Have you ever seen such a news media cover-up?
You can ‘hear’ the former journalist at Blaska Policy Werkes wincing still; if you are willing to listen, Chuck Todd
Now hear this!
The mainstream news media is not our enemy but it has sold its soul
NBC and its sister MSNBC are full partners in the institutional news media’s Trump Resistance corps. After the Russian collusion hoax evaporated they turned to a single phone call to the president of Ukraine.
How about hearing out the other side just once? Invite Sen. Ron Johnson, R-WI, to see what the chairman of the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee thinks of all this? No can do. Not if you are Chuck Todd hosting Meet the Press on NBC. Must Advance the Russian Ukranian Collusion Narrative.
The 9:44-minute “interview” is a travesty. The so-called interviewer kept hectoring Johnson to answer His questions His way rather than exploring the influential, twice-elected Republican’s viewpoints. We follow with a very partial transcript. (Read the entire transcript here.)
Meet the Press 10-06-19
CHUCK TODD: Let me start with something you told The Wall Street Journal late last week. You had said when [the U.S. ambassador to the European Union] seemed to imply that the frozen military aid was connected to a promise by [Ukraine president] Zelensky for investigations, you said, “At that suggestion, I winced. My reaction was, ‘Oh God. I don’t wanna see those two things combined.'” Why did you wince and what did you mean by “those two things combined?”
Johnson, it must be said, does not directly answer the question but seeks to put it in the context …
of a permanent inquisition that had already found Trump guilty but was still looking for the crime.
SEN. RON JOHNSON: Let me just talk about why I’m pretty sympathetic with what President Trump has gone through. You know, I’m 64 years old. I have never in my lifetime seen a president, after being elected, not having some measure of well wishes from his opponents. I’ve never seen a president’s administration be sabotaged from the day after election. I — I’ve never seen — no– no measure of honeymoon whatsoever. And so what President Trump’s had to endure, a false accusation — by the way, you’ve got John Brennan on — you oughta ask Director Brennan what did Peter Strzok mean when he texted Lisa Page on December 15th, 2016?
You must play on my playground
Thereupon Chuck Todd interrupts Ron Johnson 33 times — thirty-three times — as Johnson tries to answer. At one point, Todd resorts to a Democrat(ic) dog whistle by exclaiming “Fox News!” A partial transcript of that particular exchange:
CHUCK TODD: All right, Senator–
SEN. RON JOHNSON: — text to Lisa Page–
TODD: –I have no idea why–
JOHNSON: — We’re gettin’– no, that’s– that’s–
TODD: –why–
JOHNSON: –a setup. It is entirely–
TODD: — why a Fox–
JOHNSON: –relevant to this point.
TODD: –why a Fox News conspiracy, propaganda stuff is popping up on here.
Finally Johnson is allowed to string together an entire sentence …
JOHNSON: –unlike— unlike the– the narrative of the press that President Trump wants to dig up dirt on his 2020 opponent, what he wants is he wants to– an accounting of what happened in 2016. Who set him up? Did things spring from Ukraine? You know, there’s a good piece. We’ve got an oversight letter on — from Politico in 2017 where– le– let me– let me quote the article.
It says, “Ukrainian government officials tried to help Hillary Clinton and undermine Trump. They did so by disseminating documents implicating a top Trump aid in corruption, suggesting they were investigating the matter. Ukrainian officials also reportedly helped Clinton allies research damaging information on Trump and his advisors.” There is potential interference in– in the 2016 campaign—
That was too much information for NBC’s Todd. He resumes his interruptions, forcing Sen. Johnson to question Todd’s impartiality.
TODD: –I understand that a way to avoid answering a question is to attack us in the press. I’m well aware of that.
You don’t trust Obama’s intelligence agencies?!!!
More back and forth follow before Johnson is allowed to resume, a portion of which we reproduce:
JOHNSON: Chuck, I wanna get to the truth. I– I’m not here defending the president. I– I’m not here to denounce him either. What I’m here is telling you my– my piece of this– the puzzle here, giving you my honest assessment of what I heard, how– how the President told me repeatedly in the May 23rd Oval Office visit, on the phone on the 31st, the reason he had very legitimate concerns and reservations about Ukraine is first, corruption, generalized. It’s endemic.
It’s no good. Todd resumes his hectoring, then throws the name of Paul Manafort into the scrum, followed by another 18 interruptions… then asks whether the senator trusts America’s investigative agencies ..
JOHNSON: No, I d– I didn’t trust ’em back then.
TODD: And you don’t trust them now?
JOHNSON: I– I do not trust John Brennan. I do not trust–
TODD: Do you trust the CIA–
JOHNSON: –th– s– Lisa Page–
TODD: –and FBI now– because– none of them have–
JOHNSON: Andrew McCabe–
TODD: –come to any of the conclusions–
JOHNSON: –I don’t trust those guys.
TODD: You’re making a choice not to believe the investigations that have taken place, multiple–
(Which is rich, because NBC and its Anti-FACTSists prefer to forget the Mueller report’s conclusion but refuse to ask why the special prosecutor never examined the foundational DNC/Steele/Fusion GPS documents.) For starters.
The uncurious Mr. Todd
JOHNSON: No, I’m– I’m trying to get to the truth. I wanna look at the entire truth, Chuck.
After still more interruptions: Todd asks: “What truth are you looking for?”
JOHNSON: I want the complete truth.
TODD: So– well, so are we–
JOHNSON: I want the complete truth.
TODD: I’m sorry that you chose–
JOHNSON: I doubt that.
TODD: –to come on this way, Senator. Thanks very much. …
TODD: Joining me now is Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. Senator Murphy, thanks for coming on. A question I was gonna try to get to Senator Johnson had to do with the fact if he shared his concerns about the linkage of military aid and the president’s decision to want an investigation.
Did you ever hear Senator Johnson wince?
Blaska’s Bottom Line: Why did Ron Johnson wince? He knew that, given their frustration over the Russia Collusion Hoax, the Liberal Establishment would sink its teeth into anything that looked like blood.
Education
Blaska Policy Werkes 
Poor Chuckie; he simply can’t compose himself if faced with any opposition whatsoever.
After he gets his @$$ handed to him, Todd brings on sympathetic-to-the-cause Lefty Senator Chris Murphy (Deluded-CT), whom he allows to uncork uninterrupted 100 + word slobberings.
Lefty media bias? We don’t need no stinkin’ Lefty media bias!!
The Gotch
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How about answering the question? No lies, none, everyone tells the truth!
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Truth B. Danned, project much?
I believe Biden Inc. has a billion or so laying around.
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Do you support the CIA and FBI, Dan? Think back to a few years ago and answer the same question. If you are a prog/Dem, you know the hypocrisy on your side in pursuit of Orange Man Bad.
Does anyone remember the Walker recall? You’re just making Trump more and more sympathetic to ordinary every day rubes and are handing Trump 2020 on a silver platter.
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Dan B. is a spammer. One of the many pseudonyms this guy uses while ripping off my name as his e-mail address. Not going to work.
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I’ve mainly tuned out MSM, as I believe others have. It’s become dumbed down, predictable, and untrustworthy.
The media has put the public in a precarious position. If we’re tuned out, we’re not only missing news about Trump (having the opposite effect of what they want), but also about other critical issues facing this nation that we should be paying attention to.
They’ve also made it more difficult to make informed decisions at the polls, and are complicit in the divisions in this country.
I pray for the day truth (and sanity) can be restored to journalism.
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I pray for the day truth (and sanity) can be restored to journalism.
You may live to see it if you’re currently 18 or younger.
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Pretty creative interpretation of Ron’s interview, Dave. He was spewing nonsense and Chuck finally got some balls and called him on it. Ron clearly had had his ass handed to him for not toeing the Trump line and was doing penance by showing up on the Sunday shows to defend a situation no one in the administration was willing to. “The truth”? He had a lap full of Guiliani’s wacko conspiracy theories to regurgitate and couldn’t make a case any better than Crazy Rudy does. He completely embarrassed himself.
Today Trump off the cuff throws the Mideast into turmoil by unilaterally green-lighting Turkey’s assault on our Kurdish allies for no reason other than to appease a fellow dictator, Erdogan. (“The Pentagon? Advisors? I don’t need no stinkin’ advisors.”) When is Trump’s chaos and madness going to be enough for you guys? He’s acting and sounding more and more unhinged. He’s doing real harm to the America you profess to love.
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@AnonyBob;
Your cluelessness hasn’t abated one whit; I’m surprised Chuckie didn’t pith (or worse) himself during his conniption.
Or could be he did, am I right?
”He’s doing real harm to the America you profess to love.”
Where was your slobbering concern when Hopey Changey was doing real harm to the country you, et al, HATE by going on his Lead-from-Behind bowing tours and throwing Billion$ at the disastrously bogus Iran Deal?
Or when the Nobel Peace Prize laureate was presiding over the ONLY two Presidential terms that witnessed eight concurrent years of Uninterrupted War?
Ah Lefty; so MUCH hypocrisy, so little time.
The Gotch
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Whataboutism. Really weak defense of your president’s indefensible actions. Pathetic.
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@AnonyBob;
You want pathetic?
Take a look in the mirror; if you’re at all self-aware (not a common trait in the Post-Modern-Neo-Lefty) you’ll see emerge a painful image of staggering hypocrisy laying bare your suffocating situationally determined perception.
No surprise there; you specifically and Lefty generally are terminally clueless as a defense mechanism against recognizing your pitiably pathetic aversion to a fact-based reality.
Now, run along and pray to St. Greta or your own Personal Hopey Changey Chicago Jesus.
The Gotch
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Gootch, falling back on the usual gibberish, murdering alliteration in his own special way while contributing nothing to a discussion beyond personal insults. It means you’ve lost.
And Dad, the Kurds have taken 11,000 casualties fighting our sworn enemies for us. Your gratitude is overwhelming.
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Only 10 years ago, the Kurds were merely a bunch of Communist troublemakers who caused trouble in FOUR countries. Then came the Bush/Obama Stupidity Parade. Ten years later, the Kurds are still Communist troublemakers who happened to shoot up a few members of ISIS.
So what? They have a boatload of US dollars and military equipment. Further, they will be a wonderful sink-hole for Iran’s army; finally, the US is in far more need of Turkey as a friend (or at least, a NON-enemy) than a bunch of yahoos like the Kurds.
See if you can find Turkey on a map. Then see if you can figure out what makes them strategically valuable.
We’ll wait.
By the way, have you offered your home to a Hmong?
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Anony, building on your heartfelt sympathy for the Kurds, I have a deal for you!! Gotch and I will provide a 1-way ticket, an AR, and 1,000 rounds of ammo for you. Plane goes to Damascus. You can hitch a ride to the Kurd encampment and offer your personal services–to show your gratitude, of course.
I’m certain that they will send you back when the time comes. Maybe you won’t be in a box, like 100’s of other Americans.
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@dad29;
Ordinarily I’d be In like Flint, but am convinced @AnonyBob would pull a typical Lefty: All in riiiiiiiight up until it came time to go to the mattresses; AND THEN…
Perhaps he may consider sending St. Greta in his cowardly stead…?
“You can hitch a ride to the Kurd encampment”
Not unlike a couple of other Lefties, (the American BIKIES), that thought they could KUMBAYAH their way into the hearts-n-minds of people that have demonstrated countless times that they possess neither.
The Gotch
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Well, let’s see. Obama and Slow Joe Biden unilaterally pulled out of Iraq and granted space and time to allow ISIS to storm through Mosul and seize huge amounts of weapons we gave the Iraqis. Trump smashed ISIS.
Obama and Hillary ‘came, saw and killed Kaddafi’ making Libya into what Obama later called “a Sh!t show” and unleashed thousands of Africans to enter Europe by any means necessary.
Obama allied himself with Putin by sending cargo planes full of cash to Putin’s allies in Iran who used it to finance Hezbollah and fight for Assad.
Trump wants our soldiers out of Syria, Afghanistan and out of the Sunni vs. Shia civil war and I say good for President Trump but the Washington Party wants war.
Been there. Done that.
Strange how the Left in this country are alternately peaceniks or belligerent depending solely on who is president.
Nancy Pelosi famously said, “It’s not about victory or defeat.”
It’s about endless, pointless, expensive war.
President Trump says No.
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Sunni vs. Shia civil war
Umnnnhhhh…..it’s worse than that. It’s a RELIGIOUS war.
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I’m entirely certain that the organization that has overthrown elected governments around the world since the 1940s is totally above messing about in American domestic politics when it’s interests are threatened. The Federal government and it’s agencies have interests and agendas that are distinct from, and often at odds, with the interests of the American public. At some point in the past the left believed that.
At least they pretended to believe that. In reality they simply wanted to use that power for themselves. Part of my great disenchantment with Mr. Hope & Change was his fondness for destroying other countries and foreign wars. It’s not that the Democrats are opposed to American empire, they simply want to be the ones running it. State control is their brand.
Washington and the media hate Trump for one simple reason. Whether through design, ego, ignorance or simply being rich enough to not care, he mocks their desire for dominion. In their world, a President like Trump is not supposed to happen. The President is supposed to be their creature and dance to their tune like an organ grinder’s monkey.
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Oh, woe! the Left is SO strong and the right is SO weak! The Deep State is real and it’s clearly leftist, despite all those conservative patriots in intelligence and law enforcement.
Nothing is Trump’s fault!
This whole comment is beyond ridiculous, Sprocket. Talk about projection. Get a grip.
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The Deep State is real and it’s clearly leftist, despite all those conservative patriots in intelligence and law enforcement.
So many years you have, and so few smarts.
The Deep State is loyal ONLY to ITSELF. They are aligned ONLY with THEMSELVES and their rather lucrative little empire. Granted, sometimes their interests align with those of the US citizens, and granted they are not greedy slime like–say–the Clintons, Bidens, and most Congressmen.
Currently, their interests lie in continuing useless and expensive wars f/b/o arms manufacturers and Pentagon climbers, not to mention CIA/State flunkies and ne’er-do-wells. They also favor the impoverishment of middle-class Americans on behalf of Third World dictators, flavored with gobs of immigrants who (by design) will not contribute to this country’s welfare on balance. So it’s the military-industrial complex plus Big Finance and the Striped Pants bunch–and the usual bunch of prostitutes and dope-smokers in Congress (e.g., Mittens Magic Underwear.)
Trump sees it for what it is, and so do a lot of others. Bannon–a member of Deep State, by the way–chooses to defend it by pretending it’s not there. He is playing a double game, of course; he pushed Trump to campaign against “The Establishment” and now claims there is no “Establishment”–which is a big chunk of Deep State.
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desire for dominion
The Catholic Church held–for 1900 years–that “desire for dominion” was the SIN which was a direct cause of unjust wars. Trump actually gets that, as do you!!
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ABob, how many American lives would you spend to protect the PPK Syrian Kurds from the Turks? I’m all for supporting Iraqi Kurds, not that they seem to need much help but there are no good guys in Syria. None.
Funny how you get warlike when President Trump wants our people out of harm’s way against the wishes of the Pentagon, State Dept. and the rest of the swamp dwellers.
You Lefties are always the first to call for military intervention and the first to cut and run.
Let’s look at your standard bearer’s record here: Joe Biden voted against the war that liberated Kuwait, for the invasion of Iraq, against the Surge that won that war. For the unilateral pull out that metastasized ISIS to run down to Ramadi and take all the mega bucks of weaponry we left the Iraqis.
Way to go Joe and Barack. Heckuva job boys.
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P.S. Joe Biden thought Iraq would be Barack’s greatest foreign policy success. Then again he schooled Corn Pop who somehow had gotten into a segregated pool guarded by Joey B.
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Lefties are always the first to call for military intervention
Specifically, WWI, WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam. Bush had the excuse of being provoked, but his Leftish-ness, pushed by NeoCons with their own agenda, committed the grievous error of Hubris: “We can make the Middle East safe for democracy!!!”
Yah, that didn’t work, did it?
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Mogadishu, Libya, Syria.
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Guys, I realize that most of the usual contributors here are of the far-right wack-a-doodle persuasion, and that history is often troublesome to them, but give credit where credit is due. Ike got us into Nam in the 50’s. The US supported the French in Indo-China, supplied $$ and supplies, had carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin, etc. We had troops/advisors on the ground (one of my uncles for example). Nixon even proposed using nukes over there in the 50’s. So blame whomever you want, but at least get your history straight.
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@hankdog/old baldy;
“get your history straight.”
Physician, heal thyself!
“Ike got us into Nam in the 50’s.”
Poor Lefties, sad Lefties, eminently ButtHurt Lefties; so MUCH they know that a fact-based reality EASILY proves otherwise.
To wit:
“The United States entered that war incrementally, in a series of steps between 1950 and 1965. In MAY 1950, PRESIDENT HARRY S. TRUMAN AUTHORIZED A MODEST PROGRAM OF ECONOMIC AND MILITARY AID TO THE FRENCH, who were fighting to retain control of their Indochina colony, including Laos and Cambodia as well as Vietnam.” (bolds/caps mine)
”history is often troublesome”
Accurate, but as usual, highfreakin’lariously AND ignorantly misapplied. Anyone with a whit of self-awareness would be feeling mighty stupid right about now, am I right?
Do the right thing; waddle back on and issue an appropriately contrite and groveling apology for your unconscionable breach of reality!
The Gotch
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Boys! Newsflash for you: There. Is. No. Deep. State.
At least not outside of the inventive imagination of Steve Brannon, sprung on the resentful hordes of Trump supporters by the big data manipulations of Cambridge Analytica. Sounds like there’s a new book out, “Mind F**k” written by CA’s former head of research. I think I’ll pick it up.
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You need to read “Mind F**k” like I need a primer to drink a beer.
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M.E., he wants to read it to find out what happened to him in high-school
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Dad, how old ARE you?
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Lefty regressives are so unsavory they have managed to make Trump a sympathetic character.
Karma…
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So sympathetic that a clear majority of the country want the impeachment inquiry to proceed. Almost half, a plurality, already want him impeached.
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A poll huh? Has anyone figured out his high crime yet? I mean outside the magical thinking, fall for anything, Washington Party, MSM, Wile E Coyote and ABob?
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In the President’s own words, squeezing a small country dependent on our aid to make up dirt on a political opponent? Sounds like a high crime to me – even his own staff panicked – and it’s simple enough for people to grasp.
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Poor @AnonyBob; every, and I mean EVERY, last one of the laughable pipe dreams so easily planted in his impressionable l’il noggin by his handlers has blown up in his sour l’il Lefty puss.
To wit:
Professor William A. Jacobson (Legal Insurrection) NAILS IT!
“*Circulating claims of Trump-Russian collusion prior to the 2016 election didn’t work.
*Using foreign-supplied fake intelligence, from a British spy who utilized Russian sources, to obtain surveillance of the Trump campaign and transition team didn’t work.
*Intimidating Electoral College Electors to change their votes after the election didn’t work.
*Having the Director of the FBI lie to, set up and try to entrap the president didn’t work.
*Having that same FBI Director leak memos to the media to manufacture grounds for a Special Counsel didn’t work.
*Trying to invoke the 25th Amendment to declare the president unable to perform the job didn’t work.
*Two years of the Mueller Investigation didn’t work.
*Three years of a permanent crisis news cycle meant to paralyze the administration didn’t work.
“After all these failures to unwind the 2016 election, Democrats and the mainstream media are trying a new tactic: CREATE A STAR CHAMBER “IMPEACHMENT” PROCESS FUELED BY ANONYMOUS WHISTLEBLOWERS AND SELECTIVE LEAKS THAT IS NOT SO MUCH DESIGNED TO REMOVE THE PRESIDENT, THOUGH THEY WOULD IF THEY COULD, BUT TO MANIPULATE THE 2020 ELECTION.” (BOLDS CAPS MINE)
The Gotch
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If bobo would expand his news input beyond Rachel Maddow, it’s possible his comments would not be so absurd.
“I mean outside the magical thinking, fall for anything, Washington Party, MSM, Wile E Coyote and ABob?”
Haters gotta hate. Fortunately there is a simple cure; seek help for TDS so you can learn to love America again.
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I see ABob got his DNC/CNN talking points for the day. How’d that mandatory vote in Congress to commence an impeachment inquiry turn out? What? They didn’t have one? Then apparently Jerry Nadler has beclowned himself so its Adam “Kompromat” Shiff’s turn.
Aren’t we still waiting to see Shiff’s promised evidence of Trump’s collusion?
Meanwhile the gods of sweet irony remind us that to uncover Democrat’s malfeasance just apply their accusations to them selves as proven liars accuse everyone else of being dishonest.
Dems not tired of losing.
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You guys sound a tad desperate. Gootch lazily becomes the copy-and-paste king of crank sites. Batty plugs his ears, closes his eyes and shuts down his brain as he chooses to believe all the news is just…hate. Splat deflects and goes down rabbit holes. Yet none of you can refute Trump’s Ukraine call summary. And it’s the cleaned up, sanitized version he willingly (foolishly) released, as if it exonerated him. Makes you wonder just how bad the stuff they edited out is. Well, most people would; but not you Trump Cult Clowns.
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Apparently YOU know the balance of the contents of that call. Curious, no, that not ONE little leak about the contents NOT in the transcript has emerged? So go ahead, be the first one on your block to tell us the rest of the story!
Oh, wait…..you don’t know?
Well, perhaps I can help. Ukraine re-started an investigation of the Biden-Kerry skim operation LONG before Trump spoke to the Ukraine president. K? Since that’s public record, and since Nancy Pelosi’s kid has also dipped his wick into that particular pool of crude…….ahhh……..oil……..why don’t you just publish the entire recording?
Oh. You mean there’s nothing else to reveal?
So sorry.
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Yes, Dad, Rudy had been working and pushing Ukraine hard with his conspiracy theories before the phone call. Unfortunately, none of the wick dipping is illegal. Hey, let’s talk about the Trump kids…
And hey, the published version of the call is way bad enough. Treasonous and impeachable. Even 51% of Fox viewers now think so, according to their new poll. Oof da!
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THIS JUST IN: If Hitler and Chicken Hawk-Kiddie Porn Purveyors came out against President Trump @AnonyBob would luv Luv LUV them and hold them near-n-dear.
Hypocrisy; thy name is @AnonyBob!
The Gotch
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Gib-ber-ish. And very, very weak.
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Gibberish /ˈjib(ə)riSH/
noun/adjective
1-Intellectually prepubescent label @AnonyBob incuriously applies to real real mean Inconvenient Truth that not only doesn’t support the LaLaLoopyLoonyLeftyLand narrative and herd the uneducated feral class Lefty base, but just won’t go away.
The Gotch
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Meanwhile, Trump unleashes a war on our ally who fought ISIS for us. Why would he let Erdogan do that? It’s not like Trump has a big, beautiful hotel in Istanbul…oh, wait.
Yeah, Dad, I don’t know for sure if that has anything to do with anything either. But I can guess.
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As ever, ABob can’t see the obvious (heard Slow Joe boasting at CFR about him and Barack squeezing Ukraine?) and imagines the improbable. Again and again.
Let’s revisit some of what ABob has believed:
Hillary has a lock on the presidency
17 intel agencies stated that Russia hacked our election
Ballsy Ford is credible
President Trump and I are RAY-cists
Nazis were not really Socialists
Pants Suit Nation was a thing
I have one or more phobias
Barack Obama was competent
The list goes on………………
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You were right about Hillary not having a lock on it. Everything else…
And my, my, my, you pay close attention to me. One would think you would’ve learned a few things by now.
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“And my, my, my, you pay close attention to me. One would think you would’ve learned a few things by now.”
Like understanding bobo is a sealioning troll, aka a time/energy vampire.
Respond accordingly.
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