Tom Toles for July 26, 2016

I can just see Trump and Putin horseback riding together.

Leftwing: what a photo op from behind, four of ’em in one shot!

I dunno, Trump looks like he might enjoy sucking something with that mouth. And that’s an entirely different picture from behind.

Aaaaaah, put your shirt on !!! Grump while you’re being a traitor*, lend Putin a shirt.

*Just like Reagan did to Carter.

Incredibly dumb, Mr. Toles. Perhaps YOU have evidence that Russia was behind the latest email fiasco? Just more rot from a desperate campaign manager. I will abandon the Democratic Party for Green or Independent this time around.

Why on earth would Putin want Trump to be elected? Oh, right. Because Trump is a complete effing moron that Putin would run circles around.

No rumour. FBI cyber-security specialists have said that the malware found was clearly Russian in origin and with “signatures” found recently in other Russian Intelligence hacks into other foreign governments. The real question is whether it is part of a broader strategy to undermine the West or to try to influence the US election.

If herr Drumpf and tzar Putin did hugs on a convention stage, would it be air kisses or tongues?

Any of our enemies would prefer to deal with someone who has absolutely no experience with international politics. Trump wouldn’t have any respect from any of our allies, which would weaken the US position worldwide.

Oh yes, everything is Putin’s fault! Do you people even realise how ludicrous you look?

@Fiendly Neighbourhood Terrorist, Putin wants Trump and ISIS wants Trump and You want Trump. So what does that say about you?

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/why-experts-think-russia-hacked-dnc-emails-n616486

More right-wing smear, when your party doesn’t stand for anything they’ll try everything.

Perhaps the Dems are trying to make us forget how Putin has made a complete fool of Obama at every turn except, of course, when Obama was making a fool of himself (remember the apology tour or the red line in the sand?) I suspect that Hillary is no more adept at foreign policy than Obama. Anybody care to list her major accomplishments as Secretary of State?

Connect the following 7 dots. Do you see a pattern?

By Robert Reich

www.robertreich.org

1. Trump’s debt load has grown dramatically over the last year, from $350 million to $630 million. At the same time, he’s been blackballed by all major US banks.

2. Post-bankruptcy, Trump has become highly reliant on money from Russia — most of which has over the years become increasingly concentrated among oligarchs close to Vladimir Putin.

3. Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign manager and top advisor, spent most of the last decade as top campaign and communications advisor to Viktor Yanukovych, the pro-Russian Ukrainian Prime Minister and then President whose ouster in 2014 led to the on-going crisis and proxy war in Ukraine. Yanukovych was and remains a close ally of Putin.

4. Trump’s foreign policy advisor on Russia and Europe is Carter Page, a man whose entire professional career has revolved around investments in Russia and who has deep and continuing financial and employment ties to Gazprom, which, in turn, is part of Putin’s financial empire.

5. Over the course of the last year, Putin has aligned all Russian state controlled media behind Trump.

6. The Trump Camp was totally indifferent to the Republican Party platform, with one exception: They changed the party platform to eliminate assistance to Ukraine against Russian military operations in eastern Ukraine. Not incidentally, this is the single most important issue to Putin.

7. Trump is also suggesting the US and thus NATO might not come to the defense of NATO member states in the Baltics in the case of a Russian invasion — another important issue to Putin.

While I agree Obama made a mistake with his red line efforts, I did not hear any Congressional Republicans giving him the thumbs up when he actually asked Congress for their (Constitutional) approval.They want to delegate and bitch, but not actually work to help out.And there is nothing to the “apology” tour. The cons refuse to acknowledge ANY of our past foreign policy screw-ups, they just want to keep on making them again. In THEIR eyes, making America great again is code for UNLEASH THE CIA!

For hacker news, I’d pick my source the sarky Register any day.

‘Did the Russians really hack the DNC or is this another Sony Pictures moment? You decide’

I do like their poll as well; you should play it. Er, complete it:

US Democratic Party email leak scandalWho hacked the DNC?a) – Russiab) – Russiac) – It was totally RussiaI was amused.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/27/evidence_russians_hacked_dems_email/

NY Times headline TODAY: Trump asks Russia to hack Hillary’s emails.Manchurian, er, Siberian candidate, anyone?