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babylonsister
babylonsister's Journal
babylonsister's Journal
July 24, 2019
The President* Is a Crook and Everyone in Congress Knows It
Robert Mueller wasn't Richard Pryor at the mic, but he confirmed it in his own way.
By Charles P. Pierce
Jul 24, 2019
snip//
(An aside: if Chuck Todd uses the word "optics" ever again in connection with American politics, I am going to raise William Allen White from the dead and make him put Todd on the night rewrite desk until Jesus comes home.)
Otherwise, the hearing was a matter of having Democratic members of the committee soliciting damaging, "Yes," answers while Republicans yelled at Mueller, called his actions un-American, waved at him so the folks at home got the notion that Mueller was doddering, and basically loosed all the pent-up soundbites that they hadn't yet gotten to deliver on Sean Hannity's program. There even was a citing of Hillary Rodham Clinton's email procedures. I mean, when you can line up Louie Gohmert, Padishah Emperor Of The Stupid People, Jim Jordan, and Gaetz, you have firmly set up headquarters in the Land of the Lost.
snip//
The Democratic approach was best exemplified by Rep. Karen Bass of California, who led Mueller through a damning yes-no litany regarding the president*'s attempts to get Mueller fired through his then-White House counsel Don McGahn. Bass asked:
Mueller answered, "Correct," or "True," or, "I refer you back to the report," to all of these. And if that isn't plainly an obstruction of justice, I don't know what you'd call it. And the fact that Mueller wasn't exactly Richard Pryor while delivering his answers doesn't matter a damn. He said the president* is a crook. Everyone in Congress knows it, and they knew it before Wednesday even had dawned. But now there's video.
Charles P. Pierce: The President* Is a Crook and Everyone in Congress Knows It
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a28496494/robert-mueller-testify-donald-trump-crook/The President* Is a Crook and Everyone in Congress Knows It
Robert Mueller wasn't Richard Pryor at the mic, but he confirmed it in his own way.
By Charles P. Pierce
Jul 24, 2019
snip//
(An aside: if Chuck Todd uses the word "optics" ever again in connection with American politics, I am going to raise William Allen White from the dead and make him put Todd on the night rewrite desk until Jesus comes home.)
Otherwise, the hearing was a matter of having Democratic members of the committee soliciting damaging, "Yes," answers while Republicans yelled at Mueller, called his actions un-American, waved at him so the folks at home got the notion that Mueller was doddering, and basically loosed all the pent-up soundbites that they hadn't yet gotten to deliver on Sean Hannity's program. There even was a citing of Hillary Rodham Clinton's email procedures. I mean, when you can line up Louie Gohmert, Padishah Emperor Of The Stupid People, Jim Jordan, and Gaetz, you have firmly set up headquarters in the Land of the Lost.
snip//
The Democratic approach was best exemplified by Rep. Karen Bass of California, who led Mueller through a damning yes-no litany regarding the president*'s attempts to get Mueller fired through his then-White House counsel Don McGahn. Bass asked:
COMMUNICATING THROUGH HIS PERSONAL ATTORNEY, McGAHN REFUSED, BECAUSE HE SAID, QUOTE, THAT THE TIMES STORY WAS ACCURATE IN REPORTING THAT THE PRESIDENT WANTED THE SPECIAL COUNSEL REMOVED. ISN'T THAT RIGHT?
ON PAGE 113 IT SAYS, QUOTE, THE PRESIDENT THEN DIRECTED PORTER TO TELL McGAHN TO CREATE A RECORD, TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE PRESIDENT NEVER DIRECTED McGAHN TO FIRE YOU, END QUOTE. IS THAT CORRECT?
AND TO BE CLEAR, THE PRESIDENT IS ASKING HIS WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL, DON McGAHN, TO CREATE A RECORD THAT McGAHN BELIEVED TO BE UNTRUE WHILE YOU WERE IN THE MIDST OF INVESTIGATING THE PRESIDENT FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. CORRECT?
OKAY. BUT THE PRESIDENT STILL DIDN'T GIVE UP, DID HE? SO THE PRESIDENT TOLD McGAHN DIRECTLY TO DENY THAT THE PRESIDENT TOLD HIM TO HAVE YOU FIRED. CAN YOU TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED?
WELL, ON PAGE 116, IT SAYS THE PRESIDENT MET HIM IN THE OVAL OFFICE, QUOTE, THE PRESIDENT BEGAN THE OVAL OFFICE MEETING BY TELLING McGAHN THAT THE "NEW YORK TIMES" STORY DIDN'T LOOK GOOD AND McGAHN NEEDED TO CORRECT IT. IS THAT CORRECT?
ON PAGE 113 IT SAYS, QUOTE, THE PRESIDENT THEN DIRECTED PORTER TO TELL McGAHN TO CREATE A RECORD, TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE PRESIDENT NEVER DIRECTED McGAHN TO FIRE YOU, END QUOTE. IS THAT CORRECT?
AND TO BE CLEAR, THE PRESIDENT IS ASKING HIS WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL, DON McGAHN, TO CREATE A RECORD THAT McGAHN BELIEVED TO BE UNTRUE WHILE YOU WERE IN THE MIDST OF INVESTIGATING THE PRESIDENT FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. CORRECT?
OKAY. BUT THE PRESIDENT STILL DIDN'T GIVE UP, DID HE? SO THE PRESIDENT TOLD McGAHN DIRECTLY TO DENY THAT THE PRESIDENT TOLD HIM TO HAVE YOU FIRED. CAN YOU TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED?
WELL, ON PAGE 116, IT SAYS THE PRESIDENT MET HIM IN THE OVAL OFFICE, QUOTE, THE PRESIDENT BEGAN THE OVAL OFFICE MEETING BY TELLING McGAHN THAT THE "NEW YORK TIMES" STORY DIDN'T LOOK GOOD AND McGAHN NEEDED TO CORRECT IT. IS THAT CORRECT?
Mueller answered, "Correct," or "True," or, "I refer you back to the report," to all of these. And if that isn't plainly an obstruction of justice, I don't know what you'd call it. And the fact that Mueller wasn't exactly Richard Pryor while delivering his answers doesn't matter a damn. He said the president* is a crook. Everyone in Congress knows it, and they knew it before Wednesday even had dawned. But now there's video.
July 24, 2019
Chuck Todd Complains About 'Terrible Optics' Of Mueller Hearing
As soon as Robert Mueller completed his first round of testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, the Beltway farce began.
By Karoli Kuns
46 min ago by Karoli Kuns
Video @ link~
Robert Mueller's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday was compelling and direct. He confirmed that Donald Trump ordered staff to falsify records, that his report did not exonerate Trump of his crimes, and that impeachment was one of the remedies that he suggested in place of a formal indictment. Oh, and a Republican elicited the information that Trump could be indicted for obstruction after he leaves office, too.
All four of those, alone or together, are major headlines which should dominate the news cycle such as it is for at least, say, an hour.
But as I write, Robert Mueller has completed his Judiciary Committee testimony and is 15 minutes away from testifying before the Senate Intel Committee, but the Beltway media has their marching orders.
Chuck Todd, in the video above, tells all NBC News viewers, "On substance the Democrats got exactly what they wanted...But on optics, it was a complete failure."
According to his compatriot Savannah Guthrie, Democrats were looking for some grand narrative and gotcha moment that they did not get. I would refer Guthrie AND Chuck Todd to my first paragraph and encourage them to click the links therein.
Here's some hot takes by our "reporters" who are ostensibly paid not to write a script but to report things. You can see that they're just too, too cynical and lazy to be bothered with that.
more...
https://crooksandliars.com/2019/07/chuck-todd-beltway-press-terrible-optics
Chuck Todd Complains About 'Terrible Optics' Of Mueller Hearing
Chuck Todd Complains About 'Terrible Optics' Of Mueller Hearing
As soon as Robert Mueller completed his first round of testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, the Beltway farce began.
By Karoli Kuns
46 min ago by Karoli Kuns
Video @ link~
Robert Mueller's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday was compelling and direct. He confirmed that Donald Trump ordered staff to falsify records, that his report did not exonerate Trump of his crimes, and that impeachment was one of the remedies that he suggested in place of a formal indictment. Oh, and a Republican elicited the information that Trump could be indicted for obstruction after he leaves office, too.
All four of those, alone or together, are major headlines which should dominate the news cycle such as it is for at least, say, an hour.
But as I write, Robert Mueller has completed his Judiciary Committee testimony and is 15 minutes away from testifying before the Senate Intel Committee, but the Beltway media has their marching orders.
Chuck Todd, in the video above, tells all NBC News viewers, "On substance the Democrats got exactly what they wanted...But on optics, it was a complete failure."
According to his compatriot Savannah Guthrie, Democrats were looking for some grand narrative and gotcha moment that they did not get. I would refer Guthrie AND Chuck Todd to my first paragraph and encourage them to click the links therein.
Here's some hot takes by our "reporters" who are ostensibly paid not to write a script but to report things. You can see that they're just too, too cynical and lazy to be bothered with that.
more...
https://crooksandliars.com/2019/07/chuck-todd-beltway-press-terrible-optics
July 24, 2019
July 24, 2019 12:35PM ET
Trump Claims Mueller Asked Him for a Job. Mueller Calls Bullshit
The former special counsel specified that he discussed the FBI director position with the president, but “not as a candidate”
By Ryan Bort
Robert Mueller on Wednesday explicitly contradicted a claim from President Trump: that Mueller sought to become the new FBI director after James Comey was fired in the spring of 2017.
In the hours before the former special counsel’s appearance before Congress, Trump claimed Mueller applied and interviewed for the position, but was turned down. He even cautioned Mueller against denying the president’s claim under oath.
Mueller, apparently, either didn’t see the tweet or didn’t care.
During his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, Mueller refuted this, telling Rep. Louie Gohmer (R-Texas) that he did meet with Trump to discuss the position the day before he was appointed special counsel, but “not as a candidate.”
snip//
If Trump were to have turned down Mueller for the FBI director position, one could argue there would be a conflict of interest in Mueller’s subsequent investigation involving the president. And there’s some evidence Trump wanted Mueller for the job: NPR reported in 2017 that the White House was considering Mueller for the position. Days later, an unnamed White House official told CNN that Trump interviewed Mueller for the position the day before Mueller was appointed special counsel.
But Mueller isn’t the only one denying he wanted the position: The Mueller report explains former Trump adviser Steve Bannon told prosecutors that “the White House had invited Mueller to speak to the President to offer a perspective on the institution of the FBI.” Bannon added that Mueller “did not come in looking for the job.”
Trump Claims Mueller Asked Him for a Job. Mueller Calls Bullshit
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/mueller-trump-fbi-director-tweet-862872/July 24, 2019 12:35PM ET
Trump Claims Mueller Asked Him for a Job. Mueller Calls Bullshit
The former special counsel specified that he discussed the FBI director position with the president, but “not as a candidate”
By Ryan Bort
Robert Mueller on Wednesday explicitly contradicted a claim from President Trump: that Mueller sought to become the new FBI director after James Comey was fired in the spring of 2017.
In the hours before the former special counsel’s appearance before Congress, Trump claimed Mueller applied and interviewed for the position, but was turned down. He even cautioned Mueller against denying the president’s claim under oath.
“It has been reported that Robert Mueller is saying that he did not apply and interview for the job of FBI Director (and get turned down) the day before he was wrongfully appointed Special Counsel,” the president tweeted. “Hope he doesn’t say that under oath in that we have numerous witnesses to the interview, including the Vice President of the United States!”
Mueller, apparently, either didn’t see the tweet or didn’t care.
During his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, Mueller refuted this, telling Rep. Louie Gohmer (R-Texas) that he did meet with Trump to discuss the position the day before he was appointed special counsel, but “not as a candidate.”
snip//
If Trump were to have turned down Mueller for the FBI director position, one could argue there would be a conflict of interest in Mueller’s subsequent investigation involving the president. And there’s some evidence Trump wanted Mueller for the job: NPR reported in 2017 that the White House was considering Mueller for the position. Days later, an unnamed White House official told CNN that Trump interviewed Mueller for the position the day before Mueller was appointed special counsel.
But Mueller isn’t the only one denying he wanted the position: The Mueller report explains former Trump adviser Steve Bannon told prosecutors that “the White House had invited Mueller to speak to the President to offer a perspective on the institution of the FBI.” Bannon added that Mueller “did not come in looking for the job.”
July 24, 2019
3 mins ago
Mueller Reminds the Public: Trump Betrayed the United States
This is the narrative Trump and his GOP defenders have wanted to obstruct and smother.
David Corn
Washington, DC, Bureau ChiefBio | Follow
There’s an old saying in newsrooms: News is stuff that people have forgotten. Robert Mueller’s dramatic appearance before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning was a striking reminder of this adage. The former special counsel did not drop any new revelations about the Trump-Russia affair. Yet in a simple but important manner, he reiterated the basics of this scandal—perhaps the most consequential political scandal in American history. These are the fundamentals that have often been subsumed by all the never-ending partisan squabbling and by the ongoing crusade mounted by Donald Trump and his defenders to distract from his perfidy. These are the facts that Trump has refused to acknowledge, and they are the facts that taint his presidency and undermine its legitimacy.
snip//
Though Trump’s alleged obstruction was the focus of the morning’s hearing—with GOPers trying to distract by promoting their favorite conspiracy theories—Mueller’s appearance did call attention to the heart of the matter: the unprecedented attack on the United States, Trump’s effort to exploit it, and Trump’s refusal to recognize Moscow’s assault. Whether or not Trump engaged in active collusion with Vladimir Putin’s regime, he gained the presidency with covert foreign assistance and then abandoned his most fundamental duty: to protect the United States. Arguably, this is more significant than the obstruction issue, for Trump has permitted a foreign power to get away with perverting the foundation of American democracy.
Mueller finished his opening statement by remarking, “Over the course of my career, I’ve seen a number of challenges to our democracy. The Russian government’s effort to interfere in our election is among the most serious.” This could well be taken as criticism of Trump. After all, the president has never accepted this. Doing so would force Trump to acknowledge his own wrongdoing and affirm questions about the legitimacy of the election that landed him in the White House.
A US election was hijacked. Trump stood by as it happened and profited from it. And ever since he has attempted to cover up this original sin of his presidency. At the hearing, Mueller did not rail about Trump’s serious misconduct. But in the quiet way of an institutionalist who respects norms and rules, Mueller made it clear: Trump engaged in treachery. This is not news. But it remains a defining element of the Trump presidency that deserves constant attention.
David Corn: Mueller Reminds the Public: Trump Betrayed the United States
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/07/mueller-reminds-the-public-trump-betrayed-the-united-states/3 mins ago
Mueller Reminds the Public: Trump Betrayed the United States
This is the narrative Trump and his GOP defenders have wanted to obstruct and smother.
David Corn
Washington, DC, Bureau ChiefBio | Follow
There’s an old saying in newsrooms: News is stuff that people have forgotten. Robert Mueller’s dramatic appearance before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning was a striking reminder of this adage. The former special counsel did not drop any new revelations about the Trump-Russia affair. Yet in a simple but important manner, he reiterated the basics of this scandal—perhaps the most consequential political scandal in American history. These are the fundamentals that have often been subsumed by all the never-ending partisan squabbling and by the ongoing crusade mounted by Donald Trump and his defenders to distract from his perfidy. These are the facts that Trump has refused to acknowledge, and they are the facts that taint his presidency and undermine its legitimacy.
snip//
Though Trump’s alleged obstruction was the focus of the morning’s hearing—with GOPers trying to distract by promoting their favorite conspiracy theories—Mueller’s appearance did call attention to the heart of the matter: the unprecedented attack on the United States, Trump’s effort to exploit it, and Trump’s refusal to recognize Moscow’s assault. Whether or not Trump engaged in active collusion with Vladimir Putin’s regime, he gained the presidency with covert foreign assistance and then abandoned his most fundamental duty: to protect the United States. Arguably, this is more significant than the obstruction issue, for Trump has permitted a foreign power to get away with perverting the foundation of American democracy.
Mueller finished his opening statement by remarking, “Over the course of my career, I’ve seen a number of challenges to our democracy. The Russian government’s effort to interfere in our election is among the most serious.” This could well be taken as criticism of Trump. After all, the president has never accepted this. Doing so would force Trump to acknowledge his own wrongdoing and affirm questions about the legitimacy of the election that landed him in the White House.
A US election was hijacked. Trump stood by as it happened and profited from it. And ever since he has attempted to cover up this original sin of his presidency. At the hearing, Mueller did not rail about Trump’s serious misconduct. But in the quiet way of an institutionalist who respects norms and rules, Mueller made it clear: Trump engaged in treachery. This is not news. But it remains a defining element of the Trump presidency that deserves constant attention.
July 24, 2019
Why Mueller’s Testimony Matters
July 24, 2019 at 7:01 am EDT By Taegan Goddard
Why Mueller's Testimony Matters
https://politicalwire.com/2019/07/24/why-muellers-testimony-matters/Why Mueller’s Testimony Matters
July 24, 2019 at 7:01 am EDT By Taegan Goddard
Jonathan Bernstein: “Mueller’s testimony is important because he’ll be explaining exactly what his investigation found, and that’s newsworthy in itself. The president has been saying that the probe exonerated him; we’ll find out now whether that’s correct, or whether – as most people who’ve read Mueller’s report have concluded – it was actually devastating for Trump. It’s up to committee Democrats to make that story compelling enough that the media will portray it accurately.”
“There’s one other thing I worry about here. It’s a post-Watergate habit – in the press and in the wider political world – of treating presidential misbehavior as either worthy of impeachment or not. It leads to an irrational situation where stories that uncover considerable malfeasance aren’t treated as a big deal unless they’re likely to end in the president’s ouster. I think that happened with Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, and it’s happening on multiple levels with Trump – whether it’s Russia, emoluments, abuses of power, or obstruction of justice. That is, the paradigmatic story of a Washington scandal is one that ends with the president getting into the helicopter and leaving the White House, and without that ending the political world doesn’t know quite how to tell the story. That’s an advantage for presidents that we shouldn’t be giving them – and one that Trump, deliberately or not, is exploiting.”
“There’s one other thing I worry about here. It’s a post-Watergate habit – in the press and in the wider political world – of treating presidential misbehavior as either worthy of impeachment or not. It leads to an irrational situation where stories that uncover considerable malfeasance aren’t treated as a big deal unless they’re likely to end in the president’s ouster. I think that happened with Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, and it’s happening on multiple levels with Trump – whether it’s Russia, emoluments, abuses of power, or obstruction of justice. That is, the paradigmatic story of a Washington scandal is one that ends with the president getting into the helicopter and leaving the White House, and without that ending the political world doesn’t know quite how to tell the story. That’s an advantage for presidents that we shouldn’t be giving them – and one that Trump, deliberately or not, is exploiting.”
July 23, 2019
The Newly Energized Progressive Caucus Is Winning
David Dayen
July 23, 2019
If recent votes are any indication, the next flurry of liberal policymaking will look far different from the last one.
Underlying the resistance of Nancy Pelosi and the House leadership to the “Squad” of progressive freshmen Democrats of color is a presumption that, while it’s nice to dream big about Medicare for All and Green New Deals, the mainstream of the House Democratic Caucus—or at least the members from purple district—live in the center. It’s impossible to fulfill ambitions beyond that narrow sliver of political terra firma, or so the theory goes.
But the reality of the past couple months of experience renders a negative verdict on that theory. The Congressional Progressive Caucus, newly energized by determined leadership and many more members, has been winning repeated battles on domestic and foreign policy, revealing a caucus that can unify behind popular proposals on the left. The wins keep racking up in ways that are too numerous to be anomalous.
I recognize that these progressive votes were taken in a kind of model Congress, where there’s no Senate willing to concur or a president willing to sign off. To that extent, they were free votes. But they do set a course for the future, when Democrats might have a governing majority again. If these votes are any indication, the next flurry of liberal policymaking will look far different from the last one.
snip//
Looking forward, locking members into popular liberal positions now makes it easier when the time comes to actually turn the policy into law; their vote is already on their record, after all. And the caucus may grow more liberal, if primary challenges to older members like Richie Neal and Elliot Engel and conservadems like Henry Cuellar and Dan Lipinski are successful.
Most important, these votes do foretell the trajectory of Democratic policy thinking. The caucuses of House progressives and moderates are relatively similar in size; there’s no reason that the House’s effectively free time couldn’t be spent passing tax-advantaged savings accounts and the like. Instead, after some early missteps, the roster of bills has been pretty solid, and in head-to-head matchups, progressives are succeeding in dragging more members to their side. Solid organizing from Progressive Caucus co-chairs Mark Pocan and Pramila Jayapal has paid off.
While Democrats who play strategists on TV fret about a lurch to the left, members in contested districts are routinely siding with progressives on pocketbook issues and even matters of war. Maybe that long-lost Democratic unity is finally coming to pass.
The Newly Energized Progressive Caucus Is Winning
https://prospect.org/article/newly-energized-progressive-caucus-winningThe Newly Energized Progressive Caucus Is Winning
David Dayen
July 23, 2019
If recent votes are any indication, the next flurry of liberal policymaking will look far different from the last one.
Underlying the resistance of Nancy Pelosi and the House leadership to the “Squad” of progressive freshmen Democrats of color is a presumption that, while it’s nice to dream big about Medicare for All and Green New Deals, the mainstream of the House Democratic Caucus—or at least the members from purple district—live in the center. It’s impossible to fulfill ambitions beyond that narrow sliver of political terra firma, or so the theory goes.
But the reality of the past couple months of experience renders a negative verdict on that theory. The Congressional Progressive Caucus, newly energized by determined leadership and many more members, has been winning repeated battles on domestic and foreign policy, revealing a caucus that can unify behind popular proposals on the left. The wins keep racking up in ways that are too numerous to be anomalous.
I recognize that these progressive votes were taken in a kind of model Congress, where there’s no Senate willing to concur or a president willing to sign off. To that extent, they were free votes. But they do set a course for the future, when Democrats might have a governing majority again. If these votes are any indication, the next flurry of liberal policymaking will look far different from the last one.
snip//
Looking forward, locking members into popular liberal positions now makes it easier when the time comes to actually turn the policy into law; their vote is already on their record, after all. And the caucus may grow more liberal, if primary challenges to older members like Richie Neal and Elliot Engel and conservadems like Henry Cuellar and Dan Lipinski are successful.
Most important, these votes do foretell the trajectory of Democratic policy thinking. The caucuses of House progressives and moderates are relatively similar in size; there’s no reason that the House’s effectively free time couldn’t be spent passing tax-advantaged savings accounts and the like. Instead, after some early missteps, the roster of bills has been pretty solid, and in head-to-head matchups, progressives are succeeding in dragging more members to their side. Solid organizing from Progressive Caucus co-chairs Mark Pocan and Pramila Jayapal has paid off.
While Democrats who play strategists on TV fret about a lurch to the left, members in contested districts are routinely siding with progressives on pocketbook issues and even matters of war. Maybe that long-lost Democratic unity is finally coming to pass.
July 23, 2019
Here’s the Bullshit That Republicans Are About to Throw at Mueller
Be prepared.
David Corn
BIG snip//
The big picture
Strzok and Page are only a piece of the uber-conspiracy theory cheered by Trump and his followers. The bottom line of their narrative is this: The FBI, as part of a grand plot, schemed to stop Trump from becoming president, and then, once he was in the White House, attempted to take him out. And the Russia investigation was the main tool for this job.
But…this doesn’t make sense. During the summer and fall of 2016, the FBI knew it was investigating the Russian attack and possible connections between the Trump campaign and Moscow. Did it reveal or leak this information to harm Trump? Not at all. It did the opposite. During an appearance before the House Judiciary Committee on September 28, 2016, Comey was asked repeatedly by Democrats if the bureau was examining links between the Trump campaign and Russia. He stuck to the rulebook and refused to answer the question. Perhaps more important, when the New York Times weeks later was investigating this subject, FBI sources told the paper’s reporters that it had found no ties between Trump and the Russian government. This is not what a Deep State conspiracy to smash Trump would have done. (Meanwhile, Comey revived the Clinton email server controversy in the final stretch of the campaign—a move that damaged Clinton and possibly resulted in Trump’s victory. Another Deep State oops?)
The FBI did not turn its Russia investigation into ammunition against Trump during the campaign. Nor did it do so after the election. It was not the FBI that leaked the Steele dossier—which contained lurid, unsubstantiated allegations about Trump cavorting with prostitutes in Moscow—to Buzzfeed, which posted the memos in early 2017. It was a John McCain aide—and he was horrified when the memos were made public. And shortly before Trump moved into the White House, Comey tried to give the president-to-be a head’s up about the dossier and its salacious contents. There is one inescapable conclusion: If there was a Deep State plotting against Trump, it did a damn poor job.
All of the above may be far too many weeds for the average viewer who tunes into the Mueller hearings. But for the past two years, the Trumpsters have tried conjuring all of this and more (I left out other mind-numbing details) into an alternative reality. A reality in which the Russian attack barely figures and doesn’t matter, in which Trump’s lies about his actions in Russia and his denials and dismissals of the Moscow assault do not exist. The endgame is not persuading America that their bizarre and untrue reality is what actually happened; it’s providing a counter to the damning (for Trump) reality that did transpire. Trump, Fox News, and the rest are purposefully breeding confusion and muddying up what truly is the most significant political scandal in modern American history.
Mueller’s report, though, presents a clear and basic view of what occurred. If his facts cannot be challenged, the Republicans will have to try to impeach his investigation, his people, and perhaps even Mueller himself. And if they cannot do that, the next best thing is to create a mess, make each of the two Mueller hearings a chaotic ruckus with plenty of theatrics, shouting, and conspiratorial charges. The cult of Trump has no choice. He is president in part because of the Russian attack. Worse, he encouraged it and helped Moscow cover it up. He then attempted to block the investigation. Neither Trump nor his supporters can admit this without undercutting his legitimacy. Any serious recognition, consideration, and acceptance of Mueller’s finding is a threat to Trump and his tribe. They need a different script—even if it’s fake.
David Corn: Here's the Bullshit That Republicans Are About to Throw at Mueller. Be prepared.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/07/mueller-hearings-trump-russia/Here’s the Bullshit That Republicans Are About to Throw at Mueller
Be prepared.
David Corn
BIG snip//
The big picture
Strzok and Page are only a piece of the uber-conspiracy theory cheered by Trump and his followers. The bottom line of their narrative is this: The FBI, as part of a grand plot, schemed to stop Trump from becoming president, and then, once he was in the White House, attempted to take him out. And the Russia investigation was the main tool for this job.
But…this doesn’t make sense. During the summer and fall of 2016, the FBI knew it was investigating the Russian attack and possible connections between the Trump campaign and Moscow. Did it reveal or leak this information to harm Trump? Not at all. It did the opposite. During an appearance before the House Judiciary Committee on September 28, 2016, Comey was asked repeatedly by Democrats if the bureau was examining links between the Trump campaign and Russia. He stuck to the rulebook and refused to answer the question. Perhaps more important, when the New York Times weeks later was investigating this subject, FBI sources told the paper’s reporters that it had found no ties between Trump and the Russian government. This is not what a Deep State conspiracy to smash Trump would have done. (Meanwhile, Comey revived the Clinton email server controversy in the final stretch of the campaign—a move that damaged Clinton and possibly resulted in Trump’s victory. Another Deep State oops?)
The FBI did not turn its Russia investigation into ammunition against Trump during the campaign. Nor did it do so after the election. It was not the FBI that leaked the Steele dossier—which contained lurid, unsubstantiated allegations about Trump cavorting with prostitutes in Moscow—to Buzzfeed, which posted the memos in early 2017. It was a John McCain aide—and he was horrified when the memos were made public. And shortly before Trump moved into the White House, Comey tried to give the president-to-be a head’s up about the dossier and its salacious contents. There is one inescapable conclusion: If there was a Deep State plotting against Trump, it did a damn poor job.
All of the above may be far too many weeds for the average viewer who tunes into the Mueller hearings. But for the past two years, the Trumpsters have tried conjuring all of this and more (I left out other mind-numbing details) into an alternative reality. A reality in which the Russian attack barely figures and doesn’t matter, in which Trump’s lies about his actions in Russia and his denials and dismissals of the Moscow assault do not exist. The endgame is not persuading America that their bizarre and untrue reality is what actually happened; it’s providing a counter to the damning (for Trump) reality that did transpire. Trump, Fox News, and the rest are purposefully breeding confusion and muddying up what truly is the most significant political scandal in modern American history.
Mueller’s report, though, presents a clear and basic view of what occurred. If his facts cannot be challenged, the Republicans will have to try to impeach his investigation, his people, and perhaps even Mueller himself. And if they cannot do that, the next best thing is to create a mess, make each of the two Mueller hearings a chaotic ruckus with plenty of theatrics, shouting, and conspiratorial charges. The cult of Trump has no choice. He is president in part because of the Russian attack. Worse, he encouraged it and helped Moscow cover it up. He then attempted to block the investigation. Neither Trump nor his supporters can admit this without undercutting his legitimacy. Any serious recognition, consideration, and acceptance of Mueller’s finding is a threat to Trump and his tribe. They need a different script—even if it’s fake.
July 23, 2019
Four-Star General Blasts Trump Over Threat To ‘Wipe Out’ Afghanistan
Oliver Willis July 22, 2019
Retired four-star Gen. Barry McCaffrey slammed Trump on Monday for casually claiming he has a “plan” to end the war in Afghanistan that involved killing “millions” of people.
Trump discussed the bloody scenarios as he met with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House.
snip//
McCaffrey served over 30 years in the military and has been awarded three Purple Hearts, two Silver Stars, and two Distinguished Service Crosses.
He has repeatedly criticized Trump for poor decision-making on national security issues.
more...
https://www.nationalmemo.com/four-star-general-blasts-trump-over-threat-to-wipe-out-afghanistan/
Four-Star General Blasts Trump Over Threat To 'Wipe Out' Afghanistan
Four-Star General Blasts Trump Over Threat To ‘Wipe Out’ Afghanistan
Oliver Willis July 22, 2019
Retired four-star Gen. Barry McCaffrey slammed Trump on Monday for casually claiming he has a “plan” to end the war in Afghanistan that involved killing “millions” of people.
Trump discussed the bloody scenarios as he met with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House.
“We could do a number the likes of which they’ve never seen before and win it very quickly,” Trump said. “I don’t want to do that because you’re talking about millions of people, and I don’t want to do that.”
snip//
“Troubling listening to Trump Oval Office news conference with Pakistani PM,” McCaffrey responded. “He baldly states that we have analyzed and considered using nuclear weapons to kill millions of people in Afghanistan as a solution to the conflict. WHAT IS TRUMP THINKING?”
McCaffrey served over 30 years in the military and has been awarded three Purple Hearts, two Silver Stars, and two Distinguished Service Crosses.
He has repeatedly criticized Trump for poor decision-making on national security issues.
more...
https://www.nationalmemo.com/four-star-general-blasts-trump-over-threat-to-wipe-out-afghanistan/
July 23, 2019
Pelosi, Democrats launch Mueller messaging blitz
By Mike Lillis - 07/23/19 06:57 AM EDT
House Democrats on Tuesday will launch an aggressive communications campaign to highlight Robert Mueller's sweeping investigation into Russian election interference just ahead of the former special counsel's appearance before Congress for a pair of hotly anticipated hearings.
The office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has crunched Mueller's 448-page report into a six-page document, featuring the former FBI director's most damning findings, which will be distributed Tuesday to Democratic lawmakers to guide their outreach to voters as all eyes in Washington turn to Mueller's testimony.
Dubbed "Exposing the Truth," the six-page memo was coordinated between Pelosi's office and the two committees where Mueller will appear on Wednesday: Judiciary, chaired by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), and Intelligence, led by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
From a messaging standpoint, the operation, along with an accompanying social media campaign, is designed to put a public spotlight on both the vulnerabilities in America's election system and President Trump's conduct before and after winning the White House, as noted by Mueller's findings. As a political tool, it's meant to pressure Republicans to consider the election, ethics and national security reforms Democrats have pushed heading into the polls next year.
more...
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/454248-pelosi-dems-launch-mueller-messaging-blitz
Pelosi, Democrats launch Mueller messaging blitz
Pelosi, Democrats launch Mueller messaging blitz
By Mike Lillis - 07/23/19 06:57 AM EDT
House Democrats on Tuesday will launch an aggressive communications campaign to highlight Robert Mueller's sweeping investigation into Russian election interference just ahead of the former special counsel's appearance before Congress for a pair of hotly anticipated hearings.
The office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has crunched Mueller's 448-page report into a six-page document, featuring the former FBI director's most damning findings, which will be distributed Tuesday to Democratic lawmakers to guide their outreach to voters as all eyes in Washington turn to Mueller's testimony.
Dubbed "Exposing the Truth," the six-page memo was coordinated between Pelosi's office and the two committees where Mueller will appear on Wednesday: Judiciary, chaired by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), and Intelligence, led by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
From a messaging standpoint, the operation, along with an accompanying social media campaign, is designed to put a public spotlight on both the vulnerabilities in America's election system and President Trump's conduct before and after winning the White House, as noted by Mueller's findings. As a political tool, it's meant to pressure Republicans to consider the election, ethics and national security reforms Democrats have pushed heading into the polls next year.
"We're at this incredible moment in time where we could either move forward as a unified nation in a very patriotic way to address these issues and these vulnerabilities, or our Republican colleagues will force us to turn the page ... on one of the greatest threats facing our nation right now," said a Democratic leadership aide.
"We're hoping this will heighten the sense of urgency for a whole-of-government response to protect our democracy going forward."
"We're hoping this will heighten the sense of urgency for a whole-of-government response to protect our democracy going forward."
more...
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/454248-pelosi-dems-launch-mueller-messaging-blitz
July 23, 2019
Host City for GOP Convention Condemns Trump
July 23, 2019 at 7:12 am EDT By Taegan Goddard
Host City for GOP Convention Condemns Trump
https://politicalwire.com/2019/07/23/host-city-for-gop-convention-condemns-trump/Host City for GOP Convention Condemns Trump
July 23, 2019 at 7:12 am EDT By Taegan Goddard
“The Charlotte City Council on Monday passed a resolution condemning President Trump’s ‘racist and xenophobic comments,’ in a rebuke of the president by the city that will host him next year at the Republican National Convention,” the Washington Post reports.
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