Our list of allies grows thin! Our list of enemies grows long! Trump thread continued.

[TheClaws]

The above is a quote from The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, said by Lord Elrond. At this stage, with POTUS practically pissing off every ally the US has while cosying up with several dictators, it seems quite apt.

Previous thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3283037-trump-puts-kids-in-cages-because-he-wants-his-wall-how-low-can-he-go-the-authoritarian-shitshow-continues

Oh Lordy, the baby blimp has more brains. How much longer must the fine American people suffer.

@JuliaDavisNews
#Russia's state TV:
Chairman of Foreign Affairs Comm Konstantin Kosachev says that Trump is convinced that Mueller can't catch him — only #Manafort.
Therefore, the "red lines" in dealing with Russia that were there at the start of his presidency are no longer holding him back.
mobile.twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/status/1015241398143143938

'Ron Johnson: Russian lawmakers ‘don’t understand why’ election interference is a big deal'

'Russian lawmakers “don’t understand why” the 2016 cyberattacks against the Democratic Party sparked an array of U.S. sanctions, a senior Republican lawmaker said after meetings in Moscow.

“There is a total disconnect on their part, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, told the Washington Examiner. "They don't understand why their election interference has been blown up into such an issue. They don't really have a clue, based on their perspective, of why the American public so supports punishing sanctions against them because of the election interference.”
www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/ron-johnson-russian-lawmakers-dont-understand-why-election-interference-is-a-big-deal

Olivier Knox
@OKnox
Johnson said it was time to “evaluate” whether to lift US sanctions imposed on Russia over its annexation of Crimea, saying they have failed to change Moscow’s behavior and cut US businesses out of Russian deals. cc @RadioFreeTom
mobile.twitter.com/OKnox/status/1015373071241367553

‘A cesspool of deviancy’: New claims of voyeurism test Jordan denials
A half-dozen former wrestlers at Ohio State, where GOP Rep. Jim Jordan once coached, said they were regularly harassed by men in their training facility.

www.politico.com/story/2018/07/06/jim-jordan-harassment-ohio-state-wrestling-699192

There are things I really want to happen apart from the obvious. One is Jim Jordan brought down by the sex scandal.

Another is evidence that one of DT's women had an abortion. I'm pretty sure it's there in the Cohen papers.

A third is Giuliani indicted by Mueller.

Hubris epitomised:
Josh Marshall
@joshtpm
Rep. Jim Jordan attacks accuser as liar and criminal with vendetta against Ohio state and Jordan's family.
mobile.twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1015366177936289793

@aurabogado
I can’t tweet everything I know. Some of it is off-the-record. Some of it is uncorroborated. Some of it is embargoed until we publish.

But I can tweet this: this thing where the government took children from their parents atthe border? It’s more horrific than we have imagined.

mobile.twitter.com/aurabogado/status/1015233093559468040

@jimsciutto
Best city in the world
mobile.twitter.com/jimsciutto/status/1015388082047279104
This New York, the city that enabled Trump's corrupt mentor and the Trump mob family?

nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/04/frank-rich-roy-cohn-the-original-donald-trump.html
www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/04/2016-donald-trump-tabloids-new-york-post-daily-news-media-213842

It is sheer stupidity for anyone, of any nationality, to claim the best for their home town, country or nationality above all others. Shallow and blinkered.

www.revealnews.org/article/defense-contractor-detained-migrant-kids-in-vacant-phoenix-office-building/?utm_source=Reveal&utm_medium=social_media&utm_campaign=twitter

Dick Durbin
@SenatorDurbin
Remember Brian Benczkowski? He represented Russia’s Alfa Bank and was a top staffer to then-Senator Sessions. Senate Republicans plan to vote next week to confirm him to head the DOJ Criminal Division.

Heading the DOJ Criminal Division is a critically important job. This person will supervise over 600 federal prosecutors handling thousands of cases and investigations, and will oversee sensitive matters such as the criminal investigation of Michael Cohen.

Benczkowski has no prosecutorial experience. He showed poor judgment by choosing to represent Alfa Bank while he was seeking a DOJ job despite reports that Alfa was under criminal investigation. And he won’t commit to recuse himself from Russia-related matters if confirmed.

Why does President Trump want Brian Benczkowski for this important job? Why not find an attorney who has actual prosecutorial experience and who is free and clear from Russian connections? And we still don’t know the full story behind Alfa Bank and what they did in 2016.

In May I joined my Senate Judiciary Democratic colleagues in calling for Benczkowski’s nomination to be withdrawn. See our letter here:

Watch this vote next week. Republicans will try to confirm Benczkowski while attention is focused on SCOTUS. This could be a pivotal moment in the Russia investigation.

mobile.twitter.com/SenatorDurbin/status/1014886384660832257

Judd Legum
‏
Verified account

@JuddLegum

'Wow.

Jim Jordan changes his story, seems to acknowledge that he was aware that the team doctor was molesting wrestlers at Ohio State

"Conversations in a locker room are a lot different than allegations of abuse."'

Judd Legum
Verified account
@JuddLegum

'Jordan suggests that five wrestlers have come forward saying he turned a blind eye to sexual abuse because he was so effective in questioning Rod Rosenstein.

"The timing is suspicious."'

Picking up on that Aura Bogado tweet. More here:

SCOOP: Private ICE contractor @mvminc detained dozens of children, incl toddlers, inside a Phoenix office building with dark windows, no kitchen and only a few toilets over the course of 3 weeks during zero tolerance. FULL STORY: www.revealnews.org/article/defense-contractor-detained-migrant-kids-in-vacant-phoenix-office-building/

twitter.com/aurabogado/status/1015335114648084480

We obtained the video last Wed. I personally got on flight to Phoenix Thursday to see for myself. I talked with neighbors, and I walked right up to the door. No one answered. Through the window, I saw an inflatable mattress, a booster seat and a box marked BABY SHAMPOO. twitter.com/aurabogado/status/1015335628978843648/photo/1

One neighbor asked a worker at the @mvminc office in Phoenix what kind of business the employees were conducting. The business of transportation, she was told.

“Transporting what?” she asked.

“Humans,” the worker replied. twitter.com/aurabogado/status/1015336123239837697/photo/1

"Transporting what" she asked. '"Humans" the worker replied.
Chilling, that has horrific echoes, Gump.

I heard that Jordan interview, lion, it made me think of the 'locker room talk' feeble defense, and he seemed to be changing his story on the fly. He's a craven, self-serving liar. That seems to be a unifying factor for these Trump enabling repugs.

Well, as we all know do well, El Presidente's word is his bond:
'Woody Johnson, the US ambassador to the UK, would not be drawn into the detail of the trade deal row but, speaking earlier on Friday, reiterated Donald Trump’s desire to reach agreement with Britain. “The president has been clear since the beginning of his term – he wants to do a bilateral trade deal and he’s really ready to step up on that the minute he gets the go-ahead to do it. And he’ll get it done fast, as I know it’s a major priority for him,” he said.'

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/06/theresa-may-secures-approval-from-cabinet-to-negotiate-soft-brexit

Here's the direct link to the story and video of children being taken by a defence contractor, MVM Inc, into an office building in Phoenix.

The building has dark windows and no kitchen. It's not licensed for any kind of residential use, or use as a childcare facility. The neighbour who filmed children being taken in on several occasions said she didn't see any children leave the building until three weeks later, and didn't see them playing outside in that time.

Defense contractor detained migrant kids in vacant Phoenix office building
www.revealnews.org/article/defense-contractor-detained-migrant-kids-in-vacant-phoenix-office-building/

Maybe he'll get some useful tidbits to share with his handler in Helsinki:

'On the Friday morning, Trump and May will visit an as-yet unnamed defence site connected to joint UK-US military training.
This will be followed by the main talks with May at Chequers and a working lunch.'

Blunt, brutal, feet to the fire questioning or the Brit. press will have failed dismally:
'Afterwards – in what could be the most politically tricky part of the visit for Trump – the pair will hold a joint press conference.

Porky:
'Asked whether May was looking forward to hosting the US president, her spokeswoman replied: “Yes.” '

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/06/donald-trump-to-avoid-london-during-uk-visit

The (only) good thing about Fox news, ohmy, is that it so often reveals what is rattling the Trumpers and their minions.

Jordan seems to have been fast tracked to the studio here.

Of course, it is possible that they want this story to make the headlines instead of the other stuff.

I'm reading too much American English, only just realised how I spelled defence earlier
I didn't realise it was a poxy Foxy interview, lion, I think I heard it on a podcast in the early hours.

I'm afraid I may be out of touch. Apologies if you've seen this one.

Thanks cozie. I had not seen that.

If need be we can always stage an intervention ohmy. The letter C is jolly useful and needs to be protected.

www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/07/artificial-intelligence-can-tell-your-sexuality-politics-surveillance-paul-lewis?CMP=share_btn_tw

Thanks, lion

Oh. Wonder why?
@kylieatwood
! Pompeo did not meet with Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on this latest visit. This is the first time @SecPompeo has gone to NK and not met with the leader. He did drop off a letter for KJU from Trump.
mobile.twitter.com/kylieatwood/status/1015543671595257856

Sec. Pompeo seemed to think it went so well. Maybe KJU is not a fan of Sir Elton Hercules John then?

'North Korea nuclear deal: US attitude 'regrettable', says Pyongyang'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44751283

This could be interesting:

'..... Lewis’ candidacy is an intriguing test case for the national left — especially in the wake of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s upset win in New York. (Lewis sent a member of her team to help Ocasio-Cortez the weekend before the election.)

Lewis, 36, a mental health professional and prominent opponent of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, maintains that she can defeat her Republican opponent, state Del. Ben Cline, by appealing to voters of all parties ― as well as disenchanted nonvoters ― fed up with money in politics and hungry for affordable health care and clean water.

Lewis, a Waynesboro resident originally from upstate New York, supports Medicare for all, a $15 per hour minimum wage, legal marijuana, tougher bank regulations and an end to corporate “personhood.” '

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/jennifer-lewis-progressive-environmentalist-virginia-trump-country_us_5b3fb263e4b05127ccf1d25d

'The Jordan Rules'
'Jim Jordan condemns others without mercy. His role in the Ohio State wrestling scandal should be judged the same way.'

slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/jim-jordans-wrestling-double-standard.html