Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Ok, let's get this Trump "controversy" straight: (1) There is no question that both Trump and Obama were briefed by U.S. intelligence agencies that the Russians claim to have compromising financial and personal info on Trump. It was included in their last security briefing in a two page memo. That is uncontested. (2) That two page memo has not been made public and no one, other than those briefed, knows the details in it. (3) Late yesterday, Buzzfeed released a 35 page report allegedly created by a retired British intelligence officer who had been hired by the anti-Trump people during the election to investigate Trump for dirt. That's the report that has everyone talking and are assuming that's the basis for the two page memo. (4) So we have two different documents. A two page memo provided to Trump and Obama summarizing the claim that the Russians having dirt on Trump, and a 35 page report which is getting all the headlines because of the seediness contained therein.  (5) That 35 page report has been circulating for a while and had been forwarded to the CIA by John McCain after he learned about it. The details had not been made public until yesterday by Buzzfeed. Every agrees that at this point the report is "unsubstantiated." (6)The Trump people deny that the Buzzfeed report is true. And Reince Priebus said this morning on MSNBC the same thing and went further by implying that the two page memo provided to Trump and Obama wasn't based upon the Buzzfeed released report. (7) Rumors started this morning by well known fake news sites that the 35 page report was not created by a retired British Intelligence Officer but was a scam created by 4Chan. (8) The identity of the British guy has not been revealed. 
• All that said, if the 35 page is in any way true (and that is a HUGE if), we've got a problem. If the escort allegations against Trump are real it's a major problem not because he used escorts in a seedy way (the American public won't care -- heck, it's Trump), but it's a major problem because the Russians have a tape which they could use to blackmail the President of the U.S.  But if the following excerpt of the report is true, all hell is about to break loose. It's one thing to have a sex party. It's another thing to conspire with the Russians to manipulate a U.S. election. That would be treason.
  
   
• Who knows what is true. First, Trump should demand the CIA, FBI, NSA and White House dog catcher to get to the bottom of this and find out the truth. But the worst thing you can do is to throw up your hands and say, "Aw, shucks. I don't know what to believe anymore so I'm not going to pay attention to it." If at this very moment you assume the 35 page report is true, you are doing yourself a disservice. If you believe the 35 page report was a ruse by 4chan, that's equally lazy. 
• And the fact Trump is having a press conference today -- which means take questions -- will be beyond fascinating. 
• "FORT WORTH - Devon Energy is being sued for allegedly using sham transactions to underpay thousands of property owners in North Texas millions of dollars in royalties from natural gas processed through a Bridgeport plant." This is serious. A federal judge has granted a class action status for the lawsuit. (Side note: The judge is the brother of a former pastor of The First Baptist Church of Bridgeport.) 
• A Harris County deputy is accused of an act even worse than what was in the 35 page Trump report. 
• Fox News had to settle a sexual harassment claim brought against Bill O'Reilly (who has to be thanking Buzzfeed this morning for taking the focus of the news off of him.)
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• No, you moron. President Obama's mother-in-law will not receive $160,000 pension. That was fake news during the election. And the fact that you aren't smart enough to realize it is fake news is why we are in the mess we are in. 
• I remember Trump loving radio guy Mark Davis saying during the campaign that, "Trump is playing Putin like a fiddle." Good lord. 
• "Johnny Manziel signing autographs in Texas during Super Bowl week. $99 for an autograph, $50 for selfies!" Johnny Football has had a rough couple of years. 
  
• Baylor reached #1 and then got absolutely throttled at West Virginia last night. And I do mean throttled. 
• The Charleston Church killer was sentenced to death yesterday. If you are against the death penalty, you have to be against this verdict, too.