Swalwell is correct. Innocent people don't obstruct like this.

If you’re REALLY innocent then you welcome any investigation and want it to take its course because you know it’ll back you up. You don’t try to move heaven and earth to block, interfere, obstruct, influence potential witnesses, muddy the waters, try to manipulate perception and/or public opinion.

Seems to me what we’re seeing him do here is exactly the kind of things he undoubtedly did in Manhattan from his little “family business” fiefdom, over decades. Tactics learned at ultimate scumbag Roy Cohn’s knee and then applied liberally to get himself out of a never-ending stream of legal jams.

Ask yourself this: WHY would somebody want a Roy Cohn type on their payroll? WHY would someone need “fixer” types who were there to do the dirty work YOU wanted done or felt you needed, to tilt the playing field so you could win? So YOU could at least maintain the appearance of distance from the dirty messes YOU created or set in motion.

As crooked as a northern winter night is long.

trump is NOT acting like someone who’s innocent. Michael Avenatti put it best: “those who have nothing to hide hide nothing.”

Bookmarked for further study.

Yeah. I noticed Ken Starr's photo was in that rogue's gallery.

Totally get that, Cheviteau.

Sometimes I actually find it comforting that I’m no longer young. I hope to be gone before the polar bears disappear.

It hurts my heart. I have kids. And I’m soon to be a grandmother. What kind of world will we have left them?

OMG! Is that for real?

Indeed.

I have NEVER seen Vladimir Putin so ebullient in public!

Not EVER. I ‘be seen him smile and be cordial. But NEVER like this. Beaming so broadly his cheeks puff up nearly to the point that his eyes are nearly shut. High-fiving a suspected cohort. In public. Vigorously, too. They did everything but pop champagne corks, set off fireworks, and take off their shirts and tummy-bump each other.

Although for all we know, the champagne service, at least, wasn’t far away.

Ouch!

Acting scared too.

Ouch!

We have to start calling him that.

That.

Red Tide Rick. Reminders like this of that horrid marine affliction are quite useful. Attaching something widely acknowledged as negative and/or outright noxious to someone. The concept to the person. In this case the concept being the ecological calamity that is actually, literally, genuinely, tangibly happening.

Happening right now in the real world in real time.

Further, that helps connect another dot. Attaching “Red Tide” to Rick Scott makes it clear that the dreaded “Red Tide” applies to him or is somehow connected to him. Well, he was governor in Florida. Why would one couple “Red Tide” with Rick Scott’s name? Because maybe as governor it happened on his watch?
Because maybe as governor it DEVELOPED on his watch?
Maybe as governor he had a hand in that development or enabled it with friendly executive directives or “creative” manipulations of laws or regulations?

And you can retrace the steps from here... why did he want to use his powers and authority as governor to enable conditions that eventually resulted in red tides? Why did he, how exactly did he, when did he - and for how long?

And who benefits? ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ask who benefits. And how do they benefit? And “how” leads directly to “how much”. Money is usually involved. Usually BIG money. Big money from whom? And why? For what purpose?

If we start planting this seed, seeds like this, it will begin to sow doubt as those seeds germinate. It’ll serve to remind that the red tide conditions that are proving to be literal threats to local economies as well as drastically and directly (and extremely negatively) affecting the local ecosystem. And Rick Scott’s leadership as governor has directly led to this. GOOD that the “Red Tide” label be attached to him by name. That’s GOOD. It can help wake people up. At least a few. At least for starters.

Hard to live in a bubble where you’re constantly told that everything’s fine, when you step outside your own front door and see it right there in the flesh along the nearest neighborhood shoreline or waterfront. Or you know people who attest to this happening in THEIR neighborhoods.

Seeing is believing. We can only hope that enough people start waking up, and coming to their senses NOW. And you can start that by messaging. Planting seeds in people’s minds. Perception management. Managing their perception of the world and the world around them. I just regret that too many people in this country can’t learn a lesson in any way other than the hard way. There’s a fair amount of grief and anguish ahead.