Speaking of sleazy lawyers, Michael Cohen, the President's personal attorney, is
realDougster
Navigating the post-FOSTA apocalypse
"The FBI raided Michael Cohen’s legal office and his hotel room at the Loews Regency in Manhattan on Monday. They collected personal business records, including those tied to his taxi medallion holdings and documents related to his $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels (real name: Stephanie Clifford), the Department of Justice said. The precise nature of the criminal investigation on Cohen is not entirely clear, but it began following a referral from the Special Counsel Robert Mueller"
https://therealdeal.com/2018/04/13/us-at…
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy
https://therealdeal.com/2018/04/13/us-at…
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy
72 comments
https://lawschooli.com/should-i-attend-c…
https://abovethelaw.com/2018/04/clown-la…
Is it possible that Trump started bombing Syria to take attention away from all the legal problems that are closing in? Could any human being be so narcissistic as to put other American's in harms way to divert attention from his legal scandals? You bettcha!
If there is anyone sleazy here, it’s the “ small group” of Obama appointees in the DOJ, FBI, and State Dept who continue to use their government offices to try to bring down a duly elected President.
I had high hopes (and little confidence) that Trump could do some of the things he promised. Those hopes have all but faded, while the actions of this group continues to prove they are more corrupt than the last group.
This BS of blaming someone else for everything negative is getting real old, they’ve had the reins for long enough that what happens now is on them.
FWIW I do still think Trump was better than the alternative but he wanted the job now he’s got it. What happens after this is on him.
Damn 25, you are a shallow, grumpy bully
There is this breaking development. Just a short while ago, federal agents, apparently with guns drawn, raided St. Andrew's Episcopal in Maryland, where the president’s youngest child, Barron, who just turned 12, goes to school. Early reports are confusing, but this is sure to be a major story. One unnamed source close to the special counsel’s office has said that the feds are investigating suspicious interest in Russia among several teachers at St. Andrew's, some of whom travelled to Moscow during the 2016 presidential campaign, two of whom were photographed in sight of the Kremlin. There are also reports that one of the teachers placed near the Kremlin surreptitiously passed as yet undisclosed documents to Barron in a secluded hallway between classes. Barron himself was photographed speaking alone with a Russian student at school. Anonymous sources have identified the student as the youngest son of Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador, whom Michael Flynn, President Trump’s first national security advisor, also spoke to. The special counsel is also said to be looking into irregular payments made to Barron Trump’s lemonade stand business, which The Washington Post—citing a source close to John Brennan, former head of the CIA under President Obama—claims was unregistered. Some pundits have expressed skepticism about the heavy-handed behavior of the FBI in this case, but Rachel Maddow expressed the consensus opinion in Washington when she said that the whole future of our democratic society is at stake. “Robert Mueller is a national hero, a real straight arrow,” she said. “It is imperative that we let him follow the evidence wherever it may lead.” Steven Hatfill, the government virologist whom Mueller wrongly fingered for the 2001 anthrax attacks, was unavailable for comment, probably because he is off somewhere enjoying the $5.8 million settlement he won from the government and various media outlets who hounded the poor man on the authority of Robert Mueller.
This is just one small part of a group of 20+ Obama appointees who used false evidence to get FISA court approval to wiretap the Trump campaign and transition team, then leaked classified information to the press over a one year period. This entire group faces jail time, while 4 of them have already cut deals and are cooperating with the investigation.
The IG has announced the entire report will be released by next month.
Meanwhile, the press is focused on a one night stand Trump had 15 years ago. As indictments come down over the next few months revealing how political appointees tried to bring down a president, it will be interesting to see how the press avoids disclosing any of these real crimes.
Trump wouldn't be the first American president to use military force as a distraction from his domestic legal problems.
This happened during Monica Lewinsky's grand jury testimony in 1998:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operatio…
And this happened during the House Impeachment vote in 1998:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_…
Here's a quote from the second article for those too lazy to click on it:
"Some critics of the Clinton administration, including Republican members of Congress, expressed concern over the timing of Operation Desert Fox. The four-day bombing campaign occurred at the same time the U.S. House of Representatives was conducting the impeachment hearing of President Clinton. Clinton was impeached by the House on 19 December, the last day of the bombing campaign. A few months earlier, similar criticism was levelled during Operation Infinite Reach, wherein missile strikes were ordered against suspected terrorist bases in Sudan and Afghanistan, on 20 August. The missile strikes began three days after Clinton was called to testify before a grand jury during the Lewinsky scandal and his subsequent nationally televised address later that evening in which Clinton admitted having an inappropriate relationship.
The Operation Infinite Reach attacks became known as "Monica's War" among TV news people, due to the timing. ABC-TV announced to all stations that there would be a special report following Lewinsky's testimony before Congress, then the special report was pre-empted by the report of the missile attacks. The combination of the timing of that attack and Operation Desert Fox led to accusations of a Wag the Dog situation."
You may well be correct about Clinton and "Monica's War" since the timing was indeed suspicious. Maybe we can label the Syrian attack the "Russian-prostitute-pee-pee-war" in honor of our esteemed president.
Agree completely with @25 that military action should be approved by Congress; Trump is an over-emotional, senile guy, and it's pretty clear that he's melting down over the legal troubles.
How do you guys think this will play out? My best guess is that Trump will fire Rosenstein and Mueller. Then our spineless Republican congress will shrug -- and that will be the end of it.
I'm not an expert but I did read the constitution once (and I also stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night) and I would say he definitely doesn't have the authority. But that has never stopped any president before. Having said that, if Congress were to mount a search party and find it's balls, and if they ever did put this military strike to a vote, it would probably pass. The majority of both parties seems to approve - everyone from John McCain to Elizabeth Warren. There was a time when we could at least count on the opposition party to oppose illegal and unjustified military actions carried out by the president. Not anymore, apparently.
What were you referring to?
I assumed you meant
Russian collusion: nothing there. More evidence against his opponents
Stormy Daniels: How long ago was that and what does it have to do with how he is performing?
He's fat: So am I. Why hate on him so much for that unless you are just grasping at straws?
Pence was at the summit of the americas why put out that phony picture?
Look, I don't like or respect the guy either. But that has very little to do with how he is performing, or more how the country has put the brakes on the downward slide we had been in. And the President generally gets credit or blame for that during his term, deserved or not.
Maybe I overstate how well he is doing because the reference point was so low to begin with. Compared to an administration that spent 8 years actively kowtowing to the rest of the world (including our enemies), undermining our exceptionalism the emphasis of doing what is right for us instead of everyone else is a breath of fresh air.
But why not the same outrage about Warren's claim to be Native American, or the multiple scandals the Clintons are involved in,...
I know they don't fit your message and aren't in the MSNBC talking points, but how about just a smidgen of objectivity and a little less ideology.
Was Obama kowtowing to the rest of the world when he sent 100,000 troops into Afghanistan; bombed Libya; launched raids on Somalian pirates; sent Special Forces into West Africa; confiscated chemical weapons in Syria; placed sanctions on Russia; killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan without that country's knowledge or permission; used drone strikes throughout the Middle East; and fought Isis? That doesn't feel like kowtowing. People should focus more on what politicians do rather than what they say.
My only reason for bringing up those examples was to show how much your political leanings determine what you accept and what you don't.
The reason the Clinton scandals weren't as all consuming is because they are liberal ( or at least Dems) and the press did the best they could to minimize it. Switch parties and see what kind of circus they would have created.
As for the kowtowing, do I really need to list all the times he attempted to appease our enemies and apologize for us being a great nation? C'mon, get real. The examples you state were mostly follow ups to campaigns started before his administration that he couldn't politically get away from.
Look, POTUS is an impossible position to serve without getting stained. Trump is a certifiable ass, but outside of his personality there isn't a lot to argue with how he has governed unless you were predisposed to hate anything he does.
I get mark94's attitude. He seems to think Trump is great. I suspect he'd jack it if Trump came out on stage at a press conference, took a big old crap, and then 4got2wipe.
But seriously, what has Trump done that any Republican president with majorities in both the house and senate wouldn't have done? If you are actually conservative and not just a Trump lover I don't understand the incessant defense.
What has he done? Uh, he won the election. That put him in a position to do it and not just say he would.
Ok, I know that won't happen. But it would be funny as shit! And remember, funny = brilliant!
Bonus comedy: there would be certain TUSCL posters that would jack off to the whole episode!
If you are conservative it is fair to say that Trump winning allowed the Republican agenda to move forward. But so would any person on stage at the Republican primary debates, with the exception of the amateurs like Carson. If you are actually conservative can understand saying Trump is a best of a bad situation, but things have been remarkably crazy for a Republican president with both houses of congress controlled by his party.
Now I'm not saying you are jacking off to my Trump taking a dump story. I wrote that because I thought it was funny.
But I think you like Trump more than you want to admit!
At least you can laugh at the Trump takes a dump story.
The question in my mind is: which TUSCL poster will reply with "fap fap fap"?
I think he is also egotistical and crass.
The sad part is that he damaged so many bridges on his way to getting elected that he has made it so difficult to get support, even from his own party.
As or my Conservative vs. Liberal ideals... I try to evaluate issues independently, but out of pragmatism I lean mostly conservative.
This one is for 25 who wrote "Just for your information more Jewish votes were cast for him than Hillary". I couldn't believe that so I looked it up. Based on exit polls it was Clinton 71%, Trump 24%.
Obvious BS claims cast doubt on the other claims you expect us to blindly accept.
But it isn't just Obama. Promoting the Palestinians to Israel's detriment is a cause many on the left are passionate about.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk…
"The raid on the offices of President Trump’s personal lawyer makes clear that Trump’s battle with the special counsel, Robert Mueller, is entering its final chapter."
1) You said “do I really need to list all the times he attempted to appease our enemies and apologize for us being a great nation?”
Yeah, you should probably list some of those times because I can’t remember them. I didn’t like Obama either but I don’t recall any appeasement. When he took office, he said he wanted to reset our relationships with the Arab World and with Russia, and that we shouldn’t get involved with “stupid wars.” This sounds oddly similar to Trump saying that we should try to have a good relationship with Russia and that we should concentrate on nation-building at home. Same shit, new day… and then they do the exact opposite anyway.
2) Your comment about undermining our exceptionalism implies that you actually know what American Exceptionalism means. No offense, but I doubt that anyone here really understands the term. Obama didn’t seem to know what it meant. Neither did Sarah Palin. I cringed when I heard both of them trying to define it during interviews a decade ago. Seriously, what do you think it means?
3) Yes, American Jews tend to vote Democrat. I think the last Republican who won a majority of the Jewish vote was Eisenhower. That’s because there are many other issues to consider besides just Israel. And besides, many American Jews aren’t particularly thrilled with the Israeli government to begin with. Also, Hasidic Jews are overwhelmingly Republican, but they are still a very tiny minority among Jews (despite their high birth rates).
4) When you say you like Trump’s policies, which ones are you referring to? The liberal ones that he held for 35 years, or the moderate/conservative/populist ones that he pretends to have now that he claims to be a Republican? And what do you mean when you say his critics are jealous? Of what? The money? The pussy? The fact that he can get away with saying just about anything with absolutely no consequences?
“But seriously, what has Trump done that any Republican president with majorities in both the house and senate wouldn't have done?”
I agree. This sounds exactly like the argument I once made to mark94 (he didn’t seem to believe me at the time). Obviously Trump is taking most of his policy cues from the Republican Study Committee, Mike Pence, and Congressional GOP leadership. He doesn’t know anything about policy so it’s being spoon-fed to him and he still manages to fuck it up half the time. There is simply no way that someone who was hardcore pro-choice just a few years ago and who spoke favorably about single-payer universal healthcare as recently as early 2016 could have ever picked Neil Gorsuch and Scott Pruitt on his own. No fucking way. These are exactly the same nominees that Marco Rubio or Mitt Romney would have picked. Trump is selecting from the same pool of people who are considered acceptable to the Party. Pence is probably compiling a list of a dozen candidates for each vacancy, and then Trump is interviewing each of them and selecting the ones who give him the best vibes. And once in a while, he “goes rogue” and chooses someone on his own, usually some guy who worked on the campaign that he thought was just “terrific” like Steve Bannon or Mike Flynn or Anthony Scaramucci, and they usually end up imploding.
1. Two days ago he stated that he will not go after the marijuana industry in states where pot, or medical pot, is legal.
2. Japan has just announced the discovery of enough rare metals off its coast to satisfy a semi-infinite period of demand....between 100 to 1,000 years. That was an argument against his Chinese tariffs.
Come over to the light side and support Trump.
Yeah, I was aware of the marijuana thing, and I'm happy to hear it. But remember, Trump only did this because Senator Cory Gardner had placed a hold on all of Trump's Colorado-related appointments until Trump agreed to Gardner's demand for fewer marijuana restrictions. It's ironic that Trump once advocated completely ending the Federal War on Drugs, almost 30 years ago. But now, he literally needs to be threatened before he'll even allow a few states to experiment with legalized pot. This is further proof - as if you needed it - that someone else is making the real decisions in the Oval Office. I'm sure Jeff Sessions wasn't thrilled with this deal.
As for the rare earth metals in Japan, I hadn't heard about this. But honestly, Trump's reasoning makes no difference to me. I don't see how this changes the calculus on trade with China: the problem, Trump always said, was that China was ripping us off with high tariffs, manipulated currency, and theft of intellectual property, and that we have a large trade deficit. I don't agree with any of this reasoning. I'm against tariffs. I'd still be against them even if the entire country were unemployed. No one has the right to tell someone how much something should cost except for the seller. And free trade is so foundational to libertarianism. You could even argue that it's where our movement really got its start, with the repeal of the British Corn Laws.
Anyway, I may or may not vote for Trump in 2020. I still haven't decided. Certainly his performance last year was much better than his performance so far this year. If, as I predict, he gets even worse after the Democrats retake Congress in November, then I'll sit the election out. Your defense of Trump reminds me of how I used to defend Chris Christie. I voted for him in 2009 and defended him and defended him against everyone I knew for years, until one day I just couldn't defend him anymore. The final straw for me was just after Hurricane Sandy, when he implemented gas rationing, and you could only fill up on certain days based on your license plate number. As a result, I almost got stranded with no gas on my way back from some hooker's apartment. Luckily, I found a gas station that was willing to break the rules for me. True story.
Given that Trump announced the potential tariffs in late March and Japan's rare earth oxide deposits were announced a few days ago how do they justify his tariff? Is it:
A. The Japanese immediately conveyed this to the US White House because they knew Trump would want to impose tariffs on China.
B. The US government has a time machine. They sent Arnold Schwarzenegger back in time to tell Trump about the rare earth oxides.
C. Trump is a psychic.
D. Trump just feels other countries is losing to all other countries and feels he can turn this around so he impulsively announces tariffs. Fortunately, the ill thought out tariffs will likely never materialize.
I'm going with D. BurlingtonHoFactory is right. The areas where Trump has been successful have been Republican priorities. The parts of Trump's agenda that diverge from Republican orthodoxy have largely been unsuccessful. If you like Republican orthodoxy then brilliant for you.
But Trump is just an insult comic that periodically signs Republican legislation. When he isn't distracting everybody with weirdo tweets. Which is actually brilliant for liberals, because any competent Republican president would have gone much further in passing legislation they don't like. If the Democrats were going to lose the best person for them to lose to was Trump.
But the Chinese government is rigging the system in their favor. A competent policy that got China more in line would be a good thing.
But Trump won't do that. He'll incompetently threaten tariffs he probably hasn't discussed with anybody who knows anything and the tariffs probably wouldn't accomplish anything. As a bonus the tariffs probably won't materialize anyway. I have zero confidence that Trump will accomplish anything and worry he'll make the situation worse. I'm not sure other administrations would fix things, but Trump sure as hell won't.
And that is pretty non-brilliant for American and the world.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plu…
This is getting tiresome on all sides, it’s not going to end well no matter who comes out on top our country loses.
North and South Korea are in talks to announce a permanent end to the officially declared military conflict between the two countries, daily newspaper Munhwa Ilbo reported Tuesday, citing an unnamed South Korean official.
Ahead of a summit next week between North Korean premier Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, lawmakers from the neighboring states were thought to be negotiating the details of a joint statement that could outline an end to the confrontation.
Reuters reports Mexico making a surprise announcement they will support the U.S. steel tariff against China by shutting down the NAFTA back door on that specific trade segment…. However, the bigger story is Mexico’s admission/concession to the U.S. trade position that Canada and Mexico structure access to the U.S. market inside their trade deals with other nations.
If this happens, there will be little advantage to manufacturing goods in Mexico or Canada for export to the US. Hundreds of factories, and tens of thousand jobs, will return to the US.
No word yet on what Stormy Daniels thinks about this.
Instead of polluting this thread, start one of your own, and stream all the horseshit you get from Fox and Friends.
God damned snowflakes and their "safe zones"
What I love about it is the obsessiveness of flagooner and mark94. Don't get me wrong, flagooner, you seem like a nice enough guy. I just don't get the obsessive nature of your replies to realDougster threads about anything Trump-y.
It's like anonlvone. The guy kept posting all sorts of "Clinton's are running a 40 year murder ring" theories. I could care less whether anonlvone believes that Hillary Clinton's ninja army took out Mark Rich. It crazy, but if it gives him comfort I guess he should spend his life believing it.
But what I was curious about is why he cared that other weirdo deviants on a strip club discussion board believed it. I was curious because I thought the answer to that question might be entertaining. It was. He started PM'ing me with "evidence" that the Clintons ran a ninja army that faked the moon landings and killed Kennedy. I know the last one isn't true because that was Ted Cruz's daddy!
OK, I made up the moon landing stuff. But it was clearly important to anonlvone that I believe the Clintons ran a 40-year murder ring. He got so frustrated about my asking him that he stopped posting. But he would log on and PM me for a month after he stopped posting. I stopped engaging because I was starting to feel cruel. But he was actually trolling himself. I hate to admit it, but I found my anonlvone debate funny as hell. Aces stuff! ;)
Likewise, I find flagooner's NEED to reply to realDougster threads amusing. And the mark94 = Sean Hannity theory explains a lot!
Absolutely not. Ask Tightass. I am both an asshole and a prick.
;-)
It's not really much of a concession. Mexico is simply considering raising their steel tariffs on those countries with which they don't already have a free trade agreement. They already have a 15 percent tariff on steel imports from non-Nafta nations. The Mexican government is simply looking to grab additional revenue in response to Trump raising American tariffs.
Play the scenario out in your mind: Mexican finished products cost half of what American finished products cost, so manufacturers move to Mexico and buy steel from Asia in order to make their products; then America raises steel tariffs... and so does Mexico. The result? Mexican products still cost about half of what American products cost, and the Mexican government receives additional tariff revenue. Except now American consumers are forced to pay more. These higher consumer prices will eventually lead to less economic activity, which means fewer American jobs in the long run.
If you can understand the logic of the benefit of a tax cut, then you should be able to understand the logic of the benefit of lower global tariffs, because it's the exact same thing. This isn't good news.
___________
Might make sense if not for the fact that @Mark93 put ME on ignore and not the other way around. I still read his horseshit. He put me on ignore after I pointed out that the tax bill, and the projected deficit, did include dynamic scoring. He's like a cartoon-character parroting whatever he hears on Fox News. He's so pathetically boring that I be he hasn't gotten laid since the Eisenhower admin.
@flogooner fuck you jackie-your welcome