Not everyone would take stolen information to help their campaign

The Trump side says everyone would have met with the Russians to get dirt on Clinton. That’s not true.

Here are two examples of similar situations from prior campaigns.

Keep pointing out that Gore 2000 campaign received stolen Bush debate book, which would have helped tremendously in prep. (I had one of few copies; it was well done.) They turned it over to FBI. That stolen info came from Austin, not Russia. What Rudy is saying is so absurd. https://t.co/le6Aj5bvVz

— stuart stevens (@stuartpstevens) August 20, 2018

During 1976 Carter campaign, I was in cubicle in Atlanta next to then-foreign-policy-staffer R Holbrooke.

Overheard him getting phone call w tip from foreign source about our opponent, then-Prez Gerald Ford.

RH said, “We’ve got to report this,” went to Zbig Brz to do so. https://t.co/ywRv0Lr3H5

— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) August 19, 2018

That was Tom Downey, who deserves immense credit. https://t.co/nk649QdRDx

— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) August 20, 2018

Donors cash funding jobs for ex-Trump aides

from the article:

““I have talked to several donors who share my concern about these entities being used as dumping grounds for former allies and staffers to muzzle them,” said Dan Eberhart, an energy company executive and Republican donor. “I don’t think it’s a good practice. Ultimately, donors are giving money to wage a successful campaign not to fund people’s golden parachutes out of the White House.””

Donors to conservative pro-Trump advocacy groups are starting to complain that their cash is funding “soft-landing” jobs for ex-Trump aides who’ve been dumped from the White House. https://t.co/vWmHM7H37h pic.twitter.com/C0hKrwGupT

— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) August 19, 2018

Trump’s anti-windmill rant

Trump goes on a bizarre anti-windmill rant, including mimicking a terrorist shooting one of them down pic.twitter.com/2qyjer8C37
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 13, 2018

Trump hates windmills because he fought against a windmill farm near his golf course in Scotland. He lost. :p https://t.co/etht3TIbn8
— HGTomato 🍅 (@HGTomato) August 13, 2018

Here's the transcript of Trump's remarks at a New York fundraiser last week about coal and windmills. pic.twitter.com/ADckyr4IET
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 19, 2018

Trump in Utica: Windmills kill birds.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife estimates: Windmills kill up to 500,000 birds a year; utility lines kill up to 57 million; buildings kill up to 988 million. #TrumpinUpstate https://t.co/N7oHc2HpHY
— Tim Knauss (@TimKnauss) August 13, 2018

He won’t ever stop

No, seriously https://t.co/8IBOQ6yQh1
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) May 29, 2022

It never ends

"Whoever does public relations work for this garbage has done an incredible job," Trump says, after a long rant about wind turbines getting a "puff piece" on 60 Minutes. There are few constants in Trump's world, but his hatred of windmills is fierce and consistent.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) October 17, 2022

Excellent point on Trump. Jr’s meeting the Russians

As a legal matter, you’re responsible if you intended to do something and took a substantial step towards making it happen. It doesn’t matter how it turned out. Plenty of drug dealers are in prison for trying to buy drugs from cops. https://t.co/jY73ta6Hfq

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) August 19, 2018

Eddie Gaedel

Sixty-seven years ago today, 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel came to bat for the St. Louis Browns. Here's my piece from the @sfchronicle on the 50th anniversary in 2001 with interviews with the living witnesses:https://t.co/gh3cDxoe06 pic.twitter.com/u7M1fwTMaV
— Tom Hawthorn 🇺🇦🇨🇦 (@tomhawthorn) August 19, 2018

Today in 1951, the St. Louis Browns send 3'7" Eddie Gaedel to the plate. Wearing the number "1/8", he walks on four pitches. pic.twitter.com/0CuccxmIrT
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) August 19, 2018

#OTD in 1951, Browns owner Bill Veeck instructs manager Zack Taylor to send 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel to the plate to lead off the second game of a doubleheader against the Tigers. Gaedel draws a walk in his only career plate appearance. https://t.co/uYEmDqyY6J pic.twitter.com/JZdCdGx3iQ
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) August 19, 2018

Fun Fact: Eddie Gaedel wore number "1/8" on his St. Louis Browns jersey during his legendary #MLB appearance (August 19, 1951) @UniWatch @PhilHecken #History pic.twitter.com/bByXcKZjpC
— Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) August 19, 2018

"Pinch-hitting for St. Louis, Number 1/8…"https://t.co/VuC9UNiV7I via @_newspapers
— Benjamin Hochman (@hochman) August 19, 2018

Eddie Gaedel tips his hat to the crowd after his one career at bat, 1951 pic.twitter.com/wzCY3KXGE1
— Baseball In Pics (@baseballinpix) August 8, 2022

It's the 70th anniversary of when Bill Veeck, the owner of the St. Louis Brown, sent Eddie Gaedel, a little person, to the plate in a major-league game. I have an unusual amount of Gaedel-related research, including this little bit from years later, where he's dressed as a beaver pic.twitter.com/U0xa6eSOKz
— Luke Epplin (@LukeEpplin) August 19, 2021

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Trump calls John Dean a rat

It’s not normal for presidents to describe someone who cooperates with law enforcement as a “rat.” https://t.co/o4ZYDZKbHN

— Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) August 19, 2018

"I’m frankly delighted to be on his enemy’s list if I’ve made it that far." @JohnWDean reacts to being called a "rat" by President Trump. pic.twitter.com/LAyqkZXlbU

— Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) August 19, 2018

Trump could pardon Manafort

Who could stop him? Nobody.

Republicans will let him get away with it. I would not be surprised if Trump pardons Manafort. Trump sees everyone as friend or foe and Manafort is a friend since he didn’t flip.

Trump’s supporters might be gullible enough to believe a pardon for Manafort wouldn’t be corrupt AF, but they’re a minority. There’s no way most Americans are going to sit back and quietly tolerate this kind of blatant obstruction. https://t.co/XBdQQWSsTj

— Michelle (@Michell82968785) August 25, 2018

Why Paul Manafort would have reason to hope for a Trump pardon | By Bernadette Meyler for @CNNOpinion https://t.co/72LQmICPhQ pic.twitter.com/DU33vG4hwe

— CNN (@CNN) August 18, 2018

So I generally choose not to hang on every twist of the Mueller investigation, but if Trump pardons Manafort (after maybe having promised a pardon to get him not to cooperate) and gets away with it, then we’re in a banana republic. We just are.

— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) August 17, 2018

Trump, asked if he’ll pardon his former campaign chairman: “i don’t talk about that. he happens to be a very good person. it’s sad what they’ve done to Paul Manafort”

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) August 17, 2018

By calling Manafort’s trial unfair and Paul a good man, Trump is tampering with the unsequestered jury, obstructing justice vis-a-vis Manafort, and hinting to Manafort that he’s in for a pardon unless he now starts cooperating with Mueller, thereby obstructing the Russia probe.

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) August 18, 2018

Trump not saying if he would pardon Manafort when he's asked … but sounds like he may. "I think the whole Manafort trial is very sad .. I think that's a very sad day for our country … I think it's very sad what they've done to Paul Manafort."

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) August 17, 2018

.@glennkirschner2: "A pardon can equal obstruction of justice." https://t.co/iktqMDRzpn

— Hardball (@hardball) August 25, 2018

“Dangling a pardon—essentially saying, ‘A pardon will be available for you at some point down the line,’ is tantamount to obstruction of justice and witness tampering,” says @sethwaxman https://t.co/TeedHbqpuI

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) August 24, 2018

A clear majority of voters say it would be inappropriate for President Donald Trump to pardon Paul Manafort or Michael Cohen, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll https://t.co/yGEJ6k0Gxj

— POLITICO (@politico) August 24, 2018

Is Trump Trying to Bribe Paul Manafort? https://t.co/FhThlvJCPm pic.twitter.com/UKYlMA9E4N

— The New Republic (@newrepublic) August 25, 2018

Rural America vs. Urban America

Small-town U.S.A. falls further behind urban America in job opportunities after recession https://t.co/4MFdCGGWjG
— MarketWatch (@MarketWatch) February 22, 2019

The United States is coming to resemble two countries, one rural and one urban. What happens when they go to war? asks @GrahamDavidA: https://t.co/f9U7H3nU72 pic.twitter.com/DlxMJcyMtw
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) August 18, 2018

from the article:

“But if liberal advocates are clinging to the hope that federalism will allow them to create progressive havens, they’re overlooking a big problem: Power may be decentralized in the American system, but it devolves to the state, not the city. Recent events in red states where cities are pockets of liberalism are instructive, and cautionary. Over the past few years, city governments and state legislatures have fought each other in a series of battles involving preemption, the principle that state law trumps local regulation, just as federal law supersedes state law. It hasn’t gone well for the city dwellers.”

Russian money laundering and Trump properties

Trump claimed he has no ties to Russia, but reporting in a new book by Craig Unger describes Russian mafia-linked money laundering involving Trump properties that goes back to the 1980s. https://t.co/RDMh0B7Xxr

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 18, 2018

“Truth isn’t truth”

What a ridiculous and dangerous thing for Giuliani to say!

“Alternate facts.” — Conway
“Facts develop.” — Sekulow
“Truth isn’t truth.” — Guiliani https://t.co/8gl5eoEs9U

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) August 19, 2018

I don’t understand how the president’s lawyer can say “truth isn’t truth” on national TV and people who support Trump can be totally unbothered.

The truth is not a partisan position.

— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) August 19, 2018

"Truth isn't truth."

"What you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening."

"Alternative facts."

These are dangerous constructs intended to foster blind loyalty in the face of objective reality. Suppression of truth is the last step towards tyranny.

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 19, 2018