Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
babylonsister
babylonsister's Journal
babylonsister's Journal
January 17, 2020
Quid pro quos all over the place
Published by digby on January 17, 2020
snip//
Parnas revealed a lot of juicy details in his interview with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. It’s hard to know right now what was most important. There’s a ton of color about the Trump hotel in Washington being essentially like a mobsters’ “social club” where hangers-on gather in the lobby and the bar, while insiders get invited into the inner sanctums where the real deals are made. It’s a GOP power center that just happens to put money directly into the president’s personal bank account. Imagine that.
snip//
The other quid pro quo is more sinister. Giuliani got word that Dmitry Firtash, a Ukrainian gas oligarch with ties to the Kremlin, had dirt on Burisma, the firm that had Joe Biden’s son Hunter on its board. Naturally, Giuliani was excited. Firtash was being represented by Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, two long-time GOP legal operatives who had been involved in the Ukraine plot, along with a right-wing reporter John Solomon. Firtash wanted to avoid extradition from Austria to the U.S., where he is wanted on bribery and racketeering charges. According to Parnas, Firtash agreed to share his information in exchange for having his extradition order lifted. Giuliani, Toensing and diGenova all worked together to try to make that happen.
Elements of this story were already known, but Parnas suggested in his interview with Maddow that Attorney General Bill Barr was also “on the team.” He didn’t offer any direct evidence of this and the Department of Justice denies knowing anything about it. But it once more raises the question of why Trump told Zelensky during the “perfect call” to cooperate with both Giuliani and Barr.
Parnas said he came forward because he’s afraid of Barr’s Justice Department, which is astonishing considering the lowlife elements he’s been palling around with. Since Parnas is under federal indictment that seems like a reckless thing to say. But he says everyone is running scared since Trump managed to consolidate power after naming Barr, so his only real hope lies in going public.
This is a crazy story but we already knew that most of it is true. As tantalizing as these new details are, they don’t entirely fill in the picture of Rudy Giuliani’s scheme and how Trump’s Washington works. What was true a month ago remains true today: The president of the United States and his personal lawyer plotted to extort the leaders of a foreign country into interfering in the presidential election by smearing his political rival. New information comes out every day and none of it will ever change that fact.
digby: Quid pro quos all over the place
https://digbysblog.net/2020/01/quid-pro-quos-all-over-the-place/?fbclid=IwAR3RKbNjzUSDCKPKVN0LGnpgd4R1DwHVXNURoo6JFEEJuz2FLEPaZTZoF5MQuid pro quos all over the place
Published by digby on January 17, 2020
snip//
Parnas revealed a lot of juicy details in his interview with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. It’s hard to know right now what was most important. There’s a ton of color about the Trump hotel in Washington being essentially like a mobsters’ “social club” where hangers-on gather in the lobby and the bar, while insiders get invited into the inner sanctums where the real deals are made. It’s a GOP power center that just happens to put money directly into the president’s personal bank account. Imagine that.
snip//
The other quid pro quo is more sinister. Giuliani got word that Dmitry Firtash, a Ukrainian gas oligarch with ties to the Kremlin, had dirt on Burisma, the firm that had Joe Biden’s son Hunter on its board. Naturally, Giuliani was excited. Firtash was being represented by Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, two long-time GOP legal operatives who had been involved in the Ukraine plot, along with a right-wing reporter John Solomon. Firtash wanted to avoid extradition from Austria to the U.S., where he is wanted on bribery and racketeering charges. According to Parnas, Firtash agreed to share his information in exchange for having his extradition order lifted. Giuliani, Toensing and diGenova all worked together to try to make that happen.
Elements of this story were already known, but Parnas suggested in his interview with Maddow that Attorney General Bill Barr was also “on the team.” He didn’t offer any direct evidence of this and the Department of Justice denies knowing anything about it. But it once more raises the question of why Trump told Zelensky during the “perfect call” to cooperate with both Giuliani and Barr.
Parnas said he came forward because he’s afraid of Barr’s Justice Department, which is astonishing considering the lowlife elements he’s been palling around with. Since Parnas is under federal indictment that seems like a reckless thing to say. But he says everyone is running scared since Trump managed to consolidate power after naming Barr, so his only real hope lies in going public.
This is a crazy story but we already knew that most of it is true. As tantalizing as these new details are, they don’t entirely fill in the picture of Rudy Giuliani’s scheme and how Trump’s Washington works. What was true a month ago remains true today: The president of the United States and his personal lawyer plotted to extort the leaders of a foreign country into interfering in the presidential election by smearing his political rival. New information comes out every day and none of it will ever change that fact.
January 17, 2020
https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2020-01-17/white-house-considers-changes-to-law-banning-overseas-bribes?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR2TdOucFSp8KKg1mTaM691iF--JfUsSaaFavqGvSRcqs3NXPCoD7it2g2M
White House Considers Changes to Law Banning Overseas Bribes
By Josh Wingrove
January 17, 2020, 1:13 PM EST
President Donald Trump’s administration is weighing whether to seek changes to a 1977 law that makes it illegal for U.S. companies to bribe foreign officials.
“We are looking at it,” White House Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow said at the White House on Friday, in response to a reporter’s question about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
A forthcoming book called “A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America,” by Washington Post reporters Philip Rucker and Carol D. Leonnig, reports that Trump has complained about existing rules, and that he clashed with former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in 2017 when Trump pushed to scrap the FCPA.
The law is designed to prevent individuals and businesses in the U.S. from paying money or offering gifts to foreign officials as a way to win business overseas. Critics of the law complain that it puts U.S. businesses at a disadvantage in places where bribes are customary.
White House Considers Changes to Law Banning Overseas Bribes
https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2020-01-17/white-house-considers-changes-to-law-banning-overseas-bribes?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR2TdOucFSp8KKg1mTaM691iF--JfUsSaaFavqGvSRcqs3NXPCoD7it2g2M
White House Considers Changes to Law Banning Overseas Bribes
By Josh Wingrove
January 17, 2020, 1:13 PM EST
President Donald Trump’s administration is weighing whether to seek changes to a 1977 law that makes it illegal for U.S. companies to bribe foreign officials.
“We are looking at it,” White House Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow said at the White House on Friday, in response to a reporter’s question about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
“I would just say: We are aware of it, we are looking at it, and we’ve heard complaints from some of our companies,” Kudlow said. “I don’t want to say anything definitive policy-wise, but we are looking at it.”
A forthcoming book called “A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America,” by Washington Post reporters Philip Rucker and Carol D. Leonnig, reports that Trump has complained about existing rules, and that he clashed with former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in 2017 when Trump pushed to scrap the FCPA.
“It’s just so unfair that American companies aren’t allowed to pay bribes to get business overseas,” Trump said, according to an passage published by the Post. “We’re going to change that.”
The law is designed to prevent individuals and businesses in the U.S. from paying money or offering gifts to foreign officials as a way to win business overseas. Critics of the law complain that it puts U.S. businesses at a disadvantage in places where bribes are customary.
January 17, 2020
Quote of the Day
January 17, 2020 at 8:18 am EST By Taegan Goddard
"She's going to get us. Total assassin. She's an assassin."
https://politicalwire.com/2020/01/17/quote-of-the-day-2450/Quote of the Day
January 17, 2020 at 8:18 am EST By Taegan Goddard
“She’s going to get us. Total assassin. She’s an assassin.”
— Stephen Bannon, quoted in A Very Stable Genius, about Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Axios excerpts the full passage.
— Stephen Bannon, quoted in A Very Stable Genius, about Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Axios excerpts the full passage.
January 16, 2020
14 states sue Trump administration over food stamp rule
By CATHERINE BOUDREAU
01/16/2020 01:48 PM EST
Updated: 01/16/2020 02:14 PM EST
A coalition that includes attorneys general in 14 states, the District of Columbia and New York City are suing the Agriculture Department over a plan to impose stricter work requirements on millions of food stamp recipients.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday by mostly Democratic-led states, argues that USDA unlawfully limited states' discretion to exempt certain adults from work requirements for an extended period of time based on local employment conditions.
"Under well-settled law, the executive branch does not get to go forth with policies that Congress specifically rejected," District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine said in a call with reporters. He and New York State Attorney General Tish James are leading the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
After a bitter partisan fight over the 2018 farm bill, congressional leaders agreed not to include sweeping changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that were pushed by a Republican-led House. But last year, the Trump administration began its own effort to rein in the program, arguing that the government should promote self-sufficiency when the U.S. economy is strong.
USDA recently finalized changes to SNAP that will apply to recipients who are able-bodied adults without children or other dependents. The changes take effect in April and are estimated to kick 688,000 adults off the program out of the more than 34 million people participating across the country.
more...
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/16/13-states-sue-trump-administration-over-food-stamp-rule-099852
14 states sue Trump administration over food stamp rule
14 states sue Trump administration over food stamp rule
By CATHERINE BOUDREAU
01/16/2020 01:48 PM EST
Updated: 01/16/2020 02:14 PM EST
A coalition that includes attorneys general in 14 states, the District of Columbia and New York City are suing the Agriculture Department over a plan to impose stricter work requirements on millions of food stamp recipients.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday by mostly Democratic-led states, argues that USDA unlawfully limited states' discretion to exempt certain adults from work requirements for an extended period of time based on local employment conditions.
"Under well-settled law, the executive branch does not get to go forth with policies that Congress specifically rejected," District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine said in a call with reporters. He and New York State Attorney General Tish James are leading the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
After a bitter partisan fight over the 2018 farm bill, congressional leaders agreed not to include sweeping changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that were pushed by a Republican-led House. But last year, the Trump administration began its own effort to rein in the program, arguing that the government should promote self-sufficiency when the U.S. economy is strong.
USDA recently finalized changes to SNAP that will apply to recipients who are able-bodied adults without children or other dependents. The changes take effect in April and are estimated to kick 688,000 adults off the program out of the more than 34 million people participating across the country.
“Denying access to vital SNAP benefits would only push hundreds of thousands of already vulnerable Americans into greater economic uncertainty," James said. "In so doing, states will have to grapple with rising health care and homelessness costs that will result from this shortsighted and ill-conceived policy.”
more...
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/16/13-states-sue-trump-administration-over-food-stamp-rule-099852
January 16, 2020
8 hours ago
ICE Is Force-Feeding Hunger Strikers, in Violation of Medical Ethics
Two Indian men in Louisiana have been refusing food and water for more than two months.
Noah Lanard
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is subjecting asylum seekers to forced feeding and hydration, despite widespread agreement among medical professionals that the practice is unethical and never justified.
Three men at ICE’s LaSalle detention center, a facility in Louisiana run by the for-profit prison company GEO Group, have been on a hunger strike since November 1, according to Freedom for Immigrants, an advocacy group that seeks to end immigration detention. The men are protesting to pressure ICE to release them so that they can fight their asylum cases from outside of detention. Bryan Cox, an ICE spokesman, says that as of Tuesday, 10 people in Louisiana were on hunger strikes, defined by the agency as missing at least nine consecutive meals.
Under the Trump administration, ICE has moved toward a policy of mandatory detention for asylum seekers as part of its effort to deter people from seeking protection at the southern border. ICE’s New Orleans field office, which covers Louisiana and four other Southern states, went from releasing 75 percent of eligible asylum seekers on parole in 2016 to 1.5 percent in 2018. In September, a federal judge ordered the agency to give asylum seekers detained in the Deep South a fair chance of release, but lawyers in the state have told me they’ve seen no evidence that ICE is complying. Asylum seekers detained in Louisiana say they’ve been pepper-sprayed and beaten for protesting their indefinite detention.
The World Medical Association, the international authority on medical ethics, has repeatedly stated that force-feeding mentally competent hunger strikers is never ethically acceptable. The American Medical Association and the International Committee of the Red Cross also oppose the practice. Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in February that force-feeding may violate the UN Convention against Torture.
more...
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/01/ice-is-force-feeding-hunger-strikers-in-violation-of-medical-ethics/
ICE Is Force-Feeding Hunger Strikers, in Violation of Medical Ethics
8 hours ago
ICE Is Force-Feeding Hunger Strikers, in Violation of Medical Ethics
Two Indian men in Louisiana have been refusing food and water for more than two months.
Noah Lanard
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is subjecting asylum seekers to forced feeding and hydration, despite widespread agreement among medical professionals that the practice is unethical and never justified.
Three men at ICE’s LaSalle detention center, a facility in Louisiana run by the for-profit prison company GEO Group, have been on a hunger strike since November 1, according to Freedom for Immigrants, an advocacy group that seeks to end immigration detention. The men are protesting to pressure ICE to release them so that they can fight their asylum cases from outside of detention. Bryan Cox, an ICE spokesman, says that as of Tuesday, 10 people in Louisiana were on hunger strikes, defined by the agency as missing at least nine consecutive meals.
Under the Trump administration, ICE has moved toward a policy of mandatory detention for asylum seekers as part of its effort to deter people from seeking protection at the southern border. ICE’s New Orleans field office, which covers Louisiana and four other Southern states, went from releasing 75 percent of eligible asylum seekers on parole in 2016 to 1.5 percent in 2018. In September, a federal judge ordered the agency to give asylum seekers detained in the Deep South a fair chance of release, but lawyers in the state have told me they’ve seen no evidence that ICE is complying. Asylum seekers detained in Louisiana say they’ve been pepper-sprayed and beaten for protesting their indefinite detention.
The World Medical Association, the international authority on medical ethics, has repeatedly stated that force-feeding mentally competent hunger strikers is never ethically acceptable. The American Medical Association and the International Committee of the Red Cross also oppose the practice. Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in February that force-feeding may violate the UN Convention against Torture.
more...
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/01/ice-is-force-feeding-hunger-strikers-in-violation-of-medical-ethics/
January 16, 2020
Posted on Thu, Jan 16th, 2020 by Jason Easley
Kamala Harris Calls For Lev Parnas To Testify At Trump Impeachment Trial
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) calls for the Senate to bring Lev Parnas in to testify at Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.
Sen. Harris told MSNBC, “I think he should be brought before us so that we can determine his credibility. There are many ways to judge credibility. But there’s no question that the interviews that have occurred in the last 24 hours bring to light facts that should be pursued and should be reviewed by us in the United States Senate.”
https://twitter.com/i/status/1217865038935011330
Sen. Harris is correct. Parnas was there. He deserves to be heard, and the Senate can judge his credibility for itself. Parnas has dropped several bombshells about the involvement of everyone from Vice President Mike Pence to Attorney General William Barr in the plot. He has also provided Congress with notes and physical evidence to support his allegations.
The Senate and the American people deserve to hear what he has to say. Anything less will be a disgraceful cover-up that will permanently damage the concepts of accountability and justice.
Kamala Harris Calls For Lev Parnas To Testify At Trump Impeachment Trial
https://www.politicususa.com/2020/01/16/kamala-harris-calls-for-lev-parnas-to-testify-at-trump-impeachment-trial.htmlPosted on Thu, Jan 16th, 2020 by Jason Easley
Kamala Harris Calls For Lev Parnas To Testify At Trump Impeachment Trial
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) calls for the Senate to bring Lev Parnas in to testify at Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.
Sen. Harris told MSNBC, “I think he should be brought before us so that we can determine his credibility. There are many ways to judge credibility. But there’s no question that the interviews that have occurred in the last 24 hours bring to light facts that should be pursued and should be reviewed by us in the United States Senate.”
https://twitter.com/i/status/1217865038935011330
Sen. Harris is correct. Parnas was there. He deserves to be heard, and the Senate can judge his credibility for itself. Parnas has dropped several bombshells about the involvement of everyone from Vice President Mike Pence to Attorney General William Barr in the plot. He has also provided Congress with notes and physical evidence to support his allegations.
The Senate and the American people deserve to hear what he has to say. Anything less will be a disgraceful cover-up that will permanently damage the concepts of accountability and justice.
January 16, 2020
Jeopardy
I can't remember if it was last night or the night before, but there were 3 women panelists. One of the clues was to identify Adam Schiff and NO ONE could do that. I was appalled.
And while I'm at it, the ASPCA and their long, hideous, and no doubt expensive commercials. What's up with that?
https://www.animals24-7.org/2019/01/10/why-did-the-aspca-pres-get-852231-while-we-got-9-70-an-hour/
Why did the ASPCA pres get $852,231, while we got $9.70 an hour?
January 16, 2020
Judge Blocks Trump's Executive Order Allowing Local Officials To Reject Refugees
January 15, 2020
12:55 PM ET
Bobby Allyn
A federal judge in Maryland has blocked the Trump administration's executive order letting state and local governments turn away refugees from resettling in their communities.
Updated at 6:15 p.m. ET
A federal judge in Maryland has blocked the Trump administration's executive order allowing state and local governments to turn away refugees from resettling in their communities.
In September, President Trump announced that groups that help refugees find places to live must first get written consent from local and state jurisdictions before resettling them.
Immigration advocates challenged the executive order in federal court, calling it cruel and shortsighted.
U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte said the executive order "does not appear to serve the overall public interest."
In his 31-page opinion issued Wednesday, he wrote that the order gives states and local governments "the power to veto where refugees may be resettled — in the face of clear statutory text and structure, purpose Congressional intent, executive practice, judicial holdings and Congressional doctrine to the contrary."
Messitte's ruling is a preliminary injunction, putting on hold enforcement of Trump's refugee resettlement order.
more...
https://www.npr.org/2020/01/15/796658527/judge-blocks-trumps-executive-order-allowing-local-officials-to-reject-refugees?fbclid=IwAR2lgHcKfXuwfEIxdYWhdhjj9j2EiLk-6-db2zCIz5e9ejeHyhjYWipRHOg
Judge Blocks Trump's Executive Order Allowing Local Officials To Reject Refugees
Judge Blocks Trump's Executive Order Allowing Local Officials To Reject Refugees
January 15, 2020
12:55 PM ET
Bobby Allyn
A federal judge in Maryland has blocked the Trump administration's executive order letting state and local governments turn away refugees from resettling in their communities.
Updated at 6:15 p.m. ET
A federal judge in Maryland has blocked the Trump administration's executive order allowing state and local governments to turn away refugees from resettling in their communities.
In September, President Trump announced that groups that help refugees find places to live must first get written consent from local and state jurisdictions before resettling them.
Immigration advocates challenged the executive order in federal court, calling it cruel and shortsighted.
U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte said the executive order "does not appear to serve the overall public interest."
In his 31-page opinion issued Wednesday, he wrote that the order gives states and local governments "the power to veto where refugees may be resettled — in the face of clear statutory text and structure, purpose Congressional intent, executive practice, judicial holdings and Congressional doctrine to the contrary."
Messitte's ruling is a preliminary injunction, putting on hold enforcement of Trump's refugee resettlement order.
more...
https://www.npr.org/2020/01/15/796658527/judge-blocks-trumps-executive-order-allowing-local-officials-to-reject-refugees?fbclid=IwAR2lgHcKfXuwfEIxdYWhdhjj9j2EiLk-6-db2zCIz5e9ejeHyhjYWipRHOg
January 16, 2020
Trump Accidentally Autographed His Own Impeachment Papers at Michigan Rally
Might as well get a jump on things 
Trump Accidentally Autographed His Own Impeachment Papers at Michigan Rally
AJ
January 15, 2020
Like they always say with contracts, waivers, etc. - know what you're signing.
President Trump is known for autographing pretty much anything you put in front of him. In the past, he's autographed a Bible, a designer shoe, a guitar and more.
However, at his Christmas rally in Battle Creek last month, he clearly wasn't paying attention when he autographed his own impeachment papers.
A man named Jonathan Moore printed out the papers, which had been made available online the day before, and waited at the rally to get Trump's autograph. And yes, he got it. And it'll be up for auction starting on January 20th.
It's expected to fetch anywhere from $50K to $150K if you're interested. Oops.
https://wbckfm.com/trump-accidentally-autographed-his-own-impeachment-papers-at-michigan-rally/?fbclid=IwAR2-K8vXuYAcqFtr5DM9ZwtIBbya9D7ONEKU0lwTbWGFJFfssVAdzRJsMzM
January 16, 2020
'Huge mistake': Senators in both parties rip impeachment press access
Sen. John Kennedy said the restrictions send the “wrong message."
By MARIANNE LEVINE and BURGESS EVERETT
01/15/2020 04:49 PM EST
The Senate is prepared to enforce strict measures on reporters' access during President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, hoping to avoid the spectacle of senators being yelled at in the hallways as they were during the Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Brett Kavanaugh.
But not all Republicans are on board.
Some pushed back Wednesday, following news that access to senators will be significantly limited during the Senate impeachment proceedings.
Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, known for his folksy style and colorful quotes, complained that the restrictions send the “wrong message."
more...
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/15/senators-press-restriction-impeachment-099378?fbclid=IwAR2tVwBsCttib_NQGr9zld7n83YB03jpqmwB6MVB6HTa2zFb4dwMT3hmhhE
'Huge mistake': Senators in both parties rip impeachment press access
'Huge mistake': Senators in both parties rip impeachment press access
Sen. John Kennedy said the restrictions send the “wrong message."
By MARIANNE LEVINE and BURGESS EVERETT
01/15/2020 04:49 PM EST
The Senate is prepared to enforce strict measures on reporters' access during President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, hoping to avoid the spectacle of senators being yelled at in the hallways as they were during the Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Brett Kavanaugh.
But not all Republicans are on board.
Some pushed back Wednesday, following news that access to senators will be significantly limited during the Senate impeachment proceedings.
Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, known for his folksy style and colorful quotes, complained that the restrictions send the “wrong message."
“It’s a huge mistake,” Kennedy said. “U.S. senators are grown women and grown men. If they don’t want to make a comment, they know how to say ‘no comment.’ ... We aren’t children.”
“I don’t think you guys should ever be restricted,” said Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.). He added that while he has no issues talking to the press, the new rules are “kind of a way to give some certainty to the individuals that maybe don’t want to interact.”
more...
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/15/senators-press-restriction-impeachment-099378?fbclid=IwAR2tVwBsCttib_NQGr9zld7n83YB03jpqmwB6MVB6HTa2zFb4dwMT3hmhhE
Profile Information
Gender: FemaleHometown: NY
Home country: US
Current location: Florida
Member since: Mon Sep 6, 2004, 09:54 PM
Number of posts: 171,081
