AT LAST.
"A former senior official said Mr. Mueller's investigation was looking at money laundering by Trump associates," a source told the Times. "The suspicion is that any cooperation with Russian officials would most likely have been done in exchange for some kind of financial payoff, and that there would have been an effort to hide the payoffs, most likely by routing them through offshore banking centers." A separate investigation into Russia has also reportedly focused on potential use of offshore banking centers to launder money. In April, House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) visited Cyprus, which "has a reputation as a laundromat for the Russians who are trying to avoid sanctions."
I'm tired of "collusion" as shorthand for what may have happened b/w Trump and Russia; it allows Republicans to swat aside suggestions that Putin conspired to put Trump in the White House in exchange for favorable treatment. The real story is how deeply Trump was in debt and how badly he needed laundered Russian dough.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:18 (six years ago) link
jings
― cast your vote for fully automated gay space luxury communism (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:22 (six years ago) link
Yes, exactly, Alfred.
Trump on phone to Rod Rosenstein in 5....4....3....2....
― Hadrian VIII, Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:23 (six years ago) link
There is no way he is capable of letting this investigation play out.
― Hadrian VIII, Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:24 (six years ago) link
Odds on the Deputy Attorney General NOT resigning by August 1?
― Hadrian VIII, Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:25 (six years ago) link
seriously though what would be the next step if he did fire Mueller, in terms of getting someone to run an investigation without being (for lack of a better term) obstructed via getting fired?
― nomar, Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:26 (six years ago) link
I've never quite bought the idea that the transaction was like "Da, Donald, in exchange for favorable deeplomatic treatment. ve vill sow dissension in Democrat ranks by obtaining and releasing internal email chainz showing how much ze Klinton establishment fucked Bernie over. Zis will surely drive an unbridgeable wedge between centrist and left-leaning Democrats, thereby depressing left-populist turnout in key upper-Midvest states, ensuring your glorious viktory."
The number of people whose voting decisions were clearly, demonstrably influenced based on those pysops (and nothing else) seems like it would be negligible.
We need trunks full of rubles. Ballots in a landfill. Everything else is speculative.
― croque monsoon (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:29 (six years ago) link
how long did it take you to write that impersonation
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:34 (six years ago) link
Alfred - starting from your post at 11:18 ET? About one minute.
The subsequent nine minutes were spent fiddling with the spelling to make it sound more like Bad Spy Movie Russian Pronunciation.
Some artistry cannot be rushed.
― croque monsoon (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:39 (six years ago) link
Da!
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:42 (six years ago) link
Not good: 50% of the CEOs, execs, gov officials surveyed at the annual Yale CEO Summit give Trump an "F" so far https://t.co/97bDRCfgtF— Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) June 15, 2017
the people who gradually wrecked the country don't approve of the man accelerating their project https://t.co/HwGL3Tsn9o— slackbot (@pareene) June 15, 2017
― Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:48 (six years ago) link
the trolling
http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Putin-Russia-has-climbed-out-of-recession-11221596.php
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:50 (six years ago) link
Putin, speaking in a live call-in show that lasted four hours, likened Comey to NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who has been living in Russia since being granted asylum in 2013.
"It looks weird when the chief of a security agency records his conversation with the commander-in-chief and then hands it over to media via his friend," Putin said. "What's the difference then between the FBI director and Mr. Snowden? In that case, he's more of a rights campaigner defending a certain position than the security agency chief."
On an acerbic note, he added that if Comey "faces some sort of persecution in connection with that, we are ready to offer political asylum in Russia to him as well."
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:51 (six years ago) link
I mean it seems pretty obvious to me that the "secret" is that Trump is broke and in hock to the Russians for a lot more than anyone can fathom. Which is why he's extra tetchy about it.
― maura, Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:51 (six years ago) link
yeah that's my guess too
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 15 June 2017 15:52 (six years ago) link
every time I reread my pull quote I'm like
https://68.media.tumblr.com/d10dad5a286f4e243741ef380110ed44/tumblr_opg5ayfcDr1ryufxyo2_500.gif
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:01 (six years ago) link
"It looks weird when the chief of a security agency records his conversation with the commander-in-chief and then hands it over to media via his friend," Putin said. "What's the difference then between the FBI director and Mr. Snowden?
lol does Putin think Obama personally explained the surveillance program to Snowden, who then jotted down notes and sent them off to his buddy Glenn Greenwald?
― President Keyes, Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:04 (six years ago) link
Comey and Snowden as Moscow roommates, sharing a tiny apartment and having to divide chores = A+ sitcom pitch.
― croque monsoon (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:08 (six years ago) link
They're the original 'Odd Couple'!
― to fly across the city and find Aerosmith's car (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:12 (six years ago) link
lol would watch
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:18 (six years ago) link
"Aw, Jim, the faucet's leaking again!"
"Not as much as you did!"
(laugh track)
(fade to commercial)
― croque monsoon (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:19 (six years ago) link
Putin as landlord
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:25 (six years ago) link
"Do you think I leak as much as you do?"
"Hmm. Depends."
"That's not the kind of leaking I'm talking about!"
(audience groans, then after reflection, gives ovation)
― President Keyes, Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:25 (six years ago) link
Accidentally posted this on the Toronto thread, but:
Kind of tired of media proclamations parroting that he wasn't under investigation before but he is now. It was inevitable that he would be under personal investigation at some point. If his campaign and several associates are under investigation, it will reach the top, unless the prosecutor just decided, "hey, why bother, I'll just stop now, for no good reason, there may be something sketchy about literally everyone surrounding Trump, his campaign, his business but not Trump himself." He's currently under investigation for obstruction, but I would be shocked if it stays at that.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:40 (six years ago) link
Bernie Sanders and Rand Paul only No's today in Senate vote for Russia and Iran sanctions https://t.co/W35bWsSDh4— Adam H. Johnson (@adamjohnsonNYC) June 15, 2017
― Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:53 (six years ago) link
― croque monsoon (Ye Mad Puffin)
My one quibble is that you should have typed "wiktory" instead of "viktory."
― nickn, Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:05 (six years ago) link
wait....they pray in the senate???
― Right column Leftist (sunny successor), Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:06 (six years ago) link
NYT reporting it was Rand Paul and Mike Lee who voted no.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:10 (six years ago) link
Thanks, nickn. I will endeavor to raise my bad-imitation-accent orthography game in future.
― croque monsoon (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:12 (six years ago) link
This seems about as compliant with Occam's Razor as you can get!
― El Tomboto, Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:13 (six years ago) link
Alfred, i believe this is yr answer
@adamjohnsonNYCthat was yesterdays Russia sanctions bill, this is different, both Russia and Iran.
― Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:16 (six years ago) link
GOP really running with the Trump naivete defense. Maybe more criminals should try that one.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:27 (six years ago) link
pore inacent prezidunt
― Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:30 (six years ago) link
there was that NY mob guy who would come to his trial in his bathrobe, so something we might look fwd to
― Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:31 (six years ago) link
i'm optimistic about certain things, i mean photos of Trump lately are looking a lot like "four years of being president takes a toll" only half a year in
― nomar, Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:33 (six years ago) link
imagine if he was trying.
― Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:36 (six years ago) link
trump doesn't even own a bathrobe folks
― chinavision!, Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:37 (six years ago) link
sorry
http://i.imgur.com/vWcnOvH.jpg
― nomar, Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:38 (six years ago) link
he rents them
― Charles "Butt" Stanton (Neanderthal), Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:38 (six years ago) link
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C4BZnwTWIAAH26J.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C4AvKJ4VYAABK3d.jpg
― nomar, Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:39 (six years ago) link
They're no Choom Gang
― ein Sexmonster (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:39 (six years ago) link
who knew murdering people was so hard! also I had no idea that was a crime
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:40 (six years ago) link
young Trump kinda looked like the old SNL writer Alan Zweibel, who is abot 1000000x smarter.
In the controversial Shakespeare production in NYC, Trump/Caesar greets Brutus and Cassius nude in his goldplated tub.
― Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 15 June 2017 17:47 (six years ago) link
"Trump wasn't under investigation personally prior to Comey's firing on May 9. But he is now, according to the Post.That's absolutely huge -- for several reasons.First, it makes it virtually impossible for the President and his administration to dismiss this probe as a sideshow or small potatoes or a distraction somehow created by the biased media. (That doesn't mean they won't do exactly that, of course.) We are now talking about the President of the United States being investigated for possibly obstructing justice in relation to a criminal probe about a foreign government meddling in our elections for the purpose of defeating his Democratic opponent."
http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/15/politics/trump-obstruction/index.html
ITS YUGE
― Dean of the University (Latham Green), Thursday, 15 June 2017 18:20 (six years ago) link
First, it makes it virtually impossible for the President and his administration to dismiss this probe as a sideshow or small potatoes or a distraction somehow created by the biased media. (That doesn't mean they won't do exactly that, of course.)
what is the point of writing something like this. It's not impossible, they are already doing it, and his base is going to eat it up as gospel, like they do everything else.
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 15 June 2017 18:23 (six years ago) link
Cilizza is such a goon
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 15 June 2017 18:24 (six years ago) link
he's awful, dumb punditry at its worst
― marcos, Thursday, 15 June 2017 18:25 (six years ago) link
yeah he's one of those guys who has no conception of the fact that what happens in DC actually affects the lives of people around the country--it isn't just "winners" and "losers"
― black covfefe in bed (voodoo chili), Thursday, 15 June 2017 18:29 (six years ago) link
Happy birthday Mr. President. @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/Pm649uVLrK— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 14, 2017
― Karl Malone, Thursday, 15 June 2017 18:30 (six years ago) link