Thursday Open Thread

Posted on January 25, 2018 by rikyrah

Join me and India as we go to a place called…

“BEAUTIFUL”

It’s all I got folks, as I continue my healing journey.

This entry was posted in Music, News, Open Thread, Politics and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

60 Responses to Thursday Open Thread

  2. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 10:00 pm

    LOL

    The Hoarse Whisperer‏ @HoarseWisperer

    Digging deeper for some other savory morsels, there’s this one:

    We now know McGahn symied Trump multiple times.. and we know from prior reporting McGahn documented at least some of these in memos which he has since turned over to Robert Mueller.

    Paper trails lead to jails!

    5/

    The Hoarse Whisperer‏ @HoarseWisperer

    The orgy of goodness doesn’t end there…

    We also know that McGahn and Priebus share the same attorney – which leads folks like me to conclude they’re acting in concert and singing a two-part harmony called “The Snitchyboy Shuffle”.

    What they know, Mueller knows. Safe bet.

    6/

    Reply
  10. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    January 25, 2018 at 9:07 pm

    Philadelphia
    “Oldest African American graveyard in West Philadelphia lies beneath proposed apartments”
    http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/philadelphia/oldest-african-american-graveyard-in-west-philadelphia-lies-beneath-proposed-apartments-20180125.html

    Reply
  13. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 3:30 pm

    KAPOW

    SpeakerRyan
    We have all been inspired by the courage of the American gymnasts coming forward to tell their stories. The crimes committed against these young women are atrocious and rattle us all to the core.

    Laura Bassett @LEBassett
    What about the 19 women who accused Trump of sexual assault and harassment? Are you inspired by their stories?

    Reply
  16. SouthernGirl2 says:
    January 25, 2018 at 1:55 pm

    NO!

    Sanders gathered advisers to discuss 2020 run: report

    Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) gathered several of his top political advisers in Washington this past weekend to discuss the possibility of running for president again in 2020, Politico reported on Thursday.

    Sanders was a big underdog to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primary but managed to win 23 states, narrowly losing the nomination. His advisers reportedly told him he would be a likely front-runner for the Democratic nomination in 2020.

    According to the report, the meeting included Sanders’s wife, Jane Sanders, as well as former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner, 2016 campaign manager Jeff Weaver, Democratic strategists Mark Longabaugh and Julian Mulvey, pollster Ben Tulchin, online fundraiser Tim Tagaris, senior Senate adviser Ari Rabin-Havt, political adviser Chuck Rocha, and former communications aide Arianna Jones.

    http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/370695-sanders-gathered-top-advisers-to-discuss-possible-2020-run-report

    Reply
    • Liza says:
      January 25, 2018 at 2:35 pm

      He’s too old. So is John Kerry. So is Joe Biden.

      Reply
    • majiir says:
      January 25, 2018 at 5:12 pm

      If Sanders runs, he should not be permitted to run as a Democrat. I partly blame him for Trump being elected because he divided our party, and after it became clear that he wasn’t the candidate we wanted, he refused to leave the race. Also, after his failed bid to win the nomination, he later declared he was no longer a member of the Democratic Party. F*ck Bernie Sanders with a foot-long, rust-encrusted iron pole. Let him build his own d*mn political infrastructure. I didn’t donate one cent to the DNC in 2016 because Sanders was allowed to use our party infrastructure to run for POTUS, created a group of virulent, far left, hateful, divisive, purists, who turned on their own party members, and dissed our party’s most dedicated supporters [POC, especially black Dems.] Perez had better wake up and deny Sanders the opportunity to do the same thing in 2020, or I won’t be donating to the DNC in 2020, either. I don’t care how many polls show him as being a viable candidate in 2020, he will never get my vote in a Democratic primary. If my parents hadn’t reared me not to, I could really hate this man.

      Reply
  17. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 1:43 pm

    How Spooked Are Republicans About the Mueller Investigation?
    by Nancy LeTourneau
    January 25, 2018

    Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) sounded an awful lot like conspiracy theorist Alex Jones during an appearance this week on Fox News.

    Let’s break that down, shall we? Johnson said that an informant told him that there was a “secret society” of FBI agents who were meeting off site. The inference everyone took is that they were plotting to destroy the Trump presidency. He tied that to corruption at the highest levels of the FBI and suggested that since Mueller had once led that agency, he is in no position to do an investigation.

    But Johnson’s story changed dramatically when he was questioned about it by someone who is not a reporter on Fox News.

    Johnson: “I’ve heard from an individual that there were FBI agents … management of the FBI, holding meetings off-site.”
    My Q: Off-site to do what, exactly?
    Johnson: “I don’t know. …(The texts) raise an awful lot of questions; it is my responsibility to try and get answers.”

    — Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 24, 2018

    Reply
  18. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 1:41 pm

    An Obstruction of Justice Case Won’t Be Enough to Remove Trump
    by Martin Longman
    January 25, 2018

    Ryan Goodman of the New York Times lays things out in such a way that it’s easy to see the outlines of a fairly slam-dunk case of obstruction of justice in the Russia probe. In addition to the already verified false statements made by Michael Flynn and George Papadapoulos, for which they have both been indicted, he identifies false statements that were made to Congress or on government forms by Jeff Sessions, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jr., and K.T. McFarland. This is in addition to a long list of false statements that were made to the public, including by the president, insisting that there had been absolutely no contact between members of the campaign and Russians. For Goodman, these public lies are so intertwined with their overall defense that it’s impossible to believe that they were honest in private when speaking to federal investigators.

    The original conspiracy to hide Russian contacts has unraveled. We now know that Flynn, Papadapolos, and Sam Clovis are cooperating with the Mueller investigation, while there is reason to believe that Rick Gates may soon join them. Many others have given testimony, either to the grand jury or to the special counsel’s investigators. Some, like Hope Hicks and the president’s White House lawyer Don McGahn are still in Trump’s employ, but others like Reince Priebus, Sean Spicer, and Steve Bannon (who is scheduled to testify soon) are not. Only the most guilty have any interest in lying to the feds, so it’s safe to say that Mueller has decimated the original unity of Trump’s team and is now getting to the bottom of how these lies were coordinated. And maybe that’s why it appears that he’ll spend his time talking to the president by focusing on issues related to obstruction of justice rather than the underlying crime.

    Trump may have signaled yesterday that he’s knows he’s in trouble on obstruction. He’s been denying he colluded with the Russians but on Wednesday he added a denial that he’s obstructed the investigation, too.

    Reply
  19. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 1:38 pm

    Trump Wants to Turn Our Schools Into War Zones
    by Nancy LeTourneau
    January 25, 2018

    The first month of 2018 isn’t over and already there have been 11 school shootings this year that left five people dead. The ignorant bully who currently occupies the White House explained his response to U.S. mayors yesterday.

    I’ll have a hard time explaining how angry this makes me. But perhaps we can start with the fact that the program he is referring to, the Pentagon’s Law Enforcement Support Office, supplies local law enforcement agencies with grenade launchers, high-caliber firearms, camouflage gear, and armored personnel carriers. Trump might be the only person in the country to not have heard why the Obama administration ended the program. It happened when law enforcement used that kind of equipment to turn communities into war zones in response to protests over police shootings of unarmed black men.

    Trump has, of course, reinstated the program, which is bad enough. But to suggest that turning schools into war zones with grenade launchers and armored personnel carriers will keep our children safe leaves me at a loss for words. It is utterly insane.

    There is some truth to the idea that Trump says these kinds of things precisely because it gets that kind of response from liberals. That is exactly what people like Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopolous have been banking on for a while now. So if Trump were nothing more than a grifter trying to make a buck off of liberal outrage, I’d give him a pass just like to do with the other grifters. But this is the President of the United States suggesting that we turn our schools into war zones—and providing local law enforcement with the equipment to do so. I simply can’t ignore that.

    Reply
  20. SouthernGirl2 says:
    January 25, 2018 at 1:32 pm

    What in the hell is TPM doing? The country is in a crisis with a buffoon under FBI investigation, attacking the free press, lying daily to the American people, etc and this pic of President Obama with Louis Farrakhan is the news? DO BETTER!

    https://twitter.com/TPM/status/956607214671757313

    Reply
  21. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 12:31 pm

    Warner to Directly Refute Nunes Memo
    ………………………………….

    Something remarkable is happening in our politics right now. On multiple fronts, it has fallen to Democratic elected officials to step up and defend the integrity and basic functionings of our government — against Republican efforts to pervert and manipulate them in service of the goal of shielding President Trump from accountability.

    At the same time, in some cases Democrats have escalated their tactics in a kind of guerrilla operation designed to smuggle as much basic information about this great GOP abdication out to the public as possible.

    Today, I’m told, Sen. Mark Warner (Va.) — the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee — will publicly say that classified information debunks the arguments reportedly made in the now-notorious secret memo by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), which bolsters the idea that the Russia investigation is a Deep-State Coup against Trump. Nunes has made this memo available to members of Congress, in what Democrats charge is a selective cherry-picking of intelligence designed to arm Republicans with talking points to discredit the Russia probe.

    Reply
  24. SouthernGirl2 says:
    January 25, 2018 at 11:08 am

    A district manager told the victim to ignore the racist language and to “suck it up.” BYE @autozone. Thanks for the heads up on how you handle racism directed against your employees.

    https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/956537652379111424

    Reply
  27. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 9:37 am

    NONE DARE CALL IT COLLUSION

    ………………..

    We know that Russian spies approached the Trump campaign offering assistance in the election multiple times. At least twice, Russians dangled the lure of “dirt” on Hillary Clinton, including stolen emails, and both times, Trump campaign officials (George Papadopoulos and Donald Trump, Jr.) expressed interest. Trump, Jr. was particularly enthusiastic about the idea of cooperating with the Russians, and shortly after he welcomed Russian spies to Trump tower for a meeting about “dirt” on Hillary Clinton, he coordinated messaging with Wikileaks, which operated last summer and fall as a cutout for Russian hackers.

    After repeatedly communicating to Russia (in public and in private) that they welcomed interference in the election, Trump and his aides cast public doubt on whether the saboteurs were Russians at all. When Trump went on to win the election after benefiting from this interference, members of his inner circle, through Michael Flynn, secretly connived with Russia to subvert the countermeasures the American government had undertaken as penalties for Russia’s interference.

    Reply
  28. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 9:35 am

    The awkward question for Team Trump: ‘How do you define collusion?’
    01/25/18 08:40 AM—UPDATED 01/25/18 08:53 AM
    By Steve Benen

    …………………………….

    REPORTER: The president has said repeatedly there was no collusion between the campaign and Russia. Can you define what he means when he says ‘collusion’? Is he talking about meetings between officials? Is he talking about information-exchanging hands? What does that mean?

    SANDERS: Look, I think the accusation against the president is that he had help winning the election, and that’s simply untrue. The president won because he was the better candidate, because he worked harder, because he had a message that America actually cared about and believed in, and came out in a historic fashion and supported and voted for him.

    For now, let’s put aside the odd campaign-related boasts – if Trump were really such a tremendous candidate, he probably wouldn’t have lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million ballots – and focus on the substance of Sanders’ answer.

    “I think the accusation against the president is that he had help winning the election, and that’s simply untrue.” But is it? Trump had help from Russia, he knew he had help from Russia, he publicly asked for help from Russia, at times he even celebrated the help he received from Russia while it was happening.

    In context, I’m not sure Sanders was really trying to answer the question yesterday, but if she was, she apparently set the “collusion” bar at a level the White House may find troubling.

    The fact remains that “collusion” is far more of a political term than a legal one, so Trump World’s preoccupation with the word – and its reluctance to define it – isn’t especially helpful.

    That said, I often find myself thinking about something House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said several weeks ago: “The Russians offered help. The campaign accepted help. The Russians gave help. And the president made full use of that help.”

    Reply
  29. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 9:32 am

    Trump’s pick moves the CFPB away from its core mission
    01/24/18 10:02 AM
    By Steve Benen

    …………………………………

    Mr. Mulvaney made clear that under his direction, the consumer bureau would be more reluctant to target companies without overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing and suggested that the effect on a business should be weighed more heavily when considering cracking down on potential consumer abuses. […]

    Mr. Mulvaney also said that the bureau would introduce more quantitative rigor in determining which companies to target for enforcement, a move sure to be welcomed by banks and financial trade groups that have complained about the agency’s enforcement approach.

    “We are government employees,” Mulvaney wrote. “We don’t just work for the government, we work for the people. And that means everyone: those who use credit cards, and those who provide those cards; those who take loans, and those who make them; those who buy cars, and those who sell them. All of those people are part of what makes this country great.”

    Or put another way, the OMB chief appears to be confused. He’s leading an agency that is supposed to have a sole focus on the financial interests of consumers – again, it’s literally right there in the name – and expanding that focus to include everyone else, including those who may be actively working against consumers’ interests.

    Worse, we don’t have to wait to see the manifestation of Mulvaney’s regressive vision for the CFPB. Slate’s Jordan Weissmann explained yesterday, “Last week, the CFPB dropped a lawsuit in Kansas against four payday lenders without any explanation, other than a weak assurance that it would continue investigating the case. Meanwhile, International Business Times reports today that Mulvaney stealthily closed an investigation into a South Carolina-based payday lender, World Acceptance Corporation, which had previously donated to his campaigns.”

    That’s really just a sampling. Last week, the current CFPB chief also announced plans to scrap Obama-era safeguards imposed on payday lenders.

    Reply
  30. SouthernGirl2 says:
    January 25, 2018 at 9:07 am

    My son in law, Carson’s daddy, was involved in an accident yesterday. He and 7 other guys were coming from location back to the yard and a pick up truck hit their van. All 7 guys went to the hospital. He has a concussion and when the hospital tried to do a Cat Scan & the dye exploded and went into his muscles instead of the vein, they tried again and it did it again. So they had to put it in his neck. This morning his blood count is real low and he’s having a little bit of a breathing problem. So more tests are being made so he’ll be there a bit longer. Pray for him

    Reply
  31. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 8:57 am

    Gates has gotten himself a REAL D.C. LAWYER. One, who earned his chops on Watergate.
    Someone who is going to tell him – SAVE YOURSELF. – In Washington speak, of course.
    He saw who showed up to his legal fundraiser – nobody.

    Reply
  32. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 8:55 am

    I admit…I’m still at the point of the raised eyebrow at Flynn:
    1. taking a meeting with the FBI – WITHOUT A LAWYER
    2. NOT TELLING ANYONE IN THE WHITE HOUSE ABOUT IT!

    DA HAIL?

    The arrogance of this bunch.

    Reply
  33. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 8:53 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/24/18
    Law enforcement made more difficult by Republican smears of FBI
    Former U.S. attorney Chuck Rosenberg, talks with Rachel Maddow about how the important work of the FBI is made more difficult by the unwarranted smears by Republicans attempting to deflect attention from the investigation of Donald Trump.

    Reply
  34. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 8:52 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/24/18
    Indicted Trump aide adds new lawyer, raising plea deal questions
    Rachel Maddow outlines the storied career of prominent attorney Tom Green, who has specialized in clients mired in high-profile political scandals, and points to a CNN report that he has been retained by indicted Trump aide Rick Gates.

    Reply
  35. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 8:50 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/24/18
    Mike Flynn hid FBI interview from White House
    Carol Lee, national political reporter for NBC News, talks with Rachel Maddow about new revelations about the FBI’s interview of Mike Flynn that eventually led to his firing.

    Reply
  36. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 8:49 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/24/18
    DoJ warns Nunes against political stunts with classified material
    Rachel Maddow reports on a letter from Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd to Rep. Devin Nunes, cautioning him that whatever political stunt he is trying to pull with classified material, he risks endangering national security in doing so.

    Reply
  37. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 8:48 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/24/18
    Manafort lawyers accidentally publish case notes not court doc
    Rachel Maddow reports on Paul Manafort’s lawyers apparently intending to publish a relevant court document to the court web site and instead apparently publishing a page of their case notes.

    Reply
  38. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 8:47 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 1/24/18
    Trump lawyers quick to walk back Trump bluster on meeting Mueller
    Rachel Maddow reports on Donald Trump boasting that he would be happy to testify to Robert Mueller’s investigation under oath, only to have that statement promptly turned back back his lawyers making excuses for his outburst.

    Reply
  39. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 7:56 am

    1) QUICK THREAD on Mueller Probe

    The news that Rick Gates is cuttin’ a deal with Mueller is sendin’ shock-waves through the Trump admin today. Gates should have valuable evidence against Trump directly and will possibly flip Manafort in the bargain.https://t.co/7WI8ba5GTB

    — Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) January 24, 2018

    4) The reason is simple. Mueller is movin’ on Obstruction first because it is the quick kill-shot that knocks Trump off his throne and gets him out of office. Once Trump is a regular citizen, he’s more vulnerable to prosecution in other venues such as NY for his other crimes.

    — Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) January 24, 2018

    Reply
  40. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 7:52 am

    NEW: Sen. Feinstein, Rep. Schiff urge Facebook and Twitter to investigate involvement of Russian bots in pushing “Release the Memo” campaign: “If these reports are accurate, we are witnessing an ongoing attack by the Russian government through Kremlin-linked social media actors.” pic.twitter.com/SkAci5NefK

    — ABC News (@ABC) January 23, 2018

    Mueller subpoenas Bannon,
    Nunes produces spin memo;

    Mueller interviews Sessions,
    Johnson claims secret society in FBI;

    Mueller calls in the President,
    then what does GOP do…

    — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 24, 2018

    Reply
  41. rikyrah says:
    January 25, 2018 at 6:42 am

    Good Morning Everyone 😄😄😄

    Reply

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