caulfield12

Their There They’re Would be nice to have a president who could seem intelligent on twitter at least...

We sign Holland, we end up one or two spots away in the first round from drafting another Benintendi...creating the need to spend yet another $150-175 million (or Yelich equivalent talent load) on a premiere free agent.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/02/politics/nun...page/index.html Nunes memo undermines its own argument That the Papadopoulos "information" also played some role in helping to secure the FBI's desired warrant throws into doubt claims by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes and other Republicans that law enforcement officials leaned too heavily on the contents of a dossier funded, indirectly, by Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The timeline here is key. The FISA application, under protracted scrutiny in the memo, was granted in October 2016. But, as confirmed here by Nunes himself, a potentially related investigation had begun months earlier, in July. And while the memo states that "there is no evidence of any cooperation or conspiracy between Page and Papadopoulos," it does not articulate the degree to which evidence gleaned from the Papadopoulos probe weighed on the court's decision to grant the Page warrant. Nor does it address whether that intelligence might have corroborated details from the dossier, compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele. On Thursday afternoon, Republican Matt Gaetz, a vocally pro-Trump Florida congressman who hasn't seen the underlying FISA application and related materials, speculated in an interview with CNN that the "entire universe of Papadopoulos claims" might well have been enough to win over a FISA court judge -- at first. If Nunes tries to put out even more memos without first allowing a Dem rebuttal ... there will be a civil war over more than immigration with another government shutdown looming Thurs and still zero progress on the House side about immigration. "I doubt this was the intent, but the House GOP and the Trump admin just blew up the right’s favorite conspiracy theory," argued National Review conservative commentator David French. "The Russia investigation isn’t the fruit of the poisonous dossier; it existed well before. The decks are now cleared for Mueller." Politico.com Republicans to Launch War Against State Department Next http://thehill.com/homenews/house/372109-n...in-russia-probe

Markets hate dramatically rising bond yields, interest rate increases and political uncertainty...we’re about halfway to a 10% correction.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Feb 2, 2018 -> 05:25 PM) Russian bots attacking Trump Sure, because they suddenly have reversed a two-year strategy and now want Mike Pence as president instead. A true friend of Russia.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Feb 2, 2018 -> 05:55 PM) I can't handle all this swamp draining. via That’s not as good as Ben Carson’s kid leveraging HUD to do business for personal gain...or the “party planner” now being second in command at that agency.

Three of the applications to monitor Page under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, were approved by former FBI Director James Comey and one by his deputy and successor, McCabe. Those applications were also approved by several other top Justice Department officials — including Sally Yates, a deputy attorney general in the Obama administration who briefly served as acting attorney general in January 2017; Dana Boente, who succeeded Yates; and Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller. In each case, a federal judge who sits on the FISA court — whose deliberations are kept secret — approved the request to monitor Page's communications. Politico.com Comey, McCabe, Yates, Boente, Rosenstein (two Republican appointees, three if you count McCabe) and potentially as many as FOUR Federal judges...all potential conspirators, lol. McCabe told the newspaper the FBI is “very fortunate in having very, very clear legal authority, a very clear position within the federal government, and an entirely professional cadre of men and women.” McCabe, a career civil servant, said there is only one political appointee in the FBI. “For 109 years, we have maintained our commitment to do our job professionally, competently, and apolitically,” McCabe told Indian Express. “We pursue every case, whether it’s a counter-terrorism matter, or a counter-intelligence matter, or a criminal matter, or a public corruption matter, in exactly the same way: we follow the facts wherever they lead us.” https://heavy.com/news/2017/05/andrew-mccab...hotos-bio-wife/ Sounds like a Boy Scout, just like Comey. Interesting to also learn this entire Russia investigation was kicked off by “coffee boy” Papadopoulous’ conversations with an Australian diplomat in July of 2016...confirming NY Times original reporting.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/party-animal-ari...-073022151.html #metoo movement takes down Arizona (State) GOP lawmaker

James Comey @Comey That’s it? Dishonest and misleading memo wrecked the House intel committee, destroyed trust with Intelligence Community, damaged relationship with FISA court, and inexcusably exposed classified investigation of an American citizen. For what? DOJ & FBI must keep doing their jobs. Carter Page The brave and assiduous oversight by Congressional leaders in discovering this unprecedented abuse of process represents a giant, historic leap in the repair of America’s democracy.Now that a few of the misdeeds against the Trump Movement have been partially revealed, I look forward to updating my pending legal action in opposition to DOJ this weekend in preparation for Monday’s next small step on the long, potholed road toward helping to restore law and order in our great country. Uh, huh. Sure. The irony here is the Republican Party has always been the party pushing for the broadest possible government surveillance powers, beginning with The Patriot Act after 9/11. When the term “permanent mass surveillance” comes up, do progressives EVER get listed as staunch defenders? As a result, a lot of Republicans who previously have been pro-surveillance are having some qualms as well about the issues civil liberties advocates have focused on for years. For example: “Incidental collection”, where US citizens’ information is “accidentally” collected along with the foreign citizens being targeted A series of “deeply troubling” leaks from the intelligence services to the press The NSA once again admitting routinely violated their terms for “upstream collection” — the latest episode in their 12-year pattern of breaking the law The battle over Patriot Act reauthorization in 2015 showed that the alliance of progressives, libertarians, and Tea Partiers is strong enough to have an impact if they stick to their guns. Lawfare’s detailed analysis of support for Section 702 in the Senate suggests that in addition to Rand Paul, up to a dozen Republican Senators might not support reauthorization without reforms. https://medium.com/get-fisa-right/permanent...te-c634466a2939

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Feb 2, 2018 -> 12:35 PM) Yeah that part was...really bad. Berating him for being awful is fine, but "prison rape as punishment" is pretty disgusting. Speaking of gross statements: https://t.co/UZWtNL83F5 Is that guy running for office in Missouri, too?

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Feb 2, 2018 -> 12:21 PM) This memo is going to be the new Benghazi. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/01/opinion/...col-left-region Finally, the idea that investigators were out to fool a federal judge shows a profound ignorance of how the intelligence courts actually work, and of the degree of vetting that precedes every warrant application. As one former F.B.I. agent explained, a conspiracy to obtain a warrant based on bad information would have required the involvement of at least a dozen agents and prosecutors, a corrupt or incompetent federal judge and the director of the F.B.I. — all working in concert to undermine Donald Trump. .... It would be nice to treat Mr. Trump, Mr. Nunes and their cohort as the junior high school pranksters they resemble, but what they’re doing — cynically undermining the nation’s trust in law enforcement, fostering an environment of permanent suspicion and subterfuge — is far more dangerous. The question is whether there are any adults left in the G.O.P. The evidence so far is not encouraging, notwithstanding a sporadic furrowed brow in the Senate. At some level, one hopes, a sense of shame and responsibility to the republic will finally kick in. But that, too, is unlikely. Republicans from the top on down have made it clear, expressly or otherwise, that this is all about winning the political fight directly in front of them, the consequences — and the rest of America — be damned.

The stock market is falling due to Obama/Clinton/Democrats/FBI/Colin Kapaernick/MS-13.

Trump’s more of an idiot than we thought underestimating the American peoples’ collective intelligence so badly. Teal when his approval rating spikes to 45% next week, lol. Fire Nunes, replace him with a bottle of Drano for so effectively eliminating the Swamp from DC politics. Award nominations for Fox News if they can continue to spin this for more than 72 hours over the weekend and not collectively bore everyone to death. On the plus side, Wray probably won’t resign due to this release as it looks so clownish....like a Reese Witherspoon mini-plot from the film Election.

Don't forget Cleuluis Rondon, the fielding wizard who can't hit a lick (from BOS)

Pennsylvania GOP leader defies court order on gerrymandering https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/01/politics/pen...ring/index.html Washington (CNN)A top Pennsylvania state Senate Republican is refusing to follow a court order requiring lawmakers to turn over data that would redraw the state's congressional map. In a letter to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which struck down the map, state Sen. Joe Scarnati on Wednesday called the order unconstitutional and said he would not comply. "In light of the unconstitutionality of the court's orders and the court's plain intent to usurp the General Assembly's constitutionally delegated role of drafting Pennsylvania's congressional district plan, Senator Scarnati will not be turning over any data identified in the court's orders," wrote Brian Paszamant, Scarnati's attorney.

Sisco and Aarsdma in particular...I remember they must have auditioned about 10-12 lefties too, the only one who turned out to be any good we traded to the Red Sox, Javier Lopez.

https://sports.yahoo.com/chris-getz-describ...-194919118.html Getz hypes up Micker Adolfo "That was the first time I'd ever seen Micker Adolfo," Getz said during a Sunday afternoon SoxFest panel at the Hilton Chicago. "I don't know the Micker Adolfo prior to 2017. Ultra talented, lots of tools. "When I saw this kid for the first time, I thought, ‘This is one of the most physically gifted players I've ever seen.'" ... "Those were raw skills. He just needed to play baseball. He needed to get comfortable on a baseball field," Getz continued. "From an offensive standpoint, he was a guy who was trying to generate power, but he was already strong enough, he didn't need to do that. So he really became disciplined last year with an approach. He stayed on top of the ball longer, and he would run into balls naturally and drive them out of the park. "It was great to see him take strides. And now the confidence is coming, so who knows what's in store next."

What's the latest of the Clippers trading DeAndre Jordan or Lou Williams?

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Feb 1, 2018 -> 08:23 PM) Has he played baseball before or is Hahn just hoping Hectors brother can pitch? https://www.blessyouboys.com/2013/2/11/3977...hp-bruce-rondon Let's go back to 2013, lol...he's had a ton of injuries since that time. He also walked an astronomical 7.6 batters per 9, which was the main reason for his 1.40 WHIP, but it was a dominating season nonetheless. Following his 2011 season, Rondon found himself skyrocketed up prospect rankings lists, as scouts finally caught a glimpse of an overpowering fastball and projectable secondaries. As we're all undoubtedly aware, Rondon spent 2012 across 3 levels (A+, AA, and AAA). Over those 3 levels, he accrued 53 innings with a 1.53 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 11.2 K/9, and 4.4 BB/9. He will be given every opportunity to win the closers' job for the Tigers in spring training, and certainly looks to be the Tigers closer of the future.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Feb 1, 2018 -> 08:08 PM) This counter memo is hardly a story. If they want to release it I don't care. I'm not sure why I'm being held accountable for opinions I didn't make. Which candidate do you think took more foreign aid in the last election? If we would have tax returns released, the full structure of Kushner Real Estate financial dealings in Europe and Russia...Deutsche Bank...and any connections with The Trump Organization and Russia dating back to the financial crisis (money laundering with Russian oligarchs buying Trump properties for 2-3X their commonly-accepted market values/Haitian dictators), we'd actually know the answer to that one. Now you can argue CLINTON CASH and Uranium ONE and The Clinton Foundation all you want, but the fact remains we won't know anything about Trump's/Javanka's/Donald Jr's dealings with foreign entities until the Mueller Investigation wraps up.

ALL THE CLOSERS!!! Rondon Gomez Soria Nate Jones Burdi

"All should appreciate the FBI speaking up," Comey wrote Thursday evening. "I wish more of our leaders would. But take heart: American history shows that, in the long run, weasels and liars never hold the field, so long as good people stand up. Not a lot of schools or streets named for Joe McCarthy." James Comey Devin Nunes is acting like he's in a (Tom Clancy/LeCarre) spy thriller https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/01/politics/dev...ller/index.html The first twist in his topsy-turvy, parallel investigation came on the evening of March 21, the day before his now infamous news conference. Nunes was traveling in a car with staff when, after receiving a mystery phone call, he left the group and headed to the White House grounds. When he arrived, alone, a "source" presented him with the information he would relay to the public a day later. "The Congress has not been given this information, these documents, and that's the problem," Nunes told CNN, explaining his off site work. "This is executive branch." Who cleared Nunes into the complex? The New York Times later reported that a pair of administration officials, one with ties to the intelligence committee, were his contacts inside the wire. Nunes said then and maintained that he never set foot in the actual White House. (There are other buildings and secure locations on the grounds). What became apparent, though, over the subsequent days, was that Nunes had been employed, in a job he seemed to embrace, as a channel for distributing dubious conclusions about classified intelligence activities. It wouldn't be the last time. After giving his Capitol Hill news conference, Nunes on March 22 returned to the White House, this time to meet with Trump in person and share the details of what he had learned a day before. Trump, in turn, told reporters that he "very much appreciated the fact they found what they found" and that the details gave him a sense of vindication -- that his unsubstantiated tweets alleging an illegal wiretap by his predecessor had been, in some way, confirmed. But that was either a feint or some bigger misunderstanding. As Nunes himself told reporters outside the White House after his chat with Trump, charges that President Barack Obama had ordered surveillance of Trump Tower were bunk. "That never happened," he said.

See Mark Appel. Waits for thread suggesting Don Cooper can fix Mark Appel.

QUOTE (Quin @ Feb 1, 2018 -> 12:57 PM) Bulls should be able to target a wing and a big now. If they get Ayton/Bagley/Bamba/Jackson, I'd love Vanderbilt or Knox if he falls. If they get Porter/Doncic/Trae, give me Yurtseven or McCoy, unless a good BPA falls. Is Yurtseven a dynamic enough athlete to be a starter in the NBA...the couple times I watched him, he hasn't been that impressive. The interesting thing with Golden State is they have all these low-paid players like Bell and now Damian Jones with a ton of athletic ability that they can just throw out on the floor with 2-3 superstars and they'll absolutely thrive. They have to shed Livingston, Iguodala and part with Klay Thompson, but that would be close to fitting LBJ in, right?

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Feb 1, 2018 -> 06:07 PM) It seems counterintuitive to me for Wray to resign. If he feels trump is wrong and what's happening is wrong, why walk away? It would seem that trump would just put a guy in his place that could possibly give that loyalty oath that Trump wants so bad I dunno, maybe I'm looking at it wrong If you're the FBI, and pride yourself on being completely bi-partisan, remaining in your position after the entire intelligence community has come out against the memo being released shows that you basically are just going to be a pawn or figurehead. The ONLY way to get Trump's attention is to draw so much attention to yourself that it makes it impossible for him to fire you...where the political consequences to the administration of you leaving/being fired/quitting are greater than the perceived benefits that Trump thinks he's receiving (and, at this point, the key information is already out there, right?) from whatever he's plotting. If there's one thing we should have learned, Trump hates being crossed, BY ANYONE (asked for loyalty from Comey, "joked" with McCabe about who he voted for, asked Rosenstein if he was "on his team," etc.), and we can be pretty certain there would have been firings of Rosenstein, Mueller and now Wray, were there not cooler heads prevailing SOMEWHERE in his administration. In the case of Mueller, it was Don McGahn. Question for Rabbit: Do you think this process will be perceived as "fair" and "bipartisan" by the majority of Americans in the middle who aren't constantly following politics and care more about pocketbook issues than Beltway intrigue? And what reason would independent voters have for trusting the information? Historically, there has been consensus or near-consensus (and room for dissenting opinions, just like the Supreme Court) when actions like this are taken and documents are produced by a Congressional committee/investigation. Here, we have NO concurrence. We don't even have any information being shared with Republican colleagues in the Senate. Now, if this was the first trip to the rodeo, Nunes MIGHT get the benefit of the doubt, or even Paul Ryan, but not at this point.