Be VERY suspicious of the Guardian story and other stories with single outlet reporting

[grantcart]

For the last 2 years all of the major breaking stories on the Trump administration have been broken by a major outlet and then confirmed by other outlets including: NYT, WAPO, WSJ, NBC etc. Usually the confirmation comes within a few hours of the others.

The Guardian story about Manafort meeting with Assange is

1) too convenient
2) too easy to prove wrong (only have to show Manafort was in another country at the time
3) hasn't been confirmed by any other outlet, they aren't running with it.

Remember how they set up Rather on Bush and his military service record.

It is quite possible that they are going to float untrue negative stories about Manafort so that they can later prove them wrong and establish a narrative that Manafort was railroaded by an unfair press running false stories about him (which they placed) and then use that as a justification for a Presidential pardon.

Something doesn't smell right about the Guardian story. Up until now Stone/Corsi have been thought of as the agents talking with Assange and now all of a sudden its Manafort meeting just a few days before he joins the campaign.

If Manafort didn't go to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London they will be able to prove it easily by documenting that he was somewhere else in the world.

Doesn't pass the smell test.

[OnDoutside]

1. Bear in mind that this report doesn't matter a damn to Mueller. He knows far, far more than us.

[byronius]

2. Recommending because of your reputation for thoughtfulness, not because I know anything about this.

[Hortensis]

3. We should always want information confirmed.

And sourcing is vague and other media are scrambling to confirm but not publishing results yet.

Imo, right now it's:
Too early to assume it's true.
Too early to say it smells.

Agree with OnDoubtside, though, that it doesn't affect the Mueller investigation in the least. Funny that the investigations seems so quiet and calm to our view, and yet the quiet drama happening within must be far, far greater than the incessant, clammering dramatization that's all we're privy to.

[thbobby]

4. So much speculation about Mueller and what he knows.

All I really know is I don't really know. I know Mueller is very smart. But all the guessing about why Manafort lied, did he meet Assange, what Mueller knows, will trump children be indicted, etc. etc. on and on may be cathartic or fun, but it really means little.

[MineralMan]

5. Remember Glen Greenwald? He also wrote for the Guardian.

They don't always get it right, I'm afraid.

I'm waiting for some sort of corroboration.

[Pacifist Patriot]

6. I agree corroboration is necessary, but I don't see Luke Harding being easily duped.

I hope confirmation comes soon.

[grantcart]

7. He was probably fed some very convincing material

I note that between the time the OP was started and your reply Trump has already started laying the foundation for a Manafort pardon

https://nypost.com/2018/11/28/trump-says-pardon-for-paul-manafort-still-a-possibility/

[lostnfound]

8. I really appreciate the Guardian but agree with you nt