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Ari Melber @AriMelber
, 4 tweets, 1 min read Read on Twitter
William Barr is an experienced, mainstream conservative choice for A.G. — less ideologically extreme than Sessions, far more qualified than Whitaker.
Notable that even as Mueller bears down on convicted former Trump aides like Cohen and Manafort, Trump is now moving towards a *more traditional, Bush-era lawyer* to run the DOJ — rather than a loyalist (Whitaker) or far right politician (Sessions)...
Barr is not someone you pick to improperly kneecap the DOJ. Trump has previously been on a “war” footing, trying to oust Mueller, blasting Sessions for recusal — does he now believe (rightly or wrongly) that he’s legally in the clear, so he’s no longer seeking a loyalist for AG?
An alternative theory — which the Senate can probe at confirmation — is that Trump and Barr already agree about limits or “red lines” for the Russia probe, or Trump demanded assurances on those issues. He’s already under investigation for demanding loyalty from the FBI.
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Francis Ford Coppola makes evolution look fast.
I waited a long time to see Godfather III, but not long enough.
Like how did this even happen? Did anyone talk to each other during the writing / casting / filming / blocking?
Read 6 tweets
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Trump’s project always required creating his “own reality” —

Trump U. is a ‘great business’ (until it goes bankrupt);

Trump Admin will ‘make’ Mexico fund the wall (until it won’t & the US gov shuts down over it);

Trump will give his supporters ‘the news’ instead of the news..
This approach can shape public opinion in the short run, but that “propaganda effect” feeds bubbles which can eventually pop. Some things are easier to lie about than others...
So even one argues Trump has “gotten away” with more lies than a typical POTUS — sanctioned less by the political system, paying less of a price with his base (while Bush was pummeled for 1 lie about new taxes) — consider the two areas where Trump is facing swift backlash...
Read 8 tweets
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New: Federal prosecutors in NY unimpressed with Cohen’s DMX defense, they recommend a “substantial” term of about four years in jail.
Breaking in NY prosecutors new filing:

“Michael Cohen’s decision to plead guilty rather than seek a pardon for his manifold crimes does not make him a hero.”

They ask the judge to imprison him for about 4 years.
NY prosecutors: Cohen’s campaign crimes for Trump “struck a blow to one of the core goals of the federal campaign finance laws: transparency.”
Read 6 tweets

Related threads

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A controversy emerged today between @SethAbramson and @emptywheel about the implications of Mueller’s Status Report filing in United States v. Manafort.
Emptywheel is surely right that Mueller must have anticipated (or at least considered) that Manafort would continue to lie even after the plea agreement. The lying probably means that Paulie is hoping for a pardon. I also agree with her analysis of the motive behind the filing.
On a related matter, I argue in my latest Medium posting that the #Whitaker appointment is destined to be struck down, and soon. This posting is still a work in progress, but the statutory analysis is already done, and that part has just been posted. tinyurl.com/y78ppyh8
Read 3 tweets
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More reasons why Whitaker appointment as AG is illegal: Vacancies Reform Act arguably does not apply to the AG.
Please read this report by the Senate Committee on Govt Affairs on the VRA, linked below. 1/ h/t @JamesDissent
Adding to my earlier post: shugerblog.com/2018/11/09/whi…
2/ Senate Committee Report, summary on p. 2:
"The bill applies to all vacancies in Senate-confirmed
positions in executive agencies with a few express exceptions.
...
Second, current laws...that provide for the President or..." congress.gov/congressional-…
3/ "...the head of an executive department to designate an officer to perform the functions and duties of a specified office in an acting capacity are maintained, as are those statutes that themselves stipulate who shall serve in a specific office in an acting capacity."
Read 14 tweets
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The Suffocation of Democracy

By: Christopher R. Browning

THREAD✔
1/
As a historian specializing in the #Holocaust, #Nazi Germany, and #Europe in the era of the world wars, I have been repeatedly asked about the degree to which the current situation in the United States resembles the interwar period and the rise of #fascism in Europe.
2/
I would note several troubling similarities and one important but equally troubling difference.

In the 1920s, the US pursued #isolationism in foreign #policy and rejected participation in international organizations like the League of Nations.
3/
Read 109 tweets
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Was this a ‘sudden’ retirement for Justice Kennedy?

How long has he been mulling it over?

And why now for God’s sake?

Why at this singular moment in history?

Something stinks
Of course we could follow the money

🤔

Maybe he knows one of Mueller’s lines of investigation led to him. And he knew staying in that position of power was too steep a conflict of interest in light of the overwhelming and damning facts against Trump he may have gotten wind of.
Ppl need to remember we’re dealing w/potential historic US Constitutional changes in light of Trump’s abuses of Office.

We’re on new ground imo

Who’s to say the SC office hasn’t ‘already’ secretly conferred with the Justices over the Constitutionality of this Trump debacle?
Read 29 tweets
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It's been a hot minute, but it's time.

I've made some room to properly get into The Reactionary Mind by Corey Robin.

#IanLivetweetsHisResearch
The first chapter begins with a T.S. Eliot quote arguing that, in the end, you can't judge a party by what it says its aims are; a party will reveal what it's trying to accomplish by its actions.

Sometimes the party itself isn't sure what it's doing.
Robin then begins with his view of history as being full of unequal power relations and the tensions that arise between them.

Man-woman, worker-employer, government-governed.
Read 357 tweets
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I wanted to wait a bit for things to settle down before assessing what the #Bears accomplished over the past three days from the draft to undrafted free agency.

Here we go.
1. I love how Ryan Pace altered his approach to the early rounds. He shifted to targeting more proven players who were highly productive and experienced in college. #Bears.
2. Roquan Smith is a stud. He was my favorite defensive prospect and I knew he'd make such a good fit for the #Bears. Vic Fangio is a former linebackers coach who's overseen Ray Lewis and Patrick Willis. His push for Smith should be considered gospel. #Bears
Read 17 tweets

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