@pdmcleod's Threads
After weeks of closed door depositions and then public hearings, Democrats have released their report arguing Donald Trump committed impeachable offenses. Here’s where we go from here. buzzfeednews.com/article/paulmc…
Democrats tab co-conspirators: “Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Energy J. Richard Perry, and other senior White House and Executive Branch officials had knowledge of, in some cases facilitated and furthered the President’s scheme”
The tl;dr of the 300-page is this line: “President Trump compromised national security to advance his personal political interests.”
I’m in the impeachment inquiry room aka The Chamber aka The Icebox aka The Thunderdome aka the Soviet-Style Stalinist Chamber today. Coming up in minutes: testimony from EU ambassador Gordon Sondland, which should be eventful.
And right off the bat, Sondland to flip (again!)
Sondland has arrived. 
Rand Paul is calling to subpoena the whistleblower. I asked what's the use since the complaint's now backed up by transcript/ testimony.
He said I misunderstood. The whistleblower must be subpoenaed because he may have been involved in Burisma and corrupt Biden Ukraine dealings
He said I misunderstood. The whistleblower must be subpoenaed because he may have been involved in Burisma and corrupt Biden Ukraine dealings
Paul floated the whistleblower may have travelled with Biden to Ukraine and said Congress needs to examine if the WB has ties to Burisma Holdings or Hunter Biden.
I asked Senator Paul if what reason he has to believe any of this, he said “We don’t know unless we ask.”
I asked Senator Paul if what reason he has to believe any of this, he said “We don’t know unless we ask.”
Response just in from the whistleblower’s legal team: "I imagine at some point soon our client will be accused of masterminding JFK's assassination as well."
At today’s Senate Republican lunch meeting, Mitch McConnell (with an assist from impeachment vet Lindsey Graham) gave an Impeachment Trials 101 lesson. His lessons:
They’ll sit 6 days per week (sundays off) starting at 12:30pm every day. It’s expected to take several weeks.
They’ll sit 6 days per week (sundays off) starting at 12:30pm every day. It’s expected to take several weeks.
The House lawyers are essentially the prosecution. White House lawyers the defense. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will act as judge.
Senators are the jury and *cannot talk* throughout. Mitch apparently warned talkers would be ejected.
Senators are the jury and *cannot talk* throughout. Mitch apparently warned talkers would be ejected.
On a motion to dismiss the trial, this can only be brought forward by either the House or White House lawyers, not a senator.
This seems unlikely to fly, as multiple Republicans have told me the Senate has a duty to take up articles of impeachment from the House.
This seems unlikely to fly, as multiple Republicans have told me the Senate has a duty to take up articles of impeachment from the House.
The wrongful conviction of Glen Assoun is fascinating in the way that any story involving murder, a serial killer, and a miscarriage of justice is bound to be. You can all read about it here: halifaxexaminer.ca/featured/dead-…
But it’s not history, it involves right here and now.
But it’s not history, it involves right here and now.
An officer compiled evidence that Assoun was innocent. It seems someone in the RCMP waited for him to go on vacation, then systematically deleted all his digital and paper files exonerating Assoun.
RCMP leadership investigated and seem to know who did it but have concluded it was an accident.
This isn’t remotely credible. Every day the RCMP doesn’t take action on this they’re continuing a cover-up.
This isn’t remotely credible. Every day the RCMP doesn’t take action on this they’re continuing a cover-up.
Here is the (we think) final draft of the House resolution condemning anti-Semitism and other forms of hate. They’ve kept editing it to expand it. They scrapped the version from earlier this afternoon to add references to latinos and the LGBTQ community. docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/…
GOP Rep. Doug Collins is lambasting Dems for taking up a week editing the statement to keep adding more groups.
“I guess since we’re at it why don’t we have Mormons? Why don’t we add Jehovah’s witnesses?”
He said this could have been a simple statement that “hate is hate."
“I guess since we’re at it why don’t we have Mormons? Why don’t we add Jehovah’s witnesses?”
He said this could have been a simple statement that “hate is hate."
This resolution should pass unanimously. But it’s been a long, awkward week for Nancy Pelosi and Dem leaders who had to balance denouncing anti-Semitism with not appearing to unfairly target a Muslim member, Ilhan Omar, who denies she said anything anti-Semitic.
"It would be a pretty dramatic expansion of how this was used in the past," says GOP senator Ron Johnson of Trump declaring a state of emergency.
Marco Rubio: "It's a bad idea."
Republicans seem very caught off guard by this.
Marco Rubio: "It's a bad idea."
Republicans seem very caught off guard by this.
There are police here on the hill circling politicians when they come in for the vote, keeping reporters away from them. This is not normal.
An officer smashed right into NBC's Lee-Anne Caldwell who was walking with a senator. Another reporter, who is pregnant, says she was also shoved. Lots of yelling between reporters and cops here, who are clearly blocking reporters from getting near senators.
WHOA. Mitch McConnell announces Trump *will* sign the spending bill but is also going to declare a national emergency to build the wall.
Until now Senate Republicans had been urging Trump not to declare a state of emergency, which would vastly expand the precedent of presidents using this power. Republicans warned it will be held up in the courts through the end of this presidential term.
We're in uncharted waters here. Last week Democratic Senator Chris Murphy told me Republicans should be "very scared" by Trump vastly expanding presidential emergency powers. Here's what he said.
There was a very weird moment in Trump’s speech today where he mocked undocumented immigrants who actually showed up to their immigration court hearings.
He falsely claimed that only two percent of immigrants show up to their court hearings. Actually, a majority do. But then he goes: “those people you almost don’t want because they cannot be very smart.. those two percent are not going to make America great again, I tell ya."
So the Obama administration had set up this program, the Family Case Management Program, that worked with asylum seekers, provided them some legal representation. It worked great. Attendance at court hearings hit high-90s percent levels. The Trump admin quickly dismantled it.
Hello! I am coming to you this morning US District Court in DC where we soon expect a ruling in the case of CNN reporter Jim Acosta attempting to have his White House credentials reinstated. The White House has argued it has the right to rescind Acosta’s press pass.
I’m filling in today for @ZoeTillman who has tiny shoes to fill in that her feet are small but also large shoes to fill in that she is smart. I will try not to screw it up.
So my understanding is the “White House” is a building where the “President” lives.
So my understanding is the “White House” is a building where the “President” lives.
Also Acosta was standing in the security line behind me on the way in and I would describe his mood as “medium” and his suit as “nice."
Chuck Grassley kicks off today’s Senate Judiciary Committee vote. With Jeff Flake on board, Republicans are expected to report favorably on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination by 11-10 over Democrat opposition.
Democrats making a last-ditch effort to subpoena Mark Judge, the other man Christina Blasey Ford claimed was in the room when Kavanaugh assaulted her. (Republicans will defeat this motion)
Here are the 11 Republican senators expected to move the Kavanaugh nomination forward.
A few minutes ago the top three Senate Republicans all came out and bashed Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s handling of the Ford/Kavanaugh letter. The thing is, it’s hard to get anyone to say explicitly what she should have done differently.
Republicans say Feinstein botched the process. When I ask what she should have done differently given that Ford asked her not to go public, I haven’t gotten a straight answer back.
Take this interaction with Sen. John Thune (direct quotes in quotation, the rest paraphrase):
Take this interaction with Sen. John Thune (direct quotes in quotation, the rest paraphrase):
Q: Given that Ford asked for the letter to be kept secret, what should Sen. Feinstein have done differently?
Thune: "Well, I mean, I think ultimately the letter was made public.”
Q: The woman came forward.
Thune: Well Democrats have had the letter for a long time...
Thune: "Well, I mean, I think ultimately the letter was made public.”
Q: The woman came forward.
Thune: Well Democrats have had the letter for a long time...
Let’s talk for a minute about this study from libertarian think tank Mercatus Center. AP headline: "‘Medicare for All’ Would Cost $32.6 Trillion Over 10 Years, Study Says"
While sorta true, this misses that Mercatus is projecting M4A would actually *save billions of dollars*
While sorta true, this misses that Mercatus is projecting M4A would actually *save billions of dollars*
$32.6 trillion over a decade sounds like a lot, and is. But it’s actually a few hundred billion less than current projected health care costs.
Mercatus found the two plans cost about the same (just paid for differently, obviously) but what we get is very different under M4A
Mercatus found the two plans cost about the same (just paid for differently, obviously) but what we get is very different under M4A
Mercatus found that Medicare for all would lead to massive savings which are mostly offset by increased utilization. Translation: people get a lot more health care for the same bill.
Moderate leader Jeff Denham says Republicans have pulled off the improbable and reached a tentative immigration deal. Per Deham it includes:
- 8-year citizenship path for DREAMers
- This will apply to "a much larger number" than the 700,000 formally enrolled in the program...
- 8-year citizenship path for DREAMers
- This will apply to "a much larger number" than the 700,000 formally enrolled in the program...
- DREAMers can enroll in the military to get citizenship faster than 8 years.
- These Visa spots will not be new. Will come from "combining" other Visa programs (sounds like they'll take them from the diversity Visa program but this is not confirmed)...
- These Visa spots will not be new. Will come from "combining" other Visa programs (sounds like they'll take them from the diversity Visa program but this is not confirmed)...
- No e-verify, the controversial proposal to test that people are legal citizens before they can be employed. If true, this is a big concession from Freedom Caucus who want this badly.
- Plus there's border security/wall funding of course.
- Plus there's border security/wall funding of course.
So here’s a quick rundown on where we’re at on the immigration debate. [Lights cigarette, gazes longingly out window.] We were supposed to be having an open debate on the floor of the Senate by now, but it got jammed before the starting line...
GOP and Dems [pours shot] are arguing over the terms. GOP wants to bring sanctuary cities into the mix, Dems objecting. So we’re [pours second shot] we could be here til midnight as that plays out...
Meanwhile a bunch of different factions are drafting pieces of legislation but no one knows what, if anything can pass. Also [takes puff of opium] McConnell says they have til Thursday to sort out a deal.
DACA update: the Problem Solver Caucus seems to be close to a deal. They'd be a formidable voting block (20-30 senators) that would seem to have a good shot at pulling in the needed 60 votes to pass a bill.
They're discussing what we've been calling a narrow deal: pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million DREAMers, border security funding, but not too much else. The catch...
...is that this bill won't be popular among House Republicans. Even if it could pass the House on a bipartisan vote, Paul Ryan has said he won't bring it forward for a vote (this shields him from the wrath of his Caucus). President might not sign it as well.
Quite a moment just now. We asked Susan Collins about House Republicans vowing not to pass the provisions McConnell promised her to win her tax vote. She stared for several seconds and said she thought the press's coverage of the tax bill has been extremely sexist.
Just checked the tape. Collins said the press coverage was "so sexist it's unbelievable."
I believe she meant because there’s been so much scrutiny on her negotiations compared to other GOP senators, but she left on the Hill subway seconds later so no chance to follow up.
Lindsey Graham revealing his Obamacare repeal bill: "If you believe in universal health care, this is your worst nightmare."
Graham’s pitch: If you want to repeal and replace Obamacare, this is your last chance.
Lindsey Graham is repeatedly referring to universal health care as “Berniecare” so get ready to hear that a million times.
