10/2 Trump Admin. Launches Obstruction Campaign

In March of 2014, Russia invaded Ukraine and Ukrainian Solders and Citizens have been fighting and dying there since. Meanwhile, Pres. Trump, has gone to great lengths to support Russian Pres. Putin, over the apparatus and interests of the United States.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/18/putin-confirms-annexation-crimea-ukrainian-soldier-casualty

As Congress begins Impeachment Investigation and our Free Press exposes ‘High Crimes and Misdemeanors’, the Trump Administration has launched its’ obstruction and misdirection Campaign.

The Dept. of Justice (DOJ), State Dept., and White House Staff, as well as Rudolph Giuliani, have corrupted the mission of the U.S. Government, violated Constitutional Principals,  and shattered National trust. Having so engaged, they now proceed to obstruct and obfuscate examination of this hideous conduct.

The U.S. Attorney General, Secretary of State, Pres. Trump, and White House Administration have previously, and presently engage in illegal, immoral, Obstruction of Justice, and Hindering Prosecution.

In his July 25 phone call with Ukrainian Pres.  Volodymyr Zelensky, Pres. Trump clearly solicited a Political favor from Zelensky, according to notes on the call provided by the White House. Pres. Trump’s public defense has been that there was ‘No pressure’ during the call. But, as MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell and others report – ‘Pressure’ here, is irrelevant. The mere fact that Trump solicited a favor to benefit his Re-election Campaign, is Illegal.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/211

‘Opposition Research’, or defamatory information on a political opponent, is accepted in U.S. Courts as a ‘thing of value’.  So much for Trump’s Defense of ‘No Pressure’.

Rudolph Giuliani holds no official title in the U.S. Government, (which creates various questions about his recent activities on behalf of the President, and/or the State Dept.), but has identified himself as ‘President Trump’s Attorney.

Giuliani has been subpoenaed by   the House Intelligence Committee.

https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/documents/20190930%20-%20Giuliani%20HPSCI%20Subpoena%20Schedule%20Only.pdf

 Astonishingly, Giuliani has said he will ‘consider his options’ regarding his appearance. As If ! – Giuliani has only One ‘Option’; which is complete and timely compliance. His imploring any other course is akin to Obstruction, and Contempt of Congress. In normal times, (Remember those?), Such Contempt would be investigated and subsequently prosecuted by the Department of Justice, under the direction of the U.S. Attorney General. These are far from ‘Normal Times’ and AG Wm. Barr has shown himself be a total lapdog of Pres. Trump.

However, given that Barr himself has been shown to be implicated in Trump’s extortion of Ukraine, he should by all rights, be excluded, or ‘Recused’, from Congress’ on-going investigation. In his extortion of Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trump told him to contact Barr and Giuliani to investigate Former V.P. Biden and his son Hunter. If Barr is identified by Trump as a contact for this Investigation, he obviously can’t be seen as an impartial party.

18 U.S. Code § 872.Extortion by officers or employees of the United States

(C) the term “extortion” means an offense that has as its elements the extraction of anything of value from another person by threatening or placing that person in fear of injury to any person or kidnapping of any person;  source:https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode

 Secretary of State Pompeo’s implication in the scheme, and therefore his ‘Conflict’, is as blatant and obvious. Pompeo directed State Dept. Staff to obstruct the Congressional Investigation, and defamed Congress in a letter slandering the Investigation. In his misguided letter, Pompeo not only defies Congressional Authority, he deprives State Dept. Staff of their Right to have ‘Personal Counsel’ present.

https://games-cdn.washingtonpost.com/notes/prod/default/documents/a516c696-4d03-47f5-a8db-af11fa23ac02/note/c3f9c706-4e67-4a33-bc97-fd5687546349.pdf#page=1

As this unfolds, the State Dept. Inspector General appears before Congress with ‘Urgent’ and relevant information.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-whistleblower-state/congress-to-be-briefed-on-alleged-retaliation-against-u-s-diplomats-over-ukraine-idUSKBN1WH1WA

This bold defiance of Congress’ Constitutional Authority should be appalling to freedom-loving Americans, and is reminiscent of Article III of the Nixon Impeachment proposal.

 http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/history/johnson/rnimparticles.htm

It shall be noted here, and Wm. Barr should take heed; as part of the proceedings against Pres. Nixon, A.G. J. Mitchell was exposed to illegally abuse the power of the Office and subsequently convicted and sentenced to prison.

Adios, Mr. Trump.  

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi + POTUS Donald J. Trump = Impeachment

Speaker Pelosi – Cautious, Procedural, Deliberate. Pres. Trump – Lawless, Reckless, Disdainful. Inevitable End Result – Impeachment.  

Six Days ago, I posted that Impeachment loomed; turns out …

https://joeywalsez.blogspot.com/2019/09/dni-nsc-news-trump-sharpie-signs-obamas.html

Finally, here we are. Speaker of the House of Representatives, (3^rd in line of succession), has finally caved to the momentous pressure for formal Impeachment proceedings in the House. She has been patient, deliberate and determined in maintaining a cautious stance toward Impeachment, but now, enough is enough.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-face-critical-day-on-pursuing-impeachment-11569336620

Readers who follow this blog know I’ve called for Impeachment since January of 2017.  Perhaps too soon for most Americans but, I believe, credible nonetheless. Now, in plain sight, Pres. Trump has betrayed this nation in an intolerable manner and Speaker Pelosi has finally had enough.

Anyone paying any attention to my meanderings knows that I favor Democrats, and am somewhat Left-leaning, (Pardon me). That said, I strive for objectivity in my presentation here, (Frequently unsuccessfully).   As you can imagine, Ms. Pelosi’s hesitation has been personally aggravating. However, one must acknowledge and accept Speaker Pelosi’s delay as her right.

Nancy Pelosi has had her own legitimate concerns in her cautious approach in initiating Impeachment proceedings, maddening as they may be. I’m somewhat of a lukewarm supporter, of the Speaker. In some instances I believe her to be too liberal, and in others, not liberal enough. So be it. Her hesitant, cautious, maddening restraint is born of experienced deliberation.

Ms. Pelosi, 79, has been a Member of Congress for over 30 Years.  She was present in Congress for the 3 Month Impeachment Proceedings of Pres. Bill Clinton. She was witness to that experience, and that and other Congressional experience contribute to her cautious proceeding, as maddening as it may be to some of us. She’s no kid, and this ain’t her first rodeo.

Now though, Mr. Trump has gone too far. His lawless reckless abandon has generated enough revulsion that even hesitant, cautious observers have been compelled to drastic reaction. Seven Members of Congress, from Trump-leaning Districts and a lot to lose, publicly called for Impeachment proceedings.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/09/24/seven-freshman-democrats-these-allegations-are-threat-all-we-have-sworn-protect/

 These Members have in common, years of dedicated patriotic service to the United States. They have served in U.S. Intelligence and Combat Service. Collectively, having put All on the line to Protect, Defend, and Serve the Constitution, were compelled to action, in opposition to a President operating in direct defiance of such noble principals.

While Ukrainian Soldiers, (U.S. Allies, by the way), are fighting and dying in repelling a Russian Invasion, Pres. Trump sought to leverage U.S. Support to his own Political advantage. Enough.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/this-isnt-just-another-spat-trump-compromised-our-security-for-his-gain/2019/09/24/b3eb24ae-df09-11e9-be96-6adb81821e90_story.html

Bottom: It’s Time (please see previous post 9/19/19)

The Time has finally come for Donald J. Trump to leave office. He probably should have never been in Office in the first place, but once in; it became clear quickly, that this was a tragic mistake and he needs to leave.

Respected, experienced, former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance hit the nail on the head – ‘A president can’t offer US aid to a foreign country in exchange for prosecution of a political opponent’.

https://twitter.com/JoyceWhiteVance/status/1174847493634441216

I’m not an Attorney, but, I Can Read:

18 U.S. Code § 872.Extortion by officers or employees of the United States

(C) the term “extortion” means an offense that has as its elements the extraction of anything of value from another person by threatening or placing that person in fear of injury to any person or kidnapping of any person;  source:https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode

I believe that $250 Million in U.S. Aid to Ukraine is ‘ a thing of value’, and that the threat of a Russian Invasion of Ukraine places many persons ‘in fear of injury’. And probably kidnapping as well.

“As the 2020 election draws closer, President Trump and his personal attorney appear to have increased pressure on the Ukrainian government and its justice system in service of President Trump’s reelection campaign, and the White House and the State Department may be abetting this scheme,” the chairmen of the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees wrote, citing media reports that Trump had threatened to withhold $250 million in aid to help Ukraine in its ongoing struggle against Russian-backed separatists. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/whistleblower-complaint-about-president-trump-involves-ukraine-according-to-two-people-familiar-with-the-matter/2019/09/19/07e33f0a-daf6-11e9-bfb1-849887369476_story.html

Therefore; it is apparent, that Pres. Trump and his Team, held-up the Congressionally-approved and previously agreed to Aid, in order to force Ukrainian Authorities to investigate Trump’s political opponents.

There is concern about the Acting DNI consulting the Justice Dept. about the whistle-blower complaint, as the Law clearly states that the DNI’s next step should be to notify Congress before doing anything else.

“The law is “very clear” that the whistle-blower complaint must be handed over to Congress”, said Senator Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats. “The inspector general determines what level of concern it is,” Mr. King, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in an interview. “Once the determination is made,” he added, the director of national intelligence “has a ministerial responsibility to share that with Congress — it is not discretionary.” NY Times By Julian E. Barnes, Nicholas Fandos, Michael S. Schmidt and Matthew Rosenberg Published Sept. 19, 2019Updated Sept. 20, 2019, 8:48 a.m. ET

House Speaker N. Pelosi needs to move beyond her desperation to maintain a Democratic majority in the House, which is entirely understandable but now secondary, and permit Impeachment Proceedings to progress.

This all is good old, gangster-land Extortion, and should be treated and prosecuted as such. Finally, let’s have Sam Adams summarize -

‘If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country shall stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin’  Samuel Adams  1722 – 1803

Bottom.

 https://joeywalsez.blogspot.com/2019/09/dni-nsc-news-trump-sharpie-signs-obamas.html

DNI-NSC News / Trump Sharpie Signs Obama’s Wall

Hitting Bottom – DNI-NSC News / Trump Sharpie- Signs Obama’s Wall

Recovering Alcoholics and Addicts talk about having to ‘Hit Bottom’ before being able to be ‘restored to sanity’ and get sober. Looking at the present state of affairs; I wonder if the same is true for the Trump-Administration: have they yet Hit Bottom, or do they intend to keep digging before displaying sane and sober behavior? https://twitter.com/gregpmiller/status/1174488006859907072

The latest insane display of lack of stable behavior is the National Security whistle-blower ordeal unfolding at the office of National Security Council (NSC), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). An individual at the NSC, notified the NSC Inspector General (IG), that 

Pres. Trump may have committed a major and ‘urgent’ security breach. 

Now, there is the caveat that the President may Declassify information at his own discretion. However, Protocol dictates that he then notify other Intelligence and Security Officials that he has made particular agreements, or in this case ‘Promises’, to Foreign Officials on behalf of the United States. In this case, none of that was done.

The NSC Whistle-blower then notified his/her superiors and the IG of this secret discussion. The DNI is then compelled by Law, to notify House of Representatives and Senate Officials and Committees of such Disclosure. In this case, that Congressional Notification never happened.

Therefore; Pres. Trump apparently disclosed Secret U.S. Intelligence Information to a Foreign Official, and then made an Unauthorized secret promise to this official, and failed to notify anyone else in the U.S. Government (Congress), that he’d done so. Bottom?

 Following this disclosure by The Washington Post, NBC News, MSNBC and others, Trump appeared at the Southern Border Wall constructed by the Obama Administration, claimed The Wall as his, and used an Alabama Hurricane Map-altering Sharpie to Autograph The Wall. Bottom?  (Technically it’s Trump Admin. Refurbish of Obama Era Border Wall). https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-border-wall-near-san-diego-climb-barriers

‘Morning Joe’ Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Willie Geist and their MSNBC Colleagues, first disclosed and discussed Trump’s National Security insanity this morning, and then went on to discuss the absurdity of Trump making a big show autographing Obama Era Wall.  (Kudos to Mika for pointing out the Sharpie). Bottom?

https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe

All this occurs at a time when the Trump Administration, seriously handicapped by a crippling lack of Security and Intelligence leadership, is faced with an apparent Iranian Cruise-Missile Attack against Saudi Arabian Oil Production facilities. The attack reportedly wiped-out 50% of Saudi Oil Production equaling 5% of Total Worldwide Oil Production. While we in the U.S. can view this as an Arabian Gulf dispute, Saudi Arabia is, for better or worse a U.S. Ally, and any disruption to the flow of Worldwide Oil Supply has an overall effect on the price of Oil, and thus the Global Economy, of which the U.S. is a partner.

In pondering all this Insanity, one wonders, have we Hit Bottom, or is there more to come?

Politics of Hatred 8/6/19

Politics of Hatred

The U.S. Leadership seeks to treat Domestic Terrorism as a Community Mental Health Services Issue.   POTUS - ‘We need to improve and enhance Mental Health Treatment’. POTUS identified the Internet, Video Games, and Mental Illness as The Problem. ‘Mental Illness pulls the trigger, not Guns.’

41 spent shells were found at the scene of the Dayton, Ohio 30-Second Massacre, and The U.S. President says Mental Health is The Issue; not Guns.  We are Morally Leaderless.

POTUS – speaks of Racial Invasion; Infestation. Invasion = “Rapists, Murderers, Drug Dealers…” “Mexican, Liberal Judges will not protect Me”, (Us.) Pres Trump says among the Murderous Neo-Nazis of Charlottesville, there were some ‘very fine people’. Sure. ‘Very Fine’ Murderous Nazis.

So if ‘We’ face an infusion, an ‘Infestation’, an ‘Invasion’ of ‘Foreigners’, who threaten ‘Us’, then the obvious ‘Solution’, (Final), is to Exterminate, Defend, Repel, the ‘Invasion’ by any and all means. Not only Legal, Judicial, Legislative Measures, but Any means Necessary.  Such ‘Necessary Measures’ naturally, do not exclude Violence; Extermination, Elimination of the ‘Threat’.

Trump’s Plan – Anti-Terror Budget Cuts and Nice Words after Mass Murder. The Trump Administration has over time, cut funding, and terminated Domestic Anti-Terror Federal Services and Programs.  Trump’s Administration: “The administration is seeking a total of $568 million in cuts from counter-terrorism programs from 2017 levels” The report is based on a document sent from the Office of Management and Budget back to the Department of Homeland Security containing White House guidance on the proposed 2019 budget.

 In June 2017, the department stripped grant funding from several groups that implement programs countering violent extremism, redistributing the grant money away from groups that work among right-wing extremists. That move came under fire two months later after a counter protester was killed at a far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/12/13/trump-administration-seeks-to-slash-counterterrorism-funding/

 “Under this administration, there’s been a precipitous decline in the dedicated staff and program funding devoted to combating ideologically motivated violence.” Dept. of Homeland Security Office of Community Partnerships former director, George Selim.

“What’s undeniable is that his administration has hobbled the infrastructure designed to prevent such murders.” Peter Beinart Professor of journalism at the City University of New York

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/trump-shut-countering-violent-extremism-program/574237/

Then, when the inevitable violence strikes; Pres. Trump stumbles his way through some mealy-mouth speech about ‘Unity’ and how “Hate has no place in America … hatred warps the mind, ravages the heart and devours the soul…”. Yeah, Sure. Nice Words.

 “Twenty years ago, we grossly underestimated the rising threat of Islamist terrorism. We cannot afford to wait for the white-supremacist equivalent.”

Ali Soufan is a former F.B.I. special agent and the author of “Anatomy of Terror.” https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/opinion/white-supremacy-terrorism.html  (Oklahoma City – McVeigh, Remember?)

Compete, Total Exoneration ... Well, No.

'Complete, Total Exoneration'  DJT, Rudy G., et al...
'We Could Not Exonerate The President'  Robt. Mueller III, et al...

I guess, it's all a matter of perspective.

What we learned today, (Again):  Donald J. Trump as Presidential Candidate, and while President-Elect, and perhaps while POTUS, lied, profited, obstructed and worked to undermine the 2016 Presidential Election, and obstruct the investigation to that matter.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Former FBI Director in the days of 9/11/01, ( a Geo. W. Bush Appointee), Wounded Warrior and Recipient of both the Bronze Star, and Purple Heart for his service as a USMC Combat Officer in Vietnam, Registered Republican, swore to these things under Oath before the U.S. Congress today.

Mr. Mueller gave Sworn Testimony that Trump's National Security Advisor, Mike Flynn, (himself a Bronze Star Recipient, but unfortunately a Convicted Felon), profited by his work as an undisclosed Foreign Agent and lied to FBI Agents investigating the matter.
 Also, Mr. Mueller swore, Paul Manafort,   (no Bronze Medal here, but, he too, is a Convicted Felon, and undisclosed Foreign Agent), profited from illegal Campaign-related activity and obstruction, as did his Deputy Campaign Manager Rick Gates, (no medals; admitted Felon).
Donald J. Trump promised us 'All the Best People', and that we'd all 'be tired of all the Winning'.
Are we there yet?

It's clear from today's sworn Congressional testimony that Donald J. Trump, his family and Co-conspirators, engaged in a repeated and persistent effort to obstruct, mislead and deceive Investigators, and thereby the American People, about the disloyal and criminal  conduct of this Presidential Campaign and Administration. 

"For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light."  Mark 4:22
Simply put: More will be revealed.