Even if you subpoena us, we won't turn up on the Trump threads

[PerkingFaintly]

Oh whoops, here we are.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3180160-Trump-talk-HOW-MUCH-for-that-inauguration?pg=1

Crikey I'm slow again. Bigly etc.

Melissa McEwan
@Shakestweetz
"America's top military officer, Gen. Joseph Dunford, spoke with his Russian counterpart Gen. Valery Gerasimov, on Tuesday, the same day Gerasimov threatened to target US forces in Syria should they retaliate against the regime's use of chemical weapons."
"The call was first revealed by the Russian Ministry of Defense."

edition.cnn.com/2018/03/13/politics/russian-us-generals-speak-dunford-syria/index.html

[A reminder of Gerasimov's doctrine: www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/09/05/gerasimov-doctrine-russia-foreign-policy-215538 ]

Activists have placed 7,000 pairs of children's shoes outside the Capitol Building to commemorate the 7,000 children killed by guns since Sandy Hook. #NeverAgain #March4OurLives
twitter.com/tizzywoman/status/973632526773313538?s=21

It's such a poignant image. So many lives needlessly lost.

White House replaces top State Department aide with former ‘Fox and Friends’ co-host

Heather Nauert will replace Steve Goldstein, who contradicted the White House's account of Tillerson's firing.

thinkprogress.org/trump-state-department-fox-host-141281554ef5/

Rachel Maddow MSNBC
@maddow
Democrats on Intel Committee release their own "Status Report" on the Russia investigation, after Republican majority yesterday announced they were shutting it down.
"the Committee has learned... candidate Trump’s private business was actively negotiating a business deal in Moscow with a sanctioned Russian bank during the election period"
"Avraham (Avi) Berkowitz, served as Assistant Director of Data Analytics on the Trump Campaign... The Committee has reason to believe that Mr. Kushner may have dispatched Mr. Berkowitz to meet with Russian Ambassador Kislyak in December 2016."

lawfareblog.com/document-house-intelligence-committee-minority-russia-investigation-status-report

Gosh.

"The Committee... has reason to believe that Peter Smith was, in fact, in contact with the Trump campaign."

Lordy.

"The Minority has a good faith reason to believe that the White House does in fact possess such documentation memorializing President Trump’s conversations with Director Comey."

I wonder how much of a showman Mr M is................

Manu Raju
@mkraju
Schiff also makes clear he is prepared to restart probe if Ds take House majority. He said if Mueller/Senate do not examine some of these unexplored areas - like money laundering and whether Russia has financial leverage over the president of the United States - “we need to know”

cozie am listening to the soundtrack to the greatest showman, ironically!!

it's a guilty pleasure

Ukraine Government Has Frozen Its Manafort Investigations. Critics Say It Is Currying Favor With Trump.

The Trump administration is sending Ukraine some arms to fight pro-Russian forces, and Kiev acts like the price is an end to its own investigations into Trump campaign advisers.

www.thedailybeast.com/manafort-who-ukraines-cover-up-could-undermine-muellers-probe

“And we need it for my deplorably stupid base who will abandon me if I don’t build something that looks like a WALL.”

He does know “gangs” can use things called “boats” or “planes”, or even “mail”, right?

In another dodgy Fox tweet, he suggested the employment benefits saved from deported illegal aliens would easily pay for the wall. Wasn’t Mexico paying? [Hmm]

Fox News @FoxNews 2hrs
More
.@POTUS on border wall: "We need it for the drugs. We need it for the gangs. We need it for lots of reasons." fxn.ws/2Ip8zjw

It’s a concern when the incoming US Chief of Cyber Command says Russia and China have not been deterred from any kind of cyber attacks.

I’ve worked for a military contractor before. It was the subject of continued cyber attacks from China, and as far as I’m aware that is still ongoing. (That is was attacked is unclassified, what it was attacking is). China IMO is a threat we have been all ignoring in favour of Russia.

www.washingtonexaminer.com/russia-and-china-do-not-fear-us-says-trumps-pick-to-lead-cyber-command/article/2650394

www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/gop-rep-gowdy-says-russia-hurt-hillary-clinton-campaign.html

You've forgotten the chocolate cake, Claws.

From lionheart's cnbc link:

Rep. Trey Gowdy disagrees with GOP colleagues in House probe, says Russia wanted to hurt Hillary Clinton
www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/gop-rep-gowdy-says-russia-hurt-hillary-clinton-campaign.html

Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., on Tuesday contradicted his own GOP-led committee's findings in its probe of Russian meddling during the 2016 U.S. election.

In a statement, Gowdy said it was "clear, based on the evidence, Russia had disdain for Secretary Clinton and was motivated in whole or in part by a desire to harm her candidacy or undermine her Presidency had she prevailed."

The statement from Gowdy, who is not seeking re-election at the end of his current term, cuts against conclusions announced Monday by the Republican-led House Intelligence Committee.
[...]
Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, is the only Republican on the committee who read the underlying surveillance court documents from which the GOP memo was drawn.

Bit more from that article, as Gowdy's last paragraph is particularly important:

"No witness provided evidence — direct or circumstantial — of collusion, coordination or conspiracy," Gowdy said.

However, Gowdy said Russia's attempts to divide Americans are "crystal clear."

"Russia's ultimate goal was to turn Americans against Americans, undercut our confidence in the electoral process, and sow the seeds of discord," he said. "On that measure, we are in direct control — as Americans — of whether they succeed or not."

Indeed, cozie. Everything’s OK since they shared the BESTEST chocolate cake, I guess. It solves all the world’s problems!

Devin Nunes has very little credibility left, so let’s throw a few Clintons to the wind on the State propaganda channel. (What is he suggesting is entirely untrue, BTW - in fact, just the opposite - the brief the committee issued states as such, and I presume he read it.) However, the deplorables will seize only hear the “Clinton did it” aspect and jeer like hyenas, unable and unwilling to to work through the issues for themselves. This is why Trumpism succeeds.

Fox News @FoxNews
10m10 minutes ago
More
.@DevinNunes: No Evidence of Trump-Russia Collusion, But 'Clear Links' Between Clinton Campaign & Russians

PA special election results coming in

thehill.com/homenews/campaign/378117-pennsylvania-special-election-live-results

It's looking good so far but it's still early. Polls closed 1 hr ago

It's not bad. It was always going to be a big ask for Lamb. I doubt that the outcome will be much comfort for the GOP leadership.

When is it expected to be called? Don't know if I can face staying up for a special election but don't want to not know either!

I'd go to bed, Pain. It may be down to the wire.

Sorry - about 02.00 if I recall?