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Rock of Ages features Staten Island guitarist in off-Broadway run – SILive.com

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As the lights go up at New World Stages in Manhattan for a Saturday matinee performance, Staten Island native John Barry props himself on stage, slings his guitar over his shoulders and gets into rockstar mode.

Its why the Princes Bay resident was a natural choice to be a substitute member of the Rock of Ages band. The production, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in an off-Broadway setting, has let the Staten Islander grace its stage in recent months as part of the shows pit band.

Its amazing that they take the time to entertain a kid from Staten Island, Barry told SILive.com. Thats all I am. Im a dude from Staten Island who plays guitar and its an honor to be asked back every time they do.

He admits that the stereotype of knowing someone in the business helped land him the role, and after shadowing the guitarist he would fill in for for a few performances, he was ready to go.

Staten Island native John Barry featured in the "Rock of Ages" off-Broadway production at New World Stages October 5, 2019. (Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola)

Its a little nerve-racking to be honest with you, Barry said of watching the show from a seat in the audience before joining it. My goal is to be as true to the soundtrack as possible, and its really amazing how much work goes into it on the bands part backstage.

The Rock of Ages set has no orchestra area, so the musicians are center stage throughout the entire performance. Members of the pit band are essentially characters in the show, which is different for Barry since he has very little acting experience.

Being in theater, though, is in his blood.

I played in some pits in middle school and throughout high school, the Susan E. Wagner High School alumnus said. My aunt, Diane Zerega, is a music theater teacher at Wagner High School so theater has been in my life for as long as I can remember."

A STATEN ISLAND MUSICIAN ON THE RISE

Barry has always dreamed of shredding for a living.

During family trips to Broadway, he found himself focused on the guitar section of the orchestra in shows like The Sound of Music and Lion King.

But it wasnt until he went to the Berklee College of Music in Boston that he discovered how to turn his passion into a career.

Barry said that teacher William Levay at Barnes Intermediate School in Great Kills was a role model to him growing up.

Hes the reason I have long hair, he said.

When I was in middle school and [Levay] was, like, the biggest influence in my life, I wanted to be a teacher, Barry said. I wanted to do for kids what he had done for me.

While the musician wouldnt disclose how many shows he has left on the Rock of Ages run, he encouraged people to see it even if hes not performing.

Everyone in the cast, crew and the pit has been absolutely amazing, he said. Theyve been so welcoming and its a really nice vibe."

HOW TO SEE ROCK OF AGES

Performances of Rock of Ages take place at New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St., until Jan. 12. Show times are Monday at 8 p.m., Wednesday at 8 p.m., Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 and 7:30 p.m.

For more information about tickets, call 212-239-6200 or go online.

Rock of Ages features Staten Island guitarist in off-Broadway run - SILive.com

Sex offender with violent history moved from McNeill Island to Spokane – KREM.com

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

SPOKANE, Wash. A registered sex offender with a violent history identified was recently released from McNeil Island and is now living on the 1200 block of N. Lincoln street, according to Spokane police.

Shawn D. Botner is a level 3 sex offender who was recently released from McNeill Island. Botner has a violent history of sexual assault and predatory behavior, according to Sgt. Terry Preuninger with the Spokane Police Department.

Botner's classification level reflects the potential to reoffend.

Botner was convicted of attempted rape in 1992, when he stalked and attacked a female student, strangling her with an electric cord and dragging her into a restroom, Preuninger said.

In 2006 Botner was found to be in violation of his community custody agreement when Spokane police found him stalking a woman who worked at a local business and discovered he was in the Gonzaga area and on the centennial trail "engaging in predatory behavior."

He was found in possession of a bag containing women's clothing, sex toys, pornography, and a notebook containing hand written notes detailing plans for rape and murder, Preuninger said.

Botner was also convicted of Indecent Liberties in 1988 and Unlawful Imprisonment in 1991.

Spokane Police

RELATED: 'This is our last resort': McCluskey family suing Univ. of Utah for $56 million

RELATED: 'Their hands are tied': Spokane Co. responds to backlash over sex offender relocation

Editor's note: The below video is about limitations officials face when sex offenders are relocated to Spokane.

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Sex offender with violent history moved from McNeill Island to Spokane - KREM.com

Opponents Worried About Spaceport Camden’s Impact On Cumberland Island – WJCT NEWS

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

The FAA has yet to approve a new commercial spaceport in Camden County, Georgia.

Supporters of the new port include everyone from Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

However, a vocal contingent of local residents is speaking out against the project.

In particular, they say theyre worried about the impact of launching experimental rockets over the environmentally sensitive Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Harriet Bluffs resident Steve Weinkle, who opposes the spaceport spoke out on First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross on Wednesday.

Cumberland Island is a national treasure. Its unique in that, it has a 10,000-acre wilderness area. Wilderness areas are accorded the highest level of environmental protection in the United States. Launching rockets over a wilderness is far more impactful than launching rockets over the Grand Canyon or launching rockets over the Statue of Liberty, Weinkle said.

Related: Listen to the full interview with Weinkle

Meanwhile, supporters of the Camden Spaceport say it would bring good-paying, high tech jobs to the communities of Kingsland and St. Marys.

According to a Tribune & Georgianstory published in March, the county has spent more than $6.5 million on Spaceport Camden and that cost could rise to well over $11 million.

Melissa Ross can be reached at mross@wjct.org, 904-358-6382 or on Twitter at@MelissainJax.

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Opponents Worried About Spaceport Camden's Impact On Cumberland Island - WJCT NEWS

Staten Island Railway delayed because of slippery tracks; wind advisory issued – SILive.com

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As Staten Island is bracing for a wet and windy afternoon and night, the Staten Island Railway is experiencing delays in both directions ahead of Wednesdays rush hour.

SIR trains are delayed in both directions because of slippery rails caused by the inclement weather along the line, according to an MTA announcement.

Those commuting by car will not be any luckier when crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on Wednesday.

Due to high winds and road conditions motorists are asked to drive at reduced speeds of 20 MPH," MTA.info says.

The MTA also warned motorists that rain is causing dangerous, wet roadways along the span.

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for New York City, including Staten Island.

Winds are projected to reach between 20 and 30 mph with gusts in excess of 50 mph, according to the NWS.

The advisory will be in effect from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. on Thursday.

The NWS is advising residents to keep their electronics charged and turn their refrigerators and freezers to a colder setting, should a power outage occur because of the wind.

Earlier today, the NWS also issued a coastal flood statement for Staten Island, warning that minor coastal flooding could occur Wednesday night.

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Staten Island Railway delayed because of slippery tracks; wind advisory issued - SILive.com

Which Trump Will Take the Fall for Years of Tax Fraud? – Vanity Fair

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

Last February, not long before he reported to prison, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen testified that his boss had regularly inflated his personal assets when it served his purposes to do so, like to obtain loans, and deflated them when reporting lower numbers was to his benefitlike, for instance, in order to reduce his tax liability. Shortly thereafter, the House Oversight and Reform Committee subpoenaed Donald Trumps longtime accounting firm, Mazars USA, for eight years of his financial records, a move the president did not respond well to, suing committee chairman Elijah Cummings and fighting tooth and nail to keep such information under lock and key. Last week a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the subpoena, which Trump is likely to appeal again, possibly to the Supreme Court. And based on a new report by ProPublica, which highlights apparent tax fraud by the Trump Organization, you can understand why!

Documents obtained by reporter Heather Vogell show major discrepancies in how the presidents companies reported expenses, profits, and occupancy rates for two buildings, making the properties appear more profitable to lenders and less profitable to tax authorities, just as Cohen testified. At 40 Wall Street, for example, the Trump Organization told Ladder Capital that the building was leased at 58.9% on December 31, 2012, and then shot up to 95% a few years later, knowing that lenders wanted to see rising occupancy levels, or leasing momentum, which was critical to obtaining a new $160 million loan with a lower interest rate. (Based on the figures the Trump Organization gave to them, Ladders underwriters predicted 40 Wall Streets profits would more than double after 2015.) Yet, per ProPublica, as of 2018, the most recent year for which data is available, the building had never met profit expectations, lagging by more than 8%, which experts say is extremely unusual given the amount of due diligence underwriters are meant to do.

According to Kevin Riordan, a financing expert and real estate professor at Montclair State University, the rise in occupancy that the Trump Organization claimed was unusual, and what do you know? Documents submitted to tax officials showed no such surge. Instead the company told tax officials that the building was already 81% leased in 2012, the same figure it reported as of January 5, 2013. There was a story crafted here, Riordan said. Its contradicted by what we see in the tax filings.

Also at 40 Wall Street, insurance costs for 2017when Don Jr. and Eric had taken over the day-to-day businesswere listed at $457,414 in loan records and $744,521 in tax documents, while Trump claimed to tax authorities in 2015 that he paid the actual owners of the building $1.65 million for the right to lease it out, despite telling the loan servicer the figure was $1.24 million. It really feels like theres two sets of booksit feels like a set of books for the tax guy and a set for the lender, said Riordan. Its hard to argue numbers. Thats black and white.

These discrepancies are versions of fraud, according to Berkeley professor of finance and real estate Nancy Wallace. This kind of stuff is not okay. And by not okay, she means potentially criminal. Per Vogell, New York Citys property tax forms clearly state that whoever signs them affirms the truth of the statements made and that false filings are subject to all applicable civil and criminal penalties.

Meanwhile, documents for the Trump International Hotel & Tower contain similar inconsistencies that, coincidentally, all worked out in Trumps favor. The Trump Organization told tax officials it made roughly $822,000 renting space to commercial tenants at the building in 2017, but claimed to loan officials that the amount was $1.67 million. Examining eight years of data for the property, ProPublica found that the Trump Organization reported gross income to tax authorities that was typically only about 81% of what it reported to the lender. The business also seemed to leave out income it received for leasing the roof for TV antennas on its tax documents, leaving the line for that type of income blank on nine years of filings. And if you guessed such figures did appear on loan documents, as major sources of income, congratulations, youve cracked Trumps (alleged!) scam.

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Which Trump Will Take the Fall for Years of Tax Fraud? - Vanity Fair

‘To me it will always be Columbus Day.’ Trump dismisses criticism of Christopher Columbus – USA TODAY

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

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Donald Trump weighed into the ongoing controversy over Columbus Day on Wednesday, slamming some who have eschewed the holiday's namesake.

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President Trump says his meeting with the parents of a British teen killed in a traffic accident involving an American diplomat's wife was "beautiful." (Oct. 16) AP

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump, who made his support for the "Merry Christmas" greeting a part ofhis campaign,weighed into the ongoing controversy over Columbus Day on Wednesday, slamming some who have eschewed the holiday's namesake.

"To me it will always be called Columbus Day," Trump said during a press conference at the White House with Italian PresidentSergio Mattarella.

"Some people don't like that," he said. "I do."

For many Americans, the second Monday in October is a celebration of Italian heritage andChristopher Columbus'1492 voyage to the Americas. But agrowing number of cities, states and universitiesare abandoning shipand replacing Columbus Daywith Indigenous Peoples Day, also known as Native Americans Day.

At least eight states, 10 universitiesand more than 130 cities across 34states now observe Indigenous Peoples Dayas an alternative to the federally recognized Columbus Day, which they say glorifies the mistreatment and colonization of Native Americans.

Mattarella also weighed in Columbus.

"It seems to me that he did a good job back then,"Mattarella said.

Contributing:Grace Hauck

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'To me it will always be Columbus Day.' Trump dismisses criticism of Christopher Columbus - USA TODAY

Donald Trump and Beto O’Rourke are coming to North Texas at the same time. Here’s what to expect – WFAA.com

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

DALLAS For the second time in a year, President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke will hold political rallies at the same time in the same state.

Trump's "Keep America Great" function in Dallas and O'Rourke's "Rally Against Fear" event in Grand Prairie are both scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 17.

Here's what to expect:

Trump's rally will be held at the American Airlines Center at 7 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m. Tickets can be reserved here.

O'Rourke's rally will be at the Theatre at Grand Prairie. Doors open at 6 p.m. Find out more information here.

RELATED: Beto O'Rourke plans Texas rally for same time as Trump again

RELATED: Donald Trump 'Keep America Great' Dallas rally scheduled for Oct. 17

Nearly 20,000 people are expected to attend Trump's event at the AAC. People are allowed to line up beginning at 6 a.m. Some were already camped out Wednesday.

Expect heavy traffic around this area all day. So far, the following roads will be closed:

In addition, the sidewalks lining the north and west sides of the AAC will be closed to pedestrians.

Those traveling to the Theatre at Grand Prairie for O'Rourke's rally may fare better on the traffic front, as long as you beat the evening rush. We'll share any more info on road closures as it becomes available.

Trump's "Keep America Great" rally will focus on his initiatives for job growth in Texas during his time in office.

President Trump looks forward to celebrating the good news of the Trump economy and the vast accomplishments of his administration with the great men and women of Texas," Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. COO Michael Glassner wrote in a news release earlier in October.

RELATED: Senate Republicans side with Kurds in bipartisan condemnation of Trump's Syria withdrawal

O'Rourke's "Rally Against Fear" event will be in direct opposition to the president and appears to be planned in response to Trump's trip to Texas.

"It's on us to declare [Trump's] hatred, racism, and division does not belong in Texas," O'Rourke wrote in the tweet that announced the rally.

O'Rourke might also speak about gun control. The former Texas congressman has repeatedly called for assault weapons bans following mass shootings in Gilroy, Calif., El Paso and Odessa.

RELATED: Beto O'Rourke wants mandatory buyback of AK-47, AR-15 rifles

Impeachment may also be a topic that both men discuss in September, the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Reform panels announced a subpoena of Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani for documents related to his interactions with Ukranian officials.

Trump faces an impeachment inquiry after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi formally started that process last Wednesday over allegations that Trump pressured the leader of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden's family.

O'Rourke has repeatedly called for Trump's impeachment.

We'll be at both rallies and will have updated coverage online and on WFAA Channel 8.

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Donald Trump and Beto O'Rourke are coming to North Texas at the same time. Here's what to expect - WFAA.com

Macabre Video of Fake Trump Shooting Media and Critics Is Shown at His Resort – The New York Times

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

WASHINGTON A video depicting a macabre scene of a fake President Trump shooting, stabbing and brutally assaulting members of the news media and his political opponents was shown at a conference for his supporters at his Miami resort last week, according to footage obtained by The New York Times.

Several of Mr. Trumps top surrogates including his son Donald Trump Jr., his former spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis were scheduled to speak at the three-day conference, which was held by a pro-Trump group, American Priority, at Trump National Doral Miami. Ms. Sanders and a person close to Mr. Trumps son said on Sunday that they did not see the video at the conference.

Stephanie Grisham, the White House press secretary, said on Twitter Monday that while Mr. Trump has not seen the video, based upon everything he has heard, he strongly condemns it.

The video, which includes the logo for Mr. Trumps 2020 re-election campaign, comprises a series of internet memes. The most violent clip shows Mr. Trumps head superimposed on the body of a man opening fire inside the Church of Fake News on parishioners who have the faces of his critics or the logos of media organizations superimposed on their bodies. It appears to be an edited scene of a church massacre from the 2014 dark comedy film Kingsman: The Secret Service.

The disclosure that the video was played shows how Mr. Trumps anti-media language has influenced his supporters and bled into their own propaganda. Mr. Trump has made attacks on the news media a mainstay of his presidency, and he tweeted a similar but far less violent video in 2017. In recent weeks as he has confronted impeachment proceedings, he has ramped up his attacks on the news media, repeatedly calling it the enemy of the people.

A person who attended the conference last week took a video of the clip on his phone and had an intermediary send it to a reporter for The Times. Parts of the video were posted on YouTube in 2018 by a user with a history of creating pro-Trump mash-ups.

The organizer of the event said in a statement on Sunday that the clip had been played at the conference, saying it was part of a meme exhibit. He denounced the video and said his organization was looking into how it was shown at the event.

Content was submitted by third parties and was not associated with or endorsed by the conference in any official capacity, said the organizer, Alex Phillips. American Priority rejects all political violence and aims to promote a healthy dialogue about the preservation of free speech. This matter is under review.

Organizers declined to say exactly where at Mr. Trumps resort the video was shown.

A person close to Mr. Trumps son said he was unaware that the video had been played at the conference. Ms. Sanders said she was unaware of the videos existence until a Times reporter contacted her.

I was there to speak at a prayer breakfast, where I spoke about unity and bringing the country together, Ms. Sanders said. I wasnt aware of any video, nor do I support violence of any kind against anyone.

A spokesman for Mr. Trumps campaign said he knew nothing about the video.

That video was not produced by the campaign, and we do not condone violence, said Tim Murtaugh, the spokesman.

A DeSantis spokeswoman did not respond to an email seeking comment.

The video depicts a scene inside the Church of Fake News, where parishioners rise as Mr. Trump dressed in a black pinstripe suit and tie walks down the aisle. Many parishioners faces have been replaced with the logos of news media organizations, including PBS, NPR, Politico, The Washington Post and NBC.

Mr. Trump stops in the middle of the church, pulls a gun out of his suit jacket pocket and begins a graphic rampage. As the parishioners try to flee, the president fires at them. He shoots Black Lives Matter in the head, and also shoots Vice News.

Some of those in the church try to apprehend Mr. Trump. He fends them off and makes his way toward the altar, knocking over several pews. He wrestles a parishioner with a Vice News logo as a face to the ground and then shoots the person at point blank range. In the background, the former F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, is seen trying to get away.

From there, Mr. Trump attacks a range of his critics. He strikes the late Arizona senator John McCain in the back of the neck. He hits the television personality Rosie ODonnell in the face and then stabs her in the head. He strikes Representative Maxine Waters, Democrat of California. He lights the head of Senator Bernie Sanders, a Democratic presidential rival, on fire.

He takes Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, hostage before throwing him to the ground. Then he strikes former President Barack Obama in the back and throws him against a wall.

Others shown in the video include Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC; former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; former President Bill Clinton; the film producer Harvey Weinstein; and Representative Adam B. Schiff, the California Democrat who as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee is overseeing an impeachment inquiry of Mr. Trump.

The clip ends with Mr. Trump putting a stake into the head of a person with a CNN logo for a face. Mr. Trump then stands on the altar, admiring his rampage, and smiles.

The video is similar in style to one Mr. Trump tweeted in July 2017, in which he is shown at a wrestling match body slamming CNNs logo and beating it up. The president was roundly criticized for encouraging violence against journalists by posting that clip, but his supporters enjoyed it, and helped make the tweet viral.

Throughout his 2016 campaign and presidency, Mr. Trump has sought to demonize the news media, partly out of frustration about the coverage of his administration and partly because he likes to have an opponent to target. Mr. Trump has also sought to undermine confidence in the mainstream media, some of his advisers acknowledge privately, to make people doubt the accuracy of less favorable accounts of what goes on in his administration.

The president said at a rally on Friday that there was an unholy alliance of corrupt Democrat politicians, deep-state bureaucrats and the fake news media.

Macabre Video of Fake Trump Shooting Media and Critics Is Shown at His Resort - The New York Times

Prosecutors flag that DOJ is not in sync with Trump on tax returns claim – POLITICO

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

The Justice Department brief filed in the case last week said the effort to use a criminal subpoena to obtain Trumps tax returns raised significant constitutional questions and should be put on hold so its effects could be reconsidered by a federal district judge.

But Justice officials did not go as far as Trump lawyers, who argued a sitting president is off-limits to state prosecutors.

Vances team also scoffed at arguments from Trump and the Justice Department that impeachment is the mechanism the Constitution prescribes for misconduct by a president. The prosecutors noted Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone sent a letter to Congress last week defying its demands for information in an impeachment inquiry.

The reality is that Appellant has refused to participate in the very impeachment process that he presents here as the bulwark against placing a president above the law. His core position on every one of these matters is that the United States Presidency places him beyond the reach of the law, Vances office wrote.

Prosecutors also emphasized their argument that allowing Trump to fend off the subpoena would threaten investigations of other individuals who could be charged, regardless of whatever legal protections a president may claim.

Vances office hs said it is investigating various matters relating to the Trump Organization, including how the business recorded hush money payments to two women who claimed sexual encounters with Trump, Stephanie Clifford, whose adult film name is Stormy Daniels, and Karen McDougal.

Cohen, Trumps former attorney, has pleaded guilty in federal court to arranging those payments as part of an effort to get elected Trump to the presidency in 2016. Court documents filed by federal prosecutors in Manhattan alluded to Trump as a co-conspirator in that case, but he has not been charged. Justice Department policy bars charging a sitting president with a crime.

A three-judge panel of 2nd Circuit judges is scheduled to hear arguments on Trumps appeal next week.

The dispute involving the Manhattan district attorney is one of at least four ongoing court cases involving efforts to obtain Trumps financial records.

Last week, Trump lost the first of those cases to reach a federal appeals court. A panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 against his attempt to block a subpoena from the House Oversight and Reform Committee.

Trumps attorneys have indicated they plan to go to the Supreme Court if lower courts dont back his demands to quash the subpoenas.

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Prosecutors flag that DOJ is not in sync with Trump on tax returns claim - POLITICO

‘Trump sold them out’: Joe Biden hits the president over Syria troop withdrawal in Iowa speech – Des Moines Register

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

President Donald Trump denied giving Turkey a green light to invade Syria, insisting what he gave "was just the opposite of a green light." He also took on South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham after he criticized Trump's handling of the situation. (Oct. 16) AP, AP

DAVENPORT, Ia. President Donald Trump sold out United States allies and gave ISIS "a new lease on life" by withdrawing troops from Syria, former Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday.

Biden, who is seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, used a speech in Davenport to criticize the Republican president's foreign policy.Speaking in hushed tones, Biden lamented Trump'strade war with China andthe president'swithdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, while emphasizing his own foreign policy experience.

"Donald Trump, I believe its not comfortable to say this about a president but he is a complete failure as a commander in chief," Biden said. "Hes the most reckless and incompetent commander in chief weve ever had."

Biden saved his harshest words for Trump's decision earlier this month to remove U.S. armed forces from northern Syria. Turkey subsequently invaded the country, including territory held by the Kurds, who were U.S. allies in the fight against ISIS.

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"The events of this past week ... have had devastating clarity on just how dangerous he is to our national security, to our leadership around the worldand to the lives of the brave women and menserving in uniform," Biden said.

The decision to withdraw troops from Syria, Biden said, created a humanitarian crisis, forced the United States military into retreat and gave ISIS "a new lease on life."

"Those brave Kurdish and Arab forces paid a steep price. Defeating ISIS and the caliphate, they lost over 10,000 soldiers," Biden said. "Hear me? Ten thousand. Ten thousand dead. They made the ultimate sacrifice. And then Trump sold them out."

Trump has recently stood by his decision.

"It's not our problem," the presidenttold reporters Wednesdayas Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo prepared to travel toTurkey to try to negotiate a ceasefireand avoid a humanitarian crisis on the Syrian border.

The presidenthas repeatedly framed his decision in Syria as part of his broader pledge to withdraw U.S. troops from foreign entanglements.

Biden said the conflict created a rift between the United States and Turkey two NATO allies that is furthering Russian President Vladimir Putin's goal "offracturing the NATO alliance."

"Imagine how demoralizing it is to the troops, our troops, as Russia pours in, mercenaries, taking literally victory laps inside of the former U.S. camps and facilities the very ones President Trump ordered them to abandon. And Turkey attacking the very people they fought alongside of," Biden said.

The House has overwhelmingly voted its bipartisan condemnation of President Donald Trump's withdrawal of American forces from northern Syria. Democrats and Republicans banded together and approved a nonbinding resolution by 354-60 vote. (Oct. 16) AP, AP

Biden also used the speech to highlight his own foreign policy experience, saying that the country needs a leader who can assure its allies "on Day One" that the United States will keep its word.

"Im going to say something very self-serving:This is something I know a lot about. I spent a lot of time in that area, I know all these leaders, Ive been engaged. Because thats my job," Biden said in an improvised riffthat was not part of his prepared speech.

Biden also praised the Obama administration's strategy of using a few hundred American troops to work with local fighters to fight ISIS, a strategy he said Trump was imitating until he decided to withdraw those troops this month.

"The strategy was so successful it turned out that Trumps secret plan to defeat ISIS you remember that secret plan to defeat ISIS was just to keep doing what we had put in place. Until last week," he said.

Trump has faced bipartisan criticism for the withdrawal of troops, with the U.S. House voting overwhelminglyWednesday afternoon to condemn the move.

"Republicans in Congress know how irresponsible this is," Biden said. "Its about the only thing theyve mustered enough backbone to criticize him on. Thats how outrageous it is even Mitch McConnell knows hes wrong."

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

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'Trump sold them out': Joe Biden hits the president over Syria troop withdrawal in Iowa speech - Des Moines Register

New poll shows what Michigan voters think about impeaching Trump – Detroit Free Press

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

George Kent, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, arrives for his deposition amid the U.S. House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry into President Trump in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Oct. 15, 2019(Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo, EPA-EFE)

WASHINGTON A new poll indicates Michigan voters are closely split over whether to support or oppose an inquiry underway in the U.S. House of Representatives to impeach President Donald Trump.

Marketing Resource Group, a Lansing-based communications firm that often works with Republican candidates, on Wednesday released findings from a poll that showed 48.5% of likely voters surveyed support the impeachment inquiry while 45.2% oppose it.

It is one of the first independent polls to be done on impeachment among voters in Michiganalone, which makes it significant, given that Michigan along with Wisconsin and Pennsylvania narrowly tipped the Electoral College in Trump'sfavor in 2016.

The fact that overall supportfor the impeachment inquiry is below the 50% threshold, and waybelow other nationalpolling numbers on the same issue, confirms Michigan will continue to be in play (in the presidential election) next year," said Jenell Leonard, who owns the firm, which is also known as MRG.

The poll is also significant given that two Democratic members of the U.S. House from Michigan Reps. Elissa Slotkin of Holly and Haley Stevens of Rochester Hills who flipped formerly Republican-held districts in the last electionhave come out in support of the impeachment inquiry, and have been targeted by Republicans.

Democrats are considering impeaching Trump after he asked the president of Ukraine to investigate a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, despite there being no evidence he committed any corrupt act. Trump later suggested China should investigate Biden, too. It is illegal to solicit aid from a foreign government in a U.S. election.

Leonard isthe former director of the Michigan film office andis married to former state House Speaker Tom Leonard of Dewitt, whom Trump has nominated to become U.S. Attorney for the western district of Michigan.

A recent CBS national poll showed 55% of Americans support the impeachment inquiry, though that was a poll of U.S. citizens and not likely voters.

For the new Michigan poll,MRG surveyed a random sample of 600 likely Michigan voters Oct. 7-10 using live interviewers.The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Only about 6% of those surveyed either refused to answer or said they didn't know whether they supported or opposed impeachment proceedings.

As expected, Democrats were sharply in favor of the inquiry 87% to 9% and Republicans were just as sharply against it 6% to 90%. Among self-described independents, however, 50% were in support, with 38% opposed.

Tom Shields, who founded MRG and remains as a senior adviser, said the findings indicate what could be a hard-fought battle for the state in 2020.

President Trump is going to have a tough time winning Michigan," he said. "And the Democrats are going to have a tough time defeating him.

Top Democrats all lead in head-to-head matchups with Trump in Michigan

Elissa Slotkin, Debbie Dingell move forward on impeachment

Contact Todd Spangler at tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @tsspangler. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.

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New poll shows what Michigan voters think about impeaching Trump - Detroit Free Press

Trump’s letter to Turkish president is so ridiculous people didn’t believe it was real – Mashable

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

It's an especially concerning day to be living in Donald Trump's America.

Shortly after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stood outside the White House this afternoon and literally said that Trump "had a meltdown" and cancelled an "all-Member classified briefing" on the dangerous situation he's caused in Syria, Fox Business anchor Trish Regan tweeted a copy of what she said was a letter from Trump to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In the letter, dated Oct. 9, Trump asks Erdogan to "work out a good deal," warns him not to "be a tough guy," and says that history will forever look upon him as "the devil" if he is "responsible for slaughtering thousands. Trump ends the letter by saying, "I will call you later."

The language in the letter was so bizarre, informal, and unhinged that upon seeing it on social media, many questioned whether it was actually real.

Though there's a great deal of doubt online, New York Times White House Correspondent Katie Rogers and others have confirmed the letter's authenticity.

With members of Congress and Pelosi publicly and repeatedly voicing concern over the president's erratic behavior, Twitter users were barely even able to crack jokes about the letter too stunned to even process it's existence.

It's one thing to read yet another of the president's middle of the night tweet-rants, but seeing the exclamation points and non sequiturs laid out on official White House letterhead is quite another.

While Americans and government officials outside the administration are stressing about the letter, Trump continues to tweet graphics of his approval ratings from inside the White House as though nothing is wrong.

Everything is not fine.

Trump's letter to Turkish president is so ridiculous people didn't believe it was real - Mashable

The Lives That Wont Ever Matter In Trumps America – Rolling Stone

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

The video is horrifying to watch. The casual disregard for human life, other than the shooters, is evident. The gunman, who is white, fires his weapon recklessly and certainly without warning, killing his target.

I am not sure yet whether you can guess to which footage I am referring. The same recklessness and violence characterizes two videos that we have seen in the news of late. The description fits the doctored video shown at President Trumps Miami resort last week during a conference held by the pro-Trump group American Priority. It also suits the bodycam images captured by the white Fort Worth, Texas cop who fired a fatal bullet at a black woman inside her home after a neighbor called a non-emergency police line with concern for her safety when he saw two of her house doors ajar.

Aaron Dean, the killer cop, has since resigned from his job and been charged with murder after shooting Atatiana Jefferson, 28, through a window in the early hours of Saturday morning. (Jeffersons home is located only about 30 miles west from where Amber Guyger murdered Botham Jean in his apartment last year in Dallas.) This all happened while Jeffersons 8-year-old nephew was in the house. She was the cool auntie, family members said, and the two had been up late playing video games.

They may seem unrelated: one a grotesque piece of manic fan service for a president who relies upon cultish popularity to weather the storms of his incompetence and, now, impeachment; the other, the latest police snuff film reminding us that cops are allowed, by law, to let their white fear take precedence over black existence because the system protects them. Even when there is tape. (See: Clark, Stephon; Castile, Philando; Rice, Tamir.)

The macabre video from the Trump Miami resort, depicting a Kingsman: The Secret Service character with Trumps head superimposed murdering media entities and political enemies indiscriminately, isnt in and of itself a death threat. But it displays the kind of sophomoric disregard for the lives of individuals, or those who work at the companies, whom their heroic president so ruthlessly eviscerates. It isnt some movie-style shoot-em-up. It wishes for state violence against politicians, critics, and the media.

This kind of garbage is Trumpian to the core. Dating back to his first days in public life, Trump has most often recognized strength through violence, notably from the state the most conspicuous example being his call for the execution of the since-Exonerated Five after the Central Park jogger case hit the headlines. Since entering politics, he has consciously fed this culture of violence,

By giving a pass to the gun lobby whenever actual shootings occur and encouraging police to be rougher with their suspects; by putting migrant children and their parents in pestilent concentration camps rife with abuse and creating circumstances that makes it more likely that others die while trying to crossthe border; by turning his back on foreign allies in war theaters and encouraging ISIS to metastasize once again, as he has done now in Syria Trump exhibits and fosters a culture a neglect for human life that is unheard of from a United States leader since Ronald Reagan allowed the crack and AIDS epidemics to explode.

The people behind that corrosive video and those enjoying it are complicit in a Trumpian culture that encourages the devaluation of human life for the interest of both his political ends and the philosophies his policies advance.

This is not an effort to blame the president for the death of police victims like Atatiana Jefferson; he didnt pull the trigger. But the presidents power stems directly from white supremacy and the violence and the state power that supports it, including racist policing. When that is allowed to grow and fester, he grows stronger.

I dont know whether or not Dean is a Trump supporter, but the tragic actions of the former Fort Worth cop fit this sort of Trumpian indifference to life. He never identified himself as a police officer when he skulked around Jeffersons house, rather than, I dont know, knocking on the front door and asking if she was okay. Responding to a wellness check from neighbor James Smith, Dean instead made sure that Jeffersons death fits snugly and eerily into the deaths in the doctored video, a trigger fired as readily and carelessly as one by the Trump-faced hero, who as the president does stands in for every white man who feels displaced by the Jeffersons of our society, intelligent and independent black women who are busy claiming part of this America that was always theirs.

Trump doesnt care much for doing the job of President, but he enjoys the power that comes with it. He wont back down unless his martyrdom is all but assured. So he is running for reelection, knowing that a key constituency will either willingly or casually sign off on his racist agenda. But he also knows that another constituency, specifically black people, must be suppressed and devalued. Those who are not directly disenfranchised must feel as though the system is not here to protect them, does not view their lives as equal or even valuable.

You hear that in the voice of Smith, Jeffersons distraught neighbor who made the fateful wellness-check call, when he said that there was no reason for her to be dead, because there was nothing violent going on. There was no distress at this particular property. They had no reason to come here with guns drawn, he added. If you dont feel safe with the police department, then who do you feel safe with?

I thought about that as I watched Jeffersons siblings on CNN Monday morning, remaining hopeful and pleading for a federal intervention in the investigation. You can understand why theyre hesitant to trust the same Fort Worth Police Department whose officer was cleared in the killing of another man for a similar incident back in 2013. But why trust a United States government led by a president whose attorney general is in his pocket, who routinely trivializes death, and whose casual cruelty has become so simpatico with a culture already indifferent to the lives of black people? After all, not that far into that sick videos mock shooting spree, the Trump character decapitates one guy who doesnt have a media logo on his head. Instead, it reads Black Lives Matter.

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The Lives That Wont Ever Matter In Trumps America - Rolling Stone

How Lev Parnas Became Part of the Trump Campaigns One Big Family – The New Yorker

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

On September 26th, two weeks before Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were arrested at Dulles International Airport, Parnas was visiting Manhattan. It was during the U.N. General Assembly, and a large Ukrainian delegation was in town. Parnas, who was born in Ukraine and grew up in Brooklyn, lives in Florida and runs an energy business with a Wall Street address. He was staying at the Trump International Hotel & Tower, just off of Columbus Circle, which has been his favorite hotel from the first day it opened, he told me. Parnas, a longtime fan of Donald Trumps real-estate businesses, was an early supporter of Trumps 2016 campaign for President. Now, after working on behalf of Trumps lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter, in Ukraine, Parnas and Fruman are at the center of the investigation that could result in the Presidents impeachment.

Two days after the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, announced that the House would initiate a formal impeachment inquiry against Trump, potentially charging him with seeking to enlist the help of the Ukrainian government to damage Bidens campaign, Parnas sat down with me at a table for two at Bouchon Bakery, near his hotel, and reminisced about his work as Giulianis fixer in Ukraine and elsewhere, where he collected dirt on the Bidens and the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine at the time, Marie Yovanovitch. At our meeting, Parnas was accompanied by a bodyguard, who watched from a distance. You cant be too careful, he said. He ordered a coffee and handed me a thick business card for Global Energy Producers, on which he is listed as the companys C.E.O. and co-founder. (The Web site for the company now reads, Looks Like Youre Lost.)

Parnas had sat in on many of Giulianis phone calls and meetings involving Ukraine, he said, including one in May between Giuliani and an envoy of Volodymyr Zelensky, the new Ukrainian President, which took place in Madrid. Giuliani told me that, at this meeting, he received assurances that Zelenksys administration would pursue several investigations sought by Trump, including one into the Bidens. Parnas was clearly proud of his work for Giuliani and seemed unfazed by his proximity to the impeachment inquiry. Im a businessman who obviously is close to the mayor, is close to the President, he said. I love the President. I love the Administration. I fully support him and honestly think he is going to go down as probably one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Presidents ever. What hes doing is outstanding.

Parnas was born in February, 1972, in the port city of Odessa, in southwestern Ukraine, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He was three when his family moved to the United States. I came here as a legal immigrant, through a legal process, he said. His family settled in Detroit, where they lived for about a year, before relocating to Brooklyn. When Parnas was sixteen, he worked at Kings Highway Realty, selling Trump Organization co-ops. That was my first time knowing who Trump was, but, growing up in that area, you knew who Trump was, because his name was all over the place, he said.

In 1995, when Parnas was twenty-three, he moved from Brooklyn to Florida. On visits to New York, he stayed at Trump properties. Parnas said that, until Trump announced his run for the Presidency, on June 16, 2015, he didnt consider himself a Republican or a Democrat. I was really never heavy into politics, never really contributed, he said. Then, in June, 2015, Parnass teen-age son, Aaron, called his father. Dad, I think one of your friends is running for President, he joked. Aaron told me that, after Trump announced his candidacy, he called the Trump campaign to get passes to go with his father to a Trump rally in Florida.

Parnas soon became a regular at Trumps rallies and other gatherings. I started donating. We started to help raise money, he said. Gradually, Parnas said that he got to know other Trump donors, including Tommy Hicks, Jr., a private-equity investor in Texas who is close to Donald Trump, Jr. (Hicks has since become the co-chair of the Republican National Committee.)We became one big family, Parnas said. You got to understand, he didnt have a real campaign, a traditional campaign. It was make-it-up, you know. Like him or not, you understand what it is. It was more, like, you know, wed bump into each other constantly because it was all the same people, there were not that many of us. Parnas told me that he bumped into Trump plenty of times at events in New York over the years, but that they didnt get to know each other until the 2016 campaign. (Trump recently distanced himself from Parnas and Fruman, saying, I dont know those gentlemen. Now, its possible I have a picture with them, because I have a picture with everybody.)

On Election Night, Parnas, along with other donors, including the Blackwater founder Erik Prince, were invited to attend a gathering with Trump and his family. We were all there, he recalled. I will never forget that. His go-to hotel in Manhattan, Trump International Hotel & Tower, was fully booked, so he stayed at the Intercontinental, where Hillary Clintons running mate, Senator Tim Kaine, and his family were watching the results come in. We came home laughing and celebrating at three or four in the morning, Parnas said. The whole Democratic Party was at the hotel. It was quiet, pitch black.

Parnas said that he grew closer to Giuliani after the election. We were good friends, hes also my counsel, he said. We were looking to do business together. When Giuliani wanted to gather information in Ukraine to counter the findings of the special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation, Parnas volunteered to help. Because of my Ukrainian background and my contacts there, I became like Rudys assistant, his investigator, he said. I dont do anything on my own. I dont lobby people. I go get information. I set up a meeting. I make sure that the call went right. I make sure the translation is done right. Parnas echoed the claims of Trump and Giuliani that the Democrats had worked with Ukrainians to dig up dirt on Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign manager, ahead of the 2016 vote, seeming to imply that what he and Giuliani were doing now was little different.

In late 2018, Parnas said, he helped to connect Giuliani with the former Ukrainian prosecutor-general Viktor Shokin, who was fired in 2016, by President Petro Poroshenko, after Biden and other U.S. and European officials complained that Shokin was lax in pursuing corruption. Biden, in particular, had threatened to withhold a billion dollars in loans that the Ukrainian government desperately needed. In a Skype call with Giuliani, Shokin falsely claimed that he was fired because he wanted to investigate Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company where Hunter Biden, Joe Bidens son, was on the board. Ukrainian and American officials said that Shokin, contrary to what he told Giuliani, did not actively investigate Burisma while he was prosecutor-general, and that the dormant cases in Ukraine that targeted Burismaquestioning how it obtained its exploration licenses and whether it paid all of its taxeshad nothing to do with Hunters role on the board. But Parnas said that he accepted Shokins claim that Biden had him fired to protect Hunter. In Parnass view, Shokin basically stepped down, and allowed himself to get fired, to save the country.

Parnas said that Giuliani wanted Shokin to travel to New York for a follow-up conversation. At Giulianis direction, Parnas spoke to Shokin about setting up his visit. I said, Listen, its going to be unofficial, he recalled. Shokin, who has a daughter living in California, told Parnas that he would seek a visa to visit her and would then meet Giuliani. Parnas said that Shokin was denied a visa. (Shokin did not respond to a request for comment.)

According to Parnas, Giuliani helped him and Fruman get high-level meetings in Kiev, including by writing a letter of introduction to a minister in Zelenskys government. Parnas and Fruman used the meetings to collect information that they hoped would be of interest to Trump, and to pitch energy deals for themselves. We became a hot commodity. Past, presenteverybody came with a story to tell, Parnas recalled. Its like a movie, youre hearing all these stories. Youre, like, are you kidding me? Ukrainian officials told me that they were surprised by the indiscretion of Parnas and Fruman. A senior Ukrainian official said, of the two men, They were looking to sell gas to Ukraine. They were looking for partners. Then, in the course of discussions, they were very open, I would say surprisingly open, about their plans to discredit Biden and to replace the Ambassador.

Parnas told me that some of the Ukrainian officials and businessmen whom he met were distrustful of Yovanovitch, a career diplomat who started her posting in Kiev during President Obamas second term. Parnas said he heard that she had been badmouthing Trump, saying that he would soon be impeached and that Ukrainian officials shouldnt listen to him. Parnas said that he shared this information with the former Texas Republican congressman Pete Sessions and with Giuliani, who lobbied the State Department and Trump to remove the Ambassador. I had a meeting with Pete Sessions that had nothing to do with that. It was about our gas company, Parnas said. In the meeting, Pete asked me, Do you know anything about Yovanovitch? I told him what I heard. Unbeknownst to me, Pete was already looking into it, and when I left he opted to write a letter to [Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo that day. (After Parnas and Fruman were indicted, Sessions said in a statement that he would vigorously defend myself against any allegations of wrongdoing.)

The Trump Administration abruptly recalled Yovanovitch in May. Last week, in remarks to the three committees involved in the impeachment inquiry, Yovanovitch rebutted the rumors spread by Parnas and Fruman, saying that she served in her role on a strictly nonpartisan basis. She added, Our efforts were intended, and evidently succeeded, in thwarting corrupt interests in Ukraine, who fought back by selling baseless conspiracy theories to anyone who would listen.

Parnas, like many of the Presidents most dedicated supporters, rejects the U.S. intelligence assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Trump. Its total bullshit, he said. He described the Mueller investigation and the impeachment inquiry as a modernized coup, adding, Before, you would use armies, guns. Now they use newspapers, television, the Internet, and media to be able to manipulate the crowd to such a point where whatever they say becomes the truth. He ended our nearly ninety-minute meeting on a wistful note, saying that he looked forward to returning home to Florida and spending more time with his wife and son. Hes the real story, Parnas said, of Aaron. My son graduated college at sixteen. Hes graduating law school at twenty. Hes about to be a lawyer. Hes doing some fascinating things. He wants to be President one day.

The federal indictment of Parnas and Fruman alleges that the two and other defendants engaged in a scheme to funnel foreign money to candidates for federal and State office so that the defendants could buy potential influence with candidates, campaigns, and the candidates governments. Since Parnas was arrested at Dulles with a one-way ticket to Vienna, it has emerged that he had been working as a translator with American lawyers representing Dmytro Firtash, one of Ukraines wealthiest businessmen, who has been battling extradition to the U.S. to face trial for bribery charges. Firtash has lived in Vienna for five years, but Parnass lawyer, John Dowd, told me that Parnas was not boarding a flight to Vienna to see Firtash when he was arrested. Dowd said that Parnas bought a one-way ticket because a round-trip fare, at the last moment, would have cost him nearly twenty thousand dollars.

How Lev Parnas Became Part of the Trump Campaigns One Big Family - The New Yorker

Warren and Harris Spar Over Trumps Twitter Account – The New York Times

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

Senator Kamala Harris of California pressed Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts about why she had not called on Twitter to suspend President Trumps account during the Democratic presidential debate in Ohio on Tuesday.

Ms. Warren responded that she wanted to push Mr. Trump out of the White House, not just off Twitter. But she did not weigh in on whether the presidents favorite platform should suspend him.

Instead, she turned the discussion back toward antitrust and campaign finance laws, repeating that she had vowed not to take money from many corporate interests.

Here is a transcript of the exchange:

HARRIS: Senator Warren, I just want to say that I was surprised to hear that you did not agree with me that on this subject of what should be the rules around corporate responsibility for these big tech companies, when I called on Twitter to suspend Donald Trumps account, that you did not agree. And I would urge you to join me because here we have Donald Trump, who has 65 million Twitter followers and is using that platform as the president of the United States to openly intimidate witnesses, to threaten witnesses, to obstruct justice. And he and his account should be taken down. We saw in El Paso that that shooter in his manifesto was informed by how Donald Trump uses that platform, and this is a matter of corporate responsibility. Twitter should be held accountable and shut down that site. It is a matter of safety and corporate accountability.

WARREN: So, look, I dont just want to push Donald Trump off Twitter. I want to push him out of the White House. Thats our job.

HARRIS: Join me in saying that his Twitter account should be shut down.

WARREN: No. Lets figure out

HARRIS: No?

WARREN: Why it is that we have had laws on the books for antitrust for over a century, and yet for decades now, weve all called on how the big drug companies are calling the shots in Washington, big ag, how the gun industry, big tech you know, we really need to address the elephant in the room, and that is how campaigns are financed.

HARRIS: You cant say youre for corporate responsibility if it doesnt apply to everyone.

WARREN: I announced this morning that Im not going to take any money from big tech executives, from Wall Street executives. Weve already agreed, Bernie and I, were not taking any money from big pharma executives. You cant go behind closed doors and take the money of these executives and then turn around and expect that these are the people who are actually finally going to enforce the laws. We need campaign finance rules and practices that support us all.

HARRIS: It does not represent a system of justice to say that the rules will apply differently to different people. This is a matter, you are saying, of holding big tech accountable.

WARREN: Yes.

HARRIS: Holding big tech accountable because they have an outsized influence on peoples perceptions about issues. And they actually influence behaviors. We all have to agree this is their power. It is immense.

MARC LACEY, moderator: Senator Klobuchar, let me bring you in here. Your response.

HARRIS: Im not finished. Im not finished. And so what I am saying is that it seems to me that you would be able to join me in saying the rule has to apply to Twitter the same way it does to Facebook.

WARREN: Look, I think all of the rules should apply across the board. I dont have a problem with that.

HARRIS: So you will join me in saying Twitter should shut down that account?

WARREN: What I have a problem with is, if were going to talk seriously about breaking up big tech, then we should ask if people are taking money from the big tech executives. If were going to talk seriously about breaking up big drug companies, we should ask if people are financing their campaigns by taking money from big drug executives. If we are going to talk about Wall Street and having some serious regulation over Wall Street, we should ask if people are funding their campaigns by taking money from those executives.

Jake Frankenfield contributed reporting.

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Warren and Harris Spar Over Trumps Twitter Account - The New York Times

Is John Bolton Boxing In Donald Trump? – The National Interest Online

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

He could be the John Dean of Donald Trump, says a former senior administration official.

The presidents former national security advisorthe flame-throwing John R. Boltonis now a private citizen. Gone, but not allowing himself to be forgotten. As evidenced by pointed public remarks made earlier this month at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and even more searing comments made at a gathering in September at the secretive Gatestone Institute, Bolton is making no bones about distancing himself policy-wise from the president of the United States.

Bolton noted wryly at CSIS that he was now free to speak, in unvarnished terms. But the million-dollar question in Washington these days is if Bolton is doing more.

So not surprising, said an administration interlocutor whos known Bolton for years, in response to a rash of unfavorable leaks now shelling the administration. Ukrainegatethat is the impeachment inquirynow subsumes the White House. As House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff said Wednesday, President Trump sought to coerce a vulnerable ally into conducting sham investigations involving his opponent, referring to leading Democratic presidential candidate Joseph R. Biden, Jr. The White House denies that characterization, and leading administration officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have said they will not cooperate with the House inquiry.

Still, the matter suddenly colors all of U.S. politicswith the Democratic candidates, including leading rivals such as Bernie Sandersclosing ranks around Biden at the Ohio debate Wednesday night. Sanders emphasized the House had no choice but to impeach Trump, for violating the Constitutions emoluments clause, an Article I provision that holds that no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

Controversial, as well, has been the behavior in Ukraine by Mr. Bidens son, Hunter Biden. The younger Biden sought to allay concerns this week in a press blitz. He also resigned from the board of a Chinese company. Former Vice President Bidens alleged softness has also been seized on by leading Republicans. On his recent moves, Hunter Biden told ABC: I think its pretty obvious why hes made them.

But the overriding question is why now, and why this scandal? Trump has navigated rocky waters beforemostly notably the Mueller investigationbut it was Ukraine that begot likely impeachment. Some argue the matters are inextricably tied, with Trump overreaching in an attempt to procure fully exonerative evidence on the 2016 election. Remarkably, the scandal again engulfs Trumps leading Democratic rival, this time Biden not Hillary Clinton. But the dynamic supplies Republicans with a rich counter-narrative thats useful, at the very least, in shoring up Trumps standing among conservatives.

Daily Beast reporting Wednesday indicated that Trump is concerned that Bolton is behind the leak campaign against the White House. Proof positive are the appearances of Bolton allies before Congress, including the former National Security Council Russia hand Fiona Hill, who impressed on the Hill this week.

Those who know him express skepticism. Frederick H. Fleitz, Boltons former chief of staff on the NSC, has become one of the most viral, telegenic defenders of the administration on this matter in recent days. Would Bolton really break so forcefully with a protege?

A former senior administration official reminds that Bolton has always been at odds and extremely unpopular with the permanent bureaucracy in Washington, making the former national security advisor an unlikely ally of this contingent, even after he was unceremoniously discarded by Trump. But then again, this person said, Bolton is vengeful.

Curt Mills is a foreign affairs columnist at The National Interest, where he covers the State Department, National Security Council and the Trump Presidency.

Image: Reuters.

Is John Bolton Boxing In Donald Trump? - The National Interest Online

Trump vetoes measure to end his emergency declaration on border wall – Reuters

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump visits a section of the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Otay Mesa, California, U.S. September 18, 2019. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has vetoed a joint resolution of Congress that sought to terminate his declaration of a national emergency on the southern border with Mexico, the White House said on Tuesday.

Trump declared the emergency to circumvent Congress and take money already designated for other programs to pay for the U.S.-Mexico border wall he promised to build during his 2016 campaign.

Last month, the Democratic-led House passed the joint resolution by 236-174, as 11 Republicans and one independent joined Democrats to vote in favor.

The Republican-led Senate had approved the measure days earlier, by 54-41. Eleven of the Senates 53 Republicans joined Democrats favoring the resolution.

The situation on our southern border remains a national emergency, and our armed forces are still needed to help confront it, Trump said in his veto message.

Trump used the very first veto of his presidency in March to strike down a similar measure that had cleared the House and Senate. Congress was unable to muster the two-thirds majorities in both chambers to override that veto and is not expected to do so this time.

Congress has refused to meet Trumps demands to fund a wall, although it has provided some funds for border fencing and other barriers.

Members of Congress from both parties have been particularly unhappy about Trump shifting large amounts of money from the military budget to fund the wall, including funds for housing, schools and childcare for members of the armed forces and their families.

Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Clarence Fernandez

Original post:

Trump vetoes measure to end his emergency declaration on border wall - Reuters

These Republicans Could Have Voted To Impeach Donald Trump. But They Lost Their Jobs Last Year. – BuzzFeed News

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

WASHINGTON The Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives last year took out a wave of moderate Republicans who might have provided a core of resistance to President Donald Trump but are instead watching ambivalently from the sidelines.

Whats surreal is the historical context of impeachment and the fact that Im one term removed from something that does have a place in history, said former Pennsylvania representative Ryan Costello, who added that he sometimes found himself squirming at the things Trump said or did. Costello had been more publicly critical than many of his colleagues were, and he walked away from Congress scolding the president for mocking center-right Republicans who lost their seats. (Costello memorably tweeted the day after Republicans lost the House "to lose bc of POTUS & have him piss on u. Angers me to my core.")

Being free of Washington means not having to worry if your job will hinge on one crucial impeachment vote. But it also means missing out on history.

Trump could become just the third US president to be impeached by the House of Representatives. If they did and I were still in Congress, that would be, obviously, a career-defining type vote, said Costello, one of 40 House Republicans who either retired or lost their seats in January. I think anybody in public service wants to be part of momentous votes.

Its an irony of the regionalized US political system that partisan waves like the 2018 Democratic win usually make the victorious party more diverse while the members of the losing party mostly lose moderates from swing districts and become more hardline.

Im sorry Im not there, said former New Jersey representative Leonard Lance, a self-described moderate who broke from party leadership on key issues like immigration and repeal of Obamacare. I believe there needs to be more moderates on both sides and I see precious few.

Now, the diminished cadre of Republicans in the House are, mostly, from safe districts where Trump is immensely popular and crossing him could be career-ending. Not one House Republican publicly supports impeachment. (Michigan Rep. Justin Amash does, but he left the party this summer and is now an independent.) Republican leadership refers to impeachment as a coup.

A similar dynamic is in play in the Senate which holds the key, theoretically, to actually removing a president. Swing-state senators running for reelection in 2020 like Cory Gardner in Colorado, Susan Collins in Maine, Martha McSally in Arizona, and Joni Ernst in Iowa are likely to be forced into those history-making votes, and the political costs within their own party of voting to impeach. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah is not up until 2024, but he has signaled he may also be open to impeachment. Theyll try to avoid the fate of Sens. Bob Corker and Jeff Flake, two Republicans who became enemies of Trump and found themselves without a path to reelection in 2018.

Flake has kept up his critiques since retiring and is encouraging Republicans to drop their support for the president. But he doesnt try to sugarcoat what will happen to them.

I am living those consequences, he wrote in a Washington Post op-ed. I would have preferred to represent the citizens of Arizona for another term in the Senate. But not at the cost of supporting this man.

Serving in the age of Trump means having to answer a constant barrage of questions about his actions Republicans this week will be battered by reporters asking about impeachment, Trumps infamous Ukrainian phone call, and withdrawing troops from Syria. Some tackle this head-on. Others take side entrances or fake phone calls. Some dodge questions to awkward results. I havent seen the tweet is a popular refrain.

Having to answer those kinds of questions when you don't know what is going on inside the White House puts Republicans in an even tougher position. Costello said he would try to answer cautiously when he didnt have the facts, but this only led to accusations that he was being evasive.

Not every former member of Congress is conflicted about being on the sidelines of history.

Im glad Im not dealing with this, said one ex-member who represented a swing district and asked not to be named. Youre placed in an impossible position here.

Here is the original post:

These Republicans Could Have Voted To Impeach Donald Trump. But They Lost Their Jobs Last Year. - BuzzFeed News

Donald Trump suddenly withdraws from northern Syria – The Economist

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

BEHOLD THE great and unmatched wisdom of President Donald Trump. On October 6th he announced that American troops would withdraw from northernmost Syria, all but endorsing a Turkish offensive against Americas Kurdish allies in the region. He did not warn the Kurds, who had fought bravely against the jihadists of Islamic State (IS). It was time to let others, such as Russia and Iran, figure the situation out, he said. But hours later, after even his Republican colleagues objected, Mr Trump stepped back. Turkey, he warned, should not do anything that he considers off limits. Ignoring him, Turkish forces launched a campaign on October 9th that threatens not only to revive IS, but also to condemn Syria to yet another cycle of slaughter.

The conflicting signals, sent by Mr Trump in a series of incoherent tweets, have confused everyone. But they should surprise no one. This is what American diplomacy looks like in the Trump era. When the presidents closest advisers are not chasing up conspiracy theories in Ukraine (see Briefing), or defying the constitution by refusing to testify to Congress (see article), they are coping with a commander-in-chief who, according to his own former secretary of state, is pretty undisciplined, doesnt like to read, doesnt read briefing reports, doesnt like to get into the details of a lot of things, but rather just kind of says: This is what I believe. That is no way to make policy anywhere in the world, least of all the Middle East.

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Mr Trump is understandably frustrated by being stuck in the region. America has had troops in Syria for five years and Iraq for a decade and a half. His solution, backed by many Americans, is to get out of these ridiculous Endless Wars. In December, with a similarly rash announcement, he began withdrawing from Syria, prompting his secretary of defence, James Mattis, to resign. About 1,000 American troops are now in the country, down from 2,000 last year. Only about a dozen diplomats remain in Americas once-teeming embassy in Baghdad, a city beset by deadly protests. When Mr Trump visited the city last winter, he stuck to a remote air base and left without seeing Iraqs leaders.

Americas allies should shoulder more of the burden in the Middle East, as Mr Trump keeps saying. But he is wrong to think that he can leave the region without any consequences (see article). In Syria Americas withdrawal and a Turkish invasion risk throwing the north into chaos and exacerbating ethnic tensions. That would please IS, which the Pentagon warns is resurgent, as is al-Qaeda. In 2011 Barack Obama also hastily pulled out of Iraq, leaving behind a cauldron of ethnic hatred that gave rise to IS. Mr Trump, like his predecessor, may find that withdrawal is soon followed by re-engagementwhen he might regret abandoning his Kurdish allies.

The presidents retreat creates a vacuum, allowing Americas enemies to exert more influence in the region. The abandoned Kurds are already talking of turning for support to Russia and Bashar al-Assad, Syria s dictator. Iran is an even bigger concern. Last year Mr Trump abandoned a deal that curbed its nuclear programme (and might just have smoothed Americas path out of the Middle East) in part because it said nothing about Iranian meddling in the region. But after stoking tensions with a policy of maximum pressure, Mr Trump has allowed Iran or its proxies to attack shipping and Saudi oil facilities with nothing more than a few sanctions in return. Nor has Mr Trump worked hard to counter Irans increasing sway in Syria and Iraq, where the American-backed government is wobbling.

The reason presidents find it hard to leave the Middle East is that America has interests there. Pulling back requires planning to protect them. But, as the confusion over Syria shows, Mr Trump has no plan. When faced with the thorny issues presented by withdrawal, which had presumably featured in those unread briefings, his response has been to throw up his hands and turn his back. There is nothing wise about that.

Donald Trump suddenly withdraws from northern Syria - The Economist

Hunter Biden: Donald Trump Jr. Is Like the Buffoon Prince in ‘Princess Bride’ to Me – The Daily Beast

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Danzig

Like fathers, like sons. Donald Trump and Joe Biden have been tearing into each other for months as the 2020 race heats up, and now its the turn of their offspring. Hunter Biden broke his silence Tuesday, following Trumps months-long obsession with his work in Ukraine, in an interview with ABC News. In one part of the interview, Hunter aimed a withering putdown at his Trump family counterparts. Eric Trump led a chant of lock him up, referring to Hunter Biden, last week. Theyre out of a B movie. I mean, they really are, Hunter Biden said of the Trump sons. This isnt real stuff. It isnt. It truly isnt. That part of it, that Barnum and Baileyyou know, say anything, do anything you want, you know, I mean, like, you know, Donald Prince HumperdinckTrump Jr. is not somebody that I really care about. Hunter Biden was referring to Prince Humperdinck, the petulant and evil antagonist from The Princess Bride.