US Politics Thread 2016-2020

[u crank]

Originally Posted by vienna

But the facts remain: an op-ed piece is an opinion piece and not necessarily absolute fact; additionally, as stated before, McCarthy is operating on information he or any of us can glean from what is being reported: the actual facts may very well be significantly different than what he purports in his opinion piece.

Yes that is true but it is basically true for all news reporting whether it is straight news or opinion. We have seen some real factual errors by major news networks that had to be corrected.

Funny thing about those McCabe quotes flying around: there is no actual documentation he actually made those exact statement(s) nor the context in which they were made.

That's true but I think the point that the editorial from Investor's Business Daily was making was that Schiff was not defending that position in his memo.

I have high confidence Mueller, given his reputation as a determined and tenacious investigator and prosecutor would not turn a blind eye...

The proof of his reputation will be seen when this is all over, but I will give him credit now for a leak proof (so far) investigation. That's an anomaly these days.

I don't really understand why you would think I would shy away from answering your question. Are you engaging in your own brand of 'innuedo defense'?

Wow you're paranoid.

No I said that because some people do not want to divulge any information about themselves while on the internet. And I respect that choice.

So, I'm guessing you are now going to try to make some sort of connection between the happenstance Schiff represents my district and my views on the Trump/Russia scandals.

So, go ahead. Take your shot at trying to make an ominous connection. If nothing else, it could be highly amusing...

Actually I'm quite proud of myself for figuring it out.

If you have any compromising info on him please start a dossier and then contact your local branch of the FBI.

[vienna]

Originally Posted by u crank

Wow you're paranoid.

No I said that because some people do not want to divulge any information about themselves while on the internet. And I respect that choice.

Not paranoid at all. Its happened before on these threads where, as a defense of their own position, someone will try to impugn another person's point of view by trying to connect some irrelevant factor (person's nationality, political party, state, branch of service, favorite team, etc.) as sort of "You must be wrong (or biased) because you're a..."; much of the time, its pretty sad...

I don't really mind divulging things like that because it is so broad; but, remember, one important thing about info on the net: sometimes it isn't true; for all you know, I might be in the house next door to you...

Originally Posted by u crank

Actually I'm quite proud of myself for figuring it out.

Well, given I have mentioned before that I live in Hollywood, a look at a district map could have told anyone who is our Congressman...

Originally Posted by u crank

If you have any compromising info on him please start a dossier and then contact your local branch of the FBI.

Actually, Schiff's been pretty good for this district and, until the whole Trump/Russia mess, has been relatively low profile for us here. He was redistricted from the 29th District several years ago, so we sort of inherited him, but his background and experience looked acceptable and his actions in office have been pretty good for his district, so I didn't mind voting for him when he up for reelection (not that we had much choice with the type of opponents he faced)...

So far as I know, Schiff hasn't had any affairs with porn stars, lied to a SC, or tried to obstruct justice, so you're gonna have to wait on that dossier...

There is an interesting part of Schiff's background:

Schiff was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, the son of Edward and Sherrill Ann (Glovsky) Schiff.
...

He received a political science degree from Stanford University and a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.

After receiving his law degree from Harvard, Schiff began working as a prosecutor in the Los Angeles branch of the U.S. Attorney's Office. While an assistant U.S. Attorney, he gained attention by prosecuting a case against Richard Miller, a former FBI agent convicted of "passing secret documents to the Soviet Union in exchange for a promised $65,000 in gold and cash." The first time Miller was tried, it resulted in a hung jury; the second time, it resulted in a conviction overturned on appeal, and the third time he was convicted.

...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Schiff


So, Schiff has a bit of experience in matters dealing with US government officials hobnobbing with Russia, and he got a conviction in that case. His past experience with prosecuting espionage (and treason) gives him a bit of a unique perspective in the current situation(s)...












<O>

[Rockstar]

Lest we forget

https://object.cato.org/sites/cato.o.../pdf/pa395.pdf

Because numerous crimes at Waco have gone unpunished, the people serving in our federal police agencies may well come to the conclusion that it is permissible to recklessly endanger the lives of innocent people, lie to newspapers, obstruct congressional subpoenas, and give misleading testimony in our courtrooms. If such activity becomes more common than it is today, those agencies will surely become lawless and unaccountable. The only way to counter that danger is for the American people to distrust government officials, limit their powers, and demand accountability.


In 1997 FBI director Louis Freeh told Congress, “We are potentially the most dangerous agency in the country if we are not scrutinized carefully.” The carnage at Waco is grisly testament to that.

[Mr Quatro]

Don't blame Waco Rockstar or the people of Waco. I grew up in Waco in blackland and it is full of lovely nice Texas people.

If it's the FBI or the US government you are angered at ... suppress your anger for they are no longer in charge (21) years
later of anything remotely connected to the subject you are bringing up.

Now Waco has new problems with biker gangs having warfare right in a local restaurant parking lot.

God bless America

[em2nought]

Originally Posted by Mr Quatro

Now Waco has new problems with biker gangs having warfare right in a local restaurant parking lot.

I'm still not sure the authorities aren't mostly responsible for that little fiasco either.

[vienna]

Gator alert!:


Kushner’s Family Business Received Loans After White House Meetings --

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/b...oans.html?dlbk


As coild be expected with all things Kushner, he also apparently "forgot" to mention those dealings on his background check documentation, as he has with so many of his other memory 'lapses'...

Seems like Young Jared is gonna have some 'splainig to do in addition to his already worrisome history of dubious financial dealings:


Regulator Seeks Kushner Loan Details From Deutsche Bank, Two Others --

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...thers-je7dvy2p












<O>

[Hawk66]

It is a pity that Trump now moves on to his next agenda, destroying trade relations with close partners. There seem enough, reasonable people (like in the Pentagon) opposing that step but it seems the executive is now more or less a one man show, making great 'deals'.

I can understand a bit the frustration concerning cheap steal from China but in the EU and Canada there is no dumping, nor are the environmental regulations lower than in the US. Germany for instance, has even a disadvantage due to higher energy prices in general. Where are the Republicans , having claimed free and fair markets in the past ?

A couple of weeks ago he claimed the rising stock markets would be due to his actions. If he continues this way until the end of his presidency, will he then also take over the responsibilities of the crashed stock market ? We all know the answer...

It is really not easy being an Atlanticist these days...


The last sentence of https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/...83644756660224 is the joke of the month, for sure; the other tweet that trade wars 'would be good' speaks also for itself

[Skybird]

Almost always when the Donald lambasts about "unfair!" (TM) trade, what he really means is a branch of American industry that is not modern and has been delayed with modernizations since - in some cases - decades, and thus is uncompetitive. The "unfair!" (TM) business practices in fact are own weakness made in the USA.

The Donald knows nothing about economy, I think. He mistakes "competently managing" with "daringly gambling." His own businessman career is that of a hazardeur, and gambler - who got away with it. Competence I think has much less to do with it - being a convincing imposter capable of blinding people has a lot do to with it. The hundreds of law acts against him, over 500 I seem to recall, are a clear indication who pays the price for his stageacting. Never himself (that would be "unfair!" (TM) ), always the others.

The other economic actors in the world, including the EU, will not sit still, but will retaliate in full and equivalent proportions. The EU may be a military dwarf, but economically it is a giant, so is China. Stupid wars are wars that are not needed, but are only wanted.

Dont expect others to become voluntarily weaker, Donald. Show how America could become stronger by its own means.

I exclude specifically means and tactics used in international trade that are not so much just unfair, but simply criminal and a violation of international treaties. Product piracy for example.

This latest showact in the Donaldinarium's stage program will backfire for America. It will damage others as well, yes. But it will damage America as well, proportionally, or even bigger.

[August]

Another Democrat nut job threatening violence against the president.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/02...-facebook.html

[Dowly]

^ He sent the letter to his son, not Trump.

[August]

Originally Posted by Dowly

^ He sent the letter to his son, not Trump.

Ok so threatening the Presidents family. You feel better now?

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by August

Ok so threatening the Presidents family. You feel better now?

Much better, thank you for asking.

[Mr Quatro]

Originally Posted by em2nought

I'm still not sure the authorities aren't mostly responsible for that little fiasco either.

All I am saying is that this is not the same country as it was during the Vietnam years nor the 90's ... it's not the same government. Those people have retired and in due time they will join up with the mistakes they have made and talk about it on the other side.

They didn't pass on their mistakes to this generation (21) years later. Support our government. Consider ourselves lucky to be able to complain and get away with it without someone knocking on our doors.

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Mr Quatro

They didn't pass on their mistakes to this generation (21) years later. Support our government. Consider ourselves lucky to be able to complain and get away with it without someone knocking on our doors.

Indeed and IIRC, there were changes made at both the FBI and the ATF as direct result from the Waco incident as well as the Ruby Ridge incident to prevent these kinds of incidents from happening in the future.

[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Dowly

Indeed and IIRC, there were changes made at both the FBI and the ATF as direct result from the Waco incident as well as the Ruby Ridge incident to prevent these kinds of incidents from happening in the future.

True, Im sure procedural changes were made. But the point of bringing attention to the Waco incident was to show nobody was ever held accountable. Which is why its said in the same article by not doing so has the potential to encourage others in places of authority and power to lawlessness.

Therefore we shouldnt be too trusting in lawenforcement/government/party to always do the right thing. Rather we ought carefully scrutinize their actions.


So warned by the director of the FBI 4 years afterwards when said of the very organization he was placed in charge of: “We are potentially the most dangerous agency in the country if we are not scrutinized carefully.”