June 16, 2017

"I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt."

Trump tweets this morning:

ADDED: I don't understand the tweet quoted in the headline. Is Trump talking about Rosenstein or Mueller? In either case, at the time of the advice to fire Comey, Comey had not yet revealed the conversation about letting Flynn go. That's the basis of the reported investigation of Trump. Where's the contradiction? Rosenstein, giving the advice to fire Comey, wouldn't have known what was said between Comey and Trump in private. Did Comey/Trump tell him? Rosenstein's advice was based on Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton "matter." It wasn't about Flynn.

287 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   201 – 287 of 287
Hagar said...

Under Hoover, an administration could count on the FBI playing along with the team as long as they did not mess with the FBI.
Trump did not feel this understanding would hold with Comey as FBI director.
So he fired him. End of story.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Inga said...
"You folks are driving the people who own 300 million guns to get really angry."

Wait a minute, I thought it was liberals who were dangerous killers.

6/16/17, 3:14 PM

As I said earlier, we will defend ourselves.

We're not pitiful serfs like you.

Anonymous said...

"No doubt there is a vast cadre of underemployed "Russia experts" in D.C. They are mostly redundant and are in their twilight working years. It's too late for many of them to switch their major to Islamic studies to be of real use. They need full employment too; and Mueller is giving it to them."
----------------------

"He already has picked three former colleagues from his last job as a partner at the Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr law firm: Aaron Zebley, who also was Mueller’s FBI chief of staff; Jeannie Rhee, a former DOJ attorney; and Quarles, who got his start in Washington some four decades ago as an assistant Watergate prosecutor.

But Mueller’s biggest hire to date was [Andrew] Weissmann, who is taking a leave from his current post leading the Justice Department’s criminal fraud section. The two men have a long history together at the FBI, where Weissmann served as both the bureau’s general counsel from 2011 to 2013 and as Mueller’s special counsel in 2005.

Weissmann’s prosecution record includes overseeing the investigations into more than 30 people while running the Enron Task Force, including CEOs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. And while working in the U.S. attorney’s office in the eastern district of New York, he tried more than 25 cases involving members of the Genovese, Colombo and Gambino crime families."

http://www.gq.com/story/robert-mueller-russia-investigation-team

Birkel said...

I can name why they're investigating Trump:

Reasons!

Anonymous said...

Those darn "sources" again, pesky but persistent.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/politics/russia-investigators-trump-digital-director/

"(CNN)House Russia investigators are planning to call on Brad Parscale, the digital director of President Donald Trump's campaign, as the congressional and federal probes dig into any possible connections between the Trump digital operation and Russian operatives, congressional sources said this week.

The House Russia investigation is planning to send an invite to Parscale soon, as they begin scheduling witnesses over the summer, sources said. The Senate intelligence committee is also interested in how Russian bots were able to target political messages in specific districts in critical swing states, although it is not clear if Parscale will be called before the Senate panel as well."

Birkel said...

In which an above commenter asserts, slyly, that the Trump Family is akin to the Gambino Family. That seems reasonable.

Those sorts of theories are likely to get more traction outside the Althouse comments sections. Here they will earn mockery.

StephenFearby said...

Molly Hemmingway has a terrific piece in The Federalist:

James Comey Has A Long History Of Questionable Obstruction Cases

From Martha Stewart to Frank Quattrone to Steven Hatfill, former FBI director James Comey has left a long trail of highly questionable obstruction of justice cases that he used to make a name for himself.

https://thefederalist.com/2017/06/12/james-comey-long-history-questionable-obstruction-cases/

Definitely tarnishes St. Comey's halo.

In other news,

"Having sex makes men more likely to believe in God, new research says"

https://twitter.com/DailyMirror/status/780049744475385856



Birkel said...

In which Trump's IT guy says "I expect to receive the exact same treatment as Bryan Pagliano, who, you know, actually committed crimes for which he claimed the 5th Amendment. If anybody treats me differently than they treated that guy, I know this is a partisan witch hunt and I'll say so directly until you act the way you did previously."

Browndog said...

“I’m growing increasingly concerned that the president will attempt to fire not only Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating possible obstruction of justice, but also Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein who appointed Mueller.

“The message the president is sending through his tweets is that he believes the rule of law doesn’t apply to him and that anyone who thinks otherwise will be fired. That’s undemocratic on its face and a blatant violation of the president’s oath of office.

“First of all, the president has no authority to fire Robert Mueller. That authority clearly lies with the attorney general—or in this case, because the attorney general has recused himself, with the deputy attorney general. Rosenstein testified under oath this week that he would not fire Mueller without good cause and that none exists.


-Diane Feinstein

Again, liberals trying to establish that Trump has no Constitutional powers as President.

If we're going to have a Constitutional crisis, now is as good a time as any.

Anonymous said...

"Those sorts of theories are likely to get more traction outside the Althouse comments sections."

What makes you think I'm trying to get "traction" here? I'm expressing my opinion and my aim is not to try to convince any of you of anything. Guess what, I don't care a flying fig what you and the Trumpists here want to hear.

Birkel said...

You're trying to express other people's opinion.

Birkel said...

And on the internet, we read more than hear.

Anonymous said...

"If we're going to have a Constitutional crisis, now is as good a time as any."

I agree with this. Let Trump fire Rosenstein so he can then get rid of Mueller. Congress won't just sit on their hands.

Anonymous said...

Their opinions reflect mine, I wouldn't link to them if they didn't, most times.

At least Alex Jones doesn't speak for me, as he does for so many Trumpists.

Browndog said...

I agree with this. Let Trump fire Rosenstein so he can then get rid of Mueller. Congress won't just sit on their hands.

Agreed.

They'd better get busy amending the Constitution and over-turning hundreds of years of case law.

Drago said...

Birkel: "You're trying to express other people's opinion."

When Inga is not busy reading other peoples minds and telling us all the secret goings on with secret investigations, she often expresses other peoples opinions.

n.n said...

It's still a baby hunt. The witches have already been exposed and aborted through a Planned conspiracy between Democrats, journolists, and foreign interests.

Drago said...

Inga: "At least Alex Jones doesn't speak for me, as he does for so many Trumpists"

Can anyone tell me the date/time when Alex Jones became the "The Official Thought Leader of repubicans/conservatives"?

The left changes the occupier of this role about every 48 hours so it's not always easy to keep up.

Drago said...

I wonder if Charlie Sykes of the All Critical Milwaukee Talk Radio Market would agree with the idea that Alex Jones is the thought leader of the republicans/conservatives?

chickelit said...

Inga wrote: Democrats won't cry over Trump's departure. We will dance in the streets

Thousands and thosands of Democrats will dance on Manhattan rooftops in full view of Trump Tower. ISIS will join them.

Anonymous said...

"Can anyone tell me the date/time when Alex Jones became the "The Official Thought Leader of repubicans/conservatives"?"
---------------------------
"Your reputation is amazing. I will not let you down," Trump told Alex Jones during a Wednesday afternoon appearance on the Infowars.com proprietor's show.

Jones shared the love, telling Trump that "my audience, 90% of them, they support you."

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/02/politics/donald-trump-praises-9-11-truther-alex-jones/index.html

chickelit said...

Drago said...Can anyone tell me the date/time when Alex Jones became the "The Official Thought Leader of repubicans/conservatives"?

Erick Erickson -- formerly of Red State, relinquished the job to Jones.

Drago said...

Interesting.

If Trump's comment to Alex Jones on Dec 2, 2015 was the point at which Alex Jones became the "official Thought Leader of republicans/conservatives", why didn't you mention it until just the other day?

Were you saving it for a rainy day?

Anonymous said...

Sorry, I don't express opinions based on Breitbart news. If you want Breitbart 24/7 go read it yourselves.

Drago said...

Inga: "Sorry, I don't express opinions based on Breitbart news."

We get it. Your "intellectual dance card" is full from Democrat Underground.

BTW, 60% of democrats believe GWBush actually colluded with the islamists on 9-11 or "knew" specifically about that attack before it happened.

The Dems are entirely comprised of Alex Jones'.

Not that we didn't already know that.

chickelit said...

Richard Spencer is another alleged Trump Gedankenführer we're supposed to salute as well, Drago.

Drago said...

Perhaps Inga simply "forgot" for about 19 months to mention that Alex Jones became the "official Thought Leader for republicans/conservatives"?

Anonymous said...

"BTW, 60% of democrats believe GWBush actually colluded with the islamists on 9-11 or "knew" specifically about that attack before it happened."

Bullshit.

I wonder if Alex Jones is an anti vaxxer like Trump? Probably a birther too, lol.

Drago said...

chickelit: "Richard Spencer is another alleged Trump Gedankenführer we're supposed to salute as well, Drago"

It is literally a cast of hundreds.

Literally.

Anonymous said...

My dear Drago, I've posted that excerpt on comments threads here several times. Pay better attention.

Drago said...

Inga: "Bulls***."

Tsk tsk. Do you kiss your Keith Olberman doll with that mouth?

Here you go toots, a poll which shows ONLY sightly above 50% of dems believe Bush was complicit in 9-11.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/ben-smith/2011/04/more-than-half-of-democrats-believed-bush-knew-035224

snip: "That is: More than half of Democrats, according to a neutral survey, said they believed Bush was complicit in the 9/11 terror attacks."

Drago said...

Inga: "My dear Drago, I've posted that excerpt on comments threads here several times."

What was the date of the first time that you did?

Drago said...

Inga, do provide a link as well so we can see that you didn't "forget" that Alex Jones was the thought leader of the repubicans/conservatives for 19 months based on your own reference.

chickelit said...

He already has picked three former colleagues from his last job as a partner at the Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr law firm: Aaron Zebley, who also was Mueller’s FBI chief of staff; Jeannie Rhee, a former DOJ attorney; and Quarles, who got his start in Washington some four decades ago as an assistant Watergate prosecutor.

I thought Quarles was "disarmed" by Raylan Givens?

Anonymous said...

Drago, the link is with the quote I provided. 4:10 PM

steve uhr said...

"Steve, I know you are a leftie and think that Mueller's team is all you hope for."

I voted for Bush in 2004 and my politics haven't changed much since then. I sat out 2016. If everyone who is left of you is a "leftie", then 98% of the population is a "leftie"

Birkel said...

Oh, look! Another lifelong Republican.

mockturtle said...

Birkel asserts: I can name why they're investigating Trump: Reasons!

How about: Because.

tim in vermont said...

Not sure what you guys get out of engaging with a commenter who is either clueless, misguided, delusional, or a cynical liar.

Anonymous said...

No need to debase yourself so, VU.

Birkel said...

Well, I am not sure if reasons or because is better. I think "because reasons" is the strongest possible answer.

Still, I am willing to listen to other points of view.

Birkel said...

From a rhetorical point of view, I think "because reasons" has the most resonance.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Drago said...
Perhaps Inga simply "forgot" for about 19 months to mention that Alex Jones became the "official Thought Leader for republicans/conservatives"?

And here I thought it was Charlie Sykes!

steve uhr said...

Good for Trump for getting tougher on Cuba. Another one of my leftist positions.

Birkel said...

THE Charlie Sykes?

Leigh said...

@Bruce Hayden and @Michael K -- agree with your comments, as usual.

Could anyone point me to the place in this Lester Holt video where Trump says he fired Comey "because of the Russian investigation"? I couldn't find it anywhere. Was there a tweet I missed?

https://youtu.be/5Wvuw_Zmubg

Finally, don't miss this new article from Andy McCarthy (sorry if someone else has already linked). He explains the situation perfectly. And, @annalthouse, Trump is not under investigation for saying, "I hope you see your way clear to letting this Flynn thing go ...". He's under investigation because he fired Comey -- period. Comey said twice (after the "Flynn conversation") that Trump was NOT under investigation. And there is ZERO evidence he fired Comey because Trump didn't want Comey to investigate him. ZERO.

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/448674/trump-wanted-comey-refute-false-notion-he-was-suspect

How will it all end? Jared Kushner accessed wifi at a Starbucks without buying any Starbucks coffee -- that's my guess. As Stalin's side-kick Beria said, "Show me the man and I'll find you the crime."

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

FGM in this country is promulgated by Muslims attempting to fit into the customs and patterns of their countries of origin; that shit didn't originate here. Insofar as most leftists oppose cultural assimilation of immigrants in the US, leftists are complicit in these crimes. Leftists should be saying "You may come to this country, but here's what you may or may not do."

It's no one's else's "job" to do that, silly boy. Knowing the law of the land is expected of whomever's here - whether they're born here or not.

I guess if you were actually a real American, then you would know stuff like that.

Anonymous said...

Ah, yet another lawyer, one with experience with corruption.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/16/trump-new-lawyer-john-dowd-fbi-investigation-239651

"President Donald Trump has added another high-profile lawyer to his personal legal team as the special counsel investigation heats up.

John Dowd, who investigated Pete Rose for Major League Baseball and represented John McCain during the Keating Five Scandal, among other high-profile clients, has joined the president's legal team, according to two people familiar with the pick. Dowd declined to comment Friday."

chickelit said...

Thanks for dropping the non sequiturds in the punchbowl, Ritmo.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

I was quoting and responding to you. If your own comments are not relevant to the post, then maybe you should take responsibility and not upload them.

chickelit said...

@Ritmo: I called your comment a non sequiturd because it responded to my comment only in your mind.

chickelit said...

@Ritmo: Don't believe me? Maybe we should step aside and let others judge.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Wouldn't you be happier playing with your tinker toys, like the other five-year olds?

You said what half or more of America should do as if it's their job to tell people what the laws and customs of a civilized country are.

I reminded you that it's every resident's job to know the laws and customs without being told.

Go step aside and revel in your juvenile punniness without pretending your comment wasn't dismissible.

Or just upload another 1980s video on your own blog space and revel in the two comments it receives - one of which will be your own, anyway.

Silly boy.

Achilles said...

Inga said...
Ah, yet another lawyer, one with experience with corruption.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/16/trump-new-lawyer-john-dowd-fbi-investigation-239651


Thanks for helping me keep my list of Stalinists up to date. Wouldn't want to miss any.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

In chimes Achilles, to do his daily commemoration of Stalin!

How could Stalin ever be remembered so well, if it weren't for devoted followers like that?

Darrell said...

Althouse Lefties are happy to waste millions of dollars of taxpayers money on totally false charges that they know are totally false. Cocksuckers every one of them. Nothing they ever say again will be worth reading. Just like anything out of the Media.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for helping me keep my list of Stalinists up to date. Wouldn't want to miss any."

And what do you plan on doing with these people? Hey FBI I hope you're paying attention.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Cocksuckers every one of them.

Cocksuckers, you say?

You can practically hear the slurping.

Republicans are so good at this I might have to go gay.

http://www.salon.com/2017/06/15/groveling-before-the-mad-king-donald-trumps-cabinet-of-sycophants/

Achilles said...

Blogger Inga said...

"And what do you plan on doing with these people? Hey FBI I hope you're paying attention."

You are just the cutest little fascist.

Achilles said...

Blogger The Toothless Revolutionary said...
"In chimes Achilles, to do his daily commemoration of Stalin!

How could Stalin ever be remembered so well, if it weren't for devoted followers like that?"

More like daily condemnation of a bunch of people who have decided that Trump is the target and they are going to find a crime.

2 years TTR and they have nothing. Now they are "investigating" obstruction of the investigation into nothing.

Pure Stalinism.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

There's a lot of targets, amateur. I wouldn't want any ordinary street murderer obstructing justice or covering up what they know of a foreign attack, either. Just because you worship the guy doesn't mean he gets to be above the law.

If he did, that would be Stalinism. Which, incidentally, would be of a piece with your man Bannon's Marxism and Leninism.

You'll deny and spin away all his own words, I'm sure. It's just the kind of denialist bubble-dwelling we can expect from you Trumplestiltskinses.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Now they are "investigating" obstruction of the investigation into nothing.

Oh. So you think hacking voter registration databases by a hostile foreign power is "nothing?"

Then you're a traitor. Leave and go live in a country where you think doing this to the U.S. is acceptable.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Check out what certain disloyal U.S. citizens who feel greater allegiance to a foreign thug think of as "nothing":

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/dallas-county/2017/06/14/russian-hackers-targeted-dallas-county-servers-presidential-election

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/official-russian-hackers-targeted-dallas-voter-registration-48055244

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/russia-hacking-us-election-trump-voting-systems-us-states-report-a7790701.html

Your foreign agent is going down. But it's ok. You have the option of joining him in the land of his preferred allegiance, if you want to.

Which is better than he'll get, which will probably end up being resignation and disgrace, impeachment, or criminal sentencing.

It's happened before, in his party even. His greatest political mentor, Richard Nixon, is a good example of it.

Birkel said...

I have been reliably informed there is no voter fraud. I wanted paper ballots and voter ID but I guess that was too old fashioned.

Why was the DHS poking around - confirmed by state officials - in voter databases before the election?

Grab your carry on.

Achilles said...

The Toothless Revolutionary said...
Check out what certain disloyal U.S. citizens who feel greater allegiance to a foreign thug think of as "nothing":

I see you are all frothy and stupid tonight.

The 80's called and they want their foreign policy back. *chortle chortle* That Romney is such an idiot!

Don't worry though. Trump will have more flexibility after he fires Mueller.

And you have zero evidence. Absolutely nothing.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

And you have zero evidence.

So you're defending the Russians now?

All the agencies agree. They hacked the voter databases. Apparently you're ok with that.

Dude, if you hate America and want to outsource your voter registration info to a foreign power, just say so.

If Trump fires Mueller he'll be impeached. At some point there has to be accountability, even for the man you worship and want to be able to get away with anything.

Stop being so un-American.

Birkel said...

Why did the Obama Administration back voter databases in at least four states?

Birkel said...

Hack not back

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Just to give you something that no one else believes, Birkel. It's important. It makes you feel important for you to believe that you alone have the "inside scoop" on something.

Every investigation keeps leading closer and closer to Trump. He certainly doesn't act like a man with nothing to hide.

Sharks swim closer to where they smell the blood.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

No Leftist has ever come up with a convincing explanation as to why Putin would have preferred Trump- who favors fracking - to Hillary,

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Is Eric Trump a leftist? Because by his reckoning, Trump's policy on fracking doesn't even matter. As it came straight from his mouth - Trump got financial favors from those dudes all through the recession, and now it's payback time. I'm sure Putin accepts currency other than Russian oil purchase. He's flexible, I hear.

Why is it so hard to believe that people other than just the Clintons might have foreign interests, financial or otherwise, that undermine them? You really think that Trump was a guy who confined his operations and business interests solely to the U.S.? That's so unlikely that he might as well have gone naked, renounced his worldly possessions, and lived on a mountaintop.

Birkel said...

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3173032/cybercrime-hacking/indiana-joins-idaho-in-claiming-dhs-tried-to-hack-their-election-systems.html

Indiana and Idaho.

http://www.govtech.com/security/Georgia-Election-System-Reportedly-Hacked-by-US-Department-of-Homeland-Security.html

Georgia.

http://www.register-herald.com/news/warner-says-possible-dhs-hacker-sought-voter-data-from-ky/article_2577108a-1e55-5e84-9da7-c8c82f87106d.html

West Virginia

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v_Y0CBjtuy8

Kentucky.

Real people with real names on the record, not anonymous sources.

Grab your carry on.

Birkel said...

The Georgia Secretary of State went on the record with a letter to Jeh Johnson. That's the first link.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Grab your carry on.

Oh, so is that what you were being transported in?

We're not talking about DHS, but the Russians. I'm not surprised you think of one as you would the other, though.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

For Birkel, Russia is the DHS. He's outsourcing the security of the homeland to them.

Putin, Protector of all that is good and holy in Birkel's America.

Birkel said...

When you make up lies about me, make them sexier. The ones you are peddling now are boring.

As for "grab your carry on", it is a combination of "grab your wallet" and "carry on" that Leftists trotted out incessantly. It is unfair of me to mock you and you not know it is happening. Now I am fair again.

But the DHS is currently a defendant in a lawsuit from at least Georgia, as I understand matters. And the IG of DHS is investigating Jeh Johnson, et al. But a few minutes ago you denied those basic facts. Not anonymous sourcing but real people in the record in official documents.

Grab your carry on.

Michael K said...

More leftist nonsens. Goodnight,

MPH said...

Prof. Althouse might be less confused if the President was literate.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

What the hell does DHS have to do with the Russians? If DHS wronged you, then the Russians should, too?

Make some sense for crying out loud.

Achilles said...

The Toothless Revolutionary said...

"And you have zero evidence."

Absolute truth.

So you're defending the Russians now?

The Russians try to hack shit all the time. Everyone know this

All the agencies agree. They hacked the voter databases. Apparently you're ok with that.

1. No they don't. They can post that evidence at any point.

2. Guess they were right about WMD's too.

Qwinn said...

3. It's sad we'll never get the truth, which is that everything Trump has done has pretty much screwed Russia, whereas Hillary sold them 20% of our domestic uranium for money to her foundation. I wish someone could calculate how cheap a deal that was.

How is that not the central question of this entire conversation? Is it because we all know it won't be any question at all in the investigation?

chickelit said...

Dems should just get on board with Terry McAwful, jettison Hillary, and move on.

Achilles said...

@TTR

You have shown the ability here and there to step back and think.

Just for a moment think about summer of 2016. The DNC tries to screw Bernie but you and the rest of his supporters overcome the inherent corruption and he crushes Hillary. Most of the DNC is pissed that their establishment candidate lost just like the GOPe is pissed now. But you kick the DNC in the teeth and they are reduced to impotent sniping from the edges like
the traitorous Kristol and Will are now.

During the general election the DNC is butthurt and follow Bernie halfheartedly at best. The usual donors don't fund his campaign. They actually mount a traitorous 3rd party fuckhead like McMuffin. Lets say they stick a Booker or Biden like tool of Goldman Sachs.

But Bernie wins through. He is president.

The majorities in the House and Senate serve the donors like always. They dither and fuck off and Bernie is forced to work solely through executive order. And then they make up a story about Bernie taking bribes. He actually made over a million dollars last year and somehow obtained a 3rd house. The stories are garbage and they never offer any proof. But the investigations and innuendo continue.

Eventually Bernie fires Comey for trying to influence the election and lying to congress both of which he actually did just like Democrats were calling for for months. Then an establishment toady appoints Mueller to investigate Bernie for obstruction of justice for correctly firing Comey. Bernie chose Joe Biden to be his running mate to try to make peace with the establishment.

Think about yourself and the Bernie supporters. What do you think happens in this situation?

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

The Russians try to hack shit all the time. Everyone know this.

Not every American wants to let them do it with impunity, though. I guess you're one who does.

All the agencies agree. They hacked the voter databases. Apparently you're ok with that.

1. No they don't. They can post that evidence at any point.

2. Guess they were right about WMD's too.


Ok, so because of your Iraq thing you want to not have intelligence agencies any more or at least never listen to them. Good to know.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Just for a moment think about summer of 2016.

Been there, done that. Right now I'm thinking about summer of 2017.

You have shown the ability here and there to step back and think.

Not only that, but to be in the present tense. To look around and see what time it is and what's going on currently.

I invite you to live in the present as if it actually mattered. The past can't change a bad future. The present can.

This is how something called "time" works. The 4th dimension. I know it's an abstract physical constant, but a very important one.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

The majorities in the House and Senate serve the donors like always. They dither and fuck off and Bernie is forced to work solely through executive order. And then they make up a story about Bernie taking bribes....

Eventually Bernie fires Comey for trying to influence the election and lying to congress both of which he actually did just like Democrats were calling for for months...

Think about yourself and the Bernie supporters. What do you think happens in this situation?


You know, I'll actually entertain this most imaginative of counterfactuals with some of what we do know. Credit where credit's due. I don't blame you for trying and wanting to put the other alternative in Trump's shoes. But Trump has a huge history of creating his own drama just to whine about it and get a better deal. Bernie Sanders doesn't and never did.

First off - I doubt the DNC Democrats could have thwarted him. He would have proved way more popular than them. If he hadn't gotten enough legislators to come around to what he wanted by 2018, he would have been well on his way - and they would be well on their way out.

Second, no one seems to care about whatever money he has - a thousandth of Trump's - or a second property for a 75-year old who had been pretty unconcerned with wealth for a Senator anyway. Which isn't even the point. Bill Gates is a great philanthropist. No one cares about wealth per se, they care about credibility and what's done with it. Castigating Sanders for this weird pay-off story is like beating a homeless man for getting too much in panhandling. No one cares.

Bernie Sanders never would have fired Comey - who hurt HRC politically in the primary anyway. But that wouldn't even be the point. B. Sanders has never been against accountability or someone who can't control his temper and personal feelings long enough to shoot himself in the foot. He doesn't have an obsessive power-monger like Bannon and an ambitious son-in-law like Kushner whispering in his ear telling him that an FBI director's making him look bad in the media - therefore fire him. You're getting their temperaments all wrong. Sanders was the anti-Trump; not caring about his wispy white tufts, while Orange Supreme is obsessed with his coif. Just on hair alone you have a study in contrasts. Sanders doesn't care what the press or others say about him. He practically can't even keep the fucking saliva in his mouth when he talks. He's a physical mess. Image means nothing to him. It's all about integrity. He's not going to waste his time with tantrums about how he's made to look bad; because he never worries that someone else will get the better story out on him. It's just not how he is.

Fundamentally different temperaments and personalities. Even if the same things happened, Sanders would have handled them much differently. 180 degrees differently.

It's interesting to wonder how he would have either worked with or battled the DNC establishment. But now we'll never know. What's telling is the big establishment guy that Trump kept was Priebus, so the one Republican establishment process/duty he cared about most was staffing, talking points and image. He's united his base and whatever substance they have with the old guard and the image they'd like to protect, but it's still not where the country is. It's a powerful right-wing bloc, but still as far removed from the majority of the people as any administration's ever been. And given Trump's love of pushing buttons just for the hell of it and making himself the dramatic center of everything, that will be disastrous - politically and nationally.

Birkel said...

Was this the thread in which reductio ad absurdum was discovered by a certain commenter? I believe it was that thread.

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