Patterico's Pontifications

8/30/2018

Trump: That Tape of My Interview with Lester Holt Was Fudged!

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 8:41 pm



Unbelievable — or, it would be unbelievable from almost anyone else:

You know what tape he’s talking about. It’s the one where he admitted that, when he fired James Comey, he had Russia on the brain. Decide for yourself how “fudged” it is.

TRUMP: Oh I was gonna fire regardless of recommendation —

LESTER HOLT: So there was– [OVER TALK]

TRUMP: He made– he made a recommendation, he’s highly respected, very good guy, very smart guy, uh the Democrats like him, the Republicans like him, uh he made a recommendation but regardless of recommendation I was going to fire Comey knowing, there was no good time to do it. And in fact when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story, it’s an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won.

Sure, he backtracked later, saying he just wanted someone competent, and that he wanted the Russia investigation done right, blah blah blah. But the damage was done; the idiot had made a very damaging admission that Democrats could end up using against him one day in impeachment proceedings.

It’s hilarious to watch the reaction to Trump’s bizarre Twitter claim. Allahpundit wonders where it’s coming from — did an allegation like this appear on Fox & Friends or something? People wonder aloud if it’s technically possible that it’s fudged. Because people don’t just say things like this out of nowhere. Right?

Wrong. This is very simple. He’s lying. He’s making it up. He says things because he thinks they will benefit him. He does not remotely care whether they are true. He does not remotely care whether sensible people think it could be true, or that he could be sincere. He simply says whatever he wants to say, knowing that some lunatics somewhere will make stupid arguments to defend him. He doesn’t care about truth.

He even admitted the stuff on the Access Hollywood tape during the campaign, and then during his presidency floated the theory to advisors that that tape was a forgery.

This is a guy who would routinely call up reporters pretending to be his own publicist so he could talk himself up. And when this was revealed during the campaign, he denied it was him.

This is why I have deep disdain and contempt for anyone who pretends Trump is anything other than a soulless and immoral lowlife. You like his policies? Fine. I like some of them too. You think his policies are more important than his character? OK. We’ll agree to disagree, but whatever. But if you think he’s anything but a truly bad person? Then you’re a chump sucker.

[Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.]

178 Responses to “Trump: That Tape of My Interview with Lester Holt Was Fudged!”

  1. Ding.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  2. So is he a psycho who has convinced himself that A is not-A, or does he actually think that anyone outside his base will fall for this?

    kishnevi (916796)

  3. So they aren’t even bothering with an opponent in Debbie’s district, seeing as justice let her and the awans off the hook, who can blame them.

    Narciso (dcc704)

  4. Yes, I don’t grok slate, the hot takes are oainful.

    Narciso (dcc704)

  5. Love the hateful reaction Trump has on the lefty media.
    gol.

    mg (148243)

  6. Uh oh, Patterico is pointing out an uncomfortable truth about Trump. Better make sure all the initial comments are off topic.

    Here’s an on-topic Trumpism from his Indiana Rally:

    https://twitter.com/saletan/status/1035331293964369921

    Trump in Indiana, on Democrats: “They want to raid Medicare to pay for socialism.”

    Davethulhu (fddbc4)

  7. 1+1=11, not 2, eh, Captain, Sir?! That how you become a billionaire!

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  8. Has John Barron called in yet?

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  9. Should be a nobel prize for destroying cnn.

    mg (456edd)

  10. But Obama!

    Dave (445e97)

  11. Mahalo, mr mg. I bet you like this one: A. Vivaldi – Summer Presto guitar cover

    Pinandpuller (599c7e)

  12. OBama did lie a lot to the “chump” class on things of deep consequence to them like Obamacare and spending so the chumps might be thinking “Trumps lies don’t hurt me at all so why should I care?”

    Steveg (a9dcab)

  13. You repeat a lie often enough and people start to believe maybe there’s something to it. The bigger the lie the better, because who’s going to tell such a blatant easily-disproved whopper without something to back it up? My wife, Morgan Fairchild, had a New York Times best-selling book on this very issue, a book that was later turned into the movie Titanic. They wanted me to play the lead role in the movie but I was busy on a secret mission for the CIA where I had to impersonate Queen Elizabeth in a wrestling tournament on Mars.

    Jerryskids (702a61)

  14. Aloha Pindandpuller,
    Fantastic guitar work, thanks.
    Missed you in Jacksonhole!

    mg (148243)

  15. I really hope that we don’t need to convince anyone of anything important while Trump is President. His credibility is so low I’m not sure anyone who isn’t a hard core Trump fan would believe us.

    Time123 (cd2ff4)

  16. Also, just occurred to me
    1. Trump says NBC Fudged the tape because of bias.
    2. People go to Google/Youtube to watch the tape.
    3. Trump says google and youtube are biased and can’t be trusted..

    Time123 (dba73f)

  17. “Well this is certainly a surprise–a surprise that NBC tanked an investigation that didn’t fit in with its editorial agenda and industry alliances.

    A former NBC News producer who was working with Ronan Farrow on the reporter’s investigation of alleged sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein has claimed that an order to stop pursuing the bombshell story came from “the very highest levels at NBC.”

    Rich McHugh, who left the network’s investigative unit earlier this month, told The New York Times that he and Farrow were told “to stand down on the story altogether.”

    Farrow ultimately won a Pulitzer Prize for his report on sexual misconduct by Weinstein and other powerful men, which ultimately saw the light of day as an article in The New Yorker. He left NBC months ago.”

    https://pjmedia.com/blog/liveblogevent/live-blog-68/entry-238738/

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  18. 14… You will be made to care, Steveg!!!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  19. If it’s the Last thing he does…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  20. How weird is it that it’s still even money that a truly bad person supported by chumps and suckers will end up being the best president since Reagan?

    harkin (0f0199)

  21. I was going to ask whether we have enough nuts for all the squirrels that popped up on this thread but I realized that the question answers itself.

    nk (dbc370)

  22. The funny part is that this is a triple lie, first by saying there was “fudging” and then saying that Holt “got caught” by someone for “fudging”, and then “then they hurt badly” from this fictional event. This is a president increasingly untethered from facts and basic reality.

    Paul Montagu (9dcfd2)

  23. Seeing as the entire front bench at NBC probably purjured themselves in the libby case, recall this was before we found out what was in comeys memos.

    Narciso (7a028c)

  24. If you can’t deny something bad about Trump, show your intellectual honesty by admitting it ignore it and do a “whatabout Obama?”

    Patterico (115b1f)

  25. The funny part is that this is a triple lie, first by saying there was “fudging” and then saying that Holt “got caught” by someone for “fudging”, and then “then they hurt badly” from this fictional event. This is a president increasingly untethered from facts and basic reality.

    Yeah, I don’t know about the “increasingly” part.

    He’s a bad man and always has been.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  26. That’s what makes it a successful lie, Mr. Montagu. For the lazy and the credulous a/k/a Trump supporters. It’s self-verifying. “Oh, yeah, it’s a fact. Lester Holt got caught fudging the Comey tape. NBC really got hurt by that. I dunno if you can check it on Google, though. They hide anything that’s favorable to Donald Trump.”

    nk (dbc370)

  27. That’s what makes it a successful lie, Mr. Montagu. For the lazy and the credulous a/k/a Trump supporters. It’s self-verifying. “Oh, yeah, it’s a fact. Lester Holt got caught fudging the Comey tape. NBC really got hurt by that. I dunno if you can check it on Google, though. They hide anything that’s favorable to Donald Trump.”

    Which is why we have to get the government to regulate it! Then we could learn the truth about the fudging of the Lester Holt tape that Google doesn’t want us to see!

    Patterico (115b1f)

  28. Narciso, Seems like your point is that it’s OK that Trump lies because people lie as well. It seems like mg’s point is that it’s good that Trump lies because it causes emotional pain on people / groups they don’t like.

    This is a mean shift. A lot of Democrats supported Clinton’s despite their lies, not because of them

    Time123 (dba73f)

  29. This is a mean shift. A lot of Democrats supported Clinton’s despite their lies, not because of them

    Time123 (dba73f) — 8/31/2018 @ 6:57 am

    This was inevitable. How long did you think Republicans would be the Adult Party of Truth while the Democrats refused to care?

    Unlike some Trump supporters, I don’t applaud Trump using these tactics to “get even” but I also don’t excuse Democrats’ role in getting us here.

    DRJ (46c88f)

  30. nk-

    I try to always bring my own nuts

    steveg (a9dcab)

  31. ignore it and do a “whatabout Obama?”

    I have deep contempt for Trump and his truth-telling abilities.

    But he is hardly the first politician to lie.

    Now what lies are more problematic — lies about why you fired someone who needed to be fired, or lies about policy. In my book, “If you like your doctor, you can keep him” is on another level than this lie.

    But, yes, Trump is a serial liar.

    Bored Lawyer (998177)

  32. Unless I go to visit my old chimpanzee

    “Dr. Maureen Martin of Kern Medical Center told KGET-TV of Bakersfield that the monkeys chewed most of Davis’ face off and that he would require extensive surgery in an attempt to reattach his nose. Chealander told The Bakersfield Californian that the chimps also tore off Davis’ testicles and foot.
    Davis was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he underwent surgery.”

    steveg (a9dcab)

  33. DJR,
    Look at mg’s comments. They aren’t excuses or spin, they actually seem gleeful in the lie. That’s very different than Bored Layer’s comments that put the lies in context of other values. I didn’t see much of that from the Dem side previously.

    Time123 (dba73f)

  34. I didn’t say Trump didn’t lie and am honest about his lies. If you read what I said you can probably tell what I was getting at, which is that the “chump class of suckers” are not unaware of Trumps lies, they just don’t care much about it because those lies do not hurt them, the ‘chump class of suckers”.

    Obama’s lies cost the “chumps” money and freedoms
    Hillary’s lies hurt national security and got people killed

    Trump lies about his tanning bed and the “chumps” don’t care

    Oh
    And don’t call me chump. Its unprofessional

    steveg (a9dcab)

  35. Coney was hired because he stabbed w in the back in the front the sides every which way.
    The problem is Wray isn’t a dang side better, if you look at the long view.

    Narciso (7a028c)

  36. Oh, there were more than several posts here about Obama’s lies and the glee with which his supporters swallowed them and even requested them. They even had their own weasel-phrase for them — like Kellyanne’s “alternative facts” — but I can’t remember it now.

    nk (dbc370)

  37. Wray was weissmans supervisors when they burnt Arthur Anderson down to the cinder blocks,

    Narciso (7a028c)

  38. johnathan gruber seemed pleased as punch that the dems had to lie to america to get obamacre through.

    Ben rhodes took pride in the fact that the Obama administration lied to get the iran deal through.

    kaf (6cbb44)

  39. Trump lies about his tanning bed and the “chumps” don’t care

    I think lies that convince people that the only source of truth is the President will have an impact.

    Time123 (dba73f)

  40. I think Trumps lawyers should keep Trump away from Mueller because Trump lies about all kinds of crazy things. He could easily meander off script and start lying about how much his shoes cost.

    steveg (a9dcab)

  41. The courts eventually reprimanded him, but nothing was left except nellie ohrs future employer accenture and what hsbc could scrape up.

    Narciso (7a028c)

  42. #42
    Oh. You must think most people are chumps then? Too gullible to know when Trump is doing his show.

    Because the media (CNN) could easily outfox Trump by getting rid of the biased news opinion chumps and send an august fair respectful velvet gloved metal fist reporter to the WH instead of Acosta and get off this 24/7 365 “Russia” nonsense

    steveg (a9dcab)

  43. #39

    I’m sure there were, and I might have enjoyed using the weasel phrase myself because I like to upset the apple cart…. I’m a sane revolutionary

    https://allpoetry.com/A-Sane-Revolution

    steveg (a9dcab)

  44. steveg,

    I responded to your comment, not by calling you a chump, but rather by citing an example of Trump lying about ObamaCare — the very same thing you complained Obama lied about.

    You ignored my example and acted as though Trunp’s most significant lie is about his tanning bed.

    Trump lies about policy. All the time. He will repea and replace ObamaCare. North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat. He will balance the budget and eliminate our debt in eight years. Shall I go on?

    Patterico (b6df96)

  45. johnathan gruber seemed pleased as punch that the dems had to lie to america to get obamacre through.

    Ben rhodes took pride in the fact that the Obama administration lied to get the iran deal through.

    I bet they could find lies by Republicans that preceded those lies chronologically. Presto! Now they have an excuse for their own lies! The other side does it so we have to!

    Patterico (b6df96)

  46. It’s pretty simple. If you fire a holdover from the prior administration, expect your personal lawyer to get raided. Only a moron like Trump would fail to understand this.

    Munroe (133d6e)

  47. nk

    One of the things I dislike about where we are is this whole back and forth of “shaved dice” Everyone wants to play with their own finely parsed facts and so we get battles back and forth over “alternative facts”.

    That’s all in addition to all the lies.
    It makes everyone seem unworthy and more than a little tarnished.

    But I have to admit to loving a good trainwreck. Like the McCain wake or whatever its called… why not invite the entire Palin family? Who else can you count on to get in a brawl and mop up some swabbies over the casket, smuggle in beers, get pregnant in the Rotunda

    steveg (a9dcab)

  48. This is part of a larger concern I have, about meaning. Bad things happen when humans stop assigning meaning to moral concepts, starting with things like truth and decency and leading up to the meaning we assign to human life itself.

    You can see it in images and videos of ISIS animals beheading enemies, or Nazis killing Jews. They have ceased to assign any meaning to the lives of those of the people, and that, perhaps more than the mere fact of the deaths themselves, is what infuses those images with such horror. Humans become pieces of meat and nothing more.

    This constant defending of Trump requires his defenders to attach less meaning to concepts of morality. This carries dangers that I think many still don’t appreciate for our society.

    (If someone says I am comparing Trump to Hitler here I will moderate them for two months.)

    Patterico (b6df96)

  49. It’s pretty simple. If you fire a holdover from the prior administration, expect your personal lawyer to get raided. Only a moron like Trump would fail to understand this.

    That is a brilliant comment that makes perfect sense.

    *eyeroll*

    Patterico (b6df96)

  50. Lets stipulate that Trump lies about everything from NKorea to his tanning bed OK?
    I was trying to make light of him. Trump should tell the truth about National Security issues because the opposition will think he is lying.

    And no I don’t need anymore examples. I got it the first time. I would point out that he has two more years to make the items you highlighted come to fruition.

    I accept your explanation that you were not calling me a chump. Thanks

    steveg (a9dcab)

  51. Well Islamic State were allowed to go on a rampage and no one but general Flynn challenged Obama on it, he also empowered Iran with 150 billion in frozen assets, I would call that treason wouldn’t you.

    Narciso (7a028c)

  52. No law, no truth. Only power from here on out.
    It just took us a while to get there.
    What is it, 80% of the people are only swayed by emotional rhetoric, never logic?

    Trump (and all politicians and actors and Scott Adams the Dilbert guy) know this very well.

    Ingot9455 (4db0d9)

  53. Remember Mr. Subliminal? (15-second commercial at start, sorz…)

    The original Mr. Subliminal peppered his reasonable-sounding prattle with off-color suggestions and attacks which (according to the conceit) were able to manipulate his listeners because they were muttered unnoticeably under his breath and by-passed normal, conscious scrutiny.

    Trump is like a next-gen Mr. Subliminal. The only difference? Rather than trying to conceal the self-serving, manipulative message, it is shouted at the top of his lungs instead.

    Otherwise, the effect is pretty much the same on the intended audience.

    Dave (445e97)

  54. Then put in scarfed up half of Ukraine and let a passenger jet be blown out if the sky, but he kept telling us put in, was the loser, he aLlowed the Moslem brotherhood to seize power in egypt.

    Narciso (7a028c)

  55. I would point out that he has two more years to make the items you highlighted come to fruition.

    Do you think that eliminating our debt in eight years is remotely possible?

    It is a lie, pure and simple.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  56. Our Possom Congress won’t even agree to a minor adjustment in discretionary spending, you think they will tackle entitlements?

    Narciso (7a028c)

  57. Right or wrong, under Obama, people in flyover country (the chumps/deplorables) felt that the [Democrats] have; ceased to assign any meaning to the lives of those people (chumps/bitter clingers)….
    And those flyover citizens thought the remedy was/is some Trump.

    But like all Presidents, you get all the flaws along with all the good

    I’ve had enough fun gotta go earn some money to pay the State of CA taxes I can’t write off

    steveg (a9dcab)

  58. Remotely

    steveg (a9dcab)

  59. If you are right, it’ll be a lie in 7 years.
    Until then it is a prediction and a bold assertion.

    steveg (a9dcab)

  60. Time123 #26,

    Let’s ask Monica Lewinsky if Democrats are honorable and generous. How many called her a slut back then? In 2015, Cokie Roberts was still shaming … Monica. But it is ok because Cokie explained how politics work in 1999:

    Carville, for his part, says he will “name names” of journalists who misreported Clinton’s comments and invite them to sue him for the 100 grand. But he may be too late.

    “At this point,” said Roberts, “it doesn’t much matter whether she said it or not because it’s become part of the culture. I was at the beauty parlor yesterday and this was all anyone was talking about.”

    Finally, do you honestly think there have never been Democrats chortling about Bill’s sexual exploits? Donald Trump was a Democrat then. I bet he was high-fiving Bill.

    DRJ (15874d)

  61. If you are right, it’ll be a lie in 7 years.
    Until then it is a prediction and a bold assertion.

    So if I promise that if you sign over all your possessions and assets to me you’ll live forever, it’ll only be a lie when you die?

    Dave (445e97)

  62. Friend of the plaintiff brief by the Trump Justice Department against the racism and bigotry practiced in Harvard’s discriminatory acceptance practices.

    Carry on.

    NJRob (b00189)

  63. He’s a bad bad manz… https://youtu.be/NdlocQl1XGg

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  64. They like to chase a 15 month squirrel, which is kind of mangey

    Narciso (7a028c)

  65. If you are right, it’ll be a lie in 7 years.
    Until then it is a prediction and a bold assertion.

    Lol

    Was Obama’s promise that you can keep your doctor a lie when it was told?

    You can’t answer that because you just boxed yourself into a corner. My guy’s absurdly laughable predictions are not lies when told; their guy’s absurdly laughable predictions are. The difference? Whether it’s my guy or not; nothing more.

    Patterico (b6df96)

  66. And yet every outlet that carried that lie, insists put in is a Russian stooge, what are the odds they would get it Right, since their information comes from Russian dezinforma

    Narciso (7a028c)

  67. This photo says it all about this shameless President of ours. Although he is not the one covering the lens, he would approve of it. He hates the media for pointing out his disgusting lies and other numerous faults.

    https://pilotonline.com/news/government/politics/nation/article_43a4962e-ad2a-11e8-b609-03807b342c43.html

    Tillman (d34303)

  68. As Salena Zito says, “Seriously but not literally; literally but not seriously.”

    Trump supporters know he’s been weak on the debt. He’s been doing other positive things and he’s been fighting with Congress on lots of stuff. It would be nice for the Republicans, who run Congress, to work with him and ramrod budgets through on 51 votes in the Senate and use budget reconciliation on every damn thing with those 51 votes, but you know, it don’t work out that way. (And not in the least just because one of those supposed votes just died bringing us down to 50 + Pence.)

    Ingot9455 (4db0d9)

  69. They prefer to be in the minority, except for my congressman Jordan a few others, that way they can complain without responsibility.

    Narciso (7a028c)

  70. cnn has multiple sources…

    http://ace.mu.nu/archives/cnn%20-%20multiple%20sources.jpg

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  71. Meanwhile the Ukrainian civil war just got onteresting?

    Narciso (7a028c)

  72. Those javelin missile might get some use,

    Narciso (7a028c)

  73. Republican lies are now called “bold assertions.” Media calling them lies should be mobbed, maybe censored, certainly described with… uh “bold assertions.”

    Team R learned the wrong lessons from Lois Lerner, Anthony Weiner, and Sid Blumenthal. They emulated the thing they were supposed to oppose. They gave up the end goal of a better country, because they didn’t have faith in the greatness of our people to respect right vs wrong.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  74. Some think this a big deal that allows them to scamper up on a soapbox to preen and bloviate about the unworthiness of those who don’t share their opinions.

    Others go about their lives.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  75. Sure, Trump’s going to pay off the current $21.4T debt in 6.5 years. Let’s see if it is even remotely possible…

    The entire US GDP is only $18.5T a year as a measure of the scope of the problem.

    The current US government revenue is roughly $3.5T, that’s 98% of all revenue coming from tax receipts. So, if we decide that the entire US federal government will take 6.5 years off, that would be enough to pay off the national debt. So for 6.5 years, we will employ a single bookkeeper that just sends out checks. There will be no DoD, no VA, no Social Security, no roads, no wall, etc. Of course, there would also be no taxes on income for anyone that works for the government, no taxes from businesses that do provide services to the government, building ships etc, no jobs upstream in the raw materials business, etc, so that’s going to lower receipts. It would cause a depression unlike any seen before, grandma would die in a ditch after being kicked out of the old folks home, we could be then invaded by Canada since we wouldn’t have a military, so the knock-on effects would be massive.

    I know what you’re saying, “Wilhelm, you’re saying it’s possible”, see that’s what you’re saying. But no, no it’s not possible, it wasn’t possible in 8 years, it probably isn’t possible in 16. Plus, to even begin to bend the debt curve, you have to spend less, or raise revenue, and in two years under Trump, it’s bending the curve the wrong way.

    So whether Trump was too dumb to know better, or he was lying, and anyone who actually believed it is either dumb or lying to themselves.

    But that is just par for the course for Trump, he lies, all the time, about nearly all things, so if you’re defending the lie, and saying it’s truth, then that shows your issues, more than Trump’s, as his lying was baked in from the 1970’s on, it was a known quantity.

    Colonel Klink (335e06)

  76. Some think this a big deal that allows them to scamper up on a soapbox to preen and bloviate about the unworthiness of those who don’t share their opinions.

    Others go about their lives.

    Why don’t you go about your life in moderation for a month. I’m sick of your passive-aggressive bullshit.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  77. I think Trump should be taken literally to a nursing home with around the clock adult care. Seriously.

    nk (dbc370)

  78. Bruce Ohr = Lois Lerner x 100

    So relieved Team NeverTrump learned that lesson.

    Munroe (2f02d5)

  79. Somebody tell the LGBTQ and loose single women, nk, otherwise it would be a done deal.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  80. The thing that somehow isn’t being communicated between Trump’s conservative critics and his conservative supporters is so similar to the difficult communication between critics of RINOs and establishment fans from ten years ago, even though the groups are partitions very differently.

    I’m frustrated not that Trump made the promise to fix our spending. I’m frustrated that his promise was designed to overwhelm the promises to fix our spending from anyone who would actually do it. If you’re a voter shopping between a guy who promises to balance the budget, versus someone who promises to have such a surplus we wipe out the debt, well the former looks like a weak offer when it would really be an extremely difficult reform! So the guy credibly promising such a thing is fighting both the spenders and the savers.

    And at the end of the day, the guy making the “bold assertion” wins but doesn’t even cut spending. He massively increases it because hey, government spending is a great way to grease the wheels at so many levels and that’s just where all inertia in DC will always be. It’s not just that we wound up with Hillary levels of spending. It’s that the only option to save us from that was ruined when flanked on the right.

    The only solution is to speak out so voters see through the BS. And so why are any conservatives angry that someone would criticize Trump on these grounds? It’s the truth and it’s critical to get that out there or we’ll just sink into economic disaster. That’s not hyperbole. We’re actually in trouble here and it’s irrational to support Trump as a fiscal conservative.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  81. I’ll lower it to a week, not a month. A month is excessive.

    But anyone whose only purpose in being here is to bitch about the content should seriously just leave, and forever is OK with me. If you insist on sticking around, keep your direct criticism of me respectful and address it to me directly rather than being passive aggressive about it.

    Anyone who wants to minimize serial lying by the President: make your argument and make it to my face.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  82. “Team R learned the wrong lessons from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bubba, Nancy Pelosi, John Brennan, James Comey etc.”

    Fyp

    harkin (0f0199)

  83. “Team R learned the wrong lessons from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bubba, Nancy Pelosi, John Brennan, James Comey etc.”

    Fyp

    Yes, those people have something in common. It’s a very bad thing. They lied as Democrats.

    Lying as a Republican of course is different and OK for reasons

    Patterico (b6df96)

  84. Anyone who wants to minimize serial lying by the President: make your argument and make it to my face.

    In this case, the defense is of a lie that has no defense.

    Nobody except (maybe) Trump even has any clue wtf he is claiming Lester Holt supposedly did.

    And yet they still defend him.

    The degree of Pavlovian conditioning on display is frightening.

    Dave (445e97)

  85. It certainly seems like Trump and his supporters are doing what the establishment GOP wants, Dustin. Spend money, pick judges with Ivy pedigrees who might end up like Roberts, talk about immigration but not accomplish much, and elect RINOs so they can protect Trump.

    DRJ (15874d)

  86. So is NAFTA-under-a-different-name and these non-renewals of passports in the RGV I keep hearing about Trump’s way of helping Cruz (tamping down RINO/H.E.B. faction fears on cross-border trade, “suppressing” the Hispanic vote in South Texas) Trump’s way of helping Cruz without cutting an ad or tweeting his support?

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  87. Dustin
    I used the term bold assertion because we won’t know for sure it was a lie until the time frame Trump gave expires

    Steveg (52aafa)

  88. I like fudge, especially peanut butter fudge. Does Lester make fudge? Because I’m sure that Donald endorsing his fudge recipe will help sales.

    Was that what he’s talking about, or was it something else. Probably about really good fudge, seems normal.

    Colonel Klink (dd78c4)

  89. “Lying as a Republican of course is different and OK for reasons”

    Who said it was OK? Trump is a pathological liar akin to Hillary.

    harkin (0f0199)

  90. my preference was for the other judge, but get her past Murkowski, Collins, and the antelope whisperer, flake, was a tough gamble, perhaps if the eeyores, allow us to win a few more seats,
    we’ll be able to move with her next, but frankly we saw how the party was willing to spend 30 million against judge moore, in a red state, so Gloria allred could take a victory lap, that’s not a serious organization,

    narciso (d1f714)

  91. Dustin
    I used the term bold assertion because we won’t know for sure it was a lie until the time frame Trump gave expires
    Steveg (52aafa) — 8/31/2018 @ 10:10 am

    It is a metaphysical certainty that it is not fiscally possible, literally impossible, can’t happen, will not happen, was never going to happen, it was a lie then, it was a patently obvious lie and anyone who believed that lie was, and is, mentally deficient.

    Colonel Klink (dd78c4)

  92. The thing that disturbs me the most about this is the way his lies become truth in the eyes of his supporters; because of the nature of the lies, it is deepening our tribal divisions.

    I don’t think it’s intentional, but that only makes it slightly better.

    aphrael (167584)

  93. Dustin
    I used the term bold assertion because we won’t know for sure it was a lie until the time frame Trump gave expires

    Steveg (52aafa) — 8/31/2018 @ 10:10 am

    I apologize if you took that as a direct insult, and I can see why you would. I was just mocking the general concept of how Trump’s very obvious lies are dismissed in ways I consider bad faith.

    And let’s be clear that Trump offered timelines that are well into the past, so if you really look at it that way, which you shouldn’t, it is a lie.

    But really, it’s a lie if it was offered in bad faith, at the time. If miraculously one of Trump’s promises even came true, but he didn’t plan for it too, it would still be a lie. A lot of his claims were grandiose and obviously not sincere, but made it much harder for conservatives to compete with him. After all, even a very conservative, but honest promise, looks weak compared to Trump’s bold assertions.

    We shouldn’t flake out on this. We know Trump is a con artist and a fraud. We know it. We don’t need to wait until Trump is not even up for any elections to hold him accountable, even though that would be awfully convenient to him. I care more about conservative reforms needed for my great country’s success. Such as spending less. Hell, let’s just go with spending less.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  94. It certainly seems like Trump and his supporters are doing what the establishment GOP wants, Dustin. Spend money, pick judges with Ivy pedigrees who might end up like Roberts, talk about immigration but not accomplish much, and elect RINOs so they can protect Trump.

    DRJ (15874d) — 8/31/2018 @ 10:01 am

    YES! Why can’t his fans at least see this. A lot of people acted like Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio would have been horrible, but we know now that Trump’s at best right there with them on many issues, and to their left on others, and certainly just as elitist on appointments.

    It’s truly fascinating.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  95. I immediately lost my doctor.
    I’m not in your box no matter how bold your assertion.

    Obama never said 8 years from now I’d get my doctor back, he said that the people who disputed his lie were the liars.

    Let’s say there is a war with Russia and Trump guarantees victory within 8 years, but immediately we lose a major battle due to Trumps ineptitude. Is it over? Trump lied?

    Here’s the part of what was meant as friendly discussion where you craft what you consider a bullet proof argument, declare yourself the victor, and behave dismissively.

    Steveg (52aafa)

  96. 91: ??

    Trump’s actions are helping Beto, not Cruz. I don’t know if that is his motive, probably not, but Trump doesn’t like Cruz and would probably enjoy seeing him lose. IMO Trump has finally realized Democrats aren’t his friends for now.

    DRJ (15874d)

  97. How is Trump trying to rein in the deficit, steveg? Cutting $25B for federal employees is not enough.

    DRJ (15874d)

  98. I immediately lost my doctor.
    I’m not in your box no matter how bold your assertion.

    You immediately lost your doctor the moment Obama made that promise, long before the law was passed.

    I said you would not answer the question whether it was a lie the moment Obama said it. You failed to answer the question and instead cited some event hat happened much later.

    The question remains unanswered. I wonder why. No, actually, I don’t. It’s because the two statements are not meaningfully distinguishable but you keep trying to distinguish them because of tribalism.

    Patterico (b6df96)

  99. Obama never said 8 years from now I’d get my doctor back, he said that the people who disputed his lie were the liars.

    How was it a lie when he said it, if the law has not been passed yet?

    Wasn’t it more of a “bold prediction” at that time?

    Patterico (b6df96)

  100. Trump is a serial liar, and all around scoundrel. A bad man. Agreed. Therefore… what, exactly? What? What do you want, other than an admission?

    Munroe (cace3f)

  101. Who said it was OK? Trump is a pathological liar akin to Hillary.

    Now that’s an opinion I can respect.

    You can continue to support him and I’m fine with that. My real beef is with those unwilling to utter the obvious truth you just uttered.

    Patterico (b6df96)

  102. It is a metaphysical certainty that it is not fiscally possible, literally impossible, can’t happen, will not happen, was never going to happen, it was a lie then, it was a patently obvious lie and anyone who believed that lie was, and is, mentally deficient.

    This may overstate the case a bit.

    It is a metaphysical certainty that it is not fiscally possible under sound and accepted practices.

    However, we all talking about Donald Trump, so “sound and accepted practices” aren’t really something you want to bet the farm on.

    Trump said we need to “get rid of” the debt and promised to do it in eight years. He didn’t say “retire” or “pay it off”.

    So he could announce default today and (technically) keep his promise.

    Triggering some form of hyper-inflation would also allow the debt to be paid off for pennies on the dollar.

    As an added bonus of hyper-inflation, he could then (truthfully!) claim to have made everyone in the country a billionaire when he runs for re-election. It would be epic.

    Dave (445e97)

  103. Trump is a serial liar, and all around scoundrel. A bad man. Agreed. Therefore… what, exactly? What? What do you want, other than an admission?

    The admission is a good start.

    Next let’s talk about the consequences of supporting him anyway. Any time in the future that you criticize a Democrat for having the same characteristics you just described Trump as having, how seriously do you think people will take you?

    Supporting Trump anyway removes a lot of future arguments against Democrats from your quiver.

    Patterico (b6df96)

  104. Here is the full 13 minute interview, with transcript, between Trump and Lester Holt. It is from RCP so if anything was “fudged” by NBC News, it happened before it was aired and it took Trump 15 months to realize it.

    DRJ (15874d)

  105. So he could announce default today and (technically) keep his promise.

    Triggering some form of hyper-inflation would also allow the debt to be paid off for pennies on the dollar.

    Sure. Obama kept his promise too. If you liked your doctor, you could keep your doctor. All you had to do was agree to pay him a high enough wage so that he continued to be your doctor. That might be hundreds of thousands of dollars. Or millions. But technically you could.

    Patterico (b6df96)

  106. Well, I suppose that is a scenario. I mean that would be the end of the Republic, but OK, point taken.

    Colonel Klink (dd78c4)

  107. Trump is a serial liar, and all around scoundrel. A bad man. Agreed. Therefore… what, exactly? What? What do you want, other than an admission?

    But mostly I want the admission. I want my commenters to be honest. Harkin is managing that and so are you. Just call a spade a spade and don’t defend his character with ridiculous and laughable arguments. That drives me crazy. I can’t take such people seriously.

    Patterico (b6df96)

  108. Djr, I want things to get better. “The other team lies, so my lie is fine.” Doesn’t move the ball down the field.

    Time123 (d2f24d)

  109. In this corrupt world, it is not unreasonable to be satisfied with an SOB, so long as s/he is our SOB. Diplomacy would be impossible if “purity” were required.

    What is never acceptable is a failure to acknowledge who the SOBs are.

    DJT is an SOB’s SOB.

    Non seq: My favorite part of the DJT rallies is when the designated pol steps to the podium at DJT’s invitation. Each one desperately needs to communicate as perfectly as possible their core message. What do they all do? Spend the first moments talking about and praising DJT! Braun last night would not shut up about how wonderful DJT was. The dude is a complete unknown to many, many Indiana voters, and his prime talking points were DJT, DJT, DJT. Stunning and stupefyingly stoopid.

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  110. The dude is a complete unknown to many, many Indiana voters, and his prime talking points were DJT, DJT, DJT. Stunning and stupefyingly stoopid.

    You think? Really? It’s the top way to keep Trump on his side and please his ubiquitous cultists.

    Patterico (b6df96)

  111. “You can continue to support him and I’m fine with that.”

    Although I did not vote for him (or anyone for President in 2016), I support him when he does things I agree with (Paris Climate scam, Iran, judicial appts, pointing out fake news etc.).

    When he does things I disagree with (the budget, his childish remarks, his lying etc.) I will point them out if needed and condemn/ridicule/disagree with accordingly. The fact that just about everyone pounces immediately with an almost deranged zeal kind of takes away the need.

    I have no clue how much of consumer confidence, the economy and job numbers are due to his leadership but things are ticking up while a good portion of the media and those who control social media are doing everything they can to bring him down. One has to wonder how much better things might be if he was given the Obama adoration treatment. It’s ironic how dissimilar the two are and yet both suffer from extreme self-centeredness.

    I am very discouraged because of his character/petulance/dishonesty that he and those who support him are the only thing standing between hard working, law-abiding, constitution respecting citizens and the elites in Washington who want to hand the power back to the Obamas/Hillarys/Pelosis/RINOs of the world.

    You put great stock in people admitting Trump is and has been quite often a scoundrel. Many people would like more recognition of the fact that Trump is a symptom and response to much more awful and deceitful (even treasonous) practices with far more disastrous consequences than anything he has yet managed to do.

    harkin (0f0199)

  112. I am very discouraged because of his character/petulance/dishonesty that he and those who support him are the only thing standing between hard working, law-abiding, constitution respecting citizens and the elites in Washington who want to hand the power back to the Obamas/Hillarys/Pelosis/RINOs of the world.

    That strikes me as quite wrong, since many of us want to hand power to almost any Republican on Earth except him. I’d welcome impeachment because it would put Pence in charge — and I despise Pence as a weakling and a toady.

    You put great stock in people admitting Trump is and has been quite often a scoundrel.

    That I do, very much — although I would say “always has been” instead of “has been quite often” and I think the word “scoundrel” is too nice, preferring a term like “lowlife” or “bad person” that doesn’t remind me of Han Solo.

    Many people would like more recognition of the fact that Trump is a symptom and response to much more awful and deceitful (even treasonous) practices with far more disastrous consequences than anything he has yet managed to do.

    Um, OK. I think he’s a symptom of tribalism and the extremely sad state of our civic culture, but whatever.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  113. “Supporting Trump anyway removes a lot of future arguments against Democrats from your quiver.”

    That arrow was never in my quiver to begin with. My issues with Democrats are not based on whether or not they are immoral, bad people.

    But, this mindset cuts both ways, does it not?

    In a post Trump world, when a squeaky clean conservative is the nominee, I’m certain the media will take a hands off approach. And, when the unlimited prosecutorial apparatus finds a specious pretext to find something, anything!, to pin on that candidate, who do you think will will come to his/her defense? If John Q. Deplorable sits on his hands, what arrow in your quiver will you use against him?

    Munroe (9cd03b)

  114. Despite the impression I’ve given Leviticus, I am not a misanthrope. At least not when it comes to Americans. I think Americans are a good, kind, decent and honest people. So come we elect these assholes to govern us?

    nk (dbc370)

  115. “Um, OK. I think he’s a symptom of tribalism and the extremely sad state of our civic culture, but whatever.

    That’s one difference in our thinking, I do not think that “more awful and deceitful (even treasonous) practices with far more disastrous consequences than anything he has yet managed to do” is only worth a “whatever”.

    harkin (0f0199)

  116. Yeah, I don’t know about the “increasingly” part.

    I agree that he’s a bad guy, he’s an uncurious clown whose vanity is only exceeded by his ego, but his rate of lying is definitely increasing. He’s blurted out as many false and misleading statements in the first half of 2018 as he has for all of 2017 (link).

    Paul Montagu (9dcfd2)

  117. We saw a,test of that ten years ago, the ingratitude was even shown by one of the speakers Tommy Espinosa, yes it’s better to be first to denounce like Jeff flake whose negotiating a great gig with manbc

    Narciso (6ca998)

  118. That arrow was never in my quiver to begin with. My issues with Democrats are not based on whether or not they are immoral, bad people.

    Then you’re fairly unique.

    What’s your opinion of Ted Kennedy?

    Patterico (115b1f)

  119. In a post Trump world, when a squeaky clean conservative is the nominee, I’m certain the media will take a hands off approach. And, when the unlimited prosecutorial apparatus finds a specious pretext to find something, anything!, to pin on that candidate, who do you think will will come to his/her defense? If John Q. Deplorable sits on his hands, what arrow in your quiver will you use against him?

    Use against whom? I don’t understand this question.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  120. Ted Kennedy was a bad, immoral, craven man. I didn’t need to know that to be against him.

    “Use against whom? I don’t understand this question.”

    If you’ve written off Deplorables entirely, then my question is irrelevant. But, if you expect them to support your chosen post Trump conservative candidate against the inevitable witch hunt, and they instead “meh” with a shrug, what reasoning would you use to make them care?

    Munroe (1099f1)

  121. Ted Kennedy was a bad, immoral, craven man. I didn’t need to know that to be against him.

    Was it relevant?

    Did you ever utter that opinion before, when not directly asked?

    Patterico (115b1f)

  122. If you’ve written off Deplorables entirely, then my question is irrelevant. But, if you expect them to support your chosen post Trump conservative candidate against the inevitable witch hunt, and they instead “meh” with a shrug, what reasoning would you use to make them care?

    Then your question is irrelevant. I didn’t understand it but I’ll take your word for it.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  123. what reasoning would you use to make them care?

    “Deplorables” don’t listen to reason, so I would not engage in a fool’s errand.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  124. Here’s the major problem, as I see it, with Trump, his followers, they’re against lots of stuff, but what are they for?

    -Against Obamacare-OK, Repeal and Replace, but when given the opportunity they could not find an alternative plan or even a basic repeal. Obamacare is expensive and not very popular, but the ACA and the specific requirements for coverage under it are popular. Of course they are the same thing, so if you’re repealing it you need to do something, either that, or healthcare and its cost inflation were not an issue before, and obviously, that isn’t true.

    -Against the Iran deal-OK, so the answer to that is to…punt with no plan for anything else, what is the plan now? Sanctions? Europe, China, and Russia, primarily, don’t want that, we’d herded the cats into mostly one bag, but now we’re going to go it alone so that we get…I’ve no idea.

    -Against free trade- I got nothin’, the economic policy is directly from some mercantilistic textbook from 1850. In the modern age, he wants to replace multilateral trade agreements, with hundreds of bilateral “deals”, favoring one company, or industry, over another, and who gets preferential treatment? those who support our dear leader. The new not NAFTA, is 99% NAFTA, except adding some minimum wage guarantee’s and auto content requirements (that Toyota and Honda are closest to implementing), that cannot be enforced, and why would Canada be interested in negotiating a change, when the tariffs were imposed on them for “national security” which was not only insulting to them, patently stupid, and not even a veiled misapplication of the law. Yeah, congressional ineptitude, sure, they could actually perform oversight, but that ship has sailed apparently. Economic policy via whim is a bad idea, maybe not for this quarter, but for the next quarter century, what is the policy to ensure that America isn’t left out in the cold for 25 years, for 25 minutes of Trump FEELZ.

    -Against illegal immigration- Sure, nearly every rational person is. Not that it doesn’t actually provide some benefits in a tight employment market actually. Heck, Obama was the deporter in chief, so rank and file Democrats are not for open borders, that is a strawman that just doesn’t exist. But what’s the plan? Zero tolerance, OK, how to plan for the impact of border separation, that was a known issue, that was foreseen, ignored, happened, and the status quo reimplemented, because it was an issue that GWB and Obama recognized, or at least their administration, but looking like a tough guy was more important, right up until pictures of children in internment camps hit the news, even Fox, and he folds like a wet noodle. Planning isn’t a four letter word.

    -Against fake news-Sure some happens, but Trumpworld’s “fake news” is all news that isn’t positive, except sometimes it is, and most of the “fake news” is just news. The whole anonymous sources BS is exactly that, in almost all cases, the sources are not anonymous, they are Trump aides who don’t want to go on the record, heck some of them are Trump himself. Now, I will freely admit that journalists, especially on the TeeVee, use the term loosely when they should be explaining that, yes, this was a briefing on background, in the press briefing room, in the White House, by senior administration officials who wish to speak only as background, but that would take 15 seconds of commercial time, so they just shorthand it, to their own detriment.

    So there are lots of things to rail against, but you need to have something to be for. This tit for tat trolling game of politics is the opposite of small c conservatism. For responsible governance for the benefit of the citizen, fiscal responsibility, planning for long-term trends so that our children and grandchildren can live AN American dream, because that’s the benefit of the American experience. I want, above all things, in a Republican leader, competence, and integrity. I don’t have to agree with everything they think, but if I can trust that they are competent and have integrity, then there is space to work. With Trump, you get bad, no, or lazy policy AND no integrity, that’s why, in 2020 I’ll be supporting the boring candidate that actually understands that the world is a complex place and that you have to buckle down and just do the boring work, so that you may be able to do something exciting, and that isn’t Trump, that is conservative.

    But of course, WHATABOUT President Hillary and all the bad things she did as president…carry on.

    Leroy Jenkins (6e7a1c)

  125. Amen, Leroy.

    Paul Montagu (9dcfd2)

  126. For comparisons same in central Florida are likely to rise about 5% with the removal of the mandate, the benefit package should be more flexible.

    Narciso (6ca998)

  127. Obama was not the deporter in chief. That’s a lie. He was amnesty on steroids which is why the media plays up “for the children” whenever possible.

    NJRob (8b4699)

  128. A tight labor market increased wages by the law of supply and demand. Since when is that a bad thing? Or would we just prefer cheap labor as long as it isn’t your job in danger?

    NJRob (8b4699)

  129. Last time I saw so many torched atrawnen was in an episode of game of thrones.

    Narciso (6ca998)

  130. Obama was not the deporter in chief. That’s a lie.

    Settle down. That’s an inverheated accusation.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  131. Good comment, Leroy Jenkins.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  132. Djr, I want things to get better. “The other team lies, so my lie is fine.” Doesn’t move the ball down the field.

    Time123 (d2f24d) — 8/31/2018 @ 10:47 am

    Is that how you interpret my comments? My point is that you draw a meaningless distinction when you say Trump’s lies are worse than Clinton-era lies. They are all lies and they are all bad.

    DRJ (15874d)

  133. If you were a Republican then I would agree, because Trump’s lies damage the GOP more than they damage Democrats. But Democratic lies damaged their Party, and every political lie damages the nation.

    DRJ (15874d)

  134. Trumpistas peddled the notion that Trump’s “unfiltered” way of blurting things out means he’s honest, not calculating to deceive. (“He’s not a politician!!!”) What they ignore, besides the evidence that Trump does lie, is how he openly defines truth in terms of what makes him look good.
    His way of thinking is so unabashedly self-centered that he might not even recognize any important difference between what is true and what flatters or promotes Donald Trump. And that is more disturbing than a more calculated sort of dishonesty.

    Radegunda (400d36)

  135. Trumpistas peddled the notion that Trump’s “unfiltered” way of blurting things out means he’s honest, not calculating to deceive. (“He’s not a politician!!!”) What they ignore, besides the evidence that Trump does lie, is how he openly defines truth in terms of what makes him look good.

    His way of thinking is so unabashedly self-centered that he might not even recognize any important difference between what is true and what flatters or promotes Donald Trump. And that is more disturbing than a more calculated sort of dishonesty.

    I often have to actively resist the opposite point of view: that anything that is bad for Donald Trump is good for the country. It’s not always true, though it often is.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  136. DRJ
    I think Trump is trying to grow the economy and cut away at the deficit that way.

    Changing the direction of the economy is a bit like trying to stop a fully loaded supertanker… it takes time and space. Not to mention Trumps first budget was littered with mines.
    Stories say Trump was angry about how he got played on his first budget…. will he learn from the experience or repeat it?
    I can’t answer that, but I do know that a booming economy can pay off a lot of bills.

    Anyway, to reiterate, I think Trumps plan hinges in large part on growth

    steveg (a9dcab)

  137. @ 115 Pat – Braun, especially, needed to show who HE is. Most all of his remarks were other-directed. He was either lavishing praise on DJT, or he was telling us all what a bogeyman Joe Donnelly is.

    He could, and should, have talked of how he is like DJT. Successful businessman. Common sense. Patriot. Anti-Amnesty. And on and on. Nope. He just wastes precious moments telling us all about how wonderful DJT is. His audience already knows that!

    He has a deserved reputation for being awkward and uncomfortable as a speaker. That was, unfortunately, on full display in what ought to have been a shining moment which boosted his campaign to a lead today, and a comfortable win in November. I think he will win, despite his faulty presentations. Joe’s gotta go!

    Ed from SFV (6d42fa)

  138. DRJ

    The Bible tells us to pray for our leaders, so I pray Trump grows into the office and begins to lie and less. That he gains humility and wisdom. It seems like its going to be a long journey
    Lying in politics is so pervasive that even the ballot initiatives are often completely mislabeled and mischaracterized by State AG’s.
    No one seems to have a conscience anymore from City Hall to the US Senate, from Mayor to POTUS.
    From Mayberry SO to the FBI, from County Tax collector to the IRS.

    steveg (a9dcab)

  139. steveg,

    Odd that you should make that comparison since I made a similar analogy about government during Obama’s Administration 10 years ago. My point then was that government needs a leader who knows where he is going because government is hard to change.

    Thus, I agree with you analogy but not your conclusion that the economy will save Trump from the deficit. That might (or might not) be true if Trump’s plan had been to free the economy by limiting regulation and reining in spending. That’s certainly what he says his plan is, but his actions don’t match his words.

    The regulatory burden remains while its impact has been redefined, his spending makes the GOPe giddy, and the economy is still growing thanks in large part to Texas O&G — just as it did during Obama’s years. It’s another example of how Trump promised change but gave us Bush/Obama 2.0.

    DRJ (15874d)

  140. 143:

    Politicians, like their public, are flawed humans. Most everyday Americans manage to act like adults and not constantly lie. If we want our politicians to do the same, we need to stop making excuses for them and start criticizing them when they lie.

    DRJ (15874d)

  141. it was a complex primary, drj, there were two other candidates vowing for trump’s support, and their records were decidedly mixed on certain question,

    the military spending was necessary, some of the other discretionary wasn’t particularly,

    narciso (d1f714)

  142. the economy is considerably above where it was in the Obama years, and not only in texas,

    narciso (d1f714)

  143. From the same discussion about Obama 10 years ago, this gem from Patricia:

    Personally, I hope Obama has been a complete and total liar.

    DRJ (15874d)

  144. Some political lies aren’t all bad!

    DRJ (15874d)

  145. sadly he succeeded all too well, weaponizing the justice department, tom perez was the chief lieutenant in this, abandoning long and short term allies in the middle east and north Africa,

    narciso (d1f714)

  146. I get suspicious when a transcript says “Overtalk” Or “Cross Talk”.

    I sorta wonder what was left out.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  147. Its amazing how many MSM interviews have “overtalk” or “Crosstalk” when its a conservative or Trump supporter.

    I guess that happens when you debate the interviewee instead of asking them questions and waiting for the answer.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  148. Until someone can show me all the Democrats who are full of “Character” – I’ll give Trump a pass.

    Of course, if you don’t the real world or actually implementing your so-called conservative ideas than go ahead and criticize him.

    Nobody listened in 2016. Thank God. Otherwise, we’d have President “Full of Character” Hillary and her “Incredibly Moral” husband bill.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  149. I get suspicious when a transcript says “Overtalk” Or “Cross Talk”.

    I sorta wonder what was left out.
    rcocean (1a839e) — 8/31/2018 @ 4:56 pm

    Well, I suppose you could just watch the full video that was linked and see for yourself, or not, can’t be a good conspiracy if you can just solve the riddle for yourself.

    Colonel Klink (c7d3f2)

  150. BTW, I just went over to national review. Dang, has everyone over their gotten a lobotomy? They even had a column praising McCain for attacking the Alt-Right and reaching across the aisle to Ted Kennedy. I mean, with Conservatism like that, who needs liberalism?

    rcocean (1a839e)

  151. Well, I suppose you could just watch the full video that was linked and see for yourself, or not, can’t be a good conspiracy if you can just solve the riddle for yourself.

    Yeah, I guess so. Or they could just put it in the transcript. OR they could just get rid of all transcripts and we could just watch the video.

    I guess.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  152. Until someone can show me all the Democrats who are full of “Character” – I’ll give Trump a pass.

    This is the exact opposite of making America great again. Not only is there this fantasy version of the other side (both sides have nuts who do that), but you need only be equal to that fantasy.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  153. @147 Narciso

    How’s the labor participation rate?

    Alternatively,

    Where’s the Trump inflection point:

    https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/gdp

    Davethulhu (fddbc4)

  154. #153, Trump called Bill and Hillary “really good people.” He paid them to attend his third wedding (to the woman he chose to marry for the reason that he wanted to “see grown men cry”). He said that Hillary would make a “terrific” president. He decided that she’s “crooked” when he decided to run for president at the same time.

    There were sixteen other candidates in the GOP primary, most of them with better character than Trump. The primary voters who chose Trump over all of them either blinded themselves to his off-the-charts narcissism, or they chose to believe that character is now a liability in a presidential candidate. (“We nominated a good guy last time, and look what happened!”)

    Radegunda (400d36)

  155. Yup, until all politicians are 100% honest, our guy can be as bad as he wants, can lie with impunity, can cheat, can scam, because, hey, those other guys would be awful too, so we might as well get some too while we can.

    Colonel Klink (c7d3f2)

  156. Well NBC is so trust worthy with audio and visual affects, but the interpretation, was key.

    Narciso (b18030)

  157. Admission of what, exactly? That he was thinking of the investigation when he made the decision to fire Comey? Seeing as how he made it abundantly clear that he was annoyed with the fact that Comey didn’t publicly state the he wasn’t under investigation, why is there any need to “admit” that the investigation was on his mind?

    Somehow this “admission” has been warped into “Trump admitted firing Comey because of the existence and continuation of the investigation”. Yet in the very same interview, Trump states that his firing of Comey will probably just prolong the investigation, and that he doesn’t mind that investigation continuing.

    So let me ask again, what “admission” are you talking about, exactly?

    Seixon (01ef99)

  158. https://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2018/08/31/poof-hes-gone-msnbc-and-abc-crop-out-louis-farrakhan-from-aretha-franklin-funeral-photo/

    Iowahawk’s reference to the media smothering news with a pillow certainly applies. Why should we trust them again?

    NJRob (b00189)

  159. Well, I suppose you could just watch the full video that was linked and see for yourself, or not, can’t be a good conspiracy if you can just solve the riddle for yourself.

    Too hard

    Patterico (115b1f)

  160. I still think the lie here is Trump insisting he fired Comey for any reason whatsoever. Trump didn’t actually know whether or not he could fire Comey so he got Rosenstein to write up a memo to justify the firing. The minute people started citing Rosenstein as the architect of Comey’s firing, Trump had to jump up and insist he’s the one who fired Comey, it was all his idea, he’s the ringmaster and there ain’t no #2 clowns in this circus, it was all me, me, me, nobody gives Donald J Trump advice because Donald J Trump doesn’t need any advice, Donald J Trump is the smartest man in the room no matter which room he’s in. (Which explains why Trump surrounds himself with sycophantic goofballs, it’s easy always being the smartest guy in the room if you make sure it’s a roomful of baboons.)

    See, if Trump had an ounce of self-control and a lick of sense, he could have “defended” Comey as a great guy, a wonderful man, an honest, noble, humble public servant, a gentleman and a scholar – but sadly that Rosenstein fellow told me it’s for the best to get rid of Mr. Comey and I really hate it, but I gotta do what my advisors tell me is best. And none of this would have been an issue. But Trump has that brain damage thing going on where any thought that pops into his head just immediately falls right out his mouth and he just can’t stop it.

    Jerryskids (702a61)

  161. That would indeed be a lie, at the time he didn’t know how elaborate a web Coney and strzok and ohr had contructed.

    Narciso (b18030)

  162. No brain damage was w, not defending his appointees, the mission he sent them on, or which these soldiers sailors and airmen, fought and died for. Coney was certainly part of the crew that belief the wellbeing of detainees at gitmo and other places over the lives in Madrid London and elsewhere.

    Narciso (b18030)

  163. Jerryskids, you make a lot of sense and have a great way with words.

    DRJ (15874d)

  164. Coney was rewarded for sticking a chiv to w, during the special prosecution sham (he knew the first leaker but he was on Powell’s team)
    The Broadway performance in March 2004, the phony outrage ‘re the us atty firings.

    Narciso (b18030)

  165. If Trump had brains he would have fired Comey on Jan 20 2016 as part of a general housecleaning.

    Meanwhile the hivemind of Twitter has noticed that in getting rid of Strzok and company Trump managed to get rid of the FBI/DOJ staff most knowledge about Russian organized crime, and deciding that is too coincedental to be coincidental.

    kishnevi (85dd8d)

  166. it’s like ground hog day, how could he do it, Sally Yates wasn’t game she was tied right into the cabal, sessions couldn’t even be confirmed till February, all of these players were just as tied to russia as any trump figures.

    Narciso (b18030)

  167. You like his policies? Fine. I like some of them too…

    Trump-a-la-carte.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  168. No new taxes was the classic lie. Gracias booooooosh

    mg (8e8dcd)

  169. No new taxes was the classic lie.

    Wasn’t a lie. Bush did everything he could to prevent a tax cut. As promised, he repeatedly refused to agree to a tax increase, and kept negotiating for more spending cuts. The democrats, who were in the majority of both houses of congress, likewise refused to go along with pure spending cuts.

    Ultimately, the only alternative under the law was automatic across the board cuts to everything, including the military.

    Bush then accepted the best compromise he could get for the country, which included spending cuts and selected tax increases.

    Compromise is a feature of democracy, not a bug. Unfortunately, large segments of the political spectrum seem to have forgotten that.

    Dave (445e97)

  170. No Clinton did everything to prevent a tax cut, then he raised taxes retroactively, and he cut defense:

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/08/31/emergency-vehicles-used-novichok-poisonings-dumped-landfill/

    Narciso (3baf2a)

  171. And in related Trump-Putin news, Manafort’s daughter just judged her dad guilty by officially changing her last name to her mother’s maiden name. Jessica Anne Bond gets it a lot better than that one holdout juror.

    Paul Montagu (9dcfd2)

  172. “Honor thy father and thy mother. Whosoever shall revile the father or the mother shall be put to death.”

    Man, that girl is uuugly! She din jist hit wit’ de ugly stick, the whole tree fell on her. Prolly mad that the guv’mint is now gonna git alla daddy’s money and not her.

    nk (dbc370)


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