Merged All things Trump + Russia

[varwoche]

Yes.

It is not only embarrassing, it may be counterproductive.

An op-ed in the NYT dated march/25th: Don’t Fight Their Lies With Lies of Your Own

I'm highly unimpressed by the writer's failure to cite examples.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

I notice this morning Nunes keeps answering, 'go see what I already said'. Trying not to trip up? When you are making a story up it's hard to keep the details straight.

 

[Beelzebuddy]

If the White House really was the source of the information, I would expect that to be leaked in the not-too-distant future.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!

The current story is that the still-unknown source was on the White House grounds, but not in the White House, so he didn't lie earlier by saying he didn't go to the White House.

 

[pgwenthold]

I notice this morning Nunes keeps answering, 'go see what I already said'. Trying not to trip up? When you are making a story up it's hard to keep the details straight.

"I answered your question. I'm cooperating here."

Now he just needs to add, "You darn tootin'"

 

[quadraginta]

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!

The current story is that the still-unknown source was on the White House grounds, but not in the White House, so he didn't lie earlier by saying he didn't go to the White House.

I'm not sure I understand this part;

Nunes defended himself later Monday, telling CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer" that he had to view the classified documents in an Executive Branch location because the intelligence community had not yet provided them to Congress.

​

Why isn't giving it to a Congressman (who just coincidentally, I guess, happens to be the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence) giving it to Congress?

And if it wasn't okay to share it with Congress, why was it okay to share it with reporters?

"The Congress has not been given this information, these documents, and that's the problem," Nunes said. "This is Executive Branch."

Is he telling us here that he really works for the Executive Branch? Is he saying he's a Trump lackey first and a Congressman second?

This must be an "alternative" Separation of Powers.

 

[Garrette]

I'm not sure I understand this part;

​

Why isn't giving it to a Congressman (who just coincidentally, I guess, happens to be the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence) giving it to Congress?

And if it wasn't okay to share it with Congress, why was it okay to share it with reporters?

​

Is he telling us here that he really works for the Executive Branch? Is he saying he's a Trump lackey first and a Congressman second? This must be an "alternative" Separation of Powers.

Yes. Yes. And yes it is.

Nunes is not acting at all like a Congressman and certainly not like a Congressman heading an independent committee. He is acting like a Republican toadying up to the head of his party, and he sees that role as more important than being a Congressman.

 

[The Don]

Yes. Yes. And yes it is.

Nunes is not acting at all like a Congressman and certainly not like a Congressman heading an independent committee. He is acting like a Republican toadying up to the head of his party, and he sees that role as more important than being a Congressman.

I can see how that's a problem in an abstract sense but in the context of today' highly partisan political environment, isn't he doing exactly what the vast majority of GOP representatives, voters and supporters would want him to do ? Protecting the interests of the Republican president and the GOP in general.

There is no independent any more, you're either pro-Trump or you're the enemy

 

[Garrette]

I can see how that's a problem in an abstract sense but in the context of today' highly partisan political environment, isn't he doing exactly what the vast majority of GOP representatives, voters and supporters would want him to do ? Protecting the interests of the Republican president and the GOP in general.

Yes, but the blatant nature of it is astounding, and I have (perhaps naively) been of the opinion that while the GOP acts in a highly partisan fashion the majority of its members are at root cognizant and respectful of their roles and responsibilities as Congresspersons.

And to be fair, while they are perhaps not so blatant, the Dems are not immune to this type of behavior.

There is no independent any more, you're either pro-Trump or you're the enemy

True, but only for a somewhat diminished pro-Trump camp. Though perhaps I am still being naive.

 

[elgarak]

Yes. Yes. And yes it is.

Nunes is not acting at all like a Congressman and certainly not like a Congressman heading an independent committee. He is acting like a Republican toadying up to the head of his party, and he sees that role as more important than being a Congressman.

Trump is not head of the party; chairwoman is Ronna Romney McDaniel, Mitt Romney's niece. Obviously this title does not mean much; Speaker Ryan, Senate leader McConnell, and House leader McCarthy seem to be more important and powerful, although they do not seem to hold explicit party titles as I understand them from a European perspective.

 

[uke2se]

I don't understand why it would be a big deal if Trump associates had been picked up as part of routine surveillance of foreign dignitaries. I mean, I get why it would look very bad for Trump if that was the case, but I don't understand how it would in any way benefit Trump or lend credibility to his statement about Obama if that was the case.

Anyone wanna fill me in?

 

[jond]

Unless I've missed something, Nunes still hasn't shared the intelligence that he got with the rest of the committee. If I had to guess, I'd say that means the Trump team member whose communications were intercepted is Nunez himself and he is in panic mode.

 

[Beelzebuddy]

I don't understand why it would be a big deal if Trump associates had been picked up as part of routine surveillance of foreign dignitaries. I mean, I get why it would look very bad for Trump if that was the case, but I don't understand how it would in any way benefit Trump or lend credibility to his statement about Obama if that was the case.

Anyone wanna fill me in?

I think it's just an attempt to "get in front of" the news before it breaks. If the GOP could work themselves into a proper slavering rage over the fact that Trump was incidentally surveilled, it might help diminish the impact of the actual content if and when Nunes can't stall its release any more.

Which, considering what has been leaked so far without this level of misdirection, I'm hoping it's a doozy.

 

[NoahFence]

Isn't the Russian thing dead in the water now? Nunez isn't going anywhere, Ryan is making sure of that.

So now the Trump surrogate is in charge of the committee, and he's cancelling testimony left and right.

This thing is finished.

 

[uke2se]

Isn't the Russian thing dead in the water now? Nunez isn't going anywhere, Ryan is making sure of that.

So now the Trump surrogate is in charge of the committee, and he's cancelling testimony left and right.

This thing is finished.

Keep pushing and eventually it'll all come out. Trump makes enough enemies on a daily basis that there will always be leaks.

 

[Beelzebuddy]

Isn't the Russian thing dead in the water now? Nunez isn't going anywhere, Ryan is making sure of that.

So now the Trump surrogate is in charge of the committee, and he's cancelling testimony left and right.

This thing is finished.

Goodness, no. We're just getting started. This is now an active coverup, and those words have lasting media power. Recall that it wasn't Watergate itself that ruined Nixon, it was the active coverup in the wake of it.

 

[trustbutverify]

Goodness, no. We're just getting started. This is now an active coverup, and those words have lasting media power. Recall that it wasn't Watergate itself that ruined Nixon, it was the active coverup in the wake of it.

In this case, as in Watergate, it should be both the initial crimes and the coverups. But I agree the coverups lend themselves better to soap opera style mass appeal.

 

[Dr. Keith]

I don't understand why it would be a big deal if Trump associates had been picked up as part of routine surveillance of foreign dignitaries. I mean, I get why it would look very bad for Trump if that was the case, but I don't understand how it would in any way benefit Trump or lend credibility to his statement about Obama if that was the case.

Anyone wanna fill me in?

In this short post you have put more thought to this issue than most Trump supporters ever will. If you ask them at a campaign rally next week they will say: Trump was right and Nunes proved it.

 

[varwoche]

I don't understand why it would be a big deal if Trump associates had been picked up as part of routine surveillance of foreign dignitaries. I mean, I get why it would look very bad for Trump if that was the case, but I don't understand how it would in any way benefit Trump or lend credibility to his statement about Obama if that was the case.

Anyone wanna fill me in?

When in doubt, obfuscate, wave arms, blame others. FUD on steroids. It's not as if the sycophants -- aka most of the GOP -- require solid reasoning.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Unless I've missed something, Nunes still hasn't shared the intelligence that he got with the rest of the committee. If I had to guess, I'd say that means the Trump team member whose communications were intercepted is Nunez himself and he is in panic mode.

More likely scenario: Trump (or his staff) called Nunes to the WH and told him to cancel the public hearings, which he did.

The rest is a bad cover story that went awry, maybe Trump wasn't happy with just stopping the committee hearings and also wanted Nunes to throw some 'Trump was right about Obama spying on him' cover out there as well.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Isn't the Russian thing dead in the water now? Nunez isn't going anywhere, Ryan is making sure of that.

So now the Trump surrogate is in charge of the committee, and he's cancelling testimony left and right.

This thing is finished.

Never fear, the Senate is assuming the mantle. Their GOP committee head worked on Trump's transition team and admits voting for Trump. But he has his act together better claiming to want an honest investigation. Time will tell on that.

In the meantime, they are starting open public hearings tomorrow.

They also noted one thing they want to investigate is (paraphrasing) "Russia had 1,000 paid people sitting at computers putting out bots that inserted news stories into social media."