Donald John Trump: 2016 President-Elect

[Jediknight]

19 minutes ago, stormy said:

 W was reading storybooks to kindergartners on 9/11, he discounted he reports that Ben Ladin was determined to attack the US, Cheney cherry picked the CIA intell and twisted it to get the Senate to believe Sadam had weapons of mass destruction and go to war.

The reports didn't just say that bin Laden was determined to attack in the United States, they mentioned Al Qaeda hijacking planes.  The CIA does stuff that is beyond unethical that's no secret, but they are also very very good at their job of gathering intelligence, and other things.  And Trump's team wants to piss them off.  That's the one agency above all that you don't want to start shit with, you'd figure Putin would have told Trump that.  Hell, Trump is a believer in conspiracy theories, and you'd figure he'd realize trying to take on the group that's at the center of a crapload of conspiracy theories isn't bright.

Edited December 10, 2016 by Jediknight

[slf]

I almost can't even blame his supporters for not believing it. 'Cause...damn. Can you imagine? The person you voted for might really be a puppet for a foreign power with a history of hostility toward the US? These people tried to make the DNC emails - that showed that once HRC won the majority of pledged delegates and Sanders literally could not win the party nomination the DNC pretty much immediately went to work for her - all about the Democratic primary being rigged and a sign of how "corrupt" she is. You know if the CIA had come out and said "we have proof that the election is rigged in HRC's favor" they would have rallied around Trump and called for her to be arrested for treason or something.

I haven't seen any announcements from Mike Pence, Paul Ryan, Reince Priebus, etc., coming out and saying they don't believe the accusations. I wonder if they will over the next week or if people are holding back because they aren't sure of what the CIA has on their boy.

Edited December 10, 2016 by slf

[NewDigs]

1 hour ago, Jediknight said:

The reports didn't just say that bin Laden was determined to attack in the United States, they mentioned Al Qaeda hijacking planes.  The CIA does stuff that is beyond unethical that's no secret, but they are also very very good at their job of gathering intelligence and other things.

Yup. This is exactly the kind of thing Tubby and his Horsemen might miss.

'These contrasting interpretations dominated the weekend's news. For example, President Bush commented on Sunday that the "PDB said nothing about an attack on America. It talked about intentions, about somebody who hated America - well, we knew that. … The question was, who was going to attack us, when and where, and with what." (Note A1)Meanwhile, the Sunday news analysis in The New York Times began with the following summary: "In a single 17-sentence document, the intelligence briefing delivered to President Bush in August 2001 spells out the who, hints at the what and points towards the where of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington that followed 36 days later." (Note A2)'

And why they even had Bush talking about it I don't understand. He didn't even read the damn thing. I'm pretty sure he was clearing brush at his Texas ranch.

Shame Tubby doesn't appear the vacationing type. Though he does always appear vacant. Lights are on, they're burning brightly, but ain't nobody home.

[backformore]

So, the CIA uncovered evidence that Russia was involved in hacking and spreading stories about Hillary to tilt the election in Drump's favor.

Drumpf responded at 5am that the story about him remaining a producer on Celebrity Apprentice was "rediculous" and "fake news".

(3 hours later he corrected the spelling of ridiculous)

Yeah, because THAT is the rumor everyone is concerned with.

Edited December 10, 2016 by backformore

[Pixel]

14 minutes ago, backformore said:

So, the CIA uncovered evidence that Russia was involved in hacking and spreading stories about Hillary to tilt the election in Drump's favor.

Drumpf responded at 5am that the story about him remaining a producer on Celebrity Apprentice was "ridiculous" and "fake news".

(3 hours later he corrected the spelling of ridiculous)

Yeah, because THAT is the rumor everyone is concerned with.

Yeah, that certainly does lend credence to the idea that his stupid tweets are designed to distract from the bigger topics. I honestly didn't think he was strategic enough to do that, but I suppose he's surrounded by people who are. 

This is the first time in my life the actual real events of an election/candidate have made me feel like a conspiracy theorist. 

[Lunata]

"Politicized issue - Wikipedia
A politicized issue or hot-button issue is a social, economic, theological, spiritual, scientific or legal issue which has become a political issue, as a result of deliberate action or otherwise, whereby people become politically active over that issue."

Smerconish just had a verbal confrontation with Sean Spicer, RNC Chief Strategist and Communication Director. It was heated and very emotional between them. Sean Spicer had blazing darts flying out of his eyes. The Republicans are politicizing this and disputing the evidence as it has been presented by 17 different intelligence agencies. Republicans are Americans too from what I recall and they should be angry against Russia and not angry towards Democrats. Republicans are actually defending Russia and condemning the 17 different Intel agencies that work for the US. Do they realize that these same 17 intelligence agencies are going to be the agencies that President Trump will have to rely on for his security briefs and decisions paramount to the safety of this country?

If EVER there should be NO partisan politics, it's when the election process is intentionally interfered with by a hostile country in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale to favor one candidate. I'm outraged by the Republicans and their denial of Russian interference, they would trust Russia over the  17 U.S. Intelligence agencies!! This is a horror.

Edited December 10, 2016 by Lunata

[MulletorHater]

8 hours ago, ruby24 said:

Democrats need to say fuck this and start calling him illegitimate. Like NOW.

Because he is. Huge popular vote loss plus foreign intervention in the election= no legitimacy. Unduly elected.

That's the one satisfaction I would have if that shit stain is actually sworn in.  He would be considered illegitimate by the majority of those who voted.  And, make no mistake about it.  No matter how much the Fanta Menance, his surrogates, supporters and media enablers try to shout us down to get us to shut up, he did NOT win this election fair and square.  I know it and they know it.  I will NEVER shut up about it.  Ever.

 It will stick in their craw that Hillary's popular vote lead is 2.8 million.  For years these same people, especially Drumpf, did everything they could to delegitimize President Obama.  Well, I'm that person who aspires to Joe Biden's level of pettiness.  Drumpf should be reminded at every opportunity that he had a huge assist from foreign powers.  Suspicion should be cast on his every move.  He should be called a Manchurian or Kremlin Candidate whenever possible.  Well, how does it feel?

#NotMyPresident.  #NotNowNotEver!

[random chance]

2 hours ago, slf said:

I haven't seen any announcements from Mike Pence, Paul Ryan, Reince Priebus, etc., coming out and saying they don't believe the accusations. I wonder if they will over the next week or if people are holding back because they aren't sure of what the CIA has on their boy.

29 minutes ago, Pixel said:

This is the first time in my life the actual real events of an election/candidate have made me feel like a conspiracy theorist. 

My conspiracy theory: the people who are falling in line are being blackmailed with information Russia gathered.

[KIMBERLYANN11]

15 minutes ago, random chance said:

My conspiracy theory: the people who are falling in line are being blackmailed with information Russia gathered.

Or threatened.

[Toomuchsoap]

18 minutes ago, random chance said:

My conspiracy theory: the people who are falling in line are being blackmailed with information Russia gathered.

Well McConnell (among others) were briefed about this and he told POTUS to not investigate, and there were others who got that same briefing. I don't think that necessarily means the Russians were blackmailing anyone other than tRump, and I don't know that it was as much blackmail as extortion, which in my mind are only different as the former usually involves personal info used as leverage, while the latter is usually more business-related -- though Cheeto is probably kompromised every which way. 

I think anyone who had foreknowledge of this realizes they may be in not only political trouble, but also in legal jeopardy, and Harry Reid was one of the Dems who was publicly calling on Obama to release these findings to the American people before this shitstain is sworn in and the US is being run out of the Kremlin.

Edited December 10, 2016 by Toomuchsoap

[Macbeth]

Well I have a very different take on this.

Karma is a bitch.  The 2016 Presidential elections were  influenced by another government's interference by leaking hacked emails of a candidate.

                       1.  Exactly how many elections has the US interfered with?  Let's start with one - Hillary's state department working to ensure that the democratically elected president was not reinstated in Honduras.  How does it feel Hillary to have it done to you.

                       2.  There have never been claims that the emails themselves were fake.  And believe me no matter how they were released - the information they contained was information the public was entitled to.  We really needed to have the curtains pulled on Oz a/k/a the Democratic party.

                   3.  This government through  the NSA has no problem going through my email and personal into - Payback's a bitch.

                  4.  And Comey  - at the end of the day - ended Hillary's momentum, and was the boost that the Trump candidacy needed to win the electoral college.  Hillary was weathering the emails until the FBI Director came out to state that he was renewing the investigation.  And the Republicans crowing about more investigations once she was elected - basically stating if she was elected they would shut down the government.  Really - we need to get our own house in order.

              5.   And forget about Trump's corruption.  Nobody from the financial industry went to jail for tanking the economy.  And that's on Obama.  Having politicians complain about Trump's corruption is ridiculous given that they are all corrupt.  They are all bought and paid for.   He is just being honest about.

           6.    And really the scandal over Russia is more noise that takes attention away from where it is needed.  Given who Trump, the Republican Party, are naming for the Cabinet - people who are against what those Departments are for - basically trying to dismantle those departments that are there to help the American people - is the major crime being committed here.  And given the state of the Democratic party - for example Bill Clinton gutted welfare to get along with the Republicans - we are truly fucked. 

Edited December 10, 2016 by Macbeth

[PatsyandEddie]

Is drumpf willing to pay for Sean Spicer's hospitalization and rehab after he has a major CVA over the Russian hacking storyline? CNN is repeatedly replaying his confrontation with Smerconish that happened earlier this morning and he had better calm down before his brain explodes. IMO, " The lady doth protest too much,methinks." 

[MulletorHater]

1 hour ago, random chance said:

My conspiracy theory: the people who are falling in line are being blackmailed with information Russia gathered.

That was my conspiracy theory when Comey first released his letter.  I remember asking, "What do they have on you, bruh?"

I can't get past level the fact that the FBI may have been infiltrated and I wonder who those rogue agents pledged their allegiance to.  It sure as hell isn't to this country.

[Padma]

57 minutes ago, random chance said:

My conspiracy theory: the people who are falling in line are being blackmailed with information Russia gathered.

Republicans are so capable of defending anything that's wrong (or conversely, attacking positive things) if its in their own interest. I'd like to see what Lindsay Graham is saying about all this as he seems the only one able to put his country above his own self interest/party.

The fact that Russia hacked into the RNC computers but made nothing they found public certainly raises the possibility of blackmail.  Or at least an implied threat.

"AM Joy" is quoting Reid calling for Comey's resignation since he had the info and refused to make it public.--then of course, later intervened on his own for Tubby. 

Tubby's tweets today--several denying he'll be involved with The Apprentice and calling CNN liars (although I'm sure I heard yesterday from KAC that it would only be "in his spare time"), one about football, one about the WaPo story about the Pentagon--rather than a quick, emphatic denial of communication with Russia say a lot.

"Trapped!" and "Guilty!" and trying to figure out how to get out of it. Lying first and then blaming others usually works for him. But discrediting the CIA and 16 other agencies will work with his cultists, but most Americans aren't going to take the Putin-Trump version).  

[DollEyes]

On 12/10/2016 at 10:56 AM, Macbeth said:

Well I have a very different take on this.

Karma is a bitch.  The 2016 Presidential elections were  influenced by another government's interference by leaking hacked emails of a candidate.

                       1.  Exactly how many elections has the US interfered with?  Let's start with one - Hillary's state department working to ensure that the democratically elected president was not reinstated in Honduras.  How does it feel Hillary to have it done to you.

                       2.  There have never been claims that the emails themselves were fake.  And believe me no matter how they were released - the information they contained was information the public was entitled to.  We really needed to have the curtains pulled on Oz a/k/a the Democratic party.

                   3.  This government through  the NSA has no problem going through my email and personal into - Payback's a bitch.

                  4.  And Comey  - at the end of the day - ended Hillary's momentum, and was the boost that the Trump candidacy needed to win the electoral college.  Hillary was weathering the emails until the FBI Director came out to state that he was renewing the investigation.  And the Republicans crowing about more investigations once she was elected - basically stating if she was elected they would shut down the government.  Really - we need to get our own house in order.

              5.   And forget about Trump's corruption.  Nobody from the financial industry went to jail for tanking the economy.  And that's on Obama.  Having politicians complain about Trump's corruption is ridiculous given that they are all corrupt.  They are all bought and paid for.   He is just being honest about.

           6.    And really the scandal over Russia is more noise that takes attention away from where it is needed.  Given who Trump, the Republican Party, are naming for the Cabinet - people who are against what those Departments are for - basically trying to dismantle those departments that are there to help the American people - is the major crime being committed here.  And given the state of the Democratic party - for example Bill Clinton gutted welfare to get along with the Republicans - we are truly fucked. 

My take on your take: I respectfully disagree. This isn't karmic justice because IMO Karma only punishes the original target. Russia's blatant & criminal intervention in this election is a blatant slap in the face to the country, the Constitution and the voters who picked Hillary over Trump-which is almost 3 million more and counting. As for the emails, they were none of our business. I didn't want nor need to know about John Podesta's favorite recipes. About Comey,  law enforcement officials aren't supposed to comment on an ongoing investigation and he did, not once, but twice. That Comey  waited to announce that he found nothing incriminating re Hillary in Huma Abedin's computer until the election was almost over was very convenient. Re the financial industry, since the Republicans have controlled the House and the Senate for most of his presidency, Obama was caught between a rock and a hard place most of the time. Obama's accomplishments have been despite the Republicans, not because of them. 

 Re Trump's corruption, it's not "just" about money. Trump's corruption includes racism, xenophobia, bragging about sexual assault, cyber-bullying private citizens and thinking that rules/laws that apply to other Presidents shouldn't apply to him. Every time Trump opens his mouth and/or tweets, he proves that honesty and brilliance aren't mutually exclusive. 

  As far as I'm concerned, a hostile foreign government trying to fix our elections for their benefit isn't just "noise." If the shoe were on the other foot, Trump/the Republicans would raise all kinds of Hell if there was even the smallest hint that Russia had helped rig the election to help Hillary/the Democrats. Props to Obama for waiting to get all the facts before he went public. Better late than never.  Trump's cabinet appointments are alarming, to say the least, but that shouldn't let Russia off the hook.  Last time I checked, two wrongs didn't make a right-and wrong doesn't even begin to describe Trump.

Edited December 11, 2016 by DollEyes

[slf]

So he's: filed bankruptcy several times, likely has significantly less money than he tells people, is on video admitting to sexual assault, exploited his status to gain access to the changing rooms at a teen pageant where girls were undressed, has been accused of raping a 13 year old (the false rape rate is 0.06%), attacked a Gold Star family and made Islamophobic comments about them, picked a VP who believes in conversion therapy, and is in all likelihood a puppet for Vladimir Putin. 

Wow. Bang up job, Republicans.

[Lunata]

28 minutes ago, Macbeth said:

Well I have a very different take on this.

Karma is a bitch.  The 2016 Presidential elections were  influenced by another government's interference by leaking hacked emails of a candidate.

                       1.  Exactly how many elections has the US interfered with?  Let's start with one - Hillary's state department working to ensure that the democratically elected president was not reinstated in Honduras.  How does it feel Hillary to have it done to you.

                       2.  There have never been claims that the emails themselves were fake.  And believe me no matter how they were released - the information they contained was information the public was entitled to.  We really needed to have the curtains pulled on Oz a/k/a the Democratic party.

                   3.  This government through  the NSA has no problem going through my email and personal into - Payback's a bitch.

                  4.  And Comey  - at the end of the day - ended Hillary's momentum, and was the boost that the Trump candidacy needed to win the electoral college.  Hillary was weathering the emails until the FBI Director came out to state that he was renewing the investigation.  And the Republicans crowing about more investigations once she was elected - basically stating if she was elected they would shut down the government.  Really - we need to get our own house in order.

              5.   And forget about Trump's corruption.  Nobody from the financial industry went to jail for tanking the economy.  And that's on Obama.  Having politicians complain about Trump's corruption is ridiculous given that they are all corrupt.  They are all bought and paid for.   He is just being honest about.

           6.    And really the scandal over Russia is more noise that takes attention away from where it is needed.  Given who Trump, the Republican Party, are naming for the Cabinet - people who are against what those Departments are for - basically trying to dismantle those departments that are there to help the American people - is the major crime being committed here.  And given the state of the Democratic party - for example Bill Clinton gutted welfare to get along with the Republicans - we are truly fucked. 

This last item is the only one that I'll comment on for the time being. The US Government, and people in general are really not so naive that they could ignore the fact that Donald Trump has filled up his cabinet with nothing other than millionaires, billionaires, bankers, hedge-fund raiders and multiple hawkish generals. These are the people that make up the heart of his administration. I disagree that the 'scandal over Russia' is simply 'noise' to distract from what's been going on with his transition appointments. It's very clear to everyone, except Republican Trump supporters, as to what the intentions and motives of the Republican oligarchy are.

To refute, condemn or deny any offer of proof offered by 17 separate and individual United States intelligence agencies is the same as condoning Russian and KGB involvement with the election of our president. What they're intentions were, and worked, is that they sought to divide this nation. This has been their objective and they have succeeded. The country is deeply divided, and we have not learned a single lesson in all these years since Abraham Lincoln said "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Putin had also said something this past Sept. at a dinner he attended.Putin said that the only reason the US had any interest in relations with Moscow was that Russia was the only country that could "destroy America in half an hour or less." It would be difficult to find a statement more revealing about Putin's true position regarding the United States. We have been 'had' by the KGB and they have succeeded in disrupting our political system.

[Padma]

Cool Tubby-run government with the new motto, "17 U.S. intelligence agencies are wrong.  I prefer to get my daily briefings from the KGB"

[Macbeth]

12 hours ago, DollEyes said:

 Re the financial industry, since the Republicans have controlled the House and the Senate for most of his presidency, Obama was caught between a rock and a hard place most of the time. Obama's accomplishments have been despite the Republicans, not because of them.

No - the Department of Justice is in Obama's wheelhouse.  He appointed Eric Holder as Attorney General  Holder had worked very closely with Obama on his candidacy.  He came from and went back to Covington and Burling a law firm that represents major corporations. - including Halliburton, Morgan Stanley and Blackwater. 

So really no surprise that there were no arrests in the financial industry.

I am editing this to apologize to Dolleyes - I came off as rude.  No disrespect was meant.

Edited December 11, 2016 by Macbeth

[AntiBeeSpray]

8 minutes ago, Lunata said:

This last item is the only one that I'll comment on for the time being. The US Government, and people in general are really not so naive that they could ignore the fact that Donald Drumpf has filled up his cabinet with nothing other than millionaires, billionaires, bankers, hedge-fund raiders and multiple hawkish generals. These are the people that make up the heart of his administration. I disagree that the 'scandal over Russia' is simply 'noise' to distract from what's been going on with his transition appointments. It's very clear to everyone, except Republican Drumpf supporters, as to what the intentions and motives of the Republican oligarchy are.

To refute, condemn or deny any offer of proof offered by 17 separate and individual United States intelligence agencies is the same as condoning Russian and KGB involvement with the election of our president. What they're intentions were, and worked, is that they sought to divide this nation. This has been their objective and they have succeeded. The country is deeply divided, and we have not learned a single lesson in all these years since Abraham Lincoln said "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Putin had also said something this past Sept. at a dinner he attended.Putin said that the only reason the US had any interest in relations with Moscow was that Russia was the only country that could "destroy America in half an hour or less." It would be difficult to find a statement more revealing about Putin's true position regarding the United States. We have been 'had' by the KGB and they have succeeded in disrupting our political system.

Yep. And Putin is former KGB, so I wouldn't put it past him to pull something like this.

[Toomuchsoap]

Quote

 But discrediting the CIA and 16 other agencies will work with his cultists, but most Americans aren't going to take the Putin-Trump version).  

And I'd think that someone who does this wasn't planning on using any of the intelligence from those agencies anyway. But the CIA has been instrumental for decades in bringing down this country's avowed enemy rulers. If I were tRump, I'd be worried they could bring me down as well. But that's maybe why he's appointing so many generals for top posts. He plans to use the military to keep his junta up and running.

Doesn't all of this sound like an internecine battle between the intelligence bureaus and the FBI?

Edited December 10, 2016 by Toomuchsoap

[sistermagpie]

25 minutes ago, Padma said:

Tubby's tweets today--several denying he'll be involved with The Apprentice and calling CNN liars (although I'm sure I heard yesterday from KAC that it would only be "in his spare time"), one about football, one about the WaPo story about the Pentagon--rather than a quick, emphatic denial of communication with Russia say a lot.

One of the many things that makes the whole Trump thing so humiliating is that it's not even like he has to be some mastermind. Here he's got his own surrogate on TV saying he'll just have this other job in his spare time (the part of his spare time not used for holding rallies, taking meetings on behalf of his many business, spending three day weekends in NYC) and then Trump himself goes on Twitter and says it's a lie. Yet everyone's completely normalized that he and his team can say totally different things because there's no coherent truth or desire to be truthful ever. We all know there's little reason to even have people like KAC on TV since she's just there to babble words to deflect questions. We'd do better just having outsiders who can analyze what's actually happening and figure out what that means.

Like it's one thing when we were in a Cold War and both sides fought each other. I know the US has interfered in other country's elections and that's why I don't particularly feel angry at Russia at seeing the chance to have Trump as president as good for them and working to get it. But having an entire major party collude with them for short term gain, and even having millions of Americans happily dupe themselves for what they think will be short term gain...that's just humiliating. And these are probably the same people who get mad when Obama doesn't pay enough deference to "American Exceptionalism" and acts like other countries in the world are also worthy.

23 minutes ago, Lunata said:

To refute, condemn or deny any offer of proof offered by 17 separate and individual United States intelligence agencies is the same as condoning Russian and KGB involvement with the election of our president.

Exactly.

52 minutes ago, stewedsquash said:

Just for kicks since we are talking Russia:

So somebody went to the trouble of putting that public clip twice into a video for YouTube. Was it supposed to imply Obama secretly working with Russia against the US which would have been bad if Obama was doing it?

[Padma]

3 minutes ago, Toomuchsoap said:

And I'd think that someone who does this wasn't planning on using any of the intelligence from those agencies anyway. But the CIA has been instrumental for decades in bringing down this country's avowed enemy rulers. But, if I were tRump, I'd be worried they could bring me down as well.

Doesn't all of this sound like an internecine battle between the intelligence bureaus and the FBI?

It sounds like the FBI Director had a political affiliation that was being threatened by the work of the other 16 agencies.

To the other point, it's true that the U.S. has been responsible for bringing down governments it didn't like, including lawfully elected ones. So has Russia/the Soviet Union.  But I'm sure there is some shock over the audacity of Putin to interfere with the outcome of the election conducted by the world's #1 superpower. We're pretty complacent about our place in the world.

Putin saying "I'm throwing your election to my guy (puppet)"--and perhaps successfully doing so--is pretty shocking to the most powerful country in the world.  Unfortunately, I think Obama takes it personally, which means I don't have much confidence in the upcoming investigation.

[Lunata]

20 hours ago, Macbeth said:

Well I have a very different take on this.

Karma is a bitch.  The 2016 Presidential elections were  influenced by another government's interference by leaking hacked emails of a candidate.

                       1.  Exactly how many elections has the US interfered with?  Let's start with one - Hillary's state department working to ensure that the democratically elected president was not reinstated in Honduras.  How does it feel Hillary to have it done to you.

                       2.  There have never been claims that the emails themselves were fake.  And believe me no matter how they were released - the information they contained was information the public was entitled to.  We really needed to have the curtains pulled on Oz a/k/a the Democratic party.

                   3.  This government through  the NSA has no problem going through my email and personal into - Payback's a bitch.

                  4.  And Comey  - at the end of the day - ended Hillary's momentum, and was the boost that the Trump candidacy needed to win the electoral college.  Hillary was weathering the emails until the FBI Director came out to state that he was renewing the investigation.  And the Republicans crowing about more investigations once she was elected - basically stating if she was elected they would shut down the government.  Really - we need to get our own house in order.

              5.   And forget about Trump's corruption.  Nobody from the financial industry went to jail for tanking the economy.  And that's on Obama.  Having politicians complain about Trump's corruption is ridiculous given that they are all corrupt.  They are all bought and paid for.   He is just being honest about.

           6.    And really the scandal over Russia is more noise that takes attention away from where it is needed.  Given who Trump, the Republican Party, are naming for the Cabinet - people who are against what those Departments are for - basically trying to dismantle those departments that are there to help the American people - is the major crime being committed here.  And given the state of the Democratic party - for example Bill Clinton gutted welfare to get along with the Republicans - we are truly fucked. 

I had heard that the emails, since they were obtained through illegal means, may have also been manipulated. But that's beside the point. The point is that last July, FBI Director James Comey found insufficient evidence to recommend criminal charges against Hillary Clinton, although he sharply criticized her and her aides for carelessly handling classified information that ended up in 110 emails that passed through the server. Today, Senator Harry Reid compared Director James Comey to J. Edgar Hoover. That email decision should have been accepted as stated and the fact that James Comey came out just weeks before the election with news that he would 'keep the case open and active' is obviously a political move to create the implication that Hillary Clinton should be prosecuted. (ie:'lock her up') There actually were some of her emails released to the public, 14,900 emails. More than 9,000 of those were deemed personal, however, and will not be made public. That leaves roughly 5,600 more, many of which will not become public until well after Election Day. It's very clear that if there was even the slightest hint or implication of her being subversive or harmful in any way to the United States through her emails that the Republicans and James Comey wouldn't have jumped down her throat instantly about it?

Edited December 11, 2016 by Lunata

[random chance]

1 hour ago, Padma said:

Tubby's tweets today--several denying he'll be involved with The Apprentice and calling CNN liars (although I'm sure I heard yesterday from KAC that it would only be "in his spare time")

Oh right I remember that too - saw it retweeted I believe. Hmmm.

[callmebetty]

Exxon Mobil CEO to be Trump's Secretary of State: Sources
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/Exxon-Mobil-CEO-Rex-Tillerson-to-be-Secretary-of-State-Sources-405776475.html

[hoosier80]

I think protesters should start waving Russian flags wherever Tubby "speaks", at his "I'm the bestest ever" rallies.

Edited December 10, 2016 by hoosier80
spelling is important

[peacheslatour]

11 minutes ago, hoosier80 said:

I think protesters should start waving Russian flags wherever Tubby "speaks", at his "I'm the bestest ever" rallies.

And wearing Make The Motherland Great Again hats.

[MulletorHater]

2 hours ago, Padma said:

Republicans are so capable of defending anything that's wrong (or conversely, attacking positive things) if its in their own interest. I'd like to see what Lindsay Graham is saying about all this as he seems the only one able to put his country above his own self interest/party.

The fact that Russia hacked into the RNC computers but made nothing they found public certainly raises the possibility of blackmail.  Or at least an implied threat.

"AM Joy" is quoting Reid calling for Comey's resignation since he had the info and refused to make it public.--then of course, later intervened on his own for Tubby. 

Tubby's tweets today--several denying he'll be involved with The Apprentice and calling CNN liars (although I'm sure I heard yesterday from KAC that it would only be "in his spare time"), one about football, one about the WaPo story about the Pentagon--rather than a quick, emphatic denial of communication with Russia say a lot.

"Trapped!" and "Guilty!" and trying to figure out how to get out of it. Lying first and then blaming others usually works for him. But discrediting the CIA and 16 other agencies will work with his cultists, but most Americans aren't going to take the Putin-Trump version).  

What slays me about this is they were the first ones hollering how they wish President Obama "acted like an American," was a Manchurian candidate, and had a "anti-colonial Kenyan" outlook on things.

I reached the conclusion a long time ago that these fuckers don't care how they win; just so long as they win.  It's like the beauty pageant contestant who is preening and gloating that she won while knowing full and damn well that her mother slept with the judges.  The other contestants know it, too, but the "winner" wants everyone to move on and act as if her "win" was legitimate.

The fact that the GOP was also hacked, but none of their information was leaked like a daily drip, drip, drip faucet speaks volumes.  It should be noted that Eichenwald mentioned in a previous Newsweek article that someone informed the intelligence community months ago of the possibility that Drumpf had been groomed by the Russians approx. 5 years ago.  In addition, he appeared on Rachel Maddow and indicated that Putin had actually started to panic because when Drumpf attacked the Gold Star family, he wondered how reliable Drumpf would be and questioned his stability.  Apparently, attacking a military family in Russia is a no-no.  But, once Drumpf got away with that, Putin started to breathe easy again.

Of course, Drumpf's cult members will be swayed by his bullshit.  It amazes me how so many of them are "disappointed" and have "regrets" because he backed down on his promise to investigate Hillary and send her to jail.  Meanwhile, he is corrupt, doesn't hide it and is clearly aligned with our enemies.  But, they turn a blind eye to that shit.  Unbelievable--but then, not.

After all, Lyin' Ryan started pontificating about denying Hillary access to classified information; meanwhile, he openly supported an asshole who has been carrying on a bromance with Putin and blatantly ignores daily security briefings.   Just so long as that Eddie Munster lookalike can push forward his Ayn Rand agenda.

I don't want to EVER hear these people screaming about people losing their citizenship or being otherwise punished for burning a flag or taking a knee during the national anthem.

[Duke Silver]

Numbers to call about concerns of Russian involvement and the treasonous actions taken by some in the GOP:

******EDIT:  PLEASE SHARE THESE NUMBERS ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

Edited December 10, 2016 by Duke Silver

[Padma]

7 minutes ago, MulletorHater said:

What slays me about this is they were the first ones hollering how they wish President Obama "acted like an American," was a Manchurian candidate, and had a "anti-colonial Kenyan" outlook on things.

I reached the conclusion a long time ago that these fuckers don't care how they win; just so long as they win.  It's like the beauty pageant contestant who is preening and gloating that she won while knowing full and damn well that her mother slept with the judges.  The other contestants know it, too, but the "winner" wants everyone to move on and act as if her "win" was legitimate.

The fact that the GOP was also hacked, but none of their information was leaked like a daily drip, drip, drip faucet speaks volumes.  It should be noted that Eichenwald mentioned in a previous Newsweek article that someone informed the intelligence community months ago of the possibility that Drumpf had been groomed by the Russians approx. 5 years ago.  In addition, he appeared on Rachel Maddow and indicated that Putin had actually started to panic because when Drumpf attacked the Gold Star family, he wondered how reliable Drumpf would be and questioned his stability.  Apparently, attacking a military family in Russia is a no-no.  But, once Drumpf got away with that, Putin started to breathe easy again.

Of course, Drumpf's cult members will be swayed by his bullshit.  It amazes me how so many of them are "disappointed" and have "regrets" because he backed down on his promise to investigate Hillary and send her to jail.  Meanwhile, he is corrupt, doesn't hide it and is clearly aligned with our enemies.  But, they turn a blind eye to that shit.  Unbelievable--but then, not.

After all, Lyin' Ryan started pontificating about denying Hillary access to classified information; meanwhile, he openly supported an asshole who has been carrying on a bromance with Putin and blatantly ignores daily security briefings.   Just so long as that Eddie Munster lookalike can push forward his Ayn Rand agenda.

I don't want to EVER hear these people screaming about people losing their citizenship or being otherwise punished for burning a flag or taking a knee during the national anthem.

Yes, after all this time I just can't get it through my head that millions of Americans are hypocrites -- and many of those are also stupid or at least completely without critical thinking skills.  And hateful. And poor sports. And apparently not even patriotic enough to criticize their hero and say, "Trump shouldn't be okay with Russia deciding our elections for us."

I'd forgotten about Ryan and the "no classified materials for you, Hillary!" thing. Now Tubby--Putin's Puppet--can have whatever he wants. You can be sure Republicans will do their best to shut down any congressional investigations of this.

Meanwhile, I was wrong about Tillerson. The current head of the world's largest multinational oil and natural gas company is going to become our Secretary of State! (If Tubby has his way). Those photos of Putin giving Tillerson Russia's highest civilian medal apparently don't dissuade him at all! Incredible.

I love the idea of protesters at the "I'm So Great" rallies waving the Russian flag. Excellent! That would really get under Tubby's very very thin skin.

[DollEyes]

Being the consumate hustler that he is, Trump has made both a spectacle and a mockery of the Presidency. other Presidents have done that before, but Trump has done it in record time, on several levels, whether it's his parading prospective Cabinet nominees in front of the press, his summoning Vice President Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio to scam them into thinking that he might change his mind about global warming, only to appoint a climate change denier to head the EPA and his promising voters that he'd "drain the swamp," only to fill his cabinet with Washington and Wall Street insiders, multi-millionaires and billionaires.Trump uses Twitter as both a distraction and a weapon, from his tantrum at the cast of Hamilton for calling Mike Pence out to distract from his $25 million Trump U settlement the day before to his using it to attack private citizens for exposing him for the fraud he is. 

  That Trump is Putin's bitch-or one of them-doesn't surprise me in the least, hence Trump's picking another one of Putin's bitches to be the new Secretary of State. One Putin's Puppet deserves another. At least Rudy's back in his crypt-for now. 

[sistermagpie]

55 minutes ago, Padma said:

Meanwhile, I was wrong about Tillerson. The current head of the world's largest multinational oil and natural gas company is going to become our Secretary of State! (If Tubby has his way). Those photos of Putin giving Tillerson Russia's highest civilian medal apparently don't dissuade him at all! Incredible.

Remember when Obama was in so much trouble for being friendly with Bill Ayers? Ha ha!

[OrigamiNightmare]

... Does anyone want to start a hashtag for TreasonousTrump ... It's kinda catchy ...

[NewDigs]

I don't think I've seen this NYTimes article linked here.

There are a couple of hopeful nuggets.

'Trump, Mocking Claim That Russia Hacked Election, at Odds with G.O.P.'

[snip]

'Instead, Mr. Trump casts the issue as an unknowable mystery. “It could be Russia,” he recently told Time magazine. “And it could be China. And it could be some guy in his home in New Jersey.”

The Republicans who lead the congressional committees overseeing intelligence, the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security take the opposite view. They say that Russia was behind the election meddling, but that the scope and intent of the operation need deep investigation, hearings and public reports.

One question they may want to explore is why the intelligence agencies believe that the Republican networks were compromised while the F.B.I., which leads domestic cyberinvestigations, has apparently told Republicans that it has not seen evidence of that breach. Senior officials say the intelligence agencies’ conclusions are not being widely shared, even with law enforcement.'

[snip]

'“We cannot allow foreign governments to interfere in our democracy,” Representative Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican who is the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee and was considered by Mr. Trump for secretary of Homeland Security, said at the conservative Heritage Foundation. “When they do, we must respond forcefully, publicly and decisively.”

He has promised hearings, saying the Russian activity was “a call to action,” as has Senator John McCain of Arizona, one of the few senators left from the Cold War era, when the Republican Party made opposition to the Soviet Union — and later deep suspicion of Russia — the centerpiece of its foreign policy.

Representative Peter T. King, Republican of New York and a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said there was little doubt that the Russian government was involved in hacking the D.N.C. “All of the intelligence analysts who looked at it came to the conclusion that the tradecraft was very similar to the Russians,” he said.'

[snip]

'Mr. Nunes, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said that the intelligence agencies had “ignored pleas by numerous Intelligence Committee members to take more forceful action against the Kremlin’s aggression.” He added that the Obama administration had “suddenly awoken to the threat.”

Like many Republicans, Mr. Nunes is threading a needle. His statement puts him in opposition to the position taken by Mr. Trump and his incoming national security adviser, Michael Flynn, who has traveled to Russia as a private citizen for RT, the state-controlled news operation, and attended a dinner with Mr. Putin.'

[snip]

[candall]

On ‎12‎/‎9‎/‎2016 at 10:24 AM, Pixel said:

I hope that the stock market continues this way, because I've made 10K since the election. I doubt it will, and I still seethe with hate for Cheeto Benito, but I can't deny I'm making money.

Corporate CEOs are going to shape a large part of America's future, so it makes sense that investments in corporations are paying off with unprecedented returns.  But there is absolutely no question we're heading into a period of political instability and that's never a good bet, economically.  Forgive me, because it's absolutely none of my business, but I think it would be wise to target an amount that would be personally satisfying, and when you hit it, get out.  Be the person who cashed out his portfolio in July or September of 1929 and lived to tell the tale.

7 hours ago, stormy said:

If brainiac discounts CIA intell and brushes it off as, I know more than they do, we are in bigly trouble. 

And:  ta-da.  Cynthia McFadden reported last night that someone on the Transition Team told her DT doesn't believe Intelligence Reports because he thinks they're "political."

I don't think it's that he doesn't "believe" them, but more that it's the only POSSIBLE excuse for dismissing a waist-high stack of reports saying the results of your election are suspect and demand further scrutiny.  Not so much "shoot the messenger" as "discredit the messenger and tear up the message."

Plus . . . and this is so juvenile and silly, it's hardly imaginable, except it is, because it's him:  If he blanket pooh-poohs the integrity of the contents in briefings, he's off the hook for reading them.  Stop waving those Intelligence Reports in my face--I'm too busy for that National Enquirer load of biased bullshit.

[Toomuchsoap]

Quote

It sounds like the FBI Director had a political affiliation that was being threatened by the work of the other 16 agencies.

A political "affiliation" or an affiliation with a longstanding United States enemy country? That's what it sounds more like to me at this point.

As to the outrageous SoS nominee, Tillerson - and every other corporate plutocrat he's planning to install in every cabinet-level or federal post, what are the odds that VladPutin isn't calling those shots too?

[Padma]

13 minutes ago, candall said:

And:  ta-da.  Cynthia McFadden reported last night that someone on the Transition Team told her DT doesn't believe Intelligence Reports because he thinks they're "political."

But, but, after his first one in summer he said he learned only one thing--that the intelligence briefers didn't like Pres. Obama and didn't approve of his policies.

Guess there's no more political spin opportunities to exploit now.

I think he'd rather get his intelligence from the Enquirer.  Maybe also from the KGB, who knows?

[candall]

3 minutes ago, Padma said:

But, but, after his first one in summer he said he learned only one thing--that the intelligence briefers didn't like Pres. Obama and didn't approve of his policies.

Conflicting statements?!  We must alert the media.

[Guest]

7 hours ago, NewDigs said:

And why they even had Bush talking about it I don't understand. He didn't even read the damn thing. I'm pretty sure he was clearing brush at his Texas ranch.

I feel it's important, in order to round out the outrage about this, that Bush, when presented with that PDB, said to the person who reported it to him, "All right. You've covered your ass now." 

That kind of ignorant, dismissive attitude surely helped the events of 9/11 happen. God help us all when Trump, who makes Bush look like Einstein, ascends to his throne.

Edited December 10, 2016 by Guest

[jhlipton]

16 hours ago, backformore said:

Rachel Maddow tonight did another story - clips of Trump at all his various rallies and "thank you"  rallies, saying that the simple answer to economic problems is "Buy American, Hire American"  

And then the GOP strips "Buy American" from one of their bills!

10 hours ago, Jediknight said:

The reports didn't just say that bin Laden was determined to attack in the United States, they mentioned Al Qaeda hijacking planes. 

bin Laden had planned to seize planes as early as 1999.  The "Millennium Plot", foiled by German intelligence  was to blow up planes mid-flight.  Crashing them into buildings was just a new twist.

7 hours ago, Macbeth said:

There have never been claims that the emails themselves were fake.  And believe me no matter how they were released - the information they contained was information the public was entitled to.  We really needed to have the curtains pulled on Oz a/k/a the Democratic party.

When you hear a website has been "hacked", what do you think?  That the information now there was planted by the hackers.  But you don't think that about the DNC emails?  To me, the dead giveaway that they were fake was the "email" that said Hillary got the questions before the debate.  You, me and the chimpanzee at the National Zoo knew what questions were going to be asked, so would Hillary need them in advance?  If that was fake, it calls into question all the emails released by the Kremlin.

[Duke Silver]

And why the hard-on for pulling back the curtain on the DNC?  Why not the same drive for doing so with the RNC?  

 

https://twitter.com/NormOrnstein/status/807437172387250177

Edited December 10, 2016 by Duke Silver

[Menrva]

The double standards of this whole mess are so disgusting. As a woman, I'm filled with despair for my daughters. The DNC is painted as corrupt, HRC is irrevocably tainted by 30 years of bias and vendettas, liberals are smeared as whiny babies that can't handle reality…meanwhile, it's the RNC who lies to its base and they swallow them, hook, line and sinker; it's plain that Wikileaks is now merely a tool for the actually corrupt Russians and Putin, who is a real-life fucking Bond villain; the woefully incompetent and thoroughly repulsive Republican candidate is now the president-elect. I could go on and on, the insults and atrocities are seemingly endless. But yeah, the Democrats are the problem. Right.

The irony is that Humpty Trumpty ran on a platform of fear mongering, racism and bigotry and his voters ate it up. They think every Muslim is a terrorist sleeper agent and they threatened us with insurrection and civil war if HRC were elected. Who's the terrorist now? When a small, outspoken group uses violence and hateful rhetoric to get its way, isn't that terrorism? The majority of Americans did not vote for that blighted nectarine. Dylan Roof is a terrorist. The real sleeper agents are all the racist assholes who now think they have permission from Hair Gropenfuhrer to abuse and assault anyone they deem "unAmerican".

[Duke Silver]

[Guest]

As a lifelong Democrat, I will say that I love Evan Mcmullin. I don't agree with most of his politics, but he's a decent, kind human being whose election to POTUS would not have me literally waking from my sleep every night at 3 a.m. covered in sweat and consumed by dread.  

Edited December 11, 2016 by Guest

[Duke Silver]

[AntiBeeSpray]

2 hours ago, Duke Silver said:

And why the hard-on for pulling back the curtain on the DNC?  Why not the same drive for doing so with the RNC?  

 

https://twitter.com/NormOrnstein/status/807437172387250177

They're obsessed with it. No matter what. @Menrva hit the nail on the head with her post.

[Chicken Wing]

41 minutes ago, Duke Silver said:

Oh, speaking of the Time issue: I was at the supermarket this afternoon and someone discarded a copy of the magazine in the middle of the toilet paper shelf. I've decided to pretend they were trying to send a message.

[AntiBeeSpray]

21 minutes ago, Chicken Wing said:

Oh, speaking of the Time issue: I was at the supermarket this afternoon and someone discarded a copy of the magazine in the middle of the toilet paper shelf. I've decided to pretend they were trying to send a message.

That's really fitting. It's too bad that it can't be flushed down the toilet without stuffing it up.

[KerleyQ]

21 hours ago, Duke Silver said:

The problem is his supporters don't believe MSM or anyone, really, who opposes Trump.

I'm surprised to see that some of his supporters are actually taking notice of this and not happy with him.  John Walsh (D-Bag former Congressman from my state) has been extremely pro-Trump, famously talking about how  he was ready to take up his musket if Hillary won.  Now?  He's gotten himself blocked by Trump on Twitter, and he's calling for Trump himself to demand a complete examination and ripping him a new one over propping the KGB at the CIA's expense.  I think there are some old-school Republicans who do still place patriotism at a premium, who originally supported Trump because he was the party's nominee, and none of them are having this shit.  They've hung in for a lot, but this is their bridge too far.  You don't promote a rival nation over ours like this.  It's just not done.  Now, the ones who are basically Trump cult members?  This won't matter even a tiny bit.  But the ones who supported him as the GOP nominee and/or because they don't like Hillary? This will matter.  

6 hours ago, MulletorHater said:

I reached the conclusion a long time ago that these fuckers don't care how they win; just so long as they win.  It's like the beauty pageant contestant who is preening and gloating that she won while knowing full and damn well that her mother slept with the judges.  The other contestants know it, too, but the "winner" wants everyone to move on and act as if her "win" was legitimate.

This is exactly it.  And, in the lead there?  Ryan and McConnell.  Paul and Mitch just want their power.  They don't give a teeny tiny shit as to how that power comes to their grimy paws, as long as they get it.  They desperately want to get Trump across that finish line on 1/20, so they can rule over all three branches of our government.  If looking the other way while Putin messes with our electoral process is the price they pay to get there?  Fine with them.  

1 hour ago, Giant Misfit said:

As a lifelong Democrat, I will say that I love Evan Mcmullin. I don't agree with most of his politics, but he's a decent, kind human being whose election to POTUS would not have me literally waking from my sleep every night at 3 a.m. covered in sweat and consumed by dread.  

Agreed.  Hey, Electoral College, if you want to give the win to him?  I'm fine with it.  I may not agree with all of his politics, but he's a good and decent man who has a moral compass.  He had a tweet the other day that cracked me up.  Some reporter had tweeted about how, at one of his victory rallies, Trump was bitching about him, but wasn't saying his name, just said something like "this character in Utah...what happened to him?  He was going to win Utah."  McMullin's response? "@RealDonaldTrump" Say my name, Donald.  The most powerful man in the world-to-be should not be so afraid of this character in Utah.  Sad."  

56 minutes ago, Duke Silver said:

If Time put out a second run of this issue with this cover, I'd totally buy a subscription.