You Can't Make This Stuff Up. Unless You Do.

Jason Leopold, now performing at Buzzfeed, had Trump in handcuffs, with a story that garnered huge attention and sparked a denial from Mueller.

Those with hearts of stone will remember Jason Leopold from his days as a "Rove to be indicted" fantasist back in May 2006. Yeah, it all went to hell for Leopold and the only detail I remember was their changing of Rove's imminent arrest from "24 hours" to "24 business hours". I've never seen that term before or since, but it was a fun marker in the "Is there anything a hopeless partisan won't believe?" debate.

I actually have a laughably simple explanation for how we arrived at this train wreck that does not involve wilful lying by anyone. Suppose Cohen imagined the ongoing Moscow project as a big payday for himself and was Keeping Hope Alive while Trump, who had been chasing this for decades, had mentally written it off.

Then, somewhere in the course of a two hour meeting on other things, or during an elevator ride, Cohen gets two minutes on Moscow, which Trump tunes out.

Now, months later, Cohen has to testify to Congress. He has a clear memory of discussing Moscow with Trump, so he asks Trump what he should say. Trump has a clear non-memory (if that is even possible) of the topic being raised, so he instructs Cohen to say it was never discussed after January.

Trump is sincere but wrong-ish. Is it a "discussion" if he is not listening and gives utterly distracted answers such as "Yeah, yeah, sounds great"? Is there other evidence of his engagement, such as emails he clearly wrote or approved?. However, Cohen sincerely believes Trump was engaged in these discussions, so he interprets Trump's directive as an order to lie and testifies to that effect to Mueller.

Obviously, the theory that this is a misunderstanding rests in large part on the actual emails. Is Trump crazy enough to have written an email to Cohen with something like "It is important that you lie in your testimony to Congress"? That would be harder to spin.

But if Trump wrote "You should testify that I don't remember any discussions about Moscow after January", is that an order to lie? Cohen may think so since he believed it to be false. However it would take more evidence to prove that Trump was aware that his statement was false (or made in reckless disregard of the truth) rather than simply an example of a memory lapse.

BTW, I blame sports talk radio for this word usage problem - callers, reporters, players and coaches routinely use "lie" when "misremember" would be more appropriate.

Comments

[Jim Eagle]

Primo?

[peter]

First in the Hillary Clinton sense of coming in second.

[boatbuilder]

Come on, Tom. The story was explicitly blown up by Mueller because...its a hoax. A lie. A falsehood.

Treat it as such.

[Jim Eagle]

I thought Trump doesn't use email. Does he?

[henry]

“Lie” will go the path of “racist” and mean nothing by year end.

[boatbuilder]

Also--shouldn't Mueller be publicly flogging and unceremoniously firing one or more members of his team? And perhaps referring them to the regular DoJ for criminal charges?

[clarice]

I'm old and understandably my memory is fading, but I'm rather certain TM did think Rove was going to be indicted.

[MissMarple2]

I am repeating this post because it came at the very end of the last thread, and because I want to make sure people who are pessimistic or discouraged have a chance to see it.

boatbuilder,

People have bought into this Trump/Russia narrative so deeply that they are able to frame anything as supporting their preferred outcome.

I posted a thread yesterday evening about all of the corruption in Arkansas and the indictments and arrests of Arkansas politicians.

This morning, I ran across this thread, which talks about investigations of carruption with Chinese companies in Los Angeles, with a bonus of some stuff going on with DeBlasio and Clinton crnies in New York.

https://twitter.com/BenKTallmadge/status/1086540587707199488

I understand how frustrating it is not to see big names dragged away in handcuffs, but it seems to me that there is SO much to be unraveled, that a strategy of rolling up the smaller fry and cutting off money supplies, as well as getting people to flip, is the path being taken.

[MissMarple2]

I just received a link to an article with an explanation of what he is seeing from ChiTown Lurker. It is going to take me a few minutes to type up his explanation and find the link.

BRB.

[boatbuilder]

My memory is that the Plame case got this blog rolling and put TM on the map.

The man's no dummy.;^)

[Old Lurker]

reposting

MM concerning events impacting voters.

You mentioned Carter 1979 and the Hockey medal 1980.

We have 90 MILLION more people in the country now compared to 1980, and most of the Depression-WWII generation was living and active. Much of that population growth did not come from births and now even those of us who learned what we learned in the 1950's are soon to be over the hill, all of our parents are gone and with them what they taught us about the world, in school and at the dinner table and in our churches.

That of course is my point in chief. We are not the people you and I grew up with. Folks like AOC would be more upset by the untimely death of a Latin Rock Star than she would be by Pearl Harbor or even 9-11.

And there I go again! :-)

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--that is why Oz camels are captured and returned to their old lands to do camel racing and such stuff--

Think about how useless Arab culture is.
They can't even not eff up camels. Camels!

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

AOC can be elected, just as Hillary could have been elected and even Harold Stassen could have.
But none of them will ever be president.

[MissMarple2]

ChiTown's words:

"Please point out this story to OL and "The Disbelievers." A local cop does NOT ever get to make the leap to DEA without Congressional sponsorship in Illinois. Never. Can not happen in The Machine. This cop's sponsor is known to someone in DC besides the sponsor, his or herself. This news is on the par of the Burke indictment, but a pincer move in Illinois. Coincidences here do NOT happen, and this is two within a month. It's being rolled out on someone's timeline and it is NOT The Machine's."

Story from the Tribune:

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-evanston-cop-international-drug-conspiracy-20181211-story.html

Headline:

DEA agent in Chicago charged with conspiring to traffic guns and drugs with international gang

[Old Lurker]

Mel knows that I do not deny many good things happening and expect more to come. I heard the desert they served in 1st Class on the Titanic was to die for.

(ChiTown will chuckle)

[Account Deleted]

You shoulda gone to the March for Life, OL.
Young people & kids everywhere.

Maybe go visit a BIG, messy, Jesus-loving, loud, kid filled Bible church.

Pray for a giant revival in America.
HE is the real hope anyway.

[sbwaters]

In honor of Catsmeat. I re-read this this morning and, despite having read it a half-dozen times, I belly-laugh each time I see it and show it to all nearby to read.

P. G. Wodehouse, Carry on, Jeeves:

Lady Malvern was a hearty, happy, healthy, overpowering sort of dashed female, not so very tall but making up for it by measuring about six feet from the O.P to the Prompt Side. She fitted into my biggest arm-chair as if it had been built around her by someone who knew they were wearing arm-chairs tight about the hips this season.

[MissMarple2]

Old Lurker,

The voters most affected in 1980 were those of the Baby Boom, who were in their 20's and 30's and had been fed a steady diet of liberalism from the media and universities after the Kennedy assassinations.

I can distinctly remember voting for Carter, being disgusted with his incompetence, horror at the fall of the Shah, and suddenly being overwhelmed by patriotism watching the hockey team. If you had asked me about the mind change while I was still in college, I would have totally not believed it.

There are huge numbers of young people who show up at the March for Life. Latino voter support for Trump has risen 19% since the shutdown began. The March for Women is falling apart due to anti-Semitism.

The electorate isn't set in stone. The voters constantly re-assess, change their minds, judge things from new events.

I remain hopeful. I am sorry you don't, but despite reading all of your posts, I see evidence of good things happening so I am not going to get depressed.

[MissMarple2]

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-19/trump-will-offer-democrats-deal-major-announcement-today

Zerohedge quoting Bloomberg.

[Account Deleted]

Thanks to Janet for her 11:11am comments.

i'll back her up with Isaiah (9:2):

"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."

[MissMarple2]

This article has both video and a transcript of Gladys Knight's statement.

http://conservativefighters.org/news/nfl-announces-gladys-knight-will-sing-national-anthem-at-superbowl-liii-she-has-a-message-for-kaepernick/

[clarice]

Jan Shakowsky is the congressman for evanston, Ill. If you recall, it was her husband caught on tape organizing thugs and illegal voting in the Midwest for Hillary.

[Account Deleted]

Another thing anyone can do for 'our side' is support 'our side'.
Subscribe to Prager U. Subscribe to &/or follow Mark Dice or Crowder or whoever.

Even if you don't want to listen or watch (I'm not much of a podcast person), you can get their numbers up.

Make off-hand comments, in daily life, supporting our issues.
~ I avoid "green" products. It's like advertising that it doesn't work as well! Hah! ~

~ Ya gotta give it to Trump. He's sure trying to do what he told his voters he was gonna do. That's refreshing in a politician. ~

Salt 'n light, 'not a sermon just a thought' ....sprinkled throughout our days.

Anyone can do that.

[MissMarple2]

ChiTown just texted me that the President's speech has been moved back an hour, to 4PM Eastern.

[MissMarple2]

Janet,

I agree. AND I avoid "Green" products, too.

Kroger's big specials this week were all of their "Simple Truth" organic items. I will not buy them because they are over-priced to begin with and are nothing but a marketing ploy.

[matt - deplore me if you must]

The whole thing just blew up in Schitt's face, ergo a new term of art; schittfaced.

[matt - deplore me if you must]

He really is having a very bad, doublplusungood week and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Having the gate agent close the airplane door right in his face and now this.

[Account Deleted]

"We have 90 MILLION more people in the country now compared to 1980, and most of the Depression-WWII generation was living and active."

OL: one of the things i can count on is you can provoke a good screed outa me. (Sorry, JiB. This might take up as much room as your Little Drummer Boy story from yesterday. :D )

Out of mass privation, suffering and tragic mass death came the miracle of material affluence, a state that perfectly completed the lives of spiritually faithful Americans.

The spiritual/material plane reflects the Seven Aspects of the Divine: Life-Truth-Love-Principle-Intelligence-Soul-Spirit.

For some today, especially me, despite not having lived through neither Depression or WWII, that perfect completion continues.

For many many millions of Boomer-Xers-Millenials, a great privation will be necessary for them to lift their eyes in search of something greater than their phone screens and other trappings of unearned affluence (yes, they may have worked to get the money to buy the phones but that isn't what i'm referring to--- the sacrifice of a prior generation vanquished the Depression and global fascism, thus setting this great Wheel of Bounty a-rolling).

We are on the threshold of a Great BUST, after nearly 75 years of BOOM.

Where will identity politics, AOC, Hillary, FDR and the rest *leave the True Believers* with their godless socialism/communism and other spiritual diseases of the body politic?

What if the BUST is to be presided over by a Donald J. Trump during his second term? The bill is coming due. i think we would be in great hands because he would show us that our destiny is in our hands--- not in the hands of ideologues and shirkers like Felosi et al.

The winner of the 2020 Presidential sweepstakes---- if it isn't Trump, will the winner have signed on to preside over the BUST? Think of Beto or Kamala presiding over the BUST.

And what about the prognostication that social chaos will be the ONLY response across our Great Land?

Where will the unseen majorities of spiritually faithful people in America set their sights? On the solutions offered by godless women and men?

I choose to believe in the unseen plan of God. And as that faith orders my life, the life of my immediate family (children and grands), my businesses, and my circle of prayer---- i am prepared for what is coming.

I know that i am not alone in this faith backed by good works.

i cannot foretell what the changing demographics mean.

but i can be aware that the world is different each day with the rising of the sun, and by the time it sets.

in all of this there is but one constant--- we are One Nation, under God. (whether the Fashionable believe it or not). Human minds can deny God's existence. But i've believed for a long time: if God didn't exist, then would He have to be denied?

Kev out.

[JimNorCal]

First!
Oh.
Rats :)

[hrtshpdbox]

Trump doesn't write much down, or use email, afaik. There would almost certainly be no way to prove anything Cohen alleges. Someone on Fox said, and it sounds as good as anything I've heard, that Mueller might have felt compelled to address the misinformation driving the political debate because new boss Bill Barr would expect him to.

[Extraneus]

Well, deGenova says it was because if he didn't, Barr would have fired him.

Seems doubtful.

Mark Levin says it was to avoid a leak investigation of the SC's office.

Seems plausible.

[henry]

Lawyer alert: The Supreme Court, yesterday, decided to not take the DACA case, leaving DACA in place for at least another year

Trump offering to extend DACA for a year is like me offering to not lasso the moon. He’s offering to allow something he can’t stop anyway
#TrumpShutdown

https://twitter.com/elienyc/status/1086665170380906502?s=21

[MissMarple2]

Well, this is interesting:

Our Dept of Defense updated their background acct image. 😉

Stealth Bombers fly undetected.
Pain coming.
Q#QAnon #WWG1WGA pic.twitter.com/7Gzq2K5clF

— OutlawJoseyWales⚒️ (@outlawjw) January 19, 2019

Picture at link.

[Tom R]

From the last thread.

Well I'm pissed off over OL's Debbie Downer act of throwing in the towel just like DoT did and betting against the basic goodness of the American people. Fuck that shit. The war isn't lost until I say it is. We have a real President now instead of worthless turds like McCain and Romney that the GOP foisted off on us and maybe he'll be followed up with someone dedicated to continuing what he started.

CH,

You can fight in my foxhole any time. OL can stay back in the rear and clean the latrines. Soldiers with his attitude are a cancer.

True story. During the Desert Shield phase of Desert Storm me and about 15 of my soldiers were deployed to the Saudi/Kuwaiti border. This was before the heavy units arrived. We were there for no reason except to serve as a deterrent against Saddam invading Saudi. If he had invaded we would have been rolled over.

I had a soldier who was a nonstop whiner and complainer about everything. Whined we were going to get killed. Whined about it being to hot. Whined about having nothing to eat but combat rations. We were in the middle of a desert so we had to build a latrine shack. You sat on a piece of plywood with a hole cut in it and there was a metal drum underneath it to catch the piss and crap. Only way to get rid of it was to put diesel in the drum and burn it. To keep the fire from going out someone had to stand there and stir the waste with a stick/pole.

Guess which soldier always got tasked to burn the shit? OL reminds me of that soldier a lot.

[Tom R]

Has this been a helluva week for the MAGA agenda? We have had all the Spygate leaks of Congressional testimony by members of the Obama criminal cabal. We have had Trump’s epic counterpunch and not allowing Pelosi to use a military plane. We have had Mueller pull a major White Hat act and debunk the Buzzfeed propaganda. Today we have Trump’s compromise proposal which will probably include something on DACA.

[Threadkiller]

Did the Private Latrine cry about the current conflict you were in or was he correctly predicting the state of the middle east in the future after US troops left?

[boatbuilder]

MM--By odd coincidence I put "Midnight Train to Georgia" on my short playlist just last week, just because I heard it while shopping or something and it's a great song. I had no idea that Gladys Knight was even still alive, let alone that she was going to sing the anthem. Good for her. Good for America. Dare I say "Good for the NFL?"

[MissMarple2]

This is a very interesting and alarming thread about the Arizona Mafia, Democrat politics, and funds coming from Mexico.

https://twitter.com/realJeffreyP/status/1086347155802128388

[MissMarple2]

boatbuilder, I didn't realize she was still alive, either.

I was so encouraged to read her comment!

[Manuel Transmission]

Don’t think it’s been linked, but pretty interesting argument for IQ increases with adversity as the outcasts and malcontents left Africa. Maybe daddy’s chicks in OZ reflect similar effects in the shorter span.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2019/01/james_watson_and_the_rewards_of_intelligence.html

[Account Deleted]

"We have had Mueller pull a major White Hat act and debunk the Buzzfeed propaganda."

Says you. I'm not interested in your customary "bottle caps" style of argument going forward. you had your say. Fair enough. It has been a great week for MAGA. Can't wait for the announcement. May it not underwhelm.

Says me:

Mueller is my enemy. He is undercutting the executive authority of a sitting president (net impact).

Mueller decides to conduct a tactical retreat from the field where Cohen is maneuvering in the face of the President. the tactical retreat said Cohen was being "less than accurate."

so when my enemy maneuvers and backs off of an offensive maneuver against me and mine--- does that make that maneuver a white hat maneuver?

nope. Mueller is at the very least operating in his own self-interest to conserve his power given the paucity of his results after 2 years.

[peter]

You're welcome, MM at around 9:45 pm on last thread;
Volkswagen Beetle first came to this country 70 years ago:

https://www.automobilemag.com/news/first-vw-beetle-landed-in-the-u-s-70-years-ago/?sm_id=organic_fb_AMAG_trueanthem&utm_campaign&utm_content=5c42062204d301705208c4dc&utm_medium&utm_source&fbclid=IwAR3yFrAqQlu1cdkkl76O6yNfjF7kzErt0eCH2vwmHJQqmesWFD3ez-wcOrU

some great old pics of the little Nazi putt-putt mobiles.

[JimNorCal]

Ext 12:14: "Mark Levin says it was to avoid a leak investigation of the SC's office."

Whatever the reason, it is a curious event. It doesn't fit well into any of the theories, at least at first glance.

[Account Deleted]

Mark Dice
‏Verified account @MarkDice

Isn't it time BuzzFeed get banned from Twitter for spreading fake news? I thought social media companies were cracking down on those kinds of accounts. 🤷🏼‍♂️
6:10 PM - 18 Jan 2019

[Account Deleted]

I regret ever having said i wouldn't want OL in my foxhole. Truly.

Here's why: between CH and OL and me in the same foxhole i'd have to say our enemies would be facing a level of diabolical menace they could never foresee.

:D

[Account Deleted]

Favorite scene from Denzel's "Equalizer" was when he tells two homies in the warehouse who want to know if he's famous or something.

Denzel says: "yes. i'm a Pip." he flashes a phone vid. "Third one on the right."

Then there was the SNL skit when SNL was half funny in the 70s: "..and the Pips". No Gladys Knight-- just 3 guys making moves and doing back up vocals.

:D

[anonamom]

WOW!!!!
I'm old and understandably my memory is fading, but I'm rather certain TM did think Rove was going to be indicted.

Posted by: clarice

I suddenly feel far less guilty about the amount of time I spend reading this blog. Maybe I do need a Thermomix--

[Account Deleted]

i especially avoid "green products" made in Communist China.

speaking of which, is Bezos continuing Whole Foods practice of importing "organic" produce from Communist China?

[Tom R]

https://www.axios.com/trump-expected-immigration-compromise-speech-border-wall-a8713395-d085-4921-a0c8-699872dcd534.html

All the talk so far has centered around Pelosi being in full control of the Democrat's position and as long as she says No to the border wall the shutdown continues.

Pretending that Democrats are willing to concede and agree to a compromise, how does Schumer handle this? Does he order the Democrats not to filibuster or if they do filibuster, order some of them to vote for cloture on the filibuster? I'm guessing the former. After that we have to assume the RINOs in the Senate will support Trump.

[Account Deleted]

i have the Chiefs by 3 against NE. homefield adv for Chiefs. the team that can pound the rock will win it. almost too close to call.

won't bet against the Saints this week. Rams have had a good run but i'm not sold on Rams' QB Goff. Great run this year. But Breese is the man in this one.

Speaking of the NFL: seen those "Inspire Change" ads by the league. gagworthy. they must be awash with cash.

[Old Lurker]

Glad to keep you thinkin, Kev!

[MissMarple2]

Ice has started hitting the windows and the wind is sounding like "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon."

Maggie keeps wanting to go outside like she has assumed the personna of Yukon King.

Just hearing that wind makes me cold!

[Captain Hate]

I didn't say anything earlier today that I haven't stated before: that we were sold out by the GOP in giving us terrible choices in McCain and Romney and I won't badmouth anyone who voted against them. Just because we lied to ourselves that maybe they wouldn't be quite as bad as every waking instinct told us doesn't give us the high road at all.

I'll do everything I can to aid in the euthanasia of the GOPe. MAGA.

[henry]

The plow just finished my driveway, now the temp drops to 3 overnight.

[Tom R]

Whatever the reason, it is a curious event. It doesn't fit well into any of the theories, at least at first glance.

Mueller’s action yesterday fits perfectly into my theory. The funny thing about that is there are probably more Trump haters now who believe in the plausibility of that theory than Trump supporters.

[MissMarple2]

https://publicpool.kinja.com/subject-updated-daily-guidance-and-press-schedule-for-1831893363

Updated White House press schedule.

[Momto2]

From the Gladys Knight article:

Scott, 26, reportedly consulted with Kaepernick before confirming the appearance. The two didn’t agree on Scott performing but came away with a mutual understanding over why he would be performing.

Here Scott demonstrates:

[Captain Hate]

I don't think Mueller had a choice on withholding information Rosenstein surely knew he had. In fact you could argue that he held off on releasing it to a time where it had the least possible headline impact.

[peter]

Anonamom @ 1:35! ha!

[Rocco]

Given the dirty rotten things these traitors have done to the presidents family, I would hope he'd go for their throats as soon as he could. As a father, if you come after my loved ones, no mercy!

[MissMarple2]

ChiTown called my attention to this:

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-19/blackrock-accidentally-exposes-confidential-sales-data-thousands-financial-advisors

[clarice]

Maybe Mueller feared there'd be an investigation into leaks from his shop if he didn't put a halt to it. Who knows?

[D]

Clarice is correct.
I remember the Rove and perp-walked incident within 24 business hours like it was yesterday.
I thought long and hard about posting this but I have decided to say it and take the consequences.
Recently the level of misunderstanding and crudeness have reached a height I am not comfortable with.
I am now reluctant to comment because I know I will be attacked by certain posters who are angry with me or just feel like I am an easy target.
I have defended people and have had vitriol and insults directed at me.
Some reactions to comments have been totally off base wrt what the original poster intended.
I now no longer respond directly to about 5 people because of their rude comments and vulgarity. I think we can do better.
That is just my opinion.
I will be returning to a sub position at my old high school, so I will post less in the future.
I am optimistic about the future.
Punching back harder sometimes seems to be more important to some than the original discussion.
Thank you for listening.

[peter]

Going to shave now. On weekends, I use double edged safety razors, and have been doing so for long before the Gillette kerfuff

[Captain Hate]

The funny thing about that is there are probably more Trump haters now who believe in the plausibility of that theory than Trump supporters.

Jonathan Karl telling Stephanapoulis that maybe Mueller's report will fall short of their expectations was the first step in coming to grips with reality.

[Tom R]

Punching back harder sometimes seems to be more important to some than the original discussion.

MR,

I believe the person who throws the first punch should be held accountable for their actions. You and a couple other people here never hold your friends, especially if they are a “popular” poster, accountable when they throw the first punch. Instead you try to fault me for how I respond to them. Suffice it to say the level of respect I have for your opinion on anything is not very high.

Have a MAGA day.

[JimNorCal]

Me: Whatever the reason, it is a curious event. It doesn't fit well into any of the theories, at least at first glance.

TomR: Mueller’s action yesterday fits perfectly into my theory.

The thing that puzzles me is why debunk this particular story? If you are a "hidden white hat" why not remain under cover? If you are a white hat but not a hidden white hat, why not debunk other stories that have come up?

[Jane]

"Maybe Mueller feared there'd be an investigation into leaks from his shop if he didn't put a halt to it."

Mueller was afraid Barr would catch him. Supposedly it was 2 people on his team that leaked (assuming there was a leak) and they need to be fired.

[D]

The level of respect I have for your opinion is not very high.
This is a direct quote.
I guess there is no charitable way I can respond to that.

[henry]

Since Tom R’s theory seems to be “anything that happens fits perfectly” I’m not surprised he claims the latest kerfluffle fit perfectly.

[D]

Jane:
I so hope that is true.

[Account Deleted]

"I am now reluctant to comment because I know I will be attacked by certain posters who are angry with me or just feel like I am an easy target."

Certain posters are:

1. "angry with me",
2. "just feel like i am an easy target."

Those don't include my motivations in the least.

i grew up an aggro tetherball player during grade school tournaments.

i love pinatas, peaking under the blindfold, and swinging for the fences.

i grew up heckling four sisters who'd make declarations that sounded like "never playing with you ever again!"

[Tom R]

Jim @2:29

My theory holds that Trump’s tweets about the Mueller SC being a witch hunt were straight out of Sun Tzu’s chapter on deception. Whatever Mueller has been working on, which we still don’t know for certain yet thanks to the redacted appointment memo, Trump has wanted his opponents to think Mueller has been trying to destroy him while in reality Mueller has been working on something else.

One reason Mueller finally took a public White Hat action yesterday may be because the SC investigation and/or the Horowitz investigation are wrapping up and the deception campaign is no longer needed.

[Captain Hate]

Isn't leaking a crime? If Mueller supervises people he finds out are leakers, shouldn't he refer them for prosecution?

[sbwaters]

peter: On weekends, I use double edged safety razors, and have been doing so for long before the Gillette kerfuff

Same here.

The powers that be at Gillette should study the history of capitalism about which they seem woefully ignorant.

If they misunderstand capitalism, they misunderstand both justice and what made our country great.

[Tom R]

I guess there is no charitable way I can respond to that.

Technically you can’t respond to it thanks to your newly announced position that there are 5 posters who you won’t directly respond to anymore. This awesome week of MAGA winning will get even better if I am one of those 5 posters.

[clarice]

I don't know why the arguments must so often become personal attacks. Really, I don't. Much of what we discuss here, involved interpretations and suppositions and one doesn't have to personalize disagreement with them. It's enough to voice disagreement and say why.

[Tom R]

CH @2:39

Fairly certain leaking is only a crime if the information leaked is classified info.

[anonamom]

From my oldest. Comfortably Smug is a very witty poster--- ?libertarian? ---on Twitter.

Comfortably Smug
‏

@ComfortablySmug
Following Following @ComfortablySmug
More
At 4pm after Trump's proclamation, the Libs will be given 30 minutes to hide and/or fortify their defenses before we activate the Knights of Columbus to begin capturing them for relocation to Gitmo.

11:20 AM - 19 Jan 2019

[Pinandpuller]

@PamelaGeller
Twitter has sent me notice "to consult legal counsel" because the tweet below "is in violation of Pakistan [sharia] law." You bloody cowards can kiss my free ass.
I am an American. You are an American company. Act like it, sniveling slaves.

@PamelaGeller
Sweden: Muslims who wanted to “kill as many as possible” over Muhammad cartoon to be released from prison: Madness. These terrorists have threatened violence to staff and other prisoners during their prison sentence, with one requiring isolation after… http://dlvr.it/QvXgGg

[Captain Hate]

You might be right, Tom, but I'd like the legal beagles to weigh in on grand jury testimony.

[Tom R]

Clarice,

I fully agree with you. Hopefully the people who always throw the first punch will take heed of your words.

[henry]

Pointing out folly is different from throwing a punch.

[sbwaters]

Just suppose, in his address today, Trump thanks the Problem Solvers (new Republicans and Democrats in the House) who visited the White House to discuss border security and the wall with him.

Suppose he explains the group recommended re-opening government while they worked to resolve the stalemate. Suppose Trump agrees to sign a simple resolution to re-open government for 30 days.

That puts Nancy Pelosi under severe pressure. Trump had walked out of the original meeting only after Pelosi said that she would never support a wall even if the shutdown were paused for a month to negotiate a compromise.

Trump is a problem-solver. Pelosi is, to be charitable, not.

[MissMarple2]

More ice and the interstates are now sleet-covered.

[Buckeye]

Isn't leaking a crime? If Mueller supervises people he finds out are leakers, shouldn't he refer them for prosecution?

Prosecution is just for the little people CH.

Being part of Mueller's team makes them untouchable.

I do wonder if a couple of guys may have gone rogue?

[sbwaters]

In his negotiating, I’d like to see Trump propose a compromise to have Congress allocate half of his $5.7 million with the agencies on the ground deciding how much should be spent on adding, extending, or reinforcing existing barriers.

[D]

Fortunately I grew up with 4 great brothers and we were all supportive of each other because for a period of time we were all the family we had.
Two wonderful sisters were also and continue to be a blessing to me.
How interesting that KK said that is not his motivation.I believe because I told him his posts are too long he has been paying me back ever since.
I liked the Drummer Boy post of JIB as did many others.
We can agree to disagree and still be positive and accepting.
I will turn 69 tomorrow.
I have enjoyed this blog for over 13 years.
I hope I can in the coming year as well.

[Momto2]

Isn't it odd we have so many leaks from so many places but none from RBG's hospital staff?

Alternate theory - There ARE leaks but the news isn't what the media wants to hear so it isn't being reported.

[Jim Eagle]

Discussing shaving, I have my great grandfather’s set of ivory-handled straight razors that are a set of seven, one for each day. Sheffield steel. They are in a velvet lined mahogany box with his initials in ivory. From time to time, I will take one to my barber to strop them, and using a mug, soap and brush from Trumpers, on Jermyn St., London.

Use to get my haircut there when I lived there. Still use their aftershave, Wellington one. Worth a visit if ever there but bring lots on money.

[MissMarple2]

sbwaters,

I would call her a problem CAUSER.

Boy, the conspiracy theories are going wild on Twitter. I sure will be interested to hear this speech!

[henry]

sbw, the problem with compromise of 30 days of open government while “solving” the wall is we’ve had 30 years of open government and no wall... just increased illegales, oh then give them food stamps... oh they need drivers licenses... oh gotta give them free tuition at state universities... gee not human to deny them free healthcare... to now gotta count them in the census and let them vote.

At some point you have to walk away from the table. We were at that point 29 years ago.

[D]

Henry:
Well said , totally agree.
CH:
I hope they do prosecute the leakers, just like I hope they arrest and prosecute Comey, Baker, McCabe, Yates, Strzok, Brennan, Clapper and Hillary and Obama.

[MissMarple2]

https://quodverum.com/2019/01/19/a-des-erate-man-michael-cohen.html

This is by the guy who used to post on Twitter as Imperator Rex, but now just goes by Rex on Quodverum.

LOTS of interesting information in this article.

[Captain Hate]

Alternate theory - There ARE leaks but the news isn't what the media wants to hear so it isn't being reported.

Wait until NPR starts to play dirge music.

[D]

Momto2:
They will only give us the true story on RBG when they are absolutely forced to do it.

[sbwaters]

t some point you have to walk away from the table. We were at that point 29 years ago.

Which Trump rightly did. This move would either a) win, or b) cement in the public mind that Trump was correct.

Nancy is left no negotiating room. Not even with her own party.

[MissMarple2]

If you guys read that article by Rex I posted above you will see that they do, indeed, avoid publishing information they don't like.

[Account Deleted]

Tom R: the way i've experienced you is one who makes points but includes barbs in them--- before somebody socks you in the mouth or deftly derides your statements.

the barbs go something like this: "Anyone who would *believe* THAT is stupid etc etc etc." So people here self-select and come after you. And that justifies your counter-punch.

when you and i first started mixing it up (back in the day when i was calling you Tommy Boy, etc) i was throwing blows.

but, someone here cautioned me about conducting myself that way because we all are amongst friends here.

so i switched. and you too, did the same and stopped putting barbs in your arguments directed at me. we still contend with each other; but, we aren't just socking each other in the mouf.

now we are just a coupla garden variety Teletubbies on a blog and it's just hunky dory.
(/sarc)

but when you say you are only counterpunching, it does not seem to be quite the case.

with some, it's been going on for so long now that "who threw the first punch" is pointless.

sorta like Fort Sumter.

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
1h1 hour ago

I will be live from the White House at 4:00 P.M.