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Fox News’ 5 steps for handling a Trump scandal (Video)
Fox News’s success relies on poorly informing their viewers and withholding significant news that damages their agenda. Sad!
From VOX.com
Read MorePros and Cons of the Special Counsel
Special Counsel today is NOT the same thing as the Independent Counsel from Clinton/Ken Starr days. Previously, ICs had much more independent leeway in their investigation, but that position was disbanded when Congress refused to re-authorize the office.
So what can Robert Mueller accomplish as Special Counsel?
From Vox:
The order specifically gives Muller the legal authority to investigate “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump” as well as any crimes that may take place during the investigation, including things like perjury, obstruction of justice, and witness intimidation.
And if Mueller finds enough evidence, he can seek an indictment against the suspect or suspects from a federal grand jury. If the grand jury chooses to indict, the case would then potentially go to a federal criminal trial.
For those seeking truth and a non-partisan accounting of the facts, this is a big win. For those seeking political victory, things are much murkier.
This is certainly not a good thing for the Trump White House, but it might not be as devastating as political opponents might hope.
Pro: As former FBI Director, Mueller’s reputation is beyond reproach. Everyone will (or should) accept his findings as non-partisan.
Pro: Can investigate Russia links, and any other criminality found.
Pro: Investigation will continue to be adequately funded and not obstructed.
Con: Investigation will be confidential, which means no daily news stories regarding the findings as with leaky Congressional investigations (which will still take place concurrently).
Con: Even if bad/shady crap is found, it might not rise to the level of provable criminality (beyond a reasonable doubt) – and thus charges would not be filed. In that case, we’d never know the details unless that info was given to Congress to supplement their investigations.
Con: Mueller can be fired at any time, and the Attorney General can overturn any of Mueller’s findings if he so chooses.
Con: Federal investigations are detailed and time-intensive. This will not be concluded any time soon. (For comparison’s sake, Kenneth Starr started his Whitewater investigation in 1994, but the Starr Report wasn’t released until 1998.)
Bonus: Any investigation into foreign ties would likely follow the money and undertake forensic accounting of President Trump’s finances – including digging into the finances of Trump Organization.
Regardless of what you think of Trump’s Presidential policies, it’s fairly undisputed that Trump is a shady businessman. Trump Organization has been gifted many loans from banks in other countries as well as from numerous unsavory governments, oligarchs and individuals. Simple journalistic investigations have already uncovered likely money laundering schemes with Trump’s many Real Estate properties. Family Trump would not survive such an investigation unscathed.
Once the investigation takes that route: insta-resignation and Pardon time.
Source: The new special counsel investigating Trump: who he is, what he can do, what comes next – Vox
Read MoreSchoolhouse Rock – I’m Just a Lie (Video)
We live in a world of alternative “facts” where the President makes statements almost every day that aren’t always based in fact.
We are raised to believe the President tells the truth, but since that isn’t necessarily the case anymore, and to bring children up to date on the new American way, Jimmy Kimmel Live took a cue from Schoolhouse Rock to explain how it all works now.
Read MoreParkour Fail Nominees – FailArmy Hall of Fame (Video)
So many Darwinism Reminders
38 Parkour Fail Nominees: FailArmy Hall Of Fame… by FailArmy
Read MoreHouse Votes to Replace Obamacare with Horrendous Trumpcare AHCA
House of Representatives just voted to take away health insurance from millions of Americans and remove basic protections from insurances to give a $600-$800 billion tax cut to the wealthiest Americans and to let insurance companies charge sick people and women higher premiums.
The Republican Party lied and sabotaged the Affordable Care Act for years (and harmed millions of their constituents) to arrive at this moment of “Victory”. They rushed this vote through before the new AHCA could be scored because they didn’t want people to know the damage this bill would cause. They rushed it through so House Republicans can celebrate and punt it to the Senate.
Republicans claim the AHCA will lower premiums (it won’t), guarantee protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions (it won’t), not cut Medicaid (it does, big league), and lower out-of-pocket costs (laughable).
The horrible American Health Care Act will probably fail to muster enough votes in the Senate, but everyone needs to make sure that this vote (and almost a decade of sabotage) will haunt Republicans in 2018 and 2020.
Read MoreDonald Trump: Our country needs a good ‘shutdown’
President Trump, frustrated with his inability to run the Federal government in dictatorial fashion, called for a government shutdown.
To be clear, this is uncharted territory: the leader of the free world calling for the closing of government because he can’t unilaterally accomplish his agenda.
Our President HATES the Federal government he runs, loathes Constitutional separation of powers & checks/balances, and doesn’t think that elected officials who disagree with him should be allowed to partake in governing. Sad!
This is what happens when you let government-hating anarchists take the wheel. This can’t become the new normal.
Source: Donald Trump: Our country needs a good ‘shutdown’ – CNNPolitics.com
Don’t Fall for Trump’s “Changing Libel Laws” Distraction
“No sir, there is no Heart in Trump.”
As tempting as it may be, don’t get distracted by the “Trump considering changing libel laws” BS to attack the Failing/FAKE Press. It will NEVER happen.
Truth is an absolute defense against Libel, and many hack partisan “news” outlets rely on rumor/innuendo (and flat-out lies) to push their partisan agendas. Suits would be brought against all news outlets, not just the mean/failing/leftists ones disliked by Trump.
Any tougher laws would DESTROY the right wing GOP propaganda machine that put Trump in office. Goodbye Fox News, goodbye Breitbart, and goodbye Trump Twitter.
Think they’d cut off their ability to spread partisan misinformation? No chance. This is purely to rile people up and distract from other nonsense. Stop spreading the (fake) news.
Source: Trump chief of staff: ‘We’ve looked at’ changing libel laws | TheHill
Franken, Top Dems blast FCC over “Net Neutrality” Rollback Proposal
“We’re good enough, we’re smart enough, but gosh darnit, nobody likes us.”
Remember: “roll back Net Neutrality rules” means giving telecom companies the ability to favor or stifle whatever sites they want (either by charging/more less, or making traffic faster/slower) or provide preferential service to preferred communities over others.
As far as politics goes, this would also allow despotic Presidents, corrupt elected officials, or money-grubbing Corporations to effectively shut down sites/blogs they don’t like or that publish “mean” or “unfair” things about them, their political agenda, blatant corruption, or just to flat-out hurt their competition.
Net neutrality protects a free/fair internet and protects Freedom of Speech. Anyone who says that removing these protections helps YOU or protects Free Speech is lying their ass off.
Source: Franken, top Dems blast FCC over net neutrality proposal | TheHill
Why humans are so bad at thinking about climate change (Video)
An informative video from VOX on why current Climate Change messaging fails to hit the mark, and how to best convince/trick Americans into actively changing their energy consumption behavior.
Source: Why humans are so bad at thinking about climate change – Vox
Read MoreStar Wars: The Last Jedi Teaser (Video)
The first trailer for The Last Jedi is finally here.
“It’s time for the Jedi…to end.” Cue chills.
Read MoreDonald Trump, the World’s Most Inept Hostage-Taker
President Trump threatens Democrats that he’ll harm Americans by withholding Obamacare subsidies if Democrats don’t agree to Obamacare repeal.
Basically, “I will cripple Obamacare unless you promise to help me cripple Obamacare.”
Our president with the “very good brain” just can’t grasp that intentionally harming voters rarely plays out well.
Sigh.
Read: Donald Trump Is the World’s Most Inept Hostage-Taker
Donald Trump’s Speeches As An Early 2000s Emo Song (Video)
President Snowflake Trump is always whining about something…
Watch: Donald Trump’s Speeches As An Early 2000s Emo Song (Youtube)
Read MoreJUSTICE LEAGUE Trailer (Video)
While Batman v. Superman made a ton of money, it failed to earn raves from just about everyone, mainly because of its dark, dreary and bleak tone. It seems like director Zack Snyder didn’t get the memo.
The first official trailer for Justice League dropped this weekend, and while it contains some of Snyder’s signature jaw-dropping visuals, it’s certainly heavy on dark, dreary and bleak.
But a man dressed like a bat? I still dig it.
Watch: Justice League Official Trailer 1 – Youtube.com
Read MoreRep. Schiff Lays Out Facts of Russia Investigation (Video)
Monday’s Hearing for FBI Director James Comey and NSA Director, Gen. Michael Rogers, provided many fireworks – but the most densely informative portion was Representative Adan Schiff’s (D-CA) detailed breakdown of Russia’s election interference and Team Trump’s shady timeline of events and relationships.
A must watch if you want some facts with your Treason drama.
Watch: Rep. Schiff Opening Statement Laying Out Facts of Russia Investigation – Youtube
Read MoreThese 80 Programs Would Lose Federal Funding Under Trump’s Proposed Budget
Read this Bloomberg piece to understand just how Trump’s budget plans to win so much we’ll get sick of winning: Military spending up, everything else cut.
Source: These 80 Programs Would Lose Federal Funding Under Trump’s Proposed Budget
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