I suppose you can argue that it is not all the adherents of the Democratic Party who are intent on removing President Trump and presumably Vice President Pence as well from office but it surely is a large group of them in the Washington/New York /Atlanta Borg establishment. If you watch as much TV news as I do, and read a few national newspapers, it becomes evident that there is a "game plan."
- It is not going to be possible to remove President Trump from office by declaring him unfit for office under the 25th Amendment to the constitution. That would require a majority of the cabinet and his vice president signing an affidavit to the effect that he is incapacitated. The chance of that happening is somewhere on the probability scale between .05% and 1%.
- The next best possibility from the POV of the "resistance," (with HC and the mookies in the lead?) is impeachment and trial in the senate. The Republicans control both houses of Congress. The first step in the fall of Trump must be to obtain a majority in the House of Representatives. To that end a public level of disapproval of Trump must achieve levels not approached so far even in Borg friendly polls (Gallup, etc.). Therefore, what has to be done is to convincingly tar and feather Trump in the public mind with images of; Russian spy and agent of influence, corrupt businessman, misogynist, crypto-racist reactionary.
- Essential to this course of action is the campaign for Congressional investigations, an independent prosecutor or a commission to investigate and "expose" Trump's treason and malfeasance in office.
- Once this is accomplished the Republican weaklings in the senate could perhaps be intimidated into conviction.
Can this work? Certainly. pl
colonel yes this game is exactly as you describe, illegitimacy as a traitor to make it easy for the weak link in the Congress.
IMO, some republicans are already on board with this plan. We shall see if “the media” can change the majority opinion. They might, especially since Trump is not helping himself.
Missing in this analysis is that Trump is certifiably unserious, uninterested in the job and has no plan. What we have is endless bluster and one self inflicted crisis after another.
This is all about Trump. That’s what those invested in his Presidency are missing. This President will be all too familiar to those from developing countries. The crass incompetence and endless lying on even easy verifiable things
Col. Lang,
I will rise to the bait. Your “Modest Proposal” suggests that it is possible when pigs, elephants and donkeys fly.
Colonel, BTW, in sight of what you just posted, why should DT put a proven biased enemy, democrat as the head of FBI and make it easier for his enemies. Yes he may want to keep his enemies close to sight, but not to give them a legal axe.
Colonel Lang,
One of the best things one can do for peace of mind is to ditch the television set. My wife and I did so several years ago. We keep up with the news by reading a number of different news sources on the web.
If nothing else this method is so much quieter.
I wonder how many people have realized how good Donald Trump is for television news. I expect the TV execs. really love him.
Regards,
David
He’s doing it to himself.
David E. Soloman
I am sacrificing myself for you. pl
raven
That is true. pl
He’s not being painted as an “agent of influence, corrupt businessman, misogynist, crypto-racist reactionary” he is just that.
Then I don’t get it, what would you have done, ignore him for four years?
raven
That is completely unproven. I thought you were were doing better. pl
raven
You prefer the dissolution of the Union? pl
left esk
You are making yourself sound like a left troll. It is obvious that Trump cannot deal well with the job, but if you want to depose him you will face the consequences. pl
Reading the posts you believe that Trump has nothing to fear from a good look at his supposed Russian connections. Well that may be, but lets have a good independent look and let the cards fall where they may. Keep the FBI independent.
Not trolling. It’s obvious he doesn’t want the job. He is self sabotaging his Presidency. I believe he will walk away to get his old life back.
Does the following tongue in cheek tweet not sum up the current situation:
After much consideration, the President will appoint a special prosecutor to determine why Democrats are bad at accepting election results
https://twitter.com/sean_spicier/status/862303341803687936
Well, if Trump is found to have been in cahoots with Russia during the election, then he SHOULD be impeached. So, I think the likelihood of the Borg achieving this dream outcome depends entirely on Trump’s alleged, inappropriate, contact with Russia prior to the election. If no such finding of fact, then no dream Borgist outcome. Personally, I think it is more likely that Trump has clean hands in this affair, and the American public will just have to sit through two years of macabre political theater before we get our answer. The Borg will be left pounding sand until their next heroine, Elizabeth Warren, rounds the bend on her warpath.
This is going to end poorly and many of you will be lucky to survive it.
Col.,
Just what do the borg think the deplorables are going to do when they succeed in removing the president on trumped up charges?
Col,
What you describe is conceivable, and Trump is not helping his own case much. But if the Democrats do try to pull it off (and I think they are deranged enough to try), it will trigger madness like we have not seen since the Civil War. Can’t people see beyond their own partisanship any more?
Col, The Borgist elites are running the Democratic Party, but they have only a simple majority. The primary and recent DNC chair votes are good indicators. Sanders got 46% of the primary votes and Ellison a similar proportion of the DNC chair votes. That is a lot easier balance to change than is Congress.
Reporting of 2016 votes in US counties was illuminating. There are roughly 3,000 counties. About 2,000 of them were decided by majorities of 50% or more, profoundly lopsided. Fewer than 50 were decided by majorities of 5% or less. The other roughly 1,000 were between 5% and 50%. Many of those, like mine, were in the 20%-40% range.
Almost none of the 50% plus spreads will change parties. Very rarely will one in the 5% through 50% bunch change, most often when there is an open seat. Those few with less than 5% spread may actually be in play, some of them voted Dem and often several counties are aggregated into a Congressional district. The numbers argue that even if the usual mid term losses are exaggerated through anti-Trump hysteria, the odds of the House changing hands in ’18 are low.
In the Senate the numbers are reversed from ’16. In ’18 the Dems are defending 25 seats and the Repubs 9. Last year when the Repubs were defending 24 seats the Dems picked up 2. If anything the numbers argue for the Repubs picking up seats next year, not losing their majority.
The country can only hope that HRC and the mookies are running the “resistance”. They ran perhaps the worst campaign in US history last year. How bad you ask? So bad that they lost to a novice politician whose previous career was as a real estate magnate and tv star. They have however done a good job fomenting hysteria and tantrums in the true believers.
The independent prosecutor hysteria is certainly building. If memory serves, the independent prosecutor law has expired so it will take more than a snap of the fingers to gin one up. With Watergate there was an actual crime, burglars caught red handed. Cox was fired because he was tying them back to the White House. At this point we’ve got no public evidence THE RUSSIANS DID IT, or indications that a crime was committed by anyone affiliated with Trump. Flynn looks like he will get strung up for taking money from the Turks without registering as a foreign agent.
All that said, it sure seems scarily possible that the scenario you have laid out will come to pass.
I think the American people would punish Congress for this action. (The Snowflakes may cheer, but they don’t vote.) They want Congress focused on fixing their problems. Like “now.”
There are a handful of politicians that keep talking that non-sense with Schumacher possibly being the biggest tool. The MSM focuses on those yahoos but it seems to be a real stretch to suggest even the majority of the Democratic party is rowing in that direction.
If Trump is removed from office it will be the Republicans that do it and if they do it, it will be because polling shows they are about to take a bath in the mid terms. As long as their numbers look strong enough Trump can stay where he is, whether he is a savant or a nut bar.
I’m appalled at the ham handed firing of Comey. The chaotic, contradictory reasons floated subsequently was just incompetent. And firing someone in the manner Comey was fired is highly unprofessional and likely to grate at many. Especially career employees. This will motivate any investigation into DJT associates instead of putting a damper on it. If Trump keeps shooting himself in the foot the Democrats actually have a chance of bringing along enough Republicans to remove him.
Trump is a deal maker and salesman, NOT a manager.
Can’t think beyond the next sale.
And he’s not helped by the dumbest guys in the room around him, that he hired, BTW (not a manager).
The Republicans – yes they are the STOOPID party and equally spineless.
They had SEVEN years to come up with an answer to Obamacare – nothing, nada, zip.
All about reelection – personal enrichment, limos,interns and substances.
I think your odds on #1 are way off… even if he calls it another medical deferment.
‘Course, he could finish up like Wilson’s last year, w/ the family’s blanket of protection keeping him quiet…
{which would confirm he’s left the building.}
My odds at this point are more like 25-33%.
It’ll be fun, like a reality TV show about how to make a failed state!
I think you mis-underestimate Trump. Though the job may be inherently boring to him, the challenge of defeating an aroused opposition will invigorate him and give him purpose.
And I appreciate it very much.
Just one of the reasons I enjoy your site so very much.
I think we soured on Public Television when they stopped having you as a guest.
That was the beginning of the end for us.
Regards,
David
I don’t see how this eliminates Pence as well. More likely, he will take over if Trump goes. That would remove the largest impediment to the implementation of the most radical elements in the Republican agenda, including, along with Dem accomplices, more warmongering against Russia, Iran, etc. and everything the MIC has dreamed of supplying to carry out the mission. It will then be obvious that the ISIS/AQ drama is a sideshow to the Saudi/Israeli anti-Iran/anti-Hezbollah agenda. If Syria can be cut up in the process, all the better. This idea has been kicking around since the mandates following WWI.
What our folks don’t truly appreciate about the Russian strategy is that the sooner Syria no longer needs foreign militias and their Iranian backers, the quicker they can lean upon the Syrians to say “Thank yo for your services” to the Iranian forces trying to borrow in permanently. What we don’t seem to grasp is that the Russians are allergic to ALL kinds of politicized religion. They want to see Syria maintain as much of its “secular” structure and outlook, not recast it as either Sunni or Shia. How much of that goal can be realistically achieved is another matter and they may need to settle for something much less ideal.
Which part of that is unproven?
Today people may think that, but by the end of the year I suggest you will be proven wrong.
You may not like what he is doing, but I submit you will acknowledge that he is competent.
Could be all wet, but that is my two cents worth on that topic.
In response to the ‘Democratic’ agenda, the NRA has posted the following video:
Freedom’s Safest Place | S2 E2: “The Violence Of Lies” https://youtu.be/XtGOQFf9VCE via @YouTube
Not a big fan of Dana Loesch, but is there not a significant modicum of truth in what she is saying about how events are unfolding?
Some people may have heard of Martin Armstrong of Armstrong Economics. He is not without controversy due to a run-in he had with the law around the turn of the century. In certain circles he is known simply as the Forecaster.
His computer models are predicting that if the effort to overturn the election results continues, coupled with the deliberate agenda of undermining the Trump administration, we will likely see increased levels of violence that could easily spill over into a civil war.
While Mr. Obama is now off giving speeches, as he periodically stirs the pot, Valerie Jarrett is reported to be living with the Obama’s in their Washington, D.C. residence. The claim is that her role is to establish a shadow government, designed to thwart the Trump administration.
With respect to the blame Russia canard, as WikiLeaks, (which according to the CIA Director is a hostile foreign non-state intelligence agency) pointed out in a tweet earlier today:
New book by ‘Shattered’ by Clinton insiders reveals that “blame Russia” plan was hatched “within twenty-four hours” of election loss.
https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/862801658132254720
The tweet includes an image of the relevant text.
According to the intelligence communities analysis:
– the Kremlin was behind the cyber attacks which led to the publication of the US election documents by DC leaks, Guccifer 2.0 and WikiLeaks; and,
– the Kremlin is propagating deliberate disinformation through Sputnik and Russia Today, with the purpose of undermining faith in domestic institutions.
Can we not say that those pushing forward with the Democratic agenda, relying in part on the blame Russia canard, are doing two things:
– pushing the neo-liberal / neo-conservative agenda (which is purportedly an anathema to democratic socialists), and,
– serving the alleged purpose of the Kremlin, which is to tear the country apart?
Did Russia interfere in the 2016 Presidential election? What is the purpose of the counter-intelligence operation that the FBI has been conducting since June of last year, in concert with a number of other agencies?
Presumably the objective is to ascertain what interference in fact took place, how exactly it was carried out, and whether or not any laws were broken.
In turn, if laws were broken, to then turn the matter (s) over to the Justice Department for review, including establishing a grand jury to aid in the criminal investigation; and ultimately, conduct any arising criminal prosecutions once charges are filed.
Another issue that needs to be resolved is did the counter-intelligence operation being led by the FBI morph into, or was abused such that it became in part a political operation to help the Clinton campaign before the election and afterwards undermine the incoming Trump administration?
In turn, if that counter-intelligence operation did in fact go off the rails, as people believe, were any laws broken? While laws may or may not have been broken, the responsible individuals need to be held to account.
Lastly, what steps need to be taken to ensure the extensive powers given to the FBI, CIA and NSA to conduct such operations are not abused in the future.
One suggestion is that the entire counter-intelligence operation now falling within the purview of the FBI be moved into a separate agency.
Col.,
The GOP is in a race to pass their agenda before throwing Trump overboard. I think it’s more likely that the GOP will impeach him because they feel they can survive with the more conventional Pence.
The Democratic “plan” is nothing more than a fever dreams of a few lefties. Chance of Trump being impeached? 50-50. Pence? Near zero.
Or, as I tell my very small but loyal band of readers regarding Paul Krugman, “I read him so that you don’t have to.” Your efforts are appreciated by a great many more people than mine are.
“Not dealing well with the job”….”I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
When does “not dealing well” become injurious to the oath of office? When do “we the people” decide he has not fulfilled his oath?
What red lines are there to be crossed?
I honestly do not know…
Everything about the Trump Presidency, everything, has shown that he is irrelevant. What is at stake is the midterm election in 2018. It is more about tarring House candidates with Trump than tarring and feathering Trump who seems to be a very useful idiot.
What is a pity is that he seems to be moving away from the Saudi line in the ME which is definitely not irrelevant, but whose ultimate value is not yet clear. And meeting with Lavrov was an astonishing display of courage. Is there anyone else even vaguely interested in the Presidency who would be doing this? And he is arming the Kurds.
He’ll be President through 2020, unless the Democrats win both houses of Congress in 2018, in which case all bets are off. Call it a reverse Obama.
This we very much appreciate, sir, and pray that our fortunes allow is to tangibly show out appreciation without delay!
Thanks very much for your valuable service!
Well Colonel, I have endeavored to stay as far away from the bickering that American politics has become, but I should point out that it is in the Democrats best interest to keep the status quo. Pence, Ryan or Tillerson would hardly be an improvement for them, and the current situation is most easily exploited for electoral gains.
As per your previous post on dissolution, I am reminded of Russian KGB Professor Panarin’s prediction, http://the-american-catholic.com/2008/12/29/russian-professor-predicts-breakup-of-us-in-2010/ amongst others in that nation, on the dissolution of the United States. Whether that is wishful thinking or willful intent, I suppose we shall have to wait on history to decide, but it should not be overlooked, IMO.
Just as I would caution one and all not to not put USB thumb drives you find in the parking lot into your own computer, I would caution one and all not to play with ferro sticks you find on the internet in your own barn as well.
I would not dismiss the 25th Amendment scenario as readily as you might be doing Col. If there are GOP “weaklings” in Senate, and I believe you are dead on about that, I think the same phenomenon exists in the Cabinet. I think a deal could be cut to let President Trump go. AND PENCE STAY. I don’t consider it likely, but I consider it more probable than you might.
Either removal or impeachment and conviction, if either one comes, there will be hell to pay in the US.
Trump is vulnerable due to: 1) Trump inc. is one gigantic conflict of interest with many dubious dealings that he failed to divest from. 2) His arrogant and clueless mentality as evidenced by the Comey firing. 3) The Dems desperately want a payback for the relentless Republican attacks against Bill Clinton. 4) He is opposed by the Borg/Deep State for being insufficiently anti-Russia 5) Above all because he lacks the full support of his own party members many of whom would prefer a President Pence. The man skates on thinner ice than he knows.
But does he have the capacity to rise to the job? There have been moments when he’s shown that he might. His response to Khan Shaykhoun for one.
Linda Esk, I somewhat agree with Pat.
Only on the surface it is about Trump. Beneath that surface it is about a new Cold War with Russia. Preventing any type of cooperation between Russia and the US.
Random pick, from the Independent UK, May 3, 2017:
Russia is the biggest threat to humanity on earth? Seriously? …
FBI Director James Comey says that Russia is the “greatest threat of any nation on Earth, given their intent and capability.”
Mr Comey made the comments during a Senate hearing in which he discussed the ongoing investigation into Russian influence on the 2016 US election. The top FBI official told senators that Russians have been meddling in American politics and that they have continued to do so recently.
“One of the biggest lessons learned is that Russia will do this again. Because of 2016 election, they know it worked,” Mr Comey said of the threat that Russia might try to influence future elections.
All,
I’m not sure if this post was sent
https://consortiumnews.com/2017/05/10/watergate-redux-or-deep-state-coup/
linda
All of it. pl
Annem
” …don’t see how this eliminates Pence as well.” IMO they will try to say that they were both elected as a result of conspiracy with the Russian government. pl
This would be a very poor game plan because it grossly overestimates the political effectiveness of denigration campaigns. Smearing a president or prime minister is what oppositions routinely do in democracies, and the record of this strategy isn’t at all encouraging, in fact it’s much more often counterproductive. You don’t win houses on it.
Besides, the removal of president Trump (who – both for his foreign policy and his gaffes – is possibly more useful to the Borg than is generally assumed) may not be a Democratic priority at all but just a populist rallying cry. Perhaps the Borg are not be so naive? The sensible game plan would be to keep Trump in office while constantly waving the whip of probes, and then exploit his blunders, which are as certain to arrive as the sun in the morning (see, for example, his monumentally idiotic admission to Lester Holt that Comey’s firing was all about Trump’s loathing of the Russia probe and nothing to do with the officially purported reasons). I don’t know of any opposition in the democratic world who has such a useful enemy. Any opposition to the Borg agenda in the USA that relies on, or defends, this president will just defeat itself.
Sorry, that’s precisely when Trump lost me. That whole Khan Shaykhoun thing was an obvious false-flag, and by failing to challenge the MSM narrative, Trump is setting the stage for a potentially dangerous escalation in Syria.
I’m leaning towards your position, because that seems to be what has actually been happening up til now. So far, they’ve managed to get Trump to do a U-ee on both Russia and Syria … so why not just keep the game going?
SR Wood
The FBI, like USMC have a wonderful PR effort that has extended over many decades. In fact the FBI is a subordinate organization of DoJ and DoJ is not IN ANY WAY independent of the president’s authority. I used to testify as an expert witness in national security cases an have often watched the FBI and DoJ lawyers “collude” to imprison defendants because the presidential administration of the day wanted them imprisoned or the CIA wanted them imprisoned. pl
Seamus Padraig et al
What some of you are missing is that the hard left wants to stop ALL of Trump’s agenda (internal and external) and resume control of the government so as to drive the “revolution” toward a utopian future. Turning him around on this little issue or that little issue is just not good enough. pl
Sir,
They aren’t missing the point – they’re being intentionally disingenuous.
There’s a reason why Pinochet resorted to helicopter rides.
I think it should also be pointed out that Trump is a fund-raising goldmine for the dems and, further, that any dem hope of retaking the House in 2018 depends to some extent on having Trump to kick around.
With Trump as the foil, the so-called “resistance” also has the benefit of not engaging in any real policy proposals other than “not-Trump”. Why would they want a clean slate with Pence, or someone else?
My observations are only a part of the puzzle, but I think they deserve some consideration.
Colonel, next in line is Ryan would they settle with him? before civil war 2.0
Peter,
The left was for firing Comey before Trump actually did so. They are outraged that he did so based on the handling of Hilary’s email server investigation. That’s what the Democrats were going to fire Comey for. How dare Trump!
I do agree with points 3 and 4 though.
Yes, he really knowingly or unknowingly does not want to help himself and keep it zipped. Just this morning he threaten the man he fired couple days ago with a tape of their conversation, while they had dinner in WH, if this guy goes public with his side of story. What the rest of country is going to think?
I believe that because there still is such a strong presence of the far “left” among the Democrats who still can not accept the fact that they lost the election is why their attempts to remove him will fail because there are growing numbers in their ranks who think it has gone far enough.
On the “right” there is the group who feel Trump is not far enough “right” and continue to oppose him.
It has become obvious that Trump’s private business experience is causing him problems adapting to what he can do as President and there will continue to be rocky and contentious episodes.
It isn’t going to be an easy presidency, but as long as he adapts and holds the support of those who elected him he will be able to continue his agenda.
As an attorney who practices criminal law mostly in the Federal Courts I frequently hear the assistant United States attorneys refer to FBI or other federal agents as their clients. I have to remind them that their client is the United States, the agent is simply their witness.
For what it’s worth, I think Trump is doing a great job. He’s adapting to the office quickly. The Syrian missile thing was disappointing, but I now see it as a political play that gained trump a lot of capital. He threw a few missiles into the desert and did nothing to harm R+6’s efforts and they know that. He seems to be working with them now. He’s forcing something to be done about NoKo; risky, but had to happen sooner or later. In trade, he’s already begun making deals favorable to the US. In immigration he’s already winning without even building the wall. Illegal border crossings are down 76% and illegals in the country are being deported. He’s repealed a slew of Obama executive orders. Soon, the repeal and replace of the ACA and tax reform. In short, he’s doing exactly what he was elected to do. The stock market loves him.
He’s got an unusual style, but so what? He’s getting it done.
The Borg and other enemies are engaged in a totally lame effort to impeach him. The effort is falling apart. It’s so amateurish I have difficulty believing it’s even for real. McCain like a rabid imp frothing at the mouth over things that are pretty much already laid to rest, but for said frothing. Maxine Waters with her James Brown hair and Pelosi rambling like an Alzheimer’s patient. Come on. Really? If I ever have enemies out to destroy me, I hope they are goofballs of that ilk. Even Feinstein says that Trump is not under investigation.
That said, his enemies in Congress, the media and at Borg HQ that would like to see him gone outnumber his friends. Should they get their act together, Trump would be in trouble. The McCain faction of the Rs – and perhaps Paul Ryan – are aligned with the Ds. Again, they appear to be far more bumbling than Trump on his worse day.
The only reason the public thinks Trump is not doing well is that the Borg controlled media confabulates something to go apoplectic over every day. Lots of people – especially Trump supporters – do not like the media and see its daily hysterics for what it is; idiots throwing weakly weaponized BS against an ever faster turning fan.
Trump is not going away unless he wants to and, at this point, he doesn’t want to because he is enjoying the game and he is dedicated to fulfilling his promises to his supporters. His greatest trophy will have be to have been a great POTUS that turned America around to be great again.
Given the level of self inflicted wounds by Trump, combined with an unprecedented level of vicious lies, half truths, and self serving spin (both self serving in an ideological sense AND in a financial sense, by the media) I am hard pressed to know what the hell is going on, never mind issue definitive statements about anything or anybody. Other than to say, I think the entire “Russian Affair” (IntelGate) is cooked up stuff by elements of the intel community, on the Dems, and other Cold Warriors, behalf.
I would remind that group that the Russians are not a people to be trifled with. Especially on the ground, near their borders.
OGP
I had one FBI witness ask me once not to make him look a fool. He said “I know this is BS but I have no choice.” Another pair of FBI men and an assistant US Attorney in a different case were discovered by the US Attorney to have conspired with a pair of witnesses to falsely testify so as to obtain a conviction. they offered these witnesses $5,000 in contingent witness fees if the man was convicted. The US federal public offender took this up with the judge but he did nothing and the man went to prison for years. What was that about FBI and DoJ independence? pl
The name of the book is cited in the tweet. It is “Shattered” by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/247611/shattered-by-jonathan-allen-and-amie-parnes/9780553447088/
The hard left and the hard right want the unachievable. I don’t think that many people are thinking seriously about getting rid of Trump. I think they are more interested in just making it more difficult for him to carry out his agenda. Would be nice to see him concentrate on getting some real work done. That would make it more difficult to concentrate on all this other stuff. So far, we just get self-aggrandizing messages about how he has signed some EO. When you actually read the EO it is pretty likely to not do much of anything. (The big announcement about his VA EO is a good example.)
Steve
Have not read the article but a simple question, what impact does the firing of Mr. Comey have on the Russia investigation?
Did not Mr. McCabe, the acting FBI Director, state under oath that the FBI had all the resources they needed and that there had been no interference by the White House?
Did not the deputy Attorney General, in response to reporter’s questions state that he was not resigning and did not threaten to resign over the firing of Mr. Comey?
The Democrats, who are now claiming outrage, were clamoring for Mr. Comey’s firing just a few months ago.
Go back and read the letter of Mr. Trump, along with the letter of AG Sessions and the memo of deputy AG Rosenstein.
It seems a lot of people are seeking to use the firing to justify existing beliefs about the Russia investigation and alleged conspiracies without any evidence to support those opinions.
From May 10:
Comey fallout: Grassley backs Trump, tells media to ‘suck it up and move on’ http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/10/comey-fallout-grassley-backs-trump-tells-media-to-suck-it-up-and-move-on.html
I think it’s possible that the Republican House might impeach Trump before the 2018 election if began to look like they were going to lose big, if only to get Pence into the job before they lost control.
Their nightmare scenario is probably a Democratic House (and perhaps Senate) finding a way to impeach both Trump and Pence at the same time and install Nancy Pelosi as President. (Which honestly is thoroughly unlikely, but so was “President Trump” a year ago.)
Read those executive orders. An awful lot of them just say they are going to look at the problem and don’t accomplish anything. AFAICT he really isn’t accomplishing much at all. Passing the repeal and replace in the House? How could you not do that when you hold the majority? Let’s see what comes out of the Senate and what happens when they need to reconcile.
Steve
Yes, exactly. This also explains why the hard left is so threatened by Brexit and any hint of EU dissolution. If the liberal democracies of Europe can’t buy into immanentizing the Eschaton, how are Americans supposed to have faith in same? The EU must succeed if we are all to “come together right now” as those hippies from Liverpool once sang.
I continue to believe that the Democratic Party establishment’s “Russia Did It” campaign is at the behest of the Party’s big bucks donors, who by and large are also the same people and organizations that are the Republican’s big bucks donors. Their objective in doing so is to distract what’s left of the Party’s grass roots base from pushing for a public, no-holds-barred post mortem analysis of why the party’s support has collapsed in recent elections. The donor class owns both parties now and ruthlessly opposes any threat to that ownership.
Maybe. But have folk considered Trump’s game plan? Anyone that thinks that he came into office not expecting exactly this kind of treatment and more, is underestimating him, bigly.
Trump has a fanatical base that are immune to the ‘fake’ stuff on that 20th century invention; the TV. Their news is different. It includes his 140 character utterances and Facebook content from their chosen circle of like-minded deplorables – direct to them, personally, on their smartphone.
His less fanatical and many older (no disrespect pl!) supporters still watch TV news (or more likely Fox). They already assume the Borg are out to get him, so ever more shrill cries to Kill The Beast, are subject to the law of diminishing returns (as Dante Alighieri points out above).
He can always revert to tried & trusted tactics to prove the people need The Prince (see Ghostship on Khan Shaykhun). This also keeps the Borg happy.
If he does come under real pressure from Republicans I’d expect him to threaten to get word out to man the barricades – and I’d expect the call to be answered (as Fred implies). This should be enough to dissuade any rash action against him by the GOP until he has enriched himself sufficiently and decides to leave, at the time of his choosing.
Problem for Trump is that it is nearly impossible to prove that he was not ‘in cahoots’ with Russia, particularly since it appears that no one has the foggiest idea of what part of ‘in cahoots’ might be illegal.
My suspicion is that Borg has judged Trump to be a bad guy and wants license to sift through everything it can in the hope that they can eventually get him on something, anything…kind of like what happened to Bill Clinton.
Of course, the irony with Clinton was that the investigations found nothing criminal even after years of digging up dirt…it was a stupid office dalliance that finally got him.
Not to worry. Trump has an ironclad defense, a “certified letter from a tremendous, highly-rated law firm” that he’s sending to Lindsey Graham. Didn’t y’all see the interview with Lester Holt yesterday.
People have not been able to see past their own partisanship for several decades.
John, I follow Armstrong as well, his arguments are compelling and I make a few bucks off his recommendations regarding the markets.
pl,
What you describe is typical cop and prosecutor behavior. Convictions are far more important than the truth or justice. The FBI are just federal cops. Of course there are exceptions to this, but this conviction over all behavior is pervasive at all levels. I’m not sure if this carries over to the NSD. Perhaps they want to have spy convictions just as much as other cops want criminal convictions. They are glorified CI agents after all. Having said that, I’d much rather have cops and FBI agents on the job, warts and all, than the anarchy that would prevail in their absence.
Fred,
Exactly what are the deplorables going to do if Trump is removed or leaves in a fit of frustration? Will they take up arms against someone? If so, who?
Steve,
And Gorsuch. I always forget to include getting a solid conservative onto the Supreme. The GOP base loves Trump for that. They’ll love him more when he gets an originalist into Ginsburg’s slot.
I repeat that he is working hard on everything he was elected to do. By end of year 1 he will have accomplished exactly what he said he’d accomplish in year 1.
Then he will be unstoppable. I think that is what the leftists and Borg Bots fear most. Icing on the cake; his success exposes them further for the incompetent fools that they are. God how they must hate him.
But sure, if you want to believe that the dunces that couldn’t drag Hillary’s sorry carcass across the finish line despite the massive financial and propaganda resources at their disposal are going to un-do Trump, well then, enjoy the fantasy.
PL: “It is not going to be possible to remove President Trump from office by declaring him unfit for office under the 25th Amendment to the constitution. That would require a majority of the cabinet and his vice president signing an affidavit to the effect that he is incapacitated.”
You’re right. His choice of cabinet picks would certainly insulate him from this means of removing him from office. In any case, Pence would move in. Not sure how he has a shred of self-respect left given that Trump and everyone else seems to “midlead” him. But so it goes.
Anyone interested in the ins and outs of the 25th Amendment adopted in 1967 might find this helpful, John D. Feerick “The Twenty-Fifth Amendment: Its Complete History and Applications” (1992).
How will this end? I somehow imagine Trump being hauled off in a strait jacket after an interview with Wolf Blitzer in which he defends every single explanation he’s offered for how and whay Comey was fired, and insist that they are all true. After which, the Republicans will heave a sigh of relief and go on dismantling the administrative state.
I think the Democratic game plan is to stop both the Trump AND Republican Party agendas any way they can. In that aspect, it is no different from the Republican game plan when Obama was elected. It has become the new normal in Washington politics. There is a large left gaggle that sees the whole Russia influence operations as an excuse for Clinton’s loss and a means for getting rid of Trump. Those people are just flat wrong headed and blinded by their rage.
I want to see the Russian influence operation fully examined so we can understand exactly what was done and learn exactly how to counter such moves in the future. The Russians didn’t invalidate our electoral process, but it may have affected voter behavior around the edges through aggressive and skillful information operations. Some of the detailed stuff I’ve seen on the techniques used is most impressive. And these techniques flow from what I’ve experienced up close with Russian info ops for a near decade. There is a lot more to learn here that just trying to find evidence of collusion with the Russians by Trump associates and GOP officials.
A name that has surfaced for FBI Director is Merrick Garland, Mr. Obama’s nominee for Supreme Court Justice.
(Laura Ingraham put his name forward the other day, and his name has now been picked up by Larry Summers.)
Two observations. The blame Russia canard was created by the Clinton campaign, so now the President has to address the concerns of the Democrats and those Republicans who supported Hillary Clinton by appointing a Democrat?
Will the Democrats commit to turning on the hard left and killing the “agenda?” Of course not. So, even if the President did appoint Judge Garland, that would not stop the current game plan.
In addition to letting James Comey go, the President also needs to fire a number of other people at the FBI, including Andrew McCabe who is not only a partisan, but also unethical.
Meanwhile, the instruction from the head of the DNC is that the Senate Democrats should not confirm any new FBI Director until a special prosecutor is appointed. That sort of highly partisan behavior plays into the hands of the President.
Oh yes, it is being reported that the Kremlin is now talking about retaliating for the measures taken last December by Mr. Obama.
Kremlin says may retaliate against U.S. over expulsion of Russian diplomats
http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKBN1881SV-OCATP
Not only is it unproven, there isn’t even any evidence for those propositions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/sessions-issues-sweeping-new-criminal-charging-policy/2017/05/11/4752bd42-3697-11e7-b373-418f6849a004_story.html?utm_term=.a38c146f65d4
So apparently if you really are innocent, not only should you welcome being investigated, you should demand it.
This is a Left critique of the whole “Putin Monster” DNC obsession:
http://www.ninaillingworth.com/2017/03/24/a-brief-thought-the-neoliberal-establishments-russian-shell-game/
The links are good: there is no evidence outside the NeoLiberal Democrat echo chamber.
If we have learned nothing else from establishment behavior, it is that past enmities are irrelevant to today’s alliances.
Al Qaeda was our designated Number One Enemy – until we needed their services in Syria and Yemen. At the same time, Syria was an ally in the Great War on Terror – until suddenly they weren’t. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were Team D’s favorite folk devils, until they morphed into “good reasonable Team R members” by being opposed to Trump. Saint Obama governed as the third and fourth terms of the Bush Administration, but that was ok because Obama.
And so on.
TTG,
Little birds are telling me all kinds of things. Everything from a mass refusal to pay taxes (back up by force of arms if necessary) to actual terrorism (lots of dead leftists).
These little birds are saying that if BLM can burn down sections of cities without repercussion, that they can do it too; except it won’t be there own homes and business that get burned.
They’re probably just chirping away though. I wouldn’t pay them any mind.
TTG
I testified in many habeas hearings and criminal trials as a court hired expert witness. I was always on the defense side. DoJ didn’t seem to want my help. the kind of behavior described finally got to me in the outcome of the jeffrey sterling trial which was IMO negotiated on the basis of keeping me off the witness stand. After that I turned in my security clearances and have refused to work for the courts any longer. My clearances post 9/11 never gave my access to anything except classified case exhibits. i also did some some role playing consulting in national pol mil war games but I want nothing further to do with the USG. pl
@ Peter and Freudenschade….One of us is nuts. Do you think it is a viable option, short of him coming out and dancing naked on dancing with the stars, that the GOP can dump Trump, and *keep* the GOP base? Or, keep the base that got them their committee Chairmanships? Yes, than can side with the Dems and impeach and convict him. But they better not come back home.
pl,
Yep, you’re not the first person I know who told the USG to take their security clearance and shove it straight up their ass. They like to hold that clearance over your head as the golden ticket to be part of the in crowd. In some ways they’re right. I also prefer the freedom and dignity of no longer being part of that in crowd. It’s a shame. There are still so many good and honorable patriots in service of the USG. Too bad they don’t have the power to sway policy.
I would argue the reverse.
IMHO, I would suggest that the “Russia Did It” campaign began and is currently being pushed by those in positions of power within the Democratic Party to avoid an honest appraisal of what went wrong in the last election, which is what the major donors have been demanding.
Also there is convergence of interests between the neo-liberals and neo-conservatives in pushing this campaign.
That written, we ignore the underlying agenda of the hard left, which currently controls the Democratic Party at our peril. Stop Mr. Trump and his administration by any or all means necessary, fair or foul, and then move forward with the “utopian revolution.”
LeaNder
OGP may understand your comment, but I don’t. pl
Things started getting (especially) nasty since 1990s, but has been steadily getting worse. Bill Clinton or even W could occasionally do things that, under some conditions, could elicit cooperation from the other side, but there seems nothing that either Obama or Trump can do to get the other side to cooperate in reasonably good faith. But, if as the Colonel suggests, Democrats resort to destructive, dirty, and rotten tricks to bring down the Trump administration–and I fully expect the Democratic leaders in DC to be too clever by half and too foolish by a pound to think it brilliant–then everything (reasonable) will be over.
As Jack noted in an earlier thread, DC is dysfunctional. The whole Trump is Putin’s Stooge meme is just par for the course. The Clinton’s were investigated by Congressional committees and a special prosecutor. Bill was even impeached by the House yet not enough votes in the Senate to convict. This is how politics in our nation works. Partisanship reigns supreme!
Voting is always about the lesser evil. Most Americans are part of their chosen partisan tribe. That’s why independent and third party candidates only garner low single digit percentages of votes cast. Many people don’t even bother to vote. That is quite understandable since it really doesn’t matter. It is always Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dum.
And the MSM loves it. Since it is always about either the horse race or the next hysteria. All they care about are ratings and the establishment groupthink.
IMO, if Hillary had won, we’d be in the middle of all kinds of investigations with the MSM backing her to hilt, claiming elections have consequences and people don’t care and let her do the job she was elected to do.
Nothing changes in Swampland!! And the reason is because the American people like the circus. If I had to wager in a Vegas betting pool it will be that Trump finishes his term and wins a second term. Why? Simple. The Democrats don’t get why they keep losing as they are consumed in Swampland. However, if Tulsi Gabbard wins the Democrat nomination, I’ll pull my bet. But, that ain’t gonna happen as the Democrat partisans will always nominate another Borgist. At least the GOP primary voters showed some independence in the last primary by voting against the Borg candidates.
Whatever the results of such an investigation it will be useless for propaganda purposes either way, it will be “too complicated”.
Only you and a minority of knowledgeable people will properly understand the point if it cannot be summarized as “Russia BAAAD” or “Russia DINDU NUFFIN”.
Jonst..It is not you ………………….There will not be any “home” to come to.Even though their numbers might only be 25% of the population ,the intensity of the Deplorables is red hot………..If the country club republicans help the democrats impeach Trump their party is toast.
All
“Another pair of FBI men and an assistant US Attorney in a different case were discovered by the US Attorney to have conspired with a pair of witnesses to falsely testify so as to obtain a conviction. they offered these witnesses $5,000 in contingent witness fees if the man was convicted. The US federal public offender took this up with the judge but he did nothing“
This is the reality of “rule of law” in our banana republic. And our Borg insists on lecturing the world. Gag me with a spoon!
FBI No. 2 did not disclose wife’s ties to Clinton ally, records show http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/15/fbi-official-did-not-disclose-wifes-ties-to-clinton-ally-records-show.html
The report by Catherine Herridge and Pamela Browne was published on March 15. From that report we learn in part:
In addition, questions are being raised as to whether Mr. Comey ever started an investigation into the classified leaks.
From an opinion piece by Paul Sperry and published yesterday by the NY Post:
The real reason Trump canned Jim Comey
http://nypost.com/2017/05/11/the-real-reason-trump-canned-jim-comey/
Maybe. People need to keep in mind that Mr. Comey serves at the pleasure of the President.
How independent is the FBI’s director?
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/how-independent-is-the-fbis-director
The letter to Mr. Comey, along with the letter from the AG and the memo from the deputy AG speak for themselves.
Yes, the President is publicly complaining about what he calls a witch hunt, because he believes that what is going on is causing the country more harm than good.
However, while opponents of Mr. Trump claim that Mr. Comey was fired to stop the Russia investigation, there is no evidence to support that claim.
While the President is unhappy, the counter-intelligence operation will continue. That written, Senator Grassley is correct. The FBI needs to clear the President forthwith by declaring, as Mr. Comey has done in private to members of Congress and the President, that POTUS is not a target. The people involved in the investigation need to stop leaking to the media. Once the President is publicly cleared, the politicians will then stop grand standing.
Furthermore, the people who have been leaking need to be identified and at a minimum dismissed from the public service.
Yes, someone like Judge Garland would have the personal integrity to do this.
Personally, I think Mr. Trump decided to keep Mr. Comey on to give him an opportunity to prove himself, despite the calls from the Democrats to fire him after the election.
Unfortunately, it became increasingly apparent that Mr. Comey was in fact too political and that the concerns raised by Republicans and Democrats were meritorious.
The timing was appropriate, especially after Mr. Clapper testified under oath that there was no evidence of collusion. Of course, he has now gone on MSNBC and walked back that statement, which raises the question, did he lie under oath, and if he did, should he be charged with perjury?
Whether the AG and deputy AG came to the President, or the President asked for their thoughts is not particularly important. As I wrote above, the letter from the President, along with the letter from the AG to the President and the memo from the deputy AG speak for themselves.
I believe you have the arrangement backwards. Certainly, there are the likes of Haim Saban, but Democratic elites in 2014 were made promises about Hillary saving the party when it appeared the Dems were poised to lose the Senate. The money continued to flow.
After 2016, I believe it was in Politico an anonymous but major Democratic donor regretted not having simply donated the money they sent to the Democratic Party to the Boys and Girls Club.
Donna Brazille served as the interim chair of the DNC after DWS was finally ousted. Brazille was Gore’s campaign manager and a major advisor to the Kerry campaign. How much did she “earn” to produce losers? David Brock? James Carville? Last Fall, Robbie Mook just blew a billion dollars to lose to a carnival barker on top of all the free media and Hillary’s name recognition versus say the name of a recognition of Senator from Vermont. Instead of asking how the billion of other people’s money not to mention the money spent by the Clinton Foundation to serve as a permanent campaign operation, the people who live off of donations are screaming Russia the loudest. They need to explain away the Hillary loss. They can’t blame Nader, money problems, the political environment, the media, or even loyalty to the candidate. Trump never polled that well.
If the donors caught on, they would insist on changes.
I ditched the TV many years ago also, unfortunately I still hear (radio) and can read.
Interesting. I haven’t seen anything quite so blatant. I’ve seen plenty of collusion but it’s generally more subtle. TTG is right, this activity occurs because the desire for a win overrules morality. It’s particularly odious when done under shields whose motto’s are-Fidelity Bravery Integrity, and Qui Pro Domina Justitia Sequitur (Who prosecutes on behalf of Justice)
John Minnerath,
The Democrats have a Clinton faction and a Sanders faction. Which faction would be considered farther left?
I ask because the Sanders faction fully accepts the fact of the defeat and the Sanders faction considers it to be all Clinton’s fault ( and the DNC’s fault for rigging the primaries to produce a Nominee Clinton result).
So am I being asked to consider the Clinton faction to be farther harder left than the Sanders faction? And if so, what am I being asked to consider “left” as even meaning?
He doesn’t want dissolution of the union; he wants those who have a different point of view ground to a fine powder and the whole union taken over by “progressives”.
In somewhat related news:
Yevgeny Nikulin, alleged Russian hacker claims FBI asked him to confess targeting Clinton campaign – http://go.shr.lc/2pCKmv7
Nancy my wife and I live in a small town in upstate New York. Radio reception is fortunately abysmal.
Some years ago I built us a Linux computer (no garbage Windows or Apple) and managed to run the audio through a nearly thirty-year old Bose Radio.
For the last several years, we have taken to listening to Radio Switzerland over the internet. The sound through the Bose is terrific and we have many hours every night of wonderful classical music (advertising free).
I cannot thing of a better way to relax.
If you like classical music you will love this solution to news chatter. If not, try listening to another genre that suits you better.
Before we discovered Radio Switzerland we listened to Icelandic Radio.
Good Luck,
David
A strange trend that has been growing up since 1990s, but really accelerated in the past decade or so is the strange idea that things (in politics) are “obvious,” without needing explanation, and the fact that someone actually needs an explanation is taken a sign that they (the people who need explanations) are somehow “wrong” and have an agenda. I’d run into a lot of this after 2008: many people somehow “knew” without needing an explanation that Obama was just “great,” just because, while many others just “knew” that Obama was just “wriong,” just because. Pestering to explain why they think they do without empty buzzwords like “liberal” or “inspiring” just got them mad, which was followed by accusatory remarks starting with “you conservatives” or “you liberals.” Fast forward to 2016, many of the same things show up again, vis a vis Trump, with the same accusations. While I use Obama and Trump as examples, it’s not really about them: the same cults of personality showed up around Sanders and Hillary Clinton, with the same “cultish” characteristics–i.e. it is “obvious” that they are great and anyone who doesn’t get it is “obviously” a part of the problem. Funny, since politics never struck me as very obvious, and far less today than ever before.
This is especially blinding form of “partisanship”: why negotiate with people who are so “obviously” wrong? The only point of politics, then, is for the “righteous” (whichever side it might be) to smash the evildoers by whatever means on hand, or not on hand, even. Things hadn’t generally been like this, except in times of acute crisis: as a nation, we were generally able to keep things from going off the deep end through levelheaded negotiations, grounded on the assumption that, even if we might disagree, we are still dealing with reasonable people. That last assumption is disappearing rapidly, though, if it isn’t already gone. No doubt this would be met by accusatory excuses that Trump is not a reasonable person, or that his detractors are not reasonable person so that normal politics is no longer possible. And maybe they are right.
I think raven would just like a President who isn’t a joke and America not to descend to Banana Republic status. That’s really not too much to ask.
Who let you out of your cage, killer?
Let us speculate on what the FBI or even a special prosecutor’s investigation on “Putin is Trump’s BFF” is going to find.
a) Trump businesses took investment from Kremlin “associated” Russian oligarchs.
b) Trump businesses sold apartments and golf memberships at inflated prices to Russians linked to the Kremlin.
c) Trump campaign aides received speaking fees and consulting fees from agents of the Russian government and did not disclose it.
d) Trump campaign aides asked Russian agents to hack the DNC’s email server and Podesta’s emails and provide it to Wikileaks.
e) Flynn told the Russian ambassador thanks for the hack and leak. We’ll end sanctions after the inauguration.
Now, look at the above in relation to what the Saudis and Izzies do on a regular basis with the establishment of the duopoly. Does anyone believe that the Congress will impeach for this?
Thanks for posting. That there is a “left” that regards the Russia/Putin scare as a hypocritical Clintonite subterfuge needs to be at least occasionally brought out here. Trump needs to be fought in terms of his social and economic policies, which in many respects are simply continuations and intensifications of Obama’s and Clinton’s. The Clintonites hope to smear Trump with enough effectiveness to flip enough moderate Republican congressional seats to regain control there and then continue on as before on the road to TPP-style treaties and governance by a stable of international corporate lawyers. I’ll take dealing with supposed Russian meddling in a money-drenched electoral process over that any day.
Warpig
I would like someone other than Trump but not at the cost of destroying the country. I increasingly wish that John Kasich or Bill Weld were president. pl
Colonel,
Since Donald Trump had flopped 180 degrees away from populism, I though the corporate media campaign against him would abate. Not so. Two reasons; 1) the White House is undermanned and the staff is absolutely incompetent and 2) the President believes everything that alt-right and fox news dispense as the gospel.
Watching Tim Kane pontificate about Russian interference in the 2016 election is nauseous.
Goldman Sachs men control domestic policy and an Oil Man and the Generals control foreign policy. The Global Elite chose Russia as the designated scapegoat to hide their corruption, to continue their looting and to heighten profits from more war. In a variation on this theme, professional Democrats chose Russian election interference as their Watergate inspired path back to power. The fundamental problem is that this is all a Big Lie and risks World War III.
dc,
Tough question. It’s hard to break down the who, when, why.
Furthest left?, probably have to say both the same from different beliefs.
Sanders Socialist stand can’t abide Trump.
I do think he’s more in favor of battling Trump’s actions in the Senate than the Clinton factions outlandish desires of removing him from Office by hook or crook.
TTG, Sir
Let us assume the Russians hacked the emails and provided it to Wikileaks. So what? Other than for our IC to know the methods used. They didn’t gin up a fake narrative and have it widely disseminated. That would be a real IO with disinformation. In this case neither the DNC nor Podesta have disputed the veracity of the emails.
Are the Democrats and MSM arguing that the TRUTH of the duplicity of the DNC and the Clinton campaign should have been obfuscated from the American voter? Isn’t that what it really is? How did they react when the audio of Trump’s pussy grabbing bombast was put out?
Why would the Democrat Party want to get rid of Trump? He is a gift that keeps on giving. I would think that eventually he will have more to fear from the GOP, as he trashes their “brand”.
Nixon tried to become an imperial president. It did not work out real well.
Speculation?
What evidence is there to support any of these claims?
None.
I would expect them to be incited to act *before* he is removed. If sufficiently threatened he just needs to spin action against him as a Borg coup attempt – heaven knows that wouldn’t be hard.
It won’t be armed revolt, but the faithful can be called out to protest as easily as they can to campaign. Inevitable counter protests & clashes would ensue. Talk of a Reichstag fire scenario is too much, but great damage would done nevertheless.
Why would he do this?
1. Populist authoritarians who believe they alone can fix the rotten system seldom go quietly.
2. Trump has far more to lose than previous Presidents in this scenario. Trump’s wealth is highly concentrated in his own name brand. This became inextricably tied to his new office on January 20th. Impeachment would surely all but destroy it.
Gorsuch? Really? The GOP controlled Congress. How difficult was it to name a SCOTUS judge? Could you clarify what you think he is accomplishing? What legislation is he getting passed? Have you looked at any of those Exec. Orders? Trump is a master of marketing. He makes big splashy announcements, but when you read the details not much is happening. But, if I am wrong, please feel free to tell us what he is really accomplishing?
Steve
I didn’t know the Democrats were so powerful. My understanding is that they don’t control either house of Congress or the White House. They also hold a minority of statehouses. The only thing that would put them back in power as early as 2018 would be an electoral tsunami without recent precedent. Given Trump’s antics, that’s in the realm of possibility, but it remains unlikely.
Even if the Dems do retake Congress, impeachment may not be politically advisable or wise for the country, although IMO Trump has already provided ample justification for an attempt. In such circumstances he would also be a useful punching bag.
The GOP will remain behind Trump as long as the party base does and the base shows no signs of moving. The party elite also have lots of tax cuts for rich people that they haven’t gotten passed yet. McConnell and Ryan certainly don’t want to dump a president who will sign anything that is put in front of him as long as somebody tells him it’s a “win.” If Trump can just keep it together somehow, he and the Republican establishment could still go far together.
However,in all seriousness, Trump may not be able to keep it together.
I was overseas during the rise of Rush Limbaugh’s radio career in the 1980s and early 1990s. I was a moderate Republican at the time. When I returned and saw him on TV with his personal cult of Ditto Heads I was amazed, and disheartened. It’s one thing to argue strongly with someone else’s political philosophy, it’s another to demonize an entire political party and say they want to destroy America. As talk radio became more combative I left the GOP.
What we’ve seen since the 1980s is the Democratic establishment actually move to the center while being called leftist liberal America hating hippies. Rhetorically I ask – Why would Wall Street pay big bucks to Hillary and Obama if they were fire-breathing commie pinkos? Why did Obama’s first offer of healthcare reform come straight out of the Heritage Foundation rather than start with a single payer option? Why did Clinton reduce the size of welfare programs and loosen Roosevelt era Wall Street regulations that ultimately produced the financial crisis of 2007? And the list goes on and on, while talk radio continues screaming the same old canard of leftist commies destroying America, demonizing Democrats as traitors.
In the last decade the GOP base has become more ideologically intolerant and demands purity. Meanwhile, the base of the Democratic party is fed up with the talk radio BS and demanding the establishment be more retaliatory – to fight fire with fire – and they are also pushing for more ideological purity. Hillary couldn’t seal the deal with the more liberal base because she is too centrist. This is leading to neither party being able to back down from a fight without losing a portion of their base.
Let’s remember these statements from 2010:
“We’re going to do everything — and I mean everything we can do — to kill it, stop it, slow it down, whatever we can.” – John Boehner’s plan for Obama’s agenda.
“The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
These statements make perfect sense if you believe Democrats are evil America-haters hellbent on destroying everything!
Now the Democrats are following suit, and will not lose their base because of it. And it makes perfect sense for them, too.
I have no idea what the Hell is going to happen over the next four years.
Stephanie
“I didn’t know the Democrats were so powerful.” No, they are not but the SJW revolutionaries among them wish to be again so that they can resume imposing their idea of what the future should be on the rest of us. Evidently all agitprop techniques are thought appropriate. pl
lars
We don’t want this to be Sweden. How’s the weather in Florida? pl
TTG,
Beats the hell out of me but I don’t think they’ll quietly kneel in submission to the establishment, which is why I asked.
Barbara Ann,
I seem to recall something from history class about a bunch of colonists that got really upset with the greatest empire on the planet at the time. One of their gripes was taxation without representation. Wouldn’t that be the same as deplorables voting for a guy they believe represents them and then having him run out of office on BS charges? There were other complaints though from these colonists. Really though, they didn’t have it all that bad and they could have just continued to pay the taxes and put up with the other nuisances imposed on them by the empire.
But these were courageous, honorable and motivated men. So they took up arms against the empire. They fought hard and suffered and, in the end, won their freedom. One of these guys got captured and said something like “I regret that I have but one life to give for my country” right before the empire hung him to death.
Crazy right? Am I even recalling this little story correctly? I mean picking up a gun and fighting? You could get hurt or something? You might have to sleep in the woods where their bugs and it’s cold sometimes. Where would your morning latte come from?
Must be figures in a mythological tale. No one would do that today. Only the Irish and those whackos in Muslim countries.
M.K.Bhadrakumar served in the Indian Foreign Service for three decades and served as ambassador to Uzbekistan and Turkey, also served in Moscow, now retired, writes regularly. He says:
quote
Lavrov’s remarks and the Russian coverage of the talks in Washington suggest a high degree of satisfaction in Moscow that the foreplay is over and the long-awaited Russia-US engagement in the Trump presidency has seriously commenced. The body language seemed exceptional, from the pictures of Trump bantering with Lavrov and Kislyak.
The engagement with Russia and the unprecedented level of cooperation with China over North Korea problem underscore that Trump is coming on his own in the foreign policy arena, finally. He is no doubt asserting a radically new trajectory in the US foreign policies.
end quote
I am wishing his view is true, but not convinced.
http://www.atimes.com/article/trump-ignores-status-quo-apologists-engage-russia/
Colonel–the only chance the Democrats would have of eliminating Pence is if they control Congress. Even then I am skeptical they would go that far.
On the grassroots level, yes, some people would do anything. I knew a fanatical Democrat who was writing electors begging them to put Clinton in office last November. This guy is an idiot– he would support any policy if a Democrat supported it and I could go into details, but the point is he was/ is a fanatic. But I think most politicians, whatever their other flaws, understand political realities a little better than that. Unless it could be shown Pence was corrupt, if Trump goes then Pence is the new Presdent.
I represented a prisoner in federal court review of state conviction, and we found a transcript of a conference with prosecutor, judge, and police witnesses to get their lies harmonized (meanwhile defense attorney was not informed). The judge actually told them what they had to say to win conviction, explicitly said “No, you can’t say that”.
Even so, the Federal District Court refused to help defendant. We appealed to the 9th Circuit, which reversed the District Court, and released defendant from prison.
I agree with different clue. I was a Sanders voter– I ended up voting for Clinton as the lesser evil in November, but I think her defeat was 90 percent her fault and in broader terms, the fault of the neoliberal Democrats like her. They cared nothing about poor whites or showed their contempt. On foreign policy they were indistinguishable from George W Bush. Every time a Democrat praised Clinton’s foreign policy experience they were from a logical point of view undercutting any criticism of Bush’s invasion of Iraq. Clinton used all the arguments for going into Iraq that Bush used.
My point is that people need to make distinctions amongst those of us on the left even if we all dislike Trump. I dislike him, but am suspicious of this Russia conspiracy theorizing. Many of us think it is to a large degree an excuse not to look at Democratic Party failures.
Donald
I would have voted for Sanders if I couldn’t have Kasich. Character counts. pl
Jack,
The hack and dissemination of the DNC and Podesta information is just the tip of the iceberg and, probably, the least effective part of this IO. They did conduct a highly sophisticated, multi-faceted IO with disinformation, true information and finely crafted campaigns that was expertly disseminated widely and specifically to accomplish specific objectives among specific target groups in specific geographic areas. In my opinion, it was a work of technical, tactical and strategic genius. I salute the magnificent bastards. Collusion with Americans is still a matter of speculation as is the money flow associated with this IO… at least according to the information available to me.
Having said that, the things we have done to sway elections and influence governments have been extremely effective. Rather ironically, our ops lacked the finesse and deft touch of this Russian IO. We won’t have a solid idea as to the effectiveness of the Russian IO until we fully understand exactly how they did what they did.
As jld said above, there are only a minority of people who will understand it once it is fully dissected and probably less who will give a rat’s ass what it means. Most have come to partisan conclusions long ago.
Fred,
It Beats the hell out of me, too. I don’t think it will lead to violent civil war. It will be more of the same divisiveness with those in the streets changing places with those on the sidewalks.
Bill Bradley was best candidate this century, but stupid dems chose Gore, and he lost to Bush2.
Bradley is still quite active, but not that ambitious.
Many people believe that Comey helped Clinton. And for good reason. He gave immunity to ALL of her top aids (5 of them, including Huma) and he took it upon himself to dismiss the charges against her regarding emails.
If the FBI Director (plus CIA Director Brennan, and others) was in Hillary’s camp, then who is to say that Trump is not also? Is it really possible for a money-driven duopoly to elect an true outsider?
Hasn’t the post-cold war era been essentially about looting the American middle-class, servicing ME interests (for big money), and keeping Russia down via intimidation and trickery (“reset with Russia”, haha)?
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
For those that believe that Trump’s bombing Syria was politically necessary to quell the Russian questions I ask: how do you explain Trump’s silence about the dozens of children that were killed only days later by the Jihadis? Why did his concerns for “beautiful babies” evaporate so quickly?
There was a time that I thought Trump was a truth-teller – as opposed to Obama’s sly mendacity. But since the bombing of Syria I’ve been thinking that Trump is the Republican Obama.
Sanders was a sheep-dog. He was in the race to block the emergency of third-parties/Movements that might threaten the Democrat Party.
He pulled many punches …
>> Hillary wins 6 coin tosses in Iowa?
>> Hillary NEVER change a vote because of donations?
>> Didn’t try much to attract Hillary’s base of women and blacks (THAT might’ve required attacking Hillary’s and Obama’s character)
>> and more
… and ultimately betrayed his base (by endorsing Hillary – note: plenty of Republicans refused to endorse Trump). Oh and he STILL works with the Hillary/Obama DNC even after the race. He recently when on a reconciliation tour with Tom Perez, the new head of DNC, an Obama appointee that is close to Clinton.
He refused to provide his 2014 taxes despite insisting that he was the lowest-paid member of the Senate and his taxes were boring. Hillary had released 10 years of hers (even if bogus because pay-offs were masked as donations to the CF). Sanders made the press wait for his 2015 taxes.
TTG,
Well then rule of law is meaningless, the constitution is meaningless, whatever ties that bind us, meaningless because the worst response from violating any of that is an impotent little protest march. The elites know this and will continue to walk all over us, manipulate us and take.
We’re finished and might as well stop pretending like we’re not. And, since no cares enough to do anything about it, we deserve it.
Let’s all get as much for ourselves as we can while we can.
Adios
An interesting analysis:
*UPDATE* – President Trump Drops Another MOAB – Media Missing Sally Yates and James Comey Timeline…
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/05/12/president-trump-drops-another-moab-media-missing-sally-yates-and-james-comey-timeline/
(Keep in mind that acting FBI Director McCabe told the Senate Select Intelligence Committee in public session that the White House had not interfered in the investigation. Also, it is being reported that the deputy Attorney General told the Senate Select Intelligence Committee in private session that a special prosecutor is not required.)
Also, two unrelated items to the current topic for those who are interested:
The first is a report from the Wall Street Journal concerning the plan to liberate Raqqa from ISIS control:
Kurd-led force homes in on ISIS bastion with assent of U.S. and Syria alike https://www.wsj.com/articles/kurd-led-force-homes-in-on-isis-bastion-with-assent-of-u-s-and-syria-alike-1494522632 … via @WSJ
Also, HR McMaster gave a briefing to the media about the President’s upcoming trip overseas. People can read a transcript of his remarks at the following link:
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sean Spicer, 5/12/2017, #47
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/05/12/press-briefing-press-secretary-sean-spicer-5122017-47
I don’t know about the “hard left”, but amongst the “far left” Trump was the preferred GOP candidate and was generally preferred over Clinton, which is why Trump won the midwest. As things stand, the “far left” stands with the general perspective provided by this Committee of Correspondences and has been abused thoroughly by the neoliberal/neoconservative borg. I agree with some of the contributors here and elsewhere that “left/right” definitions no longer hold up very well, whereas globalist/nationalist might be better suited.
The Gorsuch nomination counts as a GOP victory, but the mastermind, or the mindermast as the late Peter Cook would say, was Mitch McConnell, who set it up with the Republican refusal to consider the nomination of Merrick Garland.
Jackrabbit,
“There was a time that I thought Trump was a truth-teller”
Well, the man is bad, has his habit of fighting reality he doesn’t like and he is doing bad policy, so he should be watched closely – but he it still could be worse.
Despite all his nonsense and his ‘fake news, so sad’ dumb tweets, Trump is still a bit away from a king on time Erdogan’s madness of making … the openly insane telekinesis theorist Yiğit Bulut … his chief advisor.
Ah yes, of course.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jul/13/erdogan-turkey-protests-telekinesis-conspiracy-theories
Well, the man is probably … astonishly overqualified … for being a chief advisor.
And looked at it based on itself: His views are quite handy, since you cannot prove telekinesis (and you likely don’t want to). Prove costs so much time, if accusation suffices you’re much more … efficient. It’s one thing to kill an opponent, that’s simple murder. But if you kill by execution and thus stop a dire telekinesis attack … you … brilliantly … save Turkey.
Fortunately for the US, that is the level of insanity Trump still has hot reached.
Point well taken Eric, thanks. I fear though that the divisions we now see in America more closely resemble the situation before that later dispute between those brave colonialists. For all our sakes I hope the Borg see sense and just let DT do his job, before the parallels get any closer.
Pinochet lost in the end.
I am a left leaning Democratic who voted for Hillary but preferred Sanders but thought he was unelectable. I quite accept that Trump won for various reasons. Trump is his own worst enemy. If he could just manage to keep his mouth shut and his Twitter fingers silent.
We have the best justice system money can buy.
TTG,
I somehow doubt a version of the pink hat march is going to take place.
Colonel – the discussions on your site about constitutional mechanisms made me think about the people who actually operate them – the politicians with their Praetorian Guard of opinion formers and journalists.
I mean thinking about them, the politicians, not just for what they represent but for what they are as people. There are some decent sorts among them, let’s not exaggerate, but I’ve come to the conclusion that as a whole I don’t like them very much.
One of our politicians not so long back described a rival politician as a “Creature of the Night”, a phrase all the more sinister because no one could work out precisely what it meant. But that’s what they all are, in truth. Creatures of the Night. As far as the most of us are concerned they operate in the darkness. None of us really know what they do there.
Sometimes they emerge from the shadows and talk to us. I think that’s a bit scary for them, peeping out at us from under. They have to hold fast to the teleprompter, and anxiously debate beforehand with the PR men and the strategists what they’re going to read from it. They have style gurus and coaches to prepare them for the outing. If it’s an important outing they’ll spend hours, days sometimes, practising for that brief spell in the open. Then they scuttle back under their stones and we try to work out what they meant by it all, secure only in the knowledge that whatever they meant by it it’s not what we’re going to get.
No, I don’t like them very much. People acting like puppets or puppets pretending to be people, either way, it’s not what we’re used to in real life.
Then, into this anxiously staged mannequin show breezes – the Donald. Power tie and all, spraying gaffes around on full automatic, hell, even his own family stand around wondering where he’s going to put his foot in it next. But we all know he’s going to put his foot in it somehow, and once again we’ll flinch but once again we’ll think, here’s somebody normal – well, normal for the Country Club set that’s his natural habitat, one assumes – and above all we’ll think, here’s someone real. All over the place and sometimes a disaster but life as we know it, at last.
They’ll get him, the Creatures of the Night. Course they will. This isn’t a Rambo extravaganza and no one, not even the Donald, is going to walk into the middle of that circular firing squad that is the political and administrative apparatus of an Empire in self-destruct mode, not to come out in one piece.
And it’s personal for the Creatures too, as personal as it gets. If you’re lording it on the top deck of the Titanic you don’t take kindly to some rough-assed parvenu noticing that the people down below are drowning. No more of this populist ranting, they’re saying. Your’e not helping, Donald, you’re really not so we’re going to have to cut you up into little pieces and throw you out the porthole.
Which they’re busy doing. They and the Praetorian Guard. Not a pretty spectacle, and laid out for us day after day on our TV channels, our main stream websites and, for those still reading them, our newspapers. An entire intelligentsia at work. All those wicked little knives flensing away. Can’t bear to look.
Self-destruct mode indeed. If only they’d pause in their work for a minute and consider what they’re doing. Trump, warts and all and not afraid to let us see him in the daylight, is their last hope. Paint him as black as you like and as long as you like but you’ll never get the most of us to see him as another Creature of the Night himself. He is the last chance to do the urgently needed patching up. Take him as he is and be grateful. He’s not some fascist monster trampling down what’s left of the City on a Hill. That monster is what comes next, if Trump fails.
Yep, you and Tyler are the only one’s with guns.
English Outsider,
Bravo!
Mike Whitney wrote the best rant on this topic:
quote
It has been eight months since the inception of this unprecedentedly-pathetic and infinitely-irritating propaganda campaign, and in those eight months neither the media nor the politicos nor the Intel agents who claim to be certain that Russia meddled in US elections, have produced anything that even remotely resembles evidence. Instead, they have trotted out the same lie over and over again ad nauseam from every newspaper, every tabloid and every televised news program in the country. Over and over and over again. The media’s persistence is nearly as impressive as its cynicism, which is the one quality that they seem to have mastered. The coverage has been relentless, ubiquitous, pernicious and mendacious. The only problem is that there’s not a grain of truth to any of it. It is all 100 percent, unalloyed baloney.
. . .
But why has Russia been chosen as the target in this deep state-media scam? What has Russia done to deserve all the negative press and unsupported claims of criminal meddling?
That’s easy. Just look at a map. For the last 16 years, the US has been rampaging across North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. Washington intends to control critical oil and natural gas reserves in the ME, establish military bases across Central Asia, and remain the dominant player in an area of that is set to become the most populous and prosperous region of the world. It’s the Great Game all over again, only this time-around, Uncle Sam is in the drivers seat not the Queen of England.
But one country has upset that plan, blocked that plan, derailed that plan.
Russia.
Russia has stopped Washington’s murderous marauding and genocidal depredations in Ukraine and Syria, which is why the US foreign policy establishment is so pissed-off. US elites aren’t used to obstacles.
TTG
“They did conduct a highly sophisticated, multi-faceted IO with disinformation….”
What was the disinformation and the “finely crafted campaigns”? It seems the MSM hysteria is all about the disclosure of the Clinton campaign emails by Assange.
I second that!
Some fun maps to go with your on-point observations…
Proof that Russia and Iran Want War: Look How Close They Put Their Countries To Our Military Bases! http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/03/proof-russia-iran-want-war-look-close-put-countries-military-bases.html
You might think the Khan Shaykhoun chemical weapon (CW) incident was an obvious false flag but can you prove it on balance of probability let alone beyond reasonable doubt? I doubt it, so if Trump had claimed it was a false flag and that he wasn’t going to do anything, large parts of the Washington Borg on both sides of the aisle would have been screaming for his impeachment. So, to my mind, he needed to do something and what he did was the best for a bad job that could be seen to involve sending a number of messages.
1. By warning the Russians, it was saying we don’t hold you responsible but get out of the way just in case because we don’t want a quarrel with you.
2. By using $100 million to destroy about $2 million of Syrian kit which was mostly scrap metal, he was reminding Assad that he can’t afford to mess with the U.S. I’m pretty certain that Assad clearly understands that already.
3. By destroying about $2 million of Syrian scrap metal and not even shutting down the airfield, he’s telling the rebels/terrorists that he’s not going to fight their battles for them.
There may be others but I haven’t worked them out yet.
He also moved the discussion in Washington on from “what are we going to do to Assad?”, to “did the president have the right to do that” which might take a number of years to answer if ever.
If Trump has any sense and Tillerson seems to have quite a lot, there will be a discrete inquiry into the use of chemical weapons in Syria with the heads of the FBI, CIA, NSA, whoever eventually announcing that there is no evidence of SAA use and some of AQ/ISIS use if that is the case so that by the time of the next CW incident public perception is more favourable to Trump saying “it’s a false-flag like all the previous events and I’m not going to get the U.S. involved”.
The Russian Information Activities Operation during our recent political process has been judged to be much more extensive than prior years by our Intelligence groups as recently stated to congress by the head of NSA. As such I recently read the Russian Handbook on Information Warfare (cited below) which is an eye opener. This Russian Op is in reality an Act of War. Our investigating entities need to quickly separate out American participation, Trump and his campaign and get on with understanding how this occurred, it’s effects and what our retaliation will be.
The Op worked as just look at the MSM and Democrats constant dissension.
http://www.ndc.nato.int/download/downloads.php?icode=506
Donald,
I too was a Sanderbacker. I wound up voting for Trump as the lesser evil in November. Just enough other people in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania did the same thing to just barely tip those states against Clinton. Many of those Trump voters in these key states were two-time-Obama voters before that. The Clinton group avoids facing that fact in order to avoid making a real analysis of who/what defeated Clinton.
Clinton lost me for good when she said that “when” elected, she would put her husband in charge of the economic recovery plan. That right there proved her continuing support for Trade Treason Agreements. That right there turned me against Clinton.
All that said, if the Rs had nominated one of their main stream political pros, like Pence or Bush or Rubio or Cruz or whatever; I would have voted for Clinton. Trump getting nominated set me free to vote for not-Clinton. Clinton re-stating her firm support for the GAJ and the CLEJ made up my mind to vote FOR Trump as the best way of voting aGAINST Clinton.
(By the way, Pence is part of the biparty Depublicratican establishment. If the Dems and others can get Trump out of office, they will do it in such a way as to KEEP Pence IN office–as President– deliberately and on purpose. The pink kitty cap community will be disappointed at that).
EO
I agree with you that if Trump fails or becomes just another swamp rat, then increasingly over time what comes next will be a demagogue selling revolution while harboring a more authoritarian agenda. Of course it could be from either the left or right.
Trump’s unexpected electoral victory was a shot across the bow from the Deplorables.
Yes, there is a confusion frequent to comments here between liberals and the left.
Liberals crushed the left in the UK in the 1840s with the repeal of Speenhamland, which law was a leftist own goal, and crushed the left again in the US with the red scares in the 50s.
While the Russian Revolution kept progressive liberals aligned with some elements of the left between 1917 and 1989, post 89 and even more post 9/11, recidivist liberals, now frequently called NeoLiberals aligned more and more with the marketing department of the MIC, better known as the NeoCons, to create global corporate markets without tax obligations to to fund the military that protects them, good business for the MIC, even better for the Neolibs. Thus hatching, to my understanding, what is here abouts referred to as the Borg: the R2P, sell more arms liberals wedded to the old school MIC now funded with QE funny money by a NeoLib Fed.
The “left” figures in none of this and actually has more in common with soldierly comradery than with the “identity politics” the DNC uses as a sort of bug light for leftist causes.
EO,
Beautifully written. Let us see what the partisans of the “Creatures of the Night” will say.
Ishmael Zechariah
CP,
You are not holding the bar very high, are you?
The insanity we have descended into in Turkey will be resolved by the cold, dead, hand of economics. The ruling kleptocrats do need telekinesis to fund their “miracle” economy, or they need a way to divert the attention of the pious population they fleeced from the slow-motion train-wreck. Sooner or later (hopefully sooner) islamist politics will be revealed for what they truly are.
As far as the USA not being at this level of insanity-I am not so sure. The US Borg seems truly insane to me. IMO, if these people stick to their current trajectory, the USof A might course-correct with a violence from which all their trillions in wealth cannot save them.
Ishmael Zechariah
James,
I think many on here have an institutional blindness on how bad things are, and how badly they can get.
Warpig,
More like who let Cassandra out of her temple.
Raven,
Us and the other 100 million Americans who want to give you a helicopter ride are the ones who know the sights of the gun go on top.
Good luck hoping your minority pets protect you from the blood hurricane you unleash.
Nancy,
Communism lost in the end, so actually he won.
I dunno, Tyler. We see it, I think. We are hoping its just a nightmare, coming here, and praying.
Barbara Ann –
Most of the perceived divisions are artificial, part of a ruling strategy, hyped by media, that drowns out deeper analysis and undermines unity.
Once was a time when those governing hoped to lead by inspiring a sense of common purpose. Last time that happened here, I think, was 9/11. And then what ends that common outrage was turned to – not some great vision, but fear was (and is) fanned relentlessly, as the nation was turned to war and the wholesale stripping of our constitutional rights. The difference perhaps between leaders and rulers?
Yes. Three sentences and you’ve summed up the entire situation. But to be honest, I think some here were expecting more from the Trump movement than a warning.
The inability of the American political establishment to accommodate that movement, together with the equally summary refusal to accommodate the Sanders movement, is more significant by far than the flaws and errors of this or that political leader. All political leaders have flaws and make mistakes but that does not warrant a flat rejection of the forces they represent.
I agree with you that if that rejection is successful, if the Trump movement fails or is neutralised, worse follows. “If voting changed anything they wouldn’t let you do it” is not the most inspiring motto for a democracy.