Octopus Overlords

hepcat wrote: ↑Thu Aug 09, 2018 12:44 pm The only thing that could potentially turn a Trumper away from his orange god is a sustained economic downturn. There is quite literally nothing he can do otherwise that would cause them to break ranks.

YellowKing wrote: ↑Thu Aug 09, 2018 3:33 pm Just keep in mind you don't need to persuade Trumpers. The far-right base has always been there and you're never going to change their minds. This was true long before Trump and will be true long after.

The key to victory is changing the minds of independents and Obama voters who voted Trump.

In recent weeks, the president and his surrogates have taken their case against Mueller increasingly public, with Giuliani and Sekulow making regular appearances on cable news as the president escalates his Twitter attacks.

Experts say the strategy just might work to limit the impact of any damaging information Mueller could reveal about Trump in the course of his investigation into the president and his associates.

"I hate to say it, but I do think the strategy has been somewhat successful," said Joe Moreno, a former prosecutor in the Department of Justice's National Security Division who is now a partner at the law firm Cadwalader.

Polling suggests that Americans are increasingly hoping for Mueller's investigation to wrap up. Month after month, the percentage of Americans who disapprove of Mueller has increased. The president's own approval rating has remained largely unchanged, even as it remains among the lowest of any president at this point in his presidency.

Holman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 09, 2018 4:58 pm Of course Mueller has been saying nothing except through legal action. He's not playing a public relations game at all. Right now, airy and wispy approval or disapproval of Mueller is based entirely on punditry.

The narrative will firm up when the core indictments arrive, and it will solidify into concrete when the 2019 or 2020 "Mueller Report" is released.

YellowKing wrote: ↑Thu Aug 09, 2018 3:33 pm Just keep in mind you don't need to persuade Trumpers. The far-right base has always been there and you're never going to change their minds. This was true long before Trump and will be true long after.

The key to victory is changing the minds of independents and Obama voters who voted Trump. Based on the special elections we've seen, I think this administration has done a fantastic job of doing that on their own.

Trump isn't a magical wizard, and the GOP doesn't have some foolproof cheaty way to maintain power. This is a house of cards and while it may look impressive on the outside, one little poke in November can bring it all tumbling down.

YellowKing wrote: ↑Thu Aug 09, 2018 3:33 pmThe key to victory is changing the minds of independents and Obama voters who voted Trump.

hepcat wrote: ↑Thu Aug 09, 2018 12:44 pm The only thing that could potentially turn a Trumper away from his orange god is a sustained economic downturn. There is quite literally nothing he can do otherwise that would cause them to break ranks.

GungHo wrote:Yeah that Nunes guy...not sure who invited him to either the Party or the party but I don't think he's particularly welcome. Much less so after this mess. But I've first hand knowledge of his particular base as it involves my MIL and several BILs plus their kids and then the whole family tree just sort of explodes from there. Long story longer, they're all in on Nunes. It's not the rabid in your face stuff we see from trump supporters but they are definitely there for him and given the demographics of that part of CA and that the largest minority group in play, Hispanics, have a ridiculously tough road to hoe simply to stay in the country given the current political situation we find ourselves in. Going to be very difficult get a grass roots operation going with a bunch of folks who are quite correctly worried about being here next month.
Unfortunately I think it means Nunes for another 2 years.

But yes I concur he's an idiotic

The FBI has fired agent Peter Strzok, who helped lead the bureau’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election until officials discovered he had been sending anti-Trump texts.

Aitan Goelman, Strzok’s lawyer, said FBI Deputy Director David L. Bowdich ordered the firing on Friday — even though the director of the FBI office that normally handles employee discipline had decided Strzok should face only a demotion and 60-day suspension. Goelman said the move undercuts the FBI’s repeated assurances that Strzok would be afforded the normal disciplinary process.
...
President Trump on Monday used Strzok’s firing to suggest the Russia investigation should be dropped, and the Clinton case redone.

“Agent Peter Strzok was just fired from the FBI - finally. The list of bad players in the FBI & DOJ gets longer & longer. Based on the fact that Strzok was in charge of the Witch Hunt, will it be dropped? It is a total Hoax. No Collusion, No Obstruction - I just fight back!” he wrote.

Minutes later, he added, “Just fired Agent Strzok, formerly of the FBI, was in charge of the Crooked Hillary Clinton sham investigation. It was a total fraud on the American public and should be properly redone!”

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:58 pm WaPo

The FBI has fired agent Peter Strzok, who helped lead the bureau’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election until officials discovered he had been sending anti-Trump texts.

Aitan Goelman, Strzok’s lawyer, said FBI Deputy Director David L. Bowdich ordered the firing on Friday — even though the director of the FBI office that normally handles employee discipline had decided Strzok should face only a demotion and 60-day suspension. Goelman said the move undercuts the FBI’s repeated assurances that Strzok would be afforded the normal disciplinary process.
...
President Trump on Monday used Strzok’s firing to suggest the Russia investigation should be dropped, and the Clinton case redone.

“Agent Peter Strzok was just fired from the FBI - finally. The list of bad players in the FBI & DOJ gets longer & longer. Based on the fact that Strzok was in charge of the Witch Hunt, will it be dropped? It is a total Hoax. No Collusion, No Obstruction - I just fight back!” he wrote.

Minutes later, he added, “Just fired Agent Strzok, formerly of the FBI, was in charge of the Crooked Hillary Clinton sham investigation. It was a total fraud on the American public and should be properly redone!”

Max Peck wrote: ↑Tue Aug 14, 2018 8:26 am There's a gofundme page up to raise money for Strzok's legal expenses. It was set up yesterday and has already hit $225k.

Paingod wrote: ↑Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:20 pm I think they made their whole case when they tried to blame Gates. Given the paper trails and other testimony, there's not much left to say.

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:17 pm I can't imagine being fired costs the target legal fees, but I fully admit to having zero knowledge about it. It seems ridiculous on the face of it however.

If it's just free money, well, people are free to pick their own charities, obviously.

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:17 pm I can't imagine being fired costs the target legal fees, but I fully admit to having zero knowledge about it. It seems ridiculous on the face of it however.

If it's just free money, well, people are free to pick their own charities, obviously.

El Guapo wrote: ↑Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:26 pm

Paingod wrote: ↑Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:20 pm I think they made their whole case when they tried to blame Gates. Given the paper trails and other testimony, there's not much left to say.

Yeah, I think that's it. Popehat has a good thread on this:

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:17 pm I can't imagine being fired costs the target legal fees, but I fully admit to having zero knowledge about it. It seems ridiculous on the face of it however.

If it's just free money, well, people are free to pick their own charities, obviously.

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Tue Aug 14, 2018 11:37 am I'm not sure why he has legal expenses. Is he suing for wrongful dismissal?

Grifman wrote: ↑Tue Aug 14, 2018 9:27 pm

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:17 pm I can't imagine being fired costs the target legal fees, but I fully admit to having zero knowledge about it. It seems ridiculous on the face of it however.

If it's just free money, well, people are free to pick their own charities, obviously.

He’s fighting his dismissal.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Wed Aug 15, 2018 9:49 am
Isn't backflip dance shooter still employed by the FBI?

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Wed Aug 15, 2018 4:34 pm Those closing arguments do not fill me with hope.

If they can't take down an obvious fraudster like Manafort, I don't have good feelings about the rest of the investigation.

Just use your common sense people! Of course he's guilty, is not a convincing argument.

A prosecutor with Robert Mueller’s special counsel team labeled Paul Manafort a serial liar during closing arguments in the former Trump campaign manager’s trial for tax and bank fraud.

Describing Manafort as a capable, bright and “wildly successful” political consultant, prosecutor Greg Andres on Wednesday told jurors they’d seen “overwhelming” evidence of his guilt, and asked them to convict on all 18 counts.

“Mr. Manafort knew the law, and he violated it anyway,” Andres said.

Over the course of more than 90 minutes, Andres walked jurors through the extensive evidence against Manafort, who prosecutors say controlled 31 overseas bank accounts through which more than $60 million flowed. When the prosecution detailed Manafort’s extravagant spending on luxury items, Andres said, they weren’t condemning him for being rich ― they were showing how he’d use overseas accounts to skirt his tax liabilities.

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Wed Aug 15, 2018 4:34 pm Those closing arguments do not fill me with hope.