Another useful Mariotti thread here:
THREAD: What does today’s @NBCNews report about Flynn’s FBI interview tell us about Mueller’s obstruction investigation? (Short answer: Quite a bit.)— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) January 24, 2018
As the timeline gets clearer, things get more...focused.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 17:00 (six years ago) link
xpost stick, whatever
― Empire Burl Ives (Hadrian VIII), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 17:00 (six years ago) link
Ned is your sense that we are getting a lot closer to something happening here ? xp
― (•̪●) (carne asada), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 17:06 (six years ago) link
A big part of the point of McConnells promise was to get Trump as far away from the process as possible. There's no reason to think McConnell will bake the wall into the bill he has promised to put on the floor, he doesn't give a shit. Really, the problem will probably either that House racists keep Ryan from putting the deal to a vote, or that Trump vetos it. Both things would lead to DREAMERS losing protection and another shutdown, but it's really tough to do anything about it, other than making sure the electoral outcome is different soon. And hopefully Ryan won't control the house in a year.
― Frederik B, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 17:06 (six years ago) link
There's no reason to think McConnell will bake the wall into the bill he has promised to put on the floor
You must not be from around these parts
― Empire Burl Ives (Hadrian VIII), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 17:12 (six years ago) link
how much flour do you use to bake a wall
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 17:13 (six years ago) link
Ned is your sense that we are getting a lot closer to something happening here ?
In terms of the obstruction part of the inquiry, certainly. If anything, per Mariotti's thread, Cobb's endlessly-joked-about claim that that part of the investigation is wrapping up isn't far off.
That said, it's unclear what else is exactly being looked at, though plenty of general guesses all apply. The formal brief from Rosenstein to Mueller that opened the inquiry:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3726408-Rosenstein-letter-appointing-Mueller-special.html
...hinges in part on a key phrase that has to be kept in mind: "any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation." Essentially, a lot of cans of worms have almost certainly been opened. And besides Gates apparently negotiating a plea -- which if that goes through means three out of the four people already charged basically admitting something -- there's this little side issue:
https://medium.com/@Erinlank/felix-sater-subpoenaed-newly-cooperative-in-new-york-money-laundering-case-against-trumps-kazakh-d865281454fc
I still think most of this involves a whole lotta people both out for themselves and trying to butter up Trump. The latter's susceptibility to flattery and his belief that everything can be quietly taken care of has kept tripping him up further.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 17:24 (six years ago) link
The promise is a DACA bill open to amendments. There will def be a wall amenment, but is there 50 votes for it? Ie, the ones to watch aren't McConnell but Collins, Graham, etc.
― Frederik B, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 17:25 (six years ago) link
basically the message the populace should take from these proceedings is "we're on our own"
― fuck you, your hat is horrible (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 18:15 (six years ago) link
Ned is your sense that we are getting a lot closer to something happening here ? xp― (•̪●) (carne asada), Wednesday, January 24, 2018 5:06 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― (•̪●) (carne asada), Wednesday, January 24, 2018 5:06 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I'm no Ned, lol, but I think there's definitely some movement going on with the special counsel - at least with regards to Gates/Manafort. There were articles last night about Gates potentially flipping (which is pretty obvious given his age, exposure, and resources to fight) and also a superceding indictment which would add more charges against them. I would assume those additional charges would be more relevant to the Russia/campaign stuff and less Ukraine related.
― officer sonny bonds, lytton pd (mayor jingleberries), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 18:26 (six years ago) link
a link
https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/23/politics/rick-gates-new-attorney-mueller-russia-investigation/index.html
and a quote
"For months, court-watchers -- including Gates' own attorneys -- have anticipated additional charges against the defendants. Superseding indictments, which would add or replace charges against both Gates and Manafort, have been prepared, according to a source close to the investigation. No additional charges have been filed so far. When there is a delay in filing charges after they've been prepared, it can indicate that negotiations of some nature are ongoing."
― officer sonny bonds, lytton pd (mayor jingleberries), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 18:27 (six years ago) link
returning to the thread late but the re-appropriation i was talking about was like... pieces about “shithole” countries that were meant to lift them up but still used the term, or even lazy use of “make (blank) great again” / “make america (blank) again.” it just tightens his short fingered grip on this nation’s neck
― maura, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:04 (six years ago) link
“I think it is just a conversation. I don’t think it intends of, you know, all of these terrible things that people are trying to put forward,” McDaniel said on CNN’s “New Day.” “I ask people who they vote for sometimes. I think it’s trying to get to know somebody. This is a president who is just getting to know people, and that’s part of those conversations.”
― Empire Burl Ives (Hadrian VIII), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:11 (six years ago) link
^this would be RNC chair McDaniel
― Empire Burl Ives (Hadrian VIII), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:16 (six years ago) link
This regrettable shutdown reminded all of us that, in United States #Senate, brinksmanship and hostage-taking simply do not work.— Leader McConnell (@SenateMajLdr) January 23, 2018
I want horrible things to happen to this person
― frogbs, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:19 (six years ago) link
also those things totally work
― Empire Burl Ives (Hadrian VIII), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:20 (six years ago) link
xposts I give people stock tips sometimes. I see no reason why we should hold someone to a different standard if they work for the company about which they're giving stock tips. They're just being a buddy.
― Senior Soft-Serve Tech at the Froyo Arroyo (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:22 (six years ago) link
https://i.imgur.com/NDX721b.jpg
― Karl Malone, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:22 (six years ago) link
somehow i missed this:
https://i.imgur.com/oeoonkF.png
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/23/senate-stick-susan-collins-government-shutdown
― Karl Malone, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:25 (six years ago) link
holy fuck
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:26 (six years ago) link
President Stick in 2020
― Chocolate-covered gummy bears? Not ruling those lil' guys out. (ulysses), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:30 (six years ago) link
Collins/Rainbow Dildo '20
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:34 (six years ago) link
i'm beginning to understand why schumer did what he did. whenever i'm in the room with a talking stick i just do whatever i can to get out of there as quickly as possible
― Karl Malone, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:35 (six years ago) link
especially when Susan Collins approaches you with her Maine smile and her glowing stick
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:36 (six years ago) link
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m9ioOwX3mxY/URO3tXafomI/AAAAAAAAEks/jXdvZJlrk7M/s1600/inanimate-carbon-rod.jpg
― marcos, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 19:36 (six years ago) link
In Oregon, we passed a healthcare funding ballot measure that never should have been a ballot issue. The rep who spearheaded the campaign is a shithead republican from West Linn. The NYT wants to interview Trump voters? Head to the wealthy suburbs of any city, Portland or no.
https://splinternews.com/three-oregon-republicans-tried-to-blow-up-medicaid-it-1822351473
― Crazy Display Name Haver (kingfish), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 20:06 (six years ago) link
I've said it before, drive an hour outside of most cities and you might as well be in Texas.
Re: Mueller, there are several overlapping investigations going on at once. There's Russian collusion, there is Russian interference, there is obstruction of justice (re: Russia), there is financial malfeasance and crimes of his underlings (often related to Russia or Russian interests), and then there is financial malfeasance and crimes of Trump himself and Trump Inc. It's hard to say how close we are to "the end" since there are multiple ends, and just as Gates and Manafort may be charged with more, it's possible one of these investigations may "end" but the parties involved may still be in the crosshairs for other stuff.
Compare this to Ken Starr, fwiw, whose investigations were almost wholly unrelated: Whitewater, Lewinsky, Travelgate (how quaint!).
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 20:34 (six years ago) link
republicans are basically traitors at this point
― reggie (qualmsley), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 20:44 (six years ago) link
of the 25 million people in texas, 22 million live in cities
get out more
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 20:57 (six years ago) link
i think he was just referring to redness of TX
― (•̪●) (carne asada), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:00 (six years ago) link
yeah smoke some sherm
― bhad and bhabie (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:00 (six years ago) link
(that's not political just advice)
― bhad and bhabie (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:01 (six years ago) link
do people still smoke sherm ? that's was some wild shit let me tell ya
― (•̪●) (carne asada), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:02 (six years ago) link
Worked so well in Lord of the Flies (re: talking stick).
― nickn, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:03 (six years ago) link
i understand the shorthand and the logic behind it, i'm just tired of the gerrymandered map standing in for people doing any kind of critical fucking thinking about the place
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:03 (six years ago) link
but listen where that sherm at
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:04 (six years ago) link
in TX iirc
― (•̪●) (carne asada), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:05 (six years ago) link
in terms of fraction of vote for trump in 2016, texas came 20th. it's not a useful shorthand for "very red state".
― 𝔠𝔞𝔢𝔨 (caek), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:08 (six years ago) link
i could stand to keep a running list of my soft spots, sorry josh
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:08 (six years ago) link
The vast majority of Americans live in cities (aka the popular vote). My point is that the huge relatively unpopulated swaths of the country that are not cities are pretty deep red, whether in Texas, or Illinois, or probably even California.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:11 (six years ago) link
And by "deep red" I mean represented by Republicans.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:12 (six years ago) link
point taken
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:12 (six years ago) link
probably even California they don't have places with nicknames like Fountucky for nothing
― (•̪●) (carne asada), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:14 (six years ago) link
Thus giving the lie just the distinction of “blue state”/“red state.” We hardwired to favor mental shortcuts & shorthand, yeah, but we go about it in the laziest, dumbest fucking ways.
― Crazy Display Name Haver (kingfish), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:23 (six years ago) link
all i'm getting at is the purported redness of texas (and by extension much of the middle of the country) if you go by the strength of GOP support
https://i.imgur.com/d5YX88g.png
gets a lot fuzzier if you look at people instead of percentages
https://i.imgur.com/jrBO6hB.png
xp
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:25 (six years ago) link
I saw a guy wearing one of these shirts at a small town 4th of july parade this summer and my first thought was "you are terrible at math"
https://img0.etsystatic.com/154/0/5776975/il_570xN.1092565306_hudv.jpg
― joygoat, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 21:29 (six years ago) link
the desolate wasteland that is trump country
― officer sonny bonds, lytton pd (mayor jingleberries), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 22:04 (six years ago) link
HOOS, I share your sensitivity re: TX. I think changes are coming to the political landscape here sooner than some might expect.
― Moodles, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 22:15 (six years ago) link
maybe this country needs to be screwed and choppedall hail west texas
― bhad and bhabie (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 24 January 2018 22:26 (six years ago) link
instantrapairhorn.com
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 22:43 (six years ago) link