US politics general thread

[greg0205]

Speaking of which...

"This whole thing about ‘flipping,’ they call it … they get 10 years in jail and they flip on whoever the next highest one is, or as high as you can go. It almost ought to be outlawed—it’s not fair. … It’s called flipping and it ought to almost be illegal."

Never mind the fact that flipping lower level gang members is a key strategy used against MS-13 etc.

Of course you’re quoting Carlo Gambino... No, wait, that was Vito Genovese... No, no, Peter Gotti... Just give me a minute, I’m sure I’ll remember.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Speaking of which...

"This whole thing about ‘flipping,’ they call it … they get 10 years in jail and they flip on whoever the next highest one is, or as high as you can go. It almost ought to be outlawed—it’s not fair. … It’s called flipping and it ought to almost be illegal."

Never mind the fact that flipping lower level gang members is a key strategy used against MS-13 etc.

Translation: Crimes that I and my associates do aren't actually crimes, but helping stop crimes should actually be crimes.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

You'll be shocked which party's officials are trying to close polling places in majority black counties in Georgia.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...ression-georgia-randolph-county-polling-place

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Another day, another lie...

Huckabee Sanders yesterday on Manafort pardon: “That is not something that has been up for discussion.”

Giuliani today: Trump literally asked his lawyers about it a few weeks ago.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

National Enquirer hid damaging Trump stories in a safe

The National Enquirer kept a safe containing documents on hush money payments and other damaging stories it killed as part of its cozy relationship with Donald Trump leading up to the 2016 presidential election, people familiar with the arrangement told The Associated Press.

The detail came as several media outlets reported on Thursday that federal prosecutors had granted immunity to National Enquirer chief David Pecker, potentially laying bare his efforts to protect his longtime friend Trump.

 

[greg0205]

I can't stop laughing at this tweet.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1032764134666981377

Oh, the back-story for folk who haven't been following:

AP: National Enquirer hid damaging Trump stories in a safe

 

[cerebus]

Cold sweats

 

[konfab]

Very interesting paper on the effects of identity politics on the Democrats...

Abstract:
Many political observers following the 2016 presidential election argued that the reason for Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump was her focus on “identity politics,” or an overemphasis on advocating for the needs of marginalized groups at the expense of a broader vision accessible to all Americans. How does this interpretation affect the Democratic Party’s response to 2020? To examine this, I conducted a survey experiment among self -identified Democrats asking them to evaluate several potential candidates for president in 2020, as well as to describe an ideal ideological positioning for the Democratic Party. Half of subjects saw an identity politics interpretation of 2016, while a control group saw no such message. Those that saw the identity politics frame ended up with a lower evaluation of some female candidates than those in the control condition. What’s more, those in the identity politics condition disproportionately favored the Democratic Party moving rightward. The results suggest that the identity politics interpretation of 2016 may advantage more conservative, male Democratic candidates for 2020.

https://convention2.allacademic.com...4745.pdf&PHPSESSID=985f6jofo48l1p2rf2el2k62n0

In other words, if the Democrats want the Republicans to win, they should continue bleating on about identity politics. This is why that racist bimbo being editor of the NYT is the best possible thing for the Republicans.

 

[greg0205]

Best Bad Lip Reading clip I've seen. Enjoy.

 

[cerebus]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/allen-...ors-in-michael-cohen-investigation-1535121992

Allen Weisselberg, Longtime Trump Organization CFO, Is Granted Immunity in Cohen Probe


Allen Weisselberg, President Trump’s longtime financial gatekeeper, was granted immunity by federal prosecutors for providing information about Michael Cohen in the criminal investigation into hush-money payments for two women during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to people familiar with the matter.

 

[RanzB]

Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg granted immunity in Cohen probe

Allen Weisselberg, longtime chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, has been granted immunity by federal prosecutors as part of their investigation into President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, NBC News reported Friday, citing multiple people with knowledge of the matter.

On Tuesday, without using Weisselberg's name, federal prosecutors accused him in a document of instructing an unidentified Trump Organization employee to reimburse Cohen for hush-money payments to one of two women who claimed they had extramarital affairs with Trump.

The immunity grant to Weisselberg, who is referred to as "Executive 1" in the Manhattan federal court documents, adds to the legal woes of the president.

This week in Republican leadership:

• Trump campaign manager gets convicted on 8 counts.
• Trump personal attorney pleads guilty on 8 counts, agrees to cooperate.
• Republican representative indicted for using contributions for Steam games.
• Dossier author Steele successful in libel case against him by Russian oligarchs.
• Trump CFO gets immunity for cooperating.
• National Enquirer editor David Pecker working with authorities.

MAGA. Buttery males. M'Obama. Witch hunt. Etc. Etc.

 

[RanzB]

Trump cancels Pompeo trip to North Korea, cites lack of 'sufficient progress' on denuclearization


Where's that Nobel again?

[B]Donald J. Trump[/B]‏Verified account @[B]realDonaldTrump[/B]

Just landed - a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!

2:56 AM - 13 Jun 2018

 

[greg0205]

Trump cancels Pompeo trip to North Korea, cites lack of 'sufficient progress' on denuclearization


Where's that Nobel again?

It’s almost like the experts in nuclear disarmament who said the meeting with Kim was a sham knew more about the NK situation than folk wearing red hats at a rally.... Almost.

 

[RanzB]

It’s almost like the experts in nuclear disarmament who said the meeting with Kim was a sham knew more about the NK situation than folk wearing red hats at a rally.... Almost.

Who knew this foreign policy stuff could be so difficult? Who knew?

[B]Donald J. Trump[/B]‏Verified account @[B]realDonaldTrump[/B]
...Secretary Pompeo looks forward to going to North Korea in the near future, most likely after our Trading relationship with China is resolved. In the meantime I would like to send my warmest regards and respect to Chairman Kim. I look forward to seeing him soon!

10:36 AM - 24 Aug 2018

Warmest regards and respect to a murderous dictator who runs concentration camps. Weird that Alan and co don't bring this up like he keeps doing with Obama and (fill in someone not remotely as bad as Erdogan/Duterte/Kim here)

One would think they're hypocrites, but of course, m'uh Venezuela!

 

[TysonRoux]

 

[cerebus]

Here's Michael Lebron aka 'Lionel', one of the most prominent QANon'ers, posing in the White House with 45

 

[Unhappy438]

Is that Xarog?

 

[cerebus]

 

[Hamish McPanji]

He can't even get the Russian flag right

 

[RanzB]

Womp womp...