July 14 Agitation

[H2O Man]

“I was actually agitated..”
Donald Trump, Jr.; July 11, 2017

“As the headmaster reported to me
My son he really can try as they do to find function “
John Lennon; Revolution 9; 1968


When I joined the Democratic Underground, I was confident that Patrick Fitzgerald's grand jury would return indictments on July 14, 2004. It didn't happen that way.

Towards the end of June, 2017, I was sure that either the New York Times or the Washington Post would release a weekend bombshell about the Trump-Russian scandal. A few journalists were aware of a big story that seemed ready to break. But it didn't happen that way.

However, at that time, Fox News was promoting a curious theory that, even if the Trump campaign did collude with the Russians, it wasn't illegal. It came as no surprise that Sean Hannity took this stance. But it was disappointing when former human being Brit Hume followed Hannity's lead.

This week, of course, we've learned why these Trump apologists had taken such a strange stance. The lawyers for Kushner had discovered the series of communications that Donald, Jr. released, and immediately recognized they were explosive. The White House began its outreach to friendly journalists, in an attempt to prepare for the possibility of the information becoming public.

Gossip within the White House saturated all the cliques, and soon others were talking – off the record, of course – to other journalists. A legal expert from CNN, for example, was aware of parts of the story. It became merely a matter of time until a reporter got enough to nail the story. And, as we have seen, the shit hit the fan this weekend.

Some of the most interesting reporting on the issue, in my opinion, comes from MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell. He has been focused on the conflicts between a couple of the cliques in the Trump administration. Indeed, these are creating tensions within the Trump family.

Older forum members will recall that it was when there were similar tensions within the Nixon administration, when they were attempting to identify who would be sacrificed, that their efforts at a cover-up came apart at the seams. The same dynamics are at play today. The pressures are growing: consider the unseemly outburst from Marc Kasowitz being reported upon in the past 24 hours.

There are other stories that journalists are working on now that will continue to surface and inflict severe damage on the administration. Some people will attempt to distance themselves from the Trump-Russian scandal, as VP Pence tried to do when he noted that Junior's meeting took place before he officially joined the team. Still others will continue to leak to reporters, providing information they hope will harm other cliques, and save their own skin.

Enjoy this weekend!

[Mme. Defarge]

1. Mais naturellement!

[H2O Man]

3. Thank you.

Luckily, I remain in contact with the French foreign exchange student who stayed with us a few years back. I have enough difficulty with English!

[BeyondGeography]

2. One of the main takeaways from the French Revolution:

Watch out when government thinks it has nothing to fear from the people. The flip side being, some fear can be a very good thing. If you want to call it healthy respect, that's fine too.

Anyway, one of the remarkable things about the French Revolution was how feral it was. People were so desperate and angry they stormed Marie Antoinette's bedroom in Versailles. This passion was seen as mob rule and subsequently used by many to discredit the Revolution, but let's not forget what really lit the fire in the first place: hunger. And you know what, ever since, the price/value relationship of bread in France has been among the best of any consumer item on the planet. And I bet it stays that way.

[H2O Man]

6. Right.

Thanks for this. It reminds me of a section in James Carroll's 2006 "House of War," about Soviet leader Gorbachev. More so than either Reagan or Bush, he had an appreciation for the then growing nonviolent grass roots' demand for social justice. When such a movement grows, it both raises its own leaders, and holds the ability to transform others.

[Me.]

9. Of Course

The French Revolution became corrupted when it became a quest for power among the leaders, which you could say, is what has happened to Russia today.

[H2O Man]

17. Right.

Putin is the result. I think it's important to note that those of us who are outraged by the Trump-Russian scandal are not against the Russian people. Quite the opposite. It's a shame they are subjected to gangster-leadership. And we don't want that for them or us.

[Me.]

21. Quite

[yodermon]

4. H2O Man, I have been pining for a Plame thread for months, nay, years.

Instead I'm stuck with Louise Mensch et. al.

It's funny to me; her "sources" remind me exactly of the "sources" of Jason Leopold (and Will Pitt) when he breathlessly reported pending indictments for Karl Rove. Supposed insiders with lots of insider knowledge, yet somehow still completely wrong. I still wonder about that.

Anyway, sorry, this is not the point of the thread. Thanks for posting; wish I had something substantive to add.

[Me.]

8. Funny Enough

Jason Leopold has been resurrected and I give credit to Louise for bringing forward the British dossier. Time will tell how right she's been on other things.

[H2O Man]

10. Thank you.

I have read some of Mensch's work. Parts of it seems accurate, and other parts are speculations that do not seem to have solid enough foundations. In the "Plame Days," I had some brief contacts with Leopold. He was pleasant. And it was a combination of Mr. Fitzgerald being appointed, and an article by Will Pitt that same day, that got me to actually join DU, rather than simply reading some threads as I previously had done. I consider Will a good friend.

Karl Rove came uncomfortably close to being indicted. As the documents made public during the Libby trial showed, his attorney was able to work a way to prevent that. I'd be lying if I said that, back in the day, I didn't expect Rove to face charges. But the biggest disappointment was that Cheney skated. But Libby wouldn't break.

That level of "honor among thieves" isn't going to be found within today's White House. The rats are scurrying.

[Me.]

5. Hope Springs Eternal

Sigh, the heartbreak from the whole Rove, Cheney / Fitzgerald didn't indict scenario. The small fry Scooter was the sacrifice.

Here's what I'm wondering about, almost more than the 45 mess. That, I am confident, sooner or later, will lead to the dumpster. In a way, they're making it way too easy with their arrogant obviousness. And who knew Kushner is as vile and mendacious as he is. Holding Qatar up for ransom! But then Larry O'd explained that in this case, like the 45 family, like father like son.

But what I'm wondering about is Pence, he a mainline and dangerous dominionist that he is, has to go to. Will they be able to nail him on the Russia thing too? After all, he knew about Flynn and despite his denial, we have proof of that. I also noticed that when asked his spokesman skirted the question of his having Russian contacts when all he would've had to say is no. So, what do you say, can we do a full sweep with all of them or will the Cons fight tooth and nail to keep Pence in.

[H2O Man]

11. Thank you, Me!

Looking back, the Libby convictions were an important part of diminishing Cheney. He should have been impeached. But, at least he was a bull castrated late in life.

[H2O Man]

12. Also:

It is important to keep in mind that it was Pence and Kushner who advocated for Trump to bring Flynn into the campaign and administration. They were the first to do so. Pence is dirty.

[Me.]

14. Mud!

[volstork]

7. Quelle surprise

that these traitors are behaving traitorously.

In the immortal words of The Rude Pundit, "You can't get motherf-ers to quit f-ing their mothers. It's right there in the name."

[H2O Man]

13. Ha!

Very good! Thank you.

[volstork]

15. I take no credit.

It's all The Rude One...

[H2O Man]

16. Yet it was you

that shared this today. I laugh every time I see it.

[volstork]

18. I love me some Rude Pundit!

Happy to share his bounty!

[H2O Man]

19. Much appreciated.

[Solly Mack]

20. K&R

[H2O Man]

22. Thank you.

[malaise]

23. I agree re Lawrence

He had a great segment on Kushner's father

Nice post

[H2O Man]

24. Lawrence is

high among the journalists I respect the most.

Man! This story just keeps growing, doesn't it? Eight people at the meeting? Wild.

[malaise]

25. Someone posted a twitter link suggesting that we'll find out there were more folks

at the meeting than at the inauguration - I did laugh

I agree Lawrence is one of the best out there - fearless - he was the first to call the Con a LIAR.

[H2O Man]

26. I'm hoping that

Ivanka was there.

[malaise]

27. I want her father too

[H2O Man]

28. I wonder if

the father would consider that a date to remember?

[malaise]

29. ROFL

hopefully from a SuperMax cell

[coeur_de_lion]

30. Poking my face in the door

I found this article interesting especially this part:

Dems read Trump Jr.'s emails on House floor

[link:http://thehill.com/homenews/house/342080-house-democrats-read-donald-trump-jrs-emails-on-house-floor|

"Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) took to the floor afterwards, saying that the Democratic lawmakers were using "sinister sounding descriptions" of Trump Jr.'s contacts with Russia."

Dana Rohrabacher is one of the people that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told GOP allies is taking money from Putin. The other person taking Putin's money is Trump (of course), according to McCarthy.

See that article here:

][link:https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/house-majority-leader-to-colleagues-in-2016-i-think-putin-pays-trump/2017/05/17/515f6f8a-3aff-11e7-8854-21f359183e8c_story.html?utm_term=.8ca23174ad87|

“There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump,” McCarthy (R-Calif.) said, according to a recording of the June 15, 2016, exchange, which was listened to and verified by The Washington Post. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher is a Californian Republican known in Congress as a fervent defender of Putin and Russia.

[H2O Man]

31. I think that

there are more than a dozen republicans in Congress that have benefited from the generosity of Putin's group. I think they should all be incarcerated.

At risk of repeating myself too much, the Founding Fathers were intent upon barring any foreign influence on American elections. It is evident that a few nations have lent some support in the past. Nixon took unreported funds from foreign interests, for example, in 1968 and '72. But this is the first time that a candidate from one of the major parties was aided by a hostile foreign government.

[coeur_de_lion]

32. my favorite photo of the week

And I'm so proud of myself for learning how to upload a photograph.

[H2O Man]

33. Very good!

(I still require the assistance of one of my children to do this.)

[coeur_de_lion]

34. I did it all by myself

[H2O Man]

35. Well, being

smarter and more capable than me doesn't take much.

Both the mother & father gray fox were just out on my lawn eating (in case you haven't been on FB in the past hour). I estimate that within the next two weeks, the kits will join them there for their daily meals.

[coeur_de_lion]

36. Photos please