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January 22, 2019

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Ed Walker

A few basic concepts from the theory of ideology.

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Rudy Is Relying on Tapes to Claim Buzzfeed Is Phony: But There Aren't Tapes of Everything

172 Comments

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January 22, 2019

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emptywheel

Rudy was relying on tapes -- presumably, those that Trump and Trump Organization got to review as part of the Special Master process reviewing privilege claims of the stuff seized in Michael Cohen's raid -- to claim that Thursday's Buzzfeed story is phony. But not everything would be taped.

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2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Mueller Probe

Trump's Lawyers Raised Concerns with Mueller's Office about Testimony They Shouldn't Know Whether Is Phony or Not

44 Comments

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January 21, 2019

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emptywheel

Rudy said yesterday he doesn't know whether Trump and Michael Cohen spoken before the latter lied to Congress. Yet somehow, he was so sure the story that Trump told Cohen to lie was phony he wrote a letter bitching about it.

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Free For All

Open Thread: Don't Shoot the Freezer

149 Comments

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January 21, 2019

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Rayne

Looks like the regulars may have cabin fever. Pour some boat drinks and bring your off-topic content here to air it out.

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

Rudy Claims Credit for Peter Carr's Correction of BuzzFeed, Which Had the Goal of Tamping Down Impeachment Talk

156 Comments

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January 20, 2019

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emptywheel

On Jake Tapper's show, Rudy Giuliani appeared to take credit for Peter Carr's statement Friday pushing back on the Buzzfeed story about Michael Cohen. If that's right, it suggests DOJ's request for a statement may be even more inappropriate under Special Counsel regulations.

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Football, Trash Talk

Championship Sunday 2019 Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler

65 Comments

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January 20, 2019

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bmaz

There are notable football weekends in the year, both for the Pros and the Joes. But nothing matches the conference championship games weekend nor the Super Bowl.

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

The House Intelligence Committee Can and Should Subpoena the 18-Minute Gap on the Trump Tower Deal

136 Comments

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January 20, 2019

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emptywheel

Over the last few days the following happened: Buzzfeed published a story stating what the evidence already shows: Trump suborned perjury Mueller's spox Peter Carr issued an unprecedented rebuttal to a specific story WaPo, in a story…

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

DAG Rod Rosenstein Involves Himself in Mueller's Press Response to Buzzfeed Story

93 Comments

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January 19, 2019

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emptywheel

According the WaPo story presenting the official version of what happened with the Buzzfeed story the other day, Rod Rosenstein's office called Mueller's to see if he was releasing a statement. That seems to violate SCO regulations.

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2016 Presidential Election, Department of Justice, emptywheel, Law, Sanctions, Trump Administration, Unitary Executive

The SCO Statement and Why Cohen Should Not Testify Feb. 7

41 Comments

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January 19, 2019

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bmaz

Marcy wrote a great post this morning titled "Peter Carr Speaks". I agree with almost all of it, if not all of it, but feel compelled to add a couple of things. As to what the motivation of Carr and Mueller was, it is, at this date, unclear,…

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Congress, Trump Administration

Shutdown Day 28+15H: When Negotiations Fail, Add More Hostages

56 Comments

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January 19, 2019

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Rayne

Is it really too much to ask for a president and Senate Majority Leader to simply do the right thing by the country and reopen the government without fueling more political conflict?

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

Peter Carr Speaks

98 Comments

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January 19, 2019

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emptywheel

Robert Mueller has the unenviable task of needing to sustain as much credibility for a bunch of serial liars as possible, starting with Michael Cohen. Buzzfeed's story -- whether generally true or erroneous on details about Trump Organization witnesses or totally wrong -- threatened that effort. And that's why, I strongly suspect, Peter Carr finally publicly spoke.

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Congress, Department of Justice, Trump Administration

Into Shutdown Day 28: Is the GOP Senate Obstructing Justice?

62 Comments

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January 18, 2019

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Rayne

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

134 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

141 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

94 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

118 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"?

39 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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A Primer On Ideology

Rudy Is Relying on Tapes to Claim Buzzfeed Is Phony: But There Aren’t Tapes of Everything

Trump’s Lawyers Raised Concerns with Mueller’s Office about Testimony They Shouldn’t Know Whether Is Phony or Not

Open Thread: Don’t Shoot the Freezer

Rudy Claims Credit for Peter Carr’s Correction of BuzzFeed, Which Had the Goal of Tamping Down Impeachment Talk

A Primer On Ideology

Rudy Is Relying on Tapes to Claim Buzzfeed Is Phony: But There Aren't Tapes of Everything

Trump's Lawyers Raised Concerns with Mueller's Office about Testimony They Shouldn't Know Whether Is Phony or Not

Open Thread: Don't Shoot the Freezer

Rudy Claims Credit for Peter Carr's Correction of BuzzFeed, Which Had the Goal of Tamping Down Impeachment Talk

Championship Sunday 2019 Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler

The House Intelligence Committee Can and Should Subpoena the 18-Minute Gap on the Trump Tower Deal

DAG Rod Rosenstein Involves Himself in Mueller's Press Response to Buzzfeed Story

The SCO Statement and Why Cohen Should Not Testify Feb. 7

Shutdown Day 28+15H: When Negotiations Fail, Add More Hostages

Peter Carr Speaks

Into Shutdown Day 28: Is the GOP Senate Obstructing Justice?

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

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

On the Matter of Mitch: Perhaps Not Where but Why

How to Talk about Impeachment: Preventing Harm to the Country

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

William Barr's Asymmetric Confusion about Shitty Mueller Reporting

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

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

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