
Yesterday’s Final Results 8/20/18
(Tallies are combined from both TNB and Twitter )
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Today’s Polls 8/21/18
Old Stuff

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Lottery

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Dewey Decimal System

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Feel free to vote, comment on the poll choices, and post your own answers below. Image posting permissions are enabled in the comments section so long as they are not abused.
This is an open thread
Shoah Dog 21 minutes ago
The President can do anything he wants you Libt@rd.
How did you people get so f cking dumb?
this is last nights winning response to me in a forum. Several strong contenders as usual.
Not much of a surprise. Russia knows that the U.S. either lacks the cyber capability to respond or, more likely, the willingness to do so under the Trump Administration. This latest act also reinforces the short-sighted nature of John Bolton’s elimination of the cybersecurity coordinator on the National Security Council earlier this year.
Trump has a rally tonight in West Virginia.
https://twitter.com/eorden/status/1031858443399974913?s=21
Someone forgot his anti-dementia meds:
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1031286767750664198?s=21
https://twitter.com/theonion/status/1031586191626461185?s=21
I’m sure there were a lot of fine people there:
https://twitter.com/ericgarland/status/1031661085512871936
Getting rid of the evidence?
https://twitter.com/JoshuaHoyos/status/1031792834217689088
Thread at link.
Garrett M. Graff
@vermontgmg
THREAD: I want to take a moment to elaborate why we should be so concerned that Jim Clapper, John Brennan, Admiral McRaven, Mike Hayden, and other officials feel it necessary to speak out against Trump:
8:28 AM · Aug 20, 2018
https://mobile.twitter.com/vermontgmg/status/1031563633317343235
“Follow the money.” Interesting accounting of the banks involved with Manafort, Cohen, and Stormy.
https://twitter.com/BartNaylor/status/1031883999654957056
Imagine the ratings:
https://twitter.com/teapainusa/status/1031879260171104258?s=21
Pretty amusing, even if one isn’t his supporter:
https://twitter.com/roberttgarrett/status/1031367591607119874?s=21
Hmmmm.
It is ALL , and ALWAYS about the DOLLAR $$$$ for him.
If he truly believes this, this is ridiculous.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1031547390644420613
Crickets from Ryan and the rest of his cohorts about the voluminous dump of Trump antics – but plenty of time for this.
As a reminder, 50 years ago this week lethal violence broke out at the Democratic convention in Chicago. The Walker report said the only name for what happened in Grant Park and carried on live TV was a “police riot”.
Back then, unscrupulous politicians exploited the fears of some people and sought to curtail the rights of others. There were also attacks on the media for covering stories some did not care to see or hear about because the protesters were “not real Americans”. These attacks were applauded by many. George Wallace’s campaign slogans were Stand Up For America and Let the People Speak. The later was ironic as these voters wanted to silence people who were black, brown, Jewish, liberal or members of the despised national press.
As a reminder that irrational hatred is not new on the political scene, reporter Mick Dumke visited the archives of then Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley for a sampling of fan letters Daley received from those who approved of the lethal suppression of demonstrstors.
https://www.propublica.org/article/protests-and-blaming-the-media-sound-familiar-that-was-during-the-68-democratic-national-convention
Manafort Jury has delivered a note to The Judge.
Hopefully, this is it.
Two articles. One on how fake news sites are getting more sophisticated
https://www.axios.com/fake-news-propaganda-facebook-2018-midterm-elections-6221ada7-43f0-4187-8f3f-f16090268d67.html
Another on troll hunting before the 2018 election.
https://www.axios.com/troll-fighters-fake-news-2018-midterm-elections-0af6b0fc-fca6-498c-bcd7-f116d86f35c6.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=twsocialshare&utm_campaign=organic
From Reuters:
In the interview, Trump blamed the investigation for hampering his efforts to strengthen the country’s relationship with Russia and for sowing discord among the American public.
He again neglected to blame Russia for interfering in the 2016 election, a conclusion reached by the U.S. intelligence community.
The probe, he said, “played right into the Russians – if it was Russia – they played right into the Russians’ hands.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-mueller-exclusive/exclusive-trump-is-worried-that-mueller-interview-could-be-a-perjury-trap-idUSKCN1L526P
Three points:
1. Russia’s conduct on the world stage, including the cyber activity just revealed by Microsoft, are responsible for the difficult bilateral relations between the United States and Russia. The investigation Robert Mueller is leading has no bearing on that relationship.
2. Trump is again implicitly undermining the national intelligence community by questioning the veracity of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election by qualifying his statement with the phrase, “if it was Russia.”
3. Trump remains unwilling and unable to hold Russia responsible for its conduct. The reason for his inability to do so remains uncertain. It is also deeply troubling, as critical American interests are involved.
https://twitter.com/lukeharding1968/status/1031921464369401857?s=20
“They’re Squeezing Don Jr. Right Now”: As the Mueller Siege Tightens, Trump’s Twitter Rage Crests
White House counsel Don McGahn’s interviews with Mueller have rattled Trump to his core. “Total meltdown,” one outside adviser said of his mood, while a Republican ally described him as “extremely frustrated.”
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/08/donald-trump-don-mcgahn-robert-mueller-twitter-rage/amp?__twitter_impression=true
https://twitter.com/jjouvenal/status/1031927906744893441?s=20
This means the jury reached agreement on most of the other charges. Manafort is going down!
https://twitter.com/shimonpro/status/1031928204322328576?s=21
From Reuters:
The U.N. nuclear watchdog said it did not find any indication that North Korea had stopped its nuclear activities, adding to doubts about the country’s willingness to abandon its arsenal.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-iaea/no-indication-north-korean-nuclear-activities-stopped-iaea-idUSKCN1L61HB
President on June 13, 2018 via Twitter:
Just landed – a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!
Facebook and violence against refugees. Does too much time spent on social media mess with perceptions of reality and of right and wrong?
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/world/europe/facebook-refugee-attacks-germany.html
Karsten Müller and Carlo Schwarz, researchers at the University of Warwick, scrutinized every anti-refugee attack in Germany, 3,335 in all, over a two-year span. In each, they analyzed the local community by any variable that seemed relevant. Wealth. Demographics. Support for far-right politics. Newspaper sales. Number of refugees. History of hate crime. Number of protests.
One thing stuck out. Towns where Facebook use was higher than average, like Altena, reliably experienced more attacks on refugees. That held true in virtually any sort of community — big city or small town; affluent or struggling; liberal haven or far-right stronghold — suggesting that the link applies universally.
Their reams of data converged on a breathtaking statistic: Wherever per-person Facebook use rose to one standard deviation above the national average, attacks on refugees increased by about 50 percent.
From NBC:
Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former personal attorney, is discussing a possible guilty plea with federal prosecutors in Manhattan in connection with tax fraud and banking-related matters, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell NBC News.
Those sources stress no deal has been reached but do say the potential deal could be reached as early as today.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/ex-trump-lawyer-michael-cohen-discussing-plea-deal-prosecutors-n902571
Trump World is under bombardment. The IAEA reported that there is no evidence that North Korea has curbed its nuclear activity. Microsoft revealed a new cyberattack by Russia. The Manafort jury may be close to reaching at least a partial verdict.
https://twitter.com/ShimonPro/status/1031935270009151489?s=20
In other news, throwing deceased boyfriend Bourdain under the bus. Hmmm:
“Asia Argento denies sexual assault, says payoff was Anthony Bourdain’s idea”
https://www.aol.com/article/entertainment/2018/08/21/asia-argento-denies-sexual-assault-says-payoff-was-anthony-bourdains-idea/23506416/
Hmmmm…what are the odds that the jury reached a consensus of “not guilty” on 17 of the 18 counts?
Cohen watch:
https://twitter.com/eorden/status/1031935154183450629?s=20
well it looks like they all got their talking points today. all of them are smearing Phil Mudd today.
Just posted, Manafort is being called back to the courtroom.
Cohen seeking to plead guilty and looking for a deal.
CNN reporting that Cohen IS in talks for possible plea deal
Right???
Ariel Edwards-LevyVerified account @aedwardslevy
4m4 minutes ago
WASHINGTON — The air was humid with incipient news.
Lenny, that library looks like Nirvana.
I love this quote about the Republican Congressmen who felt complacent in what were supposed to be safely gerrymandered districts. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/21/republicans-congress-blue-wave-safe-seats-790101
“The question is, can some of these incumbents, including Chabot, be defossilized?”
Checking in: Any news on Manafort trial?
https://twitter.com/renato_mariotti/status/1031954275210063873?s=20
Look for this to replace Rick Wilson on the NY Times Best Seller list.
https://twitter.com/wpjenna/status/1031951692387045377
Lanny is on CNN. Is that Wolf Blitzer w/o his big beard? Dude looks like Patrick McGoohan.
That was quick:
https://twitter.com/JoshMargolin/status/1031958700477562880
Gentry Breitbart = The Federalist.
https://twitter.com/TheRickWilson/status/1031963358583574528?s=20
https://twitter.com/PreetBharara/status/1031967065488478208?s=20
CNN says jury “close to verdict”.
Things are getting REALLY interesting. Orange Julius probably has his pardon marker out.
FOX news…hahaha…They might have a bit of trouble with this one.
https://twitter.com/CNBCnow/status/1031968206821445633?s=20
https://twitter.com/NTarnopolsky/status/1031972122430767105?s=20
Cohen Surrenders to FBI.
,,,And away we go.
people on cnn are saying this may not be a cooperation deal and could just be a guilty plea
Cohen: Multiple counts of campaign finance fraud, bank fraud and tax fraud. Expected to do jail time and pay financial penalties.
Oh, you know it.
Rick WilsonVerified account @TheRickWilson
1h1 hour ago
This Cohen news is going to set off the Toddler.
David JollyVerified account @DavidJollyFL
33m33 minutes ago
FWIW, Trump will be speaking off script at a West Virginia rally mere hours after a presumed Cohen plea deal is unveiled.
Judge Jeanine’s face is going to break, from the strength of her next rant.
Amazing how the Cohen story is competing with the Manafort story.
#RedLetterDay for the brave #NeverTrumpResistance
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e53350efc47c981c7f2ae48b85d19d64fa2d1513fd897a2b36818a9795bcf206.jpg
Jennifer RubinVerified account @JRubinBlogger
19m19 minutes ago
Two words to listen for: “Unindicted co-conspirator”
Avenatti just said the resolution of the Cohen case will allow him to unseal pertinent documents and go after Trump hard. (paraphrased)
Heh heh heh. Wilson evokes Cohen from 2015:
https://twitter.com/NatashaBertrand/status/1031989464611078145?s=20
Another note…
https://twitter.com/AaronBlake/status/1031996714859876353?s=20