Biographer David Cay Johnston reveals that Russia has amassed a 30-year trove of compromising dirt on Trump:
"Johnston has been following Trump’s financial dealings for many years, and wrote a biography of Trump. Johnston says that there are no shortage of compromising facts that would be revealed by looking deeply into the president’s financial dealings. “We know the Russians have been courting Donald, spending money on him and putting money in his pocket for more than 30 years,” he said. “Donald’s son, one of his sons, has said they were getting lots of money from Russians, and he’d been deeply involved with deals… with Russian gangsters.” The issue is that there is so much kompromat out there that Trump couldn’t even keep track of it all, Johnston said. There are deep ties between Trump, Russian oligarchs and Russian gangsters."
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Former US attorney says Trump's lies help Mueller -- here's how
Former US attorney says Trump's lies help Mueller -- here's how:
"those lies can still be helpful, according to former federal prosecutor Chuck Rosenberg, who said that there is “no such thing as too much evidence.” “Believe it or not, lies are helpful to a prosecutor, too,” he continued. “Not just because you can charge them separately. There’s another reason why lies are helpful: people who lie, box themselves into a corner.” He explained that someone like Trump will ultimately commit himself to a story, even if he knows the truth is something different."
"those lies can still be helpful, according to former federal prosecutor Chuck Rosenberg, who said that there is “no such thing as too much evidence.” “Believe it or not, lies are helpful to a prosecutor, too,” he continued. “Not just because you can charge them separately. There’s another reason why lies are helpful: people who lie, box themselves into a corner.” He explained that someone like Trump will ultimately commit himself to a story, even if he knows the truth is something different."
The North Carolina GOP’s Plan to Deceive Voters About Its Radical Ballot Measures
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/north-carolina-gops-plan-to-deceive-voters-about-its-radical-ballot-measures.html
"North Carolina Republicans’ machinations do not reflect any particular political or legal philosophy. Rather, they’re the work of a party that’s desperately trying to undermine equal access to the ballot in order to entrench itself in power. When raw power is all that matters, democracy becomes dispensable. And unless voters become invested in the battle over the state constitution, North Carolina will continue its descent into one-party rule."
"North Carolina Republicans’ machinations do not reflect any particular political or legal philosophy. Rather, they’re the work of a party that’s desperately trying to undermine equal access to the ballot in order to entrench itself in power. When raw power is all that matters, democracy becomes dispensable. And unless voters become invested in the battle over the state constitution, North Carolina will continue its descent into one-party rule."
Trump Resorts to 'Pure 1984 Totalitarian Gaslighting,' Telling Supporters to Ignore News Coverage of His Policies
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/07/25/trump-resorts-pure-1984-totalitarian-gaslighting-telling-supporters-ignore-news
"Journalists and observers immediately drew comparisons to a line from Orwell's book, which reads, "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command"."
"Journalists and observers immediately drew comparisons to a line from Orwell's book, which reads, "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command"."
Judge rejects Trump’s request to stop Emoluments lawsuit
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-organization-hotel-lawsuit-emoluments-clause-judge-rules-can-proceed-b4b46dc9718a/
"The lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia arguing President Donald Trump’s continuing business with foreign governments violates the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution moved forward on Wednesday."
"The lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia arguing President Donald Trump’s continuing business with foreign governments violates the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution moved forward on Wednesday."
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Trump needs his alternate reality to survive — and he knows it
https://www.vox.com/2018/7/25/17611854/trump-alternate-reality-survival
"An important part of Donald Trump’s success has been his cultivation of a base that lives in an alternate reality — a point that was driven home in the past couple of days."
"An important part of Donald Trump’s success has been his cultivation of a base that lives in an alternate reality — a point that was driven home in the past couple of days."
The Cohen Tape Further Proves Trump's Life Has Been Defined by Deceit and Corruption
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a22549947/donald-trump-michael-cohen-tape-business-practices/
"The President* of the United States behaved like a third-rate hoodlum long before he ever heard of Vladimir Putin. This was the way he did business. This always has been the way he’s done business. At least Richard Nixon came to crimes in office by degrees. This president* has lovingly swathed his entire life in deceit and corruption. It is the stagnant water in which he swims. He feeds and grows fat on the slime and rot that exists at the bottom of America’s corporate classes. He is a successful parasite on the American dream."
"The President* of the United States behaved like a third-rate hoodlum long before he ever heard of Vladimir Putin. This was the way he did business. This always has been the way he’s done business. At least Richard Nixon came to crimes in office by degrees. This president* has lovingly swathed his entire life in deceit and corruption. It is the stagnant water in which he swims. He feeds and grows fat on the slime and rot that exists at the bottom of America’s corporate classes. He is a successful parasite on the American dream."
North Carolina Republicans Pass Yet Another Law to Throw State Supreme Court Race to a Republican
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/north-carolina-republicans-pass-bill-to-strip-state-supreme-court-candidate-chris-anglin-of-his-gop-affiliation.html
"How far are North Carolina Republicans willing to go to throw an upcoming state Supreme Court election? The GOP-dominated legislature has already altered state law in an effort to protect the incumbent Republican justice and thwart her Democratic challenger. But on Tuesday, the party took even more drastic action to prevent a Democratic victory: It rushed to pass a bill during a special session that will retroactively strip a judicial candidate of his party affiliation. The move is plainly designed to shield the incumbent from Republican competition that could split the GOP vote. Tuesday’s bill isn’t just another legislative coup—it’s a blatant effort by the Legislature to crush separation of powers and shatter judicial independence in the state once and for all."
"How far are North Carolina Republicans willing to go to throw an upcoming state Supreme Court election? The GOP-dominated legislature has already altered state law in an effort to protect the incumbent Republican justice and thwart her Democratic challenger. But on Tuesday, the party took even more drastic action to prevent a Democratic victory: It rushed to pass a bill during a special session that will retroactively strip a judicial candidate of his party affiliation. The move is plainly designed to shield the incumbent from Republican competition that could split the GOP vote. Tuesday’s bill isn’t just another legislative coup—it’s a blatant effort by the Legislature to crush separation of powers and shatter judicial independence in the state once and for all."
"Butina has attracted the attention of federal investigators mainly because of her connections to this shadowy intersection of powerful Russians and right-wing Americans. In fact, it was Butina’s work for Alexander Torshin, a close political ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, that made her a target of federal investigators. Torshin — not Butina — is the Russian figure whose involvement with the NRA and American conservatives brings the Trump-Russia case closer to Russian organized crime and Putin. Torshin, now a top official at the Russian central bank and a former Russian senator, has been identified by Spanish authorities as the “godfather” of Taganskaya, a Russian organized crime group. Spanish police sought to arrest Torshin in 2013 for a scheme to launder money through the purchase of hotels in Mallorca. But the police plan to catch him at a party for Alexander Romanov, another Russian organized crime figure, fell through when Torshin was apparently warned by Russian authorities not to travel to Spain, El PaÃs, a Spanish newspaper, reported. (In 2016, Romanov pleaded guilty to money laundering in a Spanish case. Torshin told El PaÃs that he knew Romanov in the 1990s, but that he “never intended to visit” him.) Shockingly, Torshin was able to travel to the United States and develop close and long-standing relationships with prominent figures in the American conservative movement for years after Spain’s failed attempt to catch and arrest him. Spanish officials have reportedly now provided information to the FBI about Torshin, and earlier this year the Treasury Department levied sanctions against him. In January, McClatchy reported that the FBI was investigating whether Torshin illegally funneled money to the NRA in order to help Trump’s campaign in 2016. But even given this recent flurry of activity, it is clear that American law enforcement officials were very late to picking up on what the Spanish knew about him."
https://theintercept.com/2018/07/21/maria-butina-indictment-russia-investigation/
"Butina has attracted the attention of federal investigators mainly because of her connections to this shadowy intersection of powerful Russians and right-wing Americans. In fact, it was Butina’s work for Alexander Torshin, a close political ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, that made her a target of federal investigators. Torshin — not Butina — is the Russian figure whose involvement with the NRA and American conservatives brings the Trump-Russia case closer to Russian organized crime and Putin. Torshin, now a top official at the Russian central bank and a former Russian senator, has been identified by Spanish authorities as the “godfather” of Taganskaya, a Russian organized crime group. Spanish police sought to arrest Torshin in 2013 for a scheme to launder money through the purchase of hotels in Mallorca. But the police plan to catch him at a party for Alexander Romanov, another Russian organized crime figure, fell through when Torshin was apparently warned by Russian authorities not to travel to Spain, El PaÃs, a Spanish newspaper, reported. (In 2016, Romanov pleaded guilty to money laundering in a Spanish case. Torshin told El PaÃs that he knew Romanov in the 1990s, but that he “never intended to visit” him.) Shockingly, Torshin was able to travel to the United States and develop close and long-standing relationships with prominent figures in the American conservative movement for years after Spain’s failed attempt to catch and arrest him. Spanish officials have reportedly now provided information to the FBI about Torshin, and earlier this year the Treasury Department levied sanctions against him. In January, McClatchy reported that the FBI was investigating whether Torshin illegally funneled money to the NRA in order to help Trump’s campaign in 2016. But even given this recent flurry of activity, it is clear that American law enforcement officials were very late to picking up on what the Spanish knew about him."
"Butina has attracted the attention of federal investigators mainly because of her connections to this shadowy intersection of powerful Russians and right-wing Americans. In fact, it was Butina’s work for Alexander Torshin, a close political ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, that made her a target of federal investigators. Torshin — not Butina — is the Russian figure whose involvement with the NRA and American conservatives brings the Trump-Russia case closer to Russian organized crime and Putin. Torshin, now a top official at the Russian central bank and a former Russian senator, has been identified by Spanish authorities as the “godfather” of Taganskaya, a Russian organized crime group. Spanish police sought to arrest Torshin in 2013 for a scheme to launder money through the purchase of hotels in Mallorca. But the police plan to catch him at a party for Alexander Romanov, another Russian organized crime figure, fell through when Torshin was apparently warned by Russian authorities not to travel to Spain, El PaÃs, a Spanish newspaper, reported. (In 2016, Romanov pleaded guilty to money laundering in a Spanish case. Torshin told El PaÃs that he knew Romanov in the 1990s, but that he “never intended to visit” him.) Shockingly, Torshin was able to travel to the United States and develop close and long-standing relationships with prominent figures in the American conservative movement for years after Spain’s failed attempt to catch and arrest him. Spanish officials have reportedly now provided information to the FBI about Torshin, and earlier this year the Treasury Department levied sanctions against him. In January, McClatchy reported that the FBI was investigating whether Torshin illegally funneled money to the NRA in order to help Trump’s campaign in 2016. But even given this recent flurry of activity, it is clear that American law enforcement officials were very late to picking up on what the Spanish knew about him."
A treasonous congressman: Conservative scholar implores Paul Ryan to expel Devin Nunes from House
https://www.salon.com/2018/07/25/devin-nunes-should-be-expelled-from-the-house_partner/
"The release of the FBI memo that established the basis for the FISA wiretaps of Trump aide Carter Page has renewed pressure on Representative Devin Nunes, R-Calif., author of a memo which attempted to spin facts to discredit American intelligence. In the wake of the revelations, which show Nunes misrepresented facts, might he become the sixth man ever expelled from the United States House of Representatives?"
"The release of the FBI memo that established the basis for the FISA wiretaps of Trump aide Carter Page has renewed pressure on Representative Devin Nunes, R-Calif., author of a memo which attempted to spin facts to discredit American intelligence. In the wake of the revelations, which show Nunes misrepresented facts, might he become the sixth man ever expelled from the United States House of Representatives?"
Mike Pence's Family Business Is Still in the Indiana Soil, Literally
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a22487247/mike-pences-family-business-indiana-pollution/
"We begin in Indiana, where the legacy of Vice-President* Mike Pence and his family business remains alive in the soil and the water, even if certain other things do not. Pence’s father got rich by helping to develop a chain of gas stations all over the Midwest. In 2004, the business went bust, but it’s still costing the taxpayers. From the AP: The collapse of Kiel Bros. Oil Co. in 2004 was widely publicized. Less known is that the state of Indiana—and, to a smaller extent, Kentucky and Illinois—are still on the hook for millions of dollars to clean up more than 85 contaminated sites across the three states, including underground tanks that leaked toxic chemicals into soil, streams and wells. Indiana alone has spent at least $21 million on the cleanup thus far, or an average of about $500,000 per site, according to an analysis of records by The Associated Press. And the work is nowhere near complete."
"We begin in Indiana, where the legacy of Vice-President* Mike Pence and his family business remains alive in the soil and the water, even if certain other things do not. Pence’s father got rich by helping to develop a chain of gas stations all over the Midwest. In 2004, the business went bust, but it’s still costing the taxpayers. From the AP: The collapse of Kiel Bros. Oil Co. in 2004 was widely publicized. Less known is that the state of Indiana—and, to a smaller extent, Kentucky and Illinois—are still on the hook for millions of dollars to clean up more than 85 contaminated sites across the three states, including underground tanks that leaked toxic chemicals into soil, streams and wells. Indiana alone has spent at least $21 million on the cleanup thus far, or an average of about $500,000 per site, according to an analysis of records by The Associated Press. And the work is nowhere near complete."
Judge Kavanaugh’s Deregulatory Agenda
Judge Kavanaugh’s Deregulatory Agenda:
"Most of us take for granted the federal regulations that make our air cleaner, our drinking water purer, our food, highways, and workplaces safer, and our economic transactions less vulnerable to fraud and abuse. And few of us realize the extent to which those protections are subject to reversal by federal courts applying legal principles prescribed by the Supreme Court. If confirmed to the Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh would be a fervent vote against even well-established forms of regulation."
"Most of us take for granted the federal regulations that make our air cleaner, our drinking water purer, our food, highways, and workplaces safer, and our economic transactions less vulnerable to fraud and abuse. And few of us realize the extent to which those protections are subject to reversal by federal courts applying legal principles prescribed by the Supreme Court. If confirmed to the Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh would be a fervent vote against even well-established forms of regulation."
American Racists Look for Allies in Russia
https://www.thedailybeast.com/american-racists-look-for-allies-in-russia?ref=home
"While President Donald Trump pals around with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the U.S.’s racist right is making open overtures to Russian white supremacists. One day after Trump’s disastrous summit with Putin last week, the League of the South, a neo-Confederate hate group, announced that it would launch a Russian-language site. The southern secessionist group’s crush on Russia is the latest appeal by U.S. white supremacists to Russia and Putin—an alliance that has strengthened during the Trump presidency. “Russia is our friend,” a group of torch-waving racists chanted during an October rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. “The South will rise again.” The event was headed by white nationalist Richard Spencer, who has been stumping for Russia before Trump took office."
"While President Donald Trump pals around with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the U.S.’s racist right is making open overtures to Russian white supremacists. One day after Trump’s disastrous summit with Putin last week, the League of the South, a neo-Confederate hate group, announced that it would launch a Russian-language site. The southern secessionist group’s crush on Russia is the latest appeal by U.S. white supremacists to Russia and Putin—an alliance that has strengthened during the Trump presidency. “Russia is our friend,” a group of torch-waving racists chanted during an October rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. “The South will rise again.” The event was headed by white nationalist Richard Spencer, who has been stumping for Russia before Trump took office."
Paul Ryan is helping Trump undermine the rule of law
https://www.vox.com/2018/7/27/17613404/paul-ryan-trump-mueller-rosenstein-devin-nunes-russia-investigation"Ryan genuinely believes that the cause of slashing corporate taxes and tax rates for rich Americans is worth collaborating with a reckless administration in an elaborate attempt to cover up wrongdoing. He makes that choice every day, and it should blacken his historical legacy."
Portrait of the President As a Con Man
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/07/andrew-sullivan-portrait-of-the-president-as-a-con-man.html
"Con men usually know that a con has a life span, and not a long one. At some point, it will collapse because it is, in fact, bulls**t. By then, the best con men have made the sale — think of “Trump University” — and moved on. They also know that keeping the suckers sealed off from other sources of contrary information is essential until the deal is done. You have to maintain a fiction relentlessly, dismiss or delegitimize external information that might get your marks to think differently, and constantly make the sale. You have to humor and flatter and bulls**t all the time, until you’ve sealed the deal. And Trump is really, really good at this. In fact, it’s his chief skill, along with his instinct for the easy mark and another human being’s vulnerable spot. It has worked many times before. It’s at the root of his entire shady business career. His problem now, however, is that this is the biggest of all cons, if you’re playing at a presidential level, and is also the longest. It has to be sustainable for at least four years. And that’s an extremely long time to keep it alive. This is why, it seems to me, Trump tweets so often and so aggressively. It’s his chief mechanism for keeping his dupes under his spell, for sustaining the narrative of the con while reality tugs at it. He’s making the sale every news cycle of every day because the alternative is the whole thing crashing to the ground. It’s also why he keeps holding rallies. You need that kind of mass crowd hysteria to sustain a con — “America Is Great Again!” — that might otherwise be fraying at the edges. It’s why he lambastes the media. Their role in undercutting the con — in presenting the arguments against it, in raising suspicions about the con man himself — is deeply destabilizing to the project. And it’s why he has to lie, and lie with greater and greater intensity and frequency. And sure enough, the rate of Trump’s lies is accelerating, as the con ages. All six of the last six weeks rank in the top ten most dishonest of his presidency"
"Con men usually know that a con has a life span, and not a long one. At some point, it will collapse because it is, in fact, bulls**t. By then, the best con men have made the sale — think of “Trump University” — and moved on. They also know that keeping the suckers sealed off from other sources of contrary information is essential until the deal is done. You have to maintain a fiction relentlessly, dismiss or delegitimize external information that might get your marks to think differently, and constantly make the sale. You have to humor and flatter and bulls**t all the time, until you’ve sealed the deal. And Trump is really, really good at this. In fact, it’s his chief skill, along with his instinct for the easy mark and another human being’s vulnerable spot. It has worked many times before. It’s at the root of his entire shady business career. His problem now, however, is that this is the biggest of all cons, if you’re playing at a presidential level, and is also the longest. It has to be sustainable for at least four years. And that’s an extremely long time to keep it alive. This is why, it seems to me, Trump tweets so often and so aggressively. It’s his chief mechanism for keeping his dupes under his spell, for sustaining the narrative of the con while reality tugs at it. He’s making the sale every news cycle of every day because the alternative is the whole thing crashing to the ground. It’s also why he keeps holding rallies. You need that kind of mass crowd hysteria to sustain a con — “America Is Great Again!” — that might otherwise be fraying at the edges. It’s why he lambastes the media. Their role in undercutting the con — in presenting the arguments against it, in raising suspicions about the con man himself — is deeply destabilizing to the project. And it’s why he has to lie, and lie with greater and greater intensity and frequency. And sure enough, the rate of Trump’s lies is accelerating, as the con ages. All six of the last six weeks rank in the top ten most dishonest of his presidency"
Republicans Can Not Govern Honorably
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/7/19/1781834/-Republicans-Can-Not-Govern-Honorably
"Who was the last honorable Republican president? Was it Bush Sr? Eisenhower? We are well aware that the current occupant of the White House regularly partakes in receiving emoluments, attacking federal agencies, denigrating opponents, disparaging allies, coddling dictators, and colluding with Russia. Donald Trump also has personal issues that are widely considered immoral or unethical, such as laundering money for criminals, as well as, infidelity to wives and business contracts alike. But, is Trump an aberration or a symptom of increasing malignancy? How far back do we have to go to find a Republican president who fulfilled his duties with honor? Nixon set the precedent for criminal behavior in the modern Republican party with the break in and theft of DNC materials. The criminal cover-up of those crimes led to his resignation, thanks to pressure from Republicans with a modicum of shame and honor. Reagan followed up a half decade later by negotiating for Iran to keep our hostages until he became president. Then, during his term, he either ignored or approved the illegal selling of arms to Iran and using the proceeds to illegally fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Now, Reagan is practically considered a saint, while members of his administration who carried out the crimes are revered among Republicans. George HW Bush might have been the most honorable of the modern lot, but he was caught up in Iran-Contra too, and later invaded Panama on dubious pretenses before starting the decades long military intervention in Iraq. George W Bush, under false pretenses, eventually invaded Iraq, which killed and hurt millions of people, and which has been a significant contributor to instability in the region to this day. Let’s also not forget the previously unacceptable torture that Bush Jr approved. Perhaps we have to go back to Eisenhower to find honor in a Republican president. Or, maybe George HW Bush was the only honorable modern Republican president."
"Who was the last honorable Republican president? Was it Bush Sr? Eisenhower? We are well aware that the current occupant of the White House regularly partakes in receiving emoluments, attacking federal agencies, denigrating opponents, disparaging allies, coddling dictators, and colluding with Russia. Donald Trump also has personal issues that are widely considered immoral or unethical, such as laundering money for criminals, as well as, infidelity to wives and business contracts alike. But, is Trump an aberration or a symptom of increasing malignancy? How far back do we have to go to find a Republican president who fulfilled his duties with honor? Nixon set the precedent for criminal behavior in the modern Republican party with the break in and theft of DNC materials. The criminal cover-up of those crimes led to his resignation, thanks to pressure from Republicans with a modicum of shame and honor. Reagan followed up a half decade later by negotiating for Iran to keep our hostages until he became president. Then, during his term, he either ignored or approved the illegal selling of arms to Iran and using the proceeds to illegally fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Now, Reagan is practically considered a saint, while members of his administration who carried out the crimes are revered among Republicans. George HW Bush might have been the most honorable of the modern lot, but he was caught up in Iran-Contra too, and later invaded Panama on dubious pretenses before starting the decades long military intervention in Iraq. George W Bush, under false pretenses, eventually invaded Iraq, which killed and hurt millions of people, and which has been a significant contributor to instability in the region to this day. Let’s also not forget the previously unacceptable torture that Bush Jr approved. Perhaps we have to go back to Eisenhower to find honor in a Republican president. Or, maybe George HW Bush was the only honorable modern Republican president."
'God, guns and ... Russia?' is no longer a question
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/7/22/1781740/--God-guns-and-Russia-is-no-longer-a-question
"Putin, known for playing the long game, has been wooing the religious right for some time."
"Putin, known for playing the long game, has been wooing the religious right for some time."
How low can Trump go?
https://www.salon.com/2018/07/21/how-low-can-trump-go/
"He admitted on tape to abusing women and grabbing them “by the pu**y.” “They let you do it,” he bragged. “You can do anything.” He paid $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels to shut her up about the affair they had before the election in 2016. He spoke approvingly of neo-Nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville after their torch-lit march supporting statues of Confederate generals. One of them killed a young woman by driving his car at high speed into a crowd at a demonstration, and Trump said there were “very fine people on both sides,” pointedly including the neo-Nazis. He developed and instituted a policy on our border with Mexico whereby children as young as three months were seized from undocumented parents seeking asylum. He ordered them held in hastily constructed camps and temporary shelters including wire cages in former Walmart buildings. He conducted a campaign for president that conspired with Russian nationals, including at least 12 agents working for Russian military intelligence, to steal the election of 2016. He disparaged our longtime allies in NATO as “foes,” claimed that the media reporting on his trips to Brussels, Great Britain and Helsinki are “enemies of the people,” and at least temporarily seemed to have agreed with Vladimir Putin to turn over American citizens for questioning by Russian prosecutors. He supported and signed a tax cut for billionaires that will saddle American taxpayers with a deficit of at least $1 trillion a year for the foreseeable future. He tried to pass a law that would have canceled the Affordable Care Act, and having failed that, now supports changes to the law that would put people with pre-existing health conditions at risk of being able to get affordable health insurance. He put in place trade policies that will cost hundreds of thousands if not millions of American jobs and raise prices for consumers."
"He admitted on tape to abusing women and grabbing them “by the pu**y.” “They let you do it,” he bragged. “You can do anything.” He paid $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels to shut her up about the affair they had before the election in 2016. He spoke approvingly of neo-Nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville after their torch-lit march supporting statues of Confederate generals. One of them killed a young woman by driving his car at high speed into a crowd at a demonstration, and Trump said there were “very fine people on both sides,” pointedly including the neo-Nazis. He developed and instituted a policy on our border with Mexico whereby children as young as three months were seized from undocumented parents seeking asylum. He ordered them held in hastily constructed camps and temporary shelters including wire cages in former Walmart buildings. He conducted a campaign for president that conspired with Russian nationals, including at least 12 agents working for Russian military intelligence, to steal the election of 2016. He disparaged our longtime allies in NATO as “foes,” claimed that the media reporting on his trips to Brussels, Great Britain and Helsinki are “enemies of the people,” and at least temporarily seemed to have agreed with Vladimir Putin to turn over American citizens for questioning by Russian prosecutors. He supported and signed a tax cut for billionaires that will saddle American taxpayers with a deficit of at least $1 trillion a year for the foreseeable future. He tried to pass a law that would have canceled the Affordable Care Act, and having failed that, now supports changes to the law that would put people with pre-existing health conditions at risk of being able to get affordable health insurance. He put in place trade policies that will cost hundreds of thousands if not millions of American jobs and raise prices for consumers."
WATCH: Virginia GOP US Senate candidate drowned out by debate audience laughter for saying Trump is 'standing up to Russians'
WATCH: Virginia GOP US Senate candidate drowned out by debate audience laughter for saying Trump is 'standing up to Russians':
"The Republican U.S. Senate candidate running to take the seat of Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) had to make an awkward pause during a debate response on Friday night as the audience drowned him out in laughter for saying President Donald Trump is standing up to Vladimir Putin. In the video uploaded to Twitter, candidate Corey Stewart — who has been dogged by his own racist comments and advocacy for the Confederacy — was speaking up for the Republican president when he went a bit too far for the audience."
"The Republican U.S. Senate candidate running to take the seat of Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) had to make an awkward pause during a debate response on Friday night as the audience drowned him out in laughter for saying President Donald Trump is standing up to Vladimir Putin. In the video uploaded to Twitter, candidate Corey Stewart — who has been dogged by his own racist comments and advocacy for the Confederacy — was speaking up for the Republican president when he went a bit too far for the audience."
NRA’s Wayne LaPierre ‘shaking in his boots waiting for Mueller to come knocking’: Ex-DOJ official
NRA’s Wayne LaPierre ‘shaking in his boots waiting for Mueller to come knocking’: Ex-DOJ official: "Two former top Department of Justice officials predicted that Maria Butina was not the only Russian operative to penetrate conservative political organizations with close ties to the Republican Party during a Wednesday panel with MSNBC anchor Katy Tur. Butina was indicted on Sunday for being an unregistered foreign agent. A crack shot, Butina had a very close relationship with the National Rifle Association. “Katy, this is a wild, wild story with the potential to send shockwaves not just into Trump campaign officials, but throughout the Republican Party,” explained former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman. The indictment could quickly spill over into special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigations of Donald Trump. “And anyone who was in Paul Erickson’s rolodex, including Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Wayne LaPierre and Scott Walker (R-WI) is right now shaking in his boots waiting for Mueller to come knocking,” Litman explained."
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Bombshell report: Donald Trump was shown definitive proof Putin ordered cyber attacks on the U.S.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/7/19/1781882/-Bombshell-report-Donald-Trump-was-shown-definitive-proof-Putin-ordered-cyber-attacks-on-the-U-S
"Donald Trump has seen definitive proof from U.S. Intelligence agencies that Russia was actively (and successfully) working to subvert our election but he has done absolutely nothing about it, still choosing to side with a foreign enemy over our own intelligence agencies."
"Donald Trump has seen definitive proof from U.S. Intelligence agencies that Russia was actively (and successfully) working to subvert our election but he has done absolutely nothing about it, still choosing to side with a foreign enemy over our own intelligence agencies."
Trump Is Selling Out America, and His Supporters Love It
Trump Is Selling Out America, and His Supporters Love It:
"The president of the United States wants to entertain, in the White House, the man U.S. intelligence services say intervened in the election that ultimately landed Trump in the Oval Office. If Putin accepts, he will arrive as an investigation of the election matter by Special Counsel Robert Mueller is ongoing. A Putin visit would no doubt please the evangelical foot soldiers of the Trump base. And it would elate the white supremacists who form the leading edge of support for Trump’s racialized policies on immigration and law enforcement. Of course, the mere fact of the invitation surely pleases Vladimir Putin, patron of the Quisling from Queens. Whatever Putin has on Trump is endangering the republic. It’s a weakness that allows his manipulation by Putin, who has long wished to destroy both the EU and NATO. Congressional leaders surely know this, but other than paying lip service to the obvious fact that Vladimir Putin is not our friend, they’ve yet to rein in the president. After all, the midterms are only months away, and Trump is popular with the Republican base—the people who show up at the polls for midterm elections. Any responsible member of Congress, regardless of party, should be willing to censure this president for his egregious behavior in Helsinki. No read-out or comprehensive statement about what the president and Putin discussed at the closed-door summit has been issued by the White House. Yet, according to the Russians, agreements were made. Meanwhile, something worth contemplating is the $1 billion lent to Donald Trump by a bank with some shady practices. Justin Kennedy, the bank official who made the loan, is the son of the Supreme Court justice who just stepped down in time to give Trump a nomination to make just ahead of the mid-terms. Justin Kennedy made that astonishingly large loan when he was an executive at Deutsche Bank, which has been sanctioned by the U.S. for laundering the money of Russian oligarchs. Maybe there’s something in that billion-dollar loan that Putin has on Trump."
"The president of the United States wants to entertain, in the White House, the man U.S. intelligence services say intervened in the election that ultimately landed Trump in the Oval Office. If Putin accepts, he will arrive as an investigation of the election matter by Special Counsel Robert Mueller is ongoing. A Putin visit would no doubt please the evangelical foot soldiers of the Trump base. And it would elate the white supremacists who form the leading edge of support for Trump’s racialized policies on immigration and law enforcement. Of course, the mere fact of the invitation surely pleases Vladimir Putin, patron of the Quisling from Queens. Whatever Putin has on Trump is endangering the republic. It’s a weakness that allows his manipulation by Putin, who has long wished to destroy both the EU and NATO. Congressional leaders surely know this, but other than paying lip service to the obvious fact that Vladimir Putin is not our friend, they’ve yet to rein in the president. After all, the midterms are only months away, and Trump is popular with the Republican base—the people who show up at the polls for midterm elections. Any responsible member of Congress, regardless of party, should be willing to censure this president for his egregious behavior in Helsinki. No read-out or comprehensive statement about what the president and Putin discussed at the closed-door summit has been issued by the White House. Yet, according to the Russians, agreements were made. Meanwhile, something worth contemplating is the $1 billion lent to Donald Trump by a bank with some shady practices. Justin Kennedy, the bank official who made the loan, is the son of the Supreme Court justice who just stepped down in time to give Trump a nomination to make just ahead of the mid-terms. Justin Kennedy made that astonishingly large loan when he was an executive at Deutsche Bank, which has been sanctioned by the U.S. for laundering the money of Russian oligarchs. Maybe there’s something in that billion-dollar loan that Putin has on Trump."
Monday, July 23, 2018
McConnell Admits He Knew About 2016 Russian Hack, Did Nothing
McConnell Admits He Knew About 2016 Russian Hack, Did Nothing:
"Turn the clock back, back, back with me to December, 2016 when reports of Russian attacks on the 2016 election were oozing out. In particular, let us recall together what active measures Senator Mitch McConnell took to make sure we, the people, had no clue about what they were doing. Please compare and contrast McConnell's 2016 behavior with his 2018 behavior: The Democratic leaders in the room unanimously agreed on the need to take the threat seriously. Republicans, however, were divided, with at least two GOP lawmakers reluctant to accede to the White House requests. According to several officials, McConnell raised doubts about the underlying intelligence and made clear to the administration that he would consider any effort by the White House to challenge the Russians publicly an act of partisan politics."
"Turn the clock back, back, back with me to December, 2016 when reports of Russian attacks on the 2016 election were oozing out. In particular, let us recall together what active measures Senator Mitch McConnell took to make sure we, the people, had no clue about what they were doing. Please compare and contrast McConnell's 2016 behavior with his 2018 behavior: The Democratic leaders in the room unanimously agreed on the need to take the threat seriously. Republicans, however, were divided, with at least two GOP lawmakers reluctant to accede to the White House requests. According to several officials, McConnell raised doubts about the underlying intelligence and made clear to the administration that he would consider any effort by the White House to challenge the Russians publicly an act of partisan politics."
Which Putin-Friendly Russian Oligarch Funded the Alleged Spy Who Penetrated the NRA?
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/07/maria-butina-nra-putin-russian-oligarch/
"Maria Butina—the 29-year-old Russian who penetrated the NRA and other conservative groups and who this week was arrested and accused of functioning as a spy for Moscow—allegedly had help from from some well-connected and extremely wealthy men in her motherland. According to a filing submitted in court by federal prosecutors on Wednesday, Butina “has ties to the Russian oligarchy.” The document notes that her private tweets, emails, and chats “refer to a known Russian businessman with deep ties to the Russian Presidential Administration.” In other words, a businessman who is close to Vladimir Putin. All of which prompts an important question: Who exactly was this Putin-friendly Russian billionaire who was allegedly assisting Butina? The document doesn’t identify the Russian moneybags. It only includes this description: “This person often travels to the United States and has also been referred to as her ‘funder’ throughout her correspondence; he was listed in Forbes as having a real-time net worth of $1.2 billion as of 2018.” That latter piece of information is a rather specific clue. But if you turn to the Forbeslist, you will find there are 12 Russians listed at the $1.2 billion mark. There are, however, two in this group known to have a close relationship with Putin."
"Maria Butina—the 29-year-old Russian who penetrated the NRA and other conservative groups and who this week was arrested and accused of functioning as a spy for Moscow—allegedly had help from from some well-connected and extremely wealthy men in her motherland. According to a filing submitted in court by federal prosecutors on Wednesday, Butina “has ties to the Russian oligarchy.” The document notes that her private tweets, emails, and chats “refer to a known Russian businessman with deep ties to the Russian Presidential Administration.” In other words, a businessman who is close to Vladimir Putin. All of which prompts an important question: Who exactly was this Putin-friendly Russian billionaire who was allegedly assisting Butina? The document doesn’t identify the Russian moneybags. It only includes this description: “This person often travels to the United States and has also been referred to as her ‘funder’ throughout her correspondence; he was listed in Forbes as having a real-time net worth of $1.2 billion as of 2018.” That latter piece of information is a rather specific clue. But if you turn to the Forbeslist, you will find there are 12 Russians listed at the $1.2 billion mark. There are, however, two in this group known to have a close relationship with Putin."
This Was Among the Most Disgraceful Moments in the Modern History of the American Presidency
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a22164229/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-press-conference-disgrace/
"We have just witnessed one of the most disgraceful moments in the modern history of the United States presidency. Donald Trump, American president, held a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin and sided, over and over again, with the thuggish authoritarian leader of a geopolitical adversary who engineered an attack on U.S. democracy. He lined up against his own intelligence community, his domestic political opponents, and the free press."
"We have just witnessed one of the most disgraceful moments in the modern history of the United States presidency. Donald Trump, American president, held a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin and sided, over and over again, with the thuggish authoritarian leader of a geopolitical adversary who engineered an attack on U.S. democracy. He lined up against his own intelligence community, his domestic political opponents, and the free press."
INFOGRAPHIC: Alleged Russian Agent Mariia Butina’s Influence Operation
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/maria-butina-web-connections-republican-party
"The 29-year-old essentially made her very own “Where’s Waldo?” series out of the 2016 GOP presidential campaign. Butina was captured on camera at a 2015 Las Vegas libertarian convention asking then-candidate Donald Trump about U.S. sanctions. She popped up at NRA events throughout the Midwest and at the National Prayer Breakfast in D.C. On the day of President Trump’s inauguration, Butina even sent a selfie to her alleged handler, Russian Central Bank official Alexander Torshin, of her beaming near the U.S. Capitol building. Many of those interactions, like her run-ins with short-lived GOP candidates Bobby Jindal and Rick Santorum, were just embarrassing photo ops for those politicians she was allegedly targeting. But some of the connections—like her intimate relationship with GOP operative Paul Erickson and her association with former NRA president David Keene—were involved and forged over years."
"The 29-year-old essentially made her very own “Where’s Waldo?” series out of the 2016 GOP presidential campaign. Butina was captured on camera at a 2015 Las Vegas libertarian convention asking then-candidate Donald Trump about U.S. sanctions. She popped up at NRA events throughout the Midwest and at the National Prayer Breakfast in D.C. On the day of President Trump’s inauguration, Butina even sent a selfie to her alleged handler, Russian Central Bank official Alexander Torshin, of her beaming near the U.S. Capitol building. Many of those interactions, like her run-ins with short-lived GOP candidates Bobby Jindal and Rick Santorum, were just embarrassing photo ops for those politicians she was allegedly targeting. But some of the connections—like her intimate relationship with GOP operative Paul Erickson and her association with former NRA president David Keene—were involved and forged over years."
Trump Just Nominated a Pesticide Exec to Oversee Science at the USDA
https://www.motherjones.com/food/2018/07/trump-just-nominated-a-pesticide-exec-to-oversee-science-at-usda/
"If approved by the Senate, Scott Hutchins will be the third major player from Dow Chemical’s pesticide/seed division—now known as Corteva, after Dow’s 2017 merger with DuPont—to hold a high post in Trump’s USDA. Back in April, the administration tapped Ken Isley, a 30-year Dow Agroscience/Corteva veteran, to lead the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. In October 2017, another former Dow man, Ted Mckinney, was confirmed by the Senate as undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs. McKinney had served for 19 years on Dow Agroscience’s government affairs (read: lobbying) team."
"If approved by the Senate, Scott Hutchins will be the third major player from Dow Chemical’s pesticide/seed division—now known as Corteva, after Dow’s 2017 merger with DuPont—to hold a high post in Trump’s USDA. Back in April, the administration tapped Ken Isley, a 30-year Dow Agroscience/Corteva veteran, to lead the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. In October 2017, another former Dow man, Ted Mckinney, was confirmed by the Senate as undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs. McKinney had served for 19 years on Dow Agroscience’s government affairs (read: lobbying) team."
Trump’s recent behavior is too ridiculous even for Russian state TV
https://thinkprogress.org/donald-trump-russia-state-media-helsinki-vladimir-putin-fox-news-bde2b707a577/
"According to reporter and Russian media analyst Julia Davis, Russia’s state television accused the President of the United States of “licking Putin’s boots” during Monday’s press conference"
"According to reporter and Russian media analyst Julia Davis, Russia’s state television accused the President of the United States of “licking Putin’s boots” during Monday’s press conference"
Prosecutors Say Arrested Russian Gun Rights Activist Was a Spy
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/07/prosecutors-say-arrested-russian-guns-rights-activist-was-a-spy/
"Maria Butina, the 29-year-old Russian gun rights activist indicted this week for acting as an unregistered foreign agent, was involved with suspected Russian intelligence officials and used sex to gain access to conservative power players, according to a court filing submitted by federal prosecutors Wednesday."
"Maria Butina, the 29-year-old Russian gun rights activist indicted this week for acting as an unregistered foreign agent, was involved with suspected Russian intelligence officials and used sex to gain access to conservative power players, according to a court filing submitted by federal prosecutors Wednesday."
In Helsinki, Trump Shows He Is Indeed Guilty of Collusion
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/07/in-helsinki-trump-shows-he-is-indeed-guilty-of-collusion/
"Trump working with Putin, in the open, to make the Russian attack on the United States disappear. Trump himself has proven the case."
"Trump working with Putin, in the open, to make the Russian attack on the United States disappear. Trump himself has proven the case."
Scott Pruitt Can’t Escape His Investigations Just Because He Resigned
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/07/scott-pruitt-cant-escape-his-investigations-just-because-he-resigned/
"Scott Pruitt may be out at the Environmental Protection Agency, but he left in the midst of more than a dozen federal investigations into his conduct."
"Scott Pruitt may be out at the Environmental Protection Agency, but he left in the midst of more than a dozen federal investigations into his conduct."
Trump Kills Regulation That Would Have Shed Light On Union-Busting By Employers
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-kills-regulation-that-would-have-shed-light-on-union-busting-by-employers_us_5b4f6b6fe4b0fd5c73c160ea
"The Trump administration has officially killed a regulation that would have required employers to publicly disclose more information about the union-busting consultants they hire."
"The Trump administration has officially killed a regulation that would have required employers to publicly disclose more information about the union-busting consultants they hire."
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Trump Ends NATO Summit by Announcing a Diplomatic Breakthrough That Did Not Happen
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/07/nato-summit-trump-fabricates-agreement-on-defense-spending.html
"By now, it is beyond cliché to say that Donald Trump approaches his presidency (and/or entire existence) as though it were a reality-television show. But like Trump’s political career itself, that analogy is forever forcing its way into one’s consciousness, no matter how tired and irritating it has become."
"By now, it is beyond cliché to say that Donald Trump approaches his presidency (and/or entire existence) as though it were a reality-television show. But like Trump’s political career itself, that analogy is forever forcing its way into one’s consciousness, no matter how tired and irritating it has become."
On The Seven Republican Senators Who Just Betrayed Us In Moscow
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/7/6/1778407/-On-The-Seven-Republican-Senators-Who-Just-Betrayed-Us-In-Moscow
"The whole point of the trip was to assure the Russian that the Republican Party were their best buds, with plenty of money to be made on both sides. And, by the way, that the Russians had nothing really to worry about if they chose to mess with our Democracy again, in say, three months or so, as long as they stay on the right side. By a remarkable coincidence, none of these GOP Senators were up for re-election this year, so it would be a pretty safe bet that no one would remember this little soiree by 2020."
"The whole point of the trip was to assure the Russian that the Republican Party were their best buds, with plenty of money to be made on both sides. And, by the way, that the Russians had nothing really to worry about if they chose to mess with our Democracy again, in say, three months or so, as long as they stay on the right side. By a remarkable coincidence, none of these GOP Senators were up for re-election this year, so it would be a pretty safe bet that no one would remember this little soiree by 2020."
House Republicans Are Trying to Thwart Dem Russia Probe
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/07/house-republicans-are-trying-to-thwart-dem-russia-probe.html
"Nunes is blocking Democrats from sharing what they’ve learned in witness interviews with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the committee, tells CNN that some of the witnesses interviewed by House may have lied and he wants to tell Mueller all about it, but he can’t do so without Nunes’s help."
"Nunes is blocking Democrats from sharing what they’ve learned in witness interviews with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the committee, tells CNN that some of the witnesses interviewed by House may have lied and he wants to tell Mueller all about it, but he can’t do so without Nunes’s help."
The NRA Has Deep Ties to Accused Russian Spy Maria Butina
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/07/nra-maria-butina-spying-charges-trump-campaign/
"After Trump won the presidential election, according to the court documents made public this week, Butina contacted Torshin. “I am ready for further orders,” she told him."
"After Trump won the presidential election, according to the court documents made public this week, Butina contacted Torshin. “I am ready for further orders,” she told him."
There's a clear and present danger to our elections, and Republicans refuse to act
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/7/19/1781955/-There-s-a-clear-and-present-danger-to-our-elections-and-Republican-refuse-to-act
"Lost somewhat in the fall-out of the Surrender Summit between Russian asset Donald Trump and his primary handler Vladimir Putin was a truly alarming report about just how vulnerable our elections systems are to hacking, whether from Russians or just your run-of-the-mill larcenous Republican group. The nation's leading voting machine maker admitted to Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden that for six years it sold systems to a number of states that had software allowing remote access."
"Lost somewhat in the fall-out of the Surrender Summit between Russian asset Donald Trump and his primary handler Vladimir Putin was a truly alarming report about just how vulnerable our elections systems are to hacking, whether from Russians or just your run-of-the-mill larcenous Republican group. The nation's leading voting machine maker admitted to Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden that for six years it sold systems to a number of states that had software allowing remote access."
Trump, Treasonous Traitor
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/15/opinion/trump-russia-investigation-putin.html
"America’s commander wants to be chummy with the enemy who committed the crime. Trump is more concerned with protecting his presidency and validating his election than he is in protecting this country."
"America’s commander wants to be chummy with the enemy who committed the crime. Trump is more concerned with protecting his presidency and validating his election than he is in protecting this country."
Trump Lied About Supporting U.S. Intelligence and No One Seems to Care
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-lied-about-supporting-u-s-intelligence-and-no-one-seems-to-care-700580/
"Trump is deep within the pocket of a manipulative, authoritarian leader determined to drive a wedge between the United States and its closest allies, at the same time compromising America’s democratic process with little recourse."
"Trump is deep within the pocket of a manipulative, authoritarian leader determined to drive a wedge between the United States and its closest allies, at the same time compromising America’s democratic process with little recourse."
Russian Tied To NRA Charged With ‘Infiltrating’ US Political Organizations
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/maria-butina-charged-conspiracy-infiltrate-us-organizations-russia
"A Russian woman with close ties to the National Rifle Association was arrested Sunday and charged with “conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government,” according to a criminal complaint unsealed Monday. Mariia Butina is accused of acting as an unregistered agent on Russia’s behalf between 2015 and 2017, in collaboration with “others known and unknown, including an official of the Russian Federation,” according to the complaint. Butina is a former assistant of Alexander Torshin, a top official at the Russian Central Bank who is reportedly under investigation by the FBI for channeling money to the NRA to benefit Trump’s 2016 campaign. The pair have been under scrutiny by journalists and investigators for months, thanks to a bombshell January report in McClatchy that first revealed the FBI’s financial probe. Butina and Torshin have close ties to the NRA, which is not named in the criminal complaint or supporting affidavit but is referred to as a “Gun Rights Organization"."
"A Russian woman with close ties to the National Rifle Association was arrested Sunday and charged with “conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government,” according to a criminal complaint unsealed Monday. Mariia Butina is accused of acting as an unregistered agent on Russia’s behalf between 2015 and 2017, in collaboration with “others known and unknown, including an official of the Russian Federation,” according to the complaint. Butina is a former assistant of Alexander Torshin, a top official at the Russian Central Bank who is reportedly under investigation by the FBI for channeling money to the NRA to benefit Trump’s 2016 campaign. The pair have been under scrutiny by journalists and investigators for months, thanks to a bombshell January report in McClatchy that first revealed the FBI’s financial probe. Butina and Torshin have close ties to the NRA, which is not named in the criminal complaint or supporting affidavit but is referred to as a “Gun Rights Organization"."
The Crisis Is Upon Us
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a22165304/donald-trump-press-conference-vladimir-putin-renegade-presidency/
"Putin finds the president* laughable. He has more reason than most to feel that way. He sees him as a particularly intriguing play-toy. Trump deserves Putin's contempt. In fact, these two men deserve each other. Unfortunately, nobody else on planet Earth does."
"Putin finds the president* laughable. He has more reason than most to feel that way. He sees him as a particularly intriguing play-toy. Trump deserves Putin's contempt. In fact, these two men deserve each other. Unfortunately, nobody else on planet Earth does."
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