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The Russia Investigation: Trump Pardons Flynn (9 Viewers)

Apparently a majority of Americans now believe that the “Deep State” exists: 

https://www.google.com/amp/thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/379065-majority-in-new-poll-deep-state-manipulating-policy%3famp

We are in serious trouble here, folks. It appears that Trump and his allies have been successful in degrading public confidence in our institutions, paving the way for...who knows? But it’s bad. 
Thank God for time and the eventually passing of that class of folk. I was just telling my daughter (senior in college) that it may be more important now than at any time in our history for her generation to register to vote and outnumber the lunatic fringe that Trump/Bannon/Hannity etc have created. Walking out of class and staging protests are fine. But until they use their numbers to impact elections, it's meaningless.

 
What bothers me is the use of the term ‘unelected’ to be derogatory.

If you substituted ‘professional’ or ‘knowledgable’ it would better convey the difference between the career bureaucrat

and

‘bought and paid for’ ‘base pandering’ or ‘partisan’ elected officials. 

IOW - I trust and EPA career official over a member of congress on climate change. A Fed Reserve member over Trump on the economy. And so on. The professional class is not the problem in Washington. 

 
You guys make me feel better. 

Back to the main topic: 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.politico.com/amp/story/2018/03/19/trump-hires-joseph-digenova-470730

Ty Cobb, who has urged caution and cooperation with Mueller, is on the way out. diGenova is from the Andrew Napolitano school of conspiracy theorists, FBI is evil, etc. 

Last night I watched an interview with Michael Isikoff who predicted that, while Trump wouldn’t Fire Mueller, he will stop cooperatimg with him and take Mueller’s requests to court, all the way to the Supreme Court, with the goal of delay delay delay. Seems plausible enough. 

 
Apparently a majority of Americans now believe that the “Deep State” exists: 

https://www.google.com/amp/thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/379065-majority-in-new-poll-deep-state-manipulating-policy%3famp

We are in serious trouble here, folks. It appears that Trump and his allies have been successful in degrading public confidence in our institutions, paving the way for...who knows? But it’s bad. 
74% of those polled believe in a Deep State, yet 63% didn't understand what the Deep State is? Makes you wonder how the questions were phrased or worded.

 
>>Cambridge Analytica employed non-American citizens to work on US election campaigns in apparent violation of federal law, despite receiving a legal warning about the risks.

The company’s responsibilities under US law were laid out in a lawyer’s memo to the company’s vice-president, Steve Bannon, British CEO Alexander Nix and Rebekah Mercer, daughter of billionaire owner Robert Mercer, in July 2014. It made it clear that most senior and mid-level positions involving strategy, planning, fundraising or campaigning needed to be filled by US citizens.<<

- Guardian.

 
Apparently a majority of Americans now believe that the “Deep State” exists: 

https://www.google.com/amp/thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/379065-majority-in-new-poll-deep-state-manipulating-policy%3famp

We are in serious trouble here, folks. It appears that Trump and his allies have been successful in degrading public confidence in our institutions, paving the way for...who knows? But it’s bad. 
Didn't you watch Scandal. Command of B613 is actually in control.

 
Something to file away in the back of your mind (particularly if you are Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon, or maybe even Rebekah Mercer) - but Mueller seems to favor a charge of "Conspiracy to Defraud the United States".

Cambridge Analytica almost certainly violated US laws in its campaign efforts for Trump, whether in its use/acquisition of data, or in its use of non-American citizens in key positions, or something more nefarious that has not been uncovered.  If Kushner, Bannon, Mercer, or any Trump campaign people were aware of these violations and worked with CA - I could see a Conspiracy to Defraud case being made quite easily.

And, just watching their CEO, Nix, he does not strike me as someone who is willing to fall on his sword to protect his "clients"....

 
Trump lawyering down.

President Trump shook up his legal team Monday by hiring a combative former prosecutor who has publicly argued that Trump is the target of an elaborate FBI conspiracy — marking another confrontational move by the president against the rapidly mounting legal threats facing him and his administration.

Joe diGenova, a TV pundit and former U.S. attorney who was a longtime antagonist of Bill and Hillary Clinton, is the latest addition to the sprawling array of lawyers assembled to represent Trump on two main fronts: in the probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and in the case of an adult film star who claims an adulterous affair.

The hiring caught many of his advisers by surprise, prompting fears that Trump is preparing for bigger changes to his legal team — including possible departures — as he goes on the offensive in the primary legal challenges facing him.

Trump is not consulting with top advisers, including Chief of Staff John F. Kelly and chief White House lawyer Donald McGahn, on his Russia legal choices or his comments about the probe, according to one person with knowledge of his actions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive conversations. He is instead watching television and calling friends, this person said.

The president continues to complain that his lawyers are not protecting him and that Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein — who is supervising the probe — is up to mischief, said the person, who spoke to Trump in recent days.
why is he obsessed with needing protection?

 
All right perhaps I overreacted. Sure hope so. It just sounded to me like a whole lot of people have bought in to Trump’s deep state arguments. That would be profoundly disturbing. 
Deep State is just as credible and equally powerful in today's world as the illuminati, the zionist conspiracy and the knights templar

 
Actually, let me flip the logic.  CA admits it operates outside of the bounds of laws and ethics, assasinating the character of their clients’ opponents through social and with aid of nefarious eastern Europeans.  To that, one may say, “That’s interesting, because a lot was done outside of the bounds of laws and ethics to assasinate the character of Hillary Clinton on social, and it involved a network of state run bad actors from Russia.  I wonder if they were responsible for any of that?”

If you think this is an unreasonable line of inquiry, you’re simply a fool.  

If you can say definitively that there was “no collusion” or conspiracy, or whatever you want to call it, you are also a fool.

If you believe anything Donald Trump says on the face of it, you’re a fool.

Can we please hear from our regular lineup of fools on this matter?
I pity the fool

 
Trump wants to hire Ted Olson

Christ, if that happened it would have to be first good decision by Trump in a long time.  Because it would be a good decision, I can't imagine he wouldn't end up firing him within months. 
I can't imagine Olson agreeing to it. He's old, rich and has a sterling reputation buoyed by his work taking down California's gay marriage law. If he does this and ends up having to defend him at an impeachment trial or something, it supersedes all of that in terms of his legacy. What does he possibly have to gain aligning with someone like Donald Trump? 

OTOH it's being reported that he's considering it and looking at conflicts, so maybe I've overestimated him :shrug:

 
Trump wants to hire Ted Olson

Christ, if that happened it would have to be first good decision by Trump in a long time.  Because it would be a good decision, I can't imagine he wouldn't end up firing him within months. 
Don't worry, if he does it'll be coupled with something far more Trumpian like firing Mattis or tweeting that "My lawyers tell me there is no such crime as collusion!  Now I can tell you Putin and I colluded - Mueller, your investigation is a witch hunt because there's no such crime!" or setting his own pants on fire.

 
Actually, let me flip the logic.  CA admits it operates outside of the bounds of laws and ethics, assasinating the character of their clients’ opponents through social and with aid of nefarious eastern Europeans.  To that, one may say, “That’s interesting, because a lot was done outside of the bounds of laws and ethics to assasinate the character of Hillary Clinton on social, and it involved a network of state run bad actors from Russia.  I wonder if they were responsible for any of that?”

If you think this is an unreasonable line of inquiry, you’re simply a fool.  

If you can say definitively that there was “no collusion” or conspiracy, or whatever you want to call it, you are also a fool.

If you believe anything Donald Trump says on the face of it, you’re a fool.

Can we please hear from our regular lineup of fools on this matter?
You had me... up to this final point.

 
Are “likes” public?
The Obama app stated it would collect such information.

The key qualification and difference in Obama 2012 facebook app vs. Cambridge...one was an app launched that someone had to install and agree to the terms...of a political app.  The app stating it would use such information as friends, likes and so on.

One was supposed to be for academic purposes only and stated as such.  Not political.

One seems to be perfectly legal (though, may have some privacy issues and if found so...should be prosecuted for any wrongdoing)...one seems to be not so legal and is seeing major pushback and investigations because of that.

 
The President has brought in a new attorney Joe Digenova, with a strategy to destroy confidence in the DOJ and the FBI, a Fox News blowhard guest. Their strategy 'if you have the facts(they don't) argue the facts, if you have the law argue the law(they don't) if you don't pound the table.' And this will definitely work with his naive base.

 I have a theory how this nightmare with Trump will end with a loss in 2020. Trump will not fire Mueller, the Russian investigation will find some obvious obstruction of justice violations, the House controlled by the Democrats will vote to impeach in 2019, the Senate still controlled by the Republicans will blow it off reciting the Deep State conspiracy against Trump. Trump will claim the 2020 elections were rigged. Melania will then finally feel free to file for divorce.

 
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They collect everything and have rights to use and market around all your activity within their walled garden.  In other words, they can sell advertising based on all of your activity.  Use of data outside of Facebook is determined by your privacy settings.  Outside of Facebook, no one beyond those you authorize to see your posts has access to your data.  
If your profile is public, no restrictions, are your likes visible?

 
They collect everything and have rights to use and market around all your activity within their walled garden.  In other words, they can sell advertising based on all of your activity.  Use of data outside of Facebook is determined by your privacy settings.  Outside of Facebook, no one beyond those you authorize to see your posts has access to your data.  
I don't go on FB much but when I do it's always in private mode.

 
Good article on quitting Facebook.

I have not been on all year as part of a New Year’s resolution.  Only reason I hesitate deleting the account is I have pictures, including of my son who passed away, that I don’t think I have elsewhere and I don’t think I can download them from Facebook.  So they have me for that one reason.  But I will say that life hasn’t been worse without the platform.  Anyone worth staying in touch with, I’ll seek out in real life.  

Escaping Facebook takes more than just deleting your account - Mashable https://apple.news/AIVJclA_SSYamhC0eGGGvNw
Settings -> Download a copy of your facebook data -> Start my archive

 
Do you think it's possible that McMasters and Mattis have had some private conversations about actions to take to minimize the damage of Trump's policy decisions? That would seem to qualify as Deep State under the question's definition. 
I agree with you that if "the Deep State" is as defined in the poll could describe a number of legitimate government functions, but Hannity is using a different dictionary.

 
I can't imagine Olson agreeing to it. He's old, rich and has a sterling reputation buoyed by his work taking down California's gay marriage law. If he does this and ends up having to defend him at an impeachment trial or something, it supersedes all of that in terms of his legacy. What does he possibly have to gain aligning with someone like Donald Trump? 

OTOH it's being reported that he's considering it and looking at conflicts, so maybe I've overestimated him :shrug:
I just don't see Olson working with Sekulow and diGenova. I guess it's possible though like you say and I guess the reason is he is a party man and if he's coming in it's because the party has asked him to.

 
I quit facebook for lent.  I don't miss it at all.  I went back on because I had a house to sell.  Yep, still a bunch of rednecks.  

I've freed up a bunch of time too.  

 
 @SenJohnMcCain on Trump congratulating Putin: “An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections.”
Yeah, John, an American President does.  This one.  You probably remember him because your party is the one that put him in office and continues to prop up his insane ideas.  The party you're still a part of.  And haven't left.  Despite the fact that you probably won't be running for office again in 2022, given that you'll be 86.

 

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