The Presidency of Donald J. Trump: No smocking guns. - Page 373 - Politics and Economics

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The Presidency of Donald J. Trump: No smocking guns.

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02-15-2017 , 12:32 AM

#9301

Kirbynator

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 52,004

wait Trump himself was also briefed by the FBI about them knowing the contacts during the campaign?

Man what in the world is going on

02-15-2017 , 12:33 AM

#9302

th14

old hand

Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 1,460

Quote:

In an interview conducted early Monday and published Tuesday by the Daily Caller, Flynn said that he did not specifically discuss sanctions with Kislyak but rather President Barack Obama’s simultaneous expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats. He said he told the ambassador that “we’ll review everything” following Trump’s inauguration.

Current and former U.S. officials have said, however, that much of the conversation was about sanctions and that Flynn suggested that Moscow not respond in kind to the expulsions — advice that Russian President Vladi*mir Putin took in declining to take retaliatory action.

02-15-2017 , 12:34 AM

#9303

fatkid

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 8,860

That squrell is an American hero!

Quote:

Sure enough, Officer Ashley Turner reportedly returned hours later carrying some of his stolen items, and saying she may have solved the case.

Pearl said the officer had started questioning a suspect. "She said while she was questioning the individual he had scratches on his hands. So she asked him, 'Did you get that from the squirrel?' And he says, 'Yeah, damn thing kept attacking me and wouldn't stop until I left.'"

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/02/14...-burglary.html

02-15-2017 , 12:34 AM

#9304

RV Life

old hand

Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 1,935

Quote:

Originally Posted by WichitaDM

No one is denying this and strawmaning with emails when no one has mentioned that is just the typical brutal level of discourse in this forum all too often. Trump has ties to Russia is not the issue right? The issue is whether or not Trump is being influenced by Russia. Those are two very different things with very different consequences. I mean the latter is probably more likely than not true also but if there is proof where is the harm in releasing it. Having a Russian operative for a President is not something to just sit back and see what happens. I personally don't believe that is what Obama or the intelligence community would do.

Yea I'm just pointing out how voters fled towards Trump because of HC's emails/Benghazi despite Russians ties.

02-15-2017 , 12:34 AM

#9305

Oroku$aki

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 7,063

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pwn_Master

The article says the intelligence agencies have travel logs, so they did meet face to face, probably for things like cash payments in exchange for the treason. But the treason was so extensive and regular that there needed to be regular calls as well. Just was not physically possible to meet with their comrades regularly, especially since they needed to be on the campaign trail to using the DNC information stolen by their comrades.

Park bench and parking garage photos coming soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WichitaDM

If he has ironclad proof Trump is a Russian operative where is the downside in releasing it one way or another?

Not to mention the fact that if he knows this beyond all doubt he has a duty to prevent a traitor from becoming POTUS.

Occams razor says either the proof wasn't ironclad or it wasn't damning enough to release, sorry bud. Using some convoluted logic regarding BOs beliefs as a reason not to release it makes no sense considering he sanctioned Russia right after the election for interfering.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WichitaDM

I agree and understand with this almost entirely. That's kind of my whole point honestly which is that the information he had didn't rise to Trump directly commiting a crime or treason. If it did I would think it would be well within Obama's right to allow this information to be public assuming the proof was ironclad. That's why I think it most likely isn't or at least wasn't. I mean SNL has been having Putin skits for like a year. The fact he has/had a relationship with Putin is admitted to by Trump himself in old interviews.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WichitaDM

All I'm really trying to say is that it's unlikely there is a smoking gun here at least with regard to Trump. If there was certainly this would have come to light one way or another months ago. It wouldn't undermine the election either before or after to release this, it would be exposing one of the great treasonous acts of all time in this country assuming you had absolute proof.

Ffs there probably wasn't "ironclad proof" at the time.

02-15-2017 , 12:35 AM

#9306

RV Life

old hand

Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 1,935

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirbynator

wait Trump himself was also briefed by the FBI about them knowing the contacts during the campaign?

Man what in the world is going on

Trump is an "alpha male" business man. Think of how many time **** happens in an regular office and the boss overlooks it thinking it's not important. It's the same thing here. Dude is just clueless when it comes to his job.

02-15-2017 , 12:37 AM

#9307

r4diohe4d

grinder

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 401

Oh man, I just realized the prospect of watching Spicer trying to misspeak his way out of this tomorrow could be a lot of fun!

02-15-2017 , 12:38 AM

#9308

suzzer99

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 100,230

Quote:

Originally Posted by PocketChads

Russia has a cutthroat, bloodthirsty intelligence/spy apparatus

Basically all Russian "capitalism" is controlled by a small group of men

Trump admitted long ago that most of his money comes from Russia. Apparently, also, it was Russian banks who bailed him out the last time he needed bailing out. Again, Russian businesses and Russian government is kinda the same damn thing

Trump is magically supportive and deferring to anything Putin wants, up to and including disbanding/weakening of NATO and the UN so that Putin can continue invading other nations

US, British, and other intelligence agencies assert that Russia has a ****load of compromising information about Trump. 3 people associated with his administration and/or campaign have already quit due to unethical and/or illegal ties to Russia.

Now, it's coming out that Trump's team was actually in constant contact with Russian intelligence/spy agents during the campaign. Making it look a lot less coincidental that Trump publicly asked Russia to hack his opponents during the campaign, said Putin was smart to not get mad about sanctions before Trump had a chance to remove them, etc

Tl;dr Trump is operating with the interests of Russia at a higher priority than the interests of the USA, at least in certain instances, and he's doing so because of a combination of bribery and extortion

And he's too stupid and arrogant to hide it well at all, and lucked into the situation of a lifetime where his party is terrified to go against him because of how he's got tens of millions of Americans hanging onto his every tweet since he's been so honest and understanding about their racism

ObamaNotBad.gif

02-15-2017 , 12:40 AM

#9309

Kirbynator

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 52,004

Quote:

Originally Posted by r4diohe4d

Oh man, I just realized the prospect of watching Spicer trying to misspeak his way out of this tomorrow could be a lot of fun!

FAKE NEWS has only two syllables

I RESIGN has three though

02-15-2017 , 12:41 AM

#9310

JoltinJake

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 5,236

I'm no computer expert so I may be going into conspiratard territory here (help me out if so). But the whole Alfa Bank / Trump Tower server thing sure seems like a pretty big coincidence at this point, doesn't it?

You may remember this NYTimes article from late October that said the "F.B.I. ultimately concluded that there could be an innocuous explanation, like a marketing email or spam, for the computer contacts."

But I think it's interesting to note that:
(a) this does not mean the FBI concluded it WAS innocuous, only that it "could be"
(b) the article acknowledges the FBI "spent weeks" investigating the server and briefed congressional leaders about it
(c) at the time of the NYT article, the sources thought Russia wasn't trying to get Trump elected, which we now know is wrong... so they may have also underestimated the nefariousness of the server

02-15-2017 , 12:41 AM

#9311

microbet

Solar Powered

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 57,105

Quote:

Originally Posted by RV Life

Did it really? Damn. I was born in '75. Always assumed Watergate was quick as in weeks or maybe 2 months.

I had no idea myself until I looked it up, hoping it didn't take very long. I was born in '67, but don't remember Watergate at all.

02-15-2017 , 12:42 AM

#9312

Huehuecoyotl

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 29,296

Quote:

Originally Posted by Csaba

What is Comey's supposed motivation for wanting Trump to be President? I've seen a lot of accusations flying around and his behaviour seems dodgy to me but I haven't heard any rationale for why he behaved in this manner.

I never saw anything about him personally. I saw it reported a few times that the New York FBI office had a hard on for prosecuting Clinton and was the driving force behind keeping the email issue popping up all the time. It could have been that Comey had some inner desire to swing the election that no one knew about, he possibility had a moment of weakness when the NY office wanted to release the information so close the election, or for whatever reason he thought that he was doing his duty by reporting a possible issue with candidate Clinton.

02-15-2017 , 12:42 AM

#9313

th14

old hand

Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 1,460

let us not forget the initial reports that Flynn and the Russian guy spoke several times that day, after Obama announced sanctions.

02-15-2017 , 12:43 AM

#9314

zikzak

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 22,198

Impeachment reality check:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United...#Current_order

That list, it's not good.

02-15-2017 , 12:43 AM

#9315

ScreaminAsian

For President

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 33,333

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoltinJake

02-15-2017 , 12:47 AM

#9316

Kirbynator

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 52,004

what's an Orrin Hatch

02-15-2017 , 12:48 AM

#9317

ScreaminAsian

For President

Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 33,333

Quote:

Originally Posted by th14

let us not forget the initial reports that Flynn and the Russian guy spoke several times that day, after Obama announced sanctions.

to further clarify because he's taking this information to other people and conversing and deciding things holy **** how does trump get out of this one

02-15-2017 , 12:50 AM

#9318

JoltinJake

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 5,236

Quote:

Originally Posted by Csaba

I have mentioned this before but the most plausible explanation IMO is (a) he thought Hillary was a lock to win anyway and (b) he was looking out for himself in case EMAILS info came out after the election.

02-15-2017 , 12:51 AM

#9319

Jiggymike

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 13,420

Quote:

Originally Posted by Csaba

I could certainly see him being anti-Hillary but it does seem odd that he'd push for Trump if he had solid information about Trump having an inappropriate involvement with Russia.

02-15-2017 , 12:51 AM

#9320

fatkid

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 8,860

The sanctions were bait. They had them all on taps and Obama casted out the hook.

02-15-2017 , 12:52 AM

#9321

Max Cut

Guest

Posts: n/a

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirbynator

what's an Orrin Hatch

The longest-serving Republican Senator in U.S. history. ty wiki

02-15-2017 , 12:53 AM

#9322

RV Life

old hand

Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 1,935

Quote:

Originally Posted by zikzak

Impeachment reality check:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United...#Current_order

That list, it's not good.

Let's say Trump is gone. Pence becomes Prez. Does Ryan become VP? Or does Pence pick his own cabinet?

If everyone just moves up one spot, I can definitely see Ryan playing 4-D chess knowing the 2 idiots in front of him would screw up.