The Goat Pen

Professor Tiger wrote: A few simple questions:

1. Did Team Trump pay money to the Russians

Did Team Trump pay money to the Russians...if you had to stake your life on it, how would you answer?

Thing is, the dossier isn't fake - it's been mostly spot on. It was initiated by republicans..hello.. and no Russians have been paid for it's contents as far as you know. And the dossier didn't bring on the investigation into Trump campaign contacts with Russians - George Papadopolous's alcohol-inspired ramblings kickstarted the whole thing three months before anyone heard of Christopher Steele.

You need to take a break from from Dobbs and Hannity. Maybe read a book or somethin'.

I hear great things about this one.

THIS IS IT!

Bannon’s going to turn state’s evidence on Trump! Bannon’s got a story to tell, and he’s going to tell it! As we speak, he’s singing to Mueller all about how Trump colluded with the Russians! The whole house of cards, which was supposed to come crashing down a year ago, will finally come crashing down now!

Manafort isn’t getting it done, and Flynn isn’t cutting the mustard, and the Coffee Boy in Chief didn’t pan out, but Bannon is the human smoking gun! Trump is going down I tell you! DOWN!

Meanwhile, in news that matters, the DOJ/FBI is FINALLY going to turn over the documents related to the Pee Pee Dossier to the House Intelligence Committee.

https://intelligence.house.gov/news/doc ... mentID=843

The documents were subpeona’d months ago, but the “I’m with her” leadership of the world’s greatest law enforcement agency thus far had refused to comply with the law. Wray and Rosenstein were about to be held in contempt of Congress, so maybe that got their attention.

If those documents were’t accidentally bleach bit’d, or the hard drives containing them weren’t accidentally destroyed, we’ll finally find out what about the Pee Pee dossier the DOJ-FBI has been assiduously trying to hide.

I'm for full disclosure on everything related to Putin's involvement with the 2016 election, as are you.


Firm That Contracted Steele Dossier Says It Was 'Shocked' By Findings on Trump NPR: January 3, 2018·10:24 AM ET

The founders of the political research firm that commissioned the infamous Russia dossier on Donald Trump say they were "shocked" by the things they say it uncovered and want their full story to be public.

Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch, founders of the opposition research shop Fusion GPS, also are accusing Republicans in Congress of unfairly targeting them and their company while ignoring "credible evidence of collusion" between Trump's campaign and the Russians who interfered in the 2016 election.

Simpson and Fritsch used an op-ed in Wednesday's New York Times to call for the release of transcripts of their 21 hours of closed testimony before congressional investigators.

"It's time to share what our company told investigators," Simpson and Fritsch wrote.

Fusion GPS was first hired by the conservative news website The Washington Free Beacon to research Trump's alleged ties to Russia during the Republican primaries. To do so, the company hired former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, a longtime Russia expert.

The pee story is definitely true.

And Donald Jr. gave several hours testimony to the House Committee and everybody agrees those transcripts should be made public, ...everybody but Nunes. He says revealing Jr.'s 7 hours of transcripts may alter the testimony of others who may be called. Ironically, Nunes also seems to be trying to wrap up the work of the committee which would preclude calling any more witnesses.

But guess what came out today? Paul Singer is the billionaire behind The Washington Free Beacon, the one's who originally paid for the dossier. Turns out Singer is a major donor to Devin Nunes's congressional campaign. Looks like it's time for Nunes to recuse himself from the committee again..

....anything to keep this suckass economy outta the news....

Trump Is Losing It: New Book Says President Can't Remember Old Friends And Bannon Saw Chance Of 'Unfit' Determination - Newsweek Zachary Fryer-Biggs,Newsweek 2 hours 59 minutes ago
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-losing ... 20225.html

http://theweek.com/speedreads/746609/ya ... ng-unravel

Toemeesleather wrote:....anything to keep this suckass economy outta the news....

Dow has grown 200% since 2009 and now you're a cheerleader.

Turned the dial to Fox News today, it's always good to get Faux's take on the latest bombshell. Right off: "Coming up - will the Manafort lawsuit derail the Special Counsel investigation?" Wish I could've stay tuned for that - maybe prof can fill me in.

Later, on the way back to the office, some guy was all in a tiz about the corrupt FBI and DOJ and DeepState this and that..corruption so blatant that everyone needs to be purged blah blah...this was audio but I swear I could hear Dana Perrino's eyes roll. Her responses weren't all that supportive...she must have a foot out the door.

Anywho, I didn't catch any Trump vs Bannon but I'm sure it's been handled delicately. heh

The year 2000.

However, the warming is so far manifesting itself more in winters which are less cold than in much hotter summers. According to Dr David Viner, a senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia,within a few years winter snowfall will become “a very rare and exciting event”.

“Children just aren’t going to know what snow is,” he said.

Is East Anglia in the Sunbelt or the OVC?

Trump has dementia.

bluetick wrote:

Toemeesleather wrote:....anything to keep this suckass economy outta the news....

Dow has grown 200% since 2009 and now you're a cheerleader.

It really does now look like President Donald J. Trump, and markets are plunging. When might we expect them to recover?

Frankly, I find it hard to care much, even though this is my specialty. The disaster for America and the world has so many aspects that the economic ramifications are way down my list of things to fear.

Still, I guess people want an answer: If the question is when markets will recover, a first-pass answer is never.

Under any circumstances, putting an irresponsible, ignorant man who takes his advice from all the wrong people in charge of the nation with the world’s most important economy would be very bad news. What makes it especially bad right now, however, is the fundamentally fragile state much of the world is still in, eight years after the great financial crisis.

It’s true that we’ve been adding jobs at a pretty good pace and are quite close to full employment. But we’ve been doing O.K. only thanks to extremely low interest rates. There’s nothing wrong with that per se. But what if something bad happens and the economy needs a boost? The Fed and its counterparts abroad basically have very little room for further rate cuts, and therefore very little ability to respond to adverse events.

Now comes the mother of all adverse effects — and what it brings with it is a regime that will be ignorant of economic policy and hostile to any effort to make it work. Effective fiscal support for the Fed? Not a chance. In fact, you can bet that the Fed will lose its independence, and be bullied by cranks.

So we are very probably looking at a global recession, with no end in sight. I suppose we could get lucky somehow. But on economics, as on everything else, a terrible thing has just happened.


Paul Krugman NYT

Heh heh

This from Newsweek and Trump’s supposed ghost writer:

Later, he wrote in a series of three tweets that Trump's end would come before the year was out. "The circle is closing at blinding speed. Trump is going to resign and declare victory before Mueller and congress leave him no choice," Schwartz tweeted. "Trump's presidency is effectively over. Would be amazed if he survives till end of the year. More likely resigns by fall, if not sooner." August 17, 2017

https://www.google.com/amp/www.newsweek ... 73%3famp=1

Merry true and correct Christmas to all!

And a merry Proceeds from the Father to you prof.

Yes, none of that “proceeds from the Father and the Son” stuff. Kudos for even knowing about that.

I trust you had a blessed Epiphany.

I wonder if tick will be gnob gobbling again this week....


Stephen Bannon says he’s sorry.

The far-right strategist began his atonement for calling actions taken by President Trump’s oldest son “treasonous” — an accusation that caused a rift with the commander-in-chief and his family, as well as those who support Trump.

“Donald Trump Jr. is both a patriot and a good man,” Bannon said Sunday in a statement to Axios. “He has been relentless in his advocacy for his father and the agenda that has helped turn our country around.”