From what I know, a lot of foreigners thought Obama was a decent pick and thought us as stupid for not only voting for Bush again, but for opposing OBama and calling ACA socialist or communist. But then again, I think we lost a lot of face with JFK and the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion as well as Reagan's terms. But I think we'll remain the most influential country for a long time, unless our economy tanks so bad.
Oh, so the trump administration is charging someone with leaking stuff... Can this in any way end up well for trump? Sure, he could get the guy arrested. But in turn he is giving him a platform to make the point that he leaked because of trump's ties to russia or because he thought the administration was grotesquely incompetent... It sounds like trump could actually imprison the guy and still come out loosing..... Not to mention that this would legitimize the leaks themselves as completely reliable.
So, the name of the spy is 'reality winner'.
I mean.....after anthony weiner, why am i even surprised?
This all shapes up like a Lost plotline bakc when Lost aired.
So, the name of the spy is 'reality winner'.
I mean.....after anthony weiner, why am i even surprised?
This all shapes up like a Lost plotline bakc when Lost aired.
Honestly, when I first read about this I reread the article thrice trying to find out what the name of this person was... Pretty sure this is well worst than Anthony weiner name-wise. I wonder if the next trump leakers will end up being "Real S. State" and "Pussy Grabber".....
Welp, here is commey's testimony. Not quite scathing as some of us would have guessed it was going to be but it should also not count as a win for trump. Commey basically makes the point that trump tried discussing innappropriate things virtually every time they talked... And commey basically shut him down every time. It's pretty damn disturbing that Trump keeps asking commey for loyalty. Lets hope the guy who ends up replacing him doesn't give it to him either.
Well, he would have to be approved by the senate so it shouldn't be that easy for trump to get a yes-man into the fbi. The FBI investigation into trump's campaign is a subject of interest to democrats and a sizeable number of republicans after all. With that in mind trump should have to appoint someone who has at least some level of appeal to democrats... I have no idea of the guy he has nominated so far though.
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Wednesday announced that he had selected Christopher A. Wray to be his F.B.I. director, turning to a former federal prosecutor who recently defended Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey in the so-called Bridgegate scandal to lead an agency under a harsh political spotlight.
Honestly, I don't think Comey's testimony had all that many bombshells. Sure, a fair bit of it looks bad for trump but this ultimately leaves us with comey's words against trump's. And the reality is that you have to give the benefit of the doubt here. Comey's testimony could be relevant way down the line but other than that there is very little to read into this. Ultimately comey was very literal and clear in his points. A few things to take note off:
Trump asking comey for loyalty: Downright stupid and unethical. Hard to make a case for anything here though other than trump is too stupid know how to talk to people.
Trump hoping comey drops the investigation: It's not really that that damning IMO. Trump has some deniability here. The bit with this being a direction is the worst plausible interpretation. Perhaps added with the bit about loyalty it is really bad but it is still the worst plausible interpretation.
Comey being a leaker: Awesome. Seriously. The guy went and admitted that to congress. Say what you will but this guy has balls of steel.
There were a few other things but to me this felt like the more relevant one (I could remember).
The main issue here is that it comes down to who is more trusted, trump or comey. And in that regard trump is fucked because no one trusts him at all. Meanwhile through the past year there has been a lot of controversy around comey but ultimate what he says fucking goes regardless of which party it screws over. Overall, just that makes this a loss for trump though not a YUGE loss.
Another fun bit was what was said about lynch and how comey would call the FBI investigation. I did find it strange that clinton would say such an easy lie like saying the FBI was not investigating her. Loretta talked to comey, she thought comey had agreed to not call this a criminal investigation and clinton went on to say this... It's an spectacular bit of incompetence from Loretta along with an spectacular attempt at obvious corruption from clinton. Thankfully comey didn't play ball here. I still think clinton would be preferable to trump and literally any republican (I maintain the party rejects all forms of knowledge we have of science, technology and economics) but she is corrupt to an insane degree. The democrat party should drop her like a flaming turd, come on. Still better than trump though.
In the same hearing when he was asked why he didn't tell the president any of his concerns during their talk when he became disturbed and he admitted to being too much of a coward(not his exact words), so no balls of steel whatsoever.
About the leaking thing, I doubt he will face any consequences for it considering what he leaked were only his own memos iirc.
But yeah overall nothing new has been said what wasn't heard of previously, I don't see it impacting anything or anyone. At least the hearing alone, if there's some investigation results or new information later in regards to either of the two lying then it's different of course.
In the same hearing when he was asked why he didn't tell the president any of his concerns during their talk when he became disturbed and he admitted to being too much of a coward(not his exact words), so no balls of steel whatsoever.
About the leaking thing, I doubt he will face any consequences for it considering what he leaked were only his own memos iirc.
But yeah overall nothing new has been said what wasn't heard of previously, I don't see it impacting anything or anyone. At least the hearing alone, if there's some investigation results or new information later in regards to either of the two lying then it's different of course.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO: Director Comey, the meeting in the oval office where he made the request about Mike Flynn, was that only time he asked you to hopefully let it go?
COMEY: Yes.
RUBIO: And in that meeting, as you understood it, he was asking not about the general Russia investigation, he was asking specifically about the jeopardy that Flynn was in himself?
COMEY: That's how I understood it. Yes, sir.
RUBIO: As you perceived it, while he hoped you did away with it, you perceived it as an order, given the setting, the position and some of the circumstances?
COMEY: Yes.
RUBIO: At the time, did you say something to the president about, that is not an appropriate request, or did you tell the white house counsel, it's not an appropriate request? Someone needs to tell the president he can't do these things.
COMEY: I didn't, no.
RUBIO: Why?
COMEY: I don't know. I think — as I said earlier, I think the circumstances were such that it was — I was a bit stunned and didn't have the presence of mind. I don't know. I don't want to make you sound like I'm captain courageous. I don't know if I would have said to the president with the presence of mind, sir, that's wrong. In the moment, it didn't come to my mind. What came to my mind is be careful what you say. I said, I agree Flynn is a good guy.
That's not even remotely close to what you are suggesting. Comey makes two points there: He didn't think of telling that to the president and he isn't pretending to be captain courageous and doesn't know what he would have said if he had the time to think about it. You make it sound like if comey called himself a coward which is a gross misrepresentation of what was said here.
Also, I by no means suggested the impact of this was 0. Comey has had his controversies but ultimately he is a trusted by people in Washington. As I said in my post, what comey says GOES. And we have the sworn testimony from a respected (not by trump of his supporters of course) Washington figure that the president did a bunch of unethical things. Not too long ago you had one of his coleagues saying the FBI was not in disarray and working with comey was the greatest professional honor of his career. The things comey said weren't a bombshell because we already knew a bunch of it. And because in some cases the president gets the benefit of the doubt (unless trump actually has the tapes lol in which case comey's words being even vaguely accurate would screw over trump tens times for way too many different reasons). This is not a win for trump. It's also not a crippling defeat. It is just one more scratch onto many others....
SEN. MARCO RUBIO: Director Comey, the meeting in the oval office where he made the request about Mike Flynn, was that only time he asked you to hopefully let it go?
COMEY: Yes.
RUBIO: And in that meeting, as you understood it, he was asking not about the general Russia investigation, he was asking specifically about the jeopardy that Flynn was in himself?
COMEY: That's how I understood it. Yes, sir.
RUBIO: As you perceived it, while he hoped you did away with it, you perceived it as an order, given the setting, the position and some of the circumstances?
COMEY: Yes.
RUBIO: At the time, did you say something to the president about, that is not an appropriate request, or did you tell the white house counsel, it's not an appropriate request? Someone needs to tell the president he can't do these things.
COMEY: I didn't, no.
RUBIO: Why?
COMEY: I don't know. I think — as I said earlier, I think the circumstances were such that it was — I was a bit stunned and didn't have the presence of mind. I don't know. I don't want to make you sound like I'm captain courageous. I don't know if I would have said to the president with the presence of mind, sir, that's wrong. In the moment, it didn't come to my mind. What came to my mind is be careful what you say. I said, I agree Flynn is a good guy.
That's not even remotely close to what you are suggesting. Comey makes two points there: He didn't think of telling that to the president and he isn't pretending to be captain courageous and doesn't know what he would have said if he had the time to think about it. You make it sound like if comey called himself a coward which is a gross misrepresentation of what was said here.
Also, I by no means suggested the impact of this was 0. Comey has had his controversies but ultimately he is a trusted by people in Washington. As I said in my post, what comey says GOES. And we have the sworn testimony from a respected (not by trump of his supporters of course) Washington figure that the president did a bunch of unethical things. Not too long ago you had one of his coleagues saying the FBI was not in disarray and working with comey was the greatest professional honor of his career. The things comey said weren't a bombshell because we already knew a bunch of it. And because in some cases the president gets the benefit of the doubt (unless trump actually has the tapes lol in which case comey's words being even vaguely accurate would screw over trump tens times for way too many different reasons). This is not a win for trump. It's also not a crippling defeat. It is just one more scratch onto many others....
He didn't call himself one, but that's definitely the impression one gets out of his answer.
And no the part I heard it in was of an older lady asking him, but it was probably a similar answer to what he gave rubio.
You're not, but I'm seeing this as a 0 unless something comes out of it. Adding scratches doesn't do anything at this point. On the contrary, with all the buzz and hype there was to the hearing such a result is more demoralizing to anti-trumpers than not.
He didn't call himself one, but that's definitely the impression one gets out of his answer.
And no the part I heard it in was of an older lady asking him, but it was probably a similar answer to what he gave rubio.
You're not, but I'm seeing this as a 0 unless something comes out of it. Adding scratches doesn't do anything at this point. On the contrary, with all the buzz and hype there was to the hearing such a result is more demoralizing to anti-trumpers than not.
That is the worst possible interpretation to that. And comey definitely wasn't implying that, at least given the context. Which ultimately is "you know, at the time it did not occur to me and what did occur to me was -be careful of what you say-".
This is in no form demoralizing... Sure, it wasn't a bombshell but the sworn testimony from the former head of the FBI saying trump is a liar, tried to influence the FBI probe and trying to get comey's "loyalty" is going to haunt him for a while. This is not going to get trump impeached (nor I want to, switching him for pence is pointless and I would rather republicans don't have a chance to save appearances via pence eventually) but it definitely hurt him. Specially when people were paying attention to this and the vast majority of the US population hates his guts (though the hate is misdirected IMO, most of the policy trumph has gone for is not trumpian but rather generically republican. Which is not to say the genuinely trump stuff isn't hated, it's just that policy wise it's either the minority or virtually non existent).
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FEINSTEIN: Now, here's the question, you're big. You're strong. I know the oval office, and I know what happens to people when they walk in. There is a certain amount of intimidation. But why didn't you stop and say, Mr. President, this is wrong. I cannot discuss this with you.
COMEY: It's a great question. Maybe if I were stronger, I would have. I was so stunned by the conversation that I just took in. The only thing I could think to say, because I was playing in my mind -- because I could remember every word he said -- I was playing in my mind, what should my response be? That's why I carefully chose the words. Look, I've seen the tweet about tapes. Lordy, I hope there are tapes. I remember saying, “I agree he is a good guy,” as a way of saying, I'm not agreeing with what you asked me to do. Again, maybe other people would be stronger in that circumstance. That's how Ed myself. I hope I'll never have another opportunity. Maybe if I did it again, I'd do it better.
Ok, this must be the bit you mention. But it is not quite what you are suggesting either. With rubio this was basically paraphrased...
From what I've seen/read, the source of the information being Comey doesn't mean he's a "leaker". The information sent out there was from his personal memos that he made and that he released after he was fired. Now, there might be an issue of the memos being government property, but this isn't an issue of him leaking classified information, as far as I can tell. And the point in this distinction is that people in Trump's camp are calling him a leaker and trying to tarnish his credibility due to that...and I don't think that really flies.
From what I've seen/read, the source of the information being Comey doesn't mean he's a "leaker". The information sent out there was from his personal memos that he made and that he released after he was fired. Now, there might be an issue of the memos being government property, but this isn't an issue of him leaking classified information, as far as I can tell. And the point in this distinction is that people in Trump's camp are calling him a leaker and trying to tarnish his credibility due to that...and I don't think that really flies.
Well, that is true. I doubt the white house will have much of a case against him overall. What sort of argument will get them to convince a court that the comey's private diary was actually classified material at the moment comey gave it away? And going by what we have seen in other cases of leaked information, they would have to prove comey knowingly leaked classified information. Basically comey would have to know the information was classified at the time he leaked it. As in, just the possibility of him actually believing that his private diary was his to do as he damn pleases would exonerate him. And how would they even prove that comey knew his private diary was classified and that he knowingly and maliciously leaked it? Would he have received an instruction to not leak a document whose existence was unknown (though to be fair people close to comey did say comey usually kept very meticulous stuff about everything. Which in hindsight wouldn't be strange if comey told people to say). I hope trump pushes this legally. And I hope he goes to congress and says comey is a liar under oath. It's only going to hurt trump....
I know they call him a leaker to tarnish his reputation... But how stupid is that lol? Being a leaker doesn't mean you are dishonest. As we learned during the hillary bit, the intentions of the one leaking do not make a damn difference when it comes to the leaks being accurate or not. That is why the leaks hurt hillary and the DNC. That is why stolen emails did squat to macron. And trump himself has repeatedly and almost consistently given credibility to leakers in general... Sure, not all stories turned out to be true but there are a number which seem pretty damn reliable.
Well how stupid is half the shit that comes out of his and his sycophants' mouths? The purpose here is to paint him in the same light as any previous well-known "leakers" or to say he's a part of the "deep state", etc. All his camp has to say is that Comey acted in complete self-interest and is just like any other bureaucrat. I believe Trump himself has mentioned getting tougher on leakers as well. The similarities between hardcore Trumpers and hardcore conspiracy theorists are really quite startling.
Anyone caught Jeff sessions testimony? I have read about half of it by now (not in order though)... The guy remembers nothing, is he conveniently senile?
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So the travel ban got partially approved. That gorsuch nomination really paid off for trump.
