Buckle your seatbelts, everyone....

[Labster]

You're biting the troll bait again people. Who the whistleblower is doesn't matter at this point, nor do their motivations. It has little to no bearing on the case as it stands, now that the content of the transcript was released. Almost everything in the complaint was verified by documents released by Trump, or pending release, or independently confirmed by many news organizations around the world.

So far the Trump Administration and GOP members of congress haven't contradicted any of the facts in the whistleblower complaint. If they want to engage on those facts, that would be nice.

The main argument I've heard from Republicans is that Biden is corrupt and needs to be investigated. Is that logic reversible? Say that Obama's in office, and he sees Trump running for office. Would it be okay for Obama to call the UK, in response to "we need a new trade deal after Brexit", a reply of "I would like you to do us a favor though because our country has been through a lot, and Scotland knows a lot about it. I would like you to find out what happened in the whole deal with the Trump golf course, and the wind farm, and Cambridge Analytica. There are a lot of things that went on, the whole situation."

I mean, Obama knows that Trump is corrupt, just like Trump knows Biden is corrupt, right? So would that be acceptable behavior if Obama did it? If anyone thinks either of those situations is okay, I'd like to assure you that it is not, and it is impeachable behavior.

[Black Aeronaut]

Pretty much what Labster said. Trump and his supporters are trying to pull the classic Discredit The Source maneuver, never minding the fact that the source can be anyone - even Crazy Dave who thinks his RV is a time machine - so long as all the facts check out.

I think that this is a sign that they're finally going to get nailed and they know it. Why grasp at straws like that anyways?

[classicdrogn]

If they really want to go after them... well, that person seems to have been meticulous about crossing the tees and dotting the ayes, so sure, take this nice spade and go digging Mr. Trump. I'm sure no one will be so sad and foolish as to think the Whistleblower Protection Act applies when it's the President involved.

[hazard]

To be fair, the Whistleblower Protection Act should apply even in that case.

That, of course, does not mean it will be applied, and the Trump administration has a long history of creatively reinterpreting the law when it suits them.

[classicdrogn]

Should I have added a smiley? I probably should have added a smiley.

Now what was the bbcode for "don't know whether to laugh or cry smiley" again?

[classicdrogn]

Well clearly the Cheeto in Chief is not a One Piece fan, or he'd never have dubbed his political opponent of the week Schiff D. Schiff.

[Rajvik]

Shifty Schiff Drogn, and.... Nevermind,

[classicdrogn]

thatisthejoke.jpg

[Matrix Dragon]

So. Now he's publicly trying to convince the Ukraine to investigate his rivals. And he wants China to as well. And he was going to offer the Ukraine guns in exchange for this.

Well.

[Black Aeronaut]

..... The fuck was he gonna offer China, then!? The entire Japanese archipeligo!?

[hazard]

Whatever he needs to get out of trouble.

Thing is, the more he offers the worse it gets for him. Congress ain't gonna let go now.

[Labster]

.....  The fuck was he gonna offer China, then!?  The entire Japanese archipeligo!?

No, silly.  He's gonna offer Greenland.  It's pre-moated!

[SilverFang01]

According to the WSJ, two of Rudy’s Soviet-born henchmen, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, have been arrested on criminal campaign-finance charges.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/two-foreign...1570714188

[Bob Schroeck]

If you don't want to deal with the WSJ's paygate, there's CNN's coverage.

[Matrix Dragon]

... Okay, when John Fucking Bolton thinks you're crossing the line, shit's gotten insane.

[Dartz]

We didn't do it.

The person who said we did it, didn't actually see us do it

Someone else told us to do it

We did it and it's perfectly okay to do it

Fucking hell.

It's one thing to hold up aid to force a policy change - and another to hold up aid to force a state to investigate a political rival. One is politics between states. One is a poltician using State power for personal gain.

[Black Aeronaut]

"Get over it"?

He's fucking toast. At this point I don't think he's going to get much support except from the hardest of the hard liners in the Senate. I mean, FFS, there was nearly unanimous bipartisan support in The House of Representatives in condemning his pull-out from Syria!

[Labster]

The White House is finding it difficult to walk back a confession. Also, where are all of the Republican congresscritters to rush to the defense of the President?

Mick Mulvaney is definitely toast, the only question that remains is if Trump will stay in office long enough to fire his "Acting" Chief of Staff, or he'll be out under President Pence or President Pelosi.

Meanwhile, at Trump's direction, the US Air Force is bombing our own bases in Syria. This is good for the Syndicate. And since everyone is a member of the Syndicate, everyone wins. Even you. We are going to make so much money from bombing our own bases, you're not going to believe it. Believe me. After a quick declaration of surrender by Trump today, the Turkish Army is skimming the Kurds right off the top.

[classicdrogn]

I meant to post this here, but it kind of fits in the Turkey thread too... but anyway, like I said there:

Um. As a cartoon villain come to life, what odds would you put on the Cheeto in Chief having decided "If I can't have it, no one can?" After thinking of it, I am now feeling a bit worried.

[hazard]

He might try it, but unless he manages to convince the military to go along with it he may find it difficult indeed.

[Dartz]

Ambassador to Ukraine speaks to congress in defiance of State department ban

I doubt he has much reason to to tell Porkies now - but I'm sure I'll be told why he's going to prison for it.


I don't care what side of the fence you sit on - this is wrong. Using the State's influence for personal political gain - or using the Power and influence of the State to win an election at home - that's a complete abuse of power and of the office

[DHBirr]

I don't care what side of the fence you sit on - this is wrong. Using the State's influence for personal political gain - or using the Power and influence of the State to win an election at home - that's a complete abuse of power and of the office

Repeat after me:  "It's OK if a Republican does it."  (Acronymized as IOKARDI)

If you repeat it often enough, you may come to believe it.  Or you may vomit.
-----
Big Brother is watching you ... and damn, you are so bloody BORING.

[SilverFang01]

Andrew Desiderio on Twitter is reporting that House Republicans are trying to block Laura Cooper's testimony by "flooding the SCIF with non-committee members," many of whom have brought their cell phones into the secure area (a big breach of security).


   


This is beyond the pale.

[Labster]

The Pale is way back over yonder. But this is here is a simple sideshow. No better or worse than any other political stunt or sit-in protest, save the cause for which they advocate.

But you know, if Republicans feel so strongly about this, they can just propose a law that all grand jury proceedings must be public in every case. That way the same rules would apply across the whole country that they want in this case.

[Black Aeronaut]

If we were to assign tropes to the era of the Trump Presidency, this would probably qualify under "Refuge in Audacity".