• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Gastritis broke my calculator.

Just a few bad apples.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

This blog will pay for itself.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

‘Forty-two’ said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Han shot first.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

The math demands it!

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

I’m going back to the respite thread.

Yes we did.

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

Shocking, but not surprising

… makes me wish i had hoarded more linguine

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

Fuck if i know. i just get yelled at when i try it.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Consistently wrong since 2002

Shock troops for the Unitarian Jihad.

Mobile Menu

  • Look Forward & Back
  • Balloon Juice 2021 Pet Calendar
  • Site Feedback
  • All 2020 Fundraising
  • I Voted!
  • Take Action: Things We Can Do
  • Team Claire, and Family
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • BJ PayPal Donations
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Nature & Respite
  • Information As Power
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • On The Road
  • Garden Chats
  • Nature & Respite
  • Look Forward & Back
You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / High Crimes and Misdemeanors

High Crimes and Misdemeanors

by Betty Cracker|  September 20, 201911:55 am| 20 Comments

This post is in: Domestic Politics, Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Politics, Republican Stupidity, Assholes, General Stupidity

Facebook0Tweet0Email0

Just before 10 PM last night, CNN national security reporter Josh Campbell asked a question:

How long until the intelligence community whistleblower is labeled a “deep state” operative?

— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) September 19, 2019

Even though Trump didn’t use the words “deep state” in this morning’s tweet-screams, the answer to Mr. Campbell’s question is approximately 10.5 hours:

The Radical Left Democrats and their Fake News Media partners, headed up again by Little Adam Schiff, and batting Zero for 21 against me, are at it again! They think I may have had a “dicey” conversation with a certain foreign leader based on a “highly partisan” whistleblowers..

….statement. Strange that with so many other people hearing or knowing of the perfectly fine and respectful conversation, that they would not have also come forward. Do you know the reason why they did not? Because there was nothing said wrong, it was pitch perfect!

There’s nothing strange at all about “so many other people” not coming forward; the aberration in the context of Trump’s open lawlessness and gleeful subversion of institutional norms is that anyone still tries to follow the law, as the whistleblower and intelligence community inspector have done.

But the overarching message of the Trump era is that people who follow the rules are suckers, so now that person is being smeared by the POTUS, and the White House is allegedly limiting access to Trump’s “pitch perfect” calls to ensure that the only witnesses are accessories when the next crime is committed.

I’m not a fan of CNN anchor Chris Cuomo’s strategy of inviting shameless liars on TV to confront them to generate clicks, but kudos to him for producing a “Code Red” admission from Giuliani in the first 30 seconds of last night’s interview:

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials are walking a tight-rope over pools of molten lava, trying to get the assistance they need to counter an evil authoritarian who threatens their existence as a nation without pissing off Putin’s scammy, demented fanboy in the White House. I don’t envy them that task:

“This is a very special stage in Ukraine’s development: We have completely changed this year, our mentality has changed, we realize that the entire world is watching us right now,” Roman Truba, head of the State Bureau of Investigations, said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast.

Truba’s agency neither investigated Biden’s son nor Burisma Holding. There were no signs of illegality in Biden’s work in Ukraine, he said. “The State Bureau of Investigations should be an independent institution. I wish we would become as highly qualified, equipped with all modern technologies, and professional as the FBI.”

Oh baby, no.

Facebook0Tweet0Email0
Previous Post: « Tennessee’s Medicaid block grant
Next Post: The Intelligence Whistleblower’s Life Is Over Because the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act Does NOT Actually Protect Intelligence Community and National Security Whistleblowers! »

Reader Interactions

20Comments

  1. 1.

    delk

    September 20, 2019 at 12:00 pm

    Geraldo Rivera mentioned deep state on Fox & Fiends this morning.

  2. 2.

    SFAW

    September 20, 2019 at 12:02 pm

    I’m so old, I can remember when various persons said that Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell would rein in Trump if he went too far. As the saying goes, “Good times.”

  3. 3.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    September 20, 2019 at 12:08 pm

    So am I the only person in North America who hasn’t made a bushel of money in Ukraine?

  4. 4.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    September 20, 2019 at 12:21 pm

    As I think about it, American conservatives are learning from Putin’s handling of Navalny – fire up broad investigations of all political opposition. Even though there’s nothing there, create the impression of something there and send out investigators with briefs to perform trap queries.

    Biden will be weak about things involving his son.

    Bernie Sanders on, well, everything, plus Jane’s behavior.

    Neither Harris, Klobuchar nor Warren are likely to be financially problematic, so you cook up some FEC crap and maybe a tax audit. Booker will draw SEC attention.

    Obama himself will get audited. This is likely to happen to Jeff Bezos and Fred Hiatt as well. Bill Browder could easily find himself handed over to Putin, as would Michale McFaul.

    I think you could see this by February, as Barr weaponizes the DOJ even further.

    If he wins, he will be the last President of the United States as currently constituted.

  5. 5.

    Another Scott

    September 20, 2019 at 12:35 pm

    We should remember that Donnie’s been carrying Putin’s water on Ukraine since before the GOP Convention.: (From December 2017)

    President Trump may have been involved with a change to the Republican Party campaign platform last year that watered down support for U.S. assistance to Ukraine, according to new information from someone who was involved.

    Diana Denman, a Republican delegate who supported arming U.S. allies in Ukraine, has told people that Trump aide J.D. Gordon said at the Republican Convention in 2016 that Trump directed him to support weakening that position in the official platform.

    Ultimately, the softer position was adopted.

    Denman is scheduled to meet this week with the House and Senate Intelligence committees to discuss what she saw, said two sources familiar with the briefings.

    […]

    Ukraine has always been the elephant in the room with Donnie. And the only reason why Donnie would care about Ukraine is because of Putin.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  6. 6.

    WaterGirl

    September 20, 2019 at 12:38 pm

    never mind.

  7. 7.

    WaterGirl

    September 20, 2019 at 12:43 pm

    never mind.

  8. 8.

    Mnemosyne

    September 20, 2019 at 12:48 pm

    But the overarching message of the Trump era is that people who follow the rules are suckers …

    It’s the number one way you can tell that you’re dealing with a narcissist and not a sociopath. A sociopath carefully learns the rules so they can appear to abide by them to better conceal their violations. A narcissist doesn’t think that the rules apply to them and will break them all the time, counting on most people’s sense of social embarrassment to get away with it. Breaking the rules enhances the narcissist’s sense of being special and better than everyone else.

    Sociopathy and narcissism are related disorders (both on Cluster B in the DSM) but that’s one of the ways to distinguish between them.

  9. 9.

    kindness

    September 20, 2019 at 1:19 pm

    Queue the chorus of ‘If Only Nancy Pelosi Was A Good Speaker Of The House’ routine. I have to say I feel really bad for Nancy. She’s caught in a place she shouldn’t be and it isn’t her people or House causing it. MoscowMitch is the real problem. Covering Trump’s slimy ass is MoscowMitch’s #3 job right now (behind shoving more inept Republican walking dead into judges posts & getting re-elected).

    All I ask is to blame the right people and stop firing at our own.

  10. 10.

    SFAW

    September 20, 2019 at 1:38 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    The intellectually curious side of me is glad to learn something new regarding the distinction.

    On the other hand, the citizen-of-the-Unites-States side of me is somewhat depressed that the explanation is necessary in the context of who sits in the Oval Office.

  11. 11.

    SFAW

    September 20, 2019 at 1:41 pm

    @kindness:

    Covering Trump’s slimy ass is MoscowMitch’s #3 job right now

    And now we have his “wife” Cocaine Elaine helping out, too. [Not that I’ve heard anything about her nasal ingestion of various “medications” — I mostly did it for the rhyming — but it would be irresponsible not to speculate.]

  12. 12.

    WaterGirl

    September 20, 2019 at 1:45 pm

    We know how the current President regards Puerto Rico—indifference and/or knee-jerk pettiness. I’d like to know what the 2020 candidates have to say. ?? https://t.co/JZlHMDaEBA— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) September 20, 2019

  13. 13.

    TenguPhule

    September 20, 2019 at 2:08 pm

    @kindness:

    I have to say I feel really bad for Nancy. She’s caught in a place she shouldn’t be and it isn’t her people or House causing it.

    She was elected to make the hard decisions.

    And bear the responsibility if she fucks up.

  14. 14.

    Ule

    September 20, 2019 at 2:26 pm

    Please correct me if I’m wrong. I mean it. Please! I hope I’m profoundly, absolutely wrong. But I think we’re done. The republic is over. The constitution it’s not worth the parchments it’s on, institutions and norms are failing and falling by the wayside, many voters remain indifferent, and those who do care are flailing to do something but there’s nothing to do.

    The election will solve nothing because what has already happened, has been accepted and has almost been normalized — I thought torturing people was an unimaginable thing, until it happened and nobody was punished and people don’t care and even justify it. But we need to also realize that an election may not even take place — at least not a fair election. Unimaginable? Right now it is but one unprecedented, unimaginable thing after another keeps happening, some in the media and in power are aghast for a week, but then…nothing happens until the next unimaginable thing subsumes the previous unimaginable thing.

  15. 15.

    Scamp Dog

    September 20, 2019 at 2:51 pm

    @Ule: The fight isn’t over yet, and I’ll be doing my bit during the campaign. The problems and issues you’ve pointed out are real, but Trump is activating a lot of folks, and the pushback is starting. Granted, it’s not coming from the top, but it’s real. No slacking off, damnit!

  16. 16.

    Mnemosyne

    September 20, 2019 at 3:09 pm

    @Ule:

    I actually don’t think we’re done as a country. I think this is an extinction burst by racists and conservatives. They just don’t have the numbers to get their way anymore, and they’re throwing a huge, destructive tantrum about it.

    But I do think that people underestimated just how bad it was going to be when they thought that W was as bad as it could get.

  17. 17.

    kindness

    September 20, 2019 at 3:17 pm

    @TenguPhule: Dude you go out of your way to be an asshole to your own way too often. MoscowMitch is the problem. Nancy isn’t. But I get you feel much better about shooting your own. Have at it.

  18. 18.

    Ule

    September 20, 2019 at 3:49 pm

    @kindness:

    MoscowMitch is the problem. Nancy isn’t.

    Ah, Nancy! I cheered when she was elected Speaker. The feminist in me and the progressive in me were both elated. But right now?

    Let’s assume she’s a genius at politics and recognizes that impeachment will make things far worse and let’s also assume she really does not have any power beyond impeachment and thus can do nothing but compose terse letters.

    OK. Why is she attacking members of her own caucus? Why is she going on CNBC to dismiss Medicare for All and other progressive proposals? Why is she still trying to work with the White House? I just read she been talking about working with Trump (against Republicons!) on drug pricing! A worthwhile goal, but if we are in a freakin’ constitutional crisis, with an aspiring autocrat having destroyed checks and balances by thumping his nose at Congress and rendering it impotent, what in blazes is she thinking? How is it going to look sitting with him, treating him like a legitimate president and potentially giving him a victory? I don’t get it. I hope she so much smarter than me that she understands “self-impeachment” to be more than mere oxymoronic nonsense but I’m not convinced.

    It’s not enough to tells us to lay off Nancy because MoscowMitch is worse (yes, he is). You need to provide some reasons why she’s doing the right thing.

  19. 19.

    TenguPhule

    September 20, 2019 at 5:18 pm

    @kindness: If you folks are right and this strategy of hers works, then she’ll be feted as a hero.

    If it doesn’t, we are all in deep shit. And she will bear full responsibility for it because that’s what the burden of leadership is supposed to be about. Accepting the consequences of your decisions good and bad.

  20. 20.

    Zinsky

    September 20, 2019 at 6:33 pm

    I think this past week is when Trump has finally “jumped the shark” and the world went utterly cuckoo! What kind of world is it when the President of the United States goes on an electronic communications tool and essentially admits to 60+ million people that he may have had a “dicey” conversation with a foreign leader about a political opponent? Seriously, WTF?? He admits to bribery or extortion, whatever you want to call it and the political opposition basically says “we are going to sue you”. Huh?? They do absolutely nothing? Really? Things are getting real weird here folks…

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

Biden-Harris Inauguration

Biden-Harris Inauguration Website

Official events – watch at top link

Kakistocracy
I believe In My Fellow Americans
Defeat Them
Turning Bystanders Into Activists
First Up, COVID

Do Something!

Call Your Senators & Representatives
Directory of US Senators
Directory of US Representatives
Letter to Elected Officials – Albatrossity
Letter to Elected Officials – Martin

I Got the Shot!

🎈Ways to Support Our Site

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal
Shop Amazon via this link to support Balloon Juice ⬇  

Recent Comments

  • debbie on Thursday Morning Open Thread: What A Difference A Day Makes (Jan 21, 2021 @ 7:19am)
  • Betty Cracker on Thursday Morning Open Thread: What A Difference A Day Makes (Jan 21, 2021 @ 7:18am)
  • Raven on Thursday Morning Open Thread: What A Difference A Day Makes (Jan 21, 2021 @ 7:18am)
  • Betsy on Thursday Morning Open Thread: What A Difference A Day Makes (Jan 21, 2021 @ 7:17am)
  • Mousebumples on COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday/Thursday, Jan. 20-21 (Jan 21, 2021 @ 7:16am)

Team Claire, and Family

Help for David’s Niece Claire
Claire Updates
Claire update for the holidays 12/23

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year

Featuring

John Cole
Silverman on Security
COVID-19 Coronavirus
Medium Cool with BGinCHI
Information Is Power

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Submit Photos to On the Road
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Meetups: Proof of Life
2021 Pets of Balloon Juice Calendar

Culture: Books, Film, TV, Music, Games, Podcasts

Noir: Favorites in Film, Books, TV
Book Recommendations & Indy Recs
Mystery Recommendations
Medium Cool: What If (Books & Films)
Netflix Favorites
Amazon Prime Favorites
Netflix Suggestions in July
Fun Music Thread
Longmire & Netflix Suggestions
Medium Cool: Places!
Medium Cool: Games!
Medium Cool: Watch or Read Again

Twitter

John Cole’s Twitter

[custom-twitter-feeds]

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!