Home | emptywheel

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January 18, 2019

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Why is the GOP Senate, at the direction of Mitch McConnell (and possibly Trump), aiding and abetting the obstruction of justice at scale?

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2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Mueller Probe

Compromise: Before Trump Won His First Primary, Putin Collected His First Receipt

90 Comments

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January 18, 2019

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emptywheel

I've long argued that the kompromat Putin has over Trump is proof of Trump's willingness to enter into a conspiracy with Russia. Michael Cohen's plea deal makes clear that Putin pocketed his first receipt on Trump even before the first votes were cast.

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

About the BuzzFeed Scoop: It's Important, But It Oversells the Lying Part

127 Comments

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January 18, 2019

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emptywheel

Buzzfeed has a story that provides concrete details to what we already knew of Michael Cohen's negotiations for a Trump Tower in Moscow. But its hyping of Trump's lies may be counterproductive.

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Congress, Trump Administration

On the Matter of Mitch: Perhaps Not Where but Why

80 Comments

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January 17, 2019

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Rayne

The question becomes not Where's Mitch but Why, Mitch? Or Why Mitch?

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

How to Talk about Impeachment: Preventing Harm to the Country

117 Comments

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January 17, 2019

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emptywheel

As we enter the fourth week of a shutdown serving only Donald Trump's ego, impeachment needs to be talked of not as a political question, but a question of how to protect what we all share -- this country.

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

Why Is Trump in a Joint Defense Agreement with Manafort If Rudy Concedes Manafort May Have "Colluded"?

37 Comments

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January 17, 2019

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emptywheel

Rudy has now conceded that Trump's campaign manager, Paul Manafort, may have "colluded" with the Russians. So what does it say that the President is in a Joint Defense Agreement with a guy that appears to have "colluded" during the election?

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2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Mueller Probe

William Barr's Asymmetric Confusion about Shitty Mueller Reporting

76 Comments

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January 16, 2019

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emptywheel

Barr appears to be an arrogant man who believes right wing propaganda is sufficient evidence to base policy decisions on. But he also has a better idea of what the regulations say to expect from a Mueller report -- as distinct from Mueller indictments -- than the Senators questioning him did.

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

Manafort Was Pursuing a Ukrainian "Peace" Deal Well After He Was Charged for Lying about Being an Agent of Ukraine

83 Comments

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January 16, 2019

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emptywheel

The exhibits in Mueller's latest filing make it clear that Paul Manafort was still trying to pitch a "peace" deal for Ukraine as recently as May 2018 -- at a time when he was making undisclosed ongoing attempts to reach out to the White House.

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Congress, Trump Administration

The Lady (Trump's Tantrum) or the Tiger (GOP Senators Get Spines) [UPDATE-2]

122 Comments

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January 16, 2019

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Rayne

So what's your pick, GOP senators? Which door — the one with the figurative Lady and all the chaos she brings, or the one with the swiftly dispatching Tiger?

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Mueller Probe

Compromise: Sally Yates' Warning about Vulnerability to Blackmail Applied to Trump Even More than Mike Flynn

136 Comments

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January 15, 2019

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emptywheel

When -- the day before Trump fired Jim Comey -- Sally Yates laid out how lying about his conversations about sanctions with Sergey Kislyak made Mike Flynn vulnerable to blackmail by the Russians, she did not know that that applied even more to Donald Trump.

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Graphic: Quino Al via Unsplash (mod by Rayne)

Congress, Trump Administration

The Shutdown, Day 23: An Apology, A Prod, and a Call

51 Comments

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January 14, 2019

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Rayne

There are very few people who deserve this mess. None of them are so-called non-essential employees of the U.S.

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2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Mueller Probe

William Barr Falsely Denies His Mueller Memo Makes the Case for Impeachment

57 Comments

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January 14, 2019

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emptywheel

William Barr has released his opening statement for his confirmation hearing tomorrow. While it surely is tailored to address the biggest concerns about his nomination, there's a lot to like about it. He suggests he's not as big of a hawk…

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

The Supreme Court Has Already Agreed that the Mystery Appellant Caused a "Direct Effect" in the United States

45 Comments

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January 14, 2019

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emptywheel

Assuming the Mystery Appellant really did challenge a Mueller subpoena, that means the Supreme Court has already agreed with a Mueller argument that a company owned by a foreign

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2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Mueller Probe

Trump's "Official Acts" to Pay Off a Russian Bribe Should Make Impeachment a Legal Issue, Not Just a Political One

187 Comments

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January 13, 2019

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emptywheel

Since Rashida Tlaib raised the stakes on impeaching Trump, both sides have treated impeachment as a political question. But if Mueller names Trump in a bribery conspiracy, it may make it clearer that it is also a legal one.

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Football, Trash Talk

Divisional Playoffs 2019

59 Comments

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January 12, 2019

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bmaz

Getting close to the home stretch in the NFL. There are four games this weekend, and the first one up is Colts at Chiefs. The weather looks to be very nasty, with below freezing temps and snow already accumulating. It will be interesting to…

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2016 Election, Mueller Probe, Trump Administration

A Less Obvious Question about NYT's Reporting on Trump-Russia

155 Comments

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January 12, 2019

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Rayne

Over the last several years, one thing has bothered me about The New York Times, something not immediately obvious in these related pieces of what may be the most important work the paper published since the early 2000s.

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