US Politics

From last night's seth meyers: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pug0zzqDg1A

Interesting theory going around that The Mooch / transgender military stuff was an effort to distract from Bill Browder's senate testimony..

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/bill-browders-senate-judiciary-committee-hearing_uk_597ee55ce4b02a4ebb7675a6?

ha!

Not sure about the theory, but very interesting testimony. The Russian adoption thing, which was always improbable, now looks like further evidence of sinister deeds.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/07/31/my-party-is-in-denial-about-donald-trump-215442

Finally a republican speaks... Jeff flake Arizona senator

Prominent advocate for peace and not assaulting or beating people - especially women - Chris Brown, hilariously and without a hint of irony, slams Trump for remarks about "rougher treatment for thugs" in police custody.

http://www.dailynews.com/arts-and-entertainment/20170731/chris-brown-tears-into-president-trumps-speech-on-police-roughing-up-thugs

'Russian adoption' = Republican code for efforts to reverse/cancel/ameliorate Obama-era toughening of sanctions against Putin's Russia, for amongst other things, civil war in Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, overt spying in the US etc?

It's not 'Republican' code, it's Russian code - the Russian ban on adoptions was a direct response to the sanctions introduced by the Magnitsky Act, and whenever the Russians want to talk about getting the Magnitsky Act repealed, they say they want to talk about adoptions.

Kinda scary the Trumps have internalised that bit of Russian spin so eagerly.

^ this

Interesting read

Remember the Boy Scout speech?

Trump takes great offence when one of his Journal interviewers says the speech’s reception was mixed. “There was no mix,” Trump says four or five times. On the contrary, he says, “I got a call from the head of the Boy Scouts saying it was the greatest speech that was ever made to them, and they were very thankful.”

In fact, the Boy Scouts later apologised for the speech – and last night denied that they had made any such call to the White House.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/02/donald-trump-britain-narcissist-wall-street-journal-brexit-us-trade-deal

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/02/donald-trump-launches-new-real-news-show-daughter-in-law-list/

Trump has launched his own Facebook 'news' show, hosted by his daughter-in-law in order to show his achievements as pres.

Ha what a tool! Employment levels have risen every single month for six years. And Trump claims "highest ever employment" as an achievement.

They are having to sack their own appointments to the National Security Council for being batshit conspiracy dicks

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/a-national-security-council-staffer-is-forced-out-over-a-controversial-memo/535725/

Russian PM twitter on sanctions

How long till they start tagging each other in their tweets for full Twitter war?

The signing statement is pretty interesting. Guess which parts trump wrote? https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/08/02/statement-president-donald-j-trump-signing-countering-americas

I was reading each paragraph thinking "maybe this one? English is a bit too good, really", then got to the end.

Haha, like asking a child to add their own little note on the end of a birthday card

This is not going to end well :)

It's a bit worrying when you find yourself thinking that any sensible/balanced rhetoric (i.e. in most of the statement) is a good sign that there are some positive influences within Trump's appalingly dysfunctional realm. It reminds you that you are in a desperate situation of seeking to limit the damage being done by a child wholly unsuited and unqualified for his role.

Comey has signed a $2 million book deal, due out next spring.

Woof.

He's at it again...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/you-cannot-say-that-to-the-press-trump-urged-mexican-president-to-end-his-public-defiance-on-border-wall-transcript-reveals/2017/08/03/0c2c0a4e-7610-11e7-8f39-eeb7d3a2d304_story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/politics/australia-mexico-transcripts/

This line in particular hasn't gone down well with the people of New Hampshire

Trump to Peña Nieto: "I won New Hampshire because New Hampshire is a
drug-infested den."