PANDEMONIUM
Where to start, where to start – In the last 24 hours it’s come to light, despite the frantic efforts of the WH to spin the story differently, that Trump was outraged at Comey’s investigation of his ties to Russia. His impatience with Comey boiled over when, while testifying before the Congress Comey said that he was “mildly nauseous” to think that he had a hand in electing Trump. He then decided to fire Comey, and ordered the letter from Rosenstein to make a case against him. When the letter was finished, Jeff Sessions, who had supposedly recused himself from the Russia investigation, was called to the Oval Office where Trump told him he was using the letter as justification to fire Comey.
That evening and yesterday morning, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kellyanne Conway went on national television and lied on every network that Rosenstein had acted on his own when, in fact, he was ordered to write the letter. The evening of the firing, a clearly rattled Sean Spicer was cornered by the press apparently hiding from reporters behind the bushes on the north lawn of the WH. When discovered, he reluctantly gave an interview in the dark, insisting he didn’t want to be on camera.
THEN, the next day, Trump was played by the Russians when foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and ambassador Sergey Kislyak were invited to the Oval Office for a closed door meeting. The only photographs of the meeting were from an agent of Tass, the Russian state news agency who tweeted them out live. That’s correct, US press photographers were blocked from the meeting, while the Trump WH allowed a Russian propaganda agent into the Oval Office who live tweeted the meeting through the Tass website. No breach of security there, eh?
This morning, the aftershocks of this latest disaster are actually getting worse. The NY Times has published an open letter to Rosenstein urging him to appoint an independent counsel from outside the FBI and DOJ to run a fully independent investigation of the Trump-Russia connection, telling him that is his only choice. The talking heads on MoJo are exploding today.
We may be closer to the end that even the most optimistic among us can imagine. Reports of Trump sitting in the residence shouting at his television are common, and I can imagine that most WH staff are preparing resumes to get the hell out of there. The Republicans on the Hill will reluctantly begin to acknowledge that they’re being herded over the cliff as part of this slow motion catastrophe and begin to move against him.
I see no scenario where this presidency doesn’t end disastrously, and it can’t come soon enough.
A couple of points:
1] “His impatience with Comey boiled over when, while testifying before the Congress Comey said that he was “mildly nauseous” to think that he had a hand in electing Trump.”
Trust Tweety to get it wrong. This was not a statement about Donald J. Trump. It was a statement about our form of government. It is MORE than ‘mildly’ nauseating when someone in the government has a hand in electing a government official — no matter at what level. It puts the entire system at risk.
So OF COURSE he interpreted the statement as being about him. Because that’s who he is.
2] “I see no scenario where this presidency doesn’t end in disastrously, and it can’t come soon enough.”
Be careful what you wish for. Given what has happened so far, it’s not out of the question for this president to bomb Nebraska on his way out the door. Or in an attempt to nail that door shut.
1PS —
Oh, I forgot part B of [2] above:
Once Tweety is gone, that leaves us with President Pence. Or, if he should take a fall too, President Ryan.
The only thing more dangerous than an imbecilic villain is an intelligent one.
And either one of those two would have this Congress on his side.
And then there’s 3]
Given the charade last November, the only just solution would be to hold a special presidential election 6 months from now.
Yeah, like that’s gonna happen.
2I agree with this, up to a point: “I see no scenario where this presidency doesn’t end disastrously, and it can’t come soon enough.”
3It can’t just be Trump who is led out of the White House in handcuffs, but his ENTIRE swamp of lying Goons … in handcuffs and at the point of guns! Any escapees should be shot for desertion!
Donald Trump and his entire administration are guilty of treason to the United States of America and must pay for that treason and the cowardice with which it was brazenly committed by spend the remainder of their miserable lives in federal prison in solitary confinement. And add to the list Ryan and McConnell who have colluded to sweep this mess under the rug. This treason will not go away until the above happens. And republicans, you OWN THIS. Every one of you in Senate or House who stalls the investigation is GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY.
4Like your optimism, Jefe. Wish it was realistic. Resenstein will fold like a cheap suit, all but the impotent Congressional investigations will fizzle (“Benghaaaaaazi” equivalent, they’ll say), and we’ll be left to rely on some “lamestream” journalist to produce a “smoking gun” before any of it moves further. In any other time I’d say you were right, but this is the Age Of Republican, and until the GOP’s self-interest is served by turning on Drumpf, they aint gonna do shit.
Sorry, momma.
5I do not find the image of a Pence presidency in any way more comforting.
6I don’t think Pence golfs.
7This whole administration is a sordid mess. Can we fire them all, including their enablers in Congress, and start over?
8This whole administration’s arc since they sobered up on November 9th or 10th has been down. Unfortunately for some of the patron comments above, the apparatus you need and want is located within the FBI, the NSA, and the CIA, all Executive departments currently. Who can task those agencies to bring their expertise to bear on solving these problems? The POTUS. Who can obstruct or prevent that tasking? The POTUS. Congress, even it too were not riddled with money grubbing nacilbupeR opportunists, holds limited power in this domain. They have access to no satellites, they have no access to CIA’s Special Activities Division, they cannot instigate FBI investigations. In this present situation Congress is virtually powerless except to hold hearings and issue subpoenas ad nauseum. And of course at this point in the process, the Federal Judiciary is not in play.
IMHO,
9The snacilbupeR have played a long game since 2008. They have won each encounter. They have been several steps ahead of progressives the whole time. I don’t like losing even a little bit. It tastes like a warm cup of spit. Somehow progressives across the spectrum must unite because conservatives across their disgusting spectrum have united. While I think “moderate Republican” is an oxymoron, the term was used repeatedly during the effort to repeal ACA, in the context of Ryan building a conservative consensus withing the House. Progressives have to quit the in-fighting, unite, and defeat the new fascism a united conservative front represents.
Far more than just an unfortunate optic, the Russian meeting with Trump excluding the American press should send chills up our spines, and the terminally stupid Republicans still cling to his coattails. How far does Trump have to go to convince them that he is colluding with our enemies and obstructing the investigation? We have to demand his removal ASAP.
10This calamity of a presidency has to end now! God help us all.
Our Tweeting Yam fired Comey because he is several inches taller than the Donald. Has bigger hands too.
Every time they appeared on camera together he had to look up to Comey. When they shake hands (on camera) you can see Donald’s small hands being smothered my Comey’s masculine grip. Can’t have that. Nobody gets to be taller than Fearless Leader.
11Tass good, US media enemy. Does Donnie really need to say or demonstrate further where his loyalties lie? Pence and everyone who rode in with Donnie needs to be gone. That should also include the sybaritic members of Congress such as Lyin’ Ryan and Pasty patsy McTurdle who thought Donnie would be a useful tool to advance their agendas of destruction.
Hopefully Dolt45 and crew can be indicted before the end of this summer. Nor do we have to wait until 2018 to deal with Congress traitors under the various state provisions for recall elections. Petition now, petition often to remove these varmints.
12Pass the word – the R behind the GOPers’ names now stands for Russia.
13I’ve been pipe dreaming a lot lately (reality sucks these days). If Democrats can win back the House and Senate in the mid-terms then impeachment proceedings can commence against both Donnie and Mikey (Trump for obvious reasons and Pence because he’s lied at least twice so far; once about Flynn and once about the reason Comey was fired. Anybody that willing to lie may have his hand in the Russian cookie jar, too.). And once they are impeached the Democratic Speaker of the House gets the Oval Office.
All we have to do is make sure everybody gets out and votes and that everybody votes correctly. Yeah, it is a pipe dream but it comforts me.
14Yeah, well. There is no way anyone could force me to sign a so-called “loyalty oath” or even agree to one; so, I guess I would never make a good politician.
The only thing left to do here is to get the popcorn, kick back, and watch the show. We have absolutely no control over what this tinhat dictator may do next or what his “loyal staff” may try to do. My faint hope is that some of those who actually voted for him will begin to see the light.
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