Mueller’s Russia Investigation: Why this Big NothingBurger will be Trump’s Saving Grace

by with No Comment Gen Z

Let’s face it folks… It’s been over two years since the FBI used real Russian Collusion via Hillary’s Campaign financing, the infamous Trump Dossier through Fusion GPS, and Russian Operatives to start investigating Trump for fake Russian Collusion.  And it’s been a year and a half since Mueller started spending millions of dollars trying to prove Russian Collusion… and NOTHING.  They used the Hillary-financed fake (or at least unverified) dossier to start surveilling Trump’s associate, Carter Page, and others.  And yes, they did ‘tap’ Trump Tower looking for information. They said they did all this to protect poor vulnerable Mr. Trump from the big bad Russians, yet they did not surveil the Hillary campaign who actually did get hacked by the Russians!  Hmmm? Seems odd… almost like they had other reasons for doing so? 

So after two years and many lives of very decent (Gates, Papadoplous & Flynn) and some not so decent (Manafort & Cohen) people being ruined by this investigation, there have been many indictments.  The charges so far include tax evasion and lying to the FBI, but nothing to tie any of these men to Russia and certainly not collusion. Mueller is ruining lives by trying to force these men and others to take plea deals so he can squeeze them for other information on Trump or bury them with legal fees if they don’t falsely admit to lying.  It’s a sad time for our Constitution when an individual’s rights and freedoms are violated for political reason or any reason for that matter.

So how is Mueller’s Russia Investigation Trump’s Saving Grace?  

It starts with the fact that after 2 years, NO American citizen has been charged with anything even close to collusion with the Russians.  Zero.  And that is very significant.  Trump has tweeted ‘no collusion’ and ‘witch hunt’ with regard to Mueller’s investigation hundreds of times, which in essence established the benchmark Mueller needs to hit to prove that the investigation was worthwhile — proof of Trump working with Russia to influence the election. For many of his supporters, anything short of that mark is indeed a sign that Mueller has come up dry.  And that may prove to be Trump’s saving grace. 

One of the main issues facing the President is campaign financing.  That story alone is exceptional in the history of presidential campaign behavior.  Even the idea that a President would be implicated in an illegal payoff to secure an election would be an unusual occurrence in U.S. history, especially one where he won by less than 100,000 votes in 3 key states. 

Trump set the high standard of misbehavior at ‘direct collusion’ months before any of this other stuff emerged. For every new revelation about criminal activity by people related to the Trump campaign or for every new development in the campaign finance story, the immediate response from Trump and his base is consistent: “Where’s the collusion? Show me the collusion.”

Imagine if this Russia investigation or these campaign finance allegations didn’t exist?  Imagine if Trump’s evolving lies about what happened were the most significant issue the President faced? The direct pressure he faced would probably be more significant.  The Russian Collusion ‘Witch Hunt’ will never implicate Trump in any criminal activity. The fact that it occupies the public’s minds right now instead of the campaign finance issue gives Trump cover.  So, for all of his dislike of the Mueller Russia Investigation, it just might end up being his Saving Grace.

Kavanaugh Confirmed… LCR Women Respond…

by with One Comment Featured
On Saturday, October 6th, President Trump was successful in getting his second Justice nominee on the Supreme Court in Brett Kavanaugh. The most controversial Justice since Clarance Thomas, Kavanaugh was confirmed in a 50-48 vote, which is the tightest margin ever for a Supreme Court nominee. We asked some of our women contributors to weigh in regarding his confirmation, despite the sexual assault allegations from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and his other questionable behavior in high school and college, and here’s what they had to say…
“Disgusted but not in the least bit surprised.  When the initial vote to confirm Kavanaugh was delayed to perform an FBI investigation, I was shocked and had a glimmer of hope.  Two minutes later when it was announced the investigation would only last one week, I knew the process was a sham and temperamental – Kavanaugh would still be confirmed.  What bothers me the most are the 1945-era comments regarding sexual assault.  This is why I didn’t report my sexual assault because in America sexual assault victims are shamed while their offenders are pardoned.” – Left Healthcare Professional
“Next job interview I am going to demand to get the job!  I am going to be untruthful, condescending, and arrogant.  I will roll my eyes at the interviewer, yell at them, interrupt them, and refuse to answer simple questions.  I will then cry and play a victim.  And, I too, expect to be given this job that I have demonstrated not to have the temperament for.  But, as a woman I will not be able to act like this.  As a non-White woman, I cannot act like this. Not at a job interview, or anywhere.  Once again, those that we have selected as leaders, have failed us and decided to protect the power and privilege of White men.  They disgraced the survivors of sexual abuse, and elevated a man who is the perfect picture of what is wrong with America: White privilege and their commitment to inequality and injustice.” – Center Single Mom 
“Our country elected a president who was accused of sexual assault and sexual harassment by at least 19 different women. He has publicly made comments to objectify and degrade women on numerous occasions. As disappointing as it is, it is not the least bit surprising that he would support someone who was accused of similar behavior. Kavanaugh’s reactions in his congressional hearing showed extreme instability and a lack of control – two things that Trump is also known for himself. Since the beginning, Trump has made it clear through his actions and words that he is unfit for the office of president. Through Kavanaugh’s nomination process, Trump is also making it clear that he is willing to give power to others who are unfit for high offices, and potentially unfit to be law-abiding citizens of this country. As a woman (and a human being), it is infuriating to see that sexual assault is taken so lightly by the highest office in this country.” – Muslim Female Democrat
Do you agree with their perspectives?

Normalizing Hate?

by with 2 Comments News

Roseanne Barr was called to the carpet this week, after tweeting some incredibly incendiary racist comments. ABC canceled “Roseanne” the newly-rebooted sitcom she starred in. She shocked and horrified many, and has been publicly derided for her openly hostile tweets about Valerie Jarrett, a senior advisor to Barack Obama during his tenure in the White House.

First off, this is no surprise if you’ve been within earshot of Roseanne’s mouth, or in this case, tweets. She has a rich and storied history of spouting off hateful rhetoric and conspiracy theories. But her latest circus act is perfectly acceptable – and even endorsed – by the POTUS. 

Related: Trump Is Not a Racist… He’s Worse 

Barr’s off-the-wall behavior is a mere symptom of our current social crisis, and throws it in sharp relief:

White supremacist rallies, and Trump’s refusal to condemn them. Muslim bans. Calling Haiti and African nations “shithole” countries. “Pocahontas.” “Grab ‘em by the pussy!” The “Wall.” Removing protections for LGBTQ people, people of color and low-income families. Removing environmental protections. Vilifying the Free Press. Undermining the very fabric of our system of laws by spouting unsupported claims that the FBI is the problem – not him or Russia. Eroding hard-fought protections and rights of anyone who is not white, male and rich. Actually, of anyone who isn’t Donald Trump.

Trump is the Great Pretender. He is pretending to care about our country, national security, and economy; yet, he is alienating other nations, ignoring the potential consequences of his posturing, and ripping our country apart. He feeds the small-minded the scraps of his “heroism,” while he works to undo the social progress of the last 60 years. Spinning like a hurricane, he destroys nearly everything in his path. 

A true leader works to support and protect the country and its citizens. Not just some of its citizens, or those who excuse the leader’s behavior because they get more money that way.

Can’t anyone see that the Emperor has no clothes? We can no longer think of these outrages as one-offs. This is a methodical and systematic unraveling of what this country stands for: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

This is NOT normal, is it? 

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A Tangled Web, Mueller Eyes Cohen

by with No Comment Uncategorized

After a short lull in developments in the Mueller probe, the F.B.I. conducted a raid of Trump’s longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen’s office and hotel room on Monday. While this is a significant development, it’s probably not as definitive or conclusive as some might wish. However, it is very interesting, and adds another layer to the complex network of connections this investigation is uncovering.

First, Mueller’s team didn’t order the raid, and it doesn’t appear to be directly related to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. But Mueller, apparently not willing to investigate all of the evidence his team uncovers, referred the matter to prosecutors unconnected with the investigation. Then the Justice Department gave the green light. This is a big deal. Trump’s own Justice Department authorized the raid.

So, what does this mean?

It doesn’t mean that Cohen had anything directly to do with Russian interference, although that might come up later. The search warrant includes documents from several years back, which might indicate that there’s a long history of shady dealings. One of those was a pitch by close Trump associate Felix Sater about a property deal in Russia. This is not a revelation; emails were uncovered recently between he and Cohen discussing the potentially lucrative deal.

It does mean that something big may be happening. Search warrants authorizing raids like this are used only in situations when it’s strongly believed that the subject will not willingly turn over potential evidence, and in fact may attempt to destroy it. While the raid isn’t because of suspicion of interference in the election, it could dredge up evidence that happens to have that connection. And this evidence will be shared with Mueller’s team. So, it would seem that Mr. Cohen has a lot to worry about, one way or another.

Cohen has been one of Trump’s closest confidantes for more than a decade. He’s been privy to many of the inner workings of the Trump Organization, and no doubt has many sensitive documents full of privileged information. Any evidence uncovered could have far-reaching consequences.

Trump can scream to the rafters that the Mueller investigation is a witch hunt, but the search is an indication that there is a rumbling of a volcano that will surely erupt into real charges. When is anyone’s guess, but Mueller better have something solid to show pretty soon.

His job is more at risk now than ever before.

Trump or Comey, Who’s More Credible?

by with No Comment FeaturedPolitics

Comey’s testimony a few weeks ago didn’t necessarily open any new lines of questions or give any new answers that were all that different than what I think most people knew or assumed before- that James Comey was fired as FBI director for some combination of lack of loyalty to the President, or because the President simply wanted to devote less time to the Russia investigation (which then could be because it could lead to him, or because for this President, he feels a duty to defend his team members loyally even if they are wrong).

 The immediate conversation is about whether the President did or did not lie, whether Comey did or did not lie, multiple layers of unprovable statements and their intents, and some statements and questions about tapes (which both parties refer to but act as though they don’t have).  There’s no apparent smoking gun- at least not one that rises to a level of taking legal action against the President that wasn’t there before.  My immediate reflection is taking two individuals and contrasting their service and what that means for the direction of the country.

 Comey has been repeatedly described as a “showboater” and “grandstander”, and there may have been some cause for that.  A cynic’s view could be that he has a high opinion of himself.  Another could be that he has a high opinion of his ideals- or rather that he is uncompromising.   If that makes him a “nut job” that he has ideals that he values more than himself, that probably isn’t that much different than many of the best career civil servants.  His testimony struck the tone of someone who feels as though his credibility has been called into question, and wished to come off first and foremost as honest and doing his best in a bad situation.  There are plenty of people on both sides of the aisles who question his judgments and who’ve said that he had no business making his statements publicly in many of his most famous exchanges- each of which would more traditionally have been made by the Attorney General (a role that he also has a clear concept of having served as Deputy and Acting Attorney General), but in both cases where both a Democratic and Republican Attorney General had decided to recuse themselves.  One could argue that his job was made much harder by two Attorney Generals who had become part of the investigations they were put in place to prosecute.

 I am struck by the President’s complete inability to understand or manage such people in public service.  In his past career, being the leader meant he was the guy writing the checks, and people listened or he stopped writing the checks.  People wanted the checks, because that’s why they were there- for the paycheck, and if there was a bigger one out there, they might go for that instead.  The President puts a premium on loyalty.  Perhaps that’s because in business, it’s his against others’ business, or market forces or other constituents- and within the spectrum of his business, it is fine to have common ground and focus first on your own team (within the limits of the law).

But being President is different.  Of the next 50 job opportunities Director Comey will have, it’s quite possible that FBI director pays the least, and that’s probably true of 95% of all Senate-confirmed appointees.  They serve at the pleasure of the President, but most are there not out of a sense of personal loyalty to him, but because they believe his administration has values similar enough to their own that within it they can provide a level of service that they value more than the other job opportunities they forgo.  And when put to the test and forced to pick between any one man and their ideals, they very often pick their ideals.  So what I was most struck by during this testimony is how odd it was that the President thought firing Director Comey (or mentioning to him that he would like those investigations to away) would have any positive impact on helping the President’s agenda.  It showed me a fundamental lack of understanding as to why all public servants seek and keep their offices in the first place- and that made me wonder (as I have in the past) why he is also serving.  Why does personal loyalty matter if all are working in selfless service to the nation?  The media will spend the next few weeks on “gotchas” that aren’t “gotchas”.  What I would rather focus on are how the President and members of all sides of Congress choose with their words and actions where they place their own loyalty- to Americans, to their parties, or to their own factions?  What I saw from Director Comey was a guy that doesn’t always get it right, and he’s struggling with that.  I also saw a number of Senators looking for self-interested quote opportunities, and a President who still doesn’t even seem to understand what motivates the leaders of his own organization.