Is there an Ig Nobel Prize for International Diplomacy?

freitasm: These witnesses were arrested at the airport just hours after having lunch with Rudy... Coincidence? I think not.

The New York Times - Congress Can Seek Trump’s Financial Records, Appeals Court Rules

Oct. 11, 2019

 

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s accounting firm must comply with a House committee’s demands for eight years of his financial records, a federal appeals court panel ruled on Friday in a major victory for House Democrats in their struggle against his vow to stonewall “all” of their oversight subpoenas.

 

In a 66-page ruling, the panel rejected Mr. Trump’s argument that Congress had no legitimate legislative authority to seek his business records from the firm, Mazars USA, because the committee was trying to determine whether he broke existing laws - not weighing whether to enact a new one. ...

 

Mr. Trump is virtually certain to appeal the ruling, either to the full Court of Appeals or to the Supreme Court. ...

 

"I don't know Rudy"...

Any bets who is next under the Trump bus?

freitasm:

 

"I don't know Rudy"...

 

Any bets who is next under the Trump bus?

 

The New York Times - Opinion - Luckily, Trump Is an Unstable Non-Genius

Oct. 10, 2019

The surprising thing about the constitutional crisis we’re now facing is that it took so long to happen. 

 

It was obvious from early on that the president of the United States is a would-be autocrat who accepts no limits on his power and considers criticism a form of treason, and he is backed by a party that has denied the legitimacy of its opposition for many years. 

 

Something like this moment was inevitable.

 

What still hangs in the balance is the outcome. 

 

And if democracy survives - which is by no means certain - it will largely be thanks to one unpredictable piece of good luck: Donald Trump’s mental deficiency.

 

I don’t mean that Trump is stupid; a stupid man couldn’t have managed to defraud so many people over so many years. ...

 

He is, however, lazy, utterly incurious and too insecure to listen to advice or ever admit to a mistake. ...

 

It says a lot about the modern G.O.P. that the party is still solidly behind a man so obviously, grotesquely, not up to the job. 

 

But those of us who want America as we know it to survive should be grateful that Trump is so immature and incompetent. 

 

His character flaws are the only thing that gives us a fighting chance.

 

So, hands up who would like to align themselves with Trump, now. Apart from the immoral gutless Republicans, that is. The bus has come to a halt because of the bodies stuck under the wheels.

Seriously, the ones who want to be dragged under must be as bonkers as Trump and Rudy themselves. Must be a lot of people crapping themselves now. BAD LUCK.

When will we see the stampede of the rats with life belts on rushing the rails? Or have they already jumped overboard.

What great entertainment. Well, it would be entertaining if it wasn't so serious.

Must say the evening show hosts and their teams are doing a great job. Keep it up.

STUDY: MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS COULD BE SAVED BY IMPEACHING TRUMP AND PENCE AT SAME TIME

MINNEAPOLIS (The Borowitz Report)—A nonpartisan study published by the University of Minnesota has found that the nation could save “untold millions” of taxpayer dollars by impeaching Mike Pence at the same time as Donald J. Trump.

The study, entitled “Operation BOGO,” makes a compelling case for commencing an impeachment inquiry into Pence “as soon as possible,” its author, Davis Logsdon, said on Thursday.

“The cost of impeaching Trump alone or Trump and Pence together is virtually identical,” Logsdon, an economics professor, said. “This is all about economy of scale.”

“Taxpayers are already paying Adam Schiff to investigate Trump,” he added. “I’m sure Schiff could be persuaded to throw in Pence for free.”

When it comes time to publish articles of impeachment against Trump, Logsdon noted, “It would cost nothing in terms of paper or ink to add the words ‘and Pence, too.’ ”

In the eventuality that Trump and Pence are removed from office simultaneously, additional cost savings could be achieved, Logsdon added. “Like they could share the same moving van.”

In conclusion, the University of Minnesota study proposed that the millions saved by impeaching Pence at the same time as Trump could be spent on schools, roads, and reducing the national debt. “The question is no longer ‘Should we impeach Mike Pence?’ ” Logsdon said. “The question is ‘How can we afford not to?’ ”

linw:

 

So, hands up who would like to align themselves with Trump, now.

 

Fox News!

William Barr met with Rupert Murdoch just after Fox released their poll showing that 55% of the US voting public support impeaching Trump.

Result so far, one of Fox's long term news anchors Shepard Smith (who Trump hates) has "resigned to spend more time with his family" and Trump seems to have simultaneously ramped up retweeting Hannity and his wildly delusional conspiracy theories. I guess impeachment surveys might become scarce on Fox. 

In other news - Trump who a couple of days ago betrayed Kurds which coincidentally served to protect his personal business investments in Turkey, but claiming that he wanted to get the US out of "forever wars" in the ME, has sent 1800 fresh US troops and a couple of squadrons of fighter jets to Saudi Arabia where - coincidentally - he's also got business interests.

Vox.com - The latest Fox News impeachment poll contains remarkably grim news for President Trump

Trump is upset that Fox News won’t rig polls for him

Oct 10, 2019

While Fox News’s programming for the most part skews in a markedly pro-Trump direction, its polls adhere to similar standards as other reputable pollsters. 

Trump, however, seems to be bothered that the network isn’t rigging polls for him.

Trump, who started lambasting Fox News in August after they published a poll that showed him polling below 40 percent in head-to-head matchups against four frontrunners for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, wasted no time on Thursday portraying the new polling as the latest evidence that Fox News is “much different than it used to be in the good old days.”

“Whoever their Pollster is, they suck,” Trump tweeted.

Latest Fox Polls at 11 October 2019

Fox News Poll: Biden and Warren gain ground in Democratic race
Fox News Poll: Record support for Trump impeachment
Fox News Poll: Biden expands lead among South Carolina Democrats
Fox News Poll: Biden bests Trump by nine points in Wisconsin

BREITBART is much less biased ...  😉

CNN has been running an excerpt I rather like. It shows Anderson Cooper exclaiming at something Trump has said, "excuse me, sir, but that is the argument of a five year-old."

Trump immediately screeches back at him, "I didn't start it!"

It is exactly how a five year-old would respond. He hit me first. I didn't start it.