Remember that time Manafort got trump to pick Pence as VP?

[NightWatcher]

He even went so far as to make up a story about a flat tire on trump's plane to keep him in town to meet with Pence one more night before picking him.

https://www.thenation.com/article/manafort-monday-turns-into-a-very-bad-day-for-trump-and-mike-pence/

The truth is that Manafort’s role in the Trump campaign was not “limited.” It was definitional. When Manafort was in charge of making sure that the Republican platform-writing process and convention went smoothly, the party suddenly became dramatically friendlier to Russia—to such an extent that the headline on an analysis piece published in The Washington Post just before the convention read: “Trump campaign guts GOP’s anti-Russia stance on Ukraine.”

There will be many attempts to deny and dissemble. But one thing is certain: Manafort definitely put one man in the West Wing of the White House (and the adjoining Eisenhower Executive Office Building): Mike Pence.

It was Manafort who brought Pence, the scandal-plagued and politically vulnerable governor of Indiana, who had backed Texas Senator Ted Cruz in that state’s Republican primary, into consideration as a vice-presidential prospect for Trump. Referring to Trump, Manafort explained last summer that “I brought him in to meet Pence.” That manipulation, said Manafort, fostered the notion that Pence “had value to Trump as a potential VP nominee.”

But the Manafort-Pence connection was about more than just introducing Trump to a Republican stalwart the fixer had known for many years. Veteran Republican strategist John Weaver says, “Remember, Manafort selected the VP and was therefore the most important person on the campaign team.”

[Leghorn21]

1. I remember it well, Watcher! And we only found out in early May that one *Tom Barrack* brought

Manafort into the fold to begin with:

“...Barrack was the person who introduced Trump to Manafort, and Gates worked under Barrack on the inaugural committee. The one-time interview happened “months ago,” but has only come to light now. Barrack was also apparently told he was not a target of the investigation.”

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/05/mueller-has-interviewed-tom-barrack-a-close-friend-of-trump.html

(We also found out at this time Barrack had spoken with Mr. Mueller & Co. last December!!)

GOOD TIMES

[rainin]

2. Manafort knows he has two levels of protection. If trump goes down,

pence will pardon him.

[PatSeg]

4. I think Manafort

is more afraid of Putin than he is of Mueller or prison. Can't blame him actually.

[enid602]

5. Manafort

Many feel that the recent poisoning of the spy and his daughter in London was a 'message' to Manafort, who is known for doting on his own two adult daughters.

[PatSeg]

7. That would make perfect sense

Putin is known for "sending messages" to people, not very subtle messages either. Manafort is very familiar with Putin's world and knows the risks.

[Hekate]

3. I will never forget, and I want to know definitively what the HELL was behind that

[sandensea]

6. Not so much Manafort, I think it's safe to say, as this guy:

Putin owns Ed Pence, the Veep's older brother. As they say in Russia: You own someone's brother, you own that person.