MOMocrats

The MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. Check back here an hour from airtime for a list of the topics. Chances are, there will be some discussion of what's happening in Congress and a reaction to the latest  from lawmakers and candidates. An Engender Media Group production.

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Robert Mueller spoke yesterday, to announce that he was formally leaving the Justice Department, where he has served the last two years as special counsel investigating Russia's attack on our 2016 election. Mueller did not say much that was not in the report, including the fact of the systematic attack... and his assertion that he made no determination on the question of obstruction of justice because of a DOJ memo that prevents him from indicting a sitting president. Even that was newsworthy, as it directly contradicts what William Barr is still saying about the report... and Mueller seemed to be saying to Congress, "I did my job. It's time you did yours." MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss. 

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Nobody thought life under a Trump administration would be easy, and 2.5 years in, we're feeling the full brunt of the struggle. With two new conservative justices on the Supreme Court, red states around the country are competing with one another to see which one can enact the one draconian abortion law that can result in the end of Roe v Wade, and today, Missouri joined Georgia and Alabama with some doozies. Outside the US, John Bolton and Mike Pompeo are fanning the flames of war with Iran, so that's um, concerning. In the meantime, the Democrats in disarray meme is in full swing, as party activists react to the administration's stonewalling the House's oversight requests by screaming for impeachment hearings to begin - while Nancy Pelosi tenuously holds her caucus together against beginning proceedings now. And the field of Democrats running for the 2020 nomination has swelled to 23. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the political developments of the week from a progressive point of view.

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The MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. Check back here an hour from airtime for a list of the topics. Chances are, there will be some discussion of what's happening in Congress and a reaction to the latest  from lawmakers and candidates. An Engender Media Group production. 

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@karoli.bsky.social
@AlizaWrites.bsky.social

After reading the redacted Mueller report, Democratic activists rightfully say that it documents impeachable offenses - and the base is pushing for the House to start the impeachment process. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have long memories and point out that the hearings that are being scheduled now ARE part of the impeachment process - even if Nancy Pelosi doesn't choose to label them as such. The problem is: The White House has made the decision to defy ALL requests and subpoenas from Congress, so getting government witnesses to testify may take time (and Trump's strategy is to stall until the Congressional term is over). The MOMocrats also talk about the field of 20 2020 Democratic candidates, the appearances of some at the She the People conference, and Joe Biden's entry into the race. 

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Bill Barr decided to release his redacted version of the Mueller report on Thursday, as many Americans were busy with holiday preparations. We've had five days to digest the 448-page document and the avalanche of commentary on it, and one thing is certain: there is a difference between "exonerated" and the nuanced reasoning of Robert Mueller. The report documents a stunning number of accounts of the campaign's encounters with Russians and acceptance of Russian help, and even more incidents that would be charged as obstruction of justice - if Mueller had not felt constrained by Justice Department rules about indicting a sitting president. What happens next? The House Democrats are trying to figure that out - but MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills have their own ideas. 

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We're not gonna lie: It's been a depressing week for the Democrats. The president's men have circled the wagons to protect him, even as Trump rages on that the nation's laws keep him from being just as cruel and draconian as he wants. Between a purge at Homeland Security, stonewalling by William Barr, and Steve Mnuchin's outright refusal to comply with a legal demand for Trump's taxes, there have been few reasons to smile this week. On top of that, the field running for the 2020 nomination keeps on growing - and the media keeps focusing on the white males in the race instead of the more interesting, more progressive women and people of color. It's enough to make MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills want to drink. Pour a glass of wine and listen as they parse this week's news from a progressive point of view.

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Was anyone surprised this week when the New York Times and other news media reported that members of the Mueller team are frustrated with that "not a summary" Attorney General William Barr released just 48 hours after receiving the 400-page report? MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills weren't either. They discuss the end of the administration's outrageous victory lap and the fights to come - including the Ways and Means request for six years of Trump tax returns, and the security clearance scandal that engulfs First Son-in-Law Jared Kushner. The MOMocrats will also weigh in on the growing field of 2020 candidates, fundraising, and Joe Biden's MeToo moment. Politics from a progressive point of view, produced by Engender Media Group.

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It's been a week since Robert Mueller turned in his report - and only five days since AG Barr submitted a puzzling four-page memo that told us little but the fact that Mueller could not establish evidence of criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign in Russia. This was enough for the White House to embark on a victory lap declaring full exoneration - despite the memo's declaration that regarding obstruction, "this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him." While the administration is using this memo to justify going full authoritarian with an enemies list against Democrats and pundits and a new attack on the ACA, the public is clamoring to see the full report. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will talk about this new attack on healthcare, Betsy DeVos' flirtation with defunding the Special Olympics, and what the hell is happening in the United Kingdom with Brexit in this week's political podcast from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.

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The judge in Paul Manafort's Virginia trial for financial crimes sentenced him last night to 47 months in prison - substantially less time than the sentencing guidelines that could have held him behind bars for up to 24 years. Judge Ellis also proclaimed that Manafort (who spent years defrauding the government and representing foreign dictators) led an "otherwise blameless life." MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss that, the reported rift in the House Democratic Caucus over remarks made this week by freshman Representative Ilhan Omar - and this week's scandals out of the White House.  Politics from a progressive point of view, produced by Engender Media Group.

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