Muller, Flynn, et al.

[Daverino]

I’m not so sharp when it comes to legal proceedings and the methods of special investigators in high-profile cases. What do you guys think of today’s plea announcement? One shoe has dropped— how many to follow?

[SteveP]

kushner next

[Ras72]

and how many licks will it take to get to the bubblegum center?

[monadnocky]

and how many licks will it take to get to the bubblegum center?

I recall that three licks were necessary. Fitting.

[ron l edmiston]

-- tragic that flynn is a retired general officer with mega retirement income.., lied to his c&c, lied to fbi under oath and who-knows-what..
irrelevant of one's political stance ---- flynn needs to have a permanent residency at/in ft leavenworth ks...

ronnie

[j44ke]

I’m not so sharp when it comes to legal proceedings and the methods of special investigators in high-profile cases. What do you guys think of today’s plea announcement? One shoe has dropped— how many to follow?

Go study up and come back with an actual idea. More than one shoe has fallen.

[Peter Polack]

So what happens if Trump decides to pardon the guilty? This scenario has already been suggested by those much more in the know than I.

[sine]

All I'm going to state..........I ran out of popcorn a long time ago.

[Matthew J]

IMO, a lot depends on the Alabama Senate race.

If Moore prevails, Trump may well feel he has a strong enough cushion to fire Mueller. The House certainly will not act. Senate may make some noise but ln the end do nothing.

That would leave any next steps squarely in the hands of the ‘18 electorate. Will NK or some wanna be ISIL in the US convince enough voters to stick with the Optimates?

Personally, a lake front condo in Toronto seems all the more attractive of late.

[bigbill]

It all needs to flesh out a little. Yesterday a major network made a poor report and it affected the stock markets before they could correct it. There's a lot of confusion about what it all means, the confession of lying to the FBI was for events post election and wouldn't be necessarily tied to any collusion in the election. That would be a separate event. Manafort was nailed for stuff in 2014. There's a lot of blood in the water, I think it going to take time to see who's bleeding.

Anyway, I've been working 13 hour days for most of the week including today, I'm looking forward to a 70 degree day tomorrow when I'm off and getting 50 or so on the Coconino. I'm fortunate to live in a temperate climate where I can ride most days of the year. Cabin fever is a foreign concept to me for now.

[Bob Ross]

Seth Abramson laid out a rather comprehensive What Could Happen yesterday:
Twitter

Definitely more shoe drops coming.

[EDS]

Sadly, I think the chances of removing our kleptocratic rulers remains slim. I do hope I am wrong.

[Scott G.]

Sadly, I think the chances of removing our kleptocratic rulers remains slim. I do hope I am wrong.

Then it would be President Pence and VP Moore.
The Senate might vote DT out for that pair,
the base would be happy.

[Cookietruck]

Manafort getting caught trying to ghost write a story (with help from foreign intelligence) to try to sway public opinion is amazing.

Also Reuters is reporting that Mueller has a subpoena for Trump transactions through Deutchebank, Trump's lawyer is denying it...

[Matthew J]

Just saying.

[false_aesthetic]

A family member works for the govt. The position is one of those that doesn't allow info sharing.
His assessment is that Trump + Co have been promised gold + jewels. Shovels are being handed out freely ... just dig right over there.


I'm not so hopeful.

[nahtnoj]

At this point anyone who doesn't see it doesn't want to see it.

I think Mueller's ace in the hole is charging some individuals with ties to Democrats. Tad Devine, Paul Manafort's buddy from the Ukrainian uprising days, and Bernie Sanders' campaign manager, would seem to be a nice place to start.

Once that starts to happen, the small number of Republicans who actually still give a damn about national security will get serious and get to work, and the knuckle draggers won't be able to make accusations of partisanship.

[j44ke]

I think Mueller can see far enough down the tunnel, he figures a few seats in Congress switching sides might come in handy. Plus the obvious tactic of being cool calm and collected as he paces outside the walls of the citadel. If there actually was any collusion, the key may not actually reside in Trump's wealth but in his debts. That, I think, is the reason for subpoenaing the accounts of Trump business associates at Deutsche Bank. But Mueller isn't in any hurry. Either he'll get to the bottom of this, or Trump will fire him. And if Mueller rushes to a conclusion too soon, Trump will fire him before he figures everything out. So slow as it goes.

[Corso]

It goes slow because there is nothing of substance (Russia-wise) that altered the election. The investigation is built on a completely bogus report, the FBI was duped, Obama’s gang used fake info to get the ball rolling, and this investigation is a lame attempt to save face. The investigation is moving away from what it was supposed to do.

Debts? Sure, keep going after Trumps finances, as the Clinton’s “charity” skated for years...

For all the folks calling Trump a clown and idiot, somehow now he’s figured out a complex, multi-level scheme to “steal” the election away from career politicians-who had years of beating the system themselves?

He simply won. Time to get over it. If those who are fighting so hard against the President tried working with him, we’d all benefit.

[mjbabcock]

It goes slow because there is nothing of substance (Russia-wise) that altered the election.

I don’t even recognize conservatives these days. We are a nation of laws, and to somehow tack on the “alteration of the election” as a means of somehow reducing the severity of potential felonious actions is crazy.

To claim the Trump Jr. meetings with the Russians, the Kissliack mertings, the Flynn revelations on Russian nuclear deals and Turkish kidnapping schemes...to claim that those things are nothing...that’s nothing short of willful ignorance. I’ll admit that a Pence presidency terrifies me, but elections have consequences. So be it.

What is more terrifying is the lack of critical thought that has consumed the Republican party. How the fuck does Clinton keep coming up? The party/nation, driven by the media, is becoming a bunch of idiots busy chasing squirrels. We can’t remember a tax bill that gives you the shaft if The Israeli capital dominates the news. Can’t think about Moore’s pedefillia or cuts to Medicare if we focus on that Democrat who works in the FBI.

I am so utterly embarrassed by the state of civil discourse in our country, but in the end, we get what we deserve.

God help us.