This has been the case since day 1 of the Donald Trump Presidency….
While the United States Intelligence people have been wary of the Russian’s from BEFORE Trump’s surprise election win?
Donald Trump has continued to ignore warnings against Russian influence because he has made it clear that he does NOT look at Russia or it’s President Putin as a adversary…Trump has time and time again said out loud he believes the Russian over his own governments people
Our people seem to see an American President being taken advantage of as a willing ‘mark’ and asset for them….
Trump has revealed secrets to the Russian Ambassador in the Oval Office…He has moved American troops out of Syria , a move that Russia has wanted, He has announced a drastic troop draw down in Germany, Something Putin has been unable to get from ANY American President….
Warning against any of these things from the American military or others have gone to deaf ears of the American President….
A LOT of us want to know, besides the help Russian’s will give Trump’s election campaign AGAIN…What does Putin have ON Trump?
Veterans of the Trump administration have described a president prone to explosions of anger when the subject of Russia arises; even former national security adviser John Bolton, not known to be shy, confesses in his new memoir that he never asked Trump for his personal assessment of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, “perhaps afraid of what I might hear.”
A former White House official told Politico this week that they “don’t remember a thing that involved Russia that people were comfortable discussing with the president. Even at the most senior level, at the Cabinet level, it would be like drawing sticks to see who would have to raise a Russia issue with him.”
London said it is ultimately Ratcliffe, O’Brien and CIA Director Gina Haspel who “own” what should be brought to the president’s attention. “They are the ones failing us,” he said, adding that “it’s absurd” to blame the omission on Sanner.
“Where does the buck stop?” he said. “Not with a briefer, but with the president and his inner circle.”
In response, CIA Press Secretary Tim Barrett said, “Officials with access to the current intelligence picture should be the ones who make these types of determinations — not outside observers.”
The PDB is also shared with a range of national security officials, including the secretaries of State and Defense, Priess said. “At its smallest, it could be held to six to 10 people,” he noted. “But it’s likely far broader. At a maximum, in the Obama administration, the PDB was going to 40-plus people.”
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), a former CIA case officer who was one of nearly a dozen Democrats who attended Tuesday’s briefing at the White House, said the dispute over whether Trump was briefed orally or in writing is “mincing words.” Even an oral briefing, she said, doesn’t necessarily indicate the president absorbed the information his officers provided. More important, she said, is what Trump plans to do now that he’s been briefed.
“That’s what I said to [White House] chief of staff [Mark] Meadows. We can debate some of the timelines. Did he read it? Did he not read it? None of that actually matters,” Spanberger said. “The bottom line is he knows now.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, sparring with reporters on Wednesday about the Russia bounty reports, defended the administration and rattled off moves he said the Trump team had made to counter the Kremlin…..
…
Trump’s rejection of the written PDB is particularly notable in light of his history of wielding it, inaccurately, as a weapon against his predecessor.
“Fact–Obama does not read his intelligence briefings nor does he get briefed in person by the CIA or DOD. Too busy I guess!” Trump tweeted on Sept. 30, 2014. The next day, he questioned Obama’s chops as commander in chief over the same issue.
The White House responded to such charges at the time by saying that Obama, in fact, did read his PDB every day but didn’t always require an in-person briefing.
….
First President Trump denied knowing about it. Then he called it a possible “hoax.” Next, the White House attacked the news media. And now an unnamed intelligence official is to blame.
The one thing Mr. Trump and his top officials have not done is to address the substance of intelligence reports that Russia paid bounties to Taliban-affiliated fighters to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan, or what they might do in response.
Nor has the White House — amid the denials, qualifications and accusations — publicly discussed what that intelligence could mean for Mr. Trump’s efforts to thaw relations with Russia and court President Vladimir V. Putin despite Moscow’s continued aggression toward the United States and its allies.
On Wednesday, Mr. Trump repeated his claim that he was “never briefed” about the intelligence, which his aides called unverified but which many U.S. intelligence officials deemed credible. Officials say it appeared in the president’s daily written intelligence briefingin late February. Writing on Twitter, Mr. Trump called stories about the bounties “a made up Fake News Media Hoax started to slander me & the Republican Party.”….
New Open Thread is HERE…..
Morning All….
Nice White Power speech last night.
N J has primaries tomorrow…
The talking here is great the last few days
Like the ole P1 times!
Well, on that site, there may have been 40 or so frequent contributors, not counting the imposters.
Oh and there is this.…
Voters in Russia have approved changes to the country’s constitution that would allow President Vladimir Putin to remain in power for two more terms, a widely expected result in a nation whose elections are the subject of unending international criticism.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the changes, which Russian election officials said were approved by 74 percent of voters with 30 percent of precincts counted, came following a weeklong voting period that was extended due to concerns about crowd size amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Putin has yet to officially declare if he will run for reelection again when his term ends in 2024, but he campaigned in support of the constitutional changes for months after first proposing them in January. He could remain in office until 2036 under the new law.
Advocates say the referendum was tainted by voter intimidation and other misconduct….
More…
James,
CG is right on this. Obama calls himself black and so should you. As a general rule, we should respect how people self identify. If a Mormon calls himself a Christian, then so should you – even if it contradicts your perception of what a Christian is. If Lindsey Graham refers to himself as “he”, then so should you. If a person considers themselves as pro-life, we should use that term too – even though we might not think that term is fully appropriate. Likewise, if Obama calls himself black, you shouldn’t call him mixed.
For whatever reason, you have suggested on multiple occasions that you are respectful to other people. Well then, show some respect to Obama and call him the race that he claims to be. He has every right to call himself black – and your agenda won’t change that.
I’m more concerned with what Republicans have always called Obama and they don’t use the word black.
A feeble attempt was made yesterday to feign outrage over the very real statement that much of the opposition to Obama was a knee jerk racist reaction to our first Black President. Only someone who lives in a very limited closed minded Republican Utopia could believe that. Whether it was the ACA or a tan suit the Republican opposition was first generated by the color of the President’s skin.
I heard an interesting conversation about the rape of black slaves last night and the multiracial children who came from those sexual attacks. And how many descendants of slavery view the Confederate statues as, in part, symbolic of those attacks. It was a powerful comparison and reminded me that many black Americans are descendants of white people too. Obama’s white heritage was, however, from love and since his father was pure African, he has more African blood in him than many American blacks.
So if he wants to call himself black who am I to argue? Millions of racist Republicans certainly think he is and isn’t that the number one reason they nominated Trump?
Barack Obama calls himself whatever he wants agreed….
He also never forgets him mother….
And yes Keith….
The GOPer’s never stopped running against Obama’s skin color….
It’s rather ironic that back in the sixties and seventies,it was the Left that continually criticized American intelligence agencies and the FBI.
Here we are,fifty years later, and it’s the Right that is doing so.
What would J Edgar Hoover and Richard Helms think?.
Looks like I missed a lot of silliness here yesterday with CG comparing Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren’s plans (that I do not agree with) to replace ObamaCare with the vague “market based” plans to replace the ACA for the last ten years.
As I said, I disagree with how Sanders and Warren want to get us to Medicare for All (which will happen eventually) but they at least have a plan to insure Americans.
Republicans do not. And they never did.
The Republican obsession with keeping people from voting continues. Especially “the blacks”
For cripes sake!
“I’m concerned about voter registration in Mississippi. The blacks are having lots of events for voter registration. People in Mississippi have to get involved, too.”
— Mississippi election commissioner Gail Welch, quoted by the Hattiesburg American.
Why is this Republican “concerned?”
Maybe Fox News can find out?
Concerned about non existent “voter fraud” certainly
Some of the growing number of neverTrumper groups made up of disenchanted and former Republicans are now working not only to defeat Trump but to defeat certain Republican Senators .
The idea is that the Republican Party needs a devastating defeat to bring the party back to some degree of reality .
People can do what they want. I doubt I will vote for any Republican federal candidate this cycle.
But if and when Biden is President, there are going to be anti-Trump conservatives and anti-Trump centrists who will recognize the importance of Republicans in Congress and the role they play as opposition. Right now, it looks like Democrats will win the Presidency and control both Houses of Congress. The American people typically do not like one party rule.
I agree that one party rule generally has a short shelf life.
If the Democrats win control of the presidency and both houses of Congress they possibly would lose one chamber in 2022 and almost certainly by 2024.
Breaking….
Texas Gov Abbott issues a MINATORY MUST WEAR face mask order ….
About ducking time‼️
Now what will deSantis do?
james, weren’t you dismissive of masks and gloves a couple months ago and you said it was normal and good for crowds of people to be gathering outdoors and the government will never be able to stop them.
Here in NY CG we wash our hand and wear masks when going into any enclosed area…
Check the numbers…
It works….
If Texas follows Abbott’s orders by August 1 there will be. Huge drop off in infections…
If Not…
They just are hopeless
BTW?
No spikes at all from protests in NYC where most protestors WORE MASKS….
We’re just worried about people from Florida coming here
Some protesters worse masks. Others seemed to have them down below their mouths, but if television coverage of the protests are to be believed, it was certainly far from “most.”
At one point, in the earlier stage of all this, you were dismissive of masks, etc.
And there have been masked ordinances in Illinois since May (even longer in some places) and I was surprised that New York did not have one until June.
It also turns out perhaps that everyone was wrong about masks months ago, including Fauci who said they shouldn’t be worn.
Good for Abbot for not being stubborn enough to refuse to make a needed correction.
Way too little way too late.
Many many Texans will suffer and die due to his actions in opening way too quickly with way too few restrictions.
Good to see you once again in the fold praising another Trumpite.
So, you prefer he not change directions just so you can maintain optimal rage?
I couldn’t care less about your buddy Abbot .Hes just another Right Wing Trumpist who screwed up big time.
I have no rage for the likes of him..
I have only contempt.
I’ll leave the praise to a good Republican like you.
All I said about Abbott was that it was a good thing he changed directions rather than doubling down on a mistake.
You seem to prefer someone to be wrong just so you can hold on to a point rather than find their way to the right thing.
We just have a different mindset. Gotta run. Be safe.
I agree with Jack. Abbot deserves no praise. He could have done the right thing months ago, but was too busy showing that Texas could be first to open up and gain the praise of all the Trumpite protesters.
screw him
james was more praising of Abbott than I was, but really, it’s a bad look, if you prefer the wrong thing to continue just to bolster a political point. Also, Texas was not the first to open up .That was Georgia. There has also been a difference on these matters between Abbott and the Lt. Governor there. Do you just outright dismiss the concept of “better late than never.” I suppose you are just NeverRepublican. It’s not exactly a new viewpoint from you or specifically related to Covid.
From NeverTrumper Rick Wilson…
Trumps response to COVID 19 is the equivalent to FDR after the Attack on Pearl Harbor announcing that there’s nothing to worry about as the Japanese will just go away.
Morning People….
Any suggestion for a new name for the NFL Wash DC. football team?
The Elizabeth Warrens
I think the Conway Family should get a reality show.
The newest development is that George and Kellyanne’s 15 year old daughter has now gone public with her political views through Tik Tok (which is big with the kids) and is giving interviews. She says she like her father is very much anti-Trump, but that unlike him she is completely left-leaning and liberal.
George is now featuring Tweets from his daughter etc, which is not something we can expect Kellyanne to be doing.
The teenage daughter says she argues about politics with her parents all the time, but in spite of of that they are both amazing people and she considers her mother her “best friend.”
A vote for strong families from the Conway’s in the tradition of James Carville and Mary Matlin!
PoliticsVideoChannel
BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: President Trump is planning to “skip the inauguration” if Biden wins
As an update, George and Kellyanne have apparently agreed that they do not want reporters talking to their 15 year old daughter anymore so he said on Twitter he disapproves.
As can be expected, the daughter went crazy on Twitter, accused her parents of trying to silence her and said things like, “I’m sorry your marriage failed.”
Definitely reality show material… but sad.
The daughter loves her parents but her politics goes to her father against her mothers boss….
Be that way….
Susan Rice as VP would be the same way with her son…
And as mentioned…. Carville and Matlin….
Morning to all on this Independence Day!
Very little to “celebrate” in our country today.
My act of patriotism?
I’m staying home.
This is pretty amazing. I am watching a Ken Burns documentary from 1985 about the Statue of Liberty, which I never knew existed.
As I am watching, they are interviewing various immigrants and included are “The Vindmans”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/the-vindmans–ken-burnss-statue-of-liberty/2019/10/29/65d38d6e-ad21-4e48-84c3-a48044e99f4e_video.html
Morning everyone…..
Gonna be interesting for the next two weeks’ virus numbers and 4th partying,..
“ Interesting?”
That’s one way of putting it.
Let’s get real though, there are going to be “ spikes” ( the new word of choice) and resulting sickness and deaths.
And why?Because entitled Americans can’t give up a day of drinking and partying all in the name of “ freedom” a word that increasingly ,health wise at least, is taking on a sinister meaning .
We deserve everything that is happening .
Something tells me Washington, Jefferson ,et al ,wouldn’t be proud of us.
We’ll see in a week or so…
Yeah probably nothings going to happen.
Fits in with your usual approach to this crisis.
Hey James remember when I (naively as it turned out ) said 100000 people might dies from this and you labeled my (much too low) “prediction “ a “stretch..”
Yup..,.
I was sadly wrong.,.
Well we both were .I ,a little less than you.
There is simply no evidence that things are getting better .
In the early days I didn’t blame Trump and ,by extension the Republican Party , whose fealty toward him among elected officials thereof ,knows no boundaries.
Now?I do totally and completely blame Trump and his Republican surrogates.We reopened way too early.Indeed we should be reopening completely about now.Crazily these early reopenings were done by Republican Governors ,eager to please Trump and his over the top rhetoric,even though ,and this is the crazy part,their states didn’t comply with the requirements of the official Trump Administration policy!
But policy be damned,Trump by his rhetoric by mid April began verbally repudiating his own policy despite occasional allusions to it.
So this is on them and Trump.
It’s hard to see anything but worsening now,even as some of the Republican Governors try desperately to implement policies they were publicly disdaining as recently as a week ago.
Maybe a vaccine will be developed sooner rather than later, maybe the virus will start to lose some of its lethality, as some are hinting.I hope so;otherwise, we and the economy,which allegedly was the reason for the too quick reopening ,will suffer more ,not less, as time goes on.
I want to be optimistic.
I’m not.
Actually?
From Delaware up the Atlantic coast things ARE Vastly better….
We here in NY where the epicentre of the first infections and deaths….
But we went down hard and stayed down while everyone else smirked and pointed their fingers at us….
Now they are in the same situation , but have been spared the percentage of deaths…
Cuomo being a Democrat didn’t have to pay lip sevice to guy born in the same boro as him…
The problem seems to be politics…
The solution the situation is for Governors to turn their backs on a President absent from helping and take care of their citizens…
There IS already several vaccines…
The companies are actually looking for volunteer test people….
The treatment drug Remdesivir has been donated to hospitals and for the fall the 3-4 day treatment cost will be $3,120 for Health ins co’s and 2, 120 for Medicaid patients …
I’ll bet that Trump will announce a “October surprise’ even as the trials are NOT finished….
Fauci will be have mask on that we can’t hear him talk from?
Or locked in a closet….
I try to be positive….
It’s difficult …Yes Jack….
No james, New York and New Jersey continues to have among the most daily deaths in the country. It is just that they no longer consistently have the most- as they once did.
Z?
On July 3, 2020
Florida had 67 deaths
New York had 22 deaths
New Jersey had 57 deaths
Texas had 43 deaths…
NYTimes…
Yep. Trump and Republican governors who pushed for early reopening are completely to blame.
We were scheduled to return to work in July, but the recent spike in cases has delayed our office reopening.
People who don’t wear a mask are not only selfishly putting other people at risk, they are destroying the economy. In order for the US economy to return like other countries, we have to get the caseload under control. People who don’t wear a mask should be fined.
Absolutely Z….
No Fauci, No Redford, No Wonder…
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-admin-preventing-dr-fauci-tv-interviews-cbs-host-says-1515518
Morning All…..
Trump’s approval numbers are now trying to drop BELOW 40% as he keeps attacking the idea of addressing racism in America…
It seems like he stuck in the 2016 campaign …
CG?
For more than a month there where protests AGAINST cops…
Some people are STILL mumbling about defunding the police…WTF would Biden pick a cop?…I think this also applies to Harris..
But I’m just a political dog running a blog🤔
Do you think the vast majority of the country is pro-police and opposed to such concepts as “defund the police” or not?
Most of the country does NOT accept defunding the police and for most of the country THAT is NOT gonna happen….
The largest example is the NYPD the mayor says will take a $1B cut….
Except?
That is with mirrors
The money is just being moved around ….
Not CUT…
So, why would Biden suffer from picking a distinguished former police officer and high ranking official, who also happens to be a black woman from a swing state?
Are Democrats going to sit out the election because she is a cop and “ACAB?” Are you afraid of those people in your party? I know you let them vote in your state’s primary without your voice being heard as well.
People should watch the Epstein special i’ve on Netflix….
Trump was a party to it and may end up doing something the guys partner who now sits in a federal jail making a LOT of high level people nervous…
He wouldn’t be the only one who has sat in the Oval Office to be so.
Supreme’s rule against faithless ‘electors’…
This was NOT. a surprise ….
Another avenue for Trump to use is cut off going into Dec20
Post coming…
And example of how fucking stupid the American President is….
Speaking of Protecting Our History
Philip Rucker: “With Trump’s newfound determination to preserve and celebrate history, I can’t help but recall his 2017 visit to the USS Arizona Memorial. The president had to ask John Kelly what happened at Pearl Harbor and its significance, as Carol Leonnig and I report in A Very Stable Genius.”
Politicalwire
James, I saw where you doubled down to suggest that COVID-19 deaths were less in NY than in the rest of the country. On July 5, The US had 251 COVID-19 deaths. NY had 33 of them. So NY continues to be among the leaders in the country of daily COVID-9 deaths. Note also that the 251 covid-19 Countrywide total is misleading because it includes for example the military and veterans affairs deaths which are not allocated to any particular state.
New York and NJ have done a great job at reducing their case loads, but those two states continue to have more than their fair share of deaths.
And since the pandemic began, the per capita death rate in NY and NJ has been more than twice as high as any state that is not in the northeast.
Z?
What is the population of NY and NJ?
What is the population of Arizona, Louisiana , South Carolina, Georgia?
The only comparison that meets ur point is California and Texas….
NY and NJ are not compatible to the other state in percentage per person deaths….
No James, Here are the number of COVID-19 deaths per 1 million of population in each state:
NY – 1658
NJ – 1720
SC – 159
AZ – 249
GA – 269
Source: Worldometers.info
Which states led in raw numbers last week?
Look it up James. I just twice provided data which proved your statements were inaccurate. I didn’t originally say that NY and NJ had the most # of new deaths. I said that they remain among the leaders in the # of new deaths – and I proved that they are.
The truth matters James. I’m not sure if you are deliberately distorting information or if you are just confused.
Ok….
You sound like Jack….
They ARE ‘among’ the OVERALL ones….
But SEVERAL of the state’s LEAD them in poercentage, which makes the numbers MORE critical since they have less people to the same numbers as NY and NJ…
Z?
Ny and NJ are light years ahead of the other states….
No worry here on the numbers like in other places
But yea…
You got it on the ‘technical’ comment….
9 Deaths on Sunday for NY Z…..
Just 9 to many….
Sundays are always undercounted everywhere.
For all of last week though, which state had the most in terms of total deaths?
Just reporting the numbers as some here DO emphasise
New York City entered Phase 3 on Monday, barring indoor dining. And Long Island is on track to enter Phase 4 of reopening Wednesday, which includes museums, bowling alleys, catering halls and other places where large groups gather….
Newsday…
Update for ya Z….
Cuomo increases the quarantine states to NY to 19….
Death toll is 10….
NY is #39 in infection cases per captia
Happy 74th Birthday to President George Walker Bush, by far the greatest President born in 1946.
Huntsman loses his primary in Utah…
Congrats to Spencer Cox, easily the less Trumpian option. Hopefully now he can feel free once again to abide by his conscience.
If we were to ever have a bald Mormon President, he would be one to look out for, but alas..
Oh yeah the guy that “doesn’t mean it” when he supports Trump.
Vote for a Democrat and you never have to worry about whether or not they “really” support Trump.
I am sure Jeff Van Drew’s voters thought that too.
Jeff Van Drew left the Democratic Party because he would likely have been defeated in the Democratic primary. His Congressional District is a Republican District.
CG, It doesn’t take great skill to find exceptions to any rule of politics. You always look for the exceptions, while often missing the big picture. It is actually quite predictable.
2020 New Jersey Primary Preview from RRH Elections , which IS a Right leaning site that I often feature here…
Ayn Rand Institute Took Government Bailout
The Ayn Rand Institute received a Paycheck Protection Program loan of between $350K and $1 million, the Wall Street Journal reports.
What is predictable is the continued mantra that Democrats are always excused no matter what and Republicans are always wrong no matter what. That is the “Big Picture” to some here.
The truth is there is a lot of hypocrisy in politics and sometimes both sides are wrong and should be called out.
The RCP Trump Job approval should NOT be taken seriously….
They keep adding Rasmussen to jack up Trump’s number which is probably a full point or two lower then the 41.9% they have it at…
Kellyanne Conway took away her daughter’s phone. That is her right to do that, but she should also consider taking away her boss’s phone.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/yGgMDmQXsRM?feature=oembed
Morning You All….
James, I think you could shorten this thread’s title to Donald Trump has little use for
theAmerican IntelligenceCommunity…😉
That too DSD….