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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Stupid Watergate Open Thread: The President’s Blame Is Missing (The Most Likely Suspect)

Stupid Watergate Open Thread: The President’s Blame Is Missing (The Most Likely Suspect)

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Yeah, let’s be honest even if that’s impossible for Republicans: The person most probably responsible for the worst leaks from this Oval Office Occupancy is named, shall we say, “John Barron”. Or maybe “Meredith McGiver”.

They’ve reached intermediate-stage Watergate levels of paranoia and we’re not even at the first midterms. Nixon is supposed to have wandered around the White House late at night, talking to the portraits of former presidents. Trump doesn’t even drink, and he’s probably already talking to the (newly installed surplus of) gilded mirrors…


Reader Interactions

143Comments

  1. 1.

    Ruckus

    “I didn’t do it, I wasn’t there, even though there is news footage, it’s not my beer even though it’s in my hand and I just took a swig from the bottle, I don’t know what you are talking about even though I just told you that I knew…….. d drumpf to the judge in court after being sworn in, the dishonorable rudy gullianus attorney of record.

  3. 3.

    Snarki, child of Loki

    Remember the days when Republicans were all paranoid about insidious Russian infiltration?

    Good times, good times.

  6. 6.

    Viva BrisVegas

    So why is the media taking seriously a tweet from Trump supposedly from anonymous sources with regards to unknown matters?

    Have they not been following Trump’s tweets for the past two years? How do they not know that they are worth less than spit?

  8. 8.

    jl

    I always like to look at the bright side. And here, that would be….
    …. that would be….

    OK, as long as Trump thinks this pathetic BS will have any effect on the 65% to 70% of the population that is sane, (that is, not a die-hard Trumpster), he’ll keep busy with that. It will take a long while for him to figure out it is useless, since he’ll bask in the applause for this tripe that he’ll get from his base. So, will keep him out of doing more mischief with DOJ and Mueller probe.

  10. 10.

    LongHairedWeirdo

    I love the twitter comments! “This is a breakdown of the institutions that protect us!”

    Uh, no, using an informant is perfectly lawful. See, you might remember, that *before* that amendment you think is the only one that matters, there’s another one that says “yeah, if someone does something illegal right in front of your face, you’re allowed to tell someone about it.” Free Speech Mother F**cker – do you speak it?

  12. 12.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @LongHairedWeirdo:
    Free speech for me but not thee. Haven’t you been paying attention? Any perceived inconsistency in conservative values and how they are applied can be explained by the raw and rank desire for absolute supremacy over everyone else by conservatives.

  13. 13.

    Cheryl Rofer

    I was thinking of doing a post on this situation, but a) It’s pretty complicated and b) I have some reservations about saying some of the things I might say.

    Basically, Devin Nunes and Donald Trump have been wanting to out a counterintelligence asset (not a spy!). Nunes has a theory that this will blow up all claims that Trump ever did anything wrong. I think I am starting to see the outlines of that argument, but, like all Nunes arguments, it’s a dumb one. Anyhow, tonight the New York Times and the Washington Post have outed that person. They did not give the name, but it’s not hard to figure it out for those who have been watching carefully. That’s as much as I am comfortable saying. I’m sure the name will come out in the next day or so, but I don’t want to be the one who does it.

  14. 14.

    Ruckus

    @Viva BrisVegas:
    I’m sure that not all the media does think his tweets are worthless.
    And like it or not, he is the president.
    This is like the airline pilot’s 3 yr old child being allowed to fly the plane because otherwise he pulls down his pants and shits on the floor.

  17. 17.

    Cheryl Rofer

    Asha Rangappa has a good explainer about informants.

    But Trump and his backers are wrong about what it means that the FBI reportedly was using a confidential source to gather information early in its investigation of possible campaign ties to Russia. The investigation started out as a counterintelligence probe, not a criminal one. And relying on a covert source rather than a more intrusive method of gathering information suggests that the FBI may have been acting cautiously — perhaps too cautiously — to protect the campaign, not undermine it.

    As a former FBI counterintelligence agent, I know what Trump apparently does not: Counterintelligence investigations have a different purpose than their criminal counterparts. Rather than trying to find evidence of a crime, the FBI’s counterintelligence goal is to identify, monitor and neutralize foreign intelligence activity in the United States. In short, this entails identifying foreign intelligence officers and their network of agents; uncovering their motives and methods; and ultimately rendering their operations ineffective — either by clandestinely thwarting them (say, by feeding back misinformation or “flipping” their sources into double agents) or by exposing them.

    The person was more of an observer than anything else, gathering information on what the Russians might have been doing.

    Understanding that the FBI may have been using an intelligence source — not a criminal “informant” — also explains the Justice Department’s concern about the purported source’s safety. To obtain information about Russia’s intentions and methods, the FBI would have had to use someone who would not raise red flags if their interactions with campaign officials got back to Russia. So there is a high likelihood that this person is someone already familiar to Russian intelligence, and possibly someone who was already in Russian business or organized crime circles, which all have links back to Russian President Vladimir Putin — which means the source would be in potential danger if discovered.

    And from what has been said elsewhere, the person probably was engaged in current operations, which are hastily being rolled up.

    There’s more in her op-ed about the possible strategy and the ever-present issue that all this was happening so close to the election. Very worth reading.

  25. 25.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @Cheryl Rofer:

    Will Trump withdraw American troops from the ROK/Japan as well as remove the nuclear umbrella we provide for the region just so he can get his meaningless summit with Dear Leader Kim?

  26. 26.

    Platonailedit

    @Cheryl Rofer:

    The traitor’s last gasp attempts to discredit Mueller’s findings. The rw media will scream it and the corrupt msm (fynyt) will dutifully amplify it.

  28. 28.

    Brachiator

    They’ve reached intermediate-stage Watergate levels of paranoia and we’re not even at the first midterms. Nixon is supposed to have wandered around the White House late at night, talking to the portraits of former presidents. Trump doesn’t even drink, and he’s probably already talking to the (newly installed surplus of) gilded mirrors…

    This is not going to end well. Paranoia and conspiracy theories come naturally to Trump. From the beginning, he has seeded the lie that there is a liberal dominated deep state set against him, and that even the intelligence agencies are disloyal and cannot be trusted. His gullible supporters believe this and the Republican Party eagerly go along with this.

    Trump is pulling the government down around his pathetic head.

    It will take a lot to clean this shit up once Trump is swept from office, and the stink that he has created may last for a long time.

  29. 29.

    Cheryl Rofer

    @tobie: I’m a little confused on that, been away from the intertubes most of today. I’ve read conflicting things about whether that was planned. My best understanding is that besides the main exercise, there was an additional one with B-52s. The North Koreans hate, hate, hate B-52s more than almost anything, because they can carry nukes or lots of nasty conventional bombs. It looks like that part of the exercise has indeed been canceled, although the bigger part is still scheduled.

    If we had an administration that does strategy, they might have canceled that part of the exercise earlier and told everyone that we were doing it in the service of peace and friendship, with the summit coming up. By waiting for Kim to demand it, we now look like we’ve caved. But Trump counteracted that yesterday by saying that if North Korea denuclearized, we would give them security guarantees. Actually he said we would “protect them,” which is kind of weird, given that we’re allied with South Korea. He didn’t want too much kumbiyah, though, so he immediately followed that with a threat that if they didn’t denuclearize, they would be “decimated,” as Libya was in 2011.

    That gives Kim something to chew on. I suspect that if he responds, it will be early Sunday our time. The North Koreans like to mess up our weekends.

  32. 32.

    Lapassionara

    @Cheryl Rofer: What to say. My worry is that Trump’s tweets suggest a “my way or the highway” end to the summit, meaning he will threaten war if things don’t go his way. Bolton seems to think Trump can just take military action against North Korea without involving congress. Is that on our horizon?

    My iPad is not a great vehicle for expressing all my thoughts on this subject. I hope this gives you enough to understand my concern.

  33. 33.

    jl

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?: No, nothing like that. Trump said he’d just make NK strong and protect them, send arms. No biggie. We’ll see if Cheryl disagrees.

    Edit: CR didn’t give Trump’s brilliant plan an A+. Clearly, she’s one of those critics Trump don’t like.

  34. 34.

    Brachiator

    @Cheryl Rofer:

    Basically, Devin Nunes and Donald Trump have been wanting to out a counterintelligence asset (not a spy!). Nunes has a theory that this will blow up all claims that Trump ever did anything wrong.

    Jesus. This sounds like Valerie Plame all over again.

    The Republicans believe that they can discredit Mueller and the FBI without any negative consequences or blow back.

  35. 35.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @Cheryl Rofer:

    Can Congress stop him from doing this? Would Trump fucking dare remove troops that have been stationed in that region for over 60 years?

  36. 36.

    tobie

    @Cheryl Rofer: Thanks for giving us your take. My sense was that it looked like Kim’s calling the shots. It doesn’t take a genius to see that Trump will do just about anything to get a deal that he can play to his uncritical base as a “win.”

  37. 37.

    jl

    Predicting Trump is easy. Just think of an addicted person who bought some supply on the street, of uncertain quality, and has stashed it in little bits in safe places around the house. Consider to ups and downs as he needs some, but can’t find it right now, or takes too much, or whatever, or is charge up to the max, or on a blissful plateau right before he starts to crash. Easy to predict how the guy will act.

  38. 38.

    Cheryl Rofer

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?: Trump says what he thinks will work in the moment. A concept like “dare remove troops” comes from another dimension. He could get angry and call Kim “Little Rocket Man” to his face. He could walk out. There was a report in Time yesterday that he is not preparing at all for the summit, figures he will size up Kim when he looks into his eyes. We know how that worked for George W. Bush.

    Tune in for next week’s exciting episode!

  39. 39.

    Millard Filmore

    @Dev Null:

    Why are Goopers copasetic with Russian infiltration?

    I think Kay wrote about this maybe a week ago. The Russians align with the USA right wing on policy. Both want to protect white power, white privilege, keeping women and darkies in their place, and of course the Russians position themselves as the champion of White Jesus.

    Its the close alignment of policy.

  40. 40.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @Brachiator:

    The Republicans believe that they can discredit Mueller and the FBI without any negative consequences or blow back.

    I take it you can’t see the brilliance of their plan? I hope it blows up so badly in their faces.

  41. 41.

    Doug R

    @Ruckus:

    This is like the airline pilot’s 3 yr old child being allowed to fly the plane because otherwise he pulls down his pants and shits on the floor.

    Well, I think the next Air Force One pilot can be found in the parking lot of the Tim Horton’s in Downtown Langley, BC.

  42. 42.

    jl

    @Major Major Major Major: Dayam. Swear to heck, I thought Carter Page as I read some news blurbs about the situation. OTOH, who how many plausible candidates are left? Got a fifty fifty chance just by process of elimination due to internal exile, firings, resignations, plea deals and indictments removing other possibilities.

  45. 45.

    J R in WV

    @tobie:

    It would be great to hear your thoughts on the news that the US canceled its joint military exercise with South Korea and Japan today.

    No it wouldn’t. They only canceled the B-52 flyovers as part of the exercises. Which is no big deal compared to canceling major troop movements, or even Navy ships moving about.

  46. 46.

    Another Scott

    @Cheryl Rofer: Warning – Politico:

    The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee warned Friday that his colleagues could be committing a crime if they obtain the identity of a secret FBI source and use it to undermine the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

    Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) raised the alarm in a Friday evening statement, as Republican allies of President Donald Trump have pressed the Justice Department for details about a source believed to have aided the FBI and Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Trump campaign contacts with Russians.

    “It would be at best irresponsible, and at worst potentially illegal, for members of Congress to use their positions to learn the identity of an FBI source for the purpose of undermining the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in our election,” Warner said. “Anyone who is entrusted with our nation’s highest secrets should act with the gravity and seriousness of purpose that knowledge deserves.”

    […]

    “You get an indictment, and You get an indictment, and You get an indictment…”

    [ eta: via Memeorandum ]

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  49. 49.

    Doug R

    @Cheryl Rofer: This is why I think the South Koreans are working hard to hammer out details so they can present trump with a handy set of “accomplishments”. It’s really their neighborhood anyway. Plus China and Japan.

  50. 50.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @Millard Filmore:
    Kay has talked about this. That meddling in the election wasn’t just because the crap in Ukraine or American sanctions on Russian oligarchs’ piggybanks; I worry that this is also ideological. Destabilising the West doesn’t just allow Russia more room to pursue it’s foreign policy goals; it also means exporting Putin’s brand of autocracy which allows him and his oligarch’s to amass even more wealth without opposition; spreading neo-fascist values that the Russian right love is a bonus.

  51. 51.

    Cheryl Rofer

    @Another Scott: The WaPo and NYT articles I linked upthread essentially give the identity of the person. I am a bit confused about this, however, because it has been possible to put some things together since about March and come up with his (I’ll go that far) identity. I was musing about this last night on Twitter, and another person effectively told me who it was. Official confirmation, of course, is a big step, which tonight’s articles effectively are.

    Ben Wittes is furious and said he will write something in the next day or so. I’m looking forward to what he has to say.

  53. 53.

    Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)

    @Brachiator:

    He has no capacity to control himself, even when it’s in his own interest. He’s a seething ball of neuroses and insecurities. He can’t help himself. He’ll end up fucking himself up the ass so hard he’s going to need Michael Cohen to secretly pay him $130,000 of his own money.

    He’s gotten away with all kinds of truly awful shit his whole life because he was a two bit con man with a lot of money putting up buildings in New York, and nobody much gave a shit. Now that he’s president, people care. They care a whole hell of a lot, and his inability to rein himself in is going to take him down. It’s this crippling psychological sickness of his that’s going to save us all in the end, I think, even as it fucks things up in the meanwhile. I feel hopeful that we’ll come out of this all right, though. It’s going to take a long time and a lot of work to put things back to rights, but we’ll make it.

  54. 54.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:

    Edited: What if this is partly being done sincerely because the Russians want to spread their culture, values, and system of government?

    Are the Russians employing a strategy of autocracy promotion?

  55. 55.

    Another Scott

    @Cheryl Rofer: Understood, but the implication I get from Warner’s comment is that his name is coming out because someone in Congress – presumably Nunes – deliberately leaked the information to someone with the expectation – no, the implicit demand – that it be published to damage the FBI and Mueller’s investigation. Trump and Nunes and their minions are daring Mueller and the rest of the CI establishment to do anything about it.

    We’ll see what happens…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  56. 56.

    jl

    @Cheryl Rofer: If it is this Halper person, looks like Nunes leaked it as soon as he walked out of the briefing. I’ll head down to Fresno and do some GOTV work against him. I have one (1, exactly 1) non-Trumpster kin down there where I can bunk. The others, I’d have to do it under cover, or they’d kick me out.

  57. 57.

    Brachiator

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:

    I take it you can’t see the brilliance of their plan? I hope it blows up so badly in their faces.

    These dopes don’t have a plan. They decided to back Trump no matter what. But they are bringing the special sauce, the lie that only Republicans are the real patriots, that they are the only ones who care about the country.

    But I can’t believe that they don’t know that Trump is Putin’s poodle. At some point, the GOP will fall into a hole they can’t get out of. It will be fun to watch it happen. Painful for them, and maybe for the country. But damn fun.

  58. 58.

    Mnemosyne

    @Millard Filmore:

    I’m not sure if it makes it better or worse that it was adults who got into a beef with each other after the graduation ceremony. Yes, let’s make sure that everyone is armed at all times so every stupid argument can end in tragedy! What a great idea!

    Given the location, I will not be surprised if it turns out to be family members arguing with each other. Graduations can be very fraught, especially between divorced couples.

  59. 59.

    tobie

    @J R in WV: If we had an administration interested in policy and invested in strategy, I would agree that canceling this portion of the exercise could be seen as a symbolic, goodwill gesture. As Cheryl pointed out, an able administration would announce the cancelation on its own (a) to give its take on the move first and (b) not to look like the US was pressured to do so by NK. Nothing this administration does is well thought out in advance. It looks like the US caved to North Korea’s demands because it’s desperate. That strikes me as significant.

  61. 61.

    NotMax

    Open thread foodie moment.

    Know full well there are some who turn up their noses at it, but lurve me a leg o’ lamb slow roasted in the oven.

    Now have an alternative method so can switch off from time to time. Played with an Instant Pot recipe found somewhere and the result is also yummy, however a completely different texture. So tender that no knife is necessary; one can readily cut it with a fork. And made the gravy in the same pot – only one vessel to wash!

    Was skeptical as the recipe called for a whopping 90 minutes at high pressure, but that turned out perfectly done meat.

  62. 62.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Brachiator:

    But I can’t believe that they don’t know that Trump is Putin’s poodle.

    They do know, but it makes sense if you think that only white people, especially white Christian men, are Americans. Under that belief system, it is 100% patriotic to cut deals with another white supremacist nation to extend white power, especially after the election of a black man to the highest elected office showed how shaky your control is.

  64. 64.

    Platonailedit

    FBI Dir. Wray: "The day that we can’t protect human sources is the day the American people start becoming less safe… Sources in particular who put themselves at great risk… have to be able to trust that we’re going to protect their identities and in many cases their lives."— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 19, 2018

  65. 65.

    Chet Murthy

    Ding dong, a witch is dead

    In 1976, he led a group of military and foreign-policy experts, known as Team B, in an ultimately pessimistic analysis of the Soviet Union’s military strategy and foreign policy and the threats they posed to the United States.

  66. 66.

    opiejeanne

    @J R in WV: You were asking earlier about tours in Europe and I tried to give you a link to the Rick Steves site. I know that in 2014 there was a walking tour in the Alps and it sounded great. The prices compare pretty favorably with less good ones, which is not to say they are cheap but reasonable for what you got, which was a lot of expertise, great guides, and decent housing plus some meals. They limit the groups to 20-25 people while almost all other tours have about 40

    Tours

  67. 67.

    mike in dc

    Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is the House and Senate, for Paul Manafort to flip, and for conspiracy indictments to start rolling in.

  69. 69.

    glory b

    So, I’ll give everyone something to smile about. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have asked that, in lieu of gifts, people make donations to their favorite charities. One that she selected is called the Myna Mahila Foundation. Its goal is to assist poor women in third world countries with education about menstrual hygiene and it employs women in Mumbai making sanitary pads.

    In a Glamour magazine article, the founder describes meeting Markle and her visit to the slum there, saying she sat on the floor in their group meeting, readily ate the food they made and insisted the photographer take pictures of the women there, rather than concentrating on her.

    She said that sh was surprised at the extent to which Markle had educated herself about the problem (one I’m ashamed to say I never thought of), and was very interested in their ideas.

    And, she has invited the woman who founded the organization and several of the women from the slum to the royal wedding. some of these women have never left Mumbai. The founder, Suhani Jalota, praises her highly and is hapy about how excited the women are to be going to the royal wedding. Kind of impressed with Harry’s decision to marry her.

    Just another example of how black girls rock.

  70. 70.

    Mnemosyne

    @glory b:

    Did you see that Markle is going to be walked down the aisle by her future father-in-law, Prince Charles? Her mother is not very comfortable being in the public eye, so she decided not to do it and to instead do the usual mother-of-the-bride thing. It seems to be yet another gesture from the royal family showing that they love and approve of Markle. ?

  71. 71.

    Niles

    Old and busted: “There was no spy. Trump is lying.”
    New and hot: “Of course there was a spy. He was there to protect Trump. He should be grateful.”

  72. 72.

    Brachiator

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    But I can’t believe that they don’t know that Trump is Putin’s poodle.

    They do know, but it makes sense if you think that only white people, especially white Christian men, are Americans. Under that belief system, it is 100% patriotic to cut deals with another white supremacist nation to extend white power, especially after the election of a black man to the highest elected office showed how shaky your control is.

    Still doesn’t make sense to me. The United States has been a racist nation, sometimes fighting against itself, but I am not sure that its leaders have willingly surrendered to another nation. And the US does not need Russia to be totally racist. Hell, under the old racist categories, Anglo Saxons we’re superior to Slavs.

    Trump needs Putin. I don’t see that it does much for anybody else.

    I’m not totally convinced, but I understand what you are saying. Still, the GOP are dopes. You can’t make a deal with the devil and expect Satan to play fair. So, Putin will never accept Americans as equal partners. Similarly, Netanyahu is a fool if he thinks that white supremacists will set aside their hatred for Jews and accept him in their club. And I’m just using him as an example.

    Perhaps Republicans and their running buddies really are that stupid. I know Trump is.

  73. 73.

    Mary G

    Art Acevedo, Houston chief of police comes out strong for gun control on his personal FB page. So well written:

    To all my Facebook friends. Today I spent the day dealing with another mass shooting of children and a responding police officer who is clinging to life. I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve shed tears of sadness, pain and anger.

    I know some have strong feelings about gun rights but I want you to know I’ve hit rock bottom and I am not interested in your views as it pertains to this issue. Please do not post anything about guns aren’t the problem and there’s little we can do. My feeling won’t be hurt if you de-friend me and I hope yours won’t be if you decide to post about your views and I de-friend you.

    I have never accepted the status-quo in anything I do and I’ve never accepted defeat. And I won’t do it now. I will continue to speak up and will stand up for what my heart and my God commands me to do, and I assure you it he hasn’t instructed me that gun-rights are bestowed by him.

    The hatred being spewed in our country and the new norms we, so-called people of faith are accepting, is as much to blame for so much of the violence in our once pragmatic Nation.

    This isn’t a time for prayers, and study and Inaction, it’s a time for prayers, action and the asking of God’s forgiveness for our inaction (especially the elected officials that ran to the cameras today, acted in a solemn manner, called for prayers, and will once again do absolutely nothing).

    I close by saying, I wish those that move on from this page the best. May God Bless you and keep you.

  74. 74.

    Mnemosyne

    @Niles:

    I was wondering when our little Trump troll would show up. Interesting how you think that spying on the Russians and spying on Trump are exactly the same thing. Why would you think that?

  75. 75.

    Mnemosyne

    @Brachiator:

    You can’t make a deal with the devil and expect Satan to play fair.

    They think they can cheat the devil and walk away unscathed. Unfortunately for them, that’s not how it works.

  76. 76.

    Brachiator

    @glory b:

    In a Glamour magazine article, the founder describes meeting Markle and her visit to the slum there, saying she sat on the floor in their group meeting, readily ate the food they made and insisted the photographer take pictures of the women there, rather than concentrating on her.

    Damn. Harry seems to be marrying a woman whose sprit is much like his mother’s.

    Wish them much success and happiness and hope they can avoid the trap which might turn them into frivolous, crappy Royals.

  78. 78.

    Niles

    Obama’s FBIsp@Mnemosyne: Obama’s FBI illegally spied on Trump’s campaign. After he won they used their own activities to trigger a special persecutor. I’m sure there will be lots more coming as this unfolds.

    They didn’t expect him to win. If Hillary had won none of this would have seen the light of day. They fucked up.

    This is way worse than Watergate. I know you don’t believe it, but you’ll see. I feel very confident that Obama was involved but they’ll never prove it. Comey and his friends are going to prison.

    The ironic part is that everyone assumed Trump was dirty. They were wrong.

    Tonight we have confirmation that there was indeed a spy. In the GOP nominee’s campaign. During an election. There ain’t no way to buff that turd.

  79. 79.

    glory b

    @Mnemosyne: That’s great! It looks like our loss and Britain’s gain.

    Although I read somewhere that, before Harry asked her to marry him, she was thinking of moving to Canada until the end of Trump’s presidency.

    Suits is filmed there, and she figured she’d just stay.

    Can’t blame her.

  80. 80.

    Mnemosyne

    @Niles:

    Obama’s FBI illegally spied on Trump’s campaign.

    The FBI was spying on the Russians, not on Trump. Again, why do you think of those as the exact same thing, hmmmm?

    After he won they used their own activities to trigger a special persecutor. I’m sure there will be lots more coming as this unfolds.

    So a candidate for President of the United States was working closely and secretively with a hostile foreign power and you don’t find that alarming at all? You think that the real problem here is that the FBI was spying on the Russian agents who were working with the Trump campaign, and not that the Trump campaign was working with Russian agents?

    I’m surprised you can type at all with your head so far up your own ass.

  81. 81.

    Brachiator

    @Niles:

    Obama’s FBI illegally spied on Trump’s campaign.

    You really need to take this stupid shit somewhere else.

  82. 82.

    efgoldman

    @Mnemosyne:

    why do you think of those as the exact same thing, hmmmm?

    It’s
    a
    fucking
    TROLL
    (Although it uses too many words to be a bot. Probably a Wilmer fan)

  85. 85.

    Brachiator

    @Mnemosyne:

    They think they can cheat the devil and walk away unscathed. Unfortunately for them, that’s not how it works.

    A case in point. The Republicans cannot deny that they have emboldened racists and antisemites. From HuffPo.

    Supporters of a neo-Nazi running as a Republican in California’s Senate race released anti-Semitic robocalls attacking incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) this month.

    The robocalls have also been made outside California, including to The Hill.

    The message left for The Hill backs Patrick Little’s campaign, and accuses Feinstein of being an Israeli citizen and calling her a “traitorous Jew.”

    “He’s [Little] going to get rid of all the nation-wrecking Jews from our country, starting with Israeli Citizen Dianne Feinstein,” the call says of Little.

    This stuff is sickening.

  87. 87.

    Aleta

    @Brachiator: I’ve had that thought too—what you said about maintaining his mother’s spirit.

    I was impressed when I read about the garden that her two sons had put in ‘at their place’ last year. Sure it may be relatively effortless for them to have a garden put in, but at the same time there’s something moving about sons making sure her memory is a presence where they live. More so especially for them to make the point inside the place she wasn’t welcome as herself.
    (Found an article from a year ago, ABC)

    A memorial garden has opened at Kensington Palace to mark the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death and to honor her life. A team of six gardeners and a number of volunteers spent 18 weeks planting (snip) more than 12,000 bulbs over the winter to create a garden outside the home that Diana’s oldest son William, shares with his wife Kate, and their two children, and the cottage where Diana’s youngest son, Prince Harry, lives. The gardeners wanted to create something “very elegant, simple but also joyful” to reflect Diana’s spirit, according to head gardener Sean Harkin.

    Kensington Palace has announced a number of events to commemorate Diana’s life this year. Her sons, William, 34, and Harry, 32, have also commissioned a statue on the grounds of Kensington Palace to honor Diana.

    “Our mother touched so many lives,” William and Harry said in a statement earlier this year announcing the statue. “We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and her legacy.”

    “We will do everything we can to make sure that she’s never forgotten and carry on all the special gifts, as such, that she had and that she portrayed while she was alive,” Harry said in the March 2016 interview.

  88. 88.

    Adam L Silverman

    @jl: The informant provided information on 3 people who would eventually become involved with the President’s campaign and/or his administration. The first was LTG (ret) Flynn, who the informant observed at a conference in England in 2014. Was concerned based on what he saw. And reached out to his contacts in the US intelligence community. The second and third were Page and Papadapolous in 2016. He also, apparently, reached out to Sam Clovis in mid 2016 as well.

  89. 89.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Another Scott: @jl: Vladek is a professor at UT Law. He specializes in national security issues and is a contributor at Lawfare.

  91. 91.

    Ruckus

    @Brachiator:
    I said in another post that with our jungle primary that there are a lot of names to go through to find the person to vote for. Well I looked at the ballot and what do you know, if you take out all the republicans, all the minor parties and all the unidentified the numbers get much smaller. My only quibble is that DiFi is running again and I think she is too old. I’d like someone new, younger than way, way older than dirt. (And don’t forget that I am officially older than dirt. Only just but still.)
    Anyone from CA got any ideas on who is running for senator who might possibly be worth electing, or do we just go with the too much experience?

  92. 92.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Millard Filmore: Not exactly. From the Atlanta Journal Constitution article you linked to:

    One person has died and another has been shot in a parking lot across the street from Mt. Zion High School, police said. The two people shot were not students.

    There was a graduation ceremony happening across the street at the Clayton County Performing Arts Center, Channel 2 Action News said. The shooting happened after the graduation concluded.

    The graduation was for the Perry Learning Center, an alternative school in Jonesboro, Channel 2 reported.

    Both people shot were adult women, Channel 2 reported. One was shot in the leg and the other was shot three times. It is unclear if they were attending the graduation or not. The woman shot in the leg was transported to a local hospital.

    Police told the news station an argument led to the shooting.

    A Clayton County Police Department spokesperson said via email the incident occurred on school property and the department is investigating.

    No arrests have been made, but Channel 2 reported investigators are searing for at least one suspect.

    No other details have been released.

  93. 93.

    Mnemosyne

    @Aleta:

    Harry and Meghan will continue living at Kensington after they marry (though they’ll get to upgrade to a palace suite, not a bachelor cottage) and will presumably raise their children there like William and Kate are doing.

    My mother died when I was quite young (7), so I think it’s really sweet that they decided that they wanted a nearby place that both of them will be able to be able to show to their children that is dedicated to the grandmother they will never be able to meet. ?

  95. 95.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Chet Murthy:

    In 1976, he led a group of military and foreign-policy experts, known as Team B, in an ultimately pessimistic incorrect analysis of the Soviet Union’s military strategy and foreign policy and the threats they posed to the United States.

    Fixed it for you!

  97. 97.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Brachiator: It has been reported that the former Ukrainian legislator that Mueller has had in front of the grand jury has told people he was asked about Michael Cohen, the President’s campaign, Republican members of the House and Senate, members of the administration, etc. This is the guy that sent the President a peace proposal for Ukraine and Russia via Michael Cohen who supposedly hand delivered it to Flynn.

  99. 99.

    Brachiator

    @Ruckus:

    Anyone from CA got any ideas on who is running for senator who might possibly be worth electing, or do we just go with the to much experience?

    I think that Kevin de Leon is the popular insurgent choice, but I have not had time to study the ballot more.

    The trick is making sure that no republican gets second spot on the ballot, and I’m reading that James Bradley is neck and neck with de leon in recent polls.

  100. 100.

    Anne Laurie

    @Cheryl Rofer: Thanks, Cheryl… main reason I post stuff like this, instead of waiting for informed analysis from you and/or Adam, is that all I know is what I read in the media. I figure I can’t do harm by repeating what’s already in the Washington Post or on CNN — but if the occasion should arise when I’m wrong about that, by all means pull down the post!

  102. 102.

    Aleta

    @Mnemosyne: Yeah, a garden the kids can run around in and know it’s a space that means their grandmother. I’ll plant something by the river here in memory of your mother. (If you have a request, let me know sometime this week.)

    The prince-palace-carriage thing is all so weird, but it still makes me angry that a 17-19 year old woman was sought out and used without scruples or morals, just because they needed a woman in a role. It’s moving that her sons are trying to right some of the wrong. Hope Merkle isn’t harmed.

  103. 103.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Niles: Your foot placement on the clean and jerk needs adjusting. You’re good on the clean, but you’ve got a step problem on the jerk.

  106. 106.

    Anne Laurie

    @Cheryl Rofer: Okay, having read both those articles & some of the newest Wingnut Wurlitzer “exposes”… I immediately thought of one name, but it’s *not* the name RedState et al are touting. Goes to show how confusing this Hall of Mirrors is, for us non-professionals!

    (Don’t worry, I’m happy waiting till tomorrow for the MSM to let us all know.)

  107. 107.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Anne Laurie: Honestly he’s been pretty much hiding in plain sight. There has been significant reporting about him in relation to folks in the President’s orbit, especially LTG (ret) Flynn, for the past two years. So it wasn’t hard to piece it together.

    That said, this is going to be bad. As was the case with the President telling Lavrov and Kislyak last year about the Israel op, this is going to make it much, much harder for the US to both recruit informants or sources or to have people sympathetic to the US’s interests volunteer to become informants or sources. Moreover, it is going to cause our allies and partners to have even further concerns about the US’s ability to protect their sources and methods, which will likely negatively influence their cooperation with our intelligence community.

    When Mueller figures out who leaked this, and I’m guessing it is one of the two or three of Nunes senior staffers who do his dirty work, that that individual and Nunes are prosecuted under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.

  110. 110.

    Adam L Silverman

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: I doubt the troll finds it funny. If he’s not careful, based on the videos he posted, he’s going to do some serious ligament damage.

  111. 111.

    Anne Laurie

    @Adam L Silverman:

    He also, apparently, reached out to Sam Clovis in mid 2016 as well.

    Sam Clovis is someone else I wouldn’t mind seeing come to a bad end, frankly.

  112. 112.

    jl

    @Adam L Silverman: It wasn’t me, copper. I ain’t the stoolie. Hey, was just I was reading the twitter and I just said stuff I saw there, see? What’s the fuzz doing coming down an little nobody like me was just reading the twitter, huh? Don’t youse guys go some real criminals to catch?

  113. 113.

    hervevillechaizelounge

    @Brachiator:

    The key to understanding the Russia-republican alliance is acknowledging we (coastal elites) have become the real enemy.

    RWNJ media runs on fear, and for quite a while Russia was no longer a worthy adversary—even the rubes didn’t believe Russia poised to overthrow the US five or ten years ago.

    So Faux et al decided to demonize liberals. And when you accept that we’re the enemy the republican alliance with Putin makes perfect sense. The Cletus corps has been indoctrinated to believe we’re trying to destroy America—we got into bed with Stalin to defeat the Nazis, and they’re getting cozy with the Ruskies to defeat us.

    Putin’s racism and anti-gay bias is just gravy, IMHO.

  116. 116.

    Adam L Silverman

    @jl: That wasn’t directed at you, it was a partial response to your comment by someone who knows the law on this stuff much better than I do.

  118. 118.

    jl

    @Adam L Silverman: Yeah, sure, Tell it to the Marines. I’m calling my lawyer.

    I didn’t see any videos. I was out doing stuff, then I came back. I got Trumpster relatives who send me videos, high octane Alex Jones stuff, knock your block off. Can’t scare me with no videos.

  119. 119.

    Adam L Silverman

    @jl: My comment is intended to subtley signal the troll. I was attempting to be subtle. I apologize for that confusing everyone.

  120. 120.

    Adam L Silverman

    @jl:

    Yeah, sure, Tell it to the Marines.

    All my USMC friends/colleagues have families with young kids. I’m sure they’re all asleep at this hour.

  121. 121.

    jl

    @Adam L Silverman: I was not confused. I was joking. Except I missed the videos, so I don’t understand all the details of the intrigue going on here at BJ blog tonight. I’ll read the book on it when it comes out.

  122. 122.

    Anne Laurie

    @Adam L Silverman: Is there a bounty for feral hogs, these days? Cuz the meat won’t be worth cooking — old boar’s eaten too much garbage to be palatable even after aging & marination.

  125. 125.

    Adam L Silverman

    Executive time this weekend is going to be lit!

  131. 131.

    Anne Laurie

    @Adam L Silverman: You’d probably like Pratchett’s second-favorite character, Sam Vimes.

    From everything you’ve written on this blog, you’d almost certainly like Lord Vetinari, Patrician of Ankh-Morpork.

    But I figured you’d recognize the old “joke”, regardless!

  133. 133.

    J R in WV

    @Niles:

    You are a TERRIBLE troll. You have facts wrong, you have un-natural English errors that look as if English is your third language and make it clear that you don’t live in America.

    Why do you care, as a foreigner, who is president of the US? Who could possibly believe that one news item will turn around the Trump-Russian influence investigation? After all the guilty pleas and indictments already in the books!!!

    Like a child, writing in the 6th grade about something she hasn’t studied yet, and won’t study for years, making it look like real writing, with no there, there. Not well enough educated to even know there’s so much wrong it doesn’t make any sense. Doesn’t know what she doesn’t know yet, or ever. Like Trump’s twits.

    Thanks for trying! If that’s the best you can do, I’m sorry, you need to go back to school and learn it this time.

  134. 134.

    Spaniel

    Rudy Giuliani just now to @ChrisCuomo: “We don’t know for sure – nor does the president – that there really was” an informant. “We’ve been told that” by people “off the record.” He added, “we don’t know if they’re right or not.”

    Interesting about the echo-chamber talk, something will get amplified. I thought it was that great legal mind Andrew McCarthy who started all of this informant speculation a few weeks ago. By great legal mind, I meant to say polemic water-carrier for the Republican party.

  135. 135.

    Bobby Thomson

    Trump doesn’t even drink

    Why do people keep spreading this myth that Trump is a teetotaller? He lies about literally everything, and the entire country has seen him coked to the gills.

  136. 136.

    Bobby Thomson

    @Another Scott:

    You get an indictment, and You get an indictment, and You get an indictment…

    That’s the problem. Our system of government isn’t designed to deal with a lawless legislature.

  137. 137.

    Thoughtful David

    @Mnemosyne:
    Well, to be fair to Niles, he has a little tiny pinhead, so it’s easy to get it that far up his add.

  139. 139.

    Cheryl Rofer

    @Anne Laurie: Noted. This story is a particularly complicated situation, but it’s not the only time I want to step back and see how things go before I write a post. Interestingly, I’m just not seeing a lot since the NYT and WaPo stories dropped. I suspect that others share my reticence.

    ETA: I also wanted to explain as much as I could of the story, which was developing as you posted. As you can see, that was a good idea because I beat out Niles with their disinformation.

  140. 140.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    What exactly is Mueller going to ask Trump that Trump isn’t going to tell the entire world via twitter?

  141. 141.

    Another Scott

    @Bobby Thomson: Yes and no. There are examples like Cong. Jefferson from Louisiana. Congressmen don’t have the (traditional) protections against prosecution that Presidents do.

    But, in general, you’re right. Our system of 3 co-equal branches of government doesn’t work when people in positions of authority don’t follow the rules and norms and traditions of their office.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  142. 142.

    jc

    I thought I read a year or so ago that there was an unholy group of hard right guys in the FBI in NY and Rudy was tight with them. For some reason, this story reminds me of that.

  143. 143.

    Another Scott

    @Cheryl Rofer: It looks like GG joyfully let the cat out of the bag over at The Intercept. At least that’s my reading of the excerpt at Memeorandum. I haven’t been over to give him a click.

    Because of course he did.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

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