Trumpling the Russia Investigation

[dead man walking]

headline of the day:

If There Was No Collusion, It Wasn’t for Lack of Trying

from the atlantic online in reference to "fredo" setting up a meeting w/ dubious russian lawyer.

suggests that donnie's supporters will have to choose between (a) he cheated with russia or (b) he didn't cheat because he was incompetent.

[Turdacious]

The [Russian] economy is projected to rebound from a deep recession on the back of stronger oil prices, higher wages and lower interest rates, which will boost household consumption and business investment. Structural bottlenecks hamper the diversification of production, and the relatively strong rouble and continued sanctions will restrain non-oil exports. The poverty rate will gradually decline as the labour market strengthens and inflation abates further.

Monetary policy should be eased to support growth, but cautiously to avoid a rebound of inflation. Fiscal tightening, due to spending cuts, might jeopardise the recovery. Additional revenue could come from a higher VAT rate, taxes on the oil and gas sector, and real estate, as well as by broadening the personal income tax base. At the same time, funding is needed for large public investments in education, innovation and infrastructure. Institutional reforms would help lift longer-term growth.

The economy remains relatively closed, as international sanctions hamper higher value added in non-oil activities. The gains from globalisation rest on oil revenues which are unevenly distributed across regions and income groups. Reforming the tax system and investing the gains from higher oil prices in education and infrastructure would help diversify the economy, create more quality jobs and make globalisation beneficial for all.

http://www.oecd.org/eco/outlook/russian ... ummary.htm
Translation: economically they need the US and the EU; neither the US or the EU need them.

President Donald Trump on Thursday pitched U.S. energy exports to Europe as an alternative to supplies from Russia, a nation he suggested had held the region hostage in the past.

Trump made the comments in Warsaw, Poland, where he attended a meeting of the Three Seas Initiative, an effort by 12 Central and Eastern European nations to increase trade, infrastructure and energy ties.

"Let me be clear about one crucial point. The United States will never use energy to coerce your nations, and we cannot allow others to do so," Trump said at a press conference flanked by European leaders. "You don't want to have a monopoly or a monopolistic situation."

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/06/trump-na ... aders.html

By signing Republican legislation to end the ban on energy exports, Obama and Congressional Republicans made the world a better place. Drill baby drill!

[Thud]

headline of the day:

If There Was No Collusion, It Wasn’t for Lack of Trying

from the atlantic online in reference to "fredo" setting up a meeting w/ dubious russian lawyer.

suggests that donnie's supporters will have to choose between (a) he cheated with russia or (b) he didn't cheat because he was incompetent.

They never colluded with the Russians. But even if they did, everyone does it, of course they did it and they'd do it again. If they were to ever do it. But they didn't.

Something like that.

[Turdacious]

The Daily Signal obtained a copy of the June 29 letter to Mnuchin from Reps. Lamar Smith and Randy Weber, both Republicans who chair energy-related House panels. Smith and Weber quote sources saying the Russian government has been colluding with environmental groups to circulate “disinformation” and “propaganda” aimed at undermining hydraulic fracturing. Commonly called fracking, the process makes it possible to access natural gas deposits.

http://dailysignal.com/2017/07/10/lawma ... k-frackin/
Leftys in teh pockets of the Russian interests. John Reed would be so proud. Same as it ever was.

[Grandpa's Spells]

The fact that Don Jr. just got a lawyer is almost beyond belief.

[Turdacious]

The fact that Don Jr. just got a lawyer is almost beyond belief.

You're surprised by the results of the Lawyer Full Employment Election of 2016? The interesting question is whether or not the lawyer will collect anything more than his retainer.

[nafod]

I've offered to testify under oath to the congressional committee.

Just trying to beat the rush.

[nafod]

Donald Trump Jr. agreed to take a meeting during the 2016 presidential campaign with a woman he was told was a “Russian government lawyer” who could provide damaging information about Hillary Clinton as part of “Russia and its government’s support” for his father’s presidential campaign, according to emails tweeted by the president’s son on Tuesday...

The email exchange showed clearly that Trump Jr. understood he was taking the meeting as a way of channeling information directly from the government of a nation hostile to the United States to his father’s campaign.

[dead man walking]

junior's pardon is already drafted.

[nafod]

junior's pardon is already drafted.

I think he's being told he was adopted.

[Grandpa's Spells]

NYT really owned JR on this one. Let him lie and then put out another story.

1. There was a meeting with a Russian lawyer.

"Yeah, about adoption."

2. There was a meeting with a Russian lawyer about dirt on Clinton.

"Yeah, well, I like dirt. I didn't know she works for the Russian government."

3. There was a meeting with a Russian lawyer about dirt on Clinton, and an email to JR in advance confirming this was coming from the Russian government.

"I have an attorney now."

Somebody said Donald Trump isn't even the dumbest Donald Trump.

[nafod]

On another forum...

Fredo Trump says, "I'm smart! Not like everybody says! Like, dumb!"

Time to take Fredo out fishing.

[dead man walking]

he's on hannity at 10 tonight.

i guess he's gonna talk about the big one that got away.

[DrDonkeyLove]

Of the many things Progs could use to hammer OOM (Our Orange Master), Russian collusion seems tenuous at best. IMO team Clinton had substantially more conflicts of interest with Russian than OOM.

Why don't Progs beat him with their more typical cudgels of killing old people, minorities, women & children via his evil policies instead of focusing on Russia? There are plenty of good targets, yet they don't go after them.

Maybe they think it's the best way to hamstring his agenda or to get him impeached. Seems like much ado about next to nothing to me but there has to be a strategic reason besides Russophobia and the laughable hacking of our democracy.

[dead man walking]

Of the many things Progs could use to hammer OOM (Our Orange Master), Russian collusion seems tenuous at best.

from the atlantic

Most of the political discussion surrounding the Russia investigation has focused on the question of “collusion”—whether anyone associated with the Trump campaign coordinated with the Russians to help get the president elected. But that’s not a relevant legal term in this context. Instead, a better way to view this matter may be through the lens of campaign finance. Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from contributing any “thing of value, or expressly or impliedly promise to make a contribution or a donation, in connection with any [federal] election.” The statute also says no American shall “knowingly solicit, accept, or receive” any “contribution or donation” from a foreign national in connection with an election.

the trumpeters may have committed greater sins than this, but you punish them for what you can prove. that's the put-al-capone-in-jail rule.

[nafod]

Of the many things Progs could use to hammer OOM (Our Orange Master), Russian collusion seems tenuous at best. IMO team Clinton had substantially more conflicts of interest with Russian than OOM.

For me, the democratic process is at the heart of what makes us "us". It might be messy stuff, but it's our mess. Keep it in the family. What Russia did was attack the roots of our idea, and what Trump Jr did was at a minimum demonstrate an absolute willingness to sell those ideas down the river to an enemy of ours.

[Turdacious]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zCnpZmk20E[/youtube]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zCnpZmk20E

[Grandpa's Spells]

Latest NYT:

The emails, which the younger Mr. Trump released after learning that The Times had obtained copies and was about to publish them, undercut the president’s line of defense in the Russia inquiry.

Never saw somebody get fucked that hard between two commas before.

[nafod]

Shortened Version of the emails
Russian govt: hey, I got dirt on Hillary that is "extremely sensitive", want to have a meeting to talk about colluding? I want to help Trump win by colluding.
Trump Jr: I would love a meeting to talk about colluding
Russian govt: Ok, looking forward to colluding
Trump Jr: I will invite my Brother-in-law, dad's closest advisor, and the campaign chair to collude too!
Russian govt: OK, see you at the colluding meeting!

Everyone in Trump's orbit is like a husband on Dateline who googled "undetectable poisons + wife" then bought a shovel with a credit card.

"I can handle things! I'm smart! Not like everybody says... like dumb... I'm smart and I want respect!"

[Turdacious]

Shia LaBeouf: Hold my beer.
Media: LOL. Nice try.

[DrDonkeyLove]

Of the many things Progs could use to hammer OOM (Our Orange Master), Russian collusion seems tenuous at best. IMO team Clinton had substantially more conflicts of interest with Russian than OOM.

For me, the democratic process is at the heart of what makes us "us". It might be messy stuff, but it's our mess. Keep it in the family. What Russia did was attack the roots of our idea, and what Trump Jr did was at a minimum demonstrate an absolute willingness to sell those ideas down the river to an enemy of ours.

I don't get too worked up over the democratic process argument since it's always been, and remains, a problem in this country. Black people and the ghosts of dead citizens who cross the void throughout our land every November to vote can attest to this.

What tickles me is politicians screaming over this when they know any shenanigans are minor at best. And, we're amongst the world's worst offenders in "hacking" other people's elections or political systems. Ngo Dinh Diem, Salvador Allende, Mohammad Mossaddagh, and many others would testify to this if we hadn't killed them. Our democratic process ethics are very situational.

This whole thing is about delegitimizing Trump and his agenda. If you hate him, it's great. If you support his agenda, you've just become more supportive because of your resentment towards the MSM. The societal fabric rips a little bit more

[nafod]

This whole thing is about delegitimizing Trump and his agenda.

Sorry Donk, but excitably taking a meeting with our greatest adversary when they offer to use "extremely sensitive information" (stolen goods) to influence the election in their favor (instead of calling the FBI) is a big deal.

https://www.justsecurity.org/43009/medi ... nt-lawyer/
"In sum, Vesilnitskaya’s advocacy of other causes is irrelevant to her mission on behalf of the Russian government. Based on what we now know, this interaction had all the hallmarks of an overture by Russian intelligence to the campaign, and it is utterly damning that Trump Jr. took the meeting, brought in Manafort and Kushner to the meeting, and none of them reported the events immediately to the FBI nor to U.S. authorities until very recently."

[Grandpa's Spells]

This whole thing is about delegitimizing Trump and his agenda.

Sorry Donk, but excitably taking a meeting with our greatest adversary when they offer to use "extremely sensitive information" (stolen goods) to influence the election in their favor (instead of calling the FBI) is a big deal.

https://www.justsecurity.org/43009/medi ... nt-lawyer/
"In sum, Vesilnitskaya’s advocacy of other causes is irrelevant to her mission on behalf of the Russian government. Based on what we now know, this interaction had all the hallmarks of an overture by Russian intelligence to the campaign, and it is utterly damning that Trump Jr. took the meeting, brought in Manafort and Kushner to the meeting, and none of them reported the events immediately to the FBI nor to U.S. authorities until very recently."

Four hours after Jr. confirmed the meeting, DJT was on TV announcing an upcoming press conference in which he would expose the Clintons.

NYT has white house sources saying DJT approved Jr's earlier misleading statements about this. So he directed Jr. to lie about a meeting regarding collusion.

We are getting into shit that is politically hard to be pardoned for.

[DrDonkeyLove]

This whole thing is about delegitimizing Trump and his agenda.

Sorry Donk, but excitably taking a meeting with our greatest adversary when they offer to use "extremely sensitive information" (stolen goods) to influence the election in their favor (instead of calling the FBI) is a big deal.

https://www.justsecurity.org/43009/medi ... nt-lawyer/
"In sum, Vesilnitskaya’s advocacy of other causes is irrelevant to her mission on behalf of the Russian government. Based on what we now know, this interaction had all the hallmarks of an overture by Russian intelligence to the campaign, and it is utterly damning that Trump Jr. took the meeting, brought in Manafort and Kushner to the meeting, and none of them reported the events immediately to the FBI nor to U.S. authorities until very recently."

Four hours after Jr. confirmed the meeting, DJT was on TV announcing an upcoming press conference in which he would expose the Clintons.

NYT has white house sources saying DJT approved Jr's earlier misleading statements about this. So he directed Jr. to lie about a meeting regarding collusion.

We are getting into shit that is politically hard to be pardoned for.

"Hallmarks of an overture", nobody told me this meeting had the hallmarks of an overture!

If only he'd deleted tens of thousands of his emails and taken a cup of Bleachbit to any remains and then beaten his electronic devices into dust with a hammer, he might not have been felled by the hallmarks of an overture.

Maybe his wife can have a secret meeting with Sessions and, perhaps, the next Comey will decide not to prosecute because he didn't have intent? Sounds crazy but stranger things have happened in the protection of our democratic process.

[nafod]

This whole thing is about delegitimizing Trump and his agenda.

Sorry Donk, but excitably taking a meeting with our greatest adversary when they offer to use "extremely sensitive information" (stolen goods) to influence the election in their favor (instead of calling the FBI) is a big deal.

https://www.justsecurity.org/43009/medi ... nt-lawyer/
"In sum, Vesilnitskaya’s advocacy of other causes is irrelevant to her mission on behalf of the Russian government. Based on what we now know, this interaction had all the hallmarks of an overture by Russian intelligence to the campaign, and it is utterly damning that Trump Jr. took the meeting, brought in Manafort and Kushner to the meeting, and none of them reported the events immediately to the FBI nor to U.S. authorities until very recently."

Four hours after Jr. confirmed the meeting, DJT was on TV announcing an upcoming press conference in which he would expose the Clintons.

NYT has white house sources saying DJT approved Jr's earlier misleading statements about this. So he directed Jr. to lie about a meeting regarding collusion.

We are getting into shit that is politically hard to be pardoned for.

Trump, Manafort, and Kushner were absolutely ready to collude. If it didn't happen, it's because the Russians chose not to.

Sad