General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsForget Trump for a minute, realize w/ the Manafort flip Mueller is going after the Russians & Putin
Mueller has already indicted the hackers in Russia who did the work.
Now he's going after the boss(es).
That's what a guy who prosecuted gangs, drug cartels, mobsters, and RICO cases does.
He climbs the ladder, not just here, but internationally too.
This is bigger than Trump really. Trump is a pawn.
He's going after the Russian oligarchs Manafort was in business with, and like any good mob prosecution, he's going after the big man at the top, Vladimir Putin, who authorized the "hit" on America.
What kind of shitstorm is going to happen to Trump and Co. if Bob Mueller proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Vladimir Putin ordered the hackings of our candidates and interference in our elections to help Trump?
The Mueller team is an army at war.
unblock
(52,288 posts)he can say, ok mueller, good luck trying to bring him in, and carry on like nothing happened.
and until there's a trial, donnie can continue the same game of just denying all these allegations.
TeamPooka
(24,243 posts)proof is proof.
look at rick scott and the FL republicans who dumped on trump about the Maria deaths in Puerto Rico numbers this week.
because facts are facts and they knew it.
Either way we get to use it as a campaign issue by asking every republican in office where they stand on it.
unblock
(52,288 posts)in the case of russian interference, i'm not sure facts will cut through to the ultra-loyalists remaining in the republican party.
LiberalLovinLug
(14,175 posts)I resist these kinds of desperately zealous showers of heroism on Mueller before he's near done. I'm not convinced this Republican who still wants to have at least a small circle of friends left after this is all over, is not open to hearing fellow, more moderate Republicans whisper to him that its about preserving the the dignity of the office, (I know). That its for 'national security' reasons we simply cannot even bring up the act of treason, or even collusion or conspiracy in regards to the POTUS.
And so, in the end, the conclusion might be that Trump and family were only fractionally wrong, that they, along with everyone, were mostly duped. And/or that because they were new to the political process, they were not aware that they were doing anything wrong. (I know ignorance is no excuse, but optically it plays in their favor)
Sorry, but after W was re-elected, after so many D seats have been drained away across the country, after an orange idiot was elected President, I'm not taking anything for granted and, while hoping for the best, (Trump led away in cuffs), I am steeling myself for disappointment once again. (That most everything will be blamed on Putin, and the Trump family will be portrayed as stooges at most, and the GOP at large will not even be mentioned.)
But of course I'm always holding out hope that this could end up being an historical take-down of the whole GOP party establishment.
0rganism
(23,962 posts)every one of them is extortion waiting to happen
i'd be worried too
TeamPooka
(24,243 posts)Baitball Blogger
(46,755 posts)and maybe a remedy or two for the damage he has done to our country serving as a false president.
TeamPooka
(24,243 posts)he fired Comey.
Mueller gets closer and Vlad will not be happy with his puppet Donnie.
Who knows what he'll do?
We might see that pee tape yet.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)with other governments Russia's been conducting covert war against? Indictments, arrests for leaving Russia, and wealth seizures by many of the nations that Russia's big criminals like to live and launder their booty in would hurt them very badly, perhaps even topple Putin. We can't expect them to not strike back, though.
TeamPooka
(24,243 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)They'd just shift their wealth to other nations? Hope not, but okay for now. For sure Manafort's cooperation can't be good news for them. I've read they've been nervous all along that Putin overreached.
Qutzupalotl
(14,322 posts)We are at war. Russia has been identified as the source of the mysterious attack on the American diplomats in Cuba. Thats an act of war. So siding with Putin is giving aid and comfort to an enemy, which is impeachable treason.
renate
(13,776 posts)Its crazy to think that we went from the calm professionalism and intelligence and scandal-free integrity of Obama to... this, all in one fell swoop.
Its also crazy, IMHO, to think that Putin was capable of all this but stopped short of actually interfering with the vote count in exactly the states and with just enough of a margin of victory yo throw the election to Trump.
Qutzupalotl
(14,322 posts)So far the public has not seen evidence that the vote count was directly tampered with. Because of our precinct-level records, it might be difficult to do, though perhaps not impossible.
I think Putin does things as cheaply and efficiently as he can; cyberwar instead of ground war. If he can achieve the same result simply by altering voter registrations from people likely to vote D, and thoroughly depress them via social media right before election day, that could be enough. Just based on public reporting, that seems to be how they did it.
So Im not ready to say the fix is in for this November, although Russia is doing what it can. My tentative confidence is based on the fact that the Republicans are panicking and consider the House already lost.
Leghorn21
(13,526 posts)I totally concur with every word you posted here
And for the sake of this young Russian protester, I say
FUCK YEAH, MR. MUELLER & CO
Hang tough - were coming for you, son
maxrandb
(15,347 posts)TeamPooka
(24,243 posts)how many Republican politicians have taken their laundered money too?
I'll bet Mueller is finding out though...
Mr.Bill
(24,312 posts)It's just a matter of proving whether they knew it or not.
Patterson
(1,531 posts)Garrett78
(10,721 posts)eleny
(46,166 posts)That keeps Putin's finances from becoming available to him and his oligarchs. That weakens Putin's position with his oligarchs and ushers in a season where Putin could be toppled.
His wealth comes from the oligarchs, in part. But he's also amassed so much money that being one of the wealthiest, if not being the wealthiest man in the world, he can protect them and his personal power.
The sanctions and freezing of Russian money in foreign banks is very important key to weakening their control. It keeps them from being able to finance future disruption of western government which is one of Putin's goals.
FailureToCommunicate
(14,020 posts)Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)GeorgeGist
(25,322 posts)That's a fact, son.
NewJeffCT
(56,828 posts)If he had a legitimate indictment hanging over his head.
It also justifies keeping the Magnistky Act in place, if not strengthening it.
No, it's not being thrown into solitary at a supermax facility, but it is something.
FakeNoose
(32,714 posts)Mueller would be waiting at the airport to clap him in irons, if he ever lands on American soil.
oasis
(49,398 posts)Trump's lame defense preparation, knowing this would finally surface.
bucolic_frolic
(43,256 posts)will head toward foreign international oligarchs who are too powerful to prosecute and too protected to stand trial. Why should they? Conspiracy at home and collusion with a foreign country will be enough to right our ship of state. Relative to the international aspects of this, if any and they remain to be proven, we need a unified strong executive branch to serve our interests before tackling foreign meddlers.
TeamPooka
(24,243 posts)That can hurt them.
They think their assets are safe here.
Shell companies, real estate, bank accounts.
Mueller can turn this into a money making opportunity like confiscating drug cartels profits.
if enough rich Russians lose enough money then Vlad is in trouble.
ananda
(28,873 posts)Get the Russians and the GOP traitors OUT of
our government and election system!!!!
brush
(53,824 posts)touched by our courts so IMO nobody cares about them as to their culpability.
They are not the target.
Who is whatever American connected to trump or the trump campaign helped them target our election and social media systems.
Chakaconcarne
(2,460 posts)this country from a coup....
Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)Their lives are in danger if they seriously get into the Russian mob and threaten Putin. I hope he has SS protection. I admire him so much...particularly for his dogged persistence in our name.
And, no. I do not want to see Trump off easy on this. He has lied so much and obviously done so much for his own selfish benefit that we deserve a frog march and the confiscation of all assets connected to his crimes. Same goes for the family. That would finally MAGA.
Onward and upward.
Raven123
(4,862 posts)TeamPooka
(24,243 posts)BigmanPigman
(51,623 posts)The moron is going to have a relaxing weekend on the golf course....NOT!
ffr
(22,671 posts)Uncle Joe
(58,391 posts)Thanks for the thread TeamPooka.
Skraxx
(2,981 posts)He is after people he can prosecute.
However, he is almost certainly working hand in glove with Ongoing Covert Ops against ongoing criminal activity. But we wouldnt and shouldnt have any knowledge at all about that arm. It would be completely compartmentalized.
TeamPooka
(24,243 posts)that he can't reach in Russia.
he is after the truth.
Skraxx
(2,981 posts)To prosecute the Americans involved. Theres nothing he can do to Putin. Ops on the other hand can at least try to disrupt his schemes.
TeamPooka
(24,243 posts)kers
That's to build the case for election interference from the ground up
To prosecute the Americans involved.
I never said he would be able to prosecute Putin.
But that's not going to stop him from proving Putin did it.
Skraxx
(2,981 posts)I agree hes looking to expose the direct ties. But I also do believe there operations as well that are really going after Putin, trying to discover and disrupt his schemes. They would necessarily be separate from but working closely with Mueller.
Mr. Ected
(9,670 posts)Manafort spent decades entrenched in Russian politics. He knows the players and the networks. His knowledge is invaluable to the CIA and the FBI. The Russians have infiltrated our system from top to bottom, from the federal to the state to the local level. The best way to root them all out is for an insider to name names.
Manafort will earn a reduced sentence, not by outting Trump, but by putting the squeeze on his old Russian buddies.
His family truly needs witness protection.