From Dan Rather's Facebook page...

"It is understandable that Donald Trump's twitter attack on President Obama early this morning would immediately be consumed by the churning political hurricane that is America today. The deepening divisions that are pulling at the fabric of our nation are on raw display. On one side we see understandable outrage, with many questioning the mental fitness of our Commander and Chief. On the other side we see Trump's allies rallying under their shared hatred of our previous President. Perhaps it is my age or experience, but I feel no schadenfreude or eagerness to say, "I told you so." I feel only a deep and abiding sadness. This is my country that I love with all my heart. We are a weakened nation, in our own estimation, and that of the world. If this was happening in some distant land, we would shake our heads and thank our lucky stars that we are Americans. But this nightmare is happening here, and we have no choice but to confront that disorientating truth.

My reporter's instincts make me wonder at Trump's actions. It has the feeling of a classic smokescreen. What is he hiding? Is this a kind of trap? Does he have something he is about to drop? Or does he know something else is about to drop on him and his administration, which is facing a withering crescendo of scandal?

We must carefully separate what we know to be true, from what we think to be true, from what we do not yet know. And in the early days of a story like this, what we do not know will far outpace the other two. We do know that there were numerous contacts between close aids to Donald Trump and senior Russian officials at a time when all indications point that the Kremlin was actively trying to undermine the integrity of our election. What we don't know is what these discussions were about. We do not know what is in Mr. Trump's tax returns, which he seems so hell bent on hiding. We do now know all the other suggestions of links between Mr. Trump and people close to him and Russia. And then, of course, we do not know what else there is to know.

It is long past time that we have a complete and independent bipartisan investigation, especially since the director of the FBI is under such a cloud of political manipulation. Now is the time to breath the cool winds of impartiality and facts. We need statesmen of steady head and temperament, willing to put country ahead of politics. We cannot afford for our democratic institutions to be consumed by a bonfire of lies, innuendos, and conspiracy theories.

We can all work ourselves into fervers of indignation. But the only antidote to these deep and understandable anxieties is the truth. We are the people of the United States. Our great nation is in a perilous moment, and the world is watching with great unease. We want the truth. We demand the truth. We can handle the truth."

https://m.facebook.com/theDanRather/posts/10158295903900716

Anonymous wrote:This just seems like a massive deflection to take our minds off the Sessions-Russian Ambassador meetings. It seems desperate and semi-delusional. Maybe Trump's getting anxious with the prospect that he may have someone less subservient than Sessions at the helm of the investigation.

And shame on Ivanka and Jared. Fridays, before they start sabbath, they should remove all gadgets with Twitter access from Trump's small hands.

I think he is trying to make us forget that Jared met with the Russian. I guess the Sessions thing is minor compared to that.

Anonymous wrote:Word is, Trump went on a major rampage and yelling fit in the White House today, was going to take Priebus and Bannon to Florida this weekend but took off for Florida and left them behind.

Trump is seriously melting down over this.

Oh my. If this is true, he's not going to make it. He hasn't even had a crisis yet. Not counting his many self-inflicted wounds.

Anonymous wrote:

Sessions had a career as an attorney and as such should know perfectly well what the parameters of perjury are, and how to ask and answer questions. "Sloppy and forgetful" then either mean he's ACTUALLY sloppy and forgetful (and thus not fit to serve) OR he's willfully and intentionally lying. There isn't really much of another answer. And either way he should not just recuse himself, but actually step down.

Actually, if you read or listen to the whole exchange, he did exactly what lawyers are told to do. He answered the question. Even Vanity Fair said this.
It is absolutely not perjury. He answered the question that was asked.

And, if he is "forgetful" then so is McCaskill and Pelosi.

Oh please, neither of them had private one on one meetings with the Russian ambassador and that's what they were denying. On the other hand, Sessions did and it was within the last six months.

Of course, the democrats have already said they are willing to submit to an investigation if Trump does the same.

The logic of Trumpkins is always so darn weak.

Sessions had a career as an attorney and as such should know perfectly well what the parameters of perjury are, and how to ask and answer questions. "Sloppy and forgetful" then either mean he's ACTUALLY sloppy and forgetful (and thus not fit to serve) OR he's willfully and intentionally lying. There isn't really much of another answer. And either way he should not just recuse himself, but actually step down.

Actually, if you read or listen to the whole exchange, he did exactly what lawyers are told to do. He answered the question. Even Vanity Fair said this.
It is absolutely not perjury. He answered the question that was asked.

And, if he is "forgetful" then so is McCaskill and Pelosi.

Word is, Trump went on a major rampage and yelling fit in the White House today, was going to take Priebus and Bannon to Florida this weekend but took off for Florida and left them behind.

Trump is seriously melting down over this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sessions' banana-peel slip was also an indication there's something going on. So easy to say he'd met with the ambassador in his role as senator, but he had reason to pretend he hadn't.

Nope. Go listen to full exchange with Franken starting with CNN report.
Sessions is an honest man. You don't have to like him, but he is honest.

You believe he is being honest when he says he "can't remember" what he talked about with the ambassador just six months ago? Please. if that's the case he needs a full neurological workup.

Early signs of dementia maybe?

Something.

Sessions had a career as an attorney and as such should know perfectly well what the parameters of perjury are, and how to ask and answer questions. "Sloppy and forgetful" then either mean he's ACTUALLY sloppy and forgetful (and thus not fit to serve) OR he's willfully and intentionally lying. There isn't really much of another answer. And either way he should not just recuse himself, but actually step down.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump was in a meeting with Obama and the intelligence chiefs to learn what they had on his connections to Russia back in the early part of January. Remember?

That intelligence didn't just pop up out of the blue, it had been in collection for months. It's not news right now to Trump or anyone else that his communications had been under surveillance going back to at least summer of 2016.

My theory is that he's been playing beat the clock ever since that January meeting, doing everything he can to get ahead of the facts that will certainly come out by
1) discrediting the intelligence and anyone else who knows what's in it (e.g., Obama)
2) discrediting the media so no one will believe them when they report said facts,
3) shore up his public support with a barrage of controversial actions that piss off the left.

This last tactic is the one over which he has the most control and the most confidence. The more outraged the left becomes, the more his supporters dig in and fight back. It's a witch hunt! You're mad because you lost! You're not letting him do his job! You're being disrespectful!

This latest volley is the most desperate of all. If he were innocent, it really wouldn't be so difficult.

This exactly.

+2

+3
Of course his supporters will lap this up

Inclined to agree but am not convinced Trump is capable of sufficient complex strategery.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Exactly, just like he's staying in Washington because of Sasha. Lol.

I mean, obviously the more rational explanation is that a former POTUS is staying in DC in order to more easily plan his eventual coup.

Yeah, it's a new world now. Power grabbing is in vogue. Nobody acts in the best interest of their families anymore.

Anonymous wrote:
Exactly, just like he's staying in Washington because of Sasha. Lol.

I mean, obviously the more rational explanation is that a former POTUS is staying in DC in order to more easily plan his eventual coup.

He controls the NSA and the FBI. If it were true, he would produce the evidence.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/10407282/Barack-Obama-approved-tapping-Angela-Merkels-phone-3-years-ago.html



By Philip Sherwell, New York and Louise Barnett in Berlin
6:18PM GMT 27 Oct 2013
President Barack Obama was told about monitoring of German Chancellor in 2010 and allowed it to continue, says German newspaper

President Barack Obama was dragged into the trans-Atlantic spying row after it was claimed he personally authorised the monitoring of Angela Merkel’s phone three years ago.

The president allegedly allowed US intelligence to listen to calls from the German Chancellor’s mobile phone after he was briefed on the operation by Keith Alexander, director of the National Security Agency (NSA), in 2010.

Again. The FBI was listening to Merkel, not Obama.

The delusion that Obama is never involved with the workings of the government when he was the Chief Executive is childish and moronic.

Exactly, just like he's staying in Washington because of Sasha. Lol.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sessions' banana-peel slip was also an indication there's something going on. So easy to say he'd met with the ambassador in his role as senator, but he had reason to pretend he hadn't.

Nope. Go listen to full exchange with Franken starting with CNN report.
Sessions is an honest man. You don't have to like him, but he is honest.

You believe he is being honest when he says he "can't remember" what he talked about with the ambassador just six months ago? Please. if that's the case he needs a full neurological workup.

Early signs of dementia maybe?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump was in a meeting with Obama and the intelligence chiefs to learn what they had on his connections to Russia back in the early part of January. Remember?

That intelligence didn't just pop up out of the blue, it had been in collection for months. It's not news right now to Trump or anyone else that his communications had been under surveillance going back to at least summer of 2016.

My theory is that he's been playing beat the clock ever since that January meeting, doing everything he can to get ahead of the facts that will certainly come out by
1) discrediting the intelligence and anyone else who knows what's in it (e.g., Obama)
2) discrediting the media so no one will believe them when they report said facts,
3) shore up his public support with a barrage of controversial actions that piss off the left.

This last tactic is the one over which he has the most control and the most confidence. The more outraged the left becomes, the more his supporters dig in and fight back. It's a witch hunt! You're mad because you lost! You're not letting him do his job! You're being disrespectful!

This latest volley is the most desperate of all. If he were innocent, it really wouldn't be so difficult.

This exactly.

+2

+3
Of course his supporters will lap this up

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, this is not how an American President should act.

Hahahaha...we've fallen so far from that standard, it's not even worth discussing anymore.

#ThanksPeeOTUS

Yeah, but we need to get back to that standard.