Trump & Putin. Yes, It's Really a Thing - Josh Marshall

[rjsquirrel]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/trump-putin-yes-it-s-really-a-thing

Read it. Devastating implications for Trump.

"Over the last year there has been a recurrent refrain about the seeming bromance between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. More seriously, but relatedly, many believe Trump is an admirer and would-be emulator of Putin's increasingly autocratic and illiberal rule. But there's quite a bit more to the story. At a minimum, Trump appears to have a deep financial dependence on Russian money from persons close to Putin. And this is matched to a conspicuous solicitousness to Russian foreign policy interests where they come into conflict with US policies which go back decades through administrations of both parties. There is also something between a non-trivial and a substantial amount of evidence suggesting Putin-backed financial support of Trump or a non-tacit alliance between the two men."
...

More:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/trump-putin-yes-it-s-really-a-thing

[emulatorloo]

1. See also "Donald Trump, The Siberian Candidate" by Krugman

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/22/opinion/donald-trump-the-siberian-candidate.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512281497

[sarae]

26. Thanks for the links.

The whole Trump-Putin thing makes me nauseous.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Wow! If this is all true, it's worse than I thought...

All those years of claims Democrats are selling out to the Kremlin, and look who is actually doing it.

[fishwax]

23. yeah, such irony

Sigh.

[redstateblues]

3. Truly scary but it explains a lot.

[MattP]

4. He's a national security risk right now!

Who knows what he is leaking to Putin

[EricMaundry]

5. Does it make Trump a traitor?

Makes his NATO policy look decidedly paid for.

[TwilightZone]

6. Makes the endless barrage of RT articles on DU the past few months look...

rather suspect, hmm?

[maddiemom]

31. Are you READING those articles?

I find those RT articles usually a pretty interesting balance. And it's hard to criticize the very thoughtful Thom Hartmann for his association with them. Compare Fox "News" with RT in terms of "fair and balanced." It will be interesting to see if much changes with Fox after Roger Ailes.

[RonniePudding]

7. Ruh Roh

[greymattermom]

8. The Russian thing is now a major talking point

The Russian thing is streaming on MSNBC and was mentioned by Congressman Adam Smith. He also called Trump a "reality tv star". I'm loving it already, and these must be today's talking points.

[maddiemom]

32. NOW the "liberal media" is suddenly worried about Trump?

[Johnny2X2X]

9. Candidates start eating security reports Monday

Really scary. Donald needs to be watched closely because he will be sharing what he hears with Putin.

[GusBob]

10. Tomorrow he starts getting security briefings

Also known as insider trading tips

[MohRokTah]

11. Paul Krugman attacked Trump about this, FROM THE FUCKING RIGHT!!!!!

You know how fucking serious this shit is when Paul Krugman uses an argument similar to what the right would use if even a whiff of this shit affected a Democratic candidate at any level:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/22/opinion/donald-trump-the-siberian-candidate.html

[pscot]

12. This is a weapons grade political story

[rjsquirrel]

13. Damn straight

Kryptonite

[tanyev]

14. Will this be the story that finally gives Palin a 'splodey head 'splodin event?

I'm betting she comes out with an unhinged rant doubling down on her support of Trump.

[rjsquirrel]

16. Donald really can see Putin

from his front porch.

[DinahMoeHum]

20. ". . .support of Trump'? Then why did she boycott. . .

. . .the RNC convention last week?

Why did she not want to be anywhere near TrumpleThinSkin?

[tanyev]

21. Oh, I don't think she was boycotting.

I think she had to stay in Alaska to deal with Track's legal problems. As recently as July 20 she had a post on Breitbart scolding Ted Cruz for not endorsing Trump. Posts about both of these things are on the blog The Immoral Minority. I tried to grab links, but I'm on my ipad right now, and it wasn't cooperating.

[wiggs]

15. Why Trump? Trump phenomenon explained in important Lakoff

article. Makes tons of sense to me

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/understanding-trump_b_11144938.html

[BREMPRO]

19. dense but brilliant and enlightening

direct vs systemic causation... family structure as frame for political influence.. etc etc.. very insightful

[Scurrilous]

17. K & R

[sofa king]

18. If one Russian hacker worked directly with the Trump campaign...

... That's espionage:

(b) Whoever, for the purpose aforesaid, and with like intent or reason to believe, copies, takes, makes, or obtains, or attempts to copy, take, make, or obtain, any sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, document, writing, or note of anything connected with the national defense; or

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/793

Recall that Trump and Clinton are running for the office of Commander in Chief, so the email server break-in is inextricably connected to the national defense.

Also note that at the Republican Convention, Trump staffers intervened and removed language calling for material aid to the Ukraine:

"Trump staffers in the room, who are not delegates but are there to oversee the process, intervened," Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin wrote of the meeting at which the wording was changed. "By working with pro-Trump delegates, they were able to get the issue tabled while they devised a method to roll back the language."

http://www.voanews.com/content/proposed-gop-stance-on-ukraine-sparks-controversy/3429297.html

So there is already circumstantial evidence for collusion between Trump and the Russians.

And there is no statute of limitations, either. This will hang over Trump's head for the rest of his life.

[fishwax]

22. Another article along similar lines from politico

(This is actually linked in the TPM essay from the OP, but is worth pointing out on its own: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/04/donald-trump-2016-russia-today-rt-kremlin-media-vladimir-putin-213833)

[WIProgressive88]

24. Very disturbing. Many in the GOP seem to have developed a bizarre Putin-fetish over the last several

years though so I guess it makes sense they'd nominate his American counterpart...

[merrily]

27. Red baiting has a very long history in the US and was never confined to the GOP.

Russia has had some crappy rulers, and any revolution makes rulers and the wealthy very nervous.

[bucolic_frolic]

25. Selling out America for personal profit

by grabbing political power while aided by a foreign power

All in broad daylight

What's in those tax returns?

[redstateblues]

28. Keep this alive. It is important for people to know.

[Ilsa]

29. Kick and Rec. Well, now we know why Republicans call themselves

Christians and Republicans, but not Americans. They have no allegiance to the US.

[uhnope]

30. it's a must-read article, thx. n/t

[Cha]

33. K&R

[MidwestTransplant]

34. This is real and this piece should be one of the most important

pieces of journalism this election year.

[Onyrleft]

35. Wasn't that an old song?

"Putin And The Ditz"

[RegexReader]

36. always follow the money

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

37. Trump and Pooty sittin' in a tree

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Sorry I couldn't resist