A new Quinnipiac poll released yesterday found the following:
Voters disapprove 54 – 32 percent of the way President Donald Tr-mp is handling U.S. policy towards Russia…
American voters support 66 – 30 percent an “independent commission investigating potential links between some of Donald Tr-mp’s campaign advisors and the Russian government.” The only listed party, gender, age or racial group opposed is Republicans, opposed 64 – 30 percent.
A total of 61 percent are “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned” about President Tr-mp’s relationship with Russia. A total of 62 percent of voters say alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election is a “very important” or “somewhat important” issue.
As the great Steve Benen pointed out this morning:
Health care and wiretap conspiracy theories have helped push the Russia scandal off front pages, but the controversy continues to move forward in a way the White House should find alarming.
The Russia scandal may be off the front pages, but it was front and center on the Rachel Maddow show last night. In case you missed it, watch and learn and then wait:
The Erstwhile Conservative: A Blog of Repentance 
Dayan Edwards
/ March 9, 2017Probably the most frightening thing that RM covered last night was what’s happening at the State Department under Tillerson. I thought the worst that would happen with him as Secretary of State would be that he’d push for ending the U. S. sanctions on Russia that halted Russia and ExxonMobil’s drilling for oil in Russia and the Arctic. That would be horrible (not only because of the collusion between the P. Grabber administration and Putin but also because of the impact on the environment), but it’s possible that Tillerson’s appointment was much more nefarious. Putin hates the State Department, and Tillerson is decimating it by firing the most knowledgeable employees. As I’m writing this, I feel like I’m going to be sick. Meanwhile, P. Grabber’s supporters are energized by the fact that the number of illegal immigrants coming across the Mexican border dropped significantly last month: They have no idea what’s going on.
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Kevin Beck
/ March 10, 2017I hope the Dems keep Mr. Fried in the news and on the air for a while.
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Bill Miller
/ March 10, 2017RM is doing such a great job of keeping us posted on the entanglements of DT it is getting hard to keep them straight on the players and deals. Maybe someone in the know can make a list and put them on the site so we can see the scorecard of when and who is going to jail. I guess we are going to be getting new company jails and prisons and maybe that is what the idea of turning them over to For Profit prisons so they get special treatment. Just remember guys, DON’T DROP THE SOAP IN THE SHOWERS.
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ansonburlingame
/ March 10, 2017OK our RELATIONS with Russia, recent past and present and where we, America, should be heading. Could be a good discussion, but ……..
Great relief and happiness in the west, particularly America when the Soviet Union and communism as a single party power in Russia collapsed. Anyone herein think that was bad, for America or the world in general, even the “Russian people? Anyone herein believe the claim that after some 50 years “WE won the Cold War?” If you disagree, end of discussion. If you agree then “Why?” (did we win it).
I have no idea the numbers but consider the loss of population, diversity in demographics, GDP, etc when Soviet numbers are compared to today’s Russia, or better yet compared to Russia in say 1995. Think of the masses of the Soviets, geography, GDP, etc. “collapsing” down to what was left in Russia. As well consider Soviet hegemony over Eastern Europe and the Balkan States, all “gone”.
Now take a different perspective that America had “lost” the Cold War and the Left Coast (Wa, Or, and Ca), plus Texas all gained independence, politically and “left” the United States. As well American hegemony in W. Europe (including membership in NATO) went away and we had to go it alone in the world In other words the shoe was on the other foot, say in 1995.
In one sense Russia “collapsed” BACK to essentially a Slavic, “Russian people” State just as America would have “gone back” to a white, large middle class, very small government, etc. State akin to maybe 1830 or so.
While what Russia is doing today is a purer “Russian people” reaction it would fundamentally be sort of (at least) like how the “new American people” (no Texans, Californians, etc.) might react to regain old “glory” ($, hegemony, military power, etc.)
Better yet think if BOTH the Soviets and America (of old) “lost the CW” and Western Europe and China filled that geopolitical power vacuum!!! Wow, what a fictional book that might be to read and ponder. No matter how “nice” the world might become you can bet your bippy when a power vacuum occurs SOMEONE will fill it.
Think back to the very recent “we have reset our relations with Russia” days. Oh yeah?
So what next? It is not really much of a question of “what will Russia do”. It is “what will Russia do IF “we” do this” “. And yes, we are negotiating with a brutal, murdering thug, just like Stalin in terms of reputation. So what again, the reputation of a “leader”. His actions are what counts, not his reputation.
And while we are at “it” (whatever we decide to do next) let’s rid the world of nuclear weapons and we will go first to achieve that utopian New World Order. Yikes!! Where is my new bomb shelter??
Try this on for size, instead. Consider this “conversation”.
“Hi Vald, my name is Donald. We’ve never met but sure have heard a lot about each other. But so what. If you really want to regain people (hegemony) and territory, we can both go back to the Cold War. Hell if you listen to my opposition party they are ready to do so except they won’t pay a nickel more for my armed forces, upgrade my nuclear arsenal, etc. You just kill your opposition so you don’t have that problem.
But you really have a big problem still Vlad, not that mine is not almost as big. Both of us need room to grow, economically. So why not stop this crazy power grab outside our own borders (except we both must “kill ISIS) and focus on economics. I let you alone and you do the same for me. When we solve our own internal economic issues then we can compete like hell in the markets of the world. Bet I can beat your ass in that competition but go ahead and take your best shot (without using a gun).”
Of course this is a much longer conversation, but why not have it, without armies at our backs to agree to compete economically but not kill each other doing so?
Let me know what you think Vlad, but we can only do so face to face. Otherwise my guys, and yours too, will tape us and we both will be run out of office for collusion with the enemy!”
Anson
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ansonburlingame
/ March 11, 2017“Trump and Russia Scandal Won’t Go Away”. Probably not and like Benghazi Dems will ride it (Russia) for all it is worth will Trump defends each and every move made. Different subject but another 3-4 years of charges and counter charges. Have at it RM (and Duane) and see how far we get.
Anyone very heard of Sue Carter with Circa (I think that is name) News. Her online bio says she also worked for (“choke”) The Blaze!! She purports to being an investigative reporter.
She claims with 100% certainty that TWO warrants allowed the surveillance of the Russian ambassador (one warrant) AND a “Trump server” for the FBI to surveil. The latter was approved by a court and executed against the “Trump server” last October. As well that server was used, in part, by the Trump campaign.
That latter warrant was used for “spying” only for a brief period of time by the FBI but nothing was found to show a Trump business nor his campaign were doing anything illegal and it was terminated in late fall of 2017.
True, I have no idea. But should her accusations be ignored? Put her on the same stage with the Director of FBI, ask them both the same questions. She will state her case and FBI Director will prove the usual “We don’t comment on ……..”
So who exactly can FORCE the FBI Director to tell the full truth and how will anyone know if is follows such direction ordered by …………
As well put the head of the FBI, CIA, DNI, or anyone else on the stage with her and FORCE them to say if anything illegal was found while surveilling the Russian ambassador. IF ssomething illegal was found then ask why no charges have been filed, yet, or the ambassador not kick out of America as persona nongrata?
Just wondering.
Anson.
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Anonymous
/ March 11, 2017Anson,
It’s Sara, not Sue that works for the news organization that you cite, it was just bought out by GOP donors and its credibility is in question. As far as your comments on Vlad, do you think you right wing nut jobs will ever be satisfied with defense spending? There are already enough nukes to destroy the world several times over. People now fear an first strike attack from Russia because of our military superiority. Now the Navy has increased the subs payload several times over as listed in this article…
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-nukes-just-got-lot-212818509.html
The amount our country spends on the military is ridiculous and not merited. Another $54 billion on military spending is not a problem for your party, but to spend that on Healthcare would be absurd to your people. Russia doesn’t have an eye in space to determine launches as we do, but still we must spend, spend, spend on the military. Our military is the best in the world if you don’t count the financial mismanagement. My question to you is what percentage of the budget will satisfy the military’s needs year after year?
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ansonburlingame
/ March 12, 2017I would like nothing better than to get into either a nuclear deterrent strategy or even a nuclear war (we all start using them) strategy in this blog. But length and detail prevent that. Operationally, at sea and on various staffs I was out there on the tip of that spear for over two decades. I studied such topics for a year, academically as well and have read a lot on such topics.
Forget the strategy and the fact that each Trident submarine you mention is now over 30 years old or close to it. Training and modernization is greatly needed however not only in that one leg of the triad but in all three legs. Sequestration has been a grave harm not only to our nuclear forces but conventional ones as well.
As for defense budgets vs social program budgets there is one huge difference, by and large. A $600B budget (plus of minus) is created, debated and passed, ultimately. And that budget is set in stone. DOD cannot and does not overrun it unless Congress acts again.
Not so with HC and SS. Our routine costs for say Medicare are in the range of $550 Billion (plus or minus) but we only pay some $250-$300 Billion into it by Congressional appropriations. That gives us a built in deficit of ……. In other words we intentionally budget less than we know we must pay for each year in big social programs.
Solution? Zero based budgeting each year and force anyone using such program $ to remain within appropriations unless Congress acts again later in a FY. Zero based budgeting forces all to eliminate any and all “dead wood” in their budgets, programs that remain in place but with little or no benefit to all Americans..
During my brief exposure to the Pentagon I saw all the “fluff” in many budgets. I actually tried to do “something” about it. I had personal responsibility to do ground level budget work on a $25 Million (very small potatoes) submarine launched ASW missile that I would never carry (willingly) on any submarine I took to sea. I zeroed out that whole program line in my first budget submission. My One Star boss said, OK, let’s see what happens.
The next MORNING I had about 5 contractors outside my door and my boss had about 10 of them all screaming about eliminating their program. In the end the program was put back into the budget submission (over my objection).
Think that does not go on in social program budgeting? Of course it does and those programs have as many (or more) $600 toilet seats as any Pentagon budget.
The military-industrial complex is still very much alive and well, I assume but have not been in the middle of it now for almost 30 years. But you can bet your bippy there is a HC industry-government complex that is equally alive and well though I have no first hand knowledge of it.
As for raising DOD by $54 B this year, it is small potatoes when discussing overall government spending, but is more money needed to overcome effects of sequestration? You bet it is, Just ask John McCain. Should that money be used elsewhere? You bet it should and ask any Dem.
Right answer? I have no idea.
And by the way neither of “them” are “my party”. I would zero base all political parties, generate about 5 of them and MAYBE find one I would join. In the meantime I hang on to my independent label as tightly as possible.
Let’s see, pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-defense, fiscal conservative (balanced budget law) and carefully targeted social programs that actually work, just like a defense system that actually works (we’ve lost or stalemated very war but one since 1945). Now where can I find a party advancing such ideas. Even if the ideas work such a party still needs men and women to LEAD the country to make those ideas real. We haven’t even come close finding such leaders since……..? When that happens, no leaders, then parties are immaterial.
Anson
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