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WASHINGTON With President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans threatening to go after the people who leaked classified material about Trumps ties to Russia, Democrats are asking the Justice Department to investigate the potential intimidation of whistleblowers and they want Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself.

In a particularly stern letter, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee asked DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz to look into whether the Trump administration has engaged in any improper effort to intimidate or threaten whistleblowers. Democrats also asked the inspector general to determine whether Sessions should sit out that sort of investigation, considering his personal ties to former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who was also involved with the Trump campaign.

Trump campaign aides had contact with Russian intelligence officials during the election and Trump has long-standing ties to Russia,The New York Times revealed this week. Intelligence agencies also concluded that Russian officials tried to influence the U.S. election.

Given the significance and magnitude of these developments, we believe it is appropriate that your office in conjunction with other Offices of Inspectors General, if necessary conduct an investigation, Democrats wrote to Horowitz, who has served as the DOJ inspector general since early 2012.

Outraged that whistleblowers are turning over classified information to the news media, Trumptargeted leakers on Thursday in one of his classic early morning Twitter rants, saying that leaks have been a big problem in Washington for years and that low-life leakers will be caught.

Later that afternoon, in a confrontational and at times, unhinged press conference, Trump went after whistleblowersagain, saying they were left over from the Obama administration.

The two lead authors of the Democrats letter, ranking Judiciary Committee member John Conyers (D-Mich.) and member Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), noted Trumpsangry and unhinged threats and attacks on the law enforcement and intelligence communities, only adding to our concerns about the conflicts with Attorney General Sessions.

We therefore believe it is more important than ever that the Inspector General conduct this requested review, they continued.

Sessions has a number of potential conflicts of interest in investigating the Trump administrations threats against whistleblowers, as The Huffington Post noted this week:

Sessions relationship with the Trump campaign is especially relevant because Flynns contacts with Russian envoys reportedly began before the election. Sessions was the first senator to endorse Trump. White House chief strategist Steve Bannon described Sessions as the clearinghouse for policy and philosophy in the Trump administration, and the fiercest, most dedicated, and most loyal promoter in Congress of Trumps agenda during the election. Sessions regularly appeared with Trump on the campaign trail, and the Alabama senator formally nominated Trump at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July. One of Sessions former aides became a senior adviser in the Trump White House.

Its unclear whether the Justice Department would actually look into the potential intimidation of whistleblowers, especially with Sessions presiding over the department. But Democrats appeal to the inspector general appears to be a way to get around the attorney general and receive an answer from an Obama-appointed official.

Read Democrats full letter below.

Continued here:
Democrats Want An Investigation Into Donald Trump's Whistleblower Threats - Huffington Post

MyDemocratic Party believes there is man-made climate change.

MyDemocratic Partybelieves in science.

My Democratic Party believes in protecting the environment.

On February 17, 2017 two Democratic United States Senators voted for a man who is a climate denier, a science denier and a destroyer of the environment to head The Environmental Protection Agency.

For that alone, Joe Manchin and Heidi Heitkamp must be "primaried" in 2018 and we should start finding qualified, principled, Progressive candidates in their states today who can take them on and represent true Democratic values in Congress.

I don't care that West Virginia is a coal state and it is a specious argument for Joe Manchin to say that he didn't want to offend his coal industry folks. Bernie Sanders, a hater of coal and a huge advocate for tough and immediate action to fight man-made climate change and a huge advocate for massive environmental protection won the Democratic Primary by 15.6 points and might even have won the entire state in the General.

And I don't care that Donald Trump won North Dakota byalmost 36 points. Those people didn't, and many of them wouldn't vote for Scott Pruitt and Heidi Heitkamp shouldn't have either

One of our greatest Democratic Presidents, Franklin D. Roosevelt, famously said that "The only thing to fear is fear itself". It's about time for Democrats to grow up, toughen up and stop being afraid of Republicans or Donald Trump . . .

And to remember that Franklin D. Roosevelt won 4 consecutive national elections . . .because he was fearless, he was principled and he was gutsy. ("Don't want to confirm my New Deal policies, Supreme Court? Ok then. I'll add 6 more Justices and we'll get those policies through!")

FDR and Bernie generated tremendous loyalty and support because they didn't emasculate themselves to the tyranny of polls and pollsters - they led and lead through the courage and integrity of their conviction. Do this, Democrats, and the Democrats, Independents and even some Republicans will come out of the woodwork for you.

There is no excuse for any Democrat to vote for a climate denier to head The Environmental Protection Agency and if The Democratic Party is ever going to find its soul and excite the country it must find its integrity first.

Donald Trump won West Virginia, North Dakota and many other states because he inspired voters who had never voted before to come out, register and vote for him. A new, fresh, courageous Democrat with conviction . . . a real Democrat . . . in these states and others, can light a fire with those who are dismayed that their Senators would vote against fighting the existential threat of climate change, against science and against their and their children and grandchildren's environment.

Who will those new, fresh courageous Democrats be? On behalf of your party, your states and our country, file your papers and begin your run against these old style politicians and Democrats, today!

(And I will dedicate an entire article to each of the first3 qualified candidates who post a copy of their filing papers in West Virginia and in North Dakota in the comment section, below!)

Update: Ive received a number of comments here and elsewhere about how Manchin and Heitkamp know their fossil fuel states, how they are the best we can hope for in those states and that we need them to try to re-take the majority and that they are there for us on the important votes.

Totally understand all of that but I wrote the article for two reasons:

1. We need Senators Manchin and Heitkamp to be with us next month when the Senate votes on the confirmation of an anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-environment, anti-civil and voting rights, anti-gun safety and pro-money in politics 48 year old Supreme Court pick who can serve on the Court, voting that way, for 30 or even 40 years, 10 times the tenure of a President. If Manchin and Heitkamp are catering to their states on Trump picks that Democrats CANT filibuster in order to buy some leeway on filibustering Neil Gorsuch next month then I will thank them, take this article down and even donate money to their upcoming campaigns. But I doubt this is the case.

2. Even more importantly, I wrote the article to add to the conversation (just before the vote for DNC Chair) about the heart and soul and future of The Democratic Party. I firmly believe that we either stand up to climate denial and environmental abuse, the denial of womens rights, homophobia, allowing guns into the hands of dangerous people, voting rights abuses and big money in politics . . . and to Donald Trump . . . or we dont have a brand or a party worth voting for. And, I firmly believe that if we do stand up to these things, and for their opposites, that we can be a great, exciting and compelling party and capture the hearts and energies of The American People. The Democratic Party, overwhelmingly, represents the policies and wishes of the majority of this country. We just need to have the guts to stand up for them and we WILL be The Majority Party in The United States for a long, long time!

Go here to read the rest:
It's Time to Primary Joe Manchin and Heidi Heitkamp and For Democrats To Have Guts - Huffington Post

Michael F. Brown Power Suits 17 February 2017

David Friedman, Donald Trumps pick for US ambassador for Israel, has raised millions of dollars for Israeli settlements.

David Friedman faced a few sharp questions Thursday as a US Senate committee considered his nomination for the post of ambassador to Israel.

This was to be expected: Friedman had previously described supporters of the liberal Zionist group J Street as far worse than kapos Jews who turned in their fellow Jews in the Nazi death camps.

Some senators were bound to ask him about such intemperate comments and it was not surprising that Friedman repeatedly expressed regret for his undiplomatic language. But it was equally predictable that senators would avoid pressing Friedman on aspects of his background curtailing Palestinian rights.

Friedman has a home in Talbiyeh, a West Jerusalem neighborhood that was ethnically cleansed by Zionist forces in 1948.

No senator asked Friedman whether he lives in a home owned by a Palestinian or in a residence constructed since the mass expulsion. No one asked him what should be done with the private property in his neighborhood to which uprooted Palestinians hold the deeds.

Friedmans appearance before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations demonstrated there is a very long way to go before Palestinian political and economic rights are properly addressed by US politicians.

Senators were widely reluctant to confront the reality of occupation. They did not want to engage the fact that Palestinians enjoy fewer rights than Israeli Jews and that there is a military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

No senator dared to describe Israel as an apartheid state. Only the protesters who briefly disrupted the proceedings drew attention to the forcing out of Palestinians at the time of Israels establishment.

The process initiated has less to do with whether all 11 Republicans on the committee will vote en masse for Friedman a likelihood and more to do with whether the emerging partisan split on Israel will continue to grow.

Will Israels staunchest Democratic allies the partys Trump-Netanyahu wing endorse Friedman?

Some of them might.

Bob Menendez is one, though the Democratic senator from New Jersey described Friedmans appearance before the foreign relations committee as a nomination conversion.

Mike Merryman-Lotze, Palestine-Israel Program Director for the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization, stated, When you have spent years spreading virulently racist hate, saying that you reject your previous statements when confronted with them at a job interview does not absolve you of responsibility for your action nor demonstrate your genuine contrition.

Yet even if all Democrats on the committee vote against Friedman, their motives in doing so should be scrutinized. Why are they more concerned with how Friedman has insulted Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer now the Senates minority leader and J Street than how he has aided Israels crimes?

For that is precisely what Friedman has done. Friedman heads the American Friends of Bet El Yeshiva Center. In that capacity, he has funneled millions of dollars into an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank.

Consequently, he has played a significant role in sustaining a colony built in violation of international law.

Friedmans efforts to present himself as moderate this week should not fool anyone.

He claimed, for example, that he currently does not support annexation of the West Bank by Israel. Yet annexation is clearly the objective of the settler movement to which he belongs.

Implicitly, Friedman admitted that his attempts to sound reasonable were made to ensure that his nomination is approved. When Bob Corker, the committees chair, expressed astonishment that he was willing to recant every strongly held belief that youve expressed, almost, Friedman replied that serving as ambassador to Israel would be the fulfillment of my lifes work.

There were some notable contributions from Democrats at Friedmans hearing.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire was perhaps the most outspoken in raising concerns that carried the discussion beyond the offense Friedman caused J Street and its supporters. She sounded the alarm about Israels discriminatory treatment of visiting Arab Americans and secured Friedmans agreement for what its worth to raise this matter with the Israeli government when it happens on his watch.

Senator Tim Kaine from Virginia managed to get Friedman on record agreeing that it would be untenable to force Palestinians to accept inferior rights in the context of a one-state solution.

Kaine is no champion of Palestinian rights. Not long ago, he was the running mate of Hillary Clinton, who had pledged to have an even stronger relationship with Israel than Obama if she were elected president.

Overall, the Democrats displeasure with Friedman was encapsulated by Tom Udall, senator from New Mexico. Udall complained that Friedman regarded anyone who doesnt agree with the ambassador-in-waitings extreme views or approach to Israel as an anti-Semite.

The posting of a settlement advocate as US ambassador to Israel would certainly mark a new extreme. But it would not be illogical.

For decades, the US political elite Democrats and Republicans alike have advanced Israels colonialist project by providing billions of dollars in military aid. This is simply another step toward the US government normalizing the illegal settlements it has watched grow over the last 50 years.

With President Trump indicating Wednesday that he does not care whether Israel and the Palestinians choose one state or two states, such settlements appear certain to grow and soon the US will have to choose between accepting Israeli apartheid or insisting on equal rights for all.

Read the rest here:
Why won't Democrats call out Friedman's crimes? - The Electronic Intifada (blog)

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is among the group of President Donald Trump's most controversial nominees. | Getty

The controversy around Pruitt's contacts with oil, natural gas and coal companies has given Democrats a rallying point.

By Alex Guilln

02/17/17 11:16 AM EST

Updated 02/17/17 01:23 PM EST

The Senate confirmed Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency Friday, installing one of the agency's fiercest critics as the nation's leading environmental regulator just hours after an Oklahoma judge ordered the release of his email conversations with oil, gas and coal groups.

On the eve of his confirmation, the state judge ordered Pruitt's office release the potentially thousands of emails relating to the energy companies he will soon be regulating but not until Tuesday, days after his confirmation vote.

Story Continued Below

Pruitt is among the group of President Donald Trump's most controversial nominees, including Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. And like those others tapped by Trump, Pruitt's nomination is likely to narrowly pass in the Senate with the help of a pair of Democrats.

The controversy around Pruitt's contacts with oil, natural gas and coal companies has given Democrats a rallying point to call for a delay of his final vote on the Senate floor, but which Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has insisted will take place Friday.

This is an egregious cover-up that must not stand, said Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), who is planning to ask for another 10 days of debate on Pruitt a move that's almost certain to be rejected.

It's not clear whether Pruitts unreleased emails contain any damaging surprises, particularly since his ties to the oil and gas industry are well known. But Democrats already incensed that Pruitt had told them to go through the public records request process if they wanted his emails or other documents from his time as attorney general were apoplectic Thursday night when GOP leaders said Pruitts vote would take place Friday as scheduled.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) called the Pruitt vote an epic ram job, and said Pruitt himself is the tool and the minion of the fossil fuel industry.

Given Pruitts industry ties, I dont see any way his tenure at the Environmental Protection Agency ends well, Whitehouse said. Time will tell and facts will [come] out, but I believe our Republican friends will rue the day that they had this nomination rammed through the Senate on the very day that the emails were being litigated in Oklahoma, in order to get ahead of any counterpressure.

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), who led a boycott of Pruitt earlier this month before the Environment and Public Works Committee, warned that Republicans could be tying themselves to a time bomb.

Sometime a week from now, maybe days from now my fear is that a number of members, especially on the other side, will have been put in a very bad position and asked to vote for a nominee that they otherwise may not have supported had they known, Carper told reporters shortly before the judge ordered the emails released.

Republican leadership, with 52 votes secured to approve Pruitt, including Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, have no plans to change course on confirming him.

Despite Democrat efforts to delay his confirmation vote, we need to be responsible and move forward to confirm Attorney General Pruitt, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) said on the Senate floor shortly before the judges order came down. The longer we postpone this vote, the longer it is going to take for things to get done at the EPA, which will not help anyone.

Speaking on the floor Friday morning, McConnell said Democrats have engaged in truly historic, unprecedented and harmful obstruction over Pruitt and other candidates.

Democrats obstruction has just kept many of our nations most critical agencies without a leader for too long needlessly delaying the president from fully standing up this new administration, he said.

Whitehouse argued that prior to the election, Republicans had a fixation with emails, particularly Hillary Clinton's, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists' message on climate change and the Obama administration's EPA administrators.

They were desperate for emails. But now, suddenly emails between a nominees office and the major players in the industry that he will be regulating as EPA administrator, all they do is look at the ceiling tiles, he said.

The judge who ordered the emails released, Aletia Haynes Timmons, said the two-year delay in releasing emails sought by the left-leaning watchdog Center for Media and Democracy was an abject failure to provide prompt and reasonable access to documents by Pruitts office. Pruitts lawyers had argued that his office processes requests in the order they are filed, indicating at least a two-year backlog.

She ordered Pruitt's office turn over up to 2,500 emails that are in dispute in CMD's oldest request, and said any documents thought to be privileged be brought to her for review by close of business Tuesday.

Timmons also ordered Pruitts office to release emails responsive to five more records requests filed by CMD before Pruitt was nominated to run EPA within 10 days.

The Office of Attorney General remains committed to following the letter and spirit of the Open Records Act, Pruitt spokesman Lincoln Ferguson said in a statement. In light of that, we are reviewing all of our options in order to ensure fairness to all requestors rather than elevating the importance of some requests over others.

Pruitts coordination with oil and gas companies is already well known since a 2014 New York Times story that detailed his secretive alliance with fossil fuel interests to combat Obama administration rules. Pruitt defended that alliance as in the best interest of Oklahomans who live in one of the biggest oil- and gas-producing states.

He also belonged to groups, including the Republican Attorneys General Association, that received major contributions from energy interests, although Pruitt denied ever soliciting the donations himself.

See original here:
Democrats: GOP will 'rue the day' it pushed Pruitt vote for EPA - Politico

Democrats look to exploit Trump's troubles Sacramento Bee The president's tumultuous first four weeks in the White House highlighted by the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and renewed questions about the Trump campaign's connections to the Russian government have given Democrats ... and more »

Read the rest here:
Democrats look to exploit Trump's troubles - Sacramento Bee