There’s a lot of speculation about the Special Counsel investigating Russia interference in the US electoral process in 2016 and subsequently. While it is clear that Russian interference took place, less clear is any involvement by American citizens.
Robert Mueller, who might have been lifted out of a comic book, such is his reputation for probity and diligence, has run into criminal activity by US citizens, although these alleged crimes mostly have little to do with his mission. But it’s getting close enough to the Trump administration to make Trump agitated.
If you look for a definition of ‘wide boy’ in my dictionary, there is no text–just a photograph of Donald J. Trump. His escapades during his climb to the status of self-proclaimed king of New York real estate, his adventures in the world of casinos, his love affairs and philandering, make it clear that were he British he would have been portrayed by Bob Hoskins, an actor I sorely miss, straight from the set of ‘Unleashed,’ where he more or less defined modern thuggery and perhaps served unintentionally as a role model for the current U.S. president.
It is increasingly obvious that Trump is worried sick that, regardless of any crimes committed in furtherance of Russian mischief, Robert Mueller is finding enough evidence of criminal activity during Trump’s long career to endanger Trump’s presidency.
Hence all the attempts to fire and discredit Mueller by Donald Trump. Trump may be able (just) to get away with axing Mueller. But probably not. So what happens next?
The obvious strategy has not been elaborated on by the media, so I’ll just lay it out here. The odds are quite good that the Democrats will gain control of the House of Representatives in November. As they are the body responsible for recommending articles of impeachment with regard to the president, it makes no sense at all for Mueller to report findings or issue strategic indictments (of any of the Trumps, Jared Kushner, Jeff Sessions, et al) before the new House is sworn in in January. Mueller is not interested in reporting on criminal activity–he wants results from this investigation, people in jail. So he probably won’t.
This doesn’t mean that he won’t indict minor players to show he’s still on the job. But it does mean that all three rings of this circus are likely to play for the rest of the year.
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Mueller is running a Star Chamber, investigating the Russians, the dossier subsidized by Trump's opponents, Trump's family and friends and now Trump's business organization. He and his team are Democrat holdovers and Republican Nevertrumpers. Their goal is to neutralize Trump, to run out the clock on policy until the focus is the next election, and to illegally leak scandal to the Washington Post and New York Times, who will take turns telling us what the evening's national news is, overriding whatever Trump would like it to be.
There have been no "attempts to fire" Mueller. A Special Prosecutor can only be fired by the Attorney General, who has been led to interpret the law that he must recuse himself, as he is too overtly on Trump's side, leaving this matter to Rosenstein, who is overtly against Trump. Trump has continually tried to discredit Mueller, such as all this weekend on Twitter. This has resulted in rants from the opposition against creating a Constitutional crisis, and from the appeasement wing of his own party that he mustn't "interfere with the Justice Department" but must "let the investigation run its course." And reach the end? There is no end. Its course runs circular, a train throwing off sparks of rhetoric for Maxine Waters to use to support her preconceived notion of impeachment. So Tom is right - The circus will play right through the election.
"...and Republican Nevertrumpers."
How many Republicans are on Mueller's team?
Judging by campaign contributions, Mueller's investigators overwhelmingly favor Democrats. But their protectors, Comey and I thought Rosenstein, are registered Republicans (and notorious "straight arrows").
As is Mueller himself...
So on Mueller's team (i.e. those appointed by Mueller) we have zero Republicans. 13 out of 16 are Democrats and the other 3 are unaffiliated.
Spike, you are aware that Mueller is a lifelong Republican, right?
So is even Jeff Flake, probably. Lots of Card Carrying Republicans want to be free of the unpredictable Trump. And I am now aware that you self-identify (below) as a leftist, so I suspect that your factoid above, which goes to say, "But Mueller is on your side!" stands in lieu of actual analysis. Mueller is engaged in partisan sabotage of the administration.
Jeff Flake is in fact a Republican. As is Mueller. Does it not give pause for thought when Republicans of long and good standing fear what Trump may do to their party, let alone their country?
For it is my country too, and I am afraid of the damage Donald J. Trump is causing to it.
Analysis is where you find it. You have plenty of company on this site and elsewhere that will provide comfort to your state of mind. It is not a sign of clear thinking when one rejects analysis based on perceptions of partisan affiliation--not of Mueller, not of me.
The GOP hierarchy are largely equivalent to BluLabour over here. Self-serving scum who are nearly as full of cultural marxist clichéd cockrot as their supposed leftist "opponents" across the floor of whichever rathole they are talking in.
The idea that bogus "conservatives" are in fact conservative --simply because they claim they are is another sick joke. And as bogus as males who claim they can become women by declaring that they have.
For it is my country too, and I am afraid of the damage Donald J. Trump is causing to it.
Given the election was a binary choice, do you think less damage would have been caused to the USA if Mrs Clinton had been elected?
And if so, why?
Yes, because she's a politician.
A professional lying scumbag.
And in addition one of the most corrupt and evil women ever to have lived.
Most corrupt and evil? When you resort to melodrama, perhaps you should revert to the spelling associated with it--'evile.'
Aptly nicknamed the Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory was a Hungarian noblewoman, and she was probably the most prolific female serial killer of all time. At the end of the 16th century and beginning of the 17th century, Bathory tortured and killed up to 650 girls and young women at her castle in Cachtice, modern Slovakia. The macabre nickname came from her apparent tendency to bathe in the blood of her victims as she believed it would help her maintain her youthful-looking skin.
Hilary must have done some really, really bad things! But she must have done them really well, as Republican after Republican have failed to bring her to justice.
Legions of scum on both sides are on the take and in the swamp chum. Including your mate the Piss-soaked Pipecleaner. Who was in the vile Cow's corner even tho he hates her and Billyboy's guts. But he knows that one of the scumbags going down puts the rest in danger.
There are extensive connections between the Bush and Clinton crime families.
The "womens candidate" was paid off by Saudi scum who treat women like shit.
Not to mention the Haiti Heist. Oh wait--your lying scumbag pals at Scopes said she didn't do it. So fuck those Haitian liars.
The list goes on and on --but no sense in wasting my time with you--"What does it matter now?" is your creed after all.
Bathory was a headcase. Killery knows exactly what she does--apart from an occasional senile moment perhaps.
She is scum. And you support her.
Probably your fucked up system will be unable to bring down evil shite like the Toxic Twosome and Pipecleaner Man. But boasting about that fact shows just what a case you are.
Leaving the remaining question open: Are you a Russian bot or just brainwashed by one?
That's a great potential advert: Welcome to the Barbizon School of Bottery. Be a Bot! Or, Just sound like one.
What a stunning refutation of my arguments. Or the best that you can manage.
And as for others being brainwashed FFS. It would be funny if it wasn't tragic for you and the once great nation,
No --strike that bit--tragedy for you and all your leftist pals would be good news for America. And what is left of the sane world.
You've pledged allegiance to your Vlad.
And you suck at the tits of a murdering bitch who put Libya to the slaughter.
And you like Killery as well.
bot bot gum gum bot bot yum yum Yes Vlad done done bot bot gum gum
Judge for yourselves Dear Viewers which sides arguments you believe.
Robert Mueller, who might have been lifted out of a comic book, such is his reputation for probity and diligence,
Lol. He's a swamp creature just like curtain-twitching perjurer Jim Comey and his former deputy Andy McCabe, who thought it'd be a good idea to hold #Resistance meetings in his FBI office and lie to investigators. The first thing Mueller did on being appointed special counsel was to hire a boatload of partisan lawyers who had given money to the Hillary campaign.
The senior ranks of the FBI are as crooked as a Jesuit's conscience, because the US federal government behaves like a banana republic where laws only apply to the little people. But if you think Mueller is the second coming of Elliot Ness I saw a nice bridge in Florida you might want to buy.
It is increasingly obvious that Trump is worried sick that, regardless of any crimes committed in furtherance of Russian mischief, Robert Mueller is finding enough evidence of criminal activity during Trump’s long career to endanger Trump’s presidency.
Move over, Louise Mensch. So the story now, after a year of expensive investigations by high-powered attack lawyers into the shadowy Russian Menace turned up the equivalent of 2p and a half-eaten Curly Wurly, is that DRUMPF might not be a Russian spy, but he's probably guilty of... something!
Yeah, can't think of any more plausible reasons why a sitting president would be annoyed at an open-ended investigation - based on lies and FISA fraud and staffed by his political enemies - into everything he's ever done.
I'm curious as to why you think Mueller is a swamp creature. Can you explain?
Look at his bio.
I have. Nothing in it suggested to me that he is a swamp creature. Was it his service in Vietnam? Was it the decades as an agent in the FBI? His directorship of that agency?
I don't deny the existence of swamp creatures. I'm agin 'em. But a Republican that quit two very high paying private law jobs to re-enter public service? The guy gave up million dollar annual salaries to earn about $150K as a Fed.
Perhaps a little perspective is in order...
I am unable to answer the question, "Mueller: Friend or foe?" least of all based on his resumé or salary versus what you think he can earn. However, he is engaged in a boundless investigation, now completely disengaged from his original mandate and having only one common thread: Trump!!! And acting with the impunity of Everyone in Washington saying his firing would be a Constitutional crisis. That spells out partisan treachery to me.
I'm curious as to why you think his investigation is boundless, let alone disengaged from his original mandate. The very existence of his original mandate shows clear boundaries. His investigation is supervised by a Trump appointee, who is in turn supervised by another Trump appointee.
His mandate is to investigate criminal activity linked to Russian interference in the US electoral process and any criminal activity that is uncovered during that investigation, whether or not it is associated with Russian interference.
You may say that this mandate is too broad--but it was given to him by a Trump appointee. And it is far narrower than the mandate given previous Special Counsels.
Tom - perspective would be good. Mueller - whom you comically describe as some sort of paragon - is a political figure who has spent decades in Washington. You don't get approved for the top FBI job by both Dubya and Obama because you're a nice guy, you get it thanks to your connections, deal-cutting skills and reputation for not embarrassing your masters.
Mueller personally acted as a flak-catcher for Obama after the disastrous policy to secretly funnel illegal weapons to Mexican drug cartels ended up getting a US Border Agent killed. Nobody in the administration was ever arrested or charged.
Gee, Spike, why did Bush appoint him then?
Mueller is demonstrably more interested in the lifetime sinecures, tenure, and impunity of FBI employees than the truth or having a single, nonpartisan standard of culpability. (AG Sessions I am not certain about.) Swamp creatures understand the threat to their comfortable careers posed by a break-the-mold interloper from outside the culture, such as Trump, and develop "insurance policies" and permanent investigations to protect themselves against what he might do. That's my definition.
That word demonstrably means I can ask you to demonstrate it, right?
Boston. Whitey Bulger. Four innocents banged up. Withheld exculpatory evidence. Megadamages except one poor bloke was dead before this emerged.
"Hence all the attempts to fire and discredit Mueller by Donald Trump."
How many "attempts to fire Mueller" can you list, Tom? Slag off, sure, plenty. Legally and constitutionally, Trump can "fire" Mueller any time he likes (technically, instruct the Justice Department to shut down the investigation).
It strikes me that the ones agitated and worried sick are the past and present Obama era senior "deep state" officials who appear to have been very naughty indeed.
Hi PJF, you should ask Don McGahn, the white house lawyer. He says Trump ordered him to get Mueller fired.
The list of "claims" about Trump by assorted creatures would fill up more books than the fucking Federal Register.
As some Yank once observed "In this business, Money talks and Bullshit walks".
Or types as in your case Fully.
Well, that was an embarrassing article.
Tom must have been reading his news upside down, because everything he claims as true is arse about face.
"Robert Mueller,........his reputation for probity and diligence" Hahahahahaha...
Recusant, do you have reports of anything else on Mueller?
Yes, his investigation of the Anthrax attacks was an embarrassing exercise in prosecutorial mistakes and downright malfeasance. He hounded the wrong man for 10 years, and never looked like catching the actual culprit. That alone should have got him fired or assigned to a back water for life.
His Uranium One lack of follow up is another case where, absent evidence to clear him, he’s guilty of corruption.
Yes and the flower in his lapel was a clear signal to the aliens preparing for conquest.
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Run out of ( what passed with you for) arguments have you Tomo?
Kiddie name calling is all that's left in your bag now?
DRUMPF might not be a Russian spy, but he’s probably guilty of… something!
Trump has built things in both New York and Chicago. So I wouldn't be totally surprised if he was guilty of bribing (Democrat) politicians.
He claims he became an equal opportunity lender after the Feds charged him with racist practices. So wouldn't you think he would also be an equal opportunity briber?
New York and Chicago are Democrat fiefdoms.
While it is clear that Russian interference took place, less clear is any involvement by American citizens.
It is not clear that any Russian interference took place. Perhaps the Russians bought a trivial amount of Facebook ads. No more.
Robert Mueller, who might have been lifted out of a comic book, such is his reputation for probity and diligence
Ha ha ha. Oh wait, you're serious? His reputation has taken quite a beating hasn't it?
has run into criminal activity by US citizens, although these alleged crimes mostly have little to do with his mission.
Both of those statements are wrong. He has not run into anything. He has *created* some crimes. By charging Flynn with "lying" when he may have just made a normal lapse of memory. As with Scooter Libby. I notice that McCabe is not being charged with lying. Yet. We can hope. Nor is there any evidence of any crimes that have not been created by his mission. He entrapped Flynn and not much else. No actual crimes.
It is increasingly obvious that Trump is worried sick that, regardless of any crimes committed in furtherance of Russian mischief, Robert Mueller is finding enough evidence of criminal activity during Trump’s long career to endanger Trump’s presidency.
Not obvious to me. If there was anything to find it would have been found by now. Simple as that. Perhaps Mueller can go over Trump's taxes but it is likely that a lot of malicious people have gone over his taxes before and there is nothing to worry about. Trump can afford a decent accountant.
This doesn’t mean that he won’t indict minor players to show he’s still on the job. But it does mean that all three rings of this circus are likely to play for the rest of the year.
Indeed. Because Mueller is not an honest player. He is a corrupt, politics driven Swamp Creature. Trump should pull the plug now. Appoint a second council to go over the wrong doings of the Deep State and hopefully Hillary will be in prison by 2020.
Cambridge Analytica.
Bed wetters will wet the bed. It is what they do. What is the relevance of CA? It appears to have done nothing much. Certainly nothing illegal. Mueller is just engaged in an endless fishing expedition because he is desperate to find some sort of wrong doing - perhaps even a crime - he can smear Trump with.
There is no evidence of wrong doing here. Just the usual bed wetters wetting the bed.
CA were doing what that Piss-soaked Pipecleaner Man Obumma and his gang also did.
Indeed CA's only crime is NOT serving the left. Were they doing that they would never have been heard of let alone be a cause celebre on the British Bolshevik Corporations stream of shite programming. Even so august a personage as Jeremy Vine was flapping his gums about CA yesterday.
Actually, considering those very bad people at CA were working for Ted Cruz when they approached Trump, I think Cruz might be first in line at the civil claims docket.
Only after your Democratic pals who were working the same game and worse.
That is in the real world outside of your fantasy life which like the rest of your leftoid pals has to be drug-fuelled. Even the warped scum of the left couldn't reach the unreachable star of bullshit that they have without lots of chemical help.
`Where did you acquire this Fuller character Tim? Alright he is working for nothing and is clearly worth every penny.
Economy and thrift are fine in themselves Tim but picking up dirty leftist driftwood out of the flotsam can give your nice beachfront property--ie a shack--woodworm.
Please scrape him off.
Mueller should have already been dragged to the White House for a literal good hiding. It would be good to see if he still remembers the "Defensive Tactics" shite they used to teach 'em at Quantico.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIg4yH7SXQw
Perhaps it's as well Trump is President and not me.
Apart from the minor factual errors mentioned above, Tom Fuller's thesis is not what should happen but what is going to happen, with which I agree. Tom is not a Trump backer, as I am, but that should be allowed.
Boston talk host Howie Carr rubs elbows with Trump at MAGA Lago and says he has asked him why he doesn't ditch Mueller, and Sessions if he won't sign the paperwork. Carr says Trump shows anguish and replies that he has been told he can't interfere. Probably even by the Chief of Staff.
It's been noted that Congressional Democrats are reliving the '70s, and the clear precedent for a house-cleaning at Justice is Nixon, which swiftly led to the resignation in lieu of impeachment. Unleash the same firestorm now and that will be the story for the rest of the year - not the fact that there is no underlying wrongdoing, this time.
Mr. Ecks, you do have me pegged--I am a leftist, in the Bertrand Russell sense of the word. I make no apologies for my political leanings, as they are the result of real thought and effort over the years.
In the climate conversation I am criticized by both extremes for being a Lukewarmer. Given the propensity of the Left to eat its own, if there are other leftists on this site I imagine that experience will be replicated.
I'll leave it to our host to decide if I will be appearing again on these pages. If so, I look forward to continuing our conversation.
If it took you years of thought and effort to lean into a socialism--a death cult that has murdered 150 million human beings so far and ruined the lives of hundreds of millions of others --then you have been wasting what passes for your life. You would be more gainfully employed as a toilet cleaner--ie getting rid of shite rather than helping it to spread everywhere.
Nor has time spent sharpened what passes for your wit. A Speak-Your-Weight machine could have handed in a more worthwhile and incisive analysis.
Mr. Ecks, thanks for your kind words. I'm sure they are based on thorough familiarity with my thinking, writing and proclivities.
10 Stone.
"I’ll leave it to our host to decide if I will be appearing again on these pages."
Eh? As long as you don't spam or commit actual crimes you're welcome. We really believe in this free speech thing around here.
Yeah, Tim, but what exactly do you categorize as an actual crime? :)
Ecks, you are mean.
Tom, where do you stand on the path of collectivism>coercion>compulsion>concentration camp? All socialism relies on either that path or perfect human beings, it seems to me. Not to mention the other peoples' money aspect.
Hi Rhoda,
I of course would argue that the chain you try to create is not inevitable and not based on causation.
How would you describe the link between the Happiness Index and the (mildly) socialist countries that top it?
I should mention for clarity's sake that places like Venezuela and Cuba are stark examples of the evils attendant with communism and, to be fair, the extremes of socialism. And I'm agin 'em. But I kinda like Sweden, Norway and other Scandinavian countries.
Norway actually has a magic money tree. Sweden worked fine when it was all Swedes, scandi work ethic and all, but it isn't working with a set of less-than-perfect humans. Strangely the transition from Norway to NorK is what passes for progress in progressive thought. Anyhow, I'm agin it.
Not real socialism in other words.
And the Scandi's. Jesus Christ. Talk about banality of evil.
Yes, socialism is pretty much a six blind men and the elephant kind of thing, isn't it? I hoped by referring to Bertrand Russell and praising the Nordic countries you find so bland you would get a better sense of what I advocate. (I am not, by the way, Jesus Christ. Nor am I currently employed as a toilet cleaner, although I did plenty of that in the military.)
If they are blind it's cos socialism gouged their eyes out.
I didn't say you were a toilet cleaner. I suggested you should aspire to it.
Now in America we write cuz, not cos. Unless you're referring to either a cousin or costume play. As for toilet cleaning, I think that's pretty high on the list of jobs at risk from automation, somewhat like your writing, so I think I'll avoid that. But use your imagination--I'm sure some kind of work/therapy suited for soshalists will occur to you.
The noose is the one that springs to mind.
Tyburn-style so that you have a good half-hour while you are gargling to reflect on the 150 million your creed has polished off--so far.
Bit of a change from your crew's usual infinite self-regard but it will do you good.
Boooorrrrring!
Too much brass neck NiV coming from the king of 3 million word missives that weaponise boredom such as to strip the leaves off trees.
Also I don't give a monkey's how many times I say it--I'll say it again--150 million human beings murdered by socialism--because it will always be 1 time too few until people get the fucking message as to just what evil shite the left are. Most esp the middle-class left. That poor people with little education and hard lives might fall for a load of Utopian cockrot is bad enough. But that middle-class scum, most of whom have never known want a day in their worthless lives should embrace supreme evil because of some adolescent beef with middle-class Mummy & Daddy is as vile an expression of the marriage of egotism and sheer naked Satanic wickedness as can be imagined.
Still borrrring!
It's the same old story every time. If anyone disagrees with you, you accuse them of being a socialist, you rant for a bit about how the socialists you oppose were totally, totally evil for murdering everyone who opposed them, and then explain in graphic, orgasmic detail exactly how you're planning to murder them all for opposing you.
It's cute, but as ironic paradoxes go, it doesn't have that enduring intellectual depth needed to survive the gazillionth repetition. And people who didn't know you as well as I do might think you were being unfriendly! I'm sure you've got some much better jokes, right?
If I am to be held responsible for every crime committed by thugs leading nations and claiming to be socialists, are you similarly tarred by fascists hiding behind the skirts of honest people concerned about the future of their country?
Gosh, we could get Price Waterhouse to do the arithmetic and announce it on a show...
1-"Fascism" IS socialism --or a minor variant of it.
2-There are no "decent" socialists. At best they may be too milksoppish to be killers themselves but they are fuckwits who serve the cause of evil --usually by primarily serving there own egotism and fantasy conceptions of themselves as "good" people.