US Politics May 2021: Joe Manchin's Choose-Your-Adventure Book

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In their letter, Giuliani's counsel appear to confirm earlier reporting that feds tapped into his iCloud via a "covert warrant" in 2019, and Bill Barr's DOJ wouldn't approve earlier attempts to execute the search warrants.

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) May 17, 2021

so why is the intelligence community/military suddenly 'okay' with talking about unidentified aerial phenomena?

This New Yorker story does a good job of laying out the trajectory of all of that over the past few decades: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/10/how-the-pentagon-started-taking-ufos-seriously

It's not all because of one particular writer, but she's a big part of it, she's really kind of pushed the doors open. And there are indeed X number of unexplained phenomena and have been for years. Doesn't mean any one thing in particular, but it's interesting.

Meantime, speaking of interesting, this news has surfaced:

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/watchdog/story/2021-05-15/manchester-contributions-probe

Key part:

Documents obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune show at least one witness with the last name Manchester was ordered to provide records and information to a U.S. District Court grand jury last month, “in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation.”

That same person, whose first name was redacted in the U.S. District Court documents, also was commanded to appear at the courthouse on the morning of May 4 — and to bring a slew of materials.

The subpoena orders the recipient to “produce any and all records, documents and correspondence” in their possession, custody or control from May 1, 2017, to the present related to political donations made by Douglas Manchester, the unnamed Manchester and “Douglas or (redacted) Manchester’s family and/ or the nomination of Douglas Manchester to be the U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas.”

The demand from federal prosecutors included an option for the witness to provide the requested documents directly to an FBI special agent in lieu of personally appearing at the Washington, D.C. courthouse.

The documents request copies of any communications between the Manchesters, the RNC and RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and Co-Chair Tommy Hicks. They also demand communications between the witness and any employee or agent and any member of Congress or their staff.

choice little bit from that ufo piece:

After Elizondo resigned, he and other key AATIP participants—including Mellon, Puthoff, and Semivan—almost immediately joined To the Stars Academy of Arts & Science, an operation dedicated to U.F.O.-related education, entertainment, and research, and organized by Tom DeLonge, a former front man of the pop-punk outfit Blink-182.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-has-blown-off-rudy-giulianis-pleas-for-help-as-feds-circle?source=articles&via=rss

lol @ the thought of any of these morons genuinely expecting him to have their backs when shit hit the fan

it's like when you're playing Mario and you think Bowser's gonna let you just waltz past him

Rudy's big mistake was looking like a fool he so transparently is when he was publicly fronting Trump's effort to overturn the election via lawsuits. The runny hair dye incident and Four Seasons Landscaping fiascoes doomed him.

i think we should keep the door open to the idea that rudy has made multiple Big Mistakes

like the time when he wanted the "really good scrutiny" applied to his case

guys i'm very sorry this person is on your shores, but still i'd like you to perhaps book a few free tickets, and definitely DO show up oh yes
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nigel-farage-americas-comeback-tour-2021-pittsburgh-pa-tickets-152757061483

weird

Hm.

Ex-AG Bill Barr's DOJ reportedly used the weight and force of the prosecuting arm of the U.S. federal government to try to unmask a parody Twitter account that trolled a Trump-loyalist Congressman. 🔽 https://t.co/SrYj8qpfhI

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) May 17, 2021

on an entirely unrelated note, here's a temporary email address generator

https://temp-mail.org/en/

Judge Howell gave DOJ until Wednesday to file a public version of its response, and the only specific instruction is that it must redact the name and contact information of the DOJ attorney(s). That information is almost always public. pic.twitter.com/iBqKRN7W75

— Brad Heath (@bradheath) May 17, 2021

I suppose the judge was just trying to tamp down on the volume of death threats and hate mail to the DOJ attorney(s).

You never know.

Anyway if you'd like a satisfying read, here's the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors as well as the sheriff and recorder ripping the hell out of the Arizona GOP Senate leader who ginned up that psuedo-audit. A reminder that said board is very much GOP as well.

https://www.maricopa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/68972/20210517-Response-Letter-to-Senate-President-Fann---FINAL

This thread on said board's own meeting today essentially talking about all this plus further points is worth your time

Chairman Jack Sellers says what Cyber Ninjas is doing on behalf of the Arizona Senate is a “grift disguised as an audit.”

— Dillon Rosenblatt (@DillonReedRose) May 17, 2021

Maricopa county says Cyber Ninjas is just straight miscounting ballots https://t.co/riK3xBi6l3 pic.twitter.com/vM5Wa9XjnX

— Sam Levine (@srl) May 17, 2021

So you're like okay

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/capitol-rioters-trump-defense-comes-up-again-and-again-will-it-make-a-difference

And then you read this bit and what

I spoke to the "QAnon Shaman" Jacob Chansley's attorney, Albert Watkins, for this story. Here's what he had to say... https://t.co/6gZ2jzPvSh pic.twitter.com/b4w62dYvLN

— Matt Shuham (@mattshuham) May 18, 2021

sorry if this offends anyone, this thing i'm about to say, perhaps disrespectfully, but

xpost didn't see that until I posted to the Q thread ... between the AZ GOP and this guy, with friends like these ...

i'm not clicking that but is he a public defender? if not, who is paying for him?

will it work for a black man on death row in Texas? absolutely not. but these guys? hey maybe.

*Matt Gaetz’s attorneys furiously taking notes*

I assume thousands of MAGA donors

xp

The bio for Albert S. Watkins is pure, classic Albert S. Watkins.https://t.co/5Ax4zznR6J pic.twitter.com/uVQqSqllZ1

— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) May 18, 2021

what a piece of garbage.

This guy was also the lawyer for the St. Louis gun couple?!?

all I'm gonna say is if this somehow works it will go down as one of the most infamous defenses in court history. "your honor, my client is clearly a brain damaged moron" will become known as "The Watkins Defense"

this is the scene where Keanu Reeves tells Craig T Nelson "no no no see the jury is gonna see that I don't like you and therefore I can't be biased in your favor because I hate you, it's a good thing!"

it makes total sense these guys would pick a legal shitposter to represent them

none of the defendants are going to mind claiming to be dumb as a defense, the men would only speak up if the defense is they had tiny weiners or low sperm count. then theyd plead guilty

Holy hell I just hurt myself laughing

well well well

JUST IN: The FBI is investigating what it calls a massive scheme to illegally finance Sen. Susan Collins' 2020 reelection bid, Axios has learned. https://t.co/36nNweHIUc

— Axios (@axios) May 18, 2021

hahahahahahahaha

Not worth trying to evade the Daily Beast paywall for this but lol Sinema might really be more stupid than evil.

Senator Kyrsten Sinema is confused. At a private caucus meeting last week, she pointedly asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer why Democrats can’t overcome Republican opposition to the major ethics and voting rights reforms that Joe Biden promised voters, and that over 60 percent of Americans across party lines support. But Sinema wasn’t talking about the For the People Act that Schumer hopes to squeak through. She was referring to her own competing legislation.

Chuck, Chuck why can't you make Josh Hawley SEE REASON?!

I'm almost willing to believe she doesn't know how this stuff works, Manchin on the other hand...

I’m sure Collins is very concerned about this report

more than that, she's deeply saddened!

it must be some misunderstanding

I’m sure she feels that someone has learned their lesson after this breaking news came to light and there’s no reason to investigate further

I'm sure there was a moment where she vigorously shook her head in disappointment in the mirror and, that's that. Let's all move on.

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"I. will. be. deeply. concerned."

McCarthy is going all Both Sides Now... he doesn't want to dwell on Q-Anon Shaman (which is in the past), let's talk about antifa and BLM violence

Lotta good results in various Pennsylvania races today.

Has any politics happened this month I’ve not really been following

buncha good bills that passed the House got bogged down in the Senate