Trump and the GOP have a massive P.R./propaganda campaign going on right now ....

[Botany]

.... trying to tell us that the Mueller report cleared Trump but we haven't even
seen the report yet. The only thing that has been released is Barr's spin job on
the Mueller report and McConnell is right now blocking the release of the report
too.

This is what they did with Kavanaugh too. They declared that an investigation
into Kavanaugh past had cleared him even though they really didn't have
an investigation because they didn't interview Kavanaugh or any of his accusers.


The NY Times bought into this crap with their headline yesterday .... something like
Mueller report clears Trump of collusion with Russia.

"liberal media" =

[Ninga]

1. Of course they do. They know we will just stand by and watch. Nt

[TwilightZone]

2. I'm not sure who "we" is supposed to be...

but our elected officials are doing significantly more than standing by and watching.

[awesomerwb1]

51. Like what?

Honest question.

[lunatica]

62. For starters there are 10 Democratic investigative committees

Started two months ago. The Democratic leadership is already demanding the Mueller report be given in its entirety to the House.

[awesomerwb1]

64. I don't disagree there

Of course you're right.

My question was more in the context of the PR/propaganda push by the russiapublicans.

[lunatica]

65. I see daily press briefings talking about this specifically

When the Republicans and the Trump people have none of the traditional limitations imposed by facts or truth to stop their juggernaut and the Democrats are limited to facts and truth It’s easy to see how the glamorous bells and whistles of propaganda get most of the attention.

Truth is so last Century!

[calimary]

66. The Indivisible movement isn't standing for it either.

Used to be a chapter in each Congressional district. Now there are several chapters in each district. We issue “asks” for our reps, both Senate and House, and much of it right now involves demanding the Mueller investigations - AND all supporting documents- be released immediately. Also, demanding that both Mueller and Barr be summoned to the House committees to explain themselves. And when we meet with our reps, and/or their staffers, we personally deliver these asks right to their faces.

Actually, it’s an easier ask for the House, since it’s Democratic-controlled. For Senators the ask is more like “push your friends in the Senate (including GOPers) to get these two men in to testify and explain themselves. Because WE-THE-PEOPLE want answers AND WE-THE-PEOPLE PAID FOR THAT REPORT.”

I know this to be true because the Indivisible group I belong to teams up with a larger neighboring Indivisible group, and we coordinate on these asks. Then those asks get emailed out every week to all our members and friends, and the other group’s members, also. An ask for every weekday, including a suggested script. Plus a link to the background info we used if anybody wants more info, and so they can see it’s a legitimate and informed ask.

And I’m on the team that writes them every week.

[Chin music]

76. Nice!

Thanks for sking.

[Iliyah]

3. I think majority of USA's

citizens have made up their minds about this asshole in the WH and how corrupt the Republican party is.

They are f**king and dangerously insane.

[lunatica]

63. I think you're right

and it will make all the difference, because the majority do things by the book. It may take a bit longer but it’s legal and Constitutional.

[awesomerwb1]

68. The majority as you said may be out of patience

but the minority, the MAGAts, live to vote for those a-holes.

We need to start working on getting everybody we know to register to vote.

[deminks]

4. And the pundits are busy telling us no one cares about Russia

we should concentrate on infrastructure or climate change, or eating treebark will lower our cholesterol.

When one of our 'genius' Kansas senators spent last July 4th in Moscow kissing Russian behinds and hoping to meet Pootey Poot, the first thing out of a constituent's mouth at his next town hall in a little Kansas town was 'Why did you go to Russia on July 4th?'

Don't tell me no one cares about Russia. One thing we don't abide out here on the prairie are treason weasels.

[bearsfootball516]

6. Politically speaking, most people care much more about local issues than Russia.

That's how Democrats flipped so many seats in 2018, not by talking about Trump/Russia, but by addressing local issues.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't investigate the Russia situation, it deserves attention. But for most people, it's local issues that move the needle.

I've been canvassing for a local mayoral candidate for about a month and had hundreds of conversations with citizens. Most of them here say their top issue is either improved education or better access to healthcare. Not a single person has said Trump or Russia.

Link to tweet

[True Blue American]

77. What was the Senator's answer?

[deminks]

79. "None of the meetings were easy"

whatever that means.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article214584130.html

He supposedly went there to press the Russians on Ukraine and the elections. No one believes that happened.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article214437799.html

[True Blue American]

81. Thanks

The fact that there was only on party,etc.

Well, duh, dmocrats are not in bed with Russians! He gave that one way.

Good articles, well worth reading. I will now go back, read the second one.

Star for you in providing the links!

[True Blue American]

83. On the second article.

Oh, pretty please Mr. Putin, would you please stop interfering in our elections?

Russians looking down on Americans!

My Lord, such tripe from an American Senator!

[deminks]

85. One of the senators came back and immediately said we should eliminate Russian sanctions

So, one guess what the trip was really about.

The trip created quite a stir when it happened. I have always wondered if it was on Mueller's radar.

[True Blue American]

86. List of 7 Senators

I should have known mealy mouthed John Kennedy was in that bunch. MSNBC has him on all the time with his faux Christianity.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/seven-gop-lawmakers-make-misguided-trip-russia

Senator Bennett is on now. Very inclined to run! Says it will take a generation to get us back on track. He talked about McConnell who is lobbyist owned. Calling Democrats power grabbing. Bennett said it was Power Grabbing, giving the power bcack to the PEOPLE!

I am going to watch this guy. He has the message, knows how to give it and the chaisma to carry it off!

[RAB910]

5. You forgot the MSM who are helping them sell their lies

[watoos]

18. Yup, I have been saying this for decades,

Democrats have an uphill battle because they have to fight against Republicans and the corporate controlled far right M$M.

Here is what is scary; as long as Republicans control the White House, they control everything. Democrats need a veto proof majority to pass anything. What is scarier is that Trump and McConnell have been packing the courts with Nazi judges who are there for life. They are going to add judges to the 9th circuit to make even it a Nazi district.

Socialism doesn't sound so bad to me compared with authoritarianism.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

67. see "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington"

The Republican cult makes a nice tool for the .1% to maintain a government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich.

[Freethinker65]

7. Admit Trump might have been stupid enough to be duped

Concentrate on the fact that the Mueller investigation confirmed Russia unprecedentedly interfered in our Democratic elections. This needs to be stopped from happening again.

Honestly, what is to stop Russia, or China, etc. from not doing this again and perhaps throwing support to a candidate not of the GOP's liking?

Hell, Trump might not even have beaten Cruz, Rubio, Kasich, Bush in the primary without Russia's help.

Is this how we want to have our presidential nominees picked for us as a country? This actually is National Emergency that few seem to care about.

Who will get picked next??

[watoos]

19. ....and meanwhile

the courts are being packed with Nazi judges.

[Freethinker65]

23. Not much we can do about that with McConnell in charge

We need to secure our elections

[True Blue American]

87. No! Trump is stupid.

Just ignorant enough, sleazy enough to encourage them. He may be stupid, but he is also guilty!

[bullwinkle428]

8. Chump has proven to be extremely talented in 1 specific area, and that

is how to control the news cycle. He pulls this shit over and over again, and more often than not, emerges as the "winner". He's not infallible - think of his "caravan" message prior to the 2018 midterms, but it becomes incredibly frustrating after a while.

I don't have a magic formula for countering this, but I thought the Morning Joe crew had an interesting take today - stop treating him like some sort of outrageous creature, because that just acts as rocket fuel for his base. Just begin treating him like a normal politician, who has proven himself as a failure. A failure not in the eyes of the media or Democrats, but to his own voters, in terms of all of the promises he made to them.

[c-rational]

13. +1

[watoos]

22. You are giving Trump too much credit,

the M$M is already complicit with the far right. It is the American oligarchs who control our news cycles.

In the case of Fox it is an Australian oligarch.

[bullwinkle428]

34. I can't deny the media's role in this, as far as being an enabler. They've

become so ratings-driven, and Chump is ratings crack for them.

[Turbineguy]

9. It looks like they've had 3 weeks to plan it.

And then act surprised!

[Botany]

10. This is a very organized roll out/response.

And their friends in the media are helping to carry the water for them too.

The Mueller report has not been released, although the report showed that
Russia interfered in our elections, and Trump's hand picked A.G./fixer* is the
person behind rolling out the "Mueller report clears Trump" meme.


* Barr is "a fixer." He gave cover to HW for pardoning all the crooks in the Iran Contra crime fest.

Before the 1980 election HW went to Paris and cut a deal w/Iran you
hold the hostages longer and we will send you military gear, later on Reagan
and company sold weapons to Iran, hid the money in Swiss Bank Accounts,
used that money to run an illegal war in Central America against peasants
who never did anything against any Americans or were they a threat to any
American, ran cocaine (allegedly), and when caught wrapped their selves in
the flag .... see Ollie North .... and lied their asses of about the whole thing.

[Turbineguy]

57. I was wrong about Barr

I could see him doing Reagan/Bush1's bidding, but figured he would not taint himself with the stink of trump.

[anarch]

82. I suspect this is more about protecting the GOP in general, than it is specifically about

the current squatter in the W.H.

[Sunsky]

11. Many on DU are buying it

I've seen posts here bashing Mueller, as if we know what's in the Mueller report.

[Botany]

12. I think some of those anti Mueller posts are trolls.

Last edited Tue Mar 26, 2019, 10:26 AM - Edit history (1)

n/t

Sunsky

[Celerity]

14. Manafort?

You mean about Trump possibly pardoning him in the coming days?

Or did you mean anti-Mueller?

[Botany]

15. Sorry i ment Mueller

Botany =

[Celerity]

17. awww, we all make typos!

[LibDemAlways]

16. Guarantee the original and any copies

will more likely be fed into a shredder than ever released to the public. This crew has nothing on Nixon's 18 minute gap on the tape. They are masters at covering their asses and protecting the orange menace at all costs.

[Celerity]

20. Mueller would be insane to not keep personal, secure copies

[watoos]

24. I don't see Mueller as the Daniel Ellsberg type,

but I can hope because that is what it may take. Mueller's investigators never leaked, maybe they should think about it now?

[Celerity]

26. I am patient and will wait to see what happens over the next month

At some point a leak will occur if the JD stonewalls.

[Turbineguy]

58. It might be better to release the actual report

closer to the 2020 election.

[Celerity]

59. that might be too clever by half

[SHRED]

21. I can't figure out why

Why him of all people?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

25. Have often wondered how they pull this stuff off. Literally, how/where do they

meet? How do they all get on the same page with how they will pull something off? It's quite amazing that they obviously have a secure/secret way to discuss and implement strategy. Can't believe no one on our side has ever been able to infiltrate some how and tape conversations.

[watoos]

33. The first step in understanding this is

accepting the fact that the M$M is complicit with the far right who happen to be Republicans.
There is really little difference between Fox, CNN, and MSNBC. They all push the same right wing narrative. Try this at the top of the hour in the evening. Click from one channel to the other and you will see they all use the same talking points, use the same key words and phrases. It's a good cop bad cop routine. CNN and msnbc simply put a liberal slant to the right wing narrative. American oligarchs control the M$M not the Republican party. The Republican party is owned by the oligarchs.

I go back to when Phil Donahue was anti-Iraq war and Tweety was pro war, msnbc fired Donahue. It isn't that ratings are the reason either, ratings are secondary. Keith Olbermann was very popular, why did he get fired? Why did msnbc fire popular Brashear, Ed Schultz, Dylan Ratigan, Harris/Perry? The answer is because they all strayed from the far right narrative. There are 2 people who stray from the narrative who I watch today, Nicolle Wallace and Rachel Maddow, they better watch their backs.

[pangaia]

54. Easy. They use Facebook Group Messaging.

[vlyons]

27. Gaslighting Central

From the guy who sold sure-thing diplomas from Trump University and the KGOP that brought us tax reform for billionaires that would have no negative inpact on the national deficit.

[watoos]

35. Yes, you made me laugh,

People want to know about the M$M being complicit with Republicans, how much time has the M$M spent on reporting that we just had a record deficit year? Why isn't the M$M shouting that we don't have the money to build a wall?

The real problem is income inequality, which gets ignored. I am on Medicare and because of the Sequester that was passed in I think 2013, every year since, 2% reimbursements to Medicare doctors gets shaved.

My daddy told me when I was a little boy that Democrats are for the poor people and Republicans are for the rich people, it's just that simple. Tax dollars that go to rich people is called capitalism, tax dollars that go to poor people is called Socialism.

[yaesu]

28. Everything they do, with the help of MSM, is for reelection, now its constant headlines about going

after abortion funding, ACA. The tRump crime family got away with their criminal activities so now they can sail full speed ahead toward 2020.

[doompatrol39]

29. This is why we need fighters...

...if this whole bullshit doesn't prove that we can no longer work within the old parameters, within the old sets of rules and decorum.......if it doesn't prove that we need bare knuckle brawlers and not folks who are going to still try to "rise above partisan politics" or "reach across the aisle" or worry about "how things work in DC" or whatever the fuck else, then I don't know what does.

I mean not that any sane, smart person with eyes and ears should not have know this already AT LEAST 10 years ago, but that hasn't stopped many from still clinging to this belief until very recently. No more. No more people who "know the system" because the system is fucking broken. We need people who are going to get dirty along with the Republicans.

[area51]

56. +1 n/t

[33taw]

30. And sadly it is all we are talking about. Yes, we need to see the report.

We also need to focus on the 2020 election. There is not one post about our candidates. Just Trump. He is getting what he wants, all the attention.

[TwilightZone]

31. There are plenty of posts about our candidates. They're in the Primaries forum, where they belong.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1287

[33taw]

32. I know, but two days ago they were everywhere. Now we have them buried altogether.

We let DJT drive the narrative in 2016 with the help of Russian bots and trolls. Now he doesn’t even need them. He’s got us to do his talking. Maybe a split of DJT’s narratives 50% and our narrative 50%? I agree we need to demand seeing the report, it just not the only thing I want to see.

[jalan48]

36. This is how they work. Republicans run the daycare and Democrats are the efficient and caring staff

[KPN]

37. We are so screwed if we don't take tRump and his band of GOP thugs down in 2020.

We have to do this.

[Botany]

38. We have to take Trump down now

Letting him stay in office is like letting a bank robber keep the money.

[KPN]

41. I agree. I just don't see an avenue by which that will occur other than ....

[Botany]

49. Impeachment in the house and then overwhelming evidence to show Trump's crimes and treason will ...

... force enough senate republicans to vote for his removal. The problem with the senate republicans
is that so many of them got Russian money too. OH's Rob Portman got a shit load of NRA/Russian $
and McConnell is swimming in Russian money.

[KPN]

52. Yes, avarice. Coupled with white male supremacy. It's hard not to be angry and fearful about the

damage that will be done over the next two years and possibly beyond.

[calimary]

70. Yep. +1,000,000,000,000,000,000.

We HAVE TO vote him OUT. His base is gonna be super motivated. Heaven knows why, since he wants to take their health care away, and A LOT of them are older and with pre-existing conditions and on Medicare and dependent on those benefits.

Our Dems are smart to stay focused on health care and protecting access to affordable health care - most available because of the Affordable Care Act. It evidently hasn’t occurred to trump that taking away that pre-existing condition coverage might not appeal to his base. He evidently doesn’t realize how big a gift he’s given the Dems for 2020.

If we DON’T take FULL advantage of that, then frankly we don’t deserve to win.

[KPN]

74. "If we DON'T take FULL advantage of that, then frankly we don't deserve to win."

Why does that sound familiar? Somehow it feels a bit like groundhog day or should I say groundhog year.

[Politicub]

39. It's all they have

And, of course, Trump is lying about the report.

There’s a story in USA Today today about how Trump and the GOP “look to settle a score with Democrats, over Mueller investigation.”

I am not disheartened today. I am angry. The report changes nothing.

[KPN]

44. I am angry too. When are we going to erupt in anger en masse? This can't go on for two more years.

Too much is at risk. Too much mindless vengeance seeking -- against anything Obama, against anyone who lacks fealty, and especially against those who openly and publicly resist.

I'm ready fore our own yellow vest insurrection frankly.

[bearsfootball516]

60. Then start it.

[KPN]

69. If I thought I could I would.

[unitedwethrive]

40. Just like their Russian comrades, propaganda is what the GOP is good at.

Remember how they convinced everyone that Reagan was fine during his last years in office, when they actually knew he was suffering from early stage Alzheimer’s and never told the public?

[moondust]

42. Kremlin still calling the shots?

~
By contrast, Russia's state-owned RT branded the entire probe one of the "greatest hoaxes in US history" and questioned whether now the "Russiagate narrative's peddlers" would be held accountable -- especially the "Democrats and mass media" -- "for weaponizing the Mueller probe against Trump, ruining US-Russia ties and the lives of many Americans."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quick to point out in statements to Russian media: "We believe the accusations that continue to be made against Russia in terms of interference in the US electoral processes are unfounded because even the brief information that is listed in the summary [of the Mueller report] has no basis." He apparently could not resist concluding with a typically Russian turn of phrase: "It's hard to find a black cat in a dark room, especially if it's not there."
~
http://www.cnn.com/2019/03/25/opinions/mueller-report-europe-merkel-macron-andelman/index.html

Link to tweet

[The Liberal Lion]

43. They are trying to get in front of the narrative, and unfortunately it seems to be working

We, the American public regardless of political confession, have ZERO reason to just trust the word of Barr. Why won't they release the report? The same reason why trump won't release his taxes. Both contain evidence of MASSIVE criminal activity. This government, if you still want to call it that, is wholly illegitimate. I say the people start treating it as such.

[KPN]

46. It absolutely does. The media is complicit. I agree. It's time for the people to weigh in. We

need our own yellow vest insurrection -- now. It can't wait two years until another election that will likely just be stolen anyway. Too much damage is being done daily by the vindictive MF a**hole who illegitimately occupies our WH.

[Pepsidog]

45. NYT should return the Pulitzers.

[KPN]

47. They cower in fear.

[NoMoreRepugs]

48. Agree 1000%..in large part their integrity has disappeared.

[lark]

50. Fucking repugs, there's not a one alive that can be trusted to do what's right for USA.

Mueller was the exception, I hoped, but I and many others appear to have been way wrong and he did nothing about the principals involved - drumpf and his family, in true russian repug protection mode. Why did he do this, was he forced to not investigate them thoroughly, or did he truly investigate them, find dirt, but Barr's lying or Mueller didn't care that drumpf jr. & Kushner did worse than Manafort on lying to Congress and FBi? Or is Mueller really ok, did his job thoroughly (as far as he was allowed, which didn't include any family) but Barr's a total sleazebag liar?

[Dr. T]

53. Fools

"It is much easier to fool people than it is to convince them that they've been fooled." - Non-Sequitur (the comic strip), March 24, 2019

[MineralMan]

55. They're counting on the public having a very short attention span.

The longer they can delay releasing the entire report, the better it will work. And I think they can delay if for quite some time.

[Andy823]

61. The good things is

The only ones buying their bullshit are trumps "CULT BASE"! Those who can't stand trump, still can't stand him.

[live love laugh]

71. And they are using issues like Smollett to divert

attention.

[spanone]

72. All trump needed was the 'no collusion' headline. barr probably got a check in the mail.

or cash under the table.

[Botany]

73. The NY Times rolled over and played dead for Trump w/their headline.

It doesn't matter that in the end Trump and his people will be shown that
they colluded w/Russia the damage is done.


BTW The Mueller Report must be devastating for Trump .... Barr wants to
now only let people see a rewrite of the report.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211961493

[Cetacea]

75. They had possession of the ball and ran smack into the goal post

Trump and fellow GOPs made sure that any PR gains only lasted for a day.

[Hortensis]

78. Republican-serving MSM are being required to "break cover"

of respectability to spin the narrative for the Republicans during big stories. I've notice this with such stories as the Tax Heist, Kavanaugh, and the Mueller report. Slimey as its editorial pages are, the WSJ's journalism has a good reputation, but its editorial board (!) lied and spun for all they were worth during Kavanaugh.

I wish I've been watching closer and started keeping a list early on. But we sent PBS Evening News our first-ever complaints because of repeatedly misinforming viewers during Kavanaugh by omission of critical details. This week 60 Minutes opened its Sunday program with a one-line important special announcement that the Mueller report EXONERATED Trump.

Quick, cover your ears, Grandma! Turn off the TV!

[Ilsa]

80. Last weekend was a fraud perpetrated on the People.

Barr told trump he'd fix whatever was in the report. Probably had most of his four pages written already, just waiting for a few sentences to quote.

[Vinca]

84. They HAD a massive PR campaign before the Idiot-In-Chief decided to take away health coverage.

A bigger story for most people is how to provide medical care for a loved one with a pre-existing condition if Obamacare goes away. In the eyes of the insurance industry, more of us have a "problem" that will cost more to insure (ching, ching, up go profits) than don't.