We all know the story about Cheeto Jesus provoking the Chinese (just for the hell of it) by breaking 40 years of diplomatic status quo by speaking directly with the president of Taiwan.  Yesterday, on Fox News Sunday, he doubled down saying,

I fully understand the ‘one China’ policy, but I don’t know why we have to be bound by a ‘one China’ policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade.

China has said that the One China policy is “bedrock”.  Oh, and there’s this – China, for the first time in 18 months, flew one of their nuclear capable bombers over disputed waters in the South China Sea to warn CJ that they’re serious.

In the meantime, CJ says he doesn’t need a daily intelligence briefing.  God help us.

Insiders at Politico are reporting this morning that the Tillerson nomination is already in serious trouble mainly due to his ties with Vladimir Putin as we discussed this weekend.  Marco Rubio is apparently begging the Cheeto transition team for another body, and bipartisan resistance to the nomination is rising.  It seems that all this attention on CJ’s ties (and other members of the inner circle’s) ties to the Russian despot is finally starting to get traction.  McCain has even issued a statement questioning the wisdom of this nomination.

I know, I know, let’s not get our hopes up.

Okay, so Donald Trump is taking Daily Intelligence Briefings only once a week, which kinda makes the Daily part subject to whim.

The reason?

“You know, I’m, like, a smart person,” he said. “I don’t have to be told the same thing in the same words every single day for the next eight years.”

Wait.  He thinks the intelligence briefing is something that helps his general intelligence?  You know, like explaining Newton’s Laws or the water symbolism in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”?

What I think: He doesn’t understand a damn word they are saying.

But, he has a failsafe.

He added that he had instructed the officials who give the briefing: “‘If something should change from this point, immediately call me. I’m available on a one-minute’s notice.’”

That’s how long his attention span is – one minute.

Just so you know.

Paul Manafort, with close ties to pro-Russian Ukrainian strongman, Viktor Yanukovych.

Calls for Russia to hack Hillary’s emails, and complementary statements made about Vladimir Putin during the campaign.

Clear Russian hacking and selective disclosure of hacked emails to help sway the election by damaging Hillary.

Open celebrations in Russia after US election results were announced.

Antagonism against the CIA report of Russian hacking and dismissal of the findings without any basis except that he doesn’t like the answer.

“I’m a smart person,” and “don’t need” daily intelligence briefings.

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Posted without further comment.

Russia has a new friend, and no, it’s not Cheeto Jesus.  He’s been a friend for a really long time.  The new friend?  Mitch McConnell.  The Washington Post is reporting today that the Obama administration, after being briefed by the CIA that Russia was clearly trying to intervene in the presidential election, attempted to form a bipartisan coalition to go after their hackers.  Obama wanted a bipartisan effort to avoid looking like he was playing politics during the campaign.

In mid-September, intelligence officials briefed congressional leaders in a secure room in the Capitol.  The Democrats present unanimously supported a bipartisan effort to go public with an accusation against Russia for (more…)