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You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Open Thread: Mitch McConnell Says Mission Accomplished, Tovarish!

Open Thread: Mitch McConnell Says Mission Accomplished, Tovarish!

by Anne Laurie|  January 17, 20199:59 pm| 48 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Foreign Affairs, Goddamned Traitors, Open Threads, Republican Venality, Russiagate

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#Russia's state TV reports that for the first time since 2014, the US is lifting sanctions from Russian companies [#Deripaska's Rusal et al.] The host laughs out loud about the Democrats not getting enough votes to block the effort, expresses hope that this is just the beginning. pic.twitter.com/bAQJMazcyV

— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) January 17, 2019


 
Note the individual in the top left corner. As we remove our government from the death-grip of these traitors, let’s not let the media overlook how much the entire Republican party has been willing to cede to foreign oligarchs…

If you love what you do, you’ll never “work” a day in your life. https://t.co/jlKq2WwEj5

— Robert Mann (@RTMannJr) January 15, 2019

Trump never said he didn’t volunteer for Russia.

— Schooley (@Rschooley) January 14, 2019

Big difference between Trump’s Saturday night guy answer and Monday morning coached answer. I think I’d go with the first.

— Schooley (@Rschooley) January 14, 2019

Going to be fun when Trump's cronies have to figure out how to tell him that they're going to have to go with the "he's too stupid to be a Russian agent" defense.

— Mig Greengard (@chessninja) January 15, 2019

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Previous Post: « Open Thread: Mexico For The Win
Next Post: Oh Hey This is Obstruction of Justice and Impeachable »

Reader Interactions

48Comments

  1. 1.

    GregB

    January 17, 2019 at 10:06 pm

    No one has been tougher on Russher…..

  2. 2.

    plato

    January 17, 2019 at 10:09 pm

    gop – groupies of putin

  3. 3.

    Adam L Silverman

    January 17, 2019 at 10:20 pm

    That’s the worst game of Hollywood Squares ever!

  4. 4.

    Leto

    January 17, 2019 at 10:23 pm

    It’s being reported that Melania Trumpov took a military flight to Shit-a-Lago, as Trumpov blocked Nancy Smashes official trip abroad. I hope these public corruption offenses are punished. We can’t afford as a nation, as a democracy, to let this shit continue. Forever fuck “look forward, not back”. I have my rear view firmly affixed to all these motherfuckers.

  5. 5.

    donnah

    January 17, 2019 at 10:24 pm

    And breaking now on MSNBC, Melania Trump took a military plane to Florida today as Trump blocked Pelosi from using a military plane, suggesting she take a commercial flight.

    jeezus

  6. 6.

    Doug R

    January 17, 2019 at 10:26 pm

    Looks like he’s down to 22% dead enders with 15% ready to bolt, at least according to YouGov.

  7. 7.

    Adam L Silverman

    January 17, 2019 at 10:27 pm

    @Doug R: The real problem is he’s in real trouble with Independents.

  8. 8.

    jl

    January 17, 2019 at 10:29 pm

    On the chance that Putin has something on Trump and he is being blackmailed, or simply a coward, who fears scandal, we can ask whether extortion victims typically say that they work for the extortionist.

  9. 9.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 17, 2019 at 10:32 pm

    @Leto: I want a truth and retribution commission set up in the wake of this most corrupt administration in the history of the country, making Harding and Grant look like pikers.

  10. 10.

    SFAW

    January 17, 2019 at 10:32 pm

    @donnah:

    Meanwhile, well-documented moron Chris “I’m the courtiest of courtiers” Cilizza has an “analysis” up, titled “Donald Trump just dunked on Nancy Pelosi’s CODEL and yes that is actually the headline.” He spent the next N* paragraphs giving Shitgibbon a figurative blowjob that would make MAGAt Haberman jealous.

    I would need to lose about 100 IQ points to be able to write something as stupid as what he vomited up. No fucking link because I generally like you kids, and beside torture is still illegal. At least, in theory. What a fucking asshole he is.

    * where “N” is a large positive integer

  11. 11.

    The Midnight Lurker

    January 17, 2019 at 10:32 pm

    It’s my understanding that the DOJ lawyers representing the President have already floated the ‘he’s too stupid to understand the consequences of his tweets’ defense. I wonder how that’s working out for them.

  12. 12.

    SFAW

    January 17, 2019 at 10:34 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    I want a truth and retribution commission set up

    Careful, amigo — “reconciliation,” mot “retribution.” Because … reasons.

    Or so I’ve been told when I express the same desire.

  13. 13.

    Burnspbesq

    January 17, 2019 at 10:35 pm

    BTW … Wilmer was the only Senator to miss the vote (Gillibrand rescheduled her official campaign kickoff in order to get back to DC for the vote).

    And Gabbard blew off the House vote.

  14. 14.

    zhena gogolia

    January 17, 2019 at 10:36 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Where’s Paul Lynde?

  15. 15.

    SFAW

    January 17, 2019 at 10:36 pm

    @The Midnight Lurker:

    Probably working out just fine: they’ll say to him “The Demon-rats think you’re too stupid, especially that shrieking harpy Hillary Pelosi.”

  16. 16.

    Burnspbesq

    January 17, 2019 at 10:37 pm

    @SFAW:

    I’m sure that’s just auto-correct. Or a Freudian slip. Or sumpin sumpin.

  17. 17.

    Adam L Silverman

    January 17, 2019 at 10:38 pm

    @jl: If Putin had nothing, other than that the President was lying about trying to do business in Russia during the campaign while he was negotiating for a Trump Tower in Moscow at the same time, which is itself compromising information, or was before it was disclosed by Michael Cohen, he does now. He has it because Putin has notes, and knowing Putin I’m sure he has recordings, from those five meetings with the President and the President, let alone anyone else in the US government, has no notes, no recordings, not even a summary. That itself is compromising material. On top of this, we know from news reporting that the President speaks to Putin some times on his unsecured phone while up in the residence at night. There are no official records of those calls. No notes. No recordings. No summaries. On the US side. Putin has all of those things. And because the President also speaks to Hannity and Dobbs and Pirro and Deity knows who else on that unsecured phone when up in the residence at night, Putin, as well as every one of our allies, competitors, and enemies all have Signals Intelligence intercepts of those calls as too. And that itself is all compromising information.

  18. 18.

    SFAW

    January 17, 2019 at 10:40 pm

    @Burnspbesq:

    Supposedly, Bernie was at a meeting with former campaign staff, where discussions re: the sexual harassment issues were being held. Of course, it was an old-day meeting, but he could only stay for an hour. It’s doubtless just an amazing coincidence that the hour was the same one where the Russia sanctions vote was being held. [Actually, I have no idea what the temporal overlap was, but if I can’t baselessly speculate about something, then why come here?]

  19. 19.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    January 17, 2019 at 10:41 pm

    Trump “I never worked for Russia”

    No, you merely paid other people.

  20. 20.

    SFAW

    January 17, 2019 at 10:43 pm

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:

    No, you merely paid other people.

    Well, that, plus he’s never worked a day in his life. For anyone.

  21. 21.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 17, 2019 at 10:45 pm

    @Adam L Silverman:

    That’s the worst game of Hollywood Squares ever!

    The Broidy Bunch.

  22. 22.

    jl

    January 17, 2019 at 10:47 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: Wonder if a BJ commenter got in on the fun, and they can spill. Some of them are savvy on the cyber. Then this place would finally become a true full service blog that pays for itself.

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques: So Trump’s explanation will be he produced good American jobs for his flunkies, while colluding with Putin. I mean, if Trump wasn’t sincere about about Making America Great Again, he could have outsourced those jobs to Saudi Arabia or China, or Turkey, or Israel. Or God knows what other countries he’s working for.

  23. 23.

    Bill Arnold

    January 17, 2019 at 10:49 pm

    The president of the United States of America: “I never worked for Russia.”

    Perhaps he was, and is, an independent contractor.
    There might be receipts. etc. :-) Interesting that the Right Wing establishments in both the US and UK, the major countries in the Anglosphere, are in crises essentially simultaneously.

  24. 24.

    The Midnight Lurker

    January 17, 2019 at 10:50 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: I’ve been wondering about that myself. Surely, all sorts of players have been ‘listening in’ on the Presidunce’s phone calls. And surely, our allies are more than willing to share.

    I have this mental image of Bob Mueller in his bathrobe, standing on his front porch first thing in the morning, kicking aside piles of bulging, unmarked manilla envelopes, cursing, “I just want to read the goddamn paper!”

  25. 25.

    debbie

    January 17, 2019 at 10:57 pm

    @jl:

    I don’t think it’s any of those things. I think Trump walked into it with open eyes. He has done all this out of greed.

  26. 26.

    jl

    January 17, 2019 at 10:57 pm

    @The Midnight Lurker: Given Trump’s schedule, I can imagine the Mueller people are driven to extraction and exhaustion by now. They just want to get a few nights of decent shut eye, but noooooo….. They get a call from one of the technicians: “Goofball’s on the phone again, I’ll patch you in…”

    And Trump might be cleverer than we think. His strategy might be to commit so many crimes so fast, Mueller can’t catch up and can’t finish his report.

  27. 27.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 17, 2019 at 10:59 pm

    @SFAW: I’m a firm believer in pour encourager les autres when it comes to those “in charge” of just about anything.

  28. 28.

    jl

    January 17, 2019 at 11:00 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est: Thanks for confirmation. Something about your comments have made me think just that for some time now.

  29. 29.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 17, 2019 at 11:01 pm

    @The Midnight Lurker: The intelligence agencies of former Soviet Republics have been very, very busy recently.

  30. 30.

    Adam L Silverman

    January 17, 2019 at 11:03 pm

    @The Midnight Lurker: I did a post on this a while back.

  31. 31.

    Mnemosyne

    January 17, 2019 at 11:05 pm

    I think Trump is just dumb and narcissistic enough to think that the Russians were working for him. Because he’s just such a great and smart and talented guy that they volunteered out of the goodness of their hearts to help him win the election.

  32. 32.

    The Midnight Lurker

    January 17, 2019 at 11:08 pm

    @jl: “Goofball” – good code name.

    And yes, he is a one man constitutional crime wave.

  33. 33.

    The Midnight Lurker

    January 17, 2019 at 11:09 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: I know. I read it. Now I can’t find it. I am ashamed.

  34. 34.

    jl

    January 17, 2019 at 11:11 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Would be a world-historical example of the Dunning-Kruger effect. Trump thinking “I can rip off both the Rooskies and the US and make some real bank!” And then repeatedly doubling down as the failures piled up.

  35. 35.

    Adam L Silverman

    January 17, 2019 at 11:11 pm

    @The Midnight Lurker:
    https://balloon-juice.com/2018/05/21/ever-wonder-why-we-keep-seeing-reports-of-foreign-signal-intelligence-equipment-in-dc-unsecured-presidential-personal-phone-edition/

  36. 36.

    The Midnight Lurker

    January 17, 2019 at 11:13 pm

    @Adam L Silverman: You rock! Thanks!

  37. 37.

    Yutsano

    January 17, 2019 at 11:14 pm

    Speaking of Yertle, he came out of his shell enough to barf up this garbage against HR1. Of course he does such a bad argument against the law that he actually makes it sound good in parts. It’s probably safe to read, but it’s pretty much garbage.

  38. 38.

    Duane

    January 17, 2019 at 11:22 pm

    @SFAW: Note all eight pictures on Russian TV. Also note the heroe worship. They’ve shown us who they are and should be treated as Russian assets. Goes for their party, too. Can’t be trusted.

  39. 39.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    January 17, 2019 at 11:28 pm

    @zhena gogolia: Center square as always.

  40. 40.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    January 17, 2019 at 11:50 pm

    The host laughs out loud about the Democrats not getting enough votes to block the effort, expresses hope that this is just the beginning.

    Fuck that asshole host. This is the beginning of the end for their minion Trump and their little active measures campaign.

  41. 41.

    poleaxedbyboatwork

    January 17, 2019 at 11:53 pm

    @The Midnight Lurker:

    It’s my understanding that the DOJ lawyers representing the President have already floated the ‘he’s too stupid to understand the consequences of his tweets’ defense. I wonder how that’s working out for them.

    Stupid and guilty ain’t mutually exclusive.

    And the one hallmark of this long sordid exercise in spite and cruelty and betrayal is, to a person, EVERY single fucking person has lied about Russher. From the start. Unequivocally.

    Whatever “it” is, whenever we find out the extent and breadth and scope of their perfidy, they knew it was illegal from the start. Which is why they lied. Every one. Every time. All of them.

  42. 42.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    January 17, 2019 at 11:58 pm

    @Yutsano:

    Behold the Democrat Politician Protection Act

    Yeah, I’m not reading past the title. I observed the same shit in a political cartoon in a local rag in my area the other day. It was supposed to Pelosi dressed up as the Statue of Liberty but looked little like her and can be summed up as, “Wahhh, Demonrats want more migrants to come here because they’ll vote for them!”.

    It’s not our fault if a majority of people happen to like our policies and vote for us. That’s how representative democracy is supposed to work. Making it easier for citizens to vote does not mean protecting “Democrat” politicians. Maybe, Mitch, if you decided to change your party’s policies so more people would like them, maybe you’d be more competitive in actually free and fair elections. Just a thought.

  43. 43.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    January 17, 2019 at 11:59 pm

    @Yutsano: That quite a bit of mental gymnastics there were turns an over welcoming Democrat victory into some mandate for the GOP from the pubilic.

  44. 44.

    PJ

    January 18, 2019 at 12:29 am

    @Adam L Silverman: Off topic of Trump, but on topic as to what the Russkies record (everything), I was at a talk from Igor Lukes (BU professor), where he mentioned that in 1989, as the Berlin Wall was coming down, Thatcher had placed a call to Gorbachev urging him to send in tanks to East Germany to stop it (human rights were not a priority for her, and she did not want to see a united Germany). She made sure that the British did not record this particular call, and while she could probably imagine that the Soviets would, she had no idea that the Soviet Union would collapse in a few years, and that this recording would be available in Moscow to researchers like Lukes. (That window for research closed when Putin came to power.)

  45. 45.

    PJ

    January 18, 2019 at 12:31 am

    @SiubhanDuinne: You win the internets today – tell her what she’s won, Johnny! It’s another one year premium subscription to Balloon-Juice, an almost top 10,000 blog . . .

  46. 46.

    joel hanes

    January 18, 2019 at 1:15 am

    @Burnspbesq:

    [ Wilmer and Gabbard somehow can’t be arsed to vote in favor of sanctions on Russia ]

    What an astonishing coincidence !
    What are the odds ?

  47. 47.

    joel hanes

    January 18, 2019 at 1:19 am

    @Yutsano:

    Yertle, he came out of his shell

    The comments.
    For once, it’s rewarding to get out of the boat.

  48. 48.

    Yutsano

    January 18, 2019 at 1:55 am

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??: @Enhanced Voting Techniques: If Yertle is a lawyer, I have no ides how he got out of law school with that terrible lack of logic. His whole “whine” is that HR1 could actually make donors have to admit they’re supporting a cause instead of paying in the dark. Quelle horreur! It just gets more ridiculous from there to the point after I read it i was even more behind the law than I was before. I notice he doesn’t quite touch the restoration of the Voting Rights Act. It’s going to go nowhere right now but it’s a good thing to jam down his wattled throat.

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