Trump Administration Meltdown Thread...

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 11:22 am

This is the schizophrenic world I live in. Day after day I read about lapses in judgment with regards to OPSEC in the highest levels of government. The lack of care taken to ensure secrets aren't compromised is completely disregarded.

Then I get this email just moments ago:

To translate: no FitBits allowed in classified areas, you guys. It'll be considered a "security incident" that'll merit investigation and you'll be held accountable. (AFGSC is short for Air Force Global Strike Command, a Major Command of the Air Force.)

So, no counting your daily steps. The terrorists can hack the Bluetooth and transmit secrets. However, taking classified phone calls in front of dinner guests and the Japanese Prime Minister or using your AOL account to discuss state business is JUST FUCKING DANDY.

I can't wait to retire and do drugs.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 2:24 pm

Post by **brian** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 2:34 pm

And that may very well be the nail in Sessions' coffin. Was a fun three weeks as AG, Jefferson Beauregard.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 2:48 pm

brian wrote:And that may very well be the nail in Sessions' coffin. Was a fun three weeks as AG, Jefferson Beauregard.

Unfortunately, I doubt it. Absent substantial pressure from other Republicans he won't do anything more than recuse himself. And using funds for his Senate campaign instead of for the Armed Services Committee really doesn't seem like the type of thing that'll have that effect.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 2:53 pm

Joe K wrote:
brian wrote:And that may very well be the nail in Sessions' coffin. Was a fun three weeks as AG, Jefferson Beauregard.
Unfortunately, I doubt it. Absent substantial pressure from other Republicans he won't do anything more than recuse himself. And using funds for his Senate campaign instead of for the Armed Services Committee really doesn't seem like the type of thing that'll have that effect.

Law and order only applies to everyone else.

How many laws has the new Attorney General seemingly broken in the past 6 months?

And the GOP members of congress are still refusing to allow a bipartisan inquiry into this.

And Trump tweets a photo of Schumer at a photo op with Putin and calls him a hypocrite. And you just know that this will sway millions of meatheads.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 3:04 pm

The thing is that using funds earmarked for his own Senate campaign isn't that inconsistent with Sessions' position that he was meeting with Kisylev "as a Senator." It'd look a lot worse if Sessions' travel were paid for or reimbursed by the Trump campaign but it sounds like that didn't happen here.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 3:38 pm

Law and order doesn't apply to everyone and this is not at all like if Holder had done the exact same things a year ago. Flynn is gone because the admin decided it wasn't worth keeping Flynn around, not because of outside pressure or the big public reveal. If they'd decided he was staying, he'd still be there.

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 4:15 pm

I agree it will take a lot more than use of campaign funds to force Sessions out. He is in it for the long haul, because he and Trump share the goal of white supremacy.

If the use of funds were the other way around - used Senate funds to pay for campaign stuff - then that would be a scandal. And if Sessions' travel costs were paid by the Trump campaign, instead of his own campaign funds, then that would help show that Sessions was meeting with Kislyak as a Trump surrogate.

But Sessions used his own campaign funds to attend the Republican National Convention. And while there he met with Kislyak. I think hyperventilating over this "revelation" just makes liberals look silly.

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 4:17 pm

At any rate, looking again at the exchange with Franken, I don't think Sessions' argument that "I met with him as a Senator, not a campaign surrogate" saves the statement from being false. His statement that he didn't meet with the Russians was unequivocal.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 4:31 pm

Steve of phpBB wrote:At any rate, looking again at the exchange with Franken, I don't think Sessions' argument that "I met with him as a Senator, not a campaign surrogate" saves the statement from being false. His statement that he didn't meet with the Russians was unequivocal.

Exactly. I don't even really follow the logic of his cover-up bullshit. People are acting like he was confused or flustered by Franken's question... Fuck, HE is saying he was taken aback by the allegations he was purportedly hearing for the first time.

So? You still made a very clear statement (which didn't answer the question, mind you).

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 4:39 pm

Steve of phpBB wrote:I agree it will take a lot more than use of campaign funds to force Sessions out. He is in it for the long haul, because he and Trump share the goal of white supremacy.

If the use of funds were the other way around - used Senate funds to pay for campaign stuff - then that would be a scandal. And if Sessions' travel costs were paid by the Trump campaign, instead of his own campaign funds, then that would help show that Sessions was meeting with Kislyak as a Trump surrogate.

But Sessions used his own campaign funds to attend the Republican National Convention. And while there he met with Kislyak. I think hyperventilating over this "revelation" just makes liberals look silly.

Agreed. It's also making Dems look silly than now Pelosi, like McCaskill, has been caught falsely claiming that she never met with Kisylak. Meeting with the Russian ambassador is not inherently suspicious, nor should it be treated as such. Lying under oath about meetings is another story. I also enjoyed the headline in the NYT: "Sergei Kisylak, Russian Envoy, Cultivated Powerful Network in the U.S." No shit -- that's literally his job description.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 5:38 pm

That's some false equivalency bullshit.

If you are at a meeting where the President of another country is the focal point, and someone asks you if you met with one of the other Russian officials in attendance, you're not going to say, yeah, I met with the ambassador. You met with the President.

I would ABSOLUTELY let Sessions off the hook if the situation was reversed and the only thing on him was a photo like Pelosi's, or the bullshit with Shumer at a photo-op.

He met one-on-one with the ambassador in a closed door meeting. Gimme a break.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 6:40 pm

Nonlinear FC wrote:That's some false equivalency bullshit.

If you are at a meeting where the President of another country is the focal point, and someone asks you if you met with one of the other Russian officials in attendance, you're not going to say, yeah, I met with the ambassador. You met with the President.

I would ABSOLUTELY let Sessions off the hook if the situation was reversed and the only thing on him was a photo like Pelosi's, or the bullshit with Shumer at a photo-op.

He met one-on-one with the ambassador in a closed door meeting. Gimme a break.

I'm not saying that they are equivalent. Sessions lying under oath makes it entirely different. The problem is that the reporting of this story, like many involving Russia, keeps changing in a way that makes Russia's actions seem less sensational. (Remember when Russia hacked the power grid?) Yesterday, there were breathless reports suggesting that Sessions was the only Senator who ever met with Kisylak. Now we know Kisylak also has met with McCaskill, Pelosi and attended many White House meetings. None of which is surprising. That's what ambassadors do. Nor is a "closed door meeting" between a Senator and a Russian ambassador necessarily nefarious. Sessions lying about it obviously changes the equation and requires further investigation.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 8:41 pm

Donald Trump criticised by veterans for wearing military style outfit despite 'dodging' Vietnam draft

Eh. Sure. I just wish presidents would stop with the rent-a-crowd, rah-rah bullshit. It's lame. Double lame when they never served and the only reason for doing it is a political dog and pony show.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 10:06 pm

Johnnie wrote:Donald Trump criticised by veterans for wearing military style outfit despite 'dodging' Vietnam draft

Eh. Sure. I just wish presidents would stop with the rent-a-crowd, rah-rah bullshit. It's lame. Double lame when they never served and the only reason for doing it is a political dog and pony show.

Besides "looking like Grandpa just stepped out of the changing room at the army surplus store,” as Colbert said, every President has done this. I think he looked ridiculous, and it just felt wrong with his draft dodging and military bashing, but whatever. If they gave him the jacket and he declined to wear it, he would have been knocked for that. The speech OTOH, he is just such a fucking moron:

The soon-to-be commissioned Gerald R. Ford USS -- what a place. It really feels like a place. You stand on that deck, and you feel like you're standing on a very big piece of land. But this is better than land. It will not only be a great symbol of American strength, but a great legacy for your father, and our former President, Gerald Ford.

I am surprised he still has the support of so many servicemen and vets. I guess he talks tough, talks about rebuilding our military (as if it is depleted and in shambles), "winning" again..., but he is a 5-time draft dodger, attacked the Khans, the McCain insult, blaming the Generals and SEALS for losing Ryan Owens... He has shown shocking disrespect for the military, and wants to beef it up and put his big toys on parade Soviet Union/North Korea/China style to show how big his dick is.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 10:16 pm

The State of Trump's State Department

A very bleak look at what is happening, or more accurately not happening in the State Department. Really disturbing how he is all but shutting down State, and leaving the work of 70,000 employees to a tight circle of friends and Kushner, none of whom have a fucking clue about diplomacy. If this continues, we lose our primary means to influence what happens across the world, other than military options. Some highlights:

The flags in the lobby of the State Department stood bathed in sunlight and silence on a recent afternoon. “It’s normally so busy here,” marveled a State Department staffer as we stood watching the emptiness. “People are usually coming in for meetings, there’s lots of people, and now it’s so quiet.” The action at Foggy Bottom has instead moved to the State Department cafeteria where, in the absence of work, people linger over countless coffees with colleagues. (“The cafeteria is so crowded all day,” a mid-level State Department officer said, adding that it was a very unusual sight. “No one’s doing anything.”) As the staffer and I walked among the tables and chairs, people with badges chatted over coffee; one was reading his Kindle.

“It just feels empty,” a recently departed senior State official told me.

This week began with reports that President Donald Trump’s budget proposal will drastically slash the State Department’s funding, and last week ended with White House adviser and former Breitbart head Stephen Bannon telling the attendees of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference that what he and the new president were after was a “deconstruction of the administrative state.” At the State Department, which employs nearly 70,000 people around the world, that deconstruction is already well underway.

Sometimes, the deconstruction of the administrative state is quite literal. After about two dozen career staff on the seventh floor—the State Department’s equivalent of a C suite—were told to find other jobs, some with just 12 hours’ notice, construction teams came in over Presidents’ Day weekend and began rebuilding the office space for a new team and a new concept of how State’s nerve center would function. (This concept hasn’t been shared with most of the people who are still there.) The space on Mahogany Row, the line of wood-paneled offices including that of the secretary of state, is now a mysterious construction zone behind blue tarp.

With the State Department demonstratively shut out of meetings with foreign leaders, key State posts left unfilled, and the White House not soliciting many department staffers for their policy advice, there is little left to do. “If I left before 10 p.m., that was a good day,” said the State staffer of the old days, which used to start at 6:30 in the morning. “Now, I come in at 9, 9:15, and leave by 5:30.”

“I used to love my job,” she said. “Now, it feels like coming to the hospital to take care of a terminally ill family member. You come in every day, you bring flowers, you brush their hair, paint their nails, even though you know there’s no point. But you do it out of love.”

“I don’t think this administration thinks the State Department needs to exist. They think Jared [Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law] can do everything. It’s reminiscent of the developing countries where I’ve served. The family rules everything, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs knows nothing.”

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 11:13 am

From that article:

Right now, those I’ve spoken to in the department seem to know very little about what’s going on. The staffer told me that she finds out what’s going on at State from the news—which she spends all day reading because, after years of having her day scheduled down to 15 minute blocks, she has nothing else to do. And even the news itself isn’t coming from official sources. There hasn’t been a State Department press briefing, once a daily ritual, since the new administration took over five weeks ago—though they’re scheduled to resume March 6. These briefings weren’t just for journalists. They also served as a crucial set of cues for U.S. diplomats all over the world about policy priorities, and how to talk about them. With no daily messaging, and almost no guidance from Washington, people in far-flung posts are flying blind even as the pace of their diplomacy hasn’t abated.

Darkness presides.

rass · Post by **rass** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 11:57 am

Gonna say it for like the hundredmillionth time but POTUS needs to stay off Twitter. Holy shit.

Post by **brian** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 12:53 pm

rass wrote:Gonna say it for like the hundredmillionth time but POTUS needs to stay off Twitter. Holy shit.

I mean, this guy's literally fucking crazy right?

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 1:16 pm

Yet again, I can't wrap my head around the fact that *anyone* thought Trump was fit to be President.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 2:00 pm

rass wrote:Gonna say it for like the hundredmillionth time but POTUS needs to stay off Twitter. Holy shit.

HOLY SHIT! Is right.

His National Security Advisor and his Attorney General are ensnared in what is turning into a major scandal... and he tweets misspelled and unsubstantiated accusations against Obama ("tapp" the phone?) and attacks an actor?

Once again, Trump has made my jaw drop.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 2:43 pm

Is something bad happening? Tweet and divert attention. Strategery, as Dubya would say.

Was it here that I read Rachel Maddow stopped broadcasting his Twitter bullshit? Anywho, the rest of the media needs to fall in line with that.

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 5:23 pm

Johnnie wrote:Is something bad happening? Tweet and divert attention. Strategery, as Dubya would say.

Was it here that I read Rachel Maddow stopped broadcasting his Twitter bullshit? Anywho, the rest of the media needs to fall in line with that.

There's a legitimate crack in the facade though, right? Unless you think he's trolling the country (meaning, there aren't any taps / warrants for taps, etc)?

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 7:55 pm

Fuck, that's good.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 12:21 pm

White House requests Congress investigate whether Obama administration abused power

So, like, help me out with this, lawyer friends. If an investigation is conducted and things come up during it but it appears that everything is done legitimately (if a wire tap does exist) but leads into the realm of something else, say Russian interference, does that mean the investigation can then morph into something else because of "discovery"? Am I lawyering right with that logic?

Because at that point, Barack Obama needs to wear a tan suit on an SNL cold open and sip tea (or coffee) with Kermit while reading a newspaper with his feet up on a desk smoking a Cuban cigar and reminisce about his days in a madrassa while growing up in Kenya.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 12:22 pm

Johnnie wrote:

Fuck, that's good.

Although not necessarily true. Supposedly if there was a tap and a warrant, it'd be a FISA warrant, which is issued by a super-secret Star Chamber court and allows the government to justify the warrant after they obtain information from the search. So you get a FISA warrant without probable cause, and find nothing, no harm no foul. If you get evidence of a crime, the warrant was justified, so the evidence is admissible in court. Completely defeats the entire purpose of requiring a warrant before conducting a search. I ranted about FISA warrants several times during the Bush years and renewal of the PATRIOT ACT. I've reviewed a couple before submitting to the FISA court, and even my boss had no idea where or who makes up the FISA court. I just want to know what level is allowed to even know who/what the FISA courts are.

Republican Senator Ben Sasse is showing some balls and integrity. Saw this link on Breitbart, and the article was objective. The comments... Oh, boy. Sasse is clearly corrupted by the money and power of the Swamp. Trump has been exposed to it for so long, he is immune. Sasse is defending Obama's coup to recapture his snowflakes (don't even know what that means).

Saw a tweet yesterday with a great point. Either Trump just illegally released classified information about an FBI investigation on Twitter, or lied about an FBI investigation. Both potentially crimes. And minutes later sent a Tweet bashing Arnold's ratings on Celeb Apprentice.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:06 pm

The Sybian wrote:Saw a tweet yesterday with a great point. Either Trump just illegally released classified information about an FBI investigation on Twitter, or lied about an FBI investigation. Both potentially crimes. And minutes later sent a Tweet bashing Arnold's ratings on Celeb Apprentice.

I've been reading some of Marcy Wheeler's Tweets and blog posts about this, since she really knows a lot about FISA and surveillance issues, and it sounds like the most likely scenario is that some right-wing talk radio hosts made up the point about Obama ordering wiretaps of Trump (a distortion of other, less sensational reporting) as a way to depict Obama as corrupt; Breitbart then published a baseless article "reporting" this allegation; and Trump then used the Breitbart "report" as the basis for yesterday's rant. The guy has access to the full scope of U.S. intelligence, and he's apparently relying on Breitbart as his source of information -- he really is unhinged.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:15 pm

Joe K wrote:
The Sybian wrote:Saw a tweet yesterday with a great point. Either Trump just illegally released classified information about an FBI investigation on Twitter, or lied about an FBI investigation. Both potentially crimes. And minutes later sent a Tweet bashing Arnold's ratings on Celeb Apprentice.
I've been reading some of Marcy Wheeler's Tweets and blog posts about this, since she really knows a lot about FISA and surveillance issues, and it sounds like the most likely scenario is that some right-wing talk radio hosts made up the point about Obama ordering wiretaps of Trump (a distortion of other, less sensational reporting) as a way to depict Obama as corrupt; Breitbart then published a baseless article "reporting" this allegation; and Trump then used the Breitbart "report" as the basis for yesterday's rant. The guy has access to the full scope of U.S. intelligence, and he's apparently relying on Breitbart as his source of information -- he really is unhinged.

He is incredibly impulsive, and acts out on information immediately in front of him without a weighing the source or waiting for verification. He is known for having no attention span or patience for people explaining nuanced or complicated issues, which explains his black and white, winning and losing view of the world.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 2:07 pm

So James Clapper, who served as Obama's Director of National Intelligence up through Trump's inauguration, went on "Meet the Press" today and denied that there was a FISA Court Order for Trump Tower. He also said that while he served as DNI, he had no evidence of any collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. That's a pretty big admission, and certainly explains why Obama's response to the Trump-Russia stuff was pretty muted. More generally, it goes to why I think it's important for politicians and the media alike to err on the side of skepticism, and not sensationalism, when it comes to the Russia stuff. In my opinion, there's a huge downside risk to Democrats making Russia the centerpiece of their opposition to Trump. If no real evidence of collusion ever turns up -- and we now know that the DNI didn't see any prior to 1/20/17 -- Trump will use all the Russia sensationalism to hammer both Democrats and the media as unfairly biased against him. There are so many other grounds to oppose Trump on besides Russia -- he will certainly be horrible on immigration, the environment and civil rights -- that it's a really big gamble for liberals to stake their credibility on the Russia conspiracies. Obviously, there should be investigations, but I thought Rass put it perfectly when he said that people are jumping the gun by "connecting the dots with a Sharpie."

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 2:56 pm

The best liars, it turns out, are people who can successfully lie to themselves.

But as von Hippel’s study and many others have shown, facts have little bearing on what most people believe. What persuades people is, first of all, how much they want to believe something is true and, second, whether they believe the person saying these things is sincere. Trump’s ability to spout lies that conservatives long to hear while seeming to be a true believer is pure gold. Facts stand little chance against that combination.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 3:54 pm

So he's an orange David Koresh/Marshall Applewhite with a bad weave and access to nukes. Cool.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 11:22 pm

Tinfoil hat here but maybe this is just sowing the seeds to convince enough of the dumb public that he was only fighting fire with fire when his administration inevitably starts spying on people.

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 5:44 pm

I have already had more than my fill of "Trump Voter Surprised Trump Following Through on Campaign Promises That Hurt Trump Voter" articles.

Instead of doing those, the media should just amass a list of these people with their contact information so when we are forced to eventually become grifters to subsist in a few years, we already know who the rubes are.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 9:50 pm

Oh, Ben.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXvNHbE-yek

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 10:09 pm

That's some racist bullshit. What the fuck.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 10:32 pm

Johnnie wrote:That's some racist bullshit. What the fuck.

Oh no. No.

I can only imagine how badly this grates on the descendants of those slaves who dared to dream big.

Holy shit

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 10:39 pm

In other news, Planned Parenthood gave Trump the finger on a "no abortions for continued federal funding" plan, Khizr Khan is having his "travel privileges reviewed", there's a new, updated just-as-bullshit travel ban, and the Obamacare repeal plan is out and it sucks!

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 12:27 am

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 8:37 am

You guys need to see Get Out.