Back in the old days, Pence put on his very best pseudo-Christian disguise and lied with pretended piety that there had been absolutely no contacts between the Trump Campaign and Russian operatives. It’s not so easy for him to tell that lie today, because example after example of both Russian contacts and Pence’s lies about them have surfaced. Jonathan Landay just reported eighteen new ones.
The previously undisclosed interactions form part of the record now being reviewed by FBI and congressional investigators probing Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election and contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russia.
Six of the previously undisclosed contacts described to Reuters were phone calls between Sergei Kislyak, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, and Trump advisers, including Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser, three current and former officials said.
Conversations between Flynn and Kislyak accelerated after the Nov. 8 vote as the two discussed establishing a back channel for communication between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that could bypass the U.S. national security bureaucracy, which both sides considered hostile to improved relations, four current U.S. officials said…
From <Reuters>
Photo credit: politico
Rachel Maddow covered the story in two segments.In the first she sets up the background, as only she can, and expands on Pence’s lies.
In the second, she discusses the Russian contacts with Jonathan Landay.
One thing is clear. As the noose around the Trump Residency (He NEVER was or will be President) tightens, replacing him with coconspirators like pseudo-Christian Pence or Lyin’ Ryan is moving America out of the frying pan and into the fire.
RESIST!!
17 Responses to “18 New Russian Contacts”
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Rachel – Depressing as it is, I have to be – pleased? grateful? – that this is coming out. And particularly glad that Pence is being implicated so deeply. Up to the eyes? Or deeper? Of course it makes one wonder what else there is. But I certainly don't want any information released that will in any way handicap the investigation if it should come out. Jonathan Landay very properly refuses to offer an opinion on whether Medvedchuk is lying, for instance. But of course I can have an opinion on that.
Did everyone see Trae Crowder's ("The Liberal Redneck") latest video? "Seems like they hate us more than they love their country." Oh, yeah. And that the Great Oaf of Office is saying he wasnts to re-hire Mike Flynn if he is "cleared by the FBI"? SERIOUSLY?
And speaking ot "What did Pence know and when did he know it?", Elijah Cummings comes through again. God bless that man!
I believe that's a "gotcha!"
Thanks, on behalf of all.
YVW
Pence, and Ryan are probably greater threats to the country than the Empty Orange, who is so transparently fucked up it is far beyond funny! Either of these POSes would be glad to shoot Lady Liberty where Rump would only grab her!
Too true!
RM: WOW 18 new contacts??? omg…the hole just keeps getting bigger, and deeper! Lies, deception, denials, and more coverups! WOW!!
Yeah, makes the Nixon circus look like amateur night!
Drumpfenfarten, Pence, Lyin' Ryan, Sessions, Flynn and a whole host of others in the Drumpf cabal need to be removed from office and assigned to solitary confinement in prison. There is no honour amongst these thieves, only lies, deception and coverups.
I agree with Mitch, "… makes the Nixon circus look like amateur night!". The clown car is overflowing! They make me sick, and I don't even live there!
Bury the bastards!
Resist and Persist!!!
Eighteen NEW contacts, but who's counting, right? Certainly not the GOP. Not with Flynn "discussed establishing a back channel for communication between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that could bypass the U.S. national security bureaucracy" and then becoming Drumpf's National Security Advisor. In earlier times that would have sufficed to have him hung, drawn and quartered. Flynn refuses to hand over subpoenaed documents to the Senate Committee, and what are they doing about it? '“We’ll figure out on General Flynn what the next step, if any, is,” Mr Burr [top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee] said.' Yeah, right…nothing.
At the end of clip #1 Rachel mentions, almost off-handedly, that Mike Pence has formed a political action committee this week, apparently starting to imagine himself becoming president one day given the problems mounting for his boss. That made it very clear why she now came with an excellent overview of the numerous times Mike Pence has obvious lied about his knowledge of the Russian contacts of Flynn and other Drumpf Campaign members, and indignantly denying facts that have been proven otherwise later on. Rachel surely must have dampened Pence's ambitions for 2020, but her next step must now be showing how Pence is actually implicated in the Russian scandal and its cover-up before Drumpf is impeached and vice-president Pence becomes president by default.
As has become clear from the way Congress handles their investigations, it'll be up to investigative journalism (again) to bring truth to light and pressure Congress into action.
succession of president
No. Office Current officer
1 Vice President Mike Pence (R)
2 Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan (R)
3 President pro tempore of the Senate Orrin Hatch (R)
4 Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (R)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_line_of_succession
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Exactly correct. However, the timing is important. If Trump is impeached or resigns and Pence succeeds, Pence will probably not delay appointing a new Vice President, and IIRC that doesn't require Senate confirmation. Pence is definitely vulnerable to impeachment also, but the timing of any actions will affect the line of succession in ways we can't be certain about. Yet.
If we can take back the House in 2018, and impeach both, we get a Democratic President.
Or if we can take back the Senate and impeach down to the pro tem. Certainly, I'd rather have the House too.
Thanks all. Hugs.