There’s too many Trump news stories to keep track of, it’s like I’m binge watching reality. Only 118 days in and there’s already a special prosecutor. It’s like he’s speedrunning Watergate.
Everyone is talking about the Trump part of the Ryan/McCarthy tape, but the way they talk about Russian propaganda and aims is interesting too. Not sure if they can play dumb anymore.
Probably not given the fact Evan McMullin was apparently in on the meeting and immediately corroborated the account published in WaPo. As someone who has been one of Trump’s earliest and staunchest allies all along, McCarthy’s proximity to Trump’s campaign makes his assertion pretty damning, even if he was merely speculating or operating on nothing more than a hunch at the time. Moreover, Ryan’s repeated attempts to vocalize the need for secrecy potentially implicates the GOP leadership themselves as part of a broader conspiracy to help the Trump campaign get away with a conspiracy, if not outright participating in it.
Of course he knew. Pence stepped into this knowing that Trump was going to crash and burn and he’d be the next president. The GOP knew this too, which is why they all supported Trumpy. Now if God exists and loves us, the investigation will uncover Pence’s complicity in this shitshow and he’ll be hauled off to the pokey with the rest of this nightmare circus.
I just need to say that this picture is the best thing I’ve seen all week. 
Oh, you silly people! That scamp McCarthy was only kidding!
“Payoffs From Putin to Trump? McCarthy Says No, He Was Just Kidding” [https://nyti.ms/2rsUeZO]
Don’t you feel foolish now? He really had you goin’, dint he?
This beggars belief.
With the Putin and the payments and the Trumpy Wumpy and the glayvin!
I made this point in another thread, but laughing while engaging in a conspiracy (or asking others to) is irrelevant. Hell, in the ADM price-fixing case*, the price-fixing execs were joking about what they were doing and made cracks about the FBI while they were making their arrangements.
*“The Informant”, Kurt Eichenwald
McCarthy wasn’t really a big supporter of Trump, unlike Jeff Sessions, until Trump effectively won the nomination. Given his praise for John Kasich and the comment/joke’s apparent discomfort with Trump’s relationship with Putin, if the Republicans had evidence of an outright financial quid pro quo between Trump and Putin during the primaries, they probably would have released it to or through another candidate’s campaign so that someone more controllable and more acceptable to the Republican leadership would get the nomination. Prior to Trump entering the race, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Jeb(!) Bush was the front-runner and would likely get the nomination. Most of the Republican leadership seemed content with that.
Oh sure. And later on in the recording, when Ryan swears them all to secrecy… He was just joshing too! A veritable laugh riot whenever they get together!
Ryan is angling for a guest host spot on SNL.
Makes sense. There’s a reason they say laughter is a defense mechanism.
He’s already got the lead role in Eddie Munster Grows Up.
The scenario that seems most likely to me was that some of Trump’s minions, who already had many shady dealings with Russia, made contact with their buddies in the Kremlin and worked out a deal whereby the Trump campaign would benefit from Russian hacking, in exchange for a friendly working relationship with the next president. Lots of winks and nods, and the word “sanctions” was probably spoken. Trump was probably never involved.
The prospect that Trump was literally on the Kremlin payroll, like some kind of Manchurian Candidate…and we’re hearing about it immediately? Not in 50 years when all the memoirs are written and the files are unsealed? :eek: Unbelievable. Perhaps literally…I’m not sure.
From this: House majority leader to colleagues in 2016: ‘I think Putin pays’ Trump
[my bold]
These guys are like cops who don’t appreciate people may be recording them: “Not true. What? There’s a recording? Oh. Let me change my story.”
If you’re just waking up, Flynn is set to ignore his subpoena, and as expected Chaffetz is going to leave well before the end of his term.
The Chaffetz thing is eating at me. I’m sure that it’s possible that he is getting a better offer from Foxnews, and this is just a brazen money grab. But, Jesus, the guy was elected six months ago, and now doesn’t want the office. Something has changed in the past six months, and I don’t think you have to go full conspiracy theory to suspect there is more to this.
Flynn to Senate: “Documents? To goddamned hell with documents! I don’t have to show you any stinking documents, you goddamned assholes!”
Wait…I didn’t know you COULD ignore a subpoena. I thought you had to do it? It’s seriously as simple as just saying no?
According to the article, Chaffetz was looking for a job last month so it wasn’t this week’s, um, shitsplotion that prompted Chaffetz’s decision but it sure was what prompted all the news outlets to release this information today.
I’m sure a lawyer will be along shortly, but I’m pretty sure it’s not as simple as just saying no!
But, his desire to look for another job has changed in since running for election a mere months ago. What’s changed?
This is one of the few things going on that I can certainly see a non-nefarious (if brazenly grotesque) rationale for, but I’m suspicious nonetheless. It’s certainly unusual.
