The Day After

Mollie Hemingway of The Federalist has sensible takeaways from the Cohen plea deal. Let me emphasize points 4 and 5.

4. Targeted For Political Connections

...

A big problem for federal prosecutors is that public trust in their application of the rule of law is low because of how they handle political cases. You can read about how Mueller’s FBI routinely abused prosecutorial discretion, including the anthrax case bungling, leniency for Clinton associate Sandy Berger, the disgraceful Scooter Libby prosecution, the railroading of Ted Stevens, and more.

You can read about James Comey’s long history of botching obstruction cases. Or you can read the inspector general report into the Hillary Clinton investigation, where at every single step along the way, the FBI tread lightly and gently in the face of demonstrable crime, unquestionable lying to agents, and other prosecutable activity.

It’s not that Cohen and Manafort aren’t shady people. They are. It’s that the American public can see that Washington D.C. is teeming with shady people and those with the right connections get off scot-free. That is an extremely dangerous situation for the preservation of the republic and trust in her institutions.

And:

5. Campaign Finance Violations Might Implicate Trump, But Might Not

The big excitement in the Resistance over Cohen’s guilty plea is that Cohen says he made illegal campaign contributions by paying two women for non-disclosure agreements. These payments were later reimbursed by Trump. Reimbursements for illegal campaign contributions would be a problem for Trump since he didn’t report them on his Federal Election Commission reports.

...

The most recent historical analog to this situation is the John Edwards case. The 2004 vice presidential nominee for the Democratic Party was charged with taking and conspiring to take illegal contributions in excess of what the law allowed, and lying about it by not including the contributions on forms filed with the Federal Election Commission. The contributions went to his mistress Rielle Hunter, with whom he had a daughter.

The government claimed the payments were campaign contributions since he was in the middle of a campaign and trying to conceal his affair. Edwards, however, said the hush money was to conceal the affair from his wife. That case resulted in zero convictions — one acquittal and a deadlock on five other counts. The Justice Department never tried the five counts again. The Trump situation is different, dealing with reimbursed payments for non-disclosure agreements. If they were considered campaign contributions, it would be covered here.

Here is more on the John Edwards saga. The Times also had a helpful explainer from last May, somewhat overtaken by events.

My perspective: Trump's underlying behavior - the affair and the hush money - are tawdry but not out of line with what voters understood his character to be in November of 2016. And those behaviors are regrettable but not criminal. The crime Trump may have committed,a campaign finance violation could have been easily avoided if he had been advised to write a personal check (perhaps by way of a shell company) and report it all to the FEC. This would have pushed disclosure past the election and given the opacity of the shell companies the truth may well have remained hidden indefinitely.

So now we are supposed to impeach Trump because he got bad legal advice? That is really punishing form over substance.

Or are we meant to impeach him over an alleged affair from ten years ago?

The Trump and Sanders experience clearly showed that a lot of Americans have lost confidence in the Washington Establishment and the power elite (a feeling that is clearly mutual, if MSNBC is a guide). Busting Trump on this sort of 'gotcha' won't bring the country together again.

Let The Resistance bring a real case and change some minds. Or run a real candidate and get rid of Trump the old-fashioned way. We have alternative processes in this country and FEC technicalities followed by an interminable booth review should not be the way we get rid of a President.

Comments

[Art of the Plea Deal]

To Prague, or not to Prague. That is the question.

[Tom R]

From the previous thread...

I wonder how AL voters view DT's overt Sessions bashing? Not well imo.

This one realizes it is nothing but kabuki theater. Trump would fire Sessions in a heartbeat if he truly felt that way about him.

[Captain Hate]

Yes, ignore all the evidence that Sessions is an incompetent boob at best, who has no control over his swampy department, or at worst a deep state plant.

Maybe Trump is the straight shooter everyone voted for.

[Tom R]

From the previous thread...

Question: on the Cohen deal, technically SDNY handled that. It is run by whomever got appointed to replace Preet. Did Sessions screw up another appointment? Or did he recuse himself from doing his job managing his inferiors again?

The US Attorney for SDNY is Geoffrey Berman and he was appointed by Trump. Once Berman was formally in place he hired Robert Khuzami to be his Deputy. If you look at the biography of Khuzami there is nothing that stands out that would lead anyone to conclude he was a hardcore political partisan for either party. He appears to be a Republican based on political donations.

Since Cohen worked for Trump and Trump appointed Berman it was the legally proper for him to recuse himself from the case. In regards to Sessions, he was not recused from the Cohen case. IANAL so I don't know what the proper legal recourse is on cases like this but I would assume Khuzami had to staff Cohen's indictment and plea deal thru Sessions and/or Rosenstein before going thru with it.

Since it appears the plea bargain deal was actually made on 24 April 2018, I would assume Trump and Sessions have known this was coming for a long time. What I would like to know is why and who delayed the plea bargain deal for 4 months and if the announcement on the same day of the Manafort verdict was by design.

[Momto2]

If only some in the GOP would wake up and realize that border security is a huge deal to most voters. Some are vocal and some are not but their votes will tell the tale.

I lurk and read on a website called Websleuths which follows crimes, missing persons, trials, etc. There is a huge cross section of people from all over the U.S. who post there.

This Mollie Tibbetts murder currently is on section 35 with each section having up to 100 posts. Once the killer was identified it blew up with posts about his illegal status. They had to threaten to close down the discussion numerous times because it is not a "political" site. People were furious and unable to stop posting about the reason why he was here for 4-7 years and allowed to work, drive, etc. Now, a young sweet girl is dead.

[Momto2]

From the same site above - someone posted this which I found interesting:

I volunteer every weekend to drive truckloads if food and water to homeless camps throughout the city. There are many undocumented here. I will always do what I can.

I am not an expert but I know this.

1. In one camp there are 123 kids who go to local schools. That’s 4 classrooms.

2. In one camp there are 5 people who require dialysis through an emergency room 3 times a week. The average Er dialysis treatment is $25,000.00. $25,000.00 x3 x 5 = $375,000.00/week.

I am working to estimate the medical, financial assistance and misc. costs taxpayers shell out. I know that the estimated cost of food we deliver to one camp is over $3,500.00 and we are 1 if 4 groups doing it.

For dialysis and food and water alone the costs are nearly $20 MILLION DOLLARS.

think about that for awhile.

[henry]

Momto2, perhaps if that idiot quit enabling the undocumented, fewer would come here. Damn virtue signalling.

[Eye Doctor]

Kubuki theater is the problem, Tommy.

It must stop.

[Rocco]

Trump would fire Sessions in a heartbeat if he truly felt that way about him.

I'm not so sure Tom, I wonder if he'll be able to get another pick through a confirmation hearing and with a tough SC confirmation coming also, could firing Sessions screw that up?

[Eye Doctor]

For all those who have a problem with my use of "Tommy boy"

What would Trump say?

[Captain Hate]

I read somewhere that Grassley had warned DJT that he wouldn't schedule a confirmation hearing for a replacement. Granted that could just be Internet crap but Grassley was behind a blatantly unconstitutional protect Mueller from being fired bill that the Turtle deep sixed from consideration.

[Eye Doctor]

Grassley also protected Mueller when Sibel Edmonds was gagged!

[henry]

Free front holes for govt workers. this is so wrong.

The memo also noted UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank, as well as chancellors from five other UW-System schools, had requested the GIB add gender reassignment benefits to the State Group Health Insurance Program.

https://www.wispolitics.com/2018/board-votes-to-again-cover-gender-identity-related-health-services-for-state-employees/

[henry]

Want to play name that party?

Milwaukee County supervisor convicted in drunken driving case, faces fine and license suspension

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2018/08/22/milwaukee-county-board-vice-chair-convicted-drunken-driving/1063813002/

[Tom R]

KK @10:54 from the previous thread

To prevent clogging up this thread I responded to your psychoanalysis of me at the end of the previous thread.

[Miss Marple]

One thing we have learned is how the political class see themselves as a protected, closed group. The arrogance I have seen from people like Mitt Romney and Ari Fleischer is mind-boggling.

One would think people like that would like to keep their reputations, but they obviously don't care what we think, and for some reason think their opinions will hold sway with us.

My personal preference would be to lay off every single person in the DOJ and the FBI with the exception of the fingerprint and forensics lab. Start all over with new people.

I suppose that isn't allowed, but if you ask me it would fix things pretty quickly.

[Eye Doctor]

Self serving gibberish, Tommy boy

[Jim]

Selling 20% of the US uranium is way, way, way worse than anything President Trump has done or is accused of doing. There's no way I could have or would have voted for her.

[Old Lurker]

Agree MM. "One thing we have learned is how the political class sees themselves as a protected, closed group."

After Awan, who could possibly doubt that they have a point?

[Eye Doctor]

They have sold their souls and thanks to programs like Cointelpro they are owned.

[JM Hanes]

In re Sessions from the previous thread (I finally checked for a new thread before hitting post!):

It seems pretty clear that the President really wants Sessions' resignation, which the A.G., now in his dream job as War on Drugs Overlord, is refusing to submit. I suspect that the President doesn't want to outright fire Sessions just before the mid-terms. Aside from the pre-election maelstrom that would create, wouldn't it leave Rosenstein at the helm during a confirmation process that would be a whole new circus, with the Mueller gang serving up October surprises on the side?

At some point Trump is going to have to deal with Rosenstein. Rather than cooperating in that effort, it looks to me like Sessions has decided he'd rather keep his toga clean, effectively forcing the President to tackle them both simultaneously in what will amount to a hostile takeover. I used to think Sessions was great, myself, until he totally wimped out in the Sotomayor confirmation hearings. I took a second look when he stepped up to bat for Trump in the elections, but I think he basically doesn't give damn about what Rosenstein and Mueller do, as long as they keep him out of it while he pursues his own agenda.

[henry]

Interesting, Mulvaney must have driven them nuts.

CNBC @CNBC
7m

The Senate Banking Committee has approved Kathy Kraninger as director of the CFPB.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/23/senate-panel-approves-trumps-nominee-for-consumer-watchdog.html?__source=twitter%7Cmain

[lurkersusie]

Great article

Grounded Ambition: How Jeff Sessions’ Dream Job Became A Nightmare – Wick Media Productions

To find an elementary footing on the subject, let’s play a word association game. You say Attorney General Sessions, I say Chuck Cooper. Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein? Chuck Cooper. Former Assistant AG Rachel Brand? Chuck Cooper. Acting Assistant AG Jesse Panuccio? Chuck Cooper. Solicitor General Noel Francisco? Chuck Cooper. Presidential Candidate Ted Cruz? Chuck Cooper. I think you get the point. There’s no separating the native Alabaman and longtime DC super lawyer from our current situation. If you need further validation of Cooper’s influence, know that he seamlessly transformed from ardent Ted Cruz supporter and advisor, to the chief architect of Trump’s Justice Department. If that makes you a little squeamish, you’re not alone. The more one peels back the layers of this particular onion, the more one sees a complex and hardly subtle establishment matrix built to box in President Trump.

http://wickmediaproductions.com/2018/06/04/grounded-ambition-how-jeff-sessions-dream-job-became-a-nightmare/

[rse]

henry-you'll love this. http://www.govtech.com/budget-finance/Florida-School-Districts-Tech-Project-Costs-Explode.html

[Kevlar Kid]

"What I would like to know is why and who delayed the plea bargain deal for 4 months and if the announcement on the same day of the Manafort verdict was by design."

That would be valuable information.

What i would like to know is WHO in the DOJ chain of command would need, for purposes of political cover, "plausible deniability"--- or, at least, benefit from it.

Nothing smells of conspiracy more than the waft of plausible deniability mixed with the stench of coinkydinkiness. Well, maybe a bona fide smoking gun does.

[Old Lurker]

Me three, JMH.

Trump's hands are tried until after the midterms. If the wave is Red, the scores get settled. If the wave is Blue, what is the point of working so damn hard at his age for that rebuff?

[henry]

From the above link:

A far-less contentious nomination was Trump's choice to be president of the Export-Import Bank, Kimberly Reed. Her nomination received unanimous approval from the committee.

That swamp crony abomination gets everything it wants.

[henry]

Thanks rse! That is why we don't do business with govt agencies. No one in charge means no possibility of success. Don't need those headaches.

[Eye Doctor]

The government does not do business.

It makes deals!

[Kevlar Kid]

"To prevent clogging up this thread I responded to your psychoanalysis of me at the end of the previous thread."

Thank you for not reposting.

Call it what you wish. But, since you've chosen a specific characterization i am compelled to offer the precise definition of the term:

"a system of psychological theory and therapy that aims to treat mental disorders by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in the mind and bringing repressed fears and conflicts into the conscious mind by techniques such as dream interpretation and free association."

rethink.

[JM Hanes]

Eye Doctor:

"What would Trump say?"

You're fired? Could you please give it a rest? Your "Tommy boy" harangues are making these threads nearly unreadable, and making zero progress TomR. I rarely killfile anyone, but it's like wading through chaff to follow actual conversations. It's such a waste of your talents, when you know so much about so many of the players.

[Kevlar Kid]

lurkersusie's 11:56 explains a lot re Sessions, the hamstrung DOJ, and more. Worth the read. tx, L/S!

[Eye Doctor]

Really JM Hanes

Pocahontas, Little Marco, Crooked Hillary....

[Kevlar Kid]

i'm of similar mind as OL on that, JMH.

hopeful we'll see some movement after a favorable mid-term outcome.

"Elections have consequences." -The Bath House Rat

[henry]

popular theme today:

Steven Dennis @StevenTDennis
12m

! Lindsey Graham says it's "very likely" Trump will replace Jeff Sessions but warns him not to do so until AFTER the midterms.
Says president deserves to have an AG he has confidence in and it's clear he does not have confidence in Sessions.

[Eye Doctor]

Agreed Sessions is done

[henry]

Reality Winner wins 5 years.

The Hill @thehill
3m

JUST IN: NSA leaker sentenced to over five years in prison for giving classified memo to The Intercept

[Kevlar Kid]

from the article on cost overruns on school district "tech" project:

"“I think the district did feel — the superintendent as well as the board and many others — that we did have a lot of safeguards in place,” Saunders said at the press conference. “Unfortunately, as discovered, sometimes things do occur.”"

the district "did feel" that they "did have a lot of safeguards...."

"sometimes things do occur"... huh?

this reads like district "squishy".

school bond issue coming in 3...2...1 to cover the 1.36 million in unpaid invoices.

that's how it works in CaliSchoolPornia.

[Jack is Back!]

Reality Winner wins 5 years.

henry,

Only if she gets a sex change like Manning.

[henry]

Kev, a while back the UW system was $35 million over budget in implementing their new payroll. The civil servant IT tech "project manager" didn't have any idea when or how the project would be completed, just needed another $35 million to keep spending while implementing nothing. No "executive" or board member of UW cared one whit. The Legislature found out and shut it down. (Note it was a competitor's software. the failure was entirely one of management).

[Kevlar Kid]

So what ever happened to Mr and Mrs Reality Weiner?

[henry]

Mueller makes Pecker immune.

The Wall Street Journal @WSJ
12s

Federal prosecutors granted immunity to David Pecker, CEO of National Enquirer publisher and longtime Trump friend, in Cohen investigation

[Kevlar Kid]

Toxic femininity takes on Toxic Masculinity.

i found this very entertaining.

https://bombardsbodylanguage.com/2018/08/23/body-language-toxic-femininity-cathy-tucker-carlsons-meat/

[Kevlar Kid]

henry---

the Calipornia ASSembly has been MIA for a long time.

[Kevlar Kid]

So is Miss Lindsay auditioning for Attorney General?

[Captain Hate]

Am I the only person thinking Reality's sentence was overly lenient?

[James D.]

So is Miss Lindsay auditioning for Attorney General?

I hope not. Even if he didn't have the history he's got, I think we've seen the error of putting a Senator in charge of anything important.

[Rocco]

From lurkersusie's 11:56.

Now having one of the most successful boutique law firms in the country, Cooper put aside his open disdain for Donald Trump to help his old friend prep for the confirmation process. Something few were more qualified to do than Chuck Cooper. And wouldn’t you know it, he was also magnanimous enough to offer to oversee the hiring of all the top positions at Justice Main. With an “aw shucks” grin, and a legendary status in the Federalist Society, Cooper set about putting all the functional pieces around Sessions to ensure loyalty to the Attorney General, not the president. About the only person who was not connected to Cooper’s law firm was Rod Rosenstein; who, of course, never has worked for a non-government entity in his career. But fear not, Cooper personally interviewed Rosenstein along with Sessions, and gave him a thumbs up and the unparalleled Cooper seal of approval. Then, as Caesar said, the die was cast.

Hmm, Sessions gets to a Trump hating Sally Yates DOJ and the first thing he does is ask his best friend Chuck Cooper, a Trump hating hack to help him choose assignments for his new DOJ.

I'm inclined to believe this whole fiasco is a coup and therefore believe it was imperative to make sure Rosenstein was in position to take over when Sessions recused.

Here's one I posted a week or two ago trying to figure out why and how Rosenstein was chosen.

https://abovethelaw.com/2017/01/a-deep-drive-into-the-department-of-justice-transition/

[narciso79]

She carried forth a box of chocolates, that was mostly empty, it does make one wonder the value of nsa product, then again schindler and hennessey (she's two mensch crazy) worked fir the puzzle palace.

[Kevlar Kid]

The government doesn't do business: it lines pockets.

[Kevlar Kid]

Tx for reposting Rocco. I didn't get around to reading that before i could bookmark it. :D

[Eye Doctor]

Just like Comey was put in place so Ashcroft could recuse himself!

[maryrose]

TomR:
If you don’t mind answering, why did both stories Manafort and Cohen drop on the same day?
Don’t expect an explanation or show of support from the posters who have taken on your arguments.Too high of an explanation.
Captain, I having voted for Kasich twice( lesser of two evils) your comment to Deb seemed a bit harsh in my opinion.

[maryrose]

Explanation should be expectation.

[Rocco]

You're welcome KK

[Captain Hate]

I think even JackStraw has soured on Sleepy Jeff, while still throwing in the obvious caveat that the draining would be overnight. He was responding to Horde contrasts with how the EPA has been gelded of the resident absolutists.

[Kevlar Kid]

oh good lord.

[maryrose]

I saw MSNBC pull a stunt that annoyed me.
Mika took footage from Ainsley Earnhardt’s interview with President Trump moments after it aired to put her own spin on it.
Mika grows uglier every day with her sneering face and sarcastic tone.
Harwood the sexual predator has been brought back as well with Donny—-bag.

[Kevlar Kid]

Rocco--- reading the article made me sad. i cannot imagine what this presidency would be achieving without a corrupted, duplicitous Justice Department (which includes the FBI!). -Kev

[James D.]

I almost wonder sometimes if it would be easier for sane people who actually like this country to infiltrate and take over the Democrat party, rather than keep fighting the GOPe traitors who still hold far too much power in the Republican party.

[Kevlar Kid]

haven't heard any wailing and gnashing of chiclets over at State in a while. has the Department been gutted and cauterized?

life in the slaughterhouse?

[Autumnal Backstabbing]

ow Trump’s most powerful media ally next to Fox News has broken with him. According to two sources briefed on the Cohen investigation, prosecutors granted immunity to David Pecker, chairman of The National Enquirer publisher American Media Inc., and A.M.I.’s chief content officer, Dylan Howard, so they would describe Trump’s involvement in Cohen’s payments to porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal during the 2016 campaign. The Wall Street Journal first reported Pecker’s cooperation on Wednesday night. (Pecker and Howard did not respond to multiple requests for comment. A spokesperson for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.)

Pecker’s apparent decision to corroborate Cohen’s account, and implicate Trump in a federal crime, is another vivid example of how isolated Trump is becoming as the walls close in and his former friends look for ways out. “Holy shit, I thought Pecker would be the last one to turn,” a Trump friend told me when I brought up the news. Trump and Pecker have been close for years. According to the Trump friend, Pecker regularly flew on Trump’s plane from New York to Florida. In July 2013, Trump tweeted that Pecker should become C.E.O. of Time magazine. “He’d make it exciting and win awards!”.

[maryrose]

Rocco:
That image of you dragging an inmate to the hole scared the crap out of me.
I promise to agree and support all your posts now and in the future.
Having seen your picture the other day reinforces the fact.

[Stephanie, Nene, Not your Normal Grandma]

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/08/23/ed-king-former-guitarist-for-lynyrd-skynyrd-who-co-wrote-sweet-home-alabama-dead-at-68.html

RIP

[Captain Hate]

I voted for that dunce twice too, maryrose. In retrospect I should have worded it differently. Never comment while pissed off is a good rule of thumb.

In case anyone thinks I reject everything Deb says, I'm now commenting from my phone.

[henry]

Burge is having too much fun at the David Pecker Immunity grant:

David Burge @iowahawkblog
11s

Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the Pecker crows, thou shalt deny me thrice

[henry]

David Burge @iowahawkblog
8m

Let he who has never been betrayed by his own pecker throw the first stone

https://twitter.com/iowahawkblog/status/1032672749012086790

(read the whole thread)

[Captain Hate]

Meeka will only look worse after she's hitched to that bulbous nosed growed up Deliverance banjo strummer. Satan must torture Zbig daily at that.

[Porchlight]

which the A.G., now in his dream job as War on Drugs Overlord, is refusing to submit.

If that's his dream job I don't see the evidence, since most of what he's working on (publicly) is crime- and immigration-related. On Trump's orders.

https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-arter/sessions-we-should-all-agree-end-illegal-immigration-and-illegal

[Jane]

Anyone have a link to Killfile. Apparently mine got lost in my firefox update.

[henry]

BREAKING: Jeff Sessions pushes back against Trump: 'Actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations'

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/23/jeff-sessions-pushes-back-against-trump-actions-of-doj-will-not-be-improperly-influenced-by-political-considerations.html

I suppose it will properly be influenced by political considerations. Meaning of "is" and such.

[henry]

Jane: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/blog-killfile/

[Captain Hate]

They should have admitted that daft codger to the Cleveland Clinic psych ward yesterday.

[maryrose]

Henry:
Those posts are hysterical!
Grasping at straws trying to get President Trump.
I know why.
They have checked out the 2020 Dem candidates and know in their hearts not one of them can beat the President.
Therefore, they must drive him from office.
Also saw on CNBC Squawk Box Joe Keenan correct some Lib claiming President approval rating at 35 percent was actually the mid 40’s which the lib then grudgingly admitted was closer to the truth.

[maryrose]

Sessions’s statement made to mollify the Dims, but secretly Sessions is going to take the perps from the frying pan into the fire.

[henry]

maryrose, who does Sessions identify as perps (besides MS13 and Drs who prescribe opiates)? Coup participants inside DOJ / FBI, or Trump?

[Old Lurker]

Henry, that looks to me like Sessions has declared for the other side which thinks the DoJ is above all oversight and is independent from the Executive Branch and its CEO. "Fire me and I will join the impeachment team...".

Those were not his exact words, of course, but you known that is how it will be interpreted.

[James D.]

That's how I interpret it, OL.

[henry]

Yes OL. Delusions of grandeur.

[Miss Marple]

I am so bummed out! I have been waiting for a rally here, and now that it's announced it is way in the southern point of the state - Evansville.

I used to live there when my kids were young. It takes a MINIMUM of 3 1/2 hours to get there from here. No interstates, either!

I guess I won't get to go. Boo!

[Buckeye]

While I jumped on the Trump bandwagon earlier than this guy, I still agree with much of the author's opinion of Trump's (and our) current situation.

http://bullmarketrodeo.com/2018/08/horist-is-trump-in-trouble/

Intro paragraph:

Those with a visceral hate for Donald Trump go on the attack against anyone who disagrees with them on any point for any reason. Despite their pompous claims to the contrary, that have little interest in facts, truths and rational objectivity. Lynch mobs have little interest in laws and justice. I do.

[Kevlar Kid]

Cohen-Pecker is an excuse to keep Mueller in play.

FEC has already weighed in... but the prize is in the smear.

Rush's second hour included his take on how the Dhimmis will play it if they win the House--- 'we knew we'd win because of the dilligence of the heroes at DOJ and FBI to secure our electoral process'. if they lose: 'this is further proof of Russian collusion to affect outcomes of our elections!"

puck em.

[Kevlar Kid]

Cohen Pecker is also a flanking maneuver to get the judicial appointment back into "stalled" position re Kav and other judges, an opinion i stated before the articles came out. no big.

i know i'm not the only JOMbrero who holds that same position.

[henry]

Kev, agree that impeachment depends on mob frenzy, not facts (which do not exist on the Mueller matters). It's all headline wars from her on out. "Trump's Pecker Flipped" to get the feelers amped up and to the polls. All this crap all day every day through November. Ugh.

[James D.]

I disagree totally with that article, Buckeye.

It's not just the policies. The reason we're seeing those policies executed is because President Trump - unlike just about every other national Republican - is a fighter. And because he's placed himself on our side, the side of the ordinary people, the deplorables.

We don't really have anyone else in DC, who you can say that about.

And as for waiting for Mueller, just no. Why grant that lying, dishonorable ratfucker one ounce of legitimacy, when he so clearly deserves none?

[henry]

I suppose the Mueller announcements are part of a ValJar / Rhodes production (with credit taken by Odumbo if it works): "Blue Wave"

we will see.

[Extraneus]

Since Cohen worked for Trump and Trump appointed Berman it was the legally proper for him to recuse himself from the case. In regards to Sessions, he was not recused from the Cohen case.

I haven't caught up but I don't understand this. Sessions was appointed by trump, too.

[Buckeye]

Appears to me that Mueller is expending his ammo now at a rapid clip. He will likely run out soon.

If trump has something up his sleeve that amounts to a one-two punch, won't be too long before we see it.

In the meantime I am heading to the Ledge for a double Jameson:)

[Jane]

Thanks Henry, I actually found that but wasn't sure it was the right add-on. I appreciate it.

[Captain Hate]

All this crap all day every day through November. Ugh.

Concentrating on fake news is no way for a world superpower to behave which is why this drawn out crap infuriates me.

[Old Lurker]

The bottle is right where you left it, Buckeye.

[Rocco]

Kev, I think this man will go down in history as the greatest, if he can survive that swamp?

maryrose, they were usually mad at each other and not at us but every now and then...

[Derp]

And just for Duncan and Margaret Hunter, some reminders...

The "Deep State" didn't put Margaret Hunter on the payroll or give her a campaign credit card to pay for dance competitions, rabbit travel and more.

The "Deep State" didn't use campaign funds at Costco, In-N-Out Burger, pricey private Christian schools and cosmetic dentists.

The "Deep State" didn't use campaign funds for golf fees or to buy shorts at a golf course and then classify that purchase as "balls for wounded veterans."

The "Deep State" didn't take a pricey trip to Italy and say "fck the Navy" when the Navy couldn't give them an excuse to fly the whole family over there.

[maryrose]

Kavanaugh will be confirmed.
Take it to the bank.
He said / he said wrt Pecker/ Cohen et al.
Look squirrel silly season August.
Where are the Repubs to defend their President?
Where they have always been- looking out for themselves with the exception of Cruz, Graham, and Rand Paul.
Romney and Ari Fleischer won’t condone multiple marriages or one night stands true or not.
They are not hardwired that way.
Their beliefs of what is proper win out.
It is who they are.
I won’t bash them for it.
I will never vote after President Trump’s re- election for a person with such a colorful past.

[Buckeye]

JamesD

I wouldn't argue that Mueller has any legitimacy, just that there is little we can do about him.

Short of Mitch Rapp.

[Kevlar Kid]

I appreciated that article from you Buckeye.... pretty fair appraisal of the what ifs.

My support for the author's personal position (about which he's fully transparent from the gitGo)
fell apart at reading the last two paragraphs:

"As has been cautioned over and over again since the appointment of Mueller, we have to wait to see what Mueller says and does.

Of course, those who said that in one breath, immediately started speculating in the next.

This political melodrama is way not over and there will be many twists and turns in the coming days.

Rather than signing on with the #NeverTrump resistance movement or the #EverTrump see-no-evil movement, the prudent observer will sit back, ignore the extreme rhetoric on both sides and wait for something definitive to happen – which will likely come from Mueller.
"
Mueller goes further into the weeds, further away from his charge into the weeds of "matters arising" dredging up things he can't prove etc etc.

Wouldn't a stronger definitive move be for POTUS to declassify all the hidden crap Mueller refuses to include in the collusion "probe" and the target rich environment of the "matters arising" out of that sewer?

methinks the author's issues with the President "man" clouds his view of the power of the Office of the President, no matter the occupant, and how that power has been used thus far to make a credible case against the crap media storm.

he obviously needs to read more "Clarice's Pieces" before publishing another piece. :D

[Tom R]

KK @ 12:06,

Once again, to avoid clogging up this thread I have responded to you on the previous thread. I request you do the same.

[Kevlar Kid]

JB Sessions, at this point, embodies the Peter Principle. Not a high bar for a US Senator.

[Extraneus]

Long piece by Paul Sperry, calling out Comey and the gang with new info on the Weiner laptop coverup.

https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2018/08/22/despite_comey_assurance_vast_bulk_of_weiner_laptop_emails_never_examined.html

[Kevlar Kid]

"
Kavanaugh will be confirmed.
Take it to the bank.
He said / he said wrt Pecker/ Cohen et al.
Look squirrel silly season August.
Where are the Repubs to defend their President?"

Put the last sentence before the first one.

Notice anything?