US Politics, February 2018: Our country was founded by geniuses, but it’s being run by idiots

Trump will never ever formally resign, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of him just walking out of the WH one day and never going back or 'presidenting' again. Like, just pretending that this whole thing never happened so he can go back to his taco bowl lunches at Trump Tower.

He'll end his term, declare America great again, and then disappear in a puff of smoke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1tmkAFb_Os

https://media.giphy.com/media/3o6MbeBSWJ6rBmlLa0/giphy.gif
https://media.giphy.com/media/3orif68nbIeBrnIK1q/giphy.gif

among the lamest denials

Per Hatch spox, he has said that Trump “can be” the greatest president ever but has never said "is"

— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) February 1, 2018

I'd be ok with him being the next Lincoln, at least in one specific regard.

you want him to be portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis?

sure if they use the same prop gun that was used in The Crow

It was good enough to fire McCabe, no one argues its factually inaccurate, but now days later they want to protect the names of those involved in a scandal that was big enough to fire a senior official a month before retirement? They don’t deserve a pass on that!

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 1, 2018

uhmmm, did you say "fired"

Interesting

Rick Gates' lawyers are asking to withdraw immediately, per new filing — reasons aren't given in the public filing, they say they're in an exhibit "which is the
subject of a motion to be filed under seal" pic.twitter.com/ap3ywROzFB

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) February 1, 2018

Recall that @kpolantz reported last week that Sidley Austin's Tom Green had joined Gates' legal team: https://t.co/iqLsPmz4qa But Green hasn't entered an appearance in court for him as of now.

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) February 1, 2018

Related, per Tillman's second tweet, to this story about Gates maybe negotiating something with Mueller:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/23/politics/rick-gates-new-attorney-mueller-russia-investigation/index.html

https://admin.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/tom-green.png

all these people are such venal idiots i have no doubt most of them will go down for something or other

but venal idiocy as a concept and way of life appears to be going strong

see also: history

isn't there a way we can structure society so that venal idiocy can find no purchase in it

Have you considered Neolithic subsistence hunting/gathering?

Yeah, I've come to the conclusion that that's pretty much the only alternative. I'm down for giving it a shot.

All should appreciate the FBI speaking up. I wish more of our leaders would. But take heart: American history shows that, in the long run, weasels and liars never hold the field, so long as good people stand up. Not a lot of schools or streets named for Joe McCarthy.

— James Comey (@Comey) February 1, 2018

haha wow

james comey is such a sanctimonious prick

The FBI's headquarters is the J. Edgar Hoover building https://t.co/d1yEfb53VM

— slackbot (@pareene) February 1, 2018

re Comey yeah fuck that guy forever. he's such a fucking doofus.

I hate comey so much

<3 Stretch Comey for tight troll game and trying to blend in with the curtains

I only like Comey as the catalyst to take down Trump. Other than that ... enjoy your book tour, dude.

Re: Hoover, I dunno, Hoover was a horrible villain but he did more or less found the FBI and serve as its first head, for about 50 years, over half the existence of the FBI, so it's kind if hard to write his name out of the agency's history.

Maybe we should write his name a letter suggesting that it take itself out of history.

They could rename it the Not J Edgar Hoover Building.

The J. Edger, A Film By Clint Eastwood Building

Comey is acting like the showboater Trump claimed he was...

He's back!

EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Scaramucci candidly recalls his battles with Bannon ("the creature from the Black Lagoon"), Preibus ("Rancid Penis"), and his undying fealty for Donald Trump https://t.co/4JGYyM4U9l

— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) February 2, 2018

I mean, speaking of showboating

v unfair to the creature from the black lagoon imo

That artist rendering is pretty good, it almost has a Jack Davis cover of Mad vibe.

Per Hatch spox, he has said that Trump “can be” the greatest president ever but has never said "is"

Also, Orrin Hatch can be the greatest senator ever. But only if he pulls a Czolgosz on Trump.

There's a Joe McCarthy Drive in Buffalo! I never knew if it was named after the Senator and, if so, why. Maybe it's named for this guy, idk.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mcconnell-urges-mississippi-governor-to-consider-cochran-senate-seat/2018/02/01/7f455d68-079d-11e8-8777-2a059f168dd2_story.html?sw_bypass=true&utm_term=.51ae590478db

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendell_Anderson

After U.S. Senator Walter Mondale was elected vice president in 1976, the governor needed to appoint Mondale's successor. Anderson agreed with his lieutenant governor, Rudy Perpich, that Anderson would resign as governor, and Perpich, as the new governor, would appoint Anderson senator.

In what became known as the "Minnesota Massacre", nearly the entire DFL Party ticket was defeated in 1978, including Perpich and the candidates for both U.S. Senate seats, Anderson and Bob Short. Anderson's arrangement to have himself appointed to the Senate—and Perpich's role in that appointment—were deemed central factors in the defeats.

BTW, didn't all these GOP dum dums just maintain current FISA standards powers as of, like, a week or two ago?

if i remember high school history correctly, there was a Joe McCarthy Richard Nixon Studebaker, who was famous for his family brand of television sets

goddamn you for making me google that

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a bulletin from CBS News... JFK. Blown Away. What Else Do We Have to Say?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNfbcSBib64

he's tweetin'

"Rank & File are great people!"

???

ok, if this memo is released, does Christopher Wray resign? Should he resign? Is it better or worse if he doesn't resign?

Yeah I'm not sure how to feel about that. But get ready for your next Deputy AG, Rachel Lee Brand. Graduate of Antonin Scalia Law School.

I'm sure everything will be just fine.

surprise: the "rank-and-file" comment originated with President Hannity.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia/trump-blasts-fbi-justice-dept-bosses-in-showdown-over-republican-memo-idUSKBN1FM1FD

It’s hard for me to get excited about any of this. Of the 10,000 reasons Trump should not be president that Don Jr. meeting is like number 4,000. There have been dirtier campaign tactics than Trump alluding darkly to the contents of the leaked emails—remember the Swift Boat ads?

"Rank & File are great people!"

I've always been curious about 80s cowpunk. Maybe I should check those guys out. There's a compilation of their two Slash albums on Spotify...

https://open.spotify.com/album/4gRMsuakBOjK66HxAEYMXc?si=4z7I24DCTty15fMBED8n2Q

Acting ICE director: Politicians in sanctuary cities should be arrested and charged with crimes https://t.co/vmea2zKnvU pic.twitter.com/UrxuIURPMr

— The Hill (@thehill) January 3, 2018

Wasn't there a story from last year about the possibility that Christopher Wray was already heavily compromised by things he did with Christie re the Bridgegate scandal? I was wondering how he was bearing up prior to the current situation.

i'd like to see him try

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