward to the horowitz report exonerating manafort, stone, atwater and associates / incriminitating strzok, page, comey, mueller, hillary, soetero, and hunter biden

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/470566-gop-eager-for-report-on-alleged-fbi-surveillance-abuse

Meanwhile in one of Reddit's seedier corners I saw the tired phrase "but her emails" spelled as "buttery males."

I had never seen that before. Now I cannot unsee it and it will scan that way forevermore.

That was my DN for a while!

via @mkraju, testimony of David Holmes, who heard Trump's voice on Sondland's Jul 26 cellphone call.

Sondland: "Zelensky loves your ass."

Trump: "So, he's going to do the investigations?"

Sondland: "Zelensky's going to do anything you ask him."

Holy hell. https://t.co/3dPTIoopAs

— Polly Sigh (@dcpoll) November 15, 2019

beautiful mental picture of Trump on the call shouting at the phone held like a slice of pizza

Manu also reporting at least two other people besides Holmes overheard what was apparently the loudest phone call ever.

Zelensky Loves Ass

see section VII

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/15/politics/david-holmes-testimony/index.html

"Ambassador Sondland agreed that President Trump did not “give a shit about Ukraine.” I asked why not and Ambassador Sondland stated that the President only cares about “big stuff.” I noted that there was “big stuff” going on in Ukraine, like a war with Russia, and Ambassador Sondland replied that he meant “big stuff” that benefits the President, like the “Biden investigation” that Mr. Giuliani was pushing”

Oh shit Sondland testimony gonna be lit!