Well, well. Tuesday was certainly an interesting day.
Paul Manafort was convicted of tax fraud, and at almost the same time, Michael Cohen–aka Trump’s “fixer”–pled guilty to several counts of tax and bank fraud. Cohen’s plea implicated the President, as it included a confession that Cohen had made the hush money payments “at the direction of a federal candidate.”
The Manafort trial grew out of an investigation conducted by the Special Counsel, but the charges didn’t involve Trump. The conventional wisdom was that a conviction would give Mueller leverage to strike a deal–to get Manafort to flip. That remains to be seen, and of course, Manifort faces another trial, in another jurisdiction, in September.
At the very least, the conviction and guilty plea are evidence that–far from being a politically-motivated enterprise, as Trump has maintained, the investigation has focused on and uncovered significant and troubling illegal activities by the President’s close associates.
The media has been all over both stories, and the punditry is in overdrive. Vox had an explanation of “what it all means” in which it consulted several federal prosecutors and other legal experts; most of them said what anyone with a functioning brain already knew–this is more evidence that the Mueller investigation is anything but a “witch hunt,” these results aren’t good news for Trump, etc.
The one expert who genuinely added to my understanding of the various possibilities was Asha Rangappa, a former FBI agent who is now a senior lecturer at Yale, who raised some fascinating points I’d not previously considered.
A potentially bigger threat to President Trump is what Cohen could provide to the Southern District of New York about potential crimes committed by Trump or members of his family that are unrelated to the Russia probe. Michael Cohen, as Trump’s longtime “fixer” knows where the proverbial bodies are buried when it comes to the Trump Organization and particularly its finances going back many, many years.
If Cohen provided information on potentially criminal activities to the Southern District and it opened an investigation into them, it would place the President in a double bind: First, since it would be an investigation separate and apart from the Mueller probe, he wouldn’t be able to argue that the Special Counsel exceeded his mandate or crossed a “red line” — after all, any U.S. Attorney’s office is legally authorized (and duty-bound) to investigate any violations of federal law it learns about.
More importantly, such an investigation would be completely insulated from any steps Trump might take to fire Mueller, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, or even Attorney General Jeff Sessions (especially since his interim pick to head the Southern District who recused himself from overseeing the Cohen investigation, would undoubtedly recuse himself from any other Trump-related investigation as well). So Trump has much more to fear from Cohen than just what he knows about Russia-related matters.
America’s system of federalism has often been an impediment to justice. For a long time, “state’s rights” was a euphemism for “the right of our state to discriminate.” But there is something so satisfying about the prospect of New York State pursuing Donald Trump, charging him with violations of state criminal laws in a process that he is powerless to obstruct–violations his pardon power could not reach if he and/or his family are found guilty of them.
And let’s get real. The odds are high that Trump–who has been accused of numerous nefarious activities and who has surrounded himself with gangsters and thugs throughout his career–is guilty of a variety of criminal activities.
Right now, of course, the action is all at the federal level. A sense of expectation has been triggered by these proceedings–a hint that perhaps, just perhaps, the noose is tightening and the investigation is coming to a conclusion.
I’d say “pass the popcorn” but who knows what our demented President will do as that noose tightens? After all, he still has the nuclear codes…..
That big “Witch Hunt” that Trump keeps whining about sure is catching a lot of witches.
As for the State of New York’s hunt for all things nefarious that Trump& Co. have done, Rachel Maddow last night detailed one of those investigations to my little heart’s delight. So good to see the bright light of day shine on the Trump gangster family.
I feel somewhat nauseous whenever I hear Mr. Trump shouting out cliches. Most of the time he doesn’t even use a complete sentence. “Witch Hunt,” “No Collusion,” “Fake News,” “Sad.” Rarely have I felt my intelligence, and that if our nation, so insulted and abased.
“A juror who participated in the trial of President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, said just one holdout prevented the jury from convicting Manafort on all of the 18 federal charges he faced.”
The quote above was posted this morning on Business Insider; the one juror holdout was a woman…kind of fits with the entire Trump & Company supporters? This one juror plus Judge Ellis’ biased oversight of Manafort’s trial are highly suspicious – but then, I have become a conspiracy theorist over the past year or so. The 10 remaining charges were classed as a mistrial which leaves them open to be refiled and retried; early reports of the verdict stated it depends on Manafort and a possible plea agreement to take to the sentencing. Haven’s seen that comment repeated since Tuesday. Maybe one of the attorneys on this blog can come forward with information on that possibility…but, this is still regarding Manafort’s FIRST trial.
“The Manafort trial grew out of an investigation conducted by the Special Counsel, but the charges didn’t involve Trump.”
The Cohen situation also “grew” out of the investigation by Mueller; when he saw that oncoming Trump train and no escape route but to remove himself from direct contact for self-preservation. He is an intelligent man and attorney so he knew what he was doing while he was doing it; why else would he – like Omarosa – tape conversations and save Tweets, E-mails and videos if not for self protection from the known criminal he was representing?
Trump’s big mouth and bigger ego opened the door to this pit of vipers early on, before his presidential campaign had even begun, with his adoration of Vladimer Putin and Russian government over and above past American presidents, this government and our Constitution. The current Manafort and Cohen trials grew out of Mueller’s ever-expanding investigation which keeps turning over rocks and snatching the vermin that runs from beneath them, involving multi-millions and foreign agents and business deals. Can – will – all of these widening investigations total a final RICO charge against this sitting president? But; again, I have become a conspiracy theorist watching our government unravel daily.
Personally, I’m glad the POTUS has taken a liken to Twitter. I don’t get invited to press conferences, but who needs them when you have his Twitter comments. 😉
“Perjury trap.”
What Rudy is afraid of is probably buried in Trump’s tax return which has not been produced to date. I believe both Manafort and Cohen were tax frauds. So, birds of a feather…
In a Bloomberg article, buried clear down at the bottom was this little beauty:
“Cohen profited from Trump’s surprise 2016 election, even as the modest fortune he amassed from taxi fleets in New York and Chicago began to decline. He received millions of dollars in payments from companies, including Novartis AG and AT&T Inc., that wanted an inside edge when it came to Trump administration policy. Some of the companies subsequently apologized after those payments were made public, and some of the top executives involved in his hiring took early retirements.”
This could be found on anyone in Washington with a little digging. However, Mueller still hasn’t connected the dots between Russia and Trump. The nefarious ones know how to move money around so it’s virtually untraceable. The Koch’s are masters of dark money.
Why isn’t Mueller investigating the Koch brothers if he’s really interested in our failing democracy?
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-21/cohen-says-he-broke-campaign-finance-laws-on-trump-s-orders?cmpid=BBD082218_MKT&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=180822&utm_campaign=markets
Todd,
“Why isn’t Mueller investigating the Koch brothers if he’s really interested in our failing democracy?”
When will you stop introducing REALITY into this blog? How can I hold on to my BLISSFULNESS when you keep bringing up the TRUTH? I’m beginning to think you might be against MIKE PENCE taking advantage of all of this.
Why don’t you get off your “high horse?”
This is the most successful witch hunt the world has ever seen. The remaining question is, “When will Congressional Republicans find their backbone?”
BTW, Todd, Mueller hasn’t the authority to go after the Koch. Consider that they spend too much money to be accused of any specific quid pro quo. We need a congress that will do something about Citizens United.
VOTE BLUE!
“Why isn’t Mueller investigating the Koch brothers if he’s really interested in our failing democracy?”
Todd; please try to say with us here. The issue is clearly stated in the title and body of the blog and in the comments…till the one from you above. Why didn’t the Manafort trial include another co-conspirator from the long list Mueller has uncovered. Because they are separate issues! The Koch brothers are protected by Citizens United; the growing list of Mueller’s Russian investigation are separate from Koch brothers and each conspirator is a separate issue within the investigation.
“…Mueller still hasn’t connected the dots between Russia and Trump.”
You have no way of knowing what dots Mueller has connected – or rejected – between Russia and Trump because he is still investigating, uncovering more culprits and dots to connect. Too many of the American public demanding all answers NOW are impatient, many being of the “instant gratification” generation, a full and complete investigation will be done IF Mueller is allowed to continue unimpeded. The Watergate investigation covered 28 months and resulted in the resignation and immediate pardon of Nixon; thorough investigation by Mueller may prevent an immediate pardon by Pence IF Trump is ousted…but only if all dots are connected.
It truly was a fascinating day! I almost wanted to check my calendar to make sure that I wasn’t back in 1974 again and looking for my copy of the Washington Post and the latest from Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. That was a very tense time in a lot of ways obviously but for us stationed down at MCAS Quantico charged with flying Marine One in Richard Nixon’s last days in office we were on alert against any “strange” orders emanating from the White House. I must admit, it felt like that to me.
This morning, I got up and I’m watching ”Morning Joe” as I normally do over breakfast and I’m watching a video clip from Fox News where Trump is being interviewed and in a perhaps 5 minute duration encountered almost 50 lies from him. He is truly a Lie-O-Matic machine – he just can’t help himself. Columnist John Harwood described his conduct as that of a small child who thinks the whole world revolves around him which sums him up perfectly but also tragically.
This is a tragedy, all of it, and it’s far from being over yet. Meanwhile, everything that is connected in any way with the Office of the President of United States is going to hell in a handbasket. Vladimir Putin is going to need hospitalization from maybe injuring his face from laughing so hard at what this man is doing every day and the shambles, total shambles, we are currently in as a result of his actions and that of the feckless, totally feckless Congress that refuses to do anything about it.
The utter silence from the Republicans is deafening and that from the Democrats is not far behind. To say that our national government has been rendered dysfunctional is a very serious understatement and the fact that 25% of our electorate hangs on every lying word this man says is just stunning.
My hope is that many DC operatives will be taken down with the Mueller investigation for their illegal activities unrelated to Russia. It has always been apparent that those with power in DC have been getting away with breaking laws without any consequences.
If everyone there is doing something that they shouldn’t be doing then they certainly aren’t going to put their fellow lawbreakers in jeapordy. DC has been a den of criminals and thieves since it became our nation’s capital. I am looking forward to watching enough big players brought down that it will put a damper, at least for a little while, on the criminal activities of others who may fear they cannot trust that they will be allowed to get away with their crimes.
The souls of the witch-hunters in Salem must be relieved that so many witches have finally been caught.
I’m with Todd. Without bringing the Koch brothers into the mix, we’re just setting up Mike Pence.
And then what?
This blog doesn’t want to deal with that reality. Majority rules. I’m out.
Vote Blue!
Mr. Smekens:
“Why isn’t Mueller investigating the Koch brothers if he’s really interested in our failing democracy?”
Are you saying that’s part of Mueller’s mandate and he’s neglecting it?
I don’t think so, but you sound like it and the “if he’s really interested” is “really” cutsey, isn’t it?.
If our democracy is truly failing that would be an indictment of you, me, the electorate and the Founding Fathers, wouldn’t it?
We are already on the road to recovery from this disaster. With your evident rhetorical skills, you will give the recovery a boost.
Thanks for voting BLUE November 6th. That’s OUR mandate, our FIRST STEP to combat the looming bobble-head Pence menace.
OMG; I Googled Todd Smekens’ name, he is a big fish in the little puddle that is Muncie, Indiana. A small town with big city problems that Ball Company and Ball State University have not been able to alleviate or resolve for many years. My grandson lived there for 4 years; graduated from BSU with a degree in Engineering in May 2017. Todd does get a few “hits” but more often “misses” the mark; the Koch brother reference amidst the Trump/Russia/Mueller investigation is a good example. All of these issues revolve around money; outgoing from Koch brothers but incoming to Trump & Company are separate issues…unless, as you questioned a connection between the two.
I would suspect the tax evasion, fraud, money laundering, insider deals , etc., are not an anomaly unique to Manafort or Cohen.
From the Guardian: A day after telling a federal court that Donald Trump directed him to violate campaign finance laws, Michael Cohen was hit with a subpoena in a separate investigation in New York state of Trump’s charitable foundation.
The New York state attorney general, Barbara Underwood, sued the Donald J Trump charitable foundation, Donald Trump and three of his children in June for allegedly violating state charity laws.
“The foundation is little more than an empty shell that functions with no oversight from its board of directors,” the lawsuit alleged.
Prosecutors allege that Trump had not contributed to the charity since 2008 but used millions contributed tax-free by outside donors as “little more than a checkbook” to settle legal claims against his Mar-a-Lago resort and against Trump National Golf Club. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/22/michael-cohen-subpoena-trump-foundation-charity-investigation
===========================================================================
The New York State investigation has the potential to be real threat to President Agent Orange himself and his family of slime.
In a few minutes President Agent Orange received a double salvo, with Cohen pleading guilty and Manafort being found guilty on eight of eighteen counts. I watched CNN, MSDNC and FAUX News, the day of the double salvo.
FAUX News could not deny the reality of the double salvo event. After a bit of stumbling, the script was that Mueller had exceeded his authority. FAUX News quickly pivoted to the story about an illegal alien allegedly killing a young woman, a tragedy to be sure, but an attempt to distract.
The die hard followers of President Agent Orange – the Trumpter’s are not likely to be swayed in the least. The reaction of the elected Right Wing Reactionary Republicans has been a circle the wagons defense around President Agent Orange.
What we can be sure of is President Agent Orange will continue to lie in public and toss out flash-bang grenades to to create more distractions.
Yes that witch hunt is finding a lot of witches. More to come.
Re: The Mueller “Witch Hunt”
Keep stirring the cauldron, Bob!
Truth is the most powerful lie.
Rudy Giuliani “Truth isn’t truth.” 8/19/18
Traditional history views events in continuity, as rational, evolutionary, understandable, and often with progress attributed. But history is better seen as a series of “discontinuities” or “disruptions”. (Foucault and Nietzsche) The great historic events of the 20th century are bound to include the rise of fascism, two world wars, nuclear bombs, and the collapse of the Soviet Union, among others. These events were great disruptions and historic shifts of politics or power, or both. In a real sense they redefined reality.
In my view, Trump represents another historic discontinuity, in as much as it reflects another major disruption in politics and power. It reveals the inherent instability in all our political and social institutions. If successful, it will represent an historic juncture where one set of assumptions and explanations displaces another. And the spearhead of this great disruption is what is “true”. The political and social are particularly vulnerable to this assault because value-laden beliefs commonly substitute for facts.
Trump is trying to usher in a new epoch of “truth telling” premised on the assertion that what we have commonly accepted as true, are now, all lies. This is possible because as Foucault said, “Truth is to be understood as a system of ordered procedures for the production, distribution and operation of statements. Truth is linked in circular relationship with systems of power which produce and sustain it. Each society has its own regime of truth, it’s ‘general politics’ of truth.” Trump seeks to establish a new system. For him, lies coupled with power can generate the intended effect of truth, namely a sense of ‘knowledge’. Thus, truth can be subordinated to power. Truth is the most powerful lie.
While the choir sings the anthem after another thought provoking post from Sheila, does anyone know if there is a diagnosis for narcissistic arrested socio-economic political pyromania disorder?
The question now is not “witch hunt” but “which hunt” will eventually bring Trump down – the Feds or the State of New York. Conspiracy and income tax evasion are the charges that are most often used to convict mob bosses because they always get their underlings to do the dirty work. And make no mistake about it, Trump is as much a businessman as the mob bosses who claim they are legitimate businessmen.
Had this been Obama or Clinton instead of Trump, the Republicans would have had half a dozen congressional committees investigating them by now. They have been relentless when it comes to chasing down every conspiracy theory when it involves Democrats, but when confronted with hard evidence of Trump’s involvement in crimes, suddenly they need more facts. The argument that these crimes do not involve collusion, so there is really nothing to be concerned about, are nonsensical. I do not believe the Republicans have a red line when it comes to this president. Even if he fires Mueller, which many of them admit would be a step too far, they will cave again. The Republican party is totally craven and we can not expect them to do anything to reign in Trump, no matter what depravities he next visits on this nation. The only hope of returning to some normalcy is a Blue Wave in November.
Norris, I don’t know about a “diagnosis”, but the cure for that condition is impeachment, indictment, arrest, trial, guilty verdict followed by a lengthy stay at a maximum security federal prison.
Theresa: I saw a meme “Trump 2020–20 for collusion, 20 for obstruction” I’m all for that!
Wray, good one! I’ll be laughing all day.
What is for me the most intriguing part of the Manafort potboiler seems to have dropped from reporters’ and pundits’ radar. To wit, why does a man who is desperately in debt and possibly in fear for his life because of it accept a job that ostensibly pays him nothing and could, in fact, further jeopardize his prospects of repayment? One possible legal explanation is that he believed that the publicity the job offered could enhance his future job prospects. More likely, it seems to me, is that (1) his Russian connections attracted Trump’s attention and elicited promises of protection and reward; (2) he was flat out of work after losing the sponsorship of Victor Yanukovych and chose to hide in plain sight from Oleg Deripaska, the oligarch pursuing him.
Whatever the case, only two men in the world – Trump and Manafort – know the terms of their mutual and almost certainly unwritten agreement. Robert Mueller has many more dots to connect than we know of, and may be able to provide an answer to this mystery. Therein, if there’s any justice left, lies a lot of jail time for our Unindicted Co-Conspirator in Chief.
I’m ill equipped to add anything to the legal details surrounding any of this mess but have the impression that when it’s over the person we’ll admire most is Mueller. What he’s accomplished, and I believe there’s much more to come, is marvelous prosecutorial chess. He is methodically building his case step by step and what we are seeing are basically his opening moves.
I think when history reviews the game it will conclude that the only way that Trump could have avoided accountability was to fire Mueller well before now but Mueller kept a very low profile until the point of that resolution effectively passed.
Well played Robert.
Love it, Wray!
John Neal – I liked your analysis and references today. Trump is living part time in an Otherworld he has constructed to house his terminal narcissism where truth becomes what he says it is. He is ill. I think the most important reference in today’s offering is the ability of the State of New York to prosecute Trump for his use of his “charity institution” as a checking account for elections, sexual doings etc., an ability free from his control or pardon. The traditional insistence on state’s rights under the Tenth Amendment by Republicans may well come out to haunt them – or so I hope. We are just getting a good start under Mueller’s fleshing out the authority granted him in his limited portfolio, and if Trump fires him today, it’s too late what with the massive number of impeachable offenses already available for his report, not to mention what the State of New York may have in store for his future – like 10 years for fraud etc. Hang on, because the pot is just beginning to boil as the indictments may start coming down soon for those in Trump’s inner circle and yet other Russian oligarchs.
“the one juror holdout was a woman…kind of fits with the entire Trump & Company supporters? ”
If by this you are referencing the “fact” that 53% of women voted for Trump, that is incorrect. 53% of WHITE women voted for Trump. The majority of women did not vote for him.
Gerald,
Thanks. Agree with your comments.
John
though he said,its is not,a witch hunt,im sure somehow,i find every one whos been questioned by mueller, after thier “A” male rant about not copping out,they all came out with thier tails between their legs.now, if i see they are rolling over,to get a fair deal, then again,the system is rigged for the wealth again,even in the mud…Cohens lawyer wants a fund to help,(so his lawyer gets paid)(lenny,get a job)poor rich lawyer get a hand, maybe he should ask guiliani,,,im sure mueller has alot of proof,of what is and has,gone down… im reading alot into this,but,i read alot about, manaforts treason,trumps money laundering,possibly thru his casinos,and mueller is well aware of it,and maybe reopening the case..seems those russian buddies ,aka,browders hedge fund thieves,oleg deripreska,prevezon, chris steeles memos,(if you like a good 312 pages of testamony,the senate judiciary comm,8/22/17 hart bldg, questioning glen simpson,and his testamony of trump,via being hired only to get some info on trumps buisness,and found the russian question,and how,)seriously,hes on our side..and bob dryfus,through thenation.com,article, what did trump and kushner know about money laundering,and when did they know it. the story leds to a article by james henry,of theamericaninterests.com. (this is a russian mob,and criminal org,and congess is well aware of it,), this is old news,collusion,who cares,they will weather that,but, the russians using trumps peoperties to launder money,im guessing mueller has alot of dirt already stashed,and looking to put the dots in a row… congress has a job,its screw the working class, gain interests in wall street,and dictate,how america will now be run,,corprate style..no vote,no voice,no more America..congress has sigantures on ever thing they have conned everyone into,and money is now the power. im sure trumps reign in office will end,and hopefully,the DOJ will convict,and take congress with them for dereliction of congress and its duties to the people,kinda like the french revolution,but,sans the blood,id rather see them spend a few decades in a corporate run,8X10 with half wit low paid guards. the prisoners (congress and wall streets elite)they ya know have ,decided how much,we will make,how much we will spend,where we will spend it,when we will spend it,and how it will be spent. this is corprate nation now,and you voted for it.. ignroarance now reigns supreme, witch hunt,who cares, if congress hasnt acted yet,impeaching mc evil and ryan,they should be the first to go, imagine,mcevil in a striped prison garb,,priceless…
The possibility of the State of New York investigating the Trumps gives me hope. On the federal level, I really have none. Even if the Democrats take both houses, I foresee some Senator, or Senators, who don’t want history to list them as a vote for this country’s first successful removal of a President by impeachment.
If Trump and/or his family are subsequently tried in federal court, President Pence may just issue a preemptive pardon. Even if that isn’t the case, I suspect that even a Democratic President would issue the pardon because they don’t want this to look “partisan” and/or fear that it would damage our democracy. A lot of people will agree.
I, on the other hand, remember that many an Illinois former Governor has ended up in Terre Haute, or as it is known, “from the State House to the Big House”. Illinois still exists.
Again, all interesting and insightful comments and contributions. However, what stays with me longest is the fact that the Trump elephant in the room has lived his whole life exactly the way he conducts himself as our so called president. Nothing any court or judge does to him will make any difference in the way he will conduct himself as long as he has the power he hangs onto now. He will not give up and he will not stop being who and what he is. He will take this whole country down with him before he goes. Once the courts start dragging his kids into the mix he will do even more damage to all of us including his deluded and confused supporters. And even when it comes to his kids if their legal woes begin to limit his power there is no doubt in my mind he will throw them under the bus. Voting blue? Seems kind of ineffective to me but what else is there? Really, someone tell me, what else is there?
Maywin,
“Voting blue? Seems kind of ineffective to me but what else is there? Really, someone tell me, what else is there?”
Maybe we should try the REAL TRUTH.
From part one of “22 Cell in Nuremberg” by Douglas M. Kelley, M.D. [The official United States psychiatrist who examined the high ranking Nazi war criminals and learned their most intimate secrets]:
Part one THE ENVIRONMENT
“What is normal for a pagan barbarian may not be for a creature of a Christian-industrial-twentieth-century culture. Since my return from Europe where I was Psychiatrist to the Nuremberg Jail, I have realized that many Americans—even well-informed ones—do not grasp that concept. For too many of them have said to me:
‘What kind of people were those Nazis really? Of course, all the top fellows weren’t normal. Obviously they were insane, but what sort of insanity did they have?’
Insanity is no explanation for the Nazis. They were simply creatures of their environment, as all humans are; and they were also—to a greater degree than most humans are—the makers of their environment. Though this is not the place to recapitulate the growth of their ideologies, or their party, nonetheless I believe that the psychological bent of the 22 Nuremberg Nazis will be more readily apparent if we refresh our memory by recalling the CULTURAL MATRICES by which they were conditioned.”
Dr. Kelly’s hands-on research concluded with the fact that similar personalities could be found among the many patients he had treated in America. In other words, the Nazi leaders were not so exceptional after all. We have had the same type of personalities walking the streets with us. Some have even had the aspiration of being President.
This is an extremely important book. It sold for 50 cents in 1947. There’s only one book available on Amazon for less than $99.99 at the present time. I’ve had my copy for about 25 years. It was easy to summarize. No need to read the book. It would be wise to keep in mind Dr. Kelly’s dire warnings, and understand the extreme dangers we’re now facing from the Right.
“I skate to where the puck is gonna be, not where it has been.”
~ Wayne Gretzky, former National Hockey League great.
Maywin, we need to heed Gretzky’s advice BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
Many of us owe who we are to Adolph Hitler. He created the troubles that many Americans rose to the challenge of defeating and a culture of collaboration was born and largely displaced what defined us before which was colonialism (the parent of slavery) and aristocracy (another form of slavery).
Unfortunately much the generation following us was defined by entertainment as well as the vestiges of treating others like livestock.
The next generation after them seems more to accept entertainment for what it is and isn’t so affected by it.
It’s that second generation that seems most problematic to me. Many can be brutish and unable to practice critical thinking and defined mostly by overexposure to shallowness.
Of course time offers one solution to our problems. They will die off having consumed all that the generation before gave them and pass pretty much an empty husk of a country on to the next generations who will either rise to the challenge or be defined by their failure to.
Someone was the first to say “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice”.
It’s a pretty gradual bend.
Too bad prosecutors in the Manafort trial didn’t employ “Bull” – “Dr Jason Bull is the charming and cocky founder of successful trial consulting firm Trial Analysis Corporation, where he and his team of experts employ psychology, human intuition and high-tech data to understand jurors.” The one hold out has photos making the rounds on Facebook of her in a MAGA hat. Enough said.