# A Thread for the Mueller Investigation Results and Outcomes (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 28, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093 "2017-10-28T20:14:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 81
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1601 "2018-01-10T17:46:53Z")
I am expecting the next committee report to exonerate Boris and Natasha and begin an investigation of moose and squirrel… ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1602 "2018-01-10T17:50:25Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > If he only had a heart. Phippsbot 2000 is two hands on a keyboard and two knees with which to (no salacious meaning implied) jerk. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1603 "2018-01-10T17:56:10Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > I am expecting the next committee report to exonerate Boris and Natasha and begin an investigation of moose and squirrel… I can’t remember who first suggested this on here, but the announcement of that investigation would be even more awesome if it were made by the first lady. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1604 "2018-01-10T17:59:18Z")
[quote=“Aspenglow, post:1598, topic:800093”] [LIST] [li]Steele went to two media outlets, not several. He gave it to Mother Jones and Buzz Feed.[/li][/quote] I don’t think that’s true, but it makes no difference. [quote] [li]The “word of the Fusion guy,” whose name, incidentally, is Glenn Simpson, had nothing to do with why the FBI took Steele’s information seriously.[/li][/quote] Oh, OK. > [@](#): > > Your towering intellect appears to lead you to believe that a marriage between a Fusion GPS employee and a “key DOJ employee” would somehow have influence on an investigation being conducted by the FBI that was so secret, Steele’s dossier didn’t make its way to the people conducting said investigation for several weeks – because internally, no one knew about that investigation. Yeah, I kind of think it’s quite possible. Look away - evil link coming: [http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/15/politics/senate-intel-bruce-ohr/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/15/politics/senate-intel-bruce-ohr/index.html) [No need to respond to the rest of your post. Your opinions are pretty well known, but not more than that.] ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1605 "2018-01-10T18:03:21Z")
And by the way, **F-P**? I forgot to mention that BuzzFeed didn’t publish the Steele dossier until January 10, 2017. Please explain how it had _ **any** _ influence on the outcome of the 2016 election. Also, the FBI did not publicly acknowledge any investigation into Trump and his Russian ties until Comey testified to the House Permanent Select Intelligence Committee (a contradiction in terms if I ever heard one) on March 20, 2017. Please also recall that the FBI warned Trump in late July/early August 2016 to be on the lookout for Russian interference in the election. They sure set him up, didn’t they? So tell us again how the FBI was all in for Clinton, and how they exerted their influence during the 2016 election to smear Trump with the Steele dossier. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1606 "2018-01-10T18:05:43Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > I don’t think that’s true, but it makes no difference.Oh, OK.Yeah, I kind of think it’s quite possible. Look away - evil link coming: [http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/15/politics/senate-intel-bruce-ohr/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/15/politics/senate-intel-bruce-ohr/index.html) > > [No need to respond to the rest of your post. Your opinions are pretty well known, but not more than that.] As ever, a stellar rebuttal. Well done! You should read your own link. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1607 "2018-01-10T18:07:57Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > And by the way, **F-P**? I forgot to mention that BuzzFeed didn’t publish the Steele dossier until January 10, 2017. Please explain how it had _ **any** _ influence on the outcome of the 2016 election. This has nothing to do with anything I’ve said here. > [@](#): > > Also, the FBI did not publicly acknowledge any investigation into Trump and his Russian ties until Comey testified to the House Permanent Select Intelligence Committee (a contradiction in terms if I ever heard one) on March 20, 2017. Or this. > [@](#): > > Please also recall that the FBI warned Trump in late July/early August 2016 to be on the lookout for Russian interference in the election. They sure set him up, didn’t they? Or this. > [@](#): > > So tell us again how the FBI was all in for Clinton, and how they exerted their influence during the 2016 election to smear Trump with the Steele dossier. Or this. In sum, you’re a very confused person and the one thing you’re clear about is that TRUMP IS BAD, and anyone defending him from any charge at all is also BAD. I don’t usually bother with your silliness, but you made some statements that looked like factual assertions but were in reality just invented by you, so I pointed it out. That’s about enough. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1608 "2018-01-10T18:11:02Z")
GOP bravery in full display. Trump urged the Republicans to “take control” of the investigation (despite the fact that they already are in control of the investigation, but I digress). When asked for comment, [Grassley responded](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/10/trump-republicans-control-russia-investigation-333158?cmpid=sf): _“I don’t know what the president has in mind, and I don’t think I better comment until I have a discussion with the president on that. And I don’t intend to have a discussion with the president on that point, and I hope he doesn’t call me and tell me the same thing that you said he said.”_ Because if you stick your fingers in your ears, the president’s comments don’t count. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1609 "2018-01-10T18:14:12Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > GOP bravery in full display. Trump urged the Republicans to “take control” of the investigation (despite the fact that they already are in control of the investigation, but I digress). When asked for comment, [Grassley responded](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/10/trump-republicans-control-russia-investigation-333158?cmpid=sf): > > _“I don’t know what the president has in mind, and I don’t think I better comment until I have a discussion with the president on that. And I don’t intend to have a discussion with the president on that point, and I hope he doesn’t call me and tell me the same thing that you said he said.”_ > > Because if you stick your fingers in your ears, the president’s comments don’t count. Grassley’s comments are exactly like someone not asking you for details of your sex life. If you weren’t so partisan, you could see that. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1610 "2018-01-10T18:21:37Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > This has nothing to do with anything I’ve said here. > > Or this. > > Or this. > > Or this. > > In sum, you’re a very confused person and the one thing you’re clear about is that TRUMP IS BAD, and anyone defending him from any charge at all is also BAD. I don’t usually bother with your silliness, but you made some statements that looked like factual assertions but were in reality just invented by you, so I pointed it out. That’s about enough. It cracks me up how you always fold like a shitty poker hand whenever someone refutes your posts with actual facts. That’s why I enjoy doing it. Please keep posting your fatuous “refutations.” They are wonderfully amusing. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1611 "2018-01-10T18:25:29Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > GOP bravery in full display. Trump urged the Republicans to “take control” of the investigation (despite the fact that they already are in control of the investigation, but I digress). When asked for comment, [Grassley responded](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/10/trump-republicans-control-russia-investigation-333158?cmpid=sf): > > _“I don’t know what the president has in mind, and I don’t think I better comment until I have a discussion with the president on that. And I don’t intend to have a discussion with the president on that point, and I hope he doesn’t call me and tell me the same thing that you said he said.”_ > > Because if you stick your fingers in your ears, the president’s comments don’t count. In other words stifle it. Trump has said many times that there was no collusion, so I guess we are just supposed to take the word of a swindler and con-man as the truth. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1612 "2018-01-10T18:25:48Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > It cracks me up how you always fold like a shitty poker hand whenever someone refutes your posts with actual facts. That’s why I enjoy doing it. Please keep posting your fatuous “refutations.” They are wonderfully amusing. Can we call this the PhippFlip? Or, perhaps, a PhippPhlopp? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1613 "2018-01-10T18:28:20Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Can we call this the PhippFlip? Or, perhaps, a PhippPhlopp? LOL, I’m partial to The PhippPhlopp. That describes it very well! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1614 "2018-01-10T18:33:16Z")
I mean, there’s a lot of variances to the PhippPhlopp. My personal favorite is the “READ MY CITE, BUT DON’T DARE ASK THAT I READ YOURS!” phlopp. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1615 "2018-01-10T18:36:37Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I mean, there’s a lot of variances to the PhippPhlopp. My personal favorite is the “READ MY CITE, BUT DON’T DARE ASK THAT I READ YOURS!” phlopp. My personal favorite is the, “YOU’RE A LOON, BECAUSE I HAVE NO FACTS OR REASONED ARGUMENT TO SUPPORT MY BELIEFS!” phlopp. (I get that one a lot from him.) ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1616 "2018-01-10T18:56:30Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > In other words stifle it. Trump has said many times that there was no collusion, so I guess we are just supposed to take the word of a swindler and con-man as the truth. :rolleyes: How many of his lies have been documented on what website, just in the first part of his supposed presidency??? THOUSANDS? ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1617 "2018-01-10T19:33:41Z")
It’s all for the good, IMO. One purpose that threads and MBs like this serve is so that partisan dimwits can surround themselves with likeminded members of their own intellectual class and agree with each other about how right they are. “Hey, let’s call him This”, “that’s good but how about let’s call him That?” is about right for that level of discourse. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1618 "2018-01-10T19:34:56Z")
Awww, isn’t he just so PWECIOUS? Let it go, SamuelP. Just let it go… ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1619 "2018-01-10T19:35:08Z")
If you really do want thoughtful discourse, why are you in the Pit? ---
**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093/1620 "2018-01-10T19:37:42Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > If you really do want thoughtful discourse, why are you in the Pit? QFT [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093.md?page=80) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-the-mueller-investigation-results-and-outcomes-part-1/800093.md?page=82)