Jenny1

They're now talking about deploying ground forces in Syria. It looks horribly like that classic tactic of sending troops into combat to provide a distraction from your own mess up.

Hi intexasatthemoment. I think that's just his standard response to most questions - no matter what the subject matter. I won. I'm great. Everything used to be bad. Now everything will be great. There seems to be a strong push among American activists to get Congressional Republicans to step up to do some real oversight ....but as discussed previously most are happy with the status quo. It'll need a powerful movement indeed to change their minds.

I think there are lots of confusing and tangled threads in the whole 'too close to Putin' story. I would say the point now is to get Congress to properly investigate the things we already know about. Any thorough investigation into the Flynn affair might well start to turn up other links. I'll have a thorough read of the articles you've linked to a bit later intexas. Thanks for keeping a thought provoking conversation going!

The Telegraph article is fun! And I think the humour is an important part of the story, because so much that should be considered and responsible is being turned into farce.

They love a peculiar name, don't they, these Americans?

This is very funny http://nymag.com/thecut/2017/02/nighttime-voice-mails-from-the-white-house.html

...although I suppose it might be a defensive move in the face of a possible ethics inquiry.

I think Reince Priebus may be next for the chop (for different reasons of course). This really creepy recent tweet from the eye-popping Kellyanne suggests she's positioning herself for the Chief of Staff job 'I serve at the pleasure of @POTUS. His message is my message. His goals are my goals. Uninformed chatter doesn't matter'.

I see. That's an interesting article. So all connected with the Christoper Steele dossier. I wonder how he's getting on these days!

As to the Republicans in Congress. I imagine they feel they can work around Trump and advance their legislative agenda. I suspect shame doesn't come into it!

Hi intexasatthemoment I don't know if there was a specific Flynn visit to Russia which Trump denied, but Flynn's close contacts in Russia have been public knowledge for a while. His downfall was due to the phone conversations* he had with the Russian Ambassador about sanctions while Obama was still in office. I think that's because of a law which prevents private citizens from engaging in diplomacy. This left him open to blackmail by the Russians. I imagine there's a hope in the White House that all the 'too close to Putin' baggage that's been weighing them down can be loaded onto Flynn's shoulders now, and will disappear out of the door now he's left. - Editing to add - *and of course lying about those conversations.

I love the way that the phrase 'full confidence' is such a reliable kiss of death.

... I also have reason to believe that this was common practice prior to my birth.

All my life (51 years) dogs have been tied up outside shops to wait for their owners. This is normal.

I think this is interesting on the way that congressional Republicans view Trump. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/12/us/politics/trump-gop-lawmakers.html

A good, brief analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of Mike Flynn, written back in December. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/12/making-sense-of-mike-flynn/510059/

nxjen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Though why US > immigration think anyone who has posted rabid anti > American messages on Facebook is going to meekly > complete a form with details of their online alter > egos is a bit strange. That's a key criticism I've heard of this too. It's another one of these policies that's not actually designed to achieve anything.

It's clearly a full schedule.

At the risk of veering miles off thread topic....I suspect this was less about the release of long suppressed passions, and more a 'gotcha' moment.

I don't imagine he's had a minute to think about it. He's been far too busy sorting out the Suez Crisis and the Vietnam War.

...I would see this as a 'win win' situation, whatever the outcome.

.....though it would be quite fun if Melania Trump brought down the Daily Mail. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38898530

It's a good point well made rahrahrah. And the follow through on both the Trump and Farage victories is, like their initiation, also primarily about sustaining the establishment (as per that Atlantic Monthly article I linked to). In the US, Trump is dependent on the ongoing support of a Republican Party which sees an opportunity to institute long cherished policies that wouldn't have been possible under a Democrat President. Without this support Trump would be unlikely to remain in office long. In the UK I see all government policy on Brexit since the referendum as being about keeping the Conservative Party intact and ensuring their victory at the next election. Long term thinking on national interest doesn't feature.

'Thirded' for Farmdrop. Very good produce and very good prices.

Others will have a more detailed and informed view. But I simply understood it that those implementing the Executive Order, as an innovation, have the onus on them to prove its legality. So if any serious judgement is made questioning that legality then a full case needs to be heard examining that Executive Order. Until that's done the EO is suspended.