Trump's Russian Collusion

[old salt]

That helps. But how much lying by Trump is ok? About the many campaign contacts? The hotel in Moscow? The Ivanka spa? Where’s the GOP redline? Putin’s had leverage on the liar from Day 1.

Trump (& Stone) are fabulist BS artists. Every utterance is a either a lie or a gross exaggeration, loosely based on fact.
They lie, even when the truth would serve them better.
You can't believe anything they say, without corroboration.
You have to go by what they do & follow the evidence.
They lie so much, you can't believe them if they tell the truth.

[old salt]

Hey! GeddaLoada Salty linking to posts from his favorite "potty-mouthed blogger", Marcy Wheeler.....

That's the 2nd time in 2 days. She's cleanin' up her foul mouth too (since she was on tv).

[a fan]

The Morning Joe War Council does not share your assessment.

They don't share yours, either. Notice your man said Putin is a good tactician, but a piss-poor strategist.

That's what Obama meant when he said "the 80's called, they want your foreign policy back".

Messing with the West is harming Russia, not helping it.

So yeah, messing with US media and elections makes Putin feel good, like a child who has put a whoopie cushion on his teacher's chair.

But in the end, what does it do for Russia's fortunes? A big fat nothing.

[old salt]

The Morning Joe War Council does not share your assessment.

They don't share yours, either. Notice your man said Putin is a good tactician, but a piss-poor strategist.

That's what Obama meant when he said "the 80's called, they want your foreign policy back".

Messing with the West is harming Russia, not helping it.

So yeah, messing with US media and elections makes Putin feel good, like a child who has put a whoopie cushion on his teacher's chair.

But in the end, what does it do for Russia's fortunes? A big fat nothing.

Listen to the whole thing. They said Putin's playing a weak hand brilliantly. They also say we're safer with him in power, than with the chaos which preceded him, & what they fear will follow when he eventually leaves power.

He has a strategy -- it's to hold onto power. It's a Putin strategy, to ensure his personal survival & enrichment : not a Russian national strategy.
He uses it just to capitalize on nostalgia for Russia's past greatness. It's his version of MAGA.

That's the danger I've been talking about, with our sore loser Russophobia.
We need to be able to deal with Putin (& the Russian people), but the TDS partisans won't even let Trump meet with him.
Anything accomplished will be contorted into collusion.

Even now, as we saber rattle against his 3 proxy allies in our hemisphere.
We're accomplishing my worst fear -- pushing Russia & China back together, instead of playing them against each other.

[a fan]

Listen to the whole thing. They said Putin's playing a weak hand brilliantly.

I did! These are the same geniuses who thought we "had" to invade Iraq. Twice. They're the media. They think that because Putin is in the news, that MUST mean he's successful. By this measure, Kaitlyn Jenner is doing a better job than Putin is.

By 'brilliant', what they ACTUALLY mean, is that Putin has managed to make a bunch of noise in America. So what? What does that get him? You think that that gets him more power? Murdering your political opponents and lining the pockets of the right backers is what gets you fascist power.

Is Putin ahead or behind, financially speaking, after all this meddling with America and the Ukraine? Behind. By any measure, he's way behind. And money=power. These talking heads are fools, and don't understand that. And you can spin all you like, but it all comes down to money.

Obama gets it. Make fun all you like, but Obama has it pegged. BTW, how did the whole Soviet empire fall apart, again? That's right: money. It's how all empires fall, if they aren't conquered.

He has a strategy -- it's to hold onto power. It's a Putin strategy, to ensure his personal survival & enrichment : not a Russian national strategy.
He uses it just to capitalize on nostalgia for Russia's past greatness. [url=https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/rus ... dina-18341]It's his version of MAGA.

Even better! If you think that Putin is well served by messing with America (again, I don't) then look at how much better Trump is than Putin is at getting his base behind him. Does Trump actually do anything? Hell no! He just has to talk the talk, and his supporters are more than happy to blame anything wrong in America on "someone else".

Putin should take notes. Putin doesn't have to ACTUALLY hack our elections. He just has to SAY that he did. Much cheaper, and his end goal is met.

That's the danger I've been talking about, with our sore loser Russophobia.
We need to be able to deal with Putin (& the Russian people), but the TDS partisans won't even let Trump meet with him.
Anything accomplished will be contorted into collusion.

Meh. We have, what, 24 months to go? We can hold sanctions just fine, and let the next POTUS decide when it's ok to let Putin eat at the big boy table again.

[foreverlax]

The Morning Joe War Council does not share your assessment.

They called it a feel good moment.

Putin did more with less...we did less with more. Again.

[Trinity]

JV vs Varsity.

52% of Republicans say, even if Russia did interfere in the 2016 election, it did no damage to American democracy

(via @MonmouthPoll)

[old salt]

That's the danger I've been talking about, with our sore loser Russophobia.
We need to be able to deal with Putin (& the Russian people), but the TDS partisans won't even let Trump meet with him.
Anything accomplished will be contorted into collusion.

Meh. We have, what, 24 months to go? We can hold sanctions just fine, and let the next POTUS decide when it's ok to let Putin eat at the big boy table again.

It's reassuring to learn that nothing bad can happen with Russia in the next 2 years.

I look forward to Pres Harris resuming the feckless scolding of Putin.

[a fan]

Well, seeing as how you don't count election meddling as a material event, and make fun of anyone who thinks their cyber-warfare is bad, when was the last time Russia "did anything" to the US?

You have to go aaaaaaaallll the way back to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

That's a whole lot of worry and military wonks theorizing about Russia doing horrible things to America....and not one of them happened.

So sure, I'm looking at 50 years of them doing nothing of any note.

Again, unless you want to count Crimea and Ukraine---and you've told us 1,000 times those events were nothing burgers, and if we react to those events in any way, shape or form, we're "Russiaphobes"----so what has Putin REALLY done?

So nope, I'm not even a little worried about Russia.

Just as Obama and Bush did---we don't have to lift one finger to deal with Putin. Don't have to return phone calls. Don't have to invite him to parties. And the US will keep on keeping on. Know what a bully hates more than getting punched in the nose or lectured at?

Getting ignored. Ignore him. And like the last 50 years, nothing of note will happen.

[Typical Lax Dad]

JV vs Varsity.

52% of Republicans say, even if Russia did interfere in the 2016 election, it did no damage to American democracy

(via @MonmouthPoll)

Law and order types.....shameful

[old salt]

Well, seeing as how you don't count election meddling as a material event, and make fun of anyone who thinks their cyber-warfare is bad, when was the last time Russia "did anything" to the US?

You have to go aaaaaaaallll the way back to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

That's a whole lot of worry and military wonks theorizing about Russia doing horrible things to America....and not one of them happened.

So sure, I'm looking at 50 years of them doing nothing of any note.

Again, unless you want to count Crimea and Ukraine---and you've told us 1,000 times those events were nothing burgers, and if we react to those events in any way, shape or form, we're "Russiaphobes"----so what has Putin REALLY done?

So nope, I'm not even a little worried about Russia.

Just as Obama and Bush did---we don't have to lift one finger to deal with Putin. Don't have to return phone calls. Don't have to invite him to parties. And the US will keep on keeping on. Know what a bully hates more than getting punched in the nose or lectured at?

Getting ignored. Ignore him. And like the last 50 years, nothing of note will happen.

You think this is cyber warfare ? You ain't seen nothin' yet (unless you examine what China's been up to).

You have no appreciation of how dangerous & expensive the Cold War was. How close we came, how many times.
How many US troops were killed by AK-47's, RPG's & SAM's in the hands of Russian proxies (or advisers). Recall Vietnam ?
Trust me. You don't want to go through that again.

I want our troops out of Poland & back in the US, & Ivan's subs back pier side.
We've strengthened NATO. Now we need to demilitarize a buffer zone on both sides of NATO's E border.
INF needs to be updated, renegotiated & China included.
We need to push our EU allies back to the table at the Minsk accords (Ukraine & Crimea).
We need to be part of the political settlement in Syria.
Putin needs to tell Raul to give Maduro a seaside dacha.
We can't do any of that if Trump can't meet with Putin.

[Typical Lax Dad]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/nra-heavy ... aked-email

https://www.thedailybeast.com/nra-says- ... e-to-exist

[Trinity]

NRA heavyweight wants access to Putin in 2015. Well of course he does. And the Kremlin wants to prep the ground for “a future Republican President.”

[dislaxxic]

It's reassuring to learn that nothing bad can happen with Russia in the next 2 years.

I look forward to Pres Harris resuming the feckless scolding of Putin.

U.S. Leaving Arms Control Treaty With Russia

Just a minor treaty here, right...nothing to see...move along.

..

[jhu72]

Sorry, but I have to laugh at the very notion that Trump and Putin meeting and talking would result in anything remotely akin to a result in America's interest. If it would be pure serendipity.

[Brooklyn]

Go Mueller go!

[ToastDunk]

Oh boy. This investigation may never end.
https://fox6now.com/2018/07/17/woman-ch ... id-clarke/

[Typical Lax Dad]

Oh boy. This investigation may never end.
https://fox6now.com/2018/07/17/woman-ch ... id-clarke/

I raised questions about Clarke two years ago in Laxpower. I miss being able to search the history..... let's see if anything comes of this Saudi, Israel, Russia triangle. I found it odd that the sheriff of Milwauke would be running in that circle. $800 excursion? Must have involved a "stripper".

[old salt]

It's reassuring to learn that nothing bad can happen with Russia in the next 2 years.

I look forward to Pres Harris resuming the feckless scolding of Putin.

U.S. Leaving Arms Control Treaty With Russia

Just a minor treaty here, right...nothing to see...move along.

It's an obsolete Cold War relic, in need of update & renegotiation.
Russia's in violation. China's not included.
Now's the time to re-negotiate, from a position of economic & military strength.
Our NATO allies support re-negotiation.
The (D)'s need to shut up & support Trump on this (fat chance).

[Chips O'Toole]

Now's the time to re-negotiate, from a position of economic & military strength.

Yeah, it's really the ideal time to renegotiate a major treaty with Russia. Can't think of any reason why it wouldn't be.