# In Praise of the Obamessiah, and other developments of the Sally Yates testimony **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 9, 2017, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179 "2017-05-09T03:55:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/41 "2017-05-09T20:13:34Z")
> [@](#): > > …The email address for Great White Dope is [ilovepresidenttrump@gmail.com](mailto:ilovepresidenttrump@gmail.com) That’s real horrorshow! Viddy well, my droogies, viddy well! ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/42 "2017-05-09T20:21:04Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Considering he couldn’t afford to fix a broken window, he ain’t got much. > > And a few years ago, he had to beg money so he could move his McDojo. Such a fine businessman yet he had little saved for such things. He had a great business plan. I think it was something along the lines of; “I don’t need to plan. Give me money or I will tell you to fuck off and put you on my ignore list. It’s all the lefties fault.” ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/43 "2017-05-09T20:27:45Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > “I think she’s made some, you know, I think it was widely rumored to play a large role in the Justice Department if Hillary Clinton had won,” Spicer said.\* > > I’m trying to parse what the hell this means. Best I can understand is that the Attorney General told them that their National Security Advisor might be a Russian agent, but they didn’t act on that information because they have reason to believe that the Attorney General might be a Democrat. In other words, their best explanation really, really sucks. It means that the woman Trump chose to head the Justice Department is assumed to be a Democrat because of rumors that Hillary might have appointed her to some role in the Justice Department. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/44 "2017-05-09T20:31:47Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Fuck off, revisionist. Hillary won 3,000,000 popular votes _more_ than Trump. That’s not a crushing, that’s a dominant performance which lost on a cheap, outdated technicality. So one of the most qualified candidates in electoral history, with decades of experience in politics, knowledge of pretty much all global affairs, prior SecState, prior Senator, only managed to get a 2% popular-vote margin of victory over the most unqualified presidential candidate in modern U.S. electoral history, who had said “Grab em by the pussy,” who was astonishingly uninformed/ignorant, said blatantly racist things, had woefully inaccurate ideas…and we’re supposed to be consider that an impressive performance? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/45 "2017-05-09T20:35:20Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > So one of the most qualified candidates in electoral history, with decades of experience in politics, knowledge of pretty much all global affairs, prior SecState, prior Senator, only managed to get a 2% popular-vote margin of victory over the most unqualified presidential candidate in modern U.S. electoral history, who had said “Grab em by the pussy,” who was astonishingly uninformed/ignorant, said blatantly racist things, had woefully inaccurate ideas…and we’re supposed to be consider that an impressive performance? No, you’re supposed to feel existential dread when you realize how utterly stupid RW America is. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/46 "2017-05-09T20:36:17Z")
If Ms Yates had simple partisan reasons for her actions, she would not have pressed the point about Flynn. She would simply have documented her warning and set it aside until the shit hit the fan. Wait for him to imply or suggest that it was her fault, maybe, or just for an “I told you so!” moment. Instead, she took extraordinary action, she did not wait for the formal report to be issued (coupla days, something like that). She went directly to the White House Counsel because this shit is ferociously important. As she should have. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/47 "2017-05-09T21:01:18Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > If Ms Yates had simple partisan reasons for her actions, she would not have pressed the point about Flynn. She would simply have documented her warning and set it aside until the shit hit the fan. Wait for him to imply or suggest that it was her fault, maybe, or just for an “I told you so!” moment. > > Instead, she took extraordinary action, she did not wait for the formal report to be issued (coupla days, something like that). She went directly to the White House Counsel because this shit is ferociously important. As she should have. Obama warned the Trumpies too. But, oh well, he’s a Dem too. Obama yanked Flynn’s clearance, fired Flynn, and tried to warn Dumpy Trumpy, but it’s still Obama’s fault. And Yates’ fault. Cuz Democrat are bad. But having a Russian mole ON THE SECURITY COUNCIL is good. Uh huh :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/48 "2017-05-09T21:04:06Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > I think it’s telling how normalized Trump has become that the former acting attorney general of the United States testified that the White House knowingly hired, and continued the employ for weeks, a liar and potential Russian agent as National Security Advisor and it took nearly 24 hours for there to be a thread about it. I just figured that everyone was waiting for someone else to go first. So I did. > [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > I’m trying to parse what the hell this means. Best I can understand is that the Attorney General told them that their National Security Advisor might be a Russian agent, but they didn’t act on that information because they have reason to believe that the Attorney General might be a Democrat. In other words, their best explanation really, really sucks. See also their attempt to explain that they blew off President Obama’s warning as a joke. They really don’t seem to understand how bad these excuses make them look. > [@Velocity](#): > > So one of the most qualified candidates in electoral history, with decades of experience in politics, knowledge of pretty much all global affairs, prior SecState, prior Senator, only managed to get a 2% popular-vote margin of victory over the most unqualified presidential candidate in modern U.S. electoral history, who had said “Grab em by the pussy,” who was astonishingly uninformed/ignorant, said blatantly racist things, had woefully inaccurate ideas…and we’re supposed to be consider that an impressive performance? Who cares? This is not a thread about Hillary. This is a thread about how the Trump admin were warned repeatedly about Michael Flynn’s unsuitability as a National Security Advisor and how they didn’t care, for various specious reasons, including how they didn’t understand that why it was a problem if Flynn was compromising himself by lying about his Russian connections (which let’s be honest - the Whitehouse undoubtedly knew all about anyway, since they all have various dodgy Russian connections themselves.) Man, Yates was a joy to watch. I wonder if she’s ever considered running for office? I know she’s a career lawyer. Perhaps she just enjoys that more. For our enjoyment, here’s a few minutes of Yates clowning the Texas senators on her refusal to abet Donald Trump in promoting his first unconstitutional attempt at a Muslim ban - > **[Watch Sally Yates Slap Down Both Texas Senators](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sally-yates-cruz-cornyn-hearing_n_5911e88ce4b0a58297dfc8f4?l0v34n29=&ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009)** > > Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates took down both Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) while defending her decision on Trump’s travel ban. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/49 "2017-05-09T21:24:52Z")
Whoa, hold everything, folks. Flynn, Russia, etc. Trump, as always, is playing four dimensional chess and everyone else is playing checkers. [https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-05-09/trump-preparing-certified-letter-attesting-to-no-russia-ties](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-05-09/trump-preparing-certified-letter-attesting-to-no-russia-ties) > [@](#): > > Washington (AP) – The White House says President Donald Trump is sending a certified letter to Sen. Lindsey Graham attesting that the president has no connections to Russia. That’s a certified letter. CERTIFIED by the federal government! You can’t argue with that. The investigation is over. ---
**Author:** ![Beren\_Erchamion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/90ced4/32.png) [@Beren\_Erchamion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beren_Erchamion)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/50 "2017-05-09T21:26:25Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > So one of the most qualified candidates in electoral history, with decades of experience in politics, knowledge of pretty much all global affairs, prior SecState, prior Senator, only managed to get a 2% popular-vote margin of victory over the most unqualified presidential candidate in modern U.S. electoral history, who had said “Grab em by the pussy,” who was astonishingly uninformed/ignorant, said blatantly racist things, had woefully inaccurate ideas…and we’re supposed to be consider that an impressive performance? Given how stupid and morally-bankrupt and bigoted and xenophobic the US electorate clearly is, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/51 "2017-05-09T21:29:00Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > Whoa, hold everything, folks. Flynn, Russia, etc. Trump, as always, is playing four dimensional chess and everyone else is playing checkers. > > [https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-05-09/trump-preparing-certified-letter-attesting-to-no-russia-ties](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-05-09/trump-preparing-certified-letter-attesting-to-no-russia-ties) > > That’s a certified letter. CERTIFIED by the federal government! You can’t argue with that. The investigation is over. I’ll bet Trump thinks the Post Office can’t deliver anything fraudulent. Therefore, if the PO delivers it, it’s the truth. Worked to prove the existence of Santa Claus. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/52 "2017-05-09T21:33:19Z")
Spicer’s explanation, as [CNN notes](http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/09/politics/sean-spicer-flynn-18-days/), makes no sense: \* The problem with that explanation is this: Yates talked to White House counsel Don McGahn about Flynn being compromised by the Russians on January 26 and January 27. She didn’t refuse to enforce the travel ban until January 30 – the same day she was fired.\* I wonder if the reason that the travel ban was so slapdash and unready for prime time is that the administration had to rush it out, knowing that Yates would refuse to endorse it, giving the administration a reason to fire her. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/53 "2017-05-09T21:44:46Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > Whoa, hold everything, folks. Flynn, Russia, etc. Trump, as always, is playing four dimensional chess and everyone else is playing checkers. > > [https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-05-09/trump-preparing-certified-letter-attesting-to-no-russia-ties](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-05-09/trump-preparing-certified-letter-attesting-to-no-russia-ties) > > That’s a certified letter. CERTIFIED by the federal government! You can’t argue with that. The investigation is over. In other, possibly related news, the Senate Intelligence Committee has asked that the Treasury department’s financial crimes department send them what they’ve got on Trump’s financial ties to Russia. This … is not quite enough to make hope spring eternal in my heart. Not quite, yet. But maybe the ice is looking a little thinner. [http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/332609-senate-panel-probing-russia-ties-asks-treasury-for-trump-financial](http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/332609-senate-panel-probing-russia-ties-asks-treasury-for-trump-financial) > [@Max Greenwood](#): > > The top lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee have sent a request to the Treasury Department’s financial crimes unit for any information on President Trump and his top aides, CNN reported Tuesday. > > “We’ve made a request, to FinCEN in the Treasury Department, to make sure, not just for example vis-a-vis the President, but just overall our effort to try to follow the intel no matter where it leads,” Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the panel’s top Democrat, told CNN. > > “You get materials that show if there have been, what level of financial ties between, I mean some of the stuff, some of the Trump-related officials, Trump campaign-related officials and other officials and where those dollars flow – not necessarily from Russia.” > > Warner said the request was made in conjunction with the panel’s Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.). Burr’s office did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/54 "2017-05-09T21:52:11Z")
Holy crap. [Comey fired](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/us/politics/james-comey-fired-fbi.html?_r=0). ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/55 "2017-05-09T21:53:08Z")
OMG, Trump just fired Comey. ( I get these CNN alerts on my tablet) Time to turn on the news ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/56 "2017-05-09T21:53:18Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > In other, possibly related news, the Senate Intelligence Committee has asked that the Treasury department’s financial crimes department send them what they’ve got on Trump’s financial ties to Russia. This … is not quite enough to make hope spring eternal in my heart. Not quite, yet. But maybe the ice is looking a little thinner. > > [http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/332609-senate-panel-probing-russia-ties-asks-treasury-for-trump-financial](http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/332609-senate-panel-probing-russia-ties-asks-treasury-for-trump-financial) They can start with Trump himself, and Rex Tillerson, and Flynn. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/57 "2017-05-09T21:56:00Z")
Dayum. Reddit megathread: 0-500 in 3 minutes > **[r/politics - Megathread: FBI Director Comey fired](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/6a8jsf/megathread_fbi_director_comey_fired/)** > > 56,008 votes and 40,965 comments so far on Reddit ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/58 "2017-05-09T21:56:09Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Holy crap. [Comey fired](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/us/politics/james-comey-fired-fbi.html?_r=0). I admit I have not been paying super close attention to this particular clusterfuck. But… Wha?! Was that expected? ![](https://media2.giphy.com/media/l2JIk0sWj9sUvbvCU/200.gif?cid=dda24d50yaqku2jptmn6t2k55dowwq67upk1zvr0b10689wx&ep=v1_internal_gif_by_id&rid=200.gif&ct=g "What Happened GIF by Warner Archive - Find & Share on GIPHY") ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/59 "2017-05-09T21:57:02Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Holy crap. [Comey fired](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/us/politics/james-comey-fired-fbi.html?_r=0). Holy crap is right. Session’s idea. Wonder what he’s hiding? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179/60 "2017-05-09T21:59:05Z")
I guess someone explained to Donald that a note from his doctor isn’t going to excuse him from this investigation, even if it’s “certified”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-obamessiah-and-other-developments-of-the-sally-yates-testimony/786179.md?page=4)