National security adviser John Bolton is a war hawk. Even though he personally refused to fight in Vietnam and admitted he joined the Maryland National Guard to avoid fighting, he’s advocated for sending American troops to die in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Cuba, Yemen, Venezuela, and North Korea. Like most Republican war hawks, he thinks it’s a great idea for other people to fight wars as long as he doesn’t have to. So, it pains me that I have to actually agree with John Bolton on something. North Korea violated UN Sanctions when it fired off several ballistic missiles in early May.
In 2006, while Bolton was U.S. ambassador to the UN, sanctions were levied upon North Korea stating that the DPRK “not conduct any further nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile.” These sanctions were expanded in 2009. While the missiles they tested this month were short-range, they were ballistic missiles.
Shortly after the test, the American president, ugh, Donald Trump told Politico, “these were short-range missiles and very standard stuff. Very standard.” The American president was defending a dictator’s violation of a United Nations resolution. But hey, defending tyrants and Nazis for Trump is “very standard stuff.”
Last weekend between golf, eating burnt steak with ketchup, and watching obese men grapple in diapers, Trump furthered his defense of the North Korean tyrant in a tweet stating, “North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me.” He expressed confidence that Kim Jong Un will keep his “promise” to him to denuclearize, even though there’s no commitment on paper.
But, why should Kim denuclearize when Trump is giving him a pass? Trump earlier stated he wouldn’t tolerate any more missile tests because it was he who got Kim to stop firing missiles. Now that Kim has fired off some missiles, Trump is backtracking on principles faster than Mitch McConnell. Trump was much more interested in Kim’s insults toward his most feared political rival, Joe Biden.
What Trump is teaching dictators is that if they pander to his ego and narcissism, throw him an occasional parade, give him a sword dance, put his face on outside jumbotrons, mimic his talking points, and attack his political opponents, then they can do whatever they want from attacking our elections, murdering journalists, to firing ballistic missiles in violations of UN sanctions.
Bolton is correct that North Korea violated a UN sanction. Trump is ignoring his national security adviser and American intelligence by demonstrating he doesn’t possess any intelligence of his own.
Trump criticized former American presidents for accepting promises from Kim and later allowing him to break them. Now, when Kim breaks his promises to him, Trump denies it’s happening. His ego and narcissism is a threat to the lives of Americans and our allies.
When his cultists’ faces are melting from a nuclear blast, will they finally accept that Trump is a disaster?
Summary/analysis: Mueller says (in double negatives) that evidence was sufficient to press criminal charges against Trump for obstructing a federal investigation into an attack on the U.S. electoral system by a hostile foreign power. However, DoJ policy ruled out an indictment.
Because you can't take the president to court, says Mueller, it's up to Congress to deal with the report's evidence of Trump's criminal interference with an investigation seeking to protect the democratic sovereignty of the American people.
However, Mueller emphasizes, I have nothing further to say. The report is my testimony. So I'd rather not testify to Congress, and I hope I'm not asked.
Okay, so here's what I found interesting...
Recent reporting suggests that Mueller is concerned that the legitimacy and weight the public affords his report will be diminished if it's seen as partisan. He worries that Congressional testimony will look like willing participation in a partisan dog-and-pony show.
So he's saying, very clearly, that he does not want to participate. He's an objective, careful, just-the-facts cop, not a partisan. Political theater is gross. Doesn't want any part in it.
HOWEVER, Mueller notes, I've resigned. I'm no longer subject to Barr's authority. So, I'm saying I totally don't want to testify. But I'm also totally NOT saying I will defy a valid congressional subpoena. You all know that's not the kind of guy I am. I'm all about the law.
Ball's in your court Congress. Get to work. BUT DON'T CALL ME. If you DO call me...well, what can I do? I'll be legally compelled! But I'll only say what's in the report. I'll necessarily say it in interestingly different ways in response to direct questions, sure. BUT DON'T ASK.
P.S., I'll ONLY say what's in the report, Congress. But did you notice that you haven't read many of the most tantalizing bits in the report, because they're redacted? The redacted bits are part of my testimony, too, and it'd be a pity to have to repeat myself.
That’s right. Hydrocarbons shall henceforth be known as “molecules of U.S. freedom.” Proud Americans are fracking compounds of liberty from the glorious shale beds of Texas and shipping it ‘round the world.
The actual news here is that the Department of Energy gave Houston-based Freeport LNG approval to export gas processed at a new liquefaction plant that the company is set to build at a facility off the coast of Texas. Elsewhere in the government’s press release, U.S. Undersecretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes explains, “Increasing export capacity from the Freeport LNG project is critical to spreadingfreedom gas throughout the world by giving America’s allies a diverse and affordable source of clean energy.”
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