Mike Pence: Almost as bad as Trump but he might not get us killed

[GrumpyGran]

23 minutes ago, Childless said:

Of course he stands with Trump.  He's a racist little shit just like his boss.

That line he's walking is getting razor-sharp. His statement should have been more vague. I mean, he's telling us ten times a day that he stands with the president now. That's going to come back to bite him in the ass.

[GreyhoundFan]

"Pence is Trump’s global translator, spinning his pronouncements to soothe allies"

Spoiler

SANTIAGO, Chile — Throughout his tour of Latin America, Vice President Pence has cast himself to his hosts as a dutiful, even earnest messenger for President Trump.

But in visits this week to Colombia, Argentina and Chile, Pence has acted more like Trump’s translator.

Again and again, the vice president’s statements have sounded somewhat discordant from the ones his boss has been delivering back home in the United States. More than delivering Trump’s messages, Pence is repackaging them with a decidedly sober and diplomatic spin.

Peter Wehner, an adviser in President George W. Bush’s White House, said Pence is traveling around the world like “the butler who cleans up the spilled milk and rug stains.”

Keenly aware of how much Trump demands loyalty, Pence has been careful not to allow any substantive daylight between their positions, even though their rhetoric diverges.

After Trump alarmed leaders across the hemisphere by threatening military action in Venezuela, whose authoritarian government has plunged the nation into political crisis and economic collapse, Pence labored to all but erase the specter of U.S. intervention.

Although the president reserves “many options,” Pence said, he of course wants to restore democracy in Venezuela through “a peaceable solution,” such as diplomacy and targeted economic sanctions. “What the world heard last week in the voice of President Donald Trump was resolve and determination,” he said.

Trump has enforced strict migration policies, banning refugees from Syria and other majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States.

Yet when Pence stopped by a church in Cartagena, Colombia, to meet with a few dozen people who had fled neighboring Venezuela, the vice president said that Trump “sent me here with a message of compassion.” He pointed out the United States’ “long and storied history of generosity with regard to refugee populations.”

Trump has framed his presidency around two words — “America first” — a slogan that has led U.S. allies to conclude that the United States was ceding its leadership position around the world.

But Pence has sought to assure allies, as he put it in remarks Wednesday alongside Chile’s president here in Santiago, that “America first does not mean America alone.”

And on trade, Trump routinely rails against agreements that he believes harm U.S. workers. “Bad deals,” he thunders, or “stupid trade.” But consider Pence’s choice of words in a Tuesday speech to business and political elites in Buenos Aires: “As President Trump often says, every deal can be improved.”

Then there is the case of Charlottesville. Pence opened his trip in Cartagena on Sunday, the day after a spate of violence in Virginia. At his joint news conference with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, Pence was asked about the sharp criticism of Trump for not directly condemning white supremacists.

He defended Trump.

“President Trump clearly and unambiguously condemned the bigotry, violence and hatred which took place on the streets of Charlottesville,” Pence said. Then, using far tougher language than Trump had, Pence added: “We have no tolerance for hate and violence, from white supremacists, neo-Nazis or the KKK. These dangerous fringe groups have no place in American public life.”

On Wednesday, Pence aides said he was cutting short his Latin America trip by one day after a quick stop in Panama City and would return to Washington for a strategy meeting Friday at Camp David with Trump and the national security team.

In the 14 months since Trump tapped him to be his running mate, Pence has regularly explained and excused Trump’s comments and actions — to fellow Republican elected officials and to the national media, as well as to world leaders.

“Vice President Pence’s role has developed into him becoming the administration’s top Trump translator — calmly communicating and reinforcing Trumpology to the GOP economic and social base, members of Congress and the business community,” said Scott Reed, a fixture of the Republican establishment and the chief strategist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Wehner, now a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, said he could not think of an analogous time in American history when a vice president has so deliberately sought to explain the president around the world.

“The fact that he has to do so is a commentary on the sad state of affairs we’re in,” Wehner said. Arguing that the president has “a disordered mind,” he added, “Trump will say what he wants, and any effort by Pence to interpret Trump’s comments will come off as an exercise in futility. It will be like trying to piece together a shattered mirror.”

Some Republican strategists see clear benefits for the country in Pence’s adopted role.

“Credit goes to Trump for extending authority, autonomy and an all-inclusive portfolio to his vice president, and credit goes to the vice president for always, to quote Vice President Cheney, ‘salute smartly,’ ” said Mary Matalin, a former adviser to Richard B. Cheney.

GOP strategist Alex Conant, who advised the presidential campaign of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), said Pence is “an invaluable asset for President Trump.”

“While Trump is inconsistent and unfocused, Pence’s presence is reassuring to allies on [Capitol] Hill and overseas,” Conant said. “The more Trump listens to Pence, the better it will be for his presidency.”

During a visit Tuesday to Quinta de Olivos, the presidential compound outside of Buenos Aires, Pence was asked by a journalist whether each time Trump “steps on his own message,” such as with his threat of military action in Venezuela, it results in the vice president having “work to do” overseas.

For a moment, Pence appeared taken aback by the question. But after collecting his thoughts, the vice president answered by heaping praise on Trump, saying, “We have an American president who says what he means and means what he says.”

“President Trump, in a very real sense, I believe, has brought the kind of broad-shouldered leadership to the world stage that has been lacking for too long, and the world welcomes it,” Pence said. “And it’s my great honor to be able to represent him around the world.”

I guess "invaluable asset" is another way to say sycophant.

[Audrey2]

I've always thought Pence looked like a less attractive version of John Slattery, especially as he looked in Mad Men. Roger Sterling, his character on Mad Men, though, had no problem being in a room with a woman.

 

Edited August 17, 2017 by Audrey2

[sawasdee]

It's interesting how a man who was an appallingly bad Governor of Indiana is being made to look statesmanlike next to the TT.

[laPapessaGiovanna]

56 minutes ago, sawasdee said:

It's interesting how a man who was an appallingly bad Governor of Indiana is being made to look statesmanlike next to the TT.

Well the bar is so low that if Americans had chosen their President after a 5minutes interview to the first passerby there were 99% of chances of finding a more suitable person. So no wonder that even Pence looks statesmanlike.

[GrumpyGran]

14 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

"Pence is Trump’s global translator, spinning his pronouncements to soothe allies"

  Reveal hidden contents

SANTIAGO, Chile — Throughout his tour of Latin America, Vice President Pence has cast himself to his hosts as a dutiful, even earnest messenger for President Trump.

But in visits this week to Colombia, Argentina and Chile, Pence has acted more like Trump’s translator.

Again and again, the vice president’s statements have sounded somewhat discordant from the ones his boss has been delivering back home in the United States. More than delivering Trump’s messages, Pence is repackaging them with a decidedly sober and diplomatic spin.

Peter Wehner, an adviser in President George W. Bush’s White House, said Pence is traveling around the world like “the butler who cleans up the spilled milk and rug stains.”

Keenly aware of how much Trump demands loyalty, Pence has been careful not to allow any substantive daylight between their positions, even though their rhetoric diverges.

After Trump alarmed leaders across the hemisphere by threatening military action in Venezuela, whose authoritarian government has plunged the nation into political crisis and economic collapse, Pence labored to all but erase the specter of U.S. intervention.

Although the president reserves “many options,” Pence said, he of course wants to restore democracy in Venezuela through “a peaceable solution,” such as diplomacy and targeted economic sanctions. “What the world heard last week in the voice of President Donald Trump was resolve and determination,” he said.

Trump has enforced strict migration policies, banning refugees from Syria and other majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States.

Yet when Pence stopped by a church in Cartagena, Colombia, to meet with a few dozen people who had fled neighboring Venezuela, the vice president said that Trump “sent me here with a message of compassion.” He pointed out the United States’ “long and storied history of generosity with regard to refugee populations.”

Trump has framed his presidency around two words — “America first” — a slogan that has led U.S. allies to conclude that the United States was ceding its leadership position around the world.

But Pence has sought to assure allies, as he put it in remarks Wednesday alongside Chile’s president here in Santiago, that “America first does not mean America alone.”

And on trade, Trump routinely rails against agreements that he believes harm U.S. workers. “Bad deals,” he thunders, or “stupid trade.” But consider Pence’s choice of words in a Tuesday speech to business and political elites in Buenos Aires: “As President Trump often says, every deal can be improved.”

Then there is the case of Charlottesville. Pence opened his trip in Cartagena on Sunday, the day after a spate of violence in Virginia. At his joint news conference with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, Pence was asked about the sharp criticism of Trump for not directly condemning white supremacists.

He defended Trump.

“President Trump clearly and unambiguously condemned the bigotry, violence and hatred which took place on the streets of Charlottesville,” Pence said. Then, using far tougher language than Trump had, Pence added: “We have no tolerance for hate and violence, from white supremacists, neo-Nazis or the KKK. These dangerous fringe groups have no place in American public life.”

On Wednesday, Pence aides said he was cutting short his Latin America trip by one day after a quick stop in Panama City and would return to Washington for a strategy meeting Friday at Camp David with Trump and the national security team.

In the 14 months since Trump tapped him to be his running mate, Pence has regularly explained and excused Trump’s comments and actions — to fellow Republican elected officials and to the national media, as well as to world leaders.

“Vice President Pence’s role has developed into him becoming the administration’s top Trump translator — calmly communicating and reinforcing Trumpology to the GOP economic and social base, members of Congress and the business community,” said Scott Reed, a fixture of the Republican establishment and the chief strategist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Wehner, now a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, said he could not think of an analogous time in American history when a vice president has so deliberately sought to explain the president around the world.

“The fact that he has to do so is a commentary on the sad state of affairs we’re in,” Wehner said. Arguing that the president has “a disordered mind,” he added, “Trump will say what he wants, and any effort by Pence to interpret Trump’s comments will come off as an exercise in futility. It will be like trying to piece together a shattered mirror.”

Some Republican strategists see clear benefits for the country in Pence’s adopted role.

“Credit goes to Trump for extending authority, autonomy and an all-inclusive portfolio to his vice president, and credit goes to the vice president for always, to quote Vice President Cheney, ‘salute smartly,’ ” said Mary Matalin, a former adviser to Richard B. Cheney.

GOP strategist Alex Conant, who advised the presidential campaign of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), said Pence is “an invaluable asset for President Trump.”

“While Trump is inconsistent and unfocused, Pence’s presence is reassuring to allies on [Capitol] Hill and overseas,” Conant said. “The more Trump listens to Pence, the better it will be for his presidency.”

During a visit Tuesday to Quinta de Olivos, the presidential compound outside of Buenos Aires, Pence was asked by a journalist whether each time Trump “steps on his own message,” such as with his threat of military action in Venezuela, it results in the vice president having “work to do” overseas.

For a moment, Pence appeared taken aback by the question. But after collecting his thoughts, the vice president answered by heaping praise on Trump, saying, “We have an American president who says what he means and means what he says.”

“President Trump, in a very real sense, I believe, has brought the kind of broad-shouldered leadership to the world stage that has been lacking for too long, and the world welcomes it,” Pence said. “And it’s my great honor to be able to represent him around the world.”

I guess "invaluable asset" is another way to say sycophant.

Hahaha, he does look like a butler! If you put him in a black suit with tails, a white shirt and bow tie he would look exactly like a butler!

That quote from Mary Matalin-she's a clever woman. I don't read that as a compliment for Trump.

And I thought Kellyanne was the Trumpsplainer?  Actually I think she's more "Let's take what he said and scramble the words and then put them in the bottom of a tea cup and I'll read them for you."

[GreyhoundFan]

"Pence’s cardinal error: Sounding like Trump’s top sycophant"

Spoiler

Vice President Pence is in an unusual position. He must try to remain a confidante of the president, but he cannot for his own sake — and, if he might have to assume the presidency, for the sake of the country — be seen as adopting President Trump’s noxious views on race, misleading the American people on any issue or generally appearing as a disingenuous sycophant. Unfortunately, he regularly fails to steer clear of the latter.

At times his gushing over Trump is downright embarrassing. Pence’s unctuous comments tend to mystify listeners rather than convince them, as when he defended Trump’s attacks on his own attorney general. (“I know the Washington way is to talk behind people’s backs. But that’s not President Donald Trump’s approach. One of the great things about this president is you always know where you stand.”) Likewise when Pence on a foreign trip blatantly misstates Trump’s words, Pence comes off as dishonest and spineless:

Responding to a question about criticism of Trump’s statement, Pence both selectively quoted Trump and then added his own condemnation of neo-Nazis and others.

“[On Tuesday], President Trump clearly and unambiguously condemned the bigotry, violence and hatred which took place on the streets of Charlottesville,” Pence said. He added, “We have no tolerance for hate and violence from white supremacists, neo-Nazis or the KKK. These dangerous fringe groups have no place in American public life and in the American debate, and we condemn them in the strongest possible terms.”

He then ventured to add context to what Trump had meant by “many sides.”

“The president also made clear that behavior by others of different militant perspectives are also unacceptable in our political debate and discourse,” Pence added.

Aping Trump’s mindless attacks on the media (for reporting his own words), Trump comes across as over-eager and disingenuous. (“Many in the media spent an awful lot of time focusing on what the president said and criticisms of what the president said instead of criticizing those who brought that hatred and violence to the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia,” he said.)

His speeches ladle on the praise to such an extent one wonders if he’s serious (and has horrendous political judgment) or is so insecure that he feels it necessary to genuflect before the delusional leader for fear of losing favor. “It is just the greatest privilege of my life is to serve as the — as vice president to the President who’s keeping his word to the American people and assembling a team that’s bringing real change, real prosperity, real strength back to our nation,” he said at the cringe-worthy Cabinet meeting in which everyone was supposed to say something nice about the president. On his most recent trip, Pence outdid himself. The Post reported:

On a normal day, Vice President Pence’s praise of his boss knows few limits.

But on Thursday, it seemed to reach a new level. During a visit to the Panama Canal here, Pence spoke of President Trump as the modern reincarnation of one of the vice president’s personal heroes, Theodore Roosevelt.

“In President Donald Trump, I think the United States once again has a president whose vision, energy and can-do spirit is reminiscent of President Teddy Roosevelt,” Pence said.

“Think about it,” the vice president continued. “Then, as now, we have a builder of boundless optimism, who seeks to usher in a new era of shared prosperity all across this new world. Then, as now, we have a leader who sees things not just as they are but for what they could be.

Blech. This is as ludicrous as it is unhelpful since it winds up underscoring the enormous gap in character and ability between Trump and his predecessors. Again, Pence doesn’t make the president look any better; he just makes himself look servile.

Aside from making himself look less credible and impressive, Pence’s excessive praise will come back to haunt him, and undermine his stature, if he is forced to take over for the president before 2020 or pursues the presidency on his own down the road. He surely cannot align himself ever again with Trump’s lies (e.g., the false cover story about the reasons for firing FBI director James B. Comey), nor does he want to be seen as making excuses for Trump’s racist, white supremacist sympathies. For his sake and the sake of the country he’d do well to be more restrained, fawn less and remember when he visits a foreign country that he is not, as he says too often, “representing President Trump.” He’s representing the United States, and right now there’s a world of difference between the two.

Sycophant #1.

[Howl]

On 8/16/2017 at 6:03 PM, GrumpyGran said:

That line he's walking is getting razor-sharp. His statement should have been more vague. I mean, he's telling us ten times a day that he stands with the president now. That's going to come back to bite him in the ass.

This is for Trump's base, the ones that support him "no matter what", attend his rallies, and believe he'd do fine if the press and leftists just left him alone.  Fox views et al. 

ETA: This is also a showcase of Pence's foreign policy chops. Should Trump resign, Pence is going to be our guy, and he is being watched closely -- how malleable he is, how adept he is, to what degree is he capable of showing leadership qualities to foreign leaders, his ability to think on his feet).   Were Pence a potential or actual train wreck, Republicans (who don't know whether to shit or go blind at this point) would be much more hesitant to move forward with impeachment if things were to REALLY go south with Trump.  At this point the Trump administration is a smoldering dumpster fire; he's inept, obnoxious, face palm horrible, but he's still standing on two feet, tweeting like a fool, signing crap into law.  I don't think he'll be dislodged any time soon. 

Edited August 21, 2017 by Howl

[fraurosena]

4 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Aside from making himself look less credible and impressive, Pence’s excessive praise will come back to haunt him, and undermine his stature, if he is forced to take over for the president before 2020 or pursues the presidency on his own down the road.

And thank heavens for that. 

I do fervently hope that he is also included in Mueller's investigation. In light of how he lied about Mike Flynn, he surely should be. 

[GreyhoundFan]

I bet mother would not be pleased: "Military Members on Pence Detail Reassigned for Bringing Women to Hotel"

Spoiler

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military detail assigned to Vice President Mike Pence’s communications team has been removed from White House duties after being caught on video bringing women back to their hotel in Latin America, according to three U.S. defense officials.

The service members — who were from the Army as well as one from the Air Force — didn't register the women when they brought them in, the officials said.

Three defense officials initially told NBC News that the service members were in Colombia in connection with Pence's trip to Latin America earlier this month, but a defense official later told NBC News the incident occurred in Panama.

A White House official told NBC News that Pence had not left the U.S. when the incident occurred. His staff became aware of the problem when they saw security camera video of the members of the detail bringing the women into the secure area, the officials said.

The service members — who were senior members of the services, according to one of the officials — were brought back to the United States and removed from the White House detail once the allegations surfaced.

"We are aware of the incident and it is currently under investigation," Air Force spokesman Col. Patrick S. Ryder. "We can confirm that the individuals in question have been reassigned back to the Army and Air Force."

There is no indication at this point that the women who were brought to the hotel were prostitutes, officials said.

In 2012, eight Secret Service agents doing advance work for a presidential trip to Colombia lost their jobs after allegations that some took prostitutes from a strip club back to their hotel rooms

 

[GrumpyGran]

1 hour ago, GreyhoundFan said:

I bet mother would not be pleased: "Military Members on Pence Detail Reassigned for Bringing Women to Hotel"

  Hide contents

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military detail assigned to Vice President Mike Pence’s communications team has been removed from White House duties after being caught on video bringing women back to their hotel in Latin America, according to three U.S. defense officials.

The service members — who were from the Army as well as one from the Air Force — didn't register the women when they brought them in, the officials said.

Three defense officials initially told NBC News that the service members were in Colombia in connection with Pence's trip to Latin America earlier this month, but a defense official later told NBC News the incident occurred in Panama.

A White House official told NBC News that Pence had not left the U.S. when the incident occurred. His staff became aware of the problem when they saw security camera video of the members of the detail bringing the women into the secure area, the officials said.

The service members — who were senior members of the services, according to one of the officials — were brought back to the United States and removed from the White House detail once the allegations surfaced.

"We are aware of the incident and it is currently under investigation," Air Force spokesman Col. Patrick S. Ryder. "We can confirm that the individuals in question have been reassigned back to the Army and Air Force."

There is no indication at this point that the women who were brought to the hotel were prostitutes, officials said.

In 2012, eight Secret Service agents doing advance work for a presidential trip to Colombia lost their jobs after allegations that some took prostitutes from a strip club back to their hotel rooms

 

What the hell is wrong with people? At what point in the performance of your job, especially when you are representing your country in another country do you think "Hey, let's take a break for sex! With women who aren't our wives! No one will know"?

[fraurosena]

Oh boy! Pencey-poo just might be in trouble once the repugs decide they just might loose elections and need they to get rid of all the bad apples.

Law prof explains legal reasoning why Trump’s new memo puts Mike Pence ‘in legal jeopardy’ for impeachment

Spoiler

Fordham University Law professor Jed Shugerman made one of the most damning case against Vice President Mike Pence for being involved in obstruction of justice.

The New York Times and Washington Post both broke stories about the original memo that President Donald Trump authored during a rainy day that would ultimately fire former FBI Director James Comey.

Shugerman told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell that the biggest name that has been associated with this memo and this conversation is Pence.

“Let me explain why this timeline puts him in legal jeopardy,” Shugerman began. “So, we know that this letter was drafted on one day, and then after Steven Miller came back with that draft, it was read in a room of people, including Vice President Pence. And when that letter was read, it had, quote, The New York Times talks about a screed, and it identified all of these other connections to the Russian probe for why Trump had decided to fire Jim Comey. Then after this letter is edited, Mike Pence then tells the media that the Comey firing was not connected to the Russian probe, and he said it was due to Rod Rosenstein’s recommendation. Those statements are untrue.”

He explained that because Pence heard the first letter and the second letter and lied about it, it now “implicates Mike Pence now in a combination of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, aiding and abetting obstruction of justice, and also a relatively less known felony called misprision of a felony.”

Shugerman said that misprision of a felony is when a person like Pence “has knowledge of a felony” and then “conceals and does not make it known to the legal authorities,” he can be found guilty.

“Let’s keep in mind that the [President Richard] Nixon articles of impeachment included a provision blaming Nixon for misleading or false statements to the public,” Shugerman continued. “Now, that’s not a felony, but it was grounds for impeaching President Nixon.”

He went on to say that another major thing that is part of this controversy was the news that broke Thursday saying Trump’s attorneys met with special counselor Robert Mueller to make the argument Trump has the power to fire Comey, therefore it can’t be obstruction of justice. That’s not true.

“That basic argument is so wrong that it shows why there’s so little that the Trump lawyers have to argue,” Shugerman said. “A president has the power to order a military strike, but if the president is ordering that military strike with the intent of, let’s say, killing someone who slept with his wife, that’s still murder. A president can pardon someone, but if the president pardons someone because he received a million dollar bribe, that’s still a felony of bribery. Just because the president has the power to do something, it doesn’t mean that it excuses any exercise of that power because intent matters.”

There is at least one other cases in which Pence has claimed he knew nothing, only to be found out that it would have been impossible or negligent for him to have not known the facts. Rachel Maddow made the case that Pence had to have known all about former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn sketchy lobbying and concerning conversations with Russians.

Watch the fascinating case below:

>video link<

 

[GrumpyGran]

56 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

Oh boy! Pencey-poo just might be in trouble once the repugs decide they just might loose elections and need they to get rid of all the bad apples.

Law prof explains legal reasoning why Trump’s new memo puts Mike Pence ‘in legal jeopardy’ for impeachment

  Reveal hidden contents

Fordham University Law professor Jed Shugerman made one of the most damning case against Vice President Mike Pence for being involved in obstruction of justice.

The New York Times and Washington Post both broke stories about the original memo that President Donald Trump authored during a rainy day that would ultimately fire former FBI Director James Comey.

Shugerman told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell that the biggest name that has been associated with this memo and this conversation is Pence.

“Let me explain why this timeline puts him in legal jeopardy,” Shugerman began. “So, we know that this letter was drafted on one day, and then after Steven Miller came back with that draft, it was read in a room of people, including Vice President Pence. And when that letter was read, it had, quote, The New York Times talks about a screed, and it identified all of these other connections to the Russian probe for why Trump had decided to fire Jim Comey. Then after this letter is edited, Mike Pence then tells the media that the Comey firing was not connected to the Russian probe, and he said it was due to Rod Rosenstein’s recommendation. Those statements are untrue.”

He explained that because Pence heard the first letter and the second letter and lied about it, it now “implicates Mike Pence now in a combination of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, aiding and abetting obstruction of justice, and also a relatively less known felony called misprision of a felony.”

Shugerman said that misprision of a felony is when a person like Pence “has knowledge of a felony” and then “conceals and does not make it known to the legal authorities,” he can be found guilty.

“Let’s keep in mind that the [President Richard] Nixon articles of impeachment included a provision blaming Nixon for misleading or false statements to the public,” Shugerman continued. “Now, that’s not a felony, but it was grounds for impeaching President Nixon.”

He went on to say that another major thing that is part of this controversy was the news that broke Thursday saying Trump’s attorneys met with special counselor Robert Mueller to make the argument Trump has the power to fire Comey, therefore it can’t be obstruction of justice. That’s not true.

“That basic argument is so wrong that it shows why there’s so little that the Trump lawyers have to argue,” Shugerman said. “A president has the power to order a military strike, but if the president is ordering that military strike with the intent of, let’s say, killing someone who slept with his wife, that’s still murder. A president can pardon someone, but if the president pardons someone because he received a million dollar bribe, that’s still a felony of bribery. Just because the president has the power to do something, it doesn’t mean that it excuses any exercise of that power because intent matters.”

There is at least one other cases in which Pence has claimed he knew nothing, only to be found out that it would have been impossible or negligent for him to have not known the facts. Rachel Maddow made the case that Pence had to have known all about former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn sketchy lobbying and concerning conversations with Russians.

Watch the fascinating case below:

>video link<

 

Writing my letter to Santa now!

[GreyhoundFan]

Jennifer Rubin's take on Pencey-Poo's situation: "Vice President Pence and others need to answer some questions"

Spoiler

The Post reported:

On the day before President Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey, he summoned his vice president, chief of staff, top lawyer and other senior advisers to the Oval Office.

He was ready to get rid of Comey, Trump told them that Monday morning in May, and had prepared a termination letter that laid out in detail his many frustrations, which had boiled over the previous weekend at his private golf club in Bedminster, N.J.

The multi-page letter blasted Comey over his investigation of Trump’s Democratic presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton. And, according to a person with direct knowledge of the contents of the letter, it conveyed Trump’s displeasure that Comey would not say publicly what he had told the president three times privately: that the FBI’s probe into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election was not focused on him.

The earlier draft reportedly confirms that Trump had decided to fire Comey before a memo on the firing was drafted by Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein. (The Rosenstein memo looks more and more like a false account of the president’s reason for firing Comey.) If Trump was firing Comey to stop or waylay the Russia investigation, then we may be looking at an obstruction-of-justice claim. (Recall that directly asking Comey to stop the Michael Flynn investigation is also a potential act of obstruction. If the cover letter was another instance of potential obstruction, we’re possibly looking at an ongoing conspiracy.)

What’s even more interesting than the content of the letters is the cast of characters involved: “At the Oval Office meeting on Monday, May 8, Trump described his draft termination letter to top aides who wandered in and out of the room, including then-Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, White House Counsel Donald McGahn and senior adviser Hope Hicks. Pence arrived late, after the meeting had begun. They were also joined by Miller and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, both of whom had been with Trump over the weekend in Bedminster. Kushner supported the president’s decision.” Consider that list of participants now a list of possible grand jury witnesses and potential subjects, if there were a conspiracy to obstruct justice (e.g., intimidate Comey, fire the FBI director when he refused to do Trump’s bidding, put out a fake reason). The crowd of people — and the presence of nonlawyers — involved in the scene described in the latest report would mean any attorney-client privileged would be waived. (Having talked freely about his rationale for firing Comey, the president likely waived any executive privilege as well.)

Attention will soon focus on the vice president. What did he hear? Did he know the proffered reason for the termination was phony, and if so, did he knowingly mislead Congress and the American people when he advanced the cover story? The vice president has only one job aside from presiding over the Senate, namely to take over if the president is impeached, forced to resign or incapacitated. But what if Pence knowingly participated in a conspiracy? Pence’s own veracity is now at stake, his fate tied closer than ever to Trump’s. (If both the president and the vice president were removed, the presidency would go to the speaker of the House at the time, which by January 2019 could be current House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). (!) But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.) For now each of these people must lawyer up.

The president, as we and others have remarked, has the uncanny ability to pull otherwise decent, law-abiding people into his narcissistic schemes, making them enablers and deceivers for his benefit. Covering for Trump, they may engage in small and large lies, bend and break legal norms, and sully their own reputations. Sitting in the White House scheming to throw the FBI off the trail was what led to Richard Nixon’s resignation. We are a long way from that. As we are see more and more of the complete picture, we will learn if the latest reports of the drafting group are accurate, and if so, how much additional trouble the president and his administration are in. At the very least, Trump almost certainly has turned his closest advisers and his vice president into grand jury witnesses.

I'm hoping this whole shady crew goes down. Melanka (Hope), Jared, Pence, McGahn, and Miller.

[GrumpyGran]

1 hour ago, GreyhoundFan said:

top aides who wandered in and out of the room,

 

1 hour ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Jennifer Rubin's take on Pencey-Poo's situation: "Vice President Pence and others need to answer some questions"

  Hide contents

The Post reported:

On the day before President Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey, he summoned his vice president, chief of staff, top lawyer and other senior advisers to the Oval Office.

He was ready to get rid of Comey, Trump told them that Monday morning in May, and had prepared a termination letter that laid out in detail his many frustrations, which had boiled over the previous weekend at his private golf club in Bedminster, N.J.

The multi-page letter blasted Comey over his investigation of Trump’s Democratic presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton. And, according to a person with direct knowledge of the contents of the letter, it conveyed Trump’s displeasure that Comey would not say publicly what he had told the president three times privately: that the FBI’s probe into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election was not focused on him.

The earlier draft reportedly confirms that Trump had decided to fire Comey before a memo on the firing was drafted by Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein. (The Rosenstein memo looks more and more like a false account of the president’s reason for firing Comey.) If Trump was firing Comey to stop or waylay the Russia investigation, then we may be looking at an obstruction-of-justice claim. (Recall that directly asking Comey to stop the Michael Flynn investigation is also a potential act of obstruction. If the cover letter was another instance of potential obstruction, we’re possibly looking at an ongoing conspiracy.)

What’s even more interesting than the content of the letters is the cast of characters involved: “At the Oval Office meeting on Monday, May 8, Trump described his draft termination letter to top aides who wandered in and out of the room, including then-Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, White House Counsel Donald McGahn and senior adviser Hope Hicks. Pence arrived late, after the meeting had begun. They were also joined by Miller and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, both of whom had been with Trump over the weekend in Bedminster. Kushner supported the president’s decision.” Consider that list of participants now a list of possible grand jury witnesses and potential subjects, if there were a conspiracy to obstruct justice (e.g., intimidate Comey, fire the FBI director when he refused to do Trump’s bidding, put out a fake reason). The crowd of people — and the presence of nonlawyers — involved in the scene described in the latest report would mean any attorney-client privileged would be waived. (Having talked freely about his rationale for firing Comey, the president likely waived any executive privilege as well.)

Attention will soon focus on the vice president. What did he hear? Did he know the proffered reason for the termination was phony, and if so, did he knowingly mislead Congress and the American people when he advanced the cover story? The vice president has only one job aside from presiding over the Senate, namely to take over if the president is impeached, forced to resign or incapacitated. But what if Pence knowingly participated in a conspiracy? Pence’s own veracity is now at stake, his fate tied closer than ever to Trump’s. (If both the president and the vice president were removed, the presidency would go to the speaker of the House at the time, which by January 2019 could be current House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). (!) But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.) For now each of these people must lawyer up.

The president, as we and others have remarked, has the uncanny ability to pull otherwise decent, law-abiding people into his narcissistic schemes, making them enablers and deceivers for his benefit. Covering for Trump, they may engage in small and large lies, bend and break legal norms, and sully their own reputations. Sitting in the White House scheming to throw the FBI off the trail was what led to Richard Nixon’s resignation. We are a long way from that. As we are see more and more of the complete picture, we will learn if the latest reports of the drafting group are accurate, and if so, how much additional trouble the president and his administration are in. At the very least, Trump almost certainly has turned his closest advisers and his vice president into grand jury witnesses.

I'm hoping this whole shady crew goes down. Melanka (Hope), Jared, Pence, McGahn, and Miller.

I thought Hope was always in the room. It wouldn't be any surprise if his laissez-faire attitude about staff is his downfall. And he complains about leaks in the White House. Hey, moron, before you discuss important and secret things, close the door. 

[Ali]

On 9/4/2017 at 7:08 PM, GrumpyGran said:

 

I thought Hope was always in the room. It wouldn't be any surprise if his laissez-faire attitude about staff is his downfall. And he complains about leaks in the White House. Hey, moron, before you discuss important and secret things, close the door. 

But how would anyone know how important he is if he closed the door?

[GrumpyGran]

3 hours ago, Ali said:

But how would anyone know how important he is if he closed the door?

Yeah, he's probably not happy that Kelly is limiting access to him now. Makes it harder for him to pretend everyone wants to talk to him all the time. 

[JMarie]

Hey, everything's good again!  His rabbit wrote a book!

http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/15/politics/marlon-bundo-book-mike-pence-rabbit/index.html

Quote

The precocious pet rabbit of the vice president of the United States is hopping into a book deal.

Marlon Bundo, the Pence family rabbit with his own Instagram account, announced Friday that he is the star of a new book.

"Marlon Bundo's 'A Day in the Life of the Vice President,' " due out March 19, will chronicle the BOTUS' (Bunny of the United States) day alongside "Grampa" Mike Pence.

 

[GrumpyGran]

19 hours ago, JMarie said:

Hey, everything's good again!  His rabbit wrote a book!

http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/15/politics/marlon-bundo-book-mike-pence-rabbit/index.html

 

Hey, Mike, having your rabbit cover for your greed is pathetic.

But his fundie followers will probably believe that the rabbit's keeping all the money they shell out for this ridiculous book. I can't think of a family that is more boring. It's a rabbit, it's not like it fetches the paper and saves small children.

[Cartmann99]

4 hours ago, GrumpyGran said:

Hey, Mike, having your rabbit cover for your greed is pathetic.

But his fundie followers will probably believe that the rabbit's keeping all the money they shell out for this ridiculous book. I can't think of a family that is more boring. It's a rabbit, it's not like it fetches the paper and saves small children.

Does this mean that Mother will start selling her towel charms again?  Or perhaps a line of horse blinders that she's adapted for husbands to wear when their own "Mother" can't be there to keep them from straying?

[GreyhoundFan]

2 hours ago, Cartmann99 said:

 Or perhaps a line of horse blinders that she's adapted for husbands to wear when their own "Mother" can't be there to keep them from straying?

Okay, I have to admit that I giggled just a little too long thinking of special blinders created by "mother" that have pictures of Jesus on the inside, so the wearer will both avoid temptation by the many eye traps out there, but also be reminded of their savior. They would be like a chastity belt for the eyes.

[GrumpyGran]

18 hours ago, Cartmann99 said:

Does this mean that Mother will start selling her towel charms again?  Or perhaps a line of horse blinders that she's adapted for husbands to wear when their own "Mother" can't be there to keep them from straying?

This is such a great idea. They can also block your view of Dumpy groping Ivanka. I'm going out on a limb and say Mother won't even let him be around a Dump/Ivanka meeting. She knows what's going to happen.

[onekidanddone]

19 hours ago, Cartmann99 said:

Does this mean that Mother will start selling her towel charms again?  Or perhaps a line of horse blinders that she's adapted for husbands to wear when their own "Mother" can't be there to keep them from straying?

Every time I see "Mother" when referring to Mrs. Pence I think of Norman Bates's mom. Skivs me out

[GreyhoundFan]

"Pence’s chief of staff floats ‘purge’ of anti-Trump Republicans to wealthy donors"

Spoiler

Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff railed against congressional leaders in closed-door remarks to wealthy donors and called for a “purge” if GOP lawmakers don’t quickly rally behind President Donald Trump’s agenda.

In remarks at a Republican National Committee event at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington on Tuesday morning, Nick Ayers also warned that Republicans are “on track to get shellacked” in next year’s midterm elections if GOP lawmakers don’t pass Trump’s legislative priorities.

But Ayers reserved his harshest criticism for congressional leaders and members who have not offered full-throated support for the president.

“Just imagine the possibilities of what can happen if our entire party unifies behind him? If — and this sounds crass — we can purge the handful of people who continue to work to defeat him,” Ayers said, according to an audio recording of the remarks obtained by POLITICO.

One attendee later asked how the donors could “rally the congressional delegation that does support the president and vice president, and rally them and push them to change the current leadership in both the Senate and the House.”

“I’m not speaking on behalf of the president or vice president when I say this,” Ayers responded. “But if I were you, I would not only stop donating, I would form a coalition of all the other major donors, and just say two things. We’re definitely not giving to you, No. 1. And No. 2, if you don’t have this done by Dec. 31, we’re going out, we’re recruiting opponents, we’re maxing out to their campaigns, and we’re funding super PACs to defeat all of you.”

He continued, “Because, look, if we’re going to be in the minority again, we might as well have a minority who are with us as opposed to the minority who helped us become a minority.”

The crowd laughed and burst into applause.

The remarks are some of the most extensive to emerge from Ayers, who joined the White House over the summer after initially opting to remain on the outside. A longtime adviser to Pence and a top aide on the 2016 campaign, he’s widely respected in Republican circles as a sharp-elbowed and strategic operative.

The comments also offer a stark departure in tone from Pence’s team, with the vice president having often served the role of soothing tensions between the White House and Capitol Hill. The remarks reveal both a deep frustration within the White House with congressional leadership and a political tactic of placing the onus on Congress to advance the agenda on health care, tax reform and other legislative priorities that have failed to gain momentum.

The approach has echoes of right-wing firebrand and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon’s preferred methods. Bannon has repeatedly railed against congressional leaders and accused them of being the main stumbling block to Trump’s agenda. And he has taken his show on the road, speaking out against incumbent Republicans.

The White House and the vice president’s office declined to comment on Ayers’ remarks. Ayers also declined to comment. Speaker Paul Ryan’s office and Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ayers warned that the Republican Party is on track for a repeat of the massive electoral backlash that came after President Barack Obama was elected and the GOP took control of Congress and statehouses across the country.

“Not because anything that the president or the vice president has done or hasn’t done, but we’re on track to get shellacked next year,” Ayers said. “On a year where we could be totally on offense because of how favorable the Senate map is to us — at best it’s going to be a wash.”

Ayers raised the possibility of “a gigantic loss” in 2018 if Republicans are not able to make tangible progress on their legislative agenda. He said policy outcomes “will determine about 75 percent of whether or not we succeed in the midterms, miss a big opportunity in the midterms or get destroyed in the midterms.”

“If we do what we’ve told the American people for almost a decade we’re going to do on Obamacare, and if we pass tax cuts, we’re going to have a governing majority for a very long time,” he said. “If we fail to do those two things, people who say, ‘Well we can’t lose the Senate, it’s way too favorable,’ I disagree with that. I totally disagree with that.”

It’s unclear the degree to which Ayers is expressing true fears about the prospects for 2018 or whether his dire talk was largely a fundraising pitch.

Though Republicans are weighted down by their stalled agenda and Trump’s unpopularity, the Senate landscape is still tilted heavily in their favor in 2018. The GOP is defending just eight seats vs. 23 Democratic-held seats that are up next year. Democrats are trying to protect 10 seats representing states that Trump carried in 2016, including five that he won by 20 points or more.

Democrats have a better shot at taking the House, where they need to flip 24 seats to win control of the chamber.

Ayers on Tuesday morning also expressed pessimism about the prospect of passing tax reform, the administration’s top legislative priority. He was asked how the GOP is going to get through the treacherous path to expansive tax reform.

“The honest answer is, I’m not sure we’re on track to do that,” he responded. “I think the White House, I think the president and the vice president have shown extraordinary leadership. They’ve been incredibly clear on the framework that was agreed upon. … It was frankly much bolder than the path that we were headed down.”

But, Ayers added, “here’s my skepticism. They had already passed health care bills to repeal and replace Obamacare in both chambers multiple times and couldn’t get that done. So, while there is a great framework in place, that will continue to grow the booming economy thanks to the president’s policies, I would ask them that question.”

“Hear those answers from the speaker and, more importantly, from the majority leader,” Ayers urged.

Ayers was also pressed on why Trump and Pence have been unable to win over the “handful” of Republicans in Congress who have resisted the president’s agenda.

“Great question,” Ayers quipped. “It’s hard to do when they all maintain their committee chairmanships.”

“They’re all still committee chairmen,” he added after a pause. “There’s only one other option, and then let’s see if that option works.”

The 2018 midterms, Ayers said, will be a “referendum on the president’s policies.”

“Don’t we want to give all the upside of actually passing his policies? Because what all of us know and believe is that they’ll work,” he said. He called it a “suicide mission” to enter the midterms without having passed some of the major legislative priorities.

Ayers was pressed again on the inability to pass health care reform. He stressed that the problem was “two or three senators.”

“I’m not being passive-aggressive against Leader McConnell,” Ayers added. “Look, he delivered Judge [Neil] Gorsuch. That was transformational what he was willing to do; he had a plan and he executed it. We just have to have the same aggression and effort and focus on the rest of the [agenda].”

He called the Senate’s progress on judicial nominations “very good,” but he added it could be better and said the Senate should not recess with nominees still in the pipeline.

“Why would they ever recess?” he said.

And he praised the president for his criticism of NFL players who kneeled during the national anthem as a form of protest.

“Who would have ever said a couple years ago that a politician could take on the entire NFL and, in one week, win? But by my count, 183 players knelt on the national anthem nine days ago and 12 kneeled on Sunday,” he said. “Would that have happened if Hillary Clinton would have been president? No. You would have gone from 180 to everyone.”

As the meeting came to a close, one female attendee asked whether she understood Ayers’ message correctly, saying: “Are we all willing, in order to get the tax bill passed, to contact all the people we donate money to — which is a long list — and tell them the money stops coming if they don’t get something done!”

The room burst into applause.

“If there’s one exception to that, that’s the RNC,” Ayers added. “But yes.”

He is a real piece of work.

[GrumpyGran]

4 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

"Pence’s chief of staff floats ‘purge’ of anti-Trump Republicans to wealthy donors"

  Hide contents

Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff railed against congressional leaders in closed-door remarks to wealthy donors and called for a “purge” if GOP lawmakers don’t quickly rally behind President Donald Trump’s agenda.

In remarks at a Republican National Committee event at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington on Tuesday morning, Nick Ayers also warned that Republicans are “on track to get shellacked” in next year’s midterm elections if GOP lawmakers don’t pass Trump’s legislative priorities.

But Ayers reserved his harshest criticism for congressional leaders and members who have not offered full-throated support for the president.

“Just imagine the possibilities of what can happen if our entire party unifies behind him? If — and this sounds crass — we can purge the handful of people who continue to work to defeat him,” Ayers said, according to an audio recording of the remarks obtained by POLITICO.

One attendee later asked how the donors could “rally the congressional delegation that does support the president and vice president, and rally them and push them to change the current leadership in both the Senate and the House.”

“I’m not speaking on behalf of the president or vice president when I say this,” Ayers responded. “But if I were you, I would not only stop donating, I would form a coalition of all the other major donors, and just say two things. We’re definitely not giving to you, No. 1. And No. 2, if you don’t have this done by Dec. 31, we’re going out, we’re recruiting opponents, we’re maxing out to their campaigns, and we’re funding super PACs to defeat all of you.”

He continued, “Because, look, if we’re going to be in the minority again, we might as well have a minority who are with us as opposed to the minority who helped us become a minority.”

The crowd laughed and burst into applause.

The remarks are some of the most extensive to emerge from Ayers, who joined the White House over the summer after initially opting to remain on the outside. A longtime adviser to Pence and a top aide on the 2016 campaign, he’s widely respected in Republican circles as a sharp-elbowed and strategic operative.

The comments also offer a stark departure in tone from Pence’s team, with the vice president having often served the role of soothing tensions between the White House and Capitol Hill. The remarks reveal both a deep frustration within the White House with congressional leadership and a political tactic of placing the onus on Congress to advance the agenda on health care, tax reform and other legislative priorities that have failed to gain momentum.

The approach has echoes of right-wing firebrand and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon’s preferred methods. Bannon has repeatedly railed against congressional leaders and accused them of being the main stumbling block to Trump’s agenda. And he has taken his show on the road, speaking out against incumbent Republicans.

The White House and the vice president’s office declined to comment on Ayers’ remarks. Ayers also declined to comment. Speaker Paul Ryan’s office and Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ayers warned that the Republican Party is on track for a repeat of the massive electoral backlash that came after President Barack Obama was elected and the GOP took control of Congress and statehouses across the country.

“Not because anything that the president or the vice president has done or hasn’t done, but we’re on track to get shellacked next year,” Ayers said. “On a year where we could be totally on offense because of how favorable the Senate map is to us — at best it’s going to be a wash.”

Ayers raised the possibility of “a gigantic loss” in 2018 if Republicans are not able to make tangible progress on their legislative agenda. He said policy outcomes “will determine about 75 percent of whether or not we succeed in the midterms, miss a big opportunity in the midterms or get destroyed in the midterms.”

“If we do what we’ve told the American people for almost a decade we’re going to do on Obamacare, and if we pass tax cuts, we’re going to have a governing majority for a very long time,” he said. “If we fail to do those two things, people who say, ‘Well we can’t lose the Senate, it’s way too favorable,’ I disagree with that. I totally disagree with that.”

It’s unclear the degree to which Ayers is expressing true fears about the prospects for 2018 or whether his dire talk was largely a fundraising pitch.

Though Republicans are weighted down by their stalled agenda and Trump’s unpopularity, the Senate landscape is still tilted heavily in their favor in 2018. The GOP is defending just eight seats vs. 23 Democratic-held seats that are up next year. Democrats are trying to protect 10 seats representing states that Trump carried in 2016, including five that he won by 20 points or more.

Democrats have a better shot at taking the House, where they need to flip 24 seats to win control of the chamber.

Ayers on Tuesday morning also expressed pessimism about the prospect of passing tax reform, the administration’s top legislative priority. He was asked how the GOP is going to get through the treacherous path to expansive tax reform.

“The honest answer is, I’m not sure we’re on track to do that,” he responded. “I think the White House, I think the president and the vice president have shown extraordinary leadership. They’ve been incredibly clear on the framework that was agreed upon. … It was frankly much bolder than the path that we were headed down.”

But, Ayers added, “here’s my skepticism. They had already passed health care bills to repeal and replace Obamacare in both chambers multiple times and couldn’t get that done. So, while there is a great framework in place, that will continue to grow the booming economy thanks to the president’s policies, I would ask them that question.”

“Hear those answers from the speaker and, more importantly, from the majority leader,” Ayers urged.

Ayers was also pressed on why Trump and Pence have been unable to win over the “handful” of Republicans in Congress who have resisted the president’s agenda.

“Great question,” Ayers quipped. “It’s hard to do when they all maintain their committee chairmanships.”

“They’re all still committee chairmen,” he added after a pause. “There’s only one other option, and then let’s see if that option works.”

The 2018 midterms, Ayers said, will be a “referendum on the president’s policies.”

“Don’t we want to give all the upside of actually passing his policies? Because what all of us know and believe is that they’ll work,” he said. He called it a “suicide mission” to enter the midterms without having passed some of the major legislative priorities.

Ayers was pressed again on the inability to pass health care reform. He stressed that the problem was “two or three senators.”

“I’m not being passive-aggressive against Leader McConnell,” Ayers added. “Look, he delivered Judge [Neil] Gorsuch. That was transformational what he was willing to do; he had a plan and he executed it. We just have to have the same aggression and effort and focus on the rest of the [agenda].”

He called the Senate’s progress on judicial nominations “very good,” but he added it could be better and said the Senate should not recess with nominees still in the pipeline.

“Why would they ever recess?” he said.

And he praised the president for his criticism of NFL players who kneeled during the national anthem as a form of protest.

“Who would have ever said a couple years ago that a politician could take on the entire NFL and, in one week, win? But by my count, 183 players knelt on the national anthem nine days ago and 12 kneeled on Sunday,” he said. “Would that have happened if Hillary Clinton would have been president? No. You would have gone from 180 to everyone.”

As the meeting came to a close, one female attendee asked whether she understood Ayers’ message correctly, saying: “Are we all willing, in order to get the tax bill passed, to contact all the people we donate money to — which is a long list — and tell them the money stops coming if they don’t get something done!”

The room burst into applause.

“If there’s one exception to that, that’s the RNC,” Ayers added. “But yes.”

He is a real piece of work.

Holy Shit. It's like a coven meeting. No, sorry, covens don't try to blackmail people and aren't obsessed with money and power. Sorry covens.

So, this Ayers guy suddenly is (a) leaving Pencey's camp? (b) trying to save Pencey who has now been found out by Dump? (c) just a lunatic running wild at a fund-raiser?

This is confusing to me. He is alluding to the fact that unless donors threaten the representatives that have always worked for them in congress, the GOP could suffer fatal defeat in 2018. Does he not realize that a lot of these donors don't like Dump AT ALL? Have they really reached the point that the only real agenda is stroking Dump's ego? Why?

Starting to look like the circular firing squad.