15 minutes ago, DramatistDreamer said:

Where are the deficit hawks now?  Oh, did they only exist when Obama was POTUS?

 

They always disappear when a Republican is President. Like magic.

 

Obama was hamstrung by Congress, even when Democrats had control, but I wish he'd been able to push through the larger final stimulus package that he'd wanted. 

The seat had previously been uncontested until Gibson made the remark about Emma Gonzalez, then a Democratic candidate decided to enter the race. 

 

GOP state candidate who called Parkland survivor "skinhead lesbian" drops out of race https://t.co/Cy2T0QrWE6 pic.twitter.com/qjw1STkaxR

— The Hill (@thehill) March 16, 2018

Edited March 16, 20187 yr by DramatistDreamer

4 hours ago, DramatistDreamer said:

Jr. is getting himself in a whole entire mess, just like his Dad.  Some former model just released screenshot DMs from Jr. 

 

Also, is it normal to hire an attorney known for criminal defense as your divorce lawyer?  I guess it is if your F-I-L has received subpoenas.

 

I've seen people say that maybe Junior and his wife are trying to hide/preserve assets. Not sure I buy that, but it'll be interesting to see how this divorce shakes out.

I didn't read past the headline. I knew it would piss me off too much.

Trump (and Sessions) just fired McCabe days before he could retire with pension.

 

 

BREAKING: Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he's fired former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, effective immediately.

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 17, 2018

In no less shocking but better news:

 

 

Facebook says it is suspending the account of the Trump-linked data firm Cambridge Analytica: https://t.co/4UwFDrC5zP

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 17, 2018

This is massive, massive news. If it weren't for Cambridge Analytica, I honestly don't believe Trump would've gotten elected. https://t.co/bnmOapPTwr

— William LeGate (@williamlegate) March 17, 2018

I should add that it seems highly likely that Trump made clear that it was McCabes job or Sessions. Sessions long ago made his choice. Trump owns him.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) March 17, 2018

“I absolutely never misled the inspector general in any way," Andrew McCabe said during an hour-long interview with CNN, calling his highly-public downfall the result of "a series of attacks designed to undermine my credibility and my reputation” including by President Trump.

— Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) March 17, 2018

More from the McCabe interview:
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe says the highly controversial Republican memo from the House Intelligence Committee "selectively quoted" and "mischaracterized" what he said to the full committee when he testified last December.

— Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) March 17, 2018

Meanwhile, over in Stormygate:

 

 

2/ First Daniels says that the President like to be humiliated, spanked etc in the sack. Apparently she mentions this in the 60 mins interview. The legal machinations behind the agreement also might get one or more lawyers disbarred or worse. That’s one.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) March 17, 2018

4/ and at least 2 of them say they’re under Trump NDAs. In Michael Wolff’s book Bannon said that he and Kasowitz ‘took care of’ 100 women during the Access Hollywood uproar in October 2016. I know they worked on this together from another source. So just how many NDA’d women ...

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) March 17, 2018

6/ whether fighting the women in court to stay silent simply becomes politically untenable.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) March 17, 2018

2/ adopting wildly aggressive strategy that has not only overwhelmed the White House and Trump's toadies and goons but also forced them to make mistakes. The first was probably the move to arbitration itself. Even more was Sanders fatal reference to a judgement "in Trumps favor."

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) March 17, 2018

7/ To some extent sure, they're succeeding because she's a porn star who had sex with the President, dished to 60 Mins abt how he likes being humiliated in the sack. Daniels is very media savvy. Back in 2010 she briefly ran for Senate from Louisiana taking advantage of the ...

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) March 17, 2018

9/ Yes, it's fun to watch. But other people who want to wrongfoot Trump and knock him down should look at how they're doing it.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) March 17, 2018

 

President Trump is slated to discuss the open communications director position with Bill Shine, the co-president of Fox News who stepped down last year, in the coming days. https://t.co/adh1ggicnb

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) March 17, 2018

Bill Shine was heavily involved in the sexual harassment scandals and payoffs at Fox.

Cambridge is that Mercer company, isn't it? They really did open themselves up to headaches when they got in bed with Trump and Bannon (likely one of the reasons the Koch brothers were smart enough to pull back). 

 

I don't believe in karma, because I've seen too many good people suffer and too many bad people get rewarded, but if I did, Sessions would be doing swan dives into it by this point. What a shameful man. 

CA and the Mercers are in deep with the Russian social media apparatus.

 

I think Sessions is miserable in the job and Trump's constant humiliation and belittling of him for not firing Mueller or impeding the Russia investigation, but perversely, he can't walk away - either because of too much dirt on him from Russia, or because he just can't resist the chance to lock up more immigrants and battle the scourge of marijuana.

 

As a friend of his warned the press, McCabe is not going quietly. He's on CNN at the moment, I think:

 

JUST IN: Statement from Andrew McCabe: "I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey.” https://t.co/t2XUf57p21 pic.twitter.com/Y6uv6gZ5pA

— ABC News (@ABC) March 17, 2018

A representative for Andrew McCabe says he learned from a press release that he had been fired by Sessions.

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) March 17, 2018

Edited March 17, 20187 yr by Vee

ANDREW MCCABE, thank you for your 21 years of faithful service to the United States of America. I hope all within reach of this tweet will donate what they can and fund this patriots deserved pension. You have to be a 7th degree stupid belt to believe this isn’t political.

— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) March 17, 2018

This American citizen demands to know the precise evidence that led to the termination of a 21 year FBI senior leader with a reputation for probity and rectitude two days before his reaching pension eligibility. Disgraceful. This is an abuse of power and pure bananarepublicanism

— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) March 17, 2018

Seriously, someone who is more technologically competent than me should set up a mechanism where good Americans can fund this great patriots full pension .

— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) March 17, 2018

My God:

 

 

In the same meeting, John Kelly talks about:

Tillerson being on the toilet when he was told he was getting fired https://t.co/aQxEHpgqpV

Kudlow's cocaine habit not being an issue; says the 1990s were “a crazy time.” https://t.co/VSVNV94Fcd

These remarks seem deliberate.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 16, 2018

 

 

Quote

What we're hearing:

Kelly acknowledged to the reporters it’s likely that Trump is talking to people outside the White House and that reporters are then talking to those people. Kelly cast Trump’s own conversations as a significant contributing factor to stories about the staff changes. (Kelly was making the point that he’s not around for a lot of Trump’s conversations so can’t be sure what he’s telling people over the phone.)

 

Kelly disputed the reports about H.R. McMaster imminently leaving the White House. He said there are no active plans to replace him, and added that it would be great if the Army gave McMaster a 4th star.

 

Kelly also defended HUD Sec. Ben Carson, who is under pressure for spending $31,000 on a furniture set. Kelly said $31,000 sounds like a lot of money, but to put it in context he asked a reporter how much they think the chair they’re sitting on costs. Kelly said it’s probably worth hundreds of dollars but it will last a long time. He rationalized Carson’s $31,000 outlay by saying the table could last for 80 or 100 years. Kelly was pressed on whether the President was going to fire Carson. He made a military analogy. He said whenever he makes a decision, he makes sure that it’s legally permissible and from that line he takes five paces back — to allow for optics, ethical and other considerations. Kelly said he wants all decision-making across government to be like that and the impression reporters were left with was that Carson is not going to be fired. 

 

Kelly said he has been telling Trump that Jeff Sessions is doing a good job. Kelly went above and beyond to defend Sessions, and told the president that the press only reports about 3% of what he does. 

 

He said Deputy A.G. Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Chris Wray are also doing good jobs. 

Kelly also said that Larry Kudlow’s past cocaine habit won’t be a problem for his security clearance, as it is public knowledge. Kelly joked that the 1990s were “a crazy time.”

 

John Kelly: Rex Tillerson Was on the Toilet When I Told Him He’d Be Getting Fired https://t.co/VNoxVFxAVB

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) March 16, 2018

“Sources were stunned that, even in an off-record setting, Kelly would say this—to a room filled with White House officials and political reporters—about Tillerson, who does not officially leave the State Department until the end of the month.”https://t.co/Imzw2m1Ba7

— Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) March 16, 2018

 

 

 

Here's how you have to see the White House these days. People aren't communicating. Many people don't think they are being told truth by others. Hall of mirrors with POTUS. No one knows who's on firm ground. Just how it is, per at least eight people in building.

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) March 17, 2018

Edited March 17, 20187 yr by Vee

Food for thought. Read John Deans book “the Nixon Defense what he knew and when he knew it”. Very important item about Deep Throat. Thet all knew it was Mark Felt but were afraid of having him fired or getting him outed becauase of all he knew about many things and the potential retaliation of members of the FBI.

Edited March 17, 20187 yr by JaneAusten

McCabe was ready, and has already done press:

 

 

Our interview with Andrew McCabe, who says he is being smeared for his role in the Russia investigation https://t.co/gNASZTqQvn

— Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) March 17, 2018

Extremely important moment in the Trump presidency. In some ways more egregious than the Comey firing. https://t.co/sRpOLD5hD3

— Nicolle Wallace (@NicolleDWallace) March 17, 2018

1 hour ago, Vee said:

I think Sessions is miserable in the job [...] but perversely, he can't walk away - either because of too much dirt on him from Russia, or because he just can't resist the chance to lock up more immigrants and battle the scourge of marijuana.

 

It couldn't be a little of both?

 

You know, I could have gone the rest of my life w/o hearing about how John Kelly had informed Rex Tillerson that he'd been shitcanned (no pun intended).  But...OTOH...if I had been Rex, I don't think I would have flushed.

Edited March 17, 20187 yr by Khan

15 minutes ago, Khan said:

 

It couldn't be a little of both?

 

You know, I could have gone the rest of my life w/o hearing about how John Kelly had informed Rex Tillerson that he'd been shitcanned (no pun intended).  But...OTOH...if I had been Rex, I don't think I would have flushed.

 

It reminds me of something from 9 to 5. 

 

That Elizabeth Wilson (RIP) character would have fit into this White House perfectly. 

Jesus Christ:

 

 

Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy. Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2018

CNN:

 

McCabe also opened up about how the President appeared fixated on his wife's failed campaign, recalling at least four occasions in which Trump taunted him with it as a "mistake" or "problem" and calling her a "loser."

 

Trump raised the issue with Comey "out of the blue," according to McCabe, saying things "like, 'What's wrong with that deputy director of yours?' " insinuating that he was somehow politically motivated against the President, which, McCabe says is "absolutely not true."

 

"In May, when Director Comey was fired and I had my own interactions with the President, he brought up my wife every time I ever spoke to him," McCabe told CNN, emphasizing that he pushed back. "Of course, I disagreed with him. I don't see my wife's decision to try to enter public life to help her community (have) greater access to healthcare as a mistake or a problem."

 

McCabe, who said he always considered himself a Republican, also confirmed that the President asked him who he voted for the day after Trump fired Comey and McCabe stepped in as interim FBI director in May.

 

"I didn't vote at all in 2016, and I explained to him that I did not vote in 2016 because the work that we were involved in had such political overtones that I felt it was prudent not to take a side in an election," McCabe said.

 

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on their interactions.

Nobody seems to be talking about this.

 

Austin Package Bombs Appear to Be Targeting Prominent Black Families