The Trump Presidency: Part 17

[Foolmewunz]

I've walked down from a lot of the frayed edges of my spitballing last night. There does remain a lump of concern over the fact that the Ukraine issue as the lead option for impeachment comes with the reality that -all facts that are not in dispute aside- every time we say "Trump", they will say "Biden" and that feels like getting locked onto a set of train tracks and we don't know where "the end of the line" is on them.

Oh, and one other thing.

Having recently watched Chernobyl, could U.S. media stop using the term "melt down" in connection to this Ukraine story?

I mean my god, have some damn decency.

We say "Trump", they say "Biden!", we say, "Ha Ha, fooled you, it's Warren!"

And then they say, "Har! Har! You mean Pocahontas!", and the country cringes and they lose even more Republican female votes and sixty-four more suburban and ex-urban districts in MI, PA, NC, VA, etc....

 

[Foolmewunz]

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/30/politics/facebook-trump-impeachment/index.html

More than 1,800 ads on Trump's Facebook page mentioning "impeachment" have run in the past seven days. The ads have been viewed between 16 and 18 million times on Facebook and the campaign has spent between $600,000 and $2,000,000 on the effort, according to data analyzed by Laura Edelson, a researcher at New York University's Tandon School of Engineering.
The President is using ads to enlist people in what his campaign is calling the "Official Impeachment Defense Task Force."

The social media machine is in gear. One thing you cannot deny is that Trump has the most savvy use of the loopholes in the FEC when it comes to social media.

 

[Cabbage]

I've walked down from a lot of the frayed edges of my spitballing last night. There does remain a lump of concern over the fact that the Ukraine issue as the lead option for impeachment comes with the reality that -all facts that are not in dispute aside- every time we say "Trump", they will say "Biden" and that feels like getting locked onto a set of train tracks and we don't know where "the end of the line" is on them.

So? I don't think there even could be a scandal out there that the Trump admin won't turn around and attempt to spin an offense out of a defense.

Don't let the bastards frighten you away from an overdue confrontation like that.

 

[a_unique_person]

I've walked down from a lot of the frayed edges of my spitballing last night. There does remain a lump of concern over the fact that the Ukraine issue as the lead option for impeachment comes with the reality that -all facts that are not in dispute aside- every time we say "Trump", they will say "Biden" and that feels like getting locked onto a set of train tracks and we don't know where "the end of the line" is on them.

Oh, and one other thing.

Having recently watched Chernobyl, could U.S. media stop using the term "melt down" in connection to this Ukraine story?

I mean my god, have some damn decency.

The funny thing is, this all started with Trump working on a plan to attack Biden. Trump was going all out on Biden either way.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Trump has been on a witch hunt against Biden - using Barr, Pompeo, Rudi and other private lawyers, the State Department - for a while now.
As usual, Trump is accusing his opponents of the things he does, or would do if he was in their place.
The Deep State has become The Deep World...

 

[The Great Zaganza]

It's incredibly embarrassing that The Adults in the Room to keep this President from criming all the time have to be foreign Heads of State - Australia, Ukraine, UK .. they have to pretend to take Trump seriously, even though they know he has fallen down the rabbit hole.

 

[Minoosh]

I don't follow what Mitch McConell says but I heard a snippet of Mitch McConnell on CNBC:

"I would have no choice but to bring up" if House votes to impeach Trump

Is it going to bug Trump that McConnell repeated his answer from a few months ago: He would have no choice but to follow the practice?

A few other comments: On trade he said there's no question the trade wars are hurting rural interests, something I don't think Trump's ever said. He did say action against China was overdue and so managed to praise Trump and his willingness to confront China.

One more thing. He ignored a question asking if he'd been the one to urge release of the transcript and answered a question that wasn't asked. He and others had called around to find out why the Ukrainian aid was being held up. I don't know what answer he got, but said the money went through shortly after he started asking questions.

Anything bad for Trump in that? Or that Trump will see as disloyalty?

 

[The Don]

Trump might but Barr would not go that far. There are a few nutters in Trump's inner circle like Giuliani. But they are not all nutters.

Assumes facts not in evidence.

Anyone who is still an active part of this administration is as close to a nutter as makes no difference IMO.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Mitch would have no choice but to pursue it, but he can do it at his own pace: the trial will last either 10 months or 10 minutes.

 

[Minoosh]

Mitch would have no choice but to pursue it, but he can do it at his own pace: the trial will last either 10 months or 10 minutes.

But then he could make regretful noise and say, such serious allegations need to be thoroughly aired.

If he tries to do it in 10 minutes he's going to lose support from GOP senators. I don't see how he could do that. It will look like a whitewash because it was a whitewash.

 

[Aridas]

For ****'s sake, this will end up inciting violence.

Gun-toting far-right group says, 'We ARE on the verge of a HOT civil war' after unhinged Trump tweet

Enough said.

But it really is all about him. It is like is has a mental condition or something that keeps him from understanding that laws apply to him and that these laws serve a purpose.

His upbringing likely had a lot to do with that, honestly. It should likely be remembered that he grew up while having rather notable connections to organized crime.

I am really afraid that Trump will get so desperate he will start to issue orders to Barr to start arresting his opponents.

See McCabe, Andrew.

Ordering Barr to arrest Biden, Warren, or any of the others on obviously Trumped up charges, of course, would be a couple orders of magnitude worse than that already somewhat horrendous abuse of power.

I thought the Trump administration was going to be bad, but in my wildest nightmares I never thought they would be this bad. UN ******* BELIEVABLE!

...There's reasons why I considered him to be the nightmare candidate even back in 2015. I can't say that I'm even remotely surprised, sadly enough. I was hopeful that it wouldn't come to this, but, well... Trump corrupts all that he touches.

I predict that Trump’s statement today that he’s trying to get the identity of the whistleblower will end up being a count of obstruction of justice in the upcoming impeachment.

Witness intimidation, likely. Not mutually exclusive, but... meh.

Trump worshipers are something else. How can that creep be god to anyone like that?

Even the evangelicals who reference Cyrus, for that matter.

Other news time, then!

Republicans Ron Johnson, Cory Gardner, Thom Tillis allegedly got illegal NRA help in 2014, 2016

Too bad the FEC can't do much about it right now. Maybe the FBI, though?

GOP Representative number 17 is resigning. Another one from Texas, apparently.

Trump and RNC mimic U.S. Census to confuse Montanans and scam money

It's this barely legal scam, yet again, made all the worse for being done as census time approaches.

 

[a_unique_person]

Trump has been on a witch hunt against Biden - using Barr, Pompeo, Rudi and other private lawyers, the State Department - for a while now.
As usual, Trump is accusing his opponents of the things he does, or would do if he was in their place.
The Deep State has become The Deep World...

Which is bizarre. Trump can't help himself. He gets out of the Russian scandal only due to a massive, concerted effort on behalf of the GOP, Fox and his dedicated bloggers, only to start the Ukraine thing. Surely they will get to the point that they have had enough too. The only reason he is still president, IMHO, is Barr. Does Trump realise how close to the edge he is?

 

[The Don]

Which is bizarre. Trump can't help himself. He gets out of the Russian scandal only due to a massive, concerted effort on behalf of the GOP, Fox and his dedicated bloggers, only to start the Ukraine thing. Surely they will get to the point that they have had enough too. The only reason he is still president, IMHO, is Barr. Does Trump realise how close to the edge he is?

So long as he has the unwavering support of his base, 25%-30% of the electorate, then he's nowhere near to the edge at any time.

His base are 1/2 to 2/3 of the GOP support, they cannot risk losing that support.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Does Barr know? Does Pompeo?
Or do they think that Trump projects a Zone of Immunity that will protect them?

 

[Ladewig]

[

His upbringing likely had a lot to do with that, honestly. It should likely be remembered that he grew up while having rather notable connections to organized crime..

Fair enough.
But one would think he’d be better at being discreet Or at least be better at having his lieutenants doing the work.

 

[The Don]

Does Barr know? Does Pompeo?
Or do they think that Trump projects a Zone of Immunity that will protect them?

Immunity from what or whom ?

Unless President Trump suddenly loses his base there's no chance of impeachment proceedings being successful and so will remain President. As President he can pardon people. As far as I can see, they have nothing to fear.

 

[Ladewig]

Which is bizarre. Trump can't help himself. He gets out of the Russian scandal only due to a massive, concerted effort on behalf of the GOP, Fox and his dedicated bloggers, only to start the Ukraine thing. Surely they will get to the point that they have had enough too. The only reason he is still president, IMHO, is Barr. Does Trump realise how close to the edge he is?

I have found that whenever I Am describing Trump supporters in Congress or the electorate and my sentence begins with the word “surely” then it is best to simply cross out that sentence.

 

[Belz...]

And just breaking, that Barr contacted foreign govenrments in an attempt to discredit the FBI and the CIA. Un freaking believable.

Wait, what? Do you have a source for that?

 

[Andy_Ross]

Trump asked Australian PM to help investigate Russia inquiry

US President Donald Trump called Australian PM Scott Morrison and asked for his help with an investigation into the origins of the Mueller inquiry, Australian officials have confirmed.

Mr Trump asked Mr Morrison to help find evidence to discredit the inquiry, US and Australian media reported.

Australia confirmed the call had taken place and that the PM agreed to help.

The transcript of the call between Mr Morrison and Mr Trump was restricted within the White House to a small number of the president's aides, reports said - contrary to normal protocol.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post has reported that US Attorney-General William Barr held private meetings with Italian and British intelligence officials to ask for assistance in the investigation of the Mueller inquiry.

A source told the paper Mr Barr visited Italy last week, and not for the first time.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-49887733

 

[Andy_Ross]

Wait, what? Do you have a source for that?

Washington Post has reports Barr held private meetings with Italian and British intelligence officials to ask for assistance in the investigation of the Mueller inquiry.