The Train to Crazy Town

Scott Adams, October 2, 2019

"Privately, the president had often talked about fortifying a border wall with a water-filled trench, stocked with snakes or alligators, prompting aides to seek a cost estimate. He wanted the wall electrified, with spikes on top that could pierce human flesh. After publicly suggesting that soldiers shoot migrants if they threw rocks, the president backed off when his staff told him that was illegal. But later in a meeting, aides recalled, he suggested that they shoot migrants in the legs to slow them down. That’s not allowed either, they told him." New York Times, October 1, 2019

<< DEEP BREATH...AND...BACK TO IMPEACHMENT >>


Welcome to stop #141 on the Train to Crazy Town!

The short version: This week's news made it evident that the TЯUMP Train is coming off the rails. His liddle' wheels have come off at 101mph with a sharp left turn ahead.

This week's digest:

Monday it was revealed that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had been on the Ukraine phone call despite playing dumb in front of the media. Ten days after the story broke, he has admitted that, yes, he was listening in.

Monday it was also revealed that Attorney General Bill Barr had been on an international tour, visiting officials in Australia, England, and Italy, ostensibly to try to get them to investigate the origins of the Mueller investigation (Hey, wait! I think I was part of that ask! --see below).

Rudy Giuliani was on last Sunday's news shows, continuing to spout whatever gibberish he spouts, flashing papers and his phone with supposed proof of the wild conspiracy theories that he and his boss hold dear. He was promptly subpoenaed.

Mike Pompeo, also subpoenaed, got belligerent, saying the House Committees are bullying him and his state department colleagues. <eye roll>

There are swirls of speculation about what Vice President* Mike Pence knows or did. No one knows for sure at this point, but he may be implicated, too. He is claiming ignorance, but he traveled to Ukraine in May, and 45 reportedly told him to remind President Zelinsky that the promised aid was being withheld and demanding action on "corruption" (wink, wink). The thought of President Pelosi is so warming!


Wednesday, the president* met with the visiting president of Finland, and the press conference that followed was off the rails. The Rabid Yam was rabid, while President Niinistö wanted the hell away. The real, unedited photo:

"Check Please!"

I was listening live to the press conference on the radio and I was astounded at his behavior -- and in front of company, no less!

I admire Reuters reporter Jeff Mason, who kept his cool as the Bully-in-Chief lambasted him again and again.





And today, SCROTUS made the whistleblower complaint moot (or should I spell it moat?) as he took to the cameras and, unprompted, very publicly asked both Ukraine and China to investigate the Bidens. (Oh, and welcome to Very Important Trade Talks in one week, China!) Wow. OK. He's a moron. Here it is, people. An egregious act, plain-as-day evidence of impeachable abuse of power, served in the dining car on a silver platter:




This week he has tweeted or re-tweeted 173 times, from Sunday, September 29 until this evening, Thursday October 3. Of those, we had six witch hunt, two coup, nine whistleblower, three pressure, four perfect, nine Biden, 12 fake/phony, three treason/spy. And this pair of tweets wins the pentathlon. How are you doing on your Whistleblower Bingo?


Current and future testimony:

Former State Department official Kurt Volker testified behind closed doors for nine hours today. Volker is one of the people named in the whistleblower's letter. In his testimony, it was reported that he had warned Rudy Giuliani that the information from the Ukrainians should be considered suspect, and that he warned the Ukrainians not to get involved in U.S. politics. Solid diplomat advice. Ignored on all sides. Volker also indicated that he was concerned about a possible quid pro quo with regard to the aid and the requested investigation.

Former Ambassador to the Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch is set to testify next week. She also is at the center of this fiasco. This career diplomat was pushed out before the scheduled end of her term. Reports are that she was ousted out after Rudy Giuliani complained that she was getting in the way of Giuliani's mission to strong-arm the Ukranians.

Reportedly the whistleblower will also testify soon. It will be tricky for Congress to secure a place in which the individual can be deposed while still maintaining anonymity and safety. 45 has been relentless in his dangerous rhetoric and veiled threats about the whistleblower, saying he considers him or her a "traitor" and wants "to interview" the individual.

Other upcoming events: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has until tomorrow to hand over documents. He is resisting, and also blocking other State Department personnel from testifying. Tomorrow, the Intelligence Inspector General is set to testify. Other state department officials and Giuliani associates are scheduled to testify in the next couple weeks. Congress returns to session on Tuesday, October 15. October 15 is also the deadline for Rudy Giuliani to provide documents to Congress. Twelve candidates are gearing up for the next Democratic presidential debate, also slated for October 15! It should be a blockbuster.

Bookmark this handy guide from the Washington Post for more impeachment goings-on in the halls of Congress. And in the meantime, you can count on LSR to keep her ear to the ground.



Now, please, enjoy more from Stephen Colbert.