Category Archives: Russia
Choose Your Putin Poison
Did Putin poison a double agent in England?
Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious in Salisbury. The WSJ reports they were attacked with a military grade nerve agent 10 stronger than VX nerve gas. Both are still alive in intensive care.
Putin Poison
The Brits are pissed. Theresa May says Putin has until midnight to come up with an explanation. Looks like he might have more splaining to do. Another Russian “mogul” was just found dead in London.
As for Putin poisoning American elections – the Republican House Intelligence Committee says, “no collusion.”
North Korean Reset
President Trump Hits Global Reset Button from Paris to Pyongyang. At least that’s the way a headline in The Hill sees it.
The article is by former Trump Staffer Sebastian Gorka. He claims that if you want to understand The Donald you have to read Art of the Deal. And once you’ve done that you’ll know it’s all about the objective:
The negotiations themselves, or maintaining the established way of doing business, are never the objectives. The real objective is defined by realizing your interests, which may not be possible if the status quo is maintained.
Russian Overcharge
For example, Hillary’s reset (or overcharge) with Russia didn’t achieve an objective.
President Obama sent Hillary Clinton to present a mislabeled “reset button” to the Kremlin. In reality, there was no reset. The Obama administration did not effectively address the expansionist and destabilizing behavior of former KGB colonel Vladimir Putin, not even after he invaded Ukraine.
But Gorka has way more faith in a Trump reset with North Korea:
It is a reset that included tough talk with China and North Korea, talk followed up by actions that have led to a response on behalf of Pyongyang, which may take us to the cusp of bringing peace and stability to the region after 65 years of potential war.
But whatever you do with Dear Leader, don’t go all Madeline Albright. 
The whole thing seemed more upset than reset with Secretary of State Tillerson. He was traveling in Africa when he learned of the dotard’s decision to meet the rocket man. 
So he called in sick.
White Lies of Hope
Republican Congressman Tom Rooney is a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Here’s what he had to say to CNN about the committee’s Russian collusion investigation:
“It’s been going on for a year. We’ve interviewed scores of witnesses and now we’ve gotten to the point where we’re literally bringing people in for nine hours just so the Democrats can leak to the press something as ridiculous as ‘white lies.’ “
White Lies
Hope Hicks, the 29 year old White House communications director, was such a witness. Democrat Eric Swalwell asked if she ever lied for her boss. After consulting with here lawyer Hope confessed that yes she had. White lies. Like “the president is in a meeting” when he’s not really in a meeting.
She resigned the next day.
Come Fly With Musk
We depend on Russia to launch our astronauts into space at $70 million a pop.
Here’s The Wire in The Atlantic back in 2014:
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden voiced his concern, saying it would be better if the U.S. could launch its own astronauts to space. Because, who knows, it might turn out the Russians are trying to rig our elections.
Just kidding. He actually said, “we might enter into a Cold War-style territorial dispute with Russian President Vladimir Putin and want to be able to credibly pose a financial threat.”
Come Fly With Musk
But maybe America is getting its space mojo back thanks entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and his SpaceX program. Here’s BBC video of the launch of his Falcon Heavy Rocket earlier this month. And the release of its payload – a red Tesla Roadster headed for Mars piloted by a mannequin named Starman.
You can track Starman here.
Amtrak
Timing is everything. Last year was the safest ever for airlines. There were no fatalities worldwide. Unfortunately that ended yesterday when a Russian airliner went down outside Moscow killing all 71 aboard.
I drew this cartoon on Friday with the train wreck involving a load of congressmen and a truck in mind. One truck passenger died in that mishap. So far this year there have also been fatal Amtrak wrecks in South Carolina and Washington state.
