Morning Reads – Wednesday August 22, 2018
Hey. I’m not Ed. Maybe you remember me. Maybe you don’t. Don’t everyone welcome me back all at once.
Around the State this morning:
A lawsuit has been filed alleging a Buford school superintendent made racially charged threats. There appears to be some dispute about whether the recording is real.
Over a dozen stores and homes in central Georgia were searched yesterday for alleged illegal gambling. Arrests are pending. Also pending (but not in the article) is the seizure of every penny associated with the owners.
Meanwhile, 27 people have been killed in Macon this year. Including the second store-clerk in eight days.
U.S. Army Cyber Command reportedly concerned about how quickly social media can be co-opted by an adversary.
Fallout continues for Randolph County election officials who wish to close polling places. Lost somewhere in this story is the cost for a small county of maintaining multiple election places to begin with.
And in case you missed it — Self-defense may not be a valid defense to shooting a naked man.
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Ron Daniels
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Welcome back.
(In before the now-daily middle school MySpace slap-fight that the comment section of the MRs has become, rendering it unreadable)
OK, let’s get things started!
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Trump didn’t expect to win until the very end. It was all just an ego trip for him and a grift for all those around him. But, the Russians had more influence than anyone expected and here we are.
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Most everyone recognized his con game early on; all the other GOP candidates, the press, the intelligence community, and all the actual professional campaign consultants- who wouldn’t go to work for him. So he ends up dragging along all the same mafioso-type grifters that he had always worked with and anyone else willing to skim some easy cash with the expectation that Mr. T would smooth out any bumps in the road for them. This is who is/was running the country.
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But this is a whole different ballgame. The Prez can never get out of the spotlight. Even if you try to disappear people will talk. And talk. And talk. And if your M.O. is to pay people off to shut them up, practically any lawyer in the country who can imagine an angle will line up for a payday. If you have skeletons, they will emerge. Most candidates spend years getting their skeletons taken care of before they run because they know they will see the light of day. Do your penance beforehand so you can own the story. But if you have a LOT of skeletons, and didn’t plan on having to manage them until the last minute anyway, it’s probably going to feel like that scene in Return of the King where the Army of the Dead overrun Osgiliath.
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The ‘normal’ way of doing Trump business isn’t working. Bullying Mexico hasn’t worked. Bullying the EU isn’t going to work because it would take too long even if it had a chance of working. Bullying China isn’t going to work either. Trump is used to being the biggest bully, but this is a different arena. He is a very small bully, not least because he doesn’t have anybody covering his back. Congress may not be tightening his leash as much as they should, but they aren’t exactly flooding the Congressional Record with Trump branded legislation either.
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Bullying the Fed. Bullying veterans. Bullying everybody who doesn’t show sufficient loyalty. Bullying is the only tool he has. But there is always a bigger bully. Eventually. And so, you may be the biggest bully for a while, but sooner or later you get your ass kicked anyway.
I understand Duncan was Trump’s second supporter in Congress. His indictment for grifting places him in the company of Chris Collins, Trump’s first supporter in Congress, who was indicted for insider trading.
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Takes a grifter to know a grifter?
This just in…
Former FEC Chairman Bradley Smith (that be the BOSS…) told radio host Mark Levin that the hush money payment President Trump instructed Michael Cohen to send to Stormy Daniels did not violate campaign finance laws. Smith told Levin that the payments were not directly campaign related and therefore not a violation of the law. When the FEC wrote the regulation that says what constitutes campaign expenditures and what constitutes personal use, it rejected specifically the idea that a campaign expenditure was anything related to a campaign, and instead says it has to be something that exists only because of the campaign and solely for that reason,” said Smith.” He added that any payments not related to “running a campaign,” even if they incidentally benefited a campaign, did not violate the law because they are personal expenditures.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Nawwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!
He said it in that context to keep his bony ass out of jail. LOLOLOL! An admitted liar. Gotta luvvvvv that credibility! And pardon me, Sniv. I’ll take the former head of the FEC’s legal opinion over yours…in this instance.
I guess it could have been because he was a cheapskate. But this guy has been co-mingling money from his personal finances, the Trump Org., the Trump Foundation, and then the campaign, for as long as they’ve existed. His M.O. is to hide money, conceal transfers, maybe even keep money (laundered cash?) off the books. He is the embodiment of what the pure capitalists like— lie, cheat, and steal your way to enrich yourself at the expense of others, and avoid taxes.
And if he had just been straight up and honest with his dealings, he could have avoided the campaign finance violation- as well at least probably years of IRS audits. (Oh, the IRS, and now Mueller, knows his 3-account Monty game).
As for the evidence, you have Cohen’s sworn statement- and potential testimony- on one hand, and nothing on the other. To corroborate Cohen, you have the timing of the transactions, and any potential recordings.
I think the quote from the ex-Chairman flips the definition of “incidental” a bit. The benefit to the campaign must be non-incidental, not that it can’t have any benefits beyond the campaign. Is that worth litigating over? Not to Cohen. Because if he knew- or Trump knew- that there was a beyond incidental benefit to the campaign, that’s it. Ignorance of campaign finance law doesn’t work. Nor can you say there wasn’t intent to evade campaign finance disclosure, what with the shell corporation, floating the idea of cash, etc.
So, Cohen’s lawyer made a statement that it wouldn’t have mattered if payment was from his personal account. But I think it does change the charge. Because to my memory, candidates can essentially give as much as their own money to their own campaigns (self-finance). So the charge wouldn’t be about a corporate contribution or an excessive contribution, but it would be a violation of failure to disclose. I don’t know if that changes the prosecutorial posture, but I imagine if there was an intent to hide the payment, that’s not too different.
Glad we agree it was hush money.
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Bradley’s taking it upon himself to opine on the matter on a pro-Trump radio show without proper process and presentation of all the facts before the FEC as whole indicates bias that may require Bradley either recuse himself or be removed from any deliberations on the matter by the FEC.
He’s not in the process, David. He’s a former FEC guy. An “expert witness” if you will. And sure it was hush money. Never been a question about that, at least in my mind.
My response, except for the hush money remark, was a waste of my time, your time, and likely others’ time.
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My bad on overlooking the first word of your comment, former.
Nevertheless, Bradley has made a career out of promoting the idea that campaign finances should not be regulated at all. So really, he’s just hawking his books at this point.
Trump is sad that Manafort has been convicted. He hardly knew who Manafort was. Said so himself. What compassion!
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Or is Trump sad because of his affinity for tax and bank fraud?
Those responsible for toppling the “Silent Sam” statue at UNC ought to be prosecuted for destruction of public property.
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The monument was erected concurrent with the beginning of the second rising of the Klan. Its dedication included by praise of Confederate veterans terrorizing former slaves and making sure “the purest strain of the Anglo Saxon is to be found in the 13 Southern States.”
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Monuments remaining or being removed as symbols of honor is about context, among other things. Good riddance to this one.
The US Army Cyber Command. Isn’t that a US intelligence agency? Fake news.
I think the Randolph County precinct closures an overblown story. There are good reasons to consider polling place changes. The County is very poor and very small.
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The process and timing were wrong—alternatives weren’t properly developed and evaluated, and the possibility of any action should not have occurred until after the November election.
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Indeed the November election itself could have been an opportunity to engage voters and collect voluntarily provided data on transportation, thoughts and opinions on polling places, etc. that would inform alternative development and decision-making.
If the Voting Rights Act pre-clearance regulations were still in effect, it would have helped this County figure it out. Regulations aren’t designed willy-nilly, or just to make things tough and expensive for people. As in this case, it would have given the County the time to think, develop a fair plan, and avoid public backlash and embarassment.
#MAGA = My Attorney Got Arrested — Erick Allen, Georgia General Assembly candidate.
This could be a reason why insurance cost so much…
https://www.axios.com/health-care-surgery-cost-hospitals-patients-e9c3d50c-506b-4412-837b-2b71f984bf8c.html
Seems like Hunter has a long relationship with the Navy. Representing San Diego county his basic function is to keep bases open and grease VA claims through the bureaucracy, and as a USMC veteran he was DoN personnel. I think he’s probably earned the right to say what he said, probably most Sailors and Marines have said the exact same thing. I think it’s extra-scummy to try and make Sailors waste a whole bunch of time on VIP protocol (like the Navy is just sitting around with nothing to do?) so he can have cover to misuse his campaign funds.
An interesting article:
“Striking New Data Shines Light on Statewide Affordable Housing Crisis
No matter where you live in Georgia, the cost of housing stretches the paychecks of more and more families. From 2012-2016, roughly 1.3 million Georgia households were renters, representing 37 percent of Georgia’s population during that time…
A new report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition offers stark new data on the problem. Their report Out of Reach found that there isn’t a single state, metropolitan area or county in the entire nation where a worker can earn the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour, or the prevailing state minimum wage in places that have a higher minimum wage, and afford a two-bedroom home at fair market rent while working a standard 40-hour week. Not a single place…
In Georgia, the average Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a two-bedroom apartment is $911. To afford this level of rent without paying more than 30 percent of income on housing — a federal standard that establishes a threshold for housing affordability — a household must earn $3,038 monthly or $36,459 annually. Compare that benchmark to the annual wage of a typical Georgia worker, roughly $34,000 according to 2017 data. ”
https://gbpi.org/2018/striking-new-data-shines-light-on-statewide-affordable-housing-crisis/
Now imagine being a part of a young couple earning the average wage in Georgia while having student loans, high rent, insurance, saving for emergencies, health care, saving for the future, etc.
“But despite the strong labor market, wage growth has lagged economists’ expectations. In fact, despite some ups and downs over the past several decades, today’s real average wage (that is, the wage after accounting for inflation) has about the same purchasing power it did 40 years ago. And what wage gains there have been have mostly flowed to the highest-paid tier of workers.”
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/07/for-most-us-workers-real-wages-have-barely-budged-for-decades/
We have to do something, American society is in danger of imploding if this continues.
You missed the $600 to fly the family bunny cross country.
Gotta earn those reward points !
Has a good write up of the Atlanta metro house construction market…
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-22/what-s-holding-back-wages-in-america?cmpid=BBD082218_MKT&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=180822&utm_campaign=markets
Trump is sorry for Manafort, because he didnt “crack” like others
As said by the Crime Boss in the WH
Actual quote
Trump Touts ‘Respect’ For ‘Brave Man’ Paul Manafort: Unlike Michael Cohen, He Refused to Break
Said like a mafia boss
I watched Hannity and a bit of other Fox segments since yesterday afternoon, to see the defenses being offered. The Smith interview must not have been out yet, but the alignment of defenses from there and some posts here is pretty clear. The first thing to note about Fox’s coverage is that they treated it as a minor story, downplaying it as expected.
Then the defenses: 1) Not serious crimes (All you gotta do is pay your taxes); 2) Not related to purpose of Russia investigation (See how far the prosecution has to stretch to dig up these petty crimes); 3) Whatabout, whatabout, whatabout (Obama, Clinton, Charlie Rangel, Al Sharpton);
4) Differential justice between Dems and Repubs (all the above whatabout violations had less harsh penalties, it was argued- without any discussion of the actual specific violations, evidence of intent, etc.). It was just, Obama made a campaign finance error but didn’t go to jail- the system must be rigged.
I think it’s OK to discuss potential differential use of prosecutorial powers and sentencing— IF all the facts and details are examined in detail. But that would be boring and not politically useful. And wouldn’t prove the point of differential treatment.
But the diminution of the crimes themselves was what struck me as the worst.
But I imagine all these defenses have been out in full force thanks to conservative media networking.
I forgot- there was also: The prosecutors made Michael Cohen implicate Trump, and the whatabout of Hillary paying for the Steele memo. One of the commenters, talking about the “real” collusion that has happened, said there was “collusion between the FBI and DoJ”.
Um…. Is the “Deep State” just the “Government”, and Trump’s persecution complex is just that he doesn’t know how government works? (Note: Even if you want to change how government works- especially if you want to change how government works- you actually need to know how government works.)
Trump doesn’t need to know how anything works since only he can fix it.
Or as I presume you’ve long suspected: Noway thought of this first. Look at the time stamps. Mine was this morning. Rush is just talking about it now. Maybe he got it from me? Hmmmm? Face it: Noway is his own One-Man Think Tank. Trust me. It never gets old being right. To summarize: Trump will NEVER be removed through impeachment or be convicted of anything related to The Dipshit’s Investigation. Lemming like voting from the Dems may cost The Repubs The House but Trump will continue to govern through Executive Order. Remember the old “Uhhhhhh, I’ve gotta, uhhhhhhhh, a pen and a phone….” ? Comical!!
Fuck you Noway, you petulant little shit. Such a little fuckboy sucking off Trump at every given turn. I’ve seen similar behavior from fans of musicians or celebrities that have been accused of domestic violence. You are like a Chris Brown fan justifying his assault against Rihanna.
LMAO!!! Oh, Lord!! Somebody’s wrapped tighter than Dick’s Hat Band!!!! LMAO!! I know you ain’t Andrew now, BJ!
Sorry, Drew. 1000 apologies! I’m sliding you over an ice-cold Falstaff beer as a peace offering.
Now, I’m a wife-beater sympathizer!!! My side is literally hurting!!
You obviously don’t know what a simile is. No surprise you little shit ass motherfucker.
Matter of fact, no more nick names for Andrew from me. None. It’s gonna be Andrew or Drew from now on. We will obviously disagree but it will be respectful and serious from now on!!!! This new guy is so bad that I’m mending my ways!! Except with him, of course!!! LOL!
Looking forward to seeing more of your postings, BJ! LMAO!
C’mon man.
I’m OK with “petulant” and similies for Noway’s blind devotion to Trump, but let’s please keep it without the cursing. That lowers the bar for everybody, even if Noway already set the standard on the lowest bar on the ladder already. ;!
Plus, you gotta realize he loves these reactions (trolls gonna troll, u know).
OTOH, it’s also good to hear Noway that you’ll also be mending your ways. Among the names you use that should be eliminated is “Hag”, “Dipsh**t”, etc.
We can talk about the human failings of politicians- and each other- with more detail and productivity if we avoid simplistic hate.
My work here is done.
jb, others have tried what you are doing. But it doesn’t work. Think of it this way: You are trying to tell someone who is being conned that they are being conned. But they have already handed over all their money. They can’t back out now and nothing you can say will change that. No matter what happens they will rationalize it, claim victory, and learn nothing. Ripe for picking again.
Most of the time it is just the same word salad rant over and over not even worth reading much less responding to.
Please don’t feed the troll.
Hey BJ. Nice vocabulary. Uh, I tried to help you with some humor suggestions, but it doesn’t look like they helped very much.
I thought some liberals used rough language like racist, Nazi (which Caroline used again today) and pedophile which I think was used again today as well, but your rant is pretty pitiful.
Can I suggest some anger management classes?
jbgotcha, it didn’t take long at all for you to get got. Nearly everyone has their moments. I know I’ve had mine—not that level of cursing—but inappropriate thoughts or language. Will’s request is good advice.
Actually, Manafort’s convictions have absolutely nothing to do with Trump in any manner. Period. However, Trump may pardon him just for fun. To see y’all’s heads explode. Symbolically/Metaphorically, of course. I know I’m getting the Jiffy Pop ready.
A pardon is not going to do Manafort any good. You know he violated state crimes too which Trump cannot pardon him for. And he has yet another trial coming up in DC with more serious charges like witness tampering. And your statement is the crux of what is wrong with conservatives. So what if Manafort did all this stuff is what you’re saying. It’s all about “making liberals” mad. Well, that’s how you got a pedophile nominated in Alabama because pedophilia makes liberals mad.
But you gotta love how so many think Trump has absolute power!
(Absolute power, which not only corrupts absolutely, but is the definition of a monarch. Only true lemmings cede all their power.)
It’s called leverage. Currently he is looking at 8-10 in federal prison, and the next trial that is even stronger then the tax case. He was in the Tower meeting and he had a hand in rewriting the GOP platform on Ukraine to make it Russian friendly. He told his Russian friends (who are Putin’s friends) on what ever Trump did or was told in national briefings.
Personally I don’t think he’s going to flip because sitting 8 to 10 years in prison probably looks better than being forced to drink polonium tea.
Well, his age and his previous lifestyle. It’s not he’s going to be waltzing around in Ostrich skin coats or eating good food in prison.
Why on earth was he contacting a Russian ogliarch in violation of his parole is what I would like to know. Maybe that will be answered in the next trial.
My Cousins picked the wrong place to honeymoon.
https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2018-08-22-hurricane-lane-hawaii-forecast
Two newlyweds stuck in a hotel room while it’s raining? Sounds like heaven to me.
Stuck in the second floor enclosed ballroom (reinforced shelter technically) with 112 other folks.
Cohen now has been supoenaed by the NY AG in the Trump Foundation fraud case.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/new-york-investigators-have-issued-subpoena-to-former-trump-lawyer-cohen-as-part-of-trump-foundation-probe-ap-reports.html
A second front with respect to investigation of tax fraud perhaps?
The efforts of posters are appreciated, Mr. Daniels.