The India-Pakistan relationship is facing the most serious escalation in decades. Here’s how it got to this point. https://t.co/EFv8zcHZ21

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 26, 2019

I have grown up and gone to school with both Indian and Pakistani acquaintances and a few are friends.  This conflict has been simmering since Partition in '47, particularly as it relates to Kashmir with the elaborate military parades, bordering on spectacle on the border. 

Even in the U.S., that conflict has spilled over in bizarre ways. I remember a few of the Independence parades that happened in NYC and one, in particular where a conflict in scheduling damn near led to a collision on the parade route between some Indian parade-goers with some Pakistani parade-goers.

People are so focused on Iran and to some extent, North Korea and their nuclear arsenal while ignoring the fact that India and Pakistan hold nuclear weapons with very little effort to get either country to scale down their nuclear arsenal.

Also, Trump, in his scattershot "policy" (if you can call it a policy) toward India and Pakistan(which Trump/W.H. treats with borderline contempt) has made the conflict even worse, imo.

 

In other news,

"This is one of 11 checks [Michael Cohen] says he received to pay him back for those hush-money payments that he doled out. He has admitted that those were campaign finance violations." -- @PaulaReidCBS pic.twitter.com/v1PqFAwY8p

— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) February 27, 2019

 

Michael Cohen's opening statement is like "Whoa!"

Edited February 27, 20196 yr by DramatistDreamer

 

 

BREAKING: Political operative in disputed North Carolina congressional race charged with obstruction, illegal ballot possession. https://t.co/rxbXDGg05q

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 27, 2019

Now that, and not Cohen's testimony, is news!

#BREAKING: Florida State Bar opens investigation into Matt Gaetz over threat to Michael Cohen https://t.co/Ii6nqd0iN1 pic.twitter.com/lgZ1gQYHQk

— The Hill (@thehill) February 27, 2019

The Cohen testimony is a barn burner so far, but I can't keep up with posting on it. It's going very poorly for the GOP.

My feelings on AOC are still very very mixed, but she's fùcked up a lot less lately than some other people (hi Ilhan Omar) and this was a very smart use of her time today vs. what I feared she might do, i.e. stunt for online retweets:

 

 

This is stellar. Notice how @AOC asks who else can verify every statement Cohen makes, and where corroborating evidence can be found. This is how you build a case and make it stick. This is a shining example of a politician actually doing their job, and doing it well. https://t.co/yMlqBfLfJQ

— Morten the Northman (@mor10) February 27, 2019

LMAO: 

 

 

Another sign that Kim's going to get to keep all his nukes. https://t.co/xqmUsmimQ7

— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) February 27, 2019

The panel on MSNBC just said @marceline's magic word about today's Cohen revelations: This will end with a RICO charge.

"You don't know him. I do."

WATCH: Michael Cohen explains why he's afraid for his family's safety. https://t.co/TBESxp66tz pic.twitter.com/x93MR8D2Qu

— The Hill (@thehill) February 28, 2019

Democratic Congresswoman @RashidaTlaib criticized Republican Mark Meadows during the Cohen hearing, after the congressman presented a black woman who worked for Trump while defending the president against accusations of racism https://t.co/8a7EfedemC pic.twitter.com/voQQC278XP

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) February 28, 2019

Cohen: ‘Mr. Trump knew of and directed the Trump Moscow negotiations throughout the campaign and lied about it. He lied about it because he never expected to win the election. He also lied about it because he stood to make hundreds of millions of dollars.' pic.twitter.com/7GskUZy5GT

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 28, 2019

Cohen says the expectation at the Trump organization was to lie for Trump. See the highlights of his testimony to Congress on @ReutersTV playlist: https://t.co/8a7EfedemC pic.twitter.com/KzvasFulM3

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) February 28, 2019

🚨 @CongressmanRaja "Is there any other wrongdoing or illegal act regarding Donald Trump we haven't discussed today?"

COHEN: "Yes... and those are part of the investigation being looked at by the Southern District of New York."🚨 pic.twitter.com/Ckck27CSQH

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2019

COHEN: "There are ongoing investigations currently being conducted that have nothing to do with this committee or Congress that I am assisting in." 👀 pic.twitter.com/W7gg564CM7

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2019

Under questioning from @RepKatieHill, Cohen says that Trump called him to coordinate messaging about the hush payment to Stormy Daniels in February 2018 -- two months before Trump denied knowing anything about it. pic.twitter.com/QhXRs0LPxV

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2019

Cohen says that he secretly recorded Trump talking about the Karen McDougal payment during the campaign because he knew that Trump wouldn't pay David Pecker back and he wanted to have receipts. pic.twitter.com/Q01gl4GdHZ

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2019

.@RepSpeier: How many times did Mr. Trump ask you to threaten an individual or entity on his behalf?

COHEN: Quite a few times.

SPEIER: 50 times?

C: More.

S: 100 times?

C: More.

S: 200 times.

C: More.

S: 500 times?

C: Probably. Over the 10 years. pic.twitter.com/4Zg8wYgtgg

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2019

Cohen says that the Trump Organization decided to reimburse him for the Daniels payment over the course of a year instead of in one shot because they wanted to "make it look like a retainer." pic.twitter.com/T2hsGwoYBL

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2019

Cohen says his previous lies to Congress weren't at Trump's direction, but were made to "stay on [the] party line."

"I knew what he wanted me to do." pic.twitter.com/AsoT279sHJ

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2019

Rep. Lawrence on Trump's tweets encouraging scrutiny on Cohen's family that resulted in his testimony being delayed: "I want to be clear -- any efforts to prevent a witness from testifying in front of Congress is against the law... it's a textbook mob tactic." pic.twitter.com/9EEiKaYAo5

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2019

.@StaceyPlaskett rebukes Republicans who keep whining that Congress isn't doing more important things than getting to the bottom of the president's crimes: "Thank God the Democratic majority can walk and chew gum at the same time." 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/YrceEm3yIw

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2019

.@AOC uses her questioning time to ask follow-ups highlighting some figures in Trumpworld who could help answer questions raised by Cohen's testimony -- David Pecker and Allen Weisselberg among them pic.twitter.com/EPucIdcbPD

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2019

COHEN closes with this disconcerting thought: "Given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, that there will never be a peaceful transition of power." pic.twitter.com/nm0EvAxAck

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2019

CUMMINGS ends it with this: "When we're dancing w/the angels the question will be asked, 'in 2019 what did we do to make sure we kept our democracy? Did we stand on the sidelines and say nothing?'... we have got to get back to normal. And with that, this meeting is adjourned." pic.twitter.com/TgDQlqgLvG

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 27, 2019

That's just a small fraction of today's hearing.

 

The Cohen hearing was the start of a reconstruction of the American republic: https://t.co/6542dqKTtW pic.twitter.com/NRJaqm0iHP

— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) February 28, 2019

Meanwhile:

 

 

New cover of Rolling Stone pic.twitter.com/tdzPnbxeUr

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) February 27, 2019

Michael Cohen: "I fear that if [Trump] loses the [2020 election], that there will never be a peaceful transition of power."

 

Two thoughts:

 

1) Duh.

 

2) Am I supposed to be scared about that?  Because, I'm not.

Just now, Khan said:

 2) Am I supposed to be scared about that?  Because, I'm not.

 

I am, but then I'm scared of whatever Trump does...

 

Speaking of Mark Meadows:

 

https://www.mediaite.com/online/watch-outraged-non-racist-mark-meadows-once-told-crowd-were-going-to-send-obama-home-to-kenya/

 

You hear all the time about "thoughtful conservatives," but their current face is about as vile as you can get, between this pig and the other media darling, "Gym" Jordan.

Meanwhile, in my home state of Oklahoma...

 

https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-senate-to-vote-on-constitutional-carry-bill/26556161

 

I never thought I'd see the day when I would be afraid to leave my house.  Because, no matter how you slice it, this bill now gives idiot Okies the license to kill.

 

(For the love of God, will someone please get me out of here?)

Edited February 28, 20196 yr by Khan

Trump is leaving Hanoi early, but not before totally caving to Kim on denuclearization.

 

 

When a reporter asked Kim about human rights atrocities in his country, Trump instead took the question and said everything was under discussion.

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) February 28, 2019

#breaking The White House says NO joint agreement was reached between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump & Kim leave the summit empty handed. No deal. As one source told me, it's "a big mess" in Hanoi -- and in Washington. pic.twitter.com/E2QsJFIcFf

— Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) February 28, 2019

Trump on failure to reach deal at Hanoi Summit: “sometimes you have to walk.”

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 28, 2019

The WH didn't need to put out the original signing ceremony on the official schedule last night. Doing so implied it was a given.

The question is what changed between then and now?

— Allie Malloy (@AlliemalCNN) February 28, 2019

 

“Truthfully, it is tough to ignore some of the gross immoral behavior by the president,” said one senior House Republican who requested anonymity to speak frankly. “The reason there was no defense is because there is no defense.” https://t.co/z1hivpinvn

— Matea Gold (@mateagold) February 28, 2019

Meanwhile:

He was deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee until last year. https://t.co/XutNAJldd4

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) February 28, 2019

This is THE most embarrassing, absurd display on race. Ms. Patton, an unsworn witness, elevated from event planner to HUD official, stands as a "validator" for Donald Trump behind a white conservative who explains why the President could not be racist. This is ABSOLUTE madness. https://t.co/IJfFj8Uisn

— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) February 27, 2019

Rep. Lawrence responds to Rep. Meadows bringing Lynne Patton, a black HUD official and Trump aide, to refute Michael Cohen's claim that the president is a "racist":

"To prop up one member of our entire race of black people ... is totally insulting." https://t.co/evNwYrBTWU pic.twitter.com/4Za55VzWek

— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 28, 2019

It was noted upthread, but Meadows began weeping when Rashida Tlaib pushed this point further and called it racist and it became a considerable altercation. This from a man who a few years ago told voters he would "send Obama back to Kenya or wherever" and has had questionable views on Brown v. Board of Education. Time and again, the last refuge of white folks being called racist is indignant tears.

If Trump is supposed to be such a brilliant businessman, why do so many deals die with him in charge?

Edited February 28, 20196 yr by Khan

12 hours ago, DRW50 said:

 

I am, but then I'm scared of whatever Trump does...

 

Speaking of Mark Meadows:

 

https://www.mediaite.com/online/watch-outraged-non-racist-mark-meadows-once-told-crowd-were-going-to-send-obama-home-to-kenya/

 

You hear all the time about "thoughtful conservatives," but their current face is about as vile as you can get, between this pig and the other media darling, "Gym" Jordan.

As long as he has the codes to the nukes so am I.

Finally.

 

 

 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-indicted-bribe-fraud-charges-n977571?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma