77 thoughts on “Compare, Contrast”

  1. Silly Merg. It is the MSM media which decides what is news or not. Therefore if they decide it is not, it s not news and you do not need to know about it. Move on little sheople. Capisci?

  2. There’s nothing to find, which is why the firm that did the dossier is fighting a subpoena for its bank records. Notably, Robert Mueller has NOT used his grand jury to get the records. The question now is exactly which bureaucrats do NOT belong in jail? I am at a loss.

  4. Dow is at 23,450. Unemployment record low.
    Has it occurred to anyone that Trump is a better economic prognosticator than Nobel-prize winner Paul Krugman? Or Hillary?
    Ah, you know how it is on the Left. You can be wrong on everything you ever said, and still be considered a go-to expert. Obama’s economic advisers were woefully, absurdly wrong about his 2009 stimulus. Their record only began to improve when they assumed that greater taxes, regulation, and the government choosing winners and losers could not deliver GDP growth > 3%.

  5. I can hear all the involved either taking the 5th during questioning or taking a page from Hillary’s book and saying,

    “AT THIS POINT WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE”

    Podesta’s lawyer is already holding his hand. I’m thinking with his probable direct involvement in the scandal Marc Elias will be needing his own lawyer.

  6. MP, I think a new, or old, idea needs to come in to vogue in economics; that people without skin in the game tend to make bad economic decisions, which means that, with rare exceptions (Adam Smith’s “public goods” doctrine), government programs reduce growth.

    Per this, one of the most interesting things about the appraisals of the proposed Trump tax cuts is that some assume zero growth in the economy due to tax cuts–something which is hard to believe, to put it mildly. One would infer that the hyper-Keynesian imperative seems to have captured the cranial cavities (can’t say “minds” here for obvious reasons) of the Krugman faction.

  7. Unlike liberals, I hate it when big, multinational corporations get involved in politics.

  9. The NY Times admits that the GOP had nothing to do with the “Steele Dossier”. That’s the gist of the article, even though it is headlined Conservative Website First Funded Anti-Trump Research by Firm That Later Produced Dossier.

    WASHINGTON — The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative website funded by a major Republican donor, was the first to hire the firm that conducted opposition research on Donald J. Trump — including a salacious dossier describing ties between Mr. Trump and the Russian government — website representatives told the House Intelligence Committee on Friday.

    According to people briefed on the conversation, the website hired the firm, Fusion GPS, in October 2015 to unearth damaging information about several Republican presidential candidates, including Mr. Trump. But The Free Beacon told the firm to stop doing research on Mr. Trump in May 2016, as Mr. Trump was clinching the Republican nomination.

    In April 2016, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee also retained Fusion GPS to research any possible connections between Mr. Trump, his businesses, his campaign team and Russia. Working for them, Fusion GPS retained a respected former British spy named Christopher Steele.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/27/us/politics/trump-dossier-paul-singer.html?smid=pl-share

  10. They’re saying that the conservative that did the funding is Paul Singer. Singer supposedly dropped the “research” effort when it was clear before the GOP convention that Trump would be the candidate. Trump had him to the Whitehouse shortly after he took office and it’s said the two buried the hatchet after the meeting. So it really was the Dems and Hill that were the muckrakers leading up to the election and going forward after that.

  11. >Donald Trump has promised to deliver 3 per cent growth during his presidency.

    Actually, he promised 4 per cent, but it’s all good.

  12. The Free Beacon speaks up:

    All of the work that Fusion GPS provided to the Free Beacon was based on public sources, and none of the work product that the Free Beacon received appears in the Steele dossier. The Free Beacon had no knowledge of or connection to the Steele dossier, did not pay for the dossier, and never had contact with, knowledge of, or provided payment for any work performed by Christopher Steele. Nor did we have any knowledge of the relationship between Fusion GPS and the Democratic National Committee, Perkins Coie, and the Clinton campaign.

    http://freebeacon.com/uncategorized/fusion-gps-washington-free-beacon/

    The Free Beacon‘s editor also state that they are willing to testify to the above. Looks like CNN/NY Times are working from “alternate facts.”

  13. It doesn’t seem as though Mueller, Rosenstein, or Burr of the Senate Intelligence Committee cares who paid for the dossier.

    The investigation continues.

  14. The Trump-Putin collusion narrative is collapsing, Emery. Even you should be able to see that. Ten months and no evidence of collusion leaked? And the only quid-pro-quo we know happened is Hillary-Fusion GPS-Steele-Putin’s agents?

  15. The dossier itself played absolutely no role in the coordinated intelligence assessment that Russia interfered in our election.The allegations in the dossier are a mere sideshow that should not distract from a comprehensive investigation.

  16. There is no comparison but a fair amount to contrast. What Clinton’s campaign did was pick-up what a GOP fundraiser/donor started in opposition research. It hired a private citizen to investigate (and ultimately find) a LOT of pretty creepy things out about Trump. It’s legal, and it’s common. Read that again Mitch, try really hard, IT IS, IT WAS, and WILL ALWAYS BE LEGAL.

    What Trump did, by contrast was allegedly collude with a hostile power to subvert our democracy by assisting with attempts to interfere with our election. He has further been grossly derelict in his duty to investigate that interference. What Trump allegedly did was ILLEGAL, It WAS ILLEGAL, IS ILLEGAL and should ALWAYS BE ILLEGAL. Furthermore, as Emery notes, the story you are so dutifully spewing about is intended as distraction. Was it a story before when it was a GOP donor who funded this? No? Why not Mitch, why didn’t the MSM broadcast about it then? Oh, wait, they DID, in fact. And they have here. It’s just that it’s effectively a nothing story. By contrast, where was Fox News (or YOU) when it was a GOP donor? Nowhere. Now that it’s linked, irrelevantly, to Clinton. Yep, time to fling pooh. So, comparison, none, but massive contrast, the RWM is all-too-happy to shrilly scream about Clinton. News Flash Mitch, the 2016 election is over and Clinton is no longer a valid boogey(wo)man, she’s not coming back. Trump, however, is a dishonest autocrat willing to squash investigations into the actions of our enemies, and he’s President. There, does that contrast it sufficiently for you?

  17. Officer Drebin, I mean Mammathus, there’s evidence ALL over the place for anyone with half a brain or a set of eyes. This President refuses to investigate the interference in the election, he refuses to criticize Putin, he refuses to even admit the interference went on despite ALL of our investigative services saying it did. He lies about the reason for a meeting between his son, his campaign manager, and a Russian-government backed operative. He fires the man investigating him and his staff after asking for personal loyalty and for the man, the head of the FBI, a man who is supposed to remain impartial and follow the law, to give his bo-bo (Flynn) a break. Sessions lies about his contacts with the Russians, as did Flynn, as did Manafort. No Mann, you’re right, nothing to see here. You remind me of Leslie Nielsen’s Frank Drebin – nothing to see here, no, move along.. (building burning in the background, people being raped, shot, etc..) Yeah, Mann, you’re sure right, that’s why Mueller just indicted someone, and why the ‘Cons are looking to defund Mueller. Nothing to see here. You guys are a running joke and don’t even get it.

  18. The Steele dossier is the only document the government used to allege that actual crimes were committed by Trump & his associates. The intelligence assessment says it has “high confidence” that Putin preferred Trump over Hillary. That is not a crime. The portions of the intelligence estimate that remain classified may rely on the Steele Dossier.

  19. The only thing I’m confused about here is why so many Trump followers seem to think the recent info is some kind of home run. They seem to suggest (or wrongly assume) that it is illegal to investigate Trump’s dealings with Russians, or that such research is somehow equivalent to direct coordination with Russia to influence the election.

    Going to Russia and asking around about Trump’s dealings is not the same as working with Russia to directly influence the American election. This is the usual false equivalence, which is all too familiar coming from the “right.” If not, what am I missing?

  20. Watergate began with a break in. The Lewinsky scandal began with Paula Jones’ sexual harassment complaint against Bill Clinton. What crime is Mueller investigating? What crime was Comey investigating?

  22. …the Steele document is the only …Mann, that’s just absurdly untrue. The government was monitoring Manafort LONG before the Steele report was made available to them. Who told you this poppycock? Further, Michael Flynn absolutely lied about his contacts, he’s likely going to get charged with falsifying his intelligence clearance submission, so there’s THAT document. Rumpybumpyboo had dealings with Russian real-estate mobsters which have been documented as at least “shady”, they monitored Russian asset phone calls, so there are those “documents.” You really need to get out more.

  23. Mann, Nixon was forced to resign over an obstruction charge. THAT crime is being investigated, as well as the crimes of taking in-kind services of opposition research done by a foreign power (llegal), and the crime of colluding with that power to use illegally gained information (called conspiracy after-the-fact). Try those three on for size.

  24. Oh, and lying to a federal investigator about your contacts with foreign agents, and in Trump’s case, firing someone to forestall an investigation – ya’ know, obstruction of justice and potentially in Trump’s case with Flynn and Sessions, witness tampering (allegedly).

  25. Mann, what you need to grasp is that Trump is as sleezy, unethical and selfish as anyone you’ve ever seen on the public stage. He’s not out for the little-guy, he’s out for himself, and through that, people like himself, Wall Street and real estate icons. He’d sell his son Eric for $5 and he’d sell you for less. He didn’t see anything at all wrong with colluding with the Russians to release Clinton’s e-mails and coordinate advertising because first, he probably didn’t know it was illegal (he’s not very bright) and he also probably didn’t care. He’s got a long history/made a career out of flouting the law, getting special favors, and leaving others holding the bag on his debt while he walked away with millions. That’s who is in office. What Clinton did pales to nothingness next to that.

    BTW Mitchie, Your silly (and erroneous) cartoon could very easily be titled (GOP investigation of Benghazi – GOPers screaming about 4 deaths… Niger deaths of 4 soldiers.. GOP complete silence and running away from the issue. WHERE are the month’s long investigations? Where is the vilification of Mattis OR Trump? The simple reason there isn’t any is this, You ‘Cons NEVER cared about the 4 people killed in Benghazi, just like you don’t care about the soldiers killed in NIger. It was an excuse to go on a witch-hunt against Clinton, a person who had nearly zero involvement in setting security policy for embassies or missions – it was nothing more nor less than that and it produced ZERO revalations, zero indictments. Much like your ballyhoo about Clinton’s counsel’s office having picked up the Steele inquiry, it’s much sound and fury by GOPers, signifying nothing. However, Mueller’s investigation into showing that Trump is a traitor to his country, and that you all are willingly or unknowingly complicit in remaining silent, THAT is a horse of a different color.

  26. Mr. Hughes, the real issue involved is the degree to which the dossier depicts reality. Already certain elements have proven true. Whatever legal culpability emerges from full verification begs impartial discovery. This is all that matters about the dossier.

    All the other mock outrage being pedaled about who funded what and when is just so much noisy deflection.

  27. It is extremely difficult to take the word of an anonymous blog commenter who refers to Trump as “Rumpybumpyboo.” Unless he is commenting on the unfairness of his kindergarten teacher making him take a “time out.”
    Pre Steele dossier, Manafort was being investigated for Ukraine/Russia deals that had nothing to do with Trump.
    I will remind Pen that no crime was specified in Mueller’s charter. It is a joke, and a testament to Trump’s inexperience and foolhardiness that he allowed a special counsel to be appointed at all. I hope he realizes his mistake and fires Mueller. There is no crime to investigate. If you want to get rid of Trump, you have to do it by winning elections, and Democrats have been pretty lousy at that lately.

  28. Mueller: “Thank you all for coming. Today I announce that my investigation has resulted in the following indictments . . . .”

    Trump: “Thank you all for coming. Today I announce that Mueller’s investigation has resulted in the following pardons . . . .”

    What, he can’t do that because then the media would say bad things about him? The Never-Trumpers would refuse to work with him? The Democrats would tell lies about him? He’s already the most hated Hitler of all time, what’s a little more fuel on the fire? Best time to do it is early in the administration so the public has time to forget over the next three years of increasingly better economy.

  30. JD: There are no legal or ethical reasons for the special counsel to turn away if he discovers indications of misconduct that are unrelated to the original Russia inquiry.

    Care to speculate on which Trump subordinate will be indicted on Monday?

  32. Woolly, perhaps Trump’s followers should just admit that they don’t care if Trump or his subordinates colluded with Russia and that they will remain loyal to Trump no matter what crime he’s committed. It sure would save them a lot of typing.

  33. You seem to have me confused with a Trump supporter, Emery.
    It is the most American of instincts to demand evidence that a crime has been commited before an individual is prosecuted.

  34. “Care to speculate on which Trump subordinate will be indicted on Monday?”
    If accurate, the leaking of this info is a crime in itself. Trump detractors seem to be the people who are actually breaking the law — you have repeatedly refused to name the crime Trump is accused of committing, presumably because you have no evidence that any such criminal act occurred.
    Using a flawed document like the Steele dossier to get a FISA warrant covering the activities of a presidential candidate is an appalling offense against democracy and republicanism, yet that seems to have occurred.

  35. The thing about an indictment is that could lead to a trial, and that means that not only will there be a prosecution but also a defense, a defense that will subpoena witnesses.

    Will Trump pardon certain parties? Will Trump sack Mueller? Will Trump put the squeeze on Sessions to appoint a new SP to look into Mueller, Comey, O, Hillary, Lynch, the DNC, etc. for the possibility of crimes they might be culpable of? Such as to to investigate Uranium One, FEC violations, on and on? If he did go that route who would he appoint? Maybe the likes of Rudy Giuliani, Michael Chertoff, or others with bark and bite., I think that would be fun.

    Russia, Russia, Russia. Isn’t this fun?

  36. Not to quibble, but, Uranium One’s licenses are for mining and extraction, not for export. This makes the claim that we “gave away” 20% of America’s uranium fairly hyperbolic.

  37. OK, let me be allowed to use the metaphor “Uranium One” for “Pay to Play”.

    I’m thinking (we’ll see soon) that Mueller is going to charge Flynn, Manafort, or other low hanging fruit. Just going to show he’s doing something while he tries to run out the clock protecting others. I really don’t think that’s going to be allowed to happen.

  38. I can remember when the Democrats complained that Ken Starr was going on a fishing expedition — and his mandate was much stricter than Mueller’s.

  39. Mann, with respect to your claim that ALL they had was the dossier, a document believed by the intelligence community to be mostly true, by the way…

    http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/former-trump-adviser-carter-page-under-fisa-warrant-since-2014-report/article/2630576

    There’s that. The supposed line that the dossier was used to obtain a warrant on Carter Page, yes, it was, but Page was actually under a FISA warrant since 2014. Long before the dossier was compiled.. Funny that.

    The entire GOP stinks like rotted fish. and Ken Starr admits he bootstrapped supposed cover-ups about Vince Flynn and Travelgate, which he later admitted had NOTHING behind the complaints or conspiracies, he bootstrapped that into investigating Lewinsky, so he had a more narrow mandate? Maybe, but he sure didn’t follow it. It’s why he is a discredited lawyer who recently was fired for incompetence as a university bureaucrat.

  40. Mann, I couldn’t care less if you like the fact that I’m anonymous, go ask the blog’s author, one “Foot of Kaiser Sose” about anonymity. You also need to learn something about special investigators/prosecutors, they are charged with determining IF a crime was committed (first) and THEN prosecuting that crime. Mueller’s charge was to see if any laws were broken by US citizens involved with the Russian interference in our election (first) and then to prosecute them.

  41. Doaksey-boo, a question for you? Do you think the President of the United States should routinely pardon people engaged in treason?

    Also, Doaksieboy, Trump cannot pardon anyone convicted of a state crime, so, while he MAY be able to pardon certain people, one reason depositions are being taken in VA and MD against certain people, is because if the classless ass occupying the WH pardons his co-conspirators, the AG’ in those states will try them all in state courts for perjury if nothing else.

    But, that said, it does go to show how low the GOP has stooped that they’d be comfortable with a President obstructing justice and pardoning his co-conspirators (if that’s what happened). Wow. Do you actually read what you right? Do you happen to care about democracy?

  42. The people that this infuriates didn’t vote for Trump and the people that voted for him won’t believe it or take it seriously. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Trump is the most entertaining president in my lifetime.

  43. What I find entertaining is the #nevertrumpers, gleefully explaining the damn is about to burst on the Trump-Russia scandal, when none of them can tell you specifically what Trump did that was illegal.
    faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
    -Hebrews 11:1

  44. I’m sensing a pattern emerging here: We don’t know and neither does anyone else.
    One thing seems really safe to say: this development means that Mueller’s investigation isn’t going away anytime soon.

  45. “this development means that Mueller’s investigation isn’t going away anytime soon.”
    That is a given. Mueller’s mandate was open-ended, because no one could figure out what crime he was supposed to investigate. Duh. There is nothing, for example, to prevent Mueller from switching his target from Trump to Hillary, Obama, Comey, & the DNC use of evidence from Russian agents to get a FISA warrant to bug Trump’s people. Russia interfering in an American election with the collusion of Americans anyone?

  46. What a great season finale it’s going to be:
    https://youtu.be/d7Uy0Uznw4E

    I think there are two tracks that are possible:
    1) My guess is that Manafort is indicted for his Ukraine millions, and/or Flynn for perjury.
    2) The ‘Democrat’s fantasy’ based on what little is known, they are going to prosecute people for aiding and abetting violation of federal laws on foreign interference with US elections. Evidence of intent to do this was helpfully provided by Donald Jr’s emails, as well as Kushner’s requests for secret communications with the Kremlin outside of official U.S. channels. The plotted kidnapping of Gulen for delivery to Turkey (and kidnapping is what it was) of course will result in many other criminal charges.

    They will likely prosecute Trump for obstruction of justice, with respect to which he helpfully provided the key evidence to convict (“I fired him for that Russia thing”).  They will also prosecute Trump for money laundering and other financial crimes.  Of course, that’s just based on what is known.  Mueller knows much more.  So who knows what other charges will be brought.

    My best guess would be the Manafort/Flynn scenario.

  47. Wow Emery, when you got to item 2 and thereafter your rant really had me scratching my head in wonderment.

  48. SH Emery is indulging a typical wanker fantasy, chronic epicondylitis notwitstanding.
    Maybe he got a cortisone injection friday so he’s feeling up to it.

  49. I want to see the evidence presented to get the FISA warrant. I suspect, but I don’t know, that it came from fusion GPS oppo research on Trump. That is, it was info suitable (perhaps) for a press release, not suitable for evidence submitted to a panel of judges.

  50. Further this today from our friends at PL:

    “Comey admitted that he’d been running a FI investigation for nine months without notifying Congress — which is supposed to be done on a quarterly basis. Right, because neither he nor Lynch nor anyone else in the Obama administration would want GOP Congressmen reading what passed for predication for FIs and FISAs targeting Trump (no matter who the named subject might be).”

    http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2017/10/investigate-this-4.php

    I’m looking forward to watching the cast of characters appearing before congressional committees and being asked to explain how the nothing burger of the “Trump Dossier” lead from PI to FI and subsequent FISA court warrant for wiretaps of all things Trump. I hope they go after the individual(s) that made the 2 separate FISA requests to get their sworn testimony on the driving FACTS that led to those requests.

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