Thursday, August 03, 2017

Secretary of State rejects 80 million from Congress to fight Russian propaganda because it will upset Moscow.

Courtesy of Newsweek:  

Congress has given $80 million to the State Department to fight Russian propaganda and misinformation, but Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reportedly is reluctant to put it to use. 

A former senior State Department official told Politico that Tillerson’s spokesman, R.C. Hammond, suggested using the money to counter Russian disinformation and propaganda would rile Moscow. 

“Hammond said the secretary is in the process of working through disagreements with Russia, and this is not consistent with what we’re trying to do,” the official said.

Tillerson and President Donald Trump have been working to mend relations with Russia from their “all-time low point” (in Tillerson’s words) after U.S. intelligence agencies issued a report early this year concluding that the Kremlin worked to interfere in the 2016 election.

I'm sorry, WHO does Rex Tillerson work for again?

Since when has America not wanted to protect itself from Russian propaganda for fear it might hurt their feelings?

I am sure that the White House will want to label this "fake news," but that will be a tad difficult with their boss tweeting things like this:
And then there's this:
Yeah, in Trump world Congress is just a bunch of cock blockers interfering with the Trump Administration's love affair with the Kremlin.

And some on the Left want to start aggressively pointing out what should be obvious to everybody.

Courtesy of Buzzfeed:

A major progressive think tank wants Democrats to stop being shy about accusing the Trump campaign of colluding with Russia. 

The Center for American Progress has written a nearly 50-page report for Democrats in Congress, making the case for collusion between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia. The report, a draft of which was reviewed by BuzzFeed News ahead of its release Wednesday, makes the bold claim that “it is now clear there was collusion” and “this is the biggest political scandal in American history.”

I have been saying for awhile that the evidence of collusion is literally all around us.

But clearly we need to start working harder to make that obvious to to those who still cannot, or will not, see it. 

30 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:52 AM

    Special Counsel Mueller Impanels Washington Grand Jury in Russia Probe
    Expansion beyond Flynn grand jury is a sign the investigation in election meddling is ramping up
    https://www.wsj.com/articles/special-counsel-mueller-impanels-washington-grand-jury-in-russia-probe-1501788287?mod=e2tw

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:29 PM

      Not blocked by paywall

      https://www.wsj.com/articles/special-counsel-mueller-impanels-washington-grand-jury-in-russia-probe-1501788287

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:43 PM

      @Reuters

      BREAKING: Grand jury subpoenas have been issued related to June 2016 meeting between Donald Trump Jr., Russian lawyers and others

      Delete
  2. From Trump's tweet: You can thank Congress, the same people that can't even give us HCare!

    … same people that can't even take away HCare from 20 million people.
    Fixed it for him.

    ReplyDelete
  3. From the article: Trump world … cock blockers interfering with … love affair

    Dr. Jen Gunter advises against the use of cock blockers: article.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Would cock suckers be more appropriate?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:35 PM

      Yea. Cock holster has a much better ring to it.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous12:07 PM

    Grand jury?

    Get on with it all. Sick of no tv, due to fat orange turd on it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:17 PM

      It's the process. If they don't follow the process he can weasel out of consequences.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous12:09 PM

    I am not watching Rachel M. Or CNN or other MSNBC or voice or sheldon, or ... since last november. I want tv, but can't stand an ugly fat orangutan on it!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous12:31 PM

    The 'commie' group in the White House of the United States of America! How frightening!

    Americans had better wake up around the country and counter political folks on the national, state and local levels. This is imperative!

    ReplyDelete
  7. WHAT. THE. FUCK.

    What can we do to get rid of Tillerson in an end run around Trump?

    Is there any chance Pence will replace all of Trump's cabinet members. Because that is EXACTLY what we need.

    Fucking traitors, the lot of them.

    I'd like to know what the reaction is from Congress that they felt the need to counter Russian propaganda was so great they designated $80 MILLION dollars and it is thrown back in their face by Tillerson.

    What can be done? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:43 PM

      666pence? WTF? It isis HIS plan!
      Evil-angleic-al murderer!

      President O Hatchetman
      VP Joe LIE-ber-Man
      cumin sOOn.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous12:38 PM

    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/08/03/trump-freaking-robert-mueller-exploring-prosecuting-financial-crimes-russia.html

    alongside the ongoing scrutiny of possible illegal coordination with Russian spy agencies and alleged attempts by President Donald Trump and others to obstruct the FBI investigation. Even investigative leads that have nothing to do with Russia but involve Trump associates are being referred to the special counsel to encourage subjects of the investigation to cooperate, according to two {2} law enforcement sources.”

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous12:48 PM

    Trump Loves Mother Russia UPDATE: McCain Responds

    http://crooksandliars.com/2017/08/trump-loves-mother-russia-mccain-responds

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous12:50 PM

    Exclusive: Grand jury subpoenas issued in relation to Russian lawyer, Trump Jr. meeting - sources https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/893209681774202882

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous12:58 PM

    Cory Booker and Lindsey Graham Just Stopped Trump’s Plan To Fire Mueller Dead In Its Tracks

    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/08/03/cory-booker-lindsey-graham-stopped-trumps-plan-fire-mueller-dead-tracks.html

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous1:01 PM

    Red Line Crossed? Robert Mueller Now Looking Into Trump Finances

    With news breaking that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had impaneled a grand jury in the Russia investigation, CNN reported that Mueller has crossed what President Donald Trump had hinted was his red line when it came to the probe.

    Federal investigators exploring whether Donald Trump’s campaign colluded with Russian spies have seized on Trump and his associates’ financial ties to Russia as one of the most fertile avenues for moving their probe forward, according to people familiar with the investigation.

    The web of financial ties could offer a more concrete path toward potential prosecution than the broader and murkier questions of collusion in the 2016 campaign, these sources said.

    CNN noted that Trump attorney Jay Sekulow told them that the president’s outside counsel hadn’t received any requests yet for documentation but did say that if they do get an inquiry they’d object to it.

    Watch the report above, via CNN.

    https://www.mediaite.com/online/red-line-crossed-robert-mueller-now-looking-into-trump-finances/

    https://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-tells-nyt-any-investigation-into-family-finances-unrelated-to-russia-would-cross-a-red-line/

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous1:09 PM

    Making Sense Of The Trump-Russia Mess

    The beginning of Donald Trump’s presidency has been clouded by an ever-evolving scandal around potential collusion between his campaign and Russia. All told, there are five investigations into the matter, and from what we can tell publicly, none appears close to reaching a conclusion.

    But they do appear to be heating up.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-russia-scandal_us_597b9cb4e4b02a4ebb757e40?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous1:14 PM

    One year into the FBI's Russia investigation, Mueller is on the Trump money trail

    http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/03/politics/mueller-investigation-russia-trump-one-year-financial-ties/index.html

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous1:20 PM

    Hannity flips out at Trump’s national security adviser for blowing up his Susan Rice conspiracy theory

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/hannity-flips-out-at-trumps-national-security-adviser-for-blowing-up-his-susan-rice-conspiracy-theory/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:58 PM

      http://www.alternet.org/right-wing/exploding-scandal-should-cost-sean-hannity-his-job

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2:59 PM

      @1:58"the Fox News contributor who served as a key source for the claims connecting Wikileaks to Rich in the May 15 Fox story -- that story was the product of a cynical attempt by Ed Butowsky, Fox News, and the White House “to deflect public attention from growing concern about the administration's ties to the Russian government.” And once that story was published, Hannity was its chief promoter." Nothing Hannity says, to his audience or advertisers, can ever be trusted. He is both post-factual and post-ethical."Journalism, regardless of its political consequences, deserves extensive protection from financial retaliation. Propaganda does NOT"

      Delete
  16. Anonymous1:21 PM

    Republican Senator Rob Portman (OH) squirmed under questioning from CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Thursday when asked why the State Department and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have not used money the senator specifically earmarked to fight Russian disinformation programs.

    “The State Department has the ability to use about $60 million in funds to push back against some of the disinformation that Russia puts out, and apparently the state department is hesitant to do that.”

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/watch-republican-squirms-when-questioned-about-why-trumps-state-dept-isnt-enforcing-russia-law/

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous1:26 PM

    We Need to #FireHannity

    http://firehannity.org/

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous1:29 PM

    Robert Mueller isn’t playing. The CNN report also states that investigators see a more concrete path towards potential prosecution in Trump’s financial dealings with Russian than they see in Trump potential collusion with Russia.

    The fact that there are at least three avenues of potential criminal prosecution, election crimes, obstruction of justice, and financial crimes illustrates that the Trump administration is fundamentally corrupt.

    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/08/03/trump-freaking-robert-mueller-exploring-prosecuting-financial-crimes-russia.html

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous1:39 PM

    “American voters say 54 – 26 percent that they are embarrassed rather than proud to have Trump as president. Voters say 57 – 40 percent he is abusing the powers of his office and say 60 – 36 percent that he believes he is above the law.”

    http://addictinginfo.com/2017/08/02/new-dramatic-poll-shows-just-how-much-trump-has-humiliated-americans-details/

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous1:41 PM

    And then Trump 'won' the presidency

    https://finance.yahoo.com/news/obama-great-gun-business-trumps-terrible-163923519.html

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous2:01 PM

    The Police State Trump Is Building...

    ...Maybe Congress will finally find some backbone in its dealings with President Trump and tighten the purse strings. We can only hope so. These massive paramilitary agencies have already expanded their mission beyond any reasonable scope. They represent a threat to democracy and the rule of law, and the last thing we need is even more of them.

    http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/police-state-trump-building-far-more-destructive-american-democracy-any-collusion





    ReplyDelete
  22. WA Skeptic10:44 AM

    Hey, Gryph; can't you encourage Anonymous to post on his own page? I'm so tired of all that linking stuff.

    ReplyDelete

Don't feed the trolls!
It just goes directly to their thighs.