Putin-Gate

Yesterday America's supine Senate confirmed that they, as a body, are as kakistocratic as any other part of the Trumpist government, confirming, 51-48 Mr. Benczkowski as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice. It was a largely party-line vote, every single Republican voting to confirm this clearly unqualified freak, with every Democrat, sans Joe Manchin (D-WV), voting no.

Useful Idiots, Enablers by Chip ProserI'm guessing Jonathan Chait and Glenn Greenwald are not sitting down for some blinis and caviar at the Russian Tea Room any time soon.

Un-American Activities In The House by Chip ProserFormer Texas Senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison (R), was appointed U.S. ambassador to NATO by Señor Trumpanzee. Yesterday she was a guest, from Brussels, on both Face the Nation and on Fox News Sunday. On the latter, she told Dana Perino that she thinks "Russia is trying to flip Turkey. They're trying to flip many of our allies.

I've been binge-watching Billions and I'm finishing up Season 3. There's is certainly some inspiration there from the activities of Preet Bharara, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York is his office's battle against Steve Cohen (S.A.C. Capital Advisors) and John Gutfreund (Salomon Brothers). I've learned a lot about the workings of the U.S.

by NoahIt's fitting on so many levels that Herr Trump would be lured by the flag of Putin's old Soviet Union while swimming in a pool of warm yellow water. Why? Do you really have to ask? First of all, Putin's dream is to rebuild the former Soviet Union, and whatever Putin wants, Trump wants too.Herr Trump confirmed on Wednesday that, just like Putin's folks said, he was going to Helsinki to meet up with his BFF.

Mafiya by Chip ProserBefore I retired a few years ago, I was president of one of the divisions of TimeWarner, Reprise Records, a label started by Frank Sinatra as a refuge for artists, like himself, who didn't want to be pushed around by suits or by a producer. By the time I took it over, Sinatra had sold the company to Warner Bros. but I tried to run the company the way he intended it to be run. I took that seriously. Our artists did too.

Almost everyone and every organization has a wikipedia page, right? But not James George (Jim) Jatras and not the American Institute in Ukraine which he claims to be Deputy Executive Director of. And not Anthony T Salvia, the Executive Director of the American Institute in Ukraine. (I did find an Anthony T La Salvia, who in 2014 was an unsuccessful Democratic primary judicial candidate in Maricopa County.

Manafort's prison has a Facebook page-- he's already the starI hope Manafort isn't the only Trump crony to find out. Perhaps they can build a prison for the whole lot of them eventually. With a golf course? I bet Manafort wasn't happy spending Fathers Day behind bars yesterday. Although I'm sure his ex-son-in-law was glad he was.

One of my neighbors asked me yesterday if Manafort will be allowed to keep dyeing his hair while he's in prison. I don't think so; isn't hair dye poisonous? He could poison himself or another inmate. I was once in an Afghan prison but my business partner, a relative of the king, got me out before I could settle into a routine or observe such about how the inmates groomed themselves.

Pelosi is one of the least liked politicians in America-- two caveats though: 1- her own constituents love her and showed it at the polls 2 weeks ago when 172,399 voters turned out-- more than any other district in California-- and gave her an overwhelming win against 6 challengers and 2- she's far more popular than Mitch McConnell, the most disliked elected official in America.McConnell's seat isn't up this November.