I have previously criticized the President for his use of Twitter to attack those conducting the Russian investigation and various critics. Many of these tweets are in my view clearly inappropriate and distinctly unhelpful to his legal team. Indeed, today the Hill posted a column where I criticize James Comey for adopting the same use of social media in lashing out at critics. Now, Trump is attacking Ranking Member Adam Schiff as a “liar and leaker.” I have recently criticized Schiff for his claims about the highly classified content of the recently released four-page memo. However, these attacks on social media — and name calling — only serve to undermine the President in this controversy. Presidents have long strived to maintain a dignified and deliberative position in addressing opposing allegations or critics. These attacks have not worked well for the President and fuel allegations that he is defensive and alarmed by these investigations. For those of us who have questioned the evidence of criminal conduct, the attacks are curious since they fit a narrative put forward by the President’s critics. I served as lead defense counsel in the impeachment of Judge Thomas Porteous — the last impeachment trial heard by the Senate. My opposing lead counsel was Rep. Adam Schiff, who I found to be a remarkably competent prosecutor and able opponent.
In his latest attack, Trump stated:
Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, right up there with Comey, Warner, Brennan and Clapper! Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information. Must be stopped!
What do you think?
Linda – just watched a Frontline called Putin’s Revenge and the Russians just hate the DNC and Hillary. They have not been happy campers since Putin got into office. You should check it out. They could care less about the GOP. This does detail Putin’s long-term plans for the US.
The evangelical movement was linked to Russia in the Talking Points Memo website article about Paul Erickson, Maria Buttina and the NRA. The evangelicals pivoted in significant ways to serve the oligarchy. (1) They abandoned Christ’s teachings about the poor. (2) They abandoned traditional moral values to support Trump. And (3) They embraced Judaism. The political advantages of Jewish wealth were too obvious to ignore.
The aforementioned explains the Russian troll avoidance of specific fissure points e.g. the neo-Nazi propaganda against Jews. The evangelicals’ pivots (including the Washington Times’ normalization of Russian influence) also provide context for the GOP/Russia oligarchy vs. democracy.
“The evangelical movement was linked to Russia in the Talking Points Memo website.
…the evangelicals pivoted in significant ways to serve the oligarchy”.
….they embraced Judaism.The political advantages of Jewish wealth were too obvious to ignore”.
These statements confirm what I previously wrote; that Putin need not expend much energy promoting class / demographic warfare in America.
Morons who write statements like these are already serving that function.
“OBAMAGATE”
– The American Spectator
____________________
This environment has the feel of a spectrum:
the end of the beginning
to
the beginning of the end.
“Molly McKew explains how bots and pro-Trump trolls worked together to push #ReleasetheMemo”
https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/960953456965115905
Political Research Associates published a detailed time line on Jan. 10, 2018, “The Far Right Mobilization in 2017”. The activities of Mike Cernovich, Richard Spencer, Milo Yiannopoulis, Alex Jones, Steve Bannon (his benefactor, the Mercers), Jack Posobiec, and Lane Davis (awaiting trial on charges for murdering his father) are included, along with alt righters convicted of crimes.
It’s notable that the Russian trolls at this blog are never critical of the richest 0.1%. It’s notable because it runs counter to Putin’s goal to sow dissension among demographic groups. Income inequality is the obvious fracture point in the U.S. Adding in- the trolls here, who are paid to write the neo-Nazi schtick, limit themselves to race (anti-Black and Hispanic). They avoid messaging the anti-Jewish content that characterizes the economically poorer, domestic neo-Nazi’s. Corroborating the self-imposed limits that link Russia and America’s richest 0.1%, is Breitbart’s abandonment of Nehlen.
It seems clear that Russia is linked to the GOP, by the dual goals of American and Russian oligarchs. Many among the richest 0.1% are Jews,. Therefore, religion joins with income inequality as points of fissure that aren’t exploited by Russia/ the GOP. The other categories that divide the population are exploited by both Republican politicians and the Kremlin.
“Putin’s goal to sow dissension among demographic groups”.
That doesn’t seem to be a primary, or even secondary goal, that Putin has in mind.
I think he realizes that there are enough “made in America” stooges who like to draw and exaggerate phony division lines in a so-called “oligarchy”.
There’s really no need for Putin to get involved in that effort when there are already people here already pushing that theme.
The Recode article showing Russian troll and bot activity, established that Russian trolls are involved in furthering the neo-Nazi talking points (sans the Jewish component).
What the U.S. is suffering is orchestrated campaigns -the Kremlin and, the GOP, a front for American oligarchs. Republicans running inference for Russia in the House, Senate and Mueller investigations corroborates the point.
Comrade, I hate to be the bearer of bad news; it’s not working.
And yes, you’re correct, your “Affirmative Action Privilege” and generational welfare are threatened.
Waaaaaaa! I demand Other People’s Money. Good luck with that.
“I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”
– Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
“Carter Page claims he’s never even met President Trump”
– ABC
______________________________________________
“I never spoke with him…, I never spoke with him any time in my life,”
Page said Monday morning on ABC News’ “Good Morning America.”
– Carter Page, “Deep State” Patsy
___________________________
Obergruppenfuhrer Mueller is a fraud and a criminal perpetrating a conspiracy against a duly elected
president as one aspect of insurrection as a coup d’etat in America.
Great idea for a book- the name of the U.S. Vice-President is scrubbed from the e-mails of the transition team that he headed. The array of suspects could include Russia, Assange’s Wikileaks, …?
The Kochtopus
The president has a long-standing policy of Tweeting insults and derogatory names at anyone criticizing him. Naturally, Turley authors an article attacking James Comey for Twitter attacks. I’m through questioning Turley’s motives. It is quite clear that he stands with Trump and all the betrayal that comes with that choice…of the law and country. Oh, he throws in some countervailing references about the damage of Trump’s tweeting into the mix and whatnot, but at the end of the day, look at his work product. Look at whom he attacks regularly. Look at his hypotheticals in his articles. Look at him accepting the Nunes Memo at face value.
But let’s look at the president’s own credibility. The President attacks the credibility of the FBI and anyone criticizing his job performance. Here’s a scant look at the president’s credibility:
Donald Trump, aka ‘John Barron’, aka ‘John Baron’, aka ‘John Miller’ was questioned under oath in a civil action deposition, which he lost, and Trump lied 30 times re “his ownership stake in a large Manhattan real estate development, the cost of a membership to one of his golf clubs, the size of the Trump Organization, his wealth, the rate for his speaking appearances, how many condos he had sold, the debt he owed, and whether he borrowed money from his family to stave off personal bankruptcy.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-trump-lies-under-oath-20170612-story.html
Look at his 2000+ lies since becoming president–wiretapping of Trump tower, reason for firing Comey, Clinton got more votes bc of fraud, Flynn is innocent, Russia Gate is a hoax, etc. Remember his Birther Movement accusing President Obama of being Kenyan thus not competent to be president? We could list the lies ad nauseam but I have bigger fish to fry.
This is the man who wants to face Mueller and take on all questions re Russia Gate and ANY criminal activity uncovered during the investigation. Perjury traps are illegal thus not an issue. I say we hold him to his word and let Trump answer all questions. After all, what could go wrong for such an honest man?
Right Professor Turley?
DR:
“The president has a long-standing policy of Tweeting insults and derogatory names at anyone criticizing him. … Donald Trump, aka ‘John Barron’, aka ‘John Baron’, aka ‘John Miller’ was questioned under oath in a civil action deposition, which he lost, and Trump lied 30 times re “his ownership stake in a large Manhattan real estate development ….”
*********************
Thank god you occupy the moral high ground and would never stoop to such a lowbrow assault on those who would have the temerity to dispute your edifying and inerrant pronouncements. Those fabulists are in league against you and are directly responsible for the theft of those strawberries … yes, those strawberries.
How many times with this analogy, SAD.
First time. STUPID.
“J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI not only helped cover up the JFK murder
but blackmailed Congress with massive wire-tapping and spying.”
___________________________________________________
My God, man. Did you say lie? Have you never heard of the Warren Report? Every American governmental institution and organization lied.
They continue to perpetuate the JFK assassination lie.
What was it, precisely, that the Dulles brothers, Carlos Marcello, Lyndon Johnson, J. Edgar Hoover, John McCone, Clay Shaw, et al. did related to that “executive action” if not lie?
Fun Fact:
“Hale Boggs sat on the Warren Commission, which concluded that President Kennedy was slain by a lone assassin. Later, in 1971 and ’72, Boggs said that the Warren Report was false and that
J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI not only helped cover up the JFK murder
but blackmailed Congress with massive wire-tapping and spying.
He named Warren Commission staff member Arlen Specter as a major cover-up artist. Congressman Boggs’ plane disappeared on a flight to Alaska in 1972. The press, the military, and the CIA publicly proclaimed the plane could not be located. Investigators later said that was a lie, that the plane had been found. On the plane were Nick Begich, a very popular Democratic Congressman, and Don Jonz, an aide to Mr. Boggs. All were killed.”
http://www.jfkmurdersolved.com/bush3.htm
Something of interest from the Wikipedia article on Adam Schiff:
Schiff has been a prominent supporter of surveillance reforms, especially in the wake of the leaks of classified intelligence by Edward Snowden. In 2007, in response to disclosure of the Terrorist Surveillance Program, Schiff and Rep. Jeff Flake offered a successful amendment in the House of Representatives to clarify that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is the exclusive means for collecting foreign intelligence information within the United States. Schiff has been a critic of the bulk collection of telephone metadata by the National Security Agency. In January 2014, Schiff introduced the Telephone Metadata Reform Act, which would prohibit the bulk collection of domestic phone records. Schiff has also introduced several bills aimed at reforming the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, including a bill to require outside counsel to be appointed to argue for privacy and civil liberties protections in certain cases before the Court.
Yeah, that’s of interest because now Schiff has done a 180! Think there’s a little politics going on? Plus, are you Inga?
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/us/politics/gowdy-trump-russia-memo.html
The only members of the GOP who challenge or question the POTUS are those who are retiring from congress.
Merriam Webster
Trey Gowdy
noun
tray gow’ – dee
definition
(1) schizophrenia
(2) duplicity
There, there. Back to your padded cell now…
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/us/politics/trump-lawyers-special-counsel-interview.html
@Inga:
Gowdy is right “legally.” Trump is right “politically” and “meta-legally.”
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Fine, Squeeky. Gowdy is right that Trump has not been legally exonerated. But Trump’s oft-repeated claim that he’s “the victim of the greatest political witch-hunt in history” has been “meta-legally” vindicated.
P. S. Does meta-legal vindication come before legal exoneration? Or is meta-legal vindication more like being “above the law” or even beyond the reach of the law???
@Inga
It’s easy to figure out! Just try thinking about it!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Excerpted from the NYT article linked above:
But John Dowd, the longtime Washington defense lawyer hired last summer to represent Mr. Trump in the investigation, wants to rebuff an interview request, as do Mr. Dowd’s deputy, Jay Sekulow, and many West Wing advisers, according to the four people. The lawyers and aides believe the special counsel might be unwilling to subpoena the president and set off a showdown with the White House that Mr. Mueller could lose in court.
They are convinced that Mr. Mueller lacks the legal standing to question Mr. Trump about some of the matters he is investigating, like the president’s role in providing a misleading response last summer to a New York Times article about a meeting Mr. Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. had with Russians offering dirt on Hillary Clinton. The advisers have also argued that on other matters — like the allegations that the president asked James B. Comey, then the F.B.I. director, to end the investigation into the former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn — the president acted within his constitutional authority and cannot be questioned about acts that were legal
Does The POTUS have the constitutional authority to ask the FBI director to end the investigation into the former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn? If so, then does the Special Counsel lack the legal standing to question Mr. Trump about having asked the FBI director to end the investigation into the former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn?
When did Trump learn that Flynn had lied to the FBI? Would The POTUS still have the constitutional authority to ask the FBI director to end the investigation into a former national security adviser whom The POTUS might have already known had lied to the FBI?
IOW, did Trump have the constitutional authority to obstruct justice? Is obstruction of justice a legal act when The POTUS does it? Can Trump refuse to be questioned by the Special Counsel about the supposedly legal act of obstructing justice?
Sheriff Trump is standing tall in the dusty street at high noon as the land baron’s “gunslinger” and corrupt
outlaw of the “deep state” emerges, under the color of authority, from the shadows of the swamp
challenging the sheriff to a duel.
“DRAW”!
Draw, Hatchet Man Mueller. Subpoena an innocent man. You can’t handle the truth – the memos – the texts
– the 30,000 e-mails – the “unmasking” – the “wiretapping” – Obama using Hillary’s illegal e-mail address –
your impeachment scam being Strzok’s pre-planned “insurance policy”
“OBAMAGATE”
In Technicolor
Opening soon in a theater near you!
Turley said, “For those of us who have questioned the evidence of criminal conduct, the attacks are curious since they fit a narrative put forward by the President’s critics.”
Indeed! It is also curious that Turley won’t spell out what narrative the President’s critics have put forward. Well, it’s not Turley’s preferred narrative; so he’s under no obligation to spell it out. Hmmm . . .
A) Trump has nothing to hide; he’s just combative by nature.
B) Trump has something to hide and that’s why Trump is being so combative.
C) Somebody else besides Trump has something to hide and Trump is being combative to protect that other person or those other persons.
D) Trump and some other person or persons have something to hide and that’s why Trump is being so combative.
In fairness to Turley, there’s no law against being combative by nature. Come to think of it, a certain degree of combativeness may even be a law of nature. Therefore, Trump’s combativeness is inadmissible as evidence of Trump’s knowledge of his own, nor somebody else’s, prospective guilt on any criminal charge.
No. Wait. That last sentence does read correctly.
Trump’s combativeness does not “prove” Trump’s knowledge of his own, nor somebody else’s, prospective guilt on any criminal charge. Instead, Trump’s combativeness raises and constantly nurtures the suspicion of Trump’s consciousness of his own and somebody else’s prospective guilt on some sort of criminal charge or charges. Surely Turley is entertaining that exact same suspicion, even whilst dutifully questioning the evidence of criminal conduct that Robert Swan Mueller The Third, who will no be deterred, has not yet “released” to the public, let alone, to Turley.
“The calling to ‘stop’ Schiff is disconcerting …”
In the context of Trump’s tweet, I’m pretty sure that “The calling to ‘stop’ Schiff” was directed to the sentence that immediately preceded it: “Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information.”
That’s what Trump’s tweet says must be stopped. Come on, Professor Turley — up your game. Your criticism of Trump’s call to stop Schiff resembles CNN nonsense well below your usual standards.
That said, Trump’s tweeting really throws a monkey wrench into the mechanisms of justice if/when any of the conspirators are ever indicted. It makes it all look like an attempt at political revenge instead of justice. As someone that wants to see meaningful prosecutions — which are the ONLY way to clean up the government (firings alone aren’t gonna do it) — I’ve been calling Trump’s tweets about the investigations ill-advised for months. He really needs to cool it. As good as it probably feels to attack the clowns on twitter, it undermines the case against them. We saw how all of that will play out when Nunes’ memo was released and the first thing democrats did was accuse Nunes of working in concert with Trump.
If he keeps it up, Congressional investigators could dig up videos of Hillary Clinton taking cash bribes from Vladimir Putin while partying in a hot tub, and democrats would say it’s just evidence that Congressional investigators are working with Trump to smear Hillary.
Trump is obviously a supreme tactician — has obviously not only read but comprehended the ancient Chinese classic, The Art of War — but the strategy behind throwing a monkey wrench into potential prosecutions of those that have been working to overthrow him totally escapes me
WB re “I’ve been calling Trump’s tweets about the investigations ill-advised for months. He really needs to cool it. As good as it probably feels to attack the clowns on twitter, it undermines the case against them. We saw how all of that will play out when Nunes’ memo was released and the first thing democrats did was accuse Nunes of working in concert with Trump.”
I don’t see how it undermines the case – evidence is evidence even if he’s sent out Tweets – his base loves them and most Indies don’t care. It’s only the RINOs/DINOs who are upset
Agree.
Do we have The Donald to credit for the current state of the stock market?
T rump made it go up so he must be. Some call it da Nunes market. T rump did send Yellin packin so their is that. Kochs don’t like it. Hrlloooo Pence.
Sure Dave, if it makes you feel good.
Personally, I try to avoid being happy over the misfortunes of fellow citizens just because of a deranged partisan hatred.
If Trump gets bagged on anything, it will have nothing to do with the Russians. It will be something else they trip over in their investigation.
No Turley. Trump is showing panty boy conservatives how to fight. The loudest and nastiest wins. Always has!
Yeah! What you said!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
My thought is that Trump is direct and tells the truth. He is called all kinds of names and threatened and so is his family. Just like he said he was wire tapped and MSM mocked him, it has all come out to be true. He’s not stupid, but as long as the left thinks he is, they will continue to destroy themselves, which is good. Listen to Mark Levin’s radio show from 2/5. He gives some good history of some bad stuff with FBI from 30 years ago and Clintons. It never ends. But it will with our President Trump
The Donald has no conception of the truth.
Right on.
(music- )
Well I went out with a waitress…
That I hardly knew.
How was I to know…
She was with the Russians too?
“All roads lead to Hillary and Obama.”
– Mark Levin
They caused T rump
To crash da matkets.
Every human is a leaker. It depends on where and how you do it. Peeing off the balcony of the Trump Hotel onto a crowded sidewalk below is beyond the Pale. Not speaking of Palin here.
Here’s the “competent and able” Schiff explaining why the Russians love our 2nd Amendment and how we play right into their hands by loving it to:
“Apparently the Russians are very big fans of our Second Amendment. They don’t particularly want a Second Amendment of their own, but they’re really glad that we have one. The Russians would be thrilled if we were doing nothing but killing each other every day, and sadly we are.”
Prosecutor, constitutional scholar, social commentator and Russiaphile. He’s got it all! Schiff for Commiczar!
Mespo,…
I don’t know if Rep. Schiff’s district includes Hollywood, but I watch various news shows on different networks.
And it seemed like Schiff had a regular, or at least semi-regular, gig of his own on the network news.
So I tried to find some numbers….the only one I found was for the first half of 2017, and he gave 123 national TV news interviews in the first six months of 2017.
I think he’s upped his game recently, so 2018 could be a record year for him.
He’s positioning himself to takeover Feinstein’s seat in the Senate.
That would be a relief.
W. Bayer….
-I thought Feinstein was likely to run again, but I haven’t seen anything “official”.
Her answer in an interview I saw a few weeks ago seemed like she was leaning toward running again, but at age c. 85, she may have decide to pack it in.
Either way, I think Schiff is thinking about the 2020 presidential campaign.
If California is not stopped in treasonously facilitating the Mexican “Reconquista” by importing democrat voters, he may win.
You gotta wonder how long the government of the United States of America will allow the Californinsanity to persist.
The whole of California is unconstitutional.
Oh did we catch them in the act! LOL
https://twitter.com/davenyviii/status/960603633137209344
If it looks, smells like Schiff flush it. Roger Stone Jr @ infowars.com
Hillary, Comey, Mueller, McCabe, Obama, etc…
U.S. Code › Title 18 › Part I › Chapter 115 › § 2384
18 U.S. Code § 2384 – Seditious conspiracy
US Code
Notes
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2384
There’s not much left to do but mock Schiff. Tucker excels.
https://youtu.be/3ur3mNvco8E
Wait, Burce Ohr was three doors down from Rod Rosenstein.
Bruce Ohr’s wife was being paid by Fusion GPS.
Fusion GPS generated the fraudulent political “dossier” for Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton paid Fusion GPS and Bruce Ohr’s wife.
Some time ago, every American learned about the Ohr family’s involvement.
Bruce Ohr has suffered some penalty as disciplinary action.
What did Rod Rosenstein know and when did he know it?
Malice or incompetence – what’ll it be, Rod?
‘Tis a tale told by an idiot, signifying nothing.
The Democrats have no person in their ranks who can win the votes of the middle and beat Trump. Biden and Bernie are too old. Bernie too New Yorkie. Hillary: no way Jose. Maybe some governor out there.
No one in the RepubliCon Party could defeat Trump in a party nomination battle. IF he runs for a second term he will win.
Donald: bring some jobs back to America. That would make me happy. How about some tools that are for sale at Walmart and not made in China? Build the friggin wall. Shore up NAFTA and don’t close our borders to trade with Canada and Mexico. We are a triangle.
We are partners.
Keep jobs in Mexico and keep Mexicans there.
Mexicans are not the migration problem. ISIS is the migration threat.
Liberty2nd Tulsi Gabbard would have a chance BUT she’d have to defeat the DINOs in addition to Trump.
Donald:
Build a good relationship with Russia that benefits the US (Dems and RINOs be damned)
Start some major infrastructure projects
Stop it with the foreign interference
Get rid of Chatty Cathy Nikki Haley – she is an embarrassment to the US
And do NOT go to war with Iran!