board77

High time, given that it's the last century. The current century is the Century of the Anchovy.

Jude wrote:

Getting back to the main topic of this thread, you'll notice that it's been five days since Inky posted a list of disastrous or just plain cringeworthy things Trump has done that day. That obviously means that either he's finally grown up, or the White House staff has staged an intervention and has gotten him locked up somewhere safe where he can't harm the country any more than he has already done.

Actually, it means I was on relaxing, totally Trump-free (news- and internet-free) vacation. Glad you guys carried on.

Jude wrote:

Just kidding. He's been on tour and embarrassing the country abroad. He's on camera rudely shoving another world leader out of the way for a photo op, standing by himself and scowling while everyone else in the room is chatting and actually making an effort to get to know each other, and trying his stupid alpha-male handshake game (and losing against Macron).

You know, I actually felt slightly sorry for him when he was standing by himself. It looked like no one else wanted to talk to him. Not that I can blame them, considering he had been chastising them like little children who won't pay their club dues (as one commentator put it, some things are better discussed in private than in a public speech). Still, it looked like he was being ostracized.



Dave, I'm not sure the EU is ready to go for more nuclear weapons. But there was an interesting article in the Washington Post about how Germany may be ready to lead in new joint military options with other European nations. I'll see if I can still find it.

Edit: I was wrong - it was on foreignpolicy.com
https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/05/22/ge ... s-command/

Quote:

Every few years, the idea of an EU army finds its way back into the news, causing a kerfuffle. The concept is both fantasy and bogeyman: For every federalist in Brussels who thinks a common defense force is what Europe needs to boost its standing in the world, there are those in London and elsewhere who recoil at the notion of a potential NATO rival.

But this year, far from the headlines, Germany and two of its European allies, the Czech Republic and Romania, quietly took a radical step down a path toward something that looks like an EU army while avoiding the messy politics associated with it: They announced the integration of their armed forces.

In the meantime, this is new.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... _world_pop

Quote:

The Trump administration warned Tuesday that the United States could pull out of the U.N. Human Rights Council unless the body ends what Washington calls the whitewashing of dictators’ abuses and unfair attacks on Israel.

President Trump’s U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, delivered the ultimatum in an unusual address in Geneva to the 47-member body.

And ironic, considering how Trump has been cosying up to dictators and strongmen.



Also, this doesn't seem good.It looks like he's blundering into a mess best handled by people with some diplomatic skills and knowledge.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/tu ... _world_pop

Quote:

Trump administration officials said Tuesday that President Trump was not “taking sides” in the deepening dispute among key U.S. counterterrorism partners in the Persian Gulf, despite a morning of presidential Twitter posts congratulating Saudi Arabia — and himself — for cracking down on Qatar for alleged terrorism financing.

Background on the Qatar situation:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wor ... _world_pop

Quote:

The Arab states of the Persian Gulf are in the grip of an unprecedented regional crisis. In Monday's early hours, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt released coordinated statements, announcing a diplomatic break with the tiny-yet-wealthy peninsular nation of Qatar. They cut air, sea and land links and ordered Qatari officials and nationals stationed in their countries to return home.

Qatar, with just over 300,000 citizens, has played an outsize role on the world stage because of its great wealth of oil and natural gas. Global oil prices wobbled Monday as both sides dug in their heels. Already, as my colleagues reported, panic over a Saudi blockade of Qatar's only land border prompted spooked residents to clean out supermarket shelves in Doha.

FYI,

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/ar ... or/529410/

Quote:

In a surprise announcement on Twitter Wednesday morning, President Trump said he would name former federal prosecutor Christopher Wray to be the next director of the FBI.

... Wray previously served as as the head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division from 2003 to 2005 during the Bush administration, where he oversaw the prosecution of multiple post-9/11 terrorism cases and the Enron investigation.

...Since leaving the Justice Department in 2005, Wray has worked in private practice at King & Spalding, a high-profile law firm that specializes in corporate litigation and white-collar crimes. He carved out a reputation there for representing corporations facing regulatory-compliance issues. Among his most recent clients was New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who he represented during the Bridgegate scandal.

Comey's opening statement for tomorrow is available.
http://thehill.com/policy/national-secu ... -committee

Quote:

The Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday released the opening statement former FBI Director James Comey is expected to deliver during a highly anticipated appearance on Thursday.

It sounds like some people called to the Senate hearings are refusing to say anything.
http://thehill.com/policy/national-secu ... nt-admiral

Quote:

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) snapped at the head of the National Security Agency (NSA) in a contentious moment of a Senate hearing on Wednesday that delved into questions over Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

King, known as one of the Senate’s more genial members, reached a breaking point more than an hour into the hearing after Michael Rogers repeatedly refused to answer questions about whether President Trump tried to interfere in the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s actions and possible collusion with his campaign.

Rogers declined to answer questions about reports of his interactions with Trump throughout the morning, telling a visibly frustrated King that he didn’t feel it was appropriate.

Apparently, National Intelligence Director Dan Coats, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe were also refusing to answer.


Whoa, more criticism from Fox news?!
http://thehill.com/homenews/administrat ... ue-its-you

Quote:

Fox News host Neil Cavuto on Tuesday hit President Trump for his criticism of media outlets' coverage of his Twitter habits.

“Mr. President, it’s not the fake news media that’s your problem,” he said on Fox. “It’s you. It’s not just your tweeting, it’s your scapegoating. It’s your refusal to see that sometimes you’re the one who’s feeding your own beast and acting beastly with your own guys.

“Look at the critiques you’re now hearing from usually friendly and supportive allies as sort of like an intervention.

And, not surprisingly, a Democrat is expected to introduce articles of impeachment, which are likely to go nowhere against Republican opposition. While the Democratic leadership seems more interested in using Trump to help them win seats in the next election, than to actually get rid of Trump.
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/33667 ... -for-trump

Quote:

Rep. Al Green, a Texas Democrat and member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), is readying the articles of impeachment that mark the first official step in any congressional bid to remove a sitting president. The articles have little chance of seeing the light of day in a House chamber controlled by Republicans, who have rallied behind Trump

....Green’s effort comes even as Democratic leaders are treading much more lightly in their approach to the Russia-Trump saga. With Trump’s approval rating underwater — and new details in the Russia probe emerging almost daily — party leaders sense an opportunity to make huge gains at the polls in 2018 and don’t want to overplay their hand. They’ve tamped down any talk of impeachment, calling instead for the creation of an independent, 9/11-style commission to investigate the Russia inquiry.

It looks like Trump has also withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris climate change agreement?

Pro-Trump groups with close ties to the White House are running ad campaigns to counteract his negative press and influence public opinion:
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/33 ... k-up-trump

Quote:

The handful of nonprofit groups that formed in the wake of Trump’s surprise victory last fall started off slow, struggling with setbacks and coming under stinging criticism from the White House for failing to provide adequate support for the president’s agenda.

As continuing leaks and legislative malaise beset the president, the Trump administration feels it needs all the firepower it can get to beat back a barrage of negative press. Those efforts have been boosted this week by outside groups run by longtime Trump loyalists and GOP operatives with close ties to the White House.

btw, Gianforte has essentially admitted that he lied about his assault on the reporter, before the election he won:
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing- ... ement-over

Quote:

Greg Gianforte, the newly elected Montana House Republican who "body slammed" the Guardian journalist Ben Jacobs just a day before his election, has issued a full apology and agreed to donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists, The Guardian reported Wednesday. The donation and a formal apology letter sent to Jacobs settle potential civil claims.

“Notwithstanding anyone’s statements to the contrary, you did not initiate any physical contact with me, and I had no right to assault you,” he wrote in the letter. “I am sorry for what I did and the unwanted notoriety this has created for you. I take full responsibility.”

The Hill also has an exclusive story on what sounds like some questionable stock promotions by a member of the House of Representatives. HHS Secretary Price also bought some of these stocks at a discounted price (questions about stocks came up at his confirmation hearing):
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/33684 ... colleagues

Quote:

Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) has boasted about how much money he’s made for other members of Congress by tipping them off to an Australia-based pharmaceutical company in which he is the largest stockholder, two GOP lawmakers told The Hill.

Collins, President Trump’s chief defender and unofficial spokesman on Capitol Hill, told a group of House GOP colleagues over dinner earlier this year that he had urged colleagues to invest in Innate Immunotherapeutics and made them plenty of money in the process, said one GOP lawmaker who was present for the conversation.

...House ethics investigators last month began probing Collins for his role in recruiting investors to buy stock in the Australian firm after several complaints were filed alleging insider trading.

...In January, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary, then-Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), had received a personal invitation from Collins last summer to buy between $50,000 and $100,000 of Innate stock at a discounted rate.

Edit: Scientists are also saying that Trump's administration misstated their research, which he cited in the justification to abandon the Paris climate change agreement.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/postever ... -it-wrong/

Quote:

Trump used our research to justify pulling out of the Paris agreement. He got it wrong.
His administration cherry-picked my group’s findings to help make their case.

And Trump can't even issue condolences to Iran without getting in an ugly swipe at their government, pretty much saying "this is your own fault." This is seriously disgusting behavior, IMO.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wor ... is-allies/

Quote:

In the wake of the assault on Tehran, condemnations and condolences rained in from around the world.

...But for many hours Wednesday, Trump was conspicuously quiet. The State Department's spokeswoman issued a pro forma condemnation, asserting that "the depravity of terrorism has no place in a peaceful, civilized world." When Trump ultimately broke his silence, though, his message snuffed out whatever goodwill American diplomats may have wanted to convey. "We grieve and pray for the innocent victims of the terrorist attacks in Iran, and for the Iranian people, who are going through such challenging times," began the statement, before concluding with a startling swipe at Tehran. "We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote."

The article also notes:

Quote:

Iranian officials, after all, issue their own routine condemnations of terror attacks in the United States, such as last year's massacre at a nightclub in Orlando, without suggesting that the Great Satan was getting its comeuppance.

I'm surprised and impressed that Gianforte actually apologized for his despicable act and his lies. I'm also impressed that it's not one of those bullshit "I'm sorry if I hurt your delicate little feelings" apologies.

I'm sure the threat of a civil lawsuit motivated his apology somewhat, but it was decent nonetheless.

Yeah, the apology was a condition for avoiding a civil suit. And it was, too, bullshit.

So. The Comey testimony, omg.

Okay, I didn't realize that it was a condition for avoiding a civil lawsuit. I'm back to being unimpressed.

If it were me, I'd go ahead with the civil lawsuit anyway.

They can't, that's the condition of settlement. However the criminal case is still proceeding.

The bullshit part is: "Notwithstanding anyone’s statements to the contrary," which should read, "despite my lies."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... settlement

The point I was trying to make is that I wouldn't have offered to settle.

I don't disagree, but of course I don't know how that negotiation went down.

Actually, on second thoughts - that confession might be useful to produce a conviction in the criminal case, so I might settle to make his conviction more likely.

I'd have to have a good long talk with my lawyer.

Given that the criminal charges (which Gianforte still faces) are only a misdemeanor and not a felony, I suspect this settlement of the civil suit was probably fair. Gianforte has admitted that he lied (though he clearly tried to weasel out of saying that directly) and paid a fine. But I think he should at least have offered to pay for the reporter's glasses, since he broke them.

Count me unimpressed by the apology, though. He only apologized after he got the legislative seat he wanted, and he was pretty clearly going to lose the suit anyway, given the eyewitnesses and audio recording.

Quote:

So. The Comey testimony, omg.

I agree. But count me cynical about whether it will matter. It sounds like the obstruction of justice charges could lead to impeachment, but not to legal charges for a sitting president. And we've all seen how the GOP is treating that option so far.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... story.html

Trump's lawyers are already responding, btw - trying to spin Comey's testimony in a way favorable to Trump. Bunch of sleazeballs, as you'd expect of Trump.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pol ... h-context/

I did not watch all of Comey's testimony, but I am super impressed with his Henry II's quote.

What was the quote? I didn't have time to watch, so I just read some summaries.

Ugh, Trump is following his usual disgusting mode of attacking and suing.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing- ... mey-report

Quote:

President Trump’s outside attorney is planning on filing a complaint against fired FBI Director James Comey with the Justice Department over his handling of memos on his interactions with the president, CNN reported Friday.

Sources tell CNN the complaint surrounds Comey’s testimony Thursday that as a private citizen he relayed the content of his memos about his interactions with Trump to a friend of his, and asked him to give the content to a reporter.

Never mind that this wasn't classified information he was giving out. Apparently, you're not allowed to say anything negative about Trump in Trump-world.

That reminds me of something I read a while back (Trump didn't win):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/postever ... -after-me/

Quote:

I bought the website Trump.org. Then Donald Trump came after me.
Using the site to criticize Trump got me a nasty letter from his lawyer.

The funny part is that I googled to find the article, and mis-typed Trump as "Trum" Dozens of articles about his lawsuits against various people still came up.

From an article here (just the first one that came up): https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 102628176/

Quote:

James Comey described his situation with President Trump by using a quote from Henry II — one that purportedly led to the assassination of a priest in the 12th century.

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, asked whether Comey interpreted certain phrases from the president of the United States, such as "I hope" or "I suggest," as directives.

"Yes. It kind of rings in my ears as, 'Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?'" Comey replied.

He was probably quoting Blackadder instead.

I know I'm supposed to like Comey right now since he's making trouble for Trump, but no one has sown more chaos in the current executive branch than he has--first by derailing Clinton's campaign, then by hamstringing Trump's administration (though Trump "asked for it," to be sure). Is anyone looking into his own motivations?

What would you expect to find?

When I heard about the Clinton thing, I assumed he was motivated by partisanship. But he apparently has acted exactly as he should have in the Trump scenario. Before that, he had worked under both W and Obama. So, I don't like him, but I don't know what ulterior motives he could have.