US Politics February 2019: This is one of the great losers of all time.

Hey unperson, leave me alone.

xp

Hey unperson, leave me alone up yours.

ftfy

Lots of flurry re this new story but I'd say look at more of the details in it:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/20/politics/special-counsel-conclusion-announcement/index.html

The regulations require Mueller to explain in his report all decisions to prosecute or not prosecute matters under scrutiny. Barr would also need to inform Congress if the Justice Department prevented the special counsel team from pursuing any investigative steps....

Mueller has referred certain matters that fell outside the scope of the Russia probe to other US Attorneys to pursue. Some of those investigations have already been revealed, including the investigation in New York into former Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen. That probe has spawned subsequent federal investigations in New York into the Trump Organization and the Trump Inaugural Committee. It is possible the special counsel's team has referred other matters that have not yet come to light.

For close watchers of the federal courthouse and the Mueller team, small changes have added up in recent weeks.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday last week, special counsel's office employees carried boxes and pushed a cart full of files out of their office -- an unusual move that could foreshadow a hand-off of legal work....

Mueller and his prosecutors are still reporting to work as frequently as ever -- with some even coming in on recent snow days and Presidents' Day. But also visiting them more often than ever before are the prosecutors from the DC US Attorney's Office and others in the Justice Department who've worked on the Mueller cases.

roger stone was ahead of his time, but "balloon-boy was a fucking visionary" is waht we are coming to terms with here xp

Also, adding to the above (this leaped out to me as well)

I also don't think this is Barr shutting this down. I think it is Mueller waiting until Barr is in place.

If they were moving files LAST WEEK that was before Barr was confirmed.

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) February 20, 2019

The only tremor of trepidation I have at Mueller handing off a pack of indictments, evidence and prosecutions to their local districts is that some federal prosecutors and their offices are much less competent than the crack team Mueller assembled. Having watched my local federal prosecutors bungle two different trials of the Cliven Bundy clan and their armed henchmen, my faith in their professionalism is somewhat shaken.

Goddamnit that Bundy shit was infuriating.

Granted but in this case the handoffs have been notably going to the SDNY office -- which pretty much everyone agrees operates in their own universe, and whose own Trump-appointed head has recused himself -- and the DC one, which probably ranks second. This all makes sense given the principals involved. Further, handoffs likely mean a lot of evidence -- and it's worth remembering that the Stone prosecutors have already said there's a ton of stuff they need to go through. The Bundy fuckups are just that, but I'd also argue it was also the jury that made the decision, and dare I say there's a world of difference between juries out West in more rural areas re land use issues (and obvious assholery) and juries in those two locations dealing with big scandals. The Manafort case is instructive in this regard, where even that one MAGA type interviewed afterward said "Yeah I wanted to let him off but no, the evidence was all there."

holy shit Rutger Bregman owns

Watch Fox News host Tucker Carlson call one of his guests a 'tiny brain...moron' during an interview. NowThis has obtained the full segment with historian Rutger Bregman that Fox News is refusing to air. pic.twitter.com/kERYPUaGLY

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 20, 2019

Wheeler adding this:

Re: Timing this around Barr's arrival:

1) CNN says Mueller was moving files last week before he was confirmed
2) He presumably hasn't done ethics review yet, so Rosenstein in charge of day-to-day for now
3) W/him in place no concern abt inferior officer supervising Mueller

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) February 20, 2019

i know ned posted it just upthread, but i'm surprised there's not more of a reaction to the announcement about the upcoming conclusion of the Mueller investigation (tentatively set for next week)? maybe everyone is just exhausted with all this shit

Washington (CNN)Attorney General Bill Barr is preparing to announce as early as next week the completion of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, with plans for Barr to submit to Congress soon after a summary of Mueller's confidential report, according to people familiar with the plans.

The preparations are the clearest indication yet that Mueller is nearly done with his almost two-year investigation.

I'm definitly going to hold off on any excitement or expectations about this.

Yes, I'm fairly sure I'm just exhausted with all this shit. Particularly as I remain unconvinced that the ultimate response to the case Mueller meticulously lays out will be much more than 'okay, and...?'

i guess the least i'm hoping for is that the conclusions give pause to those that are not in the Trump cult but voted for him last time for whatever stupid reason that climbed into their heads.

I think we may have to wait until the finances of the Trump Organization have been thoroughly investigated by the SDNY office before we could see indictments that directly touch Trump's family members, unless there is a pending indictment of Don, Jr. we haven't seen, yet. His actions to date suggest Mueller stuck fairly closely to investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, while handing off evidence of any other crimes to the relevant district offices. That's how I read the public record as of today.

really hard to imagine any real consequences for anyone involved honestly

Manafort disagrees. Flynn disagrees. Cohen disagrees. Roger Stone is caught like a fly on flypaper, but still is struggling. Although I'd love to see Stone turn cooperative and spill his guts, I doubt he will. There's no reason for Trump to issue pardons to these people if Mueller closes shop at this point. Trump is not a generous or grateful person.

It must be a real kick in the dick for Mueller to know that whatever findings he unveils, within 14 seconds every mainstream media outlet is going to turn it all into "What does this mean for Trump's chances in 2020?"

^^^ exactly. I guess I'm referring mostly to Trump/Trump's businesses and the GOP's complicity in all this. I wanna be hopeful but we live in a system that seems to be set up solely to protect people like this. Even Flynn/Stone/Cohen are likely getting what, 2-3 year sentences? (Manafort is something else entirely)

At best we can hope, electorally, is that it shakes loose the remaining independents from Trump, for his base of zombies ain't eroding. And he's not going to jail.

As I recall, he felt "great pressure" about Russia until he 'relieved' himself by firing Comey. Then for the next 18 months he frantically proceeded to act guilty as hell. My main conclusion, if Mueller can't nail Trump over cutting deals with Russia to lift sanctions if they threw their efforts behind screwing Hillary, is that Mueller couldn't turn up enough solid evidence, not that it never happened.

happy mitch mcconnell's birthday, everyone

Meantime, as I posted in the alt right thread:

A @gwupoe scoop: A LT in the US Coast Guard was arrested this week for drug and gun charges. It looked like a run of the mill case until the detention memo filed yesterday. He had a hit list, contacts with white supremacists, guns, and, again, was an Coastie assigned to HQ.

— Seamus Hughes (@SeamusHughes) February 20, 2019

This...is something.

Between this and the Portland police article this week, five years ago, thought the idea that the supremacists were actively joining / infiltrating police, armed forces etc. sounded like a conspiracy theory. Haven't felt like that for a while.

At what point does Trump become too much damaged goods for Putin to bother with.
would think that might have some bearing on things.
& is no longer having complete carte blanche to do everything he wants because there are finally checks in place going to mean his attraction diminishes.

it's very real and very scary

Trump has no idea about his administration’s push to decriminalize homosexuality around the world, per WH transcript from today’s pool spray: pic.twitter.com/fkzzE8OMFb

— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) February 20, 2019

We have many reports. I use many stats. Many people are saying... he's starting to sound like a malfunctioning robot.

i was going to ask why they trot him out there without giving him a download of new information first but then again they probably did.

pay no attention to that man in front of the curtain

Who sez "Say it?" as a request to repeat or clarify something you just said?

An impossibly ambulatory mass of flesh and bone masquerading as a someone?

tbh “SAY IT” was the best SpeaknSpell 8bit module game, and “SAY IT” deserves to be sampled into pop megastardom, either in 1989 or 2020, i’m not sure which.

rutger bregman for preggzsidetn imo

who the fuck asked that question? just trying to get him to notice so that he'll tell them to stop doing it or something? probably a reporter from CBN

Michael Cohen is testifying publicly.
The House Oversight Committee announced that they have rescheduled Michael Cohen’s public hearing for 10am on Wednesday, February 27th

— Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) February 21, 2019

*trump goon emerges from the shadows, tapping a baseball bat against his palm*

you sure about that cohen

Per that memo, here’s what the Oversight Committee will — and won’t — ask Cohen about: https://t.co/ENl8pXVOak pic.twitter.com/DvdaXPtAvA

— Emma Loop (@LoopEmma) February 21, 2019

That's a nice House Oversight Committee you have here, shame if something were to happen to it.

(Which is one of the more astounding and dumb things, if true -- like your hired goons would actually use such a cliche goon threat.)

If Mueller really is wrapping up next week, does that mean no more charges? Don jr and Jared are in the clear?

Not if investigations have been handed off, and they clearly have been already.

just thought you guys might be entertained by what my representative is up to

https://ptpimg.me/m18k29.png

Bright or white?

and they say university professors are indoctrinating their students...

"Huh. Wonder if he's related to the WHY YES OF COURSE HE'S ONE OF THEM, HOW MANY SMUCKERS HAVE YOU EVER MET THAT WEREN'T?"

https://ptpimg.me/m18k29.png

Wow! Look at all those anchor babies!

said rep has not had a single public meeting w/ constituents since being elected in 2016 btw.

his PR MO is this: he tours whites-only institutions where he has captive or entire sympathetic audiences (various contracting businesses, schools and old-folks' homes run by christian evangelical organizations, American Legion meetings, Republican Party cook-outs, etc.), then his staff post photos of him smiling next to folks, and write things like, "images from my latest town hall! i had a great convresation with these factory employees about the economy and how immigrants are bloodsucking vampires. lots of great ideas. btw did i mention i am in the district and this was a town hall?"

Sounds like redistricting really put you all in a jam.

nah, this asshole would have won regardless.

Quite a sticky situation.