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

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#239901: Apr 26th 2018 at 9:03:46 AM

In more "Trump shoots himself in the foot" news, Trump went on Fox and Friends to claim Cohen did very little work for him, his go-to dodge. This was immediately used as a reason why Cohen's documents are unlikely to involve him.

That does actually jive with what we already knew. Very little of what Cohen's done for Trump actually constitutes legal work, which is why only a small percentage of his documents are likely to actually be protected by attorney-client privilege. In fact, IIRC, Cohen doesn't even have access to his own law firm's secure file storage because of how little legal work he does.

This is why Cohen and Trump don't want his files going to a taint team: because they know how little of it will be legally protected. Cohen is what, in organized crime cases, is referred to as a "fixer". He's the guy who solves problems so they don't blow back on his "clients".

For similar reasons, Sean Hannity's claims that he's never received legal representation from Cohen are also probably true. Hannity runs a fraudulent real estate empire through shell companies not unlike the shell companies Cohen used to pay off Trump and Broidy's mistresses. His real estate dealings are Cohen's brand of shady, so he's probably being truthful when he says that his relationship with Cohen was limited to discussing real estate.

This is why Trump and Cohen are f*cking panicking right now, and both have made demands to be allowed to review the evidence before it can go to the prosecutors. Cohen isn't Trump's lawyer. He's Trump's white-collar crime tutor and problem-solver.

edited 26th Apr '18 9:05:16 AM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#239902: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:02:07 AM

Hilariously, Trump's interview on Fox and Friends this morning has already been used against him in a court filing. (Page 4, footnote 3)

As the Court is aware, after originally stating that the Government seized “thousands, if not millions,” of pages of privileged documents, Cohen subsequently identified three current clients. Of those three clients, one, Sean Hannity, has since said that “Michael Cohen has never represented me in any matter. I never retained him, received an invoice, or paid legal fees.” Another, President Trump, reportedly said on cable television this morning that Cohen performs “a tiny, tiny little fraction” of his overall legal work. These statements by two of Cohen’s three identified clients suggest that the seized materials are unlikely to contain voluminous privileged documents, further supporting the importance of efficiency here.

edited 26th Apr '18 10:02:31 AM by megaeliz

FluffyMcChicken My Hair Provides Affordable Healthcare from where the floating lights gleam Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: In another castle
My Hair Provides Affordable Healthcare
#239903: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:18:18 AM

Bernie Sanders Camp Says Ending Superdelegate ‘Debacle' Key To Defeating Trump In 2020

It was June 2016. Former Bernie Sanders surrogate Nina Turner was just about to go onstage to introduce the Vermont senator at a San Francisco rally she estimated drew some 30,000 people. But just before she could, she noticed a "wave of despair" overcome the crowd as everyone, almost simultaneously, looked worryingly at their phones. Though California residents had yet to cast their ballots in the 2016 primaries, the Associated Press was reporting that Hillary Clinton had effectively won.

The AP's forecast was the result of the Democratic National Committee's superdelegate system, which meant that Clinton needed only garner support from enough party delegates to win the presidential nomination. Now, members of the Sanders camp are leading calls to overhaul the system they say continues to leave voters disillusioned with the Democratic Party.

"What happened in 2016 put a bad taste in the mouths of people who believe in fairness and transparency," Turner, the president of Our Revolution, a progressive group inspired by Sanders's presidential campaign, told Newsweek. "The general public may not necessarily get involved in the insider details of the DNC, but most voters know about this superdelegate debacle. That's not the reputation I want my party to have."

Being considered right now is a proposal that would slash the number of superdelegates by 60 percent by depriving members of the DNC of their superdelegate votes in the initial round of voting, giving them the freedom to support whichever candidate they choose should the vote go into a second round. The proposal is the work of the Unity Reform Commission, a committee formed by the Sanders and Clinton campaigns in 2016, aimed at changing the DNC's rules on superdelegates.

Such a change could have made a difference at the fateful June 2016 Sanders rally Turner recalled. Cutting down on the number of superdelegates would mean there would be a higher number of delegates in the Democratic Party who have to cast their votes in accordance with the actual primary results. Under the current system, a Democratic candidate can still claim delegates from a state he or she lost by a wide margin if those delegates are among the roughly 700 superdelegates, the Democratic Party leaders who have the ability to cast their votes however they choose.

DNC officials say this system, as it stands now, will hopefully become a thing of the past.

“The DNC has advanced measures to make clear that the status quo as it relates to superdelegates is off the table for the 2020 presidential nomination process," Michael Tyler, a DNC spokesperson, told Newsweek in an email on Monday. "The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee is now working diligently to solidify the full DNC’s commitment to reducing the role that superdelegates play and make our nomination process the fairest and most transparent in the history of American presidential politics."

As the efforts press on, former Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver has asked top Democrats like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DNC chair Tom Perez, co-chair Keith Ellison and Clinton herself to renew their commitment to reforming the superdelegate system.

"We believe that the passage of these reforms is a fundamental and necessary step in re-establishing faith with those who have lost confidence in the party as a vehicle for change," Weaver wrote in a letter obtained by Buzz Feed News. "Now is the time to go forward, not backward."

Turner, who took over Weaver's post at Our Revolution in June, said "re-establishing faith" among Democrats will be key if the party wants a shot at turning out voters in 2020 and defeating President Donald Trump.

"We have to show voters—registered Democrats as well as independent voters who lean our way—that we recognize our faults and our failings and that we're willing to correct them," Turner said. "We're saying to millions of voters that the process is open, and we'll commit to a more robust debate and contest than we had in 2016.

We're going to give voters choice," Turner added. "Choice is a beautiful thing."

Grafite Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: Less than three
#239904: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:23:10 AM

[up] I don't think we need that to defeat Trump in 2020, but it's a good move by the democratic party to stop some people from being disappointed with its system and encourage them to be more engaged.

Life is unfair...
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#239905: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:24:36 AM

Whatever, if it will preempt their whining I'm all for it. Hopefully whatever conspiracy theory they inevitably create when/if their next progressive messiah(TM) is defeated will be less effective due to the absence of super-delegates.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
FluffyMcChicken My Hair Provides Affordable Healthcare from where the floating lights gleam Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: In another castle
My Hair Provides Affordable Healthcare
#239906: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:28:26 AM

I've heard the analogy that the DNC works like an obstacle course, while the RNC is a gladiatorial arena. Supposedly, one's too obstructive and the other's too chaotic and demands the best showman to win, which is exactly how we got Trump.

RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#239907: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:30:47 AM

To be honest, I don't see what role they're meant to play. "Avoiding a terrible choice" is all well and good, but if they're in a position to do that, you're going directly against a large portion of your overall support—which can only harm you in the actual vote.

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#239908: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:32:37 AM

Pompeo confirmed as Trump's Secretary of State 57-42.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#239909: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:32:57 AM

[up][up][up]That is because Republican policies never move forward, meaning they wll never get more complex, so in order to sell it, they rise more and more the appealing part, eventually getting into trump.

edited 26th Apr '18 10:33:29 AM by unknowing

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#239910: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:35:23 AM

Funny that Sanders' supporters call it a debacle when they attempted to appeal to the superdelegates when they realized he wasn't going to win with regular votes.

What a bunch of hypocrites.

edited 26th Apr '18 10:37:29 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#239911: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:41:03 AM

[up][up][up] Not good, not good at all.

Because this was at the bottom of the last page:

Amusingly, Trump's interview on Fox and Friends this morning, already got used against him in a court filing. (Page 4, footnote 3)

As the Court is aware, after originally stating that the Government seized “thousands, if not millions,” of pages of privileged documents, Cohen subsequently identified three current clients. Of those three clients, one, Sean Hannity, has since said that “Michael Cohen has never represented me in any matter. I never retained him, received an invoice, or paid legal fees.” Another, President Trump, reportedly said on cable television this morning that Cohen performs “a tiny, tiny little fraction” of his overall legal work. These statements by two of Cohen’s three identified clients suggest that the seized materials are unlikely to contain voluminous privileged documents, further supporting the importance of efficiency here.

edited 26th Apr '18 10:43:09 AM by megaeliz

fruitpork Since: Oct, 2010
#239912: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:43:14 AM

Honestly I think Bernie Sanders shouldn't run again. It's clear he's mad at the mean old superdelegates for not electing him, nothing else.

Sadly I know he will run, which means we will get even more nasty (and probably racist, if Booker or Harris is against him) attack ads.

This Is Gonna Suck.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#239913: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:46:18 AM

[up][up] Not good, but also not unexpected.

So, what are we in for with Secretary of State Pompeo?

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#239914: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:50:00 AM

Nothing much will change, State will be gutted and Trump will keep up his Twitter diplomacy. US soft power will continue to bleed.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#239915: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:50:07 AM

[up][up] Corruption and bootlicking, exactly how Trump likes it. Basically more of the same.

edited 26th Apr '18 10:50:30 AM by archonspeaks

They should have sent a poet.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#239916: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:51:17 AM

Yeah Pompeo wouldn't have direct power as Secretary of State and Trump doesn't care about his brand of Jingoism, this is bad but it's not worth any significant of panic over.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#239917: Apr 26th 2018 at 10:55:43 AM

Not really politics but possibly worth notng:

"Jury has reached verdict in Bill Cosby's sexual assault retrial: media" - http://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-cosby/jury-has-reached-verdict-in-bill-cosbys-sexual-assault-retrial-media-idUSKBN1HX1B7

edited 26th Apr '18 11:36:56 AM by sgamer82

archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#239918: Apr 26th 2018 at 11:06:55 AM

[up][up] The Secretary of State has some authority over immigration and trade, so we can expect him to abuse that as much as possible. He's also the head negotiator for foreign policy, and Pompeo has proven himself to be a total blowhard so who knows how that will go.

I can't imagine it'll be more of a mess than it is already though.

They should have sent a poet.
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#239919: Apr 26th 2018 at 11:07:43 AM

Bernie would have lost the primaries even without superdelegates weighing in. You know what? Get rid of superdelegates, have Chairman Perez take a completely hands-off approach, and watch Bernie lose again.

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
fruitpork Since: Oct, 2010
#239920: Apr 26th 2018 at 11:15:02 AM

Problem is Bernie will just attack Perez, like he did before. He's toxic to the race and I wish he would just give the fuck up.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#239921: Apr 26th 2018 at 11:15:54 AM

[up][up][up]Fair point, I probably should've said he won't have much direct power.

[up][up]My thoughts exactly, this is perfect in that it undercuts those whiners and preemptively deals with possible future problems. I hope they are removed.

[up]Doesn't really matter, super-delegates as being rather obviously undemocratic are the perfect scapegoat for Sanders or other populists to blame for their defeat. If they're removed then populist whining will be less effective.

edited 26th Apr '18 11:17:17 AM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#239922: Apr 26th 2018 at 11:17:12 AM

Superdelegates are the Bernie Bros version of "BUT HER EMAILS THO". It's a manufactured scandal used for political gain.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
TheWanderer Student of Story from Somewhere in New England (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Student of Story
#239923: Apr 26th 2018 at 11:18:52 AM

The bad thing about Pompeo as Sec of State is his hawkishness, particularly when combined with Bolton as National Security Advisor, who was advocating for war with Iran before the end of the year before he ever became NSA.

State, despite usually being one of the most powerful departments, doesn’t do that much on its own. It’s always going to be handicapped by Trump’s need to be the center of attention and his disdain for diplomacy. The bigger worry is Bolton and Pompeo both being devils on Trump’s shoulders and encouraging all of Trump’s worst and most belligerent instincts.

| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#239924: Apr 26th 2018 at 11:18:55 AM

I feel that conceding to the Sanders faction about superdelegates would be seen as a form of appeasement that would lead to worse demands down the road. We've seen what happens when the insurgent wing of a party starts to exercise power, and it ain't pretty.

edited 26th Apr '18 11:19:05 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#239925: Apr 26th 2018 at 11:20:52 AM

[up]Hmm, that is a legitimate worry. But I think the benefit of depriving them of a useful scapegoat outweighs the cost of a higher chance of further demands later on.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang

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