COMEY FIRED:
PROTEST AT WHITE HOUSE
NOON WEDNESDAY
RSVP: https://t.co/cdYk1EVXVs
Please RT & share on Facebook pic.twitter.com/xPstDbaI6C— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) May 10, 2017
And it's official: Trump will meet w Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov tomorrow in Oval Office, per White House, lone event on his sked
— Julie Davis (@juliehdavis) May 10, 2017
TOMORROW: All Senate Dems asked to be in the chamber at 9:30am to hear/see if McConnell says more regarding Trump's firing of Comey
— Ed O'Keefe (@edatpost) May 10, 2017
We need a real, independent prosecutor who @realDonaldTrump can't fire, Sessions can't intimidate, & Congress can't muzzle. We need it now.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) May 9, 2017
Politico — “Behind Comey’s firing: An enraged Trump, fuming about Russia“:
… [T]he fallout seemed to take the White House by surprise. Trump made a round of calls around 5 p.m., asking for support from senators. White House officials believed it would be a “win-win” because Republicans and Democrats alike have problems with the FBI director, one person briefed on their deliberations said.
Instead, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told him he was making a big mistake — and Trump seemed “taken aback,” according to a person familiar with the call.
By Tuesday evening, the president was watching the coverage of his decision and frustrated no one was on TV defending him, a White House official said. He wanted surrogates out there beating the drum.
Instead, advisers were attacking each other for not realizing the gravity of the situation as events blew up. “How are you not defending your position for three solid hours on TV?” the White House aide said…
“We just have no idea why this happened. No idea,” said one recently retired top FBI official who worked closely with Comey on many high-profile investigations. “No one knew this was coming. Everyone is just shocked that this happened.”
There was no immediate front-runner for the job, one White House official said. “If there’s a list, I haven’t seen it,” said one senior White House official.
While shock dominated much of the FBI and the White House, the mood was more elated at Roger Stone’s house in Florida. Several Stone allies and friends said Stone, who has been frequently mentioned in the investigation, encouraged the president to fire Comey in conversations in recent weeks…
(That’s one fly in the soup, as far as I’m concerned: Assuming — as is widely rumored — that Stone has been trying to cut a deal to save his own Nixon-tattoo’d skin, it would make me sad if Trump’s latest move gave him any leverage.)
Apart from readying the pitchforks (and the popcorn), what’s on the agenda for the day?
Elizabelle
Russiagate.
Eyes on the prize, peeps.
Baud
Fascistgate?
Baud
@Elizabelle: Yes, that’s better.
clay
I said on a previous thread that the idea that Dems would be okay with Comey’s firing becuase they had criticized him in the past… that idea is so stupid it must have come from Trump himself. This story would seem to bear me out.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
Trump became president last night.
SiubhanDuinne
Good morning, everyone (will leave the emojis to rikyrah).
I hope our dear greennotGreen had a comfortable and peaceful night. I woke up much too early, so am going to try to grab another couple of hours of sleep, but will check back later. Hope everyone has a day that is restful or energising, as needed.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
Also, too …. Pivot!
Baud
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: Hahaha
Baud
@clay: Comey is scum, but he’s better than whoever will replace him.
bemused
CNN reported yesterday that pres Fubar hadn’t made a public appearance in 5 days. Can’t imagine how high his blood pressure must be after pacing around the WH in a raging mega tantrum for days.
rikyrah
Morning Everyone???
Baud
@rikyrah: Morning.
rikyrah
@Elizabelle:
Russiagate it is
Elizabelle
Corruptiongate.
Bringing forward Kay’s wonderful comment on the Cole pizza thread: from 6:41 am:
satby
@rikyrah: Morning rikyrah!
Joining the others who are hoping that greennotGreen had a comfortable and peaceful night.
Elizabelle
Russiagate and Corruptiongate work for me.
If Corruptiongate, we get another whack at informing about campaign financing and Citizens United — a Supreme Court decision that actual American citizens do not like.
Make the Republicans own all of this. Burn them down.
Immanentize
@Elizabelle: I agree with Kay. Corruption! should be the battle cry.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
@bemused: leaks state he spent all day Monday in front of a tee vee set watching the hearings, including the pre and post coverage. That’s not guilty behavior at all.
Baud
@Elizabelle: I thought the old advice was to focus on policy because that’s how they brought down Berlusconi.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
On Confirmation of Rod Rosenstein to be Deputy Attorney General
Wilmer – Yea
Warren – Nay
(link)
Heck of a job,
BrownieBernieElizabelle
@Baud: Yes. And Corruption is the policy and Russia gave us Trump.
FWIW, France is so lucky Marine LePen did not have a reality show. And they don’t have Fox News.
Chet
I know it’s not news anymore, but it’s so dismaying how the President craves validation from the media he calls fake.
clay
Morning Joe just shut down Huckabee Jr.’s silly arguments. “If firing Comey was so urgent that it had to be done immediately after the assistant AG recommended it, then why did Trump wait three weeks to fire Mike Flynn after being repeatedly warned about him by a different AG?”
Elizabelle
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: Maybe he was constipated.
clay
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: Doesn’t he have, like, shit to do?
Steeplejack
I try not to even think this about a woman, but, damn, Sarah Huckabee Sanders has a really punchable face, especially when she’s working her pie hole as she is now on Morning Joe. Which I am ashamed to admit I have turned on to see what they’re saying. God help me, I’m getting into the raven zone.
She is a shameless hack, inarticulate, unqualified, and yet another nepotism lottery winner.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
@Elizabelle: I’m still stunned a True Economic Populist like Le Pen lost to a NeoLiberal like Macron.
Le Pen should have campaigned more in Wisconsin.
Baud
@clay: No. Anything he would do would be bad. Let him watch TV.
Elizabelle
@ greennotGreen:
I am glad that our darling greennotGreen has lived long enough to see the Trumpster step on his dick, but good.
Good morning there, you in the beautiful sun-filled space, surrounded by late spring greenness and art and love. Hope today is a good day for you, and that you retain some energy.
Baud
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: Manchin has a primary challenger. We’ll finally get to test some political theories.
clay
Now Joe is pushing that “Trump is a lifelong Democrat” bullshit. *sigh*. One step forward, two steps back…
amk
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:
Can’t imagine any
CEOprezsane person sitting in front of teevee all day long.Baud
@clay: That’s modern version of Dems were the Jim Crow party.
clay
@Baud: Oh I know. But I’m just trying to picture Obama, or even Bush Jr., sitting around watching TV all day and they just wouldn’t have the time. They had too much on their schedule.
Which begs the question… who, if anyone, is doing all the stuff that a normal president fills his day with?
amk
bummer for fn racists. grand daughter, touted as the future head of the party, just quit politics.
Knight of Nothing
Trump wants to collect his thank-you, no doubt.
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@satby: Good morning everyone. Add me
to all those hoping that greennotGreen had a comfortable and peaceful night.
@Elizabelle: I call it chapter Comeyhghazi in Russiagate.
Baud
FWIW, the stated reasons for Comey’s are simultaneously correct and bullshit. Fascinating.
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud: I heard a rumor that Sheriff David Clark is the front runner for the position.
Mustang Bobby
@clay: I guess that means Trump won’t be invited to the wedding.
Baud
@OzarkHillbilly: Wouldn’t surprise me, but I wouldn’t put much faith in rumors.
patrick II
My nomiation for special prosecutor — former supreme court justice david souter.
Steeplejack
Not Comeygate? Comeydammerung.
Elizabelle
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: LOL. On that front: I told you all about my French writer flatmate, who styles herself an intellectual. (And she’s actually quite a good writer. ETA: Of fiction. Have not read any of her political stuff.)
Anyway, she’s been running Macron down one side to the other, for weeks, for being “no different from LePen.” She told me she voted for Macron in the first round, although she seemed to back off of that statement when I questioned her again recently. Clusterfucking with her other friends about how awful this Macron. I have been telling her for weeks about our experience with the left depressing vote totals and Trump benefited.
SO: I asked her Monday morning: who did you vote for in the election?
She tells me she turned in “a white ballot.” Yes. After storming around the flat for weeks, smoking like a chimney, drinking copious amounts, and desperately aggrieved that her country is imperiled by that fascist Marine Le Pen. A mortal peril.
SHE. DID. NOT. VOTE. She turned in a blank ballot.
My friend sniffs that she thinks Macron and others should take note of how many people refused to vote for either candidate.
Me: no words. In Spanish, English, or French.
I do not understand the far left. I am not sure I want to.
Baud
@Elizabelle: Like the far right. Sociopaths.
Steeplejack
Aw, hell, no. Morning Joe: Trump is a “lifelong Democrat” who did a “hostile takeover” of Joe’s beloved Republican Party. I can’t even. Click goes the TV.
OzarkHillbilly
@clay:
Back in the pre-dementia days? Maybe, kinda, sorta. Now that his brain is fried? He fits right in with the GOP.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
Bernie backed forced vaginal rape guy loses in Omaha.
HA!
OzarkHillbilly
@clay: Banner or Kushner.
Elizabelle
@Baud: Yup. Leave them in the dust.
The friend gets hysterical and cannot discuss politics pragmatically. I have learned to just sit there and listen and not prolong the convo.
ETA: Her frame of reference is Utopia.
kd bart
NO DIFFERENCE!!!!!!!
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud: It was all in my head, ergo probably true.
Baud
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: He should have campaigned more in Wisconsin. ;-)
raven
@Steeplejack: I don’t give a shit what people think, Joe and Mika suck but the show has interesting people on. It’s awful but it’s the best that is on early morning.
Elizabelle
@OzarkHillbilly:
Did none of that highly compensated “talent” not ask Morning Schmoe:
Lifelong Democrat, you say? Why is it that he ran for the nomination in your party? Why was he unstoppable in your party?
Trump could never successfully run as a Democrat. He mosh-pitted off the Republican (and libertarian) base, reflecting their nasty-ass thoughts back to them. And he won the Republican nomination.
amk
Has bs come out with the statement that he will work with the president yet?
debbie
@Elizabelle:
The beginning of the end.
Elizabelle
@patrick II: David Souter would be a great choice.
bemused
@OzarkHillbilly:
Trump’s party is the party of Trump. Joe knows that but takes every opportunity to blame Dems.
montanareddog
I have always been fond of puppetgate – in the hope that such a meme will really punch his buttons.
Has anyone, who’s watched the “shows” (I could not), seen if they are noting how unusual it is for a President to perform such a consequential act and not make a television address to explain the reasons. And that this demonstrates, for the umpteenth time his utter contempt for the citizenry
Morzer
Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi svaha!
Just one more canuck
@OzarkHillbilly: no, it was Sherriff Lobo
debbie
@Elizabelle:
And they said they did this for the Dems!
rikyrah
@Elizabelle:
Kay is always on point.Always has been.
kd bart
Does Trump allow Marco Rubio daily access to his balls?
rikyrah
@Immanentize:
We have so much to choose from with corruption
debbie
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:
Don’t forget he tried to get the Yates hearing canceled. I am sure this has been in the works for a while.
Baud
@montanareddog:
To be fair, a citizenry that would elect Trump president is kind of deserving of contempt.
Chet Murthy
@Baud:
In _On Bullshit_, Harry Frankfurt notes that the singular character of bullshit, that distinuishes it from lies, is that whereas lies are related to truth (in that they are untruth), b.s. is -unconcerned- with truth or falsehood. b.s. is communication meant to accomplish some other goal than truth-telling, or deceiving. So here, the goal was to provide cover for firing Comey. Turned out, a bit of truth was excellent cover, but that’s all it was — cover.
In short, it’s bullshit BECAUSE in any other case, it’d be a truthful reason for firing him.
debbie
@Elizabelle:
Also South Korea.
raven
@Elizabelle: Um, THAT is his point.
OzarkHillbilly
@bemused: I really expect him to blame Obama. I do.
different-church-lady
@Elizabelle: what’s French for “idiot”?
Baud
@Chet Murthy: I knew my comment had support in the academic literature.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@OzarkHillbilly:
Peruvian Marching Powder will do that.
Steeplejack
@raven:
I just don’t have the strength for a daily dose. Will rely on your reports.
different-church-lady
@raven: I know. And the portions are so small.
OzarkHillbilly
@Just one more canuck: You misspelled “Loco”.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
@different-church-lady:
Jerry Lewis
raven
@Steeplejack: It’s funny, we never turned the tube on during our beach trip. It didn’t matter just as watching doesn’t matter.
different-church-lady
@Baud: BINGO! WE HAVE BINGO HERE!!!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Steeplejack: Every report I hear about them makes me happy I pulled the plug on them.
debbie
Man, I picked the wrong night to fall asleep at 8pm.
different-church-lady
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: No, that’s French for “auteur”.
rikyrah
@Baud:
This is a waste of time. I don’t like him, but it’s WV. Get back to me about a primary Challenger for Tulsi Gabbard
geg6
I’m home taking a sick day because my allergies are completely out of control. And I’m ashamed to say, I put Morning Joe on just to see what the conventional wisdom would be.
Boo boy! Joe is apoplectic. LOLing all over the place here.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
tired of all the winning?
.
.
.
.
Day 116
JPL
Trump is tweeting.. Before long we will thank him.
coozledad
OT, but any of you guys driving from Nashville TN to Durham NC anytime soon? Would you mind travelling with a desocialized cat?
Dinner at Viceroy, our treat.
Chet Murthy
@Elizabelle: At LGM, it’s been discussed, that multi-seat constituencies, with proportional representation, in a parliamentary system, lend themselves to smaller parties, hence with purer positions. So people like your flatmate -can- vote their hearts, and not feel like they’re compromising. The thing is, both presidential systems and first-past-the-post single-seat constituencies blow that all apart, and force voters to think strategically about their franchise, which voters don’t want to do.
But (per LGM) even in parliamentary systems as above, the smaller splinter parties are forced to join together into coalitions, and that -necessarily- forces them to compromise. So instead of voters having to temper their purity with frank pragmatism in choosing how to vote, their tribunes do it for them when they choose their coalitions. Either way, compromises are made, and everybody knows it.
I don’t know if that sort of story might help your flat-mate understand why it’s important to make these sorts of compromises when exercising one’s franchise (again, in FPTP single-seat constituencies, and hence in presidential elections).
disclaimer: I’m not a political scientist. So I might be relating what I’ve learned from LGM completely incorrectly.
clay
@Elizabelle: According to NYC registration records, Trump was a Dem from 2001 to 2009. (If I had to guess, it was probably because he was thinking about a mayoral run against Bloomburg.). But he was a Repub/Independent for much longer, both before and after.
Baud
@rikyrah: Obviously, I hope we retain the seat ultimately. But hopefully a string of losses will help temper anti-Dem fervor on the left in time for the 2018 and 2020 elections.
It’s a thin reed, but I got no other solutions.
zhena gogolia
Headline on my NYT this morning: “President Lands a Punch.”
Chet Murthy
@Baud: _On Bullshit_ is one amazing piece of writing. The punchline is really, really worth the (short) read.
TS
@Elizabelle:
So worth repeating – I could not find the right words – these are perfect.
Can this one be the bridge too far – Given what else he has done I am scared of being too hopeful – but given the size of that d!ck – it was really difficult for him to stand on it – yet he got it done. He doesn’t even have the wherewithal to personally fire someone, Comey was on the other side of the country – did Trump even know that?
Morzer
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:
https://www.thenation.com/article/wisconsins-voter-id-law-suppressed-200000-votes-trump-won-by-23000/
It’s not the campaigning that wins elections for conservatives.
Baud
@Chet Murthy: I think I read it a long time ago.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
Any tennis fans?
Genie Bouchard and Maria Sharapova beat the shit out of each other. Just amazing. ??? En Fuego
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-YxkPOvQ4M
Elizabelle
@Baud:
Le sigh. We did not elect Trump. 3million+ for Hillary; we didn’t elect GW Bush the first time either. Palm Beach ballot, peeps. Only thing that let GWB close enough to steal the state.
Trump is an illegitimate president. I have always had grave doubts about his thin electoral win in the rust belt states, and never forget this was the first election without voting rights protections. I very honestly think those vote margins were tampered with. 77,000 votes in 4 states.
Chet Murthy
@Baud: You know the story, right? Found a link to a PDF
He published it online, sans copyright notice, then decided to take it back off and try to publish it in hardcopy with a publisher. So tried to order anybody who’d taken a copy , to delete that copy. Teh lulz.
Elizabelle
@zhena gogolia: Did the FTFNYT mention it was a punch to his own head?
Even with those tiny fists, that might have hurt.
rikyrah
I have a sensitive ankle. Part of the reason I take the train that I do is to get a seat. But, today, problems with the previous train and so 2 trains on one. I have no seat. If I can walk at noon it will be a miracle ??
Baud
@Elizabelle: I understand. But he was still elected under the rules of our system plus some voter suppression.
Baud
@Chet Murthy: Ha! I didn’t know that.
rikyrah
@Elizabelle:
Report came out this week: 200,000 deprived of the right to vote in Wisconsin. Dolt45 “won” by 22,000. PHUCK the issues of the WWC- resolve Voter Suppression
Elizabelle
@Baud: One of your platform points for 2020: abolish the Electoral College.
It’s outlived its usefulness and steered us wrong twice. In recent history. Believe it also turned two elections in the 19th century too.
Elizabelle
@rikyrah: True. So true. I hope a lot of people hear that fact, inconvenient as it might be.
Doesn’t matter how much HRC campaigned (or didn’t) in Wisconsin. If people cannot vote, they cannot vote.
D58826
Watching the coverage last night and there was the usual speculation about who would replace Comey. The consensus was Der Fuhrer would have to find some one beyond reproach to fill the slot. As I see it there is only two problem with that –
1. the obvious one of finding that person and
2. that person will be under even more pressure to continue the Russian investigation.
In which case what will Trump have accomplished by firing Comey? The whole point is to stop the investigation.
OzarkHillbilly
In our country, the excrement flies in the other direction.
Baud
@rikyrah:
@Elizabelle:
Agree. It’s time to hear what Perez plans to do about that. Is he done with his tour with Wilmer yet?
D58826
@rikyrah: Lost in the Comey firestorm is the resignation(firing?) of the head of the Census bureau. A GOP toad will allow ensure that minority communities and democratic strongholds are systematically under counted.
TS
@Baud:
Today’s winner of the internet
satby
@Baud: he’s made it clear he thinks his voters are easily conned saps. They’re only people not in on the game.
D58826
Reasonable Lindsey Graham says it’s time to move on because Comey was compromised. And it’s all the democrats fault.
laura
@rikyrah: fingers crossed for your ankle.
Here’s hoping that your wheeling about well this afternoon and able to get a home-bound commute in a seat.
A Ghost To Most
Call it what you want – I call it the Russian coup.
Tokyokie
@different-church-lady:
Je crois que c’est “américain.”
Gin & Tonic
@TS:
No. There is no “too far” with this administration and this populace.
Elizabelle
@Tokyokie: LOL. C’est vrai!
montanareddog
@different-church-lady:
One of the many words is “con”; as a noun, idiot, as an adjective, stupid. Which is kind of apposite given that the grifter-in-chief’s administration is both “con” and a con in the English meaning
catpal
Russiagate or TrumpRussiagate because I have seen comments by even Repub voters that are concerned about Russia domination and many people will always fear anything about Russia and Putin.
Kay eye
@different-church-lady: Cretin works.
Chris
@Elizabelle:
The more I think about it, the more I think that Newscorp is what’s made the difference so far between the total clusterfuck that Britain and America have become and the countries on the continent (Holland, France, fingers crossed for Germany) that at least for now are still holding the line.
Not that Newscorp created all our current problems; the Southern Strategy and all that started thirty years earlier. But I’d argue Newscorp has made it impossible to come back from the brink.
Miss Bianca
@different-church-lady: um…the French for idiot is “idiot”, actually.
Florida Frog
@Morzer: love the shout out to the Heart Sutra!