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| The Russia scandal has gone from phony war to heavy shelling | The Russia scandal has gone from phony war to heavy shelling |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| Indictments do strange things inside a White House. They twist the minds of an already neurotic nest of frenemies, turning suspicions into paranoia, press leaks into prosecutorial intelligence and financial concerns into colossal legal bills. | Indictments do strange things inside a White House. They twist the minds of an already neurotic nest of frenemies, turning suspicions into paranoia, press leaks into prosecutorial intelligence and financial concerns into colossal legal bills. |
| Normal life ceases (if it ever existed) for everyone from the president down, as the indictments grow in number, the grand juries call ever more witnesses, and impeachment looms ever closer. | Normal life ceases (if it ever existed) for everyone from the president down, as the indictments grow in number, the grand juries call ever more witnesses, and impeachment looms ever closer. |
| Welcome to the first year of the Trump presidency, in which our protagonists have already proved themselves wholly incompetent in a succession of crises. There may be Black Sea ferries that leak as much the Trump White House, but they still run a tighter ship than this gang. Lest we forget, this is a president who wanted Anthony “the Mooch” Scaramucci to run his clean-up operation. | Welcome to the first year of the Trump presidency, in which our protagonists have already proved themselves wholly incompetent in a succession of crises. There may be Black Sea ferries that leak as much the Trump White House, but they still run a tighter ship than this gang. Lest we forget, this is a president who wanted Anthony “the Mooch” Scaramucci to run his clean-up operation. |
| So who cleans up now that the Trump campaign is the subject of so many investigations? | So who cleans up now that the Trump campaign is the subject of so many investigations? |
| The indictments of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, along with the guilty plea of George Papadopoulos, have now taken the whole Russia scandal from phony war to heavy shelling. | The indictments of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, along with the guilty plea of George Papadopoulos, have now taken the whole Russia scandal from phony war to heavy shelling. |
| Gone are the days when we need to debate about what constitutes “collusion” and whether that’s any standard to judge the rogues’ gallery that peopled the upper ranks of the Trump campaign. | Gone are the days when we need to debate about what constitutes “collusion” and whether that’s any standard to judge the rogues’ gallery that peopled the upper ranks of the Trump campaign. |
| We just moved far beyond the false equivalence with Hillary Clinton’s private email server, which so dominated the media coverage of her campaign, the final days of the election and a significant proportion of presidential tweets forevermore. | We just moved far beyond the false equivalence with Hillary Clinton’s private email server, which so dominated the media coverage of her campaign, the final days of the election and a significant proportion of presidential tweets forevermore. |
| It turns out that “mistakes” on legal disclosure forms, “misremembering” facts in front of federal agents, and distracting “stories” on Fox News do not constitute much of a legal case against the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and its former director Robert Mueller, who now enjoys the title of special counsel. | It turns out that “mistakes” on legal disclosure forms, “misremembering” facts in front of federal agents, and distracting “stories” on Fox News do not constitute much of a legal case against the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and its former director Robert Mueller, who now enjoys the title of special counsel. |
| A Russian lawyer whose work has focused on ending US sanctions on Russia and who met with Trump representatives Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort at Trump Tower in June 2016. Read further. | A Russian lawyer whose work has focused on ending US sanctions on Russia and who met with Trump representatives Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort at Trump Tower in June 2016. Read further. |
| Until recently, the Russian ambassador to the US. A hub for contacts with Trump representatives including Kushner, attorney general Jeff Sessions, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and the president himself. Read further. | Until recently, the Russian ambassador to the US. A hub for contacts with Trump representatives including Kushner, attorney general Jeff Sessions, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and the president himself. Read further. |
| The Kremlin-connected head of Russian state investment bank Vnesheconombank. He met with Kushner during the presidential transition, but “no specific policies were discussed”, according to Kushner. Read further. | The Kremlin-connected head of Russian state investment bank Vnesheconombank. He met with Kushner during the presidential transition, but “no specific policies were discussed”, according to Kushner. Read further. |
| President of the Center for the National Interest, a Washington thinktank, which hosted an April 2016 foreign policy speech by Trump. Trump, Sessions and Kushner appear to have met with Kislyak at the event, although both Kushner and Sessions have said any meeting was only in passing and they don’t recall what was discussed. Read further. By Tom McCarthy | President of the Center for the National Interest, a Washington thinktank, which hosted an April 2016 foreign policy speech by Trump. Trump, Sessions and Kushner appear to have met with Kislyak at the event, although both Kushner and Sessions have said any meeting was only in passing and they don’t recall what was discussed. Read further. By Tom McCarthy |
| Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t such a great idea to try to stop the Russia investigation by firing the FBI director who succeeded Mueller. Across the street from the White House, at FBI headquarters, they might consider that obstruction of justice. | Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t such a great idea to try to stop the Russia investigation by firing the FBI director who succeeded Mueller. Across the street from the White House, at FBI headquarters, they might consider that obstruction of justice. |
| But first, the facts we learned today. Papadopoulos is not a janitor-like figure in this enterprise, even though we barely knew his name. Here’s one Donald J Trump describing his foreign policy aide, at the point in his campaign when unkind souls were suggesting he didn’t have any foreign policy aides. | But first, the facts we learned today. Papadopoulos is not a janitor-like figure in this enterprise, even though we barely knew his name. Here’s one Donald J Trump describing his foreign policy aide, at the point in his campaign when unkind souls were suggesting he didn’t have any foreign policy aides. |
| “George Papadopolous, he’s an energy and oil consultant, excellent guy,” Trump told the Washington Post editorial board, alongside four more names that represented his foreign policy team. “We have many other people in different aspects of what we do, but that’s a representative group.” | “George Papadopolous, he’s an energy and oil consultant, excellent guy,” Trump told the Washington Post editorial board, alongside four more names that represented his foreign policy team. “We have many other people in different aspects of what we do, but that’s a representative group.” |
| This excellent guy was, according to his guilty plea, tasked with improving US-Russia relations. With that mission in mind, he pursued meetings with a Kremlin-connected professor in London, who promised that Russia had “dirt” on Hillary Clinton in the form of “thousands of emails”. | This excellent guy was, according to his guilty plea, tasked with improving US-Russia relations. With that mission in mind, he pursued meetings with a Kremlin-connected professor in London, who promised that Russia had “dirt” on Hillary Clinton in the form of “thousands of emails”. |
| Over several months, Papadopoulos was diligent in working his Russian contacts, including the Kremlin’s ministry of foreign affairs, as he tried to organize a meeting between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. | Over several months, Papadopoulos was diligent in working his Russian contacts, including the Kremlin’s ministry of foreign affairs, as he tried to organize a meeting between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. |
| Within a month of Trump calling him an excellent guy, Papadopoulos was emailing not just his fellow Trump aides but also a “high-ranking campaign official” with a very kind offer for Trump himself. To wit: “Putin wanting to host him and the team when the time is right.” | Within a month of Trump calling him an excellent guy, Papadopoulos was emailing not just his fellow Trump aides but also a “high-ranking campaign official” with a very kind offer for Trump himself. To wit: “Putin wanting to host him and the team when the time is right.” |
| A few months later came an alternative offer: if a trip was too difficult, perhaps “a campaign rep” could make a meeting? If not, Papadopoulos kindly offered to make the trip himself in an “off the record” capacity. His unnamed “campaign supervisor” told him he should go ahead, but the trip never happened. | A few months later came an alternative offer: if a trip was too difficult, perhaps “a campaign rep” could make a meeting? If not, Papadopoulos kindly offered to make the trip himself in an “off the record” capacity. His unnamed “campaign supervisor” told him he should go ahead, but the trip never happened. |
| For some reason, Papadopoulos lied to FBI agents about the “extent, timing and the nature of his communications” with the Russians, according to his guilty plea. Now, instead of a five-year prison term and a $250,000 fine, Papadopoulos is looking at less than six months in prison and less than $9,500 in fines. | For some reason, Papadopoulos lied to FBI agents about the “extent, timing and the nature of his communications” with the Russians, according to his guilty plea. Now, instead of a five-year prison term and a $250,000 fine, Papadopoulos is looking at less than six months in prison and less than $9,500 in fines. |
| There are many ways you could describe this sequence of events. Collusion would be the mildest word. There are also many ways that Trump and his inner circle have flatly lied about such collusion. In addition to being tired of winning, America might now be tired of hearing such lies. | There are many ways you could describe this sequence of events. Collusion would be the mildest word. There are also many ways that Trump and his inner circle have flatly lied about such collusion. In addition to being tired of winning, America might now be tired of hearing such lies. |
| “I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA – NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING,” screamed the president-elect on Twitter, just nine days before his inauguration. | “I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA – NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING,” screamed the president-elect on Twitter, just nine days before his inauguration. |
| Just in case you didn’t catch that the first couple of dozen times, President Trump tweeted on Monday morning: “Also, there is NO COLLUSION!” | Just in case you didn’t catch that the first couple of dozen times, President Trump tweeted on Monday morning: “Also, there is NO COLLUSION!” |
| Tweeting in ALL CAPS doesn’t quite match a couple of federal indictments and a guilty plea. But when that’s all you’ve got left, you may as well let loose. | Tweeting in ALL CAPS doesn’t quite match a couple of federal indictments and a guilty plea. But when that’s all you’ve got left, you may as well let loose. |
| Trump attempted to claim that the news about Manafort and Gates was so much blah blah “before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign”. | Trump attempted to claim that the news about Manafort and Gates was so much blah blah “before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign”. |
| Nice try, Mr President. | Nice try, Mr President. |
| Let’s set aside the 12 counts of the indictments, including “conspiracy against the United States”, money-laundering, tax evasion and failing to register as a foreign agent. | |
| Let’s set aside the alleged $75m in payments through offshore accounts, laundered by Manafort into property to hide the income from the prying eyes of the US government. | Let’s set aside the alleged $75m in payments through offshore accounts, laundered by Manafort into property to hide the income from the prying eyes of the US government. |
| Let’s even ignore the fact that Manafort ran the Trump campaign as its chairman, for no salary. During that time, he fended off a potentially disastrous delegate challenge at the nominating convention in Cleveland, where he also oversaw the rewriting of the party platform to be solidly pro-Russia and astonishingly anti-Ukraine. | Let’s even ignore the fact that Manafort ran the Trump campaign as its chairman, for no salary. During that time, he fended off a potentially disastrous delegate challenge at the nominating convention in Cleveland, where he also oversaw the rewriting of the party platform to be solidly pro-Russia and astonishingly anti-Ukraine. |
| For now, let’s just focus on the essential promise of the Trump campaign. | For now, let’s just focus on the essential promise of the Trump campaign. |
| Even more than making America great again, Trump talked endlessly about his corrupt opponent. He trashed Clinton at every turn for her emails, warning gravely that her presidency would be crippled by FBI investigations, especially in the closing days of the contest. | Even more than making America great again, Trump talked endlessly about his corrupt opponent. He trashed Clinton at every turn for her emails, warning gravely that her presidency would be crippled by FBI investigations, especially in the closing days of the contest. |
| “Lock her up” was the rallying cry of his entire general election, based on this supposedly serious FBI inquiry. | “Lock her up” was the rallying cry of his entire general election, based on this supposedly serious FBI inquiry. |
| Only now, the shackles are on the other foot. We always knew that Trump accused others of his own failings. Even Lyin’ Ted Cruz, in a rare moment of honesty, accurately described Trump as a pathological liar and a serial philanderer. | Only now, the shackles are on the other foot. We always knew that Trump accused others of his own failings. Even Lyin’ Ted Cruz, in a rare moment of honesty, accurately described Trump as a pathological liar and a serial philanderer. |
| Now Trump can serve out the remainder of this presidency living the life he predicted for Hillary Clinton. Making his final case to the voters before his election, Trump said the FBI investigations would trigger “an unprecedented and protracted constitutional crisis” because of “a criminal massive enterprise and cover-ups like probably nobody ever before”. | |
| He’s rarely been so right and so wrong at the same time. | He’s rarely been so right and so wrong at the same time. |