By Blue Bronc, a Trail Mix Contributor
I decided to watch some republican lite MSNBC. I combined that with a bit of a read of the political section of WashPo, and a bit of online news sites. There is so much happening that it is hard to separate major focal points and links between.
I think a reporter would be good to create silos (not my favorite model) of the corruption, the actors involved and the links if any between them. Generally silos are considered to prevent organizations from sharing data and creating inefficiencies. But, under the deliberate chaos of the simpleton administration the various actions are combined like a pile of spaghetti causing all to lose track of what is going on. By breaking out the various crimes, actions and actors we have a clear view of all of the individual issues.
Looking at the guy and his government shutdown as one silo, the actors are WH players, McConnell and Speaker Pelosi. The silo contains national and international economies; federal employees, contractors, and local businesses (eateries, fuel stations, trains, clothes cleaners etc); federal agencies. What does it link to? Mueller, yes if his investigation runs out of money. Maybe contracts to something about border security.
But overall there are few solid links to anything beyond the WH and Congress because the shutdown was an isolated action. Beginning and ending the shutdown does not change what the Russians have done or are doing. It does not affect court cases such as the Cohen’s.
Another silo could be money laundering by Trump Jr. Another would be emoluments cases by the illegitimate president. There are many other actions which if separated from the scrum we would see them and who is involved.
also add a silo called “jared” – a very big silo
nbc news:
Jared Kushner’s application for a top secret clearance was rejected by two career White House security specialists after an FBI background check raised concerns about potential foreign influence on him — but their supervisor overruled the recommendation and approved the clearance, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.
The official, Carl Kline, is a former Pentagon employee who was installed as director of the personnel security office in the Executive Office of the President in May 2017. Kushner’s was one of at least 30 cases in which Kline overruled career security experts and approved a top secret clearance for incoming Trump officials despite unfavorable information, the two sources said. They said the number of rejections that were overruled was unprecedented — it had happened only once in the three years preceding Kline’s arrival.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information, said the Trump White House attracted many people with untraditional backgrounds who had complicated financial and personal histories, some of which raised red flags.
Kushner’s FBI background check identified questions about his family’s business, his foreign contacts, his foreign travel and meetings he had during the campaign, the sources said, declining to be more specific.
The White House office only determines eligibility for secret and top secret clearances. As a very senior official, Kushner was seeking an even higher designation that would grant him access to what is known as “sensitive compartmented information,” or SCI. That material makes up the government’s most sensitive secrets, including transcripts of intercepted foreign communications, CIA source reporting and other intelligence seemingly important for Kushner, whose job portfolio covers the Mideast and Mexico.
The CIA is the agency that decides whether to grant SCI clearance to senior White House officials after conducting a further background check.
After Kline overruled the White House security specialists and recommended Kushner for a top secret clearance, Kushner’s file then went to the CIA for a ruling on SCI.
After reviewing the file, CIA officers who make clearance decisions balked, two of the people familiar with the matter said. One called over to the White House security division, wondering how Kushner got even a top secret clearance, the sources said. Top secret information is defined as material that would cause “exceptionally grave damage” to national security if disclosed to adversaries.
The sources say the CIA has not granted Kushner clearance to review SCI material. That would mean Kushner lacks access to key intelligence unless President Trump decides to override the rules, which is the president’s’ prerogative. The Washington Post reported in July 2018 that Kushner was not given an “SCI” clearance. CIA spokesman Timothy Barrett said, “The CIA does not comment on individual security clearances.”
[continues]
and another rather rusting silo called “the gop”
from wapo:
Republican senators clashed with one another and confronted Vice President Pence inside a private luncheon on Thursday, as anger hit a boiling point over the longest government shutdown in history.
“This is your fault,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) told Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) at one point, according to two Republicans who attended the lunch and witnessed the exchange.
“Are you suggesting I’m enjoying this?” McConnell snapped back, according to the people who attended the lunch.
[…]
The argument was one of several heated moments in a lunch that came just before the Senate voted on the opposing plans to end the shutdown offered by President Trump and Democrats.
[…]
Also during the lunch, McConnell made clear to Pence and others in the room that the shutdown was not his idea and was not working. According to Republicans familiar with his comments, he quoted a favorite saying that he often uses to express his displeasure with government shutdowns: “There is no education in the second kick of a mule.”
McConnell started using that saying after the 2013 shutdown, which lasted 16 days and ended after the public largely blamed Republicans.
nbc news:
Roger Stone, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, was indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller and arrested Friday on charges of obstruction, giving false statements and witness tampering.
Stone has been under the microscope of Mueller over his alleged connection to WikiLeaks and hacked Democratic emails released by the site during the 2016 presidential campaign. He has repeatedly denied any collusion with WikiLeaks.
Nearly a dozen Stone associates have been summoned by Mueller to appear before his Washington grand jury, sources told NBC News in November.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
The morning is beginning with a smile as SFB friend Roger Stone is arrested. I did not take Roger as an early morning person.
Considering that Mueller might run out of funds tonight he might want to run out a few more indictments today, just to have them on the books in case something upsets his future budget.
patd – There will be a lot of separate silos, a few hard linked, such as SFB jr and money laundering through the country owned bank which is linked to SFB silo. But, is sounds like the jr also has his own criminal actions not involving the spawner.
nytimes:
WASHINGTON — Roger J. Stone Jr., a longtime informal adviser to President Trump who has spent decades plying the dark arts of scandal-mongering and dirty tricks to help influence American political campaigns, was indicted Friday in the special counsel investigation.
Mr. Stone was charged with seven counts, including obstruction of an official proceeding, making false statements and witness tampering, according to the special counsel’s office.
The indictment is the first public move in months by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, who is investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and possible coordination with Trump associates.
[continues]
Ah, Roger. I’m sure SFB sleeps soundly knowing you’ll never cooperate and never testify in a way that will harm him. Money and the threat of jail sometimes changes the minds of the most steadfast.
Update/correction – it is not the Mueller team which runs out of funding, it is the federal courts. With any luck the charging judge will decide to let Stone enjoy the comfort of a secluded life until . . . eh, maybe forever.
from MSNBC in nov. 2017 a little background on the arrestee du jour
Is Roger Stone Donald Trump’s political Svengali? Joy Reid discusses ‘Get Me Roger Stone,’ the compelling Netflix documentary on a reportedly central member of the president’s brain trust, with the filmmakers.
good comment at 3:20 in above video: “when you’re looking at roger stone you’re pretty much seeing donald trump”
roger’s not the only one to appear in a court today. buddy paul also will have his turn in the judicial barrel
wapo:
Paul Manafort is set to appear in federal court Friday to face a U.S. judge weighing whether President Trump’s former campaign chairman breached his plea agreement by lying repeatedly to prosecutors in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.
A finding that the 69-year-old Manafort “intentionally provided false information” after pleading guilty in any of five areas alleged by prosecutors could subject him to months or years more in prison at two fast-approaching sentencing hearings, beginning Feb. 8.
Suggestions of the collapse of Manafort’s cooperation deal have revealed that prosecutors knew far more about his activity since his October 2017 indictment than he realized.
[…]
The judge who called Friday’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the District of Columbia, directed both sides to be ready to argue whether Manafort lied as alleged in a 31-page FBI affidavit. Under Manafort’s plea deal, prosecutors have only to show that their determination he breached the deal was made in “good faith,” with any effect on sentencing to be determined later by a judge.
Jackson, in a court notice, said she could seal part of Friday’s hearing, holding it behind closed doors to discuss matters the government said involved ongoing investigations and uncharged individuals.
[…]
Prosecutors have said they are prepared to back up accusations about the lies by presenting witnesses, but both sides wrote to Jackson that they believe she can rule on whether Manafort broke his deal without live testimony.
Manafort asked not to have to be present in court Friday, but Jackson declined and said she wanted him there because of the significance of the issues being heard and to be certain he and his defense team were on the same page about their positions.
She agreed to Manafort’s request to appear in a business suit, not a prison jumpsuit.
[continues]
WH spokesperson and terrible liar SS said that Roger Stone was a coffee boy on the campaign for a week and SFB never knew him.
off subject, but could the Pompeo/trump bluster-f**k last night about calling the non-essentials & family home from Venezuela be a “wag the dog” move with Maduro in the role of the tail? talk about distraction! wow
bbronc, cbs news report seems to agree with you about sarah. bless her little heart. 🙂
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, appearing on CNN’s “New Day, said, “This has nothing to do with the president and certainly nothing to do with the White House.”
[…]
On CNN, Sanders would not directly answer whether Mr. Trump did or did not ask senior Trump campaign officials to inquire about WikiLeaks, saying she isn’t a lawyer and hasn’t had time to read the indictment, but insisting the charges against Stone have nothing to do with the president.
BlueB and patd… thanks for the interesting reading this morning.
From Vox… Roger Stone’s Arrest and Indictment Explained
news reports that search warrants also issued and are being executed in both of his residences.
obviously they suspect destruction of evidence likely
Now that he has his jumpsuit will Roger flip?
Jennifer Rubin’s column this morning about the Senate votes yesterday is well worth the few minutes it takes to read.
I’m not sure this was more than a shutdown induced glitch, but one never knows does one?
Craig – I have been wondering that for a year. Is he “strong” in the sense of taking a bullet? Or is he a lying weasel and ready to flip? I cannot believe Stone will be either. He may be at the age of getting his story and the truth mixed up in his head, but he is no where off his rocker. I tend to think he will be like Manafort and getting ready to spend the rest of his life surrounded by walls, and ceilings, and bars, while spewing strange tales.
I suspect that Stone knows enlightened self interest when it hits him up side the head. Will he flip? I’m betting he will. When Suckabee describes him – who is being described in reputable media as a long time trump political consultant – as a coffee boy for the campaign for a few days, what does he owe to that “organization’?
After Donnie’s disastrous encounter with the Speaker Pelosi he is probably happy to have this distraction. After all with his base “Donnie getting punked by a girl” is much worse than another campaign staffer doing the perp walk.
Jack
The FBI was at his door at 6 frickin’ thirty, that is a serious statement in its self. It is not a question of did he flip, it is did he flip before or after getting clean underwear from shitting all over himself.
Jack
I’m not really comfortable with the ‘silos’ thing. It just makes me think of Trump’s last erection.
Flatus – now I have to look at a picture of SS to cleanse my eyes.
FAA announcing ground stops at LaGuardia and other airports. Just announced is a regional center short staffed, which affects from Philly to D.C. Although other regions can pick up the flights it does affect a larger area than a single airport. Flight controllers tend to have sixty hour weeks, so they need a day off every now and then.
Hey, XR, I have this nagging memory of Mr Reagan standing in front of the Brandenburg Gate when he admonished Khrushchev to, “…tear down this wall.” I had visions of the magnificent Gate crashing to the ground.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/ReaganBerlinWall.jpg/1280px-ReaganBerlinWall.jpg
Public Domain
Flatus – Stormy would probably dispute any association between silos and SFB erections. Mushrooms and silos don’t have a lot in common.
Pogo, I simply assumed that any silo in Trump’s possession would be a hollow facade.
Well, without a doubt your assumption would be borne out in fact.
People are saying when Roger Stone was arrested he said, “Pardon me?”
What scum suckinng asshole he is – I hope he has to share a cell with Manipedi
Earlier this year he tried to horn in on the legal marijuana campaigns by saying he could deliver SFB.
*
trump’s silo is a codpiece. The ‘shroom is inside somewhere.
XR, ?
so if the shutdown is over (as all are reporting to be the case come rose garden presser) for next 3 weeks, does this mean twit gets to do his SOTU as scheduled?
politicususa: Panic Hits the White House As Bannon Is Implicated in Stone Arrest
[…]
CNBC reported that the detailed indictment describes communications between Stone and high-ranking campaign officials, including former campaign CEO Bannon. It alleges that Stone spoke often with top Trump campaign aides about his efforts to get published the Democratic emails stolen by Russian hackers. The emails, which were very damaging to Trump’s opponent Hillary Clinton, were put on the internet by WikiLeaks.
Stone lied about his contacts with the Trump campaign to federal investigators and also during his testimony under oath before Congress.
CNBC’s report states that campaign CEO Bannon had reached out to Stone about using the stolen emails to help Trump get elected.
Emails published last year by the New York Times prove that there were numerous communications between Bannon, Breitbart’s Washington editor Matthew Boyle and Stone.
According to the Times:
“Mr. Bannon then contacted Mr. Stone directly, asking for insight into Mr. Assange’s plan. Notably, Mr. Stone did not tell Mr. Bannon anything that Mr. Assange had not said publicly. He did explain that Mr. Assange was concerned about his security, and he said in an interview that Randy Credico, a New York comedian and activist whom Mr. Stone has identified as his source about WikiLeaks, also gave him that information.”
Stone then reportedly asked Bannon to have wealthy GOP donor Rebekah Mercer send money to his political organization, which was structured to keep contributors secret.
Other than Sarah Sanders’ brief comments on CNN, the White House has issued no communications concerning the indictment and arrest of Stone.
It does appear, based on language in the indictment, that several senior officials in the Trump campaign, including possibly Donald Trump himself, were involved in the discussions and arrangements to get the stolen emails published by WikiLeaks to hurt Hillary Clinton.
Last fall we reported that Donald Trump was told by Stone about the WikiLeaks emails, thus possibly implicating the president in Stone’s crimes.
patd, good question. BTW, Nancy’s tha bomb. Reopen government and keep SFB’s balls in your hand. (Sorry for that image, Nancy).
XR, a la Ian Anderson perhaps?
OMG… good thing I wasn’t drinking anything while reading you guys comments on “silos”.
I just came down from my studio…. it’s obvious time to put on MSNBC or CNN as it’s getting more and more interesting by the hour with the Mueller probe.
BTW…. Ann Coulter is going to be on Bill Maher’s show tonight. Can’t wait to see what she has to say about trump caving into Democratic demands of reopening the government but no funding for “the wall”.
cbsnews
Trump says he’ll sign bill to reopen government for 3 weeks – live updates
President Trump announced Friday he’ll back a move to reopen the government for a few weeks, so government workers can get paid while the debate over border security continues.
“I am very proud to announce that we have reached a deal to end the shutdown and reopen the federal government,” Mr. Trump said in an address from the White House Rose Garden, adding that he had the opportunity to declare a national emergency to build the wall but decided not to do so at this time. Mr. Trump also thanked the federal workers who had been furloughed or working without pay.
“In many cases you encouraged me to keep going because you care so much about our country and our border security,” he said to federal workers. He said federal workers would receive back pay “very quickly,” or “almost immediately.”
Mr. Trump said that he expected Democrats and Republicans to cooperate on a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, although he reiterated that building a wall was important to border security.
“I really feel that in working with Democrats and Republicans, we can make a truly great and secure deal for everyone,” he said. “Walls should not be controversial.” He added that the wall he wanted to build were not “medieval,” as Democrats have contended, but that it would be a “smart wall.”
“We do not need 2,000 miles of concrete wall from sea to shining sea,” Mr. Trump said, although he has previously explicitly supported a concrete wall. However, he said that the wall he supports would be made of steel and see-through. He then discussed illegal immigration in stark terms to justify why the wall was needed.
[continues]
Nancy & co can live with “smart wall” can’t they?
The Venezuela situation provides another opportunity to disrupt oil drilling and transport, pushing the price up. Whatever happens, don’t let anyone talk you into believing that the Powers-That-Be want to grab cheap oil. Those Powers only want to prevent oil from becoming cheap.
“Ann Coulter is going to be on Bill Maher’s show“
Are you some sort of masochist? If you’re going to watch HBO, make it “Brexit” with Benedict Cumberbatch.
nbc reports coulter up to her usual hatefulness again – tweeting:
Good news for George Herbert Walker Bush: As of today, he is no longer the biggest wimp ever to serve as President of the United States.
3,816
2:55 PM – Jan 25, 2019
I do so hope the bush boys (including bill) give her what-for for that dig at their dad.
she also deserves being dumped on bigly for prodding the twit to cause the nation unnecessarily 5 weeks of pain to begin with.
Looks like we have to go back to work Monday. I am not sure about a three week tour though. Will a compromise be created? Yes. That was already done last session. Will SFB sign it? Maybe. Three weeks is far long enough for him to forget everything about a Mexican Wall. He may even pretend he never asked for one. What I think he is finally starting to realize is he is not a real dictator and he may find himself sleeping on a rack in a place surrounded by many walls. That has shaken him enough now. He may even come up with the thought that leaving to spend more time with his family and for his health is good.
Kansas Lawmakers Defect to Democrats as G.O.P. Struggles in Suburbs
Four moderates from the Kansas City metro area have changed parties in the last month, reflecting a national realignment on a key partisan battleground.
back to roger charges
from politico:
and as vanity fair reports:
[…]
He even went so far as to threaten to take away his dog, reports CNN.
The dog in question is exactly as you might expect in this courtroom-drama scenario: she’s a fluffy white little thing named Bianca, and she is Credico’s therapy dog. This isn’t the first time Bianca has been in the news. In September, she accompanied Credico to testify in front of a grand jury connected to the Mueller investigation. Bianca is a Coton de Tulear, a small, Bichon-type breed named for its cotton-like coat. According to Talking Points Memo, she is about 13 years old.
As if taking away someone’s therapy dog is not enough of a threat, Stone told Credico to “prepare to die,” per Mueller’s indictment. In short, Stone’s approach to intimidation roughly translates to “I’ll get you—and your little dog, too.” Fitting for a man who dresses like the villain from another classic film.
As roger stone spoke to the assembled cameras, I noticed a fella in a red knit shirt just behind him. That fellow must be dick nixon’s long lost son, he looks so much like the dirty rat.
Lock ’em ALL up !
I also noticed a photographer was wearing a Surly Brewing Company cap. Good taste.
Speaking of Nixon, what’s up with Roger Stone’s “I am not a crook” pose? Is he suggesting that he actually is a crook?
he he…
Trump’s remarks sound like the warm up to his state of the union speech. Not surprising when you consider that his position on the shut down changed rather quickly when Pelosi canceled his invitation. In the end his moment in the spotlight was more important than the wall. To his core supporters it will be seen as a prelude to a sell out.
Wondering how many media types read Trail Mix. Three times today there was a reference to splitting the various investigations and other actions apart to clarify the actions. Chuck Todd was the latest. Accidentally left the connection on to to republican lite MSNBC, instead of my computer to watch YouTube, so I am watching a little of it while I do some research.
…lemme kno if and when they steal any of my hilarious jokes plz, TIA
B.B., There’s a nice well -illustrated article on a privately restored Nantucket lightship in today’s WSJ. It is really plush and steams under her own power. A couple bought it off e-bay two years ago, Tossed millions into it, and are ready to repeat the process. They are asking $5.2-M.
Flatus – cool. US has been selling off light houses for many years. Looked into one back in 2012, the problem was the restrictions and requirements. But, if someone wanted a great ocean or Chesapeake Bay or Great Lakes view, a light house is the way to go.
I am starting to think we are seeing the end of the SFB reign. As the Mueller probe gets closer to the mob boss it is clear there is something very serious which will bring him down criminally. He might get to walk free if he just gives up. The money laundering and parroting Russian propaganda is will be icing on the cake.
A very good write up of the events is on Daily Kos.
disclaimer: I used to write for the Daily Kos (many, many years ago, so my “name” will show up there.
A Tale of Two Presidents
reagan enjoined us to imagine a city on a hill.
trump asks us to accept a cave on the border.
Someone should tell Stone he ain’t helping SFB and tell SFB Stone ain’t helping him. This is just incredible, but not unbelievable.
I wonder what trump plans for his escape. Will he run to the russian embassy ala assange ? I presume he wouldn’t dare enter a saudi embassy.
Will he fly to russia like snowden ? He could hock Air Force 1 for a few bucks.
In the end Trump got the same deal he could have had thirty days ago or ninety days ago. Pelosi held Democrats together and in so doing made Trump look like the fool he is. Republicans chose to swim with Trump and they are going to sink with him as well.
I’ll stick my fat neck out and predict that jr trump gave bannon the order to give roger stone the order to get assange to complete the deal and release the documents stolen from the HRC campaign and the DNC. The filings show the trump campaign had certain knowledge that russia had stolen those documents. That means, at the very least, the trump campaign was guilty of misprision of a felony, if not of actually receiving stolen goods. If I am correct in my prediction, babytrump, and possibly bannon, are facing jail time. If bannon has already given true and full information on this matter to the investigators, he will probably not have to pay a price. If I am right and babytrump is at risk, the investigators will probably try to turn him against the old man.
Btw, besides jail time, baby and pappy trump may be at risk of conviction for crimes of turpitude, which could make their future real estate and financial dealings problematic.
x-r, have a feeling that their real estate and financial dealings are already “problematic”
don’t be surprised if the d.c. hotel at old post office lease is eventually cancelled whenever feds finally get around to it.
The lease for the Old Post Office, which houses Trump’s D.C. hotel says no elected official “shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease.” The lease for the Old Post Office, which houses Trump’s D.C. hotel says no elected official “shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease.” [nbc old story]
Jace, the question is whether SFB got anything beyond the obvious loss of support out of this. If he did I don’t see it.
XR, here’s hoping you are right. Love to see both DJTs facing difficult decisions about their futures.
new thread