Discussion: Priebus Warns Ethics Chief to "Be Careful" About Criticizing Trump

[theghostofeustacetilley]

[taters]

“Be careful”, OR WHAT, PRIEBUS? They are over-reaching before they even reach. IIRC, the ethics director merely offered a ‘friendly reminder’ of the actual legal guidelines. Why should that be an issue?
When even milquetoast wussies like Priebus are emboldened to make vague threats like this, the Republicans have jumped the shark. And Трумп’s not even sworn in yet.

[tena]

Liked x 1000

[teenlaqueefa]

@taters

When even milquetoast wussies like Priebus are emboldened to make vague threats like this

It worked for the W administration because people were shocked and scared after the attacks on September 11th.

This looks like weakness, not strength.

[doobieibood]

No, my original point is that the quote is about “that document” should never have been in the briefing, which is implying that the Buzzfeed doc made up the intel in the briefing. I have seen this implied elsewhere. My point is that what was reported was a 2 page summary of the evidence found by the intelligence agencies. This intelligence is related to, but certainly from additional sources and checked out to certain standards, not simply copied and pasted from the Buzzfeed doc.

[tena]

Thanks for clarifying. It was my understanding the sources were the same and some of the same material was part of the briefing.

Perhaps not.

[tiowally]

@spencersmom

Not really sure who exactly they would sue

Have no fear. Laurence Tribe et al. will figure it out toot sweet. In fact, I suspect he and his group of attorneys — the same group of top-of-the-line attorneys that offered to defend Trump’s sexual assault accusers for free — already have.

I fully expect that lawsuits will be filed as soon as the courthouse doors open on Jan. 23. Hell, it wouldn’t surprise me if there are filings next Friday afternoon, which would be particularly sweet, if for no other reason to read the DrumpfTweets™ claiming that a bunch of legal eagles were trying to rain on his parade.

The legal shit’s going to hit the fan, to be sure. And the fireworks are going to be spectacular!

[tiowally]

And as far as the Buzz Feed allegations go, the IC would NOT even mention them to Comrade Coir Coif if there wasn’t some serious concerns there. After all, people throw crap at the Orange Shitgibbon every day but the IC doesn’t brief him on those things now, do they? Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

In a way, it almost seemed like a shot across the bow. Sort of like saying, “There’s stuff out there, buddy, and somebody will get it.” And the more he attacks the IC’s credibility the sooner it will come out.

[spencersmom]

@mattinpa

I think everybody involved in our current situation has to be wondering what it’s like to spend a decade or two or three in a federal prison

I’ve been seeing lots of reports that Intelligence Communities around the globe are looking into Chris Steele’s compilation of reports and that there are numerous other allegations “out there” that haven’t surfaced, at least in public. If nothing else, we may have to rely on international agencies forcing the FBI’s hand on investigations because, if Steele is any indication, if they remain recalcitrant - a very real possibility under Comey and the NYC office - these external groups may decide to go right to the press instead.

As with Watergate, the cover-up is always worse than the underlying crime. “Follow the money”!

[micaiah]

@annas

There is no such thing as the “Mosocw Daily Herald”

Is that official?

[spencersmom]

Don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility for PeePee to manufacture or allow a 9/11-type event to occur early in his “presidency”. Showmen love theatrics, especially cheap thrills. What’s a few thousand dead Americans if it locks him into power? What’s a few hundred thousand dead, for that matter?

[krux]

Just liked the idea of this… #cheaptheater

[pluckyinky]

@mattinpa

Every single one of them knows what a mess they’ve gotten themselves into. They know the whole thing could blow sky-high literally at any moment. It’s like at the end of “The Man Who Would Be King,” when Peachy tells Danny all they can do is “brass it out.” The President-elect they’ve all supported is a traitor. And they know it. And the enraged natives are closing in. There’s really not much doubt how things will go.

And don’t you get the sense that they know full well Peepee won’t last long? Once he’s gone and Pence assumes office, Pence will basically be an immediate lame duck with very little power. There will be anger on all sides with Democrats railing against him and the Deplorables screaming from the right that they didn’t vote for him. If it happens before Election Day in 2018, Democrats might do a whole lot better than anyone expects.

[mattinpa]

There’s a thing you and @tiowally are alluding to that seriously interests me, and that’s the lack of clarity about that dossier. It’s seriously discomfited the entire globe, because it lays the worst-case scenario out there in black and white. So many entities who feel especially discomfited have seized on the “unverified” aspect to do a lot of harrumphing and pooh-poohing and so forth. But here’s the thing—unverified means just that. It was assembled not by some credulous scandalmonger but by a former employee of MI6 who’s respected in the intelligence community here. It’s raw intelligence, not confirmed. But it’s not dismissible, not garbage. It’s damn serious stuff.

A couple of days ago William Saletan of Slate wrote a piece that started out with his saying he did not “believe” that Trump colluded with the Russians. But he goes on to say, point by point, that Trump is acting like he had colluded for reasons Saletan doesn’t understand. My own belief is Saletan used the word “believe” in the sense of accepting as true without proof. I don’t either, because the thing isn’t proven. But I think about four-fifths of the world is, like Saletan, wondering what in the hell Trump is playing at if he didn’t collude with Putin. Is he being the world’s biggest patsy just because Putin said he was “colorful” and Trump thinks that means “genius” because of a mistranslation? I suppose that’s possible, if unlikely. Is it because Trump genuinely wants to improve relations? That’s pretty far-fetched.

So we come back to the dossier, and a whole series of statements and actions from Trump and others that can’t be well explained without the collusion aspect. No proof. A near insurmountable, and certainly not ignorable, pile of suspicion. And five days to go until Trump becomes President.

@pluckyinky

And don’t you get the sense that they know full well Peepee won’t last long?

It’s palpable, like when you know it’s going to snow. I’ll bet every single person in the GOP leadership has talked to his lawyer and has a plan for when it all goes south.

[spencersmom]

Remember how he came out of that particular briefing and made a point to proclaim how great the Intel Community is? They hit a nerve and scared the crap outta him. But it didn’t last long. I’d bet that someone - Bannon or Guiliani - told him that “they wouldn’t dare!” and his own ego wouldn’t allow him to remain grateful for the info he was given so he went back to attacking them.

This insane egotistical posturing of his will be his downfall. I will pop a bottle of Dom Perignon when August 9, 1974 Part Deux comes.

(edited because suggesting Nov '63 was wrong… even I have a conscience)

[krux]

@mattinpa

There’s really not much doubt how things will go.

I just had to lob out there that we still have the batshit-crazy NPD element in play and what might appear the obvious course of events may be thrown quite a ways off by this.

[theghostofeustacetilley]

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/01/evidence-bizarre-trump-russia-ties-continues-ooze-out

[mattinpa]

@krux

I just had to lob out there that we still have the batshit-crazy NPD element in play and what might appear the obvious course of events may be thrown quite a ways off by this.

My only certainty is that Trump will not have a normal Presidency. It’ll unravel somehow. That’s the what—I just hope most of us survive the how.

[theghostofeustacetilley]

The unraveling has started. What remains to be seen is how long his handlers can hold him together. Bungee cords and duct tape.

[inlabsitrust]

@darcy

Christ, now even Reince is a tough guy.

Reincey is feeling his oats, which I assume means his balls.