Trump insisting he’ll receive letter of exoneration from Mueller in coming days: report https://t.co/Yo7krmJwop pic.twitter.com/f80wNtBho5
— The Hill (@thehill) December 18, 2017
I’ll bet there was a lot of things he wanted for Christmas when he was a kid that the old man said he didn’t deserve. https://t.co/jNwGZxTycV
— Schooley (@Rschooley) December 18, 2017
“People with knowledge of the investigation said it could last at least another year and members of Mueller’s team have told others they expect to be working through much of 2018, at the minimum.” https://t.co/f34I2BVbYv
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) December 19, 2017
.
Technology has sped up many processes in the years since Watergate, but it still takes just as long to incubate a homegrown tomato or a healthy baby. Trump’s unlikely to be the only person disappointed when Mueller doesn’t “wrap things up” in time for the New Year’s Eve champagne, but he may well be the most surprised. Per the Washington Post:
White House lawyers are expected to meet with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s office late this week seeking good news: that his sprawling investigation’s focus on President Trump will soon end and their client will be cleared.
But people familiar with the probe say that such assurances are unlikely and that the meeting could trigger a new, more contentious phase between the special counsel and a frustrated president, according to administration officials and advisers close to Trump…
White House lawyers have told the president he could be exonerated as early as the beginning of the year, after previously reassuring him that he would be cleared by Thanksgiving and Christmas, as The Washington Post previously reported. They have stated publicly that all White House interviews are over and that Mueller’s team is no longer seeking White House documents.
In the meeting this week, they plan to ask Mueller’s investigators if they need more information before reaching a conclusion that the probe as related to Trump is complete, according to a person familiar with the Trump team’s plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.
The question that White House lawyers will pose to the special counsel’s office, according to the person: “You’ve had all these witnesses, all these records. Is there anything else you need from the White House?”…
“I think it’s possible Mueller’s team could give them an idea of how much longer they anticipate their investigation will last,” said Peter Zeidenberg, the former deputy special counsel who helped investigate the leak of Valerie Plame’s covert role as a CIA operative. “I would be shocked if they have a timeline anything similar to what we’ve heard coming from the White House.”
“As far as a clean bill of health, I can’t imagine they are going to be prepared to make a decision like that at this point,” he said of the special counsel’s team. “They are not going to be in a position to make that call until they finish this case and finish discussing all the evidence they have.”
Mark Corallo, a former spokesman for Trump’s legal team, said he thinks it is unlikely that the probe wraps up by the end of the year, but he said he believes it could conclude in the spring. He said that Mueller is aware of the political implications surrounding his investigation.
“Bob understands you can’t have a president who is living under this cloud of uncertainty,” Corallo said, adding that he believes it is possible that the special counsel will at some point call Trump’s lawyers and say, “We are done with the president. There is nothing there.”…
The attacks on Mueller’s investigation grew this weekend after an attorney for the presidential transition told congressional investigators Saturday that thousands of pages of the organization’s communications were provided to Mueller by the federal General Services Administration.
Trump’s lawyers learned Mueller had the emails this month when witnesses were quizzed on the material. Some of the documents contained sensitive information that wasn’t related to the Russia investigation, according to a person familiar with the material.
A GSA spokeswoman declined to comment. Mueller’s team said it obtained all documents legally.
Mueller received GSA's Trump transition emails in September.
Mueller's conducted dozens of interviews since then using the emails as a basis for questions.
It took Trump's legal team until now—three months later—to figure out Mueller had the emails.
"Best people."
— Pé Resists (@4everNeverTrump) December 17, 2017
just so folks understand why Trump lawyers so freaked out that Mueller (legally) had transition emails, it's bc Trump staffers didn't know FBI already had the emails and therefore they felt free to lie to FBI during interviews.
— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) December 18, 2017
Look, if Mueller wanted the Trump transition’s emails, he should have gone through the appropriate channels: Guccifer 2.0, GRU, and Wikileaks.
— Ken Schultz (@KSchultz3580) December 17, 2017
Basically everything can be explained by Mueller assembling an all-star team from some of the best talent available and Trump prioritizing sycophantic loyalty above all else including competence.
— Alex Reverman (@Geniasis) December 17, 2017
rikyrah
Good Morning,Everyone ???
rikyrah
Bobby Three Sticks had the answers to questions that he asked.??
Can we say
‘Lying to the FBI ‘ , Ladies and Gentlemen????
gene108
Gaslighting for the tax bill already started where I live. My House Rep, Tom MacArthur (NJ-3) was the only member of the NJ delegation to vote for the earlier tax bill.
There’s a T V ad by some PAC with slick glossy footage of happy families and a bunch of numbers about how the average NJ family gets a tax cut because of this bill and to call and thank him, with his local office number displayed at the end.
It’s not on heavy rotation, but the fact it exists seems to me that the big money boys will do what they can to protect people voting for this and start the campaign to defen their tools in Congress almost a year before the 2018 election.
NobodySpecial
Good morning!
If I was a news media with money to burn, I’d stake out Mueller’s HQ and see who goes walking in to plea.
Some Dude
President BS may think what he saw on Law & Order is the way these things go – with everything finished in under an hour, but reality is different. My guess is that Mueller’s team will be asking White House lawyers if they’re sure their client won’t stiff them. ‘Cause when the bad news that the investigation is far from over, and the questions asked since the emails were handed over bring up even more more questions, all the ‘happy talk’ his lawyers have been feeding tRump will probably come back to bite them.
(((CassandraLeo)))
“I’ve got the worst fucking attorneys.” -Donald Trump, probably
OzarkHillbilly
@gene108: What’s the #?
Ruckus
@(((CassandraLeo))):
Yes he seems to. But gee wiz I thought he only hired the bestest people. Maybe he’ll fire them and play his own attorney like he’s seen on TV. Wouldn’t that be fun to watch.
OzarkHillbilly
One word solution asshole: Resign.
Spanky
Well, it looks like we found where Baghdad Bob landed a new gig.
eclare
@(((CassandraLeo))): Who knew lawyering was so complicated?
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
@rikyrah: Morning!
eclare
@rikyrah: I read somewhere that in any questioning by the FBI, assume they already know the answer.
raven
It’s my bride’s 60th today. We’re having a party at our neighborhood joint tonight and, even though we said no gifts in light of our Rose Bowl trip, I got her a copy of “Bad Girls Throughout History”!
Nelle
@NobodySpecial: They sneak in by some back door. Probably in disguise.
raven
@OzarkHillbilly: 8675309
Ruckus
@OzarkHillbilly:
I’d bet Bob also understands that a president can’t really function if he’s a massive criminal and asshole. Which is OK as this one is about as nonfunctional as it gets. And unfortunately as massive.
eclare
@raven: Sounds like a great gift!
Ruckus
@raven:
Tell her Happy Birthday!
And that sounds like a great gift. Also it’s good you really knew that she didn’t mean NO gifts.
raven
@eclare: It’s the thought that counts, I’m bankin on that.
Ruckus
@raven:
When I first saw that I thought you left out the area code. Then it hit me. Nice one.
eclare
@Ruckus: Good point…
raven
@Ruckus: Since the parade tickets are more than the god dammed game!!!! Hey, while I have you here. Our plan now is to park at the golf course and walk to the parade pre-dawn. It looks like about 45 minutes but I’m thinking, since we’ll have to make that walk one way or the other, early in the day will be better than after the game.
(((CassandraLeo)))
@Ruckus: @eclare: “There’s a good chance I may have committed some light treason.” -Also Donald Trump, probably
(I can’t help thinking of life in terms of Arrested Development quotes; it’s the only way I’ve found to make sense of this mess. And yes, George Bluth libelz!!!11)
RobNYNY
@OzarkHillbilly:
You left “in disgrace.”
OzarkHillbilly
@raven: Happy bday Ms Raven.
raven
@Ruckus: I was going to go with 634-5789 but there are too many puppies here. As we know, it’s a way better song!
If you need a little lovin’
Call on me
Lord have mercy
If you want some kissin’
Call on me baby
That’s all you got to do now
No more lonely nights
Will you be alone
raven
@OzarkHillbilly: Her current nickname is Beenie Weenie! I’m Mr Boo-Boo.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Cry me a fucking river. They spent 7 years investigating Clenis. Fucking Boehner sued Obama – twice. They even investigated Roosevelt’s little dog, Fala.
OzarkHillbilly
@raven: My current nickname is “Asshole”.
Suburban Mom
@gene108: Lance is my rep. He says he is a no vote. I don’t think this is enough to save his seat. His district includes parts of Union County, which consistently shows up on lists of the top ten counties most damaged by the tax bill.
Ruckus
@raven:
That sounds like a good idea, if you don’t mind the walk. Google maps says 1.8 miles so 45 or so sounds about right. It will be chilly the temp at 5am tomorrow morning is supposed to be in the upper 40s.
Also can you get into the car park at 5am? I’d ask for sure and remember that you will not be allowed to walk Orange Grove all the way to Colorado. Going to have to walk say Orange Grove to Walnut, then east to North St John and south to Colorado, where your seats are. (between N. St. John and Pasadena Ave if I understood correctly.
Ruckus
@OzarkHillbilly:
My given name, first and last has 7 letters, 3 in the first and 4 in the last For some reason many people have often confused my real name with the word asshole. And there is only one common letter. I’ve never understood how they do it. Maybe it’s the was they say it. As JFK used to say with Viga! Ass, Hole.
RobNYNY
I’ve been a lawyer for only 31 years, and I have never heard of a “letter of exoneration.” Can someone smarter than me explain what that would be?
Ruckus
@raven:
It’s 46 deg in Pasadena currently
Cermet
I think that Mueller has about zero interest in bringing direct charges against the orange fart cloud since 1) no legal precedence for such action by a Federal States Attorney 2) unenforceable in any case 3) not really clear if it is allowed since that power apparently is solely vested in congress by what the constitution implies 4) and any such action would then allow the fart cloud to simply pardon himself and avoid any criminal charges even after he leaves office
What I am hoping is that he labels him an unindicted co-conspirator just before the 2018 elections allowing a dem sweep; then we can see real investigations all during the run up to the 2020 elections so the dems get the 2/3’s senate they need besides the existing strong majority in the house.
raven
@Ruckus: The game parking opens at 4am. I figure we leave Hawthorne at 4, get there by 5, take an hours to get in the lot and then hoof it. Were on the north side of Colorado at Pasadena Avenue so we should at least be good with not having to get there in time to cross the street. We walk that distance nearly every morning here so we should be good. I figure since we’re at the $tart of the parade we can putz around and catch the shuttle from Parsons to go back.
Ruckus
@RobNYNY:
I can. In one word. Bullshit. In this case it could even be considered a defense. Because it’s all he’s got.
raven
@Ruckus: Yea, I have it marked on my weather app. We’re tough as nails up in here. Also, ferreting out reviews of our seats reveals we will be in the sun for the parade once it comes up.
JPL
Trump has always felt that he is above the law. There is no right and wrong.
Raven, Happy Birthday to the princess, and what a great gift.
Ruckus
@raven:
Good plan. Do you have shuttle tickets or do you need them? I know the buses run continuously but don’t know any more about it than that. Do your game tickets get you on? It is, as I assume you know, easy pezzy to walk from there to Parsons, 2-3 blocks. On your way from your car you’d be better to walk Walnut, St John, Colorado than Walnut to Pasadena. I drove north on Pasadena this afternoon and I think there are no sidewalks on the west side of the street. St Johns has. Getting to your seats will be no big deal.
raven
@JPL: I made a pretty good slide show too.
Ruckus
@raven:
People look at me strange when I ride my bike to work, like what kind of moron would ride when it’s freezing. They don’t know I’ve ridden in much, much colder temps. And that I have an electric vest and heated grips.
I think I’m going to try to get 3 hrs of sleep before I do the above. Night all.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@raven: Just keep in mind that walking from the golf course to CO Blvd is uphill.
Happy bday to the mrs.
raven
@Ruckus: There are so many details which is why my sleep has been even worse for the past few nights. Changing from parking downtown seemed like the best choice since we’ve committed to great expense already we may as well go all the way. One Colorado refunded my money for that spot so, for a little more, we’ll be in the golf course lot just north of the stadium. I figure chairs and food will be welcome with the long day we have in store.
I think the shuttle may have dedicated streets.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Ruckus: Nite.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@raven: Also, another thing to remember is folk get to the golf course early for tailgating so there may be a lot of people there when the lot opens. I’ll admit that I don’t remember all that much from my last trip for the Rose Bowl(it was 19 years ago and there was drinking involved).
OzarkHillbilly
How did they know in 1966? (picture)
Zach
Were this close to over, kushner and Clovis would be indicted, Flynn wouldn’t have been able to cut a deal, and mueller wouldn’t be pressuring manafort to do the same.
eclare
@OzarkHillbilly: How indeed?
mike in dc
@Zach:
Possibly. More to the point, how do you investigate potential obstruction thoroughly, and NOT interview the president before wrapping things up? Trump’s lawyers are bullshitting him, and/or they’re trying to create the impression that Mueller is dragging this out. The problem for them is that at some point Mueller may indict someone for the underlying conspiracy with Russia, and the wording of the indictment will tend to point towards Trump’s involvement. While I think roughly 40% of the Republican base will support Trump no matter what, I’m not sure that’s true of the rest of his base. Treason is kind of an eye-opener in that regard, and very hard to defend to co-workers around the water cooler.
If we want to impeach, we need to figure out what, if anything, will persuade X number of Republican senators to vote to remove Trump sometime in (likely) 2019.
Amir Khalid
Why have Trump’s lawyers told him, or let him believe, that Mueller will soon wrap up the investigation and write a letter exonerating him, when obviously neither is going to happen? I think it most likely that they have given up on convincing him of the awful truth, and are just there to rack up their billable hours until the inevitable end.
mike in dc
@Amir Khalid: What are they going to tell their client when Mueller says “we need to interview the president”? Incidentally, if you think the optics of firing Mueller now are terrible for Trump, imagine if he does it in response to being asked to submit to an interview.
OzarkHillbilly
@Amir Khalid: They have gotten so good at only telling trump what he wants to hear they can’t stop.
satby
@rikyrah: Good morning! Got your ? up yet?
ByRookorbyCrook
Bobby Three Sticks is going to rattle everyone below Trump for as long as he can. Once he has to bring Trump in for a depo, the jig is up. Mueller can keep stringing along the hope of exoneration by avoiding Trump while building cases among everyone else. He doesn’t just need to build a case to convict. He needs to build a case of overwhelming guilt for 435 jurors and 100 appellate jurors. He needs to do this without the President invoking a slew of pardons that would stonewall the investigation and allow the political cover to avoid impeachment. I do not envy the monumental task Mueller has, but thankfully, the president is a cowardly moron employing inept sycophants and grifters.
debbie
@raven:
Happiest of birthdays to your bride!
debbie
Has there been any talk about not sending taxes to Washington if this plan passes (ie, left and right coasts who will lose the most)? Holding on to it instead to prevent providing welfare to Wyoming, etc.?
rikyrah
@raven:
Happy Birthday to Mrs. Raven ??
MomSense
@raven:
Happy birthday to Beanie Weanie!
OzarkHillbilly
When did “ME peace process” become dogwhistle for Israel’s land grab?
Jack the Second
@mike in dc: I could see Mueller waiting to indict anyone Trump would pardon until he indicts/announces Trump committed Treason. Once Trump’s balls are in the fire he’ll be too self-involved to pardon Don Jr or Kushner.
debbie
@OzarkHillbilly:
You left out the best part: She said the United States would never forget that this resolution was offered. I trust Egypt is shaking in their boots as we speak.
clay
@RobNYNY: You may recall that at one point, Trump had his own law firm write a letter proclaiming his innocence, and then bragged about “his letter” like it meant soemthing. If seems to be a thing with him.
satby
@raven: Many happy birthday wishes to the Princess!
clay
@debbie: “The United States will never forget the time the rest of the world tried to stop us from doing something extremely stupid and destructive.”
eclare
@debbie: IRS would have an issue with that, although I understand the sentiment. As a red state dweller, I don’t want my taxes to pay for golf carts, trips to Mar a Lago, KKKeebler Elf, etc. Don’t have much choice.
Kay
@Amir Khalid:
They’re afraid he’ll fire them if they give him real advice. Trump considers them employees- fixers. If they can’t fix his legal troubles it’s not because he, Trump, broke the law, it’s because they’re bad lawyers. So it’s just a matter of time because whatever they tell him the big investigation/crim justice machine is impossible to turn off once it starts chugging along and he’ll eventually blame them anyway. Trump hasn’t encountered the criminal investigation/justice system before- he was in the civil system which he considered a joke and a minor annoyance. It’s a different world. It’s relentless if you’re the accused and more powerful or more wealthy people (redundant) rage in the same way Trump is raging when they’re caught up in it because they’re not accustomed to powerlessness. This they can’t control. He could stomp all over those contractors he stiffed- bury them in motions and depositions and delays, drive them out of business, force them to give up. None of that works in criminal justice. It just keeps going.
eclare
@Kay: Exactly. This is not drafting a prenup or getting a divorce. Mueller has unlimited resources, and once started, the process does not stop.
rikyrah
@satby:
Hey satby. All the Christmas decorations that I will do are up.??
Quinerly
Good morning from Poco and his tribe. This may have been posted. Behind on glancing through the comments. Robert Redford writes an op ed for Time: http://time.com/5058932/robert-redford-arctic-trump-taxes/
OzarkHillbilly
@rikyrah: So are mine. ;-)
eclare
@Kay: Exhibit number one, look at all of the smarmy Enron execs who were furious that they had to testify. Ended up with prison sentences. Also some guy at Dynegy (I think), whose attorney begged him to take a plea. This brilliant MOTU insisted on going to trial and got around 40 years, although I think it was later reduced on appeal.
Ocotillo
@gene108: I saw a similar ad last week while I was on a business trip to Kansas for some goober GOPer in that area around Olathe and Lawrence.
Skepticat
As if we needed more, tRump’s reaction seems to be prima facie evidence of total delusion.
raven
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Yep, I don’t know how else we can swing this unless there is UBER.
eclare
@eclare: Can’t edit on my phone. My bad, got 24 years, but his boss took a deal and got about 1 1/2 years.
raven
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Yea, the lots open at 4 and we should be there @ 5. If it takes an hour and a half to get in the lot then we have the same to get to the seats. No one in my family remembers the details for 84 except that we walked a lot!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@raven: I’m not sure how much Uber of Lyft will be around there. I’m thinking there will be street closures and traffic. It’s not that far but the Rose Bowl is in the Arroyo Seco valley. It also depends on how close you get to the north end of the stadium. I’d prepare to be early, I’m also kind of surprised they’re not opening the lots before 5, I think they opened the lots 12 hours before the last UCLA-USC game there.
ETA: A hour after they open, you might end up with a bit of a walk to the north end of the stadium then.
ETA2: Make sure you wear comfortable shoes.
Kay
@eclare:
There is no one as outraged at the unfairness of it all than a white collar criminal. It’s privilege. They feel they don’t belong there and they’re raging and helplessly sputtering because they can’t hire someone to fix it and it won’t stop. Look at what Trump has marshaled here and yet he can’t get out of this- he has the entire GOP, all of Right wing media including an entire cable channel, hundreds of rich people who support him and are trying to protect him frantically working their connections behind the scenes and yet he’s helpless and waiting for Mueller. Trump doesn’t wait. He’s never had to wait in his entire life. He’s a Man of Action and yet this complaining and bitching and sending the minions out to frantically spin is all he can do. In a way he’s doing time already.
As someone who watches an endless stream of ordinary people, orange-jumpsuited defendants clinking and clanking their way down the hall helplessly in a kind of enforced humility march, I enjoy watching this. The Trumpsters are humiliated and that they cannot bear. Ordinary people are better at it.
rikyrah
@Quinerly:
Morning to Poco and the tribe ??
trnc
@OzarkHillbilly:
1967
rikyrah
@Kay:
Never forget, Kay, they thought that it was all taken care of. Remember, Rudy’s guy was gonna cover it up for them.
Immanentize
@RobNYNY: The only thing remotely vaguely similar in federal.criminal prosecutions are letters indicating you are not currently the target of an investigation.
Of course, there are also target of the investigation letters. (Also about 30 years before the bar)
Quinerly
@rikyrah: ?. Keep meaning to ask you how your sister is doing?
OzarkHillbilly
@Kay:
We’re used to being humiliated.
Immanentize
@raven: Most Happy Birthday wishes to Ms. B.W.
Bruce K
As I recall, Terry Pratchett once wrote that the word “privilege” traces back to “private law”, i.e. the rich don’t get held to the same standards as the poor.
I think the book was The Truth.
Here’s hoping Bobby Three Sticks has some of the spirit of Mister Vimes in him.
Immanentize
Re: this meeting between Trump’s lawyers and the prosecutors. I suspect it is actually a meeting regarding the ground rules for a meeting where Trump.will.be questioned. Under oath or not? Time limits, etc. There are no meetings in federal criminal cases to discover “when will this all end?”
SFAW
@raven:
Happy Birthday to your Bride!
You cradle-robber.
retiredeng
Trump’s National Security Strategy — Eliot Cohen – The Atlantic
Coda:
“This text bears contemplation, though not as its authors undoubtedly intended. At the end of the day, however, the analogy to scat may actually be the most useful. There is not a great deal one can actually do with spoor; it does not predict whether the beast will turn right or left, gore an innocent farmer or charge madly off a cliff. It offers a few clues, and that is about it. So by all means study it. Just don’t swallow it.”
Kay
@OzarkHillbilly:
It’s true though. The OUTRAGE that the prosecutor read their emails! Their personal emails! Is nothing sacred?
There are tens of thousands of ordinary people being investigated right now and they’re basically stripped naked and it’s just ordinary process- the big machine chugging along and collecting information intended to put them in prison- because they don’t kid themselves about that either- cops and prosecutors want to put them in prison. There’s no outrage. They’re just compliantly walking thru the process and hoping for the best and waiting. They do a lot of waiting. They aren’t entitled to demand that the prosecutor show he is “unbiased”- they would be laughed at for demanding that and if they DID focus there their lawyers would tell them it doesn’t matter and that’s a fruitless and unproductive avenue for them. But not these people! These people demand all kinds of special accommodations because they are special.
Trump doesn’t have any real sense of “justice” or respect for process. He wanted those black kids EXECUTED. He’s mad about one thing and one thing only- that it’s HIM that is caught in the big grinding wheels. This isn’t how he is supposed to be treated. So fuck him. I hope they get him. And I hope he spends tens of millions on his coddled, cowardly lawyers in the process because they’re not going to prison! When this is over they just move on to the next privileged dope who got his ass in a bind. They win either way.
SFAW
@OzarkHillbilly:
Got the Hanukkah/Chanukah bush all decked out, do you?
OldDave
@Bruce K: Oh, I like the Mueller == Vimes thought.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@Immanentize: How are you and the kid doing?
ETA: Not to pry. Don’t answer if you don’t want. I’ve just thought about you a couple of times in the last week.
Immanentize
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): It’s not prying at all. We ask ourselves that very question every morning. Instill feel.kinda vague — like I have a minor thought processing disability. Easily distracted, only able to get through one or two.focussed tasks a day. The Immp has thrown himself into school, which has helped him a lot. That and on-line gaming with friends when he is not studying. This is finals week, so we.will have a couple of weeks to see what’s what with him after. We are heading to Texas to visit his uncle and grandfather. The latter is coping poorly with the loss of his wife (Julie’s mother) so soon after Julie died. We are hoping a little grandson time will cheer them up.some. I will not kid you, it’s rough.
OzarkHillbilly
@SFAW: I decorated it back in July… 2010.
edited to correct addressing issues
Amaranthine RBG
Can serial grouper Kozinski be stripped of his pension?
rikyrah
@Quinerly:
She’s doing so much better. Not as active as she was before the illness, but she does get out everyday and does activities. She’s upset now that the local pools are closed for cleaning, so she can’t do her water aerobics, but she’s going to the local Senior Center for exercise while they’re closed.
rikyrah
@Kay:
IF they get paid, Kay.
That’s the main reason why he wasn’t able to get ‘A’ list Washington, DC Help.
rikyrah
@Immanentize:
Sending you and Little Imma positive thoughts and prayers. These ‘ firsts’ without the ones we love are rough.
Captain C
@Ruckus: It turns out the best attorneys like to get paid in full and on time, and can recognize an obvious deadbeat.
Immanentize
@Amaranthine RBG: serial grouper? kozinsky was a fisherman?
Regarding your question:. No. SATSQ. He would have to be impeached for that to happen.
rikyrah
Senate GOP wary of ending Russia probes, despite pressure
BY ALEXANDER BOLTON – 12/18/17 08:12 PM EST
Senate Republicans are showing no signs they will wrap up their Russia investigations soon despite pressure from the White House.
They’re also pushing back on the prospect that President Trump will fire special counsel Robert Mueller, which they fear would spark a backlash that could hurt the GOP in next fall’s midterm elections.
“Everybody knows that if Trump fired Mueller it would be interpreted by everybody who writes about this as evidence that he’s done something wrong,” said a strategist close to the Senate GOP leadership.
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/365532-senate-gop-wary-of-ending-russia-probes-despite-pressure
Quinerly
@rikyrah:
?
Quinerly
Couldn’t be bothered to read 55 pages: http://www.politicususa.com/2017/12/18/white-house-blatantly-admits-trump-read-entire-national-security-strategy.html
Quinerly
Op ed by Sally Yates: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/12/19/what-kind-country-we-speak-out-core-american-values-sally-q-yates-column/951828001/
schrodingers_cat
On a completely shallow note:
BTW has anyone noticed how long and delicate Mueller’s fingers are, plus his suits always seem to fit him, his tie is not overly long and he is not grossly obese and doesn’t have a bird’s nest on his head. All in all he cuts a much more impressive figure than the pretender in the WH. This is before we compare their resumes and biographies.
FlipYrWhig
@Kay: Kay, this was a great series of posts about Trump’s outlook on and experience with the law and the judicial system — any chance you could work them up into a front-page piece?
Amaranthine RBG
@Immanentize: his conduct was so pervasive, you might say she did it out of… halibut
Kathleen
@Ruckus: Hi Ruckus. I’m playing thread catch up and wanted to reply to your post about your news. I just wanted to let you know I’m holding you in the light and in my thoughts. Also want to add to the praises from your Lady Chorus! (Don’t tell Baud he has some competition now). ?
FlipYrWhig
@schrodingers_cat: Remember that Trump is very concerned with having people look their part, like how he couldn’t have a short man as Secretary of State? It has to drive him crazy that Mueller looks his part so well.
A Ghost To Most
Just saw this in RawStory:
Stein is one; is St. Bernie the other?
rawstory
Kathleen
@raven: Happy Birthday to your Lady. And hat tip for the Wilson Pickett props!
Miss Bianca
@rikyrah: Oh, they’re worried that *that* will hurt their election chances in 2018? Not their criminal “tax reform” scam, not their attempts to gut the ACA, but halting the Russia investigation? Eeeeenteresting. Verrrrrryyy eeeenteresting…
germy
I didn’t know this:
Leto
@gene108: I got the exact same TV ad last night. Live near the NJ border so we share local programming, but man that’s some disingenuous stuff right there. Gaslighting for sure.
burnspbesq
Hanukkah ends Wednesday. Kushner could be indicted any time after that.
Kathleen
@RobNYNY: I have a question about Trump’s lawyers. Are they really that stupid? If not, aren’t they violating some code of ethics if the’re just telling him what he wants to hear? Based on my viewing endless rerunsof Law and Order I thought they were obligated to be brutally honest with clients at some point. (I trust you realize watching L&O reruns qualifies me to either prosecute or defend depending on my whim).
burnspbesq
@germy:
Around here, it was widely believed at the time that Rohrbacher married her in an attempt to avoid testifying by invoking the spousal communications privilege.
Rob in CT
I’m assuming that what Trump thinks of as a “letter of exoneration” is Comey’s performance during the campaign when he said there was nothing prosecutable about HRC’s email setup.
germy
@burnspbesq: it wasn’t the love affair of the century?
rp
Greenwald has now posted or retweeted 10 different tweets about Jill Stein in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, I don’t think he’s said anything about the fact that Congress is about to pass the one of the worst, most regressive pieces of legislation in American history. I’m starting to think that his concern for the “people” is just a fig leaf.
Tim C.
@A Ghost To Most: Possible, though I really doubt either of them actively did much. In an active way. Probably got the same kind of support Trump did in terms of help via cutouts and behind the scenes. Stein might have been pleased and happy to get help, but Bernie? Nope. His whole shtick is self-righteousness. He’s not gonna intentionally get help from the Russians.
Shalimar
What I don’t expect Mueller to say because he’s a great lawyer and there is no reason to show the cards now, but which would be funny for the Trump meltdown it triggered: “Every single person who has given evidence in the last 3 months has lied to the FBI. It will take years to prosecute all of those people for perjury and other crimes. We need to talk to Trump and Pence next. Good day.”
eclare
@Immanentize: Hope you and Immp heed the advice to take a grand vacation, keeping your family in my thoughts.
Shalimar
@Tim C.: Bernie doesn’t need to have known the Russians were helping him. They planted Tad Devine at the top of the campaign.
eclare
@Quinerly: What a pathetic POS.
Kathleen
@schrodingers_cat: Come sit next to me.
eclare
@schrodingers_cat: My favorite line comparing their biographies mentioned the time Trump compared avoiding STD’s in the 80’s as his personal Vietnam (I think he said this on Howard Stern). Mueller’s Vietnam was Vietnam.
Kay
@Shalimar:
We had a crazy-lying witness once, to the extent where judge called us back to see where this was going because the thing about lying is it wastes time. No one really cares about your elaborate tale. You don’t get points for creativity. For judges it’s boring and sad because people lie to them all the time.
So the (very young) lawyer was shocked and dismayed by this- “she perjured herself!” and the judge said “ya think?”
It’s not clever or sophisticated or interesting, the Trump Administration lying. It’s a waste of time and a burden because everyone has to work really hard to get around it and get on with it. He could be up there reciting nursery rhymes. His words mean nothing and that’s ultimately boring and sad.
Shalimar
@rp: Greenwald was a libertarian even back in the Bush administration when he had progressive support. Why should he bother tweeting that he is fully on board with Ryan gutting Medicare and Social Security?
germy
@rp:
I noticed that.
After the Alabama election I checked to see if he had anything to say. Absolutely nothing! There are some things he doesn’t bother talking about. But then this Stein investigation comes out, and immediately! Like a hundred tweets.
He didn’t give a shit about Moore being defeated, or African-American voter turnout (defying voter suppression) but he’s on a tear right now about “mccarthyism”
Josie
@Kay:
This is poetic justice. It reads like poetry and feels like justice.
Yarrow
@gene108: They must know the tax bill is bad if they feel the need to run ads telling people it’s great. They know it’s unpopular.
tobie
It seems to me that Trump’s team learned that Mueller has the transition team’s emails sometime around Hope Hick’s interview. I’ve been wondering whether you’re allowed to discuss your FBI interview with another person, possibly the person of interest in the investigation. I know this is not advisable but assume it’s not illegal.
schrodingers_cat
@germy: Russian mole seems to be worried.
rp
@Shalimar: True. It’s almost like his support of Stein and Sanders isn’t really principled…
germy
@schrodingers_cat: Here’s how he reacts if some news comes out he finds personally embarrassing (and can’t spin): he starts tweeting in Spanish about the local politics of his adopted homeland. It’s his way of covering his ears and yelling “La la la la can’t hear you!”
If anything awkward is revealed about st. bernard or dr. stein, GG’ll get real interested in some local Brazilian story.
rp
I don’t know why I enjoy hate reading Greenwald so much. There must be something wrong with me.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@Immanentize: Hope you have a great visit. Strength to you all.
I just got back from Panera. As I was leaving, I heard two old guys in flannel shirts talking about the tax bill. One said, “You heard about Kansas? They cut and cut and now their schools are falling apart. Their roads are falling apart.” I left at that point, but was encouraged by the realism.
Ryan
Now, this just came out. The General Services Administration, I love the General Services Administration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUtT0b0EnSw
germy
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): the fact they’re losing the support of old guys in flannel shirts… this gives me hope.
Even if the bill passes, if Democrats win some seats in the future and reverse these cuts, those old guys won’t complain.
Miss Bianca
@germy: Or would it be Portuguese? His being in Brazil and all.
I can’t help but think of the recurring line in the old chestnut, “Charley’s Aunt” whenever the subject of Greenwald comes up: “Brazil….where the nuts come from.”
JR
@germy: Portuguese.
Maybe he can make himself a bonafide Émigré
cmorenc
@mike in dc:
Observe the coverage of the Investigation on Faux Spews Nitwiterk to witness the enormous amount of truth-jamming flack that’s being spewed out by the RW Wurlitzer. The portion of the base that will be peeled off by the looming reality that Trump is a treasonous President who long ago sold out to Russia is probably more like 25% than the 60% you project.
Shalimar
Republican Rep. John Faso of New York just said on MSNBC that Democrats not coming to the table made it more difficult to salvage SALT deductions in the deal. Faso is voting no. They didn’t even need his vote. They were never going to negotiate with Democrats. I assume he isn’t stupid enough to believe the words coming out of his mouth.
Shalimar
@rp: You have more stamina than I do. Even when Greenwald finally gets to a point, it is always tangential and non-responsive to the person he is responding to.
Edit to add: He is basically a textbook study in reframing an issue to what he wants to talk about and ignoring anything that isn’t in his favor. It is incredibly annoying to read.
Yarrow
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): That’s good news! I’m guessing these are white guys in Iowa? If it’s getting that far that’s very good news.
Ruckus
@Captain C:
A lot of us can recognize a serious deadbeat as well. Some people just don’t want to admit that they trusted the asshole in the first place.
Ruckus
@Kathleen:
Thanks.
Screw Baud. He left town with us holding the bag while he’s out and about having a good time.
schrodingers_cat
@Miss Bianca: This nut is imported, though.
chopper
@Kathleen:
trump has generally piss-poor lawyers. and his staff is pretty dumb. smart guys would have pieced together the fact that mueller has all the emails the moment a question was asked regarding information not previously handed over but apparently it took those dumbasses way longer to figure it out.
Leto
@cmorenc: I said this a few days ago in a different thread, but I ride to work with someone who listens to RW AM radio and the amount of disinformation that’s being spewed is just unbelievable. They’re throwing out everything they can to see what sticks and to keep the base constantly riled/misinformed. Everything from Mueller’s people should be investigated, right back to the classic “Everything was Hillary/Obama’s fault” and THEY should be investigated! Crazy, crazy alternative universe.
chopper
@Immanentize:
frankly, scallop, i don’t give a clam.
NotMax
Based on the post title, quasi-obligatory.
Tazj
@Shalimar: I don’t think he’s that stupid either, maybe his no vote and blaming Democrats will fool the Republican voters in his district. Who knows? Maybe the media will end up blaming the Democrats for not coming to the table, nothing would surprise me now.
Paul Krugman @paulkrugman -1h
The tax bill as written, will eventually give 83 percent of its benefits to the top 1 percent. The GOP defense of the bill is that this is so awful future Congresses will reverse it. I repeat: that’s their DEFENSE of the bill
I can’t take the national news today and its feting of Paul Ryan and his boyhood dream.
Kathleen
@Ruckus: When he returns His Ladies will need to perform a rousing rendition of “My Boyfriend’s Back” to allay suspicion.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@Yarrow: Oh yeah. White both of skin and hair. Probably in their late 70s or 80s.
ETA: Kansas is a neighboring state so they may be more aware that you’d expect.
efgoldman
@Some Dude:
He’s got plenty of real world experience in real courts, But it’s all in civil court where he can buy the plaintiffs off, bury them in paper, or outspend them.
You in the criminal big leagues now, Carrot combover; time to grow up
raven
@?BillinGlendaleCA: The lots open at 3:30.
Elie
Id love to see a Congress person or senator indicted That would shut up a lot of their whining pretty quick, I think.
trnc
@chopper: It’s possible the investigators had the lie and non-lie versions of any subject and built questions around that, which would make it difficult for the saps to know what they were walking into (and therefore wouldn’t be able to tip off their fellow saps).
Shana
@Amir Khalid: Perhaps this is a stupid thing to speculate about but, since Trump famously doesn’t use email, does he think that since there’s nothing to or from him, only other people around him, they can’t possibly get HIM for anything? Would that factor in to his thinking that he’ll be exonerated?
Lolly
@RobNYNY: Trump loves to bully and/or bribe adversaries ibto abject submission and get them to write fawning letters praising him. He got the brass at CBS to try to force one out of Kathy Griffith last year. It is absolutely gross.
Kathy Griffin-Trump Apology
I believe he thinks he can offer somethibg to Mueller–cabinet position? Justice dept? Judge position?–and get Mueller to walk away from investigation.
J R in WV
@schrodingers_cat:
Just reading this comment, after my late morning nap. Got up really early yesterday for plumber appointment, still recovering. Have really early appointment tomorrow to renew passports, too! It never stops!!!
I don’t think it’s a shallow note at all. Mr Mueller needs regular grand juries and juries to take him and his team very seriously, with no showmanship. Unlike Trump, who was more of a carnival barker, in this singularly unique case Mueller needs to be more serious than Congressmen and Senators. Who will be part of the Grand Jury/Jury for Trump, after all.
J R in WV
@germy:
They speak Portuguese in Brazil, not Spanish. The Pope decided which country got which parts of the new world very early on.
retr2327
Somewhere, HRC is quietly smiling to herself, and thinking “this is why you want to own the server your emails are on, dumb-ass.” He who owns the server controls the service . . .