NOTE: No present WikiLeaks staff, including our editor, have medical, psychological or drug conditions which could lead to sudden death.
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 13, 2017
(Jeff Danziger’s website)
.
.
It’s okay to laugh, because Assange is waaay too paranoid to trust Trump, who’s too narcissistic to admit some 400-ounce Aussie hacker on his bed at the Ecuadorian Embassy might’ve had anything to do with Donnie’s YUUUGE electoral victory. And the hapless puppets stuck monitoring Wikileaks’ tweet feed can’t recognize/admit either half of that equation!
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
That’s funny. And thanks for the title edit below.
Major Major Major Major
That tweet isn’t signed with a 4096-bit PGP key, HOW DO I REALLY KNOW IT’S FROM THEM
medrawt
So all WikiLeaks staff are regularly scanned to make sure they don’t have newly formed aneurysms and the like?
Baud
@Major Major Major Major: The tweets are coming from inside the embassy.
Baud
If I were a member of WikiLeaks staff, I’d now be concerned about being designated the sacrificial lamb to promote their conspiracy theories.
lamh36
I just had a thought…we know that the Presidency ages the occupants of it. So aside from Trump’s illegitimacy, we also may have the pleasure of watching him age from the stress…
Ugh..
GregB
Poor Julian, he must have gotten a box of tea in the mail postmarked Russia.
I really think quite a few of these avengers made a deal with the Devil and they are going to spend their lives trying to avoid the bill.
Adam L Silverman
I’ll just leave this here:
http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/104470/mq-9-reaper.aspx
lamh36
In case you missed it:
@black_ishABC Jan 12
We bring the must-watch, you bring the lemonade. ?? Watch last night’s powerful #blackish episode here:
Adam L Silverman
@medrawt: Which government do we know of that actually assassinates people in a way that looks like the onset of sudden medical conditions? ?
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: Reaper? Really?
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: Well I thought this was overkill:
http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/104469/mq-1b-predator.aspx
Would you prefer a JDAM or TLAM?
I’m being facetious and a smartass. More seriously, I’d like him taken into custody by the Brits, completed debriefed by Special Branch, then turned over to Sweden for trial on the rape charges.
Suzanne
@lamh36: I just can’t help but think that some weird, weird shit is going to go down, maybe this year. I really don’t want to live in interesting times.
Peale
Don’t care if they do meet early ends. In the violence to come as they try hold onto power, some losses won’t be worth crying over. Some will be worth celebrating. I’ll hold my tears for the worthy.
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: Me, I am an M110A2 guy.
Quick head snap. I don’t think that the Swedes manufactured charges against him. They are Swedes for fuck’s sake. He should have the balls to deal with it.
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
Shit. And to think how despairing I was only a few weeks ago. And, to be clear, I’m still worried. But after seeing him on Wednesday trying to give that press conference, I feel fairly confident that he just won’t last that long. He could do a lot of harm while he’s there, but even that, now, is less of a worry to me, seeing how these clowns are already undercutting and betraying each other. My guess is he’ll quit or have a breakdown, or worse, before the year is out. And watching the assholes who put him in office (Putin, Assange, et al.) betray each other will be a fun sideshow.
I know that if he doesn’t make it we’ll be stuck with Pence; but however awful he might be, we can clean things up after he’s gone. And the base won’t take too well to seeing their hero leave office. However he goes, they’ll be spinning conspiracies out the ass, only this time, they’ll all be about Republicans. Then they can deal with this shit and try to deal with their batshit nutso base. And if Trump is still alive when he leaves office, he’ll be egging them all on. It’ll be a sight to behold.
I still don’t think the Republicans know what they’ve signed themselves up for. Well, most of them don’t, anyway.
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: Ahhh, the classics.
I’m not sure we have any in England. At this point, I’m pretty sure we don’t have any on the continent.
WaterGirl
@lamh36: I just watched the episode earlier this evening and I was coming to BJ to ask if anyone else had seen it. I mostly loved it, but I certainly have mixed feelings about the kumbaya part toward the end.
What did anyone else think?
lamh36
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.): I think they don’t think he’ll be there the long either…it’s why they are trying their darndest to be speed demons about shit like repeal and replace…and comfirmations and of ourse trying to get SCOTUS done too…the question for them is will it take 1 or 2 years before Trump keels over or just quits or is impeached.
Mike J
Just finished dinner, watching MitHC, and trying to decide in which order coffee, bowl, Klondike bar go.
lamh36
@JoyAnnReid 1m1 minute ago
The British and other international papers are offering extraordinary detail on the Trump-Russia-FBI scandal:
WaterGirl
@lamh36: I think the stress of the actual job could do Trump in, in pretty short order – I think he still has no concept of what he’s in for.
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
@lamh36: I’m wondering if it’s months we’re talking about here, rather than years. I could see him leaving, one way or another, before the year is out. He doesn’t have it in him for this job. I wonder what his fans will say if he just throws up his arms and says, “Fuck it. This is too hard. It’s so unfair. So unfair. I don’t have to do this, you know. So I’m not going to. See you all later, suckers!” Some of them will tell us how this is the mark of a great leader; but a lot of them might find the scales falling off their eyes.
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: It is/was the most accurate gun the US ever had. Most guns could hit a city block. The 8-inch could with proper data hit a specific house. Plus, they looked racy.
ETA: We and the Brits phased them out in the early ’90s.
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: While I cannot prove it, based on what I’m reading and seeing here’s how I think this is going to go down, regardless of whether it will be successful: the IC war with the President-elect will continue to escalate. The information releases will get bigger and bigger. If it is not successful in impacting him directly, the targeting will then be widened in the attempt to get those who could leverage him out to do so. Should they not, the information releases dropped on them will get bigger and bigger. This is the real constitutional crisis.
Gin & Tonic
@Adam L Silverman: Like Oleg Erovinkin?
I just read somewhere that Steele was Litvinenko’s case officer at MI6. No wonder he’s gone off the grid.
lamh36
@samsteinhp
A woman in Trump country Tennessee pleading with GOP Congress to not take away Ocare covering her chemo via @kasie
Notice they made sure to say “Trump country Tennessee” but made sure to NOT ask the woman if she voted for Trump…
Suzanne
@WaterGirl: I don’t want him to die in office. I want him to be disgraced, and to take Kellyanne Riefenstahl and Jared Loughner/Kushner and Steve Bannon, etc all, with him. Preferably to jail.
Viva BrisVegas
@lamh36:
To get stress you would first need have a concern for the consequences of your actions. This is not Trump, if anything bad happens the only sure thing will be that it was not his fault.
My prediction is that Trump’s will be the first vacation Presidency. He is going to make W look like a workaholic. The decision making will be outsourced to Cabinet or Family, whichever can grab his attention for long enough to get something signed.
Suzanne
@Adam L Silverman: Can you elaborate? I would love to hear more.
Adam L Silverman
@Mike J:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/dc/7f/98/dc7f98e228995e9605112612cb59218f.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/c9/4c/68/c94c68a94e2be836bcd6173f0fb3ca42.jpg
https://i.imgflip.com/oobxw.jpg
lamh36
Fuq’n coward
sigaba
This tweet has that air of the grandiose I’ve come to expect from Wklks.
@Adam L Silverman: So who are the praetorians here? Comey and the FBI helped make Commodus, but the CIA seems prepared to break him… Either way I can’t escape the fact that the Praetorians are running the show. That they seem to have internal divisions, and that no one has died yet, and that Trump didn’t have to give the FBI a donative, I consider a measure of progress.
hilts
Erin Burnett and Anderson Cooper have a bad case of butt hurt over John Lewis’ statement about Trumpenstein
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnns-erin-burnett-are-democrats-crossing-the-line-with-trump-legitimacy-questions
http://www.mediaite.com/online/anderson-cooper-if-a-republican-said-about-clinton-what-john-lewis-said-about-trump
GregB
The more I watch what is going on the more of a total clusterfuck it is appearing to become.
A bunch of Republican Governors are shitting their pants about the inception of Trumpcare.
Tillerson apparently has China spitting missiles blithely talking about naval blockades. Plus his inability to offer a modicum of concern for human rights.
Mexico is spiraling in to political chaos because of Golden Don’s fat short fingers.
Flynn is probably on audio performing reach arounds to the Russians.
Even the Trumpists stumbling over who asked for head of DC Guard to leave at noon.
Plates are already falling.
Adam L Silverman
@Gin & Tonic: Yep.
And yes, Steele was Litvinenko’s case officer based on all the reporting I’ve seen. That’s why he put himself in the wind.
Suzanne
@WaterGirl: I should apologize for being so angry and vindictive today. I’ve swung back into the anger stage, especially after watching Joey B get his Medal of Freedom. I can’t believe that we had such wonderful, lovely, honorable people and that now they’re leaving and we will be stuck with these crazy people.
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
@Viva BrisVegas:
Oh, he’ll feel the stress, all right. It won’t be from the work; it’ll be from the unending fear that his manifold and manifest inadequacies will be laid bare for the whole fucking world to see. That’s why my bet now is that he’ll just quit before too long. Being shown up to the world for the loser he is would kill him, and I think he’ll take the easy way out (no, not that easy way out) before that happens.
Wapiti
@Viva BrisVegas:
As the saying goes, he can delegate authority, but he can’t delegate responsibility. Anything that goes wrong is on him.
NotMax
@Adam L. Silverman
Intelligence versus Trump.
Makes sense by any definition of the I-word.
“Direct from Mar-a-lago, the Thrilla at the Villa!”
Omnes Omnibus
@hilts: IT’S JOHN FUCKING LEWIS, FFS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? JOHN LEWIS. YOU STUPID FUCKING MORONS!
satby
@Viva BrisVegas: I’m with you, he’s not going to do tge work, he’s going to delegate and blame everyone else when stuff goes south. He’ll show up for the rallies and the state dinners.
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne: You’re good. Everyone has license to off the rails around now.
Viva BrisVegas
@Omnes Omnibus:
I’ll bet that they were wringing their hands just as hard over the Birthers claiming (still claiming) that Obama was an illegitimate President.
NOT!
Adam L Silverman
@Suzanne: Basically, the leak to Ignatius of the Flynn calls to the Russian Ambassador are a piece of heavy informational ordnance. The intimation is that Flynn has undercut the sitting President and committed, at least, a Logan Act violation. The leak to Yediot Ahrinot in Israel, then confirmed by Haaretz, that senior US IC officials have told the Israelis not to share any intel with anyone in the incoming White House (this means the incoming President, VP, National Security Advisor and his deputies, senior advisors and strategists, etc) because if they do it will wind up with the Russians and from there with the Iranians (and Syrians and Hezbullah) is another major shot across the bow. It says: we know you and/or some of your people are working for/with Putin and cannot be trusted and we’re going to make sure our allies are protected. This also signals to our other allies and partners, especially our Five Eyes (Canada, Britain, Australia, NZ) and NATO allies to exercise the same caution as the Israelis. Whatever was briefed to the Senate Intel committee today that actually spooked Senator Burr enough to take action is another. If this doesn’t get the desired results, then secondary targets will be acted upon: senior GOP elected and appointed officials. This will be done to either encourage them to do what should be done or they will become collateral damage.
Because here is what is going to happen otherwise. Based on the concerns expressed to the Israelis, which are intended to be heard and understood by all our allies, we are going to have our ability to see and hear severely limited in about a week. This will be very, very, very bad.
WaterGirl
@Suzanne: No need to apologize on my account. I’m alternating between stages myself, mostly in random order. Tonight I’m in the oh my god, it really is going to be as bas as I feared, maybe worse stage.
We are all grieving. We are grieving for the country we love and are shocked by the inability of our institutions to deal with the situation we are in. We are shocked to find so much traitorous behavior in the very institutions that are supposed to be protecting us. We are allowed to struggle as we come to terms with this huge loss and the uncertainty of our future.
satby
I just replied to wikileaks on Twitter with “sweat, you assholes”.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus: I can see how societies fall into a spiral of retribution. I recognize that I am Not Okay right now, but I also don’t really want to ever come completely back around to full acceptance. My family has had someone in the military for the last five generations. Everything they fought for is being flushed down the toilet. And the people who supported the devolution of our country should suffer some sort of consequences.
Adam L Silverman
@sigaba: He started a war with the IC. That was never and will never end well. Despite what the public perception of these folks are, whether in uniform or civilians, they take their oaths very seriously.
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: I am a bit stuck in anger.
ruemara
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.): Oh, he may take that easy way out. The better to deprive us losers of his genius. Narcissists can be very odd that way.
Viva BrisVegas
@satby:
The model for his Presidency will be “The Apprentice”, but with less integrity.
opiejeanne
@lamh36: Blackish was very good last night; I felt a tiny bit enlightened by the end even though I can’t know what it’s like to be black.
Dre’s speech at the end was outstanding.
NotMax
Open Thread.
Watched recently was the movie Cloudburst.
Not necessarily great, but sweetly acted although unevenly paced. Olympia Dukakis manages to skillfully walk the line without so much as crossing a toe over into caricature of playing an unabashedly foul-mouthed crotchety dyke*.
*Before anyone’s nose gets out of joint, her self-description.
Suzanne
@Adam L Silverman: Is there any word about what happened in the last fifteen minutes of the Comey meeting with the intelligence committee that has them all so angry? Have there been any leaks to the press?
satby
And who would have guessed that Joe McCarthy was psychic, but 60 years too early and in the party that actually has the traitors?
opiejeanne
@Suzanne: I’m going to dig out my Pratchett books and read through them again; I’ll read the ones without Rincewind, primarily the ones with Vimes and the witches. .
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne:
Mine has had someone since 1630ish. Some were part of really shitty things. Some were part of noble things.
Millard Filmore
@lamh36:
Speed is only important if a Democrat takes office. The queue to be next in line is pretty deep before a good one pops up.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: And I, for one, appreciate it. I was cheering you on when I read this from you upthread:
I almost replied to that one with a thank you.
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: Also, they both seem to have forgotten 8 years of “is President Obama actually American?” If there were 144 of these guys and gals in one place you’d have gross stupidity.
Viva BrisVegas
@Adam L Silverman:
So did Nixon, Reagan and Bush the Elder.
It’s pretty much SOP for incoming Republican Presidents.
Nothing ever came of it. What’s the point of a law that is never enforced?
Another Scott
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.): Problem is, he’s said he could be president and “earn a profit”. His family (daughter, son-in-law, etc.) are convinced they’ve hit the jackpot and won’t give up the prize just because daddy is incompetent.
Donnie will keep twittering (with his twitter helpers), he can robosign from anywhere in the world, and he obviously doesn’t feel the need to talk to the press or anyone else except on his own terms. He can spend 99% of his time in his “classy” Trump Tower in NYC and nobody can stop him.
As the rumors during the primaries said, I think we’re in for Pence the VP running everything while Donnie pays figurehead. If Donnie disappears for 6 months and all we see are Politburo-like staged videos and tweets, it won’t be hard on him at all. He’ll do what his kids say and will be “fine”, and his kids will do what Pence says as long as they can get what they want from their grifts – they don’t care about policy, they care about being rich.
Remember, Donnie has “tremendous stamina!”.
Donnie only has to work as hard as he wants to.
But, we’ll see.
Of course, this administration will be a disaster for the USA and the world, but the damage will be under the surface and out of the news for much of the time, because the press has mostly been cowed and won’t talk about how they’re destroying the country and our future…
(sigh)
Cheers,
Scott.
opiejeanne
@WaterGirl: I saw it and wanted to beat that woman who voted for Trump. Apparently I have anger issues.
The lemonade bit might have been a bit too sweet, but Zoe is supposed to be a teenager and while not an empty head, she doesn’t seem to be focused on politics.
NotMax
@Adam L. Silverman
Moms Mabley had more teeth than does the Logan Act.
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: Obama? Who/what is that? //
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@Mike J:
I’d substitute red wine for coffee, followed by a bowl, then the ice cream. YMMV.
Adam L Silverman
@Suzanne: From the reporting, apparently Comey was less than forthcoming on anything. It had both the Democrats and the Republicans frustrated and upset, but the Democrats have had quite enough, thank you very much and decided to let their displeasure be known.
Viva BrisVegas
Isn’t keeping your head up your arse a potentially fatal condition?
oklahomo
@Suzanne: I think for Kellyanne some garlic, running water, and a wooden stake would be preferable to jail; she’d just turn into a bat and escape.
WaterGirl
@opiejeanne: Yeah, I thought they gave her way too much of a pass on that. Anyone who thinks Hillary would be more scary as president than Trump should not be allowed to cross the street alone. They don’t get the pointy scissors, either.
Adam L Silverman
@Viva BrisVegas: That the intimation of what is actually going on is far, far worse than a Logan Act violation.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus: We likely go back further, but we don’t have records. My great-great grandfather joined the Union army for some time, but got kicked out for being underage—apparently he wanted to fight, and he signed up when he was 14 and lied about his age. So not always the most honorable service.
Mr. Suzanne is apparently a direct descendant of a sibling of George Washington (on his mother’s side).
Omnes Omnibus
@satby: I’ve urinated on his grave.
WaterGirl
@Adam L Silverman: I still want to know what Comey plans to say in his press conference on January 21.
Suzanne
@Adam L Silverman: Until there are some genuine consequences for these people for the crimes they’re committing, then they are winning. I hope that the IC is able to help move them toward justice.
Lizzy L
If you haven’t read this, take a look. Some of the implications — about T, yes, but also about the FBI — are staggering. Note that T said today that he might lift the sanctions on Russia.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/spy-who-wrote-trump-russia-memos-it-was-hair-raising-stuff
Major Major Major Major
@opiejeanne: I love Pratchett. My library has all his ebooks, I tend to read one or two when I travel.
Adam L Silverman
@Lizzy L: Read this:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-russia-dossier-file-investigation-hacking-christopher-steele-mi6-a7526901.html
The British press has it now. They will not let it go because an MI6 officer’s life is now at risk.
lamh36
@AdamWeinsteinThe fact that they’re pretending there’s nothing weird about *the national security advisor-designate* making these calls is shitbonkers
WaterGirl
@Adam L Silverman: Thank god for that. Since our so-called leaders can’t or won’t put country before party, perhaps it’s the Brits who will save us from ourselves.
satby
@Omnes Omnibus: well done you! One of the only reasons I used to wish I was a guy would be the ability to do that (yeah, women can too, but it’s just more… complicated).
WaterGirl
The idea of these people being in the oval office makes my skin crawl. Worse than bedbugs. We may have to hire hookers to pee on everything in the whitehouse, burn it down and start over.
edit: I am dead serious about what I wrote in the first 2 sentences. The final sentence might have contained some poetic license.
WaterGirl
@satby: I’ve already thought this through. You wear a loose-fitting dress with no undies, then you squat carefully and pee. Don’t forget the hanky in case you want to dab here or there when you are done.
Omnes Omnibus
@satby: LU girls have done it too. We just decently looked away.
Ang
@opiejeanne: I’ve been slowly re-reading the entire series in order, and happened to get to Jingo a couple of weeks ago. It was especially unnerving with everything that’s going on in the world.
Both Vetinari and Vimes are exactly what we need right now. (And a good dose of Granny Weatherwax, now that I’m thinking about it.) I really miss Sir Pterry.
Also, a few inspirational quotes.
http://io9.gizmodo.com/10-discworld-quotes-youll-desperately-need-for-the-next-1791086730?utm_source=recirculation&utm_medium=recirculation&utm_campaign=wednesdayPM
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: Its even worse, because Russians don’t celebrate Christmas on 25 December! So the explanation doesn’t make sense at all.
And since the Trump folks didn’t release this information, nor the Russians, there is only one possible source for knowing that Flynn made these calls: SIGINT. And that means that there is a record of what was said. For a career Intel officer, his tradecraft sucks!
Suzanne
@WaterGirl: I’ve pissed inappropriately in a lot of places. I’ve got this down.
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne: I do not want to know.
Jeffro
@hilts:
1) If a Republican had said this about Hillary, we’d call it “business as usual”. Dems using “Clinton Rules” on Republicans, only with some actual justification?!? Pardon me McDonalds but I’M LOVIN IT…
2) It’s helpful because it got your attention, didn’t it now Anderson? And hopefully those of others who are watching America’s National Enquirer TV Network
NotMax
@Omnes Omnibus
And, we’re back to golden showers.
;)
Major Major Major Major
@Adam L Silverman: hoo boy.
But what actually happens? He goes on to serve in the Trump administration, still, I’m assuming.
Redshift
@hilts:
If? There were Republican congressmen publicly declaring their intention to impeach Hillary Clinton before Inauguration Day.
Assholes.
Jeffro
@Adam L Silverman:
Adam, I don’t think they’re going to do this in small increments…and I don’t see this as a constitutional crisis. Republicans did what they did, ignored what they ignored, bought what they bought, and are about to break this country’s institutions. Good on the IC for being our last line of defense against all of this, when craven politicians couldn’t bring an even more craven and disgusting, unqualified, reckless and irresponsible jackass to heel.
(called it about three weeks ago btw – I’m sure I’m not the only one who saw this coming!)
We need to stop thinking about this as some big crisis for America, and see it instead as the ignition of the long-overdue Republican Civil War, along with a restoration of at least some of this country’s guiding principles.
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: @Suzanne: But the President-elect might… ?
West of the Rockies (been a while)
Anyone else get a Support Paul Ryan in Defeating Obamacare banner here? They asked for an email address and zip. For an email I used a popular rude anatomical directive along with a fake zip. I hit send. It seemed to go through.
Can I get in trouble for that? Now I’m a smidge nervous.
Omnes Omnibus
@NotMax: If that amuses you.
Major Major Major Major
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.):
Knowing them of course they’ll still manage to avoiding hitting on any of the actual conspiracies going on.
Adam L Silverman
@Major Major Major Major: I don’t know. I’m doing tea leaf reading based on what the people close to the IC are writing. I think the endgame is to either create a very public constitutional crisis that makes it impossible for the inauguration to take place or to create enough pressure that someone within the GOP/conservative movement does something to keep the President-elect and his team from taking office. And if those two things fail to set the conditions to destroy any legitimacy and force Congress to take action. I can’t prove it. I don’t know if it will actually work if this is, in fact, what is going on. But that’s the feel, for lack of a better term, that I have.
EZSmirkzz
@Adam L Silverman: Undoubtedly the universe is unfolding as it should.
Pretty heavy duty stuff. Assange has never made any bones about wanting to bring the American empire to heel, and as the commenter at SST noted:
I think everyone needs to take a deep breath, given what little we do know, and what large gaps we don’t know, as per EmptyWheel. Forest fires are easier to start than to extinguish. It is our misfortune to live in a nation that won’t even acknowledge that it has become an empire, Our adversaries are not so unfortunate. We need to make damned sure we aren’t playing someone else’s game.
Jeffro
@Redshift
Ay-fucking-men. If there’s ever a “truth and reconciliation” commission put together after the Trumpenberg goes down in hot hydrogen flames, it really ought to note that while Dems were outraged when Trump ‘won’ the election due to fake news, Russian interference, and complete imbalance in news coverage, Reps were talking about not confirming HRC’s judges for 4 FUCKING YEARS and investigating Benghazi until its 20th anniversary.
West of the Rockies (been a while)
Is Redshirt around still? Haven’t seen his name here in a while (or is Redshift the old Redshirt)?
Mike in DC
I have this fantasy that Trump’s motorcade will be intercepted en route to the inauguration, and that Obama and Lynch will go on air shortly after to announce that the President Elect and several of his staff have been arrested for violations of the Logan Act, the Espionage Active, etc, and that there will be a press conference to present the evidence on the 23rd.
Major Major Major Major
@Adam L Silverman: so it’s going to be a “well that escalated quickly” kind of thing.
Mike J
@Adam L Silverman: https://cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/folder535/51212535.jpg
EZSmirkzz
@Adam L Silverman: Hopefully my previous response to you won’t sit in moderation for the duration of the night.
Obviously a lot of links to follow, but worth a look.
Redshift
@Suzanne:
And Mitch McConnell, and Paul Ryan, and all the others who think that is in line with an oath to protect and defend the Constitution to sell out the country to a hostile foreign power just to keep your grubby hands on the levers.
satby
@WaterGirl: @Omnes Omnibus: I guess I’m Cole-level clumsy.
@NotMax: yep.
Adam L Silverman
@West of the Rockies (been a while): Redshift is a he. redshirt (she likes lower case) is a she. She has not been around. I tried a direct message and got no reply.
NotMax
@Mike in DC
In which (highly implausible) case, Pence gets sworn in as Acting President on the 20th.
Jeffro
@Adam L Silverman:
Sounds pretty much on target. I can’t see how this gathers enough steam in the next 7 (6?) days, though, to keep Trump from taking the oath…and just making it to Jan 20th makes this at least twice as hard to get resolved.
Ryan/McConnell/(Mercer)/(Koch) want their rubber stamp very, very badly. Not that they wouldn’t have it with Pence, but as I’ve said before, Pence and Ryan and McConnell and quite a few others are going to get tied up in “what did X know, and when did he know it”-type hearings very soon. Trump, to my mind, is not going to walk away from or admit defeat in anything – he’ll just return to his Dark Trump days, when he thought he was going to lose the ‘rigged’ election.
Dems will need to focus on the rule of law and a return to norms while the Reps rip themselves up (this is all once we’ve gotten that far, anyway)
Adam L Silverman
@Major Major Major Major: Ayep:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/sheerafrenkel/spy-agencies-around-the-world-are-digging-into-trump-moscow?utm_term=.fdqWqbxoj#.tePe4D5Yj
And:
Redshift
@West of the Rockies (been a while):
Nope, different nyms. I think I predate Redshirt, but I’m not sure.
I think Redshirt hadn’t been seen much since the election, but I’m not sure.
satby
@Redshift:
Amen!
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@Adam L Silverman:
Thank you, good to know.
Can I get in trouble do you think for what I said in #96?
Timurid
@Adam L Silverman:
Tradecraft is for the little people.
These guys think that they are bulletproof. Watching elites carry your boss through a dozen or more scandals and blunders that would have reduced a mere mortal politician to ash leads to that kind of thinking…
Major Major Major Major
@Adam L Silverman: so is Buzzfeed still thought to have committed the worst breach of journamalistic ‘ethics’ in the history of ever? Or…
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@Redshift:
Sorry for the confusion, Redshift.
Adam L Silverman
@West of the Rockies (been a while): Get in trouble with who? Or whom? Or Hume?
I’m not going to ban you or anything. I’m not even sure what, exactly, you were talking about.
Adam L Silverman
@Major Major Major Major: I don’t think so. The only thing I would have liked to see Buzzfeed do is redact the names within the oppo research report. And had I not been in a hurry when someone mentioned what they’d done in comments as I was heading out the door to dinner I wouldn’t have even done that update as a result.
EZSmirkzz
@Adam L Silverman: Just to be blunt, you may want to read the latest at SST, and the first comment that I linked to as well, as well as looking into the latest post at EmptyWheel, and the comment left there linking to the BBC article. As I said, if we are going to play with fire let’s make sure it is a campfire, not a forest fire. Discretion remains the better part of valor.
Jeffro
@Adam L Silverman: I think he/she means, can I get in trouble for submitting a fake email address and zip code to a political enemy’s website.
That would be “no” ;)
GregB
@Adam L Silverman:
Remember the same man who was wiretapped by the brilliant spies at Access Hollywood and was caught on audio admitting to sexual assault wants us to know that he’d never do anything stupid that could be caught on tape.
I gave also read that Paul Manaforte hasn’t Tweeted since Dec. 19th.
NotMax
@Adam L. Silverman
Or Fin Fang Foom?
(You, at least, will grok the strained reference.) :)
Adam L Silverman
@EZSmirkzz: I’ve dug it out.
jeannedalbret
@lamh36:
What about his district office?
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@Jeffro:
That’s what I (a he) meant. Thanks, Jeffro. Obviously, I’m not much of a rabble rouser.
tobie
@West of the Rockies (been a while): I’ve noticed Redshirt’s absence, too. I think someone mentioned in a previous thread that he had tried to contact Redshirt but the email address wasn’t working any longer. Wherever you are, Redshirt, I hope you’re well.
Larkspur
@Adam L Silverman: Do you ever worry about me?
@West of the Rockies (been a while): I think you mean #96? I do not know. Just don’t drink any tea that you haven’t prepared yourself and don’t leave your tea unattended. Anything else, we should figure out a help code, and you can send it up, and I will come rescue you. I’m old; I can risk it. What can Ryan do? Maybe put you on a watch list, but here we are on the subversive Balloon Juice site: we are probably already on a List.
Adam L Silverman
@EZSmirkzz: Since I don’t know who the author of that post really is – as in I don’t know who he is behind the nym, what he really does, etc, I cannot judge whether what he writes is informed or not.
As for Emptywheel – its not just a standard British bit of tradecraft to vary typefaces and pagination, etc, but also the sentence structure between copies of the same report, its used in a lot of places.
Do we know everything, no we don’t. Do I think the oppo report is accurate, sort of. Some parts probably are, some parts probably aren’t. Not sure what any of this has to do with the fact we’re observing a fight between the President-elect and the IC.
Adam L Silverman
@EZSmirkzz: I read it.
Adam L Silverman
@NotMax: I do indeed.
Adam L Silverman
@tobie: That was me.
Peale
I did like that the National Equirer is stepping up to let shoppers know that even with Putin in charge, the world will be a better place. I guess Trump and Putin have a plan to destroy Iran and demolIsh North Korea and China. What possibly could go wrong with destroying China? What a safe world they have planned and you moderate Libs, with your peace deals…you’re the real war mongers.
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
@efgoldman:
Oh, but he does, and he knows it. Deep down, he knows it. This is why any criticism, or any mocking of him, gets to him so badly. He can’t stand the thought that his true self might show through. He knows what’s in there, and his deepest fear is that it’ll seep out somehow, for all of us to see it, too. People who are confident in themselves don’t care so much about what Alec Baldwin says when he plays them on television.
Adam L Silverman
@Larkspur: Sure. Did you disappear for two months? I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you around in comments recently. For context, I did a direct message because several commenters were concerned about her.
Larkspur
@West of the Rockies (been a while):
Yeah, me neither, but if somebody hums a few bars I’m sure both of us can fake it. I think I remember a 60s activist who observed, during one of the 60s crises, that “Somebody has to do something! It’s just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us….” If something is worth doing, it worth doing ridiculously.
Larkspur
@Adam L Silverman: Nah, no worries. I disappeared for a short while around the election, but not long enough to raise concerns. I comment quite a bit then I go away for a while. I like that you worry, but you don’t need to worry about me. I was just curious. You’re a good person.
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@Larkspur:
I’m surprised how frequently the ads here are more conducive for the people reading Restate or NRO.
Larkspur
@West of the Rockies (been a while): I know. See? They’re just asking for rudeness.
Redshift
@West of the Rockies (been a while):
No problem. Wouldn’t be the first time.
Tazj
@hilts: You have to wonder what would have to happen, what Trump would have to do or say that would that bother them.”Democrats would be up in arms.” Maybe they would, so what? That’s not a great counter argument. They shouldn’t act like John Lewis’ statement regarding Trump is as real of a threat (it’s not one at all) to the country as Trump himself.
As for Paul Ryan disconnecting his phone, own it weasel! You could have improved Obamacare instead of burning it all down.
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@Larkspur: I am joining our local NorCal Women’s March on the 21st (men are invited, so I’ll be there). Too much at stake with Trump to be sitting on one’s hands, yes? I’m crummy at resistance but intend to learn.
hilts
@Redshift:
Anderson Cooper’s brain is filled with mush.
Redshift
@West of the Rockies (been a while):
Doesn’t surprise me. Ad placement is keyword-based; it’s not sophisticated enough to tell if the keywords are mentioned in a positive or negative context.
hilts
@Tazj:
Chuck Todd, Erin Burnett, and Anderson Cooper will kiss Trump’s ring until the cows come home in order to preserve their access. They’ll never hold this orange montrosity accountable for anything.
Mike in NC
Trump is a few days away from entering the 24/7/365 fishbowl of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, where he will be the most hated man in America. Given his thin skin and inability to take any criticism, his bloated head is likely to explode within just a couple of months.
NotMax
@hilts
Shall be able to tell because their lips will become more and more tinged with green.
GregB
@hilts:
And as Jude Law said on Colbert last night, the ring in Britain is the O-ring we sit upon.
EZSmirkzz
@Adam L Silverman: As I said the commenter at SST pointed out Doctorow’s statement on RT the US had entered into the antechamber of civil war. The EmptyWheel link was the argument of how little we know, and the BBC link was their reporter’s information showing more than one incident of Trump’s in Russia, and his information from Eastern European IC sources. The post in, I suppose still – moderation, pointed out that Assange has for quite sometime made no bones about bringing the American empire to heel.
I have no other intentions in these missives than to inform both conservative Republicans and progressive Democrats, very much hooked into their respective information bubbles, that fools rush in where angels dare to tread. As far as knowing Bahzad, or you or the Col. for that matter, I tend to rely on those who have provided reliable information in the past, over the years. I think you’re in good company in that regard. But I must concern myself with those who are easily inflamed, of whatever political background they choose to align themselves with. Our adversaries have no compunction in exploiting these divisions.
hilts
@Mike in DC:
If you buy into the multiverse concept, there’s an alternate universe where this will happen.
EZSmirkzz
@Adam L Silverman: From now on, with you at least, I will work my down from where I was, not up from the bottom as is my habit. Thanks for your efforts.
hilts
@GregB: Well put.
@efgoldman: With few exceptions, I think the cable news hosts on MSNC, Fox, and CNN are a rogue’s gallery of doofuses
hilts
@NotMax:
Yes and in between taking turns kissing Trump’s ring they’ll have their heads stuck up their asses.
Major Major Major Major
@hilts: I think I’ve been to that party.
Ruckus
@Suzanne:
You are absolutely right. Most of the people I knew when I served didn’t sign up for shit like this, including me.
Major Major Major Major
@efgoldman: yup. This. Sadder still are the good ones who just sort of self-gentrify into villagerism.
GregB
@EZSmirkzz:
I am very nervous about the massive crowds of widely divergent actors on Inauguration Day.
Anne Laurie
@West of the Rockies (been a while):
The Kochs, Mercers, and their ilk have a lot of ad money to spread around. The bots taking their money have little incentive to sort ‘center-left’ from ‘center-right’ politics — as long as the ad agency doesn’t get a ton of complaints, doing the minimum targeting makes the best sense for them.
Ruckus
@Suzanne:
When ya gotta go, ya gotta go.
When ya want to go, ya want to go.
Ruckus
@efgoldman:
No, he knows he’s inadequate. His entire life has been about knowing and doing all the wrong things to try and show that he isn’t.
GregB
@efgoldman:
I think there are many moving parts that could lead to bad outcomes.
Everything from straight on foreign terrorist acts, to conceal carry gun fanatics to black block type of mayhem to rightwing ratfuckery. The possibilty if panic and over reaction. There are lots of people in a very bad place right now. I am generally not the nervous Nellie type but everything is so corkscreweed and I worry.
Yarrow
@Adam L Silverman: Trump says what he means during his speeches and interviews. It just slips out. At the end of that farce of a press conference he said, “Goodbye,everyone. Goodbye.” It seemed odd to me because most people who know they’re going to see the press again sooner rather than later wouldn’t say it like that. It would be more like, “Okay, everyone. That’s it for today. Have a good afternoon.” Or something like that.
It struck me that Trump was saying goodbye to the press. Either he isn’t going to hold another press conference or he realizes he won’t be in a position to hold another press conference. But he was saying goodbye to them.
rikyrah
@lamh36:
That was an excellent episode.??
dm
@Adam L Silverman: That seems a bit melodramatic — I don’t think we’ll see the climax in a week. More likely a couple of months.
What a horrible place the career civil servants in the IC are going to be in, at least for several weeks. They’ll be faced wondering what sensitive material they can share with just about any of the Trump national security appointees. I will be unsurprised by a lot of high-level resignations — and possibly some people being fired for refusing to share information with the political appointees.
On the other hand, at the rate stories are coming out now, that “few months” may only be a few weeks.
With respect to the funky ads on this site (and Daily Kos, too!), I suspect they get a pretty good click-through rate. I often get a bit of a thrill at the thought of Newsmax ad dollars going to Balloon Juice.
Major Major Major Major
@dm: They’ve had them for a while, nothing new. I think it’s on account of we use teabagger and paulbot keywords, but the algorithms can’t tell we’re making fun of them. (Of the people, not the algorithms. Although you guys make fun of my algorithms too. ? )
opiejeanne
@Ang: The last time I read Jingo was when we were about to go to war in Iraq. It was quite fitting then, and I hope it will not be quite as fitting this time.
TriassicSands
@lamh36:
That’s true for presidents who care about the job and country. That doesn’t apply to Trump.
MomSense
This is a rough night of no sleep. Ryan, McConnell knownthe incoming pres is completely unfit and compromised. And yet they are willing to overlook this just to rob is of our healthcare, safety net, and get their sweet tax breaks. They are craven.
TriassicSands
@MomSense:
How does that make sense? The GOP doesn’t need Trump at all. If Trump is gone, they’ll be dealing with Pence who will be more cooperative than Trump. They can’t know what Trump is going to do; he could decide to keep a campaign promise or two and start a major fight with the House. So, I don’t see why they should go out of their way to save Trump if all they want is take away health care and all the other cruel stuff they thrive on.
Mary G
@TriassicSands: They’re afraid of their base and all those guns they’ve encouraged them to buy over the years, even given away at campaign events, turning on them. Trump ran against Ryan and McConnell as well as Hillary.
PIGL
@Larkspur: I think I’ve seen that remark attributed to Jerry Garcia.
MomSense
@TriassicSands:
I don’t know why. McConnell saw the classified intelligence before the election and he refused to make a statement knowing full well that if just the Dems and/or President did it would be reported as unprecedented, partisan tipping the scales, and so on. Then his wife gets the nod for a cabinet post.
Why did the NYT go along with so much of what the rogue FBI office/agents/officials were feeding them?
Btw I’m not surprised the oppo research started in the Bush sphere. I was surprised they were not more effective at taking him out at the time but I didn’t realize the Russian connection then. One weakness we have is that some secret service agents say too much. Booze and women are usually involved. They like to impress. Maybe this is why the marigold mayhem has his own, private detail.
MomSense
@Mary G:
I’m afraid of their base, too! I’m surrounded by them.
MomSense
Btw Chaffetz going after OGE concerns me.
Mikefromarlington
Typical. Bruce Springsteen cover band the B Street Band will be performing at the inauguration.
They really want that one last laugh at Obama leaving they desperately hired a cover band
EZSmirkzz
@GregB: Good morning Greg. I wouldn’t be. For one the law enforcement and crowd control crews are out in force, but as with any large gathering of people any thing could happen, but usually doesn’t. Keep the faith brother, the American people aren’t as stupid as we sometimes appear to be. I’m running a worst case scenario past Adam for his, and other readers consideration.
My personal opinion is this is the distraction at the front door while the partners in crime are looting the house out the back door.
leeleeFl
@Baud: i saw Carol Kane and Charles Durning so clearly there, it took my breath away! LOLd cause even if it’s true, that was some funny shit!
Elie
The only goal for this regime is to destroy our government using chaos and divisiveness. Aca repeal w no replacement, targeting any opposition while wholesale damaging our culture and remaining faith in each other. Bannon is one source as is Putin. Something needs to happen to those two. Too bad a Terminator cyborg does not exist. Folks waste time looking for order and a plan. Chaos and destroying the country Trump actually hates is the goal. Nothing else need make sense