I truly hope he does this, it's going to be a riot, the funniest thing ever. Yet it will come with a huge poignant edge as well because, well, this idiot is the president.
Washington Examiner: 'Fireside chat on live television': Trump says he wants to read Ukraine call transcript to American people
by Rob Crilly and David M. Drucker
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Impeach
NY Times: Impeach Trump. Then Move On. Stop distracting from the core issue, elite negligence and national decline. By David Brooks
The evidence against Trump is overwhelming.
Kevin McCarthy In 2016
Washington Post: House majority leader to colleagues in 2016: ‘I think Putin pays’ Trump By Adam Entous
“There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump,”
Have An Excellent Thursday
Unfortunately Bloggers function for uploading images is presently not working. Hopefully they will address the issue soon. My intention was to post some artwork images by Naeemeh Naeemaei. It's good stuff. Perhaps later today.
Alarms
Washington Post: White House lawyer moved transcript of Trump call to classified server after Ukraine adviser raised alarms By Carol D. Leonnig, Tom Hamburger and Greg Mille
Scribbling notes on a yellow legal pad, Eisenberg proposed a step that other officials have said is at odds with long-standing White House protocol: moving a transcript of the call to a highly classified server and restricting access to it, according to two people familiar with Vindman’s account.
Rules
NY Times: The Rules of Impeachment - Democrats get serious about the next phase of inquiry. By The Editorial Board
With such revelations piling up, the White House and its backers have opted for a defense strategy that avoids addressing the president’s actions and focuses instead on discrediting the impeachment process as illegitimate and unfair.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 9:00 a.m. ET DOW futures are -47 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
CNN: Molson Coors changes its name and will cut up to 500 jobs By Paul R. La Monica
CNN: Molson Coors changes its name and will cut up to 500 jobs By Paul R. La Monica
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Rising Seas
NY Times: Rising Seas Will Erase More Cities by 2050, New Research Shows By Denise Lu and Christopher Flavelle
Rising seas could affect three times more people by 2050 than previously thought, according to new research, threatening to all but erase some of the world’s great coastal cities.
Two Meetings
Washington Post: Two volatile meetings at the White House have become central to the impeachment inquiry By Greg Miller
President Trump was seeking to use the power of his office to pressure Ukraine to deliver damaging information on former vice president Joe Biden and his son.
Pence
Washington Post: Mike Pence is reliably, relentlessly wrong By Editorial Board
He (Pence) seemed to believe that by mindlessly repeating the words “no quid pro quo” he could disappear the increasingly powerful case that Mr. Trump abused his office.
Not
NY Times: Impeachment Is Not a Coup - And no matter what Trump thinks, the president does not embody the will of the people. By Jamelle Bouie
The Constitution outlines only the basics of impeachment — the House votes on charges, the Senate holds a trial and votes on the charges. Everything else is up to the chambers themselves.
Just Leave Out The Bad Part
NY Times: White House Ukraine Expert Sought to Correct Transcript of Trump Call - Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, who heard President Trump’s July phone call with Ukraine’s president and was alarmed, testified that he tried and failed to add key details to the rough transcript. By Julian E. Barnes, Nicholas Fandos and Danny Hakim
The omissions, Colonel Vindman said, included Mr. Trump’s assertion that there were recordings of former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. discussing Ukraine corruption, and an explicit mention by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, of Burisma Holdings, the energy company whose board employed Mr. Biden’s son Hunter.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 8:50 a.m. ET DOW futures are +5 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open flat.
CNN: GrubHub is getting crushed in the food delivery wars. The stock is nose-diving 40% By Paul R. La Monica
CNN: GrubHub is getting crushed in the food delivery wars. The stock is nose-diving 40% By Paul R. La Monica
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Vindman
Just heard Trump being referred to as being 'verbally incontinent'. How appropriate.
Washington Post: Vindman offers a firsthand account of critical episodes in alleged quid pro quo By Karoun Demirjian and Greg Jaffe
Washington Post: Vindman offers a firsthand account of critical episodes in alleged quid pro quo By Karoun Demirjian and Greg Jaffe
Liz Is Correct
How often can you say you actually side with Liz Cheney. This might be the only time.
HuffPo: Liz Cheney Rips Fellow Republicans For Attacking Impeachment Witness’ Patriotism - Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, is set to testify in the impeachment inquiry against Trump. By David Moye
HuffPo: Liz Cheney Rips Fellow Republicans For Attacking Impeachment Witness’ Patriotism - Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, is set to testify in the impeachment inquiry against Trump. By David Moye
Thursday
Washington Post: House to take first vote on impeachment inquiry of Trump, forcing lawmakers on record By John Hudson, Karoun Demirjian and Mike DeBonis
“We are taking this step to eliminate any doubt as to whether the Trump administration may withhold documents, prevent witness testimony, disregard duly authorized subpoenas, or continue obstructing the House of Representatives,” Pelosi said...
Praise
NY Times: In Praise of ‘Human Scum’ - It’s not easy to turn your back on political comrades. By Michelle Goldberg
...people (GOP) who’ve spent a lifetime chest-beating about patriotism can be so willing to burn liberal democracy to the ground to protect a man they wouldn’t trust to sell them a used car.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 8:40 a.m. ET DOW futures are -41 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
CNN: Investing in esports just got a lot easier By Paul R. La Monica
CNN: Investing in esports just got a lot easier By Paul R. La Monica
Monday, October 28, 2019
Wine
NPR: Where There's A Wine, There's A Way
Florida Caribbean Distillers has begun importing truckloads of bulk wine from France and bottling the product at its plant between Tampa and Orlando. That conveniently sidesteps the 25% levy imposed last week...
Day Jobs
The American Scholar: 10 Famous Authors With Surprising Day Jobs - Or, 10 reasons to hang on to that office job By Katie Daniels
9. Franz Kafka, co-owner of an asbestos factory
Sustained Boos For Trump
Washington Post: Trump met with sustained boos when introduced at Game 5 of the World Series By Maura Judkis and Josh Dawsey
... the crowd roared into sustained booing — hitting almost 100 decibels. Chants of “Lock him up” and “Impeach Trump” then broke out at Nationals Park...
He Knew
NY Times: Trump’s Syria Troop Withdrawal Complicated Plans for al-Baghdadi Raid - President Trump’s abrupt decision to pull forces from northern Syria forced the Pentagon to press ahead with a risky night operation that killed the ISIS leader, military officials said. By Eric Schmitt, Helene Cooper and Julian E. Barnes
But Mr. Trump’s abrupt withdrawal order three weeks ago disrupted the meticulous planning underway...
Derides
NY Times: Al-Baghdadi Raid Was a Victory Built on Factors Trump Derides - The president cast the death of the ISIS leader as validation of his disengagement strategy. But it required intelligence agencies and allies he has spurned. By David E. Sanger
...robust alliances, faith in intelligence agencies and the projection of military power around the world.
But President Trump has regularly derided the first two.
The Market On Monday
Good morning. At 9:00 a.m. ET DOW futures are +102 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: A 'remodel' and job cuts loom at HSBC after profits plunge By Sherisse Pham and Hanna Ziady
CNN: A 'remodel' and job cuts loom at HSBC after profits plunge By Sherisse Pham and Hanna Ziady
Friday, October 25, 2019
Weekend!
Have an excellent weekend. See you bright and early Monday morning.
work by Paul Nash (1889-1946)
work by Paul Nash (1889-1946)
The Real Fake News
Guardian UK: I watched Fox News every day for 44 months – here's what I learned
At Fox News, opinion is king – not news - Fox & Friends’ main hosts – Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade – are a consistent train wreck of shameless hackery, even managing to turn a report about Trump’s $1bn in business losses into a glowing endorsement of his bold, wealthy brilliance.
Victory
NY Times: Donald Trump’s ‘Very Special’ Victory in Syria - It’s certainly special for Erdogan, Putin and al-Assad. By The Editorial Board
In Mr. Trump’s bizarre account, he claimed to have done Turkey and the Kurds a “great service” by creating a 20-mile-wide safe zone between them — “an interesting term, safe zone,” the president mused, as if he had just come up with a radically new concept. (The zone was in fact negotiated by Turkey and the Russians.) The president said he was lifting sanctions on Turkish products, and gushed that the commander of Kurdish forces “could not have been more thankful.”
Less than 24 hours later, that same Kurdish commander, Mazloum Abdi, was complaining on Twitter that Turkish forces were violating the “permanent” cease-fire brokered by Mr. Trump.
Despicable
NY Times: Justice Dept. Is Said to Open Criminal Inquiry Into Its Own Russia Investigation - The move is likely to open the attorney general to accusations that he is trying to deliver a political victory for President Trump. By Katie Benner and Adam Goldman
For more than two years, President Trump has repeatedly attacked the Russia investigation, portraying it as a hoax and illegal even months after the special counsel closed it. Now, Mr. Trump’s own Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into how it all began.
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 8:50 a.m. ET DOW futures are -49 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
CNN: Should you buy a piece of your favorite sports team? By Paul R. La Monica
CNN: Should you buy a piece of your favorite sports team? By Paul R. La Monica
Thursday, October 24, 2019
The Core
Lawfare: Self-Dealing in Ukraine: The Core of the Impeachment Inquiry By Philip Zelikow
There are many jail inmates and former executives who could not distinguish between public (or fiduciary) interests and their private interests.
License To Kill
Guardian UK: Trump couldn't be prosecuted if he shot someone on Fifth Avenue, lawyer claims
One of Donald Trump’s personal lawyers has argued to judges that the president cannot be investigated by local authorities while he is in office, even if he murdered someone on Fifth Avenue in New York.
Against
NY Times: Trump’s War on the ‘Deep State’ Turns Against Him - The impeachment inquiry is in some ways the culmination of a battle between the president and the government institutions he distrusted and disparaged. By Peter Baker, Lara Jakes, Julian E. Barnes, Sharon LaFraniere and Edward Wong
But over the last three weeks, the deep state has emerged from the shadows in the form of real live government officials, past and present, who have defied a White House attempt to block cooperation with House impeachment investigators and provided evidence that largely backs up the still-anonymous whistle-blower.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +43 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
CNN: Earnings season has clear winners (Tesla) and losers (Nokia) By Julia Horowitz
CNN: Earnings season has clear winners (Tesla) and losers (Nokia) By Julia Horowitz
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Genius
Speaking at a Colorado Klan rally today, Trump told his rabid crowd he was building the wall in Colorado. I guess there's at least two things the genius definitely doesn't know about: the US Constitution, and the geography of the United States.
The Inevitable Impeachment Of Donald Trump
When Trump was elected, I dejectedly watched like everyone else. I thought Trump would either somehow succeed, at least phone it in, or fail miserably. It did not take long to see that he was failing miserably and continues to fail miserably. I was disappointed that Mueller came and went so fast after the release of his report, even though to those who read the report, it was clear that Trump was quite corrupt and certainly not acting in the interests of the United States. I suspect that time will show that Trump is quite under the thumb of Putin and that this will be commonly understood by reasonable people.
With the whistle-blower, and with yesterday's testimony by William Taylor, it's clear that Trump will be impeached in the House. The question remains, how decisively will the case for impeaching Trump be made. Will it be so damning to the public that not even GOP Senators can withstand the tsunami of Trump's corruption. And in addition, how will Trump's approval rating change. Will his approval reach that 25% that many of us believe is his natural rating and thus force GOP Senators to jump ship. Or will it remain in the 40% area, within striking distance of victory given the electoral college distortion and also allowing GOPers to remain in Trump's camp.
I checked 538 this morning and Trump's is slowly drifting downward again in approval, in the 40.5% area. Other polls like the Quinnipiac poll have him at 38%. Interest in impeaching and removing Trump is also growing. My only regret in this entire mess is that this is happening in year three, and in my mind that's about three years too many.
The Atlantic: Impeachment Just Became Inevitable - The testimony of William Taylor confirmed that what seemed improbable just a few weeks ago is now all but certain. by David A. Graham
With the whistle-blower, and with yesterday's testimony by William Taylor, it's clear that Trump will be impeached in the House. The question remains, how decisively will the case for impeaching Trump be made. Will it be so damning to the public that not even GOP Senators can withstand the tsunami of Trump's corruption. And in addition, how will Trump's approval rating change. Will his approval reach that 25% that many of us believe is his natural rating and thus force GOP Senators to jump ship. Or will it remain in the 40% area, within striking distance of victory given the electoral college distortion and also allowing GOPers to remain in Trump's camp.
I checked 538 this morning and Trump's is slowly drifting downward again in approval, in the 40.5% area. Other polls like the Quinnipiac poll have him at 38%. Interest in impeaching and removing Trump is also growing. My only regret in this entire mess is that this is happening in year three, and in my mind that's about three years too many.
The Atlantic: Impeachment Just Became Inevitable - The testimony of William Taylor confirmed that what seemed improbable just a few weeks ago is now all but certain. by David A. Graham
Not Good
What a joke, he says, "not a good one". This has got to be the understatement of the year.
Politico: Senate Republicans duck for cover after explosive Taylor testimony -But some GOP senators like Majority Whip John Thune acknowledged the picture being reported is “not a good one.”
Politico: Senate Republicans duck for cover after explosive Taylor testimony -But some GOP senators like Majority Whip John Thune acknowledged the picture being reported is “not a good one.”
Sondland
Politico: Sondland seeks to align himself with Taylor after bombshell testimony - An associate familiar with Sondland's thinking downplays any breaks between him and the top U.S. Ukraine envoy.
The comments underscore Sondland’s eagerness to draw a line between himself and the president in the rapidly-unfolding scandal.
Of Course
Guardian UK: Trump launches lackluster attack against Bill Taylor after testimony - President attempted to discredit Ukraine diplomat with quote from John Ratcliffe: ‘You can’t have a quid pro quo with no quo’
Unlike some of his aggressive and fiercely personal attacks on opponents, the US president appeared to be struggling early Wednesday in any attempt to discredit the explosive account given by Taylor
The Smoking Gun Is Here
NY Times: Donald Trump’s Quid Pro Quo Is Now a Smoking Gun - Mr. Trump’s own acting envoy, William Taylor, described how the president tried to force Ukraine to advance his political interests. By Jesse Wegman
President Trump placed his personal political future above the national-security interests of the United States.
Damning
NY Times: An Envoy’s Damning Account of Trump’s Ukraine Pressure and Its Consequences - William B. Taylor Jr. laid out in visceral terms the potentially life-or-death stakes of what he saw as an illegitimate scheme to pressure Kiev for political help by suspending American security aid. By Peter Baker
In by far the most damning account yet to become public in the House impeachment inquiry Mr. Taylor described a president holding up $391 million in assistance for the clear purpose of forcing Ukraine to help incriminate Mr. Trump’s domestic rivals. Mr. Trump’s actions, he testified, undercut American allies desperately fighting off Russia’s attempt to redraw the boundaries of Europe through force.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 8:45 a.m. ET DOW futures are -4 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open slightly lower.
CNN: The trade war is stinging Caterpillar, and its outlook is dimming By Matt Egan
CNN: The trade war is stinging Caterpillar, and its outlook is dimming By Matt Egan
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Quid Pro Quo
Trump's idea was basically to pressure Zelensky behind the scenes into making a statement, all on his own without any prompting, saying that he, the Ukraine, was going to investigate Biden. This is why Trump keeps saying no quid pro quo. Trump was playing the hand of the godfather and making the same kind of demand as a quid pro quo under the table so to speak. This is damning for Trump.
Washington Post: Opening statement of Ambassador William B. Taylor - William B. Taylor, the senior U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, testified before impeachment investigators Tuesday.
Washington Post: Opening statement of Ambassador William B. Taylor - William B. Taylor, the senior U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, testified before impeachment investigators Tuesday.
Borges
Get Pocket: A New Refutation of Time: Borges on the Most Paradoxical Dimension of Existence - “Time is the substance I am made of. Time is a river which sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger which destroys me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire which consumes me, but I am the fire.”
" And yet, and yet… Denying temporal succession, denying the self, denying the astronomical universe, are apparent desperations and secret consolations. Our destiny … is not frightful by being unreal; it is frightful because it is irreversible and iron-clad. Time is the substance I am made of. Time is a river which sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger which destroys me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire which consumes me, but I am the fire. The world, unfortunately, is real; I, unfortunately, am Borges."
Inept
Washington Post: Trump says he’s the dealmaker in chief, but his record lists mostly incompletes By Anne Gearan and David J. Lynch
He tells audiences at his campaign rallies that he is succeeding where past presidents have failed and that he is not afraid to break a little crockery so long as other countries stop taking advantage of the United States.
Erratic
Washington Post: ‘Get tougher’: Trump slams Democrats and chides Republicans as allies criticize his erratic impeachment response By Toluse Olorunnipa and Robert Costa
...he continues to unnerve many of his Republican allies by insisting on a personal and largely uncoordinated response to his mounting challenges.
Mulvaney
NY Times: The Unraveling of Mick Mulvaney - The White House chief of staff, still “acting” after all these months, should never have been cast in the role of spin doctor. By Michelle Cottle - Ms. Cottle is a member of the editorial board.
Instead, Mr. Mulvaney again flubbed his lines, making himself look even more inept and dishonest. Yet this alone does not fully address why the White House ringmaster now finds himself an object of ridicule even among members of his own party...
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 8:45 a.m. ET DOW futures are -16 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
CNN: Investors really want to be cheery. Here's what's holding them back By Julia Horowitz
CNN: Investors really want to be cheery. Here's what's holding them back By Julia Horowitz
Monday, October 21, 2019
All Roads Lead To Putin
Washington Post: Putin and Hungary’s Orban helped sour Trump on Ukraine By Greg Miller, Greg Jaffe, John Hudson and Ellen Nakashima
President Trump’s effort to pressure Ukraine for information he could use against political rivals came as he was being urged to adopt a hostile view of that country by its regional adversaries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, current and former U.S. officials said.
Trump
Cosmopolitian: Teen Models Remember Trump Would “Find a Reason” to Come Backstage When They Were Changing - In exclusive excerpts from the explosive new book All the President’s Women, modeling contestants recall President Trump’s “gropey” behavior and his interest in young girls.
“When he went in to kiss someone, the hand always went to either the hip or the butt. He was also really good when he did pictures or when he’d side-hug someone. He’d always get his hand on the boob. Every time.” Stories about Trump and his hands circulated within the modeling community. At one modeling event, Trump allegedly went down a line of women feeling their bodies to guess their dress size. Backstage at a lingerie show, he is said to have moved his hands all over a model’s breasts under the guise of inspecting the bra’s fabric.
Why Indeed
NY Times: Why Trump Dropped His Idea to Hold the G7 at His Own Hotel - He knew Democrats would criticize him. When Republicans started doing so, he changed his mind. By Maggie Haberman, Eric Lipton and Katie Rogers
Scholars who have studied the history of Group of 7 gatherings — dating to their start in the 1970s — said they could cite no other time when a president effectively tried to force global political leaders to pay his or her family money at a resort owned by the head of state.
The Market On Monday
Good morning. At 6:30 a.m. ET DOW futures are +35 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
CNN: Company profits haven't been under this much pressure since 2016 By Julia Horowitz
CNN: Company profits haven't been under this much pressure since 2016 By Julia Horowitz
More
The New York Daily News: DEFDON 1: Trump has more reason than ever for genuine alarm By Rick Wilson
Friday, October 18, 2019
Weekend!
Have an excellent weekend. see you bright and early Monday morning.
Pictures give away answers. 😀
Pictures give away answers. 😀
An Anti-Trump OpEd By Mitch McConnell
Washington Post: Mitch McConnell: Withdrawing from Syria is a grave mistake by Mitch McConnell
Predictably, our adversaries seem to be relishing these developments. The resulting geopolitical chain reaction appears to have been perfectly distilled by an online video which, according to reports, shows a smiling Russian “journalist” strolling around a just-abandoned U.S. military base in northern Syria. A strategic calamity neatly captured in one Facebook post.
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