And that is really funny. Someday someone will write the ballad/lament of the younger Trump (Woody Guthrie already wrote the ballad of the elder). It would be appropriate, in this case, if the ballad were somehow a fraud; plagiarism would be a good start. That could give rise to a lyric stolen from Bobby McGee:

Somewhere near the felinus tape we should have let him slip away.

OK, now THAT was funny! Gotta remember that one.

Since we're off in the language/slogan weeds, has anyone come up with a snappy moniker that encompasses the whole scandal? "Russiagate" doesn't seem snappy enough...

Oh, and just an update for everyone:

New column up, check it out.

-CW

How about "Semper D'oh!"?

Heh. Or "carpe felinus"?
"Seize the..." well, you know.

Heh.

-CW

I would revise that. Some Repub leaders appear to lament the fact their constituents don't know fact from fiction. But there are others, I believe, who know exactly how and why their constituents can't tell the difference between "fake news" and real news, and who use that ignorance to their advantage. That includes the top GOP leaders.

What if we (rhetorically ;) alter your rhetorical "Lies work because they fool people into voting for things I want (even if they will do great damage to the world, other people, their own constituents) and therefore, I will lie." Put in its place "The majority of people in my district came to believe that the current leader of my Party will try to do the Right Things as they define those things, and no one else will."

Uh, let's don't.

See, "The majority of people in my district came to believe…" is a construct like "mistakes were made" and other phrases that people use when they want to avoid assigning (which usually means accepting) responsibility for something.

It is my contention that a majority of Republicans, especially the deplorables, have been systematically lied to for years, and that they have retreated into an alternate reality inside which their news comes from the rightwing propaganda collective and they reject any information that is counter to their preferred sources. (Epistemic closure.) This has been well-documented.

The lying doesn't come from nowhere. It comes from people. The lies are dreamed up, disseminated to media, sucked up by citizens and their leaders alike (most notably 45, but also, it appears, every Tea Party Rep too), and then traded back and forth among them. Of all the people involved, the citizens are the ones with the least "power", and the least access to know what is true and what isn't. To me they deserve the least blame. But the folks who dream up lies, and the media figures and outlets who spread them, and the Politicians and Consultants who give them even more validation by using them? They are responsible for what they do. They should be held accountable.

To throw your hands in the air and say: "my constituents believe a lot of nonsense so I guess there's nothing I can do" is certainly the prevailing response by Repub leaders. Now, all politicians have to face the question of what to do when their constituents hold opinions that are counter to what the Pol knows. But shouldn't there be a line, somewhere, between "pragmatism" and "opportunism"?

Shouldn't we expect our leaders to do better than operate at the lowest level of "buyer beware?"

NYT story: Robert Mueller, Former F.B.I. Director, Is Named Special Counsel for Russia Investigation

Sean Spicer on Monday: "I don't know why you need additional resources when you already have three entities," Spicer said. "The President's been very clear there are two issues at hand. One is the involvement of Russia potentially in respect to the election and then the President's involvement. The FBI Director and others have made it very clear that the president is not the subject of anything."

You were saying, Sean?

Firing FBI Director Comey was a stupid move on Trump's part. It is delicious irony that an FBI Director has been appointed by Trump's DOJ to investigate Trump for criminal involvement. The DOJ just appointed an ex FBI Director that served in the position longer than any other FBI Director except for one... J. Edgar Hoover. How unfortunate for Trump that the FBI is now so heavily involved, particularly since Flynn and others lied to the FBI.

Anyone who knows Trump's history knows how problematic this is for Trump. Being that Trump knows Trump's history, and I say this with great surety, regardless of any statements to the contrary, Poor Donald and his administration have now begun to panic.

Public opinion polls were showing that approximately 80% of the public wanted a special counsel to investigate Trump, and Rod Rosenstein said he appointed one for the people. Finally, an opinion poll worth a shit. :)

Mueller's pick will certainly be greeted favorably by the Democrats, who will view him as an impartial actor.

The Republicans, and Trump, will probably be furious with Rosenstein, and I predict that the word 'caved' will be used more tonight than it would be at a national Soufflé baking contest.

And to answer my own question from [50]:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/us/politics/why-calls-for-an-aggressive-trump-inquiry-arent-coming-from-the-gop.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/us/politics/robert-mueller-special-counsel-russia-investigation.html

It's actually all in Paul Ryan's hands until Nov. 2018, and judging by his latest statements, he's prepared to continue looking the other way until either his own agenda (tax and program cuts) becomes impossible to pass, or more than half his caucus turns against the president.

The question is: did gerrymandering after 2010 give enough safe seats to the GOP to allow them to keep whistling in the dark while Trump alienates the rest of the country?

Keep an eye on Trump's support among Republicans in next week's polls. If he slips significantly, he's in trouble. If not, well, one wonders what he would have to do to lose support among establishment GOP voters.

This foreign trip will have lots of gaffe opportunities, and Trump will have to be unusually disciplined not to make at least one head-slapping mistake as he struts and frets his moment on the world stage.

Meanwhile, with Trump away, the Congress will have an opportunity to make public ALL of Comey's memos regarding Trump, and possible hear from the tall man himself. Stay tuned.

I still like the TPM guys' Trump's Razor: The stupidest explanation for his behavior is most likely to be correct.

Its batting average continues to be near the top of the leaderboard.

What if we (rhetorically ;) alter your rhetorical "Lies work because they fool people into voting for things I want (even if they will do great damage to the world, other people, their own constituents) and therefore, I will lie." Put in its place "The majority of people in my district came to believe that the current leader of my Party will try to do the Right Things as they define those things, and no one else will."

None of those citizens owe it -to anyone- to put their cultural and political beliefs under any lens of logic or reality. Does a representative in a democracy have the right to fail to represent those beliefs and to advance laws to enact those beliefs? With all due respect, I think that's a more legitimate question in political terms.

I don't even know if there is an answer to that question. Nonetheless, this presidency will persist until either the people abandon their belief in the President, or the House Republicans answer a constitutional exigency that doesn't yet exist.

or, the more casual semper du

In total viewers, Fox News led in weekday prime time last week with 2.6 million viewers, with MSNBC not far behind at 2.4 million, and CNN at 1.3 million.

Last week, for the first time since 2009, MSNBC was the most-watched cable news network in weekday prime time (8-11 p.m.) in the advertiser-coveted 'Adults 25-54' demo. Three MSNBC shows finished first in their time periods in the demo for the week: The Rachel Maddow Show, The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell and The 11th Hour with Brian Williams.

Stacked up against all Cable shows, Fox took No. 1 and MSNBC took No. 3 in total viewers for the week (all 7 days).

Source: http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/category/ratings

Yet, they are the House of Representatives, and as such, e.g., if the majority of the public in michale's district shares his basic position, his Congressman better, too; that's how it's supposed to work.

Do those representatives owe the country or their constituents honesty? Or an intelligent review of facts? Are they accountable AT ALL if they either knowingly, or because they are idiots, spread misinformation or outright falsehoods?

Is it acceptable to say: "Lies work because they fool people into voting for things I want (even if they will do great damage to the world, other people, their own constituents) and therefore, I will lie." And once I've fooled people I can claim that I am simply following their wishes, even if their wishes are based on demonstrable falsehoods? Is that acceptable?

One way changes in position might manifest first is through public statements by Members (particularly those with gerrymandered super-majorities) or leadership, that health care and/or tax reform will not be completed any time soon. It wouldn't matter if those statements were laments or ascribed to legislative reality.

Whatever motives we might ascribe to the politician, it would suggest the foundations of primacy of those concerns were crumbling. Whatever the reasons, that would signal mortal danger for this Presidency.

Trump is really beginning to piss me off...

good point regarding the difference between legality and optics; they're very different standards.

public opinion polls only matter insomuch as they reflect the attitudes of voters - and hence, their likelihood to vote one way or another. politicians care about polls because public opinion may have some impact on whether or not they get elected.

JL

JL

you're falling into the same trap as paula when she talks about "the GOP." "the MSM" is a group of many people. each individual member of the mainstream press has his or her own level of credibility, earned through objective reporting. the facts that are reported can be verified true or false, and i trust my own ability to read their stories with a fair amount of objectivity.

JL

So, you still trust the MSM even though their poll numbers are worse than Trumps..

And you trust them because they are saying what you want to hear.. :D

The problem the Republicans face is how easily big cohorts of their base can grasp the optics of a boss corruptly asking a professional to act unprofessionally, and when he will- or can- not, he is fired. That resonates in the life experiences and world views of those voters. Watch the Freedom Caucus; movement, if any, will come first from genuinely conservative districts.

JL

Either opinion polls are a sign of competence or they are not..

If they ARE a sign of competence, then the Media's competence is in the toilet..

And THAT means that they have it all wrong about President Trump...

BY YOUR OWN STANDARDS... :D

"Don't cross brains with Spock. He'll cut you to pieces every time.."
-Ensign Sulu

:D

And, as such are MEANINGLESS, then I am fully prepared to agree with you.. :D

But don't tell me, let me guess..

The OPINION polls that show that MSM approval is in the garbage are meaningless..

The OPINION polls that show that Trumps numbers are in the garbage... THOSE OPINIONS are a perfect reflection of the facts and reality...

Right??? :D

And yet the OPINION polls are consistent....

But if you want to concede that Trump's poll numbers are nothing but opinions... OK...

This is fact..

no, it's opinion. that's why they're not called "fact polls."

JL

This is fact..

If you're blaming the MSM for all of this, you're not paying enough attention to the headlines on conservative sites. A sample of headlines from today:

FOX NEWS

CRACKS IN THE WALL
Comey ‘memo’ has Republicans increasingly leery of Trump drama

Wall Street Journal

D.C. Tumult Jolts Stocks, Sends Dollar Lower

Russian State-Run Bank Financed Deal Involving Trump Hotel Partner

Washington Times

John Kasich: Hate to say ‘I told you so’ about Trump

RedState

Was Jared Kushner Behind the Firing of James Comey?

Did Donald Trump Jr. Just CONFIRM the Details in Comey Memo?

Republican Congressman Justin Amash Mentions Impeachment

BREITBART

Knives Out: GOP Establishment Makes Its Move

Franklin Graham: ‘All Churches Should Pull Out of the Boy Scouts Completely’

(That last one isn't relevant, but is so unintentionally funny, I had to include it.)

It seems to be getting harder and harder to find pro-Trump media any more...

Hey, dumb flake, the USCG doesn't employ fighter jets, but they are fully trained in saving those who are drowning. :)

"Look at the way I have been treated lately, especially by the media. No politician in history, and I say this with great surety, has been treated worse or more unfairly.

Whiny Little Bitch uses a Coast Guard commencement speech to work through his victim issues, and I say this with great surety, and to prove without doubt his ignorance regarding United States history. *LOL*

You make a good point. The Democrats tend to benefit from drawing the I/R/R process out towards '20.

On the other foot, should enough Republicans decide Trump is an unsustainable liability, they have every incentive to get I/R/R done as quickly as possible, so they can build something to run on for Pence and themselves.

As Macbeth puts it: "If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly"

I think the chances of Trump deciding to resign should not be considered all that remote. He is not having much fun or success with job. Once he works out the ego agenda in his own mind to contrive resignation as a stunning personal victory, he should be sprinting to Marine One as fast as his legs, or a golf cart, will carry him.

Ya'all have been saying TRUMP IS TOAST for over a YEAR now!!??

And *NOW*, I am supposed to believe ya'all??? :D

And, if you think that Trump's low poll numbers are relevant to job performance, then ya'all *MUST* agree that the MSM's abysmally low poll numbers are relevant to THEIR job performance...

Ya'all can't believe how much I am laughing right now.. :D

Heh. Just keep telling yourself that: It's just a flesh wound...

TRUMP IS TOAST

Just keep telling yourself that. :D

By contrast, as Ross Douthat writes, if you “read the things that these people, members of his inner circle, his personally selected appointees, say daily through anonymous quotations to the press,” it’s clear that “they have no respect for him, indeed they seem to palpate with contempt for him, and to regard their mission as equivalent to being stewards for a syphilitic emperor.”

https://www.vox.com/2017/5/16/15651138/trump-gop-oversight

More importantly, Pence-is-GOP, and GOP policies are NOT popular. Without 45's ability to distract attention the GOP policies will be front and center. People are already giving Repubs hell at Town Halls. Imagine Pence at the top and Ryan trying to kill Medicaid or privatize Social Security.

Pence isn't a shoe-in either. He's been playing along with Pumpie's various illegal activities.

But one step at a time.

JL

So, as Sgt. Schultz is, of course, NOT loyal to the giant orange out of mere tribal loyalty -- he rises above the rest of us that way -- I'm convinced he, too, is calling for those tapes to be heard! ALL THE TAPES -- let's hear what 45 had to say to the Russians, shall we? And let's hear Kushner advising him to can Comey and hear his reasoning!

Sgt. Schultz is doubtless positively confident that DT's tapes will VINDICATE, I repeat VINDICATE, his beloved. So he'll join in the chorus of people demanding the tapes be handed over and shared, I'm sure.

compare those numbers to exactly two weeks ago, may 3rd. then the RCP average was 43.6 - 51.3, a gap of 7.7 points. who's taking odds on next week?

she turned me into a newt!

... I got better...

You do have to admire Republicans/conservatives. They are all - from Ryan and McConnell down to the lowliest Twitter egg - running with some version of "oh, haha Trump was just kidding with Comey and THE REAL STORY is Comey should have resigned and/or told Congress about it." This is so fucking stupid for reasons I don't even need to explain, but I am impressed that this was apparently beamed out directly into all of their brains at about 3AM. They're good.

http://www.eschatonblog.com/2017/05/if-enough-people-say-something-stupid.html

I know you like movie quotes, so here you go:

King Arthur: [after Arthur's cut off both of the Black Knight's arms] Look, you stupid bastard, you've got no arms left!
Black Knight: Yes I have.
King Arthur: Look!
Black Knight: It's just a flesh wound.

[the Black Knight continues to threaten Arthur despite getting both his arms and one of his legs cut off]
Black Knight: Right, I'll do you for that!
King Arthur: You'll what?
Black Knight: Come here!
King Arthur: What are you gonna do, bleed on me?
Black Knight: I'm invincible!
King Arthur: ...You're a loony.

Heh. Just keep telling yourself that: It's just a flesh wound...

:-)

-CW

RCP updated yesterday's figures later in the day (as they do when new polls come in). Here are yesterday's new numbers, which are worse that what I reported in this article:

40.2 - Approval
54.6 - Disapproval
====
14.4 - underwater

Today's numbers currently stand at

39.9 - Approval
55.0 - Disapproval
====
15.1 - underwater

but it's early, and they could get even worse (Gallup's daily tracking poll hasn't been updated yet).

-CW

No outlandish theory is too incredible for you Lefties.. :D

Put another way....

If the Right had owned the MSM in the manner that the Left owns the MSM, then we would have been seeing these EXACT same kinds of headlines when Odumbo was in office...

And, if you think that Trump's low poll numbers are relevant to job performance, then ya'all *MUST* agree that the MSM's abysmally low poll numbers are relevant to THEIR job performance...

Looks like ya'all get hoisted by ya'all's Picard.. AGAIN!!! :D

Media is in major hysterical meltdown over President Trump...

For those who actually have two brain cells to rub together and can think logically and rationally, this just HAS to worry ya'all how Trump is playing the MSM like a badly tuned fiddle... :D

And what's even MORE outlandish is that ya'all have absolutely NO FACTS to support ya'all's hysteria..

NOTHING but "anonymous sources", disparate and irrelevant facts that mean nothing and ya'all's irrational hatred that President Trump had the temerity to utterly devastate your chosen champion...

Patriotic Americans are sick and tired of the Left's hysterical BS and will make the Democrats pay for it in 2018...

I know.. It's incredible how much ya'all are acting EXACTLY like the GOP was acting under Obama..

No outlandish theory is too incredible for you Lefties.. :D

Keep in mind that witches are notoriously maneuverable and can turn several revolutions on a dime. It's those thrust vectoring brooms they ride. Still, this is a serious portent. Coulter could potentially turn Trump into a Newt!

...which is:

a Republican Cable TV elder statesman without portfolio who was run out of Washington on rail and whose wife is about to be ambassador to the Vatican.

...to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism."

I guess Trump didn't want to share this information with the United States so naturally the American journalists weren't allowed in for this "openly scheduled W.H. meeting." It's always good to plan ahead, though, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Putin/Russia is ready to provide the United States Congress with a transcript of the talks between President Donald Trump and the 2 Sir Gays... {spelling?} *LOL* :)

So no worries, Americans of these United States; there is a president who is willing to step up and provide what President Trump either cannot or will not. How fortunate for the White House that there exists a President who is concerned about our First Amendment rights and "pravda"... Vladimir Putin... a real VP! /sarcasm off

Ya'all are acting *EXACTLY* like ya'all accused the GOP of acting when Obama was elected..

"But when the LEFT does it, it's justified!!!" ya'all screech hysterically... :D

Trump will likely win reelection in 2020
http://theconversation.com/trump-will-likely-win-reelection-in-2020-77362

I mean, honestly.. Who can Dems run in 2020??

NOT-45!??? :D

Care to discuss THAT poll???

{{ccchhiirrrrpppp}} {{{chhiiirrrrrpppppp}}}

No?? Didna think so.. :D

ALL ya'all have to back up your side of the story are "anonymous sources"... On the other side of the coin are THREE named eyewitnesses ON THE RECORD...

But, of course, ya'all believe the "anonymous sources" because you WANT to believe them...

What's REALLY funny is ALL of ya'all denigrated and ignored "anonymous sources" during the Obama Administration..

NOW... ALL OF THE SUDDEN, "anonymous sources" are golden and everything they say is dead on ballz accurate...

Once again.. More evidence to support the FACT that it's all driven by NOTHING but Party zealotry and partisan ideology..

When the POTUS has a '-D' after his name, anonymous sources are lying and can't be trusted...

When the POTUS has a '-R' after his name, anonymous sources are speaking the gospel truth and MUST be believed at ANY cost. Including the cost of one's own integrity..

"These are the facts of the case. And they are undisputed."
-Captain Smilin' Jack Ross, A FEW GOOD MEN

Get those "anonymous sources" to man up and put their names and their eyewitness testimony on the record..

Until you can do that, ya'all have nothing. LESS than nothing...

Where was all ya'all's hysteria then???

Once again, I must point out that THIS is exactly why it's simply impossible to take ya'all's anti-Trump hysteria seriously..

Because the FACTS clearly show that it's not what President Trump is doing or not doing that is at the heart of ya'all's hysterical complaints..

It's simply the FACT that it's a guy with an '-R' after his name is doing or not doing it..

The facts that PROVE this are too numerous and too conclusive to come to any other conclusion..

It's not what President Trump does that bothers ya'all to the point of hysteria..

It's simply that it's PRESIDENT Trump, a POTUS with an '-R' after his name...

Is it really so remarkable that his poll numbers reflect this??

As I am wont to do, a reminder of reality and the facts..

Those same polls said that Trump had less than a 10% chance of beating NOT-45....

I think it's cute that ya'all STILL put all your faith in those polls.. :D

JL

https://apnews.com/5e675fb16ff643cb9082ba242b72c859/Trump-transition-handling-of-classified-info-raised-concern

I'm sure Jason Chaffetz is leaping right on it...

I've been resisting it for a while now, but maybe I should start putting together monthly charts for Trump. I'm not going to do a "Trump Poll Watch" column every single month, but when I do write these it might be handy. Although Trump is so peripatetic that one monthly average might be almost useless to track his trajectory, I dunno... Anyway, it takes a lot of time and effort to track the polling, which is the main reason why I haven't up until now.

What does everyone else think? Should I create Trump charts? Let me know...

-CW