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TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#271576: Feb 15th 2019 at 10:53:25 PM

I think he's just afraid of what will happen if he rats on Trump/Russia for realsies. Trump's basically a Mafia don and Russia is Russia. Neither of these are known for taking good care of stoolies.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Feb 15th 2019 at 11:53:59 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#271577: Feb 15th 2019 at 11:19:58 PM

If that were his plan, he's going about it in a profoundly stupid way. He's double crossed everyone multiple times and worsened his situation each time.

"What was Manafort thinking?"

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/27/opinion/what-was-paul-manafort-thinking.html

How to make sense of the bizarre turn of events involving Paul Manafort?

Two months ago, he struck a plea deal with Robert Mueller, the special counsel — he pleaded guilty but agreed to provide full and truthful information in exchange for a more lenient sentence. But according to a filing by Mr. Mueller’s team on Monday, Mr. Manafort lied to them repeatedly, and after multiple warnings. He is now in a far worse position than if he had never elected to cooperate, or if he had followed through on his agreement.

What was he thinking? All of the available explanations for Mr. Manafort’s self-destructive path seem highly implausible, at best. So which hypothesis is the least implausible?

To briefly review the bidding, Mr. Manafort, who served as President Trump’s campaign chairman in 2016, spent months refusing to cooperate with Mr. Mueller in the face of what seemed an overwhelming set of fraud charges and the prospect of a financially ruinous pair of trials. His refusal, in the face of overwhelming evidence, was a reckless, long-shot gamble, and speculation therefore was rife that there was something we didn’t know, such as a secret promise of a pardon from the president if he kept quiet.

But when the time came for Mr. Manafort to turn over his cards at the first trial, he was out of aces and was convicted on multiple charges that most likely equated to a life sentence. Then, just before the second trial was set to start, he suddenly folded and agreed to terms with Mr. Mueller.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Feb 15th 2019 at 11:21:35 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#271578: Feb 15th 2019 at 11:27:23 PM

I mean, now that's he's ruined his value as a witness, Trump no longer has any incentive to pardon him- you don't to go out of your way to keep a man who is, from a legal standpoint, an untrustworthy liar, from testifying, because his testimony inherently won't prove anything.

Edited by Gilphon on Feb 15th 2019 at 2:30:45 PM

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#271579: Feb 15th 2019 at 11:29:19 PM

Trump has never gone out of his way to help any of his loyalists.

Look at Cohen, a man who was the Grima Wormtongue to his Saruman for decades.

The big difference between him and Manafort is Cohen was smart enough to stab Trump in Hobbiton.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Feb 15th 2019 at 11:29:40 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#271580: Feb 15th 2019 at 11:30:25 PM

[up][up][up][up]I suppose Manafort didn't want to get polonium in his tea.

Disgusted, but not surprised
BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#271581: Feb 15th 2019 at 11:32:50 PM

These guys are in deep and you'd have to be willfully ignorant to ignore the signs

Do not obey in advance.
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#271582: Feb 15th 2019 at 11:42:55 PM

[up][up][up]Don't be insulting Saruman by comparing him to Trump. grin

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#271583: Feb 16th 2019 at 2:35:04 AM

It's weird seeing people talk about TYT (The Young Turks) because my brain auto-corrects it to TY Tropes, and I'm always confused by the rest of the context of the statement, regardless of what it's about.

I figured this was an okay place to post this, considering TYT are a news and politics thing and an occasional topic of discussion.

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Feb 16th 2019 at 3:36:27 AM

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#271584: Feb 16th 2019 at 2:40:38 AM

I had almost forgotten TYT was a thing.

I miss not remembering them.

Disgusted, but not surprised
GoldenKaos Captain of the Dead City from Cirith Ungol Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Captain of the Dead City
#271585: Feb 16th 2019 at 3:20:38 AM

Especially Jimmy Dore. Nitwit.

"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#271586: Feb 16th 2019 at 4:10:26 AM

Just read and it says TYT is a progressive, left-wing news program, so what's the problem with them?

RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#271587: Feb 16th 2019 at 4:12:12 AM

I'm sure other people will give more in-depth answers, but the short answer is that they're the Bernie Bro, Armenian Genocide-denying type of left-wing.

It's been fun.
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#271588: Feb 16th 2019 at 4:24:06 AM

Just their name should be a dead giveaway as to the kind of people they really are.

Oh really when?
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#271589: Feb 16th 2019 at 4:26:36 AM

For those unfamiliar with why TYT is such a controversial name, look up Enver Pasha some time.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#271590: Feb 16th 2019 at 5:26:08 AM

Manafort’s actions don’t even make sense if he was trying to protect himself from reprisal from Russia, why take the plea deal in that case?

It only makes sense if Manafort thinks he is smarter than Muller and thought he could get away with lying to him, thus covering for everyone while not getting done himself.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#271591: Feb 16th 2019 at 5:36:37 AM

Manafort has done an excellent job of illustrating what will happen to other witnesses if they don't cooperate with Mueller. The next Democrat President has to put him in charge of the Justice Dept.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#271592: Feb 16th 2019 at 5:38:29 AM

Mueller is a Republican so I don't think they can

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#271593: Feb 16th 2019 at 5:43:07 AM

There is no reason legal or otherwise that they couldn't.

Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#271594: Feb 16th 2019 at 5:47:05 AM

I don't care about his party affiliation. Has he shown the chops? YES.

End of.

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#271595: Feb 16th 2019 at 6:09:30 AM

I feel like it could retroactively taint Muller’s work, it would look like a favour being done for the guy who bought down/seriously harmed the democrat’s opponent.

Let Muller continue doing his thing, maybe ask him who he would recommend as AG.

Also the office of AG is a political one, Muller isn’t a political actor.

Now Rosenstein for AG, that I could get behind.

Edited by Silasw on Feb 16th 2019 at 2:10:08 PM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#271596: Feb 16th 2019 at 6:30:01 AM

Surely, Muller himself is the best judge of that. Give him the choice. If he doesn't want it, then fine. But a Republican in a Democratic cabinet who didn't care about politics would be awesome.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#271597: Feb 16th 2019 at 6:43:43 AM

Also on the subject of Mueller, and because I can't remember if this has already come up:

Special counsel prosecutors say they have communications of Stone with Wiki Leaks
Prosecutors said for the first time that they have evidence of Roger Stone communicating with Wiki Leaks, according to a new court filing from special counsel prosecutors

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/15/politics/roger-stone-wikileaks/index.html

3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#271598: Feb 16th 2019 at 6:49:23 AM

And Stone is toast.

"You can reply to this Message!"
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#271599: Feb 16th 2019 at 6:50:58 AM

More imporantly he was in direct contact with the haxxor that attacked the democratic party's database

[up]I don't know what about Stone toast,I wouldn't want to spread my strawberry jam on it...

Edited by Ultimatum on Feb 16th 2019 at 3:16:13 PM

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#271600: Feb 16th 2019 at 7:50:14 AM

Joaquin Castro of Texas and AOC have announced they will be bringing up the House resolution to kill Trump's Emergency Declaration.


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