The TIC

Quote :

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) on Saturday excoriated President Trump over details in special counsel Robert Mueller's report, declaring that "America deserves better."

Kasich, who is mulling launching a Republican presidential primary challenge to Trump in 2020, tweeted that Trump's behavior in the Mueller report "is more than disappointing."

"It’s unacceptable & not behavior we should expect from our president. It's worse than I've seen in my career observing & working with presidents or public officials," he wrote.

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I am sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the President. I am also appalled that, among other things, fellow citizens working in a campaign for president welcomed help from Russia—including information that had been illegally obtained; that none of them acted to inform American law enforcement; and that the campaign chairman was actively promoting Russian interests in Ukraine.

“Reading the report is a sobering revelation of how far we have strayed from the aspirations and principles of the founders.”

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On Sunday night’s episode of Life, Liberty & Levin, LevinTV host Mark Levin picked apart the Mueller report and the actions and investigations that led to its creation in the first place, calling it the “greatest scandal in American history.”

Levin explained that the second volume of the prosecutor’s report appears to have been written as a road map for House Democrats’ impeachment efforts.

“The Mueller team wrote … for the Democrats in the House of Representatives. This is an impeachment report,” Levin said. “This is an abuse of power by a prosecutor.”

Levin also said the senior FBI officials behind the collusion narrative should face prosecution.

“There are things that have been done in the last three years to candidate Trump, president-elect Trump, and President Trump that should not occur in the United States of America,” the host said.

This should NEVER happen to another President AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/9fnYIzjKQX

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2019

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Trump defense attorney Rudy Giuliani was back on the air Sunday to respond to the newly released Mueller report, and for fans of his unique brand of headline-making “if he did it” legal speculation, the former New York mayor did not disappoint.

“There’s nothing wrong with taking information from Russians,” Giuliani explained to State of the Union host Jake Tapper on Sunday morning —though he added that he wasn’t sure he would have decided to do that himself and would have advised Trump against it.

. . .

“Who says it’s even illegal?” Giuliani replied, going on to make the point that the fruits of Russia’s hacked labor were printed by “every newspaper.”

“There’s nothing wrong with taking information from Russians,” he soon added. “It depends on where it came from.”

Heretic wrote:

Giuliani: ‘Nothing Wrong’ With Accepting a Hostile Government’s Election Help

Quote :

Trump defense attorney Rudy Giuliani was back on the air Sunday to respond to the newly released Mueller report, and for fans of his unique brand of headline-making “if he did it” legal speculation, the former New York mayor did not disappoint.

“There’s nothing wrong with taking information from Russians,” Giuliani explained to State of the Union host Jake Tapper on Sunday morning —though he added that he wasn’t sure he would have decided to do that himself and would have advised Trump against it.

. . .

“Who says it’s even illegal?” Giuliani replied, going on to make the point that the fruits of Russia’s hacked labor were printed by “every newspaper.”

“There’s nothing wrong with taking information from Russians,” he soon added. “It depends on where it came from.”

No collusion! No collusion! No collusion!  

But if there was, it's totes legal.

Scorpion wrote:

I'm sure that it will send Trump into yet another hysterical tweet storm...

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President Donald Trump went on a tear on Twitter Tuesday morning, demanding an apology from the New York Times, complaining he doesn’t get enough credit for the economy, claiming Twitter discriminates against him, and ripping into the “Radical Left Democrats.”

It was a dizzying burst from Trump, who has bounced from claiming victory after the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report to seeking revenge on the media, Democrats and even his own aides.

In all, Trump tweeted or retweeted more than 50 times in a 24-hour period.

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President Trump on Tuesday said he is opposed to current and former White House aides providing testimony to congressional panels in the wake of the special counsel report, intensifying a power struggle between his administration and House Democrats.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Trump said that complying with congressional requests was unnecessary after the White House cooperated with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe of Russian interference and the president’s own conduct in office.

“There is no reason to go any further, and especially in Congress where it’s very partisan — obviously very partisan,” Trump said.

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President Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday to fight "all the subpoenas" issued by House Democrats investigating his administration, reinforcing his administration's increasingly combative posture toward congressional oversight.

Trump lasered in on the House Judiciary Committee's subpoena of his former White House counsel Don McGahn, calling it "ridiculous." The White House has already instructed former White House personnel security director Carl Kline not to comply with a subpoena for his testimony and officials have said the White House may seek to exert executive privilege to block McGahn from testifying.
"The subpoena is ridiculous," Trump said of the demand for McGahn to testify about his obstruction of justice testimony to special counsel Robert Mueller. "I thought after two years we'd be finished with it ... I say it's enough."

Thomas Cleveland wrote:

I haven't seen this emphasized enough. The President attempted to stop any investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, not only any investigation into his campaign or himself. He wanted to stop the investigation of a criminal espionage operation of a foreign power

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During the June 19 meeting, Lewandowski recalled that, after some small talk, the President brought up Sessions and criticized his recusal from the Russia investigation.605 The President told Lewandowski that Sessions was weak and that if the President had known about the likelihood of recusal in advance, he would not have appointed Sessions.606 The President then asked Lewandowski to deliver a message to Sessions and said “write this down.” 607 This was the first time the President had asked Lewandowski to take dictation, and Lewandowski wrote as fast as possible to make sure he captured the content correctly.608 The President directed that Sessions should give a speech publicly announcing:

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I know that I recused myself from certain things having to do with specific areas. But our POTUS . .. is being treated very unfairly. He shouldn’t have a Special Prosecutor/Counsel b/c he hasn’t done anything wrong. I was on the campaign w/ him for nine months, there were no Russians involved with him. I know it for a fact b/c I was there. He didn’t do anything wrong except he ran the greatest campaign in American history.609

The dictated message went on to state that Sessions would meet with the Special Counsel to limit his jurisdiction to future election interference:

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Now a group of people want to subvert the Constitution of the United States. I am going to meet with the Special Prosecutor to explain this is very unfair and let the Special Prosecutor move forward with investigating election meddling for future elections so that nothing can happen in future elections.610

The President said that if Sessions delivered that statement he would be the “most popular guy in the country.”6 11 Lewandowski told the President he understood what the President wanted Sessions to do.612

He was not just protecting himself from false accusations of a conspiracy involving himself or his campaign. He was attempting to protect Russian military intelligence from true accusations of a real criminal conspiracy.

Besides being disgusting on its face, it's attempting to obstruct the investigation of a criminal conspiracy, *even if* he only wanted to do so because he thought it made him look bad. Source

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In the months before Kirstjen Nielsen was forced to resign, she tried to focus the White House on one of her highest priorities as homeland security secretary: preparing for new and different Russian forms of interference in the 2020 election.

President Trump’s chief of staff told her not to bring it up in front of the president.

1. Excerpts from the first article of impeachment of Richard M. Nixon, adopted 27-11 by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, July 27, 1974:
2. "In his conduct of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath...and of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice..
3. "...Richard M. Nixon, using the powers of his high office, engaged personally and through his close subordinates and agents, in a course of conduct or plan designed to delay, impede, and obstruct the investigation...; to cover up, conceal and protect those responsible...
4. "The means used to implement this course of conduct or plan included one or more of the following:
making false or misleading statements to lawfully authorized investigative officers and employees of the United States;...
5. "...withholding relevant and material evidence or information from lawfully authorized investigative officers and employees of the United States;
approving, condoning, acquiescing in, and counseling witnesses with respect to the giving of false or misleading statements...
6. "...to lawfully authorized investigative officers and employees of the United States and false or misleading testimony in duly instituted judicial and congressional proceedings;...
7. "interfering or endeavoring to interfere with the conduct of investigations by the Department of Justice of the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force, and Congressional Committees;
8. "...making or causing to be made false or misleading public statements for the purpose of deceiving the people of the United States...
9. "In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
10. "Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office."
END

— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 19, 2019

The third Article of Impeachment against Richard Nixon charged him with failing "without lawful cause or excuse to produce papers and things as directed by duly authorized subpoenas issued by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives."

— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 24, 2019

Just in: Giffords (the nonprofit started by former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords) is suing the FEC to act on administrative complaints accusing the NRA of numerous campaign finance violations, incl. illegal contributions to Trump's presidential campaign https://t.co/HUzjYrzkCI pic.twitter.com/QeIa5RXRKL

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) April 24, 2019

Here's an illustration in the complaint about how the alleged scheme worked: The plaintiffs claim the NRA and candidates each hired shell entities that were actually the same company, and that this is the type of "coordinated communication" subject to campaign finance limits pic.twitter.com/tAHtGswGrU

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) April 24, 2019

Heretic wrote:

The third Article of Impeachment against Richard Nixon charged him with failing "without lawful cause or excuse to produce papers and things as directed by duly authorized subpoenas issued by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives."

— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 24, 2019

Quote :

"The subpoena is ridiculous," Trump said of the demand for McGahn to testify about his obstruction of justice testimony to special counsel Robert Mueller. "I thought after two years we'd be finished with it ... I say it's enough."

Heretic wrote:

Just in: Giffords (the nonprofit started by former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords) is suing the FEC to act on administrative complaints accusing the NRA of numerous campaign finance violations, incl. illegal contributions to Trump's presidential campaign https://t.co/HUzjYrzkCI pic.twitter.com/QeIa5RXRKL

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) April 24, 2019

Here's an illustration in the complaint about how the alleged scheme worked: The plaintiffs claim the NRA and candidates each hired shell entities that were actually the same company, and that this is the type of "coordinated communication" subject to campaign finance limits pic.twitter.com/tAHtGswGrU

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) April 24, 2019

Campaign donations equal to 9,259 times the legal limit. Wonder how much was Russian money.

Scorpion wrote:

Heretic wrote:

Just in: Giffords (the nonprofit started by former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords) is suing the FEC to act on administrative complaints accusing the NRA of numerous campaign finance violations, incl. illegal contributions to Trump's presidential campaign https://t.co/HUzjYrzkCI pic.twitter.com/QeIa5RXRKL

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) April 24, 2019

Here's an illustration in the complaint about how the alleged scheme worked: The plaintiffs claim the NRA and candidates each hired shell entities that were actually the same company, and that this is the type of "coordinated communication" subject to campaign finance limits pic.twitter.com/tAHtGswGrU

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) April 24, 2019

Campaign donations equal to 9,259 times the legal limit. Wonder how much was Russian money.

I was wondering what was happening with the NRA donation... haven't heard anything in a while... thanks for posting this.

Quote :

[W]hen the president asked his former [deputy national security] Adviser K.T. McFarland to write an untruthful letter to the file knowing the government would subpoena it—that’s obstruction of justice. When the president asked Corey Lewandowski, his former campaign manager, to get Mueller fired—that’s obstruction of justice. When the president asked his then White House counsel to get Mueller fired and then lie about—that’s obstruction of justice. When he asked Don McGahn to go back to the special counsel and change his testimony—that’s obstruction of justice. When he dangled a pardon in front of Michael Cohen in order to keep Cohen from testifying against him—that’s obstruction of justice.

So why not charge him? Because the attorney general of the United States would have blocked such a charge. Because the attorney general of the United States is of the view that obstruction of justice can only occur if you’re interfering with a criminal investigation of yourself. But that’s not what the obstruction statute says. And that’s not what law enforcement believes and that’s not what prosecutors do. Prosecutors prosecute people who interfere with government functions. And that’s what the president did by obstruction.

Quote :

Special counsel Robert Mueller wrote a letter in late March objecting to Attorney General William Barr's four-page summary of the conclusions of the investigation into possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, a Justice Department official confirmed Tuesday night.

The letter written to Barr expressed the special counsel's frustration that the attorney general's memo to Congress "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of the investigation, according to The Washington Post.

. . .

The Barr summary has lead to "public confusion," Mueller wrote as quoted by the Post.

" 'The summary letter the Department sent to Congress and released to the public late in the afternoon of March 24 did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this office's work and conclusions,' Mueller wrote. 'There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation. This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations.' "

Quote :

The letter made a key request: that Barr release the 448-page report’s introductions and executive summaries, and it made initial suggested redactions for doing so, according to Justice Department officials.

Scorpion wrote:

happy jack wrote:

Heretic wrote:

You've read the report?

No, I haven't.
While some children can't help but hold on to their fantasies, others manage to grow up and relinquish them.

You haven't even read Barr's memo... have you, Jack?

The Atlantic has a decent article dealing with all of this... here are a few excerpts, but this  really should be read in full...

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/03/barrs-summary-omits-key-aspect-muellers-report/585703/

Quote :

Mueller’s full report has not been made available to the public yet, so it’s not clear whether it sets forth everything the special counsel’s office learned over the course of its nearly two-year investigation—including findings about conduct that was perhaps objectionable but not criminal—or whether it is more tailored and explains only Mueller’s prosecution and declination decisions. But national-security and intelligence experts tell me that Mueller’s decision not to charge Trump or his campaign team with a conspiracy is far from dispositive, and that the underlying evidence the special counsel amassed over two years could prove as useful as a conspiracy charge to understanding the full scope of Russia’s election interference in 2016.

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A counterintelligence probe, he added, would ask more than whether the evidence collected is sufficient to obtain a criminal conviction—it could provide necessary information to the public about why the president is making certain policy decisions. “The American people rightly should expect more from their public servants than merely avoiding criminal liability,” Kris said.

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Mueller’s mandate, given to him by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, empowered him to investigate not only any “coordination” between the campaign and Russia, but any “links” between them as well. Barr’s summary does not describe how Mueller investigated or came to explain the many interactions the campaign had with various Russians during the election.

It's too early to make predictions at this point.  "Spiking the football" before all the facts are in rarely turns out well...

happy jack wrote:

Scorpion wrote:

happy jack wrote:

Heretic wrote:

You've read the report?

No, I haven't.
While some children can't help but hold on to their fantasies, others manage to grow up and relinquish them.

You haven't even read Barr's memo... have you, Jack?

The Atlantic has a decent article dealing with all of this... here are a few excerpts, but this  really should be read in full...

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/03/barrs-summary-omits-key-aspect-muellers-report/585703/

Quote :

Mueller’s full report has not been made available to the public yet, so it’s not clear whether it sets forth everything the special counsel’s office learned over the course of its nearly two-year investigation—including findings about conduct that was perhaps objectionable but not criminal—or whether it is more tailored and explains only Mueller’s prosecution and declination decisions. But national-security and intelligence experts tell me that Mueller’s decision not to charge Trump or his campaign team with a conspiracy is far from dispositive, and that the underlying evidence the special counsel amassed over two years could prove as useful as a conspiracy charge to understanding the full scope of Russia’s election interference in 2016.

Quote :

A counterintelligence probe, he added, would ask more than whether the evidence collected is sufficient to obtain a criminal conviction—it could provide necessary information to the public about why the president is making certain policy decisions. “The American people rightly should expect more from their public servants than merely avoiding criminal liability,” Kris said.

Quote :

Mueller’s mandate, given to him by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, empowered him to investigate not only any “coordination” between the campaign and Russia, but any “links” between them as well. Barr’s summary does not describe how Mueller investigated or came to explain the many interactions the campaign had with various Russians during the election.

It's too early to make predictions at this point.  "Spiking the football" before all the facts are in rarely turns out well...

Now can I spike the football?

Scorpion wrote:

happy jack wrote:

Scorpion wrote:

happy jack wrote:

Heretic wrote:

You've read the report?

No, I haven't.
While some children can't help but hold on to their fantasies, others manage to grow up and relinquish them.

You haven't even read Barr's memo... have you, Jack?

The Atlantic has a decent article dealing with all of this... here are a few excerpts, but this  really should be read in full...

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/03/barrs-summary-omits-key-aspect-muellers-report/585703/

Quote :

Mueller’s full report has not been made available to the public yet, so it’s not clear whether it sets forth everything the special counsel’s office learned over the course of its nearly two-year investigation—including findings about conduct that was perhaps objectionable but not criminal—or whether it is more tailored and explains only Mueller’s prosecution and declination decisions. But national-security and intelligence experts tell me that Mueller’s decision not to charge Trump or his campaign team with a conspiracy is far from dispositive, and that the underlying evidence the special counsel amassed over two years could prove as useful as a conspiracy charge to understanding the full scope of Russia’s election interference in 2016.

Quote :

A counterintelligence probe, he added, would ask more than whether the evidence collected is sufficient to obtain a criminal conviction—it could provide necessary information to the public about why the president is making certain policy decisions. “The American people rightly should expect more from their public servants than merely avoiding criminal liability,” Kris said.

Quote :

Mueller’s mandate, given to him by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, empowered him to investigate not only any “coordination” between the campaign and Russia, but any “links” between them as well. Barr’s summary does not describe how Mueller investigated or came to explain the many interactions the campaign had with various Russians during the election.

It's too early to make predictions at this point.  "Spiking the football" before all the facts are in rarely turns out well...

Now can I spike the football?

You can do whatever you wish, but nothing has changed.  According to the Mueller Report, Trump has committed indictable crimes.  Have you read it?

happy jack wrote:

So, indict.
Or impeach.

Scorpion wrote:

I guess members will ponder the matter ..... during their 6 WEEK summer recess!  WTF?!

happy jack wrote:

Scorpion wrote:

I guess members will ponder the matter ..... during their 6 WEEK summer recess!  WTF?!

They will probably be pondering the matter 2 months into Trump's second term.