Trump 12: Nevertheless, She Persisted (Let's do the same!)

[RoseWilder]

Jesus Christ on a crackers, how many ties between Russia and Trump & his associates does the media have to uncover before Republicans are going to stop pretending like there's nothing wrong. So many stories have come out that I'm going to do a Russian round-up: 

1. Two Trump campaign advisors had office space in Russia: 

https://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/two-donald-trump-campaign-advisors-had-their-own-office-space-in-russia/1584/

Quote

Earlier this week, former Donald Trump campaign manager and former Trump campaign advisor Roger Stone were identified, along with Michael Flynn and Carter Page, as having allegedly colluded by phone with Russian intel agents during the campaign. Manafort’s connection to Russia has long been under the spotlight. During the campaign he was accused of having taken millions of dollars in secret cash payments from the Kremlin while he was trying to get a pro-Kremlin puppet elected in the Ukraine.

Now that the Ukraine has freed itself from Russian control (with the exception of Crimea, which was since invaded by Russia), the Ukrainian press has begun investigative reporting on the dealings of Donald Trump’s associates in that part of the world. The Ukrainian Pravda, which has no connection to the old Soviet Pravda, has reported that Paul Manafort had office space in Kiev, Ukraine, and provided evidence in this article, which you have to run through a translator to read in English. It goes so far as to document Manafort’s named listed on a phone extension in the office. It also reports that Roger Stone had office space in Kiev. But the assertion then goes further.

As documented by Scott Dworkin of the Democratic Coalition Against Trump, that same Ukrainian Pravda reporter is also reporting that Paul Manafort and Roger Stone have office space in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It’s not immediately clear what the purpose of that office space was.

2. The Republicans have known about Trump's Russian ties all along: 

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/17/1634787/-Republicans-Suspected-the-Russia-Trump-Connection-from-Before-the-Beginning

Quote

Evan McMullin, an ex-C.I.A. officer, who was chief policy director of the House Republican Conference from January 2015 until August 2016, and presumably had an inside look at what Congressional Republicans were thinking before and during Trump’s run for President, had this to say:

"Republican leaders in Congress now bear the most responsibility for holding the president accountable and protecting the nation. They can’t say they didn’t see the Russian interference coming. They knew all along."

3. Another player emerges in this scandal:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/a-big-shoe-just-dropped

Quote

I don't know how much attention it's received. But the appearance of the name of Felix Sater in this new article in the Times is one of the biggest shoes I've seen drop on the Trump story in some time.

The new story explains that a group of Trump operatives, including top lawyer Michael Cohen and fired former campaign manager Paul Manafort, along with a pro-Putin Ukrainian parliamentarian named Andrii V. Artemenko and Mr. Sater are pushing President Trump on a 'peace plan' for Russia and Ukraine.

Cohen recently met with Sater and Artemenko; and Cohen agreed to personally deliver the peace plan (actually a sealed envelope with documents detailing it) to the President when he met with him at the White House. Cohen says he left it with General Flynn days before Flynn was forced to resign.

 

[RosyDaisy]

Jesus Christ on a crackers, how many ties between Russia and Trump & his associates does the media have to uncover before Republicans are going to stop pretending like there's nothing wrong.

Long enough to push their own agendas. It's as simple as that.

[sawasdee]

The British House of Commons has just had a debate re the State Visit invitation to Donald Trump. Looks as though the Government is determined to go ahead, but a lot of MPs were very vocal, not to say rude, in their condemnation. I wonder if he will react?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/feb/20/mps-pour-scorn-on-racist-and-sexist-donald-trump-in-state-visit-debate?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=214221&subid=20288127&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2

[VelociRapture]

12 hours ago, Howl said:

Just had a nice chat with a relative who is retired military, but still tracks what's what in the military closely.  He has high regard for Gen. Mattis, who was recently appointed Secretary of Defense, and called him a powerful intellectual, also known as the warrior monk. 

He also spoke highly of McMaster.  In the article linked by @fraurosena above, 

He thought both of these guys (Mattis and McMaster) were stand up men who wouldn't put up with mindless bullshit from Lord Dampnut. 

I'm the daughter of a Marine and I can confirm they don't tolerate bullshit very well. He was one of the only appointments I was actually ok with - at least he has relevant experience and a well known habit of speaking his mind. I have no doubt that Mattis will do fine holding his own.

[47of74]

3 hours ago, sawasdee said:

The British House of Commons has just had a debate re the State Visit invitation to Donald Trump. Looks as though the Government is determined to go ahead, but a lot of MPs were very vocal, not to say rude, in their condemnation. I wonder if he will react?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/feb/20/mps-pour-scorn-on-racist-and-sexist-donald-trump-in-state-visit-debate?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=214221&subid=20288127&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2

I think Ms. May: (a) thinks rather highly of herself; (b) as the reincarnation of Margaret Thatcher; (c) and thinks the proper position for a British PM is as a lapdog for the US President like Tony Blair did.

[Childless]

6 hours ago, RosyDaisy said:

Long enough to push their own agendas. It's as simple as that.

Which they can totally do with Pence in the presidency.  I still don't understand what they're waiting for.

[47of74]

43 minutes ago, Childless said:

Which they can totally do with Pence in the presidency.  I still don't understand what they're waiting for.

Probably kind of a Dune thing going on here where the GOP figures that once Agent Fornicate Face has done his damage they'll send Pence in and that he'll be seen as a savior. 

 

[iweartanktops]

Damn it! Trump went to the African American museum and spoke about it this morning. He had his two token black people smiling next to him (I could have smacked them), and then he talks about anti-semitics and how it's "horrible". 

What. The. FUCK. 

[sawasdee]

3 hours ago, 47of74 said:

I think Ms. May: (a) thinks rather highly of herself; (b) as the reincarnation of Margaret Thatcher; (c) and thinks the proper position for a British PM is as a lapdog for the US President like Tony Blair did.

HATED Margaret Thatcher  - but May isn't in the same universe with regard to intelligence and political nous. I cannot imagine Thatcher inviting tRump for a State Visit within one month of his 'ascending the throne'. Thatcher had too much political intelligence to attach herself to a disastrous star - and provoking the kind of kickback May is now getting.

I cannot believe I am saying that the bitch Thatcher did ANYTHING better than another politician - she has reduced me to frothing madness for the last 35+ years - but with the State Visit invite to tRump May has managed it.

I thought she was too stupid to screw up so thoroughly. And I think she has alienated a lot of her own party - who do not regard tRump in a rosy light.

 

[fraurosena]

I'm not sure where to put this article, but as it is about the results of illegal immigrant paranoia and border security, and because of the involvement of Sid Miller, I'm posting it here:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/texas-hunters-blamed-immigrants-after-accidentally-shooting-each-other-a7591471.html

The alternative facts of the story:

Quote

A hunting guide and his client accidentally shot each other and then blamed it on undocumented migrants, police in the US have said. (...)

The casualties, guide Walker Daughtery, 26, and client Edwin Roberts, 59, and the other guide, Michael Bryant, told police they suspected the shooters were undocumented immigrants they had seen on the ranch earlier in their trip. 

Their story was shared thousands of times online after Texas Commissioner of Agriculture and Donald Trump ally Sid Miller wrote about it on Facebook. (...)

Mr Miller, who became infamous in the US during last year’s election campaign when he called Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton a "c***" in a Tweet, deleted his initial Facebook post about the incident after police said they were suspicious of the hunters’ story. 

“The aliens were ambushing the RV that Walker and his wife. He was shot while trying to protect his hunters from the attack. Walker is a man of God and is now a hero,” Mr Miller wrote. (...)

“This is why we need the wall and to secure our borders,” he added, in the post. 

The truth of the story:

Quote

But police and a grand jury have now concluded the men were lying about the incident, and actually shot each other.

Investigators believe that Mr Daughtery became paranoid that illegal immigrants were inside a vehicle with Mr Roberts and his wife and attempted to get inside without saying anything, prompting Mr Roberts to shoot at the door.

Mr Daughtery then ran back to his cabin to grab his gun and to get backup from Mr Bryant, and together they opened fire on the truck. (...)

Police told news channel CBS 7 they are conducting ballistic testing to determine which guns fired which bullets, but they cannot test the bullet that struck Mr Daughtery as it is too close to his heart to be safely removed.

Mr Daughtery and Mr Bryant have both been indicted on third-degree felony charges, punishable by up to five years in prison. 

So here we have a prime example of what the Tangerine Toddler's fearmongering can lead to. Luckily nobody died. This time.

[RoseWilder]

4 hours ago, Childless said:

Which they can totally do with Pence in the presidency.  I still don't understand what they're waiting for.

I think some of the senators are stalling the investigations because they have ties to Russia as well. I posted yesterday that a superPAC connected to Mitch McConnell took money from Russia. I believe a Marc Rubio superPac also took money from Russia. And today I found this article: 

http://www.salon.com/2016/12/14/gop-super-pac-linked-to-paul-ryan-used-illegally-hacked-material-against-democratic-house-candidates-report/

I think when this whole thing really blows up, we're going to be shocked to discover just how many Republicans were in on this. 

What I think the Democrats and the media need to do is to start really holding these Republicans' feet to the fire. Every Republican senator/rep who goes on a news program needs to be asked, "why aren't you pushing for an investigation into the Trump-Russia scandal?" and then when they give their typical bullshit answer of, "there's no need to investigate," EVERY news anchor should respond with, "the American people, who you work for, disagree. why are you refusing to take their concerns seriously. If you'r so sure there's nothing to the scandal, why don't you just quickly investigate, prove to the American people there's nothing there and then we can all move on. What are you trying to hide?"

Then the Democrats in the House and the Senate need to hold a press conference and say, "we believe the American people deserve the answers they've been asking for. We welcome any Republicans who want to help us and to the Republicans who don't want to help us, we just have one question: what are you trying to hide?" 

And then the American people need to launch a coordinated "what are you trying to hide?" campaign. We need to make sure the Republicans who are trying to block this never know a moments peace. We need to tweet, email, fax, call and leave messages on their Facebook pages day and night asking them "what are you trying to hide?" We need to write letters to our newspaper editors asking "what are they trying to hide?"

I really wish some journalist would start to investigate the Republicans who are trying to block this investigation and try to figure out if they're connected to this too. 

[sawasdee]

 Went out to dinner tonight with friends whose critical thinking skills are minimal. They get their news from Sky  - Faux's sister and co-owned channel - and do not have clue why I am so upset. When after the election I burrowed, and wouldn't come out - they came round to check I was OK. They are good people.

But they do not have either the knowledge or the imagination to understand the threat that tRump poses. Domestic policies in education, health, etc upset me, but are irrelevant to them - 'I don't live there, why should I worry?' sums it up.

But they do not understand the implications of a foreign policy ignoramus with serious ties to Russia in charge of US Foreign Policy.

I live in Thailand, for christssake, and can see how this toddler at the controls can  derail the very fragile balance of power that we have now. This is the man who asked why we had nuclear weapons if we can't use them - and then had no idea what the nuclear triad was. And, as Obama said, if he can't be trusted with a twitter account - why the HELL are we giving him control of the future of the world?

I am truly scared. We have an emotional child at the world controls. I can only pray that those in silos that actually press the button are both brave enough to refuse, and mature and informed enough to question any order to fire they might receive.

Sorry, tonight I am freaked out by the power the Tangerine Toddler actually has,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CTRLZero]

5 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

Their story was shared thousands of times online after Texas Commissioner of Agriculture and Donald Trump ally Sid Miller wrote about it on Facebook. (...)

Let me guess - the true story is probably getting limited exposure in the media.  Sigh...

Has this Sid Miller updated his Facebook?

[fraurosena]

When the Tangerine Toddler sees a disabled person, he does this:

When Justin Trudeau sees a disabled person, he does this:

 

[Howl]

5 hours ago, VelociRapture said:

I'm the daughter of a Marine and I can confirm they don't tolerate bullshit very well. He was one of the only appointments I was actually ok with - at least he has relevant experience and a well known habit of speaking his mind. I have no doubt that Mattis will do fine holding his own.

PBS show Here and Now just interviewed retired admiral James Stavridis today. Stavridis was strongly in support of both McMaster and Mattis for their respective positions, and endorsed Tillerson for Secretary of State as well. Also wanted to point out that McMaster couldn't decline the position -- he's active military and this is his new assignment.  McMasters is no slacker; he wrote the book Dereliction of Duty for his doctoral dissertation at University of North Carolina.  

Quote

The book also remains highly influential in the Pentagon. According to a CNN report from 2006, Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time, “considered the seminal work on military’s responsibility during Vietnam to confront their civilian bosses when strategy was not working.”

When asked about Bannon, Stavridis said at least twice that putting Bannon on the principals committee of the National Security Council is a mistake -- it interjects a political element into proceedings that should be strictly strategic. He implied that Bannon's role on the NSC would diminish with time.

Even though Stavridis thought Mattis, McMaster and Tillerson are stellar, he noted their  influence is limited to Trump's willingness to listen to their recommendations. 

 

[fraurosena]

9 minutes ago, CTRLZero said:

Let me guess - the true story is probably getting limited exposure in the media.  Sigh...

Has this Sid Miller updated his Facebook?

I didn't check Miller's FB, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that quite a few news outlets covered this story. Besides the Independant, The Daily Mail, Dallas News, Washington Times and even Fox News reported on it.

 

[sawasdee]

What is scaring the liviing daylights out of me at the moment, is the normalisation of marginalising the 'different'.  Be they sexually, physically, - or most frighteningly, politically - 'different' - then  for tRump, theyare not true Americans worthy of respect and - if necessary - help. This is exactly how Mussolini operated - and we all know how that ended - but it wasn't the Allies who hung him from a lamp post..

[Howl]

21 minutes ago, CTRLZero said:

Let me guess - the true story is probably getting limited exposure in the media.  Sigh...

Has this Sid Miller updated his Facebook?

Sid Miller.  The only good thing about him is he's not our new Secretary of Agriculture.  Sid Miller entertained fantasies that he'd be appointed, but didn't make the cut.  He's a tea bagging, Kool-aid drinking idiot who never met a fake tweet he didn't like.  Oh, and he's the Trump-humping Texas Agricultural Commissioner.  

Oh, and I woke up to read this front page headline: 

Trump support among Texans in GOP soaring

Eighty fucking one percent of Texas Republicans approve of the job that Trump is doing.  Ten percent of Texas Republicans don't approve.  That leaves 9 percent out in the pasture trying to stump train a goat. 

Gosh darn it, our political situation just brings out the worst in me. 

 

[GreyhoundFan]

21 minutes ago, CTRLZero said:

Let me guess - the true story is probably getting limited exposure in the media.  Sigh...

Has this Sid Miller updated his Facebook?

It was in the WaPo this morning. I don't do facebook, so I can't speak to Sid Miller's page.

 

"Anyone home in Trumpville?". It's amazing that 90% of the political appointee positions still haven't had an appointment made by Agent Orange. It's not that the Democrats have blocked them, he hasn't even nominated people to fill the positions. I would wager that Hillary had several notebooks of candidates for each of the positions. The tangerine menace doesn't seem to understand that this is more important than having an ego-stroking rally or another expensive round of golf on the taxpayers' dime. Here's the beginning of the article:

Quote

IN NORMAL times, the State Department holds a daily briefing, like the White House, to respond to urgent developments around the globe. But there hasn’t been one in weeks. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is now on his first trip abroad, but no permanent deputy has been nominated. Hard-working government officials are holding down posts in an acting capacity, but hundreds of vital sub-Cabinet appointments have not been made. President Trump boasts of a “fine-tuned machine,” but his government halls are more echo than beehive.

The president is correct that his Cabinet nominees have run into flak from Democrats in the Senate; nine of 15 department secretaries have been confirmed. The situation is much worse when you include those below Cabinet level. Of 549 key appointments, the White House has yet to name 515, according to a tracker by The Post and Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. Only 14 have been confirmed, and 20 are waiting. These key positions are among the roughly 1,200 total that require Senate confirmation and about 4,100 overall that the new administration must fill.

The incoming Trump team wasted no time in forcing Obama appointees overseas to hurry home and vacate their positions by Inauguration Day, but the new administration has moved with far less speed to find replacements. The only three ambassadors nominated so far are to China, Israel and the United Kingdom. Not a single assistant secretary of state has been named, much less confirmed.

...

 

[sawasdee]

7 minutes ago, Howl said:

PBS show Here and Now just interviewed retired admiral James Stavridis today. Stavridis was strongly in support of both McMaster and Mattis for their respective positions, and endorsed Tillerson for Secretary of State as well. Also wanted to point out that McMaster couldn't decline the position -- he's active military and this is his new assignment.  McMasters is no slacker; he wrote the book Dereliction of Duty for his doctoral dissertation at University of North Carolina.  

When asked about Bannon, Stavridis said at least twice that putting Bannon on the principals committee of the National Security Council is a mistake -- it interjects a political element into proceedings that should be strictly strategic. He implied that Bannon's role on the NSC would diminish with time.

Even though Stavridis thought Mattis, McMaster and Tillerson are stellar, he noted their  influence is limited to Trump's willingness to listen to their recommendations. 

 

I am very relieved that the new appointment to the NSC is someone who has actually thought about, and analysed, the question of when orders are liable to work or not.

No one else on there seems to have a clue. Bannon just wants to tear down the State......as he articulated many times on Breitbart.

Amd why is this unvetted, un Senate approved wingnut on the NSC anyway?

[GreyhoundFan]

5 minutes ago, sawasdee said:

I am very relieved that the new appointment to the NSC is someone who has actually thought about, and analysed, the question of when orders are liable to work or not.

No one else on there seems to have a clue. Bannon just wants to tear down the State......as he articulated many times on Breitbart.

Amd why is this unvetted, un Senate approved wingnut on the NSC anyway?

Because just like Radar used to do to Henry Blake on M*A*S*H, Bannon slipped an Executive Order under the tangerine toddler's nose to sign without reading. That EO put Bannon on the NSC. Supposedly the toddler was mad because he hadn't been told about what he was signing. That's what you get when you can't/don't read, Mr. Toddler.

[sawasdee]

 I truly believe that FJ is saving my sanity at the moment.

Went to lunch with my conspiracy believing friend, which he insisted on paying for 'just because' - who truly believes that tRump is an 'outsider who will 'sort things out" ( He also believes that HRC killed upwards of a hundred people in her insatiable quest for power) - I had to say to him that politics in any form were off the table if he wanted to continue to be my friend. Told him my stomach roils whenever he brings up politics. (True).

This guy, on any other subject, is gold. He has been a good and supportive friend for 15 years. But  I cannot discuss politics in  any shape or form with him.

To a lesser extent, this is the situation I have with all but one friend - and he is on the outer circle of my friend group. Thank (insert deity here) for Liam and FJ! You are truly keeping me from throwing myself off a cliff!

[samurai_sarah]

On 20/02/2017 at 5:05 PM, 47of74 said:

Quote

The president might be referring to a segment aired Friday night on the Fox News Channel show "Tucker Carlson Tonight" that reported Sweden had accepted more than 160,000 asylum-seekers last year but that only 500 of the migrants had found jobs in Sweden. The report went on to say that a surge in violence had followed.

 

Do these clowns have any idea about asylum seekers? In all systems known to me, asylum seekers CANNOT work. They are simply not allowed to! Not until their claim has been approved. Then there's the issue of getting qualifications recognized. Just because you were your country's top brain surgeon doesn't mean another country will recognize you as qualified.

You also may have the added problem of your documents not having survived your journey. Or it being impossible to obtain them from your country of origin, because of war, or because you were a dissenter etc.

Statistics, in my personal opinion, are very good at hiding what goes on behind the scenes. And especially good at hiding personal stories. Asylum seekers don't fail at finding jobs, they aren't allowed to work. And if they are, they often find themselves in competition with people who already speak the language, have all their papers in order and face less discrimination.

But who wants to hear about complex situations, instead of easy solutions?

[RoseWilder]

interesting tweet: 

 

[samurai_sarah]

9 minutes ago, sawasdee said:

(snip)

You are truly keeping me from throwing myself off a cliff!

Please don't do that. It'll 1. give the sharks a taste of human flesh, 2. be very messy to clean up, and 3. I'd miss you.