Big If True

This is a partisan stem-winder but still - the author seems able to document his point that Mueller may have railroaded Gen. Flynn by concealing frelevant and potentially exculpatory evidence.

Does Mueller's behavior sound like the sort of thing that happens all the time but shouldn't? Or has he been way out of bounds here?

Comments

[Old Lurker]

Rush is shoveling as fast as he can but so far has not found a pony.

[James D.]

What OL said @ 2:05

If President Trump has any ammunition, or any kind of strategy to fight back, he'd better do it soon.

[henry]

Maybe Trump will eat two scoops in Davos and stun the TDS types:

CNBC Now @CNBCnow
7s

JUST IN: Trump will attend World Econ. Forum in Davos, White House says. Trump will go with the secretaries of Treasury, State, Labor, Commerce, Transportation, Homeland Security, the USTR, SBA admin., daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared & Chris Liddell.

[Narciso79]

The Dow is back up, soros must have gone long

[GUS]

I just find it so wonderful that LITTLE TOM R is still willing to go fight in FOX HOLES when the bullets start flying. But he won't go in that FOX HOLE with Old Lurker. No way senor. You see, LITTLE TOM R is a CHRISTIAN and an ex-Army.

[daddy]

At least they had a nice fresh pot of Oatmeal in the 1st Class Lounge at Alaska Airlines, so the day's not a total disappointment.

[Old Lurker]

Lucianne Headline:

Trump Foundation agrees to dissolve under court supervison (CNN)

Federal judge tears into former national security adviser Michael Flynn at sentencing hearing: 'Arguably, you sold your country out' (Fox)

[daddy]

i wonder if Judge Sullivan was at one of those tables of stupid people Michelle O sat at?

[Account Deleted]

So does this no decision-yet sitch mean we have an "independent judiciary?" :D

[Account Deleted]

i forget: was Trump ORDERED to dissolve his foundation?

[henry]

Vicki McKenna @VickiMcKenna
10m

BREAKING: Actor & director Penny Marshall passes away at age 75

[Narciso79]

They were already winding down,

[Account Deleted]

i read there was some kind of binding order which said the family could not use foundation resources nor serve on boards of other charities.

[Account Deleted]

New Reality show for MAGA!:

Breaking Bad II

[Account Deleted]

RIP Penny M.

[daddy]

if we took every Federal Judge in the country and turned them into plumbers, and took every plumber in the country and turned them into Federal Judges we would have a Justice System that would be the envy of the free world but nobody's toilet would ever flush again.

[Narciso79]

Ot was happy days set in Milwaukee as well?

[henry]

narciso, yes.

[henry]

Belgian Prime Minister resigns.

https://twitter.com/alixro89/status/1075110429402296320?s=12

[daddy]

on catch up just caught up to the very prescient James D from a few hours back

I would be stunned if Judge Sullivan does that much.

I expect absolutely nothing from him. I have no hope at all that anyone In a position to do so will actually do anything even remotely approaching the right thing.

Posted by: James D

[Tom R]

I don't believe I have said anything personal about Tom since I responded to him after he called me a coward traitor or a Nazi. (He couldn't decide)

That's a blatant misrepresentation of our argument from a long time ago. I will give you the benefit of the doubt that it is due to poor memory and not intentional.

I never once called you a traitor or a Nazi. What I did do was compare your behavior in that argument and the perception it created with me to the coward character in Saving Private Ryan.

I believe that Tom deserves to lose his arguments on the merits alone.

Kinda like your Birther argument?

[Jane]

I have questions - and remember my brain is screwed up before you yell at me.

Flynn was working for Turkey in 2016. Was he still working for Turkey when he was working for Trump? When did he stop working for Turkey, or is he still?

IIRC (and probably don't) he only worked for Trump for a very short time. Did he continue working for Turkey after he was fired?

[Pinandpuller]

So Judge Sullivan presides over a shotgun wedding between Flynn and Mueller with the shotgun held to Flynn's son.

"Speak now or forever hold your peace."

Is there some implied NDA to keep Flynn from speaking about this after his probation is over? Or whatever.

[GUS]

Hey look the LITTLE GUY popped his Ex-Army, Christian head up from the FOX HOLE.

Yay little Tom.

[James D.]

I've said this before, but the reason I have no faith in basically anyone in government is that they are human beings.

We're all fallable. We all fall into groupthink. We all want to look out for our co-workers. We all want to fit in with the people we have to work with every day, and with the people whose opinions we value. We all want to be praised, rather than criticized. We all want to have job security and not worry about how we'll pay the mortgage and feed the kids. And we all believe that we are good people who have good values and are doing what's right, and that our own judgment can be trusted.

Which is how government workers become Deep Staters and corrupted. It would happen to most of us, over time, and we would never realize it. It would happen to me. I have absolutely no doubt that I'd become one of the crooked bureaucrats that I go on about all the time, and I'd have no idea, because I'd believe in my heart I was on the side of the angels the whole time.

But here's the thing. At least I know that much about myself, and I have never sought out a job with power over my fellow citizens (with my salary paid by them as well). More should be expected - DEMANDED - from them, then from people who do not seek out that power.

Because the consequences when they go native and become deep staters are so dire. If I exhibit the same kind of behaviors in my job, the consequences are that we'll lose more members next year than we otherwise might, and we'll bring in $12 million instead of $13 million in dues revenue, and my boss might fire me (or not, who knows?). The consequences when they behave that way destroy lives and imperil a whole country.

[henry]

Jane, Flynn quit working for Turkey by Nov '16. Not sure when he started working for Trump... obviously joining the transition team would have been Nov '16 at the earliest. Not sure when he joined the campaign.

[GUS]

I'm glad Mueller has brought Flynn to justice.
Now he's got time to charge RODHAM with various crimes including colluding with RUSSIANS and making DOSSIERS.

This 4-D stuff is WAY COOL.

[Jane]

So Henry, Are we sure there is a conflict?

[henry]

Jane, I assume no conflict as Judge Sullivan walked back his "Treason" question. But the shenanigans with the two Turks (and no FARA license?) still went on prior to the election.

[Pinandpuller]

daddy 02:21

Better men, better horses.

Did your kids ever call it, "Eatmeal?"

[Threadkiller]

Comparing someone to a traitor or Nazi is not the same as calling someone a traitor or Nazi.

[Pinandpuller]

GUS

Dinesh D'Souza is the canary in that 4D coal mine. As long as Flynn isn't banned from Twitter and Patreon.

[Pinandpuller]

Son, we love you but when you act like a nazi it disappoints us.

[Tom R]

That surprises me, TK, and it's indefensible.

Not when you get the real version of events.

I refused to answer his question about Felix Sater until he answered my question as to whether 4D has an expiration date.

For the record, the topic of the discussion was Felix Sater, I asked my question first and repeated it multiple times because you kept evaded answering it. You then went into derail mode and tried to change the subject by asking your own question about 4D having an expiration date. Your actions created the perception in me that you were afraid to answer my question because it would force you to acknowledge I had made a valid point. That is what prompted the comparion to the coward character in Saving Private Ryan. At that point I decided to ignore anything else you had to say on the subject. In that analogy you could say I compared myself to the Nazi character who recognized the coward was no threat to him and just walked away from him.

[daddy]

On one hand a totally corrupt SC and FBI and on the other a judge who doesn't even know the basic facts of one of the most important cases ever before him.

If only Judge Sullivan hadn't been so rushed. If only he had had the time to actually acquaint himself with the facts of the case instead of being hurried into shooting his mouth off prematurely. i just worry that this fourth 90 day delay isn't long enough for the Judge to acquaint himself with the facts---If only he had made the delay for 180 days, then I'd rest a lot easier.

[GUS]

Yes, he's afraid LITTLE TOM R, unlike you, you brave fox hole fighitng man!!!!

[Threadkiller]

I asked my question first

Not to me. I wasn't involved in the discussion. I asked a seperate question and you assumed I was in on the Sater discussion. No matter how many times I told you I had no opinion on Sater you persisted that I was evading your question by asking my question.

My question was unrelated until you conflated it. When I spelled out the timeline with quotes and time stamps you started talking about Private Ryan.

It was surreal.

[Tom R]

I cannot wait for Tom’s next pronouncement.

I don't want to disappoint you so give me a few to get caught up to speed.

[Old Lurker]

"MEXICO CITY (AP) — The United States pledged $5.8 billion in aid Tuesday for strengthening government and economic development in Central America, and another $4.8 billion in development aid for southern Mexico.

The U.S aid aims to promote better security conditions and job opportunities as part of a regional plan to allow Central Americans and Mexicans to remain in their countries and not have to emigrate.

The plan was announced in a joint U.S.-Mexican statement released by the State Department and read aloud by Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard in the Mexican capital.

“In sum I think this is good news, very good news for Mexico,” Ebrard said."

[Tom R]

Comparing someone to a traitor or Nazi is not the same as calling someone a traitor or Nazi.

I didn't compare you to a traitor or Nazi either. Poor memory or intentional misrepresentation?

[Tom R]

Looks like Gus is doing his best to convince everyone Iggy's comments from this morning are accurate.

[pagar]

1604 people have contributed $98824 in 1 day to build the Thump Wall. Great News. please contribute, Let's get it done!

[daddy]

just boarded the plane and now told we are delayed 1 hour for a late arriving plane from Kodiak, and they refuse to start the 1st Class drink service till after takeoff#$&*!

[Threadkiller]

That is rotten, daddy.

[daddy]

Why 536 was ‘the worst year to be alive’

just caught up to this Science link posted earlier on the horrible year 536 AD. There is a very good book covering the worldwide consequences of that year titled "Catastrophe." An excellent read if you have the time. thanks for rhe link, Henry.

[JimNorCal]

I found the 4D theory in a comment at PowerLine blog. The Judge is itching to set Flynn free, but first needs Flynn to vocalize that he is not guilty.
Anyone buying it?

" would argue that the judge is trying to send a message to Flynn.

Just today the judge asked him 3, maybe 4 times if he wanted to change his plea in light of evidence.

I feel like the Judge is signalling that it doesn't matter what political deal Flynn has made with the prosecution, and that he has 2 options - fight the charge (and win easily), or get actual, real jail time.

It feels to me like the judge is trying to hammer it into Flynn's thick skull that he's not going to be able to just enter a political guilty plea and walk away free."

[henry]

Jim, that kind of skips over the whole "indictable on the Turkey shenanigans" thing.

[JimNorCal]

Add me to the group driven to sympathy with Tom R, but our good friend GUS.

Really GUS, shed some of those habiliments and turn the volume down from 11 :) :)

[Extraneus]

The judge should be removed from the case for incompetence.

The Logan Act? I'd like to see the internet browsing history from his work computer.

[Narciso79]

For writing an OP ed, shirley they cant be serious, I also get an image from James earl Jones in soul man lecturing c Thomas howell

[Extraneus]

And OL, why couldn't the aid to Mexico be conditioned on them building a wall to our specs? I'd give them $10B.

[Tom R]

TK @3:12

How about we come to the agreement that we both annoyed the hell out of everyone else and bury the hatchet at least in regard to that specific argument? I am willing to do that as long as you acknowledge I never called or compared you to a Nazi or a traitor.

[jimmyk]

It feels to me like the judge is trying to hammer it into Flynn's thick skull that he's not going to be able to just enter a political guilty plea and walk away free.

That was my impression (at least until he then seemed to turn hostile), but why wouldn't Flynn or his lawyers take him up on the offer to reconsider his plea? And I'm looking for 3-D explanations only.

[Captain Hate]

I believe the conservative consensus was that Judge Sullivan ought to, and damn well better, toss the case. As to whether he actually would, I think conservatives were all over the map, as reflected here.

As the resident Article V to reverse Marbury v Madison fan, my trust in black robed tyrants is nonexistent

[daddy]

The judge should be removed from the case for incompetence.

they'd probably replace him with the Judge in the Awan Case.

Kodiaker's arriving. Just had a black garbed Russian Orthodox Priest shuffle by. I love this place!

[jimmyk]

...and another $4.8 billion in development aid for southern Mexico.

It would have been $9.8 billion, but they deducted $5 billion for the wall.

[daddy]

What do you have faith in,

The usual, Death and Taxes.

[JimNorCal]

No new thread yet. Still, you KNOW that one is coming ....

[Tom R]

After reading a few articles about the Flynn sentencing today all I can say is WTF. The judge threw a curveball that I am fairly certain no one saw coming.

After totally being out of line and accusing Flynn of treason, when the judge realized his mistake at that point after apologizing he should have gone ahead and accepted Mueller's sentencing recommendation and done nothing more than slap Flynn on the wrist. Why would Flynn need to continue cooperating when Mueller's sentencing memo said he had already cooperated enough that he recommended no jail time.

Bottom line is that in a case that has made zero sense up to this point the judge's actions today make the case make even less sense than it did before today if that was even possible.

Anyone know what the all time record is for the number of sentencing delays in a federal trial where the defendant plea bargained?

[daddy]

every time Ed Driscol at Instapundit tells me to "Read the whole thing" i know the columns not worth reading.

[Jim Eagle]

daddy,

Off to Oz? It's summer there, or at least approaching. Time for Cricket:) Too bad the Ashes are in England next year in August and September. Toughest ticket in sport outside the Super Bowl. And no "footie" in the late spring-summer.

Have a G'day Mate!

[daddy]

later Jack. my tray table is now in the upright and locked position😉

[JimNorCal]

I'm with JamesD on most of what he says here
Posted by: James D. December 18, 2018 at 01:52 PM

But I do NOT think the Senate will convict. A few slimy GOPe's will do their best to smear Trump and leave him twisting and powerless.
Enough GOPers will vote to convict to make it "bipartisan" in the media. And those who don't vote to convict will be targeted for future reprisal by MSM coverage
But there won't be enough votes to convict, if only to avoid the possibility of Trump supporters getting rowdy.

That's my take, btw, I am not ALL doom and gloom. It's tough to take on the Dems, the MSM, the celebs, the Swamp and simultaneously refashion the Republican Party. There are a lot of balls in the air. Trump has a lot of wins. He is changing the GOP, too. But in the end, it won't be 4D. You and I will have to stand up and find ways to help.

[Extraneus]

So the judge accused Flynn of working for Turkey while he was National Security Adviser, and thus possibly being a traitor* and selling his country out, only to be corrected by the prosecution on the timing?

WTF? What blogs does this judge read at work?

*Btw, Your Honor, isn't a state of war required for the crime of treason to actually occur?

[MissMarple2]

https://nypost.com/2018/12/18/trump-asked-cabinet-to-look-for-border-wall-funding/?utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=SocialFlow

[Old Lurker]

Jimmy "but why wouldn't Flynn or his lawyers take him up on the offer to reconsider his plea?"

Because as Clarice mentioned at the outset, that would have abrogated his deal with the SC, and since the judge had just raised the specter of treason, selling out his country, and other very serious crimes, he might have found himself out of the frying pan and before a firing squad?

[Extraneus]

Judge, are we in a state of war with Turkey? I thought they were a NATO ally.

[lurkersusie]

Comey’s transcript from yesterday

https://t.co/lHzwFElZWV?amp=1

[Extraneus]

I'm no plumber, but I may know more about the law than this addled judge is able to remember.

[Threadkiller]

...you acknowledge I never called or compared you to a Nazi or a traitor.

No deal. That would be a lie.

I would like to point out that I have been very consistent in my vocalizations that you should not be personally attacked, and have been for some time.

I buried the hatchet some time ago.

[Threadkiller]

New thread?

[Old Lurker]

WMAL radio is all JOM friendly from Rush at noon through Mark Levin who starts at 6pm.

The callers for the last 1 hour and 21 minutes think Flynn has been screwed by the DoJ and now they are pulling the flesh off his broken body...and that Trump should not have allowed that to be done to one of his guys. So those callers lay it on Trump.

Then the callers turned to the "cave on the wall" which they now wonder if Trump ever even really intended to build from the get-go, and they are stunned that Trump was so vocal last week in making it personal between him and Nancy/Chuck and a shut down. Again, the callers, many of whom said they would have been impacted by the shutdown are disgusted that Trump caved so fast. Make no doubt about it...it is seen in DC as a personal rout of Trump.

Then the news on the hour led with the NY AG talking about how Trump had abused his charity in numerous illegal ways, that he coordinated its actions with his campaign, and finally that he had used it as his personal piggy bank. And that was from the outgoing AG, not the one who really wants to jail him and his family.

The callers after that were out of sympathy for Trump.

Damn I did it again.

[JimNorCal]

NEW

[Jim Eagle]

Don't read lurkersusie's 4:20 of the Comey interview if you are having heart or stomach problems or if you are enjoying your first Matini or craft beer of the day. It was hell just getting through the Gowdy questions.

IMHO, Comey is a rat bastard, a true smartass with a big ego, a big badge, and nothing available without pulling his nails out.

So, MM, from your readings of Trump, how long does it last before he takes revenge?

OL, that Comey testimony calls for a fresh pitcher of Dirty Goose with extra olives, please!

[Old Lurker]

Got it right here for you, Jack.

How are the pups today?

[Jim Eagle]

OL,

They are still knackered except for the smart one who came home at 4 for dinner. BTW, I do have GPS for them, but not charged up. Know they are all chaged up. But those pups are going anywhere except dreamland for a while. All it cost was $800+ at the Vet. I guess I got off easy.

Trump's in a classic pincher trap, from all sides. That dickweed Schumer may have been right about 5 ways from Sunday they will mess you up. I have no idea who is on his side. Seems like nobody expect his base, and I think he may want to schedule some town hall kind of arena events in the next year to bolster them.