Politics

The Thursday Politics Thread Is 700 Pages Long

Well no, not really.

Morning Politocadoes!

So I’ve been keeping quiet for the last few days. Yes, it felt like the proper thing to do whilst the AG joined in with Mitch McConnell in his gravedigging of democracy labors. So I’ve spent my time assiduously avoiding the news, reading Swank, watching Farscape in HD, and crafting a D & D campaign.

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But hey! Looks like everything is still awful so the important thing is that my not paying attention has impacted very little!

I kid, I kid.

I like to think that I try to remain positive and defiant in the face of the dying of the light. So let’s see what we can get out of this.

The header image was taken on September 8, 1998. It is an image of what would become the Starr Report, a voluminous, detailed investigation into the Clinton Presidency, Whitewater and the Lewinsky Scandal by Independent Counsel Ken Starr. It was delivered to Congress on September 9, 1998. The total page count for the report would be 445 pages. Apart from the frank discussions of Clinton’s relationship with Monica Lewinksy, the Starr Report also ‘outlined a case for impeaching him on 11 possible grounds, including perjury, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and abuse of power.’ It was 450 pages.

Today, ‘Judge’ Andrew Napolitano claimed that the Mueller Report could ‘undoubtedly prove conspiracy’. It’s also 700 pages according to him. 700. That’s A Clash of Kings, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, and all of the Narnia books. Yet, we aren’t allowed to see it. Or if we do, only a summarized, condensed version could be drafted several months from now by AG Barr. In any case, the three page summary that Barr handed in after two days of ‘review’ is woefully inadequate at best and weaselly as hell at worst (also such a  Watergate move).

Mueller report ‘undoubtedly’ proves conspiracy, obstruction: Judge Napolitano

In other interesting news, the Grand Jury that Mueller convened is continuing its work ‘robustly’. Yes, it would seem, combined with the fact that Gates’ was continuing to cooperate and that Roger Stone aide Andrew Miller had been contacted by the Special Counsel several days ago, leaves the question open as to whether the investigation was truly finished.  I lean towards it being shut down and the ‘report’ being whatever they had at the time and Barr obfuscating as best he could.

Mueller grand jury ‘continuing robustly,’ prosecutor says

Elsewhere, Maxine Waters, Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee announced that Deutsche Banke is providing its financial records for Donald Trump to Congress. The bank, Waters claims, is well known for laundering money and for lending money to Trump in astoundingly suspicious circumstances.

Deutsche Bank turns over records on Donald Trump’s business to Maxine Waters’ committee

Also, finally, over in Britain, ‘Brexit’, the Tire Fire that never goes out, continues ablaze. Theresa May announced that she would step down following the passage of her plan. As per usual, the Ireland Simpsons Fans page has the correct take.

 

Welcome to Thursday! Please be excellent to each other! The Mayor McSquirrel Rule is in effect because we’re better than him. Keep an eye out for any news items that might be getting clammy. Mods will pin them to the top of the thread to help keep people from posting the same story.