David Leonhart has a carefully put together article of impeachment, based on Trump’s obstruction of justice. Ten points are based on publicly available evidence. Mueller has more.
Of course, the Republican House will not act on this. Which is why we must flip the House this November.
Impeachment is a political act. I’ve been trying to step back from the immediate furor and look at the bigger picture. There are a great many problems beyond obstruction of justice. A responsible Republican Party would form a delegation to talk with Trump about coming clean or resigning. Fortunately, the Mueller investigation continues; in any case, they have more information on these issues than I do.
I jotted down some notes over the weekend. Here’s my list of those problems.
Did the Russians route money to the Trump campaign through the NRA? Why were there so many contacts between the Trump campaign and the Russians? Paul Manafort? Michael Flynn? George Papadopoulos and the mysterious Dr. Mifsud? Carter Page? What were the functions of Papadopoulos and Page on the campaign team? What was the June 9, 2016, meeting with Russians about? Was Cambridge Analytica part of this? What about the connections between a Trump computer and Alfa Bank?
Why did Trump share highly classified Israeli intelligence with the Russian ambassador?
Then there are the conflicts of interest – the family businesses, including Ivanka’s investments in Azerbaijan and business in China; the hotels and other properties. That gets into the emoluments clause and the use of those properties for government business.
So many people had access to highly classified information, more than previously given access to President’s Daily Brief. Michael Flynn. Jared Kushner’s inablity to get a security clearance.
And the constant lying. What are they hiding?
The Republicans in Congress have some problems of their own, which, in addition to their tribal loyalties, may have been holding them back from saying much to Trump. There are indications that they may have partaken of Russian help in their campaigns. Why are some who might have been the equivalents of Barry Goldwater speaking to Richard Nixon, like Lindsay Graham and Thom Tillis, suddenly turning around?
And what role does Fox News play in all this beyond supplanting the President’s Daily Brief?
Looks to me like there is more than enough for impeachment, certainly for a stern talk by any Republican legislators who are not implicated in Trump’s crimes. I find it helps to look at the bigger picture from time to time, even if it is depressing.
LanceThruster
You’d think the grifting bastard could be booted on the Emoluments Clause alone.
guachi
I think the Democrats should bring up one charge at a time to impeach Trump on. Make the Republicans vote and defend every single thing Trump has done.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
A point Brian Beutler has made repeatedly: Republicans don’t even know what they’re covering up.
Mike in DC
Three buckets of crimes:
Bucket 1 contains the coverup crimes–obstruction, perjury, lying to the FBI, witness tampering and suborning perjury
Bucket 2 contains the conspiracy crimes–aiding and abetting cyber crimes, receiving illegal in kind foreign contributions, violations of the Logan Act which actually fit the constraints of the act, etc.
Bucket 3 contains various financial and other crimes which may or may not be related–chiefly, money laundering and tax evasion.
If Mueller refers all 3, and does it in 2019, I think Trump is finished. Too big of a shit sandwich for Republican senators to digest.
T S
Yeah, I suppose the Mueller probe continues…for a few more days or something? This post sounds like it was written without any awareness of what chain of events were put in motion today with the firing of McCabe as related to an OIG investigation. This sounds like toadies aren’t just removing McCabe to clear the way for Trump or to appease him…sounds like Wray and co. are gonna try to nail them for their “deep state”-iness or some BS. Politically motivated persecutions have begun.
Lapassionara
What about the hush money to the porn star paid by the campaign?
What about the failure to execute the laws passed by Congress?
Cheryl Rofer
@Mike in DC: Thanks. I’ve been trying to organize them, and this is a helpful division. But there are many, many connections among them.
Mart
Today is the final deadline for Trump to implement the Russian Sanctions passed on 7/27/17 by the Senate 98-2. Nothing to see here.
Lee Hartmann
“Why are some who might have been the equivalents of Barry Goldwater speaking to Richard Nixon, like Lindsay Graham and Thom Tallis, suddenly turning around?”
I’m old enough to have voted for Johnson; apart from everything else, I was very fearful of Barry G. becoming president for his hawkishness. Nonetheless, these two twerps have less than one percent of the integrity of Goldwater.
Cheryl Rofer
@T S: No, just trying to list what’s there, no matter what today’s actions.
Cheryl Rofer
@Lapassionara: Good ones. Thanks.
T S
@Cheryl Rofer: To be fair, no one knew about the OIG stuff at the beginning of the day….at first, we could just kind of assume McCabe was just gone a month early, no big deal…but sounds like some real stupid BS is coming down the pipe. The purge has begun.
Brachiator
You need the House and the Senate in order for impeachment to be successful. Flipping the House would simply be the first step.
You would need a 2/3 vote in the Senate to remove Trump from office. It would take an extraordinary case for this to happen. The GOP will back Trump until the bitter end.
Impeachment would only embarrass and anger Trump. I could live with that. It would be fun to watch.
sheila in nc
That’s Thom Tillis, not Tallis. Wouldn’t want to malign the great 16th century English composer.
tobie
@T S:
A propos character assassination: Adam Goldman in the NYT is reporting that Wray fired McCabe because of something he read in an Inspector General’s report over the weekend. McCabe of course is powerless to defend himself right now, so the smear stands. We need to be very vigilant about leaks with this administration since they are often part of a disinformation campaign. Best examples thus far: reports that Wray and McGahn were willing to quit their jobs before obstructing justice. Turns out that was all poppycock.
ETA: Oops…I see you mentioned the OIG report.
Cheryl Rofer
@sheila in nc: Thank you. The composer is why that stuck in my head.
Mary G
I’m thinking that not all the dark money washing around PACS and those infamous 501(c)(4) groups they got the IRS to OK came from the Kochs, Adelson & other weasels, but a lot of Russian money came in too. It must not be that well hidden, since they grow more panicky and shriek about squirrels more and more each day.
Some news that must not be comforting to Republicans:
ETA: The reason they are defending Trump is because they are guilty, too, the whole party, top to bottom.
T S
@tobie: Yeah, I think forcing him to stay on another month gets him out of the office but prevents him from talking.
schrodingers_cat
@Brachiator: I will do the Alauddin Khilji dance when that happens!
Padmavaat was a poem, but Khilji repelled 3 Mongol invasions of India. Khilji (Ranveer Singh) seems more interesting than the bloodless Ratan Singh (Shahid Kapoor) in the movie. To paraphrase T, I like the kings who win battles.
Aleta
Thanks Cheryl for outlining and (always) clarity.
Roger Moore
I want to know more about what he’s done since the election at Russia’s behest. I’d want to know particularly about his appointments of cabinet-level people with deep and troubling ties to Russia,especially Rex Tillerson and Wilbur Ross. I find it deeply suspicious that the two cabinet appointments he made that were completely out of left field were of people who appear to be closely associated with Russian business and, in the case of Ross, Russian money laundering. That stinks to high heaven.
Eric S.
@guachi: Is there such a thing as double jeopardy when it comes to impeachment? I like the idea but can we force the Rs to vote now and then bring the charges back when/if we flip Congress?
waspuppet
Looks like that’s the problem.
Baud
@Mart:
CNN
Wait till tomorrow to get outraged.
p.a.
Possibly a freshman state Rep or two, somewhere. I suppose…
Cheryl Rofer
@Brachiator: Once the Democrats have a majority in the House, they can bring articles of impeachment. That would start hearings in the House Judiciary Committee to determine which articles to bring against Trump.
In Nixon’s case, the House Judiciary Committee decided on the articles of impeachment, but the House never voted on them. Goldwater and two colleagues approached Nixon at that point. The Senate in that case was likely to vote to convict. Nixon folded, although he was somewhat like Trump in his dogged determination to hang on.
There are many possibilities. But first, we have to flip the House. And the Senate, even if we think it’s unlikely.
NotMax
Tip of the iceberg.
Beneath the waves are conduits for money laundering, the shenanigans of the Trump Foundation, a candy-coated jumbo size assortment of malfeasance and misfeasance and probably, shall we say, indelicacies on tax returns.
schrodingers_cat
@Cheryl Rofer: Yes indeed, one step at a time.
Cheryl Rofer
@Roger Moore: Thanks.
Y’all, I’m writing down these suggestions and will keep track of them for later posts and submissions to the House Judiciary Committee.
Это курам на смех
I say we take the Congress in November, then leave him in office with no impeachment. Better to have Trump to run against in 2020 than a generic white republican whose chances would be good against a divided Dem party.
In any case, the Senate will never vote to convict.
Mary G
Le Sigh:
tobie
@T S: I need to find out more about this OIG report. Intelligence is being used to silence or destroy political enemies. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the coming days an investigation into Clinton’s email server is not reopened. The GOP really, really, really wants to see her in cuffs.
Baud
@Это курам на смех: Don’t be so sure. As bad as our Senate map is in 2018, theirs is bad in 2020. Enough public sentiment in our favor and who knows.
NotMax
@Cheryl Rofer
In that case, add in investigating contravention of Sarbanes-Oxley and violation of the oath of office in both word and deed
Cheryl Rofer
@NotMax: Got it!
NotMax
@Mary G
Worst Disney cartoon character ever.
Well, at least he won’t be forced to apply for a bridge loan between gigs.
:)
drdavechemist
@Baud: If we are still talking about impeachment after the 2020 election, then things are MUCH worse than I have been imagining.
rikyrah
Yes, articles of Impeachment the very next day after the new Congress is sworn in.
No forgiveness. This is treason, for phuck’s sake
Lapassionara
@Cheryl Rofer: Thanks. I am glad to know someone is working on this.
Even if there were no money laundering, no getting help from Russia, no obstruction of justice, the undermining of our laws is disheartening. If he had wanted to run on a platform of repealing the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, he should have said so, then after being elected, he could have asked Congress to repeal them. Instead, he appoints an enemy of the EPA to functionally repeal those laws. He treats the laws he is sworn to uphold as nullities. As BC would say, gaaaaah!
Baud
@drdavechemist: No, in 2018, with GOP senators in fear of 2020.
Lapassionara
@Lapassionara: And don’t get me started on the Consumer Protection Bureau!
Cheryl Rofer
DINGDINGDINGDING! Mart is the winner!
T S
@tobie: The report is to be completed, apparently. The purge has begun…I imagine a lot of people have been holding back some leaks so that Mueller can use them effectively as evidence…once he’s fired, will it come pouring out?
Patricia Kayden
Nunes’ memo is going to be released.
drdavechemist
@Baud: Name one sitting GOP senator who will vote for impeachment in 2019 because s/he is afraid of losing the general election to a democrat in 2020.
T S
@Patricia Kayden: So about 35% of the country can mewl about it and luvs some Trump, while the rest of us are made even more certain how awful they are. Do they really benefit from shoring up the base still? Diminishing returns I would think.
Villago Delenda Est
If the Russians did indeed route money through the NRA, the NRA should receive a corporate death penalty.
Villago Delenda Est
@T S: They do not think conventionally at all. Donald needs his adulation, the base provides it. Standard rules of politics don’t apply here.
Patricia Kayden
@T S: This is crass politics. Republicans voted to release the Nunes propaganda and then voted down the release of the minority party’s memo. Disgusting. I want to see the entire Republican party get taken down HARD. November can’t come quickly enough.
Corner Stone
House GOP starting investigations into both the FBI and the DoJ, according to Rep Schiff.
Patricia Kayden
So now Republicans will go full steam ahead to harass FBI and DOJ into soft pedalling their investigations of Russian interference in our last presidential election. Amazing.
T S
Also too:
“NEWS: schiff announces the GOP majority told the democrat minority today that house intel has opened an investigation into the DOJ & FBI”
https://twitter.com/politiCOHEN_/status/958118260041502720
mai naem mobile
I detested Jason Chaffee and Darrell Issa but my disgust for this Jim Jordan douchebag bears that by a mile. What a major league asshole. He can’t even be bear because he’s from a solid red district .
ColoradoGuy
The web of connections between Rupert Murdoch, Wendy Murdoch, and the leadership of the GOP needs investigation. Wendy has connections to Chinese intelligence, and I’ve read she is now affiliated with Putin. This is stretching coincidence to the breaking point.
In addition, Murdoch and Fox News appear to be the functional leaders of the GOP; all GOP reps and senators are terrified of them, since FN is the primary news source of the GOP base and maybe 1/3 of self-described “independents”. Whoever is writing the FN chyron is effectively writing DJT’s tweets. In practical terms, that scrolling chyron is giving the marching orders to millions of cult followers … so who is writing them?
Lapassionara
@Patricia Kayden: I just hope we have a fair election, with no hacking and other interference.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Be a shame if some staffer misplaced a folder at a Starbucks or something.
Patricia Kayden
So what happens if Democrats release their memo despite Republicans voting down their right to do so? These are lawless times. Dems should go ahead and release their memo if Nunes’ memo gets released. We need to stop treating this regime as if it was normal. This is not normal.
Barbara
@Mary G: I guess no one at ABC News lives in New Jersey.
Weaselone
@Patricia Kayden:
I would assume that means someone would go to jail.
Mart
@Mary G: Never would have been considered for the gig if he had not worked himself into being the least popular Governor in the country. Hard to find talent like that.
Citizen_X
@ColoradoGuy:
Minitrue.
Timurid
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
As soon as the GOP memo goes public, the Democrat version will get leaked so hard you’ll be reading it as graffiti every time you piss in a public toilet…
Patricia Kayden
@Weaselone: Leak it. This is nonsense. One party gets to release its propaganda to defend its sleazy president while prohibiting the minority party from releasing its memo. Release the minority report to a newspaper a la Watergate and let the chips fall where they may.
Aleta
IAN an expert, but it’s been said that public opinion was the turning point in Congress’s willingness to begin proceedings against Nixon, which in turn was the point that Republicans stepped in to convince him to resign.
Since public opinion is influenced by what the media tells the public that other people are thinking… (a part of human nature it seems) …
We need to fight against the limited coverage of demonstrations against Trump policies. Including, I would guess, to click on stories of demos anywhere.
The blackout of almost all coverage of the demonstrations against the invasion and war in Iraq was part of Cheney-Bush’s intimidation of the media. Their control mechanisms started earlier; and then whenever they really needed it, the effects were rapid.
Mart
Love how the “minority party” has a majority of constituents.
Weaselone
@Patricia Kayden: ok. Let me rephrase this. Leaking it would probably lead to a DOJ investigation of the Democratic Party complete with seizure of all documents and files of Democrats on the House Intel Committee and Democratic leadership.
jl
GOP may have recall tickets for ‘State of the Uniom’ [sic] address.
Somebody who manages to scoop up the typos, misprints and gibberish that the WH and GOP Congress is pumping out will make a goldmine in political collectibles a curiosities.
J R in WV
@rikyrah:
Yes, we don’t need to wait for inauguration day, impeach him the moment we have the votes in the Senate, and remember, there are Republicans, tho not many, who despise the despicable one. Some of the Senators will vote to convict Fat Turd any time we can muster the votes in the House to Impeach.
No reason to wait for January 20th to be rid of him.
Cheryl Rofer
@Aleta: I think there will be more demonstrations.
T S
@Weaselone: To be fair, that’s probably going to happen within a few months, anyway.
Patricia Kayden
@Timurid: Good.
Baud
@drdavechemist: I don’t do prediction. It’s worth it to try.
@Cheryl Rofer:
Good news for Dems. Putin’s Puppet strikes again.
SiubhanDuinne
@Mary G:
I detest Chris Christie, but he actually is quite entertaining — and no matter how stupidly he sometimes acts, I don’t think he’s actually a stupid person. Can’t get terribly upset about this announcement, much as I’d like to.
(Of course, the fact that I don’t own a tv and never watch any of the morning programs might have something to do with my nonchalance on this issue.)
Procopius
@Eric S.: No double jeopardy in impeachment. Double Jeopardy applies to peril of life and limb. Haven’t you ever noticed that if a defendant gets acquitted on one charge of murder they can still retry her on violation of civil rights, or some other charge that does not carry a death penalty? In the case of impeachment they can impeach him as many times as they can get votes in the House for. The problem would be growing reluctance to continue such a fraught exercise.
tobie
@T S: I fear the US is broken beyond repair. 35%-40% of the country will not believe a single finding of Mueller’s investigation. The various and sundry Republican-led probes into the FBI, DOJ, etc will produce enough cherry-picked material for the masses that voted for Trump to eat up. I really see no way out of this mess. Putin succeeded in dividing us beyond his wildest dreams.
Chyron HR
Well, the important thing is that Our Revolution saved the country from “neoliberals”.
SiubhanDuinne
@Patricia Kayden:
But they voted down releasing the companion minority memo. Adam Schiff sounded as through steam was emerging from his ears and flames from his mouth. I’ve heard him sound pissed off before, but never like this.
And I don’t blame him one iota.
Baud
@Procopius:
That’s not correct in the criminal context. You’re right about it not applying to impeachment, and that people won’t tolerate multiple attempts.
Brachiator
@schrodingers_cat:
Very energetic dance. I enjoyed reading some of the YouTube comments.
Yep, hoping for a chance to do a victory dance at Trump’s defeat.
Baud
@SiubhanDuinne: You don’t want to make Schiff angry. You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.
SiubhanDuinne
@Baud:
I am very sure of that. He was simultaneously spitting nails and shitting bricks in his impromptu pressed — and that’s only from what I heard on the car radio!
He will, of course, be a senior member of the Baud Cabinet…?
Baud
@Chyron HR:
This is all Hillary’s attempt to distract us from her HR decision a decade ago.
Baud
@SiubhanDuinne: Secretary of Kicking Ass and Taking Names.
jl
@Baud: I thought that one was going to Cole.
VeniceRiley
OK House Dems are saying House R’s are launching an official investigation into the DOJ/FBI and What the actual fuck? I need to put the twitter down for a moment and breathe
NotMax
@J R in WV
In the case of “Do you want it done right or do you want it done Tuesday?” I stand solidly in the done right camp. For all intents and purposes, politically, it is a one-shot occurrence, make it count. Let justice and the rule of law, not revenge or retaliation, be the touchstone.
Baud
@jl: I’ve decided to make him my Wild Turkey Whisperer.
Patricia Kayden
And the Trump regime just announced that no new sanctions will be placed on Russia. Nice to see that Putin’s Puppet is doing what he was elected to do with the help of Russians.
chris
@tobie: There was a poll a couple weeks ago that said 42% of adults didn’t know who Robert Mueller was. Just another number, I said as I pulled the covers over my head.
feathers
@tobie: There really needs to be a serious pushback on Murdoch. Why is he still accepted in polite company? Or at least the kids? It is known they are less ideological than he is. Perhaps the crazification of the Republicans is to poison the base against a post-Murdoch Fox News?
Is it possible that the chaos we are seeing now is because for all his true evil, Ailes was in on the joke and knew that you never go full treason?
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud:
I’m not sure Cole is capable of whispering.
NotMax
@BillinGlendaleCA
On top of that, he no longer tipples.
Baud
Some good news.
BBC
WaPo
Baud
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Wild Turkey Drill Sargeant?
Kenneth Fair
Cheryl said:
Keep in mind that the Trump computer not only had connections to Alfa Bank, but also Spectrum Health, which is owned by the DeVos family.
Gvg
I think the reluctance to impeach comes from a count of votes. Suppose some R’s were willing but knew from counting other colleagues that they didn’t have the votes even with all D’s. No point in bringing it up and showing their hand plus getting too many unstable people riled up. After the elections the numbers will be different even if we don’t take the Senate. It will depend on which ones are left. Good for us if the most extreme or compromised get taken out. In addition I really think some of them are more compromised then Trump and some of them need to be arrested. Get even one Congressman convicted and I think the rest will get serious.
Prove Ryan or McConnel guilty and it’s a whole different ballgame. Reminds me, we aparently dodged a bullet when we didn’t elect Romney, different than the one we knew about. Both those guys acted suspiciously thru Obama’s administration but I put it down to partisan spite. Now I think it was more serious.
Swannie
Coming here is like stepping into an alternate reality. The biggest tinfoil hat conspiracy theory in American history is “Trump colluded with Russia.”
Trentrunner
Mueller will not save us.
We will have to save ourselves.
We will save ourselves by voting the GOP out of office.
Period.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@Swannie:
Go stick your head in an oven, junior. The adults are talking.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Swannie: Welcome, you sound like you like pie.
T S
@tobie: No, Putin only took advantage and gave a little nudge to what our cynical right wing businessmen and religious zealots had done since the 70s. They built our divided society and had the disinformation cranked up to 10….he just pushed it to 11.
Corner Stone
@Swannie: What’s the second biggest?
billcoop4
Rep. Schiff can come visit me anytime in upstate NY, and I’d be happy to take care of his …. paper recycling.
BC
Swannie
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I’m so old I can remember when you had to stick your fingers in your ears and go “La-la-la!” to keep from hearing unpleasant truths.
JR
Here’s how it starts:
WHAT is the third estate? Everything.
WHAT has it been in the political state until now? Nothing.
… hope I’m wrong.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Corner Stone: Aliens at Area 51.
tobie
@feathers: I don’t know what it would take to get the fairness doctrine reimposed but maybe we need that. You’re right that Hitler would have gotten nowhere without his propaganda minister Goebbels. Murdoch has chosen to play the same role for Trump and the House GOP.
Swannie
@Corner Stone: Bush planned 9-11
MomSense
The only way forward for our country is if we humiliate and destroy the Republicans in the November election. My concern is that we are not taking adequate measures to counter Russian interference in the election. I think we have to run up the score – win by overwhelming margins to beat the interference and voter suppression.
WaterGirl
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Wow, this troll needs to go back to troll school. There is simply no way to read that comment and not conclude TROLL. Pie, it is.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@Swannie:
I’m old enough to remember when you didn’t need a computer to make unfounded inflammatory assertions with no supporting evidence whatsoever. Do you even read Adam L. Silverman’s posts?
divF
@Swannie: Pied.
Corner Stone
@Swannie: Nothing about Ichabod Crane? You’re such a modernist.
But her emails!!
@Swannie:
Why do we have such crappy trolls? Collusion wasn’t even mentioned in the thread or article prior to it showing up.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@WaterGirl: Yeah, they don’t send us their best…
KithKanan
@Lapassionara: He essentially did, at least if you realize what the GOP actually means when they put things in their platform like:
and
Corner Stone
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: No you’re not.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@But her emails!!: I thought collusion was A-OK, now I’m confused again.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@Corner Stone:
Shut up. I’m trying to make the troll look like an idiot.
Major Major Major Major
@Corner Stone: he’s old enough to remember when you didn’t require a computer for it.
feathers
@tobie: Losing the fairness doctrine was bad. Weakening the rules on foreign ownership and multiple media properties in the same market for Murdoch was even worse. It’s really something that he is now running anti-immigrant propaganda because so many rules applying to foreigners were ended at his behest.
Although, the legal basis for the fairness doctrine came from the licensing of broadcast spectrum, so it didn’t apply to cable news. Its effect on radio has been even worse than on TV, so bringing some form of it back for radio would probably be the best that could be hoped for now. Not allowing stations to only present one point of view 24/7 would help so much, but with corporate personhood, not something that could really be implemented.
I really hope there is a 2020 Dem who runs on ending corporate personhood. If a company wants to claim personhood, it has to be set up like an old school partnership, where the top executives are financially and criminally liable for the actions of the company.
Baud
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: He doesn’t need your help.
zhena gogolia
@Corner Stone:
want me to answer the troll in Russian?
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: LOL, beat me to it.
Major Major Major Major
So many trolls! Anything good?
SiubhanDuinne
@Swannie:
Then I suggest you not come here.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@feathers:
Murdoch is an American citizen, he got fast track naturalization to buy some media properties.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@SiubhanDuinne: Some folk like an alternate reality, that’s why they ingest certain chemical compounds.
schrodingers_cat
@zhena gogolia: Da.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@schrodingers_cat: OT: Here’s a pic for you and jl.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
If you pry yourselves free from troll slaying, try listening to today’s Fresh Air episode on Paul Manafort.
But her emails!!
@Major Major Major Major:
No. The quality of trolls continues to plummet. They used to take pride in their art. Now it’s either garbage copy and pasted from their daily newsletter, or the same short inane piece of nonsense regurgitated by hundreds of their fellows. It’s sad. I blame Russia and the GOP. Where you once had little mom and pop shops putting out a some decent, custom posts on Facebook and various websites, you now have mass produced garbage spewing from troll factories.
Mike J
@But her emails!!: Aah yes, the guy who thinks it’s so unfair that he keeps getting caught on FBI wiretaps just because he’s on the phone with Russian agents.
Major Major Major Major
@But her emails!!: I would guess the pie filter got rid of some of the bespoke trolls too. Why put in the effort if you’re easy to ignore?
Gravenstone
@Swannie: The proper term of art is Conspiracy against the United States. Now, welcome to the bakery, pie boy!
SiubhanDuinne
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady):
I read the Atlantic article this morning (can’t remember which Juicer mentioned/recommended it, but many thanks!), listened to the Fresh Air broadcast this afternoon and just finished listening to the evening rebroadcast.
Miss Bianca
@SiubhanDuinne: low-energy trolling. SAD!
@But her emails!!: I never thought I’d pine for the day when we had vintage trolling. A couple of the commenters who got banned (and I shall not name them for terror of invoking BanHammer myself) are starting to look almost good in comparison to some of the new pikers.
SiubhanDuinne
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
…which luckily can be found in any kind of pie filling.
Credenzal Jocularity
After a very naked Trump finishes at the SOTU tomorrow:
Fox: What fine and splendiferous clothes he wore tonight!
NYT: That’s just how he dresses.
CNN: Here’s a panel to discuss the relativity of enrobement.
WaPo: Clearly naked! Where’s our cookie?
The Village: It would be shrill to have an opinion about what it means to be clothed.
Alt-Right: Yeah he was nekked! R U Triggered?
NPR: We are unable to independently verify anything because we kept our eyes tightly shut, but biased people on both sides said stuff.
The Chorus of Jackals: Where was his damn mop?
J R in WV
@Villago Delenda Est:
RICO them out of business. Confiscate their real property, their business, their documents, their contracts, the membership list. Then begin interviewing the members to determine which ones support treason. After arresting all the officers and employees.
feathers
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I’m remembering the fights against him from the 80s. I thought some rules had been bent before he got his fast track citizenship, but that could have been more accusation than truth. But those rules turned out to be in place for a reason, eh?
schrodingers_cat
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Is it LA? What filter did you use?
efgoldman
@Mary G:
ABC (and Channel five in Boston) were once my go-to TV news. Then Peter Jennings died, and it all went to hell.
Villago Delenda Est
@Swannie: Traitors like you will be hunted down and dealt with.
efgoldman
@J R in WV:
We will never have the votes in the senate; if 66 senate votes is the requirement for impeachment action in the house, we’ll never get there. Neither will the RWNJs.
J R in WV
@NotMax:
Well, Done Right stands by itself, no one can disagree with that. So I agree that it should only happen if it’s done right.
Then hang him high after generous covering of tar and feathers and riding on a fence rail, sharp side up.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@schrodingers_cat: That’s downtown LA shot with a 590nm IR filter on my full spectrum camera.
ETA: I know you like my IR shots and they frighten jl.