Christopher Hitchens, Bitter Brit
Centuries have passed since British kings claimed a divine right, but British subjects still seem unable to accept the fact that their nominal rulers are human. Such, at least, seems to be the case...
Matthew Schmitz
/// June 15, 2010
Centuries have passed since British kings claimed a divine right, but British subjects still seem unable to accept the fact that their nominal rulers are human. Such, at least, seems to be the case...
Jason Kuznicki
/// June 15, 2010
“Do we live in a democracy?” asked the Cynic. “What do you mean, ‘in’ a democracy?” answered the Stoic. “Democracy is a procedure of rulership. It’s not a place you live in. Saying you...
Rufus F.
/// June 15, 2010
The death of Socrates brings us, in a strange way, to the life of the Buddha. Socrates came to the conclusion that mental/spiritual enlightenment requires us to renounce bodily craving and our need to...
David Schaengold
/// June 15, 2010
A kitschy 62-foot statue of Jesus outside of Cincinnati was destroyed by lightning last night.
[caption id="attachment_323385" align="aligncenter" width="748"] IG Michael Horowitz testifies before congress on Clinton email investigation[/caption]
Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s review of the FBI’s handling of its investigation of the Trump campaign in 2016 is out, and folks are pouring over the 476 pages.
A much-anticipated review of how the FBI came to investigate the Trump campaign's possible links to Russia has validated the agency’s decision to open its probe.
The report, compiled by the Justice Department’s inspector general, stresses that political bias did not influence the bureau’s actions, as President Donald Trump and his allies have frequently alleged.
But the document is also littered with criticisms of FBI officials and how they vetted some information, such as a dossier of salacious allegations compiled by an ex-British spy.
Key takeaways from the report
The FBI did not use the Steele dossier to open Russia probe
Lynch, Comey sat for IG interviews
No evidence political bias was a factor
The full redacted public report can be read here:
Comment →[caption id="attachment_322423" align="aligncenter" width="709"] Creator: Trikosko, Marion S., photographer; Related Name: O'Halloran, Thomas J. , photographer [Public domain][/caption]
You can watch the hearings live here, and discuss/debate with the Ordinary Times Commentareum throughout:
Comment →The House Judiciary Committee is hearing presentations from congressional investigators about the impeachment inquiry into President Trump's dealings with Ukraine, as Democrats prepare to draft articles of impeachment.
Monday's hearing includes testimony from Democratic and Republican attorneys from the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees. The House Intelligence Committee submitted its report last week on its investigation into Mr. Trump's efforts to get Ukraine to open investigations into the 2016 election and a company linked to the Bidens.
Those events are at the center of the Democratic case against the president, which the attorneys are laying out on Monday. Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi directed the committee chairs to pursue articles of impeachment, with a vote expected before the Christmas holiday.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said on Sunday that the committee will "presumably" introduce articles of impeachment this week.
From CNN:
Comment →In the end, four people were shot dead at the intersection in Miramar, authorities said, including two robbery suspects, a bystander, and hostage UPS driver Frank Ordonez -- a man who relatives say had been substituting for a colleague who had called out from work that day.
The slain robbers and hijackers were Lamar Alexander, 41, and Ronnie Jerome Hill, 41, both of Miami-Dade County, the FBI said. Authorities haven't released the name of the bystander who was killed.
Numerous questions about the chase and its finale remain, including who shot Ordonez and the bystander.
[caption id="attachment_322423" align="aligncenter" width="709"] Creator: Trikosko, Marion S., photographer; Related Name: O'Halloran, Thomas J. , photographer [Public domain][/caption]
The House Judiciary Committee will be kicking off their portion of the impeachment inquiry, with coverage and live stream you can watch here:
The House Judiciary Committee is taking the reins of the impeachment inquiry, holding its first hearing with testimony on the constitutional grounds for impeachment.
The committee, which will be responsible for drafting potential articles of impeachment, is hearing from four constitutional law experts: Noah Feldman, Pamela Karlan, Michael Gerhardt and Jonathan Turley, who is also a CBS News legal analyst.
What say you? The commentareum is raring to go on this topic, join in.
Comment →[caption id="attachment_323188" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Photo by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons[/caption]
Senator Kamala Harris' once promising campaign for the Democratic nomination for president has ended.
To my supporters, it is with deep regret—but also with deep gratitude—that I am suspending my campaign today.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) December 3, 2019
But I want to be clear with you: I will keep fighting every day for what this campaign has been about. Justice for the People. All the people.https://t.co/92Hk7DHHbR
Comment →Harris told aides of her intentions in an all-staff call. A person familiar with the call said she sounded distraught. While Harris had qualified for the December debate in her home state, she was running dangerously low on cash — lacking the resources to air TV ads in Iowa — and her staff was gripped by long-running internal turmoil.
Story Continued BelowStill, the news came as a shock to some of her biggest supporters. Just as Harris was announcing the news internally, a super PAC had cleared more than $1 million in TV ads in Iowa to boost her struggling campaign. The ad, which argued she was the best-equipped candidate to take on Trump, was canceled.
“Eleven months ago at the launch of our campaign in Oakland I told you all: ‘I am not perfect.' But I will always speak with decency and moral clarity and treat all people with dignity and respect. I will lead with integrity. I will speak the truth. And that’s what I have tried to do every day of this campaign. So here’s the truth today,” Harris wrote in a note to supporters. “I’ve taken stock and looked at this from every angle, and over the last few days have come to one of the hardest decisions of my life. My campaign for president simply doesn’t have the financial resources we need to continue ."
Harris, who spent Thanksgiving in Iowa with family, took a deep look at the campaign’s resources over the holiday and decided she did not have a path to the nomination. A Harris campaign aide said the expected impeachment trial in January further complicated the situation.
She made the decision Monday after discussions with her family and senior aides. Harris will travel to the early states this week to thank staff and supporters for their dedication to the campaign.
The Ninth Annual Mindless Diversions Unsolicited Shopping Guide
December 9, 2019
Andrew Donaldson // 64 Comments
Not the Bi-Partisan Impeachment They Were Looking For
December 6, 2019
DOJ IG Michael Horowitz’s Report on 2016 FBI Released
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Day Ending in “Y” Impeachment Update
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The Ninth Annual Mindless Diversions Unsolicited Shopping Guide
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Sunday Morning! “Have You Seen the White Whale?”
December 8, 2019
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Beyond December 7th: A Pearl Harbor Remembrance
December 7, 2019
Saturday Morning Gaming: Gaming As A Service
December 7, 2019
Chik-Fil-A: Why Can’t a Chicken Sandwich Just Be a Chicken Sandwich?
November 20, 2019
Pete Buttigieg Tops Latest Iowa Polling
November 12, 2019
Public Impeachment Hearings Begin
November 13, 2019
December 2, 2019
November 26, 2019
November 18, 2019
Obligatory Impeachment Hearings Something or Other
December 4, 2019
I’m Dreaming of a Bike Christmas
December 5, 2019
I've heard of feeling like a million bucks, but a billion just sounds greedy.