The Mysterious Disappearance of the Biggest Scandal in DC: Whatever happened to the Trump-Russia sto

[riversedge]

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/02/russia-trump-putin-scandal-media


The Mysterious Disappearance of the Biggest Scandal in Washington
Whatever happened to the Trump-Russia story?

David Corn


Feb. 9, 2017 6:00 AM

President Donald Trump speaks to Vladimir Putin by phone on January 28. Pete Marovich/DPA/ZUMA

The biggest election-related scandal since Watergate occurred last year, and it has largely disappeared from the political-media landscape of Washington.

According to the consensus assessment of US intelligence agencies, Russian intelligence, under the orders of Vladimir Putin, mounted an extensive operation to influence the 2016 campaign to benefit Donald Trump. This was a widespread covert campaign that included hacking Democratic targets and publishing swiped emails via WikiLeaks. And it achieved its objectives. But the nation's capital remains under-outraged by this subversion. The congressional intelligence committees announced last month that they will investigate the Russian hacking and also examine whether there were any improper contacts between the Trump camp and Russia during the campaign. (A series of memos attributed to a former British counterintelligence officer included allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.) Yet these behind-closed-doors inquiries have generated minimum media notice, and, overall, there has not been much outcry.

Certainly, every once in a while, a Democratic legislator or one of the few Republican officials who have bothered to express any disgust at the Moscow meddling (namely Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Marco Rubio) will pipe up. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi days ago called on the FBI to investigate Trump's "financial, personal and political connections to Russia" to determine "the relationship between Putin, whom he admires, and Donald Trump." Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), responding to Trump's comparison of the United States to Putin's repressive regime, said on CNN, "What is this strange relationship between Putin and Trump? And is there something that the Russians have on him that is causing him to say these really bizarre things on an almost daily basis?" A few weeks ago, Graham told me he wanted an investigation of how the FBI has handled intelligence it supposedly has gathered on ties between Trump insiders and Russia. And last month, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) pushed FBI Director James Comey at a public hearing to release this information. Yet there has been no drumbeat of sound bites, tweets, or headlines. In recent days, the story has gone mostly dark.

Look at the White House daily press briefings. Since Trump entered office, there has been far more back-and-forth between reporters and Press Secretary Sean Spicer on the inauguration crowd size, Trump's bathrobe, and Melissa McCarthy than the Russia scandal. Trump associates are perhaps being questioned by House and Senate intelligence committee investigators, and the FBI, which according to news reports has looked at possible ties between Trump advisers and Russia, might also still be on the case. Yet this has not been a top priority for White House reporters.

Here are two questions that could have been posed to Spicer at his first briefing:

* Have any past or present Trump associates, inside or outside his administration, been contacted or questioned by the intelligence committees, the FBI, or any other government body investigating the Russian hacking or interactions between Trump's circle and Russia?

* During the presidential campaign, did Trump or any of his political or business associates have any interactions with Russian officials or Russian intermediaries?

That did not happen. ....................................

[Timmygoat]

1. What now?

Now that the general is asking for more US troops in Afghanistan to fight the taliban, and knowing that the russians are
supporting the taliban there, I am sure Trump will be very forceful with Putin and sort it out. Otherwise we will have a
president who is supporting someone who would kill US troops.
It is about time Trump grew a spine.

[calimary]

5. Welcome to DU, Timmygoat!

It's about time WE USED OURS! We need to start pushing it with our reps. Why should this story go away? Answer: Absolutely no good reason for it to go away!


COUNTABLE – YOUR DASHBOARD FOR DEMOCRACY
https://twitter.com/countable -- @countable
Countable is your dashboard for democracy. Download the app for free on iOS/Android: ‪http://getcountable.com
AND
countable.us
AND
https://www.countable.us

TELL YOUR REPS – tellyourreps.com
http://tellyourreps.com/scotus?utm_content=bufferd85a9&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

[mgardener]

12. You are assuming..

Trump has a spine.
He doesn't.
I honestly believe "we the people" mean nothing to him unless we can further his business empire. He is a narcissist. If we can't help him or his kids well, tough.
He has demonstrated this trait for years.

[Amaryllis]

2. see this:This Senator Is Hell-Bent on Getting Out the Truth About Trump and Russia (David Corn)

Last edited Thu Feb 9, 2017, 05:20 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1016177278

[ananda]

10. Bless his heart.

I guess he's been invisibilized too.

[JudyM]

14. And this.

Democrat moves to force House debate on Trumps alleged business conflicts and Russia ties.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028622854

[Amaryllis]

16. Thanks; hadn't seen that. SO much is hapepning that it's easy to miss stuff.

[JudyM]

17. Yesterday was a good day for our side.

[dalton99a]

3. The Tasmanian devil in the WH made it disappear

because everyone is looking at his Twitter.

[Sunlei]

4. yup, not a peep from Republicans about the huge gang of Russians Obama kicked out of the USA.

[Stonepounder]

6. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! n/t

[neohippie]

7. what about the Russian State Oil deal

Exxon Mobil, under Rex Tillerson, brokered a deal with Russia in 2013 to lease over 60 million acres of Russian land to pump oil out of (which is five times as much land as they lease in this country), but all that Russian oil would go through pipelines in the Ukraine, who heavily tax the proceeds, and Ukraine was applying for admission into NATO at the time.
Putin subsequently invaded Ukraine in 2014, secured the routes to export the oil tax-free by sea, and took control of the port where their Black Sea Naval Fleet is based, by taking the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine by force. This was Hitler style imperialism that broke every international law in the free world.
After Obama sanctioned Russia for the invasion, Exxon Mobil could only pump oil from approximately 3 of those 60+ million acres. But now Rex Tillerson is soon to be our Secretary of State, and as of today, there’s information circulating that Donald Trump will likely unilaterally remove all sanctions against Russia in the coming days or weeks.
The Russian government’s oil company, Rosneft, will make half a trillion (500 Billion) dollars from that much untapped oil, all pumped tax-free through Crimea, stolen from Ukraine, now owned by Russia. Putin may have subverted our government just for this deal to go through.

It's gets worse. 19.5% or $20 Billion worth of Russian Oil Giant WAS transferred to new owners in December. The identities of the new owners is unknown. The corporate shell is a Cayman islands registered corporate ditch designed for anonymous ownership.

[Locrian]

8. deep state

The FBI / CIA are all guardians of the real power: wallstreet and corporations.

With the impending tax cuts, deregulation, roll back of wallstreet oversight, goldman sachs appointments, etc they were probably told to stand down.

[BadgerMom]

9. K & R

Keep this in the news!

[NRaleighLiberal]

11. another inconvenient truth, it seems. too much of a hot potato - so just gets ignored?

[oasis]

13. Not to worry. The Wheels of Justice will

catch up to his no good ass.

[applegrove]

15. Hopefully no news means they have more to look at, or under.