Not only is unmasking legal, it’s entirely reasonable - if an official learns that a foreign agent has been in contact with an American citizen, it’s entirely appropriate to want to know who that citizen is.
Thanks for fixing that. Usually I preview and test a link before I post, but these days hitting *preview *just wastes a click. :rolleyes:
Every day, it becomes more obvious that TrumpCo is pulling out all the stops to rig 2020 in much the same way as 2016. They’re moving quick, too. It’s imperative for Trump to somehow get the sanctions lifted against Russia. That was always the deal. In order to do that, Trump must delegitimize Mueller’s investigation.
Richard Burr dislodged from the Senate Intelligence Committee chairmanship.
Paul Manafort released to home detention.
Barr’s move to drop adjudicated charges against Michael Flynn, with Pence saying he “wouldn’t mind” having Flynn back on the team.
Trump hinting he will pardon Roger Stone.
They’ve got their oligarchs on board: Facebook’s Zuckerberg will assist with the favorable Trump propaganda; Tesla’s Musk can be called upon to throw around the term, ‘fascist’ against a Democratic governor who is simply trying to save lives. Kochs are ginning up and funding the astroturfed protests in Michigan and elsewhere.
The scary snarl terms are back: “Unmasking!!” “Spying” on reporters!!
“Obamagate” is the plan they’re using to discredit Mueller’s investigation and report, so sanctions can be lifted against Russia – they whole reason Putin helped Trump win in the first place.
Richard Burr, for all his faults and likely criminal behavior, was one of the few Republicans willing to push back against Russian influence in our elections and society. What Trump lackey, sanctioned by McConnell, will be picked to take his place as the all important Senate Intelligence Committee Chair?
“Obamagate” has the further enhancement of disparaging Joe Biden by association through to the election.
No one who supports Trump will be able to articulate what “Obamagate” actually is. But no matter. They’ll believe it is true.
Even Fox News says unmaskings are commonly used by all administrations.
And if he had said exactly that he would be seen as easily provoked, so he is to be gone after.
Individual 1: “If I were a Senator or Congressman, the first person I would call to testify about the biggest political crime and scandal in the history of the USA, by FAR, is former President Obama. He knew EVERYTHING. Do it @LindseyGrahamSC, just do it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. No more talk!”
It’s not going to happen, but it’d be hilarious if Obama called that bluff and said he’d be happy to talk to the Senate about anything they’d like. He’s much, much better on camera than absolutely any Republican in the Senate, and it’s not even close.
Is he admitting that he is the biggest criminal in the history of the USA, and that Obama knows everything about it?
Yep, they’ve got skin in the game. They believe they have the divine right to own the political system. They may have periodic differences with Trump. They might even laugh behind his back at what a buffoon he is. But as it is with religious voters who know that Trump is no man of the book and would probably rape the Virgin Mary and brag about it on a hot mic if he had the chance, the oligarchs who know he knows fuck all about business and how to run a country will turn a blind eye and cover their ears because he delivers the groceries to their doorstep. He is to political corruption and oligarchal enabling what Instacart is to shopping.
Not just sanctions against Russia but sanctions against Russian oligarchs, which crimp their ability to take money stolen from Russian tribute payers and make off with it by stashing it in foreign banks. Some of the people who are in Trump’s administration and his inner circle have done business with very same shady banks that pro-Russian oligarchs have used.
Precisely. This is the 2020 version of “Benghazi!!!” It has to be reduced into something that fits on a bumper sticker so that it becomes a viral hashtag or meme.
I don’t know whether they actually believe it’s true, but they want to believe it’s true. And because of this, they will believe it’s true until it is so obviously not believable, and even then, some will cry “fake news” or simply move on to another cooked up scandal.
This is why I tend to say those nasty things we’re not supposed to say about the voters themselves. We’re supposed to forgive them for being ignorant and shit like that, but the truth is, they want to be ignorant. They want to believe in bullshit. They identify with him. In the end, they’re supporting the republicans not because they believe Trump; they’re doing it because they’ve grown up in a world in which their tribe has always had its hand on the steering wheel, and an increasingly diverse and more tolerant society leaves them confused and anxious. They’re protecting their cultural supremacy.
I agree. What I posted was the greatest political crime in all of history ever!!!21! as explained to me by someone who believes it.
Apparently it’s a three year old nothingburger: “Obamagate”: There was nothing nefarious about the “unmasking” of Michael Flynn.
It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense from Russia’s perspective to want sanctions lifted now, if Trump gets reelected he can do it then, and if he doesn’t then less than a year of sanctions relief before Biden reinstates them won’t make much difference.
I think “Obamagate” is just a sign that Trump is gong to throw spaghetti at the wall from now till election day hoping something sticks. I personally don’t think this particular one will make much of a difference with swing voters, I think the Tara Reade allegations will make a much bigger difference.
In a way it’s genius that it doesn’t mean anything.
That way, MAGAs will be able to say the fake news media is keeping it secret, forever.
And it’s pretty tough to make debunking articles when all you can say is…well, the same as the title of this thread.
I can’t parse this sentence.
Trump has a fetish with Lisa Page.
I almost get the impression that some of you are scoffing at the President, or even getting sarcastic. :dubious:
The SDMB is fortunate to have several intelligent and articulate Trump supporters. What can they tell us about Obamagate? Is the President’s commment the best synopsis?:*“You know what the crime is. The crime is very obvious to everybody. All you have to do is read the newspapers, except yours.” *
… Or can one of our fine Trumpists help us out here?
I notice that Velocity, perhaps playing devil’s advocate, has posted a list of Obamagate scandals. I clicked only one:EPA employees earned overtime without the required waivers
Was everyone as horrified as I? Has anything this reprehensible happened on Trump’s watch? Were Barack and Michelle getting kickbacks from Big EPA Employees? What was done by those overtime workers? — Surely not EPA work; were they striking red voters off the voting rolls? Siphoning funds to pro-terrorist urban churches?
One reason I only clicked one of the links generously provided by Velocity is that the link took me to a page with ads, such as this one, unblocked by my Ad-blocker. Again, do Trump supporters have some aversion to (what I would consider to be) normal websites?
Imaginary.
.
I thought the unmasking nonsense sounded familiar!
Asahi can correct me if I’m wrong, but I think he meant that, deep down, even Trump supporters know there’s no there there — but they feel compelled to act and talk as if there were a there there.
Then cite one.
And the link to Obama is…?
Surely you can explain that for us. (After providing a better source for what did or didn’t happen in Minneapolis schools. Always helpful to know what it is that’s being linked to Obama.)
Given that the story was shopped around to all the national news orgs, and they all concluded that there wasn’t enough there for them to run a story, then if some wingnut source that holds facts in low regard comes through and reports it, yep, that’s plenty of reason to doubt the story.
I think the idea is that just the way people link Nixon with Watergate and they know it’s something bad (although I’ll bet 90% of Americans walking around today don’t know what the “Watergate” crime was or why it’s named that), they’ll link the vaguely nefarious, accusatory “Obamagate” with “Obama”-- made extra simple for the stupid set because his name is part of it. :dubious: Not saying trump is capable of this level of reasoning and foresight, but his lackeys and minions are promoting it.