“We are in pretty treacherous territory here. It’s unprecedented to my knowledge to have the President’s personal attorney raided like this. They must have been able to present evidence that was hugely compelling to take a step like this.” — Former White House aide David Gergen, quoted by CNN.
No Witch Hunt[Click] First Read: “It’s hard to call an investigation a ‘witch hunt’ when it has already resulted in 19 individuals being charged with crimes, including five who pleaded guilty and one who’s been sentenced to jail (for 30 days). That’s quite a rap sheet for an ongoing probe.”
I thought Christopher said Beren and Luthien< that came out last year, would be his last book. He is ninety-three years old, after all, and he has spent the last forty-five years, since his father's death, setting his papers in order, editing, publishing. And if I'm remembering aright, The Fall of Gondolin presents particularly thorny problems. This is fantastic news! Can't wait to read the article. I may relax my recently initiated boycott of Amazon to pre-order.
GRRR! Tuor is not a Noldoran elf or any other elf. He is a man. That's a large part of the point! I *HATE* it when people who don't know what they're talking about try to discuss Middle-earth!
in response to Cat's question on the previous thread: There is no evidence I know of that China meddled in US elections. There's no question that Trump's election has significantly benefited them, but that's Trump.
It's quite certain that Russia meddled in the election, but their motives are not entirely clear. The best guess, IMHO, is that they were primarily seeking to sow discord and division among Americans. They likely assumed, as everyone else did, that Clinton would be elected and were in part seeking to undermine her credibility. This could have contributed to Trump's election, but that was a more-or-less unexpected benefit. And after an initial bromance with Putin, Trump is now taking an anti-Russian stance. So any advantage Russia has gained is more from the weakening of the US than from Trump specifically favoring Russia.
Holy Cow! A plethora of headlines at politicalwire.com: --Alan
Trump Cancels Foreign Trip Mueller Is a Wildcard In the Midterm Elections Trump Homeland Security Adviser Quits Trump ‘Less Inclined’ to Meet with Mueller Rosenstein Signed Off On Raid of Trump’s Attorney New York U.S. Attorney Recused Himself Raid Also Sought Info on Taxi Medallions FBI Raid Sought Info on Payments to Two Women Republicans Warn Trump Against Axing Mueller ===================== Bonus Quote of the Day: “It would be suicide for the president to want to talk about firing Mueller.” — Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), quoted by Politico. ==================== Why the FBI Raid Is Perilous for Donald Trump
Ken White: “The Stormy Daniels payout may be outside the scope of the Russia investigation, but it’s possible that Mr. Cohen’s records are full of materials that are squarely within that scope. And the law is clear: If investigators executing a lawful warrant seize evidence of additional crimes, they may use that evidence. Thus Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen, with their catastrophically clumsy handling of the Daniels affair, may have handed Mr. Mueller devastating evidence.”
“It’s easy to conclude that after so many bombshells, this is just another overfrantic news cycle. It’s not. It’s highly dangerous, and not just for Mr. Cohen. It’s perilous for the president, whose personal lawyer now may face a choice between going down fighting alone or saving his own skin by giving the wolves what they want.” ==================== Most Voters Would Reject Attempt to Fire Mueller
A new Quinnipiac poll finds that American voters say by 69% to 13% that President Trump should not fire special counsel Robert Mueller. Even Republicans say by 55% to 22% that he shouldn’t move to dismiss Mueller.
Not quite stool pigeon, but almost, eh? Highly honorable folk, those who would save their own hides by turning on the boss. Of course, were they honorable, they wouldn't be working for their current boss to begin with; so, I suppose it all comes out in the wash.
No, no. The assumption is that Democrats will take at least the House in November. A dem controlled House would, the idear runs, be not only free but more or less compelled to impeach given Muler's report.
As has been observed before now, the special prosecutor is being extraordinarily careful. One supposes he wants to preempt *any* faintest hope of any minutest part of this complex case being thrown out on technicalities. My confidence grows with every news item that, though it may take quite some time, he'll eventually bring this administration down and tie it up in legal tape like a Christmas present.
Is McConnell just saying this to keep Trump happy and engaged, like dangling something shiny in front of a toddler, or does he really intend to waste Senate time on something that is guaranteed to go nowhere?
Presumably, the "wasteful spending" that so troubles Trump is bagatelles such Food Stamps, highway repair and safety inspections for food and medication and the like. Who needs that crap? We all know the only thing the government has to do is make sure the Defense Department's budget is larger than the budgets of most countries. :P
“We are in pretty treacherous territory here. It’s unprecedented to my knowledge to have the President’s personal attorney raided like this. They must have been able to present evidence that was hugely compelling to take a step like this.”
ReplyDelete— Former White House aide David Gergen, quoted by CNN.
What To Make Of The FBI’s Extraordinary Raid Of Michael Cohen[Click] This is a better organized exposition than anything outside a paywall yesterday.
No Witch Hunt[Click]
First Read: “It’s hard to call an investigation a ‘witch hunt’ when it has already resulted in 19 individuals being charged with crimes, including five who pleaded guilty and one who’s been sentenced to jail (for 30 days). That’s quite a rap sheet for an ongoing probe.”
Trump Rages On, Claims ‘Attorney-Client Privilege Is Dead!’ After Cohen Raid[Click]
—Alan
I hope they throw the net over Cheetolini before he starts WWIII.
DeleteYou and me both! I think a stay in a nice, comfy padded room would do him a world of good, not to mention setting a great many people's minds at ease.
DeleteThe Fall of Gondolin, 'new' JRR Tolkien book, to be published in 2018[Click] “…the story was written by Tolkien while he was in hospital and convalescing directly after the Battle of the Somme.”
ReplyDelete—Alan
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteI thought Christopher said Beren and Luthien< that came out last year, would be his last book. He is ninety-three years old, after all, and he has spent the last forty-five years, since his father's death, setting his papers in order, editing, publishing. And if I'm remembering aright, The Fall of Gondolin presents particularly thorny problems. This is fantastic news! Can't wait to read the article. I may relax my recently initiated boycott of Amazon to pre-order.
GRRR! Tuor is not a Noldoran elf or any other elf. He is a man. That's a large part of the point! I *HATE* it when people who don't know what they're talking about try to discuss Middle-earth!
DeleteHere's the pre-order link from Amazon UK:
DeleteThe Fall of Gondolin - Click
in response to Cat's question on the previous thread: There is no evidence I know of that China meddled in US elections. There's no question that Trump's election has significantly benefited them, but that's Trump.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite certain that Russia meddled in the election, but their motives are not entirely clear. The best guess, IMHO, is that they were primarily seeking to sow discord and division among Americans. They likely assumed, as everyone else did, that Clinton would be elected and were in part seeking to undermine her credibility. This could have contributed to Trump's election, but that was a more-or-less unexpected benefit. And after an initial bromance with Putin, Trump is now taking an anti-Russian stance. So any advantage Russia has gained is more from the weakening of the US than from Trump specifically favoring Russia.
Theological ramblings on the last thread, just so folks know.
ReplyDeleteHoly Cow! A plethora of headlines at politicalwire.com:
ReplyDelete--Alan
Trump Cancels Foreign Trip
Mueller Is a Wildcard In the Midterm Elections
Trump Homeland Security Adviser Quits
Trump ‘Less Inclined’ to Meet with Mueller
Rosenstein Signed Off On Raid of Trump’s Attorney
New York U.S. Attorney Recused Himself
Raid Also Sought Info on Taxi Medallions
FBI Raid Sought Info on Payments to Two Women
Republicans Warn Trump Against Axing Mueller
=====================
Bonus Quote of the Day:
“It would be suicide for the president to want to talk about firing Mueller.”
— Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), quoted by Politico.
====================
Why the FBI Raid Is Perilous for Donald Trump
Ken White: “The Stormy Daniels payout may be outside the scope of the Russia investigation, but it’s possible that Mr. Cohen’s records are full of materials that are squarely within that scope. And the law is clear: If investigators executing a lawful warrant seize evidence of additional crimes, they may use that evidence. Thus Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen, with their catastrophically clumsy handling of the Daniels affair, may have handed Mr. Mueller devastating evidence.”
“It’s easy to conclude that after so many bombshells, this is just another overfrantic news cycle. It’s not. It’s highly dangerous, and not just for Mr. Cohen. It’s perilous for the president, whose personal lawyer now may face a choice between going down fighting alone or saving his own skin by giving the wolves what they want.”
====================
Most Voters Would Reject Attempt to Fire Mueller
A new Quinnipiac poll finds that American voters say by 69% to 13% that President Trump should not fire special counsel Robert Mueller.
Even Republicans say by 55% to 22% that he shouldn’t move to dismiss Mueller.
"...may face a choice between going down fighting alone or saving his own skin by giving the wolves what they want.”
DeleteThat's the way it goes in federal investigations of crime syndicates, as I understand.
Alan
Not quite stool pigeon, but almost, eh? Highly honorable folk, those who would save their own hides by turning on the boss. Of course, were they honorable, they wouldn't be working for their current boss to begin with; so, I suppose it all comes out in the wash.
DeleteDershowitz: Mueller's goal is to write a report in hopes Congress uses it to impeach Trump - Click
ReplyDeleteThe Republican-majority Congress won't do a damn thing because they still operate by their supreme rule: "It's okay if you're a Republican".
DeleteNo, no. The assumption is that Democrats will take at least the House in November. A dem controlled House would, the idear runs, be not only free but more or less compelled to impeach given Muler's report.
Delete*shrug* I just post the links.
listener, thanks for the sweet small sheepie fellas!
ReplyDeleteAs has been observed before now, the special prosecutor is being extraordinarily careful. One supposes he wants to preempt *any* faintest hope of any minutest part of this complex case being thrown out on technicalities. My confidence grows with every news item that, though it may take quite some time, he'll eventually bring this administration down and tie it up in legal tape like a Christmas present.
ReplyDeleteIs McConnell just saying this to keep Trump happy and engaged, like dangling something shiny in front of a toddler, or does he really intend to waste Senate time on something that is guaranteed to go nowhere?
ReplyDeleteMcConnell Open To Trump’s Idea Of Paring Back $1.3 Trillion Spending Bill - Click
Presumably, the "wasteful spending" that so troubles Trump is bagatelles such Food Stamps, highway repair and safety inspections for food and medication and the like. Who needs that crap? We all know the only thing the government has to do is make sure the Defense Department's budget is larger than the budgets of most countries. :P
I think the US still spends more on the military than all other countries in the world combined. That was one of the things that brought down Rome.
Delete--Alan
Don't be silly, Alan. It was all those immigrants!
DeleteAfter peoples "immigrated" with the help of Roman armies, they in time were granted Roman citizenship...
Delete--Alan
Cohen: FBI Was ‘Extremely Professional, Courteous And Respectful’ During Raids - Click
ReplyDelete