Mueller/Russia investigation

[Mori Chu]

I’m calling it now: Sacha Baron Cohen makes up a ridiculous character, runs him for POTUS as a joke, and actually wins the nomination.

"Allow me to introduce, First Lady ... MY WIFE!!!!! Very nice!"

[Indy]

No, not trolling. Trotting out Warren, Hillary, Sanders, and Biden would be the Dems trolling the US, thinking they could win with anyone, imo.

I agree with you about 3/4 of those: Clinton (won't run), Sanders, and Biden. None of those three should run.

I think you are underestimating Elizabeth Warren. A lot of Democrats looooooove her. And if she starts getting more national attention, her speeches and her work may resonate with undecided voters. She is a stalwart fighter for the rights of Americans over those of corporations and the rich. She has a softer and less divisive version of the kind of progressive politics that made Bernie Sanders so popular, without being overly focused on one issue ("the 1%") like Bernie was.

I think Warren could beat Trump, and she's my current #1 realistic choice for the Democrats' nominee in 2020.

I don't see this country electing the first woman president as also the oldest president ever.

[Nodack]

I didn’t see America electing Trump either.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I’m calling it now: Sacha Baron Cohen makes up a ridiculous character, runs him for POTUS as a joke, and actually wins the nomination.

"Allow me to introduce, First Lady ... MY WIFE!!!!! Very nice!"

Did you ever watch the episode of Black Mirror with Waldo?

[Mori Chu]

Did you ever watch the episode of Black Mirror with Waldo?

Yeah, I have seen all the Black Mirrors. That episode didn't really work for me, but I do think it is interesting to see it in light of Trump's ascension.

[Nodack]

Biden, Sanders top poll of possible Democratic presidential hopefuls
http://thehill.com/hilltv/what-americas ... esidential
Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are the most popular potential 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, according to a new American Barometer poll.

The poll, which is a joint project of Hill.TV and the HarrisX polling company, showed Biden with a 50 percent favorable rating, while Sanders trailed with a 48 percent favorable rating.

Only 31 percent of those polled said they viewed the former vice president unfavorably. A third of respondents said they viewed Sanders unfavorably.

The survey comes as speculation swirls around a slew of potential Democratic contenders, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Kamala Harris (Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Cory Booker (N.J.), who could challenge President Trump in 2020.

[Mori Chu]

I really don't think Biden would make a good candidate. He's too old; his time has passed. And I don't think he makes a good contrast to Trump, partly because Biden himself had a bit of a reputation of being a ladies' man in his day. There might be some "#MeToo" stuff in his past.

[Nodack]

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday announced the Department of Justice's creation of a "religious liberty task force" to "help the department fully implement our religious guidance."

Sessions cited "a dangerous movement" aimed toward stripping away the First Amendment right to freedom of religion as a basis for forming the new task force.
"A dangerous movement, undetected by many, is now challenging and eroding our great tradition of religious freedom," Sessions said in his speech. "There can be no doubt. This is no little matter. It must be confronted and defeated."

????

[Mori Chu]

^ Interesting topic, but maybe should be its own thread? Not sure if it relates to Mueller/Russia stuff.

[Nodack]

It doesn’t relate other than politics. I could start another thread. It is only worth a few posts and didn’t think it deserved it’s own thread.

[ShelC]

The Sessions thing is a total joke. Separation of Church and State maybe? And why, as Attorney General, is he concerned with "Religious Task Forces". Let's be honest, it's about protecting the Christian right and their religious beliefs with regards to LGBTQ issues, among others. I doubt this task force will be concerned with the rights of others, like Muslims or Jews.

Back to Mueller...Manafort's trial began today and a jury was chosen. I believe opening remarks were made. Not sure if anything regarding this case will lead back to Trump. I think it will be seen as a separate matter entirely unless there's some bombshell that's uncovered where Manafort ties Trump directly to Russia in some way. But I think this is more about Manafort acting as a foreign agent and sort of an "election fixer" for other governments in other countries and the money he's taken for it.

[Mori Chu]

I think the hope with the Manafort trial was that the prospect of spending his life in prison would convince Manafort to "flip" on Trump to aid Mueller's investigation. But it looks like Manafort isn't going to do that. My take on it is that he's trying to hold out and see if he can get pardoned by the President.

[Indy]

I think the hope with the Manafort trial was that the prospect of spending his life in prison would convince Manafort to "flip" on Trump to aid Mueller's investigation. But it looks like Manafort isn't going to do that. My take on it is that he's trying to hold out and see if he can get pardoned by the President.

I think he knows he will get pardoned for any federal crimes. The interesting part will be what happens with the state crimes.

[Nodack]

Trumps latest Tweet about Mueller.

"It's time you and your cheap Polyester Slyvestor ambulance chasers get a real job. I know how difficult it must be to walk away from your lucrative private practices of bilking widows out of their life savings, but enough is enough."

[Indy]

that can't be real, right?

[Mori Chu]

I assumed it was a joke or quote from a movie or something, but I didn't get the reference.

[Cap]

I assumed it was a joke or quote from a movie or something, but I didn't get the reference.

I assumed it was real. Believable enough, but the lack of exclamation points should have been a giveaway.

[Nodack]

I posted that after I saw it. Since then I have looked for it to check it’s authenticity and can’t find the quote anywhere now.

[Mori Chu]

BTW, for what it's worth, the Paul Manafort trial is going to wrap up any day now. The jury is in day 4 of their deliberations as I write this. I hope they find him guilty; IMO it's pretty clear that he has been money laundering and committing tax fraud and other financial crimes for years now.

If Manafort goes down, that'll be Trump's campaign manager convicted of living off of dirty Russian money. Pretty big deal.

[Indy]

BTW, for what it's worth, the Paul Manafort trial is going to wrap up any day now. The jury is in day 4 of their deliberations as I write this. I hope they find him guilty; IMO it's pretty clear that he has been money laundering and committing tax fraud and other financial crimes for years now.

If Manafort goes down, that'll be Trump's campaign manager convicted of living off of dirty Russian money. Pretty big deal.

I know it seems like a big deal for any other president that has ever existed in this country, but I don't think it will be a big deal this time.

First, they will say this is for crimes committed before he was working for the campaign.

Second, they will sell it as a "conflicted, corrupt" political attempt to bring down the president by using our "awful" tax laws that try and stop "very successful businessmen" from reinvesting their business earnings in America by having the government take it all.

I really wish 90% of our country cared about awful people behaving this way, but we don't. It is always a 50/50 proposition. You can still find plenty of people that don't think what Nixon did was all that bad.