Wait.
Does that mean mueller is running for president in 2020?
Which ticket?

 

So what do you think of Paul Manafort pleading guilty and agreeing to cooperate with Bob Mueller?

You can answer that one can't you? I am just asking what you think. You know what you think don't you?

 

Ya know, I think I've found a never-Trumper that I appreciate. This column is from the same guy whose article I posted here.


I'd welcome Donald Trump's impeachment, but he has gotten these 20 things right


Ruben Navarrette Jr. 9/12/18

Donald Trump vilifies women, Muslims, Mexicans and others, and I'd welcome his impeachment. But to be fair, here are 20 things he's managed to get right.

During the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina shared with his colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee a message for President Donald Trump: “You do some things that drive me crazy. You do some great things.”

I can relate.

Trump has been driving me crazy since June 2015, when he came down the escalator at Trump Tower, declared his presidential bid, and labeled my Mexican grandfather — who came to this country legally as a boy around 1915 — a rapist, criminal and drug smuggler.

He drove me even crazier when, showing how little he knows about immigration, he said Mexico didn’t send its “best” people. That is all it sends. The only folks who stay behind are the elderly who can’t leave and the entitled who feel they shouldn’t have to.

Nonetheless, I count 20 good things Trump has done in his nearly 20 months in office.

I’m surprised the number climbed that high. I’ve been a consistent Never Trumper who hopes the president’s first term is his last. I would even welcome impeachment. Even so, I’m also a journalist trained to look for the truth and share it whether it’s popular or not.

Thus, even as someone who has criticized Trump on issues ranging from trade to immigration to education, it's only fair to do what much of the news media refuse to do — admit that Trump has done some things right. Such as:

►Move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

►Pull the United States out of the Iranian nuclear deal.

►Stand up to NATO countries for not ponying up enough money to cover the organization’s expenses and their own defense costs.

►Take on the news media and not back down, exposing bias and agenda-driven journalism intended to run him out of office.

►Put an intense focus on immigration, the importance of border security and the cost of illegal immigration, including U.S. citizens killed by the undocumented.

►Target the ruthless Salvadoran street gang MS-13.

►Picking James Mattis as Defense secretary, Nikki Haley as ambassador to the United Nations, John Kelly as White House chief of staff andKellyanne Conway as senior adviser.

►Begin a dialogue with North Korea about ending its nuclear weapons program.

►Focus attention on Rust Belt states and give respect to white working-class voters, overlooked by the elites on both coasts.

►Challenge elitism and question what it means to be “elite.”

►Create millions of new jobs (the White House claims as many as 3 million) and bring unemployment down to 3.9 percent, the lowest since 2000.

►Focus national attention on the opiod crisis, including a look at doctors who overprescribe pain pills.

►Nominate impressive Supreme Court candidates Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

►Propose and help pass a tax cut and cut federal regulations.

►Pull out of the Paris Agreement on climate change and defy global warming alarmists.

►Renegotiate unfair trade deals in search of better terms.

►Target racial preferences at colleges and universities, which often hurt intended beneficiaries by lowering standards.

►Refocus immigration debate by ending DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and trying to force Congress to confront the thorny issue of what to do with "Dreamers," who were brought to the USA illegally when they were kids.

►Shake up both the Republican and Democratic establishments and remain independent from the Washington cartel.

►Make politics more accessible to people who have rarely voted or cared about it, and widen the door of civic engagement.

Don’t misunderstand. This doesn’t mean I think Trump has been a good president, or that he hasn’t produced more negative than positive. It only means that he did some things right.

Spelling them out reminded me that under different circumstances, I could have voted for Trump for president. I like people who keep their promises, battle elites, and give voice to the overlooked. If only Trump hadn’t embraced an ugly and dangerous form of demagoguery to attack and vilify women, Muslims, Mexicans and others, things might have been different.

You may disagree with every item on that list. What I call a positive, you might consider a negative. Or you might be able to cite two negative items for every positive one.

That’s fine. Make your own list. I’m not looking for agreement, or trying in vain to convince Trump haters. Life is too short for that. I only want to be fair, not just to the president but to those voters — my fellow Americans — who gave him the job.

Ruben Navarrette Jr., a member of the USA TODAY Board of Contributors, is a syndicated columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group and host of a daily podcast, “Navarrette Nation.”

 

What do I think? Well, I think statements like "_ _ _ _ _ (whoever the target of the week is) is cooperating with Mueller" doesn't necessarily mean "providing evidence/testimony against Trump."


Manafort Deal Looks Like Good News for Trump, Terrible News for Democrats


9/15/18

According to NPR, Paul Manafort’s deal with Special Counsel Robert Muller’s office “does not include matters involving the Trump campaign.”



Something rarely brought up by our utterly useless but still corrupt establishment media is that in order for someone to “flip,” that someone has to have the goods on someone else. In other words, if you want to deal your way out of prison time, you have to have something to deal with; you actually have to serve someone’s head up on a platter.

Nevertheless, all throughout the Russian Collusion Hoax, and every time someone agrees to “cooperate” with Mueller, the media squeal like the 14-year-old girls they all are and then intentionally mislead the public by matter-of-factly saying, “This is bad news for Trump.”

Well, no, actually it is not.

The only way someone “flipping” is bad news for Trump is if he has indeed done something illegal, and as of right now, after nearly three years of 24/7 scrutiny at the hands of a beyond-corrupt FBI, two years of scrutiny from a rabidly partisan media, two congressional investigations, and 18 months of an unaccountable fishing expedition by a herd of Democrat Dirty Cops in the special counsel office, they got exactly zippo.

In other words, so far none of these so-called flippers has flipped on Trump.

One wonders how many other politicians could weather the kind of scrutiny Trump is facing

Hell, one wonders how many so-called journalists could survive this kind of fisk.

Answer: not many.

Sure, the Resistance desperately holds on to the hope Mueller is sitting on a bombshell, but another interesting factoid the media only dutifully reported is that Mueller has agreed to accept written answers from Trump on the issue of collusion and is not asking any questions about the media’s other hoax — obstruction.

This is a massive climb down on Mueller’s part, a special counsel who has so far only indicted people for committing the terrible crime of “associating with Trump” — meaning, process crimes (lying to authorities *yawn*) and old crimes that have nothing to do with Trump (crimes no one was interested in before the aforementioned Trump association).

Then there is the matter of leaks. Does anyone honestly believe evidence of Trump committing a crime would not have leaked by now?

But guess what has leaked? Oh, sure, in-between the 24/7 partisan wishcasting coming from the media about Manafort “flipping” on Trump, there has been some dutiful coverage about what the Manafort deal might really mean, and the news is not good for Democrats.

Ken Vogel, a Democrat-operative who plays the role of “reporter” at the far-left New York Times, has been forced to report that powerful Democrats linked to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama might be in the Mueller crosshairs.





That is “Greg Craig” as in “Greg Craig former White House Counsel to … Barack Obama.”

Naturally, like the good little Democrat he is, Vogel is already trying to rescue Podesta, but here we are, 18 months into the Mueller investigation, two years into the media investigations, and nearly three years into the breathtakingly corrupt FBI’s investigations, and they got nothing.

Wouldn’t it be something if, like the #MeToo movement, this whole Russian Collusion Hoax blew up in the smug face of Democrats?

#MeToo was all about taking down Trump, about making the misconduct allegations against him so toxic he would be forced to resign. But the only people who have lost their reputations and careers are some 150 members of two of the most left-wing institutions in America — the establishment media and Hollywood.

For his part, Mueller has to justify the fact he has allowed a cloud to hang over the presidency for 18 months. What if his only way to do that is to bring down powerful Democrats? What if the only way for Mueller to fold-up his witch hunt with any dignity is with the head of a Podesta on that platter?

In a way this has already happened. While Trump sits in the Oval Office, it is former FBI Director James Comey who is unemployed and disgraced, as are some half-dozen of his hideous cronies.

Well, as a failed president likes to say when he misquotes Rev. Martin Luther King, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

 

And could one ask for sweeter icing on their cake than this? Gee, it seems like just yesterday, he was so smug and planing the victory party for Democrats winning back Congress.


Manafort plea deal a pivotal moment in Mueller probe — and in midterms


9/14/18

In a landmark, defining and historic moment in the investigation of the Russian attack against America, former Trump presidential campaign chairman Paul Manafort has copped a plea with special counsel Robert Mueller and agreed to cooperate.

This dramatic event will make Mueller’s credibility soar with the American people. It will make his leverage soar with all parties for the remainder of the investigation. It will make the consequences of a potential Manafort pardon or “Saturday Night Massacre” so devastating for President Trumpthat both are now unlikely. And it will give Democrats a huge and powerful lift in the midterm elections.

The Trump strategy of launching massive attacks against Mueller, the Department of Justice and the FBI was a disastrous failure before today’s plea bargain was announced. Since these attacks began, Mueller’s popularity has risen dramatically and Trump’s popularity has fallen even further.

The American people will reward Mueller’s victories with soaring public support. He has now indicted, convicted or achieved plea deals with former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and Manafort, all of whom were at the core of Team Trump. And he has achieved cooperation agreements with a large — and rising — number of individuals close to Trump, the Trump business organization or the Trump campaign, in addition to indictments of Russians.

The truth has now been powerfully revealed about the integrity and probity of Mueller personally and the Mueller investigation institutionally. The investigation was never a witch hunt. That big lie has been disproven by the big truth of indictments, plea bargains and cooperation agreements.

Mueller will now have decisive leverage with every witness he may question, on every matter he may investigate. While Republicans in Congress have refused to provide Mueller with the protection that countless citizens and virtually all Democrats have demanded, that protection is now powerfully provided by Manafort’s plea deal and cooperation agreement.

It is highly unlikely that Trump will now fire Mueller or interfere with his investigation. If he does, he will precipitate a national backlash of outrage and trigger impeachment proceedings that would doom the Trump presidency — and doom the GOP for a generation.

It is equally unlikely that Trump will pardon Manafort. If he does, the national firestorm will be indescribable, and Manafort will be forced to testify under oath under penalty of perjury, which would leave Trump in no better position than he is today.

The political impact of the Manafort deal will provide a huge lift to Democrats in the upcoming elections. Democrats have made every effort to defend Mueller and to seek the facts in the Russia investigation. Republican refusal to definitively protect Mueller, and the actions of some prominent right-wing Republicans in Congress to keep escalating their attacks against Mueller, the Justice Department and the FBI, will prove disastrous to Republicans in November.

The major trend lines in public opinion will continue. Mueller’s popularity will continue to strengthen. Trump’s popularity will continue to weaken. The Democratic surge in midterm polling will continue. The Republican lag will continue and possibly worsen.

Today was a historic, powerful and defining moment, with immense consequences for the future of the Russia investigation and for the future of American politics.


Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.), who was chief deputy majority whip of the House of Representatives. He holds an LLM in international financial law from the London School of Economics. (JCP: And it looks like he's got a PhD in "Jumping the Gun".)

 

Paul Manafort plea deal includes 'broad' cooperation with special counsel

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pau...feit-assets-special-counsel/story?id=57823235

 

Rudy Giuliani issues inaccurate and misspelled tweet denying Manafort will testify against Trump campaign

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/09/ru...denying-manafort-will-testify-trump-campaign/

 

America is now the worlds largest oil producer

For the first time since 1973, the United States is the world's largest producer of crude oil, according to preliminary estimates published on Wednesday by the Energy Department.

The feat demonstrates how the US shale oil boom has reshaped the global energy landscape. American oil output has more than doubled over the past decade.

"It's an historic milestone and a reminder: Never bet against the US oil industry," said Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group, a consulting firm.

Texas is the epicenter of the shale boom. Production in the Permian Basin of West Texas has grown so much that in February the United States vaulted above Saudi Arabia for the first time in more than two decades, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

US output kept climbing in June and August, reaching nearly 11 million barrels per day. That nudged the United States ahead of Russia for the first time since February 1999, the EIA estimates.

The United States isn't expected to cede its crown any time soon. The EIA expects US oil production to stay ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia through 2019.


The achievement underscores the profound impact of rapid technological advances in drilling. Fracking unlocked vast sums of oil and natural gas that had been trapped underground. Drilling costs declined dramatically.

 

Trump’s legal team at a big disadvantage because they believed his denials in Russia probe: report

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/09/tr...vantage-believed-denials-russia-probe-report/

 

Trump's panic is showing again. He is not supposed to have his attorney general. The American people are supposed to have an attorney general.

Trump Unloads on Sessions: ‘I Have No Attorney General’

*No one in the Trump administration has done more to advance Trump's racist and religious agenda than Jeff Sessions.

**Notice how Trump is just babbling and making no sense at all.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-unloads-on-sessions-i-have-no-attorney-general

 

Well it sure looks like the shit has just hit the fan to me.

Rosenstein Suggested He Secretly Record Trump and Discussed 25th Amendment

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/21/us/politics/rod-rosenstein-wear-wire-25th-amendment.html

 

So this guy endorses fascism. Vilifying themediais one of the first steps down that road. Trump isn't exposing media bias, he is creating his own.

 

As I have said many times I have been a p9litical junky since I was a kid and I have never seen anything like this.

OMG what a fuck up.

First the WHITE HOUSE says Rosenstein is coming to the White House to resign. And that gets reported.

Then reporters like MNBC'S Pete Williams reports that the DOJ is saying Rosenstein will refuse to resign and instead will make Trump fire him.

Then the next thing being reported is there is nothing but chaos coming out of the WH and they were talking with multiple officials and sources and none of them can get their stories straight and are contradicting themselves.

And this is what is going to take them all down. Since the MSM had some time on their hands waiting to find out they started reporting what would happen to the Russia investigation if Rosenstein resigned and who would take it over.

Then reported what would happen if Rosenstein refused to resign and Trump fired him. Which strangely enough would tie Trump's hands in many ways and keep him from just appointing a flunky.

So I think even this stand off is enough to get people's attention and the desire to have Democrats in control of Congress is going to be much stronger.

The vast majority of Americans can see a Saturday Night Massacre even if it did turn out to be just an attempt by the gang that cannot shoot straight.

PS Even this debacle has not managed to push the accusers of Kavanaugh story off the air ways.

 

And this is exactly what happens when our president is delusional and surrounded by sycophants that just feed his delusions.

Watch: Trump boasts of his accomplishments — and the entire UN bursts into laughter

*Of course he didn't expect that reaction. Because he is delusional and believes his own bullshit and thinks the world does too. When no the world sees Trump for the clown he is. And reality came to bear when the world laughed in his face. Which makes him more dangerous than ever. Because reality is one thing Trump cannot bear.

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/09/watch-trump-boasts-accomplishments-entire-un-burst-laughter/

 

FactCheck

The Pew Global Attitudes Project found that citizens in 35 out of 37 countries have less confidence in Trump than they did in former President Obama. In some cases, far less confidence.

For example, 86 percent of Germans said they had “a lot of confidence” or “some confidence” in Obama, but only 11 percent said the same of Trump.

Separately, the Pew Global Attitudes Project measures foreign opinion of the United States. That survey found that only two of the 37 countries have a more favorable opinion of the United States since Trump took office...

In June, the Pew Research Center released the results of its surveys in 37 countries and found that among those nations “a median of just 22% has confidence in Trump to do the right thing when it comes to international affairs.” By contrast, “a median of 64% expressed confidence” in Obama...

only 14 percent of French citizens surveyed said they had “a lot of confidence” or “some confidence” in Trump — a drop of 70 percentage points from the 84 percent that expressed confidence in Obama...

The biggest decline was in Sweden. Pew found 93 percent of those surveyed expressed confidence in Obama, but only 10 percent said the same of Trump.
https://www.factcheck.org/2017/09/world-opinion-trump-u-s/

 

*gasp
The world doesn't like Trump and/or even hates him.
Oh dear!

 

Middle Class income rises to HIGHEST on record

The middle-class American family is on the rise with the median household income for 2017 reaching a record high, a Census Bureau survey has shown.

The median income rose to $61,372, from $60,309 a year earlier, when adjusted for inflation.

President Donald Trump celebrated the news on Twitter on Sept. 13, saying middle-class income “will continue to rise (unless the Dem[ocrat]s get in and destroy what we have built)”—alluding to the significance of the upcoming midterm elections that will decide the power balance in Congress.

“Middle-Class Income Hits All-Time High!” @foxandfriends And will continue to rise (unless the Dems get in and destroy what we have built).

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2018

Trump has been credited with accelerating economic growth with his tax cuts and deregulation.

The poverty rate declined to 12.3 percent in 2017, down from 12.7 percent the year before and significantly lower than the 15 percent it lingered at between 2010 and 2014.

“More great economic news!” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross

 

Food Stamp usage declines 8 straight months

The USDA data reveals that the number of participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has consistently declined every month since the beginning of the fiscal year (FY) 2018—for a total of eight months.

Using the latest data from the USDA, here is the breakdown of how many people discontinued their SNAP benefits each month over the past eight months of FY 2018:

October to November- 4,050,688 November to December- 360,995 December to January- 737,465 January to February- 385,456 February to March- 39,701 March to April- 426,085 April to May- 139,570 May to June- 143,834

The continued decline in enrollment during these past few months is on pace with the steady decline in SNAP participation since 2013, and the decline seems to be continuing during President Trump’s tenure in office.

 

Again, the democrats actually are responsible for this.
And they wben have a police report to prove it.