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Yes I know it's an oped. Does that mean the incidents it reports are fake?

Sorry, there is no evidence to date that concludes he's "in bed" with Putin.
That bridge was officially crossed.

It's a conspiracy theory that's perpetually used by the left until it can be substantiated with hard evidence.
(not saying you throw it around regularly)

ant wrote:

DWill wrote:Yes I know it's an oped. Does that mean the incidents it reports are fake?

Sorry, there is no evidence to date that concludes he's "in bed" with Putin.
That bridge was officially crossed.

It's a conspiracy theory that's perpetually used by the left until it can be substantiated with hard evidence.
(not saying you throw it around regularly)

Showing loyalty to Putin instead of to our intelligence agencies was what I said, not "being in bed." I believe the facts plainly show that Trump favored Putin and still does. The "Russia Hoax" he goes on about is equivalent to Trump accepting Russian propaganda. Attempting to tag Ukraine with the election interference showed that Trump and his squad, especially Giuliani, took Russia's bait. The whole situation is amazing.

Robert Mueller found that Trump and his people weren't guilty of conspiring with Russia. Trump's behavior regarding Putin and Russia isn't excused by that.

Most of the initial buzz about hydroxychloroquine came from a French study that was very poorly designed. For example, it did not include people who became too sick or died from the coronavirus.

Clinical trials

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-re ... t-covid-19

ant wrote: . . . I add this.

Largest Statistically Significant Study by 6,200 Multi-Country Physicians on COVID-19

Hydroxychloroquine was overall chosen as the most effective therapy amongst COVID-19 treaters from a list of 15 options (37% of COVID-19 treaters) 75% in Spain, 53% Italy, 44% in China, 43% in Brazil, 29% in France, 23% in the U.S. and 13% in the U.K.

That article is from Apr. 2. Here's the latest from May 8 from the SAME SOURCE:

Hydroxychloroquine Fails to Help Coronavirus Patients in Largest Study of the Drug to Date
In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists led by a team at Columbia University found that people infected with COVID-19 taking hydroxychloroquine do not fare better than those not receiving the drug. . . .

https://www.sermo.com/in-the-news/hydro ... g-to-date/

Simply put, there is very little reliable evidence that hydroxychloroquine helps in COVID-19, but there is clear evidence of potential harm, therefore hydroxychloroquine should only be used in clinical trials. That is the medical position.

DWill wrote: Showing loyalty to Putin instead of to our intelligence agencies was what I said, not "being in bed." I believe the facts plainly show that Trump favored Putin and still does.

I think the record is mixed. Dear Leader has definitely done some things that look like fawning on, or helping, Putin. Things that no other president would ever have done. (It reminds me bitterly about the complaints that Obama bowed to foreigners. Where is that standard when Trump grovels? Answer: gone into hiding, of course.) On the other hand, he has let normal policy go forward, with arming Ukraine, applying sanctions to Russians leading their little oligarchic aggressions, etc.

It seems most of the most egregious transgressions can be explained by his normal ego preoccupation, not wanting any shade thrown on his electoral "triumph," not wanting any accountability for his personalistic diplomatic approach, etc. While it is possible that skilled Russian manipulators have directed him to pick those kinds of issues to fuss about, I think that is just the kind of thinking that Russia really is fostering. Anything that foments distrust, division and conspiracy theories is fine with them. So I don't wanna go there. Besides, there is no real need to "handle" Trump to get him to be outrageous and select ego-sensitive issues to act up about.

DWill wrote:Robert Mueller found that Trump and his people weren't guilty of conspiring with Russia.

Just for the record, Mueller did exonerate Trump on that charge (but definitely and explicitly not on obstruction of justice) but, as often occurs, that could be lack of conclusive evidence rather than lack of guilt. I know Trump is allowed the same presumption of innocence as anyone else, and officially I am on board with that, but we know Manafort shared polling data with the Russians and that tiptoes right up to the line of treason. What business did the Trump campaign have sharing polling data? What innocent reason can be imagined for such behavior? If Hillary had shared polling data with China, can you imagine the uproar on the right? And the demands to investigate?

Harry Marks wrote: I think the record is mixed. Dear Leader has definitely done some things that look like fawning on, or helping, Putin. Things that no other president would ever have done. (It reminds me bitterly about the complaints that Obama bowed to foreigners. Where is that standard when Trump grovels? Answer: gone into hiding, of course.) On the other hand, he has let normal policy go forward, with arming Ukraine, applying sanctions to Russians leading their little oligarchic aggressions, etc.

I will grant, too, that being in Trump's position would be very difficult for anyone. You won the presidency but now you have to go after the foreign power that not implausibly put you over the top. You would reinforce the impression of illegitimacy. Still, the job calls for that kind of character strength. To be still denying Russia's involvement is harmful.

Harry Marks wrote:

DWill wrote:Robert Mueller found that Trump and his people weren't guilty of conspiring with Russia.

Just for the record, Mueller did exonerate Trump on that charge (but definitely and explicitly not on obstruction of justice) but, as often occurs, that could be lack of conclusive evidence rather than lack of guilt. I know Trump is allowed the same presumption of innocence as anyone else, and officially I am on board with that, but we know Manafort shared polling data with the Russians and that tiptoes right up to the line of treason. What business did the Trump campaign have sharing polling data? What innocent reason can be imagined for such behavior? If Hillary had shared polling data with China, can you imagine the uproar on the right? And the demands to investigate?

What is your view of the Steele dossier? I have not been comfortable with the Democrats' commissioning of that work. Sure, a Republican first initiated the relationship with Fusion GPS, and technically this is just oppo research, but this proxy investigating has always smelled bad to me.

Bottom line: Trump is responsible for the current state of affairs. How could it be otherwise? Obama is not responsible. Trump has had four years now--four years--and is STILL blaming Obama. Where are all the republicans proclaiming that a new president only gets his first year to blame his predecessor and after that is on his own? Oh, that's right! THEIR guy is in office right now so that rule doesn't apply now!

Doesn't matter if Obama was the worst, most incompetent president we've ever had. Trump has been president for four years and he MUST own everything that happens. Give him another four years and do you think he'll stop blaming Obama? I don't. Think his idiot supporters will tell him enough is enough? I don't. Nope. They go right along with him on anything he says. And that applies to those jerkoffs who claim not to be Trump followers but obviously are.

Trump had enough time to get a handle on the pandemic (the first reports on it reaching his desk in November of 2019) but, of course, was too arrogant and inept to bother trying. You can't accomplish anything with a guy who habitually ignores bad news as nothing more than a hoax concocted by his enemies to make him look bad. If Trump really believed that, it might be somewhat forgivable but the truth is that Trump is just plain lazy. Even worse, it is a laziness born of stupidity--he's too stupid to respond in a timely, responsible manner so he just isn't going to bother with it. Fuck it. It's Obama's fault.

So while Trump refuses to take responsibility for anything (his words), another 23.607 Americans were infected yesterday making 1.81 million cases nationwide of which over 105,000 are dead. We crossed 100,000 deaths only 127 days after the first confirmed case in the US. And we still have inadequate testing, we still have no post-pandemic plan, Trump acts like he couldn't care less what happens while he goes golfing and healthcare workers still have inadequate supplies. The only action Trump has even threatened to take is to remove all funding for blues states and to split with WHO when we badly need a vaccine.

This is piss-poor leadership but---I know, I know, I know--it's all Obama's fault.