Rep. Adam Schiff expresses concern that the Republicans will soon shut down the House Intelligence investigation as a precursor to firing Robert Mueller.

I’m increasingly worried Republicans will shut down the House Intelligence Committee investigation at the end of the month.

Here’s why:

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) December 15, 2017

Courtesy of Mother Jones: 

Republicans on the House intelligence committee appear intent on shutting down the panel’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election as soon as next Friday, according to the committee’s top Democrat. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) warned in a series of tweets that the move could presage an all-out GOP attack on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of possible Trump campaign coordination with Russia. Schiff said House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) could be pressuring the panel to prematurely wrap up its work and would have “responsibility” for any effort to curtail the probe. 

Schiff noted that Republicans have scheduled no witness interviews after Friday, December 22. That’s despite “dozens of outstanding witnesses on key aspects of our investigation that they refuse to contact” and unexecuted document requests. Committee Republicans did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday.

Rep. Schiff is by no means alone in his concern, and many Washington Democrats, journalists, and  every day people on Twitter are also putting two and two together and recognizing that the groundwork is being laid out for the removal of Robert Mueller.

And in fact we have talked about it here several times.

The attacks on the credulity of Mueller's investigation seem to be coming from a variety of directions, and from a variety of conservative politicians.

Courtesy of Business Insider:

Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, suggested in a Friday interview that FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe will be forced out at the top law enforcement agency as soon as next week. 

Gowdy argued that newly released FBI records reveal political bias against President Donald Trump — and in favor of Hillary Clinton — at the highest levels of the FBI. Gowdy said that McCabe will likely be pushed out of the agency as a result of the perceived bias. 

"I'll be a little bit surprised if he's still an employee of the FBI this time next week," Gowdy told Fox News of McCabe, adding that he would be "shocked" if McCabe testifies before the House next week. 

Apparently this McCabe guy was supposed to have been breaking into the phones of his agents and spying on what they were texting to their girlfriends.

There was also this from the sitting Florida Attorney General.

On Fox's 'Hannity,' @AGPamBondi calls Robert Mueller 'corrupt' probe 'worse than Watergate' https://t.co/7ZJBzIn235 via @MitchEPerry #FlaPol pic.twitter.com/sCncWBfBqy

— Peter Schorsch (@PeterSchorschFL) December 14, 2017

Can you believe that shit?

And there is certainly reason for the Trump White House and the Republicans to be very worried.

Courtesy of The Independent: 

The investigation into links between Trump campaign officials and Russia has requested documents from a data firm which worked on both the 2016 presidential election and Brexit, said US media. 

Robert Mueller, who is leading the federal probe, asked Cambridge Analytica to hand over the emails of any employee who worked to support Donald Trump’s 2016 election win, the Wall Street Journal reports. 

The special counsel’s request, which the firm reportedly voluntarily complied with in the autumn, suggests the investigation is now probing the Trump campaign’s data operations.

You know that has some sphincters in the White House puckering up. 

The threat of Mueller being fired has now become such a concern that the former director of the US Office of Government Ethics issued this directive:

“Make a plan folks. Be ready to take to the streets. This is an attack on our Republic.”

This weekend I’m stocking up on portable phone chargers, warm clothes, & gear needed for when we take the streets. I’m concerned the assault on the rule of law is coming over the holidays when we’re distracted. It‘ll be a defining moment for the Republic. https://t.co/Ewn5tdx8e6

— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) December 15, 2017

This is typically the point where I say something like "The shit just got real."

Well actually I think this shit has been real for sometime, and it may now be about time for all of us to start shoveling. 

A timely warning from 1943.

1947 anti-fascist video made by US military to teach citizens how to avoid falling for people like Trump is relevant again. pic.twitter.com/vkTDD1Tplh

— Michael (@OmanReagan) August 13, 2017

Courtesy of Business Insider:  

A short, anti-Nazi film titled "Don't Be A Sucker" has reemerged after this past weekend's deadly white-supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

Produced by the US War Department in 1943 and released two years after the end of World War II, the film was a warning to Americans to resist fascist rhetoric — and to condemn it even if you're not among those directly under attack. 

The film opens with an agitated man handing out pamphlets and yelling to a crowd from a podium about the threat posed to "real Americans" by black people, "foreigners," Catholics, and Freemasons. "I see foreigners with money," the man shouts. 

"I see negroes holding jobs that belong to me and you. Now I ask you, if we allow this thing to go on, what's going to become of us real Americans?

"The clip was posted to Twitter on Saturday night by an anthropologist named Michael Oman-Reagan, who said the post-World War II film was made "to teach citizens how to avoid falling for people like Trump." It had been retweeted more than 122,000 times by Monday morning.

And now I am sharing it with you here, and I encourage you to share it far and wide as well. 

The fact that it feels as if this film could have been made last year as a warning about what a Trump presidency might do to the country, is all the more reason that as many people as possible should see it now.

You can find the entire film here.

Remember, a well informed public is exactly what those who push this kind of agenda DON'T want in this country.

Stephen King and other American writers post open letter expressing their concern over Donald Trump.

Courtesy of the Literary Hub:

 AN OPEN LETTER TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 

Because, as writers, we are particularly aware of the many ways that language can be abused in the name of power; 

Because we believe that any democracy worthy of the name rests on pluralism, welcomes principled disagreement, and achieves consensus through reasoned debate; 

Because American history, despite periods of nativism and bigotry, has from the first been a grand experiment in bringing people of different backgrounds together, not pitting them against one another; 

Because the history of dictatorship is the history of manipulation and division, demagoguery and lies; Because the search for justice is predicated on a respect for the truth; 

Because we believe that knowledge, experience, flexibility, and historical awareness are indispensable in a leader; 

Because neither wealth nor celebrity qualifies anyone to speak for the United States, to lead its military, to maintain its alliances, or to represent its people; 

Because the rise of a political candidate who deliberately appeals to the basest and most violent elements in society, who encourages aggression among his followers, shouts down opponents, intimidates dissenters, and denigrates women and minorities, demands, from each of us, an immediate and forceful response; 

For all these reasons, we, the undersigned, as a matter of conscience, oppose, unequivocally, the candidacy of Donald J. Trump for the Presidency of the United States.

If you click the link at the top you can see a vast number of writers who have signed this open letter, including Stephen King,  Cheryl Strayed, Dave Eggers, Junot Diaz, Amy Tan, Mary Roach, Tobias Wolff, Richard Russo, Michael Chabon and Roy Blount, Jr.to name a few.

King of course has been quite vocal in expressing his opinion of Trump.

Say, here's an idea! Let's turn America's nukes over to a bad-tempered asshole with no knowledge of foreign policy. What could go wrong?

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) May 23, 2016

Which is just one more reason to admire him.

Jane Fonda warns of violence if Hillary Clinton is elected President.

Courtesy of the Daily Mail:  

The actress and social activist warned that the former Secretary of State would face backlash from the nation's 'toxic masculinity' if she were to become the first female President of the United States. 

'One of the things we have to do is help men understand why they are so threatened, and change the way we view masculinity. We have a toxic masculinity and that's what needs to be addressed.' 

'I think that deep down, people feel [Clinton] can hit the ground running, even if she may not be the perfect candidate for a lot of people,' she said. 'She's had the experience. The world right now is so complicated — she has the background to deal with all the complications.' 

Of course Jane Fonda is another person that the conservatives love to hate (Remember Hanoi Jane?) but she is probably not wrong here.

I personally think that if Trump does not win the GOP nomination there will be violence no matter who wins the Democratic nomination. But I agree that Hillary will attract even more hatred than the old Democratic Socialist Jew will.

That fact is already on full display among the Trump supporters.

The shirt of the guy standing in front of me at Trump's Syracuse rally. pic.twitter.com/kUKsqOTWb5

— Jill Colvin (@colvinj) April 16, 2016

But does that mean we DON'T elect Hillary Clinton?

Hell no, it means if she is our candidate that we work even harder to get her elected.

After all did the fact that making Barack Obama our President really, really pissed off the racists stop us from voting for him?