US Politics Mega-thread - Page 7459

On May 06 2017 12:48 Nevuk wrote:

But... Why? Not why does he think that, I mean, why would they bother? He was never a serious contender and he's basically just a rabblerouser in the senate.

In late November, a member of Donald Trump's transition team approached national security officials in the Obama White House with a curious request: Could the incoming team get a copy of the classified CIA profile on Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the United States?

Marshall Billingslea, a former Pentagon and NATO official, wanted the information for his boss, Michael Flynn, who had been tapped by Trump to serve as White House national security adviser. Billingslea knew Flynn would be speaking to Kislyak, according to two former Obama administration officials, and seemed concerned Flynn did not fully understand he was dealing with a man rumored to have ties to Russian intelligence agencies.

...

In the following weeks, the Obama White House would grow deeply distrustful of Trump's dealing with the Kremlin and anxious about his team's ties. The concern — compounded by surge of new intelligence, including evidence of multiple calls, texts and at least one in-person meeting between Flynn and Kislyak — would eventually grow so great Obama advisers delayed telling Trump's team about plans to punish Russia for its election meddling. Obama officials worried the incoming administration might tip off Moscow, according to one Obama adviser.

...

Obama aides described Flynn as notably dismissive of the threat Russia posed to the United States when discussing policy in transition meetings with outgoing national security adviser Susan Rice and other top officials.

Officials also found it curious that Billingslea only ever asked Obama's National Security Council for one classified leadership profile to give to Flynn: the internal document on Kislyak.

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While it's not inappropriate for someone in Flynn's position to have contact with a diplomat, Obama officials said the frequency of his discussions raised enough red flags that aides discussed the possibility Trump was trying to establish a one-to-one line of communication — a so-called back channel — with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Obama aides say they never determined why Flynn was in close contact with the ambassador.

On May 07 2017 04:42 Danglars wrote:

Because that's the one thing that will finally sink Trump. His mocking of whiter-than-white Elizabeth Warren claiming American Indian ancestry (it's in the high cheekbones from self-evaluation, not genealogy) is that step too far. Absurd. And he definitely doesn't need more currency to fight identified and mis-identified grievance peddlers.

On May 07 2017 05:19 Mohdoo wrote:


lmao I had never seen that video. Jesus Warren is retarded lol

Has she come out and said anything about this? Does she still say its true or has she been like "yeah ok it was just family lore I realize its not true"

On May 07 2017 10:25 Gahlo wrote:

News became a business centered around entertaining 24/7 would be my guess. Gotta fill that air time, which is why there's god awful shit like the CNN 1 anchor, 4 guest talkathons. It doesn't feel like news. People go there with a message instead of actually having a meaningful discussion.