Welcome Your New Overlord, and Your New Emperor

[bodysong]

Welcome Your New Overlord, and Your New Emperor

Copies of the Constitution of the United States of America
are burning in the public square

Republican senators decide it would better to cause harm
to the Constitution, than to upset voters that prefer Trump.

February 3, 2020

If impeachment in election years was off-limits,
would have said so, Rep. Lofgren says

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), one of the House impeachment
managers, on Monday pushed back against the notion that
Trump can’t be impeached because 2020 is an election year.

“High crimes and misdemeanors mean abuse of power against
the constitutional order — conduct that is corrupt, whether or
not a crime,” Lofgren said. “Now, some say no impeachment
when there’s an election coming. But without term limits
when they wrote the Constitution, there was always an
election coming.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...fb_story.html#link-PW5A73HPHYYWLKDVNQACMQVMFI

Admitting Trump's Actions Are Worthy of Impeachment,
("Little Marco") Rubio Nonetheless Declines to Support
Removing President From Office

“If impeachment in election years was not to be,
our founders would have said so.”

Copies of the Constitution of the United States of America
were burned in the public square

Trump's defenders aren't even arguing anymore about whether
or not Trump extorted/bribed Ukraine—he clearly did. All they are
arguing is that Trump isn't impeachable no matter what he does—
a clear shredding of all constitutional precedent and norms.

 

[bodysong]

Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO) invoked Harry Potter to compel
the assembled lawmakers to remove President Donald Trump from
office.

Crow brought up the sage words of Professor Albus Dumbledore
and argued that the country can choose to hold to Trump accountable
if they’re strong enough to do so:

“There are a lot of things outside our control, but my wife and I
have tried to teach our kids that what we can always control are
our choices. It’s in that spirit that hanging in my son’s room is
a quote from Harry Potter.

The quote is from Professor Dumbledore,
who said-

‘It is our choices that show who we truly are for more than
our abilities.’ This trial will soon be over, but there will be
many choices for all of us in the days ahead, the most pressing
of which is how each of us will decide to fulfill our oath.

More than our words, our choices will show the world who
we really are, what type of leaders we will be and what type
of nation we will be.”


https://www.mediaite.com/tv/dem-rep...otter-to-urge-senate-to-vote-for-impeachment/

Republican Senators have thwarted the will of the American people.

Ultimately, if voters feel cheated, they will take out their ire on
Republican Senators who are vulnerable in the 2020 election:
Collins (Maine), Ernst (Iowa), Gardiner (Colorado), Loeffler (Georgia)
McSally (Arizona), Perdue (Georgia), Tillis (North Carolina), and
possibly McConnell (Kentucky). If voters feel the Senate Impeachment
trial was a coverup, then on November 3rd the American public can
express their anger by voting out these Senators, and Donald Trump.

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/02/02/way-it-ends-not-bang-whimper

Mueller could not trespass beyond his authority-
Anyone could see here the path led to...

The whistleblower came forward, and provided a light
to illuminate the darkness-

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Maya Angelou

February 3, 2020

Lindsey Graham threatens to get the whistleblower, and his little dog, too.

Lindsey Graham faces revolt from Republican colleagues
over plan to investigate whistleblower: WaPo reporter

Washington Post congressional reporter Rachael Bade claimed
some Republican lawmakers are balking at a plan by Sen. Lindsey
Graham (R-SC) to go after the whistleblower whose report led
to the impeachment trial of Donald Trump.

https://www.alternet.org/2020/02/li...n-to-investigate-whistleblower-wapo-reporter/

Sen. Lindsey Graham explained to Fox "Business" host
Maria Bartiromo what he believes the Republican Senate
will do next, after voting to immunize Trump from a clearly
criminal extortion scheme meant to gain foreign help in
winning his reelection. Graham said the Senate will move
on from declaring that no administration witnesses must be
called in an impeachment trial to calling a litany of Obama-era
administration officials to interrogate them about Trump's targets
in that scheme- Joe and Hunter Biden.

Graham also vowed to do something far more serious:
Summon the "whistleblower" who first told Congress
of Trump's criminal conspiracy. This is so that Graham
and Trump's other Republican allies can interrogate
Dear Leader’s nameless critic and, possibly, expose,
threaten, and target that person to the full force of the
Republican’s treason-approving, violence-threatening,
mail-bombing base.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20...whistleblower-to-expose-how-this-crap-started

 

[bodysong]

Some have suspected that the leaks come directly form
Trump's very hand- ( the black Sharpie "modifications"
provoked reactions and comments) then, again, Trump's
tech bros do love their practical jokes...

Some media publications are hanging back from
a New York Post announcement-

after, all the NY Post presents itself as a tabloid
that is not "a real newspaper."

Is there proof that the item is poison bait, traceable
to no legitimate source ?

Trump Fires Defense Official for Refusing to
Break the Law on His Behalf

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/202...al-refusing-to-break-law-elaine-mccusker.html

Elaine McCusker knew the law-

Unredacted Ukraine Documents Reveal Extent of Pentagon’s Legal Concerns.

“Clear direction from POTUS to continue to hold.”

This is what Michael Duffey, associate director of national security
programs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), told
Elaine McCusker, the acting Pentagon comptroller, in an Aug. 30
email, which has only been made available in redacted form until
now. It is one of many documents the Trump administration is
trying to keep from the public, despite congressional oversight
efforts and court orders in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
litigation.

Earlier in the day on Aug. 30, President Donald Trump met with
Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
to discuss the president’s hold on $391 million in military assistance
for Ukraine. Inside the Trump administration, panic was reaching
fever pitch about the president’s funding hold, which had stretched
on for two months. Days earlier, POLITICO had broken the story
and questions were starting to pile up. U.S. defense contractors
were worried about delayed contracts and officials in Kyiv and
lawmakers on Capitol Hill wanted to know what on earth was
going on. While Trump’s national security team thought
withholding the money went against U.S. national security
interests, Trump still wouldn’t budge.

https://skydancingblog.com/2020/01/02/thursday-reads-the-political-press-slowly-comes-back-to-life/

Jan 31, 2020 · Aug. 6, 2019 —
Duffey emails acting Pentagon Comptroller Elaine McCusker
that he plans to extend the hold. McCusker raises the question
of whether the extension would affect the Defense Department’s
ability to spent the money before Sept. 30, as legally required by
Congress.

-Kate Brannen

Just Security dot org

 

[bodysong]

Trump has tried to twist New York's arm.

It did not work.

Brazen Trump Shakes Down NY Governor In Broad Daylight

A brazen request for a quid pro quo transaction, conducted
in front of everyone as if doing it in public makes it
something that is fine to do.

I’m seeing Governor Cuomo today at The White House.
He must understand that National Security far exceeds politics.
New York must stop all of its unnecessary lawsuits & harrassment,
start cleaning itself up, and lowering taxes.
Build relationships, but don’t bring Fredo!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 13, 2020

If you're unsure of what that's about, last week the White House
put a freeze on New York's Global Entry program.

The New York Times explains:

The decision by Homeland Security affects New Yorkers
who use Trusted Traveler programs like Global Entry;
their renewals will be cut off by the end of 2020.
About 50,000 New Yorkers in the application process
but who haven’t received final approval will also lose
the opportunity to speed through security.

In addition to airports, specific lanes to quickly cross
over the land border — available to those in the FAST,
NEXUS and SENTRI programs — are also covered
by the new rules-

And of course, the administration was more than happy
to rescind that freeze if Governor Cuomo would just
give ICE access to their DMV database, with information
about undocumented immigrants who have obtained
drivers' licenses.

This for that. Quid pro quo.

https://crooksandliars.com/2020/02/new-quid-pro-quo-trump-shake-downs-ny-gov


Quid pro no you don't!

Trump tries Ukraine-style extortion on New York,
gets told where he can quo

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20...ion-on-New-York-gets-told-where-he-can-quo-go

DHS said this week that it will no longer allow New York state
residents to sign up for popular programs intended to speed up
international travel because of a state law that blocks immigration
authorities from accessing motor vehicle records.

"You can't do that. It's an abuse of power. It is extortion,"
Cuomo said at a press conference announcing the lawsuit.

https://www.npr.org/2020/02/07/8038...nistration-over-trusted-traveler-restrictions

Trump, Cuomo meet to discuss New York feud with immigration authorities


Abigail Hauslohner

February 13, 2020

President Trump and New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo
(D) traded barbs Thursday ahead of an afternoon meeting
during which Cuomo hoped to negotiate possible relief for
New York residents from a U.S. government decision to
terminate their access to the nation’s Trusted Traveler
programs.

Cuomo, who has filed a lawsuit against the federal government
for its action against New York, has challenged the DHS claim
that the government needs access to DMV data to vet Trusted
Traveler applicants because a driver’s license is not required
to apply for the programs. Cuomo said the move amounted
to political “extortion” of a liberal state for a policy Trump
doesn’t like.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/immi...7be2de-4e86-11ea-b721-9f4cdc90bc1c_story.html

 

[Ziggins]

If impeachment in election years was off-limits,
would have said so, Rep. Lofgren says

Since there was no chance of conviction, it was only a show trial. That show was very poor strategy when it trapped presidential candidates in the trial in a vital stage of the primaries. That's why it was not done before, and doing it this year is a mark of desperation.

 

[KeithD]

Let's have impeachment #2 started up on abuse of power. Trump can be the only president with multiple impeachments. Let's see what Senate Republicans will make the list a second time.

 

[domroger]

Let's have impeachment #2 started up on abuse of power. Trump can be the only president with multiple impeachments. Let's see what Senate Republicans will make the list a second time.

It would be the same outcome as the first time .
But it would be worth it for the lunacy of Trump's tweets .

 

[KeithD]

It would be the same outcome as the first time .
But it would be worth it for the lunacy of Trump's tweets .

The outcome of the first one is Trump's obvious guilt and the obvious coverup by the Republican Senate. The second one would be too, with the possibility that a few more Republican senators would break away. Sorry, in terms of trying to save the nation, I don't see the downside to doing this.

 

[bodysong]

The tradidtion of the White House doing something
horrible on Thursday, has continued-

Trump was given some nasty ammunition
to use against New York, and other cities
that still value humanity, kindness, and
decency.

The Trump administration will soon deploy more aggressive
border patrol methods in sanctuary cities, the N Y Times
reported on Friday.

Specially trained tactical units-

that function as the “SWAT of Border Patrol”
will assist local Immigrations and Customs Enforcement
Ice) units to enforce immigration laws, anonymous officials
familiar with the secretive mission told the Times.

They will begin operating in sanctuary cities around the
country, including Chicago, New York, San Francisco,
Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, New Orleans,
Detroit, and Newark, New Jersey. The deployment of
these teams represents an escalation of Donald Trump’s
ongoing fight against “sanctuary cities”, localities that
decline to prosecute immigrants for deportation and
allow them to stay.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...general-william-barr-roger-stone-live-updates

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/us/Border-Patrol-ICE-Sanctuary-Cities.html

 

[Tigersman]

The outcome of the first one is Trump's obvious guilt and the obvious coverup by the Republican Senate. The second one would be too, with the possibility that a few more Republican senators would break away. Sorry, in terms of trying to save the nation, I don't see the downside to doing this.

I tried telling you and others that Trump would end up as our Nation's first Dictator but you thought I was crazy. Now with Barr and McConnell helping him what do you think of the chances that he will be dictator for life. Who is going to stop him? Not the Republicans.

 

[KeithD]

I tried telling you and others that Trump would end up as our Nation's first Dictator but you thought I was crazy. Now with Barr and McConnell helping him what do you think of the chances that he will be dictator for life. Who is going to stop him? Not the Republicans.

Oh, really? Cite where I posted any such position.

 

[bodysong]

Trump brags that he's all about getting revenge
on those who failed to 'kill the king'

February 15, 2020 2

Every day of the Senate trial, Adam Schiff made the cases
that Donald Trump is not a king. He’s not free to use the
weaponry of the state as his personal tool, and not exempt
from the consequences of his actions. He’s a citizen, constrained
by law like the rest of us.

But of course, Republicans disagreed.

And on Saturday morning Donald Trump made it clear
that not only does he consider himself a king,
he intends to make the remainder of his rule
all about “grievance, persecution and resentment.”

Daily Kos

 

[bodysong]

The Ides of March are lurking...

Trump quotes Emerson:

'When you strike at the king, you must kill him'

16 February 2020

Stoking fears of a constitutional crisis, Trump has claimed
the “absolute right” to interfere in justice department affairs.

Critics have said that indicates he thinks -
presidents are essentially kings, above the law,
a view arguably reinforced by his attorney general
although William Barr was moved this week to put
at least tactical distance between himself and his
raging (King Donald Presiderp).

Emerson, a great American essayist of the 19th century,
wrote his line about striking at kings when a pupil,
the future supreme court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes,
attempted to refute Plato.

Trump also repeated (FUX TV info-tainment)
criticism of the decision not to pursue charges against
Andrew McCabe, who the president fired as deputy director
of the FBI in March 2018, two days before his scheduled
retirement.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...-grievance-persecution-resentment-daytona-500

 

[bodysong]

Trump holds lavish fundraiser

Palm Beach estate of billionaire investor Nelson Peltz

02/15/2020

Just 40 people ?

Invitations to Saturday’s fundraiser went out to
couples who donated $580,600, according to the
Washington Post, which first reported on the event.
That’s the maximum amount an individual can
contribute to the committee.

That’s the maximum amount an individual can
contribute to the committee.


https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/15/trump-palm-beach-fundraiser-115433

 

[KeithD]

I don't feel so bad then that I dropped $255 for two for a Valentine's Day restaurant meal. The bonus is that I didn't have to look at or listen to the Trumps.

 

[bodysong]

President Obama was our last real president.

If the Republican party did not allow itself to
get eaten, we could have had President Clinton.

2/ 12/ 2020 Lost a President and was punished with a King

Devoured from the inside by a parasite.

 

[bodysong]

Trump has "the Best" (The best for Trump)

The real "Best" do not want their names
anywhere near anything that is associated
with Trump

Trump is the sewer flowing through the Swamp

Bill Barr, King Presiderp's DOJ muppet,
just Cost the Justice Department Its Prized
Public-Corruption Fighter

February 17, 2020

That attorney is Jonathan Kravis. Kravis is the deputy chief
of the fraud and public corruption section of the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia

Until Tuesday, when Kravis resigned.

Unlike his three outraged fellow prosecutors, Kravis didn’t
just quit the Stone case, he quit the Justice Department.

Former acting attorney general Sally Yates, whom Trump
fired after she warned that Flynn was a counterintelligence
liability, wrote in The Washington Post on Friday that the
president was using the Justice Department for
“retribution or camouflage.”

“The president has made it clear that his insistence on loyalty
includes loyalty from the institutions that administer criminal
justice, including DOJ and the FBI,” said NYU’s Gellers.
“You might say without exaggeration that Trump wants
personal loyalty from the rule of law itself.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/bill-barr-just-cost-doj-its-prized-public-corruption-fighter

bodysong comment- The pity of it, and the dread come true,
is likely to affirmed, as well as the predictions- a creature of the sewer
will replace the real corruption fighters with corruption
enablers and defenders of corrupt people, corrupted departments.

 

[Just4AFriend]

At least he is a decrepit old fool
Perhaps Hope Hicks will keep him going for a while
Bye bye Melania and was it Bart?
Wow be unto the world when the Anti Christ who still owns 666 5th Ave comes to power

 

[bodysong]

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20...d-States-is-jealous-of-a-dog-s-positive-press

So, yeah.

This is your (Presiderp).

He can’t let anyone else get the credit for anything —

not even a cute, brave, loyal dog.

King Donald the Goon complains that the dog
gathered better, and more positive publicity,
and more publicity, than he did.

Small petty man, small heart, small hands, small feet-

(Grinch ?)

October 26, 2019 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead

Conan, a Belgian Malinois military service dog
helped to chase al-Baghdadi into a tunnel, and
was injured.

Trump whines about Conan the dog getting more
positive press than him following the al-Baghdadi
raid
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 20, 2020

 

[bodysong]

bodysong comment -

What terrible, ugly, harmful chore does King Donald the Goon
havein mind for Richard Grenell ?

Donald Trump's new pick for director of national intelligence
is absolutely his worst selection ever

Joseph Maguire did Donald Trump a huge favor.
Confronted by a report from the intelligence community
inspector general that a whistleblower had raised an urgent
concern, according to regulations, Maguire had no choice
but to take that information to Congress. He didn’t.
Instead, Maguire took the whistleblower report to the
White House and the Department of Justice, where he
was promptly told that it was of no concern,
please stay quiet, that’s all, thank you.

But despite his contribution to burying the issue that
led to Trump’s impeachment, Maguire isn’t going to
get the chance to remove the “acting” from his title
and be nominated for the post of DNI.

Instead, he’s getting ready to head out the door, and
will be replaced by the worst, least qualified, and
most poorly suited candidate imaginable.

And it seems that Maguire was on track to be the new
DNI until only a week ago, when a single briefing turned
the intelligence community upside down.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20...igence-is-absolutely-his-worst-selection-ever


White House Appoints Outspoken Ambassador
As New Acting Head Of Intelligence

https://www.npr.org/2020/02/20/8076...ambassador-as-new-acting-head-of-intelligence

 

[bodysong]

Donald Trump's use of clemency undermines the rule of law

- Austin Sarat

The beneficiaries of Trump’s mercy are overwhelmingly male,
white and hostile to the system of justice itself

Writing in 1833 about the president’s clemency power,
the chief justice of the United States, John Marshall,
said that it would always entail “an act of grace,
proceeding from the power entrusted with the
execution of the laws”. This grace, he conceded,
is beyond the reach of legal compulsion or regulation.
It is left to the president’s unfettered discretion, and its
wise use depends on the judgment and propriety of those
who wield it. Clemency, in the words of the English legal
theorist, William Blackstone, is “a court of equity in
[the president’s] own breast”.

Assange’s claim, along with Trump’s recent pardons
and commutations, raises doubts yet again about the
judgment and propriety of the current president.
Americans should recognize those things for what
they are, namely more signals of the president’s disdain
for the rule of law. Because there is no legal avenue
to challenge Trump’s use of clemency, it is left to
the American people to decide whether to continue
to entrust Donald Trump with the unfettered power
to grant pardons and reprieves.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/20/donald-trumps-clemency-rule-of-law

 

[bodysong]

(King Donald Presiderp) on Wednesday named U.S. Ambassador
to Germany Richard Grenell as his next director of national intelligence.
Grenell is a staunch supporter of Trump on social media;
he’s also a “Gold”-level member of the Trump Organization’s
Trump Card loyalty program.

He brings to the job little experience in intelligence or with
heading a large government bureaucracy. Grenell can serve
up to 210 days without Senate confirmation as acting DNI;
he’s expected to hold that position while keeping his
ambassadorship to Berlin.

https://www.democracynow.org/2020/2..._grenell_as_director_of_national_intelligence