[TH Spangler]

Griffen is a never Trumper. She needs to name her source and they need to prove it. Bolton shot it down, he was there, said it didn't happen. This is why no one pays attention to the media anymore.

[Purple Haize]

From Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffon -

"This former official heard the President say about American veterans: "What's in it for them? They don't make any money." Source: "It was a character flaw of the President. He could not understand why someone would die for their country, not worth it."

Are we gonna do battling tweets?

[TH Spangler]

I've cast 3 votes for president I regret. Cater, Romney and MCcain.

[Purple Haize]

Here’s some NON anonymous sources on the helicopter story. To be honest I never finished the Atlantic story because it was so much here say and provable falsehoods

[thepostman]

PH, I dont doubt he was a jerk to people. Doesn't justify the President's remarks by a long shot. I give veterans a bit more leeway on those kinds of comments than some multi millionaire businessman.

But I digress. This isn't a story that one can really confirm so I don't think it justifies the attention it has gotten.

I could tell a ton of stories on polticians and how they treat military personnel but I'll leave that for my retired days.

[TH Spangler]

If McCain was involved in the Russia hoax he blew his legacy. It's sad.

[stokesjokes]

Can someone please explain which part of the Russia investigation was a hoax?

Didn’t we just get the report from the republican senate detailing the problematic relationship between the Trump campaign and Russia?

https://apnews.com/5e833a62e9492f6a66624b7920cc846a

[Purple Haize]

PH, I dont doubt he was a jerk to people. Doesn't justify the President's remarks by a long shot. I give veterans a bit more leeway on those kinds of comments than some multi millionaire businessman.

But I digress. This isn't a story that one can really confirm so I don't think it justifies the attention it has gotten.

I could tell a ton of stories on polticians and how they treat military personnel but I'll leave that for my retired days.

While I might agree with the Presidents sentiment towards McCain I wasn’t comfortable with the comment

[TH Spangler]

Can someone please explain which part of the Russia investigation was a hoax?

Didn’t we just get the report from the republican senate detailing the problematic relationship between the Trump campaign and Russia?

https://apnews.com/5e833a62e9492f6a66624b7920cc846a

"A prosecutor appointed by Attorney General William Barr, who regards the Russia investigation with skepticism, disclosed his first criminal charge Friday against a former FBI lawyer who plans to plead guilty to altering a government email."

We'll see.

[Purple Haize]

Can someone please explain which part of the Russia investigation was a hoax?

Didn’t we just get the report from the republican senate detailing the problematic relationship between the Trump campaign and Russia?

https://apnews.com/5e833a62e9492f6a66624b7920cc846a

The part where we were told Trump was a Russian agent?
The part where the Kremlin and Trump campaign coordinated efforts to win the election?
The part where Putin was able to influence voters to cast votes for Trump unbeknownst to them?
The part where Trump told Russian officials to wait till after the election because he’d have more flexibility? Oops. Wrong President

[stokesjokes]

I mean, #2 and #3 on your list have been confirmed, so...

[Purple Haize]

I mean, #2 and #3 on your list have been confirmed, so...

Except they have not. In fact they were specifically refuted. Russia tried but nothing happened.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnew ... ncna986611

[thepostman]

Russia did influence voters and are trying to do the same this year. It could be argued they just want America divided and don't really care who is president but with how soft Trump has been of Putin, it is hard to believe they don't have a favorite.

[Purple Haize]

Russia did influence voters and are trying to do the same this year. It could be argued they just want America divided and don't really care who is president but with how soft Trump has been of Putin, it is hard to believe they don't have a favorite.

2 things.
1 - Sure they’ve tried. They’ve always tried. Been that was as long as I’ve been alive. How successful they’ve been is certainly debatable. A 6 figure ad buy on Facebook isn’t really going to move the needle
2- The thesis was that Team Trump and Team Putin put together a game plane to defeat HRC.

You are spot on. An unstable America is the next best thing for Russia to a Pro Russian regime

[stokesjokes]

I mean, #2 and #3 on your list have been confirmed, so...

Except they have not. In fact they were specifically refuted. Russia tried but nothing happened.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnew ... ncna986611

The report that just came out 2 weeks ago, that I linked a brief summary of, specifically details extensive contact between trump campaign operatives and Russian operatives. This was described by a republican-led committee as a “grave threat” to our nation. The Russian troll farms were real, connected to the Russian government, and decidedly pro-Trump. It “not working” is immaterial.

[thepostman]

Russia did influence voters and are trying to do the same this year. It could be argued they just want America divided and don't really care who is president but with how soft Trump has been of Putin, it is hard to believe they don't have a favorite.

2 things.
1 - Sure they’ve tried. They’ve always tried. Been that was as long as I’ve been alive. How successful they’ve been is certainly debatable. A 6 figure ad buy on Facebook isn’t really going to move the needle
2- The thesis was that Team Trump and Team Putin put together a game plane to defeat HRC.

You are spot on. An unstable America is the next best thing for Russia to a Pro Russian regime

Yeah, I obviously dont buy that they worked on some gamelan to do this. It has been the Russians goal to just cause as much disruption as they could and they've done a great job.

I still think Trump is too nice to Putin.

[TH Spangler]

Russia did influence voters and are trying to do the same this year. It could be argued they just want America divided and don't really care who is president but with how soft Trump has been of Putin, it is hard to believe they don't have a favorite.

Nothing new. Russia has been doing it for a long time. What's new is China doing it. Unchecked, Confucius Institutes and more.

[Purple Haize]

I mean, #2 and #3 on your list have been confirmed, so...

Except they have not. In fact they were specifically refuted. Russia tried but nothing happened.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnew ... ncna986611

The report that just came out 2 weeks ago, that I linked a brief summary of, specifically details extensive contact between trump campaign operatives and Russian operatives. This was described by a republican-led committee as a “grave threat” to our nation. The Russian troll farms were real, connected to the Russian government, and decidedly pro-Trump. It “not working” is immaterial.

From your article
Several Republicans on the panel submitted “additional views” to the report, saying it should state more explicitly that Trump’s campaign did not collude with Russia. They say that while the report shows the Russian government “inappropriately meddled” in the election, “then-candidate Trump was not complicit.”

The concern was Manafort. There really wasn’t too much here more than the Mueller Report.
This article makes a point I whole heartedly agree with however
https://thehill.com/policy/national-sec ... sia-report

“ The Senate panel also highlighted how Russia and other countries looked for opportunities to embed themselves with Trump officials. In particular, the committee noted that Russia viewed the Trump transition team as inexperienced, disorganized and unprepared and sought to exploit those shortcomings.

“Russia and other countries took advantage of the Transition Team's inexperience, transparent opposition to Obama Administration policies, and Trump's desire to deepen ties with Russia, to pursue unofficial channels through which Russia could conduct diplomacy,” the report reads, noting that this made the “transition open to influence and manipulation.”

[stokesjokes]

So the accusation that you’re denying is that the Trump campaign worked with Russia. And you’re doing so by saying “well, it was only the campaign chairman.” (But also Don Jr, Kushner, others)

So the Astros weren’t stealing signs, either, it was just their manager?

[Purple Haize]

So the accusation that you’re denying is that the Trump campaign worked with Russia. And you’re doing so by saying “well, it was only the campaign chairman.” (But also Don Jr, Kushner, others)

So the Astros weren’t stealing signs, either, it was just their manager?

First your comparison is horrible
Second you are reading into things I did not say. I said that the Senate report really doesn’t tell us much more than the Mueller Report. That the only thing they found “troubling” was the possibility that Manafort could be bribed blackmailed etc. Manafort was with the campaign for less than 6 months. Manager for 2 maybe. And let go because people were uncomfortable with his attitudes towards Russia.
So for your comparison to make sense it would be some guy called up in July from AAA to play for the Astros who was let go or sent down In August because he didn’t fit in with the Clubhouse. It would be reversed in this case since the Astros were up to no good in your scenario and Manafort was up to no good in the Trump campaign

[stokesjokes]

They didn’t just find it “troubling” that Manafort could be blackmailed, you’re way underselling it. They found it troubling the amount of contact between Russian actors and the Trump campaign.

“It says the Trump campaign chairman had regular contact with a Russian intelligence officer and that other Trump associates were eager to exploit the Kremlin’s aid, particularly by maximizing the impact of the disclosure of Democratic emails hacked by Russian intelligence officers.“

-this is collusion

And regardless, this conversation started because of the “Russian hoax” catchphrase thrown around, which is the accusation that the investigation into Russian interference in our election was made up to attack Trump.

What that’s saying is that if we have evidence that:

1. Russian troll farms are trying to influence the outcome of the election (successful or not, coordinated with the candidate or not)

2. The campaign chair of one of the nominees was regularly meeting with Russian operatives. (Along with meetings involving the nominee’s son and son-in-law)

That we shouldn’t investigate that?

Imagine if someone with Hillary’s team was meeting with Russians. Imagine if they were trying to coordinate the release of the fabled “pee tape” with Russia so she could win.

Now reverse that, and that’s exactly what happened. And then imagine all you heard was people saying the FBI looking into it was a “hoax” and “witch-hunt.” You would be as exasperated as I am with the attempts to minimize it or dismiss it.

[Purple Haize]

You are redefining the Russian Hoax. We were told throughput the Mueller Investigation that Trump and his campaign worked hand in hand with Russia to win the 2016 election. Yes, Trump campaign officials met with Russian officials. So did HRC officials. That’s not news. Her team helped prop up the Steele Dossier.
If something is not coordinated with a campaign it’s not collusion. That cooperation component is sort of a big deal. Not there with a Trump
The head of his campaign you refer to was only the head of his campaign for about 60 days and jettisoned. Primarily because of his dealings with those associated with a Russia. So I’m not sure how firing a guy because of his Russian bent is actually proof of ties to Russia

[thepostman]

The thing I keep reading as I read between the lines. "Trump keeps hiring crappy people".

[Purple Haize]

The thing I keep reading as I read between the lines. "Trump keeps hiring crappy people".

Early on I think you are absolutely right. I think he’s found his grove now

[thepostman]

Keep telling yourself that. If he somehow loses this election (which i have gone on the record in saying he won't), it won't take long for all those outside his family to write those tell all books.