६ जानेवारी, २०१८

Understanding "Pissgate."


It seems clear to me, even from that little context, that the idea was that these people wanted the Russia/collusion scandal to become so big that by comparison Watergate look like practically nothing, that is, like piss (as in the vice-Presidency is "not worth a bucket of warm piss").

But since I have to explain that, we need to count it against the author Michael Wolff. He's trying to make Trump look confused for thinking there was a reference to the "golden showers" story, but even readers who are antagonistic to Trump are experiencing the very confusion that was supposed to make Trump look bad.

८५ टिप्पण्या:

readering म्हणाले...

Play on water.

rhhardin म्हणाले...

Piss=water gate is a better joke, that's why it's assumed, given the dossier's story.

Bay Area Guy म्हणाले...

The "Get Trump" Squad has been pissing in their pants since Nov 2016.

Imagine their reaction if Justice Kennedy retires in June, and Trump nominates Judge Willam Pryor or Ted Cruz to SCOTUS. The 5th vote to undo Roe v Wade will turn these little "piss-ants" into something a bit more unpleasant.

rhhardin म्हणाले...

A bucket of warm piss would take a group effort, owing to cooling.

Hagar म्हणाले...

I think Jeff Sessions was/is trying to act like a gentleman in time of war.

As for the DoJ, Eric Holder stated that he saw his appointment as U.S. Attorney General as his opportunity to do what he could for "his people," which apparently did not include the other 87% of American citizens of whatever race, sex, religion, or political affiliation.

Paco Wové म्हणाले...

Which has more intrinsic value per bucketful, warm piss or cold piss? Discuss.

n.n म्हणाले...

Watergate is eclipsed by Water Closet... Obama spying, DNC denying, and Clinton colluding, in order to influence the election, while JournoLists from the Fourth Estate gallop and blare their bullhorns in a cover-up.

Unknown म्हणाले...

"The DOJ was filled with women who hated him."

Has there been any leak, anywhere, which would help disprove this notion?

From the internet:

"Hillary Clinton has received more than $275,000 from more than 1,600 employees at the Justice Department this year, federal donor records reveal, and exceeded the number who contributed to Donald Trump by a factor of almost 40.'

- james james

rehajm म्हणाले...

The flaw in the strategy is trying to Watergate someome who cannot not be cowed into submission by career politicians. You’re left with impeachment if you garner the votes. Even then he doesn’t go away.

You should probably kill youselves.

Jaq म्हणाले...

I see people were telling Trump about the women at the DOJ I don't see the evidence Trump believes it.

rehajm म्हणाले...

In Britain Trump will never be pissed.

rehajm म्हणाले...

Also: Watergate was practically nothing.

Jaq म्हणाले...

It doesn't work because it is an inside joke with factors required to understand it withheld. It's an attempted ironic gymnastic leap, but it doesn't stick the landing.

David Begley म्हणाले...

How about the fact that one party paid Russian intel for fake stories that were used to dupe a federal judge. Judge issues a wiretap order. Spying on candidate and president-elect begins.

Add the fact that FBI agents and DOJ sandbag a criminal investigation and protect one candidate.

Worse than Watergate.

Sprezzatura म्हणाले...

Presumably Russian gals pissing the bed is a persuasion kill shot. Folks can’t escape this imaginary.

Anywho, l’m sure this is all part of DJT’s plan re 2020.



Bay Area Guy म्हणाले...

Mickey Kaus on Twitter:

Amazing that Dems have spent 98% of their energy since Nov. 2106 trying to undo the election--grasping at any possibility (Steele, Mueller, Wolff, etc.)--instead of figuring out why they lost voters in PA, MI, WI. Seems suicidal.

Understatement of the year.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

That collective left think the dossier is "mostly true" - and therefore, the golden shower story is "mostly true."

Kevin म्हणाले...

Trump believing the DOJ is “filled with women” explains A LOT

Can this woman not fucking read? Or does she just lie for a living?

It's not that she didn't know. She linked to the page and highlighted the sentence.

"filled with women" is not the same as "filled with women who hated him". If there were only two women at the DOJ and they both hated him, the assertion would be true.

And that's leaving out the whole possibility that Trump may or may not have believed what he was told.

This is exactly the kind of taking out of context and asserting as true whatever someone says that allows people to feel someone else is "so stupid" and therefore I am "so right". In other words, it's exactly the kind of taking out of context that's tearing the country apart.

cronus titan म्हणाले...

"The DOJ was filled with people who hated him." FIFY.

We have learned since July 2016 that the Obama Administration did a great job populating DoJ and FBI with politically active and supportive personnel. "They hate Trump" is an unremarkable statement. The pursuit of Trump and Clinton reflect a lack of legal professionalism, as well as savvy political skills. Had their plan to get Hillary elected been successful, no one would ever learn of their shenanigans.

Comanche Voter म्हणाले...

Or you might just say that Michael Wolf, a cunning fabulist, is simply a little piss ant--as they describe such out here in Comanche country.

Jersey Fled म्हणाले...

Let me count the ways.

1. Recounts (Trump picked up votes)
2. Discredit the electoral college (unfaithful electors, agree to vote for Romney)
3. Take it to the street (pussy hat marches, Anti-fa)
4. Orchestrated leaks by Obama holdovers, wiretaps, unmasking.
5. Russian collusion, insurance policy, Fusion GPS
6. 25th Amendment (He's crazy)

These people are truly demented.

FullMoon म्हणाले...

What if everything in the book is true? A lot of talk about Trump being dumb, incompetent, strange?

And yet, things seem to be going well.

LLR's, titty twisters, Ingas and other cry babies always complain about what Trump has not done yet, or what he will do in the future. Trump is like global warming, something bad bound to happen, someday.

No word yet on how Trump has affected anyone in a negative way.

Kate म्हणाले...

I came here to say what @kevin just said.

Fritz म्हणाले...

I thought anal sex was Ana Marie Cox's forte, not golden showers.

rhhardin म्हणाले...

Ama Marie Cox was on Imus long ago where she confessed she didn't particularly like sex, it was just a writing thing. Back when wonkette.com was good.

walter म्हणाले...

"Trump believing the DOJ is “filled with women” explains A LOT"
Ah. Like..what?

Thi stuff is sure front row. Wolff says a source told him a source told Trump. Not even an attempt to show Trump's response.
But this Cox twit knows...she KNOOOOWWWSSS!

Chuck म्हणाले...

I mostly agree with you here, Althouse. I Googled the terms “althouse.blogspot” and “pissgate” and the latter term was in regular use among your commentariat at the time in question. Trump’s “confusion” ought to have been understandable. But the way that Wolff wrote it, was it such an insult to Trump? Trump was reportedly confused, but Wolff didn’t editorialize about the confusion beyond that.

I see your point; I also don’t see it as much of an error on the part of Wolff.

walter म्हणाले...

You had to google that, Chuck?

Yancey Ward म्हणाले...

I find myself in rare agreement with Chuck- the reference could have confused anyone given the material in the dossier. Saying that Trump was confused by it isn't at all a libel.

That Cox can't seem to understand exactly who said what in that excerpt makes me think she is truly a moron.

Inga...Allie Oop म्हणाले...

“And yet, things seem to be going well.”

Sez the guy who regularity barks on these threads.

walter म्हणाले...

Has anyone heard the term "pissgate" prior to that dossier?

William म्हणाले...

It's an item of faith among the left that in former years the FBI and the US government were unduly prejudiced against Communists and black radicals. Why is it so hard for them to understand that the FBI and the DOJ in present times might be unduly prejudiced against Trump and tea party conservatives? Is prejudice and bias only a right wing phenomenon?

Michael K म्हणाले...

I strongly encourage anyone who wants to know where this is going to the CTH summary about the coming scandal.

1.) …”On numerous occasions the [Obama] intelligence community incidentally collected information about U.S. citizens involved in the Trump transition.”

2.) “Details about U.S. persons associated with the incoming administration; details with little or no apparent foreign intelligence value were widely disseminated in intelligence community reporting.”

3.) “Third, I have confirmed that additional names of Trump transition members were unmasked.”

4.) “Fourth and finally, I want to be clear; none of this surveillance was related to Russia, or the investigation of Russian activities.

“The House Intelligence Committee will thoroughly investigate surveillance and its subsequent dissemination, to determine a few things here that I want to read off:”

trumpintroublenow म्हणाले...

"Hillary Clinton has received more than $275,000 from more than 1,600 employees at the Justice Department this year, federal donor records reveal, and exceeded the number who contributed to Donald Trump by a factor of almost 40."

DOJ has about 113,000 employees (2012 re Wiki). So about 1.5% of DOJ employees donated to Hillary Clinton. That number prob includes all the political appointees -- who were put there by Obama and wanted to keep their job. I bet that number is well over 500.

The conclusion I would draw -- if there is a conclusion to draw - is that DOJ career employees are largely apolitical.



Fernandinande म्हणाले...

Ana Marie Cox --> Mania Coaxer

Drago म्हणाले...

Steve Uhr: "The conclusion I would draw -- if there is a conclusion to draw - is that DOJ career employees are largely apolitical."

LOL

And McCabe had no conflict of interest.

And the IRS didn't target conservative groups.

And James Rosen (Fox Reporter) AS WELL AS HIS PARENTS totally deserved being spied upon (full electronic surveillance) and following all that up with labeling Rosen officially as a "Flight risk" so he did not have to be informed of these actions.

And there's not a smidgen of corruption.

Pull the other one Stevie boy.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

Non-stop empty impeachment porn pushed daily by the DNC-MSM.

madAsHell म्हणाले...

Hilarious!! I saw the same headline about "impeachment porn", and my first thought was posting it here. You beat me to it!!

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

"Gross Negligence" changed to "Extremely Careless" by democrats inside the FBI who supported Hillary. Peter Strozk - the very same guy who texted and discussed an "insurance Policy" against Trump with Andrew McCabe.

Yeah - FBi is bias and hack free..

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

FBI-Gate. Strozk-Gate.

"So look, you say we text on that phone when we talk about Hillary because it can't be traced, you were just venting, bc you feel bad that you're gone so much but that can't be helped right now,"
--Page wrote on April 2, according to a text released by the DOJ last week.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

"I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy's office — that there's no way he gets elected — but I'm afraid we can’t take that risk," he wrote. "It's like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you're 40."

--Peter Strozk - non-biased infallible FBI-man of high integrity, working on both the Clinton Private Server for cash AND the fake insurance policy.

walter म्हणाले...

Civil servants gonna serve..somebody.

Bay Area Guy म्हणाले...

@Michael K,

That was an excellent summary and analysis of the NSA spying on the Trump campaign. As a country, we are so fortunate that Clapper, Brennan, Yates, Rice, Power and the other left wing DOJ/FBI/NSA micreants are out of power.

Jim at म्हणाले...

Start from the assumption the left has gone completely batshit insane, and it all makes sense.

That's why I couldn't possibly care less about each, breathless report that THIS!!! will finally be the x that brings down Donald J. Trump.

Most of us simply have better things to do than listen to the rantings of lunatics like Ana Marie Cox.

Jaq म्हणाले...

Basically we are supposed to take Cox seriously on account of she is photogenic? That’s as much as I can get out of her twitter feed.

Wince म्हणाले...

Trump believing the DOJ is “filled with women”...

Romney had binders full of women.

Jaq म्हणाले...

I like the comment that Trump doesn’t understand the semiotics of the presidency. Maybe he doesn’t, but if that’s true, he doesn’t understand them the way fish don’t understand water.

robother म्हणाले...

The smoking gun evidence that Trump is insane that the Left sees every day is their own insanity, their obsession with his personality, their inability to let go of an election their team lost a year ago. Like many insane people, they seem to lack any self-awareness about how deranged their obsessions make them appear to ordinary people.

A year in, this is no passing sickness. As with Ann's chronicling of the Madison Left's reactions to Scott Walker (which is where I came into this blog), you begin to see that Progressive politics is literally undermining the ordinary sanity of its devotees. To coin a term, Sad!

trumpintroublenow म्हणाले...

When I read the "insurance policy" quote -- it seems that is is saying that our investigation of Trump people will be made more difficult if he becomes president (duh), so we should assume he will be elected and proceed ASAP.

Assuming the investigation is legitimate (which is beyond the scope of this comment), what's so bad about that?

Drago म्हणाले...

Steve Uhr: "When I read the "insurance policy" quote -- it seems that is is saying that our investigation of Trump people will be made more difficult if he becomes president (duh), so we should assume he will be elected and proceed ASAP."

LOL

Kevin म्हणाले...

Has no one on the left yet realized that Trump's genius Tweet (pun intended) put the spotlight back on him and off the Wolff book?

The Wolff book is now "old news", as I suspect our genius President, like, intended.

Kevin म्हणाले...

Althouse might not even have to finish reading the thing now.

Michael K म्हणाले...

Steve, I agree that thousands of DOJ employees, just like my FBI agent daughter, are apolitical.

The problem is that the Obama administration worked to get political appointees civil service status.

This was reported several years ago.

I suspect that the bias principally resides in higher level employees, many of which were originally political appointees.

It's similar to the military comment that no one should be trusted above O-6. They are all politicians.

Jaq म्हणाले...

When I read the "insurance policy" quote -- it seems that is is saying that our investigation of Trump people will be made more difficult if he becomes president (duh), so we should assume he will be elected and proceed ASAP.

Assuming the investigation is legitimate (which is beyond the scope of this comment), what's so bad about that?


If there were any evidence, over this past year, that the investigation was, in fact, legitimate, then perhaps your interpretation is valid. But that is sort of like looking at this whole mess through a straw. There are far too many stinking facts in play to pretend that you don’t notice the smell. The “insurance policy” comment came in the office of a man whose wife received a huge contribution from a close ally of Hillary Clinton’s. I know that the FBI, filled at the time with Clinton fixers, as we have seen, didn’t see a problem with that, but I guess then if McAuliffe didn’t think he was getting anything for his money, why did he spent it?

Birkel म्हणाले...

Steve Uhr:

Remember that nobody is required to disclose their employer.

Recalculate.

Birkel म्हणाले...

Assume the roles were reversed. Assume the partisanship were reversed.

Steve Uhr would, like, totally believe what he believes now.

Opposite day.

Michael K म्हणाले...

Steve, why not read this and see if you change your opinion.

Even if you do not read it all.

अनामित म्हणाले...

It seems to me that each post on this book deserves Ann's "bullshit" tag.

Sprezzatura म्हणाले...

Right Birkel,

Opposite Day. Assume BHO acted and lied like DJT, incl sex assault acusations and his SoS calling him an idiot. Presumably, y’all would have fussed almost as much as ya did re the tan suit.

walter म्हणाले...

So..375 texts (small portion) released. Others withheld because yoga pics?

walter म्हणाले...

I'm seeing the tan suit bit resurfacing. Was that talking point spouted by Ms. Maddow recently?

buwaya म्हणाले...

If Obamas SOS had called him an idiot we would never have heard of it.
Likewise cases of sex assault.
Most things about the Obama admin were quite opaque.
Uniquely opaque actually.
Just some tiny windows have opened, on matters such as the role of Samantha Power, etc.

Ken B म्हणाले...

Watergate is THE most famous political scandal. More famous than Profumo or Teapot Dome. So the natural reading is to see Watergate as the superlative. Making Pissgate — an existing term used to refer to the dossier claim — equal Watergate is to make Pissgate dominate the news and define a president. This is what these people want. So Althouse is 180 degrees wrong here.

walter म्हणाले...

BHO has a the pre-emptive Nobel.
He's beyond reproach 'sitter.
"Articulate and clean..a fairytale"

Wince म्हणाले...

Don't come over here
Piss on my gate
Save it just keep it off my wave

My Wave


Cry, if you want to cry
If it helps you see
If it clears your eyes

Hate, if you want to hate
If it keeps you safe
If it makes you brave

Pray, if you want to pray
If you like to kneel
If you like to lay

Don't come over here
Piss on my gate
Save it just keep it off my wave

Keep it off my wave
Keep it off my wave, my wave
Keep it off my wave, my wave

Sprezzatura म्हणाले...

Walt,

Memes are as memes do. I think Madcow is too geezer-y to be on this. Maybe someone on her staff could let her in.

I dunno.

walter म्हणाले...

Tan suit, orange hair.
"If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon"
Somehow..We are not a color-blind society.

walter म्हणाले...

I am heartened though..by the love expressed between Sztrok/Page and The Ohr's.
The impassioned pursuit of justice...

walter म्हणाले...

"Robother said...The smoking gun evidence that Trump is insane that the Left sees every day is their own insanity, their obsession
--
When your hair is on fire, there appears to be smoke everywhere.

Michael K म्हणाले...

Just some tiny windows have opened, on matters such as the role of Samantha Power, etc.

That might come if the FBI starts talking. Nobody has heard about Priestap. Maybe he is talking.

madAsHell म्हणाले...

I have to believe that McCabe would roll over to preserve his pension. He has oh-fuck-I'm-the-deer-in-the-headlights eyes.

Jaq म्हणाले...

Yeah, Obama never lied.

Gk1 म्हणाले...

What's becoming clear even to my most panicked liberal friends on the left coast is that the longer the russian "collusion investigation" drags on the more it looks like verifiable collusion between U.S counter intelligence agencies and the obama administration to snoop on a opposing political party during a U.S election. This is unprecedented in U.S history. The desperation has become so palitable that it is now shifted to Trump's sanity at all costs. They aren't fooling anybody.

wwww म्हणाले...

"As with Ann's chronicling of the Madison Left's reactions to Scott Walker (which is where I came into this blog)"

I've wondered if some people on this blog have been thinking:

Madison is to Scott Walker as
the neverTrump reaction is to Trump.

or:
Madison is to Scott Walker as
the FBI is to Trump

I would be wary of drawing this analogy.

Michael K म्हणाले...

"Madison is to Scott Walker as
the FBI is to Trump"

No the John Doe scandal is the Russian Collusion caper.

narciso म्हणाले...

Isn't ana Maria Cox known foe showcasing a certain act by one of her interviewees. Shirley.

robother म्हणाले...

Steve Uhr: "The conclusion I would draw -- if there is a conclusion to draw - is that DOJ career employees are largely apolitical."

And that might be a relevant conclusion, if the Clinton Email, Trump-Russia and Mueller investigations were staffed by a random sample of DOJ and FBI employees (or better yet excluded donors to either Clinton and Trump entirely). Unfortunately, as we now know, the same small cabal of Clinton donors and Trump haters were deeply involved in all 3.

robother म्हणाले...

Michael K: Thank you for the CTH summary of the FBI/DOJ/CIA Obama White House intel uncovered so far, complete with explanation of the security and legal compartments and FISA violations. In Watergate, this was the kind of deep explanation one could find in the NYTimes and WaPo. Since Obama's election, the MSM is part of the coverup.

Michael K म्हणाले...

"Thank you for the CTH summary of the FBI/DOJ/CIA Obama White House intel uncovered "

I find that a great source when complicated matters come up. I once spent about 8 hours reading their coverage of the Trayvon Martin case.

You're welcome.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

MK @ 3:31 - thank you.

Drago म्हणाले...

robother: "Unfortunately, as we now know, the same small cabal of Clinton donors and Trump haters were deeply involved in all 3"

Unexpectedly.

narciso म्हणाले...



Narratives haven't changed in 45 years

http://.americanthinker.com/articles/2018/01/the_post_and_spielbergs_problem_with_the_truth.html

Bob Loblaw म्हणाले...

Trump is blessed by the low quality of his enemies. George Bush would have been ecstatic to look out over the political landscape and see his detractors self-immolate like this.

Jaq म्हणाले...


I would be wary of drawing this analogy. "

Some bright line differences for us would be great! Seems like both involve partisan use of police powers, premised on legal theories that only wash with partisan political eenemies of the political target.

One commonality is that Inga is all in for the jackboots.

n.n म्हणाले...

Was that when the government paid the atheist to dunk an image of Christ in a bowl of urine?