The Trump

[Buddy]

US Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Increase To Seven Week High

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-24/u-s-jobless-claims-unexpectedly-increase-to-seven-week-high

Of note:

1)  This is a seven week high
2)  Moving 4 week average was up to 219,750 from 213,500 the week before

Remember..... we have had high gas prices, the beginning of some "tariff war" issues (China already importing more soy beans from South America), etc.

Watch coming weeks for any weakness ..... especially in the LESS VOLITILE 4 WEEK MOVING AVERAGE.

[gerontocrat]

An interesting read in that it shows the difficulty the Trump Administration has in formulating a coherent climate science denial strategy and logistics.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/05/23/in-an-internal-memo-the-white-house-considered-whether-to-simply-ignore-federal-climate-research/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.71db483ff175&wpisrc=nl_green&wpmm=1

In an internal memo, the White House considered whether to simply ‘ignore’ federal climate research

White House officials last year weighed whether to simply “ignore” climate studies produced by government scientists or to instead develop “a coherent, fact-based message about climate science,” according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.

The document, drafted Sept. 18 by Michael Catanzaro, President Trump’s special assistant for domestic energy and environmental policy at the time, highlights the dilemma the administration has faced over climate change since Trump took office. Even as Trump’s deputies have worked methodically to uproot policies aimed at curbing the nation’s carbon output, the administration’s agencies continue to produce reports showing that climate change is happening, is human-driven and is a threat to the United States.

[Martin Gisser]

Not from The Onion:



Price of commemorative coins reduced – but customers who have already bought them have asked if they can get their money back
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/24/north-korea-coin-trump-summit-white-house-discount

[sidd]

Trump makes it easier to fire federal employees, weakens unions. Wonder exactly who he would like to fire ...

"make it easier and quicker to remove poorly performing employees. "

"Preference given to long-tenured workers will be eliminated. The common practice of agency gag orders, in which managers promise to keep silent about employees in exchange for their resignations, will be eliminated. Civil servants whose performance isn’t up to par will get 30 days to show improvements."

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/25/trump-federal-employees-unions-civil-servants-609167

sidd

[sidd]

I think Bolton's days might be numbered. He committed the cardinal mistake, got Trump out of camera focus. North and South Korea are doin a deal, stealing airtime, Trump gets jealous, jumps right back in the game.

Of course Pompeo mighta knifed Bolton, since he made the trip to Pyonyang in the first place ...

The Mustache of War may slouch like a discontented yeti out of the halls for power forabit.

sidd

[Buddy]

Boy ...... would I LOVE to be “Melanie’s” attorney for her upcoming divorce with Donnie.

Can you imagine the LEVEAGE “Melanie” has over Donnie? 

“Melanie’s” attorney:  “Look ..... Melanie wants the pre-nup tripled.  If you won’t triple it, Melanie might catch a bad case of patriotism and have a LONG chat with Mr. Mueller.”

By the end of this divorce, even Donnie will find out that his wife’s name is MELANIA ... not Melanie.

[SteveMDFP]

By the end of this divorce, even Donnie will find out that his wife’s name is MELANIA ... not Melanie.

Give the poor Agent Orange a break, will ya?  After all the women he's taken to bed (and maybe his neurosyphilis), he's entitled to mix the names up.

[Buddy]

Trump's lying seems to be getting worse.

If it seems like Donnies lying habit has been getting worse ...... you're right.  Gobsmacking isn't it?

Between when President Donald Trump assumed office in January 2017 and the end of April, the average number of public false or misleading statements he has made per day has been increasing. According to the Washington Post’s fact checkers on May 1, "for the president’s first 100 days, he averaged 4.9 claims a day... since we last updated this tally two months ago, the president has averaged about 9 claims a day."

And furthermore ..... psychologists seem to understand why that is.

Repeated dishonesty is a bit like a perfume you apply over and over. At first you easily detect the powerful scent of a new perfume. But over time and with more applications you can hardly sense its presence, so you apply more liberally. This happens because neurons in your olfactory bulb desensitize to the smell of the perfume. Similarly, it appears that our response to our own acts of dishonesty is strong at first, but over time decreases. Like students taking beta-blockers, your capacity for being dishonest increases.

...and something that is truly alarming....

The picture becomes more alarming when we consider that individuals adapt not only to their own dishonesty but also to that of others. Research Harvard professors Francesca Gino and Max Bazerman shows that people are less likely to criticize the unethical actions of others when such behavior increases gradually over time. Politically speaking, this suggests that voters (and perhaps even the president’s own advisors) may desensitize to the president’s falsehoods in the same way that they do to overused perfume, making them less likely to act to correct this pattern of behavior. The absence of sanctions could in turn be interpreted as a “green light” by the president.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-s-lying-seems-be-getting-worse-psychology-suggests-there-ncna876486

[SteveMDFP]

"for the president’s first 100 days, he averaged 4.9 claims a day... since we last updated this tally two months ago, the president has averaged about 9 claims a day."

Possibly the only actual change is that he's talking more.  Ratio of words to lies is maybe constant.

[Buddy]

Trump Is Right:  Someone Is Out To Get Him

I NEVER thought I would see the day when I agreed with Donnie.... but it HAS arrived.  I agree with Donnie and Bloomberg.... someone is out to get Donnie.    Great article ....

Whoever signed him up was not doing the president any favors.

Whoever is undermining Trump has seen to it that he hires people who make him unhappy. This same person, one assumes, is causing Trump to lash out in public against those people but then hold off on firing them. Maybe this is all part of a plot to make the administration a toxic atmosphere where nobody feels any loyalty and everyone leaks?

According to the Times story, the president believes his communications staff is responsible for his disappointments. He’s right that a lot of his problems are coming from inside the White House. There may be a saboteur even higher up than he thinks.

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-05-27/trump-is-right-that-someone-is-out-to-get-him?utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=bd&utm_campaign=headline&cmpId=yhoo.headline

[sidd]

Trade war on again: 500 million to trump project was enuf to bail out ZTE ... but not avert tariffs:

"impose 25% tariffs on $50 billion worth of goods from China, and place new limits on Chinese investments in US high-tech industries"

http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/29/news/economy/china-tariffs/index.html

Xi probably should read Kipling:

"That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
  You never get rid of the Dane."

sidd

[Buddy]

‘Roseanne’ Canceled by ABC After Roseanne Barr’s ‘Repugnant’ Comments, Network President Says

Is it possible to cancel Donnie ..... or do we have to wait for impeachment/removal/resignation? 

http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/%e2%80%98roseanne%e2%80%99-canceled-by-abc-after-roseanne-barr%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98repugnant%e2%80%99-comments-network-president-says/ar-AAxZuvi?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=iehp

Maybe FOX can pick up the cancelled Roseanne show.  It would fit PERFECTLY with all the other racist crap.

[sidd]

 Trump backs off NKorea sanctions:

"the White House had been set to announce the sanctions as soon as Tuesday but will now delay them indefinitely as negotiations with North Korea continue."

http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/389645-us-pauses-new-north-korea-sanctions-as-officials-try-to-reset-trump

sidd

[AbruptSLR]

Trump is trading classified information for campaign donations.  I think that the House Oversight committee should investigate (if they have any integrity):

Title: "Trump bragged about classified battle in Syria during fundraiser: report"

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/389830-trump-bragged-about-classified-battle-in-syria-during-fundraiser

Extract: "During a private fundraiser in Manhattan last week, President Trump boasted about a classified February clash between U.S. troops and Russian mercenaries in Syria, Politico reports.

A person briefed on Trump's remarks told the publication that despite the battle being classified, Trump told donors he was in awe of American F-18 pilots' performance and suggested the battle resulted in up to 300 Russians being taken out. He reportedly also hinted that the clash lasted as little as "10 minutes.""

[AbruptSLR]

The CIA appears to be warning Trump that Kim Jong Un is playing him for a fool:

Title: "CIA report says North Korea won't denuclearize, but might open a burger joint"

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-korea/cia-report-says-north-korea-won-t-denuclearize-might-open-n878201

Extract: "Trump continues to pursue a summit with Kim Jong Un even though the CIA casts doubt on his stated goal for the meeting, eliminating North Korea's nukes."

[sidd]

Trade war with everybody:

"The US said a 25% tax on steel and 10% tax on aluminium from the EU, Mexico and Canada will start at midnight."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44320221

Well, the poor slobs who pick scrap metal outta dumpsters might start making enuf for gas again.

sidd

[bbr2314]

Why are people on this forum complaining about tariffs? The best way to reduce emissions is to make consumerism more expensive. Of course liberals who feign environmental concern are p*ssed at measures that will actually make a difference re: consumption and shipping, both key drivers of AGW emissions. Half-hearted regulations that Europeans ignore anyways are obviously way more appealing to the liberals bc they have no impact whatsoever.

[sidd]

Trade war escalating:

"Canada is hitting back with duties of up to $16.6 billion on some steel, aluminum and other products from the U.S. — including beer kegs, whisky, toilet paper and "hair lacquers." "

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trump-steel-deadline-1.4685242

sidd

[bbr2314]

Trade war escalating:

"Canada is hitting back with duties of up to $16.6 billion on some steel, aluminum and other products from the U.S. — including beer kegs, whisky, toilet paper and "hair lacquers." "

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trump-steel-deadline-1.4685242

sidd

This is great news, an outright attack on consumerism. Let's hope everyone follows suit!

[sidd]

More trade war: EU will go to WTO:

"the 28-nation EU would join China and India in triggering the WTO's dispute settlement mechanism over the American trade penalties."

"already prepared $1.6 billion in retaliation against U.S. goods including steel, orange juice, motorcycles and bourbon whiskey."

"Century Aluminum is up 3.6 percent and U.S. Steel 2.3 percent."

"Deere & Co., which makes farming equipment, is down 2.6 percent, and construction equipment maker Caterpillar is off 1.5 percent"

Even the Koch brothers don't like it:

"The conservative network backed by the wealthy brothers Charles and David Koch is coming out in opposition to President Donald Trump's decision"

"Mexico says it will impose tariffs on U.S. imports including pork bellies, apples, grapes, cheeses and flat steel "

https://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/The-Latest-US-European-officials-meet-as-12956358.php

sidd

[bbr2314]

More trade war: EU will go to WTO:

"the 28-nation EU would join China and India in triggering the WTO's dispute settlement mechanism over the American trade penalties."

"already prepared $1.6 billion in retaliation against U.S. goods including steel, orange juice, motorcycles and bourbon whiskey."

"Century Aluminum is up 3.6 percent and U.S. Steel 2.3 percent."

"Deere & Co., which makes farming equipment, is down 2.6 percent, and construction equipment maker Caterpillar is off 1.5 percent"

Even the Koch brothers don't like it:

"The conservative network backed by the wealthy brothers Charles and David Koch is coming out in opposition to President Donald Trump's decision"

"Mexico says it will impose tariffs on U.S. imports including pork bellies, apples, grapes, cheeses and flat steel "

https://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/The-Latest-US-European-officials-meet-as-12956358.php

sidd

Of course the GHG-loving liberals in the EU would be opposed to measures that actually make some difference.

[Susan Anderson]

https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/after-talking-tough-on-china-trump-launches-a-trade-war-thats-harder-on-us-allies

No doubt we are indulging in wishful thinking, as the Trump administration continues to dismantle and attack everything of value in my country.

This is the dangerous behavior of an insecure bully playing, yet again, to his narrow political base rather than the leader of a benevolent hegemon, and it is steadily undermining the liberal trading environment the United States helped to create—not that Trump seems to care

Lawrence Herman, a former Canadian diplomat, pronounced the era of neighborly relations over.

Scott Gilmore, a Canadian writer and social entrepreneur, went further, arguing that the United States’ traditional allies should impose the same sort of sanctions on Trump that the U.S. Congress imposed on Russian oligarchs close to the Kremlin. “In the spirit of the Magnitsky Act, Canada and the western allies come together to collectively pressure the only pain point that matters to this President: his family and their assets,” Gilmore wrote in the Canadian news magazine Maclean’s. “This could take the form of special taxation on their current operations, freezing of assets, or even sanctions against senior staff.”

A Magnitsky Act for Trump isn’t going to materialize any time soon, but the very mention of such an idea is indicative of where things stand and how volatile they could become. Ever since Trump’s election, many Canadians and Europeans have regarded him as a blundering ignoramus. Increasingly, they are now seeing him as a hostile threat. “America’s allies have used all their diplomatic tools,” Gilmore wrote on Twitter. “Trump still keeps punching them in the nose as he dismantles the int. order we've spent a century building. It’s time to try new tools - instead of asking ‘What does the US want?’ we need to ask ‘How do we hurt him?’ ”

[wili]

Thanks, Susan.

Here's another real-life consequence of Trump and Rupub policies:

America's poor becoming more destitute under Trump: U.N. expert

Poverty in the United States is extensive and is deepening under the Trump administration whose policies seem aimed at removing the safety net from millions of poor, while rewarding the rich, a U.N. human rights investigator has found.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-rights-un/americas-poor-becoming-more-destitute-under-trump-u-n-expert-idUSKCN1IY0C3

[Buddy]

Arnold Schwarzenegger Burns Trump's Coal Plan With One Brutal Tweet

I eagerly await the administration’s regulations protecting pagers, fax machines, and Blockbuster.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/arnold-schwarzenegger-burns-trump-apos-175139344.html

Just think of ALL the things that Traitor Donald can bring back:

1)  Whale oil
2)  Black and white TV
3)  Horse and buggy

The list is endless..... 

[sidd]

What goes around comes around: ZTE hires former Trump adviser

" ... the company hired Bryan Lanza, a former adviser to both the Trump campaign and Trump's White House transition team, just a day after the president tweeted that he was considering helping ZTE regain access to American markets."

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/390397-zte-hired-former-trump-aide-as-lobbyist-report

sidd

[Buddy]

Here's a tweet from Seth Abramson regarding Traitor Donnie, which includes the file at the bottom:

This one simple image contains everything you'll ever need to know about Donald Trump—past, present, and future. PLEASE RT THIS so we can all be on the same page.

[sidd]

"Please explain why this is such a big deal to anyone ... "

Au contraire. I was pointing out bizness as usual. This goes on in every US administration. This Lanza deal  is actually a small deal, small time grifters running smalltime grift.

In fact, the whole Trump admin looks to me like a buncha smalltime grifters lucking into the mother lode of corruption that is the presidency.

Quite unlike the polished, bigtime grifters forawhile before them. Almost refreshing, if it weren't so sad.

sidd

[SteveMDFP]

There is a very obvious reason why Hillary could never highlight the listed items to attack Donald Trump's character and personality. Any idea what that might be?

The point seems valid to me that the vast majority of US Presidents (and candidates) have been rather severe narcissists.  Some much more than others.  Gerald Ford perhaps least of all in modern times.  He didn't get there by chutzpah, he got there by being appointed.

There's a massive difference, though between the rather common narcissism of most Presidents and the *malignant* narcissism of Trump.  That is, he seems to show the antisocial traits on the left side of the chart in spades. 

Ordinary narcissists are driven by a need to be important in the minds of others.  Not uncommonly, this drives the individual to work very hard at their tasks.

An individual with narcissism that drives him to personal success, while also displaying traits of antisocial personality, can be exceptionally dangerous.  Trump is sui generis in this regard.

[bbr2314]

Where is Melania!?!?!

[sidd]

The door, it revolves.

"Before joining the Trump administration, Knight worked at Fidelity."

"Knight joined the NEC early in 2017 and worked closely with former NEC Director Gary Cohn and others in the administration and Capitol Hill on the tax cuts. "

"Shahira Knight, deputy director of the White House National Economic Council (NEC), will be joining a trade association that is being created by the merger of two major financial industry groups: The Clearing House Association and Financial Services Roundtable."

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/390660-top-white-house-economic-aide-joining-banking-group

sidd

[sidd]

As i suspected, the yeti is shackled, for now: Bolton sidelined from Kore talks:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-construction-restructuring-excl/exclusive-saudi-binladin-group-to-be-slimmed-down-renamed-sources-idUSKCN1IP23F

https://news.antiwar.com/2018/06/05/bolton-is-being-kept-away-from-north-korea-talks/

sidd

[sidd]

Mexico counters with own tariffs on steel, food; China offers 70billion in imports of grains, gas, oil, coal from USA:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-mexico/mexico-slaps-tariffs-on-u-s-steel-agricultural-products-idUSKCN1J11EV

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/05/china-reportedly-offered-to-buy-nearly-70-billion-of-us-agriculture-energy-products.html

sidd

[sidd]

Koch brothers fight trump tariffs:

"as the president bangs the drums of a trade war, the relations between the libertarian-leaning billionaires and the populist-nationalist president are becoming increasingly frayed."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44366737

sidd

[Buddy]

For those of you looking for a fairly detailed comparison of "jobs" in Trump's first 16 months vs Obama's last 16 months ..... this is a really good article:

https://macromon.wordpress.com/2018/06/04/really-how-was-that-employment-report/

It breaks apart the total jobs numbers of both Obama and Trump, by industry group.  In total, Obama's economy produced about 500,000 more jobs during his last 16 months, than Donnie's first 16 months (but don't tell Donnie..... we don't want him to push that big red button on his desk:).

The majority of jobs produced during Trump have been in the mining/oil-gas sector (not surprisingly).

I encourage you to take a look at it.  Facts are good ....

[Buddy]

While the Trump administration continues to unravel ..... here are a few things that we might want to keep an eye on:

1)  Looks like Macron has finally realized the error of his ways in the "Trump bromance".  I knew this was always a mistake ..... and now, apparently he knows that as well.  Angela Merkel and Christina May knew from the get-go that trying to appease Trump and kiss his ass was NOT the way to proceed.  Especially Merkel.... she KNEW what the world was getting into with Traitor Trump.

2) The administration's communications department at FOX News continues to work overtime.  Maybe some of you are now seeing why I singled out BOTH Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro as possibly facing "legal consequences" as the Mueller investigation continues down its path.  Sean's guilt in AT LEAST obstructing justice is clear as day .... and remember, he may have been caught up in a PHISA wiretap.  Add in the Michael Cohen fiasco, who knows what or who is on tape.  Lordy I'm glad there are wiretaps and tape....

3)  Donnie is psychologically continuing to unwind.  If you have studied Watergate, you know that Nixon psychologically spiraled downward over his last year.  I think Donnie is making Dick look almost normal.  As pressure mounts ...... expect more and more "unusual" behavior ..... and behavior like he can do whatever he wants.  Fortunately, his "waterboy" Mike Pence, is there to do whatever Donnie wants him to do.  Mikey's copying of Trumps placing his water on the floor was the second most sickening thing I have seen in this administration so far (the first being the round table kissing of Donnies ass by all of his cabinet members EXCEPT for Mattis).   Mikey really looked like a moron when he put his water on the floor after Trump did.  What a pathetic lapdog.

4)  It's good to know that Donnie is so smart he doesn't have to prepare for things.  He's a regular rocket scientist isn't he?  That comment of Donnie's is likely to hurt him with those in Congress that are a little more moderate and "grounded."  What an idiotic thing to think or say.

5) The "process" of Republicans pulling away from Trump continues.  We have a lot more of this to go ..... but it IS proceeding, even if it is a LOT slower than we would like.  With some more irrational behavior in the coming weeks and months .... it will speed up.

Donnie's irrational behavior is no doubt triggered because of two big fish that may flip on him:  Manafort and Cohen.   It will be interesting to see who the first is to flip.  My guess is Cohen will flip first since he has so much liability not only on a FEDERAL LEVEL ..... but also on a STATE LEVEL.  The new New York attorney general is going to skewer him, and his attorney's know it.  And any Donnie pardon won't be able to save Cohen's ass from the New York AG.

Also...with Donnie getting hit from all sides:  Mueller, Cohen, Summer Zervous, etc..... Donnie is going to have a lot of eggs in the air that he is juggling.  And just think ..... we are only seeing the TOP of the iceberg. 

It's been a pretty wild ride over the past 16 months or so.... and there is more rough water ahead.  With a little luck ..... things will turn out OK for the US.  But this thing is far from over, and Donnie will do ANYTHING TO PUSH THE MUELLER INVESTIGATION OFF THE TRACKS.  ANYTHING.

[Buddy]

Trump calls for Russia to be reinstated to G-7, threatens allies on trade

“Now, I love our country. I have been Russia’s worst nightmare … But with that being said, Russia should be in this meeting,” Trump said Friday as he left the White House. “It may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run. … They should let Russia back in.”

That's a good one.  Maybe Trump missed his calling as a comedian. 

[AbruptSLR]

The courts need to teach Team Trump that the rule of law still reigns in the US:

Title: "Trump Organization Deals In Asia Fuel Debate On Emoluments Lawsuit"

https://www.npr.org/2018/06/07/617310039/trump-organization-deals-in-asia-fuel-debate-on-emoluments-lawsuit?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=politics&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180607

Extract: "The Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution will be rendered meaningless if Democrats in Congress aren't allowed to sue President Trump for violating it, a lawyer for nearly 200 Democratic senators and representatives told a federal judge today.

"There's simply nothing Congress can do to stop the president's actions, no matter who's in control of the body," said Brianne Gorod, chief counsel of the Constitution Accountability Center, representing the Democratic lawmakers.

The lawsuit seeks an injunction compelling Trump to comply with the Foreign Emoluments Clause, which requires federal officials to get congressional consent before they accept gifts or rewards — emoluments — from foreign governments or officials. Trump has never sought that consent; he and his lawyers maintain the clause doesn't apply to his business holdings.

Without court-ordered enforcement, Gorod said, Washington "would essentially write the Foreign Emoluments Clause out of existence.""

[sidd]

Trump gets Trudeau some free publicity:

"Based on Justin's false statements at his news conference ..."

He's running this presidency like a TV show. And the press are falling for it.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-pulls-u-s-out-g-7-communique-accuses-trudeau-n881761

sidd

[RealityCheck]

A little anecdote.... (context: I am Irish...)
Trump owns Doonbeg Golf Course and Resort in the West of Ireland. The source of money to buy it has been questioned before. Then it posts high revenues. And this week I hear via sources I know well that busloads of people from a certain country (not usually a major source of tourists for Ireland) are coming via Shannon airport to stay there. Which country? Can you guess?

[AbruptSLR]

Macron calls-out Trump for this bad behavior:

Title: "G7 summit: France condemns Trump 'fits of anger'"

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44430000

Extract: "Diplomacy cannot be dictated by "fits of anger", French President Emmanuel Macron warned after a G7 summit in Canada ended in acrimony.

In tweets, US President Donald Trump described host Justin Trudeau as "dishonest and weak" and retracted his endorsement of the joint communique."

[Buddy]

Trump departs for summit in Singapore, skipping G-7 environmental sessions

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-departs-for-summit-in-singapore-skipping-g-7-environmental-sessions/ar-AAyqLq3?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=iehp

After the G-7 ..... I would bet that Trudeau and Macron now know two things about Trump:

1)  He is not up to the job ..... and that he has done a "con job" to get where he is.  Merkel was likely the first to figure out Trump, then Theresa May.  Now Macron and Trudeau undoubtedly know this as well. 

2)  They also know that Trump is under Putin's thumb.  He is, indeed, compromised by the Russians.... and they will be vary wary of him in coming months.  This is going to be a tricky time for all democracies as they try get through this period of time with someone in the White House that has been compromised by the Russians.

Donnie is going to continue to become more and more erratic in the coming weeks.  As I have said many times.... he will do ANYTHING to save his sorry ass..... and he has some help in Congress to do so.

The Mueller investigation has to finish in order to stop Trump..... and Trump knows that.   There is a LONG LIST of people who are going to be indicted.   


   

[AbruptSLR]

I just had a 'sad' thought (with little evidence to support it): If Trump has previously conspired with Putin to use the Russian intelligence system to hack American media and 2016 election in his favor, what is to stop Trump from giving concessions the Kim (during his one on one session today with Kim) in exchange for North Korean intelligence also hacking American media and 2018 midterm election in his favor:

Title: "White House says North Korea talks have 'moved more quickly than expected'"

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/11/trump-kim-jong-un-meeting-635363

Extract: "In a statement sent roughly 12 hours before Trump and Kim are due to sit down, the White House said the two leaders will participate in a one-on-one meeting, accompanied only by translators, to be followed by a “working lunch” with an expanded group of officials".

[Hefaistos]

I just had a 'sad' thought (with little evidence to support it): If Trump has previously conspired with Putin to use the Russian intelligence system to hack American media and 2016 election in his favor,...

Big "If" there. The expected value of conspiracy theories is negative.
And still, we have no real evidence of that hacking theory.

Ray McGovern:

"Did DID [CIA’s Digital Innovation Directorate) Do the ‘Russian Hacking’?"
http://raymcgovern.com/2018/06/05/did-did-cias-digital-innovation-directorate-do-the-russian-hacking-circumstantial-evidence-points-in-that-direction-as-ray-explains-in-this-16-minute-video/

"Still Waiting for Evidence of a Russian Hack"
https://consortiumnews.com/2018/06/07/still-waiting-for-evidence-of-a-russian-hack/

[Buddy]

Donnie is running out of sand in the hour glass.  With Cohen’s treasure trove of tape recordings, notes, and documents ..... the Orange turd must be getting pretty worried.

I have maintained from day 1 that Donnie has to stop the Mueller investigation, and all things are pointing to us getting closer to that point.

Keep in mind that Donnie continues to hammer on Jeff Sessions ... “almost” like he wants to force him to quit.  If that were to happen, he could replace Sessions with Scott Pruitt, and we all know that Pruitt will do ANYTHING that Donnie wants.

There is a law that allows Donnie to replace a cabinet member with ANOTHER cabinet member who has already been accepted by the Senate.  So if Sessions were to quit, then Donnie could slide Scottie into Sessions’ AG spot for 210 days WITHOUT senate approval.  I’ll attach links later when I have more time.

Donnie is going to have to make his move pretty soon.  He may use “ongoing important discussions with North Korea” as a backdrop to put a halt to the Mueller investigation.

Time is running out for Donnie .... and he will need to move fairly soon.

[AbruptSLR]

I just had a 'sad' thought (with little evidence to support it): If Trump has previously conspired with Putin to use the Russian intelligence system to hack American media and 2016 election in his favor,...

Big "If" there. The expected value of conspiracy theories is negative.
And still, we have no real evidence of that hacking theory.

Ray McGovern:

"Did DID [CIA’s Digital Innovation Directorate) Do the ‘Russian Hacking’?"
http://raymcgovern.com/2018/06/05/did-did-cias-digital-innovation-directorate-do-the-russian-hacking-circumstantial-evidence-points-in-that-direction-as-ray-explains-in-this-16-minute-video/

"Still Waiting for Evidence of a Russian Hack"
https://consortiumnews.com/2018/06/07/still-waiting-for-evidence-of-a-russian-hack/

The linked article indicates that Mueller has plenty of evidence to serve as 'probable cause" of Trump-Russia collusion that the Russia investigation should continue without obstruction:

Title: "There’s actually lots of evidence of Trump-Russia collusion"

https://www.vox.com/2018/6/11/17438386/trump-russia-collusion

Extract: "Republicans from Donald Trump on down have made “no collusion” a mantra. The term itself is ill-defined in this context; you won’t find in the US code. But roughly speaking, the question is whether the campaign got involved with Russian agents who committed computer crimes to help Trump win the 2016 presidential election.

The verdict on this is unclear. But there is certainly plenty of evidence pointing toward collusion; what you would call “probable cause” in a legal context, or what a journalist might simply consider reason to continue investigating the story. And the investigating thus far, both by special counsel Mueller and by journalists working on the story, has been fruitful. The efforts have continued to turn up contacts between Trumpworld and Putinland, cover-ups, and dishonesty.

Even as recently as Friday afternoon, we got new indictments charging Trump’s former campaign chair and his former GRU operative business partner with witness tampering and obstruction of justice."

[Martin Gisser]

And this week I hear via sources I know well that busloads of people from a certain country (not usually a major source of tourists for Ireland) are coming via Shannon airport to stay there. Which country? Can you guess?

Russia maybe? 

[RealityCheck]

BINGO! Right first time! Well done.

[Buddy]

Here is the link I promised yesterday. There are MANY links over the past year or so that discuss this ..... but this is a recent one by Vox.  It discusses the Federal Reform Vacancies Act .... and how it could be used.  Pay special attention to the part that discusses that there may be a very IMPORTANT difference WHETHER OR NOT SESSIONS QUITS OR IS FIRED.  It appears that if Sessions is fired ..... that Donnie may not be able to use that act, or at least Donnies use of the Act would be definitely be challenged in court.

The straightest shot he has is by using something called the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. This 1998 law allows Trump to fill a vacated Cabinet position with any person who has been confirmed by the Senate for another position. So, if Sessions were to leave — how he leaves could matter a lot, but put that aside for the moment — Trump could install, say, Pruitt in his place, since the Senate already confirmed Pruitt for EPA administrator. And Pruitt could serve for up to 210 days without Senate confirmation — long enough to fire Mueller and all his staff.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/06/how-trump-could-get-scott-pruitt-to-fire-robert-mueller.html

[Buddy]

And for those of you who don't think people (voters) are gullible ..... I have something for you.

I have ranted about how easy it is to con people, and have shown a couple times Mark Twains famous quote about "it is easier to con someone than to convince them they have already been conned."

Donnie relies on this day after day. That is why he knows he can get away with lying.  There are a LOT of gullible people out there.

Remember Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes?  I showed you the articles about her conning about $800 MILLION DOLLARS out of investors.  Well.....guess what ...... it looks like she is heading for "round 2".  Since she is not prevented from being a CEO of a PRIVATELY HELD COMPANY in her settlement agreement with the SEC.... she is trying to round up money for another startup.  And my guess is there are fools out there willing to invest.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/theranos-founder-elizabeth-holmes-reportedly-143309442.html

[sidd]

Varoufakis on the Trump's economic policy:

"Armed with the exorbitant privilege that owning the dollar presses affords him Trump then takes a look at the trade flows with the rest of the G7 and comes to an inescapable conclusion: he cannot possibly lose a trade war against countries that have such high surpluses with the US (eg Germany, Italy, China), or which (like Canada) will catch pneumonia the moment the American economy catches the common cold."

" if the US can no longer stabilise global capitalism, he might as well blow up existing multilateral conventions and build from scratch a new global order resembling a wheel, with America its hub and all other powers its spokes – an arrangement of bilateral deals that ensures the US will always be the largest partner in each, and thus be able to exact a pound of flesh through divide and rule tactics."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/11/trump-world-order-who-will-stop-him

sidd