Let me get this straight: Sears has $25 million laying around to pay out executives who ran the company into the ground, but doesn't have any money to give the thousands of workers they laid off severance pay? https://t.co/nA0yXDmyS5
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) December 16, 2018
Month: December 2018
Russia’s disinformation campaign to help Trump
This report for the Senate says Russian operatives sought to help elect Trump in 2016 — AND "worked even harder to support him while in office." https://t.co/0h5QargwNC
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 16, 2018
More on the Trump administration efforts to bypass appeals courts
Here’s a new example of their shady practices.
1/2 Trump, represented by DOJ in the emoluments case, has taken the very unusual step of asking the 4th Circuit to reverse the trial judge’s decision at a very early stage in the case, where an appeal is not usually available. The standard is very high. https://t.co/tJkdo3R1ZS
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) March 19, 2019
They want to go right to the Supreme Court with their two new Trump-appointed conservative justices.
2019 is the year the Supreme Court will make or break Trump https://t.co/i1UujSmPw3 pic.twitter.com/SpPbrg9CAQ
— CNN (@CNN) December 16, 2018
This is a cruel, disgracefully irregular, and legally dubious request that no normal SG would ask SCOTUS to grant. So of course this SG asked anyway. https://t.co/tU2ftg6qET
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) December 15, 2018
Melania Trump is not the first First Lady who has been mocked and criticized
Remember how they talked about Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama?
You had nothing to say when Michelle Obama was called a man, was called an Ape, when she was accused of disrespecting the White House for showing her bare shoulders. I actually agree with you that Melania shouldn’t even be the focus as her husband directs a criminal enterprise. https://t.co/o60t1ISHeV
— Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) December 16, 2018
In case you were wondering (or were not alive in 1990s), the Fox/Kurtz claim that Melania Trump has endured uniquely harsh criticism is, ummm, incorrect.
These two clips while HRC was FLOTUS. The second, by later Atlantic editor, did not mean “Saint Hillary” in a positive way. pic.twitter.com/wZI2wjcFtY
— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) December 16, 2018
If only @HowardKurtz had been alive in the 1990s. https://t.co/zMeN8QccQO
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) December 16, 2018
2/ On Thursday, CNN contributor @katebrower wrote that FLOTUS's answer "proved that she doesn't understand what it means to be first lady…Is her family's legacy the thing that worries her most?…"https://t.co/eQDZ2P0q9v
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 16, 2018
Melania's spox wrote a long column attacking a column by CNN contributor @katebrower. Missing Melania's spox's column is any responsibility for Melania's words or actions. Melani's spox lied about her being birther and lied about Melani's jacket. https://t.co/t1cYeGqV8f
— andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) December 16, 2018
I’ll just drop @ktumulty’s thread here in case @HowardKurtz missed it. https://t.co/lnrf1jj0UD
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) December 16, 2018
50 Twitter accounts to follow for financial news
The ultimate Twitter list to get stock-market news, financial insights — and be smarter with your money. https://t.co/AGQAIDJrkD
— MarketWatch (@MarketWatch) December 16, 2018
Mueller investigation has recovered more money than it has cost
Trump keeps whining and lying about the cost of the Mueller investigation. It has made money for the government through recovery of unpaid taxes.
The Mueller investigation has cost $12.3 million so far. (If you add additional DOJ spending that is related but would have happened anyway, the figure rises to $25 million.) Still, it’s not close to the $40 million price tag that Trump appears to have invented out of thin air.
— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) December 15, 2018
President Trump has often complained about the cost of the Mueller investigation, saying its costs have exceeded $40 million.
According to a new report, that is not the case.https://t.co/IuAmaCpf70
— Axios (@axios) December 15, 2018
6/ Mueller’s team spent $12.3M on the Russia probe since last May. They’ve used another $13M worth of federal assets for the investigation. That’s far less than Trump claimed. This also doesn’t count forfeiture collection, which will add up to several mil+ https://t.co/RJp2dAnZC0
— Katelyn Polantz (@kpolantz) December 15, 2018
The Mueller investigation has cost $25 million so far, but it has lead to monetary estimated gains of up to $48 million for the government through the tax evasion the investigation has revealed.https://t.co/plp4pwIdM7
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 16, 2018
More on Trump calling Cohen a “Rat”
I’ve never heard a public official call someone cooperating with law enforcement a “rat” until Trump did. That is a term criminals use. https://t.co/JgfEDpXUXW
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) December 16, 2018
When a Republican president floats breaking into the DNC w no apparent irony https://t.co/0PQgDlOLHj
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) December 16, 2018
Media should remember not to normalize the President of the United States calling someone who cooperates with law enforcement “a rat.” Language of organized crime debases the office.
— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) December 16, 2018
Sir, in mobster lingo, a ‘rat’ is a witness who tells prosecutors real incriminating info. Perhaps a different word? Searches of lawyer’s offices common enough that DOJ has a procedure for them. Here it yielded evidence of crimes you said he should be jailed for. You should stop. https://t.co/EV1txBYrhz
— Andy McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) December 16, 2018
The tenor and fever-pitch of these tweets are markedly different than they were even a few weeks ago https://t.co/i6DTwj7fxz
— Glenn Thrush (@GlennThrush) December 16, 2018
Executing a legally obtained search warrant is precisely the opposite of breaking into an office. And it’s increasingly clear that the President of the United States committed a series of serious crimes. https://t.co/VUT55hqmgF
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) December 16, 2018
Mob boss Trump calls Cohen a “Rat”
Trump speaks like a gangster instead of a president. That’s because he is a mob boss.
This is from the President of our country, lying about the lawful execution of a search warrant issued by a federal judge. Shame on Republicans who don’t speak up at this moment — for the FBI, the rule of law, and the truth. pic.twitter.com/c5dhQBnmyi
— James Comey (@Comey) December 16, 2018
They didn’t break into his office. They had search warrants authorized by a federal judge – who would need to find probable cause – for his office, home and hotel he was staying at https://t.co/dL0L3ynQkl
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 16, 2018
I know it’s hard when you try and hide behind a lawyer & attorney client privilege & it doesn’t work because two different Judges said very little was privileged because he wasn’t really your lawyer but your fixer. Saw it all the time in Mafia cases, so I get that it’s scary. https://t.co/br4kLZdXWn
— Mimi Rocah (@Mimirocah1) December 16, 2018
FACT-CHECK: Rank & file FBI agents were executing a lawful court order.
Now would be a good time for rule of law Republicans & DOJ leadership to slam this alarming shot at FBI agents and government cooperators. Your deafening silence permits this corrosive narrative to continue. https://t.co/dv2wZwgLZu
— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) December 16, 2018
To recap, the President of the United States is calling someone a rat for cooperating with *the Justice Department he oversees*
When Trumpers harrumph about "show me the attacks on the rule of law," this is a prime example.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) December 16, 2018
Wow. Andy is a strong conservative former Federal prosecutor who Trump himself invoked and retweeted earlier to try to bolster his defense. https://t.co/ri4xEaQ6en
— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) December 16, 2018
Wrote back in August, this president uses lexicon of a gangster. Whatever one thinks of M. Cohen — for @POTUS to call him a “rat” — utterly disgraceful & unconscionable.
And, DOJ doesn’t “break into” attorney offices w/o cause, warrant approved by judge. https://t.co/wahhQ3WDx1
— James A. Gagliano (@JamesAGagliano) December 16, 2018
My former colleague Andy McCarthy, one of the President's most steady and articulate defenders, is starting to take the measure of the man he has so vigorously defended. POTUS's language reflects the mentality of an at risk mob boss, not of a President.There is a reason for that. https://t.co/FXTVqt1Rdf
— Michael R. Bromwich (@mrbromwich) December 16, 2018
Fact check
1. This is obvious but the FBI didn’t “break into” anything. They executed court-approved search warrants.
2. The Mueller investigation was not “illegally started.” Four separate federal judges have upheld Mueller’s appointment and authorities. https://t.co/zLDUe1lWmk
— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) December 16, 2018
I worked mafia cases for years in SDNY, mainly Gambino and Genovese. I usually hesitate to make this comparison but here it is completely warranted. This – calling somebody who provides information to law enforcement a “rat” – is straight up mob boss language. https://t.co/K8w46rVMP5
— Elie Honig (@eliehonig) December 16, 2018
Trump administration plans to roll back water protection rules
Breaking News: Rules that protect U.S. wetlands from pollutants would be significantly weakened under a plan the Trump administration is expected to unveil https://t.co/rZZhNKCWId
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 11, 2018
The EPA is gutting the Clean Water Act by rolling back regulations that protect our waterways from pollution. Access to clean water is a basic human right. That should never be up for negotiation. https://t.co/azTUgwVp9B
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) December 11, 2018
Today the Trump Administration issued a new proposal to significantly weaken protections for wetlands and waterways under the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction.
Trump, Wheeler, and Zinke cooked up this Dirty Water Rule, one of their worst environmental sellouts yet. My statement: pic.twitter.com/wGaa8kPO7H
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) December 11, 2018
The #DirtyWaterRule would allow pollutants to flow into our waterways. Clean water is a right. Our streams & wetlands are not corporate polluter sewers. They belong to the people, who shouldn’t have to fear being poisoned when they drink a glass of water.https://t.co/daxV18P1ih
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) December 11, 2018
The idea that the EPA’s new water rule will be simple to implement is one of several Trump administration narratives that have begun to unravel since the rollback’s announcement. https://t.co/DTQweoOLF1
— The Intercept (@theintercept) December 15, 2018
SCOOP: Trump administration unveil its plan to roll back a major clean water regulation on Tuesday. Here are the key details: https://t.co/gvugHtxy5h
— Coral Davenport (@CoralMDavenport) December 11, 2018
Every American deserves access to clean water. We should be protecting our waterways and leaving our children a sustainable future, not prioritizing profits of polluters.https://t.co/cHLZaidxUB
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) December 8, 2018
Trump’s EPA promotes its clean water rollbacks with an article from outlet backed by GOP megadonor https://t.co/1H9IVmTW7v pic.twitter.com/YKU1ZNFZec
— Climate Progress (@climateprogress) December 15, 2018
An expected overhaul of the Clean Water Rule, including protections for streams, would be “an unprecedented rollback of Clean Water Act protections,” said Jan Goldman-Carter, NWF senior director of wetlands & water resources. https://t.co/4jUZd8uodp pic.twitter.com/bY6yVCSAim
— National Wildlife Federation (@NWF) December 10, 2018
The Trump administration apparently wants to take clean-water laws back to the 1980s https://t.co/DYyxmBJOVK
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) December 12, 2018
"No offense but having clean water isn't a priority right now"
America folks. And like I have been screaming its not just a Flint thing. https://t.co/HkzK5dUVHW— Mari Copeny (@LittleMissFlint) December 15, 2018
LA Times: EPA’s own data shows an immense amount of Calif fresh water would lose federal protection under Trump plan.
EPA: Ignore that data.
LA Times: OK. So how much would remain protected?
EPA: Hard to say. https://t.co/Llz6SkyMyM
— Evan Halper (@evanhalper) December 11, 2018
Obamacare is more popular than Trump or his tax cut
Obamacare has become more popular since people now appreciate features such as protection for people with pre-existing conditions. Republicans are going against the public when they try to destroy it. They also have no replacement plan. Sad!
The latest GOP assault on Obamacare might boost its popularity even more
ICYMI
KFF Health Tracking Poll: 53% favorable / 40% unfavorable rating for Obamacare; many of its provisions continue to be quite popular (@KaiserFamFound) details: https://t.co/HDKvuWWYxl pic.twitter.com/PW8Lb5bM1M— OpinionToday.com (@OpinionToday) December 15, 2018
Actually, Obamacare approval rating is higher than your approval rating.https://t.co/PqDeFJXLKg
— Sally Deal (@SallyDeal4) December 15, 2018
This one won't be a winner for you once people start losing health care with no replacement from Trump. You have convinced your voters that only poor black people benefit from Obamacare.
Fox News poll: Voters like Obamacare more than GOP tax cuts.https://t.co/eXs3MIfaUe
— Danny (@danzu72) December 15, 2018
Sad! 