The Robert Mueller Investigation

[Brisketexan 106919]

10 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

* That's not what a strawman is. 

** The "system" isn't rotten. The last 75 years have been the most peaceful and abundant years in human history. It takes constant work and attention and there are real problems to address, but the "system" did all that. 

*** False and ridiculous. 

***** False. And if you don't know better it's because you don't put forward the effort to meet anybody running that you can support. 

***** False,  most people who run  for office do it because they want to make things better for others. 

 

Your post is stupid and cynical, which is kind of like skepticism, except for people too lazy to learn about how the world actually works or too fearful to leave their parents basement. 

 

Which are you?

QFT.

Especially the following:

** Fucking seriously.  The past 75 years have been the pinnacle of human history.  We have made more progress, reduced poverty and hunger, and been more peaceful, than any other period in history.

**** and ***** You need to get out and meet local government officials.  Seriously, in most cases, they are your friends and neighbors.  They sacrifice their time because they want to make your town, or your utility, or your whatever, better.  Better for everyone.  There are a LOT of good people at that level.  By the way, some of them are feel-good libs.  Others are strong fiscal conservatives.  And both groups genuinely care and try to help make things better.

 

Look, I'm as sick of incompetency and corruption as a person can be.  But the bullshit "both sides" shit excuses us from all responsibility to make things better.  I think we're going to lose.  I think that as a society, we are doomed.  Not because of our leaders, but because of we the people.  Our bad leaders are just a symptom.  But even with all that....I fight.  I am working towards the results I want in the midterms.  I am working to educate my kids to be involved, engaged, and to contribute to our political system.  Maybe it's futile -- I think the odds are that it will be.  But I still fucking try, because to QUIT, and to engage in bullshit both-sides-ism would make me complicit.

The bastards may end up skullfucking me, but I sure as shit am not going to be an accomplice in my skullfucking.  They can't have my state, my country, and the things that matter without a gotdamn fight.

[deech 2395]

2 hours ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

Talk about media I can't get my head around -- Greenwald and The Intercept. The come across as 110 percent anti-Trump and 120-percent pro-Putin. On one of their recent podcasts, they were jubilant that other nations were getting drawn into the collusion / pay-for-play megascandal. I think it was Scahill saying things like "See? It's not a Russian thing!!!!"

I just don't get how otherwise intelligent journalists can hold this contradictory position and hope to cling to a shred of credibility. So Putin is somehow nobler and less corrupt than the heads of state of all those other nations? Yeah, right, Glenn.   

 

Do you even FIFA, bro?  

[Anastasis 23723]

26 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

So you want to burn down the village to save it, rather than root out the bad actors who run the village poorly? Fascinating. 

It's not so much burn down the village as it is burn down the bloated and thoroughly corrupted political apparatus and the tribes that have rigged the system and institutionalized their  dysfunction to the point that the town is operating in a way that is totally irresponsible and contrary to the village charter.  I am afraid that our problems are not as superficial as a few bad actors.  I think that the rot is at the core. I mean shit, one of the charges pushed on this thread is there was a widespread conspiracy within one of our political parties to undermine the democratic process in this country.  If that's true, how the fuck can you defend the status quo and the politics in this country that brought us to this point? 

But this is all really distinct and separate from the Trump thing.  He's not an agent of change. I think that you pointed out quite a while back that he is only going to result in the hardening of the battle lines and entrenched interests.  And I think that's been largely right. But what he is doing is signalling the end of the modern incarnation of the GOP.  I am not sure whether he is killing it, or if he is just the end result of the GOP being a spineless party of unprincipled cowards, or most likely a bit of both.  But either way, I see the GOP is in decline. If there is anything that would like for Trump to succeed at, it's putting the final nail in the coffin. If triple's mass perp walk widespread GOP involvement in money laundering foreign cash into the RNC in order to undermine our government comes to pass, that should probably do the trick. 

[R2D2 91]

Grrrr, Greenwald !

[JimmyJames 12271]

Here’s the good news:

Trump is a straight up criminal, Mueller has the proof, and trumps supporters are mainly olds who are going to die relatively soon.

Here’s the bad news:

Trumps supporters don’t care that he’s a criminal, they won’t care about whatever Mueller has on his criminal ass, and while they may be old and about to die soon, they are going to try to destroy the country and the world before they do because, why not?

Quite an interesting time we are livin’ in eh? 

Edited May 29, 2018 by JimmyJames

[Anastasis 23723]

2 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

** The "system" isn't rotten. The last 75 years have been the most peaceful and abundant years in human history. It takes constant work and attention and there are real problems to address, but the "system" did all that. 

The last 75 years are indeed a unique moment in the history of the world. And if by "system" you mean unique series of events that allowed for the post-WWII rise of a Pax Americana and the establishment of American geopolitical hegemony at the expense at times of American principles and democracy, built on the shoulders of the American military industrial complex, an economic dominance, nuke and the concept of mutually assured destruction,  and an unconstitutional surveillance state originated from our intelligence apparatus, you got a point.  The "system" is all those things. I mean, if you really want to point to the crucial components of the Pax Americana, there they are, not our dysfunctional two party political system. 

Edited May 29, 2018 by Anastasis

[triplehorn 2664]

Today: Cohen Prosecutors to Get Seized Phone Data by Wednesday

"U.S. prosecutors in Manhattan will get a vast array of data seized from three phones belonging to President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen by Wednesday, according to a filing from a retired judge reviewing materials taken by the FBI.

Barbara Jones, the special master reviewing the material, said in a letter to the judge overseeing the case that about 1 million items taken from the three phones haven’t been designated privileged or highly personal and subject to a final verification will be released to the government."

 

[triplehorn 2664]

Also Today: Manafort Loses Skirmish With Mueller Over Two Search Warrants

"Paul Manafort’s defense team can’t review an unredacted affidavit that supported warrants used to search his Alexandria residence, a judge ruled.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington denied a request by Manafort’s lawyers to review documents that could help them challenge the legal basis for the warrant. The ruling allows Special Counsel Robert Mueller to shield the names of confidential sources.

"There is nothing in the redactions that relates to any of the charges now pending against Manafort or that would be relevant to a challenge to any of the warrants issued based on the affidavits," Jackson said on Tuesday."

 

Re: "There is nothing in the redactions that relates to any of the charges now pending against Manafort..,"  It almost  sounds like the redacted portions of the affidavit they sought to view relates to charges that have yet to be brought.

[JimmyJames 12271]

7 minutes ago, triplehorn said:

Today: Cohen Prosecutors to Get Seized Phone Data by Wednesday

"U.S. prosecutors in Manhattan will get a vast array of data seized from three phones belonging to President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen by Wednesday, according to a filing from a retired judge reviewing materials taken by the FBI.

Barbara Jones, the special master reviewing the material, said in a letter to the judge overseeing the case that about 1 million items taken from the three phones haven’t been designated privileged or highly personal and subject to a final verification will be released to the government."

 

Probably explains president shitstains tweetstorm today.

[retread 2951]

 

[4th&Five 42010]

With new shit every day how do they ever wrap this up? Maybe that’s Dotard’s strategy. 

[Bozo_Casanova 26858]

1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

It's not so much burn down the village as it is burn down the bloated and thoroughly corrupted political apparatus and the tribes that have rigged the system and institutionalized their  dysfunction to the point that the town is operating in a way that is totally irresponsible and contrary to the village charter.  I am afraid that our problems are not as superficial as a few bad actors.  I think that the rot is at the core. I mean shit, one of the charges pushed on this thread is there was a widespread conspiracy within one of our political parties to undermine the democratic process in this country.  If that's true, how the fuck can you defend the status quo and the politics in this country that brought us to this point? 

But this is all really distinct and separate from the Trump thing.  He's not an agent of change. I think that you pointed out quite a while back that he is only going to result in the hardening of the battle lines and entrenched interests.  And I think that's been largely right. But what he is doing is signalling the end of the modern incarnation of the GOP.  I am not sure whether he is killing it, or if he is just the end result of the GOP being a spineless party of unprincipled cowards, or most likely a bit of both.  But either way, I see the GOP is in decline. If there is anything that would like for Trump to succeed at, it's putting the final nail in the coffin. If triple's mass perp walk widespread GOP involvement in money laundering foreign cash into the RNC in order to undermine our government comes to pass, that should probably do the trick. 

 

41 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

The last 75 years are indeed a unique moment in the history of the world. And if by "system" you mean unique series of events that allowed for the post-WWII rise of a Pax Americana and the establishment of American geopolitical hegemony at the expense at times of American principles and democracy, built on the shoulders of the American military industrial complex, an economic dominance, nuke and the concept of mutually assured destruction,  and an unconstitutional surveillance state originated from our intelligence apparatus, you got a point.  The "system" is all those things. I mean, if you really want to point to the crucial components of the Pax Americana, there they are, not our dysfunctional two party political system. 

These are good posts and all kidding aside you are making an important distinction. I'll add that if anything good can be said to come from the Trump presidency it's the high level of engagement and broad realization  that

1) Voting matters

2) If good people don't run for office someone else will, and 

3) The basic norms of our Democracy are the institutions that count that count the most.

My concern, however, is that the GOP doesn't appear to be participating in that, and we need a healthy GOP to consolidate and blunt reactionary elements, which is the opposite of hat the president is doing.  

[Gil Bang 26244]

22 minutes ago, retread said:

 

oh shit.

[lemonlime 5503]

25 minutes ago, retread said:

 

I'm betting Trump's people put this story out there--to justify firing Sessions in the next few days.  If Sessions is a witness against him in the Mueller probe, then in Trump's mind he clearly can't be AG because he isn't loyal to Trump.

[Pods 7637]

[R2D2 91]

Well, spy gate was a monumental lie, huh.

Which he's STILL repeating !

It's the Fox News way. Roseanne is a product of that.

[shnsajax 3607]

I'm betting Trump's people put this story out there--to justify firing Sessions in the next few days.  If Sessions is a witness against him in the Mueller probe, then in Trump's mind he clearly can't be AG because he isn't loyal to Trump.

I can’t decide if that’s why he hasn’t fired Sessions already or what you said. Firing him with that knowledge seems like obstruction yet again.

[deech 2395]

12 minutes ago, lemonlime said:

I'm betting Trump's people put this story out there--to justify firing Sessions in the next few days.  If Sessions is a witness against him in the Mueller probe, then in Trump's mind he clearly can't be AG because he isn't loyal to Trump.

I'm betting that you are wrong.  No way Trump put this out there IMHO.  In fact, it's probably more likely Sessions leaked it in an attempt to save his job.  Maybe he feels the end coming and wanted to try to get ahead of the punch. 

[Bozo_Casanova 26858]

woke Trey Gowdy is woke

[lemonlime 5503]

3 minutes ago, deech said:

I'm betting that you are wrong.  No way Trump put this out there IMHO.  In fact, it's probably more likely Sessions leaked it in an attempt to save his job.  Maybe he feels the end coming and wanted to try to get ahead of the punch. 

I hope you're right.  But sources in the article are described as people close to Trump.  

 "Mr. Trump dwelled on the recusal for months, according to confidants and current and former administration officials who described his behavior toward the attorney general."

"Investigators have pressed current and former White House officials about Mr. Trump’s treatment of Mr. Sessions and whether they believe the president was trying to impede the Russia investigation by pressuring him."

" Before the recusal, the president and his attorney general were friends, often sharing meals and talking on the phone. Today, they rarely speak outside of cabinet meetings, current and former White House officials and others briefed on their relationship said."

"Some people close to the president have said privately that they believed the recusal was overly broad and done too hastily in the middle of public scrutiny over Mr. Sessions’s congressional testimony." 

[triplehorn 2664]

15 minutes ago, deech said:

I'm betting that you are wrong.  No way Trump put this out there IMHO.  In fact, it's probably more likely Sessions leaked it in an attempt to save his job.  Maybe he feels the end coming and wanted to try to get ahead of the punch. 

Agree.  "Sessions is a key witness" and "Trump wanted a loyalist in charge of the investigation" are not things you advertise to justify firing Sessions.  It's another weight to the balance on the side of Sessions having been cooperating all along.  

[Ten Bears 2500]

Who was it that guessed Sessions could be the mole?

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

Just now, Ten Bears said:

Who was it that guessed Sessions could be the mole?

Me!

[Hornmatic 296]

Is R2D2 the same as that “sugar” fuck? Same annoying posting style. 

[NameAlreadyInUse 5169]

Seems so. At least he’s not making a post for each sentence now. 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

Why I think Session is an inside man:

He’s one of the few people that’s been on the inside of the Trump campaign since the beginning that’s not a fucking idiot.  

He’s a career public servant.  He knows how shit works. He was in the Army and a federal prosecutor during the Cold War.  He has no love for Russia.  Fuck those commie motherfuckers.

and the HUGE indicator on Sessions was this:

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/05/24/us/politics/jeff-sessions-russia.html

 

[Hornius Emeritus 12806]

The author is a distinguished law professor and formal White House council:

https://www.justsecurity.org/52610/charging-mystery-russia-indictments-and-indication-mueller-investigation/

[yaqdum 182]

1 minute ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

The author is a distinguished law professor and formal White House council:

https://www.justsecurity.org/52610/charging-mystery-russia-indictments-and-indication-mueller-investigation/

he was an entire council by himself?  that's a lot more impressive than that other credential.

[WhatTheBuck 28931]

It's the Trump effect. 

[yaqdum 182]

14 minutes ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

author

that's a good article.  thank you for the linkin', abe.

[Tuco 5094]

9 hours ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

He’s a career public servant.  He knows how shit works. He was in the Army and a federal prosecutor during the Cold War.  He has no love for Russia.  Fuck those commie motherfuckers.

 

 

Yet, he met with Kislyak and hosted Russian oil company lobbyists for his national security discussions.  The Russians aren't communists anymore, they're kleptocrats, which fits in nicely with the Trump administration. 

If he's an informant, I believe it has more to do with his own legal jeopardy or hurt feelings than it does with political ideology. 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

8 minutes ago, Tuco said:

Yet, he met with Kislyak and hosted Russian oil company lobbyists for his national security discussions.  The Russians aren't communists anymore, they're kleptocrats, which fits in nicely with the Trump administration. 

If he's an informant, I believe it has more to do with his own legal jeopardy or hurt feelings than it does with political ideology. 

Sessions is still a huge POS and probably has some liability compelling his cooperation.  He likely got way ahead of the investigation and concluded he wanted to end up on the right side of history when this is all over.

My point was he comes from an entirely different background when compared to Trump’s inner circle, which is mobish family grifters, mostly.

 

Edited May 30, 2018 by Hugo Stiglitz

[TwiceHorn 32083]

14 hours ago, Anastasis said:

It's not so much burn down the village as it is burn down the bloated and thoroughly corrupted political apparatus and the tribes that have rigged the system and institutionalized their  dysfunction to the point that the town is operating in a way that is totally irresponsible and contrary to the village charter.  I am afraid that our problems are not as superficial as a few bad actors.  I think that the rot is at the core. I mean shit, one of the charges pushed on this thread is there was a widespread conspiracy within one of our political parties to undermine the democratic process in this country.  If that's true, how the fuck can you defend the status quo and the politics in this country that brought us to this point? 

But this is all really distinct and separate from the Trump thing.  He's not an agent of change. I think that you pointed out quite a while back that he is only going to result in the hardening of the battle lines and entrenched interests.  And I think that's been largely right. But what he is doing is signalling the end of the modern incarnation of the GOP.  I am not sure whether he is killing it, or if he is just the end result of the GOP being a spineless party of unprincipled cowards, or most likely a bit of both.  But either way, I see the GOP is in decline. If there is anything that would like for Trump to succeed at, it's putting the final nail in the coffin. If triple's mass perp walk widespread GOP involvement in money laundering foreign cash into the RNC in order to undermine our government comes to pass, that should probably do the trick. 

Re:  "Agent of Change"

People talk about "the base" referring to the GOP.  There is no GOP base.  They haven't the foggiest clue who is voting for them or why and haven't for a decade or more.  There is a Trump base, and they are scared to death to lose that, but they don't know who that really is.  But the Trump base isn't and never has been reliably GOP.  He has exposed the social positions of the GOP finally as flat out ___ist and ______phobic rather than "culturally conservative" or "family values"  (lots could see this already, of course, but by taking it to 11, I think he's opened some eyes), and shown that it isn't necessary to pander much to evangelicals to secure their vote.  The GOP is helpless to adopt any Trump "platform" or "issues" because there aren't any, they wind up just having to support the douchebag himself.

Good riddance.  I hope a fiscally conservative, smaller government party emerges from the ashes, and quickly, though.

And I think his outrageous self-dealing and "pay to play" exposure may finally get some people to do more than grumble something about "citizens united"** when it comes to smaller-scale, more quasi-legal versions of the same thing that are part and parcel of government/politics at the federal level.  The identity of campaign donors and any potential quid pro quo should be a central campaign issue from here on out, for every candidate.  That is, replace the refrain "RUSSIA!!!1111" with "PHARMA!!!!111" and "INSURANCE!!!111" and "BIG TECH!!!!!111" and so on and so forth.

Also, I think his attempt to characterize himself as an "outsider" to politics may have destroyed any future interest in that meme for a presidential candidate. I found that to be the single most intriguing thing about Trump the candidate.  Between him and Perot, never again.

So, he's either going to be a "never again" figure that is an agent of change, or it's the end of the world as we know it, and I don't feel fine.

 

**"Citizens United" is ultimately a cop out on the money in politics issue.  It deflects voter responsibility to the mysterious and immutable Supreme Court.  The press has a role in this too because giant donors are also their advertisers.  They need to sack up.  Until we as an electorate start routinely questioning big money behind political candidates, and shoving it up their ass, we're going to continue to get corrupted politicians.

Edited May 30, 2018 by TwiceHorn

[XYZ 2154]

16 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

* That's not what a strawman is. 

** The "system" isn't rotten. The last 75 years have been the most peaceful and abundant years in human history. It takes constant work and attention and there are real problems to address, but the "system" did all that. 

*** False and ridiculous. 

***** False. And if you don't know better it's because you don't put forward the effort to meet anybody running that you can support. 

***** False,  most people who run  for office do it because they want to make things better for others. 

 

Your post is stupid and cynical, which is kind of like skepticism, except for people too lazy to learn about how the world actually works or too fearful to leave their parents basement. 

 

Which are you?

Now you are using the false dilemma fallacy.

[Bozo_Casanova 26858]

1 hour ago, XYZ said:

Now you are using the false dilemma fallacy.

Maybe so, in your case it could be both. 

[R2D2 91]

I feel like things have reached a turning point. And the Rosanne conflagration is what did it. It really proved, in a nutshell, exactly what the Trumpian psyche is made of. Vitriol, bigotry and delusion, which are characteristics absolutely bad for business.

Trey Gowdy also impressed me. It's nice to see respect for the FBI for once.

Moreover, I think Trump has played all his cards short of firing people, which is, at this point, too late in the game to save him, as well as abject proof of obstruction. The Cohen tapes will probably eviscerate the rest of Trump's case.

Anyway, R2D2 is a Disney character (at present) and so is Roseanne, and Disney is big on the "you can be anything Princess" motif, and I have a feeling that it'll be a Disney moment which shall take him down for the count as the villainous archetype he is, and shatter that glass ceiling once and for all. 

Edited May 30, 2018 by R2D2

[Biff Tannen 46169]

Wat

[R2D2 91]

I'm taking partial credit for the demise of Trump.

[R2D2 91]

R is Roseanne, D is Donald.

See, it's obvious I'm in complete control of the universe! (Somewhat)

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

WASHINGTON — The former acting F.B.I. director, Andrew G. McCabe, wrote a confidential memo last spring recounting a conversation that offered significant behind-the-scenes details on the firing of Mr. McCabe’s predecessor, James B. Comey, according to several people familiar with the discussion.

Mr. Comey’s firing is a central focus of the special counsel’s investigation into whether President Trump tried to obstruct the investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russia. Mr. McCabe has turned over his memo to the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III.

In the document, whose contents have not been previously reported, Mr. McCabe described a conversation at the Justice Department with the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, in the chaotic days last May after Mr. Comey’s abrupt firing. Mr. Rosenstein played a key role in the dismissal, writing a memo that rebuked Mr. Comey over his handling of an investigation into Hillary Clinton.

But in the meeting at the Justice Department, Mr. Rosenstein added a new detail: He said the president had originally asked him to reference Russia in his memo, the people familiar with the conversation said. Mr. Rosenstein did not elaborate on what Mr. Trump had wanted him to say.

To Mr. McCabe, that seemed like possible evidence that Mr. Comey’s firing was actually related to the F.B.I.’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, and that Mr. Rosenstein helped provide a cover story by writing about the Clinton investigation.

One person who was briefed on Mr. Rosenstein’s conversation with the president said Mr. Trump had simply wanted Mr. Rosenstein to mention that he was not personally under investigation in the Russia inquiry. Mr. Rosenstein said it was unnecessary and did not include such a reference. Mr. Trump ultimately said it himself when announcing the firing.

Mr. McCabe’s memo, one of several that he wrote, highlights the conflicting roles that Mr. Rosenstein plays in the case. He supervises the special counsel investigation and has told colleagues that protecting it is among his highest priorities. But many current and former law enforcement officials are suspicious of some of his other actions, including allowing some of Mr. Trump’s congressional allies to view crucial documents from the investigation.

In conversations with prosecutors, Mr. Trump’s lawyers have cited Mr. Rosenstein’s involvement in the firing of Mr. Comey as proof that it was not an effort to obstruct justice, according to people familiar with the president’s legal strategy.

That argument has only made Mr. Rosenstein’s position even more peculiar: He oversees an investigation into the president, who points to Mr. Rosenstein’s own actions as evidence that he is innocent. And Mr. Rosenstein could have the final say on whether that argument has merit.

 

The people who discussed the meeting and the memo did so on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matters. A spokeswoman for Mr. McCabe declined to comment. Mr. McCabe was fired in March after a finding that he was not candid in an internal investigation. Mr. McCabe has said the firing was a politically motivated effort to discredit him as a witness in the special counsel investigation.

A Justice Department spokeswoman also declined to comment. Mr. Rosenstein has consulted departmental ethics advisers about whether to recuse himself from the Russia investigation and has not done so.

“I’ve talked with Director Mueller about this,” Mr. Rosenstein told The Associated Press last year. “He’s going to make the appropriate decisions, and if anything that I did winds up being relevant to his investigation then, as Director Mueller and I discussed, if there’s a need from me to recuse, I will.”

 

Removing Mr. Rosenstein from the investigation, though, would only add uncertainty to the process. He is regarded, even among his critics, as a bulwark against an effort by Mr. Trump to fire Mr. Mueller and shut down the investigation. Mr. Trump has openly mused about doing so, and has considered firing Mr. Rosenstein, too.

 

 

Edited May 31, 2018 by Hugo Stiglitz

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

Mr. McCabe’s memo reflects the F.B.I.’s early efforts to discern Mr. Trump’s intentions in firing Mr. Comey, an effort that continues today. Mr. Trump and his advisers have issued conflicting and changing explanations for the termination.

At first, they pointed to Mr. Rosenstein’s reasoning, which criticized Mr. Comey’s handling of the Clinton investigation. He was unusually public about the inquiry in ways that Democrats say contributed to Mrs. Clinton’s defeat.

But Mr. Trump quickly undercut that statement, telling NBC News that he had planned to fire Mr. Comey even before receiving Mr. Rosenstein’s memo. “And in fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, ‘You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story,’” Mr. Trump said. “It’s an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won.”

Mr. Trump also told Russian diplomats in the Oval Office that firing Mr. Comey had relieved “great pressure” that he had faced because of Russia.

Mr. Rosenstein’s comments to Mr. McCabe were made against a backdrop of those shifting explanations. After their meeting, Mr. Rosenstein gave Mr. McCabe a copy of a draft firing letter that Mr. Trump had written, according to two people familiar with the conversation. Mr. McCabe later gave that letter, and his memos, to Mr. Mueller.

Mr. McCabe’s memo reflects the anxiety of the early months of the Trump administration and presaged a relationship with law enforcement that has only grown more strained. Just as Mr. Comey kept memos on interactions with Mr. Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Mr. McCabe documented his own conversations with the president and others.

Mr. Trump has injected himself into Justice Department operations in ways that have little precedent. While most presidents who have faced federal investigations have assiduously avoided discussing them for fear of being seen as trying to influence them, Mr. Trump has shown no hesitation. He has called the investigation a “witch hunt,” declared that a “deep state” was trying to undermine his presidency, and encouraged the Justice Department to provide sensitive details about the special counsel inquiry to Congress.

Most recently, Mr. Trump has publicly demanded that the Justice Department investigate the Russia investigation itself.

In response, Mr. Rosenstein has walked a perilous line. Faced with threats on his job, he told Republicans in Congress that he would not be “extorted.” But he has also relented to pressure in some instances, providing information to Congress that would not normally be shared amid an investigation.

 

And in response to the president’s calls for an investigation into whether the F.B.I. used informants to infiltrate his campaign — a charge for which there is no public evidence — Mr. Rosenstein referred the matter to the inspector general and issued a public statement that some current and former officials said was too tepid.

“If anyone did infiltrate or surveil participants in a presidential campaign for inappropriate purposes, we need to know about it and take appropriate action,” Mr. Rosenstein said.

Mr. Rosenstein has said little about his strategy for dealing with the political crosswinds. But he has defended his memo about Mr. Comey. “I wrote it. I believe it. I stand by it,” he said in a statement last year. He added that it was never intended to “justify a for-cause termination.”

Recently, Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s lawyer, added a new explanation for Mr. Comey’s firing. He said Mr. Trump was upset that Mr. Comey would not publicly clear him in the Russia investigation.

“He fired Comey because Comey would not, among other things, say that he wasn’t a target of the investigation,” Mr. Giuliani said.

[Pods 7637]

“He fired Comey because Comey would not, among other things, say that he wasn’t a target of the investigation,” Mr. Giuliani said.

How many times do they have to confess? 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

A few takeaways from this reporting that is news to me:

1. Trump directed Rosenstein to write memo.  We know this because Rosenstein didn’t put the Russia part in the memo.

2. Mr. Rosenstein said the memo was never intended to “justify a for-cause termination.”

well what the fuck did he think it was for?

3. After their meeting, Mr. Rosenstein gave Mr. McCabe a copy of a draft firing letter that Mr. Trump had written, according to two people familiar with the conversation. Mr. McCabe later gave that letter, and his memos, to Mr. Mueller.

Sounds like Rosenstein had some unexpected liability in a conspiracy to obstruct justice, got pissed, and hired Robert Mueller.

 

[R2D2 91]

The momentum is now squarely against trump. More bad days for Donald ahead.

[Pods 7637]

23 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

Sounds like Rosenstein had some unexpected liability in a conspiracy to obstruct justice, got pissed, and hired Robert Mueller.

That's how I've always read it. 

[Pods 7637]

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/05/roger-stone-promises-he-will-never-roll-on-donald-trump.html

‘I Will Never Roll on Donald Trump,’ Promises Definitely Innocent Adviser Roger Stone

By Jonathan Chait@jonathanchait

Roger Stone, a longtime confidante to Donald Trump, appeared on the Alex Jones show to ask listeners to fund his legal defense. Stone’s associates have been questioned by Robert Mueller’s investigators, and Stone has casually mentioned he might be indicted for what he called“extraneous crimes.” But, Stone promises, he “will never roll on Donald Trump.”

“John Dean I am not,” Stone declares. Dean, a former counselor to President Nixon, eventually confessed to having been party to serious crimes by the president and his associates. Stone, who is such a Nixon buff he has the disgraced former president’s face tattooed on his back, surely knows that the analogy does not imply Trump is innocent.

Indeed, Stone has a long trail of contacts with Russian hacking cutout Guccifer 2.0 and WikiLeaks, requested access to hacked Clinton emails from Julian Assange, and displayed advance knowledge of WikiLeaks emails during the campaign (he has attempted, implausibly, to explain these comments away).

Of course, rolling on Trump would not be a choice he had to disavow if Trump and Stone had not committed any crimes.

[SizzleChest 8314]

So, Roger Stone is going to roll over on Trump.  Cool.

[triplehorn 2664]

3 hours ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

A few takeaways from this reporting that is news to me:

1. Trump directed Rosenstein to write memo.  We know this because Rosenstein didn’t put the Russia part in the memo.

2. Mr. Rosenstein said the memo was never intended to “justify a for-cause termination.”

well what the fuck did he think it was for?

3. After their meeting, Mr. Rosenstein gave Mr. McCabe a copy of a draft firing letter that Mr. Trump had written, according to two people familiar with the conversation. Mr. McCabe later gave that letter, and his memos, to Mr. Mueller.

Sounds like Rosenstein had some unexpected liability in a conspiracy to obstruct justice, got pissed, and hired Robert Mueller.

 

Keep a close eye on this.  There was unverified information leaked right after the Rosenstein memo on Comey came out that Rosenstein was tasked with writing "pro" and "con" summaries on Comey, but only the "con" summary was seized an then used.  This story returning to the spotlight a year later is bringing this back into public awareness.  It's been reported tonight that Trump asked Rosenstein to include Russia in the summary, which Rod did not do.  That alone clearly makes it sound like Trump wanted to use Rosenstein's summary as a justification (cover) for firing Comey and to further squelch the legitimacy of the Russia investigation.  If news comes out that Rosenstein wrote a pro and con summary, it will be pretty obvious Rosenstein got manipulated.  If there is a pro Comey summary, Rod has kept mum about it, which has likely helped enable him to retain his post and afforded him a source of praise from Trump, paradoxically making it harder for Trump to justify firing Rosenstein.

Sessions is also back in the news tonight having visited the WH today.  Trump is vexed over Sessions' original sin of recusal, and per tweet today Trump stated he wishes he had declined the AG position if recusal was a possibility.  But here's the catch, Trump had to have an AG on whom he held blackmail material to ensure the AG ran cover at all costs.  That IS Sessions by virtue of his direct involvement in the Rosneft stock sale/Russia sanctions lifting quid pro quo.  Trump can't find another AG to run cover the way Sessions would have been forced to do based on the lack of blackmail on another candidate for control.  So here Trump sits in a stalemate with a compromised AG he can't control due to recusal.  Sessions hanging around despite months of bitter abuse from Trump further suggests Sessions is cooperating with Mueller while providing a stabilizing anchor at DoJ until the shit drops.  And of course Trump's panic is exploding right now.

Edited May 31, 2018 by triplehorn

[Gatorubet 30726]

1 hour ago, triplehorn said:

Keep a close eye on this.  There was unverified information leaked right after the Rosenstein memo on Comey came out that Rosenstein was tasked with writing "pro" and "con" summaries on Comey, but only the "con" summary was seized an then used.  This story returning to the spotlight a year later is bringing this back into public awareness.  It's been reported tonight that Trump asked Rosenstein to include Russia in the summary, which Rod did not do.  That alone clearly makes it sound like Trump wanted to use Rosenstein's summary as a justification (cover) for firing Comey and to further squelch the legitimacy of the Russia investigation.  If news comes out that Rosenstein wrote a pro and con summary, it will be pretty obvious Rosenstein got manipulated.  If there is a pro Comey summary, Rod has kept mum about it, which has likely helped enable him to retain his post and afforded him a source of praise from Trump, paradoxically making it harder for Trump to justify firing Rosenstein.

Sessions is also back in the news tonight having visited the WH today.  Trump is vexed over Sessions' original sin of recusal, and per tweet today Trump stated he wishes he had declined the AG position if recusal was a possibility.  But here's the catch, Trump had to have an AG on whom he held blackmail material to ensure the AG ran cover at all costs.  That IS Sessions by virtue of his direct involvement in the Rosneft stock sale/Russia sanctions lifting quid pro quo.  Trump can't find another AG to run cover the way Sessions would have been forced to do based on the lack of blackmail on another candidate for control.  So here Trump sits in a stalemate with a compromised AG he can't control due to recusal.  Sessions hanging around despite months of bitter abuse from Trump further suggests Sessions is cooperating with Mueller while providing a stabilizing anchor at DoJ until the shit drops.  And of course Trump's panic is exploding right now.

So.....nothing burger then?

[burntorangebongos 10826]

I think McGahn tried to keep Trump from fucking up and  took out of Trump's shitty firing letter,  all the stuff Trump really wanted to say about him not being a target of the Russia investigation, and democrats not accepting the loss. They heard that Rosenstein had negative criticism of Comey's handling of the Clinton investigation and about his being so unusually public in the process. McGahn wanted Rosenstein for cover and had him write the assessment memo of Comey but maybe obfuscated why they want it just then.  Rosenstein writes a memo and doesn't include anything about Trump not being a target, but about what Comey  botched in his handling of the Clinton email investigation, etc.

It doesn't satisfy Trump, and if you recall, he got a lot of criticism for using  as an excuse for the firing, how badly the Clinton investigation was handled that may have negatively impacted her election chances. Like he gave a shit! I also recall some leaked stories about Rosenstein threatening to resign because they used his memo to fire Comey for cause.  Then after manipulating Rosenstein to use him for cover, the moron-in-chief writes in the announcement letter that he appreciates Comey telling him 3 times that he is not a target of the Russia investigation. Then he fucks up even worse in the Lester Holt interview.

The whole Rosenstein cover is pretty much blown by the dipshit. But now here this story comes back up again with this supposed "revelation" that the president had originally asked Rosenstein to reference Russia in his memo as a reason for criticism. Why is it coming up now? I think McCabe is the source with a big ax to grind, and I think the desperate morons are trying to squeeze Rosenstein into recusing himself since he is in the precarious position of being both a possible witness to and an accomplice of a conspiracy to obstruct Justice. Removing Rosenstein from the investigation would only add uncertainty to the whole thing since he has managed to keep Trump and  house dickheads from shutting it down. I can see the motivation of Trump and McCabe, sure.  But why is the NYT acting like this molehill of nefarious motives is a mountain?

Edited May 31, 2018 by burntorangebongos