Today's News (2019/12/23)

[solarbird]

A Conversation with Rudy Giuliani Over Bloody Marys
New York Magazine
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/12/a-conversation-with-rudy-giuliani-over-bloody-marys.html

As we sped uptown, he spoke in monologue about the scandal he co-created, weaving one made-up talking point into another and another. He said former ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, whom he calls Santa Maria Yovanovitch, is “controlled” by George Soros. “He put all four ambassadors there. And he’s employing the FBI agents.” I told him he sounded crazy, but he insisted he wasn’t.

“Don’t tell me I’m anti-Semitic if I oppose him,” he said. “Soros is hardly a Jew. I’m more of a Jew than Soros is. I probably know more about — he doesn’t go to church, he doesn’t go to religion — synagogue. He doesn’t belong to a synagogue, he doesn’t support Israel, he’s an enemy of Israel. He’s elected eight anarchist DA’s in the United States. He’s a horrible human being.”

In the grand tradition of Soros conspiracy theorists, Giuliani believes the media is doing the billionaire’s bidding by printing lies about him, yet he often bungles his own attempts to discredit the media’s reporting. While attempting to argue that, despite what has been written, “I have no business interests in Ukraine,” he told me about his business interests in Ukraine.

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Newly revealed emails show why Trump should fear a real Senate trial
The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/12/23/newly-revealed-emails-show-why-trump-should-fear-real-senate-trial/

Though articles of impeachment against President Trump have been approved by the House, the investigation — both official and journalistic — is by no means over. And newly revealed emails demonstrate not just why Democrats are so eager for Trump’s trial in the Senate to include testimony from witnesses we have yet to hear from, but also why Republicans are so frightened of the prospect:

_An official from the White House budget office directed the Defense Department to “hold off” on sending military aid to Ukraine less than two hours after President Trump’s controversial phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to internal emails._

_Michael Duffey, a senior budget official, told Pentagon officials that Trump had become personally interested in the Ukraine aid and had ordered the hold, according to the heavily redacted emails, obtained by the Center for Public Integrity on Friday in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. He also asked the Pentagon not to discuss the hold widely._

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US Held Off on Tariffs while Argentina Reviewed Trump Trademarks
https://www.citizensforethics.org/trump-argentina-trademarks/

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House counsel suggests Trump could be impeached again
Politico
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/23/doj-impeachment-vote-undercut-house-mcgahn-testimony-089604

“If McGahn’s testimony produces new evidence supporting the conclusion that President Trump committed impeachable offenses that are not covered by the Articles approved by the House, the Committee will proceed accordingly — including, if necessary, by considering whether to recommend new articles of impeachment,” Letter wrote.

Comments

[gorgeousgary]

The sad thing about the GOP's obsession with Soros is that, depending on what list you look at, he is neither the biggest donor to Democrats nor the biggest Jewish donor to either side. I've seen lists that show Tom Steyer and his wife as bigger donors to Democratic causes, not to mention fellow member-of-the-tribe Michael Bloomberg. And the top Jewish donor on some lists is GOP-funder Sheldon Adelsohn. The ultra-conservative Uihleins also generally top Soros in political donations.

Which all comes down to the usual "it's OK when our guys do it..."

[solarbird]

Maybe not.

But is he the biggest donating survivor of a concentration camp?

After all, holocaust denialism is a huge part of the anti-Semitic conspiracy-theory universe.

And given that Soros hate is a direct stand-in, welllllll...

[conuly]

Wow, just looking at that excerpt it sounds like Giuliani is utterly losing it. He always was a scumbag, but he at least seemed to have normal intellectual/psychological capabilities.

[solarbird]

This is what happens when bullshitters start believing their own bullshit.