monitoring Trump and relevant contemporary events

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Regarding the Tillerson-to-be-replaced story which was supposedly leaked by a senior official in the administration. I wonder if these sorts of stories are being purposely leaked to inspire doubt as to the truthfulness and reliability of the MSM? I know, it sounds a little paranoid, but

Not paranoid in the least. I advanced this idea a couple of days ago because the right in America has been working very diligently for decades to cast doubt on all independent media (see Eric Alterman's "What Liberal Media"). This particular administration is far and away the worst and is the culmination of what came before. That they wouldn't use such an obvious device is not credible.r

That’s definitely not the change I’d read about earlier. Looks like two events are conflated.

It's beginning to look like people have lost voices in government.

...as the year has progressed, it’s become clear that absolutely nothing will persuade Trump supporters and Republicans in Congress that it’s time to disavow the president—not lying, not spilling state secrets, not abject failure in crisis management, and not openly performed corruption. Given that reality, it often feels like it wouldn’t be enough for Mueller to hand us a smoking gun and an indictment. What if they threw a conviction and nobody came?

It's like he bragged, he could shoot somebody and it wouldn't make a difference to his supporters and those in congress who have sold their souls to get what they have long wanted; a government for the very rich and the rest of us peasants get the crumbs if we are lucky. However, come mid terms, there is a slight chance of taking over congress and impeaching the President and Pence. (is it possible to impeach both?) Gotta have hope even if it seems highly unlikely to happen.

“I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI,” Trump began.

Except when Trump fired Flynn on Feb. 13, Flynn's contradictory comments to the FBI on his meeting with the Russian ambassador weren't public knowledge. And the current timeline as we understand it does not suggest the White House had direct knowledge of what Flynn said at the time.

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Of course Lauer and Weinstein belong to your tribe. The difference is that they can't preserve abortion rights

The difference is the severity and believability of the charges.

What does that have to do with whether or not they are members of your tribe?

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It's entirely possible for a man to live a long and rich life without imposing his lust on women. I've done it and so, I'm sure, have a great many other men.

Sure it's possible. Admirable even. But I'm surprised that any middle-aged adult would actually be so incensed that the world doesn't conform to your personal standards.

Why because it's soooo provincial to have firmly held standards? I'm not a moral relativist. My standards aren't quaint eccentricities that I won't judge others by out of sophisticated politeness.

Abusing those over whom you have power (women, children, animals et al)
is non-negotiable in my book. There are no excuses. It is the vile evidence of a corrupted character...or soul if you prefer. Attempting to minimize it only makes it worse. No one has to grab a woman's ass. Every woman is entitled to have her ass ungrabbed unless she explicitly invites it.



If all of this signals me as a middle-aged man (Thanks BTW) with a large stick up his ass, I'm comfortable with it. (The signal and the stick)

You, like everyone else in this forum, have personal standards and you lament and rage against those who violate them. You're not quite as urbane as you would like to believe.

I have consistently included Republicans with Democrats in my castigation of politicians. Blatham, you and perhaps others have called this cynical because you want to believe that progressives can be untainted by power. This whole sex scandal proves you wrong and yet still you want to argue otherwise.

I've previously argued that tribalism has served humanity well because it has, but if we are to advance through knowledge we have to move away from it. Individuals can be trusted and even revered, tribes cannot.

It's like he bragged, he could shoot somebody and it wouldn't make a difference to his supporters and those in congress who have sold their souls to get what they have long wanted; a government for the very rich and the rest of us peasants get the crumbs if we are lucky. However, come mid terms, there is a slight chance of taking over congress and impeaching the President and Pence. (is it possible to impeach both?) Gotta have hope even if it seems highly unlikely to happen.