[MistyTiger]

The media does not have to try hard to make Trump look bad. They do not even have to try actually. Trump can make himself look bad on his own.

[Beren]

I wonder whether blaming the media will work this time, it usually doesn't. Trump called the media dishonest way before he ran for president. Instead of blaming the media all the time he should look around for a moment and see whether what kind of people he filled up his administration with. He should do some serious introspection too.

[Drlee]

I'm still only seeing;

sources report
sources report
sources report
sources
sauces
ketchup
97 varieties

<----- * infinity

Few people here remember it but this was the same argument made before Watergate brought down Nixon. One thing is certain. Whatever the FBI and the congressional committees have is not anonymous. Already the committees are demanding documentation from the president. IF IF IF, Trump actually called Comey names in front of the Russians, and if he said he got out from under pressure by firing him, the game is over. That is an admission of obstruction of justice so obvious that even republicans can't ignore it.

They are going home for Memorial Day and will face the usual intense pressure from their constituents. The heat on them is increasing at home. Here is what they remember that we don't. Neither a republican nor a democrat can be elected without significant support from independents. It really is as simple as that.

[Prosthetic Conscience]

IF, Trump actually called Comey names in front of the Russians, and if he said he got out from under pressure by firing him, the game is over.

Sean Spicer's response was not to question whether he said it, but to say that the reporting of "private and highly classified conversations" is the "real story":

White House press secretary Sean Spicer did not refute the Times story but said it was Comey's "grandstanding and politicizing" of the Russia investigation that put pressure on the administration's ability to engage Moscow.

"The President has always emphasized the importance of making deals with Russia as it relates to Syria, Ukraine, defeating ISIS and other key issues for the benefit and safety of the American people," Spicer said in a statement to CNN. "By grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russia."

He added, "The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it. Once again, the real story is that our national security has been undermined by the leaking of private and highly classified conversations."

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/19/polit ... job-comey/

So Spicer thinks that Trump's conversations with the Russians had highly classified contents. He's happy with the Russians knowing those highly classified secrets, but not the American public.

[Stormsmith]

One of the things about anonymous sources is that if it's a big deal and it's real, the source usually becomes non-anonymous at some point. The left have to make their move pretty soon here. If you have a story built up on a chain of anonymous sources and a link early on in the chain fails, everything built on it fails and the whole thing comes crashing down.

Anonymous sources aren't going to cut it for the next four years straight. They will play their hand soon

My bet is still on the God Emperor.

It was decades before the identity of Deep Throat of Watergate fame was disclosed, and he could have gone to his grave without releasing this info. One link, one false report isn't going to tank a story. The reporter just digs deeper.

I hope the GOP and the Dems take their sweet time.

[MememyselfandIJK]

On one hand I want this to go quickly so that Trump, Pence, etc. get impeached and we could possibly get a president that we could live with for four years until 2020 (I'm hoping Warren -- she's not great, but its the best the US has got unless something extreme happens before the next election).

On the other hand, I want this drawn out to make an embarrassment of the fascist, reactionary "Republicans."

[Rich]

He's happy with the Russians knowing those highly classified secrets, but not the American public.

Russia is leading the fight against Muslim terror, in particular Sunni Muslim terror. Russia should be treated as a trusted friend. Its America with their friendship with Saudi and Pakistani terrorists who can't be trusted.

[MememyselfandIJK]

Russia is leading the fight against Muslim terror, in particular Sunni Muslim terror. Russia should be treated as a trusted friend. Its America with their friendship with Saudi and Pakistani terrorists who can't be trusted.

I agree with your basic point, but I don't think we should make an alliance. Russia is a right-wing dictatorship and... well... the US has a history of allying with right wing dictatorships in Korea, Vietnam, and other places to prevent popular communism. The former USSR was the only one who actively fought against dictatorships. For example, they tried to defend democracy in Spain in their civil war.

Maybe a temporary alliance out of necessity?

[Pants-of-dog]

Correct its even more skewed now. And yes, the GOP was trying to eliminate him from the presidential race too. Deep state and all that. And he's targeted because he promised to drain the swamp and ran on a populist platform. He's despised by the establishment because he's at war with it no matter what he does, even if its just eating pizza or ice-cream; those are now scandals. The voters made their choice, the urban based establishment is struggling to accept it. He was not part of the insider club. He was not supposed to be allowed to go so far. But he did by outplaying their propaganda. These illegal coup plotters are playing with fire.

While I understand why you think there is a vast conspiracy against Trump, for the sole reason that he is supposedly a badass maverick, reality is more simple and more complicated.

He is not an insider. I agree with that, and I also agree that the old DC crowd did not expect him to get that far. Trump's faction is simply the newest player in DC. And the Trump faction is not interested in changing the rules. They just want to win the game.

Trump is not a maverick or interested in significant change. He has not drained the swamp. He does not challenge the economic interests of the "deep state". At most, he is filling lucrative government positions with his own people instead of "deep state" people.

Yes, he ran on a populist platform. And if he had won the popular vote, this might have given him some legitimacy.

The problem is that he is simply not smart enough to play the game. And so things like this Comey fiasco come back and bite him on the ass.

[Stormsmith]

@Pants-of-dog

My concern is that he's going to adopt a Putin business model

Putin has a long history of awarding lucrative government contracts to his friends, who give him a lucrative annual kick back

[Pants-of-dog]

My concern is that he's going to adopt a Putin business model

Putin has a long history of awarding lucrative government contracts to his friends, who give him a lucrative annual kick back.

I would not be surprised to find this is already the case in the US. I think that the old DC crowd are worried that Trump will do this in a blatant and overt manner instead of the usual quiet manner.

Trump may, by accident, shed light on the existing corruption as he tries to get in on it.

[Stormsmith]

You maybe right. I just assumed the current modus operandi was to discretely buy shares in companies likely to be awarded contracts, so, more Cheneyesque. Still, if it was prevalent, would the encumbent politicians be pushing this forward so vigorously?

This is going to cost a bomb. To think it could be avoided with a $1.00 tube of crazy glue. No talking, no tweeting

[SpecialOlympian]

Lol Trump's presidency rapidly accelerated to the equivalent of Nixon getting drunk all day during Watergate so I'm lollling so hard at Hong Wu and Igor desperately trying to defend this burning pile of shit that is the current administration.

Four months. Four months. That's how long it took for this presidency to completely break down.

[MememyselfandIJK]

lollling

Is that even a thing?

Four months. Four months. That's how long it took for this presidency to completely break down.

Couldn't one argue that it was on a crash course ever since the "Alternate Facts" incident? Or maybe even the moment that Trump announced his candidacy?

[SpecialOlympian]

His entire campaign was basically a flaming, drunken clown car smashing into things nonstop.

Nothing has changed.

[MememyselfandIJK]

This just about describes Trump's entire political carrier.

[MistyTiger]

Let's see if Trump can stay in office longer than Nixon.

Who wants to make bets and collect the bets?

[MememyselfandIJK]

Let's see if Trump can stay in office longer than Nixon.

Who wants to make bets and collect the bets?

Nixon survived a full term so my bet is on him.

[Igor Antunov]

No amount of wishing makes your dreams come true. You gotta grab them by the pussy. You chaps are a laugh.

[Godstud]

[Zag Edit: Rule 2]