Really well-written episode of today: Manafort jury deliberations interspersed with Cohen plea deliberations, Trump rally at night. Washington thunderstorm a bit cliched but forgivable.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 21, 2018
Two years ago, Donald Trump had just been nominated & was touring country leading “lock her up” chants. Today 16 felony counts for his campaign manager & lawyer. That’s added to felony convictions for deputy campaign manager & national security advisor. This is going well.
— stuart stevens (@stuartpstevens) August 21, 2018
Remember this morning, when @RudyGiuliani demanded that Mueller wrap up his investigation before Labor Day? Good times…
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) August 21, 2018
SURREAL TRUMPWORLD DAY:
4:21p – Trump longtime lawyer Michael Cohen pleads guilty to 8 counts
4:23p – Verdicts roll in on Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort – guilty on 8 counts
4:25p – Trump boards AF1 and ignores shouted questions from press on tarmac about Cohen and Manafort. pic.twitter.com/NI9Tj44H4U— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) August 21, 2018
More from Trump on Manafort: "It was not the original mission, believe me…had nothing to do with Russian collusion. We continue the witch hunt. Thank you very much." He walks away.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 21, 2018
Source close to WH says WH had hoped for favorable verdict in Manafort case as they had plans to attack the Mueller investigation in the event of mistrial or not guilty verdict. The plan was to attack the Mueller investigation if the Manafort case had gone their way, source said
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) August 21, 2018
The plea agmt was one thing. But the criminal information, just filed in Court, details Cohen & Trump's illegal schemes. This is very,very bad for the President. The Q that should be asked now is whether resignation is a better alternative than impeachmenthttps://t.co/Rpn4hGLMjM
— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) August 21, 2018
I've been a lawyer for 24 years, and probably will be, God willing, another 24, and I've had awful days in court, and will have more.
But I can comfort myself that I never have, and never shall have, as bad a day in court as the President of the United States had today.
— TruthIsNotTruthHat (@Popehat) August 22, 2018
One court has found Trump's campaign chairman guilty of tax crimes, right as Trump's lawyer pleads guilty to tax crimes in another court.
Worth remembering that, despite all this news and four decades of precedents, we *still* haven't seen Trump's taxes. https://t.co/KhnSBM5Une
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) August 21, 2018
Has he even commented on anything today? pic.twitter.com/61eAWfVi1G
— Schooley (@Rschooley) August 22, 2018
Michael Cohen has information about the president for Robert Mueller, his lawyer Lanny Davis just told @Maddow on MSNBC.
Quoting Davis in full: pic.twitter.com/TQYH0oSFEe
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) August 22, 2018
Shoes that STILL haven't dropped:
-Expected indictment of Roger Stone
-Obstruction report
-Manafort's second trial on conspiracy, foreign agent, money laundering charges.
-Whatever Mike Flynn's cooperating on.
-Whatever George Nader's cooperating on.— zeddy (@Zeddary) August 21, 2018
My
Attorney
Got
Arrested https://t.co/yJVtaj8kUq— sandy (@sandden) August 21, 2018
Yarrow
Today was a good day.
SectionH
Yeah, well, except I can’t post.
rikyrah
It was a very good day????
Yarrow
That first tweet is funny. Seriously, anyone trying to sell this screenplay would be laughed out of the room. Way too over the top.
Major Major Major Major
@Yarrow: First tweet had me cackling.
sigaba
@Yarrow: I think if you were going to meetings with the storyline, you could get some traction, particularly if you were pitching a limited series. The one thing this story has working for it are the characters; they’re all just so interesting and they keep things moving.
I think one of the problems you’d run into though, once you started developing it, is the question of tone.
Chris T.
With the indictments of Republican house members today: forget MS-13, worry about GOP-236!
Yarrow
@Major Major Major Major: I saw some of the later TV interviews where the reporters were standing in the rain and thought, “Oh, that’s too much.” LOL.
Amir Khalid
It’s been a bountiful day for Mueller and his team. May they have many more.
Suzanne
LOL. The foreshadowing is just a bit on the nose.
Yarrow
@sigaba: I said quite a few months ago we’re going to see a lot of different types of TV shows and movies out of this whole thing. Some will be comedies because really, these people are almost comically inept. Except it’s treason so it’s not really funny.
Mnemosyne
‘Scuse me, testing a new browser on the phone …
SectionH
Oh hell. Seems the snark I typed because I thought it wouldn’t post posted anyway… It’s that little bit of twist to a very good day otherwise.
And actually glad it seems to work.
I’ve been away, and missed any notce that we can our nym instead of our real name in the name field, and there is no separate field for username. Clever, imo, if that’s what’s going on.
Cause I used to live in what’s now Duncan Hunter’s district, CA-50, and the news of his indictment today made me even happier than the Cohen and Manafort news. That was just fine tick tock, but OMG, this is a real RW asshole seat I didn’t think we had a shot at this year.
The Ancient Randonneur
What a day:
1. Steele (pee tape dossier) wins his libel suit.
2. Rep Steve Scalise finally admits he spoke at a conference organized by David Duke.
3. Report: Larry Ludlow met with white supremacists in his home.
4. Paul Manafort guilty.
5. Michael Cohen pleads guilty and implicates Trump.
6. Rep Duncan Hunter and his wife are indicted on Federal felony charges.
7. Omarosa? Tapes?
Who cares!?!?
danielx
Life imitates not art but melodrama. Orange dervish raging through the White House right now, you betcha.
Major Major Major Major
@The Ancient Randonneur:
I didn’t really care because I assumed it was more BS self-promotion. I assume I was right?
jl
A few other commenters and I have been saying that the the GOPers know what they have to do until the primaries are over: stick with Trump. Then they’ll stick their heads above ground and try to figure out what to do for the general. Though, the way things are going that day is looking ever bleaker. So, will be interesting to see what GOPers do as the primaries wind down. We’re almost there, I’m not sure what states have the last important GOP primaries.
Arizona Aug. 28
Florida Aug. 28
Massachusetts Sept. 4
Delaware Sept. 6
New Hampshire Sept 11
Rhode Island Sept 12 (Wednesday)
Calouste
So 9 hours since the president’s lawyer pleaded guilty in court to breaking the law on behalf and behest of the president, and the reaction of the president’s party so far has been… crickets?
danielx
@The Ancient Randonneur:
Omarosa cares, that’s who. She loves being in the public eye pretty near as much as much as Trump does, and here’s she’s been knocked off the page in a day. Well, clearly that won’t do, so I would bet ten dollars against a stale donut that Omarosa releases some really foul stuff in the next day or two. She understands the concept of piling on, and guess who she learned it from.
Aleta
What I dread about all the coming TV movies is how hard it will be to keep straight the Republicans’ lawyers’ lawyers.
Calouste
@The Ancient Randonneur: 8. Someone found a ruling by Kavanaugh in which he approved of forced abortions.
Yarrow
@Calouste: Yes. That is correct.
@Major Major Major Major: I think someone said it was a video of Cohen getting on board Trump’s plane during the campaign and Omarosa said she had info about Cohen’s involvement in the campaign. Something like that anyway. Didn’t sound super exciting.
NotMax
How many IV drips of Ambien adjacent to D.C. bedsides tonight?
FlyingToaster
I’ve been up debugging a problem (well, debugging, not so much, since it’s not a site I have control over, just one I’d like to figure out WHY it’s fucked up), and checking in now. It’s fucking sad that even when borked, ballon-juice works better than [redacted grocery store site]. And I may just have to figure out how to do an extension to deal with misuses of “autocomplete=off”. [Banks, cc’s, .gov, understandable; grocery stores? no fucking way. This is a computer only used inside of secured networks — mine and school’s — so honestly, I’m a grownup and know when to refuse to allow retaining a form field. It’s my fucking data, dickslaps.]
I’d like to send everyone in the current admin* to SuperMax. Via a jury trial, yes, but honestly, these are like rabid animals and need to be separated from the rest of humanity.
Ruckus
This would be fall down on the floor laughing funny if it didn’t affect all of us so much and in so many actually horrible ways.
These inept, inarticulate, criminal, most likely illegally elected, pervy, assholes, might just bring down a government. And not by overthrowing a worse one, but by being all those things and just making it a very scary laughing stock of the world.
I wonder if we deserve this for not recognizing the ploy that started 40-60 yrs ago soon enough and doing anything real about it? Or that enough people did recognize it and really could do nothing about it? Or that we never addressed our not all that original sin, racism, as being totally inhospitable with any kind of democratic government?
Not trying to be a downer, but we have to ask some of these hard questions. Sure we probably need to do all we can to get back some reasonable power first but we can’t ignore the billion lb gorilla in the room.
Calouste
@danielx: That she had footage of Cohen boarding the campaign plane shows that she either had a good eye for what was relevant, or just took a lot of footage. Or both.
Carolina Dave
@The Ancient Randonneur:
It seems like the scene in the Godfather where Michael consolidates his power in a simulationous elimination of his rivals. We are talking about a criminal Enterprise. That is what my right wing friends cannot yet wrap their heads around. Plus, you’re the Puppet!
Ruckus
@Major Major Major Major:
I’m not sure it is. It appears to be evidence to back up Cohen. If she has more of this shit she may end up being famous for providing a lot of highly incriminating inside evidence. I think it was lamh36 who wondered if she might have done all of this with the intent to be a mole, to bust shitgibbon’s ass. Ballsy if it was.
NotMax
@Aleta
HouseCesspool of Cards.:)
NotMax
Federal prisons vying for contract to house the Dolt 45 library.
Film at 11.
Ruckus
@NotMax:
Much more appropriate.
Take care, with all that weather you seem to be getting. And good luck.
Mrs. D. Ranged in AZ
@Ruckus: While I agree with you I’m too frickin exhausted to deal with the billion lb gorilla right at the moment. It’s taking everything I’ve got to get through the midterms. Ask me the day after though.
Aleta
@NotMax:Competing with Game of Loans.
Jay
@Major Major Major Major:
The vid today tied Cohen to the Campaign.
The biggie is the book exerpt. Faux News gave unreported “in kind” contributions to the Campaign.
Manyakitty
@Yarrow: Apparently, it placed him directly with trump after he was publicly exiled.
Mnemosyne
Speaking of TV, if people are searching for a soothing competition show in the vein of “The Great British Baking Show” without it being a slavish imitation, we’re enjoying “Making It,” with Amy Poehler and Nick Offeman, both most recently from “Parks and Rec.” It has the same friendly vibe as TGBBS but the competitors complete craft challenges instead of making baked goods. It’s deliberately not full of nasty interpersonal reality show conflict, and that’s what I like about it.
NotMax
@Aleta
Nicely played.
Manyakitty
@FlyingToaster: GITMO
Ruckus
@NotMax:
Funny that he wouldn’t be able to visit his comic book collection in a SuperMax.
He would however at least be the first to be incarcerated.
What a nice thought for the evening.
Amir Khalid
@Calouste:
I can see how reconciling a message of unwavering support for POTUS with acknowledging that he is now a criminal suspect would be … awkward.
Mary G
Remember, this is the administration that let the guy who the fire and fury book just hang out in the WH all day. If they weren’t so evil it would be pathetic.
Ruckus
@Mrs. D. Ranged in AZ:
It’s on the back burner. But it can’t stay there forever.
I’d say that if we run true to form we are going to be doing this crap over and over until we finally do have those conversations. And I don’t think we can go on that way.
Amir Khalid
@Mary G:
I can imagine the internal discussions about that: “I thought he was with you!“
Ruckus
@Manyakitty:
I’ve been to GITMO. It was almost 50 yrs ago so I’d bet there have been changes, but I never wanted to or felt the need to see it again. So yes GITMO should not be ruled out.
smike
@Aleta:
Or the Republican lawyers’ lawyers. Or the Lawyers’ Republican lawyers. Or, ya’ know, it’s lawyers all the way down.
Or something.
Ruckus
@Amir Khalid:
Semi normal people might have had those conversations.
These idiots? They’d just deny it and lie about it.
Mike J
I went sailing today. Did I miss anything?
https://twitter.com/emmeyekayeee/status/1032140254449262597
James E Powell
@Amir Khalid:
The Republicans and their supporters have no problem with awkward. No doubt the NYT has already sent out a team to put together another people in a diner who still support Trump article for this weekend.
Amir Khalid
@NotMax:
The Dotard barely reads, and his one book was the work of a ghostwriter. You could put his Presidential Library in a broom closet, and there’d still be plenty of room for the brooms.
Ruckus
@Mike J:
No, just a normal day in shitgibbon hell.
smike
@Ruckus:
Hadn’t thought of that, but yeah, why not? Do unto Trump as he has done unto you.
Ruckus
@Amir Khalid:
I wonder if he’s just so vain he won’t use glasses……
Of course my first reaction is that he’s too fucking stupid, but then getting old and denying needing glasses……
And yes, I did just up power my readers. Why do you ask.
Platonailedit
@danielx:
Yup. She is the only one gutsy enough to take on this powerful thug head on amidst a sea full of cowards.
Edmund dantes
Zervos, people forget about her, also had her filing in court today to compel discovery since Trump’s team is dragggibg its feet turning over documents.
If you’ve forgotten, she’s the former apprentice star that accused him of sexual harassment or assault, I forget which, and he called her a liar that made it up. She’s suing him for defamation.
Ruckus
@smike:
She did “work” with him on TV so yeah, the chance that he didn’t make an ass out of himself is rather remote, as in 20,000 leagues under the sea or to mars and back remote.
joel hanes
The plan was to attack the Mueller investigation if the Manafort case had gone their way
This demonstrates the unique depth of Trump’s delusion.
He honestly thought that Manafort might be found innocent, even though Trump must know, dimly, in some corner of what passes for his mind, that the things he had Manafort do were illegal — else why hide them?
He really has never before in his life had to face the consequences of his own acts, has he?
It’s a kind of insanity.
Platonailedit
joel hanes
@Calouste:
8. Someone found a ruling by Kavanaugh in which he approved of forced abortions.
Holy Jesus. For brown people or poor people, right ? (guessing)
Link please ?
joel hanes
@Mike J:
I went sailing today
I’m so envious. I haven’t trimmed a sheet nor handed a tiller in at least a decade.
Ruckus
@joel hanes:
I’m not sure it’s a legal/illegal thing with him. You’d think that after all the years with always having a lawyer or 4 on retainer, especially for such a tightwad he might have at least an inkling of an idea. But given who he is and what he’s done over those decades, and given his massive narcissism it might just be possible that everything in his world does just revolve around him and what he wants. IOW he doesn’t think in normal terms like you or I might, and I think we do ourselves a disservice if we try to imagine him doing that.
scav
Not a bad day, all in all. Wonder if we can manage a repeat?
I’d enjoy the new rut.
joel hanes
@Ruckus:
I wonder if he’s just so vain he won’t use glasses……
That doesn’t explain the 400-word working vocabulary.
No, I’ve long maintained that The Donald is functionally illiterate, actually (for reasons unknow) unable to read five linked four-sentence paragraphs and understand the flow of thought. Commenting on this blog as anything but a despised troll is probably completely beyond his capabilities.
prostratedragon
@Yarrow: A grand opera perhaps. Or at least a cantata for four voices and vuvuzela.
gene108
I wonder, when the MSM will start treating the Trump Admin as a criminal enterprise?
The writing on the wall is pretty clear, after the Manafort conviction and the Cohen plea deal.
I am not holding out any hope they point out how hopelessly corrupt and beholden to special interests the rest of the Republican Party is.
gene108
@Amir Khalid:
His Presdiential library will be screens of episodes of Fox & Friends, where he calls in or where they say really nice things about him.
Mike J
@joel hanes: I was race committee for the beer can races tonight, so the other committee member and I took out our Ranger 24 and got in a few hours spinnaker practice before we got to bob at anchor for a few hours. And of course beers/taco Tuesday at after.
If you’re ever in Seattle come sail.
Ruckus
@joel hanes:
I think a careful read will show you I agree with you.
It’s one of the reasons I think he’s got Alzheimer’s. He at least didn’t act illiterate years ago. And there have been reports of him being confused and incoherent. And he does what he knows, sits on the throne and tweets and watches faux news.
He still is one vain asswipe though. Vain and with horrible taste in, well everything.
sukabi
@Calouste: pretty sure their assholes clenched so tight this afternoon that they can’t pull their heads out to actually comment.
sukabi
@James E Powell: someone linked to their tomorrow’s front page, it’s an in your face Manafort, Cohen, Trump criminal enterprise cover…the ENTIRE front page.
Ruckus
@sukabi:
I see we have the same level of regard for them.
prostratedragon
@Ruckus: Or use the CPAP machine (you have to wear a mask that makes you look like a cross between Darth Vader and an elephant) that was the last thing some doctor prescribed for him before firing him as a patient.
EBT
Very pleasing.
seaboogie
@The Ancient Randonneur: Today was sweet – like cherry on the sundae and extra sprinkles kind of sweet.
Delia
History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.
Who knew that given enough distance, even Nixon would look vaguely less awful?
Redshift
@Ruckus:
Seems like she was treating the whole thing like a reality show, preparing to “win” by whatever path worked out. Which is probably the smartest way anyone has approached this maladministration.
??? Martin
@Redshift: The only thing we seem to want from Omarosa is to be entertained. She’s happy to read her lines just like any entertainer, and I think she’s smart enough to recognize that the WH would produce a lifetime paycheck of entertainment, no matter how it worked out.
sukabi
@Ruckus: yep, and it’s more than they deserve.
SectionH
@NotMax: Apropos of you, stay safe – Hurricane Lane seems aimed straight at you. The forecast doesn’t look nice at all. Even if you’re out of flood danger, it sees to have a sustained windspeed of 160 mph. Sustained.
Worrying about you, other RL friends, and even Tengu.
Stuart Frasier
@Yarrow:
Even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp
And it read Ice Cube’s a pimp (yeah)
Drunk as hell but no throwing up
Half way home and my pager still blowing up
Today I didn’t even have to use my A.K.
I got to say it was a good day
NotMax
@SectionH
Thanks. Not in any way to make light of it, but there is a 10,000 foot mountain between where I sit and the bulk of the storm.
Gonna be a rough ride, nevertheless. Weathered Iniki, will muddle through this.
NotMax
@NotMax</a.
@NotMax
The latest.
It’s a big’un, no denying it.
joel hanes
@Calouste:
8. Someone found a ruling by Kavanaugh in which he approved of forced abortions.
Snopes essentially says that’s a distorted exaggeration, although Kavanaugh’s actual ruling was pretty much a judicial dick move.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/kavanaugh-disabilities-elective-surgeries/
Sloane Ranger
@joel hanes:Even if that’s true, Thugs wouldn’t care. If this was a Democratic nominee by the time they finished, they’d be claiming he personally held them down while the abortions were performed. Dems need to show the same ruthlessness. Otherwise they’ll keep bringing a knife to a gun fight.
Calouste
@joel hanes: IANAL, but it looks to me that he basically argued that forced abortions would be legal in this context, except for that other law that explicitly forbids them.
Barbara
@joel hanes: Kavanaugh upheld forced abortions for disabled women that were sought by their guardians.
Also, anyone who has not read the Cohen indictment, what strikes me most about Cohen, Manafort and the Hunters is how brazen their fraud and tax evasion was. What they did is not complicated, not nearly as complicated, for instance, as what Enron officials did in cahoots with various banks. It probably took this particular bunch of lawyers no more than an hour to connect the dots on how Cohen hid income, and I mean, a lot of income. What do you want to guess that Trump’s tax returns and financial records would show similar maneuvers?