Ed Breaking: Mueller Grand Jury charges filed, arrests as soon as Monday

[davefoc]

1. This is nutso what about ism. You don't get to avoid a speeding ticket because somebody else was speeding too. Maybe Huma, et al. should have been charged. So what with regard to the current situation? The Clinton email scandal was a well deserved disaster for her and she and her team did illegal and stupid stuff. Whether that stuff would have gotten her charged if politics wasn't the issue is complicated and I don't know what the truth is about that.

2. Even if you accept what about ism as a legitimate defense Flynn is believed to have committed some serious crimes, even including the possibility of kidnapping. So if what about ism is your idea of a valid defense was Clinton suspected of kidnapping, or negotiating with a foreign government without the authority to do so?

3. The idea that Mueller should begin to investigate and even prosecute McCabe is just nuts and only a hyper partisan could have even thought that made sense. Mueller isn't charged with investigating everything that some partisan pundit claims he should. That is just stupid on steroids.

 

[varwoche]

Specifically McCabe being charged?

Huh? This isn't a fact.

Is it right wing opinion that he should be charged?

Nor is this a fact.

This on the other hand is a fact: The article in question is an opinion piece written by a partisan.

 

[LSSBB]

Can you please point out the facts in the quote below and provide convincing evidence for them.

"The double standards of the Mueller investigation

By charging former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn for lying to the FBI, Mueller emphasized that even the appearance of false testimony is felonious behavior.
If that is so, then the DOJ will likely have to charge former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe with perjury or related offenses. Former FBI Director James Comey may also have lied to Congress.

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan lied under oath to Congress on matters related to surveillance.

Clinton aides Cheryl Mills and Huma Abedin likely lied when they told FBI investigators they had no idea that their then-boss, Hillary Clinton, was using an illegal private email server.

High-ranking Obama administration officials may also be subject to indictments, given that they may have requested the “unmasking” of American citizens.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/o...430-story.html (April 30, 2018)"

Yeah, the guy that wrote that opinion piece also said:

Donald Rumsfeld is no Les Aspin or William Cohen, but a rare sort of secretary of the caliber of George Marshall. I wish he were more media-savvy and could ape Bill Clinton's lip-biting and furrowed brow. He should, but, alas, cannot. Nevertheless, we will regret it immediately if we drive this proud and honest-speaking visionary out of office, even as his hard work and insight are bringing us ever closer to victory.

[Wayback link]

Think I'll take his opinion with a big 'ol grain of salt.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

I think there will be a tipping point.

....

There will as soon as the majority of voters (both GOP and Democrats) get off their asses and vote this extremist minority out of office.

 

[The Don]

There will as soon as the majority of voters (both GOP and Democrats) get off their asses and vote this extremist minority out of office.

Looking at President Trump's GOP and independent approval numbers and how resilient they have been these last 18 months, that may not be any time soon.

http://news.gallup.com/poll/203198/presidential-approval-ratings-donald-trump.aspx

In the weekly Gallup poll he's now polling comfortably above 40% overall and close to 90% with Republicans and the trend on both (and independents) is strongly upward. These are his best poll numbers in over a year on Gallup. Heck, he was briefly in double-digits among Democrats

I think enough people have accepted this style of presidency that for them it is the new normal

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

I don't think Mueller has established that lying to the FBI is a crime. I'm sure that was a crime before Flynn was interviewed.

So that article basically seems to be "if this person committed a crime, then maybe so did these other people", to which the only reasonable response can be "okay. And?"

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

Here is a list of the questions Mueller wants to ask Trump

 

[TheSupermeerkat]

Here is a list of the questions Mueller wants to ask Trump

I presume Mueller will know the answer to all or most of these questions?

 

[thaiboxerken]

I heard on the radio, Norman Goldman Show (I think), that the GOP is trying to retroactively change the law so that Flynn's actions talking with Russia about sanctions as a private citizen isn't illegal.

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

I presume Mueller will know the answer to all or most of these questions?

Seth Abramson thread going through some of the questions

Also...

https://twitter.com/hughhowey/status/991154402399416320

The truth is a crime. Lying is a crime. How would preparing help Trump? It won't. He has to refuse testimony, or rack up many felonies.

https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/991163898014429184

Yes—this is what I've been telling people. Certain questions you can prepare a "perfect" answer for (e.g., "What were you thinking when...") but action-oriented questions (e.g., "Did you...") can't be prepared for when—as Hugh says—both the truth *and* the cover story are crimes.

https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/991164413473443840

Mueller is asking the thought-oriented questions not to inculpate/exculpate Trump but to learn how he'll need to frame his documentary/testimonial evidence to pierce Trump's—now nailed-down—lies. Action-oriented questions are the ones that could lead to felony charges for lying.

And

https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/991169992270974976

Questions about Trump's thoughts are intended to lock him into a narrative he can't stray from later on, allowing Mueller to frame his evidence (going forward) accordingly. Questions about actions are straight-up traps for the sort of man—Trump—who'd definitely lie to the FBI.

 

[BadBoy]

Looking at President Trump's GOP and independent approval numbers and how resilient they have been these last 18 months, that may not be any time soon.

http://news.gallup.com/poll/203198/presidential-approval-ratings-donald-trump.aspx

In the weekly Gallup poll he's now polling comfortably above 40% overall and close to 90% with Republicans and the trend on both (and independents) is strongly upward. These are his best poll numbers in over a year on Gallup. Heck, he was briefly in double-digits among Democrats

I think enough people have accepted this style of presidency that for them it is the new normal

So this I don't get, I really really don't get it. I understand the reasons mostly cited for the Trumpster winning the election, apart from the Clinton campaign fiasco, which was I think to get away from same old same old - establishment types and career politicians and get a dude in power who appears to have more credibility and views in line with the hard working Americn', Someone who will listen and represent the good god lovin white folks, etc etc etc, (for better or worse)

But what I don't get is why they insist on going all in with a complete idiotic, narcissistic incompetent ass. I could imagine a candidate that fills their wish list of knee jerk, reactionary, ill considered and ill informed bullcrap, but who is also clever and intelligent and maybe even charming and persuasive. But this moron? and to keep on supporting him no matter what he does or says beggars belief.

His whole tenure has been a drama circus from the very start. And not because he is shaking stuff up, but because he is an idiot. Good grief.

(sorry, needed to get that load off)

 

[thaiboxerken]

But what I don't get is why they insist on going all in with a complete idiotic, narcissistic incompetent ass.

Because he's a troll, that's why. They've been waiting to troll liberals for a long time and they don't care that he's burning down the country as long as liberal heads are on fire because of it.

 

[The Don]

So this I don't get, I really really don't get it. I understand the reasons mostly cited for the Trumpster winning the election, apart from the Clinton campaign fiasco, which was I think to get away from same old same old - establishment types and career politicians and get a dude in power who appears to have more credibility and views in line with the hard working Americn', Someone who will listen and represent the good god lovin white folks, etc etc etc, (for better or worse)

But what I don't get is why they insist on going all in with a complete idiotic, narcissistic incompetent ass. I could imagine a candidate that fills their wish list of knee jerk, reactionary, ill considered and ill informed bullcrap, but who is also clever and intelligent and maybe even charming and persuasive. But this moron? and to keep on supporting him no matter what he does or says beggars belief.

His whole tenure has been a drama circus from the very start. And not because he is shaking stuff up, but because he is an idiot. Good grief.

(sorry, needed to get that load off)

Perhaps they don't perceive it to be a circus, perhaps they feel that President Trump is pushing forward their agenda to ensure that old white men stay on top, that minorities are oppressed, that Christian values will be to the fore and that the US will look after itself to the exclusion of everyone else


Trump is a symptom, not a cause IMO

 

[Segnosaur]

Here is a list of the questions Mueller wants to ask Trump

Initially I was a little surprised that these got leaked. (Mueller's team has been pretty good at running a tight ship.) Then, after reading the article, it mentioned the questions had been sent to Trump's lawyers, so I guess there are many possible people who could have provided the questions to the Times.

 

[blutoski]

Perhaps they don't perceive it to be a circus, perhaps they feel that President Trump is pushing forward their agenda to ensure that old white men stay on top, that minorities are oppressed, that Christian values will be to the fore and that the US will look after itself to the exclusion of everyone else


Trump is a symptom, not a cause IMO

This is my theory too, unfortunately.

There are two competing schools of thought about what a government should do. Follow vs Lead, basically. Does the government just action the popular trends of the day, or do they formulate a plan, seek public approval, and execute it.

I'm fond of the latter model, which is a leadership model. It's possibly influenced by my business experience. Leadership has different definitions, but the one I try to fulfil in my company is 'A leader is somebody who helps the nation accept reality and execute a plan to respond to it.' Trump is not a leader by that definition IMO.

Instead, he's amplifying fantasy (global warming is a hoax, jobs are worse because of trade deals, journalists are out to get conservatives, immigrants are dangerous, drug use is up because law enforcement is weak) and shooting from the hip on economic and diplomatic strategy.

 

[The Don]

Instead, he's amplifying fantasy (global warming is a hoax, jobs are worse because of trade deals, journalists are out to get conservatives, immigrants are dangerous, drug use is up because law enforcement is weak) and shooting from the hip on economic and diplomatic strategy.

And he's not alone, IMO was based on similar fantasies and no doubt there are equivalent movements in many countries. It also goes hand in hand with anti-intellectualism and a disdain for experts and expertise.

Why should I take the word of some poindexter in his ivory tower about something when my own gut is a much better reference, after all it's based on real world experience, not the fantasy world those academics live in.

No doubt doctors experience the same every day, having their diagnosis and treatment second-guessed, or even led by people whose only medical qualification is a Google search.

And now we expect our politicians to do our bidding, not to set direction and encourage us to come along. We are the experts, we know everything and anything we don't happen to know we can intuit using our gut or find it out on the internet from whatever echo chamber we happen to inhabit. It's depressing but IMO it's Dunning-Kruger on a societal level.

 

[The Greater Fool]

Former assistant to Robert Mueller: Leaked questions likely from the White House

CNN analyst Michael Zeldin said Tuesday that the grammatical errors in a leaked list of questions from special counsel Robert Mueller indicate the list may have been released by the White House.

“I think these are notes taken by the recipients of a conversation with Mueller’s office where he outlined broad topics and these guys wrote down questions that they thought these topics may raise,” Mr. Zeldin said on CNN.

The plot seems to be thickening. If true, it means Trump's outrage is an act. Shocking!

 

[applecorped]

It must be up to double-digit arrests by now.

 

[varwoche]

It must be up to double-digit arrests by now.

The sheer simple-mindedness of this implied criticism is something to behold.

When one of the perps is the campaign manager, and another perp is the NSA, goofy counting games amount to inept JAQing off.

 

[Cain]

The sheer simple-mindedness of this implied criticism is something to behold.

When one of the perps is the campaign manager, and another perp is the NSA, goofy counting games amount to inept JAQing off.

Fact: Only one-third of President Trump's campaign managers and National Security Advisers have been indicted.