I just think you are tripping over yourself to be sceptical in the face of pretty damning evidence.

What you and I wish for, or hope to happen (perhaps something like Trump ousted/impeached/convicted for Russia dealings, or the opposite), drives what you seek to read, find credible, conclude, and post.

So what are your wishes/hopes?

...Even if he had some sketchy business dealings in the past, which I think is reasonably likely given that he employed people like Felix Sater, I doubt the ghosts of his past are guiding his actions today....

Why? If he's done something illegal, like use his company to help Russians launder money into the US, and the Russians held all of the evidence showing that he did this, don't you think that would be "guiding his actions today"? I certainly do, and it would explain his attitude toward Russia pretty damn well.

Logged

Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #3 "Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to."

Why? If he's done something illegal, like use his company to help Russians launder money into the US, and the Russians held all of the evidence showing that he did this, don't you think that would be "guiding his actions today"? I certainly do, and it would explain his attitude toward Russia pretty damn well.

Certainly a possibility, I just doubt that's what's happening. To me he is not behaving like someone who is being extorted.

I think it's reasonably likely some type of money laundering has gone on. That's basically what I meant by sketchy business dealings. However I don't imagine he was knowingly abetting Russian criminals. I was thinking more of a "pragmatic morality" where he didn't ask too many questions about where some money came from.

"There is not a single conservative viewpoint on taxes, regulation, immigration, SCOTUS, abortion, 2nd amendment, etc, that would be invalidated by also acknowledging the pathological self-interest, dishonesty, and incompetence, of someone who shares your views."

"The President of the United States trusts the word of a former KGB agent over the consensus of the American intelligence community backed by a ton of facts. That is a shocking reality. Everyone who excuses Trump’s behavior must answer that now, and when history inevitably judges."

"Putin, a former KGB spy chief, has a pretty good poker face. BUT even he looks like he can't believe his luck, as Trump stands next to him, on foreign soil, and trashes his own intelligence agencies, and repeatedly praises Russia."

"Let me tell you, if Barack Obama had said the crap Trump said today there would already be 10, 000 hypercaustic elected Republican press releases, Facebook posts, and tweets. There would be a hundred calls for impeachment by close of business today."

"Wonderful statement by McCain. He concludes: “Americans are waiting and hoping for President Trump to embrace that sacred responsibility. One can only hope they are not waiting totally in vain.”But I’m afraid we will be waiting in vain. If so, what is to be done? https://twitter.com/BillKristol/status/1018928393428111360/photo/1

"As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am deeply troubled by President Trump’s defense of Putin against the intelligence agencies of the U.S. & his suggestion of moral equivalence between the U.S. and Russia. Russia poses a grave threat to our national security."

"JUST IN: Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter, not known to utter anything unambiguous: “I never saw or imagined so uneven a handover of American security interests and principles with nothing in return...It was like watching the destruction of a cathedral.”"

"Trump to Sean Hannity: "[Putin] said there's absolutely no collusion, which you know, and everybody who watches this show knows... And I tell you, I thought it was a really amazing time ... I thought that President Putin was very, very strong." https://twitter.com/axios/status/1019037465913581568/video/1

"Although he faced pressure from critics, allied countries and even his own staff to take a tough line, Trump spoke not a single disparaging word in public about Moscow on any of the issues that have brought relations between the two powers to the lowest ebb since the Cold War.Instead, he denounced the "stupidity" of his own country's policies, especially the decision to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election. ...

Bill Burns, a former U.S. deputy secretary of state and ambassador to Russia, said in a telephone interview: "I have ... seen a lot of performances by presidents on the world stage, but I cannot think of one that was more appalling than this one."

Did any of you get physically hurt by Trump/Russia? Did it cost you money? Did you lose your home or have a family member harmed? I know I still get up in the morning and have the same day to day routine as I did under Obama. The false outrage is absurd and people can't seem to see that they are just being played by Democrats looking to create distractions and road blocks for the Trump administration. Nothing more to it.

When you look at the numbers, the attack on Pearl Harbour harmed virtually Americans. Yes, there were a few on that island that took it hard. But really everyone else was ok. Why the overreaction?

9/11 affected even less people than Pearl Harbour. Why didn't the US just move on?