Geoff > Status Update

Hadrian wrote: "Anybody else getting 'Watergate' feelings about all this? It's like Trump tried to repeat the Saturday Night Massacre, except he bungled the timing by doing it on a Tuesday, and after more Russia news came out."

Absolutely! I was also thinking Shakespeare, but luckily they intersect in David Edgar's Dick Deterred. I may have to reread it.

Oh shit! Crazy! Trump the cornered animal...

This is either the beginning of the end for Trump, or the real beginning of Trump's police state.

Geoff wrote: "This is either the beginning of the end for Trump, or the real beginning of Trump's police state."

Not to worry. There's some fabled moderate Repubos' gunna step up and restore Democracy!

Nathan "N.R." wrote: "Geoff wrote: "This is either the beginning of the end for Trump, or the real beginning of Trump's police state."

Not to worry. There's some fabled moderate Repubos' gunna step up and restore Democ..."

Yup - our resident nihilists. I'm terrified tonight, as all Americans should be.

Hadrian wrote: "Anybody else getting 'Watergate' feelings about all this? It's like Trump tried to repeat the Saturday Night Massacre, except he bungled the timing by doing it on a Tuesday, and after more Russia n..."

I am getting more than that. I am afraid that he will get away with it a step at a time. Life what Geoff said, I am afraid that this is the beginning of the police state. I also think that the republicans will back him all the way.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/before-c...

One possible take:

WASHINGTON—The more James Comey showed up on television discussing the FBI’s investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, the more the White House bristled, according to aides to President Donald Trump.

Frustration was growing among top associates of the president that Mr. Comey, in a series of appearances before a Senate panel, wouldn’t publicly tamp down questions about possible collusion with Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race. A person with knowledge of recent conversations said they wanted Mr. Comey to “say those three little words: ‘There’s no ties.’”

In the months before his decision to dismiss Mr. Comey as head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Trump grew unhappy that the media spotlight kept shining on the director. He viewed Mr. Comey as eager to step in front of TV cameras and questioned whether his expanding media profile was warping his view of the Russia investigation, the officials said.

One White House aide, speaking after Mr. Comey’s dismissal, described him as a show horse.

“Oh, and there’s James—he’s become more famous than me,” Mr. Trump said as Mr. Comey crossed the room to greet him at a Jan. 22 reception for law enforcement.

Hadrian wrote: "https://www.wsj.com/articles/before-c...

One possible take:

WASHINGTON—The more James Comey showed up on television discussing the FBI..."

Yeah I'm still thinking it's because of the collusion with a hostile foreign government.

"And that’s the rub here. It isn’t simply that Trump fired the man charged with leading the explosive investigation into whether his campaign colluded with Russia as Moscow was looking for ways to ensure Hillary Clinton’s defeat. It’s that Trump is putting that investigation back in the hands of a Justice Department led by Jeff Sessions, whose own ties to Russia — and his own lies about them — make him singularly unfit to have any role in determining the future course of the Trump-Russia investigation or who will be leading it.

It’s worth remembering how the entire story ends. Nixon’s attempt to bottle up the Watergate investigation by firing Cox bought him some more time, but it ultimately failed. In August 1974, with Congress moving to formally impeach and remove him from office, the president resigned.

These are obviously different times, and Republicans on Capitol Hill have shown a depressing willingness to carry water for Trump and try to deflect calls for special prosecutors or bipartisan commissions like the one that investigated the 9/11 attacks.

But every White House scandal eventually reaches a turning point, one in which historians later look back on as the moment that ultimately determined whether a president survived or was forced from office. We are now at that moment."

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politi...

Or this : "Many observers would agree with at least some of Rosenstein's points about the Clinton investigation—but so what? Are we seriously being asked to countenance the idea that Trump fired Comey because he didn't treat Hillary Clinton fairly? The same Trump who seized upon Comey's press conference last July and used it to buttress his claims that Clinton should be jailed. The same Trump who, on October 31st, said, "It took guts for Director Comey to make the move that he made in light of the kind of opposition he had."

Until the White House comes up with a less ludicrous rationalization for its actions, we can only assume that Trump fired Comey because the Russia investigation is closing in on him and his associates, and he knew that he didn't have much sway over the F.B.I. director. That is the simplest theory that fits the facts. And it is a cause for great alarm."

http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-ca...

It sure looks like a duck. And it quacks like a duck.

(So it must be a liberal conspiracy).

The more you look at it, the worse it gets.

Washington (CNN) Federal prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas to associates of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn seeking business records, as part of the ongoing probe of Russian meddling in last year's election, according to people familiar with the matter. CNN learned of the subpoenas hours before President Donald Trump fired FBI director James Comey.

The subpoenas represent the first sign of a significant escalation of activity in the FBI's broader investigation begun last July into possible ties between Trump campaign associates and Russia.
The subpoenas issued in recent weeks by the US Attorney's Office in Alexandria, Virginia, were received by associates who worked with Flynn on contracts after he was forced out as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014, according to the people familiar with the investigation.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/09/politic...

Maybe once he got wind of these, he panicked.

Kind of wondering what our resident Republican Nick makes of all this. (Respectfully, of course.) Did Fox News even report it more than a blurb before they got back to Hillary's email scandal? Wondering how this looks from the right...

I mean, traditionally Republicans are for small government, an executive branch with limited authority, and separation of powers - what are the intellectual acrobatics you have to go through to support this? (I do understand that has all been shown to be hot air, only a guise to dupe poor people into giving rich people even more money)... How can you not be terrified?

I just looked it up. Fox News says that the firing was overdo. There will now be a fresh new start.

Then there is this: Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. tweeted that he had "spent the last several hours trying to find an acceptable rationale for the timing of Comey's firing. I just can't do it

There's this, from a Repub

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/j...

And this is worth the quick read:

"Every single Republican must make a decision: Insist on full-throated, independent investigation of the firing, or be party to a possible cover-up. Every candidate for office in 2018 must be asked a question: If it is determined that Trump fired Comey to interfere with the Russia probe, would that representative vote for impeachment/senator vote to convict? Yes, it really has come to that."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...

Geoff wrote: "Kind of wondering what our resident Republican Nick makes of all this. (Respectfully, of course.) Did Fox News even report it more than a blurb before they got back to Hillary's email scandal? Wond..."

Just took a look at Breitbart - this is the lead story. Comey had it coming after so egregiously mishandling the Clinton email scandal! As to why Trump waited until now to fire him, that's not discussed. I guess he had more important things to think about than this relatively trivial matter, and it's only just come to his attention. I don't recall him mentioning Hillary's emails much during the campaign.

Manny wrote: "Geoff wrote: "Kind of wondering what our resident Republican Nick makes of all this. (Respectfully, of course.) Did Fox News even report it more than a blurb before they got back to Hillary's email..."

American had to be made great first, then it was on to piddling matters.

Manny wrote: "Geoff wrote: "Kind of wondering what our resident Republican Nick makes of all this. (Respectfully, of course.) Did Fox News even report it more than a blurb before they got back to Hillary's email..."

Holy shit

This tweet from the Richard Nixon library is great!

Manny wrote: "This tweet from the Richard Nixon library is great!"

Yeah I saw that!

You guys been scanning around the news sites today? What a total fucking disaster, huge huge mistake for Trump. I don't know what will come, but this feels like the beginning of the end.

His defenders seem a bit thin on the ground...

This just came out

"The New York Times reports that “days before he was fired,” Comey “asked the Justice Department for a significant increase in money and personnel for the bureau’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the presidential election, according to three officials with knowledge of his request.”

Holy shit! Kissinger's at the White House!

https://mobile.twitter.com/jeneps/sta...

Washington Post headline just popped up on my phone: "James Comey asked for more money for the FBI's investigation for Russian meddling days before he was fired by President Trump."

Hmmmm.....

May 9 - a date that will live in infamy

Geoff wrote: "Holy shit! Kissinger's at the White House!

https://mobile.twitter.com/jeneps/sta..."

Just want to reiterate this!

I think the party line about "liberal hypocrisy" regarding Comey will be successful and the whole thing will just fade away. Once again, to understand why this is so fucked up a move by Trump you have to consider nuances like timing etc. Most americans simply wont get that far.

The more hysterical the media gets about this, the more it plays into Trump's (tiny) hands...That is our fundamental problem, and why the narrative they have set up now is so dangerous and hard to combat

Jonathan wrote: "I think the party line about "liberal hypocrisy" regarding Comey will be successful and the whole thing will just fade away. Once again, to understand why this is so fucked up a move by Trump you h..."

I don't know man, this feels different to me.

Even if he survives this in the short term, it's much more likely that someone within the IC will leak. That's when things will get much harder to control or explain away.

Jonathan wrote: "I think the party line about "liberal hypocrisy" regarding Comey will be successful and the whole thing will just fade away. Once again, to understand why this is so fucked up a move by Trump you h..."

I hate to say it but I agree. How many times has it seemed like, finally, at last, the demise is at (tiny) hand? Looking at how this move is being portrayed over at Fox and Breitbart (which is how a significant portion of the American population is receiving it) this too may well just slip soundlessly into the crack that's formed in objective reality.

Tornado sirens right now just started going off in my part of town. Feels appropriate.

ATJG wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "I think the party line about "liberal hypocrisy" regarding Comey will be successful and the whole thing will just fade away. Once again, to understand why this is so fucked up a mo..."

If that's true then no one should make the assumption of rule of law any longer in this country. Were we anyway?

Even with my mounting sense that these outrages are status quo now, I can't shake the feeling that this one (and the investigation in general) are not going to go away easily. I think this may prove an especially glaring error for the administration.

Geoff wrote: "ATJG wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "I think the party line about "liberal hypocrisy" regarding Comey will be successful and the whole thing will just fade away. Once again, to understand why this is so f..."

I completely agree with that too. Crack's big dude. Can't afford to take anything for granted anymore, least of all the social contract.

Nate D wrote: "Even with my mounting sense that these outrages are status quo now, I can't shake the feeling that this one (and the investigation in general) are not going to go away easily. I think this may prov..."

This my (perhaps too optimistic) feeling also

Geoff wrote: "Nate D wrote: "Even with my mounting sense that these outrages are status quo now, I can't shake the feeling that this one (and the investigation in general) are not going to go away easily. I thin..."

I sincerely hope you and Nate D are right.

I think we're giving a little too much leeway on the power of congress and the institutions to enact things. So far they have been okay for reactions and blockages in extremes. That's about it. Until we have an actual oppositional party in power in congress against the president, we're fucked. 2018 is the earliest hope, and it's only a glimmer.

We've seen a steady rise in presidential power, and Obama for what it's worth, was pretty bad in terms of leveraging the Imperial President by way of executive order. In other words the new president's action moves fast. Everything else in gov't takes time, mired in the muck of bureaucratic action, further sequestered in the halls of compromise in the damp, dark dungeons you can find bi-partisanship these days.

The president takes 5 steps forward on his plans and agendas, congress can barely work fine motor skills, then they get distracted to try to block or address every muscle twitch from the president's office.

Ian wrote: "I think we're giving a little too much leeway on the power of congress and the institutions to enact things. So far they have been okay for reactions and blockages in extremes. That's about it. Unt..."

I guess this is true, but really, Trump hasn't accomplished shit. What, the AHCA barely crammed through the House? Gorsuch? Other than those two "victories", he's failed or been blocked at pretty much everything. Helps that he and his entire staff are incompetent.

Geoff wrote: "Ian wrote: "I think we're giving a little too much leeway on the power of congress and the institutions to enact things. So far they have been okay for reactions and blockages in extremes. That's a..."

I would say Gorsuch's significance will present itself in June when we see the rulings, especially on gerrymandering, but it will be felt for decades having a conservative court. And Comey is significant. EPA and environmental moves are significant. The unraveling of our diplomatic trust is pretty significant too. He's not succeeding on his "plans" per se, but he's still blowing shit up that un-does decades of democratic bolstering.

His and his team's incompetence is astounding, for sure. But let's not forget the real damage they are doing.

Ian wrote: "Geoff wrote: "Ian wrote: "I think we're giving a little too much leeway on the power of congress and the institutions to enact things. So far they have been okay for reactions and blockages in extr..."

All true. Sorry, I have a head cold. Brain ain't right. He's been extremely destructive already. Let's not forget.

One thing that is really impressed upon me over the last 24 hours, seeing how the entire staff is dealing with this, is the utter contempt they have for the American people. Just smirking and bullshitting their way through press events, not giving two shits.
By the way, poll released today, obv from before all this - Trump approval rating 36% and down 10 points with white male voters.

And Sessions is busy today interviewing candidates for interim FBI Director.

What do you suppose the criteria are?

Geoff wrote: "One thing that is really impressed upon me over the last 24 hours, seeing how the entire staff is dealing with this, is the utter contempt they have for the American people. Just smirking and bulls..."

Well, the American people elected Donald Trump. You can't say that the contempt is entirely unreasonable.

At least Betsy Devos was booed and harassed at Bethune-Cookman, that made me smile

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/10/politic...

Geoff wrote: "At least Betsy Devos was booed and harassed at Bethune-Cookman, that made me smile

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/10/politic..."

Saw that. Made my heart skip a beat.

[students are the front line against fascism always]

Makes you proud, doesn't it?

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slates...