There was no collusion with Russia, as long as you ignore that, and that, and that, and that, and…

Oh. Okay. The recent addition to Trump’s eccentric stable of legal advisers - Rudi Giuliani - says there isn’t a stitch of evidence that Donald Trump colluded with Russia - even though Giuliani hasn’t seen any of Mueller’s information - so on his word, we can take that to the bank. After all, Don Jr., Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort’s meeting with at least 5 Russians on June 9, 2016, (in Trump Tower of all places) two of whom had known ties to Russian military intelligence, wasn’t collusion. Rob Goldstone who would also attend that meeting had even written in one of the earliest emails to Don Jr., quote "This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump." unquote. Plus the subject line of the email sent to Don Jr. and forwarded to Jared and Manafort states right at the top “Russia-Clinton-private and confidential,” so 'a confidential liaison with Russians and their government's support proves it wasn't collusion.

Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer who met with Don Junior and those other officials in Trump Tower, acknowledged on NBC news Friday, April 27^th that she is not just a lawyer but a source of information for top Kremlin official and confidante to Vladimir Putin, Yuri Y. Chaika, the prosecutor general…but of course, interacting with a self-admitted Russian government informant isn’t collusion.

President Trump concocted a cover-up story aboard Air Force One that Don Jr., Jared, and Paul were just meeting with the Russians to discuss a suspended child adoption program - which fell apart days later when Don Junior released the email chain showing it was a clandestine meeting with the Russians to get dirt on Hillary Clinton - but that doesn’t suggest collusion.

At a Wilkes-Barre, Pa campaign rally in October 2016, Trump quoted almost word-for-word from a supposedly recently recovered Hillary Clinton email regarding the Benghazi attack in 2011 that was posted on the Russian propaganda website Sputnik. The information was discovered to be a false story spun by Sputnik and upon exposure they immediately took it down. Trump never retracted his statement, but naturally, quoting from a Russian propaganda site wouldn’t be an act of collusion.

Michael Flynn violated the Logan Act by discussing the President Obama-enacted U.S. sanctions with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak in several phone calls on Dec. 29, 2016, but that wasn’t collusion. Trump later defending Flynn for that very act and claiming he “didn’t do anything wrong” and “I would have expected him to do it” isn’t remotely collusion.

 Jeff Sessions having at least three discussions during Trump’s campaign with that very same Sergei Kislyak that he initially told a Congressional committee he “didn’t remember” isn't indicative of collusion.

Jared Kushner contacting Kislyak in December 2016 to see if members of the Trump administration could use the Russian embassy’s communications to contact the Kremlin instead of using U.S. services can’t seriously be mistaken for collusion.

Also, Jared having - what the White House described as - a "relationship meeting" with Sergei Gorkov, president of sanctioned Russian bank VEB in mid December 2016 as part of Trump’s efforts to establish a back channel to Putin, could never be confused with collusion.

President Trump meeting in the Oval Office with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and ambassador Sergei Kislyak, then banning any U.S. media from covering the occasion but allowing a TASS photojournalist unlimited access, giving away highly-classified intelligence from Israel to the Russians during that meeting, and bragging about his firing James Comey the day before got rid of “the Russia thing,” would NEVER be misconstrued as collusion.

Felix Sater, a Trump business associate who boasted of connections to Vladimir Putin, sent back and forth emails to Michael Cohen about a Trump Tower Moscow project and that Donald Trump had personally signed a letter of intent for it in October 2015, contradicting his repeated assertions that he has had no business dealings in Russia. But plainly, no one would accept THAT as collusion, would they?

The distinction in Giuliani’s mind is, everyone in Trump’s campaign, transition team, and his administration, DID interact with the Russians, but since Trump doesn’t know what the word collusion means, how can he be guilty of committing it? Besides, he can’t remember doing any of it, or hearing about any of it…ergo...there wasn’t any collusion. Whew, there you have it, the guaranteed "not a stitch" of evidence as Giuliani interpreted it., Everybody's innocent. Case closed.

What Might Happen when Kim Jong-Un Meets Trump at the very first meeting

It was hoped the unprecedented, ground-breaking meeting set up by new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo between President Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong-Un would distract the world's news organizations from the looming threat of obstruction of justice charges against the president, the deepening Russian collusion scandal, the lawsuit brought by adult film actress Stephanie Clifford a.k.a. Stormy Daniels, the criminal charges stemming from incriminating information found in Michael Cohen's confiscated material, a lawsuit 19 women brought against Trump for serial sexual assault, 26 plaintiffs suing Trump regarding his golf courses over non payment of labor, personal injuries, and unannounced changes to membership fees, and several other cases making their way through federal courts regarding Trump's Emoluments violations, Oath of Office violations, and even overcharging the government when secret service agents had to rent his golf carts in order to protect him at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Instead, what did happen caught everyone off guard.

If the Trump Administration was a railroad train...

          In a startling development, just as the meeting with Kim Jong-Un got under way, President Trump asked for, and was granted, political asylum in North Korea. 
          Trump was accompanied to the meeting by his entire cabinet and several aides, most of whom waited just outside the hall. Trump had deliberately excluded the U.S. press from the summit meeting so it was left to North and South Korean journalists and photographers to report on what happened. They said at the very opening Mr.Trump entered the room and walked over to the table as Kim Jong-Un entered from the opposite side of the room. Breaking protocol, Trump moved around to Kim’s side of the table and kept going toward Kim and his group of advisers. The journalists were expecting Trump’s usual power-handshake when he reached Kim. But instead, Trump put his hand on Kim’s shoulder and leaned down to his ear. The North Korean security men started to close in to protect Kim when Kim’s interpreter Chun Kei-Ryong, who had walked rapidly up behind Kim, spoke quickly and then turned to the gathered officials.

Chun Kei-Ryong (left) and Kim Jong-Un moments before meeting President Trump

          “Mr. Trump says he would like to come and stay in North Korea permanently,” Kei-Ryong said. “He has asked for asylum.”

There was a loud gasp from the South Koreans lining the southern and eastern walls and many rushed outside, while two American aides who had accompanied President Trump into the room stopped in their tracks at the table and stared at Trump’s back.

          Trump again leaned down to Kim’s ear and spoke for several seconds, then reach down for Kim’s hand. Jong-Un, looking uncomfortable, hesitatingly held up his hand and Trump grasped it, shaking it in a rapid, piston-like movement and smiled as North Korean cameras began clicking away.

          “Mr. Trump says he can bring much to the North Korean people. He has offered to show how a Trump Tower can be built in Pyongyang. He would only ask to have the top five floors for himself when finished.”

          One of the Americans called out several times to the President but Mr. Trump never acknowledged him.

Still furiously pumping Kim’s hand Trump spoke more loudly. “I think this is a great day for the people of North Korea, a great, great day, and Mr. President, I will help make North Korea Great Again, that I can tell you…that I can tell you.”

Kim and Trump fist-bump to cement their bromance

          Still looking baffled and uncomfortable, Kim stared at Trump for several moments and then turned to whisper to Chun. Kei-Ryong nodded several times as four of Kim’s highest ranking generals also drew closer. Kim’s hand was still being held and shaken by the president as Kim occasionally looked back and smiled at Trump. One of the generals spoke loud enough for a South Korean news anchor to overhear. The anchor blurted out to others nearby, “He just asked if Trump is willing to supply them with the U.S. missile codes.”

          There was a distinct rise in panic of the voices of the South Koreans near the news anchor and they all noted that Trump, smiling at the generals, appeared to nod his head yes to the question, then spoke softly to Kim and his entourage.

"What are you hiding in there?" Trump and Kim enjoy an intimate train ride to Pyongyang

          “President Kim Jong-Un is pleased to offer Mr. Trump freedom in the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea. We know Mr. Trump had been the target of many unfair investigations in his country. He has been accused of breaking many laws, having sex with many women who were not his wife, and enriching himself with millions of dollars from American taxpayers by signing a GOP tax plan last December. Here, he will be free to live his life without such annoyances, distractions, and threats to his freedom. He said his wealth has already been transferred to a Swiss bank. He will be able to access it through our connections in Pyongyang.” 
                    Mr. Trump handed a folded piece of paper to Chun, walked over to and through the door Kim had originally entered the room from. He never looked back and never offered an explanation. It was later reported he did stop long enough out in a portico to say goodbye to Melania before leaving.

Trump and Kim upon leaving his armored rail car 

          
          Chun Kei-Ryong glanced at the paper and continued “We will make arrangements once a week to operate a flight down to Seoul to buy McDonalds and KFC food for Mr. Trump, as well as purchase however many boxes of golf balls he needs. We do not allow Fox News in Pyongyang so President Kim will have to address that issue if Mr. Trump still wants to watch Fox and Friends before he twitters when he gets up."

          Kei-Ryong then read the rest of the sheet and shook his head in disbelief. “These actions granting asylum apply only to him. This says it is specifically not to extend to Don Junior, Eric, Ivanka, Melania, Barron, Kellyanne Conway, Stephen Miller, John Kelly, Sarah Huckaboo Sanders, Mike Pompeo, Mike Pence, Betsy DeVos, Mick Mulvaney, or any other member of his administration past or present. They will be responsible for whatever is left to do in Washington DC.

Before he left, Trump stopped to shake Melania's hand in a farewell gesture. Aides say she had never looked happier.

          Shocked and saddened aides to Trump grabbed their cell phones and called home. But when they reported what the Korean press said had happened at the meeting, they were stunned to hear a party broke out all across the nation. Congress immediately recessed, called it a day of thanksgiving, and gave federal employees the day off. Bars stayed open all night and fireworks were shot off continuously for the impromptu three day celebration.

          A strange glitch occurred later that got little news coverage. When Air Force One and Two returned from the aborted summit, they were diverted from landing in Hawaii due to heavy fog and were sent far to the north to a small airfield just outside Unalaska in the Aleutians. There the 747s were refueled but everyone was told the weather was getting so poor they would have to stay for the night. Next day the aircraft engines could not be started and all communications on the island were inexplicably cut off. 
          No one noticed any of them missing in Washington DC for several weeks until people realized the government was working correctly again. When an inquiry was made, the press was told a temp staff had been hired and was handling government business from a small office in the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building and that the remaining administration members who had been on the planes had not returned. They had been encouraged to take a long vacation after Trump defected and they asked not to be contacted in any way. To date, no one has heard from any of them. 

Trumpin' Syria - Here We Go Again

Why is Syria our problem? In other words, why does the U.S. need to punish Bashar al-Assad for his use (maybe) of chemical weapons...again?

Trump doesn’t mind Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines slaughtering Filipinos. Duterte openly boasts about killing his own people. Trump even praises him for it.

Trump doesn’t have any issues with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey who has killed hundreds of people opposed to his regime. 
          Trump also recently called and congratulated the re-election of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Egypt who has massacred thousands of Egyptians. 
          And Trump has literally praised Kim Jong-Un as a smart, “tough little cookie” who has overseen the deaths of close to a million of his countrymen and women. So why is Trump making a big deal about Assad killing other Syrians?

Trump tried out his warmonger stance last year on April 6^th when he authorized the U.S. Navy to launch 59 tomahawk missiles at airfields and infrastructure in Syria. Congress was not notified to approve military action, nor was any legal authority established for the US strike. Some people have a knack for war-making decisions. But not Trump and his administration. They display nothing but weakness, blundering, and cowardice. No one is impressed with Trump's ability, not even Death.

And this is telling, just like he did tonight, last year Trump said the strike was in the “vital national security interests of the  United States." But three days later on Sunday April 9^th, Trump conceded that it was just an “impulsive action” prompted by a video earlier in the week that upset Ivanka of seeing gassed Syrian children. There was no vital national security issue. Trump didn't give a damn about gassed Syrians, he just didn't want to see Ivanka's tears.

How effective was Trump’s attack last year? Reconnaissance photos taken after the strike found four destroyed aircraft with sixteen more damaged, and a few burned out buildings. Yet the runways were left completely intact. Syrian jets even use them later that morning for another bombing run on rebel-held territories in northern Syria. So, do you think this year's strike will be any more effective? What are the odds of getting entangled in a war with Russia and Iran...especially with someone as incompetent at military matters as Trump? There are now indications that, again, the Russians were warned of the missile strike ahead of time. Didn't Trump say he was not going to "telegraph?"
          Still trying to woo his evangelical base, Trump asked people to pray to god, for the troops involved, and for the Syrian people (who by and large believe in a very different version of god.) Why didn't Trump just pray to god to get rid of Assad and save risking any more lives? After all, thoughts and prayers work, Just ask Republican congressmen.

Just last week at a campaign pep rally in Ohio, Trump surprised everyone back at the White House and the Pentagon when he announced U.S. troops were going to be pulled out of Syria “very soon." One source even said Trump had initially planned to withdraw them within 48 hours. He had to be quickly dissuaded by General Mattis because it was an impossible time schedule. So Trump isn’t serious about Syria, nor is he about Assad killing his own people. It’s a distraction from all the legal, ethical, and criminal issues Trump is facing. The problem is, American, British, and French lives are going to be put at risk to protect Trump from his own stupidity.
And I have to wonder, what ever happened to THIS Trump?

Syria is not our problem and there never has been any "vital national security interest." Trump just wants everyone to think he's a big, tough, macho man, even with that painful bone spur in his foot. 
          Only an idiot plows ahead when he knows his decision will create more debt and cause a possible long term conflict. Did Trump get Congressional approval? - Big mistake if he did not.

Addendum - April 14, 2018: After claiming in his press briefing last night that this attack on Syria would be a sustained effort, this morning Trump proved to be as poor a commander-in-chief as George W. Bush when - indicating that that one attack would teach Assad a lesson and also scare the Russians - he tweeted about the early morning missile assault - "Mission Accomplished!"