US Politics, June 2018: This is a total goat rodeo.

I don't think so

should i poll the AUMF story just to make sure "shrug" wins?

sadly, the only people in congress who seem to care about AUMFs are the people trying to destroy them

I would so have loved a Kaine primary fight.

https://www.vox.com/2018/6/12/17455922/wisconsin-special-elections-results-june

Pimp wins GOP primary: https://www.yahoo.com/news/legal-pimp-defeats-nevada-lawmaker-070355548.html

Corker-Kaine needs to die a death ... here's Paul Ryan, Bernie Sanders, a FOX commentator, an ACLU guy, and several others all coming down on the same side of the AUMF question:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?446614-1/constitutional-experts-testify-war-powers-hearing

by Paul Ryan I assume you mean Rand Paul lol

Meantime

NEW: Per @KatyTurNBC, Michael Cohen has received word from federal prosecutors that they are preparing paperwork to arrest him.

— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) June 13, 2018

lol yes we would not see Paul Ryan on that panel ... war powers stuff seems like Rand Paul's one good issue

I was briefly very confused

rand paul is piling up brush along the canada and mexico borders right now

brush = dead emigrants

The reason great dealmakers do not OPENLY celebrate a deal, especially one that is not complete, is that it shows weakness to the other side

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2013

Trump.........otm????

good thing he hasn't been then

Please tell us more things that distinguish you from great dealmakers, Don.

I was trying to figure out why word of Cohen's flipping/imminent arrest would be getting leaked to the press (probably by Cohen himself, cuz why would the attorney's office announce they're about to arrest someone?) and WaPo's Waldman has an explanation that makes a lot of sense:

we should consider one more possibility: that Cohen fed the story of his possible flip to the press in order to convince President Trump to pardon him.

can you pardon someone before the full charges have been announced?

yes

Lemme tell you a little story 'bout a guy named Dick.

this crew merits the most cynical interpretation always, and then try to imagine something more evil on top of that.

but only federal crimes, I think?

xp

yea I don't think there's anything Trump can do about Cohen right now

well he could always have him assassinated

hillary would have known what to do

she would've locked herself up!

Ingraham has turned on Pruitt. probably means something but she seems like a canary in the dumbass goldmine sometimes, so maybe more will join her

'probably means nothing', i meant

yea I don't think there's anything Trump can do about Cohen right now

as noted by YMP, Ford pardoned Nixon before he was charged with anything. it can be done. but only if Cohen's looking at federal charges - if there's state charges I don't think Trump can do anything about those. Correct me if I'm wrong, fine legal minds of ILX.

Nope.

my vague understanding is that mueller is well aware of this and is arranging state charges wherever possible?

^^^

otm

Meantime

BREAKING: Republican Senator Inofe says EPA's Pruitt may need to leave his post. Inhofe represents Oklahoma, where Pruitt was state attorney general.

— Mike Dorning (@MikeDorning) June 13, 2018

lol

reminds me of another RIP thread I should make

Inhofe has been indicating that he was turning against for Pruitt for a while, now, too

have the rocks in his head finally ground out a coherent thought

I'm amazed Pruitt had lasted this long when so many others have resigned under duress.

the manbaby likes him, is why

I like that ingraham quote about *pruitt's* judgment making trump look bad, as if president piss baby has no ability to get rid of him at any time

manbaby would never exercise such poor judgment

White House counsel McGahn recused his office from Mueller probe https://t.co/F9bGOZj4Ei

— Laura Walker 🍸🦈 (@LauraWalkerKC) June 13, 2018

White House Counsel Don McGahn recused his entire staff last summer from working on the Russia investigation because many of his office’s lawyers played significant roles in key episodes at the center of the probe, former White House attorney Ty Cobb said on Wednesday.

McGahn made the decision to halt his staff’s interactions with Special Counsel Robert Mueller because many of his own attorneys “had been significant participants” surrounding the firings of national security adviser Michael Flynn and FBI Director James Comey, Cobb said.

What does that mean though and why is Cobb even talking about it?

He doesn't work there any more, he can say whatever.

This happened last year though right? I'm just not sure what the significance of this is.

yeah why is something that happened a year ago being referenced now

huh

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/392117-sherrod-brown-tops-gop-challenger-by-17-points-in-ohio-senate-poll

Another similarity between the Trump White House and media companies https://t.co/cQSmcgV6g3

— David Uberti (@DavidUberti) June 13, 2018

I'm amazed Pruitt had lasted this long

Leaving him in place is just another form of trolling libs / collecting libtears. The line on Pruitt is that even if his spending on perks may LOOK a trifle lavish, he's saving America much more money than that by cutting excessive, job-killing regulations.