TGHusker

I have been spending more time than normal around my parents lately. I have spoken about them on here before. They are the typical elderly Trump supporter that sits down and watches Fox News for hours and soaks up all the crap they can about those evil liberals and Hillary and Obama are out to destroy America. Anyway, I refuse to even sit in the living room with them when Fox News is on. They finally were catching on and when I would come sit down, they would change. Well, last night I sat down and Fox (Hannity) was talking about the shootings. "Dad asked, What do you think about that?" I calmly expressed my feelings about how disappointed I am about what this country has become where all the sides do is demonize each other. Dad started in instantly talking about how this guy was a BERNIE supporter and how this happened because he was a liberal and he just can't figure out why "THEY hate Trump so much". I lost it......... I went off.....I expressed exactly why I can't stand Trump and gave all specific examples and reasons. My Dad sat their fairly quiet and my Mom would say...."I didn't know that". I said..."Fox News isn't going to tell you that because he's their God Child and you only listen to Fox News". My wife was digging her nails into my leg and I just didn't stop. I gave specific examples of Republican congressmen like Rand Paul (posted on here) tweeting last year about what the second amendment is for and picking up your musket if Trump didn't win....etc. I'm still pissed about the conversation just writing this post. Dad just sat back and said...."well, this is fun". and changed the channel. Sadly, my expressing my feelings won't change anything. My Dad I think is coming around slowly. He decided to change his registration from R to I. He has spoken negatively of some of the Fox guys including Hannity and O'Reilly before he was fired. I personally cannot stand to listen to Hannity. I know it is nothing but a partisan rant. I understand Fox has dropped or is dropping the motto 'Fair and Balanced' - maybe they are removing any pretense.

^^^ I did not say people were being unfactual. Re-read it. I was trying to say, beware of how all of the negativity affects us as individuals. As I mentioned, all of the stuff we are saying about Trump can be true and very well may prove to be true (and yes he deserves our watching). But I drew no correlation between the 'one guy' to not being a vigilant watcher of all things Trump. I was speaking on a more personal level - Guard your heart less one become one of them - not in action but in a small degree in attitude. It is like those people who investigate horrendous crimes esp crime against children on a regular basis, or those who work in trauma centers - a person's heart can become numb or brittle or poisoned by it if that is their only 'diet' in life.

That would be a shocker big time. And you base it on

Time for a Some thoughts that hit me today. Somehow we as a country have to address the partisanship extremes that we are seeing in our country and I'm not sure how that can happen. For a while after 911 we were "all Americans' then it went back to partisanship in such a strong way. There were Bush bashers (maybe some of you) and then Obama bashers (me and some others), now we probably both agree Bush and Obama would be better than the current situation. But even in the current situation, we can't be trying to remove a president just because he has a R by his name or just because he has a D by his/her (if it had been Hillary) name. Yes, our country's history has been rife with partisanship since it's beginning -Tories vs Patriots, Federalist vs Antifderalists, Slave rights vs anti-slavery, North vs South, Internationalists vs isolationists, red states vs blue states, etc. It seems at times of national crisis we come together - like 911 and WW2 and at other times it tears us apart - Vietnam, Civil Rights changes. How do we change the discussion? I think we start by considering the people we elect and also the people we empower by our listening and reading via the ratings they gain. Regarding those whom we elect: I've become very weary of red meat republicans and democrats. Those who play just to the hot button items that play to the extremes. That is how Trump got elected. One needs to look well beyond the hot button (it may be your favorite hot button) and see if they have a well rounded, thought out governing philosophy. Trump didn't and still doesn't as an example. Regarding those whom we empower via our listening and reading habits: The fringe voices gain strength as we visit their websites (left or right). As the # of hits go up, so does their power through advertising $$s. Consider the fact that Megan Kelly can draw viewers with an interview wt nut job Alex Jones. This speaks loudly of the power of how the # of hits on his website has contributed to his ability to influence more people than what his crazy philosophy should garner. The fringe are drawn to those who speak their language - weather it is Jones or in the case of this shooter - Rachael Maddow's constant negativity (note I don't think Maddow is on the Alex Jones level - I speak however of her constant negative attitude towards all things R). The same could be said of what our culture calls 'art' including the 'assassination' play in NYC or the 'artistic' cut off head" by Griffin. The same can be said of Obama being burned in effigy and the many uncomely attacks on him from the right. All of these should be condemned as not acceptable to a civil society. As for me I've tuned out talk radio - except the local and rare occasions those more balanced in their rhetoric. Even in those cases, my time is very limited because I know that negativity spoils my spirit and soul. Even if the negative 'truth' is correct and factual, one can still be poisoned by it if one over indulges. The same can be true of our discussions on HB. All of the things being said in the multiple threads about Trump may all be true (saying this as a general thought not as a factual thought) but it can still poison our spirit if that is all we 'tune into'. Perhaps at one time this shooter yesterday was balanced in his life. But then he started to believe half truths. As the saying goes "Be aware of half-truths, as you may get the wrong half." Being open and listening to others on HB and else where can challenge our assumptions and help us to avoid ending up wt the wrong half.

Hopefully there are republicans that are collecting data like this, waiting for the right opportunity to be rid of trump and put Pence in that seat. I'm not sure what they are waiting for, though. Not that I am a Pence fan, but the crazy train has to end at some point I'm in agreement. I know there are many who don't like Pence's policies but at least he will act in a more measured and sane way. He understands what it takes to get things done in DC - you have to work wt Congress and not treat it and everyone else as servants.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/even-trumps-aides-blame-him-for-obstruction-probe-president-did-this-to-himself Trump is his worse enemy. He doesn't understand the world of govt and his 'instincts' are totally off base. He reacts impulsively and makes it difficult for his staff to game plan etc. He is a one man show in an environment that requires team work - wtin the WH, with Congress, wt States, and foreign diplomats and leaders. Even if all of his policies were good and correct, he is the wrong personality to lead the implementation of those policies. Trump reportedly floated the possibility of firing Mueller as a way to prod him toward exonerating the president and other Trump associatesparty to the investigation.The New York Timesreported on Tuesday that aides dissuaded him from doing so. For Ali Soufan, a retired FBI counterterrorism agent, word that Trump is now a target of Mueller’s inquiry explains the trial balloon. “No wonder President Trump and his surrogates are getting nervous. This explains their sudden attacks on Mueller and the threats to fire him,” Soufan told The Daily Beast. White House officials are still insisting to the president that he should leave Mueller in his post. “We are all advising him not to [get rid of] Mueller. That has not changed,” one Trump aide told The Daily Beast. “It would be an absolute nuclear explosion if he did.” Firing Mueller would also put the president in greater legal jeopardy than he already may be in, said former United States attorneyBarbara McQuade. “If Trump were to fire Mueller and it could be shown that his purpose was to impede the investigation, it could be additional evidence of obstruction of justice,” McQuade, who was appointed by President Obama, told The Daily Beast. Asked what the internal game plan should be, one senior Trump administration official replied, “Keep him away from Twitter, dear God, keep him away from Twitter.” “The president did this to himself,” the official added. That sentiment reflects a general internal frustration with Trump’s tendency to shoot from the hip in tweets and public statements that are rarely vetted by his legal team and often undercut White House messaging on major issues. A second senior administration official pointed to Trump’s role in propagating the rumor that he might fire Mueller—according to the Times, he felt the prospect of being sacked might convince Mueller to resolve the investigation in Trump’s favor—and suggested that the leak to the Poston Wednesday might have been an unintended consequence of that move. “Whoever leaked [news of the obstruction investigation] was obviously reading that he was thinking about giving Mueller the boot,” the official said. Trump “shot himself in the foot again with this cockamamie scheme to get Mueller to play ball.”

Depends on what the Russian's tell him to do

A member of the Alt Left it appears.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/james-t-hodgkinson/congressional-baseball-shooter-729035 (poor name of sited website ^^ considering the situation we are talking about) The shooter: The gunman who opened fire this morning on Republican congressmen and staffers recently declared in a Facebook post that, “It’s Time to Destroy Trump & Co.” The accused shooter, James T. Hodgkinson, 66, posted a link to a Change.org petition in late March that included the notation that, “Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It's Time to Destroy Trump & Co.” Hodgkinson’s Facebook page includes numerous photos of Senator Bernie Sanders, whom Hodgkinson appears to have supported during the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. In posts last August, Hodgkinson wrote, “I want Bernie to Win the White House” and “Bernie is a Progressive, while Hillary is Republican Lite.” Hodgkinson, a Belleville, Illinois resident, has worked as a home inspector

If it weren't for sooner magic that year - the title would have been ours

Personally, I think there is more of a rivalry between us and NW. The games have been close for the most part. However, the real rivalry should be wt us and Wisc if we could only hold up our end of the deal. It can't be a rivalry if we find ways to lose. Until NU consistently wins, we won't be 'respected' enough to be anyone's rival. OU/NU was a rivalry because we both won. There was always something at stake. Consistently winning is more than record (we've had plenty of winning records) - it means winning the division - playing on a higher level. If we consistently lose 3 games a year by large margins, it doesn't earn respect. Yes, I'd like to see OU move into our Div but we would have to begin to play up to their level.

tell us how you really feel knapp!

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article155988584.html Per this commentator, don't expect all of this to be resolved soon. Besides the real need to get to the truth, there is also a political angle as well. It is in the Dems best interest to keep this in the political lime light as long as possible. I'm ok wt that - as long as it brings us to the truth and sometimes it takes a long time to get to the truth of the matter. However, even with that, if the truth were found out today, it will remain a political issue for sometime. The reps did it wt Libya, emails, etc and etc. Now it will be the Dems turn. Sign of the times of our partisan govt.

It is all about the R word - ratings. She had an opportunity to knock the ball out of the park as Knapp noted but failed. Putin got the best of her, she didn't have come back questions - she looked more like the hunted instead of the hunter. Alex Jones - give me a break - this is almost desperation interviewing. However, the red meat Trump fans will tune in and be ready to defend the guy. I understand Jones has press credentials from the admin- so be ready for Trump to tweet support for his pal Alex. Thus, it will keep Megan and the interview in the public eye for a while and she may get the desired ratings and longer term exposure.

Now I want to throw a different slant on this whole investigation for our discussion of the Russian hacking of the election. If there was collusion between Trump and the Russians - and I think there was at best a wink and nod or at worse - direct ties between the two,-- there is another angle that we need to look at as well. This will rile up some partisan feathers here but if we want to look at this honestly we have to also look at our gov't's failure to protect us from the Russian hack and the collusion wt Trump. Trump wasn't president during and before the election. The prior administration it appears knew something was going on between Russia and the Trump operatives. The FBI was listening. They knew about Flynn, etc. The investigation at hand must also look at the breakdown of our security agencies that would allow hackers to get into 39 states. Before you say "I'm blaming Obama for what Trump did or what the Russian's did" Stop. I'm not - I'm saying there has been a breakdown in security to allow this to happen. Not unlike the breakdown that allowed China to hack into the govt personnel files a few years ago. Who's fault is that - can it be blamed on an administration, an agency, or is it just 'the way things are in our digital age and we have to live wt hacks??? Yes, hackers are very smart, have all kinds of tools at their disposal but we have to be diligent to protect from the possibilities. But it is a side of this whole issue we cannot ignore less it happens again and the failure being even greater. Two separate issues: 1. Trump and the Russian connection = hacking 2. Preventing # 1 from happening again. To prevent, we have to understand what went wrong the 1st time. (Disclaimer - I'm not a techno wiz kid - so someone wt greater tech knowledge can present the challenges faced by our agencies in protecting our institutions from hackers).

Someone may have posted this already but - 39 states were hacked by the Russians per this article https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-13/russian-breach-of-39-states-threatens-future-u-s-elections Russia’s cyberattack on the U.S. electoral system before Donald Trump’s election was far more widespread than has been publicly revealed, including incursions into voter databases and software systems in almost twice as many states as previously reported. In Illinois, investigators found evidence that cyber intruders tried to delete or alter voter data. The hackers accessed software designed to be used by poll workers on Election Day, and in at least one state accessed a campaign finance database. Details of the wave of attacks, in the summer and fall of 2016, were provided by three people with direct knowledge of the U.S. investigation into the matter. In all, the Russian hackers hit systems in a total of 39 states, one of them said. The scope and sophistication so concerned Obama administration officials that they took an unprecedented step -- complaining directly to Moscow over a modern-day “red phone.” In October, two of the people said, the White House contacted the Kremlin on the back channel to offer detailed documents of what it said was Russia’s role in election meddling and to warn that the attacks risked setting off a broader conflict. Unwinding the Twists, Turns in Trump-Russia Probe: QuickTake Q&A The new details, buttressed by a classified National Security Agency document recently disclosed by the Intercept, show the scope of alleged hacking that federal investigators are scrutinizing as they look into whether Trump campaign officials may have colluded in the efforts. But they also paint a worrisome picture for future elections: The newest portrayal of potentially deep vulnerabilities in the U.S.’s patchwork of voting technologies comes less than a week after former FBI Director James Comey warned Congress that Moscow isn’t done meddling. “They’re coming after America,” Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating Russian interference in the election. “They will be back.” A spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington declined to comment on the agency’s probe. Kremlin DenialsRussian officials have publicly denied any role in cyber attacks connected to the U.S. elections, including a massive “spear phishing” effort that compromised Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee, among hundreds of other groups. President Vladimir Putin said in recent comments to reporters that criminals inside the country could have been involved without having been sanctioned by the Russian government. One of the mysteries about the 2016 presidential election is why Russian intelligence, after gaining access to state and local systems, didn’t try to disrupt the vote. One possibility is that the American warning was effective. Another former senior U.S. official, who asked for anonymity to discuss the classified U.S. probe into pre-election hacking, said a more likely explanation is that several months of hacking failed to give the attackers the access they needed to master America’s disparate voting systems spread across more than 7,000 local jurisdictions.

Wow. What a read. Trump is out of his league.

It would be political suicide for him to fire Mueller at this point via the assistant AG. I'm thinking the AAG would resign under those orders and as Dude mentions we have the Sat Night Massacre all over again - it would be very eerily familiar.

Agree 100%. The vote should be sacred enough to prevent fraudulent voters - thus the ID. But the ID should be automatic so as to not prevent restriction of the vote by any state legislature or any other arm of govt. Holiday at minimum but on weekend to provide better access and make it a 2 day event to insure max turnout.

SC related: Gorsuch makes his 1st ruling on the bench. I see this ruling as encouraging. 1. Strict view of the judges role on the bench 2. He didn't fold to corporate interests. http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/neil-gorsuch-ruling-supreme-court-debt-collectors/2017/06/12/id/795556/

Forgot to add: Exposing the Israeli operative in Syria while bragging about our good intel.

I say make them # 51 and Mexico # 52 (only way we can solve the immigration issue!!)

Interesting discussion. Nothing to add at this point so I'll just:

NM: We all learn from each other.

That's like a mob boss telling his hitman to "take care of him for me". He can say well, I didn't tell him to kill him, but anyone with a brain knows what he meant by this. Trump might not have said outright, "stop this investigation" but anyone not kissing his butt knows what his intentions were. It might not hold up in a court of law, but it should be worrisome for most people that a POTUS would act like this. Agreed. Some are saying 'this is the NY way of doing business' and giving Trump a pass. What they give Hillary a pass - no. If you aspire to the highest office in the land, ignorance is not an excuse nor does it release you from responsibility to know what is the right thing to do and actually doing it. When Trump asked Sessions and Jared to leave that WH meeting where only Comey remained - that would cause the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up big time. Comey had to be thinking he was about to be strong armed. I wish there was a clear, provable smoking gun to get this behind us. I think this will dog us for 4 years if Mueller and team can't put it to rest decisively. None of Trump & team's actions smell right but can Mueller prove it?