The Official Trash Impeachment Thread

[boutons_deux]

It’s bigger than Flynn. New Russia revelations widen Trump’s credibility gap.



THE BIG IDEA: The credibility gap – maybe chasm is a better word at this point – keeps widening for Donald Trump and his White House.

Two days after Trump’s victory, Russia’s deputy foreign minister told a reporter in Moscow that “there were contacts” between Russian officials and the Trump campaign. “Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage,” he said. That prompted a vigorous denial from Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks, who insisted there had been “no contact with Russian officials.”

• On Jan. 11, an NBC reporter asked Trump whether members of his staff were in contact with Russian officials during the campaign. “No,” he replied.
• On Jan. 15, Mike Pence was asked basically the same question on two Sunday shows. “Of course not,” he replied on Fox and CBS.
• Yesterday afternoon, Sean er stood by Trump’s earlier denials during the daily briefing when questioned by ABC.

From the lead story in today's New York Times: “Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald J. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election,

according to four current and former American officials. American law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee … The officials said the intercepted communications were not limited to Trump campaign officials, and included other associates of Mr. Trump. On the Russian side, the contacts also included members of the government outside of the intelligence services, they said…

“The call logs and intercepted communications are part of a larger trove of information that the F.B.I. is sifting through as it investigates the links between Mr. Trump’s associates and the Russian government, as well as the hacking of the D.N.C. …

As part of its inquiry, the F.B.I. has obtained banking and travel records and conducted interviews…The Times story notes that these intercepted calls are different from the wiretapped conversations last year between Michael Flynn, who resigned as former national security adviser the night before last, and Sergey Kislyak, Russia’s ambassador to the United States: “

The National Security Agency, which monitors the communications of foreign intelligence services, initially captured the calls between Mr. Trump’s associates and the Russians as part of routine foreign surveillance. After that, the F.B.I. asked the N.S.A. to collect as much information as possible about the Russian operatives on the phone calls, and to search through troves of previous intercepted communications that had not been analyzed. …

The F.B.I. has closely examined at least three other people close to Mr. Trump, although it is unclear if their calls were intercepted.

They are Carter Page, a businessman and former foreign policy adviser to the campaign;

Roger Stone, a longtime Republican operative;

and Mr. Flynn.”

“High-level advisers close to … Trump were in constant communication during the campaign with Russians known to US intelligence, (according to) multiple current and former intelligence, law enforcement and administration officials

• “Adding to US investigators' concerns were intercepted communications between Russian officials before and after the election discussing their belief that they had special access to Trump, two law enforcement officials tell CNN.”
• “One concern was whether Trump associates were coordinating with Russian intelligence operatives over the release of damaging information about the Hillary Clinton campaign. ‘If that were the case, then that would escalate things,’ one official briefed on the investigation said.”

Flynn’s departure has lent new gravity and intensity to long-simmering questions about Trump and Russia. “There was already a cloud hanging over the administration when it comes to Russia, and this darkens the cloud,” said Eliot Cohen, who served as an adviser to the George W. Bush administration and has been a vocal Trump critic. “This is serious.”

WIDENING THE APERTURE FURTHER – MOSCOW IS TESTING US:
-- Russia’s escalation in Ukraine after Putin’s call with Trump is part of a broader effort to gauge how much Russia can get away with now that they have allies in the White House.

-- In the Black Sea last week, multiple Russian aircraft buzzed a U.S. destroyer on patrol in an incident that the captain of the American ship called “unsafe.”

-- Even more alarming: Russia is secretly deploying a new cruise missile in violation of a treaty with the United States, watching to see if the White House pushes back.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...t-draw7&wpmm=1

[Thread]

It’s bigger than Flynn. New Russia revelations widen Trump’s credibility gap.



THE BIG IDEA: The credibility gap – maybe chasm is a better word at this point – keeps widening for Donald Trump and his White House.

Two days after Trump’s victory, Russia’s deputy foreign minister told a reporter in Moscow that “there were contacts” between Russian officials and the Trump campaign. “Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage,” he said. That prompted a vigorous denial from Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks, who insisted there had been “no contact with Russian officials.”

• On Jan. 11, an NBC reporter asked Trump whether members of his staff were in contact with Russian officials during the campaign. “No,” he replied.
• On Jan. 15, Mike Pence was asked basically the same question on two Sunday shows. “Of course not,” he replied on Fox and CBS.
• Yesterday afternoon, Sean er stood by Trump’s earlier denials during the daily briefing when questioned by ABC.

From the lead story in today's New York Times: “Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald J. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election,

according to four current and former American officials. American law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee … The officials said the intercepted communications were not limited to Trump campaign officials, and included other associates of Mr. Trump. On the Russian side, the contacts also included members of the government outside of the intelligence services, they said…

“The call logs and intercepted communications are part of a larger trove of information that the F.B.I. is sifting through as it investigates the links between Mr. Trump’s associates and the Russian government, as well as the hacking of the D.N.C. …

As part of its inquiry, the F.B.I. has obtained banking and travel records and conducted interviews…The Times story notes that these intercepted calls are different from the wiretapped conversations last year between Michael Flynn, who resigned as former national security adviser the night before last, and Sergey Kislyak, Russia’s ambassador to the United States: “

The National Security Agency, which monitors the communications of foreign intelligence services, initially captured the calls between Mr. Trump’s associates and the Russians as part of routine foreign surveillance. After that, the F.B.I. asked the N.S.A. to collect as much information as possible about the Russian operatives on the phone calls, and to search through troves of previous intercepted communications that had not been analyzed. …

The F.B.I. has closely examined at least three other people close to Mr. Trump, although it is unclear if their calls were intercepted.

They are Carter Page, a businessman and former foreign policy adviser to the campaign;

Roger Stone, a longtime Republican operative;

and Mr. Flynn.”

“High-level advisers close to … Trump were in constant communication during the campaign with Russians known to US intelligence, (according to) multiple current and former intelligence, law enforcement and administration officials

• “Adding to US investigators' concerns were intercepted communications between Russian officials before and after the election discussing their belief that they had special access to Trump, two law enforcement officials tell CNN.”
• “One concern was whether Trump associates were coordinating with Russian intelligence operatives over the release of damaging information about the Hillary Clinton campaign. ‘If that were the case, then that would escalate things,’ one official briefed on the investigation said.”

Flynn’s departure has lent new gravity and intensity to long-simmering questions about Trump and Russia. “There was already a cloud hanging over the administration when it comes to Russia, and this darkens the cloud,” said Eliot Cohen, who served as an adviser to the George W. Bush administration and has been a vocal Trump critic. “This is serious.”

WIDENING THE APERTURE FURTHER – MOSCOW IS TESTING US:
-- Russia’s escalation in Ukraine after Putin’s call with Trump is part of a broader effort to gauge how much Russia can get away with now that they have allies in the White House.

-- In the Black Sea last week, multiple Russian aircraft buzzed a U.S. destroyer on patrol in an incident that the captain of the American ship called “unsafe.”

-- Even more alarming: Russia is secretly deploying a new cruise missile in violation of a treaty with the United States, watching to see if the White House pushes back.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...t-draw7&wpmm=1

FAKE NEWS

[boutons_deux]

The House GOP won’t investigate Trump due to “executive privilege.” That’s nonsense.

Rep. Devin Nunes, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said his committee wouldn’t be looking into conversations between President Trump and Flynn. Those conversations, Nunes said, would be covered by executive privilege, the president’s right to keep conversations with his advisers secret from Congress and the courts.

Experts disputed whether that’s true, given that Trump wasn’t in office when Flynn’s conversation with the Russian ambassador occurred. More broadly, though, the reaction from the House GOP is unusual. Members of Congress also don’t usually shrug and say, essentially, “Executive privilege — what can you do?” when faced with a potential investigation.

Usually, Congress goes ahead and asks for more information. It’s up to the White House to decide whether to claim executive privilege rather than respond.

Executive privilege is for presidents, not Congress

Executive privilege is an excuse for presidents not to answer questions. It’s never been an excuse for Congress not to ask them.

“Congress investigates,” says Mark Rozell, dean of the school of policy and government at George Mason University and the author of a book on executive privilege. He explained via email:

“The White House then decides whether to make a privilege claim. Having Congress take the lead is completely backwards.”

http://www.vox.com/2017/2/15/1461609...tive-privilege

[boutons_deux]

[clambake]

hmmmm, boo call that phone number

[Thread]

I hope that Chaffetz is fellow is holding his breath.

[boutons_deux]

Trump’s Republican Support Is Cracking As Momentum Grows For Independent Investigation

The wall of Congressional Republicans supporting Trump has begun to crack as calls are growing for an independent investigation into the President's relationship with Russia.

Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) supported Mike Flynn testifying before Congress during an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe:

The really bad news for Trump came from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) who said that proof any contact between the Trump campaign and Russia would justify a full independent investigation into all matters related to Russia and Trump:

The wheels are being set into motion for a full-scale, independent investigation into Donald Trump. The keywords that Sen. Graham used were “all things related to Russia.”

The investigation wouldn’t be centered on Flynn’s activities, but the activities and communications of the entire Trump campaign with Russia.

The Russia scandal has the potential to take out Trump, Pence, the upper White House staff, and Republican Congressional leader Speaker of the House Ryan and Majority Leader McConnell.

It is a scandal that could be bigger than Watergate in size and scope because it involves a presidential campaign potentially colluding with a foreign power that is hostile to the United States to win an election.

If an independent investigation is launched, it will mean years of scandal, that will wreck the Trump presidency.

http://www.politicususa.com/2017/02/...tm_campaign=im

Trash won't be able to bull his way to safety, like he bull ted LIES throughout and since the campaign.

[Thread]

Trump’s Republican Support Is Cracking As Momentum Grows For Independent Investigation

The wall of Congressional Republicans supporting Trump has begun to crack as calls are growing for an independent investigation into the President's relationship with Russia.

Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) supported Mike Flynn testifying before Congress during an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe:

The really bad news for Trump came from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) who said that proof any contact between the Trump campaign and Russia would justify a full independent investigation into all matters related to Russia and Trump:

The wheels are being set into motion for a full-scale, independent investigation into Donald Trump. The keywords that Sen. Graham used were “all things related to Russia.” The investigation wouldn’t be centered on Flynn’s activities, but the activities and communications of the entire Trump campaign with Russia.The Russia scandal has the potential to take out Trump, Pence, the upper White House staff, and Republican Congressional leader Speaker of the House Ryan and Majority Leader McConnell. It is a scandal that could be bigger than Watergate in size and scope because it involves a presidential campaign potentially colluding with a foreign power that is hostile to the United States to win an election.If an independent investigation is launched, it will mean years of scandal, that will wreck the Trump presidency.
http://www.politicususa.com/2017/02/...tm_campaign=im

I'm all for it. There is the truth, and then everything else.

[clambake]

lindsey lol

[hater]

Bill Clinton was impeached not Trump

[Thread]

Bill Clinton was impeached not Trump

[hater]

lindsey lol

If Anyone had listened to Lyndsey last few years wed be living in underground caves with a radioactive wasteland above us hes a cartoon character

[mavsfan1000]

Boutons picking the most dishonest articles.

[Th'Pusher]

It's a small point, but, a valid one.

Not really. Nixon was never impeached but left office disgraced. Bill Clinton was impeached but maintained an approval rating of >50% for the last 5 years of his presidency and left office at 65%.

[Thread]

Not really. Nixon was never impeached but left office disgraced. Bill Clinton was impeached but maintained an approval rating of >50% for the last 5 years of his presidency and left office at 65%.

That's opinion. The unflyblown truth is that Clinton is the lone duly elected U.S. President to be impeached.

[boutons_deux]

The Impeachment of Hillary Clinton

ROBERT KUTTNER

Republicans would never have reversed their views on Russia for Hillary Clinton.

FEBRUARY 20 — House Judiciary Chair Bob Goodlatte announced today that the impeachment proceeding against President Hillary Clinton would proceed directly to a vote of the full House.

“We know everything we need to know,” said Goodlatte. “This woman belongs in prison, or worse, for the high crime of treason.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan added, “We knew Hillary Clinton was incompetent and we knew she was corrupt.

But trading favors with Vladimir Putin to throw the election, and to enrich the Clinton business interests, is a new low, even for the Clintons.”

“I don’t want to prejudge this, since the Senate still needs to vote to convict,” added Senate leader Mitch McConnell,” but her behavior makes Benedict Arnold look like a patriot.”

“We now know,” said Goodlatte, citing the bill of impeachment, that the Clinton campaign did the following:

Several senior aides in the campaign were in regular contact with Russian intelligence.

They signaled the Russian leadership that a Clinton administration would give the Russians a freer hand to pursue expansionary objectives.

In return, the Russians hacked into the Trump campaign’s confidential internal communications.

All this while the Clintons had extensive business interests in Russia.

Even now, an unrepentant Clinton has doubled down on her disgusting habit of selling out the security of the United States for the business interests of her family.

China. After feigning a tougher policy on Chinese, Clinton abruptly backed down and confirmed America’s One China policy—and the Chinese government suddenly violated its own laws to resolve a long-blocked trademark dispute in the Clintons’ favor.

McConnell added, “Pathetically, the Democrats have focused on the leaks, by patriotic members of the intelligence community.

They liked the leaks just fine when they were coming from Putin.

During the campaign, candidate Clinton even urged Putin to provide more leaks of confidential Republic campaign conversations.”

”This is far worse than Watergate,” said Ryan, “Because it involved meddling by America’s most treacherous global rival; and because unlike in 1972, it actually altered the election results.

I can’t believe that only a handful of Democrats are concerned about this.”

==================

OK, the shoe is on the other foot.

Most Republicans have reversed their longstanding view of the Russian threat rather than embarrass Donald Trump. It’s breathtaking.

They’re OK with having Putin be the dominant world leader as long as Republicans get their tax cuts, deregulation, Supreme Court, and dismantling of government.

With a handful of exceptions, the

Republicans already concluded that selling out America in exchange for partisan goals is an acceptable deal. Hypocrisy is rampant in politics, but this takes it to an unimagined extreme.

A curious question for this Republic is whether it’s better or worse that our would-be dictator is so thoroughly incompetent and disorganized.

You might say that a more competent demagogue would do even more damage.

By now, he would have a fully staffed administration in place. There would be less chaos, less infighting, and a more consistent game plan.

At the same time, Trump’s very weirdness makes him that much more dangerous.

Trump’s approval ratings keep dropping, but it’s a long way to 2018.

The question is which pays the price first—the Republicans or the Republic.

http://prospect.org/article/impeachment-hillary-clinton

[boutons_deux]

Nunes says no evidence about Trash and Pootin

but he refuses to investigate!

[boutons_deux]

Trump must be impeached. Here’s why.

The time has come for Congress to launch an impeachment investigation of President Trump for obstruction of justice.

The remedy of impeachment was designed to create a last-resort mechanism for preserving our cons utional system. It operates by removing executive-branch officials who have so abused power through what the framers called “high crimes and misdemeanors” that they cannot be trusted to continue in office.

Now the country is faced with a president whose conduct strongly suggests that he poses a danger to our system of government.
Ample reasons existed to worry about this president, and to ponder the extraordinary remedy of impeachment, even before he fired FBI Director James B. Comey and shockingly admitted on national television that the action was provoked by the FBI’s intensifying investigation into his campaign’s ties with Russia.

impeachable offenses could theoretically have been charged from the outset of this presidency. One important example is Trump’s brazen defiance of the foreign emoluments clause, which is designed to prevent foreign powers from pressuring U.S. officials to stray from undivided loyalty to the United States. Political reality made impeachment and removal on that and other grounds seem premature.

No longer. To wait for the results of the multiple investigations underway is to risk tying our nation’s fate to the whims of an authoritarian leader.

Consider, too, how Trump embroiled Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, despite Sessions’s recusal from involvement in the Russia investigation, in preparing admittedly phony justifications for the firing on which Trump had already decided.

Consider how Trump used the vice president and White House staff to propagate a set of blatant untruths — before giving an interview to NBC’s Lester Holt that exposed his true motivation.

Trump insisting that Comey pledge “loyalty” to him in order to retain his job. Publicly saying he saw nothing wrong with demanding such loyalty, the president turned to Twitter with a none-too-subtle threat that Comey would regret any decision to disseminate his version of his conversations with Trump — something that Comey has every right, and indeed a civic duty, to do.

To say that this does not in itself rise to the level of “obstruction of justice” is to empty that concept of all meaning.

the crucial thing is that the prospect now be taken seriously,

that the machinery of removal be reactivated, and

that the need to use it become the focus of political discourse going into 2018.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...t-draw7&wpmm=1

35% of ed up, ignorant, stupid American still support Trash, and 80%+ of Repugs do.

America (of the 99%, or 95%) and its myth of democracy are ed and un able, in permanent, irreversible decline

[Reck]

Boutons made it ya'll.

[baseline bum]

So when are congressional republicans going to start thinking they're a lot better off with Pence than with Putin's holster?

[boutons_deux]

So when are congressional republicans going to start thinking they're a lot better off with Pence than with Putin's holster?

not until after 2018 mid terms. Until then, Trash will sign everything, destroy all that the Repugs want destroyed with EOs.

Trash, like dubya and St Ronnie, is a Useful Idiot, but distracting.

[baseline bum]

not until after 2018 mid terms. Until then, Trash will sign everything, destroy all that the Repugs want destroyed with EOs.

Trash, like dubya and St Ronnie, is a Useful Idiot, but distracting.

Pence will sign everything too, and would be a lot more effective at getting their agenda through.

[boutons_deux]

Pence will sign everything too, and would be a lot more effective at getting their agenda through.

their agenda is pure destruction and tax cuts for the oligarchy. Trash is not impeding their agenda.

[RandomGuy]

That's opinion. The unflyblown truth is that Clinton is the lone duly elected U.S. President to be impeached.

Eyup.

[boutons_deux]

Pence will sign everything too, and would be a lot more effective at getting their agenda through.

Trump doesn’t embody what’s wrong with Washington. Pence does.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...t-draw7&wpmm=1