Dr. X's Free Associations

So weird that America First isolationism always slides from “none of our business” to actively siding with dictators and despots. https://t.co/xbDv3yy2Sc

— Tim Miller (@Timodc) December 3, 2019

Republican Congressman Cried 'Witch Hunt.' Now He's Pleading Guilty.

AP:

SAN DIEGO (AP) — California Rep. Duncan Hunter said he plans to plead guilty to misusing campaign funds and is prepared to go to jail, a stunning turn of events for the six-term Republican who had steadfastly denied wrongdoing and claimed he was the victim of a political witch hunt.

Film Quickie

We watched Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman twice over the weekend. This film is a Netflix Original with limited release in theaters. A seven-day run in a Los Angeles theater is an eligibility requirement for Academy Award consideration.

The Irishman follows the criminal career of Frank Sheeran, a Philadelphia mob hitman who worked for Jimmy Hoffa. Near the end of his life, Sheeran claimed that he murdered Hoffa. The film is based on Sheeran's account of events.

Joe Pesce as mob boss Russel Bufalino, Robert DeNiro as Sheeran, Al Pacino as Hoffa and Ray Romano as teamster attorney Bill Bufalino, all delivered outstanding performances. I wouldn't be surprised if the film lands a Best Picture nomination along with a Best Director nomination for Scorsese and Best Actor nod for Pacino. At over three hours, it's on the long side, but none of it is superfluous or boring. It has novelistic epic feel about it, and as long as you put yourself in a frame of mind to accept the pacing, the long run-time won't be off-putting. X-ometer: 9.7/10

The more I talk talk to sources, the more i’m hearing America’s betrayal of the Kurds, and the humiliation, “misogynistic” “squashing” of US ambassador in Ukraine for political motivations makes people think, we, Americans, have become the “bad guys.” Hearing it was gut punch.

— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) November 17, 2019

Did Trump and Giuliani Send Indicted Giuliani Client Lev Parnas on Arms for Dirt Mission?

Inquisitir:

Donald Trump has denied knowing Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, the two close associates of his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who were arrested and indicted last month. But Parnas has privately told friends a very different story, saying that he met privately at the White House with Trump and Giuliani last December, according to a CNN exclusive report on Friday evening.

Not only did Parnas and Fruman meet with Trump secretly, but at that meeting, Trump dispatched the pair on what Parnas’ friends called a “James Bond mission” to pressure the Ukraine government into staging an investigation of former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, according to the CNN report.

The Democrats are like the desperate ex girlfriend/boyfriend that you want absolutely nothing to do with!

— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) November 13, 2019

Eric is bad at analogies. Also, his father is the husband who cheats on his third wife while she's at home with his newborn child. That's what he did. Literally.

There is no accountability where there is no truth...

which is why obliterating truth itself is the first order of business for authoritarian despots.

The Hill:

President Trump on Wednesday said his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has a "great relationship with the Kurds" amid concerns of possible ethnic violence against the minority group in northern Syria.

Dumb Defenses

So the GOP defense of Trump is to throw every stupid and debunked argument they can at the wall and hope that any of it sticks to Trump's marks. They needn't worry. A con man's marks will twist and contort themselves into pretzels denying they've been conned.

Of all the dumb defenses pushed yesterday, this one, presented after the hearing, has to be the dumbest. Jim Jordan couldn't even keep a straight face when he put it out there.

So @Jim_Jordan is now saying that @realDonaldTrump was just testing the Ukranians to see if they were corrupt. And...

Good news! They passed!

This may be a whole new level of fuckery. #UkraniumDumb pic.twitter.com/UPGnbrMBt1

— KevinlyFather 🇺🇲🇨🇦🇲🇼🇸🇿 (@KevinlyFather) November 13, 2019

;

Rep. Jordan’s mantra that Amb. Taylor has to be wrong because the aid was in fact released without Zelinski ever making a public announcement is absurd. What happened in-between to release the aid was that Trump was caught red-handed when the whistleblower spoke up!

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) November 13, 2019

Ambassador George Kent:

You can't promote principled anti-corrupt action without pissing off corrupt people.

Ratcliffe used to be a US Attorney so of course he can’t understand why an extortion victim might deny being extorted in front of the extortionist upon whom he still relies

— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) November 13, 2019

Preet is a former US Attorney, SDNY.

A Business Deal

Pretty much this:

 

Trump: "I will give them the money and a WH visit only after the Ukrainian president publicly smears my political opponents on CNN,"

 

Taylor: "So it's a quid pro quo."

 

Trump: "No quid pro quo.  I will pay them if he smears my opponents on CNN."

 

Taylor: "So it's a bribe."

 

Trump: "Not a bribe. If they want the money and the visit, he must smear my opponent on CNN."

 

Taylor: "Extortion?"

 

Trump: "No. It's  business deal. I will only pay him if he smears my political opponent on CNN. It's a business deal-- like buying a car or a home appliance. I'm buying a foreign official to help with my domestic political campaign. It's simple business deal."

 

Roger Stone's Trial

Trump denied in writing and under oath to Mueller any recollection of ever discussing WikiLeaks with Stone or being aware of Stone discussing WikiLeaks with the campaign.

Gates testified he was in the car with Trump when he Trump talked to Stone about it. https://t.co/BEUPfCtyk2

— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) November 12, 2019

Trump's latest hire is a thrice-married, money-grubbing, flock-fleecing, prosperity gospel charlatan. She's a perfect fit for a con artist president. Here she is is in all her crackpot glory.

Donald Trump Is A Black-hearted Liar

False. “Under current policy, an individual may be considered for DACA if he or she has not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, or three or more “non-significant” misdemeanors..or does not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.” -USCIS https://t.co/DsiCkmDLbN

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) November 12, 2019