https://www.salon.com/2018/07/27/republican-resistance-to-trump-growing-from-helsinki-to-the-heartland-will-it-make-any-difference/
Why Trump's decision to avoid transcripts of his private meetings with foreign leaders is so alarming
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018/07/27/trump-doesnt-want-us-to-know-about-his-conversations-with-foreign-leaders/
A truly remarkable 24-hour period, chronicled by Adele Stan
https://twitter.com/addiestan/status/1022338970980626432
Trump is really, really serious about appearing to take election security seriously
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/25/trump-national-security-council-meeting-740424
Trump to chair National Security Council meeting on election security
But: https://www.salon.com/2018/07/27/trumps-ex-cybersecurity-adviser-warns-no-one-is-continuing-his-job-in-white-house_partner/
Trump’s ex-cybersecurity adviser warns no one is “minding the store” at the White House
https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/27/trump-has-no-strategy-for-election-security/
Trump Has No Strategy for Election Security
https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/28/trump-gives-no-new-orders-to-repel-russian-threat/
“President Trump chaired a meeting Friday of his most senior national security advisers to discuss the administration’s effort to safeguard November’s elections from Russian interference, the first such meeting he’s led on the matter, but issued no new directives to counter or deter the threat,” the Washington Post reports.
Here, boy, fetch!
https://www.vox.com/2018/7/27/17622098/trump-putin-washington-moscow-invite
Putin invites Trump to Moscow in a blatant power play
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1783954
Putin invites Trump to Moscow after turning down trip to DC—and Trump says he's going
NO ONE wants him to go: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1783969
In other Russia news . . .
Trump says, NO, he did NOT know about the Trump Tower meeting beforehand. And just to be sure you believe him, it's in CAPS
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/27/trump-russia-lawyer-meeting-745130
When Donald Trump calls somebody else a liar, well, that's good enough for me
Trump says, NO, he did NOT know about the Trump Tower meeting beforehand. And just to be sure you believe him, it's in CAPS
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/27/trump-russia-lawyer-meeting-745130
When Donald Trump calls somebody else a liar, well, that's good enough for me
https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/27/trump-says-cohen-is-a-liar/
President Trump unleashed several tweets accusing his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, of lying “in order to get himself out of an unrelated jam” and denying that he had any knowledge of the 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer. . . .”
[NB: Let's be clear: we know one person who lied about the Trump Tower meeting for certain -- Trump himself, when he dictated the false account of what happened there. So why should we believe him now?]
Thanks to Mark Sumner, a time line of all the Trump Tower lies
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1784013
A reminder: there is a strong suspicion that Putin helped Trump come up with that false Trump Tower narrative
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018/06/04/the-evidence-that-trump-and-putin-concocted-a-cover-story-for-the-trump-tower-meeting/
Two others say that Trump did know about the meeting
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/cohen-reportedly-willing-say-trump-knew-about-infamous-russia-meeting
As Jon Chait reminds us, former Trump aide Sam Nunberg also said Trump knew about the infamous meeting, and Steve Bannon, the campaign’s former chief strategist, later said something similar. . .
Rudy Giuliani is full of it -- but you knew that already
https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/27/rudy-giuliani-then-and-now/
“The man is an honest, honorable lawyer.”
— Rudy Giuliani, talking about Michael Cohen on ABC News on May 6, 2018.
“He has lied all his life… a person who is found to be an incredible liar.”
— Giuliani, about Cohen on CNN last night.
More flip-flops: https://thinkprogress.org/trump-giuliani-flip-flop-michael-cohen-loyal-good-person-pathological-liar-e23d67abbb1f/
If Cohen is telling the truth . . .
Donald Jr committed perjury before Congress: https://thinkprogress.org/cohen-trump-tower-donald-trump-jr-bad-news-3b997fef6645/
Donald Sr is on the hook for conspiracy: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/michael-cohen-russia-meeting-donald-trump-could-be-on-the-hook-for-conspiracy.html
Two data points. Soon after (presumably) hearing that his people would be meeting with the Russians to get dirt on Hillary Clinton, Trump said this: “I am going to give a major speech on — probably Monday of next week — and we’re going to be discussing all of the things that have taken place with the Clintons . . . I think you’re going to find it very informative, and very, very interesting.” Now, why would Trump say that? What was he referring to? And why didn't he give that "major speech"?
Second, imagine this. You are Donald Junior and you receive a contact saying, Russia wants your dad to win, and we are offering dirt on your opponent to help you. In what universe do you not contact your father, the candidate, immediately and tell him? Whether you are telling him to warn him, or to curry favor as the loyal son, or to brag and gloat together, he has to know . . . right?
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-june-9-2016-speech-cohen-clintons-russia-suspicious-3e022919a1c6/
More: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/07/trump-michael-cohen-trump-tower-meeting/566303/
By the way, we haven't learned yet what the dirt was against Clinton that Veselnitskaya was offering at that meeting. Kevin Drum gives a pretty good guess
https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2018/07/about-that-hillary-clinton-dirt/
The recorded conversation between Trump and Michael Cohen has been picked over line by line (did he say "use cash" or "don't use cash"?) -- but you have to stand back and listen to it to get the real impact. In tone and substance it's a mob boss talking to his consigliere about creating a fake shell company to funnel hush money to cover up an illicit affair. As with so many other things, our standards have become so debased, our expectations of this man so sordid, that we can't stop and say, Wait! This is not normal! This is totally beyond the pale!
https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/27/the-michael-cohen-tape-shows-the-real-trump/
More: https://www.thedailybeast.com/free-advice-for-michael-cohen-from-ex-federal-prosecutors-shut-up
Free Advice for Michael Cohen From Ex-Federal Prosecutors: Shut Up
Everyone has been assuming that a president can't be charged with a crime while in office. It seems that Mueller and the DOJ have accepted that theory. But it's never been settled law -- here's an argument on the other side
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/how-robert-mueller-might-be-able-to-prosecute-donald-trump-in-office.html
http://time.com/5123598/president-trump-impeach-criminal-constitution/
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/05/presidential-indictment/560957/
I don't quite get Paul Manafort's game. His cases look like sure convictions, and he has lost almost every major court decision so far. The evidence is damning. Does he plan to go through the whole trial and then hope for a pardon?
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/27/manafort-lobbying-documents-ukraine-evidence-745127
The witness list is out: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/mueller-witness-list-manafort-virginia
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/27/manafort-trial-witnesses-mueller-russia-probe-747459
Also of note are the names that did not make the government’s witness list. . . .
President Trump unleashed several tweets accusing his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, of lying “in order to get himself out of an unrelated jam” and denying that he had any knowledge of the 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer. . . .”
[NB: Let's be clear: we know one person who lied about the Trump Tower meeting for certain -- Trump himself, when he dictated the false account of what happened there. So why should we believe him now?]
Thanks to Mark Sumner, a time line of all the Trump Tower lies
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1784013
A reminder: there is a strong suspicion that Putin helped Trump come up with that false Trump Tower narrative
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018/06/04/the-evidence-that-trump-and-putin-concocted-a-cover-story-for-the-trump-tower-meeting/
Two others say that Trump did know about the meeting
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/cohen-reportedly-willing-say-trump-knew-about-infamous-russia-meeting
As Jon Chait reminds us, former Trump aide Sam Nunberg also said Trump knew about the infamous meeting, and Steve Bannon, the campaign’s former chief strategist, later said something similar. . .
Rudy Giuliani is full of it -- but you knew that already
https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/27/rudy-giuliani-then-and-now/
“The man is an honest, honorable lawyer.”
— Rudy Giuliani, talking about Michael Cohen on ABC News on May 6, 2018.
“He has lied all his life… a person who is found to be an incredible liar.”
— Giuliani, about Cohen on CNN last night.
More flip-flops: https://thinkprogress.org/trump-giuliani-flip-flop-michael-cohen-loyal-good-person-pathological-liar-e23d67abbb1f/
If Cohen is telling the truth . . .
Donald Jr committed perjury before Congress: https://thinkprogress.org/cohen-trump-tower-donald-trump-jr-bad-news-3b997fef6645/
Donald Sr is on the hook for conspiracy: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/michael-cohen-russia-meeting-donald-trump-could-be-on-the-hook-for-conspiracy.html
Two data points. Soon after (presumably) hearing that his people would be meeting with the Russians to get dirt on Hillary Clinton, Trump said this: “I am going to give a major speech on — probably Monday of next week — and we’re going to be discussing all of the things that have taken place with the Clintons . . . I think you’re going to find it very informative, and very, very interesting.” Now, why would Trump say that? What was he referring to? And why didn't he give that "major speech"?
Second, imagine this. You are Donald Junior and you receive a contact saying, Russia wants your dad to win, and we are offering dirt on your opponent to help you. In what universe do you not contact your father, the candidate, immediately and tell him? Whether you are telling him to warn him, or to curry favor as the loyal son, or to brag and gloat together, he has to know . . . right?
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-june-9-2016-speech-cohen-clintons-russia-suspicious-3e022919a1c6/
More: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/07/trump-michael-cohen-trump-tower-meeting/566303/
By the way, we haven't learned yet what the dirt was against Clinton that Veselnitskaya was offering at that meeting. Kevin Drum gives a pretty good guess
https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2018/07/about-that-hillary-clinton-dirt/
The recorded conversation between Trump and Michael Cohen has been picked over line by line (did he say "use cash" or "don't use cash"?) -- but you have to stand back and listen to it to get the real impact. In tone and substance it's a mob boss talking to his consigliere about creating a fake shell company to funnel hush money to cover up an illicit affair. As with so many other things, our standards have become so debased, our expectations of this man so sordid, that we can't stop and say, Wait! This is not normal! This is totally beyond the pale!
https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/27/the-michael-cohen-tape-shows-the-real-trump/
More: https://www.thedailybeast.com/free-advice-for-michael-cohen-from-ex-federal-prosecutors-shut-up
Free Advice for Michael Cohen From Ex-Federal Prosecutors: Shut Up
Everyone has been assuming that a president can't be charged with a crime while in office. It seems that Mueller and the DOJ have accepted that theory. But it's never been settled law -- here's an argument on the other side
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/how-robert-mueller-might-be-able-to-prosecute-donald-trump-in-office.html
http://time.com/5123598/president-trump-impeach-criminal-constitution/
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/05/presidential-indictment/560957/
I don't quite get Paul Manafort's game. His cases look like sure convictions, and he has lost almost every major court decision so far. The evidence is damning. Does he plan to go through the whole trial and then hope for a pardon?
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/27/manafort-lobbying-documents-ukraine-evidence-745127
The witness list is out: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/mueller-witness-list-manafort-virginia
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/27/manafort-trial-witnesses-mueller-russia-probe-747459
Also of note are the names that did not make the government’s witness list. . . .
In other news . . .
https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/27/economy-surged-in-second-quarter/
“United States gross domestic product rose at an annual rate of 4.1% in the second quarter, up from 2.2% in the first three months of the year. . . The second-quarter acceleration was widely anticipated by economists, a result of a confluence of events unlikely to recur. Most economists expect growth to slow in the second half of the year.”
Look, it's good news even if it's a one-off. But of course Trump couldn't resist exaggerating it to the point of absurdity
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-gdp-growth-second-quarter-2018-gaslighting-lies-fd1a100cac1d/
Team Trump touts GDP growth with gaslighting and brazen lies
More: http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trumps-economic-boasts-are-increasingly-divorced-reality
Trump’s economic boasts are increasingly divorced from reality
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1783853
Trump took credit, of course, in a tweet in which he claimed: “Incredible numbers. I remember when “the experts” laughed about breaking 3%. Just because Obama never broke 2% doesn’t mean that someone with great policies can’t. Let’s keep this going.” In fact, during the campaign, Trump promised steady GDP growth of 4 percent, not 3. His claim about Obama is also bogus. While the economy struggled for years to recover from the Great Recession (with zero help from the vast majority of congressional Republicans), it grew at 2 percent or more during 15 of the 32 quarters Obama was president, including four quarters above 4 percent. . .
Trump turns to the future: if you don't impeach me I can promise . . .
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/07/trump-hannity-interview-predicts-9-percent-growth-surplus-by-presidencys-end.html
Trump Predicts 9 Percent Growth, Budget Surplus by End of Presidency
Trump takes credit for a new health care plan that doesn't even exist yet
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trumps-boasts-health-care-take-incoherent-turn
The world is a complicated place and being a global leader means keeping a lot of balls in the air at the same time. Trump is simply not up to it. One example -- our deteriorating relations with India
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/india-was-ready-to-embrace-trump-its-not-working-out.html
A scammer's always gonna scam. Trump gets taxpayers to pay for his campaign rallies
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1784018
The Cesspool
https://thinkprogress.org/lawmakers-want-ethics-investigation-new-epa-head-75f847d0934d/
New EPA chief is already facing calls for an ethics investigation
Education Sect'y Betsy DeVos is a zealot
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/07/early-emails-from-trump-education-officials-reveal-ties-to-for-profit-college/566273/
This week, advocates for student-loan borrowers have seen some of their worst fears come true. More than a year after Secretary Betsy DeVos announced the U.S. Department of Education would begin to unwind two Obama-era regulations aimed at holding for-profit colleges accountable, it has started to make good on that promise. One of the regulations is being scaled back significantly; the other is reportedly going to be eliminated altogether...
It's an amazing story with a very high "ick" factor -- so be forewarned!
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kimberly-guilfoyle-misconduct-allegations-fox-news_us_5b5a6064e4b0b15aba96f4de
More: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/kimberly-guilfoyle-fox-news-sexual-harassment-allegations-arent-just-for-the-boys.html
Glass Ceiling Broken!
Finally!
https://thinkprogress.org/alex-jones-suspended-from-facebook-2362a4adcc69/
Alex Jones suspended from Facebook for 30 days
Of course Tucker Carlson defends him: https://crooksandliars.com/2018/07/foxs-tucker-carlson-goes-bat-alex-jones
Trump's war against the press -- he just can't get them to ask questions the way he wants them to
https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/27/trump-has-repeatedly-sought-to-ban-reporters/
Trump says he plans to spend almost two full months campaigning in the lead-up to the Fall elections, because, hey. it isn't as if he has a day job
https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/27/trump-says-hell-campaign-full-time-this-fall/
Blue Wave, or no Blue Wave? Watch the independents . . .
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/07/midterms-democrats-republicans-trump/566165/
Complicating the GOP’s task is the sour mood among self-identified Independents. The latest NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll, conducted jointly by Democratic and Republican pollsters, reports that Independents are abandoning Trump en masse. Only 36 percent like his job performance, a seven-point drop in the last month. In June, they favored the Democrats to control Congress by 7 points; by late July, that number had grown to 20 points. This could be significant, because Independents (whether true Independents, or voters who’ve adopted the term after bailing on the major parties) could comprise as much as 30 percent of the midterm electorate. . . .
More: https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/27/democrats-are-substantial-favorites-to-win-house/
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/7/27/17621608/2018-midterm-elections-polls-michigan-wisconsin-minnesota
. . . and the women
https://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2018/07/its-women-stupid.html
With almost 2-1 backing from women, Democrats take a 51 - 39 percent lead in hypothetical races for the U.S. House of Representatives this year, according to a Quinnipiac University National Poll released today.. . .
Finally!
https://thinkprogress.org/alex-jones-suspended-from-facebook-2362a4adcc69/
Alex Jones suspended from Facebook for 30 days
Of course Tucker Carlson defends him: https://crooksandliars.com/2018/07/foxs-tucker-carlson-goes-bat-alex-jones
Trump's war against the press -- he just can't get them to ask questions the way he wants them to
https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/27/trump-has-repeatedly-sought-to-ban-reporters/
Trump says he plans to spend almost two full months campaigning in the lead-up to the Fall elections, because, hey. it isn't as if he has a day job
https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/27/trump-says-hell-campaign-full-time-this-fall/
Blue Wave, or no Blue Wave? Watch the independents . . .
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/07/midterms-democrats-republicans-trump/566165/
Complicating the GOP’s task is the sour mood among self-identified Independents. The latest NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll, conducted jointly by Democratic and Republican pollsters, reports that Independents are abandoning Trump en masse. Only 36 percent like his job performance, a seven-point drop in the last month. In June, they favored the Democrats to control Congress by 7 points; by late July, that number had grown to 20 points. This could be significant, because Independents (whether true Independents, or voters who’ve adopted the term after bailing on the major parties) could comprise as much as 30 percent of the midterm electorate. . . .
More: https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/27/democrats-are-substantial-favorites-to-win-house/
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/7/27/17621608/2018-midterm-elections-polls-michigan-wisconsin-minnesota
. . . and the women
https://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2018/07/its-women-stupid.html
With almost 2-1 backing from women, Democrats take a 51 - 39 percent lead in hypothetical races for the U.S. House of Representatives this year, according to a Quinnipiac University National Poll released today.. . .
Bonus item: We once had a president named Obama . . .
https://slate.com/culture/2018/07/stephen-colbert-compares-obama-to-bigfoot-after-trump-says-camera-coverage-never-happened-video.html
https://slate.com/culture/2018/07/stephen-colbert-compares-obama-to-bigfoot-after-trump-says-camera-coverage-never-happened-video.html
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