Are the French the New Optimists?
Soul_change
"Americans used to be full of hope. No longer."
Ah, indeed, indeed.
Soul_change
"Americans used to be full of hope. No longer."
Ah, indeed, indeed.
Thursday, March 22, 2018
RICO Trump?
For complex litigation the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, 18 USC 1961, is a legal nuclear weapon which allows all the actors and criminal acts of the conspiracy to be brought under one umbrella. The Trump Organization is an organization within the definition of the act; the Trump campaign was an organization; the Trump administration is an organization. Among the crimes that are "predicate acts" for the statute are obstruction of justice, fraud, and all manner of financial crimes. How does RICO not fit here?
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
"Why Is Trump So Afraid of Russia?"
The former C.I.A. director John Brennan [SAID]..."I think he’s afraid of the president of Russia,” on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program, of the phone call on Tuesday between the two presidents. “The Russians, I think, have had long experience with Mr. Trump and may have things they could expose.”
The possibility that Mr. Putin could have some hold on the American president has lurked in the background over the past year as Mr. Trump displayed a mystifying affection for the Russian leader and ignored or excused his aggressive behavior and nefarious activities, most important, his interference in the 2016 campaign, a subject of the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
...
American intelligence officials say they are certain that he meddled in the 2016 American election on behalf of Mr. Trump and is trying to meddle again in the 2018 election, as well as in many European elections.
...
Mr. Trump has refrained from criticizing Mr. Putin or calling him to account. The phone call reinforced that approach.
What Mr. Trump didn’t say to Mr. Putin was as significant as what he did say. He did not demand that Mr. Putin stop meddling in American elections or others, he did not even raise Moscow’s role in the poisoning.
...
While Mr. Trump panders to Mr. Putin, his criticism of Mr. Mueller, is becoming harsher, as the investigation raises increasingly serious concerns about a web of ties connecting Mr. Trump’s associates to Russia.
Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, has pleaded guilty to lying about his involvement with Russia. A former foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, has pleaded guilty to lying about his involvement with Russians. A former deputy campaign chairman, Rick Gates, who had his own Russian connections along with a now-indicted former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, has pleaded guilty to lying about Russian-related matters.
Mr. Mueller has subpoenaed Mr. Trump’s company for any documents involving Russia. Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee say Mr. Trump was “actively negotiating a business deal in Moscow with a sanctioned Russian bank” during the 2016 campaign season.
And Mr. Mueller has charged 13 Russians with conspiring to subvert the 2016 election and put Mr. Trump in the White House.
...
If Mr. Trump isn’t Mr. Putin’s lackey, it’s past time for him to prove it.
New_York_Times_Editorial_Board
The possibility that Mr. Putin could have some hold on the American president has lurked in the background over the past year as Mr. Trump displayed a mystifying affection for the Russian leader and ignored or excused his aggressive behavior and nefarious activities, most important, his interference in the 2016 campaign, a subject of the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
...
American intelligence officials say they are certain that he meddled in the 2016 American election on behalf of Mr. Trump and is trying to meddle again in the 2018 election, as well as in many European elections.
...
Mr. Trump has refrained from criticizing Mr. Putin or calling him to account. The phone call reinforced that approach.
What Mr. Trump didn’t say to Mr. Putin was as significant as what he did say. He did not demand that Mr. Putin stop meddling in American elections or others, he did not even raise Moscow’s role in the poisoning.
...
While Mr. Trump panders to Mr. Putin, his criticism of Mr. Mueller, is becoming harsher, as the investigation raises increasingly serious concerns about a web of ties connecting Mr. Trump’s associates to Russia.
Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, has pleaded guilty to lying about his involvement with Russia. A former foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, has pleaded guilty to lying about his involvement with Russians. A former deputy campaign chairman, Rick Gates, who had his own Russian connections along with a now-indicted former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, has pleaded guilty to lying about Russian-related matters.
Mr. Mueller has subpoenaed Mr. Trump’s company for any documents involving Russia. Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee say Mr. Trump was “actively negotiating a business deal in Moscow with a sanctioned Russian bank” during the 2016 campaign season.
And Mr. Mueller has charged 13 Russians with conspiring to subvert the 2016 election and put Mr. Trump in the White House.
...
If Mr. Trump isn’t Mr. Putin’s lackey, it’s past time for him to prove it.
New_York_Times_Editorial_Board
Bill Kristol has the sharp eyes of the close-reading talmudic scholar! Well done, Rabbi!
Bill Kristol
Verified account
@BillKristol
@BillKristol
Bill Kristol Retweeted Donald J. Trump
A little thing: Trump speaks of “President Putin,” and then of “Obama” and “Bush” and “Clinton.” Putin gets the honorific; the American presidents don’t.
Bill Kristol added,
Donald J. Trump
Verified account
@realDonaldTrump
I called President Putin of Russia to congratulate him on his election victory (in past, Obama called him also). The Fake News Media is crazed because they wanted me to excoriate him. They are wrong! Getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing.......
2:13 PM - 21 Mar 2018
Donald J. Trump
Verified account
@realDonaldTrump
@realDonaldTrump
.....They can help solve problems with North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, ISIS, Iran and even the coming Arms Race. Bush tried to get along, but didn’t have the “smarts.” Obama and Clinton tried, but didn’t have the energy or chemistry (remember RESET). PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!
12:05 PM - 21 Mar 2018
Bill Kristol
Verified account
@BillKristol
@BillKristol
Bill Kristol Retweeted Donald J. Trump
A little thing: Trump speaks of “President Putin,” and then of “Obama” and “Bush” and “Clinton.” Putin gets the honorific; the American presidents don’t.
Bill Kristol added,
Donald J. Trump
Verified account
@realDonaldTrump
I called President Putin of Russia to congratulate him on his election victory (in past, Obama called him also). The Fake News Media is crazed because they wanted me to excoriate him. They are wrong! Getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing.......
2:13 PM - 21 Mar 2018
Donald J. Trump
Verified account
@realDonaldTrump
@realDonaldTrump
.....They can help solve problems with North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, ISIS, Iran and even the coming Arms Race. Bush tried to get along, but didn’t have the “smarts.” Obama and Clinton tried, but didn’t have the energy or chemistry (remember RESET). PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!
12:05 PM - 21 Mar 2018
MCCABE INVESTIGATED SESSIONS FOR PERJURY
Sessions' own attorney, Chuck Cooper, confirmed:
"The special counsel's office has informed me that after interviewing the Attorney General and conducting additional investigation, the Attorney General is not under investigation for false statements or perjury in his confirmation hearing testimony and related written submissions to Congress," Cooper said in a statement to CNN.
Amazing. The most corrupt administration in history. Rotten from the head up. Does Mueller have the horses?
"The special counsel's office has informed me that after interviewing the Attorney General and conducting additional investigation, the Attorney General is not under investigation for false statements or perjury in his confirmation hearing testimony and related written submissions to Congress," Cooper said in a statement to CNN.
Amazing. The most corrupt administration in history. Rotten from the head up. Does Mueller have the horses?
How About Blue Moon?
Manchester United are consulting supporters about how to improve the atmosphere at Old Trafford, with song sheets handed out to supporters one suggestion...
...
During the FA Cup quarterfinal against Brighton last weekend, a section usually used to seat away supporters was reserved for fans who wanted to create a "loud and vibrant atmosphere," with the move deemed to have been a big success.
...
During the FA Cup quarterfinal against Brighton last weekend, a section usually used to seat away supporters was reserved for fans who wanted to create a "loud and vibrant atmosphere," with the move deemed to have been a big success.
Follow the Money
The lede to a current CNN article is "The Pressure on Donald Trump Is Reaching Crushing Proportions." And it is. (The first paragraph is following the lead of Bill Kristol Ball: "The White House has canceled all public events on Wednesday due to the spring snowstorm hitting the nation's capitol. Which means that President Donald Trump has nothing but time on his hands -- time to stew on the current morass (or, more accurately, morasses) in which he currently finds himself." Incoming!)
I had started this denominated post at breakfast this morning however because it seemed to me that the workload on Robert Mueller and, as I understand it, his team of 13 lawyers must be getting to the crushing point. Consider: Mueller's team has already indicted 13 Russians. Indicted Flynn. Manafort. Rick Gates. Couple other people, I think. They've recently subpoenaed all Trump Organization documents related to Russia. Stormy Daniels. This week Cambridge Analytica, with whom Jared 666 Fifth Ave Kushner met, and Facebook are implicated. Steve Bannon, Kushner, White Lies Hope Hicks, have got to be next to be arraigned. What of Jeff Sessions? You need a whole law firm to handle all this. Can Mueller ask Rosenstein he needs more people? If you can, do you think he would? The breadth and depth of following the money is overwhelming.
I had started this denominated post at breakfast this morning however because it seemed to me that the workload on Robert Mueller and, as I understand it, his team of 13 lawyers must be getting to the crushing point. Consider: Mueller's team has already indicted 13 Russians. Indicted Flynn. Manafort. Rick Gates. Couple other people, I think. They've recently subpoenaed all Trump Organization documents related to Russia. Stormy Daniels. This week Cambridge Analytica, with whom Jared 666 Fifth Ave Kushner met, and Facebook are implicated. Steve Bannon, Kushner, White Lies Hope Hicks, have got to be next to be arraigned. What of Jeff Sessions? You need a whole law firm to handle all this. Can Mueller ask Rosenstein he needs more people? If you can, do you think he would? The breadth and depth of following the money is overwhelming.
"...Facebook acknowledged helping spread fake news and propaganda from Russian agents."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/breaking-up-with-facebook-its-harder-than-it-looks/
Wittingly or unwittingly?
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/breaking-up-with-facebook-its-harder-than-it-looks/
Wittingly or unwittingly?
Ex-Sen. Gordon Humphrey (R-NH)
...Republicans in Congress — with few praiseworthy exceptions — increasingly kowtow to a president who is utterly without principle or decency, a demagogue who trades in the basest human emotions, whose chaotic persona and bizarre conduct strongly suggest a dangerously unhealthy mind.
...[I] promote[d] [Conor] Lamb as a means to begin the containment of Trump’s poisonous presidency.
As a former Republican who is still a Reagan conservative, I believe we need more Conor Lambs as an antidote to Trump's poison. This is no time to obsess over party labels. Electing candidates of either party who will stand up to Trump is the first step in restoring a normal, decent, civilized America.
The second step is to dump Trump in 2020. Many hope the president will be removed before then. But even if special counsel Robert Mueller survives the daily attacks by Trump and his staff and produces incontrovertible evidence of an impeachable offense, it’s doubtful enough Republicans would do their constitutional duty and support impeachment and conviction. Too many have drunk too much Trump-Aid.
...
Barring impeachment or determination under the 25th Amendment that he is mentally impaired to the extent he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office, Trump has a lock on the nomination.
https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/439101002?__twitter_impression=true
...[I] promote[d] [Conor] Lamb as a means to begin the containment of Trump’s poisonous presidency.
As a former Republican who is still a Reagan conservative, I believe we need more Conor Lambs as an antidote to Trump's poison. This is no time to obsess over party labels. Electing candidates of either party who will stand up to Trump is the first step in restoring a normal, decent, civilized America.
The second step is to dump Trump in 2020. Many hope the president will be removed before then. But even if special counsel Robert Mueller survives the daily attacks by Trump and his staff and produces incontrovertible evidence of an impeachable offense, it’s doubtful enough Republicans would do their constitutional duty and support impeachment and conviction. Too many have drunk too much Trump-Aid.
...
Barring impeachment or determination under the 25th Amendment that he is mentally impaired to the extent he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office, Trump has a lock on the nomination.
https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/439101002?__twitter_impression=true
Col. Ralph Peters Resignation Memo: Trump "Terrified" of Putin
As a Russia analyst for many years, it also has appalled me that hosts who made their reputations as super-patriots and who, justifiably, savaged President Obama for his duplicitous folly with Putin, now advance Putin's agenda by making light of Russian penetration of our elections and the Trump campaign. Despite increasingly pathetic denials, it turns out that the "nothing-burger" has been covered with Russian dressing all along. And by the way: As an intelligence professional, I can tell you that the Steele dossier rings true--that's how the Russians do things.. The result is that we have an American president who is terrified of his counterpart in Moscow.
...
So, to all of you: Thanks, and, as our president's favorite world leader would say, "Das vidanya."
...
So, to all of you: Thanks, and, as our president's favorite world leader would say, "Das vidanya."
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Fox News Analyst Quits, Calling Network a ‘Propaganda Machine’
A longtime analyst for Fox News is leaving the network, saying that he could not “in good conscience” remain with an organization that, he argued, “is now wittingly harming our system of government for profit.”
...Ralph Peters, a Fox News strategic analyst and a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, castigated the network for its coverage of President Trump and the rhetoric of its prime-time hosts.
“In my view, Fox has degenerated from providing a legitimate and much-needed outlet for conservative voices to a mere propaganda machine for a destructive and ethically ruinous administration."
“Over my decade with Fox, I long was proud of the association,” he added. “Now I am ashamed.”
(NYT)
A longtime analyst for Fox News is leaving the network, saying that he could not “in good conscience” remain with an organization that, he argued, “is now wittingly harming our system of government for profit.”
...Ralph Peters, a Fox News strategic analyst and a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, castigated the network for its coverage of President Trump and the rhetoric of its prime-time hosts.
“In my view, Fox has degenerated from providing a legitimate and much-needed outlet for conservative voices to a mere propaganda machine for a destructive and ethically ruinous administration."
“Over my decade with Fox, I long was proud of the association,” he added. “Now I am ashamed.”
...Colonel Peters, 65, wrote that Fox News’s prime-time anchors “dismiss facts and empirical reality to launch profoundly dishonest assaults on the F.B.I., the Justice Department, the courts, the intelligence community (in which I served) and, not least, a model public servant and genuine war hero such as Robert Mueller.”
Heather Lyke's Moment
My beloved Pitt "Panthers" are without a men's basketball coach and without players. Eight scholars asked for their releases to take their talents elsewhere and since Pitt went 8-24 this year and 0-18 in conference play, Ms. Lyke, the athletic director who fired head coach Kevin Progress Stallings, promptly granted them. Take my players, please!
This is the first head coach hire for Ms. Lyke, who has been on the job one year. She replaced Scott Barnes who made the fateful decision to give Jamie Dixon his release so he could go to TCU and then followed that one up with a conflict of interest-ridden "search" that landed him Progress Stallings. Scott then vamoosed to "Oregon" "State".
Unlike in football Pitt has a history of hiring successful head coaches in men's basketball. Even Steve Pederson who couldn't hire a successful football coach to save himself (literally) got one right with Ben Howland in 1999.
So, this is Heather Lyke's moment. Remote-ish history is on her side, immediate history not, and the present the most dire for the Pitt basketball program in my adult lifetime. And it is looking, please, please, PLEASE, good. Lyke has offered the job to Rhode Island's Dan Hurley at over $3 million per year. Reportedly Hurley is to decide, within 24 hours, among Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Pitt. It says here Heather Lyke is going to make the most of her moment and land Dan Hurley. Pittsburgh is a far more attractive city than Hartford, Connecticut; Pitt is a better school academically than UConn; the ACC a far better conference than the AAC; Pitt's Petersen Events Center is a renowned home court advantage; and Pitt is offering more money.
This is the first head coach hire for Ms. Lyke, who has been on the job one year. She replaced Scott Barnes who made the fateful decision to give Jamie Dixon his release so he could go to TCU and then followed that one up with a conflict of interest-ridden "search" that landed him Progress Stallings. Scott then vamoosed to "Oregon" "State".
Unlike in football Pitt has a history of hiring successful head coaches in men's basketball. Even Steve Pederson who couldn't hire a successful football coach to save himself (literally) got one right with Ben Howland in 1999.
So, this is Heather Lyke's moment. Remote-ish history is on her side, immediate history not, and the present the most dire for the Pitt basketball program in my adult lifetime. And it is looking, please, please, PLEASE, good. Lyke has offered the job to Rhode Island's Dan Hurley at over $3 million per year. Reportedly Hurley is to decide, within 24 hours, among Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Pitt. It says here Heather Lyke is going to make the most of her moment and land Dan Hurley. Pittsburgh is a far more attractive city than Hartford, Connecticut; Pitt is a better school academically than UConn; the ACC a far better conference than the AAC; Pitt's Petersen Events Center is a renowned home court advantage; and Pitt is offering more money.
New Spring Football League in 2019, CBS to Televise
Wow, hadn't heard a peep about such a thing. I guess since baseball season has been canceled there's an opening. I loved the USFL, which was also a spring league. I watched more USFL games than I did NFL I do not like the NFL.
Now, what this new thing is I'm not entirely sure. I saw a McPaper lede that it's to be "complementary" to the NFL. I don't know what that means. "Allied" with the NFL? Is that why it's called "Alliance"? I don't know.
-Eight team league...ten games.
-"Unprecedented fan participation in player and team success": don't know what that could mean.
-"Elimination of kickoffs and onside kicks; Shorter play clock and fewer commercial breaks; Strict head safety protocols"...That's five good boxes checked in its favor.
-"Single entity structure": that's the Major League Soccer model. That is a bad box to check.
-On fan participation: "...a dynamic alliance between fans, players and the game. Fans will be able to stream Alliance matchups live via the free Alliance app, in a first for professional football while also accessing integrated fantasy options with real rewards -- for themselves and the players they are cheering on." That's the "unprecedented fan participation"? That's fine. I was afraid fans were going to have some say on who plays and what plays to run--some other football start up had that box checked. That was so bush.
-"...50-player rosters, built primarily through regionally based allocation in the fall. Players will be available in markets near where they played in the NFL or college:" Another start up did that. That is bush.
-For players: "Innovative bonus structures based on wins, statistical milestones and fan engagement" Pay for partying with fans? Bush.
Yada, yada, whatever. It will beat baseball.
How Is It Possible To Read 6,000 Words of Deep Reporting on Hope Hicks and Still Not Really Understand Her at All?
"We don’t even really know why she quit her job, beyond a discontent with the ongoing 'psychodrama' in the West Wing."
Air
Olivia Nuzzi coulda been a contendah.
"We don’t even really know why she quit her job, beyond a discontent with the ongoing 'psychodrama' in the West Wing."
Air
Olivia Nuzzi coulda been a contendah.
Monday, March 19, 2018
Look at this murderer's row facing God's Righteous Angels in Sky Blue in the fortnight in April.
April 4, Champions League
Liverpool
Manchester City
April 7, Premier League
Manchester City
Manchester United
April 10, Champions League
Manchester City
Liverpool
April 14, Premier League
Tottenham
Manchester City
Hoooooo-DOGGIE.
April 4, Champions League
Liverpool
Manchester City
April 7, Premier League
Manchester City
Manchester United
April 10, Champions League
Manchester City
Liverpool
April 14, Premier League
Tottenham
Manchester City
Hoooooo-DOGGIE.
This is an article on Hope Hicks written by Olivia Nuzzi for New York magazine. I "promote" the article here as remembrance of she I once thought was a Seer, for Olivia Nuzzi was the first person who presented a plausible Grand Unified Theory of Trump supporters.
Events have long overtaken the legitimacy of my campaign to make Ms. Nuzzi a Nobel laureate for events have long overtaken the legitimacy of her general profile of Trump supporters. It was a profile in profile, a misunderstanding, and generally wrong. However, in individual cases, like Hope Hicks', Olivia Nuzzi's theory explains the "Svengali-like hold" that Trump the demagogue has over some simple single-cell organisms. Otherwise, Nuzzi's G.U.T. has the explanatory power of air, even on the simple, sole Hope Hicks Question, Why did she resign? There's nothing here. Only air.
Here's lookin' at you, kid. We'll always have February, 2016.
It’s no good fighting an election campaign on the facts because actually it’s all about emotion"
Revealed:Trump’s election consultants filmed saying they use bribes and sex workers to entrap politicians
https://www.channel4.com/news/cambridge-analytica-revealed-trumps-election-consultants-filmed-saying-they-use-bribes-and-sex-workers-to-entrap-politicians-investigationIn a series of five meetings and phone calls beginning in December 2017, a Channel 4 reporter posed as a fixer for a client they said was working to get candidates elected in Sri Lanka. They met with Cambridge CEO Alexander Nix; Mark Turnbull, managing director of CA Political Global; and Alex Tayler, chief data officer for Cambridge. They probed them on all manner of underhanded tactics, from deliberately spreading fake news to making up false identities. According to the video, the Cambridge executives took the bait.
In one January, 2018 meeting shown in Channel 4's video, Nix [outlines a plan to send in his operatives]:
"They will offer a large amount of money to the candidate, to finance his campaign in exchange for land for instance, we’ll have the whole thing recorded on cameras, we’ll blank out the face of our guy and we post it on the internet"
The Channel 4 video also shows Nix suggesting that they could send,
"some girls around to the candidate’s house. I’m just saying, we could bring some Ukrainians in on holiday with us you know, you know what I’m saying. [Ukrainian girls] “are very beautiful, I find that works very well”.”
the video shows Nix saying.
The Channel 4 video also shows Nix expressing a willingness to help the "client" disseminate lies.
“These are things that, I mean, it sounds a dreadful thing to say, but these are things that don’t necessarily need to be true, as long as they’re believed"
In a separate November 2017 meeting filmed by Channel 4, Turnbull [says],
“… we just put information into the bloodstream of the internet, and then, and then watch it grow, give it a little push every now and again… like a remote control. It has to happen without anyone thinking, ‘that’s propaganda’, because the moment you think ‘that’s propaganda’, the next question is, ‘who’s put that out?’.”
"Our job is... to understand what are those really deep-seated underlying fears, concerns. It’s no good fighting an election campaign on the facts because actually it’s all about emotion, it’s all about emotion.”
The company is at the centre of a scandal over its role in the harvesting of more than 50 million Facebook profiles. [Facebook lost $37 billion today as a result.]
..
Part Three, on the company’s work in the United States, will be broadcast at 7pm tomorrow (Tuesday, 20 March 2018). You can watch Part One here.
The Land of Drama
Kyrie Irving's bed bugs.
Kyrie Irving's trade.
The Trades.
Kevin Love's panic attacks.
LeBron James' sleepwalking attacks.
J.R. Smith's soup attack.
Tyronn Lue's chest pains. Lue is stepping away from the job temporarily.
Kyrie Irving's trade.
The Trades.
Kevin Love's panic attacks.
LeBron James' sleepwalking attacks.
J.R. Smith's soup attack.
Tyronn Lue's chest pains. Lue is stepping away from the job temporarily.
Austin,Texas had been hit with apparently three random package bombings that killed two and badly injured another when police Chief Brian Manley delivered a televised appeal Sunday afternoon--to the bomber:
“We want to understand what brought you to this point, and we want to listen to you.”
“We want to understand what brought you to this point, and we want to listen to you.”
“There’s the message behind what’s happening...and we’re not going to understand that until the suspect or suspects reaches out to us to talk to us," explained Chief Manley. They call in to 1-800-IDO-BOMB (free call) in Texas?
Hours later a fourth bomb detonated, injuring two more.
Chief Manley and his officers are going to have to "reach out" and find who did it and talk to him then, which is what they should have been doing. They're going to have to do it during daylight hours, too, since Austin apparently lacks artificial lighting:
Because the device exploded after nightfall, the chief said, the police could not fully inspect the scene and would have to wait until sunrise on Monday to better examine it.
Sunday, March 18, 2018
The Maddest March
Texas A&M tarred dem "Heels" good, 86-65.
Five seed Clemson beat a four, Auburn, which wouln't merit a "mad" adjective except the "Tigers" KILLED those other "Tigers 84-53! THAT is mad.
The clock struck midnight for the "Cinderellla-Retrievers" of UMBC however. Their Air glass slipper fell off and was retrieved by a nine, K-State, 50-43.
Nevada(7) beat Cincy(2) 75-73 and in the Couch Burn Showdown the "'Eers" lead the "'Erd" 26-20 with 6 1/2 left in the first half.
Good night, Wolf Pack.
Five seed Clemson beat a four, Auburn, which wouln't merit a "mad" adjective except the "Tigers" KILLED those other "Tigers 84-53! THAT is mad.
The clock struck midnight for the "Cinderellla-Retrievers" of UMBC however. Their Air glass slipper fell off and was retrieved by a nine, K-State, 50-43.
Nevada(7) beat Cincy(2) 75-73 and in the Couch Burn Showdown the "'Eers" lead the "'Erd" 26-20 with 6 1/2 left in the first half.
Good night, Wolf Pack.
Maggie Haberman
@maggieNYT
Trump turns people toward his views if they are around him. Even those who aren’t directly near end up turned. Kissinger is the latest.
@maggieNYT
Trump turns people toward his views if they are around him. Even those who aren’t directly near end up turned. Kissinger is the latest.
How about that. Freudian tweet there by Ms. Haberman?
More from Friedman's February 18 op-ed:
Our democracy is in serious danger.
...Trump is either totally compromised by the Russians or is a towering fool, or both...
...
That is, either Trump’s real estate empire has taken large amounts of money from shady oligarchs linked to the Kremlin — so much that they literally own him; or rumors are true that he engaged in sexual misbehavior while he was in Moscow running the Miss Universe contest, which Russian intelligence has on tape and he doesn’t want released; or Trump actually believes Russian President Vladimir Putin when he says he is innocent of intervening in our elections...
...
...Trump is either hiding something so threatening to himself, or he’s criminally incompetent to be commander in chief. It is impossible yet to say which explanation for his behavior is true, but it seems highly likely that one of these scenarios explains Trump’s refusal to respond to Russia’s direct attack on our system — a quiescence that is simply unprecedented for any U.S. president in history. Russia is not our friend. It has acted in a hostile manner. And Trump keeps ignoring it all.
...Trump’s behavior amounts to a refusal to carry out his oath of office — to protect and defend the Constitution.
...
It is so obvious what Trump is up to: Again, he is either a total sucker for Putin or, more likely, he is hiding something that he knows the Russians have on him, and he knows that the longer Mueller’s investigation goes on, the more likely he will be to find and expose it.
Donald, if you are so innocent, why do you go to such extraordinary lengths to try to shut Mueller down?
...
My guess is what Trump is hiding has to do with money. It’s something about his financial ties to business elites tied to the Kremlin. They may own a big stake in him. Who can forget that quote from his son Donald Trump Jr. from back in 2008: “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross section of a lot of our assets.” They may ownour president.
But whatever it is, Trump is either trying so hard to hide it or is so naïve about Russia that he is ready to not only resist mounting a proper defense of our democracy, he’s actually ready to undermine some of our most important institutions, the F.B.I. and Justice Department, to keep his compromised status hidden.
That must not be tolerated. This is code red. The biggest threat to the integrity of our democracy today is in the Oval Office.
###
Everything Friedman wrote there is accurate by my lights and my hunch is the same as his guess, that Putin owns Trump. I tracked down that statement by Don, Jr. to an obscure trade press release and published the link here months ago. Don, Jr.'s quote, and he goes on, and on, has the twin virtues of being candid and of having been made long before Trump, Sr.'s Russia connection was on anyone's radar. It explains all that I can think of: Trump's coziness with Putin; his refusal to release his tax returns; telling Lavrov and the Russian ambassador in the Oval Office that firing James B. Comey "relieved a lot of pressure over Russia"; telling the New York Times last summer that Mueller going into his finances would "cross a red line"; Mueller's recent subpoena of Trump Organization financial documents related to Russia; Trump's decision to fire Mueller last summer (forestalled only by the White House counsel's threat to resign); and of course the renewal of that desire this weekend.
Our democracy is in serious danger.
...Trump is either totally compromised by the Russians or is a towering fool, or both...
...
That is, either Trump’s real estate empire has taken large amounts of money from shady oligarchs linked to the Kremlin — so much that they literally own him; or rumors are true that he engaged in sexual misbehavior while he was in Moscow running the Miss Universe contest, which Russian intelligence has on tape and he doesn’t want released; or Trump actually believes Russian President Vladimir Putin when he says he is innocent of intervening in our elections...
...
...Trump is either hiding something so threatening to himself, or he’s criminally incompetent to be commander in chief. It is impossible yet to say which explanation for his behavior is true, but it seems highly likely that one of these scenarios explains Trump’s refusal to respond to Russia’s direct attack on our system — a quiescence that is simply unprecedented for any U.S. president in history. Russia is not our friend. It has acted in a hostile manner. And Trump keeps ignoring it all.
...Trump’s behavior amounts to a refusal to carry out his oath of office — to protect and defend the Constitution.
...
It is so obvious what Trump is up to: Again, he is either a total sucker for Putin or, more likely, he is hiding something that he knows the Russians have on him, and he knows that the longer Mueller’s investigation goes on, the more likely he will be to find and expose it.
Donald, if you are so innocent, why do you go to such extraordinary lengths to try to shut Mueller down?
...
My guess is what Trump is hiding has to do with money. It’s something about his financial ties to business elites tied to the Kremlin. They may own a big stake in him. Who can forget that quote from his son Donald Trump Jr. from back in 2008: “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross section of a lot of our assets.” They may own
But whatever it is, Trump is either trying so hard to hide it or is so naïve about Russia that he is ready to not only resist mounting a proper defense of our democracy, he’s actually ready to undermine some of our most important institutions, the F.B.I. and Justice Department, to keep his compromised status hidden.
That must not be tolerated. This is code red. The biggest threat to the integrity of our democracy today is in the Oval Office.
###
Everything Friedman wrote there is accurate by my lights and my hunch is the same as his guess, that Putin owns Trump. I tracked down that statement by Don, Jr. to an obscure trade press release and published the link here months ago. Don, Jr.'s quote, and he goes on, and on, has the twin virtues of being candid and of having been made long before Trump, Sr.'s Russia connection was on anyone's radar. It explains all that I can think of: Trump's coziness with Putin; his refusal to release his tax returns; telling Lavrov and the Russian ambassador in the Oval Office that firing James B. Comey "relieved a lot of pressure over Russia"; telling the New York Times last summer that Mueller going into his finances would "cross a red line"; Mueller's recent subpoena of Trump Organization financial documents related to Russia; Trump's decision to fire Mueller last summer (forestalled only by the White House counsel's threat to resign); and of course the renewal of that desire this weekend.
Do-do-do-do, Do-do-do-do
Today, Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) said,
"If the allegation is collusion with the Russians, and there is no evidence of that, and you are innocent of that, act like it.
"If you've done nothing wrong, you should want the investigation to be as fulsome and thorough as possible."
Trey_L._Friedman
Exactly one month ago, Gowdy's near opposite, Thomas L. Friedman of The New York Times, wrote,
Donald, if you are so innocent, why do you go to such extraordinary lengths to try to shut Mueller down?
Thomas_Gowdy
"If the allegation is collusion with the Russians, and there is no evidence of that, and you are innocent of that, act like it.
"If you've done nothing wrong, you should want the investigation to be as fulsome and thorough as possible."
Trey_L._Friedman
Exactly one month ago, Gowdy's near opposite, Thomas L. Friedman of The New York Times, wrote,
Donald, if you are so innocent, why do you go to such extraordinary lengths to try to shut Mueller down?
Thomas_Gowdy
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