Trump

[Kung Wu]

So let's say session didnt techincal lie, although I think he did but we are obviously not going to agree on that, why did he use rnc money then for time spent on his committee business?

Who should have paid for the trip for him to speak at the freaking Republican National Convention?

[shocka khan]

Who should have paid for the trip for him to speak at the freaking Republican National Convention?

The government. He was on "official" government business when he spoke with the Russian ambassador. Or at least that's what he's saying today

[atlwsu]

I think this is like the NFL. There is holding on every play but the flag is only thrown when the ref things it is a big deal, and the Dems are hoping this is a big deal.

Now to the monitors for a video replay.

[Kung Wu]

The government. He was on "official" government business when he spoke with the Russian ambassador. Or at least that's what he's saying today

No, his primary purpose for being in Cleveland was to speak at the freaking Republican National Convention. He took advantage of high profile contacts being there to have side meetings on an official capacity but that has nothing to do with anything.

Has your business ever flown you to a conference or on an important business trip?

[shocka khan]

No, his primary purpose for being in Cleveland was to speak at the freaking Republican National Convention. He took advantage of high profile contacts being there to have side meetings on an official capacity but that has nothing to do with anything.

Has your business ever flown you to a conference or on an important business trip?

During the time when he was in his official capacity as a member of the armed services committee, yes. The plane tickets and so forth could be paid out of campaign funds, but the days and times he was conducting official business, he should have billed the federal government for that part (or those days) on the trip.

By the way, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, John McCain, doesn't see any need to meet with the Russian ambassador, as he's never met with him. Since Sessions was not the chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, why would he think he would have to do something that the person running the committee apparently will not do?

[shocka khan]

I think this is like the NFL. There is holding on every play but the flag is only thrown when the ref things it is a big deal, and the Dems are hoping this is a big deal.

Now to the monitors for a video replay.

Exactly. Hence Session's recusal and the need for an independent prosecutor. And I agree, this could be like 'Travelgate', 'Cattlegate', Whitewater and a host of other investigations where we wasted a helluva lot of taxpayers money and accomplished nothing. Congresscritters do this not only as a blood sport but in the hopes of having a 'gotcha' moment.

If we do end up with an independent prosecutor for this case, please make the scope so narrow they can't use it as a fishing, hunting and wildlife habitat investigation like Ken Starr did. Just give the prosecutor a narrow scope and make them stick to it.

[John Higgins]

By the way, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, John McCain, doesn't see any need to meet with the Russian ambassador, as he's never met with him. Since Sessions was not the chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, why would he think he would have to do something that the person running the committee apparently will not do?

Not true:

According to Foreign Policy, about 30 Senate Democrats attended a 2015 meeting with top diplomats from Russia and other nations; this meeting was intended to bolster support for the Obama administration's Iran deal. In 2014, Senators John McCain and Dick Durbin met with Kislyak to discuss Crimea.

Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner...ntact-abnormal

[CBB_Fan]

The point I said before remains. It should be disqualifying even if, particularly if, Sessions did not willfully try to deceive Franken.

Sessions is supposed to be lawyer #1 of the United States. That is his job. He is the main legal adviser to the government. No lawyer should make the amateurish mistake of reading into a question and volunteering more information (particularly, false information) than necessary.

While I think the Russian stories are still valid, the bigger issue to me is the incompetence, not the assumption of malice. Like I've said before, that is my biggest issue.

As far as the Russia things go, there simply is a lot of circumstantial evidence:

Trump: Hosted Miss Universe at Moscow. Real estate deals in Russia. Had a foreign policy speech attended by Ambassador Kislyak. Had communications with Putin.

Sessions: Relationship with Kislyak is the main focus of his scandal. Introduced Carter Page to Trump.

Page: Met with Kislyak last year during Republican convention and addressed Russian businesses in Russia. Worked in Russia as investment banker before becoming Trump's adviser. He also had interactions with former Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin and Deputy Chief for Internal Policy Igor Diveykin (who is rumored to be the man in charge of "intelligence collected by Russian agencies about the U.S. election.")

Jared Kushner: Trump's son-in-law also met with Kisylak, and has financial connections with Russian investor Yuri Milner and the wife of oligarch Roman Abramovich.

Michael Flynn: Contact with Kislyak. Resigned after it was revealed that he has lied about the context of his meetings with the ambassador. Gave paid speech to Russian propaganda network and sat at Putin's table at the related banquet.

KellyAnne Conway: No direction connections, but her spouse legally defended a corporation accused of bribing Russian officials.

Paul Manafort: Trump's former campaign manager previously worked for the pro-Russian Ukranian political party. There were reports of approximately $12.7M in undisclosed cash payments to Manafort from Russia, and the President he advised in Ukraine has since been ousted and fled to Russia. More recently hacks revealed he was being blackmailed by a Ukrainian parliamentarian named Serhiy Leshchenk and that his daughter called the undisclosed ledgers "blood money" for actions that were "legally questionable."

Again, purely circumstantial but significant. It is extremely odd to have so many close advisers and cabinet members with direct links to a foreign country, including literally being on the payroll. And it is even stranger to have them have links to the same country, even the same man (Ambassador Kislyak). Of course, meeting ambassadors is not necessarily note-worthy, but lying about those meetings is.

[Kung Wu]

During the time when he was in his official capacity as a member of the armed services committee, yes. The plane tickets and so forth could be paid out of campaign funds, but the days and times he was conducting official business, he should have billed the federal government for that part (or those days) on the trip.

Have you never been on a business trip such as a conference?

You spend a day at a conference and then take advantage of the gathering by spending an hour after work with contacts and associates that happen to be at the same conference. There are no "days and times". There is a freaking hour that you take advantage of with this guy, then go have dinner with that guy, and maybe a beer with those guys. That's it.

And when you are a Senator meeting an ambassador, yes, that hour is official business even though the overall primary purpose of the trip is to attend the convention. And who pays for dinner is freaking irrelevant except to some bean counter or person with an agenda trying to make a stink out of nothing.

This is just basic common sense every day life stuff.

[Kung Wu]

By the way, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, John McCain, doesn't see any need to meet with the Russian ambassador, as he's never met with him. Since Sessions was not the chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, why would he think he would have to do something that the person running the committee apparently will not do?

Then McCain might not be very good at his job, huh?

[wu_shizzle]

Then McCain might not be very good at his job, huh?

Even if McCain doesn't meet with the Russians, there are plenty of pics online of him meeting with Islamic extremists.

He and Lindsey Graham sure love middle east conflicts, and have made some strange bedfellows.

[ShockingButTrue]

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[ShockingButTrue]

[ShockingButTrue]

Tell me this is just a fake meme, please!

[wufan]

Shocking but true, your pictures prove nothing and a meme isn't true. Why not look for some actual journalism instead of fake news. Again, lets investigate both sides. Why is trump so scared of an investigation?

Everyone LOVES to be investigated! It's so much fun!