January 3, 2018

"Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my Presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind."

"Steve pretends to be at war with the media, which he calls the opposition party, yet he spent his time at the White House leaking false information to the media to make himself seem far more important than he was. It is the only thing he does well. Steve was rarely in a one-on-one meeting with me and only pretends to have had influence to fool a few people with no access and no clue, whom he helped write phony books."

Said Donald Trump in a statement released today, quoted here (in the NYT), responding to the material from the forthcoming book "Fire and Fury," discussed in this Guardian article "Trump Tower meeting with Russians 'treasonous,' Bannon says in explosive book."

It's the kind of breakup where you say I never loved you.

150 comments:

ndspinelli said...

They "loved" each other like American GI and Viet hooker.

Matt Sablan said...

Usually people are a bit more circumspect about marriages of convenience.

traditionalguy said...

Bannon has painted himself into a corner.

Nonapod said...

Seems like Bannon's not just burning bridges, he's nuking them from orbit.

buwaya said...

Courtiers falling out; Bannon vs Kushner/Ivanka.
But its very poor odds for the provincial let into Versailles to defeat a princess.

chuck said...

Bannon? Who's that?

rcocean said...

I won't read the book because I have zero confidence its telling the truth.

MSM have lied so often and relied on so many anon sources - it'd be a waste of time.

Mike Sylwester said...

Chuck Ross at The Daily Caller has been writing very informative articles about RussiaGate. Here is an excerpt from an October 28 article titled "CNN’s Undisclosed Ties To Fusion GPS".

[quote, emphasis added]

.... Bill Browder, a renowned human rights activist and top Putin enemy, offered similar testimony before the [Senate judiciary] committee.

Browder described how Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, the same attorney that met with Donald Trump Jr. last year, used Fusion GPS to conduct a smear campaign against him.

“Veselnitskaya, through Baker Hostetler, hired Glenn Simpson of the firm Fusion GPS to conduct a smear campaign against me and Sergei Magnitsky in advance of congressional hearings on the Global Magnitsky Act,” Browder stated in his written testimony.

“He contacted a number of major newspapers and other publications to spread false information that Sergei Magnitsky was not murdered, was not a whistle-blower, and was instead a criminal. They also spread false information that my presentations to lawmakers around the world were untrue,” Browder said. ....

[end quote]

http://dailycaller.com/2017/10/28/cnns-undisclosed-ties-to-fusion-gps/

Achilles said...

Bannon is making some money.

Be interesting to see if this is another bait and switch to get the media to promote his book knowing they will do anything to hurt Trump.

Considering Trump's policy success so far and the direction the administration is moving Bannon doesn't have much to be mad about. But we know Bannon and the Trump Kids never got along well.

As for the treasonous part I think he knows that's wrong but it will get a lot of leftists to buy his book.

rcocean said...

Bannon actually isn't saying anything new. He's been warning about Javanka for some time. Kushner/Ivanka are at best Neo-cons, at worst liberal Dems.

Plus, the Kushners have a history of "shady" business practices. They were selling visa in china a little while ago.

Michael K said...

I saw Bannon at a meeting a month ago and he gave a short talk. He said nothing like this and was celebrating the election.

This doesn't sound like him.

Achilles said...

buwaya said...

Courtiers falling out; Bannon vs Kushner/Ivanka.
But its very poor odds for the provincial let into Versailles to defeat a princess.


Family is family. Steve is old and smart enough to know he wont win that one.

But court intrigue sells books.

Ann Althouse said...

"This doesn't sound like him."

If it's not him, why is the President calling him crazy?

Is there some weird collusion between Trump and Bannon, some Mutt and Jeff routine the 2 are playing with us?

traditionalguy said...

Bannon has been taking shots at Jared and Ivanka as Globalists for 6 months. But to call Donald Jr a traitor makes no sense. Jr is not in the counselor to the President job that Bannon envy’s.

My guess is that Bannon’s wealthy Backers want him to run in 2020.

Birches said...

Bannon fresh off of Roy Moore does this? Yeah, he might have lost his mind. Who is going to trust Breitbart now?

Earnest Prole said...

Why it seems like only yesterday that Bannon was receiving moist ministrations from Althouse commenters.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

LOL, really I can’t help but laugh. This is just the beginning of the end, much more to come.

Hari said...

"Bannon went on, Wolff writes, to say that if any such meeting had to take place, it should have been set up “in a Holiday Inn in Manchester, New Hampshire, with your lawyers who meet with these people”. Any information, he said, could then be “dump[ed] … down to Breitbart or something like that, or maybe some other more legitimate publication”."

In other words, Trump's main problem, as Bannon sees it, is that he didn't do things like Hillary did. Hillary used teams of lawyers to commission the Steel dossier. and then dumped the fake information to the media. The fact that trump campaign didn't hide behind lawyers and didn't dump fake info to the media speaks well of Trump, IMO.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Is there some weird collusion between Trump and Bannon, some Mutt and Jeff routine the 2 are playing with us?”

Oh yes, you folks have been played alright, but not the way you think. Can’t wait to hear Steve Bannon get accused of Trump Derangement Syndrome, LOL!

Drago said...

Inga: "LOL, really I can’t help but laugh. This is just the beginning of the end, much more to come"

Hooray!!

ANOTHER beginning of the end!!

Just in time too, since the other 17,459 "beginnings of the end" had all but disappeared!!

Boy, it's a good thing that Trump never got the nomination, never won the election, never assumed the office, never survived the 1st/2nd/3rd...nth month of his Presidency.

Otherwise we would be at the beginning of the end.

LOL

Seriously, a twitter exchange with Bannon is now the beginning of the end. Why not 'the trash was late getting taken to the dumpster yesterday evening so it's the beginning of the end'?

traditionalguy said...

This kind WTF of out of nowhere Public Attack from a friend usually is the result of your befriending Israel’s claims to Jerusalem, and that was what recently changed in this relationship.

Drago said...

Earnest Prole: "Why it seems like only yesterday that Bannon was receiving moist ministrations from Althouse commenters."

hmmmm.

Examples?

Achilles said...

Earnest Prole said...
Why it seems like only yesterday that Bannon was receiving moist ministrations from Althouse commenters.

If someone says something intelligent we react appropriately.

If someone looks like they are saying stupid stuff to sell a book we react appropriately.

As opposed to leftists who upon finding out Obama had the federal civil service spy on political opponents or that their presidential nominee committed thousands of felonies continue to support traitors.

Really your comment is just stupid. Like Inga who thinks this is the beginning of the end. In one way she is right. There are going to be a lot of democrats going to jail and a lot of 7th floor FBI hacks taking early retirement.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Seriously, a twitter exchange with Bannon is now the beginning of the end. Why not 'the trash was late getting taken to the dumpster yesterday evening so it's the beginning of the end'?”

A “twitter exchange”? Bannon wrote an entire book, dummy.

n.n said...

Bannon decompresses. Trump responds. Next.

Or is there an intent to appoint a specially prosecutor on a wing and a prayer?

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Earnest Prole: "Why it seems like only yesterday that Bannon was receiving moist ministrations from Althouse commenters."

hmmmm.

Examples?“

It was just last month that Michael K was all a-titter because he was going to see Bannon speak.

Drago said...

The only "beginning of the end" that is going on right now is with obama's and Inga's beloved Iranian mullahs.

Naturally, when islamists are massacring folks Inga and her pals go Full Leave Them Alone Mode.

The really good news is that the Germans have set up "Safe Spaces" so German women who have been sexually assaulted en mass by Inga's beloved islamists can cry for a bit before they have to walk the islamist gauntlet back to their homes.

Plus, the Swedes can't police islamist zones in their country and the French are having their police officers assaulted and attacked daily.

But in a good, lefty approved way, naturally.

Achilles said...

Inga said...

Oh yes, you folks have been played alright, but not the way you think. Can’t wait to hear Steve Bannon get accused of Trump Derangement Syndrome, LOL!

Actually Bannon is guilty of Jared/Ivanka derangement syndrome. I would prefer they had less policy influence myself. But we know you are too stupid to differentiate. Critical thinking and all that.

Drago said...

Inga: "It was just last month that Michael K was all a-titter because he was going to see Bannon speak."

Hmmm, should I trust your characterization, or would it be better to post a link?...


I'll have to go with the link, given that you might be distraught that obama's allies in the Iranian government have been unable to kill all the protesters yet.

Achilles said...

Inga said...

A “twitter exchange”? Bannon wrote an entire book, dummy.

Quick! quick! Rush out and buy that book Inga like all of your friends will. Show your support!

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“There are going to be a lot of democrats going to jail and a lot of 7th floor FBI hacks taking early retirement.”

Sadly delusional.

Mike Sylwester said...

Below is an excerpt from Chuck Ross's November 9 article, titled "Russian Lawyer Took Fusion GPS Report Into Trump Tower Meeting", published by website Daily Caller.

[quote]

.... At the same time that Fusion was working on the dossier, it was conducting opposition research for a Russian businessman who was fighting against the Magnitsky Act, a 2012 sanctions law opposed by the Kremlin.

As part of that work, according to Reuters, Fusion produced a four-page memo of opposition research on Bill Browder, a London-based financier who helped push through the Magnitsky Act.

The memo was presented at one point last year to Russia’s prosecutor general, Yuri Chaika, The New York Times recently reported. Fusion’s fingerprints on the memo were not included in the Times report.

The Times reported that Chaika was provided a copy of the memo in Oct. 2015 by Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Russian attorney who worked alongside Fusion and who also led the Russian delegation that attended the June 9, 2016 Trump Tower meeting. ....

The meeting was attended on the Trump campaign side by Donald Trump Jr., White House adviser Jared Kushner and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Veselnitskaya attended with several people, including Rinat Akhmetshin, a Russian-American lobbyist who was once in Soviet military intelligence. ....

Veselnitskaya met before and after the Trump Tower conclave with Glenn Simpson, a former Wall Street Journal reporter and founding partner of Fusion. Simpson was in charge of both the dossier project and the opposition research on Browder. ...

The contact between Simpson and Veselnitskaya has already fueled speculation that the Trump Tower meeting was a setup. Another less nefarious possibility would be that Veselnitskaya told Simpson about the meeting with the Trump team and he funneled the information to Christopher Steele, the former British spy who compiled the dossier.

In his first memo for the dossier, written 11 days after the Trump Tower meeting, Steele alleged that the Russian government was providing the Trump campaign with negative information about Hillary Clinton as part of a well-crafted collusion scheme.

The Trump Tower memo — which Veselnitskaya carried into the meeting — makes at least one reference to Clinton.

The document [the memo written by Fusion about Browder] ... claims that Browder, who was born in the U.S. but is now a British citizen, made illegal campaign contributions to the Clinton campaign through Ziff Brothers, a private equity firm.

Most of the rest of the memo alleges that Browder has lied about Sergey Magnitsky, his former attorney and the namesake of the Magnitsky Act. ...

[end quote]

http://dailycaller.com/2017/11/09/russian-lawyer-took-fusion-gps-report-into-trump-tower-meeting/

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Quick! quick! Rush out and buy that book Inga like all of your friends will. Show your support!”

No need. Excerpts are already being plastered all over mass media. I don’t support Bannon who is as demented as Trump. I’m enjoying seeing all your righty heads explode though, lol.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

He is particularly scathing about a June 2016 meeting... A trusted intermediary had promised documents that would “incriminate” rival Hillary Clinton but instead of alerting the FBI to a potential assault on American democracy by a foreign power, Trump Jr replied in an email: “I love it.”

Could somebody please explain in what way this is an assault on American democracy?

If, as appears to be the case, they did not have the goods on Clinton, then this is in no way an assault on American Democracy, it is simply a scam to gain access to Trump.

If they had actually had incriminating documents on Clinton, how would providing them to the Trump campaign be an assault on American democracy? All it would do is shine light on Clinton's activities. As we all know, democracy dies in darkness.

Even if you thought that this was not treasonous, or unpatriotic, or bad shit, and I happen to think it’s all of that, you should have called the FBI immediately.

There's a brilliant plan. Why not run your entire campaign strategy by the Clinton campaign HQ while you are at it? It would have the same effect.

Drago said...

Inga: "Sadly delusional"

I wonder if Jim Baker, McCabe, new "HR" guy Strzok, Bruce Ohr et al agree with Inga's assertion.

Perhaps Inga needs something like an "insurance policy" against disappointment.....not that anyone would dare underwrite such an risky venture!

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Hmmm, should I trust your characterization, or would it be better to post a link?...”

Ask Michael K himself.

Drago said...

Inga: "Ask Michael K himself."

Why should Michael K be asked to back up your assertion?

If you've got some evidence, show it, otherwise...well, you know.

Darkisland said...


.... Bill Browder, a renowned human rights activist and top Putin enemy, offered similar testimony before the [Senate judiciary] committee.


You mean Bill Browder, grandson of Earl Browder head of the US Communist party for more than 20 years. Lived in Russia for a number of years in the 20's. Son (Bill's father) born in Moscow. Personal friends with Stalin. Personally caused a lot of mayhem in the US. The worst fever dreams of Trump/Russian collusion are nothing compared to the collusion that went on under Stalin. We even elected a VP who was a Russian Agent. (Or maybe just a sympathizer. Evidence is mixed)

I would be very wary of Bill Browder given the family history.

John Henry

Clark said...

I can't wait to hear how Bannon must be taken seriously from people who said he was a dangerous maniac a year ago.

Bob Loblaw said...


ANOTHER beginning of the end!!

Just in time too, since the other 17,459 "beginnings of the end" had all but disappeared!!


It's so nostalgic. We heard it for eight years during the Bush administration. To be fair, I guess, it did end in 2008.

Drago said...

"I would be very wary of Bill Browder given the family history."

On the contrary, that's precisely the type of resume that gives you credibility on the left.

Well, that and killing a campaign worker with your car.

Big Mike said...

Andrew Breitbart worked so hard to build up Breitbart News as a legitimate alternative to the mainstream media, now Steve Bannon is running it into the ground even faster than Pinch Sulzberger destroyed the credibility of the New York Times.

rehajm said...

Treasonous and unpatriotic? Isn't there some theorem that states once you fall back to morality and patriotism you've already lost the argument?

The flimsy substance is the manufactured Hillary/Obama stuff recycled for an election year. Maybe if they add moose and squirrel to Agent Natasha it will catch on?

And excuse the ad hominem but isn't this Wolff the cheesy USA reporter who goes on every leftie talk show to rant about Trump?

Drago said...

"It's so nostalgic. We heard it for eight years during the Bush administration. To be fair, I guess, it did end in 2008"

Yes indeed.

Reagan was literally Hitler and was going to be removed.
HW was literally Hitler and was going to be removed.
W was literally Hitler and was going to be removed.
And now Trump is literally Hitler and is going to be removed.

You know, maybe it's me, but I'm detecting a pattern of some sort here.....

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Why should Michael K be asked to back up your assertion?

If you've got some evidence, show it, otherwise...well, you know.”
—————————————————-

Michael K said...
I am looking forward to seeing, and maybe meeting, Steve Bannon who is talking this weekend in Tucson.\

It should be interesting.

11/16/17, 8:43 PM

Bay Area Guy said...
@Michael K,

If you talk to Bannon, tell him that several unheralded, deplorable commentators at Althouse are buying what he's selling.

11/16/17, 9:15 PM

http://althouse.blogspot.com/2017/11/at-bicycle-cafe_16.html

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“If you talk to Bannon, tell him that several unheralded, deplorable commentators at Althouse are buying what he's selling.”

Hey maybe they’ll buy his tell all book!

n.n said...

The real conspiracy was Obama spying on a Republican candidate and other Americans, while the DNC/Clinton and Press colluded with the post-coup government in Kiev and foreign intelligence assets in order to influence the election. The Antifa violence at the inauguration, before and after, was a faithful reenactment of the violent Western-backed [elective] coup in Kiev and Tripoli, but with marginally progressive results. The wildings, intimidation, prosecutorial witch hunts, swatting. and knock-out games were carried out to prepare Americans for the main event, but Sanders was denied the vote, Clinton failed to show, and Obama is safely ensconced in a Hawaiian beachfront estate far from his Chicago home.

FullMoon said...

Haha! Inga got a wet spot in her panties, again.
No shit, guys, this is the real deal. THe end. Fer shure this time.Guaran-damn-tee it.

As for Mike K. He mentioned the Bannon speech he attended in a previous post.

Proving you are never to old to learn, the good Doctor earlier this week rescinded his opinion of Inga having a good heart and being a reasonable and nice person(unlike his nemesis, the evil Toothless Ritmo)

Chuck said...

This will all be explained in detail tonight on Hannity.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

Take a gander at all the Steve Bannon love on this thread. Hahahahaha!

http://althouse.blogspot.com/2017/09/steve-bannon-is-pussy-steve-bannon-is.html

Mike Sylwester said...

Natalya Veselnitskaya hired (through Baker Hostetler) Glenn Simpson's Fusion GPS to write collect and write disparaging information about Bill Browder, who had caused the Magnitsy Act.

Veselnitskaya took a Fusion-written memo to the meeting with Donald Trump, Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower.

Right before and right after that meeting, Veselnitskaya met with Simpson.

The entire memo that Simpson's Fusion GPS wrote for Veselnitskaya can be read in an article written by Elias Gross and published on the Foreign Policy website. The article, titled "Here’s the Memo the Kremlin-Linked Lawyer Took to the Meeting With Donald Trump Jr.", includes the following passages.

[quote]

... Veselnitskaya said when it became clear the meeting wasn’t what Trump Jr. expected, the document never changed hands. ...

According to Veselnitskaya’s talking points, Browder’s work in Russia was bankrolled by Ziff Brothers Investments, an American firm that she describes as having deep ties to Democrats. “It cannot be ruled out that they also financed [the] Hillary Clinton campaign,” she writes in the document.

Though the meeting was set up under the pretense of providing damaging information on Trump’s Democratic rival, the memo’s passing reference to Clinton appears to demonstrate just how limited Veselnitskaya’s interest was in Clinton. ....

Veselnitskaya’s memo describes her message to Trump campaign officials as firmly focused on attacking Browder, and advocating for the repeal of the Magnitsky Act ...

According to Scott Balber, a lawyer for the Russian real estate mogul Aras Agalarov and his son, Emin, who helped arrange the meeting, Veselnitskaya’s message became muddled as it was passed along. Veselnitskaya passed her talking points to Yuri Chaika, Russia’s prosecutor general, Balber said, but as that information passed to Goldstone through the Agalarovs, the message became that Veselnitskaya had information from the Russian government. ...

[end quote]

http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/10/16/heres-memo-kremlin-lawyer-took-to-meeting-donald-trump-jr/

Achilles said...

Inga said...
“There are going to be a lot of democrats going to jail and a lot of 7th floor FBI hacks taking early retirement.”

Sadly delusional.

Sadly.

Delusional.

FBI and Obama admin used Steele dossier to spy on Trump campaign.

2018 is going to be a long year for Trump haters.

Birches said...

Actually Bannon is guilty of Jared/Ivanka derangement syndrome.

I think this is the real truth.

Earnest Prole said...

In true Popular Front fashion the sloppy-mouth love for Bannon ended the day Trump fired him, but a few here (like Michael K) didn’t get the memo. In Michael K’s defense, he’s the more principled one because he’s actually interested in Bannon’s ideas.

Drago said...

Chuck: "This will all be explained in detail tonight on Hannity."

Since you will be glued to the "brilliant" Rachel Maddow we will be sure to provide a synopsis.

Drago said...

Earnest Prole: "In true Popular Front fashion the sloppy-mouth love for Bannon ended the day Trump fired him..."

Riiight....

Earnest Prole said...

Kushner/Ivanka are at best Neo-cons, at worst liberal Dems.

It’s not either/or: They are liberal Democrats with a strong interest in Israel’s survival.

Mike Sylwester said...

Following is an excerpt from Chuck Ross's article "Anti-Kremlin Banker: Fusion GPS Assisted Putin Regime In Effort ‘To Have Me Imprisoned And Killed’" published on November 13 on the Daily Caller website.

[quote]

... “If it is true that Glenn Simpson was supplying information about me to the Russian government, it’s far more serious than smear campaigning or Foreign Agents Registration Act violations,” said Browder, the head of Hermitage Capital. ...

It was previously known that the Washington, D.C-based Fusion GPS’s investigation of Browder was beneficial to the Russian government and its effort to reverse the Magnitsky Act. But it was revealed only last week that information Fusion collected on Browder was shared directly with Chaika, whose position is the Russian equivalent of the U.S. attorney general.

Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian attorney who attended the Trump Tower meeting, is who provided both Chaika and Trump Jr. with the Fusion-generated information on Browder. She took a four-page report into the June 9, 2016 Trump Tower meeting ....

Veselnitskaya worked with Simpson ... on the anti-Browder project. Reuters reported on Thursday that Simpson compiled the research for the Trump Tower memo. And NBC News reported on Friday that similar research put together by Simpson was given by Veselnitskaya to Chaika in Oct. 2015. ....

Fusion GPS ... became involved in the Browder matter after being hired by BakerHostetler, a law firm representing Denis Katsyv, a Russian businessman who faced penalties because of the Magnitsky Act.

Simpson worked closely on the investigation with ... Veselnitskaya, who represents Katsyv and his firm, Prevezon Holdings.

Veselnitskaya’s affiliation with Simpson is one of the stranger story lines arising from both the Trump Tower meeting and the dossier, which was funded by the Clinton campaign and DNC. ...

Fusion was being paid for its dossier work at the same time it was being paid by BakerHostetler to investigate Browder. ...

The memo that she took into the [Trump Tower] meeting includes only one passing reference to the Clinton campaign. It suggested that the Clinton campaign took illegal campaign contributions from Ziff Brothers, an investment fund affiliated with Browder. ...

In an interview with NBC, Veselnitskaya said that she worked as a consultant to Chaika on the Browder case. The admission is significant because it ties Veselnitskaya to the upper echelons of the Kremlin, a link which she has previously denied.

“I was in effect, the primary source of this information for the Russian Prosecutor General’s office. They then published the facts I uncovered,” she told NBC News ...

Fusion provided the information on Browder to Veselnitskaya in 2014, she said. ...

Fusion research given to Chaika was used by the Kremlin official to call for legal assistance from the U.S. government in going after Browder.

Browder pushed back against the Fusion GPS attacks last year, filing a complaint with the Justice Department accusing Fusion GPS and Simpson of working as foreign agents of Russia but failing to properly register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. ...

[end quote]

http://dailycaller.com/2017/11/13/anti-kremlin-banker-fusion-gps-assisted-putin-regime-in-effort-to-have-me-imprisoned-and-killed/

readering said...

Hyperbole and humor, maybe?

Drago said...

Earnest Prole: "It’s not either/or: They are liberal Democrats with a strong interest in Israel’s survival."

I think thats close but you would need to be precise about the liberal part since things have gone a bit sideways there over the ladt few decades

Anonymous said...

So, does this mean that the #RussiaCollusion faithful are reduced to looking to Steve Bannon to #KeepHopeAlive?

Lol. 2018 is going to be even crazier than 2017.

Drago said...

Season Two of The Trump Presidency is starting off hot...like a fire at the Clinton residence in Chappaqua hot.

Gee, lets all hope that missing subpoenaed evidence did not just go up in flames.

Thats the kind of thing that will trigger LLR Chucks Strong Dem Defender mode awefully fast!


The Vault Dweller said...

Bannon lashing out at Trump seems odd. I do think Bannon is upset that Trump hasn't gone full fire and brimstone on the Swamp like his rhetoric promised in the campaign. But I think Trump is far better attuned to what he can do organizationally than Bannon. Trump has run multiple businesses that employed tens of thousands of people for decades, he has a good idea of how much you can push to get things done or changed in an organization before there is revolt. During the campaign, I worried if Trump was a real conservative and I didn't think he could win the presidency let alone the nomination in the beginning. Now I am beginning to think he might be the most effective conservative President we will have seen in generations. Even more so than Reagan.

Drago said...

Its all ver clear that it was Michael Cohen...er...Paul Manafort..er...Carter Page...er...Donald Trump Jr...er....Pappadopopopopopsnuffleupogus....er...(insert next name here) who was the collusion go-between...
.

Lol

Drago said...

"Now I am beginning to think he might be the most effective conservative President we will have seen in generations. Even more so than Reagan."

LLR Chuck, as always, hardest hit.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“So, does this mean that the #RussiaCollusion faithful are reduced to looking to Steve Bannon to #KeepHopeAlive?”

No, I think Papadoplous (and others) have the goods. I’m sure Mueller will soon be interviewing Bannon, if he already hasn’t. Interesting about all the references to money laundering.

I can’t wait for Omarosa’s book.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

It’s cute to see a Drago trying to keep a brave face on.

Unknown said...

Interesting flow on this blog. The commentators seem to verge between Obama derangement syndrome and Trump derangement syndrome. Ann seems to have lost her cruel neutrality and fallen for the real master persuader, Scott Adams. Folks who rightly are critical of the MSM accept as gospel the writings of the right wing media such as the Daily Caller.

It seems to be that everyone on here had been curiously circumspect that money laundering may be at the root of the Mueller investigation as Bannon assets. No one seems to be bothered by the unwillingness of Trump to open up his finances.

So those of you on the right side here, are you prepared for the cognitive dissonance of having a President that you like and whose polices you are loved to be tied up in a possible criminal enterprise. Kind of like Clinton eh??

Welcome to interesting times.

StephenFearby said...

MATT DRUDGE ✔ @DRUDGE
No wonder schizophrenic Steve Bannon has been walking around with a small army of bodyguards...
10:01 AM - Jan 3, 2018

Schizophrenics have brain inflammation (also reflected in greater or lesser extent in other DSM categories of mental health issues).

Bannon looks increasingly unhealthy, with a haggard face and an enormous gut, by my eye much bigger than even Trump's or Hilary Clinton's.

Big guts (metabolic syndrome) pump out lots of inflammatory cytokines.

Bannon apparently thinks he is much smarter than everyone else, but his recent decisions (going all out for Roy Moore, attacking Trump Jr.) are those of either an irrational true believer or just an irrational mental case on his way to dementia.

IMO, the only way to save Bannon's mind now is a steroid shot for the inflammation in his brain. Except that usually isn't done.

Instead, he could try electroconvulsive therapy (AKA electric shock therapy). They've used it a lot in the past for crazy people in lieu of a prefrontal lobotomy. Turns out they've recently concluded that it actually does reduce brain inflammation after your brain is fried (but you lose a lot of memory).

Brain Stimul. 2018 Jan - Feb;11(1):29-51.

Electroconvulsive therapy, depression, the immune system and inflammation: A systematic review.

"...Our review shows that there is an acute immuno-inflammatory response immediately following an ECT session. There is an acute stress reaction. Studies show an increase in the plasma levels of cortisol and of interleukins 1 and 6. However, at the end of the course of treatment, ECT produces, in the long term, a fall in the plasma level of cortisol, a reduction in the levels of TNF alpha and interleukin 6."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29111078


But ECT is old stuff. Now there's a Canadian anti-inflammatory 810nm near-infrared LED array called the Vielight Neuro Gamma that doesn't fry your brain (even though Bannon may deserve it).

https://vielight.com/product/vielight-neuro-gamma/


Their latest model has spectacular case study results for Alzheimers / Dementia.

P2-043 COMPLEMENTARY EEG EVIDENCE FOR A SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE CASE AFTER PHOTOBIOMODULATION TREATMENT

http://aanddjournal.net/article/S1552-5260(17)30924-X/pdf

Controlled study now underway at U San Francisco in Clinical Trials.

Go for it, Steve!

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

If you read the links at Drudge - the hyper-crazed headlines hide the fact that there is nothing new in the report. We all know that Don Jr. took a meeting with some Russian and she was going to give him some dirt on Hillary, but she never did.
This proves what exactly?

traditionalguy said...

I confess to liking Bannon. He is perceptive and bold. His problem may simply be enemy identification leading to Friendly Fire incidents over and over. He asserts things before he is sure whom his enemy is, making him the Baker Mayfield of politics. He has superior skills but attacks with them too fast to follow plans.

By contrast to Steve Bannon, Trump is a planner and strategist that only seems to be shooting from the hip. Trump has spent many years years making plans to trap and destroy the crooked politicians.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Bannon really looks and sounds like a guy who has lost his mind.

Remember - dirt on Hillary = Illegal!

Fake dirt on Trump drummed up by the FBI and Clinton - all A-OK!

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Robert Payne said...

So those of you on the right side here, are you prepared for the cognitive dissonance of having a President that you like and whose polices you are loved to be tied up in a possible criminal enterprise.

I'm not sure why you expect us to have cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance results from holding contradictory beliefs. Why would we choose to do that? If Trump is guilty of money laundering, then he is guilty of money laundering. Go ahead and impeach him, you'll have my support.

But first, show me evidence.

Michael K said...

"Family is family. Steve is old and smart enough to know he wont win that one. "

I think this is probably it.

I have previously referred to the Trump kids being very naive and responsible for hiring Manafort who was bad news.

"Treason" is probably hyperbole but they did a foolish thing that Bannon was later called in to try to fix.

Jared did a very good job with the social media campaign but it was a big mistake to get involved with a slimy operator like Manafort

Bannon was not enthusiastic about joining and was happy to leave.

I keep saying Read the Lewandowski book, Inga would benefit from doing so but I suspect it would be over her head,

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Mainstream media errors in the Trump era:

IE:
The Claim: Republicans funded the Trump-Russia dossier.

The Source: CNN's Evan Perez.

The Facts: GOP donor Paul Singer contracted Fusion GPS via the Washington Free Beacon during the 2016 primaries to perform opposition research on Trump and the other Republican candidates. The research that was done for that specific project is ultimately unrelated to the so-called "Russia dossier."

and on and on...

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Bannon looks increasingly unhealthy, with a haggard face and an enormous gut, by my eye much bigger than even Trump's or Hilary Clinton's.”

Maybe he should wear pancake makeup, like Trump. Bannon’s gut looks to be no bigger than Trump’s. All those inflammatory cytokines emanating from Trump’s derrière are downright dangerous.

Drago said...

Inga: "No, I think Papadoplous (and others) have the goods."
Before it was Cohen who had the goods.

Then Manafort. Then Page. Then DTJ. Next week it will be someone else. Anyone else.

Lol

Ah, the fake Clinton/Putin russian dossier early on was the most fun. Now it seems so long ago.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Before it was Cohen who had the goods.
Then Manafort. Then Page. Then DTJ. Next week it will be someone else. Anyone else.
Ah, the fake Clinton/Putin russian dossier early on was the most fun. Now it seems so long ago.”

You’ll just have to be patient Drago, the Mueller investigation is not yet over.

Michael K said...

The hysteria shows no sign of waning.

Now it's "Money Laundering"

Go find some evidence and get back to me,.

Meanwhile, I suspect Priestap is spilling his guts to Nunes.

The OIG report is coming soon.

A newly released court order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) found that the National Security Agency, under former President Obama, routinely violated American privacy protections while scouring through overseas intercepts and failed to disclose the extent of the problems until the final days before Donald Trump was elected president last fall.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Hilarious watch: the left, who flopped and twitched in spasms of rage on the floor in a convulsion of head-exploding hatred over Bannon - they now love him.

Good stuff.

Mike Sylwester said...

Following are excerpts from an article by Chuck Ross, titled "Fusion GPS Founder Told Congress He Regrets That His Research Ended Up In Kremlin Hands", published on the Daily Caller website on November 11.

[quote]

.... the Fusion GPS partner [Glenn Simpson] also told the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that he knew that Christopher Steele, the British spy who wrote the dossier, had provided briefings to the FBI during the campaign. ....

While Fusion GPS was being paid by the Clinton campaign and DNC for the Trump investigation, the firm was also working for BakerHostetler, a law firm that was representing Prevezon Holdings, a Russian energy company that faced stiff penalties from the Magnitsky Act.

Fusion’s task was to investigate Bill Browder, a London-based banker who is almost single-handedly responsible for pushing through the Magnitsky Act ....

Simpson worked closely on the Browder project with Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer who represents Prevezon and who also attended the infamous June 9, 2016 meeting with Donald Trump Jr. at Trump Tower.

Simpson gave his Browder research to Veselnitskaya, who in turn took it to the Trump Tower meeting in the form of a four-page memo.

Veselnitskaya also recently acknowledged to NBC News that in Oct. 2015, she took research that Simpson compiled on Browder to [Russia's Prosecutor General Yuri] Chaika ....

Veselnitskaya also said that she consulted for Chaika, whose position is the equivalent of the U.S. attorney general. In May 2016, Chaika called on the U.S. government to help Russia in its efforts to detain Browder. ...

Trump supporters have said that Simpson and Veselnitskaya’s involvement raises the possibility that the meeting was a setup, or that disinformation from the meeting was shared with Steele, the author of the dossier. ...

Steele first met with an FBI official in Rome in early July 2016, just weeks after he wrote his first memo for the dossier. Several weeks later, the FBI opened its counterintelligence investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives. ...

Steele met with FBI agents again in September. The two sides reportedly struck an informal agreement in which Steele would be paid to continue gathering information on Trump. The deal fell apart and Steele was never paid for his work. CNN has reported that the FBI did compensate Steele for some expenses. ...

[end quote]

http://dailycaller.com/2017/11/17/fusion-gps-founder-told-congress-he-regrets-that-his-research-ended-up-in-kremlin-hands/

dreams said...

Noise, ignore the noise.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

We all know that Don Jr. took a meeting with some Russian and she was going to give him some dirt on Hillary, but she never did.
This proves what exactly?

1/3/18, 2:32 PM

Not a damn thing. Another nothing burger.

But it gives excitement and meaning to Inga's boring life.

Birches said...

If you read the links at Drudge - the hyper-crazed headlines hide the fact that there is nothing new in the report. We all know that Don Jr. took a meeting with some Russian and she was going to give him some dirt on Hillary, but she never did.
This proves what exactly?


That Bannon thinks it was collusion. Obviously, Steven Bannon's word is the law of the land on this subject, of course....

I'm not sure why you expect us to have cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance results from holding contradictory beliefs. Why would we choose to do that? If Trump is guilty of money laundering, then he is guilty of money laundering. Go ahead and impeach him, you'll have my support.

Exactly, I'm sure we'd be all broken up with a Pence Presidency...

He asserts things before he is sure whom his enemy is, making him the Baker Mayfield of politics.

This is a great line.

tcrosse said...

You’ll just have to be patient Drago, the Mueller investigation is not yet over.

It sounds like the Horizon, an imaginary line which recedes as one approaches it.


buwaya said...

These are interesting times.
There are going to be a lot of interesting books about it, assuming anyone can still read by then, as I expect the times are going to get even more interesting.
And who was handling money how are going to be trivial details.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

But wait.... Money Laundering!

The Russians laundered Don Jr.s Money. You know they did! You feel it deep inside.

I Callahan said...

I think this is the real truth.

I listen to Breitbart News on Sirius (Patriot Channel) most mornings on the way to work. The above is definitely correct. He's got a bit of a hard-on for Jared and Ivanka. In fairness, I'm suspicious of them also. It looks to me like he pressed too hard, and blood is thicker than water, so the President put his foot down.

I like Steve Bannon, but he may have slit his own throat here.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Dickin'Bimbos@Home said...
Hilarious watch: the left, who flopped and twitched in spasms of rage on the floor in a convulsion of head-exploding hatred over Bannon - they now love him.

Good stuff.

1/3/18, 2:46 PM

Just like the trained seals that make up Steven Colbert's audience reflexively clapped and cheered when Colbert told them Trump had fired Comey - and Colbert had to stop them and tell them that no, no, the firing was very, very bad!

In 5 seconds flat, the villain who was responsible for Hillary losing the election became a sainted hero - and the Left suddenly had a deep love of and respect for the FBI that was not at all apparent back in the days of the Church Commission. HOW DARE we question law enforcement? say the same people who have been applauding BLM for the last few years.

Inga's mind is like a Etch-A-Stetch - remember those? You drew your nice little picture and then shook it and in a flash that picture was gone and you began anew.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Bottom line, it's illegal to beat a Clinton.

Michael said...

So Inga is now solidly behind the fascist Bannon and the teams of tiki carrying white supremacists he has in thrall. His every word is now what we once called "Gospel, " he of the hated false news organ Breibart. LfuckingOL

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

LOL - Exiled 2:59 - You nailed it.

The dip-shits in Colbert's audience cannot think for themselves. Comey bad... no wait Comey good!

Comey cost Hillary the election. But Trump cannot fire him.

I Callahan said...

Its all ver clear that it was Michael Cohen...er...Paul Manafort..er...Carter Page...er...Donald Trump Jr...er....Pappadopopopopopsnuffleupogus....er...(insert next name here) who was the collusion go-between...

It was Roth. He's been dying of the same heart attack for 20 years...

:)

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Hilarious watch: the left, who flopped and twitched in spasms of rage on the floor in a convulsion of head-exploding hatred over Bannon - they now love him.”

This is deluded. No one on the left loves Bannon, never did, never will. That was you Trumpists, not us. But it is hilarious to see you folks scrambling.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“So Inga is now solidly behind the fascist Bannon and the teams of tiki carrying white supremacists he has in thrall. His every word is now what we once called "Gospel, " he of the hated false news organ Breibart.”

Actually, no. But I love seeing your righty heads exploding.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

My head isn't exploding at all. I think it's a nothingburger.

What is hilarious is that you're pissing your Depends for the 150th time because you think that this will actually be what gets Trump.

You're like Wile E. Coyote eternally running after the Road Runner and ending up with the anvil dropping on your empty head instead.

Carry on. Continue to beclown yourself.

Original Mike said...

"But I love seeing your righty heads exploding."

Because someone said something derogatory about Trump?

Unprecedented!

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

If the FBI were not filled with biased unprofessional in-the-tank(D) hacks, Hillary would have been indicted and forced to exit the race.

John Pickering said...

Steve Bannon may be a racist xenophobe and a double-downer on protecting sex harassers but at least he seems to be able to recognize treasonous behavior when he sees it. Trump's comments today show once again the shrewd perspicacity and sense of humor that Ann and her Scott Adams person find so compelling. I thought Ann was some sort of law professor?

Unknown said...

Michael K. and Dickin Bimbos-- you all are great commentators. So is Inga. Love reading all of you. Please realize that if Inga was not around, this would be a giant echo chamber. You do not need to make ad hominen attacks.

I do start to worry that the blog content is starting to run on fumes with the constant recycling of the same bloglords: Scott Adams, Instapundit and Andy McCarthy. Not to mention Drudge and Rush. Wish there were more insightful links.

I think the interesting thing is whether Scott Adams is right and Trump is the master persuader/mr demolition and really is playing a long hand or whether he is a lucky guy holding on by his fingertips until this all comes crashing down. If the later is true, would Adams admit his error?

I would really like more insight and solid speculation on the Bannon/Trump breach and its significance. Any speculation on where things go if Trump is actually clean ( as I begin to think) and Jared and Don Jr have indictable financial wrongdoings.

Enjoying the back and forth.



Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Wish there were more insightful links.”

First of all, thanks Robert. As for the links, I’ve been lambasted for linking to media other than the ones you’ve mentioned. These people aren’t interested in points of view that don’t conform to the majority here.

Unknown said...

Inga:

Cruel neutrality here. I am not in your corner or Michael K's

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Drudge sucks.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

My comment about crazed bugged eyed hate filled drooling leftists who hate Bannon - not directed at Igna. :-)

Unknown said...

You guys rock!

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Cruel neutrality here. I am not in your corner or Michael K's”

That’s good. But thanks anyway, I know full well that if I and a few other lefties weren’t here it would be an echo chamber.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Drudge sucks.”

Since when, today? You people loved him yesterday.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

No - Drudge has sucked for some time now in my book. The slide happened before the election. Or perhaps I'm bored with him.

roesch/voltaire said...

Banon just another low level coffe boy in the Trump administration who had no impact on anything like speeches etc. ignore this and wait for the next funny tweet form our leader.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Or perhaps I'm bored with him.”

But Trump still tittlates you, huh?

Unknown said...

I understand Inga! The commentary on sites like althouse and instapundit is blood sport, but sometimes I glean some insights nonetheless. Dickin Bimbos would sorely miss you. Doubt that Michael K would care. With that photo I think of him as a right wind Hunter S Thompson. Can't help it...l or an aging Jared Leto.

Unknown said...

Opps right wing Hunter S Thompson

Unknown said...

Dickin-- I agree that Bannon and the left cheering the possible takedown would be only a marriage of convenience, but this whole relationship between Bannon/Trump is bizarre. There is more here than just a hot book tease....or is there? Thoughts?

Does Don do down or Don Jr?

Unknown said...

I am claw handed...signing off....

Bay Area Guy said...

I like Bannon, and it's pretty clear that he doesn't think much of Jared and Trump kids. Born on third base, but believe they hit a political triple.

But I don't see why he would pick a public spat with Trump over such small potatoes.

Achilles said...

Robert Payne said...

I would really like more insight and solid speculation on the Bannon/Trump breach and its significance. Any speculation on where things go if Trump is actually clean ( as I begin to think) and Jared and Don Jr have indictable financial wrongdoings.

Jared/Ivanka and Bannon never got along. Jared brought in Cohen and Mnuchin and a bunch of other globalists. They have been outside the swamp but are IMO in the globalist camp. I am in the Bannon/America First camp so I understand the break. Bannon and Kushner were two cats fighting in a bag from the start. Ivanka has acted like a princess from the start and there are other stories about her activities. Kelley had her kicked out of the Oval Office for all intents and purposes.

Trump is doing the right things policy wise and I am not sure why Bannon is seemingly freaking out now except to sell his book. But Bannon is going to go after people in the Trump admin it is no surprise it is Kushner. He never got long with Cohen and some of the others either for above reasons.

Kevin said...

Bannon won't just sell more books. He can now get a job as a CNN commenter because he's no longer in the Trump camp.

Cha-Ching! Trump be makin' it rain at Steve's crib!

Browndog said...

I'm giving this 48 hours to shake out. One thing is for sure, if you come for Don Jr., the gates of Hell will open up.

Jim at said...

Can’t wait to hear Steve Bannon get accused of Trump Derangement Syndrome, LOL!

Princess Sky Screamer is now on Team Bannon.

And yet, we're the ones being played.

Again, I only hope I'm here when the padded trucks haul her away.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

John Pickering said...

Steve Bannon may be a racist xenophobe and a double-downer on protecting sex harassers but at least he seems to be able to recognize treasonous behavior when he sees it.

John-

Perhaps you could answer the question nobody has bothered to answer:

In what way is it treasonous? If Clinton actually engaged in criminal behavior, why should the Trump campaign not shine a light on it? Why do you prefer the darkness? Do you want democracy to die?

Michael K said...

You do not need to make ad hominen attacks.

So, I am out having a life and buying my wife a new gun for her birthday and I come back and am scolded for being mean to Inga ?

I've tried to be nice to Inga but then she comes back with nasty obscene comments almost as bad as Ritmo.

I quit the blog for a while before the election in 2016 because the tone was so nasty,

Bob Boyd said...

if Bannon did lose his mind since Trump was elected he has plenty of company.

walter said...

I HATE it when I launder my money.
Damn it. Gotta check the pockets!

Jon Ericson said...

Apt.
Payne indeed.

Jon Ericson said...

Hey!
We can look forward to Pedro's 'dropping' by.
I think shit-for-brains stopped off for his
mental lubrication so it'll be off to the
races in about ten minutes.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“I've tried to be nice to Inga but then she comes back with nasty obscene comments almost as bad as Ritmo.”

Oh please. You said I had a “little mind”, so I said you had a little dick. It was a joke in response to your insult. Don’t be such a baby.

Jon Ericson said...

In the meantime, Inga can amuse us.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Again, I only hope I'm here when the padded trucks haul her away.”

To where you’ve been living for your entire adult life? No thanks, that’s your turf.

Jon Ericson said...

So amuse us.

Jon Ericson said...

Pedro's probably delayed due to 'climate change'.

Jon Ericson said...

Cue kettle drums from
Also Sprach Zarathustra.

Jon Ericson said...

Cavernous Inga.

Jon Ericson said...

It seems the grease traps at "Brazil Steakhouse #23"
needed a little extra work tonight.

Jon Ericson said...

"Beemer's in the shop"

Jon Ericson said...

"Talking points late tonight"

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

It's the kind of breakup where you say I never loved you.

The only kind Trump knows, of course.

He's in love with an image of himself anyway, you know.

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tell-if-you-are-talking-to-a-psychopath-or-narcissist-2017-12/#narcissists-tend-to-use-more-offensive-language-4

Jon Ericson said...

Dipshit.

Michael K said...

"Don’t be such a baby."

Inga, you are nasty and obscene. I have given you the benfit of the doubt before but you are a troll.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Inga, you are nasty and obscene.

And you're as unstable as a three-legged stool, K. Changing your extreme opinions every other minute. You're as narcissistic as Trump.

Jon Ericson said...

Actually, every nurse I've 'known' has been either rather obscene (Irish), or trying to sell me drugs she stole from the hospital (Vietnamese).
I liked the first. For a long time. ;)
Immediately dropped the second.
What kind are you Inga?

Ignorance is Bliss said...


The Toothless Revolutionary said...

And you're as unstable as a three-legged stool, K.

*facepalm*

Jon Ericson said...

Away with the joint-stools; remove.

William said...

I think this will do more damage to Bannon than to Trump. Whatever else Bannon may be, he is not loyal nor someone to share a confidence with. That said, it was Trump who invited the mercurial Bannon into the tent......Trump governs as a moderate Republican and his policies are sane, but there's a reality show component to his presidency. It's not so much the drama, but the melodrama that keeps you on edge. Tune in tomorrow for the next sudden plot change.........I'd bet dollars to donuts that at least one of the Trump boys gets a divorce in the next ten years. I only pray that they don't go on to marry a Kardashian. Be kind of neat if one of them was named a correspondent in Chelsea's divorce though.

Bob Loblaw said...

Bannon always sold himself to the press as having more influence than he really had. The press went along with it because they could turn him into a bogeyman the Democrats could use. Just how much influence he had is really an open question, but I don't think it's a good career move to say, essentially, "my boss does whatever I tell him to do".

chickelit said...

Trump needs to be careful about trashing Steve Bannon for the sake of protecting his kids which is what this now looks like. Trump must never forget that Bannon is on record supporting the sort of Americans who elected Trump.

Trump's children -- all of them -- have spotty records at best and appear to serve only the wealthy. In other words, for Trump, blood is thicker than water; but for Trump supporters, water runs deeper than just Trump's offspring. That's just the way it is.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

It just dawned on me this bannon trump fight is just too pat, too beneficial for both of them. They are playing everybody.

Remember when Joe Biden supposedly talked Obama into supporting gay marriage?

We all saw right through the choreography.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I’m watching game of thrones.

Like one of Althouse tags says... nothing is what it seems.

Jon Ericson said...

Inga is probably pleasantly sloppy.

Jon Ericson said...

Pedro, on the other hand, probably spits and bites.
(no thanks Pedro)

Rusty said...

Is Bannon Trumps Falstaff?

Maybe Inga is drinking with ritmo. Or anyone else hat will buy her a drink. Sort of a simian chippie.
Or does 'chippie' connote a younger bonobo?