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We knew all along that Mueller would eventually stop indicting people and hand in a report. We knew all along Mueller would not recommend a DOJ indictment of the president.

Sure, but he's chosen not to indict Don Jr., the guy who played a central role in the infamous Tower meeting. Steve Bannon(!) lost his job at Breitbart for initially calling Jr.'s actions "treasonous."
 
Russiagate Skeptics Rightly Boast About Being Proven 100% Correct

Caitlin Johnstone said:
[...] “Congratulations to everyone here, congratulations to our crew,” Dore said. “Congratulations to Ron and Steph and everybody, congratulations to Aaron Maté and Max Blumenthal and Kyle Kulinski, and whoever else got this right; it’s a small club, it’s a short list. And we took a lot of slings and arrows for it, and we’re still taking. People hate you when you out-left them. We out-lefted everybody, and we did it in the right way. And so congratulations to you guys, congratulations to myself, congratulations to this show, and thank God I didn’t try to get into journalism school but I tried to get into comedy first. Because if I was trying to get into that club, I would be just as ****** as the reporters at the Washington Post, the New York Times, MSNBC and CNN, and half the Youtubers, and we’re not. We did a much better job.”

Dore’s sentiments are being echoed around the small sphere of progressive political commentators who’ve been saying since the beginning that Russiagate was a pernicious lie advanced by secretive government agencies who’ve been plotting to shove Russia off the world stage since the fall of the Soviet Union, by the Democrats who’ve had a vested interest in avoiding accountability for their failures and malfeasance in the 2016 election, and by the mass media who’ve been reaping extreme profits by peddling the clickbait sensationalist conspiracy theory that the Kremlin has infiltrated the highest levels of the US government.

And rightly so. It is good that these alternative media figures are puffing their chests and shouting their I-told-you-sos, because you can be absolutely certain that the people who’ve been advancing the Russiagate narrative will never go out of their way to acknowledge the undeniable fact that they have been proven wrong while there were voices standing to their left getting it right. The mainstream narrative will do its very best to pace mainstream attention away from the inconvenient fact that there was abundant evidence contradicting a narrative which monopolized public energy for more than two years while manufacturing support for dangerous cold war escalations and sucking all oxygen out of the room for discussion of progressive reforms, so it is absolutely necessary for those voices who have been vindicated to make noise about it themselves. [...]
 
It's official: Russiagate is this generation's WMD

Matt Taibbi said:
Note to readers: in light of news that Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller’s investigation is complete, I’m releasing this chapter of Hate Inc. early, with a few new details added up top.

Nobody wants to hear this, but news that Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller is headed home without issuing new charges is a death-blow for the reputation of the American news media.

As has long been rumored, the former FBI chief’s independent probe will result in multiple indictments and convictions, but no “presidency-wrecking” conspiracy charges, or anything that would meet the layman’s definition of “collusion” with Russia.

With the caveat that even this news might somehow turn out to be botched, the key detail in the many stories about the end of the Mueller investigation was best expressed by the New York Times:

A senior Justice Department official said that Mr. Mueller would not recommend new indictments.​

The Times tried to soften the emotional blow for the millions of Americans trained in these years to place hopes for the overturn of the Trump presidency in Mueller. Nobody even pretended it was supposed to be a fact-finding mission, instead of an act of faith.

The Special Prosecutor literally became a religious figure during the last few years, with votive candles sold in his image and Saturday Night Live cast members singing “All I Want for Christmas is You” to him featuring the rhymey line: “Mueller please come through, because the only option is a coup.”

The Times story today tried to preserve Santa Mueller’s reputation, noting Trump’s Attorney General William Barr’s reaction was an “endorsement” of the fineness of Mueller’s work:

In an apparent endorsement of an investigation that Mr. Trump has relentlessly attacked as a “witch hunt,” Mr. Barr said Justice Department officials never had to intervene to keep Mr. Mueller from taking an inappropriate or unwarranted step.​

Mueller, in other words, never stepped out of the bounds of his job description. But could the same be said for the news media? [...]
 
Independents like me try to read the tea leaves, being neither democrats or republicans nor Trump/Anti-Trump cultists.

The first response of the democrats is a bizarre nonsequitor that claims the Justice department concluded it could not indict a sitting president. So they are covering up his crimes. That isn't right. Being whistleblowers, they're going to fight to make this report public just as soon as Wikileaks publishes it unredacted, I guess. Trump already said he is fine releasing it, I would hope through Wikileaks with the pardon of Assange announced simultaneously. One can dream.

From a political theater perspective, this answers my question tho. They still cling in desperation to narrative control, they're going to triple-down on Saul Alinsky shrieking about Trump doing what they did with Uranium 1, the Russian Re-set, the Ukrainians who have been convicted of election tampering already, for the Democrats...

Looking to 2020, the Dems still have no answer to Trump. By virtue of precedent he is much more powerful than the constitution provided, essentially usurping the power of a Treaty, and that's what these trade deals amount to.

If Trump sends us down the road of Smoot-Hawley then it will be a depression. If he is successful, we do better. I have no idea how to call this, but it was two years between Hoover Signing Smoot-Hawley and world trade contracting by 65%.

Maybe it could go the other way and Trump retires the greatest president who ever lived. I know most here are hoping for something like that.
 
I'm waiting to see what happens when Mueller testifies before the House of Reps. They will subpoena him and he will answer honestly any questions put to him. I just hope they ask the right questions.

Of course he will. It's not like he's ever lied to Congress.

 
Sure, but he's chosen not to indict Don Jr., the guy who played a central role in the infamous Tower meeting. Steve Bannon(!) lost his job at Breitbart for initially calling Jr.'s actions "treasonous."


For all we know, maybe Mueller is aware of what else might be coming down the pipeline with regards to other ongoing investigations on the Trump clan.

Maybe an indictment for Russian collusion would have been a really hard thing to try stick to these people, thus a potential waste of time. Maybe Mueller handed over pertinent information to the FBI/SDNY that he's uncovered in his own investigation. Thus, maybe the other ongoing investigations will be able to hammer them harder with other types of crimes (fraud or tax evasion or money laundering or whatever).

Just a wild guess on my part... and perhaps a wee bit of wishful thinking too? But right now, I find it very hard to believe that the Trump clan is going to walk away from all of this scott-free.

Something is going to reveal their dirty grifting. It's just a matter time, from which investigation, and what type of crimes will be uncovered.
 
It's a damn shame The Atlantic didn't make Mueller aware of this evidence of criminal collusion before he ended his investigation. Then he surely would've issued indictments.

Or, maybe, Putin has some dirt on Mueller and blackmailed him into not indicting Trump. Does anyone know if Mueller has ever visited Moscow, maybe there's some secret pee-pee tapes?

If you repeat the "no collusion" lie often enough, all that evidence already uncovered and used to convict some of Trump's top team will fade until it disappears from your mind.
 
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Independents like me try to read the tea leaves, being neither democrats or republicans nor Trump/Anti-Trump cultists.

The first response of the democrats is a bizarre nonsequitor that claims the Justice department concluded it could not indict a sitting president.

...Where have you been? The Justice department repeatedly and specifically said that they wouldn't be indicting a sitting President from the start. There was hopefulness that they would do so in the end, but no expectation of such. That doesn't lead to a nonsequitur at all.

So they are covering up his crimes.

Not exactly. If Barr refuses to release the report and associated documentation in full to the appropriate members of Congress, at the least, that likely could be a cover up. The lack of new indictments from Mueller himself is pretty much meaningless before the reasoning addressing a bunch of things that should be present in the Mueller Report is examined.


That isn't right.

The citizens of the US needed and deserved a proper investigation into the matter. Along with that the citizens of the US need and deserve fairly proper answers in the first place. As it stands, we have yet to be informed of... anything regarding Mueller's final report, much less getting proper answers or seeing how things end up with the current ongoing prosecutions, like Stone's.

Being whistleblowers, they're going to fight to make this report public just as soon as Wikileaks publishes it unredacted, I guess. Trump already said he is fine releasing it, I would hope through Wikileaks with the pardon of Assange announced simultaneously. One can dream.

:rolleyes:

From a political theater perspective, this answers my question tho. They still cling in desperation to narrative control, they're going to triple-down on Saul Alinsky shrieking about Trump doing what they did with Uranium 1, the Russian Re-set, the Ukrainians who have been convicted of election tampering already, for the Democrats...

Maaaaan. Get a grip. Seriously, it's much, much too soon to jump to conclusions like that, before even getting to the... distinct inaccuracy of your accusations towards the Democrats.

Looking to 2020, the Dems still have no answer to Trump.

Just like 2018's overwhelming Red Wave? Not sure where you're looking, either way.

By virtue of precedent he is much more powerful than the constitution provided, essentially usurping the power of a Treaty, and that's what these trade deals amount to.

If Trump sends us down the road of Smoot-Hawley then it will be a depression. If he is successful, we do better. I have no idea how to call this, but it was two years between Hoover Signing Smoot-Hawley and world trade contracting by 65%.

Maybe it could go the other way and Trump retires the greatest president who ever lived. I know most here are hoping for something like that.

Relax. Take a deep breath. Read a good story and/or watch a movie you think you'll like. Twisting yourself into a pretzel completely pointlessly isn't going to help anyone, especially yourself.
 
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Relax. Take a deep breath. Read a good story and/or watch a movie you think you'll like. Twisting yourself into a pretzel completely pointlessly isn't going to help anyone, especially yourself.


You're projecting, buddy. What I liked about your post is the one sentence that dripped out in pink. Makes it more in line with the immediate upthread posts and the general mood following this blow to tinfoil pussyhat-dom.

wp3w4Cn.jpg
 
WTF!?

Among the attendees were Donald Trump Jr. and girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle, Florida Lt. Gov Jeanette Núñez, Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), former Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.), Republican National Committee co-chair Tommy Hicks, Jr. and conservative activist James O’Keefe. Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was the emcee.

How is he not a persona non grata?
 

Because Jimmy Dore and Kyle Kulinski are all about political point scoring now. To them any investigation against anything to do with Russia (or for any other foreign power that is generally considered an adversary to the U.S. for that matter, but not Israel or S.A.) as beating the war drum.

The revelations of the summary of the Mueller report don't refute that Russia tried to interfere and that they should be called out on it, at the least.

They are so Puritanically anti-interventionist that they won't even allow criticism of an authoritarian regime who's attacked us, so why take them seriously anymore.
 
For all we know, maybe Mueller is aware of what else might be coming down the pipeline with regards to other ongoing investigations on the Trump clan.

Unlikely. It seems as though this is going to castrate any future attempt to charge Jr. (or anyone else) of conspiracy/collusion.

Maybe an indictment for Russian collusion would have been a really hard thing to try stick to these people, thus a potential waste of time. Maybe Mueller handed over pertinent information to the FBI/SDNY that he's uncovered in his own investigation.

Sure. Maybe Mueller believes collusion was more likely than than not, but lacks the evidence necessary to ensure a successful prosecution. However, that's a loser argument as far as the public is concerned.

There was significant circumstantial evidence that Lance Armstrong cheated. Few people believed it.

Thus, maybe the other ongoing investigations will be able to hammer them harder with other types of crimes (fraud or tax evasion or money laundering or whatever).

Not pursuing collusion lets Trump off the hook on these other things. "They lost the election so they had a Special Counsel investigation. That turned up bupkis*, so they're launching yet another investigation. They'll do anything to derail my presidency rather than maintain this great economy, protect our borders, and secure lasting peace with N. Korea."

*It remains to be seen what is actually in Mueller's report. Trump is dirtier than a city dump, so I'd only be surprised if he emerged from it pristine.
 
Despite my disgust, my operating principle has always been "vote him out". It's plain since their convention that Dolt 45 is a symptom of the GOP's corruption and bigotry (and not even the worst actor - that's Mitch McConnell), rather than a cause. But...

Independents like me try to read the tea leaves, being neither democrats or republicans nor Trump/Anti-Trump cultists.

The first response of the democrats is a bizarre nonsequitor that claims the Justice department concluded it could not indict a sitting president.

That's been their policy for quite a long time now - the DoJ works for the president, although only a laughably corrupt president would interfere with DoJ business directly (so, of course Dolt 45 does, and then says so flat-out on national tv - and in order to interfere with a criminal investigation, at that). This is why I haven't commented on Mueller much since he was appointed.

"Bizzarre nonsequitor"...

So they are covering up his crimes.

The man's a career criminal, DoJ can't cover that up.

That isn't right. Being whistleblowers, they're going to fight to make this report public just as soon as Wikileaks publishes it unredacted, I guess. Trump already said he is fine releasing it, I would hope through Wikileaks with the pardon of Assange announced simultaneously. One can dream.

Why would either do that? Both are plainly pro-GOP, and have been for nearly a decade.

You're about as accurate as someone who reads tea leaves, I'll give you that.

From a political theater perspective, this answers my question tho. They still cling in desperation to narrative control, they're going to triple-down on Saul Alinsky shrieking about Trump doing what they did with Uranium 1, the Russian Re-set, the Ukrainians who have been convicted of election tampering already, for the Democrats...

The above is incoherent.

Looking to 2020, the Dems still have no answer to Trump.

Yes, the primaries have not happened yet...

By virtue of precedent he is much more powerful than the constitution provided, essentially usurping the power of a Treaty, and that's what these trade deals amount to.

This is true, actually. Congress has been giving up power to the executive branch for far too long now - it's past time they take some back. And yes, I've said this during the Obama and GWB administrations as well.

If Trump sends us down the road of Smoot-Hawley then it will be a depression. If he is successful, we do better. I have no idea how to call this, but it was two years between Hoover Signing Smoot-Hawley and world trade contracting by 65%.

Given that he's an abject failure at business, no.

Maybe it could go the other way and Trump retires the greatest president who ever lived. I know most here are hoping for something like that.

He's already done enough to earn himself a trial at the Hague for ethnic cleansing, in addition to numerous constitutional violations, aiding a foreign power in the murder and dissolving of a journalist, and openly and willfully failing to provide disaster relief to a US territory, so that's out. He's fighting not to be the single worst president in US history, at this point.
 
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Given the deafening silence I assume that Mueller has a case for Obstruction - and they are trying to figure out what to do about it.
 
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