NBC News: Trump transition did vet Mike Flynn. https://t.co/YgYYlH26hf
— Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) April 29, 2017
Earlier today, per Politico:
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Friday that his recusal from Justice Department investigations into the 2016 campaign for president will extend into inquiries into the activities of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, under fire for his ties to foreign governments.
“My recusal deals with the campaign issues,” Sessions told NBC’s “Today” show. “But I would expect not to be involved in this one.”…
Flynn, a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency who served briefly as President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, has been the subject of scrutiny in recent weeks amid reports surrounding lobbying work he did for the Turkish government and a paid speech he delivered at an event for RT, a propaganda arm of the Russian government.
Sessions, too, has been tied to Russia: The attorney general recused himself from the Justice Department’s investigation into Russian interference in last year’s election amid reports that he had met on multiple occasions with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. during the campaign even though he had testified during his Senate confirmation hearing that he had not interacted with Russian officials…
… [W]hile the FBI has acknowledged that it is investigating Russian interference in last year’s election as well as possible ties between Trump’s presidential campaign and the Kremlin, Sessions said he was unaware of any specific investigation into Flynn.
“I really don’t know whether there’s an investigation or should be,” Sessions said. “And we don’t confirm investigations of – you know, in the Department of Justice.”
Why, Ah barely even *met* that Yankee fella, Flynn or whatevah. Why should mah good name be linked to his?…
Rep Cummings: "I dont understand why the White House is covering up for Michael Flynn"
— Alex Moe (@AlexNBCNews) April 27, 2017
Because if he goes down, they all do? https://t.co/Slq2dX0gYa
— Schooley (@Rschooley) April 27, 2017
Flynn's ascendance in the far-right and Trump world is directly linked to his being fired for being an incompetent, leaky conspiracy nut.
— ~unintelligible~ (@ZeddRebel) April 27, 2017
So don't sleep on that. He joined the Trump admin BECAUSE Obama didn't trust him & fired him. Spicer's latest line is weapons-grade bullshit
— ~unintelligible~ (@ZeddRebel) April 27, 2017
Mnemosyne
If Sessions is truly unaware of an investigation, that may be a good thing. He can’t shut down or sabotage what he doesn’t know about.
debbie
Yeah, Trump’s trying to blame Obama for Flynn was infuriating. What happened to his praise for Obama being so nice and helpful to him in the transition?
Ithink
I just watched all this get briefed to absolutely exhaustive perfection on Rachel Maddie’s broadcast earlier tonight. Who knew that Dolt 45 and the revaunchist alt-reich chain of fools currently in power over us would actually vet a hopelessly corrupt stooge then decide it was his most repulsive public & private demons that made him an a set to the administration?
With any truly profound great luck, we’ll seriously be looking at a President Pence between now & the midterms. Short of that, I’d be happy just seeing his approval ratings continue to sink into the early 30’s/late 20’s then watching the Dwms absolutely tidal wave into Congress come Fall 2018!:)
sukabi
UK spy docs claim trump campaign paid Russian hackers to hack dwn party and spread disinfo
amk
Ithink
I just watched all this get briefed to absolutely exhaustive perfection on Rachel Maddie’s broadcast earlier tonight. Who knew that Dolt 45 and the revaunchist alt-reich chain of fools currently in power over us would actually vet a hopelessly corrupt stooge then decide it was his most repulsive public & private demons that made him an a set to the administration?
With any truly profound great luck, we’ll seriously be looking at a President Pence between now & the midterms. Short of that, I’d be happy just seeing his approval ratings continue to sink into the early 30’s/late 20’s then watching the Dems absolutely tidal wave into Congress come Fall 2018!:)
scav
What part of Spicer’s line isn’t weapons grade bullshit?
Well, ok, the part is that is distinctly inferior grade bullshit.
Villago Delenda Est
Flynn needs to be recalled to active duty, court-martialed, stripped of his rank, pension, and VA benefits, then tossed in the slammer for 10-15 years. Sharing a cell with Donald and everyone else in the Donald Crime Syndicate.
Major Major Major Major
@Ithink:
Frankly, as long as we’re getting to play fantasy, I’d rather have the latter happen and then the Dems impeach the lot of them. No point letting the republicans get credit for cleaning house or forcing Trump out.
randy khan
@Major Major Major Major:
I’m in favor of crushing them in the midterms as a first step, too.
Major Major Major Major
@randy khan: assuming we last that long without a nuclear exchange.
efgoldman
@Ithink:
Be careful what you wish for. Dense is an ass and an idiot, but he’s been a governor and a congresscritter, and knows the mechanics of how government works, which Peach Pustule and the people around him don’t, and are unwilling or unable to learn.
chopper
@Ithink:
the fact that people write this gives me a sad.
Adam L Silverman
@Mnemosyne: That’s not what Sessions is denying. What he’s denying is that the campaign and then the transition didn’t vet Flynn and that he cannot say if the things Flynn stands accused of are actually crimes. Here’s where this is BS: 1) Sessions was the Trump campaign and Trump transition national security lead. He was responsible for bringing in all the national security and foreign policy folks into the campaign. So if the campaign didn’t vet Flynn it is because Sessions didn’t vet Flynn. 2) Sessions is the Attorney General, the top law enforcement officer in the US. If he cannot say if the things that Flynn stands accused of, not prejudging that Flynn is actually guilty, are actually crimes why exactly is he the Attorney General?
Villago Delenda Est
@debbie: Donald is a two-faced bastard who makes Harvey Dent seem like the most reasonable man ever.
jacy
@efgoldman:
Yeah, I’ve come round to wanting the slow play — the longer Trump is there, the less that will get done, because he’s just so disruptive. I think he needs to stay until the midterms. (Providing, of course, he does somehow start nuclearzombiegeddon somehow between now and then.)
ThresherK
I haven’t followed the NFL draft much, but my joke about 45’s way of picking staffers and cabinet members being like the Cleveland Browns no long holds.
The Browns actually picked the right guy at #1, people say.
Of.course, they’ve been so bad for so long they’ve gotten lots of practice. Wonder if Trumpm0 will learn anything?
Villago Delenda Est
@Adam L Silverman:
To put “those people” in their place.
Adam L Silverman
@sukabi: Remember this is raw HUMINT. Some of it will be verified to be true through other methods and sources. Some will be determined to be false through other methods and sources. And some will be determined to be active disinformation through other methods and sources. So yes, this is in the Steele materials. And yes some of that has been verified. But a skeptics eye is warranted here.
Mike in NC
@Villago Delenda Est: Flynn busted to E-2 works for me.
Adam L Silverman
@Villago Delenda Est: Given that a lot of what he’s being accused of are violations of DOD policy, it is possible he may face UCMJ charges as part of this.
Villago Delenda Est
@Adam L Silverman: Which Sessions has no control over. Unfortunately, Donald still does, as Commander-in-Chief. The shitty grade Z movie star personally intervened to prevent Ollie North from facing UCMJ consequences for North’s actions.
Adam L Silverman
@Villago Delenda Est: I got that part.
sukabi
@Adam L Silverman: I know. It’s been awhile since the last shoe, seems like someone is getting impatient.
Adam L Silverman
@Villago Delenda Est: Even if he does that he’s also likely to face criminal charges in the regular system. Flynn is going to be very lucky to come out of this with his retirement intact.
efgoldman
@Adam L Silverman:
You know the answer, Adam: to immisserate brown people.
ETA: You watching the hockey?
Adam L Silverman
@sukabi: As I’ve written here several times in comments: the leaks will continue, at strategic moments, to achieve tactical effects. The Administration spent three days denying Flynn’s existence. So what happened? A leak.
Mnemosyne
@efgoldman:
Close: it’s to prevent black and brown people from voting. The Roberts Supreme Court kindly disembowelled the Voting Rights Act and now Sessions is in place to re-institute poll taxes and voter tests.
Adam L Silverman
@efgoldman: I am indeed watching the hockey.
While I’ve never been a big Edmonton enthusiast, even during the Gretzky era, I am not a fan of the Ducks. Don’t get me wrong, they are big, strong, and fast. I’m not knocking their talent or skills or abilities. I was very impressed by Edmonton in the first round against the Sharks. I think this is likely to be one of the best matchups of the entire playoffs. Like the old Colorado/Detroit Western Conference Finals that were better than the Cup Finals several years in a row.
Ruckus
@Mike in NC:
I think you added too many numbers to come up with that paygrade. E1 for 10-20 and then nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. And that 10-20 is not at a club fed.
Wag
@Adam L Silverman:
Blessed are the leakmakers, for they shall delight in the downfall of evil, or something to that effect.
David Spikes
My favorite Spicer, although, jesus, there is a lot to choose from, was the back and forth the other day that the WH had not appointed Flynn because Flynn got the job before Jan. 20, so therefore he was hired by. . . . somebody but definitely not the WH. Just a classic.
efgoldman
@Adam L Silverman:
The Sharks allowed a bunch of young kids to believe they could do it, and here we are. Holy Scotty Bowman, can they skate!
If Lucic had played like this the last couple of years he’d still be in Boston.
Adam L Silverman
@efgoldman: Yep. I think Edmonton, like Toronto, are going to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. The way San Jose and Chicago and Pittsburgh and Anaheim have been for the better part of the past decade. And the way Chicago and Detroit and New Jersey were for the decade before that.
On Wednesday I watched the first period thinking that Anaheim was just that much bigger, stronger, and faster than Edmonton. Then the 2nd period started and it was like reality had been warped and the situation reversed.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@efgoldman: I mentioned the possibility of a Trump impeachment and Dense taking the job to the kid on our last hike. She said, “but Pence is a monster”. I said that was true, but he’s predictable.
I was impressed that she knew who the Vice President was and that he would be President if Dolt45 were impeached.
Splitting Image
@Adam L Silverman:
To keep somebody who does know what the job entails from holding the position?
Tissue Thin Pseudonym
I should hope that Edmonton is good. They certainly got enough picks at the very top of the draft. It’s like Pittsburgh and Chicago a decade ago: if you suck that badly for that long, your management is grossly incompetent if you don’t win multiple Cups.
It’s an indictment of the American sports system that the only path to being great anymore is to be really bad first.
efgoldman
@Splitting Image:
Are you naive enough to think Mango Malignancy would actually appoint someone qualified? He has a bridge to sell you – it goes directly to one of his casinos.
Adam L Silverman
@efgoldman: Apparently whatever Anaheim did in the locker room between periods really upset the hockey gods! They’ve hit every post multiple times. Lost a skate edge on a breakaway. Next thing all their sticks break at the same time.
Adam L Silverman
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym: There was a lot of parity in the first round. Even with the couple of sweeps, a lot of the games were very, very close and their were 18 overtime games.
efgoldman
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym:
Umm… there’s this football team about 30 miles North of my house, in Southeastern MA, between here and Boston….
Gaffer
Hockey? I thought this was a kitty blog.
Tissue Thin Pseudonym
@efgoldman: Yep, and that’s going to come to an end when Brady retires. The Red Wings were the last NHL team to have a long period of excellence without relying on 3+ top five draft picks, and they finally missed the playoffs this year.
efgoldman
@Gaffer:
You ever see a cat batting around a catnip mouse?
MisterForkbeard
@sukabi: I would love to see some confirmation of this, because if so… yeah, Trump would be out. At least, if our country had any sense at all. That’s debatable.
Mnemosyne
@MisterForkbeard:
Haven’t you heard? It was A-OK for Russian hackers to bust into the DNC and release the stolen emails because those emails told the truth about the DNC losing patience with Wilmer after he was mathematically eliminated from the nomination.
efgoldman
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym:
There’s speculation that Bill made all the trades and gave up so many draft choices because they’ve both told Kraft this is it and they want to go out in a blaze of glory. I haven’t got the faintest idea whether it’s true.
How’s the book doing since you won that award?
Tissue Thin Pseudonym
@efgoldman: It hasn’t made any difference in sales so far. I need to start up a marketing campaign, starting with hiring a publicist, but I keep procrastinating because I hate it so much.
efgoldman
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym:
You self-published, right? And you thought the writing was hard!
Got another in the pipeline?
Mnemosyne
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym:
The point of hiring a publicist should be to make them do all the stuff you hate. Procrastinating on hiring one is like procrastinating on hiring someone to clean your house for you.
Millard Filmore
@Mnemosyne:
Some states claim they have a right to ensure that voters are citizens. They make no claim that all citizens have a right to vote, nor any obligation to help them get certified to vote. So here is what happens …
Poor people, usually Democrats, will have to take at least one day off work to collect documentation. If they have a good boss, no problem. Then with the acceptable documentation, another few days off to actually register to vote. Then the boss will say “You don’t come to work, you are fired.”
Now this poor person has a choice. “Do I want to vote? Do I want to lose this job, no money for rent, live in the car, possibly lose my kids to Social Services?”
I will go out on a limb and say straight out that no billionaire will give up all his worldly possessions, give up his family, live on the street … in exchange for the right to vote.
Tissue Thin Pseudonym
@efgoldman: I have a couple of ideas for novels, but I’ve been horribly unproductive writing for the last year. A combination of dealing with constant, low grade depression, the letdown after finishing a four year project, and other stuff.
Tissue Thin Pseudonym
@Mnemosyne: Yes, but I have to go through the process of finding a publicist and hiring them. This is harder than it sounds given that I have a phobia of phones.
Mnemosyne
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym:
Most of them should have websites and email, though. These days, I think a publicist who refuses to use email and the internet is not going to do a very good job.
And when you email, I would be pretty frank with them and say that you prefer to communicate by email whenever possible. If your phone phobia is tied into your autism, then tell them that. They’re going to need to know up front that you’re autistic anyway, so you can use that to weed out the people who would have a problem with it.
Mnemosyne
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym:
Also, kind of a random thought, but are you currently in therapy specifically for your autism or just general psychotherapy? I ask because they’ve recently found that there’s a specific type of depression (dysthymia) that’s strongly associated with having untreated ADHD, and people develop it because of the everyday stresses of trying to deal with the world with untreated ADHD. IANA psychologist, but I wouldn’t be surprised if people on the autism spectrum who aren’t getting therapy specifically for that are prone to developing the same kind of situational depression. It’s worth thinking about, at least.
Tissue Thin Pseudonym
@Mnemosyne: Therapy for people who are diagnosed with autism as adults is practically non-existent. There’s exactly one psychiatrist in the Twin Cities who specializes in it. I’ve met with him once, and he came off just like every other psychiatrist I’ve ever worked with: a combination of creepy and useless. For whatever reason, therapies for adults with high-functioning autism is something that just isn’t researched by anyone. (Note: You can find people who say they deal with adults with autism, but it’s bullshit marketing with most of them. Dig a little, and find that they don’t have any qualifications for it.)
I had a general therapist I liked a lot, which is unusual for me to find, and we got a lot of good work done over about seven years, but we eventually reached a point where we decided that we’d done as much as we could, and that the main problem was needing changes in my life that were not entirely within my control. Aside from which, she doesn’t take any insurance, so I’d have to pay for sessions out of pocket. I don’t feel up to going through the process of trying to find a new therapist that is a good fit, given how dismal the process was the last time.
The main issue for me at this point is a lack of intimacy. I mentioned in the thread above that I find the incidental physical contact with people that is a part of life distressing, but unlike a lot of autistic people, intended physical contact with a friend that is meant to convey comfort and intimacy is very important to me. It’s something that has been largely absent in my life since my wife walked out on me a decade ago. Occasional hugs with friends, and having my cats sleep with me are both poor substitutes for what I need.
sukabi
@MisterForkbeard: me too, wrap the lot of them in shackles and frog marched to prison.
Emily68
@Major Major Major Major: As long as we’re fantasizing, here’s my entry. Enough GOP Reps come to their senses and switch to the Democrats and Nancy Pelosi gets elected speaker prior to the 2018 election. THAN we can impeach Trump & Pence at the same time so Pence can’t appoint a new VP, and Pelosi is president!!!
Tom
@Tissue Thin Pseudonym: I moved to western Mass in 1973 and started rooting for what was then the Boston Patriots. And for 28 years, they were…BAD! SO BAD!!! I can remember screaming at the TV “I KNOW you’re going to lose! I KNOW you’re going to break my heart! Just have the decency to get it over with early in the season and not get my hopes up!” Of course, the last 16 years have been much more fun.
artem1s
@Emily68:
If we are going full metal impeachment fantasy…Dem house can elect anyone they please as Speaker. Doesn’t have to be a current member of the House. What would chap Donnie’s ass more than anything? Make Hillz Speaker, and send her up to the WH after impeachment. Nancy Smash then gets to be Speaker again.