A Simple, First Observation - Josh Marshall

[DonViejo]

By JOSH MARSHALL Published JULY 11, 2017 11:50 AM

There are countless things to write about this morning’s revelation. I was already at work on that revised timeline I mentioned earlier when this was flagged for me while I was in a cab coming back from a meeting. For now I will just make a single observation. Donald Trump Jr. began this engagement with Rob Goldstone on the basis of this message. “This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.”

At a minimum Don Jr. and likely (though this is as yet unproven) all high level members of the Trump team knew about this more than a year ago. Ergo, all the total and aggressive denials about Russia’s role supporting Trump, law-breaking for Trump, etc. etc were all the most total and abject lies.

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/a-simple-first-obversation

[tblue37]

1. K&R for visibility. nt

[SHRED]

2. And yet they still walk free

When will arrests start?

[displacedtexan]

6. My money's on Goldstone getting blamed by both sides of this Trump Tower meeting.

It's much better for both Fredo and the Russian lady lawyer to claim ignorance than to admit what they were actually doing. Also, this bombshell lands slightly outside the Donnie Two Scoops Oval Office firewall...at least for the moment. With all eyes on Fredo, Kushner and Manafort can claim they left shortly after that meeting began, and they had no idea what was going on. Lies, but plausible to the knuckledragger FOX fans.

The bright side: there's so much more evidence out there, and the Watergate case, like Rome, wasn't built in a day.

[Caliman73]

7. When the case is air tight

This is not arresting some guy who looks like a guy who was caught on grainy video holding up a liquor store. That happens all the time unfortunately. The poor guy gets released after the police and DA find no real evidence to charge them, and then life goes on because the poor guy has no resources to sue or get any measure of justice/

We are looking at the president, possibly working with a foreign government to subvert a democratic election process in return for favors to that foreign government. There is a difference between what is shown on the media, released by tweet, discussed by pundits, and actual legal evidence and information.

Now, if there is a verified communication from Donald Trump or any of his staff that says, "Okay Mr. Putin, you hack into those voting machines and get us the election, and the Trump administration will drop all sanctions, and direct investments to your country once we are in power" , then it is time for the arrests. Until then, there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that shows that something untoward was going on, but nothing that shows an actual crime that could be prosecuted right now.

Also, remember that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime. They have to be removed from office by impeachment before. Impeachment is a political process that must be initiated by the House, then the Senate has to try the case and remove the president from office to face legal trial for the crime. Both chambers of Congress are in Republican hands so it is unlikely that impeachment will happen any time soon.

[leftieNanner]

10. Thank you for your sensible post

Although I want these guys out of our White House yesterday, I also understand that this process must be done carefully and methodically so that all of the rats are caught in an inescapable trap. And it will all happen at once. DU keeps me sane.

[onetexan]

18. Agree, and thanks to poster for keeping us patient and wait

for due process to be followed. I trust that Mueller and his team are doing their due diligence to ensure the rule of law is followed. We don't have a choice but to wait at this juncture.

[KelleyKramer]

16. It's a felony to accept any assistance from a foreign agent

It's a felony to accept any assistance from a foreign agent in a US election

Just heard that on NPR

So Junior, Kushner and manafort are already toast

This is big

[Caliman73]

17. It certainly can be big

I am hopeful that the malfeasance done by this administration will end badly for them and that justice will be done, but I am not willing to run around with my hair on fire until there is definitive proof that prosecution will be conducted.

[thesquanderer]

21. Lying is not illegal...

....except under oath, or the equivalent in a signed/sworn statement, where it would be perjury. So "all the most total and abject lies" is not arrest/indict-worthy for everyone. So, a bigger concern for Kushner than some others, perhaps...

[The Blue Flower]

3. The pattern of changing the story constantly is now obvious to all

The general take now is that this wouldn't be happening if there was nothing hide.

[oxbow]

4. Marshall is great

Now we shall see who still thinks the emperor is wearing any clothes. There are no more excuses for reasonable patriots to continue supporting this mob presidency.

[Tanuki]

5. The GOP leadership was well aware of Putin's ownership of Trump

(and Dana Rohrabacher, at the very least) but preferred to "keep it in the family". Criminal conspirators, all of them.

[gademocrat7]

8. K&R

A nest of lying vipers.

[Hekate]

9. KnR

[Moostache]

11. K&R (n/t)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

12. Note that mini-Trump accepted the PREMISE of the Russian govt support for Trump.

Thus by date of that first email, about a week after Republicon Convention, there had already been negotiations and agreements for that support.

The quid pro quo was the change to the Republican platform regarding sanctions against Russia and that there would be ongoing efforts by tRump to lift the sanctions.

[zentrum]

13. Kick.

[calimary]

14. Kick for the money quote!

“This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.”

Are we at "smoking gun" yet?

[UCmeNdc]

15. K&R

[Solly Mack]

19. K&R

[Gothmog]

20. K&R