Why Trump Stories Matter [Updated]
I think people lose sight of the fact that the United States of America is facing its gravest Constitutional crisis since the Civil War, and that we are now on the brink of the confrontation that will do much to decide the outcome.
That piece from Benjamin Wittes at Lawfare was published Tuesday, before we knew the object of the raid: The tapes Cohen almost certainly made of his phone conversations. The Washington Post broke that story, which is behind a paywall, so I’ll quote it:
“We heard he had some proclivity to make tapes,” said one Trump adviser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation. “Now we are wondering, who did he tape? Did he store those someplace where they were actually seized? . . . Did they find his recordings?”…
It is unknown whether Cohen taped conversations between himself and Trump. But two people familiar with Cohen’s practices said he recorded both business and political conversations. One associate said Trump knew of Cohen’s practice because the attorney would often play him recordings Cohen had made of his conversations with other top Trump advisers. “It was his standard practice to do it,” this person said.
Cohen wanted his business calls on tape so he could use them later as leverage, one person said. Cohen frequently noted that under New York law, only one party had to consent to the taping of a conversation, this person added.
Targeting such tapes would explain the extraordinary steps taken to raid Cohen’s office. As Josh Marshall pointed out, such tapes would be exceedingly valuable to investigators, and comparatively easy to destroy and destroy quickly, which would provide justification for the raid.
Trump knows Cohen has tapes, because Cohen played one of them for him. I’m kind of surprised he hasn’t fired Rosenstein already, and I wonder if Republicans have told him in private that they won’t support him if he does.
A hearing is taking place right now at the federal courthouse in Manhattan to determine whether the tapes, if there are any, are covered by attorney-client privilege. Talking Points Memo has a reporter there.
UPDATE: Cohen’s lawyer argued that Cohen should get to determine what material might be covered by attorney-client privilege, rather than follow the standard procedure for such cases. Trump had an attorney there to second it. Looks like another hearing set for Monday.
Meanwhile, NBC reports Rod Rosenstein is prepared to be fired after approving the raid.
The NBC link isn’t working. Here is the url: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/deputy-ag-rod-rosenstein-tells-confidantes-he-prepared-be-fired-n865596
Thanks, SW. Got it fixed up top as well.
The House of Blood
Its color is white but it is red with blood
The residents’ name should really be mud
Instead they get fancy honors and titles
Wars for them is a musical recital
The hum of their drones flying through the air
Are killing children without due care
This is hellishly called “collateral damage”
These are the words of the resident savage
Immaculately dressed in a business suit
An eloquent speaker is this callous brute
Surrounded by sycophants and flunkeys too
Evil is what these people plan and do
War and more war is their hellish aim
Are they all devils and bloody insane?
Countries are reduced to smoking rubble
These well-dressed maniacs are big trouble
People are fleeing and dying too
From the hell produced by this satanic crew
Refugees are drowning in deadly waters
Trying to escape the endless slaughters
These helpless victims once had homes
Now they have nothing, and just roam
Helpless, homeless people on the move
With nothing really left to improve
The perpetrators call their crimes “bringing democracy”
Surely creating hell on earth is really hypocrisy
But when criminals rule there is no justice
And law and order is totally corrupted
The war criminals slogan is “responsibility to protect”
They tell that to the people whose countries they wrecked
Those still alive can hear the bombs explode and thud
A hellish “courtesy” from the House of Blood
Stephen J. Gray
You’re spamming the blog at this point. Either post stuff that pertains to the discussion or go elsewhere. This isn’t your bulletin board, or a community bulletin board for that matter.
I am spamming? Look at the number of remarks by you…whose spamming? lol.
Um….it’s partly my blog, idiot.
Idiot! your a nasty piece of work. So its your blog and I would know that how. So are the readers to understand you and a couple of people are the ones “permitted” by you to post here, is that what your saying?
“I would know that how”
The fact that I author at least one post a day would give most people a strong clue.
“So are the readers to understand you and a couple of people are the ones “permitted” by you to post here, is that what your saying?”
I’m saying exactly what I said. It’s not a community bulletin board, it’s not your personal space to do whatever you want. Most people understand this implicitly. Your inability to do so speaks volumes.
It’s a free country, and you’re free to start your own blog. You’re not free to dictate how we run ours.
“United States of America is facing its gravest Constitutional crisis since the Civil War, and that we are now on the brink of the confrontation that will do much to decide the outcome.”
I have to agree. Up to now it has been somewhat of a circus. But now it’s gotten very serious. In fact, it would seem to me to be time to start talking about what the nation will look like post Trump. That’s not say he will not slide through all of this, but since he more concerned about his image and ratings than anything else, I think he is liable to commit some grave error due to his inattention to his job.
I used to be concerned that with Trump gone we would be stuck with Pence, who could be worse than Trump. I’ve since evolved in my thinking that almost no one could be worse than Trump to the point that I would almost welcome Pence.
I was very fearful during the election that a Trump presidency would be a disaster and was pretty desperate to get Clinton into the White House. I would love to say my fears were overblown. Instead, my greatest fears are being realized.
I’ve never had feelings this strong about an election. I’ve always thought we would persevere regardless of who was in office. I’m over being angry at those who were complicit in his winning. Now I’m just disgusted.