Zylon
3197
And for those of you who prefer to read text as, y’know, text…
How the Trump administration’s secret efforts to ease Russia sanctions fell short
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-administrations-secret-efforts-ease-russia-sanctions-fell-short-231301145.html
“There was serious consideration by the White House to unilaterally rescind the sanctions,” said Dan Fried, a veteran State Department official who served as chief U.S. coordinator for sanctions policy until he retired in late February. He said in the first few weeks of the administration, he received several “panicky” calls from U.S. government officials who told him they had been directed to develop a sanctions-lifting package and imploring him, “Please, my God, can’t you stop this?
NYT: Trump Appears Unlikely to Hinder Comey’s Testimony About Russia Inquiry
Mr. Trump could still move to block the testimony next week, given his history of changing his mind at the last minute about major decisions. But legal experts have said that Mr. Trump has a weak case to invoke executive privilege because he has publicly addressed his conversations with Mr. Comey, and any such move could carry serious political risks.
One of the administration officials said Friday evening that Mr. Trump wanted Mr. Comey to testify because the president had nothing to hide and wanted Mr. Comey’s statements to be publicly aired. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing a decision that had not been announced.
A White House spokesman did not respond to a message seeking comment. Earlier on Friday, the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, would not say what Mr. Trump planned to do.
Raw Story: NSA Director Mike Rogers poised to ‘drop a bomb’ on Trump admin during Wednesday testimony: MSNBC
Rogers will testify Wednesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is currently investigating whether President Donald Trump’s campaign colluded with Russian officials to sway the results of the 2016 election.
“We now know for certain that Vladimir Putin waged political warfare against America’s democracy with the election last year,” said Mother Jones magazine’s David Corn. “While that’s going on, Donald Trump is saying, ‘No, it’s not happening.’ It’s like a guy in front of a bank robbery saying, ‘Nothing is going on here.’ He was helping.”
“He made it easier for Putin to pull this off,” Corn said. “That in itself should be a big scandal.”
“While a lot of people have focused on James Comey and that’s obviously a huge anchor in this,” Clemons said at the end of the segment, “watch the Senate Intelligence Committee hearings on Wednesday. National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers may have a bomb to drop in this, as well as Dan Coates. I have been tipped off that Mike Rogers has a story to tell as well that goes right along the lines that our friend David Corn has shared.”
Timex
3204
People need to stop hyping shit up.
If shit comes out, so be it. Enough of this “Oh man, I got the scoop on some really big shit that’s gonna happen!”
Look motherfucker, I just ate way too much bad strip mall Chinese food and at some point in the next few hours I am going to shatter porcelain and you need to let me tweetstorm about the impending fecal doom.
Timex
3206
The fact that we do not have a like button is a crime.
And in this case, like all the others, it’s that Mike Rogers MAY have a ‘bomb to drop.’ I am sick and fucking tired of speculation being passed off as breaking news.
At this point, I find these sorts of tweets more annoying than Trump’s. I didn’t even think it was possible for someone to outdo him in this regard, but it’s becoming a regular occurrence. (Maybe because every tweet he makes further validates my beliefs and stated opinions about him to my family, who’re still living in denial. So he’s sort of doing me a favor by constantly being a stupid fucking idiot.)
Is this where the kids say “Pics or it didn’t happen”?
Having been a camp counselor to teenage boys, I can assure you, the kids are perfectly content to preserve their works of rectal art in the bowl until such a time as they can convince people to come look at what they have wrought.
I was going to point out the same thing. And frankly, it pisses me off. Media chasing clicks (and the stupid people that fall for it) are a part of what created this mess.
No hype, just reporting: Politico and others reporting tonight that Deutsche Bank won’t tell Congress whether their loan of $364 million to Donald Trump was backed by Russian interests.
Is this just another case of, “We don’t have to tell congress shit because their subpoena powers lack teeth.” ?
Right now it’s a case of Congress asking for that information without a subpoena, and Deutsche Bank saying “Nein.” And then it’s a case of no Republicans on the committee being willing to sign off on a subpoena to that effect.
