A friend sent me this article but I decided not to post it because I didn’t know how to fact-check its sensational allegations.
It contains some serious allegations about relations between Trump and the Russian mob. This is way outside my field of expertise but I was nonetheless shocked by the implications.
Then today USA Today ran a front-page story echoing much of the same material.
https://www.google.com/amp/amp.usatoday.com/story/98321252/
This is amazing stuff.
This is our nation at risk.
Clearly the House Intelligence Committee has been compromised by the behavior of its chairman Devin Nunes.
Does our government have the capacity to launch a credible investigation of these serious charges?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
From the article by whowhatwhy.com here are many questions without having an accurate answer for public:
1) • To sum up, WhoWhatWhy’s investigation suggests that the FBI, in using an informant with a strong connection to Trump and alleged ties to Russian mobsters — including one deemed a national security threat by the US — has seemingly tied its own hands in investigating the president.
2) Expatmom • 9 hours ago
Why did Comey & the Bureau make sure Clinton lost the election??
3) Richard Walden • 8 hours ago
This excellent investigative piece could, when combined with whatever ex MI-6 agent Christopher Steele has found out while working for both Rubio’s campaign and later the democrats, become very difficult for both Trump and the US intelligence and law enforcement agencies that know about these dealings to avoid their consequences.
In addition, Trump faces an inevitable black market sale of his alleged Miss Universe-era Ritz Carlton Moscow sexcapades tapes and, with luck, unveiling his alleged after-hours Wall Street-run sex parties using a dominatrix and her crew. At some point, all this c*** should lead to, at the very least, charges of either tax evasion or lying to a federal investigator–and that should set off impeachment or even a 25th amendment replacement move against him by the required one half of his cabinet (likely led by its Wall Street delegation)..The cause? Mental incapacity….Back2basic
The links between the Russian “mob” and the Russian “oligarchs” could be a factor in all of this as well… articles like this one can lend credence to any conspiracy theories anyone wants to weave: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-rosneft-privatisation-insight-idUSKBN1582OH… Transparency is an overused term, but without it conspiracy theories abound and trust is eroded…
Let’s see now….what do we think would be happening if this were Hillary Clinton that we were talking about??? I think we would already have independent investigations and serious calls for impeachment.
As much as I dislike Trump, I can’t help thinking that Hillary was spared. If she had been elected with a Republican majority in Congress, she would have accomplished none of her goals and subject to impeachment for breathing. To govern, she would have needed a working majority at least in the Senate.
Too bad Democrats didn’t hire some serious investigators during the campaign. Hillary’s agenda would have been stymied by the party of “no.” Democrats have no hope in the house with all the gerrymandering. You would think with all that computers can do, they could get one to draw logical boundaries. That way the republicans would have to abide by some degree of fairness. Democrats have an identity crisis they need to resolve in order to win. Are they Republican “lite” or progressive?
I agree. Life works out in strange ways. I often wonder whether she isn’t happy to be able to go out and have a little fun and relax after a life long service to country. But she’s a fighter and likes to be in the mix, so she probably will continue to be influential in some capacity!
Hillary Clinton has a decades long track record of making progress even with Republicans. That’s why some progressives thought she was too moderate. She’s a political survivor and I think she would have found a way to make incremental progress when blocked, and rapid progress when the political terrain was different.
This election was stolen from we the people. If it were happening somewhere else, we would call it a coup.
Karen, agree
retired teacher
” Democrats have an identity crisis they need to resolve in order to win. Are they Republican “lite” or progressive?”
Thank you retired teacher . So when you hear the talking heads say the base is driving the party too far to the left . Left of of what ? . As Trump showed us, the key to winning is motivating your base . You can represent main street . Or you can represent Wall street you can not do both .
So here is the funny part. Trump’s base is not those that elected him in the Mid West . The base is the deplorable racist fringe and the traditional republicans who all came home . What pushed him over the top were the 1 in 5 voters in those counties and states that voted for Obama not once but twice .
Yet as somebody used to say “the media loves talking about the process and not the policy”
So what are we hearing now . The American people want a government that works together . ON WHAT and for WHOM ???
The American people want Tax reform . The noise is deafening , the one thing the media agrees on. Because the owners of Fox ,CNN ,MSNBC the NY Times , Washington Post and even WSJ all have a common interest in paying less taxes .
Reform that provides tax relief for billionaires and corporations .While bankrupting the Government leaving less for earned benefits SS Medicare, education , infrastructure . Transferring more of the costs to local Government where the common people pick up more of the tab through regressive taxes. Yet we can be sure that establishment Democrats work with Republicans to see that Wall Street gets what they need.
On that note some media noise.
http://cepr.net/blogs/beat-the-press/the-generation-of-nonsense-in-the-boston-globe.
As Harry Truman said “When Democrats act like Republicans the people pick the real thing every time.”
Karen Wolfe
Bill and Hilary have a fine record of passing Republican policy.
No, the government or Congress specifically can not investigate since they are suppressing information the public has a right to know. If we are ever going to get to the truth of Russian involvement in our government thru Trump and FBI Russian gang informants, we need an independent investigation. Absent that, nothing will be accomplished. What’s so scary about this information is that we have been compromised already and our own paid public servabts are suppressing the public’s need to know.
Totally agree. And yes: we’ve already been compromised and he has the codes for our nuclear arsenal.
Wow, Hillary basically had the US government working against her to protect their own positions and those of Trump’s. How can a lifetime public servant deserve such treatment. The whole 2016 election should be invalidated.
I totally agree.
The plot has not just “thickened.”
The plot is a firm crust, a solid piece of ground on which to build Agent Orange’s impeachment and prison cell. So too his enablers.
We’ve known for quite some time that Russian intelligence agencies interceded in the election against Hillary Clinton and on behalf of Agent Orange, creating and disseminating tons of fake news that was spread by Fox and right-wing websites (also with ties to Russia) that were lapped up by low-information and low-education (and mostly white) voters, many of whom termed themselves “evangelicals.” We’ve also known about Agent Oranges “advisors” – like Paul Manafort – and their financial ties to Russia. And we know that currently there is an orchestrated cover up going on.
All of this, in addition to the WhoWhatWhy article, does not forebode anything positive for the Republic. But it the Republic is to endure, we – the American people – must get the truth. As Aristotle noted, “the character of democracy creates democracy, and the character of oligarchy creates oligarchy…”
James Bond movie supervillains, anyone?
Anyone with deals in real estate development has ties to “the mob” (I don’t like that term, personally). It’s a given. The sticking point, here, is that Trump’s organization is international and those ties have moved into the sphere of involving foreign governments that are hostile towards us.
Gitapik,
Your generalization is wrong. My ex-husband was a real estate developer for many years; his family business was construction. He was a very ethical businessman. The mob is all over the construction industry but he refused to deal with them. MAny of his peers were equally ethical.
The casino industry is deeply entangled with the mob.
Thanks and an embarrassed emoticon if you had them here. I stand corrected, Diane.
I know people in the field and I guess I swallowed that generalization hook, line, and sinker. I’ll stop spreading it around.
Let’s face facts. The idea that human beings can be above corruption is naive. In order to to business in America you have to deal with corrupt individuals who control the trades. Labor unions stole billions from loyal workers leaving many with bankrupt pension funds. This included my father, who after 40 years of hard work received a pension of $30 a month. He was a unIon man and organizer. Didn’t make any difference the corrupt managers of the pension plan pofiteered and mismanaged funds. If you work in the building trades one must work with those who supply materials. Protection money, no show jobs etc. please wake up from your dream of Living in world where good triumphs over evil and everyone lives happily ever after. That’s the stuff of Hollywood
How interesting that the daily email from the WH actually lists a news report from Breitbart. It is now a credible source of information.
How disgusting can things get in this country when Brietbart garbage is distributed free to the public?
…….
Your 1600 Daily
The White House info@mail.whitehouse.gov
WHITE HOUSE MEMO
President Donald J. Trump is taking action to build a dynamic, booming economy that works for all Americans. Today, he will also meet with the Prime Minister of Denmark, strengthening our alliance with a country that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the United States in our commitment to defeating ISIS.
NEWS REPORTS
Breitbart: “Exclusive: Secretary Ryan Zinke Ready to Restore Trust in the Interior Department”
CarolMalaysia,
Here’s a good one. In the supermarket last week, I saw that the blazing headline on thecNational Enquirer (owned by a Trump friend) said: “Trump Catches Russian Soy I the White House.” I wondered if this meant he was a hanger-on from the Obama time; did Trump tackle him; or was this malarkey intended to distract attention from investigations of Trump’s cozy connections with Putin?
To Helen Schulman:
I am second to your expression. Freedom of expression about sex and charity is welcome by CORRUPTED authority. However, the naive and honest journalists will find out sooner or later their own death sentence if they dare to write the truth in corrupted authority.
People should be informed and cultivated in their mindset the VERY BASIC RULES or the subtlety of the reality in all societies whether the ideology is capitalist, communist or fascist that based on human nature, emotion is stronger than logical mindset, so that GREED (fame and fortune), LUST (sexual fantasy) and EGO (corrupted power and control) forever run in the blood of HUNGRY BEAST, not normal human being with authority.
My mother always told her children that the wind of greed, lust and ego will keep blowing so that all leaves cannot have a moment of calmness, and eventually some of leaves will fall or go with the wind. This is not an excuse to be bad. But this is to remind people who need to strengthen or purify their own body, mind and spirit to the level of DIAMOND over many lives on Earth.
WISDOM (through knowledge and experience), COMPASSION ( through detachment of emotion, but seeing thing as it is impartial judgment), and FORGIVENESS (give others the chance = CONDITION to work, redeem, and improve their voluntary contribution from their own current strength) are the golden rules to help human beings stay away from revenge and from warfare.
The VERY BASIC RULES or the subtleties of the reality are:
1) In business: PROFIT is the only priority, everything-else is secondary.
2) In politics: POWER and CONTROL are the priority, everything-else is secondary.
3) In Public Education: CIVILIZATION and HUMANITY are the ONLY priority.
4) In PRIVATIZED EDUCATION/businesses: PROFIT, POWER and CONTROL are the main goal to the owners and NOTHING-ELSE IS MATTER, including the loved ones’ lives (friends and family members of the owners). Back2basic.
Diane – check out the memberships – https://whowhatwhy.org/the-project/ – Columbia Journalism Review, Investigative Reporters and Editors. These guys are legit.
Retired teacher and Joel Herman – we are progressives. Hopefully both of you are involved in the Resistance. Be careful of wolves in sheep’s clothing –
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/39986-third-way-democrats-are-trying-to-push-the-party-rightward
http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2013/03/the-ny-times-calls-third-way-center-left-and-turns-a-study-on-its-head.html
https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2014/10/06/struggle-for-soul-democratic-party-pits-wall-street-backed-think-tank-against-elizabeth-warren/pYk3SXRnZDmpi7C7N4ZpXN/story.html
Unless we recognize the propaganda, we’re as bad as the Trumpians.
Thanks Pip for this vital info…particularly the center link to Wm Black who is a hero of mine and a prestigious lawyer and law professor.
Third Way is trolling for the uninformed…and DFER’s are not the only very rich Dems seeking to protect their status and that of their class. They troll here and elsewhere in cyber space , and looking at the candidates backgrounds, one sees them on the Boards of such corporate environment killers as Monsanto, and on each other’s Foundation Boards. They shill for Eli Broad, for the Waltons, and for charter schools, as they offer themselves to a naïve public as either and/or liberals and progressives.
Glad to see your research and insights, Pip. BTW, I lead a California RESIST group and we have weekly Study sessions, so I am putting this topic on our list. Saturday we are studying ALEC…and it includes some of the Dems your links mention.
Gee Ellen
You west coasters going to out do us on April 29th . As you did on January 21st
Joel…we’ll be marching.
Nothing to disagree with . There is a saying I have heard in the labor movement . “It aint about god it aint about gays and it aint about guns”. ” It is all about the economy ” These issues are all distractions thrown out by the right . Government has no business in the first two.
The third even gun owners favor common sense restrictions.
The election of Trump should show that the Right wing base has no moral compass the deplorables would vote for a rapist serial lair. The social issues are a front there as well. This has always been class warfare and always will be . Right down to the right wing congressman who tell their ex wives to go for an abortion .
Just finished this short article minutes before I saw your post
http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/20011/we_need_to_restore_the_frayed_alliance_between_unions_and_progressives.
Somebody please tell me Hillary’s great legislative achievements , The SCHIP program for children’s health was a Kennedy / Hatch bill. Fighting for 911 responder’s don’t sound to tough, And if you could not pass Lilly Ledbetter in 2009 after the collapse with a super majority hang it up .
Real progressives fight the Oligarchs where it counts in their wallets . The social issues will fall right in line when they are defeated.
The story is causing waves…an update and podcast
http://whowhatwhy.org/2017/03/28/behind-scenes-interview-exclusive-trump-russia-fbi-story/
An today Flynn asked for immunity. Is this Trumpian house of cards starting to tumble?
I read constantly about Russia,
http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/donald-trumps-russian-marginalia-problem?mbid=nl_032417_Daily&CNDID=45272181&spMailingID=10688841&spUserID=MTgwNzgwOTcyMzEyS0&spJobID=1121952791&spReportId=MTEyMTk1Mjc5MQS2
Like you, I am at a loss to know what is true and what is not true… and THAT is purposeful!!!!
FYI…My mothers folks are from Russian, as is most of my family. I lived through the ‘cold war’ (which by the way was Churchill’s metaphor). I have many Russian friends and they are the MOST DISTRUSTFUL and cynical about Russia, as they have relatives back there and have no illusions.
But I read and write at a progressive site, and there is endless commentary on how we are being distracted by this Russia-phobia, and that nonsense about how Trump only wants friendly relations, and how could that hurt?
I get some very strong arguments when I answer that one truthfully (but NO ONE attacks me for my beliefs… although some venture that I am ‘naive.’ Yeah, right! They are not developing cyber warfare…. just as WE ARE!
IMO, Russia is a dangerous entity in this world, and Putin hates us.
He wants to diminish our role in Europe, and he is ruthless. I think he has much ‘stuff’ on that degenerate man who said out loud that ‘celebrities can do anything they want” and must have done whatever he wanted when he visited Russian. They got the goods on him. He cannot bear being humiliated, and will sell out this nation in a heartbeat.
But when all is said and done, and because I do READ widely, I come upon other points of view that really MAKE ME SIT UP AND THINK.
This is one of them. I put it out here because the people who read here are the smartest people I know. I wonder what you folks make of this!
http://www.counterpunch.org/2017/03/28/fake-news-the-unravelling-of-us-empire-from-within/
Most successful propaganda campaigns are begun with a seed or more of truth.
As educators we’ve seen first hand how the media distorted the truth and told flat out lies about teachers and our public schools.
So, yes…nobody’s clean. Fake news is manufactured from more than one plant.
Susan…I hope you and many others watched Fareed Zaharia last Sunday when he did a long documentary on Putin, and how his hatred of Hillary Clinton led him to attack and manipulate our last election. It was most insightful. That there is still a push to create doubt re Russia influencing Trump’s success in winning the election, is beyond reason. Every US agency has now admitted the Russian hacking…and every legit reporter and pundit has also specified with details how this occurred.
I believe Putin’s policy goals go a little deeper than just attacking Hillary. He is attacking the whole Western Alliance. The sad part, he has us sounding like the neocons who gave him the platform to operate on, when they moved NATO east.
Absolutely agree with you, Joel. His march into Ukraine, Crimea, and plan for taking over Lithuanian, Latvia, and Estonia, make that very clear. He is building the Greater Russia again, and thumbing his nose at the Western Alliance and NATO. And Brexit changes the entire European economy giving Putin additional leverage.
Diane,
You are MORE than TERRIFIC! Thank you for ALL of your useful and most informative posts,
Just when I think. “Can this potus get crazier?” He doesn’t let me down.
Someone should write a PLAY.
I also agree with the article that basically states that Russia collusion with Trump people on the 2016 election is not the major story. The major story is how the elite moneyed people in America and internationally are consolidating there power by dropping any type of public community or support for quality of life issues and di vertinf that money to themselves. The public is being fleeced while their attention is diverted to the Russian boogeyman. The real boogeymen are these Anerican oligarchs pushing the public’s standards of living all the way back to the 50’s.
How’s this article concerning the thought of ‘pushing the public’s standards of living all the way back to the 50’s’? Planned Parenthood provides health care to those on Medicaid. Trump and the GOP are itching at the thought of cutting their funding.
………
Pence breaks tie in Senate vote targeting Planned Parenthood funding…Politico
By SEUNG MIN KIM and BRIANNA EHLEY 03/30/17
With a rare tie-breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence, the Senate on Thursday sent a bill to President Donald Trump’s desk giving states permission to withhold federal family planning funds from Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.
Pence and Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, who is recovering from back surgery and used a walker inside the chamber, were dramatically summoned to the Capitol to help pass the measure by a razor-thin margin.
All of the chamber’s Democrats opposed the legislation, as did Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who have long opposed blocking funding for the family planning organization. The GOP holds a 52-48 majority in the Senate….
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/mike-pence-johnny-isakson-planned-parenthood-vote-senate-236702