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william.scherk

Entry posted by william.scherk

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The work history of the folks in the Robert Mueller team is reported on by the Daily Beast's Betsy Woodruff.  For those unspooked by a relatively quiet news front on the special counsel's activities, and for those who are curious about credible/non-credible implications of the activities. And maybe for those who use "Muh Russia" unironically ... (& for those who may have forgotten the details of the inquiry's frame of reference: the Rosenstein order establishing his authority)

The DB article's subheadline slug:

To probe alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, the special counsel has essentially built his own miniature Justice Department. Meet the experts he’s recruited.

Here is an excerpt from the conclusion (emphasis added):

Quote

In conclusion

To be sure, the most interesting parts of Mueller’s investigation are likely happening far from public view. Most of the coverage of the probe has focused on its criminal component. But Mueller’s top priority is likely a counterespionage operation, which James Comey confirmed was underway when he testified before Congress (and before his firing).

Naveed Jamali, a former double agent for the FBI who dealt with Russian espionage in the U.S., said this part of the effort won’t necessarily have to do with criminal charges or court proceedings.

“The goal with a counterintelligence operation is to detect and neutralize threats,” said Jamali, author of How to Catch a Russian Spy. “That’s it. If you apply that to the Mueller probe, anything that was used by the Russians against us during the election is a threat that has to be neutralized. That doesn’t mean that it has to be brought to court.”

Simply proving, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who interfered with the 2016 election on behalf of Russia and how they did it would be a significant success for the probe, he added.

“The legal part of this is so fucking boring,” he added. “This is a counterintelligence operation first and foremost.”
 

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Jonathan
20 hours ago, william.scherk said:

Noam Chomsky on "Collusion" in the aftermath of the Mueller report in Bill Barr's hands ...

 

Yeah, it's a big surprise that Chomsky pivoted to the Narrative that Americans voluntarily financially supporting candidates' campaigns is somehow interference, collusion or corruption. If you run for office, you should have to do it without any expenditures. You should have to walk from town to town, and your only means of getting your message out should be talking directly to people. Anything else is election interference.

 

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Jonathan
4 hours ago, william.scherk said:

Another voice on the closely-held Mueller report -- from Jimmy Dore, featuring Aaron Maté:

 

So, it's important that we Resist, but the collusion shit was the wrong way to go about it. It gave Resisting a bad name.

But what's the right way? What does Aaron want us to Resist? Real things, and not made up things? Like Trump's racism and hatred of immigrants? Trump's plan to destroy the planet? Trump's wanting to round up gays and publicly torture and execute them? Seriously, what needs Resisting that isn't actually even kookier than the Russian collusion kookery?

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william.scherk

Another congenial argument that can contribute to an OL Consensus ...  from Stefan Molyneux:  "The Truth About the Mueller Investigation."

 

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william.scherk

The dead, attenuated viral topic of Muh Russia refuses to die out. Shoulda vaccinated!  -- though I believe the bulk of active OL posters have immunity.

Here's one of the forty-three Democratic hopefuls in the Senate yesterday. From one point of view the Attorney-General flattened the Senator with  cop eyes, but then again, both were at the top of the justice industry in their respective spheres, both were prosecutors. Truth, Justice and the American Way!

Your own mileage may differ from my counterspin. The Senator may be a sleeper in the large field of hopeful hopelessness. She hasn't received a tag name from DJ Tee the Insult Dog. 

Yet.

 

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william.scherk

So, why doesn't Mueller just fade off into the sunset, since there is not much more to extract from his report?

Trump says Mueller shouldn't testify.
BY EMILY BIRNBAUM AND BRANDON CONRADIS - 05/05/19 

Quote

 

President Trump on Sunday said special counsel Robert Mueller should not testify on the findings of his probe into Russian election interference, suggesting the move was an attempt by Democrats to renew scrutiny on the White House after the release of Mueller's long-awaited report.

"After spending more than $35,000,000 over a two year period, interviewing 500 people, using 18 Trump Hating Angry Democrats & 49 FBI Agents - all culminating in a more than 400 page Report showing NO COLLUSION - why would the Democrats in Congress now need Robert Mueller to testify," Trump said in a pair of tweets.

"Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion? There was no crime, except on the other side (incredibly not covered in the Report), and NO OBSTRUCTION. Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!"

Anticipation has been growing for Mueller to testify before Congress after it was revealed he expressed frustration with the way Attorney General William Barr presented his investigation's findings to the public. [...]

 

Also from The Hill:

Anticipation builds for Mueller testimony.
BY BRETT SAMUELS AND MORGAN CHALFANT - 05/04/19 

Quote

 

[...] Mueller’s appearance in a public setting on Capitol Hill would be nothing short of historic. Lawmakers and voters would have the opportunity to hear from the man who supervised one of the most politically charged investigations while under constant attack from President Trump.

Ultimately, Mueller did not establish that members of Trump’s campaign conspired with Russia to interfere in the 2016 election, and he did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice.

Democrats would undoubtedly question Mueller on his interactions with Barr, particularly during the four-week period between the completion of his 22-month investigation and Barr’s public release of the report on April 18. They’re also likely to ask for his candid thoughts on Barr’s March 24 memo to Congress spelling out the report’s bottom-line conclusions.

[...]

 

 

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william.scherk
On 5/2/2019 at 3:48 PM, william.scherk said:

Here's one of the forty-three Democratic hopefuls in the Senate yesterday. From one point of view the Attorney-General flattened the Senator with  cop eyes, but then again, both were at the top of the justice industry in their respective spheres, both were prosecutors. Truth, Justice and the American Way!

It is perhaps not surprising that the twenty-odd Democratic hopefuls are scrambling to top each other's IMPEACHMENT suggestions.

I predict Grand Supreme Hoopla!

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william.scherk
2 hours ago, william.scherk said:

I predict Grand Supreme Hoopla!

"Under the B, blanket denunciations ... Under the I, impeachment fever ..."

BANGO!

Spoiler

memeorandum

 TOP ITEMS: 
i44.jpgshare.png Washington Post:
As he exits, Mueller suggests only Congress can ‘formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing’  —  Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III reiterated Wednesday that his office could not clear President Trump of obstructing justice, asserting in his first public remarks about his investigation …
Discussion:
RELATED:
i48.jpgshare.png Eileen Sullivan / New York Times:
Robert Mueller to Make Statement on Russia Investigation  —  WASHINGTON — Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, will speak about the Russia investigation at 11 a.m. on Wednesday morning, his first public comments since he took over the inquiry two years ago, the Justice Department announced.
Discussion:
i62.jpgshare.png Richard L. Hasen / Slate:
Robert Mueller Was Telling Nancy Pelosi to Begin Impeachment Proceedings  —  Special counsel Robert Mueller issued a final statement on Wednesday before resigning from the Department of Justice, which clearly appeared aimed at one person: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
i75.jpgshare.png Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Mueller: Trump Is Not Not a Criminal  —  Famously taciturn prosecutor Robert Mueller decided to address the public to make it very clear that he did not exonerate President Trump of committing obstruction of justice.  “If we had confidence that the president did not commit a crime we would have said so,” he said.
i71.jpgshare.png David Frum / The Atlantic:
What the Mueller Report Actually Said  —  Robert Mueller has advised Americans to go back and actually read his report if we want to understand what happened in 2016.  “We chose those words carefully, and the work speaks for itself,” he said on Wednesday morning, speaking publicly for the first time since his appointment.
i59.jpgshare.png Caitlin Oprysko / Politico:
Full transcript: Robert Mueller's statement on the Russia investigation  —  Special counsel Robert Mueller's remarks to reporters on Wednesday at the Department of Justice:  —  Good morning, everyone, and thank you for being here.  Two years ago, the acting attorney general asked me to serve …
i68.jpgshare.png Eric W. Dolan / Raw Story:
‘Is it that bad?’  Fox Business host stunned as Napolitano explains Mueller has evidence Trump committed a crime  —  Fox legal analyst Andrew Napolitano.  (Screenshot)  —  Fox News senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano said Wednesday that special counsel Robert Mueller had indicated …
i65.jpgshare.png Katelyn Polantz / CNN:
Roger Stone associate agrees to testify before Mueller grand jury  —  Washington (CNN)An associate of Roger Stone has agreed to testify to special counsel Robert Mueller's grand jury on Friday morning, his attorney and a Mueller prosecutor said in a court hearing before a federal judge.
i76.jpgshare.png Sean Davis / The Federalist:
Mueller Just Proved His Entire Operation Was A Political Hit Job That Trampled The Rule Of Law  —  At a hastily-arranged Wednesday press conference, Special Counsel Robert Mueller proved that he was never interested in justice or the rule of law.  —  If there were any doubts …
i58.jpgshare.png CNN:
Mueller: ‘If we had confidence the President clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so’  —  Washington (CNN)Special counsel Robert Mueller said in a rare and remarkable public statement Wednesday that charging President Donald Trump was not an option his office could consider.
Discussion:
i51.jpgshare.png Alexander Mallin / ABC News: 
Robert Mueller breaks silence, does not want to testify, says charging Trump ‘not an option’
Discussion:
share.png Pelosi Press / Speaker Nancy Pelosi: 
Pelosi Statement on Special Counsel Mueller's Press Statement Reiterating the President's Obstruction
Discussion:
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william.scherk

I don't think there is anything that the President can do to prevent Mueller from testifying before two House committees, but in the end, I don't think anything new will amount from his testimony -- as he made clear in his statement made before the cameras earlier.

On 5/5/2019 at 12:32 PM, william.scherk said:

So, why doesn't Mueller just fade off into the sunset, since there is not much more to extract from his report?

Trump says Mueller shouldn't testify.
BY EMILY BIRNBAUM AND BRANDON CONRADIS - 05/05/19 

Quote

 

President Trump on Sunday said special counsel Robert Mueller should not testify on the findings of his probe into Russian election interference, suggesting the move was an attempt by Democrats to renew scrutiny on the White House after the release of Mueller's long-awaited report.

"After spending more than $35,000,000 over a two year period, interviewing 500 people, using 18 Trump Hating Angry Democrats & 49 FBI Agents - all culminating in a more than 400 page Report showing NO COLLUSION - why would the Democrats in Congress now need Robert Mueller to testify," Trump said in a pair of tweets.

From the National Post: Robert Mueller agrees to testify in public before House committees on July 17

From News Corpse, a non-neutral outlet: Fox News is Already Trash-Talking Mueller’s Upcoming Congressional Testimony

From Fox News: Jay Sekulow:  The questions Robert Mueller must be asked on July 17

Link to the redacted report (searchable version):

On 4/18/2019 at 8:41 AM, william.scherk said:

Get your [redacted] Mueller Report while it's hot.  

Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 US Election.

Spoiler

11-matt-davies-newsday-and-andrews-mcmel

 

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william.scherk

Robert Mueller had to spend time with a lot of inquiring minds today, appearing before two House committees.  You can find the on-going live broadcasts at various outlets including C-Span. One of the better things about C-Span's own site is that one can search deeply into the content by text, and then excerpt your own segments. You have to register, and you must wait until the material has been processed, but hey.

[Added: after processing ...]

CSPAN_Mueller_Page_July_24.png

Some outlets cut out for commentary and opinion at "halftime." Here, eg, is PBS:

-- there haves been a number of posts today on the Front Porch of OL, in the thread "Probing the Mueller Probe and the Obama Administration" which was posted in May 2019. I include several pertinent post-links ...

...

...

I would say that the more you have read of the actual "Mueller Report," the more you may be able to make up your own mind (about the import of Mueller's testimony today).

The initial verdict is ... pretty much bounded by political stripe, as far as I can tell.  But then again, my sample is exceedingly small at the moment. Three meaty matters were dealt with in Mueller's initial, scripted remarks.

Sobering ... ?

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Edited by william.scherk
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