Seems pretty clear to me that Trump is guilty of violating the US Constitution’s Emoluments clause. Ideally, the Congress would do its job and investigate, and likely impeach. But since the Congress is controlled by Republicans, and they are bunch of crooks, that is not going to happen.
But, there is more than one way to skin a Trump. There are law suits making their way through courts, going after Trump in a number of different ways, including over emoluments. Just today, a federal judge allowed an emolument related law suit to continue, according to the Washington Post.
The ruling, from U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte in Greenbelt, Md., will allow the plaintiffs — the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia — to proceed with their case, which says Trump has violated little-used anti-corruption clauses in the Constitution known as the emoluments clauses.
This ruling appeared to mark the first time a federal judge had interpreted those Constitutional provisions and applied their restrictions to a sitting president.
If the ruling stands, it could bring unprecedented scrutiny onto Trump’s businesses — which have sought to keep their transactions with foreign states private, even as their owner sits in the Oval Office.
Here is a Georgetown Law professor talking about Trump and emoluments.
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I remember in late 90s, people kept saying THIS is what will drive Clinton from office.
During his impeachment trial, polls showed 60%+ support, and the stories were ‘once the managers get to argue their case’ to ‘well once the public hears the witnesses speak in person’ they’ll flip.
Yes, Clinton popularity didn’t change much as a result of impeachment. I very much doubt that impeachment will cause Trump’s popularity to move much from where it is today. Which, for those of you playing at home, is not 60%. Not even close to 60%.
Meanwhile:
“He just says, ‘Well, I’m going to negotiate a better deal.’ Well, what, how exactly are you going to negotiate that? What magic wand do you have? And usually the answer is, he doesn’t have an answer.” — Obama
Wired Sources
? @WiredSources
BREAKING: President Trump announces that the EU will ‘almost immediately’ increase soybean imports from US
And they’ve agreed to work towards removing recent tariffs! Such a deal! Toss a crumb so Trump can save face then back to the status quo. Such a victory!
Meanwhile the trade deal between Japan and the EU, which does not favor the US, will remain in place …
No, they are not talking about returning to status quo. That would indeed be a loss for Trump as you describe it.
“Trump indicated both sides agreed to halt for now tariffs that threatened to devolve into a trade war as negotiations proceed, and said the EU agreed to import more US soybeans and liquid natural gas.”
Status quo plus crumbs regarding importing soybeans and LNG.
Then talks towards zero-tariff trade on a wide range of goods, which would increase the flow of trade in both directions, not simply towards the US.
Note that nowhere is it stated that the EU has agreed to negotiate towards an agreement favoring the US …
And importing more LNG from the US is probably something they’ve probably been wanting to do anyway. Think Russia.
Zero tariff trade was the goal that Trump announced from the beginning. EU currently has higher tariffs on US goods than US has on EU goods(at least prior to the saber rattling), so this is a big gain. The auto sector has been excluded for some reason. This is strange since Germany’s auto companies offered to drop all tariffs, which is currently 10% EU, 2.5% US.
MikeN:
“The auto sector has been excluded for some reason. This is strange since Germany’s auto companies offered to drop all tariffs, which is currently 10% EU, 2.5% US.”
There might be help for you yet.
“Zero tariff trade was the goal that Trump announced from the beginning.”
The EU people aren’t dumb. The non-binding “hey we’ll talk about it” is good optics. They’ve looked into the end-game and aren’t about to be gamed. Not, it’s not in the least bit binding. And Trump’s speculation about the beneficial effect of a zero-tariff treaty is nothing more than that, speculation.
Should be interesting to see what the 4th circuit does, and perhaps even the Supreme Court.
Here is an interesting law review article:
http://www.minnesotalawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Grewal_MLR.pdf
But it’s not just the emoluments. Trump is caught in a growing pile of legal shit.
>And Trump’s speculation about the beneficial effect of a zero-tariff treaty is nothing more than that, speculation.
Low tariffs- bad for Trump. No change in tariffs- bad for Trump as he lost. High tariffs- bad for Trump as he didn’t get them or they are bad for the economy.
Make up your mind.
The point mikeN is simple:there was nothing in the way of valid reasons for the tariffs in the first place: it was all fiction on his part.
Dean: Exactly. Trump upset a reasonable smooth running apple cart for no good reason. It’s on a par with trashing NATO and snuggling up to Putin.
It’s a move endorsed by Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations. Raise your tariffs until the other country reduces its own.
Returning to status quo would mean Trump lost his trade war. Raising tariffs to get others to lower their own is the game plan for now, though at odds with his rhetoric about trade deficits are bad and tariffs are good.
MikeN:
“Returning to status quo would mean Trump lost his trade war. ”
Which, of course, for the time being is exactly what Trump is doing. After not actually firing a shot. Coward.
Dhogaza, they haven’t gotten rid of the steel and aluminum tariffs for Europe.
You would have to believe that Trump and/or the loon he hired as advisor have ever read Smith, or that the advice therein is still relevant in today’s world. Neither has any evidence behind it.
This move was simply a ploy to the people who still think he will help them economically (when nothing else he’s done has). Remember what was said about European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s recent meeting with trump:
The presentation involved “colorful cards with simple words” — the type of thing you’d do for a very introductory middle-school class (maybe).
You’re right. Instead of reading Sun Tzu, Trump just watched cartoons, and the last 3 years Dems have been saying, “This will be the end of Trump.”, and then:
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/ImperfectQuarterlyAlpinegoat-max-1mb.gif
I get you don’t like reality mikeN. Too bad.
Three replies by K9dean to mikeN and not
a single personal attack !!!
The UN peace task force is returning to NYC
and decommissioning because dean is not
nuking others’ posts.
The Kim Un effect??
Three thumbs up for dean.
Did anyone notice that the professor surname
is, is, is RUSSIAN!!!!
The CCCP now has plants in our universities.!!
We are doomed !!
Off your meds again dickhead?
He’s not so much a dickhead as a traitor.
The dickhead is unaware the CCCP no longer exists.
Just another reason people laugh at him.
“Off your meds again dickhead?”
Is dat you gutter guard K9dean?
“He’s not so much a dickhead as a traitor.”
BBDD, is you were a dicktor, what would you do to traitors?
I’m not a dictator and the legal process for dealing with proven treason differs from country to country. You will need to consult US law for the answer to your question.
But have no illusions, your active collusion with a hostile foreign power’s attack on American democracy makes you a traitor. And you know it.
“The dickhead is unaware the CCCP no longer exists.
Just another reason people laugh at him.”
Dickdean, has rudimentary understanding, if that of
satire.
Just another reason people laugh at him.
Nobody believes you are capable of satire. Everyone believes you’re too stupid to know the Soviet Union is no more.
“But have no illusions, your active collusion with a hostile foreign power’s attack on American democracy makes you a traitor. And you know it.”
You are so skilled and crafty that you should have made
Team Mueller. Judge Freisler, fully acknowledges your
deep and rational intellectual component; as well as your foremost
and effective litigating skills.
What time is it kids? Judge BBD says, it is Gulag time – traitor!!!!
You cannot defend your position. You know it is treasonous as well as I do.
“You cannot defend your position.”
It’s a pretty safe assumption that billyR can’t hold his own water — we shouldn’t expect him to be able to hold an intelligent conversation.
BBC quote “hostile foreign power’s attack on American democracy.”
Please, cite with facts.
Remember when the USA under Obomba, did dat to six sovereign
nations? Or do you suffer from erectile dementia?
https://spectator.org/obamas-meddling-in-foreign-elections-six-examples/
How many US intelligence agencies do you need?
Don’t be even more of a dissembling fuckwit than usual BillyR. It makes the room smell.
As for the whatabout-ism, you can stuff it. The issue here is that Russia hacked the election, Trump ended up in the White House and instead of crying treason and impeachment, you are rolling in the shit with all the rest of them.
As I said, you are a disgrace to your nation, along with the rest of them.
American spectator? Really? Is your latest issue of the KKK journal late this month?
BBC, any links of yous being outraged and calling
BO & MO traitors??
Why even the ritewing did not do that. Your denouncements
are fake, false and phony.
Then why can’t you defend yourself ?
The right wing didn’t call the Obamas traitors? You lying piece of shit, why do you think anyone would believe that?
The reason why the left lies so often is that
truth is not a moral value. Defeating the opposition
is their value. So lying is a means to an end.
I just have published a new book. Collusion is not a crime.
Collusion for Standardized Dummies. Amazon $9.99
Mention this fine website and shipping is FREE.
And STILL no defence of your support for the Russian attack on US democracy.
A quite astonishing reticence for a self-proclaimed ‘Constitutionalist’.
You can see why the t-word keeps cropping up.
Johnny Brennan, is a traitor, as he voted for
Gus Hall, the Communist. And then he gets
the top spot a the CIA?
What does that make BO?
“The right wing didn’t call the Obamas traitors? You lying piece of shit, why do you think anyone would believe that?”
Any cites, K9dean or more just of your droppings
you leave on the public sidewalk?
Sorry dickwad, your stench clogged the internet. Ximena Barreto is the latest to call President Obama a traitor, and she’s one of trump’s appointees.
Weren’t you paying any attention to the tea-bagger events you went to, where Obama was called a traitor on a regular basis? Or was the sign you were carrying calling for Michelle to be raped, murdered, and burned blocking your vision?
Eff off with your bigotry and dishonesty.
RUSSIAN HACK ALERT !!!!
https://www.dailywire.com/news/33740/trump-2020-banner-unfurled-yankee-stadium-joseph-curl
Demand that the GM and Owners are traded (traitors) to an AAA
farm team; preferably the Berkeley Reds.
“And STILL no defence of your support for the Russian attack on US democracy. ”
I have axe and not received any cites from you, BBC.
You are simply a fiction writer, living in a LA LAND.
How many US intelligence agencies do you need? IIRC they *all* state that there was Russian interference in the election. And you pretend that I need to proved ‘cites’.
Fuck off with your diversionary nonsense. Why is a so-called ‘Constitutionalist’ not calling for investigations, arrests and impeachment?
Instead, you are cheering on those wiping their arses on the Constitution and attacking those calling for action in the face of hostile foreign attacks on US democracy.
So you aren’t a Constitutionalist, you are a traitor. QED.
“President Donald Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, said Monday that he’s not sure collusion with Russia would be considered a crime.”
So maybe conspiring with officials of a foreign government to influence a US election isn’t treasonous anymore? Or maybe it still is. I think that it still is. Some Russian loving punk around here seem to think that it is treasonous to vote for somebody legally on the ballot in a US election, so it looks like the right wing definition of just about anything is getting liquified these days. Anyway, Rudy has always been a little tone deaf on issues of common sense and propriety. Like when he got married to one of his own relatives. Or the time he brought his mistress home to live with him and his wife in Gracie Mansion. Or the time he put the NYC emergency response center in a terrorist targeted building which was subsequently destroyed. Or not making sure that NYC first responders had proper respiratory protection, resulting in severe illness and death for hundreds of them.
Freed of the bounds of modern science, the Trumps and Giuliani’s of the world are working overtime to create a pre-medieval fantasy world where lies are okay and the values of demented children rule.
Funnily enough, I think it’s still treasonous too. What’s more, I’m willing to bet that whatever Giuliani may claim, it will still be found to be treasonous under US law. Like it was last week. The fact that Giuliani has now made this utterly risible and false claim does suggest that there might be some interesting revelations in the pipeline though.
And now we have the government opening talks with the Taliban. Remember the faux outrage from the right when they claimed President Obama had anything to do with terrorists (or the leaders of Iran or North Korea)?
Look no further than hypocrisy over things like this to demonstrate that none of the major screaming points the Republicans came up with during Obama’s presidency were based not on facts but pure racism.
Trump has pushed the bounds of exceptable behavior to the stratosphere, where, hopefully, he will soon run out of air. His constant conspiratorial attacks on the media and intelligence communities make exciting entertainment for the cadre of intellectual losers , watchers of The Apprentice , and dumb sheep that make up his base. And it also makes stunning entertainment for all of Trump’s pals in Russia. Predictably, at some point, the overwhelming majority of the American public will have had enough bull shit, and the Trump show will come to a screeching halt. One day, there will be a majority that says the screwy old man show must go, and the next thing you know, he will be off the air.
Can’t wait.
>IIRC they *all* state that there was Russian interference in the election.
A Brennan/Clapper special. There were not 17 agencies, but 4. There was a group of analysts hand picked by Brennan to produce the result he wanted. Not the usual process. And NSA refused to endorse it.
You are lying.
From the New York Times:
See link for the rest.
How much more do you want? Stop insulting my intelligence.
BBD, you are ignoring how powerful the infamous “deep state” cabal really is. It is so powerful that it can appear to consist of independent agencies examining data and coming to an obvious conclusion when, in fact, there are really only 4 people putting out all of the documents as disinformation. It’s quite amazing, and there are connections to the remnants of the Carbonari and the Rothschilds. Strange bedfellows yes, but they will do anything to put down the greatest (white) president in history.
At least, that’s what I can tell from mikeN’s posts.
Not sure whether I like the ‘likes’. I mean ‘likes’ here, on a Greg Laden blog? Is nothing sacred? So I haven’t been using them but I will if that’s what we do. Everybody already knows I’m a curmudgeonly bastard, after all. So a few ‘likes’ won’t change anything.
As for the deep state, how could I have been so stupid? It’s all linked up with the synchronised and universal falsification of climate data. It’s so obvious now.
K9 dean, at least BBD gives a link. Do you think anyone
believe of much you say.
Give a link, you dink.
That giant “whooshing” sound that came through the internet was billyr missing the point of my previous post. Have someone who can read for comprehension explain it to you billyR.
DNC Chair Tom Perez Spotted Carrying $1,840 Designer Bag At Airport After Calling Socialism ‘Future’ Of Party
http://dailycaller.com/2018/07/30/tom-perez-louis-vuitton-travel-bag/
NOW that is socialism that I can embrace.
About the treason thing, Billy. I’m wondering when you will explain to us how a ‘Constitutionalist’ can endorse an attack on American democracy by a hostile foreign power?
I’m sure Thomas Jefferson would be interested to hear the answer too, were he here today.
Daily caller? Again — there is no reason to believe their take on anything. par for you.
What would have Jefferson made of the Daily Caller, I wonder?
No BBC, MIKE is not lying the NY Limes is.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-intelligence-committee-gop-releases-final-russia-report/2018/04/27/cfea31e2-4a20-11e8-9072-f6d4bc32f223_story.html?utm_term=.04580ffa4846
by Matt Zapotosky, Karoun Demirjian and Greg Miller April 27 Email the author
“House Intelligence Committee Republicans on Friday released a redacted version of their final report from a year-long probe of Russia’s “multifaceted” influence operation, generally clearing President Trump and his associates of wrongdoing while accusing the intelligence community and the FBI of failures in how they assessed and responded to the Kremlin’s interference in the 2016 election.
The report charges the intelligence community with “significant intelligence tradecraft failings,” suggesting, without saying explicitly, that Russia’s main goal was to sow discord in the United States and not to help Trump win the election. It says investigators found “no evidence that the Trump campaign colluded, coordinated, or conspired with the Russian government,” even as it details contacts between campaign officials and Russians or Russian intermediaries. “
It’s getting difficult whether you are just massively stupid, or immensely dishonest, or a toxic combination of both.
https://www DOT washingtonpost DOT com/powerpost/russia-favored-trump-in-2016-senate-panel-says-breaking-with-house-gop/2018/05/16/6cf95a6a-58f6-11e8-8836-a4a123c359ab_story.html?utm_term=.511df9c06a49
https://www DOT washingtonpost DOT com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/04/27/3-ways-that-the-house-republicans-russia-report-directly-contradicts-the-intelligence-community/?utm_term=.7e42c72d72da
From that article
* Exact opposite of what intelligence agencies found
* Evidence included how Russians with fake identities got Trump campaign staffers in Florida to put on a rally featuring HRC in a cage
?https://www DOT washingtonpost DOT com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/04/27/the-new-house-gop-report-on-russia-is-revealing-but-not-in-a-good-way-for-trump/?utm_term=.33229047426c??
https://www DOT washingtonpost DOT com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/05/16/the-russia-report-trump-likes-best-just-took-a-big-credibility-hit/?utm_term=.c4098521b461??
Key part there (emphasis by me)
You are confusing Republicans with the intelligence community. So you get fake news.
“About the treason thing, Billy. I’m wondering when you will explain to us how a ‘Constitutionalist’ can endorse an attack on American democracy by a hostile foreign power?”
BBD, that so called “attack” (more like a yak-yak) gave more votes
to the 20% Uranium Woman, than their favorite son Boris Trumpsov.
As always, do not depend on the Russies for any other than
good field battle tanks and artillery. Try USSR vodka and you will understand
why their population and the Caspian Sea is shrinking.
“BBD, that so called “attack” ”
Yeah, I’ll go with the security experts who call it an attack, not with a low IQ bigot like you.
” gave more votes
to the 20% Uranium Woman, ”
a) Evidence?
b) As noted repeatedly, there was no massive give over of uranium performed by HRC. I’d ask you to stop lying, but that won’t happen as long as you have a pulse.
So, the ‘Constitutionalist’ continues to deny the combined testimony of all major US intelligence agencies that American democracy was attacked.
That’s either treason, old chap, or denialism.
An examination of it, and the people who read it, would make him ashamed of the country.
All the US intelligence community is engaged in a political conspiracy against Trump?
Conspiracy theory crap, Billy boy. And you can stuff it up your arse, alongside the long-debunked rubbish about uranium which even I – a Brit – know to be bollocks.
Here IRL, you have a problem. The Russians hacked US Democracy and Trump ended up in the White House. Trump who has shat over pretty much every other world leader but has nothing but kind words for Vlad. Trump who was hooked into dirty Russian money since the 80s. Trump who almost certainly colluded with the Russians to ‘get dirt on Hillary’.
Treason is in the air, Billy. And you are cheering it along. So do me a favour: never refer to yourself as a Constitutionalist in my virtual presence again.
You have betrayed the Constitution in both letter and spirit and you know it.
“You are confusing Republicans with the intelligence community. So you get fake news.”
I am glad, BBD, that you place your trust in politicized government organs.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/us/cash-flowed-to-clinton-foundation-as-russians-pressed-for-control-of-uranium-company.html
“The article, in January 2013, detailed how the Russian atomic energy agency, Rosatom, had taken over a Canadian company with uranium-mining stakes stretching from Central Asia to the American West. The deal made Rosatom one of the world’s largest uranium producers and brought Mr. Putin closer to his goal of controlling much of the global uranium supply chain.”
“At the heart of the tale are several men, leaders of the Canadian mining industry, who have been major donors to the charitable endeavors of former President Bill Clinton and his family. Members of that group built, financed and eventually sold off to the Russians a company that would become known as Uranium One.”
“Beyond mines in Kazakhstan that are among the most lucrative in the world, the sale gave the Russians control of one-fifth of all uranium production capacity in the United States. Since uranium is considered a strategic asset, with implications for national security, the deal had to be approved by a committee composed of representatives from a number of United States government agencies. Among the agencies that eventually signed off was the State Department, then headed by Mr. Clinton’s wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton.”
“As the Russians gradually assumed control of Uranium One in three separate transactions from 2009 to 2013, Canadian records show, a flow of cash made its way to the Clinton Foundation. Uranium One’s chairman used his family foundation to make four donations totaling $2.35 million. Those contributions were not publicly disclosed by the Clintons, despite an agreement Mrs. Clinton had struck with the Obama White House to publicly identify all donors. Other people with ties to the company made donations as well.”
CASH CLINTON RUSSIAN COLLUDING.
“And shortly after the Russians announced their intention to acquire a majority stake in Uranium One, Mr. Clinton received $500,000 for a Moscow speech from a Russian investment bank with links to the Kremlin that was promoting Uranium One stock.”
In this deal both Rot-ham and BO sign off on it. Both COLLUDED with
Putin’s Red Russia.
K9 dean, none of your three links worked!? Did the FSB hack this
website?
You really are stupid. I removed the periods to kill them as live links. Where you see DOT put in a period.
The rest of your post is pure bullshit.
“You really are stupid.” Yes, I am and all posters
know this as fact. So stop being so redundant.
“I removed the periods to kill them as live links.”
K9dean, I have never seen that before! Very clever:
you do not mind if I duplicate it?
“The rest of your post is pure bullshit.”
Dismissive and especially since it came from the NY Slime.
I think you were dazzled by the Times’ writers use of big words and things generally known as complete sentences, two things that don’t appear in the shit sites you seem to frequent.
Guistra (who had donated to the Clintons) sold UrAsia to Uranium Ore in 2007. He also got rid of all of his stock. Other (previous) shareholders kept
over 50 percent of the stock (I want to say it was as high as 60 percent or possibly more). At the time the company owned about 20 percent of the
physical production capacity (mines, mills, etc), although its percentage of uranium production was lower, never approaching 20 percent of the
supply in the US. Further, the uranium they did produce was low quality — low enough to be below weapon quality. Much of the company’s
capacity was idle.
Try to keep up.
> 2009: Rosatom (Russian company) bought a little less than 20 percent of the shares of the company
> 2010: Rosatom tried to buy more to get to 51 percent of stock share. Disturbing yes, but Russia did not have a license to
move uranium out of the country, so they couldn’t simply move it out because they “owned it”, but
> The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CIFUS) had to approve the deal, as did two other regulatory agencies
> Members of CIFUS: State Department, attorney general, secretaries of Treasury, Defense, Commerce, Energy and Homeland Security, (the head of) the Office of U.S. Trade Representative, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy
None of these people (HRC in particular, since your fake conspiracy centers on her) had veto power over the activity.
CIFUS approved the deal, and by 2013 Russia had 100 percent ownership and changed the company name to Uranium One Holding.
So no conspiracy.
The fake $145 million from the company? Nine people from the company did donate to Clinton: most of the money was from Giustra, but he sold his
stake in the company before (a year and a half before) she became Secretary of State. The money was not from the company in exchange for her
approval: thinking it was is stupid for many reasons (which is, no doubt, its appeal to you), the two largest being that it doesn’t fit the timeline AND
the fact she had no controlling influence for or against the deal simply by being in CIFUS — no individual had that much power.
So
* The time line for your masturbatory theory is crap
* HRC did not have the power to approve or stop the sale of the company
* Russia isn’t allowed to export uranium
There was a net exchange of some uranium: a subsidiary of Rosatom was allowed to sell commercial uranium to nuclear power plants
in the U.S. (something that had been going on with Russian uranium since the 1990s, when stuff reprocessed from decommissioned Soviet
weapons was purchased by the U.S. to keep it from going into the worldwide black market)
So no, the fact they have a story about a conspiracy doesn’t mean there is any truth to it, but then things that aren’t true seem to be the only things you buy into.
It’s wordy, but clearly incomplete, as there is no mention of Kazakhstan.
Yawn.
“It’s wordy, but clearly incomplete, as there is no mention of Kazakhstan.”
We can only point out the crap in one foolish conspiracy at a time.
Hence the popularity of the Gish Canter. It keeps the bollocks in play forever 🙂