ChrisWeigant.com

Friday Talking Points -- Trump Flails On World Stage

[ Posted Friday, May 10th, 2019 – 17:46 UTC ]

Most Fridays, we tend to focus on President Donald Trump's flailings and failings on domestic issues, but this week his buffoonery on the world stage was really what was front and center. Sure, there's an ongoing constitutional crisis between the White House and the House of Representatives, but this week in particular seemed to be "foreign policy mishap week" for Team Trump.

After absolutely no progress whatsoever in the two months since Trump's failed North Korea summit, Kim Jong Un reminded Trump he was still alive by playfully launching a bunch of missiles into the sea. On two separate occasions over the past week, the North Korean dictator oversaw test launches of short-range missiles. This doesn't end his self-declared moratorium on I.C.B.M. launches, but it is still pretty provocative behavior which is obviously designed to embarrass Trump.

Down in Venezuela, John Bolton seemed to think it'd be real easy to stage a "coup" and then see if a real one developed to match the propaganda effort. This failed pretty miserably, all around. What was kind of astonishing is that some big names in the mainstream American media went along for the ride. Both CNN and the New York Times credulously reported "facts" that were nothing short of falsehoods. Stories appeared stating that the opposition leader had taken over a military airbase and had given a speech to "thousands" of cheering defecting soldiers and officers. The reality was that he gave a speech on a highway overpass near the airbase (not actually on it), and the crowd was closer to two dozen people, well under the "thousands" reported. The rebels never took over the airbase, and soon afterwards most of them retreated to foreign embassies, where they claimed political asylum. That's not much of a coup, but you certainly wouldn't have known it by what was reported at the time. This was a rare instance of Bolton and the White House crew pushing "fake news" (in its original definition) and the "liberal media" not bothering to check the actual facts on the ground. At the end of the day, it looked like nothing short of a fiasco.

Meanwhile, Bolton has also been rattling the war sabers with Iran, and it was announced that an aircraft carrier group and a detachment of heavy bombers had been dispatched to the region, just in case. As Salon reported:

Bolton announced that the U.S. would be sending carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Persian Gulf out of fear that Iran would target American forces in the region. But the Daily Beast reported that some officials see this response as an overreaction to intelligence that was less serious than Bolton suggested -- an allegation that would be consistent with the national security adviser's aggressive and dubious history, which eventually even turned President George W. Bush against him.

Remember the glory days of: "Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction!"? Seems like déjà vu all over again....

But the biggest news of the week was how trade talks with China all but collapsed. There was supposed to be a round of final meetings at the end of the week and then a big trade agreement announcement, but instead that all crashed and burned and what we got was Trump upping the tariffs already in place from 10 percent to 25 percent, while threatening to also slap tariffs on every other product China sells us, while China darkly threatened unspecified retaliation.

Trump continues to insist on repeating a bald-faced lie, that "China pays" the tariffs, therefore it's actually a good thing and helping put money in American government coffers. In reality, the tariffs are paid by the company importing the goods right here in the U.S. of A., and then this tax is passed along 100 percent to American consumers. Nobody in China pays a dime -- not the exporting company or the Chinese government. Just another "Big Lie" from Trump's 2020 campaign, we suppose.

Speaking of Trump's war on the truth, Politico reported on an exodus of economists from the Agriculture Department, because they had dared to publish facts which put Trump's trade war in a bad light. From a summary of this story which ran in Salon:

At least six Agriculture Department economists quit on a single day in April after claiming that the administration was retaliating against them for publishing reports showing that President Trump's tariffs have hurt farmers, according to a Politico report.

The Economic Research Service, the USDA's research arm, has drawn the ire of the administration and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue after publishing reports showing that farmers are being harmed by Trump's trade wars as well as the Republican tax overhaul, current and former employees told Politico.

The reports shone a light on how Trump's tariffs have led to a decline in farm income, which the economists noted has already fallen by 50 percent since 2013. Another report showed that Republican tax cuts only benefited the wealthiest farmers.

After the reports were presented, Perdue "stunned" the agency by announcing that he would put a USDA official who reports directly to the secretary in charge of the Economic Research Service and move the agency out of Washington to a location closer to the "US heartland," according to Politico.

They couldn't stop the bad news from coming in from outside the administration, though. The Washington Post reported that experts at the nonpartisan Peterson Institute concluded that for every job either created or saved by Trump's steel tariffs, American consumers paid a whopping $900,000:

The cost is more than 13 times the typical salary of a steelworker, according to Labor Department data, and it is similar to other economists' estimates that Trump's tariffs on washing machines are costing consumers $815,000 per job created.... Many economists and business leaders point out that jobs in steel-using industries outnumber those in steel production by about 80 to 1, according to experts at Harvard University and the University of California at Davis.

But, please remember, Donald Trump is a genius businessman.

Or maybe not. The New York Times got its hands on hard data from Trump's income tax returns covering a decade from the mid-1980s to the mid-90s, and it showed that even during an economic boom, Trump lost more money than pretty much any other taxpayer in the entire country. All told, he lost almost $1.2 billion over a decade. He paid no income tax at all in eight out of these ten years.

Now, while the internet had a field day ridiculing Trump (the most popular suggestion was that his television show really should have been named "The Biggest Loser"), what occurred to us personally was the possibility of other shoes dropping in the very near future. The Times very carefully stated that it hadn't seen Trump's actual physical tax returns (the pieces of paper he sent in, in other words) but instead printouts from the I.R.S. database which showed all the numbers Trump had entered on those forms. They obtained these printouts from someone who had "legal access" to them, according to the Times. But this begs the question -- if they've got a source who was able to pull all of these tax records out of the database, what would be stopping them from pulling all the other years of Trump's taxes? Maybe this article might just become "the first in a series" and we'll all get to see Trump's taxes one decade at a time, until we get caught up to the present day. Now there's an interesting thought!

We probably won't be seeing Trump's federal returns any time soon through House committees, because Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin just broke the law this week by refusing to turn over this information. But we might just get to see all of Trump's recent taxes anyway, courtesy of the state of New York. The legislature moved a bill this week which would create a law authorizing the release of New York state tax returns to three U.S. House of Representatives committees, should they ever ask for them. Since Trump had to fill out both federal and state returns, this would likely provide exactly the same information as his federal returns. So there's that to look forward to, as well.

Speaking of tax fraud, Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen reported to federal prison to serve his sentence, and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was officially disbarred. But please remember, Trump only hires the best people!

Let's see, what else is going on? The White House is now in full-on stonewall mode, and can be expected to ignore any and all subpoenas and demands from House committees from now on. As Nancy Pelosi pointed out, Trump himself seems to be begging to be impeached on a daily basis.

Pelosi's not letting the grass grow under her feet in the meantime, however. The House this week passed two notable bills, one a disaster relief bill which -- much to the anger of Trump -- contained more money for storm-ravaged Puerto Rico. Despite a last-ditch effort by Trump, 34 Republicans voted with the Democrats, for a final vote of 257 to 150. The other bill the House passed will protect people with pre-existing conditions from states that are being allowed "waivers" on this important Obamacare protection. This is an important step, because many House Democrats specifically ran on this issue. Trump says he also wants to protect people with pre-existing conditions, but it's doubtful even he can convince Mitch McConnell to move on the bill.

The overall picture this week was pretty clear: Democrats are getting things done and pushing forward in their investigations, while Trump is lying and flailing around on the world stage. Just another week in Trump's Washington, in other words.

 

Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week

Before we get to the main award, we've got a few Honorable Mention awards to hand out first. A bill was introduced in both houses of Congress this week to institute a ceiling of 15 percent on what banks are allowed to charge in credit card interest. This is a pretty bold idea (which we wrote about earlier in the week), and one we'd bet would be wildly popular with the general public. In the House, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sponsored the bill while Bernie Sanders introduced it in the Senate. Both deserve at least an Honorable Mention for championing this issue.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced a bill he's sponsored before, which would completely "deschedule" marijuana, removing it from the list of dangerous controlled substances altogether, which would allow each individual state to set their own marijuana laws without running afoul of federal law. Also deserving of an Honorable Mention is House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, who sponsored the same bill in the House. That's some pretty impressive leadership on both sides of the Capitol.

But we're giving the Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week to Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker, for his own commendable work on marijuana reform:

Illinois could legalize recreational marijuana by January 1, 2020, thanks to a new bill Gov. J.B. Pritzker touted as central to criminal justice reform.

The proposed legislation announced by Pritzker and Democratic lawmakers Saturday would allow people 21 and over to purchase recreational marijuana at a licensed dispensary in Illinois, which currently has a statewide prohibition on the drug with an exception for medical use. Residents would be able to possess up to 30 grams of marijuana and grow up to five plants at home, and nonresidents would be able to possess up to 15 grams.

Most notably, details of the plan include expunging what lawmakers estimate will be about 800,000 marijuana convictions and allow people with such convictions to work in the cannabis industry. The proposal also mentions a $20 million low-interest loan program for minority-owned businesses, promoting what the proposal calls "social equity" in a predominantly white industry.

"We are taking a major step forward to legalize adult use cannabis and to celebrate the fact that Illinois is going to have the most equity-centric law in the nation," Pritzker said during a press conference Saturday at the Black United Fund's office in Chicago. "For the many individuals and families whose lives have been changed -- indeed hurt -- because the nation's war on drugs discriminated against people of color, this day belongs to you too."

That is all very impressive indeed, especially the fact that the new law will come from the legislature (rather than, as with most such state efforts, through a voter referendum) and how focused it is on social equity. But to us, the really impressive line came later in the article:

During his gubernatorial campaign, Pritzker made equity-centric marijuana legalization one of the most important aspects of his platform.

We've been saying it for years, and we'll keep saying it until every Democrat gets on board -- not only is being pro-legalization now politically safe for prominent politicians, it is in fact a big campaign asset and should be treated as such. The people have long been way out in front of the politicians, and voters respond very positively to politicians who are brave enough to champion the issue wholeheartedly. This has been a radical sea-change over the past decade or so (Barack Obama never fully backed recreational legalization in either of his two elections, just to remind everyone), and it needs to be embraced by Democrats before Republicans wise up and steal the issue for themselves (footnote: former Senate Majority Leader John Boehner is now a marijuana industry lobbyist).

Which is why we'd like to honor Governor Pritzker with this week's Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week. Not only is he pro-legalization, he "made equity-centric marijuana legalization one of the most important aspects of his platform." And now he is following through on his promises. That's about as impressive as it gets.

[Congratulate Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker on his official contact page, to let him know you appreciate his efforts.]

 

Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week

We are happy to announce that no prominent Democrat disappointed us this week at all. Now, as always, we might have missed someone in the maelstrom that is the political news world these days, so if you'd like to nominate someone, please feel free to do so down in the comments.

 

Friday Talking Points

Volume 526 (5/10/19)

We're going to mostly engage in some Trump-bashing this week, just because. But then down at the end, we've got two rather amusing talking points, just because it's been that kind of week. Enjoy as always, and use responsibly.

 

1
   Trump's puppetmaster

This one is always guaranteed to get under Trump's skin.

"It seems to me that John Bolton is now running America's foreign policy, while Trump impotently flails around. Bolton has been the lead on the Venezuela policy (such as it is) and on trying to get Iran to provoke a shooting war by overstating the intelligence (shades of Iraq's non-existent 'weapons of mass destruction'). And who knows how much influence he has over the collapse of the trade talks with China? It's pretty obvious that Donald Trump has no real clue what goes on in the rest of the world, which is why it is so easy for puppetmasters like Bolton to pull his strings and make him dance. Trump ran on pulling back militarily overseas, but if he's not careful, Bolton is going to get American involved in two separate new wars."

 

2
   Loser!

Again, guaranteed to get under Trump's skin.

"With the release of Donald Trump's tax returns for the 1980s and 1990s, it's obvious that even in a booming economy, Trump is a complete failure at making money. When everyone else was making profits hand over fist, Trump was a big fat loser. There's just no other way to put it. He may have even won the crown for Most Money Lost By A Single Taxpayer, in fact, since his losses were so breathtakingly huge. How can anyone lose over one billion dollars in ten years? Well, it takes a special kind of failure to reach such astronomic proportions, which is why all the teasing on Twitter is entirely justified -- Trump's television show should really have been called 'The Biggest Loser,' since that is exactly and literally what he was, back in the 80s and 90s."

 

3
   It's YOU who are paying this tax!

Democrats really should make this a much bigger deal than they currently are.

"Donald Trump stands up in front of adoring crowds and lies his face off. OK, well, that's nothing new, really, but this time the lie he's feeding them is just laughable. Trump tells the rubes that the tariff on Chinese goods is a great thing because it puts a bazillion dollars into the Treasury. As he tells it, he's really sticking it to the Chinese government, who has to pony up all this hard cash. But that's nothing short of a great big lie, because they don't pay a dime of it. Instead, the American public pays in higher prices on all kinds of goods. The tariff is paid by whatever company imports the Chinese goods -- like Walmart, for instance -- and then gets passed right along to the consumer in higher prices. So what all these people are cheering is the fact that they are paying the tariffs themselves, not China. I mean, you can fool some of the people some of the time, right?"

 

4
   Hundreds of prosecutors agree Trump should have been indicted

This one is one of those stories that, in normal times, would have been the lead story for days. Nowadays, however, it was barely even noticed.

"This week, over six hundred federal prosecutors signed a letter which stated that what was revealed in the Mueller report should have led to indictments of Donald Trump. If he wasn't currently president, charges of obstruction of justice should clearly have been brought against him, in other words. This group was completely nonpartisan, consisting of hundreds of federal prosecutors who served and were hired by both Republican and Democratic administrations. The sheer number of signatories to this letter is just stunning. To hearken back to Nixonian language, hundreds of prosecutors have now agreed that the president is indeed a crook."

 

5
   Hard to call this one partisan, too

Twist this particular knife for all it's worth.

"Yet another subpoena emerged from Congress this week demanding the testimony of one of Donald Trump's minions and partners in crime. The only surprising thing was that the subpoena for Trump's son Donnie Junior didn't come from a House committee led by a Democrat, but instead from a Senate committee chaired by Republican Richard Burr. That's right -- the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee just subpoenaed Trump's own son, to answer for his lies before the committee which the Mueller Report exposed. Reportedly, he's considering taking the Fifth Amendment, which is probably a good idea since he obviously perjured himself the last time he spoke with the committee. Republicans have been whining that all the investigations of Trump are nothing short of partisan witch hunts, but one of their own just proved that to be a lie."

 

6
   Maybe you should get it ready for some inmates?

Too, too funny.

"When Nancy Pelosi was publicly interviewed by Washington Post reporter Bob Costas recently, he asked her what she would do about Steve Mnuchin clearly breaking federal law by refusing to allow the I.R.S. to furnish Trump's tax returns to a House committee. When he pointed out that some Democrats 'have even raised the prospect of arresting the Treasury Secretary,' Pelosi responded by pointing out that while possible, this might soon wind up being impractical. 'Well, let me just say that we do have a little jail down in the basement of the Capitol,' Pelosi responded, before pointing out, 'but if we were arresting all of the people in the administration' who deserved it, 'we would have an overcrowded jail situation, and I'm not for that.' The reaction to this quip was, quote, a roomful of laughter, unquote."

 

7
   Holy idiocy, Batman!

Not that Trump was going to get very many votes in New England anyway....

"This week, in one day, the White House welcomed the Boston Red Sox to the White House to celebrate their championship victory. All but one of the players who is a minority refused to even attend the event, while all the white players did attend. But that wasn't even the most embarrassing thing for Trump. In the notice for the event, the Boston Red S-O-C-K-S were congratulated, and later on -- you just can't make this stuff up, folks -- the White House listed them as 'World Cup Series Champions.' How boneheaded do you have to be to make not just one but two such idiotic mistakes on the same day?"

-- Chris Weigant

 

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Cross-posted at: Democratic Underground

 

111 Comments on “Friday Talking Points -- Trump Flails On World Stage”

  1. [1] 
    nypoet22 wrote:

    On behalf of the fifa world cup, i am appalled.

  2. [2] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    On behalf of the World, I am appalled.

  3. [3] 
    C. R. Stucki wrote:

    Re: TP3

    I offer this thought not in defense of the idiot-in-chief, simply as a fact worth mentioning.

    I fear there's a distinct possibility that the dumbass may not actuually BE lying about who pays the tariffs he's imposing on imports.

    If he really is so stupid/ignorant that he actually BELIEVES the tariff nonsense he's feeding the public, then technically he's not lying, he's just stupid!

  4. [4] 
    Chris Weigant wrote:

    C. R. Stucki [3] -

    Good point, I guess. Calls to mind the aphorism: "better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

    As for the "Red Socks" idiocy... another funny response mentioned the New York "Yankys." Heh.

    :-)

    -CW

  5. [5] 
    Michale wrote:

    Most Fridays, we tend to focus on President Donald Trump's flailings and failings on domestic issues, but this week his buffoonery on the world stage was really what was front and center. Sure, there's an ongoing constitutional crisis between the White House and the House of Representatives,

    How come it wasn't a "Constitutional Crisis" when Holder was being found in contempt???

    Because Holder has a -D after his name..

    but this week in particular seemed to be "foreign policy mishap week" for Team Trump.

    Only to Democrats, Never Trumpers and Trump/America haters..

    After absolutely no progress whatsoever in the two months since Trump's failed North Korea summit, Kim Jong Un reminded Trump he was still alive by playfully launching a bunch of missiles into the sea

    Actually, he didn't.. But why let FACTS ruin a perfectly good hysterical rant..

    Both CNN and the New York Times credulously reported "facts"

    Oh, com'on.. You and I both know that CNN and the New York Grime wouldn't know a FACT if it came up and slapped them on the ass...

    Get a CREDIBLE news source.. Then we can talk...

    We probably won't be seeing Trump's federal returns any time soon through House committees,

    Of course you won't.. AS I SAID...

    because Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin just broke the law this week by refusing to turn over this information.

    And how is that any different than the House wanting AG Barr to break the law when it comes to revealing secret Grand Jury information??

    Again, it's as I said.. Democrats only care about the law when it suits their agenda...

    "With the release of Donald Trump's tax returns for the 1980s and 1990s,

    Actually, there wasn't any tax returns released.. But, again, why let FACTS ruin a good rant.. :D

    How boneheaded do you have to be to make not just one but two such idiotic mistakes on the same day?"

    "Jedi Mind Meld"
    -Barack Odumbo

    'nuff said... :eyeroll:

    I mean, honestly.. Who really cares about BASEBALL anyways??

  6. [6] 
    Michale wrote:

    Rap Artist Indicted for Obama 2012 Campaign Donations
    Malaysian businessman Jho Low also charged alongside Pras Michel

    https://www.wsj.com/articles/former-rap-artist-indicted-for-obama-2012-campaign-donations-11557522077

    Of course, ya'all are going to condemn this foreign influence in our elections, right??

    Naawwww, you really don't care if foreigners interfere in our elections.. As long as it's YOUR guy who wins the election.. :^/

    Hypocrisy at it's most depraved... :eyeroll:

  7. [7] 
    Michale wrote:

    Dems fume as president makes plans for grand patriotic celebration of nation’s founding
    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dems-fume-as-trump-moves-to-amend-july-4-celebrations-address-the-nation

    Once again, President Trump wants to honor America and Americans and Democrats are pissed off about it..

    Democrat Party = Hate America Party

  8. [8] 
    Michale wrote:

    Ocasio-Cortez assails Biden's 'middle ground' climate change plan, says it's 'dealbreaker'
    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ocasio-cortez-assails-bidens-middle-ground-climate-change-plan-says-its-dealbreaker

    Looks like Occasional Cortex is in charge of the Democrat Party :D

  9. [9] 
    Michale wrote:

    Brazen home invasion in Kentucky captured on security footage
    https://www.foxnews.com/us/security-footage-captures-shooting-during-kentucky-home-invasion

    This is why the 2nd Amendment exists...

    And this is why Democrats will NEVER get their gun ban...

  10. [10] 
    John M wrote:

    [5] Michale

    "How come it wasn't a "Constitutional Crisis" when Holder was being found in contempt???

    Because Holder has a -D after his name.."

    SERIOUSLY Michale????

    Maybe because Holder was just ONE Cabinet Secretary among a DOZEN, WHILE Trump as PRESIDENT, represents an ENTIRE BRANCH of government in CONFLICT with another BRANCH of government. Is that REALLY so HARD for you to GRASP???

    "Actually, he didn't.. But why let FACTS ruin a perfectly good hysterical rant.."

    What??? You aren't SERIOUSLY going to deny REALITY by stating that North Korea DIDN'T launch ANY missiles at all are you??? You aren't that OVER the BEND are you Michale???

    "Get a CREDIBLE news source.. Then we can talk..."

    YOU get a credible news source first. And stop denigrating some of America's most respected professional news organizations. That's what tiny tinpot dictators due.

    "And how is that any different than the House wanting AG Barr to break the law when it comes to revealing secret Grand Jury information??"

    Congress gets to see all kinds of sensitive information all the time. Including CLASSIFIED information. How is CLASSIFIED information any different from GRAND JURY information??? Congress is the branch that MAKES LAWS in the FIRST PLACE.

    DERANGED Donald was NEVER a successful business man. He only PLAYED one on television! :-D

    (In Fact, hosting The Apprentice, SAVED both Trump's reputation and career. Not bad ACTING on The Donald's part!)

  11. [11] 
    TheStig wrote:

    An Exodus of Accountants - I can't get a Cecil B. Demille inspired Technicolor image of that out of my mind. A trudging column wearing dark suits (or pants suits) and eyeglasses, burdened down by heavy brief cases. What desert do they wander in/through? A series of abandoned Sears outlets in the Rust Belt? Foraging at Dollar Stores and camping at Walmart parking lots?

  12. [12] 
    Michale wrote:

    Maybe because Holder was just ONE Cabinet Secretary among a DOZEN, WHILE Trump as PRESIDENT, represents an ENTIRE BRANCH of government in CONFLICT with another BRANCH of government. Is that REALLY so HARD for you to GRASP???

    But TRUMP is not being held in contempt, now is he??

    It's AG Barr....

    And Odumbo was also in CONFLICT with another BRANCH of government..

    Why didn't you care then??

    Because Odumbo has a -D after his name..

    What??? You aren't SERIOUSLY going to deny REALITY by stating that North Korea DIDN'T launch ANY missiles at all are you??? You aren't that OVER the BEND are you Michale???

    The Norks did not launch any missiles.. They launched "unknown short range projectiles"...

    This is FACT.. All you have is hysterical fear mongering..

    YOU get a credible news source first. And stop denigrating some of America's most respected professional news organizations.

    What you call "most respected professional news organizations" is nothing more than the propaganda wing of the Democrat Party..

    Like I said and THEY have proven... They are not credible when it comes to reporting on President Trump. They have been PROVEN to lie and they have been PROVEN wrong time and time again..

    They ONLY reason YOU think they are credible is that they say what you want to hear....

    The Russia Collusion delusion proved beyond ANY doubt that they are not credible..

    Congress gets to see all kinds of sensitive information all the time. Including CLASSIFIED information. How is CLASSIFIED information any different from GRAND JURY information??? Congress is the branch that MAKES LAWS in the FIRST PLACE.

    And CONGRESS made the law that Grand Jury info is SECRET and CANNOT be released..

    This is fact..

    DERANGED Donald was NEVER a successful business man. He only PLAYED one on television! :-D

    And Odumbo was never successful at ANYTHING.. Other than destroying this country..

    What's yer point??

    Further, you and your fellow Dumbocrats LOVED Donald Trump when he had a -D after his name..

    So yer whinings and cryings now have no credibility..

  13. [13] 
    Michale wrote:

    And it's funny how NONE of ya'all cared when the NORKS were tossing missiles over Japan and test hydrogen bombs under Odumbo..

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

    {{{ccchhhhiiirrrrrpppp}}} {{ccchhhiiirrrrpppppp}}

    Non-existent... Cricket City...

    So, when the POTUS has a -D after his name, ya'all are silent..

    When the POTUS has a -R after his name, ya'all are hysterical...

    Funny how that is ALWAYS the case, eh?? :D

    "It is to laugh..."
    -Daffy Duck

  14. [14] 
    nypoet22 wrote:

    hmm, up until the last two lines of don's rant, i agree. being pro-legalization isn't really all that impressive anymore, and it's time for us all to recognize that the paradigm shift has already happened. i would have reversed the honorable mention and given most impressive to bernie and aoc.

    as for democracy, the pie solution is much more elegant, as well as being much more tasty and less vinegary.

    JL

  15. [15] 
    Michale wrote:

    hmm, up until the last two lines of don's rant, i agree. being pro-legalization isn't really all that impressive anymore, and it's time for us all to recognize that the paradigm shift has already happened. i would have reversed the honorable mention and given most impressive to bernie and aoc.

    It's human nature to crow about our victories..

    It's much easier than striving for more victories..

    :D

  16. [16] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    Michale,

    And it's funny how NONE of ya'all cared when the NORKS were tossing missiles over Japan and test hydrogen bombs under Odumbo..

    Obama hadn’t told the world that North Korea was no longer a threat to the US thanks to him months before Kim conducted NK’s testing. Obama did not go on and on about the beautiful letters he traded with Kim or how they had grown to LOVE each other! Obama also did not thank Kim for the torture and imprisonment of an American released by NK. No, these things were done by your hero, Donny “Orange is the Same Old Orange” Trump!

    Funny how you never deal with what is actually going on currently with Trump but instead only offer up your false “What-about-isms”.
    You do not seem to realize it only makes you look worse that your argument is that you have no problem with Trumps misconduct because we didn’t get upset when Obama supposedly did something that you claim is equal to what Trump has done.

    I should feel bad for you, honestly. It must be incredibly tough to wake up each morning to open up the newspaper and see the stupidity that you are going to have to come up with a way to defend or deflect from thanks to Trump. It is non-stop! But then I remember that you cannot defend Trump’s actions nor do you usually even try to defend them....you choose to be a contrarian for sport.

  17. [17] 
    Michale wrote:

    Obama hadn’t told the world that North Korea was no longer a threat to the US thanks to him months before Kim conducted NK’s testing.

    You sure about that???

    No, these things were done by your hero, Donny “Orange is the Same Old Orange” Trump!

    No, that's your SPIN on what President Trump has done.. But you are ruled by Party bigotry so.....

    Funny how you never deal with what is actually going on currently with Trump but instead only offer up your false “What-about-isms”.

    Because my point is not President Trump's actions.

    My point is ya'all's hypocrisy and Party slavery...

    I should feel bad for you, honestly. It must be incredibly tough to wake up each morning to open up the newspaper and see the stupidity that you are going to have to come up with a way to defend or deflect from thanks to Trump.

    Once again, nothing but your bigoted spin..

    I wake up every morning and LAUGH at how you Dumbocrats have been WRONG on every prediction ya'all have ever made, from Global Warming to President Trump losing the election to the Russia Collusion delusion to ya'all's pathetic spin....

    I LAUGH at ya'all every morning because ya'all have **ALWAYS** been wrong...

    And in Nov of 2020, I'll laugh even HARDER... Because ya'all are going to LOSE... ***AGAIN*** :D

  18. [18] 
    Michale wrote:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOITkxy18dY
    -Michale, Every Morning

    :D

  19. [19] 
    Michale wrote:

    LYANNA MORMONT
    The Chuck Norris Of The North

    :D

  20. [20] 
    Michale wrote:
  21. [21] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    Trump claims that he did not order McGahn to remove Mueller, contradicting what McGahn told Mueller. But notice that Trump is not asking McGahn to say Trump never ordered him to remove Mueller — Trump wants McGahn to say that what Trump ordered him to do does not constitute obstruction of justice.

    If you did not order McGahn to remove Mueller, what did you order McGahn to do that you believe that McGahn now needs to say that it did not obstruct justice?

    This pretty much kills Trump’s claim that he never ordered McGahn to remove Mueller.

    Trump Junior plans on ignoring his subpoena from Sen. Burr to testify again before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Does the chinless wonder expect Daddy to rescue him with a “get out of jail” card?

    Also, will Trump order AG Barr to refuse the judge’s order in the Roger Stone’s case to provide her an unredacted copy of the Mueller report? While Congress might not be able to toss the AG in a jail cell for contempt of Congress, a federal judge will not hesitate to toss his butt in the pokey!

  22. [22] 
    Michale wrote:

    And all of it doesn't matter a whit because President Trump has been utterly and completely exonerated on the Russia Collusion delusion..

    All you have is 'whataboutisms'.... :D

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOITkxy18dY

  23. [23] 
    Michale wrote:

    You see, Russ...

    Your problem is you simply cannot accept the REALITY that Mueller found absolutely NO FACTS to support the Russia Collusion delusion.. Hence President Trump has been completely exonerated on the Russia Collusion delusion..

    As long as you can't accept THAT reality, everything you spew will be nothing but hysterical Trump/America hate...

    ALL you spew meaningless because you have PROVEN beyond ANY doubt that you can't accept the facts..

  24. [24] 
    Michale wrote:

    Rap Artist Indicted for Obama 2012 Campaign Donations
    Malaysian businessman Jho Low also charged alongside Pras Michel
    https://www.wsj.com/articles/former-rap-artist-indicted-for-obama-2012-campaign-donations-11557522077

    Funny how no one here wants to condemn Odumbo for the foreign influence that won him the 2012 election...

    "Gee!! I wonder why that is!!???"
    -Kevin Spacey, THE NEGOTIATOR

  25. [25] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    If you did not order McGahn to remove Mueller, what did you order McGahn to do that you believe that McGahn now needs to say that it did not obstruct justice?

    will Trump order AG Barr to refuse the judge’s order in the Roger Stone’s case to provide her an unredacted copy of the Mueller report?

    Does the chinless wonder expect Daddy to rescue him with a “get out of jail” card?

    All very good questions that Michale has yet to answer. Moreover, it's just a tiny bit that Trump has on his plate at the moment.

    no one here wants to condemn Odumbo for the foreign influence that won him the 2012 election.

    1. Old election.

    2. This guy's pittance made no difference.

    3. To see that, compare what this guy did to the massive meddling the Russians did in 2016.

  26. [26] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    As Senator Mark Warner said, "A guy doesn't do these things if he's innocent."

  27. [27] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    You see, Russ...

    Your problem is you simply cannot accept the REALITY that Mueller found absolutely NO FACTS to support the Russia Collusion delusion.. Hence President Trump has been completely exonerated on the Russia Collusion delusion..

    I have no problem accepting that Mueller found no evidence of the Russian Collusion delusion. He did find the pizza shop that Hillary was running her child sex slave trade out of, Obama’s Kenyan birth certificate, and sworn testimony from every woman that Trump has ever had sex with that he has a 13” pecker that shoots honey .

    You read the report, right? Of course you did! I mean how else could you sit there saying things like:

    As long as you can't accept THAT reality, everything you spew will be nothing but hysterical Trump/America hate...

    ALL you spew meaningless because you have PROVEN beyond ANY doubt that you can't accept the facts..

    if you hadn’t actually read the report to know what was and was not in it???

  28. [28] 
    Michale wrote:

    Blathy,

    1. Old election.

    Newsflash for ya sunshine.. 2016 is an "old election"..

    Why don't you admit the facts??

    You don't care about foreign influence in the 2012 election because YOUR guy won...

    Just like you wouldn't have cared about foreign influence in the 2016 election if Hillary had one.

    For you, it's SOLELY about the -D/-R....

    2. This guy's pittance made no difference.

    And Russia's pittance made as much difference as this guy's...

    3. To see that, compare what this guy did to the massive meddling the Russians did in 2016.

    $20,000 Facebook ads??

    BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

  29. [29] 
    Michale wrote:

    I have no problem accepting that Mueller found no evidence of the Russian Collusion delusion.

    OK, great.. You concede that President Trump has been completely exonerated of Russia Collusion..

    I am glad you can finally admit reality...

    There may be hope for you...

  30. [30] 
    Michale wrote:

    As Senator Mark Warner said, "A guy doesn't do these things if he's innocent."

    Actually "a guy" is innocent until proven guilty.. Mueller couldn't find any FACTS to prove President Trump guilty..

    So, by EVERY RELEVANT legal precept we have, President Trump is innocent..

    And THAT just sticks in yer craw, doesn't it...

  31. [31] 
    Michale wrote:

    if you hadn’t actually read the report to know what was and was not in it???

    I know what was in it..

    Mueller did not find **ANY** facts to support ya'all's claim of Russia Collusion.

    NONE.. ZERO... ZILCH.... NADA....

    Am I wrong???

    PROVE IT...

    You can't because you know you are full of shit..

  32. [32] 
    Michale wrote:

    Michale starts a brand new day.. :D

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOITkxy18dY

  33. [33] 
    Michale wrote:

    Look at it this way..

    Out of ALL the people here who actually believed Russia Collusion took place, only ONE person has had the integrity to concede that they were wrong..

    What does that say for the rest of ya'all??

    I'll tell ya what it says..

    It says ya'all now have your own Birther-esque conspiracy delusion...

    Congrats.. Proof positive that ya'all are no different than the delusional Republicans you denigrate.. :D

  34. [34] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    Michale,

    I know what was in it..

    No, no you do not! You have heard what others claim is in it, but you do not know if they are telling you the truth or lying about what it says. So what prevents you from reading the report?

    It cannot be that you haven’t had time to look at it — you have plenty of time to find and post 100x the recommended dosage of conservative propaganda daily. No, it is a much more obvious answer — Reading the report would force you to address findings that would make your support of Trump seem incredibly ignorant and unpatriotic. Ignorance is bliss in Trumplandia.

  35. [35] 
    Michale wrote:

    No, no you do not!

    Yes, I do...

    But it's easy for your to prove I haven't read it..

    Quote me the relevant portion that dispute the fact that Mueller completely and unequivocally exonerated President Trump with regards to Russia Collusion..

    You CAN'T prove me wrong because I am dead on ballz factual...

  36. [36] 
    Michale wrote:

    Face the facts, Russ..

    Yer no different than a Right Wing Birther...

    You have the same hysterical belief that has been proven utterly and completely WRONG...

    You lost... Get over it..

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOITkxy18dY

  37. [37] 
    Michale wrote:

    'Sides.. You claim to have read the Mueller report and yet you STILL believe President Trump is guilty of collusion..

    So, obviously, reading the Mueller report does no good..

  38. [38] 
    Michale wrote:

    You have heard what others claim is in it, but you do not know if they are telling you the truth or lying about what it says.

    I trust Joshua's reading of the report.. While he's made some mistakes, he is scrupulously honest and, even if he wanted to fudge things here or there, he has absolutely NO reason to lie and would NEVER do so to favor of President Trump...

    So, no matter HOW you want to slice it, Russ... President Trump has been completely and utterly exonerated when it comes to Russia Collusion...

    Your insistence on holding onto the lie, the delusion that is Russia Collusion, puts you in the same section that Birthers and Truthers sit...

  39. [39] 
    Michale wrote:

    Officer Julie Barnes has passed away...

    Sad day....

  40. [40] 
    C. R. Stucki wrote:

    Michale

    Re "No matter how you slice it, . . ."

    You've gotta realize that when the Russian lawer called Jr. and offered to meet in Trump tower to deliver some sort of scandalous info (the infamous "dirt") on Hillary, and Jr said "We'd LOVE to hear about it", that "collusion/conspiracy" did occur, AT LEAST IN KICK'S MIND, (along with 'Russ' and likely other of your fellow Weigantians,) and that fact, for them at least, renders it TOTALLY IRRELEVANT anything whatsoever that Mueller says to the contrary.

    There's just ain't no sense in you clogging the blog trying to convince them otherwise, cause it ain't gonna happen.

  41. [41] 
    Michale wrote:

    You've gotta realize that when the Russian lawer called Jr. and offered to meet in Trump tower to deliver some sort of scandalous info (the infamous "dirt") on Hillary, and Jr said "We'd LOVE to hear about it", that "collusion/conspiracy" did occur, AT LEAST IN KICK'S MIND, (along with 'Russ' and likely other of your fellow Weigantians,) and that fact, for them at least, renders it TOTALLY IRRELEVANT anything whatsoever that Mueller says to the contrary.

    In other words, it's a Russia Collusion delusion...

  42. [42] 
    Michale wrote:

    There's just ain't no sense in you clogging the blog trying to convince them otherwise, cause it ain't gonna happen.

    True.. But I just can't help answering delusion and bullshit with FACTS..

    I mean, it's not as if I have a life, yunno... :D

  43. [43] 
    Michale wrote:

    Channeling maybe-yes, maybe-no Mueller: Speak, Bob, Speak!
    https://apnews.com/d56d81530f1a4633ac9540187a806806

    On the ONLY issue that mattered... The ONLY issue that beget the Mueller probe to begin with..

    DID PRESIDENT TRUMP OR ANY AMERICAN COLLUDE WITH THE RUSSIANS TO AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF THE 2016 ELECTION..???

    And Mueller answered that ONLY relevant question perfectly and without equivocation..

    NO.... NO AMERICAN colluded with Russia to affect the election...

    Anything else is nothing but a futile exercise in 'whataboutism' and not relevant to the ONLY question that matters......

  44. [44] 
    nypoet22 wrote:

    On the ONLY issue that mattered... The ONLY issue that beget the Mueller probe to begin with..

    DID PRESIDENT TRUMP OR ANY AMERICAN COLLUDE WITH THE RUSSIANS TO AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF THE 2016 ELECTION..???

    that's just not accurate. the issue that begot the mueller probe was donald's firing of james comey, which donald CLAIMED was because of the "trump and russia thing."

    however, the root of that firing was not russia, but turkey, who retained general flynn as an operative while he was donald's national security advisor, the investigation of which comey refused to back off when the president requested it. at least according to mueller, the intent to obstruct comey's investigation was one of the key questions he was hired to investigate (see mueller report, page 174).

    so... russian election interference may have been one of the issues that spawned the mueller probe, but it certainly wasn't the only one.

    JL

  45. [45] 
    Michale wrote:

    so... russian election interference may have been one of the issues that spawned the mueller probe, but it certainly wasn't the only one.

    But Comey's firing was directly related to the issue of Russia Collusion..

    In other words, if there was no Russia Collusion issue, then Comey's firing would not have been an issue at all..

    At the heart, the ONLY issue was Russia Collusion... All other issues stem from that one issue..

  46. [46] 
    Michale wrote:

    And THAT is how one disagrees in a mature and adult manner.. :D

    Nyaaaaa Nyaaaaa Nyaaaa :D

  47. [47] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    the investigation established that the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome, and that the Campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts...

    144 contacts (way more than the five of six of the Romney campaign). Moreover, some of the most contentious contacts were with Roger Stone, who has his case redacted from this report.

    So was Mueller shut down just BEFORE he nailed down the final piece? That's one theory worth pursuing.

    So why not let Mueller testify, let the report out without redactions, and let the congressional committees do their work? If the results are so locked in stone, what difference would it make?

    What's Trump so afraid of?

  48. [48] 
    Michale wrote:

    So was Mueller shut down just BEFORE he nailed down the final piece?

    Any facts to support that??

    Of course not..

    But that won't stop you from assuming..

    And when you make an assumption, you make an ass out of YOU... And umption..

    What's Trump so afraid of?

    What was Odumbo so afraid of he wouldn't release the FAST AND FURIOUS docs???

    Once again.. It's ALL about the -D/-R...

  49. [49] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    Clever. You managed to answer without answering.
    Go to the top of Sarah Huckabee's class.

    Now answer: what's Trump so afraid of?

    No whataboutisms.

  50. [50] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    Any facts to support that?

    Um..the fact that it was taken out of the report, for one.

  51. [51] 
    Michale wrote:

    Now answer: what's Trump so afraid of?

    I did answer.. You just didn't like what the answer says about your Messiah Odumbo..

    Um..the fact that it was taken out of the report, for one.

    No, you implied that the Mueller report was shut down to prevent him from finding that final piece..

    Do you have ANY facts to support that??

    No you do not..

  52. [52] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    I did answer..

    No, you didn't. The "Obama" answer has no relevance.

    I'll ask again: What is Trump so afraid of?

    you implied that the Mueller report was shut down to prevent him from finding that final piece..
    Do you have ANY facts to support that?

    Just weeks after Barr got confirmed, the Mueller Report was ready. Was there some pushing?

    Only Mueller can answer that.

  53. [53] 
    Michale wrote:

    I'll ask again: What is Trump so afraid of?

    And I'll answer again.. The same thing your Messiah, Odumbo was afraid of when he stonewalled the FAST FURIOUS investigation..

    Just weeks after Barr got confirmed, the Mueller Report was ready. Was there some pushing?

    You assume there is. SOLEY because you want to believe it..

    Like I said before..

    You said, "Wait til Mueller finishes his report!! Trump is toast!!!"

    Mueller finished the report.. President Trump is completely exonerated over the Russia Collusion Delusion..

    THEN you said, "Wait til the Mueller report is released!! THEN President Trump is toast!! Going to jail!!!"

    Mueller report was released.. TOTAL and COMPLETE EXONERATION over the Russia Collusion delusion...

    NOW.... Now yer claim is, "Wait til Mueller testifies!! THEN President Trump is toast!!!"

    And when Mueller confirms that President Trump is COMPLETELY and UNEQUIVOCALLY exonerated for Russia Collusion???

    THEN what is your story going to be??

    You see your problem??

    **EVERYTHING** is always WAIT UNTIL, WAIT UNTIL, WAIT UNTIL..

    And when yer UNTIL finally happens..... YOU ARE ALWAYS WRONG...

  54. [54] 
    Michale wrote:

    You see yer problem, Balthy??

    Yer running out of plank..

    What happens when Mueller testifies and confirms that President Trump is completely and unequivocally exonerated on Russia Collusion..

    Where do you run then?? What shields you from the awful reality then???

    What more bullshit will you spew to cover your ass, Birther???

  55. [55] 
    Michale wrote:

    You willing to take a Sherman on your Russia Collusion delusion, Balthy???

    No???

    "WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED!!!??"
    -Iago, ALADDIN

  56. [56] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    Okay, here's the rundown from F&F. Note that, at no point were either the AG or President protecting themselves:

    October 31, 2009 - Phoenix-based ATF agents get a tip from a local gun shop about suspicious purchases of assault rifles by four individuals.

    December 14, 2010 - Terry is killed during a shootout in the Arizona desert.

    January 25, 2011 - The US Attorney's office in Arizona announces that 34 suspects have been indicted for firearms trafficking from the United States to Mexico.

    March 3, 2011 - Melson announces the formation of a panel to "review the bureau's current firearms trafficking strategies employed by field division managers and special agents."

    April 1, 2011 - The House Oversight Committee issues a subpoena for ATF documents.

    May 3, 2011 - Holder testifies before the House Judiciary Committee. He says that he first heard of Fast and Furious only over the past few weeks.

    October 12, 2011 - The House Oversight Committee issues a subpoena for communications from Holder and other DOJ officials related to the federal gunrunning operation.

    November 8, 2011 - Holder testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee. "This operation was flawed in its concept and flawed in its execution.," he says.

    February 2, 2012 - Holder testifies before the House Oversight Committee. He says that DOJ officials will be held accountable for Fast and Furious.

    June 20, 2012 - Republicans on the House Oversight Committee recommend that Holder be cited for contempt of Congress for failing to turn over documents relating to Fast and Furious. They make the recommendation after President Barack Obama asserts executive privilege over some documents sought by the committee.

    June 28, 2012 - The House of Representatives votes 255-67 to hold Holder in criminal contempt of Congress. This is the first time in American history that the head of the Justice Department has been held in contempt by Congress.

    August 13, 2012 - The House Oversight Committee files a civil lawsuit against Holder over Fast and Furious documents. On January 19, 2016, a federal judge orders the DOJ to release thousands of pages of documents.

    September 19, 2012 - The DOJ Inspector General releases a report on the operation, concluding that Holder was not informed of Fast and Furious until 2011. The inspector general finds 14 employees of the ATF and the DOJ responsible for management failures. After the report is released, Melson retires and a deputy assistant attorney general resigns.

    November 3, 2014 - Under court order, the Justice Department turns over nearly 65,000 pages of Fast and Furious-related documents. The documents were previously withheld under the Obama administration's claim of executive privilege.

    April 8, 2016 - The DOJ releases additional documents pertaining to Fast and Furious, as ordered by a federal judge.

    So, in the end, there were NO documents withheld from F&F. In the end 34 suspects were rounded up and jailed. A few DOJ employees resigned.

  57. [57] 
    Michale wrote:

    ‘Trumpville’ Site Chosen on Israel-Held Golan to Honor President
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-12/-trumpville-site-chosen-on-israel-held-golan-to-honor-president

    It's undeniable that President Trump has repaired the US/Israeli alliance that Odumbo frak'ed up so bad...

  58. [58] 
    Michale wrote:

    Okay, here's the rundown from F&F. Note that, at no point were either the AG or President protecting themselves:

    Once again, you lose..

    Holder was held in contempt of Congress..

    Just like AG Barr is...

    If Holder is completely innocent, so is AG Barr...

    So... No Sherman, eh???

    "Baaawwwwwkkkkkkk Baaawwwwwkkkkkkkk BBBBBaaaaaawwwwwwkkkkkkk"

    :D

  59. [59] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    Now, let's compare that to the present situation:

    A Special Prosecutor has written a report, which was later conveyed to Congress in heavily redacted form.

    Congress asked for the ENTIRE report.

    Barr refuses, claiming privilege, then Trump declares the entire thing under executive privilege.

    So what's Barr's motive? The report is already written. There's no institutional reason. And Congress can see any classified information.

    But like the witnesses, and the taxes, the real reason is simply to make Trump look better.

    And of course, they'll lose.

  60. [60] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    If Holder is completely innocent, so is AG Barr.

    That's a weird point to go to..

  61. [61] 
    Michale wrote:

    And of course, they'll lose.

    Yea.. You have been saying that for 2+ years..

    You have ALWAYS been wrong..

    So... No Sherman???

    "Baaawwwwwkkkkkkk Baaawwwwwkkkkkkkk BBBBBaaaaaawwwwwwkkkkkkk"

  62. [62] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    Yea.. You have been saying that for 2+ years..
    You have ALWAYS been wrong..

    Patience, grasshopper. Takes a lot of lift to get a giant asshole out of office. We'll do it..

    ..and what's the Sherman reference?

  63. [63] 
    Michale wrote:

    Patience, grasshopper.

    You and Neil et al have been saying "Patience" for over 2 years..

    Yer credibility is non-existent..

    We'll do it..

    You haven't yet... What makes you think you you'll have any success when ya'all have ALWAYS failed..

    .and what's the Sherman reference?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shermanesque_statement

    Basically Taking A Sherman means you'll make an unequivocal statement over a particular action if a particular circumstance comes into being..

    For example..

    Taking A Sherman with regards to your Russia Collusion delusion would look like:

    "If Mueller confirms in his testimony that he found absolutely no facts to support the claim of Russia Collusion, I will concede that President Trump is completely and unequivocally innocent of Russia Collusion.."

    THAT is a Sherman...

    Are you will to take it??

    $20,000 quatloos says you won't...

  64. [64] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    You and Neil et al have been saying "Patience" for over 2 years..

    Well, yeah. Takes a while to un-frak yourself.

    Are you will to take it? (SIC)

    Of course. Provided: that Mueller testifies, and that the answer isn't cut off.

    Now that means that you have to allow Mueller to speak. And it doesn't cover obstruction. Or taxes.

    I say: Let 'er Rip.

  65. [65] 
    Michale wrote:

    END OF WATCH

    Sergeant Kelvin Ansari
    Savannah Police Department, Georgia
    End of Watch: Saturday, May 11, 2019

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1c1f544ea7b54a58eeb922b13ed887fee999c194c40e07aed62a98eda2ef6593.jpg

  66. [66] 
    Michale wrote:

    Well, yeah. Takes a while to un-frak yourself.

    But you have been PROMISING it will happen for YEARS...

    I say: Let 'er Rip.

    OK, so if Mueller confirms there was NO FACTS to support Russia Collusion by ANY American, you will concede that President Trump is COMPLETELY and UNEQUIVOCALLY innocent of Russia Collusion...

    I will hold you to that...

  67. [67] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    if Mueller confirms there was NO FACTS to support Russia Collusion by ANY American

    Can't do that. People are in jail. There WAS collusion.

    Just not...officially...by Trump.

    If Mueller says it, I buy it.

  68. [68] 
    nypoet22 wrote:

    @balthasar,

    the people who are in jail are there because they lied to investigators and tampered with witnesses, not because they conspired with the russian government. as i understand the mueller report (p.174-180), putin didn't need or want help from any americans. a few may have tried for their own purposes, but were unsuccessful in conspiring on behalf of anybody but themselves.

    JL

  69. [69] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    nyp-JL [70]:

    Sure enough, but there were several instances of "collusion" listed in the report -

    1. Everyone that talked to Russians and then lied about it to investigators. Starting with Flynn.
    The question (never answered) is Why?

    2. Manafort had debts? to Deripaska. not sure
    In any case, he was passing polling information back to his guy in Ukraine. He's still lying about it.

    3. Erik Prince apparently wanted to open a 'back channel' to the Russians. Why? Did he succeed?

    4. Roger Stone not only talked to Gucciffer 2.1, but also to Wikileaks' Assange. The level of collusion is unknown.

    5. Trump Jr. had that meeting that included Manafort and Kushner in the Trump Tower. Say what you want about it, it's still the subject of lies.

    And those are just the big fish. For some reason, Mueller decided that those just didn't amount to conspiracy, but many of these cases are still open.

    So...?

  70. [70] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    Not mentioned in the Report are all the times that Trump has met with Putin, and then had the translator's notes destroyed. We have no idea what they discussed, save for the Russian version.

    Some collusion is in the open.

  71. [71] 
    Michale wrote:

    Can't do that. People are in jail.

    People are in jail for "crimes" that had NOTHING to do with Russians, the election or collusion..

    There WAS collusion.

    OK, Birther... :^/

    Since you have absolutely NO GRASP on reality, you can't be believed on anything you say..

  72. [72] 
    Michale wrote:

    Not mentioned in the Report are all the times that Trump has met with Putin, and then had the translator's notes destroyed. We have no idea what they discussed, save for the Russian version.

    So, ANYTIME President Trump talked to Putin, it was "collusion"??

    BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    Like I said.. No grasp on reality...

    Some collusion is in the open.

    "Can you ask Vlad to give me some help on winning my election. If he can, then I can be more flexible for him in the future.."
    -Barack Odumbo

    Funny how you didn't mind when yer Messiah, Odumbo, ACTUALLY colluded with Russians, eh? :^/

  73. [73] 
    Michale wrote:

    And those are just the big fish. For some reason, Mueller decided that those just didn't amount to conspiracy, but many of these cases are still open.

    So...?

    So, basically, in YOUR mind, anytime someone TALKS to someone, it's collusion...???

    Like I said.. NO GRASP on reality..

    But let me ask you...

    When Hillary talked to the Ukranians, was that collusion??

    When Hillary talked to the Russians, was THAT collusion???

    You see your problem??

    You are entirely fixated on the -D/-R aspect of everything..

    A person with a -R after their name talks to someone?? ANYONE?? That's collusion..

    A person with a -D after their name talks to someone?? ANYONE?? That's perfectly acceptable..

    When all is said and done, there was no collusion with the Russians to win the election by ANY American..

    Mueller said it.. That settles it...

    And you are too scared to take a Sherman, Birther... :^/

  74. [74] 
    Michale wrote:

    Connecticut man faces up to 140 years in prison for threatening to kill Trump, others
    http://news.trust.org/item/20190512190607-197yt

    Ahhhhh yes...

    The "peace" and "tolerance" of Democrats, Never Trumpers and Trump/America haters... :?

  75. [75] 
    Michale wrote:

    Frank Miniter: Student walkout at Colorado shooting vigil is a good sign

    The very public scene of hundreds of Colorado students and their parents walking out of a vigil that was turned into political theater by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence was so embarrassing that the gun control group actually issued an apology.

    Before leaving the Wednesday night event, students shouted, in front of journalists who the Brady Campaign invited: “this is not for us,” “political stunt” and “we are people, not a statement.”

    A Message from servicenow.com

    Sponsored Video
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    The Brady Campaign had portrayed the event as a vigil in memory of Kendrick Castillo, a student hero who died from gunshot wounds after he and two other students charged one of the attackers Tuesday at the Highlands Ranch STEM School in Colorado.

    Eight other students were injured in the shooting. Two students were arrested and accused of the attack.

    Instead of putting together an event to bring people together to mourn, the gun control group brought in activists and Colorado politicians – Democratic presidential contender U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and Democratic U.S. Rep. Jason Crow – to push a one-sided political agenda.
    https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/frank-miniter-student-walkout-at-colorado-shooting-vigil-is-a-good-sign

    Democrats.. :eyeroll:

    Pushing an unpopular unconstitutional agenda...

  76. [76] 
    Michale wrote:

    Rep. Lee Zeldin says Pelosi showed 'bad judgment' allowing anti-Israel imam to deliver House prayer
    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/lee-zeldin-pelosi-imam-house-prayer-bad-judgment

    And Anti-Semitism once again rears it's ugly head within the Democrat Party..

    :^/

  77. [77] 
    Michale wrote:

    President Trump enjoys a meteoric rise in approval rating..
    https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html

    As I said.. Democrats would be wise to cede 2020 and concentrate on 2024..

    Oh wait.. Democrats are pushing the Russia Collusion Delusion..

    They already *ARE* conceding 2020... :D

  78. [78] 
    Michale wrote:

    Democrats are falling into Trump’s trap. History proves it.

    This battle royal between the legislative and executive branches will grind its way through the courts — all the while allowing Trump to continue hogging the media’s attention. Meanwhile, some two dozen would-be Democratic nominees are starving for airtime. House Democrats could be passing popular legislation and forcing Team Trump to block it, thus laying the groundwork for the coming campaign. They appear trapped in their Trump obsession.

    Like the Romans marching to Trasimene, the Democrats are overconfident.

    They say they can “walk and chew gum at the same time” — that is, hound the president while pushing a positive platform. They’re wrong; they can’t. If there is hounding to be done, let New York’s attorney general do it. Team Pelosi should hit Trump where it hurts: Ignore him for a while.

    Ancient history is not the only place to learn this lesson. It is as fresh as the last election. Hillary Clinton took Trump’s bait and made her entire closing argument about him: his genital-grabbing, his bankruptcies, his bromance with Vladimir Putin. By Election Day, Democrats basked in polls that indicated a majority of Americans thought Trump was unfit for office.

    And look what happened. Trump’s opponents are deluded if they think it can’t happen again.
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/like-hannibal-of-antiquity-trump-is-baiting-the-democrats-into-fighting-on-his-turf/2019/05/10/7f1addfa-7348-11e9-9f06-5fc2ee80027a_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.7dff6d741d3d

    Democrats are dancing to President Trump's tune..

    You would think they would have learned...

    But their Hyper Hysterical President Trump Derangement Syndrome is in control...

    Result: President Trump is re-elected in a landslide in 2020... :D

  79. [79] 
    Michale wrote:

    Joe Biden is stuck in the past when it comes to climate change

    Biden thinks fracked gas is an acceptable way to reduce emissions. He is too stuck in the past to be a credible standard-bearer for the Democratic party
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/11/joe-biden-no-middle-ground-climate-change

    This is why it's unlikely that Biden will be the Democrat Party nominee

  80. [80] 
    Michale wrote:

    The Left’s Obsession with Race

    There was a time when people aspired to a world where race was an afterthought. It was always a tough slog, but we’d moved closer and closer over time. Then something funny happened – a political party realized they could benefit from division and that unity was bad for business. Unity would require a debate on issues and their merits, which was one they had been losing, so they opted for backsliding; divide to conquer.

    If you divide people into groups it is much easier to win. Groups of people are easier to manipulate than millions of individuals. It is easier to win especially when you’ve been inundating them with the idea that there are “others” actively working against them as well as a system completely rigged to crush them. These ideas coupled with the elevation and fetishization of victimhood in the culture and you’ve created the perfect petri dish for the progressive agenda.

    The left needs to foster division, and the anger a fear that accompanies it, because a fearful and angry people don’t think rationally. A fearful and angry people can have that fear and anger pointed toward those they’re told to be fearful of and angry at.
    https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2019/05/12/the-lefts-obsession-with-race-n2546188

    If Democrats didn't have the Race Card, they would have no cards at all... :^/

  81. [81] 
    Michale wrote:

    Will Meghan Markle and Prince Harry raise their baby to be black?
    https://www.latimes.com/opinion/enterthefray/la-ol-meghan-markle-prince-harry-baby-sussex-upbringing-20190506-story.html

    With Democrats, EVERYTHING is about race.. :^/

  82. [82] 
    Michale wrote:
  83. [83] 
    Michale wrote:

    Balthy-
    "The question never answered is why."

    Speaking from personal experience, if you're looking for answer to the question why you may have come to the wrong forum.

    More accurately, you only find the "WHY" when it comes to Republicans...

    Being a Democrat means never having to answer "WHY"...

    Around here, you ask for why and they give you pie.

    "That rhymes, Marge!! That rhymes and you know it!!!"
    -Homer Simpson

    `

  84. [84] 
    Michale wrote:

    War is set to break out in the Mid East at any moment..

    And all Democrats care about is the Russia Collusion delusion..

  85. [85] 
    C. R. Stucki wrote:

    Just watched a youtube video where Chris Hedges, Noam Chomsky and Glenn Greenwald, all fully-credentialed Dems/Libs, are trying to point out to their fellow Dems/Libs, that they are committing political suicide with their Russiagate obsession (aka "Collusion Delusion").

  86. [86] 
    Michale wrote:

    Just watched a youtube video where Chris Hedges, Noam Chomsky and Glenn Greenwald, all fully-credentialed Dems/Libs, are trying to point out to their fellow Dems/Libs, that they are committing political suicide with their Russiagate obsession (aka "Collusion Delusion").

    Yep, yep, aaaauuuu yep...

    Got a link for that?? I'de like to see it as well..

    The nice thing (for me) about the Russia Collusion delusion is it's a WIN WIN..

    President Trump is re-elected in a landslide...

    And I get to crow "I TOLD YA'ALL SO" until Jan of 2024.. :D

  87. [87] 
    C. R. Stucki wrote:

    Michale

    Sorry, I don't know how to link. I just stumbled onto it when I clicked on one of the 'pop-ups' while I was looking for the current week's Richard D. Wolff Marxist post. It was some news guy's thing on RT.

  88. [88] 
    C. R. Stucki wrote:

    Stock mkt is crashing. Trump might be dumb enough to think he's winning his trade wars, but nobody else, including investors, is dumb enough to believe that bullshit.

    He's so stupid, he's now actively alienating his base. I don't care how crazy the Kicks of the world are in flogging their Russiagate obsession, they might just wind up with the last laugh on 2020 if our asshole-in-chied commits suicide even faster than the Kicks are doing.

  89. [89] 
    Michale wrote:

    No biggie.. I am sure I can find it.. :D

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji4ZXcruNJY

    Not sure if that's it, but it is also informative as well.. :D

  90. [90] 
    Michale wrote:

    Stock mkt is crashing

    I wouldn't call it "crashing".. There is concern, now that China is retaliating, but it's minor..

    China needs the US a LOT more than the US needs China.. And China knows that..

    So, they are making a half-hearted attempt to save face, but they'll come around.. THEY have a lot more to lose than we do if they don't..

    He's so stupid, he's now actively alienating his base.

    I see no evidence of this.. Not only is President Trump's base as strong as ever, but he is actually EXPANDING his base.. Hence the meteoric rise of the President's approval numbers..

    :D

  91. [91] 
    C. R. Stucki wrote:

    Over 700 points on the Dow as of now, and still dropping. Sounds crashy to me.

  92. [92] 
    Michale wrote:

    Peggy Grande: California Dems’ bid to keep Trump off the ballot should scare all of us
    https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/peggy-grande-california-dems-bid-to-keep-trump-off-the-ballot-should-worry-all-of-us

    I am sure all of ya'all (with a few exceptions) see no problem in this...

    That's what's so scary about the Democrats, Never Trumpers and Trump/America haters..

    NOTHING is out of bounds in their pursuit to destroy President Trump.. :^/

    #sad

  93. [93] 
    Michale wrote:

    Over 700 points on the Dow as of now, and still dropping. Sounds crashy to me.

    And when the Dow gains that back plus thousands more in the next week or two??

    Which is likely to happen..

    It's a simply market volatility.. Nothing more..

  94. [94] 
    Michale wrote:

    On the other hand, your the Market expert.. I am just a knuckle dragging ground pounder.. :D

    But let's see what happens over the next few days rather than screaming THE SKY IS FALLING TRUMP IS TOAST and have to be embarrassed when it doesn't happen.. :D

  95. [95] 
    Balthasar wrote:

    The sticking point with China is intellectual property rights, which they have a serious problem with. On this issue, liberals actually back Trump.

    The problem is that Trump thinks that tariffs hurt China, when the reality is the other way around.

    So the stock fall is a warning: check your premises.

  96. [96] 
    Michale wrote:

    The problem is that Trump thinks that tariffs hurt China, when the reality is the other way around.

    Facts to support that China isn't hurt by US tariffs???

    Yes, there is some short term pain for Americans..

    But compare that to the LONG TERM benefits of bring China to heel...

    Look past your Trump hate and act for the good of the country.. Instead of the good of the Democrat Party agenda..

  97. [97] 
    C. R. Stucki wrote:

    Balthy

    The tariff itself does not 'hurt China' - it is simply a tax, and it is paid by American importers, and passed along to American consumers , whenever they buy the product that got taxed (higher price).

    What actually does "hurt China" is the loss of American imports. Trade only takes place when both parties to the exchange benefit - (law of economics.) Therefore of course, that same principle also hurts us, beause we no longer get their exports.

    The asshole-in-chief proclaimed on public TV some weeks back that "tariff wars are easy to win", which simply exemplified his utter cluelessness about economics. He's now getting some education, but I doubt if it will take.

  98. [98] 
    C. R. Stucki wrote:

    Michale

    I doubt that Trump has the power to "bring China to heel".

  99. [99] 
    Michale wrote:

    I doubt that Trump has the power to "bring China to heel".

    Time will tell... :D

    I trust President Trump more than I would trust any Dumbocrat...

    They have PROVEN they can't handle things..

  100. [100] 
    Michale wrote:
  101. [101] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    Michale [75]

    So, basically, in YOUR mind, anytime someone TALKS to someone, it's collusion...???

    Like I said.. NO GRASP on reality..

    But let me ask you...

    When Hillary talked to the Ukranians, was that collusion??

    When Hillary talked to the Russians, was THAT collusion???

    You see your problem??

    You are entirely fixated on the -D/-R aspect of everything..

    Good try at oversimplification! Bravo!

    No, the problem isn’t that they talked to foreign governments, it is that they LIED about talking to them!

    There is no issue with Hillary’s actions because when Hillary talked to foreign governments, she did not lie about it. Trump and his campaign ALL lied about their over 100 contacts with the Russians. Gen. Flynn was not charged with a felony because he talked to foreign governments — he plead guilty to lying to authorities about his talking with foreign governments!

    See, you choose to ignore the actual problem with Trump’s contacts with the Russians. Trump, for some unknown reason, lied over and over about his campaign’s contacts with Russia, and (here is the key element, so pay close attention) RUSSIA KNOWS HE LIED. That is Spying 101 for “How to Compromise an Asset”! This means that the entire Trump campaign was compromised and could be blackmailed to keep Russia from exposing their lies.

    Our allies intelligence agencies reported hearing Russian officials discussing Trump’s campaign and meetings with them. Our own intelligence agencies who monitor known foreign agents in our country recorded meetings between Trump’s people and the Russians. Trump’s staff had to know that the Russians phones were tapped, yet they chose to lie about it.

    Bottom line: Trump and his campaign were all compromised. That was one purpose of the Mueller investigation — to determine how compromised Trump was and whether he was a willing participant. And here lies a major problem for our country... our president can be blackmailed by a foreign power at any time now.

    Russia has information that Trump does not want the American people knowing about. Now, the question becomes if Russia tries to blackmail Trump, would Trump stand up to Putin and allow himself to be humiliated to protect our country? I think we all know that when it comes to Trump’s ego....Trump will cave to Putin’s demands, if he hasn’t already!

    That is the ugly truth that you just cannot handle!

    I just cannot figure out if it is your hatred for liberals that keeps you supporting a compromised Russian asset, or what?

  102. [102] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    There was no Deep State attempt at a coup, there was our intelligence agencies’ biggest nightmare come to life- a candidate that they all knew had been compromised by the Russians won the presidency!

    Has Putin used his information to get Trump to do what Russia wants?

    Gee, Trump’s attacks on our participation in NATO...the unexplained change to the GOP party platform that benefited Russia...Trump’s refusal to ever say anything remotely negative about Putin...Trump accepting Putin’s word over that of our intelligence agencies...

    Makes ya wonder!

    And if Trump thought taking meetings with Putin without any Americans present means that our intelligence agencies did not hear what was being discussed, he truly is a moron! Trump is compromised!!! You can bet that our intelligence agencies have his toupee wired.

    So I have to ask: Why do you think investigating Trump is a partisan hoax and not the smart thing to do given his being compromised???

  103. [103] 
    Michale wrote:

    So I have to ask: Why do you think investigating Trump is a partisan hoax and not the smart thing to do given his being compromised???

    You ASSUME Trump has been compromised..

    You have NO FACTS to support your claim.

    Therefore, your entire argument falls apart..

    You base your entire argument on a lie..

  104. [104] 
    Michale wrote:

    Makes ya wonder!

    No, it doesn't..

    Because your entire premise is based on a lie..

    Because you can't get past your hate..

  105. [105] 
    ListenWhenYouHear wrote:

    Michale,

    You ASSUME Trump has been compromised..

    You have NO FACTS to support your claim.

    Therefore, your entire argument falls apart..

    NO, I do NOT ASSUME Trump has been compromised, Trump has lied countless times about his campaign’s and his business’ ties to Russia. Trump maintains the lies. THIS is what makes Trump COMPROMISED!

    Russia has plenty of information that they could offer regarding those meetings that Trump doesn’t want the American people learning about. And because he lied about his interactions with Russia (and because we all know this), there is a lot that Russia could threaten to say that Trump definitely does not want Russia to say. And because Trump is a well documented liar, even if Russia creates false accusations of Trump’s wrongdoings, most people will believe Russia over Trump. Sadly, Russia is more credible than Trump is!

    It was this same scenario that made Acting Attorney General Sally Yates rush over to the White House to warn the president that Gen. Flynn could not serve as National Security Advisor. He was compromised and that made him a huge risk! The only thing scarier than having a National Security Advisor that has been compromised working for our country is having a sitting President that is compromised! But that is exactly what we have!

  106. [106] 
    Michale wrote:

    NO, I do NOT ASSUME Trump has been compromised, Trump has lied countless times about his campaign’s and his business’ ties to Russia. Trump maintains the lies. THIS is what makes Trump COMPROMISED!

    No, it doesn't make Trump compromised even if he DID lie about things..

    Sadly, Russia is more credible than Trump is!

    Sadly, you actually believe that..

    All you have is hate and delusion..

    The Russia Collusion bullshit is over, Russ..

    You lost...

    You need to start worrying about Democrats being investigated for colluding with Russia as part of their coup..

    THAT is what you should be concerned about..

  107. [107] 
    Michale wrote:

    Do you know how I know that ya'all's attacks on President Trump are based SOLELY on hate, intolerance and bigotry??

    Because ya'all are ***ALWAYS*** wrong.....

  108. [108] 
    Kick wrote:

    C. R. Stucki
    42

    Okay, so now you've helped establish there are two board trolls who haven't read the Mueller Report yet keep insisting they know what's in it.

    How pathetic yet predictable. :)

  109. [109] 
    Kick wrote:

    Balthasar
    49

    144 contacts (way more than the five of six of the Romney campaign). Moreover, some of the most contentious contacts were with Roger Stone, who has his case redacted from this report.

    Guess who was told it couldn't be unredacted by lawyers of Roger Stone? The judge in Roger Stone's case. Guess who then ordered it unredacted and received it quite easily? Yes, sir. One and the same.

    So was Mueller shut down just BEFORE he nailed down the final piece? That's one theory worth pursuing.

    It appears so. And the "final piece" that would freak out Trump and company were he to be arrested? Say it with me: Jerome Corsi.

    So why not let Mueller testify, let the report out without redactions, and let the congressional committees do their work? If the results are so locked in stone, what difference would it make?

    "Locked in stone"? Yes, Stone will be "locked in." Perhaps he'll be "locked in" with Paulie or Mikey Cohen or J. Ass? With all those Trump associates either being "locked in" or choosing to cooperate to avoid prison, you'd think the Trump sycophants would catch on.

    "Individual-1" sure seems to see the handwriting on the wall... otherwise, there'd be no reason to keep obstructing and keep constantly moving those goalposts. We've sure come a long way from "I have no business in Russia" and "no one on the Trump campaign met with any Russians" haven't we? :)

  110. [110] 
    Kick wrote:

    C. R. Stucki
    91

    He's so stupid, he's now actively alienating his base. I don't care how crazy the Kicks of the world are in flogging their Russiagate obsession, they might just wind up with the last laugh on 2020 if our asshole-in-chied commits suicide even faster than the Kicks are doing.

    The trolls on this forum seem to have a fascination with suicide, which says so much more about them than anyone else here.

    Sorry to disappoint you, old man, but at your advanced age and with the abundant evidence of your obvious mental decline, you'll be long gone while I'm still happily breathing on this planet. :)

  111. [111] 
    Kick wrote:

    Stucki
    91

    I do agree with you on the China issue, though, Stucki. You're right about that. Add to everything you said which I agree with, there's also the issue of China being the hands down largest holder of U.S. treasury debt to the tune of approximately $1.1 trillion. China therefore has the ammunition to cause catastrophe to this country, and anyone who believes otherwise is simply uninformed. Markets are underestimating the long-term implications of Trump's ignorance and reacting only to the short run at the present time.

    Meanwhile, Chinese state-run media are calling for a war on the United States, and Xi doesn't need to be reelected while "Individual-1" who doesn't understand how trade deficits and tariffs work needs reelection simply to avoid indictment and prosecution in his home state. :)

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