That's a good thing.

I think it could be a good thing for congressional republicans. By the investigation being compartmentalized it may allow them to get back to their legislative priorities.

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Good (non-partisan) point. I also think it reflects well on Rosenstein.

At least now the GOP House majority leader can either confirm or put to rest his suspicions about Trump being on Putin's payroll.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

I would love to think this will put an end to the speculation and get everyone back to doing their jobs, but frankly I think the side which doesn't get the finding / outcome they believe is correct will cry foul and it will continue.

Dems 6 months ago: Comey deserves to be fired!
The Donald: You're fired!
Dems now: Trump's fired Comey, he's worse than Hitler!

I am so fucking over this.

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Swim. Overbike. Walk.

Holy shit this stuff is literally unbelievable. Makes House of Cards look totally tame.

xtremrun wrote:

Special counsel to investigate the Russian allegations!

Lock him up!

The problem is only the people in denial don't see Manafort, Flynn and Carter page are up to their eyeballs. Now just heard a report that Russian banker Jared met with financed a Trump property. It's only going to get worse.

Mueller seems well suited. no telling what he'll find if he really digs into Russian money chichanery

Now reported that wh knew flynn under investigation longer than previously reported and still waited 18 days to fire him...

By worse you mean media attempting to strengthen the frame and confirmation bias? Yep.

Lets wait and see what the investigation yields before we start hanging people from lamp posts. Or have we completely discarded due process in favour of pursuing an agenda?

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Swim. Overbike. Walk.

Dems 6 months ago: Comey deserves to be fired!
The Donald: You're fired!
Dems now: Wait, you're happy with the guy until you find out he's probably investigating you so you fire him? WTF

FIFY

The Republicans have the House, Senate, and White House, can't get anything done and you're blaming the Democrats?

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TEAM HD
Each day is what you make of it so make it the best day possible.

Oh boy we finally get to see Trumps tax returns. And Duffy, you are right in that he probably had ties to banks from all over the world, but he has said flatly that he has no Russian business going on. It will not be that he has Russian ties, just the he has continually lied about them. The old Martha Stewart conundrum, cover up worst than the actual crime.

And you know the old saying about a woman scorned, that goes double for an acting/assistant attorney general!!! Bet the talking heads at the White House wish they had never cooked up that first excuse to fire Comey now. Talking about coming back to bite you...

What has the lack of legislation getting passed have anything to do with Comey getting fired? And when did I blame the democrats, since I presume you're responding to my post?

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Swim. Overbike. Walk.

If someone lies about you to the point that you are close to quitting your job because your reputation was so tarnished from the lie, probably should expect that person to be a little angry about you. People with biases run all of our companies and agencies. Probably a good idea not to severely piss off the one guy that can ruin you, even if you are president.

Either way this was going to happen once Comey was fired, it was just a matter of when and by whom. And never saw rats jump so fast from a sinking ship, who will be the last ones off the titanic here?

And I am not gloating one bit, I'm actually getting more afraid of what is coming after. Pence Im afraid is going to make us long for the days of Trump!

After listening to legal analysis of the decision, I think it's going to turn out to be a disaster for people like me, who just want to know the truth. If they're correct in their assessments, we'll end up knowing less, and not more, about the nature of the relationships (or lack thereof) between Trump's team and Russia, about his tax returns, his meddling in the FBI investigation, the content of the Comey memos, etc., because the existence of a special prosecutor moves all of that material behind closed doors, only to be revealed if there's a recommendation to prosecute, whereas an independent commission and congressional investigation would sift through that material publicly.

The most likely scenario, I suspect, is that Trump and co. will have been found to have been dishonest in their accounting of the details at nearly every turn, but that no actionable crime will be uncovered, and so none of their deception will be revealed, and Trump will claim victory and reinforce the lie that it's all about media persecution, and nothing more.

This appointment may ultimately provide him the cover of implied credibility he desperately needs.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

Yes. Also I beg to differ with you as I don't think there's really anything there. But regardless, outcome as you say.

Also, in the meantime, this takes the heat off Trump on a day to day basis. Democrats gotta find a new move now.

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It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

Dems 6 months ago: Comey deserves to be fired!
The Donald: You're fired!
Dems now: Trump's fired Comey, he's worse than Hitler!

You are being intellectually dishonest if you pretend that you don't see why the Dems wanted Comey fired and then were upset with how and when it was done.

Eh, I'm not so sure it works that way for him. In fact, I'm certain it doesn't.

I think it's far more likely than not that there is no crime to uncover--at least, initially--but Trump's inability to tolerate the existence of doubt or suspicion regarding his election victory has driven him to behave as though he's got something to hide. I mean, looking at the events as they've unfolded; it's progressed from baseless denials of Russian interference, even at the expense of the American intel community, to one massive unforced error after another, and for what? To cover up actual collusion, or to protect his fragile ego from the idea that he didn't register a clean victory? With Trump, the latter is equally as plausible as the former. There may not be a coverup going on here, but if there were, this is pretty much what it would look like.

A lengthy, broad scope investigation with teeth, into pretty much whatever Muller wants to look into, will take a heavy toll. His head space will jammed up like the beltway on a holiday weekend.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

A lengthy, broad scope investigation with teeth, into pretty much whatever Muller wants to look into, will take a heavy toll.


I think a lot of members of Congress are secretly hoping the investigation is narrow and not sweeping in scope. Russian money runs through Washington pretty deeply and a lot of people might get snagged in the net and it doesn't start or stop with Trump.

I honestly think that's the most likely scenario. There was no collusion, but Trump just can't handle the investigation and the doubt, and he just melts down. And even if the investigation doesn't turn up any real criminal action or wrongdoing, it will absolutely turn up one story more embarrassing than the next.

I'm hoping for a quick resolution one way or the other, but independent investigations don't generally work that way.

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

Yes, I'm sure they were acting in the purest intentions, and weren't out to try and protect their champion/ injure the person who beat her.

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Swim. Overbike. Walk.

I think in the telegraph it was reported that financing for a RE deal in toronto was done through a russian bank that its believed is a means of funnelling state cash in to western businesses - i am paraphrasing but the connection being state money in US presidents business

Even if a connection like this is not made, DJT does not strike me as the kind of bloke that eill ride this out. He may end up doing himself more damage than anyone else. I was always taught when in a hole stop digging.....

I was thinking just this morning that Trump's playbook from now on should be nothing more that sidestepping every and any question about Russia. Comey or Flynn with a reference to that being under the review of the Special Counsel. It could just give him some freedom to get on with his job.

I don't think he will do that though. Based on his performance to date, I would not be at all surprised to see him do considerably more damage to himself during the SC investigation than has been done to him so far.

IIRC when Deutsche Bank sued him for $640m on a personal guarantee after the financial crisis, he countersued for $3bn claiming the GFC was force majeure. It's that sort of stupidly aggressive counterstroke that could really fuck him.

"get everyone back to doing their jobs,"

True, you didn't blame one side or the other but based on your Dems Hitler comment I took a leap.

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TEAM HD
Each day is what you make of it so make it the best day possible.

Mueller seems like a competent no nonsense guy who likes complete control. I'm wondering how well things will work on his end given the way DC news now seems to run on leaks. Mueller will be more than a little grumpy if he has this kind of problem enter his world.

Pence is lying sack too...he headed transition team and they were apprised Flynn had foreign dealing problems long before inauguration. Then he trots out on tv shows acting hurt flynn lied to him. Hope the 40% supporting these carnies will wake up. Repubs main goal is more money and control for 1%, table scraps for rest.

Something tells me he is too shrewd to put himself in a position where he will become infamous for all the wrong reasons. While I generally have a very low opinion of everyone in DC, it seems as though there must actually be some truly damning evidence for so many people [on all three sides of the aisle] to be so far out on their respective limbs. With all of the crashing / burning they have seen in the last 25 years even complete morons would tread cautiously.

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I have a personality disorder, I don't drink coffee...

I agree. Judging from Trumps tweets this morning I don't think he understands the gravity of the situation he is in. Someone needs to take his phone. I'm thinking with Mueller we will be hearing a lot less of what's happening until the shoes start dropping. Or if he determines nothing is there. I do not
believe we will be hearing many leaks.

I do. The proof is in their legislation. They believe in trickle down economics. The more money they save the rich, the more the rich can piss down on our heads, I mean trickle down to us.

Ha Ha awesome. You may want to look in the mirror.

Which is the more likely result:

1. He finds a connection between Trump's Campaign and the Russians.
2. Trump perjures himself.
3. Nothing happens.
4. 1 and 2.
5. All of the above.

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Suffer Well.

Connections exist. The question is of criminal collusion. That's for the special councel to decide.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

I was a republican all my life until I became discussed with their lack of social compassion and lack of fiscal responsibility. I never said 1% blah blah blah. I call it the way I see it. The republicans legislation continues to benefit those making over $250,000. They do not believe in any safety net for those less fortunate among us. They want to eliminate all subsidies to the poor. After congress has robbed social security for years the republicans now call it an "entitlement " and want to dissolve it too. You can call me brain washed or any other names you can think of, I don't care. That's the thing about politics, people can cherry pick and spin anything. I know what I believe and if you or anybody else thinks I'm an idiot fine. I'm old enough I'm at the point of Zero Fucks Given.

That's right up there with your "hide the decline" bullshit. Federal revenues went up *every single year* from 1971 to 2000, except for one year...1983. You know, during the Reagan years.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

What about it? Federal revenues went up *every single year* from 1971 to 2000, except one year during Reagan's term. Your statement about revenues going up during the Reagan years is meaningless at best and deceptive at worst, just like your bullshit attempt to dismiss global warming by pointing at a cherry-picked section of a temperature graph.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

Yes that's their goal. FFS. Care to take a shot at the Dems goals?

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~
"You lie!" The Prophet Joe Wilson

No surprise here. Christ you guys are out of touch lemmings

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~
"You lie!" The Prophet Joe Wilson

Did I say that you said it went up every year? No: imagine that! I'm pointing out that revenues have gone up historically *all the time*, so your bullshit about revenue going up during the Reagan years is just that: bullshit.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

For the record I didn't vote for Trump or Clinton

How I think this will play out (semi-pink but wouldn't be shocked if it happened)
- They will find that the Trump campaign talk to the Russians but no attempts at "rigging" took place
- the Clinton campaign was talking with the Russians and had them find dirt on Trump and Sanders to use in influencing the election/primary
- Huma gets arrested
- Schumer somehow is involved after all his yapping

Serious question, what are you loons considering a positive outcome when it comes to "Russian intervention" in our election?

Keep in mind the Russians have been "interfering" in elections for decades as do we. One only has to look as recently as last year to find an actual case of direct interference by our administration in a foreign election. There has been no indication they hacked voting machines. We also have had a major passing of money and influence from the Chinese and Russians by past administrations if one chooses to be honest.

So I guess you need to define "influence" as it applies to reality and legality.

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~
"You lie!" The Prophet Joe Wilson

Last try: you made a statement about revenues going up during the Reagan years, as if that had fuck-all to do with his policies. I pointed out the steady rise in revenues from 1971 to 2000, demonstrating that pointing to a subset of the data as evidence of anything related to policy during the Reagan years was bullshit. Revenues went up even during the Carter administration.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

You don't make blanket statements and create villains? You? Hahahahhahahahahahahha

Why don't you go back and read every single post you have made about the Democratic Party or Hillary and Bill. I bet you actually believe what you wrote, which is sad.

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Proud member of the MSF (Maple Syrup Mafia)

You are the first to quote factually dubious items about them. And I am not going to wade through your million posts. You have a deep double standard.

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Proud member of the MSF (Maple Syrup Mafia)

I am not making that mistake. I get what you are saying. When I accuse you of being a righty or a Trump ball washer I am yanking your chain a little. But I will say this in all seriousness... you are much much harsher on those on the left than those in the right. You are the first to jump on the rampant hypocrisy of the left, but when others do the same for those on the right you accuse them of hysterics.

It is easy to mistake you for a righty. That's all.

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Proud member of the MSF (Maple Syrup Mafia)

You are trying to draw conclusions on WAY to little data.

Revenue increased each year. Sooo, how much? One dollar? Tripled each year? Nobody appears to have looked at the data in any meaningful way (especially you) to be able to draw any conclusions from it. If revenue went up say 10% per year during Carter, but only 2% per year under Reagan, the just maybe higher tax rates do increase revenue. Or maybe it's the opposite? You never said anything that would validate your claim in any way shape or form. You just took a crumb of data and made a wild extrapolation from it. Not really worth the electrons used to transport it to us.

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Kevin

http://kevinmetcalfe.dreamhosters.com
My Strava

The tactic is called stonewalling. One method is epitomized by Tucker Carlson, which is whenever you are in the middle of making a good point, he interrupts you with a new question which prevents you from ever making your point.

Duffy's tactic is a little more common for the internet. Its basically done by displaying a lack of understanding for your point. I've never quite understood why someone would use this version, but its pretty common. Your point is still made, and everyone gets to read it for themselves, but your adversary feels like he's victorious because you were unable to convince him due to his lack of understanding.

You'll note in this case that the tactic shifted slightly. Revenues went up in the Reagan years with lower taxes (drawing a correlation), but then you point out that they went up under every tax policy. After going back and forth and displaying lack of understanding of your point, he has now reverse the argument as if it was you making the claim that revenues went up when taxes were raised and shows that there's no correlation between income tax rates and federal revenues.

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-----------------------------Baron Von Speedypants
-----------------------------RunTraining articles here:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...runtraining;#1612485

The two huge post-2000 dips and the far lower speculative bubble peaks between 2000 & 2007 correlate very strongly with the Bush tax cuts, which were failed efforts to double down on supply-side theory. The results are very clear from your graph, if you would just look at it. Regarding the Reagan years, I won't scream "Deficits" but allow me to point out "Demographics", namely an explosion in the number of working women coinciding with the prime earning years of the boomer generation, which pushed labor participation rates to levels that we will never see again.

    Heard this evening that Rosenstein said the Trump decision to fire Comey was made before he wrote the laundry list of reasons. He was not happy with being the focus of the firing, and that played in his decision to appoint special counsel.
-
ps Trump actually said as much, and we sort of laughed at it as another "it's all about me" Trump moment...it was reality this time

Just watched Trump's 4 minute speech from yesterday and he states again the memo was one of the reasons he fired Comey. It is unbelievable. I do not think he can remember what he says from one day to the next.

Trump allegedly told the Russians in the Oval Office that Comey was a "nut job" and that firing him "eased pressure" from the investigation.

https://www.nytimes.com/...ssia-comey.html?_r=0

Inconceivable that we'd have an American President behaving like this. Except that it's Donald Trump, and this is exactly how I would expect him to behave. What an asshole.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

Was watching some stuff last night. There are a lot of people in the FBI who are on Comey's side with access to a lot of things. I suspect there will continue to be documents read to reporters for a long time.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

No wonder Trump didn't take Putin up on his offer to release transcripts of the meeting! ;)

I wonder if the Russians' idiomatic grasp of English extends to "nut job".

Hey, kinda like Hillary's emails... Lock her up! Lock her up!

I said all through the campaign when people kept labeling Hillary a criminal (certainly not without reason), that the only difference was Trump hadn't been in a position yet to do the exact same shit ~ he's every bit as slimy and dishonest, only he simply didn't have the same access/opportunity to violate the duties & ethics of a public officeholder up to that point.

Yet, then we have this...

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/19/rosenstein-on-comey-memo-wrote-it-believe-it-stand-by-it.html


Best thing that could happen is for the media to begin doing their job, or at least not trying to do the crazy liberals job and let Mueller move forward. Of course, we already have idiots on the left writing fearful pleas stating, Mueller likely won't find anything illegal but what Trump and Russia did is BAD, very BAD!!


Sorry, Trump may be finished but in all of this the Democratic Party and the media will be the biggest losers of all.

Democrats are essentially begging for President Pence, so it would appear they're resigned to their fate.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

"Sorry, Trump may be finished but in all of this the Democratic Party and the media will be the biggest losers of all."


The only truth in your statement was that Trump may be finished.

The media?! You're kidding, right? Thank goodness the NYT is doing such good reporting. Trump continues to show such an immense lack of good judgement it's really hard to believe. Those meetings in the Oval Office with foreign dignitaries have record keepers writing down what is being said, and those transcripts are distributed. Never mind the inappropriateness of saying what he said about the FBI director to Russian officials, he should have been well aware that what was being said may get out.

Trump has treated Comey in a shameful way for someone who has given so much to this country and those defending Trump should begin to acknowledge this.

A good job reporting what? Have you nut jobs even read their stories? And yes they are just that, stories because they are devoid of anything except "anonymous sources" and "anonymous memos" of which zero real evidence has come forth. Don't believe it, ask Dianne, one of the craziest lefties out there.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/05/19/feinstein_no_evidence_of_russian_collusion_with_trump_campaign_but_there_are_rumors.html


Comey was treated in a shameful way? LOL FFS get on some meds ASAP.

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~
"You lie!" The Prophet Joe Wilson

You should know that nothing Trump does will stop those who choose to defend his idiocy.









Plus he is a fatty.

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Proud member of the MSF (Maple Syrup Mafia)