LOVE Jonathan Chait's headline in NY Mag: Robert Mueller Eliminates Trump's Trump Card

[highplainsdem]

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/08/robert-mueller-eliminates-trumps-trump-card.html

Donald Trump’s ability to issue presidential pardons has been the ultimate weapon looming over Robert Mueller’s investigation. Trump could potentially pardon himself of any crimes. More importantly, he could dangle a pardon to his former staffers to encourage them not to supply Mueller with any incriminating information on Trump. Mueller is apparently handling his investigating like the prosecution of a mob boss, pressuring underlings to flip on the boss. Trump’s advantage is that, unlike a mob boss, he can give out an unlimited number of get-out-of-jail-free cards. Trump has reportedly mused in public about using the pardon — and his pardon of Joe Arpaio flaunted his willingness to use it on behalf of a political ally, even in outrageous fashion.

But there turns out to a flaw in Trump’s strategy. The presidential pardon only applies to federal crimes...

-snip-

Trump can pardon anybody facing charges from Mueller, but not from Schneiderman. It is probably significant that Mueller is letting this fact be known to Trump’s inner circle. Trump’s biggest source of leverage over Mueller just disappeared.

[aquamarina]

1. Mueller is infinitely

Smarter than Donnie Two Scoops. He's probably strategized every possible legal scenario and then some. Trump is metaphorically playing checkers against Garry Kasparov

[Barack_America]

5. I have one of those shirts.

I take great pleasure in wearing it.

[moonscape]

3. It's astonishing that 45, with his crimes, wanted to

go anywhere near high public office. Gambino wouldn't have done it. But then, those mob bosses were smart.

The hubris!

[tblue37]

6. Idiot thought being president was like being king in an absolute monarchy. He kept

hearing that the president is the most powerful person in the world, and he believed it. He has no understanding at all about the way the U.S. government works, so he is completely surprised to discover that he can't just rule by fiat and force everyone to bow down and submit to his whims.

[GallopingGhost]

8. This.

Exactly this. In fact, Omarosa used those exact words in a statement prior to the farce of an election. I'd have to look up the whole quote to write it verbatim, but she said everyone would have to "bow down" to him.

I'm sure he thought he could bully, threaten and intimidate everyone around him, and he has certainly done that to many. But not everyone rolls over so easily. Mueller has one hell of an impressive team.

[Duppers]

7. I've thought the same.

The narcissistic dumbass deserves prison and financial ruin.

Thing is no one in this clan was intelligent enough to figure out the risks, the chances of being caught. They had gotten away with too much already.

[oasis]

4. The Big Boy League plays hardball for keeps.