by "Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
Published 05/17/2017 at 11:29
by "Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
Published 05/17/2017 at 11:29
No Tags
STARS: 2
Sigh.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
Russian president Vladimir Putin has offered Congress a transcript of Donald Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Russian officials as proof that Trump did not reveal any intelligence. It was not immediately clear how Putin would have such a transcript available.
[...]
A few moments ago in the White House, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell asked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson if the offer indicated that that Russians had wiretaps or bugs in the Oval Office, to which Tillerson replied “I would have no way to know that”, and left the room without answering any additional questions.
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/17/2017 at 11:31, STARS: 10
Also, this beautiful gem from the story right below that:
National security officials strategically mention Trump’s name in “as many paragraphs as [they] can”, according to a report from Reuters,“because he keeps reading if he’s mentioned.”
I’m usually the last person to fret about terrorism, but... yeah... we’re probably all going to die.
"McMike" (mcmike)
05/17/2017 at 11:35, STARS: 11
keeps reading if mentioned
True or not, that’s funny.
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
05/17/2017 at 11:37, STARS: 1
Is it a good thing that these guys are so grossly incompetent (because that makes it so easy to catch them) or is it a bad thing? That’s what I’m currently struggling with.
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
05/17/2017 at 11:37, STARS: 2
That Congress has to get the transcript from Russia is gold. GOLD!
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/17/2017 at 11:39, STARS: 3
Thankfully, I only care about the safety of Manhattan, home of the beautiful Trump Tower, where the Macy’s on 34th street always stocks a wonderful selection of Donald Trump Menswear and Accessories.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
05/17/2017 at 11:39, STARS: 2
Could the transcript be made the old fashioned way, from somebody in the room taking notes?
"Tekamul" (tekamulburner)
05/17/2017 at 11:39, STARS: 1
The Trump Presidency : A Timeline
Anger -> Disgust -> Fear -> Panic -> Amusement -> Disbelief -> Disgust -> Relief(pending)
There will be so much written about this brief disaster. But I’m not sure anybody’s going to make any real fixes going forward. The whole country should set aside a day as a one time holiday for a national postmortem on this election.
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/17/2017 at 11:40, STARS: 1
I guess is depends on whether you live in a city that’s a potential terrorist target but where Trump doesn’t own real estate.
"For Sweden" (rallybeetle)
05/17/2017 at 11:41, STARS: 4
This is fun and all, but until a source goes on record, it’s literally nothing.
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/17/2017 at 11:44, STARS: 4
I don’t doubt that’s a possibility, but the idea that the Russians will provide a transcript of the time Trump gave classified intelligence to a belligerent foreign state that conducts a lot of espionage against the US is... yeah.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
05/17/2017 at 11:45, STARS: 0
I’m pretty sure Putin is just completely fucking with Trump now, and this offer is just one more way to destabilize the WH. But I’m sure Trump would love to take a look at it, and may have already. Because no matter what Putin writes, Trump is going to believe it. Between Flynn and Trump, and God knows who else, I don’t you could have found as many easily manipulated people if you tried. These guys must be a secret agent’s wet dream.
When I got home from rehearsal last night, I turned on the news. CNN and MSNBC were all over Trump’s shenanigans. Over on Fox, however, Sean Hannity was replaying his interview with Julian Assange and trying to do a hatchet job on Seth Rich. If you haven’t been keeping up, it wasn’t the Russians who leaked the internal DNC emails to Wikileaks, it was Seth Rich, a DNC insider. And then the DNC had him killed to shut him up because he was getting ready to sing to the FBI. Are you following? Clearly, this is more important than the POTUS giving secrets to our enemies and obstructing justice (allegedly).
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
05/17/2017 at 11:45, STARS: 2
I’m pretty sure Putin is just completely fucking with Trump now, and this offer is just one more way to destabilize the WH. But I’m sure Trump would love to take a look at it, and may have already. Because no matter what Putin writes, Trump is going to believe it. Between Flynn and Trump, and God knows who else, I don’t think you could have found as many easily manipulated people if you tried. These guys must be a secret agent’s wet dream.
When I got home from rehearsal last night, I turned on the news. CNN and MSNBC were all over Trump’s shenanigans. Over on Fox, however, Sean Hannity was replaying his interview with Julian Assange and trying to do a hatchet job on Seth Rich. If you haven’t been keeping up, it wasn’t the Russians who leaked the internal DNC emails to Wikileaks, it was Seth Rich, a DNC insider. And then the DNC had him killed to shut him up because he was getting ready to sing to the FBI. Are you following? Clearly, this is more important than the POTUS giving secrets to our enemies and obstructing justice (allegedly).
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
05/17/2017 at 11:46, STARS: 5
It is pretty embarrassing even if nothing of importance was said. We should be the ones to have transcripts if there are any to be had.
"TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
05/17/2017 at 11:46, STARS: 3
99% chance they just had a cell phone on the table recording audio.
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/17/2017 at 11:46, STARS: 2
It’s legally nothing, literally it’s part of a pattern gross negligence and ineptitude that undermines national and domestic security.
"PS9" (PS9)
05/17/2017 at 11:46, STARS: 0
When I started working at this nuclear plant, the realization that the reactor would blow up and kill everyone someday was terrifying. But now that I know that this is a 10,000 step process that takes one step per day to advance, it’s just annoying.
FOR FUCK SAKE WILL YOU JUST BLOW UP ALREADY
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
05/17/2017 at 11:49, STARS: 1
That works, too. Of course the question then arises: are those kinds of personal recordings something we should be allowing in the Oval Office? I have no idea what protocol is for this, but it would surprise me.
"190octane" (admiralcb)
05/17/2017 at 11:49, STARS: 2
I think the fact that trump confirms everything a day or two after the reports based on anonymous sources means it’s definitely something.
He has no credibility whatsoever at this point, so it’s hard to not believe the reports, especially when trump himself confirms them all a day or two later.
Don’t worry yourself, there is a lot more damning information coming down the mountain. If he lasts as president until 2018, I would be utterly shocked.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
05/17/2017 at 11:50, STARS: 2
Trump has already threatened Comey with recordings of their Oval Office conversations, so it’s clear that recording gear is installed. Actually, that started all the way back with FDR, and presidents have been recording ever since. Of course, Nixon’s secretary “accidentally” erased critical portions of the Watergate tapes (Oops!), and I wouldn’t be surprised if some lowly WH staffer “accidentally” forget to hit record when Lavrov and Kislyak entered the room.
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
05/17/2017 at 11:52, STARS: 1
Well, I live in a city that’s a sanctuary city that’s constantly in a war of words with Cheetolini, but he *does* have a new building right on the river. I’m just hoping that his Keystone Kops impression gets him booted before he causes too much damage (not likely but I can dream can’t I?)
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
05/17/2017 at 11:55, STARS: 0
Yes, but those are recordings done at the behest of the Executive. I’m wondering about personal recordings made by visitors, as The Squirrel suggested. I’d be surprised if those were allowed.
"WiscoProud" (wiscoproud)
05/17/2017 at 11:56, STARS: 1
Which part? Trump admitted he showed the intel after the white house denied it. Unfortunately, he has the power to declassify information, so technically this wasn’t illegal. What it does do is piss off our allies and pretty much end the flow of info. I read the intel was from Israel, who obviously wouldn’t want it shown to Russia who is allies with Iran, Israel’s main enemy.
As for the transcript, who knows if there’s one. But if there is, that means the Russian were recording Trump in the meeting, which is a huge security flaw. Seeing as Putin himself is offering the transcript, it stands to reason it exists.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
05/17/2017 at 11:57, STARS: 1
I’m all in favor of Trump white house continuing to bumble and stumble along from one scandal to the next.
When he was first elected, I worried that he would be a rubber stamp for all of the policies Republicans in Congress have wanted to pass but haven’t been able to get Obama to sign. Because they want to get the government out of the business of helping people, and that’s a misguided and wrong way to govern.
But all of the shitstorm around the white house prevents Republicans from making real legislative gains.
Without something especially damning, Republicans in Congress won’t vote to impeach Trump. Because they know he will sign off on their shit legislation if given the chance.
Hopefully the scandals keep rocking and rolling all the way through to the 2018 midterm elections, preventing implementation of bad Republican policies, which are bad.
Then the Democrats have to get their shit together and win some damn Congressional seats. They’re not perfect either but they at least generally agree with me that government is a tool for improving society.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
05/17/2017 at 12:08, STARS: 2
I see. Did anybody frisk the Russians or the Russian photographer to see if they were wearing a wire? I doubt it.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
05/17/2017 at 12:30, STARS: 2
If not, then it sounds like the Secret Service didn’t do their job.
"ZHP Sparky, the 5th" (e30s2k)
05/17/2017 at 12:30, STARS: 0
So last week he fired Comey. They tried coming up with all kinds of reasons as to why. Then on a TV interview Trump himself states that he wanted to fire him because of the Russia investigation – because Trump thinks it’s a political witch hunt and didn’t like it.
How exactly is this not obstruction of justice? The man
himself just confessed that he wanted to get rid of him because of the
investigation. It’s a legitimate investigation no matter what the President’s
beliefs
are. If you have nothing to hide
let it finish its course and be over with it. That is the ONLY way to move past
it, not firing the guy in charge of leading it and then threatening him over
tweetstorm alluding to secretly taped conversations.
So is this not enough evidence to get the guy kicked out?
"AuthiCooper1300" (rexrod)
05/17/2017 at 14:06, STARS: 0
I wonder...
On a purely hypothetical level: let’s suppose it is true that a foreign power helped Mr Trump get elected.
However... what if the ultimate goal of that foreign power was not so much to gain actual influence on US politics, but simply to deeply destabilise the country?
That would be a masterstroke. The longer the scandals went on, the bigger the benefit.
"Manwich - now Keto-Friendly" (manwich)
05/17/2017 at 18:06, STARS: 0
“They’re not perfect either but they at least generally agree with me that government is a tool for improving society.”
Looking for perfection is the dumbest thing voters do these days.
You will never find perfection... especially in politics.
The best you can do is go for the ‘least worst’ option.
And in the last election, that was Hillary.
In the next election, voting Democrat will be the least-worst option as it will hopefully result in enough Democrat seats in Congress that the Dems can be a real check/balance against Trump and his gang of idiots.
"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats)
05/17/2017 at 18:32, STARS: 0
I understand this sentiment, and I’ve been seeing/hearing a lot of comments saying that impeaching Trump would lead to a president Pence, and he’d be worse because he’d actually be able to pass legislation, but I just can’t get behind that way of thinking.
I’m extremely liberal, but I’m also old enough to accept that people whose views disgust me sometimes get elected to office.
But I can’t think of a single president—maybe with the exception of Pierce—who has ever acted with such willful disregard towards the welfare of this country. I don’t like George W., and I think his administration had some of the most evil mother fuckers ever put on this earth, but they were old school mother fuckers inhereted from Bush’s father, who was an old school mother fucker from a family of old school mother fuckers, and I don’t doubt for a moment that that administration had this country’s interests at heart, even while they were lifting from the till and fucking up the world in a wanton fashion. I’m not a fan of Reagan either, but I don’t doubt that he had a vested interest in this country.
Trump has demonstrated time and time again through his treatment and comments towards allies and belligerent states that he does not take his office seriously and does not concern himself with the interests of this country, and that’s terrifying, especially at a moment in history when a country like Russia is opening trying to destabilize western democracies, expand influence, and invade sovereign nations.
I’m confident that humanity—even Americans—is on a slow march towards social equality, and I don’t think someone like Pence throwing up some roadblocks is an issue in the long term. But I am genuinely concerned by what the world will look like by the end of Trump’s presidency.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
05/17/2017 at 21:51, STARS: 0
From my perspective, yes Trump is bad for non-policy reasons, but I think international relations are a long game, and he won’t screw that up too badly between now and the 2018 midterm elections. Well, maybe. So let him spin scandal after scandal, derail the GOP legislative agenda, and ideally Democrats take back Congress, ditch Trump, and set up a stalemate with Pence. Ideally. But I’m cynical.