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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#238651: Apr 13th 2018 at 1:34:52 PM

Except in the ironic "Stay classy" sense

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#238652: Apr 13th 2018 at 1:35:11 PM

[up][up]Yeah Trump really is the antithesis of classy.

edited 13th Apr '18 1:35:20 PM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Eschaton Since: Jul, 2010
#238653: Apr 13th 2018 at 1:37:04 PM

I don't know why I'm fascinated by him repeating "LIED!" three times, but I am.
Inglorious Basterds immediately and inevitably came to my mind.

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#238654: Apr 13th 2018 at 1:38:01 PM

I've said it before, but as Mueller really starts to bare down on him, this will just keep getting more and more relevant:

particularly the bit at 4:06 or so.

[down] I can pull out some Lehrer, since they are trying to confirm Bolton if you want, as well.

edited 13th Apr '18 1:47:17 PM by megaeliz

PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#238655: Apr 13th 2018 at 1:40:51 PM

That guy is the thread's new Tom Lehrer.

i'm tired, my friend
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#238656: Apr 13th 2018 at 1:43:32 PM

The Kentucky legislature has overridden the governor's veto of a tax hike to pay for education.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#238657: Apr 13th 2018 at 1:44:09 PM

Assuming it's a Republican legislature, will this become more fallout in the blue wave?

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#238658: Apr 13th 2018 at 1:49:13 PM

It's certainly good for Kentucky. Might earn those legislators some leniency at the polls.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Kakuzan Let memes die. Kill them, if you have to. from Knock knock, open up the door, it's real. Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#238660: Apr 13th 2018 at 2:05:48 PM

Going off of Wikipedia, Republicans make up the majority of both chambers of Kentucky's legislature.

BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#238661: Apr 13th 2018 at 2:14:04 PM

"Congress needs to pass the Dream Act and give us a permanent pathway to citizenship, otherwise DACA recipients will continue to be under attack," she said.
The G Op sees this as a feature, not a bug.
Frankly it seems the distance between the military and civilians has grown so wide that everyone automatically assumes the entire military is right-wing. Nobody really bothers to check for shades of gray.
That depends on the branch; the Marines are IIRC about 75% Republican/conservative, the Army a little less than that, and the Navy and Air Force are about 60% Democrat. However, that's an overall view; the officers of all branches skew even further Republicannote .
there's a 200 year old democratic tradition
Given the number of centuries-old democratic traditions Trump has already shit all over, I'm not counting on him to respect this one.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#238662: Apr 13th 2018 at 2:30:20 PM

So yeah, it turns out both political parties have drafted articles of impeachment to curtail an actual impeachment filing.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#238663: Apr 13th 2018 at 3:11:51 PM

Venture capitalist claims to have the signatures to put splitting California into three states on the ballot.

Assuming he's not just lying for some reason, things like this basically never go anywhere, but I guess it's something.

edited 13th Apr '18 3:27:42 PM by LSBK

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#238664: Apr 13th 2018 at 3:26:06 PM

Jeez. At least wait until after the 2020 election. The last thing we need is the EC vote split up three ways and the red parts of California cancelling out the big city parts which will obviously vote blue.

Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#238665: Apr 13th 2018 at 3:41:39 PM

That's why they want to do it.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#238666: Apr 13th 2018 at 3:49:46 PM

Yes, and that's why it's so nerve wracking.

edited 13th Apr '18 3:50:31 PM by speedyboris

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#238667: Apr 13th 2018 at 3:51:05 PM

It's worse than Gerrymandering, instead of butchering the local political maps of a state they want to butcher the state itself.

Gross.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#238668: Apr 13th 2018 at 4:02:31 PM

So, what do we think the odds of a Syria strike are after today’s jabs? Trump seems to have stepped back, but France and the UK are ready to go and Russia has been turning up the rhetoric.

I think it’s gonna happen, I’m just not sure when. Tomorrow night would be good for stealth jets, but we’ll have a carrier group in the region next week.

They should have sent a poet.
fruitpork Since: Oct, 2010
#238669: Apr 13th 2018 at 4:07:07 PM

Apparently Nunes and two others are trying to help get rosenstein fired. How fucked are we?

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#238670: Apr 13th 2018 at 4:07:49 PM

Trump blew our chances.

Assad has moved all of his equipment into Khmeimim. Not even our stealth craft could get through airspace and make it back alive and any cruise missiles we send in there would just get intercepted.

Not to mentioned it's all staffed by Russians. If we catch any of them as collateral we're in some serious fucking trouble.

Oh really when?
Imca (Veteran)
#238671: Apr 13th 2018 at 4:11:53 PM

Yea, like it or not the lives of the Russian soilders actually mater politicaly, where as Assad's troops.... don't. :/

edited 13th Apr '18 4:12:03 PM by Imca

archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#238672: Apr 13th 2018 at 4:12:20 PM

Eh, I wouldn’t be so worried about penetrating their airspace as much as I’d be worried about killing Russians. Their air defenses aren’t that good against our high-end assets, and if we wanted to we could easily overwhelm a BMD system.

I think what we’ll see is strikes going after Assad’s infrastructure. Runways, fuel depots, power plants, that kind of thing.

They should have sent a poet.
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#238673: Apr 13th 2018 at 4:18:41 PM

S-400s, Pantsirs, Tors, you name and it's in Khmeimim.

We'd need an entire carrier group's worth of munitions to overwhelm that place.

Oh really when?
Imca (Veteran)
#238674: Apr 13th 2018 at 4:20:26 PM

Gar is kind of right, as nice as the US Airwing is, the Russians have kind of heavily invested in AA specificly to counter it.

Where ever actual russian assets are is a no fly zone.

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#238675: Apr 13th 2018 at 4:29:43 PM

Trump Sees Inquiry Into Cohen as Greater Threat Than Mueller

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s advisers have concluded that a wide-ranging corruption investigation into his personal lawyer poses a greater and more imminent threat to the president than even the special counsel’s investigation, according to several people close to Mr. Trump.

As his lawyers went to court in New York on Friday to try to block prosecutors from reading files that were seized from the personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, this week, Mr. Trump found himself increasingly isolated in mounting a response. He continued to struggle to hire a new criminal lawyer, and some of his own aides were reluctant to advise him about a response for fear of being dragged into a criminal investigation themselves.

The raids on Mr. Cohen came as part of a monthslong federal investigation based in New York, court records show, and were sweeping in their breadth. In addition to searching his home, office and hotel room, F.B.I. agents seized material from Mr. Cohen’s cellphones, tablet, laptop and safe deposit box, according to people briefed on the warrants. Prosecutors revealed in court documents that they had already secretly obtained many of Mr. Cohen’s emails.

Mr. Trump called Mr. Cohen on Friday to “check in,” according to two people briefed on the call. Depending on what else was discussed, the call could be problematic, as lawyers typically advise their clients against discussing investigations.

Mr. Cohen has publicly declared that he would defend the president to the end, but court documents show that prosecutors are building a significant case that could put pressure on him to cooperate and tell investigators what he knows.

The documents seized by prosecutors could shed light on the president’s relationship with a lawyer who has helped navigate some of Mr. Trump’s thorniest personal and business dilemmas. Mr. Cohen served for more than a decade as a trusted fixer and, during the campaign, helped tamp down brewing scandals about women who claimed to have carried on affairs with Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump, Mr. Cohen and their teams were still scrambling on Friday to assess the damage from the raid early Monday morning. They remained unsure what had been taken, an uncertainty that has heightened the unease around Mr. Trump.

Although his lawyers had projected confidence in their dealings with the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, they were caught flat-footed by the New York raids. The lawyers fear that Mr. Cohen will not be forthcoming with them about what was in his files, leaving them girding for the unknown.

Mr. Cohen and Mr. Trump, through their lawyers, argued in federal court on Friday that many of the seized records were protected by attorney-client privilege. They asked for an order temporarily prohibiting prosecutors from reading the documents until the matter could be litigated. Mr. Cohen argued that he or an independent lawyer should be allowed to review the documents first.

“Those searches have been executed, and the evidence is locked down,” Joanna C. Hendon, a lawyer for Mr. Trump, said in court. “I’m not trying to delay. I’m just trying to ensure that it’s done scrupulously.”

Prosecutors argued that the previously seized emails revealed that Mr. Cohen was “performing little to no legal work, and that zero emails were exchanged with President Trump.” They said their investigation was focused on Mr. Cohen’s business dealings, not his work as a lawyer.

But it is difficult to extract Mr. Cohen from his work for Mr. Trump. For more than a decade, Mr. Trump has unleashed Mr. Cohen on his foes — investigative journalists, business rivals and potential litigants. And the New York search warrant makes clear that the authorities are interested in his unofficial role in the campaign.

Prosecutors demanded all communication with the campaign — and in particular two advisers, Corey Lewandowski and Hope Hicks, according to two people briefed on the warrants.

Prosecutors also seized recordings of conversations that Mr. Cohen had secretly made, but he told people in recent days that he did not tape his conversations with Mr. Trump. Mr. Cohen frequently taped conversations with adversaries and opposing lawyers, according to the two people briefed.

The raids on Mr. Cohen surprised and angered the president, who has been frustrated with the special counsel investigation into Russia’s 2016 election interference, the Kremlin’s possible coordination with Trump associates and whether the president has tried to obstruct those inquiries.

In response to the raids, Mr. Trump has considered firing Mr. Mueller, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein. On Friday, Mr. Trump’s spirits were frayed in the morning as his lawyer battled in the Manhattan courtroom. But he grew cheerier as the day went on, an adviser said, buoyed by a report by the Justice Department’s inspector general that was damning about a former F.B.I. official, Andrew G. Mc Cabe, who he believed had tried to undermine him.

Mr. Cohen’s lawyers have called the raids of his offices and hotel room an overreach of the law. Prosecutors said on Friday that they had used a search warrant, rather than a subpoena, because they had evidence that Mr. Cohen’s files might be permanently deleted — by whom, the documents did not say. Many details in the documents were redacted, but prosecutors said they had found evidence of fraud and a “lack of truthfulness” on his part.

Mr. Cohen wants his lawyers to be able to review the files and withhold privileged material before prosecutors can see them. As an alternative, he asked that an independent lawyer be allowed to review the files first.* A judge scheduled a follow-up hearing for Monday and ordered Mr. Cohen to attend. The judge, Kimba M. Wood, was upset that he was not in court Friday.

Federal agents seized documents that dated back years, some of which are related to payments to two women who have said they had affairs with Mr. Trump. Other documents seized included information about the role of The National Enquirer in silencing one of the women, people briefed on the investigation have said.

Communications between lawyers and their clients are normally off limits to prosecutors, but there are exceptions, including when the materials are considered part of a continuing crime.

Mr. Trump has viewed any investigation of his business and private life to be off limits to prosecutors, but the search warrants make clear that investigators consider those topics part of their case.

Agents sought information about Karen Mc Dougal, a former Playboy model who claims she had a nearly yearlong affair with Mr. Trump shortly after the birth of his youngest son in 2006. American Media Inc., which owns The Enquirer, paid Ms. Mc Dougal $150,000. The company’s chief executive is a friend of Mr. Trump’s.

Agents also demanded information related to Stephanie Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels, a pornographic film actress. Ms. Clifford has said she had sex with Mr. Trump while he was married. Mr. Cohen has acknowledged paying Ms. Clifford $130,000 as part of a nondisclosure agreement to secure her silence days before Election Day.

Mr. Trump recently told reporters he knew nothing about the agreement.

* The Southern New York District Attorney's Office's response can be read here

edited 13th Apr '18 4:38:20 PM by megaeliz


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