Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Media, Politics, Society

Former Watergate Prosecutor Declares That Trump’s Tweets Could Constitute Obstruction and Witness Intimidation

downloadFor the last year, I have been criticizing over-wrought and at times irresponsible legal analysis proclaiming “slam dunk” criminal cases and long-sought “smoking gun” discovery sealing the fate of President Donald Trump or his close associates.  This includes months in which legal analysts referred to the crime of collusion despite there being no such crime.  Unfortunately, this trend continues with the recent interview of Jill Wine-Banks, a former Watergate prosecutor, who told MSNBC that Trump’s recent tweets can constitute “obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, and it’s obstructing justice by saying to agents you better not dig too deep, you better not find anything because I will attack you.”  I can see little support for such a position in the criminal code or past cases.

I have repeatedly criticized President Trump for his tweets on pending cases and investigations for both their content and their propriety.  These tweets have been repeatedly used by courts to undermine Administration policies and programs.  However, he is the President of the United States and can, like many politicians, criticize his opponents or attack allegations raised against him. It is unwise but it is neither unconstitutional nor unlawful.

Wine-Banks added “And this is the president of the United States, it is congressmen who have a national audience and can make people’s lives miserable.”  I am not sure what that statement means beyond the fact that powerful people can yield consider pressure in attacking civil servants or others in the national media.  I agree that it is not appropriate but criminal?  If that were the case, any president could be charged with declaring allegations to be politically motivated or unfounded.  The Clintons routinely rallied supporters against what Hillary Clinton called the “vast right-wing conspiracy.”  I do not recall Democrats or others denouncing the Clintons for obstruction.  It is certainly true that the Clintons showed considerably more restraint than Trump in such public comments but Wine-Banks gives no indication of where such a line would be drawn.

Wine-Banks added “I think it’s a serious threat to the investigation and to democracy.” Once again, those who are proclaiming our democracy at risk are doing so with no evidence to support such claims.  Indeed, our system seems to be working quite well. While I have criticized some of the coverage of Trump as biased, journalists are doing well in their investigative work under the First Amendment in challenging this Administration.  The courts have repeatedly countered policies and programs — and Trump has respected those rulings in seeking appeals while adhering to injunctions.  The Congress (with both houses under GOP control) has declined to adopt many measures where they disagree with the White House.  Where precisely is the evidence of a threat to our democratic system?

Despite her well-deserved reputation and accomplished background, Wine-Banks’ interview offered “more heat than light” in our national debate.  We are in great need of more light from our leading legal minds.

244 thoughts on “Former Watergate Prosecutor Declares That Trump’s Tweets Could Constitute Obstruction and Witness Intimidation”

  1. Tell me, Jon, WHEN did anyone associated with Hillary Clinton, or Bill Clinton, for that matter, directly, or impliedly, threaten to “attack” anyone investigating them who digs too deeply? Can you come up with even one example? Of course not. Criticism is one thing, but threatening to “attack” someone is quite another, and that’s the difference.

    Here you have the fat slob stinking up the White House threatening to attack anyone who “digs too deeply”. That statement isn’t criticism, it’s a direct threat made by someone who does go after anyone he can’t intimidate or who won’t pledge fealty to him. He fired James Comey, didn’t he? That’s just what we all know. Who knows what’s out there that hasn’t been made public.

    However, the bigger picture is why the fat crotch grabber is worried about anyone digging too deeply. What is he afraid they’ll find, anyway? That’s the real story here. I agree with Ms. Wine-Banks that when someone as powerful as the President of the U.S. warns law enforcement officials that they’ll be attacked for digging too deeply, that could be obstruction of justice. Yes, we know he’s a blowhard, but he also fired the head of the FBI and is trying to intimidate the rest of the agency and the Special Counsel.

    1. Nut tacha – Clinton & Co doesn’t waste time “directly, or impliedly, threaten to “attack” anyone investigating them who digs too deeply”

      People die.

      How many deaths are associated with the Donald?

      1. None for either crooked family. Both da men have been accused of rape but none prosecuted either.

        1. NUTCHACHA, that was incomprehensibly bizarre even for you.

          Google (or use another search engine) The Clinton Body Count – What Really Happened. This site won’t allow the link.

          Google Joseph Rago who won a Pulitzer for exposing Obamacare in depth and was hot on Hillary’s trail went he simply died of a disease he did not have.

          “VEROPHARM”

          Joseph Rago –

          “Wall Street Journal Reporter Asks Russia For “Clinton Information” —-Turns Up DEAD 2 Days Later”

          “A Wall Street Journal Editor who was investigating how a Russian
          Pharmaceutical firm could have been purchased in 2014 by an American
          Pharmaceutical firm while Sanctions against Russia existed against such
          business transactions, has been found dead in his New York City
          apartment. The crux of the dead journalists investigation was how
          then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton influenced the transaction to be
          finalized, but only AFTER her husband Bill was paid $500,000 for giving
          a speech in Moscow.

          The Russia Consulate General’s office in New York City was contacted
          by Wall Street Journal reporter/editor Joseph Rago who requested a
          Thursday (20 July) in person interview with consular officials regarding
          an upcoming article he was preparing on Hillary Clinton and her links
          to Russia. Rago failed to attend the meeting and was later discovered
          dead in his apartment of as yet “unknown causes” just hours prior to
          this meeting occurring.”

          http://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/news/world-news/878-wall-street-journal-reporter-asks-russia-for-clinton-information-2-days-later-turns-up-dead

        3. Nutchacha, what does this mean?

          WND
          “Clinton mega-donor dies of gunshot wound to head”

          “A wealthy Democratic mega-donor who co-founded the Ready for Hillary PAC, which helped launch Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign for the White House, has died of a gunshot wound to the head after “a sudden onset and battle with a mental health issue,” his family says.”

    2. “Tell me, Jon, WHEN did anyone associated with Hillary Clinton, or Bill Clinton, for that matter, directly, or impliedly, threaten to “attack” anyone investigating them who digs too deeply? Can you come up with even one example? Of course not. Criticism is one thing, but threatening to “attack” someone is quite another, and that’s the difference.”

      Really???? There are examples. Plus there is the DWS veiled threat to the DC police chief (I believe it was the chief), and I believe I saw that video on this very blog. ????

        1. “Post the blog, please, so we can decide for ourselves.”

          Here you go. Also makes mention of Awan, who is apparently responsible for off-loading our government’s business to another country. Guess you’re good with that. But I’m sure if you click your heels together, you can blame it on Trump, and experience a more complete upwelling of self-fulfilling rage.

          http://dailycaller.com/2017/05/24/wasserman-schultz-threatened-police-chief-for-gathering-evidence-on-her-it-staffers-alleged-crimes/

    3. Natacha said, “However, the bigger picture is why the fat crotch grabber is worried about anyone digging too deeply. What is he afraid they’ll find, anyway? That’s the real story here.”

      Once again Natacha is correct. The real story will always be Russia’s attempts to cultivate Trump. Of course, there’s no way for any of us to know exactly what Trump is hiding on that count. The best guess–an admittedly vague one–is that it has something to do with Trump’s financial ties and business dealings with Russia and Russians. The basis for that vague guess is the infamous redline comment Trump made in his NYT interview way back in July of 2017, plus The Bloomberg News report that Mueller crossed that redline on July 19th, 2017–shortly after Trump drew it. Mueller reportedly crossed Trump’s redline yet again when he subpoenaed Deutsche-Bank’s records on loans made to Trump.

      So, even though we still don’t know what Trump is hiding, we do know enough now about what happens when Mueller crosses Trump’s redline. Trump and his media allies pull out all the stops in their ongoing effort to discredit the FBI, the DOJ, the DHS, the State Dept. and, of course, the Special Counsel’s investigation. And the truly amazing thing is that Trump’s supporters and defenders don’t know anything more about whatever is or might be that Trump is hiding than do Trump’s critics and detractors. Worse still, because the MAGA cult remains utterly in the dark about Trump’s secrets, therefore they really, really, truly, truly do believe Trump’s oft-repeated lie that Russian interference in the 2016 election is a “made-up story.”

      I wonder what DJ Trump, himself, really, really, truly, truly does believe?

      1. The real story will always be Russia’s attempts to cultivate Trump. Of course, there’s no way for any of us to know exactly what Trump is hiding on that count.

        If only evidence existed that Russia had cultivated a relationship with people in the United States government and that through that relationship they were able to purchase our national security assets. Maybe if evidence existed that Russia funneled money to this U.S. politician through a now known money-laundering scheme, that might be worth investigating. Or maybe it would be worth investigating the FBI investigators that actively supported candidate Clinton, rewrote their report on her email violations that put our national security at risk, so that she would not be indicted for a crime and still be able to run for President. Please include the high ranking FBI officials that were charged to investigate Trump and had communicated their desire to keep Trump from winning the election. Perhaps when the special investigator discovers a political party and its candidate for President colluded with the Russians to contrive a fictitious intel report on the opposition candidate for President; that report then being used to gain a FISA warrant to spy on the opposition candidate. Maybe, just maybe it would be worth investigating the Pakistani’s access to the DNC computers and DWS’s’ efforts to keep the Awan family on the government payroll.

        If any of that were true but tied with Donald Trump, we would be having impeachment hearings tomorrow. If the RNC had hired the Awan brothers; if the FBI had communicated their desire to insure against a Clinton victory; if only Trump had sold 1/5 of the U.S. uranium to Russia and had pocketed money into his business empire from it; if only the RNC had paid for a fake dossier against Clinton and then got the FBI to use that to spy on her and her campaign.

        Of course there is no way for any of us to know exactly what Trump is hiding, but we sure do know what is already out in the open. How about we investigate that?

        1. Olly said, “Perhaps when the special investigator discovers a political party and its candidate for President colluded with the Russians to contrive a fictitious intel report on the opposition candidate for President; that report then being used to gain a FISA warrant to spy on the opposition candidate.”

          Olly, you’re merely presuming the Steele dossier to be completely fictitious, because several parts of the Steele dossier have not yet been verified nor corroborated. It’s a fallacy of composition in which the unverified or uncorroborated parts of the dossier are imagined to refute the whole of the dossier including even the parts that already have been verified and corroborated. Admittedly, abject denial remains a thoroughly permissible pattern of play on Prof. Turley’s blawg. But it’s not going to do DJ Trump a lick of good with respect to the Special Counsel’s investigation.

          P. S. Have you yet considered the possibility that The Russians might actually have leverage over DJ Trump? If they do not have leverage over Trump, then the preferred pattern of play for Trump is to allow the Special Counsel’s investigation to proceed apace until Mueller confirms the prospective fact that The Russians have no leverage over Trump. If, however, The Russians do have leverage over Trump, then the preferred pattern of play for Trump is to allow the Special Counsel’s investigation to proceed apace until Mueller publicly exposes, and thereby deprives The Russians of, whatever leverage they might actually have over Trump. Oddly enough, Chief, both of those outcomes just so happen to follow from the preferred pattern of play for We the People of The United State of America, as well.

  3. The pivotal issue here seems to be all about a line and the crossing thereof. The vacuous on this blog immediately target and label this line crossing as democrat, snowflake, or progressive, depending on the limits of their vocabulary. However, no one party or theme stands out, unless of course for those with the special problems.

    One fact does surface above all the rest. Trump is the pinnacle of crossing the line with his mindless tweets and idiotic knee jerk responses to mostly what would, for any other statesman or woman, be allowed to fizzle out. We have as a President a pathological liar, narcissistic megalomaniac, and hypocrite rarely if ever seen before of this magnitude. Turley is correct in estimating the lack of success inherent in legally pursuing this mutt. But, someone has to try and do something to stop this shame.

    Trump must be continually profiled for what he is, a mistake.

    1. “But, someone has to try and do something to stop this shame.”
      Your response is the epitome of failure of the Resist, DNC cling ons.
      I have yet to hear one pathetic sore loser suggest one single candidate to un seat Dear Leader.
      Maybe after more crushing defeats in the 2018 midterms your whiny ilk will get off the couch and make something happen other than blame to the Russians and try to get Trump ousted by other means.

      1. T rump could not even get da Roy Moore elected. When T rump and Pauly Ryan start choppin Medicare. Bye Bye.

      2. Roscoe: click your heels together three times and say the following while a good witch waves a wand over your head: “Alabama was just a fluke…Alabama was just a fluke….Alabama was just a fluke.” Maybe that’ll help you cope in your imaginary world.

        1. Wow, if you use Alabama as some sort of benchmark you certainly have not set your standards too high. What was the point spread in that election? 2 % points?
          So you are proud a democrat could barely beat a child molester.
          I get it. You have to take any win as bellwether news for your sheeple.
          pathetic.

          2. Wait a minute, Roscoe: did you forget what the crotch grabber said about Moore’s accusers before Moore lost? What about fatso’s support of Luther Strange? Why didn’t he win? Are you now admitting that Moore is guilty of what they claimed? The point spread is irrelevant because a win is a win. It is a big deal when a Democrat wins in Alabama, and is a harbinger of things to come.

            1. Nice twist. you see I’m not a loyal follower of Trump which you have mistaken me for. I’m anti- Establishment Dem and you have proven my point how craven you are to accept a minuscule margin of victory over a child molester as the next step toward total victory for your Dear Party.
              It’s about the office not the inhabitant.
              all these crazy weasel clauses and slippery legal slopes your ilk wraps them self up in will come back to bite you all in the ass, if and when, your Dear Leader gets the helm.

            2. The point spread is irrelevant because a win is a win.

              That’s awesome! I’m sure President Trump would congratulate you on finally recognizing his victory and Clinton’s loss. I know, it’s a painful process. You might even deny that’s not what you meant. But as you say, a win is a win.

              Well done! 🙂

      5. Da putsy grabber helps da dems get votes. You T rumpers should be more concerned about a clean livin repub like Romney or Flake primaryin da old orange perv.

        1. Ken – Flake couldn’t raise enough support to win his own primary, why do you think he dropped out? He was running Facebook ads every day and the comments were vicious. He betrayed his base and they knew it. And Flake was a freshman Senator, they could afford to lose him. McCain has power, which, although a lot of people don’t like him, they still vote for him. Plus, the Republicans seem to have filled their coffers again, which the Democrats haven’t. But Flake was unable to raise money. And he will be unable to raise money as a Presidential candidate, so he will have to run a shoe-string campaign. I wouldn’t bet any money, even on a long shot, on Flake.

          1. Ohio’s Democratic Party Chair related a story about Karl Rove. The two exchanged a few words in the hallway of a radio station while waiting to be interviewed. Rove mocked the small dollar amounts on the checks that the Democratic Party received from Ohio voters.
            Schulte, you take pride in a party that is funded by big dollars hijacked from consumers? Where do the virtues of free enterprise find a foundation in that scenario?

            1. Linda – I have been a registered Independent for over 30 years. I don’t have a party.

      6. Roscoe

        So, by your logic, one must have someone to run against this mutt, Trump before illustrating what a disgusting example of American blame game he represents. The first move is to realize the mistake. Unfortunately, with two parties-both owned and operated by oligarchs, America is caught up in the us and/or them routine. There is no democracy because there is no choice. This leaves us with a management problem. The obvious Republican disgust at this mutt, Trump, illustrates how the Republicans could not even manage their side of the equation. As disgusting as Clinton was and probably still is, she was by far the lesser of the two evils. Somehow Clinton is described as evil, we all know that, but Trump was supposed to be the specialist, the guy from out of town. Trump was the head oligarch and this tax revamp proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Trump and all those at the very tippy top will gain the lion’s share of money, power, etc. America has been hoodwinked for a third time. Reagan-didn’t give 70% of Americans anything. Bush-caused the worst recession since the 30s. Now, the idiots have elected another ‘tax cut’ genius. Giving more money to the top few percent does nothing for the remaining vast majority. The question is how many times does a people need to get screwed before they wise up? There is a definition of something that is explained by someone making the same mistake over and over and over again. Roscoe, the first step is to stop electing these a**holes and perhaps a lesser evil will advance America. Under the present oligarchy it will always be the lesser of evils. Heroes only come along in democracies. Alas, America is not a democracy. First take the money out of election, as have the real democracies. Try thinking about that for a while, without perverting the Constitution.

    2. “…limits of their vocabulary…” says Isaac who called Trump a “fat liar” about 50 thousand times.

      1. Touche! on that comment!

        Poor Old Isaac’s mind is in a rut when it comes to Trump. Plus, he is very rude, and did not even thank me when I wrote a poem he requested! Which, I will repeat here:

        Oh, Canadia*???
        An Irish Poem by Squeeky Fromm

        There once was a silly Canuck!
        And about most things he was mistook-
        His logic was slim,
        I guess the yokes on him!
        Too bad that his mind’s a closed book!

        Squeeky Fromm
        Girl Reporter

        *an extinct worm that had a really long nose. . .

        1. LOL! I must have missed the last time you posted your ode to the Canadian Rain Man.

          1. Oh, he was blathering about the yoke of poverty or yoke of racism or something like that. I forget exactly what. But, he did suggest I write him a poem! Sooo, I did! And really, “canadia” truly is an extinct worm with a long nose!

            And after I wrote it to him, he never even said “Thank you!” or nothing like that! If I had any feelings, they would have been hurt.

            BTW, hope you had a nice Christmas.

            Squeeky Fromm
            Girl Reporter

            1. “Oh, he was blathering about the yoke of poverty or yoke of racism….If I had any feelings, they would have been hurt.…, ” said Squeeky.

              Eventually people give themselves away — referring to this: “If I had any feelings…”

    4. “The vacuous on this blog immediately target and label this line crossing as democrat, snowflake, or progressive, depending on the limits of their vocabulary. However, no one party or theme stands out, unless of course for those with the special problems.”

      Back off the meds again I see. Do you not read? Why do most of us refer to this insanity as “state” or “deep state?” Cripes man… you can hold it together… breathe!!!!

  4. This does need a short little poem!

    How Many Angles Can Dance*???
    A Short Doggerelle by Squeeky Fromm

    What trivial crap
    The Democrats mete,
    About all the Crimes
    Contained in a tweet!

    Obstruction of Justice?
    The concept is blurred.
    But Democrats have
    The Brains of a bird.

    Like geese in a gaggle,
    This Mischief** of Rats,
    All twaddle nonsense
    Like good Democrats!

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

    * A wordplay on “How many Angels can dance on the head of a pin” about which Wiki says,

    “The question “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” (alternatively “How many angels can stand on the point of a pin?”[1]) is a reductio ad absurdum of medieval scholasticism in general, and its angelology in particular, as represented by figures such as Duns Scotus and Thomas Aquinas.[2][3] It is first recorded in the 17th century, in the context of Protestant apologetics. The question has also been linked to the fall of Constantinople, with the imagery of scholars debating about minutiae while the Turks besieged the city.[4][5] In modern usage, it therefore has been used as a metaphor for wasting time debating topics of no practical value, or questions whose answers hold no intellectual consequence, while more urgent concerns pile up.[1][4]”

    ** A Mischief of Rats:

    A “mischief” is the collective term for a group of rats, like a Murder of Crows, or a Prickle of Porcupines.

  5. JT what are you going to do when Trump goes down either from federal or state charges? Post your vacation pictures again? Whats this person charged with? Or your ever posting on how some wing-nut can’t speak on a campus. You must have a plan, or should have one. Or are you already in the pockets of right-wing think tanks that are trying to discredit any facts that they find? It’s not going to be a pretty picture either way and you and others know it. Well, at least you and others can always blame HRC and Obama for everything that has happened since the dawn of time. Wake up and smell the COVFEFE.

    1. I assume you would be the first one to cry VRWC if your girl was POTUS now and being held to the same level of absolute derisive contempt.

      1. That would already be a given, since the republicans announced before the election that if they held congress that they would start impeachment hearings. So the contempt was baked in already.

        1. So Trump has done us a favor by sparing us a protracted Presidency of HRC littered with political witch hunts and congressional side shows.
          Never mind.

    3. Don’t forget that there have already been indictments and guilty pleas. Or, didn’t Fox News report these?

      1. Yes, that’s right. And the indictments against Manafort and Gates included money-laundering formally charged as conspiracy to commit crimes against the United States. Moreover, The Russians knew about Manafort and Gates’ money-laundering crimes and attempted to use that knowledge as leverage to extort from the GOP platform committee certain foreign policy positions that would have been more favorable to Russia’s interests. It makes one wonder what similar leverage The Russians might have over The Artful Dealer-In-Chief, Don Juan di Mar-a-Lago.

    1. Bulverism. A variation on the genetic fallacy. You can’t believe anything So-And-So says, because So-And-So is a tool of the Permanent State. Bulverism–a neologism coined by C. S. Lewis–is by far and away the most common rhetorical device on Prof. Turley’s blawg. And, yes, people on many sides do it. But there is a particular side that engages in Bulverism at a frequency greater than the salivation of Pavlov’s dog at the sound of a dinner bell. Guess to which side I am alluding.

  7. Jill Whines-Bunk is another Democrat, and she doesn’t have to make any sense. She is a Democrat, after all, and that is the only qualification it takes to be a very smart and very moral person! I just enjoy basking in the sunshine of all the Virtue that is signalling off her!

    If she had a black daughter, she would look like Maxine Waters!

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

      1. Exactly. This type will say anything, no matter how stupid, and the other Democrat Lemmings will swallow it up, hook, line, and stinker. Words disconnected from meaning and nuance. Like Eliot said, “between the idea and the reality, the Democrats meander around like scarecrows whimpering.” Or something like that.

        Oh, BTW, did you have a nice Christmas??? I did! My dad got me a new guitar! It is really kewl! That makes two new ones in a little over a week.

        Squeeky Fromm
        Girl Reporter

        1. But what about the indictments and guilty pleas? Flynn’s going down and he just might take the fat crotch grabber with him.

            1. No pardon is going to stop him from telling the truth about the crotch grabber. Chump wouldn’t be intimidated by Mueller if there was nothing there. We’re all looking forward to seeing Chump do the perp walk. Will Melania be bound by the prenup when he goes to prison, or does she get to liquidate her share and then return to Slovenia with Barron?

        2. Yep, Squeeky, and thanks for asking. We had a blast. Both boys et girlfriends made it home for the holidays and we did the prime rib, au gratin and red velvet cake thing with my homemade fudge. Went to the river house and just did absolutely nothing. That’s a holiday!

          1. We had something different this year. One of the guys made an air fried turkey. It was really good and tasty. Everything else was the same old green bean casserole, baked yams with crusties and marshmellows, dressing, turkey, ham, carrot and raisin salad, some kind of orange stuff like jello.

            Personally, I would rather stay home and fix a good meatloaf, but I try to be a dutiful daughter. Plus, there are gifts and things. I got a really kewl guitar, one that I had never heard of, sooo I have been trying to figure it out. My father has good taste, so I am sure I will love it.

            It is a Supro Martinique, and has three sets of pickups, one of which is a piezo under the bridge, to sound like an acoustic. It is made out of fiberglass, and is a beautiful white color! Sooo, I have been playing Dust in the Wind, which is kind of morbid for Christmas, now that I think about it. I think I will try hooking up a DI thingy to it and see how it sounds.

            I have been sooo busy, I am a week behind on my crosswords, sudokus, scrambles and cryptos. But, cold weather is coming, and Penelope has closed the office this week, and two days next week. There is time to catch them up.

            OH, and I think I have stumbled on a really great book, and as soon as I read it, I will tell you about it. It should be here in a few days.

            Squeeky Fromm
            Girl Reporter

              1. mespo, Just finished a good book. Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany. Hitler was a stone cold junkie. The book focuses on Hitler and his personal physician.

    2. Yes, Squeeky, yours is the most frequently Bulveristic side to which I was alluding.

  8. The incident took place on Nov. 29th and he was arrested “nearly a month” later. Perhaps there’s more to the story.

    Florida Today: “Cocoa police charged Michael Joseph Oleksik, of Merritt Island, on Friday with criminal mischief nearly a month into the investigation of a disturbance…”

      1. Possible. I got some Apple-Brandy coffee for Christmas, and it is surprisingly good. I was a little leery of it, but I am capable of thinking new thoughts, sooo I pressed it up, and it is a great winter time drink! Oh, maybe I need to grab some Pumpkin Spice Latte coffee, too.

        Oh, and I also got some Bigelow’s Gingerbread Tea and Bigelow’s Eggnog Tea. Which, over thex next week to ten days, I am going to be drinking a lot of. I am not sure if there is a black tea base to them or not, so maybe there is no caffeine???

        Anyway, the whole point is, get you some coffee or hot tea, and the world will become right.

        Squeeky Fromm
        Girl Reporter

        1. “Anyway, the whole point is, get you some coffee or hot tea, and the world will become right.”

          It certainly helps.

        2. SFGR:
          I love that apple-brandy cake. My mother used to make it with rum or brandy and put black walnuts in the recipe. They serve that in Heaven, you know!

          1. I have had Apple-tinis before, but never apple stuff in my coffee. I also got some of those little 24 pack variety chocolate liquor bottles, that they sell at Sam’s. I like to drop one of those in my coffee, too. Which reminds me, to pick up a bottle of St. Brendans this week to prepare for the cold weather!

            Squeeky Fromm
            Girl Reporter

  9. Wind-Bag Wine-Banks & the DNC are going to be furious. Putin is going broker a deal in North Korea. Kind of like pulling a rabbit out of the hat trick.

    That’s right. Putin will meet with “Little Rocket Man”, aka “Dear Divine Leader Kim”. Dennis Rodman refers to Kim as a “Kid with Nukes & Madman”.

    By the way, has Robert Mueller produced an expense report yet? It was due in October.

    2. Tillerson tried to meet with Rocket Man, but neo cons interfered.

      Putin helped Assad defeat Obama’s “moderate” terrorists — now he’s gonna make a peace deal with NK?

      Trump needs to get rid of the war mongers.

        1. Thanks Autumn. You have to wonder what’s going on, but if Trump does want to make foreign policy as he outlined in his campaign, he’s going to have to walk the neocon walk from time to time–he cannot get boxed in. Like I said, it’s beyond me, but maybe we can see some light from time to time–such as pulling support from the “moderate rebels” in Syria who did the video of the child decapitation.

      2. Da dear leader T rump wants to pound da sh out of em. He said so. He is torturing da children in Yemen with his Saudi princes. He is a war monger of da worst variety. He wants to use nukes in d Korean Peninsula.

  10. Anti-Trumpers (I’m one too) are desperate to “lock him up.” So far, it does not appear that there is a sound basis for impeachment. Let’s let the investigation play out.

      1. Lock up everyone that questions da fascist wanna be king T rump and impeach both Clintons at da same time. MAGA

        1. Why not lock up the Clintons now, and get back to what we are supposed to do, vote out people we don’t want? I have a whole host of concerns about Trump that are not ever rationally discussed. It does the country no good to conduct leadership of the country by trying every cheap trick in the book to throw out latest guy. Clinton lost because she sucked. Get a strong candidate, take down the restrictions against third parties, and let it play out in the voting booths.

          1. Da Clintons ain’t gettin locked up and neither is T rump. Da T rump tax bill gives da rich more money for da attorneys and da lawyers to get em off for free. Da middle class pays for da rich. T rump pretends he is going to lock old Hills up while he picks our pockets. Keep drinkin da nasty tastin orange koolaid. Da Clintons and Da Trumps and Kushes don’t care about anything but linin their pockets.

      2. If this totally falls apart, which I kind of expect now in coming weeks, will Trump send out a squad of pink slips to the (non) intelligence agencies? I would wait a month, then clean house with Marines immediately escorting them out of all federal buildings. Leave your coat and hat.

        1. See slohrss29, Chump and Fox/Breitbart keep putting out the word that Mueller’s investigation is nothing but a witch hunt, despite 3 indictments and guilty pleas, and that it will be over soon, another fantasy. Fatso doesn’t get to fire the FBI. Instead, we the American people, are going to fire him. We all know it’s a mistake that this fat, lying slob is smelling up our White House, and that it’s only a matter of time until Mueller has him by the short hairs. Ultimately, he’ll likely cut a deal and agree to leave on his own in lieu of being dragged out by federal marshals, but he’ll spend the rest of his miserable life in his gilded tower bitching about all of this. Don’t worry: he’ll keep up his stupid tweeting.

            1. Neither do I. I’m not even registered with one of the tribes. If evidence exists that someone has violated the rule of law, then they should be prosecuted. Natacha and her ilk aren’t interested in prosecuting violators of the law. They’re all in for a party win.

              1. More Bulverism. Here’s what C. S. Lewis had to say on the subject:

                You must show that a man is wrong before you start explaining why he is wrong. The modern method is to assume without discussion that he is wrong and then distract his attention from this (the only real issue) by busily explaining how he became so silly.

                In the course of the last fifteen years I have found this vice so common that I have had to invent a name for it. I call it “Bulverism”. Some day I am going to write the biography of its imaginary inventor, Ezekiel Bulver, whose destiny was determined at the age of five when he heard his mother say to his father — who had been maintaining that two sides of a triangle were together greater than a third — “Oh you say that because you are a man.” “At that moment”, E. Bulver assures us, “there flashed across my opening mind the great truth that refutation is no necessary part of argument. Assume that your opponent is wrong, and explain his error, and the world will be at your feet. Attempt to prove that he is wrong or (worse still) try to find out whether he is wrong or right, and the national dynamism of our age will thrust you to the wall.” That is how Bulver became one of the makers of the Twentieth Century.

                From Bulverism by C. S. Lewis:

                Does any of that sound familiar to anyone reading or posting on this blawg?

  12. Wine-Banks was born in Missouri on the banks of the Meramec River. Her family came over from Europe and had a criminal last name so they renamed themselves Wine Banks. Her father was a wine maker bootlegger. Her mother was a prostitute in East St. Louis. I would tweet this information on twitter but I do not wish to be criticized.

  13. Too many people try to hold on to their brief period of relevance. I have witnessed this with Woodward and Bernstein, John Lewis, and others.

    This prosecutor is clearly catering to the people who gave her a bit of television exposure.

  14. It’s chilling that they are using “find me the man and I’ll find the crime” behavior. Doesn’t the rule of law require that there must be a crime and some sort of SOMETHING to link them to a crime to do such an intentense investigation?

    It seems like we have some Soviet style tactics coming from people screaming…THE RUSSIANS.

    The rule of law seems lost to me in all levels of government; city, country, state and federal. I’m witnessing the Stasi in the US. Who said that the East Germans lost?

  15. Collusiom› agreement between people to act together secretly or illegally in order to deceive or cheat someone; : secret agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose. acting in collusion with the enemy.

    So she just needs to use the correct synonym?

    1. She has a synonym problem? LOL! She has an objectivity problem. That definition would fit the investigators, not the target of the investigation.

    2. “Collusiom› agreement between people to act together secretly or illegally in order to deceive or cheat someone; : secret agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose. acting in collusion with the enemy.”

      OK, who is the “enemy” here? And yes, we do have documented “secret agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose:” The uranium deal. So what’s the holdup? It’s in black and white, no silly insider looking under stones as the sky continues to fall around him.

  16. Pingback: Former Watergate Prosecutor Declares That Trump’s Tweets Could Constitute Obstruction and Witness Intimidation – Top 100 Blog Review

        1. Pretty lame Ken. Very cold here now, so I guess your trolling hook and line will be bouncing off the ice for a while. Good luck with that.

          1. Let’s focus on da Clintons while T rump and Paulie Ryan get rid of Medicare and Social Security. Look over there. I am going to pay my property taxes today before T rump takes my money for his Miralago pals.

            1. Ken, when the kool-aid is passed around at your liberal dementia meetings, do you ask for seconds? There is some serious liberal fascist craziness going on in this blog today, but you’ve clearly lapped the crowd. Where do you get this insane information?

              1. They are gonna use da cuts to pay for da trillion bucks debt they ran up. Ryan declared it so.

              2. I pre paid da taxes on my properties today. Your deduction for your property taxes is limited next year. Look it up.

          2. Autumn – thank you for the video. How Joy can lie with a straight face is beyond me. 🙂

            1. Paul, money seems to remove any ethical issues – look at Mad-Cow — another “fav” of H@rd B@astard’s.

              1. Autumn, was gonna say the same thing. The two top liars at MSDNC. They are horrible people. Was really hard to watch that video.

                1. CCS – Joyless is not very bright — kinda like those chattering monkeys Joe & Mika. Rachel but Rachel is ver intelligent – her book “Drift: The unmooring of American military power” was a great read. So my ire is mostly reserved for her – she uses her intellect to obfuscate issues for $$$$

                  1. Autumn, yes Dr. Madcow is a Rhodes Scholar, and I can see why you would hold her in more contempt than Joy. I find I have bile enough for both of them, as well as the lying, cheating Coffee Couple.

      2. That’s how it reads to me Autumn, I expect it mainly to ramp up pressure on the whole investigation crap right now. I just hope it won’t be a trade off–Mueller slithers away while the Clinton bluster fades away as well. I don’t think Trump would make that mistake, but you just don’t know. He may see more value in the Clintons being a go-to dartboard if the state goes gunning for him again as opposed to locking her (and him) up and taking them completely off the table. There seems to be a method to madness, but it’s pretty much beyond me at this point…

        1. Slohrs, how’s Deep creek these days?We used to go there for the holidays when we like near Frederick and rent a big house on the lake. Was really beautiful when it snowed and the ice on the coast was in these giant sheets. Miss the winding roads.

          1. lived, not like. I wish the good professor would give us an edit tool for the new year!

          2. Awesome mountain bike riding up there Roscoe. Always beautiful. Cold though. Snow late this year. Was up over the Thanksgiving weekend. Still amazingly rural area for being so close to DC. Still the funny mashup of the creme-de-la-creme DC and North VA varmints and us mountain folk!

              1. I live about 120 miles or so NW of DC in Maryland. One of the three deplorable counties in Maryland. One of the poorest areas in the country–even though it’s in the richest state.

        2. slohrss29 re “There seems to be a method to madness, but it’s pretty much beyond me at this point…”

          Excellent observation! =)

  18. Wine-Banks added “I think it’s a serious threat to the investigation and to democracy.”

    Sure, the President has many ways he can undermine investigations and threaten our democracy. However, the only evidence of threatening our democracy discovered to date is with the Clinton campaign, the DNC, the FBI and the Justice department. Where was her objective legal analysis when the IRS was weaponized to target conservative groups?

    1. Doubtful you’ll get a response from the lib fascists, Olly. Justice was served in their minds.

      1. Their hatred for President Trump defies reason. It has given them a blind spot from which they cannot see the actual evidence of collusion and the undermining of our democracy,/em> points directly at the Clintons, DNC, FBI and Justice department. If they truly were concerned about weeding out entities threatening our national security, they would not be so dismissive of the actual evidence that exists.

        1. I’ll tell you what defies reason: how can anyone support a fat, lying showman who brags about grabbing womens’ genitals, who doesn’t understand how the American government works, who has had the most unstable Administration in US history, who has set a record for unpopularity at this stage of the Presidency, who has enraged the entire rest of the world except Russia, and who’s agenda is solely to benefit the ultra wealthy? This loser LOST the popular vote. The majority of citizens in this country want him gone.

          1. No actually your loser is truly the loser.
            Don’t like the Electoral College, which HRC only cared about during the election, then contact your reps in Congress and get it eliminated.
            But like I have mentioned before as soon as you get rid of a technicality that enables someone to become POTUS in lieu of “the way it ought to be” your guy will win that way and you will have no problem with that.
            Stick with the rule of law and you should be able to go to sleep at night and not have dreams about Dear Leader grabbing your crotch.
            Seriously, who’s the next Democratic nominee?

          2. “I’ll tell you what defies reason: how can anyone support a fat, lying showman who brags about grabbing womens’ genitals, who doesn’t understand…”

            Got to hand it to you–your perceptions are certainly entertaining! You may enjoy spending more time watching WWE. Seems to reflect more your understanding of things.

          3. I’ll tell you what defies reason: Your contempt for the rule of law and separation of powers.

            With the passage of the GOP tax bill this week, the Trump administration has scored 81 major achievements in its first year, making good on campaign promises to provide significant tax cuts, boost U.S. energy production, and restore respect to the United States, according to the White House.
            And along the way, President Trump even outdid his own expectations and slashed at least 11 major legacy items of former President Barack Obama, including cracking down on the open border, slowing recognition of communist Cuba and effectively killing Obamacare by ending the mandate that everyone have health insurance or face a tax.
            According to the White House, the 81 accomplishments are in 12 major categories and include well over 100 other minor achievements.
            The unofficial list helps to counter the impression in the mainstream media and among congressional Democrats that outside the approval of Supreme Court Neil Gorsuch and passage of the tax reform bill little was done.
            Administrations typically tout their achievements broadly at the end of each year, but Trump plans to list jobs added, regulations killed, foreign policy victories won, and moves to help veterans and even drug addicts.
            And in a sign of support for conservatives, the White House also is highlighting achievements for the pro-life community.
            Below are the 12 categories and 81 wins cited by the White House.
            Jobs and the economy
            • Passage of the tax reform bill providing $5.5 billion in cuts and repealing the Obamacare mandate.
            • Increase of the GDP above 3 percent.
            • Creation of 1.7 million new jobs, cutting unemployment to 4.1 percent.
            • Saw the Dow Jones reach record highs.
            • A rebound in economic confidence to a 17-year high.
            • A new executive order to boost apprenticeships.
            • A move to boost computer sciences in Education Department programs.
            • Prioritizing women-owned businesses for some $500 million in SBA loans.
            • Tax reform
            Killing job-stifling regulations
            • Signed an Executive Order demanding that two regulations be killed for every new one creates. He beat that big and cut 16 rules and regulations for every one created, saving $8.1 billion.
            • Signed 15 congressional regulatory cuts.
            • Withdrew from the Obama-era Paris Climate Agreement, ending the threat of environmental regulations.
            • Signed an Executive Order cutting the time for infrastructure permit approvals.
            • Eliminated an Obama rule on streams that Trump felt unfairly targeted the coal industry.
            Fair trade
            • Made good on his campaign promise to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
            • Opened up the North American Free Trade Agreement for talks to better the deal for the U.S.
            • Worked to bring companies back to the U.S., and companies like Toyota, Mazda, Broadcom Limited, and Foxconn announced plans to open U.S. plants.
            • Worked to promote the sale of U.S products abroad.
            • Made enforcement of U.S. trade laws, especially those that involve national security, a priority.
            • Ended Obama’s deal with Cuba.
            Boosting U.S. energy dominance
            • The Department of Interior, which has led the way in cutting regulations, opened plans to lease 77 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas drilling.
            • Trump traveled the world to promote the sale and use of U.S. energy.
            • Expanded energy infrastructure projects like the Keystone XL Pipeline snubbed by Obama.
            • Ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to kill Obama’s Clean Power Plan.
            • EPA is reconsidering Obama rules on methane emissions.
            Protecting the U.S. homeland
            • Laid out new principles for reforming immigration and announced plan to end “chain migration,” which lets one legal immigrant to bring in dozens of family members.
            • Made progress to build the border wall with Mexico.
            • Ended the Obama-era “catch and release” of illegal immigrants.
            • Boosted the arrests of illegals inside the U.S.
            • Doubled the number of counties participating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement charged with deporting illegals.
            • Removed 36 percent more criminal gang members than in fiscal 2016.
            • Started the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program.
            • Ditto for other amnesty programs like Deferred Action for Parents of Americans.
            • Cracking down on some 300 sanctuary cities that defy ICE but still get federal dollars.
            • Added some 100 new immigration judges.
            Protecting communities
            • Justice announced grants of $98 million to fund 802 new cops.
            • Justice worked with Central American nations to arrest and charge 4,000 MS-13 members.
            • Homeland rounded up nearly 800 MS-13 members, an 83 percent one-year increase.
            • Signed three executive orders aimed at cracking down on international criminal organizations.
            • Attorney General Jeff Sessions created new National Public Safety Partnership, a cooperative initiative with cities to reduce violent crimes.
            Accountability
            • Trump has nominated 73 federal judges and won his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
            • Ordered ethical standards including a lobbying ban.
            • Called for a comprehensive plan to reorganize the executive branch.
            • Ordered an overhaul to modernize the digital government.
            • Called for a full audit of the Pentagon and its spending.
            Combatting opioids
            • First, the president declared a Nationwide Public Health Emergency on opioids.
            • His Council of Economic Advisors played a role in determining that overdoses are underreported by as much as 24 percent.
            • The Department of Health and Human Services laid out a new five-point strategy to fight the crisis.
            • Justice announced it was scheduling fentanyl substances as a drug class under the Controlled Substances Act.
            • Justice started a fraud crackdown, arresting more than 400.
            • The administration added $500 million to fight the crisis.
            • On National Drug Take Back Day, the Drug Enforcement Agency collected 456 tons.
            Protecting life
            • In his first week, Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy that blocks some $9 billion in foreign aid being used for abortions.
            • Worked with Congress on a bill overturning an Obama regulation that blocked states from defunding abortion providers.
            • Published guidance to block Obamacare money from supporting abortion.
            Helping veterans
            • Signed the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act to allow senior officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs to fire failing employees and establish safeguards to protect whistleblowers.
            • Signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act.
            • Signed the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, to provide support.
            • Signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 to authorize $2.1 billion in additional funds for the Veterans Choice Program.
            • Created a VA hotline.
            • Had the VA launch an online “Access and Quality Tool,” providing veterans with a way to access wait time and quality of care data.
            • With VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin, announced three initiatives to expand access to healthcare for veterans using telehealth technology.
            Promoting peace through strength
            • Directed the rebuilding of the military and ordered a new national strategy and nuclear posture review.
            • Worked to increase defense spending.
            • Empowered military leaders to “seize the initiative and win,” reducing the need for a White House sign off on every mission.
            • Directed the revival of the National Space Council to develop space war strategies.
            • Elevated U.S. Cyber Command into a major warfighting command.
            • Withdrew from the U.N. Global Compact on Migration, which Trump saw as a threat to borders.
            • Imposed a travel ban on nations that lack border and anti-terrorism security.
            • Oversaw ISIS lose virtually all of its territory.
            • Pushed for strong action against global outlaw North Korea and its development of nuclear weapons.
            • Announced a new Afghanistan strategy that strengthens support for U.S. forces at war with terrorism.
            • NATO increased support for the war in Afghanistan.
            • Approved a new Iran strategy plan focused on neutralizing the country’s influence in the region.
            • Ordered missile strikes against a Syrian airbase used in a chemical weapons attack.
            • Prevented subsequent chemical attacks by announcing a plan to detect them better and warned of future strikes if they were used.
            • Ordered new sanctions on the dictatorship in Venezuela.
            Restoring confidence in and respect for America
            • Trump won the release of Americans held abroad, often using his personal relationships with world leaders.
            • Made good on a campaign promise to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
            • Conducted a historic 12-day trip through Asia, winning new cooperative deals. On the trip, he attended three regional summits to promote American interests.
            • He traveled to the Middle East and Europe to build new relationships with leaders.
            • Traveled to Poland and on to Germany for the G-20 meeting where he pushed again for funding of women entrepreneurs.
            Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com

            1. And, Trump spent more time on his golf courses. Estimates of his vacationing are 1/4 to 1/3 of his presidency.

              1. And, Trump spent more time on his golf courses.

                Assuming that is true, then his accomplishments are truly remarkable. Thanks.

                1. “accomplishments”- quite a reach in description.
                  Let’s add in no particular order- campaigned for Roy Moore (who as a 30-year-old D.A. was a security risk to teenage girls at malls), a candidate who lost.
                  Created an unprecedented revolving door of staff, including the ouster of his chief strategist, the unpopular rheumy-eyed Bannon.
                  Belittled his strongest ally -his attorney general
                  Was called a moron by his Secretary of State.
                  Appointed the least respected cabinet secretary in history- Betsy DeVos- wherever she goes, people turn their backs.
                  Made the U.S. loathed around the world.
                  Fanned the flames of polarization in the U.S.
                  Filled his cabinet with Koch’s people so that they could make the rich, richer.
                  Kept telling the Mexicans they would pay for a wall????
                  Warned and insulted unstable leaders who have nuclear weapons.
                  Embarrassed the Whitehouse because of the unforgettable “pussy grabbing” comment.
                  Embarrassed the American people by shoving other world leaders so that he could stand in front of them in photo ops……(who does that but, a 5 year old)?
                  Steered the U.S. into a cataclysmic future (climate).
                  Has an investigation focused on Russian collusion and obstruction, at his door.
                  Passed a tax bill that people had no time to read and that forces people to figure out what to do next.-consequences be damned.
                  In equal measures threatened, flattered and attempted to cajole China which provoked smirks on the faces of its leaders.

                  1. LOL! Well gosh, he was a busy guy. That would explain why he had no time to write his election memoir titled: I Happened.

                    Forrrrrrrrre!

                    1. Oily,
                      Trump would have to hire another ghost writer for the book because he can’t write (nor speak) a coherent sentence.
                      Did you read Trump’s former ghost writer’s public apology for making Trump look like something he wasn’t?

                    2. Trump would have to hire another ghost writer for the book because he can’t write (nor speak) a coherent sentence.

                      Your illiteracy is not President Trump’s fault. If you expanded your mind (and vocabulary) beyond your socialist teachings, you would find him to be quite coherent.

              2. He posted a bunch of T rump propaganda. Da truth is t rump does not give a damn about anybody but his billionaire pals.

    2. “…the only evidence of threatening our democracy discovered to date is with the Clinton campaign, the DNC, the FBI and the Justice department”? What about the 3 indictments and guilty pleas? You really, truly, need to stop watching Fox.

      1. But, but . . . Natacha, you’re asking them to listen to that which they do not want to hear. Manafort and Gates indicted for conspiracy to commit crimes against the United States by way of laundering dirty Russian money (quite possibly in violation of The Magnitsky Act, or otherwise). You might as well be asking them to remove the MAGA tampons from their ears and put them in Trump’s Twitter feed where they’ve always belonged.

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