The Trump Presidency

[Julio3000]

In a secure room, with clearanced policy advisors, security experts, and state level diplomats?

What do you mean?

Yeah, if Russia were an ally, maybe.

[Hawk]

Jeez, dude. Call it what it is.

I have been. I've been calling it sensationalism since Day 1.

I don't seem to recall anyone flipping out on a scale of this magnitude over Panetta or Cartright publicly revealing/leaking classified information, although the acts those two committed were far more obviously wrong than the debatable wrongness of what Trump supposedly did.

[Hawk]

Short answer: why is the WH so leaky?

~2K employees.

[Julio3000]

There are a multitude of reasons. Policy dissent. General animosity. Money. Almost all more plausible than the notion that the leak occurred for the general good of the public.

"Money" and "general animosity" are more likely? Money? How? From whom?

General animosity? From his own people? What does THAT mean?

[Hawk]

Yeah, if Russia were an ally, maybe.

I'm sensing a theme here.

[Hawk]

[Julio3000]

I have been. I've been calling it sensationalism since Day 1.

I don't seem to recall anyone flipping out on a scale of this magnitude over Panetta or Cartright publicly revealing/leaking classified information, although the acts those two committed were far more obviously wrong than the debatable wrongness of what Trump supposedly did.

I'm not sure that's what I'm arguing. In fact, it isn't, at all.

I'm arguing that Trump is not very bright, a ****heel besides, and completely out of his depth.

[Hawk]

"Money" and "general animosity" are more likely? Money? How? From whom?

General animosity? From his own people? What does THAT mean?

Are we playing 20 questions here or what?

[Julio3000]

I'm sensing a theme here.

You don't think it's probably better to be a little more circumspect in a meet with Russia than with, say, Australia or Germany or Canada? Please do elaborate.

[Julio3000]

Are we playing 20 questions here or what?

Someone's getting paid? Do tell.

[Julio3000]

~2K employees.

With firsthand knowledge of diplomatic meets in the Oval. Sure.

Obama's WH had the same number of employees, and wasn't like this. Ditto Bush 43. Ditto anyone in my memory, actually.

[Hawk]

Michael M. Grynbaum
@grynbaum
Potential future WH press secretary @kimguilfoyle — still a primetime Fox News host — suggesting that Comey could have fabricated memo.

---

See, that's what I'm talking about.

[Julio3000]

Michael M. Grynbaum
@grynbaum
Potential future WH press secretary @kimguilfoyle — still a primetime Fox News host — suggesting that Comey could have fabricated memo.

---

See, that's what I'm talking about.

That's a hell of an audition.

[Hawk]

You don't think it's probably better to be a little more circumspect in a meet with Russia than with, say, Australia or Germany or Canada? Please do elaborate.

With respect to dealing with ISIS? No.

Why should I?

[Julio3000]

I think you're in a distinct minority there, then.

[Julio3000]

You're also in a distinct minority if you think that Russia gives a **** about ISIS.

[Julio3000]

It's seriously just odd that you seem to think that having an ostensibly common enemy means that Russia is not an adversarial power who would prefer to see the US diminished.

[Hawk]

I'm not sure that's what I'm arguing. In fact, it isn't, at all.

I'm arguing that Trump is not very bright, a ****heel besides, and completely out of his depth.

Well, Julio, you also believe that Trump engaged with the Russians in a massive (and, apparently, ongoing) conspiracy to defraud the American populace ... so that you've resorted to calling him a ****heel (I've not heard that one before) 5 months in, out of what would appear to be futility, does not exactly surprise me.

Nevertheless, you are entitled to your opinion.

[Julio3000]

Well, Julio, you also believe that Trump engaged with the Russians in a massive (and, apparently, ongoing) conspiracy to defraud the American populace ... so that you've resorted to calling him a ****heel (I've not heard that one before) 5 months in, out of what would appear to be futility, does not exactly surprise me.

Nevertheless, you are entitled to your opinion.

Hmm. How do you get that? I think I've been pretty forthcoming and specific about my feelings on that topic--and they've not been at all what you're suggesting.

[Julio3000]

Well, Julio, you also believe that Trump engaged with the Russians in a massive (and, apparently, ongoing) conspiracy to defraud the American populace ... so that you've resorted to calling him a ****heel (I've not heard that one before) 5 months in, out of what would appear to be futility, does not exactly surprise me.

Nevertheless, you are entitled to your opinion.

So what's the objective case for him NOT being a ****heel?