Monday, March 12, 2018

Too pissed to think straight



You probably want, need, someone to cheer you up today. The Republicans on the House Intel Committee pulled off a propaganda coup, and the right has declared victory. As Charles Pierce put it, Sean Hannity has set the orgasmatron to infinity and stepped inside.

You no doubt want words of solace. Words to lift your spirit and inspire you for the next round of the fight. I understand your desire to read such words. Seriously: I do. But you'll have to seek optimism elsewhere; it's not in my nature.

Here's Palmer. Maybe that'll put a smile on your face. He thinks Nunes is going to jail.

Here's Kevin Drum. He's a little more realistic.

Here's Politicus. They accuse the Republicans of being divorced from reality. In one sense, this is true. In another sense, they are making reality.

Here's Scott Dworkin. A lot of people don't trust him these days, but when you're drowning in a sea of pessimism, you reach for whatever flotsam or jetsam keeps you afloat.
A Republican who works on the Hill just told me that Trump’s White House was involved with the ending of the House Russia probe. They also said the White House was involved with the “no collusion narrative” and the drafting of the memo. This is pure corruption.
To the Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee—you are committing an act of treason by shutting down your probe & LYING saying you found “no collusion.” I hope every single one of you dirty rotten traitors spends the rest of your lives in prison—it’s where you all belong.
.
@SpeakerRyan-Remember when my group & others filed ethics complaints against your boy Devin Nunes? And then he “recused” himself from the probe? You lied to us & said he would stay recused. You’re a fraud & you committed treason. Can’t wait for you to lose in Nov. #RemoveRyan
Damn straight. The committee allowed people to flat out lie and refuse to answer questions. They refused without even plausibly claiming privilege. Those witnesses should be in jail.
Rick Wilson:
To imagine for even one moment that every intelligence agency in this nation is wrong and that Devin Nunes, super-staffer Derek Harvey and the other partisans are right about Putin and Trump is beyond ludicrous. Harvey, a refugee from the Trump national security council purge executed by H.R. McMaster and John Kelly, is now the lead agent in the coverup by Republican members of the House. Nunes, while claiming to have recused himself, has remained deeply involved at all time in the coverup.

House Intelligence is now officially an oxymoron. Nunes’ “investigation” has been an example of Washington at its worst, a pure exercise in protecting Donald Trump, and a low point for the Republican Party’s reputation as the party of national security. The committee refused to interview key players in the drama, failed to seek campaign, government, intelligence community and corporate records that would have led to places that Team Trump doesn’t want them to go.

In fact, this White House has refused to even recognize Putin’s global special warfare operations against us exist, much less to take a stand against them. Trump continues to behave toward Putin like a preacher caught in a whorehouse; cowed, compliant, and terrified of his prospective blackmailer. Putin’s ongoing attempts to divide and influence the American political system aren’t speculation, imagination, or some Soros-driven conspiracy. His anti-American propaganda campaign is still in full swing, and the only upside is he’s not murdering people here quite yet, though if I were Paul Manafort I’d cut the deal and get into witness protection now.
Charles Pierce:
Sit, Devin. Roll over. Play dead. Who’s a good dog?
Maybe he's a good dog because there are photos of him humping the wrong bitch. (I use that word only to maintain the canine metaphor.)

Me? Well...you know that bottle of opened wine you have lying around somewhere in the house? The one that you suspect has gone vinegary? The one that most people would consider undrinkable? You know: THAT bottle.

Right now, this night, THAT bottle is the only booze in the house. Maybe mixed with sugared water...

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow that was odd. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn't appear.

Grrrr... well I'm not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to
say superb blog!

Anonymous said...

Relax. There are a lot of people cooperating with Mueller now. If there's collusion, Mueller is gonna find it.

Mr Mike said...

I can guess what one note song the AM Hate Radio outlets will be playing this week while they ignore the Senate Intelligence Committee is still investigating. The 35% lost to reason supporting Trump will be more obnoxious than usual crowing the Great White Dope's innocence while bleating Hillary is the one who colluded with Russians.

Alessandro Machi said...

The comments section can log you off if you take too long. However sometimes you can hit the back button and the comment may reappear. Always click copy before posting, especially if it is a long post.

nemdam said...

Couldn't disagree more. This ending of the probe just confirms that it's always been a clown show. Schiff is preparing the minority report and once that's out, the majority report will be contradicted by both the minority report and Mueller. Also add in the story confirming Roger Stone did have multiple contacts with Julian Assange came out hours after the investigation closed.

I also think this is good because anything worthwhile from the investigation was probably just being sent directly to Trump anyway.

If they can advance the ball by shutting down a clown show investigation, then the battle is already lost.

joseph said...

My mistress testified that I'm faithful to my wife.

b said...

Meanwhile in Europe yesterday:

* according to the Estonian government, a Russian military aircraft violated its airspace on the way to Kaliningrad

* Nikolai Glushkov, associate of the late Boris Berezovsky, was found dead at his home in New Malden, London

(which BTW is one of the few areas outside of North Korea - perhaps the only area - to have a sizeable NK population)

felix said...

Ok, I'll play. Neither Schiff nor Mueller will be successful. Why? Because the US democratic safeguards have been systematically eroded for decades by the GOP and criminal elements. Because Trump has sacked Tillerson and needs to start a war (Nth Korea, China or Iran, who cares). Maybe the US and the Brits go to war against Russia. With a war occurring (or at least a major conflict close to actual war) and financial markets in turmoil Trump has every reason to cancel the mid terms. Republicans gleefully fall in line. We'll see.

Anonymous said...

Espionage smeshmionage... what's going to take down Donald Trump is his penis. Josh Marshall notes that Stormy Daniel's first attorney, Keith Davidson, who negotiated the lousy $130K deal for Stormy, also was the same attorney who negotiated a lousy deal for Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal. McDougal sold her Donald Trump sex story to the Enquirer (where it was shelved). Turns out Davidson specializes in cutting these crooked deals for rich guys.. Deals that silence the girls while cheating them.

And the word is getting out that Trump enjoys being humiliated during sex play.

Karen and Stormy can now sue Keith Davidson in open court, for fraudulently pretending to work in the best interests of his clients when he was actually perpetuating a fraud to deceive Karen and Stormy, in concert with Mike Cohen and Donald Trump.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/stormymat-or-why-did-stormy-and-2nd-trump-girlfriend-have-ndas-negotiated-by-the-same-lawyer

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/too-hot-for-60

Anonymous said...

Why Europe and the US are so afraid of Putin. Britain did their version of Obama's (cut it out) the other day. I bet he will react the same way he reacted to Obama. Seriously I don't think it's blackmail, they are genuinely afraid of him. He knows it.

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b said...

@Anon 6.27 - Britgov is going to do more against Russia for sure. They will announce some measures tomorrow (already today here, Wednesday). It is likely to be provocative and escalatory stuff, not just an Obama-style "cut it out". Looking like an end to RT in London and an end to the BBC in Moscow. An admitted cyberattack has been floated. That's war, right there and then. Even without it, Kaliningrad and Estonia are looking like flashpoints. One plane shot down and it's also war.

The US midterms in November are an awfully long way off.

A hunch tells me there will be a North Korean angle to the row involving Russia, chemical weapons, or both.

The US blamed North Korea for the WannaCry attack which among other targets hit the British state health service. Is there more to come?

I know the New Malden area of South London where Nikolai Glushkov, close associate of the late Boris Berezovsky, was found dead on Monday. It's fairly rundown. It's not "leafy Surrey". It's not a slum district by any means (it's got a Waitrose!), but it's high-density and not the kind of area where a billionaire or even someone worth £100m would live, other things being equal - especially not in an ordinary terraced house like the one Glushkov apparently lived in. We're not talking about Eaton Square.

What the area is known for is a large Korean population, including I think the largest NK population outside NK. These are NK exiles, many in a precarious position because while they could get SK citizenship they'd then have to apply for visas they might not get. They are not officially communicant with the NK regime, but they are still regarded with suspicion by most SK people in the area. Obviously NK secret police have a presence.

Glushkov could have been "protected" by a Korean gang.

Gotta wonder whether the Berezovsky organisation might have set some kind of figurative "bomb" to go off before the Russian election. Berezovsky made an almost explicit call for war on one occasion. The "miracle" is that Russia-linked gangsters haven't yet had a big war in London (maybe they love the panelled courtrooms at the Chancery Division too much?) or indeed in Moscow.

Putin is strong.

I've said it before, but the most realistic way to undermine him would be to provoke gang warfare in Moscow. Which doesn't seem feasible (don't fuck with the ~KGB), so there isn't a realistic way to undermine him.

Magic is afoot............

b said...

A woman called Kayleigh McConnon who is believed to suffer from a contagious condition is reported to have disappeared last night from a hospital in Cheltenham, the town that houses the headquarters of GCHQ.

Reports have not identified the illness she suffers from.

b said...

For some amusement...here are some "vote for Putin" videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV4iqq9flR4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDIlQ3_lsKE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk_VszbZa_s "I want a man like Putin"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjF2dPdHd7Q This is supposed to be satirical against Putin - seriously!! It looks more like an ad.

And here he is, singing "On Blueberry Hill"...He's the man!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV4IjHz2yIo

felix said...

Yes, b. Russia, China and North Korea have been acting in concert in the recent NK "peace initiative" with SK. It takes the heat out of the US moves towards open military conflict with NK while at the same time preserving China's political leverage using NK instability as a continuing regional threat. A win for China, Russia and NK. Don't forget, NK is still sending their labourers to Siberia in return for Russian hard cash. Team players, for sure.