The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman announces that he will release transcripts of interviews with Donald Trump Jr. and others who attended that notorious Trump Tower meeting.

Courtesy of Politico:  

The Senate Judiciary Committee will soon release the transcript of its interview with Donald Trump Jr. as well as other witness testimony related to a controversial 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with a Kremlin-linked lawyer, Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Thursday. 

Grassley's comments Thursday come the day after two Democrats on the committee publicly pressed for the release of the panel's closed-door interview transcripts to special counsel Robert Mueller. Even as partisan disputes roil the House's Russia investigation, Grassley's alignment with Democrats on releasing the transcripts signals that the Senate — for now, at least — remains in a more collaborative mode. 

The committee is finished with work related to the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting, attended by President Donald Trump's eldest son and his son-in-law Jared Kushner as well as campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Grassley said. "So, now it’s time to start releasing the transcripts of all witness interviews we have done related to that meeting. Let’s get them out there for everyone to see." 

In addition to Trump Jr., who sat for an interview in September, the committee also has received written responses from Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer who said the Trump team pressed her for negative information about Hillary Clinton during the 2016 meeting.

Well this should prove to be some interesting reading, assuming of course all the juicy parts have not be redacted.

Apparently the committee has still not managed to get Jared Kushner locked down for an interview, which is too bad because somehow I think he would crack the minute somebody turned off the air conditioning.

Senator Dianne Feinstein gets fed up with all of the Republican excuses and releases the Fusion GPS transcript onto the internet.

Courtesy of Politico:  

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Tuesday unexpectedly released the transcript of congressional investigators' August 2017 interview with Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson, whose firm was behind a controversial dossier alleging ties between President Donald Trump and Russians. 

Feinstein's move represents an escalation of partisan tensions that have long been simmering on the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. Simpson had called for the transcript of his appearance to be made public, but Republican leaders so far had not agreed to release it. 

A spokesman for Grassley said Feinstein posted the transcript with "no agreement" from committee Republicans. 

"The American people deserve the opportunity to see what he said and judge for themselves,” Feinstein, the top Democrat on the judiciary committee, said in a statement about her decision to release the Simpson transcript.

“The innuendo and misinformation circulating about the transcript are part of a deeply troubling effort to undermine the investigation into potential collusion and obstruction of justice. The only way to set the record straight is to make the transcript public," she said.

(If you want to read that transcript you can do so here.)

Since the release a number of news outlets have reported on its contents.

For instance Axios reported that at least a portion of the dossier had been confirmed to the FBI by a White House source: 

Fusion GPS head Glenn Simpson told Senate Judiciary Committee staffers in August that the FBI had independently received information from an Trump campaign insider that led them to find some of the allegations in former MI6 agent Christopher Steele's Trump-Russia dossier credible. That revelation comes from a transcript of his testimony to the committee released unilaterally today its ranking member, Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

That source of course turned out to be George Papadopoulos.

Simpson revealed that there was evidence of Russian money laundering:

During his testimony, Simpson detailed ways that money had been stolen from a bank in Kazakhstan, then laundered throughout multiple countries — before possibly being funneled in part to the Trump Soho hotel project. 

At the center of the ordeal appears to be Felix Sater, a Trump-linked Russian-born businessman who in 1998 pleaded guilty to taking part in a mafia-related stock fraud scheme, and who is now cooperating with an international investigation into an alleged money laundering network.

Business Insider reports that Christopher Steele had initially reached out to the FBI, but then became concerned that they were being manipulated by Trump and cut ties with them: 

Simpson said Steele "stopped dealing" with the FBI after the New York Times reported in October 2016 that the FBI had found no clear links between Trump and Russia. Steele was also irked by the letter that then-FBI Director James Comey sent to Congress on October 28, effectively re-opening the Hillary Clinton email investigation. 

"That episode, you know, obviously created some concern that the FBI was intervening in a political campaign in contravention of long-standing Justice Department regulation," Simpson said. "So it made a lot of people, including us, concerned about what the heck was going on at the FBI." 

Simpson called the New York Times piece, published on October 31, "a real Halloween special." 

"Sometime thereafter the FBI -- I understand Chris severed his relationship with the FBI out of concern that he didn't know what was happening inside the FBI and there was a concern that the FBI was being manipulated for political ends by the Trump people and that we didn't really understand what was going on," Simpson said. "So he stopped dealing with them."

We also learned that according to Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson's lawyer that at least one person has been killed due to the release of the dossier.

!!!

Glenn Simpson's lawyer said someone has been killed as a result of the Steele dossier being published. pic.twitter.com/TMjbi7oPU7

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 9, 2018

I have been busy today so I have only started to read through the 312 page transcript, but I have already concluded that the Republicans did not want this released for some very scurrilous reasons.

This is how Scott Dworkin responded to what he read.

After reading the Fusion GPS transcript it’s clear Republicans have been completely ignoring all of the credible allegations of money laundering, conspiracy with Russia against the US & other crimes committed by Donald Trump & his pals. It’s proof Republicans are traitors—Period.

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) January 9, 2018

Yeah, essentially that.

Transcripts reveal that during his first phone call to the Mexican President Donald Trump begged him to stop saying that Mexico would not pay for his wall.

Courtesy of WaPo: 

President Trump made building a wall along the southern U.S. border and forcing Mexico to pay for it core pledges of his campaign. 

But in his first White House call with Mexico’s president, Trump described his vow to charge Mexico as a growing political problem, pressuring the Mexican leader to stop saying publicly that his government would never pay. 

“You cannot say that to the press,” Trump said repeatedly, according to a transcript of the Jan. 27 call obtained by The Washington Post. Trump made clear that he realized the funding would have to come from other sources but threatened to cut off contact if Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto continued to make defiant statements. 

The funding “will work out in the formula somehow,” Trump said, adding later that “it will come out in the wash, and that is okay.” But “if you are going to say that Mexico is not going to pay for the wall, then I do not want to meet with you guys anymore because I cannot live with that.”

(Of course ultimately Trump had to live with that because the wall is now supposedly being paid for by the American taxpayers.)

In the actual transcripts President Nieto made a rather salient point that Trump seems to have glossed over:  

And let me tell you that a lot of what is happening in terms of traffickers in Mexico is being largely supported by the illegal amounts of money and weapons coming from the United States.

What seems to be lost in Trump's rhetoric is that the border crossings go both ways, and that the money and illegal guns being smuggled into Mexico are at least as big a problem for them, and Mexican drugs are for us.

Trump also made this admission:

Believe it or not, this is the least important thing that we are talking about, but politically this might be the most important talk about. 

In other words Trump had painted himself into a corner with his braggadocio and he was begging President Nieto to help him save face.

However believe it or not this was not the most difficult call that Trump would make to a foreign leader: 

The Jan. 28 call with Turnbull became particularly acrimonious. “I have had it,” Trump erupted after the two argued about an agreement on refugees. “I have been making these calls all day, and this is the most unpleasant call all day.” 

Apparently Trump got his shorts in bunch over the idea of accepting refugees into the country:

“This is going to kill me,” he said to Turnbull. “I am the world’s greatest person that does not want to let people into the country. And now I am agreeing to take 2,000 people.” 

(Actually the number was 1,250 that President Obama had agreed to take to help alleviate the suffering of his fellow human beings who had been displaced by war and persecution.)

“I hate taking these people,” Trump said. “I guarantee you they are bad. That is why they are in prison right now. They are not going to be wonderful people who go on to work for the local milk people” 

Turnbull tried to salvage the deal, noting that the detainees were economic refugees who had not been accused of crimes. He explained that they were being denied entry into Australia because of a policy aimed at discouraging human smuggling. 

“There is nothing more important in business or politics than a deal is a deal,” Turnbull said. “You can certainly say that it was not a deal that you would have done, but you are going to stick with it.” 

Trump only became angrier, saying the refugees could “become the Boston bomber in five years.” 

“I think it is a horrible deal, a disgusting deal that I would have never made,” Trump said. “As far as I am concerned, that is enough, Malcolm. I have had it.” 

With that Trump abruptly ended the call. But not before telling the Australian Prime Minister who he DID enjoy talking with.

Before ending the call, Trump noted that at least one of his conversations that day had gone far more smoothly. “Putin was a pleasant call,” Trump said, referring to Russian President Vladi­mir Putin. “This is ridiculous.”

Keep in mind, before anybody calls this fake news, that this is from the White House's own transcripts which were leaked to the Post.

So yes America, THAT is the guy who is now leading this country.

Jane Sanders refusing to release tax forms unless Hillary Clinton first releases speech transcripts.

Courtesy of CNN:  

Bernie and Jane Sanders won't release their back tax returns until Democratic rival Hillary Clinton releases the transcripts of her Wall Street speeches, Jane Sanders said Tuesday afternoon. 

Bernie Sanders has repeatedly called on the Clinton campaign to release her speeches in an effort to show she's aligned with powerful Wall Street interests. 

But he has been slow to answer Clinton's demand to release his tax returns, saying in a CNN debate earlier this month that his wife handles their financial affairs and has been too busy campaigning. The Sanders made public their 2014 return the next evening, showing they earned nearly $206,000 and paid about $28,000 in federal taxes that year. 

Asked Tuesday when the campaign plans to issue prior years' returns, Jane Sanders told CNN's Wolf Blitzer they will wait to see whether Clinton will disclose her transcripts.

Okay two things.

First the Sanders' campaign promised that they would release these tax returns to the media, so they lied.

And second ALL serious presidential candidates release their tax information, while NONE of them have ever been asked to provide transcripts for paid speeches.

This transcript thing seems like a new hurdle specifically invented for Hillary Clinton, and both the Sanders' campaign and Right Wing media outlets are mythologizing them like Donald Trump once mythologized President Obama's birth certificate.

In the opinion of Hillary's enemies once these transcripts are revealed to the public it will destroy her campaign. Just like they are convinced that the FBI is only seconds away from indicting her and the Benghazi committee is on the verge of revealing that she shot those four Americans herself.

On a similar note the Sander's campaign is now asking for an extension on Bernie's personal financial disclosure until after the California primaries.

The @BernieSanders campaign asks for 45-day extension in filing Sanders' latest personal financial disclosure pic.twitter.com/QgttdYhuKS

— Dave Levinthal (@davelevinthal) April 28, 2016

Okay you know the one thing about Bernie that I have always defended is his integrity.

But there is something going on here that is fairly bothersome.

After all there is no doubt that after California we will all know for an absolute fact that Bernie Sanders is dead in the water, so essentially he is putting this off until a time when nobody will be asking to see it anymore.

On Meet the Press Chuck Todd wonders out loud if he just conducted the Bernie Sanders exit interview.

Wait, poor people don't vote? And why does Sanders automatically assume that if there were more poor people voting that they would vote for him?

But it was that last bit that really interests me.

Here it is courtesy of the Meet the Press transcript:

CHUCK TODD: Let me wrap up the question this way. Do you feel as if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee and you're not, but Donald Trump is the opponent, do you have a responsibility to do what it takes to get your voters to support Hillary Clinton? 

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: I will do everything that I can to make certain that Donald Trump is not elected president. But if that scenario plays out, the major responsibility will be on Secretary Clinton to convince all people, not just my supporters, that she is the kind of president this country needs to represent working people in this country, to take on the big money interests who have so much power, to fight for what the American people want. 

CHUCK TODD: Your supporters are, for the most part, very skeptical of Hillary Clinton. Very, very skeptical. Tougher on her, frankly, than you ever are. You know, people talk about all this back and forth. What do you think she-- what's your advice to her on winning your voters over? 

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: Well, I think she's going to have to be very explicit about supporting a program, which stands up for the needs of the middle class and working families, which, most importantly, makes it clear that she is prepared to take on Wall Street in a very clear way, take on the billionaire class, come up with a program that makes health care for all in this country a right within the next several years. I think those are some of the issues she's going to have to bring forth. 

(END TAPE) 

CHUCK TODD: So did we just hear, intentionally or not, the Bernie Sanders exit interview? We'll get to that later in the show.

I do not like the fact that Sanders lays out a laundry list of items that he suggests that Hillary MUST do in order to win over his supporters. I would think that for real progressives simply stopping Donald Trump would be more than enough.

I am also not convinced that this will be Sanders' last interview on MTP or that he is preparing to close up shop anytime soon.

Personally I think he should but obviously the Sanders' campaign is not soliciting my advice.

(H/T to Raw Story.)

On releasing the transcripts from her speeches, Hillary essentially says "You first."

I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours.

Courtesy of Politico:  

Hillary Clinton will release transcripts to her paid speeches — just as long as everyone else does too. 

“I am happy to release anything I have when everybody else does the same,” Clinton said during Thursday's Democratic town hall in Nevada, before adding that all other candidates had made paid speeches — including her Democratic rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. 

Yet another Hillary non-scandal for the media to perseverate over.

I find this one even dumber than her e-mail "scandal."

Why, seriously, WHY would anybody release a bunch of transcripts that opposition researchers and right wing media outlets can pore through making mountains out of every molehill, and finding political opportunity in every word?

I would not even think this a legitimate request of say Donald Trump, who has flip flopped his entire career, or Jeb Bush, who I think we all know has said some damaging things behind closed doors, because he also says them in public.

No unless EVERYBODY on both sides volunteers to release transcripts of their speeches, there is NO legitimacy to asking Hillary to do so.

Wonkette risks an infection worse than ebola by creeping past the Sarah Palin Channel guardians of scylla and charybdis, to bring you the latest Fartknocker Report.

Click grimace to play video

So yes despite past attacks from the Sarah Palin Channel producers, Wonkette has once again dared to go where no sane man dare tread to bring you yet another report of exactly what old people watch to help them go to sleep at night. A heavily drugged Sarah Palin talking about national security, terrorists, and what a bad job the President is doing.

Here is the transcript because as we know the minute that Palin sees I have put this up that bunch of TAPP assholes will force Wonkette to take it down:

"Now here's what I don't get. (Simple math equations? How to program the DVR? How to keep you family from attacking the neighbors?) The world's largest and most powerful terrorist group has vowed to attack the United States. You're reading about that, hearing it on the news every night, right? (Assuming of course your TV only gets Fox News.)

It even has supporters in our nation, this horrible death cult. Supporters in our nation tweeting pictures of our national landmarks. including the White House. Taunting us.

Yet we don't protect our borders. (Wait, what? I thought we were talking about ISIS.) So we can't stop this. Hard working Americans have struggled to find good work, and when they do find work that wages are low and they just can't seem to get ahead. (Okay so NOW we are talking about the minimum wage? I am so confused.)

Why? Partly because the flood of illegal immigration makes labor cheap. So cheap that it's hard to make a living. (Yeah, that's not really true.) Come on President Obama, if you don't know that by now..whew..it's...it's..uh..well we don't protect our borders, the President isn't protecting our borders though that's one of his very first duties in office is to make sure that the homeland is secure. (Does anybody else hate the word "homeland?"  It makes me feel that we are just one stiff armed salute from becoming the Fourth Reich.)

Young people from across Central America are making a dangerous trek to America. Flooding the border, overwhelming our social services. Yet we still don't protect our borders. (Protect them from What? Young people from Central America crossing the desert?)


Nah, the President won't protect our borders because of POLITICS. As usual Barack Obama puts politics above good policy, above serving the people he swore to serve. Barack Obama wants to pander to special interests, He's even threatening to violate the Constitution, again. But only after the November elections. He says. That's when he'll grant amnesty to millions, upon millions of illegal immigrants.

This makes no sense for our national security. Makes no sense for our economy, Or for the health and welfare of the tens of thousands of foreign children who risk death to flood across our open border. He's inviting them over? He's putting them in danger, via his invitation to come on over. (So to be clear, Sarah Palin says that the President is putting the children who travel hundreds of miles to come to America at risk by not stopping them at the border and forcing them to walk the hundreds of miles back where they came from?)


In November though, mmm we have a choice. On one hand we have a party that wants to leave us vulnerable, and doesn't care if their immigration policies mean that hard working Americans, of every race and background (But mostly white.), struggle to get ahead.

On the other hand we have candidates who want to protect our nation. Protect our nation from the threat of terrorists, and drug and human traffickers, coming across our borders. Protect American jobs, protect American wages, and yes, protect the children too who are flooding our borders by discouraging them from taking such a dangerous trek.

So this is a call to action. You need to take action America. We can't just sit around complaining about this and throwing stones at the problem of these open borders. (Oh good, at least she is not advocating throwing stones at the children who travel hundreds of miles to cross our borders. That's something at least.) We have  to elect people in November who understand how important it is buck Obama's mission this time and not allow him to open the borders even more grandiose than he already has. ("More grandiose than he already has?" WTF?)

It makes no sense to open our borders, No sense that is unless you're just playing politics."

So yes if you are just joining us Sarah Palin has now completely blurred the lines between  undocumented immigrants from right here on this continent looking for work and freedom, and terrorists from across the ocean looking to launch an attack on our country.

Same thing, both usually have darker skin than REAL Americans.

Actually if you do get the chance to watch the video before TAPP stomps their feet and forces YouTube to take it down, you will notice that despite her rhetoric Palin looks very subdued, and barely worked up at all.

She is also wearing less makeup, and her hair is flat and mousy. In other words she just doesn't seem to have that old "fire in the belly" that she used to brag about.

And if you don't believe me, here is what Wonkette observed:

And that’s just about it for the Sarah Palin Channel this week! Palin’s channel released two pieces of content in the last seven days: this rambling, incoherent glob of sputum scraped off the splashguards at a World Net Daily comment buffet, and a five-minute “Ask Me Anything” video. Everything else is more than one week old, and nine of the next 15 posts are old clips from her TLC show, Sarah Palin’s Alaska.

Are you beginning to feel it? She’s losing steam. Wouldn’t you? We’re exhausted by Palin, and we only have to cover her once a week. She has to cover herself 24/7. 

Yeah it's kind of like something is eating at her, distracting her, possibly really worrying her. 

Gee I can't imagine what that might be.

Sarah Palin doubles down on impeachment of the President at the Western Conservative Summit. Whoa Nelly, she is officially off the reservation.

I am transcribing this video because I am a professional. And because I really needed a good reason to drink myself stupid tonight.

Trust me this will do it.

Here we go:

"And on impeachment. Let's talk more about impeachment, because it's got them nervous, and let's be clear they know who even, high crimes and misdemeanors it does not mean today's ordinary criminal charges. The framers used the term to mean a dereliction of duty."

"It was explained by many of our founders...uh..dereliction of duty, knowing that the first duty of the President is to enforce our laws. Preserve and protect and defend the Constitution."

"It was Alexander Hamilton who described impeachable offenses as the abusive violation, the abuse or violation, of some public trust, He called them 'political offenses' because they relate chiefly to injuries done immediately to the society itself. No serious person can deny (High pitch here. Dogs heard howling in the background.) team Obama has abused and violated the public trust. And the Constitution."

"Man rocking us to our core. From Benghazi. Fast and Furious gun running. Stimulus bust...greenies on our greenbacks. And scandals? NSA spies. Obamacare lies. VA...let's die. (I think she is going for a haiku. Though of course she lacks the IQ.) The IRS aims to repress conservative's voice. The DOJ wiretaps reporters. Violation of our religious rights. And then there's ignoring illegal, in house fundraising that you heard recently has been going on...the list of abuses it goes on and on."

"And look alone not defending borders is dereliction of duty. Violating the oath of office. If that's not impeachable....

(For some reason the video trails off here, only to pick up again a little further along in her crazy ass speech.)

"The list does go on, Not all impeachable offenses of course. Some just offensive! And with excuses!"

"Blame Bush. Blame Beoehner. Blame bummer of a ballgame that he had that day, or a bad day on he links. Who knows what team Obama...why they do what they do? It makes no sense. (Wait is she saying it's Team Obama that makes no sense? Has she heard this speech?) But the Constitution holds the President responsible for the executive branch. He can't just call it in, he can't just vote 'present.'  Feign ignorance of all of this anymore than a mob boss can claim innocence because he didn't personally do the hit. (Oh so now the President is a thug union boss having people killed is that it? Bitch!) The buck stops with the guy at the top."

(Believe it or not this received applause.)

"Considering article of impeachment is THE check. Making the case for it is not difficult. (You know I think most of the Republican party would disagree with that assessment.) Difficult is having the moral courage to do what's right. Congress. It takes guts to hold them accountable, it takes political will."

"I'm hearing some argue for 'cautious inaction.' They're terming it. They're saying 'Well Obama's policies expose his failures anyway, so why rock the boat.'"

"But that argument, it misses the point. Folks he is radically changing the balance of power. It's setting a wicked dangerous precedent. With his pen and his phone, hes abrogating his presidential authority. Making himself a ruler not a President." (Methinks that SOMEBODY does not know what "abrogating" means.)

"You know we had a revolution back in 1776 because we don't do kings. (Insert your own Sarah Palin sex joke here.) Some say 'Oh just wait for the next election.' And the next, and the next, and the nex..wait for the next election. And hope that the big GOP victory reigns in the radicals."

"Been there, done that. In 2010."

"Friends if we let Congress refuse to use the power that Constitution gives it Barack Obama will continue to rule however he wants. And the fabric of America will unravel. So don't be afraid to raise this and know that there's no other recourse.


I will post this much up now and post the rest when I finish.

Now where is that corkscrew?

Okay let's us continue now that I have my liquid refreshment on hand.

"Right now we're drifting.The country is rudderless. And the Captain he's saying 'I'm going it alone.' Well shipmates then it's our responsibility to use the tools in the toolbox to hold him accountable, to send that message, we won't put up with the lawlessness. That's why we have to influence Congress on this."

"Remember the only thing necessary for them to fundamentally transform America is for good men to do nothing. We MUST hold him accountable. And if not these violations then what? If not thee violations. And the imperial President has pledged to continue to go it alone, so arrogantly."

"If not that then what will it take? How band does it have to get?"

"Consider this, we live now in an America where the government spies on us. Targets us because of political beliefs. Terrorist leaders they're set to go free to go back to their death cults, back to the battlefield, back to doing what they want to do best, which is top kill Americans. We let them go free."

"We live in an America where healthcare is taken from us and then we are forced by government to buy something that we don't want. (Wait, what?) We can't afford. An America where government takes aim at Catholic nuns because they adhere to their Catholic faith. And where no border, no nation eh. And we live in an America where the President keeps a kill list (Here she uses air quotes.) of people he says he's authorized to see executed on sight." (I think she is trying to suggest that this list includes his political adversaries.)

"If you're fine with that then by all means sit back, hope for the best. You're apathy is their power. The rest of us? We need change. We know we need change in order to save this republic."

"And that comes with healing the injuries done to this society by an unchecked President. And that starts with having the guts to talk about impeachment. This lame duck administration, I guarantee you, they will engage in all sorts of mischief in these nest few years. Just think judicial branch, what danger can be had there with appointments."

"So please look ahead and consider...consider that judicial damage, understand.."

Here thankfully the video comes to an end.

However I think that you get the general idea of the general psychosis that was on display at that conference earlier today.

And if the transcript is not enough to convince as to the level of crazy, just spend a few minutes watching that video and you will be right here with me.

Okay now I'm pretty sure that there is another bottle of wine around here someplace. 

Dazed and Confused Sarah Palin on Hannity: "People are looking at Putin as one who wrestles bears and drills for oil." Suggests that the President "wears mom jeans and equivocates and bloviates." Clearly somebody got a new vocabulary word a day calendar for Christmas.

Before I start with the transcript I want you to just take a moment and look at this image.

THAT is the expression that Palin wore throughout almost the entire interview. I swear it is the same look that my daughter's dog had on its face after she recently came out of surgery.

Methinks somebody might have taken a little something for their nerves before the camera started rolling.

Hannity starts it off by showing the tape of Palin reading off of a teleprompter her "prediction" that Russia would invade the Ukraine.

He then asks her what she saw that the President failed to see. (You know, besides whatever hallucinations are currently dancing before her eyes.)

Here was her catatonic response:

"Well anyone who carries the common sense gene would know that Putin does not change his stripes. (Because he is a tiger.) He harkens back to the era of the czars, and he wants that Russian empire to grow again. He wants to exert huge power and dominance, so he has to get to those border areas, and he has to capture them. But you know what Sean? More importantly...we were right on that, I'm right when I talk about that inherent link between energy and security. Energy and prosperity. And when we don't develop our resources, and when we are not able to feed others with our resources, and so many others are reliant upon Russia, who does develop their resources, and with that wealth are able to strengthen their military and their influence and power on the globe, then other nations are in trouble." (For the record 2013 saw the United States breaking records with its domestic oil production. Which of course proves that Palin has no damn idea what she is talking about.)


I like the fact that after vomiting forth this chunk of clearly pre-written mooseshit that Palin looked almost pleased with herself as if she thought she had knocked it out of the park, while instead she had been chewing on her bat the entire time. 

Hannity then follows the predetermined talking point of suggesting that the solution to all of the planet's problems is more fracking. Also making the point that the Ukraine is crisscrossed with various pipelines.

Palin: "Right, see that building of pipelines is an example of developing natural resources and what they can provide to a region, and here today...was it in Washington D.C.? We had all these protestors against the Keystone Pipeline. Look, America needs pipelines! Just like the other parts of the globe we were just talking about need their pipelines, we need ours. And those protestors griping about..oh I don't know...perhaps an earthworm will be displaced when a pipeline in built in America. That earthworm, it can take one for the team." (I am not exactly sure why an earthworm would care to take one for a team of creatures that routinely destroys it habitat, but putting that aside the fear of what having heavy tar sands flowing through the Keystone Pipeline in the U.S. could do to our environment is about far more than a displaced worm.)

Hannity then asks Palin for her predictions as to what Putin might do next, and if it is possible he will invade more countries. (Because as we all know she used to spy on him from her house.)

Palin: "Well yes, especially under the Commander-in-Chief that we have today, because Obama's...the perception of him, and his potency...across the world is one of such weakness, you know and I...lookit people are looking at Putin as one who wrestles bears and drills for oil. They look at our President as one who wears mom jeans and equivocates and bloviates."

Did somebody mention "mom jeans?"

"We are not exercising that peace through strength that can only be brought to you courtesy of the red, white, and blue. That only a strengthened United States military can do."

Okay is crazy eyes literally suggesting that Obama should threaten Russia with military force? Surely even SHE is not that out to lunch. Or is she?

And speaking of the President, why was she talking about his "potency?" That did not seem like an appropriate word for what she was talking about.

Hannity then goes on to mock the President for his "reset" of relations with Russia, most of which took place during the term of Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, who appeared to be much more interested in negotiating with the west than has been demonstrated by Putin.

Palin greedily takes the bait: "Yeah that reset button thing that was just more um...more political speak, and double speak, that is so prevalent in the Obama administration. No...um...Obama instead has chosen to adopt this MO of leading from behind, whatever the heck that means, I mean because the rest of the world...looking for that shining city on a hill, looking for that country in which...that they can emulate. Um they're not seeing that anymore in America because of Obama's weak leadership, leading from behind, which makes absolutely no sense. Um what...what's going on...in a greater sense here is other countries finally taking advantage of that weakness in America at this point. Because our Commander-in-Chief does not understand the peace through strength that so many of us want to get back to. That is the only way that our world will be safer, more secure." 

Okay first off that "leading from behind" thing is an invention of Fox News and Right Wing talking points. So if Madame Mooseshit here does not understand what it means she needs to talk to her script writers.

Secondly it sounds to me like this lunatic is suggesting that the only way to control Russia is to beef up our military and return to a cold war mentality. Because you know, THAT would be making progress.

Hannity makes some comments about Russia and China giving each other a reach around, and then Palin chimes in with her final point.

Palin: "My last point is...when Putin now is being accused by critics of violating law, in his actions today, well I'm loathe to give any advice to a tyrant like Putin, but you know what he could do is what liberals adopt here in America as acceptable, and that is when our President decides which laws, picking and choosing, that he will follow, he can just call it an executive order and nobody says boo."

Yes because not wanting to support DOMA is just like invading another country, right you moron?

By the way perhaps somebody needs to remind this idiot that so far President Obama has only used the Executive Order 168 times to George W. Bush's 291. (Clinton chocked up 364.)

And speaking of George W, Bush, most pundits agree that it was HIS actions while invading Iraq that have helped to embolden Putin. NOT the policies of the current resident of the White House.

Here is the interview for you to watch on your own. (If you so desire.)

While watching it, my very first thought was that she looked like she was tranquilized, and that thought was immediately followed by "What the fuck in on her head?"

As for her delivery, it was clear she had been coached, and a script written for her, but in her medicated state she clearly had a difficult time sticking to it.

Here is what the Obama Diary tweeted after her appearance.

MT @SarahPalinUSA On @seanhannity tonight to talk about Russia and Ukraine // Palin aides school her first --> pic.twitter.com/24DeZOcMuK
— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) March 3, 2014

Too funny, and too true.

Sarah Palin appears on Fox News to play the victim over comments by MSNBC's Martin Bashir, to attack Obamacare, and to convince somebody to buy her damn book!

Click one of the protruding knobs to see video.

Chris Wallace starts off asking Palin about Obamacare. (Spoiler alert: She hates it!)

"Well certainly the roll out itself, and a malfunctioning website isn't the problem. The problem is Obamacare itself is the problem, you know a road toward socialized medicine that is unaffordable, and unasked for, and unpopular, is not workable, that's the problem. People want Obamacare scrapped, I think at this point Chris we don't even care if the website gets up and running, it's just going to prove to be an invitation find out..uh..more problems as to Obamacare as a whole....

At this point the tape kind of skips and you see Wallace posing the next question, as if somebody decided Palin had rambled enough and were trying to keep the craziness to a minimum.

Wallace then asked Wonder Boobies if she thought Obamcare was the tipping point that undermined the President's entire approach to government

"I do, Thank goodness people are awakened from their slumber, thinking that it's okay for government to deceive us in thinking that they can, they can give us free stuff. Their ain't no such thing as a free lunch, and people have opened their eyes now, understanding that 'oh Tea Party patriots they were right' when they said that this big government policy crammed down our throat called Obama-pare (I swear that is what she said.) its not good for America. And people have awakened and realized that the Tea Party was right, and hmm they may be right on a couple of other issues too. So yeah that's a tipping point, people are awake now."

Wallace then suggests that it is a problem for Republicans that Obamacare will eventually cover 30 million uninsured Americans whereas the most recent GOP plan would only cover 3 million. And asks Palin if she does not agree that the Republicans need to do better.

"Oh, I am one to question, I am one to question those numbers. 30 million more people will receive health care coverage under Obamacare? I question it, one I don't believe a doggone thing coming out of Washington D.C. anymore and isn't that a sad state of affairs when a normal American has to be so cynical of what government (Normal American?), and government reports, are telling us. Even if it is a nonpartisan report. Chris no, once that employer mandate kicks in, after the new year begins, next year..employer mandate..that's going to kick more and more people off private sector health care coverage that they had, at least up til now, been able to enjoy, and been able to afford. There will be fewer people being covered under a sensible, doctor-patient relationship centered health care program under Obamacare than what we see today I guarantee you that." (So in a nutshell, Palin is saying, "Facts, I don't need no stinking facts! I know what I know when I know it.")


Wallace simply lets that huge truckload of BS sit there as he moves onto another topic, essentially destroying any credibility he has a journalist, and asks her about the new Senate rule change. (The "Nuclear Option.") Essentially asking her if she thinks that any President should have the right to name their team, unless a candidate is "wildly outside the mainstream?"

"Well there are a lot of wildly outside the mainstream nominees and pals of Barack Obama that he wants to see help him usher in an agenda to transform America, so that's one thing that Congress has done right. And that is to oppose some of these nominees.

(Really? So this is okay?)

Replaced previous graphic identifying nominees to this one. More accurate.

(I bet she wouldn't say that if this were a Republican. Or a white guy.)

As for this rule, change that some people are calling the nuclear option, I guarantee this week, Thanksgiving dinner, people sitting around their tables, we're not going to be talking about the president's blessing, the thwarting of a balance of power in Congress with new Senate rules called the nuclear option.People are going to be talking about our failed big government policies that will bankrupt this country. So this distraction, this new talking point in the media and with Congress, with senators and with the president blessing this action, it's a distraction and it's a lot of, you know, double standard and Democrat hypocrisy because just a few years ago, they were so anti, anti-nuclear option. They were against any thought of Republicans ever considering changing these rules. And yet now, you know, it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. So American people, they don't care about distractions like that. They're not in that inside baseball Senate rule stuff. They want government to be back on our side. They want it to get out of our lives and in order to do that we need those who will not fundamentally transform America but will fundamentally restore what's right about America. We do that by having good judicial nominees and nominees in these regulatory agencies and elsewhere. So, this new rule change, it stinks." (I'm sorry, what?)


This is when Wallace finally broaches the subject of Bahir's comments on MSNBC.

"That's funny, because Bashir has invoked the analogy of slavery also. The definition of slavery is to be beholden to a master. And we will be beholden when that note is due, when we have taken from our children and our grandchildren and borrowed from China and other foreign countries in order to pay for our wants today. So we will be beholden to another master at some point here when that note's due. As for the -- you know ,the networks condoning those types of statements, because there's been no punishment of the fella who said these words, that's hypocrisy. That's a given, though, when a conservative woman says something that they're -- they take offense, they usually just kind of pooh-pooh it, laugh it off; it's no big deal. But as for personally taking shots like that, Chris, everybody in life takes shots. You have a decision to make when you take a shot. Are you going to become bitter or better? In a case like this, you know, I don't have to accept his words, his vile, evil comments, so they don't have to affect me. I move on. And I charge forth. (Oh yeah, she is known for that.) However, if Mr. Bashir or anybody else in this media elite bubble that they put themselves in were to attack someone who is defenseless, like a vulnerable child, who does not have that podium, that microphone that God has blessed me to be able to express my opinion, if they don't have that type of platform to defend themselves -- well, if you want to see a mama grizzly get riled up and slap that person down, then you come after a vulnerable child. In this case, he didn't come after a vulnerable child. I can defend myself and, you know, I can take it" ( I assume she is daring somebody to attack Trig so that she can defend him and garner more sympathy. What an odd thing to interject into this statement.)

Wallace then plays Bashir's apology and asks the Wonder Twins if she accepts it.

"Well, that's the executive hypocrisy that is so prevalent in that media elite bubble, where it depends on the target of the vile rants that it doesn't depend on what their rant itself actually is. And conservative women are a target of them. As for the apologies, well, obviously, you know, who am I to not accept an apology? Everyone must humble themselves and accept that offer to, you know, of apology. (This part really makes me wish that Bashir had not caved in and apologized to the skank.) But as for the apologies, too, next time that they want to say such a thing and then get the attention that they were seeking after they've said it, and then they want to call and apologize to me in private, I'd like them to go through, say, Todd first or one of my children first. Leave the message with them. Hear what they have to say about it and then they can come to me." (So she wants to have her apologies screened before accepting them? What is she afraid of?)


This is the point where apparently Wallace is contractually obligated to let  the "Ghost of Christmas suck ass" to pimp her book.

Wallace: " Governor, you say there is a link between faith and freedom. Explain what you mean." (Why do these idiots continue to call this quitter "Governor?")

"It's an inherent link, and our Founders knew that. They said that our government is -- our Constitution for our government is written for a religious and world people, meaning you have to have a strong foundation of faith, believing in something greater than self and not be so selfish. Otherwise, our Constitution isn't going to do any good. There's no need to follow a Constitution or a rule of law if you don't have that foundation. (Actually you do, it's called avoiding prison and it is a MUCH bigger deterrent to criminal behavior than the idea of hell or heaven.) So, it's very, very important that we protect the heart of Christmas, which then will protect the heart of America. And it's been a wonderful book tour; 21 cities thus far. (And each one resulting in the book falling further and further down the Amazon list of best sellers. As of this post it is now down to 358. If this keeps up it will be in the dollar bin before the last stop of her book tour.) And it is all about good tidings and great joy and amazing, amazing, inspiring, energetic people we've met along the trail, love them. And it's a good book."

Wallace then asks what is wrong with  businesses wishing people "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas?"

"Well, there's not a doggone thing that's wrong with saying "Happy Holidays." It's like I say before Christmas, "Happy Hanukkah." After Christmas, you can say "Happy Kwanzaa." But as for Christmas itself, Jesus is the reason for the season. And Christ is the foundation of Christmas. So, to have a double standard, try to be applied to say, well, you just can't say "Merry Christmas" or invoke God or Bethlehem or an angel when anything spiritual when it comes to actually that day, December 25th, Christmas, otherwise somebody may take offense, it's a double standard, more hypocrisy, more nonsense, and I'm just saying no, we're going to protect the heart of Christmas because Christ is what it's all about."

"Well, there's not a doggone thing that's wrong with saying "Happy Holidays." I'm sorry, I'm confused.  Is she saying that there is NOTHING wrong with saying "Happy Holidays" or is she insisting that the only appropriate greeting is "Merry Christmas?" 

Or is she saying that there should be no rule prohibiting shopkeepers from saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" which of course has never been anything of the sort? Does anybody else's head hurt?

You know if you are going to have an entire book ghostwritten for you on the subject, perhaps you should actually know just what in the hell you are talking about.

Oh right, this is a Sarah Palin book.

My bad.

Top Democrat pisses off Darrell Issa by releasing transcripts which obliterates his conspiracy theory that the IRS "targeting" of Tea Party groups was directed by Washington.

"What somebody told the truth? Why would anybody tell the truth?"

Courtesy of Business Insider: 


Rep. Elijah Cummings, the Democratic ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, released more than 200 pages of interview transcripts Tuesday afternoon after the committee's Chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), refused to do so. 

Cummings is seeking to dispel any notion that targeting of Tea Party groups by the Internal Revenue Service was ordered from Washington. 

Cummings released transcripts with an IRS screening group manager described as a "conservative Republican," who said that the targeting of the Tea Party groups applying for tax-exempt status started with low-level workers in Cincinnati. The witness also said that there was no communication on the targeting with any senior IRS officials or with anyone in Washington or the Obama administration. 

Democrats have posted the key portion of the transcript here, in which the manager says he initially was made aware of a case involving a Tea Party group when an agent "asked for guidance." He agreed with the agent that there "wasn't enough information" to determine whether the group should have a tax-exempt status, and said he elevated the issue to his "area manager." 

The manager also said an official in the exempt organizations division in Washington was "pleased with the decision to elevate this case," but suggested there wasn't a political role in the targeting. 

"I do not believe that the screening of these cases had anything to do other than consistency and identifying issues that needed to have further development," the manager said.

And THAT my friends is the sound of the fat lady singing.

Of course these are facts that Darrell Issa did NOT want the American people to have access to, and in response simply refuses to accept what the transcripts prove and threw himself a little tantrum.  

Issa immediately decried the release of the transcripts, saying he was "deeply disappointed" at Cummings' decision. He said their release would encourage IRS officials to "navigate investigative interviews" with Congress. 

"After unsuccessfully trying to convince the American people that IRS officials in Washington did not play a role in inappropriate scrutiny of Tea Party groups and declaring on national television that the case of IRS targeting was ‘solved’ and Congress should ‘move on,’ this looks like flailing," Issa said. "Americans who think Congress should investigate IRS misconduct should be outraged by Mr. Cummings’ efforts to obstruct needed oversight." 

So to be clear in Darrell Issa's alternate reality withholding fact about an investigation to pimp the lie that the Obama administration did something wrong is perfectly reasonable, but releasing the facts is considered "obstructionism." 

What happens to a witch hunt when suddenly everybody in the village realizes there's no such thing as witches?

Can somebody tell me how this revelation should not result in an impeachment or a recall election to get Issa out of office?

Sarah Palin slams Time Magazine's choice of President Obama as the "Person of the Year," citing their ignorance in twice choosing HER as one of the most influential people.

Click on visage of obvious intelligence to play video.

So of course Fox News was all excited about the possibility of seeing the Benghazi inquiry report released yesterday, and then angered that it did NOT lay any significant blame on top officials in the Obama administration.

So in order to demonstrate how pissed off they were they invited the "Venomous Velociraptor of Vengeance" to attack the President and demonize the findings of the report.

Even though the report essentially vindicated the President, and as Mitt Romney learned to his eternal embarrassment on the debate stage, he did call the attack an act of terror right after it happened, Palin still thinks that his cautious approach indicates a deeper dishonesty:

For the president even to get out there on a national stage and tell Americans untruths about this situation in Benghazi really begs you to ask the question, what else does he say and do that would be deceptive? I believe it's many, many things that he would say and do being deceptive. 

Palin then goes on to accuse the President of lying about Benghazi in order to falsely send the message that HE had destroyed al Qaeda single handedly: 

Well, bottom line is during the campaign in those final days, Barack Obama wanted to keep that false narrative alive that he, Mr. Nobel Peace Prize-winning president of ours -- he pretty much squashed the terrorists' activities, if you will, of some of these Islamic countries that he was able to reach out and kind of stem the tide of that hatred and the violence coming from some of these countries as it pertained to relationships with Americans. And that's not true. 

I mean, they even told Americans that al Qaeda was on the run, and that is not true. Maybe they're on the run, but it's towards America, not away from America. And that played out in Benghazi. 

However perhaps her most outright comical attack on the President is over his selection by Time Magazine as 2012's "Person of the Year":  

But Time magazine, you know, I think there's some irrelevancy there, to tell you the truth. I mean, consider their list of the most influential people in the country and in the world, some who have made that list -- yours truly! That ought to tell you something right there regarding the credence that we should give Time magazine and their list of people. 

Okay, so Time Magazine's selection of Obama is irrelevant, because THEY are irrelevant, for picking the clearly irrelevant Sarah Palin as an influential person twice.

You know maybe I have been  listening to Princess Poisonous Pontification for too many years now, but I think she may have a point.

But worry not, just as soon as I was concerned that I was losing my mind, or Palin was finding hers, she pops off with this:

Oh, I think that those are some silly words chosen to describe Barack Obama. When I first heard that, first thing that popped into my mind was, What the heck has he done? Really, what has he done except drive us over a fiscal cliff, which we are over, and now it's time to feel the thud at the bottom of that cliff. It's just now a matter of degree of how hard we're going to hit bottom. 

But you know, other than that, really, what has he done to unify and make our nation a more perfect union? For the life of me, I don't know, Greta! 

Well of course he has done quite a lot! And obviously done it well enough to earn himself a second term in office where he will have the opportunity to accomplish even more.

And doesn't THAT just burn your wrinkled frostbitten ass Sarah?

Oh and by the way, how goes the negotiations on your contract renewal? I hear not too well. Tsk, tsk, tsk,

(To read the entire transcript just click here.)