The Commentariat -- January 20, 2020

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Mrs. McC: According to the WashPo these jamokes from the "Ohio Patriots" attended the Richmond rally. If I were wandering down the street and came upon them, I would not continue window-shopping.The Washington Post liveblogged a gun-rights rally in Richmond, Virginia. The Richmond Times-Dispatch liveblog is here. The rally appears to have come & gone with no major incidents.

Peter Baker & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "President Trump's legal team will call on the Senate on Monday to 'swiftly reject' the impeachment charges and acquit him, maintaining that he committed no impeachable offense and has been the victim of an illegitimate partisan effort to take him down. In a lengthy brief to be submitted to the Senate the day before his trial begins in earnest, the president's lawyers plan to make the most sustained argument the White House has advanced since the House opened its impeachment inquiry last fall, contending that the two articles of impeachment approved largely along party lines were constitutionally flawed and set a dangerous precedent. Mr. Trump's lawyers plan to dismiss the largely party-line impeachment by the House as a 'brazenly political act' following a 'rigged process' that should be repudiated by the Senate...." Still vacationing in Florida, Trump tweeted, 'Cryin'; Chuck Schumer is now asking for 'fairness', when he and the Democrat House members worked together to make sure I got ZERO fairness in the House." ~~~

     ~~~ Update. New Lede: "President Trump's legal team called on the Senate on Monday to 'swiftly reject' the impeachment charges and acquit him, arguing that lawmakers would 'permanently weaken the presidency' by removing him from office over what it characterized as policy and political differences. In a 110-page brief submitted to the Senate the day before his trial begins in earnest, the president's lawyers advanced their first sustained legal argument since the House opened its inquiry last fall, contending that the two articles of impeachment approved largely along party lines were constitutionally flawed and set a dangerous precedent." Politico's story is here. The brief, via the White House, is here.

Impeachment Is Not Enough. Henry Giroux in Salon: "What is often ignored in the mainstream media is that Trump's impeachment battle is part of the wider historical and global struggle taking place over democracy and can be seen, as Larry Diamond points out, in Trump's attack on 'the independence of the courts, the business community, the media, civil society, universities and sensitive state institutions like the civil service, the intelligence agencies and the police.' Trump's crimes far exceed what is stated in the impeachment documents and include not only endless lies, threats and flirtation with extralegal violence but also his attack on the press as the 'enemy of the people.'" Thanks to NJC for the link.

Christina Wilkie of CNBC (Jan. 17): "The Trump administration is 'looking at' making changes to a decades-old global anti-bribery law, White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow told reporters on Friday.... The questions about possible changes to the FCPA were sparked by revelations in a soon-to-be-released book about Trump, which describes an episode in which Trump bitterly complained about the law, which he sees as a hindrance to U.S. businesses competing overseas. According to Washington Post reporters Phillip Rucker and Carol Leonnig, in 2017 Trump told his then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that it was 'just so unfair that American companies aren't allowed to pay bribes to get business overseas.'" Trump then said he needed Tillerson "to get rid of that law." Tillerson declined, so Trump told Stephen Miller to draft an executive order. Don't know what happened to that, but as Wilkie notes, such an order would be subject to court challenge. "Business experts, however, say the FCPA is a powerful tool for fighting corruption around the world, and a perfect example of American 'soft power,' or the influence that the U.S. exerts simply by virtue of its reputation." Thanks to Ken W. for the link.

~~~~~~~~~~

Charles Blow of the New York Times: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "evolution, toward a more 'solid realism,' toward the more rational King, toward the more radical King, is why I happen to believe that one of King's most consequential speeches is a little-discussed address he gave in 1967 at Stanford University. It was called 'The Other America.' In it, King blasted 'large segments of white society' for being 'more concerned about tranquillity and the status quo than about justice, equality, and humanity.' He slammed what he called the 'white backlash' for being the cause of black discontent and demands for black power, rather than the result of it, calling it 'merely a new name for an old phenomenon.'"

Meg Kinnard of the AP: "In the closing days before the first votes are cast in the Democratic presidential contest, the party's leading hopefuls are splitting their time between the critical early-voting states South Carolina and Iowa at events celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. While Iowa and New Hampshire Democrats vote first for their nominee, South Carolina's first-in-the-South primary is a crucial proving ground for a candidate's mettle with black voters. The state's showcase holiday celebration, Columbia's King Day at the Dome, is a notable and highly visible event for a Democratic politician. The festivities are marked by a march through the streets of downtown Columbia and a rally at the Statehouse. All the top-tier candidates -- former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, California businessman Tom Steyer, and Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren -- plan to start Monday with prayer services around Columbia. Joining them in the capital are Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick." More on the presidential race linked below.

Sharon LaFraniere of the New York Times: "Democrats are intensifying their demands for more testimony and documents that could add to the already voluminous evidence against [Donald Trump] and bolster their case by shedding new light on several key questions..... On Sunday, Representative Adam B. Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and the lead House impeachment manager, said he was concerned that the C.I.A. and the National Security Agency were withholding information about Ukraine out of fear of angering the president." LaFraniere lists & elaborates on key questions that more information, both in the form of testimony & documentation, could answer. ~~~

~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Republican Senators continue to argue that House managers are clamoring for witnesses & documents because they "have a weak case." This argument is disingenuous on a number of fronts, most notably of course is that the reason for the "weak case" is that Trump stonewalled the investigation to the max. But Democrats too seldom mention that the stonewalling in fact proves the case for both articles of impeachment: if Trump had not committed impeachable high crimes, he would testify, he would have swamped the House committees with documents, and he would demand his subordinates do the same. In any real trial, the prosecution would have obtained these documents (assuming the perps didn't shred them) & would have deposed pertinent witnesses. Trump has used the power of his office to subvert the course of justice, and his complaints about not receiving "due process" (a Constitutional right that does not apply to impeachments) is beyond ludicrous. ~~~

~~~ John Bresnahan of Politico has a related report on Adam Schiff's assertions, which extend to national security matters other than Ukraine.

Alayna Treene & Jonathan Swan of Axios: "People close to the president say their most compelling argument to persuade nervous Republican senators to vote against calling new witnesses is the claim that they're protecting national security.... Sources close to Trump's legal team have privately expressed confidence that former national security adviser [John] Bolton will ultimately honor Trump's assertion of executive privilege." Mrs. McC: Right. Because national security experts and "experts," who in every other administration testify before Congress on a quasi-regular basis, have no idea how to deflect questions that might, in fact, compromise national security by, say, revealing sources & methods. The usual public answer to compromising questions, I believe, is, "That is something we could only discuss in a classified setting."

Laurence Tribe in a Washington Post op-ed: "The president's lawyers have made the sweeping assertion that the articles of impeachment against President Trump must be dismissed because they fail to allege that he committed a crime -- and are, therefore, as they said in a filing with the Senate, 'constitutionally invalid on their face.' Another of his lawyers, my former Harvard Law School colleague Alan Dershowitz, claiming to represent the Constitution rather than the president as such, makes the backup argument that the articles must be dismissed because neither abuse of power nor obstruction of Congress can count as impeachable offenses. Both of these arguments are baseless. Senators weighing the articles of impeachment shouldn't think that they offer an excuse for not performing their constitutional duty. The argument that only criminal offenses are impeachable has died a thousand deaths in the writings of all the experts on the subject, but it staggers on like a vengeful zombie.... With virtually no federal criminal law in place when the Constitution was written in 1787, any such understanding would have been inconceivable.... Alexander Hamilton in Federalist 65 defined 'high crimes and misdemeanors' as 'those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust.'" Tribe goes on to demolish Dershowitz's argument, which is founded on gross misrepresentations of historical facts. ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE, this ABC News report states Dershowitz's argument without attempting to refute it or report any refutations others might have made. Mrs. McC: In reviewing the transcript of George Stephanopoulos' interview of Dershowitz, it's clear that viewers of ABC's "This Week" also heard Dershowitz's fake argument with no pushback from Stephanopoulos, who -- in fairness -- can't be expected to know the details of Andrew Johnson's impeachment. He can be expected, however, to invite a guest -- like Larry Tribe -- who does have the knowledge to counter Dershowitz's false claims. This, obviously, is how Trump-Dershowitz get to poison the public -- i.e., the November jurors -- with false defenses of Trump.

Mrs. McCrabbie: It appears that Trump's "defense" is to give senators a grabbag of fake excuses to pretend they considered the "facts" and duly rejected actual evidence presented by House managers. It will work. And do count on the fakiest faker of them all, Susan Collins, to latch onto one or more of these bogus defenses as she casts her vote against removing Trump from office.

The Reluctant Advocate. Vicky Ward & Chandelis Duster of CNN: "Alan Dershowitz ... said Sunday the President had to call his wife, Carolyn Cohen, to persuade her to support the idea of Dershowitz making the case for 'the Constitution' in the Senate impeachment trial.... Trump was especially fixated on having controversial defense attorney Dershowitz on the legal team. But Dershowitz has been telling his own associates he didn't want to participate in the President's trial, a source who is familiar with these conversations told CNN. White House officials have applied a lot of pressure over the last several weeks to convince Dershowitz to join the team, sources familiar with the attorney's appointment said. Dershowitz has distanced himself from the Trump legal team and earlier Sunday, he told CNN's Brianna Keilar on 'State of the Union' he would not be involved in the day-to-day with the legal team -- noting that he will just be there to argue the specific issue of constitutional criteria for impeachment, making 'what could be the most important argument on the floor.'

The Impartial Juror, Ctd. Eleanor Mueller of Politico: "... Donald Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who's reported to have played a central role in trying to convince Ukraine to investigate a Trump political rival, is' not relevant' to the Senate impeachment trial, Sen. John Cornyn said Sunday. 'That's a relationship that causes some of us to sort of scratch our heads,' the Texas Republican said on CBS's 'Face the Nation.' 'But I'd say he's not relevant to the articles and what the Senate is going to be asked to do, impeaching a president for the third time in American history for a non-crime over events that never occurred."

George Conway in a Washington Post op-ed: "This is what happens when you don't pay your legal bills .... -- which is part of the reason [Trump] found the need to make some curious last-minute tweaks to his team, announcing the addition of the legal odd couple of Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth W. Starr.... There was the fact that he would be an erratic client who'd never take reasonable direction -- direction as in shut up and stop tweeting.... That left Trump to be personally defended in the Mueller investigation by a random patchwork of counsel, including Jay Sekulow, a lawyer specializing in religious liberty cases, and John Dowd, a Washington solo practitioner who, according to Bob Woodward, viewed Trump as a 'f---ing liar.' (Dowd denies that [Ms. McC: which I supposed makes Dowd a fucking liar, too].) Last but not least, Trump had the assistance of Rudolph W. Giuliani -- who has done more than anyone other than Trump himself to get Trump impeached." Read on if you have a WashPo subscription; Conway really knocks Dershowitz & Starr.

Jonathan Chait: Saturday, "in response to a detailed 111-page brief outlining the House of Representatives' case for impeachment, President Trump's legal time filed a six-page response. It is notable primarily for advancing an audacious and highly dangerous constitutional claim: that a president cannot be impeached for any abuse of power.... According to its reasoning, a president can only be impeached for a literal criminal violation.... The first problem with this argument is that it rests on incorrect facts.... Last Thursday, the Government Accountability Office formally ruled that withholding the aid did violate the law.... Second..., there is no evidence that impeachment was designed to deal solely with violations of federal law.... Finally, as a constitutional principle, the notion ... would turn impeachment into a ludicrously ill-fitting solution for the problem it was designed to solve. It implies Trump could not be impeached for promising to pardon anybody who murdered his political rivals, but could be impeached if he resold a mattress that was missing its tags.... Trump believes profoundly that a president can use the government exactly as he sees fit. In his mind, 'abuse of power' is an oxymoron.... And now the authoritarian conviction that Trump believes as a matter of instinct has been sanctified as a formal legal theory, endorsed by presidential lawyers."

Ha Ha, Just Kidding! Jon Swaine of the Washington Post: "A Dutch supporter of President Trump said Saturday that he supplied a Republican candidate with purported intelligence on the movements of the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine last year, taking responsibility for text messages that raised concerns the diplomat was placed under surveillance. But the supporter, Anthony De Caluwe, said in a statement that he was not involved in any surveillance of then-Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, and that the messages were merely 'ridiculous banter' with the congressional candidate, Robert F. Hyde, who in recent days became entangled in the impeachment case against Trump. 'My engagement in this exchange with Rob is something that has no credibility,' De Caluwe said in the statement, which was emailed to The Washington Post by a spokeswoman. The spokeswoman, Karyn Turk, said that De Caluwe had never been to Ukraine and had no contacts in the country." (Also linked yesterday.)

David Lynch of the Washington Post: "Standing against a backdrop of Chinese and American flags, President Trump welcomed by name a roster of corporate executives and Wall Street bankers to the signing of his landmark trade deal with Beijing.... It illustrated how a president who once railed against financial industry greed and vowed to remake the Republican Party as a 'workers' party' has prioritized corporate America's desires. Trump's high-profile China deal celebration included billionaire Stephen Schwarzman, a private equity investor; Sheldon Adelson, whose company owns casinos in the Chinese territory of Macau; and Hank Greenberg, the former head of American International Group. Numerous representatives of companies like Honeywell and Boeing that have outsourced jobs to China in recent years joined them, but no representatives of organized labor attended. 'There is precious little in this deal that addresses China's long-standing denial of basic labor rights,' said Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO. 'It is another big giveaway to Wall Street and Big Pharma and prioritizes new protections for companies that move to China, creating even more incentives for outsourcing.'"

** Joseph Stiglitz, in Common Dreams, republished in RawStory: "It is becoming conventional wisdom that US President Donald Trump will be tough to beat in November, because, whatever reservations about him voters may have, he has been good for the American economy. Nothing could be further from the truth.... In fact, US economic performance over the past four years is Exhibit A in the indictment against relying on these indicators [of GDP and the stock market].... US life expectancy, already relatively low, fell in each of the first two years of Trump's presidency, and in 2017, midlife mortality reached its highest rate since World War II.... Millions have lost their [healthcare] coverage, and the uninsured rate has risen, in just two years, from 10.9% to 13.7%.... In 2017 ... [deaths of despair, caused by alcohol, drug overdoses, and suicide] stood at almost four times their 1999 level.... If fully implemented, the 2017 tax cut will result in tax increases for most households in the second, third, and fourth income quintiles.... Making matters worse, the growth that has occurred is not environmentally sustainable[.]" --s (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate in economics, is formerly chair of the President's Council of Economic Advisors.

** William Saletan of Slate: "It's hard to keep up with ... Donald Trump's scandals. One day he's covering up taxpayer-funded travel expenses for his family. The next, he's stealing money for his border wall. The next, he's being implicated by an accomplice in the extortion of Ukraine. But one horror is right out in the open: Trump is a remorseless advocate of crimes against humanity. His latest threats against Iran, Iraq, and Syria are a reminder that he's as ruthless as any foreign dictator. He's just more constrained.... But Trump's election and his persistent approval from more than 40 percent of Americans are a reminder that nothing in our national character protects us from becoming a rapacious, authoritarian country. What protects us are institutions that stop us from doing our worst." --s (Also linked yesterday.)

~~~ Glenn Kessler, et al., of the Washington Post: "Three years after taking the oath of office, President Trump has made more than 16,200 false or misleading claims.... We started this project as part of our coverage of the president's first 100 days, largely because we could not possibly keep up with the pace and volume of the president's misstatements.... In 2017, Trump made 1,999 false or misleading claims. In 2018, he added 5,689 more, for a total of 7,688. And in 2019, he made 8,155 suspect claims.... He averaged six such claims a day in 2017, nearly 16 a day in 2018 and more than 22 in 2019.... The president added to his total on Sunday evening with more than 20 Trumpian claims -- many old favorites -- during a triumphant speech at the annual conference of the American Farm Bureau. He incorrectly described trade agreements -- suggesting Canadian dairy tariffs were eliminated and an agreement with Japan to reduce tariffs on $7 billion of farm products was 'a $40 billion deal' -- and also falsely asserted that 'tough' farmers and ranchers were crying as he signed a repeal of Obama-era regulations. A video of the event shows no one crying."

Everything Is Going Very Smoothly. Josh Lederman, et al., of NBC News: "The top White House official responsible for Russia and Europe has been put on indefinite administrative leave amid a security-related investigation, two U.S. officials and a former U.S. official said. The official, Andrew Peek, who took over the Russia portfolio at the National Security Council in November, had been scheduled to join ... Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week before he was abruptly put on leave, one of the officials said. The officials declined to specify the nature of the investigation.... Peek, whose background is in Middle East affairs, took over the Russia and Europe portfolio from Tim Morrison, who was a key witness in House hearings on Trump's impeachment. The Russia and Europe role is the same one that was previously occupied by Fiona Hill, another key impeachment witness during last year's hearings." ~~~

~~~ Deb Reichmann of the AP: "Andrew Peek was escorted off the White House compound on Friday, according to one of those familiar with his departure."

Presidential Race

** New York Times Editors endorse Elizabeth Warren & Amy Klobuchar for Democratic presidential nominee -- and president. Mrs. McC: This makes me feel pretty smart, as several weeks back I narrowed my choice to these two candidates, too. I've about decided on Warren, but I have a few weeks to change my mind. If you intend to vote in a Democratic primary, you probably should read this piece -- even if you've already decided on another candidate. ~~~

~~~ Lisa Lerer of the New York Times: "The New York Times editorial board endorsed the two leading female candidates for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination on Sunday, throwing its support behind Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. The board's decision to back not one but two candidates is a significant break with convention, one that it says is meant to address the 'realist' and 'radical' models being presented to voters by the 2020 Democratic field. While arguing that President Trump must be defeated, the board does not take a position on the best path forward for Democrats, writing that both approaches 'warrant serious consideration.' (The editorial board is separate from the New York Times newsroom.)"

Beyond the Beltway

Alan Suderman & Sarah Rankin of the AP: "Virginia's capital city is bracing for the expected arrival of thousands of gun-rights activists and other groups that have vowed to descend on Richmond to protest Democrats' plans to pass gun-control legislation. Gov. Ralph Northam declared a temporary state of emergency days ahead of Monday's rally, banning all weapons including guns from the event on Capitol Square. Militia groups and white supremacists were among those expected to mix with gun-rights activists, raising fears the state could again see the type of violence that exploded in Charlottesville in 2017." ~~~

~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: If we had a normal president, we would expect him or her to offer assistance or at least support safe conditions in a fraught situation. BUT. Ben Kesslen of NBC News: "Some saw ... Donald Trump's tweet Friday, saying 'Your 2nd Amendment is under very serious attack in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia,' as a call to join Monday's rally." Maybe that's what "some" saw; I see it as an effort to cause mayhem and possible injury or loss of life. He's itching to make another "good people on both sides" speech in an election year to get out the neo-Nazi vote. ~~~

~~~ Lois Beckett of the Guardian: "Anti-fascist activists will not mount a counter-protest at a gun rights rally at Virginia's state capitol on Monday that is expected to attract thousands, including white supremacists and anti-government militia groups. Anti-fascists from Richmond and Charlottesville publicly advised supporters to avoid the rally altogether, citing serious safety concerns. Molly Conger, a journalist and activist, told the Guardian activists in Charlottesville had agreed to encourage supporters to stay away."

Way Beyond

China. Reuters: "China is stepping up restrictions on the production, sale and use of single-use plastic products, according to the state planner, as it seeks to tackle one of the country's biggest environmental problems.... The United Nations has identified single-use plastics as one of the world's biggest environmental challenges.... [P]lastic bags would be banned in all of China's major cities by the end of 2020 and banned in all cities and towns in 2022." --s (Also linked yesterday.)

Ukraine. Anton Troianovski of the New York Times: "President Volodymyr Zelensky, a comedian, sitcom star and political neophyte, catapulted to the presidency of Ukraine last spring on a promise of sweeping away the country's shadowy web of money and influence. Now, as Mr. Zelensky faces pressure to deliver on his promises, he is finding that actually bringing the corrupt officials and oligarchs to heel is a lot harder than satirizing them on his former TV show, 'Servant of the People.'... Further complicating an already daunting task, Mr. Zelensky has been forced to deal with the fallout from the Trump administration's pressure campaign in Ukraine...." (Also linked yesterday.)

News Ledes

AP: "Police in Kansas City, Missouri, say at least two people are dead and 15 people were reportedly injured in a shooting outside a bar. The shooting took place shortly before midnight Sunday, Kansas City police said at the scene. Capt. David Jackson told news outlets at the scene that responding officers found 'a chaotic scene' and had to call in help from around the city. A man and a woman were found dead. Police believe the shooter is the deceased man, Jackson said in a statement. A spokesman said the shooter opened fire on a line of people waiting to enter a bar, but the motive for the shooting wasn't immediately clear. The shooter was shot by an armed security guard, police said."

AP: "The search for a suspect continued Sunday night after two people were killed and five others were injured following a shooting during a concert at a San Antonio club, Texas authorities said. Police said officers were called shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday to the Ventura, a music venue and bar located along the Museum Reach portion of the San Antonio River Walk. An argument broke out inside of the club and one person pulled out a gun and started shooting, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said. One victim died at the scene, and another six were transported to a hospital, where one was pronounced dead shortly after arrival."

AP: "A Hawaii man with a history of run-ins with police and neighbors was facing eviction when he stabbed his landlord and killed two officers before the house he and two women were believed to be in burned, authorities and neighbors said Sunday. Police responding to a call for help found a woman who had been stabbed in the leg and resident Jaroslav 'Jerry' Hanel, in his 60s, opened fire, killing Officers Tiffany Enriquez, a seven-year veteran, and Kaulike Kalama, a nine-year veteran, Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard said. Police suspect he and two women were inside the house when it caught fire, and Ballard said it could take days for authorities to process evidence and recover any remains."

Comments

[PD Pepe]

My father was not the primary disciplinarian in our family but every once in awhile he'd make his voice loud and clear. One time I lied about where I had been; to this day I recoil at how angry he was with me. I received a loud lecture on the importance of trust.

I thought of this after reading that to date Trump has told 16,200 false [lies!] and misleading claims. "The Father" of our country, as someone used to call the president–- is a bold faced liar- in- chief whose example of trustworthiness is nil. This fact alone would be reason enough to oust the guy––if we can't trust the president then...

" Alexander Hamilton in Federalist 65 defined 'high crimes and misdemeanors' as 'those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust.'”

King knew all about trust; in his politics and in his private life he struggled with it. Today we celebrate his contribution to this country. I always think of the many women who did the actual back breaking work behind the scenes that made the movement possible. I'm hoping Warren or Amy might mention them today.

[Jeanne]

Irony is having three public shootings yesterday and last night at the same time as the poor victim gun-fondlers, aided and abetted by the idiot in the White House and the merchants of weapons, plan to mess up Richmond. NPR reports that protesters from the left have begged off, citing dangers to people. Yeah, what could be more attractive than protesting a VA rally filled with white supremacists, sad "victims" of potential gun-snatchers, Nazis, gun merchants, and people trying to "protect themselves and their families" by leaving their homes and going to Richmond... The collective IQ of Richmond will be cratering today. Fingers crossed for the safety of innocents--

[NJC]

Recommend Henry Giroux's long comprehensive discussion of the depths of the impeachment crisis here: https://www.salon.com/2020/01/19/impeachment-and-the-politics-of-organized-forgetting-this-attack-on-trump-isnt-nearly-enough/

[Ken Winkes]

The Pretender fighting corruption in Ukraine? Yeah, sure. Only Republican senators would believe that.

Another sign (as if we needed more) that the Pretender is just fine with corruption:

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/17/kudlow-white-house-is-looking-at-reforms-to-global-anti-bribery-law.html

[Dan Lowery]

Chris Dement, 22, said he was glad to see that the demonstration was peaceful so far. He said he brought a 9-millimeter carbine to stand in solidarity, but was prepared to use it for self-defense in case of violence.
.....said the armed man to the unarmed demonstrators.

[Ken Winkes]

Shocking to lovers of democracy as it may seem, this administration's dismissive treatment of the impeachment is just another major battle in the ongoing war waged by the Right against democracy, well delineated in this article:

https://prospect.org/power/40-year-war-bill-barr-oversight/

If you want cheap and easy access to the nation's treasury and resources and don't like taxes, workers, minorities or people generally you won't much like democracy, with all those little people and their silly rules getting in your way.

[Jeanne]

I wondered how one would know the REAL cops/soldiers from the pretend wanna-be ones, but on seeing these pictures, it is plain that they all belong at home in the la-z-boy recliner with their smelly feet up and lots of food all day long. And if "someone" starts shooting, how is anyone to know the "good guys" from the bad guys...? One commenter thought that this might be a good thing. Natural selection on display...fewer of these frontier MAGATs to deal with--

[RAS]

It is so Trumpian for him to be trying to make it easier for Americans to bribe foreign governments at the same time Trump argues that he is unimpeachable because he is fighting corruption in Ukraine and around the world.

[unwashed]

I was surprised to see in the link above about the China trade deal by David Lynch of the WaPo, “Mary Erdoes, JPMorgan Chase,...”.

She, "..is Chief Executive Officer of J.P. Morgan Asset & Wealth Management (a division of JPMorgan Chase), a global leader in investment management and private banking with $2.8 trillion in client assets..." Making ~$19.9MM a year managing private wealth.

I've never met her, but I used to work for a company that her husband, Phillip, started up in the late 2000's. He used to go commando, you could tell because his hairy ass showed through the holes in his jeans. It was the worst job that I ever had in my life (and I've done some pretty shitty things work-wise), so I wasn't very upset went he fired me over the phone (pre-tweet era).