The Trump Whistleblower Extravaganza Thread

[Skjellyfetti]

President Trump told his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to hold back almost $400 million in military aid for Ukraine at least a week before a phone call in which Trump is said to have pressured the Ukrainian president to investigate the son of former vice president Joe Biden, according to three senior administration officials.

Officials at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) relayed Trump’s order to the State Department and the Pentagon during an interagency meeting in mid-July, according to officials who spoke on the condition on anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. They explained that the president had “concerns” and wanted to analyze whether the money needed to be spent.

Administration officials were instructed to tell lawmakers that the delays were part of an “interagency process” but to give them no additional information — a pattern that continued for nearly two months, until the White House released the funds on the night of Sept. 11.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national ... story.html

[Ibanez]

If Trump tried to use US foreign assistance dollars as a lever to get the Burisma investigation restarted then this is a lot more than a nothingburger. His mouth wrote a check that he might need to cash in prison (or on a Pence pardon)

Also - it is entirely possible that Biden did try to use those same dollars to get Shokin fired and it could actually have nothing to do with the fact that his son was being paid by Burisma or however it is spelled (and using aid dollars as a lever is perfectly legitimate in a foreign policy sense). But this is precisely why politicians should avoid conflicts of interest, and why Obama should have sent somebody else to twist the Ukraine's collective arm. This is just basic Ethics 101 - and it is why Trump gets a pass from his base... because they have the "well they do it too" whatabout this or that defense

If Biden was on the up and up, then a LOT of time is going to be wasted here - in fact it might just muddy the water enough to get Trump off the hook

Imagine that - yet another roundabout misstep of a previous administration or the DNC or the MSM that contributes to Trump's election and then his continuing presence in the White House....

Obama's minimization of Russia with Romney

CNN's millions of dollars of free campaign ads for Trump

Hillary's deplorable comments

Hillary's campaign paying a foreign agent to collect dirt on a political candidate

Comey's 11th hour nevermind on Carlos Danger's laptop

FBI texts and emails and the "insurance policy"


Trump's biggest enabler is Da Resistunce

A Republican was on CNN yesterday and what he said is probably the most honest thing I've heard from a politician in a long time. I'll paraphrase, " What's going to bring us all down is our strict adherence to situational ethics." I feel that's true.

If Trump were a Democrat, the Republicans would be foaming at the mouths to impeach him. But he's not, so he gets a pass. Democrats are giving Warren a free pass on her cultural appropriation or that Governor who was in black face. But if any of those two were Republicans, there'd be protests and rioting in the streets.


Situational ethics only creates more division and has reduced politicians to using the Kindergartner Defense, " Yeah, but he did it too!"

[Ivytalk]

I went to Catholic school with Hunter Biden - I could tell he was stoned when he had his parents cut his spaghetti dinner...

FIFY

[Ivytalk]

If Trump wanted this to go away, he'd release everything and say, " See, look at it for yourself. There's nothing there!" He should do that and take his victory lap.

If not, then deal with the idea that you're covering something up. Either way put up or shut up.

That certainly is the “Occam’s razor” solution.

[Ibanez]

I don't believe this.


If anything, the waitstaff would've cut his dinner and fed him.

Don't you mean servants?

The "downstairs" people

[Ibanez]

If Trump wanted this to go away, he'd release everything and say, " See, look at it for yourself. There's nothing there!" He should do that and take his victory lap.

If not, then deal with the idea that you're covering something up. Either way put up or shut up.

That certainly is the “Occam’s razor” solution.

No doubt about it. If you have nothing to hide, then submitting to requests to prove your innocence only makes your accusers look stupid.

Right?

[Ivytalk]

That certainly is the “Occam’s razor” solution.

No doubt about it. If you have nothing to hide, then submitting to requests to prove your innocence only makes your accusers look stupid.

Right?

Yes.

Especially when the conservative media types — and not just The Bulwark— are calling for the same thing. David French at NR, Jonah Goldberg in the LA Times, etc.

[Ivytalk]

President Trump told his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to hold back almost $400 million in military aid for Ukraine at least a week before a phone call in which Trump is said to have pressured the Ukrainian president to investigate the son of former vice president Joe Biden, according to three senior administration officials.

Officials at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) relayed Trump’s order to the State Department and the Pentagon during an interagency meeting in mid-July, according to officials who spoke on the condition on anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. They explained that the president had “concerns” and wanted to analyze whether the money needed to be spent.

Administration officials were instructed to tell lawmakers that the delays were part of an “interagency process” but to give them no additional information — a pattern that continued for nearly two months, until the White House released the funds on the night of Sept. 11.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national ... story.html

So you’re saying that Mulvaney is playing Haldeman to Trump’s Nixon? Discuss.

You don’t say much of anything these days, Analjelly. You just post drive-by snippets. Still suffering from the afterburn of your Russia thread?

[andy7171]

Why do you hate America and our government so much?

Have you not had the freedom to live a prosperous, healthy and choice filled life? It's worked out pretty nicely for you & fellow Conks.

Republicans: Government should be small.

Also Republicans: The President has absolute power.

Reality: The power of people should be so weak it can be trampled upon with little effort.

What in the living fuck?

[Ibanez]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national ... story.html

So you’re saying that Mulvaney is playing Haldeman to Trump’s Nixon? Discuss.

You don’t say much of anything these days, Analjelly. You just post drive-by snippets. Still suffering from the afterburn of your Russia thread?

Mick Mulvaney is a chode. I've noticed that around here (where Mick is from) a lot of my Trump supporter friends have been turning on him and Trump.

Mostly b/c they are sick and tired of the rhetoric and never liked Mick to begin with.

[Skjellyfetti]

So you’re saying that Mulvaney is playing Haldeman to Trump’s Nixon? Discuss.

You don’t say much of anything these days, Analjelly. You just post drive-by snippets. Still suffering from the afterburn of your Russia thread?

Why bother? When I type out a response it just gets glossed over or ignored. See: my question to SeattleGriz in this thread.

Also, not sure if Guiliani or Mulvaney is the Haldeman in this story. Too soon to tell.

[GannonFan]

If Trump tried to use US foreign assistance dollars as a lever to get the Burisma investigation restarted then this is a lot more than a nothingburger. His mouth wrote a check that he might need to cash in prison (or on a Pence pardon)

Also - it is entirely possible that Biden did try to use those same dollars to get Shokin fired and it could actually have nothing to do with the fact that his son was being paid by Burisma or however it is spelled (and using aid dollars as a lever is perfectly legitimate in a foreign policy sense). But this is precisely why politicians should avoid conflicts of interest, and why Obama should have sent somebody else to twist the Ukraine's collective arm. This is just basic Ethics 101 - and it is why Trump gets a pass from his base... because they have the "well they do it too" whatabout this or that defense

If Biden was on the up and up, then a LOT of time is going to be wasted here - in fact it might just muddy the water enough to get Trump off the hook

Imagine that - yet another roundabout misstep of a previous administration or the DNC or the MSM that contributes to Trump's election and then his continuing presence in the White House....

Obama's minimization of Russia with Romney

CNN's millions of dollars of free campaign ads for Trump

Hillary's deplorable comments

Hillary's campaign paying a foreign agent to collect dirt on a political candidate

Comey's 11th hour nevermind on Carlos Danger's laptop

FBI texts and emails and the "insurance policy"


Trump's biggest enabler is Da Resistunce

That's the irony of all of this. Everyone knows that Trump is pretty despicable. I don't think that's ever been in doubt. But in being so fanatical in the eagerness of being part of "The Resistance" the Dems have let Trump, as he's apt to do, suck them into his world. The irony of Trump using the Presidential position to strongarm a foreign ally to dig up dirt on a political opponent is lost on the people so fanatical to bring him down. Their own champions, first Hillary with paying a foreign agent during a campaign to go to Russia and get political dirt from them on Trump, and then Obama declassifying as much as he could on the way out the door of the same ill-gotten Russian dirt so as to make sure his political rival was hobbled once he took office. Because Trump is so clearly despicable his opponents have seem to lost all sense of reason of their own behavior, feeling that whatever they do is justified because he is so despicable.

In the end, this may work out as it may clear out the political baggage that has been Clinton, Biden, Obama, and Trump. It may mean that we end up with Warren. She's like a Sanders, in that most of what she wants to do will never happen, but at least it won't be a continuation of the past 12 years of political malfeasance for personal gain masquerading as policy.

[Winterborn]

That's the irony of all of this. Everyone knows that Trump is pretty despicable. I don't think that's ever been in doubt. But in being so fanatical in the eagerness of being part of "The Resistance" the Dems have let Trump, as he's apt to do, suck them into his world. The irony of Trump using the Presidential position to strongarm a foreign ally to dig up dirt on a political opponent is lost on the people so fanatical to bring him down. Their own champions, first Hillary with paying a foreign agent during a campaign to go to Russia and get political dirt from them on Trump, and then Obama declassifying as much as he could on the way out the door of the same ill-gotten Russian dirt so as to make sure his political rival was hobbled once he took office. Because Trump is so clearly despicable his opponents have seem to lost all sense of reason of their own behavior, feeling that whatever they do is justified because he is so despicable.

In the end, this may work out as it may clear out the political baggage that has been Clinton, Biden, Obama, and Trump. It may mean that we end up with Warren. She's like a Sanders, in that most of what she wants to do will never happen, but at least it won't be a continuation of the past 12 years of political malfeasance for personal gain masquerading as policy.

One can hope that it will clear out the political baggage of the previous administrations, but if anyone is under the opinion that Warren or Sanders will not be doing the same things is just a bit delusional. Neither of them fall in the category of a honest and upstanding politician (if there is such a thing at the national level). We will just get another 4 (or 8) years of the same scandals with a different twist.

[kalm]

So I guess that would be a know then from these three^^^

We'll see what happens. That's pretty much my stance.

Your reply to Jelly’s question said otherwise.

[Pwns]

It's not just #TheResistance. When I hear that Trump is using his office to enrich himself, I just have to shrug my shoulders. That some other high office may do it legally or less blatantly illegal seems like a meaningless distinction with the state of our campaign finance and anti-corruption laws and just in general how we've let the political class get away with more than we should.

Trump is our reckoning for years of not properly holding the powerful accountable, and until we fix the underlying problem it won't be long before we get another Trump, and next time it could be someone who has the same contempt for the rule of law but is more clever about covering up his (or her) tracks and finger prints.

[SeattleGriz]

We'll see what happens. That's pretty much my stance.

Your reply to Jelly’s question said otherwise.

Just leaning with past history here. Dems cry end of World, truth comes out they are guilty of doing what they are decrying and the media loses even more of what little respect they had.

I come about this more from a political class vs the people as opposed to Dem vs Rep. I know Reps are guilty too, but the way the political class has attacked Trump for all the crap they do daily is what drives me crazy.

[GannonFan]

Your reply to Jelly’s question said otherwise.

Just leaning with past history here. Dems cry end of World, truth comes out they are guilty of doing what they are decrying and the media loses even more of what little respect they had.

I come about this more from a political class vs the people as opposed to Dem vs Rep. I know Reps are guilty too, but the way the political class has attacked Trump for all the crap they do daily is what drives me crazy.

I don't doubt that - the political nihilism is real and the real strength behind Trump, probably more than anything else.

[Skjellyfetti]

Your reply to Jelly’s question said otherwise.

Just leaning with past history here. Dems cry end of World, truth comes out they are guilty of doing what they are decrying and the media loses even more of what little respect they had.

I come about this more from a political class vs the people as opposed to Dem vs Rep. I know Reps are guilty too, but the way the political class has attacked Trump for all the crap they do daily is what drives me crazy.

The DNI could release the whistleblower complaint to the appropriate Congressional committees (as required by law) and clear it up.

It's almost like theyd rather muddy the waters than clear it up for some reason.

[Ibanez]

Just leaning with past history here. Dems cry end of World, truth comes out they are guilty of doing what they are decrying and the media loses even more of what little respect they had.

I come about this more from a political class vs the people as opposed to Dem vs Rep. I know Reps are guilty too, but the way the political class has attacked Trump for all the crap they do daily is what drives me crazy.

The DNI could release the whistleblower complaint to the appropriate Congressional committees (as required by law) and clear it up.

It's almost like theyd rather muddy the waters than clear it up for some reason.

Honestly - this is PR 101.

Bad news is released.
Attack the source.
Defend,deflect,denigrate, defend.

By the time ANYTHING comes out, so much mud has been slung and time has passed that our ADD afflicted populace has moved on to the next thing and has forgotten about it or just don't care.

It's effective. And Trump is a master at PR. Gotta give him credit for that. He could murder the Pope on live TV, and spin it in a way that Republicans will defend his crime.

[∞∞∞]

Fantasyland for the Libs. Little boys crying wolf again, no credibility. Just another nothing .

Most everything has been a something burger.

Republicans just ignore them.

[GannonFan]

The DNI could release the whistleblower complaint to the appropriate Congressional committees (as required by law) and clear it up.

It's almost like theyd rather muddy the waters than clear it up for some reason.

Honestly - this is PR 101.

Bad news is released.
Attack the source.
Defend,deflect,denigrate, defend.

By the time ANYTHING comes out, so much mud has been slung and time has passed that our ADD afflicted populace has moved on to the next thing and has forgotten about it or just don't care.

It's effective. And Trump is a master at PR. Gotta give him credit for that. He could murder the Pope on live TV, and spin it in a way that Republicans will defend his crime.

True, but the Dems wouldn't try to impeach him, or even investigate to impeach him, if he did that. An election is coming up, and Dems haven't wanted impeachment to get in the way of the election. Too much risk to the down-ticket races. It's always about winning elections, it has nothing to do with doing what's right. That's where the Dems and the GOP are indistinguishable.

[css75]

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[css75]

If Trump tried to use US foreign assistance dollars as a lever to get the Burisma investigation restarted then this is a lot more than a nothingburger. His mouth wrote a check that he might need to cash in prison (or on a Pence pardon)

Also - it is entirely possible that Biden did try to use those same dollars to get Shokin fired and it could actually have nothing to do with the fact that his son was being paid by Burisma or however it is spelled (and using aid dollars as a lever is perfectly legitimate in a foreign policy sense). But this is precisely why politicians should avoid conflicts of interest, and why Obama should have sent somebody else to twist the Ukraine's collective arm. This is just basic Ethics 101 - and it is why Trump gets a pass from his base... because they have the "well they do it too" whatabout this or that defense

If Biden was on the up and up, then a LOT of time is going to be wasted here - in fact it might just muddy the water enough to get Trump off the hook

Imagine that - yet another roundabout misstep of a previous administration or the DNC or the MSM that contributes to Trump's election and then his continuing presence in the White House....

Obama's minimization of Russia with Romney

CNN's millions of dollars of free campaign ads for Trump

Hillary's deplorable comments

Hillary's campaign paying a foreign agent to collect dirt on a political candidate

Comey's 11th hour nevermind on Carlos Danger's laptop

FBI texts and emails and the "insurance policy"


Trump's biggest enabler is Da Resistunce

A Republican was on CNN yesterday and what he said is probably the most honest thing I've heard from a politician in a long time. I'll paraphrase, " What's going to bring us all down is our strict adherence to situational ethics." I feel that's true.

If Trump were a Democrat, the Republicans would be foaming at the mouths to impeach him. But he's not, so he gets a pass. Democrats are giving Warren a free pass on her cultural appropriation or that Governor who was in black face. But if any of those two were Republicans, there'd be protests and rioting in the streets.


Situational ethics only creates more division and has reduced politicians to using the Kindergartner Defense, " Yeah, but he did it too!"

Your best post in along time.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[BDKJMU]

The DNI could release the whistleblower complaint to the appropriate Congressional committees (as required by law) and clear it up.

It's almost like theyd rather muddy the waters than clear it up for some reason.

Honestly - this is PR 101.

Bad news is released.
Attack the source.
Defend,deflect,denigrate, defend.

By the time ANYTHING comes out, so much mud has been slung and time has passed that our ADD afflicted populace has moved on to the next thing and has forgotten about it or just don't care.

It's effective. And Trump is a master at PR. Gotta give him credit for that. He could murder the Pope on live TV, and spin it in a way that Republicans will defend his crime.

Replace Trump with Obama or Clinton (Bill or Hillary). And Republicans with Democrats. Heck, 27 years ago Clinton was referred to as the Teflon candidate. Both of them had people that were masters of PR.

[SeattleGriz]

The DNI could release the whistleblower complaint to the appropriate Congressional committees (as required by law) and clear it up.

It's almost like theyd rather muddy the waters than clear it up for some reason.

Honestly - this is PR 101.

Bad news is released.
Attack the source.
Defend,deflect,denigrate, defend.

By the time ANYTHING comes out, so much mud has been slung and time has passed that our ADD afflicted populace has moved on to the next thing and has forgotten about it or just don't care.

It's effective. And Trump is a master at PR. Gotta give him credit for that. He could murder the Pope on live TV, and spin it in a way that Republicans will defend his crime.

Seems Dems have been pulling this for a little while longer.

Did you even know any of this before this week?

https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/46 ... -elections