SPOILER

Vice President - Mike Pence

Het kabinet
Secretary of State - Mike Pompeo
Secretary of Treasury - Steven Mnuchin
Secretary of Defense - General Jim 'Mad Dog' Mattis
Attorney General - Jeff Sessions
Secretary of the Interior - Ryan Zinke
Secretary of Agriculture - Sonny Perdue
Secretary of Commerce - Wilbur Ross
Secretary of Labor - Alexander Acosta
Secretary of Health and Human Services - Alex Azar
Secretary of Housing & Urban Development - Ben Carson
Secretary of Transportation - Elaine Chao
Secretary of Energy - Rick Perry
Secretary of Education - Betsy DeVos
Secretary of Veterans Affairs - Ronny Jackson??? Robert Wilkie (Acting)
Secretary of Homeland Security - Kirstjen Nielsen

Cabinet-level officials:
White House Chief of Staff - John F. Kelly
Trade Representative - Robert Lighthizer
Director of National Intelligence - Dan Coats
Ambassador to the UN - Nikki Haley
Director of the Office of Management & Budget - Mick Mulvaney
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency - Gina Haspel
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency - Scott Pruitt
Administrator of the Small Business Administration - Linda McMahon

Andere kopstukken:
Ivanka Trump (Advisor to the President), Jared Kushner (Senior Adviser Strategic Planning), Stephen Miller (Senior Adviser Policy), John Bolton (National Security Adviser), Kellyanne Conway (Counselor), Donald McGahn (White House Counsel), Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Press Secretary), Christopher Wray (Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation), Robert Mueller (Special Counsel), Rod Rosenstein (United States Deputy Attorney General).

Verdwenen of voormalige kopstukken:
Kabinet: Tom Price (HHS), David Shulkin (VA), Rex Tillerson (State)
DOJ/FBI: Sally Yates, James Comey, Preet Bharara, Andrew McCabe
Communicatie WH: Mike Dubke, Sean Spicer, Anthony Scaramucci, Hope Hicks
Adviseurs enzo: Michael Flynn, Herbert McMaster, Reince Priebus, Rob Porter, Gary Cohn, Steve Bannon, John McEntee

SPOILER: juni

SPOILER: 8 augustus

SPOILER: juni

SPOILER: 8 augustus

SPOILER: juni

SPOILER: 8 augustus

twitter:

realDonaldTrump twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 16:35:11 I met with the DOJ concerning the declassification of various UNREDACTED documents. They agreed to release them but stated that so doing may have a perceived negative impact on the Russia probe. Also, key Allies’ called to ask not to release. Therefore, the Inspector General..... reageer retweet

twitter:

realDonaldTrump twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 16:41:18 ....has been asked to review these documents on an expedited basis. I believe he will move quickly on this (and hopefully other things which he is looking at). In the end I can always declassify if it proves necessary. Speed is very important to me - and everyone! reageer retweet

quote:

Op vrijdag 21 september 2018 16:43 schreef Ulx het volgende:

twitter:

realDonaldTrump twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 16:35:11 I met with the DOJ concerning the declassification of various UNREDACTED documents. They agreed to release them but stated that so doing may have a perceived negative impact on the Russia probe. Also, key Allies’ called to ask not to release. Therefore, the Inspector General..... reageer retweet

twitter:

realDonaldTrump twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 16:41:18 ....has been asked to review these documents on an expedited basis. I believe he will move quickly on this (and hopefully other things which he is looking at). In the end I can always declassify if it proves necessary. Speed is very important to me - and everyone! reageer retweet

Wat is dit nou weer?

quote:

Op vrijdag 21 september 2018 16:43 schreef Ulx het volgende:

twitter:

realDonaldTrump twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 16:35:11 I met with the DOJ concerning the declassification of various UNREDACTED documents. They agreed to release them but stated that so doing may have a perceived negative impact on the Russia probe. Also, key Allies’ called to ask not to release. Therefore, the Inspector General..... reageer retweet

twitter:

realDonaldTrump twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 16:41:18 ....has been asked to review these documents on an expedited basis. I believe he will move quickly on this (and hopefully other things which he is looking at). In the end I can always declassify if it proves necessary. Speed is very important to me - and everyone! reageer retweet

Wat is dit nou weer?

quote:

President Donald Trump suggested that some of the information related to the Russia investigation that he sought to publicly release may not be disclosed, at the request of US allies -- a stark reversal just four days after issuing an unprecedented directive for "immediate declassification."

"We're moving along. We're working along. We're also dealing with foreign countries that might have a problem," Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity in an interview Thursday night. "It's not as simple as all that and we do have to respect their wishes."

Trump said he had received phone calls from two unnamed "very good allies" expressing concern over the documents -- the first sign in days that he may not follow through on a move he said he had to take for the sake of "transparency."

The White House did not immediately return a request for comment as to which allies the President had spoken with about the matter.

SPOILER

Earlier this week, the White House issued a highly unusual statement calling on the Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to initiate the declassification of selective portions of the FBI's June 2017 application to monitor former Trump foreign policy aide Carter Page under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, signed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

In July, the FBI released heavily redacted versions of the initial October 2016 FISA warrant on Page and three subsequent renewals. But Monday's directive from the White House also called for declassifying "all FBI reports of interviews" prepared in connection with the FISA applications -- which are generally highly classified materials and potentially contain information from foreign intelligence sources.

While the White House's statement cited requests from "a number of committees of Congress," the decision to publicly release the records prompted an outcry that the President was potentially jeopardizing critical intelligence sources and politicizing sensitive materials -- in the midst of a criminal investigation into ties between his campaign associates and Russia -- to score political points.

In an interview with The Hill, he said he had not read the materials he ordered declassified, but "many people in Congress" and "commentators" on Fox News, including Hannity, had called on him to release the records.

"They used Carter Page as a foil in order to surveil a candidate for the presidency of the United States," Trump said to The Hill.

The central theory propounded by the President and his allies has been that the FBI used intelligence gathered from former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele in the FISA application, misled the court about how Steele's dossier had been funded through a law firm by the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign, and did not disclose his bias against Trump.

The redacted versions of the FISA applications publicly available show the FBI did disclose a political motivation behind the Steele dossier and said the person behind it was likely looking for information to discredit Trump's campaign.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department, the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence have been working this week to prepare newly declassified versions of the records with redactions to protect sources and other information related to the active investigation.

twitter:

samstein twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 16:22:08 McConnell just now on Kavanaugh: "you’ve watched the fight, you’ve watched the tactics. But here is what I want to tell you, in the very near future Judge Kavanaugh will be on the United States' Supreme Court." reageer retweet

twitter:

CNN twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 17:07:22 Mitch McConnell: "You've watched the fight. You've watched the tactics, But here's what I want to tell you: In the very near future, Judge Kavanaugh will be on the United States Supreme Court... Don't get rattled by all of this. We're gonna plow right through it and do our job." https://t.co/nmVJVHvrVV reageer retweet

twitter:

JasonLeopold twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 16:54:34 NEW: @a_cormier_ and I reveal MORE suspicious financial transactions connected to planners of Trump Tower mtg, notably KaveladzeSame day DJT Jr sent email abt setting up mtg this happened. Now under scrutiny by Mueller Also Patriot ACT provision used https://t.co/m79GUlSzrs https://t.co/WWTqTB88q2 reageer retweet

quote:

On June 3, 2016, Donald Trump Jr. received one of the most striking emails of the presidential campaign, offering dirt on Hillary Clinton as part of the Russian government’s “support for Mr. Trump.”

Trump Jr. responded 17 minutes later: “if it’s what you say I love it.”

That email led to a meeting at Trump Tower that has become a central focus of the investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.

But the very day that email was sent, another exchange was taking place behind the scenes.

Documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News show that $3.3 million began moving on June 3 between two of the men who orchestrated the meeting: Aras Agalarov, a billionaire real estate developer close to both Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump, and Irakly “Ike” Kaveladze, a longtime Agalarov employee once investigated for money laundering.

That money is on top of the more than $20 million that was flagged as suspicious, BuzzFeed News revealed earlier this month, after the money ricocheted among the planners and participants of the Trump Tower meeting. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team, which has been investigating whether any individuals colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election, is examining the suspicious transactions, four federal law enforcement officials said. A spokesperson for Mueller’s office declined to comment.

SPOILER

Although the documents do not directly link the $3.3 million to the meeting, they show that officials at three separate banks raised red flags about the funds. Many of the transfers seemed to have no legitimate purpose, bankers noted. Kaveladze quickly moved money to other accounts he controlled, and appeared to use some of it to make payments on Agalarov’s behalf — including more than $700,000 to pay off American Express charges.

Scott Balber, an attorney for Agalarov and Kaveladze, said each of these transactions was legitimate and there is nothing improper with their financial activity. Balber explained that Agalarov sent funds to Kaveladze, an employee, to pay various business or personal expenses in the US.

“What is suspicious, or insidious, about a billionaire who pays his employee in the US to pay his business or domestic bills?” Balber said. “This looks like complete nonsense.”

“It’s obvious the events of June 2016 have been a focal point of the special counsel’s investigation, various congressional inquiries, tremendous media attention and the like,” Balber said. “We are in the lens of that reality, so it doesn’t surprise me that there’s been some flyspecking, some gross overreporting by a number of financial institutions. They won’t be criticized for overreporting suspicious activity.”

None of these transactions was discovered until 2017, after the New York Times revealed the Trump Tower meeting. Shortly after those reports, investigators asked financial institutions to look back at their accounts to learn how money flowed among the people who planned and attended the meeting: Agalarov; Kaveladze; Agalarov’s pop star son, Emin; their employee, Rob Goldstone, who sent the original email to Trump Jr.; and others.

To unearth connections between some of their accounts, banks took an extraordinary step: They invoked a provision of the Patriot Act — a post-9/11 law that included new tools to track money laundering and terrorist financing. That provision, rarely used in the Trump-Russia investigation, allowed the banks to share information about customers with one another.

Three financial institutions — Citibank, JP Morgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley — discovered the $3.3 million that flowed from Agalarov to Kaveladze.

They also learned that Kaveladze had given different banks radically different descriptions of one of his main companies, Corsy International. To JP Morgan Chase, Kaveladze said Corsy was a “transportation equipment and supplies merchant wholesaler.” He told Citibank it was a “music promotion company.” Agalarov gave yet another description to Morgan Stanley, calling the firm a “service provider” for his vast real estate company, Crocus Group.

Balber, the attorney, said that there are two separate businesses, both named “Corsy International,” that Kaveladze controlled. One is based in California and is involved in “procurement” issues related to Agalarov’s business empire. The other is based in New York and is largely involved with the music career of Emin Agalarov.

That lack of transparency made it difficult for bankers to know the true purpose of the funds into the company’s accounts. Examiners also became concerned with how Kaveladze handled the money.

On June 3, the day of the email exchange with Donald Trump Jr., Kaveladze began depositing checks into his JP Morgan Chase Platinum business checking account in California. He used three different branches in Huntington Beach, California, and the five checks totaled about $397,000. Each originated with Agalarov and referred to “compensation Amex expenses.”

Then on June 6, Agalarov started sending checks through an account at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management to Kaveladze’s company. Those funds totaled about $971,000.

When they reviewed these accounts, bank examiners became suspicious because it was unclear exactly how the money was supposed to be used.

For instance, at JP Morgan Chase, Kaveladze transferred money from one of his companies’ accounts to another and ultimately sent 24 payments over 15 months to American Express for a total of $725,000 — a red flag to bankers because they said it appeared Kaveladze was making the payments for Agalarov. The documents do not say what expenses were charged to American Express, and three federal law enforcement agents said investigators are still trying to figure it out. Balber said these transactions were legitimate personal and business expenses for Agalarov.

The details unearthed by bankers were compiled in “suspicious activity reports” sent to the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, which shared them with other law enforcement agencies investigating Russian interference.

Suspicious activity reports are not evidence of wrongdoing, but they can provide valuable information to investigators looking into possible money laundering, fraud, tax evasion, or other financial misconduct.

During their reviews in 2017, some banks noticed behavior that they had not previously flagged. Bank of America, for example, noted about $7.8 million that was sent from Corsy International to another of Kaveladze’s businesses, Promomed, between 2012 and 2014. Bankers said they were concerned that by transferring funds from one company to another, Kaveladze was trying to obscure the original source of the money.

Citibank went far back into its accounts to search for suspicious activity by Kaveladze and the Agalarov family. Examiners “elevated” about $11.9 million in transactions that began in 2015, largely because the transactions originated in “high-risk jurisdictions,” or locations that are known as havens for money laundering, and because the funds were sent for “unknown purposes.”

Kaveladze had popped up on Citibank’s radar in September 2015, when he applied for a $100,000 line of credit for Corsy International. At that time, he told bankers that the company had $8 million in sales the previous year and that it had about $240,000 in available funds — but when Citibank investigated further, examiners learned that Corsy International’s account was actually overdrawn.

Citibank denied the loan.

Balber, Kaveladze’s attorney, said that his client did nothing improper, and that he doesn’t recall telling the bank about Corsy International’s available funds.

All three banks cited a 2000 report by the Government Accountability Office, in which Kaveladze was investigated as part of a Russian money laundering scheme. Kaveladze, that report found, established more than 2,000 corporations in Delaware for Russian real estate brokers, then set up US bank accounts for them. The brokers used these accounts to transfer about $1.4 billion, the report found.

Kaveladze was never charged with a crime and called the GAO’s inquiry a “witch hunt.”

twitter:

kylegriffin1 twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 16:50:28 From the National Sexual Violence Resource Center: "The majority of sexual assaults, an estimated 63%, are never reported to the police (Rennison, 2002)." reageer retweet

twitter:

kylegriffin1 twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 18:00:01 National Sexual Violence Resource Center: "When survivors come forward, many face scrutiny or encounter barriers. For example, when an assault is reported, survivors may feel that their victimization has been ... distorted by those who investigate, process, and categorize cases." reageer retweet

twitter:

EdWhelanEPPC twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 14:38:40 I made an appalling and inexcusable mistake of judgment in posting the tweet thread in a way that identified Kavanaugh's Georgetown Prep classmate. I take full responsibility for that mistake, and I deeply apologize for it. I realize that does not undo the mistake. reageer retweet

twitter:

SethAbramson twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 17:35:12 There is reason to believe that Brett Kavanaugh was a part of this conspiracy to libel an innocent man, and he will doubtless be asked about his role in this disgrace before the Congress next week. https://t.co/mF1DGrL5k7 reageer retweet

quote:

The dean of Yale Law School on Thursday expressed "enormous concern" about reports that a professor at the school had advised students to have a "certain look" to earn a judicial clerkship with Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

NBC News reports that Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken sent a letter to the law school community on Thursday responding to reports that were published in both The Guardian and The Huffington Post.

Gerken said the "the allegations being reported are of enormous concern to me and to the School."

"While we cannot comment on individual complaints or investigations, the Law School and the University thoroughly investigate all complaints regarding violations of University rules and take no options off the table," Gerken wrote, before encouraging students and faculty to report misconduct incidents.

"The Law School has a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which all of our students can live and learn in a community of mutual respect, free of harassment of any kind."

NBC News noted that a spokeswoman for Yale Law School confirmed that the letter was written in response to news reports about "faculty conduct by two members of our faculty."

The letter was written amid reports that Amy Chua, a law professor at Yale, told a group of students that it was “not an accident” that Kavanaugh’s law clerks “look like models,” according to The Guardian.

Jed Rubenfeld, a professor and Chua's husband, also told a student on at least one occasion that Kavanaugh, now President Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, "hires women with a certain look," according to the reports.

"He did not say what the look was and I did not ask," the student said, according to The Guardian.

"For the more than 10 years I've known him, Judge Kavanaugh’s first and only litmus test in hiring has been excellence. He hires only the most qualified clerks, and they have been diverse as well as exceptionally talented and capable," Chua said via email to NBC News.

SPOILER

The allegations and the subsequent response from the Yale Law School dean come as Kavanaugh faces increased scrutiny over sexual assault allegations brought against him.

Christine Blasey Ford, now a 51-year-old psychology professor in Northern California, accused Kavanaugh of pinning her to a bed at a party when the two were in high school in the 1980s.

Ford has alleged that Kavanaugh groped "her over her clothes, grinding his body against hers and clumsily attempting to pull off her one-piece bathing suit and the clothing she wore over it." Ford, who went public with her allegations in The Washington Post on Sunday, alleges that Kavanaugh also put his hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming.

Kavanaugh has fiercely denied the charges, and on Thursday said he wants a hearing on the accusations as soon as possible.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) agreed to schedule another hearing on Monday to provide a chance for Kavanaugh and Ford to testify regarding the charges.

Ford's lawyer on Thursday told the Judiciary Committee that her client would be willing to testify next week if senators give her “terms that are fair and which ensure her safety,” according to a new New York Times report on Thursday.

twitter:

kylegriffin1 twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 19:25:59 Susan Collins says she's "appalled" by Trump's tweet criticizing Christine Blasey Ford.Collins said it's reasonable for Kavanaugh's confirmation vote to be delayed to allow Ford to testify Wednesday or Thursday and "make it as comfortable as possible." https://t.co/XZBl1poh1d reageer retweet

quote:

Rosenstein Suggested He Secretly Record Trump and Discussed 25th Amendment (NYTimes)

WASHINGTON — The deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, suggested last year that he secretly record President Trump in the White House to expose the chaos consuming the administration, and he discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Mr. Trump from office for being unfit.

Mr. Rosenstein made these suggestions in the spring of 2017 when Mr. Trump’s firing of James B. Comey as F.B.I. director plunged the White House into turmoil. Over the ensuing days, the president divulged classified intelligence to Russians in the Oval Office, and revelations emerged that Mr. Trump had asked Mr. Comey to pledge loyalty and end an investigation into a senior aide.

Mr. Rosenstein was just two weeks into his job. He had begun overseeing the Russia investigation and played a key role in the president’s dismissal of Mr. Comey by writing a memo critical of his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. But Mr. Rosenstein was caught off guard when Mr. Trump cited the memo in the firing, and he began telling people that he feared he had been used.

Mr. Rosenstein made the remarks about secretly recording Mr. Trump and about the 25th Amendment in meetings and conversations with other Justice Department and F.B.I. officials. Several people described the episodes, insisting on anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The people were briefed either on the events themselves or on memos written by F.B.I. officials, including Andrew G. McCabe, then the acting bureau director, that documented Mr. Rosenstein’s actions and comments.

None of Mr. Rosenstein’s proposals apparently came to fruition. It is not clear how determined he was about seeing them through, though he did tell Mr. McCabe that he might be able to persuade Attorney General Jeff Sessions and John F. Kelly, then the secretary of homeland security and now the White House chief of staff, to mount an effort to invoke the 25th Amendment.

The extreme suggestions show Mr. Rosenstein’s state of mind in the disorienting days that followed Mr. Comey’s dismissal. Sitting in on Mr. Trump’s interviews with prospective F.B.I. directors and facing attacks for his own role in Mr. Comey’s firing, Mr. Rosenstein had an up-close view of the tumult. Mr. Rosenstein appeared conflicted, regretful and emotional, according to people who spoke with him at the time.

Mr. Rosenstein disputed this account.

“The New York Times’s story is inaccurate and factually incorrect,” he said in a statement. “I will not further comment on a story based on anonymous sources who are obviously biased against the department and are advancing their own personal agenda. But let me be clear about this: Based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment.”

SPOILER

A Justice Department spokeswoman also provided a statement from a person who was present when Mr. Rosenstein proposed wearing a wire. The person, who would not be named, acknowledged the remark but said Mr. Rosenstein made it sarcastically.

But according to the others who described his comments, Mr. Rosenstein not only confirmed that he was serious about the idea but also followed up by suggesting that other F.B.I. officials who were interviewing to be the bureau’s director could also secretly record Mr. Trump.

Mr. McCabe, who was later fired from the F.B.I., declined to comment. His memos have been turned over to the special counsel investigating whether Trump associates conspired with Russia’s election interference, Robert S. Mueller III, according to a lawyer for Mr. McCabe. “A set of those memos remained at the F.B.I. at the time of his departure in late January 2018,” the lawyer, Michael R. Bromwich, said of his client. “He has no knowledge of how any member of the media obtained those memos.”

The revelations about Mr. Rosenstein come as Mr. Trump has unleashed another round of attacks in recent days on federal law enforcement, saying in an interview with the Hill newspaper that he hopes his assaults on the F.B.I. turn out to be “one of my crowning achievements” and that he only wished he had terminated Mr. Comey sooner.

“If I did one mistake with Comey, I should have fired him before I got here. I should have fired him the day I won the primaries,” Mr. Trump said. “I should have fired him right after the convention. Say, ‘I don’t want that guy.’ Or at least fired him the first day on the job.”

Days after ascending to the role of the nation’s No. 2 law enforcement officer, Mr. Rosenstein was thrust into a crisis.

On a brisk May day, Mr. Rosenstein and his boss, Mr. Sessions, joined Mr. Trump in the Oval Office, where the president informed them of his plan to oust Mr. Comey. To the surprise of White House aides who were trying to talk the president out of it, Mr. Rosenstein embraced the idea, even offering to write the memo about the Clinton email inquiry. He turned it in shortly after.

A day later, Mr. Trump announced the firing, and White House aides released Mr. Rosenstein’s memo, labeling it the basis for Mr. Comey’s dismissal. Democrats sharply criticized Mr. Rosenstein, accusing him of helping to create a cover story for the president to rationalize the termination.

“You wrote a memo you knew would be used to perpetuate a lie,” Senator Christopher Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, wrote on Twitter. "You own this debacle.”

The president’s reliance on his memo caught Mr. Rosenstein by surprise, and he became angry at Mr. Trump, according to people who spoke to Mr. Rosenstein at the time. He grew concerned that his reputation had suffered harm and wondered whether Mr. Trump had motives beyond Mr. Comey’s treatment of Mrs. Clinton for ousting him, the people said.

A determined Mr. Rosenstein began telling associates that he would ultimately be “vindicated” for his role in the matter. One week after the firing, Mr. Rosenstein met with Mr. McCabe and at least four other senior Justice Department officials, in part to explain his role in the situation.

During their discussion, Mr. Rosenstein expressed frustration at how Mr. Trump had conducted the search for a new F.B.I. director, saying the president was failing to take the candidate interviews seriously. A handful of politicians and law enforcement officials, including Mr. McCabe, were under consideration.

To Mr. Rosenstein, the hiring process was emblematic of broader dysfunction stemming from the White House. He said both the process and the administration itself were in disarray, according to two people familiar with the discussion.

Mr. Rosenstein then raised the idea of wearing a recording device or “wire,” as he put it, to secretly tape the president when he visited the White House. One participant asked whether Mr. Rosenstein was serious, and he replied animatedly that he was.

If not him, then Mr. McCabe or other F.B.I. officials interviewing with Mr. Trump for the job could perhaps wear a wire or otherwise record the president, Mr. Rosenstein offered. White House officials never checked his phone when he arrived for meetings there, Mr. Rosenstein added, implying it would be easy to secretly record Mr. Trump.

The suggestion itself was remarkable. While informants or undercover agents regularly use concealed listening devices to surreptitiously gather evidence for federal investigators, they are typically targeting drug kingpins and Mafia bosses in criminal investigations, not a president viewed as ineffectively conducting his duties.

In the end, the idea went nowhere, the officials said. But they called Mr. Rosenstein’s comments an example of how erratically he was behaving while he was taking part in the interviews for a replacement F.B.I. director, considering the appointment of a special counsel and otherwise running the day-to-day operations of the more than 100,000 people at the Justice Department.

Mr. Rosenstein’s suggestion about the 25th Amendment was similarly a sensitive topic. The amendment allows for the vice president and majority of cabinet officials to declare the president is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”

Merely conducting a straw poll, even if Mr. Kelly and Mr. Sessions were on board, would be risky if another administration official were to tell the president, who could fire everyone involved to end the effort.

Mr. McCabe told other F.B.I. officials of his conversation with Mr. Rosenstein. None of the people interviewed said that they knew of him ever consulting Mr. Kelly or Mr. Sessions.

The episode is the first known instance of a named senior administration official weighing the 25th Amendment. Unidentified others have been said to discuss it, including an unnamed senior administration official who wrote an Op-Ed for The New York Times. That person’s identity is unknown to journalists in the Times news department.

Some of the details in Mr. McCabe’s memos suggested that Mr. Rosenstein had regrets about the firing of Mr. Comey. During a May 12 meeting with Mr. McCabe, Mr. Rosenstein was upset and emotional, Mr. McCabe wrote, and said that he wished Mr. Comey were still at the F.B.I. so he could bounce ideas off him.

Mr. Rosenstein also asked F.B.I. officials on May 14, five days after Mr. Comey’s firing, about calling him for advice about a special counsel. The officials responded that such a call was a bad idea because Mr. Comey was no longer in the government. And they were surprised, believing that the idea contradicted Mr. Rosenstein’s stated reason for backing Mr. Comey’s dismissal — that he had shown bad judgment in the Clinton email inquiry.

Mr. Rosenstein, 53, is a lifelong public servant. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Law School, he clerked for a federal judge before joining the Justice Department in 1990 and was appointed United States attorney for Maryland.

Mr. Rosenstein also considered appointing as special counsel James M. Cole, himself a former deputy attorney general, three of the people said. Mr. Cole would have made an even richer target for Mr. Trump’s ire than has Mr. Mueller, a lifelong Republican: Mr. Cole served four years as the No. 2 in the Justice Department during the Obama administration and worked as a private lawyer representing one of Mrs. Clinton’s longtime confidants, Sidney Blumenthal.

Mr. Cole and Mr. Rosenstein have known each for years. Mr. Cole, who declined to comment, was Mr. Rosenstein’s supervisor early in his Justice Department career when he was prosecuting public corruption cases.

Mr. Trump and his allies have repeatedly attacked Mr. Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia investigation because Mr. Sessions recused himself because of his role as a prominent Trump campaign supporter. Many of those same critics also have targeted Mr. McCabe, who was fired in March for failing to be forthcoming in a Justice Department inspector general investigation. Mr. McCabe’s actions were referred to federal prosecutors in Washington.

The president’s allies have seized on Mr. McCabe’s lack of candor to paint a damning picture of the F.B.I. under Mr. Comey and assert the Russia investigation is tainted.

The Justice Department denied a request in late July from Mr. Trump’s congressional allies to release Mr. McCabe’s memos, citing an ongoing investigation that the lawmakers believed to be Mr. Mueller’s. Mr. Rosenstein not only supervises that investigation but is considered by the president’s lawyers as a witness for their defense because he also sought the dismissal of Mr. Comey, which is being investigated as possible obstruction of justice.

quote:

Republican businessman Pete Flores defeated former Democratic congressman Pete Gallego in Texas’s 19th state senate district, which stretches from San Antonio to Big Bend National Park. Flores won by nearly 6 points — a major reversal of fortune for Democrats, who had regularly carried the district, who beat Flores soundly here in 2016, and who won 59 percent of the vote in a July jungle primary.

SPOILER

quote:

Op vrijdag 21 september 2018 20:14 schreef Bernhard.von.Galen het volgende:
Ja lollig plaatje man. Is Euribob op vakantie?

SPOILER

quote:

Op vrijdag 21 september 2018 20:49 schreef Nintex het volgende:
Rod is er geweest. het stond in de memos van McGabe

[ afbeelding ]

twitter:

gabrielsherman twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 20:58:22 Hearing Bill Shine rolling out media plan to build public support for Trump to fire Rosenstein reageer retweet

quote:

Op vrijdag 21 september 2018 20:49 schreef Nintex het volgende:
Rod is er geweest. het stond in de memos van McGabe

[ afbeelding ]

The memos waren in het bezit van:
- FBI
- Mueller's special counsel

M.a.w. de special counsel heeft memos gemaakt waaruit blijkt dat Trump ongeschikt is (25th), maar Rosenstein zegt dat hij het nooit beweerd heeft. Ze fabriceren 'bewijs' tegen Trump om een paleis coup te plegen dat is nu naar buiten gekomen.

Complete en totale Witch Hunt.

quote:

Op vrijdag 21 september 2018 21:02 schreef ExtraWaskracht het volgende:

[..]

Kijk eens 1 bericht boven je vorige bericht... kun je trouwens svp niet gewoon een linkje of een tekst plakken ipv een plaatje wat mn hele scherm in beslag neemt?

quote:

Op vrijdag 21 september 2018 21:04 schreef Nintex het volgende:

[..]

Tijd voor een groter scherm.

twitter:

kyledcheney twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 21:08:09 Person in the room when Rosenstein discussed wearing a wire said: "I remember this meeting and remember the wire comment. The statement was sarcastic and was never discussed with any intention of recording a conversation with the president." reageer retweet

quote:

Op vrijdag 21 september 2018 21:12 schreef Nintex het volgende:
Inmiddels geeft de DOJ toe dat Rosenstein het gezegd heeft, maar dat het een grap was.

Net als de texts van Strzok en Page een grapje waren.

Het zijn nogal grappenmakers bij Justice.

twitter:

kyledcheney twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 21:08:09 Person in the room when Rosenstein discussed wearing a wire said: "I remember this meeting and remember the wire comment. The statement was sarcastic and was never discussed with any intention of recording a conversation with the president." reageer retweet

twitter:

thehill twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 21:10:08 Trump Jr. slams Rosenstein report: "No one is shocked" https://t.co/EVnJZqYito https://t.co/vMnaprbFLg reageer retweet

quote:

Op vrijdag 21 september 2018 21:21 schreef Szura het volgende:
‘De familie’
Maffioso-genot

quote:

Op vrijdag 21 september 2018 21:12 schreef Nintex het volgende:
Inmiddels geeft de DOJ toe dat Rosenstein het gezegd heeft, maar dat het een grap was.

Net als de texts van Strzok en Page een grapje waren.

Het zijn nogal grappenmakers bij Justice.

twitter:

kyledcheney twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 21:08:09 Person in the room when Rosenstein discussed wearing a wire said: "I remember this meeting and remember the wire comment. The statement was sarcastic and was never discussed with any intention of recording a conversation with the president." reageer retweet

twitter:

JanieVelencia twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 21:58:07 The GOP has long had a gender gap problem. Polls this week show signs that the gap could be narrowing, but not because women are coming around ... because they're losing men. https://t.co/VLCehRnmVj reageer retweet

twitter:

Alex_Roarty twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 21:47:36 Source: NRCC now cancelling *all* buys in PA-17, appearing to concede that incumbent Republican Keith Rothfus can't defeat Democrat Conor Lamb reageer retweet

twitter:

AaronBlake twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 19:07:10 A very fair question:Does Trump also doubt allegations of priest sexual abuse because the boys didn't come forward at the time? reageer retweet

quote:

Op vrijdag 21 september 2018 22:17 schreef ExtraWaskracht het volgende:
Tweet met linkje naar nieuw fivethirtyeight artikel:

twitter:

JanieVelencia twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 21:58:07 The GOP has long had a gender gap problem. Polls this week show signs that the gap could be narrowing, but not because women are coming around ... because they're losing men. https://t.co/VLCehRnmVj reageer retweet

En ook:

twitter:

Alex_Roarty twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 21:47:36 Source: NRCC now cancelling *all* buys in PA-17, appearing to concede that incumbent Republican Keith Rothfus can't defeat Democrat Conor Lamb reageer retweet

En ook:

twitter:

AaronBlake twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 19:07:10 A very fair question:Does Trump also doubt allegations of priest sexual abuse because the boys didn't come forward at the time? reageer retweet

quote:

Op vrijdag 21 september 2018 22:51 schreef westwoodblvd het volgende:

[..]

Ik zie Lamb nog wel eens Senator worden in 2022.

twitter:

realDonaldTrump twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 22:51:44 https://t.co/hIw1AQdRpY reageer retweet

quote:

Op vrijdag 21 september 2018 22:57 schreef Nintex het volgende:

twitter:

realDonaldTrump twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 22:51:44 https://t.co/hIw1AQdRpY reageer retweet

Trump over de consumer sentiment.

twitter:

kylegriffin1 twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 23:20:12 CRC Public Relations, a powerhouse conservative firm, guided Ed Whelan on his Twitter fiasco, according to Politico.Its current clients include the Federalist Society and the Judicial Crisis Network, the chief outside groups working to confirm Kavanaugh.https://t.co/yzvbGDNXzG reageer retweet

quote:

Op vrijdag 21 september 2018 22:53 schreef ExtraWaskracht het volgende:

[..]

Ja, goed punt. Kennelijk veel cross-over appeal. Ken de man verder niet afgezien van de verkiezingen eerder dit jaar, maar slechts gebaseerd slechts daarop gebaseerd mogelijk wel.

quote:

GOP declines to subpoena Kavanaugh classmate, rejects other demands

Republicans said Friday that they are rejecting several requests from a woman accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, including that they subpoena a potential witness and make the Supreme Court nominee testify first.

Staff for Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said in a letter to lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh’s accuser, that they are willing to meet her “halfway” and detailing what request from her lawyers they are open to accommodating and those they are not.

“Some of your other demands ... are unreasonable and we are unable to accommodate them,” Grassley’s staff wrote in the letter released Friday evening.

Staff for Grassley said Ford’s lawyers wanted them to subpoena Mark Judge, a Kavanaugh classmate whom she has named as a witness to the alleged assault at a high school party in the early 1980s, as well as call other witnesses to testify.

Grassley is rejecting both requests, noting he can’t make subpoenaing a witness a precursor to an agreement.

“You went on television earlier this week and said Dr. Ford wants the chance to tell her story in public and under oath. This is the opportunity we have given her. We don’t need to subpoena additional witnesses to do that,” Grassley’s staff wrote.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 02:07 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:

[..]

https://thehill.com/homen(...)ejects-other-demands

twitter:

ChuckGrassley twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 05:55:53 With all the extensions we give Dr Ford to decide if she still wants to testify to the Senate I feel like I’m playing 2nd trombone in the judiciary orchestra and Schumer is the conductor reageer retweet

twitter:

RawStory twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 01:25:58 At tonight's debate, Ted Cruz said the Dallas cop who killed an unarmed man should still have her badge and gun.https://t.co/HdPRbCN4AK reageer retweet

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 08:13 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Six of Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar's siblings are denouncing him in a new campaign ad and endorsing his Democratic opponent. https://t.co/rcpk16IRSR

quote:

Thank you! There is more to come. This is Jennifer Gosar & I can’t tell you what your support means. It is more about the cruelty & destruction that Paul causes than anything else. I did my best to speak up.
https://twitter.com/jg0010/status/1043316765537648640?s=19

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 08:19 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Gang
Of
Pedophiles

Meer kan ik er niet van maken. Die partij staat echt voor "vrouwen zijn bezit". En dat is het. Meer niet.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:01 schreef DeParo het volgende:

[..]

Volgens mij zijn er voldoende Democraten voor soortgelijke vergrijpen gepakt. Je bent weer lekker selectief.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:05 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]

Er zullen zeker meer Dems zijn opgepakt. De republikeinen onderzoeken zulke zaken niet bij partijgenoten, alleen bij hun.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:07 schreef DeParo het volgende:

[..]

Wat is het statistisch bewijs dat de Republikeinen minder vaak dan de Democraten hun partijgenoten onderzoeken bij zulke beschuldigingen?

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:12 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]

Heel veel mensen zeggen dat dat zo is, om het even Trumpiaans te zeggen, hopelijk heb je daar geen bezwaar tegen.

Wat is trouwens jouw reden om zo fanatiek pedofielen en incestplegers te verdedigen?

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:13 schreef DeParo het volgende:

[..]

Je onderbuikgevoel dus, aha, volgens mij klinkt het meer alsof jij fanatiek pedofielen en incestplegers loopt te verdedigen, die van de Democraten namelijk, je meet met twee maten.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:13 schreef DeParo het volgende:

[..]

Je onderbuikgevoel dus, aha, volgens mij klinkt het meer alsof jij fanatiek pedofielen en incestplegers loopt te verdedigen, die van de Democraten namelijk, je meet met twee maten.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:16 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]

Het zijn toch echt de Republikeinen die zulke dingen flikken: Kavanaugh, Trump, die ene die zijn dochter aanrandde. En verder zijn de Repubs niet zo van de onderzoeken. Dat valt ook wel op.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:18 schreef DeParo het volgende:

[..]

Mag je van zeggen wat je wilt, prima, maar als ik naar de Amerikaanse samenleving kijk dan zie ik vrijwel overal, in elke partij, bij elk groot bedrijf, zelfs organisaties zonder winstoogmerk, dat de mensen met invloed en macht zich relatief vaak aan zulke vergrijpen schuldig lijken te maken en dat er lange tijd weinig tegen deze mensen werd ondernomen, door wie dan ook, dus om de GOP dan maar een beetje eruit te halen als een 'pedofielenpartij' dat is wel erg selectief.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:20 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Je weet de verkrachters effectief te verdedigen.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:23 schreef Knipoogje het volgende:

[..]

Ik ben het met je eens in deze.
Hooguit valt wat te zeggen voor het feit dat incest/misbruik relatief vaak binnen de familie plaatsvindt en vooral binnen de streng-religieuze gesloten groepen. En die zijn over het algemeen conservatief.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:20 schreef Montov het volgende:
Weer een mooi segment van Colbert over de rare en domme opmerkingen van Trump in North Carolina:

Stephen Made Trump's Hurricane Response Into A Children's Book

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:25 schreef DeParo het volgende:

[..]

Ik heb wel eens gelezen dat dit soort vergrijpen alleen vaker naar buiten komen omdat het dan vaak meer dan een persoon betreft die slachtoffer wordt, maar dat het in verhouding net zo vaak voorkomt als in de rest van de samenleving, hoe dan ook is dat weer een andere discussie. En of het nu bij conservatieve of liberale gezinnen voorkomt. Het blijft net zo erg en het moet net zo hard worden aangepakt. Punt.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:29 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]

Waarom wil de GOP dan niet dat de FBI wat backgroundchecks gaat doen? Het is vrij simpel: vraag schoolgenoten en die Mark om verklaringen te geven en aangezien je dan niet mag liegen is het snel duidelijk of Kavanaugh een selectief of werkend geheugen heeft.

Het is toch al verjaard. Het kost hem hooguit een baan. Nou, jammer dan.

quote:

“I have not communicated at all with [White House counsel] Donald McGahn or anyone at the White House, or Judge Kavanaugh, about the topic of the Twitter thread,” Ed Whelan said in a brief interview with The Washington Post.

Whelan has been involved in helping to advise Kavanaugh’s confirmation effort and is close friends with Kavanaugh and Leonard Leo, the head of the Federalist Society, who has been helping to spearhead the nomination.

On Sunday, Ford noticed that — even before her name became public — Whelan appeared to be seeking information about her.

That morning, Ford alerted an associate via email that Whelan had looked at her LinkedIn page, according to the email, which was reviewed by The Post. LinkedIn allows some subscribers to see who views their pages. Ford sent the email about 90 minutes after The Post shared her name with a White House spokesman and hours before her identity was revealed in a story posted on its website.

After The Post contacted the White House for comment Sunday morning, deputy White House press secretary Raj Shah called a number of Trump allies to warn them about the upcoming story, according to a person familiar with the calls, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. He disclosed Ford’s identity to a number of these people but did not talk to Whelan, the person said. Other White House officials, including McGahn, also made calls according to a second person, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity.

[spoiler]After The Post contacted the White House for comment Sunday morning, deputy White House press secretary Raj Shah called a number of Trump allies to warn them about the upcoming story, according to a person familiar with the calls, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. He disclosed Ford’s identity to a number of these people but did not talk to Whelan, the person said. Other White House officials, including McGahn, also made calls according to a second person, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Whelan did not respond to a request for comment on how he first learned of Ford’s identity.

Kavanaugh and his allies have privately discussed mounting a defense that would not question whether an incident involving Ford happened, but instead would raise doubts that the attacker was Kavanaugh, The Post reported Thursday.

In the wake of Ford’s allegation, Kavanaugh told White House officials and Republicans on Capitol Hill that it was potentially a case of mistaken identity, according to people who heard his comments or were familiar with the discussions. Kavanaugh did not respond to requests for comment.

Nevertheless, White House officials and Kavanaugh were caught off guard by the claims Whelan made on Twitter, according to a senior official. Top aides, including McGahn, Shah and Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, were frustrated by his tweets, which they believe did not help Kavanaugh, officials said.

Whelan, a former Supreme Court clerk to the late justice Antonin Scalia, is a well-connected stalwart of the conservative legal establishment. He and Kavanaugh served at the same time in the George W. Bush administration, when Kavanaugh worked in the White House Counsel’s Office and Whelan was the principal deputy assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, according to the biography posted on the website of the center where Whelan works.

Whelan also worked for the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1992 to 1995 as a senior staffer to Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (Utah), then the panel’s top Republican, according to congressional testimony he gave in 2015.

Shortly after Ford went public with her allegations in an interview with The Post, conservatives began floating the idea that she was misremembering the night of the alleged attack — or mistaking the identity of her attacker.

“Somebody’s mixed up,” Hatch told CNN on Monday after speaking privately with Kavanaugh.

“Mistaken identity is also possible,” the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board wrote Tuesday.

Whelan hinted throughout the week on Twitter that he was gathering information that would vindicate Kavanaugh and show Ford “got the wrong guy.”

The tweets circulated and came to the attention of the White House and senior Republicans on Capitol Hill, according to people familiar with internal discussions.

On Thursday, Whelan posted detailed and unverified exhibits as he identified a possible location for the party where Ford said she was assaulted, including a map, floor plans and photos of a house in Chevy Chase and photos of a former Kavanaugh classmate at Georgetown Preparatory School. The theory was discussed on “Fox and Friends” and promoted by right-wing online media outlets such as Gateway Pundit.

Ford dismissed the notion that she had identified the wrong person, saying in a statement late Thursday that she knew both men and had “socialized with” the classmate and once visited him in the hospital.

“There is zero chance that I would confuse them,” she said in a statement.

Whelan apologized Friday morning for naming the former classmate and suggesting he could have been responsible for the alleged assault.

“I made an appalling and inexcusable mistake of judgment in posting the tweet thread in a way that identified Kavanaugh’s Georgetown Prep classmate. I take full responsibility for that mistake, and I deeply apologize for it,” Whelan tweeted.

The former classmate, now a middle school teacher, did not respond to a note requesting comment left at his house.

[Trump questions credibility of Kavanaugh accuser, lashes out at Democrats]

Whelan’s hints at an alternative explanation for Ford’s account had piqued the interest of Kavanaugh allies and Senate Republican staffers.

Matt Whitlock, a spokesman for Hatch, was among those who called attention on Twitter to Whelan’s promise of information that would refute the charges against the judge.

Once Whelan laid out his specific theory — including naming a possible other suspect — Whitlock deleted his tweet and distanced himself from the effort. He said in a statement Friday that he did not know what Whelan was planning.

“He didn’t share details about what he had, how it would exonerate Kavanaugh, and certainly not how he would reveal it,” Whitlock said in a statement, adding that Hatch, while longtime friends with Whelan, “had no idea what Ed was planning.”

On Twitter and in columns for National Review Online, Whelan has been one of Kavanaugh’s most active defenders, pushing back against those on the right who have suggested he is not sufficiently conservative.

Whelan is no stranger to controversy online, having apologized in 2009 for revealing the identity of pseudonymous blogger “Publius” and retracted a post in February 2017 arguing that “liberal judicial activism” contributed to the shooting death of a Whittier, Calif., police officer.

“I have tried to follow a practice of scrupulously correcting my errors and of not making points that I can’t responsibly support. I wish that others would follow this same practice,” he wrote in a post about the retraction.[/spoiler]

quote:

"Onderminister wilde Trump opnemen"

Onderminister Rod Rosenstein (VS) van
Justitie ontkent dat hij van plan is
geweest president Trump af te luisteren
of gesproken heeft over zijn afzetting.
Hij reageert daarmee op een stuk in The
New York Times,waarin dat staat.

De krant meldt dat Rosenstein boos was
over de chaos in het Witte Huis.Hij
wilde volgens de krant geheime opnames
maken van Trump,om zijn gedrag aan de
kaak te stellen en hem mogelijk af te
zetten.Rosenstein ontkent dat.

In de VS bestaat de angst dat president
Trump het stuk aangrijpt om Rosenstein
te vervangen door een onderminister die
Rusland-aanklager-Mueller wil ontslaan.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 08:14 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Republican lawmaker abruptly drops his re-election bid after daughter accuses him of sex abuse https://t.co/xtZA7E7Z4k

quote:

"I love my children more than anything, and would never do anything to hurt them. Her allegations are false," he wrote. "I and other family members have made repeated attempts to reconcile with her in recent years, but she has refused."

His daughter, Laura Knoblach, claims that her father inappropriately touched her for most of her life, with her earliest memories beginning when she was 9 years old, the outlet reported.

Laura Knoblach, who is 23 years old, claims that she had been confiding about Jim Knoblach's alleged behavior with her family, close friends and authority figures at her school and church for more than 10 years.

MPR News reported that the St. Cloud police department and Sherburne County Sheriff's Office began investigating the claims in 2017, but authorities declined to bring charges.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:54 schreef Arcee het volgende:

[..]

Dat laatste: het lijkt me toch onbestaanbaar dat Trump ermee wegkomt om Mueller (indirect) te ontslaan?

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:57 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:

[..]


[..]

https://thehill.com/blogs(...)-reelection-campaign
Een hoop mensen die jarenlang op de hoogte zouden geweest zijn. Misschien is er meer (of iets anders) aan de hand, je verwacht niet dat iedereen zo'n beschuldigingen zou negeren.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 08:27 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]

Reactie van zus:

[..]

Dat worden vast heel gezellige familie diners met de feestdagen.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:59 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]

Nee? Dat verwacht je niet? Je verwacht niet dat mensen van de kerk zedenzaken in de doofpot zouden proberen te stoppen? Dat verwacht je echt niet?

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 10:05 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:

[..]

Haar familieleden en haar beste vrienden ook? Zou je niet verwachten dat zoiets uitlekt, dat z'n politieke tegenstanders het ook te weten komen?

twitter:

realDonaldTrump twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 22:11:48 Promises Kept for our GREAT Veterans! https://t.co/C0h8cW4FuH reageer retweet

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 10:09 schreef Ulx het volgende:
-Ze was dronken
-Ze wilde zelf maar werd afgewezen en nu is ze kwaad. Dit is haar wraak.
-Ze neukte er op los, die slet!
-Ze is niet helemaal stabiel, die schizo-psychopate!
-Ze had spijt na afloop en dus verzint ze dit maar.
-Het was iemand anders! Die aardige man zoiets noooooooit doen.
-Ze is een ijskoude manipulerende liegende bitch.
-Het heeft nooit plaatsgevonden.

Allemaal verklaringen die ik de afgelopen dagen heb gehoord in de zaak Ford.

En je vraagt je werkelijk af waarom slachtoffers moeite hebben met het melden van dit soort zaken?

quote:

Laura Knoblach told MPR she first remembers her father coming into her room after she'd gone to bed. She said he climbed in and laid down behind her.

"He would put his arm around me and not let me get up or get away and he would lick my neck or bite my ear," she told the station.

These visits to her room, or similar kissing across her arms and neck and biting her ears while they watched movies on the couch, happened so often throughout her childhood and teenage years it became a defining part of their relationship, she said.

Other routine behaviors, she said, including more than 30 instances where her father approached her from behind and pressed his body against hers in the kitchen, pinning her against the refrigerator or dishwasher and using his weight and strength to keep her from getting away.

twitter:

ndrew_lawrence twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 04:00:09 Sean Hannity on Rosenstein: "I have a message for the president tonight. Under zero circumstances should the president fire anybody. These actors, tonight, and I have multiple sources confirming this ... it is all a set up" https://t.co/xAjHLcfDh3 reageer retweet

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 10:52 schreef Kijkertje het volgende:

twitter:

ndrew_lawrence twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 04:00:09 Sean Hannity on Rosenstein: "I have a message for the president tonight. Under zero circumstances should the president fire anybody. These actors, tonight, and I have multiple sources confirming this ... it is all a set up" https://t.co/xAjHLcfDh3 reageer retweet

twitter:

IngrahamAngle twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 20:46:36 Rod Rosenstein must be fired today. @realDonaldTrump reageer retweet

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 10:57 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:

[..]

Grappig hoe dat NYT verhaal het Trump kamp gesplitst heeft, afhankelijk van welke conspiracy theory ze geloven...

twitter:

IngrahamAngle twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 20:46:36 Rod Rosenstein must be fired today. @realDonaldTrump reageer retweet

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 09:54 schreef Arcee het volgende:

Dat laatste: het lijkt me toch onbestaanbaar dat Trump ermee wegkomt om Mueller (indirect) te ontslaan?

quote:

Archibald Cox, Jr. (Plainfield (New Jersey), 17 mei 1912 - Brooksville (Maine), 29 mei 2004) was een Amerikaans advocaat en hoogleraar in de rechten die als speciaal aanklager diende onder president John F. Kennedy.Speciale aanklager[bewerken]Hij werd bekend als de eerste speciaal aanklager voor het Watergateschandaal. Archibald Cox was de aanklager die president Nixon wilde dwingen de geluidsbanden af te staan waarop belastende informatie over Watergate stond. Nixon weigerde dit. Omdat Cox voet bij stuk hield besloot Nixon dat hij moest worden ontslagen. Nixon eiste van minister van Justitie, Elliot Richardson, dat hij Cox de laan uit zou sturen. Maar Richardson weigerde. Hierop besloot Cox een persconferentie te geven waarop hij zijn standpunt toelichtte. Cox slaagde er tijdens deze persconferentie in, het cynische perscorps van Washington te overtuigen. Omdat de persconferentie live werd uitgezonden, werd Cox op slag een beroemdheid. Daarmee was voor Nixon de maat vol. Toen Richardson opnieuw weigerde Cox te ontslaan, ontsloeg Nixon achtereenvolgens Richardson en zijn plaatsvervanger, William Ruckelshaus tijdens de later zogenoemde ´Saturday Night Massacre´. Pas toen diens plaatsvervanger, Robert Bork bereid was Cox te ontslaan, moest deze het veld ruimen.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 10:57 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:

[..]

Grappig hoe dat NYT verhaal het Trump kamp gesplitst heeft, afhankelijk van welke conspiracy theory ze geloven...

twitter:

IngrahamAngle twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 20:46:36 Rod Rosenstein must be fired today. @realDonaldTrump reageer retweet

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 11:09 schreef Bluesdude het volgende:

[..]

Ja en Nee.... Ter herinnering

[..]

https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Cox

Maar deze openlijke sabotage uit eigenbelang van een justitieel onderzoek leidde mede tot een dreigende impeachmentprocedure van Nixon

twitter:

AJENews twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 08:57:05 Iran's Rouhani: Donald Trump will fail just like Saddam Hussein https://t.co/LW91bLG1rm https://t.co/DgXBZIFZdL reageer retweet

twitter:

AFP twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 08:51:08 #BREAKING 'Several dead' in attack on military parade in southwest Iran: official news agency https://t.co/avM1O23ruq reageer retweet

twitter:

AFP twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 10:35:29 #BREAKING Iran FM blames 'foreign regime' backed by US for parade attack https://t.co/oELW4VgRCI reageer retweet

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 11:14 schreef Nintex het volgende:

twitter:

AJENews twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 08:57:05 Iran's Rouhani: Donald Trump will fail just like Saddam Hussein https://t.co/LW91bLG1rm https://t.co/DgXBZIFZdL reageer retweet

Deze clown

Ga eerst maar eens je eigen land onder controle krijgen

twitter:

AFP twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 08:51:08 #BREAKING 'Several dead' in attack on military parade in southwest Iran: official news agency https://t.co/avM1O23ruq reageer retweet

Ah ja, 'the jews did this' natuurlijk

twitter:

AFP twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 10:35:29 #BREAKING Iran FM blames 'foreign regime' backed by US for parade attack https://t.co/oELW4VgRCI reageer retweet

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 10:52 schreef Kijkertje het volgende:

twitter:

ndrew_lawrence twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 04:00:09 Sean Hannity on Rosenstein: "I have a message for the president tonight. Under zero circumstances should the president fire anybody. These actors, tonight, and I have multiple sources confirming this ... it is all a set up" https://t.co/xAjHLcfDh3 reageer retweet

twitter:

realDonaldTrump twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 03:05:00 Thank you Missouri - I love you!https://t.co/rx3mtd7yOy reageer retweet

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 11:37 schreef DeParo het volgende:
Leuke artikelen over hoe China op dit moment geen vervangdende markten vindt om de Amerikaanse tarieven te omzeilen. De EU en Japan hebben tussen neus en lippen laten doorschemeren, en wellicht op hoog niveau direct, dat ze de Amerikaanse maatregelen steunen. Andere landen, voor een gedeelte in Azie, waren sowieso al op Amerikaanse hand.

twitter:

GovMikeHuckabee twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 20:51:53 Because source is NY Slimes not sure this is true but if so, Jeff Sessions needs to fire Rosenstein and if he won’t ⁦⁦⁦⁦⁦@realDonaldTrump⁩ needs to fire both of them since Rosenstein doesn’t seem to have the integrity to resign. https://t.co/zi57L8b0LX reageer retweet

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 11:40 schreef westwoodblvd het volgende:

[..]

Welke artikelen? Waar gaat dit over?

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 11:22 schreef westwoodblvd het volgende:
Als je jarenlang roept dat de NYT "fake" is, dan wordt het natuurlijk wel lastig om een artikel uit de NYT te gebruiken om iemand te ontslaan.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 11:58 schreef Nintex het volgende:
- Kavanaugh gaat confirmed worden
- Midterms gaat de GOP winnen
- Rosenstein en Sessions weg na de midterms

Eind 2018 is er net zoveel van de #resistance over als van de rebellen aan het einde van Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 11:37 schreef DeParo het volgende:
Leuke artikelen over hoe China op dit moment geen vervangdende markten vindt om de Amerikaanse tarieven te omzeilen. De EU en Japan hebben tussen neus en lippen laten doorschemeren, en wellicht op hoog niveau direct, dat ze de Amerikaanse maatregelen steunen. Andere landen, voor een gedeelte in Azie, waren sowieso al op Amerikaanse hand.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 11:54 schreef AnneX het volgende:

[..]



Overigens hoorde ik een journaliste bij Bill Maher vertellen, dat Kavenaugh een abortus afwees bij een 17-jarige.
Blijkbaar werd daarbij gezegd, dat zij haar leven lang aan het feit herinnerd / bestrafd moest worden...
Excuus, ik kom om in linkjes en uitspraken.
Toch teruggevonden: uitspraak van Washington Post opinion columnist Catherine Rampell en filmpje
https://www.rawstory.com/(...)lton-hbos-real-time/

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:04 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:

[..]

Mwa...
Donald Trump has gravely misjudged China

quote:

If Donald Trump and his close advisers think China's economy is tottering on the brink and acutely vulnerable to pressure, they are sorely misinformed.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:12 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Welk ongenaakbare imago?

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 11:49 schreef DeParo het volgende:

[..]

Dit gaat uiteraard over de 'Trade War' die momenteel aan de gang is en behoorlijke vormen heeft aangenomen:

https://www.ft.com/content/ee361e2e-b283-11e8-8d14-6f049d06439c
https://asia.nikkei.com/E(...)trade-at-Abe-meeting

Overigens zeer interessant dat sommige artikelen verwijzen naar Amerika's eerdere bedreigingen van andere landen maar wel vergeten dat er veel meer vorderingen met die landen of blokken zijn gemaakt inclusief de EU, Mexico, en mogelijk al snel Canada. Dat is dus niet echt meer een argument om te zeggen dat deze landen zich even snel zullen verrijken door het vacuum voor China te vullen.

Andersom echter:

https://www.telegraaf.nl/(...)in-grondstoffenmarkt

Zeer belangrijke ontwikkelingen dus om in de gaten te houden.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:16 schreef clumsy_clown het volgende:

[..]

Je eerste link zit achter een paywall en ik haal weinig tot niets uit je tweede link wat je conclusies in je post hiervoor onderbouwt.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:16 schreef DeParo het volgende:

[..]

China het land dat de hele wereld in korte tijd zal 'overnemen' en de sterkste zou zijn [economisch vooral].

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:03 schreef DeParo het volgende:

[..]

Je bent wel erg optimistisch. Kavanaugh zou kunnen maar de Midterms lijkt me bijzonder sterk, staat ook los van Trump voor een groot deel, denk wel dat het minder dramatisch voor de GOP wordt dan verwacht omdat er nu flink wordt opgeroepen door Trump alsnog te gaan stemmen maar het zal lastig blijven. Rosenstein en Sessions lijken inderdaad het veld te moeten ruimen.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:17 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]

Oh, de angstzaaierij van Trump zelf bedoel je?

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:19 schreef Nintex het volgende:

[..]

De Democrats hebben een probleem. Ze verliezen het mannelijke electoraat. De gender gap is inmiddels 20 a 30%. Daarnaast komen ook de African Americans en Latino's niet opdagen. Vooral die laatste groep niet. De latino's hebben een broertje dood aan de stokpaardjes van de Democrats.

Kortom, meer vrouwen voor de Dems, meer mannen voor de GOP.

twitter:

marcela_elisa twitterde op vrijdag 21-09-2018 om 18:41:37 Pay attention, folks.Per @LatinoDecisions: "Nearly 60 percent of Latino registered voters nationwide report still not being contacted by a candidate or political party, including those residing in states with competitive races like Texas and Florida." https://t.co/0NYLO9iA7Z reageer retweet

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 11:58 schreef Nintex het volgende:

- Midterms gaat de GOP winnen

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:19 schreef Nintex het volgende:

[..]

De Democrats hebben een probleem. Ze verliezen het mannelijke electoraat.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:30 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]

Nah. Alleen als een man pro-incest of verkrachting is blijft hij bij de GOP.

Maar ben je vader van een meid van 14 zou ik me wel zorgen gaan maken of ze geen risico loopt als een stel "vrouwen moet bukken en bek dicht" figuren aan de macht blijven.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 11:37 schreef DeParo het volgende:
Leuke artikelen over hoe China op dit moment geen vervangdende markten vindt om de Amerikaanse tarieven te omzeilen. De EU en Japan hebben tussen neus en lippen laten doorschemeren, en wellicht op hoog niveau direct, dat ze de Amerikaanse maatregelen steunen. Andere landen, voor een gedeelte in Azie, waren sowieso al op Amerikaanse hand.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 11:58 schreef Nintex het volgende:
Midterms gaat de GOP winnen

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:21 schreef DeParo het volgende:

[..]

Ook dat is wel erg optimistisch en wellicht wat overtrokken. Met betrekking tot mannen heb je het dan vooral over blanke mannen. Daarnaast is er weinig voor nodig om minderheden ook naar de stembussen te krijgen. Dat is ook tijdens de verkiezing van bijvoorbeeld Obama gebleken, ik zie niet in waarom dat niet weer zou kunnen, het klopt dat de Latino's niet zonder meer op de Democraten stemmen maar dankzij Trump staan de Democraten hier waarschijnlijk toch wat sterker.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:32 schreef DeParo het volgende:

[..]

Zit je hier nu puur en alleen om elke vorm van discussie te verzieken, kom op zeg, zelfs een enge reactie.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:40 schreef ExtraWaskracht het volgende:

[..]

Misschien goed om vooraf vast te leggen wat je denkt dat er gaat gebeuren:

1) Welke partij heeft de meerderheid in het Huis/Senaat/Governorships incl. independents?
2) Op kandidaten van welke partij zijn de meeste stemmen uit gebracht cq. wie wint de popular vote voor het Huis/Senaat/Governorships?
3) Welke partij wint zetels ten opzichte van het huidige zetelaantal voor Huis/Senaat/Governorships?

Voor mezelf, als er vandaag gestemd zou worden en ik moet gokken:
1) Huis: D, Senaat: R (of 50/50), Governorships: lastig, doe maar D of 25/25
2) Huis: D, Senaat: D, Governorships: D
3) Huis: D, Senaat: lastig ... vermoed R, Governorships: D

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 13:43 schreef Nintex het volgende:

[..]

Mijn vermoeden is dat de GOP alles wint met net een zeteltje verschil.

Dat wil zeggen. Een paar upsets in staten waar ze veel campagne gevoerd hebben, maar niet genoeg om de meerderheid te pakken in de Senaat of het Congres. En dan een paar D seats die verloren gaan in Trump land, zoals die zwarte helicopter piloot vs. een Democraat van 70+.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 13:48 schreef ExtraWaskracht het volgende:

[..]

Dus, Senaat: 51/49, Huis: 220-218, Governors: 26-24? Dat zou dan als volgt vertaald worden?

1) Huis: R, Senaat: R, Governorships: R
2) Huis: ?, Senaat: ?, Governorships: ?
3) Huis: D, Senaat: gelijk, Governorships: D

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:10 schreef DeParo het volgende:

[..]

Het artikel begint met de volgende aanname:

[..]

Onder geen voorwaarde [behalve wellicht als de hele wereld China zou gaan boycotten] zou een handelsoorlog een dusdanig gevolg hebben. Laat staan dat dit de Amerikaanse intentie zou zijn. Groei in China is robuust [wel plastic] en groei is voor een groot deel gebaseerd op investeringen in high-risk landen waar Amerika weinig zeggenschap heeft. Amerika, en bondgenoten, bevatten wel een bepaalde mate van ontwikkeling en kennis die China nodig heeft om een volgende stap in de ontwikkeling te zetten. Ook laat Amerika zien dat het China pijn kan doen, wellicht niet met desastreuze gevolgen vooralsnog, en verliest China iets van zijn ongenaakbare imago dat het de laatste jaren heeft opgebouwd. Een handelsoorlog moet daarmee niet te lang duren want dan kan het voor China wel degelijk structurele gevolgen hebben. En dat is waar Amerika enigszins op probeert in te spelen zover ik het zie althans.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 14:03 schreef MichieldeRuyter het volgende:

[..]

Daarover zijn de meningen verdeelt.
"In any case, China can afford to play for time. Voters may elect a Democratic Congress that will clip Trump’s wings next year; they could also vote him out of office in 2020. Xi isn’t worried about re-election."

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:16 schreef DeParo het volgende:

[..]

China het land dat de hele wereld in korte tijd zal 'overnemen' en de sterkste zou zijn [economisch vooral].

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 08:12 schreef Ulx het volgende:
New: Trump HUD Secretary Ben Carson believes the Kavanaugh sexual assault allegations are part of a centuries old Socialist plot that began in England with something called the Fabian Society. https://t.co/ln3lGSlfC1

quote:

"I grew up in the slums of Detroit. I saw plenty of gun violence as a
child. Both of my cousins were killed on the streets. As a Doctor, I
spent many a night pulling bullets out of bodies," he wrote. "There is
no doubt that this senseless violence is breathtaking — but I never saw a
body with bullet holes that was more devastating than taking the right
to arm ourselves away."

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 14:44 schreef Nintex het volgende:
De Chinezen zitten al vuistdiep in de Democratische partij sinds Bill Clinton.

Je kunt je wel eens afvragen of men wel de juiste 'collusion' onderzoekt.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 14:39 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:

[..]

Ik lees op thehill commentaren als: dat voorspelden ze vroeger over Japan, en is ook niet uitgekomen. Het verschil is dat de Chinezen met 11 keer zoveel zijn. Als China het per capita GDP van Japan zou hebben dan bedroeg hun nominale GDP 55000 miljard, 2.9x dat van de VS.
China is een markt van 1.4 miljard mensen, waar de koopkracht sterk groeit. Dat zie je al aan de handelsbalans met de VS: als je de "in-country sales" meetelt (wat Amerikaanse bedrijven in China zelf verkopen, en Chinese bedrijven in de VS) dan heeft de VS een handelsoverschot van 20 miljard: ruim $360 miljard in-country sales (Apple, GM etc..) en $187 miljard export naar China, tegenover 523 miljard aan import uit China en verwaarloosbare in-country sales.

En wat de afhankelijkheid van Westerse kennis en technologie betreft, dat zal ook geen decennia meer duren. Men zegt dat Chinezen enkel kopieren, maar in 2017 werden 42.8% van alle patentaanvragen in China ingediend, en in 2020 zal China de VS voorbijsteken wat betreft internationale PCT ("Patent Cooperation Treaty") patentapplicaties. Dat zegt niet alles, maar het geeft wel een indicatie.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 14:44 schreef Nintex het volgende:
De Chinezen zitten al vuistdiep in de Democratische partij sinds Bill Clinton.

Je kunt je wel eens afvragen of men wel de juiste 'collusion' onderzoekt.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 15:37 schreef Chewie het volgende:
Was deze al langs gekomen?

Paul Gosar Is Not Working For You Long

Ouch

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 16:16 schreef ExtraWaskracht het volgende:

[..]

Pijnlijk idd. Alsnog heeft hij 100% kans herkozen te worden naar het zich doet aanzien ... https://projects.fivethir(...)ast/house/arizona/4/

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 14:39 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:

[..]

En wat de afhankelijkheid van Westerse kennis en technologie betreft, dat zal ook geen decennia meer duren. Men zegt dat Chinezen enkel kopieren, maar in 2017 werden 42.8% van alle patentaanvragen in China ingediend, en in 2020 zal China de VS voorbijsteken wat betreft internationale PCT ("Patent Cooperation Treaty") patentapplicaties. Dat zegt niet alles, maar het geeft wel een indicatie.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 16:33 schreef Igen het volgende:

[..]

Een flinke handelsoorlog zou best eens een streep door zulke extrapolaties kunnen zetten, nietwaar?

En in dat licht moet je denk ik de handelsoorlog ook zien. Is het in het belang van de VS als China zich meer en meer als wereldmacht positioneert? En is dat in ons belang? Ik denk dat het antwoord 'nee' is. En met de autoritaire en narcistische bestuursstijl van Xi hoeven wij en de VS ook echt geen medelijden te hebben of aan liefdadigheid te doen. China gaat volle bak erin met de "nieuwe zijderoute" en "Made in China 2025", dan is het niet zo gek dat dat een tegenreactie oproept.

quote:

Spokesman for GOP on Kavanaugh nomination resigns; has been accused of harassment in the past

A press adviser helping lead the Senate Judiciary Committee’s response to a sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has stepped down amid evidence he was fired from a previous political job in part because of a sexual harassment allegation against him.

Garrett Ventry, 29, who served as a communications aide to the committee chaired by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, had been helping coordinate the majority party's messaging in the wake of Christine Blasey Ford’s claim that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her 36 years ago at a high school party. In a response to NBC News, Ventry denied any past "allegations of misconduct."

After NBC News raised questions about Ventry's employment history and the sexual harassment allegation against him, Judiciary Committee Spokesman Taylor Foy replied in a statement: "While (Ventry) strongly denies allegations of wrongdoing, he decided to resign to avoid causing any distraction from the work of the committee."

Republicans familiar with the situation had been concerned that Ventry, because of his history, could not lead an effective communications response.

Ventry worked as a social media adviser in 2017 in the office of North Carolina House Majority Leader John Bell, who fired Ventry after several months.

“Mr. Ventry did work in my office and he’s no longer there, he moved on,” Bell told NBC News. He refused to discuss the precise nature of the firing.

Ventry did not answer questions about the circumstances of his departure but said, "I deny allegations of misconduct." He also forwarded a letter of resignation he said he sent to Bell, giving two weeks notice. "Thank you for the opportunity to serve on the staff of the North Carolina House Majority leader at the North Carolina General Assembly," it read.

Sources familiar with the situation said Ventry was let go from Bell’s office after parts of his résumé were found to have been embellished, and because he faced an accusation of sexual harassment from a female employee of the North Carolina General Assembly's Republican staff.

Ventry’s termination was described to NBC News as unusually swift for an office with little overall turnover.

“It caused a lot of staff drama. It was the chatter of the staff," the source told NBC News. "The whole thing got turned into a he said, she said, and then Garrett was fired.”

NBC News has attempted to contact the woman whom Ventry allegedly harassed, but she has not replied.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 17:15 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:

[..]

https://www.nbcnews.com/p(...)assment-past-n912156

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 17:15 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:

[..]

https://www.nbcnews.com/p(...)assment-past-n912156

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 17:07 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:

[..]

De VS passen secundaire sancties selectief toe, blokkeren alle assets van een Chinees bedrijf omdat China Russisch wapentuig koopt, maar India wordt niet gestraft. Trump rechtvaardigt z'n tarieven met "national security". Hij blokkeert benoemingen bij het WTO waardoor binnenkort geen zaken meer behandeld kunnen worden. Ze zijn precedenten aan het creëren die in de toekomst als een boemerang zullen terugkeren. Want het zal moeilijk worden om China te veroordelen voor praktijken die we eerder van de VS wel getolereerd hebben.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 16:33 schreef Igen het volgende:

[..]

Een flinke handelsoorlog zou best eens een streep door zulke extrapolaties kunnen zetten, nietwaar?

En in dat licht moet je denk ik de handelsoorlog ook zien. Is het in het belang van de VS als China zich meer en meer als wereldmacht positioneert? En is dat in ons belang? Ik denk dat het antwoord 'nee' is. En met de autoritaire en narcistische bestuursstijl van Xi hoeven wij en de VS ook echt geen medelijden te hebben of aan liefdadigheid te doen. China gaat volle bak erin met de "nieuwe zijderoute" en "Made in China 2025", dan is het niet zo gek dat dat een tegenreactie oproept.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 18:16 schreef Monolith het volgende:

[..]

An sich is er ook niet zo veel mis met proberen het Chinese beleid een halt toe te roepen. Het land handelt zelf behoorlijk dubieus met de eerder genoemde joint-venture constructie om technologie feitelijk te stelen, buitenlandse bedrijven het land weer uit te trappen en vervolgens te gaan concurreren op de wereldmarkt. Het probleem is vooral dat Trump vooral geïnteresseerd is in vrij domme sancties die niet veel bereiken anders dan de Amerikaanse concurrent een oor aannaaien. Dat bedrijf dat onlangs in opspraak was (de naam is me even ontschoten) is een mooi voorbeeld. Daar wilde het congres sancties, maar lag Trump dwars. In het ergste geval ligt daar puur nepotisme aan ten grondslag, in het gunstigste geval was het een PR-stunt.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 19:18 schreef Jellereppe het volgende:

[..]

Vooral Eurocentrische perspectieven op dit forum.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 17:49 schreef Nintex het volgende:
Trump vecht voor de vrijheid tegen de Chinese censuur inderdaad.

Overigens zien politici in Europa ook liever een gecensureerd internet dan een vrij internet. Er zijn nog maar weinig echte voorvechters van de vrijheid over.

quote:

The White House has drafted an executive order for President Donald Trump’s signature that would instruct federal antitrust and law enforcement agencies to open probes into the practices of Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Facebook Inc., and other social media companies.

The order is in its preliminary stages and hasn’t yet been run past other government agencies, said a White House official. Bloomberg News obtained a draft of the order.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 19:41 schreef Igen het volgende:

[..]

Ja logisch, we wonen immers in Europa. Verder kan je niet van Trump verwachten dat hij de Chinese belangen dient, en een 'level playing field' is ook niet in het belang van Europa.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 19:45 schreef Nintex het volgende:
De race in Texas samengevat in 1 plaatje

[ afbeelding ]

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 19:42 schreef Jellereppe het volgende:

[..]

Dan moet je ook niet woorden in de mond nemen als eerlijke handel en gewoon eerlijk zeggen 'ik vind het niet fijn dat het Westen concurrentie heeft van een millennia oude beschaving die ons totaal vreemd is en niet onze waarden draagt'. Beijing werkt voor de belangen van 1,4 miljard Chinezen, niet voor Amerika of Duitsland.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 20:14 schreef Igen het volgende:

[..]

Wat is eerlijk? Is het niet eerlijk als de spelregels worden nageleefd? Ik ben het ermee eens dat de spelregels zodanig zijn ingericht dat ze het status-quo beschermen. Vrij verkeer van kapitaal plus strikte bescherming van intellectueel eigendom maken het samen erg moeilijk voor een opkomende economie om zich economisch te ontwikkelen zonder in een erg negatieve internationale vermogenspositie terecht te komen. Maar met die regels heeft China bij de WTO-toetreding in 2001 vrijwillig ingestemd. Als ze daar dan structureel niet aan willen voldoen, zouden zij dat ook eerlijk kunnen zeggen.

Ik denk dat je in dit steekspel nergens de moral high ground kan claimen.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 20:18 schreef Jellereppe het volgende:

[..]

Precies, maar kun je van trotse beschavingen als China en India met enorm veel historie en een bepaald ego verwachten dat ze de regels die de status-quo voor het Westen behouden gaan opvolgen? Nee, natuurlijk niet. Die landen gaan als ze een bepaald ontwikkelingsniveau bereiken meer actie ondernemen om die internationale orde wat meer in hun voordeel te vormen. Het is verder aan het Westen wat ze daarmee doen. Als ze de status quo willen behouden ten koste van alles dan zijn conflicten op den duur onvermijdelijk. Thucydides trap.

De Chinezen hadden ook niet veel keus als men een bepaalde integratie met de globale economie/markt wilde bereiken. Het is WTO of economische isolatie. WTO is de enige manier. En ze hebben het gevoeld. Ik heb daarover niet veel gelezen maar hier en daar mee gekregen dat ze aan strengere voorwaarden moesten voldoen dan landen die voor hun lid werden van de WTO. Tevens met dank aan de VS die het land enorm vaak heeft proberen te nemen de afgelopen 150 jaar.

quote:

China boos over Amerikaanse sancties na wapenaankopen

De VS hebben sancties ingesteld tegen het Chinese agentschap dat Russische wapens had ingekocht. Het Chinese ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken riep de ambassadeur op het matje.

https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws(...)penaankopen-a1687756

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 21:25 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:
Republican woman on Kavanaugh allegations: 'what boy hasn’t done this in high school?'

https://thehill.com/homen(...)defense-of-kavanaugh

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 14:03 schreef MichieldeRuyter het volgende:

[..]

Daarover zijn de meningen verdeelt.
"In any case, China can afford to play for time. Voters may elect a Democratic Congress that will clip Trump’s wings next year; they could also vote him out of office in 2020. Xi isn’t worried about re-election."

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 18:16 schreef Monolith het volgende:

[..]

An sich is er ook niet zo veel mis met proberen het Chinese beleid een halt toe te roepen. Het land handelt zelf behoorlijk dubieus met de eerder genoemde joint-venture constructie om technologie feitelijk te stelen, buitenlandse bedrijven het land weer uit te trappen en vervolgens te gaan concurreren op de wereldmarkt. Het probleem is vooral dat Trump vooral geïnteresseerd is in vrij domme sancties die niet veel bereiken anders dan de Amerikaanse concurrent een oor aannaaien. Dat bedrijf dat onlangs in opspraak was (de naam is me even ontschoten) is een mooi voorbeeld. Daar wilde het congres sancties, maar lag Trump dwars. In het ergste geval ligt daar puur nepotisme aan ten grondslag, in het gunstigste geval was het een PR-stunt.

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 14:39 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:

[..]

Ik lees op thehill commentaren als: dat voorspelden ze vroeger over Japan, en is ook niet uitgekomen. Het verschil is dat de Chinezen met 11 keer zoveel zijn. Als China het per capita GDP van Japan zou hebben dan bedroeg hun nominale GDP 55000 miljard, 2.9x dat van de VS.
China is een markt van 1.4 miljard mensen, waar de koopkracht sterk groeit. Dat zie je al aan de handelsbalans met de VS: als je de "in-country sales" meetelt (wat Amerikaanse bedrijven in China zelf verkopen, en Chinese bedrijven in de VS) dan heeft de VS een handelsoverschot van 20 miljard: ruim $360 miljard in-country sales (Apple, GM etc..) en $187 miljard export naar China, tegenover 523 miljard aan import uit China en verwaarloosbare in-country sales.

quote:

En wat de afhankelijkheid van Westerse kennis en technologie betreft, dat zal ook geen decennia meer duren. Men zegt dat Chinezen enkel kopieren, maar in 2017 werden 42.8% van alle patentaanvragen in China ingediend, en in 2020 zal China de VS voorbijsteken wat betreft internationale PCT ("Patent Cooperation Treaty") patentapplicaties. Dat zegt niet alles, maar het geeft wel een indicatie.

quote:

McFarland to WAPO: “This totally didn’t happen.”

McFarland to the FBI: “This totally didn’t happen.”

McFarland to the Senate: “This totally didn’t happen.”

—

Flynn pleads guilty.

McFarland to the FBI: “Oh yeah, I forgot, this did happen.”

https://twitter.com/BradMossEsq/status/1043501935955984384

quote:

Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 12:37 schreef Belabor het volgende:

[..]

Ja, nee, ho even. Het klopt dat China moeite heeft om afzetmarkten aan te boren international, maar dat is niet omdat andere landen de trade war van de VS steunen, maar omdat de Chinese binnenlandse markt potdicht zit voor buitenlandse investeringen en bedrijven.

Andere landen hebben moeite met China om hun interne markt, niet omdat ze de VS steunen.

Die conclusie die je zelf trekt is verre van accuraat.

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Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 22:26 schreef DeParo het volgende:

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Ehm..... Lees eens terug wat je zegt. Andere landen hebben moeite met China om hun interne markt (en bedrijfsspionage, handelspraktijken, politieke inmenging etc etc). Dar is dus juist de reden dat ze Amerika in deze handelsoorlog zouden steunen. Als je het FT-artikel zou lezen dan weet je ook dat zowel de EU als Japan dit vrij letterlijk hebben aangegeven. Dat betekent niet dat ze Trump plotseling een toffe peer vinden. Dat betekent dat ze gedeelde belangen hebben om de Amerikaanse kant in zo'n handelsoorlog te kiezen wat dat betreft dus ik weet niet waar jouw reactie nu eigenlijk naar verwijst in deze discussie.

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Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 22:52 schreef Belabor het volgende:

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Nee, weer fout. Je interpretatie slaat de plank behoorlijk mis. Niemand kiest de kant van de VS: er wordt al sinds juli door Juncker, Merkel en zelfs Putin gepoogd op Trump in te praten. Sterker nog, zelfs het Witte Huis ziet het eigenlijk niet zo zitten op deze voet door te gaan.

De EU en Japan steunen een handelsoorlog niet omdat dit niet in hun belang is. De dollar is de handelsvaluta per uitstek: een zwakke dollar is in niemand's belang.

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Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 21:32 schreef DeParo het volgende:

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Ik denk niet dat veel Democraten het in de realiteit oneens zijn met deze handelsoorlog. Ik zie geen echte grote druk in de tegengestelde richting waarbij dat met bijvoorbeeld migratie of Obamacare wel anders was. Ik zie evenmin dat ze hem daarin echt willen of kunnen beperken. Tot dusverre pakt het Goed uit voor de Amerikanen en hebben ook de Democraten weinig ambitie China in de kaart te spelen.

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willwilkinson twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 21:29:34 We may be past the point where Kavanaugh can serve on the court without rendering 5-4 rulings on gender equality or reproductive rights illegitimate in the eyes of half the country. That's a nightmare for Roberts, who husbands legitimacy like a survivalist hoards gold. reageer retweet

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NateSilver538 twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 23:13:12 Legitimacy is a complicated thing but it's worth noting that nobody as unpopular as Kavanaugh has ever been appointed to the Supreme Court before. reageer retweet

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NateSilver538 twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 23:15:01 Miers was as unpopular as Kavanaugh but her nomination was withdrawn. Bork was unpopular but didn't get confirmed. Clarence Thomas was actually quite popular, FWIW. So we'd be in uncharted territory if Kavanaugh is confirmed. https://t.co/CpFKiaCJlU reageer retweet

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Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 23:09 schreef DeParo het volgende:

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Dat die leiders op Trump inpraten heeft niks met sancties tegen China te maken maar met sancties tegen de EU e.a..

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Als je nou het FT-artikel lees dat ik hier eerder postte zie je dat Juncker nog tijdens zijn meest recente reis naar China die ondersteunende uitspraken zou hebben gedaan.

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Maar ook al zou Europa Amerika niet steunen dan nog zou het de sancties niet zo erg vinden omdat het dan zelf kan profiteren van het vacuum dat ontstaat aan beide kanten (en wat het met bvb Soja dus al doet).

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Verder gooi je er een term in als een zwakke dollar maar dat heeft weinig met de realiteit van deze handelsoorlog te maken zolang die landen Amerika niet zullen afvallen.

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The impact of President Donald Trump's escalating tit-for-tat over tariffs is already being felt, say auto industry experts. New car prices are beginning to rise, and auto exports are dropping. But a new report warns that sales could plunge by as much as 2 million vehicles a year, resulting in the loss of up to 715,000 American jobs and a hit of as much as $62 billion to the U.S. GDP.

The Center for Automotive Research cites the biggest concern as the threatened use of trade rules known as Section 232 that would declare foreign-made cars and car parts a threat to national security. That could trigger a “downward cycle” in an auto industry already showing signs of decline after rebounding from the Great Recession, said Kristin Dziczek, a vice president and senior economist at the Center for Automotive Research, or CAR, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

CAR’s new study is echoed by a variety of other studies looking at the potential impact of the Trump administration’s escalating trade war.

SPOILER

Already enacted tariffs on imported aluminum and steel have added about $240 to the cost of producing a new car, truck, or crossover in the U.S., noted Peter Nagle, a senior economist with research firm IHS Markit. And the first round of tariffs with China is adding still more to the price that manufacturers have to pay for a variety of parts used on American assembly lines.

The impact will grow as a result of the second round of China tariffs, Nagle added, cautioning that a “dizzying” series of trade moves will “exacerbate” the problems the auto industry faces as it struggles to head off the first downturn in sales since emerging from the depths of the last recession. Activating tariffs using Section 232 rules would likely prove devastating, he warned.

Nagel estimated consumers would be “looking at price increases of $1,300 for a typical mass market product, up to $5,800 for a luxury vehicle.” Those increases would not be limited to just imported vehicles. Toyota, for example, has forecast the price of a U.S.-made Camry would rise about $1,600.

In line with the new CAR study, IHS forecasts U.S. new vehicle sales would plunge by around 2 million vehicles annually, to 16.5 million a year from 2019 to 2025.

Add the possible tear-up of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the impact could be devastating. Under NAFTA, automakers have established a continent-wide network of parts and vehicle assembly operations. That’s backed up by a global production system that has been finely tuned, with little room for disruption. But industry experts warn that the Trump administration’s trade moves threaten to fracture that grid.

The impact could mean more than just higher costs. A number of medium-sized and smaller parts suppliers could be forced out of business, unable to afford the cost of relocating their operations back to the U.S. That could result in disruptions at assembly plants, said Nagle, possibly meaning shortages of some products, and a big hit to automakers’ profits.

With auto sales already declining, manufacturers have been struggling to minimize the impact on consumers from tariff-related cost increases. But, at some point, they will have to pass them on, resulting in higher sticker prices. But consumers are already struggling to deal with their car payments, driven up as the cost of the typical vehicle sold in the U.S. approaches $35,000. Vehicle loans are being stretched out to record levels, with 60, 72 and even 84-month financing becoming more the norm than the exception.

Meanwhile, experts note that China is a key supplier to the automotive aftermarket, with parts such as tires, wheels, filters, and wiper blades. That means consumers also are facing sharp increases in the cost of maintaining and repairing their vehicles.

But trade is a two-way street, and the U.S. is already beginning to feel the impact in terms of auto exports. Ironically, shortly before the Trump administration enacted the first round of tariffs on Chinese goods, that country announced plans to reduce its own duties on imported vehicles from 25 percent to 15 percent. Now, however, U.S.-made vehicles are subject to 40 percent tariffs, making them even less competitive with auto imports from Europe or Japan, as well as vehicles made in China.

BMW, the largest exporter of American-made vehicles to China, says it is looking for ways to maintain demand for the X5 utility vehicles produced in South Carolina, perhaps boosting sales in the U.S. or Europe. But Ford has already announced plans to cut production of the Mustang and other vehicles shipped to China.

The escalating trade war with China “will further harm the U.S. auto industry and American workers and consumers," said John Bozzella, CEO of the Association of Global Automakers. "Retaliation by China to tariffs already in place has made U.S. auto exports uncompetitive and will eliminate our bilateral auto trade surplus.”

The impact of the trade war is likely to be felt in every corner of the auto industry, experts stress, even at the dealer level. The CAR study, for example, estimates as many as 117,000 employees at the country’s 17,000 new car dealerships could lose their jobs.

Though the Association of Global Automakers said it supports Trump’s efforts to resolve some nagging trade issues, Bozella said he is “concerned that escalating trade tensions will not produce the desired results.”

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Op zaterdag 22 september 2018 23:16 schreef MichieldeRuyter het volgende:

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Dat goed uitpakken voor de Amerikanen valt wel tegen denk ik. Zie bijvoorbeeld de dalende approval voor Trump in de districten die soja verbouwen. Bovendien hebben vorige tariefmuren niets gedaan aan prijs of kwaliteitsniveau van de nationale producten (pick-ups chicken tax en autobanden bv). Daarnaast wordt Trump zijn handelsoorlog niet door de senaat gesteund. Dus waar je van dan haalt dat de democraten het eens zijn met deze handelsoorlog is mij een raadsel.
De onderhandelingen met Canada, Mexico en de EU sturen aan op een situatie die er was voordat Trump aan de macht kwam, er verandert dus niets.

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De cijfers in het artikel dat ik quote onderbouwen ook waarom China in een betere positie zit tijdens een langgerekte handelsoorlog met de VS. Samengevat:
- Invloed totale export naar US is als % vh GDP niet heel omvangrijk:

"Even a blanket U.S. tariff on all Chinese goods exports — iPhones and all — would be bearable for China. The OECD reckons that around a third of the content of U.S. imports from China is actually of foreign origin. So the Chinese value added of its exports to the United States is perhaps $329 billion — some 2.7 percent of China’s $12 trillion economy. So even if a blanket Trump tariff slashed China’s exports to the United States by 25 percent, the direct hit to GDP would be 0.7 percent. That would hurt. But it would still leave the Chinese economy growing at 6.1 percent a year."

- China’s potential retaliation is much better targeted.
- China also has much more scope to mitigate any economic damage than the Trump administration does.
- The Chinese government also has a much healthier fiscal position and is free to compensate any industries harmed by a trade war.
- the Chinese government can absorb the political costs of a trade war much more easily than the Trump administration can.

Maar vooral: On top of all that, Trump doesn’t seem to have a strategy. Zoals hij voor niets echt een strategie heeft.

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Op zondag 23 september 2018 00:10 schreef Belabor het volgende:

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Het is een globale economie. Het heeft álles met elkaar te maken.

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Niet gelezen aangezien het achter een paywall zit. Maar als het om de uitspraak van Juncker ging dat de EU meer bereid zou zijn met China te werken als ze hun interne markt openen; dat zei ik al.

Jij interpreteert dit als een steunbetuiging aan de VS. Ik interpreteer het wat minder subjectief.

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Welk vacuüm bedoel je nou precies? Het eeuwenoude maar nietszeggende "machtsvacuüm", de mythe dat globale politiek niets anders is dan "als twee honden vechten om een been..."?

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De EU heeft niets te winnen bij een zwakke VS en niets te winnen bij een zwak China. De VS is één van de grootste handelspartners van de EU en China één van de grootste toeleveranciers van halffabrikaten en eindproducten. De VS en China houden onze economie draaiende: niemand in de EU-top wil die landen in een handelsoorlog zien.

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Maar goed, dat punt probeer ik nu al voor de derde keer te maken en ik heb niet het idee dat het echt binnen komt.

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Het is een reële mogelijkheid die alleen maar realistischer wordt hoe langer deze zinloze handelsoorlog voortduurt.

De Amerikaanse Federale Reserve maakt zich niet voor niets zorgen.

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SethAbramson twitterde op zondag 23-09-2018 om 02:07:06 BREAKING (today): Rob Goldstone Talks to Mueller's Team for Nine Hours, Implies That Mueller's Focus (Based on His Questions) is on Trump-Agalarov Relationship in *2013* and After (Exactly as this feed has been saying for 21 months.) https://t.co/ISYvmI9jOL reageer retweet

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It was just a short email that British music publicist Rob Goldstone tapped out on his iPhone on a Friday morning in June 2016 in an effort to land a meeting for his client. In retrospect, he admits, he “puffed up” some details when he promised Donald Trump Jr. incriminating information about Hillary Clinton as part of a Russian government effort to help the Trump campaign.

The hastily composed missive thrust Goldstone into the center of an investigative storm.

In the last year, he has been interviewed four times by congressional investigators, sat for hours with prosecutors working for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and was questioned in front of a federal grand jury (a group he said was a remarkable demographic cross-section of D.C. residents). His collection of selfies in goofy hats became the butt of jokes by late-night comedians. He has been decried as a Russian spy, a traitor, a white supremacist.

Through it all, Goldstone has emerged as a rare independent voice in the Russia story — one of the few witnesses who voluntarily sat with any investigator who asked and, out of courtesy to the process, kept his mouth shut along the way.

With his testimony now complete, Goldstone is ready to talk about of the events that now shadow President Trump, detailing the saga in a book called “Pop Stars, Pageants and Presidents: How an Email Trumped My Life” that will be released Tuesday.

“The press seemingly couldn’t decide if I was ridiculous, bonkers and so naive as to be irrelevant. Or if I was some kind of brilliant operative,” Goldstone, 57, said in an extensive interview this month. “The reality is, I’m not either of those things. . . . I’m a publicist. I wrote an email.”

He said he has no doubt that Russia interfered in the 2016 campaign (though he insists it was not with his help) and believes Trump’s team was open to such assistance. He praised the special counsel, whom Trump has accused of running a “witch hunt,” for investigating an issue with global stakes.

After more than nine hours with Mueller’s team, Goldstone has also drawn some conclusions about what the special counsel is pursuing. Investigators were focused less on the details of the Trump Tower meeting that followed his email invitation to Trump Jr., he said.

Rather, prosecutors were keenly interested in his observations about the Trumps’ relationship with Aras and Emin Agalarov, Russian father-and-son billionaires who financed Trump’s Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in 2013 and then requested the 2016 sit-down at Trump Tower — as well as the Agalarovs’ relationship with the Kremlin, he said.

“They weren’t as interested in the minutia,” Goldstone said. “It was a bigger picture thing.”

SPOILER

'There was a story here'

Born in Manchester, England, Goldstone said he grew up as an outsider, picked on as a gay, Jewish and overweight youth. At 16, he wheedled his way onto the staff of a local newspaper. Later, he became a radio reporter with a focus on entertainment, crossing paths with Princess Diana, Muhammed Ali and Michael Jackson.

After discovering he had a knack for promotion, Goldstone left journalism to become a publicist. Over the years, his clients included Venezuelan actress Patricia Velasquez, who had appeared on “The Celebrity Apprentice,” and New York’s famed Russian Tea Room. (During testimony before the House Intelligence Committee in December, Goldstone said one congressman asked him if the committee should be worried about that engagement. “I was like, ‘It’s a restaurant! It’s been there 90 years! Leave me alone!’ ” he recalled.)

In 2012, a friend suggested he meet Emin Agalarov, a Moscow-based crooner who had achieved some success in Russia and was looking to break out in America.

Goldstone was intrigued. Agalarov was a billionaire playboy whose father, Aras, was a top Moscow real estate developer and whose father-in-law was president of Azerbaijan. “My ex-journalist side kicked in,” he said. “There was a story here.” He took Agalarov on as a client.

The wealthy Russians and Trump came together as a result of a whim, he said.

In the spring of 2013, Goldstone said he and Emin Agalarov visited Paula Shugart, the president of the Miss Universe Organization, in New York in hopes of booking a pageant contestant to appear in one of the singer’s music videos.

Shugart mentioned that she had been thinking about bringing the international pageant to Baku, where Agalarov was born. Agalarov countered by suggesting Moscow and Crocus City Hall, a new concert venue owned by the Agalarovs — an idea he came up with on the spot.

The Agalarovs would ultimately pay about $15 million to host the Miss Universe pageant.

A few months later, Goldstone accompanied them to meet Trump in Las Vegas, where the Miss USA pageant was being held.

At dinner, Goldstone was seated between Emin Agalarov and Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal attorney, whom he was meeting for the first time.

Trump appeared to hit it off with Emin Agalarov. At one point during dinner, Trump loudly challenged the young singer: “ ‘Hey Emin! I’ll reduce the [pageant] fee right now by a million dollars if you tell me if you’ve ever slept with any contestants!’ ” Goldstone recalled Trump saying.

Agalarov shot back: “Interesting. I’ll increase your fee by $5 million right now if you tell me if you’ve ever slept with any contestant.”

Trump responded with a smile, “ ‘We should just forget the bet.’ ” The room cracked up.

“It was like frat boy behavior,” Goldstone said. “It was kind of a bonding thing.”

Scott Balber, an attorney for the Agalarovs, said he was not aware of such an exchange. An attorney for Trump declined to comment.

36 hours in Moscow

In November 2013, the group of men were reunited in Moscow for the Miss Universe pageant, a 36-hour whirlwind of meetings and public events.

Goldstone said he was in Trump’s company from the time the celebrity mogul landed in Moscow on his private plane at about 3 p.m. on a Friday until the time he departed at 3 a.m. early Sunday morning, except for a five-hour window that Trump was afforded to sleep early Saturday morning.

In his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee in December 2017, Goldstone said he had no knowledge of Trump engaging with prostitutes on the trip, as had been alleged in an unverified research dossier financed by Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

Goldstone told The Post he believes such an encounter would have been “unlikely,” given Trump’s packed schedule.

In Moscow, Goldstone said he got a taste of Russians’ affinity for Trump, a perspective he said shaped what he wrote in his famous email to Trump Jr. three years later.

Trump’s first stop was dinner at Nobu, a high-end Japanese restaurant, where he fielded questions from top Russian business leaders and financiers. Goldstone recalled that one Russian mogul asked Trump for his thoughts on the European debt crisis and the recent bailout of the Greek economy.

Instead, Trump launched into another topic.

“ ‘Do you watch ‘The Apprentice?’ ” Goldstone recalled Trump responded, before providing a 10-minute description of its ratings and profits. It was televised in Europe, Trump explained, in his only nod to the question.

Goldstone thought the answer was comical — but he said the business executives were dazzled and gave Trump a standing ovation.

“He represented what their country was becoming, which is, ‘You can make it! You can do it!’ You know, it’s all about money, business, capitalism,” Goldstone said.

Trump also conveyed another sentiment that the Russian tycoons appreciated: President Barack Obama, Trump declared, was a weak president. Putin was strong.

Trump was determined to meet the Russian president, Goldstone said. So, at Emin Agalarov’s suggestion, Goldstone said he had urged Trump before arriving in Moscow to write a letter inviting the Russian president to the pageant.

“Lots of beautiful women!” Goldstone recalled that Trump scrawled in pen at the bottom. He said he believes the Agalarovs delivered the letter. Balber declined to comment.

But a few hours before the pageant began, Putin’s personal spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, called Aras Agalarov to deliver the bad news, Goldstone said: The King of Holland was stuck in traffic, delaying a planned meeting that day with Putin. As a result, the Russian president would have no time for Trump. Peskov said that Putin promised to meet Trump the next time he was in Russia.

“I remember just thinking, ‘Don’t tell me we’re not going to the Kremlin because the King of Holland is late?’ ” Goldstone said.

But today, he’s grateful, glad that notorious Moscow traffic spared him an encounter with Putin that would have brought even more scrutiny from U.S. investigators. He dedicated his book to “H.M. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.”

'Hindsight is a beautiful thing'

Goldstone, a dual citizen of the United States and Britain who currently lives in New Jersey, said he thought Trump would win the presidency, but he added that he was never a political fan of the real estate developer. Independent Bernie Sanders was more his speed, he said, though he has never voted.

However, Goldstone had high hopes for his Russian client once Trump’s candidacy took off: Perhaps Emin Agalarov would be invited to sing at the inauguration or visit the White House.

So he was peeved when Agalarov called on the morning of June 3, 2016, and asked him to use his pull with the Trump family for something else entirely.

Agalarov explained that his father had met that day with a “well connected” Russian lawyer, someone Agalarov said was either a current or former prosecutor. The lawyer had damaging information about Russian funding of the Democrats, Agalarov relayed. He asked Goldstone to get a meeting with “the Trumps” so the information could be passed along.

Goldstone said he was confused. What lawyer? What information? But Agalarov either didn’t know or refused to answer, insisting Goldstone should just secure the meeting and not worry about such details, Goldstone recalled. (Balber, the Agalarov attorney, said the singer does not recall telling Goldstone the information had to do with Russian funding for Democrats.)

At the time, Goldstone said, it never occurred to him that the offer might be unethical or even illegal. “Hindsight is a beautiful thing,” he said.

Sitting in his apartment in Hoboken, Goldstone dashed out an email to Trump Jr., whom he had met at a dinner in New York and with whom he occasionally corresponded.

He wrote that Aras Agalarov had met with “the Crown Prosecutor of Russia,” a phrase he remembered from his time in England. He said that the prosecutor had provided information that “would incriminate Hillary” and was “very high level and sensitive,” all of which he said struck him as reasonable assumptions based on what Agalarov told him.

The most provocative detail: Goldstone wrote that the information was “part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.”

Agalarov had not mentioned the Russian government in their conversation, Goldstone acknowledges. The line, he said, was a bit of flattery intended to reflect the attitudes he had seen toward Trump in Russia.

“It wasn’t made up. It was puffed up,” he said of his email. “There’s a huge difference in that.”

To Goldstone, the most important line came toward the end: “Would you be able to speak to Emin about it directly?” he wrote. His goal was to separate himself from this request and get Agalarov and Trump Jr. talking directly.

“If it’s what you say I love it,” Trump Jr. responded.

Phone records provided to Congress show Trump Jr. and Emin Agalarov spoke briefly three days later as the singer stepped off a concert stage in Moscow.

Trump Jr. testified to Congress that he has no memory of a call. Balber said Agalarov has only vague recollection that they spoke.

The next day, Trump Jr. emailed Goldstone to say that he had invited Jared Kushner, his brother-in-law, and senior campaign official Paul Manafort to attend a meeting with the Russian lawyer set for June 9.

Trump Jr. testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee he did not know what to think of Goldstone’s email, but saw no problem with exploring whether he had important information. “I didn’t think that listening to someone with information relevant to the fitness and character of a presidential candidate would be an issue,” he said.

Goldstone said he concluded that Trump Jr. had been impressed by whatever Agalarov told him on the phone.

“My email didn’t get a meeting at Trump Tower. My email got a call,” he said, adding that unless the details of the call are revealed, “we’ll never know why there was a meeting.”

The Trump Tower meeting

The meeting, from Goldstone’s perspective, was a bust. Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya had brought along uninvited guests, including an interpreter and a Russian-American lobbyist. Ushered onto the 25th floor of Trump Tower, the group acted like noisy tourists, snapping photos and selfies of themselves in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Central Park.

Goldstone had not planned on attending the meeting itself, but he was waved into the conference room by Trump Jr. Once the discussion began, he said Veselnitskaya began talking about donors who had contributed to Democrats who she said had failed to pay Russian taxes. The presentation, he said, was incomprehensible.

He believes the information was dangled so Veselnitskaya could get in the door to lobby on her real issue: the Magnitsky Act, sanctions imposed by the United States on Russia in 2012 for human rights abuses. Putin considered the law a personal affront and had blocked adoption of Russian children by American families in retaliation for its passage.

As the meeting broke up, Goldstone said he quietly apologized to the candidate’s son for wasting everyone’s time. Leaving Trump Tower, he said he called Emin Agalarov. “ ‘Well, of all the things you’ve ever asked me to do, this indeed was the most embarrassing,’ ” he said he told the pop star. “ ‘We just sat in on a meeting about adoption.’ ”

Then, he said, he did his best to put the meeting out of his mind — until more than a year later, when the New York Times broke the news of the gathering.

Sitting at lunch at a cafe in Greece the next day, he received a call from a Post reporter, inquiring if he had set up the encounter.

Since then, he said, “it’s been quite a whirl.”

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My siblings who chose to film ads against me are all liberal Democrats who hate President Trump. These disgruntled Hillary suppporters are related by blood to me but like leftists everywhere, they put political ideology before family. Stalin would be proud. #Az04 #MAGA2018

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ccpecknold twitterde op zondag 23-09-2018 om 12:36:19 Every “witness” Ford calls to her defense says they never attended said party, and have no recollection that one even occured. Tell us, please, how much counter-evidence is needed? In real life, this is the end of the case. https://t.co/j7SevcsPCN reageer retweet

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Op zondag 23 september 2018 14:59 schreef Nintex het volgende:

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ccpecknold twitterde op zondag 23-09-2018 om 12:36:19 Every “witness” Ford calls to her defense says they never attended said party, and have no recollection that one even occured. Tell us, please, how much counter-evidence is needed? In real life, this is the end of the case. https://t.co/j7SevcsPCN reageer retweet

Inmiddels hebben alle getuigen die Ford aanhaalde gezegd dat ze niets weten van het feestje waar ze aangerand zou zijn door Kavanaugh.

De zaak brokkelt eigenlijk steeds verder af.

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In prep, Kavanaugh grew frustrated when it came to questions that dug into his private life, particularly his drinking habits and his sexual proclivities, WaPo reports. He declined to answer some questions altogether, saying they were too personal. https://t.co/AGsHb5YdpK

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Op zondag 23 september 2018 15:13 schreef Ulx het volgende:

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En dat van van het teamlid van Ken Starr dat bleef wroeten in het seksleven van Bill Clinton. Maar als het om hemzelf gaat is hij ineens voor privacy.

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Op zondag 23 september 2018 15:04 schreef ExtraWaskracht het volgende:
Het blijft gek dat Ford juist een gedegen onderzoek wil en de republikeinen niet.

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Op zondag 23 september 2018 15:17 schreef Freak188 het volgende:

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Toch altijd wonderlijk dat de GOP en die godvrezende achterban niet valt over pussygrabbbers en drank-orgels.

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Op zondag 23 september 2018 15:17 schreef Freak188 het volgende:

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Toch altijd wonderlijk dat de GOP en die godvrezende achterban niet valt over pussygrabbbers en drank-orgels.

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/FACTOID: Among the myriad possible reasons 15-yr-old Chrissy might’ve been *especially* reluctant to call the Montgomery County prosecutors: Kavanaugh’s mother was apparently among those prosecutors at the time of 17-yr-old Brett’s alleged assault.

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Op zondag 23 september 2018 18:49 schreef Ulx het volgende:

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Weet iemand of dit klopt?

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Is there anything Dr. Ford could say that would persuade you to vote against Kavanaugh? Honestly.

GRAHAM: "I want to listen to her, but I'm being honest with you .... What do you expect me to do? Go ahead and ruin this guy's life based on an accusation?" https://t.co/RdrOcehdsG

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Op zondag 23 september 2018 16:41 schreef westwoodblvd het volgende:
Fox News Poll: Record number of voters oppose Kavanaugh nomination
http://www.foxnews.com/po(...)kavanaugh-nomination

40 voor, 50 tegen. De meeste mensen geloven Dr. Ford. En dit is nog voor de hearing. Zou me niets verbazen als ze Kavanaugh voor die tijd zijn nominatie laten intrekken.

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Op zondag 23 september 2018 20:12 schreef Ulx het volgende:

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Ok, Kavanaugh's leven is dus geruïneerd als hij niet in het SC komt. En ik dacht dat de Dems de dramaqueens waren.

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washingtonpost twitterde op zondag 23-09-2018 om 21:08:59 Lindsey Graham: Appoint special counsel to investigate "bureaucratic coup" against Trump https://t.co/2lxWypftH9 reageer retweet

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chrislhayes twitterde op zaterdag 22-09-2018 om 04:09:58 So even though Dr Ford is saying please stop, slow down, I’m not comfortable with the way this is going, the GOP is gonna plow through, ignore her telling them to stop and just take what they think is rightfully theirs? reageer retweet

twitter:

kylegriffin1 twitterde op zondag 23-09-2018 om 22:00:12 Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein are requesting again that Trump direct the FBI to "immediately and thoroughly" investigate Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's allegations and provide a report to the Senate for this week's hearing. https://t.co/jVYfEXVqxl reageer retweet

SPOILER

twitter:

Jamierodr10 twitterde op zondag 23-09-2018 om 22:57:38 OUTSTANDING!! Bikers for Trump on thier way to Washington DC to Support the #KavanaughConfirmationHearing and Demand Sen. Feinsten to resign! This is Amazing! Thank you Bikers for Trump! #ConfirmBrettKavanaugh https://t.co/tfQnakUOyG reageer retweet

twitter:

MichaelAvenatti twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 01:33:43 I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify. The nomination must be withdrawn. reageer retweet

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 01:59 schreef Kijkertje het volgende:

twitter:

MichaelAvenatti twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 01:33:43 I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify. The nomination must be withdrawn. reageer retweet

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 02:12 schreef Tweek het volgende:

[..]

Farrow en Mayer hebben een tweede persoon gevonden:
https://www.newyorker.com(...)ears-deborah-ramirez

twitter:

kylegriffin1 twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 03:30:02 Dianne Feinstein: "I am writing to request an immediate postponement of any further proceedings related to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. I also ask that the newest allegations of sexual misconduct be referred to the FBI for investigation." https://t.co/etSqaDLKAN reageer retweet

SPOILER

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 00:48 schreef MangoTree het volgende:

twitter:

Jamierodr10 twitterde op zondag 23-09-2018 om 22:57:38 OUTSTANDING!! Bikers for Trump on thier way to Washington DC to Support the #KavanaughConfirmationHearing and Demand Sen. Feinsten to resign! This is Amazing! Thank you Bikers for Trump! #ConfirmBrettKavanaugh https://t.co/tfQnakUOyG reageer retweet

Impressive.

quote:

Attorney Michael Avenatti added to the storm of sexual misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh on Sunday, claiming he has “significant evidence” that the Supreme Court nominee participated in sexual misconduct in high school.

In an email to Mike Davis, the chief counsel for nominations for the Senate Judiciary Committee, Avenatti said he had evidence that at house parties in the early 1980s, Kavanaugh, his friend Mark Judge, and others plied women with alcohol and drugs “in order to allow a ‘train’ of men to subsequently gang rape them.”

Avenatti did not identify any witnesses or disclose more details about the alleged incidents. He tweeted a screenshot of the email Sunday evening after announcing he represented a woman with “credible information” about Kavanaugh and Judge.

Avenatti elaborated to Politico later on Sunday that he represents a group of people, including one victim and multiple witnesses, who can corroborate allegations involving Kavanaugh and Judge.

Also on Sunday, The New Yorker published an allegation from Deborah Ramirez, a former Yale University classmate of Kavanaugh’s, who claimed Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a dorm-room party during the 1983-84 school year. Avenatti clarified that his client was not Ramirez.

The two allegations come less than a week before Christine Blasey Ford is set to testify in open court about her claim that Kavanaugh attempted to rape her while they were in high school. Ford said Judge was a witness to the incident.

Kavanaugh has denied both Ramirez and Ford’s allegations.

Avenatti, who also represents adult film actress Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Donald Trump, said he “will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony” to the Senate Judicial Committee, which is overseeing Kavanaugh’s nomination proceedings.

quote:

In a statement to the New Yorker, Kavanaugh wrote, "This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so.

quote:

Kavanaugh's former roommate said he found the allegation believable.

“Is it believable that she was alone with a wolfy group of guys who thought it was funny to sexually torment a girl like Debbie?" James Roche, the former roommate, said. "Yeah, definitely. Is it believable that Kavanaugh was one of them? Yes.”

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 07:28 schreef westwoodblvd het volgende:
Dit wordt met de dag erger. Ik snap echt niet waarom ze Kavanaugh niet gewoon intrekken. Op deze manier is er straks ook geen tijd meer over voor een alternatief voor de verkiezingen.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 00:48 schreef MangoTree het volgende:

twitter:

Jamierodr10 twitterde op zondag 23-09-2018 om 22:57:38 OUTSTANDING!! Bikers for Trump on thier way to Washington DC to Support the #KavanaughConfirmationHearing and Demand Sen. Feinsten to resign! This is Amazing! Thank you Bikers for Trump! #ConfirmBrettKavanaugh https://t.co/tfQnakUOyG reageer retweet

Impressive.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 07:37 schreef SureD1 het volgende:

[..]

Dit en dit...even door de GOP bril bekeken: je wil een aartsconservatief benoemen in het SC, het moet toch niet zoveel uitmaken wie? Hij is toch vast niet de enige op de shortlist? Bij Kavanaugh begint de Rio de Caca nu goed te stromen, dus inderdaad; waarom trekken ze die nominatie niet in?

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 07:28 schreef westwoodblvd het volgende:
Dit wordt met de dag erger. Ik snap echt niet waarom ze Kavanaugh niet gewoon intrekken. Op deze manier is er straks ook geen tijd meer over voor een alternatief voor de verkiezingen.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 08:09 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:

[..]

Is er uberhaupt nog tijd voor een nieuwe nominatie en stemming voor de midterms? Kavanaugh werd op 9 juli genomineerd.

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 02:17 schreef Kijkertje het volgende:

[..]

TMI

Avenatti's getuige is niet deze Ramirez, er is dus nog een derde (MSNBC)

En Kavanaugh ontkent alles. Als ik hem was zou ik een grondig FBI-onderzoek eisen!

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 08:12 schreef westwoodblvd het volgende:

[..]

Misschien niet voor de verkiezingen maar je hebt ook nog de lame duck periode van begin november tot begin januari. Maar hoe langer dit door ettert, hoe kleiner de kans is dat er nog genoeg tijd is voor een andere nominatie. Er zijn al wel kandidaten die al helemaal doorgelicht zijn omdat ze tot de laatste fase kwamen, o.a. Barrett. Dat scheelt een hoop tijd. En vergeet niet dat de Republikeinen het proces controleren.

quote:

A Timeline for the SCOTUS Confirmation Crisis

SPOILER

When Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement in late June, it looked like getting a successor nominated and confirmed by the beginning of the next Court term (and before the midterm elections) involved a tight but manageable schedule if everything went as planned.

The White House certainly contributed to a brisk process by naming Brett Kavanaugh its nominee just 12 days after Kennedy stepped down, utilizing Trump’s famous pre-vetted list of prospects. With Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell having already canceled the Senate’s August recess, there appeared to be time for hearings and a Judiciary Committee vote in September quickly followed by a party-line vote in the full Senate. But Kavanaugh’s very lengthy record in the Executive and Judicial branches and considerable Republican stonewalling over document production and review made it easy for Democrats to credibly charge the process was being rushed. And now the allegations that Kavanaugh committed sexual assault in high school are creating a lot of potentially major timing issues.

It’s a good time to review the timetable of deadlines coming up:

1) September 20: Senate Judiciary Committee Vote: This deadline is already all but blown now that multiple senators (including at least two Republicans, Susan Collins and Jeff Flake) are calling for testimony under oath by Kavanaugh’s accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, and the nominee himself, concerning the new allegations. If the testimony (sure to be a TV/social-media spectacular) produces no new information between Ford’s allegations and Kavanaugh’s denials, then the committee could proceed quickly to a vote. But this is the first of what could become many moments where one dissenting Republican senator defecting from the party line could throw sand into the wheels of the confirmation machine, and two could kill the nomination altogether. So Republicans will have to make scheduling decisions one step at a time, no matter how impatient they — or Donald Trump — might be.

2) October 1: The Supreme Court begins its next term: The ostensible reason for moving right along with Kavanaugh’s nomination and confirmation was to make sure the Supreme Court had its full complement of nine Justices when its next term begins on October 1. Justice Kennedy is on “senior status,” and is still available for part-time duty on lower federal courts, but he’s gone for good from SCOTUS.

If no one has been confirmed by October 1, which is beginning to look more and more likely, then the Court will convene with just eight justices, and more importantly, with the conservative and liberal “blocs” on the Court deadlocked with four justices each. Yes, a subsequently confirmed justice can ascend to the bench the moment she or he is cleared by the Senate. But the new justice will typically not vote on cases in which oral arguments were heard in their absence. So the longer the ninth justice is missing, the more it affects the Court’s work. The period between Justice Antonin Scalia’s death in February of 2016 and Justice Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation in April of 2017 shows how this can be a significant issue in big cases that expose divisions on the Court.

3) Late October: The Senate breaks to campaign: There is no set deadline for the Senate to break for last-minute campaigning prior to the midterms, and until recently, it was thought that keeping senators in Washington would be a much bigger problem for Republicans, given the larger number of vulnerable Democrats in the chamber. But the Senate landscape is now beginning to look less bright red than it did earlier in the year, and you have to figure that Republicans Dean Heller and Ted Cruz are as avid to spend time at home as Democrats Heidi Heitkamp or Joe Donnelly.

Thanks to the GOP’s invocation of the “nuclear option” in 2017 to ban filibusters prior to Supreme Court confirmation votes, it won’t take more than a week for the full Senate to vote on Kavanaugh assuming he clears the Judiciary Committee — though again, the timetable could be thrown off if there are doubts about as few as two Republican senators.

Mid-October is also about the time when Republicans will have to decide whether the Senate will have enough time to consider an alternative to Kavanaugh before the end of this Congress. And that’s a big, big decision given the possibility that Democrats could take control of the Senate and thus the judicial confirmation process in the next Congress that will be sworn in on January 20. So if Kavanaugh’s confirmation is still hanging fire two or three weeks from now, there could be a move to dump him and move on quickly with someone else from Trump’s pre-vetted SCOTUS list (a good bet at that point would be a woman like Amy Coney Barrett).

4) November 6: The midterms arrive: One thing the new allegations against Kavanaugh might possibly mean is that his confirmation — or alternatively, the confirmation of someone else if his nomination is withdrawn — could become a campaign issue in close Senate races, or at least a factor stimulating turnout among each party’s more ideological “base.” But whether or not that happens, the Senate results on November 6 will determine if Donald Trump’s party still controls the judicial nominating process during the last half of his presidential term. Thanks to a wildly pro-Republican Senate landscape this year, the odds remain better than average that the GOP will maintain its grip on the upper chamber, even if a Democratic “wave” takes over the House. But with a current margin of 51/49 in the Senate, Republicans are justifiably nervous. And the House results could indirectly affect the SCOTUS process as well, if only because a big Democratic wave might make Senate Republicans even more nervous about 2020, while threatening Trump’s grip on power.

5) November 2018 to January: A likely lame-duck session of Congress. If, as appears almost certain, Democrats make significant gains in the House, then Republicans are likely to convene a so-called “lame-duck session” of the current Congress to get as much done as they can with their current margins of control. If Kavanaugh is not confirmed by November 6 and Democrats win back the Senate, then there will most definitely be a frenzied Republican effort to confirm him or some other Trump SCOTUS during the lame-duck session.

Would there be enough time for that to happen? Yes, if we are talking about Kavanaugh, who was nominated in July. But if the whole process is starting over — say, with Amy Coney Barrett — just before or immediately after the midterms, it could be very tight.

SPOILER

Among current justices, Ginsburg was confirmed just 50 days after her nomination; Gorsuch and Sotomayor took 66 days, and the others (other than Roberts, who was nominated for one spot and then renominated for the chief justice position) longer than that. Republicans would have to factor in the political damage associated with ramming through a nominee on (probably) a party-line vote after an electoral setback, but given the enormous stakes involved, it would be astonishing if they did not pursue it. They have already incurred and brushed off the obvious charge of hypocrisy for their refusal to give Obama nominee Merrick Garland a hearing or a vote during the long period after Antonin Scalia’s death.

6) January 3: 116th Congress sworn in: Supreme Court nominations do not “roll over” between Congresses, so early next January all bets are off. If Republicans still control the Senate and Anthony Kennedy’s seat on the Court has not yet been filled, then the president can renominate Kavanaugh (or an alternative if one has been nominated but not yet confirmed) and we are all back to square one.

If Democrats control the Senate, of course, it is a whole new ball game. The opposition party would be in charge of scheduling confirmation hearings and votes for SCOTUS and every other federal judgeship, and Democrats would have a far better chance of forcing their way into a share of the vetting and selection process than Republicans would have picking off Democratic senators for a hard-line conservative choice. At the same time, Trump (assuming he is still the president and is still running for reelection) would be under enormous pressure to do everything within his power to reshape the Court in 2019 and 2021; it is central to his bond with the Christian right and with conservative ideologues generally.

All in all, the landscape for nominating and confirming Supreme Court justices may not get much easier for Trump and his party, and it could get a whole lot worse. And the clock continues to tick.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 09:09 schreef speknek het volgende:
Wat moet de FBI er eigenlijk precies mee? Alles is verjaard en meer dan he said she said zal het ook niet worden (tenzij iemand brieven heeft bewaard ofzo). Of is het onderdeel van het vetting proces van een justice?

twitter:

MichaelAvenatti twitterde op zondag 23-09-2018 om 02:09:51 All indications are that Dr. Ford is not alone. Buckle up - that includes you Mark Judge. #Basta reageer retweet

twitter:

MichaelAvenatti twitterde op zondag 23-09-2018 om 15:58:39 What happens at Georgetown Prep does not stay at Georgetown Prep. #Truth #Courage #Basta reageer retweet

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 09:53 schreef Ulx het volgende:

twitter:

MichaelAvenatti twitterde op zondag 23-09-2018 om 02:09:51 All indications are that Dr. Ford is not alone. Buckle up - that includes you Mark Judge. #Basta reageer retweet

Leuk, Avenatti gaat zich ermee bemoeien. Popcorntime!

twitter:

MichaelAvenatti twitterde op zondag 23-09-2018 om 15:58:39 What happens at Georgetown Prep does not stay at Georgetown Prep. #Truth #Courage #Basta reageer retweet

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:03 schreef klappernootopreis het volgende:

[..]

Ik moet zeggen dat dit eigenlijk zijn taak niet is. Laat hem zich maar concentreren op de zaak Stormy Daniëls/Trump.

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:03 schreef klappernootopreis het volgende:

[..]

Ik moet zeggen dat dit eigenlijk zijn taak niet is. Laat hem zich maar concentreren op de zaak Stormy Daniëls/Trump.

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:06 schreef DustPuppy het volgende:

[..]

Dat is toch zo goed als klaar in principe?

En een goeie advocaat heeft echt wel meer dan één zaak tegelijk lopen, anders kan ie ook niet rondkomen.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:08 schreef klappernootopreis het volgende:

[..]

Hij verdiend anders wel genoeg op teevee.

twitter:

MichaelAvenatti twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 04:49:34 Brett Kavanaugh must also be asked about this entry in his yearbook: "FFFFFFFourth of July." We believe that this stands for: Find them, French them, Feel them, Finger them, F*ck them, Forget them. As well as the term "Devil's Triangle." Perhaps Sen. Grassley can ask him. #Basta reageer retweet

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:21 schreef clumsy_clown het volgende:

twitter:

MichaelAvenatti twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 04:49:34 Brett Kavanaugh must also be asked about this entry in his yearbook: "FFFFFFFourth of July." We believe that this stands for: Find them, French them, Feel them, Finger them, F*ck them, Forget them. As well as the term "Devil's Triangle." Perhaps Sen. Grassley can ask him. #Basta reageer retweet

Ik denk dat één van Kavenaughs klasgenoten flink wat dingen uit de doeken heeft gedaan.

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:30 schreef AnneX het volgende:
Ergens verbaast het mij totaal niet, wat er naar buiten komt over de enge Amerikaanse subcultuur en moraal aan universiteiten etc.
Boeken, romans en films vertellen toch al lang over dit soort zieke praktijken.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:39 schreef DustPuppy het volgende:

[..]

Bij onze studentencorpora zullen deze dingen ook wel voorkomen inderdaad.

Misschien in mindere mate, maar dat soort geslotenheid creëert toch bij sommigen perverse prikkels.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:40 schreef clumsy_clown het volgende:

[..]

Eén van de betere gevolgen van MeToo is dat er een licht wordt geworpen op dit soort wangedrag, imo.

quote:

A spokesperson for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Sunday night said the panel will "attempt to evaluate" new allegations of sexual assault regarding Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The spokesperson in a statement slammed Democrats for "withholding information" regarding the allegations.

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"Yet again, Senate Democrats actively withheld information from the rest of the Committee only to drop information at politically opportune moments," the statement said, doubling down on his remarks that Democrats withheld the first allegation against Kavanaugh from Christine Blasey Ford, who went public last week.

The spokesperson said the Democrats appear to be "more interested in a political takedown" than "pursuing allegations through a bipartisan and professional" investigation.

"Of course, we will attempt to evaluate these new claims," the statement added.

Deborah Ramirez in a New Yorker report alleged that Kavanaugh exposed himself without her consent during a Yale University gathering in the 1980s, when they were both students. She said he thrusted his penis in her face, forcing her to touch it when she pushed him away. [....]

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:21 schreef clumsy_clown het volgende:

twitter:

MichaelAvenatti twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 04:49:34 Brett Kavanaugh must also be asked about this entry in his yearbook: "FFFFFFFourth of July." We believe that this stands for: Find them, French them, Feel them, Finger them, F*ck them, Forget them. As well as the term "Devil's Triangle." Perhaps Sen. Grassley can ask him. #Basta reageer retweet

Ik denk dat één van Kavenaughs klasgenoten flink wat dingen uit de doeken heeft gedaan.

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:48 schreef SureD1 het volgende:

[..]

Avenatti is er wel een uit de Saul Goodman school hè... ik vind het wel amusant om hem zo bezig te zien...

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:51 schreef clumsy_clown het volgende:

[..]

Het is een blaaskaak en een gladde aal eerste klasse, maar heeft wel bewezen een goede advocaat te zijn.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:51 schreef clumsy_clown het volgende:

[..]

Het is een blaaskaak en een gladde aal eerste klasse, maar heeft wel bewezen een goede advocaat te zijn.

twitter:

kenklippenstein twitterde op zondag 23-09-2018 om 23:16:22 SENATE: [Asks question]KAVANAUGH: I don't recallSENATE: [Asks question]KAVANAUGH: I don't recall[Gets accused of sexual assault]KAVANAUGH: My 1982 calendar's June 7th entry shows otherwise reageer retweet

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 11:18 schreef westwoodblvd het volgende:
Laten we Avenatti gewoon negeren totdat hij ook maar het begin van bewijs of onderbouwing toont.

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:58 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Kavanaugh schijnt te hebben gezegd dat in zijn schoolagenda van 1982 niets te vinden was over dat feest.

Als je je schoolagenda's uit die tijd hebt bewaard ben je best wel gestoord, imho.

twitter:

kenklippenstein twitterde op zondag 23-09-2018 om 23:16:22 SENATE: [Asks question]KAVANAUGH: I don't recallSENATE: [Asks question]KAVANAUGH: I don't recall[Gets accused of sexual assault]KAVANAUGH: My 1982 calendar's June 7th entry shows otherwise reageer retweet

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 11:21 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]

Jij denkt werkelijk dat een advocaat als Avanatti gaat bluffen?

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 11:30 schreef westwoodblvd het volgende:

[..]

Het is een aandachtsgeil randfiguur met een belang om zoveel mogelijk in de media te zijn, dus dat lijkt me zeker niet uitgesloten, nee.

twitter:

MichaelAvenatti twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 01:07:11 I do not bluff. I deliver. #Basta reageer retweet

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 11:32 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]

Nee. Avanatti bluft niet. Die gaat niet zijn reputatie op het spel zetten.

twitter:

MichaelAvenatti twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 01:07:11 I do not bluff. I deliver. #Basta reageer retweet

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 11:34 schreef westwoodblvd het volgende:

[..]

Waar zijn dan zijn bewijzen? Een naam? Dit gaat gewoon om de media aandacht. Dikke kans dat je er nooit meer iets van hoort.

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 11:37 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]

Zou jij je naam in de krant willen hebben als je ziet dat Dr Ford doodsbedreigingen krijgt? Ik zou wachten tot er een echt onderzoek is.

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 11:34 schreef westwoodblvd het volgende:

[..]

Waar zijn dan zijn bewijzen? Een naam? Dit gaat gewoon om de media aandacht. Dikke kans dat je er nooit meer iets van hoort.

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 11:40 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:
Zou mooi zijn als Trump vandaag bij de VN off-script gaat en over witch hunt, deep state of Kavanaugh begint.

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 11:46 schreef Klaphark het volgende:
Avenatti heeft tot nu toe elke keer zijn woorden waar gemaakt. Dus ik geloof best dat hij nog wat heeft. Al is dat waarschijnlijk ook niet al te lastig, moet je eens bedenken wat een normale student allemaal al voor rare dingen meemaakt op alle feestjes

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 11:50 schreef zalkc het volgende:

[..]

En dat is ook het meest trieste, de GOP roept het over zichzelf af nu ze het op deze manier van het ontkennen en ontkrachten spelen. Ik weet vrijwel zeker dat als Kavanaugh direct had gezegd, "Ja stom, ik was jong en impulsief, en ik bied mijn excuses daarvoor aan", dan was de lont er vrij snel uit gehaald. Nu ontkent hij het glashard en vrij weinig studenten kunnen pochen op een smetteloze studententijd, misschien niet direct aanranding, maar allicht iets wat niet mag.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 11:40 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:
Zou mooi zijn als Trump vandaag bij de VN off-script gaat en over witch hunt, deep state of Kavanaugh begint.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:30 schreef AnneX het volgende:
Ergens verbaast het mij totaal niet, wat er naar buiten komt over de enge Amerikaanse subcultuur en moraal aan universiteiten etc.
Boeken, romans en films vertellen toch al lang over dit soort zieke praktijken.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 07:28 schreef westwoodblvd het volgende:
Dit wordt met de dag erger. Ik snap echt niet waarom ze Kavanaugh niet gewoon intrekken. Op deze manier is er straks ook geen tijd meer over voor een alternatief voor de verkiezingen.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 12:21 schreef thesiren.nl het volgende:

[..]

Brett is de enige waarvan Trump zeker weet dat hij zichzelf mag pardonneren, dit is dus de allerbeste persoon voor die functie. Er is geen alternatief.
Als dit niet doorgaat dan gaat Donald domme dingen doen zoals een government shutdown, of mensen ontslaan.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 11:39 schreef westwoodblvd het volgende:

[..]

M.a.w. Avenatti kan zonder onderbouwing maar wat lullen en jij gelooft hem omdat hij dat heeft getweet. Word een beetje moe van die vent. Als zijn cliënt bestaat en niet naar buiten wil treden, moet hij dat ook niet doen. Dat hij dat wel doet toont aan dat het hem alleen om hemzelf gaat.

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 12:42 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]

Nee, die strategie werkt in dit geval. Dit is gewoon geen goede publiciteit voor de GOP en dus raken ze in paniek en gaan ze fouten maken. Dat zag je in de zaak Stormy, dat ga je nu weer zien.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 12:57 schreef ExtraWaskracht het volgende:
Van alle manieren waarop ik dit proces verder had zien gaan, stond Avenatti die zijn rentree maakt met een beschuldiging van groepsverkrachting door zowel Kavanaugh als Judge niet echt op mijn vizier...

Zoals enkelen, waaronder Refragmental en ik meen ook vigen98, mogelijk terecht opmerkten is er geen verjaringstermijn voor verkrachting in Maryland. Dat zou dan dus kunnen betekenen dat wat begon als een supreme court nominatie gaat eindigen in een lange celstraf voor deze meneer, er vanuitgaande dat Avenatti daadwerkelijk voldoende bewijs heeft (waarschijnlijk in de vorm van getuigen)?

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 13:09 schreef klappernootopreis het volgende:

[..]

Wie wil er überhaupt getuige zijn van een aanranding, behalve een dronken student?

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 13:33 schreef zalkc het volgende:
[ afbeelding ]

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 13:36 schreef westwoodblvd het volgende:

[..]

Deze snap ik niet. Ze komt toch?

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:48 schreef SureD1 het volgende:

[..]

Avenatti is er wel een uit de Saul Goodman school hè... ik vind het wel amusant om hem zo bezig te zien...

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 13:41 schreef zalkc het volgende:

[..]

Ik gok dat het erover gaat dat de republikeinen menen dat er steeds weer eisen bijkomen.
(Dat het wat hypocriet is is mijn mening, maar dit geeft aan dat vanuit hun kant er als zodanig uit kan zien.)

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 13:42 schreef clumsy_clown het volgende:

[..]

Het is bizar met wat voor argumenten conservatieven komen. Zelfs onder nieuwsberichten in NL media zie je de GOP spins en ronduit alt-right conspiracys hierover. Waanzin.

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 13:46 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]

En het ontploft in hun gezicht. Als ze Dr Ford netjes behandelen kan ze symphatiek en daarmee geloofwaardig overkomen, pakken ze haar aan en gaan ze het hartd spelen zijn het schoften.

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 13:42 schreef clumsy_clown het volgende:

[..]

Het is bizar met wat voor argumenten conservatieven komen. Zelfs onder nieuwsberichten in NL media zie je de GOP spins en ronduit alt-right conspiracys hierover. Waanzin.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 13:42 schreef crystal_meth het volgende:

[..]

Moest het opzoeken, een karakter uit Breaking Bad? Heb maar enkele afleveringen gezien, de scheikunde was onrealistisch.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 13:42 schreef clumsy_clown het volgende:

[..]

Het is bizar met wat voor argumenten conservatieven komen. Zelfs onder nieuwsberichten in NL media zie je de GOP spins en ronduit alt-right conspiracys hierover. Waanzin.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 14:11 schreef Tweek het volgende:

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Als ik me even de tyfus wil ergeren aan iets dan open ik de comments bij een artikel over Trump op de Elsevier site.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 14:11 schreef Tweek het volgende:

[..]

Als ik me even de tyfus wil ergeren aan iets dan open ik de comments bij een artikel over Trump op de Elsevier site.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 14:18 schreef Szura het volgende:

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Ooit een gerespecteerd blad, tegenwoordig een quasi alt-right hoekje met een sjiek jasje van vroegere glorie dat opa nog in de kast had hangen.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 13:33 schreef zalkc het volgende:
[ afbeelding ]

twitter:

jimsciutto twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 14:33:41 New - President positive on second Trump-Kim summit: “It looks like we’ll have a second summit quite soon. As you know, Kim Jong Un wrote a beautiful letter and asked me for a second meeting. We will be doing that. Secretary Pompeo will work that out in the immediate future.” reageer retweet

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 14:48 schreef ExtraWaskracht het volgende:
Ah, ze gaan weer zogenaamd op voor de Nobelprijs voor de vrede.

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 11:50 schreef zalkc het volgende:

[..]

En dat is ook het meest trieste, de GOP roept het over zichzelf af nu ze het op deze manier van het ontkennen en ontkrachten spelen. Ik weet vrijwel zeker dat als Kavanaugh direct had gezegd, "Ja stom, ik was jong en impulsief, en ik bied mijn excuses daarvoor aan", dan was de lont er vrij snel uit gehaald. Nu ontkent hij het glashard en vrij weinig studenten kunnen pochen op een smetteloze studententijd, misschien niet direct aanranding, maar allicht iets wat niet mag.

twitter:

cspan twitterde op donderdag 06-09-2018 om 01:14:51 Complete exchange between Sen. @maziehirono & Judge #Kavanaugh on sexual harassment, former judge Alex Kozinski and #MeToo movement. https://t.co/nmM7V3ksy6 reageer retweet

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Op maandag 24 september 2018 15:25 schreef Kijkertje het volgende:

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Het probleem is alleen dat Mazie Hirono hem twee gerichte vragen heeft gesteld op dit punt tijdens de hoorzittingen van de Senaat waarbij hij dus onder ede al ontkend heeft zich ooit schuldig te hebben gemaakt aan seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag sinds zijn 18e.

Aangezien hij 17 was mbt het incident met Dr Ford was er nog geen sprake van meineed maar bij de beschuldiging van Ramirez ligt dat dus anders...

Filmpje in tweet:

twitter:

cspan twitterde op donderdag 06-09-2018 om 01:14:51 Complete exchange between Sen. @maziehirono & Judge #Kavanaugh on sexual harassment, former judge Alex Kozinski and #MeToo movement. https://t.co/nmM7V3ksy6 reageer retweet

twitter:

Acosta twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 15:13:21 Trump at UN: “Judge Kavanaugh is an outstanding person and I am with him all the way.” reageer retweet

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 10:03 schreef klappernootopreis het volgende:

. Laat hem zich maar concentreren op de zaak Stormy Daniëls/Trump.

twitter:

MichaelAvenatti twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 16:00:42 We will be appearing in court this afternoon in Los Angeles at 2 pm PST for @stormydaniels. We expect the court to provide guidance as to the case schedule and potential depositions of Cohen & Trump, as well as rule on Trump's motion to dismiss the defamation claim against him. reageer retweet

quote:

President Donald Trump’s trade battles are already triggering economic warnings — and rising danger for Republicans just ahead of the midterm elections.

As fresh U.S. tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports take effect Monday, surveys show consumers growing increasingly worried about higher prices this fall. Giant retailers such as Walmart are warning of price increases for manufactured goods. And smaller businesses in swing states and districts from Washington state to Iowa to Tennessee are complaining bitterly about big hits to their exports.

The economic fallout from Trump’s skirmishes with China, Canada, Mexico and the European Union risk making an already tough cycle for Republicans even more brutal, giving Democrats a chance to peel away voters linked to influential industries — like Washington state cherry farmers and Tennessee bourbon makers — who have long supported business-friendly Republicans.

“Where you have real-world effects of the trade war, you see people’s opinions sour dramatically,” said Scott Lincicome, a trade lawyer and adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute who is studying the links between public opinion and trade. “You look at places like Washington state where people are dependent on exporting cherries and apples, or rust belt states that border Canada, or Tennessee with auto and bourbon makers, and you are going to see close races where this is actually a decisive issue.”

The latest impact will begin to hit Monday as new 10 percent tariffs Trump slapped on over $200 billion in imports from China are scheduled to go into effect. That tariff rate is set to rise to 25 percent on Jan. 1 if the Chinese don’t capitulate to White House demands. Trump has also threatened to bump the total up to over $500 billion in imports, which would hit nearly every product China exported to the U.S. last year.

Economists expect that to translate into higher prices for consumers across the country and special pain for low-to-middle-income voters who make up much of Trump’s base — and are least able to absorb increased costs for consumer goods from air conditioners to clothing and furniture. Republicans are counting on getting Trump supporters to the polls in November to hold off projected Democratic gains in the House and potentially the Senate. Forcing consumers to pay higher prices could make that harder.

“If you are kind of in the middle- or lower-income groups, you are buying a lot of what economists call tradable goods and you’ll be hit a lot harder,” said Kyle Handley, assistant professor of business economics and public policy at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. “This is basically the Trump voter who is going to see the biggest hit to their total spending.”

Evidence is already piling up that consumers and businesses are growing increasingly nervous about Trump’s trade policy.

SPOILER

Consumer sentiment measured by the University of Michigan dropped last month to its lowest point in nearly a year, with the decline centered in lower-income households most sensitive to higher prices. The sentiment index ticked up again in preliminary results for September. But nearly a third of those surveyed cited concern over tariffs when assessing the economy.

A survey of chief financial officers unveiled last week by Deloitte LLP found that just 42 percent said business conditions would improve next year, the lowest in two years, with executives “overwhelmingly worried” about trade policy and tariffs.

Walmart recently warned it will need to raise prices on a huge swath of products imported from China. Other large consumer-product companies including Procter & Gamble, Nestle and Coca-Cola announced price hikes over the summer, partly in response to tariffs, and warned of more to come.

White House officials have said repeatedly they are sensitive to consumers seeing higher prices and have tried to fashion the tariffs to produce the least pain possible.

“If you look at the way we’ve designed these tariffs, one of the things we’ve done is we targeted stuff that you can buy from somebody else. And so this maximizes the harm to the Chinese producer while minimizing the cost to the American consumers,” White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Kevin Hassett said in a recent Fox Business Channel interview. The White House did not respond to a request for further comment on the impact of trade on the midterms.

While many U.S. consumers may be able to absorb the impact of the 10 percent levies, economists say that if the Chinese tariffs eventually expand past $500 billion and rise to 25 percent, the hit to overall consumer spending and sentiment will be significant.

“If you look at the tariffs that they put on washing machines, you’ve seen an increase in prices and a decline in consumer demand and we should expect to see the same from these latest tariffs,” said Simona Mocuta, senior economist at State Street Global Advisors. “I get the sense that even President Trump is not that keen on going up to 25 percent. This is almost like a plea to get people to come to the table and talk.”

Democrats are seizing on the trade issue in close House and Senate races across the country, such as in Tennessee for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Bob Corker. Democratic nominee Phil Bredesen, the former governor, is locked in a tight race with GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn in what otherwise might be a safe seat for the party. Bredesen has repeatedly hammered away at Trump’s tariffs, which are hitting the state’s large automotive, hog farming and bourbon industries.

Blackburn, a strong Trump supporter, has been critical of the president’s trade policies but stopped short of demanding that Congress take away Trump’s tariff authority. A newly formed pro-trade effort called “Tariffs Hurt the Heartland” held a town hall in Nashville last week to highlight what they say is the negative impact of Trump’s policies on Tennessee businesses.

Democratic incumbent Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota recently ran an ad with soybean farmers talking about the “hundreds of millions” of dollars in lost sales to China. Democrats are also pressing the trade issue especially hard in competitive Senate races in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Montana and even Nebraska, generally viewed as a safe GOP seat, according to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

The same holds true in House races in competitive districts that rely heavily on exports. In Washington state’s 8th district, which crosses the Cascade mountains, Democratic nominee Dr. Kim Schrier is ripping the tariff impact on the state’s apple and cherry farmers in the race to replace retiring GOP Rep. Dave Reichert. Democrats have never won the seat.

“It’s just a huge issue here and we are really feeling this heavily; nearly everything that Washington exports faces a 5 to 25 percent tariff,” said Katie Rodihan, communications director for Schrier. “Kim’s point is we really need comprehensive trade agreements and we should never be in this situation where we get spontaneous trade policy via tweet.”

The GOP nominee in the district, Dino Rossi, has walked a middle ground typical of pro-trade Republicans across the country, criticizing some specific Trump policies on trade but stopping short of strong rebukes that might alienate the president’s fervent supporters. In a statement this summer, Rossi said he has been “very open about my disagreements” with Trump on trade.

Beyond Washington state, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee cited competitive House races in California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Kentucky where the party is making Trump’s trade policies a central issue. A spokesman for the National Republican Campaign Committee, which promotes GOP House candidates, did not respond to a request for comment on the impact of the trade issue.

Trump’s trade policies are also making it difficult for big business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Retail Federation that generally support pro-business Republicans. The Chamber, for instance, is still spending money on ads supportive of GOP candidates like Rossi in Washington state, while strongly opposing Trump’s trade policy and issuing charts listing the states most heavily impacted by retaliatory tariffs on American exports.

The Chamber’s latest list of most impacted states included Alabama, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin, where the state’s GOP governor, Scott Walker, trails Democratic nominee Tony Evers in recent polling. Retaliatory tariffs threaten a range of products exported from Wisconsin including cheese, whey and paper products, according to the Chamber.

As the new tariffs on Chinese imports begin taking effect Monday, retail groups are warning of the impact on consumers just as the midterms and holiday-spending season approach.

“This is going to be like death by a thousand cuts hitting every consumer product once you broaden the tariffs out,” said Matthew Shay, president of the National Retail Federation. “Taxing American consumers as a way of getting the Chinese to the table just doesn’t seem like the right tactic to us. If all of these tariffs on $500 billion-plus from China go into effect, prices will increase on everything that gets imported and that‘s going to be painful and real and unnecessary.”

twitter:

kylegriffin1 twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 16:15:04 Rob Goldstone acknowledged that Don Jr. came into the room during the Trump Tower meeting anticipating — and very happy to accept — "opposition research" he believed was coming from the Russian government. https://t.co/bc1EvgqN3T reageer retweet

twitter:

MichaelAvenatti twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 16:32:20 Warning: My client re Kavanaugh has previously done work within the State Dept, U.S. Mint, & DOJ. She has been granted multiple security clearances in the past including Public Trust & Secret. The GOP and others better be very careful in trying to suggest that she is not credible reageer retweet

twitter:

_ShannonMiller twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 15:45:15 RIGHT NOW: @Yale law students staging a sit-in in law school building demanding a full, fair and impartial investigation into the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. #nbcct https://t.co/3jlxRk6IoY reageer retweet

twitter:

_ShannonMiller twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 16:04:48 WATCH: Dozens of students sit in silence, wearing black demanding thorough look into accusations against Yale alumnus and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. 31 law school classes have been cancelled today in light of protest. #nbcct https://t.co/yCthpadhuj reageer retweet

twitter:

kylegriffin1 twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 16:40:17 Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has verbally resigned to Chief of Staff John Kelly in anticipation of being fired by Trump, a source with direct knowledge tells Axios. https://t.co/Y2Xy3Y5qdm reageer retweet

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 16:41 schreef Ulx het volgende:

twitter:

kylegriffin1 twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 16:40:17 Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has verbally resigned to Chief of Staff John Kelly in anticipation of being fired by Trump, a source with direct knowledge tells Axios. https://t.co/Y2Xy3Y5qdm reageer retweet

Holy shit....

twitter:

jimsciutto twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 16:42:06 Breaking: Dep AG Rod Rosenstein is expecting to be fired, @LauraAJarrett reporting reageer retweet

twitter:

eorden twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 16:44:32 A source close to Rosenstein disputes the Axios report that Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein has verbally resigned, @LauraAJarrett reports. The source says that Rosenstein expects he is being fired.Noel Francisco, the solicitor general, would take on oversight of the Mueller probe. reageer retweet

quote:

Op maandag 24 september 2018 16:43 schreef Klaphark het volgende:

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Waarom niet wachten op ontslag? Dit heeft minder effect.

twitter:

wdcscribe twitterde op maandag 24-09-2018 om 16:51:34 NBC's Pete Williams, gold standard in #DOJ reporting, says #Rosenstein en route to White House, won't resign and will force them to fire him. As I am told, Vacancies Act only kicks in if he resigns. reageer retweet