During the 2016 campaign, Julian Assange worked hand-in-glove with Russia to install Putin’s Pet Pervert, Donald Trump, in the White House.  The Republican Reich are showing their gratitude by trying to punish Assange.  The way they are doing it could not be more devious.  They are using the left’s justified anger against Assange to use him as a vehicle to destroy the Fourth Estate.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was charged Thursday with violating the Espionage Act by seeking out classified information, an escalation of the Trump administration’s pursuit of leakers that could have major First Amendment repercussions for news organizations.

An 18-count federal indictment alleges that Assange worked with a former Army intelligence analyst to obtain and disseminate secret documents — actions similar to reporting work at many traditional news organizations. The U.S. government, though, sought to distinguish the anti-secrecy advocate from a reporter.

“Julian Assange is no journalist,” said John Demers, the assistant attorney general for national security. He said Assange had engaged in “explicit solicitation of classified information.”

Press freedom advocates said the distinction being drawn by prosecutors offers little protection for journalists. Noted media lawyer Floyd Abrams said that Assange may be a “singularly unattractive defendant in a lot of ways” but added that the indictment “does raise deeply threatening First Amendment issues for journalists who cover national defense, intelligence activities, and alike.”

Bruce Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said in a statement that the indictment was “a dire threat to journalists.”… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Washington Post>

Both Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow covered this story.  Here’s Chris:

Here’s Rachel:

Julian Assange is a total bastard for what he did to this nation.  For that, no punishment is severe enough. However, unless we fight to defend his rights now, the Republican Reich will use it against us all by destroying freedom of the press.

RESIST!!

It’s that time of week again, and here are three excellent video clips from Sam’s show last night.  Enjoy!

Democrats on Fox

While I understand the desire by some candidates to try to reach the Sheeple, who watch the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise. However, anything that lends credibility to Faux Noise is a slap in the face of honest journalism. Kudos to Liz and Kamala for superior integrity.

Journalism’s Corporate Sponsors

Anytime Republican billionaires and corporate criminals invade a market, they transform it into a sewer.

Candidate Sweep

I love the humor. However, there are a bunch with no chance, who could challenge Republican incumbents in the Senate. That would better serve the American people.

It’s great to feel well enough to enjoy Sam. 🙂

RESIST!!

The Republican Reich is a vile contradiction.  On the one hand, they insist that government be too small to interfere with the criminal predations of Banksters, billionaires and corporate criminals against the poor and middle classes.  On the other hand, they demand that government must be too big to allow women any choice at all over their reproductive health care.  To that and, Republicans have passed several state laws intended to ban a woman’s right to choose and overturn roe v. wade.

Abortion-rights advocates are holding rallies across the country Tuesday, protesting a wave of laws passed by states in recent weeks to severely restrict access to abortions.

Organizers include the ACLU, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and NARAL Pro-Choice America. More than 400 events were planned for a national day of action outside statehouses and courts, united under the #StopTheBans moniker.

A rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court drew a number of Democrats vying for the 2020 presidential nomination, including South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.

“This is the beginning of President Trump’s war on women,” Gillibrand told the crowd. “If he wants this war, he will have this war, and he will lose.”

Inserted from <Think Progress>

Kudos to the demonstrators.  Take a look.

Are we going to let Republicans return women to coat hanger health care?

Remember, in the Republican Reich, the right to life begins at conception and ends at birth.

RESIST!!

Fuhrer Drumpfenfarten and the Republican Reich will stop at nothing to obstruct justice.  The are so afraid that the truth will emerge, before they can steal another election that they are desperate.  They are illegally refusing to submit to legitimate congressional subpoenas.  And why do we see light at the end of that tunnel?  Here comes the judge.

President Trump’s accounting firm must turn over his financial records to Congress, a Federal District Court judge ruled on Monday, rejecting his legal team’s argument that lawmakers had no legitimate power to subpoena the files.

But Mr. Trump vowed that his legal team would appeal rather than permit the firm, Mazars USA, to comply with the subpoena and the ruling, so the legal fight is far from over.

The ruling by the judge, Amit P. Mehta of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, was an early judicial test of the president’s vow to systematically stonewall “all” subpoenas by House Democrats, stymieing their ability to perform oversight of Mr. Trump and the executive branch after winning control of the chamber in last year’s midterm elections.

[Read the ruling.]

Mr. Trump’s legal team, led by William S. Consovoy, had argued that the House Committee on Oversight and Reform had no legitimate legislative purpose in seeking Mr. Trump’s financial records and was just trying to dig up dirt — like finding out whether the president broke any laws — for political reasons, so the subpoena exceeded its constitutional authority.

Inserted from <NY Times>

Lawrence O’Donnell covered the story in depth. (15:27)

Thank God the case went to a real judge, not a Republican sycophant like Injustice Pervert Kava-Nazi!

Nevertheless, the Republican Reich appear to be willing the obstruction battle.  Unless that changes in short order, we may need to open an impeachment inquiry, with the caveat that we can use it to investigate without having to take a Bill of Impeachment to the Senate.

RESIST!!