Mueller Investigation pt4

[CapelDodger]

I am sort or interested in what the report will say, if anything, about the motivation for Russia supporting Trump. More and more I am in the camp it was not so much to get a obedient puppet in the White House, but that they Knew Trump would cause massive disruption in the United States and therefore in the Western Allaiance as whole. Any benefits that Trump could give to the Russians were just a bonus.

I agree. Putin's aim, in this and similar efforts (such as promoting Brexit and the Catalan independence movement), is to discredit liberal democracy.

 

[CapelDodger]

Yeah, that might be Putin's motive, but why did Trump go along?

Instinct.

 

[dasmiller]

I am sort or interested in what the report will say, if anything, about the motivation for Russia supporting Trump. More and more I am in the camp it was not so much to get a obedient puppet in the White House, but that they Knew Trump would cause massive disruption in the United States and therefore in the Western Allaiance as whole. Any benefits that Trump could give to the Russians were just a bonus.

As an alternate theory, maybe the question isn't "how did Putin think Trump would benefit Russia," but "how did Putin think Trump would benefit Putin."

 

[Norman Alexander]

Yeah, that might be Putin's motive, but why did Trump go along? The question is what hold do the Russians have on Trump? What other candidate, particularly a Republican candidate, let alone a Republican president, would allow himself to be so openly and blatantly used by Russia? It has to be more than just a promise to build a tower in Moscow.

20 plus years of money laundering perhaps?

The penthouse in Trump Moscow is actually going to be for Donny. That's his escape plan.

 

[dudalb]

Instinct.

And getting a Trump Tower in Moscow...which Trump has wanted for years.

(I am putting off Trump being compromised until more evidence emerges. Not convinced, but I certainly think it is well within the realm of realistic possibility.)

Putin is not stupid;he knew that Trump openly favoring him would create a big backlash, even in his own party. But that would cause even more disruption, which is exactly what Putin wants. Of course if Trump could do favors for Putin that would be nice, but it was the huge disruption Trump would cause was the main factor.

 

[Faydra]

It says something the aside from Donnie, Stone has no defenders in the GOP.
Fact is, he has been considered toxic by 90% of the GOP for some time. Just about every other political operative hates his guts.

What about Lindsey Graham's letter to the FBI? That seems pretty Stone supportive to me.

 

[WilliamSeger]

Watching Rachel Maddow tonight, I have a more clear picture of what is going on:

I find that happens a lot

In January, for the second month in a row, Maddow's show was the highest rated non-sports cable show. I hope it's driving Donnie nuts that Hannity is dethroned.

 

[dudalb]

What about Lindsey Graham's letter to the FBI? That seems pretty Stone supportive to me.

Lindsey will do anything to make himself look good in Trump's eye.
Yeah, there might be a couple of GOPers who will defend Stone (mainly because they want to impress Donnie) but there are damn few.

 

[dudalb]

In January, for the second month in a row, Maddow's show was the highest rated non-sports cable show. I hope it's driving Donnie nuts that Hannity is dethroned.

Maddow is interesting, but I think she is too narrowly fixtated on the Russian Investigation. Yes, it's very important but there are other issues and news stories she should spend more time on. Yesterday ,for instance, the rift between Donnie and his intelligence chiefs was generally the biggest story of the day, but Maddow only gave it a brief mention.
But I am happy she has dethroned Hannity.

 

[Delphic Oracle]

Maddow is interesting, but I think she is too narrowly fixtated on the Russian Investigation. Yes, it's very important but there are other issues and news stories she should spend more time on. Yesterday ,for instance, the rift between Donnie and his intelligence chiefs was generally the biggest story of the day, but Maddow only gave it a brief mention.
But I am happy she has dethroned Hannity.

She isn't spending enough time on distractions and clickbait stories.

Okay, then.

 

[a_unique_person]

This investigation isn't going to be wound up in the near future. The Stone investigation has been declared to be complex with terabytes of data to trawl through.

 

[portlandatheist]

This investigation isn't going to be wound up in the near future. The Stone investigation has been declared to be complex with terabytes of data to trawl through.

That's a bummer. I'm growing more and more impatient.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

That's a bummer. I'm growing more and more impatient.

Change your expectations. We don't want Trump pardoning everyone which he might be planning to do at the end of his term (or he might decide to do it to get even with Mueller).

So make sure enough is known that Trump won't be re-elected and get him and his family members when he can no longer thwart justice.

And I don't think now that people see the actual man behind the curtain that Trump will be re-elected. Yes, he'll still have his conned base, but not the middle.

 

[smartcooky]

Maddow is interesting, but I think she is too narrowly fixtated on the Russian Investigation. Yes, it's very important but there are other issues and news stories she should spend more time on. Yesterday ,for instance, the rift between Donnie and his intelligence chiefs was generally the biggest story of the day, but Maddow only gave it a brief mention.
But I am happy she has dethroned Hannity.

I think the opposite of this is true, at least for me.

MSNBC's weekday evening news coverage is pretty damned good. If Chris Hays (8pm ET), Rachel Maddow (9 pm), Lawrence O'Donnel (10pm) and Brian Williams (11pm) all did a little bit on everything, all you would get is four versions of a little bit on everything.... That is very unsatisfying for a news hawk like me.

The strength of these four (and what they have got over outfits like Faux News) is that they are not "Sound Bytey". The news strories are analyzed thoroughly, and in depth.... Maddow on Russia, O'Donnell on Congress.

Each of the shows usually does an "anchor" piece; a 20 to 25 minutes of thoroughly researched in depth analysis on some part of the news cycle, and then a few short "supporting" pieces 5 to 10 minutes long to make up the hour.

Maddow, in particular sometimes finds herself dealing in subjects that are outside of her area of expertise; instead of doing a Tucker Carlson or Hannitty, i.e. trying bluff and blather their way though it, she gets people in to help explain aspects of the the laws or proceedings that she does not understand. These are regular contributors to her show...

Barb McQuade (former US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan).
Chuck Rosenburg (former former acting head of the DEA).
Frank Figliuzzi (former Assistant Director for Counterintelligence at the FBI).
Joyce Vance (former US Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama).
Jill Wine-Banks (one of the prosecutors during the Watergate scandal and former US General Counsel of the Army)

These people bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to any US political discussion. I always come away from watching these shows with a sense of being better informed and having a better understanding of what is currently happening in US politics.

 

[Lurch]

I think the opposite of this is true, at least for me.

MSNBC's weekday evening news coverage is pretty damned good. If Chris Hays (8pm ET), Rachel Maddow (9 pm), Lawrence O'Donnel (10pm) and Brian Williams (11pm) all did a little bit on everything, all you would get is four versions of a little bit on everything.... That is very unsatisfying for a news hawk like me.

The strength of these four (and what they have got over outfits like Faux News) is that they are not "Sound Bytey". The news strories are analyzed thoroughly, and in depth.... Maddow on Russia, O'Donnell on Congress.

Each of the shows usually does an "anchor" piece; a 20 to 25 minutes of thoroughly researched in depth analysis on some part of the news cycle, and then a few short "supporting" pieces 5 to 10 minutes long to make up the hour.

Maddow, in particular sometimes finds herself dealing in subjects that are outside of her area of expertise; instead of doing a Tucker Carlson or Hannitty, i.e. trying bluff and blather their way though it, she gets people in to help explain aspects of the the laws or proceedings that she does not understand. These are regular contributors to her show...

Barb McQuade (former US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan).
Chuck Rosenburg (former former acting head of the DEA).
Frank Figliuzzi (former Assistant Director for Counterintelligence at the FBI).
Joyce Vance (former US Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama).
Jill Wine-Banks (one of the prosecutors during the Watergate scandal and former US General Counsel of the Army)

These people bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to any US political discussion. I always come away from watching these shows with a sense of being better informed and having a better understanding of what is currently happening in US politics.

This Canadian mirrors your appreciative gleanings. The same 'quadumvirate' (?) of back-to-back presenters and their producers provide me the bulk of the info to keep me up to speed on the political Machiavellian skullduggery, jaw-dropping outlandishness and clown car comedy going on to my immediate south.

 

[smartcooky]

This Canadian mirrors your appreciative gleanings. The same 'quadumvirate' (?) of back-to-back presenters and their producers provide me the bulk of the info to keep me up to speed on the political Machiavellian skullduggery, jaw-dropping outlandishness and clown car comedy going on to my immediate south.

Happy to find a sort of kindred spirit in this. To sum it up

After watching these four shows, I feel well informed
After watching anything on Faux News, I feel like taking a shower.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Trump Tweets

Just out: The big deal, very mysterious Don jr telephone calls, after the innocent Trump Tower meeting, that the media & Dems said were made to his father (me), were just conclusively found NOT to be made to me. They were made to friends & business associates of Don. Really sad!

Nellie Ohr, the wife of DOJ official Bruce Ohr, was long ago investigating for pay (GPS Fusion) members of my family, feeding it to her husband who was then giving it to the FBI, even though it was created by ousted & discredited Christopher Steele. Illegal! WITCH HUNT

This Witch Hunt must end!
Quote Tweet
Chuck Ross
@ChuckRossDC
New Evidence Destroys Adam Schiff’s Theory About Trump Tower Meeting (link: https://dailycaller.com/2019/01/31/trump-tower-adam-schiff/) dailycaller.com/2019/01/31/tru… via @dailycaller

 

[Andy_Ross]

“I don’t know Don Jr very well. He stayed with Ivana most of his life & when he did live with me, he was basically just made the coffee”

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Trump Tweets

Just out: The big deal, very mysterious Don jr telephone calls, after the innocent Trump Tower meeting, that the media & Dems said were made to his father (me), were just conclusively found NOT to be made to me. They were made to friends & business associates of Don. Really sad!

Nellie Ohr, the wife of DOJ official Bruce Ohr, was long ago investigating for pay (GPS Fusion) members of my family, feeding it to her husband who was then giving it to the FBI, even though it was created by ousted & discredited Christopher Steele. Illegal! WITCH HUNT

This Witch Hunt must end!
Quote Tweet
Chuck Ross
@ChuckRossDC
New Evidence Destroys Adam Schiff’s Theory About Trump Tower Meeting (link: https://dailycaller.com/2019/01/31/trump-tower-adam-schiff/) dailycaller.com/2019/01/31/tru… via @dailycaller

I get the sinking feeling that the Trump Campaign operated very much like the Trump Administration: everyone working very hard to avoid involving Trump in an serious way.
It might very well be the case that a group of Trump advisers worked around Trump for the collusion with Wikileaks and Russia, knowing full well that Trump would only mess things up if he was asked to participate in any way.

But Trump knew that something was up, otherwise he wouldn't try so hard to keep his talks with Putin secret.

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

Trump Tweets

Just out: The big deal, very mysterious Don jr telephone calls, after the innocent Trump Tower meeting, that the media & Dems said were made to his father (me), were just conclusively found NOT to be made to me. They were made to friends & business associates of Don. Really sad!

Nellie Ohr, the wife of DOJ official Bruce Ohr, was long ago investigating for pay (GPS Fusion) members of my family, feeding it to her husband who was then giving it to the FBI, even though it was created by ousted & discredited Christopher Steele. Illegal! WITCH HUNT

This Witch Hunt must end!
Quote Tweet
Chuck Ross
@ChuckRossDC
New Evidence Destroys Adam Schiff’s Theory About Trump Tower Meeting (link: https://dailycaller.com/2019/01/31/trump-tower-adam-schiff/) dailycaller.com/2019/01/31/tru… via @dailycaller

Seth Abramson thread[/url

[url=https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/1091138320623693824]Another Seth Abramson thread