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PBC News & Comment: Democrats Dither as Nadler Tip-Toes Toward Impeachment

Chairman Nadler makes noises about impeachment, as Congress breaks till September with no consensus after St. Bob Mueller disappointed Russiagaters…..--Mueller’s sketchy testimony led 5 Democrats and 0 Republicans to support impeachment

--Pelosi remains cautious, embracing risky calculation that going easy on Trump will preserve her House majority

--many Dems spin Mueller’s appearance as positive, but Matt Taibbi is brutally honest

--touted as bipartisan, heavily redacted Senate Intel report says Russia “combed” voting systems in all 50 states, screams that Russia could’ve changed votes, but didn’t

--Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), a presidential candidate, told Rachael Maddow it’s “unassailable” that “Russia attacked our democracy”

--House passes 2-year budget that pours more money into Pentagon, drives up debt, and avoids government shutdown

--Defense critic William Hartung slams the budget for increasing Pentagon funding

--in new, in-depth interview, retired Col. Andrew Bacevich muses about how 2019 will look to future historians, and it isn’t pretty

--Bacevich wrote a good analysis of the Iran tensions, published today at Forbes

--at ConsortiumNews, Pepe Escobar offers more pointed criticism

--Hong Kong protesters, denied parade permit, gather at airport as threats of crackdown circulate

--federal appeal court panel, led by Bush-appointed torture apologist Jay Bybee, rules out one element of immigration law, many cases could be overturned

--as Speaker Pelosi met with AOC, NY Times says AOC was “trying to make amends” but offers no proof of that speculation

--WashPost religion writers examine how Jews respond to Trump’s attacks on the Squad for alleged anti-Semitism

--Bernie Sanders hits back at the network that keeps sniping at him, MSDNC

--Caitlin Johnstone gives fair consideration to “woo woo” candidate Marianne Williamson

--Trump tried to intimidate Sweden into releasing accused rapper A$AP Rocky, as Swedish authorities ignore him and put him on trial

--Virginia graphic designer Charles Leazott, who concocted phony presidential seal, gets rich reward as it is displayed at Trump event