Bill Taylor: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Heavy  "Bill Taylor, the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and the top diplomat for the United States there, is a career foreign service officer and Vietnam War veteran with experience in the Middle East. Specifically, he’s known now as the chargé d’affaires to Ukraine.

'Taylor, who is married to a religious scholar, is Tipper Gore’s first cousin. You can read more about the latter link here. Taylor’s mother Nancy Aitcheson Taylor and Tipper’s father John Kenneth Aitcheson Jr. were siblings.
"Taylor’s text message to Gordon Sondland, the U.S. Ambassador to the EU and a wealthy GOP donor and hotelier, is now the focal point of controversy over President Donald Trump and Ukraine. “As I said on the phone, I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign,” Taylor wrote to Sondland on September 9, 2019 at 12:47 a.m. You can see the full text exchanges released by the House here.
" 'You can read Taylor’s statement to House lawmakers here. In it, he stated that there was an informal channel of communication with Ukraine that included President Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani. He claimed that Trump linked security assistance for Ukraine to the Ukrainian president’s willingness to publicly state that an investigation would be conducted into Joe Biden’s son Hunter and election interference.
"Sondland responded to Taylor at 5:19:35 a.m. on September 9, 2019, writing, “Bill, I believe you are incorrect about President Trump’s intentions. The President has been crystal clear no quid pro quo’s of any kind. The President is trying to evaluate whether Ukraine is truly going to adopt the transparency and reforms that President Zelensky promised during his campaign I suggest we stop the back and forth by text If you still have concerns I recommend you give Lisa Kenna or S a call to discuss them directly. Thanks.” Sondland is now backing out of a closed-door House meeting; his lawyer says this was at the direction of the State Department." . . .

CNN President Jeff Zucker CONFRONTED by Project Veritas in ATL airport

Project Veritas   "CNN President Jeff Zucker refuses to answer questions on #ExposeCNN when confronted by Project Veritas reporter Eric Spracklen today in the Atlanta airport. No comment on Preisdent Trump’s threat to sue the network for bias and his employees allegations of sexual misconduct by Steve Brusk." . . .

Gabbard’s Campaign Demands Hillary Retract Her ‘Russian Asset' Comments

How's this for a Russian asset?

Beth Baumann  "Lawyers for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s presidential campaign on Monday sent a letter to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton demanding Clinton retract her previous comments suggesting Gabbard is a “Russian asset.” 
"The letter accuses Clinton of defamation, saying she knew her statements about Gabbard were blatantly false, Fox News reported. 
“ 'In making the statement, you knew it was false. Congresswoman Gabbard is not a Russian asset and is not being groomed by Russia,” the letter said. “Besides your statement, no law enforcement or intelligence agencies have claimed, much less presented any evidence, that Congresswoman Gabbard is a Russian asset. This fabricated story is so facially improbable that it is actionable as defamation.”

"Last month, Clinton said Russia was actively grooming one of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, although she didn't come out and directly say Gabbard's name.
“ 'I’m not making any predictions, but I think they’ve got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate. "She’s the favorite of the Russians," Clinton said during an interview on the Campaign HQ podcast. "They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far. And, that’s assuming Jill Stein will give it up, which she might not because she’s also a Russian asset. Yeah, she’s a Russian asset. I mean, totally.”
"When Clinton's spokesperson was asked, point blank, if the statement was about Gabbard, the response inferred it was. “If the nesting doll fits,” the spokesperson said at the time." . . .

Hillary Clinton Asked To Leave Costco After Repeatedly Accusing Sample Lady Of Being A Russian Asset

They fear Roe may be overturned if Trump chooses another Supreme Court Justice. That may be what the current impeachment absurdity is all about. Planned Parenthood performs about 350k abortions a year. It is their bread and butter along with selling the body parts and organs of the aborted fetuses. They are not about to let anything interfere with their gravy train. Patricia McCarthy

Andrew Thomas blogs at Dark Angel Politics

Is impeachment all about the SCOTUS?  "The Democrats continue to embarrass themselves in their effort to remove President Trump from office. Adam Schiff, the face of their crusade, is an incompetent fool who never learned the first rule of holes.  He keeps digging.  He interrogates his chosen witnesses in secret, refuses to let the Republicans ask certain questions;  he orders the witnesses not to answer questions he does not like.   

For the public hearings he is allowing the Republicans no witnesses and ordered them not to even bring up the so-called whistleblower.  To do so would of course implicate Schiff himself and his underhanded, illegal manipulation of the process to jump-start this nonsensical inquiry over a phone call during which there was nothing inappropriate said by President Trump or President Zelensky.  Schiff knows this of course but assumes the rest of us are ignorant boobs incapable of noticing his abject misdirection, lunacy and malignity.  

"It is a safe bet that many of his Democrat colleagues in the House are disgusted by his tactics but are too spineless to object.  If they are not offended by what Schiff is doing, they all need to go for that would mean they all hope to ignore or at least abrogate the Constitution."

Nervous Nancy’s two alternatives  So, barring any major “smoking guns” from here on out (or anything else severely changing the landscape of these impeachment proceedings), Nancy Pelosi will have quite a decision on her hands.  She knows that any impeachment, to have any kind of historical validity, must have . . . broad, bipartisan support.  Here are the Speaker’s choices:" . . .

Donkey Hotey

. . . "With the vote tentatively scheduled to give America a Christmas present it will not soon forget, we will see just how Nervous Nancy chooses to “ring in the holidays.' ”

Hillary Clinton: I’m Facing ‘Enormous Pressure’ to Enter 2020 Race — I Want to ‘Retire’ Trump

Only fools believe anything this woman says.
Breitbart  "On Tuesday, former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton told BBC Radio 5 Live she was under “enormous pressure” to consider a 2020 White House run.

"When asked about her future in politics, Clinton said, “I feel a sense of responsibility partly because you know my name was on the ballot, I got more votes, but ended up losing to the current incumbent in the White House who I think is really undermining our democracy in very fundamental ways. And I want to retire him.”

"When asked if she is absolutely ruling out a 2020 run, Clinton said, “I, as I say never, never, never say never. I will certainly tell you. I’m under enormous pressure from many, many, many people to think about it. But as of this moment, sitting here in this studio talking to you, that is absolutely not in my plans.”

Thomas Lifson: Tulsi Gabbard campaign accuses Hillary Clinton of 'defamation'

. . . "Gabbard has a political future that could last decades, and she knows that the stain of the implication she is a "Russian asset" will never go away.  She is proud of her National Guard service overseas in combat zones.  And honor is a concept that means more in our armed services than in practically any other realm of modern life.  Gabbard's regard for her personal honor may be incomprehensible to many in modern America.

Gabbard and her organization must realize that Hillary Clinton does not handle apologies well.  In fact, I cannot recall a single actual apology from her in the nearly three decades I have followed her.  The closest I can recall is her referring to "shoulda, coulda, woulda" with regard to some mistake she made.  

The language her campaign is using in a letter to Clinton suggests an eye toward proving "actual malice," the legal standard that must be met for a public figure to succeed in a lawsuit.  Foreknowledge of the falseness of a claim along with animus toward the object of defamation must be proven.  Via Fox News:" . . .

Babylon Bee: Hillary Clinton Says She Is Being Urged To Run By Many, Many, Many Voices In Her Head  . . . "'I'm under enormous pressure from many, many, many voices in my head to think about it," she said. She went on, elaborating on all the voices that echo inside her head all day long. "There's Bob---he's nice. And Carl, he's a swell guy, very supportive. Then there's this voice that sounds like Christopher Walken. He's kind of a jerk sometimes, but even he's on board with me running again."
"Pressed for a solid figure, she said there's "at least a few thousand" of these voices that want her to run, and she promised to think about it in order to appease the voices. Clinton also said the voices have told her she's done a great job as president in her first term and they "can't wait" to see how much she can accomplish for the country should she be elected a second time." . . .

Breaking: Supreme Court Allows Sandy Hook Lawsuit To Proceed, Major Blow To Gun Manufacturers

The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled 4-3 in March that Remington can be sued because of the way the AR-15-style Bushmaster rifle was marketed. The families’ lawsuit contends that Remington glorified the gun in advertising aimed at young people, including in violent video games.The Sandy Hook killer, Adam Lanza, was 20 when he shot and killed his mother at home, then went to the Newtown school and gunned down first-graders and educators. Lanza then killed himself.

Young Conservative  "Tuesday, The Supreme Court refused to protect a major firearms manufacturer from possible liability in the horrific Sandy Hook shooting in 2012. The terrible event left 26 students and teachers dead in Newtown, Connecticut.
"The justices’ newly found decision will allow the lawsuit filed by parents of Sandy Hook Elementary victims to move forward with the allegation of Remington Arms Co. marketing the rifle used in the mass shooting.

"The lawsuit will continue at the state law." . . .

After this mass murder I posted the following in the Tunnel Wall:
"Nothing has hit me as hard as the Sandy Hook children's massacre after which I wrote this:"
"Seeking an effective argument FOR gun control (Posted here after the terrible Sandy Hook massacre) " 

The Tunnel Wall; Tuesday, December 18, 2012 Here, two respected writers discuss the case against taking away individual firearms from Americans. Yes, it is true that if guns did not exist everywhere in this nation those little children in Sandy Hook would be living right now and I only wish that were the case. But it is not and there are violent people out there in their thousands and they are armed; willing and lusting to watch innocent people die in bunches by their hands. How, exactly do you gun-control advocates plan to remove those weapons from their blood-thirsty hands?I will honestly look for a reasoned argument FOR gun control that contains effective means for keeping us safe from those who carry weapons illegally and are willing to do us harm. Cartoons showing crazed, wild-eyed gun owners don't wash.As yet, I have seen only politically correct, emotional responses to the issue that have no value other than simply making a politician look as if they are doing something. TD

Later in 2018 I posted this in the Tunnel Wall:

"Let's talk about gun control, shall we? "

After Sandy Hook, I hated guns and my emotions cried for them to all disappear; the image of terrified children being, well, you all know. But we know, too, that peaceful people and shop owners - the Korean store owners during the LA riots protecting their businesses comes to mind - will be the first to lose their protection. Those with children serving as policemen would dread the thought of them entering dangerous areas of cities like Chicago to try taking those guns away.This nation has a myriad of evil people with guns who have no qualms about killing others because of the color of their skin or their clothes, their politics, their shoes, or, well, just because it's a certain day of the week.I cannot help but blame the liberal left (redundant, perhaps) for creating a society  where we need weapons to protect ourselves and knowing now they want to take away that protection.Tell me again why the coach / security guard in the school at Parkland had no gun. The Tunnel Dweller

The Schiff witch trials

"Show me the man and I’ll show you the crime"; "Lavrentiy Beria, the most ruthless and longest-serving secret police chief in Joseph Stalin’s reign of terror in Russia and Eastern Europe, bragged that he could prove criminal conduct on anyone, even the innocent."

Andrew Thomas blogs at Dark Angel Politics

Schiff is running an autocratic, inexplicable "inquiry" reminiscent of Kafka's The Trial.

Schiff is like Scent of a Woman's Trask: mean, without respect for any individual in his way.  He is like the tormentors of Josef K. in Kafka's book; he has no compassion, no concern for due process.  Like Trask the hardened headmaster, Schiff is a truly terrible example of what a member of Congress should be.  He is, as we have come to see, malevolent, on a mission to sabotage the Trump presidency by any means available to him, even if immoral and unconstitutional.  He is the worst sort of human being: a man without a conscience.  The question of the day is, why are the Republicans standing still for this? 

Victor Davis Hanson: Ten Reasons Why Impeachment Is Illegitimate

We are witnessing constitutional government dissipating before our very eyes.

 "There are at least ten reasons why the Democratic impeachment “inquiry” is a euphemism for an ongoing coup attempt.

"1) Impeachment 24/7. The impeachment “inquiry,” supposedly prompted by the president’s Ukrainian call, is simply the most recent in a long series of “coups” that sought to overturn the 2016 election and thus preclude a 2020 reelection bid. The pattern gives away the game." . . .

. . . "All of these efforts reflect a desperate effort both to reverse the 2016 election and to preclude a 2020 reelection effort, and, barring that, to drive down the Trump polls to the point of making him delegitimized. A week after Trump was elected, the Wall Street Journal reported that intelligence agencies were withholding information from their president. “Anonymous,” in a September 5, 2018, New York Times op-ed, bragged of an ongoing “resistance” of high-ranking government officials seeking to stonewall Trump. As soon as Trump was inaugurated, Washington lawyer and former Obama official Rosa Brooks was publicly raising the possibility of a military coup to remove him. Retired admiral William McRaven recently called for Trump to be gone — “the sooner, the better.' ” . . .

Tulsi vs Clinton

GABBARD V. CLINTON, CONTINUED  "Earlier today, a lawyer representing Tulsi Gabbard wrote to Hillary Clinton accusing her of defaming Gabbard by calling her a Russian asset and demanding a retraction:

A letter from the Gabbard campaign’s legal counsel insisted that Gabbard is not a Russian asset, and that Clinton knew the statement was untrue when she said it.

"It is almost impossible for a public official like Tulsi Gabbard to win a defamation case under existing law, but Clinton’s claim was so ridiculous that Tulsi might have a shot." . . .

Confronted with blowback over her deranged accusation, Clinton tried to back off by claiming that she meant Tulsi was a Republican, not a Russian, asset. That wasn’t what she said, of course, and the Gabbard campaign is having none of it: . . .

Emphasis mine in order to show how a "congenital liar" responds to faux pas like this. TD 

‘Go back to California’: Wave of newcomers fuels backlash in Boise

California bashing is a cyclical sport with a long history in the heart of Idaho’s Treasure Valley. Growth spurts have more than doubled Boise’s population since the 1980 census. Four months before federal counters hit the streets here that year, a Washington Post headline crowed, “To Most Idahoans, A Plague of Locusts Is Californians.”

Boise mayoral candidate Wayne Richey.

LA Times  BOISE, Idaho — This city sure knows how to roll up the welcome mat — that is, if you happen to move here from California.
'Just consider last week’s mayoral election. It was the most competitive race in recent memory, a referendum on growth in the rapidly expanding capital of Idaho. And candidate Wayne Richey ran on a very simple platform: Stop the California invasion.
'His basic plan to fulfill that campaign promise? “Trash the place.”
'Richey figured that would be the best way to keep deep-pocketed Golden Staters from moving to his leafy hometown. He blames them for pushing home prices and rents up so high that Boiseans can’t afford to live here on the meager wages most Idaho jobs pay."  . . .

Jesse Watters Accuses Drudge of Being Anti-Trump: ‘That’s What You Log on to CNN.com For’

Mediaite  "Fox News host Jesse Watters went after The Drudge Report editor Matt Drudge arguing his site is turning against President Donald Trump because it has posted negative headlines.

"Watters prefaced the criticism by saying “The Drudge Report is my favorite website … very fair, very aggressive, very bold” before noting it linked to a number of stories that were negative to Trump.

“You know, that’s what you log on to CNN.com for. I don’t know,” Watters said on Watters World. “But it just seems like the website has recently played up Trump gaffes and downplayed his successes.”

"Watters was joined by Fox News media critic Howard Kurtz who said “I have covered Matt Drudge since he was an unknown blogger and at this point in his career he’s primarily interested in clicks and riding the media wave and the media wave you may have noticed Jesse has been largely anti-Trump.”

“ 'There’s just been additional emphasis on some of the negative stories that you would see on other mainstream platforms,” Watters said. “It’s hard to tell whether as you said he’s riding wave for clicks or there’s something personally inside his heart and his mind that has shifted against the president.' ” . . .  Read more

Call for Alito and Kavanaugh Recusal Exposes Glaring Double Standard

Carrie Severino  

"As Newsweek has reported, Aaron Belkin, the executive director of the liberal activist group Take Back the Court, sent a letter last week to Justices Alito and Kavanaugh demanding that they recuse themselves from the three pending Title VII cases before the Court. The reason: They met and posed for a picture with Brian S. Brown, the president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), an organization that has filed an amicus brief in those cases.
"Belkin’s letter makes clear his organization’s belief that anything short of recusal would be unethical and asserts, “The credibility and impartiality of the current Supreme Court is in tatters. Posing for photographs with the president of an advocacy organization that has filed briefs in matters pending before the court makes a mockery of Chief Justice Roberts’ assertion that a judge’s role is to impartially call balls and strikes.”
"Since the letter confines its ire to those two justices, let’s consider whether Belkin himself is calling balls and strikes in reaching the conclusion that those two conservative justices must disqualify themselves.
"First, some context: Brown did indeed meet the two justices. It was as part of a group that took a photo on October 29. Aside from the two justices and Brown, the photo included Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, and an unidentified priest. Brown posted the photo to his personal Twitter account on October 29 under the caption, “Great day at US Supreme Court #SCOTUS with #CardinalMueller, Princess Gloria #ThurnundTaxis with Justices #SamuelAlito and #BrettKavanaugh.” . . .
Full article.

CARRIE SEVERINO is chief counsel and policy director to the Judicial Crisis Network.

Mollie Hemingway Names The Whistleleaker On Fox

This was after the Fox hosts had been told not to use Eric Ciaramella’s name.
Apparently bootlegged by a viewer.

"House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff expressed anger he wasn't told ahead of time about the kill mission in Syria. Trump didn't feel he had any need to inform Schiff of the upcoming raid on the Baghdadi compound. He just figured the Whistleblower would tell him about it."  Comedian Argus Hamilton

There was a video in this spot showing Mollie Hemingway discussing the name of the whistleblower. It was removed by YouTube. Let's see what they do with these videos:

Eric Ciaramella. Would that be a good child name?

His name is... Eric Ciaramella

You didn't hear The Name from me, right?