Trump Admin Meltdown Thread Part III - A Democratic House

[The Sybian]

I really hate that you need to overexpose yourself everywhere in order to promote your new book. This just happened with Christie last month. It's nauseating.

I think it's always been this way, but we consume media differently. In the past, people watched their shows, and maybe you see the same guest on two of your shows. Now, I go to a clip aggregation site, and see a link to McCabe on Colbert, the View, 3 CNN shows, 2 MSNBC shows... 5-10 years ago, maybe I see him when I watch Colbert, and I was oblivious to his appearance on 10 other shows. I don't watch any shows, I just look for interesting segments on aggregation sites.

[Johnnie]

Yeah, maybe that's the reason it seems that way. And nearly every interview will have a headline grab from it which compounds the issue because then every other news website will pick it up and put that out there. The entire wash cycle needs to die. The abundance of media is suffocating us as a people and helping drive wedges between us.

[Johnnie]

Adam Schiff wrote an open letter to Republicans. This seems significant, but will they even care?

This is a moment of great peril for our democracy. Our country is deeply divided. Our national discourse has become coarse, indeed, poisonous. Disunity and dysfunction have paralyzed Congress.

And while our attention is focused inward, the world spins on, new authoritarian regimes are born, old rivals spread their pernicious ideologies, and the space for freedom-loving peoples begins violently to contract. At last week’s Munich Security Conference the prevailing sentiment among our closest allies is that the United States can no longer be counted on to champion liberal democracy or defend the world order we built.

For the past two years, we have examined Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and its attempts to influence the 2018 midterms. Moscow’s effort to undermine our democracy was spectacularly successful in inflaming racial, ethnic and other divides in our society and turning American against American.

But the attack on our democracy had its limits. Russian President Vladimir Putin could not lead us to distrust our own intelligence agencies or the FBI. He could not cause us to view our own free press as an enemy of the people. He could not undermine the independence of the Justice Department or denigrate judges. Only we could do that to ourselves. Although many forces have contributed to the decline in public confidence in our institutions, one force stands out as an accelerant, like gas on a fire. And try as some of us might to avoid invoking the arsonist’s name, we must say it.

I speak, of course, of our president, Donald Trump.

How to prove obstruction of justice: Did the suspect have corrupt intent, and would the actions, if successful, be likely to obstruct the proceeding?

The president has just declared a national emergency to subvert the will of Congress and appropriate billions of dollars for a border wall that Congress has explicitly refused to fund. Whether you support the border wall or oppose it, you should be deeply troubled by the president’s intent to obtain it through a plainly unconstitutional abuse of power.

To my Republican colleagues: When the president attacked the independence of the Justice Department by intervening in a case in which he is implicated, you did not speak out. When he attacked the press as the enemy of the people, you again were silent. When he targeted the judiciary, labeling judges and decisions he didn’t like as illegitimate, we heard not a word. And now he comes for Congress, the first branch of government, seeking to strip it of its greatest power, that of the purse.

Many of you have acknowledged your deep misgivings about the president in quiet conversations over the past two years. You have bemoaned his lack of decency, character and integrity. You have deplored his fundamental inability to tell the truth. But for reasons that are all too easy to comprehend, you have chosen to keep your misgivings and your rising alarm private.

That must end. The time for silent disagreement is over. You must speak out.

This will require courage. The president is popular among your base, who revel in his vindictive and personal attacks on members of his own party, even giants such as the late Sen. John McCain. Speaking up risks a primary challenge or accusations of disloyalty. But such acts of independence are the most profound demonstrations of loyalty to country.

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III may soon conclude his investigation and report. Depending on what is in that report and what we find in our own investigations, our nation may face an even greater challenge. While I am alarmed at what we have already seen and found of the president’s conduct and that of his campaign, I continue to reserve judgment about what consequences should flow from our eventual findings. I ask you to do the same.

If we cannot rise to the defense of our democracy now, in the face of a plainly unconstitutional aggrandizement of presidential power, what hope can we have that we will do so with the far greater decisions that could be yet to come?

Although these times pose unprecedented challenges, we have been through worse. The divisions during the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement were just as grave and far more deadly. The Depression and World War II were far more consequential. And nothing can compare to the searing experience of the Civil War.

If Abraham Lincoln, the father of the Republican Party, could be hopeful that our bonds of affection would be strained but not broken by a war that pitted brother against brother, surely America can come together once more. But as long as we must endure the present trial, history compels us to speak, and act, our conscience, Republicans and Democrats alike.

[EdRomero]

I'm sure Mitt Romney will say he's very concerned and then do whatever Trump wants. The amount of scandals and stories just this week have been overwhelming: Acosta, Stone, the NC voter fraud, Flynn giving nuke info to the Saudis, MAGA Coast Guard guy planning to murder Trump's enemies, Trump calling the NY Times "the enemy of the people," Wilbur Ross lying on his financial disclosures, and I feel like I'm forgetting a few. But a black actor most people never heard of faked a hate crime, so that should be the story everyone is talking about. We're fucked.

edit: I did forget some (he added EPA corruption to the list too)

[Pruitt]

Shockingly, this thread - probably for the first time - was on the 2nd page.

More shockingly...

Thousands of migrant youth allegedly suffered sexual abuse in U.S. custody

[tennbengal]

The first part is a shock.

The link is not.

[sancarlos]

The first part is a shock.

The link is not.

Not quite getting you. I'm not familiar with Axios. Is that a bad source?

[The Sybian]

The first part is a shock.

The link is not.

Not quite getting you. I'm not familiar with Axios. Is that a bad source?

He's not shocked that migrant kids are being sexually abused in ICE custody.

[Joe K]

Shockingly, this thread - probably for the first time - was on the 2nd page.

More shockingly...

Thousands of migrant youth allegedly suffered sexual abuse in U.S. custody

FWIW, that article also shows thousands of those abuse cases occurred during the last two years of the Obama Administration. So it’s worth remembering that ICE was a really bad agency even before Trump and will continue to be really bad after Trump unless major reforms are made.

[The Sybian]

Shockingly, this thread - probably for the first time - was on the 2nd page.

More shockingly...

Thousands of migrant youth allegedly suffered sexual abuse in U.S. custody

FWIW, that article also shows thousands of those abuse cases occurred during the last two years of the Obama Administration. So it’s worth remembering that ICE was a really bad agency even before Trump and will continue to be really bad after Trump unless major reforms are made.

As bad as ICE is, and trust me, parts of ICE were horrific from their inception in 2002 (formed from pieces of the former INS, Customs Service and small pieces of several other agencies), Dems need to fuck off with the calls to abolish ICE. The agency does a lot more than detain illegals and raid businesses. Yes, we need a massive overhaul on how ICE handles migrants and asylum seekers, and immigration detention centers, most of which are for-profits run by private corporations, are shockingly horrendous. The laws that protect convicted felons in prisons and limit government abuse of inmates just don't apply to immigration detention centers, which are holding non-criminals. Calling for abolishing ICE is incredibly ignorant, and is just an appeal to the Liberal base. Sorry for the rant, just sick of hearing it from politicians and people I know who are much better than that argument.

I will say, the Customs Agents (not the inspectors at the airport, they were mostly crap) were absolutely top notch law enforcement, and their supervisory chain was as well. These guys do all the undercover operations on drug smuggling rings, illegal imports, stolen property illegally exported (I worked on a case where the mafia was loading ships in Newark with stolen cars when the port was closed, and shipping them to Haiti). Just an example of the types of things ICE works on that is necessary, and completely uncontroversial, but never gets mentioned. They also have a unit that tracks down stolen art and protected artifacts stolen from foreign countries that are smuggled or sold in the US.

[tennbengal]

The first part is a shock.

The link is not.

Not quite getting you. I'm not familiar with Axios. Is that a bad source?

He's not shocked that migrant kids are being sexually abused in ICE custody.

Correct. Was shocked the thread was on page 2. Not shocked on what the link is reporting.

[Johnnie]

So we can just threaten people on Twitter now?



From a top Reddit comment:

I'll go ahead and add this here as well since its relevant:

Matt Gaetz is a licensed attorney in Florida. His Bar Number is 48962. He violated 18 U.S.C. § 1512. He could be charged with a felony for witness tampering but this is also grounds for disbarment. Feel free call the Florida Bar and file an official complaint. The number is 1-866-352-0707.

This is all public information but I figured it would be helpful to provide it for others.

[mister d]

I've seen like 100 "independent" comments on twitter saying the same thing, that its air-tight witness tampering. Of course ...

[sancarlos]

[DaveInSeattle]

Cohen's opening statement is online:

Michael Cohen Plans to Call Trump a ‘Con Man’ and a ‘Cheat’ in Congressional Testimony

Michael D. Cohen plans to testify on Wednesday that President Trump is a “con man” and a “cheat” who knew a longtime adviser was communicating with WikiLeaks — and who implicitly instructed Mr. Cohen to lie about a Trump Tower project in Moscow that was underway during the 2016 presidential campaign.

And I'm sure Don Jr is going to be excited about this part:

[Johnnie]

Feels a little Christmasy this morning.

[brian]

It won't move the needle with his base, but this is going to be a pretty extraordinary piece of American history today. It's not every day that someone provides public testimony to Congress about the President committing multiple felonies.

[brian]

Just saw my friend's brother on TV! (He's a Capitol policeman.)

[Johnnie]

Already off the rails.

[BSF21]

Here we go. 12 seconds in and it's the Clinton's fault.

[brian]

The Republican Party is just a den of conspiracy theorists at this point. I'll bet at least a couple of these turds think the Earth is flat.

[Johnnie]

Yo, if I'm ever in front of chucklefucks like Republicans in Congress I'd be unable to control myself from laughing or making faces that convey "Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

[BSF21]

Yo, if I'm ever in front of chucklefucks like Republicans in Congress I'd be unable to control myself from laughing or making faces that convey "Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

I really wish we would get past the decorum of all that. The next debate or hearing or whatnot, I just want someone to stop and go "you know what, that's bullshit and I'm not going to let you sit here and talk shit."

[mister d]

CNN: BSF (D-IN) Curses During Senate Hearing
CNN: Sanders-Huckabee "Shocked, Disgusted and Dismayed" by Dem Outburst
CNN: Democratic Senator Uses Obscene Word On Live TV
CNN: Opinion - Republicans Are Not Perfect, But They Have Decorum
CNN: Ocasio-Cortez Does Not Chastise Senator BSF After Committee Meltdown
CNN: Opinion - Has the Dem Party Lost Control?
CNN: Cohen Implicates President Trump in Multiple Felonies

[A_B]

Fox News: A squirrel, water skiing!

[Nonlinear FC]

CNN: BSF (D-IN) Curses During Senate Hearing
CNN: Sanders-Huckabee "Shocked, Disgusted and Dismayed" by Dem Outburst
CNN: Democratic Senator Uses Obscene Word On Live TV
CNN: Opinion - Republicans Are Not Perfect, But They Have Decorum
CNN: Ocasio-Cortez Does Not Chastise Senator BSF After Committee Meltdown
CNN: Opinion - Has the Dem Party Lost Control?
CNN: Cohen Implicates President Trump in Multiple Felonies

Counterpoint

Cohen: Trump lied to the American people
Play Video
LIVE UPDATES The President's former fixer says he is ashamed of his misplaced loyalty and calls Trump a racist and a cheat
Cohen: Trump knew Roger Stone talked to WikiLeaks
Analysis: The 16 most consequential lines from Cohen
Analysis: Cohen is bent on revenge as Trump pulls an all-nighter
CNN reporter: This is going to be devastating
Read: Michael Cohen's opening statement to Congress
Explainer: Why Mueller cares about Michael Cohen
Analysis: A high-profile Trump ally in Congress threatened Cohen
Evidence: The documents Cohen will present
Analysis: What Michael Cohen needs to answer for
LIVE UPDATES
2 min ago
Cohen says he lied to Congress 'to protect' Trump
3 min ago
Cohen says Trump directed negotiations on Trump Tower in Moscow
9 min ago
Republican playbook – attack famous liberals
11 min ago
Cohen: 'I regret the day I said yes to Mr. Trump.'
12 min ago
GOP congressman criticizes Cummings for allowing 'convicted perjurer' to testify
15 min ago
Cohen was just sworn in, promised to tell the truth
18 min ago
Cohen 'has a lot to lose if he lies,' Cummings says
26 min ago
Cummings: 'We are in search of the truth'
28 min ago
Here's what President Trump said about the hearing this morning
31 min ago
Republican members try to delay hearing
36 min ago
Prosecutors have evidence of Trump check to Cohen
39 min ago
The hearing has now started. Watch it live here.
42 min ago
Democratic congressman: 'Russia is now fair game'
1 hr 13 min ago
The times when President Trump praised Michael Cohen on Twitter
1 hr 25 min ago
Michael Cohen has arrived on Capitol Hill
1 hr 26 min ago
Here's what Cohen will say in his opening statement
1 hr 26 min ago
Cohen says he's looking forward to the hearing
1 hr 26 min ago
Trump's former fixer is testifying before Congress today
A source familiar with te testimony, provided CNN a copy of the one of the checks sent to Michael Cohen to be exhibited in the hearing today. According to the draft of Cohen's testimony obtained by CNN, the check shows:
As Exhibit 5A to my testimony shows, I am providing a copy of a $35,000 check that President Trump personally signed from his personal bank account on August 1, 2017 -- when he was President of the United States -- pursuant to the cover-up, which was the basis of my guilty plea, to reimburse me -- the word used by Mr. Trump's TV lawyer -- for the illegal hush money I paid on his behalf. This $35,000 check was one of 11 check installments that was paid throughout the year -- while he was President. Other checks to reimburse me for the hush money payments were signed by Don Jr. and Allen Weisselberg. See, for example, Exhibit 5B.

[Steve of phpBB]

So ... anything interesting happening?

[Steve of phpBB]

According to the draft of Cohen's testimony obtained by CNN, the check shows:
As Exhibit 5A to my testimony shows, I am providing a copy of a $35,000 check that President Trump personally signed from his personal bank account on August 1, 2017 -- when he was President of the United States -- pursuant to the cover-up, which was the basis of my guilty plea, to reimburse me -- the word used by Mr. Trump's TV lawyer -- for the illegal hush money I paid on his behalf. This $35,000 check was one of 11 check installments that was paid throughout the year -- while he was President. Other checks to reimburse me for the hush money payments were signed by Don Jr. and Allen Weisselberg. See, for example, Exhibit 5B.

If Trump repaid Cohen from Trump's personal funds, would that be an illegal campaign contribution?

[mister d]

Hey guys, maybe this is what sinks him.

[brian]

Hey guys, maybe this is what sinks him.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2880&start=1040#p226965

[Johnnie]

CNN is a dogshit organization.

Jeff Zucker cums his pants every time Trump says "CNN is fake news."

The organization in total acts like a juggernaut news source when it secretly loves playing the submissive that gets off to being embarrassed in public.

Fuck CNN.

[Nonlinear FC]

According to the draft of Cohen's testimony obtained by CNN, the check shows:
As Exhibit 5A to my testimony shows, I am providing a copy of a $35,000 check that President Trump personally signed from his personal bank account on August 1, 2017 -- when he was President of the United States -- pursuant to the cover-up, which was the basis of my guilty plea, to reimburse me -- the word used by Mr. Trump's TV lawyer -- for the illegal hush money I paid on his behalf. This $35,000 check was one of 11 check installments that was paid throughout the year -- while he was President. Other checks to reimburse me for the hush money payments were signed by Don Jr. and Allen Weisselberg. See, for example, Exhibit 5B.

If Trump repaid Cohen from Trump's personal funds, would that be an illegal campaign contribution?

The crazy thing in all of this is the paper trail. I guess the defense of Trump is going to be that the money was for something else. Going to be a very tough argument to make.

[DaveInSeattle]

See if you can spot the difference:

Michael Cohen, convicted of lying to Congress.

Elliot Abrams, convicted of lying to Congress.

One is not to be trusted about anything, the other is now a 'Special Representive for Venezuela'.

[A_B]

Cohen seems to be doing a pretty good job.

[brian]

Just painful to watch these Republicans prostrate themselves for Donald Freaking Trump. Would be one thing if it was somebody worthy of respect.

[DaveInSeattle]

Oh, they got him now!

[Pruitt]

I'm not going to check, but I imagine that the fact Cohen is a Jew is getting some play amongst Trump supporters.

[brian]

I know that shit (this sign reference in DiS post) plays to his idiotic base, but this is just a sad motherfucking day to be an American, man. That's about all I got. I don't know if things always used to be like this and I've somehow gaslighted myself, but it's hard to believe that the United States was ever a great country if this is what things are reduced to now.

Just a sad, sad fucking display.

[Jerloma]

They are really embracing the childhood mentality of their leader. It's scary. And this liar narrative is based on the fact that he lied to Congress but in embracing that you're admitting that it was a lie to say Trump didn't know about it. Can't have it both ways.

[mister d]

You can. They are.