Flynnghazi: Justice Dept. warned WH that advisor vunlnerable to blackmail.

[ShadowofVashj]

Too bad rat fuck Chaffetz is currently more interested in the looking into Kermit the Frog than he is into Flynn.

It's all good... Senate GOP is rolling out the big guns. The Republicans All Along Plan B (dump Trump once he gets too toxic and lock in reliable Pence) was just a matter of time. And luckily we just have to suffer through 3 years of that and then it'll be a really interesting general election with the new boundaries set up. Really interesting times.

You know, if the US can get through this thing in decent shape and no nukes get launched, I must say I would be proud of the system. It was a contentious election on both sides, a winner was fairly chosen. New information comes to light and the system of checks and balances works itself out. I feel it's actually quite empowering.

Now all we have to do is worry about Citizens United and then get back to actually running this country properly.

[Glorious Leader]

It's all good... Senate GOP is rolling out the big guns. The Republicans All Along Plan B (dump Trump once he gets too toxic and lock in reliable Pence) was just a matter of time. And luckily we just have to suffer through 3 years of that and then it'll be a really interesting general election with the new boundaries set up. Really interesting times.

You know, if the US can get through this thing in decent shape and no nukes get launched, I must say I would be proud of the system. It was a contentious election on both sides, a winner was fairly chosen. New information comes to light and the system of checks and balances works itself out. I feel it's actually quite empowering.

Now all we have to do is worry about Citizens United and then get back to actually running this country properly.

Fairly chosen is debatable. Put aside the electoral vs popular vote debate for a minute. The republicans have rigged the process. Through voter suppresion, gerry mandering and a host of other policies they've made it incredible hard for democratic candidates to run and win elections. It's skewed HEAVILY in their favor and that says nothing about the funding and infrastructure the republicans enjoy that just isnt there on the same scale for the democrats.

[ShadowofVashj]

Fairly chosen is debatable. Put aside the electoral vs popular vote debate for a minute. The republicans have rigged the process. Through voter suppresion, gerry mandering and a host of other policies they've made it incredible hard for democratic candidates to run and win elections. It's skewed HEAVILY in their favor and that says nothing about the funding and infrastructure the republicans enjoy that just isnt there on the same scale for the democrats.

My apologies, I should have been more specific. When I said "fairly chosen" I meant in the narrowest of contexts of when it was Hillary vs. Trump, meaning I don't buy into the theory that Russia "directly" interfered with voting machines/numbers.

But I agree with your main point, Republican strategy over the years leans very heavily on gerrymandering and voter suppression no doubt.

[Skroe]

In the process this will split their base, and I doubt Trump will go easily, so expect a lot of reprisals on the GOP from him. I think the funny thing, is that people were warned that this will be bad for the GOP in the long run... but they were too blind "sticking it to liberals".... because hurting liberals is worth more than harming the country and our reputation around the world to Trumpists.

I agree with @Skroe the (some in) the GOP and Trump supporters sold their soul, and abandoned the values this country stands for believing the honey primed language of an incompetent demagogue.

And they will pay the consequences.

The Republican Party and the conservative movement must make sure that whatever we are to look like beyond Trump, those who compromised themselves to partner with Trump... to enable Trump... find themselves in permanent political exile. No forgiveness. No second chances. They embraced the most un-American candidate to run in decades and they get to live with the consequences of their choices.

I would rather the Republican Party and Conservatives be a minority party, achieving only modest victories in the face of a liberal majority, for two decades, than to make common cause with these... people... who would turn a blind eye (at best) to Russian aggression against our country in the name of narrow political advantage. In time, as has happened before, the Republican and Democratic Party will achieve an equilibrium as we on the center-right peel of centrists and center left Americans. That (and the reverse) is the recurring theme of 20th century American politics. If that means 20 years of liberalism unbound... well.. you know, we can deal with it. In the end, as Obama put very plainly, this is intramural. We have disagreements, but liberals are not conservatives enemies and vice versa. We're family who disagree.

These Trumpkins... they're extremists and it is the cause of our time to stake the vampire. We failed to do so in November. That will not be the last, or even best, opportunity. And you know what I get for saying this? "Skroe, didnt you say Hillary was going to win? Don't you learn?" Ha! Hillary was a vehicle to defeat a particular extremist. But it's the Alt-Right, and all it stands for that's always been the real enemy. Until it's been driven back into the pit where it belongs, it'll never end.

[Deleted]

I agree with @Skroe that (some in) the GOP and Trump supporters sold their soul, and abandoned the values this country stands for believing the honey primed language of an incompetent demagogue.

Or in short: Many americans listened to putinesque propaganda.

And still do. And still will at the next election.

I bet that Trump will be reelected.

[ShadowofVashj]

And they will pay the consequences.

The Republican Party and the conservative movement must make sure that whatever we are to look like beyond Trump, those who compromised themselves to partner with Trump... to enable Trump... find themselves in permanent political exile. No forgiveness. No second chances. They embraced the most un-American candidate to run in decades and they get to live with the consequences of their choices.

I would rather the Republican Party and Conservatives be a minority party, achieving only modest victories in the face of a liberal majority, for two decades, than to make common cause with these... people... who would turn a blind eye (at best) to Russian aggression against our country in the name of narrow political advantage. In time, as has happened before, the Republican and Democratic Party will achieve an equilibrium as we on the center-right peel of centrists and center left Americans. That (and the reverse) is the recurring theme of 20th century American politics. If that means 20 years of liberalism unbound... well.. you know, we can deal with it. In the end, as Obama put very plainly, this is intramural. We have disagreements, but liberals are not conservatives enemies and vice versa. We're family who disagree.

These Trumpkins... they're extremists and it is the cause of our time to stake the vampire. We failed to do so in November. That will not be the last, or even best, opportunity. And you know what I get for saying this? "Skroe, didnt you say Hillary was going to win? Don't you learn?" Ha! Hillary was a vehicle to defeat a particular extremist. But it's the Alt-Right, and all it stands for that's always been the real enemy. Until it's been driven back into the pit where it belongs, it'll never end.

Well... the way I look at it, the GOP is called the GOP because it was the "Grand Old Party" or colloquially the "Big Tent Party" so you had all of these people, the religious right, the fiscal conservatives, Rockefeller Republicans, Log Cabin Republicans, Libertarians, etc and they formed this coalition that's really more a loose association of various factions and not a more "unified" force/party as the Democrats were/are (that can be a whole other thread and I won't dive into the implications of that here).

This coalition used to work ok but I think it was around President Clinton that the infighting became more prevalent and once we got into the Obama years the Tea Party just started cannibalizing the party from within.

But like I said in the post above about the next general election and briefly mentioned here (about Democratic factions) I think a lot of groups are going to start shaking up, and don't be surprised about the rise of a new "moderate-fiscally conservative-socially liberal" wing of American politics that are long overdue.

[NYC17]

In the process this will split their base, and I doubt Trump will go easily, so expect a lot of reprisals on the GOP from him. I think the funny thing, is that people were warned that this will be bad for the GOP in the long run... but they were too blind "sticking it to liberals".... because hurting liberals is worth more than harming the country and our reputation around the world to Trumpists.

I agree with @Skroe that (some in) the GOP and Trump supporters sold their soul, and abandoned the values this country stands for believing the honey primed language of an incompetent demagogue.

It's worse than that. They may or may not have believed Trump, but they wholeheartedly believed they could control him. They're arrogant to to the point of negligence.

[Breccia]

White House press briefing supposedly coming soon. Anyone got popcorn? I can't wait to see Spicer come out in those fabulous heels again.

[NYC17]

White House press briefing supposedly coming soon. Anyone got popcorn? I can't wait to see Spicer come out in those fabulous heels again.

I still believe that the best line from SNL in years was McCarthy's "I'd like to apologize, on the behalf of you, TO ME, for the way you've treated me the past few weeks....and that apology is NOT ACCEPTED."

Haha, it just perfectly highlights the Trump absurdity.

[callipygoustp]

but they were too blind "sticking it to liberals".... because hurting liberals is worth more than harming the country and our reputation around the world to Trumpists.

I expect this mentality will not change until the Republicans get a Democrat version of Nixon.

[ControlWarrior]

Given that I rightly predicted this would not end with Flynn, Trump's messaging going forward should be "shove it".

[Deleted]

White House press briefing supposedly coming soon. Anyone got popcorn? I can't wait to see Spicer come out in those fabulous heels again.

Segway > heels.

[Deleted]

From what a few people in the senate are saying (in private) that a lot in the GOP thinks Trump is mentally ill.

I have no idea. But i believe he is infact smart as he knows how to manipulate people and act as if he was the complete opposite what he really is. People voted him for being "anti-establishment", which is a joke considering the corporate government he created.

So I am hoping they stop saying that behind closed doors and actually start investigating the various breaches of protocol, and decorum Trump has brought into the white house. Including recently talking about (national security issues on)North Korea at a public event.

I dont know what they talk behind closed doors. It is better to measure trump for his actions. And the public talk was one of those examples. Or trumps obvious lies. And his horrible choices for the speaker and the counsellor. And for his main stretegist.

The most ridiculous part is that he tries breitbarts methods in his public relations.

[NYC17]

Haha, holy hell, they're hoping to deflect everything with a mini Mnuchin press conference about the Vice President of Venezuela?

This is...so weird.

- - - Updated - - -

Another question, and sorry if it was brought up previously, but how does someone like Michael Flynn not know that his conversation with the Russian Ambassador isn't going to be monitored? I heard a caller, another General I believe, on MSNBC last night talking about what a genius intelligence officer Flynn was. I just don't know how you get to be NSA unless you know these things.

Also there's no way that Flynn would not have briefed either Trump or Pence on his call, right? Multiple in the WH had to have known. Sorry, Im sure that was probably covered before too.

- - - Updated - - -



Yea, I guess...man. That Matt Lauer interview, it's like watching someone torture a puppy. A puppy that slept in her makeup, maybe, but still.

It's more like watching a clown dressed like a puppy...

[Skroe]

I hope this does come about. I was hopeful that Paul Ryan would be that voice... but he abandoned his principles.

Unless Paul Ryan becomes Captain "Trump Must Go", he goes down with the ship.

But really, the public figures are secondary. I'm more concerned by the right wing media complex, but the internet, but the voices, who normalized repugnant believes, extremist behavior and institutionalized the politics of hate. Taking down a bad politician isn't enough. I want to burn down the field and salt it.

Basically, the question is "What is to be done about Breitbart, Sean Hannity, Anne Coulter, /r/The_Donald/, and the next iterations of all of them". The fact that Paul Ryan can't find his spine is secondary to that.

Liberals and Real Conservatives need to work together on this. America has contracted an awful disease in the form of Americans who find ways to justify extremist behavior to push a political agenda. We'll cure ourselves only by setting new boundaries on what is acceptable political behavior and sharply adhering to them.

But I suppose that's the million dollar question ultimately: how does one burn down Breitbart?

[Edge-]

White House press briefing supposedly coming soon. Anyone got popcorn? I can't wait to see Spicer come out in those fabulous heels again.

Oh man, hopefully cspan or some site will be livestreaming it. Time to take a look.

[Kontinuum]

[Edge-]

DAMN, already started. Thanks for linking it!

[Skroe]

One thing I do agree with Trump over.

Spicer's suit sucks.

- - - Updated - - -

Watch Trump fans go full 180 and be anti-Putin now.

They can try.

They don't get to get away with it.

[Belize]

Can someone give me a tl;dw of Spicer's stuff? I can't have sound on right meow.