Intriguing on the Michael Cohen docket.

Pompeo: "TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION."

In his first comments (days after the allegations broke), Pompeo had to re-state his answer, claiming he hadn't heard that a US Ambassador -- his direct report -- was allegedly under surveillance



https://twitter.com/nedprice/status/1218206826312933376

The President is lying about American casualties overseas.

"All is well" except the 11 American troops who have Traumatic Brain Injury because of the strike, which we are learning about over a week later.

https://twitter.com/benyc/status/1217982641087156226
https://twitter.com/ScottMStedman/status/1217979511616073728

MSNBC: Maddow's interview with Parnas brought in 4.5 million viewers-Highest rated episode ever

MSNBC says last night's episode of @maddow, which featured an interview with Lev Parnas, brought in 4.5 million total viewers, the show's highest-rated episode ever.

https://twitter.com/oliverdarcy/status/1217951158083510278

The Senate has *approved* the use of video evidence that Democrats were hoping for.

The Senate *will* allow the use of video/audio evidence in the trial, per the unanimous consent agreement earlier today.

@kyledcheney wrote about House Dems’ plans to use videos (including of Trump & Mulvaney) during their opening arguments: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/14/dems-video-evidence-impeachment-trial-098727 …



UPDATE: The Senate has *approved* the use of video evidence that Democrats were hoping for. This ensures Democrats can play videos of Trump and Mulvaney in their own words.



https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1217927392838258689

THAT was "the BIG plan?"

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What’s really fascinating is … THE UKRAINE ESCAPADE WAS “THE BIG PLAN!” I want to explore that for a bit. Feeling some serious worry about Joe Biden’s electoral prowess, Trump concocted a plan to try to make Joe look bad; to undermine his credibility; to create a fog of suspicion around him; to smear his good name. And what Trump came up with was “let’s make it look like he abused his power as VP.” THAT was “the big smear.” Make it look like Joe overstepped his bounds.

Now I want you to contemplate that. After 40 years in public service, and a bottomless pit of money resources, the GOP had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE on Joe Biden. Nada. Zilch. Bubkus. Stone cold ZERO. And so they were left with having to fabricate something. And what they chose to fabricate—and what they knew would receive equal coverage in the media as Trump’s many many scandals (see e.g., Hillary Clinton’s emails)—was a loose, nondescript allegation of abuse of power, tinged with nepotism.

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The GOP was counting on the cooperation of the media to whip up righteous indignation and outrage over the notion of Biden overstepping his bounds while he was VP, and I have no doubt that had the scheme worked, the media would have gladly obliged. The media undoubtedly would have jumped on the whiff of impropriety around Joe’s actions, while ignoring the first-of-its-kind rank nepotism of Ivanka, Jared, Jr. etc, and the many many things Trump has done to advance his and their personal interests. It’s a sad state of our political journalism and discourse that false equivalencies and “balance” take the place of “truth” and “facts,” but even THAT is not what I want you to focus on.

No…. what I want to highlight is the ABSURDITY of trying to extort a foreign nation with the help of …THAT GROUP OF WANNA BE LOSERS! International extortion is serious business. And they sent RUDY & HIS GOONS to do that? Seriously? I mean…. That’s just WILD. And what’s wilder is that they got the whole team to sign off and participate in this IDIOTIC scheme. Pence, Pompeo, Perry, Barr, Nunez the list goes on and on. They all thought that using THOSE GUYS (Giuliani, Parnas, Fruman, Firstash, Toensing, DiGenova & Robert Hyde (for crying out loud)) to strong arm a country at war with Russia, using THAT scheme to try to frame, defame and malign a presidential candidate, was going to work, and that all those CLOWNS would pull it off without misstep or, more importantly, without implicating them? They seriously bought that?
?1579203075
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/1/16/1911994/-THAT-was-the-BIG-Plan?utm_campaign=trending

'I did not have criminal relations with these men.'

RUDE PUNDIT: If You Defend Trump, You're Not Just Defending a Criminal. You're Enabling an Idiot.

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if you're a Trump defender, whether one of his scum voters or a craven congressional worm, you're obviously comfortable with having a fucking criminal lead you because it makes you feel big and important. You're a failure of a human being, but fuck it. You gave up giving a shit when it turned out the Negro president was actually good at his job so you had to ignore reality and disappear into the Fox "news" matrix to survive. Now you're just a vessel getting pumped with a fantasy that comforts you and bears no relationship to the actual world.

And that means ignoring the blatant, pathetic, obvious truth that Donald Trump is not just a fucking criminal. He's a fucking dolt. He proves that every single time he opens that reverse garbage disposal of a mouth. Your mighty president really said this last night at his Rally of the Narrow-Eyed Dumbfucks in Milwaukee:

"I'm also approving new dishwashers that give you more water, so you can actually wash and rinse your dishes without having to do it. Ten times, four: five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Anybody have a new dishwasher? I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry for that. It’s worthless! They give you so little water. You ever see it? Air comes out, so little water. So what happens? You end up using it 10 times, and the plates, then you take them out and do them the old-fashioned way, right? But what do you do? You’re spending 10 times for the electricity, right? So I’m putting the water back. Most places have so much water they don’t know what the hell to do with it. A lot of people don’t realize that. So dishwashers, now, you’re going to have just as much as you’ve ever had, and you’re going to use now one shot, your dishes are going to be beautiful."

Let's pause here for two things. First, new dishwashers are fucking amazing and anyone who doesn't know that is so out of touch it's ridiculous. Yeah, it takes a little longer. Fuck you if that's a problem. Have a drink and chill. If you're complaining about dishwashers, you're sucking Koch brother cock because, of course, those oil-filthy sons of bitches don't want anything that's energy efficient.

And, second, listen to the crowd actually cheer for this bulbous dickhead as he rants about dishwashers and toilets. He's blatantly lying and exaggerating, but the coprophagic yahoos gobble this shit like it's falling from crucified Christ's dead asshole. That's the point, right? To make sure that everyone goes along with his stupid. To reveal just how decadently dumb the country is.

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The Rude Rest:
http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2020/01/reminder-if-you-defend-trump-youre-not.html

Senators have been given a flashcard with suggested phrases to use to avoid reporters

"No underlying crime" marched into the graveyard of GOP talking points.

So here is what the GOP is fighting for, the right of a president to illegally overrule congress for personal political gain...which they're totally for, as long as there's never a Democratic president again

Senator Chris Van Hollen
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This bombshell legal opinion from the independent @USGAO demonstrates, without a doubt, that the Trump Administration illegally withheld assistance from Ukraine and the public evidence shows that the president himself ordered this illegal act.