Just insane stuff happening on Lou Dobbs tonight pic.twitter.com/2RD8A3CpS4
— Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) January 28, 2020
Retired Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher on Monday attacked his former comrades in arms who testified against him as "cowards," calling troops out by name in a video he posted to his social media accounts.In a three-minute video Gallagher posted on his Facebook and Instagram accounts, both of which have tens of thousands of followers, the former chief special operator, 40, included names and photos of specific troops as well as the duty status and current units of those still who are still active.
Ka-Boom
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) January 28, 2020
"McConnell Says GOP Doesn't Have Votes to Block Impeachment Witnesses
- Senate majority leader makes remarks in private Republican meeting"https://t.co/ZUwqMoBFAS
U.S. arrogance towards Baghdad seems almost boundless. When Mahdi asked the administration to "prepare a mechanism" for the exit of American forces and commence negotiations towards that transition, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flatly refused. Indeed, the State Department's January 10 statement made it clear that there would be no such discussions: "At this time, any delegation sent to Iraq would be dedicated to discussing how to best recommit to our strategic partnership--not to discuss troop withdrawal, but our right, appropriate force posture in the Middle East."Throughout the Cold War, U.S. leaders proudly proclaimed that NATO and other American-led alliances were voluntary associations of free nations. Conversely, the Warsaw Pact alliance of Eastern European countries formed in response to NATO was a blatantly imperial enterprise of puppet regimes under the Kremlin's total domination. Moscow's brutal suppression of even modest political deviations within its satellite empire helped confirm the difference. Soviet tanks rolled into East Germany in 1953, Hungary in 1956, and Czechoslovakia in 1968 to crush reform factions and solidify a Soviet military occupation. Even when the USSR did not resort to such heavy-handed measures, it was clear that the "allies" were on a very short leash.Although the United States has occasionally exerted pressure on its allies when they've opposed its objectives, it has not attempted to treat democratic partners as servile pawns. That is why the Trump administration's current behavior towards Iraq is so troubling and exhibits such unprecedented levels of crudeness. America is in danger of becoming the geopolitical equivalent of a middle school bully.If Washington refuses to withdraw its forces from Iraq, defying the Baghdad government's calls to leave, those troops will no longer be guests or allies. They would constitute a hostile army of occupation, however elaborate the rhetorical facade.
If not for the foresight of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to shine a bright light on the purpose of a trial -- an evaluation of evidence -- and to delay sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate, the White House, Republican senators and a hapless chorus of sycophantic pundits would not be in meltdown mode.With an assist from former national security adviser John Bolton, Pelosi cornered Senate Republicans who had hoped to escape the spectacle of a full airing of President Trump's unconscionable conduct. They can acquit, and in all likelihood will, but they cannot facilitate Trump's cover-up without implicating themselves and entirely discrediting the process. They face humiliation when evidence eventually comes out. If they vote to acquit without hearing from Bolton, Trump will be denied the satisfaction of exoneration by a credible process.Voters are far ahead of Republican senators. In the latest Quinnipiac poll, registered voters want witnesses by a margin of 75 to 20 percent. That includes "49 percent of Republicans, 95 percent of Democrats, and 75 percent of independents."
America, this is what CNN thinks of you...
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 28, 2020
pic.twitter.com/puuVjRLlw1
how narrow is Trump's base?
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) January 28, 2020
approve/disapprove from today's Quinnipiac national poll
whites without college degrees: 58%-36%
all other Americans: 35%-61%
House Republican leaders privately conceded in a closed meeting Tuesday morning that they are in the midst of a full-blown fundraising crisis, which would imperil any chance they have at regaining their majority in 2020.House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) put it bluntly: "They are kicking our [***]," he said, in a meeting at the Capitol Hill Club, the private GOP haunt around the corner from the Capitol, referring to Democrats.Indeed, McCarthy is right. The DCCC outraised the NRCC by $40 million in 2019, and individual Democratic candidates are besting their GOP opponents at an alarming rate. Democrats currently hold a 35-seat majority in the House, and there are five vacancies. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a House GOP-aligned super PAC, raised $32.6 million in 2019, and has a $28-million cash stash.The disparity is even more shocking because the NRCC had a record off-year fundraising haul, but the DCCC has proven much more prolific.
In apparent retaliation for a reporter asking Secretary of State Mike Pompeo a question he didn't like, the State Department has banned NPR from traveling with the secretary during his upcoming trip to Europe.
The move marks the first time in Israel's history that a serving prime minister will face criminal charges, casting a heavy shadow over Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, his legacy and his ongoing attempts to remain in power.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he had dropped his request for parliamentary immunity from corruption charges.
Attorney General Bill Barr was said to have voiced concerns that Donald Trump was doing favors for the leaders of China and Turkey, according to John Bolton's bombshell new book.The former national security adviser privately told Barr last year about concerns that the president was essentially granting favors to autocrats, The New York Times reported Monday.According to the Times' latest report, the Attorney General responded to Bolton's concerns by pointing to Justice Department investigations of companies in Turkey and China. Barr said he himself was worried it appeared Trump had undue influence over what would normally be independent inquiries, Bolton's manuscript said.Bolton wrote that Barr singled out the president's conversations with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about the Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE.