"Thorny" First Amendment Issues

Even for the Age of Trump this story by the failing NY Times is a bit of a "wow":

Investigators Focus on Another Trump Ally: The National Enquirer

President Trump has long had ties to the nation’s major media players. But his connections with the country’s largest tabloid publisher, American Media Inc., run deeper than most.

A former top executive of Mr. Trump’s casino business sits on A.M.I.’s four-member board of directors, and an adviser joined the media company after the election. The company’s chairman, David J. Pecker, is a close friend of the president’s.

And in the Trump era, A.M.I.’s flagship tabloid, The National Enquirer, has taken a decidedly political turn, regularly devoting covers to the president’s triumphs and travails with articles headlined “Trump’s Plan For World Peace!” and “Proof! FBI Plot to Impeach Trump!”

Since the early stages of his campaign in 2015, Mr. Trump, his lawyer Michael D. Cohen and Mr. Pecker have strategized about protecting him and lashing out at his political enemies.

Yeah, yeah - in consequence, the National Enquirer's decision to pay for but not publish former Playmate Karen MacDougal's story becomes a suspect campaign contribution. The Times really pounds the table in defense of editorial discretion:

The federal inquiry could pose serious legal implications for the president and his campaign committee. It also presents thorny questions about A.M.I.’s First Amendment protections, and whether its record in supporting Mr. Trump somehow opens the door to scrutiny usually reserved for political organizations.

"Thorny questions". My goodness, the Times was bailed out in 2009 by Carlos Slim, a wealthy Mexican. Does this raise "thorny questions" about their commitment to undocumented immigrants? Of course not, because they say it doesn't. 

Now obviously, Mr. Slim knew the Times was reliably progressive when he bought them, so he didn't need them to change their views on anything. But the National Enquirer has been making money off of Clinton scandals for decades. Maybe the AMI people simply decided that, in mirror image to the Times Upper West Side readership, their readers wanted material that bashed Hillary and praised Trump. They do tell the Times it was a business decision driven by the popularity of Trump with their readership. Plausible? Sure. Legal? Say what now?

If all AMI did was pick a side in pursuit of an audience, my goodness. That is well worth investigating because we all know that the mainstream media would never trade sympathetic coverage for access that can boost prestige, circulation and ratings. Please.

As to aggressive coverage of sex scandals by the mainstream media, well, that may be ideologically contingent - back in 2007-08, John Edwards and Rielle Hunter were a tabloid-based open secret (gullible Media Matters link) for months before the "responsible" media decided to jump in. Why they might today rush to bash Trump based on mere allegations is hard to understand. No it's not. Is the National Inquirer being investigated for spiking a story which the Times would never lower itself to touch? Too thorny!

At this juncture, I must glumly acknowledge that the DoJ, with some establishment Republicans at the top, did persuade a judge to issue a warrant because something was afoot. I just hope that whatever they find is serious and convincing.

As to the 'thorny questions', the Times concludes with this:

At the center of the campaign finance inquiries will be whether the ties between Mr. Cohen, Mr. Howard, Mr. Pecker, Mr. Trump and others led A.M.I. to act more like a political supporter than a news organization.

The group that brought the federal election complaint, Common Cause, claims the payment for Ms. McDougal’s story was not a “legitimate press function” and therefore was not protected by rules exempting news organizations from campaign finance regulations.

The question represents tricky terrain for federal officials, given the protection journalists have under the First Amendment. “We always worry when investigators are making those judgment calls about whether your editorial process is legitimate or not, or is this legitimate journalism or not,” said Alexandra Ellerbeck, the North America program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Yet even the staunchest defenders of the press say fraudulent activity is not protected by journalistic freedoms.

“We are not, as media organizations, immune from the civil and criminal laws of the country,” said Sandra S. Baron, a senior fellow at Yale Law School and the former executive director of the Media Law Resource Center.

Hmm. Is paying for stories a "legitimate press function"? That is how the National Enquirer broke the case of the murderer of Bill Cosby's son. They also paid Rush Limbaugh's housekeeper for the scoop that got Rush busted for his oxycontin habit - I bet that looked legit to Common Cause.

To paraphrase slightly, the dark night of fascism is always descending on the right yet arriving from the left.

Comments

[lurkersusie]

Oh no....Democrats won't like this

Trump behavior “while disturbing and violating basic norms of ethical leadership, may fall short of being illegal” Comey writes

[Gentlejim]

“..out in the weeds eating grasshoppers.”
That made me laugh.

The best time of the year is the first round of NHL playoffs. We get multiple high intensity games every day.

PD,
I wish I could afford to go to more games. Damned expensive to go to Chicago. It was cheaper for me to fly to Phoenix and see a game, which I’ve done a couple times.

[clarice feldman]

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/984513741004959744.html
wictor on military deceptions.

[Gentlejim]

I should have added that my second paragraph is my opinion although it should damn well be fact. :)

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-trump-poised-pardon-scooter-libby-dick-cheneys/story?id=54433032

1. Cheney was outraged Libby wasn't pardoned, so this will make him happy.

2. It points out how cowardly W was not to give him a full pardon, when he was heading out of office.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

It's not just not knowing about the Holocaust. Apparently a few people cannot differentiate between a tiger and a raccoon.

ABC News
‏Verified account @ABC

Several 911 callers reported spotting a tiger in Manhattan. The animal that police safely caught turned out to be a large raccoon. https://abcn.ws/2GTrIN5

[narciso]

I would say they have lost their ever loving minds, but that assumes too much.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

In response to the article about Scooter Libby being pardoned:

Ben Domenech
‏Verified account @bdomenech
7m7 minutes ago

That's it, that's the explanation for every personnel move in the past month: Cheney's back.

[Tom R]

Why did Trump fire Comey? What did he know about Comey that would precipitate him into firing Comey, knowing the obvious blowback he would get for doing so?

I’ve always assumed Comey got fired when Trump found out Comey was personally involved with the spying against Trump.

[clarice feldman]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-trump-poised-pardon-scooter-libby-dick-cheneys/story?id=54433032

Yeah--Although look how ABC botched the underlying case.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Elizabeth Nolan Brown
‏Verified account @ENBrown

#TBT that time Robert Mueller commended Backpage for its work fighting sex trafficking

For tablet users:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DamGKz-UMAAdVWs.jpg

[narciso]

I read the longer account in winiks 1944

http://.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/259727/two-friends-who-escaped-from-auschwitz

[daddy on iPad]

In Response To Growing Number Of Fistfights, London Mayor Bans Hands

Drunk and stupid, but I do recall that during a walking Tour in Paris a few years back with a Brit Tour guide, he gave an explanation for why the Brits walk and drive on the Left side of the street while most of the
Rest of the civilized world does the opposite.

He said the English penchant for taking the left side of a road or path had to do with the traveler in times past generally holding his weapon in his dominant right hand so that upon meeting incoming opposite traffic along a road in suspect times, he was announcing in advance that he was fully prepared to immediately counterattack, thus preventing conflict with approaching company from starting in the first place. That made sense to me considering the continual belligerency of Brit History, true or not. I recall the Tour Guide explaining that the French idea was the opposite, so that peace was signaled by walking on the opposite side of the road, with the offensive weapon carrying hand in abeyance off to the far sides of the road, away from the passing empty Left hands.

That all sounds like old wives tales, but If anyone has better explanations please toss them out here. Because of the bias I am learning about that appears inherent in the natural belligerence of the vocabulary of Old English, I think there may well be something to the old wives tales.

[narciso]

That's a kick in the teeth to both comey who facilitated this travesty, and Mueller who held his coat.

[JM Hanes]

maryrose:

"If he wasn’t any good they would not have re-elected him over 10 times"

You might want to rethink that assertion. Shoot, even Hank Johnson, the guy who was afraid that Guam might tip over, has managed to get elected 5 times. Not to mention Ted Kennedy, Charlie Rangel, that certifiable idiot Ed Markey….

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump Foundation contributions 1987

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DaoEOHnWsAAFZaz.jpg:large

[narciso]

It wee just exemplifying the pythinesquw inanity of mayor khan.

[Another Bob]

MM, wouldn't it be hysterically funny if Cheney were back?

[clarice feldman]

Make Cheney the next Speaker of the House (You don't have to be a member to be the speaker.

[Thomas Collins]

Yes, Dave (in MA), it probably wasn't headhunting (or even wristhunting). But I say let the Bosox pitcher decide that when Sonny comes up. But Sonny ain't coming up thanks to the DH.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

Although look how ABC botched the underlying case.

A quick glance at the comments confirmed my opinion of the target audience.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

ANother Bob,

One of the comments on that tweet was "SPEAKER Cheney!"

Bwahahaha. I would love it!

[Dave (in MA)]

Sonny ain't coming up thanks to the box score.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://pagesix.com/2018/04/11/pbs-to-air-five-part-royal-wedding-special/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_medium=SocialFlow

All of my life I have watched every royal event, from the weddings to the investiture of the Prince of Wales at Carnaervon Castle.

Because of Prince Harry's comments about the President, I will skip the whole thing. I find I have lost my taste for this stuff.

[Tom R]

Sounds like Trump wants people to believe GEN Mattis and Bolton are at odds over Syria. IMO this is another “the leaks are real, the news is fake”.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-04-12/bolton-and-mattis-feud-over-syria-strike-assad-evacuates-weapons

[clarice feldman]

A must read:https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/269851/watergate-every-week-using-fbi-suppress-political-daniel-greenfield

[narciso]

Yes except for that, how did you like the play

https://mobile.twitter.com/GrayConnolly/status/984587734453899264

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/04/12/hello-amazon-donald-trump-orders-task-force-to-investigate-post-office-finances/

[clarice feldman]

DOn't -lay poker with DJT.

I wish I could get excited about the British Royal Family, but except for the queen they all strike me as idiots.

[narciso]

Well Harry is personally brave but foolish

https://mobile.twitter.com/alimhaider/status/984558469465493511

Does this come with Barry white musical track

[clarice feldman]

s/b Play poker with DJT.

[JM Hanes]

narciso:

I'll take your quelled surprise and raise you a related irony. Here's Gerhard Schroeder, former chancellor turned Gazprom director, defending his subsequent election as chairman of Russian giant Rosneft in 2017:

“It is the largest oil company in the world, with important links to Germany,” he said. “It is not the long arm of the Kremlin.

Right. Oddly enough, he admits to not being a fan of the sanctions.

[narciso]

The surprise is it took them this long to point it out, from the late night thread I noted their brought the company public in the worst way, look at the nesting dolls they used to do it.

[clarice feldman]

Another consequence of that stupid raid on Cohen's office:https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/12/michael-avenatti-says-michael-cohen-plead-fifth-se/

[narciso]

Where did his get his law license a,cracker Jack box?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

clarice,

My mother was a true Anglophile. I can remember watching the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on the black and white TV my dad bought her JUST for that purpose, when I was very little. I was 5 years old.

My mother was Elizabeth's age, and I am Prince Charles's age. It got ot be a fmaily tradition.

But I am done with them.

[sbw]

daddy, without going into my books, these come to mind:

The Vintage Mencken by Mencken, H. L., and Cooke, Alistair

A Mencken Chrestomathy: His Own Selection of His Choicest Writing by H.L. Mencken

The Skeptic: A Life of H. L. Mencken by Terry Teachout

Cooke knew Mencken. Both Cooke and Teachout are quality writers. You can’t go wrong with any of these books.

[JM Hanes]

lurkersusie:

"Trump behavior “while disturbing and violating basic norms of ethical leadership, may fall short of being illegal” Comey writes"

Having brazenly admitted to violating FBI & DoJ norms, himself, I suppose Comey felt he was in no position to be casting those particular stones. On the other hand, he's in such dire need of a self-awareness intervention that he might not even have noticed.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

From ChiTown Lurker,

Tonight Diamond and Silk have proven how they have had their viewers diminished.

Someone is using Diamond and Silk to demonstrate that creepy algorithm which screens out conservatives.

ChiTown says Snowden has the info and is going to release it.

Fin times!

[JM Hanes]

Miss Marple:

What wonderful news about a pardon for Libby!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://twitter.com/tracybeanz/status/984596296995569664

Another thread on Trump's straegy by tracy beanz.

I agree with most of this. Skip it if you aren't interested.

[narciso]

Oh now i remember Bronte apparently made the confirming more for comey, from that meeting with trump, how that would have happened.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

JM Hanes,

Wouldn't that be great? He got his sentence commuted by W and the Virginia Governor restored his voting rights, but I want a full pardon.

I always thought it was bad form that W didn't pardon him before he left office. He could have done it after the election. I do know it infuriated Cheney, and rightfully so (Libby was an old friend).

[Another Bob]

Sorry James D.

[Gentlejim]

The Caps are still lousy in the playoffs. 4-3 OT loser to the Bluejackets at home after being up by 2.

[clarice feldman]

Libby was prosecuted ONLY because forces inside the DOJ were angry at Cheney and wanted him out and Libby wouldn't lie to save his skin by fingering Cheney.It was a hoked up POS from the beginning--Fitzgerald, Comey and Mueller ALL knew Armitage was the "inadvertent" leaker,

[JM Hanes]

Miss Marple:

Those bits from Comey's book at the Hill were just remarkable. You can just hear Comey's inner novelist hard at work:

“His face appeared slightly orange with bright white half-moons under his eyes where I assumed he placed small tanning goggles, and impressively coifed, bright blond hair, which upon close inspection looked to be all his,” Comey wrote.

I suppose this was meant to be funny — if not self-aggrandizing — but it just strikes me as creepy:

“As he extended his hand, I made a mental note to check its size. It was smaller than mine, but did not seem unusually so,” he continued.

What a pathetic, petty little excuse for man:

He wrote, when describing his attempt to avoid Trump hugging him during a White House event: “He was not going to get a hug without being a whole lot stronger than he looked. He wasn’t.”

If these are the measure of his presidential critique, I don't think they'll have to worry about a second printing.

[clarice feldman]

Heh, jmh.

[JM Hanes]

clarice:

It's funny to hear Comey talk about deliberately violating DoJ rulz in the Clinton case, as though that were a first for him, isn't it? Anyone paying attention to the mandate he gave Fitz knows that such abuses of power are his typical modus operandi.

[RattlerGator]

About to get off the grid for the night, but first:

* * *

After Trump and his changes, we're still going to be left with a majority generation of dumbed down, indoctrinated and brainwashed, socialized, "tolerant", "anti-gun", history-ignorant, "citizens of the world" Millennials continuing to move this country to the Left, despite the few "exceptions to the rule" members like MM's children and JiB's Frederick.

Posted by: fdcol63 🇺🇸 | April 12, 2018 at 03:17 PM

No, you're going to have a not insignificant number of millenials, etc., who will experience what will be THEIR version of 9/11 when these indictments are made public and subsequent convictions occur. 9/11 is what did it for me, and these upcoming cases will be sufficient for more than a few to take the red pill and never look back.

The Ledge doubted the candidacy of Trump, many weren't sure he could survive the convention shenanigans, still others were sure he would lose the election. That's three strikes, and now . . . the Ledge thinks he's not up to the task of being Chief Executive and Commander-in-Chief of the military when, in fact, he's more prepared for the task than any President of our lifetime.

I've said this before; the battle has already been won. They cannot flip the script. Not through a coup, not through an assassination. The battle has already been won. Mike Pence is a genuine insurance policy.

But all this damn pessimism isn't helping at all.

[clarice feldman]

Yes, jmh. Where's Robert Burns" Louse when we need it?

[narciso]

And it was a vendetta by the sdby against libbys effective defense of libbys, there's additional irony in libby having some a favor for armitage, Glencoe helped spawn the looting party in Nigeria, they mostly recently brokered the hash of rosneft public offer. When vitter called attention to the former that's when brought stormy back from the coldm

[Captain Hate]

It really isn't pretty finding out what politicized trash the FBI became under these worms, which they gleefully admit as if it was SOP.

[Honoria]

See what you have done!
https://nypost.com/2018/04/11/the-internet-is-divided-over-heinzs-new-mayochup-sauce/

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Readout of President's call with Theresa May.

https://twitter.com/Scavino45/status/984620651356082176

Seems underwhelming.

[narciso]

As a despiser of both sauces winning the future.

[Gentlejim]

Since RG brought up the ledge, I’ve been meaning to ask who’s been maintaining the armament in the turrets?

[clarice feldman]

OL..ever since he learned of the binders, gentlejim--He's desperate to keep me away from Mrs OL.(And the wedding binder is just at chapte one)

[JM Hanes]

Had to look up the Louse, clarice, it's sooo perfectly á propos!

[Never.Trust.FBI.👻]

So, a victim of out of control special counsel, Scooter, is finally getting a pardon. Plameists rejoice!

[daddy on iPad]

The best time of the year is the first round of NHL playoffs. We get multiple high intensity games every day.

Have they identified yet on the Human Genome project the gene which promotes giving a damn about Hockey? Me and daughter ZoBob are proud inheritors and carriers of the Fox2P mutation that demands major intestinal surgery to achieve reproductive ages old enough tompass it on, but obviously that Fox2P gene, besides bestowing lousy intestines, also imparts decent brains, and has the added characteristic of imparting good senses of humor, even as it lacks the essential genetic disposition for hating Jews, for fishing, or for hunting, or for giving a single gawd damn about Hockey.

Thank God Fox2P ain't opposed to alcohol consumption.

Go FOX 2P!!!

What's your favorite chromosone?

[clarice feldman]

Nytol!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Nytol from me, too!

[Captain Hate]

In case this hasn't been linked, like a cornered rat:

http://dailycaller.com/2018/04/12/comey-lynch-clinton-email/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=atdailycaller

Stedman might have a difficult time figuring out who to support on Twitter.

[Threadkiller]

The Ledge doubted the candidacy of Trump, many weren't sure he could survive the convention shenanigans, still others were sure he would lose the election.

This is entirely false.

You are speaking of the JOMers in exile.

[Texas Liberty Gal]

I need to get to bed too. Have to be at hospital at 6:00 as my husband is having surgery to repair a torn meniscus on his knee.
Sweet dreans everyone.

[daddy on iPad]

Thanks SBW,

Don't know if I'll ever get to them but my Left Journalist sister, on the opposite side of my political spectrum, loves Mencken, so I at least need to make the effort in order to improve family lessons. Many, many thanks, and "Hey" and best wishes to Momma.

[narciso]

That would be the walkway between the ledge and the veranda

[Threadkiller]

Twitter TBeans seems to have thrown 1000 darts at the 4D dartboard thus making her inevitable "I told you so" iron clad.

If she was a witness to a crime she would tell the detective that she saw a tall, short, thin, fat, white, black, guy, girl, walking, driving, or bicycling from the scene.

[JM Hanes]

daddy:

"What's your favorite chromosone gene?" [FIFY]

I'll have to go with HERC2, because Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue?

[narciso]

Everybody has a theory, mine is deripaska is the author of both manafort and trumps kerfluffle but he didn't count on retaliation in the most humiliating means for an oligarch. The same for veselberg

[daddy on iPad]

I saw in catch-up that LA is painting her streets white at some unGodley million bucks cost per mile to paint the street white to prevent Global Warming. Momma, who had been in LA at the time reminded how their ingenuosuly stupid strategy to eco-save water for future decades involved these morons adding millions of plastic balls on top ot the resevoirs to suppsedly stop evaporation, but ultimately whatever carcinogenic paint the balls were painted with ultimately dumped into the LA drinking Water System: Why shade balls aren’t such a great idea after all

The black additive [in the balls] is carbon black, which isn’t supposed to be harmful when it leaches, which is great. Yet even with this precaution, most plastics leach endocrine disrupting chemicals that interfere with animal and human hormone systems (Yang 2011). Some endocrine disruptors, like bisphenol A (BPA), break down in water after a few weeks or months. Some don’t. We don’t know what chemicals are in the Shade Balls, but they will leach, especially because the balls are in the hot sun and are meant to be left in the water over a long period (reports say 10 years). Most water treatment systems don’t take these kinds of chemicals out of the water.

[Tom R]

Twitter TBeans seems to have thrown 1000 darts at the 4D dartboard thus making her inevitable "I told you so" iron clad.

Are you ready yet to answer the simple question you keep evading?

[JM Hanes]

Did our resident rockers see this (via Instapundit)?

As Rock Enters Its Twilight Years, The Most Iconic Bands Are Melding Together.

Rock on!

[Threadkiller]

Are you ready yet to answer the simple question you keep evading?

Bugged much?

You are more than welcome to bring my answer forward from the end of the thread where maryrose went into hiding shortly after cheering you on.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Since RG brought up the ledge, I’ve been meaning to ask who’s been maintaining the armament in the turrets?--

I believe clarice has replaced the Ma Deuces with Themomixes.

[narciso]

Sounds like the opening to crimson tide:

http://dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5600293/French-navy-ship-aggressively-buzzed-Russian-warplane-Mediterranean.html

If you think of sater as sort of the character from the blacklist it works.

[jim nj]

He put a dam across a brook behind his house to create a swimming pond.

Bet he'd be arrested for doing that today. Or at least under Obama's EPA.

Posted by: jimmyk | April 12, 2018 at 07:25 AM
------
Probably, yes. Now it's been up so long though, you'd probably have to file an environmental impact report before taking down the dam.

I suppose the easiest, least regulatory, way of building a dam on your property now is to buy a pair of beavers.

I used to hike those woods when I was younger. It was originally known as Allison Park, named for William O. Allison, who left a 75 acre property as a public park with a trust fund to care for it.

There were rumors of financial shenanigans amongst the trustees, including the possibility that they might sell the property and take a commission on the sale.

Here's an account of his will:
http://www.njpalisades.org/allisonsWill.html

The upshot of that was the creation of Flat Rock Brook park. In a deal with the Allison trustees the new conservation group took over the property. A NYC Boy Scouts council had a camp next to the property and next to that was an old abandoned quarry. The conservation group acquired those two properties also.

https://flatrockbrook.org/plan-your-visit/our-trails

Shows what it looks like now.
Nice place to visit JimmyK, if you want to get out of the city and take a walk.

[narciso]

I thought Mccarthy's last column was ridiculous , hold my beer:

[JM Hanes]

LOL, Ignatz!

[Threadkiller]

I need to rise early tomorrow, TomR.(less than 24hrs)

I will check out what you discovered in the AM.

Goodnight.

[jim nj]

Hockey genes? When I was young, say maybe 10, my father took me to MSG to see the Rangers vs. the Blackhawks.

Guys skating back and forth, back and forth, BORING.

My father asked me what I thought of the game, and I told him it was boring, just then one of the players took a slap-shot to the face, fell to the ice, ref comes over to him to see how he is, ref wipes his hand against his white pants and five streaks of blood appear. I look at my father and said to him, "Hey, this is fun."

We both lived off that memory for years.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--I suppose the easiest, least regulatory, way of building a dam on your property now is to buy a pair of beavers.--

Perhaps. Just make sure one of them isn't named Stormy.

[Tom R]

Bugged much?

You are more than welcome to bring my answer forward from the end of the thread where maryrose went into hiding shortly after cheering you on.

Why do you think you are bugging me? I'm not the one that completely missed the points being made. If you did answer the question I didn't see it. BTW your attempt to change the question into a different question doesn't count. That was just more evasion on your part.

Lets try one more time.

Do you think Felix Sater, a convicted felon and confidential informant against the Mafia under the control of Loretta Lynch, was a real ally/friend of Donald Trump?

[Gentlejim]

Funny, Clarice and Iggy.

Daddy,
That’s too bad you got that bad gene. I apparently have a bad one also because my wife is always telling me how much I’m missing out not eating tomatoes.

JMH,
Nobody, and I mean nobody, will ever produce another album like “Back in Black”. I say meld away. It might produce some good music.

[Gentlejim]

Jim nj,
Great story. What are your thoughts on hockey now?

Iggy is on tonight. Hahaha.

Nice beaver...

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

A headline I never thought I'd read;
Plight of the green-haired 'punk' turtle that breathes through its GENITALS

[jim nj]

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/984513741004959744.html

This is a thread which is even better than Wictor's, explaining what Trump is doing with the deception.

Posted by: Miss Marple the Deplorable | April 12, 2018 at 07:44 PM
-----
Isn't it amazing to see all of the scurrying around. Ships leaving the port, planes and people re-positioned. We haven't fired a shot yet and we've already degraded their ability to do what they want.

[rich]

a good morning to JOM ... haven't finished catch up but at least the Sox's beat the hated, wicked Yankees ...

... sad night otherwise for this Washington Sports fan ...

[jim nj]

About the only sport I pay attention to is football, and after last season, I'm not sure about that anymore.

At the Rangers vs. Blackhawks game my father offered to buy me a souvenir. I got a puck with the Blackhawks logo, cause it looked better. So I'm not a homer.

Used to watch boxing and whatever they called the matches that included Chuck Norris with my father. Baseball and college football with him also.

No interest in basketball or hockey unless they can find a way to include both in one game.

Baseball - too many strikes - as in labor/management discord. And the games are too long now.

Didn't watch the Winter Olympics.

It's kind of like Reagan, I didn't leave the Democrats, they left me. All these sports left me.

[rich]

>>>Porch, would you believe uniparty avoiding blame and punishment for 8 plus years of destruction of the American working class? The Uniparty under President Jimmy "Malaise" Carter never went this commie, but got blamed.

Posted by: henry | April 12, 2018 at 02:38 PM<<<

In part yes and in part no. Reagan had the Senate for a few years and the Dems had loses in the House but they always controlled the House. The Uniparty really hasn't ever been called to account and some 80% of the House is going to get re-elected. Mostly, people don't want to hear what it is going to take to right the ship ... mush easier to bullshit people with CBO scores, arcane rules, and clever pivot tables.

The federal government needs to be slimmed down dramatically and Congress needs to start exercising a lot more of their oversight and budgeting powers than they have. Start locking up government officials that don't produce documents. Start slashing their budgets. Start making the GS scale at will and take away their 5th amendment protections (ie they can't appeal to the courts over a property interest in their position which they never should have had in the first place).

And good riddance to Paul Ryan. he's a roided up pretendido, trash, and we'll be better without him.

[rich]

hey jimnj.

[rich]

I might KJOM all to myself tonight ...

[rich]

Posted by: fdcol63 🇺🇸 | April 12, 2018 at 02:40 PM

whoa ...that is a dark place. maybe be even too dark for me.

how about some type o negative to get KJOM started

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFwYJYl5GUQ

[rich]

just to cheer us up ...

[rich]

Posted by: Porchlight | April 12, 2018 at 02:45 PM

whoa ... you too.

this calls for some

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izzCbTifhWI

Armageddom

[nsfw]

(oddly a bunch of play lists titled World War3 have this at the top ...)

[jim nj]

https://hotair.com/archives/2018/04/12/russia-us-isnt-careful-war-syria/

Russia is saying that we [the USA] need to be careful or war will break out.

Syria is a target-rich environment even with all the re-positioning the various parties have engaged in.

Are the Russians trying to tell us what we can and cannot target? Or are they worried that we will come after them?

Are they telling us that they have the right to counter-attack?

[jim nj]

https://hotair.com/archives/2018/04/12/mulvaney-congress-thanks-dont-answer-questions-ever/

Too funny. Mulvaney meets with Reps and Sens and says you can compel me to appear before you, but I don't have to answer your questions. Look it up, you guys wrote the law.

[jim nj]

https://twitchy.com/dougp-3137/2018/04/12/uh-oh-this-admission-in-james-comeys-book-about-the-2016-election-is-raising-a-lot-of-eyebrows/?utm_campaign=twitchywidget

Pull quote: Can't get it to work but Comey was aware of polling data while making decisions.

[rich]

Posted by: jim nj | April 13, 2018 at 02:12 AM

all of the above?

my question ... is why syria and why now?

not even a decade has passed since Assad was feted by US Senators and Congressman (some still serving) and some of our leading lights, up to the Arab Dumpster Fire, thought he was the part of "the future".

what changed?

Europe now has a Sunni Expeditionary Army (the Syrian deserters claiming refugee status) in their neighborhoods, Syria is trashed, and powers big and small have actual control of Syrian territory ... bullshit that was all over pipeline geography.