http://shareblue.com/shut-it-all-down-trump-white-house-closes-open-gov/

I'm arriving at the conclusion, as more and more of the dust settles in the 'Russian interference in the election' business and as actual US-Russia relations have played out since January, that members of the Obama administration, at his direction or not (though I suspect he at least knew), set up a pretext to enable spying on Trump campaign associates, secure in the absolute conviction that, since Trump had zero chance of winning, the truth of it would never be discovered.  A logical motive would have been to discover something, anything, to counter Clinton's email/FBI/Wikileaks problems and somehow fatally taint or disqualify Trump's candidacy.  It would have been strictly as 'insurance' against the potential of declining polls for Clinton (which didn't happen) since they 'knew' Trump would lose, but Obama's post-election actions (e.g., widely distributing the unmasked 'intelligence' in early January) suggest the whole 'Russian interference' meme was concocted to retroactively justify their pre-election spying, which apparently failed to uncover anything sufficiently damaging to be useful.  Some hints were leaked during the campaign, to be sure, probably as part of that 'insurance' plan.

It's the conclusion that best fits the known facts to date, as no evidence of 'collusion' has been made public, only evidence of 'contacts'.

YMMV

I'm open to the free and unfettered flow of any 'alternative' facts you may have.

And you are certainly welcome to your opinions about people, but not sure sharing them in such broad-brush fashion is particularly admirable.

Double standards anyone?...

http://www.newsweek.com/american-care-act-congress-staff-exempt-594564

Yep, they tried to get away with it, but couldn't...

http://www.salon.com/2017/04/27/republicans-secretly-love-obamacare-a-short-history-of-gop-lies-about-the-congressional-exemption/

"OK, let’s fast-forward to Wednesday. According to the latest version of Trumpcare, the opt-out language won’t apply to members of Congress. In other words, members of Congress can’t be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions. You, on the other hand, or your sick or injured loved one, can absolutely be denied coverage — specifically, you can be priced out of the marketplace if your state chooses to allow it under Trumpcare. Likewise, members of Congress can’t lose their essential health benefits, but you can if your state opts out.

So we have at least two layers of Republican lies here. The GOP congressmen who bitched endlessly about how Congress had exempted itself from the ACA were, in fact, required to have employer-based coverage through the exchanges — a feature of Obamacare they explicitly demanded. Years later, as they work to repeal and replace the ACA, they’re making sure they don’t lose the best aspects of Obamacare coverage.

All told, the Republicans want to repeal your ACA coverage while keeping all the best parts for themselves. That speaks volumes about how the GOP really feels about Obama’s signature achievement, not to mention how Republican legislators feel about ordinary Americans’ health and well-being."

Rep to Dem:  "Hey, Trump just fired the guy who saved the Glass Ceiling."

Dem to Rep:  "YES!!!   Oh, wait...  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"

We should have let Maxine Waters fire James Comey.

We are witnessing the febrile boiling of partisan assumptions to 12th power & higher.  Despite months of scrutiny, not a single fact supporting the notion of 'collusion' has been publicly revealed.  Quite the opposite, even Democrat critics of Trump have stated publicly that no such evidence is known to exist.  The mountain of unsubstantiated allegations from anonymous (sometimes sole) sources is reeking like the pile of garbage that it is.  'Facts' are casually assumed in order to buttress new unsubstantiated allegations, without batting an eye.  The whole spectacle is disgusting.

As I've said elsewhere, the Revenge of the Swamp Things is in full swing.  Official DC (the Swamp) is in desperation mode, determined to preserve the gravy train it has spent nearly a century building.  There is no difference between Democrats and a majority of Republicans in this regard.  They perceive Trump, or more properly Trump's election, as an existential threat to their way of doing things and will seize on any excuse, no matter how threadbare, to undermine and de-legitimize him, with the willing and dishonest media buying any and all leaks, hook, line & sinker, and shouting them to the hills as gospel.

Did I mention that the whole spectacle is disgusting?

I don't believe a word of the anonymously sourced BS coming from Reuters, AP, WaPo, NYT, CNN, MSNBC... you get the point.  If ever substantiated facts emerge, I'll start paying attention again.  Until then, forget about it.

Wow, I've never seen so many left leaning, progressive web site links listed under one single article. Not surprised some believe in them. It's easy to find want you want. Here's the progressive "the Nation" criticizing Obama:

https://www.thenation.com/article/arms-dealer-obama-will-win-default/

Critical of Trump selling weapons to those nasty 9/11 lovin Saudis (I hear this faux outrage a lot)? You'll like this:

https://www.thenation.com/article/the-obama-administration-has-sold-more-weapons-than-any-other-administration-since-world-war-ii/

So you say you like Russian stories, here's one:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-offers-to-share-syria-intelligence-on-terrorists-with-russia/2016/06/30/483a2afe-3eec-11e6-84e8-1580c7db5275_story.html?utm_term=.38f48c683a86

Uh oh only the president can make that offer.....Obama better hope Trump doesn't go down for it as there is no lefty pass on that one.

So you hate Trump. Just be a man and admit it, no need to float the propaganda. I never hated Obama, but I didn't care much for his policies. If you get your information from the places you reference, I can see why you hate the "devil reincarnated" since they say he wants to kill granny and eat the poor for lunch. Have that pounded into your brain each day, it's bound to happen. The truth is most of you are simply deranged by some unknown hate. I've never hated anyone without getting to know them personally, and no one I've just seen on TV by looking at them. You have no logical reason to hate Trump at all, he's been in office for 4 months for Christs sake. Obama's appointed cronies let many of my fellow veterans die, by canceling their long awaited appointments to cook their books and get their raises and bonuses. If anyone should hate, it should be people like me.

So what's your excuse? He beat Hillary, that I would have been in jail for doing what she did with that classified server? Didn't like "The Apprentice"? His straight, and yes, very often unpolished nonpolitical manner of speech? Is it his hair, or fake tan? What? I thought the left were so tolerant of others that are different? Jafo believes he's an idiot. I'd like to see Jafo's bank account since he can afford to call a billionaire an idiot, and diminish himself at the same time. I'd love to be that idiot, but I would call him foolish for wanting to be president over so many hand stuck out, no pleasing, ingrates. Do you prefer career politicians that lived most of their adult lives off the taxpayer? Do you believe Hillary would wave her salary if she was elected to the office? I doubt the Russians could give Trump anything he can't get now on his own. Now Hillary, she was all about pay for access. It cost the king of Morocco $12 million for just a quick audience with her highness. The Russians got a bargain paying Bill a half million dollars speaking fees (now what can he say worth that much? Best cigars?) for State Department approval of selling 20% of US uranium interests to them, via Canada (like they need uranium). Not including what they put in the Clinton Foundation kitty, of course.

Ask the majority of people what issues anger them about Trump. Most can't even say why they are angry or the issues. Some are quick enough to gurgle up some of the talking points you presented, or heard their college professor spew in class. People are lazy and can't seem to use critical thinking when it might run counter to their beliefs. True of the right as well, then again I never saw them cry and stomp their feet like this months after an election, while cutting off their noses to spite their faces instead of working towards agreeable policies. Now, don't give me the Republican obstructionist line. Harry Reid, before losing the Senate, sat on over 300 bills from the House on his desk. of course your preferred media won't cover that, after all it's the right that is the enemy. That's what Hillary said, not the Russians, not the ISIS, but the Republicans. Are you learning why you lost yet?

Not to nitpick too much, but that wasn't 'public' - the conversation you refer to was private & surreptitiously recorded.  You, as an intelligent person, should be aware of that.  Not that that will, or should, influence your opinion.

Quite right, however not so bright people often don't have a bank account to speak of., and many don't know how to accumulate enough to survive on their own. You will be required to do that for them, so please work hard, they need your effort. Make sure Brad is paying you well.  

Not at all, it's a idiot that would do it. I've often heard women say much worse than this when they though no one overheard. How about you, Jafo never said anything off color to your pals after choir practice? Also, you don't believe the rich are above the law? Get a government job, put a private email server in your home linked to classified work for a few years, call the authorities and let us know how it works out for you. It's not sex talk boasting, I know, but it screwed plenty of people over, and not the ones that deserved it.

Now that was creepy, I give you that. I also believe any father would be extremely proud to have a daughter like Ivanka. Trump used very poor choice of words, but again saying and doing. Monica Lewinski was someones daughter, Bill was old enough to be her father, does that make it right? Where you as outraged then as now? Did you want his prime enabler elected over Trump?

Lots of self proclaimed "intellects" tell us who they like and don't like. Right now plenty of them are liking un-vetted, no record refuges over the safety of ALL Americans, just to spite the POTUS. You know, the same "intelligent" types in the UK wondering how the religion of peace could do such a thing. Me, I never let my personal feelings about a person get in the way of any interaction we may have. We can disagree. I didn't like many of Obama's policies, and definitely many of the things he said (AHCA is not a tax, keep your doctor, save $2500 a year on health care, it was a video, etc.), but I never hated the man, nor wished him or his family ill. Speaking of intelligence, I've known plenty of smart people that didn't have a lick of common sense. Additionally, I've also known plenty of people with little education, provide clever solutions to multiple problems, in real world environments. I do believe many that claim a high level of intelligence, might be surprised how little they know on a wide range of topics.

Great PC answer! Let's all go to Woodstock. I've seen a lot of people sleeping on San Diego park benches that must be millionaires according to that logic. Keep hitting friends up for money (their wealth) and see how it impacts your wealth (friendship). For me, friends can and do enrich my life, but I'd never confuse (or conflate it, your choice) it with physical wealth. BTW how much friendship do you think the $150 Billion in currency shipped to Iran under cover of night, bought us?