‘Energy and persistence conquer all things’ - even vile orange ones. Trump thread con.

[TheClaws]

From the august Benjamin Franklin. This thread is no. 84.

Old thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3369248-Not-knowing-when-the-Dawn-will-come-I-open-every-Door-Trump-No-95

Sheryl Gay Stolberg
@SherylNYT
Trump called McConnell and "unleashed an expletive-filled tirade, telling Mr. McConnell that he had let the process get away from him."
@shearm@rpogrebin
F.B.I. investigators looking into sexual assault allegations against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh will conduct interviews with only four people, at least initially.
Democrats Denounce Limits on F.B.I.’s Kavanaugh Inquiry as a ‘Farce’
nytimes.com

'How the GOP Became Trump’s Party'
.... Because the GOP has cast its lot so thoroughly with Trump, he has succeeded in a remarkably short period in moving the window of acceptability in our politics, especially on the right. As a result, the rules of the game have changed in ways that are still hard to grasp, as conservatives accept behaviors and ideological shifts that would have been unacceptable a few years ago. Although optimists continue to insist that our system of checks and balances is holding up well, many of our norms turn out to be based on an honor system rather than hard and fast rules. And when we no longer have honorable people in power, those norms turn out to be more fragile that we had imagined ......
... We do not yet know whether Trump’s presidency will be farce or tragedy, but it is hard to imagine that it will end well. So this might be a good time to remember that in a Faustian bargain you can indeed get your heart’s desire, only to find out that the price is far higher than you imagined. ...
www.weeklystandard.com/charles-j-sykes/how-the-gop-became-trumps-party

Rick Wilson
@TheRickWilson
Meet the New NAFTA.
Same as the old NAFTA.
@carlquintanilla
"A tremendous expenditure of national political capital for cosmetic changes to what Trump called the worst trade deal in US history." - @JimPethokoukis, on #USMCA
mobile.twitter.com/TheRickWilson/status/1046749637049286661

I really hope Trump did let loose at McConnell as it's a small indication this isn't a huge charade.

I mentioned the previous 6 background checks a few days ago so was interested to see this tweet

I’m curious why senators aren’t asking to review K’s previous 6 background check files. The fact that he “passed” doesn’t mean nothing derogatory was found. It means that the decision makers (Starr and later Bush WH) didn’t believe anything was disqualifying for their purposes.

twitter.com/AshaRangappa_/status/1046746402683056129

'The Washington Times settles lawsuit with Seth Rich's brother, issues retraction and apology for its coverage.'
money.cnn.com/2018/10/01/media/washington-times-aaron-rich/index.html

I really hope Trump did let loose at McConnell as it's a small indication this isn't a huge charade .....
Very good points.

Victimizing the Victims, Again.
In the Kavanaugh hearings, Republicans made it clear that the old, male-dominated order will prevail.'
www.nytimes.com/2018/09/30/opinion/assault-survivors-kavanaugh-trauma.html

"Limited FBI investigation of Kavanaugh offers roadmap for how Trump could try to constrain Mueller," @jameshohmann writes in today's Daily 202. www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2018/10/01/daily-202-limited-fbi-investigation-of-kavanaugh-offers-road-map-for-how-trump-could-try-to-constrain-mueller/5bb1314a1b326b7c8a8d177b/

twitter.com/joanegreve/status/1046749791856873475

THE BIG IDEA: President Trump’s disputed insistence over the weekend, echoed by his top aides, that he’s done nothing to constrain the scope of the FBI investigation into the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh underscores why many national security lawyers and law enforcement veterans are nervous about the future of special counsel Bob Mueller’s probe if Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein loses his job.
Trump does not need to fire Mueller to curtail the ongoing investigation into whether he sought to obstruct justice or if his campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election. The president calls it a “witch hunt,” but he recognizes that there would be immense political blowback — including street protests and possibly the defection of moderate Republicans — if he got rid of Mueller.

Because Jeff Sessions played a key role on Trump’s campaign and had Russian contacts he did not disclose during his confirmation hearing, the attorney general recused himself from the investigation. That means Rosenstein oversees the special counsel’s probe. If he leaves, whoever replaces him could theoretically limit the scope of what Mueller can explore or who he can indict while also scaling back the amount of resources available.
And the public wouldn’t necessarily find out because such moves are not required to be immediately disclosed, according to several experts familiar with the special counsel law from both parties. Sources on the inside might leak that Mueller’s investigation was being undermined, but Trump and White House press people could vehemently deny these reports. The result might be the kind of confusion about what’s really going on that we’re left with this morning vis-a-vis Kavanaugh.
....

I bet Mueller is keeping very detailed daily personal diaries of everything that's happening in his working life. At some point, the public will get to hear about what was going on behind the scenes during the Trump presidency.

Anything for a buck Chuck:
TOᑭ ᖇOᑭE TᖇAViS
@TopRopeTravis
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), with a networth of $3.3 million, has applied for Trump’s Farmer bailout funds.

The millionaire, who supports Trump’s tariffs that led to major economic strain on American farmers, has accepted over $400,000 in farming subsidies for his 750 acre farm.

When Grassley’s office was asked about receiving bailouts, which Grassley helped design and push for, his spokesman, Michael Zona replied, “Sen. Grassley participates in farm programs for which he is legally eligible, including this program, like every other farmer.”

Grassley had already accepted $387,000 prior to his application for additional subsidies under the Trump bailout based on information obtained from EWG’s database. His latest request will place him well over the $400,000 marker.
mobile.twitter.com/TopRopeTravis/status/1046720852132352000

Tea Pain @TeaPainUSA Trump’s already cheatin’ on Putin with a younger, curvier dictator

@thehill
Trump: Kim Jong Un and I "fell in love" (link: hill.cm/lIs7kLf) hill.cm/lIs7kLf

George Takei
@GeorgeTakei
Trump and Kanye have a lot in common, actually. Both believe they are far more gifted than they actually are. Both are known to deliver rambling, nonsensical speeches. And both profess to love someone named Kim.

Gosh....

@AngrierWHStaff
Follow Follow @AngrierWHStaff
More
This is really disturbing. Full transcript of a Senate staffer interview with Kavanaugh details SIX total sexual assault allegations, including a drunken rape in a car that (as far as I know) hasn’t been previously reported.

www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/09.26.18%20BMK%20Interview%20Transcript%20(Redacted).pdf …

Here is the supporting document...

www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/09.26.18%20BMK%20Interview%20Transcript%20(Redacted).pdf

Oh sorry, I repeated the document

That made grim reading

Now just starting - Editor of 'Current Affairs', Nathan J. Robinson, on 'The Majority Report' (on YouTube) now to discuss how we know Kav. is lying.

Linky:

New Quinnipiac poll:

Voters oppose confirming Kavanaugh by 48-42

They believe most Christine Blasey Ford over Kavanaugh by 48-41

They want reopened FBI background check by 68-28

Indys oppose Kav by 49-39

Women oppose Kav by 55-37 twitter.com/ThePlumLineGS/status/1046800353956646917/photo/1

twitter.com/ThePlumLineGS/status/1046800353956646917

"Any high school student knows exactly what the drinking age is. Kavanaugh knew. He just plain lies. And he seems not to care.
Trump changed all understandings of what would be acceptable or disqualifying. Kavanaugh is doing the same." @JamesFallows: https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2018/09/midterm-time-capsule-37-days-go-what-trump-and-kavanaugh-have-common/571744/?utmsource=feedburner&utmmmedium=email&utmcampaign=Feed%3A+JamesFallows+%28The+Atlantic+-+James+Fallows%29

twitter.com/CKummer/status/1046798226144337921

www.cnn.com/2018/10/01/politics/fbi-investigation-kavanaugh-christine-blasey-ford/index.html

Why Brett Kavanaugh can feel 'cautiously optimistic' about the FBI investigation | Analysis by @CillizzaCNN

Michael Avenatti
‏
Verified account

@MichaelAvenatti

'Be clear: 1. I CANNOT just walk my client into an FBI office. We tried that. They claim they don’t have jurisdiction and they refuse to take a stmt. 2. While we may file a criminal complaint, that will have no bearing on any vote due to timing. We will proceed with other options.'

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/epa-trump-us-government-mercury-hazardous-pollutants-human-health-a8563571.html

......other options......??

Telly by the looks of it.

Republicans running down the clock and everyone else running against it, I guess.

www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-confusion-surrounding-the-fbis-renewed-investigation-of-brett-kavanaugh?mbid=social_twitter