Trump the Autocrat.

[Teallaura]

Do you know at what point in the testimony this occurred? That was not something I saw or saw reported anywhere. I'd like to look at what actually happened, given the propensity for so many on the left and right to spin the smallest thing into an endorsement of their existing positions.

It was toward the end of the first testimony - and no one is spinning anything. It's not a point of evidence - I made that clear.

[JimL]

Same with their propaganda machine, Fox News and the like, as well as a large part of the dumbed down constituency.

[Teallaura]

Actually, the house does do (or at least cause to be done) impeachment investigations...

Cause to be done isn't DO. The point stands.

That is why I think it would be a mistake for the house to go immediately to an impeachment vote. We have the suspicions, so let the formal investigations by (or at the behest of) Congress begin. As we have seen, investigations of the executive by a branch of government that is under the executive can only go so far. Congress has far more latitude.

They either do it now or it never happens - no one is gonna sit still for another round of 'lookie, we can't prove what we set out to prove' investigation of any sort. The time to put up or shut up has come.

With any luck, the investigations will continue on until 2020, hauling one piece of garbage out after another, and burying Trump. Then the elections will come around, he'll get booted and the need for actual impeachment will disappear and he can simply be indicted for any criminal acts that have been uncovered.

Not gonna happen - far more likely to bury the Democrats and Pelosi knows it. She wants this whole fiasco dead and buried as fast as possible. Any further dragging out of the nonsense can only hurt Democrats - this is the second huge disappointment the Dems have hyped and I expect it will cost them in 2020 as it is.

[Teallaura]

...

Did you read that article? Trump was being accused of four things - one got dismissed for lack of adequate evidence (racketeering), and three are moving forward (fraud, deceptive trade practices, and unfair competition).

Why the focus on he one that got dismissed and the lack of mention of the three that are moving forward - not to mention that the state charges are also moving forward?

Yep - and the point stands - it's still a setback.

[JimL]

I generally agree with his view. The entire "Mueller testifying" shtick was a bad idea from the get go. Mueller made clear what he would and would not say, was under constraints due to his role as a DOJ employee, and is too honorable to violate any of those boundaries. The entire thing was doomed to fail before it started.

Except it didn't fail, nor is it over. The only question now is whether or not to begin impeachment hearings now, or as Pelosi would prefer, to wait until all of the evidence is made public thereby putting the onus on the unprincipled, unpatriotic, Republican Senate to either oust Trump from office or face the wrath of a more informed public.. There are still investigations going on, as Mueller made clear yesterday, and there are many witnesses that still need to testify. Trump and his criminal cronies are still obstructing, still defying subpoenas.

[Mountain Man]

What I'm specifically calling out is the various and sundry references from the right to Mueller as some kind of doddering fool.

Except it's not just the right saying. This is one of the few times in recent memory when the left and the right media actually seem to be in general agreement.

[Teallaura]

Mueller leads a huge team, he was not a one man show. He was testifying for the whole team who each individually investigated different aspects of the case. He was also under DOJ, i.e Atty Gen Barrs, guidelines which he agreed to abide by which limited what he could and couldn't talk about. That makes for a difficult testimony. But all that doesn't matter, that's just the kind of thing the republicans and their talking head allies want you to focus on, just as you are all doing now, rather than focusing on the actual substance of the testimony. Mueller strongly made the point that the President and his administration was guilty of many crimes, not to mention unethical, unpatriotic behavior. Try focusing on that!

Mueller has known for months that the Democrats wanted him to testify - and has known for the last couple months when that testimony would take place. He had plenty of time to prepare - and even reread the report he signed off on whether or not he wrote it. That's more than enough for a lawyer of his ability when they are on game. Mueller clearly was not on his game and I don't believe for an instant he was stupid enough to not prepare.

Mueller himself asked for Barr's input - and frankly, Barr's advice was sound. Mueller is on very thin ice - Republicans suspect him - rightfully so - of at the very least not assuring impartiality and at worst, being partisan. Sticking to the report keeps his neck away from the line.

Also, if he suddenly produced things that aren't in the report, he becomes fair game for an inquiry into the investigation - there should not be anything of significance left out of the formal report.

Mueller walked back the only strong point he made. The testimony didn't help the impeachment case - it destroyed it.

[Cow Poke]

Oh I'm not disagreeing that Mueller's testimony was a bad idea, as I've already said. It was a political blunder anyone who actually listened to Mueller when he spoke a few weeks ago could have seen coming. What I'm specifically calling out is the various and sundry references from the right to Mueller as some kind of doddering fool. ..l.

I'm not seeing him represented as any kind of a fool - I suspect he has perhaps the beginning of dementia or Alzheimer or something - he looked confused, but I never implied or thought he was any kind of fool. And I'm not seeing that from anybody else, either.

[Teallaura]

Except it didn't fail, nor is it over. The only question now is whether or not to begin impeachment hearings now, or as Pelosi would prefer, to wait until all of the evidence is made public thereby putting the onus on the unprincipled, unpatriotic, Republican Senate to either oust Trump from office or face the wrath of an informed public.. There are still investigations going on, as Mueller made clear yesterday, and there are many witnesses that still need to testify. Trump and his criminal cronies are still obstructing, still defying subpoenas.

How stupid do you think Pelosi is? She is not gonna let this nonsense take her party down. Yeah, it's either over or the Democrat Party is about to destroy itself.

[Mountain Man]

He was also under DOJ, i.e Atty Gen Barrs, guidelines which he agreed to abide by which limited what he could and couldn't talk about.

You seen unaware that Mueller asked Barr to write a letter of guidelines and even told him what he wanted it to say.

[Cow Poke]

You seen unaware that Mueller asked Barr to write a letter of guidelines and even told him what he wanted it to say.

Which, too many, suggest Mueller knew he had some challenges and wanted guidelines.

[One Bad Pig]

So in other words, we're saying the exact same thing.

Also, consider that the charge is somewhat overworn:



source

So forgive me if I don't take the latest cries of alarm seriously.

[JimL]

You seen unaware that Mueller asked Barr to write a letter of guidelines and even told him what he wanted it to say.

So what, I never said otherwise, I only pointed out the restraints he was under which are being ignored by the conservative spin doctors. It also doe4sn't matter, all you need do is focus on the substance of his testimony. Substance doesn't seem to be a thing conservatives have much interest in.

[Mountain Man]

Even Shifty Adam Schiff seems to be hearing the fat lady's closing number...

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2019...t-but-we-dont/

[Teallaura]

So what, I never said otherwise, I only pointed out the restraints he was under which are being ignored by the conservative spin doctors. It also doe4sn't matter, all you need do is focus on the substance of his testimony. Substance doesn't seem to be a thing conservatives have much interest in.

Refusing to answer over one hundred times and basically agreeing as others read the report into evidence is not 'substance'. We learned nothing new (which is good for Mueller) and he walked back the only really good soundbite of the day.