To shamelessly quote myself from the summer of 2017:
The roadmap:
Nothing happened. This is all made up nonsense.
Maybe something happened, but it wasn’t collusion.
Maybe it was collusion, but it wasn’t illegal.
Maybe it was illegal, but it wasn’t important.
Maybe it was important, but other Presidents have done worse things.
Maybe no other President has done worse things, but at least he hasn’t actually shot someone on Fifth Avenue.
Maybe he did shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, but it wasn’t a baby.
Maybe he did shoot a baby on Fifth Avenue, but that baby had it coming.
(I know I’ve quoted this before, but if the post fits …)
Yes you’ve quoted it before, but it’s still funny.
Adam_B, that was beautiful.
If he wasn’t doing such harm to the country it would almost be glorious to watch Trump destroy every shitbird that drifts into his orbit. ‘Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of people.
I hope Rudy appreciates your message to him. It’s a message to you, Rudy!
Well, mostly for the benefit of Trump. He did bill the campaign $37,000 more than he paid the contractor. (Though maybe the Cuban boxing glove cost Cohen $37,000?)
The Atlantic drops the mic.
What’s up with the boxing glove? Is that some kind of mafia-style message. “Don’t ask for more money or we will send this MMA guy to come take his glove back, know what we mean?” Or is it a collectible? “We’re a little short of cash so here’s this renowned MMA fighter’s boxing glove. Once the poll is fixed you get the other glove.”
I think it’s the latter because that’s the saddest possible answer.
Well, Guliani accused Cohen of embezzling the ~38k so who knows.
Also note Cohen insists he paid via check. I don’t know if this matters because it’s a traceable transaction, or because Cohen doesn’t want to look like more of a douchebag.
I don’t know if I agree with the conclusions of that Atlantic piece. It’s possible that the process of impeaching Trump will lead to a shift from n both public opinion and the more critical opinion of the Senate Trpublicans but, given how completely brazen the Senate Republicans have been in their willingness to abandon all principles and shame to support Trump unwaveringly, this is far from a foregone conclusion. The Atlantic piece talks about the process of impeachment as it is intended to work and makes some arguments supporting why they think it will work as intended but we’re so far from reason and norms at this point that I’d be more surprised to see things work as intended.
While we all wish it wasn’t so, I think the Democrats are correct that the best play is to let the Mueller investigation and the continuing revelations of misdeeds continue to undermine Trump’s perceived legitimacy, shape public opinion and put Senate Republicans in a position where they have to choose between the right thing or an obvious and flagrant betrayal of the country.
Yeah, that’s my fear as well. “Have you no decency, sir?” was once enough to make heavy waves in politics. Now, we have a POTUS who simply couldn’t give a darn and some willing toadies in Congress to go along with it.
Republicans fear a primary far more than they fear what Trump is doing to the country, right now. Impeachment, even reasonable government, will be on hold until that changes.
Cohen is accused in the Journal’s report by John Gauger, director of RedFinch Solutions LLC, of hiring Gauger’s firm to rig two online polls to show increased support for Trump, a plan Gauger says was unsuccessful.
“What polls were rigged? What polls?”
“All of them.”