David Cay Johnston: If Indicted, What Consequences Can Trump Face? - Political Voices Network

[Rhiannon12866]

Thom Hartmann's exclusive with David Cay Johnston. 03/20/2022.

[FreepFryer]

1. Russia Today is now banned, why do we still have to be subjected to former RT host Thom Hartmann?

[Rhiannon12866]

2. I thought this analysis by David Cay Johnston was excellent.

And this is from Political Voices Network.

[FreepFryer]

3. I'm sure, he does good work. Not Hartmann. Why is he, formerly a Russia Today host, still here?

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Here's the description of the site. I usually post Stephanie Miller whose show is also on this site

Earlier tonight I posted her conversation with Malcolm Nance - she regularly has him on her show. And I listened to this interview with David Cay Johnson and wanted to share it because he also provides great analysis - and he had some interesting observations about the investigations into TFG which he has followed for years.

Description:
It’s a big country, with lots of voices — and this is America’s audio and video platform representing them all. Political Voices Network is your source for all voices spanning the range of opinion in the political arena. Political Voices Network features some of political-talk’s most popular personalities, opinion-makers, and influencers – such as leading radio hosts Stephanie Miller and Thom Hartmann and seasoned journalists such as David Shuster of the fast-growing Quick Hits News — and MORE coming every week. This is Political Voices Network, available at PoliticalVoicesNetwork.com.

Malcolm Nance - "Trump's Ripple Effect on America That Will Last for Years - Political Voices Network
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017722580

[FreepFryer]

5. Still doesn't explain why Thom Hartmann is an acceptable "journalist" here given his history

Nance is great. Miller is ok, Johnson is also good - none of them received Russia Today‘s assistance or support for their media presence.

Hartmann did, for years.

It’s a blind spot of DU to let Putin propagandists like Hartmann try to rehabilitate.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. You keep attacking the man even though he stands for the things you do

You haven't uttered one word against the 30 books he's written and the decades of successful LIBERAL PROGRESSIVE talk radio he's done.

He is NOT a Putin propagandist and you have not offered any actual evidence that he might be, other than guilt by association.

[FreepFryer]

14. Employment is not mere association. What role did Russia play? What did they get for their $? (Nt)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

16. He wasn't employed, duh. . . .nt

[FreepFryer]

17. Saw that coming. Underwritten and platformed, but not salaried. By Russian military intel. Nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. Then don't post bogus statements, if you see the counter coming. He was NOT employed

Lying about his employment does your argument no favors.

[FreepFryer]

31. I didn't post bogus info. But appreciate the detailed and tbh, anticipated laser focus. Agreed! (Nt)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. Smear by association. That's 5 years ago. He's a DU member and so is his guest!

He's a DU member, as is Johnston. Look up those posts here and attack those, if you can. Except you can't attack his positions because he is a liberal and progressive.

I wanted him off DU 5 or so years ago because of the RT thing. He fixed that.

Why are so determined to smear him for his association in the past, but you say nothing about what Thom Hartmann says or advocates? Why is that?

Why are you smearing two DU members? They are real live liberals fighting our battle for us on the hostile ground: talk radio.

Get with the present day.

[FreepFryer]

13. How am I smearing Johnston? I think anyone who worked for RT during this info war is suspect.

That’s not a smear.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

21. This thread is about Johnston's thesis, but you hijacked it. . . . nt

[FreepFryer]

30. No, I pointed out his prior relationship to a now banned branch of Russian military intelligence. Nt

[MiHale]

36. +1

[Rhiannon12866]

41. Thank you. I thought this was a terrific interview, contained so much I had to listen twice.

And I should have pointed out Hartmann's DU membership (since 2006), but, as you said, this video was about Johnston's detailed analysis, and that's why I posted it, with his expertise on the subject, he brought up details no one else has so I figured DUers would be interested. And I certainly know by now which sites are acceptable here. *sigh*

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. He's a real deal LIBERAL. Walks the walk. DU member, leading talk radio. Former is 5 years ago

Lots of progs and libs talk about talk radio. Hartmann does the heavy lifting and succeeds.

https://www.currentaffairs.org/2021/10/why-is-talk-radio-so-right-wing-and-how-can-the-left-compete

Thom Hartmann is the #1 progressive talk radio show host in the country. He is the author of over 30 books including, most recently, his “Hidden History” series, which has dealt with guns, the Supreme Court, voting rights, and healthcare. He joined Current Affairs editor in chief Nathan J. Robinson recently on the Current Affairs podcast to talk about The Hidden History of Monopolies, as well as the factors responsible for the right-wing dominance of talk radio. Thom has managed to succeed on a platform where leftists mostly fail to compete with the right, and discussed what the ingredients of successful radio are. Thom wrote an article for the Nation last year called “Talk Radio: Democrats Can’t Win If They Don’t Play.”

---

Hartmann hosted a one-hour daily TV show at 7 pm. ET Monday to Friday, The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann, which was editorially directed by his wife and was broadcast from the Washington, D.C., studios of the RT news network. The show featured many conservative guests who routinely sparred with Hartmann. Hartmann co-produced the program with RT, who provided studio and carriage, while Hartmann retained full editorial control of his programming. The RT network aired the program via Dish Network, DirecTV, and on selected local-origination and public-access television cable TV channels globally.[31] After hosting the program for seven years, Hartmann announced his departure as host on September 29, 2017.

[FreepFryer]

12. I appreciate the bio at least containing the Russia Today affiliation.

It will be good to see a more detailed review of his work and it’s relationship to Kremlin talking points of the last decade.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

24. You attacked the man before reviewing his content. :eyes:

[FreepFryer]

29. Hardly. I'm not here to detail his prior content. That will happen, but not at your command. (Nt)

[MiHale]

37. Damn skippy...

You should have done that yourself. Truly hope you learned something.

[FreepFryer]

38. I know the bio, but thanks! Hope the same in reverse. (Nt)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. Hartmann is also on Common Dreams, Daily Kos and Egoberto Willies

You want to ban Daily Kos, Common Dreams, and Willies here too?

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/3/15/2085990/-Thom-Hartmann-Putin-is-the-dog-that-caught-the-car-This-is-going-to-be-the-end-of-his-presidency

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/02/23/free-nations-beware-trumpian-trucker-tantrum-putins-invasion-ukraine

Free Nations Beware: From the Trumpian Trucker Tantrum to Putin's Invasion of Ukraine
The situation in Ukraine is complex and the outcome is unknowable, but potentially world-changing for free nations and the world itself.

Thom Hartmann
February 23, 2022

Unsurprisingly, alleged serial rapist and career criminal Donald Trump has come out in support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
{...}

Donald Trump, you'll remember, was first impeached because the very day Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy turned down his demand to manufacture dirt on candidate Joe Biden, the White House Office of Management and Budget moved to block hundreds of millions in defensive military aid to Ukraine.

Trump's enthusiasm for the collapse of Ukraine notwithstanding, the most basic element of all law down through the ages is the right of bodily autonomy: the right not to have your body invaded.
{...}

As Senator Bernie Sanders said yesterday, "Vladimir Putin's latest invasion of Ukraine is an indefensible violation of international law, regardless of whatever false pretext he offers."

[FreepFryer]

11. Hartmann carried Russia Today's propaganda water. Directly. The others didn't. (Nt)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

18. Wrong. He used their studio. You can provide no evidence of "carrying water"

You haven't provided one shred of evidence, just the smear.

You attack the association but not the CONTENT.

[FreepFryer]

20. The content speaks for itself. 5 years ago wasn't that long.

The whataboutism and bothsidesism is rampant.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

23. Except you never attack his actual content. You have a personal animus against the man. nt

[FreepFryer]

27. That's a personal attack Bern. I have so such personal feelings. I am very concerned about his role

And relationship to Russian information efforts during the last decade.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

22. You never attack his content. So you can't actually point to any "water". You are empty. . . nt

[FreepFryer]

28. Another personal attack, Bernardo. Please stop. (Nt)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

34. Not my intent. Your arguments are empty, esp with reference to "carrying water". . . . nt

[RocRizzo55]

15. Simple

Because corporate media does not want his voice to be heard. He was under no constraints on RTV, as were Chris Hedges and Lee Camp, all of whom have at one point or another not only spoken out about the US leadership, but the leadership of other countries, including Russia.

[Magoo48]

25. I've listened to him for years, still do on Pacifica Radio and KPFK in LA. Listener sponsored radio.

I believe he is as committed as anybody out there to Democracy, freedom, and Liberty.

His analyses of the threat posed by corporate owned politicians and encroaching fascism are as insightful as any around.

So, my question is, what’s the problem?

[malaise]

6. K & R

Lock him up

[jaxexpat]

26. When the interview is boiled down, this is what I get.

Trump and many republicans may have little or no success with their electability because the voters may have had enough of their "shenanigans". Johnson points out, for the thousandth time we've heard this stuff, the illegal activity of Trump and his minions, and it's plain to see how they've gotten away with a lot of bad things but the consequences they'll face are still as vague as ever.

The items I'd like to see dealt with are things like:
Who's going to actually arrest Trump, the rest of the fraud's family and faithless operatives?
What can be done with those elected who have supported the insurrection, before and after 1/6?
Which court will be designated to have the undeniable authority to try them?
Will appeals go to the 6/3 and unaccountable USSC?
When will this show get on the road?

The whole thing will remain an ongoing high drama for at least a couple more years and, unless regulated, FOX news will still have its last words, ensuring that at least 40% of the country swears by the snake oil.

[ancianita]

33. It's great. The whole "now what" approach expects action to make sure this history isn't repeated,

and is actually prevented.

It points to justice system reform and restructuring.

[magicguido]

35. Well that New York charge Evaporated rather quickly. Dems get your act together.

[rickford66]

40. Thom used to host Bernie on Fridays before Bernie was a well known public figure.

Besides the usual current political conversation, Bernie took questions from the listeners. Great show and I started following and contributing to Bernie.

[orleans]

42. good interview. sounds like johnston doesn't have much faith in garland

bringing charges against trump.
(5:35 on the video)

[Rhiannon12866]

43. If David Cay Johnson said he's be "surprised" if Garland pursued this, I believe him

But that doesn't mean TFG isn't facing charges from other sources, which Garland believes will happen. And it doesn't look good for him, potentially losing both his company and even Mar-a-Lago, since it's not his private home.