The one where Trump just can't stop being Trump

[TheClaws]

Time for a new 'un.

Old thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2958743-Its-too-hot-for-high-drama-but-nonetheless-we-persist-Trump-cont

Here you go!

Love it.

thinkprogress.org/multiple-reports-this-week-raise-questions-about-trump-campaigns-connections-to-russia-5a2a952f5690

Are they back to stoking the fires under Ryan?

(It would be a good distraction. )

See, the thing people have got mixed up is in assuming the Commission is supposed to be ensuring election integrity. Once you accept that the whole point is to undermine it, everything makes sense.

My theory is that Kobach deliberately asked for an outrageous level of detail so the States would be more or less forced to refuse. This could easily be spun as proof that they had something to hide. Hopefully the sheer number who are in revolt, including Republicans, may have the opposite effect.

ps On a completely random change of subject, is it just me or does Geoff Sessions look and sound like yer archetypal "man in high office not to be trusted" in the movies? He kind of reminds me of the scientist in Alien who was trying to bring the alien back to Earth regardless of whether it killed his crewmates in the process, and who turned out to be an android. Only Sessions is less clever and not such a good actor (or such a well-made android - I can see the wires).

Yes Sessions looks like he has come from Central Casting as mendacious and misguided baddie

Amy Siskind weekly update:

m.facebook.com/amy.siskind/posts/10213178670526484

In answer to my own earlier question upthread - it looks like they want to.

GOP senators to McConnell: Cancel August recess
edition.cnn.com/2017/07/01/politics/republican-senators-letter-recess/index.html?sr=twpol070117republican-senators-letter-recess0616PMVODtopLink&linkId=39321840

Sorry northwest - you weren't ignored but I didn't make it clear I was addressing your question in a previous post!

The decimation of the state department is pretty frightening:

Yashar Ali @yashar
Think about how bad things have to get for former National Security Advisor and UN Ambassador Susan Rice to tweet this article out.

Susan Rice @AmbassadorRice

Unilateral Diplomatic Disarmament.

Present at the Destruction: How Rex Tillerson Is Wrecking the State Department

t.co/P3T7yBLkj7?amp=1
Present at the Destruction: How Rex Tillerson Is Wrecking the State Department

Nothing to apologise for Pain keep up the sterling work - it's much appreciated!

I think they're panicking, NorthWest.

Cruella De Trump

CBO scoring both plans:

www.axios.com/senate-asks-for-cbo-score-with-without-cruz-proposal-2451585212.html

Fucking hell

www.buzzfeed.com/ikrd/a-man-has-been-jailed-after-attacking-a-muslim-teen-with-a?bfsource=bbf_enuk&utm_term=.weXxqLBNm#.au1WeAdng

A Man Has Been Jailed After Attacking A Muslim Teen With A Packet Of Bacon

You have to feel for those poor blighters in the CBO. No hols for them, I guess?

Interesting Beast piece.

Inside the drug war plans for Central America

Thank you for the Siskind update, Pain.

Not good at all:

www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/07/03/the-national-enquirers-fervor-for-trump

This is better:

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/01/barack-obama-calls-for-liberal-solutions-to-globalisation-problems

Thanks for the Amy Siskind link, Pain. I find the bits about Kushner and Deutsche Bank particularly interesting:

"17. WAPO reported that one month before Election Day, Kushner’s firm finalized a $285mm refinancing loan from Deutsche Bank. Kushner and his brother are guarantors of the loan.
18. Kushner did not report the loan or his personal guarantee on his financial disclosure form filed with the OGE.
19. The loan came at a time when Deutsche was negotiating with New York state regulators to settle a federal mortgage fraud case and charges of money laundering for Russia.
20. In Week 19’s List (March 25) Deutsch was fined $630mm for laundering over $10bn of Russian money, and settled the case in May.
...
56. Maddow also reported that Deutsche Bank added a lawyer with a background in tax crimes and money laundering.
57. On Thursday, Deutsche Bank again denied Democratic lawmakers’ request for information on Trump’s accounts, saying individual members of Congress don’t have the same standing as a committee."

Now the "one month before the election" timing is fascinating, because I remember a slew of articles about Deutsche Bank being in serious trouble (as in, financial crisis of 2008 levels of serious trouble), so I just googled - here's one from the Telegraph, back in end of September, i.e. roughly the time of the loan.

My spidey senses are tingling off the scale - there's some serious shit going down here. Deutsche Bank in serious financial trouble, and lending to Trump's son in law, and money laundering for Russia, all at the same time. (And make no mistake how huge it would be if DB needed a state bail out - the business pages seem to be of the opinion that it would make the Italian banking crisis look like a storm in a tea cup).

That is fascinating.

I remember Deutsche Bank having issues.

I do too. But why would they be lending to Trump &co if in so much trouble? What were they promised?

We've been out today so just sitting down for a catch up.

Someone really needs to have Scrotus' meds checked. Those AM tweets were, um, something else.

Yes, so many of the important govt departments, ones that insure our freedom and quality of life, are being decimated. If we don't stay aware and active, we are going to be reduced to something similar to East Germany during the Cold War, having to watch everything we say for fear of the 'knock in the night'. I honestly believe that there has not been such divisiveness in this country since the Civil War years.

But still we must persist. 2018 2018.

Thanks for the link to the New Yorker article on The Enquirer, Pain. Meaty stuff. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for that possible acquisition of Time Inc.

Placemark and already on page 5, could be 6 by the time I post