Heather Cox Richardson we continue to spread the truth of these matters in the face of the constant attack on democracy and our rights. The pernicious aggression towards women, rights and social freedoms has to be shut down and stopped.
Thanks to all freedom fighters and your continuing beacon Professor ⭐.
Heather Cox Richardson we continue to spread the truth of these matters in the face of the constant attack on democracy and our rights. The pernicious aggression towards women, rights and social freedoms has to be shut down and stopped.
Thanks to all freedom fighters and your continuing beacon Professor ⭐.
In today's Letter, Heather Cox Richardson, laid out in the clearest terms how Trump has worked with Putin to bring Democracy down.
'The use of Russian disinformation to destabilize democracy in the U.S. looks much like the information warfare Russia has used to establish Ukrainian leaders that worked for the Kremlin. It was the ouster of one of those leaders, Viktor Yanukovych, in the 2014 Maidan Revolution ten years ago that prompted Russian president Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine later that year. Yanukovych won office with the help of American political consultant Paul Manafort, who advised and, briefly, chaired the Trump campaign in 2016, when it weakened the Republican party’s platform plank that supported arming Ukraine against Putin after his 2014 invasion.'
'Seeding lies about corruption that came from Russian-linked Ukrainians was central to Trump’s 2019 impeachment: his phone call to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky demanding Zelensky announce an investigation into Burisma and Joe Biden’s son Hunter was part of an attempt to create dirt on the Bidens. That call happened after Trump’s advisor Rudy Giuliani went to Ukraine, where he talked to “an active Russian agent,” according to the FBI. FBI agents warned Giuliani that he was a target of Russian disinformation.'
'That poison has now spread from Trump’s rogue team in the White House to the Republican Party itself, which has apparently been carrying water for Putin at the very center of our government.' (Letter)
I would add '...that poison has now also spread from Trump's rogue team in the White House...' to The Supreme Court of the US, state legislatures, governors and the American people.
Reading this edition of Letters was hard to grasp, I kept flinching at HCRs descriptions of this whole rotten, republican sh*tstorm and I had to go back and reread sentences because it’s all so damn hard to absorb and what came to my mind was a line from Bob Dylan’s “Stuck Inside Of Mobile….”: Here’s the relevant part: “an’ it strangled up my mind…, now people just get uglier an’ I have no sense of time. Oh Mama, can this really be the end?” I was a Marine on my way to Vietnam when I first heard that song and it became one of my favorites.
Elizabeth, your not being able to get "The Music Man" out of your mind for the first two years of tffg's era shows how relevant "The Music Man's" music and message were and are.
So, it looks as though you've hit the bulls-eye, Potter, thinking of Elmer Gantry when the topic of TFFG comes up. For some reason, I haven't, and I think that the reason why I haven't made that association is that Gantry was a mere hypocrite. TFFG was much more than that, actually inflicting harm on great numbers of people and not the very few.
'Timeline: Paul Manafort’s long history with oligarch Oleg Deripaska' (WAPO)
Analysis by Philip Bump
September 20, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. EDT
'In March, the Associated Press reported that former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort had drafted a proposal to help advance the business interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2005. In light of that report, we’ve compiled this history of Manafort’s interactions with political campaigns and Russian interests.'
'It became newly relevant on Wednesday, when The Post reported that Manafort had offered to provide private campaign briefings to a Russian oligarch with whom he’d previously done business. This timeline has been updated with what we now know.'
'1976. Manafort helps guide Republican presidential nominee Gerald R. Ford’s efforts at the Republican National Convention.'
'1980. After helping shepherd Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign at the Republican convention, Manafort is a founder of the lobbying and strategy firm Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly in Washington. The “Stone” in that title was for Roger Stone, a longtime Trump confidante.'
'1984. Manafort helps plan the convention for Reagan’s reelection bid.'
'November 1985. Manafort’s firm is hired to represent Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos, apparently after being connected to Marcos via an emissary — Sen. Paul Laxalt of Nevada — sent by President Reagan. (This history comes from Ken Vogel’s thorough look at the relationship.) Manafort’s firm is tasked with advising Marcos on public relations and electoral strategy.'
'Feb. 7, 1986. Marcos wins the country’s presidential election thanks to obvious and rampant voter fraud. Manafort describes his efforts during the election to Time magazine as trying to' “make it more of a Chicago-style election and not Mexico’s.”
'Feb. 25, 1986. Marcos flees the country.'
'1988. Manafort manages the convention for Republican presidential nominee George H.W. Bush.'
'January 1991. Public relations firm Burson-Marsteller acquires Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly.'
'1995. Manafort and partner Rick Davis found a new lobbying firm, Davis Manafort.'
'1996. Manafort manages Republican Robert J. Dole’s unsuccessful presidential campaign.'
'Late 2004. Ukraine holds a series of elections in which fraud is rampant. Viktor Yanukovych of the Party of Regions, who came in second in the first round, wins a runoff in November. Outcry at alleged fraud leads the European Union to reject the runoff results; Ukrainians take to the streets in protest in what comes to be known as the Orange Revolution. On a third ballot, Yanukovych again loses.'
'June 2005. According to the Associated Press, Manafort develops a strategic plan aimed at promoting the interests of the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin.'
“We are now of the belief that this model can greatly benefit the Putin Government if employed at the correct levels with the appropriate commitment to success,” 'Manafort wrote in the document.'
'2006. Manafort signs a $10 million-a-year agreement with the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska apparently based on that plan. The work is not conducted through Davis Manafort but through a separate corporation called LOAV Ltd. Deripaska is identified in a 2006 diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks as being' “among the 2-3 oligarchs Putin turns to on a regular basis.”
'The relationship with Deripaska also connects Manafort to Yanukovych. At some point before parliamentary elections in March 2006, the Party of Regions officially hires Davis Manafort to help reshape the party’s image. The party gains a number of seats in the election, and Yanukovych becomes prime minister in August after extensive political wrangling.'
'January 2006. Davis arranges a meeting between Deripaska and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). The two would meet again in August.'
'July 2006. Deripaska’s American visa is revoked.'
'2007. A secret ledger kept by the Party of Regions indicates that Manafort began receiving under-the-table payments at this point — nearly two dozen of them totaling nearly $13 million. Manafort denies the allegation.'
'December 2007. Yanukovych is ousted as prime minister after parliamentary elections. Yulia Tymoshenko takes the position, becoming the first woman to do so.'
'2008. After the presidential election — Davis served as McCain’s campaign manager, creating some bad press for the candidate because of his business relationships — Davis Manafort is disbanded.'
'2009. Manafort’s business relationship with Deripaska continued until at least this point. It’s not clear when it ended again, according to the AP.'
'February 2010. Yanukovych wins the presidency with Manafort’s help. Beforehand, Manafort warns that he’s concerned about voter fraud working against his client, echoing concerns raised by his next prominent client.'
'2012. The last secret payment to Manafort is listed in the ledger.'
'Feb. 21, 2014. After prolonged protests beginning in November the year before, Yanukovych flees to Russia. The next day, he’s officially removed from his post. This triggers Russia’s incursion into Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea.
'September 2014. Manafort flies to Ukraine to try to help Yanukovych’s former party once again gain power. The party is rebranded as the Oppo Bloc, at Manafort’s suggestion.'
'March 28, 2016. Manafort is hired by Trump to guide the campaign’s delegate-wrangling effort in the lead-up to the Republican convention. He’s recommended for the position by Roger Stone.'
'At some point, intelligence agencies allegedly surveil a call or calls between Manafort and Russian government actors. Manafort later told the New York Times that he had “never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers.”
'Spring 2016. According to the Times, the FBI begins investigating Manafort’s business relationships and ties to foreign powers, including Russia.'
'In this time period, the Democratic National Committee’s email system is hacked by people who U.S. authorities believe are linked to the Russian government.'
'April. Manafort emails Hope Hicks, a senior campaign staffer, telling her to ignore questions sent by The Post about his relationship with Deripaska.'
'May. Manafort meets with Konstantin Kilimnik, a longtime business associate of his. Kilimnik is veteran of the Soviet army who often acted as a liaison between Manafort and Deripaska.'
'June 9. At the invitation of Donald Trump Jr., Manafort joins Jared Kushner, Trump Jr. and a Russian attorney tied to the Kremlin for a meeting at Trump Tower. Read a timeline of that interaction.'
'June 21. After months of tension between himself and campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, Lewandowski is fired. Manafort becomes campaign chairman.'
'July 7. Manafort emails Kilimnik to extend an offer to Deripaska: If the oligarch wanted private briefings on the state of the Trump campaign, that could be arranged. There’s no indication that a briefing was ever conducted.'
'Week of July 11. At the national security platform meeting establishing the Republican Party positions on the subject, representatives of the Trump campaign intervene to remove a call for arming the Ukrainian military to battle Russian and rebel fighters in the eastern part of the country.'
'July 18. The convention begins. Trump is nominated on the 21st.'
'July 22. The emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee are released by WikiLeaks.'
'July 29. Kilimnik emails Manafort to tell him that he’d met with the person “who gave you the biggest black caviar jar several years ago” — apparently a reference to Deripaska. They arrange a meeting in August.'
'Aug. 14. The secret ledger comes to light.'
'Aug. 17. Reports emerge that Manafort also helped the Party of Regions secretly route $2.2 million in unreported lobbying spending to D.C. in 2012.'
'Aug. 19. Manafort quits the Trump campaign, at the request of the candidate.'
'Among the reasons he was asked to resign were Trump’s dissatisfaction with his tactical advice, and news articles raising questions about his ties to Russia and Ukraine.'
'Nov. 8. Trump is elected president.' (WAPO) Article was copied in full.
Renee, what is as good as it was; some stuff has gotten better - President Biden, for instance.
I learn a good deal from reading The Washington Post. I recommend its free newsletter 'Today's WorldView' authored by Ishaan Tharoor. The paper's science and nature pieces are very good. Its coverage around the world and the US is solid, if not always what I'm looking for.
Agree. As someone who doesn't live in a major metropolitan area, (so no major newspaper) I prefer WAPO to The NY Times. More straightforward, not editorializing in every article. Far less irritating.
Manafort’s work for Putin and Russia have never been a secret. [It is not like this is the ONLY rundown of his tenure working for despots around the world that we’ve ever seen.] Why are we here now, thinking about his work “for” Trump? Do we think Manafort and Stone are OK, just legitimate opponents, not working for the ascendance of Putin, just because they don’t have Russian names?
Sorry, Les, I cannot account for other outlets that published a timeline of Manafort's work with US on behalf of Russian interests. I do know that it was fairly widespread; but where and when is the work of an archivist, librarian, investigative journalist, etc.
The media did report on Manafort; I remember reading about him and several other trump campaign irregularities. The media reported but we were all so sure that Hillary was going to win and trump was such a nasty unfit candidate...
Asleep at the wheel. "Access journalism" means cozying up to sources to get carefully measured bits of news. Meanwhile the big story is seldom reported.
Fern, The Ghost of Rush Limbaugh smiles down on the chaos he is responsible for. The Ghost of Ronald Reagan has lost his script and doesn’t know whether to smile or not. Pretty sure Rush will provide him some advice
FERN, well I would note the poison has been neutralized in Unite States vs. Smirnov in a California Federal Court. Good job by Special Counsel DAVID C. WEISS. Much more to come in 2:24-cr-00091.
SCOTUS is taking a long time to rule on Wreck's Writ for "CERT". A ruling is possible by this Friday, March 1, 2024.
In the Prez Primary Vote in Redder-than-Red, South Carolina. 280,000 voted for Nikki Haley. One exit Poll's found 60% of those Haley Voters would NEVER vote for Wreck. The NBC exit Poll had it the 'Never-Trump' % even higher. That is valuable data for the Biden Team.
Bryan, although the notes you made about a number of actions that reflect a few positive instances with reference to, perhaps, slowing the spread of Putinism/Trump fascism in the country, they hardly neutralize it, if they have slowed the spread.
I do not disagree Pat. I just think it worthy to state that DAVID C WEISS has already been successful on a major battle front, the 'impeachment' BS. That victory also includes the Prisoners that will now get trashed at the so-called 'Hearing'.
UPDATED: 2:30 PM Eastern:
True, there are many battle fronts. In a fiery protest act that recalls Vietnam Buddhist self-immolation in the 1960's, an active U.S. airman, AARON BUSHNELL (Age 25) has burned himself to death iat Washington DC, Israeli Embassy on Sunday. to protest Palestinian deaths in GAZA.
Last night, in the first segment of '60 Minutes" a Pennsylvania woman MD who treats casualties in conflict zones reported on the shrapnel wounds of children that she treated 3-4 times a night in a GAZA Hospital.
This Doctor's report came from a battle-environment ready MD that has already done 4 or 5 two week volunteer tours in UKRAINE.
There have been comments here in the US in various venues to the effect that the US was involved in the overthrowing Yanukovych, the Ukrainian president at the time of the Maidan to the point of saying that we did this and from that that we caused this war. So far has this lie spread. This IS a lie. And when anyone comes across it, it should be beaten back, exposed. Yanukovych fled to Russia; he was a Russian puppet, betraying the will of the UKR people. That is what the Maidan was about. They wanted their independence and to ally with the West, with the EU. Russia did not want that...this is the "why" one of the why's, of the war. It also connects Trump via Manafort to Putin, doing Putin's bidding.
Victoria Nuland gets mentioned a lot and blamed for supporting the overthrow of Yanukovych .
The rich white "developed" world is full of "soft fascist" neo-imperialists and their lackeys and minions.
We are worse than the Russians.
One example, documented by a former U.S. Attorney General, is our crimes in the Gulf War, where we used lots and lots of bombs to de-industrialize a darker-skinned country that was actually managing to successfully industrialize:
The Russians have reason to hate and mistrust us, just like the darker-skinned countries whose economies have been strangled by the International Monetary Fund.
Quoting from Davison Budhoo's 100-page resignation letter from the International Monetary Fund, confessing his guilt in "our own peculiar Holocaust":
"To me resignation is a priceless liberation, for with it I have taken the first big step to that place where I may hope to wash my hands of what in my mind’s eye is the blood of millions of poor and starving peoples. ...The blood is so much, you know, it runs in rivers....
"The charges that I make touch at the very heart of western society and western morality and post-war inter-governmental institutionalism that have degenerated into fake and sham under the pretext of establishingand maintaining international economic order and global efficiency....
"Will the world be content merely to brand our institution as among the most insidious enemies of humankind? Will our fellowmen condemn us thus and let the matter rest? Or will the heirs of those whom we have dismembered in our own peculiar Holocaust clamor for another Nuremberg?
"I don’t mind telling you that this matter has haunted me; it has haunted me particularly over the past five years. It has haunted me because I know that if I am tried I will be found guilty, very guilty, without extenuating circumstance...."
The far right faction of the Republicans - now the whole party - has been working on this for years (recounted in Democracy in Chains, Nancy MacLean). The Democrats have been asleep at the switch. Even now the Dems don't seem to be able to tell it like it is, except for a few recent forays in that direction by Pres. Biden and some isolated Republicans such as L. Cheney, A. Kinzinger (to whom no Republicans listen).
Talking about how we destabilized the Middle East with our invasion and destruction of Iraq — I wonder what political party that was? Way back when we used illegal money from SELLING WEAPONS to Iran to secretly fund rebels in South America, who did that? When someone wrote an opinion legitimizing torture and created a plan to ignore the right of the accused by housing prisoners offshore , I wonder who did that? Which party pulled that off, I mean?
We should be carful not to vote for that party in November {Mr. Schmeekle. The US is certainly NOT worse than the Russia state. But we don’t need to vote for people who are trying to be worse …}
Everyone needs to read “Democracy in Chains.” Having read it several years ago and seen Rachel Maddow’s “Koch chain—ALEC, etc.), knowing that Koch Industries is alive and well in Russia in spite of sanctions….
Fern, it didn't have to spread, it was already there, except for the American people, who I am still hopeful have seen enough from the Republicans to vote solid Democratic in November. As Leonard Cohen said, democracy is coming to the U.S.A..
If children are so precious to the republicants, how can they allow so many to be killed every day in Ukraine? You can call Capitol Hill switchboard and ask anyone —-(202) 224-3121
"The Republicans want to overthrow democracy." It's already gone, or just a hollow shell stuffed full of super-big-dollar donations. "Corporate Joe" Biden, for example, is the all-time biggest recipient of campaign money from the pro-Israel lobby. The American people don't support the ongoing genocide in Gaza, but corrupt Biden does, because money talks.
I have argued with Schmeekle. You can't get through with facts. He writes enough to rope you in and if there is fact, he then casts it perversely, negatively, even outrageously. It's arguing with a wall. But he WANTS to engage you. A wall does not. I am recovering.
Definition of trolling on the internet: "Trolling is when someone posts or comments online to 'bait' people, which means deliberately provoking an argument or emotional reaction."
EVERY response to a troll feeds their algorithm. Unfortunately you can block someone's newsletter on this website but it appears you can't block an individual from showing up in your feed.
Exactly!! I have argued with him, as well. Until I realized it amplifies him.
That long screed about how we are “worse” than Russia — OMG, does he have a CLUE!?
I do not have to think the US always behaves with the purity of driven snow to know that we ARE NOT worse than Russia. At our worst {and we have done some terrible things}, we do not approach Kremlin-like monstrosity, which rivals the Nazis.
But if you try to explain or counter what he says and he has no response at hand, he segues to something else: "what about this?" or makes another outrageous statement. He wants to engage you and USE you to his end- which is attention seeking and whatever else. This can go on and on.. leading you by the nose.... if you let him.
We are a democracy, very divided ( and naive and wrong) at times as to how to run it and how to behave in the world. Administrations change and use their ideology to actions that affect and have effect all of us. GWBush invasion of Iraq did us great harm in the world.. and Putin uses that . I doubt Gore would have. But I agree Putin is in another category. He's connived into the presidency since about 2000 but also in office before. He is an ill intentioned autocrat, running a kleptocracy, repressing his people, moving Russia toward totalitarianism... while driving Russia's reputation in the world and the goal of world order into the ground. Schmeekle hits you in your vulnerability to the truth of how we have been wrong at times. You want to defend, but he's not listening to you, does not care. It's punching the wall.
In the words of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert: "Netanyahu's messianic coalition partners want an all-out regional war. Gaza is just a first step."
Lula spent some time in jail and then made a comeback.
And Netanyahu needs a war to keep him out of jail, himself.
Olmert, having been on top, has a view worth considering:
"The ultimate aim of this gang is "purging" the West Bank of its Palestinian inhabitants, cleansing the Temple Mount of its Muslim worshippers and annexing the territories to the state of Israel. This aim will not be achieved without extensive violent conflict. Armageddon."
As well as every person who has helped or received financial help from Israel. As well as the military and arms industry that sells weapons to Israel. As well as every citizen who purchases a firearm from a company that sells to Israel. In other words, your road is crowded. Now, shall I mention Trump and his complicity? His fondness for the pm.
Heather Cox Richardson we continue to spread the truth of these matters in the face of the constant attack on democracy and our rights. The pernicious aggression towards women, rights and social freedoms has to be shut down and stopped.
Thanks to all freedom fighters and your continuing beacon Professor ⭐.
In today's Letter, Heather Cox Richardson, laid out in the clearest terms how Trump has worked with Putin to bring Democracy down.
'The use of Russian disinformation to destabilize democracy in the U.S. looks much like the information warfare Russia has used to establish Ukrainian leaders that worked for the Kremlin. It was the ouster of one of those leaders, Viktor Yanukovych, in the 2014 Maidan Revolution ten years ago that prompted Russian president Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine later that year. Yanukovych won office with the help of American political consultant Paul Manafort, who advised and, briefly, chaired the Trump campaign in 2016, when it weakened the Republican party’s platform plank that supported arming Ukraine against Putin after his 2014 invasion.'
'Seeding lies about corruption that came from Russian-linked Ukrainians was central to Trump’s 2019 impeachment: his phone call to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky demanding Zelensky announce an investigation into Burisma and Joe Biden’s son Hunter was part of an attempt to create dirt on the Bidens. That call happened after Trump’s advisor Rudy Giuliani went to Ukraine, where he talked to “an active Russian agent,” according to the FBI. FBI agents warned Giuliani that he was a target of Russian disinformation.'
'That poison has now spread from Trump’s rogue team in the White House to the Republican Party itself, which has apparently been carrying water for Putin at the very center of our government.' (Letter)
I would add '...that poison has now also spread from Trump's rogue team in the White House...' to The Supreme Court of the US, state legislatures, governors and the American people.
The human brain works in mysterious ways. Reading about T's threat to our D brought "The Music Man" to my mind:
"Trouble (oh, we got trouble)
Right here in River City (right here in River City)
With a capital "T" and that rhymes with "D" and that stands for dictator (that stands for dictator)
We've surely got trouble (we've surely got trouble)
Right here in River City (right here)"
Yep, we've got problems caused by T and it rhymes with D.
Reading this edition of Letters was hard to grasp, I kept flinching at HCRs descriptions of this whole rotten, republican sh*tstorm and I had to go back and reread sentences because it’s all so damn hard to absorb and what came to my mind was a line from Bob Dylan’s “Stuck Inside Of Mobile….”: Here’s the relevant part: “an’ it strangled up my mind…, now people just get uglier an’ I have no sense of time. Oh Mama, can this really be the end?” I was a Marine on my way to Vietnam when I first heard that song and it became one of my favorites.
YES
You were not alone! And, describe it perfectly.
I could not get "The Music Man" out of my mind for the first few years of tfg's era.
Elizabeth, your not being able to get "The Music Man" out of your mind for the first two years of tffg's era shows how relevant "The Music Man's" music and message were and are.
I keep thinking of the movie Elmer Gantry with Burt Lancaster....
So, it looks as though you've hit the bulls-eye, Potter, thinking of Elmer Gantry when the topic of TFFG comes up. For some reason, I haven't, and I think that the reason why I haven't made that association is that Gantry was a mere hypocrite. TFFG was much more than that, actually inflicting harm on great numbers of people and not the very few.
🎯 Potter.
That is the same movie that all of this Trumpism brings to my mind.
Elizabeth, 🎶 were certain words creeping into the language like 🎶 "Incredible". Wow, what a Tell.
The last line should be "we gotta find a way to sway the voters solid blue (until we do we've surely got trouble)".
That we had no idea what Manafort was...where was the media?
'Timeline: Paul Manafort’s long history with oligarch Oleg Deripaska' (WAPO)
Analysis by Philip Bump
September 20, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. EDT
'In March, the Associated Press reported that former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort had drafted a proposal to help advance the business interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2005. In light of that report, we’ve compiled this history of Manafort’s interactions with political campaigns and Russian interests.'
'It became newly relevant on Wednesday, when The Post reported that Manafort had offered to provide private campaign briefings to a Russian oligarch with whom he’d previously done business. This timeline has been updated with what we now know.'
'1976. Manafort helps guide Republican presidential nominee Gerald R. Ford’s efforts at the Republican National Convention.'
'1980. After helping shepherd Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign at the Republican convention, Manafort is a founder of the lobbying and strategy firm Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly in Washington. The “Stone” in that title was for Roger Stone, a longtime Trump confidante.'
'1984. Manafort helps plan the convention for Reagan’s reelection bid.'
'November 1985. Manafort’s firm is hired to represent Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos, apparently after being connected to Marcos via an emissary — Sen. Paul Laxalt of Nevada — sent by President Reagan. (This history comes from Ken Vogel’s thorough look at the relationship.) Manafort’s firm is tasked with advising Marcos on public relations and electoral strategy.'
'Feb. 7, 1986. Marcos wins the country’s presidential election thanks to obvious and rampant voter fraud. Manafort describes his efforts during the election to Time magazine as trying to' “make it more of a Chicago-style election and not Mexico’s.”
'Feb. 25, 1986. Marcos flees the country.'
'1988. Manafort manages the convention for Republican presidential nominee George H.W. Bush.'
'January 1991. Public relations firm Burson-Marsteller acquires Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly.'
'1995. Manafort and partner Rick Davis found a new lobbying firm, Davis Manafort.'
'1996. Manafort manages Republican Robert J. Dole’s unsuccessful presidential campaign.'
'Late 2004. Ukraine holds a series of elections in which fraud is rampant. Viktor Yanukovych of the Party of Regions, who came in second in the first round, wins a runoff in November. Outcry at alleged fraud leads the European Union to reject the runoff results; Ukrainians take to the streets in protest in what comes to be known as the Orange Revolution. On a third ballot, Yanukovych again loses.'
'June 2005. According to the Associated Press, Manafort develops a strategic plan aimed at promoting the interests of the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin.'
“We are now of the belief that this model can greatly benefit the Putin Government if employed at the correct levels with the appropriate commitment to success,” 'Manafort wrote in the document.'
'2006. Manafort signs a $10 million-a-year agreement with the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska apparently based on that plan. The work is not conducted through Davis Manafort but through a separate corporation called LOAV Ltd. Deripaska is identified in a 2006 diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks as being' “among the 2-3 oligarchs Putin turns to on a regular basis.”
'The relationship with Deripaska also connects Manafort to Yanukovych. At some point before parliamentary elections in March 2006, the Party of Regions officially hires Davis Manafort to help reshape the party’s image. The party gains a number of seats in the election, and Yanukovych becomes prime minister in August after extensive political wrangling.'
'January 2006. Davis arranges a meeting between Deripaska and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). The two would meet again in August.'
'July 2006. Deripaska’s American visa is revoked.'
'2007. A secret ledger kept by the Party of Regions indicates that Manafort began receiving under-the-table payments at this point — nearly two dozen of them totaling nearly $13 million. Manafort denies the allegation.'
'December 2007. Yanukovych is ousted as prime minister after parliamentary elections. Yulia Tymoshenko takes the position, becoming the first woman to do so.'
'2008. After the presidential election — Davis served as McCain’s campaign manager, creating some bad press for the candidate because of his business relationships — Davis Manafort is disbanded.'
'2009. Manafort’s business relationship with Deripaska continued until at least this point. It’s not clear when it ended again, according to the AP.'
'February 2010. Yanukovych wins the presidency with Manafort’s help. Beforehand, Manafort warns that he’s concerned about voter fraud working against his client, echoing concerns raised by his next prominent client.'
'2012. The last secret payment to Manafort is listed in the ledger.'
'Feb. 21, 2014. After prolonged protests beginning in November the year before, Yanukovych flees to Russia. The next day, he’s officially removed from his post. This triggers Russia’s incursion into Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea.
'September 2014. Manafort flies to Ukraine to try to help Yanukovych’s former party once again gain power. The party is rebranded as the Oppo Bloc, at Manafort’s suggestion.'
'March 28, 2016. Manafort is hired by Trump to guide the campaign’s delegate-wrangling effort in the lead-up to the Republican convention. He’s recommended for the position by Roger Stone.'
'At some point, intelligence agencies allegedly surveil a call or calls between Manafort and Russian government actors. Manafort later told the New York Times that he had “never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers.”
'Spring 2016. According to the Times, the FBI begins investigating Manafort’s business relationships and ties to foreign powers, including Russia.'
'In this time period, the Democratic National Committee’s email system is hacked by people who U.S. authorities believe are linked to the Russian government.'
'April. Manafort emails Hope Hicks, a senior campaign staffer, telling her to ignore questions sent by The Post about his relationship with Deripaska.'
'May. Manafort meets with Konstantin Kilimnik, a longtime business associate of his. Kilimnik is veteran of the Soviet army who often acted as a liaison between Manafort and Deripaska.'
'June 9. At the invitation of Donald Trump Jr., Manafort joins Jared Kushner, Trump Jr. and a Russian attorney tied to the Kremlin for a meeting at Trump Tower. Read a timeline of that interaction.'
'June 21. After months of tension between himself and campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, Lewandowski is fired. Manafort becomes campaign chairman.'
'July 7. Manafort emails Kilimnik to extend an offer to Deripaska: If the oligarch wanted private briefings on the state of the Trump campaign, that could be arranged. There’s no indication that a briefing was ever conducted.'
'Week of July 11. At the national security platform meeting establishing the Republican Party positions on the subject, representatives of the Trump campaign intervene to remove a call for arming the Ukrainian military to battle Russian and rebel fighters in the eastern part of the country.'
'July 18. The convention begins. Trump is nominated on the 21st.'
'July 22. The emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee are released by WikiLeaks.'
'July 29. Kilimnik emails Manafort to tell him that he’d met with the person “who gave you the biggest black caviar jar several years ago” — apparently a reference to Deripaska. They arrange a meeting in August.'
'Aug. 14. The secret ledger comes to light.'
'Aug. 17. Reports emerge that Manafort also helped the Party of Regions secretly route $2.2 million in unreported lobbying spending to D.C. in 2012.'
'Aug. 19. Manafort quits the Trump campaign, at the request of the candidate.'
'Among the reasons he was asked to resign were Trump’s dissatisfaction with his tactical advice, and news articles raising questions about his ties to Russia and Ukraine.'
'Nov. 8. Trump is elected president.' (WAPO) Article was copied in full.
Thank you Fern!
Thank you, Helen, for your attention and support of Democracy.
Thank you Fern.
This timeline summary puts so much in perspective.
Thank you efh for you attention and support of democracy.
Grateful for your perseverence, also!
WAPO is no longer what it was.
Renee, what is as good as it was; some stuff has gotten better - President Biden, for instance.
I learn a good deal from reading The Washington Post. I recommend its free newsletter 'Today's WorldView' authored by Ishaan Tharoor. The paper's science and nature pieces are very good. Its coverage around the world and the US is solid, if not always what I'm looking for.
Agree. As someone who doesn't live in a major metropolitan area, (so no major newspaper) I prefer WAPO to The NY Times. More straightforward, not editorializing in every article. Far less irritating.
Tharoor is good!
The only thing missing Fern is Manafort’s a presidential pardon from the President Trump in December 2020.
Yes, Chris, the pardon was missing, and there may be others, but this article was written in 2017, so I would not fault the analyst.
Soden was my family name. are you from the albany NY area?
Wow, It is my married name and as far as I know there was no family in that area.
Egad.
Manafort’s work for Putin and Russia have never been a secret. [It is not like this is the ONLY rundown of his tenure working for despots around the world that we’ve ever seen.] Why are we here now, thinking about his work “for” Trump? Do we think Manafort and Stone are OK, just legitimate opponents, not working for the ascendance of Putin, just because they don’t have Russian names?
Fern, thanks. From what I see, only WAPO ran this. Yes ?
Sorry, Les, I cannot account for other outlets that published a timeline of Manafort's work with US on behalf of Russian interests. I do know that it was fairly widespread; but where and when is the work of an archivist, librarian, investigative journalist, etc.
I recall reading that quite early on... in a British publication...
And I heard it on MSNBC more than once. Did it make The NY Times?
Virginia I also remember very good reporting for months from Natasha Bertrand on Chris Hayes show.
Jen. The media? In bed with Trump. I knew of Manafort via publications like the New Yorker
The media did report on Manafort; I remember reading about him and several other trump campaign irregularities. The media reported but we were all so sure that Hillary was going to win and trump was such a nasty unfit candidate...
Helping trump get elected, just as the are doing once again. It infuriates me.
Just like Mike Johnson!
Where was and where is the media!!
Asleep at the wheel. "Access journalism" means cozying up to sources to get carefully measured bits of news. Meanwhile the big story is seldom reported.
Fern, The Ghost of Rush Limbaugh smiles down on the chaos he is responsible for. The Ghost of Ronald Reagan has lost his script and doesn’t know whether to smile or not. Pretty sure Rush will provide him some advice
Dave: Limbaugh, Reagan and their cohorts have been reborn!
I’d have preferred “unborn”, but alas…
Ahhh, but as "unborns" their lackeys would confer on them personhood status nonetheless. Arrrrgggghhhh!
Only in Alabama so far.
Please not to mention those names! I'm joking.
Yes, Fern, we are on a precipice. It’s time to shed exceptionalism—quickly.
FERN, well I would note the poison has been neutralized in Unite States vs. Smirnov in a California Federal Court. Good job by Special Counsel DAVID C. WEISS. Much more to come in 2:24-cr-00091.
SCOTUS is taking a long time to rule on Wreck's Writ for "CERT". A ruling is possible by this Friday, March 1, 2024.
In the Prez Primary Vote in Redder-than-Red, South Carolina. 280,000 voted for Nikki Haley. One exit Poll's found 60% of those Haley Voters would NEVER vote for Wreck. The NBC exit Poll had it the 'Never-Trump' % even higher. That is valuable data for the Biden Team.
Bryan, although the notes you made about a number of actions that reflect a few positive instances with reference to, perhaps, slowing the spread of Putinism/Trump fascism in the country, they hardly neutralize it, if they have slowed the spread.
We will likely NEVER neutralize opposition. We can lessen it, and prevail over it.
That’s our task.
Proposing viable methods for overcoming these efforts to destroy our government — that’s needed at this juncture.
I do not disagree Pat. I just think it worthy to state that DAVID C WEISS has already been successful on a major battle front, the 'impeachment' BS. That victory also includes the Prisoners that will now get trashed at the so-called 'Hearing'.
UPDATED: 2:30 PM Eastern:
True, there are many battle fronts. In a fiery protest act that recalls Vietnam Buddhist self-immolation in the 1960's, an active U.S. airman, AARON BUSHNELL (Age 25) has burned himself to death iat Washington DC, Israeli Embassy on Sunday. to protest Palestinian deaths in GAZA.
Last night, in the first segment of '60 Minutes" a Pennsylvania woman MD who treats casualties in conflict zones reported on the shrapnel wounds of children that she treated 3-4 times a night in a GAZA Hospital.
This Doctor's report came from a battle-environment ready MD that has already done 4 or 5 two week volunteer tours in UKRAINE.
On Ukraine, our Congress dithers at the behest of the Orange Disaster, people suffer and die, and Putin celebrates.
On Gaza, I want our Current President to come out more strongly in support of human decency!! That is something he CAN do.
There have been comments here in the US in various venues to the effect that the US was involved in the overthrowing Yanukovych, the Ukrainian president at the time of the Maidan to the point of saying that we did this and from that that we caused this war. So far has this lie spread. This IS a lie. And when anyone comes across it, it should be beaten back, exposed. Yanukovych fled to Russia; he was a Russian puppet, betraying the will of the UKR people. That is what the Maidan was about. They wanted their independence and to ally with the West, with the EU. Russia did not want that...this is the "why" one of the why's, of the war. It also connects Trump via Manafort to Putin, doing Putin's bidding.
Victoria Nuland gets mentioned a lot and blamed for supporting the overthrow of Yanukovych .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Nuland
Clarity and context — SO important when trying to cope with all that is going on.
[Oh, how I appreciate people like Heather Cox Richardson!]
Thank you, Potter. Misinformation dominates.
The rich white "developed" world is full of "soft fascist" neo-imperialists and their lackeys and minions.
We are worse than the Russians.
One example, documented by a former U.S. Attorney General, is our crimes in the Gulf War, where we used lots and lots of bombs to de-industrialize a darker-skinned country that was actually managing to successfully industrialize:
https://www.amazon.com/Fire-This-Time-U-S-Crimes/dp/1560250712
We have been provoking the Russians for decades, and they finally shoved back. Regarding the repeated NATO promises of "Not one inch to the east!" See https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/russia-programs/2017-12-12/nato-expansion-what-gorbachev-heard-western-leaders-early
NATO started expanding to the east in the wake of Yeltsin's coup against the Duma, and he leaned on President Clinton in his time of need, oops.
And then there was the western-imposed "shock therapy" genocide that killed off all the old people in Russia:
https://archive.org/details/AGenocideRussiaAndTheNewWorldOrder1999
The Russians have reason to hate and mistrust us, just like the darker-skinned countries whose economies have been strangled by the International Monetary Fund.
Quoting from Davison Budhoo's 100-page resignation letter from the International Monetary Fund, confessing his guilt in "our own peculiar Holocaust":
"To me resignation is a priceless liberation, for with it I have taken the first big step to that place where I may hope to wash my hands of what in my mind’s eye is the blood of millions of poor and starving peoples. ...The blood is so much, you know, it runs in rivers....
"The charges that I make touch at the very heart of western society and western morality and post-war inter-governmental institutionalism that have degenerated into fake and sham under the pretext of establishingand maintaining international economic order and global efficiency....
"Will the world be content merely to brand our institution as among the most insidious enemies of humankind? Will our fellowmen condemn us thus and let the matter rest? Or will the heirs of those whom we have dismembered in our own peculiar Holocaust clamor for another Nuremberg?
"I don’t mind telling you that this matter has haunted me; it has haunted me particularly over the past five years. It has haunted me because I know that if I am tried I will be found guilty, very guilty, without extenuating circumstance...."
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oJzvpfFzIKu76oE1CkzZlarRiVpYIggFMFzSt6OgHx0/mobilebasic
The far right faction of the Republicans - now the whole party - has been working on this for years (recounted in Democracy in Chains, Nancy MacLean). The Democrats have been asleep at the switch. Even now the Dems don't seem to be able to tell it like it is, except for a few recent forays in that direction by Pres. Biden and some isolated Republicans such as L. Cheney, A. Kinzinger (to whom no Republicans listen).
Talking about how we destabilized the Middle East with our invasion and destruction of Iraq — I wonder what political party that was? Way back when we used illegal money from SELLING WEAPONS to Iran to secretly fund rebels in South America, who did that? When someone wrote an opinion legitimizing torture and created a plan to ignore the right of the accused by housing prisoners offshore , I wonder who did that? Which party pulled that off, I mean?
We should be carful not to vote for that party in November {Mr. Schmeekle. The US is certainly NOT worse than the Russia state. But we don’t need to vote for people who are trying to be worse …}
Everyone needs to read “Democracy in Chains.” Having read it several years ago and seen Rachel Maddow’s “Koch chain—ALEC, etc.), knowing that Koch Industries is alive and well in Russia in spite of sanctions….
Fern, it didn't have to spread, it was already there, except for the American people, who I am still hopeful have seen enough from the Republicans to vote solid Democratic in November. As Leonard Cohen said, democracy is coming to the U.S.A..
Just horrible.
If children are so precious to the republicants, how can they allow so many to be killed every day in Ukraine? You can call Capitol Hill switchboard and ask anyone —-(202) 224-3121
Or in US classrooms?
"The Republicans want to overthrow democracy." It's already gone, or just a hollow shell stuffed full of super-big-dollar donations. "Corporate Joe" Biden, for example, is the all-time biggest recipient of campaign money from the pro-Israel lobby. The American people don't support the ongoing genocide in Gaza, but corrupt Biden does, because money talks.
Wrong. AGAIN. Are you a witting agent of Putin and Trump, or a useful idiot?
Please don't feed the troll.
Sharon Tobin doesn't want people to think about Biden's complicity in Israeli genocide in Gaza.(More bombs? Yes.)
I have argued with Schmeekle. You can't get through with facts. He writes enough to rope you in and if there is fact, he then casts it perversely, negatively, even outrageously. It's arguing with a wall. But he WANTS to engage you. A wall does not. I am recovering.
Definition of trolling on the internet: "Trolling is when someone posts or comments online to 'bait' people, which means deliberately provoking an argument or emotional reaction."
EVERY response to a troll feeds their algorithm. Unfortunately you can block someone's newsletter on this website but it appears you can't block an individual from showing up in your feed.
DO NOT RESPOND TO SCHMEEKLE. He is a Russian troll. Simply report any of his statements as Russian misinformation.
Russians are smarter than to send this.
Potter doesn't want to discuss Biden's complicity in Israeli genocide in Gaza, so he changes the subject.
I don't know if he is a Russian troll. I'm done with him because engaging with him is foolish and I learned that. He taunts.
Robert Hull is a deliberate liar. Perhaps a paid liar?
Does Biden pay people to steer discussion away from the genocide in Gaza unfolding right before our eyes?
Potter doesn't want to discuss Biden's complicity in Israeli genocide in Gaza, so he changes the subject.
Exactly!! I have argued with him, as well. Until I realized it amplifies him.
That long screed about how we are “worse” than Russia — OMG, does he have a CLUE!?
I do not have to think the US always behaves with the purity of driven snow to know that we ARE NOT worse than Russia. At our worst {and we have done some terrible things}, we do not approach Kremlin-like monstrosity, which rivals the Nazis.
Just saying.
But if you try to explain or counter what he says and he has no response at hand, he segues to something else: "what about this?" or makes another outrageous statement. He wants to engage you and USE you to his end- which is attention seeking and whatever else. This can go on and on.. leading you by the nose.... if you let him.
Potter is resolutely avoiding saying anything about Biden's complicity in Israeli genocide in Gaza.
We are a democracy, very divided ( and naive and wrong) at times as to how to run it and how to behave in the world. Administrations change and use their ideology to actions that affect and have effect all of us. GWBush invasion of Iraq did us great harm in the world.. and Putin uses that . I doubt Gore would have. But I agree Putin is in another category. He's connived into the presidency since about 2000 but also in office before. He is an ill intentioned autocrat, running a kleptocracy, repressing his people, moving Russia toward totalitarianism... while driving Russia's reputation in the world and the goal of world order into the ground. Schmeekle hits you in your vulnerability to the truth of how we have been wrong at times. You want to defend, but he's not listening to you, does not care. It's punching the wall.
Paid Bidenista propagandists have trouble arguing when they run out of talking points.
Trolling is when someone posts or comments online to 'bait' people, which means deliberately provoking an argument or emotional reaction.
You know what trolling is, and he does it.
He does NOT seem not seem to know what trolling, so defines it as he chooses. I have wondered if someone put him up to this.
Trolling is when people post content-free rude dismissals of reasoned thoughts worth discussing.
In the words of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert: "Netanyahu's messianic coalition partners want an all-out regional war. Gaza is just a first step."
https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-02-22/ty-article-opinion/.premium/netanyahus-messianic-coalition-partners-want-an-all-out-regional-war/0000018d-d237-d06c-abbd-daf733870000
Time for your pills.
Coke-head the troll knows what he needs, brought by Eric Clapton:
https://youtu.be/qYS732zyYfU?si=e8AMBlVnBumukV_Q
ooooh, an opinion piece. There's a reason FORMER PM Olmert is wholly ignored and discredited after spending 16 months in prison for corruption.
Lula spent some time in jail and then made a comeback.
And Netanyahu needs a war to keep him out of jail, himself.
Olmert, having been on top, has a view worth considering:
"The ultimate aim of this gang is "purging" the West Bank of its Palestinian inhabitants, cleansing the Temple Mount of its Muslim worshippers and annexing the territories to the state of Israel. This aim will not be achieved without extensive violent conflict. Armageddon."
Doesn't take a former PM to know that about the Likkud extremists
Yes.
True as this is, it’s still the better alternative; and Biden has done an incredible job bringing the country back from Trump’s disastrous chaos.
I have to say I respectfully disagree.
pro-tip everyone -- please do not feed the troll
Are you a troll or you do you just dress that way?
I'm not a troll, and I suspect that your thoughts about trollish fashion sense are make-believe.
John
Israel has supported both Democrat and Republicans in their campaigns. The bond between the US and Israel is tight. And will remain so.
And that makes people like Biden complicit in Israeli genocide.
As well as every person who has helped or received financial help from Israel. As well as the military and arms industry that sells weapons to Israel. As well as every citizen who purchases a firearm from a company that sells to Israel. In other words, your road is crowded. Now, shall I mention Trump and his complicity? His fondness for the pm.
Trump and Bibi were in bed together, and from a safe distance it was hard to figure out which one was on top.
This time around, Trump seems to not be bothering with pro-Israel campaign contributions, which is a curious development.
💓💙💓💙💓💙👍👍👍
Here, Hear! We’ll said!