THIS IS HUGE

Trump tries to tamp down the whistleblower story, saying it's all a big nothing. He would NEVER say anything "inappropriate" to another foreign leader (don't laugh). Meanwhile his DOJ and administration are doing everything possible to keep the report from coming out. What does that tell you?

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/he-speaks
"Virtually anytime I speak on the phone to a foreign leader, I understand that there may be many people listening from various U.S. agencies, not to mention those from the other country itself. No problem! ...Knowing all of this, is anybody dumb enough to believe that I would say something inappropriate with a foreign leader while on such a potentially 'heavily populated' call. I would only do what is right anyway, and only do good for the USA!"

At the risk of stating the obvious, this is perhaps more revealing than the President intended. The President has repeatedly sought to communicate with foreign leaders out of earshot of other US officials. . . . He speaks here more in the manner of someone who’s given a lot of thought to when he can say certain things and when he cannot than someone who has nothing to hide. . . . The President is a notorious user of his personal cell phone. We also don’t know just how much the President has already restricted who can listen to his calls. 

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/why-trumps-response-the-intel-whistleblower-scandal-falls-short
Trump’s assertion that he’s far too clever to say “something inappropriate” to foreign officials might be easier to believe if there weren’t already examples of him saying inappropriate things to foreign officials. . . . [read on]

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-inappropriate-things_n_5d83b056e4b0849d4725876f
Twitter Users Roast Trump For Tweeting He Would Never Say ‘Inappropriate’ Things 

More: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/dni-whistleblower-tip-about-trump-phone-call-alarms-former-intel-officials
Asha Rangappa, a former FBI agent and CNN analyst, wrote on Twitter that the U.S. system is “not designed to address, expose, or neutralize a national security threat” when the president himself is the threat. 

It's all going to come out . . .

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/19/1886579/-Whistleblower-complaint-involved-a-series-of-actions-by-Trump
Whistleblower complaint involved a 'series of actions' by Trump

https://www.axios.com/trump-ukraine-wapo-promise-whistleblower-3117ca96-706e-4d8c-bff8-6d973551f167.html
Trump "promise" reported by whistleblower involves Ukraine 

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/trying-to-fill-in-the-gaps-in-the-dni-whistleblower-scandal
The most interesting phone call during the time period in question may be a July 25 conversation that Trump held with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which the White House does not appear to have acknowledged at the time. . . . [read on]

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-whistleblower-ukraine_n_5d841a1de4b070d468c9e2a3
“A growing public record indicates that, for nearly two years, the President and his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, appear to have acted outside legitimate law enforcement and diplomatic channels to coerce the Ukrainian government into pursuing two politically-motivated investigations under the guise of anti-corruption activity” . . .

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/19/1886645/-Trump-has-been-extorting-U-S-ally-Ukraine-and-we-ve-known-it-for-months
Trump has been extorting U.S. ally Ukraine

More: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/19/1886646/-Rudy-Giuliani-lost-his-mind-on-CNN-and-admitted-he-was-a-co-conspirator-in-Ukraine-deal 
Rudy Giuliani lost his mind on CNN and admitted he was a co-conspirator in Ukraine deal 

[NB: I used to say here, at least we still have courts. Where are they now?]

A very suggestive time line of events

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/potential-timeline-of-events

More: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/19/1886515/-Watchdog-report-still-a-mystery-Intelligence-inspector-general-refuses-to-provide-details-to-House
A former CIA officer told NBC News that filing a report of this sort is like riding a horse over a cliff with banners flying, “You can only do it once, you are finished however it turns out. So it had better be worth it. I suspect it is.”

A full-court press

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/new-docs-intel-ig-complained-that-doj-dni-blocked-help-to-trump-whistleblower
Intel IG Complained That DOJ, DNI Blocked Help To Trump Whistleblower 

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/19/1886554/-Watchdog-report-exploding-into-constitutional-crisis-as-White-House-and-DNI-move-to-block-access
Watchdog report exploding into constitutional crisis as White House and DNI move to block access 

https://politicalwire.com/2019/09/19/quote-of-the-day-2352/ 
“The acting DNI broke the law when he decided to basically intercept the Inspector General’s report… There’s nothing in the statute that gives the DNI the authority to do what he did. And the American people should be worried about that.”
          — Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) 

The role of Bill Barr and the DOJ

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/19/1886538/-William-Barr-s-Department-of-Justice-put-the-muzzle-on-the-whistleblower-complaint
William Barr's Department of Justice put the muzzle on the whistleblower complaint

https://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2019/09/what-did-he-promise-and-to-whom.html
Bill Barr runs the Justice Department. He protects Donald Trump. Period. So the DOJ’s role here is little mystery. . . . Those who believe in maximal presidential power think the President’s authority is basically unconstrained dealing with foreign leaders. Bill Barr is one of those people. And he also wants to protect Trump from the rule of law. 

Trump WANTS a weak National Security Advisor

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/19/robert-obrien-national-security-adviser-trump-228146

The White House Trump always wanted

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/19/trump-presidency-aides-white-house-1502041
An unshackled Trump finally gets the presidency he always wanted . . . No longer hemmed in by aides, Trump has bent the presidency into the mold of the Trump Organization. . . . 

I agree with Mike Pompeo! 

https://crooksandliars.com/2019/09/you-wont-believe-what-mike-pompeo-said

Speaking to reporters Wednesday off-camera while en route to Saudi Arabia, Mike Pompeo offered up some advice to reporters: When reporting, make sure you label those who regularly lie as liars . . . 

This could be a MUCH longer list

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/09/will-gop-split-trump-over-foreign-policy/598438/  
Imagine If Obama Had Done This . . .

Trump seizes public land to build his Wall™

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/interior-department-500-acres-public-land-border-wall

More: https://politicalwire.com/2019/09/19/trump-mulls-diverting-billions-more-for-border-wall/ 
“Senior Trump administration officials are considering a plan to again divert billions of dollars in military funding to pay for border barrier construction next year, a way to circumvent congressional opposition to putting more taxpayer money toward the president’s signature project . . . The president has pledged to complete nearly 500 miles of new barrier by the 2020 election . . . But that construction goal will require a total of $18.4 billion in funding through 2020, far more than the administration has publicly disclosed.”

Trump blurts out secret information about technology hidden in the Wall™ -- a general tells him to STFU, and Twitter has a field day

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-border-wall-technology_n_5d83615de4b0849d47244b98

They're not the only ones

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/19/tillerson-netanyahu-israelis-played-trump-1503432
Tillerson: Netanyahu, Israelis 'played' Trump

In investigation news . . .

Trump sues the Manhattan DA to protect his tax returns

https://www.axios.com/trump-tax-returns-lawsuit-manhattan-district-attorney-e96603c3-d7d3-4a8c-aeda-6a228725de69.html

Here we go

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-lawsuit-cy-vance-mazars-subpoena
Trump’s Attorneys Now Arguing That No Prosecutor Can Investigate A Sitting President

More: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/19/1886570/-Donald-Trump-s-attorneys-file-suit-against-New-York-claiming-he-immune-to-criminal-investigation

[NB: Literally, they are saying the President is above the law.]

In other news . . . 

Brett Kavanaugh is just another Trump success story

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/19/1886498/-New-York-Times-reporters-reveal-Brett-Kavanaugh-asked-them-to-lie-in-upcoming-book  
New York Times reporters reveal Brett Kavanaugh asked them to lie in upcoming book

[NB: What a legacy!]

Dr. Magoo

https://politicalwire.com/2019/09/19/carson-made-dismissive-transgender-comments/ 
Carson Made Dismissive Transgender Comments 

It seems that the nickname "Moscow Mitch" has finally gotten to McConnell

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/19/1886529/-Moscow-Mitch-capitulates-supports-election-security-spending-amendment
Moscow Mitch capitulates, supports election security spending amendment

On the other hand

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/19/20873985/bipartisan-immigration-green-card-bill-senate
A rare bipartisan agreement on immigration reform has tanked in the Senate

https://www.vox.com/2019/9/19/20856948/house-democrats-prescription-drug-prices
House Democrats just introduced an ambitious plan to take on prescription drug prices 

Trump certainly doesn't care about environmental action, but wants to use the EPA to punish San Francisco

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/09/trump-san-francisco-california-homelessness-polluting-ocean-epa-action.html

More: https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2019/09/19/trumps-war-with-california-moves-to-new-level-1201152
Trump’s war with California moves to new level 

The latest grotesque vetting failure in Trump's White House. Who's in charge here?

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/fema-debacle-becomes-latest-vetting-failure-team-trump

Quite an achievement

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/18/1886345/-Trump-s-come-up-with-judicial-nominee-so-bad-even-Republicans-hate-him
Trump’s come up with a judicial nominee so bad even Republicans hate him 

It's becoming a recurring feature here: "Dear Leader"

https://crooksandliars.com/2019/09/fox-and-friends-finds-new-and-embarrassing
Fox And Friends Finds New And Embarrassing Ways To Praise Trump

Elizabeth Warren's smart selfie politics

https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/9/19/20872718/elizabeth-warren-2020-selfie-line

https://www.forbes.com/sites/averyblank/2019/09/12/why-elizabeth-warrens-love-of-selfies-will-help-her-win/#7a5c3f666cf4

Bernie has a million donors

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/19/bernie-sanders-1-million-donors-1504970

Kamala Harris tries to make a big breakthrough in Iowa

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2019/09/19/kamala-harris-puts-all-her-chips-on-iowa/

Pete Buttigieg's alternative to Medicare for All

https://www.vox.com/2019/9/19/20872881/pete-buttigieg-2020-medicare-for-all
He aims to achieve universal coverage through the introduction of a public option and more subsidies for private insurance, building off the existing system instead of razing it to the ground as a single-payer plan would. Buttigieg is emphasizing choice — thus “Medicare for all who want it,” his spin on Sanders’s “Medicare for all” slogan — in laying out an agenda that allows employer-sponsored and individual private insurance to remain but gives all Americans the option of joining a government health program.

Bonus item: Missing "Better Call Saul"? This will tide you over

https://crooksandliars.com/2019/09/deep-fake-better-call-trump-explains-money

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