Trump, May 2017: 100 days of [unintelligible]

as noted, the committees don't really have a lot of power to compel people to testify or deliver evidence (hence Flynn's refusal to comply with the subpoena) - but the criminal investigation *does* have that power, and thus will be deferred to as the better tool for ferreting that stuff out.

Tick tick tick - another day is almost done and if he doesn't fuck up again today, he will fuck up tomorrow. Tick tick tick.

I'm getting the hang of this.

as his interviewer wondered, could dual investigations be the best thing for this? he kind of hedged but I guess he didn't give a definitive no.

I'm not familiar with all this, but I would have thought there would be other counter-intelligence information that they could uncover

xp

Another great plan!

EXCLUSIVE: Trump planning retaliation for leaks -- “ludicrous” revenge plan targeting Obama administration. https://t.co/1X3jbK41Fl

— Benjamin Pauker (@benpauker) May 18, 2017

well there's already different committees in the House and Senate doing their own thing, and now the special counsel investigation, there could easily be yet another bipartisan commission or something (there probably won't be though)

xp

I'm scared!

xpost

They're out looking for you, Mr. Soto

Trump's back, and Soto's got him

acc to politico senate dems reject lieberman for FBI

nice

he burned a lot of bridges in the party

still, he'll be confirmed by a party-line vote with 51 GOP votes

(at least - I could see some Dem assholes defecting as well but idk maybe not in this climate)

that's true re: confirmation. i think (scare-quote) historically the post gets near-unanimous approval. if that's a norm they don't feel like violating right now, who knows.

even manchin is skeptical

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/18/joe-lieberman-fbi-director-senate-democrats-238570

ha that's great. Yeah I don't think McCaskill or Manchin or others are feeling v threatened by Manbaby right now re: their electoral prospects

wow Sherrod Brown *really* hates him

not that i give a rat's what "the bureau" wants but other reporting suggests they're furious and probably don't want to be led by a lieberman right now

but at his press conference Trump said the FBI guys would be overjoyed, are you calling the President a liar????

Why Lieberman of all people?

for the same reason he fired Comey, Trump sees it as a concession. Not surprising that he totally misreads his opposition.

it's a "smart play", he was a Democrat! All Democrats love all other Democrats! This'll show 'em...

and then Erdogan steps out and watches https://t.co/VKf7LAYE1y

— Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) May 18, 2017

jfc

Trump is so dumb

a "ludicrous attack on ex obama officials" sounds like the premise of his entire presidency

piss tape?

Yeah and so doesn't the President get to decide who is in the room at any given time? If so, then "find the leaker" is on him. He's the person deciding who hears what. If he can't control the people he chose and presumably controls, then blaming "Obama holdovers" gets more and more weak-ass.

Oh and thanks caek for reminding us that one of the many things NOT happening right now is the advancing of Rumpcare. That's why I'm cautiously sanguine about all this.

It may not serve up T.'s impeached and peach-colored head on a platter. But every second spent on this is a second NOT spent on the Trumpgenda of further imperiling the downtrodden.

And here we go

Boom https://t.co/SEGx3m6jzI

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) May 18, 2017

Trump's words and actions over the past 24 hours make clear that he doesn't understand the gravity of the situation in which he now finds himself. His bearing in the press conference didn't betray much in the way of genuine concern, and he's behaving just as recklessly as ever. I'm starting to think that if he accidentally chopped his own arm off, he'd just stand there and bleed to death because he genuinely didn't understand what such a thing portended. Because he's always been fine before, and that's just going to keep being the case no matter what. Which, tbf, is the lesson the world has been teaching him for 70 years.

President Trump called the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, weeks after he took office and asked him when federal authorities were going to put out word that Mr. Trump was not personally under investigation, according to two people briefed on the call.

Mr. Comey told the president that if he wanted to know details about the bureau’s investigations, he should not contact him directly but instead follow the proper procedures and have the White House counsel send any inquires to the Justice Department, according to those people.

After explaining to Mr. Trump how communications with the F.B.I. should work, Mr. Comey believed he had effectively drawn the line after a series of encounters he had with the president and other White House officials that he felt jeopardized the F.B.I.’s independence. At the time, Mr. Comey was overseeing the investigation into links between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russia.

The day after the Flynn conversation, Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff, asked Mr. Comey to help push back on reports in the news media that Mr. Trump’s associates had been in contact with Russian intelligence officials during the campaign.

Mr. Comey described all of his encounters with the president and the White House — including the phone call from Mr. Trump — in detailed memos he wrote at the time and gave to his aides. Congressional investigators have requested copies of the memos, which, according to two people who have read them, provide snapshots of a fraught relationship between a president trying to win over and influence an F.B.I. director, and someone who had built his reputation on asserting his independence, sometimes in a dramatic way.

https://www.twitter.com/willmenaker/status/865201448677777409

How long till the Comey Memos themselves go on the public record, I wonder

Yeah but is presidency in trouble

Still just a matter of Comey's word against the president's so far, though, isn't it? Obviously Trump is a liar and not believable, but you need proof he is lying to have an impact. Right? Or am I missing something? It's just more damning stuff, but Trump started out damned from day one.

Comey's word isnt just the word of some random guy

But yeah comey's word alone wont justify an obstruction charge

Calm down, friends. We got a long way to go.

You mean, like, a week?

Trump's "NO" when asked if he asked Comey to end Flynn investigation is identical to "WRONG" during debate w/Hilary.

Rosenstein testimony to Senate was profoundly disturbing.

— Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) May 18, 2017

Thanks, Merkley, for that update.

How about this one: Trump as president is profoundly disturbing.

Going to assume because of his Twitter pic being Snapchat he's a Dem from a deep blue district?

Comey's word isnt just the word of some random guy

― Οὖτις, Friday, May 19, 2017 12:09 AM (fifty minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

But yeah comey's word alone wont justify an obstruction charge

― Οὖτις, Friday, May 19, 2017 12:10 AM (fifty minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah if this was in court the notes of a law enforcement agent would be solid, but impeachment isn't going to follow the federal rules of criminal procedure

Per Alfred's note the other day, this is breadcrumb stuff, intentionally.

Going to assume because of his Twitter pic being Snapchat he's a Dem from a deep blue district?

― Universal LULU Nation (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, May 18, 2017 5:44 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

junior senator from oregon, yes.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/05/18/behind-closed-doors-al-franken-kirsten-gillibrand-blast-rosenstein-for-withholding-information/?tid=sm_tw

Wittes's own piece now is of interest. Deep inside baseball at a lot of points.

https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-james-comey-told-me-about-donald-trump

Also:

Jared Kushner personally intervened in an arms deal between Saudi Arabia and Lockheed Martin. The new normal. https://t.co/OGt0Ncz6mZ

— Charles Ornstein (@charlesornstein) May 19, 2017

Byline is @VaughnHillyard, terrific Pence embed who spent months with his team. Do the math: VP office laying all blame on Trump & McGahn. https://t.co/tKRayU3xeV

— Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) May 19, 2017

Pence definitely starting to be more open about this.

PenceWorld on Trump: "We certainly knew we needed to be prepared for the unconventional (but) not to this extent." https://t.co/Ab2dJO5QQD

— Dan Berman (@DHBerman) May 19, 2017

Calm down, friends. We got a long way to go.

― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, May 18, 2017 8:11 PM (fifteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

true. this will take a while