As compelling as Wolff and Woodward’s books were, McCabe’s writings are a bit different. According to McCabe, his book was vetted by the FBI itself. McCabe was also in on policy discussions with other government officials.
And he is being attacked more forcefully by the Right (even allowing for the increase of the kray-kray as the Trump regime continues)
“The President, for reasons still not totally understood, stalled for three more days.”
Actually, those reasons are completely understood.
I thought Pence’s reaction was interesting. And it’s intriguing that Flynn was just as aware as we assumed he’d be that he’d be monitored during a phone call with a Russian diplomat. It’s as if the shameless brazenness is a technique and a goal in itself, like Boss Tweed’s “What are you going to do about it?”
“About three weeks later, Flynn was ousted over the episode…” Is this our best understanding? This is directly contrary to what the White House counsel’s office had to say at the time. And, Rachel Maddow told me last night that Flynn wasn’t ousted, he left on his own. I has confuz.
Conservatives will claim that treason, conspiring with hostile powers and enemies, quid pro quo bribery are an integral part of American politics since time immemorial. Jesus had his Judas Iscariot, George Washington had his Benedict Arnold, Alexander Hamilton had his Aaron Burr. So the Christian Founders of America expected treason…
“His head showed but barely — tiny shakes of no. He said a few things along the lines of I can’t believe this, and This is totally opposite, and It’s not what he said to me.”
Is it too late to nominate Pence for an Oscar for this gripping performance?
As during Watergate, of course the main question is: “What did the President know, and when did he know it?” Did Trump know that Flynn was going to speak to Kislyak about sanctions before the discussions? Or, when after the discussions?
One key point that bears mention is that we are still waiting to see (or hear) the transcripts of Flynn’s recorded conversations with Kislyak. And, of course, what did Flynn finally tell the Mueller team once he decided to cooperate? We’ll see.
It’s trumpp’s attacks on his wife which are also disturbing. He called her “a loser” because she’d lost a VA state house race, never mind she’s is a pediatric ER physician. This show trummp’s sadism at its worst.
Trump is a tyrant, to be sure: tyrannical in his business, tyrannical surely with his family. But in a way this demand that ONLY he be BELIEVED smacks of something more: that of the deranged psychotic who demands that only he has The Truth–like some religious nutcase prophet.
His sins against reality means that he is demanding faith and loyalty from his followers and associates, just like some founder of a new religion.
Yates was concerned that Flynn could be blackmailed. My, how quaint, now that we know that most of the WH principles are literally “in like Flynn.”
On Trump asking McCabe if he was part of the resistance (Josh’s thought on Trump lying as power theme) I think “resistance” here refers to NYC FBI, the ant-Clinton cabal that forced Comey to go public with the Weiner laptop. So I think Trump was asking him if he were part of the Trump team, not what most of us mean by The Resistance.
Their antiChrist is a means to an end
Yes and they provided remedies.
The question I have here is what Pence was thinking as he read this - was Pence shaking his head no because he:
A) Couldn’t believe Flynn discussed the sanctions with Kislyak,
B) Couldn’t believe Flynn would lie to him about it,
C) Couldn’t believe Flynn was stupid enough to get caught, or
D) Couldn’t believe the FBI would approach him with this information instead of keeping their mouths shut?
In other words, what does this say about how much Pence knew, when he knew it, his own level of willful corruption, and the level of corruption he expects from and within the executive branch? The described reactions could be read in a number of different ways.
Pence was just mad Flynn did such a crappy job of keeping it all under wraps.
Typical Trump character assassination. And he wonders why he is reviled by so many.
I think raspberries would be more appropriate, or a Bronx cheer.
These are interesting questions. I have always been skeptical of the “he lied to Pence” story. Partly because who cares what Pence thinks? And partly because I have assumed that Pence is also involved in the conspiracy (Manafort went to a lot of effort to get him picked and he was in charge of the transition).
I always assumed that Pence lied to the American people for the same reason that everyone else in this administration does- because trump told him to.
So it was interesting to see a first hand account of Pence being told about Flynn’s lies.
Let’s not forget too that Cummings wrote a letter on Flynn to Pence in his capacity as Trump Transition Head. So this “surprise” has never made sense to me, and still doesn’t. The fact of what Flynn did was never a stated concern of this White House, only that he “lied to Pence.” SMH