Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[hack]

We're not going to get anything better if we keep on settling for false comparisons. Save for Wiz, but he's just going to have to suffer. There's not enough room on a ball cap for "Make America Understandable Again But No Using Big Words That Have More Than Four Letters In Them".

[froot loops]

I do like how he basically ignored my whole supposition that it is much different to try and set up communications in the Russian embassy by saying, but Iran is OK? That is pretty much the GOP spin on this story. But he's above the party BS, sure man.

To me back channel communications is having Bill Richardson talk to some diomat on the other side. Not going to the Iranian embassy to talk on Iranian communications equipment for a hotel/casino deal. But that's me.

[Wild Hoss]

You start delving into semantics here I suppose, but I would agree that "backchannel" would be a means of communicating outside formal diplomatic procedures, but still documented or at least known about in some fashion by the national security apparatus. That, I would assume, is irregular, but not uncommon.

Contact by means which would bypass any documentation or knowledge of communication by said national security apparatus would be quite another matter. That is what appears to have been going on with Kushner's pursuits. The Iranian situation, IDK.

[hack]

It doesn't matter the country, ultimately. A backchannel to Ottawa to discuss construction matters for the Trump Tower in Toronto is not OK. A backchannel to Iran in hopes of preventing nuclear armament is OK. This is basic stuff. It shouldn't really need to be pointed out that it makes a difference whether your goal is a policy objective or the illegal use of your office to line your own pockets. That's not really something we need to debate, is it?

[Wild Hoss]

That's not really something we need to debate, is it?

I'll go out on a limb and say "Yes".

[froot loops]

It may be no issue at all, maybe he was trying to bring peace to Syria. I'm highly skeptical on that but whatever. This isn't a democratic or gop issue, this is coming out of this an investigation that isn't being led by the Democrats whatsoever. The GOP controls all the levers of government, they own Washington. The FBI is not considered to be a GOP leaning organization.

Why did Kushner lie on a security clearance application? Why do they keep on lying about meeting with these Russian fellows. Kislyak is not an unmemorable guy.

[hack]

I'll go out on a limb and say "Yes".

Sad, perhaps, but true. The various bits of America, it's system, and its people have pushed back and constrained the president so far in most other areas. Muslim ban, health care, etc. But he continues to openly flaunt self-dealing laws and there's no pushback. It's alarming. The system has been sturdy for long enough that people just haven't ever needed to think about why it's been a good system and how to keep it that way.

[crashcourse]

if I had as many leaks many likely from intel career guys the only way to communicate an honest message might be through back channels.

every administration has done it since WW2 but now we want to uses it to try to insinuate a crime

[hack]

I don't think "insinuate" is the right word here. Crimes were committed. If they were interested in ``honest messages" in the first place they wouldn't have had this problem.

[Wild Hoss]

Like I said...

[froot loops]

if I had as many leaks many likely from intel career guys the only way to communicate an honest message might be through back channels.

every administration has done it since WW2 but now we want to uses it to try to insinuate a crime

Again, this is false. Going to a Russian embassy to talk on Russian communication equipment is totally different. You don't have to take my word for it, the report said Kislyak was taken aback by the request, he couldn't even believe it.

There is Russian money all over the Trump organization, mobbed up money. The NSA was taking money from the Russians and he didn't report it. It's foolish to think this shouldn't be investigated.

Anyway, this meeting occurred in the beginning of December, they were hardly any leaks to speak of. In fact, Da Geezer keeps on asking why there weren't leaks during the campaign. You can't have it both ways.

[froot loops]

When you fire the FBI Director to thwart the Russia investigation, it's not the act of someone who has nothing to hide. When your associates continue to deceive on meeting these Russian fellows, it's not something you do if you have nothing to hide.

[THE_WIZARD_]

[Da Geezer]

This isn't a democratic or gop issue, this is coming out of this an investigation that isn't being led by the Democrats whatsoever. The GOP controls all the levers of government, they own Washington. The FBI is not considered to be a GOP leaning organization.

The "investigation" is being led by the mainstream media (same thing as the Democrat Party), based on leaks and anonymous sourcing of tales that most often turn out to be untrue. The Deep State and the ex-Obama administration members are doing the leaking. From my experience, the Bureau is about 50-50 as far as agents go, but at least 90-10 Dem as far as the upper echelons. Let's keep in mind that DC voted 95-5 for Hillary. The Dems are the party of the deep state, and the deep state runs the country in the final analysis. That is also why "Drain the Swamp" had such appeal to regular working folks who carry the burden in this country.

Hack:

Crimes were committed.....

OK. Let's start there. WHAT CRIMES WERE COMMITTED?

The only crime for which there is incontrovertible evidence now is the leaking of Mike Flynn's discussions with the Russians, the crime being the unmasking and the leak of clearly classified information by those exposing Flynn. I'll grant you Flynn probably broke the law somehow, and perhaps Manafort. But what else?

[froot loops]

Hahaha, keep on being you.