Discussion: 'A Big Hoax!': After Week Of Walkbacks, Trump Returns To Doubting Russia Meddling

[bluinmaine]

A Big Hoax:

[ekcambridge]

This is what’s so frustrating about AP articles; they don’t spend even one sentence rebutting the blatant lies in the tweet, lies which further the completely bullshit narrative that Obama did nothing in response to the known Russian threats.

[atldrew]

Republicans “shift” on the Russian question because they see Russia as a political ally now, one that can quite literally change election outcomes for them…

yeah I think that as someone else posted at first it was money, then it was political dirt and then finally it was re-engineering elections. Eventually the rethugs found themselves in too deep so they’re enthusiastically all in now as in fighting for their lives, potentially (probability > 0) literally in the case of judgment of treason.

[daveyjones64]

I suspect he doesn’t yet realize the danger to himself in the Manafort case. And probably won’t until Mueller starts laying out the “larger case” I’ve been mentioning.(The reason he was so quick to close the window on cutting a deal with Manafort, is because he is figuring he doesn’t need Manafort’s testimony…he can basically substitute the case he makes at trial combined with Manafort’s conviction)

By that time, it will be too late for Trump to do much of anything but angrily tweet…the jury will be seated, and the case will be under way.

[steviedee111]

At the end of the day a lot of Americans don’t follow politics that closely and Manafort is a known but still obscure figure. Trump hasn’t made Manafort the main subject of too many tweets, and this trial isn’t based on ‘collusion’ but on garden variety tax fraud, false statements, and money laundering claims.

Agreed. But I think whatever attention Trump steers toward the trial will be in reaction to media coverage, not the nuts and bolts of Mueller’s case strategy. The media will seize on whatever scraps of the proceedings that ARE related to all things Russia. Manafort’s relationships with people that were also people Trumpco had dealings with will be picked apart, dissected and amplified. Trump will be unable to resist the urge to disavow all the various entanglements he and Manafort share, especially as various media figures seek to tie Trump to misdeeds allegedly committed through commonly shared contacts and business associates. You are correct a lot of it will be tenuous, but that’s never muted Trump’s anger at people painting pictures that unnerve him.

[dddinah]

DE–MENT–CHA–CHA

Who will get his final Rose?

[danny]

A page-long footnote on the Steele Dossier? Here I thought it was a single line saying

1438. Paid for by the Hillary Better Together 2016 campaign committee.

[daveyjones64]

yeah I think that as someone else posted at first it was money, then it was political dirt and then finally it was re-engineering elections.

That’s essentially Turning An Asset 101. Get them hooked, then compromise them, then lay out the offer they can’t refuse because of the combination of money, dirt and the essence of the offer. Which in turns just drags them deeper into the net with even more compromising dirt. It continues until the asset is no longer viewed as worth the expenditure, at which point he/she is burned.

[atldrew]

By that time, it will be too late for Trump to do much of anything but angrily tweet…the jury will be seated, and the case will be under way.

we will be deep deep deep into crazy-ville if a sitting US preznit tweet storms on an ongoing federal criminal trial.

At this point I’m numb to his lunacy, and I believe a lot of others now just let his bs flow like water off the backs of ducks. If he wants to incite the base he’s going to literally have to call for armed revolt, which will be nutso as R’s control most of the major levers of government.

[mbishop]

Serious question: The headline uses the word “meddling”, but doesn’t place it in quotes making it seem like an objective description of the Russia’s actions, but then the article only ever uses the words “election interference” to describe Russia’s actions and doesn’t contain the word “meddling”.

For the headline, why isn’t the word “meddling” in quotes? Or alternatively, why doesn’t the headline use the phrase “election interference” (no quotes) instead of “meddling”?

_ michael

[danny]

The world is my oyster
I ejaculate to none
Fear not my dear lady
You’re safe for now hon

[demyankee]

If he wants to incite the base he’s going to literally have to call for armed revolt, which will be nutso as R’s control most of the major levers of government.

That’s as may be, but a nice little “hunt” for all those Liberal Democrat witches might be just the ticket.

[longtimeobserver]

A YUUUGE money laundry!

[daveyjones64]

If he wants to incite the base he’s going to literally have to call for armed revolt, which will be nutso as R’s control most of the major levers of government.

Think of it less like an armed revolt, and more like a violent purge. Purges are much easier to achieve when you are in control of the government.

[khyber900]

I think a lot of the news from the trial will be arcane, documentary type evidence. His lawyers will counsel him to be quiet and blame Manafort for causing his own problems and dismiss it as not-Russia related. That was their original response to the Manafort indictment but then the Papado plea messed up his plans. Trump can’t control himself, however, and I expect that he will sound a few witch hunt alarms.

[atldrew]

Think of it less like an armed revolt, and more like a violent purge.

a freedom cleansing if you will.

[benthere]

"Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." - Sir Walter Scott (Marmion, 1808)

[benthere]

Yes.

[josephebacon]

[lizzymom]

Let’s compromise: he’s an imbecilic charlatan.