Just briefly off topic to say the edit option is the three little dots beside the post number on your own posts (you can't see it on other people's posts). You can edit for 24 hours.
Cant find the tool to allow me edit and add to my last above. Vindman may not have been aware of the Trump Admin behind the scenes deal being struck with the Taliban as he was struck out of the military loop by Trump and denied relative military info on which to make an accurate and definitive assessment of proper JCS actions needed to secure US national and international interests above those of POTUS flailing about in anger in the Oval Office at the election result. I wrote above about Vindma's reaction to what's in the book on Gen Milleys reported actions [which may be true] in an advance response to a possible Trump tantrum.
Bringing Vindmans POSSIBLE concerns about Ukraine up to date [vis a vie Russia] Belarussia and Russia are currently hold large wargames supposedly in joint concerns about the stability of Ukraine. My apologies to you and other readers for my two-part response to the ongoing Trump campaign. The Russia /Belorussia wargames are mentioned on the Defence Forces Members and Veterans F/B page "Putin oversees vast wargames with Belarus".
Vindman may have more than being a US true blue loyalist on his mind when he made the statement about Milley apparently supplanting a loyalty to any chain of command structure with that of loyalty to the US [on a greater good basis]. Vindman [according to Trump] had loyalties to Ukraine over those to the US [as represented by Trump] which he served a commissioned military officer like Milley. Vindman doesn't exactly have a love affair wit Russia [ala Putin] so it may conceivably have been on his mind that China may not have been the only nation-party that Milley contacted re his worries about possible angry Trump moves. I'd look at the China-N/Korea situation in respect of Trumps previous statements about N/Korea [as it's what is could be called a client-state of China]. It would be sensible if Milley also spoke to his opposite number in Russia to allay any Kremlin fears about Trumps stability, vis a vie the ongoing Russia/Ukraine situation, and allay any fears Russia might feel from its monitoring of the existing [then] sitting US president and his statements. Trump was simply a Wild Card back then with an unknown potential.
Interesting that Vindman is calling for Milley's resignation if the reports of the call to China are accurate. He has cred.
What would make for good reading [IMO] would be listening to the response from the Chinese side of the conversation [if it was recorded] to Gen Milleys advance warning to them. It would be worrying for the Chinese to get such a call in the first place from Gen Milley "my president is flying off the handle because he lost the election and WE think you should know WE will be stopping any order from him taking precipitative actions". For the chairman of JCS to advise the other world player that Trump may go rogue is really bad. We'll have to see how the GOP in DC try to rebuff or destroy the image of their selected one going rogue on the world.
****,the Woodward book is out.
They should start selling little Milley statues that people can offer up votive offerings to.
I was wondering after I initially saw the former mayor of New York City’s speech whether there was open bar because he was even less coherent than he’s normally been, and it seems he’s confirmed he drank at the event which was meant to be a solemn event for 9/11. I love the quotes what he denies he was drunk, or that he’s an alcoholic, by using the word functioning with the word alcoholic, and probably that proves his point.
The rally around Trump amongst sections of the GOP party seems to be de rigueur. The Log Cabin Republicans & Liberty Education Forum are going to hold their Annual Spirit of Lincoln Gala dinner at Trumps Mar-A-Lago resort [which he is apparently calling his home] in Nov and will presenting Melania Trump an award FROM helping children reach their full potential TO championing a more inclusive Republican Party. The notice from the Log Cabin about the event also states that Don Trump is also expected to give a speech at the event. Charles Moran, chair of the Log Cabin is reported to have said about Melania that her vocal support for Log Cabin Republicans is a signal to Republicans everywhere that it is possible to simultaneously be conservative and support equality under the law for all Americans. For the unknowledged, The Log Cabin group is a Gay group within the GOP.
It's permeating everything.
Larry Elder , who's running against Newsom in the California Gubernatorial recall election launched a website shilling for money yesterday claiming that he'd lost the election due to confirmed fraud.
This despite the fact that the Election isn't over - Today is the actual voting day , and not a single vote has been looked at or counted yet.
In the GOP minds , the only reason Larry Elder who is a thoroughly awful individual could lose in California - A state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 2:1 and that Trump lost by 30 points+ is via Fraud.
A recent survey in California showed that 60% of California Republicans didn't trust elections and believed that Trump only lost because of Electoral fraud.
Those numbers are fairly consistent across the US in that 50%+ of all Republicans believe that Trump won and that the Elections were rigged.
Genuinely hard to see how those people are brought back toward reality.
Stephen King the book author has hit the nail on the head in the latest tweet of his.
Suits
Suit Trumps doctrine as well to a t.
Mod: Below standard posts removed.
That sound's similar to Trump's "I want to come down and punch that guy in the face" at one of his rallies while security hustled the guy out of the room safely away from Trump to avoid a physical fight.
This is what the former attorney to Trump was up to last night.
Note, the publisher of this Tweet, the pro-Trump, 'the election was stolen' New York Post.
And another thing to note from the party who tells people to respect the military above all else, this is what he said about currently active General Milley.
During a rant at an annual Sept. 11 dinner held at Cipriani, Giuliani wondered of Gen. Mark Milley, “How’s that guy a general?” while imagining physically assaulting the decorated joint Chiefs of Staff chairman because of his advice to close Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
“I wanted to grab his stars and shove it down his throat and say, ‘It’s 400 miles from China, a–hole! China is going to be our enemy for the next 40 years! You have an airbase 400 miles from them and you’re giving it up? Idiot!” the Republican former mayor fumed at the Italian restaurant in Manhattan. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Donald Trump speaking at the Moonies conference, One dangerous cult leader praising another dangerous cult leader
TMZ wouldn't be my choice for a reliable news source. Celebrity gossip type stuff.
Don Snr and Jnr will be busy tomorrow on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 providing commentary on a pay-for-view boxing match between Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort fight in Hollywood Florida while the real president will be in NYC at the anniversary ceremony.
Voter suppression measures are in progress for Republican controlled swing states. Plus the Republican controlled Arizona senate is funding the biased and sham 2020 recount in support of the Trump Big Lie. Such actions anticipate a Trump 2024 run.
Watch the California 14 September 2021 governor recall election funded by the national and state GOPs. If the Republicans succeed, it will anticipate a Republican controlled USA congress after the 2022 midterms. As well as an almost guaranteed Trump run in 2024.
I would call Jan6 an attempted coup d'etat.That should not be disregarded.
I've seen a headline from TMZ on a facebook page and, given its wording, reckon it's an exaggeration of some quote from another source. Is TMZ a good source of news or a site built on exaggerated speculation?
The headline is to the effect that, when it come to a rally on Sept 18th in Washington by protestors supporting those being investigated and prosecuted, CPD officers are [for want of a better word] EXPECTED to be going to ask if they can use lethal force if necessary. Officials have allegedly told TMZ it'll be an "all hands on deck" occasion for CPD.
AP has reported that the fencing will be going back up in DC before the rally, which sounds to me to be a sensible precaution. I'm thinking that if the TMZ quote is correct, it might be an official leak intended to cool the ardour of any protestors on the 18th, to let them know there will be a degree of official preparedness for trouble that day unlike on the 06 Jan.
I read it as Biden and Trump. (Harris didn't occur to me)
"idiots" is a weak expression as Trump is worse than an idiot and Biden is a very impressive man but with the flaws we all have (and a desperately difficult situation we have to wish him-and us, luck with).
I've rarely had any sympathy for Melania throughout the Trump presidency; maybe, maybe after hearing the story of floods of tears upon her learning Trump had actually won the election - but otherwise? She has conducted herself in the manner of the trophy wife, a misanthropic type that if you saw it in a TV drama, you'd snark at the obvious tropes and clichés of sullen youth married to a tycoon fogey. Even if she didn't want the role, she never once conducted herself as the better person. By all accounts, we have since learned that Michelle Obama positively hated her days as the poltician's wife - but she always behaved with dignity and class Melania never approached.
I doubt she’ll shed much light on the dynamic that hasn’t already been said which while the things in the book may be bad, they’ll just be another layer on top of the **** show we knew it was.
Those quotes are all well and good but they were hardy going to sell the book as a flop were they ?
We're not too far away from the point where he will effectively shut down investigation in to him through announcing that he is running as anyone who goes after him then will be accused of being politically motivated.
Of course it shouldn't happen this way, that is not to say it won't. I wouldn't be surprised either if he has some deal with senior GOP to keep in the running and maybe step aside then on the basis that they will again try to protect him from prosecution. It works for the GOP as it keeps the 74M on side for now and doesn't expose a frontrunner too early.
One thing we know Trump isn't doing is doing any sort of work to advocate for his supporters or America in general. He isn't visiting areas affected by Covid, or storms or anything to express concern and support. Nor is he encouraging his followers to protect themselves by getting vaccinated. He hinted at that at one of his rallies and they booed the suggestion so he probably won't go there again. He is doing what he always did, thinking and acting only for himself. To think that people look at that and think he cares about the average American is one of the mysteries of our time.
The lookie-likey double was a really mild story in terms of the whole circus, but it was just so very weird. So obvious. So weird. I'm half expecting the real story to be that Melania sent the double, and yer man never noticed at all rather than him having the idea to order a lookalike himself.
I'd expect Melania to be as equally toxic a personality as he is, but that's not much of a reveal.
News coming out that Melanias chief of staff has written a book about her four years working for the Trump administration.
"She saw another side of the Trumps — in the residence — that most staffers never got to see."
Grisham's former West Wing colleague tells Swan: "There isn’t enough water on earth to contain the fire she could set to all of Trump world, including parts like the first lady’s orbit, which not many people are in a position to illuminate."
Could be an interesting read, Will she shed new light on how bad Trump was or will it just be the stuff we already know?
SNIP. No insults.
He will win the primary easily enough, but unsure about an election.
The GOP will hope he steps aside but he won't , he needs the attention and corporate media who are hugely reliant on Trump to prop up their dying mediums will boost him with huge coverage as they did in 2016. I seen the abysmal Ric Wilson celebrate on twitter when linking to a story about him running. Why was that?
The "Anti Trump" online presence relies on him for fundraising , exposure etc. It is utterly insane that these people will say " Trump is the greatest threat to democracy in the last 50 years" but then keep him relevant and goad him into running when ultimately due to the American way of voting he will always have a sizable chance of winning.
The GOP will get online because they are terrified of him, he raises loads of money and bar the obnoxiousness online he governs exactly like how they want him to.
I do think DeSantis would have won easily enough in 2024, but he obviously won't run when Trump announces and he is playing to much to the Trump base in last few months when previously he seemed to be much more focused.
A Trump v Biden part 2 is hell, but its what the USA deserves.
That is indeed the Rock and the Hard place that the GOP have put themselves between.
They need to keep Trump onside because his MAGA base will ensure that anyone that pushes back against him to any great extent will get Primaried and potentially lose the party nomination. The flip side of that is that by keeping him close and pandering to his lunacy, they are building an ever more insurmountable barrier between them and moderate/independent voters.
I'd never rule out Trump making a comeback and adding a new answer to that classic trivia question about non-consecutive presidents ... but in doubling down in both the "stolen election" narrative and the anti-vaccination/mask one, it begs the question: how is he going to entice the swing or independent voters in the next election with brazen extremism? Aside from being a known, controversial quantity from his actual years in charge, his year in the wilderness has not shown any form kind of Road to Damascus moment; quite the opposite. He has become more belligerent, more bitter.
The only thing keeping him relevant is the GOP insisting on courting Trump's base, that frothing, angry cohort who are statistically important enough in various districts and states to be worth engaging with.
The world is about to be engulfed by global warming chaos… we don’t need Trump in the mix …. Him running alone is enough to further destabilise America
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