And We're Off To Special Counsel City!

The failing NY Times has the drama as well as the background on the naming of former FBI head Robert Mueller as Special Counsel on the alleged Trump-Russia connection.

My two cents? So far this had been a smoky yet fire-free scandal until Comey was fired. My guess is there is no 'there' there and we are just seeing Trump's opponents dialing the outrage back to eleven. But what do I know?

I will add this - in my view the last special counsel, Patrick Fitzgerald, was appointed back in Dec 2003 in small part to quell Democrats who wanted to Get Bush but in large part by Republicans who wanted to Get Cheney. Folks may have forgotten now and we did not know it at the time but in late 2003 the DoJ was in revolt over Cheney's War on Terror, highlighted by legal issues surrounding the warrantless NSA surveillance and the use of enhanced interrogation.

In that sense a similar dynamic may be in play here. Obviously there is little love to be lost between Trump and the Republican establishment. If the appointment of Mueller actually results in a period of leak-free calm (if!) that could help the Republicans advance their seemingly tattered agenda. (Who ever guessed a Republican President and a Republican Congress couldn't figure out how to cut taxes?) In any case, the establishment is eager at this point to separate their fortunes from the volatile Donald.

As to 2018 and the vulnerable Red State Democratic Senators? We might need an East Coast weather advisory since their exhales of relief might initiate a tropical storm. It's already supposed to hit 90 here in Connecticut!

LIKE TWO PAPERS IN ONE! The 'drama' Times story by Ruiz and Landler includes this odd bit of history:

It was only the second time that the Justice Department has named a special counsel. The first was in 1999, the year the law creating the position took effect. Attorney General Janet Reno appointed John Danforth, a former Republican senator from Missouri, to investigate the botched federal raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Tex., in 1993 that killed 76 people.

Really? Here is Charlie Savage on the background of the special counsel appointment:

Yes. There is precedent for granting special counsels greater autonomy than the regulation calls for — and, in a coincidence, it involves Mr. Comey. In 2003, as the deputy attorney general in the George W. Bush administration, Mr. Comey was overseeing an investigation into the leaking of the identity of a C.I.A. operative, Valerie Plame Wilson, because the attorney general, John Ashcroft, was recused.

Mr. Comey appointed Patrick Fitzgerald, the sitting United States attorney in Chicago, as special counsel. As part of that move, he waived the regulation and delegated his supervisory powers as acting attorney general for the case to Mr. Fitzgerald, giving him greater autonomy to make decisions about subpoenaing witnesses or bringing charges without the potential for second-guessing by Mr. Comey.

But Mr. Rosenstein did not take that step for Mr. Mueller.

Maybe Ruiz and Landler would argue that the Fitzgerald appointment doesn't count because it went beyond the scope of the regulation cited in the appointment of Mueller. Pretty thin!

 

Comments

[Captain Hate]

Isn't this the definition of a fishing expedition that we were hectored about for eight years?

[Last Page Link]

Last Page Link:

http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2017/05/and-were-off-to-special-counsel-city/comments/page/45/#comments

[narciso]

They don't read their own paper, it's like minitrue research.

Negative, Mueller was taking notes at the meeting with Ashcroft where comey stuck s shiv in Alberto Gonzalez.

The fellow that vouched for him, Garrett Graf followed the Sudan template in his bureau bio

[narciso]

Ali Sufan that fooled Scott Shane and Mike isikoff, but not Mark thiessen who raised the ig report like Indy dug up tanis.

[narciso]

From the last thread

https://audioboom.com/posts/5729653-frederick-forsyth-thriller-republicans-pursue-a-leaker-democrats-pursue-a-plotter-deftechpat-patrick-tucker-defenseone

[henry]

CH, but this is a "good" fishing expedition.

[RattlerGator]

*Another* very good morning.

Isn't "But Mr. Rosenstein did not take that step for Mr. Mueller" another indication that Trump makes all the difference in the world (along with Jeff Sessions in this particular instance, of course)? Sure looks that way to me.

So, as a proud sunshine-pumper from the Great Sunshine State, I must add a further contribution on this very good morning.

I like giving the benefit of the doubt to my team until proven otherwise. It's far better IMHO than embracing negativity and the bitch-and-moan approach. It obviously does have its limitations. With that said:

http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/02/23/obama-intel-communitys-leaks-trump-campaign/

Posted by: simply stupid | May 18, 2017 at 02:01 AM

I'm pretty sure the Trump Admin has this under control. I'm also fairly certain it (Bezos, CIA, politicized data mining, etc.) is the primary reason for General Flynn's elaborate operation. There is speculation floating around that Flynn was the essential bait utilized to ENTIRELY flip the Russia narrative. They threw in his implausibly reckless embrace of Turkey to sweeten the pot; the fish couldn't resist the hook. The rest is history; you as the operator, in fact, stoke the Russia nonsense yourself to keep their craziness going and further distract them from realizing what is *really* going on.

Getting to Mueller as the lead for the investigation to de-politicize the FBI, address the intelligence community leaks, *and* take down Clinton, Inc. was likely always the end-goal.

Comey may not have done so, but it appears General Flynn has covered himself in glory.

In that vein, I keep looking at Thomas Wictor's timeline; oddly curious and "off" stuff mixed in with very good shiznit, especially with respect to the Gulf Cooperation Council. Almost seems like a manufactured craziness, including his photo. His YouTube photo, interestingly, doesn't have that look.

Donald Trump is not alone in executing this rescue operation.

I'm confident all of this mess, these relentlessly crazy attacks from the media and the deep state, have been fully anticipated. And I have no concerns about Mueller at all. There's a cadre of military and law enforcement professionals who have taken a step back from this deep state foolishness.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Posting this from the end of the last thread. I suggest everyone call.

squaredance,

Just called Senator Young's office and made the following points:
1. Voted GOP since 1980 and in every primary; they can check
2. Very disappointed with the lack of strong defense of President.
3. Very angry about slow pace of healthcare, tax reform, etc.
4. He got my vote to support the President, and I expect him to do it. Trump supporters are not going away.
5. Oh, by the way, letters from Senators including Young are now being posted on line by aggravated constituents.
6. I will not hesitate to support a primary challenger when the next election rolls around. I have a long memory. Senator Lugar learned that lesson.

[Michael (fpa Patriot4Freedom)]

(from the last thread)

Squaredance - Please don't feel as if you need to go back to cloaked/lurking.

This place - as good as it is - is better for the contributions that you make to the views, opinions, and insights we all take away.

Oh, and did I mention it is *so* nice to see you back?

[Barbara]

From the last thread:
"The President is being ill served by his appointees."

Probably Obama holdovers, not Trump appointees.

jimmyk,

I was referring to people like Mike Pompeo, and others. But you're right, there are far too many Obama holdovers still in place and causing trouble.

[Old Lurker]

A very good VDH. Especially the last line:

http://amgreatness.com/2017/05/17/nightmares-realities-never-trump/

[squaredance]

Thanks, Michael, for the kind words.

[Threadkiller]

Congratulations on the puppies, Stephanie.

Squaredance explains everything in a clear fashion.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Why would you think Mike Pompeo is ill serving the President, Barbara?

Most of these CIA leaks are from Brennan, Morell, andothers who are no longer there.

Pompeo probably has removed Brennan's chums, but you're not going to read about it in the paper, because it's CIA.

[Momto2]

Always miss a new thread.... (posted on last one)

Puppies! Mice! Less killfile action than yesterday (so far) We're off to a great day.

Stephanie - I did not know you were expecting puppies. I might have waited on one instead of driving to Louisiana... can't imagine life without Darby, though. She's such a little personality. I think she got a double shot of Yorkie (terrier) DNA and less Maltese. Can't wait to see pictures of your new babies!

As far as the doom and gloom - I've struggled with it, too. It all depends on what you are reading/listening to and there are so few places to hear anything positive.

I keep my chin up by remembering that there is the seen world and the unseen (spiritual) and that all of the battles are not visible. We (who believe in prayer) must continue to pray for him and for those around him.

(Isaiah 57:17 - No weapon formed against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises against you in judgment - you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.)

Also calling today, MM - thanks for the suggested points, will adapt to fit my reps/state.

[henry]

Calling... as if Ryan would listen.

[squaredance]

Call your mayor and local state Reps and Senators too. get others to do it, and keep it up. Call local Party reps.

I live in the Bluest of places: I do not expect a response; I just want them to know that I am not fooled and not supine.

Keep at it.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

henry,

Call just to make them log it and listen. If they work for Ryan they should have to listen to your complaints. Let's getthose staffers frazzled!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://twitter.com/ThomasWictor/status/865101309929635840

This is an interesting thread from Wictor.

[Richard Milhous Nixon]

"What do I know..?"

Banging on the radiator pipes...

[Strudelat]

RG: I always look forward to reading your posts and generally agree with you. Regarding Flynn, I, too, admire him. You may be right about his activities wrt Russia as being in the best interest of the USA and not done for personal aggrandizement. (I hope so.) Too me, however, his activites wrt Turkey are much more troublesome.

Strudelat

[Old Lurker]

Looking at my Reps and Senators from both my states reveals the worthlessness of my calling any of them.

[Joan]

Relating to last thread and gloom: it's wise to remain aware of how this investigation can be twisted by the leftist snakes, but I get a renewed burst of optimism and hope each time I send my prayer to President Trump. At first I prayed for God to bless POTUS with strength and then I realized how much strength our president has exhibited, so now I alway pray that God blesses him and that he REMAIN strong. Every time I do that, I am flooded with stength too realizing how strong Trump is and how strong he's been.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Old Lurker,

Call someone in an adjacent state. Pretend you are from there. Use a property for your address.

Alternative: call a news outlet and read them the riot act.

Make noise. Any kind helps.

[sbwaters]

Gloom? A reporter asked a candidate for prime minister of India, after he had lost the second time why he did not appear desolated:

“If you cannot be happy in the most difficult of times you will never be happy.

[Cecil Turner]

My two cents? So far this had been a smoky yet fire-free scandal until Comey was fired.

There's still no fire . . . and Comey's unceremonious exit was remarkable for its tardiness, and not much else, until . . . the most recent messaging fiasco out of the White House.

That was followed by the tweets and the Lester Holt interview and it was all: is this about Russia? No, well, yes. Did the President decide to fire him? He was acting on a recommendation, but he was going to fire him anyway. Does the President tape in the Oval Office? No, well, we're not saying. Is a special prosecutor necessary? No, well yes.

I don't know if it's a flashback to Apprentice-style ratings seeking or just a lack of discipline but either way McConnell nailed it:

"I think we can do with a little less drama from the White House on a lot of things so that we can focus on our agenda which is deregulations, tax reform, repealing and replacing Obamacare,"

I'd strongly reommend a review of the value of cliches.

Can we imagine a world in which . . .
• President: "I've decided to fire Director Comey because I've lost confidence in him."
• Reporter: Sir, were you acting on a recommendation? President: "I was, but the main issue was the ongoing erosion of our confidence in Mr Comey;
• Reporter: "did the President fire Comey because of his testimony?" Spicer: "well, I think at root this was a confidence problem . . ."

Booooring [exactly!].

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump 20m20 minutes ago

With all of the illegal acts that took place in the Clinton campaign & Obama Administration, there was never a special counsel appointed!
=============================
Reposted with corrected spelling of "counsel."

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Oh, hi Cecil.

I see you have waited until you had something you thought you could criticize.

Thanks for your opinion.

[Buford Gooch]

Thanks, RattleGator. I enjoy your eminently sensible comments.

[les nessman]

I don't want to hear one damn complaint from the media and the Dems if the 'special councel' digs up info that Obama was spying on Americans or Hillary brokered a corrupt uranium deal or Podesta got millions from the Russians or any of the other shady dealings the Dems had with the 'evil Russkies'.

If any of that type of stuff comes out, throw it back in their faces and say "well, you wanted an investigation, here's what they found. Why aren't you calling for punishment for these Dems?"

I think if they hadn't pushed the issue, Obama and the Dems wouldn't have been pursued. It would have been let-bygones-be-bygones. Since they've doubled down on it, they are going to reap the whirlwind.

[Ollie North]

“This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!”

[Pollie]

Trump/Sessions call Dem's bluff. Trump winning, Media/Left/Trolls regrouping. Look for repeat of this entertainment over next 7 years. Bonus...the public trusts the media even less than Congress and the economy is finally showing signs of life after 8 years of attack by the left.

[Just verifying Script]

Is this teh narrative?

Trump fired FBI Director James Comey for his mishandling of the Clinton investigation and his stubborn insistence on continuing the Russia investigation despite no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The liberal media drove this narrative to take down Trump, who only wanted the investigation “done properly,” and then started to question Trump’s mental stability.
The “deep state” leaked classified info to the Washington Post. Plus, Trump has the right to disclose classified information to Russians, and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster agrees.
Comey is getting revenge with memos that reveal Trump asked him to shut down the investigation into his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn.

[Just verifying Script]

Yup..ACE

"Good morning, kids. I am actually sitting here absolutely stunned and amazed at the spectacle we are witnessing. A duly elected President and his advisors are being systematically, methodically crippled by a witch hunt.."

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://twitter.com/polNewsForever/status/865199108503613440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconservativetreehouse.com%2F2017%2F05%2F18%2Fmay-18th-2017-presidential-politics-trump-administration-day-119%2F

[Barbara]

Why would you think Mike Pompeo is ill serving the President

Miss M,

That followed a comment I made about the Intel agencies receiving read outs of the President's meetings with foreign leaders (like Russia) to keep them informed on the direction those countries are heading. Ever since the Petraeus scandal and his subsequent termination as the head of the CIA, that agency has been first on my list of suspects when it comes to leaks, misinformation, and the like.

[les nessman]

Posted by: Miss Marple the Deplorable | May 18, 2017 at 10:27 AM

Exactly.
There's going to be some people in the last Admin who won't like what this fishing expedition reveals.
A lot of should-have-been scandals that have already been revealed and ignored are about to get re-aired.

[Stephanie despicable me]

Sorry, Momto2, I mentioned it here at least once. They won't be ready for new homes til 10 weeks.

Three girls and three boys... Four black, some with socks and white markings on their tummies and the brown ones have dark ears and feet. The brown are a wonderful chestnut color.

I'm sure Darby is a doll! Any dog with yorkie lines will be a character and smart as a whip.

[James D]

From the last thread:

Anyone called to provide information to the Mueller investigation is now on the hook to hire a lawyer at their own expense.

Another way this soft coup has its effects.

This is precisely why I go on and on about retaliation, about going after the other side as viciously as they go after our people, using whatever means necessary.

This will never, ever, ever stop until the Democrats and their allies in the MSM start paying a personal cost for their actions. It's not enough for President Trump (or Scott Walker in WI) to merely survive, or even to win some policy victories.

The will of the progs to conduct this kind of lawfare and personal destruction against decent people must be destroyed, and the only way to do that is to personally destroy as many of them as possible. Drown them in legal fees, discredit them in their jobs, wreck their marriages, make their children fear every knock at the door.

Those are their tactics, and right now they are allowed to use them with impunity. That has to stop.

[The #CaptianQueeg Media, Heroically Speaking Truth to Dessert]

I'm with Joe diGenova and Andy McCarthy on this. This will help the President, who didn't do a damn thing wrong.

1. It's uniting Americans against the Democrats long-standing #LynchMob habit. We can't roll like the Sewer Rat Democrats, but we should learn to hang together like those Swamp Snakes do.
2. Leakers just got their notice. The only crimes definitely committed are the leaks.
3. Now the grandstanders in Congress are sidelined.
4. The White House no longer has to entertain the permanent "Gotcha!".
5. The business of the American people--Anybody but the President remember them?--can go forward.
6. The mission statement takes Russian involvement as a given. Yet the "17 Agencies" (which were really only 3, and even then by just a handful of Brennan stooges) have never looked at the DNC server. Why? That server is chock full of felonies. That server investigation was done by a private firm IIRC. Yet Democrats insist that public policy be made from their own private investigation of themselves. Private no more.
7. Democrats howled for this--let's see if they can stand up under oath, too.

The #LynchMob Media doesn't like it, but we had 50 popular elections and Trump won 30 of them. But the PermaBlob is going to correct your mistake for you, America.

They are proceeding apace with their Pre-Written Impeachment Plan, which was written before Trump even won the nomination, let alone the election or took office.

Ryan just gave a presser on taxes and the #ProfessionalLiars asked zero questions about taxes, only about how to impeach. Americans want tax relief and growth but the Pure Propaganda Press is only interested in their own agenda, not America's.

They're not just trying to silence and control Trump; they're trying to silence and control you.

Hell no. #War.

[Cecil Turner]

I see you have waited until you had something you thought you could criticize.

I've actually been waiting for something good to happen. But although there's lots of news, not much of it means anything. Sure would like to see some of that "winning" stuff.

Thanks for your opinion.

You're welcome.

[Porchlight]

Amen, Joan.

There's been at least fifteen times in the last year that things looked bleak, only to right themselves eventually.

The swamp doesn't want to be drained, which is not news to anyone.

We miraculously elected a fighter, which is hard evidence of Providence, considering the previous couple of decades, and the alternative.

[Old Lurker]

James, I am hard pressed to name a single politician or government employee at any level who has paid any personal price for any misdeed committed in support of the Prog Agenda in the last several decades.

Who am I forgetting?

Didn't think so.

[Tom R]

The optics on this doesn't look good for Trump. Anonymous source document contacts between Trump campaign and Russia.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-contacts-idUSKCN18E106

[Blue collar dumb]

Rich cry-babies form the class of privilege. They are the ones who escape responsibility..just write a check.

The wealth of impunity rests with the worship-worthy one percent.

What I don't get is the slavish church mice. What do they get from these people...a mint on the Tump Tower pillow?

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

Burn the Newseum down if you want to send a message.

[Old Lurker]

The scary thing is, Porch, he seems to be the only one in officialdom who is fighting - really fighting, sitting tall on his horse wearing his officer's hat for visibility - for our agenda. If they removed Trump from the scene, I could not name an elected official who could or would try to replace him. The swamp would wash over his bones so fast you would think you had imagined his existence in the first place.

[Porchlight]

That is true, OL.

[Porchlight]

Tom R,

Scroll down...

"The people who described the contacts to Reuters said they had seen no evidence of wrongdoing or collusion between the campaign and Russia in the communications reviewed so far."

[Blue collar dumb]

Gorsuch will be working to dispel the narrative he was saddled with..

Gorsuch’s ascension to the high court may well be Trump’s most influential act as president. Given the lengthy tenure of most modern justices, Gorsuch could still be pulling the Supreme Court to the right in 2045. But this week’s revelations are just the latest reminder that Gorsuch will never be quite like any other justice. He will always be Trump’s justice, a symbol of his disastrous (and possibly brief) presidency, forever stained by the egregious corruption of the man who nominated him. Gorsuch will be around for decades, helping to shape American law. But no matter how long he stays on the bench, his legacy—and his court itself—will be permanently tainted by Trump’s turpitude.

[henry]

Tom R, Flynn and Manafort...nothing illegal... nothing new... just more fake news from repackaged old fake news.

[Clarice Feldman]

Excellent point about supervision ™--I always considered that unconstitutional when Fitz was allowed to operate without oversight by the AG. If you recall under the independent counsel act the IC was monitored by a three judge Ct of Appeals panel.

[Dave (in MA)]

With all of the illegal acts that took place in the Clinton campaign & Obama Administration, there was never a special counsel appointed!

Was that not the role of Fiske and Starr?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Tom R.,

None of those contacts were illegal, and why look here, who do they go to for an opinion?

Richard Armitage

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

WTH? Gloomy?
Somebody thought this was going to be easy?
We should be thrilled we finally have someone who is enough of a danger to the scum that they have openly lost their collective and collectivist minds.
We should also be thrilled that Trump has kept to his pledges imperfectly but better than we could have expected and better than any Rep other than Reagan in our lifetimes.
This is kinda fun. Rather than their stealth coup, which was very close to succeeding by default, there is actually let's face it a kinda weird but quintessentially American guy who has driven them out into the open in an attempted blatant coup.
At least we're fighting for once which I thought people wanted. This is what fighting with lunatics looks like.
I highly value Squaredance's diagnosis but I don't concur on his prognosis.
I recognize the chance exists the left will win and establish effective one party rule but I believe whatever occurs there are too many Americans too reluctant to give up our heritage to let that occur or to let it stand if it does.
That people put into office Trump in the face of a propaganda campaign that would have made Goebbels envious makes me considerably more optimistic that the Minuteman spirit is alive and well in many more people than we think and more than enough to get the job done when push comes to shove as it very likely will.

[Barbara]

"If you cannot be happy in the most difficult of times you will never be happy."

sbw at 10:27 AM

Love that quote, sbw.

As I recall, the media and the Congress were pretty brutal with President Reagan. They worked tirelessly to diminish his stature and bring him down. I don't believe he ever personally wavered, and remained a happy, determined, smiling man through it all which really drove the bastards nuts.

[BASTIDS!!]

They TRIED to surprise Coney but he'd taken steps

."Exclusive: Sources close to the intelligence community report that Director Comey’s FBI computer was illegally accessed immediately after he was dismissed from his post. They further report that ‘removable media’ was used in the commission of this crime. ‘Removable media’ is a category describing physical devices that can be placed into a computer, either to download information or to upload it, such as a memory card, a USB stick, a removable hard drive, a thumb drive or similar items.

Sources further report that a person or persons allied to Donald Trump passed data accessed from Director Comey’s computer to Russian diplomats. It is not known when or how this took place. A piece of removable media containing all the data in question has been recovered from hostile actors, sources say, and is now in the possession of the Justice Department."

[Truthbetold5]

Muller was the one who told Armitage to not tell anyone that he was Bob Novak's source in the Plamegate fiasco.

Mueller did this three months before Patrick Fitzgerald was appointed and days before Comey was nominated to be Deputy Attorney General.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Cecil,

If you can't see the good economic news, the progress in the Middle East, or the new opportunity to work with China to get the Norks to shape up,

I can't help you.

Go to your Eeyore place, which is rather boggy and sad.

I bet YOU never caught a live mouse!

#Winning

[Clarice Feldman]

TBT--I have never seen that anywhere. I know Armitage and Powell told the unsupervised Fitzgerald that, but there's no credible report that Mueller or Comey knew which I am aware of.

Stephanie--Puppies! wow..

[narciso]

it was in a carlos slim review piece, I posted last night,

[Truthbetold5]

No Clarice. Armitage and Powell said that Patrick Fitzgerald told them not to tell anyone that Armitage was Novak's source.

They failed to mention that Mueller did so first three months prior.

[narciso]

they mentioned the note taking not the other thing,

[Old Lurker]

Iggy "but I believe whatever occurs there are too many Americans too reluctant to give up our heritage to let that occur or to let it stand if it does."

I am not so sure about the first part of that, but I am confident in the second part, one way or the other and with fifty states or some subset of them.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

The Associated Press‏Verified account @AP 5m5 minutes ago

BREAKING: Top Republican on Senate intelligence panel says Michael Flynn's lawyers say he will not honor subpoena.
98 replies 595 retweets 251 likes

=========================

Question: Is this because there is now a Special Counsel?

[Old Lurker]

Smart lawyers.

[Apocryphal]

What if the Apostle Paul of Tarsus were the SP?

Jesus of Nazareth?

What is your purity test?

YOUR agenda? Lol.

[sbwaters]

MM: Richard Armitage

Well, lookie here!

[narciso]

Erdogan's actual man in Washington, quelle surprise, previous baku chamber of commerce, Caspian syndicate

[sbwaters]

Stephen Waters‏ @sbwTweet
Sez @jpaceDC snarking a tweet as a taunt. Unprofessional #MSM. @APnews

Julie Pace‏Verified account @jpaceDC
President Donald Trump is facing a crisis he can’t manage with a tweet or a taunt.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

sbw,

That Armitage is a real helpful sort, isn't he?

I like how they inserted his quote like NONE OF US WOULD REMEMBER his prior snake-like behavior.

Buddy buddy with Colin Powell of dicking bimbos fame. Leaker of Plame identity and let Libby take the rap for it, and never apologized.

What a creep! When I saw that name my immediate thought was "Red alert! Swamp creature sighting!"

[Captain Hate]

One thing we've found out through time is that Congress is more worthless than usual when it comes to investigating wrongdoing.

[Apocryphal]

Edrogans thugs in DC giving support to Flynn/Trump Bund.

Beating on Americans is revolutionary and fun.

[Truthbetold5]

Clarice

Why don't you call Armitage and ask him?

[narciso]

he was on the willing for Hillary list, remember last fall

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Captain Hate,

I am hard-pressed to name one person in either the Senate or the House whom I truly respect. I think once Jeff Sessions left, that was about it for the Senate.

In the House, can't name a one.

How did we wind up with the heirs of Henry Clay and Daniel Webster being such a group of mediocre brains with zero courage?

[RICH]

NO joy in Mudville..

https://www.google.com/amp/amp.usatoday.com/story/329191001/

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Just overheard some Fox broad interviewing some goof I think named Tom Rogan at NRO.
Had to check and make sure it wasn't CNN or MSNBC. Amazingly retarded.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

RICH,

I am amzed that hasn't happened here.

I remember taking my grandpa to my son's and daughter's graduation. He was a retired coach and government teacher and would wear a suit and tie, as did my ex-husband and I wore a dress.

Then we would get there and there would be people in flip-flops and shorts, carrying balloons and generally acting like it was a pep rally.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Just as a final point I'm happy with all the drama.
No drama = progs getting their way.

Go stir up a little drama in the "greatest deliberately fossilized body in the world" McTurtle.

[Captain Hate]

The GOP can fuck off as long as they don't flush away floating turds like Powell and Armitage.

[Threadkiller]

Clarice

Why don't you call Armitage and ask him?

There you go again, TBT.

Sometimes you get on a pretty good roll and I'm actually hooked. But then you are asked for sources and you lash out.

I, like Clarice, would like more info on what you claim Mueller did.

Does it exist?

[Barbara]

When the GW Bush administration was taking shape, Armitage was apparently looking for a place at the Defense Department. Rumsfeld said he wouldn't hire Armitage under any circumstances. Shortly after that, Colin Powell hired Armitage at the State Department.

After the successful invasion of Iraq, the two departments were competing to have their candidate be the replacement for Saddam Hussein. Neither succeeded. It seemed the Iraqis at that time had their own choice in mind.

Where do we get people like Armitage? How can we prevent them from rising out of the ooze to hold positions of power ever again?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Ignatz,

I wonder if a lot of this is to keep the press from really noticing what this trip is about.

Did you read that Wictor thread above? President Trump was INVITED to attend that Gulf Security Council meeting. No other president, not even either of the Bush guys, has been invited to that.

I think something is up. Big league. :-)

[Momto2]

This is what fighting with lunatics looks like.

Love it, Iggy - Truth!

[JM Hanes]

TSK9!

Big smooches if you stop by again today. I just hate that I missed you last night!

I'm really ambivalent about the Meuller proposition. He managed to maintain a surprisingly low-profile, nominally non-partisan, tenure at the FBI, and if anybody can ferret out internal bad players, I'd give him better odds than most. But then there's the disturbing sense of deja vu -- Ashcroft recuses himself from Plamegate, Deputy Comey appoints supposed straight shooter as SC. Sessions recuses himself, deputy of undelineated political persuasion appoints supposed straight shooter.... Especially when Trump's tweets on the matter sound like he is not exactly thrilled by that developement. On the other hand, he's got one big thing going for him. He is not Bush, who basically defaulted on his own defense.

Strudelat:

I'm with you on finding Flynn's Turkish sympathies far more disturbing than his putative contacts w. Russia. I admit to some ambivalence on that score as well, because Turkey is a major player in both the Middle East & Europe, so we clearly need to cultivate some sort of working relationship with Erdogan, which, given his monumental ego, may require some sucking up. Even so, I was never comfortable with what seemed like Flynn's uncritical support, if not admiration, as Erdogan was crushing all opposition to the expansion of his powers. I have been really relieved to see that Trump is not abandoning the Kurds, who got pathetically little support from Obama, and is willing to arm them over Erdogan's protest.

[Captain Hate]

I'm with TK regarding TBT making some good points on matters like the GOP's odd silence on Hastert (actually both side's silence considering the political hay which could be made) but then he screws it with attacks on Clarice.

[Old Lurker]

Cap'n at 11:41 wasted the second half of his first line and all of the second.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Barbara,

I don't know the full answer, but shrinking government would be helpful.

Bill Kristol wields enormous influence without working in government at all, and like so many people, trades in gossip and policy recommendations. As far as I know, his only stint in government was getting promoted to be Quayle's chief of staff when the first guy was let go (due to Kristol back-stabbing, I am almost sure).

There are all sorts f types who hang around Washington trying to get inside the government or shape policy from outside. I don't like it at all, as it cuts the average citizen out of the decision making process.

[pagar, a bacon, ham and sausage supporter]

From JamesD @10:50 "This will never, ever, ever stop until the Democrats and their allies in the MSM start paying a personal cost for their actions. "
No one seems to care that:"After attacking President Trump at every turn regarding his so-called “ties” to Russia, Waters’ dirty laundry is out in the air. Got News reports that she has $200,000 held in a Russia-linked retirement account. UH-OH, it can’t get any worse, right? Apparently, she also has a whopping $2.8 MILLION tied up in obligation to the Russian Federation."

http://www.angrypatriotmovement.com/dem-busted-in-russia-scandal/

http://rwcnews.com/millions-in-russia-anti-trump-senator-leading-russia-conspiracy-exposed.html

"Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) is one of the main Senators responsible for spreading the conspiracy theory that the Trump administration has unethical ties to Russia. Apparently, this may be to distract from the fact that he’s the one that actually has a relationship with the country. In 2012, he got millions from a Russian tech company."

AND NO ONE Seem to believe that the Russian government would have any influence over who gets money from Russian companies.

IMO, there should be a special investigator appointed for every Democrat listed as taking money from Russia.

[DebinNC]

83 yo Sen. Charles Grassley is still on his feet and fighting. The rest seem in "lie low and don't make waves" mode. Other than John Lewis and Hank "Guam might tip over" Johnson, I bet few of y'all could name more more than 3 of GA's 11 Reps and 2 Senators. I doubt I could name more than 5, and 9 are Rs - that's how irrelevant they are imo.

[Truthbetold5]

Correcting Clarice's is an attack?

[Old Lurker]

MM "types who hang around Washington trying to get inside the government or shape policy from outside."

The word "Lobbyist" was not an accident.

[Buckeye]

Where do we get people like Armitage? How can we prevent them from rising out of the ooze to hold positions of power ever again?

Mitch Rapp

[Threadkiller]

TBT...

[Old Lurker]

Buckeye :-)

[Barbara]

Just as a final point I'm happy with all the drama.
No drama = progs getting their way.

Ignatz,

I must admit, a little "drama" or action is preferable to watching the moribund Republicans walking around the chambers of Congress like extras in The Night of the Living Dead.

[Truthbetold5]

TK

What you believe is of no concern to me.

[Another Bob]

Miss Marple the Deplorable | May 18, 2017 at 10:29 AM

Cecil Turner has a point that the Trump communications operation hasn't covered itself in glory here.

[Threadkiller]

Then why do you seek the attention?

You have no facts, it seems.