IT'S ALL OKAY FOLKS!

For the third or fourth time, Trump says he feels "vindicated" by the Nunes memo. He keeps trying to end the Mueller investigation *("nothing to see here!"). Meanwhile, every indication is that Mueller is building a devastating, damning case, not only against Trump but against people around him, possibly including his kids -- about whom he expresses no concerns at all  

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/02/trump-says-memo-vindicated-him-on-russia-investigation.html
In what was pretty much an inevitability, President Trump tweeted on Saturday morning that the long-awaited Nunes memo, released on Friday, singlehandedly cleared his name in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian electoral interference. . . . [read on]

Before: http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-president-trump-said-he-felt-somewhat-1490217617-htmlstory.html

[March 22, 2017] Trump says he feels 'somewhat' vindicated by spying revelations from Rep. Devin Nunes 

https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/09/politics/donald-trump-james-comey-vindication/index.html
[June 9, 2017] Trump claims 'total and complete vindication' after Comey testimony

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/09/does-the-latest-manafort-news-vindicate-trumps-wiretap-claim/540321/
[September 19, 2017] Is Trump's 'Wiretap' Claim Vindicated?

The Dems of the House Judiciary Committee (not the Dems of the House Intelligence Committee, who have their own unreleased response) issue a six page rebuttal to the Nunes memo. It's actually not as strong as I would like to see -- but it ends with a powerful conclusion: "The Nunes memo shows that House Republicans are now part and parcel to an organized effort to obstruct the Special Counsel’s investigation"

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/TODAY/z_Creative/inline-headers/FINAL%20DRAFT%20--%20Dear%20Colleague%20on%20Nunes%20Memo.pdf 
"We should not lose sight of a critical and undisputed fact: the Foreign Intelligence  Surveillance Court found probable cause to believe that Carter Page — a member of the Trump campaign’s foreign policy team — was an agent of the Russian government . . .The  Department of Justice thought so. A federal judge agreed. That consensus, supported by the facts, forms the basis for the warrant issued by the FISA court. . ."  [read on]

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/03/trump-adviser-bragged-kremlin-ties-2013/
Former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page bragged that he was an adviser to the Kremlin in a letter obtained by Time that raises new questions about the extent of Page’s contacts with the Russian government. . . .

More: https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018/02/03/the-last-shred-of-credibility-for-the-nunes-memo-just-disappeared/
[T]he Nunes memo is paper-thin, highly selective garbage designed to muddy the waters of the Trump investigation. . . . It’s a pathetic exercise in bad faith. There was only one claim in the memo that a well-meaning person could look at and say “well, maybe they have something there.” That was the implication that FBI officials used the Steele Dossier for part of the justification for the FISA warrant without disclosing that it was paid for in part by Clinton’s campaign. Again, this is a stretch of a stretch of a stretch: the Steele Dossier wasn’t the primary evidence used for the warrant, and it was paid for both Republicans at the Free Beacon and the Democrats under the Clinton. Also, as offenses go it would be minor at best. Still, one might think maybe there’s something there in need of correction or accountability in some small way. But no. Not even that small fig leaf was accurate. The disclosure in question was fully made:

The court that approved surveillance of a former campaign adviser to President Trump was aware that some of the information underpinning the warrant request was paid for by a political entity, although the application did not specifically name the Democratic National Committee or the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

More: https://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2018/02/nobody-knew-hillary-clinton-was-running.html 

The Nunes memo lies in shreds on the ground, and there's not much more to say about it. But one thing is clear -- Devin Nunes is really bad at this sort of thing

https://crooksandliars.com/2018/02/devin-nunes-admits-he-never-read-intel-his
Devin Nunes Admits He Never Read The Intel For His Own Memo

More: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/02/the-nunes-memo-misses-the-point-probable-cause.html
The Nunes Memo Misses the Point

https://thinkprogress.org/nunes-memo-republicans-spin-271ef53a000e/
Two important pieces of information undermine Republican spin on the memo

https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2018/02/nyt-maybe-the-nunes-memo-was-a-right-wing-scam-all-along/
[T]his was a choreographed effort—an obviously choreographed effort—led by a guy with a hustler’s track record and starring a memo whose basics have been known for weeks. And yet, it worked. It got a ton of coverage in the Times and elsewhere. This kind of thing has always been part of politics, but there was a time when serious news outlets didn’t give a lot of coverage to allegations that were so obviously partisan and specious. Today, the power of conservative media is so strong that everyone feels obligated to cover even the dumbest stuff. After all, it’s “out there.” You can’t ignore it. . . . 

SNL's version

http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/372204-baldwin-returns-as-trump-in-snl-parody-of-fox-and-friends

Trump's attacks on the FBI are working . . . with Republicans

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/03/trump-turns-republicans-fbi/

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/03/conservatives-learned-hate-fbi/

Trump's trick: repost other people's praise of him -- see, HE'S not bragging, he's just keeping us informed about what others are saying

https://twitter.com/EricTrump/status/959542803796807682

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/959488369293254658

https://twitter.com/EricTrump/status/959591961421385728

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/959798726381457409

[NB: What a pathetically needy man this is.]

How Trump staffs the "well-oiled machine" of his White House

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/03/husband-trump-household-aide-scores-government-job/
“A home improvement contractor married to one of Donald and Melania Trump’s former household staffers is now working as an official at the Environmental Protection Agency . . . Trump, who appointed his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner to senior White House roles, has made a habit of appointing people with close ties to his family or businesses rather than experienced policymakers or political hands. His White House social media director, Dan Scavino, started working for him years ago as a caddy, and his first security director, Keith Schiller, traveled with him from the Trump Organization to the White House.”

This headline just makes me laugh and shake my head

https://www.salon.com/2018/02/03/what-will-it-take-for-republicans-to-quit-the-nra/
What will it take for Republicans to quit the NRA?

Here's the truth: the GOP, especially in certain parts of the country, is fundamentally beholden to voters with white nationalist views, the Russia-linked NRA, and Trumpian know-nothings. Most of them don't want to endorse those things, but they are scared to death to speak out against them. The party is dependent on those voting blocs. And they live in utter terror of turning the right-wing media against them. This explains the cowardice and confusion of their public statements -- except for those who are retiring and have nothing to lose

Meanwhile: https://crooksandliars.com/2018/02/tucker-carlson-just-wonders-if-democrats
Tucker Carlson ‘Just Wonders’ If Democrats Hate America 

[NB: Meanwhile, it's the Republicans who are ignoring, enabling, or rationalizing trends that are truly damaging the country.]

Sad!

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/03/trumps-party-now/  
“This was the week when the Republican Party finally went all in with President Trump. What once seemed unlikely is now reality. The Republican establishment — there are a few dissenting voices, of course — has succumbed to the power of the presidency, and this president in particular.”

More proof that the Republicans only care about deficits when Democrats are in charge

https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2018/02/in-shocker-deficit-explodes-yet-again-under-republican-rule/

Part of the Republican hegemony has been taking over state legislatures. Now the "blue wave" could jeopardize that too

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/03/republicans-brace-blowouts-state-legislatures/

Bonus item: Unintentional hilarity. Paul Ryan brags on a school secretary making an extra $1.50 a week thanks to Trump's Grand Tax Cut Deal -- enough, he says, to pay for her annual membership at Costco!

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/03/tweet-of-the-day-38/

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/3/16968502/paul-ryan-costco-tax-bill-tweet-twitter  
"$1.50 a week for 52 weeks equals $78 per year, times 125 million workers that equals $9.75 billion a year. Yet the tax cut costs $1.5 trillion — with a t — over ten years. Where’d the money go?"



Extra bonus item: Three first ladies compare their cheatin' husbands on SNL

https://www.thedailybeast.com/snls-hillary-clinton-and-jackie-o-advise-melania-trump-on-cheating-husbands

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sharing its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com) with others via email or social media. Thanks for helping to spread the word!

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

THE MEMO

Really? Is that it? This is even less than I expected. Let's say that the 3 1/2 page memo is entirely true: The entire Steele dossier is garbage (though it isn't). Steele himself was a fully paid agent of Hillary Clinton and the Dems (though he wasn't). And the FISA warrant to surveil Carter Page was an entirely bogus pretense to hound a totally innocent man (which is laughable). Give the memo all this -- and it still does nothing, nothing at all, to discredit the Mueller investigation, which is entirely independent of all that. In fact, the memo itself shows that the investigation started BEFORE any surveillance of Carter Page, for reasons that had nothing to do with the dossier

The full text, annotated: https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/02/01/what-is-in-the-nunes-memo-fbi-released-analysis/

https://www.vox.com/world/2018/2/2/16965086/nunes-memo-dud-release
The Nunes memo is a dud

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/first-take-the-nunes-memo-is-even-weaker-than-expected
The ‘Nunes Memo’ Is Even Weaker Than Expected

https://www.salon.com/2018/02/02/worse-than-a-nothingburger-the-nunes-memo-lands-with-a-dud/
“Worse than a nothing burger”

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/02/the-nunes-memo-is-a-complete-flop.html
The Nunes Memo Is a Complete Flop 

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/republican-memo-proves-be-worse-meaningless
Republican memo proves to be worse than meaningless

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/02/the-backwards-logic-of-the-nunes-memo.html
The Backwards Logic of the Nunes Memo

https://thinkprogress.org/the-most-important-part-of-the-gop-memo-is-all-the-things-it-does-not-say-02ba7accf7cc/
The most important part of the GOP memo is all the things it does not say

https://thinkprogress.org/debunking-nunes-memo-f7fb2573fd57/
This is a manufactured hysteria.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/2/16965082/republican-operative-hypocrisy-nunes-memo
Former Jeb Bush aide reacts to memo: “Hahahahaha.”

Remember: https://www.vox.com/2018/2/2/16965270/democrats-nunes-memo-effort-to-suppress-the-full-truth
The Democrats have their own memo

https://www.vox.com/2018/2/2/16965146/nunes-memo-dud-analysis
The memo is conspicuously vague in key places and tends to downplay or omit information that doesn’t fit its narrative

https://thinkprogress.org/3-lies-in-the-nunes-memo-4c6498aad473/
The 3 big lies in the Nunes memo

Here's all you need to know: the WH cover letter from Don McGahn ducks all responsibility

https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/02/01/what-is-in-the-nunes-memo-fbi-released-analysis/
"Based on this assessment and in light of the significant public interest in the memorandum, the President has authorized the declassification of the Memorandum. To be clear, the Memorandum reflects the judgments of its congressional authors."

More: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-white-house-goes-weirdly-silent-on-the-nunes-memo

Even now we don't know for sure if Trump ever read it before authorizing its release

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/02/did-donald-trump-read-the-memo-could-he-read-it.html

Is this sham enough to provide Trump an excuse to fire Rod Rosenstein?

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-memo-terrible
“I think it’s terrible. I think it’s a disgrace what’s going on in this country. I think it’s a disgrace,” [Trump] said Friday afternoon. “The memo was sent to Congress, it was declassified. Congress will do whatever they’re going to do, but I think it’s a disgrace what’s happening in our country.”  rump also claimed that “a lot of people should be ashamed of themselves and much worse than that.” “Let’s see what happens, but a lot of people should be ashamed.” When asked whether he has confidence in Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Trump dodged. “You’ll figure that one out,” he said.

More: https://www.salon.com/2018/02/02/the-memo-an-opening-for-trump-to-fire-rod-rosenstein/

Reactions

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/democrats-tell-trump-not-to-fire-rosenstein-mueller
Dems Warn Trump Against Using Memo To Fire Rosenstein, Mueller

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1738269
[Trey Gowdy!]  As I have said repeatedly, I also remain 100 percent confident in Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The contents of this memo do not - in any way - discredit his investigation. 

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mark-warner-nunes-memo
Warner: Nunes Memo ‘Demonstrates An Astonishing Disregard For The Truth’

https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/nunes-fbi-memo-release-reactions/
[John McCain] The latest attacks on the FBI and Department of Justice serve no American interests – no party’s, no president’s, only Putin’s.… If we continue to undermine our own rule of law, we are doing Putin’s job for him.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/comey-nunes-memo-release
[James Comey] That’s it? Dishonest and misleading memo wrecked the House intel committee, destroyed trust with Intelligence Community, damaged relationship with FISA court, and inexcusably exposed classified investigation of an American citizen. For what? DOJ & FBI must keep doing their jobs.

More from Comey: https://www.salon.com/2018/02/02/james-comey-just-went-after-the-republicans-over-the-nunes-memo/
"All should appreciate the FBI speaking up. I wish more of our leaders would. But take heart: American history shows that, in the long run, weasels and liars never hold the field, so long as good people stand up. Not a lot of schools or streets named for Joe McCarthy."

The view from Fox World

https://thinkprogress.org/hannity-memo-lies-08ffe7ddce66/
Hannity summarized the Nunes memo for his 4 million viewers. Every word is a lie.

It's worth pausing, again, to realize how shocking and unprecedented it is to see a president relentlessly attacking the Department of Justice and FBI -- headed by his own appointees

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-takes-attacks-fbi-justice-dept-alarming-new-level 

And here's why: Mueller might indict Trump

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/02/trump-russia-indictment-mueller-probe-384969

By the way, what IS this document? A report, an investigative finding? No, it's a MEMO

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/02/nunes-hints-memos/
Nunes Hints at More Memos 

In other news . . .

The Republican economy

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/2/2/1737938/-U-S-will-be-hitting-its-debt-ceiling-again-in-six-weeks-thanks-to-the-Republican-tax-cuts
U.S. will be hitting its debt ceiling (again) in six weeks, thanks to the Republican 'tax cuts'

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/02/03/the-u-s-government-is-set-to-borrow-nearly-1-trillion-this-year/
The U.S. government is set to borrow nearly $1 trillion this year, an 84 percent jump from last year 

The Dow lost 666 points yesterday. Waiting for the Trump tweet taking credit for it

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2018/02/market-dow-drop/552254/

Oh, jesus

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/very-very-bad

Indeed, White House National Security Council senior director for Asian affairs Matthew Pottinger was reported as saying in a recent closed-door meeting with US experts on Korean Peninsula issues that a limited strike on the North “might help in the midterm elections.” . . .

Why all the congressman are quitting

https://www.vox.com/2018/2/2/16879086/republican-retirements-congress-explained
Congress sucks

McConnell's plan to hold on to a GOP senate seat in Mississippi

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/02/mcconnell-had-scheme-to-fill-ailing-senators-seat-report.html

The Big Blue Wave is. . . . shrinking

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/02/where-did-the-wave-go/

Bye

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/02/kt-mcfarland-withdraws-ambassador-singapore-386091
K.T. McFarland, a former White House deputy national security adviser, withdrew herself from consideration to be the U.S. ambassador to Singapore . . . McFarland, previously an adviser to Trump’s transition team and a deputy to former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn . . .  

Trump says black unemployment is going down. Guess what?

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/2/16964458/trump-black-unemployment-january

Trump tries to explain why his re-tweeting racist messages doesn't mean endorsement

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-defends-his-role-in-spreading-fake-islamophobic-videos-i-didnt-do-it-i-did-a-retweet-6e204320bf4d/

Bonus item: Jimmy Kimmel on the memo

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/02/destroy-political-enemies/

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sharing its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com) with others via email or social media. Thanks for helping to spread the word!

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

THE SHOWMAN

Trump, who is pathologically obsessed with the biggest and most in things, repeats his inauguration lie that his SOTU audience was the biggest, ever. Of course that was not true

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/02/trump-is-lying-about-his-state-of-the-union-ratings.html

Could the FBI Director -- Trump's appointee -- quit if the Nunes memo is released?

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/01/white-house-worried-fbi-director-quit/

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/01/fbi-memo-trump-christopher-wray-384965

More: https://www.thedailybeast.com/fbi-director-christopher-wray-must-be-prepared-to-resign-over-nunes-memo-ex-agents-warn

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/01/wray-shown-willingness-resign/

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1737967
If Trump defies FBI guidance to keep the memo classified, Wray may not be the only one walking out the door. The FBI Agents Association released a statement thanking Wray for “standing shoulder to shoulder with the men and women of the FBI as we work together to protect our country from criminal and national security threats.” You can see that statement below, but if Wray resigns in protest, after Andrew McCabe was forced out and James Comey was fired, there could be a mass exodus of FBI agents.  . . .

The latest on the Nunes memo: apparently the WH will not release it, but send back a redacted version to the House committee. What will THEY do?

https://crooksandliars.com/2018/02/devin-nunes-memo-will-never-ever-see-light

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/1/16956290/nunes-memo-release-the-memo-fbi-russia

https://www.vox.com/2018/2/1/16955472/nunes-memo-release-diagram

Release the edits! https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/01/nunes-claims-minor-edits-made-memo/ 
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) claims the changes made to a controversial memo after his committee voted to release it were only “minor edits” and not “secret” and “material,” as Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) described . . . “Democrats, however, maintained that the changes were not insignificant . . .”

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/pelosi-calls-ryan-remove-nunes
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Thursday called on House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) to remove Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) as chair of the House Intelligence Committee over his decision to edit the committee’s controversial memo before sending it to the White House for review. . . 
 
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1737748
Nunes' extracurricular Russia activities could put him in Mueller's crosshairs

Trump says he hopes the memo will undermine the Mueller investigation

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-gop-memo-russia-6943c4a0885f/

Is Mueller prepared? https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/01/happens-mueller-gets-fired/

Trump's version of the memo: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/959389424806191104
"The top Leadership and Investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans - something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago. Rank & File are great people!"

A closed loop

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/01/hannity-advising-trump-nunes-memo/
Hannity Advising Trump on Nunes Memo 

More: https://www.thedailybeast.com/sean-hannity-has-been-advising-donald-trump-on-the-nunes-memo-because-of-course-he-has

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/02/trump-set-to-releasethememo-because-tv-told-him-to-reports.html
Trump Decided to Release the Memo Because People on TV Told Him To: Reports
 
Here's an intriguing story. The endless speculation about the memo, Nunes' super-ultra-secret handling of it, and the bloviating of Fox World have built up mountainous expectations of what it will say. Now people who have seen it are worried that like other Nunes shams before, this one may turn out to be a lot of not very much

https://www.axios.com/rising-white-house-fear-nunes-memo-is-a-dud-1517518110-483bac89-a164-4aa9-8841-97f6d3329005.html

Hmmmm. . . .

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/gates-attorneys-quit
Rick Gates’ Lawyers Want To Quit, But Their Reasons Are Under Seal

More: https://www.salon.com/2018/02/02/three-lawyers-drop-rick-gates-after-he-adds-lawyer-known-for-plea-deals/  
Rick Gates dropped by legal team after he adds lawyer known for plea deals

Just add it to the list

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/pompeo-defends-meeting-russian-intel-officials
CIA Chief Pompeo Defends Decision To Meet With Russian Intel Officials In US

Yes, let's

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/01/lets-play-alternate-universe/
Let’s Play Alternate Universe . . . “It’s 2017, and President Hillary Clinton is facing charges that Chelsea met with Russians who offered oppo on Trump. Chelsea didn’t call the FBI; and Clinton nat sec adviser Jake Sullivan lied to the FBI about talking to the Russians.”      President Clinton fires the F.B.I. director after he declines her request to “let it go” on Sullivan. “Then, at least three other Clinton campaign officials end up indicted. All of them are tied in some way to a hostile foreign power.” Later, she threatens to “yank FOX’s license” because she didn’t like its critical coverage . . .”

In other news . . . 

VP Pence is heading up the GOP midterm strategy. First up: attack moderate Dems (like Joe Manchin of West Virginia) who have been supportive of some of their initiatives

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/01/mike-pence-republicans-congress-midterms-381261

https://www.salon.com/2018/02/01/mike-pence-burns-joe-manchins-friendship-for-the-sake-of-politics/

More: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/manchin-pence-why-washington-sucks
Manchin: Pence’s Attacks Are ‘Exactly Why Washington Sucks’

By the way

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/01/rnc-holds-huge-financial-edge-heading-midterms/
RNC Holds Huge Financial Edge Heading Into Midterms

Of course it is

https://thinkprogress.org/signature-line-sotu-white-nationalist-e9975ca3ce92/
Signature line from Trump’s speech is already a white nationalist rallying cry 

It's just no fun anymore

https://www.vox.com/polyarchy/2018/2/1/16958988/congress-members-retiring-why
Why so many members of Congress are retiring

More and more of what's left of the GOP is signing on to Team Trump

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/01/trump-finally-won-republican-lawmakers/

The Repubs have given up on repealing Obamacare . . . at least for now

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/01/obamacare-repeal-republican-status-381470
 
Another senior departure from the Trump admin

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/diplomat-tom-shannon-announces-retiremen

More: https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/02/top-jobs-state-department-vacant/
Most Top Jobs at State Department Are Vacant  

Trump's hopeless Middle East peace plan

https://www.salon.com/2018/02/01/trump-prepared-to-move-on-middle-east-peace-plan-without-palestinians-report/
 
The Trump cabinet is full of climate deniers

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-cabinet-climate-deniers-2ff87aba57ec/

Trump's highly anticipated infrastructure plan is a joke

https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2018/02/the-great-infrastructure-scam-of-2018/

Killing CFPB was always the plan

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/01/trump-strips-consumer-watchdog-enforcement-powers/

The Cesspool

https://www.salon.com/2018/02/01/trump-donors-basically-paid-his-companies-and-his-lawyers/
Trump donors basically paid his companies — and his lawyers

Immigrants! Criminals! Gruesome murders! Why Trump likes to talk about MS-13

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018/02/01/what-trump-doesnt-want-you-to-know-about-ms-13/

Jesus

https://www.salon.com/2018/02/01/trump-official-considered-using-abortion-reversal-treatment-on-pregnant-undocumented-teen_partner/
Trump official considered using “abortion reversal” treatment on pregnant undocumented teen 

"Unthinkable" is a term I apply to the Trump admin all the time. But not in this context

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-jobs-numbers-fact-check-595dc70d9770/ 

Of course he did

https://politicalwire.com/2018/02/02/trump-boasted-physical-exam-lawmakers/
Trump Boasted About His Physical Exam to Lawmakers  

Ha ha ha ha ha

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/02/trump-says-orrin-hatch-told-him-he-was-the-best-president-in-history-but-the-senator-denies-it.html
Trump: Orrin Hatch Said I Am Best President in History. Orrin Hatch: Um, Not Quite.

Trump's frenzied hatred of the press

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/01/trump-rnc-winter-meeting-384967

Bonus item: Sam Bee's State of the Union

https://www.salon.com/2018/02/01/watch-samantha-bee-deliver-the-actual-state-of-the-union-speech/

Seth on "the memo" https://www.thedailybeast.com/seth-meyers-tears-apart-elaborate-fantasy-of-gop-memo

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TWO TRACK APPROACH

Trump's strategy for dealing with Mueller is evolving. Firing him, he seems to realize now, would backfire. Better to attack and discredit him, and perhaps get a new supervisor in place of Rosenstein who might constrain him. At the same time, publicly promise full cooperation, while behind the scenes doing everything possible to undermine and impede the investigation.

There's a related point. I hear more and more people, even Trump critics, taking up the line the Trump is fighting against the investigation because he thinks it is a fraud. Fake news. That's what Trump SAYS, but it is actually part of his likely defense against an obstruction charge: I can't have had criminal intent because I was fighting what I thought was an empty political vendetta. 

Do not give him this excuse! He KNEW that Russia played a role, he KNEW what the Trump Tower meeting was about, he helped fabricate lies because he KNEW his associates and his own kids were in legal jeopardy, he KNEW the investigation was opening up dangerous territory for him, and he has repeatedly tried to stop it. That IS obstruction of justice

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018/01/31/trumps-latest-strategy-for-dealing-with-the-mueller-investigation/ 

Trump asked Rod Rosenstein "where the Russia investigation is heading" -- and asked for his personal loyalty, too

 
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/1/31/16956972/rod-rosenstein-trump-team-russia
Trump reportedly asked Mueller’s boss for personal loyalty

[NB: Wrong answer. And now he wants to fire him. See a pattern?]

He keeps doing it: https://thinkprogress.org/trump-rod-rosenstein-on-my-team-loyalty-d3d0fa917e16/ 

Another obstruction issue

https://www.salon.com/2018/01/31/mueller-wants-to-know-if-trump-pressured-jeff-sessions-for-recusing-himself/

Mueller wants to know if Trump pressured Jeff Sessions for recusing himself

More: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/31/1737499/-Mueller-asks-to-talk-to-Trump-s-legal-team-wants-to-see-documents-on-Sessions-attempt-to-resign 

Trump's own DOJ says it would be "reckless" to release the Nunes memo. His own choice as head of the FBI says it is misleading and paints a false narrative. But it looks as if he is going to release it anyway

https://politicalwire.com/2018/01/31/fbi-director-says-secret-memo-not-accurate/

The FBI releases a statement: https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/31/politics/nunes-memo-law-enforcement/index.html
"As expressed during our initial review, we have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo's accuracy."

[NB: These are HIS GUYS begging him not to release it. So much for "loyalty."]

Despite all this, Chief of Staff Kelly says Trump wants "everything" to come out -- so does that mean also releasing the Democratic rebuttal that refutes the lies and distortions in the memo?

https://www.salon.com/2018/01/31/devin-nunes-memo-is-most-certainly-going-to-be-released-soon/

The possibility that Devin Nunes collaborated with the White House in preparing the memo stinks to high heaven -- but it fits his previous m.o.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1737560

Remember? https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/27/us/politics/devin-nunes-house-intelligence-committee-white-house-wiretap.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=4775EF75C90BBF606F8F1C418F4B914E&gwt=pay
Top House Democrats on Monday called on the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee to recuse himself from the panel's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election . . . The demands followed revelations that the committee's chairman, Representative Devin Nunes of California, had met on White House grounds with a source who showed him secret American intelligence reports. The reports, Mr. Nunes said last week, showed that Mr. Trump or his closest associates may have been "incidentally" swept up in foreign surveillance by American spy agencies.The new revelation that the information actually came from a meeting held on the grounds of the White House intensified questions about what prompted Mr. Nunes to make the claim about the intelligence gathering, and who gave him the information. . . .

Nunes -- who HAS NOT SEEN the underlying intelligence that informs the "Nunes memo" -- issues a statement that could have been written by the WH press office. Maybe was

http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/371683-nunes-fires-back-at-fbi-for-spurious-objections-to-memo-release
“Having stonewalled Congress’ demands for information for nearly a year, it’s no surprise to see the FBI and DOJ issue spurious objections to allowing the American people to see information related to surveillance abuses at these agencies”

More: https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2018/01/the-nunes-memo-will-soon-be-a-harvard-business-school-case-study/
 
House Intel Committee releases the transcript of their debate over whether to release the Nunes memo . . . but not the Dem response

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/house-intelligence-committee-transcript-nunes-coordinate-white-house-memo

And now this: https://crooksandliars.com/2018/01/breaking-nunes-altered-memo-after-intel
Nunes Admits To Doctoring 'The Memo' After Intel Committee Approved Transmittal To The White House

Remember that Hillary-loving FBI agent that Trump and his cronies have been screaming about for weeks? Turns out, not so Hillary-loving

https://thinkprogress.org/republicans-conspiracy-theory-fbi-a67ff374c1a1/
For weeks, Republicans have been obsessed with FBI agent Peter Strzok, suggesting that he was part of a cabal inside the agency who sought to rig the 2016 presidential election for Hillary Clinton. To support this theory, the GOP has seized upon texts between Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page that were sometimes critical of Trump. (Strzok and Page were having an affair.)  Last week, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) suggested that Strzok and Page formed a “secret society” to undermine the Trump campaign . . . In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump accused Strzok of “treason.” If you watch Fox News, the supposed anti-Trump bias of Strzok is discussed daily, if not hourly. But on Wednesday, CNN reported that Strzok supported reopening the Hillary Clinton email investigation days before the election — and wrote the first draft of the letter from former FBI Director James Comey that made the decision public. . . .

Tea leaves: Mueller delays Michael Flynn's sentencing (read the comments)

https://politicalwire.com/2018/01/31/special-counsel-seeks-delay-flynn-sentencing/ 

More tea leaves

https://politicalwire.com/2018/01/31/mueller-focuses-trump-role-drafting-statement/
“Aboard Air Force One on a flight home from Europe last July, President Trump and his advisers raced to cobble together a news release about a mysterious meeting at Trump Tower the previous summer between Russians and top Trump campaign officials. Rather than acknowledge the meeting’s intended purpose — to obtain political dirt about Hillary Clinton from the Russian government — the statement instead described the meeting as being about an obscure Russian adoption policy.” “The statement… has become a focus of the inquiry by Robert Mueller… Prosecutors working for Mr. Mueller in recent months have questioned numerous White House officials about how the release came together — and about how directly Mr. Trump oversaw the process.” “What is already clear is that, as Mr. Trump’s aides and family members tried over 48 hours to manage one of most consequential crises of the young administration, the situation quickly degenerated into something of a circular firing squad. They protected their own interests, shifted blame and potentially left themselves — and the president — legally vulnerable.”

More: https://www.vox.com/2018/1/31/16958128/mark-corallo-donald-trump-robert-mueller-investigation
Mueller’s latest witness will reportedly give new details about Trump’s role in writing Don Jr.’s false Russia statement. Former Trump legal spokesman allegedly had concerns about possible obstruction of justice. . . .

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/02/yet-another-trump-staffer-appears-ready-to-sing-for-mueller.html
In Mr. Corallo’s account — which he provided contemporaneously to three colleagues who later gave it to The Times — he told both Mr. Trump and Ms. Hicks that the statement drafted aboard Air Force One would backfire because documents would eventually surface showing that the meeting had been set up for the Trump campaign to get political dirt about Mrs. Clinton from the Russians.  According to his account, Ms. Hicks responded that the emails “will never get out” because only a few people had access to them. Mr. Corallo, who worked as a Justice Department spokesman during the George W. Bush administration, told colleagues he was alarmed not only by what Ms. Hicks had said — either she was being naïve or was suggesting that the emails could be withheld from investigators — but also that she had said it in front of the president . . .

[NB: "The emails will never get out." Stop laughing!] 

Trump is angry that the tax appraiser lists his golf club at $20 million, says it is only worth $15 million -- but he lists it as $50 million in his own financial disclosure forms

https://politicalwire.com/2018/01/31/trump-sues-golf-course-valuation/ 

What we missed at the SOTU

https://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2018/01/what-transcripts-wont-show-by.html
When President Trump was not applauding his own lines during his State of the Union speech, or suggesting that immigrants, even the children, are murderous criminals, he was taunting Democrats, gesturing like a conductor for them to stand and applaud him. That won't show up in the transcripts. . . . [read on]

More: https://thinkprogress.org/sotu-immigration-fact-check-faaa145e721a/
All the lies on immigration Trump made in the State of the Union

In other news . . .

Trump's choice for South Korean ambassador comes out against attacking North Korea. So . . . he's gone

https://www.vox.com/world/2018/1/31/16954880/trump-north-korea-south-korea-ambassador-victor-cha

Here's the first major resignation of year two of the Trump debacle

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/cdc-director-resigns-financial-conflicts

More trouble for the Kushner family business

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/judge-rules-kushner-company-reveal-identities-real-estate-partners

Dr. Magoo also invoilves family members with conflicts of interest in his work. Well, his boss got away with it, didn't he?

https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2018/01/ben-carson-keeps-it-all-in-the-family/

The ultimate Trump defender

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/01/wsj-columnist-trump-can-do-anything-and-ill-support-it.html

The DOJ Inspector General report may have some more bad news for Andrew McCabe, who just resigned

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/mccabe-delay-clinton-emails-consistent-justice-department-policy-affecting-election
 
Wow. Trey Gowdy is yet another senior GOPer and committee chair stepping down from Congress

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/01/trey-gowdy-former-benghazi-committee-chair-retires.html

Look at the list: https://thinkprogress.org/gowdy-not-seeking-reelection-ca4545923da3

[NB: There's only one way to view this massive exodus -- they're sick of being part of a dysfunctional and divided party. Increasingly, Trump's party. Some of these are safe GOP seats -- but a lot of them will be contested by the Dems.]

Court strikes down Pennsylvania's hyperpartisan gerrymandering: now state GOPers want to defy the court

https://thinkprogress.org/pennsylvania-gop-leader-tells-state-supreme-court-he-will-defy-its-anti-gerrymandering-order-afc0b3cd8eb0/
 
Trump's retrograde energy strategy: more coal, less renewables

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-is-making-coal-dirty-not-clean-fa72338952e9/

https://politicalwire.com/2018/01/31/trump-will-seek-massive-cuts-clean-energy/

Obviously I'm not a Hillary hater -- but her political instincts are for crap

https://www.vox.com/2018/1/30/16953480/hillary-clinton-sexual-harassment-burns-strider
Hillary Clinton explains why she didn’t fire a staffer accused of sexual harassment

More: https://www.thedailybeast.com/hillary-clinton-just-cant-say-sorry
Hillary Clinton Just Can’t Say Sorry

Feds drop case against Dem Senator Robert Menendez

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/01/feds-drop-corruption-case-against-senator-menendez.html

Bonus item: Well, here's ONE person who believes Trump had an affair with Stormy Daniels

https://www.thedailybeast.com/nyt-melania-trump-furious-after-stormy-daniels-bombshell
NYT: Melania Trump ‘Furious’

More: https://www.vox.com/2018/1/31/16956034/melania-trump-stormy-daniels-state-of-the-union

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sharing its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com) with others via email or social media. Thanks for helping to spread the word!

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***