Out Like Flynn

I understand this is a plea deal and we are meant to believe Flynn is being let off easy in exchange for vital evidence that blows the lid off Trump's collusion with the Russians, but...

given Flynn's other seemingly more serious legal challenges around the unregistered lobbying, busting him for something we already knew about doe not seem like an investigative breakthrough.

MORE: OK, this isn't great, but...

Stocks fall sharply on report that Michael Flynn was directed by Trump to talk to Russians

• ABC News reported that Flynn would testify that he was directed to make contact with the Russians.

Asking your National Security Advisor to speak to the Russian Ambassador (or others) is hardly illegal. As to what Trump told him to discuss or not discuss, time and Flynn will tell.

That said, I doubt Trump told him to lie to Pence or the FBI. However, it does sort of time in to an obstruction charge, especially if Mueller theorist are comfortable that Trump can "obstruct" a going-nowhere investigation of a non-crime.

Comments

[Clarice Feldman]

Anyone who speaks to the FBI is a fool. They don't videotape these interviiews and it's the often lying jerk agent's notes (as we know from Libby often wrong) versus your recollection of the interview.

[narcisoyea]

The process is the punishment, for the innocent, for the guilty they get off on a lesser charge.

[Captain Hate]

Sharyl Attkisson tweet: "We know what happens when you lie to the FBI. My question: what happens to the FBI when *they* lie to you? (Asking for a friend.)"

[Captain Hate]

Has Jeff Sessions caught any pot smokers today?

[narcisoyea]

The capital of the resistance like Barcelona is likewise:althouse.blogspot.com/2017/12/study-blames-law-enforcement-for.html

[Threadkiller]

At least Tillerson is still in.

[Threadkiller]

Trump was suckered by a lying jerk agent's notes.

[henry]

Trump told Flynn to do it. (NBC)

https://twitter.com/CNBCnow/status/936629614000136198

[henry]

Actually that's NBC reporting ABC crap. Anyway, now they can say Trump is guilty, so Mueller can arrest Trump / they can impeach him.

Mueller is playing Trump's 4D chess?

Meanwhile the "tax cut" is business as usual protection of the global elite in the Senate.

Does Trump even understand Tiddly Winks?

[Jim Eagle]

What is wrong with talking to the Russians?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Ta-da!

Our electricity is fixed and I have my computer back!

Now I can do links and not go crazy trying to type.

The electrician said that in this house we do not have ground wires and one plug had been installed upside down, which probably wasn't a problem until we started using space heaters in a couple of rooms, which drew more electricity and caused the flame-out on that plug.

(I may have this slightly garbled as I don't know very much about electricity except not to mess with it, having received a severe shock when I was 12.)

Furnace guy is coming tomorrow, and on Monday or Tuesday I will retitle the car and then get my check from State Farm. I will have my son or brother go with me to look at cars, as I know I can be bamboozled if I try and look by myself. Also, I can't drive yet. (Do not start telling me again to drive, please. It is what I think is the best all around.)

The bill was only $227, and that is a union shop. My brother is paying for it, so now I have completed the list and owe money to every single one of my siblings. Jeesh!

[Threadkiller]

According to Wikipedia, Flynn is a Democrat. I think that, if true, helps answers why Flynn would have lied in the first place.

If Trump was never involved in Flynn's life, Flynn's bio would be the depiction of a deep state, shadow government lobbyist.

He was probably giving assurances to the Russian govt to secure his power position more than to help the Trump transition.

Flynn: "Hey Sergi, this buffoon doesn't know what I know. I am the primary contact. You got it?"

Sergi: "I will transmit this to Vladimir."

Flynn lied so Trump wouldn't know that the deep state planned on continuing to run the government.

[henry]

JiB, nothing is wrong or illegal or improper. But Unitparty now has narrative to go for IMPEACH.

[henry]

ABC News @ABC

JUST IN: @BrianRoss on @ABC News Special Report: Michael Flynn promised "full cooperation to the Mueller team" and is prepared to testify that as a candidate, Donald Trump "directed him to make contact with the Russians."

[Old Lurker]

...GOPe brags they have the votes.

Dow drops 300 in three minutes.

No connection I am sure.

[Threadkiller]

Flynn, the Democrat, may testify against Trump?

#Setup

[Dave (in MA)]

henry | December 01, 2017 at 11:27 AM and Putin is in the Tea Party @BrianRoss on @ABC News

[henry]

TK, no question a setup. Will it work? Dow dropped on that ABC tweet (or at least that is the narrative).

[Tom R]

From the last thread...

I was going to suggest a law decriminalizing lying to the FBI about lawful activities but, really, if someone is so stupid as to talk to them at all they're pretty much beyond help already.

If my timeline is correct, all of Flynn's conversations with the Russians occurred AFTER the election when he was already named the future National Security Advisor and came at a time when the Obama administration was intentionally creating tensions with Russia. Seems to me it was a pretty smart move on GEN Flynn's part to try and deescalate the situation. Why would Flynn lie to the FBI about that and claim he did not say that to the Russians?

[henry]

Was Flynn in the Tea Party? That may be what he was hiding by taking this deal.

[Dave (in MA)]

DOW is still up > 70pts over yesterday's open.

[Jim Eagle]

Hard to believe the ex head of the DIA would violate the Logan Act in order to speak with the Russians about anything. He can't be that naive, can he?

I think I just answered my own question.

[Threadkiller]

Why would Flynn lie to the FBI about that and claim he did not say that to the Russians?

Because he already lied to Trump.

See my theory @ 11:23

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Threadkiller,

Your comment @11:23 gives me pause to reconsider my thinking about Flynn. I had always seen him as a loyal ally who was unjustly maligned.

Now I am wondering...

[Thomas Collins]

TK, I don't think it's Flynn deepstateing Trump any more than I ever thought it was Trump playing 1000-D chess with Flynn as a piece. Flynn is doing the necessary to minimize burn to his butt. Mueller knows the big trophy to go on his wall after he retires would be Trump. The attempted coup goes on.

[Threadkiller]

Think of Flynn as a failed deepstater, TC.

He came, he saw, he lied..

[Sue]

Tammy Bruce thinks Flynn is flipping Manafort.

[Old Lurker]

I am so sick of all of this.

[lyle]

No shit, OL.

[Rocco]

They created a phony Russian narrative which Obama allowed 16 intelligence agencies to share. Then he orders a review of election hacking and a dirty CIA reports Russia interfered with election...McConnell agrees. The coup is progressing nicely! Where's Waldo?

[henry]

ANC, NBC repeating the "during the campaign" lie. December was during the transition. All a rehearsed narrative for the LIVs.

[Tom R]

If Trump was never involved in Flynn's life, Flynn's bio would be the depiction of a deep state, shadow government lobbyist.

TK can you explain your logic on that? If Flynn was a "black hat" deep stater then why did he risk his butt opposing Obama and the Iran deal which got him fired? He would have just gone along with it.

[Old Lurker]

Drudge is loving it all.

Femall.

[rich]

Flynn, in his cooperation, can say that although his contacts were after the election, he had a wink-and-a-nod during the campaign.

So 2 counts of lieing about whom talked to whom and when and 1 count of acting as an unregistered lobbist for Ukraine for Muller's trophy case.

#winning

[Buckeye]

The bill was only $227, and that is a union shop. My brother is paying for it, so now I have completed the list and owe money to every single one of my siblings. Jeesh!

As long as you don't have a sibling named Vito, you should be OK:)

Apologies in advance to my Italian friends.

[derwill]

--Tammy Bruce thinks Flynn is flipping Manafort.--

Flynn also worked with the Podesta Group.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/washington-lobbying-firms-receive-subpoenas-as-part-of-russia-probe/2017/08/25/55e547de-89c2-11e7-a50f-e0d4e6ec070a_story.html?utm_term=.8460ac1009ea

[narcisoyea]

Not only that, the sanctions were predicated on this stupid grishenko nonsense with crowdstrike, not actually knocking a passenger liner out of the sky, or invading the Ukraine in the first place.

[narcisoyea]

The failed link, was about signer and mcawfuls criminal negligence re charlottesville.

[Old Lurker]

Narc "was about signer and mcawfuls criminal negligence re charlottesville."

To quote our good friend Harry Reid "It worked, didn't it?"

[Threadkiller]

The deep state Grinch grows a heart, Tom.

The Iran deal was so bad that someone as ambitious as Flynn didn't need it hanging on his neck.

[henry]

Fox Biz said no vote.

above re the Tax Bill. It's dead again. Not sure which turd is taking credit for that... must not have gotten the post "tax cut" corporate rate above 80% yet.

[Old Lurker]

Maybe if they agree to cut the personal rates to 80% too, that will help Henry.

Also cut the Cap Gains rate to 80% but add in a new AMT which cuts all taxes to 110% for everyone with any savings.

[henry]

No way OL... the people without savings can't be denied that tax cut!

[Old Lurker]

Just so you know...we are going to AU in January to watch the AU Open, then on to NZ to relax. I asked my wife last night why she bought return tickets.

She thought I was joking.

[Dave (in MA)]

Sharyl Attkisson‏@SharylAttkisson
We know what happens when someone lies to the FBI.
My question is: what happens to the FBI when *they*
lie? (Asking for a friend.)

[Dave (in MA)]

NBC Politics‏@NBCPolitics
BREAKING: Mitch McConnell walks onto the floor and
tells reporters: “We have the votes.”
11:59 AM - 1 Dec 2017

They must not have the votes.

[Threadkiller]

Remember when Trump was shamed because an anonymous source claimed he privately called The Whitehouse a dump?

Turns out it is a dump:

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/White-House-Work-Orders-Reveal-Repairs-Redecorating-and-Pest-Control-460862733.html

The article makes it tough to figure out if the section 8 problems happened during the last tenancy, but I have my guess.

[henry]

Flake got DACA for his "tax cut" vote.

https://twitter.com/kristinnfr/status/936643357115338753

Someone pour acid on those sharpened rocks and open the diving boards.

[lyle]

I'm envious, OL, but I think you'd find the political scene in AU even more disagreeable (I'm being charitable) than the fetid swamp of the USA.

[Frau Zorn]

Dersh is disgusted:

"So I think the Trump administration ought to be more aggressive in challenging the scope of this investigation, challenging subpoenas, challenging who is called as witnesses. This is supposed to be an investigation about whether or not there was illegal, unlawful collusion with Russia. Collusion itself is not a crime. But now what they are doing is going after people for what is the equivalent of jaywalking. Did they sign the right form? Did they include this in the form? That's all in an attempt to try to squeeze them into testifying against the Oval Office," Dershowitz said.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/11/30/dershowitz_trump_team_not_aggressive_enough_with_robert_mueller.html

[lyle]

Aussies sure are fun people, though.

[Man Tran]

Haystack and Debinga,

I mentioned a week or so ago that I finished my first bottle of the liquid magnesium. Definitely a noticeable improvement in memory. That pause when you are trying to recall a name was getting longer and longer, but may be better now than in at least five years.

I take it in the morning after brushing my teeth. Just have the 1/2 tsp spoon right there and pop the dose in my mouth. Hold for about a minute and swallow. I can't taste anything untoward about it.

[derwill]

The WH lawyer just issued a statement that said the lie Flynn copped to is the same lie that got him fired from the Trump administration for.

Which doesn't make sense, if he was only doing what Trump had asked him to do.

[lyle]

With this Flynn revelation, I'll bet Hilligula is sporting some major wood...

[Threadkiller]

Seems like a good day to walk away from my computer.

I'll be back after I catch up on fresh air.

[Captain Hate]

Not sure how much of this, if any, is legit but it's an entertaining tease:

http://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2017/11/blind-item-1-he-made-millions-from.html

And again, who wants to defend that asshole Flake?

[Account Deleted]

I agree with Dersh. And while he's at it fire Rosenstein and Sessions. This has reached the absolute point of the absurd.

[Rocco]

Mueller hand delivered 10 grams of uranium to Russia in 2009 that sealed a deal which profited the Clinton foundation millions. The guy who knows where the bodies are buried is driving this investigation where he wants it to go. Where's Waldo?

[Account Deleted]

Man Tran--- noticed any improvement in your grip?

Before supplementing the mag if I held a hand tool or a guitar chord for more than five minutes I'd have a slight shake in the hand(s). It even occurred after heavy lifting.

Not anymore. My Pa reports the same results after 12 straight months of magsupp. His dreams are "out of control" he reports. He's 85.

[Tom R]

Flynn's statement:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-01/mike-flynn-issues-offical-statement-trumps-lawyer-responds

" ..it has been extraordinarily painful to endure these many months of false accusations of "treason' and other outrageous acts. Such false accusations are contrary to everything I have ever done and stood for."

Seems to me Flynn is saying all the treason allegations against him by Democrats and the leftwing are not true but that he is guilty of lying to the FBI on a completely unrelated matter.

[Rocco]

He's been Libby'R'ated!

[Sue]

Apparently Kushner was in front of SC a couple of weeks ago. I’m going to guess they are after him, since he would have been at Maralago during Christmas.

[Frau Zorn]

Which of his shlemiels did Obama *order* to deal secretly with Iran before, during, and after the election?
Remember Mr. "I'll make no preconditions for talking with Iran"? That cost us, didn't it? The pallets of cash did not come from Obama's stash.
Pfui!

Did John F'n Kerry secretly deal with Iran while he was in the Senate? It's his kind of action.

[Account Deleted]

Will we see the power of the pardon or has Flynn been Libbied?

[Old Lurker]

Lyle...been to the AU Open before so I know what you mean. This will be our first to NZ though. I was banking on having Jane's Island but she's mad at me at the moment so I need to hedge my bets.

[Account Deleted]

Rocco---> for real? Or am I missing your facetiousness?

[Rocco]

Wikileaks has been pretty accurate so Far

https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09STATE85588_a.html

[Account Deleted]

henry---> I cannot find Chitown's email addie. Need to reach out to him. Litto hep? Thank, mano.

Kev

[Old Lurker]

I agree with Dersh too but Trump waited too long. Now it will be too easy to spin as now that they got Flynn, Trump knows he is guilty and going down etc etc etc.

The time to protect the balance of power was way before they had a single scalp.

Too bad his AG was sleeping under the tree.

I know we think Trump is way too smart to be nailed this way, but it is getting hard to hold my breath waiting to see his plan.

[Frau Zorn]

"Which doesn't make sense, if he was only doing what Trump had asked him to do."

Robert Mewler III already knew that. Nothing new here. A $7 million dollar nothing burger to chum the losers.

[Dave (in MA)]

Re: my 12:09 from Attkisson,
https://twitter.com/ChuckRossDC/status/781514652643577856

[narcisoyea]

Tony Abbott was the trump figure down under that top man trumbull wee encouraged to mount a coup, I mean leadership challenge against him.

[Rocco]

The top left pic is Giustra, Canadian mining magnate tied to the U1 deal.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/clinton-money/

[Man Tran]

Kev,

No obvious physical effects, but not particularly suffering any. However, the dreaming is nuts! I was always a regular dreamer to the point that I mostly ignored them as a back channel purging process. (Frankly I think they were 'night school' classes that didn't need to be directly remembered.)

My creative juices usually flow in the early morning twilight time when that problem you've been rolling over finally gets the ping that was missing. That seems to be back stronger as well.

[Account Deleted]

"I agree with Dersh too but Trump waited too long. Now it will be too easy to spin as now that they got Flynn, Trump knows he is guilty and going down etc etc etc."

OL---> I agree. BUT! The narrative and the spin are not ours to control.

Let's see how POTUS does what he does so well: disrupt the narrative and the spin.

If I were POTUS I'd use the tweet-o-sphere to cut through all of the legalese and myada diambo to tell the American people what's happpening to a decorated military man and why.

Start using the word "coup d'etat". POTUS needs to get in behind Mueller and start hooking his privates with an umbrella handle to remind him who has the power to terminate him. Then let's see who has the power to impeach POTUS.

Obviously I am spitballing beyond my agreement statement.

Kev

[Sue]

An attorney on Twitter has me 2nd guessing my Kushner guess. His lawyer let him talk to Mueller and wouldn’t do that if they thought he was their target.

[Rocco]

Giustra has since committed more than $100 million to the work of the Clinton Foundation, becoming one of the largest individual donors to the family’s charities.

http://investmentwatchblog.com/the-clintons-a-luxury-jet-and-their-100-million-donor-trust-problem/

[Account Deleted]

"(Frankly I think they were 'night school' classes that didn't need to be directly remembered.)"

MT---> for some reason I find this humorous to the point of an unexpected guffaw that prompted Mrs. Kid to shout: "WHHHHAT?!?!?!??!"

Thanks for the keeper.

Kev

[Rocco]

kev...maybe I should have said secrets instead of bodies.

[Old Lurker]

"Obviously I am spitballing beyond my agreement statement."

Me too.

I'm thinking Shakespeare got it wrong with "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances..."

Since it feels to me like I am just watching the play from the cheap seats."

[Account Deleted]

ah! Rocco, of course. I get that.

[James D.]

I know we think Trump is way too smart to be nailed this way, but it is getting hard to hold my breath waiting to see his plan.

I think Trump is very smart, but he has virtually no allies in DC, and and the ones he does have are mostly of questionable loyalty and usefulness. There’s only so much he can do when completely surrounded by enemies who are willing to break every law and standard of behavior in order to oppose him. And who have the full support of the media, the Dem party, much of the GOP, and 40% of the citizenry.

[Account Deleted]

Frau==> you've given me cause to resume my usual springy step. i know better than to overreact to the machinations of the Deep State Machine.

"Let the people know the Truth and the Nation shall be saved!" (Who seddit?)

Kev

[Old Lurker]

Tru dat, James.

[daddy]

I want to say that being able to post on a phone is a blessing, as who would have imagined doing this 20 years ago.

Posted by: Miss Marple

[henry]

Kev, check your email.

[henry]

What is it with these TX R Reps? Add today's latest pervnado participant:

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/01/blake-farenthold-taxpayer-funds-sexual-harassment-274458

[Account Deleted]

Thanks, henry. We're in comm now.

[Rocco]

I'm off to clean gutters

[Appalled]

Emptywheel (home of "Keep Hope Alive" since 2006 or so) says the next stop would appear to be Kushner.

https://www.emptywheel.net/2017/12/01/next-stop-jared/#comments

[Sue]

Appalled,

That’s what i thought too but why would his attorney let him talk to Mueller if they thought he was a target?

[Sue]

Henry,

His district is down around Corpus. Not that it matters. Just glad it isn’t mine. So far.

[henry]

appalled, has anyone identified a crime yet? Or is this just a manufactured line of "you answered the same question differently once, even though we asked it 60 different ways over 5 months"?

[Appalled]

McCarthy on other hand is saying no big deal, Mueller likely ain't got nothin'

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/454269/michael-flynn-plea-no-breakthrough-russia-investigation

For full conspiracy theories from the Russia Yes! Russia Now! pov, check the twitter feed of Seth Abramson.

[henry]

Sue, my parents told me Orange was all crooks when we lived there. I see that hasn't changed.

[Buckeye]

I know we think Trump is way too smart to be nailed this way, but it is getting hard to hold my breath waiting to see his plan.

If he has a MOAB up his sleeve, time to open the bomb doors.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/12/potus-trump-attorney-ty-cobb-releases-statement-general-flynns-guilty-plea/

Be sure you click this link to see the attorney's picture. Love it!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Tom Fitton‏Verified account @TomFitton
3h3 hours ago

Sally Yates, Andrew McCabe, and James Comey improperly targeted General Flynn. And Mueller got him. Deep State victory. @RealDonaldTrump should consider a pardon. The Mueller special counsel continues to be unconstitutional and out of control. Shut it down.

[Old Lurker]

James again: "...willing to break every law and standard of behavior in order to oppose him. And who have the full support of the media, the Dem party, much of the GOP, and 40% of the citizenry."

In my Man-Tran predawn semi consciousness I was dreaming about the inability to get anything good done in DC (having seen the Corker stunt right at bedtime). I awoke with a degree of clarity:

A Nation can never be a safe haven of liberty and freedom for its citizens unless:

It controls its borders so it can focus on and defend its own citizens.

It controls the size and appetite of its government so that day to day citizens can focus on themselves and their duties and not on the government eating his lunch.

History over a very long time sets the government size at 18-20% of GDP before it starts to eat into individual freedoms and liberties. Taking 40 or 50% (F,S&L) of total productivity can only result in the anarchy of pigs fighting over scraps of food in the barnyard.

The system cannot long survive if 80% of the cost of government is paid by 10-20% of the citizens. That can never foster a "we are all in this together" mentality. Consider that 60% of government spending is taking cash from one group of citizens and giving it to another group, less the vig. Repeat the refrain of pigs fighting for scraps.

Nobody is entitled to free stuff which they should provide for themselves with their own efforts, and no society can survive when that acceptance of individual responsibility is rejected.

So back to James' line at the top...

[Dave (in MA)]

Rocco, if you swing by my place and do my gutters, I'll forgive you for posting that pic.