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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