Media meltdown over President Trump. The ravening MSM types in most of the available platforms for propaganda are eagerly awaiting DT's return from overseas so that it can get on with the its basic objective - impeachment. Neither CNN nor MSNBC makes any effort in disguising their essential focus on impeachment. The level of their fascination with this now extends to their network news services own advertising. MSNBC now runs a staged ad in which a woman reporter is portrayed as chasing a congressman down a hallway while badgering him for "answers" to hypotheticals as to what he will do if Trump is "proven" to have obstructed justice. It is now evident (to me) that "obstruction of justice" will be the main thrust of the impeachment drive. Mueller's investigation of Comey's various statements, memos and the like now seems to be intended to elicit evidence of President Trumps supposed obstruction. Since he has a grand jury at his disposal and is conducting a criminal investigation (as opposed to the congressional counter-intelligence investigations) Mueller's investigation could easily result in an indictment of President Trump if that is legally possible with a sitting president. IMO that would trigger a resolution of impeachment in the House of Representative. DNI Dan Coats declined this morning before the US Senate to state whether or not Trump had tried to persuade him to help in shutting down the Russia collusion investigations. This is probably a preview of what others may say to Mueller under oath. This may well be the crack of doom for Trump.
The Mukhtar of America, Donald Trump has signed the US up to be a firm partisan of the Sunnis. This evidently extends to the Saudi led genocidal war being waged by the GCC with its army of mercenaries and US provided air material AND TARGETING. Zaidi Yemenis among the northern mountain tribes as well as in the major cities are being bombed pitilessly by the Royal Saudi Air Force evidently trying to put into practice The Douhet derived concept of bombing populations into surrender. The senior Saudi bird men in charge probably learned this doctrine at the US Air University at Montgomery, Alabama.
While visiting Israel/Palestine Mukhtar Trump once again stated his allegiance not only to the Israeli state but also doubled down on identification of the US as Iran's greatest enemy. Rouhani, in Teheran, has said in the last couple of days, that his government is waiting to see if Trump's Administration "matures." Good luck on that. For the meeting with Muhammad Abbas, the Trump cavalcade proceeded to Bethlehem by road. The distance is five or six miles. According to the Washington Post today "most of Trump's people "were surprised that the Jews and the Arabs lived so near each other. Mukhtar Trump has said that employing his legendary negotiating skills he will easily bring peace to the Palestinians and Israeli Jews. Good luck on that as well! His government is in the hands of people who know as little of the Middle East as he. The old timers, the hated "Arabists" are very nearly all gone from the US government, replaced by people who think that Political Science and International Relations studies are a better field of study than traditional area studies in language, history, philosophy, literature, ethnography, etc. Perhaps the mukhtar should stay on the scene to achieve peace.
But Tyler, no problem?
Posted by: raven | 23 May 2017 at 07:34 PM
Do you really believe that Trump will bring jobs back to US? Aren't most politicians including Trump the Church of Self-Interest? I agree that there is a wave of disenchantment but why would you put your faith in a billionaire TV celebrity?
I never put my faith in HRC or her husband but I have always felt that the Democratic party supported my beliefs more than the Republican. I agree that Trump will disappear and disenchantment and the disenfranchised will only continue to grow but I am unsure what any of us can do about it.
Posted by: Nancy K | 23 May 2017 at 07:34 PM
ISIS and AQ are admittedly important, but I don't think the reference was meant for them. I just don't appreciate being lumped into a category with people who don't appear to actually exist.
As for doing things differently, I do ask that whatever gets proposed should stop Tim McVeigh and Ted Kaczynski as well as Sheikh Rahman. Nearly all the massive terror cases have been perpetrated by local citizens, not refugees from anywhere. That holds both for the US and Europe. "Salman Abedi, 22, was born in Manchester and grew up in tight-knit Libyan community that was known for its strong opposition to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s regime." (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/23/salman-abedi-named-manchester-suicide-bomber-know/ ) Sounds like our kind of guy at that level.
Any effective action needs to cope with the vast "improvements" in technology that enable individuals to create far more havoc than used to be possible. Looked at that way, the problem is a lot harder than just keeping an eye on the mosque down the street. I don't see much realistic public discussion. I certainly don't know what the answers might be. But most of the proposals appear to be "security theater". I remain unconvinced of the serious attitude of any government that continues to operate Reagan National Airport.
Posted by: Fredw | 23 May 2017 at 07:35 PM
This is really not true of me. My daughter and grandchildren live in Wilkesboro NC and believe me they are not wealthy and for that fact neither am I. I am left leaning and I live in NC because my children and grandchildren live here and for no other reason. It is your choice to no longer post my comments as you have said it is your site. I have so enjoyed reading your site and have valued everything you say even though I have not always agreed with you in all things. It saddens me that you are kicking me off your site but as you have said it is your prerogative.
Nancy
Posted by: Nancy K | 23 May 2017 at 07:39 PM
IMO colonel got it right, abusing power of his office, by way of obstructing justice, in this case, preventing law enforcement and security agencies investigation, is the easiest and fastest path to impeachment. Colonel was right it was stupid to fire Comey. But the opposition is doing this by the book in a very organized way, I think borg had this planned in detail way before inauguration , early on they clipped the wings of AG, having him seat out and see his boss getting nailed at the house altar.
Posted by: kooshy | 23 May 2017 at 07:41 PM
some head-case who thinks president = boss = dictator.
alternatively, a scam artist tryiing to neutralize an out-of-his-element minor player who knows too much.
there are other possibilities along these lines.
Posted by: ked | 23 May 2017 at 07:56 PM
weren't all US presidents since Carter (hostility to the Iranian revolution and the possible/partial US support for Saddam during the Iran-Iraq war) against Shi'ate Ali? contrary to his words, his actions (more coordination with Russia over Syria, as compared to his predecessor) seem to benefit the Shia camp.
about your statement "Being enemy of Ali is akin to being enemy of Jesus; it carries massively negative religious import.": I totally agree, based both on my belief and from Islamic history. Yet, can you support this prediction on some "empirical" basis?
many thanks.
Posted by: LG | 23 May 2017 at 07:58 PM
lucopter,
Why should I believe that the Manchester bombing was done by a refugee? Isn't it more likely that the bomber was a pre-current-refugee-wave UK subject born in the UK and maybe even born to parents themselves born in the UK?
Posted by: different clue | 23 May 2017 at 08:10 PM
Cee,
Well, that should not surprise anyone. I have several times offered my personal feeling that Pence is a basic Clintonite except for certain matters of religion and social culture. The Clintonite Obamacrats would absolutely of course prefer a President Pence over a President Trump.
Sanders could raise his credibility in Middle America by visibly obstructing Impeachment or "Ammendment 25" every which way he can . . . beFORE they are rolled into irreversible motion.
Posted by: different clue | 23 May 2017 at 08:15 PM
iowa steve,
Some people have begun suggesting that we refer to the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Obama years as the "Clintobusha" years. Maybe it will catch on.
Posted by: different clue | 23 May 2017 at 08:18 PM
steve,
"why did he hire Flynn when they already knew he was under investigation?"
Accusation is guilt? When did that become the law of the land?
Posted by: Fred | 23 May 2017 at 08:21 PM
raven
What am I supposed to do? Kick him off because you and he are opposed politically? Can I not think well of you both? pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 23 May 2017 at 08:22 PM
David Habakkuk,
Thank you for the kind reference to past comment. You are basically correct. The only difference of detail is that when I referred to "ice floes" I was thinking of the sea ice that covers (less of) the Arctic Ocean (than before). It sometimes cracks into large-to-huge plates that grind around driven by the wind or by surging ocean currents just under them. ( An interesting aside: I believe 'floe' and 'floes' are Scandinavian words dating from the Scandinavian occupation and settler-attempt in parts of Britain. Some other Scandinavian words in the English language are 'earl' from 'jarl', and the names of several days of the week. There may even be others.)
The analysis of Foxman and the Jews may be a contingency sort of if-this then-that. Foxman will be dead soon. How many middle aged and younger Jews are getting de-Foxmanized? Foxman can speak, but how many Jews feel represented by what speaker Foxman says? ( The shadow side of that is . . . how many de-Foxmanized Jews have any power over anything? The Movement-Zionists took power within the organized Jewish community and then the Revisionists and Likkudians specifically then monopolised that power such that non-Foxman non-Likkudists are outside standing in the rain. Paul Findlay wrote about that in some of the chapters of his book They Dare To Speak Out.)
Posted by: different clue | 23 May 2017 at 08:40 PM
ex-PFC Chuck,
This is a good opportunity for younger Sanderists like Tulsi Gabbard to break ranks with "Putin Diddit" and oppose the ClintoBorg Impeachment conspiracy.
I am afraid that Sanders won't oppose it. He is too set in legacy concepts of liberal versus conservative versus reactionary. He may not even see the ClintoBorg Conspiracy side of this whole impeachment drive. Perhaps millions of Bitter Berners phoning and writing his office in Vermont might convince him to at least withhold support from the ClintoBorg Conspiracy to Remove Trump.
Posted by: different clue | 23 May 2017 at 08:43 PM
VietnamVet,
If Trump really feels that he is a part of the Old Money And Social Position Establishment, then his intelligence is lower than even the minimum high regard I had for it. I always understood Trump to be a "New York" Soprano who was born into grubby money and made even more of it. Did he really think that becoming President would gain him the respect of the "our kind of people, dear" people?
I hope Trump is smarter than that. I hope he can mobilize whatever support he can to keep pouring fire into all the Republican Officeholders' positions such that not one of them dares to vote to Impeach. I did not vote against Clinton merely to wind up with another sort of Clinton. I voted against Clinton as the first step to getting no more Clintons ever again. Never! Ever!
Posted by: different clue | 23 May 2017 at 08:52 PM
Babak, Please allow me to offer a minor correction regarding legalism in
orthodox Judaism: There are 613 commandments not 632
Posted by: elaine | 23 May 2017 at 08:58 PM
Since when was Flynn the only possible candidate for that job?
Posted by: steve | 23 May 2017 at 09:02 PM
I am guessing here but, Shias of Ali means Followers of Ali ( first Imam, prophet's cousin and son in law) and i think babak prefers to call them Party of Ali as if they have a platform or a manifest destiny. I personally believe, Shia care more for manifest survival ,recognition, acceptance than that of destiny to expand.
Posted by: kooshy | 23 May 2017 at 09:07 PM
David, Linda Sansour,s public statements about Ayaan Hirsi Ali & FGM
are despicable. This cohort/beneficiary of George Soros does not harbor
any honorable intentions toward the western countries or women in general.
Her mug on thousands of placards symbolizing progress for women is a cruel joke imo.
Posted by: elaine | 23 May 2017 at 09:16 PM
Point, I did not vote for Trump. But as I see it, no Trump voter really believed that Trump would bring the jobs back. It would have been nice but voting for Trump was to punish the GOP, the Clintons, and the establishment in general. Read the comments on Breitbart if you need confirmation. But you make a very interesting comment, "supported my beliefs". You appear to want the social events on the Titanic to be "truly inclusive and egalitarian" as it is sinking. The Clintons pushed for and secured permanent normal trade relations with China. Did you oppose him/them? When the Democratic Party acquiesced and became the softer/kinder-GOP, did you oppose the DP or did you excuse their surrender with the excuse "not as bad as the GOP"?
What is the solution? We are in uncharted waters as productivity/technology has never been so high as to render humans basically irrelevant as producers. We now only have value as consumers which implies we should want to have a life (i.e. not opioids) and have the ability to pay for it. People must have "jobs" - how we rework our social contract and institutions to realize this without violence is still unclear. Trump is not the #1 problem.
Posted by: wisedupearly | 23 May 2017 at 09:22 PM
Anonymous,
Mr. Breivik made zero attempt to change anyones political position. He killed a number of people,
some as young as 14. Sad that you think he should determine who should have children and who should not.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/16/anders-behring-breivik-indictment
Posted by: Fred | 23 May 2017 at 09:24 PM
Kieth,
Fascinating. Gowdy is an experienced prosecutor. Asking a question he didn't know the answer to would be clumsy and he knows better. Or was that the testimony he wanted?? Raised suspicion in my mind that the R's in the House leadership may have privately decided the apex of The Wizard's usefulness was reached at the slaying of the Wicked Witch Clinton. Time for Pence to take over...but "these things must be handled delicately."
Posted by: Mark Logan | 23 May 2017 at 09:27 PM
Lars,
You can visit my birthplace, Gettysburg, and see acres of graves caused by what happens when it gets truly bad. Some of our politicians should take a ride up that way. The next civil war will be nothing like that one, except for the number of dead.
Posted by: Fred | 23 May 2017 at 09:29 PM
Pat is right. This is now about "the cover up" - obstruction of justice. The fact that the entire Russia meme was was constructed out of smoke and mirrors is now beside the point.
To put that another way, even if the murder of Seth Rich, the source of the DNC leaks that sparked the Russian involvement accusation , can be traced back to the DNC, it will not stop Russiagate.
Obama was smarter than this; when the "birther" accusations began to fly, he refused to let his campaign or Administration touch it.
Posted by: Walrus | 23 May 2017 at 09:55 PM
SP (my old railroad)
The newscaster seamlessly changed "Russian officials" to "Russian operatives." Slick, in fact, down right slimy.
Posted by: optimax | 23 May 2017 at 10:47 PM