The Trump Presidency

Something I've been thinking about with regards to Paul Manafort. He's been a consultant/involved with Ford, Reagan, Bush 1, and Dole.

Is it fair to assume he's been a criminal from the beginning? I think yes.
There's a distinction from being a political operative willing to carry out illegal acts for others for political purposes to engaging in personal tax and money fraud to the tune of millions of dollars for your own benefit. It looks like Manafort's criminality evolved significantly after he lost his"golden goose", Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, and the lavish lifestyle that came with it. I don't think it's fair to assume he was always as crooked and dirty as he was at the end. It's not easy to put yourself into the position to be that dirty. If it were, everyone would lie about their worth and get million dollar loans.

Trump's level of corruption, and the corruption of the kind of people attracted to him, are far beyond the norms. There may be many like Manafort and Cohen I don't think they are in government. Most of the people who run government are not rich and don't steal so brazenly. Those that do, usually get caught.
 
David Pecker and his whitewashing of Trump's image at the National Enquirer are big pieces to the puzzle of how Trump got elected.


In retrospect, Donald Trump was always presidential timber we just never took it seriously. He always talked about running for president, but no one believed it would ever be possible. Looking back now, it became possible because of the assistance of at least this organization (The National Inquirer). It certainly didn’t hurt to have the most dominant presence on the supermarket rack in his pocket.
 
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There's a distinction from being a political operative willing to carry out illegal acts for others for political purposes to engaging in personal tax and money fraud to the tune of millions of dollars for your own benefit. It looks like Manafort's criminality evolved significantly after he lost his"golden goose", Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, and the lavish lifestyle that came with it. I don't think it's fair to assume he was always as crooked and dirty as he was at the end. It's not easy to put yourself into the position to be that dirty. If it were, everyone would lie about their worth and get million dollar loans.

Trump's level of corruption, and the corruption of the kind of people attracted to him, are far beyond the norms. There may be many like Manafort and Cohen I don't think they are in government. Most of the people who run government are not rich and don't steal so brazenly. Those that do, usually get caught.

A guy who who has worked with 5 campaigns just got guilty verdicts on 8 counts...

and somehow thats due to Trump?

Nah...
 
A guy who who has worked with 5 campaigns just got guilty verdicts on 8 counts...

and somehow thats due to Trump?

Nah...
Wow. The way your mind works is interesting.

Manafort wasn't wearing $25,000 suits when he worked for Reagan. It's more likely that Manafort became a bolder criminal after spending so much time with the Russians.

Ken Starr turned over every leaf in the Clinton world and found nothing he could hang on them. Why is that?
 
Wow. The way your mind works is interesting.

Manafort wasn't wearing $25,000 suits when he worked for Reagan. It's more likely that Manafort became a bolder criminal after spending so much time with the Russians.

Ken Starr turned over every leaf in the Clinton world and found nothing he could hang on them. Why is that?

The way my mind works is "all these assholes are corrupt"

The way your mind works is "All the Republican assholes are corrupt"

The Clintons got millions of dollars from the Russians - you know that group who you think is the biggest threat to our democracy in the world
 
The way my mind works is "all these assholes are corrupt".
Not everyone in govt is corrupt and some corruption is a lot worse than others. Manafort's corruption comes from his own greed.

The way your mind works is "All the Republican assholes are corrupt".

I thought your running line was that I thought all Republican assholes were racists.

The Clintons got millions of dollars from the Russians - you know that group who you think is the biggest threat to our democracy in the world.
I'm willing to say the Clintons were corrupt. I think our own corruption is a bigger threat than the Russians.

Sloppy logic on all 3.

It also seems like you believe that since govt is so corrupt, less govt results in a less corrupt world, which is naive,imo.
 
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Apparently there is an obscure 1927 law that empowers 3 congressional committees to obtain any tax return from the IRS.
 
Sloppy logic on all 3.

It also seems like you believe that since govt is so corrupt, less govt results in a less corrupt world, which is naive,imo.

all this twisted reasoning and sloppy logic is being put at the service of painting Trump and his peeps as no different than the rest of our political class...but there is a big difference...a yuge one...and only willfull blindness can obscure that

yes many in our political class are not the best people...but Trump and a large number of the people around him are in a league of their own
 
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No, the one time we catch one of these bastards they do not get to use "but everyone does it". If they want to argue that they are just stupid enough to get caught thats fine by me. Lets see how that works out. Trumps Presidency Deathwatch is now on Day 2. His refusal to do the right thing and resign should factor into sentencing. Lock his ass up in the Federal Max Security with the Boston Bomber.
 
No, the one time we catch one of these bastards they do not get to use "but everyone does it". If they want to argue that they are just stupid enough to get caught thats fine by me. Lets see how that works out. Trumps Presidency Deathwatch is now on Day 2. His refusal to do the right thing and resign should factor into sentencing. Lock his ass up in the Federal Max Security with the Boston Bomber.

as a matter of fact special kind of stupid IS one of the things that set Trump and his crowd apart

but they are a special kind of many other things too...truly a special class of people never before seen in American political history...for historical parallels we have to go to other countries...Berlusconi in Italy is one who comes to mind
 
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A guy who who has worked with 5 campaigns just got guilty verdicts on 8 counts...

and somehow thats due to Trump?

Nah...

I think the pertinent questions to ask are why was Manafort seeking work with Trump, specifically, and why Trump chose to hire him. Even if Trump is himself totally innocent of Manafort’s dirt, hiring him still demonstrates some pretty poor judgement at best.
 
easy to be cynical in this day and age but a truly heroic man

And with his family power he could've easily stayed out of Vietnam had he wanted to avoid the action like so many other privileged young men. Trump, Cheney and Bush come immediately to mind.

Even without his political career, he was a true American hero.
 
I think the pertinent questions to ask are why was Manafort seeking work with Trump, specifically, and why Trump chose to hire him. Even if Trump is himself totally innocent of Manafort’s dirt, hiring him still demonstrates some pretty poor judgement at best.
And why did he agree to work for nothing when he was obviously in financial straits?? When his desire to jump on the Trump train was clearly at shot at getting himself out of his pinch?
 
He stood up when a woman spoke of Obama being a Muslim and bad for America. Telling her his opponent was a good man and she was wrong.

I disagreed an awful lot with him on policy and day to day politics but his body of work was -- all that
Let's hope he finally is granted peace
 
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