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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTPM: With Kushner Revelations, the Worst Case Scenerio Comes into View
As always, Josh Marshall nails this.
Begin quote:
Weve heard it claimed that this secret channel to Moscow Kushner and Flynn wanted to set up was to discuss the situation in Syria. That is simply not plausible. At least it couldnt have been just about Syria as there are numerous legitimate ways to do that. If the conversations were about Syria and ISIS, which I find dubious, they must have included other topics which had to be hidden from the US government, the intelligence agencies and US military.
The most plausible bad story behind the Trump/Russia mystery has always been some kind of financial preferment to members of the Trump family in exchange for lifting the sanctions put in place after the Russian annexation of Crimea and subsequent low-intensity incursions into eastern Ukraine. This wouldnt come out of the blue. It would probably come in the context of some deal over Syria or Ukraine or perhaps some agreement about global counter-terrorism cooperation. As Ive written, there is a more innocent explanation as well. It may not be any quid pro quo. It could simply be years of doing business with Russians and people from other parts of the former Soviet Union which has made Trump inclined to see their needs in a sympathetic light. His hostility toward the sanctions regime could also be driven by the fact that, with his dependence on Russian and FSU investments and purchases, they likely hurt him directly.
This chart, let me be clear, is not a statement of fact. It is an effort to illustrate a series of patterns which are the subject, the subtext, of many of the reports about the Trump/Russia story and indeed the investigation. It looks at what each side wants, what each side seems to be getting. President Trumps efforts to destabilize NATO and the EU are the most clear. These things are happening. The election hacking and subversion did happen. We know the Trump Organization has taken vast sums of money from Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union over the last twenty years. Whether theres any explicit quid quo pro today is what we dont know. When people talk about collusion, this is the pattern of actions theyre looking at and trying to confirm.
End Quote.
There is a lot more at this link.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/with-kushner-revelations-the-worst-case-scenario-comes-into-view
longship
(40,416 posts)What the fuck? I guess this post doesn't have enough "covfefe" in it.
Stinky The Clown
(67,670 posts)Hey . . . :nudge: :nudge: . . . . didja hear the joke about that silly Paris Accord?
longship
(40,416 posts)I'll leave it there, beyond that I was apparently the only one posting a link to the story.
For shame on DU.
Bayard
(21,802 posts)The only reason for the "back channel", is for the trading of classified information and game plans.
longship
(40,416 posts)I'm done with OPs. Not worth the effort, especially in an area without broadband INet.
LOL Lib
(1,462 posts)The only OP I posted that did well was because some DUers thought I was a troll. I deleted it just to get them to shut up. Hang in there longship!
longship
(40,416 posts)I've been here for years, but this place still remains a cliquish place. Regretfully.
LOL Lib
(1,462 posts)I made the same observation about the cliquishness just a couple of days ago in a post. I was singled out due to my low post count and late join date. It is very hypocritical IMHO to single out people based on their post count. Everyone has to start out at zero posts, so I'm not sure why some people feel superior just because they have been here longer or have more posts. It is certainly not a very progressive attitude. I'm thankful that there are people, like you, that have been kind and welcoming. Have a great day longship, I will be on the lookout for your posts in the future.
longship
(40,416 posts)I will still support the many stalwarts here, though, even if I don't apparently rise to their level. After all, it's the big picture that matters here.
But, damn it, when one posts a breaking story from a notable source, one would expect some kind of response.
No more DU OPs for me. The effort just isn't worth it.
Tom Rinaldo
(22,911 posts)Especially when a lot of effort goes into it. But there are always some people reading it and though the numbers may be small the effects of sharing it can still be significant (depending on who reads it and how they use that information)
Cliques tend to be strongest here the year before and after a Democratic Presidential primary contest. It can be a pain. Thank you for posting this OP.
longship
(40,416 posts)If ones OP gets neither, the effort is wasted.
Thank you my friend.
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,272 posts)And I'm sure blackmail. Once you play dirty with these people they have you by the balls.
Lucinda
(31,170 posts)longship
(40,416 posts)I think this needs exposure here. Josh Marshall has one of the most intelligent Democratic sites on the Net.
Response to longship (Original post)
Kathy M This message was self-deleted by its author.
longship
(40,416 posts)Response to longship (Reply #18)
Kathy M This message was self-deleted by its author.
niyad
(112,429 posts)longship
(40,416 posts)niyad
(112,429 posts)alarimer
(16,245 posts)That whole Kushner family is rotten.
SalviaBlue
(2,910 posts)Thanks for posting.
longship
(40,416 posts)I am shocked by the lack of general support for this post. This is the shit that matters.
My best to you.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,268 posts)I just now saw this, but thanks for posting because it deserves attention.
longship
(40,416 posts)That's why I tend to post in the mornings, hopefully to catch the morning coffee crowd (morning covfefe crowd? ).
I just don't know why Josh Marshall's post did not take hold today. It is a puzzlement.
SalviaBlue
(2,910 posts)My best back
tblue37
(64,979 posts)dalton99a
(81,065 posts)longship
(40,416 posts)oasis
(49,150 posts)FM123
(10,050 posts)so I am voraciously devouring all the posts that I can.
Yes, Josh Marshall is amazing. One of my favorites is an old article goes back to February (On Trump, keep it simple in 5 points) and it's like a pocket guidebook for travel in TrumpLand.
MFM008
(19,776 posts)Oil. Banks. And whatever the nest of maggots could gain from it.
All directed BY the head maggot himself.
GitRDun
(1,846 posts)If you look at this Trump crew from a big picture perspective:
DT gravitates more towards autocrats, which fits with his personality and the way he runs his businesses.
Multiple DT businesses were scams that resulted in lawsuits against Trump.
Trumps businesses have a long history of screwing vendors / suppliers.
Long term capital provided to Trump businesses by Russians once bankruptcies crippled his creditworthiness...
Major players in the Trump crew have long term Russian ties....
Trump changed the Republican party platform to be more pro Russia....
Multiple players in the Trump crew concealed multiple meetings with Russians...
Post election many benefits accrued to Trump businesses (Chinese patents,etc.)
There is no way to conceive that what went on here was innocent or coincidental.
Trump has a long history of immoral, questionably legal business practices and owes Russians big time for bailing him out after the bankruptcies.
The only question now, in my mind, is how much can be uncovered in the face attorney client privilege, executive privilege, hiding documents, etc.
longship
(40,416 posts)As well as hiding documents. POTUS has no claim to be above the law, which Nixon basically claimed until his death. "If the President does it, it is not illegal." (Or some such.) However, SCOTUS ruled otherwise.
Attorney/client privilege only goes so far. And hiding documents from a legal investigation is never legal.
Arazi
(6,829 posts)longship
(40,416 posts)TPM is an important daily must visit.
RockCreek
(738 posts)Continued