WATCH: InfoWars’ Alex Jones breaks down in tears after learning ‘the rich asshole crapped all over us’ by attacking Syria
Alex Jones -- screenshot
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InfoWars founder Alex Jones had a weeping meltdown on Friday night after learning that President some rich asshole joined with France and the British to launch an attack on Syria in retaliation for a reported chemical attack on the residents of Douma.
Reacting to the news of the military incursion, the anti-interventionist Jones lamented that, “the rich asshole is crapping all over us.”
“If he had been a piece of crap from the beginning, it wouldn’t be so bad,” Jones continued as he burst into tears and had to pause..“We’ve made so many sacrifices and now he’s crapping all over us. It makes me sick.”
According to the conspiracy theorist, the rich asshole had been “doing so good,” before pronouncing the president a “fraud,” and saying his administration is “done.”
Watch the video below via Twitter:
Comey-the rich asshole feud takes vicious turn
BY MORGAN CHALFANT AND OLIVIA BEAVERS - 04/14/18 07:21 AM EDT
Former FBI Director James Comey's public feud with President the rich asshole is growing strikingly personal.
In a tell-all book set for release on Tuesday, Comey writes that the rich asshole wanted him to disprove allegations he had a salacious encounter with prostitutes in Moscow, in an effort to reassure his wife, Melania the rich asshole.
Comey also writes dismissively of the rich asshole's appearance, recalling white bags under his eyes, contrasting with orange skin, that he surmised came from wearing goggles during tanning sessions.
The vindictive tone of Comey’s observations stunned Washington, raising concerns even among those who know and respect the former FBI director.
“I’m troubled by it,” said Ron Hosko, a former FBI official who worked under Comey. “It seems very, very personal, vengeful … even if true.”
The new book has reignited the feud between Comey and the rich asshole that has raged for more than a year, since Comey first confirmed the existence of the investigation into Russian interference in the election and whether there was collusion between the rich asshole’s campaign and Moscow.
the rich asshole has gone on offense, labeling Comey an “untruthful slimeball” and a “leaker” deserving of prosecution.
Republicans, meanwhile, are mounting an all-out campaign against the former FBI director, attacking his credibility.
Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) told reporters Friday his opinion of Comey has changed in light of the new excerpts, saying they reveal a “personal vendetta against the president.”
“Comey’s saying all these things about the president. … To me it is not justified at all — it shows to me a bit of pettiness or bitchiness on Comey’s part,” King said. “I had a much higher regard for Jim Comey before all of this.”
Democrats disagree.
“There’s no low blows when it comes to this president,” said Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.). “He’s lowered the bar so far that he doesn’t deserve the same amount of respect that other presidents have in the past. So I’m not going to criticize somebody for not holding back.”
The drama is creating a new distraction for a White House that is frequently engulfed by controversy. Comey’s book dominated the White House press briefing on Friday, during which press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders labeled the fired FBI director a “disgraced partisan hack.”
Alex Conant, communications director for Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) 2016 campaign, said the White House has lacked a messaging strategy in recent weeks, forcing aides to be reactive.
“They sold a lot of Michael Wolff’s books for him,” quipped Conant, now a partner at Firehouse Strategies. “Given their frontal attacks on Comey already, they’re going to sell a lot of his books as well.”
During his tenure at the FBI, Comey, a Republican, earned respect from inside and outside the bureau and was, by many accounts, a capable director. Before being nominated by former President Obama to lead the FBI, his reputation for independence was solidified by a famous confrontation with officials in the George W. Bush White House over a surveillance program.
But Comey became enshrouded in political controversy in his final months over his handling of the investigations into Hillary Clinton and the rich asshole, drawing the ire of both parties.
The president abruptly fired Comey last May, a move his aides initially pinned on a recommendation from the Justice Department but that the president later suggested he did at his own accord, motivated in part by the Russia investigation.
Comey first heard the news about his firing while addressing FBI employees in Los Angeles, initially shrugging off the reports as some sort of prank before the official termination letter arrived at his D.C. office, according to reports.
He became the second director in the FBI’s history to be fired; the move cut short Comey’s 10-year tenure by six years.
It was Comey’s firing that ultimately led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller to lead the now-sprawling probe, which most recently ensnared the rich asshole’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Last June, Comey provided dramatic testimony to Congress on the circumstances of his dismissal.
Before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Comey said the rich asshole directed him to end the investigation into Michael Flynn, the president’s onetime national security adviser who has since pleaded guilty in Mueller’s probe to lying to FBI agents. the rich asshole says Comey is lying.
Since that testimony, Comey has largely been silent, apart from the occasional tweet, while working on his book.
The release of the book now affords Comey a fresh opportunity to step into the spotlight and tell his version of events, addressing his relationship with the rich asshole as well as his controversial handling of the Clinton email investigation.
In the book, Comey expresses regret for his explanation of the investigation into Clinton's use of a private server for government business. Clinton and her aides have argued Comey’s decision to revive the probe days before the election contributed to her loss.
“I’m sorry that I couldn’t do a better job explaining to her and her supporters why I made the decisions I made,” he writes.
He also says his handling of the Clinton investigation was likely affected by his expectation that she would win the White House.
Comey’s promotional tour will begin with an interview on ABC Sunday night, followed by a flurry of other media appearances.
Hosko, who worked for eight months under Comey and describes him as a “smart, articulate, experienced engaging person,” nevertheless raised questions about the potential impact on the bureau and on Comey’s reputation.
“Is it the right thing for the FBI director whether you have been escorted out of the premises … or served a full term,” Hosko said. “Does that elevate him or diminish him? And I think some of that depends on how you see Comey to begin with.”
— Mike Lillis contributed
Ex-White House ethics attorney explains how the rich asshole’s ‘stupid’ call to attorney Cohen could blow up in president’s face
Attorney Richard Painter -- CNN screenshot
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Appearing early Saturday morning on CNN’s New Day, former chief White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter said President some rich asshole may have put himself in more legal peril by calling his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, to chat after the attorney’s home and office was raided by the FBI.
Speaking with CNN host Victor Blackwell, Richard Painter said it made no sense for the rich asshole to contact Cohen — and that the FBI could compel Cohen to tell them what was said.
“A source tells CNN that President the rich asshole called Micheal Cohen just to check in,” Blackwell explained. “We know that he’s been under investigation for months and both men are involved in investigations. Clearly this is an ill-advised call. what are the potential problems about the phone call?”
“Well, unless the president was calling Michael Cohen for purposes of seeking legal advice, the call is not privileged meaning the FBI, the prosecutors could ask Michael Cohen about that call,” Painter explained. “They could get evidence from Michael Cohen about what happened on that call and could ask President the rich asshole. I have no idea why anyone in their right mind would call up a lawyer to seek legal advice from a lawyer days after the FBI raided the lawyer’s office.”
“It’s amazing that President the rich asshole didn’t have the good judgment to let it alone, to have nothing to do with Michael Cohen until this is sorted out,” he added. “It doesn’t matter this is not about legal advice. This is an old friend calling to say things will get better? Well, he can do that, but the FBI may find out what was said in that call. Michael Cohen could cut a plea deal with the prosecutors and tell them what happened.”
“The point is, it’s not a privileged call when the president just is calling to say, ‘well, I’m sorry the FBI raided your office, and I’ll provide bail money or a pardon,” Painter elaborated. “I have no idea why he made the call. It’s stupid.”
Watch the video below via CNN:
Russia, Iran denounce US-led strikes against Syria
BY JESSE BYRNES - 04/14/18 07:04 AM EDT
Russia and Iran on Saturday denounced overnight airstrikes from the U.S., France and Britain against targets associated with their ally Syrian leader Bashar Assad over an apparent chemical weapons attack.
“With their actions, the U.S. is deepening a humanitarian catastrophe in Syria,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Putin slammed the strikes as an "act of aggression against a sovereign state" and called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, but stopped short of threatening any specific retaliation against the strikes.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, meanwhile, claimed in a post on his website that the leaders of the U.S., France and Britain "have committed a major crime."
"They will gain no benefit; just as they did not while in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, over the past years, committing the same criminal acts," he said.
Iran and Russia have both been close allies of Syria's Assad, with Moscow providing military support for the Syrian government amid a years-long civil war there.
The the rich asshole administration sought to prebut claims from such allies after launching about 120 missiles Friday at three targets in Syria associated with the government's chemical weapons efforts.
Defense Secretary James Mattis ended a briefing with reporters at the Pentagon on Friday night by warning of false reports from “those who have aligned themselves with the Assad regime.”
“Based on recent experience we fully expect a significant disinformation campaign over the coming days,” Mattis said.
President the rich asshole announced the "precision strikes" against Syria in retaliation for an apparent chemical weapons strike last weekend in the Syrian town of Douma that left dozens of people dead.
It was the second strike that the rich asshole has authorized in response to such an attack, after ordering a strike on a Syrian air base last year following a chemical weapons attack that also left dozens of people dead.
"These are not the actions of a man; they are crimes of a monster instead,” the rich asshole said during a televised address late Friday from the White House, blasting Assad.
— Ellen Mitchell contributed
By
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April 14, 2018
Giving a lifetime judicial appointment to someone who just so happened to have done the rich asshole a huge favor sure seems shady — and very typical of the rich asshole.
In 2010, the deputy attorney general of Texas shut down an investigation into the rich asshole’s fraudulent the rich asshole University — and now he’s up for a lifetime appointment as a federal judge, courtesy of the rich asshole.
the rich asshole named David Morales to the Southern District of Texas this week, a move recommended and applauded by far-right conservatives, including the state’s two Republican senators, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
A White House statement announcing the nomination noted Morales’ 17 years in the Office of the Attorney General of Texas. But it didn’t mention one of the most infamous matters Morales handled while he was there.
In 2010, the state’s Consumer Protection Division wanted to sue the rich asshole and his scam online “university” for defrauding Texans out of millions of dollars.
“The ‘free workshops’ are merely a selling ground for the Defendant the rich asshole U’s 3-day seminars and offer little useable content,” the investigators’ report noted. “The training materials we have reviewed indicate that the rich asshole University 3-day seminar attendees are taught to prey upon homeowners in financial turmoil and to target foreclosure properties.”
But Morales said no.
“The decision not to sue him was political,” John Owens, former deputy of the division, told The Dallas Morning News. “Had [the rich asshole] not been involved in politics to the extent he was at the time, we would have gotten approval. Had he been just some other scam artist, we would have sued him.”
Others did sue, though, and revealed what a huge, predatory scam the whole thing really was. This week, a federal judge in California finalized a $25 million settlement to thousands of the rich asshole’s victims.
Yet thanks to Morales, Texas passed on the opportunity to recuperate that money for its defrauded citizens. And that might have been reason enough for the rich asshole to want to reward Morales.
This wouldn’t mark the first time someone who killed an investigation into the rich asshole U scam later benefited. In 2013, mere days after Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the state would be “reviewing the allegations” against the rich asshole, his foundation made a $25,000 donation to a group backing her re-election campaign.
Two months later, Bondi announced she was dropping the investigation, claiming “insufficient grounds.” Since then, Bondi has continued to benefit from her friendly relationship with the rich asshole.
It looks like Morales could be benefitting the same way. With the rich asshole, who so openly traffics in favors regardless of the appearance of impropriety, it’s simply impossible to know.'‘I don’t see him leaving willingly for any reason’: Bill Maher and Real Time panel walk through the endgame on the rich asshole’s fascism
Bill Maher on his HBO show/Screenshot
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Is America headed for fascism?
As some rich asshole attack the impartial investigators who probe his possible illegal activities, the idea has gone from fringe to an essay titled “Will We Stop the rich asshole
Before It’s Too Late?” written by respected former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and published in the New York Times.
Before It’s Too Late?” written by respected former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and published in the New York Times.
Bill Maher and a panel took up the topic Friday night.
“Is it fair to say that the only way the rich asshole survives as president is if we become not a nation of laws—in essence, a fascist dictatorship,” Maher said. “Who’s going to go to knock on that door at the White House and make him go? …I don’t see him leaving, willingly, for any reason.”
the rich asshole’s reaction to the lawful raid on his lawyer’s office showed that he has no respect for the rule of law, Maher said.
“What he said about the raid of Michael Cohen‘s office, he says, ‘It’s an attack against our country,’” Maher said. “We’ve read the list of the many ways in which he is a banana republic dictator. The family who has key jobs, you know, the missile parade, the list goes on… but when the leader says ‘an attack against me is an attack against our country, there’s nothing more fascist than that… What would he be saying about Hitler or Mussolini? ‘Strong leaders! Strong leaders!’ He would love them.”
Cheeseburgers were offered as one possible way of saving America—namely, the rich asshole’s deep affinity for them.
Another panelist, Jason Kander, offered a more practical solution. If Democrats can capture the House of Representatives, they will have a check on the rich asshole’s fascist impulses.
“Win the November 2018 elections—that’s the answer,” he Kander.
‘His legacy will be nothing’: Real Time panel lays into fake wonk Paul Ryan
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After a long discussion about President some rich asshole’s action against Syria Friday, Bill Maher’s “Real Time” panel turned to talk about the announcement that Speaker Paul Ryan is leaving the House.
Maher noted that he looked back at some of the stories posted about Ryan when he first began to gain traction as a leader in the party.
“He’s a wonk,” Maher quoted. “‘He’s a numbers guy.’ Oh, please. Is there such a thing in the Republican Party?”
“Well he has figured out how many poor people to kick the ladder out from under,” Milano School professor Maya Wiley quipped.
Maher read the critique from TIME in 2012, which called Ryan as “deep” as former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) is “shallow.” The piece on Ryan called him the GOP master of the budget and head of their “ideas factory.” He called it about as real as Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
New York Magazine writer Jonathan Chait explained that Ryan is an “idea guy,” with only a single idea: Ryan wants to take money from poor people.
“He has reduced it,” noted Wiley.
“And that’s the only thing he’s ever cared about his entire career,” Chait continued. He went on to explain that Ryan isn’t dumb, so much as he has values that most people disagree with.
Wiley explained that there was a difference between an idea and an ideology, where “an idea is worth talking about” and Ryan’s so-called ideas are nothing more than an ideology.
“And your ideology is, ‘I just want to say nice things about people who are struggling to survive and then make it very difficult for them to do it,'” she said of Ryan. “And I’ll lie on my way to doing it.”
She recalled that Ryan lies about the poverty rate and the impact social services have on bringing down poverty.
“So, he really was just an ass kisser,” Maher said. “I mean, he was the one person who could have — he was in a position to stand up to the rich asshole and he didn’t.”
“But he was a true believer in the ideology of ‘Feed the wealthy more of their own money and starve everyone else,'” Wiley said. “And he’s been very consistent on that. And he’s actually proud of that. For people who earn $700,000 a year are getting $85,000 back in taxes. While if you earn $40,000 you’re going to get $300 back.”
Former Missouri Secretary of State and war hero Jason Kander said that people seem to think Ryan is somehow virtuous for standing up for what he believes in and being willing to compromise on everything so he could get what he wanted.
“First of all, that’s not virtuous,” Kander said. “Second, he had a job to do. He had a responsibility to stand up to a president who is trampling on democracy, saying things that aren’t true, hurting our country in the long run. And now he has an opportunity because there’s this little club of Republicans in Washington who decided they’re not going to run for reelection and they have grown — kind of like spines. A little bit. And he has an opportunity — he’s the Speaker of the House! He could spend the next six months not just joining that club but leading it. And I’m disappointed knowing he probably won’t. His legacy will be nothing.”
Wiley said that she anticipates he will lead the club into tampering with Medicare and Social Security before he goes.
“Well, he’s going to knock some people over on the way out,” Kander said.
“He’s going to knock some people over,” Wiley shot back.
Watch the full segment below:
POLITICS
World Leaders Respond To The Coordinated Strike In Syria
“Could not have had a better result,” said President some rich asshole. “Mission Accomplished!”
The U.S., U.K. and France have defended their decision to launch coordinated strikes on the Syrian regime Friday night, calling it a necessary move to stop the use of chemical weapons by Syria and its allies Russia and Iran.
“Could not have had a better result,” U.S. President some rich asshole said of the “perfectly executed” strikes in a tweet Saturday morning. “Mission Accomplished!”
In a statement Friday night, British Prime Minister Theresa May accused the Syrian government of “using weapons against its own people in the most cruel and abhorrent way.”
“The persistent pattern of behavior must be stopped,” May said, referring to the regime’s suspected chemical attack on the Syrian town of Douma last week.
“Not just to protect innocent people in Syria from the horrific deaths and casualties caused by chemical weapons,” she said, “but also because we cannot allow the erosion of the international norm that prevents the use of these weapons.”
May added that Britain has “sought to use every possible diplomatic channel” to stop the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, “but our efforts have been repeatedly thwarted.”
“We would have preferred an alternative path,” May said. “But on this occasion, there is none.”
French President Emmanuel Macron declared that France’s “red line has been crossed” after last week’s chemical attack. In a statement, he echoed May’s call for the end of chemical weapons.
“Our response is limited to the Syrian regime’s capabilities to produce and use chemical weapons,” Macron said. “We cannot tolerate the normalization of the use of chemical weapons, which is a direct threat to the security of the Syrian people and our collective security.”
An ‘Act Of Aggression’
Assad denounced the strikes against Syria and said it made his regime even more determined to “fight and crush” terrorism.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded by calling the rich asshole, May and Macron “criminals” in a speech cited by Iranian TV, according to Reuters.
“U.S., allies will not gain any achievements from crimes in Syria. Attacking Syria is a crime. U.S. president, U.K. prime minister and the president of France are criminals,” he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday described the strikes as an “act of aggression” that would have a “destructive influence on the entire system of international relations.”
At the Kremlin’s request, world powers will hold an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting to address the incident.
‘Where Were You Until Today?’
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he supported the strikes in a statement issued an hour after the rich asshole’s announcement.
“Canada supports the decision by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France to take action to degrade the Assad regime’s ability to launch chemical weapons attacks against its own people,” Trudeau said. “We will continue to work with our international partners to further investigate the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Those responsible must be brought to justice.”
Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general of NATO, said the joint attack on the “chemical weapons facilities and capabilities ... will reduce the regime’s ability” to launch further chemical attacks.
“Those responsible must be held accountable,” he tweeted.
The Jordanian government stressed the need for diplomacy to bring an end to the Syrian crisis.
“The continuation of violence will only bring more violence, death, destruction and more displacement that the Syrian people are only being the victims off,” spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said in a statement Saturday. “The political solution preserves the unity of the Syrian people, and brings back security and stability to it.”
In a similar response, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim called for “a global peace against the massacre in Eastern Ghouta and Douma.”
“For seven years, people have been slaughtered in Syria ― brutality is going on. You remembered your humanity when [the Syrian regime] used chemicals?” he asked. “Where were you until today?”
The Coordinated Operation
the rich asshole on Friday night announced that a coordinated attack on the Syrian regime, launched with British and French allies, was underway.
“The purpose of our actions tonight is to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread and use of chemical weapons,” he said. “We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents.”
The U.S., France and Britain have accused the Russian-backed Syrian government of launching a chemical attack in the then rebel-held town of Douma last week. The attack left about 70 people dead.
The Syrian state has denied that its forces launched a chemical attack and accused rebels of fabricating reports of the attack in order to drum up international support for its fight against the regime.
In his address to the American people, the rich asshole singled out Iran and Russia for supporting the Syrian regime and partially blamed the countries for the chemical attack.
“I also have a message tonight for the two governments most responsible for supporting, equipping and financing the criminal Assad regime,” the rich asshole said. “To Iran and to Russia I ask: What kind of nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of innocent men, women and children?”
“President Putin and his government promised the world that they would guarantee the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons,” the rich asshole continued.
“Assad’s recent attack and today’s response are the direct result of Russia’s failure to keep that promise. Russia must decide if it will continue down this dark path or if it will join with civilized nations as a force of stability and peace.”
POLITICS
Judge: Transgender People A Protected Class, And The Military Can’t Enact the rich asshole Ban
“Transgender people have long been forced to live in silence, or to come out and face the threat of overwhelming discrimination,” the judge wrote.
WASHINGTON ― A federal judge late Friday barred the federal government from implementing President some rich asshole’s ban on transgender members of the military, finding that the ban had to be subject to a careful court review before implementation because of the history of discrimination against transgender individuals.
U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman of the Western District of Washington ruled that transgender people were a protected class and that the injunctions against the implementation of the ban that had been issued in December should remain in place. She wrote that there was a “long and well-recognized” history of discrimination and systemic oppression against transgender people, that discrimination against transgender people was clearly “unrelated to their ability to perform and contribute to society,” that transgender people have immutable characteristics and that they lacked relative political power.
“Transgender people have long been forced to live in silence, or to come out and face the threat of overwhelming discrimination,” Pechman wrote.
“The Court also rules that, because transgender people have long been subjected to systemic oppression and forced to live in silence, they are a protected class. Therefore, any attempt to exclude them from military service will be looked at with the highest level of care, and will be subject to the Court’s ‘strict scrutiny.’ This means that before Defendants can implement the Ban, they must show that it was sincerely motivated by compelling interests, rather than by prejudice or stereotype, and that it is narrowly tailored to achieve those interests,” Pechman wrote.
While the rich asshole had tweeted that he consulted generals and military experts about the ban, Pechman wrote that the government had “failed to identify even one General or military expert he consulted, despite having been ordered to do so repeatedly.”
Noting that Pentagon officials were surprised by the announcement and that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis got a heads up only one day beforehand, the judge wrote that she “is led to conclude that the Ban was devised by the President, and the President alone.”
Sharon McGowan, a former top official in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division who now works as director of strategy for Lambda Legal, wrote that Pechman “cut through the nonsense,” recognizing that the plan announced by the military was just a dressed-up version of the rich asshole’s original ban.
Judge Pechman cut through the nonsense and realized that there was no “new ban” - just the same ole ban w/ some new packaging. Trans discrimination triggers strict scrutiny. Full stop. DOJ gets one last chance to defend policy but make no mistake - this ban is going DOWN! twitter.com/lambdalegal/st…
Read Pechman’s ruling below.
Republicans and Democrats blast the rich asshole for bombing Syria without legal authority
"These offensive strikes against Syria are unconstitutional, illegal, and reckless."
President the rich asshole announced the U.S. has launched “precision” strikes in Syria in coordination with France and the United Kingdom on Friday night.
During the speech, the rich asshole pointed to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s alleged use of chemical weapons last April and last week as a reason for the strikes and called out Russia and Iran for their association with “the mass murder of innocent men, women and children.” The al-Assad regime killed at least 34 people when it launched two separate chemical attacks on Douma last week, according to a Bellingcat analysis.
However, his speech never mentioned any plans to consult with Congress on the decision, which has been granted the authority to declare war by the U.S. Constitution. The decision to attack Syria without seeking congressional approval was condemned by both Republicans and Democrats.
Today, @RepZoeLofgren @RepBarbaraLee @RepThomasMassie and I sent a bipartisan letter to @POTUS—cosigned by 84 of our colleagues—demanding that the president not commence offensive military action against Syria without congressional approval, as the Constitution requires.
These offensive strikes against Syria are unconstitutional, illegal, and reckless. The next speaker of the House must reclaim congressional war powers as prescribed in Article I of the Constitution. @SpeakerRyan has completely abdicated one of his most important responsibilities.
'It's Disputed by Our Founding Fathers': @RandPaul Challenges Pompeo on Syria, Military Deployments insider.foxnews.com/2018/04/12/ran…
This is not the first time the U.S. military has engaged in the Syrian war, which broke out in 2011. The Obama administration sought Congressional approval in 2013 to launch strikes on al-Assad’s regime after reports it used chemical weapons on civilians but the bill giving authorization never reached the House or Senate floor.
The U.S. currently has troops in Syria targeting members of ISIS and last April, the rich asshole authorized the military to fire 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Shayrat airbase in Homs — the first direct U.S. attack on the Syrian regime.
The latest attack did not go over well with many members of Congress who criticized the president for overstepping his authority by not consulting them.
By illegally bombing Syria, President Trump has once again denied the American people any oversight or accountability in this endless war. Congress, not the president, has the power to authorize military action. nytimes.com/2018/04/13/wor…
The use of nerve gas is a war crime of immense proportion. I support targeted military strikes in Syria, but if there is a major military effort, the President needs to come to Congress. twitter.com/Reuters/status…
I believe that America must respond to the vile chemical attack in Syria, but that response must come through congressional approval. Instead, President Trump has once again struck Syria on his own. nytimes.com/2018/04/13/wor…
In a briefing after the rich asshole’s announcement, Secretary of Defense Mattis argued that the President relied on his Article II powers under the Constitution to authorize the strike. This is the same authority the rich asshole claimed to authorize his 2017 attack.
That rationale has been criticized by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) as too expansive. In a letter to former Secretary of State Tillerson, Kaine argues Article II powers are meant to apply to an “immediate threat to the United States or our personnel abroad.”
POLITICS
the rich asshole’s Strike Won’t Serve Syrians Or The U.S.
A military response to Assad’s latest use of chemical weapons is unlikely to prevent more killing or diminish the influence of Russia and Iran.
WASHINGTON ― President some rich asshole’s decision to strike Syrian facilities in response to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s reported use of chemical weapons against civilians fulfills the rich asshole’s promise of being tougher than President Barack Obama.
But it’s unlikely to have much impact beyond that ― and will likely be historically judged as a failure on the rich asshole’s own terms.
the rich asshole’s military response alongside France and the U.K. is ostensibly an attempt to deter Assad’s murderous behavior and demonstrate American toughness to Assad’s patrons, Iran and Russia. It won’t serve either of those goals.
With the rich asshole broadcasting his intentions for days, Assad has already relocated the air force that carried out the attack last weekend, according to military experts at the Institute for the Study of War. His forces have also reportedly evacuated personnel from some Syrian government buildings where military systems like chemical weapons are being developed. Those troops and resources have been moved to central locations that the U.S. and its allies won’t be able to target without prompting a larger confrontation with Russia and Iran.
Pentagon officials told The New York Times that even if Syrian aircraft cannot be hit, the U.S. could damage airfields and make it impossible to use them for future similar attacks. On Friday night, officials said the U.S., France and Britain hit a research site, a command post and a store of chemical weapons. But such facilities are easily rebuilt. After the U.S. struck Assad’s Shayrat airfield in retaliation for a chemical attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun last year, the base was back up and running within hours.
Since then, Assad has continued to take territory from the rebels ― often using brutal tactics including mass starvation and indiscriminate attacks with especially deadly “barrel bombs.”
“The strikes will reaffirm President the rich asshole’s commitment to deterring chemical weapons use but will not solve the Syria problem,” Jennifer Cafarella, the senior intelligence planner at the Institute for the Study of War, wrote on Thursday. “They are unlikely to alter the overall trajectory of the Syrian civil war and will not prevent Assad from continuing to slaughter his rebelling population with conventional munitions.”
[The strikes] are unlikely to alter the overall trajectory of the Syrian civil war and will not prevent Assad from continuing to slaughter his rebelling population.Jennifer Cafarella, Institute for the Study of War
Already in a comfortable position, Assad has no reason for a major change in behavior unless that’s essential for the survival of his regime. Though the rich asshole hit Damascus on Friday night and suggested there might be further strikes, he has not yet directly threatened the government’s survival.
the rich asshole administration officials, including new national security adviser John Bolton, have separately spoken of using U.S. policy in Syria to challenge Russia and Iran, rival nations that have expanded their reach there while helping Assad fight the insurgency. But the strikes are unlikely to bring the the rich asshole administration closer to that goal, either.
With the rich asshole still not announcing a broader policy for Syria, the U.S. remains a far less credible player there than any members of the pro-Assad coalition. “Russia is far more of an ally to Damascus than the U.S. is to the so-called rebels or even Kurds,” Kamal Alam, a visiting fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told HuffPost.
the rich asshole has eroded the confidence of America’s allies in the country ― most notably the Kurd-dominated force responsible for the triumph over ISIS. The the rich asshole administration allowed Turkey to take over a Kurdish enclave in northwestern Syria earlier this year, and the rich asshole spoke of fully withdrawing the thousands of Americans currently stationed in Kurd-controlled regions. One-off hits on Assad targets mean little for the relationship between Washington and the most powerful Kurdish militia, the YPG, experts say.
“A strike might marginally reassure some Kurds made nervous by the rich asshole’s announcement that the U.S. would leave Syria, as it would demonstrate that he’s willing to use force and indicate some limited commitment, but the effect would likely be minimal,” Max Hoffman, an analyst at the Center for American Progress, told HuffPost.
Kurdish leaders “say publicly that they have frequent reassurances from U.S. military commanders, but they know the rich asshole is ambivalent and they know the U.S. history towards Kurdish (and other) proxies, so of course they’re nervous,” he added.
For now, anyone affected by the rich asshole’s decisions ― including Syrians, millions of whom have cheered a strike regardless of the consequences because of their desperation for some accountability for Assad ― would have trouble planning for the long run. U.S. officials say they don’t even know if they can continue civilian reconstruction work intended to help prevent local anger and a resurgence of ISIS.
Washington realized how little the strike would mean before it even took place. And so even the gain the rich asshole perhaps cared most about ― applause ― now seems like a reach.
Tellingly, supporters of last year’s strike ― people like Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the powerful ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee ― have been focusing on the problems with the rich asshole’s leadership rather than with Assad’s culpability as they did last year.
“The President’s erratic tweets referencing Syria have left both our allies and our adversaries confused about his policy. These tweets have also made very clear that the President has no strategy for how to combat Assad’s atrocities against his own people,” Smith said in a Friday statement.
“I am opposed to military action against Assad,” he added. “It is not clear that military action will improve the situation for the Syrian people. It will be insufficient to remove Assad from power, and will only make the situation worse.”
Kremlin lashes out after Syria attack: ‘Insulting the President of Russia is unacceptable’
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev (not pictured) in Moscow's Kremlin, Russia April 5, 2017. REUTERS/Pavel Golovkin/Pool
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The Russian embassy lashed out at the United States following a strike against Syria and public statement from President some rich asshole.
“We are being threatened,” the Kremlin claimed. “We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences.”
“All responsibility for them rests with Washington, London and Paris,” the statement continued, noting the capitols of the three countries involved in the joint-strikes.
“Insulting the President of Russia is unacceptable and inadmissible,” the statement warned.
BREAKING: Russian Embassy in the US on US-UK-France strikes on Syria:
"We are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences. All responsibility for them rests with Washington, London and Paris."
the rich asshole biographer: President would launch a tactical nuke to distract Americans from his scandals
President some rich asshole yelling inside a truck (image via Creative Commons).
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In a prescient interview recorded hours before some rich asshole issued strikes on Syria in retaliation for their leader’s chemical attacks, a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and author of a book abut the president commented that there’s no bounds to what the rich asshole might do to distract from his many scandals.
“One of the promises he made was he’s going to get us into a war,” the rich asshole biographer David Cay Johnston told SiriusXM radio host Dean Obeidallah, noting that on the campaign trail, the then-candidate also promised that he would use nuclear weapons.
“Hopefully he means a tactical weapon that would take out the hotel I’m in,” Johnston added, “not a strategic weapon that could take out the city I’m in.”
the rich asshole, the biographer said, “is looking for things to distract you, to change what you’re doing and because he has no core philosophy except the glorification of himself…you should expect that there will be dangerous things.”
Though it might not be to distract specifically from this week’s scandals, such as the FBI raid on his lawyer Michael Cohen or the embarrassing anecdotes about him in fired FBI Director James Comey’s new book, the rich asshole, Johnston suggested, is chomping at the bit to use the weapons in his arsenal.
“If he can find a reason to use a tactical nuclear weapon and can get Jim Mattis, the Defense secretary, to go along with this, yes, he would do that,” the biographer concluded.
Listen below, via The Dean Obeidallah Show:
‘Operation Desert Stormy’: Bill Maher attacks some rich asshole for Syria attack after ‘Fox & Friends’ approval
"Real Time" host Bill Maher (Photo: RealTime/Twitter)
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In his Friday opening monologue, “Real Time” host Bill Maher claimed that President some rich asshole’s announcement that he was bombing Syria had been on hold until Fox News approved of it.
“the rich asshole was going to back down on Syria but he got the go ahead from ‘Fox & Friends,‘” Maher said, a little too on the nose.
“If the president, and France, and the UK decide to strike Syria, don’t you think that story would be a bigger story than Comey’s book that’s going to be released on Tuesday?” Ainsley Earhardt asked Friday morning.
“I don’t want to say this attack was meant to distract from his other problems, but it’s called Operation Desert Stormy,” Maher said.
The audience both applauded and exclaimed “ohhh” for the implication that the rich asshole was attacking Syria to distract from his own personal political problems. MSNBC host Rachel Maddow didn’t agree with Maher during her show, however, she noted that U.S. allies along with the global community will see it that way.
Watch the full opener below:
WATCH: Multiple videos surface from Syria of bombing
(Photo: Alzain Hasna/Facebook)
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Residents and reporters in Syria are posting photos and videos of the Saturday morning attack from the United states, UK and French coalition forces.
IsraelBreaking posted a video of what they said was a surface to air missile that was part of the Syrian air defense system being activated:
Another Syrian resident posted a Facebook Live video that has been taken down of what appears to be smoke rising above the city of Damascus.
Facebook live video that was showing what seems to be the aftermath of an explosion in #Damascus. facebook.com/alzain.hasna/v…
A different man showed footage of missiles being launched while his voice can be heard expressing fear. He later tweeted that there are “missiles everywhere.”
Here is one being intercepted. Syrian state TV, which is run by the Assad government, is saying they have intercepted 13 missiles, CNN’s Anderson Cooper reported.
Video from #Damascus #Syria of incoming US Cruise Missiles being intercepted by Syrian air defense... via @VanessaBeeley #DontBombSyria
“Another significant blast” was reported by this man in Damascus.
Missile sirens are also going off according to this person driving through the city.
‘How will this defeat ISIS?’: Internet explodes in outrage after the rich asshole announces ‘unlawful’ military strikes in Syria
President some rich asshole addresses the nation. Image via screengrab.
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Moments after President Donald the rich asshole announced to the nation that he intends to issue military strikes on Syria in retaliation for chemical attacks allegedly taken by their President Bashar al-Assad, Twitter exploded in outrage as bombs began to fall in Damascus at the decision to instill more violence in the war-torn region.
“It’s unbelievable this man is ordering air strikes yet I have zero doubt that he could not place Syria on a map,” The Intercept’s Charlotte Greensit tweeted.
“Yesterday I reminded [Defense Secretary Jim] Mattis that, in Iraq, he gave us a clear mission and told us what we needed to accomplish to go home,” Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) tweeted. “Then I asked about Syria, and he said the troops can go home when they defeat ISIS. So what part of that strategy is this?”
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), meanwhile, noted that in 2013, he remarked to President Barack Obama that the constitution “requires congressional authorization for use of military forces in Syria.”
the rich asshole’s “actions tonight appear to be unlawful if not unconstitutional,” the congressman said.
As I said in 2013, under Pres. Obama, Constitution requires congressional authorization for use of military force in Syria. Previous 9/11-related authorization doesn't cover strike on Syrian gov't. @realDonaldTrump's actions tonight appear to be unlawful if not unconstitutional.
Check out more responses below:
Oh sh*t! Wag the dog time. Incredibly dangerous because he has no plan or forethought for anything he does. cnn.it/2GVmgJz
If Trump genuinely cared about the civilians dying in Syria, he would allow refugees into our country. Instead he cut Obama’s 110k cap to 44k and has actually let in just 10k total refugees.
Less than two weeks ago, Trump announced US withdrawal from #Syria and instructed military leaders to begin preparations. This is an enormous reversal. He has now committed the US to a sustained military response.
“Stop bombing Syria!” Say protestors outside the White House soon after Trump orders strike on Syria in responses to chemical attack last week. @wusa9
No, Mr. President, "We cannot purge the world of evil." If only you understood your own words, @realDonaldTrump
To be clear, Syrian Pres Bashar al-Assad is a monster who has committed war crimes against his own people. But that does not absolve @realDonaldTrump from getting the congressional approval required for military action. twitter.com/RepJerryNadler…
POLITICS
the rich asshole Bombs Syria Hours After 88 Lawmakers Urged Him To First Consult Congress
“Engaging our military in Syria ... without prior congressional authorization would violate the separation of powers,” said House Republicans and Democrats.
WASHINGTON ― Dozens of House lawmakers on Friday urged President some rich asshole not to take any military action in Syria without first getting authorization from Congress.
“Engaging our military in Syria when no direct threat to the United States exists and without prior congressional authorization would violate the separation of powers that is clearly delineated in the Constitution,” reads a letter signed by 88 Republican and Democratic members of Congress.
“We stand ready to consider the facts before us and share the burden of decisions made regarding U.S. involvement in the quickly escalating Syrian conflict,” the letter stated.
Yet hours later, the rich asshole did attack Syria ― without consulting Congress. The United States, joined by France and Britain, launched strikes against Syrian research, storage and military targets.
Republicans on the letter included Reps. Justin Amash (Mich.), Thomas Massie (Ky.), Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Walter Jones (N.C.), Ted Yoho (Fla.), Raúl Labrador (Idaho), David Schweikert (Ariz.), Mia Love (Utah), Mark Sanford (S.C.), Morgan Griffith (Va.), Andy Biggs (Ky.), Jason Lewis (Minn.), Mo Brooks (Ala.) and Rod Blum (Iowa).
Here’s a copy of the full letter:
In recent days, the rich asshole tweeted about potentially launching missile strikes on the Syrian government in response to President Bashar al-Assad’s latest suspected use of chemical weapons on his own people.
As the House lawmakers pointed out, the rich asshole may not have the constitutional authority to unilaterally bomb Syria without their sign off.
Lawmakers are constitutionally required to authorize any sustained military action. For years, President Barack Obama went around Congress to take military action against the self-described Islamic State by saying he could use a sweeping 2001 authorization for use of military force, or AUMF, to do it. That AUMF, which has no expiration date, allowed then-President George W. Bush to attack anyone connected to Al Qaeda, anywhere, at any time. Obama argued that ISIS was an offshoot of Al Qaeda, so he argued he could invoke the same AUMF.
the rich asshole can’t make that argument for launching missile strikes on Syrian government targets, even if House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) says it’s fine if he does.
The administration hasn’t even tried to make that case. When the rich asshole directed strikes on a Syrian government airbase in April 2017 ― the first-ever direct military strike by the U.S. against Assad’s regime ― the administration claimed the president had that authority under his presidential powers because it was a limited military action, not because of the Iraq War-era AUMF.
But as lawyers at the nonpartisan Protect Democracy note, U.S. military action in Syria is unlikely to be limited to a single engagement. Instead, they say, it is likely to lead to larger and ongoing conflicts, which sounds a lot more like the beginnings of war than a surgical attack. Hence the growing concerns among lawmakers about the rich asshole’s next step.
the rich asshole received plenty of support from members of his own party Friday night after he announced the attacks. But some were unhappy at not being consulted.
These offensive strikes against Syria are unconstitutional, illegal, and reckless. The next speaker of the House must reclaim congressional war powers as prescribed in Article I of the Constitution. @SpeakerRyan has completely abdicated one of his most important responsibilities.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said one night of U.S. airstrikes would not be “a substitute for a clear, comprehensive Syria strategy” and said the rich asshole must go to Congress to receive congressional authorization “by proposing a comprehensive strategy with clear objectives that keep our military safe and avoid collateral damage to innocent civilians.”
A White House spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment on the letter.
Amanda Terkel contributed reporting.
This piece has been updated with news of the U.S. airstrikes.
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