Yes, the Ukraine. Bad stuff. But.. YES, Russia. It simply is hard to imagine that

[NRaleighLiberal]

with all of the digging, all of the smart people on this, the Russia election theft went off like a damp squib (one of those great UK terms I learned when traveling to the UK for work in my former work life). Russia - remember????

Josh at TPM wrote something this evening about the disappointment in Mueller - I don't have a Prime membership, but the first two paragraphs are below.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/what-was-up-with-bob-mueller

Today’s revelations out of the Roger Stone case put just one more weight on the branch of the Mueller probe’s credibility and probably far more weight than it can bear. Credibility in this context is a very fraught and weighty word. I don’t mean that it was crooked or out to whitewash the President’s actions. It’s all too complicated for anything like that. But we have a simple fact: six months out there is lots of new evidence that Mueller either must have known or could have known but didn’t make it anywhere into the report.

It’s hard not to reach the conclusion that Mueller ended up as what we might call the anti-Starr: determinedly refusing to look at anything not narrowly within the confines of his original brief. Just today we learn that there was at least pretty strong evidence that the President lied in written answers to the Special Counsel’s Office about Roger Stone delivering advance word to the campaign about Wikileaks.

snip

I can't help but feel that this is what happens when a criminal authoritarian regime (and the cult that follows them) just decides to sweep crimes done in broad daylight under the rug in a torrent of lies. I can't really make excuses for Mueller - to me, he played a very weak hand - and Barr just bullied the shit out of the process. It should have gone on much longer. But....alas.

My fear is that we will see a repeat with the Impeachment hearings - it will be lies, misdirections, gaslighting - and the media won't be able to keep up and see through the bullshit (we already see plenty of examples). And because it is a cult, the truth won't matter.

It is still hard to believe that we are where we are.....and we really need the impeachment process to somehow squeeze this pustule out of office.

[mopinko]

1. this all really comes down to manafort.

i keep wondering when his name is going to come up in the proceedings.
it really is all one conspiracy.

i'm hopeful, but also prepared to be appalled.

[triron]

4. Malcolm Nance keeps saying. All one humongous conspiracy.

I fear it is overwhelming to the average American.

[mopinko]

8. yup.

it will take a steady stream of trial for the next decade.
or a truth and reconciliation commission. which i think we need.

[tblue37]

16. So does Seth Abramson. nt

[lagomorph777]

18. Yes it is. It all comes down to Putin and his minions.

He's running scams all over the planet (e.g. Boorish Johnson, Nigel Frog, and Brexit).

Time to see the big picture, or perish.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. I understand your fears about what will happen with the Impeachment hearings.

I have to say, though, that I think Adam Schiff is made of much sturdier stuff than even Mueller.

Schiff will simply not allow any of those horrifying things to happen.

Of course, we shall see.

The Impeachment process is not the only way to get rid of tRump. They may well sway the public into voting him out in Nov. 2020.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

3. Was just wondering the same thing, if Gates flipped, and mueller had tons of time

With him, why didn’t he write that up - the MF’s lies about Wikileaks?

[triron]

5. Here we are again, eh?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

10. Why can't I ask a question? It was actually just answered.

[triron]

13. Huh? I wasn't being critical. You seem to insinuate that. I think you misread me.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

20. So sorry T. Bygones

[Qutzupalotl]

6. That would have prejudiced Stone's case.

Better that it come out now than early and thwart justice.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

9. So part of redacted perhaps.

[Qutzupalotl]

15. Yes. We should see more info after the Stone verdict,

but will probably have to petition a judge to release it.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

11. Thanks for being so nice to answer my question!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

7. This is what big oligarch money and corporate media does to our politics.

RIP to the phrase "public servant".........

KY..........

[cbdo2007]

12. We will never influence the "cult" but about 50% of Trump supporters are just uninformed/stupid

Most of the Trump supporters I know are these people. Sure, I know plenty of the "cult" people also, but the rest of them just don't pay attention to what's going on and are extremely gullible and *cough* kind of stupid.

That's why we need this on all the networks today, so they can't escape from it and have to at least see that this is a real thing and is a pretty big deal to make them feel like, oops, maybe I shouldn't be following Trump after all.

[tblue37]

17. Those are the ones that vote "R" just because it's part of their tribal identity. nt

[lagomorph777]

19. "50% of Trump supporters are just uninformed/stupid"

I disagree. Being a Trump supporter is the definition of uninformed/stupid (and evil).

[cbdo2007]

21. You do agree, but you're switching my words around.

[lagomorph777]

22. Well, tongue-in-cheek disagree. I think the number is 100%.

But of course I think we agree in general.

[librechik]

14. It hurts to read this. How could we lose the actual war against Russia

without even realizing it?