I'm thinkin' blackmailed - kompromat. Whether CIA or KGB makes little difference for our purposes here, 'cause it's just as likely to be ol' Tweety's own little side hustle, for sale to the highest bidder. Consider this: ol' Tweety is/has been the impresario of hotels, gambling casinos, golf courses, and beauty pageants - all of which are traditional mafia hustles that were >always< in the pockets of such agencies. Indeed, state secrets notwithstanding, I'd be interested in finding ol' Tweety's stash of kompromat. I'm >convinced< such a stash exists because - based on the principle of Occam's Razor - it's the simplest explanation for why all his Republican toadies kowtow in the direction of Mar a Lago.
Ol' Tweety >definitely< had access to those who patronized his hustles, and he >clearly< knows the nature of sensitive - translate marketable - information - along with a remarkable, >international< "Rolodex!"
The kompromat Trump is using to keep Republicans in line is probably partly what Putin has gleaned from their intelligence & partly what Trump has gotten from secret government documents (much of which he has naturally passed onto Putin in exchange for the kompromat Putin has given him).
Oh, I have no doubt he's "been in bed" with all of 'em! But I doubt he >serves< any of 'em. There's only one person on this old planet he serves. Everything else is a utilitarian transaction.
If he is the object of kompromat himself, then Trump will serve the one who holds that kompromat over him, which is why Trump keeps all communication between him & Putin secret, & why he does pretty much whatever Putin wants him to.
If the Freedom Caucus members aren't Russian agents, they're assets or willing idiots.
I'm thinkin' blackmailed - kompromat. Whether CIA or KGB makes little difference for our purposes here, 'cause it's just as likely to be ol' Tweety's own little side hustle, for sale to the highest bidder. Consider this: ol' Tweety is/has been the impresario of hotels, gambling casinos, golf courses, and beauty pageants - all of which are traditional mafia hustles that were >always< in the pockets of such agencies. Indeed, state secrets notwithstanding, I'd be interested in finding ol' Tweety's stash of kompromat. I'm >convinced< such a stash exists because - based on the principle of Occam's Razor - it's the simplest explanation for why all his Republican toadies kowtow in the direction of Mar a Lago.
Ol' Tweety >definitely< had access to those who patronized his hustles, and he >clearly< knows the nature of sensitive - translate marketable - information - along with a remarkable, >international< "Rolodex!"
The kompromat Trump is using to keep Republicans in line is probably partly what Putin has gleaned from their intelligence & partly what Trump has gotten from secret government documents (much of which he has naturally passed onto Putin in exchange for the kompromat Putin has given him).
Oh, I have no doubt he's "been in bed" with all of 'em! But I doubt he >serves< any of 'em. There's only one person on this old planet he serves. Everything else is a utilitarian transaction.
If he is the object of kompromat himself, then Trump will serve the one who holds that kompromat over him, which is why Trump keeps all communication between him & Putin secret, & why he does pretty much whatever Putin wants him to.
Just as the old Confederates were hopeful British allies!
Exactly
It seems to be a mixture.