Give Me One Treason To Stay Here... (The Mueller Investigation Part 9)

Link to previous thread.

When is the next round of indictments?

I cannot wait, R2! but damn it if I don't have to. For how long, though?

Have any of you listened to this episode of Ezra Klein's podcast? It's fascinating, but ultimately disheartening. His guest is Susan Hennessey of the Brookings Institution.

R4 Any chance you could summarize in a few sentences? Thanks.

It's hard to summarize, but what I took from it was Trump & co. are basically a bunch of political amateurs who had no idea that the things they were doing (meeting with Russian lawyers for dirt on Clinton, meeting with Russian officials during the transition, etc) were improper. Trump probably has some financial entanglements with Russian that are conflicts of interest. As sketchy as all of that is, none of it is technically illegal. Presidents have been impeached for far less, but unfortunately in this polarized political climate, impeachment is unlikely to happen in this case.

Hennessey also says that the Logan Act has never been tested in the courts, but it's probably unconstitutional.

R6: Hmmm, Okay...

[quote]As sketchy as all of that is, none of it is technically illegal.

Bullshit

Trump and company might be newbies to the political scene, but they have had enough court cases, people surrounding them, attorneys, etc to know the difference. IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE UNDER THE LAW.......not to mention all the politicians involved in his campaign, transition, administration, etc. That excuse will not fly.

R10, of course it's not an excuse under the law. Hennessey is saying that the things they've done are sketchy, improper, and constitute conflicts of interest, but are not technically illegal. Probably. She prefaces all of this by saying that we don't have all the facts (Mueller obviously knows a lot that hasn't been made public) and this is just speculation.

I'm not doing the interview justice. If you have time, you really ought to listen to it.

I think there have been several indictments currently under seal.

Lots and lots going on behind the scenes that we won't know until later.

"Trump & co. are basically a bunch of political amateurs who had no idea that the things they were doing (meeting with Russian lawyers for dirt on Clinton, meeting with Russian officials during the transition, etc) were improper. Trump probably has some financial entanglements with Russian that are conflicts of interest. As sketchy as all of that is, none of it is technically illegal."

That's because our forefathers never considered a crime of this magnitude a possibility. Just like on-line bullying. People got away with taunting teens to suicide because nobody knew a law would need to be in place. So frustrating!

Seth says:

[quote]We're in the proverbial "calm before the storm," now. #TrumpRussia

I find this calm frustrating but then I remember how delicious it was when that flurry of activity happened back in November (or was it October?). I can definitely wait for months for more of the good stuff to drop.

Keep in mind, if there was no illegal activity, then the investigations would have been over months ago......and it has nothing to do with obstruction, which happened after the fact and will be Trumps downfall. These investigations were underway for at least a year before Mueller came on board. If there was nothing there, they would have ended them instead of expanding them.

I hope the Mercers get dragged into it somehow.

[quote]I hope the Mercers get dragged into it somehow.

As I dimly recall Rebakah Mercer's ex-husband is Russian. I'm guessing they will be.

The anonymous White House staffer and Seth have now both made reference to a calm before something very, very big happening with regards to Trump and Russia.

Jared and Cambridge Analytica possibly, with help from Russia, Wikileaks, and $$$ from Mercer, STOLE the election as payback for Pootie - erase debts for all the money his oligarchs have given to Trump over the years and exact revenge on the Woman and the Negro for being better than he could ever hope to be. The GOP was/is complicit for the sake of their christo-white nationalist corporate agenda. Whether the depth of this treachery ever sees the light of day is questionable. Mueller may be honorable, though Republican, but doesn't seem a hero. His honor likely extends to maintaining stability and keeping a "good face" on things as we soldier on to 2020. He will keep us peons on a need to know (hardly anything) basis.

U.S. Warned Jared Kushner About Wendi Deng Murdoch

Officials said the businesswoman could be trying to further Beijing’s interests, people familiar with the matter say...

Did Jared and Ivanka use a Groupon to get the same nose, lips and teeth?

Give me the treason to want you back!

Why should I love you again

Do you know? tell me how

How to forgive and forget

My guess is shit starts getting real in March. Dump and company are on the ropes and the fool tries to do something like shut down the investigation around the summer or fall.

That's when thing will really get hairy. He's either going to try to stop the election or start a war as a distraction. The third quarter of this year leading up to the election will be the darkest.

OP is a Russian troll. Can't believe you're all falling for it.

if Shithole were to die today, would Mueller's investigation stop immediately? Would they continue to investigate other members of his family or administration?

Go fuck yourself, Boris at R24. That lame post isn't going to earn you any additional borscht tonight.

i wonder if they are going to bait the Democrats into shutting down the government so that they can stop the investigation and pull all kinds of maneuvers after that happeneds. If the fed is closed, I’m guessing they investigation is put on hold.

They would love to turn Washington into a ghost town, if even temporarily.

Won't happen, r27.

The government shuts down but "essential personnel" must still report. That means Mueller's team.

Plus the military and various other departments.

[quote] If the fed is closed, I’m guessing they investigation is put on hold.

No, sweetie, that's not how that works.

I want someone to promise me that Part 10 will be called, "We had joy, we had fun, we had Treasons In The Sun."

As you were.

I love it R30!!

We don’t need another shut down. We need politicians to grow up and act like adults for the good of the country.

Otherwise, just let Russia annex us already.

r30. I think that title should be used for the final thread after it all played out. We had joy, we had fun ...

The aftermath, or after party if you will.

We should all live so long....

Treasonable Doubt

I was going to say the same as R33.

R26= Glue Baby

I prefer “Treason of the Bitch”!

As if we needed any more proof that R37 is a sad borscht eater. Definitely the D team.

R38 I think that needs to be saved for when Ivanka gets thrown under the bus by daddy.

I can never see Ivanka being a villain. She’ll throw her father under the bus saying he tried to destroy her family by framing Jared, and later come out that he had a sexual relationship with her.

R41 I see it differently. I think that she'll throw Jared under the bus (either on her own or by the direction of Daddy). I think she's under the impression that Daddy would save her but she'd be wrong. Rump will throw everyone in front of the bus, including her, while he tries to run out the back door.

Ivanka vs. Stormy

That is soooo terrifying R43. I saw a gross photo of him holding her (Ivanka) by the hips during one of his rallies. What kind of father holds his grown daughter by her hips?

[quote]What kind of father holds his grown daughter by her hips?

A father who has a daughter who gives him lap dances?

No rhyme or treason.

I thought about that R46 but then it makes it sound as if there wasn't treason.

So many of these suggestions have been great. Some might end up being the perfect fit for various intervals as the investigation continues.

The photo in question!

It's up to republicans in the Senate to grow a pair. Would those republicans ever vote to convict him in an impeachment? My guess is no. Even if democrats got the Senate back in the fall they'd need republicans to convict him still, won't happen. But his presidency would essentially be over.

[quote]What kind of father holds his grown daughter by her hips?

Seems perfectly normal to me.

I’m with her.

[quote]What kind of father holds his grown daughter by her nips?

Fixed that for you Mackenzie.

Trump looks like he holding in an orgasm at R49’s picture. That’s his “I don’t want to cum yet” face.

Or it's his, "I'm trying to hold in a shit because I don't want to soil my diaper," look, R54.

Give me one treason to stay here

And I'll turn right back around

Said I don't want leave you lonely

You got to make me change my mind

Baby I got your number

Oh I know that you got mine

You know that I called you

I called too many times

Remember who Mueller has hired. Around 20 of the top prosecutors in various fields of specialty - from money laundering to cyber espionage.. These are lawyers from high profile law firms -- many of whom were probably making well over a million dollars a year. They didn't leave those types of jobs for nothing. They knew beforehand that they were signing on to take down a presidency and more. They're doing this to make history and it won't end in a whimper.

Real patriots, R57

I really hope she will eventually be locked up for treason.

oops wrong thread

Things are about to get interesting.....Not only is Bannon testifying before the house intelligence committee today, but it was just reported that he was subpoenaed to testify before the Grand Jury by Mueller. He was subpoenaed last week.....that explains alot about his comments since then.

And keep in mind, Mueller has all their emails. If they lie to him, they can get slapped with felony perjury charges.

So is Bannon's GJ testimony going to be about Russian collusion or money laundering or both, do ya think?

Bannon claims he has no part in the Russian aspects....Ill bet that Mueller disagrees and will question him regarding not only Trump, but Mercers and their parts involving Cambridge Analytica, Brietbart, and Russian propaganda.

SWOON!

Everything, r63. Every last thing.

I remember her doing press for the Muse, she was talking about how she was "cute" in it, not her words. Then she laughed maniacally as only she can and said, "who would ever thought of me being cute at 40?"

Added to the endorsement deals she got overseas for the 10-15 years post BI- especially France, I am sure she made a few shekels.

Once again, Trump & Co. aren't going down for collusion or obstruction of justice. This is the side show for the main event, which is the Trumps are going down for money laundering and racketeering, plain and simple. They've been getting by with it for decades and thus Trump's arrogance when deciding to run for the presidency: I've been getting by with breaking the law for 25+ years because no one bothered to investigate, so I'll be okay while running for President and if I get elected President.

On money laundering and racketeering, Trump & Co. can't plead ignorance of the law as a way to get out of it. Anybody with a fifth grade education knows money laundering is a crime, and even if Trump could claim ignorance, he's got enough shyster lawyers and CPAS around him who damn sure better know about it.

[quote]Anybody with a fifth grade education knows money laundering is a crime

Well, that lets us out.

FBI concerned about GOP getting access to their files.

Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney

FWIW, if the government shuts down on Friday, MUELLER gets to keep working.

Per DOJ: "All employees with the Special Counsel’s Office are considered exempt and would continue their operations in the case of a lapse in appropriations."

Bannon is going to sing like a canary if it gets him off scott free.

I've heard predictions that they believe Bannon will test the waters by claiming Executive Privilege.

He did so yesterday. did he not, R75?

They'll be doing this investigation for the next 4 years. If they haven't indicted him by now on anything, than this is just a diversion.

Fuck Off r77

keep telling yourself that R77.

Yes, R76 but he wasn't subpoenaed yesterday was he?

He was subpoenaed in court yesterday, but that wasn't my point. I don't think his use of Executive Priv will be a surprise, but I also don't think Mueller will indulge it.

r80....yes, he was. He refused to answer questions and they slapped a subpoena on him right then and there. He cant claim executive privilege with Mueller.

Now they’re saying Bannon has made a deal with Mueller to speak freely...

Bannon plans to tell all to grand jury. he refused questions related to investigation yeaterday to avoid leals before his testimony. He has the same attorney as priebus and mcghan both if whom have likey become witnesses against the president. I am betting he is doing the same thing.

[quote]Bannon plans to tell all to grand jury.

He's not going before the grand jury.

But he wasn't subpoenaed until after he refused to answer questions, right?

re 85. that is interesting. As i understand it executive priviledge could be raised in front of grand jury but because mueller is under the executive branch, direct questions by him would not be subject to priviledge?

Manu Raju‏ @mkraju

Bannon cuts a deal: Will interview with Mueller’s team to avoid going before grand jury for now,

Officials investigating the Kremlin’s interference in the 2016 US presidential election are scrutinizing newly uncovered financial transactions between the Russian government and people or businesses inside the United States.

Records exclusively reviewed by BuzzFeed News also show years of Russian financial activity within the US that bankers and federal law enforcement officials deemed suspicious, raising concerns about how the Kremlin’s diplomats operated here long before the 2016 election.

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team, charged with investigating Russian election interference and possible collusion by the Trump campaign, is examining these transactions and others by Russian diplomatic personnel, according to a US official with knowledge of the inquiry. The special counsel has broad authority to investigate “any matters” that “may arise” from his investigation, and the official said Mueller’s probe is following leads on suspicious Russian financial activity that may range far beyond the election.

$$$$$$$$$$

Yesterday was even more outrageous than we thought. Bannon’s lawyer was communicating directly with the White House, in real time, during Bannon’s inquiry. The White House was telling them when to respond and when not to respond.

Why is Bannon still protecting the Dump?

I think people are confusing the subpoenas.

He was in front of a committee yesterday where he was subpoenaed, by Nunes, to appear in front of his (a different) committee at a different date.

it was uncovered that he was ALSO subpoenaed by Mueller last week.

I don't believe he was under a subpoena yesterday. I think they then subpoenaed him for a later date because of his lack of responses.

Yes correct R94

Good stuff.

Jesus

Josh Rogin‏Verified account @joshrogin

TIllerson says his staff prints out Trump's tweets and then they try to figure out how to "use it" to make policy.

R94, who claimed that he was under subpoena yesterday?

Nobody claimed that as far as I can tell. Let’s not confuse this even more with meaningless interjections.

And r95, as if rebutting this phantom claim needed some additional reassurance.

Bannon was under subpoena yesterday....and still is....his hearing is continued until tomorrow, and the subpoena stays in effect. He was put under subpoena yesterday when he refused to answer question for the House committee, and they werent having it. Muellers subpoena is a serperate issue....and he was served with it last week.

The subpoena the committee pulled out of its ass was for testimony yesterday. An unusual case of immediacy.

Fuck Nunes. He belongs in jail right along with Trump and Co.

I think the confusion was as to whether or not he was under subpoena during the initial inquiry (where he wasn't answering questions. I think that's where people are getting confused.

1. He was served with the Mueller subpoena last week.

2. He went to voluntarily submit to questioning by the committee yesterday and was uncooperative.

3. The committee then said, "Fine, asshole, you don't want to cooperate, then we'll compel you. Here's your fucking subpoena."

4. He's still under subpoena to testify for the Mueller investigation.

5. Right now, he's trying to deal so he can get out of being in front of the grand jury and just answer questions from Mueller's team in private, but still under oath.

6. I'm sure this dick will perjure himself within about two minutes of opening his mouth under oath. Hopefully, he's indicted within the month for perjury and many, many other things.

Why doesn't he want to go before a grand jury?

[quote] 5. Right now, he's trying to deal so he can get out of being in front of the grand jury and just answer questions from Mueller's team in private, but still under oath.

Does this mean he thinks he knows something really big they haven't heard about yet?

Didn’t Trump move his “Fake News Awards” to today? Where are they?

I was wondering the same thing r107

Testifying at a grand jury is difficult. No lawyer on your side. Prosecutors and the jurors themselves can ask you questions. You are under oath with 20+ people all listening to your every word. It's very adversarial in nature and you really have no defense yourself. He didn't want to deal with any surprises that might come up. I'd wager that he will have a lawyer present when he speaks to Mueller's team privately.

He's now going to try to pull the "I can't answer on the advise of my lawyer." ploy and it isn't going to work. Then, he's going to try to claim executive privilege and that's not going to work, either, because Mueller is part of the executive branch and none of this crap has to do with national security or anything privileged. Then, he's going to try to take the Fifth. This might work right up until he's offered some sort of deal. Then, he'll sing like a fucking canary.

[quote]Why doesn't he want to go before a grand jury?

Probably because attorneys aren't allowed during grand jury testimony. He can have his lawyer while talking to Mueller's team.

The news of the Fake News Awards was fake news.

Will there be a big fat Fake News Award for the fake news that Rump is 6'3 and weighs anything near the 230s?

So what incentive does Mueller have to allow him to not testify in front of a grand jury?

If Bannon is uncooperative, they'll still send him to the grand jury. Bannon has supposedly agreed to openly answer questions in exchange for not having to go to the grand jury but he's a huge liar so I'm sure he'll end up there anyway.

Isn’t he closer to 340?

If these guys take it all the way and cause a civil war, nukes will be flying and the state charges troll will be there, saying any minute now, the AG of NY is going to file charges.

Just endulging in a little levity... keep the faith.

Was this already shared?

Unexpected defeat in rural Wisconsin special election sets off alarm bells for Republicans

R117, I'm guardedly hopeful that everything happening right now is awakening The People. The People are the same ones that heralded in the age of FDR. I wish FDR was put out there like the Repugs worship Reagan but I'm afraid Americans are too ignorant of history to make that a reality. I hope we are seeing the death rattle of the current Repug party. I know it's been said before but it feels more real and less show than before. That article says that the Koch brothers poured money into that tiny campaign and the voters basically told them to go fuck themselves. It's a start. Does anyone here know any Democrat who is blase about the upcoming elections? I sure don't.

It appears to me that hat bannon didn't want to testify before the house because he knew Nunes would go running to dump at the first opportunity and wants to appear "loyal".

However, if he's been subpoenaed by Mueller and has agreed to talk privately to Mueller's team, he knows it won't get back to dump until it's too late.

Speaking of this, has anyone seen how the scumbags are spinning it? Like are they still insisting that Hillary is going to be indicted soon?

[quote]However, if he's been subpoenaed by Mueller and has agreed to talk privately to Mueller's team, he knows it won't get back to dump until it's too late.

Rachel Maddow was talking about this tonight and sounded a bit doubtful because apparently Bannon's lawyer is a WH lawyer or something. I got distracted and didn't hear exactly whose lawyer he was as well or who exactly the lawyer is.

Theres reporting tonight that Muellers subpoena was meant to prevent Bannon from testifying in the House so Mueller gets first crack at him and he doesnt spill things to the House that could compromise the investigation.

[quote] Like are they still insisting that Hillary is going to be indicted soon?

I saw one comment of that nature yesterday on a twitter feed.

Bannon will say shit as long some WH loyalist (like the lawyer?) is present. If the lawyer is present at the Mueller interview I don't really see the point of the interview, because Bannon will not spill anything (plead the fifth?) and then be forced to make himself look like a fool at the grand jury with "I don't remember, I don't recall" flake out.

Is Bannon and the WH just kicking the can further down the road until some terrorist event gives Trump the excuse to declare Marshall Law or something? I mean at this point I think that's Trump and the GOP's only option. And I do believe they would use it and let thousands get killed to save their own sorry asses for a few more months or years.

[quote]Is Bannon and the WH just kicking the can further down the road until some terrorist event gives Trump the excuse to declare Marshall Law or something?

Who the fuck is Marshall?

MARTIAL law, pookie. Martial as in military.

[quote] What kind of father holds his grown daughter by her hips?

Trump is constantly touching people in creepy ways. He lays his hands on people’s shoulders, on their backs, and so forth. Check it out, if you haven’t noticed before.

What’s the deal with that?

R124, here on the DataLounge, there’s much concern that Trump will invoke Marshall Law. I think “Marshall” is derived from a misspelling in a post some years ago.

History professor sez that Mueller will reveal crimes that will "shock the nation" and force impeachment.

When it became evident that there was not going to be cooperation from witnesses, each investigation should have started issuing subpoenas then and there....for everyone. The reason this is taking so long is that the fox are controlling the hen house.

Bannon slipped up.

It makes my blood boil with how much Trump, his associates, and the GOP get away with. They can pull stunt after stunt and nobody holds them accountable for what they do. Hillary would be hanging from a tree for 1/10th of what Trump pulled so far.

Amen, r130. Trump's people paid off a PORN ACTRESS to the tune of $130,000 and somehow this story hasn't made a dent in the national consciousness.

Abramson is now speculating that Nunes’s team brought Bannon in after they got the news of Mueller sending his subpeona to Bannon. Both Dems and Republicans on the Committee wanted Bannon to answer their questions. But Nunes wanted to be able to share everything Bannon said with the White House before Bannon got to Mueller.

According to this scenario, Bannon was keeping quiet so Nunes couldn’t go run to Trump with Bannon’s testimony. This explains why Bannon is saying he will cooperate completely with Mueller.

R124 must be new here. "Marshall Law" is DL canon.

[quote]According to this scenario, Bannon was keeping quiet so Nunes couldn’t go run to Trump with Bannon’s testimony.

That doesn't square wit the fact that Bannon's lawyer was on the phone with the White House during the testimony, asking which questions Bannon should and should not answer.

r134......thats a bullshit story. Any questions would be directed to white house council. That person is Don McGan(sp)......whos lawyer is Bannons lawyer. Was the lawyer calling himself ?

As lawmakers probed Bannon’s time working for President Donald Trump, Bannon’s attorney Bill Burck was asking the White House counsel’s office by phone during the Tuesday session whether his client could answer the questions. He was told by that office not to discuss his work on the transition or in the White House.

It’s unclear who Burck was communicating with in the White House or whether it was top White House lawyer Don McGahn, who Burck is also representing in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The conversations were confirmed by a White House official and a second person familiar with Bannon’s interview. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

R133 eats old people’s excrement from The DL canon, like Steve Bannon!

Ron Klein thinks the interview (as opposed to grand jury) arrangement for Bannon is part of his "makeup tour" with the WH - since his lawyer is also the lawyer for the WH counsel Don McGahn, WH will know what Bannon said.

See the video at 9:45

Former Trump White House staffer Sebastian Gorka has an active warrant out for his arrest in Hungary, according to the Hungarian police's website.

Gorka, whose exact role in the White House while serving as a deputy assistant to the president was never entirely clear, apparently is in trouble with the law over a charge of "firearm or ammunition abuse." The warrant, first reported in Hungarian online outlet 444, was issued on Sept. 17, 2016, prior to Trump's election.

That means that during the entire seven months Gorka spent in the White House, including when meeting with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in Washington last March, an arrest warrant was pending overseas.

The parent company of Cambridge Analytica filed documents with the U.S. Justice Department's Foreign Agents Registration Unit disclosing $333,000 in payments by the UAE for a 2017 social media campaign linking the Qataris to terrorism. In June the Trump administration endorsed the aggressive Saudi and UAE stance against Qatar, and their decision to cut diplomatic ties. [...]

News reports that the FBI and Mueller were probing the FARA databases as part of the high-profile probe started circulating earlier this year, causing many lobbyists to take note and file paperwork on efforts they otherwise might have left undisclosed.

The $333,000 contract between SCL Social Limited and the National Media Council of the UAE included creating multiple ads on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media sites with the hashtag #boycottqatar, drawing ties between terrorism and Qatar.

SCL Social Limited spread the negative ads during the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September. Both the firm's lobbying activity for the UAE and its FARA filing are entirely in keeping with the law.

Beyond ads specifically calling for President Donald Trump's attention to the issue, the filing does not mention the president or ties between his campaign and SCL's subsidiary, Cambridge Analytica. But the connections between the Trump campaign and Cambridge Analytica have been widely reported in stories about potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election

Bannon refused to cooperate with the committees of Congress. He didn't cite Executive privilege he just said he couldn't answer the question based on his attorney's advice. While the attorney was on the phone with the WH attorneys. Bannon wanted to demonstrate he was cooperating...with the White House.

Congress is pissed bcz no one is taking them seriously and there's not a lot they can do. If they find him or anyone in contempt of Congress there's a drawn out legal process that is hardly worth the effort. The subpoena Bannon got was from Mueller. He can't refuse to respond to Mueller because he will definitely find his ass in jail.

Taking the 5th won't work since he has already been running his mouth to journalists and writers of books and making public statements. So no pleading the 5th. Bannon wants to do something heroic. He wants to publicy fall on his sword for Trump because he is desperate to get back into the good graces of Trump's base, not because he has any love for Trump.

He keeps hoping Trump will forgive him or in someway signal the base that Bannon is one of them. Bannon saw Trump as his instrument to take over the GOP and use Trump's base to "rebuild" and shit on McConnell & Ryan, etc. He considers them the enemy. His strategy is harebrained and his thinking is convoluted, but do not expect him to sing like a bird and shit on Trump. He may do that to Trump's kids or other WH staffers, but not Trump personally.

The house investigation IS a fucking joke, r141, and everyone knows it. It's Nunes trying to find out how much Mueller knows and how to thwart him. It has nothing to do with uncovering any wrong-doing.

The Senate is more legit but you have too many repugs trying to shut everything down or obstruct. People see this and they're disgusted with these idiots who can't get anything done.

I agree R142. Nunes ought to be part of this investigation. Fortunately for us he is so completely transparent and really the cartoon version of the villainous bad guy, that his efforts at subterfuge and his ability to undermine are an open secret.

[quote][R124] must be new here. "Marshall Law" is DL canon.

Oh bullshit. "Ironic" illiteracy is still illiteracy.

It's like WHET instead of WEHT or pron instead of porn. It's just internet silliness. Lighten up.

R144 is extreme fun at parties.

Kyle Griffin:

Seth Abramson:

So what benefit does Mueller get by agreeing to allow Bannon to not go before the Grand Jury?

r149, it's now or later, not never

I’m confused. Didn’t Diane F. already release the GPS transcripts?

r151....that was the Senate.....Schiff is the house. There are some juicy tidbits in each. Apparently the House transcript point blank says Trump is laundering money.

It's been a few minutes. Has Seth Abramson not said anything? Please, tell me. I am dying to know.

Thanks, r152!

Last week it was reported that Mueller has received over a half million documents so far. I trust that Mueller will look under every rock to achieve justice.

Talking to Bannon and LEwandowski is going through the motions. Because Mueller has all the files the e-mails and the schedules and appointment books. He has computers too or access to hard drives. So, if he's interviewing them, and BAnnon is not going before the grand jury, IMO it means he has Bannon for something. My prediction is Bannon enters the picture in connection with the Mercers and Cambridge Analytica and Wiki Leaks.

I'd feel a lot better if our resident legal expert weighed in. Yo! Legal guy, what does it mean that bannon is not going before the Grand Jury? Does it mean Mueller doesn't really need him or does he? What about LEwandowski? I'm not too worried about them refusing to talk to the House committee. Bannon has to talk to the FBI.

R156, I’m not a legal guy, but the theory is that Mueller is the one that didn’t want Bannon go before the Grand Jury first, because they leak like a sieve. Nunes runs to Trump and tells him everything. So if Bannon said it to the Grand Jury, he’s really saying it to Trump in effect. Mueller wanted to get the first crack at him because he could keep whatever he said quiet.

I wonder if Bannon’s lawyer was really talking to Mueller’s office, not the White House. Asking what he could say to the Grand Jury (not much) that wouldn’t blow Mueller’s case.

R157 I thought someone at the White House (supposedly it's a good source that spoke on the promise of anonymity) confirmed that they were on the phone.

No....r157.....Thats not the grand jury....thats the House Intelligence Committee. The grand jury does not leak like a sieve. Testifying before the GJ means they can use it against him.....he can be charged with crimes.

So again, what does Mueller get out of allowing him not to testify in front of the Grand Jury? Does he already have something on him and he knows he can get more by striking a deal with him?

r160... I think it would be the other way around.....Bannon knows what Mueller has on him, so he agreed to cooperate instead of going before the GJ.

I know that Bannon wants to not go before the Grand Jury.. but I'm saying, why would Mueller not want him to. What does he get out of letting Bannon out of it?

He gets Bannon spilling his guts.

This thing just keeps on growing.

FBI investigating potential Russian donations to NRA to boost Trump

It's like a hydra, growing many heads. I guess that's a good thing. But it seems the corruption must be very, very widespread and that's awfully depressing.

Hillary knew and tried to warn us. She said there was a vast right-wing conspiracy and that Trump was compromised by the Russians. Instead the NY Times - probably compromised themselves - screeched on about "emails".

I knew the NRA felt very rich and powerful during the last election. The information about the part of the NRA that does not have to disclose where its money comes from....if nothing else (I do believe there will be plenty else) this is really shining a light on how fucking corrupt our country and our politics have really gotten.

Example: I knew about money laundering and shell companies, but I had no idea that so much had been going on, as they were all convinced no one would ever be prosecuted.

God, if this thing brings down the NRA I’ll cum gold.

This adds fodder that Bernie (already linked via Manafort's colleague Tad Devine) may be a Russian asset, e.g. Bernie's staunch defense of the NRA.

But sadly, if it takes down the NRA along with Trump and the GOP, the idiot Deplorables will forever look upon this as a giant liberal conspiracy. "They impeached our wonderful white president and they took our guns!"

Fuck them.

No even if the NRA goes, the 2nd Amendment will still be here.

Guns will continue to proliferate and a neo-NRA will emerge to push guns and lobby for their manufacturers.

Now this explains a lot about the NRA's power.

Who are the politicians who got huge NRA donation?

Hubby talked to the American people, nobody else. Now get this over, and hubby is named President. As First Lady, I will be manufacturing, selling and giving colorful pillow-pins, religious fundamentalist trinkets, to our supportive electorate. As America sleeps with these pillow-pins, they become blessed, and become appreciative of the love that hubby and I are rendering. Of course due to our new religious freedom laws, homosexuals will not be sold or given these beautiful, precious pillow-pins until they have completed our conversion therapy programs.

#ReleaseTheMemo now has 920k tweets and is the highest trending topic by far. The Russians and the GOP are going all in on this, probably as their final attempt to allow Trump to fire Rosenstein and then Mueller.

What is "the memo"? I also saw this on Twitter this morning and looked briefly at the Deplorables Tweeting about it and almost drowned in all the virtual spittle flying.

Something about the evils of Obama and how the Mueller investigation needs to end RIGHT NOW because "the memo" proves there is "no collusion" and that it was #neverTrump but #alwaysHillary.

However, I could not find what the actual memo is allegedly about. And I was getting sick even reading Tweets by The Deplorables. They're crazy with hatred!

R27, to add to R28, funding for Mueller's investigation is not subject to annual appropriation, so his work is not interrupted by a shutdown. Thankfully!

I can't find specifics about "the memo," but the deplorables are doubling down on it.

Hannity last night: "I have a message tonight for the special counsel Robert Mueller. Your witch-hunt is now over. Time to close the doors.”

And Congressional loon Steve King on Twitter:

I have read the memo. The sickening reality has set in. I no longer hold out hope there is an innocent explanation for the information the public has seen. I have long said it is worse than Watergate. It was #neverTrump & #alwaysHillary. #releasethememo

That one memo is supposedly worse than the whole of Watergate, if you can believe it. Ridiculous.

R177 His NRA masters must have called Hannity last night and told him he should go all out after the recent revelations.

Maybe it was the memo McCabe reviewed and revised months ago? Before Comey released his statement announcing Hillary's not guilt of a prosecutable crime, he gave it to McCabe to review as was the custom, and McCabe corrected some of the language because if he had not the FBI would have fucked up the legality. It was about language not law. But the GOP has seized on this to say Comey/McCabe altered the memo for political reasons. That is the only fucking memo I can think of. Maybe this is something else invented to create controversy. This is all very Orwellian.

More from the Repigs:

“You think about, ‘Is this happening in America or is this the KGB?’ That's how alarming it is,” Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., said, according to Fox News.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., called for the public release of the memo's information "to preserve our democracy."

“The House must immediately make public the memo prepared by the Intelligence Committee regarding the FBI and the Department of Justice," Gaetz said in a statement. "The facts contained in this memo are jaw-dropping and demand full transparency. There is no higher priority than the release of this information to preserve our democracy."

Gaetz, who has previously called for the removal of special counsel Robert Mueller, said there could be "major changes" for people working in the DOJ and FBI as a result of the memo's release.

On Fox News Gaetz went further, saying he believes people could "go to jail" due to the contents of the memo and the Mueller-led investigation, which is examining possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, is "a lie built on corruption." He also said it became clear to him why Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., recommended the Justice Department criminally investigate the author of the Trump dossier, former British spy Christopher Steele.

Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan and North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows called the memo "alarming" and "shocking," respectively.

“Part of me wishes that I didn't read it, because I don’t want to believe that those kinds of things could be happening in this country that I call home and love so much," Meadows added.

It is almost like they know something will soon be released and they are getting in front of it by discrediting the messenger. it is always the same clowns too: Hannity, Gaetz, King, Nunes, etc. They have no credibility at all.

Matthew Yglesias‏ @mattyglesias

If Rep Meadows or Nunes or whomever thinks this is important they can have the memo read into the congressional record instead of grandstanding.

Wayne Lapierre, and NRA. how much Russian money did you take resulting in enabling more gun violence in the USA?

So apparently "the memo" is a 4 page memo written by nunes summarizing his investigation into FISA unmasking etc LMAO. I bet muller already has a copy in the obstruction of justice file.

Muller must be getting close for repubs to try to poison water with report done by guy who had to step down from Ruusia Investigation due to shinanigans.

"Anon" tweets to Rick Wilson:

Pssssst. The Memo is just the Strozk texts, again. This time repackaged by a nunes staffer.

This is theater. Nunes staff briefed Fox (Hannity) ahead of time.

R187 Incredible, simply incredible. And yet the deplorables will eat it up as the biggest scandal since the Benghazi and buttery males "scandals".

Also remember all those retweets are coming from our friends Igor and Svetlana from their cubes in the middle of the night

"Who are the politicians who got huge NRA donation? "

Bernie Sanders.

Bernie Sanders's campaign Manager Tad Devine was working along with Paul Manafort on Putin's behalf in Ukraine.

Secret Memo revealed!

TAPES!

[quote]Former White House staffer Omarosa Manigault-Newman may have taped confidential West Wing conversations and fears being caught up in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe, sources told the Daily News on Thursday.

“Everyone knows Omarosa loves to record people and meetings using the voice notes app on her iPhone,” a source disclosed. “Don’t be surprised if she has secret audio files on everyone in that White House, past and present staffers included.”

A recent ban on personal cell phones in the West Wing, which followed the release of Michael Wolff’s explosive White House tell-all was related to Manigault-Newman’s track record of recording conversations, the source added.

[quote]buttery males

Nothing to add. Just

[quote]buttery males

I knew this wouldn't be the last we'd see of Omarosa's messy ass. LOL

That bitch Omarosa will sing like a canary. She is so passed at the reports that she was "escorted/thrown out" of the White House, I'll bet she'll het her revenge by telling all she knows.

I'm all for Omarosa spilling the beans...but only if she's got real beans to spill. What if she's bluffing?

Who took NRA money?

Lots and lots of people.

I believe the list of who didn't take money from the NRA is much, much shorter.

The whole government is rotten to the core. The good guys can't do anything with the corrupt jerks blocking, stalling, and doing their best to find dirt on the good guys or come up with lies to discredit them in the media so the corrupt jerks can stay where they are and do the dirty work for their donors.

Omarosa doesnt know shit....and she has no tapes. Shes trying to insert herself into Muellers investigation so she feels important and can use it as a pedestal from which to claim another 15 minutes of fame.

It seems to me that the info of Bannon's in the Wolff book was a message to Mueller that he wants to talk.

If you were Nunes or any of these other fucks screaming that Mueller needed to be removed, etc. Wouldn't you at least stop and question whether that was a good idea or if it would ultimately make him start looking in to you?

Or are they just that stupid?

Omarosa may not have tapes but she wasn't everyone's friend in the WH. If she wants to talk to Mueller about the WH deplorables she hates, who are we to stop her?

Omarosa would know some things. She would be able to observe some of those that came and went, (timelines). Plus, she may have had an office confidant, such as even a low-level cleric or custodian, that has seen and heard things. Office gossip gets around, and one can imagine Omarosa heard and repeated plenty, particularly before Kelly arrived.

[quote]Who took NRA money?

Everyone know who took NRA money: Everyone.

The question in play is whose money did the NRA launder?

NRA gave dirty $$ to campaigns. This is illegal.

I would love for Omarosa to drop a bomb from the side. This really is the Reality Show White House. It's so embarrassing.

Omarosa plays a dangerous game. You just know Putin's this close to off one of them as a warning. And nobody would miss Omarosa and yetthey all woudl get the message.

[quote]I would love for Omarosa to drop a bomb from the side.

She does seem to be rather gassy.

But, from the SIDE?

R209, I initially typed "drop a deuce"!

I thought the "memo" was the dossier and it's already out. Are they still yammering on about it's going to be Hillary in trouble? The deplorables on the sites I visit have been quieter than usual.

I’m reading Fire and Fury, and its evident that Trump and his team did not intend on winning. They acted with impunity because they didn’t anticipate being scrutinized. Moreover, Trump already had a trajectory to fire up his base following his loss: Hillary STOLE the election. It would have been 8 years of hell for Hillary and continual stalemate.

Trump winning is, in some respects, the best possible outcome. It exposes the corruption at the base of the Republican party and is likely to cause long term damage even if he is never directly implicated, which seems unlikely. There is a poetic justice in his victory.

The memo is a report by Nunes detailing how FISA was abused for political purposes.....in other words....complete bullshit and a distraction.

I wouldn't be surprised if Omarosa does have tapes.

Didn't they just make an announcement last week that personal devices would not be allowed in the White House from this point forward because they're afraid someone could be recording them?

Perhaps this is where it came from.

You know damn well that Omarosa had tapes that she would have 1. used them to keep her job, or 2. run her mouth about their existence in order to stay in the news where all the focus would be on HER.

Am I the only one who thinks this whole government shutdown is a ploy to distract from the new GPS transcript and the NRA story and the stuff about the shell company paying off the porn star? If so, it’s working; all these stories are being shunted off to the last fifteen minutes of the hour.

Impeach!

[quote]You just know Putin's this close to off one of them as a warning.

No need to be so heavy-handed. He can just sit back and watch the entire squalid mess simmer. He's already won by corrupting and disrupting the body politic, in a way so systemic no-one can yet comprehend it. Apart perhaps from Robert Mueller.

A notable death, while intensely dramatic, would likely speed up Trump's exit, when the fact of his and his cronies' hanging on means the squalor lasts all the longer. It would give the huge game away, which is still somehow shamelessly deniable.

That said, I was glad indeed to read that Mueller is well-guarded.

Lol @ ‘the memo’

Any second now Hillary is going to be indicted for Benghazi

Agree R212 sad but true.

Is Jim Jordan promised to be a regional chief, boss of the Midwest sector, in the new Russian satellite state of Trump-Kushner?

What makes me sick is that we actually created the very means they’re using to hoodwink Americans when we didn’t renew the Fairness Doctrine. I cannot believe it’s legal for them to lie and manipulate the way they do. How in the FUCK does Nunes still have security clearance????? He is BLATANTLY breaking laws, zero consequences.

Either we learn from our mistakes or keep repeating them, like, say, voting for members of the Republican Party.

Russia-linked Twitter bots are backing the Republican push to release Devin Nunes’ surveillance memo.

#ReleaseTheMemo has spiked 233,000% over the past 48 hours, according to Hamilton 68, a website claiming to track Russian propaganda in near-real time.

Wouldn't that #releasethememo thing be a great way for social media platforms, like Twitter, to spot the Russian bots and, don't know, deal with them?

Marry me, r218! You used my third favorite word in a sentence! Squalid.

Someone on my FB is posting tons of stuff about this memo and pleading for it to be released. He's also convinced that all of the currently sealed indictments are not Trump-related at all, but are associated with the Clinton campaign and Trump won't be charged with anything.

I'd block his ass if he weren't my friend's husband.

“Release The Memo”= Fucking Sad, Just Stop.

Bots now seem to be pushing #SchumerShutdown to trend

A great thread on the transcript of the House Intel Committee testimony by Fusion GPS. Everyone keeps getting distracted by other shit when this is just insane, and totally nails Trump to the wall.

Do these GOP "Look over here, not over there!" distractions even work on anyone besides the Deplorables? Fuck that noise.

Rick Wilson‏ @TheRickWilson

How about we just cut to the chase and release the actual FISA application?

Wanna do that, Team Russia?

I like my odds in this fight.

More. I can't remotely keep up.

But ... um.... deep state! and um...

[quote]#ReleaseTheMemo has spiked 233,000% over the past 48 hours, according to Hamilton 68, a website claiming to track Russian propaganda in near-real time.

Damn. That's impressive even for them. Still can't believe another country is so brazenly interfering with domestic affairs in the US, without any repercussions. How the mighty have fallen.

The people these bots are aimed at don’t even know they’re looking at foreign propaganda and until they do, nothing will change. The Russian bot infestations could theoretically be neutralized if not out-and-out stopped if, ya know, the dumbass Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee did their fucking jobs.

I don’t know if they’re in deep with Russia themselves or if they’re just trying to protect their party, but they are treasonous fucks and there is no punishment in hell too awful for them.

[quote]The people these bots are aimed at don’t even know they’re looking at foreign propaganda and until they do, nothing will change.

Are you kidding? As long as they keep spouting what they want to hear and believe in... they won't even care that it's foreign propaganda.

Ken Dilainian on msnbc says #releasethememo is because FBI may have used parts of the Steele dossier among the reasons for seeking this FISA warrant. Also says that FBI has to prove just probable cause for those kinds of warrants, not that the allegations are true. Experts say this is no different than what FBI produces in other applications for these warrants.

And Hillary comes into this conspiracy because of Dems paying Fusion for the dossier.

Wait a minute, I thought the FISA warrant was obtained way before the Steele dossier found its way to the FBI.

I'm so confused.

Kyle Griffin Verified account @kylegriffin1

Twitter says that 677,775 U.S. users followed, liked, or retweeted fake Russian accounts during the 2016 election.

Check out the Russian troll spreading disinformation at R238 with its transparent “Dems” lies.

Falling for it all rather easily, aintcha R239?

As A Black Female in the Trump White House I seriously doubt Omarosa heard anything of any importance. She may have been a fringe player and spied or conjectured but no one in that WH would have taken her seriously or trusted her. She wasn't part of those discussions. I'll admit I would love to hear what she has on tape.

I don’t understand why Facebook doesn’t label Russian propaganda and Bots it discovers. It might give the deplorables pause (and make all of us more careful) if the opened up their Facebook pages one day to see 75% of their shares with red banners over them and messages like Russian propaganda campaign number x targeting low IQ voters who like cats in Fresno County IP address Y in St. Petersburg and a listing of all the bot and sock puppet comments they liked over the past year labeled as such.

^^ somebody needs to write the code for that app

[quote]^^ somebody needs to write the code for that app

On it!

Should be done in about five minutes

That's correct R239. At least that is my understanding. This is why the the news of the Australian diplomat raising the alarm about Russia eviscerated the Repub argument it was the Steele document.

I’d like to see Facebook and Twitter brought down along with the NRA and the GOP. Seriously. That they’re still allowing this shit to happen is disgraceful.

R247 I always wonder about the inaction from FB and Twitter. If other media companies can geoblock their contents, why can't social media at least allow the users to see the country of origins of their content posted by essentially anonymous sources.

[quote]buttery males "scandals"

I JUST got that.

I didn't

Stormy Daniels could have stopped this. Many would have given her well over $130,000 to have done so.

Someone fill me in as I haven't been tracking the Stormy thing. Okay so they paid her $130,000 to keep her mouth shut about fucking Rump and spanking him with a magazine with his face on it.

How is she able to talk about it now?

And it's really interesting that Rump and company have completely avoided the subject. Normally he can't resist at least making some sort of jab or screaming false news. As far as I know he's not said a word about it.

I don’t think she is talking now. But I guess she did an interview at the time. That’s what we’re hearing about. In Touch magazine, I think. I’m sure she was forced to sign a NDA with the $$$$$.

She gave the interview and then it was sat on.

THEN she was paid off and signed the NDA.

THEN they decided to run the interview now.

R253 Which means the media has sat on this for a decade. So maybe it wasn't "relevant" then, but how to explain away the fact it had since 2016 to put this out there and didn't?

Remember, Trump would never...hes a germaphobe. Plus, why are they not talking about Trumps hypocrisy of speaking at the pro-life march today......when reporting says he likes unprotected sex with his pornstars. What if one became pregnant/or has become pregnant in the past ? Didnt he try to get Marla to have an abortion and she refused ?

Also, everyone is missing the juicy tidbit in Glen Simpsons House testimony......that the Kushners are Russian and maintain connections there.

Wait! R256, can you give us a quote about the Kushners? That’s a new one and sounds weird, I thought his family were Israeli Jews, no?

Stormy says he porked her with no hat. Old tapes on Steen he alluded to wanting to abort Tiffany. Where is the media on this shit? No where!

Russian Jews...they might have moved to Israel before the US, but their ancestry is Russian......ill try to find the link....its in Simpsons House testimony.

Thank you r258

What's the latest on the Shutdown? It's midnight.

R260:

[quote]McConnell is speaking on the Senate floor now. He called this shutdown "100 percent avoidable" and "a cynical decision of Senate Democrats."

Asshole conveniently blames Democrats.

This is a CLASSIC example of the Dems always letting them control the narrative. Pussies!!!!

R263: Bullshit! Schumer spoke on the Senate floor also. He said Trump backed out of a deal again on Friday that included his fucking wall. Trump is the one who is responsible for this shit!

According to the NYT McConnell voted no? Doug Jones voted yes? What am I missing

R265 according to the link at R262 McConnell's "no" vote was procedural even though he supported it. I don't quite understand that and was hoping someone else could explain it.

Oh Lordy the civil war has begun.

[quote]This is a CLASSIC example of the Dems always letting them control the narrative. Pussies!!!!

This is a CLASSIC example of you not knowing what the fuck you're talking about. Ignoramus!!!!

[quote]R265 according to the link at R262 McConnell's "no" vote was procedural even though he supported it. I don't quite understand that and was hoping someone else could explain it.

This is from a WP article about a similar move by Harry Reid several years ago:

As Sarah Binder, a Senate rules expert at George Washington University, said, it’s not that the majority leader has to vote no. It’s that somebody on the winning side of the cloture vote — in this case, the side voting against cloture — has to file a “motion to reconsider” if the matter is to be taken up again. “I suppose the broader parliamentary principle here is that it would be somewhat unfair to give someone on the losing side of a question a second bite at the apple,” Binder explained. So the rules provide for senators whose opinion has changed to motion for another vote, whereas those whose opinion stays the same don’t get to keep filing to reconsider.

Reid, and other majority leaders before him, have developed a clever workaround: Just change your vote at the last minute if it looks as though you’re going to lose, then move to reconsider. In theory, any supporter of the bill or nomination in question could do the same, but traditionally it’s been the majority leader.

Said another way:

Once an action has been voted on, it can only be revisited if someone on the prevailing side asks that the prevailing position be “reconsidered.” (Allowing members on the losing side to prompt revisits could mean endless reconsiderations.)

Because the Majority Leader generally controls Senate floor action, he (or she) typically will be the one to vote [italic] with [/italic] the prevailing side (even if the Leader really is opposed to the prevailing position) so as to have control as to the timing as to when, or if, the prevailing position is to be revisited.

Thanks, R269.

No, the media "controls the narrative." Two guys make speeches. The media decides which one they will highlight, confirm and support with evidentiary "facts," and which one they will dismiss, deride, etc. They will line up credible guests and discuss the subject endlessly, for days or weeks or months if necessary.

I'm sort of mystified about the shut down. The Dems are out here defending DACA which I also support. They are for immigration reform and protecting the Dreamers. Great. But in my Washington Post this morning, it says the Dreamers have until March before they are faced with problems, while the CHIP Program, which insures almost 9 million kids expired like, yesterday, and it was part of this CR funding package.

I think the GOP was willing to give CHIP a long term extension that would last for a few years. The Dems said no, bcz they want DACA too, while they think they have some leaverage. Then Trump weighed in and blew everything up. Now they're saying they had a good deal pasted together last week with Trump on board, but then Kelly who is a hard line anti immigration guy got Trump to do a 180. That's why Mitch McConnell admitted a few days ago they had no idea what the POTUS wanted to do.

I gather the long knives are out for Kelly, and I think Trump is all the way gone on anything resembling immigration reform or DACA unless he gets his wall across the Mexican border. Right now Trump is desperate to play to his base. They are like Kelly who hates immigrants. And he is going after his Anti Abortion evangelists, too. Running scared. Well the fucker needs to pay attention to the damage he's done to Congress with this shut down, bca those fuckers will turn on him in a heartbeat and we won't have to wait for impeachment to begin.

Germaphobe, my foot, I mean my puss.

I'm hoping the media will find some women to come forward and talk about their abortions financed by Trump. He wanted to get rid of Tiffany but Marla refused.

Michael Wolff told Bill Maher last night, that Trump is having an affair RIGHT NOW with someone in the White House. When Maher asked him WHO, he smugly said, "I don't have the "blue dress" so I couldn't name her. But if you read my book, towards the end, you will figure it out.You will read one particular paragraph and bingo!" OK. Who here has read the fucking book? Find that damned paragraph!

My personal pick is slutty Kelly Ann.

My pick is Hope Hicks.

All the Dems have to say is we have 3 branches of Government owned by R's and they couldn't pass a budget. It's a very simple and effective message.

They have passed how many CRs now? The Dems knew this was just a stalling tactic. The Rs need to put up or shut up already.

Agree R278. I'm glad the D's held it together.

R275 there's no way Drumpf is fucking a shriveled up, old, leathered woman.

Everyone knows it's Hope Hicks he's fucking.

Really r272, the media controls it all???? Then why has Trump been so effective at pulling stunts or is that all a bad dream? I GET how media works, but if Trump has proven anything, it is that the media does NOT hold “all” the cards. McConnell does the same thing, they are MASTERS of media.

I called the Dems pussies. I somewhat apologize, I obviously was filled with rage when I typed that. But, I still think it. YES, I agree that Schumer and Nancy’s speeches were excellent — but the main noise we’re hearing is that the DEMS forced the shut down. The Dems need to pull their own “stunts” to force the media into coverage that favors them. The Dems should have say, invited in media and live streamed staffers just waiting to hear from Repubs and all the phones never ring or something. In playing media hardball, ALL Dems are weak. We always have been, Obama’s even admitted that.

We need our own Bannon-types, I only mean someone who will stir shit up. We should have done more to counter their narrative, I’m tired of them winning with lies. But stop saying the media controls all of it, that’s weak and as we see with Trump, factually untrue.

Twitter accounts linked to Russian influence operations have begun promoting the hashtag #ReleaseTheMemo.

It's a reference to a document written by Rep. Devin Nunes that purports to show abuse by the Obama administration of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

The frequency with which the accounts have been promoting the hashtag has spiked by 233,000% over the past 48 hours, according to an analysis.

The most-shared URL has been a link to WikiLeaks' "submit" page.

Re the Memo: "Schiff calls the Nunes memo "a profoundly misleading set of talking points drafted by Republican staff attacking the FBI and its handling of the investigation... it is a deep disservice to our law enforcement professionals."

Why isn't Twitter blocking those that they can tell are bots? Maybe people need to contact Twitter and demand that they do.

Right^. And what the fuck are we doing about it. This is what I’m talking about, we need to be hitting back, we have to answer Russianbots.

[quote]Also, everyone is missing the juicy tidbit in Glen Simpsons House testimony......that the Kushners are Russian and maintain connections there.

Jared has more than a Russian problem, according to this week's New Yorker, which alleges that Beijing intelligence has targeted him as a key asset since the election:

According to current and former officials briefed on U.S. intelligence about Chinese communications, Chinese officials said that Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai and Kushner, in meetings to prepare for the summit at Mar-a-Lago, discussed Kushner’s business interests along with policy. Some intelligence officials became concerned that the Chinese government was seeking to use business inducements to influence Kushner’s views. The intelligence wasn’t conclusive, according to those briefed on the matter. “I never saw any indication that it was successful,” a former senior official said, of Chinese efforts to compromise Kushner. The Chinese could have mischaracterized their discussions with Kushner. But the intelligence reports triggered alarms that Chinese officials were attempting to exploit Kushner’s close relationship with the President, which could yield benefits over time. “They’re in it for the long haul,” the former official said.

Am convinced twitter and facebook are working for the Russians - what do their CEOs care about democracy and the American Dream, they're oligarchs.

They're getting a lot of money from it and also don't want to admit their platforms contributed greatly to the distortion of democracy. If they admit they have control over the content then they can't as easily hide behind "platform" free speech protection laws and they won't make as much money. The funny thing is, the bullying/harassing/anti-feminism stuff has had more of an impact on their content policing than the Russian campaigns, which are a lot larger.

The thing that's causing a lot of the problem is their "curated streams" of information that are supposed to keep you on their platforms longer - they don't want to give that up. Facebook is tweaking theirs, but not very much. It creates an echo chamber and once the Russian reposts get in, they just bounce back and forth so someone will think that's what reality is.

YES r287. My best friend lives in SF. Silicon Valley has everyone in the Bay screeching about their precious privacy. So naturally, all the lefties out there agree (I’m leftie too but I disagree). These social media companies MUST be held to some basic standards. Do not get snowed by their “privacy” argument. All they care about is mo’ money.

[quote]I'm sort of mystified about the shut down. The Dems are out here defending DACA which I also support. They are for immigration reform and protecting the Dreamers. Great. But in my Washington Post this morning, it says the Dreamers have until March before they are faced with problems

That's not correct. There are Dreamers today whose status has expired and would need to renew, so this affects thousands of them right now, with more being added every day.

r287 yeah, as an example, Netflix was all about promoting "net neutrality" when they were still small enough that it could have damaged them. Once they became a huge force, they gave lip service to net neutrality but didn't really do much and played both sides. Same with Google and the other media behemoths. Once they get where they want to be, they pull the ladder up after themselves. Remember these are not humans, they're giant corporations whose focus is enriching themselves and their shareholders, and any pretense of social good is filed squarely under the marketing budget.

R281, I really do understand your frustration and your anger and believe me I share it. I agree we need some Bannon like shit stirrers on the Dems' side, and we need to get rough and mean and kick some ass. It would me so damned satisfying and long overdue. But I firmly believe the media controls the narrative in this sense. If the media believes that e-mails are the most important news then that's what they hype. Endlessly, until like one of Pavlov's dogs we recoil at the mere mention of the word. There is no way The Right could have successfully demonized HRC without the complicity of the Media. They kept saying that "Hillary has not yet "really" explained, " or Hillary has still not apologized" or Hillary has not been clear" or Hillary has not "satisfactorily addressed". They spin it. The GOP didn't need to worry too much about their messaging bca the media was doing their work for them. The Media of 2017-2018 is not the media we experienced in 2015 and 2016.

Twitter: "Way More Accounts Than We Thought Spread Russian Propaganda."

Twitter underestimated the number of accounts spreading Russian propaganda by more than ten thousand, the company quietly disclosed late Friday.

A company spokesperson wrote on the Twitter blog that 50,258 automated accounts “identified as Russian-linked” had tweeted “election-related content during the election period.”

More on the thousands already losing DACA status, with the added note that the DHS secretary wasn't aware of this.

[quote]Contrary to frequent and incorrect reporting that DACA will end on March 5, young people whose work authorizations expired before then actually began losing DACA status after Oct. 5 of last year, the Trump administration’s new deadline to reapply to renew one’s authorization. Many more DACA recipients were ineligible to renew their DACA applications in the first place, because their work permits expired after March 5.

Then we can agree to disagree on who is pulling the strings r292, but I’m glad we’re fighting the same fight.

r292 when you add in hundreds of thousands of Russian bots providing social media cache to negative stories about Hillary Clinton, the media companies go where they think the money is. So companies like Fox News have a leg up in the form of billions of dollars in influence campaigns from Russia designed to amplify stories that originate from their sources, which includes Russia parroting a lot of it on RT (Russia Today) and other state-controlled Russia media outlets. The news media is complicit because they're beholden to their shareholders and are giant corporations themselves, and they need money to function, so they follow the money (on average). Russia's also been hacking journalists and media staff for several years now and likely has kompromat on some NYTimes higher ups as well as others. We should be devoting far more resources to counterintelligence in the face of this threat.

Silicon Valley (and the social media users who are making them rich) need to realize that "anonymity" and "privacy" are two separate concepts. Free speech? Yes, please. But sign your name.

^ umhm

Haha! That’s pretty damn funny.

But I’d happily post the same on Facebook or Twitter.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our Presidents mistress, Maria Butina.

.......

Why are you pushing a Republican talking point that is easily disproved, R300?

His mistress is Hope Hicks. Though he’s probably sleeping with anyone who will have him.

Nope r302.......im not r300, but Maria Butina fits all the clues. There were rumors about her a year ago being moved to DC as Trumps russian mistress. There are statements that she had access to the transition team and the white house. And shes probably a spy. Wolff specifically says he did not mention the actual affair in the book...only alluded to it...because he had no definitive proof. He may be fucking Hope Hicks (doubtful), but he definitely is fucking Maria Butina......shes Putins insurance policy as well as an informant.

r257.....heres the quote from Simpsons HOUSE testimony regarding the Kushners Russian heritage.....its on page 86...

What we heard from people familiar with the story was that the Kushner family and their connections were a big attraction for Trump before the marriage and that, you know -- I mean , I don't want to

-- I'm trying to be polite about it, but, I

mean, there was a business element to the whole, you know, connection.

And I

will hasten to add that I was not able -: One minute. MR. SIMPSON: -- to confirm any of this, and I didn't share this widely, certainly not in any kind of formal way with anyone. You know, the Kushners are ethnic Russian and they, we were told, had relationships of their own with Russian capital. And, you know, the exact story I think was that their relationships were with the Russian diaspora in the New York area. So more broadly speaking, during the ?Os, in the Refusenik era, there

There was a news article a couple of years ago about Putin using Russian Jewish businessmen to reach out to Kushner and Trump. I can't remember the source now, but it was in one of the old threads on Kushner.

The media adores Trump and wants this shitshow to rage on endessly. Acting dismayed is part of the game. When Trump is really in trouble, they will flip messaging to a point to uplift him. CNN with their ridiculous debate panels is beyond obnoxious. It is all about profits with the corporate media.

Impeachment needed to have happened months ago. Only Congress is worse.

r306......I dont agree.....Impeachment would give the media fodder FOR YEARS....and the rating would dwarf the coverage now.....think O.J.

Impeachment will not happen until January 2019 at the earliest.

What is this memo that all these Trump supporters are going on about on Twitter with their #ReleaseTheMemo hashtag? Is this more nonsense from upside down world?

And your reasoning, R308?

r309 yes, search back in this thread.

r310, That is when the new Congress elected on 11-06-2018 is seated.

R309 - Info about the memo

LOLOL! GOP Congressional staff wrote the fucking memo. Another Nevin Nunes shitshow.

Also note that Russian bots have been in full force with that hashtag and Wikileaks links.

Never, make Pence prez. If DJT goes, he must go also.

I think you'll get unanimous agreement here on that. What I worry about is that if Pence ever did become POTUS the media would lighten up on him. He's such a sharp contrast in style to Trump I'm afraid they'd give him the "benefit of the doubt."He's even more dangerous than Trump because he understands the legislative process. His beliefs are extreme and he has been steadfast in support of everything Trump did. Gary Johnson, the author CPA and Trump expert has a new book coming out. Not as sexy as Michael Wolff's book, but worth reading. It's called "It's Worse than You Think." He is talking about the cabinet level departments and federal agencies and all the things that are being done that the media is ignoring and it will take years in some case, if ever for us to undo them.

I already heard liberal minded pundits say that a Pence presidency is preferrable to Trump being in charge, because Trump is a loose cannon while Pence is just a bigot and you know what he's up to.

I swear I'd throw myself into any New Age sci fy philosophy that, when I believe hard enough, allows me to enter through a portal into some new world far, far away from all that Trump and GOP shit. So over US politics and the (news) media.

They can't get a budget passed. It drags on. Government falters. Trump and his cohorts impose illegal authoritative rule. Democrats and several resisting Repuplicans will be dismissed from Congress and replaced by Trump appointees. Same with Democratic Governors being replaced. The Mueller investigation gets terminated. Protests break out. Martial Law is declared. All military reserves are activated. Putin sends troops to help keep order. The Constitution is nullified by dictate. Trump declares himself King, heading the Trump royal family. Kushner is appointed Prime Minister. Congress, all Trump loyalists, will be only "advisory". Flynn & son run all military under Trump's authority. This includes Trump-Putin militias. Mass executions follow. Deplorables cheer.

Jesus, r319. Turn off the news and have a drink. Just for tonight.

Or a different scenario, perhaps. Go back and watch the 2006 film Idiocracy, to see a more slowly-evolving outcome that we’re several steps closer to.

I am pleased that President Baby can’t fly down to Palm Beach for his “Anniversary Party (!!!!!!?)”that was scheduled for tonight.

My fingers were crossed that he would ignore the warnings about the implications of going to Mar A Lago (barf!).

The fact that The Kushners are ethnically Russian is bizarre!

There is also some incredible information in Simpson’s testimony about The UAE wanting to build six nuclear “power plants” with US technology & Russian materials (or vise-versa.), but needing certain Russian sanctions lifted before moving forward!

Again, it seems The Trumps & Kushners we’re promising “goods &services” in return for financial help.

r322.....those power plants are the ones Flynn was involved with.....

Axl Rose ‏Verified account @axlrose

Fuck Nunes

1:02 AM - 20 Jan 2018

Axl Rose? That’s hysterical. Not someone I ever thought of as political.

"The fact that The Kushners are ethnically Russian is bizarre!"

Am I missing something here? Just about all American Jews migrated from Russia. I'm 3rd Generation American Jewboy. But technically, my ethnicity is Russian.

Yep, Axl has joined the Resistance! Going through his twitter.

Axl Rose‏Verified account @axlrose

What defies law and common sense is Jeff Sessions himself. 3:23 AM - 17 Jan 2018

The WH is the current US gold standard of what can be considered disgraceful. 11:36 PM - 4 Jan 2018

Hope Mueller does better than he did with Interscope. 12:20 AM - 18 May 2017

Happy International Women's Day!!🎉💥😎 3:42 PM - 8 Mar 2017

r326.....I think its that the Kushners are not only Russian, but that they maintain "connections" there. They also supposedly have ties to the Russian mob.........Then, theres the fact that Trump was for the marriage because of that reason specifically.

Kyle Griffin Verified account

Tammy Duckworth: "I will not be lectured about what our military needs by a five-deferment draft dodger."

In case everyone doesn't know, Tammy Duckworth had both legs blown off as, I believe, a helicopter pilot in Iraq. Ironically, a condition that would have solved the five-time draft dodger from the pain of his bone spurs.

Tammy is great. She's someone I expect to be spoken about for 2028....

Current dipshit excepted, I don't think Duckworth is polished enough to run for president. She's my Senator and I think she'll do great in the Senate, especially after Durbin eventually retires and she becomes more senior, but I don't think a presidential run is in her future. Let's watch the bone-spurred fatass call her out on twitter in 3-2-1...

Why 2028 r331?

Do the math, she is not qualified to run in 2020.

Yes, R326, you are missing something...

and, when I need someone to explain to me how a person can be Russian & a Jew I’ll definitely let you know.

The New Yorker reports that the Trump administration expanded the list of officials authorized to receive the presidential daily briefing to as many as 14 people because “everybody thought it was cool. They wanted to be cool.” By the end of the Obama administration, seven White House officials were authorized to receive the same version of the P.D.B. that appeared on the President's iPad.

That sounds safe and secure.

R334 what math.... please show your work

Ignore them r338. Their daddy Donald ran out of the clear blue in 2016. They have no math. They just don’t want a woman to beat Dear Leader.

[quote]The New Yorker reports that the Trump administration expanded the list of officials authorized to receive the presidential daily briefing to as many as 14 people because “everybody thought it was cool.

It has nothing to do with what's cool. Nine of the fourteen are a team of animators and SPED teachers who later attempt to translate the briefing into a 30-second cartoon.

My point about 2028 is that she is not yet polished enough for a run, and I want Trump gone with a 2 term Democrat to get the country back in shape so we can elect a woman in 2028.

[I apologize for derailing this thread with my Duckworth discussion)

No apologies necessary! Any non-Russian Troll discussion is a welcome diversion.

It's interesting that these threads have had seeming less visits from Boris & Natascia than a lot of the other threads. I guess Russian trolls don't have time to learn American song titles!

Nah, they're just infesting the government shutdown threads, R344. This is on the back burner for everyone at the moment.

They’ve actually been creating a lot of threads. Russia's springing for the membership fees. Something big is a-comin'...

Direct all Russian trolls to the Kellyanne's Pussy thread. They can pay tribute, be heard, and their comments valued if they stay on subject matter.

By the way. A few days after Paul Ryan passed the Tax cuts legislation, he got a huge inflow of cash from the Koch brothers. $500,000. If Ryan decides to leave Congress as has been rumored, he can "redirect" this campaign contribution.

Selling out the country for a paltry $500,000? For shame!

I can’t believe Pence will be president - or if he does get the gig - it won’t be for long. He’s just as big a part of this treasonous mess as many of the others - and he clearly lied about Flynn and what he knew - he did it on tv for fucks sake!

Am positive the Meuller investigation will dig up even more dirt - komptomat! - on Pence. I’m just as hopeful he’ll spend time in jail like the others.

Oh - and how freaking awesome is Tammy Duckworth? What an amazing woman! So much respect and admiration for her. Let the Cheeto DARE try and smear her!

He'll tweet and call her "Hammy Tammy"

Oh R349 - that five hundred grand is just the most recent of Ryan’s ill-gotten gains. Dollars to doughnuts there’s lots of financial shenanigans he’s involved in that we know nothing about yet - but the Russians certainly do... kompromat, kompromat, komptomat...

I legit want Paul Ryan to be dead by the end of this. Commit suicide because of the charges brought against him.

R351 - I was wondering if the Cheeto might take the same approach with duckworh as he did with McCain - that is - he criticised McCain for being captured - therefore he was a loser.

By that logic - he would think that Duckworth was a loser for crashing the chopper - or being in the crash when it was shot down - or whatever twisted logic he comes up with in what passes for his mind.

I’m sure clearer heads will stop him from getting too harsh with her - but I almost hope he does. Can you imagine the reaction by both the military and civilian population if he dared say something like that?

I know there’s been all the other shit that’s gone down - but I think if he really tried to smear her like that it could be the final straw.

Far and away his best strategy would be just to ignore her. But he’s not very good at that when anyone criticises him and gets under his skin. And she certainly scored a bullseye with her calling him out...

Duckworth's a liberal so his base would be screaming with delight if he were to insult her.

He hates non white women most of all, so I cannot believe he will leave Tammy alone/

Woman driver flys into RPG. Crashes Army helicopter. Typical! Not as nice as mine. US property. Destroyed! Timid Duckface doesn't make restedtusion. Nada! Zilch! I'll see her in court. Timid Duckface doesn't have a leg to stand on! I will prevale.

you're gross, R357.

He’s imitating a Trump tweet, r358. I hope.

I’m sure he’ll call her something classy like "Ching Chong Duckface". He’s a very clever man, you know.

I know, R250, but it is gross to read without faux attribution this morning.

When will there be new indictments?!?

If Mueller were truly cunning he would throw down an indictment while the Govt is shutdown. That would really throw a wrench into the Trump Shitshow

For those of you who were thinking that this was just getting too damn complicated with too many people involved ... you were right. Politico has a new database of "The 270 people connected to the Russia probes."

The "Release the Memo" crap just got hilarious.

[quote]FBI: Devin Nunes Won’t Show Us Memo Alleging Surveillance Abuses

[quote]“The FBI has requested to receive a copy of the memo in order to evaluate the information and take appropriate steps if necessary. To date, the request has been declined,” said Andrew Ames, a spokesperson for the FBI.

And the response from Nunes was even funnier:

[quote]Reached for comment, Nunes spokesperson Jack Langer said, “The Daily Beast has become America’s foremost publication for regurgitating the Democrats’ talking points.”

As if we needed any more evidence that the whole thing was bullshit.

Nunes is a goddam traitor who thinks that by sucking up and taking all the Intel info to shithole will earn him "points".

Bitch, please. As soon as that bus pulls out, YOU are going under it courtesy of the orange shithole.

This just in. Kyle Griffin's Twitter Feed. Is Trump replacing John Kelly?

From r367's link:

[quote] Ivanka is reportedly playing a central role in the search, quietly field-testing ideas with people.

Maybe we'll all die laughing

I don't know if Kelly is getting replaced. I doubt it. He's a racist piece of shit But even he knows you have to have an exit strategy and will talk Trump into some sort of compromise. I'm hearing Steve Miller is on his way out. He was too "assertive" and too hardline. Kelly was deferring to Miller because Miller was the so-called "political strategist" insisting Trump had to blow up the agreement last week. But Since that tie Graham and a few others have talked Kelly down and are pressuring him to get rid of Miller. Border security is an issue with Kelly too, but he is not nearly as unreasonable as Miller. Both are racist pieces of shit, but Kelly knows military strategy, and he knows how to negotiate.

Chief of Staff Wendi Deng

Chief of Staff, Ivanka Trump.

Trump really treats this cabinet like The Apprentice. I would love to see stats on how many cabinet members he’s gone through in a year.

That nails it R372. If you haven't read it yet, I suggest Fire and Fury. Great insight into how he views his presidency.

Please get rid of Miller. That guy is scum.

Kelly turned out to be an overhyped dud. He is a terrible manager and is dumb. I don’t think he went to college, and if he did, he cheated.

Kelly is Mike Flynn 2.0.

Kelly is not dumb. I still believe he took the job to keep Trump from doing even worse shit and trying to create some order. Read Fire and Fury.

[quote]I still believe he took the job to keep Trump from doing even worse shit and trying to create some order.

So fucking tired of that lame excuse.

Look. Kelly is old school military. He respects the office. He is a complete paranoid idiot when it comes to terrorists and a hardline anti muslim, anti immigrationist. But he has brought some order to te WH staff. and he has a certain amount of credibility when he meets with members of Congress. He is fluent in their language even if he is not a politician. If they get rid of Kelly what kind of loser will they bring in who agrees with Trump? If they remove Kelly and they keep Miller, Congress, and the GOP may re think their non impeachment stance.

People are choosing to buy the Kelly PR instead of listening to him or evaluating his actions.

The latter will lead you to conclude that he is dumb as a rock.

[quote]But he has brought some order to te WH staff. and he has a certain amount of credibility when he meets with members of Congress. He is fluent in their language even if he is not a politician.

Which is precisely why they'll get rid of him. Chaos was the preferred mode of working in this WH.

[quote]If they get rid of Kelly what kind of loser will they bring in who agrees with Trump?

I second Wendi Deng. A Chinese spy would be the perfect person to run that WH, don't you think?

One rumor has it that Chris Christie may be coming in as CoS. Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee also mentioned.

The fucking Democrats caved on the Shut down.

Spineless as usual.

[quote]One rumor has it that Chris Christie may be coming in as CoS.

Kush would never allow it!

Bring in County Clerk Kim. But DJT does not need more tempting from female divas.

They’ll come up with someone truly qualified for CoS, I’ve no doubt. Like Sebastian Gorka or the dishy kosher caterer who did Javanka's wedding.

Seeing anybody mention Kim is making me think of Kim Davis. Would you be surprised?

Former RNC Chair Michael Steele would be a good choice if the President was normal. He has strong connections to donors and party establishment. He is black, former Maryland Lt. Governor; but he's too moderate for the Trump-Pence contingent. Plus as an MSNBC commentator, he has been critical of many Trump actions.

I like how Trump doubles down of the stupid.

Ben Carson for Chief of Staff.

Droop eye Miller was marked for the boot when miss Lindsey stated her boundaries.

Fucking racist scumbag. Probably still a virgin.

I can see Trump replacing Kelly with Cory Lewindowski before either Christie, Santorum or Huckabee. The former three all have political ambitions of their own and are too big of personalities for Trump. Racist pig Tom Cotton is up for a major role in the cabinet when one opens like Secretary of State or Attorney General.

Maybe he'll make Sessions take it.....

Corey could never get top secret clearances

Kushner doesn't need top secret clearances - why would Corey? Trump can give Top Secret materials to anyone he chooses. There are all sorts of stories in the MSM currently about the number of people in the WH getting copied on the President's daily briefing (14) and also about Kushner's lack of security clearance. Why aren't the republicans all up in arms about that? Isn't that why they were so pissed about Clinton's private email server - because she was "careless" with classified information? Seems this administration is far more "careless" with government docs than HRC could have ever been. At least I'm pretty certain she wasn't a Russian or Chinese spy. I can't say that about many of the Trump administration.

Chief Of Staff, Sean Hannity. Bet on it.

[quote] Why aren't the republicans all up in arms about that?

Because they're Republicans ... {insert long ranting screed about what hypocritical absolute pieces of shit Republicans are}.

R395 I don't think so. Only because Hannity makes up to 20 million a year and it'd be a step down. Also, he's more valuable exactly where he is - at Fox. (and more influential, thus dangerous).

Keep thinking on it though.

Does it really matter who they replace Kelly with? At best, it's lipstick on a pig, which Kelly already is. At worst, it could be another step down like replacing incompetent Spicer with tone-deaf sycophant Suckabee.

Trump is never going to have anyone who is famous or even well known as his chief of staff. Not happening. Chris Christie, Sean Hannity, No way.. And Steve Miller's feet are on a banana peel. He's getting too much attention. He'll be gone real soon.

My guess is he will hire the whole Fox and Friends crew to be his chief of staff. Then he will make them do the show at his staff meetings

I want more indictments. I want them NOW! I get this sense that things are stalled. It makes me real uneasy..

Hoping for a indictment timed for State of the Union .

Hell yes. Here’s hoping that in the middle of the State Of The Union, the FBI barges in, pushes Trump aside and arrests Pence. That’d make a pretty picture.

don't think Mueller is into that kind of dramatic scene. But I do think it's possible Mueller could come for JAred Kushner a couple days before the state of the union speech and Trump would be so PIsed off, he woul either not deliver his speech, or, more likely he would use the speech to rant and rave about fake news, corruption in the FBI and the resignation of Sessions and Rosenstein and who ever else. He would have an unbelievable tantrum. He might even stroke out. Ivanka would, of course, not be at the SOTU unless she is their dressed in deepest black mourning clothes.

Nobody is arresting the VP. Come on. Get real.

I know, but you have to admit that’d be entertaining as hell.

Ivanka always makes me think of the evil character Essa Rompkin from the 2005 TV series, 'Charlie Jade.'

Total evil bitch ready to screw over two other parallel universes in order to fulfill her greed.

Knowing Cheetolini, he’ll start calling Duckworth “Tammy Two Stumps”, because he is a bullying piece of shit.

[quote] Hell yes. Here’s hoping that in the middle of the State Of The Union, the FBI barges in, pushes Trump aside and arrests Pence. That’d make a pretty picture.

No, no, no R403 Javanka and Donald Jr escorted out of the Rotunda by U.S. marshals while John Lewis stands up and leads the Dems in a slow clap.

Nunes is doing what look likes blatant treason right in the open. Paul Ryan allows it. It is as if he is a Russian agent; a rather stupid one though. Mueller should take the offensive in investigating his activities. Congressmen are not exempt from obstruction of justice.

FBI Director threatened to quit

Thank you, r411. Christ. Has there been a day in the last year where something jaw-droppingly improper HASN'T been revealed?

Anyone who would want to work in the current WH would have to be brain damaged.

R412 Apparently he wouldn't fire McCabe, but he did re-assign FBI lawyer James Baker after getting pressured by Sessions.

And that Nunes memo is complete partisan bullshit being pushed and amplified by the Russian troll army, but it will still do a lot of damage. I just intend to keep pointing out to people the story isn't how treason was uncovered, the story is the FUCKING TREASON. God I hate these assholes.

[quote] I just intend to keep pointing out to people the story isn't how treason was uncovered, the story is the FUCKING TREASON. God I hate these assholes.

Good luck. At this stage I'm convinced these people know it's all lies but are too stubborn to admit it, like their version of religion. Racism is the icing on the cake.

But if we all did what you do, and could claim saving one person each.... you have my admiration.

[quote] R266: [R265] according to the link at [R262] McConnell's "no" vote was procedural even though he supported it. I don't quite understand that and was hoping someone else could explain it.

I recall that Harry Reid vote “no” on one of the early ACA votes for the same reason. By voting no, it meant that he could bring it back up for another vote after he wrangled the votes.

That's exactly it, R416. The only people who are allowed to bring back a bill for a re-vote are those who originally voted it down. If none of them has changed their mind, then there's no point in the re-vote. So, traditionally, a majority leader who wants a bill to pass will vote it down with the majority, hoping to bring it back later under more favorable conditions.

I want John Lewis to stand up and punch mango Mussolini right in the jibs at the STOU.

What is it about Devin Nune that raises the hackles of so many of us, including me?

It's not as if he's the only traitor.

I will not be surprised if trump ends up bailing on the state of the union (yes I know it’s mandatory). He has yet to face a hostile crowd during a speech or public appearance and there will be plenty of democrats there. I know they probably won’t boo (I wish they did) but they’ll be hostile.

Rachel is killing it again tonight. Apparently Jared is being manipulated by Chinese Agents as well as Russian, Saudi Arabian and Israeli agents and still cant get a security clearance.

The STOU doesn't have to be presented to Congress in person by the president. Before Woodrow Wilson, it was a written report submitted to Congress and read into the record by a clerk. So it wouldn't surprise me if Trump bailed on delivering it in person and sends Ivanka over with the written report instead.

He will bail.

Can the SOTU be Tweeted? Cuz, ya know...

R424 Tweeted from the toilet is most apt for this shithole prez.

Thanks R422 I didn’t know that. There’s no way I would tune in anyway.

At SotU, Cotton, Gaetz, Nunes, Gowdy, Grassley, Corbin, King, etc., will be displaying orgasmic excitement.

Devin Nunes reminds me of that Oklahoma guy who was caught trying to solicit a minor boy in a motel room.

Devin has Russian money. He's business partners with a russian. They own vineyards in California. He's a piece of shit.

This is like watching an endless miniseries that's partly a spy thriller, a political whodunit, and a mafia movie. At a certain point it's pretty exhausting. I can't help but feel that's what they want. They bombard us with so much shit and they do it 24/7/365 until we want to just walk away and tune out.

[quote] I'm convinced these people know it's all lies but are too stubborn to admit it.

They don't care that Trump and the Republicans lie, fuck that, they LIKE it. They're morally bankrupt. In their world smart people lie and use lies to frustrate liberals, and Trump supporters approve.

I just watched this morning’s Morning Joe on the msnbc site - did anyone else see it?

So wicked! Scarborough was trolling the cheeto something fierce! It’s like everything he said was calculated to push buttons and get a response! Any why not? If it works it’s a sorry indictment of how bad trump and his administration is - and it’ll result in great ratings for the show. I suspect it’ll only get more intense as time goes by.

The scriptwriters and producers there must be having a blast!

Right-wing media pushing hard this morning on a "secret society" inside the FBI that worked to undermine Trump and prop HIllary. (Obviously, they didn't do a good job.)

Well George Pappadopoulis's fiancee is still talking and she says there is SO much more to come out of this WH. So much. I guess she and George are unhappy with him being dismissed as a "coffee boy." Miss Fiancee did another interview. And the hits keep on coming.

[quote]Jared is being manipulated

Pics please.

Shit's gettin real! Melania has announced that she will NOT be going to Davos with Donald. She had the office of First Lady make the announcement yesterday, on their wedding anniversary. Hah!

Just leaving this here...

Tsunami threat for the entire West Coast this morning and all Donny Fatso is doing is slandering our government agencies sworn to protect us. Now what kinda whore would do that? A traitor?

So has anybody told the Trumpanzees yet that the "FISA memo" doesn't exist?

And it looks like a check for $130,000 was cut from the campaign funds and transferred to the trump organisation not long before the election.... Co-incidence I’m sure.

Such things don't matter when Republicans, and these so called devout Christians, do it. Hillary Clinton would have been hanged for it though.

[quote]And it looks like a check for $130,000 was cut from the campaign funds and transferred to the trump organisation not long before the election.... Co-incidence I’m sure.

This is actually a major thing if true. And, I would think, fairly easy to prove.

Why is it so major r441? No a trumper by any means, just wondering - were any laws broken, etc. If so, I hope it gets reported my the MSM.

R441 Yep, clear paper/money trail. But the DOJ is in Trump's pocket, so who will prosecute this?

It's not surprising that they are hypocrites and that there's a double standard when it comes to illicit sex or money or corruption or sexual abuse, etc. What I find appalling is the widespread acceptance from many in the media and the public sphere that this double standard is just how it is.

I would think taking money earmarked for the campaign and using it for an extra-curricular purpose (to be polite about it) would be illegal, plain and simple.

I want to say someone was recently kicked out of office or arrested for something similar. There were bigger charges against him, but campaign finance irregularities is what they got him on in the end. Who was that?

Why is the DOJ sucking Trump's tiny dick?

R446 Because the AG is a Trump sucker.

I have to say that I’ve stopped feeling hopeless about this, to feeling certain that Mueller & MANY others like him have this COMPLETELY under control.

It really looks like Sessions is at the center of it all from Russian corruption in Congress to Trump campaign collusion with the Russians to continuing obstruction of justice. Mueller will have to take him out before proceeding to the idiot in the WH.

[quote]I would think taking money earmarked for the campaign and using it for an extra-curricular purpose (to be polite about it) would be illegal, plain and simple.

I got away with it!

[quote](to be polite about it)

Why on earth would you want to do that r455?

Ryan and McTurtle act like they OWN the government.

If I remember the constitution correctly, congress is supposed to represent the people. Nowhere on there does it say that Ryan and McTurtle get take full possession of the government.

They are just two assholes out of 300,000,000. They need to have a seat and give the power back to the people.

Trump and his minions keep referring to the "deep state" but all that really is is the civil servants they can't fire in every single cabinet level department including the FBI and DOJ who think Trump and his gang are monsters and evil and need to be resisted and prosecuted. So I'm good with that.

[quote]Ryan and McTurtle act like they OWN the government.

They act like that because they do.

Trolls are panicked today. So are GOP members. They are really ramping up attacks. So far this week we've learned the FBI director threatened to quit, Sessions was interviewed by Mueller, Jared is probably comprised by China as well as the Russians, and Dotard used campaign money to pay off a porn star. But trolls are ignoring those stories completely and pushing Nunes' bullshit memo and attacking FBI agents instead. I hope it means something big is about to drop right on their heads.

R455 Also, the trolls were not very jubilant of the Dems "caving". Anxiously preparing for the next big scandal to hit, I think. Being a Trump troll will give them ulcers... because they are essentially defending a lunatic.

I'll bet that the "I don't recall" shit of Sessions didn't fly with Mueller.

R457 I imagine it must have been like the school clown called in to meet with the principal.

You know, now that Mueller has called Sessions in, it may enrage Sessions enough after the fact, that he finally gives in to trump and figures out a way to get Mueller fired.

I wonder if he had that smirk on his face during the interview.

Mueller wants to question Trump within the next two weeks. Now we're cooking!

^Source, R461?

R461 Why is he skipping Pence? Pence and Manafort are very much linked.

I betcha the Trump meeting is going one of two ways. Either Mueller will tell Trump he has enough information to bring charges that will stick to Trump himself and DOnnie Jr, JAred and Ivanka, and if Trump wants to cut a deal he needs to get his shit together ASAP. OR Mueller is going to go in there and be cordial and prod trump enough to get him to talk...and talk...and incriminate himself . my choice is the first option. Mueller is going to tell hi m he should consider making a deal. He might even indicate to him that since Prison is a foregone conclusion either in state or federal institutions, he might want to try to cut his losses, resign and maybe we can get something figured out so you don't get hit too hard. Trump will have a tantrum and dig in. At first. then he will listen to people and cut his losses, become ill and quit. We live and hope.

R464: I wish!

If he wants to question Trump that means he knows a lot and wants to catch Trump in a lie. I'd be surprised if Trump actually lets himself be interviewed under oath. He's done it before though.

Trump is such a narcissist that he believes he can control the narrative and that he can sway Mueller to his side.

R445, you would also expect that using tax payer money to pay off a sexual harassment lawsuit would be massively illegal, apparently not.

Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa. swiftly removed from House Ethics following report he settled sexual harassment claim with taxpayer money.

Wow, swift removal from the ethics panel, that's some harsh punishment alright ... fucking Republicans.

Another dirty old, high-level politician using taxpayer funds to pay for his unwanted pussy grabbing.

Mueller would have no role in bargaining with Trump about impeachment. That is the job of the lame House of Representatives.

PBS Newshour had an informative focus group on for an extended segment tonight (1/23) that featured an unkempt, zombie-like Trump woman straight out of Central Casting. Inserted here in case anyone needs a chuckle.

The $130,000 is not using taxpayer's money to pay someone off. This involved campaign finance laws.

Plus, for extra fun, the guy leading the group who filed the complaint is named Paul S. Ryan. Ha.

Why listen to fundamentalist, right wing preachers and evangelical organizations abut anything?. These hypocrites, calling themselves Christians, are defending Trump over every moral indiscretion, lie, and the denials of engaging Russians to alter results of a U. S. Presidential election. They are saying that since Trump supports anti-gay, anti-trans, anti-choice, moving the embassy in Israel, so-called religious freedom laws to discriminate, appointing a pro-corporate, far right Supreme Court Justice; Trump gets a pass on personal behavior that would have sunk anyone else long ago. These preachers and hate organizations give cover to any evangelical Trump voter starting to feel conflicted about his moral ineptitude and failures.

R473, but the one good thing is that their sublime hypocrisy is now being opened to the fresh air and sunshine.

Yes r474, it also gives parishioners the thought, "well if Trump can do this shit, me doing it isn't so bad." The whole base for hearding their masses falters.

They should have stuck with hymns, prayers, hearing biblical passages, an inspirational sermon (not a political one), give to charities, and engage in simple fellowship and community outreach to the down and out.

But they want to blend church and state, make bigtime money, find villians to hate, and scare into submission. They need taxed!

Biden confirms reports McConnell blocked Obama from warning Americans about Russian election interference

r476....that was reported over a year ago.

R477 Did Biden confirm it a year ago?

It didnt need confirming....its an established fact.

It doesn't matter if it didn't need confirming. It's relevant that he's confirming and talking about it.

Yeah, cause you know the fuckers are going to ramp up the fake news for the midterms.

With Mueller closing in, is Trump’s plan just to distract and tweet? Will he try to bomb his way out of this? Does he think he can just lie and double down on the lies until Mueller gives up?

Does he really not have an escape plan? How about Jared, Ivanka, Don Jr. and Eric? None of them have an overnight bag packed, along with a wad of cash a fake nose and glasses mask?

Do they really have that much hubris? Are they really that stupid?

Yes. Yes. Yes.

No. Yes. Yes. No. No. Yes.

Yes. Yes.

Obama wanted to make it a bi-partisan announcement, and McConnell refused to join him. When I read about it last year it seemed as if McConnell didn't trust or believe the information POTUS Obama presented to hm, and evn questioned the Intel agencies. He thought it was a political ploy. Or at least that's how he pretended to react to it.

Obama briefed Ryan, McConnell, Pelosi and Harry Reid about this and could not get the GOP leadership to support it. In spite of Obama sourcing all the information and it coming from the FBI Counter Intel people, the CIA and even foreign Intel reports. But all that meant is that Obama could still make the announcement public, just do it without Bi Partisan support.

R484, and sink an entire election on the spot as the news media and the entire Repug party go on and on about Obama electioneering for Hillary, right? In fact, that's exactly what McConnell said out of his own personal yapping shithole of a face.

This is also what makes me believe that the actual vote totals were hacked. Even with the Russian interference at that point, the outcome was known. There is no way that the only exit polls that were wrong were the ones in the three states that minimally handed the election to a man with three million fewer votes.

McConnell and Ryan committed treason on that day.

R485 "the actual vote totals were hacked"

You're not alone in that belief, just so you know. I don't know if I agree with you on the variables. We'll probably never know. But if we're right, it validates the belief that Obama didn't come forward because he truly believed Hillary Clinton would win and coming out with the info before the election could have harmed her presidency. Paul Manafort and Mike Flynn were also convinced Trump would lose. It's why they were so sloppy when committing their crimes. They assumed they would go unnoticed, and therefore, un-investigated. Manafort had been getting away with this shit for years. I think Putin was able to successfully hack the final vote tallies in 3 to 5 states, but Manafort, Flynn, and others, had no knowledge of that aspect of Putin's plan. He had 5 slot machines going at once, all in different rooms. All he needed was for one to hit the jackpot.

[quote] McConnell and Ryan committed treason on that day.

And every day since.

I love you, R483

So, Rupert Murdoch's Fox wants to declare war on the FBI, and some Republicans in Congress are pushing it?

This is desperation. If it isn't, it is even worse.

Could any of us imagine that contemporary Republicans would be viciously attacking law enforcement in defense of Trump?

This whole collusion thing IS NOT going to pan out. AT ALL. Too many moving parts and closed mouths.

HOWEVER what WILL pan out is Trumps money laundering. His wealth is 100 percent due to his criminal activities. While everyone focuses on Mueller and his indictments of staff in regard to the Russia collusion......

He is garnering bank records and comparing to the condo sales.

THAT is what this is all about. The Russia thing is a deflection.

I am puzzled as to why the FBI loyalists have not yet placed a horse head in Trump's bed. I mean there was a time where these secret agency honchos would bust someone's knee caps for just laughing at them. I thought these FBI guys might not care about the US but when someone demeans them they would retaliate and yet they act take it like spineless pushovers? This is fucked up. What's next, the military cowering in fear of Trump?

I tend to agree, R491. There's no way Trump is going down on collusion or obstruction. Money laundering and other financial crimes are more likely ... but I'm still not holding my breath. I'm counting on having to defeat him at the ballot booth in 2020.

Frankly, I would rather see money laundering as the crime that takes this shit bucket down. It would humiliate him the most for people to know he is not a genius, not that rich and just a COMMON crook.

R491, you do realize the money laundering thing is also the Russia thing, right?

The laundering is connected at the hip with collusion. It's the quid pro quo, so it's probably very easy to prove.

Malcolm Nance‏ @MalcolmNance

“Secret Society” Conspiracy Theory to overthrow Trump meme is straight from the KGB & 3rd world Dictators handbook. This is an American 5th column. #Disgraceful

It's like a domino effect, once Mueller has removed any doubt about one of the accusations (Trump being guilty of) the others will follow and the media has not other choice but to report about the facts. And the public asking: Who let it happen or who let it go this far?

Call me a sociopath but I hope for Paul Ryan's head on a spike.

Republican Tom Nichols:

The Russians are attacking us, quite intelligently, at our two most vulnerable (and related) points: our fascination with social media, and our staggeringly low level of cultural and political literacy. They're using the net to spread stuff they know Americans will believe.

No, R495 it is not. Not at all. The collusion is just that- collusion with Russia to effect the election process. NOTHING to do with racketeering. AT all. The only reason that we are talking about this is that the collusion was, essentially, an impetus.

I’m reading Fire and Fury and at the beginning of the book the author mentions an anecdote about Murdoch, who is contemptuous of Trump, sneering at Trump’s desperation to ingratiate himself with actual billionaires, clearly indicating that trump is nowhere near as wealthy as he claims.

Trump was a shit businessman. His father left him a lot of money, and he used it to build. Problem was, he could not pay the banks back. He got himself into a lot of financial trouble. Then, suddenly.....................................................................LAAUNDER money for CROOKS!!!!! THAT is what got him rich. NOTHING else. All of his other ventures were complete failures.

Trump is litterally bankrupt (morally and financially). He has more debts than money or assets in his name. He tries to pull the same shit as Putin did in Russia, but he is not smart or calcualating enough to pull it off.

sorry, literally.

Trumps bank records with the crooked banks (Deutsche....) will do him in. Who cares about collusion.

Collusion was a GREAT tool that acted as a key into the door leading to the rest of his criminal activities. But, collusion does not matter. Never will.

Everything matters. Everything that will bring him down and kick him in the gunt while he's falling.

R507 I mean it does not matter in the scheme of the ultimate end. It just won't. The laundering will. Collusion used to matter. Not anymore.

Mueller knows....

R484 here. I agree with you, R485 & R486. I think McConnell and the GOP leadership were hoping Obama would go out there on his own so they could hang him out to dry and Hillary along with him. Yes, I also believe the vote was definitely hacked, but let's not ignore the role Steve Bannon and Cambridge Analytics played in helping Putin make that happen. Once Comey came out with the "October surprise" the race tightened enough to make stealing inevitable. (Close elections are easier to steal. ) When you consider it was 78,000 votes out of what, 170+ million votes cast. What continues to impress me is that Hillary won the popular vote not by a few hundred, but by 3 fucking million votes. And those fuckers have the audacity to say she ran a poor campaign or they could have won, or she should STFU and "move on." (Just so you know, Move On.org and Indivisible are kicking ass out here right now and we should find a local group and get involved.)

r510 it's obvious the Republican leaders didn't get where they are by putting the country over party. I'm not sure if McConnell actually believed Obama or not, because Republicans actually think that way, and when you are someone who thinks that way, you assume everyone else does as well.

Not sure about Karma, but if there is such a thing, here is why it is in Trumps midst-

Laundering takes a LOT of resources and money to prove. Investigators have to have a LOT of people, money, etc to collect information and go way back. It is really not something they do regularly and normally will use another means to take it to the court (lesser, usually).

BUT-------Because idiot is now idiot in Chief----ALL of the necessary resources and people are completely available!!!!!!!!! If Trump never ran, he would get away with his years of criminal activity!!!! But, his being in the White house allows for a GREAT deal of time, money, resources. Makes me wonder if someone aside from Karma had this in mind .

Whether Trump agrees to meet with Mueller or refuses and is subpoenaed, he will commit perjury. The guy lies constantly, so he's screwed. TG.

I would love for Mueller's final analysis to reveal specific evidence of vote hacking, because I believe it actually happened. We need "receipts" as the young people say....

r513 is right. Trump is not even capable of telling the truth, nor can he utter more than one sentence without contradicting himself.

Apologies if this was answered up thread R513 but how can Dotard Plump get away with refusing to meet with Mueller?

If he's subpoenaed, would there be any way he could slither his way out?

r514 Whitney said it first, and she was elderly!

[quote]I would love for Mueller's final analysis to reveal specific evidence of vote hacking, because I believe it actually happened. We need "receipts" as the young people say....

[quote]Yes. There's already proof. I work in the industry. I sat in a meeting with the head of cyber security investigations for the FBI in Florida. Their systems were hacked in 2016. What's difficult is proving that (or more accurately stated "how") the votes were manipulated. But go back to election night and remember how Trump pulled ahead in Florida, NC, MI, PA and WI. It happened almost like clock work once the precincts reporting crossed the 50% threshold. This shit is deep. Putin had already done this in his own election and also in Ukraine. We should be very worried about the EU elections coming up.

Putin has the blackmail cards, i. e. everything from money laundering to conspiracy to alter a U. S. Presidential election. Toss in the video of the pee pee girls for Vlad's further amusement and DJT's embarrassment..

What is going on with these Republican Wisconsin politicians? Ron Johnson calling the FBI a secret society and vigorously defending Trump's behavior? Paul Ryan? S. Walker? Other Wisconsin GOP reps?

Something seems particularly fishy about Wisconsin and the 2016 Presidential election.

Trump has zero connection to the truth so, of course, he will perjure himself under oath. He couldn’t locate the truth if he wanted to.

I’m almost certain Mueller will bring Trump down unless Trump reveals himself to be the Anti-Christ and has an arsenal of flying fire-breathing dragons. Trump is stupid and without morals and has been lying and thieving his whole life while Mueller is infinitely smarter than Trump and knows what he is looking for.

Even if Pence becomes POTUS it’ll only be for maybe 18 months and potentially at least a Democratic Senate. He’ll be like an ambitious Gerold Ford.

Trump will do what he always does. He will do everything to impress and intimidate Mueller during the interview. He will boast how rich and successful he is and then ask Mueller if he can match his, supposed, wealth and success and basically establish some alpha vs. beta relationship where Trump is calling the shots and Mueller just obeys and listens. And, to some degree, Mueller will humor Trump to give him enough rope to hang himself.

Yes, I agree R523. And Mueller will know WHY he is rich and "successful", and may show him why and how he knows.....

Yes R520. I would love to be a fly on the wall for some of the conversations happening within Mueller’s offices!!

The ONLY person who can make this movie when everything is over is Martin Scorsese.

So many time throughout this national nightmare I’ve imagined a voiceover by Joe Pesci.

Think Casino.

Regarding your post it’s like the Bugs Bunny cartoons with giant signs with a red arrow pointing at Wisconsin that says “Bad Guys Hacked Election Here!”

Reading this thread gives me hope that this nightmare may end soon. I am sick and disheartened that the Trump administration represents how far the US has fallen in in its courageous original design to be a safe harbor for equality and justice.

I agree, r405!

[quote]Think Casino.

Oh no. No.

I think Trump is going to say, that the reason he agreed to Mueller's request for a meeting, is because he wants to take the opportunity to "chastise" Mueller for this political witch hunt, and the tainted FBI deep state conspiracy.

He will insist Mueller start looking into Hillary and Obama so the FBI can demonstrate their fairness. He will say he has been harassed and persecuted more than any other President in history, and that the conspiracy to "get " him includes the media. The media is being used to leak and violate the laws and they are committing Treason. That's it. That's the rant. I'd bet money. It writes itself.

Mueller will sit there patiently and hear him out, and then he will say he "just has a few questions to ask Mr. POTUS." He may even agree that "it's very important to be fair and impartial and just be led by facts not politics. " Mueller might even go so far as to say, "that I agree this is not good to have hanging over anyone, Mr. P. For the sake of the country, and this administration we both want to get this resolved...Now, just a couple questions, sir..."

And once he has mollified Trump, whose ego will be impressed with his "humility," Trump will start talking, and he will condemn himself from his own mouth. All Mueller has to do is act humble and sympathetic.

Mueller is smart enough to know he should not go in there ready to kick Trump's ass and be all aggressive and authoritarian. He needs to give Trump enough of the proverbial rope, and really, Trump is transparently easy to play with.

I wouldn't put it past Trump to boast about showing Mueller who's boss and then, for some completely different reason, to step down which has most certainly nothing to do with Mueller's investigation and Mueller just thinking "say whatever makes you sleep at night, you bitch!".

I heard someone ranting this morning about Mueller being a damn liberal and Trump should NOT speak to him because he's such a damn liberal. When I quietly pointed out that Mueller is a republican he just got angrier.

There is no point to argue with Deplorables, conservatives, alt-right, or GOP. They are too far gone to actually digest what you can offer. It's not even entering their brain (one ear in, the other ear out).

Another interesting tidbit in the first chapter of "Fire and Fury"....Roger Ailes was telling President Shithole the day after the election that he had to "get right with the Russia thing".

R533, it's pretty bad when Ailes and Murdoch come off looking they are actually okay.

Yesterday, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) told Fox News that a "whistle-blowing informant" had come forward with "shocking" news that FBI agents were holding "secret off-site meetings" in which they plotted against Trump. There's a "secret society" within the FBI, Sen. Johnson blustered. This set right-wing media into full-on attack mode, gleefully assailing the integrity of the FBI and the deep state's bias against truth, justice and the American Way.

Flash forward to today -- CNN's Manu Raju reports::

Ron Johnson tells us his “secret society” comments were based on an informant and the words used in a Strzok-Page text exchange. He acknowledges not knowing what they meant - and says the focus now on his committee is the Clinton email scandal.

Oh. Never mind.

Buttery males.

Actually the Scorsese movie the face-off reminds me of is 'The Wolf Of Wall Street.' Leo is driven to sneer at the homely cop on his trail, who travels home far out on the subway, while he lives it large on his yacht. Can't believe the cop doesn't buy into his 'values', which are - surely! - everyone's 'values', and thinks himself untouchable.

Homely cop is patient and diligent, and brings Leo crashing down.

Why doesnt the FBI push back? They need to make a statement saying the traitors in congress and the whitehouse need to stop obstructing an ongoing investigation.

The reason they met offsite, if they did, was because there are traitors in the bureau.

I kinda wish they’d just go ahead release their stupid memo. Let 33% of the country gnash their horrible teeth and cry their horrible cries, and get it the fuck over with. It’ll change the minds of absolutely no one.

What do you wanna bet a bunch of agents from the same graduating class met for lunch at Applebee’s and Fox has interpreted this as a clandestine meeting of a secret cabal?

Mueller is doing exactly what he needs to do and will say nothing. If he gets in a pissing match with the assholes, it will indeed turn into a circus. When Mueller strikes, dont be surprised that people you thought have nothing to do with this are implicated.

Ha! The Pope is a #resister.

Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned fake news as satanic, saying journalists and social media users should shun and unmask manipulative “snake tactics” that foment division to serve political and economic interests.

The document was issued after months of debate on how much fake news may have influenced the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and the election of President Donald Trump.

“Spreading fake news can serve to advance specific goals, influence political decisions, and serve economic interests,” the pope wrote, condemning the “manipulative use of social networks” and other forms of communication.

Called “The truth will set you free - fake news and journalism for peace”, the document was issued in advance of the Catholic Church’s World Day of Social Communications on May 13.

”This false but believable news is ‘captious’, inasmuch as it grasps people’s attention by appealing to stereotypes and common social prejudices and exploiting instantaneous emotions like anxiety, contempt, anger and frustration,” Francis said.

a benign assertion by the Pope.....who is he addressing ? Liberals will say hes attacking "fake news" like Fox, and deplorable will say hes attacking "fake news" like CNN. He needed to be more specific.

#PresidentMORON

Kyle Griffin‏Verified account @kylegriffin1

Canada’s prime minister has tweeted about the Kentucky school shooting. America’s president has not.

Reminder that the Rethugs will go to any lengths.

Alabama House votes to end Senate special elections

The Alabama House voted 67-31 to end special elections for U.S. Senate appointments, per the Montgomery Advertiser's Brian Lyman.

Why it matters: Democrat Doug Jones was elected to the Senate in a special election, rocking a deep red state. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Steve Clouse, said it was meant to save the state money as last year's election cost $11 million. The bill now advances to the Alabama Senate.

We need to stop using the word 'collusion' and start calling it what it legally is, 'conspiracy'. The money laundering, obstruction, and everything to do with Russia is part of the CONSPIRACY between Russia and the Repugs to put their retarded autocrat puppet in the Shite House (no, that's not a typo).

[quote]Why doesnt the FBI push back? They need to make a statement saying the traitors in congress and the whitehouse need to stop obstructing an ongoing investigation.

They really can't, which Congressional Republicans know. It's already gotten political and anything they say has the potential to make things even worse.

Somewhat relatedly, Josh Marshall, at TPM, made the point that he's puzzled by the extreme overreaction on the part of the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans. The war with the FBI, Nunes' massively over-the-top behavior, Trump's extraordinary lengths to get the investigation shut down, the willingness to destroy our law enforcement norms, and even to dramatically harm our law enforcement agencies. These are not the actions of people unconcerned about the investigation.

[quote]Something doesn’t seem to fit. The White House has driven a widening war with the FBI, the Justice Department, various parts of the Intelligence Community and brought numerous members of Congress into this effort. This is not to mention the use of conservative media. Trump has also conducted what Mueller now seems to think may constitute an on-going pattern of obstruction down to this day. You may have seen the videos I posted this morning. The attack is so ferocious and so over the top, it’s really hard to imagine what could be so bad as to drive this level of response. They seem to be expecting something worse than I am expecting.

TPM?

TPM = Talking Points Memo

War of the Memos!

Kyle Griffin‏Verified account @kylegriffin1

Schiff says that House Intelligence Democrats have drafted their own memo "exposing the misleading character of the Republicans’ document so that members of the House are not left with an erroneous impression of the dedicated professionals at the FBI and DOJ."

Thank you r550. Early onset dementia here.

Is there anyone that Melania can trust?

You get a memo, you get a memo, YOU get a memo ... MEMOS FOR EVERYONE! Hey-oooh!

How...Putinesque.

Classic Russian disinformation tactic - flood the zone with garbage and noise, calling the truth of all information into doubt.

I hope Mueller questions Melania.

Singing canary?

Kyle Griffin‏Verified account @kylegriffin1

Rick Gates has added a veteran D.C. defense attorney to his legal team with a long track record of negotiating plea deals with federal prosecutors, ABC News reports.

Doesn't Gates have his own problems?

Kyle GriffinVerified account @kylegriffin1

Russia timeline, per new NBC report: Jan 24—Flynn interviewed by FBI Jan 26—Yates informs McGahn; McGahn informs Trump Jan 27—Trump, per Comey, asks Comey for loyalty pledge Feb 13—Flynn fired Feb 14—Trump, per Comey, asks Comey to "let go" of Flynn probe

Trump practically confirmed my scenario today when he said he was willing to testify under oath for Mueller....pending the advice of his attorney. He actually said to reporters " they need to start investigating all these five months of missing texts, and stuff you people don't report... there's been no obstruction..." I am serious. He thinks he is going mano a mano with Mueller in a confrontation to insist Mueller get his shit together. I'm laughing as I type. Look. over the past year or more, Trump has given us his talking points. He is practicing because he is going to talk to Mueller the exact same way he talks to the reporters he hates. Media is saying within the next three or four weeks.

[quote]He is practicing because he is going to talk to Mueller the exact same way he talks to the reporters he hates.

I very much doubt that.

Trump will do the whole "I do not recall" thing with Mueller behind closed doors and then tell the reporters how he showed Mueller who's boss and he's confident that he convinced Mueller to give up this silly charade and finally focus on something important, like Hillary's Emails.

It will be interesting to see how Trump responds publicly AFTER his interview.

I have a very strong feeling that Trump, who in today's press availability went on another rant about Hillary and whether she was under oath, has conflated the bullshit HRC e-mail investigation and her 11 hours with Gowdy and company testifying, with his criminal obstruction and conspiracy case, and sees the two investigations as comparable.He is insisting on framing Mueller's investigation as purely political completely discrediting the FBI.This tells me he is not going quietly. He is going to frame this his way and fight it. I had hoped that at some point Trump would realize he was fucked and skulk away. Now I think he will fight like hell. It tells me he has a lot to protect and he has help from the Russians' disinformation campaign. GOP and Russians a re working together right now on social media. Its' all out in the open now.

DoJ Warns That #ReleasetheMemo Would Be ‘Extraordinarily Reckless’

The controversial document is already causing chaos on the Hill. It could get worse. Sources say the memo names Comey, Rosenstein, McCabe.

In a letter sent to Nunes on Jan. 24, Stephen Boyd, the Justice Department’s top Congressional liaison, wrote that “it would be extraordinarily reckless for the Committee to disclose such information publicly without giving the Department and the FBI the opportunity to review the memorandum and to advise the HPSCI [the House intelligence committee] of the risk of harm to national security and to ongoing investigations that could come from public release.”

That letter also said the Department is “unaware of any wrongdoing” related to the FISA process – indicating the Department disagrees with the scores of Congressional Republicans who say Nunes’ memo is proof of wrongdoing.

[quote]TPM = Talking Points Memo

Thank you. I normally would have linked to the entire commentary but it's a members-only link, so anyone who isn't a member couldn't read it. With Trump, I get it. His narcissism and his view of the world is that everyone in Washington is working for him, even Congress, so he gets irate when things don't get his way and he lashes out.

Where it gets interesting is in the behavior of people like Nunes, Grassley, and the full-fledged lunacy of Senator Ron Johnson. WTF is going on there that they are engaging in what appears to be a full-scale war? And when did Lou Dobbs go so far off the rails that he's fully on board with this, to the point where he, too, has gone all-out in propagating these conspiracy theories?

I imagine that memo is more fiction than the Fifty Shades of Grey book series and probably even worse written. Republicans, right?

After a complete declassification we're going to find out the memo is "[bold]KILLARY BENGHAZIED ALL THE RUSSIAN URANIUM!!1![/bold] scribbled in crayon over and over.

[quote]WTF is going on there that they are engaging in what appears to be a full-scale war? And when did Lou Dobbs go so far off the rails that he's fully on board with this, to the point where he, too, has gone all-out in propagating these conspiracy theories?

I think it's both about muddying the waters as much as possible, and an intimidation tactic towards the investigators to quash both the collusion and obstruction fires. Both designed to get Cheeto off the hook.

Dobbs has been an anti-immigration loon for years. I'm sure if he hadn't gone full Trumpanzee by election day, he is one now.

Shall we throw out some titles for Part 10? (Yes, I'm too lazy to scroll up).

Anyone have any suggestions for a new title and/or description for the next thread?

Does "Memo" make it sound official and authoritative to the deplorables? It's nothing more than fiction written up by Trump flunkies for the purpose of making Trump look like a victim. Just the Republican Congress colluding with the Trump WH to create an illusion of victimhood.

....and you just know that the unnamed informant in the memo is the same rogue idiot that informed them on Uranium One.....bet.

This whole memo BS reminds me of the MAD TV skit, Something So Perfect...

Well, they couldn't package and present it as an email, because, you know, Hillary's Emails. So it had to be a memo, which is something totally different. But still fake news.

Its a memo THEY WROTE.

Title ideas:

"Treasonweasels Ripped My Flesh"

"Treasons of Love"

"The Four Treasons"

"Give Me a Treason to Love You"

"Treasons in the Sun"

Josh Dawsey‏Verified account @jdawsey1

Not shocking at this point, but White House people did not plan, or script, Trump's remarks -- and were as startled as reporters. Had to first read quotes on Mueller/obstruction, etc. to one source to get reaction. "When did he say that?" person said.

Celestial Treasonings

Maggie Haberman‏Verified account @maggieNYT

Potus, obsessed with Clinton still, asked me, in response to my q about under oath, whether she did to the FBI. He doesn’t seem to know that lying to the FBI even without being under oath is a crime. Perhaps Flynn can tell him

I like Treasons of Love... but R578 legit made me laugh.

Is "For Undisclosed Treasons" still available? Kind of fits because of the law jingo.

R574 Maybe the MEMO thing isn't working too well, so they are now trying to make missing FBI private TEXT as the new Hillary deleted EMAIL. LOL

Any Treason Is A Good Treason (to get rid of FuckFace Von Clownstick).

To Everything There is a Treason!

Knockin' on Treason's Door

President Shithole just "talked" to the press.

So very very very fucking high.

*sniff* *snort*

Link to Part 10 for when this one gets full.

The fly said to the spider: I will testify under oath!

It’s The Time Of The Treason For Loving

Link to Part 10.

For Treasons Which Are Well Known To Them

Closing this thread out.

Please use the other thread.

Link to new thread.

Thread Closed.