The Presidency of Donald J. Trump: No smocking guns. - Page 702 - Politics and Economics

Two Plus Two Forums Other Topics Politics

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

...

Page 702 of 5382

First

202 502 602 652 682 692 697 698 699 700 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 712 722 752 802 902 1202 1702

Last

Page 702 of 5382

First

202 502 602 652 682 692 697 698 699 700 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 712 722 752 802 902 1202 1702

Last

03-09-2017 , 01:51 AM

#17526

uDevil

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 6,941

Trump's buddy Stone is a very weird dude. Also, Russians.

Quote:

The contact between Roger Stone, the Trump associate, and the Russian influence operation came via private messages exchanged on Twitter, according to a source. Stone’s contact was with “Guccifer 2.0,” an online persona that U.S. officials say was created by Russian government officials to distribute and publicize material stolen during hacks of the DNC, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Gmail accounts used by Clinton staffers like John Podesta, the campaign's chairman.

http://thesmokinggun.com/documents/i...uccifer-913684

03-09-2017 , 01:52 AM

#17527

microbet

Solar Powered

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 57,105

Quote:

Originally Posted by EYESCREW

Why are liberals saints and Republicans evil doers? It's all about power and money for both sides. No one side is more or less innocent than the other.

Trump is different. Don't you get that? Liberals want to impeach Trump and end up with Pence who is way more conservative. A conservative should be really for impeachment.

03-09-2017 , 01:56 AM

#17528

aoFrantic

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 25,218

Being an SE reg and not knowing how a wire works (aka never having seen the series) is a big tell

03-09-2017 , 02:10 AM

#17529

simplicitus

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,841

Four radishes in a bowl. Laser pointer chasing man brat.

Solid.

03-09-2017 , 02:16 AM

#17530

Minirra

old hand

Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 1,672

why specifically four radishes

03-09-2017 , 02:18 AM

#17531

Bigoldnit

veteran

Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 2,397

Between August 2016 and November 2016, Flynn received over $500,000 for consulting / lobbying work on behalf of a Turkish client. He apparently now believes that his work meant that he was actually lobbying on behalf of a foreign government, something he did not disclose during the campaign.

https://www.usnews.com/news/politics...urkey-lobbying

03-09-2017 , 02:44 AM

#17532

Klingbard

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 8,103

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheatrich

trump tweeted about huntsman before that he was a lightweight and weak and china ran all over him.

so perfect for amb to russia.

This is correct. Maddow talked about this tweet (from 2012) tonight.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/...05659057426433

03-09-2017 , 02:45 AM

#17533

RV Life

old hand

Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 1,935

I have a question about Trump's taxes.

Is there anyone out there that can actually release them legally? Or is Trump the only one that can do so?

03-09-2017 , 02:54 AM

#17534

AllTheCheese

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 11,898

Quote:

Originally Posted by goofyballer

Taibbi tells the media to slow way down on Trump-Russia connections reporting, curious what people here think. I think the caution he advocates is warranted. I think this jives with thoughts DVaut has previously posted here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NhlNut

After that article,
Taibbi confirmed Russian stooge just like Greenwald

No.

My hot take is that probably almost nothing happened vis a vis Russia, but I don't care. When I say "almost nothing," I'm still talking possibly mini-treason, but not anything near as scandalous as some of the suspicions floating around. If it ends up being anything, it will end up being some chump change ****, because that's who Trump is, a small time crook who stiffs contractors out of 70 grand.

But the thing is, I don't see much of a reason to be alarmed about what Taibbi is alarmed about, namely the media reporting this in a way that is factually correct but invites more suspicion than is warranted by the evidence. This is because Russia or No Russia, Trump is a ****ing monster, and this makes him look bad, so it's good for the Republic. Even if somehow a full revelation of the facts comes to light, and it exonerates Trump, by now we've hopefully all learned the lesson that the mere fact of there being a scandal leaves him worse off than if there were none.

03-09-2017 , 03:09 AM

#17535

markksman

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 20,921

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klingbard

This is correct. Maddow talked about this tweet (from 2012) tonight.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/...05659057426433

Well trump wants to give the US away to Russia so I am sure trump thought he was the perfect guy for the job.

03-09-2017 , 03:11 AM

#17536

markksman

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 20,921

Quote:

Originally Posted by RV Life

I have a question about Trump's taxes.

Is there anyone out there that can actually release them legally? Or is Trump the only one that can do so?

I heard obama actually possessed that power while still in office. Congress could certainly create a law making it necessary but it won't happen because even if there is no connection to Russia there his returns will prove him to be a massive fraud in many other ways.

03-09-2017 , 03:12 AM

#17537

microbet

Solar Powered

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 57,105

Quote:

Originally Posted by RV Life

I have a question about Trump's taxes.

Is there anyone out there that can actually release them legally? Or is Trump the only one that can do so?

Putin or Assange

03-09-2017 , 03:41 AM

#17538

aoFrantic

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 25,218

ATC, what is already confirmed with Page, Manafort, Stone, Guccifer, Flynn, Rosneft etcetc is as big a scandal as any in US history.
I thought that Taibbi article was very meh. It reminded me of the "do the republican dogs chasing the healthcare car actually want to catch it?" type of articles. But this is wildly different. The best case scenario, no matter what the truth is, is that we know the entire truth.

I think Taibbi is off base throwing shade at buzzfeed for releasing the dossier. It clearly was a good idea to do so.

Last edited by aoFrantic; 03-09-2017 at 03:47 AM.

03-09-2017 , 03:57 AM

#17539

markksman

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 20,921

https://mobile.twitter.com/Acosta/st...67239204831233

03-09-2017 , 03:59 AM

#17540

markksman

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 20,921

Quote:

Originally Posted by microbet

Putin or Assange

Haha yeah those too

03-09-2017 , 04:13 AM

#17541

iron81

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 17,730

The Ways and Means committees can order a tax return released. The Dems already tried.

03-09-2017 , 04:28 AM

#17542

suzzer99

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 100,230

Huntsman seems like a guy with very high integrity.

03-09-2017 , 04:34 AM

#17543

markksman

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 20,921

https://mobile.twitter.com/dcpoll/st...58753444171779

03-09-2017 , 05:06 AM

#17544

yeSpiff

old hand

Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 1,313

03-09-2017 , 07:19 AM

#17545

Bored5000

old hand

Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,251

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlk9s

I didn't realize Trump was in the Baseball HOF.

Well, why wouldn't he be? Trump was the "best baseball player in New York."

http://www.sportsgrid.com/as-seen-on...r-in-new-york/

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/w...y-795427907978

03-09-2017 , 08:56 AM

#17546

thethethe

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 8,712

Fun extract from PJ O'Rourke's new book in today's paper.

Quote:

How to speak punditese: PJ’s guide to what pundits say — and what they mean

Punditese
What we pundits say isn’t always clear to a general audience. This is because political pundits speak a foreign language, Punditese. There are two distinct dialects of Punditese — Conservative Punditese (CP) and Liberal Punditese (LP). They are closely related linguistically but often mutually unintelligible.

Reliable source — me.

Inside source — me.

Inside sources — me and one of the low-level congressional staffers.

Reliable sources (CP) — me and Matt Drudge.

Reliable sources (LP) — me and the members of my Georgetown power yoga class.

Game changer — a point so obvious that there’s nothing for the pundit to explain.

Double down — candidate making the same mistake twice.

As I have said before — pundit making the same mistake twice.

Women’s health (LP) — abortion.
Hard-liner (LP) — any Republican to the right of Nelson Rockefeller, eg Ronald Reagan.

Far right (LP) — any Republican to the right of Nelson Rockefeller and not, eg Reagan, dead yet.

Far left (LP) — doesn’t exist.

Far left (CP) — the inspirational quotes on Starbucks coffee cups.

Political analysts say — some other journalist told me.

Political analysts agree — two other journalists told me.

Highly placed source — anyone dumb enough to answer my emails or phone calls.

On background — the highly placed source is pulling this out of his ass.

Studies show — I’m pulling this out of my own ass.

Any sentence beginning with To be accurate, The facts are, or Careful research shows — I googled it.

Balanced assessment — what I’m saying.

Democratic insiders (CP) — The New York Times.

Democratic insiders (LP) — The New York Times.

Republican insiders (LP) — Rush Limbaugh.

Republican insiders (CP) — Rush Limbaugh.

Partisan — they’re wrong.

Non-partisan — I’m right.

Traditional media — the newspaper that fired me.

Mainstream media (CP) — bootlicking, ass-kissing, pinko milksops.

Speaking truth to power — in my dreams that’s what I do, although, even in my dreams, I’m careful to do it from a safe distance. Kim Jong-un, you stink.

Climate change (LP) — weather.

Grassroots politics — the candidate has attracted an impressive number of clueless people with nothing better to do than randomly phone other people at dinnertime.

Effective media campaign — candidates lying to members of the electorate all at the same time.

Effective social media campaign — someone on candidate’s campaign staff, probably a 19-year-old volunteer, knows what Reddit is.

Out of touch with ordinary Americans (LP) — candidate doesn’t even try to pretend to be stupid, broke and dressed in sweatpants from Walmart.

Out of touch with ordinary Americans (CP) — candidate favours immigration reform because he/she can’t get the leaf blower started and supports legalisation of gay marriage and preservation of abortion rights because his/her son/daughter is a horn-dog/slut.

Appealing to the Republican base (LP) — wearing a bedsheet with eyeholes to a protest at an abortion clinic while carrying an assault rifle and holding hands with Jesus.

Alt-right (LP) — and at home in his bedroom there’s a shrine to Timothy McVeigh.

Appealing to the Democratic base (CP) — chasing someone off campus for failing to give a trigger warning in a safe space after looting a liquor store to demonstrate that police are implicitly racist.

Major Republican Party donors (LP) — the Koch brothers, Attila the Hun, Dr Evil, the Penguin, Lucrezia Borgia, Goldfinger, the Witch-king of Angmar and the Koch brothers.

Major Democratic Party donors (CP) — Edward Snowden, Ayatollah Khamenei, Bashar al-Assad, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Raúl Castro, Planned Parenthood, the UN, everyone in the entertainment industry who ever wants to work again.

03-09-2017 , 09:02 AM

#17547

watevs

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 4,170

I think the Taibbi article is misguided. We get NOTHING from this administration of substance, nothing that is true, no information of substance. Our response should be to hold back? Let these idiots in power do more to refute these allegations

I didn't really understand why Greenwald was reviled in here but lately I've been seeing it more. We are being lied to and no official answers have come out about Russia, but he's still completely obsessed with calling out 'the left'. He retweets some real moronic **** too

Maddow likes to talk about how we're going to have to 'do this ourselves'. With the level of corruption present in the current admin, I think this is pretty important. Its also important to be tempered but save the extreme hand wringing

03-09-2017 , 09:42 AM

#17548

bobman0330

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 24,234

Quote:

Originally Posted by AllTheCheese

Good article. Taibbi was on Chapo Trap House recently discussing this stuff. The lefty wing has a correct criticism that the Russia scandal is being used by the Democrats to distract from necessary internal reform. It was quite cringe-y during the DNC Chair debates when candidates raised the specter of Russia. Whether the rumors are true or not, they have nothing to do with their jobs, which are to dig the party out of the hole it's been in FOR YEARS.

No.

My hot take is that probably almost nothing happened vis a vis Russia, but I don't care. When I say "almost nothing," I'm still talking possibly mini-treason, but not anything near as scandalous as some of the suspicions floating around. If it ends up being anything, it will end up being some chump change ****, because that's who Trump is, a small time crook who stiffs contractors out of 70 grand.

But the thing is, I don't see much of a reason to be alarmed about what Taibbi is alarmed about, namely the media reporting this in a way that is factually correct but invites more suspicion than is warranted by the evidence. This is because Russia or No Russia, Trump is a ****ing monster, and this makes him look bad, so it's good for the Republic. Even if somehow a full revelation of the facts comes to light, and it exonerates Trump, by now we've hopefully all learned the lesson that the mere fact of there being a scandal leaves him worse off than if there were none.

That was an OK read and Taibbi had some interesting thoughts, but about his overarching point, seriously what the **** is he talking about? Has he been following American politics for the past two decades? The idea that making dark and unsupportable insinuations about a politician will make that person "pre-innoculated against all criticism for the foreseeable future" is one of the hottest takes I've ever read.