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DOJ Taps Ex-FBI Director Mueller as Special Counsel for Russia Probe

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2016
Posted on Wed May 17, 2017 at 06:58:02 PM EST
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The Department of Justice appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to oversee the investigation into "Russia's alleged involvement in the 2016 presidential election, including any possible involvement of President Donald Trump's campaign in that effort."

The announcement was made by Deputy AG Ron Rosenstein, who released a statement:

"Based upon the unique circumstances, the public interest requires me to place this investigation under the authority of a person who exercises a degree of independence from the normal chain of command," Rosenstein said in a statement. "A special counsel is necessary in order for the American people to have full confidence in the outcome. Our nation is grounded on the rule of law, and the Public must be assured that government officials administer the law fairly."

Rosenstein's order made it clear Mueller has authority to investigate people associated with Trump's campaign.

Mueller agreed to resign from his private law firm, Wilmer Hale, to pursue the probe, the Justice Department said. He was appointed under Justice Department regulations allowing the naming of a special counsel from outside the department when a conflict of interest exists or under "extraordinary circumstances."

Democrats were pleased:

Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. “Former Director Mueller is exactly the right kind of individual for this job. I now have significantly greater confidence that the investigation will follow the facts wherever they lead.”

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    DOJ Taps Ex-FBI Director Mueller as Special Counsel for Russia Probe | 100 comments (100 topical)

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    Richard Ben-Veniste just said (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 07:10:23 PM EST
    Mueller now literally stands in the shoes of the U.S. AG.

    one of the more comforting things ive heard in a while.

    Although (none / 0) (#2)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 07:49:50 PM EST
    Those tiny little shoes will probably make his feet hurt like hell.

    Parent
    They are upset (5.00 / 2) (#6)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 08:08:38 PM EST
    Because Starr started out with a nothing there land deal and ended up with an intern

    The places this could go have several people thinking about finding very high balcony tonight I'm thinkin.

    Or a nice little country (none / 0) (#8)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 08:11:23 PM EST
    With no extradition treaty.

    Parent
    Costa Rica! (none / 0) (#83)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu May 18, 2017 at 04:42:47 PM EST
    That's where fugitive financier and erstwhile Nixon crony Robert Vesco eventually fled in 1973, with federal charges pending against him for securities fraud.

    Eventually, however, Vesco settled down in Cuba, which proved to be a big mistake because the Castro regime took an even dimmer view of his scurrilous activities than did the U.S. Treasury Dept. He was indicted in 1996 for fraud and illicit economic activity by the Cuban government and quickly sentenced to 13 years imprisonment. He reportedly died of lung cancer in a Havana hospital in 2007.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    wow (none / 0) (#86)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 04:57:41 PM EST
    never heard that.

    the guy probably spent his last days wishing he was in one of those cushy white collar federal prisons.  with cable.

    Parent

    I don't know... (5.00 / 1) (#105)
    by kdog on Fri May 19, 2017 at 09:06:58 AM EST
    a con in Cuba probably gets better cancer treatment than a US con.  

    Parent
    Vesco actually moved to Cuba in 1982 ... (none / 0) (#107)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri May 19, 2017 at 11:11:43 AM EST
    ... on order to access its renowned healthcare system. But as the Castro government made clear to him, his residency into the country was contingent upon him keeping his nose clean and not engaging in his various financial schemes. And cons being cons, Vesco proved unable to keep his promise 'cause hey, grifters gotta grift.

    Reportedly, Vesco was sternly warned off by Fidel Castro personally from getting involved in the lucrative U.S. cocaine business back in 1989, when word got out that he was negotiating with Columbian Pablo Escobar's cartel. But then he attempted to financially scam the Castro government itself, which was a very foolish thing for him to do. Hence, he died in government custody.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Yep, we used to see Vesco (none / 0) (#102)
    by fishcamp on Thu May 18, 2017 at 11:05:56 PM EST
    When fishing up north in Guanacaste Province.  There was only one gambling casino then, and he was there every night.  The rumor was he had to leave CR because he didn't pay for the mansion he had built.

    Parent
    You've had an amazing life (none / 0) (#104)
    by Militarytracy on Fri May 19, 2017 at 03:34:12 AM EST


    Parent
    Flynn, why was Flynn trying to get immunity? (none / 0) (#10)
    by Militarytracy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 09:02:49 PM EST
    He's counterintelligence, was he running an op on all of us?

    We've been told he was a brilliant counterintelligence officer. But we've been told he did unethical pathetically stupid things. Perhaps the Army expectations and competency rating system is actually a POS?

    I'm so confused :)

    Parent

    NYTimes reporting just in (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 09:06:05 PM EST
    The last hour that Flynn told the transition team he was under federal investigation BEFORE he was named National Security Advisor

    Trump new.  They still gave him the job.

    WTF

    Parent

    This puts a big hole in the reason given for his (5.00 / 3) (#16)
    by vml68 on Wed May 17, 2017 at 10:09:41 PM EST
    firing, namely that he lied to Mike "I can't be alone with a woman who is not my wife" Pence. Pence was head of the transition team!

    Parent
    Yes, but this is (none / 0) (#65)
    by KeysDan on Thu May 18, 2017 at 12:52:12 PM EST
    likely to be Pence's stupidity defense.  Pence could not join the meeting with Transition officials when Flynn fessed up to his foreign entanglements because there was a woman in the meeting and mother was at church.

    Parent
    Ha! I don't know what I find weirder, (5.00 / 1) (#67)
    by vml68 on Thu May 18, 2017 at 01:26:00 PM EST
    that he can't be alone with a woman who is not his wife or that he calls his wife "mother".

    Parent
    Could he be alone with me? (5.00 / 1) (#71)
    by MKS on Thu May 18, 2017 at 02:20:46 PM EST
    I could be a female :)

    Parent
    Reagan used to call Nancy "mommy" (none / 0) (#75)
    by jondee on Thu May 18, 2017 at 03:14:17 PM EST
    it's part of the homespun, return-to-simpler-times aura that Mayberry Machievellis like Pence and Ted Cruz work hard to project.

    Parent
    Well, they've succeeded in the Mayberry part. (none / 0) (#84)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu May 18, 2017 at 04:46:24 PM EST
    They both frequently come across like Barney Fife and Goober Pyle.

    Parent
    I think they've got the Machievelli (none / 0) (#93)
    by jondee on Thu May 18, 2017 at 06:34:17 PM EST
    part down pretty well too.

    Parent
    Not really (none / 0) (#94)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 06:41:37 PM EST
    Machiavelli meets Jackass maybe.  This chapter titled Rosensteins Revenge

    Parent
    I don't know what the endgame (none / 0) (#106)
    by jondee on Fri May 19, 2017 at 10:54:33 AM EST
    will be for Pence, but I suspect the oily unctuous Mr Haney is going to wring every blessed droplet out of that smiley-face cutthroat christian schtick for long time.

    Parent
    Here (none / 0) (#12)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 09:07:49 PM EST
    Link

    Parent
    My head can't explode anymore :) (none / 0) (#13)
    by Militarytracy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 09:22:18 PM EST


    Parent
    Consider this (none / 0) (#15)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 09:37:23 PM EST
    Based on what we know and have seen from Agent Orange you know he is almost certainly needing to be physically restrained to prevent him from firing Mueller.  I had understood he could not do that but in a conversation with Rachel when she asked the guy who wrote the statute what we should worry about he said Trump COULD fire him.  Trump must be locked in a closet. I would almost bet at some point he will escape and try to fire him.  

    He is now a cornered rat who doesn't give a sh!t about appearances.   Not that he ever did.

    I suspect it is not going to get less I interesting from here.

    Parent

    Yes, that is a key part of the difference (none / 0) (#17)
    by Peter G on Wed May 17, 2017 at 10:24:18 PM EST
    between the current "special counsel" statute, and the now-expired, post-Watergate "special prosecutor" statute. Special counsel is independent of the AG but not independent of the President. The prior statute's contrary provision was always of doubtful constitutionality, to be perfectly frank, under the first sentence of Article II, section 1, of the Constitution, which vests the entire "executive power" of the federal government in "a President."

    Parent
    Just read Peter's comment (none / 0) (#19)
    by Militarytracy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 11:10:45 PM EST
    I don't think he's going to be able to stop himself from firing Mueller. He'll try, but when the heat is really on he won't take expert guidance or counsel.

    He's really going to put that unitary executive theory through the wringer. I suppose he already has.

    Parent

    I think that could be true (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 11:56:15 PM EST
    When he does the country, most of it, and the congress, enough of it, will turn on him.

    Then it's going to get really interesting

    Parent

    Or (none / 0) (#21)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 12:00:12 AM EST
    He could quit

    But it might be to late for that to make a difference.

    Parent

    I did see that psychologist who did (none / 0) (#22)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 12:19:06 AM EST
    The New Yorker piece tonight. He says he is certain Trump is in agony right now, but that was before word was out that he could fire Mueller. If he feels he can't control this investigation though and he could "lose", he may leave office IF he can convince himself and spin it that it's a win. He'll have his little troop of supporters too who go to their graves repeating the win. Sadly, knowing he can fire Mueller will probably bolster him. Him needing to spin it and win by leaving depends on a severe desperation.

    If he did break the law though, doesn't leaving the Presidency make him prosecutable at that point? Will that hold up being able to get rid of him?

    Parent

    Or, like I said yesterday, ... (none / 0) (#24)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu May 18, 2017 at 02:18:49 AM EST
    ... Air Force One could show up in Moscow one morning and he'll ask for asylum. Nothing this guy does would surprise me anymore.

    Parent
    Any Air Force officer who carries (none / 0) (#41)
    by Chuck0 on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:04:03 AM EST
    out that mission better stay in Moscow with Donald. Otherwise he should be charged with treason upon his return.

    Parent
    Ain't that a b*tch? (5.00 / 1) (#45)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:06:59 AM EST
    That's one of the things that gives my husband that headache. The President is insane, if he gives you an illegal order no matter how you slice it you are in trouble!!!

    Parent
    in that case (none / 0) (#46)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:09:26 AM EST
    a real patriot would put it down in the middle of the Atlantic.  nose first.  IMO.

    Parent
    Holy chit (none / 0) (#49)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:11:50 AM EST
    That's screwed 3 ways :)

    Parent
    re: illegal orders (none / 0) (#55)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:27:06 AM EST
    the reason Trump surrounded himself with more Generals than any president before him might be becoming a bit more.  and it makes me queasy.

    and McMaster rushing out to dissemble gives me no comfort.

    we might want to hope the others have brains attached to a spine.

    Parent

    And Kelly caught on a hot mic (5.00 / 2) (#69)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 01:38:18 PM EST
    Telling Trump to use his Coast Guard ceremonial sword on the press.

    Kelly and McMaster are done. Living on borrowed work time now.

    Jon Cooper of the Democratic Coalition tweeted last night that Pence staffers were in a panic too. They believe Pence is going to be taken down too. What in the hell did these guys do? My Twitter follows have changed dramatically in the past 48 hrs.

    The Generals though drinking the arrogance, they are finished in governance. Never again. Who would or could ever trust their judgement again?

    Parent

    Not just politics and governance, MT. (none / 0) (#79)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu May 18, 2017 at 04:24:50 PM EST
    Given their respective tone-deaf displays over these past nine days, who in their right mind would ever again trust their judgment in military affairs?

    Senior military brass best realize that they don't necessarily live in a protective bubble 24/7 any more. The proliferation of social media in this era of near-instantaneous communication has altered the landscape, just as it has for civilian politicians, and hot mics are fast becoming the norm rather than the exception. If they say and do something stupid, the odds are pretty good that the rest of the country will eventually hear about it.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    It's been a continuous problem (none / 0) (#91)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 06:24:28 PM EST
    Still that the Generals consider themselves above the law. Some of them still aren't following the regulations on sexual assault either.

    Parent
    Where are the TWEETS? (5.00 / 2) (#9)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 08:16:57 PM EST
    Love to know the lengths that have been gone to restraining Preznit Tweet Machine

    At the gym today (5.00 / 4) (#18)
    by fishcamp on Wed May 17, 2017 at 10:31:06 PM EST
    I walked up to the Trumpers and said "Hi Comrads".  They actually laughed, but then kept talking about Hillary.  I told them that ship has sailed and the current one is sinking.  They're scared.

    Scared of what, exactly? (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu May 18, 2017 at 03:23:16 AM EST
    Being so glaringly and humiliatingly wrong? The poor things. Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) has the perfect answer for them.

    Parent
    That is the standard (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu May 18, 2017 at 06:09:30 AM EST
    line from conservatives these days. Talk about Hillary. Like that is really gonna work.

    Parent
    Reuters is reporting this morning that ... (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu May 18, 2017 at 06:22:02 AM EST
    ... members of the Trump campaign's inner circle had at least 18 heretofore undisclosed contacts with Russian officials during the last seven months of the 2016 race:

    "Six of the previously undisclosed contacts described to Reuters were phone calls between Sergei Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the United States, and Trump advisers, including Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser, three current and former officials said. Conversations between Flynn and Kislyak accelerated after the Nov. 8 vote as the two discussed establishing a back channel for communication between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that could bypass the U.S. national security bureaucracy, which both sides considered hostile to improved relations, four current U.S. officials said." (Emphasis is mine.)

    The U.S. intelligence community is whacking Trump like a piñata.

    I don't think they've even had to try hard (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 07:14:29 AM EST
    I think the Trump campaign was corrupt as all hell.

    Parent
    Personally (5.00 / 3) (#32)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu May 18, 2017 at 07:18:48 AM EST
    I think Trump has gotten away with stuff for so long that he thought he could continue. He thought he would just be president and act like he was still running Trump Inc. He's the perfect example of why business people should not be running government.

    Parent
    As was GWB before him! (5.00 / 3) (#33)
    by Erehwon on Thu May 18, 2017 at 07:39:25 AM EST
    Myth for the feeble of mind: running the government is like running a business.

    Myth  for the feebler of mind: balancing the government budget is like balancing a family budget.

    Parent

    i think there is danger (none / 0) (#36)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 07:51:16 AM EST
    in assuming either had a feeble mind.  both were shrewd and ruthless enough to rise to the highest office in the land by IMO convincing the rubes they have a feeble mind.  
    neither do.  especially Trump.  the road of history  is littered with the corpses of people and businesses who underestimated Donald J. Trump.

    lets not do that.

    Parent

    I think that comment (none / 0) (#40)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:00:17 AM EST
    Was about feeble myth believing voters

    Parent
    in that case (none / 0) (#43)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:05:23 AM EST
    i agree

    Parent
    i had almost no caffeine (5.00 / 1) (#44)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:06:19 AM EST
    at that point.  the clouds are lifting

    Parent
    I didn't get much sleep (none / 0) (#47)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:09:38 AM EST
    It's too wild

    Parent
    Same (5.00 / 1) (#59)
    by Yman on Thu May 18, 2017 at 10:37:50 AM EST
    Hard to turn off the TV when a new "Breaking News" banner is popping up every couple of hours.  A neighbor (younger guy) said he likes watching this meltdown more than pr0n.  I couldn't really argue with him.

    Parent
    thats a pretty broad brush (none / 0) (#34)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 07:46:40 AM EST
    ya got there.

    i dont think for a minute "all business people" any more than all people should be tarred by this a$$ hats behaviour.  i can think of a dozen business people off the top of my head who i have no doubt could and would take the job seriously and do it as well as any washington pol.

    Parent

    Trump has been told by (none / 0) (#35)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 07:48:49 AM EST
    Expert advisors he can't fire Rosenstein and Mueller:) He was listening last night, but he's tweeting now hoping to find some yes men who will agree this is the biggest witch hunt of a politician in our history so that he can then talk himself into firing them.

    Parent
    by "cant" (none / 0) (#37)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 07:52:43 AM EST
    im guessin you mean politically.  no doubt he was told the same about Comey.  

    Parent
    Yeah (none / 0) (#39)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 07:59:17 AM EST
    And I'm certain they told him he couldn't fire Comey. So he isolated those people, set up firing Comey and then fired Comey when Comey was on the road.

    I had a question that night but of course it got lost in my shock. Could Trumpers go through Comey's office after firing him? Did they fire him on the road in order to attempt that?

    Parent

    I raised that here, MTrqcy (5.00 / 1) (#63)
    by Towanda on Thu May 18, 2017 at 12:19:21 PM EST
    Days ago, and the reaponse was that files are on computers now.  I let that go, but . . . asif computer files cannot be wiped, corrupted, erc.

    Parent
    Computer files can be wiped, corrupted, etc. (none / 0) (#66)
    by vml68 on Thu May 18, 2017 at 01:21:17 PM EST
    But, considering how inept this administration is, if they tried it, they probably bungled it and left a trail leading directly back to them. I am really hoping that is the case :-).

    Parent
    thats been discussed quite a bit (none / 0) (#42)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:04:45 AM EST
    it appears Comey saw that coming enough to not only record everything but to have aids ready to bolt into action to preserve stuff like those memos.  

    lot has been said bout how Comey had lived it that netherworld for many years and knew how to navigate it.

    the continuing drip drip of the memos seems to confirm that.  you would think if the Trump brownshirts would want anything it would be them.

    Parent

    So did they try to go through his stuff? (none / 0) (#48)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:10:47 AM EST


    Parent
    dunno (none / 0) (#51)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:16:18 AM EST
    hard to imagine anoher reason to do what they did other that just to humiliate him.

    Parent
    I would think any evidence of that (none / 0) (#53)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:18:50 AM EST
    Is another nail in the obstruction coffin.

    I'm an awful person, I really need Jeff Session's to have attempted to "secure" Comey's office.

    Parent

    What I (none / 0) (#57)
    by FlJoe on Thu May 18, 2017 at 09:09:11 AM EST
    keep being reminded of is this
    Kislyak also attended an event in April where Trump said he would seek better relations with Russia. Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, also attended that event in Washington. In addition, Kislyak met with two other Trump campaign advisers in July on the sidelines of the Republican convention.
    Among those at that meeting was Jeff Sessions Who has still not disclosed that in his "amended" testimony. The official line is that it was a meet and greet/receiving line (24 people in a private room for an hour, so color me skeptical).

    However, even if it meeting was totally, it seems to me that Sessions should have disclosed it out an abundance of caution if nothing else.

    Parent

    MacBeth, Act 1, Scene 4: (5.00 / 2) (#64)
    by KeysDan on Thu May 18, 2017 at 12:31:59 PM EST
    Malcom (to King Duncan, referring to Cawdor):
    Nothing in his life became him like leaving it.

    On his deathbed (none / 0) (#68)
    by jondee on Thu May 18, 2017 at 01:31:44 PM EST
    he finally saw the light, renounced his sordid past, and converted to full-fledged libertarianism.

    Parent
    Flynn stopped military (5.00 / 1) (#72)
    by MKS on Thu May 18, 2017 at 02:23:09 PM EST
    action against ISIS because the Turks were opposed to our reliance on the Kurds as part of the operation.  Of course, Flynn  was on the Turkish payroll.

    How is this not treason?

    Then it didn't stick (none / 0) (#108)
    by Militarytracy on Fri May 19, 2017 at 04:23:11 PM EST
    So Erdogan is forced the kneecap Americans for the debt.

    Parent
    this is very good (5.00 / 1) (#82)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 04:40:31 PM EST
    What Donald Trump Needs to Know About Bob Mueller and Jim Comey
    The two men who could bring down the president have been preparing their entire lives for this moment.
    It is as if, after having an unrelated disagreement over movie trivia in a bar, Trump has challenged Usain Bolt to a 100-yard dash or John Cena to a cage match to the death.
    And speaking of tapping, ... (5.00 / 1) (#88)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu May 18, 2017 at 05:06:58 PM EST
    ... Trump has indicated that 75-year-old former Sen. Joe Lieberman is his top choice as the new FBI Director. Our own Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) immediately took issue, speaking to reporters literally minutes ago:

    "There is no reason to appoint a politician to run the FBI. It is contrary to everything the FBI is about and it undermines the confidence that the public needs to have in the independence of the agency. And more to the point, it is not as if there is no one else qualified to do this job. There are literally dozens of people who would get a unanimous vote."

    But Republicans love them some Joe-mentum, so there.

    Not even Joe Manchin is (none / 0) (#95)
    by caseyOR on Thu May 18, 2017 at 07:36:13 PM EST
    onboard with Lieberman as FBI director. Is McConnell willing to go nuclear to get Lieberman this gig? Because, based on the comments I have heard from various Democratic senators, the Demsxare not going to help the Republicans get to 60 votes for Lieberman.

    Parent
    Please see my comment No. 96 above. (none / 0) (#98)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:08:28 PM EST
    LINK. Joe Lieberman may be many things, few of them good, but being someone's lapdog certainly isn't one of them, ESPECIALLY when it comes to Russia. He has a longstanding history of animus toward the Kremlin, and Trump in this instance ought to be very careful what he asks for. Does he really not understand that Lieberman absolutely detests Putin? Because if Trump's actual goal here is to get out from under the Russia investigation, I'd think that Lieberman should be the LAST guy he'd want at the helm of the FBI right now.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Could be theater (none / 0) (#100)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:14:42 PM EST
    IMO LIEberman will never head the FBI.  If I know this Orange probably does.  Maybe it's a thing so he can say he tried to nominate a "consensus" candidate so he can follow it up with a toady.
    The Trump peanut gallery would eat it up and run with it.  You know they would.

    Just thinking in print

    Parent

    I'm with you. (none / 0) (#101)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:24:36 PM EST
    Joe is nothing if not a loose cannon and there's no way he'd let Putin get away with something.

    Parent
    Dershowitz is losing his mind (none / 0) (#3)
    by Militarytracy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 08:01:50 PM EST
    The kangaroos will be running the court. Run for your life Trump. Maybe we all need to run for our lives, sounds like the chaos of special counsel will eat us all up.

    I suppose that at one time in the past, ... (5.00 / 3) (#23)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu May 18, 2017 at 02:15:20 AM EST
    ... Alan Dershowitz was a thoughtful TV legal analyst who contributed some sense of relevance, depth and gravitas to the public discussion. Alas, he's now a third-tier celebrity talking head and angry curmudgeon who's more often than not his own best parody.

    Parent
    Small things (none / 0) (#4)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 08:03:47 PM EST
    Are the easiest to misplace

    Parent
    Republicans are on the tube (5.00 / 3) (#7)
    by Militarytracy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 08:10:32 PM EST
    Freaking out about the injustice of Monica Lewinsky. I would make popcorn, but we are out. I'm serious. We've been sitting in front of the television every night with popcorn. I didn't realize until now we're living the joke.

    Parent
    My nugget had splosion fatigue (none / 0) (#14)
    by Militarytracy on Wed May 17, 2017 at 09:24:26 PM EST


    I know. (none / 0) (#28)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu May 18, 2017 at 06:11:31 AM EST
    The stories are coming so fast and furious you just cannot believe it. More than one a day at this point.

    Parent
    And he's tweeting this morning (none / 0) (#30)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 07:13:06 AM EST
    Last night the White House issued that great statement about respecting the investigation and special counsel, this morning he's a victim and he's trying to trash it.

    Parent
    Ha ha (none / 0) (#26)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu May 18, 2017 at 06:04:31 AM EST
    now they can join the other 2/3 of the country that the entire exercise was stupid.

    I'm sure the gas lighting is going to start where they are going to attempt to rewrite history and say they were always against Clinton being impeached. LOL.

    Joe Manchin was being interviewed on CNN (none / 0) (#38)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 07:54:14 AM EST
    When Trump tweeted

    He was trying to talk about how news is distracting the country and they can't get tax reform done. Then Cuomo told him Trump had just tweeted. The look on Manchin's face was priceless.

    based of the focus on (none / 0) (#54)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:19:41 AM EST
    the cascadeing lie of Mike Pence im finding it pretty hard to imagine Preznit Pence.

    WaPo (5.00 / 1) (#56)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:50:27 AM EST
    When history holds its trial to account for the Donald Trump presidency, Trump himself will be acquitted on grounds of madness. History will look at his behavior, his erratic and childish lying and his flamboyant ignorance of history itself and pronounce the man, like George III, a cuckoo for whom restraint, but not punishment, was necessary. Such will not be the case for Mike Pence, the toady vice president and the personification of much that has gone wrong in Washington.

    On any given day, Pence will do his customary spot-on imitation of a bobblehead. Standing near Trump in the Oval Office, he will nod his head robotically as the president says one asinine thing after another and then, maybe along with others, he will be honored with a lie or a version of the truth so mangled by contradictions and fabrications that a day in the White House is like a week on LSD.



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    Whats "history" going to say about (none / 0) (#58)
    by jondee on Thu May 18, 2017 at 10:02:06 AM EST
    a populace and an allegedly educated segment of the media who thought Trump eminently qualified for the highest office in the land after his shallowness,  impulsivity, and narcissism had already been on full public display for months on end?

    Maybe people will say Trump embodied what America was as opposed to what we aspire to, and that the Pence's were just more garden variety company men going along to get along.

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    Well, that mindset (5.00 / 1) (#62)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu May 18, 2017 at 11:29:16 AM EST
    has been the subject of twitter rumors for quite a while. I've thought from the beginning Pence was up to his eyeballs in this stuff. He ran the transition and he also praised Putin.

    The fact that he's got problems that are coming out is even better. He is like the commander in the Handmaid's Tale.

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    Leaks coming out of the WH last night (none / 0) (#70)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 01:41:35 PM EST
    Had his staff in full panic too. Looks like you were right.

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    Lindsey Graham telling press (none / 0) (#73)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 02:34:20 PM EST
    The Russia probe now seems to be a criminal probe.

    Trump has now heard that Rosenstein (none / 0) (#74)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 02:42:09 PM EST
    In a classified briefing has designated the Russia probe now a criminal investigation. And Trump is supposed to address us in 20 mins. This oughtta be good, tremendous, the best meltdown I've seen yet.

    Trump says he can't speak for anyone else (none / 0) (#77)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 04:07:11 PM EST
    Working his campaign but he did not collude with Russia.

    Throwing subordinates under the bus is going to look like he's playing horseshoes.

    Nobody throws under the bus better than Trump. He is the best thrower. He's a tremendous thrower.

    Don Corleone didn't actually shoot (none / 0) (#78)
    by jondee on Thu May 18, 2017 at 04:10:09 PM EST
    anyone himself.

    At least, not in the first movie.

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    best part of that quote (none / 0) (#80)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 04:25:27 PM EST
    "i can only speak for myself...and the Russians."

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    they are now officially denying (none / 0) (#81)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 04:27:34 PM EST
    Flynn or his lawyer told them he was under federal investigation.  seems to me that might be a pretty easy thing to proove if true.

    And meanwhile, per Sen. Clair McCaskill, ... (none / 0) (#85)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu May 18, 2017 at 04:52:37 PM EST
    ... Deputy AG Rosenstein reportedly told her and her colleagues during today's briefing that Trump had already informed him that he was going to fire Comey, prior to writing that memo first cited as the excuse.

    This is all playing out like a bad TV mini-series.

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    and has not responded well (5.00 / 1) (#87)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 05:04:42 PM EST
    to rumors of Lyin Joe heading the FBI.  which they say Trump thinks democrats would like.  uh huh.  like they would like firing Comey.

    either he really is as stupid as he acts or he thinks everyone else is.

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    Or both. (none / 0) (#96)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu May 18, 2017 at 07:47:06 PM EST
    CaptHowdy: "either he really is as stupid as he acts or he thinks everyone else is."

    Even his prospective nomination of Lieberman as FBI director may come back to bite Trump in the a$$. For all of Ol' Joe's obvious and considerable shortcomings, we'd do well at this point in time to remember that he's also no friend of the Kremlin, and he really distrusts and despises Vladimir Putin. Further, his open and consistent animus toward Russia and Putin long predates whatever relationship he might currently enjoy with Trump.

    I mean, if Lieberman as FBI director is confronted with evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, I really don't see him looking the other way and granting Trump's team a mulligan. Quite the contrary, actually. I believe that Director Lieberman would bring the hammer down on them -- hard.

    That's why I think Trump's nomination of Lieberman, if it's being done to tweak the Democrats' noses as it seems to be, could well backfire on him, much as Nixon's selection of a supposedly friendly Leon Jaworski as special prosecutor in the fall of 1973 ultimately hastened his own downfall.

    Aloha.

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    I suppose that true (none / 0) (#97)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 07:55:07 PM EST
    And there are the Three Amigos with McCain and Daisy Mae Graham being the others.

    Still, it's hard for me to imagine it ever happening.

     

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    I can't see Trump making this appointment. (none / 0) (#99)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu May 18, 2017 at 08:14:01 PM EST
    If he does, then he deserves what happens to him, because Lieberman will likely march to his own drummer as FBI director, and any attempt to subsequently remove him from that post would be entirely problematic politically.

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    Trump brought up today (none / 0) (#92)
    by Militarytracy on Thu May 18, 2017 at 06:32:37 PM EST
    Comey giving incorrect testimony to Congress about Huma Abedin's emails found on the Weiner computer. And the record of that testimony had to be corrected. Everything that Comey did to Clinton is biting him in the ever luvin butt.

    It's his karma, but his karma is getting on my karma and the karma of the whole country.

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    And meanwhile, esewhere on Capitol Hill, ... (none / 0) (#103)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri May 19, 2017 at 02:43:27 AM EST
    ... seriously, is there anyone in D.C. with an (R) behind his or her name who actually understands the legal definition of the word "recusal"?

    "The former head of the House Russia investigation, Rep. Devin Nunes, is continuing to review intelligence relating to Russia, a move that has Democrats grumbling that he has violated the spirit of his recusal."

    Apparently not.

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