Well, it looks like pretty much every one in the no 45 admin is still getting lawyers.
No45 embarassed us again by tweeting about a "witch hunt" instead of the 7 sailors who died when their ship collided with another one.
Robert Mueller, the new investigator into the Russia probe, isn't fucking around. He hired a Russian speaking lawyer so you know he's serious.
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Disgraced former national security advisor Michael Flynn is facing some serious new legal issues for “lying to the FBI, and intelligence agencies on his disclosure forms, as well as other serious falsehoods.”
As a result, it is putting him into some serious legal jeopardy, Senator Richard Blumenthal told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell on “The Last Word.” Due to the seriousness of the allegations, which could include 5 years in prison for each violation, Blumenthal says Flynn is going to flip on President some rich asshole if he hasn’t already with the FBI.
But, Senator Whitehouse of the Intel Committee says signs already show that Flynn has been cooperating with the FBI ‘for some time’ now. Whitehouse made the comment to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and said that he had compelling evidence.
Eliot Engel, the ranking member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Elijah Cumming, the ranking member on Oversight and Government Reform, both released a very damning statement on Flynn, detailing Flynn’s alleged crimes.
Whitehouse along with Blumenthal say it’s for these reasons Flynn’s testimony against the rich asshole will be forthcoming if it hasn’t already been made.
“One of the more talkative people in Trumpland has gone absolutely dead silent,” Whitehouse said, “and that’s what prosecutors strongly encourage cooperating witnesses to do.”
He went on:
“It could be a huge deal, because who knows what the rich asshole has said to him, both during the campaign and during the early days of the presidency. Apparently trump has been in touch with him after his firing from the White House to tell him to stay strong, which, in some circumstances, could be looked at as manipulation of a witness or obstruction of justice.”
Special counsel Robert Mueller adds Russian-speaking attorney to the rich asshole probe
robert Mueller has added a former U.S. Supreme Court clerk who speaks Russian to his team investigating the rich asshole campaign’s possible ties to the Kremlin.
Elizabeth Prelogar, an assistant to the solicitor general, is assisting deputy solicitor general Michael Dreeben in his part-time role on the special counsel’s team probing the rich asshole campaign, reported The National Law Journal.
Dreeben is considered the Justice Department’s top criminal law expert, according to the publication, and his participation is seen as a sign that Mueller is investigating possible criminal violations by President some rich asshole or his associates.
Prelogar served as a law clerk to Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan, and she appears to speak fluent Russian, which she studied at Emory College.
She graduated from Harvard Law School in 2006 and was previously a Fulbright scholar in Russia, and she also won an Overseas Press Club scholarship to study Russian media and censorship.
the rich asshole associates are terrified of witness-flipping prosecutor looking into Russian ties: report
the the rich asshole team is reportedly worried about special prosecutor Robert Mueller’s appointment of a veteran federal prosecutor known for convincing witnesses to turn on their associates.
Andrew Weissmann, who led the U.S. Justice Department’s criminal fraud section before joining Mueller’s probe of alleged ties between the rich asshole campaign and Russia, is best known for prosecuting the energy company Enron and organized crime cases in Brooklyn — which drew the attention of the newspaper owned by Jared Kushner, reported Axios.
The website reported that the rich asshole’s associates have been worried about Weissmann since they first heard that Mueller had added him to the special counsel staff.
“I started getting phone calls from the rich asshole associates about two weeks ago suggesting I look into his background,” wrote Jonathan Swan for Axios.
the rich asshole adviser Kellyanne Conway tweeted out a CNN story, shortly after that conversation, showing that Weissman had donated $2,300 to Obama’s first presidential campaign and $2,000 to the Democratic National Committee in 2006, according to Swan.
Another source expressed concern that Weissman held a grudge against Kushner, whose newspaper published a harshly critical column about him by former federal prosecutor Sidney Powell.
“He is a very troubling guy,” the anonymous source told Axios. “The New York Observer went after Weissmann … As you may remember that is a paper that Jared owned … so is Weissmann going to have it out for this guy [Jared] and is this payback?”
Powell — the author of Licensed to Lie, an attack on the Justice Department under former President Barack Obama — accused Weissman of misconduct in the Enron and organized crime cases and called him a “stunningly bad choice” to lead the criminal fraud section.
She pointed out that some of the Enron convictions, which were gained with the help of witnesses “flipped” by Weissman, were overturned — but Sam Buell, who helped prosecute the Enron case, told Reuters such criticisms were routine in high-stakes investigations.
The president and Vice President Mike Pence, along with Kushner — the rich asshole’s son-in-law and senior adviser — have all hired their own lawyers to represent them in the Mueller investigation.
Axios, in a postscript, pointed out that “none of these concerns (about Weissman’s involvement) have been voiced to me by Jared Kushner or anyone who works for him.”
the rich asshole Woke Up & Broadcasted His Mental Breakdown With Blatant Lie About Jon Ossoff
By Carissa House-Dunphy -
June 20, 2017
It’s not every day that the president of the United States goes on social media rants, allowing the public opportunities to see just how ridiculous and misinformed the man in the highest elected office in our government really is. Actually, yes. It is every day, and Tuesday has been no exception.
For a candidate running for office in a less conspicuous election than that of the presidential one, an endorsement from the president can make all the difference. Congressional elections in faraway states don’t generally capture the country’s attention, so the promotion of a candidate from the leader in the White House can truly make all the difference.
That is, unless that leader is some rich asshole. Being associated with his extremist and wildly unpopular ideology may just be the kiss of death for a GOP congressional candidate these days. While a president bringing name recognition to a lesser-known candidate by speaking publicly about that pending race may be quite the game changer in many elections, in this case, the candidate’s name won’t even be remembered as being spelled correctly.
On this Tuesday, citizens of Georgia’s sixth Congressional district will cast their vote to fill the seat left by the rich asshole’s appointed Health and Human Services Director Tom Price. The race has huge implications for the future of both the GOP and the Democratic parties, with many believing that the outcome will be more a reaction to the contentious election of the rich asshole and his far-right policies than support for either individual candidate. the rich asshole’s endorsement is filled with assurances that it is the GOP candidate, Karen Handel, who can be relied on to push the rich asshole’s very unpopular agenda and not her opponent, the moderate Democrat, Jon Ossoff.
Adviser Says the rich asshole Wants To Resign Amid Obstruction Of Justice Allegations
By Charles Grisham -
June 18, 2017
The rich asshole administration is crumbling before our eyes, and it’s only a matter of time before he too, will be fired. The method however, eludes us. the rich asshole’s demise could come in many ways, but none would be more satisfying than watching him be tried for treason. the rich asshole could, in cowardice; decide to resign like Nixon.
The president is currently facing a possible obstruction of justice charge, for an attempt to hinder the FBI investigation into Mike Flynn. the rich asshole later fired director James Comey. In a hearing for the Senate Intelligence Committee, Comey said:
‘General Flynn at that point in time was in legal jeopardy. There was an open FBI criminal investigation of his statements in connection with the Russian contacts, and the contacts themselves, and so that was my assessment at the time. I don’t think it’s for me to say whether the conversation I had with the president was an effort to obstruct. I took it as a very disturbing thing, very concerning, but that’s a conclusion I’m sure the special counsel will work towards to try and understand what the intention was there, and whether that’s an offense.’
Robert Mueller does see a need to investigate the president and the rich asshole has nowhere to run.
Donald has been incredibly petty about the entire Russian hacking investigation. He has openly attacked others and has passed the blame onto Democrats and the media. Facts, however can not be disputed in a tweeting rampage, and the rich asshole is, in fact, being investigated for obstruction of justice. Facts like that can be a difficult burden to bear. According to one of the rich asshole’s advisers, he may be running out of resolve. In an article published by POLITICO reporter Annie Karni wrote:
‘But the rich asshole, too, is cognizant of the comparison to Nixon, according to one adviser. The president, who friends said does not enjoy living in Washington and is strained by the demanding hours of the job, is motivated to carry on because he “doesn’t want to go down in history as a guy who tried and failed,”said the adviser. “He doesn’t want to be the second president in history to resign.”‘
In other words the rich asshole is going down and he knows it. Hopefully the rich asshole will be man about his wrongdoing and take his licks with dignity.
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The expanding Russia investigation and obstruction of justice probe into President the rich asshole are starting to take a toll on him according to multiple advisors.
Here’s what was reported on in Politico:
“But the rich asshole, too, is cognizant of the comparison to Nixon, according to one adviser. The president, who friends said does not enjoy living in Washington and is strained by the demanding hours of the job, is motivated to carry on because he ‘doesn’t want to go down in history as a guy who tried and failed,’ said the adviser. ‘He doesn’t want to be the second president in history to resign.’”
So, basically, the rich asshole wants out but he just doesn’t want to be remembered as a loser.
But, there’s credible information that the rich asshole is waiting out resignation at this point. So far, Flynn has yet to testify against him since Congress refused to grant him immunity in exchange for his testimony – testimony that could have been extremely damaging to the rich asshole.
According to Claude Taylor, who served on the staff of President Bill Clinton, Flynn’s testimony was enough for the rich asshole to consider waving the white flag.
“An ind journalist I have worked with-who has been reliable-says they have 2 sources that say the rich asshole is considering options-incl resignation.”
The information was also confirmed by Former chairman of RNC Steele, who told WWR at lunch that the rich asshole will not finish his term; advises clients to bolster ties w/VP Pence.
In recent days there have been reports of the rich asshole screaming at his television set from within side the walls of the White House. He doesn’t like how the media has been portraying him or how the investigation is going.
Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller’s decision to personally go after the rich asshole for possible criminal acts and obstruction of justice has marked a turning point in the Russia collusion investigation, which until recently has only focused on Russia’s meddling into the 2016 presidential election.
Now – Mueller has issued subpoenas of President the rich asshole’s personal bank accounts, along with his phone records. Since it’s an official court order, refusal to comply can result in contempt of court charge, punishable by jail, a fine, or both.
The move is expected to put the rich asshole’s personal finances under a microscope. So far, the rich asshole has been the only president in recent history to refuse to divulge his tax returns. The expanding probe is likely to reveal a ton of dirt from the president’s financial past.
USA Today even trolled the president with this BRILLIANT and COMICAL resignation letter that the rich asshole would end up probably releasing via Twitter, should the day for his resignation ever come.
Dear Secretary Tillerson,
Before I make Mike Pence the next president — he will be a great president — probably almost as great as me. Before I make him president, I want to thank my many admirers for their support. To the HUGE majority of Americans who trusted me to be president, thank you. I am deeply humbled by your faith. No one has ever been more humbled.
I have rewarded your faith with tremendous accomplishments and hard, hard work. I haven’t been golfing since my historic victory. And, I definitely haven’t been making taxpayers pay for the Secret Service to rent golf carts from me to protect me at my golf courses. Believe me.
No president has ever worked harder than I have. My administration has done more in less time than anyone else. And, we did it all with NO HELP from the losers in the press and crybabies in Congress and showboaters in law enforcement who are RUINING America.
The vast majority of Americans know that my victory last November — record-breaking, really, a landslide, the largest election victory in history — my victory and policies are moving this country in the white, I mean, right direction again. America is GREAT again!
And, folks, FOLKS: We are still going to have health care. Big, beautiful health care — best in the world. I promised that everyone would be covered and they will. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that my bill will increase costs and cause 23 million people to lose insurance. The CBO is FAKE NEWS, just a bunch of Democrats with slide rules.
You may have heard that my budget eliminates funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission. It doesn’t. Believe me. My budget director can’t know everything that I’m doing and thinking — I’m moving very fast. We are going to go to Congress and get MORE money for the Appalachian Regional Commission. I love Eastern Kentucky. West Virginia. Real Americans. Beautiful people.
With Mike Pence as president, we will continue to MAKE AMERICA GREAT. He and Mitch McConnell are working hard on tax relief, rounding up and deporting people, scrapping net neutrality rules, privatizing prisons, unwinding stupid regulations on banks and industries. LAW AND ORDER.
Speaking of law and order, as my last act as president, I am pardoning some members of my campaign staff and administration. First, your next president of the United States, Mike Pence. I’m pardoning him even though he did nothing wrong. Noth-ing. No one did anything wrong, but especially not Mike.
Next, I’m pardoning Michael Flynn, a great American. Wish I’d never let him go. The DEEP STATE wants you to believe that Michael Flynn took hundreds of thousands of dollars from Turkey and failed to register as a foreign agent. Didn’t happen. They want you to believe that he advocated for Turkey-friendly policies during my transition because he had received over half-a-million dollars in lobbying money. They claim he “lied” on paperwork and “lied” to Mike Pence about talking with Russian agents. FAKE NEWS. The real liar is CROOKED HILLARY. Lock her up!
I’m also pardoning my son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has been treated very unfairly. The kid is big league. Did I ask him to set up a secret back channel line of communication with the Russian government using equipment in the Russian Embassy? I don’t know. But, you have to admire his spunk and smarts. Zero foreign policy experience and he already knew enough not to trust his own intelligence agencies.
Finally, I’m pardoning myself. My lawyers have told me that I may not have the authority to pardon myself. But, it’s not a conflict because I’m president. My lawyers — I have the best lawyers — have also told me that I don’t need to pardon myself because I didn’t know enough about how the federal government works to have intentionally obstructed justice. It’s true: Me and my people asked other intelligence services to pressure the FBI to stop investigating ties between my campaign and Russia. It’s true: I fired that showboater James Comey to put an end to the Russia stuff, FAKE NEWS. Just in case, I hereby pardon myself.
I have been badly mistreated. It’s abuse, really, but I was willing to take it because I love America. Big, beautiful America.
I know all the elite-coast Democrats and crooked media people are dreaming of impeaching me, of the day they can turn to me and say, “Donald, you’re fired.” Well, guess what? THEY’RE FIRED. I resign.
President the rich asshole
‘Frederick Douglass would agree’: Internet lights up the rich asshole for taking credit for building the Panama Canal
While in the Oval Office with Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela, President some rich asshole appeared pat himself on the back for building the Panama Canal.
“The Panama Canal is doing quite well. I think we did a good job building it,” the rich asshole said.
The United States got permission from Panama in 1904 to build the Canal and former President Jimmy Carter signed the Panama Canal Treaty and Neutrality Treaty, which gave control back to the Panamanians in 2000.
Understandably, Twitter lit up with attacks on the rich asshole for taking credit:
Trump: "Panama Canal is doing quite well!"
.@realDonaldTrump, Panama Canal wasn't sick, also you didn't build it, so you can't take credit.
@kylegriffin1 Am sure Frederick Douglass would agree.
What's a Panama? #the rich asshole #MondayMotivation— Trumpy Trumpy (@outofcontroljb) June 19, 2017
The Canal is the only thing #Trump knows about Panama and yet, he doesn't know the history of it! twitter.com/kylegriffin1/s…
@kylegriffin1 @HotNostrilsrFun A majority of the construction workers were from CENTRAL AMERICA,
Looks like trump just learned about the Panama Canal. twitter.com/kylegriffin1/s…
@petersagal @davidfrum Trump knows less about Panama than David Lee Roth does.
How many Trump voters would believe that he was responsible for the Panama Canal? twitter.com/JakeSherman/st…
@davidfrum Trump, "the Panama Canal is doing quite well." The man is a total moron...He wasn't trying to be funny... ENOUGH!
@kylegriffin1 Perhaps Trump should have recited its #palindrome: A man, a plan, a canal, Panama
@kylegriffin1 "we". lol.
@kylegriffin1 Trump's idiocy remains unsurpassed.
@GrayGeek401 @kylegriffin1 However, in their defense, many weren't given the opportunity to overcome their ignorance. Trump has no excuse.
@realzoie @GrayGeek401 @kylegriffin1 I honestly don't think that's something you can claim if you have an internet connection to the entire
@kylegriffin1 Am sure Frederick Douglass would agree.
@diabeetus441 @kylegriffin1 It's a canal that's being recognized more and more I'm finding.
@kylegriffin1 OMG didn't like George Bush,but in comparison to TRUMP Bush looks like a GENIUS.!
@kylegriffin1 Next month.
"We did a good job ending slavery"
Next.
"We did a good job with the revolution"
Next.
"We did a good job killing Osama"
Next...
@kylegriffin1 And Panama jack was a great line of clothing, yugely popular...
@kylegriffin1 Tune in for #seanspicer demonstration of how Trump really DID help build the Panama Canal.
@kylegriffin1 Who knew canal building could be so hard?
@kylegriffin1 "Fredrick Douglas worked on the Panama Canal - nobody knows this."
@kylegriffin1 OMG number of days @realDonaldTrump hasn't been a total embarrassment:0
@kylegriffin1 The Panamanian president appears to be trying to go to his "happy place" until this ends. Good job with the handshake, tho.
@kylegriffin1 Every day we're more and more a joke. Honestly, this hearts my heart and my embarrassment meter can't take much more.
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“the rich asshole’s polling drops in only two days after he promoted poll”
June 19, 2017
Tim Marcin
Posted with permission from Newsweek
Donald Trump loves championing the Rasmussen Reports pollL Just last week he tweeted out the survey, happily noting that it had pegged his approval rating at 50 percent, which is by no means great but far better than his average in other polls. But it's far less likely the president will promote the polling firm's latest findings, which found his approval rating had fallen 2 percentage points over the weekend.
The latest daily tracking survey from Rasmussen pegged Trump's approval at 48 percent, down from 50 percent Friday. Disapproval of the president rose to 51 percent in the new poll, from 50 percent. The Rasmussen survey samples 1,500 likely voters over a three-day period and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
Rasmussen, which is generally considered to be right-leaning, has found far better results for Trump than most other polling firms. The latest survey from Gallup Sunday, for instance, found the president's approval rating to be nearly 10 points lower than where Rasmussen had it Monday. Gallup pegged Trump's approval rating at 39 percent and his disapproval rating at 55 percent. That's actually a slight improvement on where Trump stood in the Gallup poll earlier in the week, when he dropped to 36 percent approval, just 1 percentage point better than his all-time-low in late March.
The weighted average from data-focused website FiveThirtyEight pegged Trump's support at 37.8 percent Monday, but it had yet to re-calculate with the drop in the Rasmussen survey. Trump's disapproval rating was 55.4 percent in the FiveThirtyEight average, which accounts for a poll's quality, sample size and any partisan leanings.
Trump's approval rating has steadily declined amid a challenging first few months in the White House that have included ongoing investigations into the president's potential ties with Russia, which the intelligence community determined interfered in the 2016 election to get the GOP nominee elected over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Especially worrying for the White House are recent surveys that found some of the folks who helped elect Trump seem to be navigating away from the president. In just one month the number of Republicans who felt America was on the right track fell 17 percentage points, according a Gallup survey last week. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey last week also found that disapproval among GOP voters had risen to about 25 percent. The same poll found that just 50 percent of whites without a college degree approve of the job Trump is doing. Sixty-six percent of whites without a college degree, meanwhile, voted for Trump in November.
REVEALED: the rich asshole campaign chief met with suspected Russian spy last August to discuss DNC hacks
Some rich asshole’s campaign chairman met in August — as controversy swirled over possible Russian interference in the election — with a business associate who may have ties to Russian intelligence.
Paul Manafort met twice during the presidential campaign with Konstantin Kilimnik, who helped run the Ukraine office for his political consulting operation for 10 years — including a previously undisclosed dinner shortly before his own Russian ties forced him out of the the rich asshole campaign, reported the Washington Post.
Kilimnik learned fluent English and Swedish at a Soviet military school, and his later work as a translator earned him a reputation as an operative for Russia’s GRU intelligence service — although he denies those connections and U.S. officials have not made that allegation.
He began working for Manafort, whose own ties to the Kremlin are under investigation by Congress and the FBI, in 2005, and he stayed with the consulting group through its work for pro-Russian hardliner Viktor Yanukovych, who became president of Ukraine and later fled to Russia.
Kilimnik admits to meeting twice with Manafort in the U.S. during the presidential campaign.
The first meeting came in early May 2016, about two weeks before Manafort was promoted to campaign chairman, and the second was in August — about two weeks before he resigned under pressure related to his political work in Ukraine.
The business associates met at the Grand Havana Room in New York City, where they talked about which clients owed them money, the overall situation in Ukraine and the U.S. presidential campaign.
Manafort admits to discussing with Kilimnik the hacks of the Democratic National Committee, but simply as part of a conversation about current events at that time.
“It would be neither surprising nor suspicious that two political consultants would chat about the political news of the day, including the DNC hack, which was in the news,” Jason Maloni, a spokesman for Manafort, told the Post. “We’re confident that serious officials will come to the conclusion that Paul’s campaign conduct and interaction with Konstantin during that time was perfectly permissible and not in furtherance of some conspiracy.”
Kilimnik’s late-summer visit to the U.S. drew the attention of U.S. authorities, and he later told associates that he played a role in softening the Republican platform toward Russian interests in Ukraine.
Ukrainian authorities formally investigated Kilmnik’s alleged ties to Russian intelligence last year, and he was cleared, although some lawmakers there questioned whether the probe deliberately avoided findings that could have affected the U.S. presidential race.
Kilimnik’s name appeared this spring on a subpoena issued in Virginia by a federal grand jury in connection with Manafort’s work in Ukraine and his business connections.
Update: This Father’s Day, American Dads Are The Last Thing On the rich asshole’s Mind
The entire morning of Father’s Day the rich asshole thought only of himself, if his Twitter is any indication of his state of mind. He boasted of his approval rating in a Rassmussen poll, complained of a witch hunt, claimed the “Make America Great Again agenda” was doing well despite said witch hunt, and bragged overall about the damage he and Republicans are wreaking on the country. Damage that could take a generation to repair.
There is one tweet, in particular, however, that drew our attention; the rich asshole had the audacity to compare himself to a president that pulled us from the economic ruins the Republican party’s policies left us in 10 years ago:
The new Rasmussen Poll, one of the most accurate in the 2016 Election, just out with a Trump 50% Approval Rating.That's higher than O's #'s!
Well, let’s see what Time Magazine has to say about that:
“The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking poll did show President the rich asshole with a 50% approval rating on Friday, June 16 — the first time the rich asshole had reached this high of an approval rating since April, the pollsters noted. But on June 16, 2009, then-President Obama had a 56% approval rating under the same poll. And on June 18, 2009, Obama had a 55% approval rating.”
Okay then so the rich asshole lied. Nothing new. But let’s take our comparison of the rich asshole and Obama just a little deeper this Father’s Day.
the rich asshole’s Twitter feed this Father’s Day has been about nothing but himself in true narcissistic fashion. Obama, on the other hand, spoke highly of his children and wished a happy Father’s Day to every dad:
Of all that I've done in my life, I'm most proud to be Sasha and Malia's dad. To all those lucky enough to be a dad, Happy Father's Day! twitter.com/michelleobama/…
And even in 2016:
In fact, that’s the only Tweet Obama has sent since June 2nd. Remember when we didn’t have a President constantly embarrassing us on Twitter? Pepperidge Farms remembers.
While making comparisons, maybe the rich asshole should also consider how many scandals he has going and how the only really major scandal of the Obama administration was the color of his skin. Or how about the comparison between the rich asshole being under investigation for obstruction of justice and how Obama was never embroiled in such impeachable situations? 24 million people being thrown off of healthcare? Losing the popular vote? Not even having people nominated to important positions in our government and it’s already mid-June?
the rich asshole has broken records for disapproval numbers, shamed Americans on his Twitter account near daily, and has raised tensions around the world. So far, he is riding the coattails of Obama’s economic successes while claiming credit where it simply isn’t due. You’re out of your element, Donny.
From American News X to dads around the world, Happy Father’s Day.
Update: Finally, at the very end of Father’s Day, some rich asshole took the time to re-Tweet a meme that Said “Happy Father’s Day.”
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JUNE 18 2017 1:15 PM
the rich asshole Lawyer Says President Isn’t Even Under Investigation, but the Investigation Is Unconstitutional
It’s hard to keep track of things when you’re making them up as you go. The new line from the the rich asshole administration is a breezy “what investigation?” flick of the wrist to bat away questions about the reported expansion of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe to include not just Russian election meddling and the rich asshole’s ties to any such effort, but also possible obstruction of justice by the president. On Sunday, the president trotted out his lawyer, Jay Sekulow, to do the Sunday morning talk shows.
On Meet the Press
During the exchange, Sekulow explains how tweeting works and then delves into how we should interpret “a utilization of social media” by the president saying he’s under investigation.
"He's not afraid of the investigation—there is no investigation," Sekulow said, adding, "there is not an investigation of the President of the United States, period." The Washington Post reported last week that Mueller’s team is also examining whether the president attempted to obstruct justice. “Let me be clear here,” said Sekulow on MTP, “The president is not and has not been under investigation for obstruction."
On Face the Nation, host John Dickerson asked Sekulow how does he know for sure that the president isn’t under investigation?
Sekulow: “We’ve received no notice of investigation. There’s been no notification from the special counsel’s office that the president is under investigation...”
Dickerson: … Couldn’t you be under investigation and they’re just not letting you know yet?
Sekulow: “I can’t imagine a scenario where the president would not be aware of it.”
So the president might be under investigation then, no?
(Here’s more from Slate’s Dan Engber on whether an obligation exists to notify someone that they’re the target of an investigation. The short answer is: no.)
By the Fox News Sunday leg of the morning, the wheels were coming off the wagon for Sekulow and the *non-investigation* investigation into the rich asshole.
Sekulow: So he’s being investigated for taking the action that the attorney general and deputy attorney general recommended him to take by the agency who recommended the termination (of Comey)…
Wallace: … First of all, you’ve now stated that he is being investigated.
Sekulow: No. No, he’s not being investigated.
Wallace: You just said that he’s being investigated.
Sekulow: No, Chris… let me crystal clear so you completely understand. We have not received nor are we aware of any investigation of the president of the United States. Period.
Wallace: But you just said two times that he’s being investigated.
Sekulow: No, the context of the tweet, I just gave you the legal theory of how the constitution works…
We're getting a bit lost in the weeds here.
“I don't appreciate you putting words in my mouth when I've been crystal clear that the president is not and has not been under investigation,” Sekulow told Wallace later.
“But you don't know that he's not under investigation, right?” Wallace responded.
“You're right, Chris. I cannot read the mind of the special prosecutor,” Sekulow responded.
"We're agreed, then,” Wallace said.
And here we are, again. Wherever that is.
Republicans Worried About Their Reputations Do Not Want To Work Under the rich asshole
some rich asshole is so winning that others are very hesitant about working with him. That includes officials in the Republican base. Some would say that those people are just afraid of being looked upon as losers in comparison to how graciously the rich asshole is handling the pressures of the presidency. OK. Yeah, no. No one is saying that but the rich asshole.
According to The Washington Post, at least 27 Republicans have been asking if their reputations will be tarnished if they choose to work with the rich asshole administration. With the ongoing Russia probe and other legal investigations, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fill even some of the top open spots in the government. I guess this could, in part, explain why the rich asshole has filled certain offices with people who have no prior experience – well, no experience suited for their new positions. For instance, recently making a party planner a director of HUD. Seems perfectly legit, doesn’t it?
Of course, the White House is denying any such claims. According to Sean Spicer, resident ass-kisser,
I have people knocking down my door to talk to the presidential personnel office. There is a huge demand to join this administration.
You know if Spicey says it, it must be true.
At this point in time of the rich asshole’s presidency, he has appointed 43 confirmed appointees to senior posts. At the same point of Obama’s presidency, he had 151 confirmed. Dubya had 130 at this point of his first term. Yes, even George W. Bush had more people who wanted to work under his administration. That says quite a bit, don’t you think? However, relying on alternative facts, the rich asshole will try to say those numbers are higher than Obama’s.
Potential candidates have been watching the rich asshole closely. They have been studying his treatment of senior officials. According to Bill Valdez, former senior Energy Department official,
the rich asshole is becoming radioactive, and it’s accelerating. He just threw Jeff Sessions under the bus. If you’re working with a boss who doesn’t have your back, you have no confidence in working with that individual.
the rich asshole can blame Democrats for the time it is taking him to find senior officials. In some cases, I guess it’s true. No Democrat wanted Sessions or Gorsuch (except Manchin). However, it’s fine – we are used to taking the blame for everything. However, the fact of the matter is that no one wants to work for a boss who may tweet about a termination before the official word has even been given. And no one wants to work for a boss whose primary goal is to make himself look good instead of focusing on the actual tasks at hand.
After the rich asshole Suggests Veterans with PTSD Are “Weak”, They Hit Back…Hard
Bycpowell
Posted on June 18, 2017
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some rich asshole has continued his long attack, via disrespectful and asinine comments, on America’s veterans and military personnel in general, including a recent remark insinuating that veterans suffering from PTSD and other emotional/psychological disorders are “weak.”
America’s veterans and military personnel in general, including a recent remark insinuating that veterans suffering from PTSD and other emotional/psychological disorders are “weak.”
Many people took issue with the rich asshole’s comments and took to Twitter to blast the GOP candidate. the rich asshole said to a group in Northern Virginia, “When people come back from war and combat, they see things that maybe a lot of the folks in this room have seen many times over, and you’re strong and you can handle it, but a lot of people can’t handle it,”
Add this to his past remarks insulting John McCain for being a POW, insulting a Gold-Star family whose son was killed in combat, claiming the risk of STDs while having sex with multiple women was his own “personal Vietnam,” among dozens of other comments, all while avoiding the draft himself as a young man, and you have a president that is certainly not endearing himself to the military community.
Here are some of the tweets:
We need a president who understands the needs of our veterans and supports our military. some rich asshole is clearly not that person.
The rich asshole Too Busy With Conspiracy Tweets to Acknowledge Tragic Accident Involving Naval Warship
Posted on June 18, 2017
Saturday, the USS Fitzgerald sustained significant damage after a collision with a merchant ship off the coast of Japan. At the time of the incident, five crew members were known injured and seven more were missing. Late yesterday it was announced that the missing crew members were found dead in flooded berthing compartments on the ship.
The tragedy is under investigation although there has been no suggestion of foul play at this time.
The White House eventually acknowledged the collision after several hours with a tweet from the president’s @realDonaldTrump Twitter account.
Thoughts and prayers with the sailors of USS Fitzgerald and their families. Thank you to our Japanese allies for their assistance. twitter.com/us7thfleet/sta…
MAX BOOT: some rich asshole is proving too stupid to be president
· Max Boot, Foreign Policy
· Jun. 17, 2017, 11:39 AM
· 130,421
I’m starting to suspect that some rich asshole may not have been right when he said, "You know, I’m like a smart person."
The evidence continues to mount that he is far from smart — so far, in fact, that he may not be capable of carrying out his duties as president.
There is, for example, the story of how the rich asshole met with the pastors of two major Presbyterian churches in New York.
"I did very, very well with evangelicals in the polls," he bragged.
When the pastors told the rich asshole they weren’t evangelicals, he demanded to know, "What are you then?"
They told him they were mainline Presbyterians. "But you’re all Christians?" he asked. Yes, they had to assure him, Presbyterians are Christians. The kicker: the rich asshole himself is Presbyterian.
Or the story of how the rich asshole asked the editors of the Economist whether they had ever heard of the phrase "priming the pump." Yes, they assured him, they had. "I haven’t heard it," the rich asshole continued. "I mean, I just … I came up with it a couple of days ago, and I thought it was good." The phrase has been in widespread use since at least the 1930s.
Or the story of how, after arriving in Israel from Saudi Arabia, the rich asshole told his hosts, "We just got back from the Middle East."
These aren’t examples of stupidity, you may object, but of ignorance.
These aren’t examples of stupidity, you may object, but of ignorance.
This has become a favorite talking point of the rich asshole’s enablers.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, for example, excused the rich asshole’s attempts to pressure FBI Director James Comey into dropping a criminal investigation of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn on the grounds that "the president’s new at this" and supposedly didn’t realize that he was doing anything wrong.
But the rich asshole has been president for nearly five months now, and he has shown no capacity to learn on the job.
And yet he doesn’t seem to have acquired even the most basic information that a high school student should possess. Recall that the rich asshole said that Frederick Douglass, who died in 1895, was "an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more."
He also claimed that Andrew Jackson, who died 16 years before the Civil War, "was really angry that he saw what was happening in regard to the Civil War."
Why does he know so little? Because he doesn’t read books or even long articles.
"I never have," he proudly told a reporter last year. "I’m always busy doing a lot."
As president, the rich asshole’s intelligence briefings have been dumbed down, denuded of nuance, and larded with maps and pictures because he can’t be bothered to read a lot of words. He’d rather play golf.
As president, the rich asshole’s intelligence briefings have been dumbed down.
The surest indication of how not smart the rich asshole is that he thinks his inability or lack of interest in acquiring knowledge doesn’t matter.
He said last year that he reaches the right decisions "with very little knowledge other than the knowledge I [already] had, plus the words ‘common sense,’ because I have a lot of common sense and I have a lot of business ability."
How’s that working out? There’s a reason why surveys show more support for the rich asshole’s impeachment than for his presidency.
From his catastrophically ill-conceived executive order on immigration to his catastrophically ill-conceived firing of Comey, his administration has been one disaster after another. And those fiascos can be ascribed directly to the president’s lack of intellectual horsepower.
How could the rich asshole fire Comey knowing that the FBI director could then testify about the improper requests the rich asshole had made to exonerate himself and drop the investigation of Flynn? And in case there was any doubt about the rich asshole’s intent, he dispelled it by acknowledging on TV that he had the "Russia thing" in mind when firing the FBI director.
That’s tantamount to admitting obstruction of justice. Is this how a smart person behaves?
Is this how a smart person behaves?
If the rich asshole decides to fire the widely respected special counsel Robert Mueller, he will only be compounding this stupidity.
Or what about the rich asshole’s response to the June 3 terrorist attack in London?
He reacted by tweeting his support for the "original Travel Ban," rather than the "watered down, politically correct version" under review by the Supreme Court. Legal observers — including Kellyanne Conway’s husband — instantly saw that the rich asshole was undermining his own case, because the travel ban had been revised precisely in order to pass judicial scrutiny.
Indeed, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, in refusing to reinstate the travel ban on June 12, cited the rich asshole’s tweets against him. Is this how a smart person behaves?
You could argue that the rich asshole’s lack of acumen is actually his saving grace, because he would be much more dangerous if he were cleverer in implementing his radical agenda. But you can also make the case that his vacuity is imperiling American security.
You could argue that the rich asshole’s lack of acumen is actually his saving grace. But you can also make the case that his vacuity is imperiling American security.
the rich asshole shared "code-word information" with Russia’s foreign minister, apparently without realizing what he was doing.
In the process, he may have blown America’s best source of intelligence on Islamic State plots — a top-secret Israeli penetration of the militant group’s computers.
the rich asshole picked a fight on Twitter with Qatar, apparently not knowing that this small, oil-rich emirate is host to a major US air base that is of vital importance in the air war against the Islamic State.
the rich asshole criticized London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, based on a blatant misreading of what Khan said in the aftermath of the June 3 attack: The mayor had said there was "no reason to be alarmed" about a heightened police presence on the streets — not, as the rich asshole claimed, about the threat of terrorism.
In the process, the rich asshole has alienated British public opinion and may have helped the anti-American Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, win votes in Britain’s general election.
the rich asshole pulled out of the Paris climate accord apparently because he thinks that global warming — a scientifically proven fact — is a hoax. His speech announcing the pullout demonstrated that he has no understanding of what the Paris accord actually is — a nonbinding compact that does not impose any costs on the United States.
the rich asshole failed to affirm Article V, a bedrock of NATO, during his visit to Brussels, apparently because he labors under the misapprehension that European allies owe the United States and NATO "vast sums of money."
In fact, NATO members are now increasing their defense spending, but the money will not go to the United States or to the alliance; it will go to their own armed forces. the rich asshole has since said he supports Article V, but his initial hesitation undermines American credibility and may embolden Russia.
the rich asshole supporters used to claim that sage advisors could make up for his shortcomings. But he is proving too willful and erratic to be steered by those around him who know better. As Maggie Haberman of the New York Timesnotes: "the rich asshole doesn’t want to be controlled. In [the] campaign, [he] would often do [the] opposite of what he was advised to do, simply because it was opposite."
The 25th Amendment to the US Constitution provides that if the vice president and a majority of the cabinet certify that the president is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office," he can be removed with the concurrence of two-thirds of both houses.
That won’t happen because Republicans are too craven to stand up to the rich asshole. But on the merits perhaps it should.
After nearly five months in office, the rich asshole has given no indication that he possesses the mental capacity to be president.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Business Insider.
Read the original article on Foreign Policy. "Real World. Real Time." Follow Foreign Policy on Facebook. Subscribe to Foreign Policy here. Copyright 2017. Follow Foreign Policy on Twitter
the rich
asshole partially rolls back Obama's Cuba thaw
Back to adversaries - Barbara
Plett Usher, BBC State Department correspondent
What has the criticism been
like?
Rolling back Obama
What are Cubans in Miami
saying?
A history of the US trade
embargo with Cuba
Share this story About sharing
the rich
asshole partially rolls back Obama's Cuba thaw
·
16 June 2017
Media caption Has the rich asshole really 'cancelled' Cuba deal?
Speaking in
Miami, Florida, he said his new policy would tighten rules affecting travel and
on sending funds to the Caribbean island nation.
But he is
not reversing key diplomatic and commercial ties, and will not close the US
embassy in Havana.
Commercial
flights from the US will continue, as will allowing Americans to return home
with Cuban goods.
the rich
asshole said the Obama administration's March 2016 deal with the
"brutal" Castro government was "terrible" and
"misguided".
On Friday, the
rich asshole signed a presidential directive calling for tighter enforcement of
a longstanding ban on American tourists going to Cuba.
The new
policy bans most US business transactions with the Armed Forces Business
Enterprises Group, a Cuban entity involved in all sectors of the economy.
However, it
exempts air and sea travel, allowing US airlines and cruise lines to continue
serving the island.
Back to adversaries - Barbara
Plett Usher, BBC State Department correspondent
This is a
rollback, not a reversal, of Obama's Cuba policy. In the main, it is a gift to
the old guard Cuban Americans in Miami who opposed the detente and voted for
the rich asshole. So it bans financial transactions with the commercial arm of
Cuba's military. But it also takes into account pressure from US businesses
that don't want to turn the clock back.
So it does
not "disrupt" existing joint ventures and carves out other
exceptions. Probably the most visible effect will be a slowdown of American
visitors, who took advantage of looser travel rules that the rich asshole says
he'll now strictly enforce.
The
president framed his policy in the human rights concerns of his Miami
constituency, which is passionate about the regime's repression of political
freedoms. But critics questioned why he singled out Cuba for such treatment
when he's made a point of not lecturing other nations for bad behavior.
They also
point out that Havana doesn't respond well to such treatment: - it's made very
clear it will not be pressured into making political reforms.
And it won't
have taken kindly to the rich asshole's blistering take down of the "cruel
and brutal" communist regime. Whatever the practical economic consequences
of this new/old policy, it seems likely to reinstate the adversarial
relationship Obama sought to transform.
Media caption What is the rich asshole changing with Cuba?
What has the criticism been
like?
the rich
asshole had faced calls from the business community not to completely reverse
his Democratic predecessor's diplomatic rapprochement between the two former
Cold War foes.
Myron
Brilliant of the US Chamber of Commerce said: "Unfortunately, today's
moves actually limit the possibility for positive change on the island and risk
ceding growth opportunities to other countries that, frankly, may not share
America's interest in a free and democratic Cuba that respects human rights.
"
Zane Kerby
of the American Society of Travel Agents said before the speech he was
"disappointed" at Mr the rich asshole's plans to "turn back the
clock" in terms of expanded travel and trade between the U.S. and Cuba.
"The
past few years have seen a growth in business for US travel agencies, tour
operators, airlines, cruise lines, hotel and other travel companies. That
progress now appears to be at great risk," he added.
Granma, the
Cuban government's state-run newspaper, said the president was "stuck in a
failed policy that has caused much damage to the Cuban people and has left the
United States isolated".
during a visit to Miami
Rolling back Obama
The Miami
speech is the latest part of former President Barack Obama's legacy that Mr the
rich asshole has moved to dismantle.
He cancelled
the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, announced he would withdraw the US
from the Paris climate accord, and is attempting to repeal and replace
Obamacare, his predecessor's signature policy accomplishment.
In Friday's
remarks, the rich asshole set out how his administration would seek to prevent
US dollars from being used to fund what it regards as a repressive
military-dominated government.
"The
profits from investment and tourism flow directly to the military," he
said to applause. "The regime take the money and owns the industry."
"We do
not want US dollars to prop up a military monopoly that exploits and abuses the
citizens of Cuba," he told the audience.
Earlier in
the day, Vice-President Mike Pence visited Little Havana in Miami to play
dominos with Cuban-Americans.
What are Cubans in Miami
saying?
R)
"The
embargo should continue. Why give credit to a country where the people don´t
see a penny? They are still starving and there is no freedom whatsoever. Why
should we keep feeding the people who are on top when they repress their own
people." Jose
Nadal
"I
am 100% Republican. I agree 150% with everything the rich asshole says and
does. They should impose more sanctions against Cuba. When Obama made the
agreement and restored relations with the Cuban government, he gave them
everything they asked for. We received nothing from the Cuban government. This
is why the rich asshole wants to strengthen the sanctions." Cathy Henderson
"I
am against the embargo. The Cuban tyranny uses the embargo as a pretext to
justify that it has failed. Everything bad that happens in Cuba, they blame the
embargo." Santiago
Portal
Courtesy of BBC Mundo
A history of the US trade
embargo with Cuba
1959: Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro leads a
guerrilla army into Havana overthrowing the Batista regime.
1960: In response to Castro's communist reforms,
US breaks off diplomatic relations with Cuba and imposes a trade embargo.
1962: Castro agrees to allow the Soviet Union to
deploy nuclear missiles on the island bringing the US and the USSR to the brink
of nuclear war.
April 2009: President Barack Obama lifts
restrictions on family travel and the sending of remittances to Cuba.
July 2015: The US and Cuba reopen
embassies in each other's capitals and restore full diplomatic ties.
March 2016: President Obama makes a three-day visit to Cuba and
holds talks with President Raul Castro. He expresses hope the embargo will be
ended, but it can only be lifted by the US Congress which is controlled by
Republicans who oppose the move.
Aug 2016: US commercial flight arrives in Cuba for the
first time in more than half a century.
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