Comey: Trump Campaign officially under investigation by the FBI

[Skroe]

Still baffling that he has a whooping 81% support among Republicans.

Ehhh, let's keep in mind something. "Who is a Republican"?

Take me. I don't know what to even call myself these days. I'm certainly conservative. I have a clear conservative vision for the country I'd like expressed through policy. I've voted Republican down ballot for as long as I've been eligible to vote.

But I want *these* Republicans to cataclysmically fail. I want Donald Trump, the Republican President to at the very least resign, and some of his subordinates hauled out of the White House in handcuffs. I want the extremist far right and the Tea Party wiped off the face of politics. I want unintellectual slick talking thugs like Sean Hannity so discredited that they have trouble making it on Local Access Basic Cable.

I find more cause with Democrats nowdays because though I thoroughly disagree with many Democratic positions, I think they aren't within a light year of the cynical depravity that has gripped the Republican Party. I think Democrats generally want to protect the country now and make it better (though I may disagree how), while I see many Republicans lying through their teeth on a daily basis.

The Republican legacy, like the Democratic one, has it's bright and dark spots, and a big part of me looks forward to the day it's taken back from the crazies and frauds. But right now? I find myself smiling at the misery of the Republican President and his supporters. I find myself rooting for Congressional Democrats to put the Republican Bullshit artists protecting Trump over RussiaGate in impossible positions.

I am conservative. But am I a Republican right now? That's less clear. I'm not the kind of person who quits a fight when they took blows to the face.

I think one interesting datapoint, if it is possible to collect, is to poll something like 1000 Republicans and chart over the next year the degree to which they identify with the "Republican Party", or something of that nature. I can tell you right now, outside of Breitbart, Conservative internet media is largely jumping for joy at the failure of Trumpcare... but that's something Republicans wanted.

So I guess the question is, not so much what WE are, but what is a Republican now?

They by the way, is very dangerous for both the Republican Party and Donald Trump. The party's electoral strategy depends on getting out people like me, who vote Republican (particularly down ballot) almost every election. What happens in 2018 if and when we defect, if not to Democrats than to third party's?

I think that may be a problem for another day though. Far my part, I have a life time ahead of me of wrestling with liberals over the direction of the country. I'll win and lose a bunch. That's fine. That's fair. For the next little bit, all that matters is getting Trump removed from office, so it really doesn't matter all that much about what I'm "defined for", perhaps as much as what I'm "defined against".

[Belize]

Anyone seen the latest shtick with Flynn? Not sure if it warrents it's own thread or if it just gets rolled up with all the other fucksicles.

Essentially ex-CIA Director Dobby Whoosley realized the ship is sinking and got a bad case of "I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT, HERE'S WHAT I KNOW" and spilled the beans about a secret Flynn/Turkey meeting he was invited to.

Turns out Flynn and the Turks talked about how to extradiate the Imam that Erdrogan hates, which involved kidnapping the dude in the middle of the night.

Huh.

[Phlegethon]

More information please. Under investigation for what?

Read it?

/10chars

[Dextroden]

Ehhh, let's keep in mind something. "Who is a Republican"?

Take me. I don't know what to even call myself these days. I'm certainly conservative. I have a clear conservative vision for the country I'd like expressed through policy. I've voted Republican down ballot for as long as I've been eligible to vote.

But I want *these* Republicans to cataclysmically fail. I want Donald Trump, the Republican President to at the very least resign, and some of his subordinates hauled out of the White House in handcuffs. I want the extremist far right and the Tea Party wiped off the face of politics. I want unintellectual slick talking thugs like Sean Hannity so discredited that they have trouble making it on Local Access Basic Cable.

I find more cause with Democrats nowdays because though I thoroughly disagree with many Democratic positions, I think they aren't within a light year of the cynical depravity that has gripped the Republican Party. I think Democrats generally want to protect the country now and make it better (though I may disagree how), while I see many Republicans lying through their teeth on a daily basis.

The Republican legacy, like the Democratic one, has it's bright and dark spots, and a big part of me looks forward to the day it's taken back from the crazies and frauds. But right now? I find myself smiling at the misery of the Republican President and his supporters. I find myself rooting for Congressional Democrats to put the Republican Bullshit artists protecting Trump over RussiaGate in impossible positions.

I am conservative. But am I a Republican right now? That's less clear. I'm not the kind of person who quits a fight when they took blows to the face.

I think one interesting datapoint, if it is possible to collect, is to poll something like 1000 Republicans and chart over the next year the degree to which they identify with the "Republican Party", or something of that nature. I can tell you right now, outside of Breitbart, Conservative internet media is largely jumping for joy at the failure of Trumpcare... but that's something Republicans wanted.

So I guess the question is, not so much what WE are, but what is a Republican now?

They by the way, is very dangerous for both the Republican Party and Donald Trump. The party's electoral strategy depends on getting out people like me, who vote Republican (particularly down ballot) almost every election. What happens in 2018 if and when we defect, if not to Democrats than to third party's?

I think that may be a problem for another day though. Far my part, I have a life time ahead of me of wrestling with liberals over the direction of the country. I'll win and lose a bunch. That's fine. That's fair. For the next little bit, all that matters is getting Trump removed from office, so it really doesn't matter all that much about what I'm "defined for", perhaps as much as what I'm "defined against".

Nothing. Because not even the rallying cry of Obama got Democrats to vote in the midterms. The Clarion call of oppose Trump only played out in certain areas. I may not be the most politically advanced around, but I see patterns and motivation is fucking God awful as it has ever been.

Side note. I wonder what will happen to his approval rating once the investigation ends and all parties are thoroughly unimpressed with the results.

[Breccia]

Anyone seen the latest shtick with Flynn?

The latest schtick is Manafort, Stone, and Page. They're all going to testify before Congress. Voluntarily.

[Daelak]

The latest schtick is Manafort, Stone, and Page. They're all going to testify before Congress. Voluntarily.

Where did you get this information l?

[Breccia]

Where did you get this information l?

I make shit up without evidence, slowly backtrack when it's proven I'm wrong, twisting and re-interpreting my statement until something like the truth matches, claim I was mostly vindicated, then go silent when that something like the truth recants.

Shit, wait, that's Trump. Here's where I got my info this time:

http://thehill.com/policy/national-s...se-intel-panel

http://thehill.com/policy/national-s...th-intel-panel

[Elegiac]

The latest schtick is Manafort, Stone, and Page. They're all going to testify before Congress. Voluntarily.

Career killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

[Breccia]

Career killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

Eh, maybe not. The key word is "voluntarily".

[Elegiac]

Eh, maybe not. The key word is "voluntarily".

Was referring to Flynn

[Barnabas]

Anyone seen the latest shtick with Flynn? Not sure if it warrents it's own thread or if it just gets rolled up with all the other fucksicles.

Essentially ex-CIA Director Dobby Whoosley realized the ship is sinking and got a bad case of "I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT, HERE'S WHAT I KNOW" and spilled the beans about a secret Flynn/Turkey meeting he was invited to.

Turns out Flynn and the Turks talked about how to extradiate the Imam that Erdrogan hates, which involved kidnapping the dude in the middle of the night.

Huh.

All that exists is a very weak case against flynn. It won't impeach trump either. If you think it's worth dragging some general through the mud for little gain then be my guest.

[Skroe]

Nothing. Because not even the rallying cry of Obama got Democrats to vote in the midterms. The Clarion call of oppose Trump only played out in certain areas. I may not be the most politically advanced around, but I see patterns and motivation is fucking God awful as it has ever been.

Do you really think after Trump Democrats will sit out in 2018? You're in for a rude awakening. Democrats won big in 2006. Very Pre-Obama.

What Democrats need to be doing over the next 18 months is standing up blue dogs. In fact, the abandonment of the blue dogs is how Democrats lost the house, progressively between 2010 to 2014. Most moderate Republicans elected in that period in ex-Blue dog districts are of the mold that Democrats recruited in 2006, and those districts could swing back the other way in 2018.

It's up to them, but you're basically hoping that a historically unpopular President gets lucky.

Side note. I wonder what will happen to his approval rating once the investigation ends and all parties are thoroughly unimpressed with the results.

Maybe you haven't been paying attention, but things aren't clearing up. They're getting worse. And this investigation could take the next two years.

Exacly at what point is this all supposed to just go away, because we're now entering April, and are averaging 1 new break in the RussiaGate per week.

Again, you're just wishing here. Fact is, you just have to look at history. Be it Lyndon Johnson after Kennedy or Ford, or Bush pre-9/11, if the opposition manages to propigate an aura of illegitimacy, which IS successfully happening to Trump, the politically corrisve effects are hard to understate.

Between Comey's testimony, the wiretapping lie blowing up, then the Trumpcare disaster, the Nunes idiocy, and now Manafort agreeing to testify, this week has been an utter and complete disaster for Donald Trump. And the two weeks prior were as well.

64 days in, and he's not putting points on the board. At all.
64 days in, he's managed to undermine his own legitimacy, he's competence and even the perception he is a "negotiator". Now... nobody will fear him ever again. They know he is a quitter.


So exactly at what point does this turn around for him? Tax Reform, which will be Trumpcare II: Judgement Day? The Budget which is already D.O.A? His Putin meeting next month or in May (I believe) which is going to have the worst optics ever for him?

Donald Trump isn't even the strongest man in the party, nevermind the country. Get with the program.

[Barnabas]

Do you really think after Trump Democrats will sit out in 2018? You're in for a rude awakening. Democrats won big in 2006. Very Pre-Obama.

What Democrats need to be doing over the next 18 months is standing up blue dogs. In fact, the abandonment of the blue dogs is how Democrats lost the house, progressively between 2010 to 2014. Most moderate Republicans elected in that period in ex-Blue dog districts are of the mold that Democrats recruited in 2006, and those districts could swing back the other way in 2018.

It's up to them, but you're basically hoping that a historically unpopular President gets lucky.




Maybe you haven't been paying attention, but things aren't clearing up. They're getting worse. And this investigation could take the next two years.

Exacly at what point is this all supposed to just go away, because we're now entering April, and are averaging 1 new break in the RussiaGate per week.

Again, you're just wishing here. Fact is, you just have to look at history. Be it Lyndon Johnson after Kennedy or Ford, or Bush pre-9/11, if the opposition manages to propigate an aura of illegitimacy, which IS successfully happening to Trump, the politically corrisve effects are hard to understate.

Between Comey's testimony, the wiretapping lie blowing up, then the Trumpcare disaster, the Nunes idiocy, and now Manafort agreeing to testify, this week has been an utter and complete disaster for Donald Trump. And the two weeks prior were as well.

64 days in, and he's not putting points on the board. At all.
64 days in, he's managed to undermine his own legitimacy, he's competence and even the perception he is a "negotiator". Now... nobody will fear him ever again. They know he is a quitter.


So exactly at what point does this turn around for him? Tax Reform, which will be Trumpcare II: Judgement Day? The Budget which is already D.O.A? His Putin meeting next month or in May (I believe) which is going to have the worst optics ever for him?

Donald Trump isn't even the strongest man in the party, nevermind the country. Get with the program.

If I was trump I would've threw that bill the house republicans came up with in the trash bin in the oval office. It's not even worth the paper it was written on. ACA II is a disgrace. They just need to repeal ACA and let the states decide how they want to handle insurance and give them block grants. If any state wants ACA then that is their business.

[paralleluniverse]

Comey says the Trump campaign is under investigation?

Yes, but Comey is also under investigation by the DoJ IG for breaking DoJ protocol to rig the election for Trump.

Comey should also be investigated for lying to Congress under oath when he said that comparisons to public statements he made on past cases were invalid because they were of "completed" investigations. That's a LIE and perjury. He smeared Clinton with a bullshit letter before the investigation even got started, let alone completed, and the investigation later proved to have produced NOTHING.

The first thing the next Democratic president must do is to fire Comey and lock him up.

[jdbond592]

Did I miss the whole "I have plan to deal with ISIS" thing? What great new thing US is doing in past 2 and half months? Something bigely and stupendous? I am really worried here.

[Skroe]

If I was trump I would've threw that bill the house republicans came up with in the trash bin in the oval office. it's not even worth the paper it was written on.

Except he didn't. Because he's a political imbecile. Not inexperienced. He's a moron, who didn't care what was in the bill. He wanted his name attached to "Obamacare repeal and replace", to create a rep as a "do-er" and "deal maker". Because Obamacare repeal, to him, is just the latest Two-Part Must-See Episode in the "President Trump" Reality TV series.

But seriously, what kind of idiot tries to repeal and replace a bill that took over a year to craft and negotiate within the Democratic Party, with a Frankenstein's monster that was stapled together over 20 days.

Trump owns this, period. he made the choice to support this bill and push it. And he didn't just taken ownership, he tried to shove it down the Republican Party's throat.

But as I said a few posts up, this is politically fatal to Trump. Nobody has any reason to fear Trump now. Nobody. Healthcare was so important to Nancy Pelosi she worked for months to corral centrist Democrats. Donald Trump issued an ultimatum and quit after 24 hours. So now everybody knows: if Trump threatens you, wait him out: he will quit and you will get everything you want.

This will happen again with the Budget.
This will happen again with raising the debt ceiling.
This will happen with entitlement reform twice over.
And oh boy, this will happen again with Tax Reform. You think Trumpcare is bad? It's going to look like a fucking square-dance compared to that.

This happened because Donald Trump is a television personality, a barely competent businessman and a non-negotiator, and people like you were conned by him.

So drink your medicine Barnabas. You own this too. As I said, all you Trumpkins go down with the ship.

[Barnabas]

Except he didn't. Because he's a political imbecile. Not inexperienced. He's a moron, who didn't care what was in the bill. He wanted his name attached to "Obamacare repeal and replace", to create a rep as a "do-er" and "deal maker". Because Obamacare repeal, to him, is just the latest Two-Part Must-See Episode in the "President Trump" Reality TV series.

But seriously, what kind of idiot tries to repeal and replace a bill that took over a year to craft and negotiate within the Democratic Party, with a Frankenstein's monster that was stapled together over 20 days.

Trump owns this, period. he made the choice to support this bill and push it. And he didn't just taken ownership, he tried to shove it down the Republican Party's throat.

But as I said a few posts up, this is politically fatal to Trump. Nobody has any reason to fear Trump now. Nobody. Healthcare was so important to Nancy Pelosi she worked for months to corral centrist Democrats. Donald Trump issued an ultimatum and quit after 24 hours. So now everybody knows: if Trump threatens you, wait him out: he will quit and you will get everything you want.

This will happen again with the Budget.
This will happen again with raising the debt ceiling.
This will happen with entitlement reform twice over.
And oh boy, this will happen again with Tax Reform. You think Trumpcare is bad? It's going to look like a fucking square-dance compared to that.

This happened because Donald Trump is a television personality, a barely competent businessman and a non-negotiator, and people like you were conned by him.

So drink your medicine Barnabas. You own this too. As I said, all you Trumpkins go down with the ship.

One bad bill that didn't get voted on and the party is over? If he just repeals it which is what republicans want then he did his job. I'm actually glad they didn't go through with that bill.

[Elegiac]

One bad bill that didn't get voted on and the party is over?

You gravely understate how critical the Obamacare repeal is to the GOP platform at present.

[Breccia]

Did I miss the whole "I have plan to deal with ISIS" thing?

Trump gave his generals 30 days to make one for him. It was due weeks ago.

In the meanwhile, he's given the Pentagon permission to run raids and drone strikes without his approval.

[Barnabas]

You gravely understate how critical the Obamacare repeal is to the GOP platform at present.

We just want a repeal not a repeal and replace.