The Next President is...

[SurelySerious]

Just now, Sua Sponte said:

Because I have an opinion, like everyone else here, of the Russian investigation and stated it?

No, because you fraudulently claimed expertise. 

[Sua Sponte]

1 minute ago, SurelySerious said:

No, because you fraudulently claimed expertise. 

By having an education in how domestic and foreign political systems work and the U.S. government? Standing by your quals....

[SurelySerious]

2 minutes ago, Sua Sponte said:

Standing by your quals....

Not claiming to be an expert in something based on an undergraduate degree and watching it once or twice, then lording that experience over others. Cool story, though, Hansel. 

[HU&W]

[brickhistory]

Yet another rather big deal:

Opinion piece with one very important specific detail contained:

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/449206-fbi-warned-early-and-often-that-manafort-file-might-be-fake-used-it-anyway

 

 

Quote

 

In search warrant affidavits, the FBI portrayed the ledger as one reason it resurrected a criminal case against Manafort that was dropped in 2014 and needed search warrants in 2017 for bank records to prove he worked for the Russian-backed Party of Regions in Ukraine.

There’s just one problem: The FBI’s public reliance on the ledger came months after the feds were warned repeatedly that the document couldn’t be trusted and likely was a fake, according to documents and more than a dozen interviews with knowledgeable sources.

…...

Three months later, the FBI went further in arguing probable cause for a search warrant for Manafort’s bank records, citing a specific article about the ledger as evidence Manafort was paid to perform U.S. lobbying work for the Ukrainians.

“The April 12, 2017, Associated Press article reported that DMI [Manafort’s company] records showed at least two payments were made to DMI that correspond to payments in the 'black ledger,' ” an FBI agent wrote in a footnote to the affidavit.

There are two glaring problems with that assertion.

First, the agent failed to disclose that both FBI officials and Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, who later became Mueller’s deputy, met with those AP reporters one day before the story was published and assisted their reporting.

 

An FBI record of the April 11, 2017, meeting declared that the AP reporters "were advised that they appeared to have a good understanding of Manafort’s business dealings" in Ukraine.

 

Weissman, Mueller's deputy for the investigation.

[brickhistory]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/ex-senate-staffer-sentenced-to-4-years-for-doxing-gop-senators-in-kavanaugh-confirmation-fight/2019/06/19/31a977a8-92aa-11e9-b58a-a6a9afaa0e3e_story.html?utm_term=.b635f8204b9b

 

Good.  Hope he enjoys his time out.

Funny, except for "right wing" publications, you can't find a picture of the smug little yuppie, only Republican politicians.

[Clark Griswold]

Like Tucker Carlson and apparently so does Trump, article on the subject and excerpt that confirms I will be voting for him again:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-tucker-carlson-privately-advises-trump-against-iran-war

“Trump thinks Tucker is one of the sharpest minds on television—[Trump has said], ‘So smart, a thinking man’s show,’” one knowledgeable source told The Daily Beast in August.

It wasn’t always like this. In a piece Carlson penned for Politico, published in January 2016, the Fox host described a voicemail he recalled receiving from Trump, back in his celebrity-businessman days.

“About 15 years ago, I said something nasty on CNN about Donald Trump’s hair,” Carlson wrote. “I can’t now remember the context, assuming there was one. In any case, Trump saw it and left a message the next day. ‘It’s true you have better hair than I do,’ Trump said matter-of-factly. ‘But I get more pussy than you do.’”

“Click,” Carlson wrote.

—Adam Rawnsley and Andrew Kirell contributed reporting.

Edited June 21, 2019 by Clark Griswold

[Danger41]

What’s more American than that?

[tac airlifter]

that’s just awesome

[brickhistory]

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/450490-unmasker-in-chief-samantha-power-spewed-anti-trump-bias-in-government

 

Opinion piece about how former UN Ambassador Samantha Powers' story changes about her unprecedented number of unmaskings of the private communications of US citizens and her political motivations.

Which is UFB enough.

But the next to last paragraph is what bothers me:

Quote

While lawmakers in both political parties bicker over unmasking, the practice has ticked up under Trump. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence tells me that in fiscal 2018, unmasked names rose nearly 70 percent to 16,721, compared to 9,529 in 2017.

I f'n' called it.  You let one side get away with unleashing the power of the US Government and its intelligence agencies against us, and sure as sh!t, the other side will do it even more so.

If nobody is tried/convicted for theses shenanigans, it will just increase.

 

Get the fcuk off my lawn...

[matmacwc]

Yup, it set a precedent that you won’t get in trouble for doing it, therefore, the next guy can do it.  I’m not saying it’s right, it should be shut down.  Trump isn’t stupid, I bet he tries to shut the door on this, toward the end of his last term.  If he does it near the election of 2020, it will be a pretty good sign he thinks he’s going to lose.

[lloyd christmas]

I am surprised there isn't more discussion here of what is shaping up to be the most important election cycle of my lifetime.  I don't think the difference in the two political parties has ever been more wide.  

Democrats are offering everything under the sun in an effort to snag voters.  

Free healthcare for illegals.  What happens when word gets out that illegal immigrants will get that free health care?  More seriously sick illegals start showing up.  Disease shows up.  That will just add to the burden that is already being placed on this country.

Homelessness is a huge problem in this country.  Look at what is going on in California right now.  Where do you house the additional hundreds of thousands of unemployed and homeless people who have crossed the border illegally?  

100 billion dollars for blacks that are living in poverty, unemployed or underemployed who don't have the means to buy a house.  This is meant to close the race/wage gap?  The government has tried this before with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  And my guess is, regardless of race, if you are living in poverty, are unemployed or underemployed, your credit reflects that.  Are we really going to give folks with bad credit and no job/low paying jobs 25 grand to buy a house they don't qualify for or can't afford? And is this not the definition of racism?  Giving government funds to a specific race?  And see my statement above about the homeless illegals.  We will soon be giving them money to buy houses too.

Free college tuition?  No student debt?  I think this one is brilliant on the part of the Democrats.  They know that our education system indoctrinates young folks with liberal views.  Especially, our colleges.  The more young people they can get into that indoctrination system, the better.  Aside from that, a bachelors degree becomes even more worthless because everyone has one and tuition rates skyrocket.  

Reparations for descendants of slaves.  Reparations for gays.  How does that work?  How much and to whom?  If the check is big, I bet you see a lot of new gay folks.  I am not saying I would slob a knob for 50k but I know some folks who would.  

Medicare for all?  Kicking 140 million people off of their current healthcare?  Sh!t, it wasn't that long ago that the Dems were running on "keeping your healthcare and doctor".   That sure changed quick.

The good thing is that your average American is not on board with any of this.  The only folks who are, already vote Democrat.  These policies aren't swinging any votes to the left or away from Trump.  So far, Trump has been guaranteed reelection.  

Rest assured, there are people hard at work right now working on the next fabricated scandal to take Trump down.  It'll be even bigger than the Russian collusion story.  They are just waiting on the right time to drop it.  It'll be 6-9 months before the election and perfectly timed.  That is all they've got.  Free sh!t and made up scandals.  

 

[pawnman]

Meh.  Every election is the most important election of a lifetime, until the next one.

[Blue]

30 minutes ago, pawnman said:

Meh.  Every election is the most important election of a lifetime, until the next one.

This.

Also, right now it's just a lot of noise.  You have 25 different Democrat candidates all clamoring to have themselves heard.  The majority of voters aren't really paying attention until the field starts to shrink, and we get closer to the primaries.

[gearhog]

5 hours ago, pawnman said:

Meh.  Every election is the most important election of a lifetime, until the next one.

True, but it seems the perception of "importance" in the minds of the general public has been ratcheted up into dangerous levels.   I intentionally tried to avoid much of the election coverage last cycle and found it is damn near impossible to escape while existing in the modern world. I believe most people are freely consuming political media round the clock with zero consideration of its effects. Some are motivated by politics to commit crimes and violent acts with increasing frequency, and each one committed lowers the bar for the next. The old and new media has had four years to think about how to win this go 'round. The answer is not to be more reasonable and objective, the answer is silence the right and crank the left hype up beyond 11. We're actually being told the fate of the planet depends on our political choices. We were also told that back in the 1980s, but only for a few minutes on the evening news and in newsprint. I think this one will f with people's minds far beyond any election before.

[Clark Griswold]

Ordinarily I would agree with you @pawnman but when one side is no longer a good faith partner in a rule of law, respect for minority rights, democracy by their open secret perversion & warping of our immigration, asylum and legal process(es) to rapidly change the demographics of this country while demanding a less rigorous process to vote than to check out a library book while simultaneously using what parts of the American government, economy and institutions they do control to harass and intimidate their enemies... IMHO, it is possible that neither side will accept the election results and then where do we go from there?

This is likely an inflection point for American Democracy as we currently practice it, do we trust the processes and accept the results?

Edited July 9, 2019 by Clark Griswold

[WTFAF]

I am not saying I would slob a knob for 50k but I know some folks who would.

You know some folks who would? So like your buddies that talk about how much $ they'd need/want to "slob a knob," weird.

But yes I agree that all you mention is bad juju. If that's what you're saying.

[pawnman]

28 minutes ago, WTFAF said:

 

 

You know some folks who would? So like your buddies that talk about how much $ they'd need/want to "slob a knob," weird.

But yes I agree that all you mention is bad juju. If that's what you're saying.

 

I don't know if I'd go do far as to "slob a knob", but I'd certainly be willing to write that I was gay on a government form for $50k

[brabus]

The day after that goes into effect is when it comes to light 98% of the military is gay. Who knew. Of course that’ll piss off all the C-model drivers because their niche is being threatened and now they’ll just be seen as mainstream. 

Edited July 9, 2019 by brabus

[lloyd christmas]

On 7/9/2019 at 2:12 PM, pawnman said:

I don't know if I'd go do far as to "slob a knob", but I'd certainly be willing to write that I was gay on a government form for $50k

That's what I am saying.  There are plenty of "married" people in the military cashing in on BAH rates.

[ThreeHoler]

That's what I am saying.  There are plenty of "married" people in the military cashing in on BAH rates.

I thought we all had to recertify our marriages a few years ago...

[Right Seat Driver]

14 hours ago, ThreeHoler said:

 

I thought we all had to recertify our marriages a few years ago...

 

We did. I forgot that process until you wrote that. We were between PCSs and I got an e-mail saying I had to re-validate my marriage. I can't remember how many duty days I had to re verify but it wasn't much. Super convenient when PCSing.

[brickhistory]

Democrats defeated a House measure to impeach the President brought by the Democrats today.

[HossHarris]

Profit?

[Seriously]

On 7/9/2019 at 6:32 AM, Clark Griswold said:

Ordinarily I would agree with you @pawnman but when one side is no longer a good faith partner in a rule of law, respect for minority rights, democracy by their open secret perversion & warping of our immigration, asylum and legal process(es) to rapidly change the demographics of this country while demanding a less rigorous process to vote than to check out a library book while simultaneously using what parts of the American government, economy and institutions they do control to harass and intimidate their enemies... IMHO, it is possible that neither side will accept the election results and then where do we go from there?

This is likely an inflection point for American Democracy as we currently practice it, do we trust the processes and accept the results?

You know the left says the same crap about the right? It's the echo-chamber effect. 

How would you "not accept the results?" That's about as likely as those bunch of idiots getting into Groom Lake.