.
Why is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse. Will take forever, has no prosecutorial power and already late with reports on Comey etc. Isn’t the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2018
You know you're the president, right? If you have questions for your own attorney general, you can probably get him on the phone pretty easily. https://t.co/k6Cn6buhlY
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) February 28, 2018
You know, some would call this a hostile work environment. https://t.co/Npt7mWRZbX
— Alyssa E. Hackbarth (@AlyssaEinDC) February 28, 2018
Sometimes, when you’re under stress, you snap at the people around you, because you’re confident they’ll understand…
…“Why is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse?” the U.S. president wrote in a tweet that was also critical of the IG, Michael Horowitz… Horowitz is investigating the FBI and Justice Department’s handling of its 2016 probe into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s email arrangements. Trump fired FBI director James Comey last year in part, he said, because of that investigation.
Trump has repeatedly attacked and mocked Sessions and has said he wouldn’t have nominated him as attorney general if he’d known Sessions would later recuse himself from overseeing the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign…
For Sessions, the public criticism by the president is offset by a job that gives him a chance to pursue his career-long agenda of conservative positions on law enforcement issues, from restrictions on immigration to enforcement of federal laws against marijuana.…
The key to understanding Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III is that he loves racism more than he loves himself.
— Zeddy (@Zeddary) February 28, 2018
In a statement, Attorney General Jeff Sessions says “as long as I am Attorney General, I will continue to discharge my duties with integrity and honor.” pic.twitter.com/jstoZgOOYA
— Olivia Victoria Gazis (@Olivia_Gazis) February 28, 2018
“The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.”– Ralph Waldo Emerson
To repeat: I desperately want Trump to fire Sessions. His obvious motive only sinks himself further in an obstruction case, and HEY Sessions would be gone. WOOO. https://t.co/UD7ruAHWyb
— Zeddy (@Zeddary) March 1, 2018
…In recent months, Mueller’s team has questioned witnesses in detail about Trump’s private comments and state of mind in late July and early August of last year, around the time he issued a series of tweets belittling his “beleaguered” attorney general, these people said. The thrust of the questions was to determine whether the president’s goal was to oust Sessions in order to pick a replacement who would exercise control over the investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Trump associates during the 2016 election, these people said…
It’s no secret in Washington that the relationship between the president and the attorney general has been badly broken for months. The president has repeatedly issued public broadsides, calling Sessions “weak” or criticizing his leadership of the Justice Department, despite the attorney general’s frequent proclamations of devotion to Trump’s agenda on immigration and crime.
Behind the scenes, Trump has derisively referred to Sessions as “Mr. Magoo,” a cartoon character who is elderly, myopic and bumbling, according to people with whom he has spoken. Trump has told associates that he has hired the best lawyers for his entire life, but is stuck with Sessions, who is not defending him and is not sufficiently loyal.
While Sessions has told associates he had been wounded by the attacks, he has also insisted he’s not going to resign, so the cold war continues….
While there is a soap opera element to the drama between the country’s chief executive and chief law enforcement officer, Mueller apparently has decided there are significant issues at stake for the probe into whether the president or others in the White House sought to obstruct justice, according to the people familiar with the matter…
… And “President Postliterate Bestwords” (h/t Rick Wilson) has just given Bobby Three Sticks another reason to keep probing that sore. Great job, guys! Seriously — don’t stop now…
dmsilev
I choose to imagine this being voiced by Foghorn Leghorn.
japa21
Sometimes I would like just one day without alarming news about this President coming out. Just one day. Is that too much to ask for?
Corner Stone
@dmsilev: Sir, I said, uh suh!
Major Major Major Major
@japa21: yup.
Corner Stone
@japa21: Were you aware he weighs the same as a duck?
Corner Stone
@dmsilev: As long as Trump doesn’t start talking like Marvin the Martian.
Marvin the Martian: Oh, I’m going to blow it up; it obstructs my view of Venus.
Marvin the Martian: The illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator!
Mike in NC
They just can’t quit one another.
T S
I take it all back…from the news today, it looks like Mueller is zeroing in on Trump with respect to obstruction.
But it’s gonna be a crisis because Congress will not hold Trump accountable. Bring it on.
joel hanes
he loves racism more
but he thinks of it as honor, as standing up for what’s right, and his statements about “honor” should be interpreted with that in mind
japa21
@Major Major Major Major: @Corner Stone: Thank you for your reassuring replies.
My real problem is that it is almost never one thing. On days like today I have no access to BJ, then I get home and find 20 gazillion new posts and I can never catch up.
All that being said, he will never fire Session(s). And it isn’t because of the optics or anything. He is just too much of a coward.
debbie
My goodness, he’s an ornery ‘lil possum.
dmsilev
@japa21: Sorry, but we are unable to accommodate your request at this time.
chris
I don’t think I can take any more today. Here’s a picture of Steve, king of the beasts on the veldt this afternoon during our regular patrol of the estate. (If the veldt were a Christmas tree farm.)
dmsilev
@Corner Stone: Trump is more a Tasmanian Devil or Yosemite Sam kind of guy.
Corner Stone
@dmsilev: No way. They are both way, way more high energy than Trump has ever been. Can you see Trump confronting anyone the way Sam does?
ETA, and honestly, Tasmanian Devil was really a good guy at heart. He was just looking for love, in the end.
Corner Stone
Oh no! It’s the Nuzzi!
Chris Hayes is the worst.
efgoldman
@japa21:
It would be an indication of death or terminal illness.
dmsilev
@Corner Stone: That’s a fair point. Given his history of pussy-grabbing and innovations in hairstyling, would you accept Pepe Le Pew?
mai naem mobile
I wonder if Hicks resigned before the gun meeting or after the gun meeting? He seemed to have it together a little too much during the meeting to have had it happen before the meeting but maybe she told the staff first and then him after the meetinf. Either that or he was in denial during the meeting. Who else would want this shitry job?
JustRuss
@chris: Nice. Majestic kitteh is majestic!
efgoldman
@joel hanes:
Just like all those traitors in grey uniforms in the 1860s were defending “honor.”
Fuckem
Corner Stone
@dmsilev: The court allows it.
Corner Stone
@mai naem mobile:
Trump was batshit nonsensical in that meeting.
Gin & Tonic
Sessions sees his next step as VP in a Pence WH.
Jay
@Corner Stone:
Esquire holds that Hair Twitler is Donald Duck, more so when held upside down,
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.esquire.com/uk/culture/news/amp15330/donald-trump-is-donald-duck/
Mr Stagger Lee
Damn dotard has me feeling sorry for the Kruel Konfedrate Keebler elf.
Ridnik Chrome
Go Injuries!
Steeplejack
@Corner Stone:
“You’re built too low—the fast ones go over your head!”
Ken
@Gin & Tonic: Now the only thing to do is convince Trump that Pence and Sessions are plotting to get rid of him.
Steeplejack
@Corner Stone:
Thanks for the heads-up. Time for me to zoom over to The Blacklist for a saner view of our current geopolitical situation.
different-church-lady
“I am Elmer J. Fudd: millionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht.”
efgoldman
@Gin & Tonic:
You’re joking, right? Could he be confirmed, now that his lying under oath has been confirmed?
Matt McIrvin
@dmsilev: I say I say I keep my integrity and honor numbered for just such an emergency.
HumboldtBlue
I missed the gun thread below. Here’s an overview of a study on school shootings.
My take? We kill a lot of motherfucking people in this country through the use of firearms (let’s not even get into who we kill outside our borders). We are are a violent society.
Corner Stone
@Steeplejack: Nuzzi was very sympathetic to Hope Hicks. Based on Nuzzi knowing her for a while.
Raoul
Axios reports that Jeffy is dining with Rod Rosenstein at a high buck D.C. restaurant this eve, with photo.
As a show of solidarity, they say. Huh.
Jackie
As I said in the previous thread, Dad is helping Mueller take Trump down ?? He wanted to out last/out live Trump. That didn’t happen. Now in his world – he’s helped Mueller make Trump’s life miserable these last 48 hrs plus ????
efgoldman
@Mr Stagger Lee:
Not me. They deserve each other (and so do the rest of Stupidi Mafia)
Corner Stone
Man. The IC absolutely has their *entire* set of knives out for Jar Jar.
Raoul
@mai naem mobile: Who else would want this shitry job?
I am loving the neologism ‘shitry’. Or is it a portmanteau? Shit + wintry.
“We had a great snowstorm. Some excellent skiing a few days ago. Now the streets are just shitry, though.”
mad citizen
@japa21: Yes, I was away from BJ for 3-4 hours this afternoon and missed 3 to 4 acts of the shitshow.
The midterms are what, 8 months away. Is it too much to ask for Twitler to be gone before then? It would be great if Mueller indicts or names a bunch of the top Republicans, and has a news conference where he talks about all the additional stuff he is going to investigate as he stays on the job.
Matt McIrvin
@HumboldtBlue: Just saw some G+ commenter post a looooong rant about how we all need AR-15s because our country is so tyrannical overseas that we have to be able to shoot at the tyrannical gubmint here just in case.
I refrained from getting into an argument with the guy, but my immediate reaction was that our government is showing tyrannical tendencies now and all the guys with the semiauto rifles seem to be in favor.
MomSense
I’m a battle between Trump and Sessions, I’m rooting for injuries.
Mom arrived last night and brought chocolate almond bark. Dangerous.
Steeplejack
@Corner Stone:
Well, that’s what’s really important, after all: that you know somebody and she’s a nice person.
Yarrow
@Corner Stone:
Nah, they’re saving the better knives for Ivanka.
debbie
@MomSense:
Such luck! My Mamaw always had a stash of chocolate almond bark.
Steeplejack
@Corner Stone:
Just jumped back over to take a look. I would be willing to contribute to a fund to get Nuzzi a chiropractic adjustment for that slight rightward tilt of her head that she has all the time, but I’m afraid it would break her and reveal that she’s some sort of cyber newsbot.
Also, Ashley Parker (Washington Post) in split screen next to her has the bedraggled look of that girl who’s like “I did all the work on the prom committee and this bitch is getting all the credit.”
efgoldman
@Corner Stone:
He’s not an important enough human being for his hubris to bring him down. In his case it’s just stupidity and incompetence.
terben
@dmsilev: Pepe Le Pew without the charm.
Corner Stone
@efgoldman: They want to hurt, wound and isolate Trump. This is one way to do that.
Baud
I CANT BELIEVE JEFF SESSIONS IS THE GOOD GUY HERE!!!
Shalimar
@Corner Stone: Nuzzi was also very sympathetic to racist sexist provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos. Her character judgment is highly suspect.
Yarrow
@Shalimar: She’s completely suspect. Do not trust her.
efgoldman
@Corner Stone:
When the investigation started, I predicted that they’d pick off the people around him one by one, getting closer and closer until anyone he likes/trusts/can cover for him is gone.
efgoldman
@Baud:
NO HE FUCKING ISN’T. THEY ARE ALL FUCKING BAD GUYS
Fuckem
Steeplejack
@Shalimar:
And Ann Coulter.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
may all of this come true, down to the ‘last’
debbie
@efgoldman:
That’s a very pleasing strategy. The more painful, the better.
Jeffro
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I just saw that too
He had an even better tweet up earlier, about what Jared “suspected”. LOL
NotMax
Rock ’em sock ’em schmobots.
Ajabu
@efgoldman:
I Agree wholeheartedly, ef.
Beauregard is an evil, racist piece of shit, just like his mentor/tormentor Shitgibbon.
FUCKEM BOTH!
Baud
@efgoldman:
@Ajabu:
I didn’t mean to suggest I’m not rooting for injuries here.
Ken
@efgoldman: So it is a horror movie, right down to the calls coming from inside the (White) house.
different-church-lady
WaPo:
Just “a” focus — only one of multiple foci.
I like this.
MobiusKlein
@japa21: One day is a Trump year. I would settle for just one felony before tea time.
dmsilev
@Corner Stone:
So, basically a comic remake of _Murder on The Orient Express_ except with intelligence agencies?
different-church-lady
@MobiusKlein: Instead we get six insane things before breakfast.
NotMax
@Ken
The Enmityville Horror.
Corner Stone
@dmsilev: Nothing near as genius as that. Right now they are all stabbing him right in the guts while looking him in the face. And daring his giraffe necked plastic barbie wife to do something about it by crying to Daddy.
MomSense
@debbie:
It’s from a small candy shop that has been in the same place for probably 50 years.
James E. Powell
I note that Bloomberg still follows press/media convention, using the euphemism ‘conservative agenda’ for Sessions’s racist agenda.
Calouste
@Gin & Tonic: More that Sessions is counting how many positions are above him in the line of succession. And how many of them are compromised by the Russians and haven’t cut a deal yet.
Corner Stone
@Calouste: Sessions is dirty AF.
Gelfling 545
@efgoldman: He has an R after his name so yeah, he could be confirmed.
James E. Powell
@efgoldman:
I believe Sessions has his eyes on the next supreme court vacancy.
Another Scott
@James E. Powell: Seriously? Trump hates Sessions. He would never appoint him to SCOTUS.
MoJo from 2016:
Etc., etc.
Trump wants Sessions to do what he wants, and he’s furious that he won’t. He wants to crush him like a sub-contractor at the Post Office Pavilion. But he can’t, and it drives him nuts. Or as much as someone as already brain damaged as him can be driven nuts…
Cheers,
Scott.
Omnes Omnibus
@Baud: Less bad != good.
Corner Stone
@Omnes Omnibus: Less baud = good.
J R in WV
Ok, Open Thread.
We, wife and I are leaving in the morning for LAX, and will spend the night at a hotel near the Airport. Friday morning we fly on to La Paz, Mexico, to meet a ship, the National Geographic Sea Bird, on which we will tour the Bay of Cortez, AKA Gulf of California.
There will photography, whales kissing people, sea lions swimming with people, reef life to look at, I hope to meet octopuses and seahorses and nudibranches and all kinds of shallow sea life, with a camera in hand. Sea Birds on desert islands, kayaking and snorkeling. No TV on board the ship. No casino, no laundry, just a bar where you can look at each other’s photos, load your own photos onto your laptop and storage devices, editing to do.
I haven’t been on a ship larger than a small trimaran since I got out of the Navy, when I served on a ship with 900 crew and about 900 feet long. This ship is only going to have 64 passengers, I think it will compare to being at summer camp afloat.Probably with better food!
We plan to spend 4 days in LA after the cruise, and will be available to tour museums, eat at fabulous Thai restaurants, Latin restaurants with Peruvian food, Argentine food, visit night clubs with outrageous high energy Latin music. Los Lobos are touring in Texas, and I’m not willing to go to Texas, but surely there are other bands with the same musicianship and driving energy level that will appear in LA between March 10 and 14th.
Anyone who wants to get together ask Adam for my email address, or Betty or Annie Laurie, it’s the one I post with. We plan to visit the Getty and hope to visit the Huntington, and I would like to hit the LA County Museum of Natural History, which I understand has a good mineral collection, of which I collect.
Jackie
As I’ve been a mostly lurker, I thank you for recognizing my Dad’s death AND his continued wishes to bring Trump down.
Steeplejack
@J R in WV:
Hope you have a great trip. It sounds like a nice combination of nature and urban decadence. Make sure to send some pictures to Alain.
Bruce K
Point of order: for Sessions to continue to discharge his duties with integrity and honor, he would have to start doing so at some point. Assumes facts not in evidence.
Tata
@Raoul: My favorite is SNIRT, snow + dirt. Those frozen, filthy Matterhorns lingering in plowed parking lots cried out for a word describing their gross majesty.
W. Kiernan
What the Hell, that halfwit thinks the Attorney General of the United States is his personal lawyer?