Donald Trump on a slippery slope over Russiagate cover-up

[DaisyDay]

From the SidneyMorningHerald:

The dots are there. It remains to be seen if, and how, they can be joined.

...The issues are the Russia story, which keeps getting bigger, and the right of the media to investigate it.

The stories, each a blockbuster, are a February 14 report by The New York Times, which revealed "members of [Trump's] 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election"; and a February 9 report by The Washington Post, which revealed that national security adviser Michael Flynn "privately discussed US sanctions against Russia with that country's ambassador … during the month before President Trump took office, contrary to public assertions by Trump officials".

The cover-up strategy has been on display for some time – Trump's denunciation of the "fake" news media and his disparaging of the intelligence agencies as incompetent.

And in recent days the tactics have come into sharper focus – declare the media "enemies of the American people"; bar reporters representing "enemy" news outlets from White House briefings; and press-gang intelligence officials and key members of Congress to compromise themselves as anonymous spinmeisters for Trump.​

I think this article sums it up pretty concisely, even though it is lengthy.

 

[Biblewriter]

If you had bothered to investigate related facts, you would have learned that the "cover-up" is manufactured.

Your mainstream news sources did not bother you with the fact that The FBI initiated the contact with Spicer, and ALL he did ask them to state publicly what they had already told him privately, that they had investigated this claim and it was unfounded.

And they did not bother you with the fact that Spicer had simply invited the "press pool," whose members are selected by the media and not the White House, and change every day. And that on that particular day these outlets were not members of the "press pool." The fact that he chose to invite a few other outlets, in addition to the "press pool," does not so much as imply that he denied access to anyone.

And they have not bothered you with the fact that, although President Trump has been very vocal about his opinion of the "fake news," he has not made any attempt whatsoever to silence them.

And they have kept very quiet about the fact that President Obama criticized the conservative outlets at least almost as harshly. But he did not JUST criticize them, but took illegal moved to silence them, including wire tapping their phones, and actually denying access to Fox News, not relenting until ALL the agencies protested loudly.

 

[Rion]

I'm waiting for them to suggest that Trump was born in Russia, and ask for his birth certificate, at this point.

 

[LoAmmi]

I'm waiting for them to suggest that Trump was born in Russia, and ask for his birth certificate, at this point.

It'd be poetic justice for some blowhard to start claiming that and if Trump released the birth certificate, to start claiming it's a fraud and he has investigators in Russia that have discovered information. I'd laugh.

 

[inquiring mind]

I'm waiting for them to suggest that Trump was born in Russia, and ask for his birth certificate, at this point.

Ha... I wouldn't give them any ideas, they seem to be grasping for anything right now.

 

[brinny]

Ha... I wouldn't give them any ideas, they seem to be grasping for anything right now.

LOL!

You noticed that too, eh?

 

[miamited]

Hi DD,

Ahhhh, well the United States is now great again. We're the greatest political laughing stock the world has ever seen. I can just imagine so many of the world's leaders getting up every morning and asking their staff, "Well, what's the latest joke going through Washington today?" And every day the answer is the same: President Trump.

God bless you,
In Christ, ted

 

[brinny]

Hi DD,

Ahhhh, well the United States is now great again. We're the greatest political laughing stock the world has ever seen. I can just imagine so many of the world's leaders getting up every morning and asking their staff, "Well, what's the latest joke going through Washington today?" And every day the answer is the same: President Trump.

God bless you,
In Christ, ted

Not a fan?

 

[hedrick]

My reading (primarily from NYT and CNN data) is that contacts between the WH and FBI were inappropriate by normal standards, but I didn't get the impression from the stories that there was any attempt at influence. I think there's reason for suspicion on the relationship between Trump and his folks and Russia, but it seems clear that it is being investigated, and I'd recommend not jumping to conclusions.

 

[DaisyDay]

My reading (primarily from NYT and CNN data) is that contacts between the WH and FBI were inappropriate by normal standards, but I didn't get the impression from the stories that there was any attempt at influence. I think there's reason for suspicion on the relationship between Trump and his folks and Russia, but it seems clear that it is being investigated, and I'd recommend not jumping to conclusions.

There is this:

The White House confirmed on Friday that after a failed effort to get the FBI to "knock down" the Times report, it had taken to marshalling intelligence officials and legislators to cold-call media outlets, or to have the administration offer them to reporters as sources who would dismiss the report.​

That would depend on whether the FBI actually did tell the WH that the report was wrong or whether the WH told the FBI that.

 

[archer75]

I'm waiting for them to suggest that Trump was born in Russia, and ask for his birth certificate, at this point.

Okay...that made me laugh.

 

[hedrick]

At this point I don't see any reason to doubt that the FBI initiated the contact.

The more substantial question is whether NYT and CNN are right about what intelligence agencies are finding. It sounds like the NYT had enough sources to justify publishing, but sources can mislead you.

 

[miamited]

Not a fan?

Hi brinny,

No, not a fan. He's just a pompous, self-righteous, egotistical, blow hard of a narcissist to me. But, he was elected and is now serving as our President and I am willing to allow his presidency to run it's course. However, for anyone who followed any of my posts about him throughout the election process, I have never held President Trump in very high regard as a human being.

God bless you,
In Christ, ted

 

[brinny]

Hi brinny,

No, not a fan. He's just a pompous, self-righteous, egotistical, blow hard of a narcissist to me. But, he was elected and is now serving as our President and I am willing to allow his presidency to run it's course. However, for anyone who followed any of my posts about him throughout the election process, I have never held President Trump in very high regard as a human being.

God bless you,
In Christ, ted

Thank you for your response.

As you said, since he is our President now, can you pray for him, brother?

God bless you.

 

[Gadarene]

I'm waiting for them to suggest that Trump was born in Russia, and ask for his birth certificate, at this point.

Just his tax returns will suffice.

 

[DaisyDay]

If you had bothered to investigate related facts, you would have learned that the "cover-up" is manufactured.

Your mainstream news sources did not bother you with the fact that The FBI initiated the contact with Spicer, and ALL he did ask them to state publicly what they had already told him privately, that they had investigated this claim and it was unfounded.

Can you please provide your source for this?

And they did not bother you with the fact that Spicer had simply invited the "press pool," whose members are selected by the media and not the White House, and change every day. And that on that particular day these outlets were not members of the "press pool." The fact that he chose to invite a few other outlets, in addition to the "press pool," does not so much as imply that he denied access to anyone.

From the National Review ("Up-to-the-minute conservative commentary on politics, news, and culture"):

Today administration officials reportedly barred a number of news outlets from joining an informal press briefing. The AP has the details:

News organizations including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, CNN and Politico were blocked from joining an informal, on the record White House press briefing on Friday. The Associated Press chose not to participate in the gaggle following the move by White House press secretary Sean Spicer. “The AP believes the public should have as much access to the president as possible,” Lauren Easton, the AP’s director of media relations, said in a statement. Several news organizations were allowed in, including the conservative website Breitbart News. The site’s former executive chairman, Steve Bannon, is chief strategist to President Donald Trump.​

The WH in the person of Deputy Comms. Dir. Raj Shah denies reports of a gaggle block against CNN, NYT, Politico and others: "Nothing of the sort. The pool was invited and everyone was represented. In addition to the pool we decided to add a couple more reporters."

However the consensus of the reporters who were there confirm the ban. No one who was there said it did not happen.

And they have not bothered you with the fact that, although President Trump has been very vocal about his opinion of the "fake news," he has not made any attempt whatsoever to silence them.

The ban is seen as such an attempt.

And they have kept very quiet about the fact that President Obama criticized the conservative outlets at least almost as harshly. But he did not JUST criticize them, but took illegal moved to silence them, including wire tapping their phones, and actually denying access to Fox News, not relenting until ALL the agencies protested loudly.

They haven't "kept very quiet" about that at all - it's been pretty thoroughly covered - but if it was wrong for Obama, then don't you think it's wrong for Trump? iObama! is a very poor argument, btw.

 

[Gadarene]

iObama! is a very poor argument, btw.

i?

Are they objecting in Spanish?

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Ha... I wouldn't give them any ideas, they seem to be grasping for anything right now.

I agree. Only a crazy person would suggest such a thing about the President.

 

[inquiring mind]

I agree. Only a crazy person would suggest such a thing about the President.

Unless it was written on a piece of scratch paper.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Unless it was written on a piece of scratch paper.

No, only crazy people would think the American President could be anything other than an American.