May 2nd, 2018. It's been 540 days since the Nov 8, 2016, election of some rich asshole, no. 45, and 467 days since the Jan 20th inauguration of some rich asshole.

Ty Cobb — the rich asshole’s top lawyer in Mueller probe — just revealed he’s abandoning ship

ERIC W. DOLAN
02 MAY 2018 AT 12:36 ET

White House Lawyer Ty Cobb (image via screengrab).

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White House attorney Ty Cobb, who had taken the lead in dealing with the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling, confirmed to the New York Times on Wednesday that he is retiring.

“It has been an honor to serve the country in this capacity at the White House,” he said. “I wish everybody well moving forward."

President some rich asshole is reportedly planning to hire Emmet T. Flood to replace him. Flood represented Bill Clinton during his impeachment.

The New York Times noted that Cobb had urged the president to take a more cooperative approach with special counsel Robert Mueller.

“For several weeks Ty Cobb has been discussing his retirement and last week he let Chief of Staff Kelly know he would retire at the end of this month,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

Developing…

White House claims it called Waffle House hero to bring him to Washington — but he says they have not

SARAH K. BURRIS
02 MAY 2018 AT 12:32 ET

James Shaw Jr in an interview with ABC News (Screenshot)

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The White House seems to have been caught in another lie. While President some rich asshole has touted “good guys” who have intervened in mass shootings, when it came to James Shaw Jr. wrestling a gun away from a shooter at a Tennessee Waffle House, the president has been mum.

When asked if the White House had done any outreach to Shaw, however, they said that they had. Now the truth is coming out.

“My understanding is that there has been an outreach effort to bring him here,” Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday in the White House press briefing.

According to Yashar Ali, however, Shaw hasn’t heard from the White House at all.

Ali notes the careful semantics chose buy Huckabee Sanders claiming “her understanding” and “an outreach effort.” Still, Shaw hasn’t heard a peep from the White House staff, nor has the president tweeted his thanks or celebrated the man who saved so many from the shooter.

Shaw started a GoFundMe page and has raised more than $200,000 for those families he was unable to save.

‘You’re fucking insane’: Internet scorches ‘traitor’ the rich asshole over new bonkers tweet threatening to obstruct Mueller

TRAVIS GETTYS
02 MAY 2018 AT 11:43 ET

President some rich asshole (AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM)

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President some rich asshole threatened to “get involved” and obstruct special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe in a Wednesday morning tweet — which naturally set off a firestorm by other social media users.

The president complained earlier that the Russia probe was a “hoax,” and an investigation into his possible efforts to obstruct were a “trap,” but he issued a threatafter insisting he had “unfettered power” to fire anyone in government

The tweets seemed to be in response to deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, who’s overseeing the Mueller probe and warned Tuesday that he would not cave to “threats” intended to “extort” the Justice Department.

Other Twitter users hammered the president with outrage, mockery and unsolicited legal advice.

the rich asshole weighs former US lawmaker Jeff Miller for VA post

REUTERS
02 MAY 2018 AT 11:19 ET

FILE PHOTO: Former House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-FL) leaves after a news conference to call for Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign, on Capitol Hill in Washington May 29, 2014. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

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U.S. President some rich asshole is interviewing former House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller this week as a possible choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs after his earlier pick withdrew, a White House official said on Wednesday.

Miller, a Florida Republican, retired from the U.S. House in 2016 after first being elected in 2001. White House physician Ronny Jackson withdrew from consideration for the job last week after allegations that he had been lax with prescription drugs and drank alcohol on the job

Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama

‘This is the law and order party?’ CNN panel roasts GOP for fielding multiple convicted criminal candidates

BRAD REED
02 MAY 2018 AT 11:04 ET

A CNN panel discusses the multiple convicted criminals who are running as Republicans (Screen cap).

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Several convicted criminals are running for office as Republicans this year, and a CNN panel on Wednesday took the party to task for attracting so many convicts to run under its banner.

During the panel, hosts John Berman and Poppy Harlow ran down the rogues gallery of criminal GOP candidates running for office — including disgraced former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, former mining tycoon Don Blankenship, and convicted tax fraudster Michael Grimm — and asked guests Amanda Carpenter and Robby Mook what was going on with the Republican Party.

In particular, Harlow zeroed in on an ad from Blankenship in which he admits he went to prison after he was found criminally negligent for an explosion at his mine that killed dozens of workers — before going on to shrug it off as no big deal.

“He’s not hiding from it!” Harlow marveled. “This is the Republican Party — the ‘Law and order’ party — and yet you have multiple people running as Republicans that have been convicted of crimes.”

“This is some rich asshole’s Republican Party,” Mook replied. “The facts don’t matter and I don’t think the law matters for these folks anymore. The president has 100 percent enabled and nurtured this kind of behavior.”

Conservative Amanda Carpenter also torched Vice President Mike Pence for praising Arpaio, who was found guilty of contempt of court for willfully violating a federal judge’s order to stop a program of racially profiling Latinos, and who is now running for Senate in Arizona.

In particular, she slammed the rich asshole administration for pardoning Arpaio for flagrantly disobeying court orders, which she said sends a terrible signal to abusive law enforcement officials.

“The rich asshole administration said, ‘Hey, you don’t have to obey court orders, you don’t have to go to trial,'” she said. “Pardoning someone without going to trial is nearly unprecedented and that hasn’t gotten nearly enough focus.”

Watch the panel below.

the rich asshole threatens to obstruct justice in latest bonkers tweet: ‘At some point I will have no choice’

TRAVIS GETTYS
02 MAY 2018 AT 10:54 ET

some rich asshole gives a speech/Screenshot

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President some rich asshole threatened to obstruct the special counsel probe just hours after insisting it was a “hoax” and a “trap.”

The president tried to change the subject Wednesday morning to North Korea and trade negotiations with China and North American trade pact partners, but he complained three hours later that the justice system was “rigged” against him.

“A Rigged System – They don’t want to turn over Documents to Congress,” the rich asshole tweeted.

House Republicans have ordered the Department of Justice to turn over FBI documents related to Hillary Clinton and FISA surveillance of the rich asshole associates, and the president has complained for weeks that officials are “slow-walking” the process.

“What are they afraid of? Why so much redacting?” he tweeted. “Why such unequal ‘justice?’ At some point I will have no choice but to use the powers granted to the Presidency and get involved!”

Kris Kobach is making sure Kansas taxpayers will stay on the hook for all his contempt of court fees

SARAH K. BURRIS
02 MAY 2018 AT 10:27 ET

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. (Screengrab from NYU GovLab interview)

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Kansas taxpayers are on the hook to pay Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s fees for being held in contempt of court.

Kobach refused to comply with a judge’s order over the state’s voter registration law. So, U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson ordered Kobach to pay for attorneys fees for fighting the contempt motion, along with other fees. But according to the Associated Press, Kobach doesn’t have to pay for his decision.

Lawmakers in the GOP-led House had hoped to force Kobach to personally pay for the fees, but dropped a provision in a bill that would have prevented state officials from using state funds to pay for contempt findings, court costs and attorneys’ fees.

The Wichita Eagle reported that the provision was dropped after Kobach told Republicans in a letter that such a requirement would be illegal and the state would ultimately pay more money to defend the lawsuit he’d bring.

Next week it will be revealed what the total amount legal bills will be for the Kansas taxpayers, the Kansas City Star wrote.

Some Republicans aren’t happy, however.

“You pay your own bills if you get yourself in that kind of trouble,” said State Rep. Russ Jennings.

Kobach’s claim that the requirement to pay would be “futile,” was refuted by The Starop-ed, which claimed that most lawsuits against Kobach are anything but. Indeed, it’s almost always successful.

Kobach’s second argument, that it would cost the state more money, also doesn’t hold water as state attorneys are already paid for their work daily.

What the law would have done, however, is set up an awkward position where a state-wide officeholder would be running for governor while suing the state because he doesn’t want to pay for his own mistakes in court.

“Kansans know the facts. Kobach faces a contempt citation because he thought he could outsmart a federal judge, and he failed,” the op-ed said. “Now he wants everyone else to pick up the tab.”

‘The penalty should be impeachment’: Ex-ethics chief nukes the rich asshole’s ‘outrageous’ views on firing investigators

BRAD REED
02 MAY 2018 AT 10:19 ET

Former head of Office of Government Ethics Walter Shaub (Photo: Screen capture)

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Former director of government ethics Walter Shaub on Wednesday leveled a blistering attack on a new tweet from President some rich asshole in which he insists that firing former FBI Director James Comey can’t possibly be seen as obstruction of justice given that the president has the power to fire executive branch employees.

During a CNN panel, Shaub was asked about the president quoting Fox News legal analyst Joe diGenova, who claimed that it was “outrageous” for special counsel Robert Mueller to question the rich asshole about his motivations for firing Comey given that the rich asshole has the constitutional right to can his own FBI director.

Shaub was unsparing in his analysis.

“What an outrageous tweet,” he said. “The man seems to think he’s king, not president. It is true he has the power to fire anybody he wants… but what he’s really declaring with that tweet is the idea that a president can go around expressly firing people to prevent himself from being held accountable under the rule of law.”

Shaub then pointed to the rich asshole’s interview last year with Lester Holt in which he admitted that he was thinking about Comey overseeing the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election before he fired him.

“If he continues to go down this road and fire people for investigating him, how many will it take for Congress to wake up and make a decision that the rule of law in this country matters and the president isn’t above that rule of law?” he asked. “The penalty, if goes around repeatedly firing people who are investigating him, should be impeachment.”

Watch the video below.

Bornstein thought it would be fun to be the president’s doctor — he was wrong

MARTIN CIZMAR
02 MAY 2018 AT 10:08 ET

Harold Bornstein (Twitter)

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Doanld the rich asshole’s longtime personal physician Harold Bornstein came forward with explosive allegations about the rich asshole “raiding” his office and taking the rich asshole’s medical records

Host Stephanie Ruhle started from the beginning—when Bornstein burst onto the news cycle with a letter proclaiming the rich asshole would be “the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency."

“Let’s take ourselves back in history—when we were first introduced to this guy we thought he was a wackadoo,” she said. “So what’s he doing now?

Anna Schecter, an investigative reporter with NBC News, said

“Now he’s revising what he said about who actually wrote the letter,” Schecter said. “He told me a couple years ago that he wrote the letter in five minutes but the rich asshole was in his ear, he was using that kind of language. Now he’s saying the rich asshole actually wrote it or dictated it.”

And what happened next is the moral of the story for people like Michael Cohen or Michael Flynn—Bornstein blew his own credibility and got torched in response.

“This just shows who some rich asshole chose for his doctor and how he treats people,” she said. “Dr. Bornstein told me that he thought this was going to be fun, having his patient be president of the United States but instead he feels hurt and spurned.”

Ruhle was not having it. Watch the full video below.

One of the most viciously anti-immigrant judges in the country just got his hands on DACA

It is far too easy to manipulate the federal judiciary's procedures for partisan gain.

IAN MILLHISER MAY 2, 2018, 12:26 PM

On Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — with an assist from an Obama appointee to the federal bench — successfully manipulated the federal court system to place a challenge to President Obama’s signature immigration program before one of the most anti-immigrant judges in the nation.

Though the immediate issue before Judge Andrew Hanen concerns the fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Hanen has a history of using immigration cases to threaten the safety of tens of thousands of immigrantsnot before his court. Now that Hanen has jurisdiction over Texas v. United States, he could potentially use this case as a vehicle to terrorize immigrant communities.

CREDIT: GOOGLE MAPS

To understand what’s going on here, let’s start with this map. Paxton’s main office is in Austin, the capital of Texas. Yet Paxton filed this case in the Southern District of Texas’ Brownsville Division — more than five hours away.

It’s easy to guess why. The Southern District’s Brownsville Division has two active judges: Hanen, and an Obama-appointee named Rolando Olvera. By making the long drive to Brownsville, Paxton’s lawyers gave themselves even odds that their case would be assigned to a judge who once attempted a dox attack against tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants.

As it turns out, Team Paxton initially lost this bet — the case was randomly assigned to Olvera, not to Hanen. But only a few hours later, Olvera transferred the case to Hanen, effectively rewarding Paxton’s effort to game the court system.

Such transfers are not unusual. During the Obama years, Paxton’s lawyers also made the long trip to Brownsville in order to place a similar challenge to an expansion of DACA and a DACA-like program in Hanen’s courtroom. It is common for a district judge to transfer a case to one of his colleagues when that colleague recently handled a similar matter.

Yet, by treating this case as an ordinary matter and Hanen as an ordinary judge, Olvera all but ensured that Texas will be handled in the cruelest manner possible for undocumented immigrants.

Hanen’s war on immigrants

Hanen’s behavior in the previous immigration case — which was also named Texas v. United States — hints at the tactics he may now deploy. In the first Texas case, Hanen did not simply halt several pro-immigrant policies advanced by the Obama administration, he delayed ruling on the Obama administration’s request for a stay of that order — a delay that made it extraordinarily difficult for the Justice Department to seek a stay from a higher court.

Then things got weirder. At an early stage in the first Texas litigation, Hanen asked a question that provoked a disagreement between him and the Justice Department attorneys litigating the case. The lawyers claimed that they misunderstood the question, while Hanen claimed that they deliberately answered the question in a deceptive way. Rather than chalking this incident up to an innocent mistake, Hanen used it to impose draconian sanctions against tens of thousands of people who were not before his court and who played no role in the Justice Department’s answer to his question.

For example, Hanen ordered hundreds of Justice Department attorneys — most of whom had never appeared before Hanen in their lives — to attend a remedial ethics course. He also ordered the Obama administration to turn over the names and addresses of approximately 50,000 undocumented immigrants. Moreover, Hanen’s doxing order provided that this information could be turned over to “the proper authorities” in 26 states with Republican governors or attorneys general.

Hanen, in other words, used a disputed statement by Justice Department attorneys as a vehicle to intimidate tens of thousands of immigrants who played no role whatsoever in those lawyers’ alleged misconduct. (Hanen eventually stayed his doxing order after an appeals court indicated that it might get involved if Hanen did not issue such a stay.)

Now that the second Texas litigation is before Hanen, he will likely engage in similar tactics. If nothing else, his past conduct is likely to chill immigration advocates who will seek to intervene in this case to ensure that the task of defending DACA will not rest entirely with the rich asshole administration. As a result, DACA beneficiaries could receive less-than-zealous advocacy on their behalf.

Lawyers defending DACA will live in constant fear that Hanen will use even the most minor misstep on their part as a pretext to sanction these lawyers — and potentially to lash out at immigrants more broadly.

The injunction paradox

One open question is whether Hanen will go so far as to issue an injunction halting DACA. Other courts have issued injunctions requiring the rich asshole administration to keep DACA alive. If Hanen were to issue a conflicting order, that would place federal immigration officials in the untenable position of having to comply with two court orders that require them to take opposite actions.

As former Obama administration attorney Eric Columbus described this predicament on Twitter, “the immediate effect would be that they’re not allowed to do that which they’re required to do.”

Columbus predicted that Hanen would not issue such an injunction, and he cited to a law review article explaining that, when conflicting injunctions have arisen in the past, “typically one judge or the other backs down, narrowing or staying one of the issued injunctions, or else an appellate court reverses one of the conflicting injunctions.”

Hanen’s past behavior, however, suggests that he is not the kind of judge who will let legal precedent stand in the way. And any order handed down by Hanen will appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, one of the most conservative courts in the country.

By manipulating the court system to get this case before Hanen, in other words, Paxton could create a chaotic situation where career immigration officials risk contempt sanctions no matter what they do, political appointees use Hanen’s order as an excuse to shut down DACA, and DACA beneficiaries have no idea who is in charge.

All of this is happening amidst a much larger debate about whether litigants should be permitted to manipulate the court system in the very same way that Paxton manipulated it in the two Texas cases.

In a recent speech to the conservative Federalist Society, Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III complained about several cases where liberals used Paxton’s tactics against the rich asshole administration, convincing district judges to issue nationwide injunctions “on issues like DACA, the travel order, sanctuary cities, and the service of transgender people in the military.” During last week’s oral argument on the legality of the rich asshole’s Muslim Ban, Neil Gorusch — who occupies a Supreme Court seat that Senate Republicans held open for a year until some rich asshole could fill it — complained about “this troubling rise of this nationwide injunction, cosmic injunction.”

So, at least among some conservatives, there is a growing understanding that a single district judge should not be permitted to decide questions of national policy for the entire nation (though it remains to be seen whether Gorsuch continues fret about “cosmic” injunctions after he learns about how much they help his allies disrupt progressive policies).

Until someone intervenes — perhaps through an amendment to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure that would automatically reassign cases requesting a nationwide injunction to a random district judge, or, as Judge Gregg Costa proposed in the Harvard Law Review, assigning requests for such injunctions to a three-judge panel — partisans like Ken Paxton are likely to keep manipulating the court system. And judges like Andrew Hanen are likely to continue abusing their power.

the rich asshole is simply incapable of stopping himself from obstructing justice

HEATHER DIGBY PARTON, SALON
02 MAY 2018 AT 09:52 ET

President some rich asshole wears a "Make America Great Again" hat at a golf tournament held at one of his properties. (Image via Saul Loeb/AFP.)

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It’s rare, during this tumultuous era, that a single political story stays relevant for more than a few hours before something else even more important or scandalous drop. But 24 hours after it broke, the New York Times’ list of 49 questions Robert Mueller reportedly has for President the rich asshole is still being discussed and analyzed. And that’s in spite of a very juicy story about the rich asshole’s former doctor’s office supposedly being raided by the rich asshole’s bodyguards who demanded all his medical records — and the doctor’s admission that the rich asshole had dictated his own suspiciously glowing medical report during the campaign.

This article was originally published at Salon

It’s interesting that this particular Mueller story has such legs, because when you look at the questions they almost all derive from public records and media reports. The legal beagles on cable news insist that prosecutors never ask a question to which they don’t know the answer, which strikes me as completely improbable unless they are questioning someone on the witness stand. But Mueller’s team probably does have the answers to these particular questions, because the rich asshole has either tweeted out plenty of clues or blurted out some revelation during one of his blabby “press avails.” Perhaps the special counsel thinks that since most of these questions are already in the public domain and do not touch the rich asshole’s personal finances, the president would feel confident enough to present himself.

It doesn’t seem to have worked out that way. These questions enraged the rich asshole — and we know this not by his hysterical tweets on Tuesday morning but by his tweets after those questions were first presented to him back in March. That was the weekend after Andrew McCabe was fired, when the rich asshole’s attorney John Dowd screwed the pooch by giving this statement:

I pray that acting Attorney General Rosenstein will follow the brilliant and courageous example of the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility and Attorney General Jeff Sessions and bring an end to alleged Russia Collusion investigation manufactured by McCabe’s boss James Comey based upon a fraudulent and corrupt Dossier.

That was originally provided as an official statement on the president’s behalf and then rapidly walked back, with Dowd claiming he was just speaking for himself. (Everything about it, from the bombastic tone to the strange word choices to the erratic capitalization, sounds dictated from on high.) In any case, it was a sign temperatures were rising at the White House that weekend. As you may remember, the rich asshole tweeted madly about McCabe and Comey:

This went on with more tweeting about McCabe and Comey through the weekend. Then he mentioned Mueller’s name for the first time:

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

17 Mar

The Fake News is beside themselves that McCabe was caught, called out and fired. How many hundreds of thousands of dollars was given to wife’s campaign by Crooked H friend, Terry M, who was also under investigation? How many lies? How many leaks? Comey knew it all, and much more!

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!

8:12 PM - Mar 17, 2018

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At the time, the combination of Dowd’s bizarre statement and the rich asshole’s unprecedented attacks on the Mueller team were interpreted as a new, more aggressive posture by Team the rich asshole. But at this point it seems obvious now that this epic meltdown was the rich asshole’s response to this long list of questions.

It’s not clear exactly how this list was compiled and that’s an important part of the story. Was it given, as is, by Mueller’s office, as the New York Times indicated?

[I]nvestigators for Mr. Mueller agreed days later to share during a meeting with Mr. Dowd the questions they wanted to ask some rich asshole.

When Mr. Mueller’s team relayed the questions, their tone and detailed nature cemented Mr. Dowd’s view that the president should not sit for an interview. Despite Mr. Dowd’s misgivings, some rich asshole remained firm in his insistence that he meet with Mr. Mueller. About a week and a half after receiving the questions, Mr. Dowd resigned, concluding that his client was ignoring his advice.

That report doesn’t specifically say that the questions were written by the special prosecutor’s office, but numerous commentators have been frantically parsing them for what the wording may suggest about the direction of the case and what evidence Mueller already has. Not so fast. According to the Washington Post, the questions weren’t presented in those words at all:

Mueller’s team agreed to provide the president’s lawyers with more specific information about the subjects that prosecutors wished to discuss with the president. With those details in hand, the rich asshole lawyer Jay Sekulow compiled a list of 49 questions that the team believed the president would be asked, according to three of the four people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly …

After investigators laid out 16 specific subjects they wanted to review with the president and added a few topics within each one, Sekulow broke the queries down into 49 separate questions, according to people familiar with the process.

If this is true, then these questions really reflect the defense team preparing its client for what he’s likely to face. It’s a customary legal strategy that may provide very little specific information about the state of Mueller’s investigation.

Nonetheless, parsing the wording of these questions is a useful exercise. If they were put together by the rich asshole’s legal team in hopes of dissuading him from an interview, their choice of language could easily point to the areas in which Sekulow and others believed the rich asshole was vulnerable.

You also have to have to consider that the rich asshole’s lawyers were probably also trying to keep him from getting so angry that he fired Rosenstein and/or Jeff Sessions and triggered a constitutional crisis. Mueller had threatened them with a subpoena. They were walking a fine line.

Dowd resigned or was fired just a few days after that wild weekend. It has been assumed that was over his inability to persuade the rich asshole not to consent to an interview. But maybe it was just that the rich asshole felt the need to punish someone for showing him those questions and letting him know what kind of trouble he was in. So as despots and tyrants are wont to do, he killed the messenger.

As for the big parlor-game question of who leaked the list of questions to the Times: Who knows? Dowd swears he didn’t, the White House says it didn’t and even if Mueller’s office ever leaked things to the media, which it doesn’t seem to, these questions weren’t written by his team so that leaves him out. On Tuesday, Fox News correspondent Ed Henry reported that sources “in the rich asshole orbit” speculated that the president had leaked the list himself so all the possible witnesses would be on the same page and the rich asshole’s supporters would see evidence that (in their view) Mueller is overreaching. That sounds as reasonable as anything else I’ve heard. some rich asshole is simply incapable of stopping himself from obstructing justice.

the rich asshole policy taking aim at Planned Parenthood threatens to have devastating ripple effects

All the changes and rumors circulating around the Title X federal family program, explained.

AMANDA MICHELLE GOMEZ MAY 2, 2018, 12:03 PM

The rich asshole administration is expected to continue its assault on Planned Parenthood by reportedly going after the provider’s federal family planning dollars — cutting the provider off to punish it for providing abortion services, even though Planned Parenthood doesn’t use any federal funds for abortion.

While various media reports have rightly focused on the fact that this would be the administration’s most drastic move yet in harming Planned Parenthood and its patients (its affiliates see 1.6 million of the 3.8 million clients whose contraceptive care is paid for by Title X dollars), the consequences of such policy could actually be more widespread.

The rumors come as the rich asshole administration seeks to change the existing Title X federal family program in other ways, saying already it would prioritize grant applications from organizations with religious backgrounds and those that counsel abstinence. For this, The National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), filed a lawsuit in federal court on Wednesday to challenge the 60-page funding announcement — that makes no mention of contraception — released in February. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, and Planned Parenthood Association of Utah filed separate, similar legal challenges.

Federal officials are aiming to cut off Planned Parenthood from Title X family planning funding to fulfill a campaign promise to anti-abortion advocates, but the way the rich asshole administration would go about excluding Planned Parenthood would affect how all Title X clinics provide care to patients. Think tankafter think tank has found that thousands of other health care providers, namely community health centers, would struggle to handle the increase in patients should Planned Parenthood be excluded from the federal family program. Indeed, as Vox reported, in 105 counties in the United States, Planned Parenthood is the sole clinic offering comprehensive contraceptive services.

Another core tenet of the existing Title X family program is that all health care providers must tell patients about their options when pregnant. With the rich asshole’s expected policy, this service — that is, an emphasis on unbiased noncoercive counseling — could change.

Federal officials are reportedly looking to reinstate a Reagan-era policy referred to as the domestic gag rule. Republicans in Congress have been pushing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reinstate the gag rule. A group of anti-abortion groups added pressure on Monday, saying in a letter to HHS that “t]he result of this policy is simply to separate the Title X network of family planning providers from abortionists like Planned Parenthood – the nation’s largest abortion chain.” And in a phone call to ThinkProgress and other reporters in February, the Office of Population Affairs, an office within HHS that administers this public fund, said changes to the program could be forthcoming.

“Even though that’s the frame that social conservatives in Congress and the administration and their allies might take, the real impact would certainty extend far beyond just Planned Parenthood,” said Guttmacher Institute Senior Policy Manager Kinsey Hasstedt.

The Reagan administration gag rule would call for abortion and Title X-funded services to be physically separated, in addition to the existing financial separation. It would also prohibit clinics from providing comprehensive pregnancy options counseling or abortion referrals, even at the request of the patient. Providers would also have to provide all pregnant patients information about prenatal care and social services, whether or not they want to go through with the pregnancy.

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts speaks to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at National Harbor, Maryland, February 24, 2017. / AFP / Mike Theiler (Photo credit should read MIKE THEILER/AFP/Getty Images)

the rich asshole’s version of the domestic gag rule could look different than Reagan’s, which carried over into the first Bush administration and was suspended by the Clinton administration — but the rich asshole administration is getting pressured to reinstate a similar policy.

Altogether — from the funding announcement to the rumored domestic gag rule — this undermines the integrity of the Title X federal family planning program, advocates told reporters on Wednesday. And they’ll do everything they can — “including legal action” — to make sure these policies don’t go into effect.

The practical effect of a domestic gag rule means low-income individuals will receive substandard reproductive health care compared to people with private insurance.

“If you limit pregnancy options, counseling, and referrals for folks who rely on publicly funded programs, this really disproportionately impacts individuals who are low-income, young, or otherwise under-served and further entrenches existing health disparities,” Hasstedt told ThinkProgress.

This policy would also erode the trust between a provider and patient, who is likely already on the margins of care because they face barriers to access, added Alissa Light with the Family Tree Clinic in Minneapolis. Family Tree Clinic is not a Title X clinic, but sees many of the same patients.

“Perhaps causing folks to retreat from the provider or from care in general — and this could be particularly true for individuals and groups who have historically experienced coercive treatment in the context of reproductive health care,” added Hasstedt when trust between the provider and patient weakens.

The practical effect of a domestic gag rule

Title X is the country’s only federal program dedicated to family planning. Organizations, like state health departments and reproductive health groups, compete for this Title X grant money so that health care providers they contract with can provide basic, preventative health care services to low-income individuals. Per existing federal law, these public dollars cannot pay for abortion services, and only go directly to services like birth control or cervical and breast cancer screenings. The Title X family planning program currently supports nearly 4,000 clinics that provide services to more than 4 million people each year.

The Reagan administration disrupted the Title X program in 1988 when it issued a regulation, promulgating the domestic gag rule. It was only in effect for one month because of various court challenges, according to the NFPRHA. But a divided Supreme Court did rule against reproductive rights groups, saying a government could bar abortion counseling.

The Clinton administration formally suspended the gag rule in an executive order, and later, in 2000, codified into federal law that Title X clinics must offer patients the opportunity to have “neutral, factual information and nondirective counseling” on “prenatal care and delivery; infant care, foster care, or adoption; and pregnancy termination.”

This has become standard practice at Title X clinics. Many clinics incorporate materials available on the Family Planning National Training Center into their training. There’s no requirement to use this material, but some Title X clinics do. And in this training, providers are guided on how to be noncoercive if a patient comes in and tests positive in a pregnancy test.

“Now that we talked about parenting and talked a little bit about adoption, your third option is pregnancy termination or abortion,” a provider says to a patient ambivalent about her options in the training video. This scenario wouldn’t play out under a gag rule.

“You are really forcing all providers to decide between Title X funding and providing high quality patient-centered family planning care and ensuring that their clients have all the information that they need to make informed decisions about their own reproductive health,” Hasstedt told ThinkProgress.

Many groups competing for Title X dollars would adjust, like the grantee in Indiana, said Kristin Adams, president and CEO of Indiana Family Health Council, which represents the 35 Title X clinics statewide.

“If awarded the funding, we have to follow guidance of the contract whether you like it or don’t like it — you are still obligated,” Adams told ThinkProgress. “It’s a contract I have with the federal government. We will make sure patients are served to the best of our capability and [that we’re] still following the letter of the law and contractual agreement with the federal government.”

Deadline for Title X applications is fast approaching

These reports come as organizations compete for Title X grants; applications are due May 24. Already, many groups who’ve successfully bid in other grant cycles have tailored applications to stay competitive and appease the abstinence-only emphasis in the Title X grant funding announcement, for which the NFPRHA is suing the rich asshole administration. Many providers are reworking their existing Title X network to include more primary care providers, like community health centers, instead of family planning providers, who specialize in reproductive care, a current Title X grantee told ThinkProgress. (They asked to not be named as they’re competing for funding.)

So, even without a domestic gag rule, the Title X family planning program will likely change to meet the rich asshole administration’s standards on reproductive care. (Legal action against the Title X funding announcement is trying to immediately block this; NFPRHA is hoping to continue to fund current Title X grantees until a court can rule on the lawsuit.) And even reports of a domestic gag rule exacerbate an ongoing threat reproductive health care providers feel.

The Title X Planned Parenthood clinic in Waco, Texas is always worried about funding, said the site’s nurse practitioner Melissa Lynn. It’s Waco’s only Title X clinic. It temporarily lost Title X funding in 2011, when the Texas health department effectively excluded the provider from the network. Then in 2013, the Obama administration awarded Title X funding to the Women’s Health and Family Planning Association of Texas, a coalition of women’s health providers that contracts with the Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas and by extension the Waco clinic. But this year, the Texas health department is bidding for Title X funds — unlike 2013 and 2015. And again, that funding is at risk.

“In the past when we didn’t have Title X, there are women who go without reproductive health care and that’s birth control — we do pap smears, STD testing, pregnancy testing,” Duncan told ThinkProgress. “Fortunately, we do have donors who have stepped up and many will hopefully — if we do lose funding — still be able to serve some women. But I don’t think it’ll be the number that we have right now.”

Ty Cobb out as the rich asshole moves to hire Clinton impeachment lawyer

BY JORDAN FABIAN AND BRETT SAMUELS - 05/02/18 12:37 PM EDT

President the rich asshole plans to replace White House lawyer Ty Cobb with Emmet Flood, who represented former President Bill Clinton during his impeachment proceedings.

Cobb has served as the White House’s point man in the Russia investigation. The White House announced Wednesday he will retire at the end of May.

“For several weeks Ty Cobb has been discussing his retirement and last week he let Chief of Staff [John] Kelly know he would retire at the end of this month," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.

The New York Times reported that Flood will replace Cobb, who told the paper “it has been an honor to serve the country in this capacity at the White House. I wish everybody well moving forward.”

With Cobb’s departure, the rich asshole’s legal team has almost completely turned over since special counsel Robert Mueller took over the Russia probe last year.

Cobb had been seen as losing influence on the rich asshole's legal team in recent weeks as the president brought on a raft of new attorneys. Flood, a veteran Washington lawyer, is expected to take a more aggressive approach toward Mueller.

Cobb lawyer had vocally advocated for cooperating with the special counsel’s probe while urging the president to avoid weighing in publicly on the investigation.

In an interview published Wednesday, the White House lawyer said a presidential interview with Mueller is still under consideration

“It's certainly not off the table and people are working hard to make decisions and work towards an interview,” Cobb told ABC News.

Flood’s hiring has not yet been officially announced by the White House, meaning it is possible it may not be finalized. the rich asshole reversed himself in March after announcing the hiring of attorneys Joseph DiGenova and Victoria Toensing to his team of outside lawyers.

Flood did not respond to a request for comment.

the rich asshole was rumored to be considering hiring Flood far back as March. At the time, the president denied he was weighing a shake up of his team of attorneys.

“The Failing New York Times purposely wrote a false story stating that I am unhappy with my legal team on the Russia case and am going to add another lawyer to help out. Wrong. I am VERY happy with my lawyers, John Dowd, Ty Cobb and Jay Sekulow. They are doing a great job,” he tweeted on March 11.

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

The Failing New York Times purposely wrote a false story stating that I am unhappy with my legal team on the Russia case and am going to add another lawyer to help out. Wrong. I am VERY happy with my lawyers, John Dowd, Ty Cobb and Jay Sekulow. They are doing a great job and.....

9:41 AM - Mar 11, 2018

John Dowd resigned from his position in March amid frustrations over the rich asshole’s penchant to disregard the advice of his attorneys. Since then, several other big-name lawyers have turned down offers to join the rich asshole’s team.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani recently entered the fold to lead the rich asshole’s team of outside lawyers. He was joined by the husband-and-wife duo of Martin Raskin and Jane Serene Raskin.

Flood brings a wealth of experience in high-profile Washington investigations — something the rich asshole’s legal team had sorely lacked after Dowd’s departure.

He was part of a team of lawyers who represented Clinton in his impeachment proceedings, but did not play a leading role.

Flood later worked two years in the White House counsel’s office under President George W. Bush, tasked with leading the response to congressional investigations.

He has worked at the law firm of Williams & Connolly as a partner representing people and corporations in "complex white-collar matters," according to his company bio.

The No. 1 question facing the rich asshole’s legal team is whether to consent for an interview with Mueller.

The Times published a list of questions the special counsel purportedly wants to ask the president, covering topics from potential obstruction of justice to whether his campaign colluded with Moscow’s effort to interfere in the 2016 election.

WATCH: Morning Joe panel blisters Mike Pence for endorsing disgraced sheriff

TRAVIS GETTYS
02 MAY 2018 AT 09:39 ET

Mike Pence (Photo: by Michael Vadon/Flickr)

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Columnist Mike Lupica called out Vice President Mike Pence as a phony in a blistering appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

Host Joe Scarborough asked Lupica, a New York Daily News columnist and author, to comment on Pence’s campaign appearance for pardoned former sheriff Joe Arpaio and asked whether the vice president had abandoned his role as the “moral grounding” for the rich asshole administration.

"Who thought that?” Lupica said. “Who actually thought that about Mike Pence, looking at his record and the things that he said and the things that he did when he was the governor of Indiana?”

Lupica condemned Pence’s endorsement of Arpaio — who was convicted of contempt of court for refusing to stop racially profiling Hispanic people — as a “tireless champion of … the rule of law.”

“I watched that thing today and I just thought of an old country-western line, ‘from the gutter to you is not up,'” Lupica said. “Because if you’ll say that about Arpaio, what won’t you say? If you’ll glorify a guy who makes a ‘Smoky and the Bandit’ sheriff look like the Fletcher School of Diplomacy, what won’t you say to further your own ambition?”

Co-host Mika Brzezinski agreed Pence’s comments were “pathetic,” and MSNBC analyst Mike Barnicle said the daily outrages were too exhausting for Americans to follow — but MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle said they should be disgusted by the vice president’s moral hypocrisy.

“Mike Pence might say he sides with Jesus, but he’s not siding with decency — and Jesus was a decent man,” Ruhle said.

Lupica said he’d like to hear what Jesus has to say about Pence and some of President some rich asshole’s other right-wing Christian enablers.

“You always want to get Jesus to weigh in on those guys who say they’re as close as they are, and say, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa — I didn’t say what he said I said,'” Lupica said.

the rich asshole hails Pompeo in visit to State Department

BY BRETT SAMUELS - 05/02/18 12:03 PM EDT

President the rich asshole on Wednesday paid his first visit to the State Department since taking office to laud his new secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who in turn vowed to protect American interests abroad.

the rich asshole, Vice President Pence and roughly a dozen members of the rich asshole’s Cabinet arrived at Foggy Bottom on Wednesday to take part in a celebratory ceremony for Pompeo, who was officially sworn-in last week before departing on a trip to Europe and the Middle East.

“I have no doubt that you will make America proud as our nation’s chief diplomat,” the rich asshole said. “You’re an exceptional guy, a great friend and somebody that truly loves our country. We are really, really proud of you.”

Wednesday marked the rich asshole’s first trip to the State Department in his nearly 15 months in office. He was greeted with resounding applause as the nation’s diplomats and members of his Cabinet looked on.

“That’s more spirit than I’ve heard from the State Department in a long time,” the rich asshole said as he stepped to the podium. “Many years. We can say many years, maybe decades.”

the rich asshole proceeded to lavish praise on Pompeo, noting his academic credentials at West Point, his time spent serving in Congress and his most recent role as CIA director.

Pompeo takes the mantle at the State Department as the rich asshole administration faces a number of key decisions on foreign policy issues. the rich asshole is set to decide whether to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal in the next 10 days, and has set the stage for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The U.S., meanwhile, continues to maintain a presence in conflict zones like Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, where the State Department announced yesterday U.S.-backed forces had launched a campaign to oust the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS) from its final strongholds in the country.

the rich asshole and Pompeo are said to be close, representing a noticeable departure from the rich asshole’s icy relationship with ex-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The two men clashed on policy and matters of personality.

Pompeo on Wednesday acknowledged the "many threats" to American security and vowed to tackle them with "tough diplomacy" when needed.

“I will make sure America is always a respected and principled leader on the world stage,” Pompeo said.

Pompeo checked off a list of policies the rich asshole administration has taken, vowing he would see through the defeat of ISIS, establish fair trade practices with China and relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Pompeo called negotiations with North Korea and "unprecedented opportunity" to change the course of history.

“One thing is certain: this administration will not repeated the mistakes of the past. Our eyes are wide open. It’s time to solve this once and for all,” Pompeo said Wednesday.

Pompeo met with Kim over Easter weekend during a secretive trip to the Korean Peninsula. the rich asshole is expected to hold a summit with the North Korean leader in the coming weeks as the U.S. pushes for Pyongyang's denuclearization.

Pompeo, who has said he wants to bring "swagger" back to the State Department, called on the agency's diplomatic corps to do its part to carry out American interests.

While Tillerson's tenure was marked by high-level departures, unfilled vacancies and depleted morale, Pompeo's remarks were met with positivity and intermittent applause from his colleagues in the room.

“When I say we’re going to do this, I mean we,” Pompeo said. “This is a team effort here at the state department and the whole of the United States government.”

Rick Santorum says he wishes the rich asshole would stop lying

"I wish he wouldn't go out and say things that don't comport with the facts."

MELANIE SCHMITZ MAY 2, 2018, 11:24 AM

Former Pennsylvania senator and CNN commentator Rick Santorum said on Wednesday that President the rich asshole “has a problem” with lying, during an interview with CNN’s New Day.

“The president says things that don’t comport with the facts,” Santorum told host Chris Cuomo. “I don’t like calling people liars, but the reality is this president has a problem. And I have said that over and over again. I wish he wouldn’t go out and say things that don’t comport with the facts.”

Santorum’s admission came in response to analysis released by Washington Post fact-checkers this week, which showed that, since taking office in January 2017, President the rich asshole has made 3,001 “false or misleading claims…an average of nearly 6.5 claims a day.”

“We have never seen a record like this,” Cuomo said. “…How do you justify this data from the Washington Post?”

Santorum initially responded by claiming President Obama lied about the Affordable Care Act when he said people would be able to keep their doctor and current insurance if they liked them. He also claimed Obama had lied about a $400 million cash payment to Iran in January 2016, which the rich asshole himself has argued should’ve been investigated. That payment was essentially part of a larger settlement for past military purchases that the United States still owed to Iran ($1.7 billion total), over a failed arms deal first made in 1979.

“‘You can keep your doctor, you can keep your insurance, we didn’t pay off the Iranians’…. I think the substance of the previous president’s lies were much more important than the substance of what the crowd size was at the [inauguration],” he said. “I mean, those are the things I really care about.”

After Cuomo accused Santorum of “moral relativism” and noted he had refused to answer questions about the rich asshole’s lies up front, however, Santorum eventually changed gears.

“Look I’m not being–I’ll say it right here. You have seen me criticize President the rich asshole for his hyperbole,” he said. “…I’m not saying he is not subject to hyperbole and exaggeration and other things. He is.”

The Washington Post’s analysis, published on Tuesday, reveals the rich asshole’s tendency to not only skew the truth but shows his habit of repeating some of those lies at an astounding rate.

the rich asshole has repeated 113 of those 3,001 false claims at least three times each, according to the study, including claiming he passed the largest tax cut in history (72 times), claiming the Russia investigation is made up or a “witch hunt” (53 times), claiming a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border will stop illegal drugs from flowing into the United States (34 times), and claiming that the border wall is already under construction, even though it isn’t (13 times in the past five weeks alone).

On one day last year — July 25, 2017 — the rich asshole made 53 separate “misleading claims.” The second-highest day, in terms of the number of falsehoods the president made publicly, came on November 29, 2017, when the rich asshole made at least 49 inaccurate statements or outright lies.

Notwithstanding Santorum’s comments on Wednesday, many Republicans appear willing — if not eager — to ignore the frequency with which the rich asshole makes up statements or distorts the facts. At least one prominent Republican recently argued that it’s also not the business of the press to report those lies.

During an interview with CNN Monday, American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp claimed that journalists were the cause of many political rifts, and that reporters should aim to let the public decide what’s true and what isn’t.

“We have political disagreements in this country, and I think it’s wrong for journalists to take that next step,” he said. “Just present the facts. Let the American people decide if they think someone is lying. The journalist shouldn’t be the one to say the president or his spokesperson is lying, because what that does is to 50 percent of the country, is it makes them feel like they aren’t credible to listen to anymore.”

the rich asshole threatens to 'get involved' in Justice Department dispute

BY JORDAN FABIAN - 05/02/18 11:19 AM EDT

President the rich asshole on Wednesday threatened to “get involved” in a roiling dispute between conservative House Republicans and the top Justice Department official overseeing the Russia investigation.

“A Rigged System — They don’t want to turn over Documents to Congress. What are they afraid of? Why so much redacting? Why such unequal ‘justice?’ At some point I will have no choice but to use the powers granted to the Presidency and get involved!” the rich asshole tweeted.

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

A Rigged System - They don’t want to turn over Documents to Congress. What are they afraid of? Why so much redacting? Why such unequal “justice?” At some point I will have no choice but to use the powers granted to the Presidency and get involved!

10:45 AM - May 2, 2018

the rich asshole’s comments come after it was revealed that conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus have drafted articles of impeachment against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

The document makes a series of charges against Rosenstein, including that he broke federal law by refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena for records related to FBI surveillance during the 2016 presidential race and has slow-walked materials to lawmakers investigating possible misconduct at the department.

Republicans have accused the FBI of improperly surveilling the rich asshole associates during the election, including campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page. Federal officials have said the surveillance warrant was properly approved by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

Rosenstein fired back at the latest threats during a Tuesday speech, joking that Republicans in Congress “can't even resist leaking their own drafts.”

"There have been people who have been making threats privately and publicly against me for quite some time, and I think they should understand by now the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted," Rosenstein said.

Critics say GOP scrutiny of Rosenstein is an effort to stymie the special counsel investigation into Russia’s election interference in 2016, which is looking into whether the rich asshole campaign cooperated with Moscow and whether the president has obstructed justice.

Rosenstein, the No. 2 official at the Justice Department, is overseeing the probe because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself. Democrats and former law enforcement officials call the scrutiny of Rosenstein a thinly veiled attempt to lay the groundwork to fire him.

the rich asshole has waged a months-long war of words against both Sessions and Rosenstein, repeatedly calling the Russia investigation a "witch hunt."

The president has repeatedly downplayed the chances he would fire Rosenstein, Sessions or special counsel Robert Mueller

CNN’s Chris Cuomo audibly groans when Rick Santorum says he ‘doesn’t know’ if the rich asshole has ever lied

SARAH K. BURRIS
02 MAY 2018 AT 08:19 ET

Chris Cuomo and Rick Santorum (CNN)

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Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) went down in flames in an epic Wednesday morning interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo. The claims from the Pennsylvania conservative were so egregious that it even prompted Cuomo to groan and bring up the former senator’s faith.

The conversation began with Cuomo hammering Santorum on “swampy” behavior by cabinet members like EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. President some rich asshole’s cabinet appointees are growing increasingly unpopular as scandals stack up, but Cuomo noted that former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was fired for far less than Pruitt’s scandals

Santorum attempted to make the argument that there are far worse things that.

“I think that is one of the lesser situations here,” Cuomo began. “There is bad decision making on display here and swampy by definition. If what the president’s mandate was partially about was draining the swamp, getting rid of the people who will choose preference over power, why stand by this guy? The Morocco example alone. Somebody setting up a trip to Morocco and they get hired as a lobbyist.”

Santorum argued that there is “a lot of smoke here” but refused to conceded that it meant there was a fire.

Cuomo brought up the recent moments of honesty from Republican officials, who confessed that the GOP’s tax bill wasn’t actually a benefit for everyday Americans. Similarly, Price admitted that destroying Obamacare’s individual mandate essentially killed the stability of the healthcare market place, exactly as Democrats promised.

Santorum tried to bring up all of the big problems and high costs that happened with Obamacare, but Cuomo noted that many of the states refused to implement the law’s requirements. In fact, 19 states fought the law in court, further delaying the law from taking effect. The result was higher costs passed onto Americans and it allowed the GOP to claim the law was too expensive.

“That is a political argument and a fair one to have,” Cuomo noted. “But what we saw was public sentiment was increasing about the [Affordable Care Act] while you guys were trying to destroy it, because people were realizing what would happen to their prices. Now it is coming home to roost.”

After a discussion about Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) sudden honesty about the GOP tax bill, Cuomo noted everything comes down to the truth about a political dynamic.

“What do we see in this administration?” he asked. “And Rick, you can push back but it is just a fact. The Washington Post did an analysis of, let’s put up some graphic to help with the numbers. In 466 days, this is like the lie-o-meter, the president has made a record number of false claims. You will say, ‘Well, we have never measured it this way.’ Chicken and egg, my brother. If you give me 3,001 misleading, outright lies and often ugly about things that our democracy is supposed to protect, you’re going to get heat.”

Santorum responded to the comment about the rich asshole’s lies but claiming that former President Barack Obama lied, too. It was an argument that prompted Cuomo to note his 8-year-old son knew better than to try. Santorum claimed that Obama’s lies were worse than the rich asshole’s because, despite being considerably fewer, they were more substantive.

“Moral relativism from a practicing Catholic,” Cuomo said, calling out Santorum’s faith.

Santorum tried to explain that he’s been willing to criticize Tump in the past but Cuomo wasn’t letting him get away with it.

“You immediately talked about Barack Hussein Obama when I asked about the rich asshole’s lying,” Cuomo countered. “What does that tell you?”

“Nobody held President Obama accountable for those lies,” Santorum persisted.

Cuomo called folly, noting that over and over Republicans not only campaigned on the mistaken claim “if you like your doctor you can keep it.” Indeed, Santorum himself spent time on CNN calling out mistakes and discrepancies.

Cuomo ultimately asked the former senator if he thinks the rich asshole lies and Santorum replied he “didn’t know.”

“Oh come on, you’ve got to be better than this,” Cuomo said. He went on to described it as being like a child called out for lying, who answers that their parent lied to them too.

“We don’t say that to our children, Rick,” Cuomo noted. “Why justify it with the president of the United States? Why give him cover?”

Watch the full conversation below:

Part 1:

Part 2:

the rich asshole: There was no collusion and is no obstruction of justice

BY JOHN BOWDEN - 05/02/18 08:16 AM EDT

President the rich asshole on Wednesday lashed out at the ongoing special counsel investigation into possible collusion between his campaign and Russia while saying talks of obstruction of justice charges are a "setup & trap."

In a tweet, the president said accusations that members of his campaign were in contact with Russia are a "hoax," while adding that there was "no Obstruction of Justice" when he fired former FBI Director James Comeylast year.

"There was no Collusion (it is a Hoax) and there is no Obstruction of Justice (that is a setup & trap). What there is is Negotiations going on with North Korea over Nuclear War, Negotiations going on with China over Trade Deficits, Negotiations on NAFTA, and much more. Witch Hunt!" the president writes.

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

There was no Collusion (it is a Hoax) and there is no Obstruction of Justice (that is a setup & trap). What there is is Negotiations going on with North Korea over Nuclear War, Negotiations going on with China over Trade Deficits, Negotiations on NAFTA, and much more. Witch Hunt!

7:45 AM - May 2, 2018

the rich asshole has reached out on Twitter numerous times in recent months in an effort to quell accusations of both collusion with Russia and obstruction of justice. His tweets come despite special counsel Robert Mueller's continuing investigation into both areas.

Last year, the rich asshole told NBC's Lester Holt that the Russia investigation was a factor in Comey's firing.

A list of questions Mueller reportedly wants to ask the rich asshole was leaked to The New York Times earlier this week. The list indicates that Mueller's team is still interested in Comey's firing and any potential obstruction of justice by the president.

Other questions leaked to the Times reference reports about the rich asshole's desire to fire Mueller in an attempt to have the probe shut down.

"What discussions did you have regarding terminating the special counsel, and what did you do when that consideration was reported in January 2018?" one question states, according to the Times.

The White House refused to answer questions Tuesday when asked about the leak of the special counsel's questions to the Times.

The president said in March that he would welcome a sit-down with the special counsel for an interview, telling reporters at the White House that he "would like to" speak with Mueller before the investigation ends.

That sentiment reportedly soured after the raid of the offices and home

Condo deal lobbyist pushed client’s nominees for EPA science board to Pruitt

Steven Hart's lobbying went beyond initial disclosures.

E.A. CRUNDEN MAY 2, 2018, 11:20 AM

The prominent energy lobbyist J. Steven Hart — whose wife gave Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt a sweetheart condo deal last year — wrote Pruitt last August recommending candidates for key positions within the agency. This is despite both men previously claiming Hart had never lobbied the EPA around the time of Pruitt’s condo stay.

A newly-surfaced letter published by the New York Times Tuesday night reveals Hart encouraged Pruitt to name certain candidates to the EPA Science Advisory Board. Established by Congress in 1978, the group is one of 22 EPA advisory boards and is traditionally composed of independent scientists chosen by the EPA head to provide advice and input on environmental issues. Members are meant to be balanced in their views and distanced from partisan politics. There are approximately 45 scientists on the board.

In an August 10, 2017 letter to Pruitt, Hart highlighted candidates proposed by a former Smithfield Foods Inc executive who now heads the Smithfield Foundation. Smithfield, a meat-processing company headquartered in Virginia, is a client of Williams & Jensen, the law and lobbying firm where Hart worked until he resigned Friday, April 20.

“I wanted to highlight three candidates for the Science Advisory Board, who were nominated by our client, Dennis Treacy, the President of the Smithfield Foundation,” Hart wrote. “Each of the nominees would bring a unique perspective to the Board and its work, with all three engaged in key issues facing the EPA.”

“All three welcome the opportunity for the EPA to consider their nominations,” Hart went on. “Each nominee is a resident of Virginia, which would facilitate their active engagement and participation with the SAB.”

An EPA spokesperson told the New York Times none of the individuals named by Hart were appointed to the Science Advisory Board.

Both Hart and Pruitt claimed last month that the lobbyist never lobbied the EPA during Pruitt’s tenure after the nature of their relationship came under increased scrutiny.

Pruitt rented a condo from Hart’s wife, Vicki, for a mere $50 a night to be paid only when the administrator used the room — an unusual arrangement in a city with staggering rental prices. Bloomberg has calculated Pruitt paid $6,100 over the course of six months in 2017 for the condo.

Pruitt is currently the subject of 11 ongoing federal investigations, many of which center on his spending habits while in office. A sound-proof phone booth installed in Pruitt’s office cost upwards of $43,000 and intensive security measures have cost several million dollars.

Pruitt’s relationship with Hart has come under particular scrutiny. Last month, Williams & Jensen disclosed that Hart had in fact lobbied the EPA during Pruitt’s leadership despite denials. Hart reportedly lobbied for Smithfield Foods, whose recommendations he touts in his August letter, and which paid Williams & Jensen $70,000 in the first quarter of 2017.

According to the disclosure, Hart lobbied on issues “relating to support for EPA Chesapeake Bay Programs”, a reference to President the rich asshole’s plans to cut a clean-up program in the Chesapeake Bay. In 1997, Smithfield was fined $12 million for illegally disposing of hog waste into waterways leading to the Bay.

Hart resigned from William & Jensen two weeks ago, the same day as his lobbying disclosure. The letter published Tuesday reveals that Hart’s efforts to influence Pruitt and EPA policy extended to official appointments suggested by his clients.

Over the past year concerns have been raised about Pruitt’s favoring industry over science at the EPA.

Pruitt is already facing an investigation from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) over plans to ban scientists from the EPA’s federal advisory committees who have received grants from the agency. Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern that Pruitt is filling committees with industry-backed members loyal to oil and gas interests, among others.

Last October, Pruitt overhauled the EPA’s science advisory boards, removing a number of scientists from institutions like Harvard and the University of Washington. Environmental advocates and scientists have since taken legal action arguing Pruitt is replacing these experts with industry insiders in line with the rich asshole administration’s agenda.

“EPA appointed new advisory committee members to replace members removed pursuant to the directive,” wrote the environmental legal group Earthjustice in a complaint last December. “Many of the replacement appointees work directly for industries regulated by EPA or receive financial support from such industries.”

Pruitt’s troubles are unlikely to dissipate any time soon. Sources told the New York Times on Tuesday that the official is seeking to establish a legal defense fund in light of mounting investigations and high-level departures within the agency.

Also on Tuesday the Washington Post reported that a former Comcast lobbyist and longtime friend of Pruitt’s, Richard Smotkin, helped arrange a controversial trip to Morocco last year. The December 2017 trip cost exceeded $100,000 in expenses.

the rich asshole asks federal court to dismiss emoluments lawsuit

BY BROOKE SEIPEL - 05/02/18 07:42 AM EDT

President the rich asshole has requested that a federal court dismiss a lawsuit against him alleging that he has violated the Constitution by collecting profits from his luxury hotel in Washington, D.C.

According to a report by CNN, the rich asshole is asking the judge to dismiss a personal claim against him alleging he violated the emoluments clause, which bans presidents from receiving gifts or payments from foreign governments without Congress’s explicit approval.

the rich asshole is being sued both as an individual and as the president over alleged emoluments clause violations.

CNN reports that the filing claims the District of Columbia and Maryland state attorneys general don't have the right to sue the rich asshole as an individual and even if they could, "the President still is absolutely immune."

U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte shot down the rich asshole's request in March to dismiss an emoluments clause lawsuit against him, ruling that the case could proceed.

After the 2016 presidential election, the rich asshole broke with precedent by refusing to divest in his businesses. He instead placed his assets in a trust controlled by his two adult sons.

Ethics watchdogs say the president is violating the clause every time his hotels or golf courses receive payments from foreign governments because the rich asshole still owns his stake in them.

the rich asshole rages against obstruction probe as ‘setup & trap’ in another ‘witch hunt’ Twitter rant

TRAVIS GETTYS
02 MAY 2018 AT 08:03 ET

US President some rich asshole speaks during a meeting with senior military leaders at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 9, 2018. (AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM)

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President some rich asshole apparently spent Wednesday morning watching news coverage of the special counsel probe — and then lashed out angrily on Twitter.

The president insisted the Russia probe was a “hoax” and dismissed the possibility that he had obstructed justice — which he has essentially admitted to several times on Twitter, in television interviews and in an Oval Office meeting with Russian officials

"There was no Collusion (it is a Hoax) and there is no Obstruction of Justice (that is a setup & trap),” the rich asshole tweeted. “What there is is Negotiations going on with North Korea over Nuclear War, Negotiations going on with China over Trade Deficits, Negotiations on NAFTA, and much more. Witch Hunt!”

The Memo: Leak fuels new Mueller intrigue

BY NIALL STANAGE - 05/02/18 06:00 AM EDT

Speculation that President the rich asshole is preparing to refuse an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is on the rise after the publication of sensitive material related to the investigation.

The New York Times early Tuesday published a list of the questions that Mueller’s team wants to ask the rich asshole during an interview — a leak that the rich asshole slammed as “disgraceful.”

But the Times report seemed to suggest that the newspaper had received the list from a third party who, in turn, had received the questions from a member of the rich asshole legal team.

The careful phrasing fueled suspicions that the rich asshole’s legal team had orchestrated the release.University of Notre Dame Law School, said he could see “no value in Mueller’s team disclosing this.”

Jimmy Gurulé, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, said he could see “no value in Mueller’s team disclosing this.”

Gurulé, a former assistant attorney general during the George H.W. Bush administration, added, “It feeds this narrative that the investigation is not being conducted fairly and independently. Who really stands to gain? It is clearly President the rich asshole and his lawyers, since it allows them to step back and say, ‘Look, I told you they’re biased.’”

Mark Zaid, a nonpartisan Washington lawyer who specializes in national security, said that the information helps “politicize and create tangents” about Mueller’s investigation.

Zaid also posited that the question list likely came from sources friendly to the rich asshole.

“It wouldn’t make any sense for the disclosure to come from the special counsel’s office at this time,” he said.

The Times report stated that the questions had been “read by the special counsel investigators to the president’s lawyers, who compiled them into a list. That document was provided to The Times by a person outside some rich asshole’s legal team.”

A Washington Post story later on Tuesday stated that the 49-question list had been drawn up by the rich asshole attorney Jay Sekulow after talks with Mueller's team, though it did not speculate as to how the information came to be released.

“So disgraceful that the questions concerning the Russian Witch Hunt were 'leaked' to the media,” the president said in his tweet. “No questions on Collusion. Oh, I see...you have a made up, phony crime, Collusion, that never existed, and an investigation begun with illegally leaked classified information. Nice!”

In fact, there were more than a dozen questions related to collusion, by some counts.

For example, the Times story revealed that Mueller’s team wanted to ask the rich asshole about any “outreach by your campaign, including by [former campaign chairman] Paul Manafort, to Russia about potential assistance.”

Another question concerned when the president became aware of a June 2016 meeting in the rich asshole Tower, which included the president’s eldest son, some rich asshole Jr.; his son-in-law, Jared Kushner; and Manafort.

The three met with a Russian lawyer. Prior to the meeting, a go-between had told the rich asshole Jr. that the lawyer had dirt on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and that this was “part of Russia and its government's support for some rich asshole.” The president’s eldest son responded, “If it’s what you say I love it.”

Experts noted that there was little that was particularly surprising in the list of questions, even as they looked askance at the president’s “no questions on collusion” claim.

“It boils down to interactions with Russia; interactions with people who had Russian interactions; or interactions with people who investigated Russian interactions,” said Justin Levitt, a former deputy assistant attorney general in the Obama administration who is now a law professor at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles.

Levitt was alluding to a number of Mueller’s questions about the president’s dealings with former FBI Director James Comey, whom he fired, and with his own attorney general, Jeff Sessions.

The president has in the past suggested he would give an interview to Mueller’s team. "I'm looking forward to it, actually," he told reporters at the White House in January.

But he was outraged by the recent raids on the home, office and hotel room of his long-time personal attorney, Michael Cohen, reportedly to the point of being reluctant to follow through on the promise to conduct an interview.

The recent addition of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) to his outside legal team also sparked some speculation about a change in tactics.

Giuliani, a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, told The New York Times last week that he wants to determine if Mueller’s team is "truly objective" about the case or if they have a predisposition to favor the version of events given by Comey.

Some legal experts have suggested the legal team is trying to lay the groundwork to refuse an interview. People close to the president’s legal team insist they are acting in good faith, however. On Tuesday, Giuliani told The Washington Post that he had "a totally open mind on what the right strategy is."

Some experts cautioned that an interview held clear perils for the rich asshole.

“I think it is very dangerous for President the rich asshole to agree to be interviewed,” said Gurulé. “You just have to look at this long history of President the rich asshole making misleading or exaggerated claims. If he made false or misleading statements to investigators … those could support claims of perjury.”

Others noted that some of the speculation about the Mueller questions was overheated, given that they would be only the starting point for an interview.

“I think some people are too narrowly interpreting the list of questions as if they are exhaustive, when no doubt they are not,” Zaid said.

Zaid described his own experience of depositions: “I know when I have done numerous depositions over the years, I often extract far more information based on questions that are elicited by the answers of the witness, rather than the questions I drafted in advance.”

Meanwhile, the president continues to hold fast to his preferred line of attack.

“It would seem very hard to obstruct justice for a crime that never happened! Witch Hunt!” he tweeted on Tuesday.

The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage, primarily focused on some rich asshole’s presidency.

Kris Kobach will pay his contempt order with Kansas taxpayers’ money

State lawmakers abandoned a plan to prohibit the payment from the state budget.

KIRA LERNER MAY 2, 2018, 10:48 AM

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) will use taxpayer money to pay the costs associated with being held in contempt by a federal court for failing to register eligible voters.

On Tuesday, the Kansas City Star reported that state lawmakers abandoned an effort during negotiations over the state budget to force Kobach to pay for the contempt order with his own money, rather than state funds.

Sue Becker, an attorney with Kobach’s office, wrote a letter to leading GOP lawmakers, claiming it would be illegal to ban the use of state money to pay for contempt fines because Kobach was sued in his professional capacity and not his personal capacity. Despite the fact that most of the state House was supportive of the prohibition, voting 103-16 to keep it in the budget, the legislature removed it shortly after Becker’s letter.

Kansas taxpayers will be footing Kobach’s bill even though the state is still coming out of a severe budget crisis. After he was elected in 2010, former Gov. Sam Brownback (R) conducted “a real, live experiment,” as he called it, slashing tax ratesfor the wealthiest Kansas, reducing other income taxes, and cutting sales taxes. As a result of the failed experiment, the state’s economy shrunk significantly.

Last month, a Kansas federal judge found that Kobach, a candidate for Kansas governor this year, acted “disingenuously” and failed to follow the court’s previous order requiring him to register voters who had not shown documentary proof of citizenship. The American Civil Liberties Union claimed in court that the requirement was unlawful and disenfranchised eligible voters.

“The court is troubled by defendant’s failure to take responsibility for violating this court’s orders, and for failing to ensure compliance over an issue that he explicitly represented to the court had been accomplished,” Judge Julie Robinson wrote.

A representative with Kobach’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the ACLU declined to comment.

The contempt order came after an eight-day trial in which Kobach’s effort to defend his documentary proof of citizenship law turned into a comedy of errors. Throughout the trial, Judge Robinson repeatedly chastised Kobach and his team of lawyers for violating basic rules of evidence and civil procedure. Instead of being represented by the state attorney general, Kobach chose to defend his law himself.

Before the contempt order, Judge Robinson indicated her disapproval in Kobach’s handling of the lawsuit. At one point in court, she claimed he had engaged in “gamesmanship” and treated individuals protected by the court’s 2016 preliminary injunction ruling as “second-class registered voters.”

Judge Robinson has not yet issued a final ruling in the litigation. When she does, taxpayers could be on the hook for even more fines against Kobach.

POLITICS

05/02/2018 11:52 am ET

Mike Pence Praises Sheriff Joe Arpaio As ‘Champion’ Of The Law

The self-described “America’s toughest sheriff” actually has been convicted of illegally targeting Latinos.

By Willa Frej

Vice President Mike Pence appeared at an event in Tempe, Arizona, on Tuesday, where he stood alongside and doled out accolades to former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has been convicted of illegally targeting Latinos. 

“A great friend of this president, a tireless champion of strong borders and the rule of law,” Pence said during a speech about tax cuts. “Sheriff Joe Arpaio, I’m honored to have you here.”

Arpaio, who is running for Senate in Arizona, engaged in unlawful policing and racial profiling during his time as sheriff, a 2011 report by the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division determined.

His officers stopped Latino drivers four to nine times more frequently than they stopped others, and Arpaio became known for using derogatory terms such as “Mexican bitches.” He also oversaw a series of bizarre and draconian tactics in his county’s prison system, including forcing some people to parade around in pink underwear and reportedly calling his state’s jail a “concentration camp.” His office also ignored hundreds of sex abuse cases, according to an Associated Press investigation. 

Arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt last year for violating a 2011 order that barred him and his staff from detaining people based on their suspected immigration status. 

“If you’re going to come across that border, you should be arrested and get the consequences of it,” Arpaio told the Washington Examiner upon announcing his Senate run.

President some rich asshole pardoned Arpaio in August, saying, much like, Pence did, that Arpaio is tough on immigration.

Many were quick to point out Arpaio’s abysmal record on law enforcement following Pence’s remarks:

The Horror of a Trump Presidency

Monday, May 7, 2018

Ty Cobb — the rich asshole’s top lawyer in Mueller probe — just revealed he’s abandoning ship

White House claims it called Waffle House hero to bring him to Washington — but he says they have not

‘You’re fucking insane’: Internet scorches ‘traitor’ the rich asshole over new bonkers tweet threatening to obstruct Mueller

the rich asshole weighs former US lawmaker Jeff Miller for VA post

‘This is the law and order party?’ CNN panel roasts GOP for fielding multiple convicted criminal candidates

the rich asshole threatens to obstruct justice in latest bonkers tweet: ‘At some point I will have no choice’

Kris Kobach is making sure Kansas taxpayers will stay on the hook for all his contempt of court fees

‘The penalty should be impeachment’: Ex-ethics chief nukes the rich asshole’s ‘outrageous’ views on firing investigators

Bornstein thought it would be fun to be the president’s doctor — he was wrong

One of the most viciously anti-immigrant judges in the country just got his hands on DACA

It is far too easy to manipulate the federal judiciary's procedures for partisan gain.

IAN MILLHISER MAY 2, 2018, 12:26 PM

Hanen’s war on immigrants

The injunction paradox

the rich asshole is simply incapable of stopping himself from obstructing justice

the rich asshole policy taking aim at Planned Parenthood threatens to have devastating ripple effects

All the changes and rumors circulating around the Title X federal family program, explained.

The practical effect of a domestic gag rule

Deadline for Title X applications is fast approaching

Ty Cobb out as the rich asshole moves to hire Clinton impeachment lawyer

WATCH: Morning Joe panel blisters Mike Pence for endorsing disgraced sheriff

the rich asshole hails Pompeo in visit to State Department

BY BRETT SAMUELS - 05/02/18 12:03 PM EDT

Rick Santorum says he wishes the rich asshole would stop lying

"I wish he wouldn't go out and say things that don't comport with the facts."

the rich asshole threatens to 'get involved' in Justice Department dispute

CNN’s Chris Cuomo audibly groans when Rick Santorum says he ‘doesn’t know’ if the rich asshole has ever lied

the rich asshole: There was no collusion and is no obstruction of justice

Condo deal lobbyist pushed client’s nominees for EPA science board to Pruitt

Steven Hart's lobbying went beyond initial disclosures.

the rich asshole asks federal court to dismiss emoluments lawsuit

the rich asshole rages against obstruction probe as ‘setup & trap’ in another ‘witch hunt’ Twitter rant

The Memo: Leak fuels new Mueller intrigue

Kris Kobach will pay his contempt order with Kansas taxpayers’ money

State lawmakers abandoned a plan to prohibit the payment from the state budget.

Mike Pence Praises Sheriff Joe Arpaio As ‘Champion’ Of The Law

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Monday, May 7, 2018

It is far too easy to manipulate the federal judiciary's procedures for partisan gain.

IAN MILLHISERMAY 2, 2018, 12:26 PM

Hanen’s war on immigrants

The injunction paradox

All the changes and rumors circulating around the Title X federal family program, explained.

The practical effect of a domestic gag rule

Deadline for Title X applications is fast approaching

BY BRETT SAMUELS - 05/02/18 12:03 PM EDT

"I wish he wouldn't go out and say things that don't comport with the facts."

Steven Hart's lobbying went beyond initial disclosures.

State lawmakers abandoned a plan to prohibit the payment from the state budget.

No comments:

Post a Comment

IAN MILLHISER MAY 2, 2018, 12:26 PM