Guiliani: Collusion with the Russians Is Not Criminal

132 Comments Post your own or leave a trackback: Trackback URL

1. Priscilla Shannon Gutierrez says:

   July 30, 2018 at 3:00 pm

   Collusion may not be a criminal act, but conspiracy is. And there sure as hell was a conspiracy that Trump and his team were fully aware of…

   LikeLike

   Reply
   • FLERP! says:

     July 30, 2018 at 3:09 pm

     This is just semantics and it’s silly. To collude is to conspire. If Mueller were to bring a charging instrument against Trump relating to collusion — which he almost certainly will not do, by the way — we can rest assured that Mueller manage to reference the proper criminal statute in the charging instrument.

     Separately, “conspiracy’ is never a crime by itself. The question is what did the conspirators agree to do.

     LikeLike

     Reply
     • NYC public school parent says:

       July 30, 2018 at 5:22 pm

       I agree. It’s ridiculous that the media is even buying into this whole “collusion isn’t a crime” meme.

       Colluding with your brother to buy a gift for your mother is not a crime. Colluding with your friend to surprise your spouse with a birthday dinner is not a crime. Colluding with your mistress to cheat on your wife isn’t a crime.

       But colluding to do something illegal IS a crime. Even if you aren’t robbing the bank yourself, if you collude with the bank robber about the best way to rob the bank and the bank robber rewards you for your help, it is a crime. And if you try to cover it up, it is also a crime.

       It is illegal for a candidate to accept help from a foreign entity in order to help win an election campaign.

       Just like it is illegal for a candidate to accept help from burglars who will break into the Watergate Building to look for dirt.

       Thus, what Richard Nixon and Donald Trump did were crimes.

       It is a stunning victory for propaganda that the media is treating anything that Trump or Giuliani says seriously. It is similar to Trump saying he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue. This enabling by the media of overt fascism has got to stop.

       LikeLike

     • GregB says:

       July 30, 2018 at 8:07 pm

       FLERP!: Since the media circus will begin tomorrow with Manafort’s first trial, inquiring minds will be waiting for your timely legal analysis. Don’t let us down! ⚖️

       LikeLike

     • FLERP! says:

       July 30, 2018 at 8:10 pm

       I have two letters to two judges to edit and a complaint to finalize, so I plan on letting everyone down as usual!

       LikeLike

     • GregB says:

       July 30, 2018 at 8:27 pm

       C’mon, get your priorities straight! An evening synopsis will do in a pinch.

       LikeLike

     • Joel Herman (@jwherman11) says:

       July 30, 2018 at 8:43 pm

       FLERP!

       He may surprise you and force the court’s hand. An Indictment is a powerful political tool that then forces the hand of Congress and the Courts. So I expect an Indictment and a report to Congress. The President need only be an unindicted co-conspirator. The Congress is then faced with the public release of all the documentation.

       All though in my fantasy I envision the Secret Serviced booting Trump’s fat ass right into a waiting pair of cuffs.

       LikeLike

     • FLERP! says:

       July 30, 2018 at 8:45 pm

       I would love to see an indictment, and I would love more than anything to see the President indicted, to tee up the question of whether a sitting president can be indicted, and prompt a true constitutional crisis.

       LikeLike

     • NYC public school parent says:

       July 30, 2018 at 8:56 pm

       I am not quite old enough to know the answer to this, so perhaps someone here can answer this question:

       When Richard Nixon was being investigated during the Watergate brouhaha, were there lots of people who insisted that a sitting President couldn’t be indicted even if he broke the law?

       Were there lots of people saying it might cause a Constitutional crisis, so we should ignore Nixon’s wrongdoing?

       Were there lots of people saying Congress shouldn’t impeach Nixon even if there was evidence he broke the law because it might make voters feel sorry for him and vote Republican in the next election?

       And if people were saying that, were they Republican apologists for Nixon or mainstream Democrats?

       It’s shocking to me that we seem to be paving the way to accepting that a President can break the law with impunity and no one can stop him except to vote him out whenever his term is over.

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       July 30, 2018 at 8:59 pm

       I was an adult during the Watergate hearings. I don’t recall anyone of either party saying that a sitting president could not be indicted. Both Republicans and Democrats agreed he should go, and he resigned to avoid being impeached. His crimes pale next to those of which Trump is accused—colluding with a hostile nation and changing foreign policy to please that nation.

       LikeLike

     • FLERP! says:

       July 30, 2018 at 11:11 pm

       Diane, I was a wee lad during the Watergate hearings, so my firsthand memory isn’t useful on this point. But the Justice Department under Nixon took the position the position that a sitting president can not be indicted, and I believe the DOJ took the same position under Clinton. People argue the point back and forth, but to my knowledge the Supreme Court has never addressed the question squarely. You’ll find very confident opinions going both ways in newspaper columns over the past year or so, but to me at least the answer isn’t obvious.

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       July 30, 2018 at 11:23 pm

       The movement to remove Nixon was bipartisan.

       Howard Baker (R-TN) uttered the famous phrase “What did the President know and when did he know it?”

       The Republicans were embarrassed by Nixon.

       Today they have no shame.

       Their party has been taken over by Trump and is now a home for racists, bigots, haters

       LikeLike

     • jscheidell says:

       July 30, 2018 at 11:25 pm

       This is a disturbing article… while this group ponders over collusion – Indictments – impeachments I wonder if the future of the Dems – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – has answers to why these facts seem to be in opposition to her views of capitalism and our future – socialism or capitalism –

       Trump Tax Reforms Allow Companies to Expand Benefits, Increase Wages Written by Bob Adelmann-Ivy League graduate and former investment advisor

       https://www.thenewamerican.com/economy/markets/item/29663-trump-tax-reforms-allow-companies-to-expand-benefits-increase-wages?

       Short version ” according to ATR, hundreds of companies are expanding and extending other employee benefits thanks to the tax reform. They include utility companies lowering their rates, craft brewers hiring new employees and expanding their breweries, and businesses of all sizes providing new benefits, including higher contributions to their employees’ 401(k) plans, employee educational programs, and increased charitable contributions.

       For instance, Walmart and Lowe’s now provide $5,000 in cash to help cover the cost of adopting a child, benefitting, according to Walmart, “more than one million [of our] hourly associates.” In addition, Lowe’s is expanding its employee-benefits package for its full-time workers to include paid maternity leave for 10 weeks, paid parental leave for two weeks, and faster eligibility for health benefits.

       American Family Insurance said that its revised and expanded family-leave program “will provide employees with paid leave to care for an ill child of any age or for a spouse or domestic partner.” Charles Schwab Corporation said, “We expanded parental leave benefits for all Schwab employees, and increased the annual corporate contribution to philanthropy to benefit our local communities.” Chipotle Mexican Grill announced: “We plan to invest more than one-third of these tax savings in our people, including … one-time cash bonuses … one-time stock bonuses … and other benefits such as parental leave and short term disability.”

       Cummins decreased the out-of-pocket maximums required to be paid by its employees for healthcare, and added $1,000 to each of their 2018 Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Cummins also raised its minimum entry-level wage to $15 per hour and expanded plans to allow additional paid time off for new parents.

       CVS Health is absorbing increases in the cost of health-insurance premiums, in addition to creating a new parental-leave program. Dollar Tree estimated that it will save approximately $250 million in taxes thanks to tax reform, and it is investing much of this in more hours and higher wages for its associates, along with additional training at no cost to the employees. McDonald’s announced that employees who work just 15 hours a week will receive $1,500 worth of tuition assistance every year. The money can be applied to local community colleges, trade schools, or a traditional four-year university, and employees’ family members are eligible to use the money.

       Rolls Royce, the British automobile manufacturer with 6,500 U.S. employees, announced a new employee-benefits package which includes six-week paid parental leave and two weeks of paid family-care leave.

       All of this puts the lie to the never-Trumpers who have claimed that those initial $1,000 bonuses paid out in February were just a one-time gift to assuage the guilt of managers who were giving themselves most of the benefits through higher salaries, bonuses, and stock options. According to ATR, not only do 90 percent of U.S. wage earners now have higher take-home pay, thanks to Trump’s tax reform program, but they are now enjoying greatly increased non-wage benefits as well.”

       Remember her background – Boston Univ – economic degree!

       We have just come off eight years of economic stagnation. No economic growth tax increases out the wazoo in the past eight years, including all of the new taxes brought on by the government taking over health care with Obamacare. We had Barack Obama running around to places like West Virginia, Indiana, and Ohio and telling people out of work: your jobs are never coming back — and if someone tells you that your job will be coming back, he’s waving a magic wand, – Just wave a magic wand?

       She has been educated to understand the liberal cliche. Let me share with you a tweet I “The GOP is: – weak on fighting for working class Americans.” Really? Working-class Americans are doing better than they have in the last 15 years, after just 1-1/2 years of being escaped from Obamaism.

       More and more U.S. companies are using benefits from President Trump’s tax reform program to enhance their employees’ benefits, from paying more of their health-insurance premiums to contributing more to their retirement plans. Instead of going to pay higher salaries to company CEOs, those tax savings are increasingly going into longer paid family leaves, adoption assistance, and contributions to local charities.

       Initially, it was all about tax savings. According to Americans for Tax Reform (ATR):

       A family of four with an annual income of $73,000 will see a tax cut of more than $2,058;

       A single parent with one child with an annual income of $41,000 will see a tax cut of $1,304;

       Married small business owners with an annual income of $100,000 will see a tax cut of $2,603.

       Repeal of the ObamaCare mandate also saved people anywhere between $695 for an individual taxpayer up to $2,085 for a family of four, amounts they would have paid in penalties if they did not buy the government-mandated health insurance.

       Another comment = The GOP is “weak on crime.” Really? Who is it that wants to let felons out of jail so they can vote? The GOP is “weak on equal rights.” The GOP is “weak on national security.” Who is it trying to secure the border? Who is it that’s trying to make illegal immigrants don’t get in and national security is maintained? Who is it that wants to get rid of customs and ICE? It’s the Democrats, and they claim they are tough on national security? The GOP is “weak on rejecting racism.”

       The GOP is “weak on family values.” That probably means the GOP doesn’t think LGBTQ define… I don’t know. But this is also absurd. Weak on family values? The country with a party that tries to keep families together by limiting the number of babies killed is weak on family values?

       She’s a glittering jewel of colossal ignorance who doesn’t know it. But who else doesn’t know it? Do you realize people listening to her on The Daily Show are standing up and cheering? That host, Trevor Noah, probably thought it was fantabulous that he had such an exclusive, such brilliance? She is so poisoned with her ideological cliches and dogma that she is literally incapable of seeing what’s right in front of her face

       How many Democrat tax increases have there been on the basis that we need to make people pay their fair share? The bottom of 50% of American taxpayers don’t pay any income tax! The top 10% of taxpayers are paying 90% of all income taxes, and the federal government is collecting record tax revenue. It’s an all-time high with the Trump tax cuts. She does not know what she’s talking about, and she is the face of the Democrat Party going forward.

       But avoid the issue of the economy issue and stick with your hopes of indictment, Impeachments etc…and hope this dear “future of the Dems” gets an education

       LikeLike

     • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

       July 31, 2018 at 2:32 pm

       Have you already forgotten 2007-08 when Bush Jr. was president and the global economy took a big hit?

       Trump and the GOP are not responsible for the current economy and the low unemployment rate.

       in 2015, the CBO predicted this economy based on what happened to the economy an unemployment rate during most of Obama’s presidency.
       he Economy Will Grow at a Solid Pace Over the Next Few Years

       “CBO anticipates that, under current law, economic activity will expand at a solid pace in 2015 and over the next few years—reducing the amount of underused resources, or “slack,” in the economy.

       Economic Growth Over the Next Few Years

       In CBO’s estimation, increases in consumer spending, business investment, and residential investment will drive the economic expansion this year and over the next few years. The growth in those categories of spending will derive mainly from increases in hourly compensation, rising wealth, the recent decline in crude oil prices, and a step-up in the rate of household formation (as people are more willing and able to set up new homes). As measured by the change from the fourth quarter of the previous year, real GDP will grow by about 3 percent in 2015 and 2016 and by 2½ percent in 2017, CBO expects (see figure below).”

       https://www.cbo.gov/publication/49892

       How fast Trumpists also forget and/or ignore the unemployment rate when Obama inherited Bush’s mess in 2008 and where it was when Turmp moved in to the White House.

       ‘One of the most widely recognized indicators of a recession is higher unemployment
       rates. In December 2007, the national unemployment rate was 5.0 percent, and it had
       been at or below that rate for the previous 30 months. At the end of the recession, in
       June 2009, it was 9.5 percent. In the months after the recession, the unemployment
       rate peaked at 10.0 percent (in October 2009).”

       Click to access recession_bls_spotlight.pdf

       President Obama inherited a 10 percent unemployment rate. What did Trump inherit from Obama?

       In January 2017, the month Trump lied when he took the oath of office, the unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, down 5.2 percent from January 2008.

       So the Kremlin’s Agent Orange and Putin’s worshiping lover claims credit for gains that were predicted by the CBO more than a year before the 2016 election and there is no mention of the gains made during Obama’s years in office.

       Obama took office and there were gains to the GDP for every year after two years of losses under G. W. Bush.

       https://money.cnn.com/gallery/news/economy/2017/01/06/obama-economy-10-charts-final/3.html

       Trump is a liar and anyone that believes him is a fool.

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       July 31, 2018 at 2:55 pm

       Lest we forget: Trump has exploded the deficit by $1.5 trillion with his massive tax cut for the 1%.

       That is trillion with a T.

       LikeLike

     • NYC public school parent says:

       July 30, 2018 at 9:21 pm

       Thanks, Diane.

       That is what I thought. That is why I am very concerned when I hear any Democrats acting as if they should give Trump a pass for some reason or another. Or repeating the right wing talking point that a sitting President can’t be indicted or that impeaching Trump when the Senate would never vote to remove him would be a mistake “politically”.

       The Democrats and progressives should be in absolute lockstep on this. If a sitting President conspires with a foreign government and does favors in return for them illegally hacking to help them win an election, that President should be either impeached or indicted.

       LikeLike

2. ponderosa says:

   July 30, 2018 at 3:16 pm

   Republicans, how would you feel if China had hacked the RNC and Hillary had known about it and encouraged it?

   LikeLike

   Reply
   • NYC public school parent says:

     July 30, 2018 at 5:23 pm

     Not just hacked, but released the information gleaned over a period of time to best help Trump

     LikeLike

     Reply
     • Joel Herman (@jwherman11) says:

       July 30, 2018 at 8:56 pm

       “Not just hacked, but released the information gleaned over a period of time to best help Trump”

       Not just released but did so in coordination with the Trump campaign.

       LikeLike

3. GregB says:

   July 30, 2018 at 3:43 pm

   It seems obvious to me that the president*’s “legal team” has gone all in on the assumption that Mueller will not bring criminal charges against our Dear Leader. They are focusing on pressuring Congress through their cult to avoid anything approaching impeachment. I’m not a lawyer (although I’ve been told I could play one tv), but from what I see, the reason they’re letting Rudy G. spew his venom is because they don’t think they’ll ever set foot in a court.

   LikeLike

   Reply
4. Cheryl says:

   July 30, 2018 at 4:01 pm

   Throw it against the wall and see if it sticks. Confuse the people so they don’t know who to believe. Throw more against the wall, repeat.

   Remember those who are accusing the loudest are the guilty parties.

   LikeLike

   Reply
   • retiredbutmissthekids says:

     July 30, 2018 at 5:25 pm

     Exactly, Cheryl–everything that can possibly be thrown at us is as, I believe, never before in history.

     This is why I had the Kipling poem “If” posted on the wall of every middle school classroom in which I’d taught, & would read it to the kids. Good discussions, & important words to remember & advice to use.

     LikeLike

     Reply
5. carolmalaysia says:

   July 30, 2018 at 4:12 pm

   Here’s an article in case you can’t get WaPo’s.
   …..
   Rudy Giuliani Is Now Claiming Collusion May Not Be a Crime…Mother Jones

   During two separate television interviews Monday morning, President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani openly questioned whether collusion with the Russian government—a reported focus of the special counsel’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to the Kremlin—is a criminal offense. The attempts to downplay the gravity of the charges appear to mark a new stage in Trump’s…

   As recently as Sunday night, the president again rejected the allegation that any collusion between his campaign and Russian officials took place during the 2016 presidential election.

   By Monday morning, his lawyer Giuliani told Fox & Friends, “I have been sitting here looking in the federal code trying to find collusion as a crime—collusion is not a crime.”

   Appearing on CNN’s New Day moments later, Giuliani repeated his assertion. “I don’t even know if that’s a crime, colluding about Russians,” Giuliani said. “You start analyzing the crime, the hacking is the crime.”

   “The president didn’t hack! He didn’t pay them for hacking!” he continued…

   https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/07/rudy-giuliani-is-now-claiming-collusion-may-not-be-a-crime/

   LikeLike

   Reply
   • carolmalaysia says:

     July 30, 2018 at 4:14 pm

     The Orange one is getting upset…ahhhh.
     ……..
     Donald J. Trump
     ✔
     @realDonaldTrump
     ….Also, why is Mueller only appointing Angry Dems, some of whom have worked for Crooked Hillary, others, including himself, have worked for Obama….And why isn’t Mueller looking at all of the criminal activity & real Russian Collusion on the Democrats side-Podesta, Dossier?
     3:20 PM – Jul 29, 2018

     LikeLike

     Reply
     • dianeravitch says:

       July 30, 2018 at 4:24 pm

       Trump is a sore winner. He wants all Democratic candidates in jail.

       LikeLike

     • GregB says:

       July 30, 2018 at 6:09 pm

       “He wants all Democratic candidates in jail.”: The very definition of a despot.

       LikeLike

6. retiredbutmissthekids says:

   July 30, 2018 at 5:26 pm

   Also–Giuliani is a fool-i-ani. (Please finish this one off, Some DAM!) We breathlessly await your creative genius.

   LikeLike

   Reply
7. Lloyd Lofthouse says:

   July 30, 2018 at 6:47 pm

   Yep, Trump didn’t pay for it. The Russians have been paying Trump for years as he launders their money.

   LikeLike

   Reply
   • jscheidell says:

     July 31, 2018 at 6:11 pm

     Lloyd,
     still waiitng for links the you have for proof of his laundering money

     LikeLike

     Reply
     • dianeravitch says:

       July 31, 2018 at 9:34 pm

       Jscheidell,

       Lloyd may have other links.

       Here is one from the NewRepublic about Trump laundering Russian money:

       https://newrepublic.com/article/143586/trumps-russian-laundromat-trump-tower-luxury-high-rises-dirty-money-international-crime-syndicate

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       July 31, 2018 at 9:51 pm

       https://newrepublic.com/article/143586/trumps-russian-laundromat-trump-tower-luxury-high-rises-dirty-money-international-crime-syndicate

       LikeLike

     • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

       July 31, 2018 at 10:36 pm

       Wait for it! I’m waiting too, for Mueller to wrap up his investigation.

       LikeLike

     • jscheidell says:

       July 31, 2018 at 11:24 pm

       The entire country is tired of Mueller and want it completed I f he has anything put it in the table so the nation can move on

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       July 31, 2018 at 11:48 pm

       Mueller is working methodically to upinvestigate criminal behavior.

       You may have noticed that several ofvTrump’s closest associates are providing evidence. His campaign manager is standing trial for multiple felonies.

       LikeLike

     • jscheidell says:

       August 1, 2018 at 7:07 am

       Manafort’s first trial has nothing to do with Trump or his campaign. But still waiting for the collusion you started to fret over – 18 months.

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       August 1, 2018 at 8:17 am

       I think Guiliani implicitly admitted collusion. He now says collusion with the Russians is not a crime. The evidence is already there. Don Jr. and Manafort and Bannon met with Russian spies in Trump Tower in June 2016. That was collusion.

       LikeLike

     • jscheidell says:

       August 1, 2018 at 8:36 am

       Diane,
       “The evidence is already there. Don Jr. and Manafort and Bannon met with Russian spies in Trump Tower in June 2016. That was collusion.”

       First meeting with Russians are not a crime – as for Don Jr..and Manafort.

       A theory – everyone has a theory –

       A jury has been selected in the Manafort trial in a heavily, heavily Democrat populated suburb in Virginia. Six women, six men. Manafort faces two trials. ABC News is saying that Robert Mueller’s prosecutors have been told – tell all of their witnesses to not mention the name Trump.

       Now, why? Manafort has been indicted, and all of these people that hate Trump are happy because they think this trial of Manafort will sink Trump.

       “Prosecutors preparing witnesses for the upcoming trial of Paul Manafort are advising them to avoid mentioning Trump’s name.”

       Now, this case is looking only at allegations that Manafort has committed a range of financial crimes: bank fraud, tax evasion. None of these charges have anything to do with his work as campaign manager for Donald Trump. Every one of these charges involves things Manafort did before he ever joined, for a brief period, the Trump campaign. He has pleaded not guilty.

       I find it fascinating that the Manafort charges and trial is all about proving that Trump colluded with Russia, and now the first trial and the government’s witnesses are under order not even to mention Trump’s name

       Hillary-loving prosecutors figure that Manafort failed to pay taxes on millions and millions and millions of dollars he made while working for a political party in Ukraine that was supposedly backed by Russia, because the Russians are meddling in everything. And after he failed to pay taxes on the millions he made working for the political party in Ukraine, he then lied, they say, to get more money by getting loans when the cash was no longer provided.

       Manafort’s on trial for things that happened in 2005 and 2014. The second trial which will happen in the District of Columbia has to do with Manafort refusing or failing to register as a foreign agent. That trail will start in September.

       No indication that Mueller has anything on Trump because, if he did, they could not have suppressed it. The Trump White House itself leaks very badly.

       If Mueller’s team had dug up anything on Trump and Russia, it would be known. It would have been leaked long ago.

       Turkey’s theory – Trump will go ballistic if Mueller goes after Jr.

       Here you have a president with the pardon power. And it is plenary. Nobody can stop him. There’s no reason for Trump to go off the rails if Mueller indicts his kid. If that happens, just pardon your kid, pardon Flynn, pardon everybody, then fire Rosenstein and fire Mueller and be done with it. Trump would not fall for that. Trump would not fall for going ballistic because they indict his son. Reading Turley’s theory is, since Manafort hasn’t and looks like he won’t flip off base.

       ABC: Prosecutors Advise Witnesses in Manafort Trial: Avoid the T-word (Trump)
       Reuters: Ex-Trump Aide Manafort Faces Charges in First Trial of Russia Probe
       HotAir: Jonathan Turley: Let’s Face It, We’re One Witness Away From A Total Legal And Political Clusterfark On Russiagate

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       August 1, 2018 at 8:49 am

       Trump is the worst president in American history.

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       August 1, 2018 at 10:59 am

       There is a maxim:

       Nothing to hide, nothing to fear.

       What is the Orange One hiding?

       LikeLike

     • jscheidell says:

       August 1, 2018 at 3:43 pm

       Diane,

       your manim – “There is a maxim:

       Nothing to hide, nothing to fear.

       What is the Orange One hiding?”

       guess we can say this of Obama the “Wonder”and his college records?

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       August 1, 2018 at 4:35 pm

       Did Obama hide his college records? I thought that was George W.
       What did his college records have to do with his presidency anyway?
       Trump’s tax returns are relevant to what he owes to Russian oligarchs.
       Are they still under audit?
       I haven’t heard that one lately.

       LikeLike

     • jscheidell says:

       August 1, 2018 at 7:14 pm

       Diane,
       you re correct his records have little to do with his presidency so what is he hiding?

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       August 1, 2018 at 8:04 pm

       I know what Obama is hiding. He once got a B in Chemistry and he is ashamed.

       LikeLike

     • carolmalaysia says:

       August 1, 2018 at 7:29 am

       jscheidell: “The entire country is tired of Mueller.”

       I’m not. He’s methodical and what he’s doing takes time.

       LikeLike

     • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

       August 1, 2018 at 5:07 pm

       The “ENTIRE COUNTRY” is tired of Muller.

       WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

       Trumps loyal and deplorable, easy to fool followers are tired of Muller because they have been programmed by FOX and friends to think that way.

       There is still a majority of Americans that want Muller to finish his investigation even after the Alt-Right’s lying, conspiracy theory generating media machine has pounded them with “witch hunt” lies for months now.

       “A shrinking majority of Americans say Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation of Russian election interference and possible links to Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign should continue, according to a poll released Tuesday.

       “The Monmouth University poll finds 54 percent of Americans saying the special counsel’s investigation should continue, with support down from 60 percent in March and 62 percent in July. A 43 percent minority says the investigation should end, up six points since March and 10 points since last summer.”

       A “shrinking majority” is still a majority.

       In fact, 82 percent of Democrats still want the investigation to continue along with 54 percent of independents. Even 18% of the GOP wants the investigation to continue.

       https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/05/01/the-number-of-people-who-say-the-mueller-investigation-should-continue-is-shrinking/?utm_term=.b057d88f4f1a

       Who makes up the majority of Americans — its not the shrinking Republican Party?

       26 percent of American adults consider themselves Republicans.
       41 percent are independent voters
       30 percent are Democrats.

       https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx

       It is painfully obvious that a minority of Americans that call themselves Republicans are attempting to hold the rest of the country hostage by claiming the lie that they represent the majority of Americans.

       BS!

       82% of 26 = 21.32%
       54% of 41 = 22.14%
       82% of 26 – 21.32%

       Americans that want Muller to finish the investigation make up the shrinking majority of the population.

       If we can go through years and years of GOP investigations of the Clintons, we can do the same thing with Muller’s investigation of Russian meddling of the 2016 US elections.

       A tale of two investigations: Benghazi vs. Mueller
       Jeremy Herb

       By Jeremy Herb, CNN

       Updated 3:27 PM ET, Fri June 29, 2018
       Gowdy on Russia investigation: Finish the hell up

       Fmr. ICE chief: Trump policies making US less safe
       CNN: Giuliani says Trump "was expressing his opinion" with Sessions tweet
       Can Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez help other Dems win?
       Obama tweets out his 2018 midterm endorsements
       Obama announces 2018 midterm endorsements
       How a right-wing conspiracy is going mainstream
       Trump: Sessions should end Russia probe now
       Giuliani to Mueller: Put up or shut up
       Tapper calls out Sarah Sanders' lie
       Giuliani: Trump wants to meet with Mueller
       Koch group: We're not an appendage of any party
       Sanders: Trump tweet on Sessions is his opinion
       Fmr. ICE chief: Trump policies making US less safe
       CNN: Giuliani says Trump "was expressing his opinion" with Sessions tweet
       Can Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez help other Dems win?
       Obama tweets out his 2018 midterm endorsements
       Obama announces 2018 midterm endorsements
       How a right-wing conspiracy is going mainstream
       Trump: Sessions should end Russia probe now
       Giuliani to Mueller: Put up or shut up
       Tapper calls out Sarah Sanders' lie
       Giuliani: Trump wants to meet with Mueller
       Koch group: We're not an appendage of any party
       Sanders: Trump tweet on Sessions is his opinion
       Current Time 0:27
       /
       Duration Time 2:03

       Now Playing Gowdy on Russia…

       Source: CNN
       Gowdy on Russia investigation: Finish the hell up 02:03

       (CNN)Demands to shut it down. A waste of taxpayer money. A never-ending witch hunt.
       The criticisms of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into President Donald Trump and Russia that have ratcheted up in recent months hearken back to the investigation that roiled Congress during the last administration: Benghazi. …

       “The Benghazi Select Committee was tasked with investigating how four Americans were killed, including US Ambassador Chris Stephens, when attackers raided the US compound in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012.

       “The select committee itself was created by House Republicans in May 2014. The committee issued its final report on the Benghazi attack a little more than two years later in June 2016 and was officially shut down in December 2016. The select panel spent $7 million during the course of the probe.

       “The committee ultimately issued an 800-page report, which faulted the Obama administration on a number of fronts, and lawmakers questioned Clinton for 11 hours in an October 2015 hearing.

       “The length and cost of the investigation were two frequent points of criticism for Democrats, but the larger fight was whether the committee was really an effort to derail Clinton’s presidential campaign.”

       https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx

       Benghazi was a witchhunt. To discover of Muller’s investigation is a witch hunt, the investigation must be completed no matter how much time it takes just like the GOP did for the Benghazi witch hunt.

       LikeLike

     • jscheidell says:

       August 1, 2018 at 7:13 pm

       Lloyd,

       your memory of the Obama econ also brought back some memories of mine – You were right on the figures –

       “Second-Quarter GDP Jumps 4.1% for Best Pace in Nearly Four Years.” When I saw that, I said, “Four years? The Obama GDP was never over 3%.” What is this last four years? And they claim that the third quarter or second quarter of 2014 saw a GDP of almost 5%. I said, “I don’t remember that.”

       So I got busy. I looking this up, and sure enough, if you go to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which is an arm of the Commerce Department, you’ll find that right there, it’s either second quarter, third quarter of 2014, there’s a GDP of almost 4%. The next quarter is barely over 1.5 percent. What’s this? I don’t remember this.

       Forbes, October 23rd, 2014. This would be smack dab in the middle of the second term of Obama. “U.S. GDP Grew 3.5% In The Third Quarter 2014.” This is the quarter that is reported to have grown near five — that’s right! It was revised down a couple of months later. It never was near 5%. They revised it down.

       I don’t remember that figurine being promoted and bandied about and heralded.

       Then it hit me – it was right in the middle of quantitative easing where we were printing money left and right and giving it to the stock market for the purchase of equities to keep the illusion that the stock market was going gangbusters even though Main Street wasn’t.

       Was this one reason?

       And then I remembered that there was a time Obama redefined the calculation of gross domestic product to include something as nebulous as intellectual property.

       No other capitalist or western democratic nation includes intellectual property in the calculation of GDP. most of it had to do with the massive growth of government.

       Could this have been a second reason for his numbers?

       I just can’t remember the specific areas of government, but that massive GDP growth also coincided with an increase in percentage of government spending as a percentage of GDP. The Obama administration did something in the quarter before that with federal spending and quantitative easing,

       We haven’t had genuine 4% gross domestic product for economic activity, we haven’t had a legitimate one like this in far longer than four years.

       The Obama administration, on average, was under 2%. 1.8% was the average GDP all the eight years of Obama, even if you factor in that one quarter that was like at 4.8%.

       The way they got it was outside the U.S. private sector economy. It didn’t result from economic activity within the private sector. People should understand why this happened, because this is a direct response or a direct result of the implementation of policies that had not been implemented in this country in at least eight years. And that is why this economy is growing by leaps and bounds.

       I can remember Paul Krugman pontificating on the disastrous recession that would occur if Trump got elected =- and he is a guru, you know – just like that 28yr old socialist in NY

       Now, the experts are saying, “This is unsustainable. This was a one-off because of the sale of soybeans.”

       The headline of a story, very supportive of Obama, very optimistic of what this means for the future of the U.S. economy. New York Times headline, same story: “Third-Quarter G.D.P. Rose 3.5%, Lifting Hopes for U.S. Economy.”

       See the difference? Here we have 4.1% economic growth, and experts say it’s a point too high. Experts say it’s not sustainable. Experts say it’s all due to soybeans. It’s a one-off. Experts say, “Yeah, they had a trade deal with the Europeans, but can the Europeans trust Trump?”

       “On Thursday, the boosters won at least a temporary victory with a government report that estimated the nation’s economic output rose at a healthy 3.5 percent annual rate in the third quarter.” That’s October 30th, 2014, in the New York Times. Just to point the difference.

       Here’s another one. This is the New York Times today. “The U.S. economy continues its surge, growing at a 4.1% rate in the last quarter. Many experts expect a slowdown later this year.” The next headline, New York Times: “G.D.P. Grew at 4.1% Rate in U.S. in Latest Quarter,” with some asterisks, meaning it’s not real.

       Notice the way the press deals with good economic news under Trump vs Obama

       · CNBC: Trump Triumphant: ‘We’re Going to Go a Lot Higher’ than 4.1% GDP Growth

       · CNBC: Second-Quarter GDP Jumps 4.1% for Best Pace in Nearly Four Years

       · Reuters: Consumers, Soybeans Fuel US Second-Quarter Growth

       · New York Times: Why Friday’s G.D.P. Number May Be a Size Too Big

       Thanks for the background!

       LikeLike

     • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

       August 1, 2018 at 9:22 pm

       I think your thinking is curdled BS.

       LikeLike

8. Elaine Shipcoff says:

   July 30, 2018 at 7:42 pm

   He did pay for it in Helsinki. It might not have been with money, but it was payment nevertheless.

   Sent via the Samsung Galaxy Note5, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

   LikeLike

   Reply
9. Harlan Underhill says:

   July 31, 2018 at 2:49 am

   But, what if he’s actually innocent? Will you all commit hari kiri?

   LikeLike

   Reply
   • carolmalaysia says:

     July 31, 2018 at 7:02 am

     Harlan: I read your comment and wondered who on this blog would write something like that. Then I saw your name and figured, “Oh well.”. There are other sites where a comment like that would be appreciated.

     LikeLike

     Reply
   • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

     July 31, 2018 at 10:39 pm

     Innocent of what?

     Trump is guilty of being a serial liar, a failed businessman, and so much more. He’s also guilty of lying the day he took the oath of office.

     “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

     Trump attacks the Constitution repeatedly.

     LikeLike

     Reply
     • jscheidell says:

       July 31, 2018 at 11:29 pm

       None of the issues you posted are crimes and he has to date upgeld his oath If placing conservative judges on the various benches is the issue no criminal issue either. Border wall and ICE issue is a democrat problem alliwing criminals rapists etc to stay in safe cities or counties

       LikeLike

     • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

       August 1, 2018 at 5:10 pm

       Issues and allegations do not become crimes until there is a court verdict. Before there can be a court verdict there must be an investigation and then a trial or trials.

       Since the Benghazi witch hunts did not find Hillary Clinton guilty of any wrongdoing and she never ended up in court, it is only logical that the Muller investigations continue at any pace they take until they are concluded and if there are court trials, all of those must also be allowed to reach verdicts.

       There was no court case regarding Benghazi, only several investigations that dragged on for several years.

       Muller is already in court with his investigation into Russian meddling of the 2016 elections.

       LikeLike

     • jscheidell says:

       August 1, 2018 at 7:18 pm

       lloyd,

       I thought he was in court on fraud charges and financial improprieties of Manafort – unrelated to Ruskie meddling — and the judge told the prosecutors no – mention of trump – so this is not Ruskie meddling –

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       August 1, 2018 at 8:03 pm

       Wait.

       LikeLike

     • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

       August 1, 2018 at 9:21 pm

       jscheidell, what you think and what I think does not count as a guilty verdict.

       Read Rosenstein’s Letter Appointing Mueller Special Counsel — Actually read it a dozen times and then copy it word-for-word (don’t add or subtract even one word) using your hand and a pen or pencil on paper. Maybe — just maybe, doing that will allow you to remove your biased, programmed thinking and actually understand what this investigation is about.

       If the evidence leads to Trump and a judge and/or jury or Congress finds Trump guilty because of that evidence, that is when we will know if Trump is guilty of anything.

       Until then, what anyone thinks is only an opinion, an allegation.

       I think Trump is very guilty, but to find out if what I think is correct, I have to wait until Muller’s investigation is over and he hands what he found to Congress, the people, and the legal system.

       If Trump has his way, he would kill this investigation and bury it. What does that mean to me and to the majority of Americans?

       Trump is guilty! Trump is guilty! Trump is guilty! Trump is guilty! Trump is guilty! Trump is guilty!

       If Trump knew he was innocent, he would ride this out just like Hillary Clinton did for all the Republican investigations — the real witch trials — that were focused directly on her.

       All of those Hillary investigations were fuel for the Alt-Right evangelical Christian Nationalists to keep them stirred up as they kept shouting “Lock her up”. I curse them all.

       The U.S. Constitution clearly says we are innocent until found guilty in court according to the law of this land. “Lock her up” is the call of the mob, the vigilantes that would tie her to a stake and burn her like a witch based on BS.

       That is why this investigation must continue and be completed when Muller is ready to complete it and report on his findings to the nation.

       LikeLike

     • carolmalaysia says:

       August 2, 2018 at 6:01 am

       Lloyd: Well stated!!

       LikeLike

     • jscheidell says:

       August 2, 2018 at 12:22 am

       Diane,

       I read with interest the many connections of Ruskie and Trump properties. But as the author noted there is “no smoking gun”

       But during all of those allegations in the article there was one paragraph that hit a nerve :

       “Since Trump’s election as president, his ties to Russia have become the focus of intense scrutiny, most of which has centered on whether his inner circle colluded with Russia to subvert the U.S. election. A growing chorus in Congress is also asking pointed questions about how the president built his business empire. Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, has called for a deeper inquiry into “Russian investment in Trump’s businesses and properties.”

       The very nature of Trump’s businesses—all of which are privately held, with few reporting requirements—makes it difficult to root out the truth about his financial deals. And the world of Russian oligarchs and organized crime, by design, is shadowy and labyrinthine. For the past three decades, state and federal investigators, as well as some of America’s best investigative journalists, have sifted through mountains of real estate records, tax filings, civil lawsuits, criminal cases, and FBI and Interpol reports, unearthing ties between Trump and Russian mobsters like Mogilevich. To date, no one has documented that Trump was even aware of any suspicious entanglements in his far-flung businesses, let alone that he was directly compromised by the Russian mafia or the corrupt oligarchs who are closely allied with the Kremlin. So far, when it comes to Trump’s ties to Russia, there is no smoking gun.”

       After 3 decades –. state and federal investigators, as well as some of America’s best investigative journalists, have sifted through mountains of real estate records, tax filings, civil lawsuits, criminal cases, and FBI and Interpol reports, unearthing ties between Trump and Russian mobsters like Mogilevich. To date, no one has documented that Trump was even aware of any suspicious entanglements in his far-flung businesses, let alone that he was directly compromised by the Russian mafia or the corrupt oligarchs who are closely allied with the Kremlin. So far, when it comes to Trump’s ties to Russia, there is no smoking gun.

       Please also note that the author indicated that tax filings were used — I guess he has nothing to hide….

       And as Lloyd noted – “If the evidence leads to Trump and a judge and/or jury or Congress finds Trump guilty because of that evidence, that is when we will know if Trump is guilty of anything.” After 3 decades – no jury or judge found him guilty of anything

       Guilty by association? – Is that a crime? where is the crime – after a thorough 3 decades of investigation – longer than Bengazi investigation that you complain about….

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       August 2, 2018 at 10:40 am

       If there is a smoking gun, Mueller will find it.

       LikeLike

     • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

       August 2, 2018 at 6:40 pm

       jscheidell:

       Muller’s code of conduct is clearly guided by “Semper Fi” — that means always faithful to his oath to defend the Constitution against enemies both foreign and domestic. If Muller finds evidence to go after Trump, he will go after Trump.

       I’m counting on it.

       But, Muller is going to wait until he reports the findings of his investigation to the nation and to Congress. He isn’t going to tell any Alt-Right idiot what he knows before that moment.

       And then, watch the Alt-Right’s lying, conspiracy theory generating machine go crazy with “witch hunt” shouting if Muller’s evidence is strong and it indicates Trump is guilty.

       LikeLike

     • jscheidell says:

       August 2, 2018 at 12:29 am

       Lloyd
       you noted “Since the Benghazi witch hunts did not find Hillary Clinton guilty of any wrongdoing and she never ended up in court, it is only logical that the Muller investigations continue at any pace they take until they are concluded and if there are court trials, all of those must also be allowed to reach verdicts.

       I remember Comey in a public speech list all of her crimes – and then acted as judge and jury and exonerated her – Protect her? She would have ended up in court IMHO

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       August 2, 2018 at 9:40 am

       For what? What crime did Hillary commit?

       Thank Comey. He helped elect Trump.

       LikeLike

     • jscheidell says:

       August 2, 2018 at 5:57 pm

       Diane,
       What crime did Hillary commit ? How did Comey count the ways!

       Shortly after Clinton had secured the Democratic nomination to run for president against Donald Trump — he said agents decided not to pursue criminal charges under the statute because they could not prove she intended to violate laws like the Espionage Act.

       There is no law regarding “intent”

       The full draft and edits were released on the website of Senate Homeland and Government Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), providing the most complete public accounting to date of Comey’s draft and the subsequent edits.

       The Hill was first to report late last year that Comey originally concluded Clinton was “grossly negligent” — the statutory term supporting felony mishandling of classified information — when she and her aides transmitted 110 emails containing classified information through her non-secure server but that subordinates edited the term to the lesser “extremely careless.”

       The full draft, with edits, leaves little doubt that Comey originally wrote on May 2, 2016, that there was evidence that Clinton and top aides may have violated both felony and misdemeanor statutes, though he did not believe he could prove intent before a jury.

       Again – intent is not a legal issue

       Army discharging some immigrant recruits: report
       Trump holds a rally in Montana
       Fox’s Guilfoyle photographed with Pizzagate conspiracy theorist
       Comey’s original Clinton memo released, cites possible violations
       Obamas spotted dancing at Beyoncé and Jay-Z concert in Maryland
       AG Jeff Sessions spoke at a DOJ Religious Liberty Summit in Washington
       Comey’s original Clinton memo released, cites possible violations
       Obamas spotted dancing at Beyoncé and Jay-Z concert in Maryland
       AG Jeff Sessions spoke at a DOJ Religious Liberty Summit in Washington

       00:03 / 00:57
       00:47
       Comey’s original Clinton memo released, cites possible violations
       TheHill.com
       Autoplay: On | Off
       Ex-FBI Director James Comey’s original statement closing out the probe into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server was edited by subordinates to remove five separate references to terms like “grossly negligent” and to delete mention of evidence supporting felony and misdemeanor violations, according to copies of the full document.

       Comey also originally concluded that it was “reasonably likely” that Clinton’s nonsecure private server was accessed or hacked by hostile actors, though there was no evidence to prove it. But that passage was also changed to the much weaker “possible,” the memos show.

       The full draft and edits were released on the website of Senate Homeland and Government Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), providing the most complete public accounting to date of Comey’s draft and the subsequent edits.

       The draft, released in full for the first time on Thursday, offers new details on the FBI’s Clinton investigation and controversial conclusion.

       The Hill was first to report late last year that Comey originally concluded Clinton was “grossly negligent” — the statutory term supporting felony mishandling of classified information — when she and her aides transmitted 110 emails containing classified information through her non-secure server but that subordinates edited the term to the lesser “extremely careless.”

       The full draft, with edits, leaves little doubt that Comey originally wrote on May 2, 2016, that there was evidence that Clinton and top aides may have violated both felony and misdemeanor statutes, though he did not believe he could prove intent before a jury.

       “Although there is evidence of potential violations of the statute proscribing gross negligence in the handling of classified information and of the statute proscribing misdemeanor mishandling, my judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case,” Comey originally penned.

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       August 2, 2018 at 6:56 pm

       Comey is neither Judge nor jury.

       He never charged Hillary with a crime.

       Please stop posting this alt right trash on my blog.

       LikeLike

     • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

       August 2, 2018 at 7:12 pm

       jscheidell can’t help it. His/her brain has been hijacked and an Alt-Right Trojan Horse virus was planted to influence jscheidell’s thinking.

       LikeLike

     • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

       August 2, 2018 at 6:35 pm

       jscheidell, What you remembered about Comey listing all of Hillary’s crimes was TOTALLY wrong.

       I repeat: “Totally wrong!”

       If Comey listed anything, it was the “alleged” crimes she was being investigated for and there never was a court verdict that found her guilty of anything she was accused of.

       Hillary cannot be guilty of any crime unless she is found guilty in a court of law with a judge and jury.

       “DUE PROCESS OF LAW AND EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW: The 5th and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution guarantee “due process of law” to all persons, including foreign students and other aliens in the US. Due process of law requires that orderly legal procedures be followed to establish guilt before a person can be put in jail or otherwise punished. In the United States, a person is considered innocent until proven guilty. The 14th amendment to the US Constitution guarantees to every person, aliens included, “equal protection under the law.” Equal protection under the law means that the law applies to everyone equally, regardless of age, sex, race or wealth, and that no law may discriminate between persons or classes of persons. There are, however, laws that apply only to certain classes of people, such as aliens. As long as there is a reasonable basis for these laws, they satisfy the requirement of fairness and justice. These laws may limit and modify basic rights. Except for these special alien laws, foreign students are subject to the same laws as are American citizens. They are also guaranteed the same protection under the laws and the same civil rights as are American citizens.”

       Comey was a lifelong Republican and when he broke with procedure and told the media about the FBI’s investigations of Hillary, that had never been done before, it helped Trump win the election by casting doubt on Hillary and causing Democrats and Independents that would have voted for her to stay home.

       If Comey’s investigation did not find enough evidence to take Hillary to court, that is why he never charged her with any crimes. That is also why Muller hasn’t charged Trump with any crimes — yet.

       Comey was not the judge. His job was to look at the evidence and decide if it was enough to take to court. He spoke to the media before his team had a chance to examine all the evidence and with that, the Hillary haters found her guilty. That is an example of a witch hunt. Your words are an example of a witch hunt.

       If you think a lifelong Republican leading the FBI with a Congress controlled by the Republicans and a Supreme Court with a conservative 5 – 4 majority would drop the chance to take Hillary to court and find her guilty of something, if the evidence existed that had a chance to lead to a guilty verdict, you have been drinking the Alt-Rights Kool-Ade that was formulated to curdle and fool your brain.

       By the way, Muller is also a lifelong Republican but obviously an honest one that can’t be bought.

       LikeLike

     • jscheidell says:

       August 3, 2018 at 8:40 am

       Lloyd
       she was exonerated by Comey – After he listed her actions that would be criminally adju8dicated in court

       Why would he have to exonerate her if he didn’t seem to feel that her actions left her compliant in potential illegal actions…..

       Protect her?

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       August 3, 2018 at 10:43 am

       Comey is a Republican.

       He announced the Clinton investigation but did not announce that the FBI was investigating the Trump campaign because of its extensive contacts with Russians.

       Clinton was far ahead in the polls until Comey reopened the FBI investigation of her emails 11 days before the election.

       The Inspector General’s Report rebuked Coney got interfereing in the election.

       Comey elected Trump and you (and Trump) now hate him!

       You both are sore winners.

       LikeLike

     • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

       August 3, 2018 at 1:25 pm

       jscheidell, like I’ve said before, your thinking is toxic BS shoveled into your head by Trump, Fox News and the likes of Hannity — all liars and frauds.

       Comey was a lifelong republican that played a major role in the election of Donald Trump by announcing days from the 2016 election that the FBI was investigating Clinton’s e-mails — again. Along with Russian meddling and propaganda focused to smear Hillary and elect Trump, enough Democrats decided not to vote and that resulted in Trump winning the Electoral College. The actual vote was very close.

       When Comey made that announcement to the media, he violated FBI protocol. During investigations before a decision is made to indict or not, the FBI and most if not all police departments do not discuss the investigations with the media.

       “The long-awaited inspector general report on the FBI, Comey, Clinton, and 2016, explained”

       “The report contradicts President Trump’s often-expressed belief that the investigation was rigged to get Clinton off the hook. Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz found little affirmative evidence on the whole that political bias affected officials’ handling of the probe itself.” …

       “Second, Horowitz sharply criticizes then-FBI director James Comey for his public statements about the Clinton email case — specifically, his July 2016 decision to publicly announce that he wouldn’t recommend any charges, and then his October 2016 decision to tell Congress about that new emails had been found.

       “Horowitz concluded that while Comey didn‘t act out of political bias, he “usurped the authority of the Attorney General,” “chose to deviate” from established procedures, and engaged “in his own subjective, ad hoc decisionmaking.”

       He writes that the Clinton email case was indeed extremely unusual — but that established procedures “are most important to follow when the stakes are the highest.” …

       “It’s not the first time Trump has tried to use the Clinton email case against Comey. Back when Trump fired him as FBI director in May 2017, the White House initially put out a cover story saying he did so because Comey violated DOJ policy in the Clinton email probe.

       “This was self-evidently absurd, because the DOJ memo criticized Comey for actions that hurt Clinton (his critical public statement about her, and his late letter saying new emails had been found). Trump, meanwhile, had long made it unmistakably clear that he thought Comey was too easy on Clinton in 2016 — and he ended up torpedoing his aides’ story by admitting the Russia probe played a role in his decision just two days later.”

       https://www.vox.com/2018/6/14/17448960/inspector-general-report-justice-fbi-clinton-emails-comey

       Trump is a serial liar. Trump is a malignant narcissist. Trump is a psychopath. Trump is a failed businessman. Trump is a fraud. Trump is a crook. Trump is a traitor. Trump is an autocrat. Trump is a want-to-be dictator. Trump is a racisit.

       Anyone that supports Trump is complicit in his crimes.

       LikeLike

     • dianeravitch says:

       August 3, 2018 at 2:32 pm

       Lloyd,

       The popular vote in 2016 was not close. Hillary had nearly 3 million votes more than Trump.

       He still refuses to believe it and insists there was massive fraud and millions of illegals voted.

       LikeLike

     • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

       August 3, 2018 at 3:06 pm

       I wasn’t talking about the popular vote. I was talking about the Electoral College Vote and “How Trump won (the Electoral College Vote) the presidency with razor-thin margins in swing states”

       Of the more than 120 million votes cast in the 2016 election, 107,000 votes in three states effectively decided the election.

       If Clinton flipped the three states where she lost by the smallest margins she would have won the election with 278 Electoral Votes.

       Trump won Pennsylvania with 68,236 votes
       Michigan with 11,827 votes
       Wisconsin with 27,257 votes.

       https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/2016-election/swing-state-margins/

       “That’s where the algorithms come in. American researchers have found they can use mathematical formulas to segment huge populations into thousands of subgroups according to defining characteristics like religion and political beliefs or taste in TV shows and music. Other algorithms can determine those groups’ hot-button issues and identify “followers” among them, pinpointing those most susceptible to suggestion. Propagandists can then manually craft messages to influence them, deploying covert provocateurs, either humans or automated computer programs known as bots, in hopes of altering their behavior.

       “That is what Moscow is doing, more than a dozen senior intelligence officials and others investigating Russia’s influence operations tell TIME. The Russians “target you and see what you like, what you click on, and see if you’re sympathetic or not sympathetic,” says a senior intelligence official. Whether and how much they have actually been able to change Americans’ behavior is hard to say. But as they have investigated the Russian 2016 operation, intelligence and other officials have found that Moscow has developed sophisticated tactics.”

       http://time.com/4783932/inside-russia-social-media-war-america/

       “Registered Voters Who Stayed Home Probably Cost Clinton The Election ”

       “Registered voters who didn’t vote on Election Day in November were more Democratic-leaning than the registered voters who turned out, according to a post-election poll from SurveyMonkey, shared with FiveThirtyEight. In fact, Donald Trump probably would have lost to Hillary Clinton had Republican- and Democratic-leaning registered voters cast ballots at equal rates.”

       https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/registered-voters-who-stayed-home-probably-cost-clinton-the-election/

       “Exclusive: Russian-linked Facebook ads targeted Michigan and Wisconsin”

       https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/03/politics/russian-facebook-ads-michigan-wisconsin/index.html

       “How Russian Facebook Ads Divided and Targeted US Voters Before the 2016 Election.

       “What’s more, it shows these suspicious advertisers predominantly targeted voters in swing states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.”

       https://www.wired.com/story/russian-facebook-ads-targeted-us-voters-before-2016-election/

       It is obvious that the Russians, using their algorithm to identify a weakness specific Democratic voter blocks, influenced many of those Democratic voters not to vote. In the three swing states repeatedly mentioned above, all the Russians had to do is demoralize and create doubts in a few thousand Democratic voters to swing the election to the Kremlin’s Agent Orange.

       LikeLike

     • jscheidell says:

       August 4, 2018 at 12:18 am

       Diane,

       your accusation that I do not recognize the fact that the criminal,weak, weasel of a candidate – cheating Sanders because she felt the DNC owed her the position since they dumped her for an unknown from a street corner and newly office holder, destroying evidence of emails , bleaching, hammering cell phones into a wreck,illegally putting a server in her house, couldn’t follow protocol and was so incompetent and stupid to claim she didn’t recognize the “C” on docs were meant to be classified – won by that many votes is totally erroneous – I do accept that – the problem is many of you on the blog can’t accept or refuse the fact of the constitutionally elected president – Trump – is your president.

       And I understand that curdles many beings – anxiety and hysteria from the left – I remember hearing that the apocalypse was going to happen, nuclear war would be started, and from the Nobel Laurier Krugman that there would be a major recession if Trump would win – and worse prognostications have been generated but not realized.

       LikeLike

     • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

       August 4, 2018 at 11:28 am

       jscheidell, once again you provide proof that your brain and thinking has been compromised with your permission and programmed by the lying, misinformation, conspiracy theory generating Alt-Right-Russian media machine — but you are not alone. Millions think just like you and that’s what’s scary.

       This is the last paragraph from vox.com:

       “The 2016 Democratic primary wasn’t rigged by the DNC, and it certainly wasn’t rigged against Sanders. But Democratic elites did try to make Clinton’s nomination as inevitable, as preordained, as possible. And the party is still managing the resentment that engendered in voters. “Once somebody doesn’t trust you,” sighs Buckley, the New Hampshire Democratic chair, “it’s very hard to get that trust back.”

       https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/11/14/16640082/donna-brazile-warren-bernie-sanders-democratic-primary-rigged

       From Snopes: Bernie Sanders Suggests Election Is Rigged, Unendorses Hillary Clinton

       MOSTLY FALSE

       “Sanders wasn’t suggesting that elections are “rigged” (i.e., that voters are suppressed, that votes are cast fraudulently, that votes are not counted accurately); rather, he was decrying the pervasive role money plays in shaping the political process and influencing which candidates are elected, a major plank of his platform as a presidential candidate (and referencing Abraham Lincoln in what many readers construed as a callback to the second presidential debate of 2016). But Sanders did not opine “that the Presidential election may be rigged,” nor did he “unendorse” Hillary Clinton.”

       On and after 16 October 2016, Sanders has continued to tweet and share content promoting Hillary Clinton’s candidacy:

       https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bernie-sanders-rigged-unendorse/

       From the Weekly Standard:

       Fact Check: Did the DNC Illegally Steal the 2016 Primary from Bernie Sanders?

       The answer was NO!

       https://www.weeklystandard.com/holmes-lybrand/fact-check-did-the-dnc-illegally-steal-the-2016-primary-from-bernie-sanders

       “Donald Trump said Donna Brazile called Democratic primary ‘rigged,’ but did she?”

       Brazile, however, tweeted several responses to Trump a few times to say he had mischaracterized what she had written

       https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2017/nov/03/donald-trump-said-donna-brazile-called-democratic-/

       LikeLike

10. retiredbutmissthekids says:

    July 31, 2018 at 3:27 am

    Oh, Harlan, we have missed you so! (Not.)

    LikeLike

    Reply
11. carolmalaysia says:

    July 31, 2018 at 4:46 pm

    Trump’s $3.5 Billion Dollar Net Worth In Assets…video put out by Forbes.

    https://www.forbes.com/video/5365391674001/

    LikeLike

    Reply
12. Wait, What? says:

    July 31, 2018 at 10:26 pm

    Most people couldn’t care less about collusion. They don’t care about Russia.
    No one under 60 knows or thinks Russia is an enemy.
    Russia beat Hillary. Hell, they’re heroes to the base.
    Collusion? So what?

    This country has been lulled and numbed into this normal. When the daily news is lying, flip-flopping, propaganda techniques, cheating, payoffs, bailouts, tax cuts for the rich, build the wall, blame the media EVERY FREAKING DAY – it’s numbing.

    A bomb went off in the World Trade Center garage in 1993. What did we do? 8 years later…

    The Russians hack an election – indictments – but president does nothing. Warning shots.
    But the president is in denial, must be blackmail somewhere, and No sanctions.
    Today Facebook cites foreign efforts to decieve Americans and elections. Where’s the outrage? Why no big speech tonight?

    And congress is silent.

    How many teachers in U.S.?
    How many administrators?
    Hmm, how many phone calls and real mails are being made and sent?

    LikeLike

    Reply
13. carolmalaysia says:

    August 2, 2018 at 6:44 am

    Why complain when he wouldn’t have won without it? He only cares about himself and how great he is.
    ……………………………..
    Trump criticized for not leading effort to secure elections..AP

    WASHINGTON — As alarms blare about Russian interference in U.S. elections, the Trump administration is facing criticism that it has no clear national strategy to protect the country during the upcoming midterms and beyond.

    Both Republicans and Democrats have criticized the administration’s response as fragmented, without enough coordination across federal agencies. And with the midterms just three months away, critics are calling on President Donald Trump to take a stronger stand on an issue critical to American democracy.

    “There’s clearly not enough leadership from the top. This is a moment to move,” said Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “I don’t think they are doing nearly enough.”

    Various government agencies have been at work to ensure safe voting. The FBI has set up a Foreign Influence Task Force and intelligence agencies are collecting information on Russian aggression.

    But Trump himself rarely talks about the issue. And in the nearly two years since Russians were found to have hacked into U.S. election systems and manipulated social media to influence public opinion, the White House has held two meetings on election security.

    One was last week. It ran 30 minutes.

    The meeting resulted in no new presidential directive to coordinate the federal effort to secure the election, said Suzanne Spaulding, former undersecretary of homeland security who was responsible for cyber security and protecting critical infrastructure….

    https://www.pressherald.com/2018/08/01/trump-criticized-for-not-leading-effort-to-secure-elections/

    LikeLike

    Reply
14. carolmalaysia says:

    August 2, 2018 at 6:57 am

    Future generations will feel only contempt President Trump.
    By Ruth Marcus

    August 1 at 6:32 PM

    President Trump’s outrageous tweets are testing, once again, our capacity for outrage. They are not harmless venting. Rather, they pose a threat to the rule of law.

    Consider: Trump unhinged, Wednesday edition. He launched another unfounded attack against special counsel Robert S. Mueller III as being “totally conflicted.” He slandered the prosecutors (“17 Angry Democrats”) doing Mueller’s “dirty work” as a “disgrace to USA.”
    And, most alarmingly, Trump called on his attorney general to “stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further.” A measure of how alarming was the scrambling by Trump’s team of enablers to explain that the president was not, in fact, ordering Attorney General Jeff Sessions to kill the investigation. Rather, in this soft-core retelling, Trump was merely expressing his opinion about what should happen — as if that is much better, when the opinionizer is the president. …

    LikeLike

    Reply
15. carolmalaysia says:

    August 2, 2018 at 7:05 am

    Trump – fact and falsehoods: The Washington Post Fact Checker reported that in 558 days of his presidency, Trump made 4,229 false or misleading claims, for an average of nearly 7.6 such claims a day.

    LikeLike

    Reply
    • jscheidell says:

      August 3, 2018 at 4:32 pm

      I find it amazing how Trump gives the Wapo something to do to fill their print and make the lefties happy…..

      What is amazing is how CNN can’t make the ratings and comes in third – that is after SHARK week and a few weeks back the came behind the COOKING channels.

      You would think that the people in the exec offices would be ashamed – the only thing keeping them going – and they use to be the organization channel people use to turn to for the news……is the international CNN found in the airports

      LikeLike

      Reply
      • dianeravitch says:

        August 3, 2018 at 5:55 pm

        Trump is the worst president ever. Wannabe dictator.

        LikeLike

      • carolmalaysia says:

        August 3, 2018 at 6:26 pm

        Of course Trump likes Fox. He isn’t intelligent enough to follow the best intelligence briefings in the world. He gets his ‘news’ from Fox. They continuously tell him how great he is doing. This is NOT the way to run a country.

        I always liked watching CNN International when i worked overseas. They present the news in a factual way. Too bad if Trump doesn’t appreciate the truth.
        ……………………………
        Donald J. Trump
        ‏
        Verified account

        @realDonaldTrump
        25 Nov 2017
        More
        .@FoxNews is MUCH more important in the United States than CNN, but outside of the U.S., CNN International is still a major source of (Fake) news, and they represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly. The outside world does not see the truth from them!
        …………………………………..
        CNN Communications
        ✔
        @CNNPR
        It’s not CNN’s job to represent the U.S to the world. That’s yours. Our job is to report the news. #FactsFirst 🍎
        6:10 PM – Nov 25, 2017

        295K

        120K people are talking about this

        LikeLike

      • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

        August 3, 2018 at 9:00 pm

        Where did you get your info that CNN was in 3rd place.

        HBO was in 3rd place in 2017.

        CBS was #1
        NBC #2
        ABC #4
        Fox News Channel #6

        https://www.statista.com/statistics/530119/tv-networks-viewers-usa/

        What amazes me is how Fox News landed in 6th place and found that many easy to fool, ignorant people to believe all their lies, misinformation and conspiracy theories.

        LikeLike

      • jscheidell says:

        August 4, 2018 at 1:11 am

        Lloyd,

        I apologize – I forgot Shark Week and CNN also lost to an old rerun from Hallmark Christmas show….

        Fox News’ Hannity Chomps Shark Week In Ratings | The Daily Caller
        dailycaller.com/2018/07/31/hannity-cnn-shark-week/

        3 days ago – Fox News Channel marked its 25th consecutive month as the most-watched network in cable in July, besting competitors CNN and MSNBC. … MSNBC finished second behind FNC in primetime with 1.66 million viewers, but dropped to third in total day to Nickelodeon. … Discovery Channel’s …

        CNN Loses In Ratings To… Discovery’s ‘Shark Week’ | 4conservative …
        https://www.4conservative.com/…/cnn-loses-in-ratings-tox85-discoveryx92s-x91shark…
        38 mins ago – CNN also lost to Hallmark’s “Christmas in July” romantic reruns. Ouch. That’s gonna leave a mark.

        CNN Loses In Ratings To… Discovery’s ‘Shark Week’ – Free Republic
        209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/3676402/posts
        49 mins ago – I heard somewhere that CNN was the “most trusted name in news.” … As for CNN’s rating below “Shark Week”, well, you could say that they …
        CNN’s Ratings Actually Lose Out To Shark Week!!! – Turley Talks …
        https://player.fm/series/turley-talks…/cnns-ratings-actually-lose-out-to-shark-week
        1 day ago – Find out why CNN’s ratings continue to plummet!!! Support me on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/drsteveturley PLEASE SHARE AND …
        CNN Loses In Ratings To… Discovery’s ‘Shark Week’ – Long Room
        https://www.longroom.com ›

        General
        2 days ago – CNN also lost to Hallmark’s “Christmas in July” romantic reruns. … CNN Loses In RatingsTo… Discovery’s ‘Shark Week’ … and we have the lowdown on what you need to do to advance through a few more of your Battle Pass.

        The Hits Keep Coming – CNN Loses BIG To Shark Week – DC Statesman
        https://www.dcstatesman.com/the-hits-keep-coming-cnn-loses-big-to-shark-week/
        Last week, CNN lost to Discovery Channel’s Shark Week in ratings. They’re going to need a lot more fake news to stay afloat. While CNN was getting beat.
        Tammy Bruce on Twitter: “That’s gonna leave a mark. Or a bite. “CNN …

        That's gonna leave a mark. Or a bite. "CNN Loses In Ratings To… Discovery’s ‘Shark Week’" https://t.co/U5P68AxiZW via @NYJooo

        — Tammy Bruce (@HeyTammyBruce) August 3, 2018

        12 hours ago – “CNN Loses In Ratings To… Discovery’s ‘Shark Week'” … The Communist News Networks ratings can’t complete with the Cartoon Network.

        CNN Loses In Ratings To… Discovery’s ‘Shark Week’ | 4rightwing.com
        http://www.4rightwing.com/…/cnn-loses-in-ratings-tox85-discoveryx92s-x91shark-weekx9...
        28 mins ago – CNN also lost to Hallmark’s “Christmas in July” romantic reruns. Ouch. That’s gonna leave a mark.
         

        LikeLike

      • dianeravitch says:

        August 4, 2018 at 11:16 am

        Your MAGA garbage and your attacks on CNN are vile. Please go away.

        LikeLike

      • carolmalaysia says:

        August 4, 2018 at 11:25 am

        jscheidell: Being watched doesn’t make Fox a trustworthy news station. It is a propaganda machine for the far right and adores our ignorant, misogynistic, unfit president. Why else doesn’t he like any other news station? He gets his ‘news feed’ of the day by watching Fox. Hoo-rah!

        LikeLike

      • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

        August 4, 2018 at 11:37 am

        jscheidell, it is obvious that in your confirmation biased thinking, the media is a contest similar to football or baseball. But the fact it “No one lost. No one won.”

        Those rankings are based on audience share. The only reason Fox ranks so high on the list for audience share, or even has an audience, is because of people like you who search for any media source that feeds their confirmation bias while ignoring all the facts that do not support that bias.

        Do you even know how media bias is ranked? Probably not.

        “Our media bias ratings reflect the judgment of the American people.

        “It is not ‘accurate’ – there is no such thing as an accurate measure of media bias – but it does provide readers a sense of the political leanings of the source. This makes it much easier to provide different perspectives on any topic, helping all of us see a more complete picture and better appreciate each other despite our differences. Our ultimate goal is to provide perspectives across the spectrum to free us from our filter bubbles that misinform and divide us. Rating media bias is not the ultimate objective, it is a means to an end.”

        Note that our media bias ratings refer to the content published online, not to content from TV, radio, print or other media. Media bias of content from the same source tends to be the same over different media channels, but there are notable exceptions to this.
        And while there should be a difference between the media bias seen in news coverage and the bias revealed in editorials, there generally is not. Fortunately, there are also exceptions to this. In those cases, AllSides will provide separate ratings for news and editorial from the same source

        https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-ratings

        Please click that link above and go down the list and write all the media sources you refer to most of the time.

        I suspect, you will discover that list to be mostly if not all “R”

        If you have an open mind, that I doubt, I suggest you focus on only following media sources listed in the “C” column and stay away from “L” and “R”. In a few months, you might actually start to think for yourself.

        LikeLike

      • jscheidell says:

        August 5, 2018 at 9:28 am

        Lloyd

        interesting –

        …people like you who search for any media source that feeds their confirmation bias while ignoring all the facts that do not support that bias.

        I always like it when “people like you” use the phrase”people like you”

        I guess we can say the same about people like you and how “you” pick your viewing choices of news sources

        It amazes me – not really – just saying – how one can denigrate the other and expect a dialogue even if the opinions of others do not coincide with “you people”

        The use of this phrase is pejorative – “People like you”and creates an unhealthy divide in this country

        LikeLike

      • dianeravitch says:

        August 5, 2018 at 11:27 am

        Dienne,

        You are the only person I know other than Trump and his followers who treats Russian interference in the 2016 as a hoax. Please do not insult me or you will kindly be escorted from the room.

        LikeLike

      • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

        August 5, 2018 at 1:07 pm

        jscheidell,

        I do not follow a specific news source. When I read, watch and or hear the news from any source on any hot-button issue, I fact check through a variety of sources.

        In fact, during the 2016 presidential debates, I watched on one screen while fact-checking the allegations flying out of Trump and Clinton’s mouths on my desktop’s other screen.

        The end result, Trump lied a lot, like more than 90 percent of the time, and Hillary lied about 25 % of the time. I was keeping score.

        My first source is VoteSmart.org. I’ve also used reported results directly from the USCensus. the CIA Factbook, the FBI’s reports on crime stats, NIH.gov, CDC.gov, BLS.gov, CBO.gov, and more than one media fact check site that links to primary source material like a video of Trump being interviewed, where I get to read, watch and/or hear the words flowing out of the Emperor of Lies mouth that he will often lie about later when he reverses what he said earlier and then claims reports of what he said earlier is false news.

        https://votesmart.org/

        The 10 Best Fact Checking Sites

        You see, elected officials often cite numbers reported by those government agencies and often twist them out of context by cherry-picking the facts. Since there is no other reliable primary source for most if not all of this information quoted by elected representatives, it is always best to visit the source material and see what it really says.

        That is how I learned that Trump lied again when he took credit for the current economy and low unemployment rate — that CBO.gov predicted back in 2015.

        January 26, 2016

        “Under current law, the deficit is projected to hold steady as a percentage of GDP through 2018, but rise thereafter, raising the already high federal debt. The rate of economic growth is projected to be solid in 2015 and the next few years.” …

        “The Economy Will Grow at a Solid Pace Over the Next Few Years

        “CBO anticipates that, under current law, economic activity will expand at a solid pace in 2015 and over the next few years—reducing the amount of underused resources, or “slack,” in the economy.

        “Economic Growth Over the Next Few Years

        “In CBO’s estimation, increases in consumer spending, business investment, and residential investment will drive the economic expansion this year and over the next few years. The growth in those categories of spending will derive mainly from increases in hourly compensation, rising wealth, the recent decline in crude oil prices, and a step-up in the rate of household formation (as people are more willing and able to set up new homes). As measured by the change from the fourth quarter of the previous year, real GDP will grow by about 3 percent in 2015 and 2016 and by 2½ percent in 2017, CBO expects (see figure below)” …

        “Economic Growth in Later Years

        “The agency’s projections beyond the next few years are not based on estimates of cyclical developments in the economy, because the agency does not attempt to predict economic fluctuations that far into the future; instead, those projections are based on estimates of underlying factors that affect the economy’s productive capacity.

        “For 2020 through 2025, CBO projects that real GDP will grow by an average of 2.2 percent per year—a rate that matches the agency’s estimate of the potential growth of the economy in those years. Potential output is expected to grow much more slowly than it did during the 1980s and 1990s primarily because the labor force is anticipated to expand more slowly than it did then. Growth in the potential labor force will be held down by the ongoing retirement of the baby boomers; by a relatively stable labor force participation rate among working-age women, after sharp increases from the 1960s to the mid-1990s; and by federal tax and spending policies set in current law.”

        https://www.cbo.gov/publication/49892

        LikeLike

      • carolmalaysia says:

        August 4, 2018 at 1:40 pm

        How long will it take before some Trump inspired person [just doing the will of god and Trump] decides to kill or seriously injure a journalist? I’m sure our Liar-in-chief will take no responsibility if someone from CNN or any other news agency is seriously injured.
        …………
        Jim Acosta
        ✔
        @Acosta

        Hannity is a propagandist for profit, peddling lies every night. He says he’s just a talk show host, not a journalist. But he’s injecting poison into the nation’s political bloodstream warping public attitudes about the press. I’m confident in the long run the truth will prevail.
        8:36 PM – Aug 1, 2018
        
149K
        
63.1K people are talking about this
        …………………………
        Sean Hannity
        ✔
        @seanhannity
        Jimmy @Acosta sorry your precious feelings are hurt & that people see through your lying bullshit for what it is. FAKE NEWS. #CNNSUCKS
        9:46 PM – Aug 1, 2018

        74.6K

        47.2K people are talking about this

        LikeLike

      • dianeravitch says:

        August 4, 2018 at 2:00 pm

        Sad to see a journalist defending Trump’s war on journalists. But then, Hannity is not a journalist.

        LikeLike

16. carolmalaysia says:

    August 2, 2018 at 7:25 am

    So, yesterday trump was trying to have the investigation shut down and Mueller fired, and then today it’s been reported that he’s saying he wants to talk to Mueller to clear his name. This makes as much sense as Trump usually does.
    ……………………………………..
    Ignoring Lawyers, Trump Reportedly Is Pushing For Interview With Special Counsel..HuffPost

    President Donald Trump is once again pushing his attorneys to allow him to speak with special counsel Robert Mueller, according to a report Wednesday in The New York Times.

    Trump hopes to convince Mueller and his investigators to end their inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election and has told the lawyers to try to reach an agreement that would allow him to be interviewed, the Times reported, citing three people familiar with the discussions.
    The president’s legal team has urged him to refuse the request, fearing that Trump, known for making off-the-cuff statements, will contradict himself.
    Negotiations between the White House and special counsel’s office have reportedly been tossed back and forth for months, often growing heated. John Dowd, Trump’s lead lawyer on matters related to the Russia investigation, resigned in March amid reports that the president was planning to ignore his advice and sit down with Mueller anyway…

    Article: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-interview-mueller_us_5b627a7ee4b0de86f49dd5f4

    LikeLike

    Reply
17. carolmalaysia says:

    August 2, 2018 at 11:50 am

    I worry about this not being enforced in the Senate and Trump can then bellow about how mistreated he was. Still, he is totally incompetent and possibly demented.
    …………………..
    SUBJECT: I just signed this impeach Trump petition – will you?

    It’s time for Congress to impeach Trump. Will you join me in signing this petition?

    https://act.credoaction.com/sign/impeachment_trump?referring_akid=a322123953.1912996.YsLB36&source=conf_email&aktmid=tm74394669.qthHms&akid=a322123953.1912996.YsLB36&t=2

    LikeLike

    Reply
18. carolmalaysia says:

    August 4, 2018 at 6:42 am

    I can’t help but wonder how outraged the GOP would be if Hillary were president and she was in this position. [Lock him up!]
    …………………………….
    Trump campaign associate invited alleged Russian spy Maria Butina to Styx concert, report says

    A former associate involved in President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign socialized and invited Maria Butina, a woman charged with operating as a Russian spy, to a Styx concert and his birthday party, according to a report by The Washington Post.

    Emails, documents and interviews by The Post show J.D. Gordon, who served for six months in Trump’s campaign as a director of national security then took a job with the transition, exchanged emails with Butina and invited her to attend his birthday party and a concert featuring the rock band Styx….

    http://a.msn.com/01/en-us/BBLthjE?ocid=se

    LikeLike

    Reply
19. carolmalaysia says:

    August 4, 2018 at 5:56 pm

    Looks like Trump is loosing it. His narcissistic tendencies don’t allow him to endure an increasing level of criticism. He has an 11 day ‘working vacation’? Golf, watching TV…what else besides brood does he do? Good grief, he is asking Rush Limbaugh for advise.
    ………………………………………………
    Trump at a precarious moment in his presidency: Privately brooding and publicly roaring

    WASHINGTON – In private, President Donald Trump spent much of the past week brooding, like he often does. He has been anxious about the Russia investigation’s widening fallout, with his former campaign chairman now standing trial. And he has fretted that he is failing to accrue enough political credit for what he claims as triumphs.

    At rare moments of introspection for the famously self-centered president, Trump has also expressed to confidants lingering unease about how some in his orbit – including his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. – are ensnared in the Russia probe, in his assessment simply because of their connection to him.

    Yet in public, Trump is a man roaring. The president, more than ever, is channeling his internal frustration and fear into a ravenous maw of grievance and invective. He is churning out false statements with greater frequency and attacking his perceived enemies with intensifying fury…

    He is ramping up his travel schedule – a rigorous pace that he recently boasted would grow to six or seven days a week this fall and will keep him in front of his adoring base…

    Trump made a surprise call into Rush Limbaugh’s radio talk show Wednesday to congratulate the conservative icon on his 30th anniversary on the air. Trump mused aloud with Limbaugh about whether it would be more politically advantageous for him to shut down the government over border wall funding before or after the November elections…

    https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Trump-at-a-precarious-moment-in-his-presidency-13132201.php?utm_campaign=email-desktop&utm_source=CMS%20Sharing%20Button&utm_medium=social

    LikeLike

    Reply
    • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

      August 4, 2018 at 7:17 pm

      Justice would be served if Trump went rip-roaring insane to the point that he’d have to live in a padded cell wearing a straight jacket for the rest of his life, and the insane asylum would have to force feed him and change his diapers because he ended up reverting to infant status where he no longer had to control his bladder or bowels.

      Because he’d be shouting and insulting everyone 24/7, they’d have to keep him sedated to an almost vegetative state.

      And the nuthouse keeps him alive like that until he is 111 years old, and as a reminder of what happens when individuals ignore the truth based on facts, there is a camera focused on Trump’s drooling face 24-7 and a special You-Tube channel where anyone, especially his nut-case, deplorable worshiping white, ignorant, hate-filled, evangelical Christian Nationalist followers, could tune in to watch.

      In fact, the Congress passes legislation that mandates that Trump’s hate-filled racist followers have to watch that channel six hours every day or end up in prison themselves.

      LikeLike

      Reply
20. jscheidell says:

    August 4, 2018 at 11:45 pm

    Carolmalaysia,

    Your comment “How long will it take before some Trump inspired person [just doing the will of god and Trump] decides to kill or seriously injure a journalist? I’m sure our Liar-in-chief will take no responsibility if someone from CNN or any other news agency is seriously injured.
    …………”

    Don’t worry about Repubs shooting journalists – tough to find one at CNN unless the new hire – who hates white men and her tweets are full of it – is one that you find comfort in…

    What I worry id the Dems shooting more Congress and politicians who don’t fall into their line of illogical ideological curdling BS…Im sure you may have cheered on Republican member of Congress and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana who was shot while practicing for the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity, by Hodgkinson – Democrat no less -who had participated in the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign during the 2016 United States presidential election,

    The Virginia Attorney General concluded it was “fueled by rage against Republican legislators, ” and “an act of terrorism.”

    Trump gets blamed for everything that happens anyway

    LikeLike

    Reply
    • dianeravitch says:

      August 5, 2018 at 7:37 am

      Who is the new hire at CNN who hates white men?

      LikeLike

      Reply
      • jscheidell says:

        August 5, 2018 at 8:14 am

        New York Times stands by editorial board hire despite racist tweets

        By Keith J. Kelly August 2, 2018 | 2:40pm | Updated
        Modal Trigger

        People take part in a protest outside the New York Times in New York.

        NY Times publisher: Trump’s attacks on media could lead to violence

        The New York Times on Thursday was standing by its latest editorial board hire — despite revelations that she has made some racists tweets aimed at white people.

        Tech writer Sarah Jeong has drawn fire in social media for a series of tweets she made several years ago that bashed “dumbass f–king white people,” whom she derides in another tweet as “groveling goblins.”

        Jeong, a South Korean native, tweeted in November 2014: “Dumbass f–king white people marking up the internet with their opinions like dogs pissing on fire hydrants.”

        In another tweet she asks, “Are white people genetically predisposed to burn faster in the sun, thus logically being only fit to live underground like groveling goblins.”

        In a third tweet, Jeong wrote: “Oh man, it’s kind of sick how much joy I get out of being cruel to old white men.”

        The Times on Thursday insisted it was aware of the remarks and is standing by her

        Now add this insightful comment posted in part from carolmalaysia …For journalists, the best and only response is to keep reporting the news, and analyzing it thoroughly…

        seems the Times and CNN etc should consider this advice…

        LikeLike

      • jscheidell says:

        August 5, 2018 at 8:35 am

        Diane,

        addendum –

        Jeong wrote in July 2014: ‘oh man it’s kind of sick how much I get out of being cruel to old white men.’” She relishes being cruel to white people and she’s admitting she gets so much out of it. “‘#CancelWhitePeople,’ she declared in November 2014, midway through a thread mocking fans of NPR’s ‘Serial’ podcast.”

        The paper declared she had passed its ‘thorough vetting process.’” I’m sure she did. Just like Zephyr Rain Teachout would pass a “thorough vetting process” on intelligent policy dealing with illegal immigration.

        Jeong escaped the fate of previous Times hires who were swiftly fired over old, controversial tweets.” You know where she comes from? She comes from a tech blog, folks. I know who this babe is. The tech blog she writes for is called The Verge. It is a technology news outlet owned by Vox. I don’t know if it started out as a subsidiary of Vox, but Vox consumed it, subsumed it. It’s part of the left-wing online Millennial-media complex. She’s 30.

        “She also authored the book, The Internet of Garbage, which examines the many forms of online harassment, free speech, and the challenges of moderating platforms and social media networks.” In other words, she’s in charge of curtailing free speech, or she was while at The Verge. “Born in South Korea, Sarah grew up in North Carolina and California. … As a student at [Dadalut! Dadalut! Dadalut! Dadalut!] Harvard Law School, she edited the Journal of Law & Gender…”

        Her work has appeared in “The Atlantic, Vice’s Motherboard, The Washington Post, and The New York Times Magazine,”

        The attitude at the Times — It’s just plain old conservative hatred and bigotry according to the New York Times. We don’t have the sophistication and the education to understand her biting satire. Like we’re not smart enough to understand what Kathy Griffin really means.

        And you complain about Trump’s distaste for the fake news – not news not journalism, but fake reporting and now we het this “expert”

        LikeLike

      • dianeravitch says:

        August 5, 2018 at 11:33 am

        See my previous comment. White racism is not a new phenomenon in this country. Remember slavery? Jim Crow? Lynchings? Segregation? Donald Trump pretending not to know who David Duke is? Trump haranguing “shithole” countries? Trump calling Mexicans rapists and murderers? Trump separating Hispanic families and kidnapping babies?

        LikeLike

      • jscheidell says:

        August 5, 2018 at 8:57 pm

        Diane,

        This is a prime example of hypocrisy and double standards…from the Times —

        Many people have compared Jeong’s old tweets to those of Quinn Norton, who was let go from the Times’s editorial board in part because her old tweets were resurfaced
        In February, the New York Times briefly attempted to hire another tech writer, Quinn Norton, as a member of its editorial board. Norton, a journalist known for being deeply embedded within online hacker culture, seemed like as good a fit as any for the paper — until it was discovered 1) that she had openly supported the notorious neo-Nazi weev, a famous hacker whose outright anti-Semitism ultimately led to his becoming a staff member of one of the internet’s most notorious white supremacist websites; and 2) that her Twitter history contained several instances where she used gay and racial slurs.

        As recently as last fall, Norton had defended her friendship with weev, asserting that “having racist friends and family” is “an inevitable part of whiteness” and that the real problem is that the act of shunning them “enables and perpetuates their racism and the harm it does in the world.”

        So when the Times announced its hiring of Norton, it kicked off a debate over whether her friendship with weev amounted to a tacit sanctioning of his beliefs. Adding fuel to the fire were older tweets in which she used the kind of offensive language frequent within hacker culture. Motivated Twitter sleuths quickly unearthed several instances, ceasing after 2014, in which Norton posted tweets containing gay slurs and in at least two instances dropped the n-word. Norton would later acknowledge that they “weren’t my best tweets,” claiming she’d been trying to fit in with the hacker culture she wrote about.

        Less than 24 hours after announcing Norton’s hiring, the Times’s opinion editor, James Bennet, issued a statement declaring that Norton would not be working with the Times after all:

        Source – VOX

        LikeLike

      • dianeravitch says:

        August 6, 2018 at 12:33 am

        I don’t think any supporter of the master racist Trump can complain about other people’s racist tweets.

        Trump has normalized racism, bigotry, xenophobia, religious hatred, etc. it’s hard to think of a group he has not insulted. He has unleashed the KKK and haters everywhere, and you are offended by tweets? Give me a break!

        LikeLike

      • jscheidell says:

        August 6, 2018 at 4:58 pm

        Diane,

        Im not offended by tweets – but what is offensive is the Times doubles standards and the fact that you accept her racist tweets as well as the Times not dumping her Your TAD and TDS is always a fall back just like Lloyd’s paragraphs of derisive Trump adjectives…There are a few libs and lefties requiring anxiety assistance – I offered a solution but you wiped it – It is called CALMZ – it is from an eminent dog trainer who helps owners calm their dog behavior and barking..

        If you go back to Reverend Jackson spewing not quite the same anti-white stuff that Sarah Jeong is, but it was then said as a defense – that it was impossible for the Reverend Jackson or Al Sharpton to be racist because they were minorities, they didn’t have any power.

        So any minority could utter anything they wanted, and it would not be bigotry, it would not be sexism or racism or misogyny or whatever because they didn’t have the power to do anything with it. Thus, anybody else can attack them with impunity.

        Is this the thinking on the left? Sarah Jeong — She’s Korean. She hates white people. She literally hates them. Did the Times hired her maybe because she hates white people. She’s not being racist; she can’t be because she’s a minority. She doesn’t have any power to do anything with her hatred. Is this justifiable, let alone an answer which is even close to being understandable?

        The primary reaction on the left was to attack those who were pointing out her bigotry.
        It was to attack them. Or the many references to Trump. It was called an attack on journalism, an attack on a minority woman. So for the purposes going forward, racism today is not about a racial thing. It’s all power. The only racists are white Americans, primarily white men. I wonder if the white men on the blog feel this “curdled BS” or are they sitting silent?.

        I wonder how all the white males at the Times are dealing with this ? Crickets!

        LikeLike

      • dianeravitch says:

        August 6, 2018 at 10:53 pm

        jscheidell,

        I am baffled that you can object to anyone’s racism or bias when you embrace the most bigoted, racist, sexist, xenophobic man in the nation.

        I don’t understand.

        You clutch your pearls when any liberal utters a word that offends you, but cheer lustily when Trump sneers at women, blacks, Mexicans, Muslims, and anyone else he chooses.

        LikeLike

      • jscheidell says:

        August 7, 2018 at 11:08 pm

        Diane,

        You have been clutching your pearls for the past 18 months – and although I pointed out this Times double standard – you had no idea who she was or seemingly the issue -based on your question.

        There is a deeper problem and you and others continue to complain about Trump and his racism.I find you blinded by the “Orange One” and miss a la larger problem I don’t understand that since his numbers when he was first elected was around 8% and now the number has increased to somewhere near 29%. But that should be another discussion – although related.

        My issue is found in a number of areas – recently I find ANTIFA an example that I will get to – but bear with me – –

        Charlie Kirk runs Turning Point USA. It’s a young people’s new conservative organization. It’s designed to spread conservatism on college campi. One of his coleaders is Candace Owens, who is a young African-American woman who is as conservative happens to be fearless — and the left hates her, and they hate Charlie, and they hate Turning Point USA. They’re critics.

        Charlie and Candace are in Philadelphia the other day.They’re having breakfast, and they’re set upon by a bunch of Antifa people wearing masks looking like a bunch of bank robbers. They come up and they get in their face and they bully them. These are not protesters. They’re confronted by a mob!

        Charlie tweeted: “My favorite part of the last 24 hours has been seeing white liberals,” which is who the Antifa people are, “tell a black conservative, Candace Owens, that she is a white supremacist because she was praising a black police force against white liberals trashing a city that is 44% black.”

        In other words, the police force protecting them is African-American and Hispanic. Here comes this bunch of privileged white liberals calling Candace Owens a white supremacist. So how is it that a black conservative female can be a white supremacist?

        Racism today as they espouse, like they’re calling Candace a racist, a white supremacist. It’s not really about race. Candace is a white supremacist now because she aligns with the white majority power structure. And the white majority power structure is responsible for all the ills in America since and including our founding.

        Bottom line is a failure in our education system. This is what they’ve been taught. The sum total of their education is America sucks, and it sucks because it was built by and for rich white people, and everything that’s happened has been only to benefit rich white people, and the country was built on the backs of a bunch of minorities that didn’t get anything for it. And they’ve just been taught this hatred, and it’s been building and building and building and that’s what they believe. The root of all evil in America is white, primarily male, majority, and then you add Christian to it and you pretty much have the picture.

        Daily Caller: Charlie Kirk, Candace Owens Attacked By Leftist Mob
        Washington Examiner: A Leftist Mob Just Made Martyrs of Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens
        Top Colleges Don’t Require US History Courses for History Majors

        But Ill add an addendum to follow

        LikeLike

      • dianeravitch says:

        August 7, 2018 at 11:12 pm

        I knew exactly who the Times selected as its tech editorial writer.

        I continue to assert that no supporter of the racist Trump, who despises people of color, has any standing to complain about the tweets of anyone else.

        When you condemn his racism, misogyny and xenophobia, I will listen to your complaints about a writer’s tweets.

        If you want to argue that white men like Trump are not racist, let’s hear it.

        LikeLike

      • jscheidell says:

        August 5, 2018 at 8:41 am

        Forgot the source

        National Review: Newest Member of NYT Editorial Board Has History of Racist Tweets

        LikeLike

      • dianeravitch says:

        August 5, 2018 at 11:30 am

        Jscheidell,

        We have a President with a history of both racist tweets, racist threats, and racist actions. We have a president who sees “good people” among white Nationalists and KKK members.

        He is your hero. You have lost your right to complain if The NY Times editorial hired a tech writer who has complained about white people. When Trump stops being racist, let me know.

        LikeLike

    • carolmalaysia says:

      August 5, 2018 at 7:52 am

      jscheidell: Im sure you may have cheered on Republican member of Congress and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana who was shot while practicing for the annual Congressional Baseball Game …
      ………..
      How dare you say such things about me. I NEVER support anyone being killed or injured by a gun. I am totally in favor of extremely strict gun control so that such things, and many more worse mass killings, never happen in this country.

      Trump is responsible for the rise in hate crimes. He is bringing out the worst in humanity since he has no compassion, no caring and no political beliefs beyond making more money for himself and watching himself be worshiped on Fox.

      There are many useless killings that occur in countries where there is no gun control. With the rise in hatred and fear in this country, our dictator-in-chief is setting up this country for a bleak future. Guns do kill. Get them off of the streets.

      The NRA has now been connected with funding from Russia. The NRA gave Trump $30 million and my Senator Todd Young [R-IN] $2,896,732.

      Trump is worried and he rightly should be.

      LikeLike

      Reply
21. carolmalaysia says:

    August 5, 2018 at 7:56 am

    How to Counter Donald Trump’s War on the Media..The New Yorker By John CassidyAugust 3, 2018

    …And, judging by Trump’s steady approval ratings and the large crowds at his rallies, many people are willing to take him at his word.

    What can be done about all this? The first thing is to recognize it for what it is: a reckless descent into the demagoguery, misinformation, and incitement that are normally associated with authoritarian regimes….

    Trump may think he is playing a political game. But, in a country that is littered with extremist groups, and where there are more than three hundred million guns in private hands, it is an extremely dangerous one. In less dark times, one might have hoped that senior members of Trump’s party would deliver this message to him forcefully. But today, with so much of the G.O.P. prostrating itself before its rogue President, what chance is there of that happening?…

    For journalists, the best and only response is to keep reporting the news, and analyzing it thoroughly…Although Trump is conducting a war on the media, he isn’t necessarily winning it. If he were, he wouldn’t be so angry.

    https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-to-counter-donald-trumps-war-on-the-media

    LikeLike

    Reply
22. carolmalaysia says:

    August 5, 2018 at 8:24 am

    Maher is back hitting Trump in all the right places.
    ………………………………………….
    Bill Maher Opened ‘Real Time Show’ with Donald Trump’s Month of Insanity [ FULL SHOW ]

    Political News Network
    Published on Aug 4, 2018

    Bill Maher Opened ‘Real Time Show’ with Donald Trump’s Month of Insanity. Maher then took a jab at Fox News for being the only news outlet that President Trump hasn’t called the “E_nemy of the people.”

    https://youtu.be/u_kLokBpd0Y

    LikeLike

    Reply
23. carolmalaysia says:

    August 5, 2018 at 1:04 pm

    The only source the Orange one doesn’t call ‘fake news’ is Fox. Trump is a danger to this country and proves so by making such disparaging remarks about journalists who write facts, not versions of Trump’s make-believe world. He is the ‘dangerous and sick’ one. Here’s to a president who rules by Tweet because he can’t stand having to backup his statements and answer questions.
    ………………………
    Donald J. Trump
    ✔
    @realDonaldTrump
    The Fake News hates me saying that they are the Enemy of the People only because they know it’s TRUE. I am providing a great service by explaining this to the American People. They purposely cause great division & distrust. They can also cause War! They are very dangerous & sick!
    6:38 AM – Aug 5, 2018

    66.1K

    51.7K people are talking about this

    LikeLike

    Reply
    • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

      August 5, 2018 at 1:14 pm

      Trump has two major media sources he has praised. The other one is Sinclair News.

      “As Sinclair’s sound-alike anchors draw criticism for ‘fake news’ promos, Trump praises broadcaster”

      https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/as-sinclairs-sound-alike-anchors-draw-criticism-for-fake-news-promos-trump-praises-broadcaster/2018/04/02/a1be67e8-367a-11e8-9c0a-85d477d9a226_story.html?utm_term=.114a2a12131b

      LikeLike

      Reply
      • carolmalaysia says:

        August 5, 2018 at 1:17 pm

        Lloyd: You are right. I forgot about the intrusion of Sinclair ‘news’ on our media. Listen to the video that Bill Maher put out. He says there is a conspiracy going on and Trump is a player. The average person isn’t aware of the dangers that are happening inside this country.

        LikeLike

    • dianeravitch says:

      August 5, 2018 at 2:18 pm

      Brian Steltzer said on CNN that he and other journalists are receiving death threats due to Trump rants

      LikeLike

      Reply
24. carolmalaysia says:

    August 5, 2018 at 4:24 pm

    I just signed a declaration of peace!

    All individuals and organizations, all over the world, are invited to sign a short statement in support of ending all war, and to join in the World Beyond War movement. This is the whole statement:

    I understand that wars and militarism make us less safe rather than protect us, that they kill, injure and traumatize adults, children and infants, severely damage the natural environment, erode civil liberties, and drain our economies, siphoning resources from life-affirming activities. I commit to engage in and support nonviolent efforts to end all war and preparations for war and to create a sustainable and just peace.

    To sign this, and to get involved in many different ways go to https://worldbeyondwar.org

    To see the case against war explained clearly for anyone who has doubts, check out the website at

    World BEYOND War

    LikeLike

    Reply
25. carolmalaysia says:

    August 6, 2018 at 6:19 am

    Here is another bit of GREAT NEWS! Hope this puts more pressure on the Orange one. It’s possible that his lies are catching up with him.
    ……………………………………
    Washington Post looks into Russia interference in 2016 election in new book

    Sonia Rao, The Washington Post Published 8:36 pm PDT, Sunday, August 5, 2018

    Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and Washington Post reporter Greg Miller examines Russian interference in the 2016 election and the subsequent special counsel investigation in a new book.

    …”It’s really bewildering,” he said. “It’s not just the story – which is the craziest and most complicated that any of us have ever seen – but the fact that while covering it, our institution, journalism, is under siege in a way that none of us has ever experienced.”

    The story is Russia’s attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election in President Trump’s favor, and the continuing fallout of that effort. Since before the election, Miller, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, has been digging deep into the Kremlin’s efforts to help Trump emerge victorious, and then into Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s subsequent investigation. Washington Post journalists from across the newsroom contributed to the reporting.

    Custom House, an imprint of HarperCollins, will publish Miller’s extensive account on Oct. 2 in “The Apprentice: Trump, Russia and the Subversion of American Democracy,” according to a press release…

    https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Washington-Post-looks-into-Russia-interference-in-13133948.php?utm_campaign=email-desktop&utm_source=CMS%20Sharing%20Button&utm_medium=social

    LikeLike

    Reply
26. carolmalaysia says:

    August 6, 2018 at 6:32 am

    This is off topic, but relevant today since the fires that burn are causing tremendous damage. Is there anything Trump has done that makes any sense?
    ……………………………………………..
    As Wildfires Rage, Trump Administration Plans to Slash Fire Science Funding…Mother Jones

    This story was originally published by Reveal. It appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

    UTE PARK, NM—Bill Allen pointed to a north-facing slope of blackened pine and juniper forest. A thin vortex of pale white ash, picked up by a hot morning wind, rose from the black and gray landscape a wildfire left behind. “It started […]

    Science played a vital role in this success story by helping develop the best ways to battle wildfires. But the Trump administration wants to slash federal funding for wildfire science, at a time when forest and brush fires are getting bigger, happening year-round and becoming increasingly erratic.

    Federally funded scientists have been seeking new methods and technologies to predict, prepare and respond—critical for safeguarding people and property. They have discovered ways to reduce risks before fires and restore land and waterways afterward. And they explore how fuels, flames, terrain, smoke and weather interact.

    Defunding those efforts will endanger lives, researchers told Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting.

    “A wildland fire (budget) cut is a human health cut,” said Donald Falk, a University of Arizona professor…

    https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/08/as-wildfires-rage-trump-administration-plans-to-slash-fire-science-funding/

    LikeLike

    Reply
27. carolmalaysia says:

    August 6, 2018 at 9:06 am

    Five myths about Trump’s income tax returns
    George K. Yin, The Washington Post Published 12:32 pm CDT, Friday, August 3, 2018

    …Existing law – specifically, 26 USC 6103(f)(1) and (4)(A) – already authorizes the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Committee on Taxation to obtain any of the president’s returns from the IRS without his consent, carry out an investigation and release the information to Congress for potential disclosure to the public, as long as there is a legitimate purpose. The Ways and Means Committee exercised this authority in 2014 when it obtained and disclosed the return information of 51 taxpayers in connection with its investigation of alleged IRS “targeting” of conservative groups.

    This authority was established in 1924 in part because of congressional worries about conflicts of interest…

    https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Five-myths-about-Trump-s-income-tax-returns-13129876.php?utm_campaign=email-desktop&utm_source=CMS%20Sharing%20Button&utm_medium=social

    LikeLike

    Reply
    • jscheidell says:

      August 7, 2018 at 4:24 pm

      carolmalaysia,

      There is a NY activist – law professor at Fordham, Zephyr Teachout, who believes she can solve your desires for Trump’s tax returns.

      In an AP article by Bernard Condon he notes that NY state investigation into his charity.

      There have been 2 bills – Sen Brad Holyman which he required 5 years of returns for andy Pre or VP filing NY returns,,, the second bill requested returns if you wanted to be placed on a ballot …. both failed

      But I offer this – incase you missed my reply to Diane regarding an article she posted that detailed all of the Ruskies who used his properties for residence and were known acquaintances to him:

      The very nature of Trump’s businesses—all of which are privately held, with few reporting requirements—makes it difficult to root out the truth about his financial deals. And the world of Russian oligarchs and organized crime, by design, is shadowy and labyrinthine. For the past three decades, state and federal investigators, as well as some of America’s best investigative journalists, have sifted through mountains of real estate records, tax filings, civil lawsuits, criminal cases, and FBI and Interpol reports, unearthing ties between Trump and Russian mobsters like Mogilevich. To date, no one has documented that Trump was even aware of any suspicious entanglements in his far-flung businesses, let alone that he was directly compromised by the Russian mafia or the corrupt oligarchs who are closely allied with the Kremlin. So far, when it comes to Trump’s ties to Russia, there is no smoking gun.”

      After 3 decades –. state and federal investigators, as well as some of America’s best investigative journalists, have sifted through mountains of real estate records, tax filings, civil lawsuits, criminal cases, and FBI and Interpol reports, unearthing ties between Trump and Russian mobsters like Mogilevich. To date, no one has documented that Trump was even aware of any suspicious entanglements in his far-flung businesses, let alone that he was directly compromised by the Russian mafia or the corrupt oligarchs who are closely allied with the Kremlin. So far, when it comes to Trump’s ties to Russia, there is no smoking gun.

      Please also note that the author indicated that tax filings were used —

      And as Lloyd noted – “If the evidence leads to Trump and a judge and/or jury or Congress finds Trump guilty because of that evidence, that is when we will know if Trump is guilty of anything.” After 3 decades – no jury or judge found him guilty of anything

      but you can continue dreaming – you never know

      LikeLike

      Reply
      • dianeravitch says:

        August 7, 2018 at 4:26 pm

        I think that the NY Attorney General will succeed in getting Trump’s tax returns via the lawsuit she filed against his foundation.

        I expect Mueller already has them.

        LikeLike

      • carolmalaysia says:

        August 7, 2018 at 5:47 pm

        jscheidell: “To date, no one has documented that Trump was even aware of any suspicious entanglements in his far-flung businesses, let alone that he was directly compromised by the Russian mafia or the corrupt oligarchs who are closely allied with the Kremlin.”

        The results are not in yet. Trump complains and acts guilty. Where there is smoke there is fire. You have no idea of what has been found since this hasn’t been brought out to the public.

        Why to you support a lying, ignorant, incompetent, misogynistic, hate-filled person? Why do you always stick up for Trump who is destroying our country? He does nothing to help anyone except for his pocketbook. I want clean air to breath and I want an environment that is healthy. I want healthcare for everyone, not just the elite. I want children to not be permanently separated from their parents. I want help for the poor, not more help for the wealthy. I want a middle class that is thriving, not being driven into poverty due to stagnant wages while prices increase. I want allies to trust the US and its signed commitments. I want a leader who cares about average people. I DO NOT want whataboutism in which Hillary and Obama are once again brought down for not being perfect.

        LikeLike

      • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

        August 7, 2018 at 8:57 pm

        “After 3 decades – no jury or judge found him guilty of anything”

        Ha! Ha! Ha!

        That’s because Trump has a habit of settling out of court when he thinks he will lose but only after he tries to bankrupt the other side — but he has been wrong sometimes and he has lost court cases. Trump has lost 38 times and settled 175 times.

        https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/06/01/donald-trump-lawsuits-legal-battles/84995854/

        LikeLike

      • jscheidell says:

        August 7, 2018 at 9:34 pm

        Lloyd,

        never charged with anything – didn’t settle out of court – find a related link to those issues
        I couldn’t

        LikeLike

      • Lloyd Lofthouse says:

        August 7, 2018 at 11:17 pm

        Never “charged” with anything, huh?

        Decades-Old Housing Discrimination Case Plagues Donald Trump.

        The Justice Department sued Donald Trump, his father, Fred, and Trump Management in order to obtain a settlement in which Trump and his father would promise not to discriminate. The case eventually was settled two years later after Trump tried to countersue the Justice Department for $100 million for making false statements. Those allegations were dismissed by the court.”

        https://www.npr.org/2016/09/29/495955920/donald-trump-plagued-by-decades-old-housing-discrimination-case

        That is only one example of Trump being “charged” for something.

        LikeLike

      • dianeravitch says:

        August 7, 2018 at 11:21 pm

        Trump’s father was arrested in the 1920s for participating in a KKK rally. The apple doesn’t fall far from the poisoned tree.

        LikeLike

28. jscheidell says:

    August 7, 2018 at 11:13 pm

    Diane,

    the addendum on the racism comment regarding our education system — part of the problem stems from what is not taught and the disparity in the number gp of liberal to conservative professor.

    Wall Street Journal.   “Few Top Schools Require History Majors to Broadly Study American History.”  A group says that niche classes like Baseball in US history are rather discussed.  This is by Melissa Korn.

    “History majors at top colleges don’t know much about U.S. history — or at least they don’t have to. A new report by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a nonprofit group that advocates for accountability at schools, found that just 23 of the institutions among the 76 deemed to be the ‘best’ by US News & World Report’s 2016 rankings require history majors to take at least one US history course.”
    
      History majors history majors only have to take one course on US history.  Now, why would anybody want to study US history?  Of course all it is is the history of racism, sexism, and bigotry and homophobia, syphilis, sexually transmitted diseases, wars, colonialism, pilferage, rape, raving. 

    Why would anybody want to study American history?  All we’ve done is come in and displace indigenous peoples and then enslave them and take everything they have and make it ours.  There’s nothing redeemable about America.  US history, why in the world would anybody even want to study it. 

    “Many elite schools, including Rice University and Johns Hopkins University, may require students to take courses about events from before 1750, or on East Asian and sub-Saharan African politics, without also demanding that they study the creation of the US Constitution or the civil-rights movement.”

    LikeLike

    Reply
    • dianeravitch says:

      August 7, 2018 at 11:19 pm

      I have studied the history of history teaching for many years.

      Surveys going back to the 1930s fault students, including those at Ivy League Colleges, for not knowing history.

      Our dumbest president is Donald J. Trump, who thought that Frederick Douglass was a living person, who didn’t know the causes or timing of the Civil War, and who regularly displays total ignorance of US history.

      LikeLike

      Reply
29. jscheidell says:

    August 7, 2018 at 11:23 pm

    Diane,

    One also should take a look at our public schools and private –
    I remember John Silber, Boston University president, once studied high school textbooks, seven different textbooks.  The largest reference to Abraham Lincoln he found was one paragraph.

    EDWEEK has a very lengthy article on this issue — Hate in Schools article – 

    What Hate Looks Like in Schools – Education Week
    https://www.edweek.org/ew/projects/hate-in-schools.html

    after wading that one another on our schools

    Responding to Hate and Bias at School | Teaching Tolerance
    https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/…/responding-to-hate-and-bias-at-school

    Sorry for the 3 replies but you mock me and wonder – but I see the issue of racism – historically an issue in this country and Trump – as the excuse – yes he has made some comments but our kids are fed this in our public school – many lacking civics – and then they travel to the colleges of choice and are hit with this view – and we wonder where e Jeong comes from – a need for understanding ….

    LikeLike

    Reply
    • dianeravitch says:

      August 7, 2018 at 11:26 pm

      I knew John Silber. He was a crank.

      I studied textbooks. I read every US history textbook while writing THE LANGUAGE POLICE. If he said the textbooks didn’t teach Lincoln, he exaggerated. It is untrue. Silber, to put it mildly, was intemperate. He would say, “He lied.”

      LikeLike

      Reply