Phil1111

Meanwhile not a peep from anyone protesting Saudi bombing of civilian economic structures, from Human Rights Watch: https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/07/10/bombing-businesses/saudi-coalition-airstrikes-yemens-civilian-economic-structures Hospitals: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/15/saudi-led-air-strike-yemen-hospital-kills-at-least-seven 1/3 of strikes hit civilian sites, all using US supplied GPS bombs. https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2016/sep/16/how-saudi-arabias-airstrikes-have-hit-civilian-life-in-yemen Now under trumps $110 billion dollar deal the Saudi's will get 30,000 more GPS tail kits for bombs. Which should mean another 10,000 civilian targets, accurately hit. It must be nice to have a simple mind like trump, Tom Price, etc. Iran bad, Saudi Good, press bad,walls good, protestors bad.

The internet is a perfect example of what happens when you give people perfect anonymity - some of them inevitably use it to become assholes and settle scores. This may not be the case here but it might be and we have to take that into account. The approval society currently has for anonymous leaks in general worries me - I think it can very easily be abused and will inevitably lead to a decline in the accuracy and trustworthiness of the information it's providing. In this case for example I don't know these sources. I don't know if they're a janitor, a remnant of Obama's staff or Mike Pence himself - and it matters. That information is one of the yardsticks by which we gauge the likely accuracy of the information and what actions should be taken as a result of it. It also bothers me that these 'whistleblowers' seem to go straight to media outlets rather than a legitimate avenue such as the Senate or FBI if they think a crime has been committed. That choice also makes me more skeptical. All that said, if one anonymous leak says Trump is setting fire to babies in the oval office it should be given only dubious credibility. If 30 anonymous sources say the same thing it's probably time to start paying attention... Trump's definitely getting there. I'm not saying anonymous leaks are the devil. Just that they seem to instantly be given complete credibility at the moment - Look at the way Bill phrased his post: "More evidence that Trump was actively trying to obstruct an investigation" Those are powerful words. But it's not evidence. Not yet. It's not been proven as fact. I don't think that easy leap from anonymous accusation to evidence is a healthy position for society. The current outlets for these leaks are consistently the NY Times and Washington Post. They are undoubtedly from the same sources. The statements and stories, to date, have always been accurate. Thats known because again and again. trump denies, then others in his administration deny. Then they admit. The same stories and the same facts. Why would a inside source go to congress. The committees are led by republicans. Where the story can be covered up. The purpose these public disclosures serve in the short term is to paint clearly. The faces of truth and lies across the political spectrum. FBI, well they will get to the bottom of the story sooner or later. Did I say later. A FBI investigation could take a couple years. What if the participants in the coverup take the fifth? What if they and trump continue to obstruct the FBI investigation. trump just told the ethics office that he doesn't have to disclose the names of lobbyists in his administration. No, I disagree, pressure on the republican congress is the only mechanism to deal with trump. When constituents pressure congress, pressure republicans. trump will be delivered to his proper place in US political history. NY Times, Washington Post, good job. Carry on.

Absolute proof of a guilty mind. The standard common law test of criminal liability is expressed in the Latin phrase actus reus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea, i.e. "the act is not culpable unless the mind is guilty". In jurisdictions with due process, there must be both actus reus ("guilty act") and mens rea for a defendant to be guilty of a crime (see concurrence). As a general rule, someone who acted without mental fault is not liable in criminal law. Exceptions are known as strict liability crimes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mens_rea

It's more hearsay evidence but shouldn't be held as fact until the memos are actually out. I'm a little suspicious of all the anonymous sources of late. If you think your boss, the sitting president, is doing something that you don't agree with so strongly that you're willing to leak information about it then I think you should have the balls to either resign or to attach your name to information you leak so that you can be questioned about it in the light of day. This cloak and dagger shit needs to stop. Why should career government employees throw their jobs away because the sitting president is (among other things) committing criminal acts? This is "whistleblowing" at it's height. In a perfect world, they would be able to do so publicly, without fear of retribution. Trump is clearly losing it. He's in so far over his head that it's pretty much a matter of time before his whole administration falls apart. Anybody's guess how it will end. But when he's committing criminal acts (obstruction of justice), he should know full well that there are going to be people who don't like that and will make those things public. I'm not a big fan of the anonymity, but Trump has a long history of retaliation against anyone who he feels has wronged him. I'd much rather see the anonymous sources make accusations that can be later proven or disproven than have the stuff stay secret. Think about when he told the Russians the classified stuff. Started off as anonymous sources in the WaPo. Later confirmed by Trump himself. These anonymous sources seem to be fairly accurate. Absolutely agree. Plus the fact trump would get another chance to put someone in the position where loyalty to trump is more important than a constitution, protecting national interests and the integrity of the state. Perhaps if there was a whistle-blower law and reward(s) for disclosing crimes to investigators. It wouldn't be an issue.

White House moves to block ethics probe into ex-lobbyists on payroll | What to watch for in Trump’s budget The Times says the conflict came in recent days when the White House, in a highly unusual move, sent a letter to Office of Government Ethics Director Walter Shaub, asking him to withdraw a request he had sent to every federal agency for copies of the waivers. In the letter, the administration challenged his legal authority to demand the information. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/white-house-moves-to-block-ethics-probe-into-ex-lobbyists-on-payroll-what-to-watch-for-in-trumps-budget-2017-05-22 All part of draining the swamp.

Proof the Saudi's read the NY times: Tips for Leaders Meeting Trump: Keep It Short and Give Him a Win After four months of interactions between Mr. Trump and his counterparts, foreign officials and their Washington consultants say certain rules have emerged: Keep it short — no 30-minute monologue for a 30-second attention span. Do not assume he knows the history of the country or its major points of contention. Compliment him on his Electoral College victory. Contrast him favorably with President Barack Obama. Do not get hung up on whatever was said during the campaign. Stay in regular touch. Do not go in with a shopping list but bring some sort of deal he can call a victory. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/18/world/middleeast/trump-saudi-arabia-foreign-trip.html?_r=0 Shortly afterward, the pageantry continued inside the Saudi Royal Court, where Salman presented Trump with a gilded necklace and medal, the country's highest honor. The distinction also was bestowed upon Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. In Riyadh, Saudis prepared to welcome Trump in grand fashion. A five-story image of Trump's face was projected on the exterior of the Ritz Carlton hotel where he'll stay, and large billboards of Trump and King Salman lined the highway from the airport. http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/20/politics/donald-trump-middle-east/

Damn, United is even kicking the pilots off their planes. Petty much obsolete. http://defense-update.com/20170410_have_raider.html "Have Raider II" provides manned aircraft with autonomous wingmen. The Have Raider program is part of the Air Force's Loyal Wingman project to create autonomous aircraft that are paired with manned aircraft and can take on delegated tasks. Have Raider I focused on having an F-16 autonomously leave its manned lead aircraft, conduct an air strike, then return to flying formation. Have Raider II went a step further, forcing the F-16's software make decisions based on operational parameters and then changing them as the situation was updated. The program is broadly part of the Pentagon's Third Offset Strategy, which plans to use existing equipment in new ways to maintain a technological and numerical edge over countries such as China and Russia. The U.S. Air Force will shed more than a thousand F-16s as the F-35A enters service. While older, the F-16s have the advantage of being cheaper to fly and semi-disposable. In the future, Loyal Wingman could see a single F-35 accompanied by one or more autonomous F-16s on a strike mission. As the aircraft near the target, autonomous F-16s could be dispatched to take out advanced air defense systems. Survivors could then join up with the F-35 and proceed to strike the main target. Future wingmen could be purpose-built stealthy drones, but for now the Air Force has plenty of F-16s that are free, the only cost being to convert them to operate autonomously. http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/research/a26028/f-16-drone-have-raider-ii/

Former Rep. Anthony Weiner will plead guilty on Friday to one federal count related to "sexting" with minors, the New York Times reported... Federal prosecutors had been weighing whether to file child pornography charges against the disgraced former congressman since last year, sources previously told News 4 New York. The potential charges stemmed from the sexually charged text messages and Skype conversations he allegedly exchanged with a 15-year-old girl for months last year http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Anthony-Weiner-to-Plead-Guilty-to-Sexting-Charge-New-York-Times-423147974.html

McCain knocks Trump: 'I've been treated worse' than him Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in an interview early Thursday slammed President Trump’s claims that Trump has been treated worse than any other politician. “I’ve been worse treated than President Trump has, so let’s be sure that we know about that,” McCain said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/334012-mccain-knocks-trump-ive-been-treated-worse-than-him McCain is the prime example of why those that say all politicians are corrupt. All politicians are in it for themselves and only for their party, are wrong.

Only diplomats have immunity. But for the security men of Turkish nationality they are long gone. This is what is going on in Turkey now. This is the Turkish president that trump "congratulated" on his recently expanded powers. The same president that has dismissed almost 100 judges and almost 100,000 teachers, police officers who refused to submit to his personal loyalty. His personal ideology. Sound like someone else? Trump actually called the Turkish president on April 17 to congratulate him on his "victory" in a contested constitutional referendum, conducted amid an ongoing crackdown on political dissent, which has further solidified Erdogan's near absolute hold on power. He did this even though the referendum may be not only the first step in destroying Turkish democracy by making Erdogan a virtual dictator but was also filled with many irregularities .. Moreover, since coming into office, Trump has not only heaped praise on but also invited several dictators to the White House. In April, he hosted Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi at the White House and praised the brutal dictator by saying, "I just want to let everybody know, in case there was any doubt, that we are very much behind President Sisi," because, "he has done a fantastic job in a very difficult situation." This for a ruler who is holding at least 40,000 political prisoners and is responsible for about 1,400 extra-judicial killings in this year alone. Trump has also invited Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to the White House despite the fact that Duterte's war on drugs has resulted in the extra-judicial killing of at least 7,000 of his fellow citizens. https://www.usnews.com/opinion/world-report/articles/2017-05-16/trump-should-ditch-his-dictator-love-in-meeting-with-turkeys-president

Paid advocate Mike Flynn 'opposed military operation against Isis after objections from Turkey' Days before President Donald Trump took office, incoming National Security Adviser Michael Flynn blocked a military plan against Isis that was opposed by Turkey, a country he had been paid more than $500,000 to advocate for, the McClatchy news service reported. According to the report, Flynn declined a request from the Obama administration to approve an operation in the Isis stronghold of Raqqa, effectively delaying the military operation. His reasoning wasn't reported, but Turkey has long opposed US military operations in cooperation with Kurdish forces." http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/michael-flynn-turkey-paid-advocate-donald-trump-oppose-us-military-isis-operation-national-security-a7742066.html All just part of the trump administrations "pay for play" plan of government. Yesterday it was announced: Trump team knew Flynn was being investigated, report says Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was under investigation for secretly working as a paid lobbyist for Turkey during the White House campaign and the Trump team knew, two sources tell The New York Times. Trump fired Flynn on Feb. 13, 24 days after he started the job, following warnings that Flynn lied to colleagues about his dealings with Russia. Wednesday night's revelation came amid a slew of reports about the Trump White House that sent up rumblings of impeachment. The Times report said the Trump team knew about the Turkey investigation weeks before Flynn was let go. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/05/17/report-trump-team-knew-flynn-being-investigated/101816334/

I mostly agree! Until trump is out of office there is no point in concrete solutions. The republicans won with no firm policy outlines. They still don't. Democrats will release and propose plans when the 2018 congressional elections get underway. Face it trump was going to make ACA "Great", cheaper and better. Meanwhile the republicans don't need the democrats. They need budget and tax proposals that are realistic. Not trickle down economics from the rich. From billionaires. Put something realistic on paper, tell trump this is what we can expect to get. Then put it in from of Pelosi and tell her to put up or shut up. Reform the swamp. Deal with the lobbyists that make drugs and health care unaffordable. But get rid of the nutty ideas from trump and the tea party. Put it to Pelosi again. Go to the next election tell the electorate we hear you.We fixed ACA, look at the numbers. More insured, cheaper. We heard you. We made a mistake with trump.We helped kick him to the curb. We will be republicans with compassion. Vote for us.

This is a good example of prophetic news. As of that report it's just one guy's opinion, no matter how he's placed in the party - We have no idea what caused him to have it. That Ryan shut down the conversation is interesting but predictable and that's about it. I'd expect that conversation to have gone 'unless you have some pretty fucking specific evidence to back up that allegation, I suggest you shut your trap. We're supposed to all be on the same side here.' That's what Id have said if I were Ryan. The media will probably make it into something far larger than that without taking the time to do the proper research. Fixed it for you. Amazing from last summer, yet so able to peg the future. So analytically accurate of the present. The Trump Presidency Falls Apart After an extraordinary 10 days, the tenure of the chief executive may have deteriorated beyond his ability to repair it. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/all-the-kings-men/526980/ LA Times six part article: Our Dishonest President http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-ed-our-dishonest-president/?int=lat_digitaladshouse_our-dishonest-president_content-promotion_ngux_whisperer_editorial-whisperer_______

I predict he will find nothing and the left will go apoplictic. NEVER go to Vegas.

I don't get Fox Fake news. But they must, no they have to be blaming this on BO. There will be no more BS, no more hiding in the bushes, or anywhere else. Where was that poll on the number of days that trump has left?

Special Council Appointed Robert Mueller appointed special counsel to oversee probe into Russia's interference in 2016 election The United States Department of Justice has announced that a special counsel has been appointed to investigate Russian interference into last year's presidential election. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller has been assigned by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to "oversee the previously-confirmed FBI investigation of Russian government efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election, and related matters." http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/robert-mueller-appointed-special-counsel-oversee-probe-russias/story?id=47472673

Fixed it for you.

Vladimir Putin Denies Trump Leak: 'Very Bad' Lavrov to Be 'Reprimanded' for Not Sharing Secrets With Me Complaining of 'political schizophrenia' in the U.S., Russia's Vladimir Putin laments Trump isn't being allowed to work properly .. Speaking at a news conference alongside Italy’s prime minister, Putin quipped that Lavrov had not passed what he said were the non-existent secrets onto him and said that Russia was ready to hand a transcript of the meeting over to U.S. lawmakers if that would help reassure them. "I spoke to him (Lavrov) today," said Putin with a smile. "I'll be forced to issue him with a reprimand because he did not share these secrets with us. Not with me, nor with representatives of Russia's intelligence services. It was very bad of him." http://www.haaretz.com/us-news/1.789810 There is no possibility that comedians can make this stuff up. The vodka must be flowing freely in the offices of the FSB for the last couple weeks. "Very Bad" are President Putin's exact words.

Still a few days left in this one yet. I'm running out of popcorn And here it is: Trump asked Comey to end the investigation into Flynn.... https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/us/politics/james-comey-trump-flynn-russia-investigation.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur Thankfully this is in the new week thread. Its called obstruction of justice.

Israeli intelligence officers are “boiling mad and demanding answers” after President Trump reportedly shared classified information from Israel with Russia, according to a new report. Two Israeli intelligence officers confirmed to BuzzFeed Tuesday that Israel had shared specific intelligence with the U.S. about Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) plots to smuggle explosive laptops onto planes. "We have an arrangement with America which is unique to the world of intelligence sharing," one intelligence officer told BuzzFeed. "We do not have this relationship with any other country." http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/333670-israeli-intelligence-boiling-mad-at-trump-report The official Israel response give that trump will be in Israel this week. "‘Israel has full confidence in our intelligence-sharing relationship with the United States’" Former Mossad chief: Alleged Trump slip to Russia could be 'grave violation' Danny Yatom, the former director of Israel's spy agency, cautions of the impact of revealing classified information after reports of Trump sharing intel with Russia. If Monday night’s Washington Post report that US President Donald Trump recently revealed classified information to Russia is true, it would be a “grave violation” of intelligence sharing protocol and “could lead to harm to the source,” former Mossad director Danny Yatom told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. Yatom said he did not know if the reports of giving away an ally’s information were true “and I don’t know from where, I don’t know if it was from Israel,” but “if someone gives the US very sensitive information…it is prohibited to give the information to a third party – for sure not to Russia who has ties with Iran and Syria.” The former Mossad director added that, “if the information is sensitive, it can harm the security of the intelligence source or lead to other damage.” Regarding the Trump administration’s statements denying the sharing any intelligence methods or sources, he said “sometimes damage is caused from the content of the revelation, even if he does not say the methods and sources.” http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Former-Mossad-chief-warns-Trump-of-dangers-of-loose-lips-490882

More Americans want President Trump impeached than don't, according to a new survey by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling released Tuesday. Forty-eight percent of respondents said they would support Trump's impeachment, while 41 percent would oppose such charges. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/333589-poll-42-percent-of-voters-support-impeaching-trump

Fox News Headline: Newt Gingrich: Trump owes the news media nothing Note: I wrote this before the latest despicable, dishonest smearing of the President, but that incident simplify magnifies my case. This simply reinforces the following, which I wrote earlier today. After almost four months of watching the news media’s unending dishonesty, hostility, and contempt toward the Trump administration, it is time to have a blunt conversation. The President owes Americans the defense of the United States Constitution. The President owes the American people a sound job as commander in chief, protecting the country. The President owes the American people a dramatically stronger economy with more jobs, better take home pay, and increased opportunities for investment growth; which will help people prepare for retirement, strengthen pension funds, and guarantee Social Security’s solvency. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/05/15/newt-gingrich-trump-owes-news-media-nothing.html Fox is a disgrace.

Pense, Ryan, Bo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_(dog) Braggart in Chief President Trump’s incessant need to prove how important and successful he is proved costly in a meeting with Russian diplomats. Why did Donald Trump last week reveal highly classified, potentially life-endangering, intelligence to Russia’s foreign minister? Because he wanted to impress him. “In his conversations with the Russian officials,” reports Reuters, “Trump appeared to be boasting about his knowledge of the looming threats, telling them he was briefed on ‘great intel every day.’” It fits a pattern; Trump loves dazzling guests. After his April meeting with Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago, he recounted the Chinese president’s supposed shock when Trump told him, over dessert, that the U.S. had just bombed Syria: Xi “paused for 10 seconds and then he asked the interpreter to please say it again.” When two Time reporters followed Trump around the White House last month, Trump told them that Ronald Lauder “went crazy” after being shown “the painting of George Washington above the fireplace.” Then Trump beckoned the reporters to follow him into his private dining room, where “You’ll see something that is amazing.” It turned out to be Trump’s newly installed flat-screen TV. It’s not exactly a secret that Trump brags. During the campaign, he boasted about the size of his penis. This March, he said he was the reason no NFL team had signed Colin Kaepernick. And he does so in private, too. In his infamous Access Hollywood tape, Trump crowed about his ability to get away with sexual assault, declaring that, “when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.” One might hope Trump would realize that Sergei Lavrov is not Billy Bush. In dealing with foreign leaders, presidents are not supposed to brag about the powers of their office. They’re supposed to pursue the national interest. But even in private, Trump appears obsessed with using the presidency to prove how important and successful he is. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/braggart-in-chief/526827/ Oh!! and after trump had McMaster go out last night and lie for him. Less than 18 hours later trump threw McMaster under the bus and admitted that he disclosed the information in tweets this morning. "As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining to terrorism and airline flight safety," Trump said on Twitter. "Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism." In a later tweet, Trump took aim at "LEAKERS in the intelligence community," a frequent target of his months-old administration. https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-tweets-defends-sharing-information-russians-121114068.html McMaster, well your allegiances to the constitution and to your political master, trump, are now established.

The Terrible Cost of Trump's Disclosures The consequences of the president’s reported divulgence of top-secret codeword information to the Russians are only beginning... Russia is antagonistic to the United States, although Trump has repeatedly indicated his desire to be chummy with the Russians—after all, as he notoriously said during the presidential campaign, we are both killers, and so on the same moral plane. He apparently divulged the information to show off, which not only shows a lack of self-discipline: It shows, yet again, how easy this man is to play, particularly by veteran manipulators like his two experienced, talented, and thuggish guests. The crisis is made worse by virtue of Trump having just fired the FBI director, apparently for having pushed that Russia investigation too far. Quite apart from making himself and the country a laughingstock around the world, the president has now practically begged Vladimir Putin to toy with him, tantalize him, tease him, flatter him, manipulate him. He has shown the Russians (and others, who are watching just as closely) just how easy that is to do, and he has shown the rest of us that his vanity and impulsiveness have not been tempered by the highest responsibilities.... He then went into the history of China and Korea. Not North Korea, Korea. And you know, you’re talking about thousands of years … and many wars. And Korea actually used to be a part of China. And after listening for 10 minutes I realized that not—it’s not so easy. You know I felt pretty strongly that they have—that they had a tremendous power over China. I actually do think they do have an economic power, and they have certainly a border power to an extent, but they also—a lot of goods come in. But it’s not what you would think... The explanation was remarkable not only for Trump’s frank admission that he knew little about the background of the Korean Peninsula, but for his equally frank admission that the leader of a foreign country—and not just any foreign country, but a major American rival that Trump had repeatedly savaged rhetorically—could reverse his understanding of a key issue with just 10 minutes of persuasion. It is no wonder that the Russians were eager to get in a room with Trump, but Russia and China were not the only foreign countries to recognize how easily swayed Trump could be. The pattern began even before he was inaugurated, with a December phone call between Trump and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Not only was the conversation a major breach of protocol, Trump seemed to be flirting with abandoning American recognition that Beijing considers Taiwan a part of a unified China. He was eventually talked down from this by advisers—and his vacillation is one reason Xi was so eager to meet—but his impressionability had been established. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/trump-foreign-leaders-negotiate/526815/

Foreign Leaders Have Realized Trump Is a Pushover The pattern has become clear: A foreign official comes to President Trump. They speak. The official leaves with what he or she wants, and Trump emerges chastened, having reversed a major policy, or both.... According to The Washington Post’s Josh Rogin, NPR, and other reports, Chinese leaders began lobbying for a face-to-face meeting with Trump as soon as possible in his presidency. Ahead of the April visit by President Xi Jinping to the United States, Trump warned that their meeting would be “a very difficult one.” That was a reasonable prediction. Trump had spent much of the campaign assailing China, complaining that the country was a currency manipulator (which had not been true since 2014) and that he would take a much harder line than the Obama administration had. As it happened, the meeting with Xi was something of a love-fest. Trump and his spokesman have boasted since about the very good relationship they created with China’s leader, and hailed their friendship. If Trump was pleased with the outcome, Xi must have been ecstatic. The Chinese president emerged from the meeting with warm praise from Trump; a concession from the U.S. president that China was not manipulating its currency; and conciliatory statements about China’s ability to twist the arm of North Korea, its wild-eyed, nuclear-armed neighbor. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/trump-foreign-leaders-negotiate/526815/