Plot thickens a bit farther with Erik Prince and the Trump administration. https://t.co/uUbAWrRudM
— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) April 18, 2017
Hey, remember Erik Prince, friend-of-Putin and Seychelles tourist? Bloomberg Politics has another profile — “Blackwater Founder Prince Said to Have Advised Trump Team”:
… According to people familiar with his activities, Prince entered Trump Tower through the back, like others who wanted to avoid the media spotlight, and huddled with members of the president-elect’s team to discuss intelligence and security issues. The conversations provide a glimpse of Prince’s relationship with an administration that’s distanced itself from him since the Washington Post reported earlier this month that Prince had met with a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Seychelles in January.
That island encounter was the latest in a series of conversations between Trump advisers and Russians that have come to light as U.S. investigators probe allegations that Russia interfered with the presidential election…
A Prince spokesman in London said… in a prepared statement: “Erik had no role on the transition team. This is a complete fabrication. The meeting had nothing to do with President Trump.” The statement also questioned whether Prince’s activities were being monitored. “Why is the so-called under-resourced intelligence community messing around with surveillance of American citizens when they should be hunting terrorists?”
Yet over a two to three month period around the election, Prince met several times with top aides as the incoming government took shape, offering ideas on how to fight terror and restructure the country’s major intelligence agencies, according to information provided by five people familiar with the meetings. Among those he conferred with was Flynn, a member of the transition team who joined the administration and was later dismissed, some of the people said. He discussed possible government appointees with people in the private sector, one person said. Prince himself told several people that while he was not offering his advice in any official capacity, his role was significant.
The meetings occurred in Trump Tower, the administration’s transition office in Washington and elsewhere, according to people familiar with them. In one informal discussion in late November, Prince spoke openly with two members of Trump’s transition team on a train bound from New York to Washington. He boarded the same Acela as Kellyanne Conway and they sat together. Joining the conversation at one point was Kevin Harrington, a longtime associate of Trump adviser Peter Thiel who is now on the National Security Council. They discussed, in broad terms, major changes the incoming administration envisioned for the intelligence community, as recounted by a person on the train who overheard their conversation…
A longtime critic of government defense and security policies, Prince advocated a restructuring of security agencies as well as a thorough rethink of costly defense programs, even if it meant canceling existing major contracts in favor of smaller ones, said a person familiar with the matter…
Lemme see if I understand this: A guy who made billions running mercenaries for the highest bidder, scion of a family notorious for pushing ‘privatization’ of government functions to fatten private businesses, someone who’s currently camped out in Hong Kong supervising the PRC’s turf-building exercises in Africa because he’s leery about answering to American legal authorities… just happened to be providing advice because “Trump was weakest in the area where the stakes were highest — foreign affairs.”
After all, the American military is a mighty machine, and therefore one that can hardly have been privatized enough, so far.
You can’t take your eyes off these goniffs for a single minute.
Adam L Silverman
The tradecraft here is absolutely abysmal:
This is careless and shoddy and the work of amateurs (Conway and Harrington) and a far too full of himself and his capabilities Prince.
efgoldman
The surprise would be if he hadn’t.
David Anderson
@Adam L Silverman: look at the skill and security of Trump etc at Mar Lago… Fish, heads, rot etc
lamh36
Attacking Football in Alabama…is this dude trying to get punched…AGAIN!!!
https://twitter.com/markb_wsfa/status/854495032384135169
David Anderson
I am curious at how many people Trump will have promised or will need to promise broad spectrum Nixon pardons
Adam L Silverman
@David Anderson: No argument here. If Mar a Lago hasn’t been completely penetrated by now, then our allies, partners, competitors, and adversaries have no business having intelligence services.
Patricia Kayden
This news about the Dark Prince isn’t even surprising. Trump has lowered the bar to the point that nothing is shocking anymore. We’re getting numb.
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: Worst NAZI ever…
Ruckus
Erik is full of something. Ideas-Shit, in his case they both stink.
@efgoldman:
Exactly.
Put together a list of the most vile, obnoxious assholes in the world and I’d bet good money that the ones listed that hadn’t put their bullshit in the dumpf pot would be far smaller then the ones that had.
lamh36
Around Massachusetts, racial divides persist
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2017/04/17/around-massachusetts-racial-divides-persist/HqQrm3TcH1od1j2qQ2F44J/story.html?event=event25 via @BostonGlobe
Interesting point: https://twitter.com/kristinhall90/status/854462034783723521
Jack Canuck
Since it’s an open thread, here’s an interesting tidbit from (the Australian) ABC: that carrier group supposedly steaming towards North Korea has apparently been busy carrying out exercises with the Australian Navy in the Indian Ocean. Dunno if it’s getting any airplay in the US, but interesting. All that drama about ‘the failed missile launch was aimed at the US carrier’, well, not so much.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-18/china-has-to-take-action-against-north-korea-turnbull-says/8451512
Keith P.
I have a bad feeling that Trump caught part of “Lethal Weapon” on TV recently and decided that Erik Prince is like a *prime* Gary Busey and can thus save the military with its high-end mercenary operations. Trump’s probably already made inquiries into whether or not George Takei has electroshock experience.
efgoldman
@Adam L Silverman:
That place must have more microphones than 30 Rock.
lamh36
Articled behind pay wall, but still…
Fox Is Preparing to Cut Ties With Bill O’Reilly
So seems there may only be enough room for ONE sexual predator in the GOP/Faux News universe…and Cheeto Prez is taking all space!
Jeffro
@Adam L Silverman: @efgoldman:
It has to be over-penetrated by this point…microphones, all the way down.
Maybe that’s part of 45’s ingenious strategy? Draw ’em all in, get ’em all to focus on dinner table conversation and chocolate cakey-time, while…oh Ho HO!…the real Trump agenda gets handled off-site by…um…umm…
Ok I honestly realized it was never going to work, as there’s no ‘real’ Trump agenda (other than grifting) and nothing going on off-site. Good lord.
rikyrah
Just loathsome characters all the way around.
SFAW
@rikyrah:
Some of them are even Turtles.
lamh36
@lamh36: I mean doesn’t Murdock STILL own WSJ?
Yarrow
@Adam L Silverman: Can you imagine someone thinking about hiring Prince’s company to do security stuff? Bwahahahaha! I think he’ll go down along with all of them in the Rusian Affair.
@David Anderson:
I thought I read that Trump can only pardon specific deeds, not a blanket pardon for anything they might ever have done or do in the future. Does anyone know if that’s true? If it is, the problem seems to be that Trump will then have to name what they did, and by naming it will implicate himself.
Adam L Silverman
@efgoldman: @Jeffro: More likely HUMINT. I would expect the membership and staff have a lot of non-official covers (NOCs).
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: Yes.
Mnemosyne
If Prince wanted to stay low-profile, his sister probably should have resisted the temptation to become Secretary of Education. Speaking of the goddamned nepotism that this administration is fucking riddled with.
Adam L Silverman
@Yarrow: Jeremy Scahill reported last year that Prince is under an active CI investigation due to his being bankrolled by a PRC owned company.
Mnemosyne
@lamh36:
Gotta love the asshole in that tweeter’s thread who insists that there’s no racism in lending, it’s just that Blacks and Hispanics are choosing the wrong lenders!
Yarrow
@Adam L Silverman:
Agreed. Everyone from the concierge to the cooks to the caddies. All of them should be somehow connected to foreign intelligence services. If not, then they aren’t doing their job. Not to mention how many rooms are bugged and various other surveillance techniques.
tom
Not mentioned is that Erik Prince is Ed Sec Betsy DeVos’s brother.
ETA: Mnemosyne beat me to it.
mouse tolliver
Agents of SHIELD just gave a shout out to Elizabeth Warren. Nevertheless, she persisted.
efgoldman
@Yarrow:
If i remember correctly, Ford pardoned Tricksie Dicksie Nixie for anything and everything, past, present and future.
Yarrow
@Jack Canuck: It’s been getting some coverage on Twitter today. Not sure about the mainstream media outlets.
I hope it’s a lesson to reporters. Check EVERY detail. This administration lies about everything.
Yarrow
@Adam L Silverman: Yep. And he’s got significant Russian ties. He’s going to be in big trouble.
Honus
@lamh36: he should know football. He went to UVA. (As I did)
debbie
@Yarrow:
I’m picturing an SNL skit…
Gin & Tonic
@Jack Canuck: Rachel was all over it.
Jeffro
@efgoldman:
Everything up until that point in time. And unfortunately, America’s been the worse for it ever since. Elites need to know they are still accountable, that the rule of law applies to everyone.
Steve in the ATL
@Honus:
This is sarcasm, right?
khead
Speaking of ideas, I’m thinking of getting all of our cats shaved.
In honor of Steve.
Mnemosyne
@Yarrow:
Wasn’t somebody here writing a comedic spy novel about Mar-A-Loco with the various agents running around competing with each other for information?
Yarrow
@Mnemosyne: I remember something like that. Wasn’t “Mar-a-Loco” a possible typo in a column somewhere?
@debbie: It would be a great SNL skit.
lamh36
How’s about some not so political news…!!!
Aww….shit!! BP wraps filming in Atlanta tomorrow and is due out February 16, 2018.
@kylebuchanan Black Panther Looks Like a Stunning Spin on Superhero Movies
Last night at 5:21pm, I saw footage of Angela Bassett in costume for BLACK PANTHER and promptly died.
YASSS!!!!!
Millard Filmore
@David Anderson:
If the hammer comes down on Trump first, can he give pardons while under indictment?
Keith P.
@Yarrow: I’m desperately trying to come up with Mar-a-Lago-based porn movie titles.
Eric S.
@khead: Wait. Just wait. Time out!!! What’s up with Steve?
Eric S.
@Mnemosyne: Seems like Archer should extend one more season just to do this.
Mnemosyne
@Yarrow:
It was (allegedly) a typo, and yet I am adopting it for my own. From now on, the Florida White House is and always shall be “Mar-a-Loco” to me.
Mnemosyne
@Eric S.:
From your lips to the muses’ ears. Especially if they bring back Archer’s Russian spybot wife.
Yarrow
@Keith P.: Maxx-A-Assholes.
Keith P.
@Yarrow: There’s Muff-a-Lotto, but that sounds like a sandwich made of pubic hair. Maybe Mar-a-Dongo or Mar-a-Schlongo? I’m usually much better at coming up with these.
EBT
How chilling is the idea that the administration basically has a private army. The only thing I can think of is that there is no way it is nearly as well armed as the official government forces, and likely smaller too.
BlueDWarrior
@Keith P.: The Muffuletta is a real thing.
Yarrow
@Keith P.: I can’t stomach thinking of Trump and pr0n at all. It’s just disgusting.
Origuy
@Yarrow:
Someone should make a movie about that, like The Grand Hotel Budapest. Anyone have Wes Anderson’s number? Have his people call my people.
Keith P.
@BlueDWarrior: Yeah, I buy a couple from Central Grocery every time I drive through NOLA. My brother and I eat way too many of those when I bring them with me.
khead
@Eric S.:
See Steve in a previous thread. I have no idea why there’s not people bleeding in multiple states.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Millard Filmore: As long as he’s Prez he can.
Yarrow
@Origuy: I can see a Wes Anderson type film. A Pink Panther type film. A serious spy film. A fun heist type film. Maybe even a tortured rom-com. So many ways to go with this.
The films that come out of this Russian Affair are going to be numerous.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Yarrow: Trump just sits in the chair and says “I like to watch”.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Yarrow:
Is that the title of the pee tape?
Adam L Silverman
@BlueDWarrior: I think I posted my recipe for that here a while back.
Adam L Silverman
@Origuy: I can consult, shoot me an email!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Mnemosyne: KO calls it Nightmar-a-lago.
lamh36
No fuqn shit…Sherlock…
Death of NY Judge Found Dead in Hudson Suspicious, Police Say
rikyrah
@lamh36:
Never bought it, lamh
scav
Mar-a-la-go.go.go? (Mar-a-lagogogoch is Welsh)
efgoldman
@Mnemosyne:
The lenders with money?
efgoldman
@Millard Filmore:
As long as he’s in office, he has the power.
SiubhanDuinne
@Mnemosyne:
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
@scav:
Then there’s everybody’s favorite NPR reporter, Mar-a-Liasson
efgoldman
@Adam L Silverman: Well, San Jose gets even tonight.
But at least Montreal and Pittsburgh lost
Adam L Silverman
Fresh election open thread up!
Adam L Silverman
@efgoldman: Good! I reckoned it would take Thornton a full game to shake the rust off.
efgoldman
@Adam L Silverman:
Edmonton playing since the puck drop with their heads up their asses. Gave up the first goal at 15 seconds. Now 5-0 and some Oiler guy just got a five minute major and game misconduct.
Omnes Omnibus
@lamh36: There are so many things in that statement… I don’t know where to start.
Omnes Omnibus
@Jeffro:
It’s like that chicken people keep fucking.
sukabi
@Adam L Silverman: and since we all now know about the his meeting with Conway and others on the train, there’s a good chance that phone video will show up on YouTube at some point.
These are the WORST spies evar.
Millard Filmore
@efgoldman:
So Trump and the Republicans need to find the sweet spot between:
– everybody gets off
– the GOP abandons any veneer of the Law And Order party of personal responsibility
– the GOP becomes the lawless treason party
– maximize ducking jeopardy in state actions
Suffragete City elftx
I can’t help but wonder how many of those conversations Woolsey participated in.
Ruckus
@Adam L Silverman:
Tradecraft? Abysmal? NOOOOOO!
There is a reason these assholes have always been on the outside trying to crawl under the door, they are fucking useless at any real craft.
But you knew that.
Ruckus
@Jeffro:
That’s going to take a shit ton of work, laws changed, regulations changed, around half of the politicians jailed, and on and on and on and on. Can’t we just put them all on a spaceship like in 2001 and have Hal forget to wake them up? Or jettison them when he decides they are too much work and not worth it?
TenguPhule
@Jack Canuck: Already way ahead of you. I linked it hours ago.
Lurking Canadian
@lamh36: I’m late to this party, but I have to say that I think the Republicans should definitely adopt the elimination of SEC football as a major policy plank. Especially in the upcoming runoff election in Georgia. It’s exactly what they need to solidify their support.
Jake the antisoshul soshulist
Mar-A-Lago is like Lisbon in 1942.