BREAKING: One scared journalist, plus two frameworks!

MONDAY, JULY 16, 2018

Discussing the madness of Trump:
Jeff Mason, the man from Reuters, seemed to be badly scared.

Over in Helsinki today, it fell to him to ask the first question of Commander Trump. Swallowing hard, he said this:
MASON (7/16/18): Mr. President, you tweeted this morning that it's U.S. foolishness, stupidity and the Mueller probe that is responsible for the decline in U.S. relations with Russia.

Do you hold Russia at all accountable for anything in particular? And if so, what would you— What would you consider them, that they are responsible for?
Poor Mason! Trembling hard, he didn't dare articulate the obvious question at hand. Instead, he threw an open-ended question at our commander-in-chief.

Later, the AP's Jonathan Lemire wasn't timid at all. But Mason really failed to perform. He just flat seemed to be scared.

Still! When the Trumpster responded to Mason's lob, he took a standard route. "There was no collusion at all," he said. "Everybody knows it."

Did the Trump campaign collude with the Russkies? So far, no such charge has been lodged by the Mueller probe.

Still, journalists have struggled today to define the problems with what Trump said. We offer you two basic frameworks for ongoing discussion.

Concerning what may have occurred:

Robert Mueller is exploring two basic questions: 1) Did the Russkies interfere with the 2016 election? 2) Did the Trump campaign collude?

Note to journalists: The Trumpster likes to skip right past that first question. He prefers to address the second question, swearing that no one did. That's what he did today in his response to Mason.

Journalists, go ahead! Articulate each of these two different questions when you discuss what Trump said. Articulate what Trump did and didn't say with respect to each one.

For the most part, Trump took a dive on the first, basic question. Go ahead! You can say that right out loud!

Concerning possible reasons for Trump's bizarre behavior:

Has it ever been more clear? There are two basic possible reasons for Trump's bizarre behavior. Either or both could be true:

Either 1) he's being blackmailed or bribed by Putin, or 2) he's intellectually or psychologically incompetent. Either or both could be true.

Has this man ever appeared less competent than he did today? Sadly, though, the New York Times declared, in January, that we mustn't discuss the possibility that something is wrong with Donald J. Trump's mental health. And sure enough! From that point on, everyone has agreed to avoid any mention of this obvious possibility.

As we watched cable today, pundits struggled to define the two basic questions confronting Trump. Beyond that, they're still refusing to discuss the possibility that his intellect, or his mental health, could be severely impaired.

Mason pulled his punches first. Others soon followed suit.

No deference to Putin: As you can see in the transcript, Mason didn't defer to Putin. He only rolled over for Trump!

33 comments:

  1. "Concerning possible reasons for Trump's bizarre behavior:"

    Bizarre? What's bizarre (and insane), Bob, is that goebbelsian-narratives-swallowing zombies like yourself (and the rest of your 'tribe', obviously) are still walking the Earth. The day you turned - 11/9/2016 - was a long time ago...

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    Replies
    1. Trump is a liar and a thief.
      And Putin's bitch.

      Any other questions? Bob? Mao?

      Delete
    2. Mao is not a serious commenter. Mao is only here to stroke his fragile ego via a strategy of stifling discourse. Responding to Mao does nothing but prop up his delicate sense of himself.

      Delete
  2. Mueller is not confined to the two questions Somerby notes above. That fact was affirmed by the judge in Manafort's trial.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it's clearly an open-ended fishing expedition. But the two points are what matters. In over a year, Mueller's team has failed to provide a single shred of evidence affirming either one.

      Delete
    2. Except for the facts stated in all those indictments that relate to Question 1.

      Delete
  3. I agree with Bob that Trump handled the questions at the press conference very badly. But, handling reporters' questions badly is a far cry from being mentally ill.

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    Replies
    1. Mental illness is the most charitable interpretation of Trump's performance.

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    2. Note that, as usual, the problem is Trump's words, not his actions. He didn't give Russia anything.

      Delete
    3. Keep telling yourself that. You'll sleep better.

      Delete
    4. Russia is one of the greatest threats to the US and Trump has given Russia the store.
      Trump changed the GOP stance on Ukraine for Russia.
      Trump disparages and questions the investigation into Russian meddling in US elections.
      Trump delayed sanctions for months against Russian oligarchs.
      Trump refuses to sanction Russia over Syria or its other international infractions.
      Trump is trying to weaken NATO for Russia.
      Trump is trying to weaken the EU for Russia.
      Trump wants Russia back in the economic summit G-7.
      Trump refuses to criticize Russia.
      Trump congratulated Putin on his election, lending legitimacy to a farce.
      Trump was furious so many Russian diplomats were expelled, or were they?
      Trump gets called to Putin’s press conference to give Putin a tongue bath.
      Trump retreats from global interests in promoting democracy and human rights, a favor to Russia.
      Trump disclosed classified intelligence to Russia.

      Delete
    5. Russia is already under your bed, dear dem-spammer. Go jump out of the window, quick.

      Delete
    6. President Donald Trump just bragged that Vladimir Putin has offered to send Russian government investigators to look into Russian government meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.

      That is not a joke.

      It’s the “interesting idea” Trump mentioned during the press conference after Monday’s closed-door meeting between the two leaders. An idea he said Putin proposed to address Russian involvement in America’s last election and its potential interference in future ones (including the 2018 midterm elections).

      Apparently, the Russian president suggested that he send his own people to investigate the 12 named Russian employees of the GRU (the country’s military intelligence agency) indicted Friday by special counsel Robert Mueller. They were charged in connection with the hack of the email server of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the publishing of hacked emails under the guise of “lone hacker” Guccifer 2.0.

      Trump teased Putin’s “interesting idea” in his opening remarks during their joint press conference Monday morning:


      https://www.vox.com/2018/7/16/17576788/putin-trump-meeting-election-idea-hacking

      That's another thing Trump did, Comrade DinC. That was an "action". The words of a president are acts. Committing treason in front of the world was an action, you treasonous bastard.


      Delete
    7. Heh. Is this what your zombie media are spewing today, dear dembot? Poor zombies...

      In fact, according to Bloomberg, this what Mr Putin suggested: “Official representatives of the United States, including the members of this very commission headed by Mr. Mueller -- we can let them into the country and they will be present at this questioning.

      Delete
    8. Putin said he’d allow members of Mueller’s team into Russia only if the US allowed him to reciprocate — to allow Russian operatives into the US. Specifically, Putin mentioned allegations against financier and vocal Putin critic Bill Browder — whom he accused of funneling (along with his associates) $400 million in donations to Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

      In other words, this is Putin’s “interesting idea” to address exhaustively documented allegations that employees of the Russian government tried to interfere in the 2016 presidential campaign by hacking into, and publishing, private emails from one major party in the campaign:
      1.Have Russian government officials ask other Russian government officials if the Russian government told them to commit a crime.
      2.Let US officials watch Russian officials ask other Russian officials if the Russian government told them to commit a crime.
      3.Send Russian officials into the US to investigate allegations against domestic critics of Vladimir Putin.



      “We would expect that the Americans would reciprocate,” Putin explained, “and they would question officials, including the officers of law enforcement and intelligence services of the United States, who we believe have something to do with illegal actions on the territory of Russia, and we have to request the presence of our law enforcement.”

      Trump praised this “interesting idea,”

      You fucking clown.

      Delete
    9. What is your point, dembot? Could you elaborate, please, on which word or combination of words in the above quote made you shit your paints from excitement?

      Delete
    10. What makes anyone think that AnonymousJuly 17, 2018 at 7:40 AM is a "dem?"

      Delete
    11. Well, 7:40 is most likely a piece of automated spam, but it's almost certainly financed by private corporation known as "democratic party". Isn't it obvious?

      Delete
    12. Mao,
      The worst part of the zombie media will be when they state they can't believe Republicans/ Conservatives were actively engaged in treason against the United States of America.
      That's why they are the zombie media.
      It's been obvious the GOP/ Conservavtives support treason from the moment they called Iraq War critics "traitors".
      it's always been projection from those fuckers.

      Delete
    13. Yeah, except that's "in other words": phrased by your goebbelsian zombie media.

      I see it doesn't take much to make you shit your pants, dembot. Enjoy.

      Delete
    14. Mao,

      Here are Putin's exact words. You can read them for yourself and decide if the summary of his proposal was fair or not.


      We have an existing agreement between the United States of America and the Russian Federation, an existing treaty that dates back to 1999: the mutual assistance on criminal cases. [...] This treaty has specific legal procedures we can offer. The appropriate commission headed by Mueller, he can use this as a solid foundation and send an official request to us so that we would interrogate, hold questioning of these individuals who he believes are privy to some crimes. Our enforcement are perfectly able to do this questioning and send the appropriate materials to the United States.

      Moreover, we can meet you halfway. We can make another step. We can actually permit representatives of the United States, including the members of this very commission headed by Mr. Mueller, we can let them into the country. They will be present at questioning.


      Please, twist that into something besides what Putin was actually proposing, and what President Chickenshit Von Dumbfuck thought was an "interesting idea".

      I believe this summarizes it quite neatly.

      1.Have Russian government officials ask other Russian government officials if the Russian government told them to commit a crime.

      Once again, for the trump cultists in complete denial. The President of the United States was endorsing a proposal from Vlad Putin to investigate himself.

      Bwahahahaha. You really are deep into the Koolaid, jackass.

      Delete
    15. "I believe this summarizes it quite neatly"

      Yeah, but that's only because you're a brainless dembot.

      Real people are capable of reading two short paragraphs, without getting orders from zombie media, telling them what to think.

      Delete
    16. Be my guest, Mao.

      Why don't you explain to us ignorant dembots what Putin was actually proposing.

      Take you time.

      Delete
    17. "Real people are ..."

      What's that got to do with you, Comrade?

      Delete
  4. When Trump answered questions - answer being a rough approximation - I never saw Putin's lips move once.

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  5. I saw the video and I didn't think Mason looked scared. Why denigrate the man's professionalism?

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  6. The hysteria over "Russian meddling" is becoming dangerous. Congressmen and women are sanctimoniously throwing around phrases such as "an attack on America", “an attack on democracy”, and "terrorist attack", driving the American public into a frenzy.
    When will someone be honest and admit that America would be oblivious to the “Russian meddling” if Hillary had won the election. It would never have become a story. Obama was aware of the meddling, but he didn’t think it was a big deal or that it would affect the election. A victory by Hillary was Obama’s expected result; therefore, his proof that the meddling wouldn’t affect the election. Until, it didn’t turn out that way. Frankly, there is still no proof that Russian meddling affected the election, but “Russian meddling” has become the scapegoat for her loss, and is now being used to gin up anger for political gain.
    I’ve heard commentators blast Putin as a former KGB agent. Does anyway recall that America elected a President who was the former director of the CIA?
    And, is anyone naïve enough to believe that we “respect” the political process in Russia, would never hack Russian emails, or sow discord in the Russian government? What are we doing to them? What foreign political processes has our government meddled in?
    The whole “meddling” conversation is way out of hand, and yes, becoming dangerous to our foreign relationships. It’s bad enough that politicians and the press are driving the country to the point of hysteria, but sadly, no one seems to be waking up to the fact that it’s all propaganda.

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    Replies
    1. "Frankly, there is still no proof that Russian meddling affected the election" and yet "it’s all propaganda."

      You accept that meddling occurred, and yet make the unfounded leap to claiming the meddling conversation is all "propaganda."

      And what does our "respect" of Russia's political process have to do with the need for preserving the integrity of our own?

      Delete
    2. "And what does our "respect" of Russia's political process have to do with the need for preserving the integrity of our own?"

      Interesting. Could you expand on this "thought" of yours, please.

      Delete
    3. You accept that meddling occurred, and yet make the unfounded leap to claiming the meddling conversation is all "propaganda."

      The meddling occurred; the "propaganda" is blowing it out of proportion as some sort of national crisis.

      Delete
    4. "The meddling occurred"

      You don't know that. It exactly because of the propaganda that you believe that "the meddling" (whatever the hell that is) occured.

      Delete
    5. When the temperature in hell is 0 Celcius or lower, or when the sumbitch is frogmarched into court to rat out his cronies.

      Delete
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