OT: Twitter Thread on 3 Decades of Russian & Mafia Relationships with Trump

[thebuzzardman]

Sorry, it is way too conspicuous to be merely a friendly gesture of support. The only other spin I can conceive of at this moment is Rosenstein is humoring Trump which is easy to do as long as Trump thinks you're siding with him on something. That is a form of deflection that takes Trump's eyes momentarily off the investigation(s) overseen by Rosenstein. But, nah, there is nothing neutral about him being there.

Interesting take, like I said. And you've nailed quite a bit on this, so it'll be interesting to see. I was just going Occam's razor.

But a lot of what has been going on isn't the first easiest solution.

Conversely, it's not as complicated as the Q-Anon nuts make it.

It's like a magic act. Simple redirects and the truth is right there if you don't get distracted.

Totally true. It is often quite straightforward, hence my two year journey of saying look at this, it's right in front of you, wake up! because Trump is so obviously a money laundering hoodlum that it has continually mystified me how many half-baked people there are who can't put 2+2 together.

So it is often quite simple by virtue of so many of these crooks are rarely separated by more than one or two degrees of separation from one another or Father Putin. Alfa Bank is a money laundering institution that has been at the service of Putin. Wilbur Ross worked at Alfa Bank. It is not that complicated, though I'm sure the maps with push pins and post-its in Mueller's war rooms are a dizzying network of connecting lines you'd have to be a forensic accountant to wrap your head around. But the basics have often been basic as all get out.

But you still have to walk the line and see where things fall so I respect the Occam POV. It is a good general attitude to bring to this byzantine web of corruption as it plays out.

The redirects are mostly crafted by Russian operatives who spread their disinfo memes through the web and lackeys like Hannity and Alex Jones. Then the online cult regurgitates it to derail the basic truths that any sane person can grasp because they don't want to hear the truth that Trump is truly a dumb criminal backed by smart criminals.

It's an actual intelligence tactic called "Framing the Narrative"

[Clyde_Style]

Interesting take, like I said. And you've nailed quite a bit on this, so it'll be interesting to see. I was just going Occam's razor.

But a lot of what has been going on isn't the first easiest solution.

Conversely, it's not as complicated as the Q-Anon nuts make it.

It's like a magic act. Simple redirects and the truth is right there if you don't get distracted.

Totally true. It is often quite straightforward, hence my two year journey of saying look at this, it's right in front of you, wake up! because Trump is so obviously a money laundering hoodlum that it has continually mystified me how many half-baked people there are who can't put 2+2 together.

So it is often quite simple by virtue of so many of these crooks are rarely separated by more than one or two degrees of separation from one another or Father Putin. Alfa Bank is a money laundering institution that has been at the service of Putin. Wilbur Ross worked at Alfa Bank. It is not that complicated, though I'm sure the maps with push pins and post-its in Mueller's war rooms are a dizzying network of connecting lines you'd have to be a forensic accountant to wrap your head around. But the basics have often been basic as all get out.

But you still have to walk the line and see where things fall so I respect the Occam POV. It is a good general attitude to bring to this byzantine web of corruption as it plays out.

The redirects are mostly crafted by Russian operatives who spread their disinfo memes through the web and lackeys like Hannity and Alex Jones. Then the online cult regurgitates it to derail the basic truths that any sane person can grasp because they don't want to hear the truth that Trump is truly a dumb criminal backed by smart criminals.

It's an actual intelligence tactic called "Framing the Narrative"

Wouldn't you say that was a storytelling/writing concept that originally had no inherent political implications and then was adopted as a strategic phrase by the likes of Karl Rove and then the disinfo operatives?

[thebuzzardman]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/opinion/trump-white-house-anonymous-resistance.html

Wow, that is extraordinary

Translation: I work for a completely reckless moron and pray for the day he is no longer president

Trump will now ratchet up from raving paranoid to Defcon 5 white straitjacket they're out to get me looney bin crazy

Trump's attacks on the failing NY Times are going to be a daily thing now

The one caveat I have is because this is anonymous, the NY Times could be duped into printing this as a counter-measure to the new revelations in Bob Woodward's book. Instead of denying he's an idiot, saying there are adults in the room is a form of buying time perhaps and not necessarily only reassurance to those who are genuinely scared of what impulses Trump will act upon next.

That said, it certainly has the ring of truth. It would be fascinating to someday find out who wrote this.

This line will be chewed over by the cult ferociously:

"This isn’t the work of the so-called deep state. It’s the work of the steady state."

Whatever the full story is behind this it is certainly unprecedented.

Let's guess who it is:

Sarah Huckabee Sanders: Nope
Kellyanne Conway Twitty: Nope
Ibanka: Nope
Jared: Nope
Don or Eric: Nope - wait, they aren't part of the administration, are they. It's so confusing after the weird ass banana republic status of Ibanka and Jared.

Administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda E. McMahon - nah

Attorney General Jeff Sessions - quite possible

Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats very possible

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Gina Haspel - possible

Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney - nah

Representative of the United States to the United Nations Nikki R. Haley - very possible.

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue - Nah

Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. - No f*cking way

Secretary of Defense James Mattis - maybe

Secretary of Education Elisabeth Prince DeVos - not a chance

Secretary of Energy James Richard Perry - unlikely

Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar who knows

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen - not sure

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Benjamin S. Carson, Sr. - nope

Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke - nah

Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta - possibly

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - doubtful

Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao - nope

Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin - no way

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie - not sure

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer - maybe

Vice President Michael R. Pence - not a chance

White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly - very possible



While Mattis and Kelly seem likely based on that combination of moral rectitude and the fact they intersect on national security, It just seems like they are old enough to not be motivated to write this. The obvious other choices are the Intel positions.

I actually rate Nikki Haley most likely due to the fact that of her age - relatively young, and that she's a rising conservative star. Based on the book I just finished by Rick Wilson, you see the road map where conservatives who haven't 100% sold out will try to rehabilitate their image, and I swear, half that op-ed reads like Wilson wrote it. Which means these are ideas kicking around the conservative wonk circuit.

I'd say whoever wrote it is someone who most wants, and is young enough, to want and need a career after hitching on to Trump.

It's either Haley or any of the Intel people apologizing for themselves.

[Clyde_Style]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/opinion/trump-white-house-anonymous-resistance.html

Wow, that is extraordinary

Translation: I work for a completely reckless moron and pray for the day he is no longer president

Trump will now ratchet up from raving paranoid to Defcon 5 white straitjacket they're out to get me looney bin crazy

Trump's attacks on the failing NY Times are going to be a daily thing now

The one caveat I have is because this is anonymous, the NY Times could be duped into printing this as a counter-measure to the new revelations in Bob Woodward's book. Instead of denying he's an idiot, saying there are adults in the room is a form of buying time perhaps and not necessarily only reassurance to those who are genuinely scared of what impulses Trump will act upon next.

That said, it certainly has the ring of truth. It would be fascinating to someday find out who wrote this.

This line will be chewed over by the cult ferociously:

"This isn’t the work of the so-called deep state. It’s the work of the steady state."

Whatever the full story is behind this it is certainly unprecedented.

Let's guess who it is:

Sarah Huckabee Sanders: Nope
Kellyanne Conway Twitty: Nope
Ibanka: Nope
Jared: Nope
Don or Eric: Nope - wait, they aren't part of the administration, are they. It's so confusing after the weird ass banana republic status of Ibanka and Jared.

Administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda E. McMahon - nah

Attorney General Jeff Sessions - quite possible highly unlikely, self-preservation and getting his licks in on his racist agenda are what makes him tick. He has either already cut a plea deal or will have to to stay out of jail

Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats very possible Top pick

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Gina Haspel - possible both too new and possibly too evil

Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney - nah

Representative of the United States to the United Nations Nikki R. Haley - very possible. doubt it, though possibly in agreement

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue - Nah

Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. - No f*cking way

Secretary of Defense James Mattis - maybe Yes, possibly

Secretary of Education Elisabeth Prince DeVos - not a chance

Secretary of Energy James Richard Perry - unlikely

Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar who knows

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen - not sure Nope, she's a fugging witch

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Benjamin S. Carson, Sr. - nope the brain surgeon with the 100 word vocab, nope!

Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke - nah

Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta - possibly

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - doubtful No, he is a seriously douchey loyalist who may now feel let down by the flip flops on Korea, but he's a guy who undermined the IC while at the CIA, so no

Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao - nope That would be dope though!

Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin - no way

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie - not sure

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer - maybe

Vice President Michael R. Pence - not a chance

White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly - very possible Possible, perhaps aware of it too, but he's such a mixed bag and a bit of a racist himself so hard to tell, though he does seem to be there in part to keep things from blowing up



While Mattis and Kelly seem likely based on that combination of moral rectitude and the fact they intersect on national security, It just seems like they are old enough to not be motivated to write this. The obvious other choices are the Intel positions.

I actually rate Nikki Haley most likely due to the fact that of her age - relatively young, and that she's a rising conservative star. Based on the book I just finished by Rick Wilson, you see the road map where conservatives who haven't 100% sold out will try to rehabilitate their image, and I swear, half that op-ed reads like Wilson wrote it. Which means these are ideas kicking around the conservative wonk circuit.

I'd say whoever wrote it is someone who most wants, and is young enough, to want and need a career after hitching on to Trump.

It's either Haley or any of the Intel people apologizing for themselves.

Neato! Let's play

I'd narrow it by choosing someone who is usually on site at the WH full time. That probably rules out Haley who probably has to spend a fair amount of time in NYC even if she did smoke the cigar.

I added some comments above

My top picks in order of probability are

1) Coats
2) Mattis
3) Kelly

[Clyde_Style]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[thebuzzardman]

Totally true. It is often quite straightforward, hence my two year journey of saying look at this, it's right in front of you, wake up! because Trump is so obviously a money laundering hoodlum that it has continually mystified me how many half-baked people there are who can't put 2+2 together.

So it is often quite simple by virtue of so many of these crooks are rarely separated by more than one or two degrees of separation from one another or Father Putin. Alfa Bank is a money laundering institution that has been at the service of Putin. Wilbur Ross worked at Alfa Bank. It is not that complicated, though I'm sure the maps with push pins and post-its in Mueller's war rooms are a dizzying network of connecting lines you'd have to be a forensic accountant to wrap your head around. But the basics have often been basic as all get out.

But you still have to walk the line and see where things fall so I respect the Occam POV. It is a good general attitude to bring to this byzantine web of corruption as it plays out.

The redirects are mostly crafted by Russian operatives who spread their disinfo memes through the web and lackeys like Hannity and Alex Jones. Then the online cult regurgitates it to derail the basic truths that any sane person can grasp because they don't want to hear the truth that Trump is truly a dumb criminal backed by smart criminals.

It's an actual intelligence tactic called "Framing the Narrative"

Wouldn't you say that was a storytelling/writing concept that originally had no inherent political implications and then was adopted as a strategic phrase by the likes of Karl Rove and then the disinfo operatives?

Well, it is, but it's actually a tactic that is used in active measures. It's where you convince the target that the information you are feeding them actually comes from themselves but by first creating this reinforcing framework around it.

[thebuzzardman]

Spoiler:

Wow, that is extraordinary

Translation: I work for a completely reckless moron and pray for the day he is no longer president

Trump will now ratchet up from raving paranoid to Defcon 5 white straitjacket they're out to get me looney bin crazy

Trump's attacks on the failing NY Times are going to be a daily thing now

The one caveat I have is because this is anonymous, the NY Times could be duped into printing this as a counter-measure to the new revelations in Bob Woodward's book. Instead of denying he's an idiot, saying there are adults in the room is a form of buying time perhaps and not necessarily only reassurance to those who are genuinely scared of what impulses Trump will act upon next.

That said, it certainly has the ring of truth. It would be fascinating to someday find out who wrote this.

This line will be chewed over by the cult ferociously:

"This isn’t the work of the so-called deep state. It’s the work of the steady state."

Whatever the full story is behind this it is certainly unprecedented.

Let's guess who it is:

Sarah Huckabee Sanders: Nope
Kellyanne Conway Twitty: Nope
Ibanka: Nope
Jared: Nope
Don or Eric: Nope - wait, they aren't part of the administration, are they. It's so confusing after the weird ass banana republic status of Ibanka and Jared.

Administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda E. McMahon - nah

Attorney General Jeff Sessions - quite possible highly unlikely, self-preservation and getting his licks in on his racist agenda are what makes him tick. He has either already cut a plea deal or will have to to stay out of jail

Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats very possible Top pick

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Gina Haspel - possible both too new and possibly too evil

Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney - nah

Representative of the United States to the United Nations Nikki R. Haley - very possible. doubt it, though possibly in agreement

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue - Nah

Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. - No f*cking way

Secretary of Defense James Mattis - maybe Yes, possibly

Secretary of Education Elisabeth Prince DeVos - not a chance

Secretary of Energy James Richard Perry - unlikely

Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar who knows

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen - not sure Nope, she's a fugging witch

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Benjamin S. Carson, Sr. - nope the brain surgeon with the 100 word vocab, nope!

Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke - nah

Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta - possibly

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - doubtful No, he is a seriously douchey loyalist who may now feel let down by the flip flops on Korea, but he's a guy who undermined the IC while at the CIA, so no

Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao - nope That would be dope though!

Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin - no way

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie - not sure

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer - maybe

Vice President Michael R. Pence - not a chance

White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly - very possible Possible, perhaps aware of it too, but he's such a mixed bag and a bit of a racist himself so hard to tell, though he does seem to be there in part to keep things from blowing up



While Mattis and Kelly seem likely based on that combination of moral rectitude and the fact they intersect on national security, It just seems like they are old enough to not be motivated to write this. The obvious other choices are the Intel positions.

I actually rate Nikki Haley most likely due to the fact that of her age - relatively young, and that she's a rising conservative star. Based on the book I just finished by Rick Wilson, you see the road map where conservatives who haven't 100% sold out will try to rehabilitate their image, and I swear, half that op-ed reads like Wilson wrote it. Which means these are ideas kicking around the conservative wonk circuit.

I'd say whoever wrote it is someone who most wants, and is young enough, to want and need a career after hitching on to Trump.

It's either Haley or any of the Intel people apologizing for themselves.

Neato! Let's play

I'd narrow it by choosing someone who is usually on site at the WH full time. That probably rules out Haley who probably has to spend a fair amount of time in NYC even if she did smoke the cigar.

I added some comments above

My top picks in order of probability are

1) Coats
2) Mattis
3) Kelly

Your picks of Coats, Mattis and Kelly make the most sense. Actually, when I went with Haley, it's not good because she's out of the picture in NY too often.

[PeoplesChamp]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

*cues deep voice*
Tonight, on the Series Finale of "America"...

[Clyde_Style]

It's an actual intelligence tactic called "Framing the Narrative"

Wouldn't you say that was a storytelling/writing concept that originally had no inherent political implications and then was adopted as a strategic phrase by the likes of Karl Rove and then the disinfo operatives?

Well, it is, but it's actually a tactic that is used in active measures. It's where you convince the target that the information you are feeding them actually comes from themselves but by first creating this reinforcing framework around it.

At the bottom of the trough, the whole Q thing was designed to work like that.

It should be called the Gump Family Easter Egg Hunt.

[PeoplesChamp]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

*cues deep voice*
Tonight, on the Series Finale of "America"...

[stuporman]

Trump's 2020 campaign slogan..... Faking America Great Again!

[Clyde_Style]

Some are speculating Pence is the letter writer

I have reasons to doubt this because Pence ran the transition team and knew of lots of illegal activity and Russian involvement and has to be deep in Mueller's scopes,

but the reason it may be plausible is this does have the smell of a coup set-up leading to the invocation of the 25th Amendment and installing Pence as president

[duetta]

Lawrence O'Donnell thinks it is Dan Coates.

This much is certain: Donald Trump is the Alex Jones of American Presidents.

[Capn'O]

I would guess Kelly. Not that he's some great guy but he does seem to hate Trump.

[Clyde_Style]

Lawrence O'Donnell thinks it is Dan Coates.

This much is certain: Donald Trump is the Alex Jones of American Presidents.

Speaking of Alex Jones, he is becoming totally unhinged

You may have to click on the date in that tweet to get the video to play on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

And this is the woman who came with Jones. Watch the whole thing, it's really funny

Read on Twitter

[Capn'O]

I would pay good money to watch Rubio and Jones fight

[Clyde_Style]

I would pay good money to watch Rubio and Jones fight

They are on this weekend's UFC undercard.

Vegas odds are 3-1 in favor of Rubio

Ask Jremi for a detailed analysis of their match-up

[HarthorneWingo]

Some are speculating Pence is the letter writer

I have reasons to doubt this because Pence ran the transition team and knew of lots of illegal activity and Russian involvement and has to be deep in Mueller's scopes,

but the reason it may be plausible is this does have the smell of a coup set-up leading to the invocation of the 25th Amendment and installing Pence as president

They speculated it could be Pence based on the use of the word "loadstar" which he, apparently, likes to use often. But the writer of the op-ed could've fomented Pence knowing that he likes that word.

[Clyde_Style]

Some are speculating Pence is the letter writer

I have reasons to doubt this because Pence ran the transition team and knew of lots of illegal activity and Russian involvement and has to be deep in Mueller's scopes,

but the reason it may be plausible is this does have the smell of a coup set-up leading to the invocation of the 25th Amendment and installing Pence as president

They speculated it could be Pence based on the use of the word "loadstar" which he, apparently, likes to use often. But the writer of the op-ed could've fomented Pence knowing that he likes that word.

Thus far, I think the letter was written by more than one person. There is going to be a cluster of these people in the WH. It is not necessarily a lone wolf. One person may have spearheaded it though and written it with the blessings of several others.

I'd still put the highest odds on Coats who has deftly managed to avoid much of Trump's scrutiny while being a career IC guy. In other words, he both knows his boss is a traitor and has the background to believe he is in a position to monitor him and intercept things that could cause further harm.

But, in general, the idea that one person steals papers from his desk or stuff like that is highly implausible. So whether or not one person wrote this, there are definitely multiple people who feel and behave exactly as the letter states.

I don't believe it is Pence. I do think it might be an attempt to trigger Trump into melting down into a paranoid mania to make it easier to depose him with the 25th Amendment, but I think the writer knows how to insert enough misdirection like planting key words that throws people off their scent and makes them think it is someone else.

Think about why they would use a word Pence would use. I'll tell you why most probably. It is because Cabinet members can be fired, but Pence cannot. Make people think it is Pence and you take the heat off the actual writer while simultaneously infecting Trump with a fear of his VP deposing him. That's pretty clever.

Pence is not a bright guy. Conway is a weird little girl and she worked with Pence before the WH so that's another rabbit hole ........ whatever

[thebuzzardman]

Some are speculating Pence is the letter writer

I have reasons to doubt this because Pence ran the transition team and knew of lots of illegal activity and Russian involvement and has to be deep in Mueller's scopes,

but the reason it may be plausible is this does have the smell of a coup set-up leading to the invocation of the 25th Amendment and installing Pence as president

They speculated it could be Pence based on the use of the word "loadstar" which he, apparently, likes to use often. But the writer of the op-ed could've fomented Pence knowing that he likes that word.

Thus far, I think the letter was written by more than one person. There is going to be a cluster of these people in the WH. It is not necessarily a lone wolf. One person may have spearheaded it though and written it with the blessings of several others.

I'd still put the highest odds on Coats who has deftly managed to avoid much of Trump's scrutiny while being a career IC guy. In other words, he both knows his boss is a traitor and has the background to believe he is in a position to monitor him and intercept things that could cause further harm.

But, in general, the idea that one person steals papers from his desk or stuff like that is highly implausible. So whether or not one person wrote this, there are definitely multiple people who feel and behave exactly as the letter states.

I don't believe it is Pence. I do think it might be an attempt to trigger Trump into melting down into a paranoid mania to make it easier to depose him with the 25th Amendment, but I think the writer knows how to insert enough misdirection like planting key words that throws people off their scent and makes them think it is someone else.

Think about why they would use a word Pence would use. I'll tell you why most probably. It is because Cabinet members can be fired, but Pence cannot. Make people think it is Pence and you take the heat off the actual writer while simultaneously infecting Trump with a fear of his VP deposing him. That's pretty clever.

Pence is not a bright guy. Conway is a weird little girl and she worked with Pence before the WH so that's another rabbit hole ........ whatever

There's another way to look at this, a somewhat more cynical way.

I'm not denying that there are people who see themselves as the "adults" in the room and feel they are looking out for the interests of the country. The op-Ed made it clear that while they are republicans and they got in the administration to push a Republican agenda (which they said was going swimmingly well - good job to us!), Trump himself is an issue.

Let's back up for a minute. These people are politicians. They also have access to some of the highest levels of information, based on classified access but also particularly through personal relationships and contacts.

This feels like an attempt by some of those individuals to refurbish their reputation for when after Trump is removed.

I'm repeating myself, but a lot of this sounds, nearly exactly in overall content, to address some of the criticisms leveled by Rick Wilson, about how current conservatives reputations shouldn't survive this administration, that they'll have a hard time getting work, or certain kinds of work. An overall call to DC conservatives - in government, lobbyists etc, who HATE Trump but have been silent, selling out principle for short term gain, to stop being cowardly.

The quote is so close to the tone and content of some of the passages, how they admit to doing it for "republican agenda" but then counter them with "we are heroes here, we were safeguarding the country from the impetuous nut job."

I'm not claiming a conspiracy. Or even that Wilson provided the narrative. It's that Wilson is a connected DC power player, and that some of the opinions in his book are clearly, well,his, but also that I'm sure they represent a certain consensus of DC republican's outside of the true believer Trumpsters. So either Wilson has provided the intellectual outline of the steps himself, or he's echoing a prevailing view.

To me it reads like statement from people who are connected enough and politically astute enough to REALLY know Trump's time is almost up, and are engaging in reputation refurbishing for their next gigs.

Wilson's book and the statement could be read as part of a wider strategy to begin to try and take back the party and do things to provoke Trump to make it happen faster. Or this and all of the above.