The Robert Mueller Investigation

[Longhorn_Fan68 33850]

24 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

Sessions is the kind of guy that cares how history will treat him.  It also helps that he’s not running for re-election and he probably knows this will be his last job in public service.

He wants to leave on a high note but it’s still an uphill battle for him. 

Especially if he's on Mueller's list

[atomheartbevo 89465]

Given how much Trump has humiliated Sessions on twitter and in interviews, there's no way Sessions has his back.  Sessions maybe shit, but he's one of those proud old Southern lawyer types (hell, his name is Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III) who is going to get some payback against some Yankee sleaze bag.

[Gengs1 2583]

2 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Given how much Trump has humiliated Sessions on twitter and in interviews, there's no way Sessions has his back.  Sessions maybe shit, but he's one of those proud old Southern lawyer types (hell, his name is Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III) who is going to get some payback against some Yankee sleaze bag.

Of course, he isn’t going to bend over easily, he has a pride and words don’t bother a lot him since he has been on gov long time. His revenge will be great, he won’t go out easily 

[Radical Larry 28529]

I'm hearing rumblings of possible indictments for Stone and Don Jr. Is it too much to ask for that to be this week?

Get ready for infrastructure month.

[Hugo Stiglitz 23364]

 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23364]

Article is all about the unwritten 60-Day Rule.

[triplehorn 2664]

 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23364]

Speculation/Analysis from Greg Olear 

Trump is NOT going to fire Jeff Sessions. Nazi Keebler Elf remains popular with GOP, and Trump has said repeatedly he hates him b/c of the Russia recusal. Firing Sessions = egregious obstruction.

If Trump fires Sessions anyway, well, please re-visit this thread on what happens if he moves against Mueller:

 

@Maddow name-dropping Semion Mogilevich is a VERY big deal. Brainy Don is the head of the Russian mob—the guy who REALLY pwns Trump. The enemy must be identified to be defeated. It’s taken SO LONG to get here, but we’re here.

As I explain in #DirtyRubles & re-stated in my Salon interview: Trump is a middling money launderer for the Russian mob who, thru a perfect storm of events, finds himself POTUS. He's a tool of Mogilevich, who with Putin rules the crime syndicate that is the Russian Federation.

Trump has been mobbed up for DECADES. This was common knowledge pre-election, if you knew where to look. Lousy journalists (hi, @EricLichtblau) shat the bed in 2016, and now we have a crooked puppet in the White House.

Trump is a coward who ONLY cares about himself. He is the opposite of McCain and Mueller, men of courage who sacrifice for the good of others. These character flaws are key to his removal. As soon as he sees a deal he thinks will help him avoid prison, he will resign.

If the House flips in November, the Dems control all the committees. Ex: @RepAdamSchiff takes over for @devinnunes at HPSCI. This will be like in Pac-Man, when Pac-Man eats the power dot and can go chase the ghosts. Subpoenas to infinity!

If the Dems don’t impeach immediately, they will after the parade of Trump/Russia figures are brought before Congress and all plead the Fifth. The world will watch these traitors crumble under oath. Optics will be devastating.

So after Election Day, Trump will have until January 3, and then the new House will publicly de-pants him. If he is impeached, he will resign. Trump will NEVER allow himself to be on trial in the Senate, even if he thinks he can win. Too humiliating.

This means Trump has four months left before things get REALLY nasty for him. Before Junior and Kush and Ivanka are in Congress publicly testifying. Before everyone in his circle is bankrupted by legal bills. Before Semion Mogilevich is a household name.

Trump has made a cottage industry of HRC-bashing. Let’s put HIM under oath for 11 hours & see how President CAPSLOCK holds up. Why do you only go after Russia specialists at FBI, Donnie? Did you know about the TT meeting? When was the first time you met Putin? Etc.

Between now & Jan, lots of things will happen: Manafort’s DC trial; sentencing for Manafort, Flynn, George P; Stormy Daniels’ civil case deposition; Cohen’s case; NY’s suit against Trump Org; Midterms; and so on. All of this will go badly for Trump, because #ETTD.

Even if Kavanaugh is confirmed, which would of course be terrible, it won’t help Trump: I suspect many GOP are waiting for that to happen before breaking ranks with the Sexual Predator in Chief. Ditto Fox News.

When things look bleak, guys, remember: Trump’s only avenue now is to try and remove those investigating him. That’s weaksauce—the opposite of alpha male behavior. And when push comes to shove, he WILL resign.

Things to ignore until then: Rudy Giuliani, Lanny Davis, NFL anthem kneeling, Kellyanne Conway, Dana Loesch, Space Force, Bernie Sanders, Corey Lewandowski, Rick Santorum, SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS (STOP SENDING EVERYONE TO COVER THOSE PRESS CONFERENCES FFS).

Things 2 stress: Russian assets in Congress (Nunes, Rohrabacher, Rand Paul, Lindsey Graham); Jim Jordan’s defense of pedophiles & Putin; Mike Pence’s complicity in Trump/Russia (more of this PLEASE); Kavanaugh’s shady financial dealings; Trump's sex crimes; SEMION MOGILEVICH.

By the time the NFL playoffs start, Trump will be on the way out the door, if he hasn’t resigned already, and we can begin the important work of rebuilding our country. There’s plenty of common ground to build upon. It just doesn’t feel that way sometimes (by design!).

 

[END]

[Buzzrock 14877]

Dude just link it, you don’t have to longcat the thread

[Buzzrock 14877]

Dude just link it, you don’t have to longcat the thread

[pyrohornIII 4811]

1 hour ago, Buzzrock said:

Dude just link it, you don’t have to longcat the thread

Honestly I think he did us a favor.  Those are all individual tweets.  For me at least, it was easier to read that way than wading through a lot of tweets. 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23364]

 

[triplehorn 2664]

You go back and look at George’s arrest warrant and you see false statements and obstruction of justice listed - his lying to feds directly caused substantial wasted time and time sensitive actions in the investigation.  

He could have been facing a lot more than 6 months away from her

 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23364]

Such a sweet looking couple.  Too bad they’re both complete idiots.

[MaybeACoordinator 8349]

When did our politicians become such hos they were ready and willing to get tricked out by a podunk country like fucking Russia? I could understand it a little better back in the day when the Saudis were taking showers in liquid gold, but this is penny ante bullshit. 

[MaybeACoordinator 8349]

1 hour ago, triplehorn said:

You go back and look at George’s arrest warrant and you see false statements and obstruction of justice listed - his lying to feds directly caused substantial wasted time and time sensitive actions in the investigation.  

He could have been facing a lot more than 6 months away from her

 

She won't stay on the shelf long

[SubliminalHorn 6682]

1 hour ago, triplehorn said:

You go back and look at George’s arrest warrant and you see false statements and obstruction of justice listed - his lying to feds directly caused substantial wasted time and time sensitive actions in the investigation.  

He could have been facing a lot more than 6 months away from her

 

1, x

[TwiceHorn 31310]

1 hour ago, triplehorn said:

You go back and look at George’s arrest warrant and you see false statements and obstruction of justice listed - his lying to feds directly caused substantial wasted time and time sensitive actions in the investigation.  

He could have been facing a lot more than 6 months away from her

 

Actually, I'm not sure that's true.  The flavor of obstruction of justice referred to in the original complaint and arrest warrant, 18 USC 1510,. also carries a five year maximum and seems to overlap heavily with false statements 18 USC 1001.

 

And all the bad is before the court in the government's sentencing memorandum, and none of that seems to push it past the six months in the sentencing guidelines.

 

I'm not trying to be contrary, I'm just trying to figure out whether Mueler had a bigger lever over Papadapolous.  I'm beginning to think not, he's just a useless idiot caught red-handed lying to the gubmint.

 

And all the bad stuff his lying led t

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

31 minutes ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

When did our politicians become such hos they were ready and willing to get tricked out by a podunk country like fucking Russia? I could understand it a little better back in the day when the Saudis were taking showers in liquid gold, but this is penny ante bullshit. 

Citizen United. With minimal disclosure requirements this is what happens. 

Edited August 30, 2018 by ShaggyBevo RIP

[Biff Tannen 45504]

1 hour ago, ShaggyBevo RIP said:

Citizen United. With no disclosure requirements this is what happens. 

[TwiceHorn 31310]

31 minutes ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

When did our politicians become such hos they were ready and willing to get tricked out by a podunk country like fucking Russia? I could understand it a little better back in the day when the Saudis were taking showers in liquid gold, but this is penny ante bullshit. 

I think you overestimate politicians.

[TwiceHorn 31310]

9 minutes ago, ShaggyBevo RIP said:

Citizen United. With no disclosure requirements this is what happens. 

Except Citizens United left disclosure requirements intact.  I don't like the decision, but it's so wrongly interpreted most of the time.

Edited August 30, 2018 by TwiceHorn

[Biff Tannen 45504]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

Except Citizens United left disclosure requirements intact.  I don't like the decision, but it's so wrongly interpreted most of the time.

Well then I retract my ding ding.  Can you give a cliff's notes version of how it should be interpreted?

[TwiceHorn 31310]

What Citizens United did was hold that corporate election contributions are speech protected by the First Amendment and cannot be prohibited or seriously burdened.  Pretty much that corporations are individuals protected by the First Amendment.  Corporations being business concerns, PACs, and labor unions, among others.  It did, however, hold that disclosure requirements are not usually a burden on such contributions.

Very specifically, what it did was rule unconstitutional the following law:

Quote

The Federal Election Campaign Act (the Act) prohibits corporations and labor unions from using their general treasury funds to make electioneering communications or for speech that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a federal candidate. 2 U.S.C. § 441b. An electioneering communication is generally defined as “any broadcast, cable or satellite communication” that is “publicly distributed” and refers to a clearly identified federal candidate and is made within 30 days of a primary or 60 days of a general election. 2 U.S.C. § 434(f)(3)(A) and 11 CFR 100.29(a)(2).

It's actual effect was quite narrow as far as holding particular laws unconstitutional.  But the broader holding, about the First Amendment rights of non-individual entities, has broader implications and is pretty scary.

Edited August 30, 2018 by TwiceHorn

[JimmyJames 12271]

4 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Except Citizens United left disclosure requirements intact.  I don't like the decision, but it's so wrongly interpreted most of the time.

While I believe you are right that the supremes didn’t adovcate the inevitable result, I mean how could they, but there is a difference between what they proclaim upon mountains on high and the ultimate reality, and the inevitable result is what we are doing now, which is now dark money is flooding into elections. Money is fungible, as we all know.  They allowed a free for all, I suppose unless the executive really wants to go after it, which of course I’m confident the tump admin will of course will do and has done since its the right thing...

[JimmyJames 12271]

I mean we always know where corporations or any other entity get all their money... no problems with that of course (sarcasm of course). 

[TwiceHorn 31310]

Well the notion that Citizens United changed a bunch of laws already on the books protecting us from money in politics is almost wholly false.  There weren't many or any.  It did make it harder to regulate.

[Biff Tannen 45504]

Ok, so it still sucks.  But thank you for the clarification that it sucks for a slightly different reason than I thought.

[TwiceHorn 31310]

What the Supremes I think had in mind was that corporate donations, like any donations, are or should be a matter of public record discussed and taken into account by the electorate in electing polticians.  That's a nice theoretical notion, but I don't think it works out too well in real life.

 

But I think it does dovetail into what I believe is the practical solution and that is that candidates should be relentlessly hammered over their donor base, both during elections and while in office.  Relentlessly hammered.  The press has fallen flat on its face in this department.

 

And the idea that non-individual entities have the rights accorded by the Bill of Rights, except in sort of a circumscribed, analagous fashion, is dangerous precedent indeed.

Edited August 30, 2018 by TwiceHorn

[JimmyJames 12271]

Corporations can’t go to jail. People can. To elevate corporations to the level of people is to evicerate the laws designed to regulate individual people. It’s really that simple. There’s no incentive for a corporation to follow the law, unless they believe that the government will send individuals in charge of the corporation to go to jail. Which they have consistently said they wont do for 30 plus years. 

[JimmyJames 12271]

The economy crashed in 2008. How many people went to jail for that? Citizens United just put a firm stamp on that policy. 

[Buzzrock 14877]

Wasn’t another part of it that groups of individuals needed a way to pool their money (PACs) and buy media to get out their messages out to compete with big corporations doing the same? Hence “paid for by blah blah blah”.

I think there’s something to the idea that campaign contributions are free speech. But I’ve been at a happy hour and dinner and don’t exactly recall.

[burntorangebongos 10681]

That was so fucked up. I think I heard that the recession it caused cost about 70000 person each person over their lifetime. I'm pretyy sure that is true for me, if not more. I dont like to think about it but that hurt me badly.

[Buzzrock 14877]

Corporations can’t go to jail. People can. To elevate corporations to the level of people is to evicerate the laws designed to regulate individual people. It’s really that simple. There’s no incentive for a corporation to follow the law, unless they believe that the government will send individuals in charge of the corporation to go to jail. Which they have consistently said they wont do for 30 plus years. 

Tell that to the execs at Enron or Peregrine Systems.

[JimmyJames 12271]

1 minute ago, Buzzrock said:

 

Tell that to the execs at Enron or Peregrine Systems.

 

2001 to 2004. Not 2008 which cratered the economy. How many Goldman execs have gone to prison? We bailed them out. Pretty sure the economy survived fuckin Enron. Or even peregrine systems which I’ve never even heard of. 

[JimmyJames 12271]

https://www.ft.com/content/de173cc6-7c79-11e7-ab01-a13271d1ee9c

[Pescado_Rojo 19333]

18 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

What the Supremes I think had in mind was that corporate donations, like any donations, are or should be a matter of public record discussed and taken into account by the electorate in electing polticians.  That's a nice theoretical notion, but I don't think it works out too well in real life.

 

But I think it does dovetail into what I believe is the practical solution and that is that candidates should be relentlessly hammered over their donor base, both during elections and while in office.  Relentlessly hammered.  The press has fallen flat on its face in this department.

 

And the idea that non-individual entities have the rights accorded by the Bill of Rights, except in sort of a circumscribed, analagous fashion, is dangerous precedent indeed.

The press should start referring to them the way they refer to athletes. “Today Insurance Lobby Senator Bob Smith proposed more new legislation to rat fuck the average American”.

[Party_Taco 3674]

All that Olear stuff upthread is nice and all, but if Kavanaugh is confirmed and Pence becomes the new Pres, we are possibly worse off than we are now, even if we retake the house.

Sure, we can investigate allll day, but R’s will continue to obstruct all the way to 2020. Honestly, I think our only hope in that case is for several high profile R’s, the GOP and the NRA to all get wrapped up in Mueller’s snare.

We need a targeted program of de-russification, and propaganda/corruption convictions. Basically, The Purge minus the violence for the cancer that is the right wing in this country.

[Hugo Stiglitz 23364]

2 minutes ago, Party_Taco said:

All that Olear stuff upthread is nice and all, but if Kavanaugh is confirmed and Pence becomes the new Pres, we are possibly worse off than we are now, even if we retake the house.

Sure, we can investigate allll day, but R’s will continue to obstruct all the way to 2020. Honestly, I think our only hope in that case is for several high profile R’s, the GOP and the NRA to all get wrapped up in Mueller’s snare.

We need a targeted program of de-russification, and propaganda/corruption convictions. Basically, The Purge minus the violence for the cancer that is the right wing in this country.

We lose no matter what.  This is known. The only thing up for debate is the body count. 

[WhatTheBuck 28718]

1 hour ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

When did our politicians become such hos they were ready and willing to get tricked out by a podunk country like fucking Russia? I could understand it a little better back in the day when the Saudis were taking showers in liquid gold, but this is penny ante bullshit. 

Probably soon after 9/11. 

[TwiceHorn 31310]

31 minutes ago, JimmyJames said:

Corporations can’t go to jail. People can. To elevate corporations to the level of people is to evicerate the laws designed to regulate individual people. It’s really that simple. There’s no incentive for a corporation to follow the law, unless they believe that the government will send individuals in charge of the corporation to go to jail. Which they have consistently said they wont do for 30 plus years. 

We're both sniffing the same pile of shit, but corporations do get prosecuted under the law, but it's kind of the circumscribed, analogous way I mentioned.  And there was no law whatsoever preventing banks and bank executives from being prosecuted.  That was pure politico-financial clout at work.  Coincidentally, quite a few years before CU was decided.

[Superhero 8781]

On 8/28/2018 at 8:03 PM, atomheartbevo said:

Given how much Trump has humiliated Sessions on twitter and in interviews, there's no way Sessions has his back.  Sessions maybe shit, but he's one of those proud old Southern lawyer types (hell, his name is Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III) who is going to get some payback against some Yankee sleaze bag.

Keep think back to his Senate Judiciary Hearing last October. He's a sleazeball. but not as big of a sleazeball as Trump.

Just because he's an enemy of an enemy now, doesn't mean he's a friend.

 

In case you forgot... and try not to just watch Ms. Harris' lips while she's talking...

 

Edited August 30, 2018 by Superhero
Mmm... Kamala

[Superhero 8781]

On 8/28/2018 at 9:59 AM, triplehorn said:

Devin Nunes :

2017/2018 Unitemized individual contributions = $1,923,418.03

2015/16 Unitemized individual con = $25,038.01

2013/14 Unitemized individual con = $21,008.79

 hello.

Da fuq?

Two of the dirtiest Russian stooges in congress, including Dana Rohrabacher, are from California.

Wish I could vote them out, unfortunately I'm not in their districts.

[Superhero 8781]

2 hours ago, JimmyJames said:

https://www.ft.com/content/de173cc6-7c79-11e7-ab01-a13271d1ee9c

I'm sorry. I thought only black people read the Financial Times (while sitting around a pool in Miami).

[MaybeACoordinator 8349]

12 minutes ago, Superhero said:

I'm sorry. I thought only black people read the Financial Times (while sitting around a pool in Miami).

That's only according to Persian meth freaks with billowy assholes

[Gil Bang 25901]

31 minutes ago, Superhero said:

Da fuq?

Two of the dirtiest Russian stooges in congress, including Dana Rohrabacher, are from California.

Wish I could vote them out, unfortunately I'm not in their districts.

Same. But, I can throw some dough to their opponents, and that's what I'm doing.  I'd take Diane Harkey here in the 49th if I could get rid of Rohrbacher or Nunes or Hunter.  She's a weasel, but Issa was/is a crook of historic proportion. 

[SmokeyTheBear 5562]

11 hours ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

When did our politicians become such hos they were ready and willing to get tricked out by a podunk country like fucking Russia? I could understand it a little better back in the day when the Saudis were taking showers in liquid gold, but this is penny ante bullshit. 

I think the main thing is blackmail not money in these cases. I'm sure at this point China and Russia have all kind of dirt on our leaders (both government and private) and using that leverage. I have a gut feeling that China does some heavy lighting in the hacking department and feeds some to Russia to be the "bad guy". 

[Buzzrock 14877]

18 hours ago, JimmyJames said:

2001 to 2004. Not 2008 which cratered the economy. How many Goldman execs have gone to prison? We bailed them out. Pretty sure the economy survived fuckin Enron. Or even peregrine systems which I’ve never even heard of. 

You said 30+ years

[Hugo Stiglitz 23364]

On pulling out of the World Trade Organization:
“If they don’t shape up, I would withdraw from the WTO.”

On Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Trump said his job is safe until the midterm elections in November:
“I just would love to have him do a great job.”

On indexing capital gains to inflation, a change that would amount to a tax cut for investors:
“I’m thinking about it.”

On Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, Trump said he doesn’t regret appointing him:
“I put a man in there who I like and respect.”

On a trade deal with Canada, he said he thought it was close: 
“It may be by Friday or it may be within a period of time. But ultimately they have no choice.”

On the EU’s proposal to eliminate auto tariffs:
“It’s not good enough.”

On social media companies:
"I mean, look the conservatives have been treated very unfairly."

On Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe: 
“I view it as an illegal investigation. I’m not saying anything, I’m just telling you this: You read the great scholars, the great legal- there should have never been a special counsel.”

 

[Upgrayedd 5806]

Lulz.  Like he fucking reads.