Thursday Night – Let’s Recap this Week
Astros win!
Ok, seriously…two Giuliani associates, Ukraine born Lev Parma, and Belarusian born Igor Fruman were arrested last night trying to board a flight out of the country at Dulles airport after having lunch earlier in the day with…wait for it…Rudy Giuliani. And guess where they had lunch…that’s right, the Trump International Hotel. They’re now charged with funneling foreign money (including from a Russian oligarch) into pro-Trump PACs to influence US politicians including our own Pete Sessions, former congressvarmit. Sessions has been exposed for pushing the State Department to fire former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yavanovich; Parma and Fruman have been implicated in that ousting. Why was she ousted, you ask? For being “anti-Trump”.
Also, Trump unilaterally announced the withdrawl of support of longstanding allies, the Kurds of Northern Syria. Recall that the Kurds led the way in ousting ISIS from Syria, and for holding 50,000 former ISIS fighters in prison. All those bets are off, and some Republicans, including Lindsey Graham have actually learned to stand without spines against Trump’s rashness.
Meanwhile, Jared and Ivanka have reported $82 million in income during 2018 while serving in the White House, 4 more White House staff are reported to have blown the whistle on Trump’s shakedown of Zelensky, and Trump continues spouting bullshit in Hitleresque political rallies.
Oh, and Rick Perry’s been subpoenaed to testify before the impeachment inquiry about his involvement in shaking down Ukraine to get them to manufacture dirt on a political rival.
But, please…let’s talk about Biden.
I’ve said it before about this gang and I’m just gonna keep on saying it, “Thank God for stupid criminals.”
1Every day more Republican scum rises from the bottom the swamp. Too bad the FBI didn’t get to arrest Rudy.
This is going to be quite a sh** show. Popcorn, anyone?
2And it’s only Thursday.
3Sen. Graham let everyone know what he really feels about the Kurds when he got a prank phone call his staff thought was from Turkey’s Foreign Minister.
He characterised them as a “threat” to Turkey, a “big problem,” and said Trump wanted to help with their Reza Zarrab case (that guy was the gold smuggler evading Iran sanctions).
Unsurprisingly, Graham’s alleged outrage is a lie.
The pranksters were two Russian comedians with ties to Russian Intelligence.
Lindsey Graham dishes on Trump in hoax calls with Russians
4https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/10/lindsey-graham-trump-hoax-call-043991
Yay, Astros!
5One interesting thing about these two guys is that they apparently funneled Russian money to several Republicans, including Meadows (I think) and Rick Scott. In our calls to senators about impeachment (and we are making them, aren’t we?), it might be useful to ask if Senators who took Russian money shouldn’t recuse themselves from the trial. It might be useful to ask Comrades Cornyn and Cruz how much they got, and whether they know how much Moscow Mitch got.
I’m glad you reported the important news first – Go Stros!
I hope Mike Myers is taking note of these Trump events because it would make a great storyline for one of his spy movies – maybe Trump could be the International Man of Mudslinging?
6The spines observed on republi-cons are from shadow puppets. As the sun rises so disappears these “spines”.
7It’s Chuck Schumer time. He needs to be lighting a fire under Moscow Mitch and the boys. The minority position isn’t powerless, if they scream loud enough. Every time Lindsey grovels and squeaks Democratic Senators must respond with the facts, loudly and proudly. Moscow Mitch needs to feel his turtle shell shake with the echoes.
8OT – Social Security says millions of retirees will get a 1.6% COLA increase in 2020
Edit:
WASHINGTON — Millions of retirees will get a modest 1.6% cost-of-living increase from Social Security in 2020, an uptick with potential political consequences in an election year when Democrats are pushing more generous inflation protection.
The increase amounts to $24 a month for the average retired worker, according to estimates released Thursday by the Social Security Administration. Following a significant boost this year, the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for 2020 reverts to its pattern of moderate gains.
But seniors and advocates complain that the inflation yardstick used to determine the annual adjustment doesn’t adequately reflect their costs, mainly for health care.
On the COLA, Democratic presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are proposing to use a measure of inflation that reflects expenses for households headed by a person 62 or older. It usually outpaces the index currently used.
Read More:
9https://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2019/10/10/Social-Security-benefits-2020-increase-1-6-cost-of-living-retirees/stories/201910100173