Trump and Russia

Nanker · February 22, 2020

Why wouldn’t the IC share this info directly with the POTUS?
Has James Comey returned? :blink:

B-Man · February 22, 2020

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Koko78 · February 22, 2020

21 minutes ago, B-Man said:

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Please, I have 5 anonymous sources who, citing unnamed methods, heard at the water cooler from people who were familiar with people who use other water coolers that Trump did, in fact, have THREE scoops of ice cream last night after a supper consisting of burnt steak slathered in ketchup.

B-Man · February 22, 2020

Belongs in both threads..........

YOU DON’T NEED A SPY TO KNOW WHICH WAY THE RUSSIAN WIND BLOWS

Over the last few days we have seen news reports alleging that members of the “intelligence community” have delivered briefings to the effect that the Russians are 1) trying to help President Trump in the 2020 election, and 2) trying to help Bernie Sanders in the same election. I don’t take seriously anything that is leaked from the “intelligence community,” but in any event, we don’t need the CIA to tell us where Vladimir Putin stands on American politics.

Donald Trump is anathema to the rulers of Russia. Not only has he armed the Ukrainians, he has re-invigorated NATO by insisting that members take an interest in their own defense; stood up to and badly wounded Russia’s key ally, Iran; overseen an expansion and strengthening of American armed forces; and, most important, encouraged fracking and other development of U.S. oil and gas resources, which has kept down the global price of oil.

This hits Russia where it hurts the most: as one pundit has noted, Russia is essentially a “heavily armed gas station.” Petroleum represents more than 50% of Russia’s total exports, and natural gas is its main geopolitical weapon against Western Europe.

It is blindingly obvious that the Russians would prefer any Democrat to President Trump. All of the Democrats have promised to limit U.S. production of oil and gas, which no doubt sounds like pure insanity to Putin but is music to his ears. Equally important, they all vow to shrink America’s armed forces and, equally important, never to use them under any foreseeable circumstances. And they all would pursue a soft line toward Iran.

Of the Democrats, the Russians probably see Sanders as a sentimental favorite, given his longstanding fondness for the Soviet Union, Cuba and Venezuela. I doubt they ever expected to see a Soviet sympathizer as a serious candidate for the presidency. But in the end any Democrat will do, as they are all aligned on the policies (American weakness, in a word) that matter most to Russia.

If any member of the “intelligence community” tries to tell us anything to the contrary, chalk it up to the ongoing war of the Deep State against Donald Trump.

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3rdnlng · February 22, 2020

23 minutes ago, B-Man said:

Belongs in both threads..........

YOU DON’T NEED A SPY TO KNOW WHICH WAY THE RUSSIAN WIND BLOWS

Over the last few days we have seen news reports alleging that members of the “intelligence community” have delivered briefings to the effect that the Russians are 1) trying to help President Trump in the 2020 election, and 2) trying to help Bernie Sanders in the same election. I don’t take seriously anything that is leaked from the “intelligence community,” but in any event, we don’t need the CIA to tell us where Vladimir Putin stands on American politics.

Donald Trump is anathema to the rulers of Russia. Not only has he armed the Ukrainians, he has re-invigorated NATO by insisting that members take an interest in their own defense; stood up to and badly wounded Russia’s key ally, Iran; overseen an expansion and strengthening of American armed forces; and, most important, encouraged fracking and other development of U.S. oil and gas resources, which has kept down the global price of oil.

This hits Russia where it hurts the most: as one pundit has noted, Russia is essentially a “heavily armed gas station.” Petroleum represents more than 50% of Russia’s total exports, and natural gas is its main geopolitical weapon against Western Europe.

It is blindingly obvious that the Russians would prefer any Democrat to President Trump. All of the Democrats have promised to limit U.S. production of oil and gas, which no doubt sounds like pure insanity to Putin but is music to his ears. Equally important, they all vow to shrink America’s armed forces and, equally important, never to use them under any foreseeable circumstances. And they all would pursue a soft line toward Iran.

Of the Democrats, the Russians probably see Sanders as a sentimental favorite, given his longstanding fondness for the Soviet Union, Cuba and Venezuela. I doubt they ever expected to see a Soviet sympathizer as a serious candidate for the presidency. But in the end any Democrat will do, as they are all aligned on the policies (American weakness, in a word) that matter most to Russia.

If any member of the “intelligence community” tries to tell us anything to the contrary, chalk it up to the ongoing war of the Deep State against Donald Trump.

.

I've been saying this for years, just not as well. Good post.

Doc · February 22, 2020

47 minutes ago, Koko78 said:

Please, I have 5 anonymous sources who, citing unnamed methods, heard at the water cooler from people who were familiar with people who use other water coolers that Trump did, in fact, have THREE scoops of ice cream last night after a supper consisting of burnt steak slathered in ketchup.

I guess it's pretty serious.

Tiberius · February 22, 2020

Boy, remember all the cheers and chest pumping over Nunes lawsuits? LOL, what a joke. Nunes is such a little fascist scum bag

Quote

A federal judge has tossed out a racketeering lawsuit House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes filed last year against the private investigation firm at the heart of the Trump-Russia saga.

The judge also signaled that pressing on with the legal battle could result in sanctions against Nunes and his attorney, Steven Biss.

Daniel Stevens, of Campaign for Accountability, welcomed the judge's ruling and said the suit was transparently frivolous.

"The allegations in the complaint were obviously absurd and did not warrant any consideration," Stevens said in a statement Saturday. "Moreover, attempts by Nunes to stifle critics through well-funded lawsuits is an affront to the First Amendment. Nunes should not be allowed to abuse his power to force critics to stand silent in the face of his misconduct. We are gratified that the court put an end to this nonsense. "

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/21/devin-nunes-lawsuit-trump-dossier-116675

B-Man · February 22, 2020

As Walter Russell Mead wrote in 2017:

If Trump were the Manchurian candidate that people keep wanting to believe that he is, here are some of the things he’d be doing:

Limiting fracking as much as he possibly could

Blocking oil and gas pipelines

Opening negotiations for major nuclear arms reductions

Cutting U.S. military spending

Trying to tamp down tensions with Russia’s ally Iran.

“Yep,” I noted in December. “You know who did do these things? Obama.

You know who supports these things now? Democrats.”

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3rdnlng · February 22, 2020

29 minutes ago, Tiberius said:

Boy, remember all the cheers and chest pumping over Nunes lawsuits? LOL, what a joke. Nunes is such a little fascist scum bag

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/21/devin-nunes-lawsuit-trump-dossier-116675