The actions by the trolls made it impossible for Iowa precinct chairs to report caucus results.

Our sources told us this morning there are indications that someone in the White House or Trump campaign was directing the operations.

“Yes, we are starting to see clues here and there that none of that was an accident. It wasn’t just social media trolls doing their thing. We are seeing clues that it may have come from somewhere in the White House,” our source, who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

The operation began the night of the Iowa caucus when Republican trolls suddenly started posting the reporting hotlines of the Iowa Democratic Party on social media and asking their friends to call and clog up the phone lines.

“Clog the lines,” some of the trolls urged their friends on 4chan, the internet message board frequented by GOP extremists.

On Wednesday, Democratic Party leaders confirmed the phone attacks but declined to speculate on the origin.

By Friday morning however, Democratic Party leaders were saying the attack did not happen on its own. “We think it was coordinated by someone in the White House and GOP offices,” they told us.

On Wednesday Iowa Democratic Party Communications Director Mandy McClure confirmed in a statement that there was an “unusually high volume of inbound phone calls to its caucus hotline, including [by] supporters of President Trump.”

She said the unexplained and at times hostile” calls “made it impossible for Precinct chairs to report the caucus results and contributed to the “delay in the Iowa Democratic Party’s collection of result.”

When confronted about the incident, Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said Trump campaign officials “don’t know anything about this,” adding: “It’s laughable that they would try to blame Trump for their own incompetence.”

On 4chan, some of the trolls boasted that their actions may have succeeded adding that there should be better coordination with officials in the future.

The post Iowa Caucus Mess: 4chan Trolls May Have Received Direction from The White House appeared first on The Liberal Advocate.

I love “Old Joe”.

For starters, he was President Barack Obama’s vice president and right-hand man. For me, that was all I needed to know.

I knew some of his past actions weren’t always what I would have wished. I knew he has cast a few votes that, in hindsight, he probably regrets. I also knew he has said a few things that would normally give me pause.

But none of that mattered. He was President Obama’s right-hand man. Period. End of story.

All of that changed in December when VP Biden said he “would consider” a Republican for vice president.

I clearly remember my reaction on hearing that news. It was probably close to the way most Progressives felt as well. I thought, WTF?

Speaking to voters in New Hampshire, Mr. Biden responded to a question about whether he would be willing to select a Republican as running mate by saying that “the answer is I would, but I can’t think of one now. Let me explain that. You know there’s some really decent Republicans that are out there still, but here’s the problem right now … they’ve got to step up.”

In that instant, minutes after reading that, I knew I would never vote for Vice President Biden.

I am a Progressive and I love President Obama. I will vote for whomever he chooses to endorse, without hesitation – as long as that candidate is not Joe Biden.

Like most African immigrants to the United States, I grew up believing that USA is the definition of heaven, the apex of all that is good, and when I had an opportunity to relocate here, I grabbed it with both hands.

See also: Trump Shamelessly Copies Obama Tweet About Kobe Bryant.

United States has been good to me and my family (I am married to an African immigrant who is now a US citizen and we have two U.S. citizen adult children) but I have watched in horror as America under Donald Trump has become a nightmare for everyone, except Caucasians.

Let me make one thing clear – I am not an advocate of open borders. I am also not in the group that advocate for “free everything for everyone.” My family and I work hard everyday to try to earn a living and I believe everyone should do the same.

I am not naive either.

America is not an equal opportunity country despite what the media may tell you.

Before coming here, I was aware that America was a racist nation. I just didn’t realize the intensity of that racism or how deep rooted it was within the leadership of the nation.

During the administration of George W. Bush, I briefly flirted with the idea of changing my party affiliation.

I thought, rightly, that while president George W. Bush was naive, and to a lesser extent, ignorant of many things, he had a good heart. As president, he was loving and caring, and wanted the best for all Americans regardless of skin color or national origin. He may have allowed himself to be misled into a stupid war, but I felt he was a good family man who truly feared God.

It is different today.

Today, America is a hateful nation under Donald Trump and the Republicans who claim to be born-again, God-loving and God-fearing Christians but can’t muster the compassion needed to see their way through Trump’s cages.

I have watched in horror as the President of United States has lied over and over, while his Republican friends stay silent.

I get it. They want to keep winning elections but how can anyone say they believe in Jesus Christ and turn away from the truth?

How can anyone claim to be Christian and support a man who treats women like properties?

How can they support a lying, pussy-grabbing, adulterous, morally bankrupt failure?

The Bible says you shall know them by their fruit so to know who is a Christian, all you have to do is watch what they do, not what they say.

Donald Trump is not a Christian. He has too much hate in his heart to be a Christian. He is racist as hell. No, sir! He is not a Christian.

Biden said “you know there’s some really decent Republicans.” Where are they, Mr. Vice President? Where are the decent Republicans? Show them to me.

Decent Republicans, please stand up.

The mere thought that Biden would even consider taking a Republican as running mate ought to be a disqualifying factor.

I can’t vote for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders after the mess he made in 2016 and his recent comment that women can’t win. What? Open your eyes, man. Welcome to the 21st century. Senator Elizabeth Warren appears to be too far to the left and Mayor Michael Bloomberg? Well, I think I will pass on that.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg isn’t my cup of tea and that is not because he is gay. He is two-faced and can’t be trusted.

So where does that leave me, you ask? I don’t know.

I just know one thing. I won’t vote for Joe Biden.

I apologize to you President Obama. I love you but please, don’t ask me to vote for Joe Biden. I can’t and I won’t. Not when there is a chance that he might choose a Republican as his running mate.

“Whoever I would pick for vice president, and there’s a lot of qualified women, there’s a lot of qualified African-Americans. There really truly are. There’s a plethora of really qualified people. Whomever I would pick were I fortunate enough to be your nominee, I’d pick somebody who was simpatico with me, who knew what I, what my priorities were and knew what I wanted to… We could disagree on tactic, but strategically we’d have to be in the exact same page,” Biden continued in New Hampshire.

You should have stopped at the above quote, Vice President Biden. If you had, you would have had me at hello.

There is one good thing about all this though. I will vote in November 2020 for the Democrat. I can’t stand the current occupant of the White House and that will compel me to vote. Let’s hope it is not for Joe Biden, if he is so out of touch as to even consider picking a Republican as running mate.

What a nightmare that will be. Democrats and Liberals need a fighter, a warrior to go after Donald Trump and so far Biden doesn’t seem to get it.

I will not vote for anyone who wants to compromise with Republicans. I just won’t and I know I am not alone.

So wake up Mr. Biden! Wake up and smell the coffee.

Editor’s Note: This article reflects my personal opinion. It does not reflect the view of the staff of The Liberal Advocate. If you have an idea for an article, get published today.

The post I love Joe Biden but I Won’t Vote for Him. Here is Why appeared first on The Liberal Advocate.

Fast forward to 2020, the attorneys for president Donald Trump appear to be resurrecting that line of thinking.

Responding to a question from Texas senator Ted Cruz, Trump lawyer Alan Dershowitz said there is nothing wrong with a president seeking foreign help for his reelection.

His reasoning? Well, the president is above the law, sort of. He said if the president thinks his reelection is in the best interest of the country, then he can rightfully do anything to get reelected.

Huh?

“If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment. Every public official I know believes that his election is in the public interest,” Dershowitz said.

Constitutional scholars were quick to condemn that line of reasoning, arguing that means presidents are free to break any laws as long as they believe that by breaking the laws they are acting in the national interest.

Dean of the University of California, Berkeley, law school Erwin Chemerinsky said he thought Dershowitz’s argument was “absurd and outrageous.”

“It means that a president could break any law or abuse any power and say that it was for the public interest because the public interest would be served by his or her election,” he said.

Meanwhile Sanford Levinson, a University of Texas law professor, said that line of argument was “on its face, preposterous.”

He said that while officials “make a variety of deals that they would prefer not to in behalf of the good cause…we rely on a certain moral compass that will stop at, say, outright bribery” and “suggesting assassinations.”

President Trump’s senate trial continues.

The post Trump’s Lawyer: The President is Above the law appeared first on The Liberal Advocate.

They believe the best way to do that is to refuse to call any witnesses or request additional documents.

Their argument is simple – it is a waste of time.

Last week, The New York Times published that former national security adviser John Bolton, in his upcoming book, wrote that Trump told him that releasing aid to Ukraine hinged on that nation investigating his political opponent, former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

But Republican senators said this week, that notwithstanding, their votes won’t change, their minds are already made up and to hell with the truth.

Pennsylvania Republican senator Pat Toomey said he was “very, very skeptical” that hearing from witnesses would change his mind, even if that witness were to provide proof of quid pro quo.
For Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, president Trump can never be convicted, no matter what he has done.

“For the sake of argument, one could assume everything attributable to John Bolton is accurate and still the House case would fall well below the standards to remove a president from office,” Sen. Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement this week.

Other GOP senators have taken similar position in recent days.

Take for instance Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) who said this week that he does not “believe we need to hear from an 18th witness.”

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said the House of Representatives had already made its case and “additional witnesses are not necessary” while Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) warned is colleagues that calling witnesses would lead to a lot of people testifying, and that may be beneficial to Democrats.

Missouri senator Roy Blunt, a staunch Trump ally was even more, well blunt. “Unless there’s a witness that’s going to change the outcome, I can’t imagine why we’d want to stretch this out for weeks and months,” he said earlier this week.

The post Republicans Argue Against Witnesses in Trump Trial, Calling it a Waste of Time appeared first on The Liberal Advocate.

The book titled “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir” which is set for release soon, will reportedly detail numerous instances of misconduct by president Donald Trump.

The New York Times reported last week the book will allege that Trump abused his presidential powers by linking the release of Ukraine aid to that country’s investigation of political rival vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

The Trump administration sent a threatening letter to Bolton January 23, 2020 saying the book “appears to contain significant amounts of classified information” and couldn’t be published as written.

But national security experts believe the threat is aimed at silencing Bolton and making sure he does not testify in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump or the book being release before the trial is over.

“This whole thing is aimed at silencing Bolton,” a national security expert based in Washington, D.C., told us Wednesday. “Trump Couldn’t care less except when his presidency is at stake. He just wants to make sure the book does not come out during the trial or John Bolton testifying during the trial.”

See also: Bolton Bombshell Upends Trump Senate Trial, GOP Continues Denial.

The Trump administration letter said “the manuscript may not be published or otherwise disclosed without the deletion of this classified information.”

Asked by reporters if this is an attempt to silence John Bolton, the White House said they had no comment. A spokesperson for book publisher Simon & Schuster declined to comment as well.

Bolton has said he would be willing to testify in the Senate trial if subpoenaed but Trump attorneys and Republican senate leaders are refusing to call witnesses or demand additional documents, as asked for by Democrats.

Trump posted many negative tweets about Bolton on Wednesday.

“For a guy who couldn’t get approved for the Ambassador to the U.N. years ago, couldn’t get approved for anything since, “begged” me for a non Senate approved job, which I gave him despite many saying “Don’t do it, sir,” takes the job, mistakenly says “Libyan Model” on T.V., and many more mistakes of judgement, gets fired because frankly, if I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now, and goes out and IMMEDIATELY writes a nasty & untrue book. All Classified National Security. Who would do this?” Trump tweeted.

He claimed, without proof that Bolton’s book was “untrue.”

The post Panicked Trump White House Threatens John Bolton to Stop Book Publication appeared first on The Liberal Advocate.

Bolton who was fired by Trump last year after a disagreement is said to be coming out with a book.

New York Times reports that a draft of that book reveals Trump not only knew about the dealings with Ukraine, he linked releasing aid to Ukraine to investigations into former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

Trump’s legal team resume their defense of the president on Tuesday by simply choosing to ignore the new Bolton revelation or simply dismissing it as nothing new.

Republican senate leadership led by Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) downplayed the Bolton bombshell, even going as far as dismissing it altogether.

But a few GOP senators including Mitch Romney (R-Utah) said the new revelations changes the dynamics of the trial.

“I think it’s important for us to hear from John Bolton,” the senator from Utah said.

He said it is increasingly likely that he will vote to subpoena witnesses and documents, including calling John Bolton to testify.

I think it’s important for us to hear from John Bolton for us to be able to make an impartial judgment,” Romney told reporters.

Maine senator Susan Collins also issued a statement saying she was likely to vote for witnesses to be called to testify.

“The reports about John Bolton’s book strengthen the case for witnesses and have prompted a number of conversations among my colleagues,” she said.

Meanwhile Republican Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski reiterated her earlier statement that she was “curious” to learn what Bolton has to say.

Other Republican senators like John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) were quick to dismiss the whole development.

“Truly, there’s nothing new here. It does seem to be an effort to sell books,” Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) told reporters on Monday.

“I want to know what’s in the manuscript, yeah, I think that’s important,” said Sen. Graham, adding “It could. I don’t know yet. The White House said there was no direct evidence of communications, maybe this suggests that one person said there might be.”

“What I’ve said all along is if you’re going to add to the record, we’re going to do it in a balanced way. So let’s see what’s in the manuscript, let’s see if it’s relevant, and if it is, then I’ll make a decision about Bolton,” said Graham. “But I promise you this— if we add to the record, then we’re going to call Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, all these other people,” Graham continued.

But Democrats say it is an uphill battle to convince Republicans to vote in favor of calling witnesses and more documents because of the enormous pressure exerted by Trump and GOP leaders.

“We know the pressure they’re under. President Trump does not brook criticism, dissent kindly among Republicans. But we’re hoping in this kind of solemn, serious, historic and constitutional proceeding that the weight of doing what’s right, the weight of getting all of the facts, will weigh heavily on the shoulders of enough Republicans so we can get a fair trial,” Schumer said.

The post Bolton Bombshell Upends Trump Senate Trial, GOP Continues Denial appeared first on The Liberal Advocate.

The current occupant of the White House is so incensed with his predecessor that he would even shamelessly copy him in a tribute to National Basketball Association legend, Kobe Bryant who died over the weekend.

Moments after news of Kobe’s death broke, Trump sent out a nonsensical tweet calling it “terrible news!”

“Reports are that basketball great Kobe Bryant and three others have been killed in a helicopter crash in California. That is terrible news!” Trump wrote.

Moments later, Obama posted a thoughtful tweet honoring Kobe, showing Trump how it is done.

“Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act,” Obama tweeted later Sunday. “To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents,” Obama wrote.

“Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day,” Obama continued.

Trump then tweeted a second time, this time shamelessly copying Obama.

“Kobe Bryant, despite being one of the truly great basketball players of all time, was just getting started in life. He loved his family so much, and had such strong passion for the future. The loss of his beautiful daughter, Gianna, makes this moment even more devastating. Melania and I send our warmest condolences to Vanessa and the wonderful Bryant family. May God be with you all!”

The post Trump Shamelessly Copies Obama Tweet About Kobe Bryant appeared first on The Liberal Advocate.

The Republican Party is damaged but is it damaged beyond repair?

From healthcare and tax reform to climate change, Republicans are either in denial, unwilling or too scared, to do anything.

They can’t claim credit for the economy or job growth. Yes, I know Donald Trump will try to, but any claim falls in the face of reality. The economy recovered before Trump assumed office and he has done nothing to alter the course of the economy in any meaningful way.

Taking credit for good job numbers also appears hypocritical since the party on several occasions, accused Obama administration of manipulating the numbers when job growth picked up a few years ago.

To now turn around and accept the new job numbers just because a Republican is in the White House is disingenuous, to say the least. Perhaps Trump is manipulating the numbers now? Just thinking out loud.

Even Republicans know there is something fundamentally wrong with their party.

I am not a Republican. As you can probably tell, I am a Liberal so go ahead and scream at me all you want but even you have to admit something is terribly wrong with the Republican Party.

Republicans control the White House and U.S. Senate. They control most state houses and local government offices, yet can’t get anything done.

Granted, Trump is incompetent and it is easy to argue that he is a businessman and not a politician, so he may not fully appreciate how the U.S. government works.

That’s fine. Argue that if it makes you happy.

I’m even willing to grudgingly grant you that perhaps that is why he is flailing. But what do you say about the Mitch McConnell led Senate?

Can you argue that Sen. McConnell (R-KY) lack experience too?

Against Barack Obama, it was easy to be in opposition. All the GOP had to do was stand firm and say ‘No” to everything, just like they did.

Sen. McConnell was famously quoted during a National Review interview with Major Garrett on Oct. 29, 2010 as saying: “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”

And it worked amazingly well for them too, even though he failed in that singular mission.

What is clearly harder is figuring out a way to govern.

Today, I’d like to delve into what I believe is really going on with the party and why it seems impossible for them to get their footing on major issues of importance to Americans.

In his analysis of the Republican Party, Michael Grunwald published a Time Magazine article about the “reality-defying extremism and chronic obstructionism and borderline surrealism of the modern Republican Party,”

He wrote that the party was on a “journey to wackadoodleland.”

OK. I will not be that hard on the GOP but he was right.

He stated aptly that the biggest problem facing the party was that America had moved on from the GOP.

“The party can adapt to an electorate that is getting less demographically Republican (more diverse, less rural, more educated, less evangelical) as well as less ideologically Republican (less hostile to gays, gun control, and government),” he continued.

He concluded that “the main problem is the product. It’s outdated and it’s bogus.”

Before you light your pants on fire, consider this: Republicans control everything.

Everything!

Over the years the Republican Party has gone from a party with solid principles to a party of excuses.

Go back a few years and you will see how the excuses have evolved…but they are excuses all the same.

In 2009, they complained that they were handicapped because they were not in control of the House of Representatives. They argued that given the opportunity, they could do better than Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare.

Americans believed them and gave them control of the House. They then said they needed to control the U.S. Senate to accomplish anything. So voters gave them control of the U.S. Senate as well.

Still they could not accomplish anything meaningful besides stopping women from having control over their bodies and what to do with them, and casting over sixty five meaningless votes to repeal Obamacare.

In 2016, voters not only gave them the House and Senate, they gave them the White House. And what did they accomplished ? Nothing.

Yes. Nada.

So the voters took away the House of Representatives from them.

What is their excuse now? The said they need filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Does that look like an excuse to you? You are right. It is just an excuse, a way to cover their inability to move legislation through Congress dominated by their caucus.

Are Republican voters being conned by their leaders? You bet.

The Republican Party of Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell has become a party afraid to tell the truth. They have become a party willing to lie, call everything fake news, look the other way and act as if reality isn’t reality, just to win elections.

Earlier when it became obvious that Trump may not be up to the job he was elected to do, GOP leaders refused to admit the truth.

Go back to after Michael Flynn was fired by Trump for “lying” to Vice President Pence, who himself has been found to have lied about not knowing anything about Michael Flynn despite being told about Flynn numerous times, House Speaker Paul Ryan said he was not interested in the truth.

“I don’t worry about things that are outside my control,” he was quoted as saying when reporters confronted him about Flynn.

After former FBI director James Comey was unceremoniously dismissed by President Trump, Republican leaders again punted on taking action.

“We need to wait to get all the facts,” was their response even when it was obvious that Trump’s action may have obstructed justice.

It is easy to dismiss all these as inconsequential.

What is painfully clear watching Republicans bury their heads in the sand is that they are either unable, unwilling or worse, afraid, to perform their constitutional duties in the face of Trump’s apparent cognitive issues and the president’s willingness to subject the country to the will and control of a foreign hostile power – Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

As a Republican, I know you can’t wait to scream at me or call me all kinds of names. Good. Consider this: If Barack Obama were half as stupid, incompetent and moronic as Trump, can you honestly tell me you will not be screaming for his head?

Be honest. Or is that too far above you?

Do you honestly believe Ted Cruz, Mitch McConnell, Devin Nunes or other Republican elected officials would stand by and not attempt to impeach him?

If you are honest, you know the answer to that question.

Trump is a liar. He lies about anything and everything. He was even caught lying about the Boys Scout.

What was the reaction of GOP leaders? Yawn!

The Republican Party can’t move healthcare bill, have not done the infrastructure bill they promised Americans. All they have done is give away billions of tax payer dollars to the rich.

Trump does not have accomplishments in office besides thousands of useless tweets.

Should American be worried that a party that can’t seem to get its bearing controls levers of U.S. government? You bet. At this rate, nothing will get done and Americans will be worse for it.

Don’t let anyone fool you. The Republican Party is irreparably damaged. But that is not the scariest part.

The Party has not idea how to fix itself. Now, that is scary!

Let’s hope they wake up soon.

You may not agree with the opinion stated here. That is fine. Just state your opinion below and tell me why you disagree. Be civil about it. We are all adults, after all.

The post Is The Republican Party Damaged Beyond Repair? appeared first on The Liberal Advocate.

Well, it turns out it could be true.

This week, a tape recording surfaced where you could here Trump demanding that Marie Yovanovitch, the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine be fired. And is anyone angry abiout that? Nope.

At least not the Republicans in U.S. Congress.

See also: GOP Senators: Yes, What Trump Did was Wrong. So What?

The tape was recorded during a 2018 dinner Trump had in his hotel with Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, the two men he later claimed he never knew.

“Get rid of her!” a voice appearing to belong to Trump says on the recording, according to ABC News, which on first reported its existence.

“Get her out tomorrow. I don’t care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. OK? Do it.”

Parnas’ attorney, Joseph Bondy, confirmed the authenticity of the recording which he said was made by Fruman and shared with Parnas “shortly after it was recorded.”

“We do believe that contents of the conversation as portrayed by ABC News are of critical importance in the impeachment trial of the President,” Bondy said in a statement. “And would urge that it be produced to Congress.”

The post Trump Caught on Tape Demanding U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Be Fired appeared first on The Liberal Advocate.

Asked by the media if Trump committed a crime, Ohio senator Rob Portman said he believed what Trump did in regards to withholding aid to Ukraine and asking that country to investigate his political opponent, was wrong but he could not see why he should be removed from office.

“Some of the things that were done were not appropriate… but that’s a very different question than removing someone from office who was duly elected in the middle of a presidential election,” Sen. Portman said.

Other Republican senators simply want to end the trial as quickly as possible. Texas senator John Cornyn said extending the trial will stall everything else in the U.S. Senate.

“There’d be nothing else we could do in the interim. It would basically hijack the senate. In the meantime, the Senate can’t do anything else; we can’t confirm judges, we can’t have hearings, we can’t even introduce legislation.”

Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming argued that he would hear it from his constituents at home if he allows the trial to continue.

“Every day we spend doing this, we’re not doing — I’m a doctor. I want to lower the cost of insulin. I want to deal with this surprise medical billings issue. … But because we’re stuck with this, and the longer you are going, and the longer you’re dealing with witnesses, the harder it is to get to the things that I hear about in Wyoming.”

But Democrat House Manager Adam Schiff of California reminded the Republican senators what is at stake in the trial.

Truth. And right.

“If right doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter how good the Constitution is. It doesn’t matter how brilliant the framers were. It doesn’t matter how good or bad our advocacy in this trial is,” Schiff said. “If right doesn’t matter, we’re lost. If the truth doesn’t matter, we’re lost.”

The post GOP Senators: Yes, What Trump Did was Wrong. So What? appeared first on The Liberal Advocate.