Daily Check-In 01/25/2019

Friday, January 25, 2019 and the weekend

 

THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION

Roger Stone

• UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. ROGER JASON STONE, JR., Defendant.
• Document: Indictment of Roger Stone
• Trump ally Stone arrested on seven charges
• Trump confidant Stone is arrested, faces obstruction charge
• Stone’s indictment reveals Team Trump’s profound betrayal of the country 
• Mueller Reveals Link Between Trump Campaign and WikiLeaks’ Efforts to Damage Clinton
• From 2013: Wikileaks is a Front for Russian Intelligence
• The Stone Indictment Shows the Trump Campaign Directed Collusion – The Moscow Project
• Steve Bannon Is High-Ranking Trump Campaign Official In Stone Indictment 
• Roger Stone Draws the Judge Who Threw Paul Manafort in Jail 
• Roger Stone Has Nixon’s Face Tattooed on His Back and Other Things That Might Help Him in Prison
• Roger Stone says he’s been falsely accused in special counsel probe and ‘will not testify against the president’
• Roger Stone, longtime Trump friend, indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller
• Roger Stone, WikiLeaks, and a Scandal in Plain Slight
• Roger Stone: I will plead not guilty to charges in Mueller probe
• Roger Stone’s arrest and indictment, explained 
• Roger Stone’s Indictment Proves the House Republicans’ Russia Investigation Was a Whitewash 
• A Crime A Day: 18 USC §1505 makes it a federal crime to corruptly try to influence, obstruct, or impede an inquiry or investigation being conducted by either House, or any committee of either House or any joint committee of the Congress.
• Asha Rangappa: THIS. So the WH narrative is that candidate Trump was so disconnected from his own campaign that he had no idea that almost everyone in it was in contact with Russian operatives. So why, when they are caught, isn’t he thanking the FBI, and outraged at the people who deceived him?
• Angry White House Staffer: Just to be clear, the new line of defense is that Donald Trump — a notorious liar himself — made the unfortunate mistake of surrounding himself with an *entire* campaign of people who lied about Russia, and only Russia, but he’s innocent and didn’t know anything about it? M’kay.
• Cosplaying Supervillain Roger Stone Meets Robert Mueller’s Real-Life Feds
• Angry White House Staffer: Personally, I’m really glad someone was *finally* indicted over Hillary Clinton’s emails. CC: Roger Stone
• Dan Rather: I’ve followed the career of Roger Stone for decades, and he always struck me as a man who thought he was too smart to get caught.
• Ex-NFL Star, Stone’s Neighbor Reacts Arrest: ‘I’ve Only Seen That Sh*t In Movies’
• FBI Agents Arrested Roger Stone for Free. I Would Have, Too.
• FBI agents praised for arresting Roger Stone without pay
• Federal judge orders Roger Stone to be released on $250K bond
• Former AG: ‘There’s a reason’ FBI arrested Stone ‘fully armed,’ but not clear yet
• How CNN captured video of the Roger Stone raid
• Longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone indicted by special counsel in Russia investigation
• Michael Avenatti: The manner in which the FBI arrested Roger Stone this morning is what happens when you consistently give the FBI and investigators the middle finger for years and fail to show them any respect or professionalism.
• Nixon Foundation: This morning’s widely-circulated characterization of Roger Stone as a Nixon campaign aide or adviser is a gross misstatement. Mr. Stone was 16 years old during the Nixon presidential campaign of 1968 and 20 years old during the reelection campaign of 1972. Mr. Stone, during his time as a student at George Washington University, was a junior scheduler on the Nixon reelection committee. Mr. Stone was not a campaign aide or adviser. Nowhere in the Presidential Daily Diaries from 1972 to 1974 does the name “Roger Stone” appear.
• Sarah Sanders on Stone arrest: ‘Nothing to do with the president’ 
• Spicy Mic: How Freaked Out? THREAD
• Thread by @SpicyFiles: “BEJESUS… One has to wonder how freaked out @realDonaldTrump @jaredkushner… Thread by @SpicyFiles: “BEJESUS… One has to wonder how freaked out @realDonaldTrump @jaredkushner @DonaldJTrumpJr @IvankaTrump are right noSec just go home and open a bottle of wine Stone arrested… threadreaderapp.com       
• Thread by @renato_mariotti: “THREAD: What does the indictment of Roger Stone tell us? 1/ Today Roger Stone was arrested in the early morning at his home pursuant to a se […]” #OnTopic
• Renato Mariotti: THREAD: What does the indictment of Roger Stone tell us?
• Manafort 2016 Quote Describes Just How Close Roger Stone Was To Trump

“Roger’s relationship with Trump has been so interconnected that it’s hard to define what’s Roger and what’s Donald,” Manafort told a Netflix film crew during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The documentary, “Get Me Roger Stone,” was released in April 2017, but filmmakers followed Stone and his associates around as they managed Trump during the 2016 Republican primary and general election.

Manafort added later in the film that in terms of “Roger’s relationship with Trump, they both see the world in a very similar way.”

“If Trump is elected president, I think Roger will see one more very significant impact he’s had on world history,” Manafort said.

• Renato Mariotti: Roger Stone claims that when Trump “answered the written interrogatories, he correctly and honestly said Roger Stone and I never discussed [lying to Congress] and we never did.” How does Roger Stone know what Trump told Mueller unless they discussed this matter?
• Thread by @SpeakerPelosi: “Roger Stone’s indictment makes clear there was a deliberate, coordinated effort by top Trump campaign officials to subvert the will of the A […]” #FollowTheFacts
• Pelosi Statement on Special Counsel Indictment and Arrest of Trump Campaign Advisor Roger Stone – Speaker Nancy Pelosi
• ‘Lock Him Up!’: Roger Stone Mocked Outside of Court House 
• ‘FBI! Open the door!’: The tactics behind the armed agents at Roger Stone’s home
• ‘When everything is bad in the world, Gritty is good’: A Philadelphia love story
• Caputo: ‘4 or 5’ Trump aides could have directed Wikileaks coordination 
• Jerome Corsi says he’s ‘happy’ to testify against Stone 
• Mueller Feared Roger Stone May Destroy Evidence
• Mueller’s Real Target in the Roger Stone Indictment It was probably not Stone himself, but rather his electronic devices 
• No Escape for Roger Stone: Mueller’s Case Is a Slam Dunk and He’s Too Slimy to Get Flipped 
• Roger Stone says he will ‘testify honestly’ when asked if he would consider cooperating with Mueller
• Roger Stone says he would discuss cooperating with special counsel 
• Roger Stone’s Arrest Was Appropriate, Not Heavy-Handed 
• Stone accuses Mueller of ‘Gestapo tactics’ 
• Stone indictment hints at more Russia probe charges from Mueller 
• Stone indictment: Serious Russia investigation charges hint Mueller has more coming
• Roger Stone said he “forgot” about texts and emails found by investigators but left cooperation on the table
• Roger Stone allegedly wanted to use Facebook’s WhatsApp to ‘talk on a secure line’ — here’s what that means 
• Countercheckist: Translation: MUELLER HAS ROGER’S ENCRYPTED MESSAGES!
• Kurt Eichenwald: 1. There is a jaw-dropping line in Stone indictment folks are missing. It implicates entire conservative media bubble – including Hannity, Tucker, Breitbart, and rest of @FoxNews – as participants/dupes in a fraud directed by people in Stone-Individual 1-Wikileaks conspiracy..THREAD
• Thread by @kurteichenwald: “1. There is a jaw-dropping line in Stone indictment folks are missing. It implicates entire conservative media bubble – including Hannity, T […]” #ItIsTreason

Looks like it’s Roger Stone’s time in the barrel.  This comment comes from a tweet he made in August 2016 where he claimed it would soon be John Podesta’s time in the barrel.  This was shortly before WikiLeaks released a bunch of mails the Russian GRU stole from him.  Several of the emails were edited to make Podesta’s statements look worse.  Roger coordinated the release of these mails with WikiLeaks, who stood in as a front for Russian Intelligence.

I reported on Thursday Daily Check-In 01/24/2019 the existence of a sealed indictment from D.C., and the Rumor Mill got all atwitter.  Turns out, it was for good reason.

At 6 AM EST, a small CNN crew was camping out in front of Roger Stone’s house.  His neighbor Chad Johnson formerly Ochocinco, was getting ready for his morning jog.  Suddenly, several FBI agents wearing bullet proof vests approached the house with weapons drawn.  They knocked on his door, yelling “FBI, OPEN THE DOOR!”  After a moment lights turned on and the door opened.  Shortly after, the FBI agents escorted Roger Jason Stone, Jr. from his house and arrested him.  He was released on a $250,000 promise bond.  Must be nice being rich.

Roger is charged with seven felonies.  One of them is Obstruction of Proceeding, since his lies impeded Congressional investigation.  Counts two through six are his various lies to Congress, and one count of Witness Tampering.  The lies are documented below:

His witness tampering charge stems from Roger Stone telling Randy Credico to ‘Stonewall it. Plead the fifth. Anything to save the plan.’  Stone also threatened Credico multiple times, including at least one attempt on Randy’s dog.  That’s fucked up.

I’m not going to go through this indictment line by line, but let me cover the basics.

Roger Stone, a senior official on the Trump Campaign until August 2015 and an unofficial  advisor throughout the election, worked with Organization 1 (WikiLeaks) through Person 1 (Jerome Corsi) and a contact of Corsi’s in Britain (Nigel Farage) to acquire the stolen emails from the Clinton Campaign from. the Head of Organization 1, who lives in the Ecuadorian Embassy (Julian Assange).  Stone was in contact senior Trump Campaign officials, and one of them inquired directly about the timing of the email releases (Steve Bannon).  After one of these conversations with Person 1 (Corsi), it was suggested by their “friend in the embassy” (Assange) that “Would not hurt to start suggesting HRC old, memory bad, has stroke – neither he nor she well.”  Immediately after that, the Right Wing Media and the Trump Campaign began hammering home the point that HRC was old, sick, etc.  Communications between Stone and Senior Advisor (Bannon) continued throughout the campaign.

After the election, Stone claimed that Person 2 (Randy Credico) was his point of contact with the Head of Organization 1 (Assange), and completely hid his dealings with Person 1 (Corsi).  Stone did his best to keep Person 2 (Credico) quiet, including threatening to kill his dog, have his attorney disbarred, and threatened physical harm to him.

I truly appreciate a few things with this indictment.

First, it directly references the Russian GRU case from last summer.  In a way, it’s part of that case.

Second, it’s all low hanging fruit.  Sure, a couple conspiracy charges would be nice, but each of these charges is very easy to prove.  For witness tampering, all they would need are phone records and acknowledgement that it was Roger who sent the texts.  For the lies, all it would take to prove the lies are the transcripts from his interview and his emails and texts.  Obstruction could be a little harder, but if Mueller has proof that Stone was trying to hamstring the invetigation by lying or chording lies, they’ve got him on those.

Next, the charges are both directly related to collusion and aren’t at the same time.  The MAGA Hat crowd will gladly point out that Stone wasn’t charged with anything conspiracy related, and their cult leader will gladly go through the cycle of “No collusion, Witch Hunt, Stone had little contact with the campaign” cycle that he went through with Manafort, Cohen, and Flynn.

Further, Stone was treated like the common criminal that he is.  Mueller didn’t give him any advance warning.  He didn’t tell his attorney to have him show up at the courthouse at 9AM. He didn’t give a courtesy call minutes ahead.  Mueller felt that if Stone knew he was going to be arrested, he would likely try to flee, destroy evidence, or make some kind of crazy last stand.  For people who’ve never seen an arrest warrant being served, this was pretty tame.  At least Roger’s door is still standing.

Finally, during all of the coverage, it came out that Mueller has not interviewed Roger Stone at all.  Not once in 20 months.  That tells me two things.

1. Mueller was waiting until he had Stone by the balls before even approaching him.
2. Stone was a target from day 1.

There are different rules for dealing with targets as opposed to subjects.  Investigators can’t directly interview targets without jumping through a lot of hoops.  If he was that big of a target, then he was screwed from the beginning.

As far as the timing goes, I’ll talk about that in the Coda.

 

Paul Manafort

• Mueller says Paul Manafort should not get credit for cooperating
• Mueller tells judge Manafort should not get leniency for cooperation
• Judge Schedules Sealed Hearing In Dispute Over Manafort’s Alleged Lies
• Lincoln’s Bible: Btwn Manafort & Roger Stone, it’s hard to calculate the damage, bloodshed, & sheer misery they’ve inflicted on innocent populations for raving maniacs & nihilist regimes. All for a little coin. For the mastabatory glory to proclaim themselves wizards… THREAD
• Thread by @LincolnsBible: “Btwn Manafort & Roger Stone, it’s hard to calculate the damage, bloodshed, & sheer misery they’ve inflicted on innocent populations […]”

Stone and Manafort are tied at the hip.  And Manafort’s looking at dying in prison.

 

Oleg Deripaska

• Trump lifts sanctions on firms linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska 
• U.S. Treasury Lifts Sanctions on Three Deripaska Companies 
• US officially lifts sanctions on firms tied to Russian oligarch 
• Scott Stedman: It’s official. The Trump admin just lifted sanctions on Oleg Deripaska: They did this on a Sunday afternoon so people wouldn’t see it. We won’t forget. The lifting of sanctions on Deripaska makes the Russian government much richer (via VTB bank). This is a gift to Putin, nothing less.

Remember that they did this on a Sunday afternoon to avoid press coverage.

 

Jared Kushner

• On a Normal Day, Kushner’s Security Clearance Would Be the Story 
• Kushner’s Clearance Was Denied Due To Foreign Contacts…But He Got It Anyway 
• America First*: Jared Kushner and other Trump officials get top-secret clearances despite career professionals’ saying no
• Officials rejected Jared Kushner for top secret security clearance, but were overruled 

 

Chris Christie

• Trump Thought Firing Flynn Would End ‘Russia Thing,’ Chris Christie Writes in Book
• PostimusMaximus: “They are too stupid to conspire” has always been the absolute dumbest defense. Idiots are in fact the only ones who would. Smart people are smart enough to stay away from the Russians, and know they’d be caught if they tried.
• Chris Christie: Trump, Kushner thought Flynn firing would end Russia controversy
• Tea Pain: Remember in the old days when Trump assured us there was “No Obstruction?” Can’t say that any more. Chris Christie is a ground zero witness for intent. Along with every American that saw the Lester Holt interview.
• Christie: Roger Stone indictment is ‘pretty damning’

 

100 Contacts

• Prior to His Inauguration, Trump and His Merry Band of Soon-To-Be Convicted Felons Had Over 100 Contacts With Russians
• Trump and associates had over 100 contacts with Russians before taking office: NY Times 
• Trump and His Associates Had More Than 100 Contacts With Russians Before the Inauguration 

 

Upcoming

• Robert Mueller will indict a lot of “familiar” names in the next 60 days, “They will be quite familiar to the average American,” says former CIA director
• Trump advisers lied over and over again, Mueller says. The question is, why? 
• Congress Can’t Wait for Mueller Any Longer | The special prosecutor’s probe is looking for crimes. It’s up to legislators to act to safeguard the country. 
• Roger Stone’s Arrest Is the Signal for Congress to Act
• Thread by @jentaub: “🧵Thread We Have Seen the Mueller Report –– And It’s Spectacular 1/ Special Counsel Robert Mueller is nearing the end of his 20-month probe i […]”
• Sen. Wyden: I will fight to make sure Mueller report is public 
• Adam Schiff: As the indictments add up, we have to ask these questions: Why all of the efforts during the campaign to get Russian help with stolen emails and dirt on Hillary Clinton? Manafort, Gates, Papadopolous, and Stone… If there were innocent explanations for this, why all the lies?
• 3 weeks into new Congress, GOP still hasn’t named members of House Intelligence Committee
• Are Republicans keeping House Intelligence Committee unstaffed to slow Mueller investigation? 
• GOP still yet to name members of House Intelligence Committee 
• Mueller should consider ‘perjury charges’ against Donald Trump jr., house intelligence committee head says 

 

COHEN, NEW YORK, AND THE OTHER LAWSUITS

Cohen

• Trump’s “threats” against Cohen’s family sure look a lot like witness tampering, former prosecutors say 
• Why is Michael Cohen scared to testify? Because he flipped on the boss — wouldn’t you be? 

 

Undocumented Workers

• Worker fired from Trump golf course says Trump knew undocumented people were employed 
• Donald Trump Golf Course Hired Undocumented Workers As ‘Cheap Labor’ Then Fired Them During Shutdown, Employees Say: Report 
• Trump’s golf course employed undocumented workers — and then fired them amid showdown over border wall 

Remember when it came out that Trump hired a bunch of illegals to work at his golf courses last month? (Daily Check-In 12/07/2018). It looks like during the shutdown, many of them were fired.  Keep an eye on this.

 

SHUTDOWN & IMMIGRATION

Flights Grounded

• [Megathread] FAA Orders Ground Stops and Delays Flights at Major U.S. Airports Due to Shutdown-Related Air Traffic Controller Shortage 
• FAA delays flights at New York’s LaGuardia airport, citing staffing shortages amid government shutdown
• Flights delayed at three major US airports because of staffing issues caused by shutdown
• Flights into LaGuardia halted due to staffing shortages amid government shutdown
• La Guardia Grounds Flights
• LaGuardia Flights Halted as Shutdown Hits Air-Traffic Staffing
• President of Flight Attendants Union Suggests General Strike to End Government Shutdown 
• With no end in sight to government shutdown, TSA agents at Hawaii airports start to resign 
• Prolonged shutdown puts flying public at risk, officials warn
• Emptywheel: I wonder if Ronald Reagan is rolling over in his grave now that Air Traffic Controllers have proven that they can be more effective hostage takers than the President of the United States?
• FAA blames increased sick leave as delays mount at LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia airports
• Kyle Griffin: Nat’l Air Traffic Controllers Assoc.: “We have warned about what could happen as a result of the prolonged shutdown. Many controllers have reached the breaking point of exhaustion, stress, and worry caused by this shutdown. Each hour that goes by … makes the situation worse.”

 

Shutdown Ends

• Checkmate: Nancy breaks Trump and Ends the shutdown 
• End of the shutdown. For now.
• Government Shutdown 2019 Update: President Trump expected to float deal to end shutdown, for now, without border wall money
• House approves bill to reopen the government, sends measure to Trump for his signature
• Lisa D News: BREAKING – THE DEAL: Dem source says leaders are zeroing in on… – clean CR to Feb 15 – *No wall $* – vehicle for DHS, border security conf bill – Senate votes first – backpay provision
• McConnell tells Pence shutdown must end 
• Lindsey Graham: If Trump caves, it’s the end of his presidency 
• Renato Mariotti: Trump surrenders on his demand for “wall” funding and ends the shutdown mere hours after Roger Stone was arrested. That doesn’t strike me as a coincidence.
• Senate approves bill to reopen the government, the first step to ending the nation’s longest shutdown
• Congressional leaders, Trump reach tentative deal to temporarily reopen government without wall funds, according to Hill officials
• Senate leaders continue to seek deal to end shutdown that will satisfy Trump
• Senators negotiate in hopes of ending shutdown as dueling plans fail
• Trump announces deal for government to reopen for three weeks, ending longest shutdown; no money for his border wall
• Trump signs bill to end the longest shutdown in history
• Vivian Salama: Trump: “we have reached a deal to end the shutdown and reopen the federal government.” He said he had a more “powerful alternative” (referring to a national emergency) but says he didn’t want to use it.
• Rick Wilson: It is a mistake to refer to what happened to in the government shutdown as a “deal.” This was a full-fledged capitulation. Trump got rolled like a rube off the pumpkin truck.
• Poll: Majority of Americans hold Trump and Republicans responsible for shutdown
• ‘Am I out of touch?’: Trump administration struggles to show empathy for workers.
• ‘This is your fault’: GOP senators clash over shutdown inside private luncheon 
• “Trump shutdown” has put 2.2 million households “at risk of eviction,” senators warn 
• Alt US Press Sec: They’ll never say one word, but every national security analyst is reaching their breaking point along with the air traffic controllers. We cannot continue to operate the United States Government in this fashion.
• At least 14,000 unpaid IRS workers did not show up for work as broad shutdown disruption hits tax agency, according to House aides
• Republican senators argue over shutdown, turn on Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 
• Sen. Doug Jones introduces Back Pay Fairness Act to reimburse fed workers with interest
• Skilled federal workers face a critical shutdown choice: Stay or quit?
• The Shutdown’s Tipping Point
• Trump planning shutdown announcement
• Trump shutdown deal leaves $130 billion bill for $5.7 billion wall
• FBI Director Wray on shutdown: ‘I’m about as angry as I’ve been in a long, long time’ 
• Federal workers miss 2nd paycheck due to shutdown 
• GOP Sen. Collins: I’m not sure Trump understands living ‘paycheck to paycheck’ 
• GOP senator reportedly slams McConnell over shutdown: ‘This is your fault’ 
• House to release all Russia probe transcripts: Schiff 
• If Coast Guard members are killed during shutdown, their families won’t get benefits 
• Lara Trump blames the media after criticism over comments about unpaid federal workers amid shutdown
• Lawmakers Close In on Shutdown Deal and Brace for Trump to Blow It Up: Sources
• Louise Neufy: To the Twitterverse: Let’s all try to help government & contract workers affected by the shutdown. They don’t deserve to be mistreated this way. Since I’m near a Coast Guard station, I’m going to go buy groceries to drop off there. Figure out what you can do to help. Then help. THREAD
• The ‘perfect storm’ keeping struggling federal workers from accepting help
• MSW Podcast: “Without the wall, [immigrants] have a glimmer of hope… with a wall, they have no hope.” This is our president, arguing FOR a wall because it destroys hope for families seeking a better life in America, just as HIS family did a generation ago. He wants to destroy hope. #Resign
• MSW Podcast: They’re setting up in the Rose Garden. This is the part where Trump declares a ntl emergency at the border to distract from Stone, steals money for his wall from disaster relief, gets sued and blocked by Dems and the courts. #NoWall #NoWallNowNoWallEver
• Right-Wingers Rage At Trump After He Caves On Border Wall 
• Flashback: Lindsey Graham Said if Trump Gave in on Border Wall it Would Probably Mark “End of His Presidency” 
• Donald Trump’s Trust in Jared Kushner Is Fading After Son-in-Law Failed to Secure Wall Funding Deal: Report 
• No One Has To Prove The Allegations In An Interpol Red Notice. But They Were Enough For ICE To Separate This Mother From Her Family. 
• The federal government is open but the pain continues for craft breweries 
• ‘I hope we get some common sense’: Republicans reeling from political damage caused by shutdown
• ‘It feels like we are still hostages’: Federal contractors who lost health insurance during shutdown remain in limbo 
• ‘Pelosi does not mess around’: Democratic speaker emerges triumphant from shutdown
• After surrendering in shutdown standoff, Trump again vows to build wall
• Thread by @Kristin_Hook: “As a furloughed scientist, I thought it worthwhile to use my PhD skills to look at evidence for the president’s claims of a national securit […]” #shutdown #BuildTheWall #Texas
• Kristin Hook: As a furloughed scientist, I thought it worthwhile to use my PhD skills to look at evidence for the president’s claims of a national security crisis & whether his desire for a wall is an adequate justification for a government #shutdown that has cut off pay for 800,000 Americans.
• Americans fault Trump for shutdown chaos, as more believe US is ‘on the wrong track’: NBC-WSJ poll 
• By pursuing shutdown, Trump revealed how much America depends on government
• End of shutdown still leaves contract workers hanging 
• How the shutdown ended: Americans just had it up to here
• Inside Trump’s shutdown turnaround
• IRS will need at least a year to recover from government shutdown, watchdog tells Congress 
• IRS will reportedly take 12 to 18 months to recover from shutdown 
• Mick Mulvaney says Trump is actually prepared to let the government shut down again 
• Reeling From Shutdown Loss, Trump Spews Misinformation About Immigrants On Twitter 
• The numbers show Trump lost the shutdown and Pelosi won 
• Tea Pain: Trump threatens to shut down the government again in 3 weeks if he doesn’t get his wall. Since his last shutdown cost him 6-8 approval points, one more shutdown should finish him off.
• Trump doubtful over border deal, says another shutdown ‘certainly an option’ 
• Trump claimed women were gagged with tape. Then Border Patrol tried to find some evidence. 
• Trump rips into Fox News over shutdown, border wall coverage 
• Trump shutdown gambit was a folly, and he learned that Pelosi wasn’t bluffing 
• “Have I not been clear about the wall?” Pelosi signals Trump still won’t get what he wants 
• Nancy Pelosi ran rings around Trump. Imagine what Kim Jong Un and the Taliban will do. 
• Nancy Pelosi: What Does Putin Have On Trump “Politically, Personally Or Financially?” 
• Why Aren’t Texas Politicians Standing Up for Texas Landowners? 
• Trump ordered 15,000 new border and immigration officers — but got thousands of vacancies instead
• Trump will secure border ‘with or without Congress,’ Mulvaney says
• WSJ: Trump skeptical border deal can be made 

 

TRUMP THE RUSSIAN ASSET A.K.A INDIVIDUAL-1

• Trump denounces Stone arrest: ‘Human traffickers are treated better’
• Asha Rangappa: TRUMPIES: Guns in the hands of criminals is not a problem ALSO TRUMPIES: Guns in the hands of law enforcement officers arresting criminals is super mean and scary and should never happen
• Trump Says Stone Didn’t Work for Him ‘Anywhere Near Election’
• Trump keeps mentioning taped-up women at the border. Experts have no idea what he’s talking about. 
• Resurfaced Video Shows Trump Touting ‘Disaster’ As A Way To Make America Great Again 
• President Trump says he’ll sign deal to reopen government for 3 weeks
• The Moscow Project and the missing 6 billion rubles
• Trump Administration Neglects To Implement Required Russia Sanctions, Saying There’s ‘No Deadline’ 
• The disturbing signal Trump’s silence sends to Russia 
• Reeling From Shutdown Loss, Trump Spews Misinformation About Immigrants On Twitter 
• Trump Wanted His Disney Animatronic To Brag About His Skyscrapers, New Book Says
• Trump hits Ann Coulter over recent criticism: ‘Maybe I didn’t return her phone call or something’
• Trump rips into Fox News over shutdown, border wall coverage
• Trump’s State of the Union address is still not happening Tuesday despite shutdown ending, Pelosi says 
• US economy lost at least $6 billion during shutdown, S&P says 
• White House dangles threat of another shutdown over wall 
• ‘He’s Betrayed Our Country’: Democrat Rep Doubles Down on Claims That Trump Is a Russian Agent

 

TRAITOR TOTS

• Mitch McConnell may pay a political price for enabling Trump 
• Michael Weiss: Former head of Russia Operations at CIA on how Sidney Blumenthal’s son went to Moscow to attend the same RT gala attended byJill Stein and Michael Flynn, then came back an Assad and Putin apologist —> This has actually become an embarrassment in Clintonland, even among friends of Sid Blumenthal.
• From August 2017: Did a Kremlin Pilgrimage cause Alternet blogger’s Damascene conversion?
• Karen and Mike Pence’s astonishing moral hypocrisy 
• Pence, Ivanka, Kushner no-show as Mattis gets standing ovation at elite DC dinner 
• $115 million nuclear contract draws scrutiny on Perry

 

Glenn Greenwald

• 911corlebra777: Why do you think they are all telling lies @ggreenwald ? To cover up the biggest crime of all. But you already know that don’t you. I hope you enjoy living in Russia , it will be the only country you are welcome in
• Countercheckist: Poor Glenn. If he had bothered to read the indictment + noted the case #, he would’ve realized Stone was charged under the case against 12 GRU officers behind the DNC hack. Now why would Rog feel the need to tamper with witnesses over his actions relating to GRU in 2016? 🙂

 

CONGRESS

• Ocasio-Cortez on shutdown: ‘GOP senators should be scared for their jobs in 2020’ 
• Who is Michael Bennet? Colorado Senator’s Impassioned Speech Over Government Shutdown, Ted Cruz’s ‘Crocodile Tears’ Goes Viral 
• Jennifer Rubin: Pelosi wins. Trump loses. Period. He can never pull this crap again.
• Pelosi brought Trump to his knees 
• Pelosi Defeats Donald Trump 
• Roger Stone’s Arrest Is the Signal for Congress to Act
• Congress Can’t Wait for Mueller Any Longer | The special prosecutor’s probe is looking for crimes. It’s up to legislators to act to safeguard the country. 
• Trump’s Worst Twitter Enemy Is Joining the Team Investigating Him – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and two of her freshmen colleagues have been named to the House Oversight Committee.

 

FIGHTING BACK

• Ahmed Baba: I don’t think Trump recognizes how horribly he’s damaged himself politically. Trump carried on a government shutdown for over a month, impacting millions of Americans, only to accept a temporary deal without wall funding House Democrats have passed every week of the shutdown.
• Coons: Either Trump Colluded With Russians, Or Surrounded Himself With People Who Did 
• Ahmed Baba: Nancy Pelosi broke Donald Trump
• Donald Trump Has ‘Lost the Messaging’ on Government Shutdown, Says Former Biographer: ‘He Doesn’t Care About the Human Impact’ 
• White House Squatter Mulls Fake National Emergency to Secure Border Wall Funds 
• In apparent shot at Trump, Pope says ‘builders of walls’ sow fear and divide 
• Rick Wilson: Unspinnably weak.
• Most Americans say new Dem majority should publicize Trump tax returns: poll 
• Warriors skip the White House, meet with former president Barack Obama instead
• The Golden State Warriors just met with Obama in D.C. — they wouldn’t meet with Trump in 2017
• Americans support investigating Trump, but many are skeptical that inquiries will be fair, new poll finds
• 6 in 10 back Democratic inquiries — including release of Trump taxes 

 

RIGHT WING TERRORISM & WHITE NATIONALISM

• Trump White House stonewalls as Puerto Rico aid runs dry 
• Adam Schiff: Holocaust Remembrance Day is an opportunity to honor the lives of the millions of Jews and other victims who were murdered, to remember our moral obligation to speak out against hatred in all of its forms and to act when we witness injustice. Never again.
• Ann Coulter says she made a mistake on Trump: ‘I’m a very stupid girl’ 
• Donald Trump: Right-wing supporters label president ‘wimp’ and ‘broken man’ over border wall capitulation, forcing him onto defensive 
• Right-Wing Media slams Trump, calls him ‘a broken man’ 
• The Symbol Of The MAGA Hat 

 

SCOTUS & COURTS

• The Trump Administration Is Making a Mockery of the Supreme Court

 

#METOO & WOMEN’S RIGHTS

• Maggie Haberman: TelePrompTer has now frozen as Trump does extended riff on duct taped women,’accounts that trafficking experts say aren’t grounded in reality.
• Trump keeps mentioning taped-up women at the border. Experts have no idea what he’s talking about. 
• Trump claimed women were gagged with tape. Then Border Patrol tried to find some evidence. 
• Rasha Elass: Oh dear God @realDonaldTrump just painted a picture of trafficked women who are tied up & gagged “maybe can’t breath” w “tape around their face and mouth”. Why go into such detail during a Rose Garden speech?
• Alyssa Milano: Someone should tell Trump that every time he uses rape in a speech sexual assault survivors everywhere are triggered.
• The Uncomfortable Truth About The Oscars
• Trump administration ‘rolling back women’s rights by 50 years’ changing definitions of domestic violence and sexual assault ‘I was massively surprised & really shocked. It’s quite scary how quietly it’s happened. It’s a massive step backwards. We have literally gone back to the 70s,’ say academic 
• Pennsylvania GOP lawmaker under criminal investigation for drugging and raping a woman in capital

 

COLD WAR 2.0

• U.S. ‘at the ready’ to protect its embattled diplomats in Venezuela
• U.S. diplomats hunker down in Venezuela Embassy amid standoff with Maduro
• Venezuela’s opposition is gambling it all on Juan Guaidó. Who is he?
• New Dem Rep. Omar: US shouldn’t ‘hand pick’ leaders in Venezuela or support ‘coup’ attempt 
• Pompeo presses U.N. Security Council to ‘pick a side’ in Venezuela’s crisis
• Trump’s aggressive moves on Venezuela set up potential foreign policy victory — and a political win at home
• Fight in Venezuela is against more than a strongman — it’s against what some call a criminal empire
• Venezuela’s military envoy to US defects to opposition and calls for more to follow
• Pentagon to review Amazon employee’s influence over $10 billion government contract
• EU adds Saudi Arabia to draft terrorism financing list – sources
• Bill Browder: Indeed. If you’re a corrupt murderous dictator, you should know your assets aren’t safe anywhere. For everyone else, nothing to worry about
• ‘Trump is having an impact’: NATO head credits president’s tough talk for $100B boost 
• U.S. and Canadian fighters scrambled after Russian bombers buzz North American coastline 
• U.S.-Taliban talks appear closer to pact after marathon talks in Qatar 

 

#NEVERAGAIN

• Shannon Watts: Why is Dana Loesch upset about this? She’s also proudly trolled Aurora and Sandy Hook shooting survivors, breast cancer survivors, aging actresses, trans and gay people, Jewish Americans, and on and on. Ad hominem attacks are the @NRA’s bread and butter.
• Dana Loesch upset but can’t escape history when it comes to Parkland student activists – NY Daily News
• A pharma exec invited a troubled young lover to move in. It ended in a deadly shooting.
• An off-duty cop met up with two other officers. One fatally shot her in the chest.
• How school lockdowns traumatize children
• Thread by @shannonrwatts: “January: Utah man, 27, threatened mass shooting because he was a virgin and had never dated Florida man, 21, executed five women in a bank N […]”
• Shannon Watts: Just January

January: Utah man, 27, threatened mass shooting because he was a virgin and had never dated Florida man, 21, executed five women in a bank New Jersey man, 39, opened fire at UPS and took two women hostage Louisiana man, 21, fatally shot girlfriend, parents and three others

Pennsylvania man, 21, fatally shot 3 men and injured an ex-girlfriend before shooting himself. California man, 48, ambushed and fatally shot a woman officer as she adjudicated a traffic accident. Pennsylvania man, 27, bludgeoned, stabbed and shot a woman who broke up with him.

Florida man, 60, fatally shot ex-girlfriend and shot her friend, saying he was trying to “get rid of the Devil” Oregon man, 36, fatally shot a woman on a first date after meeting online New Mexico man, 33, fatally shot his 3-year-old one day after missing a custody hearing

Florida man, 39, shot his wife and her parents after accusations of of adultery Louisiana man, 26, shot and killed his girlfriend, a police officer, while she was preparing to leave for work Florida man, 21, shot 3 family members who didn’t want him dating their 15-year-old

Still doing January…

Alabama man, 19, shot a woman he was simultaneously assaulting while driving. Four women shot at a Newark candlelight vigil for teen car crash victims. No arrests made. Ohio woman fatally shot while walking dog. Her body was found by a woman shot in the head a few months prior.

Two Louisiana women were fatally shot near an apartment complex. No suspects arrested North Carolina police found a woman shot to death after responding to a domestic violence call. A suspect is in custody A New York woman was shot on a Buffalo metro bus. No suspects arrested

Gun violence is a women’s issue: An American woman is fatally shot by a current or former intimate partner every 16 hours; most mass shootings involve domestic violence; American women are 11X more likely to be murdered with a firearm than women in any other developed nation.

Text JOIN to 644-33 to help @momsdemandfight domestic gun violence.

 

FIXING THE INTERNET

• Patton Oswalt got into a Twitter war with a Trump supporter — then helped pay his medical bills
• Roger Stone allegedly wanted to use Facebook’s WhatsApp to ‘talk on a secure line’ — here’s what that means 
• Facebook knowingly duped game-playing kids and their parents out of money
• FCC accused of colluding with Big Cable to game 5G legal challenge

 

THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE

• Zoe Tillman: A lot of brilliant, talented, dedicated, kind, generous, hilarious, deeply sourced, insightful journalists are losing their jobs today. Please hire them. They will do unbelievably outstanding work, and they are amazing people. Thread:
• Dan Rather: U.S. presidents sit at an apex of information. Thousands in government work to get to the truth, in war zones, in economic data, in science, and much more. But President Trump eschews all that – his primary briefings come from Fox News hosts in a fact-free echo chamber.
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Warns Loss Of Journalists Will Send Democracy Crumbling 
• How CNN captured video of the Roger Stone raid
• Trump’s first year was the most dishonest in history. His second was nearly three times worse
• CNN responds to Trump dig about being at Stone arrest: ‘That’s called journalism’ 
• Sarah Sanders on Stone arrest: ‘Nothing to do with the president’ 
• Tom Brokaw: ‘Hispanics Should Work Harder At Assimilation’ 
• Caroline Orr: Why are networks still giving airtime to Roger Stone, Jerome Corsi, Sam Nunberg, et al? They’ve literally been saying the same thing for months now and most of it is BS. You know who should’ve been on the Sunday shows? Federal employees who’ve been working without pay.
• Lara Trump blames the media after criticism over comments about unpaid federal workers amid shutdown
• Donald Trump: Right-wing supporters label president ‘wimp’ and ‘broken man’ over border wall capitulation, forcing him onto defensive 
• Ann Coulter says she made a mistake on Trump: ‘I’m a very stupid girl’ 
• Trump hits Ann Coulter over recent criticism: ‘Maybe I didn’t return her phone call or something’
• Trump rips into Fox News over shutdown, border wall coverage
• Right-Wing Media slams Trump, calls him ‘a broken man’ 

 

WHITE HOUSE CHAOS

• Poll: Most Americans think US is on wrong course 
• Trump Is Actually Lousy at Making Deals, According to Negotiation Experts 
• Twitter Erupts After Melania Trump Vows To ‘Continue’ Fighting For Children Everywhere 
• Inside the White House, aides and advisers are despondent over a wasted month 

 

TRADE WAR, HEALTH CARE, & ECONOMY

• Fox News Poll: Voters favor taxing the wealthy, increasing domestic spending 
• US economy lost at least $6 billion during shutdown, S&P says 
• Loads of houses are up for sale — but middle-class buyers are still shut out
• Don’t Build the Wall, Build Affordable Housing 
• This development is a refuge for grandparents raising children. Is it a model for the country?
• Your 2019 tax refund might be higher, lower or later than usual 
• “There’s no way to save up money”: “Maid” author Stephanie Land on the rigged math of being poor 
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Is Exposing The Super-Rich’s Bogus Claims About Raising Taxes. Wealthy conservatives have long argued that raising their taxes was bad for everyone. She’s calling their bluff. 
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s 70 percent tax on the rich isn’t about revenue, it’s about decreasing inequality 
• Do we need billionaires? Ocasio-Cortez forces a conversation on the place of the superrich 
• The Rams’ $5 billion stadium complex is bigger than Disneyland. It might be perfect for L.A.

 

GOP: THE PARTY OF LINCOLN IS DEAD

• President Trump lost. Period. 
• The GOP has become the Soviet party 
• The real wall is between conservatism and fresh ideas 
• Kurt Eichenwald: One of most interesting things: When Trump was a Democrat, the Democrats knew he was a fraud. When he then moved to the Reform Party, Reform Party members knew he was a fraud. When he moved to the GOP, Republicans thought he was a God.

 

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

• A pharma exec invited a troubled young lover to move in. It ended in a deadly shooting.
• An off-duty cop met up with two other officers. One fatally shot her in the chest.
• Texas Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization
• Family behind OxyContin maker engineered opioid crisis, Massachusetts AG says 

 

PRIESTS & RELIGION

• Prayer has no place in the U.S. Capitol. Let’s separate church & state. 
• Prominent ‘gay conversion therapist’ comes out as gay and offers apology

 

ENVIRONMENT & SCIENCE

• California fire officials find PG&E not responsible for deadly Tubbs Fire in 2017
• CDC: Nearly 2 percent of high school students identify as transgender — and more than one-third of them attempt suicide
• Extreme Arctic outbreak possible next week as polar vortex targets northern U.S.
• The explorer who literally put Australia on the map is found buried beneath a London train station
• She had her leg amputated and 14 rounds of chemo by age 3. Now she plays varsity basketball.
• Palm oil politics: corporate effects on health
• How MLMs are hurting female friendships
• Research Suggests Trump’s Election Has Been Detrimental to Many Americans’ Mental Health 

 

ELECTIONS

• It’s Time to Update Aging Voting Equipment Before the 2020 Election

 

THINKING AHEAD

• TV Networks Jockey to Host First 2020 Democratic Presidential Debates
• Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz: “I am seriously thinking of running for President” 
• Former Starbucks chief Howard Schultz confirms interest in independent 2020 bid, as Democratic worries rise 
• Team Trump Is Worried About a Primary Fight in 2020 Election: Report
• After Horrible Week, Trump Increasingly Seen as Vulnerable to a Primary Challenge 
• GOP moves to block anyone from running a 2020 primary challenge against Trump 
• In Oakland Rally, Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris Calls Trump’s Wall a ‘Medieval Vanity Project’ 
• Kamala Harris, the latest Democrat to run for president: Everything you need to know
• Kamala Harris: ‘Foreign powers infecting the White House like malware’ 
• Shannon Watts: Hillary Clinton about the attacks on Kamala Harris: “It feeds into sexism and misogyny. She’s being attacked by the left. Enough. If you don’t want to support Democrats, go somewhere else.” Also, racism.
• Biden allies say he doesn’t have to rush into race 

 

IN OTHER NEWS…

• Thread by @erinscafe: “You guys. Roger Stone’s attorney has written a novel. It’s a political thriller. Please enjoy the blurb. HOW. IS. THIS. REAL. Send me this b […]”
• Erins Cafe: You guys. Roger Stone’s attorney has written a novel. It’s a political thriller. Please enjoy the blurb.

 

PROGRESS IS PROGRESS

• Gen Z prefers “socialism” to “capitalism” 

 

RUMOR MILL

• Tim Hogan: Watching Dockets

1. I have been watching the DC dockets since late 2017. There are a lot of reports today of multiple new cases filed in DC. The last case number filed is 19-cr-20. Stone, that was filed yesterday, is 19-cr-18. There is one remaining sealed docket in the 2019 dockets. 19-cr-9.
2. I recall spotting some new number prefixes. I have to research when but today I saw an account posting a report of multiple sealed dockets in the prefix “sc” presuming it to be the Special Counsel. I went to the dockets and none appear in 2017 with the “sc” prefix.
3. Then I looked at 2018. Here is the last one that all appear to be sealed noting that I just checked about 20 to arrive at this as the last one. It could mean that there were 3,580 separate filed dockets under the “sc” prefix for 2018. I that is likely.
4. Here is the last “sc” prefix that I can find for 2019. 163 through the current time. So what could they be? I looked at the CM/ECF handbooks and can find no report of the prefixes. If you file in Federal Court your are accustomed to
5. these prefixes: cr=criminal cv=civil mj=magistrate judge gj=grand jury mp= miscellaneous proceeding. (I think but have to check) So what could “sc” be? My first thought was “sc” was a Show Cause for things like contempt proceedings related to jurors who didn’t show up.
6. The “mj” filings are often search warrants. Also arrest warrants. So as of this time, the last 2019 “mj” number is 19-mj-18 that shows is sealed. The last “mj” docket I can fine in 2018 is 18-mj-166 that was originally filed on Dec. 28, 2018. That was the year with “sc” cases
7. Now how about 2017 when the there was no “sc” prefix? The last number for “mj” filings in 2017, is 1,022. So what does this all “possibly” mean? My best analysis: In 2017 when the scope of the mj filings was becoming apparent the Clerk’s created the “sc” prefix. Because “mj”
8. numbers are often later exposed to the public they would show the scope of the warrants that have been issued. So during 2017 there were possibly 1,022 warrants issued. 2018 they may have issued 3,580. And so far in 2019 they have issued 163.
9. So they averaged 9 a day during 2018. And about 7 in 2019. As I have reported the scope of Mueller’s task is huge. He needs to essentially bring down the entire Russian mob in the US. From the number of warrants it looks to me he may be doing that.

 

It’s Barrel Time!

• Countercheckist: Have faith in our system, patriots. It’s working. The #TimeInTheBarrelKnock on Rog’s door this morning is proof. One down, many more to go. Remain steadfast and focused. We have a country to reclaim.
• Tea Pain: One indictment closer to justice, patriots! Feels good, don’t it?
• John Schindler: There are 2 nasty narratives going around today, now that Rog is out on bail: 1. This means nothing, no collusion, it’s got nothing to do with Trump, blah blah blah. 2. This means nothing, Mueller isn’t serious, Trump is in no danger, blah blah blah. Ignore kooks Left & Right.
• Countercheckist: tRUmp’s Friday: – Pre-dawn felony warrant raid on co-conspirator – Separate co-conspirator in court – Declining poll numbers – Pelosi/Schumer win showdown – No wall – Still no check from Mexico #Winning
• John Schindler: WikiLeaks is a front for Russian intelligence. Fact. As even Pompeo, as Trump’s D/CIA, admitted publicly. ANY direct link between WL (ie GRU) and Team Trump isn’t “collusion” — it’s conspiracy and possibly espionage under USC.
• From 2013: Wikileaks is a Front for Russian Intelligence
• Ming: You don’t really think Stone just started criminal activties on behalf of national GOP just for 2016 do you? What about state GOPs and local LE?
• Rick Wilson: Hey Roger Stone fans: Bannon ratted him out. You’re welcome. Fight amongst yourselves.
• Rogue Senior White House Advisor: BREAKING: Other charges filed against Roger Stone include: – Conspiracy to dress like an idiot – 2 counts for wearing an ascot – Possession of a codpiece – Using a cummerbund in a sex act
• Tea Pain: For future reference, this is what happens when you elect a Russian agent President.
• Scott Stedman: Mueller is taking lying to congress very seriously. If I’m @DonaldJTrumpJr or Erik Prince, I am terrified today. I don’t think people fully appreciate the sheer number of potential legal violations Don Jr got himself wrapped up in. Trump Tower meeting, WikiLeaks, Psy Group, perjury to name just a few.
• Tea Pain: “A senior Trump campaign official (Steve Bannon) WAS DIRECTED to contact Stone.” Steve Bannon was Trump’s campaign manager and answered ONLY to Trump. Oopsies!
• Baratunde: It’s friday and Robert Mueller has dropped indicted Roger Stone which means another PDF which means it’s time for me to walk through this document amateur legal style… I’m so excited. My PDF reader has never gotten so much use as when American democracy is being undermined. THREAD
• Thread by @baratunde: “It’s friday and Robert Mueller has dropped indicted Roger Stone which means another PDF which means it’s time for me to walk through this do […]” #TrumpShutdown
• PoppinKREAM: The Trump Campaign has been implicated in the indictment against former Trump Campaign adviser Roger Stone
• Countercheckist: Translation: MUELLER HAS ROGER’S ENCRYPTED MESSAGES!

Just as a reminder to everyone, encrypted messaging doesn’t mean that it’s secured, or even encrypted from endpoint to endpoint.  Remember how Paul Manafort got screwed because he uploaded his messages to iCloud to back them up?  That backup unencrypted them, and made it very easy for law enforcement to get their hands on them.

 

Bernie

• Countercheckist: Bernie: – Torpedoed HRC’s campaign w/ Manafort’s business partner – Had the same Kremlin SOCMED assistance tRUmp did – Voted against sanctions on Russia – Wouldn’t vote to uphold sanctions on Deripaska – Promotes identical foreign & trade policies as tRUmp Here we go again…
• Louise Mensch: I am glad @SenSanders is running. Democrats are wise to his Kremlin-loving ways. They saw him fail on sanctions. Let @KremlinRussia_E bring their bot and disinformation army against America *now*. See what happens. Sanders will fail SPECTACULARLY. #Bernie2020

Fuck Bernie.  Trump vs. Bernie is an older article, but still accurate.  Plus, Bernie’s actions toward Russia, or lack thereof to be specific, leave much to be desired.

 

• Lincoln’s Bible: Whatever distraction is coming, don’t fall for it. Even if it’s a porn star.
• Rogue Senior White House Advisor: Today Donald Trump’s presidency was put on life support. It’s time to pull the plug.
• Tim Hogan: In June 2016 the thing that convinced me Trump was being paid by the Russians was the fact that his loan to the campaign appears to have been paid off right around the time he flew to Scotland. I reported I suspected it was likely a meeting with Russians. Sill nothing on this.
• Tea Pain: 10 bucks says Trump declares a national emergency today to distract from the Roger Stone news.
• Angry White House Staffer: President Cavey McCaveFace is getting beat up bad by right-wing media. Thoughts and prayers.
• Tea Pain: BREAKING: As a result of Trump’s Rose Garden speech, emergency rooms around the country are reportin’ record numbers of patients bein’ received with terminal eye-roll.
• Angry White House Staffer: Trump is going to back a clean CR that was floated by the GOP, but he wants them to give him the credit for it. 🙄
• Ming: Has Speaker Pelosi called trump an orange sissy yet?
• Rick Wilson: President Cuckly McSniffles is having a bad time right now.
• Angry White House Staffer: We’re about 2 weeks away from Rudy on CNN: “Guys, he fucking did it, alright? Is anyone really surprised?”
• Sara Danner Dukic: Guess what? Our law enforcement, and that of our allies, gave us PLENTY OF HINTS about Trump. PLENTY. Well in advance of the election. Why didn’t we know about them? Ask the media who thought it was all a hilarious and lucrative joke.
• Thread by @saradannerdukic: “Guess what? Our law enforcement, and that of our allies, gave us PLENTY OF HINTS about Trump. PLENTY. Well in advance of the election. Why d […]”
• Tea Pain: Trump threatens to shut down the government again in 3 weeks if he doesn’t get his wall. Since his last shutdown cost him 6-8 approval points, one more shutdown should finish him off.
• Chris Vickery: You know… Ted Cruz has not yet denied my allegations regarding his campaign handing mountains of US voter data to a Russian named Yaroslav Leontenko (aka “Yarek”, & aka “Yarek Tenko”). I have the goods to show it’s true. I’ll take Ted’s silence to indicate he does not disagree.
• Countercheckist: Who does think you’ll build the wall? It’s a shrinking list. PS: Your admin has racked up more felony indictments in 2 years than any president.
• Tea Pain: Tea Pain’s just spitballin’ here, but he wouldn’t be surprised if Mueller announces a plea-deal or cooperation agreement with some “Trump campaign officials” soon, perhaps “Sloppy Steve” Bannon. What do you folks think?
• Tea Pain: After how Pelosi treated Trump this week, she might have to pay him $130,000.
• COB: We’re gonna see some weird ass shit—as in the selection of no Rs to HPSCI—nobody can “primary” Trump if the various state GOP committees don’t hold primaries/caucuses. Death gurgle shit. Another shutdown 3 weeks hence? Oh hell yeah. We are outside the box now boyz ‘n’ girlz.

 

That’s it for the last few days.  Yep.  That all happened.  And things are gonna get crazy from here on out.  Like Chief said above, we’ll see some crazy, horseshit moves to delay investigations and protect Trump.  He looks weak and vulnerable right now, and it’s only going to get worse as we get deep into phase three.

Oh, let me explain the phases.  Spicy came up with them as an explanation of how the Mueller Investigation would proceed.

Phase I – name Russians
Phase II – detail methods used
Phase III – Indictment – American Confederates who aided and abetted Russians
Phase IV – Trump & Family

Phase I and II were the first few indictments.  Indicting the IRA, the GRU, and describing how the Russians interfered with the election are the basis of these phases.  There were a few Americans indicted up to this point, but all of them were either flips for other crimes like Sam Patten, or were rolled up to set up future work like Flynn and Cohen.

Roger Stone changes that.  His indictment has been widely viewed as the beginning of Phase III.  Roger was the ring leader of the Trump Campaign’s work with WikiLeaks, and by extension the Russians.  Stone was one of the main architects of this conspiracy.  With Stone getting indicted, it sends a signal that we’re entering the phase where the traitors that worked with Trump and Russia will get arrested.  Some of the small fish will be given a choice to either flip on a bigger fish or go down hard.  The bigger fish won’t get that choice, and the worse they did, the more they’ll need to deliver to save their asses.  Look at Mike Flynn, for example.  The guy committed espionage and treason against the United States, but could get off with time served and probation.  That only happens if he delivered more than FedEx.

For Roger Stone to have a chance at saving his hide, he’d have to deliver Assange, WikiLeaks, Bannon, Hannity, Alex Jones, Fox News, all of his henchmen, and several others.  And the Trump family, too.

I don’t know if he will flip, but either way I look forward to it.  If he does flip, it will be on some bigger fish that authorized his dirty tricks.  If he doesn’t, then he can see how popular his Nixon back tattoo is in the prison shower.

 

Thank you, and have a good one.

 

“Without Journalists, it’s just propaganda.”

– Katy Tur