The Right Side of the News

It's interesting that people who want to eliminate corruption from government, prevent foreign powers from directly influencing our policies, and hold elected officials accountable to the law are now labeled as "Leftists". I guess it goes to show how depraved the Right has become.

If you truly believe this, Faith, then you must be absolutely outraged by general Flynn accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from Turkey & not disclosing that information, right? "Mr Flynn also failed to register as a lobbyist for the Turkish government while he was seeking White House security clearance.

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In 2016, his consultancy Flynn Intel Group was paid $530,000 for lobbying on behalf of the Turkish government - work which required him to register as "a foreign agent"."Ex-Trump aide Mike Flynn 'offered $15m by Turkey for Gulen' - BBC NewsSo, Faith, please tell me what you think. You condemn this too, right?

I'll reply to all your replies in this message.Replying to Message 412: It can, but in this case it means untrue. Maybe you're lying (meaning you know it's untrue), or maybe you're not (meaning you don't know it's untrue). It doesn't say either way - it just says it's untrue. Four Pinocchios means there's no shred of truth whatsoever. In political discussions? Sure you do. You're doing it all over the place in this thread. We're gonna have to give this four Pinocchios: I didn't say you claimed to. I was only clarifying that you're not defending any coherent political philosophy, just the collected mess of impulsive policies Trump has cobbled together that you can call Trumpism or Trumpublican, but certainly not Republicanism or conservatism which has a long and distinguished history. Well, if you're going to be that constructive and mature about things, then Trumpist is Trumpist. You of all people are the most interested in labels. That's why you keep calling everyone leftist. We'll have to give you four Pinocchios again: The right is conservative, and Trump is not a conservative. He has only a couple positions that align with conservatism, like anti-abortion and a strong military. He doesn't talk like a mature adult, either. Do you like that, too? The Trump Organization, emolument violations, the Trump Foundation, the Trump Inaugural Committee, the Trump campaign, the hush money payments, obstruction of justice, and the Trump administration are all being investigated. These are not irrelevant side issues.Replying to Message 413: Trump hired people who worked, or still work, closely with him who provided a picture of a chaotic White House that does no planning, follows Trump's often misguided impulses, and caroms from one crisis to the next.

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Replying to Message 414No, there really aren't other ways to interpret Corsi's email. If there were you would be able to describe them.

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Replying to Message 415: Again (and again and again), what part of "Mueller is still investigating and has not yet released his report - we do not yet know what he has learned" do you not understand? I've raised this point so many times now, and you've ignored it as many times, that I have to ask, as Forrest Gump was asked, "Are you stupid?"

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Replying to Message 416: Well, when you figure out what the hell you're talking about you let us know, okay? In the meantime, AMI and Pecker by agreement with Trump paid off McDougal on August 5, 2016, at some point after that Trump and Cohen are recorded discussing purchase of the McDougal payoff from AMI, and Stormy Daniels was paid off at the direction of Trump by Michael Cohen through offshore shell companies a couple weeks before the election.--Percy

Over the past two days all news outlets (which I'll add includes Fox News, just to forestall the mindless "Fake News" claims) have reported that Judge Emmet Sullivan:

• At Michael Flynn's Monday sentencing pointedly questioned the former Trump national security adviser about his recent statements, specifically asking whether he understood lying to FBI agents was against the law, and that his actions while working for the Trump campaign were illegal. He also asked Flynn if he would like to postpone sentencing, cautioning Flynn that he couldn't promise that sentencing at that time wouldn't include incarceration. Flynn chose a postponement. See Fox News story Michael Flynn's sentencing delayed by judge after dramatic hearing for ex-national security adviser
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• Ruled against the Trump administration's policy that makes it difficult for those seeking asylum out of fear of domestic or gang violence. See Fox News story Judge orders deported asylum seekers to be returned to US, in Trump administration rebuke

Judge Emmet Sullivan was appointed to the bench by actual Republicans (as opposed to faux Republican Trump). He was appointed to the Superior Court of DC in 1984 by Ronald Reagan, and to the DC Court of Appeals in 1992 by George H. W. Bush. I call attention to this for two reasons a) In anticipation of the objection that Sullivan is a biased judge; b) To restate the obvious that the judiciary should be politically neutral and rule according to the law, which appears to be the case the vast majority of the time. Every Trump claim of bias has been false. What is true is that when anyone does something Trump doesn't like, he will strike out at them with the worst thing he can make up.--PercyEdited by Percy, : Clarify.

Trump today tweeted:

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The whole Russian Witch Hunt is a Fraud and a Hoax which should be ended immediately. Also, it was paid for by Crooked Hillary & DNC!

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Do Trumpublicans really believe the Russian Witch Hunt, er, the Mueller probe, is funded by Hillary Clinton and the DNC? If so, why do you think Trump constantly complains about the cost of the Mueller probe?Or is Trump just free associating while tweeting, silently switching contexts from a sentence about the Mueller probe to one about the Steele dossier?Fox News hasn't commented on this tweet as far as I can find.--Percy

After a meeting with a small group of advisers who all opposed the move, Trump has announced a sudden withdrawal of American troops from Syria. He did so without consultation with Congress or even his defense secretary

• Washington Post: Trump administration plans to pull U.S. troops from Syria immediately, defense official says
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  A host of officials, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have dismissed a precipitous departure as premature and risky as militants are embracing insurgent tactics and seeking to regain strength in areas they once controlled.

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• New York Times: Trump Withdraws U.S. Forces From Syria, Declaring ‘We Have Won Against ISIS’
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  Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other top national security officials argued that a withdrawal would, essentially, surrender Western influence in Syria to Russia and Iran.

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• And just so no one can claim the Trump announcement of a Syria pullout is fake news, here's a Fox News report and an article:
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  Fox News: US to withdraw troops from Syria as Trump declares ISIS defeated
  Trump pulling all US troops from Syria, declaring IS defeat
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  President Donald Trump is pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, officials announced Wednesday as the president suddenly declared victory over the Islamic State, contradicting his own experts' assessments and sparking surprise and outrage from his party's lawmakers who called his action rash and dangerous.

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The move has been characterized in terms ranging from ill-advised to aiding an ISIS resurgence to being a death sentence for the Kurds. We're all in favor of bringing American troops home, but only after consideration of all the ramifications. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) criticized the move, deeming it a "disaster in the making." Hopefully Congress can step up to the plate and exercise its war powers responsibilities.--Percy

Except for his inexplicable core base, everyone understood that Trump never solved any North Korea problem. Fox News today announced that N. Korea says it won't denuclearize unless US removes threat:

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This Aug. 29, 2017, file photo by the North Korean government shows what was said to be the test launch of a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, says it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States removes its nuclear threat first.

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SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Thursday it will never unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons unless the United States removes its nuclear threat first, a statement that raises further doubts on whether leader Kim Jong Un will ever relinquish an arsenal he may see as his greatest guarantee of survival.

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Oh, gee, what a surprise, precisely what everyone (Trump base excepted) said after the summit and subsequent Mike Pompeo meetings.--Percy

Democrats still think the US is in need of better defenses against illegal immigration.1. You don't think "Democrats" represents a large group of people who all exactly agree on every subject, do you? Only a 5 year old would think such a silly thing.
Any significant group of people (like... more than 20. How many "Democrats" are there? millions???) will be divided on almost every topic. The idea that "Democrats" all think one thing (or even "Republicans" for that matter) is incredibly immature, at best.2. It is quite possible to want better defense against illegal immigration and still be against building a dumb wall that won't do anything. In fact, if you really want "better defense against illegal immigration" you really should be be against building a wall. Building a wall will not provide any additional defense against immigration at all. In fact, it may cause more issues as some may see it as a "challenge" to get over or under. It will only waste money and resources that could be spent on defenses that actually could prevent more illegal immigration (like changing the policies so that there are better background checks done on applicants.)

That doesn't matter any more.Trump's defeated ISIS. We're all safe.
No more need for a wall either, I guess...My only question is: If all it took was Trump saying so, why didn't he just say it earlier?Edited by Stile, : Adding link and more jokes

See the Washington Post analysis piece, Trump’s war on basic logic. He both declared ISIS dead and threatened them with doom if they attempted any retaliation with the United States. He both declared that he needed $5 billion for his wall and that the wall is mostly built, also declaring that Mexico is already paying for the wall through revised NAFTA, and that the military would build the wall.Nothing coherent ever comes out of the White House, except, "It's all about me."--Percy

Yesterday Defense Secretary Jim Mattis tendered his resignation, effective in February, citing disagreements over policy with Trump. Disagreements with Trump over the Syria and Afghanistan troop withdrawals are thought the motivating factors for the timing, and Mattis specifically mentioned Trump's rocky relationships with allies and amiable (almost schmuck-like in my opinion) ones with adversaries. Excerpts from the Mattis resignation letter:

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One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships. While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies.
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My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues. We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.

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Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position.

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Some of the headlines:

• CNN: Trump unleashed: Mattis exit paves way for global chaos
  
• New York Times:
• Washington Post: Mattis resigns after clash with Trump over troop withdrawal from Syria and Afghanistan
  
• Bloomberg: Mattis Puts Trump’s Presidency in Peril
  
• Washington Examiner (conservative voice): Jim Mattis' resignation is a terrible loss to America and our allies
  
• And for those who don't believe anything unless it is reported by Fox News:
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  Fox News: Mattis resigning as Pentagon chief after Trump disagreements
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  The Fox article says the same thing as all the rest, e.g.:
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  Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned Thursday after clashing with President Donald Trump over the abrupt withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria and after two years of deep disagreements over America's role in the world.
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  He told Trump in a letter that he was leaving because "you have a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours."
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  He noted his "core belief" that American strength is "inextricably linked" with the nation's alliances with other countries, a position seemingly at odds with the "America First" policy of the president.

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There are no adults left in the room.--Percy

I agree that this marks the beginning of the end for President Trump. Hopefully it wont mark the end for the rest of us.
Losing Mattis Is a Disaster for Trump
"The president doesn’t seem to realize the risks he’s now facing." I read a lot of informed opinion pieces similar to this one (and the links you provided) and coupled this news with the economic correction (some say next recession) along with the looming government shutdown. It does not look good.

Today Fox News asked: Media acknowledged ‘epic’ border crisis under Obama — what changed?. The story reminds us that Obama declared a border crisis back in 2014 and requested $3.7 billion to deal with it, and then makes the case that nothing has changed since then except that Trump is president. It implies that Democrats acknowledged a border crisis when Obama was president and hypocritically deny it now that Trump is president.Obama did declare a border crisis in 2014 and requested $3.7 billion. That much is all true. But Obama did not want the funds for a wall. He wanted them for additional detention centers, more immigration judges, more border patrols, more air surveillance, and humanitarian aid for some Central American countries to help them repatriate their citizens. And he didn't tell any lies. The Republicans, despite having provided the impetus by calling upon Obama to take stronger action, shot down his request.But Trump wants $5.7 billion for a wall, and he justifies it with claims that criminals, terrorists and drug dealers are flooding across our southern border. These are all lies. The only criminal act of most "criminals" is crossing the border. Most illegal immigration occurs through overstaying visas, not by an illegal crossing of our southern border. Drugs primarily enter the country through legal border crossings. Only 6 terrorists have been apprehended at our southern border, while most (several thousand) are apprehended at airports (I think the time period is Trump's presidency). Additional wall or fencing is a very expensive solution for problems it can't fix.There's also concern about Trump's anti-humanitarian approaches to the border problem, like family separation and cutting off aid to the Central American countries from which the migrants come.Also, fewer migrants are trying to cross the border under Trump than under Obama.Fox News might want to try telling the truth and dealing with their own hypocrisy before making such accusations.--Percy

Let's also not lose sight of the number of illegal crossings in the Obama years as compared to the Trump years: Illegal crossings now are a fraction of what they were when Obama declared an emergency.Edited by Taq, : No reason given.

Both Hillary and Schumer specifically asked for a "barrier" in their own speeches about the glaring need to stop the endless stream of illegal aliens. Many billions were also discussed, far exceeding Trump's mere five or so. I've heard so many such quotes recently I've forgotten who said it all, but Bill Clinton, Hillary, Schumer, Pelosi, Obama and others are all on tape sounding a lot like Trump on the subject over the years from 1995 to Obama. Since there is a leftist blockade of such information in the usual media you'd have to go to the right wing to get this information.In his speech Trump made it clear that the experts and the people most involved with border problems favor a wall. It's stupid to pretend it's "too expensive" when tens to hundreds of billions go to less worthy projects all the time, INCLUDING BILLIONS TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, NOT EVEN COUNTING THE COSTS OF THE DRUG PROBLEMS THEY BRING WITH THEM. THEY ACCOUNT FOR ALL KINDS OF COSTS BECAUSE OF CRIME AND THE IDIOTIC "RIGHT" TO OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS GIVEN TO THEM FOR WELFARE AND MEDICAL COSTS NOT EVEN GIVEN TO CITIZENS, BECAUSE THEY COME HERE UNABLE TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES, which ought to be a minimal requirement for immigrants. And it's stupid to deny that a wall works when so many Democrats have favored it until Trump wanted it.Also family separation was the policy under Obama, not just Trump. Funny how Democrats can get away with such stuff but when Trump does exactly the same thing he's vilified for it.It's the Left who are the hypocrites. Listen to Limbaugh, Hannity, Shapiro, Mark Levin, Michael Savage for a while. You are so deceived it's pathetic.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.