Little memos, and oil drilling are top stories this week

CIA Director says Russia will try to interfere in this year’s elections; Sen. Murray demands Republicans commit to efforts to preserve the integrity of U.S. elections
Press release from Sen. Patty Murray dated 2/ 6/ 18
(Washington, D.C.)  – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) joined her colleagues on the Senate floor to call on their Republican colleagues to defend our democracy from attacks by foreign adversaries, which is especially urgent in light of CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s comments last week that he fully expects Russia to attempt to meddle in the 2018 midterm elections. Sen. Murray also questioned why President Trump missed a deadline to implement Russia sanctions, despite overwhelming support in Congress to do so.
Sen. Murray’s Remarks as Prepared for Delivery:

Thank you. I commend my colleagues who are sounding the alarm about Russia’s interference in U.S. elections and who have worked tirelessly for months on their respective committees to get the answers Americans deserve and give the confidence Americans need to know that their government is committed to preventing such interference from happening again. This work is incredibly important to people around the country and in my home state of Washington.

I’ve heard from countless people who deeply love this country, but fear for its institutions and are concerned about the integrity of its elections. Because here are the facts. More than a year ago, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded Russia interfered in the last U.S. presidential election-- calling Russia’s meddling a “significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort” compared to previous attempts. That’s not my opinion, it’s not a partisan statement—it’s a fact.

Even more troubling, they’re already back at it. We know because our president’s own hand-picked CIA Director said last week that “of course” Russia is trying to meddle in this year’s midterm elections. That is exactly why this Congress approved sanctions months ago in order to punish Russia and show them the steep price of doing this again because if there is one thing we should all be able to agree on, it is that no one should get away with such a devious attack on our democracy.

But somehow, while the public demands action, the White House has gone silent, refusing to implement the sanctions for reasons President Trump can’t or won’t explain. The same president who has no problem speaking and tweeting on any other topic under the sun clams up when it comes to Russia.  Or tries to change the subject. Or launches a political attack. The same president who promised to put “America First” has failed to live up to the most basic duty of defending our elections and enforcing congressional actions to punish Russian meddling. The same president who promised “law and order” has been lashing out against a special counsel investigation with a campaign to discredit our agencies of law and order by criticizing the men and women of our nation’s top law enforcement agencies, firing or threatening to fire those who stand up to him, and sowing doubt about the media that dares report the facts.

And let us remember, the Putin regime that President Trump is so fond of is one that has invaded and annexed part of Ukraine, and continues to incite war in Ukraine, is propping up the murderous Assad regime, and is every bit as responsible for those heinous acts as Assad himself, and constantly tries to instigate conflict by threatening our troops around the world.

M. President, perhaps the most disappointing piece of this, President Trump is not acting alone. He gets help from members of Congress who have joined the partisan attacks on the FBI and the Department of Justice.

Just think about that. We have a president and members of the Republican Party more interested in helping a foreign power get away with interfering in our elections than allowing an investigation to run its course. It is simply stunning how far some of my Republican colleagues will go to undermine the Special Counsel and Congressional investigations in order to score political points.

This doesn’t just put them at odds with the public in the short-term, this has long-term consequences for the men and women who protect our country from harm.

A few days ago, a former supervisory special agent with the FBI—who served as a counter-terrorism investigator and special assistant to the bureau’s director—explained why he was resigning from the FBI in order to speak publicly. He said his resignation was painful, but, “the alternative of remaining quiet while the bureau is tarnished for political gain is impossible.” He said he worries the damage from attacks on the integrity of the FBI could last generations.
So there are a number of things this Congress must commit to. First, we must ensure Special Counsel Robert Mueller stays on the job and continues to follow the facts wherever they may lead, without threats or intimidation, and with all the resources he needs. We already know the president talked about firing Mr. Mueller last year. Well, the president should be on notice that firing Mueller is not an option. The same goes for trying to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
I also want to be clear– doling out presidential pardons to try to cover up any collusion or obstruction of justice is unacceptable and will be met with furious resistance across the country. This is about our elections, our national security, and our standing around the world. And no one—  no one— should stand in the way of a thorough investigation.
In the coming days, weeks, and months, Congress must work to fulfill its duty to the American people by ensuring the integrity of our elections and safeguarding investigations by allowing them to run their course, free from political pressure.
The question is whether the Trump Administration and all members of Congress will choose to act in the best interest of our country and our democracy, or whether they will continue to act out of self-preservation and short-sighted political gain.
The world will be watching. Thank you, I yield the floor.



Related stories....
 Senator Murray’s Statement on the Release of the GOP House Intelligence Committee Memo
Press release issued on 2/ 2/ 18
(Washington, D.C.)  – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement.
“The American people deserve the truth about Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, and they deserve to have confidence that their government is committed to preventing such interference by a foreign power from ever happening again. Sadly, it’s clear the sole intention of this misleading and untruthful ‘memo’ released today— against the wishes of the Department of Justice and the FBI— is to distract the public from these goals. This partisan exercise is not only self-serving and extraordinarily reckless, it’s deeply damaging to the public’s faith in our institutions and to the men and women who go to work every day to keep our nation safe from harm. President Trump’s complicity in this release is disgraceful.
“As I’ve said from the outset, it is critical that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is able to continue to follow the facts wherever they may lead—without threats or intimidation, and with all the resources he needs—so the American people get the full explanation they deserve. This investigation isn’t about politics—this is about the integrity of our elections, our national security, and our standing around the world. No one should stand in the way of a thorough investigation.”
Earlier today, Senator Murray joined her colleagues in a letter to President Trump warning him that using the partisan Nunes memo as a pretext to fire Special Counsel Bob Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein – who is overseeing Special Counsel Mueller’s Russia investigation – would be considered an attempt to obstruct justice and spark a constitutional crisis.

Just released partisan & misleading memo seeks to discredit the Russia investigation, Deputy AG Rosenstein, and the hard-working men & women of the FBI as a means of protecting President Trump 
Press release from Sen. Patty Murray dated 2/ 2/ 18
Washington, DC – In a new letter to President Trump, top Senate and House Democrats today warned the president that using the newly-released partisan Nunes Memo as a pretext to fire either Special Counsel Bob Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein – who is overseeing Special Counsel Mueller’s Russia investigation – would be considered an attempt to obstruct justice and spark a constitutional crisis not seen since the Saturday night massacre.

The letter, signed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Patty Murray, House Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Ranking Member Adam Schiff,  Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler, notes that House Intel Chairman Devin Nunes’ selective and misleading partisan memo seeks to discredit the FBI and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, all as a means of protecting President Trump and undermining Special Counsel Mueller’s Russia investigation.
Text of the Democrats’ letter to President Trump can be found below:

Dear President Trump:
The decision to release a partisan and misleading memo over the objections of your own Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director and the Department of Justice (DOJ) was a transparent attempt to discredit the hard-working men and women of law enforcement who are investigating Russia’s interference with our Presidential election and that nation’s ties to your campaign.

We are alarmed by reports that you may intend to use this misleading document as a pretext to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, in an effort to corruptly influence or impede Special Counsel Bob Mueller’s investigation.

We write to inform you that we would consider such an unwarranted action as an attempt to obstruct justice in the Russia investigation. Firing Rod Rosenstein, DOJ Leadership, or Bob Mueller could result in a constitutional crisis of the kind not seen since the Saturday Night Massacre.

related headlines....
PJ Media: Russians Lobbied Clinton on Uranium One as Spies Infiltrated Her Inner Circle
On Wednesday, a former FBI informant testified to three different congressional committees that Russian officials paid a lobbying firm to convince then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to approve the Uranium One deal. The effort came at a time when Russian nuclear executives were still working with Iran, and as Russian spies infiltrated Clinton's inner circle.

PJ Media: Democrats Are Headed for a World of (Deserved) Hurt
After years of  non-stop virtue signaling as the party of "truth, justice and equality," the Democrats are slowly, inexorably being revealed to be the reverse.  They are being hoisted on the petard of their own moral narcissism.  It has made them blind.

Patriot Post: Why FISA-gate Is Scarier Than Watergate
The Watergate scandal of 1972-74 was uncovered largely because of outraged Democratic politicians and a bulldog media. They both claimed that they had saved American democracy from the Nixon administration’s attempt to warp the CIA and FBI to cover up an otherwise minor, though illegal, political break-in.

WP: Did Hillary Clinton collude with the Russians to get ‘dirt’ on Trump to feed it to the FBI?
“The truth is that they [Democrats] are covering up that Hillary Clinton colluded with the Russians to get dirt on Trump to feed it to the FBI to open up an investigation into the other campaign.”

THE HILL/ Opinion: Urgent hearings needed to expose Russian midterm attack
There is a clear and present danger that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has directed his intelligence services to attack the 2018 midterm elections for the purpose of destabilizing and, in my opinion, helping Republicans win those elections, as Russia worked to help Trump win the 2016 elections.

American Specator: Hillary’s Attempt to Steele the Election
The intensity of the media’s attacks on a Republican is always in proportion to the degree to which he is impeding one of its causes. The doggedness of Nunes — his refusal to let a politicized FBI and Justice Department stonewall his committee — has thrown considerable light on the real scandal of 2016: not that Trump colluded with the Russians to win but that the Obama administration colluded with Hillary to defeat him.

WORLD NEWS HEADLINES from THE UN NEWS CENTER & Other Sources

UN PRESS RELEASE: Islamic State/Da'esh Using Social Media, Extortion to Retain Might after Military Setbacks, Territory Loss, Top Counter-Terrorism Official Tells Security Council
Despite military setbacks and loss of territory last year, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) was a present and continuing threat, the senior United Nations official for counter‑terrorism told the Security Council today, as he presented the Secretary‑General’s sixth report on the international and regional threat posed by that group (document S/2018/80).

Syria: Life 'living nightmare' for children in East Ghouta, UNICEF chief warns
9 February 2018 – Following reports that dozens of children have been killed in violence this week alone in Syria, a senior United Nations official on Friday stressed the need for unconditional evacuations of sick and wounded children from East Ghouta and other sieged areas.

UN seeks $1.06 billion to help fragile countries create ‘firewall against famine’
8 February 2018 – Ongoing conflicts and climate-related shocks have left millions of people on the brink of starvation, the United Nations agriculture agency warned on Thursday as it launched a $1.06 billion appeal to save lives and livelihoods, and tackle acute hunger in 26 countries.

In Seoul, UN chief says Global Goals must be a blueprint for fair globalization
8 February 2018 – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday highlighted the importance of engagement and empowerment to transform the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into benefits for all people worldwide and called on all sectors of the society to actively involve themselves in this endeavour.

From the US Mission to the UN
Ambassador Nikki Haley on the Failure of Talks between the Venezuelan Opposition and Maduro Regime

Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts

Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the UN Mission in Kosovo

THE US STATE DEPT: Press Availability With Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness

Leading U.S. Experts Appointed to U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation Board of Governors
The United States has appointed three new representatives to the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) Board of Governors who bring a wealth of scientific expertise and program management experience to the organization.  

US DEFENSE DEPT: Mattis Clears Up DACA Deportation for Service Members
U.S. service members who are a part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program cannot be deported, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis told Pentagon reporters today.





IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION....

page 2: Our Waters Are Worth Protecting, Too: Why We Must Preserve Our Coasts


Page 3: Kilmer Supports Bipartisan Plan to End Government Shutdown, Calls for Action for Dreamers

page 4: USDA Programs Empower Arkansas Farmer

Page 5: Statement from Secretary of State Kim Wyman on Department of Licensing voter registration error


Page 6: NEWS STORY COMMENTARY: Another trip down the "let's do this to feel good lane...."

NIGHT OWL COMICS page 7