I wish I had time to watch C-SPAN today because the FBI director confirmation hearing, just getting underway now, is going to be fascinating. Link to C-SPAN stream here.
I know nothing about Trump’s nominee, Christopher Wray, except that he was nominated by Trump and willing to accept the job. That’s disqualifying in my book.
But Lawfare’s Benjamin Wittes and Susan Hennessey had some more nuanced thoughts on the matter, which you can read in full at FP here. Their piece outlines the issues the committee should explore with Wray, including how independent he’ll be from Trump and his perceptions of the FBI’s role.
The underlying assumption is this: Because the president is a vainglorious nutcase who does not respect institutional boundaries, it falls on the senate and a Trump appointee to protect the institution Trump has damaged. The Lawfare writers urge senators to ask questions that reveal whether Wray recognizes this and will be useful in mitigating the damage.
That seems like a practical approach. I still hope Wray doesn’t get a single Democratic vote; an illegitimate president shouldn’t be rewarded for taking the boldly corrupt action that created the vacancy. But Wray will almost certainly be confirmed anyway, so Democrats may as well get him on record today.
Carolina Dave
First Democratic question should be, ” Were you asked to personally pledge loyalty to the *president, and if so, did you? “
Nicole
I want John Cole to tweet a link to his excellent post from years back about making the decision to register as a Democrat, not an Independent, to Joe Scarborough, who is getting all kinds of flattering attention for being a mealy-mouthed coward. Which, okay, fine, but why should he get credit for what he is everyday?
Mark
My thoughts exactly. Anyone willing to accept a job from Trump is unqualified for the job.
satby
@Nicole: or we can mail this to Moaning Joe.
Villago Delenda Est
While the Democrats might ask those sort of questions, the party of treason members will rubber stamp this guy without the slightest interest in if he was personally approved by Vlad Putin.
Major Major Major Major
All I need to know as well.
rikyrah
Anyone hired by Dolt45 is AUTOMATICALLY SUSPECT.
PERIOD.
He’s not qualified for the job.
There. Done.
cmorenc
Wray seems to have a background more typical for old-line establishment Republicans – Phillips Andover prep, Yale undergrad and law school, editor of law review, and clerked for conservative 4th circuit judge Michael Luttig (similar legal mindset to Scalia). Partner in King & Spaulding, an old-line blue chip DC law firm. Appointed to head criminal division of Justice Department by George W Bush, confirmed unanimously by Senate.
This background doesn’t necessarily mean Wray will be a relatively nonpartisan, level pick for FBI director, but at least this nomination isn’t heavily laden with obvious ideological, political, or business-conflict-of-interest red flags the way most of Trump’s cabinet or subcabinet agency picks have been. I’d say his mutual choice to serve as Luttig’s law clerk is the main ideological red flag here. The choice seems to be one that is designed to leave as few footholds for opposition to the pick as possible, rather than being an in-your-face pick like Tom Price, Jeff Sessions, or Betsy DeVoss to advance a right-wing agenda.
Thoroughly Pizzled
@Mark: The only time it’s acceptable to work for Trump is when you were appointed by Obama and Trump is too lazy to replace you with someone worse. Otherwise, I hope the stain on your resume never washes out.
Major Major Major Major
@Thoroughly Pizzled: even then you can and will get used like Rod Rosenstein.
MomSense
Wray’s firm represented firms doing business with Rosneft and Gazprom because of course he has Russian ties. He also removed reference to a US client involved in a case with Russia from his bio on his firm’s website. The case had been there since 2009 but somehow in January of 2017 he thought he should protect his client’s confidentiality.
law firm bio
GregB
I think that it is incumbent upon Democrats to ask Wray his opinion on Russia, Putin, and international organized crime.
Keith P.
It’s kind of surreal. I could have sworn that Chuck Grassley had an opening statement that went off on leakers (maybe it was someone else?), but now I’m watching him ask Wray what he’s going to do to protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
Captain C
@Villago Delenda Est:
FTFY
rikyrah
Quiet competence: That’s what I miss. I miss not having to think about the president every waking minute.
She would have provided it. pic.twitter.com/tj17jwiva8
— Hillary Warned Us (@HillaryWarnedUs) July 11, 2017
rikyrah
BWA HA HA HA HA HA AHH A
This is the EXACT reason they viciously attack our family! They can’t stand that we are extremely close and will ALWAYS support each other. https://t.co/1f7JqxScMr
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) July 11, 2017
I’m pretty sure you’re attacked because you conspired with an adversary to steal an election. But whatever helps you sleep at night. https://t.co/cDzQF1F3TS
— Kara Calavera (@KaraCalavera) July 11, 2017
Oh, and you’re crooks. And white supremacists. And misogynists. I hate all of you and what you’ve done to our country, @EricTrump.
— Kara Calavera (@KaraCalavera) July 11, 2017
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
@Nicole
Yes, that was one I still remember. I wish I could find it. Maybe he should post it on the front page again. I’d like to read it.
And I want to go along with saying that anybody willing to work for this disaster (moral, political, intellectual, and every other kind) of a president is unfit.
rikyrah
? ALERT: VOTE NEXT WEEK. While everyone is focused on Don Jr., McConnell is going to try to ram Trumpcare through ? https://t.co/M1Jv5gQhuE
— Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) July 11, 2017
JMG
The chances are excellent that even aside from Russia that Trump will ask/demand the FBI director do something that’d put said director in personal legal jeopardy. I’m sure Wtay thinks he can stay out of the Trump whirlpool. Boy, will he be surprised.
rikyrah
The plot thickens dear Holmes: Details in Junior’s emails align with parts of the Trump-Russia dossier:
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/donald-trump-jr-email-leaked-buzzfeed-trump-russia-document-2017-7
rikyrah
“It’s not just about health care, it’s really about my ability to participate in society.” https://t.co/WDwNduF5Zl
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 12, 2017
“Medicaid is the engine” that allows disabled people to live independently. Our society is better because of it. #SaveMedicaid #NoBCRA https://t.co/whMAX0zNx6
— Indivisible Berks (@IndivisiblBerks) July 12, 2017
Hal
He’s willingness to accept a place in this administration is enough to disqualify him in my book. No way Trump is hiring anyone independent.
Keith P.
Oh, man, Trump’s latest tweet is a beaut:
rikyrah
Ted Cruz’s “Freedom Plans” won’t cover chemotherapy, pregnancy, hospitalization, or Rx medicine. What a strange way to define freedom.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) July 12, 2017
rikyrah
Does McConnell regret doing nothing about the Russian attack?
07/12/17 10:01 AM
By Steve Benen
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appears principally focused on passing a regressive health care plan this summer, but with the Russia scandal intensifying, NBC News’ Kasie Hunt asked the Kentucky Republican a good question yesterday.
There is no meaningful relationship between the question and the answer – the Intelligence Committee’s investigation is unrelated to McConnell’s personal culpability – but I’m glad Kasie asked anyway because I continue to believe this angle to the story is underappreciated.
As The New Republic’s Brian Beutler noted yesterday, “McConnell ran interference for Trump during the campaign to stop Obama from warning the country about things Trump was lying publicly about.”
That’s true. As we discussed last month, the Obama White House, swayed by the evidence compiled by U.S. intelligence agencies, wanted bipartisan support to pushback against Russian intrusion, and in mid-September, the then-president dispatched counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco, then-FBI Director James Comey, and then-Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to brief top members of Congress.
Obama didn’t want to be seen as using intelligence for partisan or electoral ends, so he sought a “show of solidarity and bipartisan unity” against foreign manipulation of our democracy.
That didn’t happen – because Mitch McConnel refused. From a recent Washington Post report:
rikyrah
How come nobody is celebrating the Democrat Wins in Deep Red Oklahoma last night?
Major Major Major Major
@rikyrah: I’d say that it does cover the freedom to die, but they’re against that, too.
@rikyrah: Kos is.
MattF
From what I’ve read, the FBI nominee seems to be a typical conservative bureaucrat with a legal and law-enforcement background. He’s achieving his life-long career goal and it’s turning out to be an ethical disaster area. The only way he can escape with an intact reputation is if Trump fires him. I have neither sympathy or hold a brief for him.
Mnemosyne
We are currently driving through a Chicago thunderstorm to get to the Field Museum. G is … not happy with me. But at least I’m paying for it!
rikyrah
@Mnemosyne:
Safe drive….Enjoy the Field….it’s not my favorite museum, but it’s nice. The museum campus though, has the best view of Chicago. It’s my favorite place in the entire city. The view at night….that’s what goes on most postcards and calendars of Chicago :)
rikyrah
@Major Major Major Major:
That’s how I see it too…the Freedom to Die.
Major Major Major Major
@rikyrah: the freedom, but not the right. The GOP opposes right-to-die legislation.
Thoroughly Pizzled
LEAKS, the cancer that is killing America.
Mnemosyne
@rikyrah:
It was a toss-up between the Field and Science & Industry, and the Jurassic World exhibit was the deciding factor.
I’m hoping we can also check out the new American Writers Museum near the Art Institute, but it depends on the weather.
schrodingers_cat
@rikyrah: I like the boat trip too, looking at all the wonderful architecture. I like Chicago. O’Hare is a nightmare, though.
smintheus
@MattF:
Yep.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@rikyrah:
It’s freedom from life!
Butthurt Jordan Trombone (fka XTPD)
@rikyrah: Because that’s just a diversion from the central fact that SUCH PWNÈD ALL WE until the Democrat Party adopts all my personal policy preferences/loljk civil war is imminent WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE
schrodingers_cat
OT anecdote from the non-cray-cray land
I got two rounds of applause for becoming a citizen at the post office this morning. I was there to apply for my passport. One woman in the line even said,
Of course I am in a blue part of a blue state, otherwise known as sane America.
Yarrow
I saw Sen. Blumenthal on CNN yesterday. He was very strong on calling out what Jr. did as illegal and possibly treason. However, he said he’d met with Wray individually, had asked questions to get a sense if he’ll be independent of Trump, and felt confident that he would. Wolf Blitzer then asked if that meant he was a “yes” vote and Blumenthal said he was likely a yet, but still had the confirmation hearing to go so couldn’t say for sure.
It was kind of jarring because he was very strong in what he said about Jr. but kind of a pushover about Wray.
cmorenc
@rikyrah:
Well, there’s that classic line from the song “Me and Bobby McGee”: “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose”.
randy khan
@rikyrah:
Because we only discuss Democratic losses in deep red areas.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@rikyrah: I honestly never heard about it. No posts because all of the Jr posts from yesterday
randy khan
Since it’s an open thread, I thought I’d pass along that the expected defenses of DJT, Jr. and Kushner have worked their way into the conservative hive mind on Facebook. In response to a posting of yesterday’s NY Times article, my pet troll told me (in no particular order) that there was no evidence of a crime, that Kushner must have forgotten about the meeting when he filled out his SF-86, and that it wasn’t treason (not that I had suggested that). It’s been fun.
Yarrow
@rikyrah: @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: I hadn’t heard about the Oklahoma races and wins either. Sounds great! Is there a good article we could read? Maybe a FPer will pick it up if someone posts it and do a FP post about it later.
@schrodingers_cat: Congrats again on your citizenship! That sounds like a fun morning. Very affirming.
germy
@schrodingers_cat: Interesting discussion over at LGM about the efforts to cast the live-action Aladdin film:
http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2017/07/racism-in-hollywood
They’re complaining the search for actors is difficult:
Thoroughly Pizzled
Lindsey Graham is embarrassing Wray right now.
Heidi Mom
@rikyrah: Many years ago (in the NYT, I think) the wife of Slobodan Milosevic made a comment very similar to Eric’s. It’s an odd thing to remember, but I was struck by how out of touch with reality it was.
Kay
I don’t have time to watch it either, but if past performance is any indication there will be a brief “honeymoon” period where everyone says “this one is normal!” and by 6 months in he’ll be a horror.
Trump is bad at hiring. He’s also bad at firing. Just bad at that whole area, really :)
Nicole
@satby: That was an excellent read. Thank you.
zhena gogolia
@schrodingers_cat:
Congratulations!
Immigrants — we get the job done.
germy
@rikyrah: I had no idea about those wins in Oklahoma. I didn’t see it on any news.
EDIT:
I just checked, and saw this:
Ian G.
@randy khan:
Beat me to it. Jon Ossoff’s loss just shows how doomed the neoliberal party is. A win in arguably the most Republican state in the country spoils the narrative. Don’t talk about it.
germy
@Kay:
Clay Aiken Says Trump Didn’t Actually Decide Who Got Fired From Celebrity Apprentice
He was basically told what to do by the producers. He followed a script.
Laura
@schrodingers_cat: how wonderful for you schrodingers_cat! And at the US Post Office to boot-possibly the MOST democratic of all our institutions.
dww44
@Thoroughly Pizzled: For real? How so? I’ve scrolled by a couple of times and have only seen GOP questioning and everything I hear, including from the chair himself, is that HRC was just awful. and how will Wray prevent her from having a separate email server. They are re-litigating last year. Probably in expectation of the questions that will come from Democrats.
I couldn’t hang around and listen. This overt and over politicization doesn’t serve the interests of democratic and impartial governance in the country, either short-term or long-term.
germy
http://www.snopes.com/donald-trump-jr-tweet/
Bruce K
Sorry to be off topic (even if it’s an open thread, it feels like I’m going off topic), but I just got into an ugly argument with an online acquaintance who was insisting that Junior’s shenanigans were “not illegal in any way”. Including arguments like “collusion in a campaign is not illegal”, “solicitation implies payment; ‘we want to give you information’ is not solicitation,” and “foreign national does not equate to representative of foreign government”, in response to my pointing out the issues of 11 CFR 110.20. (That’s the bit covering foreign contributions to political campaigns; a good search engine will bring up the specifics.)
I didn’t know whether he was defending the cheeto in the sense of the best defense being a good offense, whether he was a troll looking to stir up trouble, or what his deal was. I was one step from advising him to grab a steak knife and a corkscrew and use them to go screw himself when I gave up and Alt-F4’d out.
How the hell do you guys deal with people like that?
MattF
@cmorenc: Some years ago, I met a guy who was working his way up into the Conservative Establishment– he was editing a little right-wing magazine at the time. One day, I discovered that he detested Janis Joplin; she epitomized everything he hated about liberals. Fwiw, he eventually gave up living in DC– grew a beard and moved to Turkey. Don’t know what happened after that.
Gin & Tonic
@germy: Shit, you mean those reality shows are scripted? Damn.
Don’t say anything to me about the tooth fairy, OK?
Thoroughly Pizzled
@dww44: He asked Wray if it would be legal for Trump to fire Mueller, and Wray said he didn’t know the law! I guess it was Graham’s turn to be the reasonable Republican of the day.
germy
@Gin & Tonic:
He actually sends a personal assistant. Hasn’t personally left money under a pillow since ’68.
Thoroughly Pizzled
@Bruce K: It depends. If it’s a public conversation on Facebook or Twitter, calmly laying out the facts will help convince observers even if it won’t shut up your opponent. If it’s a private conversation, there’s not much you can do.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@germy: Fake Boss!
FlipYrWhig
@rikyrah:
Uh, doesn’t their EXTREMELY CLOSE family have 3 moms, 5 kids, and live in about 10 different places so as not to see each other?
Frankensteinbeck
@germy:
Yes, but the assistants are chosen to sing and dance and look fantastic in a ball gown, including the men.
SiubhanDuinne
@schrodingers_cat:
What a nice story! It must have felt great to be welcomed so spontaneously.
randy khan
@Bruce K:
I toy with them. No, seriously. I have a couple of pet trolls who invade my Facebook posts occasionally. When they do, I let them make their arguments and point out their errors and contradictions. They generally end up making really absurd claims or saying that I need to read objective sources like World Net Daily. It’s kind of fun.
My only real exception to this was when a guy said that we should take our troops out of Afghanistan and redeploy them at the Mexican border with orders to shoot people on sight. I told him he was a monster. Oddly enough, that shut him up.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@Gin & Tonic: You know what’s even worse?
The winners of Apprentice basically just became spokespeople for the Trump Organization. What made these idiots think a reality show qualified them to run a business? Just like Hell’s Kitchen, except That’s entertaining and Ramsey is actually likeable as a person
MattF
@randy khan: But it was OK for East German border guards, so why not OK in the good old US of A. Right?
d58826
He will be as well prepared to lie as ‘balls and strikes’ John Roberts. No way he is going to say anything controversial. Aside from the fact that Trump picked him and he was willing to put his reputation in a blender by accepting there are the reports that his law firm has had a long standing relationship with Der Fuhrer. And I’m sure this will be a total surprise, his law firm represents the Russian oil conglomerate that is involved in a mysterious 19 billion dollar transaction. I would not vote for any Trump nominee to dust J Edgar’s chair let alone sit in it.
WarMunchkin
I just hate that the fucktard known as James Comey got off without admitting any culpability in the debasement of the FBI last year and leaves public life as The Honest Hero Who Was Sacked By Trump. Trump soiled the presidency and the nation, not the FBI.
Yarrow
@Bruce K:
In person like to ask them to tell me more about their interesting ideas. I ask lots of questions, play dumb, and keep asking questions until they can’t reply with any sort of answer that makes sense. It’s kind of toying with them, but it can be entertaining. They also get mad because they can’t defend themselves and that’s part of the entertainment.
If they otherwise seem like a normal person, you could ask them if the roles were reversed and it was, say, Chelsea Clinton who had done these things would they feel the same way? It’s rare, but sometimes it’s possible for people like that to see things from another point of view.
Online depends on the community. If it’s public, then others can back you up. If it’s a private conversation, it’s not really worth it after one or two passes.
You can always ask them how the weather is in Moscow or how much Vladimir is paying them for their time.
schrodingers_cat
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: I have never watched a single episode of that show. We can thank the producers for T.
different-church-lady
@rikyrah: We’re democrats: winning is for crooks.
GregB
So, I really think it is time for Pat Leahy to retire. He used to be sharp and incisive during questioning and now he seems to so slow and addled and I fear it is from alcohol.
He looks and sounds like a well heeled late stage alcoholic. It is time to move on and leave the hard work to someone who can meet the obligations of such a troubled time.
He is a good man, but heavens to Murgatroid, it is sad to see and hear him.
Yarrow
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: The whole show was an infomercial for the Trump organization. After the first couple of seasons, didn’t they just go to Celebrity Apprentice anyway? Those people just earned money for charity. They didn’t work for the business afterwards.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@Yarrow:
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article160664109.html
There is almost no media coverage of this. Perhaps because it’s state level rather than national. Still, it’s great news and very encouraging
different-church-lady
@Bruce K:
I don’t.
Major Major Major Major
@schrodingers_cat:
We should start calling it real America. We don’t collude with adversaries.
And congrats again! So does your citizenship mean you’re done stealing TenguPhule’s jobs?
AnneWith
@Nicole: It took some searching (whatever happened to the FAQ?), but here is the John-Cole-joins-the-Democratic-Party post.
Yarrow
@schrodingers_cat: Specifically it’s Mark Burnett who brought Trump in for the show. “Survivor” is another show of his. I think also “The Voice.” He and Trump are friends and he introduced Trump at the Prayer Breakfast that happened earlier this year.
schrodingers_cat
@Major Major Major Major: I can steal them with impunity now.
/end snark
ETA: It doesn’t get more real than the cradle of the American revolution and the home of Frost and Dickinson.
Wapiti
@Thoroughly Pizzled:
This. When communicating on public internet sites, your well-reasoned commentary or questions can (1) convince others, (2) provide moral support to lurking liberals/progressives/curious who may be afraid of being outside the mainstream, (3) make you look rational and well-reasoned, and maybe (4) make your counterpart back down. But (4) is not required for success.
Yarrow
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: Thanks! That’s great news. There were also some great wins in Illinois earlier this year on the state level. Maybe a FPer could put together a post on “Dem State Level Office Wins” or something. The Democrats need to work on their bench and this is how they do it–get Dems elected at the state level and move them up–so this really is great news, both for now and long term.
GregB
This Wray feller is not impressing me at all.
He’ll roll over for Trump.
randy khan
@MattF:
I almost expected him to say that, but I think he was stunned by the vehemence of my response. I’m generally quite measured on Facebook, as I’m really trying to convince people other than my antagonists and reason works better for that, but I was utterly appalled that he would support having U.S. troops murder people.
Major Major Major Major
@Wapiti: I got privately thanked by several people for publicly defending Hillary on Facebook last year. By women who either just didn’t have the energy any more or didn’t want to deal with harassment at work.
El Caganer
What a strange place we’ve wound up in – we have two choices: the President picks somebody for a job and they fuck it up (accidentally or intentionally), or he doesn’t pick anybody and the job doesn’t get done. Not particularly helpful if we want a functioning government.
Yarrow
@Major Major Major Major:
You know, this is a great idea. One thing wingnuts have been great at is labeling things. Maybe take a page out of their book at take back the concept of “real America.” Most Americans live in cities now, so truly that is where “real Americans” live. And cities tend to vote Dem.
schrodingers_cat
@germy: I hate the moniker, Bollywood. Its pretty stupid, it makes the Hindi film industry sound like an adjunct of Hollywood. The Indian film industry (Hindi + Regional languages) is the biggest in the world in term of output. Hollywood makes more money.
ETA: Most big Hindi movie stars aren’t really all that dark, but I guess they are still too dark for Hollywood. In fact colorism is a huge issue in the industry.
Ladyraxterinok
@germy: Please note that we are talking about OKC and Tulsa, large OK cities.
Little known fact, even to most Oklahomans. In the early 20th century, there were many socialists in OK. One google link claims OK was the most socialist state in US!
But then in1921 there wss the Tulsa Race Riot.
(There are several videos on youtube, some with pictures of the destruction of the Greenwood area, ‘the Black Wallstreet.’)
And the strong prescence of the KKK in Tulsa in the 1920s.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@Yarrow: Here’s the article I read a long time ago
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/09/30/trump-sure-pick-em-apprentice-winners-sorry-track-record.html
Piazza better watch themselves
germy
@schrodingers_cat:
And they’re more and more reliant on overseas markets for their profits.
Major Major Major Major
@Yarrow: some argue that reclaiming patriotism is a good way to defeat ethnic nationalism. Many on the left will balk if the Dems try this, but they’re more loud than they are numerous.
@Ladyraxterinok: there were white socialists in Oklahoma. There still are. They vote for rapacious crony capitalists because the white part is more important.
The Moar You Know
So, I’ve mentioned here before that I work in IT security, for a company whose management is all aboard the Trump Train.
They have so much confidence in their guy and his Russian pals that when I broke the news that Kaspersky had been pulled from the GSA list last night and was about to be banned from the US military, my suggestion that we order all employees to remove any Kaspersky products by the end of today was unanimously approved.
I was surprised. Zero pushback at all. Which leads me to only one conclusion: everyone knows. They know the election was stolen and don’t give a fuck, they just want to make sure that any fallout doesn’t land on them.
schrodingers_cat
@Major Major Major Major: Reclaiming patriotism is a good idea, why should we let RWNJ decide what it means to be a patriot.
germy
@Ladyraxterinok:
We saw a PBS documentary a few nights ago about the Black Middle Class, and the Black Wallstreet events were covered.
Halfway through the documentary my wife turned to me and said “This is why republicans want to slash the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.”
Yarrow
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: Yeah, I remember reading something similar–may have been the same article. Weren’t they doing those Apprentice shows back to back, so it was really just a few years and then it went to Celebrity Apprentice. I watched one or two episodes of the first season out of idle curiosity and I saw clips of Omarosa yelling at people. Not even sure how, but she was kind of omnipresent for a few months. After that I’ve only seen it by accident, if it’s on that channel when I turn on the TV or channel surfing or whatever.
I remember turning on the TV and seeing the “boardroom” setting where Donald was in the middle and Ivanka was on one side and Donald, Jr. was on the other. I didn’t even know what I was looking at until I did the “Info” button on the remote to see what in the world it was. It was so obvious that the whole Trump organization was like a mafia crime family. No legitimate business would have the CEO flanked by two of his kids. If people didn’t know before that, they should have figured it out then.
Yarrow
@Major Major Major Major: @schrodingers_cat:
Agreed. The Dem Convention last year was actually very patriotic. I remember reading Republicans very upset that the Dems had “stolen” their brand, as in the patriotic, flag-waving brand. Real patriotism means more than just waving a flag and blathering about freedom, though, and the Dem convention did a great job of talking about it with a wide variety of people speaking on the subject.
I think it may take just average citizens pushing back and reclaiming the “Real American” label to take it further.
Fleeting Expletive
Is there any posibility that Roger Stone can be caught up in this mess and be prosecuted and convicted of something? I read recently that he is going to plant a mari juana crop in a legal-grow state–that’s interesting.
d58826
Your government dollars at work
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/betsy-devos-to-meet-with-accused-rapists/ar-BBEgnPt?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=iehp
Major Major Major Major
@Yarrow: Agree on all counts, and the media might have even noticed the Dem convention’s patriotic theme if they hadn’t been focusing on Satan’s emails and if the Bernie or Busters hadn’t crashed the party.
germy
Sen. Bernie Sanders will be holding a telephone town hall on Wednesday evening.
Sanders plans to discuss a variety of issues, including health care and the budget.
If you want to participate, call 1-888-480-3635 at 7 p.m.
germy
@Fleeting Expletive: Oddly enough, his twitter account is full of “legalize it!” arguments.
How he goes from there to supporting dolt45/sessions is beyond me.
Kay
This is the stuff I’m interested in – what they did and how they did it.
I suppose it’s conceivable they had state-level help, too.
Shell
Are those two young men sitting behind Wray his kids?
Kay
I have another question, too. Is there any evidence there was interference by the Russian government in the GOP primary?
The Moar You Know
@germy: He’s a white Republican. He thinks he’s untouchable.
He’s right.
Major Major Major Major
@The Moar You Know: Certainly wouldn’t be the first time a white Republican supported legalizing pot. Most of them go by the brand ‘libertarian’. Some are in that stupid State of Jefferson cohort that the Times wrote up the other day.
bystander
@Nicole:
@satby:
As for Moanin’ Joe, his spew this morning about what a pederast and rapist Bill Clinton is was sickening as he sat there next to the woman with whom he had been cheating on his wife. His inability to realize he’s just another adulterer like Clinton says he isn’t going to care what Cole did in becoming a Dem. That is way too far from depth of reasoning Scarborough is capable of.
Besides, why would anyone in his right mind want to be a member of the same political party as Joe Scarborough?
ETA Franken sounds like a yes on Wray.
satby
@schrodingers_cat: I missed that earlier news! Congratulations on your citizenship!
The Moar You Know
@Kay: That’s a damn good question and I cannot believe it’s not being asked…I’m pretty sure I know what the answer is. But if I were a Dem politician or strategist I’d be hitting that nonstop. Right now, Republicans are all on board the Russia train because they think Russia is on the side of the GOP.
They are not. Asking questions about the primary might help escalate the low-level GOP civil war going on right now.
Kay
This is the third of what will be many lawsuits on the Trump voter list:
There’s just a ton of nitpicky state laws around elections and then a whole state administrative code. They can sue Kobach a nearly unlimited number of times with 50 separate state schemes :)
satby
@Mnemosyne: that storm is almost here in S. Bend now, I can hear the thunder and see the dark clouds coming! There’s more still west of Chicago on the radar, so stay safe!
Kay
@The Moar You Know:
Well, they wanted TRUMP, right? They didn’t want Jeb Bush or John Kasich. I would think they would start in the primary.
rikyrah
@schrodingers_cat:
Welcome to the fight!!!
Fight for YOUR country :)
Major Major Major Major
@Kay: They would have preferred generic R, but I doubt they would have fought for generic R. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if they were involved in the primary, although I don’t recall any unusual amounts of glaring ratfuckery.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@bystander: Scarborough should be sent a reminder everybody knows he killed that intern. Might send into a fit where he drives off a bridge
Kay
@The Moar You Know:
Also, I think they intervened in the D primary. The person who ran one of the Bernie sites said there would be periodic floods of really virulent anti-Hillary stuff from non-regulars. They wouldn’t want to divide the GOP so I suppose it would be tougher in their primary.
Anyway, I would certainly look at that if I were investigating.
GregB
@Kay:
It is why I think there is actual evidence in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Trumpies focused heavily on those three states.
Also, those were the three states that Jill Stein filed recount suits. Then Trump in his ham handed way pointed at NH, California and Virginia as places where massive voter fraud took place. Total misdirection.
There is evidence in WI, MI and PA. I am convinced.
Kay
@Major Major Major Major:
If it’s probing for candidate weakness it could work the same way. Trump had no infrastructure for a primary, which always baffled me. People compare it to Obama but that’s just wrong. Obama had an elaborate operation for the Ohio primary in ’08. It was organized.
Aleta
Our first family is a speeding car full of drunks reaching over each other to take a turn steering, barely making the turns along a National Scenic highway, sending others into the ditch as they go by.
Ladyraxterinok
@Major Major Major Major: Maybe you’re right. But weren’t the political dynamics somewhat different then? Although I have to admit 1 of the first laws passed by the new state (OK became a state in 1907) made Jim Crow policies the law of the state.
In an election in the early 1990s, OK GOP materials had the slogan ‘The Republicans, the party of original OK values’!!
Kay
@GregB:
My husband was more aware of how the Clinton conspiracy theories had taken hold than I was. He does contract work for elections systems so he runs into a lot of wingnuts :)
He kept telling me they were convinced she’s a murderer, child abuser, etc.
JMG
@Kay: Trump’s infrastructure was local/regional/national wing nut radio. People hear and they obey their leaders.
schrodingers_cat
@rikyrah: In spite of my doubts regarding where I belong, especially after last November’s elections; I realized that it was MY country. I decided to act on it and send in my application for citizenship the day before T’s inauguration. I think the idea of America is bigger than one person and one party. With me there were 126 other people from 47 different countries taking our oath on the village green of Old Sturbridge Village.
Just my row spanned most of the globe, India, Portugal, Poland, Ghana and Somalia.
Kay
@The Moar You Know:
I agree though that would be wonderful, if Trump screwed the GOP too. THEN we’d see some outrage! Bring on that civil war, by all means. I bet he did. He’s no more a “Republican” than I am.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@Yarrow: They switched to an all celebrity format around S6 or so.
Like SC, up above I blame the NBC execs for Trump for okaying his show.
It was “reality” tv. As bad as most corporations, that’s definitely not how the majority of them are run
pamelabrown53
@satby:
satby, what a wonderful link @ #4. It was really a joy to read.
Aleta
@GregB: The touch screen voting machines are a nightmare to think about. Paper ballots with optical scanners are still used around here, not perfect but at least it’s a system whose records can be checked and recounted, and the data can be self-contained.
schrodingers_cat
@satby: [email protected]SiubhanDuinne: It was nice. The entire ceremony on the 4th was touching too.
Aleta
@schrodingers_cat: Congratulations!
schrodingers_cat
@Aleta: Thanks!
rikyrah
@The Moar You Know:
Uh huh
Uh huh
Major Major Major Major
@Ladyraxterinok: White socialists started voting en masse for Republicans after the Civil Rights Act. You do the math.
@Kay: @Kay: Good point re: infrastructure. It’s not like the Russians did GOTV, but this is one scenario where fake news and microtargeting could have had a big effect. Re: the Dem primary I absolutely believe they were involved from at least March forward.
Ladyraxterinok
@germy: I attended public school in Tulsa in the 40s and 50s. We learned nothing about the Race Riot. IIRC a major encyclopedia/text on black history had no mention of the riot. I believe the riot began to receive attention in OK and Tulsa in the 90s only because of an article in one of the Smithsonian publications. And then there were some articles in DFW newspapers.
A black colleague once quietly noted that the black community in Tulsa has always known about the Tulsa Race Riot.
JMG
Top shelf federal law enforcement is a very small community. I have to assume some of them told Wray to accept the nomination for fear Trump would appoint somebody like Sheriff Clarke if he didn’t.
d58826
The corruption goes all the way down –
http://www.salon.com/2016/12/14/gop-super-pac-linked-to-paul-ryan-used-illegally-hacked-material-against-democratic-house-candidates-report/
and Comey said in his testimony that the Russians would be back – well they are
https://twitter.com/razhael/status/885078590215389184
TenguPhule
@Villago Delenda Est:
Lying to Congress for confirmation is still a crime, yes?
schrodingers_cat
@Major Major Major Major: In fact, I heard most of HRC attacks from my Bernie sis, friend first, even before they were in Brietbart or Fox.
Aleta
@satby: Thanks for that link. Passed it on.
schrodingers_cat
@JMG: IIRC Clarke turned down a DHS position.
Mike in DC
Rubio got hacked, as i recall. So did Graham. Its not only possible but likely that the primaries were a trial run for the main event.
Mike J
I hope the Senate asks him to whiteboard a sort routine.
Lapassionara
@Bruce K: I would ask him what he would be saying about legality if Clinton had won the election, and it was later revealed that her campaign had received help from China.
StringOnAStick
@The Moar You Know: That’s an interesting story, and I think your conclusion is quite accurate. There just isn’t any way that someone could look at what junior released yesterday and not know that we’re well past the smoke stage, and the fire is raging. The only people who will never see any fire are those that are just not smart enough to see how their own fiscal health is heavily tied to that of the country, and the leadership of the country can do a lot to screw that up.
The only RWNJ that I know quit watching FOX or any news at all because he’s struggling with an anger problem but the excuse he used is “the media just hypes stuff”. I’m sure he’ll go right back to FOX and will stay voting R because it is just so tribal for him, and once the Mango Moron is no longer making any rational person question reality he’ll be able to keep the FOX-induced cog-dis down to acceptable levels. He’s not a well educated person, so maybe your management people are educated enough to see the writing on the wall right now. They’ll stay R’s, but they will stop singing praise to the Idiot in Chief since the longer this goes on, the more stupid he looks and by extension the more stupid and gullible they look.
Major Major Major Major
@schrodingers_cat: Me too, and a lot of it was spread by places like RT and The Intercept (and a couple of very unhinged blogs–Blue Nation Review or something?–pushing obvious fake news).
TenguPhule
@rikyrah:
You get a piss tape and you get the underage lady boy hookers and you get him pissing on the bed the Obama’s slept on.
No publisher in the world is gonna accept this novel.
TenguPhule
@Keith P.:
Its remarkable how Trump managed to make almost every word in there a lie.
Ladyraxterinok
@Major Major Major Major: In OK there were few if any (white) socialists post 1960s–or in the 40s and 50s. Socialism like communism was a dirty word. See Fred Scwarz and his interminable lectures on ‘You can Always Trust a Communist’ and Billy James Hargis whose headquarters were in Tulsa. When I looked Hargis up, I learned he started many of the policies and practices we now associate with the
Religious Right and the GOP
Aleta
WaterGirl
@Nicole: Thanks for pointing that out. I went back and clicked Satby’s link. It was, indeed, an excellent article. Since I live in Illinois, it was especially interesting to read the comment about Trump and Rauner (IL governor) being twins.
rikyrah
@GregB:
I am convinced completely too.
TenguPhule
@Kay:
Go with the premise that Trump is a shit-magnet and therefore any nominee attracted to working for him is shit.
Major Major Major Major
@Mike J: Me too! I wonder which one he’d pick.
@Ladyraxterinok: “White socialist” != ‘person who is white and calls themselves a socialist’, it’s more ‘person who favors socialist policies that benefit themselves but hates “socialism” and “welfare”‘, aka Trump voters. Like my namesake’s father, “a longlimbed farmer, a God-fearing, freedom-loving, law-abiding rugged individualist who held that federal aid to anyone but farmers was creeping socialism.”
patrick II
Here’s something you should know. Wray was Chris Christie’s lawyer during Bridgegate — from which Christie walked. One of the items at issue during that investigation was Christie’s phone which “could not be found”. It was found some years later in Wray’s possession.
Surely a man we can trust.
scav
@Keith P.:
I’m personally beginning to laugh harder and harder at the complete and utter lack of pushback from the Business Class as to what a perfectly functioning and undoubtedly Great Again (make that Always Great) American Corporation looks like, functions and accomplishes. All of this apparently must be SOP and, in point of fact, cutting-edge superior business practice.
Aleta
Nicole
@AnneWith: Thank you! I used to revisit it every so often because I was a regular reader of this site back then and watching his shift in real time was really interesting (plus Doug’s trolling was without equal), but eventually I had too much trouble finding it and it was hard to explain to people on my computer why my search history included “john cole soros forty virgins.”
The Moar You Know
@StringOnAStick: The peans to how great America was being made stopped about two months ago.
I’ll say this; my C-suite includes some real heavy hitters on both “the cyber” (retired programmers) and especially cybersecurity. When we decided a few years back that all employees had to have a CISSP they got theirs too – they didn’t have to. The company president has such a background in security that he was teaching the CISSP prep classes for our West Coast guys. If I walk in there to answer questions I gotta bring my A-game!
At any rate, politics takes a backseat to security here and they do know a security threat when they see one.
TenguPhule
@patrick II:
Why did he not lose his legal license over that?
Major Major Major Major
NPR Books Summer Reader Poll presents: 100 best comic books and graphic novels.
My two favorites (Bone and Scary Go Round) made the list, so I declare it a good list.
pamelabrown53
@schrodingers_cat: @35.
Agree, the boat trip is beyond delightful. The spouse and I just returned from Chicago at the end of April. You’re right about O’Hare. What was interesting to me was I read a couple of articles about what not to do in Chicago and both said to avoid O’Hare. Since we were visiting my son in St. Louis, we took the train to Chicago. It worked out perfectly.
japa21
@Aleta: Why would the State Department even be involved in this?
Miss Bianca
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?:
I’d be tempted to say, “because the Democrats won”, but still, yes, very encouraging!
Another Scott
Haven’t read the comments yet, so you get my “fresh” opinions. :-)
I heard his opening statement and Grassley’s questions and a few of Feinstein’s on C-Span Radio.
His statement was fine, as far as it went. None of the GOP nominees are ever held to what they say in their statements (“stare decisis, balls and strikes”), so it doesn’t really matter.
Grassley’s questions were fine, but he too seemed to accept that the answers didn’t matter, especially when it came to his pet project of whistleblowers at the FBI. And Wray’s answers were couched (as they always are) – “sure, we’ll cooperate fully to appropriate requests…” – administrations can and do drive trains through “appropriate”.
What got my spidey-sense tingling was Feinstein’s questions about Wray’s role in John Wu’s “torture memos”. Again, his answers were “fine” – “I personally believe torture is abhorrent”, etc. – as far as they went. But he said, roughly, “I have no recollection of looking at the ‘torture memos’ or offering any commentary on them at the time…” Did he check to refresh his memory, or has he actively been repressing his memory and hoping no paperwork turns up? I’ll bet I know the answer.
We’re not giving him the office so that he can do what he wants based on his personal opinion. We expect him to follow the law, the rules, and the Constitution. We expect him to avoid the appearance of impropriety. We expect him to refuse to take illegal actions. Etc. Even if they are contrary to his personal opinion.
He sounded very, very coached to me. Being involved with John Wu is a warning sign, IMO.
But he may be fine as well. These hearings rarely shed any light any more, and being willing to work for Trump is another very big warning sign.
I expect he will be confirmed though…
(sigh)
Cheers,
Scott.
Major Major Major Major
Wow! Ross Douthat went on a twitter rant this morning about how liberals don’t like Game of Thrones because “it’s deconstructing this patriarchal pre-modern world and showing how it’s sex and power all the way down”; rather, liberals like it because the porn lets the delude themselves into thinking they aren’t “escap[ing] the flat dreariness of liberalism for a little while.” “Because deep down you want a king or queen. You don’t want the egalitarian sex-positive Westerosi Republic, you want to be a bannerman to the Starks, a counselor to Daenarys.”
Guy has issues!
Fleeting Expletive
@patrick II: Wow. Thanks. Worth remembering. I’ve been watching the new Twin Peaks and this is just as weird.
piratedan
@Major Major Major Major: well, he’s always been something of a stupid fuck, so I tend to not waste any time on him. When someone has established for themselves such a stellar track record of stupidity, I tend to think he gets the bandwidth because of the amount of outrage clicks that they generate.
rikyrah
@Kay:
This will always lead back to Kushner and the Mercers.
Uncle Cosmo
@Yarrow: The United Reality-based States of America. U-R-S-A! Go back to the 13-star Revolutionary flag & put a big bad ole b’ar in the middle of the blue field – that way we wouldn’t have to add a star every time one of the batshit-insane left-behind states comes to its senses & petitions for annexation. Change the national motto to Don’t f with us, moochers! & we’re good to go… =;^D
TenguPhule
@Another Scott:
I expect nothing but the worst from him.
I think my expectation will be met.
Yarrow
@Kay:
There is no question about this. The people who have been digging into the Russian botnets and troll farms have traced anti-Hillary and pro-Bernie hashtags beginning in Russia and amplified via these bots and trolls over social media to get them trending. Then there’s Tad Devine, Bernie’s campaign manager who worked with Manafort in Ukraine. Those are but two examples. There’s a lot more but yes, Russia interfered in the Dem primary as well. They took an already existing fracture in the party and worked to make it much, much larger. They succeeded very well.
Major Major Major Major
@piratedan: I usually don’t care about him but found this one particularly gob-smacking. Basing a grand unified theory of how liberals are secretly conservatives on what is probably just a few facebook memes about an HBO show he saw is even lazier than David Brooks and the fake sandwich shop.
Aleta
@japa21: >Why would the State Department even be involved? <
Someone from State had to come along to place into a secure diplomatic pouch the bulging envelope passed to Eric-o ?
Official non-answer
(Couldn’t get this to post at first; don’t know which word was the issue…)
Major Major Major Major
@Yarrow: Devine is sketchy but it’s possible he might just be sketchy. He has a long history of work with establishment Dems, as well as other very unsavory but non-Russian people. It’s possible he was recently turned, I guess, but if you look at the Devine Mulvey Longabaugh contract with Bernie, it seems like he might have just been grifting off him. At least at the beginning.
Steeplejack
@schrodingers_cat:
Congratulations again!
I just got word last night that my Brazilian brother-in-law is getting sworn in as a citizen on the 24th. He is overjoyed.
rikyrah
@Aleta:
hmmmmmm
Emoluments clause, people
Yarrow
@Major Major Major Major: Maybe. I also expect Dems to be working for Russia, just not as many as Republicans. It’s a little too coincidental for me. I’m also interested in the money. Where did his small donations come from?
@schrodingers_cat: Clarke announced he was taking a position in DHS, then he somehow didn’t. It was billed as “he turned it down” but in reality he couldn’t get the security clearance for the job. Far too many questionable connections to Russia. He was there during the time of the infamous photo with Stein, Flynn, Putin at the same table.
Miss Bianca
@Yarrow: And I remember a former friend – yes, we fell out over political differences – telling me how disgusting it was that the Dems had emphasized the patriotic theme in their convention. This was after he told me that Bernie Sanders was a sell-out for endorsing HRC. And that Jill Stein was too dumb for his vote, so he was organzing for..Ralph Nader. At this point, I could no longer tell whether he was trolling me, so after some hard words where I basically told him that as white man he could afford to feel pure, but that I and others I cared about, not being white men, didn’t have that luxury, we cut the connection. Sad!
@schrodingers_cat: And felicitations on becoming a citizen!
HeleninEire
@schrodingers_cat: YAY, you.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
J R in WV
@schrodingers_cat:
Again, congratulations from down here in red-land! That had to be a terrific boost, and you deserve it !!
rikyrah
Trump attorney says collusion scandal is ‘not a legal issue’
07/12/17 01:01 PM
By Steve Benen
Jay Sekulow, a lawyer for the religious right movement who’s now part of Donald Trump’s legal team, appeared on several morning shows today, hoping to dismiss the relevance of the Russia scandal and this week’s revelations. In an exchange with CNN’s Chris Cuomo, Sekulow made the case that the developments with Donald Trump Jr. aren’t that important, in part because there’s no allegation of a crime.
Of course it’s a legal issue. Rachel talked to Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney, about this on the show last night and it seemed quite obvious that this is a legal issue. NBC News published a related piece on the legal questions surrounding the controversy. The New York Times published a piece of its own today from Norm Eisen and Richard Painter, who served as the top ethics attorneys in the last two administrations, exploring some of the unresolved legal controversies that are still being investigated.
If, however, Sekulow wants to argue that this isn’t only a legal issue, I’d be far more inclined to agree. As one observer put it yesterday, “A presidential campaign enthusiastically courting secret sponsorship by a foreign government is a problem bigger than the criminal law.”
Major Major Major Major
@Yarrow: Just because some parts of the Sanders campaign were (undoubtedly) involved directly with Russia, and there was a huge online disinformation campaign designed to fuck up the party that we know Russia was directly involved in, and there were some sketchy donations (though that could have been incompetence too, who knows), etc. etc., doesn’t mean Devine himself was involved in any of this. Devine’s actions can be adequately explained by money, IMO. Did he turn a blind eye? Very possible, but that again doesn’t make him a Russian mole.
smintheus
Yglesias hits upon what I’ve been saying is the larger scandal exposed brutally by the Trump jr scandal: The blackmail factor: Trumpworld’s Russia lies are a major risk to national security.
HeleninEire
@GregB: I agree with you about his past performances. And his current. I’ve got a good friend in Vermont. Lemme see what the locals are saying.
J R in WV
@Thoroughly Pizzled:
So this guy is asked to direct the agency in charge of the biggest legal fandango in the country, ever! And he doesn’t bother to look up the law regarding one of the most important issues related to this biggest legal ritual, or ask someone about it, before testifying??????
I’m sorry, that’s an unacceptable answer and he’s disqualified for lack of skill, lack of interest in his subject matter, and poor preparation for his job interview.
It’s like showing up at Giant Evil Corp for an interview and asking your interviewer what the Giant Evil Corp’s main line of business is. That’s when the interviewer says “Thanks for coming in, we’ll call you when we get a little bit further on in our hiring process.” Then don’t ever call.
You’re supposed to look the big things you might be asked about up before you show for that first interview!!!! I know this, and I’m a retired state employee.
TenguPhule
@smintheus: In all fairness, blackmail requires that the victim cooperate because they’re afraid of what might be revealed. Given that the Trumps appear to not give a shit about what they reveal, how is the blackmail supposed to work?
Yarrow
@Major Major Major Major: Oh, sure. From our vantage point on the sidelines we have no way of knowing if Devine is just greedy or is somehow involved with Russia. The intelligence community and the congressional committees should be looking into it so at some point we may find out. Or not.
Personally I don’t think Tad Devine is a Russian mole in the classic sense. He does not seem to have any problems working for questionable people, though, so perhaps he’s compromised himself and that allowed even more questionable things to happen. Say, he’s compromised, Russia blackmailed him, and he turned a blind eye to some goings-on in the campaign. That would suit Russia’s goal of chaos just fine without him having to report in directly to the Kremlin.
TenguPhule
@J R in WV:
The first rule of Giant Evil Corp is that we do not talk about Giant Evil Corp.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
They care about the details of their business dealings being exposed
TenguPhule
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I stopped believing that after they rickrolled our federal government ethics board. The fuckers have gotten a pass on literally using the government for personal business. Nothing matters anymore.
MomSense
@schrodingers_cat:
Wow, talk about a picturesque place for your citizenship ceremony. That must have been beautiful.
SiubhanDuinne
@Steeplejack:
Good for him! Congratulations to your BIL.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@Major Major Major Major: I guess Doubthat has been converted to the Neo-Reactionary school of thought
GregB
Congrats to you Schrodinger.
I recently went to an induction ceremony and was shocked at how weepy I became seeing people from 27 different countries, young, old, male, female, black white and yellow taking part.
So moved.
J R in WV
@The Moar You Know:
You do realize that this means you need to audit everyone’s equipment for the presence of Kaspersky software AND search for any embedded bits Kaspersky tools may be leaving behind. Because people in general won’t pay attention to this requirement from management. They have real work to do, as opposed to playing around with security issues!!
Bill Arnold
@rikyrah:
I don’t fully understand why this doesn’t get more traction. The wingnuts I talk with occasionally seem to think it’s among the stronger of the anti-Trump-family arguments. Also, it’s corrupt, right up there with any political Pay-To-Play.
Anecdote: my father was in the very big construction business; as a new sprout employee one of his duties was dealing with the building departments (Manhattan). One of the inspectors had a desk with a drawer facing into the room. To play, you made sure nobody was looking except the inspector, opened the drawer, dropped in some cash, and closed the drawer. This was common knowledge, as were the approximate amounts of cash required for various approvals. It is much tighter (much less blatant corruption) now in the US, I’m told by someone else still in the business.
glory b
@GregB: “There is evidence in WI, MI and PA. I am convinced.”
I am too. I mentioned before, that while PA is heAvily gerrymandered, the Dems have way overperformed here lately. There were (I think) three or four other statewide races in 2016, the only losses were Hillary and Katie McGinty against Toomey.
EVERY OTHER DEM WON BY COMFORTABLE MARGINS. TRUMP AND TOOMEY WERE THE ONLY REPUBS TO WIN STATEWIDE HERE IN THE LAST THEREE ELECTIONS!
I’m sorry, but that stinks.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Major Major Major Major: @? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: I’ve tried to read him a couple of times, because so many people seem to take him seriously. I have never read anything from him very persuasive or well-written or interesting. With those GOT tweets, I couldn’t tell if he was trying to be snarky, but even if he was trying to make a joke, it seems like he thinks he’s making a joke rooted in some devastating insight
schrodingers_cat
@MomSense: It was, they also gave us a lovely handmade red ware tankard each in addition to the little flag. People dressed up as 1830s New Englanders sang the national anthem as well as played the band. It was sunny and warm.
tobie
@patrick II: “Christie’s phone…It was found some years later in Wray’s possession.”
Has this come up at all in today’s hearing? I’ve been in meetings all day so I haven’t been able to watch or read up on the Wray confirmation hearing.
GregB
@Kay:
The people who dismiss the mountain of Trump/Russia connections as a nothingburger think one shady blog’s interpretation of John Podesta’s emails are smoking gun evidence of a pizza shop rape ring.
Major Major Major Major
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: he ends the tweets by saying he has an essay planned about it. His last op ed I saw was a serious discussion about how liberals liking Harry Potter proves they’re really conservatives. I think this is the level of thought he considers to be serious.
The Moar You Know
@J R in WV: Two words: Job security.
Trump’s pals are gonna keep me working overtime for the next four years, so at least there’s one American job he’s created.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: @Major Major Major Major:
Which Harry Potter Character are You?
I got Lord Voldemort
By Ross Doubthat
Wattpad.com
gene108
@Kay:
There were 17 people running in the GOP primary. I’m not sure how you fracture it more…they were pretty divided for awhile, with Trump just getting the largest plurality of votes to cinch the nomination…
What’s kind of surprising is how readily the other Republicans have fallen in line behind Trump. Cruz, whose wife and father were personally insulted by Trump, has become a good little foot soldier. Same with Rubio, who was also bitch slapped by Trump in the primaries.
I guess the power of destroying Obama’s legacy and cutting taxes for the rich is like some sort of animal mating pheromone, which drives out everything else from a Republican’s brain.
TenguPhule
@The Moar You Know:
Insist on cash upfront.
rikyrah
@Bill Arnold:
It’s sitting right there in the Constitution. No judicial interpretation required.
Brachiator
Yeah, yeah, yeah. All this is fine. The true test will come when Wray is invited for dinner at the White House and told to leave his family at home.
Brachiator
@schrodingers_cat:
Very cool story, from one of the sane corners of America.
The Moar You Know
@TenguPhule: I should really add that, their appalling politics aside, that my employers are downright decent and generous to us employees. We have guys out on jobs who pull more than the CEO. It’s in everyone’s best interests: we keep the talent and the C-suite keeps on making “good enough” money.
And I have a free hand to handle IT matters as I see fit, subject to the applicable laws and regulations the jobs require. That’s worth a lot to me, personally.
Been here 15 years and I’m not leaving.
smintheus
@TenguPhule: The Trumps keep lying about their contacts with Russians, therefore they don’t want the facts made public.
J R in WV
@TenguPhule:
Doesn’t seem to have been a crime for Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III to have lied about his meetings with Russian representatives, does it?!?!?!
Or has he been indicted for falsely swearing yet?
schrodingers_cat
@J R in WV: @Brachiator: Yeah, it made my day because it was so unexpected. Sane America actually outnumbers insane America but our media overlords are paid well to pretend otherwise.
a thousand flouncing lurkers (was fidelio)
Is it just me, or a bad angle, or does Wray, in the picturein Pierce’s piece remind anyone else of Joe Isuzu?
Another Scott
@germy: Teh Herb will be a regulated monopoly/oligopoly. Who wouldn’t want to get in on the ground floor on that?
Cheers,
Scott.
SiubhanDuinne
@a thousand flouncing lurkers (was fidelio):
‘Tisn’t just you. That was my immediate thought when I saw the photo.
a thousand flouncing lurkers (was fidelio)
@schrodingers_cat: Thanks for signing on for the fight. And the doughnuts, too.