Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Trump White House becomes obsessed with Russian probe while Capitol Hill Republicans resign themselves to watching the presidency end in disaster.

Courtesy of Politico: 

President Donald Trump has been aggressively working the phones since returning this weekend from his foreign trip, talking to friends and outside lawyers as he obsesses over the deepening investigations into his aides and Russia. 

Two White House officials said Trump and some aides including Steve Bannon are becoming increasingly convinced that they are victims of a conspiracy against Trump's presidency, as evidenced by the number of leaks flowing out of government — that the crusade by the so-called “deep state” is a legitimate threat, not just fodder for right wing defenders.

Still, Trump and his aides are starting to take the probes more seriously, seeking to establish a communications team dedicated to dealing with questions around the probe and beefing up his legal representation. And they've become more rattled by the idea that they don't know where the scandals are headed and who may be ensnared next.

That could be good news for the country, since a Donald Trump obsessed with the Russian probes, is a Donald Trump not actively screwing up the country.

Apparently the White House staffers have no idea what plan, if any, Trump has for dealing with all of this either:  

Aside from bringing in additional aides to handle the Russia probe, the president's senior aides say that his strategy for confronting the crises — or for pushing a stalled legislative agenda — remains unclear. 

Senior aides and long-time confidants admitted not knowing who Trump would hire, how safe the jobs of top staff are, what the White House's agenda is for the coming days, or what — if anything — they can accomplish.

“We are letting others dictate entirely how we are perceived," one White House official said. “The calendar changes every day. There is no rhyme or reason to a lot of it.”

I would suspect that Trump has no idea what to do about any of this, and probably knows for a fact that things will only get worse from here.

And it is unlikely he will get much help from Capitol Hill.

Courtesy of The Atlantic: 

For the Republicans running the government, Capitol Hill has become a workplace with extremely poor morale. The moderates fear for their careers, while the conservative true believers see little to hope for. When the liberal magazine Mother Jones credited Representative Justin Amash of Michigan with being the first Republican to raise the possibility of impeachment, the office of Representative Carlos Curbelo of Florida called to request a correction: Curbelo had gone there first. 

But for the most part, his party has not openly turned on Trump. What would be the point? Behind closed doors, a longtime House Republican staffer told me, a few lawmakers still wholeheartedly defend the president; among the rest, there are differing degrees of fatalism. One group thinks it is possible to fight through the crisis, while another is resigned to “a long slow death,” as this staffer put it, potentially culminating in a Democratic-controlled House beginning impeachment proceedings in 2019. “This is like Reservoir Dogs,” the staffer said. “Everyone ends up dead on the floor.”

Well there's a graphic image for you.

However it also means that the Republicans, who immediately started pushing through policies to undermine and repeal various social programs, may become too uncertain about the future to risk putting their names on any new bills which might come back to haunt them in the next election cycle.

And that could be good news indeed.

36 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:10 AM

    2018. Vote them OUT.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous4:58 AM

    What a shame for the gop - NOT. McConnell was and still is, up to his non-existant neck with the WH and Russian $$$. He KNEW before the election that the fix was in, and tRump would get into the WH. He refused to hold hearings on Garland for the SC, saying that the NEXT president would fill that vacancy. Bastard KNEW the fix was in. The gop, and probably some politicians, got Russian money. Lyin' Ryan and McConnell were recorded, talking about how to "launder" that cash in the RNC coffers. Traitors, all of them. Voters had better open their eyes, and vote accordingly next time, and especially at the next presidential election. No more idiots like tRump in office. Drain the gop swamp.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:13 AM

      McConnell is just as bad as Trump and both will rue the days of their being in politics.

      Both will reside in Hell once they die! Evil, nasty men are what they've shown themselves to be as they are anti the poor and minorities throughout our country.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:32 AM

      You mean like they knew with Bush? Fist fights with Cheney over oil. Bombing USA people.
      Yeah they LoVE their country.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous5:06 AM

    GOLDEN SHOWER?

    CNN:
    Sources: Russians discussed potentially 'derogatory' information about Trump and associates during campaign

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:17 AM

      YEP! ORGY!!!
      GOLDEN $HOWER$
      PEE ON everyTHING & everyBODY...

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:32 AM

      717 no Sarah don't get excited. You might PEE your pants. Gag.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous7:40 AM

      EVERYTHING is about
      $eXxx, BULLYing, MonEy!
      In THAT order...

      Delete
    4. Anonymous7:48 AM

      There you are 740. So if I get a harem of women I can manipulate the the world?
      No offense, stop thinking between your legs. Sex has nothing to do with love.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous7:59 AM

      So says the one that stole money @ 7:40. It's what U know!? Russian ogliarchs. Cough.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous6:08 AM

    Trump has never been in a position that he can not control the narrative or control people via a massive legal team and personal threats so they not speak out. I think it must be a rude awakening for Trump that he be held to laws and the constitution because he and his team can't get away with international jeopardy of our democracy and other countries aligning with Russia or big pay offs for subversive acts.

    I wondered if Trump's gleeful statement that he could get away with killing someone on 5th Avenue was because many Republicans knew last summer of the Russian interference it appears his team and Trump orchestrated yet no one said so publicly except Harry Reid.

    The leaks IMO are from people who found their conscience and probably comprehend Trump's extremism to slash, cut and burn
    fundamental social safety nets and agencies that provide protection for quality of lives.

    Trump is mistaken if he believes any president can silence everyone or rule as if no other opinions nor truthful facts be spoken.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Notice it is LEAKS, not "fake news."

      That means there is fire under that smoke.

      How large a conflagration is yet to be determined.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous6:10 AM

    Every photo I'm seeing lately of the asshole, Donald Trump, has him looking down and the fat of his face overflowing the collars of his shirts.

    He either has to watch each step he takes when walking (for fear of falling) or he knows he's in big, big trouble!

    I detest the man and do not recognize him as potus! He does not represent me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:49 AM

      OT?"Today is a day when we will lay the wreaths and sound the lonely trumpet and shed a tear and a salute for those comrades long gone."
      "WAR simply IS"-"WAR is NORMAL."
      " those of us born in the 1960s? Well we certainly can’t tell them that this is wrong."
      "We certainly cannot tell this generation war is not the normal state, that normality is peace without conflict."
      "See, because we grew up in a nation at war too. By the time I was seventeen, America had been fighting in Southeast Asia for MY entire life. The media was daily filled with images of blood and death, body counts, mangled and maimed soldiers, of burning helicopters and a terrifyingly incomprehensible enemy. We were told we would go next, that we had to, or the enemy would come here, to America, and slaughter us all."
      "Today is about the cool gray ghosts who still wander the countless battlefields of America, from Lexington to Antietam, from the Ardennes to the Chosin Reservoir, to Tet, to Basra, to Kamdesh, and all the terrible battles yet to come."
      {Everyday now}
      "Some of these men and women will not live out today."

      http://www.stonekettle.com

      Delete
  6. Anonymous6:12 AM

    trump gets 1.2 billion in gifts from Saudi King - HOW can he justify keeping these !!!!

    "During his first visit to kingdom, US President Donald Trump received gifts from Saudi King Shah Salman worth of $ 1.2 billion, reported Nawa-e-Waqt.

    According to details, the gifts given by Saudi King included a precious diamond, armband made of pure gold with King Salman’s photo imprinted on it and 25 kilogram heavy sword made of pure gold with different diamonds and stones on it.

    The sword is worth of $ 200 million.

    Furthermore, gold and diamond made watches, worth of $ 200 million, were also gifted to Trump and his family.

    A small replica of Statue of Liberty but made with gold, diamond and precious stones will also be sent to White House soon.

    Meanwhile, one of the major roads in Riyadh has also been named after Trump.

    A 125 meter long yacht, which is world’s tallest personal yacht as it has 80 rooms with 20 royal suits, will also be sent through US navy to America.

    No US President has received these kinds of gifts before by Saudi Kingdom."

    http://nation.com.pk/international/28-May-2017/shah-salman-gifts-items-to-trump-worth-12-billion

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:33 AM

      Money. Money. Money.

      Money.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous8:02 AM

      Bribe, Bribe, Bribe

      Delete
    3. Birds of a feather rob the poor together. Trump is deeply infatuated with & bizarrely envious of every dictator on the planet! He abhors American values & disdains our Constitution. He panders to these tyrants because that what he truly wants to be!

      Delete
    4. Anonymous8:20 AM

      Between spending huuge amounts of money for security, while little donnie and his family are making money off the presidency, now we are going to have to foot the bill for this despicable traitor’s defense team.

      No wonder Saudia Arabia is little donnie’s newest, most favorite country!!! Let him sell off a few gifts and pay for his own security and his own defense team.

      I want to know how little donnie is going to keep these gifts secret.
      ============================

      The Foreign Gifts and Declarations Act of 1966 was prompted in part by the expensive gifts some Arab kings would bring on their visits, like luxury cars and fine horses, according to Hand. In political culture, “perception becomes reality,” says Hand, and it did not look good to have the president accept something that flashy from a foreign leader. The rule put a limit to the value of a gift a president could accept, with most gifts going directly to the National Archives after being presented. As of January 2014, the limit is currently set at $375.....

      https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/02/the-unusual-gifts-given-to-presidents/462831/


      Gifts From Foreign Governments

      The President and all federal officials are restricted by the Constitution, at Article I, Section 9, clause 8, from receiving any “presents” from foreign governments, kings, or princes, without the consent of the Congress. The Congress has consented generally, in the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, to the acceptance of gifts of “minimal value” from foreign governments offered as souvenirs or marks of courtesy,and the acceptance of other gifts when a refusal of the gift may cause “offense or embarrassment” or otherwise harm the foreign relations of the United States.

      A tangible gift of more than minimal value accepted for reasons of protocol or courtesy may not be kept as a personal gift, however, but is considered accepted on behalf of and property of the United States, and in the case of such a gift for the President or the President’s family, is handled by the National Archives and Records Administration.

      In addition to restrictions on the receipt of gifts, the President is required to publicly disclose personal financial information, including personal gifts over minimal amounts ($350 as of this writing) which have been received by him and his immediate family.


      https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42662.pdf

      Delete
    5. Anonymous10:16 AM

      Presidents of the United States should be limited as to the value of a gift they can legally receive when visiting other countries.

      The fact the asshole accepted the gifts is beyond the pale!! He makes me sick to my stomach.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous11:30 AM

      Well the White House should intake those "gifts" and store them. That would fix it.

      Delete
    7. He can't keep any of it. Some may be stored and periodically displayed but the majority will go to auction.

      I think Trump can pay assessed market value to keep anything he wants but he'd have to pay in CASH.

      Oh, I'll bet he's pissed.

      Melania, Ivanka and Jared can't keep any of it either.

      Delete
  7. Anonymous7:49 AM

    I'm surprised that you think a Trump obsessed with the Russian probe is somehow unable to actively screw up the country. Believe me, those are two things Trump can do simultaneously without any thought at all.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well, they could choose to remake the Party. However, that would involve the sense of personal responsibility. Shame. Conscience and consciousness. And work. So forget that. Goodbye GOP.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous8:13 AM

    Gifts From Foreign Governments

    The President and all federal officials are restricted by the Constitution, at Article I, Section 9, clause 8, from receiving any “presents” from foreign governments, kings, or princes, without the consent of the Congress. The Congress has consented generally, in the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, to the acceptance of gifts of “minimal value” from foreign governments offered as souvenirs or marks of courtesy,and the acceptance of other gifts when a refusal of the gift may cause “offense or embarrassment” or otherwise harm the foreign relations of the United States.

    A tangible gift of more than minimal value accepted for reasons of protocol or courtesy may not be kept as a personal gift, however, but is considered accepted on behalf of and property of the United States, and in the case of such a gift for the President or the President’s family, is handled by the National Archives and Records Administration.

    In addition to restrictions on the receipt of gifts, the President is required to publicly disclose personal financial information, including personal gifts over minimal amounts ($350 as of this writing) which have been received by him and his immediate family.


    https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42662.pdf

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If they're sold off at market value, that will repay the taxpayers for all those golfing weekends.

      Yeah, Trump, sucks to be president, huh?

      Delete
  10. Anonymous8:48 AM

    The Madness And Science Behind The Donald Trump Handshake

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-handshake_us_592adb83e4b0df57cbfc23fd?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous9:37 AM

      ". Walking toward each other, Trump reached out to King Philippe of Belgium, who stood directly to his right, to offer an impromptu handshake. The King seemed caught off-guard. For good reason. No one in their group was making any such gesture."
      "Trump’s offer seemed out of place."
      "
      Florin Dolcos, a University of Illinois associate psychology professor and faculty member at the Beckman Institute’s Cognitive Neuroscience Group, suggested it was a deliberate. And the intended audience wasn’t Philippe but Macron."
      “That’s a signal Trump was sending: ‘This is where you should come first because I’m the alpha here,’” Dolcos said. “‘Iinitiated with the other guy.’"Trump looked up at Macron and opened his arms ― a signal typically reserved for family and friends, not two world leaders who’d just met."“It goes down to asserting dominance,” said Dolcos. “Why he wants to do that? I don’t know. It looks, to me, like he is trying too hard…. It looks ridiculous”

      "Trump almost always initiates, with a semi-open palm thrust at his counterpart. Often, his eyes dart not to the person across from him but down at his hand itself ― an early hint at where the drama will be. When the gesture is joined, Trump clasps firmly and tugs violently inward. Sometimes, he motions up and down but frequently he will use a lumberjack approach (back and forth). Occasionally, he’ll twist his counterpart’s hand in odd directions or use his free hand fortify the clasp. Rarely does he let go first."“This is perfectly consistent with Trump. He pretty much says that’s what I do to make a deal.”

      "At an earlier stop in his trip abroad, Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After the two sat for the camera, Netanyahu stood up first and offered his hand. Trump ignored the gesture, walking the other way.“It is another way of establishing rank, which is that he is the one initiating,” he said. “‘I’m not going in when you initiate. I’m probably ignoring it and then I’ll come back. This is now when we are doing this. Not when you initiate it.’”

      Practices it!
      {djt loops his thumbs and fingers impulsively
      to-get-her constantly TOO-watch for it}

      Delete
  11. Anonymous8:50 AM

    Intercepted Russian Communications Suggest Trump’s Inner Circle Is Financially Compromised

    US intelligence has intercepted Russian communications that indicate their belief that members of Trump's inner circle have been financially compromised. If true, this would suggest why Trump and those closest to him have refused to release tax returns and other financial information.

    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/05/30/intercepted-russian-communications-suggest-trumps-circle-financially-compromised.html

    Trump Tantrums Over His Failing Presidency And Demands Republicans Kill The Filibuster

    Since his unpopular health care and tax cut ideas are unlikely to pass the Senate, a tantruming President Trump is demanding that Senate Republicans kill the legislative filibuster.

    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/05/30/trump-tantrums-failing-presidency-demands-republicans-kill-filibuster.html

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous8:51 AM

    ‘Everyone is laughing — at Trump’: Internet loves Nordic leaders for trolling Trump’s magic orb photo

    Nordic leaders tweeted a photo of themselves holding a football (soccer ball) and calling it the real “orb of world domination.”

    Apparently, the glowing orb President Donald Trump clasped with Saudi Arabian King Salman “loses power and is somewhat less threatening on these latitudes.”

    The photo features prime ministers from Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland.

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/05/everyone-is-laughing-at-trump-internet-loves-nordic-leaders-for-trolling-trumps-magic-orb-photo/

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous8:53 AM

    Slimy little punk.

    ...Nunes told the attendees at the April fundraiser that he would return to the helm of the Russia probe as soon as the ethics charges against him were cleared up.

    “And guess what? When these ethics charges are gone then I’m going to be back again,” he said.

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/devin-nunes-russia-probe-protect-republicans

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous8:57 AM

    'Dead on the floor' sounds good to me! For all who do not vocally oppose Agent Orange.

    Will all the Dems taking their jobs be better? Probably not, but most is better than the status quo.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous9:01 AM

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/05/white-house-issues-bizarre-statement-touting-trumps-magnetic-personality-that-exudes-positive-energy/

    "In fact, some online critics are mocking it as a “parody” statement that looks like Trump wrote himself."

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous10:16 AM

    Watch Tin fOIL Hat:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=los9WulxBjM&feature=share

    "The Five Stages of Trumpism-
    1. "It's a total lie, never happened, fake news."

    2. "It happened, but it's not a big deal."

    3. "OK it might be a big deal, but it isn't illegal."

    4. "OK it's illegal, but Hillary and Obama something something, so it's OK."

    5. "Get over it, libturd, you're just a sore loser."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:49 AM

      Apes will 'RULE'
      Coming>
      WAR for the Planet of the Apes
      http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3450958/

      Delete
  17. Meanwhile Trump is trying to get the filibuster reduced to 51 votes in the Senate so he can pass his healthcare, taxes and other deplorable shit before he's impeached.

    ReplyDelete

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