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

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#242676: May 17th 2018 at 7:40:06 AM

[up][up]I acknowledge your correction. The urban poor tend to vote Democrat, while the rural poor vote Republican, despite being constantly screwed over by every Republican administration.

[up] Both parties like to wax poetic about the noble small business owner, but it's the Republicans who constantly harp on how taxes and regulations are standing in their way. This actually holds enough truth to be an effective rhetorical tool, since the American business environment is rather weighted towards large corporations. Everyone has the same regulations and taxes, but the big fish gain access to a much larger variety of dodges for those pesky taxes and can afford the legal and administrative overhead of regulatory compliance.

However politically incorrect it may be to say it, I'm not sure that our cultural attachment to small businesses carries any inherent economic merit; it's more about building communities and the dream of individual success that we keep telling our kids about. For example, the small farmer is dying out because family farming is, quite simply, a waste. Agribusinesses can utilize economies of scale that far outstrip them, yet we hold onto the idealized nobility of the family farm out of a fondness for tradition, as far as I can tell.

Most (if not all) regulations exist for a good reason, and I'd honestly rather deal with a business that I know has to comply with uniform standards for safety and quality, rather than roll the dice of caveat emptor.

All that said, a lot of basic commercial innovation comes from start-ups, and it is important to have an environment that encourages this sort of thing.

edited 17th May '18 7:50:40 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!
#242677: May 17th 2018 at 8:06:02 AM

[up][up][up]Yeah and that's why people insisted on perpetuating the falsehood that Trump supporters are working class, because they were if you only look at education while ignoring their actual incomes (they mostly lacked college degrees but were economically affluent).

edited 17th May '18 8:07:15 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!
(•̀⤙•́)
#242678: May 17th 2018 at 9:02:06 AM

I feel like with Trump it is mostly money and ego. He obviously doesn't have any sort of cohearent ideology, and long as you appeal to those things, you can play him like a fiddle, no coercion required.

Trump absolutely has an ideology. Look at the biggest stumbling block of his Presidency. So much trouble has been caused because Trump is becoming increasingly belligerent about getting his goddamn wall.

The idea that Trump doesn't have any principles or things he really cares about is a myth. His rhetoric was excused early on as being metaphorical or just being political talk to sways voters. This was wrong, and has been proven wrong repeatedly. Over the last year and a half, it's become increasingly clear that Trump really does hate Mexicans and that he really wants that Wall. It was the cornerstone of his campaign because he's dead serious about building it.

The same is true of many other aspects of Trump's hateful rhetoric. The problem with Trump isn't that he's breaking campaign problems left and right, relaxing into an impotent but harmless kleptocrat. It's that he's actually keeping them, especially the ones his voters dismissed as just being tough guy talk that "every politician" would say in his place. He was elected on a wave of hate speech and, despite the expectations of more moderate Republicans, he's carried it into office with him.

"Trump has no ideology" is just another way that the threat he presents is regularly downplayed.

edited 17th May '18 9:03:33 AM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#242679: May 17th 2018 at 9:06:32 AM

[up]Except if you had actually read my argument you would see that I was not arguing that he did not believe such things, I was arguing that he lacks the coherency or intellectual capability for it to count as an ideology (a system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.).

That doesn't mean he doesn't have beliefs he follows (he absolutely does) or that he isn't dangerous (he absolutely is) just that it's not organized enough to constitute an ideology.

edited 17th May '18 9:07:02 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!
(•̀⤙•́)
#242680: May 17th 2018 at 9:15:08 AM

[up] That reply wasn't directed at you. Megaeliz wrote the quoted post.

edited 17th May '18 9:15:33 AM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#242681: May 17th 2018 at 9:17:32 AM

I feel like with Trump it is mostly money and ego. He obviously doesn't have any sort of cohearent ideology, and long as you appeal to those things, you can play him like a fiddle, no coercion required.

Trump absolutely has an ideology. Look at the biggest stumbling block of his Presidency. So much trouble has been caused because Trump is becoming increasingly belligerent about getting his goddamn wall. The idea that Trump doesn't have any principles or things he really cares about is a myth. His rhetoric was excused early on as being metaphorical or just being political talk to sways voters. This was wrong, and has been proven wrong repeatedly. Over the last year and a half, it's become increasingly clear that Trump really does hate Mexicans and that he really wants that Wall. It was the cornerstone of his campaign because he's dead serious about building it.

The same is true of many other aspects of Trump's hateful rhetoric. The problem with Trump isn't that he's breaking campaign problems left and right, relaxing into an impotent but harmless kleptocrat. It's that he's actually keeping them, especially the ones his voters dismissed as just being tough guy talk that "every politician" would say in his place. He was elected on a wave of hate speech and, despite the expectations of more moderate Republicans, he's carried it into office with him.

"Trump has no ideology" is just another way that the threat he presents is regularly downplayed.

[up]Except if you had actually read my argument you would see that I was not arguing that he did not believe such things, I was arguing that he lacks the coherency or intellectual capability for it to count as an ideology (a system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.).

That doesn't mean he doesn't have beliefs he follows (he absolutely does) or that he isn't dangerous (he absolutely is) just that it's not organized enough to constitute an ideology.

[up] That reply wasn't directed at you. Megaeliz wrote the quoted post.

[up] They had already replied to a similar question when I first brought it up I think.

[down] I think it was a valid response, since you already explained the difference between beliefs and ideology, much better than I could have, a bit back.

edited 17th May '18 9:23:29 AM by megaeliz

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#242682: May 17th 2018 at 9:21:06 AM

[up][up]Ah, my apologies then. surprised

edited 17th May '18 9:21:16 AM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#242683: May 17th 2018 at 9:45:12 AM

I think we're becoming separated by differences in terminology. Ideology doesn't really have to incorporate a policy programme. Nine tenths of any ideological framework is abstract, thought-experiment type of stuff with little thought given to implementation. By that measure, Trump's "build the wall" refrain absolutely is ideology, because it's not just about the wall, the physical structure, but all the separate ideas that underpin it that make a Trumpist a Trumpist. Belief is saying, "I believe this is X"; Ideology is saying "If you don't believe in X, you aren't a Y." By that measure, Trump absolutely is an ideologue, since he's separated those who drink his kool-aid as his friends, and those who don't as his enemies.

"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."
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#242684: May 17th 2018 at 9:53:39 AM

[up]Hmm, that's not a bad point.

I think there is something to the idea that my position on ideology is too restrictive.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#242685: May 17th 2018 at 9:57:34 AM

Trumpist ideology isn't a particularly coherent ideology, but it is an ideology of sorts. In as much as "Ugly American" is an ideology.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#242686: May 17th 2018 at 10:02:24 AM

I don't know... there's a certain value to defining ideology strictly, as it helps us avoid situations where we're comparing things that are widely different in shape.

Trump has an ideology in the vaguest sense of the word. He's got a set of beliefs about the world that are wildly inconsistent, both intellectually and logically, and he maintains them in a framework supported almost entirely by ego: by the absolute surety that whatever he believes at any given moment is true.

He can't be called out on the inconsistency of his statements and beliefs because he's built a powerful mental wall against any such thoughts.

You can't really appeal to someone like that on the basis of ideology. Sure, you can say things that he agrees with as a way of getting into his circle of trust, but everything ultimately folds back into his ego: his insistence on seeing the world exclusively in terms of what benefits his moment-to-moment desires. On the MICE scale, the 'I' is very weak.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#242687: May 17th 2018 at 10:02:28 AM

[up] which probably ties into his malignant Narcissism.

Trump tweets today:

Congratulations America, we are now into the second year of the greatest Witch Hunt in American History...and there is still No Collusion and No Obstruction. The only Collusion was that done by Democrats who were unable to win an Election despite the spending of far more money!

Wow, word seems to be coming out that the Obama FBI “SPIED ON THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN WITH AN EMBEDDED INFORMANT.” Andrew Mc Carthy says, “There’s probably no doubt that they had at least one confidential informant in the campaign.” If so, this is bigger than Watergate!

Despite the disgusting, illegal and unwarranted Witch Hunt, we have had the most successful first 17 month Administration in U.S. history - by far! Sorry to the Fake News Media and “Haters,” but that’s the way it is!

And then there's another that was probably not written by him, so I'll put it here.

Congrats to the House for passing the VA MISSION Act yesterday. Without this funding our veterans will be forced to stand in never ending lines in order to receive care. Putting politics over our veterans care is UNACCEPTABLE – Senate must vote yes on this bill by Memorial Day!

edited 17th May '18 10:06:34 AM by megaeliz

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#242688: May 17th 2018 at 10:24:05 AM

Trump wants the wall but happily breaks his economic promises.

So it's a lose/lose sort of situation.

Like the fact the Great Old Ones in Lovecraft are the worst of a religious and atheist universe combined.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
thatindiantroper Since: Feb, 2015
#242689: May 17th 2018 at 10:44:35 AM

Worst witch hunt ?

People have literally been murdered in America on suspicion of being witches.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#242690: May 17th 2018 at 10:47:41 AM

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2018/05/17/day-483/

Day 483: Disgusting, illegal and unwarranted.

1/ Trump marked Robert Mueller's one year anniversary as special counsel by offering "congratulations" to America, tweeting "we are now into the second year of the greatest Witch Hunt in American History." Trump charged that the FBI had "SPIED" on his campaign with an "EMBEDDED INFORMANT," which makes the Russia investigation "bigger than Watergate!" Trump claimed he's had the "most successful first 17 month Administration in U.S. history," overcome a "disgusting, illegal and unwarranted Witch Hunt," and noted there is "still No Collusion and No Obstruction." He added that "the only Collusion was that done by Democrats who were unable to win an Election despite the spending of far more money!" (New York Times / Washington Post / CNN / NBC News)

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/17/politics/donald-trump-congratulations-america-mueller/index.html

The Secret Origins of the Trump Investigation. Days after the F.B.I. closed its investigation into Hillary Clinton in 2016, agents began scrutinizing the presidential campaign of her Republican rival, Donald J. Trump. (New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/16/us/politics/crossfire-hurricane-trump-russia-fbi-mueller-investigation.html

Inside year one of the Mueller investigation. As the Mueller probe hits its one-year anniversary, the special counsel's team has brought charges against 22 people and companies, notched five guilty pleas and seen one person sentenced. While a number of those charges were related to Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, so far none of them has extended to potential collusion between the Russian government and Trump associates. (CNN)

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/17/politics/robert-mueller-investigation-one-year-inside/index.html

One year into investigation, Mueller shows no signs of letting up. The president calls it a “witch hunt” on Twitter, the White House calls it “Russia fever” – but Robert Mueller, who has now spent exactly one year looking into Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential campaign, shows no signs of slowing down in his secretive investigation that looms over the Trump White House. (ABC News)

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/year-investigation-mueller-shows-signs-letting/story?id=55221414

Is Trump's rhetoric about an informant in his campaign warranted? On the first anniversary of the appointment of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to take over the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign and any overlap with Donald Trump’s campaign, now-President Trump used his preferred political superlatives to disparage that inquiry on Twitter. (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/05/17/is-trumps-rhetoric-about-an-informant-in-his-campaign-warranted/

✨ Last Year Today: Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Bob Mueller to oversee the investigation of Russian interference in election. (WTF Just Happened Today)

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2017/05/17/Day-118/

2/ Trump referred to some undocumented immigrants as "animals," saying "these aren't people. These are animals." Trump also suggested that the mayor of Oakland, California should be charged with obstruction of justice for warning her constituents about ICE raids in February. "You talk about obstruction of justice," said Trump. "I would recommend that you look into obstruction of justice for the mayor of Oakland." (New York Times / Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2018/05/16/trump-suggests-justice-department-investigate-oaklands-democratic-mayor-for-tipping-off-immigrants/

**Kellyanne Conway: Trump is owed an apology from those who criticized him for calling undocumented immigrants "animals," ** because he was referring to gang members. (The Hill)

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/388119-kellyanne-conway-trump-owed-an-apology-after-criticism-from-animals

3/ Michael Avenatti: Two more women claim they have agreements with either Trump or Michael Cohen to stay quiet about an affair with the president. Avenatti said he is in talks with the two women, but has not confirmed the allegations and is working to substantiate their claims. (The Hill)

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/388126-avenatti-two-more-women-claim-they-were-paid-hush-money-to-stay-quiet-about

4/ The unnamed law enforcement official who leaked confidential financial records about Michael Cohen and his shell company last week did so because the official was worried that information was being withheld from law enforcement. Two suspicious activity reports filed by Cohen's bank were missing from the database managed by the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. "I have never seen something pulled off the system," the official said. "That system is a safeguard for the bank. It's a stockpile of information. When something's not there that should be, I immediately became concerned." The official continued: "That's why I came forward." (New Yorker)

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/missing-files-motivated-the-leak-of-michael-cohens-financial-records

5/ Michael Cohen solicited a payment of at least $1 million from the Qatari government in late 2016. Cohen offered to provide access and advice about the then-incoming Trump administration in exchange. Qatar declined the offer, which came following a Dec. 12, 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between Qatar's foreign minister and Michael Flynn. Cohen didn't attend the meeting, but did speak separately to Ahmed al-­Rumaihi, who was head of the Qatari sovereign wealth fund at the time. (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trumps-personal-attorney-solicited-1-million-from-government-of-qatar/2018/05/16/e787e716-592c-11e8-858f-12becb4d6067_story.html?utm_term=.e7e02612bd74

6/ The Cambridge Analytica whistleblower testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that the data company offered services intended to discourage voting and suppress voter turnout. Christopher Wylie didn't provide specifics about the services offered by Cambridge Analytica, but he did allege that African-American communities were particular targets of the company's "voter disengagement tactics." He also said that political actions committees requested such voter suppression services from Cambridge Analytica. (CNN)

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/16/politics/cambridge-analytica-congress-wylie/index.html

Paul Ryan postponed a Congressional briefing on election security. Democrats pressed GOP leadership to make the briefing classified so that officials could go into sufficient detail about the scope of the threat and the Trump administration's efforts to protect digital election systems from hackers. (The Hill)

http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/388133-ryan-to-make-election-security-briefing-classified

poll/ 13% of Americans consider Trump honest and trustworthy – down 3 points since February 2017. (The Hill)

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/388107-poll-just-13-percent-of-americans-consider-trump-honest-and


Notables.
North Korea called the South Korean government "ignorant and incompetent" and threatened to break off peace talks with the South if they don't halt U.S.-South Korean air combat drills. (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-southkorea/south-korea-to-play-mediator-to-resolve-north-korea-u-s-summit-doubts-official-idUSKCN1II0B7

Scott Pruitt hired a white-collar defense lawyer to help him navigate a dozen federal investigations into his activity and behavior as EPA administrator. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/16/pruitt-epa-investigations-defense-lawyer-paul-rauser-594488

Trump blamed Democrats for immigration laws that force federal immigration agents to break up families, saying "we have to break up families. The Democrats gave us that law. It's a horrible thing, we have to break up families. That Democrats gave us that law and they don't want to do anything about it." (CNN)

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/16/politics/trump-democrats-immigration/index.html


Stories Being Watched:
Tantalizing Testimony From a Top Trump Aide Sets Off a Search for Proof.

The aide said he remembered getting an email about Russian dirt on Hillary Clinton well before compromising Democratic emails were released. No one can find the message he mentioned.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/15/us/politics/john-mashburn-trump-russia-email-papadopoulos.html

Russian firm tied to Putin ally, charged in 2016 trolling campaign, clashes with...

A U.S. court hearing hints at the scorched-earth defense that could test special counsel prosecutors.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/russian-firm-tied-to-putin-ally-charged-in-2016-trolling-campaign-clashes-with-mueller-probe/2018/05/16/1365ccc0-586c-11e8-b656-a5f8c2a9295d_story.html

The Republican Party's Generational Bet

The GOP is doubling down on its older white base—and hoping the more diverse Millennials don't show up to the polls.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/05/the-gop-is-betting-its-majority-on-older-white-voters/560537/

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#242691: May 17th 2018 at 11:17:58 AM

[up] according to Renato Mariotti, counterintelligence investigations very actually end up with Charges being pressed for that very reason.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#242692: May 17th 2018 at 11:22:36 AM

NAFTA talks are apparently stalled not the details of an agreement, but on US demands for a 5-year sunset clause that Ottawa and Mexico City consider a deal breaker.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/nafta-deadline-last-minute-1.4666983

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#242693: May 17th 2018 at 11:28:08 AM

Remember that 666 fifth avenue property that's at the center of all of the Kush's finacial woes?

Kushners Near Deal With Qatar-Linked Company for Troubled Tower

The company controlled by the family of the White House adviser Jared Kushner is close to receiving a bailout of its financially troubled flagship building by a company with ties to the government of Qatar, according to executives briefed on the deal.

Charles Kushner, head of the Kushner Companies, is in advanced talks with Brookfield Properties over a partnership to take control of the 41-story aluminum-clad tower 666 Fifth Avenue in Midtown, according to two real estate executives who have been briefed on the pending deal but are not authorized to discuss it. Brookfield is a publicly traded company, headquartered in Canada, one of whose major investors is the Qatar Investment Authority.

Mr. Kushner and his son Jared, President Trump’s son-in-law and one of his key advisers, bought the office tower, which is between 51st and 52nd Streets, 11 years ago for a record-setting $1.8 billion. But the building today only generates about half its annual mortgage payment, and 30 percent of the 41-story tower is vacant.

In late 2016, Mr. Kushner and his son were close to a much different kind of deal with Anbang, a giant Chinese insurance company with ties to the country’s ruling elite, and with a billionaire from Qatar, Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani. That plan involved demolishing the existing building at 666 Fifth and erecting a $7.5 billion luxury super tower.

But the deal collapsed a year ago, amid criticism from legislators over the connection between Jared Kushner’s political role and the family business. Jared Kushner left the family business after President Trump’s election and is now a key adviser to the White House.

The deal with Brookfield is likely to raise further concerns about Jared Kushner’s dual role as a White House point person on the Middle East and a continuing stake holder in the family’s company. Mr. Kushner earlier this year lost his top-secret security clearance amid concerns that foreign governments could attempt to gain influence with the White House by doing business with the Kushner Companies.

Although he resigned as chief executive of the company when he joined the White House in January 2017, Mr. Kushner retained most of his stake in the firm. He shed some of the assets — including his stake in 666 Fifth Avenue — by selling them to a trust controlled by his mother. His real estate holdings and other investments are worth as much as $761 million, according to government ethics filings.

The Kushner Companies and Brookfield both declined to comment, and the White House and the Qatar Investmen Authority did not immediately return requests for comment.

Brookfield has extensive ties to Qatar. The Qatar Investment Authority is the second-largest shareholder in Brookfield Properties, ranking only behind Brookfield’s former parent company. And the Qatar fund and Brookfield have teamed up on several real estate deals in the United States and elsewhere in recent years, including Brookfield’s retail and apartment complex, Manhattan West, now under construction on the West Side. Brookfield and Qatar also control the Canary Wharf office complex in London.

Brookfield, which will take over leasing and operating 666 Fifth, plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to give the 61-year-old building a major face-lift: stripping off the distinctive aluminum facade, installing floor-to-ceiling windows, renovating the lobby and installing new elevators, according to the executives.

If a deal is struck, Mr. Kushner will buy out his old partner, Vornado Realty Trust, which owned 49.5 percent of the office space but was not interested in renovating the tower.

Mr. Kushner will pay Vornado $120 million to settle an $80 million high-interest loan Vornado provided for the office building six years ago. Vornado, however, will continue to own the building’s valuable Fifth Avenue retail space.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#242694: May 17th 2018 at 12:33:20 PM

"Mueller's office files unredacted memo outlining scope of Russia probe: filing" - http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-memo/muellers-office-files-unredacted-memo-outlining-scope-of-russia-probe-filing-idUSKCN1II2EN

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office notified a federal court in Virginia on Thursday it had filed under seal an unredacted memorandum that is expected to shed light on the scope of his wide-ranging probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

The filing, made as part of Mueller's criminal case against President Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was requested by the judge, who told prosecutors earlier this month he wanted to see an unredacted copy of an August 2017 memo written by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein which fleshed out Mueller's investigative mandate.

In a court hearing two weeks ago in the Eastern District of Virginia, Judge T.S. Ellis told Mueller's office to turn over a copy of the memo under seal to him by this Friday so he could review it before deciding whether or not to dismiss the charges against Manafort.

Manafort is facing two indictments by Mueller in Virginia and Washington that charge him with an array of crimes, from conspiring to launder money and failing to register as a foreign agent, to bank and tax fraud.

He has sought to have both cases dismissed on the grounds that Mueller has exceeded his authority, and that Rosenstein granted the special counsel too much power when he was appointed exactly one year ago on Thursday.

The federal judge overseeing the Washington case earlier this week refused to dismiss the charges, saying Mueller has not overstepped his authority by prosecuting Manafort.

Ellis, however, insisted on seeing an unredacted copy of Rosenstein's Aug. 2, 2017 memo before he can make a decision.

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#242695: May 17th 2018 at 1:05:58 PM

[up] that's par for the course for Judge Ellis. He's known for his courtroom dramatics, to the point where people who've argued a case before him, joke about being "Ellised", but he's good, and will do his due dilligence.

rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#242696: May 17th 2018 at 1:12:55 PM

Senate Confirms Haspel to Lead C.I.A. Despite Torture Concerns:

The Senate confirmed Gina Haspel on Thursday to be the first woman to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, elevating a career clandestine officer to its directorship despite bipartisan misgivings about her role in the agency’s brutal detention and interrogation programs in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Ms. Haspel, the current deputy director, takes the helm at a time of shifting alliances and intelligence threats from Iran and North Korea to Russia, unfolding after President Trump tried to cast doubt on the intelligence community’s judgment as part of his broader attack on the investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election.

But it was Ms. Haspel’s past that transfixed senators — if only for a few weeks — as they grappled anew with the aggressive interrogation policies of the George W. Bush administration in the years after the terrorist attacks. Ms. Haspel supervised a secret prison in Thailand in 2002 when a Qaeda suspect was waterboarded there, and senators raised fresh questions about her role in the agency’s destruction of videotapes of interrogation sessions in 2005.

Democrats and a handful of Republicans pressed Ms. Haspel to repudiate the program and sought assurances that torture would not be revisited under her watch. Ms. Haspel told senators at a confirmation hearing that her moral compass was strong and that the agency would not revisit such a program under her watch. And on Tuesday, under intense pressure, she went further, writing that the program “did damage to our officers and our standing in the world.”

In the end, those assurances were enough to win over a handful of skeptical senators. Two Republican no votes — and opposition from Senator John Mc Cain of Arizona, the victim of torture in Vietnam who was not present for the vote — were more than offset by Democrats, most of whom represent states that Mr. Trump won in 2016. Ms. Haspel also won over Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, who had led the interrogation of her record.

Ms. Haspel is now set to take over a spy agency that has managed to keep a low profile under Mr. Trump in recent months. Mr. Trump was sharply critical of America’s intelligence agencies before taking office, even comparing them to Nazis at one point. But Ms. Haspel’s predecessor, Mike Pompeo, who is now the secretary of state, built a warm rapport with the president.

Inside the agency, Mr. Pompeo had a more mixed reputation. He won praise for promoting agency veterans, including Ms. Haspel, who served as his deputy, and for pushing Mr. Trump to allow the C.I.A. to take on more aggressive covert operations. But Mr. Pompeo’s overt politics — he had been a firebrand Republican House member before taking over the C.I.A. — made many there uneasy that their work could be infected by political concerns.

Ms. Haspel is free of that particular baggage. Her nomination was seen by many at the C.I.A. as the best chance the agency had to avoid having a political partisan brought in as its director. Still, it remains to be seen how Ms. Haspel will get along with Mr. Trump, a president who prizes personal relationships above all else.

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
math792d Since: Jun, 2011 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#242697: May 17th 2018 at 2:05:38 PM

Hey, at least the CIA now has a face that correctly represents the organization, the reprehensible fucks.

Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.
archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#242698: May 17th 2018 at 2:09:25 PM

[up] That's not even wrong, Haspel is immensely popular inside the CIA. Most CIA directors have been desk guys or politicians, but Haspel worked in the field so she's "one of them".

They should have sent a poet.
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#242699: May 17th 2018 at 2:30:55 PM

At least she's not a political hack from what I can tell, that's the last thing we needing heading Langley right now.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.

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