The testimony from witnesses in the House Democrats' impeachment hearings has come "nowhere close" to laying out impeachable offenses, former Independent Counsel Ken Starr said Thursday.
Appearing on "America's Newsroom" with host Bill Hemmer, Starr said that the witness testimony does not "reach the level of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors."
"My assessment of the evidence [thus] far? Nowhere close. The evidence is conflicting and ambiguous," he told Hemmer.
Starr said that European Union Ambassador Gordon Sondland's testimony Wednesday falls into the same category since Sondland gave conflicting information about whether President Trump sought a quid pro quo with Ukraine involving military aid and an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
"Clearly in his opening statement, a quid pro quo. And then, he says later, 'Well, the president said, 'I don't want anything. Right? President Zelensky should just do the right thing.' [Those are] the words from the president himself," he continued.
"So, the record at the end of the day is likely to be ambiguous at best, conflicting at best ... and you shouldn't charge and you cannot convict a sitting president on the basis of conflicting and ambiguous evidence and destabilize the American government," Starr argued.
I hope Mr. Starr is speaking honestly and not as a partisan. I agree with what he is saying. I am not a partisan. I am not a Republican and I am not a conservative.
I think this entire nonsense is a farce. I believe it is a way to (a) overturn a democratic election and (b) pull off a political assassination. I cannot believe that so many on my side (the left) are cheering on an attempt by the C.I.A. and others to destroy our government.
I did not vote for President Trump. That does not mean I am not appalled to see parts of our government attempting to destroy a sitting president.
There was Russia-gate, there was this, there is that, it never ends. I have called it treason (when referring to the C.I.A., for example). I need to correct that. C.I. said the term is actually "sedition." That is the term for what is going on. There is something going on and I am going to try to get C.I. to talk about it or write about it for THIRD. She brought it up in the roundtable we did last night about the debate and we were all like, "Good point!" It needs to be said and I'm glad she said it within the community but I think it should actually go out beyond it. This is a very dangerous game that some people are playing.
This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" for today:
Thursday, November 21, 2019. The Democratic debate takes place on MSNBC -- of course it's a disaaster.
The Democratic Party's search for a presidential nominee continues in the United States. Last night it led to the gathering on the unholy MSNBC. Trina bailed immediately (see her "I'm out") and who could blame her?
As Mike pointed out, MSNBC exists solely to make FOX NEWS look like a real news network.
The Democratic Party is supposed to be looking for someone who, if elected, can lead the country starting January 2021. So why did manly Rachel Maddow have to start with impeachment?
It really wasn't an issue that should have been raised at all. It had to be because Rachel's a loon who destroyed her own audience with her nutty conspiracies that never panned out.
In 2021, Trump will have already been impeached or he won't have been.
Rachel's need to then ask if they would impeach Donald after he left office was beyond stupid.
No, you dithering idiot, it won't happen. I don't care what anyone tells you, it would not happen.
If Donald Trump doesn't get impeached before he leaves office, it's not happening so stop wasting our time with your jack off fantasies, Rachel Crazy Conspiracy Queen Maddow.
The country is already divided over the possibility of impeachment.
We get a new president in January 2021 and you think the country has time to waste on impeachment of someone no longer in office? Oh go for that, you nutty idiot, and see how low the opinion falls for the new president. Watch the American people be rightly outraged that instead of moving forward (or Moving On -- to note the last organization that sprung up when a president was impeached), the executive branch and the Democratic Party are wasting time on impeaching someone no longer in office.
When you're a grubby little whore like Rachel Maddow who blackmailed her way (citing sexism at MSNBC with a particular focus on Chris Matthews) into her own TV show and now you're raking in millions, you really don't get the pain that most Americans are in. They're not laughing on TV with Joy Reid about how little sleep they'll get and how they'll manage to eat breakfast and shower quickly enough to turn on the TV and watch the latest on impeachment.
Those whines go to how out of touch Rachel is. She's is shameful.
And she's either an idiot or willing to do whatever the network tells her (the make up would suggest she's willing to dance for her corporate masters) because her little manly act last night should have been called out.
If you missed it, Rachel was in charge. Because she's got the most experience? Hell no. Andrea Mitchell has actually reported -- Rachel has never been a reporter -- and has done that for decades before getting her MSNBC talk show. Andrea -- love her, hate her or indifferent to her -- has a history that cannot be denied.
Unless you're nervous about a female panel so you tell Rachel to butch it up and play the man.
Which is exactly what she did over and over, reducing Andrea to 'the little woman.'
It was humiliating to watch. I'm not a fan of Andrea's but even I felt sorry for her. And it was humiliating watch Rachel in Drag King act the man. Shame on her. As an out lesbian, she does have obligations beyond what her corporate masters want.
It's not a minor issue -- especially when you have so few open lesbians in the chatting industry today -- don't ever call what Rachel does "journalism." It's not. She's a talk show host. That's why she opens each show with those never-ending, cutesy and self-bragging monologues.
The candidates. We're moving very quickly today.
US House Rep and Iraq War veteran Tulsi Gabbard held her own on the stage. Tiny Pete tried to shame her for meeting with Bashar al-Assad. Tulsi noted that a president has to meet with friends and foes. Tiny Pete apparently missed this issue in 2008 when Barack Obama, then the candidate, gave similar answers to Tulsi.
Tiny Pete's missed a lot. It's been a sheltered life for him. Not just hiding in the closet for all but two or three years of his life, but hiding from reality.
The Democratic Party's search for a presidential nominee continues in the United States. Last night it led to the gathering on the unholy MSNBC. Trina bailed immediately (see her "I'm out") and who could blame her?
As Mike pointed out, MSNBC exists solely to make FOX NEWS look like a real news network.
The Democratic Party is supposed to be looking for someone who, if elected, can lead the country starting January 2021. So why did manly Rachel Maddow have to start with impeachment?
It really wasn't an issue that should have been raised at all. It had to be because Rachel's a loon who destroyed her own audience with her nutty conspiracies that never panned out.
In 2021, Trump will have already been impeached or he won't have been.
Rachel's need to then ask if they would impeach Donald after he left office was beyond stupid.
No, you dithering idiot, it won't happen. I don't care what anyone tells you, it would not happen.
If Donald Trump doesn't get impeached before he leaves office, it's not happening so stop wasting our time with your jack off fantasies, Rachel Crazy Conspiracy Queen Maddow.
The country is already divided over the possibility of impeachment.
We get a new president in January 2021 and you think the country has time to waste on impeachment of someone no longer in office? Oh go for that, you nutty idiot, and see how low the opinion falls for the new president. Watch the American people be rightly outraged that instead of moving forward (or Moving On -- to note the last organization that sprung up when a president was impeached), the executive branch and the Democratic Party are wasting time on impeaching someone no longer in office.
When you're a grubby little whore like Rachel Maddow who blackmailed her way (citing sexism at MSNBC with a particular focus on Chris Matthews) into her own TV show and now you're raking in millions, you really don't get the pain that most Americans are in. They're not laughing on TV with Joy Reid about how little sleep they'll get and how they'll manage to eat breakfast and shower quickly enough to turn on the TV and watch the latest on impeachment.
Those whines go to how out of touch Rachel is. She's is shameful.
And she's either an idiot or willing to do whatever the network tells her (the make up would suggest she's willing to dance for her corporate masters) because her little manly act last night should have been called out.
If you missed it, Rachel was in charge. Because she's got the most experience? Hell no. Andrea Mitchell has actually reported -- Rachel has never been a reporter -- and has done that for decades before getting her MSNBC talk show. Andrea -- love her, hate her or indifferent to her -- has a history that cannot be denied.
Unless you're nervous about a female panel so you tell Rachel to butch it up and play the man.
Which is exactly what she did over and over, reducing Andrea to 'the little woman.'
It was humiliating to watch. I'm not a fan of Andrea's but even I felt sorry for her. And it was humiliating watch Rachel in Drag King act the man. Shame on her. As an out lesbian, she does have obligations beyond what her corporate masters want.
It's not a minor issue -- especially when you have so few open lesbians in the chatting industry today -- don't ever call what Rachel does "journalism." It's not. She's a talk show host. That's why she opens each show with those never-ending, cutesy and self-bragging monologues.
The candidates. We're moving very quickly today.
US House Rep and Iraq War veteran Tulsi Gabbard held her own on the stage. Tiny Pete tried to shame her for meeting with Bashar al-Assad. Tulsi noted that a president has to meet with friends and foes. Tiny Pete apparently missed this issue in 2008 when Barack Obama, then the candidate, gave similar answers to Tulsi.
Tiny Pete's missed a lot. It's been a sheltered life for him. Not just hiding in the closet for all but two or three years of his life, but hiding from reality.
Tulsi fact checks Mayor Pete on careless statements about our military: "You were asked directly whether you would send our troops to Mexico to fight cartels and your answer was yes. The fact checkers can check this out." - TULSI2020 #TulsiGabbard
Tiny Pete did state he would send soldiers into Mexico.
He has the worst campaign staff (that especially includes Lis) and they tried to put out that Pete was under attack from Tulsi and from Amy and from Kamala.
Those were attacks?
Tiny Pete is not ready for the big stage.
Senator Amy Klobuchar noted that there has been no female president (name your favorite female president, she asked). That's an attack on Pete? No. It's noting how very easy Pete has had it.
I'm sure it was scary to be 30-years-old and a virgin living in the closet (that is the official story right, no one's bringing up the campus bathroom encounters yet, right?). And it probably is scary to worry that you MIGHT be discriminated against if people knew you were gay. Out gays and lesbians and those in the closet who can't pass face real discrimination. That's not the life Pete knew so stop kidding. And likening your safe and soft life to a Civil Rights battle is a joke.
Which was the point Senator Kamala Harris was making.
It wasn't an attack.
If I'd been on the stage, I would have asked, "Tiny Pete, can you explain bottom shaming to the audience and how it has impacted your own self-presentation?"
That would have been an attack.
Elaine covered Kamala's response in "Kamala" and I agree with her.
Pete's lack of foreign policy experience was raised. Tulsi is ready to be president. She's got more than the fact that she's a combat veteran. (Tiny Pete is not a combat veteran.) She met with Bashar al-Asad, for example. I don't think that was a bad thing. When the latest efforts against him started, I was thrilled when Barbara Walters announced she'd be interviewing him. If you've got the ability to go face to face, you do it. That's bravery, that's responsibility, that's what a grown up does.
Tiny Pete has no experience.
The racism that has taken place while he was mayor, racism he supervised, is not going away. And Lis' attacks on Kamala only activated the K-Hive -- Kamala's loyal supporters which keep her in the race.
Tiny Pete is a morsel for a few weeks. The press has propped him and people went easy on him because he's so pathetic.
But now that he's talking about sending US troops into Mexico (Tulsi was right, that's what he said), you're going to see the gloves come off outside the corporate press.
Earlier this week, Bryan Anderson (SACREMNTO BEE) reported:
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg said at a Latino forum in Los Angeles on Sunday that he’d be willing to send U.S. troops into Mexico to combat gang and drug violence.
“There is a scenario where we could have security cooperation,” Buttigieg said.
Even so, he added a caveat: “I’d only order American troops into conflict if American lives were on the line and if it was necessary to meet treaty obligations.”
Yes, he said it. He's not ready to be president.
He doesn't have the foreign policy experience and he doesn't have the life experience. Where are the kids, Pete? You're married now, where are the kids? He lived his life in the closet, in hiding, until two, three years ago. He's still learning how to live. He's not ready to be president of the United States. Wet behind the ears and woefully unaware of real world issues, Tiny Pete's a joke.
Joe Biden remains a joke. Senator Cory Booker offered that Joe must be high to oppose legalizing marijuana. Okay, stoned. We've now got another possible excuse for Joe's inability to speak correctly and his constant dazed appearance.
Dazed and Confused . . . starring Joe Biden.
Eric Lach (THE NEW YORKER) notes:
Biden tried to defend himself. He said that he favored decriminalizing marijuana and releasing people serving time for marijuana-related offenses from prison. Then things took a turn. “I’m part of that Obama coalition,” Biden said. “I come out of the black community, in terms of my support. If you notice, I have more people supporting me in the black community that have announced for me, because they know me, they know who I am. Three former chairs of the Black Caucus, the only African-American woman that has ever been elected to the United States Senate. A whole range of people.”
Here, Booker and Harris jumped in. “That’s not true,” Booker said. The audience broke out in laughter and groans, as Harris added, incredulously, “The other one is here.” Someone in the audience shouted something out about reparations, and the moderators announced that it was time for a commercial break.
"I come out of the Black community"? Oh, my. Remember the scorn Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign received over abuela? Joe's now claiming he came out of the Black community.
Just. FREAKING Amazing.
First @JoeBiden says "I come out of the black community." Then he says "The only african-american woman elected to the Senate supports me"
Causing @KamalaHarris, WHO WAS STANDING RIGHT THERE, to fact check him in real time. #DemocraticDebate
Cory Booker and Kamala Harris when Joe Biden said: "I come out of the black community." #DemDebate
joe biden started naming black people he knows, and forgot to mention kamala harris
Joe Biden: "I come out of the Black community...in terms of my support. The only African-American woman who's ever been elected to the U.S Senate."
Harris: "No, not true. The other one is here."
Biden: "I said the first"
#DemDebate
"I said the first!"
No, Joe, you said "the only."
Joe's now lying so bad, he can't even get five minutes away from one lie without lying about it.
And then there's Hunter.
As Rebecca noted ("joe biden needs to take his family on springer") last night, Hunter Biden is a low life scum. I did say it hear because friends on the Biden campaign had already told me (about six weeks ago) that Hunter was the father. He was denying it publicly but they already knew on the campaign and so did Joe.
Grasp that. He fathers a baby but doesn't want to claim it.
And Joe is letting him get away with that?
Hunter's not a teenager.
He's close to 50 now.
And this is what they choose to do. They antagonize a young woman to try to intimidate her and to deny a child the support the law requires.
I know it's confusing because, besides the hookers, there are so many women that Hunter hooks up with.
To provide the context, when Hunter slept with Lunden Roberts (she's 28 years old), he wasn't married to his current wife. He wasn't married to his ex-wife either. This was after his brother Beau died and Hunter made the moves of his brother's widow. So this was when Hunter was sleeping with his brother's widow who, remember, thought she was the only one in his life.
But, no, Hunter was sleeping with a woman 21 years younger than him. And after she's pregnant, he wants to ignore her. After she gives birth, he lies and says he never slept with her.
That's a 14-year-old boy response.
Not a grown man's response. Hunter turns 50 in February. When is he going to act his age?
\And shame on Joe for Lunden Roberts suffer this entire time. He knew Hunter was lying. He knew that the child was his grandchild. Shame on Joe.
The Bidens bullied her and said she was lying.
They knew better. Six weeks ago, a friend on Joe's campaign asked me if I had any clue how they could walk this back because they knew the truth was coming out before the scheduled December court appearance. I said I don't know how you walk it back. The only thing you can do is get Lunden on stage at some event with Joe holding the baby and declaring how happy he is to have another grandchild.
There's really nothing else you can do.
Hunter has stated she was lying.
Joe could have supported the woman -- Joe and Jill have raked in $15 million since he stopped being vice president. He could have supplied money and ensured that Lunden was not struggling to raise his grandchild. He didn't do that.
Hunter acted like a brat and so did Joe.
They avoided this issue at the debate. Shameful.
A woman was called a liar and forced to go to court. You really think that's how you win votes from women?
About Face had some great commentary during the debates. This is a small selection:
.@TulsiGabbard, you often state that you’re opposed to ‘regime change wars.’ So my question is, do you oppose all the other wars that the United States is currently involved in? #DemDebate
In 2019, the US military met its recruiting goals for the first time in many years by preying on the vulnerability and legitimate worries of poor teenagers: student debt
What say you Warren? #DemDebate
Eric Blanc
About Face: Veterans Against the War Retweeted
Donald Trump can’t be the center of gravity for all questions.
Many in the media irresponsibly set Trump up as a popular candidate, it’s no wonder their sensationalist thirst will do it again. It’s interesting how many candidates have no vision past Trump (Biden).
#DemDebates
$300 Billion: needed to stop the rise of greenhouse gases & buy up to 20 years of time.
$6.4 Trillion: what the US has spent on wars since 2001.
If they’re serious about the climate crisis, then they’d discuss how militarism and climate change intersect. #DemDebate
Klobuchar has been trembling the entire debate. Seriously concerning. Hope she’s okay. #DemDebate
About Face: Veterans Against the War Retweeted
Since we’re talking about money in politics. Ban campaign contributions from corporations. Break the link b/w corporations that benefit from war-mongering & the politicians charged with deciding when we take military action. #DemDebate #DropTheMIC
About Face: Veterans Against the War Retweeted
Warren just defended Trump’s wall, promises only to *maybe* tear down parts ONLY if they are “not useful” (no part of the fucking wall is “useful”). #DemDebate
About Face: Veterans Against the War Retweeted
How is free healthcare & college out of reach and unrealistic but we can sign a blank check for endless wars at a price of trillions of dollars and counting?
It’s time to Boycott, Divest, Sanction. twitter.com/ifnotnoworg/st…
This Tweet is unavailable.
Buttigieg: Either we build SkyNet or China will. #DemDebate
Free Palestine. PERIOD. #DemDebate
US has struck at least 68.2 BILLION worth of deals for firearms, bombs, weapons systems & military training with Saudi Arabia & UAE since the start of their war on Yemen. #YemenCantWait #DropTheMIC
About Face: Veterans Against the War Retweeted
Moderators don’t want to ask Biden about why he supported a trillion dollar unjust war in Iraq?
Bring Troops Home! End the Wars!
#DemDebate #DropTheMIC
About Face: Veterans Against the War Retweeted
The more I see Tom Steyer be given any space over Julian Castro the more I want to tax billionaires into extinction #DemocraticDebate
They’re all talking about fossil fuels but not the largest consumer of it: US MILITARY! #DemDebate
US military is the largest institutional consumer of OIL in the world. #DemDebate #DropTheMIC
The climate movement must be anti-imperialist. #DemDebate #DropTheMIC
Hey @PeteButtigieg to address climate change, shrinking the US war machine is a must. It is a bigger polluter than as many as 140 countries. #DemDebate
Maybe if we just called houses “military bases”, then we could get a roof over everyone’s head. ~800 military bases in more than 70 countries. #DemDebate
“How will you pay for that?” It’s simple answer: by cutting military spending. Why is it not being said?!#DemDebate
Oh god! @TulsiGabbard, waging war on Iraq is nothing to be proud about. It was a crime. Period. #DemDebate
In Iraq, the protests continue. Steve Nabil shows us one reason for this:
While over 20% of Iraqi youth are unable to find a job, young men(sons of politicians, relatives) or body guards are bragging about their gun,cash money, cars and expensive watches on social media.Images like this give you and idea why protesters are angry, their money is stolen.
Steve also reports that the Baghdad based government is not serious about protecting protesters and is instead actively trying to intimidate and harm them.
I listened to a recording of a horrific threatning call which targeted an activist in #Baghdad , the warning was clear to stay away from the protest. The Iraqi government is not honest about stopping the targeting of protesters and activists #Iraq #IraqProtests
The following sites updated:
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Emergence4 hours ago
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That awful EMPIRE4 hours ago
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There are no morals in the Biden family4 hours ago
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Kamala4 hours ago
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Tiny Pete and Crooked Joe are wrong5 hours ago
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The debate5 hours ago
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joe biden needs to take his family on springer10 hours ago
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I'm out10 hours ago
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Wednesday Reads12 hours ago
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