F'dup Chapters in American History(The Trump Years) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Part 25

[Sithborg]

So, Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniel's lawyer, is saying they found evidence of Michael Cohen receiving half a million dollars from a company owned by a Russian oligarch. Avenatti is claiming that this money was used to pay off Stormy Daniels.

Cohen's lawyer says it wasn't a payment. Which, ummmm, raises questions.

EDIT: And Israel is already bombing Iranian targets in Syria.

 

[TheCardPlayer]

Criminal incompetence at it's finest.

Michael Cohen’s attorney, Steve Ryan, won’t discuss the $500,000 Michael Avenatti says Cohen received from Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg in 2017. “I understand the shorthand you’re using, but it wasn’t a payment,” Ryan says before hanging up

Yeah Russia just happened to give Cohen 500K for....reasons. No collusion! She's the puppet! BUTTER EMAILS! BEN GHAZI!

 

[Sithborg]

Also, that is a sanctioned oligarch. So... questions.

 

[Reaver027]

And so it starts. The new ambassador to Germany threatened german companies if they would not stop doing business with Iran. I just hope we can stay strong and show the US a big middle finger.
The anti american sentiment is growing day by day with this current administration.
I have never seen such a dislike and sometimes even hatred for the US in Germany in my life. And this is not just happening in Germany but all across Europe. You are at risk of losing your allies.
Bush was bad but never this bad. Under Obama the US was liked a lot again. But thats all gone now.

 

[MaceB]

Maybe/Maybe not, remember that the U.S. was only one player in the deal and the other nations involved have no interest in backing out.

In my opinion it's more likely that they'll see the U.S. withdraw as an opportunity to cash in and invest without a rich competitor getting in their way.

Part of what Iran got in the deal is the lifting of sanctions. If we place those sanctions back on, we've not only taken way Iran's incentive to comply but we've also given them "a get out of Jail free" pass, because we exited the agreement first without actual cause. Now, they can cite our exit for their reason for leaving; while at the same time, keeping their international credibility as they do so.

At the same time, this will only widen the gap between us and our allies. I presume that Iran will go on a media blitz with this, accusing America of being untrustworthy. Will any of our allies be sympathetic to that argument? And no doubt our enemies will use this as evidence as well.

Iran isn't just going to put up with US sanctions and go on with the deal as if nothing ever happened.

 

[Tempus Fugit]

Part of what Iran got in the deal is the lifting of sanctions. If we place those sanctions back on, we've not only taken way Iran's incentive to comply but we've also given them "a get out of free" pass, because we exited the agreement first without actual cause. Now, they can cite our exit for their reason for leaving; while at the same time, keeping their international credibility as they do so.

Iran isn't just going to put up with US sanctions and go on with the deal as if nothing ever happened.

True, part of the deal was lifting sanctions. However, I don't see the other signatories of the deal agreeing to new sanctions against the Iranians. This opens the door for those nations to engage in investment with a reduced competition from a big economic player (the U.S.)

So basically, the U.S. gets to put back in place sanctions that won't really do anything while Russia, China, France, Germany and the U.K. can continue business as usual with Iran.

In my opinion, the only thing Trump managed to accomplish here is making the U.S. look unreliable and damaging/destroying our credibility as a player in world diplomatic policy while playing to his evaporating base of rabid morons.

Where things are concerned overall, I'm certain that the Germans (for example) will be happy to sell cars (or whatever) to the Iranians while ignoring uncouth grunting noises from the current administration about acting in concert, especially because everyone else was against the U.S. pulling out of the deal.

That said, you could be right and Iran will take this as an opportunity to go back to business as usual, but there's a lot of opportunity for others to move in and manage the situation now that U.S. policy is to relinquish their position as economic and diplomatic leaders under our current POTUS.

 

[Marvolo]

Part of what Iran got in the deal is the lifting of sanctions. If we place those sanctions back on, we've not only taken way Iran's incentive to comply but we've also given them "a get out of Jail free" pass, because we exited the agreement first without actual cause. Now, they can cite our exit for their reason for leaving; while at the same time, keeping their international credibility as they do so.

At the same time, this will only widen the gap between us and our allies. I presume that Iran will go on a media blitz with this, accusing America of being untrustworthy. Will any of our allies be sympathetic to that argument? And no doubt our enemies will use this as evidence as well.

Iran isn't just going to put up with US sanctions and go on with the deal as if nothing ever happened.

The other nations in this deal want the deal to succeed. They arent going to agree to sanction Iran. So the US will have to sanction Iran on it's own which is not going to work very well. Iran will just conntinue to do business and bank with the EU and Russia which will bypass any US sanctions. And if Trump tries to start a war with Iran the US will have to fight that war without the support of the EU. That will be difficult because in Middle Eastern conflicts we rely on European bases. And any negotiating credibility we had with Iran is now pissed away until the next administration comes in and kisses Iran's ass and win's us back some credibility.

Trump hasnt done anything but put the US on a limb by itself. Iran still gets the benefits of the deal and they have the EU supporting them. The US gets nothing. And Trump gets improved ratings with his uninformed cult.

 

[squeekness]

And so it starts. The new ambassador to Germany threatened german companies if they would not stop doing business with Iran. I just hope we can stay strong and show the US a big middle finger.
The anti american sentiment is growing day by day with this current administration.
I have never seen such a dislike and sometimes even hatred for the US in Germany in my life. And this is not just happening in Germany but all across Europe. You are at risk of losing your allies.
Bush was bad but never this bad. Under Obama the US was liked a lot again. But thats all gone now.

I don't think Trump even cares. Whoever takes office next will have a lot of repair work to do.

 

[MaceB]

Tempist Fugit and Marvolo... you both make good points. I never really considered it that way. Thanks for informing me!

 

[Sithborg]

Also, AT&T may have admitted to some pay-to-play shenanigans.

 

[TheCardPlayer]

Yeah AT&T was funneling money into the shell company Cohen set up to pay off for a porn's star silence (you cannot make this up) and coincidentally stopped the payments right about the time the DOJ stopped their merger with Time Warner.

What a coincidence. So many coincidences.

 

[Tempus Fugit]

Tempist Fugit and Marvolo... you both make good points. I never really considered it that way. Thanks for informing me!

No problem, and you may be right after all. Iran may use this as an excuse to become more reactionary. I'm just being an optimist and hoping the rest of the world governments are currently more sane than what we've got going on here in the U.S.

Time will tell.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

CNN - Mueller's team questions Russian oligarch about payments to Cohen

Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators have questioned a Russian oligarch about hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments his company's US affiliate made to President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, after the election, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Viktor Vekselberg, chairman of asset manager Renova Group, is an oligarch close to Vladimir Putin, and last month the Trump administration placed him on a list of sanctioned Russians for activities including election interference. The purpose of the payments, which predate the sanctions, and the nature of the business relationship between Vekselberg and Cohen is unclear.

The scrutiny of the payments could add to the legal troubles for Cohen, whose home and office were raided last month as part of a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. In court documents, the prosecutors said at least part of their inquiry stemmed from a referral from Mueller's office.

The questions asked of Vekselberg suggest that Mueller investigators have been examining some of Cohen's business relationships as part of the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Vekselberg is one of two Russian oligarchs the FBI stopped earlier this year after their private jets landed in New York-area airports as part of Mueller's investigation.

Investigators also asked Vekselberg about donations the head of his US affiliate made to Trump's inaugural fund and campaign funds, sources said.

The attorney for Stormy Daniels -- the porn star who received $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged affair she had with Trump a decade ago -- produced information Tuesday evening that appears to add further details to CNN's reporting. Michael Avenatti alleged that Cohen received half a million dollars from a company affiliated with Vekselberg in the months after the presidential election.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/poli...ons-russian-oligarch-about-payments-to-cohen/

 

[samsnee]

Between this and the Paris Climate Treaty, all Cheetoh has shown is that the US is no longer willing to show leadership. Isolationism in this global economy is a death knell. Russia and China would love to take America’s place as leader.

Additionally why should North Korea or any country take seriously any diplomatic efforts from the US here on out since we have now shown we are willing to break our word just because some guy who watches Fox News constantly thinks we got a “bad deal” without offering any specifics.

I hope Cheetoh lives long enough to see what a disaster he has made things except I know he would never admit to it. He should be kissing Obama’s ass that he got handed a growing economy and relatively stable foreign state of affairs so he could have more time to tweet when he’s on the toilet.

 

[mclay18]

Great point! As far as dictators go, Obama’s did a terrible job.

The Republicans and Tea Partiers b**ched that Obama was like a dictator when he was in office (wrong) but happily embraced the Orange One.

Hypocrisy at its finest.

 

[childeroland]

It's only a dictatorship if it doesn't put you in power, silly rabbit.

 

[squeekness]

Criminal incompetence at it's finest.



Yeah Russia just happened to give Cohen 500K for....reasons. No collusion! She's the puppet! BUTTER EMAILS! BEN GHAZI!

Hee hee,

 

[samsnee]

It's only a dictatorship if it doesn't put you in power, silly rabbit.

I don’t think you get the joke.

 

[Sithborg]

So, I have been thinking Avenatti has just been a loud mouth blowhard.

But looking at what he just released, okay. He is backing up his bluster. And now we are seeing a convergence of Stormy Daniels and the Mueller investigation.

 

[MaceB]

That's the weird thing to me. If this Cohen/Stormy Daniels stuff is Russia related, then why did Mueller move it out of his jurisdiction?

Generally, I believe Avanatti. I think he fell into a little treasure trove, and now his interests are best served by being truthful about this. Basically, he has enough evidence, that he doesn't need to bluff.

 

[TheCardPlayer]

So, I have been thinking Avenatti has just been a loud mouth blowhard.

But looking at what he just released, okay. He is backing up his bluster. And now we are seeing a convergence of Stormy Daniels and the Mueller investigation.

Them future history books are going to be pretty weird, aren't they?

 

[Marvolo]

Them future history books are going to be pretty weird, aren't they?

 

[Aximili86]

Great point! As far as dictators go, Obama’s did a terrible job.

Maybe he shouldn't have done it this way, then? If you want it permanent and irreversible, get it signed off on with a vote. Of course an agreement with a President is only as good as the last President.

You might get your way and whoever comes in after Trump can re-instate it. The guy's probably not going to put whatever happens here through Congress, he'll do it the way Obama did.

And people calling Obama a dictator are just as moronic as people accusing Trump of being one. Like or dislike what each of them have done, they've both done it within the bounds of acceptable presidential purview.

 

[MaceB]

In regards to Obama doing the Iran deal unilaterally... it was an international binding agreement between multiple countries, including - I believe - provisions for how to get out of the deal if Iran wasn't complying. Presidents do reverse their predecessor's decisions... sometimes unwisely so, but usually they don't reverse a binding agreement held in conjunction with multiple allies... It's frustrating that the GOP break apart the most stringent agreement against Iran in 30-50 years, and yet somehow... it's still Obama's fault. It's always the job of Democrats to save the day for some reason. It's as if Republicans hit themselves in the eye, and then they ask "why didn't you tie my hand down so I couldn't do that!" Ugh.

I would have loved it if Obama had done it the "right way" as you say (even though the Executive is empowered to make international agreements I believe), but unfortunately we were living the crazy bus GOP congress... and they wouldn't have allowed anything. Half of them openly wondered if the man was a Christian; a quarter of them wondered if he was a citizen; forget actually trying to legislate with him. I don't blame Obama for not sitting on his hands and hoping that the GOP would some day want to work with him. If anything, his principle weakness as president was trying to work with he GOP in good faith too much. It was pretty obvious after the first year that it wasn't going to work, but he kept on trying anyway.

 

[Aximili86]

How the hell is Republican stonewalling of Obama in Congress any different to what the Democrats are trying to do to Trump now though? It's tit-for-tat childishness, everyone does it now. Welcome to modern politics, the last real bipartisan era we had was the second Clinton term, aside from the terror-related agreements under Bush.

It's not turning back anytime soon, doesn't matter who the President is. It'll be this way with whoever follows Trump too, Democrat or Republican alike. It's basically "the last Congress did it to our guy, bad behavior justifies more bad behavior".