AP News: Looking beyond Mueller, Democrats cast investigative nets

[Phys251]

Not really sure what the legitimate role for Congress is at this point.

You can find your answer somewhere in this document.

 

[MauiMan]

You're strawmaning. The argument is they're not doing what they're supposed to do. Whether or not they're living off the dole is debatable. Most public officials weren't rich before running, but they certainly were after running.

As for whether they serve no purpose, that has yet to be determined.

Yes, I was straw manning...but it was in mockery of your straw man. So, touche!

They’re not living off the dole...that’s not even debatable, since they are paid well. And why can’t they get rich later? Is it not the American way to accumulate wealth and be prosperous? As long as they don’t profit through corruption...which is one of the concerns with Mr. Trump. Or have you been conned by the con man?

 

[MauiMan]

So what exactly has changed since the second half of the Obama Presidency... Besides Tax Reform?

I have no idea what you're talking about.

Nor does anyone else...

 

[apdst]

You can find your answer somewhere in this document.

How about you show us the specific section of Article 1 that speaks to oversight power?

I bet you post some smart ass dodge, instead.

 

[Hedgology]

Yes, I was straw manning...but it was in mockery of your straw man. So, touche!

They’re not living off the dole...that’s not even debatable, since they are paid well.

They're living off the dole, by virtue of being public sector employees. Also, I'm not sure how they are "well-paid" members of congress can't afford to live in DC on a congressional salary.

And why can’t they get rich later? Is it not the American way to accumulate wealth and be prosperous?

So public sector officials using their positions of power to enrich themselves, that's okay. However, market players in the private sector using wealth to create more wealth, a bridge to far. Is that really the hill you'd like to die on?

As long as they don’t profit through corruption...which is one of the concerns with Mr. Trump. Or have you been conned by the con man?

As far as I know, Trump has already divested himself and is not taken his salary. Not sure how he is profiting from corrupt.

 

[Hedgology]

Nor does anyone else...

That's because small minds usually think alike.

 

[Mach]

Not really sure what the legitimate role for Congress is at this point.

At least you're honest about what you don't know.
To remedy you could consider:

Continuing education
Read a non-fiction book
read credible non-fiction via the internet
Read and like some posts on DP* (why 0 likes given? You just drop bombs, you don't read?)

 

[Hedgology]

At least you're honest about what you don't know.
To remedy you could consider:

Continuing education

Already have a masters in financial mathematics. I don't plan on getting a Ph.D in Mathematics. My firm pays me to make money, not study.

Read a non-fiction book
read credible non-fiction via the internet

What should I read?

Read and like some posts on DP* (why 0 likes given? You just drop bombs, you don't read?)

There are 0 likes given because I have yet to find a post intellectually stimulating on coherently constructed to warrant a like.

Like this one I'm responding to. In fact, I would give it a dislike if I could.

 

[Fishking]

Looking beyond Mueller, Democrats cast investigative nets

WASHINGTON (AP) — Emboldened by their new majority, Democrats are undertaking several broad new investigations into President Donald Trump and setting the stage for a post-Robert Mueller world.

HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
The committee is reopening and expanding an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election that the Republican majority closed last year. [...] the committee will hold an open hearing later this month with Felix Sater, a Russia-born executive who worked with Cohen on an ultimately unsuccessful deal to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

HOUSE OVERSIGHT AND REFORM COMMITTEE
Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, [wants] to call in several people mentioned repeatedly by Cohen. That could include Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg and possibly two of Trump’s children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump.

HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
The House Judiciary Committee would be in charge of impeachment, but the chairman, New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler, first wants to examine Mueller’s report, whenever it comes out.

HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
The chairman, Massachusetts Rep. Richard Neal, is expected to eventually try to obtain Trump’s tax returns, which the president has refused to release.

HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE
The committee’s head, California Rep. Maxine Waters, has focused on Deutsche Bank, the German asset management firm that has loaned Trump’s real estate organization millions of dollars over the years. [...]
The committee is working with Schiff, who along with Waters has said he wants to investigate whether Russians used laundered money for transactions with the Trump Organization. Trump’s businesses have benefited from Russian investment over the years, and Schiff has said he wants to know whether “this is the leverage that the Russians have” over Trump.

Waters said she is also interested in looking at Trump’s embattled charitable foundation that is shutting down after agreeing to a court-supervised process and at White House budget director Mick Mulvaney’s tenure at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She has said Mulvaney may be called to testify.

HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
The chairman, New York Rep. Eliot Engel, is also working with Schiff and his committee to review Trump’s encounters with and connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin, including a private meeting between the two in Helsinki last year. Trump would not disclose the full details of what was said in their meeting.

— mine —

Trump’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week is going to go on for weeks and weeks and months and months...and years.

Trump should just tell them to pound sand and extend executive privilege beyond himself to cover others, like Obama did for Eric Holder.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Not really sure what the legitimate role for Congress is at this point.

A lot of people wondered that for the past two years.

President Trump's nonsensical "national emergency" declaration might just be the very last chance Republicans have before they submit to becoming nothing more than a rubber stamp of capitulation. Their role should be legislative primacy and constitutional order.
The true conservative option is to vote to override the declaration, but so far only thirteen Republicans out of 197 showed a willingness to follow their oath, rather than party loyalty, which at this stage consists of nothing but loyalty to Trump.

I don't think there are enough true patriots left in the party to do that, but it is their only hope of redemption.
Voting for the override is the only conservative option.

If they don't vote to overturn his end-run, why are they even there, what purpose do they even serve?
They could just go home and leave the running of the entire government to Trump.
174 thousand dollars times 535 is a fair chunk of change, not to mention the cost of Congress members and their staff, alone, is over a billion dollars a year (not counting committee staff or benefits, like health insurance, just salary and Member's budgeted expenses, like mail and travel).

Just hand it all over to Trump and rent out the House and Senate buildings for conventions, rock concerts and hip hop shows.
Bring on the Trump Enabling Act...all we need is a manufactured attack or a war.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Already have a already have a masters in financial mathematics. I don't plan on getting a Ph.D in Mathematics. My firm pays me to make money, not study.

What should I read?

There are 0 likes given because I have yet to find a post intellectually stimulating on coherently constructed to warrant a like.
Like this one I'm responding to. In fact, I would give it a dislike if I could.

Sounds very familiar, like another guy we know who thinks HE is the smartest guy in the room.
I guess there is no doubt at this point what your posts signify.

 

[Hedgology]

A lot of people wondered that for the past two years.

President Trump's nonsensical "national emergency" declaration might just be the very last chance Republicans have before they submit to becoming nothing more than a rubber stamp of capitulation. Their role should be legislative primacy and constitutional order.
The true conservative option is to vote to override the declaration, but so far only thirteen Republicans out of 197 showed a willingness to follow their oath, rather than party loyalty, which at this stage consists of nothing but loyalty to Trump.

I don't think there are enough true patriots left in the party to do that, but it is their only hope of redemption.
Voting for the override is the only conservative option.

I guess your idea of what is "true" will be nothing more than your opinion.

 

[smallvoice]

They’re big boys and girls. They can walk and chew gum at the same time.

The evidence does not support your contention.

 

[MauiMan]

They're living off the dole, by virtue of being public sector employees. Also, I'm not sure how they are "well-paid" members of congress can't afford to live in DC on a congressional salary.



So public sector officials using their positions of power to enrich themselves, that's okay. However, market players in the private sector using wealth to create more wealth, a bridge to far. Is that really the hill you'd like to die on?



As far as I know, Trump has already divested himself and is not taken his salary. Not sure how he is profiting from corrupt.

Anyone working in the public sector is living off the dole? Can you hear yourself? So, law enforcement, all of our judges, firemen, army, navy, Air Force, marine corps, coast guard, ice, etc. etc. are “living of the dole by virtue of being public sector employees”? Are you an anarchist? Wow, that takes the cake!

Yes, members of Congress are well paid compared to a lot of Americans. You will no doubt digress with some arcane statistical argument and go on and on about public/private sector, and God knows what—be my guest—I’m off to the beach.

BTW—you can have the last word, but having the last word has not proven your point—a point lost quite a while back in the chain—a tactic I’ve seen you engage in many times now. Bye.

 

[MauiMan]

The evidence does not support your contention.

Smallvoice takes a position! Defend it! Let’s hear your mountain of evidence! I’m taking off to the beach, but I’ll be back later to rip it to pieces.

 

[Hedgology]

Sounds very familiar, like another guy we know who thinks HE is the smartest guy in the room.
I guess there is no doubt at this point what your posts signify.

View attachment 67251815

There is nothing wrong with exhibiting confidence in yourself. Especially since you guys keep making easy for us by losing...

 

[Hedgology]

Anyone working in the public sector is living off the dole? Can you hear yourself? So, law enforcement, all of our judges, firemen, army, navy, Air Force, marine corps, coast guard, ice, etc. etc. are “living of the dole by virtue of being public sector employees”? Are you an anarchist? Wow, that takes the cake!

Yes, you are living off the dole by cirute of being a public sector employee. No, I'm not anarchist.

Yes, members of Congress are well paid compared to a lot of Americans. You will no doubt digress with some arcane statistical argument and go on and on about public/private sector, and God knows what—be my guest—I’m off to the beach.

Nope. That is just really my opinion.

BTW—you can have the last word, but having the last word has not proven your point

Well, it certainly doesn't prove yours, whatever that might have been.

 

[Hedgology]

Smallvoice takes a position! Defend it! Let’s hear your mountain of evidence! I’m taking off to the beach, but I’ll be back later to rip it to pieces.

Moving on to low hanging fruit.

 

[smallvoice]

One point will do. Their entire focus is on investigating something we are already paying millions to be investigated.

I guess you are correct, they can waste money and chew gum, AND walk at the same time. My bad.

 

[jghiretire]

As long as he's Pres, Trump has a Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card. I think his real problems will be when he's out of office, preferably in 22 months.

Though the only thing I might fear more than a President Trump, would be a Lame-Duck President Trump!

Did you hear Michael Cohen say Trump won't go quietly?? I believe him.

 

[Hedgology]

Did you hear Michael Cohen say Trump won't go quietly?? I believe him.

That makes you and the 37% of the clueless Americans that believe his testamony.

 

[jghiretire]

1. This is nothing more than harassment.

2. The House Dems know they won't find anything to justify referral to the DOJ or impeachment proceedings.

3. Their only motivation for this nonsense is to sway public opinion against Trump in preparation for the 2020 election.

For those who hate Trump, this will be meatless nothingburgers. Our DP brethren will be flooding the forums with nonsense threads. So it goes...

For those who don't hate Trump, this will be an irritant.

Oh Dear God. Harassment?? You are absolutely unbelievable.

 

[jghiretire]

A United States ambassador and three other government employees were murdered and the administration lied about it. That had nothing to do with any private entities.

Speaking of nothingburgers..........

 

[Chomsky]

Did you hear Michael Cohen say Trump won't go quietly?? I believe him.

Yeah, but what choice does he (Trump) have?

He can try to stir up his base, but that's about it.

To successfully stay in power takes the military.

 

[MauiMan]

One point will do. Their entire focus is on investigating something we are already paying millions to be investigated.

I guess you are correct, they can waste money and chew gum, AND walk at the same time. My bad.

Fair enough. It does seem wasteful. The public may never see Mueller’s report, since it is under the control of the executive branch. The public is demanding answers through their representatives in the House.