[Sasquatch]

I've read through both, and I think in combination they are amazingly damning. 

[Teaboy]

I suspect the person who actually sought to conceal the transcript is in big trouble but there will be plausible deniability for that from Trump. As for the conversation itself it's damning to anyone with critical facilities so the base will just shout witch hunt. 

[Offwidth]

BBC shamefully kowtow wrt the orange loon

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/naga-munchetty-bbc-trump-go-back-home-aoc-bias-racism-a9121786.html

[tomtom]

BBC shamefully kowtow wrt the orange loon

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/naga-munchetty-bbc-trump-go-back-home-aoc-bias-racism-a9121786.html

All because of one complaint apparently...

[Oldmanmatt]

BBC shamefully kowtow wrt the orange loon

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/naga-munchetty-bbc-trump-go-back-home-aoc-bias-racism-a9121786.html

All because of one complaint apparently...

Probably from “John Miller”, NY...

[tomtom]

Have they finally got him? The overnight released US <> Ukraine diplomatic texts seem damning.... plus his tv performances....

[Oldmanmatt]

How many times, have we hit the “surely this is it” wall?

The Teflon Twat, has powerful backers.

We can only hope the stress proves too much for him and he resigns.

Scratch that.

He’s too thick to actually understand, and therefore be truly stressed.

[tomtom]

I wonder - if (as appears) the growing evidence against him is overwhelming - then the GOP will start to use the deteriorating presidential mental health excuse/reason to pivot against him? Provides them with the only face saving option imho

[andy popp]

I think we're a million miles from any serious pivot happening in the GOP. Maybe I'll be proved wrong, but I don't think it's going to happen.

[Oldmanmatt]

Credit: Tom the dancing bug.

[Fiend]

Well I know who I'd much rather has as dictator-in-chief and el-presidente-for-life...

[Oldmanmatt]

It might be that “They” are turning on him:
https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-official-who-heard-call-says-trump-got-rolled-turkey-has-no-spine-1463623?utm_campaign=NewsweekFacebookSF&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook
And a second “whistleblower”.
And a federal judge rules against him in regard to his tax returns.
And Lindsey Graham turning on him.
And Guilliano  raving and waving printouts from conspiracy sites, whilst calling them “affidavits”, then being laughed at by his MSNBC host.

[andy popp]

For the first time ever I'm beginning to feel there's something that might bring him down. But I stress might, not will. For now many GOP politicians figure there's more risk turning away than sticking with him, but at some point that calculation might flip. If the dam breaks he'll be washed away. For now it just as a few cracks.

[jwi]

Precisely https://www.amazon.com/Private-Truths-Public-Lies-Falsification/dp/0674707583

[andy popp]

Precisely https://www.amazon.com/Private-Truths-Public-Lies-Falsification/dp/0674707583

I've seen estimates that 30-35 Republican Senators would vote for impeachment if it was a secret ballot (20 are needed to vote for it if impeachment is to succeed). No doubt many Republicans are privately appalled, hence the huge numbers who have announced at that they won't be running again.

[Oldmanmatt]

They’re not welcome in the new GOP:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/feature/inside-the-christian-legal-army-weakening-the-church-state-divide

[andy popp]

Full steam ahead to complete lawlessness:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2019/oct/08/trump-news-today-live-impeachment-syria-turkey-polls-latest-updates

[andy popp]

Day 2 of complete lawlessness.

Meanwhile, here's a little local (to me) colour: https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/10/09/famously-secluded-amish-are-target-republican-campaign-drum-up-pennsylvania-votes-trump/ - I don't think it will ever be a great success.

[mrjonathanr]

Has this been accurately reported? I find Trump’s reasoning for downplaying the danger to the Kurds of the Turkish offensive started now US troops have withdrawn from Syria very bizarre, to say the least:

(Trump) ...downplayed the US debt to Kurdish fighters, saying: “They didn’t help us in the second world war, they didn’t help us with Normandy … but they’re there to help us with their land.”

This from a draft dodger, about a war that the Kurds had no involvement in. Very strange.

[TobyD]

Has this been accurately reported? I find Trump’s reasoning for downplaying the danger to the Kurds of the Turkish offensive started now US troops have withdrawn from Syria very bizarre, to say the least:

(Trump) ...downplayed the US debt to Kurdish fighters, saying: “They didn’t help us in the second world war, they didn’t help us with Normandy … but they’re there to help us with their land.”

This from a draft dodger, about a war that the Kurds had no involvement in. Very strange.

Except that it comes from a man who has no grasp of history, foreign affairs, or basic standards of human behaviour.  To be honest it's just as shit thick and ignorant as almost everything he says. He only knows about Normandy because he had to go there recently,  before he legged it to go and cheat at golf instead. 

[petejh]

The Syria thing looks so bizarre a decision that I wonder what the underlying games at play are. Turns out the US only had 50 personnel in northern Syria: not a division, brigade, battalion or even a company of troops. And US troops are remaining in the rest of Syria.
They're hardly 'bringing our brave troops home^TM'

Wonder what deal has been agreed between Trump and Erdogan. Weapons sales possibly? (instead of Turkey purchasing more Russian made). A regional emergency as distraction from impeachment? Which Trump later about turns and 'solves' to great fanfare? Maybe Putin has something on Trump which he could drop into the impeachment process... unless he cedes northern Syria..

[andy popp]

The Normandy comments are accurately reported.

The decision came immediately after a phone call with Erdogan and without consultation with any military or security/intelligence advisors; I think he simply got played by a much smarter person.

[Oldmanmatt]

The Syria thing looks so bizarre a decision that I wonder what the underlying games at play are. Turns out the US only had 50 personnel in northern Syria: not a division, brigade, battalion or even a company of troops. And US troops are remaining in the rest of Syria.
They're hardly 'bringing our brave troops home^TM'

Wonder what deal has been agreed between Trump and Erdogan. Weapons sales possibly? (instead of Turkey purchasing more Russian made). A regional emergency as distraction from impeachment? Which Trump later about turns and 'solves' to great fanfare? Maybe Putin has something on Trump which he could drop into the impeachment process... unless he cedes northern Syria..

https://www.f35.com/global/participation/turkey-industrial-participation

Or, possibly more apropos:

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/06/07/turkish-suppliers-to-be-eliminated-from-f-35-program-in-2020/

[Oldmanmatt]

Aaand:

https://god.dailydot.com/lindsey-graham-russian-pranksters/

[Eddies]

The Syria thing looks so bizarre a decision that I wonder what the underlying games at play are. Turns out the US only had 50 personnel in northern Syria: not a division, brigade, battalion or even a company of troops. And US troops are remaining in the rest of Syria.
They're hardly 'bringing our brave troops home^TM'

Wonder what deal has been agreed between Trump and Erdogan. Weapons sales possibly? (instead of Turkey purchasing more Russian made). A regional emergency as distraction from impeachment? Which Trump later about turns and 'solves' to great fanfare? Maybe Putin has something on Trump which he could drop into the impeachment process... unless he cedes northern Syria..

Putin has everything on Trump!