Russia probes kick into high gear

[Merc14]

12 minutes ago, Agent0range said:

So what do you think about Fox News having the porn star payoff story and shelving it?  Is that political bias?

Yeah, a porn star's story from a decade ago is far more important than a president (your democrat president that YOU voted for and cheer to this day) using the American intelligence systems to spy on a political opponent and disrupt a national election.  Great priorities. LMAO

Edited January 19, 2018 by Merc14

[Agent0range]

9 minutes ago, Merc14 said:

Yeah, a porn star's story from a decade ago is far more important than a president (your democrat president that YOU voted for and cheer to this day) using the American intelligence systems to spy on a political opponent and disrupt a national election.  Great priorities. LMAO

They admitted to paying her.  Are you denying that?  Here you go again on your Hillary rant.  Again, Merc.  Check my post history.  Prior to the election, through the election, and after the election, I made it quite clear that I supported John Kasich, a republican candidate.  I thought you blocked me anyway?  Block me, please, and take your partisan BS elsewhere.  I am for country.  Not some "America First"  "MAGA" BS.  America has been great for 242 years.  I will always support the best person for the job.  So get the hell out of here with "your democrat president".  

[Vorg]

29 minutes ago, Agent0range said:

So what do you think about Fox News having the porn star payoff story and shelving it?  Is that political bias?

Go ahead and call it political bias. However it is almost a daily thing on the Liberal MSM side.

[acidhead]

1 hour ago, Agent0range said:

They admitted to paying her.  Are you denying that?  Here you go again on your Hillary rant.  Again, Merc.  Check my post history.  Prior to the election, through the election, and after the election, I made it quite clear that I supported John Kasich, a republican candidate.  I thought you blocked me anyway?  Block me, please, and take your partisan BS elsewhere.  I am for country.  Not some "America First"  "MAGA" BS.  America has been great for 242 years.  I will always support the best person for the job.  So get the hell out of here with "your democrat president".  

I like John Kasich too.  ...thought he was great in Caddy Shack... Or was that Rodney Dangerfield?

 

Edited January 19, 2018 by acidhead

[ian hacktorp]

All hell is breaking loose in Washington D.C. tonight after a four-page memo detailing extensive FISA court abuse was made available to the entire House of Representatives Thursday. The contents of the memo are so explosive, says Journalist Sara Carter, that it could lead to the removal of senior officials in the FBI and the Department of Justice and the end of Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-01-18/explosive-shocking-and-alarming-fisa-memo-set-rock-dc-end-mueller-investigation

[Gromdor]

7 minutes ago, hacktorp said:

All hell is breaking loose in Washington D.C. tonight after a four-page memo detailing extensive FISA court abuse was made available to the entire House of Representatives Thursday. The contents of the memo are so explosive, says Journalist Sara Carter, that it could lead to the removal of senior officials in the FBI and the Department of Justice and the end of Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-01-18/explosive-shocking-and-alarming-fisa-memo-set-rock-dc-end-mueller-investigation

Makes you wonder why they renewed it, if it is so bad.

[Vorg]

Well, cannot wait to hear what is in it. But it appears to be what they told us, "if you have been paying attention the last year." So to me that means, DNC, Hillary, FBI, DOJ, and Whitehouse, caught in illegal surveillance of a political adversary. And that is how nations fall. When one side starts to control all the power.

Edited January 19, 2018 by South Alabam

[ian hacktorp]

This sounds like it might go way beyond simply spying on Trump.

[Gromdor]

1 minute ago, South Alabam said:

Well, cannot wait to hear what is in it. But it appears to be what they told us, "if you have been paying attention the last year." So to me that means, DNC, Hillary, FBI, DOJ, and Whitehouse, caught in illegal surveillance of a political adversary.

Not so sure about that.  From my understanding the memo is a list of FISA abuses overall, not necessarily related to Trump. 

[acidhead]

Trump is correct once again... watch the trusted media spin this one... I think many journalists are going to jump ship 

[Vorg]

3 minutes ago, Gromdor said:

Not so sure about that.  From my understanding the memo is a list of FISA abuses overall, not necessarily related to Trump. 

But it all stems from the ones listed. That is what a congressman hinted to us that have been paying attention for the last year said. But we'll see soon i hope.

[Vorg]

Maybe that sneaky Dianne Feistein will leak this FISA memo too?

 

[Vorg]

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, said he read the memo and implied there was some sort of bias in favor of Trump's 2016 Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

"I have read the memo," he tweeted. "The sickening reality has set in. I no longer hold out hope there is an innocent explanation for the information the public has seen. I have long said it is worse than Watergate. It was #neverTrump & #alwaysHillary. #releasethememo."

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/republicans-rally-for-public-release-of-memo-on-fisa-abuses/article/2646412

[Space Commander Travis]

Here's a question for enthusiasts of the Russian conspiracy theory: do you think that Russia's Tyrant Putin would be pleased with the results thus far of his appalling and horrifying meddling in the sacred processes of American Democracy^(TM)? Do you think he'd feel that he'd got his money's worth (and let's face it, $10,000 worth of ads or whatever it was on Face Book was a pretty cost effective way of getting the Orange Tyrant into power.) Would Comrade Stalin- sorry, Putin be satisfied with what his compliant puppet has done so far? Has the Orange Tyrant's policies, insofar as anyone can make out what they are, regarding, for instance, Syria, N. Korea, and Iran, been coherent with Russia's Tyrant's plans for world domination? Have his econimic policies been in line with Russia's Tyrant's desire to sabotage the American economy? 

[RoofGardener]

14 minutes ago, Vlad the Mighty said:

Here's a question for enthusiasts of the Russian conspiracy theory: do you think that Russia's Tyrant Putin would be pleased with the results thus far of his appalling and horrifying meddling in the sacred processes of American Democracy^(TM)? Do you think he'd feel that he'd got his money's worth (and let's face it, $10,000 worth of ads or whatever it was on Face Book was a pretty cost effective way of getting the Orange Tyrant into power.) Would Comrade Stalin- sorry, Putin be satisfied with what his compliant puppet has done so far? Has the Orange Tyrant's policies, insofar as anyone can make out what they are, regarding, for instance, Syria, N. Korea, and Iran, been coherent with Russia's Tyrant's plans for world domination? Have his econimic policies been in line with Russia's Tyrant's desire to sabotage the American economy? 

I make that FOUR questions ?

[Space Commander Travis]

I think of them as variations of the same question. 

[RoofGardener]

22 minutes ago, Vlad the Mighty said:

I think of them as variations of the same question. 

... Stated Vlad the Mighty Sophist.

This document will be VERY interesting. If the reports are true, we could be seeing the death of the Democratic party ?

[Gingitsune]

2 hours ago, Vlad the Mighty said:

Here's a question for enthusiasts of the Russian conspiracy theory: do you think that Russia's Tyrant Putin would be pleased with the results thus far of his appalling and horrifying meddling in the sacred processes of American Democracy^(TM)? Do you think he'd feel that he'd got his money's worth (and let's face it, $10,000 worth of ads or whatever it was on Face Book was a pretty cost effective way of getting the Orange Tyrant into power.) Would Comrade Stalin- sorry, Putin be satisfied with what his compliant puppet has done so far? Has the Orange Tyrant's policies, insofar as anyone can make out what they are, regarding, for instance, Syria, N. Korea, and Iran, been coherent with Russia's Tyrant's plans for world domination? Have his econimic policies been in line with Russia's Tyrant's desire to sabotage the American economy? 

Let Die Spiegel answer the question:
 

Quote

Already, Russian president Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping of China are stepping into the void. This is inevitable. The message from the Trump White House is one of withdrawal - from global responsibility above all, be it for the environment, European stability or the fate of the Middle East.

So basically, international observers see Russia and China asserting their regional power even more confidently than before. Putin's grab of Crimea, then openly backing of Bashar regime's crimes against his own population is only the tip. But the buffoon for president can't get enough praise for Putin, contrary to his natural allies like fellow NATO member nations. And Xi can easily flatter him into whatever compromise he need.
 

Quote

President Trump has yet to meet a strongman who does not elicit his sympathy or a multilateral organization that does not prompt his disdain. The Saudi King, Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines and Vladimir Putin are fine. Merkel in "bad, bad Germany" is not. I hear that Merkel and Trump scarcely speak to each other. This is worrying. Germany is the most important country in Europe and a core American ally.

[...]

My deepest concern is that Trump actually believes the post-war order was just a means to rip off America; and he buys, if anything, into Putin's macho authoritarianism and spheres of influence for the Great Powers. We saw how well that worked in the run-up to World War I.

The reality of Trump's autocratic tendencies should not be waved away. He is not harmless. Liberals paid a heavy price for failing to look facts in the eye at the last election. The Trump phenomenon - his appeal to millions of Americans - endures. It demands to be understood, at a time when tens of millions of other Americans hold him unfit for office - a charlatan, a fraud and a serial liar. I've been a foreign correspondent for much of my life, and visiting Trump country from New York is very similar to traveling to another country as a foreign correspondent.

[...]

 

Yet, he is dangerous. Trump has already blurred the line between truth and falsehood. He has attacked the judiciary and a free press. I had an alarming experience recently. Trump had lied, as he routinely does, about two phone calls, one from the president of Mexico and one from the head of the Boy Scouts. The calls, supposedly to congratulate him, did not exist. They were pure inventions. Asked if Trump had lied, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, "I wouldn't say it was a lie."

I actually remember shrugging. And it was the shrug that was terrifying. This is how autocrats - or would-be autocrats - cement their power. They wear you down. They take you down the rabbit hole. They want you to hear the great leader declare that 2+2=5 - and shrug.

Recently, the president tweeted: "With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!"

This is Putin territory. This is Erdogan territory. We don't know yet how far the president is prepared to go in silencing critics who do not meet his test of patriotism, while inviting his supporters to give free rein to their inner bigot. But Mueller and, eventually, a reelection campaign will tempt Trump to go a long way.

This is about the gist of how they see things in Europe. I hear the same points in Canada as well. Putin bought himself chaos, Trump doesn't need to do anything other than see conspiracies everywhere and undermine his own country's institutions, judges, press, FBI, you name it.

[Astra.]

There's never a dull moment on Capitol Hill that's for sure.

Idk, I can't help but wonder if this memo is all poo poo and is being used as a possible distraction because Mueller might be closing in on something big ?....I mean why don't they just release this bigger than Watergate bombshell to the public and be done with it ?

Besides that, weren't the FBI already investigating things long before Steele came along, and British spies were first to spot Trump team's links with Russia back in 2015. 

Allies of the US , including Australia had also passed on electronic intelligence as to what they knew as well.  

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/13/british-spies-first-to-spot-trump-team-links-russia

 

 

[Tiggs]

2 minutes ago, Astra. said:

There's never a dull moment on Capitol Hill that's for sure.

Idk, I can't help but wonder if this memo is all poo poo and is being used as a possible distraction because Mueller might be closing in on something big ?

Word on the 'vine is that Nunes' personally wrote a four-page summary that misses key pieces of information and exaggerates its findings.

Can't imagine why Nunes -- a member of the Trump transition team -- might want to derail the ongoing investigation into the Trump transition team. Total mystery.
 

46 minutes ago, Astra. said:

I mean why don't they just release this bigger than Watergate bombshell to the public and be done with it ?

It will be. It was purposefully designed to be released. Republicans have the majority on the House Intel Committee, so can vote to release whatever they want to the public, as long as the President is willing to declassify it.

The more interesting question is -- how much of it will survive public scrutiny?

[preacherman76]

Whatever is in this memo it must be really bad. Dems didn't even want the members of the house to see it.

[preacherman76]

25 minutes ago, Tiggs said:

Word on the 'vine is that Nunes' personally wrote a four-page summary that misses key pieces of information and exaggerates its findings.

Can't imagine why Nunes -- a member of the Trump transition team -- might want to derail the ongoing investigation into the Trump transition team. Total mystery.
 

It will be. It was purposefully designed to be released. Republicans have the majority on the House Intel Committee, so can vote to release whatever they want to the public, as long as the President is willing to declassify it.

The more interesting question is -- how much of it will survive public scrutiny?

Im sure folks like yourself wont be impressed. You have already decided that. You are already questioning the integrity of it. You don't have any idea what's in it.

Fortunately neither side of the public gets to decide the outcome of it.

[Tiggs]

Just now, preacherman76 said:

Im sure folks like yourself wont be impressed. You have already decided that. You are already questioning the integrity of it. You don't have any idea what's in it.

Well -- I have some idea:

“[T]he Majority voted today on a party-line basis to grant House Members access to a profoundly misleading set of talking points drafted by Republican staff attacking the FBI and its handling of the investigation,” Rep. Adam Schiff, the committee’s top Democrat, said in a statement. “Rife with factual inaccuracies and referencing highly classified materials that most of Republican Intelligence Committee members were forced to acknowledge they had never read, this is meant only to give Republican House members a distorted view of the FBI.”

Source: Politico
 

Just now, preacherman76 said:

Fortunately neither side of the public gets to decide the outcome of it.

We still have something called the Free Press. I suspect they'll have something to say about the reports integrity, or otherwise.

[RoofGardener]

28 minutes ago, Tiggs said:

Well -- I have some idea:

“[T]he Majority voted today on a party-line basis to grant House Members access to a profoundly misleading set of talking points drafted by Republican staff attacking the FBI and its handling of the investigation,” Rep. Adam Schiff, the committee’s top Democrat, said in a statement. “Rife with factual inaccuracies and referencing highly classified materials that most of Republican Intelligence Committee members were forced to acknowledge they had never read, this is meant only to give Republican House members a distorted view of the FBI.”

Source: Politico
 

We still have something called the Free Press. I suspect they'll have something to say about the reports integrity, or otherwise.

Indeed Tiggs, indeed. Unless it turns out to be accurate, in which case I predict a deafening silence from WaPo and the New York Times

Well, probably not a "silence" exactly, but certainly an ENORMOUS spin exercise.

[preacherman76]

33 minutes ago, Tiggs said:

Well -- I have some idea:

“[T]he Majority voted today on a party-line basis to grant House Members access to a profoundly misleading set of talking points drafted by Republican staff attacking the FBI and its handling of the investigation,” Rep. Adam Schiff, the committee’s top Democrat, said in a statement. “Rife with factual inaccuracies and referencing highly classified materials that most of Republican Intelligence Committee members were forced to acknowledge they had never read, this is meant only to give Republican House members a distorted view of the FBI.”

Source: Politico
 

We still have something called the Free Press. I suspect they'll have something to say about the reports integrity, or otherwise.

LOL yea cause politico has seen it right? You know its real bad when they are spinning things that they have no idea what they are talking about lol. Or are they taking the word of people who did all they could so no one would ever see it?

We do have free press, yet CNN cant seem to find the time to report on it at all. At least as of early this morning. hmmm.

Personally I'm gonna reserve a full opinion till we actually see it. Though I do think there are some interesting points to observe. They fought long and hard to get all the details of what started the investigation to begin with, with the FBI kicking and screaming the whole way. And just days after they got all the information, that the FBI wanted to be forever unknown, this memo comes out. I'd say it was very possible anything you hear from the people who wanted all this concealed, for all this time, are now going into full damage control.

If half of what the republicans say about it is true, there will be no recovering from it.