All Trump sees is green. All we see is a traitorous orange menace. Who is right? Place bets now!! (Trump continued)

[badbadhusky]

A nod to Banzai there for old timers like me.

Old thread here.

Question is, is it Mueller time yet? Anyone fancy placing a bet on when Trump will exit the POTUS role?

My bet: 20 March 2019.

Trump values loyalty when it’s afforded to him, but he doesn’t give it to others.

Trump expects loyalty even though he does not hide the fact that he will throw you under the bus the moment you stop being useful. Which might be why people might be more inclined to roll on him

Exclusive: New signs Gates may be negotiating with Mueller's team

amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/01/23/politics/rick-gates-new-attorney-mueller-russia-investigation/index.html?__twitter_impression=true

Could we all go on Twitter and somehow encourage Trump to enter the perjury trap? Tell him Mueller is bigger and better than him, with more braggadocious words? Would that do it?

Well this seemed to be the general consensus three weeks ago

www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/amp/trump-likely-could-not-refuse-mueller-subpoena-answer-questions-n835921?__twitter_impression=true

Renato Mariotti
Renato Mariotti
@renato_mariotti
THREAD: What does the timing of Mueller’s interview of Trump tell us about the state of Mueller’s investigation?
1/ Today the @washingtonpost confirmed what was recently reported—that Mueller will seek to interview Trump soon about the firing of Flynn and Comey.
2/ What surprises me the most about this news is that federal prosecutors usually wait until late in an investigation to interview a subject, so they have time to speak with others and gather all of the documents that matter. Does this mean Mueller is wrapping up?
3/ Based on what we know, it looks like Mueller is wrapping up the obstruction piece of his investigation. Although we often talk of Mueller as heading up one large investigation, it’s actually a group of related investigations.
4/ The obstruction investigation doesn’t appear to have much to do with money laundering by Manafort or foreign contributions on Facebook, for instance.
5/ So it looks like Mueller is wrapping up the obstruction investigation, which is why he is focusing his interview on the firing of Comey and Flynn. That doesn’t mean he’ll stop the other investigations, or that he won’t seek to interview Trump again in the future.
6/ If political considerations weren’t at play, I would not advise Trump to sit for an interview. There is only downside for him, and the downside is very considerable, because it’s a crime to lie to the FBI. (Mueller will certainly have a FBI agent present.)
7/ It’s hard to see Mueller agreeing to accept written questions and answers. I’d expect oral questioning by Mueller’s team limited to issues related to obstruction. Mueller’s obstruction case could rise or fall based on Trump’s responses, so the stakes couldn’t be higher. /end

The Hoarse Whisperer
@HoarseWisperer

Trump leaves for Switzerland tomorrow.

During each of his last three international trips, huge, bad news for him has broken here at home.

Let's make it 4-for-4.

Kyle Griffin
@kylegriffin1

NYT confirms WaPo report that Trump asked McCabe how he had voted in the 2016 election.

New detail: Trump had planned an appearance at FBI HQ that week. McCabe told Trump it’d be risky after firing a well-respected director, so Trump scuttled the trip.
<a class="break-all" href="https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/us/politics/trump-fbi-mccabe.html?referer=t.co/947NGzXtGY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">mobile.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/us/politics/trump-fbi-mccabe.html?referer=t.co/947NGzXtGY

The Hoarse Whisperer
The Hoarse Whisperer
@HoarseWisperer
Ok, this is an interesting turn of events.

Late last year, the former Acting Atty General and US Attorney from the Eastern District of VA, Dana Boente, rather abruptly announced his resignation...

Well, he didn't sit on the beach long...

When Boente abruptly stepped down, speculation swirled around whether he had been forced out by Trump or Sessions.

After all, he had been next in line after Sally Yates and was by no means a "Trump guy".

No one could seem to make sense of his sudden announcement.

2/

His role was a pretty darn important one... As the US Attorney from the Eastern District of Virginia (AKA the "EDVA"), he would be the guy to work with a special prosecutor like, say, Robert Mueller to bring cases before grand juries

3/

Per published reports, Mueller's indictments are all likely to come out of the EVDA or Southern District of NY (i.e. NYC).

Since U.S. Attorneys are key to seeking indictments/bringing cases, you could certainly see his ouster as a Trump hit job.

4/

n parallel (as we know from today's reporting) Trump was putting extreme pressure on FBI Director Chris Wray to push aside or fire perceived Trump enemies.

One of them was FBI General Counsel James Baker.

5/

A few weeks ago, it was announced that Baker had been reassigned to one of those bullsh** roles that's the rough equivalent of Special Ambassador to the Falkland Islands. It was a parking spot on the fringes.

6/

At the time, I thought Wray might have been yielding to the meddling pressure Trump was applying.

As we learned today, the truth is pretty close to the exact opposite.

Wray entirely stonewalled Trump and his ham-handed overtures.

7/

Yes, he reassigned James Baker...

...but guess who he just appointed to replace him as General Counsel.

Dana Boente.

Bwahaha. Wray appointed someone fresh off a stint helping Robert Mueller seek indictments.

Again, I laugh.... bwahahaha.

8/

Trump tried to twist FBI Director Wray's arm... and Wray pulled it back and backhanded him across the mouth by appointing the U.S. Attorney arguably closest to the Mueller investigation.

Now that is... delicious. Sumptuous. Gourmet.

It's a champagne popsicle.

Correction in #4. EDVA not EVDA. Typo there. Eastern District of VA. EDVA.

You're gonna be hearing that acronym a lot.

p.s. these moves by Chris Wray just earned him endless street cred among the FBI rank and file.

He just demonstrated in spades that he ain't Trump's lapdog and will insulate the FBI from his interference.

Well done, Wray. Well done.

Democrat Austin Davis wins Pa. House's 35th District

www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-local/2018/01/23/Democrat-Austin-Davis-wins-special-election-for-35th-State-House-District/stories/201801230213

Chris Potter
@CPotterPgh
A "milestone": Austin Davis is the county's first black state Rep to be elected outside Pittsburgh core.

Manu Raju
@mkraju
Trump to declassify Nunes memo if the House approves release, source tells @evanperez

Susan Hennessey
@Susan_Hennessey
Has it gone through interagency review? Has Trump been briefed (or bothered to ask) about the potential national security consequences of releasing the memo (and underlying Gang if Eight material if necessary)?
The President has a conflict of interest here. Releasing the (possible inflammatory and misleading) memo serves his political interests. It may well harm our collective security interests. Is he capable of putting country before himself? Will he accept advice of career officers?
Trump is allowed to declassify anything. But there is a process for doing so—sometimes if only to provide advance warning to compromised sources or agencies. If the President is rejecting the process, it’s a sign he doesn’t care about security.
The idea Trump could decide it is appropriate to declassify a memo with FBI (and maybe others) classified equities, which the FBI hasn’t even seen, is ludicrous.

I need to get up earlier! There's too much happening now for me to read it all in the morning before I head off to the salt mines.

11 school shootings already this year.

School Shooting in Kentucky Is Nation’s 11th of Year. It’s Jan. 23.

<a class="break-all" href="https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/us/kentucky-school-shooting.html?referer=t.co/JKPmiuXfqI?amp=1#click=t.co/JKPmiuXfqI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">mobile.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/us/kentucky-school-shooting.html?referer=t.co/JKPmiuXfqI?amp=1#click=t.co/JKPmiuXfqI

Shannon Watts
@shannonrwatts
The always ghoulish @NRA posted this despite Kentucky school shooting: "You look at the left. You look at the money they're raising and spending. You look at the energy, the anger, the hatred, the passion behind their side. November could go in the wrong direction real quickly."

mobile.twitter.com/NRATV/status/955928226236325889

Anna Fifield
@annafifield
Female journalists covering VP Mike Pence in Israel got “special treatment” -- they were forced to stand behind their male colleagues buff.ly/2n6spGf via @washingtonpost

Alabama House votes to end Senate special elections

www.axios.com/alabama-voting-to-get-rid-of-special-elections-after-democrat-win-1516759351-b9876381-6c4d-463a-bcf5-4947063ef1c8.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic

Is he capable of putting country before himself?

I'm assuming this is one of those rhetorical questions....

Shannon Watts
@shannonrwatts
.@LondonBreed, a black woman who grew up in public housing, has been overthrown as interim Mayor of San Francisco by men who are worried an interim mayorship would give Breed an incumbency advantage when she runs in June. Outrageous.

Despite received wisdom stating “there are no silly questions” I think this might be an exception

Josh Marshall
@joshtpm
Sen Ron Johnson claims "informant" who has news about the FBI "Secret Society" working to overthrow President Trump.

mobile.twitter.com/joshtpm/status/955968310541193217

theintercept.com/2018/01/23/cnn-threat-fake-news-brandon-griesemer-trump

The Bigot Threatening CNN Got Out of Jail in Time for Dinner

BuzzFeed News
@BuzzFeedNews
The White House has announced Trump's first wave of new judicial nominees in 2018.

The Senate Judiciary Committee last week voted to approve 17 judicial nominees from last year in a push that critics called a "monster markup"

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/amphtml/zoetillman/the-white-house-isnt-slowing-down-on-judicial-nominations#click=t.co/U6pgS3epCc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.buzzfeed.com/amphtml/zoetillman/the-white-house-isnt-slowing-down-on-judicial-nominations#click=t.co/U6pgS3epCc

Sen Ron Johnson claims "informant" who has news about the FBI "Secret Society" working to overthrow President Trump.

Sen Johnson obviously missed the memo about the FBI’s role in upholding the law and constitution. It’s their job to investigate illegal acts and its no secret either.

I’m getting a bit fed up of people bleating about the scrutiny Trump is being subjected to. What do you expect when you put someone that dirty and unpractised in observing the law in high office? The GOP should be taking a long hard look at their own presidential candidate selection procedures, not mudslinging at everyone else.

School shooting preparedness.

What?

A US President being scrutinised? Who'd have thunk?

It's up to you. DD1 we bought brand new but DD2 bought one second hand. The second hand one was immaculate and much posher than the brand new one!