Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Thanks for reminding me that Van Jones needs to be slapped.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Joe Lieberman disappointingly reemerged to remind us that he’s still alive.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

Bark louder, little dog.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

The GOP couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

We’ll be taking my thoughts and prayers to the ballot box.

Everybody saw this coming.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Is Rod Rosenstein the Anonymous Op-Ed Writer?

Is Rod Rosenstein the Anonymous Op-Ed Writer?

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Probably not, but this article in The Times suggests he was thinking along similar lines last year:

WASHINGTON — The deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, suggested last year that he secretly record President Trump in the White House to expose the chaos consuming the administration, and he discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Mr. Trump from office for being unfit.

Mr. Rosenstein made these suggestions in the spring of 2017 when Mr. Trump’s firing of James B. Comey as F.B.I. director plunged the White House into turmoil. Over the ensuing days, the president divulged classified intelligence to Russians in the Oval Office, and revelations emerged that Mr. Trump had asked Mr. Comey to pledge loyalty and end an investigation into a senior aide.

Mr. Rosenstein was just two weeks into his job. He had begun overseeing the Russia investigation and played a key role in the president’s dismissal of Mr. Comey by writing a memo critical of his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. But Mr. Rosenstein was caught off guard when Mr. Trump cited the memo in the firing, and he began telling people that he feared he had been used.

Concern about Trump’s chaotic style — check.
Musings about the 25th Amendment — check.

I find the “feared he had been used” thing hard to believe. How could he expect anything else from Trump? Also, this:

The president’s reliance on his memo caught Mr. Rosenstein by surprise, and he became angry at Mr. Trump, according to people who spoke to Mr. Rosenstein at the time. He grew concerned that his reputation had suffered harm and wondered whether Mr. Trump had motives beyond Mr. Comey’s treatment of Mrs. Clinton for ousting him, the people said.

Rosenstein can’t possibly be that naive. Recall that his memo excoriated Comey for sandbagging Clinton, even though that aspect is often overlooked in accounts of Comey’s firing. Rosenstein cannot possibly believe that the “lock her up” guy gave a flying shit about Clinton being treated unfairly.

Rosenstein issued a statement calling the story “inaccurate” and “factually incorrect.” Anyhoo, interesting, and it’ll probably drive Spanky even battier.

ETA: Someone on Twitter:

Maybe she’s right.

ETA 2: The fix is definitely in:

Dim Son dutifully chiming in after the story drops definitely confirms it’s a load of horse shit.

Reader Interactions

247Comments

  1. 1.

    Quaker in a Basement

    “It will drive Spanky even battier.”

    And how! Put me down for $5 that Rosenstein will be fired before the end of next week.

  3. 3.

    Corner Stone

    Rosenstein can’t possibly be that naive.

    That’s not any level of naivete. That’s pure self-righteous, holier-than-thou ass-covering right there.

  4. 4.

    LAO

    I have had the longest of weeks — food poisoning, Yom Kippur and a major sentencing hearing yesterday. I CAN’T TAKE A FRIDAY NEWS DUMP!

  5. 5.

    trollhattan

    Not buying it. All those toadying remarks about all the Really Great Stuff the administration accomplished wouldn’t have come from him, based on what i’ve heard from him in public remarks..

  9. 9.

    Cheryl Rofer


    Yeah. My first thought was that this is a leak from the Trumpies to justify firing Rosenstein.

  10. 10.

    Betty Cracker

    @Mike in DC: Just updated the post to include a tweet from someone who speculates the story is a plant. It might be. The idea that Rosenstein was surprised Trump “used” him and aghast that Trump had motives for firing Comey beyond his (Comey’s) mishandling of the Clinton email investigation just isn’t plausible, IMO. I don’t know what to think of Rosenstein, but he doesn’t strike me as stupid.

  14. 14.

    TenguPhule

    @LAO:

    food poisoning, Yom Kippur and a major sentencing hearing yesterday. I CAN’T TAKE A FRIDAY NEWS DUMP!

    I see what you did there.

  15. 15.

    James E Powell

    What’s the consensus speculation in the B-J horde on the Anonymous Op-Ed?

    Does everyone in the WH know who it is but they aren’t going to tell? Is it possible Trump knows who it is but he won’t say so because the person is so highly situated that it will confer immediate credibility?

  16. 16.

    Cheryl Rofer

  18. 18.

    jacy

    I vote somebody is trying desperately to push Kavanaugh off the front pages and the newstalk panels. Who? Could be anybody, they’re all nuttier than fruitcakes. More importantly, who cares? The only upside to any of this shit is it will further drive Trump ’round the bend. Although I don’t think there’s much more bend left to go ’round.

    My dream is dump everybody in this shitshow administration and all their enablers into a Mad-Max style Thunderdome and let them all fight to the death. The last one standing would be Eric, who had cleverly disguised himself as part of the wall.

  19. 19.

    JPL

    @LAO: We are going to have a leak war aren’t we? This was obviously planted by a pro Trump person. McCabe has said that he left memos with Special Counsel and the FBI. He did not leak them. So does that mean they used McCabe’s memos?

  22. 22.

    Mandalay

    clearly planted by someone in the admin

    This.

    The NYT “story” was carefully transcribed by Michael “Toady” Schmidt who yields to nobody – Haberman included – when it comes to licking Trump’s dirt box.

  24. 24.

    TenguPhule

    @jacy:

    The last one standing would be Eric, who had cleverly disguised himself as part of kills himself by trying to fight the wall.

    FTFY.

  25. 25.

    trollhattan

    @Cheryl Rofer:
    So, one-dimensional checkers then?

    “I will point my finger at their chest and ask ‘What’s that?” and when they look down I’ll slap their face. Hilarious!”

  26. 26.

    schrodingers_cat

    I don’t buy this distraction hypothesis. They are horrible and stupid. They do despicable stupid shit because they can since they have the power to do so. Its not some cunning plan to distract from xyz.

  28. 28.

    jacy

    @James E Powell:

    The most compelling forensic writing-style analysis I saw fingered John Huntsman (Ambassador to Russia). But it could be anybody. Again, I’m in the who cares camp. It’s all just theater at this point until something actually important happens. Like nuclear war or Trump sacrificing Pence on a Satanic altar live on TV.

  31. 31.

    TenguPhule

    @jacy:

    Like nuclear war or Trump sacrificing Pence on a Satanic altar live on TV.

    You seem to be under the mistaken impression that these events would be separate.

  32. 32.

    TenguPhule

    Trigger Warning for Omnes. And anyone else afraid of clowns.

    Trump and California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) traded insults Thursday night, with each calling the other a clown.

    At a raucous rally in Las Vegas, the president referred to Newsom, who is running for governor, during a rant about Democrats and illegal immigration.

    “Democrats want to give welfare and free health care to illegal aliens,” Trump said. “How about this clown in California who’s running for governor? He wants open borders, and then he wants to give them health care, education, everything.”

    Newsom shot back in a tweet that began, “lol, hi @realDonaldTrump.”

    “Interesting description coming from the guy who is literally locking up kids like Pennywise,” he wrote, referring to Trump’s zero-tolerance policy at the border that led to migrant family separations.

  33. 33.

    Mary G

    @LAO: I know, that story really threw me for a loop. I’m sorry your week was so horrible. The picture attached to this tweet made me feel better. That’s what I am fighting for, the kids to grow up in a better world:

    Everything is terrible, here is my kid’s drawing of what makes him, him pic.twitter.com/Y4gHLm1mnl— Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) September 21, 2018

  35. 35.

    pat

    Crooksandliars says McConnell probably knows he has the votes, promises to put Kav on the Supreme Court.

    I feel sick.

  37. 37.

    TenguPhule

    In 2013, in the Miami suburb of Biscayne Park, police officers became so skilled at cracking unsolved burglaries that all it took was the stroke of a pen.

    Then-Police Chief Raimundo Atesiano had never seen such success, as he testified at a village council meeting in July of that year. The police department, he said, was boasting a 100 percent clearance rate in burglary cases.

    “This is the first time I’ve ever known that to happen in any department that I’ve ever been in,” he said to loud applause, as the Miami Herald reported.

    But in fact, it never happened. And Atesiano knew it.

    As Atesiano bragged about his department, Clarens Desrouleaux languished in prison, serving time for grand theft and a burglary that prosecutors and a judge now acknowledge he never committed.

    Desrouleaux, a Haitian immigrant who has lived legally in the United States for more than 20 years, was one of three black men who federal prosecutors say were victims of a police department’s conspiracy to make itself look good at fighting crime at the expense of innocent people who were framed. One victim was as young as 16. In all three cases, police officers invented evidence, falsified police reports or coerced or fabricated confessions to pin the burglaries on the men — all so that they could maintain impressive crime stats, according to federal criminal court documents.

    Florida police framed three black men for burglaries. One was deported because of it, suit says.

  44. 44.

    VeniceRiley

    “Fake NEWS!” – Rod Rosenstein.
    But yeah. Totally planted probably by people who want Trump to focus on firing him, someone he hates, instead of them.

  46. 46.

    pat

    @debit:

    The idea is that McConnell must KNOW he’s got the votes or he would never say such a thing.
    I simply do not understand Murkowski and Collins. What does he have on them?

  47. 47.

    TenguPhule

    @pat:

    Crooksandliars says McConnell probably knows he has the votes, promises to put Kav on the Supreme Court.

    I dunno. I’m feeling strangely optimistic about this. When its pushing Hurricane Florence off the front page, you know its made an impression.

  48. 48.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??:
    That and all that “Thin Blue Line” and “Blue Lives Matter” bullshit. It’s all just an excuse to let police get away with anything in order to oppress POC. I especially hate those “thin blue line” American flags. It’s flag desecration and the wingnuts don’t want to admit it.

  49. 49.

    Elizabelle

    It’s telling to me that the leakers went to the Fuck the Fucking Sulzbergers New York Times, instead of the WaPost, with this dump.

    They know credulous jackass careerists when they see them. Stenographer! Take my story!

  50. 50.

    TenguPhule

    @pat:

    McConnell must KNOW he’s got the votes or he would never say such a thing.

    Recall he said this about ACA destruction too. Its a tell that his vote count is uncertain.

  51. 51.

    pat

    At the Values Voter Summit, Mitch McConnell promised to loud applause that Brett Kavanaugh would get his SCOTUS appointment.

    Either he’s just playing to the crowd with no idea what will actually happen, or he’s sure his party is 100% lined up to vote for the Trump appointment no matter who he sexually assaulted.

    Lawrence O’Donnell thinks it’s the latter:

  52. 52.

    Mandalay

    @jacy:

    The most compelling forensic writing-style analysis I saw fingered John Huntsman

    I hardly ever warm to any Republican on a personal level but I like Jon Huntsman a lot. I’d like him even more if I find out he wrote the op-ed.

    A classy guy, plus he loathes Romney and likes Captain Beefheart.

  53. 53.

    HeleninEire

    I cannot believe I am saying this and maybe it is because I am +3 but I am beginning to feel a little bit sorry for dim son. (Its 7:39 on Friday here, STOP JUDGING ME). He so desperately wants his Daddy to love him And Daddy never will. But he keeps on striving for it. It’s just so unbelievably sad and pitiful.

    But never fear. When I wake up tomorrow I’ll hate him all over again.

    BARTENDER ONE MORE ROUND.

  54. 54.

    jacy

    @pat:

    He was talking to the fucking “Value Voters” conference or whatever. What was he going to say to them, that he didn’t have the votes? That they’re desperate? I wouldn’t read to much in what McConnell said to those people. If I had to bet, Kavanaugh is toast.

  55. 55.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @pat:
    Isn’t Murkowski at least worried that she’ll lose her seat? The indigenous groups in Alaska were a big reason she won in 2012, right?

  56. 56.

    TenguPhule

    @HeleninEire:

    I am +3 but I am beginning to feel a little bit sorry for dim son. (Its 7:39 on Friday here, STOP JUDGING ME).

    Tell me its at least a decent whiskey or other suitably strong beverage and not beer.

  57. 57.

    pat

    Sen McConnell just said he has the votes to confirm Kavanaugh.

    McConnell doesn’t lie about that.

    That means the “undecided” Republican senators are lying.

    That means they will not give Dr Ford a fair hearing.
    9:39 AM – Sep 21, 2018

    22.1K
    12.7K people are talking about this

    This is from O’Donnell’s twitter feed. Sorry I don’t know how to link….it’s the top story at C&L

  58. 58.

    Elizabelle

    @pat: I doubt he does. I think Turtle is flapping his traitor lips to try to keep the sweet, sweet donor money coming for another week.

    I doubt he’s got the votes at all. If any Senators were concerned about Kavanaugh privately before, they are likely even more so now.

    McConnell lies. It is what he does. (And he might be laughing bleakly to himself, over his bourbon at day’s end. He told the White House Kavanaugh was gonna be hard to confirm.) Mitch’s prospects have not improved.

  63. 63.

    TenguPhule

    @pat:

    Sen McConnell just said he has the votes to confirm Kavanaugh.

    McConnell doesn’t lie about that.

    I see what’s wrong with this picture.

  64. 64.

    Fair Economist

    @pat:

    The idea is that McConnell must KNOW he’s got the votes or he would never say such a thing.

    Yeah, McConnell is *so* famed for his honesty.

  65. 65.

    Elizabelle

    @pat: Come on. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski are throwing themselves onto the Kavanaugh pyre? And so are Red State Democrats, because Kavanaugh and attempted rape are so popular?

    How does anyone know at this point? If McConnell had the votes, wouldn’t they be voting this very afternoon, and any pretense at a hearing be damned?

    Who is O’Donnell?

  71. 71.

    Eljai

    I have no confidence in Michael Schmidt as a reporter. Somebody in the administration wants Trump to fire Rosenstein, or create the cover to fire Rosenstein. Anonymous sources twice removed leak to the press and, as usual, FTFNYT is only too willing to enable this bullshit.

  74. 74.

    TenguPhule

    @Elizabelle:

    If McConnell had the votes, wouldn’t they be voting this very afternoon, and any pretense at a hearing be damned?

    To be fair, his fairweather Republicans are insisting that a semblance of the process be followed or else they threaten to bolt. They may simply have better survival instincts then he does.

  80. 80.

    pat

    Thanks for the jackals who doubt this story. I certainly hope you are right, but so much is still up in the air about hearings next week with Kav and Ford. Anything could happen.

    But at least the FBI is investigating the threats against her, if not going into the “matter” itself.

  81. 81.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Richard M. Nixon @ dick_nixon
    I don’t believe the Rosenstein story for a minute. My God, either you think a man two weeks in his job is drunk on power and fancying himself James Bond, or they are leaking to get him.

    I have heard better-sourced stories on the golf course. My God, what a disgrace. Old Abe Rosenthal would kill somebody as an example.

  83. 83.

    The Moar You Know

    I simply do not understand Murkowski and Collins. What does he have on them?

    @pat: Trump voters. Get the fuck in line or get primaried out. Any elected Republican in office right now, that’s their reality. And a lot of them probably don’t like it, but that doesn’t matter one fucking bit. They are Trump’s bitches now, and they will do what they’re told or be unemployed.

    And, well, they did this to themselves.

    And Collins was always going to vote for this idiot no matter what. She’s no more “moderate” than Adolf Hitler was.

  84. 84.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @Major Major Major Major:
    For me, it’s not about the flag itself but rather what it represents and stands for; freedom, equality, representative democracy, etc. By putting the “thin blue line” on it, these assholes shit all over what it’s meant to represent by mindlessly supporting authority (law enforcement). That, and I hate their hypocrisy; they hate flag burning yet have no problem with this.

  85. 85.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Cheryl Rofer: Could be considering the narrative is “Hey, here is an idea, let’s record Trump how he talks when Trump thinks the mike is off and everyone will see what a useless fool he is and impeach him” as a way for distracting the public from the effort to remove Trump for being a useless fool. Something that self destructive can only come from Trump himself.

  86. 86.

    debit

    @pat: Lawrence has good sources, and actually said the night Ford’s allegations were made public that he’d known of them for a week. I trust him. But this situation is not done developing yet.

  90. 90.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @TenguPhule:
    Well, this is the early 21st century GOP we’re talking about here. Odds are good that another asshole will come along

  93. 93.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @Major Major Major Major:
    And I’m actually fine with that because I believe freedom of expression allows that. Well, I don’t like it, but you know what I mean. What I don’t like is the hypocrisy of the right and their fellow travelers

  94. 94.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Susan Collins will vote against Kavanaugh if her fear of Maine voters becomes greater than her apparently sincere indignation that people would challenge her phony “thoughtful moderate” schtick. She overplayed her hand by announcing too early that she was pretending to believe Kavanaugh, now she’s enraged, a la Lieberman, that people aren’t having her crap anymore.
    I have no insight into public opinion in Maine, but she may well have sawed off the limb she’s been sitting on. I really hope so.

  96. 96.

    Roger Moore

    @pat:

    Crooksandliars says McConnell probably knows he has the votes, promises to put Kav on the Supreme Court.

    McConnell claims he has the votes, but I don’t believe him. At the very least, I don’t think he has the votes solidly locked up. If he did, he’d be pushing for a vote ASAP rather than allowing a hearing that could expose his candidate as a rapist. I think there are at least a few Republican hold-outs, and this is an attempt by McConnell to push them to stop holding out.

  97. 97.

    Elizabelle

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Yeah. I am done with Collins’ fan dancing. Maine elected Angus King. It can elect a Democrat outright or an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats. Susan Collins is too uncertain. Be gone, Lucy.

  98. 98.

    randy khan

    @pat:

    McConnell will say anything he thinks helps him get the votes. He might or might not have them. They might or might not be secure.

  99. 99.

    pat

    WaPo has the story now. Says Grassley gives Ford a chance to appear on Wed, not Thursday, and she has to appear before Kav does, and be questioned by a woman lawyer. And who knows, it’s probably take it or leave it at this point.

    Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

  100. 100.

    Haroldo

    @Tihe Moar You Know: As a former Mainer (and still a New Englander), I couldn’t agree with you more. What a reprehensible being. She does a sterling job of flattering Mainers’ sense of being ‘independent’ tho’.

  101. 101.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Elizabelle: I think McConnell is playing here. He probably DOES have the votes, but he might not – he’s lied about this stuff before.

    But I do think we should continue to show that they’re clearly not willing to give Ford an actual hearing. They’re not – they’re going to alternately yell at her and dismiss her patronizingly and then vote for Kavanaugh, because that’s what they do.

    @pat: So… she still has to go after her accuser so he can rebut everything she says, give her testimony beforehand, and be interrogating by a hostile republican lawyer who just so happens to be a woman? Also, they’re still refusing to call anyone else that could support her testimony and refusing to investigate. Nice.

    Somebody should fire these assholes. Out of a cannon.

  102. 102.

    Mike in DC

    Some scuttlebutt that Andy McCabe or someone associated with him pushed the Rosenstein story. Possibly, but I think it’s more likely the WH pipeline.

  103. 103.

    Roger Moore

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??:

    That, and I hate their hypocrisy; they hate flag burning yet have no problem with this.

    That’s one of the big things I despise about those flags. The same people who fly them would scream bloody murder about a rainbow version of the American flag disrespecting something or other, but they’re perfectly happy to do the same basic thing in support of what they care about.

  104. 104.

    schrodingers_cat

    OT: I love this song from Laila Majnu, Imitiaz Ali’s take on the Persian story of star crossed lovers.
    Hafiz Hafiz Majnu has become totally cray cray in love..
    I don’t care, I am in love, he says.

    Kashmir is so beautiful, I would love to visit sometime.

  105. 105.

    Quaker in a Basement

    @LAO: That was my first guess too, but Trump’s staff is trying mightily to keep him from queering the Kavanaugh nom. I think they’ve got him locked in the cellar right now.

  109. 109.

    ET

    My first thought was why would the Times write this? Even I could tell that it would used as ammunition against Rosenstein and I can’t believe that the author and editors over there didn’t question the motivations of the source. I guess they wanted the scoop more. They likely got used by an admin supporter much like what happened with whats her name and WMD. That they keep falling for this shit just goes to show you they don’t have much in the way of editorial judgement regardless of who is in charge.

  115. 115.

    eemom

    Y’all, it’s a no brainer that McConnell is talking out his big fat ass.

    One way or another, the lady is gonna testify, and it’s gonna be beautifully ugly for Kav. Yet again, there is no fucking way he can credibly deny something he did when he was blackout drunk.

    Call me crazy, but I don’t think every last one of the republican senators is gonna bring themselves to vote to put a would be rapist on the supreme court. Needless to say, not out of anything resembling a conscience, but having that vote on their record is gonna haunt them the rest of their political lives.

    I could be wrong. But it makes no sense to despair at this point.

  116. 116.

    pat

    John Harwood
    @JohnJHarwood
    days before Whelan named another Georgetown Prep student as possible Ford assailant, he tweeted that his friend Kavanaugh had offered “mistaken identity” theory to Sen Hatch
    Quote Tweet
    Ed Whelan
    @EdWhelanEPPC
    Kavanaugh tells Hatch accusation may be mistaken identity (link: https://www.yahoo.com/news/kavanaugh-tells-hatch-accusation-may-201746510.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw) yahoo.com/news/kavanaugh… via @YahooNews
    10:43 PM · Sep 20, 2018

    Well I can’t link but I think I’m improving my copy/paste skills.

    And then Dr. Ford says what a ridiculous idea. I knew both of them and would not have made that mistake.

  118. 118.

    pat

    @pat:

    Ooh, and there is a link in the quote.
    This is such a shit-show. I honestly don’t know what I would be willing to do in Dr. Ford’s place. They are certainly doing everything they can to intimidate her.

  119. 119.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @pat:
    Yeah, it’s kinda hard to make a false ID of your assailant when you knew them already…

  120. 120.

    bemused

    @germy:

    Wow, McTurtle sounds just like the dumbest wingnuts I know. Deliberate on his part, no doubt. He knows R voters live to piss off liberals.

  123. 123.

    debit

    @pat: So, does everyone agree that once Kavanaugh is put on the stand he’s going to be grilled about his connection to this “mistaken identity” clusterfuck? Does anyone think he really wants to do that?

  124. 124.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Haroldo: I don’t doubt it for a moment, the power of romantic, self-aggrandizing myths (from ‘independent voters’ to “the Heartland”) in politics should never be underestimated

  125. 125.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    @germy:

    look how angry the left is, huh? Look at it. The angrier they get, the better we’re doing.”

    That will work until it no longer doesn’t and your ruling party collapses due to massive incompetence and unpopularity. Minority governments tend to do that when they’re so outside the mainstream of the people they’re supposed to represent, you idiot (McConnell). What was that you said back in 2010 about “overreaching”?

  126. 126.

    pat

    @debit:
    I think a lot depends on whether Grassley allows the Dems to question him, or if it’s all going to be from this woman lawyer chosen by the repubs. How will this work? I have no idea, but if I’m feeling sick to my stomach over this, imagine how Dr. Ford and her family are feeling right now.

  127. 127.

    Roger Moore

    @Major Major Major Major:
    The way I see it, calling them out for flag desecration is a way of highlighting their hypocrisy, because it’s the same terminology they’d use for somebody else doing something similar. If they want to call making a rainbow flag desecration, I think turn about is fair play when they make a blue stripe flag. Make them argue that altering the flag isn’t desecration.

  128. 128.

    JPL

    @pat: I’m decided whether to have a bottle of tums, a glass of wine, or dark chocolate. Maybe all three!
    I just watched Mr. Rogers the google doodle again.

  129. 129.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Mike in DC: Seems to be the growing consensus

    Ken Dilanian @ KenDilanianNBC
    NBC News has now been told by a source who was in the room that Rosenstein did indeed discussing wearing a wire on the president, but he did so sarcastically. Former FBI director Andrew McCabe appears to have a different recollection.

    I hadn’t heard McCabe and Rosenstein were enemies, but it makes sense. McCabe was a career guy and Rosenstein IIRC was brought in by trump/sessions

  130. 130.

    TenguPhule

    It was a week before the Wisconsin Democratic Party primary in August, and Shelia Stubbs was searching for potential voters in a part of the district she was running to represent.

    Wearing a plainly visible royal blue name tag, Ms. Stubbs, 47, began walking up to houses and knocking on doors on the west side of Madison. She told those who answered the door that she was running to represent the 77th District in the State Assembly, and left those who didn’t with campaign literature.

    About 20 minutes into her shoe-leather canvassing, Ms. Stubbs was speaking to a man and his parents when she saw a police car pull up behind her silver Lincoln MKZ, where her mother and 8-year-old daughter waited. She excused herself from the residents, she said, and went up to the officer, a woman.

    The officer told her that an unidentified man had called 911 and said he suspected the sedan and its passengers of being part of a drug deal. Ms. Stubbs, who is African-American, said she was canvassing in a predominantly white neighborhood.

    The racism simply never stops. Warning FTFNYT link.

  131. 131.

    TenguPhule

    @JPL:

    I’m decided whether to have a bottle of tums, a glass of wine, or dark chocolate. Maybe all three!

    Skip the wine. it won’t do happy things to the tums and chocolate inside you.

  133. 133.

    debit

    @pat: I am still at a tossup as to whether the hearing happens at all. Sources say Grassley and co don’t want it, and with every news story that comes out about Kavanaugh’s prep school and fraternity being awful I can see why. Sen Harris: Mr Kavanaugh, how many times did you join your fraternity brothers in the chant? K: Chant? SH: No means yes and yes means anal.

  135. 135.

    TenguPhule

    @eemom:

    Needless to say, not out of anything resembling a conscience, but having that vote on their record is gonna haunt them the rest of their political lives.

    Clarence Thomas.

    Although it will make it easier to separate the sheeps from the goats when the revolution comes.

  137. 137.

    Elizabelle

    @eemom: I’m with you, eemom. A vote to seat Kavanaugh will be long remembered, and will hurt some of the Republican and Red State Senators. It might be easier for them not to confirm. It’s not like Kavanaugh is the best jurist out there for the job. He was chosen to protect Trump’s ass.

    I don’t agree that the GOP is this huge monolith that always acts in concert. Have some courage, folks.

  138. 138.

    TenguPhule

    @schrodingers_cat:

    They have “lost” 1500 children again!

    1580. And not again. These are the ones still locked up despite the judge’s orders because “how many divisions does the circuit court command?”

  139. 139.

    The Dangerman

    Is Rod Rosenstein the Anonymous Op-Ed Writer?

    That is top (bottom?) 3 of stupidest things I’ve ever heard (Top 2 being, of course, “never get involved in a land war in Asia” and “never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line”).

  142. 142.

    TenguPhule

    Ice arrests more than 40 people trying to sponsor migrant children

    Parents, relatives and friends of children in federal custody can apply to become sponsors and take in minor detainees from government shelters – but authorities are now using their information to pursue and deport such would-be caretakers when they are themselves undocumented immigrants, an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (Ice) official told Congress this week.

    “We’ve arrested 41 individuals thus far,” Matthew Albence, Ice’s acting deputy director, said at a Senate committee hearing. “Our data that we’ve received thus far indicates close to 80% of the individuals that are either sponsors or household members of sponsors are here in the country illegally, and a large chunk of those are criminal aliens. So we will continue to pursue those individuals.”

    The arrests came after the federal government in June required all adults living in a home where a migrant child will live to submit their fingerprints to Ice.

    We are being ruled by fucking Cobra Commander.

  144. 144.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Maggie Haberman takes on David Simon

    David Simon @ AoDespair
    “Huge scoop.” And the statuette for best all-time use of a false narrative and unnamed sources by a national reporter to advance an administration’s agenda passes from Judith Miller to Adam Goldman. The NYT keeps the crown.

    Maggie Haberman @ maggieNYT
    If you want to question a story without your own information, but based on your emotions, and slander a tremendous current NYT reporter in the process, that’s your right.

    I won’t say There will be (metaphorical) blood, but I predict there will be a Margaret Dumont-esque “I shall never tweet again!” that will last eight or ten hours.

  145. 145.

    TenguPhule

    Russian diplomats held secret talks in London last year with people close to Julian Assange to assess whether they could help him flee the UK, the Guardian has learned.

    A tentative plan was devised that would have seen the WikiLeaks founder smuggled out of Ecuador’s London embassy in a diplomatic vehicle and transported to another country.

    One ultimate destination, multiple sources have said, was Russia, where Assange would not be at risk of extradition to the US. The plan was abandoned after it was deemed too risky.

    Revealed: Russia’s secret plan to help Julian Assange escape from UK

  146. 146.

    Ella in New Mexico

    @HeleninEire:

    It’s just so unbelievably sad and pitiful… ONE MORE ROUND

    Hey, at least you’re not a mean drunk. I “fall”into that category, too. Have one for me cuz it’s only 2pm here and that’s way too early to start ;-)

    No, your absolutely right. The Trump family story is every bit the Shakespearean tragedy–with Extra Greek for even more mind-blowing betrayals and sexual assaults!

  148. 148.

    Haroldo

    @schrodingers_cat:

    They don’t keep falling for this shit. They are complicit in this shit. Some intrepid reporter needs to figure out who NYT is beholden to financially.

    Indeed. But I don’t know if it’s strictly money at work. It’s a class thing, too. (But, of course, they are so closely intertwined.)

  150. 150.

    LongHairedWeirdo

    I remember right after the election, there was a great fear of “normalizing” things. Some of it was bound to happen, of course. People would have to stop treating Trump as a nitwit, because if the President says something, it’s News. Even if it’s a baseless lie. (Thankfully some (FAR TOO FEW!) outlets are pointing out the baseless lies.

    But the biggest bit of normalizing things is *this*. In the run up to the election, everyone with any sense knew Trump was unfit for office, an outlandish braggart, misarrogant in the extreme, and completely incompetent.

    We knew that then, we know that now, but the Republicans are playing the game of “clearly, Trump was always just a an normal candidate, and we should treat him like a normal candidate and a normal person.” But he isn’t, and that’s always been obvious, and the claims otherwise are just gaslighting, and sucking up to trumpies.

    Frankly, if anyone heard Trump go on a word salad rant, and didn’t think “25th Amendment,” that should be a reason to fire them as an incompetent.

  151. 151.

    FlipYrWhig

    @germy:

    “…look how angry the left is, huh? Look at it. The angrier they get, the better we’re doing.”

    Uh, has he seen how angry the right is?

  152. 152.

    Mai Naem mobile

    My guess is a Javanka leak because of Cohen and Manafort flipping and singing. Jared is for sure in trouble for the Trump Tower meeting.

  156. 156.

    WaterGirl

    @zhena gogolia: I think that’s when the frat was disbanded (or had some disciplinary action because of it) but i don’t think the chant was new then. Just too public.

  157. 157.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    SupersedingHat @ Popehat
    Let me just say that, based on my personal experience, “FBI dude personally and professional incapable of understanding sarcasm takes a prosecutor’s mordant comment literally” is not implausible to me.

    Also plausible, based on my experience: FBI agent understands sarcasm, but uses Law Enforcement Speak in memorializing conversation, with the sarcasm (and most other normal human elements) lost in the I-Exited-My-Official-Vehicle-To-Converse-With-The-Individual malarkey.

  160. 160.

    WaterGirl

    @zhena gogolia: Also, he was a member of the — what was it — tits and clits club. He’s a fucking pig and deserves everything he gets, with the exception of anything good.

  161. 161.

    catclub

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: yeah, this, on Rosenstein shocked ( or reported as shocked) that Trump misused his memo.

    I learned another bit about those reports, First thing in all accident reports is “I unbuckled my seat belt to exit the vehicle…”

  163. 163.

    zhena gogolia

    @debit:

    I don’t know, but I haven’t seen any evidence that it dates to the time Kavanaugh was a student. I think there’s enough bad things about him that are documented, and it undercuts our credibility when we attribute that chant to him.

  164. 164.

    catclub

    @LongHairedWeirdo:

    We knew that then, we know that now,

    but there is also the little secret that a LOT of government goes on pretty well no matter who or what is president, so you cannot point after six weeks at smoking rubble in all the government buildings and say ‘he’s a bad one, incompetent’

    The present government has had this ‘obviously unfit’ president for 18 months and yet the economy is still above water, most places, outside of Puerto Rico, Houston, and Coastal NC, are going along fine ( ICE and Border Patrol outrages excepted), most government employees are still going to work and being paid.

  165. 165.

    Frankensteinbeck

    This story is the same as the op-ed, a palace intrigue game of one faction trying to get Trump mad at another.

    I’m not sure what Trump will do. The penis shape jokes must be thundering constantly in his head right now. A misogynist narcissist in this situation usually either hides, physically abuses a woman, or both. He may not have the attention free to notice these attacks. His toadies will know what condition he’s in, but they’re not exactly competent people who can be relied on to manipulate him successfully.

  166. 166.

    Frankensteinbeck

    Reposting because moderation.

    This story is the same as the op-ed, a palace intrigue game of one faction trying to get Trump mad at another.

    I’m not sure what Trump will do. The penis shape jokes must be thundering constantly in his head right now. A misogynist narcissist in this situation usually either hides, physically abuses a woman, or both. He may not have the attention free to notice these attacks. His toadies will know what condition he’s in, but they’re not exactly competent people who can be relied on to manipulate him successfully.

  167. 167.

    geg6

    In good news, the NRCC just cancelled all its ad buys for Keith Rothfus (Fuckhead R-PA) and my congresscritter ever since the Teabaggers reared their ugly heads. That means Conor Lamb and all the blue groups (I’m in Beaver County Voice for Change) here have done a fantastic job and we’re likely to keep Conor in the House representing our new district.

    I’m doing a happy dance here. I have always despised Rothfus.

  168. 168.

    chris

    OFFS!

    Breaking news: Republican state Rep. Jim Knoblach has abruptly ended his re-election campaign as MPR News prepared to publish detailed accusations from his adult daughter of what she described as his inappropriate behavior toward her since childhood https://t.co/kqRenxyyqP— MPR News (@MPRnews) 21 September 2018

  171. 171.

    Fair Economist

    @schrodingers_cat:

    They are complicit in this shit.

    Absolutely. The NYT doesn’t print obvious garbage like this accidentally. There’s a whole clique at least actively trying to support the Trump administration, and it probably goes to the top.

  172. 172.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’ve had a FBI agent tell me “The FBI has no sense of humor as far was we are aware of” during a security clearance I need to get for one job, so, unprofessional joke on Rosenstein’s part?

  175. 175.

    catclub

    @debit: IF I were to joke about it, I would ask you to lighten up, because that flag made of women’s underwear was not the stars and bars – which would be bad.

  176. 176.

    Wapiti

    @Roger Moore: (and other flag comments)

    In my view, the blue Police State Flag is simply that. It isn’t the US flag. It’s a different flag that stands for altogether different “ideals”.

  178. 178.

    catclub

    from Slate:

    Whelan asserted, not Kavanaugh, who may have attempted to rape Ford about 35 years ago. Ford responded with a statement saying that she knew both men in high school, socialized with the man whom Whelan named, and had not mistaken the two. Even before that point, Whelan’s conspiracy theory had unraveled, unleashing a torrent of Twitter mockery and exposing a longtime GOP operative for what he is: a bad-faith character assassin with no moral compass.

    So is the long time GOP operative and bad faith character assassin Whelan or Kavanaugh?

  179. 179.

    Another Scott

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques: In the Twitter thread where Maggie is absolutely roasted, there’s this:

    [email protected]

    Replying to @SpicyFiles @maggieNYT

    And lastly…some of us have known or worked with Rosenstein for years.
    1) he has a dead pan SUPER dry sense of humor
    2) I would never play poker with Rod because he’s an iron curtain

    I found these passage of Woodward’s book of interest when reading today’s NYTs hit piece

    [image]

    1:20 PM – 21 Sep 2018

    Maybe a FPer can post the image.

    Read the whole thread.

    I wouldn’t want to get on the bad side of Spicy!!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  181. 181.

    Aleta

    Environmental action groups may be needing some donations.

    Floodwaters breached a dam near a Duke Energy power plant Friday, the company said, and material from an adjacent toxic coal ash basin has flowed into the nearby Cape Fear River.
    The rising waters also swamped a 625-megawatt natural gas plant at the site, forcing it to shut down. The water at the plant was at least six inches deep, Duke Energy spokeswoman Paige H. Sheehan said.
    Fears about the situation at Duke Energy’s L.V. Sutton power plant near Wilmington have been growing since before Hurricane Florence made landfall. The storm poured down so much rain that the wall of a coal ash landfill near the former coal plant, which sits along the banks of Sutton Lake and near the Cape Fear River, failed in several places. A special black membrane installed to contain the waste was torn open in at least two spots.
    Duke Energy estimated last weekend the storm had washed away more than 2,000 cubic yards of coal waste — enough to fill more than 150 dump trucks.
    On Friday came more bad news. The company said the dam separating the Cape Fear River from man-made Sutton Lake, which holds water used to cool the power plant, suffered one large breach and several smaller ones. Meanwhile, a steel wall separating the oldest of four coal ash disposal basins at the site was submerged by floodwater, leaving only a small earthen berm to prevent toxic waste from flowing more freely into the lake and Cape Fear River.

    Duke Energy said the berm was two feet above water and stable. Environmental groups estimated the water was within 18 inches of the top of the berm. The National Weather Service said the water levels in the river would continue to rise into Saturday.
    “We cannot rule out that coal ash is moving into the river,” Sheehan said in an email.

  182. 182.

    zhena gogolia

    @debit:

    They’re not going to ask him that, so I don’t expect to die on any hill. I just prefer if my side sticks to things that are documented.

  185. 185.

    JPL

    @catclub: Why not both? Whelan knew all the details including a map which showed where another female lived. He knew more about a party that didn’t happen than anyone else. How can that be?

  190. 190.

    Brachiator

    @chris:

    Breaking news: Republican state Rep. Jim Knoblach has abruptly ended his re-election campaign as MPR News prepared to publish detailed accusations from his adult daughter of what she described as his inappropriate behavior toward her since childhood

    Is this guy married?

    I feel terrible for the daughter.

    Now 23, Laura said she confided in close friends, family and authority figures at her school and church about the behavior for more than a decade.

    Authorities from the St. Cloud police department and Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into the claims in 2017. Authorities declined to bring charges. Jim Knoblach wasn’t interviewed by investigators, but Gaertner denied the allegations.

    After exhausting other means to hold her father accountable, Laura Knoblach made the allegations to MPR News on the record and supplied extensive documentation about her attempts to get help.

  193. 193.

    TenguPhule

    @Aleta:

    Meanwhile, a steel wall separating the oldest of four coal ash disposal basins at the site was submerged by floodwater, leaving only a small earthen berm to prevent toxic waste from flowing more freely into the lake and Cape Fear River.

    Never has a river’s name been so appropriate.

  195. 195.

    trollhattan

    @trollhattan:

    slander a tremendous current NYT reporter in the process

    Dagnabit, anyway, Maggs is aping Trump’s speaking and tweeting patterns to a T. She’s only missing some caps: “Slander a TREMENDOUS current NYT REPORTER in the process….

    ….The Weak, Failing David Simon is lying his Lying Simon Butt off today. What’s next?

  196. 196.

    catclub

    @debit: I would just start asking him how much time he spent with Mark Judge in high school, then how much underage drinking he did with Mark Judge in high school, then how many blackout drunks Mark Judge had when he was present. and leave it at that.

  197. 197.

    TenguPhule

    @catclub:

    and yet the economy is still above water, most places, outside of Puerto Rico, Houston, and Coastal NC, are going along fine

    I’m sorry, did you miss the parts were Trump is single handedly trying to wreck the entire national economy with tariffs and basically showing by example that every treaty and signed agreement our government has ever made can no longer be considered valid?

    Or that we have no State Dept, HUD is fucked, Treasury is now corrupted and fucked, Justice is fucking national joke, Gods only know what’s happened to the Energy dept, Education is two steps short of open revolt. And EPA and Interior are shit up a river.

  198. 198.

    JGabriel

    Betty Cracker @ Top:

    ETA: Someone on Twitter:

    Libby Watson:
    this rosenstein story is a) fucking stupid b) clearly planted by someone in the admin, either to give a pretext to fire him or because of brett kavanaugh, idk. it’s from may 2017! why now? c) boring. change the channel marge

    Maybe she’s right.

    John Light at TPM says WaPo and other outlets have already confirmed the story, and that the source appears to have access to contemporaneous notes from Andrew McCabe.

    Could be McCabe or someone else from his team, could be someone within DOJ with access to his notes. I don’t know, but the story appears to be at least somewhat true.

  200. 200.

    TenguPhule

    @trollhattan:

    Dagnabit, anyway, Maggs is aping Trump’s speaking and tweeting patterns to a T. She’s only missing some caps: “Slander a TREMENDOUS current NYT REPORTER in the process….

    Have we ever actually seen Maggs and Trump in the same room at the same time live and not taped?

  201. 201.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar’s Siblings Endorse Rival in New Campaign Ads
    In one video, Grace Gosar says, “It would be difficult to see my brother as anything but a racist.”

  203. 203.

    catclub

    @TenguPhule: I do know all those things, and yet unemployment is record low ( no thanks to Trump)
    because a whole lot of things just keep running for a long time whether Trump is president, or Obama is,
    before you see smoking rubble and dead bodies stacked like cordwood.

  204. 204.

    JGabriel

    JGabriel:

    … the story appears to be at least somewhat true.

    … By which I mean, true to whatever extent the notes are accurate.

    Another source told WaPo the remarks about taping Trump were sarcastic:

    While McCabe’s memos assert both the recording and 25th amendment conversations occurred at a meeting within days of Comey’s firing, another person at the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, insisted the recording comment was said in a moment of sarcasm, and that the 25th amendment was not discussed.

    That person said the wire comment came in response to McCabe’s own pushing for the Justice Department to open an investigation into the president. To that, Rosenstein responded with what this person described as a sarcastic comment along the lines of, “What do you want to do, Andy, wire the president?”

  205. 205.

    TenguPhule

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    The penis shape jokes must be thundering constantly in his head right now.

    I suspect the disparagment of his sexual prowess hurts worse. “Hurry up and finish already”

  207. 207.

    fl

    My impression from the story, that the NYT is publishing something from an anonymous source, and this anonymous source admits some of it (or most of it or all of it? Who knows, the NYT don’t tell) i second or third hand info that seems just barely above gossip.

    Why is our precious Gray Lady, august NYT national paper of record printing this crap?

  208. 208.

    TenguPhule

    @catclub:

    because a whole lot of things just keep running for a long time whether Trump is president, or Obama is,
    before you see smoking rubble and dead bodies stacked like cordwood.

    That ends this year. They’ve broken and stolen and otherwise sabotaged so much shit in the last 18 months that when it hits, its going to hit like a fucking freight train.

  209. 209.

    WaterGirl

    So is Jack Goldsmith at Lawfare a Republican with an agenda, or would he be considered neutral?

    He has an article up at Lawfare that seems to take the NYT at face value, assuming everything they said it true, and not questioning the sourcing or anything. He seems to be saying that Trump would now be justified in firing Rosenstein.

    Fuck.

  210. 210.

    catclub

    If Trump wants to fire Rosenstein, and this actually happened, he would just fire him and does not need it reported. So I guess this is the various factions in the administration sniping at each other, and using the NYT for transmission.

  215. 215.

    jl

    @JGabriel: My first comment disappeared into FYWP, but basically much of the story seems to be second and third hand gossip peddled by this anonymous source., Trump may be stupid enough to swallow it whole. But who else?

    And at this point, seems like NYT and WaPo grant anonymity just so they can keep the channel open for more BS like this.

    I agree with some commenters above, most likely the story was planted Trumpsters, in WH to start creating a pretext to dump Rosenstein to stop Mueller, and by now, several other investigations threatening Trump. But it could be anything. Makes politics in the Byzantine Empire look pretty simple and transparent.

  217. 217.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    @pat:

    Just copy the link and paste it in as raw text. FYWP will do the rest. Just make sure it’s not the last thing in your comment, else it will eat the Reply button.

  218. 218.

    SFAW

    @germy:

    McConnell also said he had the votes to repeal Obamacare https://t.co/YiNsBLslqn
    — Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) September 21, 2018

    Well, in a way, he did. He joined with Russia and Shitgibbon to fuck with the 2016 election, which got us Shitgibbon, etc. It’s a circuitous path, but he still got there (almost, more or less).

  219. 219.

    MisterForkbeard

    @debit: I think instead you just ask him “What misogynistic rituals or activities did you take part in or plan as part of your fraternities/clubs?” is actually a decent question. Especially if you can follow it up with examples of stuff that happened during his membership. It shouldn’t be hard to find stories and/or pictures.

    Either he talks about the dumb, awful shit he was part of (since we know he did it) or he lies in a reasonably easily verifiable manner. Thin chance he pretends contrition and says his clubs did things he’s not proud of, and lists some of the more minor ones.

  220. 220.

    jl

    @catclub: The reason that the economy has run along so well by some macroeconomic indicators, is that Trump and the GOP Congress did not do one damn thin in the first year to interfere with the recovery that was designed by Obama and his economic team. The first year they just rode on the back of the work of the Obama administration. And Powell at the Fed is actually a normal person, moderate, with great technical expertise, a Janet Yellen mimi-me that somehow Trump was persuaded somehow to appoint instead of his first list of incompetent nutjobs. So, we’ve had an Obama administration Fed policy, just run by Powell instead of Yellen. Different names, same approach.

    The GOP did the tax cut, but the effects of that (mostly from blowing up the deficit for no productive reason) won’t show up for a while. And the tariff war is just getting started.

    And, the economy is not really doing well at all if you look at the lower half of the population, in terms of real wages, in terms of long run growth of the economy, in terms of household savings rates. I agreed with a lot of good macroeconomists that with good economic management, current recovery could get past 2020 before a downturn, maybe make the record for the longest, even it is an infuriatingly weak recovery for the lower half to two thirds of the population. Now people like Krugman, Roubini, DeLong are talking like next recession will come due before 2020. Which barring something unexpected, would be milder than usual, except that Trumpsters will be managing the recession and they will turn a mild recession into a disaster or miserable recovery. Sort of like the 2001 recession, except management far worse and incompetent than even GW ever dreamed of.

  222. 222.

    MisterForkbeard

    @jl:

    The GOP did the tax cut, but the effects of that (mostly from blowing up the deficit for no productive reason) won’t show up for a while. And the tariff war is just getting started.

    This. The Tax Cut is going to explode the deficit, but it’s probably had a very mild beneficial effect on the economy at large so far. Likewise, the tariffs haven’t been in place long enough to fuck things up, and Trump mostly left Obama economic policy in place until very recently. He’s coasting on Obama’s accomplishments and policies but undermining the foundations for it. Eventually, when those go the entire edifice will tumble. But until then it’ll chug along.

  225. 225.

    Aleta

    Eliana Johnson at Politico

    CRC Public Relations, the prominent Alexandria, Virginia-based P.R. firm, guided Whelan through his roller-coaster week of Twitter pronouncements that ended in embarrassment and a potential setback for Kavanaugh’s hopes of landing on the high court, according to three sources familiar with their dealings.

    After suggesting on Twitter on Tuesday that he had obtained information that would exculpate Kavanaugh from the sexual assault allegation made by Christine Blasey Ford, Whelan worked over the next 48 hours with CRC and its president, Greg Mueller, to stoke the anticipation. …
    …
    Thanks in part to the anticipation Whelan ginned up, Republicans who had gotten excited by the prospect that he really did have information that would solve Kavanaugh’s problems drew attention to Whelan. They later insisted they were kept in the dark until he went public, and fled from any association with Whelan’s theory.

    CRC, however, was right there with him all along.

    On Friday, hours after Whelan called his decision to name and post photographs of Kavanaugh’s high school classmate “an appalling an inexcusable mistake of judgment,” CRC helped organize a news conference featuring an array of women who dismissed Ford’s allegations.

    Best known for its work with the Swift Boat Veterans in 2004, CRC bills itself as a full-service communications firm “specializing in media relations, social media and issues management,” according to its website. It has long been the go-to communications firm for conservative organizations in Washington and across the country. Its current clients include the Federalist Society and the Judicial Crisis Network, the chief outside groups working to help confirm Kavanaugh.
    …
    In a series of Twitter posts on Tuesday evening, Whelan strongly suggested he had obtained information that would clear Kavanaugh’s name. “By one week from today, I expect that Judge Kavanaugh will have been clearly vindicated on this matter.” He continued, “Specifically, I expect that compelling evidence will show his categorical denial to be truthful. There will be no cloud over him.”

  226. 226.

    SiubhanDuinne, Badass Jackal

    @debit:

    If they ask where you’re from you can say that a lifetime appointment to the SC is a national issue, not a local one.

    I’ve been calling my own bright-red RWNJ senators (Isakson and Perdue) regularly, on a variety of issues, for quite a while now. But recently I’ve also taken to calling key Senators from elsewhere on important issues. Mostly the intern or staffer doesn’t even bother to ask me for a ZIP Code/address, but when they do I simply say that while I may not a constituent, I am a U. S. citizen, and Senator Whatsis is about to vote on something that affects the nation as a whole. That gives me standing to call and express my opinion. So far, nobody has challenged me.

    Have no idea whether my comments ever get passed along or counted in the statistics, but it makes this badass feel slightly more empowered.

  227. 227.

    JGabriel

    TenguPhule:

    I suspect the disparagement of his sexual prowess hurts worse. “Hurry up and finish already”

    I suspect Trump usually arrives before any of his partners have time to think “Hurry up.”

  228. 228.

    SiubhanDuinne, Badass Jackal

    @TenguPhule:

    Skip the wine. it won’t do happy things to the tums and chocolate inside you.

    I don’t do Tums, but I promise you that a bite of dark chocolate followed by a swallow of red wine is among the most sublime taste combinations this side of Paradise.

  229. 229.

    JGabriel

    TenguPhule:

    That ends this year. They’ve broken and stolen and otherwise sabotaged so much shit in the last 18 months that when it hits, its going to hit like a fucking freight train.

    And if we win back the House and/or Senate, then – when the shit hits the freight train – Republicans will blame it on the Democratic congress. It won’t work, most people instinctively blame the executive branch when major crises hit the country. But we will need to be prepared for GOP’ers trying to shift the blame leftward.

  231. 231.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Aleta: from the same story

    Whelan “was in communication with at least one Republican member of the [judiciary] committee this week, and that member told associates he was aware Whelan’s theory involved the home of a Kavanaugh classmate near the Chevy Chase Country Club.”

  232. 232.

    JGabriel

    @catclub:

    If Trump wants to fire Rosenstein, and this actually happened, he would just fire him and does not need it reported.

    Trump would want it reported. When everyone makes the obvious point that Trump fired Rosenstein to undermine or end Mueller’s investigation, Trump wants pretext to say firing Rosenstein was justified.

  233. 233.

    SiubhanDuinne, Badass Jackal

    @Raven:

    I think that was right about when my youngest brother got arrested by the Chicago cops for driving around in a VW Beetle painted to look like the American flag. The ACLU got him off by presenting at trial literally scores of exhibits of everything from ashtrays to blankets to shirts and pyjamas to school notebooks to shot glasses, all decorated with the Stars and Stripes, all technically in violation of the Flag Code, and all available for a few dollars from any Woolworth’s.

  234. 234.

    WaterGirl

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: These guys are lying, cheating, stealing, raping and abusing — all in plain sight! And they get away with it. No wonder they are so brazen, their whole lives have taught them that if you’re rich or famous or well-connected, you just get away with it.

    My mind boggles.

  235. 235.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @WaterGirl:

    their whole lives have taught them that if you’re rich or famous or well-connected, you just get away with it.

    You would be amazed at what you can get away with if you can even present as a possible well-off white guy.

  239. 239.

    j fine

    how many times must the new york times play charlie brown before they are now longer considered the news paper of record

  241. 241.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @WaterGirl: Hey, my ex got out of a lot of speeding tickets because she had curly blond hair, a foreign accent, and boobs.

    The unfairness of the world is infinite.

  243. 243.

    TenguPhule

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Hey, my ex got out of a lot of speeding tickets because she had curly blond hair, a foreign accent, and boobs.

    So besides you, who was the other guy in the car? //

  245. 245.

    JGabriel

    @jl:

    agree with some commenters above, most likely the story was planted Trumpsters …

    Yep, I agree. It looks like some things that people said sarcastically are being misrepresented as their actual views, as pretext to fire Rosenstein.

  247. 247.

    Hob

    @WaterGirl: Don’t know if you’re still reading this thread, but Goldsmith, like Lawfare itself, is a mixed bag. His Wikipedia article covers his work for the GWB administration in some detail. He is pretty anti-Trump, but has a basically conservative outlook. IMO this piece of his on Rosenstein is awfully credulous of the Times’s spin.

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