Category Archives: 2020 Presidential Campaign
FBI Files
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The president ordered the release of FBI files related to the 2017 application for a FISA warrant to spy on Carter Page.
So, here’s how three different news outlets played the story:
NPR – Trump Orders Declassification Of FBI Documents Sought By House Republicans
New York Post –Trump says order to release FBI files may be ‘crowning achievement’
CNN – Trump inflames war on Justice Dept. by declassifying Russia docs
Fantastic Job in Puerto Rico
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President Trump’s policy is “if you hit me I hit you harder.” So he spent last week hitting the mayor of San Juan Puerto Rico over the death toll due to Hurricane Maria.
He claims “We Did a fantastic job in Puerto Rico.”
Death Toll
A GeorgeWashington University study commissioned by the Puerto Rican government says the hurricane killed 2,975 people. But FEMA administrator Brock Long says many of those deaths occurred “six months after the fact.” The initial number of deaths confirmed by coroners is 64. Trump’s preferred number is 18. That was the official count when he visited two weeks after the storm.
Meanwhile Obama has entered the mid term fray and he’s taking credit for the current economic boom.
Corey Booker Sparticus
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Corey Booker had an I’m Spartacus moment Thursday. He and fellow Senate Democrats threatened to release “committee confidential” documents related to Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s time in the Bush White House.
“Spartacus” said that he was willing to sacrifice everything, including his Senate seat, in an act of civil disobedience. And true to his word, he released the documents.
But the fearless gesture fizzled. It turned out the documents had already been authorized for release the night before, sans sacrifice.
Impeachment
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Democrats are trying to keep their impeachment hopes under the radar. For example, Jimmy Carter’s not talking about it and he says you shouldn’t either. Besides, other Democratic leaders like Nancy Pelosi worry impeachment talk could backfire.
But former Labor Secretary Robert Reich has a different approach. He doesn’t want impeachment talk either. In fact he doesn’t want Trump impeached at all.
He wants the election annulled.
Unindicted Co-Conspiritor Witch Hunt
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President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen ratted him out. He says Trump directed him to arrange hush money payments to a playboy model and a porn star. Trump then reimbursed him for the Stormy Daniels payment. Cohen claims that helped Trump’s 2016 election chances and therefore it was an illegal in-kind campaign contribution.
Witch Hunt
Democrats are wary of impeachment talk but Cohen’s lawyer (and Bill Clinton’s old impeachment defender) Lanny Davis is howling “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
But Bill Clinton’s former speech writer Mark Penn says there’s nothing illegal about it. Had Trump used campaign funds to pay hush money it would have been an illegal personal use of campaign funds. So using his own money can’t be considered a campaign contribution. And Professor Dershowitz says even if it is a campaign contribution there’s no limit to the amount Trump can contribute to his own campaign.
Trump tweets “witch hunt.” Stay tuned.
