Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

Part 146, some of Russian meddling, and related, material from F6 big ones. These from Saturday, 02/17/18, headed, Remarks by Vice
President Pence Before United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM) Briefing with Aerospace and Missile Defense Leadership
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=138635128

In the thirteenth down Gorka mixes some inconsequential truth with bullshit and greater BULLSHIT

RWW News: Sebastian Gorka Has A New Show At 'The Rebel'

Published on Feb 6, 2018 by RWW Blog [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMXqRHe8n1TX5iDvkLS62rw / https://www.youtube.com/user/RWWBlog , https://www.youtube.com/user/RWWBlog/videos ]
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/sebastian-gorka-launches-new-show-with-far-right-canadian-outlet/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXP3ibdwPWU [with comments]

Six more in to a one of the Fox-Trump-trotters losing most in the credibility stakes

The "Fox News Memo" vs. the Nunes Memo

Published on Feb 6, 2018 by ThinkProgress [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYdasX3ym3E5r1iozVllmzA , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYdasX3ym3E5r1iozVllmzA/videos ]
Fox News is completely mischaracterizing the Devin Nunes memo by omitting information and spewing
false claims. So, we're officially dubbing it the "Fox News Memo." See for yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x6w6mPK2V8 [with comments]

Roughly a third down, these three

How Biggie Smalls' commandments explain Trump-Mueller stand-off

The Beat with Ari Melber
2/6/18
Ari Melber’s special legal breakdown goes inside trump’s mueller strategy and why trump’s lawyers might be taking a page from the Clinton playbook.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/how-biggie-smalls-commandments-explain-trump-mueller-stand-off-1155213891926 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcT8n40noMU [with comments]

Noted: Clinton's team negotiated with the prosecutors for 176 days before his lawyer announced, hokey dokey, a voluntary interview, will
do. Clinton decided to do it. No one knows whether or not Trump will do the interview he once said he would love to do.

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Harvard Professor: Trump has 99 problems, and a porn star is one
The Beat with Ari Melber
2/6/18
The Beat looks at Trump’s Magical “Misdirection” distracting attention from the Stormy Daniels Controversy.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/harvard-professor-trump-has-99-problems-and-a-porn-star-is-one-1155369027567

Closer to halfway

Why Steve Bannon was a no-show at Congress today
All In with Chris Hayes
2/6/18
Bannon was supposed to show up for a closed-door interview with the House Intel committee, which
subpoenaed him last month after he refused to answer questions about his time in the Trump orbit.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/why-steve-bannon-was-a-no-show-at-congress-today-1155278403996

*

Watch Paul Ryan aide defend his Trump flip-flop

The Beat with Ari Melber
2/6/18
Speaker Ryan’s former aide defends Ryan after a former Bush speechwriter slammed Ryan’s
“deluded” and “deceptive” leadership with a GOP “sucked dry of integrity and dignity".
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/watch-paul-ryan-aide-defend-his-trump-flip-flop-1155217475614 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeRPEiwF6lI [with comments]

Closer to halfway

Why Steve Bannon was a no-show at Congress today
All In with Chris Hayes
2/6/18
Bannon was supposed to show up for a closed-door interview with the House Intel committee, which
subpoenaed him last month after he refused to answer questions about his time in the Trump orbit.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/why-steve-bannon-was-a-no-show-at-congress-today-1155278403996

Closer

'Frustrated’ Trump weighing another West Wing shake-up: Report
All In with Chris Hayes
2/6/18
President Trump is yet again 'discussing a shake-up to his West Wing,' reports Gabe Sherman for Vanity Fair.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-frustrated-trump-weighing-another-west-wing-shake-up-report-1155302467851

These four almost get us there

New details on dossier's path to FBI
The Rachel Maddow Show
2/6/18
Tom Hamburger, national reporter for The Washington Post, talks with Rachel Maddow about Christopher Steele's
discoveries about Donald Trump and Russia compelled him to bring what he'd learned to the FBI's attention.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/new-details-on-how-steele-alerted-fbi-about-trump-russia-intel-1155370051528

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Defense funds can end up adding to troubles
The Rachel Maddow Show
2/6/18
Rachel Maddow reminds viewers of the time Bill Clinton had to give back hundreds of thousands of
dollars donated to his legal defense fund when connections to an odd cult leader were exposed.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/defense-funds-can-end-up-adding-to-troubles-clinton-learned-1155399235769

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Who's funding a new Trump scandal lawyer fund

The Rachel Maddow Show
2/6/18
Rachel Maddow follows up on an earlier TRMS scoop about the discovery of a Trump Russia scandal legal defense
fund, and notes that unaccounted-for excess Trump inauguration money might find a way into such a fund.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/excess-trump-inauguration-money-could-go-to-legal-defense-fund-1155352131936 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGpCD3pZa6E [with comments]

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Fine line between legal fund and hush money
The Rachel Maddow Show
2/6/18
Michael Beschloss, NBC News presidential historian, talks with Rachel Maddow about how legal
defense funds built around presidential scandals often create scandals of their own.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/fine-line-between-scandal-legal-defense-fund-and-hush-money-1155370563875

In the second half

Republican: 'Staggering' GOP 'cowardice' enables Trump

The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
2/6/18
Fmr. George W. Bush speechwriter and Washington Post opinion writer Michael Gerson says "the cowardice among Republicans"
is causing a backlash across the country. Josh Earnest and Max Boot join Lawrence O'Donnell to discuss.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/republican-staggering-gop-cowardice-enables-trump-1155373123684 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncDlgrjdXGQ [with comments]

Just shy of the last third

How Mueller team will prep for a possible Trump interview
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams
2/7/18
Should Mueller's team get the chance to interview Pres. Trump, how will they prepare? We talk to two legal experts to get some answers.
©2018 NBCNews.com
[originally aired February 6, 2018]
http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/how-mueller-team-will-prep-for-a-possible-trump-interview-1155416131683

To "stashed February 6, 2018:"

In Russia Inquiry, Lawyers Tell Trump to Refuse Mueller Interview - retitled/updated
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/us/politics/trump-lawyers-special-counsel-interview.html

Mueller wants to hear from Trump. What could possibly go wrong?
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/mueller-wants-hear-trump-what-could-possibly-go-wrong-n845131

Donald Trump testifying before Bob Mueller would be a total disaster
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/06/politics/donald-trump-mueller-testimony-analysis/index.html

Here’s the real reason Trump’s lawyers fear an interview with Mueller
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/02/06/heres-the-real-reason-trumps-lawyers-fear-an-interview-with-mueller/

Trump's legal team is stonewalling Mueller as he closes in on the White House
Following weeks of negotiations with the special counsel Robert Mueller, President Donald Trump's lawyers are leaning toward steering clear of having the president sit down for an interview altogether.
Trump's lawyers reportedly favor the option because they're concerned he could be charged with lying to investigators, which is a federal crime.
Legal experts say it's unlikely they will be successful because "Mueller holds the stronger hand" based on legal precedent.
http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-legal-team-avoiding-mueller-russia-interview-2018-2

Jeff Sessions Glad McCabe and Comey Are Gone For 'Fresh Start' At FBI
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the FBI required a “fresh start” in order to win back the country’s trust in law enforcement, which included the controversial firing of former FBI Director James Comey, according to an interview [ http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/jeff-sessions-fbi-needs-to-have-a-fresh-start/article/2647798 ] published Tuesday.
[...]
http://www.newsweek.com/sessions-mccabe-comey-fresh-start-fbi-800436

more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dtDIxJw0Qsiw6KMKKoWOAFpS9V0LM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en

Carter Page speaks out — and struggles — after explosive [. . .] [GOP] memo - h/t PegnVA https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=138316628
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/carter-page-speaks-says-little-explosive-memo-152703608.html

NY Times Seeks Carter Page Wiretap Records, Saying Trump Already Breached Secrecy
The public deserves a full picture for “informed debate,” the Times argues in its request.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ny-times-carter-page-wiretap-records_us_5a790297e4b00f94fe943b0a

The cowardice among Republicans is staggering
By Michael Gerson [ https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/michael-gerson/ ]
According to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, the declassified Devin Nunes memo — alleging FBI misconduct in the Russia investigation — is “not an indictment of the FBI, of the Department of Justice.” According to President Trump, the memo shows how leaders at the FBI “politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats” and “totally vindicates ‘Trump’ in probe.”
Both men are deluded or deceptive.
Releasing the memo — while suppressing a dissenting assessment from other members of the House Intelligence Committee — was clearly intended to demonstrate that the FBI is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Democratic Party. The effort ended in a pathetic fizzle. Nunes’s brief, amateurish document failed to demonstrate that FBI surveillance was triggered solely or mainly by a Democratic-funded dossier. But for cherry-picking above and beyond the call of duty, Nunes (R-Calif.) deserves his own exhibit in the hackery hall of fame. This was a true innovation: an intelligence product created and released for the consumption of Fox News.
Trump’s eager publication of the memo was expected. Yet his action crossed a line: from criticism of the FBI to executive action designed to undermine an ongoing investigation. Trump seems to be testing the waters for direct action against the FBI by testing the limits of what his Republican followers will stomach. So far, there are no limits.
With the blessing of Republican leaders, the lickspittle wing of the GOP is now firmly in charge. The existence of reckless partisans such as Nunes is hardly surprising. The nearly uniform cowardice among elected Republicans is staggering. One is left wishing that Obamacare covered spine transplants. The Republican-led Congress is now an adjunct of the White House. The White House is now an adjunct of Trump’s chaotic will.
And what to make of Ryan (R-Wis.)? I have been a consistent defender of his good intentions. But after the 17th time saying “He knows better,” it dawns that he may not. By his recent actions, the speaker has provided political cover for a weakening of the constitutional order. He has been used as a tool while loudly insisting he is not a tool. The way Ryan is headed, history offers two possible verdicts: Either he enabled an autocrat, or he was intimidated by a fool. I believe Ryan to be a good person. But the greatest source of cynicism is not the existence of corrupt people in politics; it is good people who lose their way.
The United States Congress is an institution of great power. According to the Constitution, it can deny jurisdiction to the Supreme Court. It can remove the commander in chief. But now it watches as Trump makes the executive branch his personal fiefdom. It stands by — or cheers — as the president persecutes law enforcement professionals for the performance of their public duties.
Why can’t Republican legislators see the personal damage this might cause? Trump has made a practice of forcing people around him to lower their standards and abandon their ideals before turning against them when their usefulness ends. His servants are sucked dry of integrity and dignity, then thrown away like the rind of a squeezed orange. Who does Trump’s bidding and has his or her reputation enhanced? A generation of Republicans will end up writing memoirs of apology and regret.
The political damage to the GOP as the party of corruption and coverup should be obvious as well. This is a rare case when the rats, rather than deserting a sinking ship, seemed determined to ride it all the way down.
But it is damage to the conscience that is hardest to repair. For Republicans, what seemed like a temporary political compromise is becoming an indelible moral stain. The Russia investigation is revealing a Trump universe in which ethical considerations did not (and do not) figure at all. Who can imagine a senior Trump campaign official — say, Paul Manafort or Donald Trump Jr. — saying the words “That would be wrong”? Their degraded spirit has now invaded the whole GOP. By defending Trump’s transgressions, by justifying his abuses, Republicans are creating an atmosphere in which corruption and cowardice thrive.
How can this course be corrected? “You only have one political death,” said Rep. John Jacob Rhodes, the late Republican congressman from Arizona, “but you can choose when to use it.” Larger showdowns — concerning the possible firings of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein — now seem likely. If there is nothing for which Ryan and other Republican leaders will risk their careers, there is nothing in which they truly believe.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-cowardice-among-republicans-is-staggering/2018/02/05/41852454-0aa9-11e8-8890-372e2047c935_story.html

Speak up, Paul Ryan
Editorial
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/speak-up-paul-ryan/2018/02/06/9efc4fde-0abf-11e8-8b0d-891602206fb7_story.html

more: https://www.google.com/search?q=cowardice+among+republicans

Trump meets Rosenstein to discuss Dem memo
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/06/trump-rosenstein-democratic-memo-394853

Trump Meets Rosenstein About Democratic Surveillance Memo
White House must decide whether to allow release of rebuttal to GOP document
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-to-be-briefed-on-democratic-surveillance-memo-1517949453

Trump met with Rosenstein to discuss Democratic intelligence memo
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/06/politics/democratic-memo-rod-rosenstein-donald-trump/index.html

more: https://www.google.com/search?q=trump+rosenstein