The (new, straight-from-scratch) Trump thread

[Larkin]

A couple of Congressmen, both Democrats, have asked two congressional committees to look into the suspicion that Gorka did not report his membership on his immigration form. Hopefully, Gorka's days in the administration are numbered.

Here's today's eviscerating Foreign Policy piece by Daniel Nexon, "Dr. Sebastian Gorka May Be a Far-Right Nativist, But for Sure He’s a Terrible Scholar: A closer look at the doctoral dissertation of President Trump’s expert on 'radical Islamist terrorism.'" Nexon doesn't fail to mention that Gorka reminds everyone that, "It's DOCTOR Gorka," at all times. Nexon also highlights Gorka's absence of publications.

Mensch does good work. I enjoy her Twitter feed with the caveat that it is designed to appeal to a wide audience.

Saw mention of the Foreign Policy piece on our twitter feed but haven't looked at it yet. Business Insider UK has a piece listing three senators (all Democrats) who have raised the issue of Gorka's immigrant status with the US Justice Department (i.e. the DOJ headed by Jeff Sessions) and copies their letter. Good letter.

That's right about Louise Mensch. I can't say I understand all her tweets. The gentleman opining in one of our links that she is a batshit insane fruit loop might have a point . Still I follow her and loyally retweet all her Gorka stuff.

This is a blog attesting Gorka's "fine scholarship and academic background". Worth a quick glance if only on a know thy enemy rationale.

Added: I thought this a telling paragraph from the senators' letter:

We note that this Administration purports to have a special interest in ensuring that those with extremist views do not exploit our immigration laws. The President’s January 27thExecutive Order states, “In order to protect Americans, the United States must ensure that those admitted to this country do not bear hostile attitudes toward it and its founding principles. … the United States should not admit those who engage in acts of bigotry or hatred (including … the persecution of those who practice religions different from their own).” Membership in an anti-Semitic organization like the Historical Vitézi Rend should raise serious concerns regarding whether an individual holds the sort of “hostile attitudes” that concern the Administration. Failure to address this case would further confirm the intent of this Administration is to discriminate on the basis of religion, rather than combat extremist views.

[Flip Flopped]

I don't think Mensch is insane, though I can see why that thought pops into mind. I think she may be crazy like a fox. I'm not sure what all of her goals are.

[Larkin]

I don't think Mensch is insane, though I can see why that thought pops into mind. I think she may be crazy like a fox. I'm not sure what all of her goals are.

Well, I only meant it in the nicest sort of way as a fellow devotee of Dionysius as it were (Strelnikov shuold appreciate the allusion, I mean in a philosophical sense ...).

Louise (she's not kind on her Twitter account to those who dare to presume first name familiarity, but name-drop and be damned I say) has an op-ed in the New York Times right now on what should go down on Monday's House Intelligence Committee meeting. It's certainly spirited and closely researched. Her claim in the second paragraph that the FBI was granted a FISA warrant to surveil "U.S. persons" in relation to Russian hacking has by now been debunked, but she's right to say she first broke that story. Curious thus that the WH didn't make more of this from a Murdoch employee, relying instead on fake news organ NYT and Judge Ice Cream Cone instead.

I noticed a Louise tweet suggesting she is applying for American citizenship. Perhaps she has her eyes set on becoming a presidential adviser in a future administration?

Pretty unique as you say. I do wish her well.

[Larkin]

I don't think Mensch is insane, though I can see why that thought pops into mind. I think she may be crazy like a fox. I'm not sure what all of her goals are.

Well, I only meant it in the nicest sort of way as a fellow devotee of Dionysius as it were (Strelnikov shuold appreciate the allusion, I mean in a philosophical sense ...).

Louise (she's not kind on her Twitter account to those who dare to presume first name familiarity, but name-drop and be damned I say) has an op-ed in the New York Times right now on what should go down on Monday's House Intelligence Committee meeting. It's certainly spirited and closely researched. Her claim in the second paragraph that the FBI was granted a FISA warrant to surveil "U.S. persons" in relation to Russian hacking has by now been debunked, but she's right to say she first broke that story. Curious thus that the WH didn't make more of this from a Murdoch employee, relying instead on fake news organ NYT and Judge Ice Cream Cone instead.

I noticed a Louise tweet suggesting she is applying for American citizenship. Perhaps she has her eyes set on becoming a presidential adviser in a future administration?

Pretty unique as you say. I do wish her well.

Added: On with Bill Maher next week it seems. Care Louise, remember what happened to Milo, but if you could bring up what this pic might betoken that would be appreciated :

[Strelnikov]

My short, brutal take on Gorka is that he is completely worthless as an Islamic terrorism expert; he's never lived in the Middle East nor Central Asia and he speaks no Arabic, Pashto, Balochi, Urdu, etc. All he has is his thesis paper with the lines and circles.

The satirical view of Gorka from the Chapo Trap House crew last week.

The first time CTH brought up Gorka the first week of March.

[Flip Flopped]

I don't think Mensch is insane, though I can see why that thought pops into mind. I think she may be crazy like a fox. I'm not sure what all of her goals are.

Well, I only meant it in the nicest sort of way as a fellow devotee of Dionysius as it were (Strelnikov shuold appreciate the allusion, I mean in a philosophical sense ...).

Louise (she's not kind on her Twitter account to those who dare to presume first name familiarity, but name-drop and be damned I say) has an op-ed in the New York Times right now on what should go down on Monday's House Intelligence Committee meeting. It's certainly spirited and closely researched. Her claim in the second paragraph that the FBI was granted a FISA warrant to surveil "U.S. persons" in relation to Russian hacking has by now been debunked, but she's right to say she first broke that story. Curious thus that the WH didn't make more of this from a Murdoch employee, relying instead on fake news organ NYT and Judge Ice Cream Cone instead.

I noticed a Louise tweet suggesting she is applying for American citizenship. Perhaps she has her eyes set on becoming a presidential adviser in a future administration?

Pretty unique as you say. I do wish her well.

Yes, I think she's provided a number of useful services.

Here's the "dirt" on her: A piece apparently written under a pseudonym on the blog of the UK's The Spectator called, "Louise Mensch adds one more Twitter gaffe to her list."

She seems to be a rising star. I wonder if she'll be keeping her UK citizenship when she's naturalized over here.

[Larkin]

My short, brutal take on Gorka is that he is completely worthless as an Islamic terrorism expert; he's never lived in the Middle East nor Central Asia and he speaks no Arabic, Pashto, Balochi, Urdu, etc. All he has is his thesis paper with the lines and circles.

The satirical view of Gorka from the Chapo Trap House crew last week.

The first time CTH brought up Gorka the first week of March.

Whereas Katherine Maher, the pleasant and well-meaning CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation, speaks Arabic fluently and did a year at least at the American University in Cairo, that hotbed of international spookdom. Only connect ...

A propos of nothing much, my Dad knew Kim Philby rather well back in our own Cairo days. Also we lived above an ex-SS officer on the run. Respect.

Philby was appalling of course, directly responsible for dozens if not hundreds of deaths. Gorka is small beer by contrast. He claims his father was betrayed by Philby. I don't follow these things enough to judge how plausible that is. It's clear his Dad worked for MI6. But with the best will in the world, I can't give any credence to Seb's tale that he's just honoring him.

I believe it's true that the Philby scandal did for our credibility with the US in Middle East intelligence. Now the pendulum has moved full circle with our boys at GCHQ by all accounts worried about exactly what they can share with our cousins over the pond.

[Larkin]

Yes, I think she's provided a number of useful services.

Here's the "dirt" on her: A piece apparently written under a pseudonym on the blog of the UK's The Spectator called, "Louise Mensch adds one more Twitter gaffe to her list."

She seems to be a rising star. I wonder if she'll be keeping her UK citizenship when she's naturalized over here.

Amusing list of gaffes. Still we all make mistakes ...

On that theme I happened to glance through Michael Flynn Jr's twitter feed the other day. Mike is the bright spark responsible for nurturing the Pizzagate meme that Hillary Clinton is an international child trafficker operating out of pizza parlor somewhere, the same outlet that was eventually attacked by a maniac who believed the story. Mike Jr. still blogs pretty obsessively on the theme (Bill's 26 visits to Epstein's Orgy Island etc. - do you know that Trump is actually on record as speaking approvingly of Epstein's fondness for young women). So I was taken aback to see a tweet from Mike about Milo's recent embarrassment whose theme was a forgiving "we all make mistakes". Pretty sick making.

[Flip Flopped]

Yes, I think she's provided a number of useful services.

Here's the "dirt" on her: A piece apparently written under a pseudonym on the blog of the UK's The Spectator called, "Louise Mensch adds one more Twitter gaffe to her list."

She seems to be a rising star. I wonder if she'll be keeping her UK citizenship when she's naturalized over here.

Amusing list of gaffes. Still we all make mistakes ...

On that theme I happened to glance through Michael Flynn Jr's twitter feed the other day. Mike is the bright spark responsible for nurturing the Pizzagate meme that Hillary Clinton is an international child trafficker operating out of pizza parlor somewhere, the same outlet that was eventually attacked by a maniac who believed the story. Mike Jr. still blogs pretty obsessively on the theme (Bill's 26 visits to Epstein's Orgy Island etc. - do you know that Trump is actually on record as speaking approvingly of Epstein's fondness for young women). So I was taken aback to see a tweet from Mike about Milo's recent embarrassment whose theme was a forgiving "we all make mistakes". Pretty sick making.

Seems believable to me that Russian disinformation got that ball rolling. It's sickening to realize how efficiently they have infiltrated so many people's minds on so many topics. Media literacy is far more crucial today than it was 15 years ago.

I agree that Mensch's Twitter faux pas are nothing. My eyes glaze over reading them.

Laurence Tribe recommended this week's BBC interview with Mensch: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-39250257.

[Larkin]

Seems believable to me that Russian disinformation got that ball rolling. It's sickening to realize how efficiently they have infiltrated so many people's minds on so many topics. Media literacy is far more crucial today than it was 15 years ago.

I agree that Mensch's Twitter faux pas are nothing. My eyes glaze over reading them.

Laurence Tribe recommended this week's BBC interview with Mensch: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-39250257.

I had a read at Daniel Nexon's Foreign Policy piece you linked, It's pretty damning. In Part IV of his associated blog he raises the question whether "Larvatus Prodeo" (I wear a mask) in the comments is a Gorka sock. Me and my super little computer do think that's pretty likely. To be fair to Gorka, I can't find any evidence that he socks Wikipedia (though I think it's clear that his BLP was furnished by an essentially single purpose editor - wife perhaps?).

Part III of a series about Gorka by HungarianFreePress.com is out today. It examines his association with far-right pro-Iranian political figures in Hungary.

Thanks for the link to the Mensch interview. I'll look at it.

Added: Did watch that Andrew Neill interview. Entertaining. I thought she held her own reasonably well. Hopefully we shall get some indication on Monday if her sources are any good. I have to say I think it's unlikely. We shall see.