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What to Make of the Latest Story About Flynn and Gulen?

By Susan Hennessey, Benjamin Wittes Friday, November 10, 2017, 4:44 PM

"The federal kidnapping statute is at 18 U.S.C. 1201 and the laws of Pennsylvania—where Gulen lives—would presumably have something to say about aspects of the plot (assuming the facts as reported by the Journal are true) as well. Flynn was a private individual—a campaign adviser—at the September meeting, and in the transition period during which the December meeting took place, he was a designated government official who had not yet assumed office. When government officials act or conspire to transfer someone, against their will and not pursuant to regular legal process, to a foreign jurisdiction, that is often described as “extraordinary rendition.” Prior administrations have acknowledged the use of the practice with respect to foreigners captured overseas. Even then, it is extremely controversial. As applied to a domestic person outside of traditional legal processes, it is simply criminal—under all imaginable circumstances. Plotting to do it, is a conspiracy to kidnap."

The Journal is, as we say, ambiguous about means. In some passages, it suggests a kidnapping; in others, it suggests that Flynn would use his position as national security adviser to return Gulen by legal means. The U.S. and Turkey do have an extradition treaty. The Department of Justice has so far rebuffed Turkish extradition requests related to their claims that Gulen is the mastermind behind a 2015 failed coup attempt. But perhaps Flynn only agreed that he would use his influence to mount pressure on the Justice Department to use legal methods. And perhaps Flynn might argue that he was doing the President-elect’s bidding, attempting to reset relations with Turkey by removing a major irritant in those relations.

That answer might get Flynn out of some legal hot water, but unless the facts in the Journal story don’t pan out, there are still big problems. For one thing, there’s still the allegation about money. It’s no more legal to take $15 million to use your influence as national security adviser to bring about an outcome than it is to kidnap someone."

more: https://lawfareblog.com/what-make-latest-story-about-flynn-and-gulen

Jake Tapper just eviscerated Marty Connors, the former AL GOP Chairman!

Gawd, that was a thing of beauty!

Connors tried to besmirch WaPo's credibility.

Tapper: What's the matter with the WaPO? It's one of the best papers in the country. Connors couldn't reply.

What a Difference A Few Indictments Make: Public Confidence in Mueller Soars

"The bottom line is that the week’s news had a huge impact on public confidence in Mueller’s investigation. In addition, we found that Mueller is trusted more than other actors investigating the matter."

"This low confidence in Congress, if it persists, is potentially of concern if the Mueller investigation finds evidence of activity by the President that it must refer to Congress for its action."

https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-difference-few-indictments-make-public-confidence-mueller-soars

Mueller interviews top White House aide

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN)White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller has been interviewed as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

The interview brings the special counsel investigation into President Donald Trump's inner circle in the White House. Miller is the highest-level aide still working at the White House known to have talked to investigators.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/09/politics/stephen-miller-interviewed-special-counsel-russia-investigation/index.html

Obama does the unthinkable at Daley Center: Makes jury duty a thrill

Tribune Video and Photo Gallery

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-obama-jury-duty-20171107-story.html

A Beautiful Morning

It's a Long Way to Where We're Going. Saving a Democracy is Hard Work.

Virginia flips 14 seats blue in biggest Democratic pick-up since 1899

Source: Share Blue Media

Democrats scored an enormous moral victory and a blow to Donald Trump on Tuesday by electing Ralph Northam as the next governor of Virginia.

But in addition to electing Northam, Democrats flipped 14 number of seats in the Virginia House of Delegates — the largest Democratic gain in a single election in the state since 1899. This victory triples the total number of Democratic state legislative pickups since Trump was elected, and reduces the GOP majority to just a few seats.

Many of these individual races were themselves inspiring. There was Danica Roem, the transgender journalist who beat a virulently antigay GOP lawmaker. There was Kathy Tran, who will be Virginia’s first Asian-American woman lawmaker. There was Chris Hurst, whose reporter girlfriend was shot and killed on live TV, and who gave up his career in news to go into politics and fight gun violence.

But Democrats did even more than win big on Tuesday. They broke a Republican gerrymandering scheme in Virginia that has been in force for nearly a decade.

Read more: https://shareblue.com/virginia-flips-14-seats-blue-in-biggest-democratic-pick-up-since-1899/

How big was it in VA tonight?

Biggest pick up in 118 years!

It was very, very bigly!