Even More Evidence of Russia/Trump Collusion

I had no doubt that Paul Manafort was into some shady shit. Did you?
Image from source, NYT

What is it going to take for your average Republican to drop their allegiance to party, and start wondering if there might not be something to this?

[Excerpt]

Intercepted Russian Communications Part of Inquiry Into Trump Associates

American law enforcement and intelligence agencies are examining intercepted communications and financial transactions as part of a broad investigation into possible links between Russian officials and associates of President-elect Donald J. Trump, including his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, current and former senior American officials said. . .

Read more at: New York Times

Republican Official Hangs Flag Upside Down on Inauguration Day

Image from source, Think Progress

Oh, for pete's sake. This crap is just getting ridiculous. Remind me again why The Dixie Chicks faced the wrath of the right? Oh yeah, it was for the comparatively mild statement that they were embarrassed by Dubya. Back then, any dissent by anyone about anyone in the Bush administration was called un-American and worse. Loudly. Vociferously. Why does just about anything go, now that it is a (black) Democrat being re-inaugurated?

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Republican Official Hangs Upside Down American Flag In Protest Of Obama’s Inauguration

The head of the Mon Valley Republican Committee in Pennsylvania is facing backlash from his local community after displaying an American flag upside down — a statement usually meant as a distress signal by soldiers in times of war — during President Obama’s second inauguration ceremony. The flag was placed outside the Mon Valley Republican Party’s meeting spot on the main road in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. . . 

Read more at: Think Progress

Karl Rove SuperPAC Gets Majority "Secret" Donors

Karl Rove.

There are a great many mysteries to me, as it pertains to conservative politics, and American politics in general right now. On Sunday morning, I saw Karl Rove as a panelist on FOX "News" Sunday. The panel included (the always wrong) Bill Kristol, and the discussion was over how Mitt Romney should be going 100% high-road, letting people like Rove be the attackers on President Obama. Rove understandably concurred.

WTF? Karl Rove wasn't being interviewed, he was empaneled in a discussion group, abstractly discussing a campaign that he is a key player in. It's almost surreal. Then you have ALEC, a group that melds corporations with legislators. They've become a bit radioactive since liberals started turning their Geiger counters on them. But--because liberals hate it?--conservatives have leapt to to ALEC's defense. Granted, they are a creator of legislation that then gets mostly Republicans to enact them verbatim. But is it at all conservative to support a group like that?

But back to Rove. Rove runs one of the biggest groups of SuperPACs, two actually, American Crossroads, and CrossroadsGPS. They're the same but different in ways that aren't particularly important. Different money from different people in different pockets. But the one that's allowed to get secret donors has just stuffed its pockets with them. 62% from secret donors! They could be anyone. . .church groups, criminals, illegal aliens, foreign interests, anyone. How is that a conservative ideal?

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62 Percent Of Karl Rove’s $123 Million In ‘Crossroads’ Fundraising Comes From Secret Donors

The Karl Rove-linked American Crossroads Super PAC and Crossroads GPS 501(c)(4) organizations have the same president, same spokesman, same mailing address, and same right-wing ideology. Both groups can, thanks to the Citizens United and SpeechNow.org rulings, accept unlimited sums of money from individuals and corporations — a privilege they’ve wielded to raise $100 million for the 2012 cycle alone and to run millions of dollars worth of political television ads. . .

Read more at: Think Progress