PBC News & Comment: GOP Circus Tries to Derail Impeachment-Lite

As Democrats move to pass 2 articles of impeachment along party lines, Republiclowns use every available diversion tactic in the book…--in political ping pong, D’s and R’s trade same old talking points to the point that nobody’s listening
--new poll shows Americans don’t understand the steps of impeachment and 47% support impeachment and removal of Trump
--WashPost lists 27 arguments the Republicans repeat over and over
--Guardian op-ed by Geoffrey Kabaservice argues that GOP antics could cost them at election time
--Trump’s order identifying Jews as a race and nationality gets tepid reaction from NY Times editors,  rejection from writer Kate Aranoff
--Knesset couldn’t form a government, so Israel will hold 3rd election in less thana year
--WashPost Afghan Papers part 4 zeroes in on US-fueled corruption
--House Dems throw more money at the Pentagon, and throw out the provisions to prevent US war on Iran and Yemen
--Pentagon investigator will look at Trump’s effort to steer Wall construction to unqualified company owned by a MAGA man, as a second federal judge blocks diversion of funds to build Wall
--Senate continues to confirm extreme, unqualified white guys to federal courts
--lawyers challenge the conviction of Dzhohkar Tsarnaev for Boston bombing
--at ConsortiumNews, John Kiriakou—who arrested Abu Zubaydeh—comments on NY Times publication of Zubaydeh’s drawings of torture he received
--Fusion GPS founders refused to talk to Inspector General, but tell Britons they need their own Mueller investigation
--Glenn Greenwald breaks his silence, slams FBI and media
--Kevin Gosztola outs Committee to Protect Journalists, which excludes Julian Assange from annual list of jailed journalists
--Fox anchor Chris Wallace hits Trump for assault on the press
--after racist comments on Tucker Carlson’s show, AOC fights back