Jill Stein refuses to fully cooperate with Senate Intelligence Committee's Russia investigation. Hmm.

Courtesy of The Intercept:

The Jill Stein campaign is refusing to comply fully with a Senate intelligence committee request for documents and other correspondence, made as part of the committee’s probe into Russian activities in the 2016 election, according to a letter to be delivered Thursday to the panel by an attorney for the campaign. 

The Green Party campaign will agree to turn over some documents, but raised constitutional objections to the breadth of the inquiry, which was first made in November 2017, arguing that elements of it infringe on basic political rights enshrined in the First Amendment. 

In the letter responding to committee chair Richard Burr, R-N.C., and ranking member Mark Warner, D-Va., Stein’s campaign has now said it will refuse some of the requests, calling them “so overbroad in reach as to demand constitutionally protected materials.”

The article goes on to say that the Stein campaign did provide documents pertaining to communications between them and "Russia media outlets."

However they are balking at providing the campaign's policy discussions regarding Russia, claiming it infringes on their First Amendment rights.

Personally I think that having access to those documents could prove very enlightening, and hope that both the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Mueller investigation get their hands on them.

I have not trusted Jill Stein from the word go, and I would not be at all surprised to learn that she was deeply involved in the Russian interference in our 2016 presidential election.

Senate Democrats say they can find NO credible evidence that EPA chief Scott Pruitt received threats that justify his unprecedented security expenses.

Courtesy of the AP:  

Confidential security assessments in the Environmental Protection Agency show no evidence of specific, credible, physical threats against Administrator Scott Pruitt, despite claims that an “unprecedented” number of death threats justify his outsized security spending, according to a review by Senate Democrats. 

Democrats on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee wrote in a letter Tuesday that they have reviewed security assessments describing 16 purported threats against Pruitt. They include public protests, criticism of Pruitt’s policies and other activities protected by the First Amendment. 

The letter from Sens. Tom Carper of Delaware and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island urged the committee’s Republican chairman to begin oversight hearings into Pruitt’s unusual security precautions. 

The Associated Press reported Friday that EPA has spent about $3 million on Pruitt’s security measures, which included flying first-class and using a full-time security detail of 20 armed officers.

Here are some of the "threats" that have been identified by HuffPo:

Here are some alleged threats against Pruitt that were investigated, according to reports: 

― The EPA inspector general in March 2017 investigated a postcard sent to the EPA that said: “Get out while you still can, Scott,” “You ignorant fuck,” and “You are evil incarnite,” according to a report obtained by E&E. EPA investigators discussed the message with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. But they couldn’t identify the author and concluded the message “lacked a clear threat.”

 ― Another postcard included “an implied threat that contained obscene language,” Sullivan told E&E. “It was not a direct threat.” The U.S. attorney’s office declined to prosecute, and the writer of the message apologized when contacted by federal officials, said Sullivan. 

― “Threatening tweets” against Pruitt and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) were investigated in April 2017. The writer told investigators he wrote the “flippant comments” while drinking and watching “The Rachel Maddow Show,” and had no intention of hurting anyone. He apologized, and a U.S. attorney’s office declined to press charges. 

― The EPA launched a criminal probe in April 2017 into two female protesters who interrupted a speech by Pruitt. Officials submitted information for misdemeanor charges, but no action was taken. 

― The head of the EPA’s Office of Criminal Enforcement told Politico in February that Pruitt’s safety was threatened when people yelled obscenities at him.

Jesus, I never realized it before but perhaps I need a bullet proof desk, because I have received way more aggressive threats than these.

By the way as it turns out Pruitt's predecessor, Gina McCarthy, received some ACTUAL threats of harm.

One of which said, “We will hurt you and your family.”

And yet she did not even bother to ask for a bullet proof desk, or even around the clock security.

Go figure. 

Tammy Duckworth becomes first sitting Senator to give birth. Will stay in DC during maternity leave to be available for upcoming votes.

Bryan, Abigail and I couldn’t be happier to welcome little Maile Pearl as the newest addition to our family and we’re deeply honored that our good friend Senator Akaka was able to bless her name for us—his help in naming both of our daughters means he will always be with us. https://t.co/KXyNf65KxA

— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) April 9, 2018

Courtesy of CNN:

Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth gave birth to a baby girl Monday, her office announced, the first US senator to do so while in office. 

"Bryan, Abigail and I couldn't be happier to welcome little Maile Pearl as the newest addition to our family and we're deeply honored that our good friend Senator (Daniel) Akaka was able to bless her name for us -- his help in naming both of our daughters means he will always be with us," Duckworth said in her office's statement. 

In her statement, Duckworth used the event to advocate that rules should be changed so she can bring her baby to Senate votes. 

Duckworth had her first child in 2014, when she was serving in the House of Representatives. 

An aide close to Duckworth told CNN she's doing well and taking 12 weeks to bond with her new daughter and take care of her family. She's staying in Washington, DC, for her maternity leave and is available to vote as needed.

Congratulations to Senator Tammy Duckworth on becoming a mother again to second daughter Maile Pearl! Senator Duckworth becomes the FIRST SENATOR to give birth while in office! The Senator is also known for giving Trump the name Cadet bone spurs! She's tough! pic.twitter.com/juTUuxPtwz

— Muckmaker (@RealMuckmaker) April 9, 2018

Keep in mind that this woman also had her two legs blown off while serving in Iraq.

And now she is not only Senator, but she has just given birth, and intends to remain close enough to her place of work to vote on important bills that might come up while she is supposed to be recovering and spending time with her baby.

I am a huge fan of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, but she just might have to hand her golden lasso and tiara over to Tammy Duckworth, because this woman is a whole new level of superhero. 

Ted Cruz's Democratic opponent raises more than 6 million in first quarter.

Got to meet someone who supposedly represents me today. Not for much longer, though! #BetoForTexas @SenTedCruz @BetoORourke pic.twitter.com/7S4yVR5uAj

— Rebecca (@LazyyMillennial) March 23, 2018

Courtesy of The Hill: 

Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) reportedly brought in more than $6 million during the first quarter of the year in his bid to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). 

The Texas Tribune reported that O'Rourke raised $6.7 million in the first three months of 2018. 

O'Rourke's fundraising haul was far higher than the amount he had raised during previous quarters, according to the Tribune, when he raised between $1.7 million and $2.4 million. 

His campaign told the newspaper that his fundraising haul was higher than that of any Democratic Senate candidate across the country. 

"Campaigning in a grassroots fashion while raising more than $6.7 million from 141,000 contributions, we are the story of a campaign powered by people who are standing up to special interests, proving that we are more than a match and making it clear that Texans are willing to do exactly what our state and country need of us at this critical time," O'Rourke said in a statement. 

The Cruz campaign has yet to release its first quarter report, but in past quarters the O'Rourke campaign had consistently out raised the Cruz campaign.

By a lot.

Which does not bode well for the Republican incumbent.

Not all heroes wear a cape.

Got to meet someone who supposedly represents me today. Not for much longer, though! #BetoForTexas @SenTedCruz @BetoORourke pic.twitter.com/7S4yVR5uAj

— Rebecca (@LazyyMillennial) March 23, 2018

Rebecca could be my favorite person on the internet today.

If Beto O'Rourke actually manages to beat this asshole in November I am going to break my champagne fast and polish off a huge bottle all on my own.

Definitely going to have a champagne headache the next day, but worth it.

New Ted Cruz campaign ad mocks his opponent for changing his name. Only one problem.

FIRST LISTEN: our new 60-second statewide radio ad introducing our liberal opponent, Congressman Robert O’Rourke, to Texas voters.

Help #KeepTexasRed: https://t.co/PVsiCtbbyL #CruzCrew #TXSen pic.twitter.com/OxK61gZ0ek

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 7, 2018

Courtesy of CNN: 

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's first shot at his expected Democratic challenger, Rep. Beto O'Rourke? Mocking his name. 

As Tuesday's primaries were closing, Cruz's campaign released a 60-second radio ad that was a country music jingle prodding O'Rourke for going by "Beto" rather than "Robert." 

"Liberal Robert wanted to fit in, so he changed his name to Beto and hid it with a grin," the song says.

O'Rourke said he's gone by "Beto" since he was born. 

"My parents have called me Beto from day one, and it's just -- it's kind of a nickname for Robert in El Paso. It just stuck," he said in a brief phone interview Tuesday night.

And here's proof. 

lol Ted Cruz pic.twitter.com/kr3be1Cv5C

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) March 7, 2018

By the way, Ted Cruz's real name is Rafael Cruz.

He adopted the name "Ted" to "fit in."

But hey, catchy tune. That should really help in the general election.

Senator wants more information about the NRA's ties to Russian banks and Russian mobsters.

Source

Courtesy of TPM: 

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has sent a second letter to the NRA asking for details about the pro-gun lobbying group’s finances. The letter zeroes in on the group’s ties to Russian banker and accused mob boss Aleksandr Torshin, a longtime confidant of several consecutive NRA presidents and a “life member” of the group. 

The FBI is reportedly probing whether Torshin illegally funneled money to the NRA to help Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. 

The Wyden letter asks about the now-notorious trip to Moscow taken in 2015 by a number of NRA executives and supporters, including then-Milwaukee sheriff David Clarke, as well about the NRA’s “Golden Ring of Freedom” program, reserved for million-dollar-plus donors. 

In one of the pictures tweeted by Torshin’s Russian gun-rights group, Right to Bear Arms, the head of the Golden Ring of Freedom program, Joe Gregory, can be seen in attendance. 

“Please identify the purpose of Mr. Gregory’s December 2015 trip to Moscow and confirm whether he attended in his capacity as the individual who runs your organization’s million dollar donor program,” Wyden wrote.

You know what, I'd like to know the answer to these questions as well.

But for right now I will simply assume that the NRA is a terrorist organization who receives financing from Russian mobsters.

And unlike what the NRA promotes, I bet this is not simply a conspiracy theory.

Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee is apparently behind attempts to sabotage investigation by the Senate Intelligence Committee. Has this ever happened before?

Burr and Warner

Courtesy of the New York Times:  

The Senate Intelligence Committee has concluded that Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee were behind the leak of private text messages between the Senate panel’s top Democrat and a Russian-connected lawyer, according to two congressional officials briefed on the matter. 

Senator Richard M. Burr of North Carolina, the committee’s Republican chairman, and Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat, were so perturbed by the leak that they demanded a rare meeting with Speaker Paul D. Ryan last month to inform him of their findings. They used the meeting with Mr. Ryan to raise broader concerns about the direction of the House Intelligence Committee under its chairman, Representative Devin Nunes of California, the officials said. 

To the senators, who are overseeing what is effectively the last bipartisan investigation on Capitol Hill into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, the leak was a serious breach of protocol and a partisan attack by one intelligence committee against the other. 

The messages between Mr. Warner and Adam Waldman, a Washington lawyer, show that the senator tried for weeks to arrange a meeting with Christopher Steele, the former British spy who assembled a dossier of salacious claims about connections between Mr. Trump, his associates and Russia. The Senate committee has had difficulty making contact with Mr. Steele, whom it views as a key witness. And Mr. Waldman, who knew Mr. Steele, presented himself as a willing partner.

Those texts, which were sent via a secure messaging application, were then leaked to Fox News who quickly used them in an attempt to discredit Senator Warner.

And they even called in a little help to do so.

Wow! -Senator Mark Warner got caught having extensive contact with a lobbyist for a Russian oligarch. Warner did not want a “paper trail” on a “private” meeting (in London) he requested with Steele of fraudulent Dossier fame. All tied into Crooked Hillary.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2018

So to be clear, Devin Nunes revealed private correspondence between a sitting Senator and his source to a national media outlet, and then the president of the United States used that information to publicly attack a fellow Republican and attempt to discredit an investigation into his own wrongdoing.

And all of this happened only weeks after the House Republicans published that erroneous memo claiming that the FBI relied only on the dossier and some media reports in order to get a FISA warrant to put Carter Page under surveillance.

Which of course is also a lie. 

We are so far down the rabbit hole now.

California Democratic party declines to endorse Senator Dianne Feinstein in her reelection bid.

Courtesy of Politico: 

In a sharp rebuke to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the California Democratic Party has declined to endorse the state’s own senior senator in her bid for reelection. 

Riven by conflict between progressive and more moderate forces at the state party’s annual convention here, delegates favored Feinstein’s progressive rival, state Senate leader Kevin de León, over Feinstein by a vote of 54 percent to 37 percent, according to results announced Sunday. 

Neither candidate reached the 60 percent threshold required to receive the party endorsement for 2018. But the snubbing of Feinstein led de León to claim a victory for his struggling campaign. 

“The outcome of today’s endorsement vote is an astounding rejection of politics as usual, and it boosts our campaign’s momentum as we all stand shoulder-to-shoulder against a complacent status quo,” de León said in a prepared statement. “California Democrats are hungry for new leadership that will fight for California values from the front lines, not equivocate on the sidelines.”

I'm a little concerned about this.

Dianne Feinstein has been in the Senate since 1992.

Yes she is part of the "establishment" but she is also a known quantity with a lot of support in her state.That means if she were to run for reelection, especially while riding the "blue wave," there is an almost certain victory.

If this Kevin de Leon guy, who may be an excellent candidate, wins the primary there is an increased possibility that something heretofore unknown in his background may be discovered and then he could be vulnerable in the general.

The saying "As California goes, so goes America" could bite us in the ass if we start seeing other safe seats suddenly challenged by more ideologically "pure" liberals who cannot win the general election.

Remember that is what has been happening with the conservatives, and they are losing seats right and left.

Look I want strong progressives in as many seats as possible, but I am also a pragmatist, and I know that if we start applying these purity tests to our sitting members of Congress and the Senate, we might purify ourselves right back to an overwhelming Republican majority in both houses.

Wisconsin GOP candidate's own parents donate the maximum to his Democratic opponent. Oh, that's gotta sting.

Sure my parents hate me, but hear me out.

Courtesy of  The Hill:

The parents of GOP Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson have maxed out their campaign contributions to the Democrat he’s challenging, CNN reported Monday. 

Each of Nicholson’s parents gave $2,700 to Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s (D-Wis.) campaign in December, the largest amount they can give during the Democratic primary. 

Nicholson’s mother, Donna, has been documented as giving thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates over the years. However, this is the first gift either of his parents have made to Baldwin’s campaign since Nicholson announced his own bid. 

"My parents have a different worldview than I do, and it is not surprising that they would support a candidate like Tammy Baldwin who shares their perspective,” Nicholson said in a statement to CNN.

Yeah, but this is less a case of "They don't share my perspective" and more a case of "They will donate as much money as possible to see that I do not win this election."

I mean this campaign ad almost writes itself:

Kevin Nicholson, a candidate so bad that even his patents are doing everything they can to stop him from winning."

I can see the bumper sticker now.

Yesterday Donald Trump called for due process when dealing with allegations of abuse or sexual misconduct. Senator Gillibrand says "Hold my beer."

Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 10, 2018

Trump tweeted this out yesterday in response to yet another White House staff member resigning in the wake of allegations of spousal abuse.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand decided that he had a point.

The President has shown through words and actions that he doesn’t value women. It’s not surprising that he doesn’t believe survivors or understand the national conversation that is happening.

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 10, 2018

The lives of survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse are being shattered every day. If he wants due process for the over dozen sexual assault allegations against him, let’s have Congressional hearings tomorrow. I would support that and my colleagues should too.

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 10, 2018

Well that seems perfectly reasonable to me.

If Trump really wants to see justice done, and an investigation of the numerous allegations being bandied about, well where better to start than with the ones against him? 

If Trump thought the Mueller investigation was terrifying, wait until he saw a parade of women making accusations against him filling into the Senate chambers.

Now THAT would be must see TV.

Now for some good news. God told Michele Bachmann NOT to run for the Senate.

Courtesy of Right Wing Watch: 

Over the weekend, Bachmannn told End Times radio host Jan Markell that after much prayer, she has decided that God does not, in fact, want her to make a bid for this seat. 

“I’m not going to run for that office,” she said. “I had a lot of people contacting me, wanting to give me money and be a part of my team to run for a campaign … But what I did is I did what I have done on every other time I thought about running: I took it to the Lord in a very quiet way, I took it before the Lord, I prayed, I tried to have my ears open and hear what God was saying to me.” 

“I considered it for quite a long time,” Bachmann continued. “From the very first day when Al Franken had announced his resignation from the U.S. Senate, I went before the Lord and it became very clear to me that I wasn’t hearing any call from God to do this.” 

“I’ve always prayed and tried to seek out what God’s will for me would be,” she added, “and each time before, I’ve had this inner sense that I’m supposed to do this, I’m supposed to run. It doesn’t mean a guarantee that I’ll win, all it means is that that’s what I sensed in my spirit, that God wanted me to run. I had absolutely no sense from the Lord at all that I was supposed to run this time.” 

“I just had no sense from the Lord that this is something that I should do right now,” Bachmann said, “so I’m not going to do it.”

You know, that's almost enough to make you believe in a higher power. 

Almost.

The FBI is now assessing a second Russia dossier.

Courtesy of The Guardian:  

The FBI inquiry into alleged Russian collusion in the 2016 US presidential election has been given a second memo that independently set out some of the same allegations made in a dossier by Christopher Steele, the British former spy.

The second memo was written by Cody Shearer, a controversial political activist and former journalist who was close to the Clinton White House in the 1990s. 

Unlike Steele, Shearer does not have a background in espionage, and his memo was initially viewed with scepticism, not least because he had shared it with select media organisations before the election. 

However, the Guardian has been told the FBI investigation is still assessing details in the “Shearer memo” and is pursuing intriguing leads. 

One source with knowledge of the inquiry said the fact the FBI was still working on it suggested investigators had taken an aspect of it seriously. 

It raises the possibility that parts of the Steele dossier, which has been derided by Trump’s supporters, may have been corroborated by Shearer’s research, or could still be.

Well that is some interesting news.

I would imagine that Mueller has also read through this second dossier, which is not going to make a certain orange tinged Russian agent very happy.

Which brings me to another thing that we learned yesterday.

Courtesy of NBC News:   

He keeps telling some in his circle that Mueller — any day now — will tell him he is off the hook for any charge of collusion with the Russians or obstruction of justice. 

But Trump — who trusts no one, or at least no one for long — has now decided that he must have an alternative strategy that does not involve having Justice Department officials fire Mueller. 

"I think he's been convinced that firing Mueller would not only create a firestorm, it would play right into Mueller's hands," said another friend, "because it would give Mueller the moral high ground." 

Instead, as is now becoming plain, the Trump strategy is to discredit the investigation and the FBI without officially removing the leadership. Trump is even talking to friends about the possibility of asking Attorney General Jeff Sessions to consider prosecuting Mueller and his team. 

"Here's how it would work: 'We're sorry, Mr. Mueller, you won't be able to run the federal grand jury today because he has to go testify to another federal grand jury,'" said one Trump adviser.

Launching an investigation against the person investigating you sounds like an act of absolute desperation, but with top level FBI agents dropping like flies, and Rod Rosenstein under constant attack, it could happen.

Which is likely why Senate Democrats are working desperately to protect Mueller and his investigation: 

Senate Democrats are plotting aggressive tactics to force Republicans to consider legislation that would effectively shield special counsel Robert Mueller from presidential interference. 

The party’s Senate leaders have been internally discussing the prospects of tying legislation to a must-pass government funding bill that must be considered by Feb. 8. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Tuesday that he would “very much like to” merge those two efforts. And the appetite among the rest of the caucus for doing so is surprisingly strong, aides and lawmakers say.. 

“I’m keenly supporting those pieces of legislation and I think the continued arrows shot at the department and the knowledge that they took one run at Mueller already is a sign that we need to find a way to get this done,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) told The Daily Beast. “I agree with any strategy that helps get it done. That’s the prime goal.”

I have to say that with these new revelations I have stopped eating popcorn and am chewing on my fingernails instead.

Things are getting seriously tense.

Missouri Senate candidate has some rather antiquated views of women's rights. And yes he's a Republican.

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

In a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday, (Courtland)Sykes said that he had been asked if he “supports women’s rights.” 

“I want to come home to a home cooked dinner every night at six,” Sykes said, referring to demands he makes of his girlfriend. “One that she fixes and one that I expect one day to have daughters learn to fix after they become traditional homemakers and family wives.” 

According to Sykes, feminists push an agenda that they “made up to suit their own nasty snake-filled heads.” 

The candidate said that he hoped his daughters do not grow up to be “career obsessed banshees who forgo home life and children and the happiness of family to become nail-biting manophobic hell-bent feminist she devils who shriek from the top of a thousand tall buildings they are [SIC] think they could have leaped in a single bound — had men not been ‘suppressing them.’ It’s just nuts.” 

Sykes ended his rant by insisting that he supports women’s rights “but not the kind that has suppressed natural womanhood for five long decades.” 

“But good news,” he concluded. “They’re finished. Ask Hillary.”

And this guy is go up against Claire McCaskill?

She will clean his clock, and then teach him to make his own damn dinner.  

Cyber security firm warns that Russian hackers are laying the groundwork to spy on US Senate.

Courtesy of Business Insider:  

The US Senate was targeted last year by the same hacking group that broke into the Democratic National Committee servers during the 2016 presidential election, according to the cybersecurity firm Trend Micro. 

The research firm found that phishing sites were set up by Pawn Storm, also known as Fancy Bear or APT28, mimicking the Senate's internal email system in an attempt to gain users' login credentials. 

"By looking at the digital fingerprints of these phishing sites and comparing them with a large data set that spans almost five years, we can uniquely relate them to a couple of Pawn Storm incidents in 2016 and 2017," the researchers wrote. 

They added that the phishing emails, while not advanced in nature, are often "the starting point of further attacks that include stealing sensitive data from email inboxes." 

The June 2017 phishing attempts would not have been the first time Russia tried to infiltrate the US Senate. In its extensive analysis of Fancy Bear's targets during the presidential election, the Associated Press found that Senate staffers Robert Zarate, Josh Holmes, and Jason Thielman were targeted between 2015-2016.

And just a reminder that the Trump Administration has done virtually NOTHING to protect the American people against these attacks. 

I'll leave it to you to imagine why that is.

The Senate has the 30 sponsors it needs to move a bill to the floor to reverse the FCC's decision to repeal net neutrality.

 Courtesy of The Hill:  

A Senate bill that would reverse the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to repeal net neutrality received its 30th co-sponsor on Monday, ensuring it will receive a vote on the Senate floor. 

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) announced her support for the bill on Twitter, putting it over the top of a procedural requirement to bypass committee approval. 

The bill, which is being pushed by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), would use Congress’s authority under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to reverse the FCC’s rollback of its popular net neutrality rules. 

“We’ve reached the magic number of 30 to secure a vote on the Senate floor, and that number will only continue to climb,” Markey said in a statement Monday. “Republicans are faced with a choice — be on the right side of history and stand with the American people who support a free and open internet, or hold hands with the special interests who want to control the internet for their own profit.”

It should be remembered that net neutrality has overwhelming support from the American people, so these Senators have to keep in mind how this vote will be used against them in their next reelection bid.

That bodes well for the passage of this bill.

Though of course you can bet that communications giants like AT&T and Comcast are going to lobby hard against it.

Might be time to start making some phone calls to our Senators.

Senator Dianne Feinstein gets fed up with all of the Republican excuses and releases the Fusion GPS transcript onto the internet.

Courtesy of Politico:  

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Tuesday unexpectedly released the transcript of congressional investigators' August 2017 interview with Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson, whose firm was behind a controversial dossier alleging ties between President Donald Trump and Russians. 

Feinstein's move represents an escalation of partisan tensions that have long been simmering on the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. Simpson had called for the transcript of his appearance to be made public, but Republican leaders so far had not agreed to release it. 

A spokesman for Grassley said Feinstein posted the transcript with "no agreement" from committee Republicans. 

"The American people deserve the opportunity to see what he said and judge for themselves,” Feinstein, the top Democrat on the judiciary committee, said in a statement about her decision to release the Simpson transcript.

“The innuendo and misinformation circulating about the transcript are part of a deeply troubling effort to undermine the investigation into potential collusion and obstruction of justice. The only way to set the record straight is to make the transcript public," she said.

(If you want to read that transcript you can do so here.)

Since the release a number of news outlets have reported on its contents.

For instance Axios reported that at least a portion of the dossier had been confirmed to the FBI by a White House source: 

Fusion GPS head Glenn Simpson told Senate Judiciary Committee staffers in August that the FBI had independently received information from an Trump campaign insider that led them to find some of the allegations in former MI6 agent Christopher Steele's Trump-Russia dossier credible. That revelation comes from a transcript of his testimony to the committee released unilaterally today its ranking member, Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

That source of course turned out to be George Papadopoulos.

Simpson revealed that there was evidence of Russian money laundering:

During his testimony, Simpson detailed ways that money had been stolen from a bank in Kazakhstan, then laundered throughout multiple countries — before possibly being funneled in part to the Trump Soho hotel project. 

At the center of the ordeal appears to be Felix Sater, a Trump-linked Russian-born businessman who in 1998 pleaded guilty to taking part in a mafia-related stock fraud scheme, and who is now cooperating with an international investigation into an alleged money laundering network.

Business Insider reports that Christopher Steele had initially reached out to the FBI, but then became concerned that they were being manipulated by Trump and cut ties with them: 

Simpson said Steele "stopped dealing" with the FBI after the New York Times reported in October 2016 that the FBI had found no clear links between Trump and Russia. Steele was also irked by the letter that then-FBI Director James Comey sent to Congress on October 28, effectively re-opening the Hillary Clinton email investigation. 

"That episode, you know, obviously created some concern that the FBI was intervening in a political campaign in contravention of long-standing Justice Department regulation," Simpson said. "So it made a lot of people, including us, concerned about what the heck was going on at the FBI." 

Simpson called the New York Times piece, published on October 31, "a real Halloween special." 

"Sometime thereafter the FBI -- I understand Chris severed his relationship with the FBI out of concern that he didn't know what was happening inside the FBI and there was a concern that the FBI was being manipulated for political ends by the Trump people and that we didn't really understand what was going on," Simpson said. "So he stopped dealing with them."

We also learned that according to Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson's lawyer that at least one person has been killed due to the release of the dossier.

!!!

Glenn Simpson's lawyer said someone has been killed as a result of the Steele dossier being published. pic.twitter.com/TMjbi7oPU7

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 9, 2018

I have been busy today so I have only started to read through the 312 page transcript, but I have already concluded that the Republicans did not want this released for some very scurrilous reasons.

This is how Scott Dworkin responded to what he read.

After reading the Fusion GPS transcript it’s clear Republicans have been completely ignoring all of the credible allegations of money laundering, conspiracy with Russia against the US & other crimes committed by Donald Trump & his pals. It’s proof Republicans are traitors—Period.

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) January 9, 2018

Yeah, essentially that.

Joe Arpaio, recent recipient of a presidential pardon, will run for the Senate.

Courtesy of the Washington Examiner:  

Republican Joe Arpaio, a close ally of President Trump and former sheriff known for his provocative approach to combatting illegal immigration, is running for Senate in Arizona. 

The 85-year-old Arpaio could shake up the late August Republican primary in a critical open-seat race to replace retiring Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. Trump pardoned Arpaio last summer, sparing the former sheriff jail time after he was convicted of ignoring a federal court order in a racial-profiling case. 

The polarizing yet iconic former Maricopa County sheriff, beloved by many conservatives for his hawkish immigration policies, presents an alternative to the unimpressive Kelli Ward and a potential obstacle to Rep. Martha McSally. She is expected to launch within days and is widely viewed as the Republicans’ strongest general election candidate. 

In a telephone interview with the Washington Examiner, Arpaio shrugged off concerns about his age, dismissed Republican insiders’ anxiety that his poor reputation with nonwhite voters would put the seat in play for the Democrats in the midterm, and discussed plans to work with Trump on behalf of Arizona. 

“I have a lot to offer. I’m a big supporter of President Trump,” Arpaio said. “I’m going to have to work hard; you don’t take anything for granted. But I would not being doing this if I thought that I could not win. I’m not here to get my name in the paper, I get that everyday, anyway.”

Renowned racist, convicted in a court of law, pardoned by an equally racist president, and now running to represent Arizona in the Senate.

Could only happen in Trump's America.

I actually hopes that he wins the nomination, and then loses spectacularly to his Democratic opponent.

THAT would be justice.

Republicans now take aim at the author of the Russian dossier, Christopher Steele.

Courtesy of WaPo: 

A pair of GOP senators sent a letter to the Justice Department on Friday urging an investigation into Christopher Steele, the intelligence agent behind that famous dossier from the Russia investigation. 

And the whole thing is rather strange. 

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) sent the letter to the DOJ and FBI. In it, the pair says they have reason to believe Steele might have lied about disseminating information from the dossier. 

But while they make the allegation publicly in the letter, the details of Steele's potential lying are contained within an attached document marked classified. In other words, they are suggesting Steele may have lied, but don't say what he might have lied about.

As the New York Times points out these are allegations that Steele lied to the FBI, which is a crime: 

More than a year after Republican leaders promised to investigate Russian interference in the presidential election, two influential Republicans on Friday made the first known congressional criminal referral in connection with the meddling — against one of the people who sought to expose it. 

Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a senior committee member, told the Justice Department they had reason to believe that a former British spy, Christopher Steele, lied to federal authorities about his contacts with reporters regarding information in the dossier, and they urged the department to investigate.

Gee, I cannot begin to imagine why they are doing this. Can you?

And if you are confused keep in mind that House Republicans are also calling for Jeff Sessions to step down.

So to sum up the Senate Republicans are trying to undermine the honesty of the former spy who compiled the dossier, while the House Republicans are working to remove Sessions, so that Trump can appoint a new Attorney General, who will then put a halt to the Robert Mueller investigation.

What's the definition for "collusion" again?

Or "obstructionism?"

Or "treason." 

Michele Bachmann is waiting for the go ahead from God before deciding to run for Al Franken's Senate seat.

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Bachmann appeared on Christian broadcaster Jim Bakker’s program and said that she has “had people contact me and urge me to run for that Senate seat” that will soon be vacated by outgoing Sen. Al Franken. 

However, she told Bakker that she was wary about wading into the Senate race because she’s worried about paying a price that she described as “bigger than ever” because “the Swamp is so toxic.” 

Bachmann lamented that she wasn’t a “billionaire” who had the funds to properly defend herself against attacks against her reputation, but she said that she would consider getting into the ring if God gave her the okay. 

“I fulfilled the calling that God gave me,” Bachmann said of her unsuccessful 2012 presidential run. “So the question is, am I being called to do this now? I don’t know.”

Oh damn I did not realize that this was something that I wanted until I saw that video.

Bachmann running for that seat in Minnesota to replace the amazing AL Franken, would be a blogger's dream come true. 

And my favorite part is that she is discussing this on Jim Bakker's batshit crazy Christian fleecing program, where he sells things to the gullible like "End of Days" food products, and that she really thinks she did well in her last attempt to win the GOP nomination for President.

Oh yeah, I don't care if God never gets back to her on this, she needs to run.

It would be such an easy seat for the Democrats to keep if she did.