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babylonsister
babylonsister's Journal
babylonsister's Journal
January 28, 2020
Two Men Have Died in ICE Custody Since Saturday, Says Report
WHAT’S GOING ON?
Jamie Ross
Published Jan. 28, 2020 5:58AM ET
REUTERS
Two Men Have Died in ICE Custody Since Saturday, Says Report
https://www.thedailybeast.com/two-men-have-died-in-ice-custody-since-saturday-says-report?ref=homeTwo Men Have Died in ICE Custody Since Saturday, Says Report
WHAT’S GOING ON?
Jamie Ross
Published Jan. 28, 2020 5:58AM ET
REUTERS
A Cuban man reportedly died Monday in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, just two days after officials confirmed that a British man died in its custody on Saturday. BuzzFeed News reports the unnamed 63-year-old Cuban died at a Florida hospital and the cause has been preliminarily identified as a cardiac arrest. The Briton, 39-year-old Ben James Owen, died at the Baker County Detention Center in Florida ahead of deportation proceedings. Officials said the preliminary cause of his death appeared to be “self-inflicted strangulation.” The two deaths bring the total number of people who have died in ICE custody since October to six. “ICE is firmly committed to the health and welfare of all those in its custody and is undertaking a comprehensive agency-wide review of this incident, as it does in all such cases,” ICE said in a statement after it confirmed Owen’s death this week.
January 28, 2020
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
January 27, 2020 at 4:10 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 168 Comments
"The defense team's strategy rests on pretending that news doesn't exist."
https://politicalwire.com/2020/01/27/extra-bonus-quote-of-the-day-551/Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
January 27, 2020 at 4:10 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 168 Comments
“The defense team’s strategy rests on pretending that news doesn’t exist.”
— Rep. Justin Amash (I-MI), observing that President Trump’s lawyers are ignoring reports about John Bolton’s book in their impeachment defense.
— Rep. Justin Amash (I-MI), observing that President Trump’s lawyers are ignoring reports about John Bolton’s book in their impeachment defense.
January 28, 2020
Ideas
John Bolton Knows What He’s Doing
The former national security adviser’s secrets are valuable, and will come at a cost.
3:15 PM ET
Graeme Wood
John Bolton, Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, announced the title of his forthcoming memoir last night: The Room Where It Happened, a reference to the Oval Office, the scene of some of the misdeeds he is likely to attribute to the president. (I had hoped for something jauntier, perhaps ’Stached in the Cabinet.) Accompanying that announcement was a story in The New York Times teasing readers with revelations. The most significant is that Trump allegedly conditioned his release of Ukrainian military aid not only on that country’s announcement of an investigation into Hunter and Joe Biden, but also on its release of evidence of the Biden family’s involvement in Robert Mueller’s probe. In fact, there is no such evidence, and the only people who believe that there is such evidence are wing-nut conspiracy theorists and, it seems, the president of the United States.
My colleague David Frum appealed to Bolton’s patriotism a few months ago, asking him to speak freely about Trump. Frum is Bolton’s former colleague at the American Enterprise Institute, so I suspect he knew that appealing to Bolton’s selfless, wholly unremunerated goodwill is about as likely to be successful as asking him for a foot massage. Bolton left office in an embarrassing and undignified way, having been canned by Trump and insulted by Trump’s key informal adviser, Tucker Carlson. (Carlson, a Bolton hater for years, called him a “tapeworm” and told Trump to ignore his advice.) Bolton’s secrets are therefore valuable in numerous ways: They got him a huge book deal; they position him as an insider able to command high speaking fees before rapt right-wing audiences; and finally, they make him a feared enemy of Trump and his allies. For Bolton to surrender these advantages for free, to the advantage not of himself but of liberals with whom he agrees on little, would be for Bolton to stop being Bolton.
He has waited until speaking is to his advantage, and he calculates his advantage like a high-end litigator. Before he rose to important policy-level jobs in government, he attended Yale Law School and practiced law as a partner at Covington & Burling. Whether he was attracted to the law because he is cold-blooded, punctilious, and manipulative, or became cold-blooded, punctilious, and manipulative because the practice of the law rewards those traits, is immaterial. This is his character, and it explains all his delays in coming forward with his account. In litigation, one never makes a concession without getting something in return, and without forcing your adversary to do everything exactly right in the course of making a demand. If the law requires your adversary to tap dance and hum “Flight of the Bumblebee” while making a request, you postpone giving an answer until every note is hummed in tune and every tap lands with a crisp and pleasing crack. Every concession of your own diminishes your own space to maneuver, and every concession by your opponent—even just a factual admission—pens him into a smaller space.
To act this way in a context outside of litigation is commonly known as “being an asshole.” That explains, in part, Bolton’s reputation for unpleasantness: He unapologetically forces people to get the details, what in government is often called “process,” exactly right. I am reminded of a Muslim cleric who explained to me that to mumble your way through prayer is like dialing a phone number that is a digit or two off: The message doesn’t go through, and the exercise is pointless. Bolton has a tendency to regard rivals who flub process as incompetents who can’t get things done. And being an asshole, unlovely as it may sound, might not be such a bad thing, if you get things done and follow the rules.
Silence up to now has bought Bolton the Litigator something very valuable. He has now listened as others present “in the room”—including his deputies, such as Fiona Hill—have recorded their versions of events. He has heard Republicans, including Trump, lay out an impeachment defense—not only a version of events, but also a theory of innocence. By speaking last, he can present testimony precisely calculated to hurt those he most wants to embarrass. Even just today, in response to the initial leaks from Bolton’s book, Trump tweeted a suspiciously grammatical series of statements demeaning Bolton and denying that Bolton was told to delay aid to Ukraine. Bolton is strategic, and it would be unlike him to make a bold claim without a plan to counter Trump’s denial. More likely, he will dole out the details and evidence methodically, thwarting his critics like steers in a cutting horse competition.
more...
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/john-bolton-wont-give-anything-away-free/605614/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=politics-daily-newsletter&utm_content=20200127&silverid-ref=MzEwMTkxNDYyMDc3S0&fbclid=IwAR1__Z2xi3oQPNE496CdExpChkxRSxGzIl1Uua1hrhKmV2vfExSJiYSq6-0
John Bolton Knows What He's Doing
Ideas
John Bolton Knows What He’s Doing
The former national security adviser’s secrets are valuable, and will come at a cost.
3:15 PM ET
Graeme Wood
John Bolton, Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, announced the title of his forthcoming memoir last night: The Room Where It Happened, a reference to the Oval Office, the scene of some of the misdeeds he is likely to attribute to the president. (I had hoped for something jauntier, perhaps ’Stached in the Cabinet.) Accompanying that announcement was a story in The New York Times teasing readers with revelations. The most significant is that Trump allegedly conditioned his release of Ukrainian military aid not only on that country’s announcement of an investigation into Hunter and Joe Biden, but also on its release of evidence of the Biden family’s involvement in Robert Mueller’s probe. In fact, there is no such evidence, and the only people who believe that there is such evidence are wing-nut conspiracy theorists and, it seems, the president of the United States.
My colleague David Frum appealed to Bolton’s patriotism a few months ago, asking him to speak freely about Trump. Frum is Bolton’s former colleague at the American Enterprise Institute, so I suspect he knew that appealing to Bolton’s selfless, wholly unremunerated goodwill is about as likely to be successful as asking him for a foot massage. Bolton left office in an embarrassing and undignified way, having been canned by Trump and insulted by Trump’s key informal adviser, Tucker Carlson. (Carlson, a Bolton hater for years, called him a “tapeworm” and told Trump to ignore his advice.) Bolton’s secrets are therefore valuable in numerous ways: They got him a huge book deal; they position him as an insider able to command high speaking fees before rapt right-wing audiences; and finally, they make him a feared enemy of Trump and his allies. For Bolton to surrender these advantages for free, to the advantage not of himself but of liberals with whom he agrees on little, would be for Bolton to stop being Bolton.
He has waited until speaking is to his advantage, and he calculates his advantage like a high-end litigator. Before he rose to important policy-level jobs in government, he attended Yale Law School and practiced law as a partner at Covington & Burling. Whether he was attracted to the law because he is cold-blooded, punctilious, and manipulative, or became cold-blooded, punctilious, and manipulative because the practice of the law rewards those traits, is immaterial. This is his character, and it explains all his delays in coming forward with his account. In litigation, one never makes a concession without getting something in return, and without forcing your adversary to do everything exactly right in the course of making a demand. If the law requires your adversary to tap dance and hum “Flight of the Bumblebee” while making a request, you postpone giving an answer until every note is hummed in tune and every tap lands with a crisp and pleasing crack. Every concession of your own diminishes your own space to maneuver, and every concession by your opponent—even just a factual admission—pens him into a smaller space.
To act this way in a context outside of litigation is commonly known as “being an asshole.” That explains, in part, Bolton’s reputation for unpleasantness: He unapologetically forces people to get the details, what in government is often called “process,” exactly right. I am reminded of a Muslim cleric who explained to me that to mumble your way through prayer is like dialing a phone number that is a digit or two off: The message doesn’t go through, and the exercise is pointless. Bolton has a tendency to regard rivals who flub process as incompetents who can’t get things done. And being an asshole, unlovely as it may sound, might not be such a bad thing, if you get things done and follow the rules.
Silence up to now has bought Bolton the Litigator something very valuable. He has now listened as others present “in the room”—including his deputies, such as Fiona Hill—have recorded their versions of events. He has heard Republicans, including Trump, lay out an impeachment defense—not only a version of events, but also a theory of innocence. By speaking last, he can present testimony precisely calculated to hurt those he most wants to embarrass. Even just today, in response to the initial leaks from Bolton’s book, Trump tweeted a suspiciously grammatical series of statements demeaning Bolton and denying that Bolton was told to delay aid to Ukraine. Bolton is strategic, and it would be unlike him to make a bold claim without a plan to counter Trump’s denial. More likely, he will dole out the details and evidence methodically, thwarting his critics like steers in a cutting horse competition.
more...
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/john-bolton-wont-give-anything-away-free/605614/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=politics-daily-newsletter&utm_content=20200127&silverid-ref=MzEwMTkxNDYyMDc3S0&fbclid=IwAR1__Z2xi3oQPNE496CdExpChkxRSxGzIl1Uua1hrhKmV2vfExSJiYSq6-0
January 28, 2020
State Department drops NPR from Pompeo trip after Ukraine dust-up
Can they get any more juvenile?
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/media/npr-mike-pompeo-state-department/index.html
State Department drops NPR from Pompeo trip after Ukraine dust-up
By Brian Stelter, CNN Business
Updated 6:42 PM ET, Mon January 27, 2020
New York (CNN Business)Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appears to be escalating his criticism of NPR — this time not just with words but with actions.
snip//
Kelly said Pompeo also questioned her intelligence by directing her to identify Ukraine on a blank map of the world. An aide fetched the map for Pompeo. Kelly, who has a Master's degree in European studies, said she pointed to Ukraine, and Pompeo moved on. In a statement the next day, he implied (without outright claiming) that she actually pointed to Bangladesh, a country thousands of miles away. Kelly's colleagues thought the insinuation was laughable.
The action involving Kelemen was publicly announced by the State Department Correspondents' Association, a group that represents members of the diplomatic press corps.
The association said it "protests the decision to remove NPR correspondent Michele Kelemen from Secretary Pompeo's plane on his upcoming trip to Europe and Central Asia."
"The removal of Michele, who was in rotation as the radio pool reporter, comes days after Secretary Pompeo harshly criticized the work of an NPR host. We can only conclude that the State Department is retaliating against National Public Radio as a result of this exchange," the association's president Shaun Tandon said.
"The State Department press corps has a long tradition of accompanying secretaries of state on their travels and we find it unacceptable to punish an individual member of our association," Tandon added.
"The State Department press corps has a long tradition of accompanying secretaries of state on their travels and we find it unacceptable to punish an individual member of our association," Tandon added.
January 27, 2020
January 26, 2020
New Emails Reveal that the Trump Administration Manipulated Wildfire Science to Promote Logging
The director of the US Geological Survey asked scientists to “gin up” emissions figures for him.
Emily Holden
Jimmy Tobias
This piece was originally published in the Guardian and appears here as part of our Climate Desk Partnership.
Political appointees at the Interior Department have sought to play up climate pollution from California wildfires while downplaying emissions from fossil fuels as a way of promoting more logging in the nation’s forests, internal emails obtained by the Guardian reveal.
The messaging plan was crafted in support of Donald Trump’s pro-industry arguments for harvesting more timber in California, which he says would thin forests and prevent fires—a point experts refute.
The emails show officials seeking to estimate the carbon emissions from devastating 2018 fires in California so they could compare them to the carbon footprint of the state’s electricity sector and then publish statements encouraging cutting down trees.
The records offer a look behind the scenes at how Trump and his appointees have tried to craft a narrative that forest protection efforts are responsible for wildfires, including in California, even as science shows fires are becoming more intense largely because of climate change.
snip//
“The Trump administration and the interior department are pushing mystical theories that are false in order to justify gutting public land protections to advance their pro-industry and lobbyist dominated agenda.”
New Emails Reveal that the Trump Administration Manipulated Wildfire Science to Promote Logging
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2020/01/new-emails-reveal-that-the-trump-administration-manipulated-wildfire-science-to-promote-logging/January 26, 2020
New Emails Reveal that the Trump Administration Manipulated Wildfire Science to Promote Logging
The director of the US Geological Survey asked scientists to “gin up” emissions figures for him.
Emily Holden
Jimmy Tobias
This piece was originally published in the Guardian and appears here as part of our Climate Desk Partnership.
Political appointees at the Interior Department have sought to play up climate pollution from California wildfires while downplaying emissions from fossil fuels as a way of promoting more logging in the nation’s forests, internal emails obtained by the Guardian reveal.
The messaging plan was crafted in support of Donald Trump’s pro-industry arguments for harvesting more timber in California, which he says would thin forests and prevent fires—a point experts refute.
The emails show officials seeking to estimate the carbon emissions from devastating 2018 fires in California so they could compare them to the carbon footprint of the state’s electricity sector and then publish statements encouraging cutting down trees.
The records offer a look behind the scenes at how Trump and his appointees have tried to craft a narrative that forest protection efforts are responsible for wildfires, including in California, even as science shows fires are becoming more intense largely because of climate change.
snip//
“The Trump administration and the interior department are pushing mystical theories that are false in order to justify gutting public land protections to advance their pro-industry and lobbyist dominated agenda.”
January 27, 2020
https://politicalwire.com/2020/01/27/trump-planning-how-to-celebrate-likely-acquittal/
Trump Planning How to Celebrate Likely Acquittal
January 27, 2020 at 7:05 am EST By Taegan Goddard
Trump Planning How to Celebrate Likely Acquittal
https://politicalwire.com/2020/01/27/trump-planning-how-to-celebrate-likely-acquittal/
Trump Planning How to Celebrate Likely Acquittal
January 27, 2020 at 7:05 am EST By Taegan Goddard
Politico: “President Trump is already itching to broadcast the series finale of his impeachment. In recent days, he and top White House aides have been considering how he should celebrate his presumed acquittal by the Republican-controlled Senate and whether he should deliver a rare Oval Office address to mark the occasion.”
January 27, 2020
Senate Republicans Shaken by Bolton Revelations
January 27, 2020 at 6:44 am EST By Taegan Goddard
Senate Republicans Shaken by Bolton Revelations
https://politicalwire.com/2020/01/27/senate-republicans-shaken-by-bolton-revelations/Senate Republicans Shaken by Bolton Revelations
January 27, 2020 at 6:44 am EST By Taegan Goddard
Playbook: “Republicans have done a good job during this process projecting confidence in their mastery of the situation, and their ability to deliver for the president.”
“But as of late Sunday, our GOP sources said they could not predict what was going to happen now with witnesses, and the Republican Conference lunch today will be key in determining the state of play. In other words, these top-level sources were allowing that things may have changed. We have yet to see if Republicans will brush off this new development, or whether it will push enough of them to vote for witnesses.”
“Bolton is not Lev Parnas or one of these other characters who has sprouted up in the Trump era. He’s a through-and-through conservative who was so far to the right that George W. Bush had to wait for recess to make him his U.N. envoy. He’s known to members of the Senate.”
“Here’s the dilemma for Republicans now: If you’re one of the Republicans who were already uncomfortable with this president, how do you vote to not call Bolton after seeing this? Remember: Bolton is publishing an entire book, and so far we know only what he’s said on Ukraine — not everything else he’s seen.”
“But as of late Sunday, our GOP sources said they could not predict what was going to happen now with witnesses, and the Republican Conference lunch today will be key in determining the state of play. In other words, these top-level sources were allowing that things may have changed. We have yet to see if Republicans will brush off this new development, or whether it will push enough of them to vote for witnesses.”
“Bolton is not Lev Parnas or one of these other characters who has sprouted up in the Trump era. He’s a through-and-through conservative who was so far to the right that George W. Bush had to wait for recess to make him his U.N. envoy. He’s known to members of the Senate.”
“Here’s the dilemma for Republicans now: If you’re one of the Republicans who were already uncomfortable with this president, how do you vote to not call Bolton after seeing this? Remember: Bolton is publishing an entire book, and so far we know only what he’s said on Ukraine — not everything else he’s seen.”
January 27, 2020
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-51255414?SThisFB&fbclid=IwAR2du9DmXtUjIiT0YGe0AW20wFt7UWFl0Zd4XQSPreZ3qlB3FiD17agZhio
Liverpool venue cancels Franklin Graham event
26 January 2020
A conference venue in Liverpool has cancelled an event featuring American evangelist Franklin Graham.
Mr Graham, the eldest son of the late preacher Billy Graham, has said he believes gay marriage is a "sin".
He was due to speak at ACC Liverpool on 12 June as part of a UK tour.
But an ACC spokesperson said it had recently been "made aware of a number of statements which we consider to be incompatible with our values".
"In light of this, we can no longer reconcile the balance between freedom of speech and the divisive impact this event is having in our city.
"We have informed the organisers of the event that the booking will no longer be fulfilled.
"We are proud to represent all communities," the spokesperson added.
The BBC has approached The Graham Tour organisers for a response.
Its website says the events aim "to share the hope of Jesus Christ".
Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson tweeted that the cancellation was the "right" decision.
"Our city is a diverse city and proud of our LGBTQ+ community and always will be," he added.
"We can not allow hatred and intolerance to go unchallenged by anyone including by religious groups or sects."
The tour is scheduled for May and June and is set to include venues in Glasgow, Newcastle, Sheffield, Milton Keynes, Cardiff, Birmingham and London.
When LGBT+ leaders called for the cancellation of the Sheffield visit, Mr Graham said: "I'm not coming to Sheffield to preach against anyone, I'm coming to tell everyone about a God who loves them."
Liverpool venue cancels Franklin Graham event
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-51255414?SThisFB&fbclid=IwAR2du9DmXtUjIiT0YGe0AW20wFt7UWFl0Zd4XQSPreZ3qlB3FiD17agZhio
Liverpool venue cancels Franklin Graham event
26 January 2020
A conference venue in Liverpool has cancelled an event featuring American evangelist Franklin Graham.
Mr Graham, the eldest son of the late preacher Billy Graham, has said he believes gay marriage is a "sin".
He was due to speak at ACC Liverpool on 12 June as part of a UK tour.
But an ACC spokesperson said it had recently been "made aware of a number of statements which we consider to be incompatible with our values".
"In light of this, we can no longer reconcile the balance between freedom of speech and the divisive impact this event is having in our city.
"We have informed the organisers of the event that the booking will no longer be fulfilled.
"We are proud to represent all communities," the spokesperson added.
The BBC has approached The Graham Tour organisers for a response.
Its website says the events aim "to share the hope of Jesus Christ".
Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson tweeted that the cancellation was the "right" decision.
"Our city is a diverse city and proud of our LGBTQ+ community and always will be," he added.
"We can not allow hatred and intolerance to go unchallenged by anyone including by religious groups or sects."
The tour is scheduled for May and June and is set to include venues in Glasgow, Newcastle, Sheffield, Milton Keynes, Cardiff, Birmingham and London.
When LGBT+ leaders called for the cancellation of the Sheffield visit, Mr Graham said: "I'm not coming to Sheffield to preach against anyone, I'm coming to tell everyone about a God who loves them."
January 26, 2020
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Chief Justice Roberts lets Senate Republicans show blatant disdain for impeachment proceedings
By Joan McCarter / Daily Kos (01/23/2020) -
January 23, 2020
Senate Republicans are united again in saying they’ve heard absolutely nothing new in the House impeachment managers presentation against Donald Trump. That’s after they voted en masse, as a unified bloc, against 10 amendments from Democrats to provide more information at the outset of the trial. They don’t want to hear anything new, which is glaringly apparent in their disdain for the rules and blatant flouting of them.
They’re acting like a bunch of middle school kids bored in their civics class. “Gum-chewing, snacking, yawning and alleged napping could be seen throughout the cramped chamber,” AP’s Laurie Kellman reports. “Some openly snickered when lead prosecutor Adam Schiff said he’d only speak for 10 minutes. And when one of the freshman House prosecutors stood to speak, many of the senator-jurors bolted for the cloak rooms, where their phones are stored.” Which is the least of it. Numerous Republican senators have been reported to have just left for long stretches at a time. Rand Paul brought in a crossword to play with. At one point more 1/5 of the Senate—21 members—were out of the chamber. Which leads to one major question: what in the hell is Chief Justice John Roberts doing in the meantime, since he’s refusing to enforce the rules?
He is presiding over this trial, which is supposed to mean enforcing the rules, not acting like a potted plant and doing whatever it is he’s been doing—catching up on reading? Crossword puzzles? We don’t know that either, because Mitch McConnell didn’t let any cameras in besides the ones controlled by him. We get one camera view, the person who is speaking, so all the senators who are supposed to be remaining in their seats, paying attention, not talking can do whatever the hell they want, it seems.
Republicans clearly don’t give a damn about anything, Trump could steal the entire treasury and if they got a kickback, they’d be fine with it. But they’re being just a little too obvious in that, underestimating the extent to which the voters are turning against them, both in hearing new witnesses and documents, and in convicting and removing Trump from office.
They’re playing with fire, increasing the likelihood that they’ll be severely burned in November.
Chief Justice Roberts lets Senate Republicans show blatant disdain for impeachment proceedings
https://dailysoundandfury.com/chief-justice-roberts-lets-senate-republicans-show-blatant-disdain-for-impeachment-proceedings/?fbclid=IwAR1SQOzLQtfdq2pkbIfAsdwiDlyE4dQwjJNVdylkkdiRLGlm3CTWYcPwomoSunday, January 26, 2020
Chief Justice Roberts lets Senate Republicans show blatant disdain for impeachment proceedings
By Joan McCarter / Daily Kos (01/23/2020) -
January 23, 2020
Senate Republicans are united again in saying they’ve heard absolutely nothing new in the House impeachment managers presentation against Donald Trump. That’s after they voted en masse, as a unified bloc, against 10 amendments from Democrats to provide more information at the outset of the trial. They don’t want to hear anything new, which is glaringly apparent in their disdain for the rules and blatant flouting of them.
They’re acting like a bunch of middle school kids bored in their civics class. “Gum-chewing, snacking, yawning and alleged napping could be seen throughout the cramped chamber,” AP’s Laurie Kellman reports. “Some openly snickered when lead prosecutor Adam Schiff said he’d only speak for 10 minutes. And when one of the freshman House prosecutors stood to speak, many of the senator-jurors bolted for the cloak rooms, where their phones are stored.” Which is the least of it. Numerous Republican senators have been reported to have just left for long stretches at a time. Rand Paul brought in a crossword to play with. At one point more 1/5 of the Senate—21 members—were out of the chamber. Which leads to one major question: what in the hell is Chief Justice John Roberts doing in the meantime, since he’s refusing to enforce the rules?
He is presiding over this trial, which is supposed to mean enforcing the rules, not acting like a potted plant and doing whatever it is he’s been doing—catching up on reading? Crossword puzzles? We don’t know that either, because Mitch McConnell didn’t let any cameras in besides the ones controlled by him. We get one camera view, the person who is speaking, so all the senators who are supposed to be remaining in their seats, paying attention, not talking can do whatever the hell they want, it seems.
Republicans clearly don’t give a damn about anything, Trump could steal the entire treasury and if they got a kickback, they’d be fine with it. But they’re being just a little too obvious in that, underestimating the extent to which the voters are turning against them, both in hearing new witnesses and documents, and in convicting and removing Trump from office.
They’re playing with fire, increasing the likelihood that they’ll be severely burned in November.
January 26, 2020
Posted on Sun, Jan 26th, 2020 by Jason Easley
Even Fox News’s Poll Shows Voters Want Trump Gone
The latest Fox News poll shows that 50% of registered voters want President Donald Trump convicted and removed from office by the Senate.
Via Fox News:
There are signs in this poll that other factors, specifically Trump’s character, and issues like health care will matter more than the overall perception of the economy. Republicans tried to save the House by running on the economy in 2018 and got waxed. Republican gubernatorial candidates tried to cozy up to Trump on the economy in the last year plus and lost.
The overriding impression from all of the polling is that voters want to correct 2016 and send Trump on a permanent golf vacation at his own expense.
The conventional wisdom looks to be wrong.
It’s not the economy, stupid.
It is everything, but the economy, dummy.
Even Fox News's Poll Shows Voters Want Trump Gone
https://www.politicususa.com/2020/01/26/fox-news-poll-trump-removed.htmlPosted on Sun, Jan 26th, 2020 by Jason Easley
Even Fox News’s Poll Shows Voters Want Trump Gone
The latest Fox News poll shows that 50% of registered voters want President Donald Trump convicted and removed from office by the Senate.
Via Fox News:
On impeachment, by a 50-44 percent margin, voters think the Senate should vote to convict Trump and remove him from office. Most Democrats say remove (81 percent) and most Republicans disagree (84 percent). Among independents, more say Trump should be removed by a 19-point margin (53-34 percent).
For comparison, around the time former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial began in January 1999, some 38 percent said the Senate should remove him from office, and 65 percent approved of the job he was doing as president.
When asked about the Trump impeachment trial, more voters by a narrow 4-point margin say the Senate already has enough information to make its decision (48 percent) than say additional witnesses should testify (44 percent).
Trump got a 56% approval rating for his handling of the economy, but that was the only issue that he registered a positive job approval rating on. Trump’s overall job approval is underwater, and 50% of voters want him gone.
For comparison, around the time former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial began in January 1999, some 38 percent said the Senate should remove him from office, and 65 percent approved of the job he was doing as president.
When asked about the Trump impeachment trial, more voters by a narrow 4-point margin say the Senate already has enough information to make its decision (48 percent) than say additional witnesses should testify (44 percent).
Trump got a 56% approval rating for his handling of the economy, but that was the only issue that he registered a positive job approval rating on. Trump’s overall job approval is underwater, and 50% of voters want him gone.
There are signs in this poll that other factors, specifically Trump’s character, and issues like health care will matter more than the overall perception of the economy. Republicans tried to save the House by running on the economy in 2018 and got waxed. Republican gubernatorial candidates tried to cozy up to Trump on the economy in the last year plus and lost.
The overriding impression from all of the polling is that voters want to correct 2016 and send Trump on a permanent golf vacation at his own expense.
The conventional wisdom looks to be wrong.
It’s not the economy, stupid.
It is everything, but the economy, dummy.
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