Sunday, April 21, 2019

John Neffinger Offers 7 Questions You Might Want To Take With You To The Next Republican Congress Member's Town Hall You Attend

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What a pity Devin Nunes doesn't do town hall meetings with his constituents-- not even in disguise!

A month before the release of the redacted Mueller report, John Neffinger, author-- Compelling People: The Hidden Qualities That Make Us Influential-- and former DNC Communications director-- told me that he's "open to the idea that there was not enough evidence to establish criminal conspiracy (at the very least in the same way that DOJ said that with a straight face about Wall St executives during the financial crisis), 'COLLUSION!!' is not a legal term, though, and 'no collusion' is misleading at the very best."

Since the redacted report was released though, he has read it cover to cover and, based on what he's written about it so far, my guess is that he's relieved that he no longer has to be open to that idea. Trump's a criminal alright, but will never be indicted by this Department of Justice. Neffinger came up with seven question he'd like to see asked at Republican incumbents' town halls. Personally, I would also like to see these questions asked of Republican talking heads who come on TV to defend the otherwise indefensible. And, remember, even after the release of the damning report, 75% of Republicans still approve of how Trump is handling his scandalous sojourn in the White House. I asked John to put the questions together as a guest post.


Implications Of Mueller's Report GOP Congress Members Might Like To Discuss With Voters
-by John Neffinger


1- I read the report; it took me a few hours. It's long, but it's not hard to follow. And I just came away with this sense, your assessment is just wrong. It reads like a really strong case for impeachment. My question is... Have you sat down and read the report front to back? 

2- The Mueller report says a sitting president cannot be indicted-- no matter how much evidence there is he committed crimes. Do you think the president is above the law?

3- I read the report. Russian intelligence attacked our country, and Trump encouraged them, and helped them, and hid what they were doing.  He helped our enemies attack America. In other words, he betrayed his country. And then he broke the law to cover it up. So, I just want to know if you're okay with that.

[If someone wants to argue about that assertion... Trump's team gave Russia poll results on the swing states the Russians were targeting on Facebook! The Mueller report says Trump encouraged Russia to break the law to help him: Trump changed the Republican platform, criticized NATO, talked about a plan to give Russia eastern Ukraine, and they had coordinated communications plans to amplify wikileaks stuff.]

4- As you know, the Mueller report says Russian intelligence illegally interfered in our elections to help Trump win. And that Trump encouraged them, and helped them, and hid what they were doing. My question is, would you ever do that? Would you ever welcome and encourage and help and hide a foreign country breaking our laws to get you elected?

And the follow-up that just asks itself... If you don't think it would be okay for you to do that, do you think it's okay for Trump to do that?

5- So if Congress doesn't take action on this (and you've shown no signs you're interested in that), what's to keep this from happening over and over again? Won't Trump do the same thing in 2020? Should the Democratic nominee encourage some NATO countries to help them out with hacking or social media too? Is this our new normal of how American politics works, with foreigners helping their favored Americans seize power?

6- You and your fellow Republicans voted in 2018 against funding to beef up our election security. Now that the Mueller report shows the extent of illegal Russian interference and hacking in our elections, do you think it was wrong of you to vote against protecting our elections better?

7- Mueller's report made clear Russia was working to elect Republicans win in 2016. Last year the Dallas Morning News also reported Russian oligarchs recently illegally donated $10 million to groups in America to help elect Republicans. You're our Congressperson, we pay you to represent us. What I want to know is, are you taking any money from Russians, or overseas? If Congress subpoenas all the campaign spending records-- not just your campaign, but your party, and all the groups that help you win-- can you tell us 100% they will find no Russian or Saudi money in there?


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6 Comments:

At 1:46 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

their answers to all 7 will be the same: don't give a shit. especially the money thing.

and you know what... voters on both sides will agree.

winning is everything in this shithole. how you win is irrelevant.

 
At 2:32 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is only rarely a good strategy to rely upon the general public to take large and important steps to save the nation. The Civil Rights Movement in the South is one such, not that the effort was accomplished completely. Ask Stacy Abrams how well that worked out for her.

More recently, however, now many people showed up to protest the arrest of Assange against all applicable international law? Trump's "fake news" campaign has successfully converted all news into infotainment, with the info portion minimized almost into insignificance.

When the corporatist government terminates any public participation in the governance of this nation by eliminating voting (see: China), they will set up shop and begin operating with no more attention than a couple of young kids setting up a kool-aid stand at the edge of the community inside the wall surrounding it.

 
At 3:28 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I’m a progressive and support Bernie Sanders, so I have absolutely no use for Trump, the Republican Party, of even so-called ‘centrist’ Democrats that wish to maintain the status quo. All that said, I think it is time to drop and move on from Russiagate. No indictments, no conspiracy, and there will be no impeachment. Trump is, and will remain, a dangerous, ignorant, egomaniac who cares nothing about anyone other than himself. Best to work towards defeating him and his enablers in the 2020 election and there are multiple ways to do that without blaming Putin or Russia. Last thing we need is a return to a Cold War with a arms race and increasing tension with a nuclear power.

Instead, of wasting another minute on Russia Russia Russia, how about going after the threat from accelerating climate change, accelerating inequality, and endless, wasteful, failing and illegal wars. A Pentagon and military-industrial-intelligence-surveillance complex that is out of control and Wall Street back to its predatory habits after being bailed out by taxpayers. More than enough to stop the Republicans if the Democrats can just get off the Russiagate delusion long enough to see we are failing badly and it isn’t Russia’s fault.

 
At 4:04 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree about dropping Russiagate because we know that the democraps are too frightened to do anything. Trump might issue an angry tweet about them!

I would like to see them go after Trump's violations of the emoluments clauses, but once again, the democraps are too frightened to do anything. Trump might issue an angry tweet about them!

Every day, considering we end up with the republicans running (and ruining) things in this nation, what reason is there to vote for democraps who won't do their own jobs with regard to defending the nation from the excesses of Trump and the other corporatists?

 
At 8:41 PM, Anonymous Richard Langly said...

We were attacked by Russia in an act of cyberwar and Trump and his republicans welcomed that, along with the money that oligarchs have sent their way. They have done nothing to address preventing further attacks and more elaborate attacks. That will encourage Russia even more. To date, the democrats have done nothing in response and they have lacked the guts and patriotism to make this an issue. What a surprise (not). Not holding Trump accountable will not only encourage Moscow and other foreign adversaries, it will give permission to the next Trump-like president that comes along to sell us out even more. Dealing with this is not wasted time.

 
At 10:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Everyone is kind of correct. We SHALL drop the Russia thing because nobody will ever do anything about it. nobody.

If we want someone to do something about things like this, we cannot keep electing democraps. clearly. they won't ever do anything. ever.

Now... dealing with this would not be a waste of time. That is, if we dealt with it in some way that might possibly yield results.

electing democraps will never yield results except for wall street, war street, health insurance, phrma etc.

 

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