TRUMP'S FOX & FRIENDS RANT, APRIL 26, 2018

Quotes from Donald Trump's phone rant on Fox & Friends yesterday that may have got him in trouble.

1. With Melania whose birthday was yesterday when he was asked about his gift to his wife:

Well, I better not get into that, because I may get in trouble. Maybe I didn’t get her so much.

I'll tell you what. She has done — I got her a beautiful card. You know, I'm very busy —

And then Trump proceeds to rant for 30 minutes.

2. With Special Counsel Mueller about James Comey:

He put a lot of phony stuff. For instance, I went to Russia for a day or so — a day or two because I own the Miss Universe pageant. So, I went there to watch it, because it was near Moscow. So I go to Russia — now, I did go there — everybody knows. The locks are there, the planes are there. He said I didn’t stay there a night. Of course, I stayed there. I stayed there a very short period of time, but, of course, I stayed. Well, his memo said I left immediately. I never said that. I never said I left immediately.

In his memos from his meetings with Trump, Comey wrote that Trump stated more than once that he did not stay overnight in Russia. Whom do you believe? Whom will Mueller believe? I have my problems with Comey, but I don't believe he lies. Trump, on the other hand, well you know...

3. With Trump and Michael Cohen lawyers who are arguing in court in the Southern District of New York that the material seized in the raid on Cohen's home, office, and hotel room is under attorney client privilege:

And I don’t know his business, but this doesn’t have to do with me. Michael is a businessman. He's got a business. He also practices law. I would say probably the big thing is his business, and they're looking at something having to do with his business. I have nothing to do with his business.
....

Well, he [Cohen] has a percentage of my overall legal work — a tiny, tiny little fraction. But, Michael would represent me and represent me on some things. He represents me — like with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal he represented me.

If Trump's relationship with Cohen was mostly business, there is no attorney client privilege for much of the material caught up in the raid that has to do with Trump. No lawyer on earth is capable of stopping Trump from being his own worst enemy with his own words. Under the bus, Michael.

The statements are a gift to to the prosecutors in New York, and the second statement is a gift to Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniel's attorney. Trump said when he was previously asked by members of the press that he knew nothing of Cohen's $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels for the relationship he claims never happened.

The NY prosecutors wasted no time in including Trump's comments in the court record. For Avenatti, this was the first time Trump mentioned Stormy Daniels' name and slaps down his claim that he knew nothing about the payoff.

What made my day was the expression on the faces of the Fox & Friends hosts when Trump went into the final stage of his rant. They squirmed in dismay and finally cut him off mid-sentence with,

We could talk to you all day but it looks like you have a million things to do. 

Trump responded,

Well, you could have...

STORMY WON'T RUN AGAINST VITTER

 

From the AP:

Louisiana-born porn star Stormy Daniels announced Thursday that she will not run for U.S. Senate in her home state, ending a yearlong flirtation with politics that began as Republican incumbent Sen. David Vitter was working to overcome a sex scandal.

In an e-mailed statement, Daniels said she cannot afford a run for the Senate and, comparing herself to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, complained that the media never took her interest in the race seriously.

"To begin with, like Governor Palin, I have become a target of the cynical stalwarts of the status quo," Daniels said. "Simply because I did not fit in their mold of what an independent working woman should be, the media and political elite have sought to relegate my sense of civic responsibility to mere sideshow antics."

So. Stormy is a victim of "the cynical stalwarts of the status quo". The alliteration reminds me of the rhetoric of whoever wrote Spiro Agnew's speeches. Remember Spiro Agnew? But I digress. If Stormy's aspirations include being another Sarah Palin, it's just as well that she's not running. One Sarah Palin is enough! We don't need Sarah wannabes.

If nothing else, a Daniels campaign for the Republican nomination would have been a constant reminder of the 2007 scandal that broke when Vitter's phone number appeared in the records of a Washington prostitution ring. Other than admitting a "serious sin," he has steadfastly refused to discuss the matter.

Meanwhile, his political career seems to have survived intact. He has raised plenty of campaign money while bashing the policies of President Barack Obama, who is not popular in the state.

At the end of the latest filing period, Vitter had $5 million in campaign cash on hand, compared with $2.3 million for his Democratic rival, U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, according to Federal Election Commission filings released Thursday by the campaigns.

Vitter may yet gain another well-known rival because former Republican state legislator James David Cain has said he may enter the race as an independent. Vitter so far has no major opposition in the GOP primary.

Vitter seems immune to ill effects from being caught consorting with prostitutes. He said he was sorry, and there have been no new charges, and that seems to be enough for his loyal supporters and contributers.

Stormy has another problem, too.

Her political story took a bizarre turn last summer when she was arrested on a domestic violence battery charge after she allegedly hit her husband at their home in Tampa, Fla., during a dispute about laundry and unpaid bills. Charges later were dropped.

I confess that Grandpère and I have had our share of disputes over laundry and various and sundry other matters (never over unpaid bills!), but our disputes are not of a violent nature. I've never beat him up. I promise.

PORN STAR STORMY DANIELS MAY RUN AS A REPUBLICAN

 

From NOLA.com:

Playing off the recent Republican National Committee scandal in which the party spent almost $2,000 to entertain donors at a West Hollywood sex-themed nightclub, porn actress Stormy Daniels announced today that she is a switching from being a lifelong Democrat to becoming a Republican.

Daniels, a Baton Rouge native whose real name is Stephanie Gregory Clifford, has said she will announce April 15 whether she plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican David Vitter. If she makes that run, she said, she will do so as a member of the GOP.
....

"After months of careful deliberation and consult as to the true nature of my political affiliation I am ready today to declare that should I seek the office of US Senator from the great state of Louisiana that I will do so as a Republican.

"While this decision has not been an easy one, recent events regarding Republican National Committee fundraising at Voyeur, an LA based lesbian bondage themed nightclub finally tipped the scales.

"As I have said for well over a year, it is time that our government and our tax policy begin rewarding entrepreneurship and creativity again. It is time again to inspire positive risks and out-of-the-box thinking in the interest of growing a strong economy and a strong America (My emphasis)

I agree with Stormy. Republicans think waaay out of the box for their meetings. And how better to grow the economy than to give business to lesbian bondage themed nightclubs? I can't wait to hear about the Republicans' escapades during the meeting in New Orleans that starts tomorrow.

Stormy against David Vitter in the Republican primary could be quite an interesting match.